《All Her Secrets》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 At Vicente Swann¡¯s funeral. As the Swanns were one of the three prominent families in Casier, Vicente¡¯s funeral was naturally packed with big shots and members of respected families in Casier. In the noisy venue, the arrival of a girl in a white T-shirt attracted the attention of everyone present. All of the people present were either rich or powerful. Despite being good-looking, the girl wore a cheap and battered T-shirt, setting her apart from everyone else at the funeral. Seeing how she walked straight toward the Swanns family, someone couldn¡¯t help asking curiously, ¡°Who is she? Why is she sitting with the Swanns?¡± ¡°I heard that she is Miss Catherine, the second daughter of the Swanns that had lived away from the family. Vicente only asked her toe back before he died.¡± ¡°Is that so? I heard that Vicente ordered the family to announce his will in front of everyone before he died. I guess she only returned for this!¡± ¡­ The girl did not know that she had already be the topic of the guests¡¯ discussions. She looked calmly ahead with an indifferent expression on her face. Her eyes remained focused on Vicente¡¯s portrait in the middle of the venue. Nobody knew what she was thinking about at the time. At the sight of Catherine Swann like this, Liana Swann, the youngest and favorite daughter of the Swanns, couldn¡¯t helpining to her mother, who was sitting next to her. ¡°Mom, what is going on with this country girl? Grandpa has died. Even if she isn¡¯t sad, she should at least pretend to cry. What would the others think if the media took a photo of her like thister? She wouldn¡¯t even change her clothes when we asked her to. People that don¡¯t know better would think that the Swanns have mistreated her!¡± After hearing her youngest daughter¡¯sints, Rachael Swann furrowed her brows too. She thought that her youngest daughter did have a point. She never loved Catherine, her daughter from the countryside, dearly. In fact, Catherine pissed Rachael off just one day after she had returned. However, it was not the right time for Rachael to handle Catherine now. She nned to wait until the funeral was over before sending Catherine back to the countryside so that Catherine wouldn¡¯t continue to embarrass the Swanns here. Looking up, Rachael saw that her husband had arrived. Sheforted her youngest daughter in a low voice, ¡°Liana, be good. Your father is here. Bear with Catherine for now. We need to deal with what is important first!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Liana couldn¡¯t show her annoyance towards Catherine in public, so she could only choke back the comints on the tip of her tongue. Nobody noticed that Catherine, who had been looking straight ahead, smiled lightly. The Swanns never spent time with Catherine, so they wouldn¡¯t know she had exceptional hearing. Even though Rachael and Liana spoke in a low voice, Catherine clearly heard every word of their exchange. Her mother truly did not love her! As Catherine stared at Vicente¡¯s portrait, her eyes shed with a faint trace of sadness. Did she have to cry because of pain? ¡­ Korbin Swann walked up the stage slowly. He gave a long speech first and expressed his views about how great Vicente was before finally announcing that the family would publicly announce Vicente¡¯s will. As many people knew this beforehand, the crowd was not too surprised. Vicente had a son and daughter. It was a no-brainer who would inherit the fortune of the Swanns. However, nobody understood why Vicente would make sure to make such a fuss to announce his will publicly. Was it just for formality? Thewyer Vicente trusted the most when he was still alive opened the sealed will and read it out loud. ¡°After careful consideration, I, Vicente Swann, leave all my shares of the Swann Corporation, real estate properties, and a 500 million-dor deposit at the Bank of Nospines to my granddaughter, Catherine Swann¡­¡± At thewyer¡¯s words, the crowd gasped in shock. Not even the Swanns, everyone present was dumbfounded. Catherine Swann? Wasn¡¯t she the second daughter of the Swanns, the jinx that Vicente sent off to be raised in the countryside when she was young? How could it be? She would inherit the fortune of the Swanns. With their jaws dropped, everyone shared a simr look of horror. Except for Catherine, the center of the discussion. She still looked indifferent, as though nothing had happened. Her eyes were still fixed on Vicente¡¯s portrait in the center of the hall. Her lips parted slightly as she spoke in an almost inaudible voice. ¡°Old man, what were you thinking?¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 After the will had been announced, the Swanns were in an uproar. Korbin immediately doubted the will, but it was announced by Leonel Bolton, Vicente¡¯swyer, himself. Besides, Leonel even showed them a video recorded by Vicente, especially for his will before he died, as proof. Moreover, in his will, Vicente noted that if any member of the Swanns were to object to such a decision, they would be instantly disowned and kicked out of the family. One had to know that every member of the Swanns was working in the Swann Corporation. They would have nothing left if they were kicked out of the Swanns. Now, the guests present finally understood why Vicente ordered to announce his will in public. He was doing so to catch Korbin off guard. Everyone knew Vicente was cunning. Even on his deathbed, he lived up to his reputation for making such a n. However, why was Catherine chosen to inherit the Swanns¡¯ fortune? Wasn¡¯t she the Swanns¡¯ jinx? As he looked at the girl, who remained calm, Leonel felt that it was the first time for him not to be able to read another person clearly. However, none of these matter. Leonel¡¯s professionalism urged him to fulfill his employer¡¯s order. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. He ced the will before Catherine and offered her a pen thoughtfully. ¡°Miss Swann, if you are okay with it, please sign your name on the will. Then, you may inherit the fortune of the Swanns.¡± Catherine left Leonel¡¯s hand, which was holding the pen up to her, in midair, and did not reach out to take the pen from him. She pointed to a spot on the will and looked at Leonel with a frown. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Leonel answered his client¡¯s question urately. ¡°Miss Swann, this is the required condition for your inheritance. Vicente has arranged with Karl Duncan that the heirs of the two families will unite in marriage. The day of your marriage will be the day when this will take effect.¡± The news left everyone present in shock! Wasn¡¯t the heir of the Duncans Branden Duncan? The Duncans were the head of the three prominent families and the wealthiest family in Casier. It was a top family of the upper ss, and Branden was the family¡¯s sole heir. What left the crowd in greater shock was Catherine¡¯s answer. ¡°No!¡± Catherine¡¯s answer was neat and short. She turned down the astronomical inheritance without blinking. Her answer left Leonel, standing on the stage, so embarrassed. It was the first time he saw someone unmoved by such extensive wealth. He finally understood why Vicente asked to arrange what would happen next. It turned out that he had not lost his mind but was, in fact, nning ahead. ¡­ Catherine¡¯s answer dumbfounded everyone. She actually rejected Branden. He was the man of the dreams of all girls in Casier. How could she reject him? How bold was she? It happened that Branden was also here today. Everyone held their breath as they turned to look at Branden. Even though gossiping about the Duncans was dangerous, they couldn¡¯t refrain themselves. Branden was sitting in the front row, wearing a fitted ck suit with his cor slightly opened, showing his tanned skin underneath. What would be most eye-catching about him would be his looks. His beautifully sculptured features could charm anyone. And his deep eyes, despite looking indifferent, were so cold that one would not dare to look him in his eyes. Everyone was waiting for this cruel heir of the Duncans to voice his opinion mercilessly. To their surprise, besides having a change in expression, Branden only looked up lightly toward Catherine and made no other move. As their eyes met, Catherine guessed who he was already. But she was not interested! Her cold eyes caught Branden¡¯s attention! Good. She was the first person to meet his gaze without cowering. Interesting. He wanted to know what was so special about this heir of the Swanns that the old man had picked. Under the pressure of the dispute and public opinion aroused, Leonel retrieved another material Vicente had left behind. ¡°Miss Swann, Vicente had left this recording behind. He hopes that you will decide after listening to it!¡± Catherine, who was going to leave immediately, reached out and popped the earbuds in her ears as she started listening to the recording. As the recording was being yed, Catherine¡¯s brows became more knitted. Eventually, she removed the earbuds andined unhappily, ¡°So troublesome!¡± Then, she took the pen Leonel had just handed her and signed her name on the will. When he saw her sign, Leonel heaved a silent sigh of relief. Vicente was truly good at predicting the future. After signing her name, Catherine was led away by Leonel to hand the will over to her. The crowd was discussing loudly with one another, and the looks on the Swanns¡¯ faces couldn¡¯t be uglier. Everyone was waiting to hear more about this drama! Someone said, ¡°How can a lone girl from the countryside be of match for the cunning members of the Swanns? Even if she gets the inheritance, Catherine wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it!¡± Someone refuted him immediately, ¡°That might not be the case. If he would help her, she might be able to keep it.¡± At his words, everyone turned to look at the man with such a powerful presence, and whose eyes nobody dared to look into, slowly. It was clear that anything was possible. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 After being handed the will, Catherine returned to the living room. Most of the Swanns were sitting in the family living room. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you bumpkin had done. But you are dreaming to want to inherit the Swanns¡¯ fortune!¡± The one that spoke was the youngest son of the Swanns. He was Catherine¡¯s younger brother, Johnathan Swann. He was the only son of the Swanns. At first, everything in the family would eventually belong to him. But now, it had all be Catherine¡¯s. How could he ept it? From the beginning, he didn¡¯t respect Catherine at all, as he thought she was just an uneducated country girl. Now, she had inherited the Swanns¡¯ wealth. How could he take this lightly? Johnathan came to his mother, Rachael, took her hand, andined, ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t let the jinx inherit the family¡¯s fortune! Make her give it up, and go back to the countryside!¡± Everyone in the Swanns knew that Catherine was a jinx, so Vicente sent her to the countryside when she was young. Soon after Catherine¡¯s ident, Laura Swann died. The priest at the Prayers¡¯ Church said that Catherine¡¯s birth was an omen that would bring cmities upon them! Catherine¡¯s mother, Rachael, did not care about Catherine at all. She looked up and fixed Catherine with a fierce gaze as she ordered her directly, ¡°Catherine, did you hear your brother? Call Leonel now and tell him you will give up the Swanns¡¯ fortune. You will pass it over to your father. I¡¯ll ask your father topensate you with some money. A few dayster, you will go back to the countryside.¡± Catherine epted everything calmly as though she was a bystander. After Rachael had finished talking, Catherine opened her mouth slowly and said in a clear and calm voice. ¡°Okay! ¡°If you can, take it!¡± Her answer was so straightforward that she left everyone there dumbfounded. How could she not care about it at all? Everyone only heard Catherine¡¯s ¡°Okay!¡± but did not care for the cold warning that followed. After all, in their eyes, if even a member of the Swanns could not inherit the family¡¯s fortune, a country girl like Catherine would surely fail to inherit it too. Liana was the first toe back to her senses. She was also the happiest among the Swanns at Catherine¡¯s words as she smiled brightly and triumphantly. ¡°I¡¯m d you know your ce!¡± In Liana¡¯s eyes, Catherine was just an uneducated country girl. Even if the Swann Corporation fell into Catherine¡¯s hands, she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it. It would be better for Catherine to hand it over directly so that Liana and her family wouldn¡¯t need to scheme against herter to take it from her. That being said, Liana came to Rachael. ¡°Mom, what are you waiting for? Call Leonel over and sign the hand-over agreement immediately so that we don¡¯t have to worry about it for long.¡± Before Rachael could make such a call, Korbin came into the living room and spoke loudly, ¡°No. The will can¡¯t be changed!¡± At his words, the expressions on Liana¡¯s and the others¡¯ faces turned nasty. Liana didn¡¯t care about her image anymore and let out an agitated scream. ¡°Dad, why? Why are you letting a bumpkin like her inherit the Swanns¡¯ fortune?¡± In the face of Liana¡¯s questioning, Korbin¡¯s face darkened. He didn¡¯t want to either, but he couldn¡¯t stop Catherine from doing so. Korbin turned to look at Catherine, who was on the side. As he saw that she was still wearing the battered white T-shirt, a trace of disdain shed across his eyes. ¡°Catherine, you must be tired from the day. Go upstairs and rest!¡± Catherine knew that Korbin was asking her to leave on purpose. She didn¡¯t hesitate and strode upstairs. As Catherine turned her back to her family, an evil smile spread across Catherine¡¯s beautiful and doll- like face. Her bright eyes shone with mocking and disdain. After Catherine had disappeared upstairs, Rachael took the initiative to ask, ¡°Korbin, why don¡¯t we get the girl to transfer the fortune to you?¡± Rachael wouldn¡¯t even call Catherine by name because of her disdain toward her daughter. Korbin shook his head and sighed, looking helpless. ¡°Dad had stated clearly in his will, if Catherine abandons the inheritance, the Swanns¡¯ fortune would be fully donated to the charity. Most importantly, Branden has agreed to marry her to unite the two families. As of now, Catherine is already Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± They couldn¡¯t afford to cross the Duncans. Besides, Vicente¡¯s will had stated his conditions clearly. Therefore, in Korbin¡¯s eyes, if he were to keep the Swanns¡¯ fortune, he could only let Catherine inherit it for now and only try to take it back from herter. The two pieces of news left every one of the Swanns in shock. Liana¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She looked at her father in horror. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re joking, aren¡¯t you? Branden would never agree to marry the jinx¡­¡± Korbin knew that his youngest daughter had always fancied Branden, but right now, it was already a fact. No one could do anything about it. ¡°Liana, I can¡¯t do anything about it!¡± Liana fell onto the sofa in a daze at her father¡¯s words. Her mind had gone nk. She couldn¡¯t believe how much had changed in merely a day. The wealth that Liana could so easily get was gone. Even the man she had fancied for so many years had be someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. It was all because of Catherine! Liana clenched her hands into fists as her eyes were filled with pure hatred and anger. She swore in her heart, ¡°Catherine, I hate you!¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Catherine officially settled down in the Swanns. Her room was in the basement of the Swanns¡¯ residence. There were dozens of rooms in the broad residence of the Swanns¡¯. But Catherine was arranged to stay in a room in the basement that even the maids would not stay at. Hah! One could see from this how the Swanns treated her. Looking around the spartan room, Catherine did not show any trace of emotion on her doll-like face. She did not care about where she was staying. She preferred staying in the basement, as it was quieter there. So that the other members of the Swanns would not bother her relentlessly. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. If it were not for Catherine¡¯s looks, nobody would believe that she was the daughter of the Swanns. Korbin¡¯s wife, Rachael, was known to be a beauty in Casier when she was younger. If she called herself the second prettiest woman in Casier, then nobody would dare to im to be the prettiest. Everyone thought that Liana, the youngest daughter of the Swanns, looked like Rachael the most and had inherited Rachael¡¯s good looks. That was why she was most favored in the Swanns. However, when everyone saw Catherine today, they realized that Catherine looked almost exactly the same as Rachael. In fact, it could be said that Catherine looked even more beautiful than Rachael when she was younger. Ring, ring. The old-fashioned phone Catherine had left on the desk rang. When Liana saw Catherine¡¯s phone earlier, she even mocked Catherine in disdain as a bumpkin for using such an old-fashioned phone. Catherine didn¡¯t care at all. An old-fashioned phone? If Liana discovered this was one of the few dozens of satellite phones in the world, what would she say? ¡­ Catherine checked the phone and found that she had received a text message. From: Ronin Oconnor Ronin: [Boss, someone is investigating you. Should I do something about it?] Catherine: [No, let him investigate.] Ronin: [Okay, boss. Have fun!] After reading Ronin¡¯s messages, Catherine deleted the chat record. She was used to keeping everything clean, leaving no trace behind her. Ronin was a boy Catherine had adopted. He was three years younger than she was. The boy had no other talent but was very good atputers. At his age, Ronin was already so skillful atputers that he ranked within the top ten of the world¡¯s best hackers. He was still young. Given enough years of training, he would undoubtedly rank higher in the future. As Catherine hade to attend her grandfather¡¯s funeral right after traveling all the way from the countryside, she was indeed tired and wanted to take a rest. She took Vicente¡¯s photo she had always kept with her out and stared at it in a daze. Her grandfather was so cruel. To make Catherine ept the Swanns¡¯ fortune, Vicente didn¡¯t even give her a chance to see him for onest time. Catherine would never ept such an arrangement if she didn¡¯t know that this was her grandfather¡¯s final wish. After all, nobody could make Catherine do what she didn¡¯t want to. At the sound of footsteps approaching her door, Catherine took away Vicente¡¯s photo. She reached to wipe away the drop of tear in the corner of her eye in a hurry. Within seconds, her beautiful face was back to being expressionless. Liana pushed the door open without knocking, leading maids into Catherine¡¯s room. If her father did not tell her repeatedly to bear with it for now, Liana would have told the maids to throw Catherine out long ago. Bang! The wooden door was pushed open and hit the wall with a loud bang. Liana¡¯s brows were knitted as soon as she stepped into the room. Her eyes were filled with disdain. Liana raised her voice on purpose and exaggerated things in her words. ¡°Is this a dog house? Why is it so smelly here? It¡¯s so disgusting!¡± Catherine sat up slightly, crossed her arms, and looked down at Liana. Her eyes looked cold. ¡°Are you calling me a dog?¡± Lianaughed triumphantly. She was disdainful toward Catherine. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about it if you admit being a dog. Why don¡¯t you try barking? I¡¯ll see if you sound like one.¡± In the face of Liana¡¯s taunting, Catherine wasn¡¯t angered. Her expressionless face remained as calm as ever. However, her lips curled into a light smile. ¡°Liana, even if you wouldn¡¯t admit it, I¡¯m still your older sister by birth. If I¡¯m a dog, what are you then?¡± Caught off guard, Liana saw Catherine¡¯s lips part as she said more words that left Liana even angrier. ¡°Are you a dog¡¯s younger sister? Or its feces?¡± Liana was so angry that her face contorted. ¡°You¡­¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Rachael knew her youngest daughter wouldn¡¯t be able to control herself, so she asked Liana to take the maid, Haylie Barber, with her when she came over. At first, when Haylie saw that Liana had the upper hand, she did not n to step in. However, now that Haylie saw Liana getting so mad because of Catherine¡¯s words, she stepped forward to stop her quickly. Haylieforted Liana nicely and repeated what Rachael had said over and over again until Liana finally calmed down. Liana ordered the maids behind her angrily, ¡°Come on up. Throw the things here!¡± Then, two young maids came up and threw two stacks of clothes in front of Catherine. Liana looked at Catherine arrogantly. Haylie was right. Catherine was all talk. Vixens from the countryside were all like that. On the other hand, Liana was a noble daughter of a wealthy family. She couldn¡¯t stoop to Catherine¡¯s level. ¡°These are all clothes I have only worn a few times and want to throw away. All of them are from big brands. You probably haven¡¯t even heard of these brands, have you?¡± Liana looked arrogant, as though she was granting Catherine a huge favor by giving her her old clothes. ¡°I¡¯m giving them to you now out of kindness. Are you moved? You don¡¯t need to thank me though. Look at the battered T-shirt you are wearing. You look even poorer than a beggar. The Swanns can¡¯t afford for you to embarrass us like this. So hurry and change into these clothes.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Catherine looked down at her clothes. Was the T-shirt she was wearing battered? She had just gotten this the day before yesterday. Ronin told her there were only ten in the world, and he only got it after hacking into over 10 thousandputers. If Ronin didn¡¯t beg repeatedly and the T-shirt was indeed of a rtively simple design, Catherine would never wear it. Catherine couldn¡¯t believe that this piece of work that the top designer, Marianne, had designed before she retired was considered suitable for a beggar in Liana¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, Catherine thought she shouldn¡¯t waste her breath talking to Liana anymore. Seeing that Catherine did not answer, Liana thought she had sessfully intimidated Catherine with her clothes. ¡°Catherine, Dad has arranged for you to go to a school. Someone like you, who had never gone to a school before, could never go to school otherwise. However, you can¡¯t embarrass the Swanns anymore, so Dad donated a library to the school so that they¡¯d admit you. Do remember to cherish this opportunity. You must be grateful for it, got it? You can¡¯t be wasting the Swanns¡¯ money all the time.¡± Liana thought that, despite the fact the Swanns were rich, it would be a better use of money for the family to buy her a few more new bags instead of spending it on a country girl like Catherine. Catherine couldn¡¯t help sneering out loud. Hearing the mocking in Catherine¡¯s sneers, Liana frowned as she looked at Catherine with a questioning gaze. ¡°Bumpkin, what are youughing at?¡± Catherine lowered her head and raised an eyebrow, looking careless. ¡°What do you think I¡¯mughing at? Liana, have you forgotten that all the Swanns¡¯ money is now mine? What is wrong with donating my money to build a library so that I can go to school? You ask me to be grateful for it. Should I thank myself then?¡± Liana couldn¡¯t help it anymore. She burst out crying out of anger and ran out of the room. Naturally, the other maids followed as Liana left, running after her. Finally, nobody was there to bother Catherine anymore. She looked at the old clothes on the floor and shook her head helplessly. Liana was too weak to burst out crying only after chatting for a while. It was no fun at all. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 At the Duncans¡¯ residence. After hearing about how Branden promised to get engaged to the country girl from the Swanns that came out of nowhere at the Swanns¡¯ funeral, Triston Lambert rushed to the Duncans¡¯ residence immediately. As the only friend Branden had acknowledged in public, Triston couldn¡¯t believe he did not get first- hand news about Branden¡¯s love life. How could Triston show his face in Casier in the future? After all, Triston was the only son and heir of the Lamberts. He couldn¡¯t afford to embarrass himself like this. ¡°Oh, Mr. Duncan, tell me something, okay? Why did you agree to get engaged to the country girl? Even though she is quite good-looking, there are so many good-looking girls in Casier. Why did you pick her?¡± Branden was reading thepany¡¯s financial statement while Triston chatted away noisily next to him like an annoying fly. Branden finally put down the document in his hands as he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He turned to look at Triston briefly, his eyes shining with bone-chilling coldness. One look like this from Branden was enough to leave Triston shivering and breaking out in a cold sweat. Triston was so frightened that he didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore. He was afraid that he would anger Branden by ident. If Branden lost his temper, it would be the end of Triston. Knock, knock. The knock on the door was like a savior in Triston¡¯s eyes. Triston mustered up a smile hurriedly and mumbled, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ll get the door for you.¡± It was Paxton Duncan, Branden¡¯s assistant. He had been with Branden since they were small. In families like the Duncans, most assistants were trained since they were young. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. When they were young, Paxton was Branden¡¯s paired study partner. When they grew older, he became Branden¡¯s assistant. Paxton was always cold and expressionless. He never smiled or joked around. Triston gave Paxton the nickname ¡°Icecube¡± behind his back. After entering the room, Paxton took a look at Branden. Seeing that Branden did not say anything, Paxton knew that he didn¡¯t n to hide anything from Triston, so Paxton went ahead to report his findings. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ve got the information about Catherine Swann.¡± At his words, Triston was a little excited. ¡°Oh, you asked Paxton to investigate Catherine. It seems that you indeed care about her. Let me see.¡± As he finished, Triston snatched the documents from Paxton¡¯s hands and flipped them open excitedly. However, Triston soon furrowed his brows and looked at Paxton angrily. ¡°Icecube, are you joking with me? Why is it a piece of nk paper? Where is the information? I want to see information about Catherine.¡± In the document Paxton had presented, nothing else existed apart from a photo of Catherine and her age. Triston thought Paxton had hidden the information away as he didn¡¯t want Triston to read it. In the face of Triston¡¯s vexatious words, Paxton looked as if he was used to it. He continued to look coldly at Triston without moving. Seeing that Paxton did not move and was looking at him like an idiot, Triston understood immediately. His eyes widened instantly, looking somewhat surprised. ¡°You couldn¡¯t find anything about her, could you?¡± Seeing that Triston got at least a little bit of judgment, Paxton nodded. As his guess had been confirmed, Triston only became even more surprised. ¡°There is actually information that even the Duncans can¡¯t find. Could it be that Vicente had hidden it?¡± The Duncans were the most powerful family in Casier because of their excellent intelligencework. The Duncans could find out about anything they wanted to learn about. Soon, Triston banned his own guess. ¡°That can¡¯t be. Vicente is not good enough to hide anything from the Duncans. What is going on then? Why can¡¯t you get information about Catherine?¡± Triston turned to look at Branden, asking for an exnation of what was going on. Branden¡¯s eyes fell on the nk spot of the document, and a faint smile appeared on his handsome and evil-looking face. Interesting! Seeing his smile, Triston was so afraid that he didn¡¯t even dare to ask any more questions. He knew that someone was out of luck whenever Branden smiled like this. However, he did not know who it was that would meet their fall yet. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 At dinnertime, the maids led Catherine to the dining room of the Swanns¡¯. She heard that Liana was not in the mood for dinner as she was too angry at Catherine, so Liana was not there at the dinner table. The rest of the Swanns were all there. They were all waiting for Catherine! At Catherine¡¯s entrance, Johnathan taunted her rudely and immediately. ¡°People from the countryside are so uncivilized. She only came to eat after being asked to for so many times. Does she really think she is the boss of us all?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. In the face of Johnathan¡¯s taunts, Catherine¡¯s face remained indifferent. She turned her head and looked at Johnathan coldly. Her calm eyes shone with bone-chilling coldness. Johnathan was caught off guard at the look of her eyes. He shivered in fear and choked on his food with his mouth still stuffed. He broke into a violent coughing fit then. After coughing a while, Johnathan felt he had coughed so hard that he had almost coughed his organs out. Staring at Catherine from the other end of the table, Johnathan was so angry. He gritted his teeth and waited for his chance to regain the upper hand. He blinked and had a sudden idea. Johnathan said to Catherine lightly, ¡°I heard that you made Liana so angry she wouldn¡¯t even eat because the family donated money to build a library so you can go to school. Is that true?¡± His father had always favored Liana. Catherine was so arrogant to bully Liana even when it was just her first day here. Johnathan was sure his father wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to this. Catherine raised her eyes and looked at Johnathan lightly. ¡°I heard that you came bottom of your ss in the exam. You didn¡¯t have to repeat the year of studies only because the Swanns donated a thousandputers to the school. Is that true?¡± Johnathan couldn¡¯t believe that Catherine knew about himing bottom of his school in the exam. Didn¡¯t his mother take care of this matter already? How did Catherine find out? Before Johnathan could figure out how Catherine had found out about this, Korbin¡¯s voice rang. At the news, Korbin furrowed his brows. ¡°Johnathan, what is that about? When did youe bottom in your exam?¡± Johnathan¡¯s face turned pale at Korbin¡¯s question. He was most afraid of Korbin. Despite being busy, his father always checked on his studies personally. Johnathan didn¡¯t dare to admit to it, nor did he know how he should answer Korbin¡¯s question. Seeing how trouble was brewing, Rachael spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re having dinner. Don¡¯t talk too much. The food is turning cold. Hurry and eat!¡± After that, Rachael even shot a warning look at Catherine. In the face of Rachael¡¯s warning, Catherine remained calm. She reached out to pick up her fork and started eating. Korbin dropped this matter for now, for Rachael¡¯s sake. Only then did the family eat in peace. After dinner, Korbin did not leave the desk, so everyone else remained seated too. It was a rule of the Swanns. If the head of the family had not stood up yet, the others would not either. Catherine didn¡¯t care about this. She put down her cutlery and was ready to leave the table when she was done eating. Seeing that Catherine had stood up, Johnathan was about to scold her for this. But at a look from Rachael, Johnathan closed his mouth. Rachael wasn¡¯t doing this to help Catherine. Instead, she knew that with Vicente gone, Korbin was the head of the Swanns. As the head of the Swanns, Korbin would never allow anyone to challenge his position. It would be better to leave Korbin, instead of her dear son, to discipline the country girl who had caused trouble for the family. As expected, when Catherine stood up, Korbin¡¯s face darkened. Johnathan understood his mother¡¯s intention then. He might be bad at everything else, but he had always been good at reading his father¡¯s expressions. Next, Johnathan only needed to sit back and enjoy the show! Just as Korbin was about to lose his temper, he remembered that Catherine might not know the rules as she had just returned from the countryside. So, he took a deep breath to suppress his anger. Korbin raised his head and called out to Catherine, ¡°Wait!¡± Catherine turned. Her eyes slowly fell on Korbin. Korbin pointed at the seat Catherine had just emptied and said to her, ¡°Sit down. I have something to talk to you about!¡± Catherine did not get back in her seat immediately. Instead, she said lightly, ¡°But I¡¯m full!¡± She meant that she did not n to return to her seat. Korbin did not like children that would talk back to him. But thinking about what he would talk about, he held back his anger. Rachael and Johnathan felt it was strange for Korbin not to lose his temper at Catherine. One had to know that Korbin was known for his hot temper. Just as Johnathan was about to speak up for his father, Rachael stopped him again. Rachael did not only rely on giving birth to four children to maintain her ce as Mrs. Swann for all these years. She managed to do so because of how well she knew Korbin. As expected, Korbin said his intentions out loud next. ¡°Catherine, even though your grandfather had left the Swanns¡¯ fortune to you, you are still young. You should focus on your studies for now. Why don¡¯t you sign an Authorization Agreement to give me the power for administration so I can manage the entire Swann Corporation for you?¡± At his words, the maids on the side handed over a contract as though she was waiting for Catherine to sign. Rachael and Johnathan finally understood now that this was what Korbin wanted. As soon as Catherine had signed the agreement, she would lose her power to handle the Swanns¡¯ fortune. She wouldn¡¯t be a threat to them anymore, then. Johnathan squinted his eyes and looked at Catherine with a smile. He was confident that Catherine wouldn¡¯t dare to refuse to sign the agreement when his father had ordered her to do so in person. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Catherine took the contract and took a look at it. A trace of a smile shed across her charming eyes. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Her father was genuinely nice to her. One could tell at a nce that Korbin had set this contract overnight. Every condition was outrageously bossy. If Catherine signed the contract, not only would the Swann Corporation no longer be hers to manage, Korbin would even get to control every word and action of Catherine. Seeing how Catherine flipped through the contract page by page, Korbin¡¯s patience wore thin. He didn¡¯t think that Catherine could understand the conditions. He heard that she didn¡¯t even go to school in the countryside. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Catherine. You don¡¯t have to read so hard into it. Sign now, and I will give you 100 thousand dors every month as your allowance. You will live a carefree life at the Swanns¡¯ residence. You don¡¯t have to go back to the countryside anymore!¡± 100 thousand dors every month? Oh, that was indeed a lot of money for most people. But would she really give up the right to manage tens of billions worth of wealth and be restrained just for an allowance of 100 thousand dors per month? Did Korbin think she was stupid? She put the contract back on the table, and an evil smile appeared on her lips as she turned her gaze slowly on Korbin. Her lips parted slightly as she spat out a word coldly. ¡°No!¡± Korbin was so mad that his face turned green. His two brows were knitted together. And he almost pounded the table angrily. ¡°You¡­¡± However, Korbin was already in middle age and had spent many years in the business world. Despite being angry, Korbin was able to contain his anger. Korbin forced himself to calm down and spoke to Catherine as peacefully as possible. In his eyes, Catherine would only yield to soft approaches. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. The Swann Corporation is the work of your grandfather for his whole life. It can¡¯t be wasted!¡± Catherine took a piece of paper that had been neatly folded out from her pocket. She unfolded it slowly andid it out in front of Korbin. Korbin took a look at it and almost fainted from anger. On the paper, the words ¡°Law of Session¡± were printed clearly on the top. As Korbin finished reading thew, Catherine even exined it to them. ¡°I am of age now. I have the right to inherit and manage my wealth. I don¡¯t need a guardian, nor do I need to authorize somebody else to manage my wealth for me.¡± Korbin¡¯s face had darkened. Catherine had caught him off guard. Korbin did not expect Catherine to have even checked the Law of Session. Wasn¡¯t Korbin told that Catherine didn¡¯t even attend high school? How could she be so bright? Before Korbin could lose his temper, Rachael spoke up first. She was not as calm as Korbin was. Seeing how Catherine had failed to see their ¡°act of kindness,¡± Rachael pounded the table and pointed her finger at Catherine as she scolded her angrily. ¡°It would be too kind to call you ungrateful. The Swanns have raised you to this age. Is this how you repay us? You are truly a jinx. You are no good. If you sign this, we¡¯re still a family. If you refuse to see sense, don¡¯t me us for abandoning you!¡± Johnathan echoed his mother¡¯s words on the side loudly, ¡°That¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t sign, we¡¯ll kick you out!¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes swept past Rachael slowly. She had seen Rachael¡¯s files. Rachael¡¯s maiden name was Rachel Lang. She did note from a noble family but married Korbin for her stunning good looks. After giving birth to four children and steadying her position as Mrs. Swanns, Rachael became the wife of one of the wealthiest families in Casier. However, as a mother highly praised by all outside the family, Rachael was fixing Catherine with a disdainful look as if she was looking at her enemy. It was such a joke. A jinx? It had been so long since someone had mentioned this in front of Catherine. Catherine could vaguely remember that someone had scolded her and called her this when she was younger, saying that the birth of a jinx like her had brought disasters to the Swanns. What happened to the person that had scolded her? She couldn¡¯t remember clearly. It seemed that the person had gone mad! Since then, nobody dared to call Catherine that in her face anymore. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 In the face of Rachael¡¯s and her son¡¯s threats, Catherine looked calm. Her expression did not change even a bit. It was as if she had expected all this to happen. Catherine took out another piece of A4 paper neatly folded from her pocket. It was the ¡°Law of Session¡± earlier. What was it now? This piece of paper was for Rachael. As Catherine handed the paper to her, Rachael reached out to take it. At a look at it, she almost fainted from anger. [Deration To Terminate Parent-Child Rtionship] The girl was truly ruthless! Catherine looked lightly at Rachael. Compared to how angry Rachael looked with a flushed face, Catherine was clearly much calmer. ¡°You are only my biological parents. I will cooperate anytime if you want to terminate your parent-child rtionship with me. Leonel gave me this. He said you only need to sign on it!¡± After speaking to Rachael, Catherine turned her eyes to Johnathan slowly. Her eyes shone with bone-chilling coldness and spookiness, but the smile on her face was so gentle. The significant difference left Johnathan shivering in fear. He swallowed nervously and spoke only after moistening his throat, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Grandpa originally owned this mansion. If you terminate your rtionship with me, you will be the one kicked out of this mansion!¡± Catherine sounded so calm. It was as if this had nothing to do with her, that she was merely an announcer. Johnathan was so scared that he almost threw himself into Rachael¡¯s arms and cried. The look in the country girl¡¯s eyes was too terrifying! Rachael was so angry that she was literally fuming. She could only turn to Korbin for help. ¡°Korbin, do you hear what the ungrateful brat is saying? She wants to eat all of us alive!¡± With his brows furrowed, Korbin fixed Catherine with a questioning gaze. He was sensitive to think that this was too much of a coincidence. The girl seemed to have predicted everything, as she had prepared a perfect strategy against their every move. Catherine would never have been able to do so if she was just an ignorant and stupid girl from the countryside. Could she have someone behind her back to advise and help her? The Swanns¡¯ fortune was much more than tens of thousands of dors. It was worth up to tens of billions of dors. Korbin looked at Catherine patiently. ¡°Catherine, your grandfather had worked hard to build the Swann Corporation all his life. You weren¡¯t at home, so you don¡¯t know how important all this is to us. The Swann Corporation must be managed by one of the Swanns. It would be most appropriate to hand it over to me for management. You are too young. You will ruin the Swann Corporation, and I will never allow thepany to be ruined just like this! ¡°If you refuse to see sense, I will have to hold a press conference for the society to determine who should get the inheritance.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± Catherine stopped Korbin¡¯s words decisively. Her reaction left Korbin hopeful. He thought that Catherine was scared and had therefore decided to step down. After all, she was just an ignorant teenage girl. She must be scared out of her wits at the sound of holding a press conference. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve epted the invitation for an exclusive interview with The International Economics.¡± The International Economics? It was the top economic newspaper in the world. Even Korbin had never been invited for an interview with them. He couldn¡¯t believe the girl would be invited for an exclusive interview. Korbin stared at Catherine unbelievingly. He was so angry that he was shaking. ¡°You are going to ruin the Swann Corporation!¡± In the face of Korbin, who was abnormally agitated, Catherine smiled yfully. There was a trace of decisiveness in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Swann Corporation won¡¯t be ruined in my hands. Give me three months. If I can¡¯t increase the Swann Corporation¡¯s share price by 30%, I¡¯ll give you the signed Letter of Authorization.¡± Catherine was so arrogant. Korbin had been working as the General Manager of the Swann Corporation for ten years, and he could only promise to maintain thepany¡¯s stock price. To think that Catherine even wanted to increase the stock price by 30%! It was a fool¡¯s talk! How dared a young girl like her to say something so outrageous! Korbin wanted to see how Catherine woulde begging for his help while crying then. A trace of cruelty shed across Korbin¡¯s darkened face. He looked at Catherine seriously. ¡°Okay, you have my word. Don¡¯t go back on your word then!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Catherine took out another piece of paper neatly folded from her pocket and threw it at Korbin. ¡°I never go back on my word!¡± With that, Catherine left briskly. Korbin unfolded the piece of paper. There were two words printed on the top of it. [Commitment Letter] Chapter 10 Chapter 10 At the Duncans¡¯ mansion. In the exquisite and luxurious living room, two men entirely different in character were resting on the sofa. Compared to how Triston was sprawled on the sofa, Branden, who had hisptop on hisp, was sitting upright. Seeing how straight Branden was sitting, Triston couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. Some people were born to be other-worldly. One could never understand what these people were thinking. The maid came to report the arrival of a guest. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Miss Catherine Swann is here!¡± Triston jumped up from the sofa at the maid¡¯s words and stumbled in front of Branden. ¡°Catherine Swann? Isn¡¯t that the girl from the Swanns that has just returned from the countryside? Isn¡¯t that your fianc¨¦e?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Branden nced at Triston lightly, and Triston shut up immediately at his look. As Triston had stopped babbling, Branden raised his head slowly to look at the maid. ¡°Bring her in!¡± Seeing that Branden had asked for Catherine toe in, Triston decided to excuse himself from the room to save his life, despite being so curious that he was dying. ¡°I¡¯ll be upstairs!¡± As soon as Triston had left, Catherine walked into the living room. As she entered the room, Catherine looked around the living room and urately found where Branden was sitting. She strolled toward Branden, stood before him, and asked in a calm tone, ¡°May I sit down?¡± Branden tore his eyes from the screen of hisptop and fixed his eyes on Catherine. She was still wearing a white T-shirt, just like she did at the funeral. However, instead of the ck pants she was wearing, she had changed into a pair of fitted jeans. The pair of fitted blue jeans perfectly showed the curves of Catherine¡¯s long and slender legs. She had such gorgeous looks but let off an abnormally cold temperament. Her eyes looked so sharp and untamed. Branden could almost feel like he and Catherine were most alike. After getting a ¡°yes¡± from Branden, Catherine sat down slowly. They were both too smart for the other to beat around the bush. Branden stopped looking yful and put on an indifferent expression. His voice was low and cold. He sounded a bit bored as he spoke. ¡°What are you here for?¡± Catherine did not n to waste time with subtle talks, so she went straight to the point. Sheid the document she had brought on theptop Branden had just put down. Her voice was cool and expressionless. ¡°Take a look at it. If you¡¯re okay with it, sign your name on it!¡± Branden nced at it and saw that on the top of the document were the words ¡°Engagement Agreement.¡± He read the document andughed. He had signed all kinds of agreements before, but it would be his first time seeing his indenture. This woman was really bold! She wanted to buy a marriage with Branden for a year with 20% of the Swann Corporation¡¯s shares. She was indeed generous! ¡°What if I disagree?¡± The man¡¯s gaze on Catherine might look light, but it was, in fact, bone-chilling. Catherine did not seem to be surprised at Branden¡¯s reaction. Her indifferent and beautiful face remained expressionless. It was as if nothing could affect her mood. ¡°I¡¯ll make you agree to it!¡± Her cold tone was filled with determination. Branden leaned back slightly so that his back was pressed against the back of the sofa. He nced at Catherine with squinted eyes as a light smile appeared on his lips. ¡°We¡¯ll see!¡± Catherine nodded lightly, stood up, and left the Duncans¡¯ residence. As Branden watched her leave, a trace of yfulness appeared in his deep eyes. Triston only came downstairs after Catherine had left. As he saw the document on the table, he reached out to look at it. Branden lightly flicked the toothpick in his hand and heard Triston scream immediately. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± The thin toothpick was now pierced right into the back of Triston¡¯s hand. Triston took his hand back immediately. He almost forgot what Branden hated the most. Curiosity could indeed kill the cat. Triston looked back and hurried to make up to Branden with a smile. ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­¡± Before he could finish, Branden had already turned to go upstairs with his things packed away. Branden even left a word for Triston before he left. ¡°You may leave now!¡± Staring at the direction where Branden had disappeared, Triston rubbed his chin in silence as he fell into thoughts. Why did things seem to have gone even weirder? Could it be that Branden was genuinely interested in the girl from the Swanns? Top socialites across Casier were always chasing after Branden, but he never spared them a nce. But now, he had be interested in a wild girl from the countryside. Things had indeed be weirder! Chapter 11 Chapter 11 At the Swanns¡¯. It was rare for the Swanns to get up so early. Even Johnathan was awakened by Rachael and was now sitting on the living room sofa with drowsiness. Korbin was also there. He scanned the room and did not see Catherine, so he asked a maid to get Catherine out. Liana was confused and looked at her father with dissatisfaction. ¡°Daddy, we can go to Mr. David¡¯s party without her. Why should we take that jinx with us?¡± Ordinarily, Liana and Johnathan could not be patched up and argued with each other for all time. But today was different. With amon enemy, Jonathan could not agree more with Liana¡¯s opinion. ¡°Dad, Liana is right. That jinxes from a country ce and doesn¡¯t know the rules. Didn¡¯t you say Mr. David is of great importance to us? What if we take Catherine with us, and she ruins Mr. David¡¯s party? If so, our efforts will be in vain!¡± Mr. David they were talking about was born in Casier and settled down in Mistel with his family when he was young. Years after, he became a technology tycoon in Mistel and returned to settle in Casier. Now there was news that he had mastered thetest chip technology. It was the era of intelligence. Chips were as critical as the human heart. Mastering the chip technology was equivalent to holding a machine that could generate cash unlimitedly. Now, no one in Casier did not keen to cooperate with Mr. David to obtain the most cutting-edge technology in his hands, and the Swanns were no exception. Korbin learned that Mr. David ced a high value on whether his partner¡¯s family was harmonious. Mr. David thought an amicable family was the most solid backing, so Korbin gathered his family members in the early morning. Korbin thought his son and daughter¡¯s persuasion made sense, but he had his consideration. ¡°Listen, you both. You can only say that to me at home. Once we set off to Mr. David¡¯s ce, restrain yourselves. Do you understand?¡± Jonathan and Liana saw Korbin¡¯s serious look and did not dare to persuade him more. Rachael sat aside and did not say a word. She thought farther than her children. She knew Korbin disliked Catherine as they did, but nothing they could do in such a situation. Almost the whole of Casier knew that Catherine had returned to the family. What would other people think if the Swanns did not bring Catherine to Mr. David¡¯s party? More importantly, what would Mr. David think of them? They could not afford to lose the forest for a tree. Catherine came into the living room from the corridor and happened to hear the discussion between the Swanns. However, she remained aloof, as if she was not the topic the Swanns were discussing. She entered the living room indifferently. Liana was the first to spot her, and she yelled aloud with an exaggerated look. ¡°Dad! Look at that jinx!¡± Liana¡¯s yelling attracted the other family members, and they all turned their eyes at Catherine. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Catherine also noticed Liana¡¯s weird reaction. She looked up slightly and cast a sharp nce at Liana. The knot in Liana¡¯s stomach tightened. She had wanted to ask Korbin to drive Catherine away, but then she changed her mind. ¡°Catherine, do you do this on purpose? Haven¡¯t the maid told you we are about to attend an important party today? Why are you looking so shabby?¡± The maid who asked Catherine to the living room heard the me and hurriedly exined in a fluster and helplessness. ¡°Miss Liana, I¡¯ve told Miss Catherine about that already, but she wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± Catherine looked down to check her clothes. A white shirt and a pair of jeans. She feltfortable and rxed. Why would they think there¡¯s any problem? She raised her head to look around, only to see everyone looking at her in disgust, including Korbin. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Korbin frowned, and his eyes fell on Catherine with displeasure. He thought, ¡°Indeed, this kid doesn¡¯t know how to behave herself. She doesn¡¯t deserve my love.¡± Catherine, you¡¯d better change into formal dresses. We are not the only family that attends Mr. David¡¯s party, and there will be other top and famous families in Casier. I don¡¯t want them to point andugh at you. Catherine was more like a detached observer than the person Korbin was educating. ¡°The mouths belong to them. If they want tough, they canugh. I don¡¯t care.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Korbin was irritated. At his age, apart from Vicente, who had passed away, no one dared to talk to him like that. He was about to get shirty with Catherine, but Catherine spoke first, ¡°If I can¡¯t wear this, I won¡¯t go to the party.¡± Korbin was blindsided. As Catherine was turning away, Korbin shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± Catherine whirled around and stared detachedly at him like staring at a stranger. Korbin furrowed his brows and waved at her with resignation. ¡°Dress whatever you like. I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s about time. We should get going now.¡± Since Korbin said so, even Rachael did not have the guts to question him, let alone his children. The whole family went to Mr. David¡¯s house. As Korbin mentioned, many other wealthy families in Casier attended the party too. They also seemed to learn that Mr. David valued family and went to the party with their whole family. The party was held in the residence where Mr. David had been born and lived during his childhood. Now that Mr. David returned home, he redecorated the house. It was a manor passed down from the neenth century, which was incredibly exquisite and splendid. Mr. David¡¯s ancestors were well-known figures in Casier, and they had left a lot of property. When the Swanns arrived at the manor, they became the center of attention. With so many things happening among the Swanns recently, everyone was gagging for a good show. They all noticed Catherine walking at the back at a nce because she was really out of tune with other well-dressed family members, even dressing more poorly than the servants. The wealthydies had plenty of spare time and loved gathering and talking about other affluent families. Since they had a great topic, they began to chitchat. One woman said, ¡°Do you see that? The girl at the back of the Swanns is the jinx who has just returned and has inherited all the family properties.¡± A woman next to her echoed, ¡°I know her! I saw her at the funeral. Why does she wear shabby clothes? The Swanns are outrageous. She¡¯s the biological daughter of their family. Why don¡¯t they prepare a decent dress for her? What¡¯s the use of giving all properties to her in that case? She still looks so poor.¡± Another woman wore a mysterious look and snuggled up to them like an insider. ¡°Let me tell you something. It¡¯s said that she would bring disasters to the Swanns. Her grandmother died because of the bad luck that the jinx brought. Who would want her around? I wonder what Vicente Swann was up to. It¡¯s quite unountable.¡± ¡­ The crowd had a heated discussion about Catherine while the center of their gossip sat aside with boredom. Catherine had excellent hearing and took in all their words about her. But just like what she had said to Korbin, the mouths belonged to the others, and they had the right to talk freely. There was nothing she could do about it, and Catherine did not bother to care about the gossip. She let it be. Suddenly, there was a flurry of excitement not far away, which threw off Catherine¡¯s rhythm and caught her attention. She tilted her head sideways to look afar, wanting to see what was happening. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 What Catherine saw was a grey-haired elder. He showed up in the garden and was surrounded by people. The other people who caught a glimpse of him would dash forward to him with bright eyes. Even Liana, sitting next to Catherine, was thrilled. ¡°Dad, look! Mr. David is here!¡± Korbin already noticed that. He nced back at his family members and demanded, ¡°Cheer up, all of you! Come with me. We need to greet Mr. David. Pay attention to your words and behaviors. Be humble.¡± Liana was glowing with pride. She smiled widely and promised, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry about us. Jonathan and I have been around you since we were kids, and we¡¯ve attended such parties millions of times. We won¡¯t make mistakes. But someone needs to pay more attention to her words and deeds.¡± Everyone knew Liana said so on purpose, and her target was Catherine. However, they did not think Liana¡¯s words were inappropriate. They agreed with Liana. Catherine was a girl who returned from the country ce not long ago. She was unruly and prone to cause trouble. Liana and Johnathan grew up with Korbin and were descendants of the rich. Although arrogant and overbearing, they would be dignified and decent on significant asions. Since childhood, they learned and mastered the social etiquette of the upper ss, which was superior to Catherine. Korbin also realized what Liana was implying. Catherine attended the party, and that was enough. He looked down at Catherine, who was sitting aside quietly and was standoffish as if nothing could affect her. ¡°Catherine, I know you don¡¯t like to socialize. Just sit here and rest. I¡¯ll take your brother and sister with me. You don¡¯t have toe with us.¡± Catherine did not respond to Korbin¡¯s demand. She sat there like an outsider, and people who did not know them might think Korbin was not talking to her. Rachael was displeased as she looked at Catherine¡¯s poker face. She tightened her grip on Korbin¡¯s arm and said, ¡°We should go. We can¡¯t keep Mr. David waiting.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Korbin nodded and walked forward with Rachael beside him. Jonathan was on the other side of him. Liana was following her parents at the back. She raised her brow in pride at Catherine and grinned smugly. ¡°Did you see this, Catherine? This is your position in our family. You¡¯re something disgraceful to us. You were born in our family, so what? Our fates are doomed to be different. Do you understand?¡± Catherine raised her head slowly and rested her cold gaze on Liana. She opened her mouth slightly and said only three words, ¡°Is that so?¡± Liana was expecting to see Catherine lose her temper. If she were Catherine and someone else talked to her like that, Liana would boil with anger already. As for Catherine, Liana¡¯s words were like punching at cotton, which did not affect Catherine at all. Catherine¡¯s gaze seemed indifferent, but the longer Liana looked at it, the more terrified she became. Liana had to avert her eyes. Liana¡¯s legs felt weak as water, and she did not understand why that would happen. She feigned a calm she did not feel and spoke to Catherine again, but she dared not look into Catherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°Stay there as you wish. I don¡¯t have time to waste on you anymore. I have to greet Mr. David with Dad.¡± With that, Liana picked up the hem of her dress and chased after her parents. Catherine withdrew her gaze on Liana¡¯s retreating figure as Liana ran away. She agreed with one sentence that Liana told her. They were born into the same family, but their fates were doomed to be different. She could never have the same fate as Liana. Catherine put on a faint smile as she thought of it. She took the cup of flower tea on the table and sipped at it, but then she frowned. The top flower tea made of roses from abroad and transported by air was less tasty than the one Ronin made for her with the roses he picked in the garden. Catherine put down the cup in dislike, but a great force hit her from behind. She did not know if someone had done it by chance. The cup she had ced on the table swayed and dropped to the floor. The flower tea spilled out and sttered onto a nearby woman¡¯s dress. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. The woman¡¯s shriek rang out, ¡°Oh my gosh! My dress!¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Catherine knew she should be responsible for knocking down the teacup, so she got up from the chair and prepared to apologize. However, the woman red at Catherine. Before Catherine could say something, she bombarded Catherine with curses, ¡°Are you blind? Or is your arm broken? Howe you can¡¯t even hold a teacup still? Do you know how costly my dress is?¡± The woman noticed that Catherine dressed more poorly than a maid and thought she was a cleaner here, so she pushed further. ¡°You need to get on your knees and apologize to me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell the owner here to fire you, and I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t get another job in Casier for the rest of your life.¡± Some people around them recognized Catherine, but none of them reminded that woman of who Catherine was. It would be a good show, and who would want to miss it? Besides, they were allpetitors today. It would be great if they could have one less powerful rival. Being watched by a crowd of people, the woman whose dress was tainted with tea did not feel embarrassed but instead superior and became even more bossy. ¡°Did you hear what I said? I asked you to kneel and wipe my dress clean. Are you deaf or what?¡± Catherine sneered. She thought, ¡°You want me to kneel before you? ¡°Are you daydreaming? ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can take it if I kneel.¡± Seeing that Catherine stayed motionless, the woman could not hold back her rage and reached out to drag Catherine. Suddenly¡­ ¡°Stop it! No one can touch her!¡± A cold and old voice sounded, which drew the crowd¡¯s attention. The crowd turned around and saw the man who spoke was Mr. David, the host of today¡¯s party. They automatically split up and made way for him, being extremely respectful. Mr. David had a stick in his hand and strode toward them slowly. He examined Catherine and the woman with a prating gaze. When he stood before them, he pointed at the woman with his finger while displeasure and anger shed across his solemn face. ¡°Did you ask her to kneel before you?¡± The woman wanted to retort when a middle-aged man dashed over to her and pulled her aside. He looked daggers at her. The man turned to face Mr. David and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. David. My wife didn¡¯t mean to offend you. Please forgive her for disturbing your party. I¡¯ll ask her to apologize to you right now.¡± The middle-aged man was the woman¡¯s husband, the boss of a newly started hi-techpany and a famous member of the nouveau riche. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Having plenty of money to squander, the woman was always overbearing and scolded the others. She thought it no big deal to teach a cleaner a lesson, but she did not expect to offend Mr. David. That was why her husband had to stand up to smooth things over. They could not afford to displease the big shot. Mr. David nced at the couple up and down and said icily with sarcasm and scorn, ¡°I don¡¯t need her apology, but your wife should apologize to her!¡± His finger pointed at Catherine, who stood calmly at the side. The woman had been arrogant. After hearing what Mr. David said, she asked with a hint of astonishment, ¡°You want me to apologize to a cleaner?¡± ¡°A cleaner?¡± Mr. David said in shock. He looked as if he had heard something astounding. ¡°You said she¡¯s a cleaner? That¡¯s ridiculous! You and your husband should be the ones who kneel and beg for her forgiveness, not simply apologize to her orally. What an ignorant and stupid woman!¡± Mr. David¡¯s merciless words were like a bucket of ice water poured down from the couple¡¯s heads and embarrassed them. On the other hand, Catherine was still like an outsider and only observed aside. She did not speak a word since she stood up, but the person who used her became especially shameful. Having no response from the couple, Mr. David turned his finger at the hi-techpany boss in a rage and threatened him, ¡°You ruined my party and denigrated my most distinguished guest. I¡¯ve returned to Casier for not long, but I won¡¯t allow you to humiliate me. I¡¯ll fight you to the end.¡± Everyone with a brain could tell how harsh Mr. David¡¯s words were. But Catherine? The girl who came from a country ce. Was she the most distinguished guest of Mr. David? Everyone there was stunned and wondered what was going on. The Swanns, who got the news and came back quickly, were full of disbelief on their faces. Liana¡¯s face was as horrible as if she was eating mud. She had justughed at Catherine for being a disgrace, but now, Catherine was the most distinguished guest of this party. It was a p in Liana¡¯s face that humiliated her in public. A cadaverous look appeared on the boss of the hi-techpany. He dragged his wife forward and ordered her to apologize to Catherine, begging for forgiveness. Catherine was the most distinguished guest of Mr. David! Mr. David said that himself, but the woman saw Catherine as merely a cleaner. Her face was as white as a sheet, and she was ashamed. Never had she thought that a distinguished guest would dress so casually. The thing was getting out of hand, and the woman was scared. She approached Catherine hesitantly and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mydy. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you just now. Could you please forgive me?¡± All eyes were focused on Catherine. People were wondering what she would do. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Catherine was much taller than that woman, so she looked down at the woman stonily. ¡°Since you love to make people kneel, how about you apologize to me in the way you like?¡± Catherine spilled out the words calmly, but everyone else could not believe their ears. The crowd thought, ¡°This country girl of the Swanns is too arrogant! Even Korbin, her father, cannot ask another person to kneel!¡± As they saw it, Mr. David stuck up for Catherine because she was also his guest. Now that Catherine had put forward such an outrageous request, the other people were all waiting to see Catherine making herself a joke. They thought Catherine did not know how to mind her ce. The look on Mr. David¡¯s face turned even darker, as the crowd had expected. He walked to Catherine with a grim face, and the others were looking forward to a good show. Little did they know that when Mr. David stood by Catherine¡¯s side, he did not rebuke Catherine. Instead, he bellowed at the woman before Catherine, ¡°Did you not hear her? Apologize to her in your favorite way, and don¡¯t waste our time anymore!¡± Mr. David cast a warning look at the woman¡¯s husband, and the dangerous aura on him frightened that man. Thinking of the result of displeasing Mr. David, the man did not dare to dy one more second. He pressed his wife down on the ground, making her kneel before Catherine. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Catherine looked down at the woman while her expression remained unchanged, which was still cold. ¡°That¡¯s boring,¡± said Catherine. Mr. David echoed her words immediately. The way he acted was like he was sucking up to Catherine. ¡°You¡¯re right, Miss Swann. These people are rude and boring. This way, please.¡± Mr. David bowed and made a gesture of invitation, suggesting Catherine follow him. Catherine was the first to take a step forward. The rest of the crowd wanted to follow up, but Mr. David stopped them. He asked his assistant out and instructed him, ¡°Entertain my guests for me. I have some important things to talk to Miss Swann.¡± With that, Mr. David stormed after Catherine, worrying he might snub her. The rest of the guests were confused, especially the Swanns. Liana watched as Catherine and Mr. David walked away and stamped her foot in fury. She could not help butin to her father, ¡°Dad, what the hell is going on? Why does Catherine have a chance to be in the spotlight again?¡± Liana put on her best dress today and nned to impress Mr. David. She hoped to help her father win Mr. David over so the world would know what she could do and wash away the humiliation she¡¯d suffered at the funeral. Yet, the one in the limelight was still Catherine. Liana clenched her fists tight out of rage. No one had ever insulted her like this, and she determined to make Catherine pay the price. Even Korbin did not understand what was going on, let alone Liana. It seemed that Catherine had long known Mr. David. He would have taken Catherine to greet Mr. David if he had known it earlier. Now, it was a massive loss. No one noticed that a person was watching the drama not far away with his phone in his hand. Triston came to the party only to be part of the spectacle, and the drama was beyond his expectations. He recorded the whole incident and sent it to Branden. [Mr. Duncan, watch the juicy stuff!] Branden was having an international video meeting in an office on the top floor of the Duncan Corporation. He heard his phone vibrate and picked it up to check on it. He was not interested in the text Triston sent him. What triggered him was the pretty face on the screen, and he tapped on the video. Branden had been ying the video in mute, but he turned the sound on when Catherine started speaking. The abrupt female voice surprised the leaders in the camera. They looked at each other in awe because it never happened before that their president¡¯s office had a woman in it. It was well known that Branden was not used to being around women. There was no female mosquito in the office area on the top floor of the Duncan Corporation, let alone women. The sudden voice naturally aroused the interest of the other people. After watching the video, Branden put his phone aside and ignored the peeking eyes on the screen. The girl who had just returned to the Swanns was more interesting than he had thought. Branden¡¯s lips moved up unnoticeably, and he raised his index finger and waved a little. Paxton noticed and bent down, saying with great respect, ¡°Mr. Duncan, what can I do for you?¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Catherine followed Mr. David into an inner chamber, where the decoration was elegant, and no one would bother them. Catherine walked to a chair and sat down. Mr. David stood by her side, bowing and wearing a respectful look. Catherine looked around the room before resting her eyes on David. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat?¡± David did not even raise his head. He replied to Catherine with his head low, ¡°Miss Swann, I don¡¯t need to sit. You can order me anything you want. I haven¡¯t received the news that you will be here today, and I didn¡¯t go out to greet you. What¡¯s more, you encountered such a displeasing thing here. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Catherine beamed. She did not know that had worried David. She pointed at the seat opposite her and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. People out there had no idea about my situation. This is your ce. You¡¯re the host, and I¡¯m your guest. Have a seat.¡± Mr. David knew her character well. He knew Catherine would not offer twice, so he did not dare to disobey her order and sat down. However, as an elder, he kept his back straighter than the younger people. Mr. David asked the servants to bring the rose tea he had collected and treasured. It was made of the petals of the top rose type. The roses were priceless and rare, each valued at millions of dors. And the masters who could make such flower tea were only in thest shop in the world. One servant brought the tea to the door and informed David, and thetter took it in person and served it to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, please have a taste.¡± Catherine took it and had a sip. It still could not hold a candle to the one Ronin made for her, but it was much better than that she had tasted in the garden not long ago. David¡¯s aged face wore a satisfied smile when he saw Catherine taste his tea. It was a great honor for him that his valued guest tried the tea he served. After finishing the tea, Catherine put the teacup down. There was still not much expression on her delicate face other than indifference. She turned her gaze on David. ¡°Have you decided on the cooperative partner for the chip in your hand now?¡± David¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He was uncertain of what Catherine meant and was fearful that if he said something wrong, he would bring disaster to his family. He pondered briefly before saying carefully, ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯ve chosen several potential candidates.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine responded casually. Such a word sent a chill down David¡¯s spine. He was covered in cold sweat and froze because of fear. Catherine, however, did not think much about it. She always did things at her will. She had free rein in anything that would make her happy. ¡°David, how about you cooperate with me?¡± Hearing her suggestion, David raised his head abruptly with surprise in his eyes. He seemed not to understand what Catherine meant. Catherine stood up slowly and left him with one sentence before leaving the room. ¡°I will talk about the cooperation details with you in three days. Wait for me.¡± David watched Catherine¡¯s retreating figure with esteem and a hint of confusion. He wondered why Catherine had to take a detour of deciding on the partner of the chip. She was the actual owner of the chip, and she could choose the partner as she pleased. However, Catherine was always iprehensible to ordinary people like him. She must mean something else, and he better not to guess. He did not want to cause any trouble. The people he invited to his party today ttered him, saying he was mighty. They called him a tech tycoon, a powerful man who returned home. He would probably believe the praises if Catherine had not shown up. But with Catherine around, those praises of him became humiliation. The true tycoon was this mysterious Miss Swann, code-named Sugar! David was one of the few who knew about Catherine¡¯s true identity. That was his honor and the grandest pride of his life.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 After Catherine left, Mr. David abruptly stopped the banquet, saying it was canceled due to health concerns. No one knew what had happened. It was a big mystery. People were already curious about Catherine, who had a reputation as a ¡°troublemaker.¡± Now, with this unexpected event, their curiosity grew even stronger. Everyone was curious and eager for the Swanns to hold a gathering and address their questions and doubts directly. Liana joined Rachael and the others in the car. One moment, she weed people with a smile, but her expression turned serious as soon as the car door closed. ¡°Mommy, we made a big impression today. They say we have someone extraordinary in our family. There are even rumors that Mr. David¡¯s order is exclusively for us. Mommy, aren¡¯t we amazing? Thanks to Catherine, we¡¯re in the spotlight!¡± Liana smirked and looked at Rachael with a mocking expression. Her sarcastic remarks and tone annoyed everyone around. Catherine sat in the RV¡¯s back corner. With her face covered by a hat, it was hard to see her current expression. She rested her head sideways as if Liana¡¯sints had nothing to do with her. Liana, seeing Catherine¡¯s indifferent attitude, became even more enraged. She stomped her foot in frustration and shot a sharp nce at Catherine. Liana was seething with anger. Not only had Catherine stolen her spotlight, but now she had to endure the embarrassment caused by her. Liana gave Johnathan a piercing look, signaling him to speak up. Their sibling rtionship, usually strained, had changed. They now shared amon enemy: Catherine. As Liana¡¯s gaze met Johnathan¡¯s, his face twisted with disdain. He then turned to Catherine and spoke, ¡°Taking the spotlight? It¡¯s so embarrassing. If we don¡¯t get Mr. David¡¯s chip, everyone willugh at us. She always seems to have bad luck!¡± Rachael remained silent as her children used Catherine. She felt deeply embarrassed herself. No matter how nicely Rachael dressed for an event, the talk always revolved around Catherine. Undoubtedly, Catherine was like a disaster. Since her arrival, the Swanns had experienced nothing but turmoil. Rachael genuinely wanted to send her back to the countryside. After hearing words like ¡°troublemaker¡± and ¡°jinx,¡± Catherine slowly removed her hat, revealing her stunningly beautiful face. Her pale face had dark, bright eyes that slowly turned towards Johnathan. Just a moment ago, Johnathan was furious, but when he looked into Catherine¡¯s eyes, he felt a jolt in his heart. He quickly hid behind Liana. Liana looked at Johnathan¡¯s reaction scornfully, then nced up at Catherine with a sneering smile. Mockingly, she taunted, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Catherine? Can¡¯t handle a little family joke? And let¡¯s be honest, Johnathan didn¡¯t say anything wrong. If Mr. David chooses someone else, it¡¯ll bring shame upon us!¡± Catherine calmly responded to their remarks, maintaining aposed expression. She retorted, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what about the restroom incident?¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Liana¡¯splexion instantly turned unpleasant, her face growing even paler. She seemed panicked and at a loss for words. Liana was caught off guard by Catherine¡¯s knowledge of the incident. Concerned about the potential exposure, even among family members, she desperately hoped that Catherine would keep it a secret. Their attempts to harm Catherine proved futile. With just a single look and a simple remark, she left them speechless. The contrast between their actions and Catherine¡¯s response was remarkable, showcasing her impressive skills and capabilities. Previously, Liana went as far as giving money to a waiter and even followed Mr. David to the restroom. However, her actions ended up getting her kicked out in the end. And yet, Catherine somehow found out about it. Initially, Catherine found the whole incident amusing, but Liana¡¯s desperate behavior became increasingly irritating. She decided to give Liana a warning. Korbin also noticed the tension between the three. Catherine effortlessly silenced both Liana and Johnathan. Was this girl truly so powerful? Korbin¡¯s gaze shifted to Catherine, who stood in the corner. She had a strong-willed personality, and not only did she seem to have a good rtionship with Mr. David, but she also intrigued him. If there was a possibility¡­ Korbin¡¯s eyes lit up with a hint of excitement as he delved into deep contemtion. As the car pulled up to the Swanns¡¯ residence, Catherine, without prompting, roused from her sleep and became fully awake. She stood up, got off the car, and as she passed by the Swanns, she didn¡¯t even nce at them, her expression unchanged. Liana¡¯s fury intensified, and she vented her anger by forcefully stomping her foot on the ground. ¡°Mom, Dad, just look at her!¡± she eximed, drawing her parents¡¯ attention. Rachael¡¯s expression soured. She held the same view about Catherine, finding her impolite and disrespectful. Rachael believed Catherinecked consideration for others, which she foundpletely uneptable. If Korbin wasn¡¯t present, Rachael genuinely wished to teach Catherine a lesson. In the face of the collective discontentment, Korbin consciously decided to step forward and break the lingering silence. Just as Catherine was on the verge of stepping through the doorway, he called her, catching her attention just in time. ¡°Catherine, hold on!¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 When Catherine heard Korbin¡¯s voice, she halted and pivoted to face him. Her eyes met Korbin¡¯s with an icy detachment devoid of warmth or interest. Korbin was puzzled by the situation, but when Catherine nced at him, a strange feeling stirred in his chest. He only experienced this feeling when dealing with angry Vicente. Catherine looked at Korbin, who stayed quiet for a while. Her eyebrows came together, showing her concern. She spoke quietly and coldly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her voice seemed to have a magic power that brought Korbin¡¯s attention back. Korbin looked up at Catherine, trying to look serious. He asked with a serious face, ¡°Do you know Mr. David? Why haven¡¯t you mentioned it before?¡± Before Korbin couldplete his question, Catherine swiftly responded concisely. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know him!¡± The truth was Catherine and David didn¡¯t know each other well. They were just acquaintances. Korbin found himself unable to express what he had initially intended to say, prompting him to adapt his approach. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why did it seem like you two were having a good conversation today?¡± Korbin asked. Seeing Korbin¡¯s unwavering curiosity, Catherine decided to give him a straightforward exnation to prevent any potential problems. ¡°He knows Vicente and has been to our hometown,¡± she replied coldly. Now, Korbin understood and grasped the situation at hand. Vicente¡¯s secretive nature regarding his business dealings made it unsurprising that he had acquaintances like Mr. David, considering his vastwork and connections. Korbin had numerous questions to ask, but to his dismay, Catherine had already turned and left, depriving him of the chance to stop her and continue their conversation. Unfazed, he decided to follow her anyway. And as he thought, Catherine turned out to be a regr girl from the countryside, without any special qualities or importance. ¡­ After returning to her room, Catherine received a call from Ronin and promptly answered it. When she answered the call, she heard Ronin¡¯s voice on the other end. Ronin, who was younger than Catherine, deliberately deepened his voice when he spoke. ¡°Boss, Joseph has appeared!¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Catherine asked, her brows slightly furrowed. Joseph was a traitor within their group. Seizing the opportunity of a team member¡¯s failure, he covertly snatched a valuable chip. The chip held crucial information that might not be personally important to Catherine. However, if Joseph sold it to hical people, it would cause a big issue. That was why it was necessary to apprehend Joseph and retrieve the chip. The sound of Ronin typing on the keyboard came through the earpiece. After a few seconds, Ronin spoke again. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s confirmed. Joseph will be at Charm Bar in Casier tonight. I¡¯ll send someone there, and we¡¯ll catch him tonight!¡± ¡°No need,¡± Catherine calmly responded, catching Ronin off guard with her next words. ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± Ronin, on the other end of the phone, was shocked. ¡°Boss, are you serious?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t give Ronin a chance to ask more questions. She hung up the phone right away. Ronin seemed used to this kind of situation. He held onto the phone, feeling excited. His boss, Catherine, nned to capture Joseph personally! It had been a while since Catherine had personally engaged in such affairs. He was excited and eager to see her abilities firsthand. But Ronin had to do the surveince alone, which was a bit disappointing. He could only rely on the bar¡¯s hacked cameras to keep an eye on things. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Charm Bar Charm Bar, the most thriving entertainment venue in Casier. It wasn¡¯t about the number of visitors, but rather the wealth and influence of those who frequented the ce. One couldn¡¯t get into the Charm Bar without a membership card. They had a membership system, so it waspletely impossible. At 10 PM, Catherine appeared at the entrance of the bar. She was still dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, but now she wore a ck baseball cap almostpletely covered her face. Upon reaching the entrance, Catherine was stopped by the security guard. The security guard nced at Catherine, his astonishment evident. Were all female students nowadays so alluring? Regardless of her allure, rules had to be followed. ¡°Miss, this ce operates on a membership system. Without a card, you cannot enter, sorry.¡± Card? Catherine furrowed her brows, remembering something Ronin had sent her via drone just an hour ago. She checked her pocket and found the ck and gold-tinged card. She then handed it to the security guard. The card recognition device at the entrance beeped automatically. ¡°Wee, elite VIP!¡± Catherine confidently walked inside as the entrance barrier lifted, without requiring the security guard¡¯s assistance. The security guard slowly recovered from his earlier shock only after she left. He hadn¡¯t been mistaken. That girl had been holding an elite VIP card. This club was the most exclusive in Casier, operating on a membership system and having different membership levels. He had been a security guard at the club¡¯s entrance for three years, but he had never seen that card before. Since the club opened, only three of those ck and gold cards had been given out. Unexpectedly, this young girl turned out to be a top-tier member. Such a card was only possessed by influential individuals with great power. After entering, Catherine found a seat casually. Her only goal tonight was to find the traitor Joseph and retrieve the chip. Based on Ronin¡¯s information, Joseph would be arriving soon, and all Catherine had to do was wait patiently. While the dance floor was filled with vibrant and captivating outfits, Catherine¡¯s in attire made her stand out even more. Even when she sat quietly in a corner, people still took notice of her.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. asionally, when she inadvertently lifted her head, her exquisite beauty had the power to captivate anyone. Catherine knew that people were constantly evaluating her, but she didn¡¯t pay any attention to it. She seemed to be ustomed to such attention. Catherine didn¡¯t drink alcohol. She only asked for a ss of soda water. A few minutester, Catherine saw a familiar figure shing by in the corridor ahead. Catherine immediately caught sight of it and stood up, walking towards it. Meanwhile, the onlookers shifted their gaze as well, keeping a watchful eye on Catherine. As Catherine walked past, she happened to be within the line of sight of the second-floor VIP area. Unlike the bustling atmosphere on the first floor, the second floor was a reserved space exclusively for the elite clientele. Triston spotted Catherine and immediately became intrigued. He nced at the man on the sofa behind him, who exuded a rxed and yful aura with an enigmatic charm. Excitedly, he eximed, ¡°Mr. Duncan, doesn¡¯t she resemble your new fianc¨¦e?¡± Branden remained unfazed, his eyes devoid of interest as he kept his gaze fixed on Catherine. He didn¡¯t even spare a nce at Triston. ¡°Mr. Duncan, did you hear what I said?¡± Triston persisted. Paxton, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at Triston. Even he recognized Catherine, so how could Mr. Duncan fail to recognize her? Was Triston simply a fool? Catherine followed Joseph into a curved hallway and found multiple rooms inside, but he had already vanished. Finding Joseph would take time, but the person following her caught up from behind. A vulgar voice from behind made her feel disgusted. ¡°Hey there, little beauty.¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Catherine suddenly halted, slowly turning her body with an icy expression on her face. The men chasing after her felt a sense of unease, but they were even more astonished by Catherine¡¯s stunning beauty. Unlike the heavily adorned faces around, Catherine¡¯s exquisite and pure appearance was a rare sight. The man in front, catching a glimpse of Catherine¡¯s face under her hat, got really excited. ¡°Oh my! You look amazing!¡± His creepy demeanor and unsettling grin annoyed Catherine, causing her to furrow her brow. Annoyed by losing sight of Joseph, these bothersome men conveniently appeared. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you join us and have some fun, little girl?¡± one of them sneered. ¡°We¡¯ll make it worth your while. You name your reward, and we¡¯ll give it to you.¡± The leading man, still wearing his sleazy smile, approached Catherine slowly, attempting to grab her. In an instant, a mysterious figure swiftly intervened, causing the man to scream and copse to the ground. ¡°My arm¡­ it¡¯s broken! My arm!¡± Meanwhile, Catherine quicklyposed herself, showing no signs of being bothered by the situation. She confidently took a step forward. With determination, she mercilessly pressed her foot onto the man¡¯s face. She despised that smile he had shown! Since she disliked it, she would teach him a lesson, ensuring he would never dare to be so audacious again. The man writhed in pain on the ground, wanting to scream, but Catherine¡¯s foot kept him from doing so, causing him only agony. Despite the struggle, Catherine¡¯s strength was overwhelming, leaving him unable to escape. Witnessing theirpanion¡¯s suffering, the others quickly assessed the situation. One of them rallied the group, shouting, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s teach her what true humiliation is!¡± As they charged forward, the first person who reached Catherine was swiftly sent flying with a powerful kick. The six-foot-tall man was sent flying by Catherine¡¯s kick, crashing hard onto the ground. Unable to get up, he cried out in pain. The other individuals were shocked by this scene. No one expected Catherine, a petite and delicate girl, to possess such explosive power. They weren¡¯t trained fighters, so rushing in would mean certain death, right? They exchanged nces, assessed their choices, and readied themselves to flee. Catherine had already sensed their intentions and was determined not to give them any opportunity. With her incredible strength, Catherine forcefully collided the two of them together, causing their heads to m together with a resounding thud. Releasing her grip on them, Catherine swiftly punched each of them, sending them crashing to the ground. Seeing hispanions fall, thest remaining man fell to his knees and begged for mercy. ¡°Miss, I messed up. We were stupid to bother you. Please forgive me. I promise I won¡¯t do it again. I¡¯ll leave right now!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine scoffed dismissively. When she acted, there was no room for hesitation or mercy. Catherine decisively lifted her knee and delivered a strong kick, causing the kneeling man to instantly lose consciousness and copse unconscious to the ground. In a matter of minutes, the once rowdy men were now sprawled on the ground, groaning in agony. Most of them suffered from broken ribs or concussions, while the man who dared toy a hand on Catherine had his arm renderedpletely useless. Having dealt with the men, Catherine calmly turned around and walked away, effortlessly stepping over their fallen bodies. Branden and the others on the second floor witnessed this scene unfold before their eyes. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Triston eximed, utterly astonished and in disbelief. For the first time, he experienced fear from someone other than Branden. ¡°Is she even human?¡± How on earth could she fight like that? Catherine¡¯s fighting skills seemed much better, like she had reached a whole new level. It made Triston wonder if even Paxton, who was famous for his skills, couldpete with her. What if Catherine faced off against Branden in a fight? Who woulde out on top? Just as Triston was about to turn and talk to Branden, he was taken aback when he shifted his gaze and saw a graceful figure effortlessly leaping over the railing from the second floor. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Triston couldn¡¯t evenprehend what had happened, and Branden had already disappeared. He was eager to catch up and be part of the excitement. However, Paxton grabbed him by the cor, rendering him immobile. Frustrated, Triston red at Paxton and eximed, ¡°Paxton, why are you holding me? Let go! We need to go after Mr. Duncan before we lose him!¡± Paxton held Triston firmly, his expression still icy cold, and he coldly replied, ¡°Mr. Duncan doesn¡¯t like people following him!¡± Well, Triston knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to join in on the fun this time. As long as Branden gave themand, Paxton would never let him go. But he really wanted to see what Branden would do, chasing after Catherine. What should he do? Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°Great job, boss!¡± ¡°Boss, you¡¯re the best in the world!¡± Ronin, Catherine¡¯s biggest fan, sat in front of theputer, cheering and watching the surveince footage of Catherine defeating the gang of thugs. He waspletely absorbed in Suddenly, the feed stopped! Immediately realizing something was wrong, Ronin tried adjusting the settings, but the screen remained ck. This was a new experience for him. No one had ever found out about his hacking skills before, especially not a basic surveince system in an entertainment venue. Ronin¡¯s first thought was that Joseph had discovered their tracking and shut down the surveince. Without wasting a moment, he notified Catherine. Ronin: [Boss, the situation¡¯s changed. The surveince feed went down. Joseph might be onto us. Need backup?] After Catherine read the message, she replied briefly with one word: [No.] Capturing Joseph didn¡¯t push her abilities to the limit. She didn¡¯t think she needed backup or extra help. This alley was a dead end. Joseph had to be in one of these private rooms, with no possible escape. Ronin had put cameras at all the exits. Even if Joseph could disable the bar¡¯s internal surveince, it would be very unlikely for him to destroy the cameras at the intersection so quickly. Catherine calmly went from one private room to another, intentionally slowing down to use her exceptional hearing and locate Joseph based on his voice. Catherine had amazing hearing skills, trained since she was young. Even if the private rooms were soundproofed, she could still hear any faint sounds from inside. Moreover, Catherine had an extraordinary memory. Once she heard Joseph¡¯s voice, she could remember it with remarkable rity. Continuing her slow pace, Catherine reached the second-tost private room, where she caught a familiar voice. Halting in her tracks, she subtly moved closer to the private room on her right. Suddenly, a crease formed on Catherine¡¯s forehead. Abruptly, she halted her steps and swiftly spun around. There was no one behind her, as though nothing had urred. However, Catherine fixed her eyes on the quiet corridor, a small smile appearing in her sharp eyes. The smile disappeared quickly, almost like it was never there. At the other end of the corridor, around the corner. A man stood in the corner, wearing a mischievous smile. Throughout his years of engaging with others, he had never experienced being apprehended. This was the first instance of such an urrence. Fortunately, he swiftly anticipated the situation and concealed himself in the shadows. The Swanns¡¯ second daughter was undeniably extraordinary in every way! Intrigued by the unfolding situation, he eagerly anticipated the girl¡¯s remarkable capabilities. Catherine nced briefly at him before refocusing on the private room she had discovered moments earlier. She disregarded the person following her. Today, her mission was to capture Joseph, and she was resolute in her determination to seed, regardless of the obstacles. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Having confirmed the location of the private room, Catherine promptly took action. Swiftly raising her leg, she employed strength and precision to deliver a powerful kick. She forcefully kicked open the strong door of the private room, demonstrating leg power beyond what an average person possesses. ¡°Bang!¡± The loud noise startled everyone in the private room, immediately drawing their attention. All eyes turned towards Catherine, their expressions filled with astonishment and surprise. Catherine quickly scanned the room, noting the presence of at least ten individuals. They were all wearing suits, clearly here for something other than fun. The man in the booth nced at Catherine with indifference, showing no concern for her presence. He signaled to the man beside him, who swiftly retrieved a small knife from his waist. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll handle this girl!¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 After getting the order to kill Catherine, the man slowly walked to her. He settled his gaze on her fiercely and said to her in a cold voice, ¡°You bitch, no matter why you broke in here, you must die here today!¡± While her life was in jeopardy, Catherine still looked calm and collected. She believed no one could take her life for now. As the man saw that Catherine stayed still and looked haughty, he rushed to her, waving the knife in his hand. The people around them were all apathetic about what would happen next. They just stared indifferently at the scene. This was pretty normal for them. After all, killing was part of their routine. Some even gazed hard at the fight with expectant expressions. They seemed to enjoy watching this very much. However, something unexpected happened. The man¡¯s knife was about to stab Catherine when this man, who had his back to the others, suddenly let out a scream. Everybody saw that he slowly fell to the ground with his eyes wide open. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth constantly. He could not even utter a word. His knife also fell off his hand and dropped to the ground. It was no longer as silver and shiny as before. Just like its owner, it waspletely dim. All the people were struck dumb. Such a sturdy man just copsed in front of Catherine before they could even see what she had done. This was so terrifying. These people were all good at fighting. Since Catherine could take down such a big guy before they could see what had happened clearly, her fighting capacity must be very high. As the man sitting in the booth waved his hand, a dozen men in ck stepped forward together aggressively, trying to kill Catherine. With flickers of light and shadows, shrill cries rose and fell. Five minutester, the men in ck, who were still highly arrogant just now, all fell to Catherine¡¯s feet, wailing in pain. Catherine acted so fast and fiercely that they all fell to the ground in various twisted postures. They grimaced in pain and screamed a lot. Catherine looked around casually and then confirmed how much time she had spent. Zim Sorry Five minutes and thirty-eight seconds had passed, eight secondster than her expectation. Catherine knitted her brows with disgruntlement. Maybe she had not fought for a long so her action became slow. She unhappily pped her hands and slowly walked to the man sitting in the booth. Just now, this man was majestic and did not even bother to cast a serious nce at Catherine. Now, he was so panicked that even his face was shivering. Seeing that Catherine walked to him, the man was so frightened that his legs felt werk Her begged nervously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too stupid to recognize you. I shouldn¡¯t have offended you. Please let me go. If you want money, I¡¯ll give all my money to you¡­¡± After he said that, the man opened the box at the side and exposed the money inside. He put it in front of Catherine. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. There were more than ten million dors in the box. Without blinking her eyes, Catherine threw a punch to take the man down before he realized what had just happened. The room, which was initially noisy, suddenly became quiet. Catherine took a look around and locked her gaze on the sofa aside. She said in her cold voice, as if the voice came from hell, ¡°Do you want me to y hardball? Her seemingly ordinary words were rather intimidating. The sofa, which Catherine stared at, started to tremble. Then a figure slowly crawled out and rolled to Catherine¡¯s feet. No one expected that a man would be able to hide under such a small sofa. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Catherine had learned about Joseph¡¯s profile. She only nced at it, but she had got a photographic memory. Joseph had learned contortion skills since he was a kid, so he could shrink into a small form. This information was confidential. Only the seniors of the organization could ess it. Hence, it was thanks to his contortion skills that Joseph could sessfully acquire the chip and take it out of the base. When Joseph knew someone had broken in, he realized he was in trouble. He chose to hide somewhere in the first ce. Yet, never did he expect that Catherine woulde on her own. If it were other people who came, he might go all out and put up a desperate fight. After all, since he betrayed the organization, he would die even if he went back. He could still stand a chance of surviving if he fought it out here. However, when he knew that Catherine came by herself, he stopped struggling and surrendered obediently. No one could get away from Catherine¡¯s hunt. Besides, if caught on the run, he could be tortured seriously. Joseph did not dare to run away. And he believed that no one would dare to. He crept gently to Catherine¡¯s feet with a respectful and pious attitude. He said reverently in a deep and humble tone, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m Joseph Green!¡± Catherine slowly reached out to Joseph. He immediately understood what she meant. He took out a knife and stabbed it in his own arm. As blood sshed, Joseph put up with the severe pain and put his hand into the skin. He took out the chip and passed it to Catherine. ¡°Boss, here is what you want!¡± Catherine reached out two fingers to mp the chip still stained with blood. Staring at her movement, Joseph felt somewhat regretful. He gave the chip to Catherine before cleaning it. This was sphemy to Catherine. It was his mistake. What Catherine did next was unexpected by Joseph. She casually picked up a knife from the aside and destroyed the chip she had just gotten. Joseph¡¯s eyes were ande open. He gazed in disbelief at the scene in front of him. So many people were longing to get this thing, but Catherine just destroyed it without bliniting her eyes. For Catherine, the chip was merely something she made randomly during her spare time. Since it was stained, it should not exist anymore. After the chip was destroyed, Catherine was ready to get rid of the traitor of the organization. She timed around and slumped onto the sofa aside. She leaned against the sofa leisurely. The big cap covered most of her delicate and stunning face. Only her pointed and exquisite chin was exposed to the air, which would catch people¡¯s migration. ¡°Joseph, you have one minute. Exin to me!¡± Catherine said. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. When she said that, she showed an air of varied qualities, including wildness, arrogance, and indifference. It seemed that she was born to stand above everything. Joseph hurriedly bowed to Catherine and expressed his gratitude constantly. Maybe Catherine was in a good mood today, so she spared his life. Then he told Catherine the reason why he stole the chip. His lifesaver was diagnosed with cancer and needed a big sum of money for medical fees. Joseph had no other way but to steal and sell Catherine¡¯s thing for cash. He knew what would happen to him if he turned against Catherine. Yet, he just wanted to do his lifesaver a favor at the cost of his life. No one could lie to Catherine. Joseph was aware of that. Nor did he have the gut to lie to her. After Catherine beard Joseph out, she still kept an indifferent face. She kicked the box to Joseph and said coldly, ¡°This will be yours. Deal with everything ande back to report for duty in three days. Remember this. From now on, your life will be mine!¡± Having heard that, Joseph felt overjoyed and kept expressing his gratitude to Catherine. ¡°Thank you so much. I will do as youmand. After dealing with my private affairs, my life will be yours!¡± After he said that and lifted his head, he found that Catherine was already not on the sofa. It seemed that nothing had happened. Catherine just came and left unknowingly. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 In the study of the Duncans, at night. Paxton passed the newly acquired materials to the man sitting in the seat of honor and said, Mr. Duncan, this is what you want.¡± Branden got up from the chairzily and reached out his hand to take the materials. He nced at the materials and gave a cold smile on his handsome face. ¡°Is this the result of your investigation?¡± Branden asked. Paxton looked at the materials and instantly broke out in a cold sweat. Then, he knelt on the ground at once. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯m sorry for my ipetence!¡± The Duncans¡¯ informationwork, which was highly praised by all the people in Casier, turned out to fail over a girl repeatedly. This was so ridiculous! Branden disyed such a suffocatingly masterful demeanor. ¡°What about the other one? No information either?¡± Branden asked in his cold voice. Upon hearing Branden¡¯s voice, Paxton did not dare to hesitate anymore. Initially, because Paxton failed to get the information about Catherine, Branden flew into a rage. Paxton was afraid that he would disappear from the Duncans from now on if he did not respond fast enough. ¡°Mr. Duncan, ording to the photo offered by you, I found that the man was called Joseph. Green. His information before he turned ten years old has been found, but everything about him after that has been erased. Based on what I¡¯ve learned about him, Joseph should be from the Hacker Alliance!¡± Branden repeated, ¡°Hacker Alliance?¡± There was a hint ofplicated feelings in his dark eyes. The slightly curved corners of his mouth suggested that he was already interested. Paxton nodded in a confirmatory way. He was fundamentally sure of it. The Hacker Alliance was the biggest hacker organization in the world for now. The leader of this organization was code-named, Sugar. No one had seen Sugar¡¯s real face. It remained unknown if Sugar was a man or a woman. Nor did anyone know about Sugar¡¯s age. Besides, this organization had the topputer experts in the world. It also owned a top- notch chip developmentpany and almost monopolized the chip supply of the high-tech industry worldwide. It was fair enough to say that if the Hacker Alliance cut off the supply of chips, 80% of the high -tech companies would be closed down. Joseph¡¯s eyes were wide open. He gazed in disbelief at the scene in front of him. So many people were longing to get this thing, but Catherine just destroyed it without blinking her eyes. For Catherine, the chip was merely something she made randomly during her spare time. Since it was stained, it should not exist anymore. After the chip was destroyed, Catherine was ready to get rid of the traitor of the organization. She turned around and slumped onto the sofa aside. She leaned against the sofa leisurely. The big cap covered most of her delicate and stunning face. Only her pointed and exquisite chin was exposed to the air, which would catch people¡¯s imagination. ¡°Joseph, you have one minute. Exin to me!¡± Catherine said. When she said that, she showed an air of varied qualities, including wildness, arrogance, and indifference. It seemed that she was born to stand above everything. Joseph hurriedly bowed to Catherine and expressed his gratitude constantly. Maybe Catherine was in a good mood today, so she spared his life. Then, he told Catherine the reason why he stole the chip. His lifesaver was diagnosed with cancer and needed a big sum of money for medical fees. Joseph had no other way but to steal and sell Catherine¡¯s thing for cash. He knew what would happen to him if he turned against Catherine. Yet, he just wanted to do his lifesaver a favor at the cost of his life. No one could lie to Catherine. Joseph was aware of that. Nor did he have the gut to lie to her. After Catherine heard Joseph out, she still kept an indifferent face. She kicked the box to Joseph and said coldly, ¡°This will be yours. Deal with everything ande back to report for duty in three days. Remember this. From now on, your life will be mine!¡± Having heard that, Joseph felt overjoyed and kept expressing his gratitude to Catherine. ¡°Thank you so much. I will do as youmand. After dealing with my private affairs, my life. will be yours!¡± After he said that and lifted his head, he found that Catherine was already not on the sofa. Original from N?velDrama.Org. It seemed that nothing had happened. Catherine just came and left unknowingly. In the study of the Duncans, at night. Paxton passed the newly acquired materials to the man sitting in the seat of honor and said, ¡± Mr. Duncan, this is what you want.¡± Branden got up from the chairzily and reached out his hand to take the materials. He nced at the materials and gave a cold smile on his handsome face. ¡°Is this the result of your investigation?¡± Branden asked. Paxton looked at the materials and instantly broke out in a cold sweat. Then, he knelt on the ground at once. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my ipetence!¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯m The Duncans¡¯ informationwork, which was highly praised by all the people in Casier, turned out to fail over a girl repeatedly. This was so ridiculous! Branden disyed such a suffocatingly masterful demeanor. ¡°What about the other one? No information either?¡± Branden asked in his cold voice. Upon hearing Branden¡¯s voice, Paxton did not dare to hesitate anymore. Initially, because Paxton failed to get the information about Catherine, Branden flew into a rage. Paxton was afraid that he would disappear from the Duncans from now on if he did not respond fast enough. ¡°Mr. Duncan, ording to the photo offered by you, I found that the man was called Joseph Green. His information before he turned ten years old has been found, but everything about him after that has been erased. Based on what I¡¯ve learned about him, Joseph should be from the Hacker Alliance!¡± Branden repeated, ¡°Hacker Alliance?¡± There was a hint ofplicated feelings in his dark eyes. The slightly curved corners of his mouth suggested that he was already interested. Paxton nodded in a confirmatory way. He was fundamentally sure of it. The Hacker Alliance was the biggest hacker organization in the world for now. The leader of this organization was code-named, Sugar. No one had seen Sugar¡¯s real face. It remained unknown if Sugar was a man or a woman. Nor did anyone know about Sugar¡¯s age. Besides, this organization had the topputer experts in the world. It also owned a top- notch chip developmentpany and almost monopolized the chip supply of the high-tech industry worldwide. It was fair enough to say that if the Hacker Alliance cut off the supply of chips, 80% of the high -tech companies would be closed down. ¡°Yes, it should be the Hacker Alliance. Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re going to make a deal with the Hacker Alliance next week, right? We can take the opportunity to have an investigation. Maybe we can find some clues!¡± Paxton said. Branden nodded and said, ¡°Set it up!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Paxton replied respectfully in a loud voice at once. He sighed in relief inwardly. Finally, he dodged the bullet temporarily. The next day, Catherine did not get up until noon. To her surprise, when she got to the living room, she saw many people there. The Swanns were all in the living room. Upon seeing Catherine, Liana, who was dressed in fancy designer clothes, immediately lit up. She adjusted her body to sit straighter. Now that she finally had the goods on Catherine, she must teach Catherine a lesson this time. Catherine looked around and found not only the four people of the Swanns but also a woman present. This woman was inly dressed but still looked elegant. She was a pretty woman. After all, she looked quite like Rachael. If Catherine remembered correctly, this woman was Audrey Swann, who was also Catherine¡¯s eldest sister. It was said that Audrey fell out with the Swanns for a man and moved out two years ago. She did not even attend Vicente¡¯s funeral. Yet, now, she was here. This was a bit interesting. Upon hearing the footsteps, Korbin turned his head and immediately put on a long face when he found it was Catherine. With a somber expression, he disgruntledly looked at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, since you live with the Swanns, you should obey the rules here. Remember to get up early next time. You should never let the seniors wait for you!¡± He had tried his best to hold back his temper. If Catherine still did not behave herself, he would teach her a lesson. Before Catherine could react, Liana interjected, ¡°Daddy, someone could not get up early simply because she did something inappropriatest night.¡± Liana looked highly excited now. She must have waited for this for a long time. When Korbin heard Liana¡¯s words, he frowned more deeply. He shifted his gaze to Liana with a long face. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Korbin¡¯s reaction was just what Liana wanted. She had been unhappy about Korbin¡¯s indulgence of Catherine. Although Liana¡¯s mother told her it was a stall tactic, she still felt unhappy. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Now, she just wanted to find fault with Catherine so that her dad could punish Catherine. This way, she would feel better. She thought about it and looked askance at Catherine. ¡°Daddy, you know what? Last night, someone sneaked out of home. I really wonder what she did. I thought a country girl would behave well. Unexpectedly, she turns out to be so untamed. Our family is not a small family. If she was photographed by some ill-intentioned journalists, who knows what kind of scandal our family would be involved in? ¡°By then, we would be really in big trouble!¡± After saying that, Liana darted an angry look at Catherine to pour out her disgruntlement. However, Catherine did not panic at all. Instead, she stood in situposedly, her hands deep. in her pockets. She looked straight ahead coldly as if she was not the one mentioned by Liana. This just made Liana feel furious again. Gazing at Catherine with disgruntlement, Liana wished to give thetter two ps to remove the pretentious mask from her face. ¡°Hey, Catherine, do not try to deny it. Bumpkin, I guess you don¡¯t know our home has. surveince cameras, right? The cameras record everything. No way can you deny it.¡± Catherine did not care about Liana¡¯s mor. She nced over there only to find that Rachael and Johnathan were waiting with a smile on their faces for Kobin to punish her. Yet, Audrey¡¯s reaction was so strange. Catherine wondered why Audrey stared at her with a frown and a worried expression. Upon hearing Liana¡¯s usation against Catherine, Korbin put on a long face. He felt that Catherine was too unruly. If what Liana said was true, he must teach Catherine a lesson. ¡°Catherine, tell me, did you go outst night?¡± Korbin snapped. ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Catherine replied unhurriedly, but she did not mean to defend herself. Liana was still waiting for Catherine to defend herself with an excuse so that she could p Catherine in the face. Unexpectedly, Catherine just admitted it on the spot. Did Catherine be reckless and fearless just because she was brought back from the countryside and thought she was thedy of a wealthy family? Liana felt that Catherine looked so annoying now. ¡°Daddy, look at her. She has made a mistake, but she still acts so arrogantly. Clearly, she does not show any respect for you. She has been a total disgrace to our family.¡± After she said that, Liana waited for Korbin to punish Catherine. She could tell that Korbin was already mad. However, she did not expect Audrey to say something to sabotage her n suddenly. ¡°Daddy, I think Catherine is just not used to the new environment as she just returned. So, she went out for a walk at night. It should not be a problem, right?¡± Everyone was instantly astonished to hear what Audrey said. It seemed that no one expected that she would stand up for Catherine. Even Catherine could not help looking at her and sizing her up. Liana was a bit angry. Whoever spoke for Catherine would be her enemy. ¡°Audrey, how dare you talk on this asion? Don¡¯t you know you have been expelled from the Swanns? It¡¯s already kind of us to let you sit here. How can you get to talk here?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Audrey¡¯s cheeks blushed as Liana dissed her. She had been on bad terms with Liana since childhood. Moreover, because their mom was biased towards Liana and hated her, her position in the Swanns was far inferior to that of Liana. Besides, for some reason, she was expelled from the Swanns. As a result, she was just treated like dirt by Liana. Audrey could not fight back but had to hold back her anger. She was shuddering in a rage. ¡°After all, Audrey is our eldest sister. We are obliged to respect her. Liana, is this the so-called. rule of the Swanns?¡± Catherine¡¯s words seemed light yet hit the nail on the head. Just now, Liana suppressed Catherine with rules. Now, Liana had no manners at all. Shouldn¡¯t she be punished? Liana came to her senses, and instantly, her face turned pale. She cast a furious nce at Catherine and said, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? She has been expelled from the Swanns. And it was her own decision. How can she still be a member of the Swanns? Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Liana¡¯s words just put Audrey in a very awkward situation. Audrey was sitting in situ on pins and needles. With one nce, Catherine recognized what Audrey was thinking. After all, Audrey was a weak person. Even though she was bullied like this, she could still swallow the insult despite her rage. Catherine put her hands into her pockets and looked coldly at Liana. Her seeminglyposed and yet domineering demeanor just rendered the atmosphere even cooler. Three secondster, she said in an aloof voice, ¡°Even though she has been expelled from the Swanns, so what? She still has the blood of the Swanns in her body. And she is the eldest daughter of the Swanns.¡± The rich always stressed seniority. Back then, Audrey was expelled from the Swanns because of a man. It was a total disgrace to the Swanns. However, she was the eldest daughter of the Swanns, after all. Otherwise, Korbin would not let her enter their home. Faced with the whole family¡¯s gaze, Korbin had to be even-handed. He told Liana, ¡°Make an apology to your eldest sister.¡± Liana was unhappy about this. Catherine was supposed to be punished. Why did Korbin ask her to make an apology first? She was about to make a fuss when Rachael stopped her. Rachael reached out her hand to stop Liana and strangely stared at thetter. She said in aposed yet august voice, ¡°Liana, your daddy is right. Audrey is your eldest sister. You should make an apology to her.¡± Liana could recognize the hidden meanings in her mother¡¯s eyes. No matter how unhappy she was, she had to lower her head first. She turned to look at Audrey, and there was no apologetic trace on her haughty face. She said perfunctorily, ¡°Sorry. I was wrong just now!¡± Considering her way of apology, if she were apologizing to Catherine, Catherine would have given Liana a beating. Catherine would never let Liana act out in front of her. On the contrary, Audrey epted Liana¡¯s apology and even felt this was a bit surprising. This was the first time Liana had apologized to her since childhood. Audrey slightly tilted her head to look at Catherine from the corner of her eye secretly. Initially, she thought Catherine, the second sister she had barely seen, would be kicked around. Now as it appeared, her worry might be unnecessary. Catherine was morepetent and tougher than she had imagined! After making an apology, Liana immediately fixed her gaze on Catherine. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m done apologizing. Catherine has vited the rules of our family. Should she be punished too?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Korbin snorted. ¡°Liana has a good point. Catherine, since you¡¯ve admitted your mistake, you will spend the afternoon contemting your mistake in front of your grandpa¡¯s photo as punishment. Besides, there will be no dinner for you tonight.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? I must contemte my mistake and can¡¯t have dinner tonight?¡± Catherine thought. She knew that Korbin was taking this opportunity to have a go at her, but she would not ept it. Catherine just turned around. She meant to walk past the Swanns and get out of the house. After all, no one in the Swanns could stop her. However, she did not expect someone to grab her wrist when she was ready to leave. Catherine turned her head and settled her cold gaze on Audrey. She was a bit confused about Audrey¡¯s behavior. Audrey seemed to have seen through Catherine¡¯s thoughts. She had always been subservient at home since she was little. She had long known she had no right to say no to the Swanns. So, she was worried that Catherine would be punished due to disobedience. ¡°Catherine, I could not make it back when Grandpa was gone. Now I¡¯m back. Please apany me to Grandpa¡¯s room so that I can pay my respects to him!¡± Audrey had a hint of imploration in her eyes and looked like a helpless animal. She stared hard at Catherine and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Then, Audrey just grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand and dragged her away. Given Audrey¡¯s strength, Catherine could shake her away with ease. However, somehow, Catherine suddenly had no intention of resisting Audrey and wanted to see what on earth Audrey was up to. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Audrey dragged Catherine to the room where Vicente¡¯s photo was. In this room, not only was Vicente¡¯s photo ced here, but also those of other ancestors of the Swanns were kept in this room. Catherine stood aside and watched indifferently as Audrey went forward and bowed to Vicente¡¯s photo with great reverence. Catherine found it a bit difficult to see through Audrey¡¯s mind. The way she saw it, Audrey was an unfavored daughter of the Swanns. Supposedly, Audrey should hate or even resent the Swanns, but Catherine did not find that Audrey thought this way. After lighting a candle for Vicente, Audrey turned around and looked at Catherine. There was a faint smile in Audrey¡¯sposed eyes. Her eyes were quite warm. ¡°Catherine, actually, sometimes, I sort of envy you!¡± Audrey said. Catherine slowly raised her head with indifference and alienation in her eyes. There was no trace of family affection in her big bright eyes. She asked, ¡°Why do you envy me? Because I am regarded as the bane of the Swanns?¡± Audrey was stunned by Catherine¡¯s reply. It took her quite a while to recover. Yet, Audrey did not fly into a rage due to Catherine¡¯s attitude or say hurtful words to her as the other Swanns did. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t call yourself that way. You are the second eldest daughter of the Swanns, not the bane of the Swanns. Seriously, I do envy you. I assume you must have a good time in the countryside. The Swanns seem like a rich and powerful family, but there are plenty of intrigues and traps. Not everyone wants to live such a life. If you hadn¡¯t been sent to the countryside back then, maybe you would have led a harder life,¡± Audrey said. Catherine gazed at Audrey quietly and did not expect that Audrey would say something simr to what Vicente had said. At that time, when Vicente came to her, he also said that it was best for her to be taken away. Catherine eyed Audrey up and down. There did not seem to be remoteness in her cold eyes as before. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate or resent them?¡± Catherine asked. Audrey was struck dumb by Catherine¡¯s words. After being quiet for a few seconds, she gave a bitter smile. ¡°Anyway, they are my family.¡± Her answer sounded ridiculous to Catherine. Audrey regarded those people as her family. Did they treat her as their family? Stunned by Catherine¡¯s indifference, Audrey enddenly robled, ¡°They are n you family Maybe they love you from the depths of their heute her! You love meals a mistake, to Heldy still did not punish you severely. It suggests that he cares a lot about you, right?¡± Catherine nced over Audrey¡¯s face and said coldly, ¡°Innocent¡± After saying that, Catherine beckoned Audrey to follow her. Seeing that Catherine left, Audrey hurriedly kept up with her Audrey followed Catherine to Vicente¡¯s study, Vicente¡¯s study was the most mysterious ce in the Swanns¡¯. Without his permission, even Korbin could not go into the study. Even the door of the study was locked through multipleyers. It was difficult for people to break in. Audrey did not know what Catherine wanted to do She was about to stop Catherine when Catherine peeked through the hole in the door of the study. With a tter, the door was unlocked. Audrey was astonished. She did not expect Catherine would have the password. After all, the door used an iris scammer lock In the past, only Vicente¡¯s iris was registered in the door lock system. This was the first time she had seen someone else who could open the door apart from Vicente after so many years. ¡°Kathy, how did you get into the study? Did Grandpa register your iris in the system?¡± Audrey asked.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Catherine had pushed open the door and gone inside. She paid no heed to Audrey¡¯s astonishment. Catherine¡¯s countenance did not change a bit at all. Catherine designed the study¡¯s door lock when she was twelve years old. Even Vicente¡¯s iris was also registered by her. It was not surprising that she could open the door. Watching Catherine swagger inside, Audrey, who had been curious about the study for a long time, was also intrigued. Due to Vicente¡¯s previous order, she did not dare to enter the room. She hovered at the door and hesitated for a long time, making constant mental struggles. Catherine was in the room for a while. When she noticed that Audrey was still standing at the door, she knitted her brows in confusion. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe in?¡± A trace of embarrassment showed on Audrey¡¯s face. She said carefully, ¡°Grandpa said without his order, no one was allowed to enter this study!¡± Catherine did not expect Audrey to say that! Why would she obey Vicente¡¯s order so submissively? Catherine finally understood why the Swanns would bully Audrey. Given Audrey¡¯s character, of course, she would be kicked around. ¡°He is already dead. Why do you care about the rules set by him? Come on in.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s bold words, Audrey rushed inside excitedly and reached out to cover her mouth. ¡°Kathy, you can¡¯t show disrespect to Grandpa.¡± Catherine frowned even more heavily. This was the first person to stay so close to Catherine and cover her mouth without her neck breaking. And what did Audrey call her? Kathy? A few secondster, Audrey seemed to realize that she had been in the study. She was so freaked out that she hastened to remove her hand from Catherine¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve got into the study. What should I do?¡± Audrey eximed. Catherine nced casually at her and replied, ¡°What else can you do? Pay a visit to this ce and watch it as long as you want to.¡± She could not exin why she didn¡¯t punish Audrey for thetter¡¯s offense. Maybe it was because that was not Audrey¡¯s deliberate act. Catherine picked up the remote control from the desk and turned on one of the monitors on the wall. Audrey originally meant to get out when she suddenly heard her mother¡¯s voice from the monitor, which stopped her immediately. She turned her head and walked over there. The monitor showed what was happening in the tearoom on the second floor. This was the ce where Rachael liked having afternoon tea at other times. It was Rachael and Liana who were disyed on the monitor. Audrey was astounded to see that. She slowly paced back and stood by Catherine¡¯s side. Catherine did not turn her head. She knew that Audrey was back and then had a faint smile on her beautiful face. If Ronin were here now, he would definitely exim, ¡°Boss is so beautiful! Especially when she smiles!¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. On the monitor, Liana¡¯s haughty face was filled with anger and resentment. She mmed the cup on the table heavily andshed out at her mother. ¡°Mommy, why did you stop me from persuading Daddy to punish that bane just now? Daddy has gone too far. He indulges her all the time. Look how unruly she has be!¡± Liana snapped. She hated Catherine to the core because Catherine¡¯s appearance made her theughingstock of all. Liana did not get to inherit any of the Swanns¡¯ assets. Worse still, everyone learned that she had a sistering back from the countryside. Now, she was scorned by her friends. Besides, Catherine was clearly bad luck, but she always acted like a princess with a cold look. Liana did not care about any of this. All she wanted was to kick Catherine out of the Swanns and get everything back on track by all means. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Rachael stared at her daughter¡¯s angry face. Liana looked simr in appearance to the young version of Rachael, which just reminded Rachael of her past all at once. Rachael could not help giving a smile. ¡°You just can¡¯t keepposure. Do you remember what I taught you before? I asked you to keep your eyes open and observe more.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that your daddy is deliberately partial to that bane? Anyway, she is the nominal heiress of the Swanns. It won¡¯t do us any good if we fall out with her. However, as long as we put up with her for three months, the Swanns¡¯ assets wille back to us. By then, you won¡¯t need to do anything. Your daddy will give her a hard time!¡± Due to Rachael¡¯s words, Liana finally had a faint smile on her initially unhappy face. She thought about it and then looked at Rachaelcently. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re right. But I¡¯ll be able to have my revenge more or less in less than three months. Next Monday, Catherine will go to school. By then, she will know what I¡¯ve got.¡± Rachael smiled resignedly and stared at her daughter with affection. With a straight face, Catherine picked up the remote control and reached out to turn off the monitor. Then, she put her arms around her chest and turned around to look at Audrey. Her delicate face was icy, and her lips were curved into a scornful smile that was inconsistent with her age. ¡°Are they the family who you think love me from the depths of their hearts?¡± Catherine asked. Audrey was rendered speechless. Although she knew that Rachael and Liana did not like Catherine, she did not expect that they would hate Catherine so much. Audrey felt somewhat surprised after knowing Vicente had left all his assets to Catherine. She thought Catherine could get a small part of the assets at best. After all, Catherine had never lived in the Swanns¡¯ since she was little. However, it turned out that Catherine inherited all the assets. Audrey was merely surprised when she learned that, but she was not as shocked as the other members of the Swanns. Perhaps it was because, from the very start, she knew that none of this had anything to do with her. No matter how many assets the Swanns had, she wouldn¡¯t get any of them. As a result, she never held out any hope for that. Nor did she feel disappointed. Hearing the conversation between Rachael and Liana, Audrey suddenly felt slightly sorry for Catherine and reached out to hold Catherine¡¯s hand. When Audrey reached out her hand, Catherine subconsciously eschewed it as if getting an electric shock. Nevertheless, Audrey grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand tightly again and patted the back of her hand constantly. Then, Audrey stared at Catherine thoughtfully, and her gentle eyes made Catherine stop struggling. ¡°Kathy, I know you¡¯re sad. Let¡¯s just pretend that they don¡¯t exist and live our own lives.¡± Originally, Audrey wanted to persuade Catherine to be nicer to their family. She was worried that Catherine¡¯s cold character would put her at a disadvantage. Unexpectedly, now that she saw that disappointing scene, she perished the idea of persuading Catherine. Catherine settled her gaze on Audrey¡¯s hands. She disliked having physical contact with others. If anyone else dared to touch her as Audrey did, the hands would have been cut off by her. In the beginning, when Audrey touched her, she subconsciously wanted to withdraw her own hand. Yet, when Audrey grasped Catherine¡¯s hand again, Catherine¡¯s body did not reject her at all. Catherine felt a bit confused. Could it be because Audrey was her sister? So, her body reacted differently. Audrey noticed that Catherine did not say anything and thought Catherine was still mad. She could understand Catherine¡¯s fury. She felt a bit worried at the thought of what Liana said just now. Catherine did not grow up in the Swanns, so she did not know how wicked Liana was. Yet, Audrey knew Liana was full of tricks. When Audrey was still living with the Swanns, she suffered many losses. Now that Catherine was back, Audrey felt worried. ¡°Kathy, you must be careful when you go to school next week. Liana is a difficult girl.¡¯ Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine felt that Audrey was being rather euphemistic. Liana was not only difficult but also wicked. Initially, she was not interested in campus life, so she did not intend to attend school. Now she had learned that Liana wanted to cause trouble for her. If she didn¡¯t go, Liana could not continue her n then. Catherine wanted to find out what on earth Liana could do. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°Kathy, you know what¡­¡± Since they left the study, Audrey had been following Catherine, babbling on and on. Mainly, she kept calling Catherine Kathy. Audrey¡¯s nagging just pissed Catherine off. Catherine turned around and pressed her hand against the wall to fix Audrey in the corner. Audrey and Catherine were sisters, but Audrey was about four inches shorter than thetter. Thus, Catherine had to lower her head when she looked at Audrey. Catherine slightly knitted her brows, showing two faint wrinkles on her face. She darted a cold nce at Audrey and asked sternly, ¡°What did you call me?¡± Somehow, Audrey suddenly felt that Catherine looked so masterful and intimidating. She couldn¡¯t help shuddering all over in fear. She raised her head to look at Catherine gingerly and said discreetly, ¡°I called you Kathy.¡± Instantly, Catherine¡¯s brows were heavily furrowed. She gazed at Audrey impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that way!¡± Catherine snapped. ¡°Why? Kathy¡­¡± Audrey subconsciously replied. She felt it could bring them closer for her to call Catherine this way. There was nothing wrong with it. She liked it. ¡°There is no why. Just remember not to call me that way anymore,¡± Catherine said. As she noticed that Catherine looked displeased, Audrey hurriedly nodded and answered, ¡± Okay, Kathy!¡± Catherine was so helpless. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t easy to make Audrey change how she called Catherine. ¡°Audrey, your man¡¯s flight will arrive in Casier at 5 pm, right? It¡¯s past four now. Won¡¯t you bete if you don¡¯t go now?¡± Her reminder just made Audrey¡¯s eyes wide open. Then, Audrey eximed loudly, ¡°Oh right, I¡¯m runningte!¡± Audrey immediately ran away and rushed out of the Swanns¡¯. After getting in the car, she finally realized something. She frowned in confusion and thought, ¡°It¡¯s so weird. How did Catherine know about my boyfriend? She even knows about the time of his flight to Casier.¡± After she got rid of Audrey, Catherine went back to her basement. As soon as she entered the room, her phone buzzed violently in her pocket. Catherine took out her phone and had a nce at it. It was Ronin. Having looked at the time, Catherine slightly knitted her brows and answered the call. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine¡¯s aloof voice revived Ronin¡¯s spirits at once. He hadn¡¯t heard Catherine¡¯s voice for a long time. He was even a bit not used to this. ¡°It¡¯s me! This is Ronin. You and I¡­¡± Ronin was interrupted by Catherine before he could express his excitement on the other side of the line. ¡°Just get to the point!¡± Her cold words just sent chills down Ronin¡¯s spine. Ronin did not dare to act recklessly again. He hastened to talk about why he made the call. ¡°Someone wants to buy our chip at a price three times the market price. They intend to buy out this year¡¯s share.¡± In the era of rapid high-tech development, the chip determined all. And it developed astonishingly fast. The chances were high that the chip one made a great effort to buy in the first half of the year would be upgraded in the second half year. Then, the purchased chip would totally go to waste. Buying a chip three times the market price for one year¡¯s share was a huge gamble. ¡°Who is the buyer?¡± ¡°Boss, the buyer is the Duncan Corporation. They want us to send someone to deal with them face-to- face. And that¡¯s the only request.¡± Catherine narrowed her eyes and put on the cold air. ¡°Do you mean Branden¡¯spany?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly. And the Duncan Cooperation has released the news. Upon hearing that the Duncan Cooperation offered triple the price to buy the chip, thepanies who were ready to ce an order withdrew their orders. After all, they have no confidence in defeating the Duncan Corporation.¡± Even Ronin had to admit that the Duncan Corporation was the leader in the industry. ¡°Boss, how about I go and meet the representatives of the Duncan Corporation and figure out what on earth they are up to?¡± Ronin suggested. Catherine¡¯s eyes glinted with fierceness, and then she replied in a cold voice, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go by myself!¡± After hearing Catherine¡¯s answer, Ronin, who was on the other side of the line, was stunned for three seconds. Catherine was going on her own? It was so exciting! Ronin thought, ¡°No way. I can¡¯t always let her deal with everything.¡± He was about to persuade Catherine not to do it when the phone was hung off unknowingly. It seemed that this time, Catherine had made up her mind. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 At Duncan Corporation. In the office on the top floor, Paxton gave Branden the information he had just gotten¡­ Branden knew it was Paxton without looking up. He could even guess what Paxton was here for. Branden¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. He didn¡¯t even move his eyes. Branden parted his lips, looking emotionless and cold as he said lightly, ¡°News from Hacker Alliance?¡± Paxton was caught off guard. He didn¡¯t expect his boss to have known by guessing so urately. After all, Paxton had only gotten the information a few minutes ago. ¡°Yes, Mr. Duncan.¡± ¡°Hacker Alliance has agreed to meet with us. The meeting is set for eight o¡¯clock tonight.¡± The news left Branden frowning lightly. Despite having guessed that Hacker Alliance would agree to meet, Branden didn¡¯t expect them to set the time so close. Did Hacker Alliance mean to leave the Duncans no time to prepare? Seeing Branden¡¯s face had darkened, Paxton¡¯s brows furrowed too. In his eyes, this matter could not be handled easily. Hacker Alliance was too mysterious. Paxton heard that in addition to IT talents with top-notchputer skills, there were also great fighters in the organization. It could be said that Hacker Alliance was full of experts. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have almost taken over the chip industry after being established for merely a few years. ¡°Mr. Duncan, why don¡¯t I pretend to be you and attend the meeting tonight?¡± It shouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as Paxton wore a mask. Branden was the sole heir of Duncan Corporation. He couldn¡¯t afford to be endangered. Branden sneered lightly, looking mocking and cold. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Paxton. ¡°What is it? Are you afraid that something will happen to me?¡± Paxton didn¡¯t miss the coldness in his boss¡¯s eyes. He was so scared that he knelt immediately and nodded as he admitted to his mistake. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I did wrong. Please punish me. I¡¯m just worried that Hacker Alliance is too cunning and that we cannot defend ourselves.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Tapping his slender fingers rhythmically on the ck marble table, Branden showed a faint smile after hearing about Paxton¡¯s worry. ¡°If we can¡¯t defend ourselves, then let¡¯s not. I¡¯d like to see how capable Hacker Alliance is.¡± Meanwhile, at the Swanns. Catherine also got news from Ronin. [Boss, we¡¯ve arranged to meet with the Duncans at eight o¡¯clock tonight in Room 888 of Charm Bar. I heard that the young head of the Duncans will be the one to meet us then. Should I hurry over so that I can go with you?] Catherine took a look at the text, deleted it, and then sent Ronin a reply. [No. Joseph wille with me.] On the other end of the line, Ronin stared nervously at his phone after receiving the text. Why did he suddenly feel like he was no longer his boss¡¯s favorite? How could the traitor, Joseph, be even closer to the his boss than he was? Ronin was reluctant and wanted to go to Catherine first. However, without his boss¡¯s order, Ronin didn¡¯t dare to. One had to know that it was horrible. when Catherine got mad. At eight o¡¯clock, Charm Bar opened officially. Even though it had just opened, there were many people in there. It was vibrantly busy. In Room 888, the men from Duncan Corporation were already there¡­ Wearing a ck shirt, Branden sat slowly in the corner of the sofa. He stared carelessly at the fun on the dancefloor downstairs. His eyes remained indifferent as he was unmoved at the scene. A few minutester, Paxton pushed the door open with thetest news. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the man from Hacker Alliance is here. Should I let him in?¡± Branden nodded lightly. Paxton left and returned a momentter with a man in a mask. Even though the man wore a mask, Branden recognized him immediately. It was Joseph, the man Catherine was following here at the barst time. He was indeed from Hacker Alliance. It seemed that Catherine was probably rted to Hacker Alliance somehow. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 After entering the room, Joseph put the safe he had been carrying on the table. Joseph looked coldly ahead and made such a strong presence that intimidated others when he entered the room ¡°Mr. Duncan, this is the chip Hacker Alliance has just developed. We can sell it to you at the original price and give yourpany exclusive use for a year. But you must promise to give us 30 percent of the development project shares.¡± Apart from looking at Joseph once when he came into the room, Branden did not look at him again After hearing Joseph¡¯s condition, Branden turned to look at him slowly. On his handsome face, his deep eyes looked cold and bottomless. Just a look from him was enough to make Joseph¡¯s heart skip a beat, even though he was usually bold Branden was too horrible. He was even scarier than Joseph¡¯s Boss Branden¡¯s fingers moved slightly on his knee, and Paxton knew what he meant immediately. Paxton looked up at joseph with the same cold and expressionless face. ¡°My boss said that you can have 40 percent! Seeing that Branden had his mind set and that there seemed to be no room for negotiation, Joseph was at a loss. He raised a hand and remained silent. Branden could tell from a nce that Joseph was only a representative of whoever it was that could make the decision. A faint smile appeared on Branden¡¯s charming face. He reached for and picked up the pack of cigarettes on the table. He flipped the cover open with a hand and took one cigarette out of the pack with his lips. His actions were smooth and sexy. Sitting opposite Branden and silently sizing him up, Joseph couldn¡¯t help but scream in his mind that he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Paxton bent forward, flicked the lighter on, and respectfully put it next to Branden. The zing red me looked particrly eye-catching in the dim room. After lighting the cigarette, Branden stood up and walked towards the door. Joseph heard a bone-chilling voice from behind his back before he could turn to see what was going on. ¡°I want an answer in three minutes!¡± After leaving the room, Branden leaned casually on the wall while Paxton reported the information he had just gotten to him in a small voice. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the signal was sent from within the room. From ourtest surveince, the source of the signal is on the roof. We need at least five minutes to travel from here to the roof without taking the elevator.¡± Nobody knew that Duncan Corporation owned Charm Bar, the money-squandering establishment that everyone wanted to get into at Casier. When Joseph came to Charm Barst time, the surveince here had been hacked into once. Even though the hacker left no trace behind, the men of the Duncans still found out about it. This time, it was hard to say if the other party would hack into the system again. In order to catch them once and for all, they had to take the stairs. Only then could they avoid the surveince in the elevator so that they wouldn¡¯t rm their target. Five minutes? Branden shook his head lightly. He took the cigarette from between his lips, put it out in the ashtray nearby, and turned to leave. Paxton wanted to follow Branden but remained rooted as he thought of Joseph, who was still in the room. He signaled to the men in the dark for them to follow and protect Branden. Meanwhile, Catherine was sitting on the roof in a ck trench coat. There was aptop in front of her. Her slender fingers tapped quickly on the keyboard of theptop. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. She had received the information Joseph had sent her and was analyzing the profit they could gain by raising the project¡¯s price to five times the current price. Ronin¡¯s voice rang in her ear. ¡°Boss, the guy from the Duncans has disappeared. I¡¯m afraid he might have tracked the location on the roof and is on his way upstairs. He would need at least. five minutes to arrive at the roof from downstairs. Our profit calctions also need five. minutes. Boss, would we make it?¡± The pair of beautiful and round eyes shone with confidence on the exquisite face of Catherine. Her bold temperament was enough to leave one amazed and convinced. ¡°Yes!¡± Even for someone well-trained, running up from the private room to the roof at full speed would take at least five minutes. However, Branden only used no more than three minutes toe upstairs. He used almost half the time needed for one that had received professional training. His speed was genuinely horrifying. Aftering to the roof, Branden noticed a slim figure in ck sitting in the corner with their back to him immediately. He strolled towards the figure, and a rare and faint smile appeared on his handsome face. He thought to himself, ¡°Boss of Hacker Alliance, I will get you today.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Two minutester, the rest of Branden¡¯s men arrived in a rush. They saw Branden holding a ck trench coat in his hands, standing rooted on the spot looking gloomy. One of them plucked up his courage, went up to Branden, and asked, ¡°Mr. Duncan, is he gone?¡± Branden didn¡¯t need to answer, as one could see how things were at a nce. Branden nced at the mannequin on the floor, an arrogant ridicule at him. It was the first time for him to have a taste of defeat. A creepy smile appeared on his gloomy face. Branden¡¯s men, who had been with him for so many years, couldn¡¯t help but shiver in fear after seeing his smile. They rarely saw Branden get mad at anything. However, the angrier Branden was, the calmer. he would appear. From the smile on Branden¡¯s face, they could tell that he was really furious. They all knew that someone was in big trouble. However, they did not know who that person was yet. Branden ordered coldly, ¡°Secure the bar immediately. I don¡¯t want to see even a fly getting out of here.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Branden¡¯s men responded in unison and moved immediately to secure Charm Bar. The dancefloor of Charm Bar was still as bustling as ever, while Branden¡¯s men were already on the move in the dark. Arge group of men in ck checked every room in Charm Bar. It was as if they were looking. for someone. Catherine kicked the venttion vent in the bathroom open hard and slid down from it. Then, she put the lid back where it was, leaving no trace behind. She had already changed into the clothes she had prepared earlier quickly. She stood before. the mirror to check on her appearance and returned to her best state in a breeze. Then, Catherine took the micro-earbud off her ear and threw it into the toilet behind her. She opened the door of the bathroom and walked out briskly. Catherine walked towards the door through the crowded dancefloor with ground-shaking music and was ready to leave. However, she was stopped at the door. The security guard exined to her politely. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry. Nobody can leave for now. Something happened in the bar, and we are looking into it right now. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.¡± Catherine nced coldly at the guard. Her cold gaze was utterly terrifying. The guard was so scared that he was stunned for a moment and forgot to stop Catherine as she made to leave. ¡°Stand where you are!¡± A sharp call came from behind her, followed by urgent footsteps. The atmosphere tensed immediately. It was as if something big was going to happen. Catherine stopped and turned around naturally. She saw Paxton running towards her with a few men behind him. Paxton was slightly stunned when he saw Catherine, then greeted her politely, ¡°Miss Swann!¡± A minuteter, Branden showed up. He was wearing a ck shirt with the top two buttons left unbuttoned. With his tanned skin slightly exposed, he looked extremely charming. Paxton and his men parted and bowed politely at Branden. Branden walked up to Catherine slowly. He lowered his eyes and sized her up, looking cold but curious. With his brows slightly furrowed, he asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Catherine looked indifferent and emotionless as she answered him coldly. ¡°Since Mr. Duncan can be here, why can¡¯t I?¡± Branden lowered his eyes and raised a brow. His brown eyes shone with bone-chilling. coldness. ¡°Miss Swann, don¡¯t forget you are still my fianc¨¦e now!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The word ¡°fianc¨¦e¡± left Catherine looking displeased. Seeing Catherine in silence, Branden didn¡¯t press the matter further despite looking cold. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± ¡°No!¡± Catherine refused coldly without showing respect to Branden at all. Branden¡¯s men couldn¡¯t help but break out in cold sweats at Catherine¡¯s answer. She was so bold. It was the first time they saw Branden being rejected, not to mention that Catherine had rejected him publicly. Paxton¡¯s expression was hideous. In his eyes, Catherine was conceited to refuse Branden¡¯s well. Paxton thought that Branden would be angry about it. However, he didn¡¯t expect Branden to reach a hand towards him. Was Branden asking for a weapon? Even though Catherine had made a mistake, attacking her with a weapon would be way overboard. Paxton was a little hesitant. Seeing Paxton didn¡¯t move, Branden¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What are you thinking about? Give me my car keys!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Paxton collected himself from his daze, hastily took out the car keys, and offered them to Branden respectfully. He thought that Branden was going to teach Catherine a lesson. To his astonishment, was going to drive her home himself instead. Paxton was struggling to make sense of what was happening. After getting the car keys, Branden returned to Catherine¡¯s side. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± Branden Catherine looked at Branden with a frown. Didn¡¯t she refuse him just now? Could Branden not understand her words? Before Catherine could speak, Branden¡¯s following words made her choke back the words on the tip of her tongue. He said lightly, ¡°Get in the car. We¡¯ll talk about what you wanted to discuss with mest time.¡± Catherine wanted to go home herself at first. However, at Branden¡¯s words, she changed her mind. Since he was being so generous to offer her a ride, she would ept it. They could even take the chance to talk things out. ¡°Can we go now?¡± Branden shook the keys in his hand at her carelessly and spoke in a deep voice. Catherine liked people with nice voices. She had to admit that listening to Branden¡¯s voice was a pleasure. Seeing Catherine nod faintly, Branden strode out the door first, with Catherine behind him¡­ It took a while for Branden¡¯s men, who were left rooted on the spot, to recover from their shock. They never expected to see Branden being with a woman and talking so much at once. It was such a rare scene. Catherine got into Branden¡¯s car. She thought that he would be driving thetest and coolest supercar. She didn¡¯t expect him to drive a ck Maybach. The car was low-key and luxurious. It didn¡¯t match his age at all, but she kind of liked it. She didn¡¯t like supercars. In terms of speed, she preferred motorbikes. She enjoyed riding freely against the wind. As the car drove on, Catherine sat in the car with her eyes squinted. There was no expression on her face. Branden took a nce at her from the rear-view mirror. He even knew that even though Catherine had her eyes shut, she was studying him too. Suddenly, Catherine opened her eyes. Her brown eyes shone with a sharp light like that of an eagle. However, her tone was somewhatzy. ¡°What about your conditions? Aren¡¯t you going to tell me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Branden nodded rarely. There was a light but willful smile on his face. Catherine sat calmly in the backseat, waiting for Branden to speak. She was ready to hear what his conditions were. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Branden rolled down the window, took out a pack of cigarettes from the side, and was about to flip it open. However, seeing Catherine¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, Branden put the pack of cigarettes back and rolled the window back up. Everything happened in silence. It was as though nothing had happened. Branden stared at the cold expression on Catherine¡¯s face. A trace of a smile glistened in hist cold eyes as he told her his condition. ¡°I don¡¯t want the Swanns¡¯ shares. I only want one thing. If you can get it, I¡¯ll sign your contract.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Catherine asked immediately. Looking tense, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but frown. She knew what Branden wanted must be hard to get. Branden asked casually, ¡°Have you heard of Hacker Alliance?¡± As he spoke, Branden looked remarkably calm. It was as if he was talking about something irrelevant and unimportant. However, Catherine knew immediately that Branden suspected her. Her identity might be a huge secret for others. However, she thought lightly of it. After all, she had never tried to hide herself deliberately. Whether one could learn about her identity depended solely on oneself. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard about it,¡± Catherine responded lightly. Branden didn¡¯t expect her to admit it so readily. It was better this way, so he didn¡¯t have to beat around the bush. ¡°Hacker Alliance willunch a game next month. If you can get Duncan Corporation dealership of the game in Eskana, the contract will be valid.¡± Hacker Alliance did not only produce chips. It was also the top gamepany in the world. In recent years, no business could be more profitable than games. Hacker Allianceunched a game three years ago, which became a hit worldwide. In Eskana alone, the game broke the record by gaining 100 million dors from top-ups in a day. The superb profitability left everyone in awe. The game remained the most popr mobile game in the world for three years. Now, every gamer knew that a game from Hacker Alliance must be good. If Hacker Allianceunched another game, it would cause a phenomenal furor attracting numerous interested investors. If Duncan Corporation could get the game¡¯s dealership from Hacker Alliance, it would be equivalent to winning a bill printer that could make millions of dors without breaking a sweat. It was indeed more attractive than 20 percent shares of the Swann Corporation. There was a chance that the Swann Corporation might not profit as much, but the game was a sure win. Branden was indeed an excellent businessman. He had just bought a chip from her and was already trying to buy the game from her. No wonder the Duncans could be the wealthiest family in Eskana. They were really good. Catherine thought that Branden might be going for something more than the game. He might have wanted to learn her identity and role in Hacker Alliance. However, since he wanted to know that so desperately, Catherine was willing to give him a chance to see what he could learn. ¡°Sure!¡± Catherine answered briskly. Catherine¡¯s squinted eyes shone with a sharp gaze as she looked at Branden. Branden smiled lightly and yfully. It seemed that the girl was indeed ruthless! The following day, Catherine got up early and sat in the living room of the Swanns. It was Monday today. It was also the first time for Catherine to go to school. Liana and Johnathan were up too. Catherine had to go to school, and so did the two of them. Korbin finished his breakfast and left for thepany in a hurry. Since Catherine hadn¡¯t taken over the projects of the Swann Corporation yet, Korbin was still in charge of the Swann Corporation. After he left, Liana also put down her cutleries, stood up, and left with Johnathan as though they had already agreed upon it. Before Liana left, she turned to shoot Catherine a look and smiled meaningfully. ¡°Catherine, it is your first day at school today. Don¡¯t bete. It¡¯s not a big deal for you to be punished, but it is big if you embarrass the Swanns.¡± With that, Liana left arrogantly without waiting for Catherine¡¯s response. Catherine didn¡¯t answer Liana. She didn¡¯t even give Liana a look. She continued to eat her breakfast slowly and gracefully at her own tempo. As it was not long after Vicente had passed away, Audrey was still staying at the Swanns. As she saw that Catherine had finally put down her cutleries, Audrey said carefully, ¡°Kathy, you really shouldn¡¯t bete on your first day of school. Why don¡¯t we leave now?¡± For no reason at all, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but be intimidated by her younger sister, that hade home after so many years. At that, Catherine raised her head slowly. Her cold gaze fell upon Audrey. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We?¡± She spat the word out lightly, then paused. Audrey understood immediately and nodded with a light smile. ¡°Yes, ¡®we.¡¯ I¡¯m taking you to school today. After all, it is your first day of school. Someone has to go with you, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± Catherine rejected Audrey directly without thinking. However, in Audrey¡¯s eyes, Catherine was only shy and didn¡¯t want to bother her. For Catherine to feel the love of her older sister, Audrey persuaded Catherine with all she got. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Audrey seeded. It was not that Catherine¡¯s heart softened toward Audrey but that Audrey was too loquacious. Catherine couldn¡¯t bear her nagging anymore andpromised eventually. As the two of them were ready to leave, they found that the family¡¯s cars were all gone. Audrey called the butler over to ask about it immediately. The butler looked at them somewhat helplessly. Even though the Swanns did not favor the two girls, they were still daughters of the Swanns. He couldn¡¯t afford to offend them too much. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Audrey. There are five cars in the family. Apart from the one that is out grocery shopping, the other cars were all taken. Miss Liana and Mr. Johnathan left separately today, taking one car each. Therefore, there are no more cars avable.¡± Hearing the butler¡¯s exnation, Audrey understood immediately. It seemed that Liana did this deliberately for Catherine toe to schoolte and be punished. Audrey was afraid that Catherine would worry andforted her quickly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll call a cab immediately. We¡¯ll be at the school soon.¡± The Swanns lived in a remote neighborhood of affluent families. Few cabs woulde in here. Even if Audrey really managed to call a cab, it would take a long time for one to get here. Audrey knew clearly but continued tofort Catherine, as she didn¡¯t want Catherine to panic. Catherine looked up at Audrey. She did not look worrisome at all as she said lightly, ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± With that, Catherine picked up her school bag and walked towards the door. Seeing that she was leaving, Audrey hurried after her. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Catherine wanted to walk to school. If she really nned to walk all the way to school, she might not get there even in the afternoon when school ended. Despite being furious at what Liana did, Audrey could do nothing but call a cab at the same time when running after Catherine. Suddenly, Audrey realized that Catherine was going in the opposite direction of the school. She shouted in a hurry. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re going the wrong way. The school is this way!¡± However, she saw that Catherine suddenly stopped in front of a luxurious mansion. Audrey didn¡¯t know what Catherine was thinking about. All she knew was that Catherine would really bete if they didn¡¯t get on their way soon. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Audrey saw Catherine stopping in front of an empty mansion. She couldn¡¯t help but find it weird and walked up to Catherine to ask her what it was about. The mansion was evenrger than that of the Swanns¡¯. It was the most luxurious mansion in the neighborhood. However, after it had been built, it had been empty for all three years. Audrey went up to Catherine and was about to pat her on the shoulder when Catherine opened the door of the mansion. Audrey was in shock. Why did Catherine have a key to this mansion? Before she could figure it out, Catherine had already slipped into the house and returned on a heavy motorcycle. With a beautiful drift, Catherine parked steadily next to Audrey. Audrey couldn¡¯t help but exim as if her chest was bursting, ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re so cool!¡± Catherine had just parked and almost toppled over at her words. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She raised her head and looked at Audrey, who was still looking surprised, with a frown. Was she really her birth sister? Catherine took a ck helmet and handed it to Audrey, then nodded towards the backseat. Audrey only understood a momentter after being in a daze. ¡°Kathy, are we riding to school?¡± Catherine looked at her coldly and said in a slightly low voice. ¡°Do you want to bete?¡± Audrey shook her head without thinking. It was Catherine¡¯s first day at school. She couldn¡¯t afford to be late. With a brow raised, Catherine¡¯s eyes glistened with a trace of yfulness. ¡°Get on then!¡± After hesitating for a while, Audrey got on the motorcycle. Just as Audrey had just settled and put her hands on the bars behind her, Catherine had already started the engine. The motorcycle, with excellent performance, elerated and sped forward immediately. Audrey only had time to scream before the motorcycle disappeared from the neighborhood. Over ten minutester, the motorcycle parked steadily near the school gate. Just as the motorcycle stopped, Audrey crept down from it quickly and was a little wobbly, with her knees still weak. She put a hand on the wall and threw up in a corner. Catherine watched her coldly and only frowned slightly when she saw Audrey throwing up. It was a while after when Audrey finally recovered slightly. Then, she forced herself toe back to Catherine¡¯s side weakly. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go. You can¡¯t bete.¡± Catherine looked at her with a frown. A rare trace of confusion shed across her big eyes. How could Audrey still worry about Catherine beingte in such a state? Catherine looked at her watch and said softly, ¡°You still have five minutes to catch your breath. Only then did Audrey take out her phone to check the time. There was indeed quite some time left. Even if they got on a car as nned at the Swanns, they would take at least half an hour to get to school. Catherine only used more than ten minutes to ride here on the motorcycle, half the time the car needed. Audrey¡¯s big eyes, somewhat simr to Catherine¡¯s, were filled with surprise. She looked up at Catherine excitedly. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re amazing.¡± Catherine remained indifferent toward Audrey¡¯s praise. She had received too many praises like this that she had grown numb to it. Audrey didn¡¯t know what Catherine was thinking and was excited on her own. She only remembered what she was confused about earlier after a while and asked Catherine in a hurry. ¡°Kathy, when did you learn to ride a motorcycle? Also, why do you have a key to that house? What is this about? Weren¡¯t you living in the countryside all the time before?¡± Catherine fixed her with a meaningful look with a brow raised. ¡°What is the mostmon way of transportation for people in the countryside?¡± Audrey replied in a shout, almost in reflex. ¡°Motorcycles!¡± She understood then. Catherine often rode a motorcycle in the countryside. That was why she was so good at it. Having sorted that out, Audrey was just about to ask about the mansion when she saw that Catherine had already walked off. She hurried after Catherine. A few minutester, in the Principal¡¯s Office. The principal was holding Catherine¡¯s file in his hands with his brows knitted. Catherine¡¯s file was aplete nk. She had no record of being in school before. After being arranged to enroll at the school, she asked to be registered as a senior student. Was this a joke? Moreover, Catherine was already well past the age to be in school. The principal did promise Korbin that his daughter coulde to school here. However, he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to have never been to school before and was even older than Liana.. Catherine found out that Audrey was much cooler towards outsiders. Audrey kept a cold face after entering the Principal¡¯s Office and even spoke to the principal coldly. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m here with my sister for registration. Which ss will she be attending?¡± At Audrey¡¯s words, the principal looked up slowly and remained polite. Even though the Swanns did not favor Audrey, she was still the daughter of the Swanns. He couldn¡¯t afford to offend her. ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯ve checked your sister¡¯s file. I rmend her to start as a junior student.¡± Audrey acted as if she hadn¡¯t heard a word the principal had said. She flipped through the materials on the table herself and pointed at one of the sses. ¡°I think ss 8 looks good. Put my sister in this ss, then.¡± ss 8 was the elite ss for senior students. The students there were not only bright but also came from influential families. Audrey had investigated beforehand. She wanted Catherine to be in the best ss. Catherine watched Audrey without speaking. She couldn¡¯t help but find it interesting as Audrey finally acted like a member of the Swanns in front of others. Catherine noticed that the principal¡¯s face flushed at Audrey¡¯s words. ¡°Miss Swann, I don¡¯t think this ss is right for her.¡± Audrey mmed the documents in her hands onto the desk with a bang. ¡°Sir, why is it not right for her? Is the teaching building not right, or is the library not right?¡± Coincidentally, the teaching building and the library were both donated by the Swann Corporation. At Audrey¡¯s words, the principal¡¯s face turned ashen. He exined to Audrey in a hurry, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. If you believe Miss Catherine belongs to ss 8, that would, of course, be the best. I¡¯m just worried that Miss Catherine wouldn¡¯t like it.¡± His words reminded Audrey that she had thought that since Catherine was older than Liana by a year, with Liana in senior year, she shouldn¡¯t be in a year lower than Liana That was why Audrey insisted that Catherine be enrolled as a senior student However, she had forgotten to ask Catherine about what she wanted. After hearing the principal¡¯s words, Audrey¡¯s eyes fell upon Catherine. Audrey, who looked proud and cold just now, turned to look gently at Catherine The change of emotions in her eyes left one in awe. ¡°Kathy, what do you think?¡± With her arms crossed, Catherine was looking at Audrey coldly. She only shrugged casually at Audrey¡¯s question. Even though Audrey had only spent little time with Catherine, she knew that Catherine wanted her to make a decision. After thinking for a while, Audrey decided to go with ss 8. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re joining ss 8.¡± What could the principal say to that? He could only submit and send the two troublemakers on their way politely with a bow. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 After leaving the Principal¡¯s Office, Audrey still had her brows furrowed. She was starting to regret what she had decided upon careful consideration. She muttered to Catherine, ¡°No, I have to see the principal again. You can¡¯t go to ss 8. Liana is in ss 8. You can¡¯t be in the same ss with her. With her character, she would surely cause trouble for you.¡± With that, Audrey turned to head back to the Principal¡¯s Office, but Catherine grabbed her arm and yanked her back. Audrey looked up at Catherine in confusion. Catherine said lightly, ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± ¡°No need? Are you okay with being in ss 8? But what if Liana bullies you?¡± Audrey looked at her somewhat worriedly. Bully her? Catherine was confident that no one on earth could bully her. She smiled lightly, looking somewhat scary but casual as she said jokingly, ¡°I¡¯ll bully her back then.¡± For some reason, Audrey felt that Catherine was not joking. After all, she had seen Liana fighting with Catherine. Despite being arrogant and fierce, Liana didn¡¯t gain the upper hand. Seeing how determined Catherine was, Audrey didn¡¯t say anything more about this but changed the topic. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll walk you to your ss.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself!¡± With that, Catherine walked away by herself. Audrey watched her leave. Audrey could only sigh silently on the spot. Her younger sister was peculiar. In ss 8, the famous elite ss of Loyalty Academy. Every student with excellent academic performance and from an influential family was in this ss. The children of two of the three prominent families in Eskana were in ss 8. One of them was Liana from the Swanns. The other was Bryan Duncan, who was said to be the younger son of the Duncans. However, in Eskana, the Duncans had always been mysterious. Most people knew little about the Duncans. ¡°Bryan, have you heard that a new student wille to ss 8? I heard that she will be here today.¡± With that, Bryan took the book on his face down, revealing his handsome and arrogant face. He looked at the man that had spoken to him with an eyebrow raised. He licked the inner of his mouth and looked sloppy as he spoke casually. ¡°Oh, David. Who is it that actually manages to join ss 8?¡± The man was David Bower. He knew everything about what was going on at Loyalty Academy. Besides, he was Bryan¡¯s most loyal sidekick. Seeing how interested Bryan was, David approached him with a smile immediately. ¡°Bryan, it¡¯s true. Someone is joining us.¡± With that, David nced at Liana sitting in the front row, and winked at Bryan. ¡°I heard that she is rted to Liana. She seems to be her older sister.¡± Bryan rolled the book in his hands up in annoyance and hit David on the head with it. ¡°Don¡¯t you know everything that is going on here? How can you be not sure about this? Can I trust you or not?¡± David looked wronged after being hit. ¡°I wanted to collect information about it. But there is little information about the new student. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to learn what I know already.¡± ¡°Is she that mysterious?¡± Bryan¡¯s dark eyes shed with a hint of yfulness as he was immediately interested in the matter. Since the new student was Liana¡¯s older sister, there was no way for her to be Audrey, the oldest daughter of the Swanns that had been kicked out of the family. She could only be the jinx that had returned. Everyone had been talking about her before. She was the second daughter of the Swanns, whom the family had left to grow up in the countryside. Bryan didn¡¯t expect her to be enrolled as a senior student here. Things were getting interesting. As the bell rang, the students wandering casually in the corridors returned to their ssroom slowly. As the bell stopped ringing, the homeroom teacher of ss 8 strode into the ssroom and stood behind the teacher¡¯s desk. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The ss, which was so noisy just now, quieted down immediately. The homeroom teacher looked at her students with a loving smile. ¡°Guys, I have special news for you all today.¡± To build the atmosphere, the teacher stopped deliberately to make the news seem more mysterious. ¡°We have a new student joining us today. Please give her a warm round of apuse.¡± With that, the homeroom teacher waved at someone standing outside the door. Catherine walked into the ssroom and stood by the teacher¡¯s desk with her school bag in her hand. The ss quieted down as soon as Catherine walked through the door. After a few seconds of silence, all kinds of whispers rang again. Nobody expected the new student to be so pretty. The prettiest girl in Loyalty Academy was Liana from ss 8. She was not only pretty but had a great temperament. Most importantly, she came from a top family. However, the new student looked even prettier than Liana did. In particr, she had an even better temperament than Liana¡¯s sweet looks. Catherine looked cold and stunningly beautiful. It was as if she was uninterested in anything in this world. A look at her could make anyone. fall for her. Liana¡¯s deskmate was utterly stunned by the new student. She gave Liana a light push. ¡°Liana, look! The new student looks so pretty. She actually looks somewhat like you.¡± How could she not, as Catherine and Liana were sisters? Liana looked coldly at Catherine, who was looking arrogant and other-worldly. Liana was furious. She balled her hands into fists and almost snapped the pen she had just bought into two halves. Liana had arranged to make sure that Catherine would not be able to arrive at school in time this morning. How could she be here without beingte? Moreover, the jinx hade to ss 8. Was she trying to get Liana so mad that she would die from anger? The more Liana thought about it, the angrier Liana got. She almost rushed forward to kill Catherine. After thinking for a while, Liana was sure Audrey was involved. Her older sister had always been restless. Since she was kicked out of the family, Audrey kept trying all means to return home. Now that Catherine had all the shares, Audrey was doing her best to kiss up to her. Did Audrey think that she could return to the Swanns then? What a joke. Liana would do everything she could to stop the two bitches. She was the only daughter of the Swanns. Nobody could steal the spotlight away from her. Seeing that Catherine remained rooted on the spot, the homeroom teacher reminded her deliberately. ¡°Catherine, you can introduce yourself. As you¡¯ll be part of this ss in the future, you have to make friends with your ssmates.¡± At first, Catherine couldn¡¯t care less about this. As she was about to walk away, she remembered what Audrey had repeatedly reminded her before she left. Audrey was so annoying. If she knew about this, she would surely nag Catherine some more. It was better for Catherine to avoid Audrey¡¯s nagging by listening to her. Catherine stood at the front of the ssroom and nced at the ss. Her sharp eyes looked cold, and she made such a presence that amazed everyone. ¡°I¡¯m Catherine Swann!¡± The simple introduction ended abruptly. Even the homeroom teacher looked somewhat embarrassed. However, she had learned about Catherine¡¯s condition from the principal and did not intend to force her. She took a nce at the ss, found the only empty seat in the room, and pointed at it for Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you will sit next to Bryan for now.¡± With that, everyone couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Next to Bryan! Oh, things were indeed getting interesting. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 It wasn¡¯t that nobody wanted to sit next to Bryan. It was that nobody dared to sit next to him. If Liana was the prettiest girl in Loyalty Academy, Bryan was the school bully. Nobody dared to cross Bryan. Besides, the youngest son of the Duncans was known to have a taboo, which was that he didn¡¯t like girls. Therefore, Bryan¡¯s seat was surrounded by male students. In the past, a girl that didn¡¯t know better forced her way into sitting near Bryan. She was kicked out of the ssroom that day and was asked to quit school the next day. Since then, no girl dared to even think about sitting near Bryan. Now, the homeroom teacher asked the new student to sit beside Bryan directly. Everyone was worried about the new student. Some students couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the teacher hated the new student for making such an arrangement. Since Catherine stepped into the ssroom, she had attracted the eyes of many. Now, it could be said that she was the center of attention. However, Catherine couldn¡¯t care less about it at all. After all, she wasn¡¯t only getting stared at today. If she cared so much about the attention of others, she would have gone mad long ago. With her school bag in her hand, Catherine walked slowly toward the seat the homeroom teacher had pointed at, right next to Bryan. Everyone¡¯s eyes followed Catherine¡¯s every step. Seeing her stop next to Bryan, everyone gasped in horror and held their breaths. They were all eager to see what would happen next. Apart from ncing at Catherine initially, Bryan did not pay attention to Catherine again. However, Bryan knew when Catherine was walking toward him. He put a foot on the chair next to him. There was a mocking smile on his well-defined and handsome face. Catherine did not care about her new deskmate at all. Her cold eyes looked emotionless. It was as if he was not even there. Catherine reached out to pull the chair out but found that the chair didn¡¯t move at all. With a brow raised, Catherine saw that the boy sitting next to her had a foot on the bar at the bottom of the chair. That was why she couldn¡¯t pull it out. Catherine sneered silently but showed little change in emotion on her face. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Without even putting her bag down, Catherine kicked the back of the chair with her knee easily. However, Bryan jerked his leg away at her kick as though he had been electrified. Catherine pulled the chair out and sat down slowly and gracefully. Everyone nearby was stunned. Some of the students couldn¡¯t even believe their eyes. It was amazing Bryan would let anybody sit next to him so easily. They looked at Catherine again. Oh god. Only one word could describe her, which was ¡°cold¡±! If one had to use two words to describe her, it would be ¡°extremely cold¡±! They had only felt this way when Bryan was mad. However, the new student had such a cold temperament herself. She was indeed a stone-cold fox. Just as everyone was curious to know why Bryan would let the girl sit down so easily, Bryan rubbed his ankle secretly. His foot was still trembling even until now. He had no idea what had happened just now. Before he could react, his foot had already left the bar of the chair. One had to know that Bryan was an excellent fighter. His legs were strong and powerful. Few people could move his leg in a breeze. Bryan turned to size Catherine up in curiosity. However, he found she was already leaning against the table, sleeping. She even covered her face with a book. He could only see part of her stunningly beautiful face from a crack. After staring for a few seconds, Bryan felt his heart beating faster. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on himself. David was just about to report things to Bryan. He didn¡¯t expect to see such an astonishing scene when he turned around. His boss was staring at the new student while she was leaning against the table, sleeping. What was most astonishing was that David felt that Bryan seemed to be looking at her somewhat lovingly. Could it be¡­ David didn¡¯t dare to think further. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on anymore. As the bell rang, indicating the end of the first lesson, Catherine remained sound asleep. Even though she was new here, her temperament and presence made it impossible for others to ignore her. The noisy ss became extremely quiet because Catherine was fast asleep. The teacher, who did not leave immediately, was slightly stunned. Usually, the students would start talking and running around as soon as the lesson ended. Why were they so quiet today? Was the teacher imagining things? Moreover, with Catherine¡¯s arrival, discussions that were once about idols, fashion, and food had be all about her. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Catherine is so pretty? I feel like she can be a top idol just with her good looks!¡± A girl said, echoed by another girl immediately, ¡°I think so too!¡± ¡°Compared to Liana, who do you think is more good-looking? Liana beat the originally prettiest girl in the school in the first term she came here and remains to be the prettiest girl in Loyalty Academy until now!¡± ¡°So what? In my eyes, she has met her match now. The new student is so much prettier than Liana. Anyone could see that. Didn¡¯t you see that even Bryan is treating her differently?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Liana was just passing by and heard every word of this conversation. She was once the top and prettiest girl at school, whom everyone was envious of. Now that Catherine was here, she had ruined everything. How could it be? How could she do that? Liana looked in Catherine¡¯s direction and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Catherine, you jinx, I¡¯ll make you pay. There were four lessons in the morning, and Catherine slept through all of them. Most surprisingly, no teacher told Catherine off. If it was any other student, the teachers would have scolded them and kicked the student out of the ssroom. David only got news about the reason why near the end of school and told Bryan about it in a low voice. ¡°Bryan, I heard that the new student was never in school before. The Swanns paid for her to be enrolled here. The principal made sure to tell the teachers that as long as she doesn¡¯t cause trouble and remains quiet in ss, they don¡¯t have to tell her off for her special conditions.¡± The truth came out. So the girl was nothing. She didn¡¯t even go to school and was probably even illiterate. With that, Bryan turned to nce at Catherine again, who was still fast asleep. His eyes looked disdainful. However, as soon as the bell signaling the end of school rang, Catherine, who was just sound. asleep, woke up as though the bell was her rm. She woke up so suddenly! Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Catherine woke up so suddenly that Bryan didn¡¯t have time to react. He hurriedly turned away so she wouldn¡¯t notice anything wrong with him. Bryan sat up straight and looked outside the window, pretending nothing had happened. A few seconds passed, and Bryan still didn¡¯t hear any movement behind him. This made Bryan furrow his brows slightly, feeling strange. Just as he considered whether he should turn back to look, a voice rang beside him. ¡°Bryan, she¡¯s gone. Stop pretending.¡± Bryan turned his head back slightly and nced, only to see that Catherine was indeed gone. His hands clenched slightly under the desk, and a faint trace of anger was on his face. He looked somewhat fiercely at David. ¡°When did I care about her? Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± However, David didn¡¯t say who she was. Bryan confirmed David¡¯s guesses without being pressed. Nheless, Bryan¡¯s expression already scared David out of his wits. He didn¡¯t dare to retort at all. His boss looked truly scary when he got mad! Bryan stared at the empty seat next to him. His brows were slightly knitted as he remembered how Catherine looked when she walked into the ssroom. Catherine¡¯s eyes were so bright. They made Bryan feel as if he had seen her before. They were dream-like and tempting. Most of the time, Bryan could attract the attention of everyone, no matter where he was. However, the new student didn¡¯t even spare him a nce after being in the ssroom for so long. In fact, Catherine had totally neglected him. Seeing Bryan stand up, David was a little flustered. He asked hurriedly, ¡°Bryan, where are you. going?¡± Bryan answered coldly and arrogantly without even turning back to look at him, ¡°Home, of course!¡± Watching Bryan walk away briskly, David couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was off. But he couldn¡¯t tell what was off. Also, why was Bryan limping slightly? Was he hurt? Who would dare to harm Bryan? No. Who would be so powerful to be able to harm Bryan? As Catherine stepped outside the school, she knew someone was following her. Catherine¡¯s bright brown eyes remained as emotionless as her cold expression. She turned to walk into an alley next to campus. It was out of the way, and few people came here. Just as Catherine turned into the alley, she heard fast and messy footstepsing up from behind her. There were quite a few of them. Four of five gangster-looking young men walked out at the two ends of the alley. Catherine could tell at a nce that they were actual gangsters that had received little education. They weren¡¯t students at all but hooligans. The one who looked like he was the group leader had his hair dyed blonde. He was carrying himself in a way that didn¡¯t match his youthful and somewhat handsome face at all. Blondie walked up to Catherine and blocked her way. After sizing Catherine up, he was utterly mesmerized by Catherine¡¯s other-worldly beauty. ¡°Oh god. The girl is too beautiful!¡± he thought. Blondie stared in a daze and only collected himself after being reminded by his sidekick. Even though Catherine was really pretty, Blondie had to do what he had been paid to do. Leaning on one leg, Blondie held his head high and looked at Catherine in a way he thought was intimidating. He even slurred a bit to sound more casual. ¡°Girl, I heard you were very arrogant at school!¡± With her brows slightly furrowed, Catherine¡¯s calm expression showed a slight trace of annoyance. She checked Blondie out with a nce and said coldly, ¡°Just go ahead. Don¡¯t waste time. chitchatting!¡± Her cold tone and clean words cut Blondie off from what he nned to say. Blondie choked on his own words. He was both annoyed and angry. He decided to teach Catherine a small lesson first so she would learn that there were some people she couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Then, he would talk to her. Blondie was particrly confident in dealing with girls like Catherine. He didn¡¯t even open his eyes fully and waved a hand lightly. ¡°Jacky, go on!¡± The boy he called upon took a knife from his pocket and walked towards Catherine with an evil grin. ¡°Girl, if you beg for mercy nicely, I might be able to ask my boss to let you go.¡± Annoyed, Catherine couldn¡¯t understand why the gang talked so much. Why couldn¡¯t they just go straight to the fight? After spouting all kinds of threats, Jacky saw that Catherine didn¡¯t react at all. He was so embarrassed and mad that he charged straight at her with a knife. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Then, Jacky, still looking ferocious just now, fell on the ground in a horribly twisted posture. Nobody saw how Catherine attacked Jacky. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Jacky didn¡¯t even have time to scream before beingpletely crippled. She was so cold and ruthless¡­ Blondie finally opened his eyes without hearing anything from Jacky and was shocked by the scene. Jacky was lying by Catherine¡¯s feet motionlessly. Then, Blondie turned to look at his men. All of them looked horror-struck, as though they had seen something ghastly. Blondie pointed at Catherine and asked his men, ¡°Did this girl attack Jacky?¡± His men didn¡¯t know whether to nod or shake their heads. They didn¡¯t even see Catherine move before Jacky fell. It was too scary. Blondie then turned around to size Catherine up again and said coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine you could fight! ¡°Boys, let¡¯s go together!¡± The group of men charged at Catherine, who didn¡¯t even blink. A minuteter, Blondie and his gang, who were so arrogant just now, were all sprawled on the floor in extremely twisted and disgusting postures. There was no blood, but anyone could see that a fierce fight had just happened here. In fact, it was a single-sided torture as Blondie and his men were no match to Catherine at all! After dealing with the gang, Catherine walked off. She dealt with the dozen men single-handedly, still holding her school bag in the other hand. Blondie looked up at her before copsing fully. His eyes were filled with admiration as he watched Catherine leave. What a boss! She was a real boss! Blondie and his gang didn¡¯t notice a third group of people standing by the window of the building opposite the alley, and they had witnessed the whole incident. David only collected himself after Catherine had left. He snapped his jaw, which had gone numb, shut with a hand, as his jaw had dropped when he saw Catherine in action. David was fortunate to see his boss, Bryan, fight once and was already amazed by and totally admired Bryan for his fighting skills. He didn¡¯t expect to encounter a woman who could fight so well one day. It was truly amazing! ¡°Bryan, did you see clearly? I didn¡¯t even see how the new student attacked them. Say, if you fight with her, who would win?¡± David¡¯s words made Bryan frown. What nonsense was he spouting? They weren¡¯t even on the same level of skills. If Bryan were to fight with Catherine, he probably wouldn¡¯t evenst a minute. Bryan was downright stunned. Catherine was so strong. No wonder his leg was still shaking. If anyone could fight Catherine, it could only be that guy Bryan had in mind! Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Catherine left the alley and was about to pick up her motorcycle. Suddenly, a red BMW Z4 sped toward her and parked next to her. Catherine knew the car was here for her, so she turned to nce at it. Then, the car parked steadily next to her, revealing Audrey¡¯s smiley face. ¡°Kathy, are you very surprised to see me?¡± Surprised? That was impossible. However, instead of being surprised, Catherine was shocked! Catherine lowered her eyes and looked calmly at Audrey. Her cold face was emotionless. Despite how cold Catherine was all the time, Audrey didn¡¯t seem to mind at all and was as enthusiastic as she could be. She beckoned at Catherine excitedly. ¡°Kathy, since it¡¯s your first day here, I guessed you probably have no one to have lunch with. I also studied here, and I know a great restaurant with super delicious food nearby. I came specially to take you there. Come on.¡± Catherine was nning to skip lessons in the afternoon, as school was somewhat boring. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. However, by showing up, Audrey had shattered her n into pieces. Without waiting for Catherine to reply, Audrey had already left the car and opened the door for her, pushing Catherine into the vehicle. ¡°Kathy, you don¡¯t have to be shy. It¡¯s my treat. I¡¯ll make sure you can eat all you can! ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go!¡± Audrey¡¯s sweet and bright smile looked so dazzling under the sun. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but take a few nces at her. She couldn¡¯t understand her. Audrey was clearly treated the worst in the Swanns. However, she wasn¡¯t gloomy at all. She even made one feel warm and couldn¡¯t help but approach her subconsciously, making others unwilling to turn her down. The restaurant was indeed near the school, as Audrey said it was. After leading Catherine inside, Audrey started introducing to her earnestly, ¡°The food here is not only delicious but also exquisitely made and well-presented¡­¡± Catherine didn¡¯t pay much attention to Audrey¡¯s chattering, as she noticed two men sitting in the corner as soon as she stepped foot into the restaurant. Triston was talking about thetest financial news with Branden when Branden stared in a specific direction strangely. Triston noticed this immediately and looked in the direction Branden was staring at. He didn¡¯t expect to see Catherine there. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the jinx¡­¡± Before Triston could finish, his face twisted, and he groaned through gritted teeth, looking like he was in great pain. Catherine took a light nce at them and then looked away. She didn¡¯t know them well and decided they weren¡¯t worth her attention! Finally, Triston recovered from the pain and wracked his brain for Catherine¡¯s name. Seeing that Catherine was about to walk into a private room, Triston shouted in a hurry, ¡°Catherine¡­¡± His shout caught the attention of not only Catherine and Audrey but everyone in the restaurant as well. Audrey turned and saw Triston. She had met Triston before and smiled immediately. ¡°Triston, hey!¡± Then, she walked over warmly. In addition, she even pulled Catherine with her. Seeing Catherine looking almost as cold as Branden was, Triston decided to focus on Audrey instead. ¡°Audrey, what a coincidence. Are you here for lunch too?¡± Audrey was two years younger than Triston was. Even though Casier was arge city, there were only a few top families. It made sense for Audrey to know Triston. ¡°It is indeed such a coincidence. My sister attends Loyalty Academy. I¡¯m taking her out for lunch.¡± ¡°Join us!¡± Triston invited earnestly, which made Branden and Catherine frown simultaneously. Audrey was probably the only one happy about Triston¡¯s invitation. She nodded with a smile. Sure. The table is big enough. There¡¯s only the two of us. It¡¯s just about right!¡± Audrey sat down, and naturally, Catherine had to too. Catherine saw that Branden, sitting next to her motionlessly, had his chin in one hand and was wearing a ck patterned shirt. The top two buttons of his shirt were left unbuttoned, revealing his tanned skin underneath. He looked sexy and tempting. The man was so good at showing himself off. What a tease! ¡°Kathy!¡± Audrey said somewhat louder than usual, and Catherine turned to nce at her slowly. Maybe she was just used to Catherine being so cold all the time, Audrey didn¡¯t seem to notice. anything off about her and asked as enthusiastically as she was all the time. ¡°Kathy, is there anything you¡¯d like? Here¡¯s the menu. Take a look at it.¡± Catherine took a nce at the electronic menu and flipped through it casually before putting it down. ¡°Whatever!¡± Thinking that Catherine had juste back from the countryside, Audrey thought that Catherine might not be particrly familiar with the dishes and thus decided to order for her. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll order for you then.¡± Audrey had just ordered two or three dishes when a man suddenly interrupted her sharply. ¡°A chicken tikka mas!¡± The other three turned their eyes on Branden almost immediately. Triston didn¡¯t expect Branden to order anything without being pressed. He was used to ordering everything, and ording to Branden¡¯s preferences, every time they ate out. When did Branden start ordering for himself? Besides, didn¡¯t Branden hate strong vors? Why did he order something as heavy as chicken tikka mas? Audrey was also stunned. She knew Branden but had never talked with him before. Branden naturally let off a terrifying aura, so Audrey avoided speaking to him almost subconsciously after sitting down. She heard that Branden didn¡¯t like to socialize with others. For all these years, Audrey never heard that he was friends with anybody except Triston. Hearing Branden order now, Audrey nodded in a hurry and told the server, ¡°And a chicken tikka mas!¡± Catherine turned to nce lightly at Branden. He was very observant. She knew that he had ordered this for her. Catherine enjoyed strong vors. All the dishes Audrey had just ordered were light ones. However, since Catherine had said ¡°whatever¡±, she would leave everything for Audrey to decide and wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it. Catherine didn¡¯t know how Branden knew and ordered a chicken tikka mas for her proactively. Catherine was particrly quiet when she ate. No. She wouldn¡¯t speak even if she wasn¡¯t eating. Simrly, Branden wouldn¡¯t talk too. To lighten the atmosphere, Audrey and Triston were forced to do all the talking. After all, it would be too awkward for all four of them to eat without speaking to one another. As they chatted, they began talking about Branden and Catherine after a while. Triston couldn¡¯t refrain from saying jokingly, ¡°Audrey, even though we were nothing but friendly acquaintances in the past, we will soon be somewhat rted soon, won¡¯t we?¡± Stunned, Audrey didn¡¯t understand what he was talking about at first. Rted? Why would they be rted? Was Triston interested in someone from the Swanns? Could it be? Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Triston also noticed that Audrey didn¡¯t seem to understand what he was talking about. He pointed a finger at Branden, then at Catherine. Audrey understood immediately that Triston was talking about Branden and Catherine being engaged. In the upper-ssmunity, Branden was the dream of marrying the Duncans as their lifelong ambition. less girls. Many people took However, Branden was cold and didn¡¯t like to socialize with others. He spent most of his time on his work and was rarely heard to be involved with any woman. In fact, Branden was even once rumored to be gay, as there was only all the Fiston by his s time. Audrey studied Branden carefully with a brief nce at him. Even though she had only taken one look at him, Audrey was almost frozen by Branden¡¯s cold presence. She looked away hurriedly and didn¡¯t dare to look at him again. Even though Branden was a great man, Audrey felt he was ipatible with Catherine. Audrey didn¡¯t know what Vicente was thinking about when he had made such an arrangement. In Audrey¡¯s opinion, her sister was too soft as she had just returned from the countryside. She would easily get hurt from being with a bossy man like Branden. Audrey was said jokingly to that Catherine would be looked down upon. To protect Catherine, Audrey immediately, ¡°Vicente and the others arranged that. Young people ept arranger with that. You¡¯re a young man yourself, Triston. Would you really ept arrangements like that? It¡¯s such a joke. If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you ask Mr. Duncan if he would agree to that?¡± Before Triston could answer, Branden, who had remained silent since ordering the chicken tikka mas until now, spoke suddenly, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± His words stunned everyone. Audrey¡¯s jaw dropped from the shock. Triston also looked at Branden with a horrified expression. Even Catherine, who was focused on her food, looked up at Branden. Her brows were knitted on her exquisite face. She didn¡¯t take Audrey and Triston¡¯s conversation seriously and let them roam free with their chitchat. She didn¡¯t expect Branden to speak up so suddenly. Catherine raised her head slowly and looked in Branden¡¯s direction. He was sitting in the far-end corner, lookingzy and casual. As she turned her eyes on him, he happened to look at her too. Their eyes met. The two of them, who were used to being the best in their respective fields, seemed to have met an even match. A momentter, Branden looked away first. For no reason whatsoever, every time he looked into Catherine¡¯s eyes, Branden felt as if his blood was boiling from excitement. Catherine also looked away after Branden looked away. Soon, the pair returned to their normal states. When Catherine looked up at Branden again, she was emotionless and asked somewhat seriously, ¡°Are you saying you agree to it then?¡± Branden sneered and said, slightly taunting, ¡°You haven¡¯t fulfilled what you promised me yet, Miss Swann. How can I agree to it now?¡± Catherine nced at him and stood up slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill it in a week¡¯s time!¡± With that, Catherine turned to leave. Audrey was so shocked that it was a momentter when she reacted. Catherine was already at the door when Audrey called after her hurriedly, ¡°Kathy, where are you going?¡± Without looking back, Catherine uttered a three-word answer. ¡°Back to school!¡± Audrey caught up with Catherine quickly and didn¡¯t even have time to bid Triston and Branden goodbye. Triston only came out of a daze when Catherine and Audrey were gone. He approached Branden and sized him up with squinted eyes fiercely. ¡°Mr. Duncan, you were naughty. How can you not tell me you have been negotiating with Catherine? What a poor friend you are.¡± Then, Triston smiled and looked at Branden curiously. ¡°So, Mr. Duncan, what is it that you and Catherine were talking about?¡± Branden turned to look at him calmly. His cold eyes swept past Triston. Branden made Triston cower in silence and look at him in horror, even without speaking. Branden spoke coldly in an equally cold expression, ¡°Any other question?¡± Triston shook his head hard, looking fearfully at Branden. ¡°No¡­ No more questions. I¡¯m not interested in it anymore all of a sudden!¡± Having gotten a satisfactory answer, Branden got up to leave with the car keys in his hand. He didn¡¯t forget to leave two words behind before he left. ¡°Your treat!¡± When Triston came out of his daze, Branden was already long gone. Looking at the tableful of food, Triston was so annoyed that he threw his fork down. Hang on. Why did he feel as though Branden and Catherine were quite alike? They looked exactly the same by walking off just like that.. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Could it be that they were really a match made in heaven? Catherine received a call from Ronin when she got back to school. As the call was connected, she heard Ronin¡¯s horrified voice as if the end of the world wasing. ¡°Boss, are you really at school?¡± Catherine held the record for being the youngest student to graduate from a top school in Ocraolia. It was a joke for Catherine to return to high school after graduating so many years ago. Ronin considered this to be a joke when he first heard about it. He only confirmed this ridiculous news when he saw Catherine¡¯s signature on the enrollment notice. His Boss was really in high school again! Catherine grunted calmly and didn¡¯t say anything else. It was already a blessing for Ronin to get a response from Catherine. Now that even though he had countless questions, he didn¡¯t dare to ask any more of them. He reported what he had found to Catherine, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve checked the Blondie you told me about. In the morning, he received a sum of money in his ount, which was transferred to him from Liana!¡± Catherine squinted her eyes slightly and looked straight ahead. Ronin¡¯s finding had confirmed. her guess. Liana was really the one behind her attack before lunch. After learning that Liana hired a gang to attack Catherine, Ronin was so mad that he almost. came over to Casier to beat Liana up himself. He asked through gritted teeth, ¡°Boss, should I do something to teach Liana a lesson? She is too arrogant. I think it would be a good idea to kidnap her and leave her on Mochax Ind alone to cool her head.¡± Hearing Ronin¡¯s anger, Catherine only said softly with a light smile, ¡°No. Leave Liana to me.¡± Chapter 40 Why Wouldn¡¯t I? What Liana had done didn¡¯t affect Catherine at all. In fact, Catherine didn¡¯t even break a sweat. Since she promised Vicente that she wouldn¡¯t harm anyone from the Swanns, she would keep her word. She had made such a promise at Vicente¡¯s deathbed. As long as Liana didn¡¯t challenge her bottom line, Catherine wouldn¡¯t harm Liana. After all, it would only take a word from her to have Liana destroyedpletely. At first, Catherine wanted to n about thister. Now that Ronin had called her, she decided to tell him first. ¡°Ronin, arrange to give the dealership of ¡®The Storm¡¯ in Eskana to Duncan Corporation.¡± ¡°Boss, I heard that someone from Duncan Corporation is investigating you. If we give the dealership to them now, wouldn¡¯t they trace it back to you?¡± Ronin, who was on the other end of the line, was slightly worried after learning about Catherine¡¯s decision. After all, only the head of Hacker Alliance could make such a decision. ¡°Let him investigate all he wants!¡± She sounded determined, powerful, and confident. With a light smile, Catherine thought to herself, ¡°If Branden can find out about my identity, he is truly capable.¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 In the afternoon, after Catherine returned to her ss. The ss quieted down immediately. It was even quieter than when the homeroom teacher arrived. Everyone had their eyes fixed on Catherine. Some of them looked surprised, some disdainful, and some were once again mesmerized by Catherine¡¯s beauty. Despite being the focus of everyone¡¯s attention, Catherine acted as if nothing was wrong and went back to her seat. As she sat down, the discussions around her started again. ¡°How is she still here? Didn¡¯t Bryan teach her a lesson? I heard that no girl could live to see tomorrow in the ssroom after approaching Bryan. Even though it has only been a morning, isn¡¯t it more than enough for Bryan to make her disappear already?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe she is skillful in her own way. I heard that she carries a curse and is a jinx herself. Her own family abandoned her since she was just a child.¡± ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t let Catherine hear you. I heard she¡¯s tough and a great fighter for growing up in the countryside. She joined ss 8 even though she was never in school. Can you really afford to offend her?¡± At this reminder, the two girls immediately lowered their voices to continue their discussion. However, the news that Catherine was never in school and came from the countryside had already spread in the ss. After walking into the ssroom, Liana was shocked to see Catherine in her seat, looking unscathed. Liana¡¯s face paled immediately. How could she be here? Wasn¡¯t she¡­ Before Liana could understand what was going on, Catherine raised her head and looked in her direction. Her eyes were cold and sharp! Liana dared not look her in the eye and subconsciously lowered her head to avoid Catherine¡¯s gaze. Her heart was hammering. As she returned to her seat, she took out her phone immediately to contact the gang. She was desperate to know why Catherine was still here, safe and sound. Didn¡¯t she arrange for a gang to attack Catherine so that she would be so intimidated to quit school? What was going on? However, Liana received no reply to her texts. Catherine¡¯s eyes fell lightly on Liana. She had seen every change in emotion on Liana¡¯s face, from being shocked at first to being helplesster. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but find it somewhat interesting. She hadn¡¯t done anything to her, yet Liana was already scared out of her wits! She was such a paper tiger. At the ring of the bell, Bryan led David and the others into the ssroom. Everyone in ss 8 was used to seeing Bryan entering the ssroom only at thest minute. In fact, it would be strange to see Bryan here before the bell rang. Bryan was the star of attention no matter where he went in Loyalty Academy. Now, everyone turned their attention to Bryan as they knew that Bryan did not like to be around girls, especially those wanting to approach him. Catherine must have used some trick to be arranged to sit next to Bryan. Bryan would surely give a girl like her hell. Therefore, everyone was waiting to see what Bryan would do to Catherine, who thought too highly of herself. Even Liana was aware of Bryan¡¯s bad temper. She was also curious to see what Bryan would do to Catherine. Bryan walked up to Catherine as expected. His group of friends, including David, didn¡¯t return to their seats but apanied Bryan to thest row of the ssroom. He made such a presence! Some students were already covering their faces with their books. They were afraid of being involved in the fight that was indeed brewing. As everyone watched Bryan move, they also kept a close eye on Catherine¡¯s reaction. However, they saw that Catherine¡¯s face remained cold and indifferent from the beginning. It was as if everything that was going on around her had nothing to do with her. Some even thought that Catherine must be stupid for not fleeing in the face of trouble. A boymented in a whisper, ¡°She is definitely pretty, but it¡¯s a pity that she¡¯s stupid. How can she not run away?¡± Liana heard this and couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was waiting to see Bryan teaching Catherine a lesson. Bryan walked up next to Catherine and studied her at a nce. Even though he had only taken a nce at her, he felt his blood boiling as though something was going to burst out of his body. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. He spoke with difficulty in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Catherine!¡± At first, Catherine didn¡¯t n to respond to him. She only turned to look at him slowly after Bryan called her name, Her cold but somewhat creepy eyes fell slowly on Bryan. With a brow raised, she asked him with a look as though saying, ¡°What is it?¡± She was stunningly beautiful with such cold eyes. Bryan was immediately mesmerized and forgot to say what was on the tip of his tongue. He only snapped out of his daze when David, who was behind him, gave him a nudge. Then, Bryan did something that left the whole ss in shock! He bowed to Catherine. As he did so, David and the others bowed to Catherine too. Holy shit! This was definitely the most breaking news of Loyalty Academy this year! The famous Bryan actually bowed to a new student. Everyone was stunned. Their eyes widened as if they would pop out any second now. Catherine, on the other hand, looked at Bryan calmly. It was as if what he did was nothing to her. Bryan looked up at Catherine with a serious expression. ¡°Catherine, can we be friends?¡± A series of gasps and whispers rang in the ssroom immediately. ¡°Oh, my god. Did Bryan bow to Catherine proactively, only to be her friend?¡± ¡°Has Bryan gone mad?¡± What was so special about Catherine that made Bryan treat her like this? It was magical! Everyone, including Bryan, was waiting for Catherine¡¯s reaction. Nobody imagined that Bryan would do something like this to Catherine. However, Catherine continued to look cold and arrogant. Catherine remained calm after knowing what Bryan wanted. She was not influenced by him at all. Not to mention being flustered because Bryan wanted to be her friend. She only looked coldly at Bryan, then spoke calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not in the habit of making friends!¡± The whole ss thought that Catherine must be mad! Nobody knew what was wrong with Bryan today to ask Catherine to be his friend proactively and so openly. It was almost as if he was buttering her up. However, they found Catherine¡¯s attitude even more unbelievable. One had to know that Bryan was so famous in Loyalty Academy because he had good grades, was good-looking, and came from a top family. Most importantly, he was a great fighter. It could be said that he was the best fighter in the Academy. In the past, some hooligans came to bully a student from Loyalty Academy. Bryan stepped in and fought the five hooligans all at once. They were all sent to the hospital, while Bryan, alone, was unscathed. Now, Catherine didn¡¯t know better than to publicly refuse Bryan like this. Everyone believed that it was the end of her. Even David, one of Bryan¡¯s most loyal sidekicks, couldn¡¯t help but worry for Catherine. She was doomed, as it was so scary when Bryan got mad. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Just as everyone thought Bryan would get mad at Catherine and was praying silently for Catherine, Bryan¡¯s attitude left everyone in shock again. Bryan¡¯s serious expression broke into a faint smile suddenly, which made him seem more rxed and less stern. He pulled his chair out, sat down, leaned towards Catherine, and looked at her in a friendly manner. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We are now ssmates and deskmates already. We¡¯ll be somewhat like friends when we are more familiar with one another, won¡¯t we?¡± Everyone was speechless. Was this the Bryan they knew? Why did he look like a yful hooligan flirting with girls? Catherine took another rare nce at Bryan, who had changed his attitude so suddenly. She suddenly felt that Bryan looked somewhat like Ronin. But he wasn¡¯t as cute as Ronin was. Besides, she already had Ronin and did not need another boy like him. If Bryan knew what Catherine was thinking about right now, he would surely go mad. After all, he was the boss that everyone respected in Sincere High School. It was outrageous for him not even to have a chance to make friends with Catherine and even be considered to be not cute enough. The mathematics teacher entered the ssroom and saw that David and the others were still gathered around Bryan. She mmed her books on the desk and roared, ¡°What time is it? Why are you not back in your seats? Go back to your seats, all of you. Are you trying to challenge me?¡± The mathematics teacher was known to have a bad temper and a loud voice. The group scattered and returned to their seats, all a bit afraid of her. Then, the mathematics teacher finally flipped the book open and was ready to start the lesson. Catherine also adjusted herself and leaned against the table again as she did in the morning, getting ready to sleep. However, the mathematics teacher got mad when she saw someone sleeping in her ss. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She pounded on the table hard, making everyone jump, and roared in the direction of Catherine, ¡°Who is that? How can you sleep in my ss? If you don¡¯t want to study, then get out of here!¡± Soon, the mathematics teacher got even angrier when she saw that Catherine didn¡¯t even move after her roar. She grabbed a book and was about to throw it at Catherine hard. Her eyes shed with a trace of fierceness as she thought to herself, ¡°Are you that sleepy? I¡¯d love to see how much of this you can take!¡± Everyone was holding their breaths and didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. Seeing that the book was about to hit Catherine on the head, Bryan, who was beside her, blocked it. The ears of Catherine, who was still asleep, twitched and stopped moving again. Bryan reached out quickly to catch the book that came flying towards Catherine in a tight grip. Bryan often yed basketball and could even catch a basketball spinning at high speed, not to mention a book. Seeing Bryan in action, the few girls in the ss almost eximed in admiration. ¡°Oh, Bryan is so cool!¡± The mathematics teacher¡¯s expression turned very nasty after the book had been intercepted. At first, she had a good impression of Bryan, as he was from an influential family and had good grades, despite being wild. However, she was highly annoyed by Bryan¡¯s behavior today. With a frown, she looked at Bryan warningly. ¡°Bryan, what are you doing?¡± Bryan looked up at the mathematics teacher with a serious expression. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t you know you can¡¯t hit a student?¡± Maybe she didn¡¯t imagine Bryan would tell her off, the mathematics teacher was stunned and only recovered herself a momentter. Her eyes were filled with rage as she looked at Bryan. ¡°It is my ss now. She is sleeping in my ss. Is that right then?¡± Bryan didn¡¯t know why he was so irritated to see the mathematics teacher attacking Catherine. That was why he talked back to her. Besides, he didn¡¯t like how the mathematics teacher treated her students differently. She was particrly tolerant towards those from powerful families and looked down upon the students from less powerful families, even if they had good grades. Even though the students of ss 8 generally had good grades and came from influential families, they were not all the same. Each of them had their own strengths and weaknesses. In the face of the mathematics teacher¡¯s response, Bryan talked back to her again without thinking, ¡°It is true that she shouldn¡¯t sleep in ss, but since she is a new student and probably doesn¡¯t know the rules, shouldn¡¯t you at least try to talk to her about it first?¡± The mathematics teacher was so angry that she was about to explode. After hearing Bryan¡¯s words, she smiled particrly mockingly suddenly. Her eyes were full of disdain as she looked at Catherine again. ¡°Here I was, wondering who she was. So she is the new student in ss 8, the girl rumored to have never been to school. No wonder she sleeps in ss!¡± The whole ss was stunned. They had only heard about it from the rumors. The mathematics teacher¡¯s words seemed to have confirmed everyone¡¯s guesses. As such, was Catherine so uneducated that she was even illiterate? The mathematics teacher felt even angrier seeing Catherine was still sound asleep and continued, ¡°Let me tell you. By letting someone so worthless into our ss, the school is. trying to remind you that she is the ssic bad example. If you don¡¯t study hard, you¡¯ll be like her too. She¡¯s like a pig waiting to be ughtered, as all she does is sleep and eat all day.¡± Her words were so nasty. Catherine only didn¡¯t know the rules as she had never been to school before and was new to the school. Besides, what could she do if she couldn¡¯t understand the things taught in ss? It was so humiliating for the mathematics teacher to describe her as a pig waiting to be ughtered. ¡°Let me tell you this¡­¡± The mathematics teacher was about to continue. Bang! Bryan pounded on the table hard and stood up, staring furiously at the mathematics teacher. ¡°Is this what a teacher should be like?¡± In the face of Bryan¡¯s questioning, the mathematics teacher couldn¡¯t take it anymore and retorted sternly, ¡°Bryan, don¡¯t think that you can get away from not respecting your teacher because you have good grades ande from a powerful family.¡± ¡°Not respecting you?¡± A mocking sneer appeared on Bryan¡¯s handsome face. ¡°How dare call yourself our teacher? You attacked a student and called a student a pig. You do whatever you want here because you¡¯re on good terms with the daughter-inw of a school board member. Do you really think it¡¯s because of you that ss 8 has good grades?¡± The mathematics teacher indeed came to ss 8 not long ago. She had been boasting about how good the mathematics grades of the ss were ever since. In fact, the mathematics grades of ss 8 were even better before she hade to the ss. The mathematics teacher didn¡¯t expect Bryan to call her out like that. She was so mad that she was shaking as she red at Bryan and pointed a finger at him. ¡°Get out of here now! I wouldn¡¯t allow scum like you to be in my ss. Leave now!¡± Bryan stayed rooted on the spot. He wanted to know what the mathematics teacher could do to him! Suddenly, everyone turned their eyes to someone next to Bryan. Even Bryan noticed something off and turned to take a look. Catherine was awake and leaning against the back of the chair as she lookedzily at Bryan. A look at her left Bryan in a daze! Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Bryan was so agitated that he forgot Catherine was still sleeping next to him. Now that she was awake, she looked cold with her brows furrowed. For no reason at all, Bryan couldn¡¯t help but be slightly scared seeing her like this. He spoke nervously, ¡°Catherine, L¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so noisy!¡± With her brows knitted, Catherine said this unhappily, which made Bryan shut up immediately. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. When the mathematics teacher saw Catherine looking so casual, she grew even more disdainful towards her. As Bryan stopped talking at just a lightment from Catherine, the mathematics teacher couldn¡¯t help but grow even angrier. Bryan talked back to her all he wanted, even when she was the teacher. However, Catherine made Bryan shut up with three simple words. The mathematics teacher felt that she had been humiliated. It was as if she was not intimidating at all. The mathematics teacher rolled her eyes and looked at Catherine, speaking in a weird tone, What is it? Is the pig awake and ready to save the world?¡± The homeroom teacher hurried over as soon as she heard about this incident and happened to hear what the mathematics teacher was saying. She didn¡¯t like what she heard at all and looked at the mathematics teacher with her face darkened. ¡°Miss Adler, it isn¡¯t right for you to call a student that, is it?¡± The mathematics teacher turned and saw that it was the homeroom teacher. She wasn¡¯t afraid at all. Her father-inw was a member of the school board. Even if Ste DeFore was the homeroom teacher of ss 8, the mathematics teacher was not scared of her. She looked at the homeroom teacher with a fierce look, then said coldly, ¡°Miss DeFore, as the homeroom teacher of ss 8, you didn¡¯t discipline your students at all. You don¡¯t have to thank me for doing it for you. You see, this girl that had just woken up, Catherine, sleeps like a pig every lesson. By taking her in ss 8, are you trying to drag the average scores down and make way for ss 7?¡± The grades of ss 7 were worse than that of ss 8,ing in second of the year. The homeroom teacher of ss 7 had considered overtaking ss 8 as his life-long ambition, as nobody would like to come in second forever. ss 8 was disdainful of what ss 7 did in the hope of overtaking them. After all, the average score of ss 8 was significantly better than that of ss 7. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for them to overtake ss 8. However, that was based on the fact that every student in ss 8 had good grades. Even if a few of them scored a few marks lower, it wouldn¡¯t affect the average score too much. Nheless, if a student scored zero marks in every exam, no matter how excellent the grades. of the rest of the ss were, they would undoubtedly be dragged down. By then, ss 8 would surely be the joke of the school. They would be mocked ten times harder than how theyughed at ss 7 before. None of the students had thought about it at first and were still immersed in how beautiful Catherine was and how Bryan treated her. Now that the mathematics teacher had reminded the ss, everyone understood immediately. Some of the students started to panic. One of them grabbed her deskmate¡¯s hand and grumbled in a low voice, ¡°What should we do? If we lose to ss 7, we¡¯ll be a joke!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m scared too? My sworn enemy is in ss 7. She has been doing everything possible to join ss 8 but never seeded. If ss 8 loses to ss 7, I¡¯ll be so humiliated in front of her.¡± The whispers soon grew louder. The mathematics teacher smiled gleefully. She looked at the homeroom teacher and said, ¡°Miss DeFore, it¡¯s not that I have anything against the new student. You can see it too. I only said what everyone is worried about out loud. How can we let an illiterate bumpkin affect ss 8¡¯s glory?¡± Even though the homeroom teacher thought that the mathematics teacher had gone too far, she had to admit the mathematics teacher had a point. Ste didn¡¯t want to be mocked by the homeroom teacher of ss 7 too. She was struggling toe up with ae-back. Seeing that the homeroom teacher had gone silent, the mathematics teacher looked gleeful and grinned broadly. She held her head high and looked in Catherine¡¯s direction. ¡°For the sake of our ss, I suggest the new student join ss 7 and bring them hell instead.¡± After hearing the mathematics teacher¡¯s words, Liana, who was sitting nearby, couldn¡¯t help but smile with a hand over her mouth. She was the student helper in the mathematics lessons and the favorite of the mathematics teacher. She was overjoyed by how the mathematics teacher humiliated Catherine. It was too much. Bryan almost couldn¡¯t stop himself from wanting to speak up for Catherine again. It was as if Catherine knew what he was thinking as she nced at him lightly. This time, Catherine shut Bryan up with just a look. It was truly amazing. One had to know that Bryan didn¡¯t care about anyone when he got mad. It was unbelievable how he would stop with just a look from Catherine. After shooting Bryan a warning look, Catherine looked up at the mathematics teacherzily and casually. Despite being the subject of all the discussions, Catherine sat in her seat calmly. Her face remained cold and expressionless. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the mathematics teacher was talking about her, Catherine wouldn¡¯t even bother to deal with this. Seeing Catherine had turned to look at her with cold eyes, the mathematics teacher couldn¡¯t help but be flustered. However, when she remembered what Liana had told her about, she collected herself. The Swanns did not favor Catherine. She was the jinx kicked off to the countryside when she was young. What was so scary about her? After calming down, the mathematics teacher met Catherine¡¯s eyes and asked coldly, ¡°New student, why are you looking at me like this? Do you beg to differ?¡± She didn¡¯t even call Catherine by her name. She was doing this to let Catherine know how much she despised her. The mathematics teacher wanted to see how embarrassed Catherine would be. With a careless smile, Catherine looked at the mathematics teacher and said coldly, ¡°What a nag!¡± Bryan couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Catherine retorted in such a special way. As Bryanughed, a few students couldn¡¯t refrain fromughing out loud too. The mathematics teacher¡¯s face became pale and flustered then. It was such a funny scene. She stared angrily at Catherine and pointed a finger at her. ¡°You¡­.¡± Before she could finish speaking, a cold look from Catherine made her choke on her own words. ¡°Since you care so much about grades here. We¡¯ll do it your way, then. If Ie top in the year, does that mean I won¡¯t have to listen to you quacking like a duck anymore?¡± Even though the mathematics teacher was quite good-looking, her voice was indeed quite hoarse. Most of the time, she would talk at a higher pitch. However, now that she was so mad, she had forgotten to speak at a higher pitch. She indeed talked like a duck quacking. Now, more students couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. Even the homeroom teacher was struggling to keep a straight face. The mathematics teacher was so angry that she was almost crackling as if she was on fire. She stared angrily at Catherine and said through gritted teeth, ¡°With a bumpkin like you that had never received proper education? You¡¯re dreaming to think that you cane top in the year!¡± Catherine hated others being all talk. The mathematics teacher, in particr, was full of talk. Catherine only looked coldly at her with a brow raised. ¡°Just tell me, what would you do if I could?¡± Chapter 44 Chapter 44 It was not only the mathematics teacher, but nobody believed Catherine coulde top in the ss. After all, Sincere High School was the most famous high school in the city, and ss 8 was the best in the school. A top university would admit half of the students who graduated from such a ss In fact, to admit more students from a ss like this, there was even news that top universities fought at the school¡¯s gate One could see how great the students of ss 8 were. The mathematics teacher didn¡¯t believe a student like Catherine, who was probably illiterate, could be top in the ss. Being top in ss 8 would mean being the top of the year. That was for sure. In the face of Catherine¡¯s taunts, the mathematics teacher smiled mockingly ¡°Since you dare to make such a promise, I¡¯ll see how you do. If youe top in the ss on the test next week, I¡¯ll apologize to you in front of the entire school.¡± As she was finished, Catherine added, ¡°And admit you¡¯re the pig!¡± She had heard everything the mathematics teacher had just said. With that, the expression on the mathematics teacher¡¯s face turned so ugly and twisted. Before she could speak, Bryan spoke up in a hurry to back Catherine up, ¡°Miss, I think Catherine has a point If she manages toe top in the ss, it would mean that you were wrong Shouldn¡¯t you take back what you called her then?¡± The mathematics teacher was so angry, but there was nothing she could say about that.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. However, she wasn¡¯t worried at all. In her eyes, someone like Catherine couldn¡¯te up top in the ss. She shot Catherine an angry and fierce re. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s a deal then. If you don¡¯t ss, you¡¯ll leave ss 8 immediately and be banned from my ss for life!¡± Catherine nodded casually at the mathematics teacher. She looked so casual that it was as if this matter was unimportant to her. Her attitude stung the mathematics teacher so hard that she threw her books on the desk hard. ¡°You¡¯ll study by yourselves today!¡± With that, she turned and left the ssroom. The homeroom teacher couldn¡¯t do anything about it too After encouraging the ss to study harder, she left too. Bryan settled himself back in his seat when the teachers were all gone. Catherine had sat down long ago. She had a foot on the bar of the desk and a hand around the back of the chair she was sitting on, looking intimidating. Everyone was wearing the school uniform except Catherine. It was her first day at school, and she hadn¡¯t gotten her uniform yet. This made her stand out from her ssmates. However, this also made her the most eye-catching student in her ss. After sitting down, Bryan leaned closer to Catherine. He flipped his book open, then flipped Catherine¡¯s book open. Catherine had just gotten her book today, and it was the first time she had opened it. As Catherine was leaning on her desk to sleep, all of her books were on Bryan¡¯s desk in a stack. Bryan pushed the new and old books in front of Catherine. ¡°Come on. Look here!¡± Catherine looked at him somewhat in surprise. Her delicate eyes were full of questions, ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll act as your tutor. We still have a few days until the test next week. I¡¯ll do my best to help you out so that you can at least know something. It¡¯ll be easier for me to help you then.¡± Bryan looked at Catherine seriously. He had be a fan of Catherine¡¯s ever since he saw her fight. He admired Catherine¡¯s look and presence when she fought. He wanted to be friends with her. For them to be friends, he had to help her out. He had it all figured out. He would first help Catherine to learn something and then try to see if he could also help her out of this after the test. Even though it was really hard, he would try his best. Catherine nced lightly at him, looking cold. Then, she pushed the two books on her desk away and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± After that, Catherine leaned back against the desk and got back to sleep. Seeing her like this, Bryan hesitated for a while and dared not speak. He felt that bothering Catherine in her sleep was a sin that could not be forgiven. He didn¡¯t know where he had gotten such an impression. Even though Catherine had fallen asleep peacefully, the whispers in the ss had gotten louder. As she stared in Catherine¡¯s direction angrily, Liana¡¯s cold eyes shed with a trace of mockery. She didn¡¯t expect Catherine to give up on herself even before Liana acted. It was true that the jinx was still a jinx, no matter where she was. She only brought trouble to those around her. Liana only had to wait for the show to begin. Liana put the exercise in her hands away deliberately and sighed. ¡°What should we do? Now that the teacher is not here, I don¡¯t have anyone to ask about this question I can¡¯t solve. Poor me! What will happen to me in the test next week?¡± With that, Liana¡¯s deskmate leaned over, took a look at her exercise, and frowned. ¡°Liana, you are only having trouble with the final and hardest question. I, on the other hand, can¡¯t even. solve the ones on the first page. I was hoping for the teacher to teach me about it in ss. Who knew that things would be like they are now?¡± Others around them soon echoed herints. The students grumbled one after another. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m having trouble with it too. Say, would the teacher be so mad that she would leave us to study on ourselves from now on!¡± ¡°What should we do? I was already bad at mathematics before! I¡¯m done for. It is all the new student¡¯s fault. Why does she have to drag us down to her level?¡± ¡°She has gone too far!¡± It went on and on. Theints grew louder and louder until even Bryan couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He stood up and red at those that kept grumbling around him. When they met Bryan¡¯s cold gaze, the students knew Bryan was angry and lowered their voices gradually. Even though they didn¡¯t dare to discuss it anymore, they were still unhappy about it. At first, they were only mad at Catherine, not Bryan. Someone even startedining, ¡°God knows what the new student has done to Bryan to make him protect her like this. Is he blind?¡± The expression on Bryan¡¯s face turned even uglier. He was about to lose his temper. Just then, David leaned over and whispered to him, ¡°Bryan, you can¡¯t afford to offend everyone.¡± Bryan red at him, only to see David pointing at something behind him in horror. Bryan turned to look behind him and found that Catherine had gotten up again. This time, Catherine¡¯s eyes were still out of focus. It was as if she was still in a daze. Catherine looked less cold and fierce, which made her look particrly cute in Bryan¡¯s eyes. In fact, Bryan didn¡¯t dare to look at Catherine now and felt his cheek redden slightly. In a daze, Catherine grabbed the exercise on the desk and took a nce at the questions on it. The seeminglyplicated questions were even easier than the sum of one plus one in Catherine¡¯s eyes. She threw the exercise at Bryan and called out to him coldly, ¡°Bryan!¡± Bryan responded reflexively in a loud voice as though he was in a trance, ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Stunned by Bryan¡¯s reaction, David couldn¡¯t help but think that he was indeed under a spell to listen to everything Catherine said. Bryan had responded without thinking. Even Bryan was somewhat surprised at himself. However, he didn¡¯t have time to think about this now. Bryan turned to look at Catherine and asked respectfully, ¡°Is there anything you need me for?¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Catherine pointed at the exercise she had just thrown at Bryan, then said to him, ¡°You. Go and teach the ss.¡± When Bryan opened his exercise just now, she nced at his answers. They were basically all correct and were all solved clearly and logically. She could tell that he was pretty smart. Stunned, Bryan couldn¡¯t believe Catherine was asking him to teach the entire ss. Was he hallucinating? Who would believe something so outrageous? However, it was really happening. Seeing that Bryan didn¡¯t move, Catherine looked at him with a brow raised. Her eyes grew colder as she said, ¡°Do you not want to?¡± Bryan replied without thinking, ¡°I do!¡± Then, Bryan picked up the exercise, got to the front, and faced the ss. ¡°The multiple-choice questions in the front are too easy. I will skip those. Let¡¯s start with the long questions¡­¡± Bryan was the best in mathematics in the ss. Many students begged him to teach them, but he never agreed. Now, he was actually teaching the ss at Catherine¡¯s order. One could tell that Catherine really had a great influence over Bryan. ss 8 was originally pretty good at mathematics already. Most of the time, the teacher didn¡¯t bother to teach much in ss but simply gave them the answers to the questions. Bryan¡¯s exnations were even clearer than that of the mathematics teacher. The students, that were disdainful and grumpy at first, became increasingly fascinated by Bryan¡¯s teaching. Even David, who had little interest in mathematics, was enjoying himself. As Bryan stopped between questions, David pped and cheered. ¡°Bryan, you¡¯re amazing. If I knew before you¡¯re so good at teaching others, why did I bother paying attention in mathematics lessons? I¡¯d simply listen to you. I can understand everything you say. I feel like I can surely pass the uing exam!¡± Bryan looked up at Catherine subconsciously, only to find she was still fast asleep. It seemed as though nothing could affect her, which made him feel somehow at a loss. Meanwhile, David was still cheering non-stop. Bryan picked up the chalk on the table and threw it at David, red at him fiercely, and warned, ¡°Shut up and listen. Stop talking nonsense!¡± David was so scared that he didn¡¯t dare to say another word. He listened to Bryan quietly. Seeing Bryan like this, the others dared not discuss anything anymore. Seeing how everyone was listening to Bryan attentively, Liana felt that they had already forgotten that Catherine was the one that made the mathematics teacher leave. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Liana was so angry that she clenched her fists so hard that her pen almost broke. The jinx was lucky to have someone help her like this. Damn her! Apart from the mathematics teacher, all the other teachers teaching in the afternoon seemed to have heard about Catherine before. None of them gave the ss a hard time because Catherine was sleeping, and the ss finished their lessons smoothly. As the bell rang, indicating the end of the day, Catherine woke up slowly like she did at lunchtime, grabbed her school bag, and left. She moved so smoothly and left briskly. Even David, who was on the side, approached Bryan in silence and sighed. ¡°Bryan, I feel that the new student is so cool and intimidating.¡± Bryan turned around to roll his eyes at him. What nonsense was he spouting? After all, she was someone he wanted to befriend. Of course, she was cool and intimidating. Then, Bryan grabbed his bag and ran after Catherine. He wanted to catch up with her, give her a ride home, and thus grow closer to her. After leaving the school gate, Catherine was nning to take her motorcycle home. However, when she saw the Maybach parked by the school gate, Catherine knew she did not. have a chance to ride her motorcycle again today. Who else but him would drive a car with such a shy license te? Catherine¡¯s eyes darkened as she took a turn and walked towards the car. Paxton, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, recognized her at once and informed the man in the backseat timely. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann is here!¡± The man, who was focused on his work in the backseat, raised his head slowly at Paxton¡¯s words. He squinted his eyes slightly. Instead of the cool ck shirt he wore in the morning, the man had changed into an iron blue and more formal shirt. He had already loosened the tie on it and unbuttoned the top two buttons of the shirt, revealing his delicate corbones, looking casual and shy. Paxton had already left the car and opened the door for Branden. From where Catherine stood, she saw a pair of strong slender legs emerge from the car with her eyes lowered. The fitted pants showed the shape of his legs perfectly. At this moment, Catherine. remembered something she had only heard of before, ¡°to fall for a man,¡± and finally understood what it meant! Clearly, some men could be as tempting and dangerous as women. After leaving the car, Branden fixed his eyes on Catherine immediately. He looked straight at her, deliberately telling Catherine he was there for her. Standing rooted, Catherine looked indifferent. It was as if nothing could interest or affect her. Seeing Branden walk towards Catherine proactively, Paxton, who was waiting by the car, realized that it was the first time he saw his boss approaching a woman without being pressed. After the afternoon international meeting, Branden rushed home in a hurry. Paxton had thought he was on some critical mission but never expected that he only did so in order to pick Catherine up from school. The whole thing seemed surreal. Catherine watched Branden approach, strolling towards her with his back to the setting sun. The sunray fell on his back. It was as if he was shining. His well-defined and handsome features seemed even more perfect than usual under the soft light. Finally, Branden stopped around 20 inches away in front of her. It was close enough for Catherine to see every tiny emotion on his face and not be repulsed by his approach. The man seemed to have thought of everything. Catherine looked up at him coldly, looking and even sounding casual andzy. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°To treat you to dinner!¡± Branden said simply and bluntly. His bright brown eyes were openly fixed on Catherine¡¯s beautiful face. Hearing his answer, Catherine frowned slightly. She didn¡¯t want to be too involved with him. She had investigated Branden before and found little about him. There were only a few people in this world that she could learn so little about. She could see how powerful he was from this! It wasn¡¯t that Catherine was afraid of the Duncans. She just didn¡¯t want to be involved with Branden. Even though Vicente had arranged this marriage before he died, Catherine was only willing to follow through with it as long as she controlled everything. Catherine looked up at him with a trace of arrogance in herzy temperament. In the face of an in-person invitation from the well-respected Mr. Duncan in Casier, Catherine replied lightly with a simple two-word answer, ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 This was probably the first time Branden had ever been rejected in his life. It was also the first time he had taken the initiative and been rejected. However, Branden wasn¡¯t upset at all. Instead, a faint, mischievous smile yed on his thin lips as he spoke. ¡°Give me a reason!¡± Just likest time with Catherine at the Charm Bar, he wanted an exnation. He would let Catherine go if she could convince him. Catherine raised an eyebrow, her attitude indifferent, her eyes carrying a hint of coldness and rebelliousness. At this moment, she exuded a wild and arrogant aura. ¡°I do what I want!¡± She never needed to justify her actions, no matter who she was with. A sense of rebellion and untamed spirit emanated from her entire being, which was remarkable to witness. After a few seconds of silence, Branden chuckled. ¡°Let me take you back home!¡± he said. Catherine knew that this man was up to something. Perhaps he knew from the beginning that she wouldn¡¯t agree to have dinner with him, so he intended to give her a ride back home. Catherine nced at him and then walked straight toward his car. Paxton saw her approaching and instinctively bent down respectfully to open the car door for her. As he opened the car door, Paxton realized he had done so subconsciously. For some reason, Catherine had an aura thatmanded respect from people, making them. treat her with reverence instinctively. Bryan didn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of Catherine as he rushed out of school. All he saw was a top-of-the-line Maybach driving past him. ncing at the back of the car, wished he could be the owner. Sincere High School was a renowned private school for the wealthy in Casier, so it was not umon to see several luxury cars like the Maybach there. What caught Bryan¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t the luxury car itself but the high-level license te on the vehicle. Bryan stared at the car for a few seconds, unable toprehend why someone who could afford such a luxury vehicle would be there. On the other hand, Catherine was in the car with Branden. After getting into the car, Catherine remained motionless,zily gazing out of the window. Branden, too, remained silent. He had hisptop with him and worked throughout the journey. He didn¡¯t even spare a nce at Catherine, as if he hade to the school solely to pick her up and take her home. Even Paxton couldn¡¯t understand such behavior. He thought his boss hade a long way to say something to Catherine. He didn¡¯t expect it to be a ride back home. Paxton didn¡¯t know what was happening, and he didn¡¯t dare to ask. After finishing his work, Brandon closed hisptop and turned to look at Catherine beside him. Catherine leaned against the window and closed her eyes, seemingly at rest. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Her fairplexion made her stand out in a crowd, and her skin had a radiant and wless quality. The nting sunlight cast a gentle halo on her body, revealing her long and thick eyshes as her eyes remained shut. Her delicate facial features made her look almost too beautiful to be real. After Brandon looked at her for a few seconds, Catherine opened her eyes. Perhaps she turned her head because Branden¡¯s gaze was too focused, and their eyes met instantly. Perhaps due to exhaustion, Catherine¡¯s eyes looked tired. At this moment, she didn¡¯t seem that fierce but rxed and gentle, which made her appear even more adorable. After a few seconds of observing her, Branden couldn¡¯t help but curl his lips into a faint smile. He had the desire to touch her smooth, rosy, and soft cheeks. As this thought crossed his mind, he extended his hand. Catherine didn¡¯t react immediately when his hand touched her face. His slender fingers gently glided over her cheeks, sending a shiver down her spine. She never liked it when people got too close to her. When Branden made the move, she could have easily pped his hand away. However, for some reason, she hesitated for a moment and didn¡¯t act. Even she couldn¡¯t understand why. Could it be that she judged others solely based on their appearance? Noticing that she didn¡¯t resist, Branden spoke slowly with a deep, maic voice that carried a seductive allure and drew her in. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Hearing his voice, Catherine felt as if she was being hypnotized and instinctively nodded. Although she had slept all day, she still felt drained. She could go for days and nights without sleep and then sleep for days and nights. Not sleeping felt like wasting her youthful prime during idle moments like this, didn¡¯t it? At this moment, she appeared sweet and gentle, a rare sight. A faint smile appeared in Branden¡¯s bright and deep eyes. He reached out and opened a drawer on the side, taking out a nket and cing it in front of Catherine. ¡°Just rest. You can use the nket.¡± Catherine nced at the nket but didn¡¯t make a move. As if reading her mind, Branden added, ¡°It¡¯s brand new, never been used!¡± Only then did Catherine reach out and cover herself with the nket before closing her eyes once again. It was rush hour, and the traffic was heavy. There was still some time left before they reached Catherine¡¯s home, allowing her to rest for a while. Looking through the rearview mirror, Paxton once again found himself shocked. A flicker of surprise shed in his typically cold eyes. Could it be that his boss was genuinely interested in this girl? Paxton knew his boss well and had never seen him voluntarily offer a nket to someone. At this point, he found it hard to believe what he was witnessing in the car. Even if Triston was critically ill and copsed right in front of his boss, the most he would do was call an ambnce. There was no way he would extend a helping hand. Since Catherine had entered the picture, Paxton had been more astonished than he had been in the past twenty years. As the car passed by a street bustling with food trucks, Catherine suddenly opened her eyes and reached out to lower the window. The rich aroma of various cuisines wafted in, including fried chicken, Indian curry, tacos, and other delectable dishes. The scent of barbecue was particrly enticing to Catherine, tantalizing her taste buds and making her mouth water. ¡°Would you like to have some?¡± A seductive voice came from behind Catherine, but she remained unmoved, leaning quietly. However, the person behind her seemed persistent. Even though Catherine didn¡¯t respond, he continued speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s an incredibly authentic international barbecue restaurant on this street. All the ingredients are sourced from different countries, and there isn¡¯t a single negative review online!¡± Catherine gazed at the lively and vibrant scene of the street, adorned with colorful lights. She clenched her teeth quietly and couldn¡¯t help feeling a tinge of disdain, as this man knew how to charm people. She hadn¡¯t been hungry, but his words suddenly triggered a craving for food within her. She abruptly turned around, locking eyes with the handsome man who wore a smirk on his face. ¡°How do you know there isn¡¯t a single negative review online?¡± she asked, somewhat displeased. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Hearing Catherine¡¯s question, Branden surprisingly didn¡¯t get upset as he usually would. Instead, he responded with a faint smile. ¡°It belongs to Triston,¡± he exined to Catherine. With those words, Catherine instantly understood. The Lamberts were notcking in money, so if Triston opened a barbecue restaurant, it would likely satisfy her appetite. It meant the restaurant wouldn¡¯t cut corners with low-quality ingredients, so everything here must be decent. Catherine pondered this and suddenly felt her appetite whetted. Once she had the thought, she was determined to try the international barbecue restaurant. Catherine instructed Paxton, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Pull over to the side!¡± Paxton obediently followed her order and pulled over to the side. After all, his boss hadn¡¯t uttered a word throughout, which meant he should listen to Miss Swann. After the car came to a stop, Catherine instinctively opened the door and got out, following the scent of barbecue. Her sense of smell was particrly keen, allowing her to locate the barbecue restaurant simply by following the aroma. Upon reaching the entrance and seeing the long queue, Catherine furrowed her brow. She enjoyed eating, but she didn¡¯t like waiting in line. If she had to wait in line, she would rather not eat. Turning around, she noticed Branden following behind. Observing her slightly furrowed brow, Branden calmly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond, but her eyes focused on the long queue. In the next second, Branden immediately understood what was on her mind. Paxton, who was standing behind them, quickly approached and rejoined Branden¡¯s side within a few seconds. Growing impatient, Catherine was about to leave. As she turned around, Branden suddenly grabbed her hand. Before Catherine could react, Branden pulled her towards the upper floor. The waitress led the way, so they didn¡¯t have to walt in line and could go straight to the second floor. Some people in line noticed them, thought it was unfair, and approached the waitress to argue. ¡°Why don¡¯t they have to wait in line? We have to!¡± they shouted. All the staff in the restaurant were professionals hired from five-star hotels. They smiled at the disgruntled customer, speaking gently and patiently, ¡°Sorry, sir, these customers ahead of you are our top VIPS, so they can enjoy special services on the second floor and don¡¯t need to wait in line!¡± The customer expressed dissatisfaction and pouted, asking, ¡°Is it all about money? How do I be a top VIP? Tell me! I want to be one too.¡± The waitress remained polite and replied, ¡°There are two ways. One is to be a restaurant shareholder, which automatically upgrades you to a top VIP. The other is to have an annual expenditure of ten million, and you can also be upgraded to a top VIP. Which option would you like to proceed with?¡± Who in their right mind would be a restaurant shareholder just for a meal? Not to mention spending ten million! Was that a joke? The waitress effectively halted the arrogant customer with her words, and the people behind also quieted down, as meeting those conditions wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person could Unlike the bustling noise on the first floor, the second floor of the barbecue restaurant had a serene atmosphere. It was filled with the rich and spicy aroma of barbecue, without a hint of greasiness. Triston specially opened this ce to host his friends, and it was usually empty. After all, he opened this barbecue restaurant for pleasure but not to make money. After taking their seats, Paxton handed the menu to Branden, who then passed it to Catherine. Catherine didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly ordered whatever she liked on the menu. She then passed it back to Branden, who didn¡¯t add anything else since she had already ordered a variety of items. Unlike others who opted for mild sauce, Catherine chose the extra spicy one. She enjoyed strong vors, believing that barbecue had to be spicy enough to make one sweat. Paxton looked at the barbecue with the spicy sauce served on the table and swallowed silently, recalling that his boss seemed to¡­ He was about to remind Branden, but a single nce from Branden made him understand that he shouldn¡¯t say a word. The barbecue was brought to the table, and its enticing aroma filled the air. Catherine ced the meat, vegetables, and sauce on her te. The quality of the ingredients and sauce determined the authenticity of international barbecue. The dishes at this barbecue restaurant looked impressive, resembling what Ronin had prepared for her in the past. After eating for a while, Catherine noticed Branden hadn¡¯t touched anything, which surprised her. She looked up at Branden, whose expression remained impassive. However, he started speaking a bit more than usual. ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating?¡± ¡°I am!¡± Branden replied, putting a piece of meat with extra spicy sauce into his mouth. His expression remained calm, without any change. Catherine nced at him and quietly shook her head, thinking that someone like him probably wouldn¡¯t show any different expression even when dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant. He seemed to know nothing about food. After a while, more people starteding to the second floor. Triston was also present in the barbecue restaurant with some friends. He wasn¡¯t interested in Michelin-starred restaurants but loved barbecue, so he hired a chef and opened his own restaurant. They were all trust fund babies, and some of them had spotted Branden. Seeing the table in the corner, someone patted Triston¡¯s shoulder and said in a surprised tone, ¡°Triston, isn¡¯t that Mr. Duncan from the Duncans?¡± Triston squinted and looked at his friend, giving a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me! That¡¯s impossible. Branden doesn¡¯t eat barbecue at all. Stop talking nonsense.¡¯ But another friend eximed with a serious expression, ¡°Triston, it really is Mr. Duncan!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and see. If it¡¯s not him, I¡¯lle back and p your ass!¡± Triston dered fiercely. However, when he turned around, he was instantly stunned. He rubbed his eyes and realized that the person sitting in the corner was indeed Branden, and at the table next to him sat Paxton with a stoic expression. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. It was Branden! This was unbelievable! Triston quickly left his group of friends and approached Branden. Branden was known for his aloof demeanor and was difficult to approach. While Triston¡¯s friends desired to befriend him, they didn¡¯t have the courage to do so. Offending him would make their lives miserable. After approaching and getting a clear view, Triston discovered that it wasn¡¯t just Branden alone, but a girl was sitting across from him. The girl faced the other side, so he couldn¡¯t see her face. Filled with curiosity, Triston noticed Branden calmly chewing on a piece of meat covered in spicy sauce. Unable to contain his surprise any longer, he eximed, ¡°Branden, I thought you couldn¡¯t handle spicy food!¡± Hearing the voice, Catherine looked up at Branden, who continued to calmly chew his food. She furrowed her brows slightly. He couldn¡¯t handle spicy food, but here he was eating barbecue covered in spicy sauce with her. What was this man up to? Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Triston¡¯s arrival at the restaurant had already caught Branden¡¯s attention. To avoid rming Catherine, he allowed Triston to approach, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be so clueless. When Catherine looked up, Triston realized that the girl sitting across from Branden was her. His face instantly lit up with a smile as he addressed her, ¡°Hey, Catherine, what a coincidence! I didn¡¯t expect to run into you in my restaurant!¡± Catherine remained silent, maintaining her cold demeanor, not even ncing at Triston, and continuing to enjoy her barbecue. Triston, despiteing from a wealthy family, didn¡¯t act like the typical obnoxious rich kid. Even if Catherine ignored him, he didn¡¯t seem upset. Instead, his gaze shifted between Catherine and Branden. ¡°Oh, oh, oh, your table is ready. Maybe I should join you here? The more, the merrier! Am I right?¡± After saying that, Triston immediately sat down, took a new set of utensils, and didn¡¯t hesitate to start eating the food on the table. As for his group of friends, he had already forgotten them. For him, there was nothing more enjoyable at the moment. However, Triston¡¯s moment of happiness didn¡¯tst long. Catherine didn¡¯t appreciate being watched while eating, especially with Branden sitting across from her. And to make matters. worse, Triston had invited himself to their table. Sensing the change in Catherine¡¯s gaze, Branden put down his fork and looked at Triston. Triston was too focused on figuring out the rtionship between Catherine and Branden to notice the change in Branden¡¯s demeanor. Recognizing Triston¡¯s cluelessness, Branden nced at Paxton, who was sitting beside him. Paxton understood his boss¡¯ nce. The next second, he came over and forcibly pulled Triston away. Before Triston could react, he was dragged far from Branden¡¯s table. Moreover, Paxton kept a watchful eye on Triston, not giving him a chance toe back in. Frustrated, Triston stomped his feet but couldn¡¯t overpower Paxton. Eventually, he had to swallow his anger and give up. After calming down, Triston approached Paxton with a smile and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Paxton, is your boss truly interested in that girl? Something is going on between them, right? Paxton remained expressionless, his face cold, not even ncing at Triston. Unable to get anything from Paxton, Triston had no choice but to give up. Meanwhile, Catherine and Branden continued sitting at the table together. Catherine was enjoying her barbecue alone, while Branden intermittently ate the meat and vegetables. Although he didn¡¯t consume much, he kept herpany by consistently eating. Catherine had a preference for hot sauce. The spicier, the better. What she had ordered might be too much for most people, especially someone like Branden, who supposedly couldn¡¯t handle spicy food. However, after hearing what Triston had said, she specifically observed Branden. To her surprise, he calmly put the food coated in hot sauce into his mouth without any reaction or even a furrowed brow. It was quite impressive for someone who was supposedly unable to handle spicy food. After a while, Catherine was almost full and put down her fork. Branden noticed her cessation and asked calmly, ¡°Are you full?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She nodded and got up. Responding with a nod was the utmost respect Catherine could offer. Usually, she didn¡¯t concern herself with social norms and would simply leave after her meal, even with Ronin and the others. Observing her stand up, Branden also got up and left without being bothered by Catherine¡¯s rebellious attitude. Once in the car, Catherine resumed her previous position, leaning against the window. However, she seemed more energetic than before dinner. After a while, Branden asked, ¡°I heard you made a three-month agreement with Korbin.¡± ¡°Mm!¡± Catherine replied. Her attitude remained cold, but Branden didn¡¯t mind. ¡°It is possible to increase the stock price of the Swann Corporation in a short period. If the conditions are right, the stock price will rise. Although Catherine didn¡¯t respond to Branden, she listened carefully to every word he said and closely watched his every move. After finishing his statement, Branden took a document from a drawer and handed it to Catherine. ¡°This might be helpful to you!¡± Catherine epted the document and opened it, realizing it was a merger contract. She read it carefully, even though she didn¡¯t fully understand the project. However, she was confident that with the capital of the Duncan Corporation, the Swann Corporation wouldn¡¯t need to have a share in this project. After reading the project contract, Catherine turned her head to Branden with a curious gaze. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± she asked. Branden¡¯s deep, dark eyes met Catherine¡¯s, emitting a sharp gleam apanied by a hint of amusement, making it difficult to decipher his intentions. He didn¡¯t impose any conditions on Catherine, ask her to do anything, or put on a pretentious show for her. Squinting and looking at her, who was arrogant and reckless as usual, Branden¡¯s lips curved faintly, revealing a hint of amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is more interesting to make impossible things possible?¡± Only Branden could say such words, willing to spend billions to make things interesting. Catherine didn¡¯t immediately refuse him. After all, why would she say no to a business deal that came her way? Raising the stock price of the Swann Corporation wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for her. Since someone willingly offered an olive branch, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a closer look. Catherine gave him a cold nce and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± At that moment, the car arrived at the entrance of the Swanns¡¯. Catherine pushed the car door open and got out without looking back. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said coldly. Branden sat in the car and watched her confidently walk away, silently chuckling. Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Paxton thought he had never encountered anyone like Catherine in his life. He knew what project his boss had offered to Catherine. It was very important for the Duncan. Corporation. Now, his boss handed this golden opportunity to Catherine, but she seemed unwilling to ept it. He wondered if Catherine truly didn¡¯t understand the significance of this offer or if she was simply too arrogant. Paxton turned around and respectfully asked in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Duncan, are we heading back to your ce now?¡± Branden remainedposed, his thin lips slightly curved as he replied coldly, ¡°Drive me to the hospital.¡± Paxton was shocked, knowing that something had happened as he had expected. His boss had exceptional tolerance, only choosing to speak up now. Without hesitation, Paxton put the pedal to the metal and sped away in the car. On the other hand, Catherine had no idea what awaited her at home. Upon returning to the Swanns¡¯, she discovered several people still sitting in the living room. Everyone was present except for Korbin. As Catherine entered, Rachael shot her a re with a severe expression, disying her extreme upset. Catherine ignored Rachael as if she wasn¡¯t there and turned around, walking towards her room. Her reactionpletely infuriated Rachael, who abruptly stood up, her gaze fixed on Catherine¡¯s back. ¡°Stop right now!¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Feeling the fury emanating from Rachael, Catherine halted and turned to face her. Despite Rachael¡¯s demeanor, Catherine¡¯s expression remained indifferent and cold, seemingly unaffected. She stared at Rachael with cold eyes, silently questioning her intentions. In Rachael¡¯s eyes, Catherine was an arrogant girl who thought highly of herself. Rachael¡¯s belief that Catherine was a troublemaker who could only cause distress only grew stronger, fueling her anger to the point where she couldn¡¯t control her temper any longer. She madly shouted at Catherine, ¡°Who do you think you are, Catherine Swann? Let me tell you, you¡¯d better start behaving yourself. You have no manners at all. Where the hell did you go after school? What were you doing, huh? Do you even know what time it is now? You¡¯re nothing but a wild savage!¡± Witnessing Rachael shouting at Catherine, Liana and Johnathan couldn¡¯t hide the joy in their hearts. The bright smiles on their faces revealed their discontent with Catherine. Liana, in particr, had developed intense hatred towards her after being overshadowed by her in school. She would have loved nothing more than to berate Catherine and kick her out of the house. Audrey looked at Catherine with concern, wanting to help her. However, she knew how Rachael might react. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Any attempt to intervene without Korbin present would only further enrage Rachael. Audrey feared that getting involved would fail to protect Catherine and might even result in her own punishment by Rachael. Therefore, Audrey refrained from speaking. As Rachael saw Catherine remain silent, her anger intensified. She raised her voice again and yelled at her, ¡°Who do you think you are? I¡¯m talking to you! Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Catherine raised her gaze and looked at Rachael, her eyes cold and her tone devoid of emotion. Her response instantly changed Rachael¡¯s expression. ¡°I walked back home.¡± Rachael was momentarily stunned, realizing that Catherine must have walked pretty fast to cover the distance from school to the Swanns¡¯. Catherine instinctively nced back at Liana and noticed the guilt in her eyes, providing her with a clear understanding. Rachael had initially heard from Liana that Catherine hadn¡¯t returned home from school until thiste hour, assuming she had been idling around the streets and tarnishing the Swanns¡¯ reputation. Driven by anger, Rachael had nned to teach Catherine a lesson while Korbin was away, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated the situation escting to this point. Catherine understood Liana well. As a mother, Rachael knew exactly what her daughter had done. Liana must have reassigned the driver who was supposed to take Catherine back home. Only Audrey knew the truth, and Catherine was not worried about being betrayed by her sister. At that moment, Audrey gave Catherine a thumbs-up tomend her wit. In Audrey¡¯s view, Catherine had exined the reason for herte return and revealed what Liana had done to her, hoping to see her face the consequences. It was a clever response, killing two birds with one stone. However, Audrey underestimated Rachael¡¯s dislike for Catherine. Even after learning about Liana¡¯s behavior, Rachael didn¡¯t me her daughter. Instead, she continued to scold Catherine. ¡°As I said, you¡¯d better start behaving yourself. Can¡¯t you walk faster and get home earlier next time?¡± Upon hearing her mother¡¯s words, Liana wore a smug expression. She knew her mom would never punish her for the sake of this jinx. After all, in Rachael¡¯s eyes, this jinx might be considered less important than the household servants. They wouldn¡¯t have tolerated this jinx if it weren¡¯t for her grandfather¡¯s unfortunate decision before his passing. Liana didn¡¯t want Rachael to stop berating Catherine, so she kept fueling the fire and informed Rachael about her bet with the teacher at school that day. ¡°Mom, I think Catherine¡¯s bet is a terrible idea. Don¡¯t you agree? What if she doesn¡¯t perform well in the exam? What will people think of our family if she fails?¡± Catherine nced at Liana and her smug expression, looking down at her. No wonder her grandpa had not wanted to hand over the Swanns¡¯ property to them. With these brainless and scheming heirs, it would be better for him to donate everything that belonged to him. Rachael¡¯s anger, which she had just suppressed, surged up again after hearing Liana¡¯s words. Rachael thought she knew very well about Catherine¡¯s ability. Catherine was just a dumbass who could never excel academically. She heard that this jinx didn¡¯t even attend school in the countryside and was expelled for misbehaving in elementary school. Howe she dreamed about being the first with such a background? That was a ple in the sky! It was mission impossible, yet Catherine still epted the challenge. Rachael couldn¡¯t control the rage in her heart any longer and shouted in fury, her eyes gleaming with a desire to destroy Catherine. ¡°You¡¯ve brought shame to the Swanns, Catherine. I warn you! It would be best to apologize to your teacher tomorrow and try to calm things down. Otherwise, I will ensure you regret returning to the Swanns.¡± Catherine lifted her gaze and focused on Rachael. Had Rachael just said that she would make her regret it? What a bold statement! Catherine couldn¡¯t understand who gave Rachael the right to say such things. Compared to Rachael¡¯s frustrated and stomping demeanor, Catherine appeared calm, as if nothing had happened, causing Audrey to worry for her. Finally, Catherine spoke and nearly made Rachael choke with anger. ¡°I look forward to seeing how you¡¯ll make me regreting home.¡± After saying that, Catherine left without turning back. Audrey heard the conversation and was stunned. She had never imagined that someone could upset Rachael this effortlessly. Rachael¡¯s face turned ashen with anger, indicating that she was about to lose control. The next second, Audrey quickly left the living room to avoid further trouble. Just as Catherine returned to her room, her phone in her pocket vibrated before she could event sit down. She picked up the phone and saw that it was a call from Ronin. There weren¡¯t many people who could call her, and only a few who knew her number. She answered the phone, and an excited voice came through from Ronin. ¡°Boss¡­¡± Catherine cut him off before he could finish his long and tedious speech. ¡°Stop it!¡± Her words were like a wet nket, immediately silencing Ronin. After a brief moment ofposure, he regained hisposure and formally reported the situation. ¡°Boss, Ipleted the investigation you requested on the project. I didn¡¯te across any major issues. Based on my assessment, it seems to be a safe and profitable venture. Should we be take action to acquire it from the Duncan Corporation? Although confronting them may challenging, with you, nothing is impossible!¡± Ronin continued expressing his admiration for Catherine. In his eyes, she was like Wonder Woman, capable of achieving anything. When Catherine received the document earlier, she had asked Ronin to investigate primarily to determine if Branden had ulterior motives. After all, Branden had been looking into the Hacker Alliance and had grown suspicious of Catherine¡¯s involvement. ¡°No need!¡± Catherine calmly rejected Ronin¡¯s suggestion. ¡°The Duncan Corporation has presented us with a gift. There¡¯s no need to take action to wrest it away from them.¡± ¡°Send me the documents!¡± After uttering those words, Catherine hung up the phone, knowing that Ronin wouldn¡¯t stop talking if given the chance. Not long after ending the call, Catherine received the documents sent by Ronin, along with an attached picture. The picture disyed the back view of an attractive man standing outside the hospital, and Catherine immediately recognized him as Branden. She stared at the picture for a moment, a slight smile forming on her delicate face as she sneered. ¡°Bitch!¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 The next day, Catherine didn¡¯t rush to school upon waking up. Instead, she took a leave from school and apanied herwyer, Leonel Bolton, to the Swann Corporation¡¯s office building. Being considered a top-tier aristocratic family in Casier, the security at their office building was naturally stringent. Two tall security guards stood downstairs, scanning the area with sharp gazes. The stern expressions on their faces were enough to intimidate even the most timid individuals, not to mention their well-trained and muscr physiques. As a ck Mercedes parked steadily at the entrance, Catherine, the first one to step out of the car, walked confidently forward. Her eyes focused straight ahead, and her cold and proud expression symbolized her noble status. She strolled with confidence towards the building, causing the two towering security guards to subconsciously bend over and greet her, recognizing her as someone born to be respected. Only after the group entered the gate did the two guards realize something was amiss. They exchanged nces, understood their mistake, and hastily shouted after Catherine, ¡± Miss, excuse us!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t look back, and her presence made the security guards anxious. They were about to rush towards her in the next moment. However, Leonel, who was following Catherine, promptly stopped them and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is Miss Swann!¡± Leonel, as the chief legal representative of the Swann Corporation, was recognized by the security guards. They were familiar with his identity. Hence, they dared not obstruct their passage. With Leonel¡¯s assistance, Catherine effortlessly made her way to the top floor of the Swann Corporation and walked directly into the meeting room where a meeting was in. The moment Korbin spotted Catherine¡¯s arrival, his face turned ashen. With furrowed brows and a cold gaze, he stared disapprovingly at Catherine progress. ¡°What are you doing here? This is not where you should be. Go back to school and study. This is nonsense!¡± Everyone in the room focused on Catherine, observing the beautiful young girl and curious about her rtionship with Korbin. Only a few influential shareholders had seen Catherine at the funeral, so they knew she was the heir who had just been brought back from the countryside. They were ready for the drama. Remaining calm andposed, Catherine disregarded Korbin¡¯s scolding and instead nced at Leonel. In response to Catherine, Leonel nodded at her and ced the documents he held in front of Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, this is a letter of appointment left by your father. It explicitly states that your second daughter, Miss Catherine, will inherit the position of chairperson of the Swann Corporation. Please take a look.¡± Korbin, who had always been the General Manager of the Swann Corporation while the position of Chairman was held by Vicente, now needed toplete the transition. His face darkened, and he shot a fierce gaze toward Leonel like a sharp de. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± His cold tone carried a severe threat, clearly warning Leonel. ¡°Haha, Mr. Swann, there¡¯s no need to be anxious!¡± Leonel was older than Korbin, and he had not only been working for Vicente for decades but also had been his most trusted man. Otherwise, Vicente would not have entrusted such an important matter to him before his passing. ¡°This is what your father intended. I brought Catherine here today for a simple reason. I want her to get to know everyone while they¡¯re present and facilitate her uing responsibilities.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Korbin sneered and looked up at everyone. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s take a look. This young girl next to me is my second daughter. Now she is going to be the chairperson of the Swann Corporation. What do you all think? Do you remember the rights you held when we first established thepany?¡± He remembered that as long as more than two-thirds of the shareholders voted against it, even if Catherine held the shares, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take the position of chairperson. He didn¡¯t believe that anyone would support her. He had given her a three-month deadline, but that was only if he didn¡¯t force her to sign the transfer agreement. If she couldn¡¯t even pass this initial hurdle and secure the position, then what was the point of discussing how to manage the business? The shareholders present at the meeting agreed with Korbin, nodding in agreement. They were all powerful figures, and the idea of having such a young girl lead them was considered a joke. No one was in favor of it. While Leonel understood Korbin¡¯s perspective, he nced at Catherine and nodded, confirming to her that this matter was indeed legitimate. He had fulfilled his responsibilities, and the rest depended on this young girl. Korbin had made his threatening statement, but nobody could discern Catherine¡¯s thoughts. They had made it clear that they wouldn¡¯t ept her as their leader. However, she calmly pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°She understands nothing! What an innocent kid!¡± they thought. As Catherine took her seat, she nced around, her lips curling slightly. Her calm and poised expression exudedposure, and her aura was extraordinary. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Gentlemen, what is your purpose in investing in the Swann Corporation? Isn¡¯t it for the continuous growth of thepany and your own profits? In simple terms, you are here for money, right? ¡°If I can bring benefits to the Swann Corporation and make the Swann Corporation stronger, why can¡¯t I be the chairperson?¡± Korbin looked at Catherine with a cold gaze, allowing her to speak freely. Everyone present was experienced and shrewd. Even when Vicente was alive, there were times when he couldn¡¯t handle them, let alone a young girl like Catherine. Korbin doubted that anyone would support her. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words, the people around responded with ridicule and contempt. One of the shareholders directly retorted at Catherine, mocking her, ¡°What a nice speech, but what can you actually do? Haha, please don¡¯t take this personally. I heard you recently returned from the countryside, and your education level is only elementary school. I assume you were able to attend Sincere High School because your father donated a library this time, right?¡± After speaking, he looked around and gestured to everyone, saying, ¡°That¡¯s it. Do you honestly believe she can bring us profits and improve the Swann Corporation? It¡¯s a joke, isn¡¯t it? Do you believe her empty words?¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Laughter filled the room, and even Korbin had a wide smile on his face.. Only Leonel appeared somewhat frustrated, with a faint hint of worry between his eyebrows. His concern was not for Catherine but for everyone present. These individuals had never witnessed the capabilities of this youngdy, so they underestimated her due to her age. Little did they know that, despite her youth, she was an absolute business tycoon. She could manipte the top-tier power yers in Casier with a mere flick of her finger. She wouldn¡¯t even need to take action herself. With just a single sentence from her, everyone¡¯s business in the room would crumble. He stood silently on the side, praying that these influential figures would make the right choice. After all, even he would be affected if the Swann Corporation were to copse. These ignorant old fools infuriated him! Chapter 51 Chapter 51 The mocking gazes and continuous sneers seemed to have no effect on Catherine She remained unfazed, not even blinking or changing her expression. Lifting her head, she slowly scanned the room with her pure brown eyes, as clear as ss, emitting a chilling light as she looked at each person present. Wherever her gazended, no one dared to meet her eyes. The mockingughter gradually subsided, as no one had expected such a sharp and powerful gaze from a young girl. They were subconsciously intimidated by her, even forgetting why they had mocked her moments ago. With the room quieting down, Catherine reached out a hand to Leonel who stood behind her, without even turning her head. Immediately, Leonel opened his briefcase and took out several documents, respectfully handing them to Catherine. Korbin looked at Leonel with disdain. Leonel was a well-knownwyer in the industry, yet he showed extreme respect to this young girl. ¡°He is making a fool of himself,¡± Korbin thought. He was curious to see what tricks this girl had up her sleeve. Leonel distributed a copy of the documents to everyone and returned to Catherine¡¯s side. Catherine leaned her hand on her chin and looked down at the table, revealing her exquisite and long eyshes. With a cold gaze, she stared at everyone and spoke slowly. Her voice was deep and cold, yet strangely pleasing. ¡°The documents you are holding are the project contracts with Mr. David. Feel free to turn to thest page and take a look.¡± ¡°Mr. David¡­¡± someone eximed. He was the new tech mogul everyone had been trying to impresstely. As Catherine spoke, everyone curiously turned to thest page of the documents and discovered the last use she had mentioned. After reading the content of thest use, everyone was shocked. Many had their mouths wide open in surprise. The shareholder who had mocked Catherine and mentioned her limited education was dumbfounded. ¡°How¡­ how is this possible?¡± he stuttered. The contract heavily favored the Swann Corporation, giving them all the advantages. Moreover, it had very few restrictive uses, with the only important one being thest one. Catherine had mentioned. It stated that the contract needed to be signed personally by Catherine and would only take effect if she became the person in charge of the Swann Corporation. Otherwise, the deal would be null and void. It was strange for Mr. David to offer such a peculiar requirement when everyone else eagerly sought coboration with him. Puzzled, everyone turned their gaze towards Catherine, waiting for an exnation. ¡°As you can see, Mr. David has already signed the document. I don¡¯t need to tell you how many benefits this project can bring, but you should be able to estimate the magnitude.¡¯ When Korbin saw the contract, his face turned extremely unpleasant. Mr. David would never do such a thing, and Catherine¡¯s abilities alone couldn¡¯t achieve this agreement. He knew the one behind it must be his father, who had made great efforts to ensure Catherine would be the chairperson. First, he had arranged a marriage for Catherine so that she could have Branden as her support. What was more, Mr. David was paving the way for her. He had nned every step for her. Vicente was dead but still wouldn¡¯t let Korbin have peace of mind. Korbin couldn¡¯t understand why the family assets were not given to him, the biological son, but to the useless girl Catherine. He violently threw the document on the table and angrily stared at her. ¡°We have this contract, so what? What can you do, huh? Do you think I don¡¯t know you? You¡¯re taking the Swann Corporation as a joke! No matter what, I can¡¯t let you do it,¡± Korbin dered. After saying that, Korbin turned to everyone in the room and said, ¡°I¡¯m done with this. Let¡¯s vote!¡± He expected these cunning old foxes not to vote in favor of Catherine for such a small benefit. People nodded and decided to proceed with the vote, raising their hands. As long as more than two-thirds of the shareholders disagree, even if Catherine inherited the shares, she wouldn¡¯t be able to be the chairperson. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Just as the vote was about to begin, many people¡¯s phones suddenly started ringing. Those who checked their messages had expressions of surprise and skepticism. Those who didn¡¯t initially pay attention couldn¡¯t help but check their phones when they saw others¡¯ reactions, and they too were astonished. Apart from surprise, guilt seemed to appear on everyone¡¯s faces. They held their phones. tightly, scanning the room anxiously as if worried that something would be exposed. Seeing the crowd¡¯s strange behavior, Korbin furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with all of you? Is something wrong?¡± Everyone avoided his gaze, lowering their heads and refusing to meet his eyes. Leonel smiled faintly, stealing a nce at Catherine, who still had an emotionless face. He knew how capable she was, and witnessing the anxiety on these men¡¯s faces was amusing. Leonel looked at everyone with a cold smirk and chuckled. ¡°Gentlemen, shall we proceed with the voting now?¡± Everyone nodded in agreement, and no one voiced any opposition. After Korbin confirmed, he raised his voice and announced. ¡°The voting assembly officially begins. Those in favor of Catherine assuming the position of the chairperson of the Swann Corporation, please raise your hands.¡± Korbin wore a confident and pleased smile, believing that no one would be foolish enough to let a girl take charge. However, the crowd¡¯s reaction left him stunned. Everyone, except for Korbin, raised their hands. Among them were some of Korbin¡¯s most trusted subordinates, with whom he had worked for many years. This sight made Korbin struggle to ept what was happening. He reiterated, ¡°Gentlemen, I said in favor of Catherine, not opposing her. Did you all hear me? Everyone kept their heads lowered, not daring to meet Korbin¡¯s gaze. Leonel also heard his words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Despite our old age, our hearing is still sharp,¡± he responded. Catherine¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed on her face, indicating her impatience. ¡°Are we done? ¡± she coldly asked. Leonel smiled and answered, ¡°Yes, it is done. Congrattions, Miss Swann, on your sessful election. From now on, you are the chairperson of the Swann Corporation.¡± Korbin was on the verge of madness. He angrily raised his head and pounded the table, which made a loud sound. ¡°Are you all crazy? Choosing a girl to be the chairperson of the Swann Corporation? She¡¯s brainless, and you¡¯re all brainless too?¡± Korbin¡¯s words were already harsh, but he wouldn¡¯t have lost hisposure like this if it weren¡¯t for the fact that this situation was too difficult to ept. The people around him wore unpleasant expressions. In their eyes, Korbin didn¡¯t evenprehend the situation and consequences of his behavior. Catherine had evidence against them, leaving them with no choice but toply with her wishes. Someone couldn¡¯t bear it and retorted directly to Korbin, saying, ¡°Mr. Swann, she¡¯s still your daughter after all. Maybe she has inherited good genes from your family and might also be a business genius. She is one of the Swanns, so why are you so angry?¡± Korbin¡¯s eyes turned cold as he looked at the person speaking, ¡°A business genius? You gotta be kidding me!¡± He didn¡¯t even try to hide his mocking tone, clearly indicating that Catherine wasn¡¯t his daughter in his mind. Leonel couldn¡¯t bear to watch. He was waiting for Catherine to make a move, for he would like to see how she would deal with Korbin, her legal father. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Korbin seethed with anger, but Catherine remainedposed, unaffected by his emotional disy. Her beautiful eyes nced around the room before settling on Korbin, and her lips curled into. a mysterious smile that left everyone wondering what she was thinking. ¡°Mr. Swann, if you desire the position of chairperson, I can offer it to you,¡± she calmly replied. Catherine blinked at him as if waiting for his nod of approval. The people present were shocked to hear Catherine¡¯s unexpected offer, thinking that she was arrogant. They couldn¡¯t believe that she would say such a thing. Leonel, standing behind Catherine, tried his best to maintain a serious expression. While Korbin might not have been as powerful as his father, he still held significant influence in Casier. Catherine offering him the position could easily be misinterpreted as Leonel manipting his daughter. Catherine acted as if she were being gracious to Korbin, but her intentions were clear, to strip. him of his power. It was a brilliant strategic move on her part. Korbin scrutinized Catherine carefully, his eyes cold and resembling those of a venomous snake. In his eyes, this girl was young, ignorant, and full of herself. In his opinion, she was a naive girl who had lost touch with reality after suddenly bing the heir to a major corporation. He found it absurd that she would dare to mock him. She, indeed, was a jinx. Whenever she showed up, there would be problems for the Swanns. Today, he would hand over the chairperson position to her. He wanted to see how this girl could raise the stock price within three months. He believed she would give up within that time, if not sooner. Running apany was not as easy as she seemed to think. She thought running apany was easy, didn¡¯t she? He thought about everything in his mind. ¡°Since you want me to assume the position of chairperson, I¡¯ll help you this time and allow you to gain some experience. But remember our agreement!¡± he replied. After understanding Korbin¡¯s message, Catherine nodded at him and responded, ¡°I always ¡°Hmph!¡± Korbin snorted coldly, stood up, and left the meeting room. Why would he stay here? He didn¡¯t want to be Catherine¡¯sckey. The other shareholders followed suit, leaving the room one by one. Catherine was ready to leave the room as well. However, a woman in a ck suit blocked her path. The woman had oversized sunsses on her face, a severe expression, and spoke without emotion. ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Swann. I am the chairman¡¯s secretary. You can call me Linda. This is the material that Mr. Swann asked me to bring to you. The meeting is over, so you can officially start your position. There will be many documents and projects for you to sign and handle. I hope you can get to know them as soon as possible, and it will be best if you can be prepared by tomorrow.¡± After speaking, she ced a huge pile of files next to Catherine. To familiarize herself with all these files in a day was mission impossible. After cing the items down, Linda bowed to Catherine and exited. Catherine nced at the files on the table and then turned to Leonel, thewyer standing beside her. She raised an eyebrow, disying her carefree and dominant demeanor. Leonel understood her silent inquiry and lowered his voice to exin. ¡°Linda is indeed the secretary, and she has a formidable reputation within the Swann Corporation.¡± Catherine noticed that when Leonel mentioned Linda, he widened his eyes. Catherine took a nce at him, and her delicate eyebrows and eyes exuded a cold and arrogant aura. ¡°Tell me more!¡± Leonel continued in a hushed tone, ¡°Everyone in the Swann Corporation knows Linda. She is highly efficient and ruthless in her methods, earning her the nickname ¡®Crue De Vil.¡¯ Even your father couldn¡¯t control her when she was angry. Her attitude towards you is considered normal, as she doesn¡¯t show favoritism to anyone, not even your father.¡± ¡°Is she good at her job?¡± Catherine tilted her head. If it weren¡¯t for her cold eyes, she could. have looked adorable with her expression and bodynguage. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s question, Leonel promptly raised his thumb and said, ¡°She is the best!¡± If Linda could gain approval from Leonel, she must have extraordinary business skills. Catherine had already sensed this. Linda didn¡¯t seem to underestimate her, but her gaze only held pure dislike. Whether or not Linda liked her was inconsequential. She wasn¡¯t concerned about being universally liked, she was focused on achieving her goals. Leonel rubbed his nose, and his eyes showed a hint of helplessness, for he thought he would climb to a higher position after working for years. He used to be a sessfulwyer, with people begging him to help withwsuits every day. How did he end up like this young girl¡¯s assistant nove? Vicente had indeed caused him a lot of trouble! Looking at the towering stack of documents on the table, Leonel was a bit overwhelmed. Reading everything within a day would be challenging even for a super genius. There was still some time before afternoon sses, and Catherine had nned to rest somewhere. Unfortunately, she would have no choice but read these documents She turned her head, nced at Lawyer Leonel, and said, ¡°If you have other ns, you are free to go.¡± Leonel quickly shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine I am mostly free today. I¡¯ve served the Swann Corporation for over ten years and understand their projects well. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me. Being able to apany someone of Catherine¡¯s stature was an opportunity that others. would envy, so Leonel had no desire to leave Noticing Catherine wanted him to leave, Leonel changed his mind and didn¡¯t see himself as her assistant anymore. At this moment, he sat quietly next to Catherine, as if being able to be next to her was the most significant achievement in his life. Catherine noticed Leonel¡¯s change of mind and decided to let him stay She adjusted herself comfortably, leaned back in the chair, and then took out a document to review. Leonel had been discreetly observing Catherine. He held a cup of coffee, intending to sip to wake himself up However, he hadn¡¯t put it down since he picked up the cup. His mouth was agape as he witnessed the scene before him to the point where he could swallow an egg He had encountered many intelligent people, even geniuses who could grasp information quickly, but Catherine¡¯s ability to flip through pages and understandplex documents within seconds was beyond anything he had witnessed before. Catherine finished reading a document that would have taken an ordinary person a day or a mone intelligent individual half a day, all in less than three minutes. She then casually picked up atavettier f¨¹r frets the desk Oheet as boat passed, end Catherine finished reading thest document. She turned her head and sew Lean froze, as it turned to stocur L?sinuri stated at Ruer with wide eyes, whate to believe what he had just witnessed. He looked at Catherine with a mix of fear and astonishment. Catherine, maintaining a calm expression and a slight frown, gazed back at him and inquired, Can I leave now? Or is there anything else I need to attend to? Her voice was soft and monotone, yet it exuded an undeniable sense of authority that resonated with those who heard it. In an instant, Leonel¡¯s mind snapped back to the present moment.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He gingerly touched his stiff jaw, his surprised expression still lingering on his face. His voice trembled slightly as he responded, ¡°Miss Swann, have youpleted everything? Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Upon hearing Leonel¡¯s question, Catherine nonchntly nodded, as if she were unaffected by anything that had transpired. It had taken an hour, which was too long for her. ¡°I¡¯ve read everything and memorized the main points. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem dealing with the projects of the Swann Corporation. If I have any questions, I¡¯ll contact you!¡± Her voice was cold, without warmth or emotion. However, why did it sound sarcastic to him? Leonel couldn¡¯t help but feel like a fool for offering his support earlier. Did someone like her, who could absorb and memorize so much information in just an hour, truly need his assistance? Seeing Catherine get up and leave, Leonel quickly followed. He finally understood why Mr. Swann insisted strongly on Catherine returning to inherit the family business. There would be no hope for the Swann Corporation without Catherine. She could make the Swann Corporation invincible and always stand undefeated in the industry if she wanted. As they reached the ground floor, Leonel was about to inquire about Catherine¡¯s next destination so he could make the necessary arrangements. Before he could speak, a tall and imposing man suddenly appeared. This man exuded an air of majesty and seemed to bring a chill with him wherever he went. Leonel recognized him as Paxton, Branden¡¯s assistant. However, what was Paxton doing here? Leonel turned his head to look at Catherine beside him. Catherine showed no surprise at Paxton¡¯s presence, as if it wouldn¡¯t faze her no matter who appeared. Paxton maintained a stoic expression as he gazed at Catherine, who reciprocated with a cold and frigid look in her eyes. Paxton respectfully bowed. ¡°Miss Swann, Mr. Duncan heard you are at the Swann Corporation¡¯s office, so he is here to see you. Please follow me.¡± Catherine furrowed her brow upon hearing Paxton¡¯s words. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. It was said that this man was distant and aloof, and yet he stuck to her like a shadow, which was unexpected. However, she wasn¡¯t surprised that Branden knew her whereabouts. After all, the Duncans wouldn¡¯t have dominated the city of Casier for so many years if they didn¡¯t have this ability. Catherine wondered what Branden wanted this time. He had previously treated her to dinner and presented a business project. What was his purpose today? Nevertheless, Catherine disliked dwelling on matters she couldn¡¯t know. She looked up at Paxton, who immediately understood her unspoken request. He gestured respectfully, signaling for Catherine to follow him. Catherine departed, leaving Leonel behind in front of the building Leonel knew that Catherine was Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e, so it didn¡¯t make sense for him to apany them as the third wheel. Branden¡¯s car awaited them at the door, with Paxton opening the door for Catherine. When the car door opened, Catherine saw the attractive and wicked face inside the car. Countless attractive people existed in the world, but it was rare to encounter someone as eye-catching as him. Combined with his aura, he was truly one in a million. Catherine seated herself in the car, and as she did, Branden¡¯s intense gaze, apanied by at faint, elusive smile, locked onto her. Catherine returned his gaze, her expression icy and her eyes indifferent. Yet, her slightly raised eyes seemed to silently question Branden¡¯s purpose foring to see her. Observing Catherine¡¯s demeanor, Branden found her even more intriguing. She was like a captivating puzzle, and the closer he got, the more challenging it became to find a solution. He had received earlier news that Catherine had gone to the Swann Corporation to prepare for assuming the role of chairperson. Did she truly believe she could take over that position? Branden initially considered it nearly impossible when he heard the news, but he wouldn¡¯t mind assisting her if that was her desire. To his surprise, upon rushing over, he learned that almost every shareholder had agreed to have Catherine as the new chairperson. The situation astonished him Once again, Catherine had turned the impossible into the possible, leaving him perplexed as to how she achieved it. From that moment on, he began to believe that she might be the one to seed in the three-month agreement with the Swanns. Branden extended his hand toward Catherine, his slender and fair fingers waiting for her to shake them. ¡°Congrattions, Miss Swann!¡± He purposefully elongated the pronunciation of her name. His voice was deep and maic, and the way he spoke added to his charm. It was impossible to resist his allure. Even Catherine, who usually remained unaffected by the outside world, felt her heart quicken. Her gaze shifted to his hand, noting the distinct joints, slender fingers, and meticulously rounded nails, which disyed an attention to detail. However, Catherine chose not to shake hands with Branden. Although she didn¡¯t dislike him, she didn¡¯t enjoy physical contact with others, regardless of their attractiveness. With a touch of indifference and aloofness in her voice, she replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± Paxton, seated in the driver¡¯s seat, couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked. He had never witnessed anyone behave this way toward his boss. It was indeed a rare sight. His back was drenched, and he felt nervous for Catherine. If his boss became furious, Catherine might be in trouble.. However, his shock intensified in the next moment. Branden didn¡¯t seem offended by Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude. He gracefully withdrew his hand, showing no embarrassment or offense. Branden truly lived up to his reputation, remainingposed and elegant despite the rejection. ¡°Now that the matter with the Swann Corporation has been settled, where would you like to go? It¡¯s lunchtime. Shall we have lunch together?¡± Catherine regarded him with a peculiar look. Why did this man always bring up food? ¡°No, I just need a ce to take a nap!¡± Branden didn¡¯t agree with Catherine¡¯s decision this time or even ask for her opinion before making his own. Because he knew that if he asked, he would be rejected. He coldly instructed Paxton, who was before him, ¡°Drive to Le Bouchon!¡± Le Bouchon was a private dining establishment, and just by its elegant name, Catherine could discern that it offered foreign cuisine. As they arrived at the restaurant, Branden alighted from the car first and then turned, walked towards Catherine, and personally opened the car door, waiting for her to exit. Prior to their arrival, Paxton had already informed the restaurant to prepare for Branden¡¯s visit. The restaurant staff, aware of Branden¡¯s identity, became serious upon hearing that he wasing, eagerly anticipating the arrival of this distinguished guest. However, they were taken aback when they saw this prominent figure opening the door for someone else after he himself had alighted from the car. Could it be that there was an even more prominent figure in the car than the heir of the Duncans? Catherine nced at the scenery outside the car window. Although it was an artificial environment, the decoration was exquisite. Since she hadn¡¯t eaten yet, she thought it would be suitable to have something to eat, considering the ambiance. Everyone noticed her long, slender legs as she stepped out of the car. The next moment, they were astonished by her stunning appearance. Even with a simple white T shirt, her delicate face made people forget about her outfit. She possessed such natural beauty that she would look fabulous, even in pajamas. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 As everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on Catherine, she walked alongside Branden and entered the restaurant. The interior design of the restaurant matched the style of the building, exuding an elegant and unique ambiance that transported people to a foreign country. They were given thergest private room, not in terms of table size, but in its expansive area, resembling a spacious, one-level restaurant. Branden handed the menu to Catherine and asked, ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond, her delicate face resting on her hand, indicating her fatigue and weariness. Branden noticed her exhaustion and sighed as he gazed at her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll order. After we finish eating, I¡¯ll take you to rest,¡± he said in a deep tone. Catherine had no objections. She didn¡¯t enjoy selecting dishes, so she didn¡¯t mind letting Branden decide on the meal. If there was anything she didn¡¯t like, she could choose not to eat it. Since there were only the two of them, Branden thought a simple lunch would be more suitable. He ordered two sets with an appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert, and specifically asked the chef to prepare something spicy for Catherine. Catherine nced at the dishes containing mussels and fish, which appeared appetizing and pleasing to her. Taking the initiative, she picked up the utensils and began eating silently. Catherine remained quiet throughout the meal, and Branden was not particrly talkative either. Neither of them said a word during the lunch. asionally, Branden made a slight sound as he deboned the fish and ced it on Catherine¡¯s te. ¡°Enjoy!¡± he said. Catherine nced at him, her lips curling into a faint smile, radiating a wild and carefree air. The fish dish was delicious but filled with small bones. Therefore, even if Catherine liked it, she preferred not to deal with it. To her surprise, the man sitting across from her patiently removed the fish bones. She wouldn¡¯t refuse his kindness, so she enjoyed the dish without reservation. Paxton¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, disbelief etched on his face. His boss opening the car door for Catherine could be considered a gentlemanly gesture, but deboning the fish for her took it to another level. Was this true love? After finishing the main dish, Catherine leaned back in her chair with half-closed eyes, looking as rxed as a sleepy cat. Observing her in this state, Branden couldn¡¯t help but take another nce at her face. This girl seemed unpredictable, and he felt like he couldn¡¯t fully grasp who she was. ¡°If you are full, we can leave right now!¡± Upon uttering those words, Branden stood up, and Catherine followed suit, leaving the seat. Unexpectedly, Branden didn¡¯t leave the restaurant. Instead, he led her through a beautiful corridor and into another courtyard. Paxton opened the door for them, seeming quite familiar with the ce. Once inside the house, Branden guided Catherine upstairs. He pushed open a door and then turned back, tilting his head towards Catherine, his gaze suggesting something. Catherine wasn¡¯t sure what he was up to, but entering a room alone with a man was a potentially dangerous situation. However, she didn¡¯t fear Branden in the slightest. Furthermore, she knew he wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm her. She walked directly into the room, which was predominantly decorated in ck, white, and gray tones, reflecting Branden¡¯s minimalist style. After appreciating the decor, Catherine turned back with the same gaze, raising her eyebrows and waiting for his next move. ¡°This house is mine. The bedding is changed daily, and it¡¯s all brand new.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Branden pointed toward the nearby bed and slowly approached Catherine, leaning close to her ear before softly saying, ¡°You should go to sleep¡­ I¡¯ll be working!¡± Catherine gave him a cold re. ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡± she thought. Afterward, she reclined on the bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep within a few seconds. Catherine slept soundly, as if alone in the room without anyone else present. Branden took out hisptop, which he always carried with him, and sat quietly on the nearby sofa, working. Even as he typed on the keyboard, he did so gently, ensuring Catherine could rest undisturbed. Time passed swiftly. At half past one in the afternoon, Catherine, who had been peacefully asleep, slowly sat up. There was no rm or disturbance, and she woke up naturally. Interestingly, the moment she woke up coincided perfectly with the time it would take to travel from there to her school, as if she had calcted it in her mind. Even Branden was somewhat surprised by her precision, as it indicated she possessed an exceptional ability to regte her biological clock. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Branden¡¯s deep and maic voice carried warmth, akin to a gentle breeze. Catherine usually disliked hearing people speak immediately after waking up. However, Branden¡¯s voice didn¡¯t bother her. In fact, it was pleasant to listen to. Branden silently observed her as the sunlight intensified, streaming through the white. curtains and gently cascading onto her fair, smooth skin, enhancing her radiance and captivating beauty. Catherine sat for a moment before slowly getting up from the bed. Branden thoughtfully brought her a cup of coffee and handed it to her, asking, ¡°Want some?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t refuse and reached out to take the cup, promptly finishing its contents in one gulp. Her movements were elegant and swift, disying no hesitation. After she handed back the cup, she coldly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, she turned around and left, indifferent to whether Branden followed behind. Branden nced down at the cup beside him, and a faint smile appeared on his face. There was progress; at least she invited him to apany her! After Catherine descended the stairs, she entered Branden¡¯s car, and he drove her to school. As they arrived at their destination, Catherine opened the car door, preparing to leave. Unexpectedly, Branden grabbed her hand. It caused her to turn around and cast an annoyed re at him. It seemed that he was starting. to overstep her boundaries. Catherine had already made up her mind that if Branden couldn¡¯t provide a reasonable exnation this time, she would teach him a lesson, making it clear that he shouldn¡¯t touch her hand without permission. Branden held her wrist with one hand, pulled a box from a drawer next to him with the other, and handed it to her. ¡°Here!¡± Catherine looked at the box and recognized it as chocte, exquisitely packaged and undoubtedly expensive. However, her face didn¡¯t reveal much joy. ¡°I don¡¯t eat sweets,¡± she coldly declined his offering. She preferred intense vors and wasn¡¯t fond of sweets and choctes. Branden gazed at her, a smile forming on his face, which conveyed gentleness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not sweet chocte. You can eat it when your blood sugar is low.¡± Catherine furrowed her brow once again, intrigued by how this man knew about her hypoglycemia. Branden understood the reason behind her expression, but he chose not to respond, instead offering a faint smile. ¡°You should go, or you¡¯ll bete for ss!¡± he advised. Catherine nodded and shook the chocte box in her hand. ¡°Thanks.¡± Her voice remained emotionless, as was typical for her. Then she turned around and left, seemingly forgetting about the lesson she had nned to teach him just a few seconds earlier. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 The ssroom was filled with noise, but it quickly fell silent as Catherine arrived. At that instant, all eyes were focused on her. Moreover, her attire stood out among her ssmates, who were wearing the school uniform. Even in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, she exuded the presence of a movie star walking on a red carpet. Despite the intense scrutiny from her peers, Catherine remained unresponsive, her expression. cold and indifferent, as she made her way directly to her seal. Before she even arrived, Bryan, standing nearby, pulled out a chair and gestured toward Catherine. ¡°Please,¡± he said. Catherine nced at him and nodded, possessing both delicate features and a touch of masculine energy. When Bryan received a response from Catherine, a slight smile appeared on his face. In his view, he felt that he had taken another step towards bing friends with Catherine. Bryan was the most popr boy in the school, and many girls in the ss had a crush on him. To their delight, the typically aloof Bryan suddenly smiled, causing some of them to squeal with excitement. ¡°Oh my god, did you see that? Bryan smiled! He¡¯s so cute!¡± they eximed in thrilled tones. ¡°I saw it too. He¡¯s the cutest guy ever. But why did it seem like he was smiling at that jinx, Catherine? What does she have that deserves it?¡± ¡°Lower your voice! Don¡¯t let him hear you, or you¡¯ll get in trouble!¡± The person stopped talking right away. After settling into her seat, Catherine ced her backpack on the desk, leaned forward, and buried her face in her arms, promptly falling asleep. The gossiping students noticed herck of response and resumed their chattering. ¡°Didn¡¯t Catherine get expelled from school? She wasn¡¯t here in the morning, but now she¡¯s back in the afternoon?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe the Swanns donated another building to the school¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze toward Catherine was filled with mockery. If it weren¡¯t for Bryan¡¯s protection, they might have caused a scene in ss. Unfortunately, the first ss of the afternoon was math. There had also been a math ss in the morning, and the math teacher was quite pleased to find Catherine¡¯s seat empty when she entered the ssroom. She knew a lousy student like Catherine wouldn¡¯t survive in their ss. However, she didn¡¯t expect to see Catherine again in the afternoon, sleeping as usual. Anger surged within her, and she mmed the lesson n on the stage, creating a loud noise. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How can such a lousy student be in my ss?¡± The whole ss fell silent, except for Bryan, who thought the math teacher had gone too far. He was about to speak up for Catherine when she pressed his hand, indicating that he shouldn¡¯t intervene. Catherine, who had been sleeping, slowly sat up and reclined in her chair, assuming a nonchnt posture. She had lunch with Branden, which meant she had half an hour less sleep than usual, leaving her feeling drowsy. She hadn¡¯t expected the teacher to be as irritating as a buzzing fly. Bryan nced at Catherine and noticed her exquisitely beautiful face. Her furrowed eyebrows and the hint of hostility in her gaze sent a chill down everyone¡¯s spines. For some reason, he had a feeling that the math teacher was about to face a tough time. The math teacher locked eyes with Catherine, who exuded a cold and arrogant demeanor, intensifying her inner anger. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you! Acting tough won¡¯t work with me. Weren¡¯t you expelled this morning? How dare you shamelessly return in the afternoon? You¡¯re the ck sheep everywhere. Oh well, don¡¯t take it personally. I understand that you struggle toprehend things since you¡¯re only in elementary school with limited knowledge. I doubt you even understand what I¡¯m saying.¡± The math teacher¡¯s words were undeniably mean, and all the students present struggled to maintain a straight face. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Observing the reactions of her students, the math teacher felt a sense of pride. She raised an eyebrow and directed a scornful gaze at Catherine. ¡°If you have any self-awareness, you shouldn¡¯t stay in this ss. You dropped out in the morning, and now you¡¯re back in the afternoon. Why bother? Be warned! If I have security escort you out, it will be embarrassing for you!¡± Catherine rolled her eyes, a mischievous charm appearing on her delicate face as she raised an eyebrow and directed her gaze towards the stage. ¡°Who told you I was expelled from school this morning?¡± Yesterday, the math teacher had asked her father-inw to call the principal and convince him to remove Catherine from the school, threatening to withdraw their funding otherwise. She didn¡¯t believe that such an underachieving student could continue studying at the school under such circumstances. There would be no good oue for anyone daring to oppose her. ¡°Don¡¯t act tough. Weren¡¯t you expelled? Or did you conveniently take a leave?¡± The math teacher sneered at Catherine, her face oozing sarcasm. ¡°If you¡¯re going to make excuses, leaste up with better ones!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any excuses. I did take a leave!¡± Catherine maintained a calm expression, unruffled by the situation, as she spoke slowly and nonchntly. Upon at hearing Catherine¡¯s words, the math teacher burst intoughter, her mocking gaze bing even more evident. ¡°Hahaha! You trulyck education. I¡¯ll give you an out, and you¡¯ll readily ept it, won¡¯t you?¡± Her eyes widened, and a burning fury was on her face.¡± Catherine, if you haven¡¯t been expelled and only took a leave, I¡¯ll eat this piece of chalk here and now.¡± Catherine suddenly stood up, determination in her gaze as she walked towards the stage. With her hands casually resting in her pockets, she exuded an air of dominance. ¡°Very well, you asked for it!¡± Catherine signaled to Bryan, who discreetly left the ssroom and fetched the homeroom teacher. Bryan promptly returned with the teacher and asked him if Catherine took a leave this morning. The homeroom teacher nodded in front of the ss, a perplexed expression on his face. ¡°Yes, she did take a leave this morning. Wasn¡¯t it due to family issues?¡± The math teacher¡¯s face immediately turned embarrassed. She red at the homeroom teacher, her red nostrils revealing her anger. ¡°Don¡¯t try to protect Catherine. Wasn¡¯t she expelled? And now you im she took a leave. Is this how a teacher should behave in public?¡± Her impolite remarks caused the homeroom teacher¡¯s expression to darken. ¡°What do you mean? I am the homeroom teacher. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know if my student had been expelled? Catherine did take a leave this morning, and I approved it. Her parents called and exined that there were family issues.¡± The homeroom teacher¡¯s exnation left the math teacher pale. ¡°Did Catherine truly take a leave this morning?¡± she wondered. ¡°Well, that means¡­¡± Liana suddenly stood up, sensing the impasse. She pointed at the homeroom teacher and spoke loudly, ¡°She¡¯s lying!¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 The crowd was left dumbfounded, unsure of what was happening. How dare Liana publicly use the homeroom teacher? It took a lot of nerve to do so. The homeroom teacher¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. ¡°Liana, what are you doing? That¡¯s disrespectful. Do you think it¡¯s eptable to speak to a teacher like that?¡± The math teacher saw an opportunity in Liana¡¯s usation and quickly spoke up, saying, Liana, if you know something, don¡¯t be afraid to share it. Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you!¡± Liana nodded, determined to expose Catherine¡¯s true nature at any cost. ¡°I live with Catherine, and my parents have never called the teacher,¡± she revealed. There had been rumors in school that Catherine was a daughter brought back from the countryside by the Swanns. Still, there had been no public evidence. Moreover, Catherine had never mentioned it, so it had always been the word on the street. Liana¡¯s statement seemed to confirm these rumors, implying that Catherine was indeed her sister. As Liana finished speaking, all eyes turned to Catherine, curious to see her reaction. Despite being the center of attention, Catherine remained asposed as ever. Her beautiful yet cold face showed no signs of being affected by Liana¡¯s words. Liana despised Catherine¡¯s calm demeanor. She wanted to see fear in Catherine¡¯s eyes, to make her understand the power she possessed. But Catherine showed no such emotions. Instead, she gazed at Liana with cold eyes. That unchanged gaze somehow made Liana anxious, causing her heart to race. Liana stared back at Catherine, trying to project fearlessness to mask her inner tension. ¡°Well, tell us, did you find someone to impersonate a family member for your absence, or is the homeroom teacher lying?¡± Liana questioned Catherine. Catherine let out a cold chuckle as she looked at Liana. Her calm gaze made Liana¡¯s loud usations look like a monkey¡¯s performance in a zoo, entertaining the crowd. ¡°Liana, since you¡¯re so curious, why don¡¯t you ask the homeroom teacher who called her this morning?¡± Before Liana could ask, the homeroom teacher exined, ¡°It was Catherine¡¯s guardian, the renowned lawyer Mr. Bolton.¡± The custody of Catherine had always been in the hands of Vicente, andter it was transferred to Leonel. Although Catherine was of legal age, the custody hadn¡¯t been terminated since she was still studying. It made it easier for her to attend school with a guardian listed on her paperwork. Liana¡¯s frustrated expression caught Catherine¡¯s attention, bringing a sense of thrill to her. Someone like Liana had never bothered her since they were not on the same level. Unfortunately, Catherine had just woken up and was feeling grumpy. In a bad mood, she was naturally inclined to make those who offended her bear the consequences. Catherine stepped onto the stage and took out a vintage cell phone from her pocket. The sight of Catherine¡¯s outdated phone astonished the onlookers. Was she from thest century? How could she still be using such an old phone? Did she not even use WhatsApp? As everyone stared at Catherine with surprised looks, she turned on the projector connected to the phone and directed her gaze toward Liana with a hint of amusement. ¡°If you¡¯re so curious about what I did this morning, I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing it with you.¡± Catherine tapped the screen of her phone, and a magical scene unfolded. The vintage phone unexpectedly connected to theputer on the stage, disying financial news on the board. ¡°The new chairperson of the Swann Corporation has been elected. The person is Catherine Swann, the second granddaughter of the former chairman of the Swann Corporation Group, Vicente Swann. This news is tracked and reported by Global Financial Times reporter.¡± Global Financial Times, the world¡¯s most famous financial channel, had never made a mistake in their news. They were renowned in the industry. As the news segment ended, everyone in the ss was left in shock. Liana¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Has Catherine be the chairperson?¡± she asked inwardly. ¡°How¡¯s this even possible? Why had her father agreed to such a situation? What was going on? Liana was taken aback, and even Bryan couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. He gave a thumbs up to Catherine, admiration in his eyes. ¡°Catherine, you disappeared all morning dealing with your trillion-dor inheritance. That¡¯s so amazing! You¡¯re my idol from now on, and I¡¯ll call you boss.¡± Everyone present was stunned. They couldn¡¯t believe that their mediocre ssmate had suddenly inherited a trillion-dor fortune. The most skeptical person was the math teacher. She had believed Catherine was a student epted by Sincere High School due to her background, a jinx for her family, and just a nobody. After all, the math teacher also came from a wealthy and distinguished family. However, she hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to have such a background. This girl was the chairperson of the Swann Corporation, and even her father-inw couldn¡¯t do anything to stop her. The math teacher knew that she had gotten herself into trouble. Fear crept into her heart, and Catherine had no intention of letting her off the hook. Catherine didn¡¯t like causing trouble, but once she took action, she showed no mercy. Catherine picked up the chalk holder from the table and threw it,nding it steadily in front of the math teacher. With a cold expression and narrowed eyes, she emitted a chilling aura. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your promise.¡± The math teacher felt afraid and awkwardly smiled. ¡°Catherine, it was just a joke. Let¡¯s forget about it, shall we? It was a misunderstanding, right?¡± She had set aside her pride and would give her all if Catherine didn¡¯t provide an escape route. While this tactic might be effective for others, Catherine showed no concern for this strategy. ¡°I don¡¯t y games,¡± she dered, her emotionless tone emanating an awe-inspiring presence. It was characteristic of Catherine not to leave any opportunity for her adversaries. Catherine directed a fierce gaze at the math teacher, a look thatbined rebellion, arrogance, and a hint of wickedness. ¡°You can rest assured that I¡¯ll keep my promise. If I don¡¯t rank first in the ss next week, I¡¯ll withdraw from school.¡± By uttering these words, she left no room for negotiation or any chance for the math teacher. Catherine knew exactly what she wanted, and she would pursue it relentlessly. Witnessing the math teacher¡¯s embarrassed expression, the surrounding students became apprehensive of Catherine. As the situation reached a deadlock, the homeroom teacher intervened as a mediator. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m making this request on my behalf. Can you reconcile with the math teacher? She didn¡¯t mean any harm. How about if I ask her to apologize, and then we can move forward? What do you think?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Catherine nced at the homeroom teacher, who had been kind to her since the beginning of the school year. Whenever she faced any issues, the homeroom teacher would step in to assist. Considering this, Catherine could agree to the request. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do as you say. Just remember, I¡¯m doing this for you.¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s response, the homeroom teacher promptly fetched the math teacher. ¡°Come on!¡± Reluctantly, the math teacher cast a nce at Catherine and uttered, ¡°What happened today was my mistake. I misunderstood you, and I apologize.¡± Although she didn¡¯t want to apologize to Catherine, she had, at the very least, done so. Since the homeroom teacher had requested forgiveness, Catherine didn¡¯t want to create a scene. With the situation seemingly resolved, people present dispersed. However, Catherine¡¯s next move startled everyone. ¡°Stay put!¡± she suddenlymanded in a chilling voice, her words sharp and authoritative. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Catherine¡¯s sudden remark left everyone curious about her intentions, but they were too apprehensive to inquire. Her imposing presence and aura made people hesitant to approach or provoke her, leaving them powerless. As Catherine took a step forward, the students of ss 8 instinctively recoiled, clearing a path for her to approach someone in the room. It was no secret that Catherine¡¯s target was Liana, and even Liana herself was well aware of it. Liana¡¯s eyes filled with panic as she watched Catherine draw nearer, unable to control the trembling of her fingers. Catherine¡¯s cold, icy gaze pierced through Liana¡¯s heart, exuding danger and aggression, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure. Liana grew increasingly anxious, struggling to steady herself. After all, Catherine was just an unwee girl from the countryside, and there was no reason to fear her. After a moment of self-assurance, Liana mustered the courage to speak. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked Catherine. ¡°What do I want? Haha¡­¡± Catherine sneered, blinking her eyes and casting a casual nce at Liana. Though seemingly indifferent, Liana felt weak in the legs and almost lost her bnce. ¡°Liana, you owe me an apology!¡± Catherine calmly dered, her expression still drowsy. Immediately, Bryan and David chimed in, voicing their support for Catherine. ¡°Yes, you need to apologize to Catherine!¡± Bryan¡¯s cold gaze fixed upon Liana. While everyone in their grade regarded her as the most beautiful girl, he couldn¡¯t stand her, perceiving her as fake and pretentious. She had ndered Catherine today, and he couldn¡¯t tolerate such behavior. He lifted his chin, stared at her arrogantly, and had no intention of showing her respect. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Liana, even the math teacher has apologized. It¡¯s in your best interest to make the right choice and apologize to Catherine now.¡± Anger trembled through Liana as she heard her ssmates¡¯ words. She couldn¡¯tprehend why everyone seemed to be siding with Catherine. Since Catherine¡¯s arrival, everything had changed. Her world had turned upside down, and nothing remained the same. With reddened eyes and a stubborn expression, she appeared deeply wronged, like a helpless stray puppy. ¡°What did I do wrong? Why should I apologize to her? You¡¯re all teaming up and threatening me! Is this what school is supposed to be like?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow, sizing up Liana from head to toe, surprised that this girl possessed enough wit to resort to such underhanded tactics. But would these tricks work? Catherine had no interest in exining further. If Liana hadn¡¯t crossed her path and behaved herself, Catherine wouldn¡¯t have minded letting her continue her carefree life as Miss Swann. After all, Catherine cared little for titles. However, if Liana persisted in creating disturbances that irritated her, she might have to teach her a lesson. Catherine¡¯s delicate eyes revealed a touch of coldness as she stared emotionlessly at Liana. Apologize or drop out of school. It¡¯s your choice,¡± she said. Many people present felt that Catherine had gone too far. Liana had made a mistake, but forcing her to drop out seemed excessive. However, though many students seethed with anger, they didn¡¯t dare voice their opinions, fearing Catherine¡¯s wrath. Liana could feel everyone¡¯s gaze upon her, and embarrassment consumed her. She didn¡¯t want to apologize, but she sensed that Catherine wouldn¡¯t easily let this matter go. Unless she apologized, Catherine would continue to make her life difficult. With the realization that Catherine had be the chairperson and even her father couldn¡¯t control her, Liana suddenly felt a twinge of fear. Could Catherine truly be this influential? Doubts began to cloud her mind. Observing the unfolding situation, the homeroom teacher knew intervention was necessary.¡± I now understand the situation. Liana, you wrongly used Catherine and thought she was lying. It¡¯s only right for you to apologize to Catherine now,¡± she said. Liana¡¯s earlier demeanor had been arrogant, and she had even dared to question the homeroom teacher¡¯s words, raising her voice. Not only Catherine, but even the homeroom teacher herself was displeased. The homeroom teacher¡¯s words presented an opportunity for Liana to save face. After she spoke, Liana offered a tearful, soft apology, revealing her sense of injustice. ¡°Okay, I apologize to Catherine. I was wrong and misunderstood her.¡± ¡°Is this enough, Catherine?¡± When she looked at Catherine, her expression appeared wronged and sad. Still, her eyes were as evil as a snake, as if she wanted to tear Catherine into pieces. Catherine approached her slowly, leaning in slightly, and whispered in a voice only they could hear, ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe what you¡¯re saying.¡± Catherine paused, her tone firm as she continued, ¡°Nevertheless, you have no choice but to apologize to me.¡± After uttering those words, Catherine distanced herself, took a step back, crossed her arms, and regarded Liana with cold eyes full of disdain and contempt. Liana¡¯s face turned red, and she trembled with fury. ¡°Alright, everyone, return to your seats. It¡¯s time for ss!¡± With the homeroom teacher¡¯s intervention, the chaotic drama finally subsided. Catherine returned to her seat, adjusted herself slightly, and dozed off once again. Witnessing her graceful posture, Bryan, seated beside her, felt a profound admiration. He held immense respect for Catherine, realizing that from now on, nobody should disturb her precious sleep. He understood that Catherine cherished her sleep and detested being disturbed. Anyone who disrupted her rest would have to contend with Bryan. The incident had disrupted the ss for a significant portion of the period. The remaining half of the math ss was canceled, and the teacher allowed the students to study independently. After a few minutes, the break began. Bryan, David, and their friends issued a decree to the students of ss 8. Henceforth, the ss must remain silent during breaks, and Bryan would address anyone causing a disturbance. No student at Sincere Highschool dared to cross Bryan, so onlookers were astonished as they passed by ss 8. Even during break time, ss 8 remained as quiet as a ghost town, as if no one was present. Passersby were puzzled by this unusual scene. ss 8 truly lived up to its reputation as the top ss in the grade, the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me. With such dedication to learning, it was no wonder ss 8 ranked first. Catherine slept through the entire ss, awakening only when the final bell rang, as though triggered by an rm clock. Bryan noticed her waking up and kindly offered her a warm water bottle, ¡°Catherine, this is my new water bottle. It¡¯s been sterilized, and the water temperature is maintained at 55 degrees Celsius, which is optimal for the throat. I thought you might be thirsty after waking up. Please, have some.¡± Catherine nced at him, her face expressionless. Though she recognized Bryan¡¯s attempt to please her, she maintained her cold and distant demeanor. However, she reached out and epted the water bottle from Bryan¡¯s hand. Taking a slow sip, she found the water refreshing. This guy was considerate. Seeing that she didn¡¯t frown, Bryan sensed she was in a good mood and took the opportunity to share his thoughts. ¡°Catherine, can I call you Boss?¡± Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Bryan had never expected to be friends with Catherine. He believed he didn¡¯t deserve such an honor. Catherine possessed amanding personality, exceptionalbat skills, and remarkable intelligence. If she were an ordinary student, could she have taken a half-day leave and assumed the position of chairperson? While Bryan didn¡¯t even know which university he would attend, Catherine had already be the chairperson. Not many people could reach such a position, so naturally, Bryan wanted to be by her side. Catherine furrowed her brows slightly upon hearing Bryan¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t a gang leader. Why would she need someone to address her as ¡°Boss¡±? Ronin, that brat, often called her Boss, but she wasn¡¯t interested in acquiring another ckey. ¡°If Ronin discovered that she was recruiting someone like Bryan, who knew what trouble it would cause? Thinking about the restless Ronin, Catherine was somewhat worried. She hesitated for a moment, lazily choosing not to respond. Bryan panicked at her reaction. He had already given up everything, his pride and dignity, just to be Catherine¡¯s follower. Everything would be fine as long as he could serve Catherine. ¡°Catherine, please ept me. There are many things to handle in school, and I can run errands for you. You don¡¯t want too many troubles, right?¡± ¡°Let me tell you, I may not excel at anything else, but I know how to make your life in school easier. I¡¯m not boasting.¡± David had nned to turn around and ask Bryan where they should go after school, and he was shocked to hear Bryan shamelessly volunteering himself. His eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Was that still the Bryan he knew? He couldn¡¯t believe Bryan would make such an effort to be someone¡¯s follower. Catherine hesitated for a moment. She had to admit that Bryan had some insight into people. At the very least, he recognized that she didn¡¯t like trouble, which meant she waszy. She agreed to Bryan¡¯s proposal since Ronin was not around. ¡°Alright, that¡¯ll do!¡± After giving Bryan an answer, Catherine stood up and gracefully walked away from her seat. It took Bryan a moment to react. He watched Catherine¡¯s retreating figure and thought about how much he admired her. ¡°Catherine is the coolest person in the world!¡± he muttered to himself. As Bryan helped Catherine tidy up the table, he respectfully bid her farewell from behind.¡± Catherine, it was an honor! See you tomorrow.¡± Some ssmates who hadn¡¯t left the ssroom almost stumbled upon hearing Bryan¡¯s fawning words. They thought Bryan had gone crazy. It was all because of Catherine. Meanwhile, Liana was on her way back home. As soon as she returned from school, she sought out her mom. With tears streaming down her face, she recounted the events of the day to Rachael. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t deserve to be treated like this. You have to stand up for me.¡± Rachael was frustrated too. She gently patted Liana¡¯s hand to offerfort. ¡°My baby girl, I know you¡¯ve been wronged. Catherine is a disaster, and she has caused enough trouble for me since she came back.¡± Liana wholeheartedly agreed with her mother¡¯s words. She clung to her mother¡¯s arm, acting like a child begging for a toy. ¡°Mommy, can we send her away? I don¡¯t want to see her anymore. Let¡¯s send this jinx back to the countryside.¡± Liana believed that once Catherine disappeared, everything would return to normal, and she could go back to her previous life. Rachael also wanted Catherine to leave. However, before returning home, she had discovered that the jinx had be the chairperson. She even tried to seek confirmation from Korbin, but he had asked her to leave his office. Korbin advised her to endure for three months to avoid conflicts with Catherine. After three months, he promised to send Catherine back to the countryside for good and ensure she would never return. Korbin repeatedly warned Rachael not to stir up trouble at this time. He suspected that there were others behind Catherine, and she was merely a pawn in a bigger game. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to threaten so many people. Though Catherine was now the chairperson of the Swann Corporation, Korbin believed she was just a minor character. If he sent her back to the countryside, left her to starve, or even harmed her, rumors would spread. The public would side with her, which would be detrimental to the Swann Corporation. In order to protect the assets of the Swann Corporation, Rachael wanted Liana to endure for the time being. She tried to analyze the situation with Liana. Unfortunately, Liana couldn¡¯t understand and focused solely on her anger toward Catherine. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve changed. You don¡¯t want to help me anymore!¡± Rachael looked at her daughter, who bore a resemnce to her. However, she felt rather upset. Liana may have looked like her, but how could she be so clueless? ¡°Liana, listen to me. This is a critical moment. It¡¯s best for you not to act out. I promise you, I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡± After saying that, Rachael stood up and paid no further attention to Liana. She was going to have dinner with other socialites. Socializing with the upper ss was more important thanforting her daughter in this moment. She gave Liana some time to contemte. If Liana couldn¡¯t grasp the situation, then she didn¡¯t deserve to be her daughter. Once Rachael left, Liana couldn¡¯t contain her anger any longer. She swept away everything around her and smashed it forcefully onto the floor. Her fierce gaze locked onto the mess before her, burning with intense anger. Her fingers turned white and contorted after her violent outburst. She had reached her limit. Catherine had changed everything. Even her mother no longer loved her as much, and she was expected to tolerate Catherine. How much more could she endure? Hadn¡¯t she been humiliated enough? It was all Catherine. It was all her fault. Liana was determined to make Catherine pay the price. She continued to dwell on ways to exact revenge. Tuesday arrived quickly, and exams were just a routine part of school life. However, today¡¯s exam held special significance for the students of ss 8. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ss 8 had a significant wager riding on this exam. To prevent cheating, the teachers had arranged for an empty ssroom and divided the students into two separate exam rooms. Each desk was positioned one meter apart, ensuring that it was impossible to nce at others¡¯ answers. Intentionally, Catherine and Bryan were ced in different sses. Furthermore, the math teacher had volunteered to be the proctor. Everyone could see that these arrangements were specifically targeting Catherine, and there was a prevailing belief that she would be expelled from the school. Upon hearing about the exam rules, Bryan grew highly anxious and sought out Catherine. Boss, don¡¯t submit your paper too early. Try to dy until thest possible moment. After each exam, I¡¯ll quickly approach you while David distracts the teacher. I¡¯ll pass you the answers, and all you need to do is copy them. Understand?¡± he whispered to her. Catherine raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze without uttering a word. Observing her nonchnt demeanor, Bryan grew even more concerned. ¡°Boss, I know you prefer to rely on your own abilities and would rather lose than cheat. But please, heed my advice. The math teacher has set her sights on you. Why should we y into her hands?¡± ¡°Trust me. If we follow my n, everything will be fine.¡± Bryan wanted to offer more guidance, but seeing Catherine¡¯s apparent indifference, he realized he was running out of time. The school bell rang at that moment. Bryan had to return to his exam room, needing every second avable. He emphasized to Catherine repeatedly, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m leaving now. You must follow my instructions, alright?¡± Catherinezily looked up, her drowsy eyes giving off an air of indifference, and watched Bryan rush back to his exam room. She remained as stunning as ever, her lovely face adorned with a faint hint of amusement at the corner of her lips. She was sure she wouldn¡¯t lose. Haha! Chapter 59 Chapter 59 When the exam began, the math teacher entered the ssroom and distributed the papers. She immediately noticed that Catherine was sleeping on the desk as usual and didn¡¯t wake her up. As the students received their exam papers, Catherine continued to sleep, undisturbed. Even halfway through the exam, Catherine remained in slumber. Only in thest five minutes did Catherine finally wake. Wearing a smug smile, the math teacher believed Catherine had barely enough time to write her name on the paper. The math teacher thought Catherine would lose the bet this time, and it would be a relief to get rid of her troublesome presence in the school. The students stood up as the exam bell rang and turned in their papers. ¡°Catherine was no exception. The math teacher nced at her without bothering to look at her answers. In the math teacher¡¯s view, five minutes wouldn¡¯t be sufficient to answer even a single question. She thought, ¡°I won¡¯t waste my time on her.¡± The math teacher was confident that Catherine, the uncultured country girl, would lose the bet. When Catherine left the exam room, she spotted Bryan rushing towards her, sweat dripping from his face. Bryan looked at Catherine with guilt and said, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect the math teacher to be so ruthless. She even managed to bribe the proctor in my exam room. The teacher deliberately prevented me from submitting my paper before the bell rang.¡± Catherine nced at him indifferently and spoke emotionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The arrangements were less strict since it wasn¡¯t a significant exam. There was only a ten- minute break between the two exams, and soon the bell rang again. Bryan repeatedly promised to obtain the answers for Catherine. Unfortunately, he broke his promise again. Who could have imagined this exam would be so serious? It was the same proctor. Catherine continued her usual routine of sleeping, waking up only in thest five minutes to hastily scribble something on the exam paper. The math teacher, seeing Catherine¡¯s pattern, paid her no further attention. In her eyes, this girl had no chance of winning the bet. Catherine was the first to leave the ssroom when the bell rang. Once she departed, the ssmates inside started gossiping. ¡°Hey, did you see that? Catherine slept the entire time and only woke up in thest five minutes to write her name and submit the paper.¡± A ssmate sitting near Catherine countered, ¡°I saw her paper, and she actually answered most of the questions. It wasn¡¯t just her name.¡± Upon hearing this, another ssmate sneered. ¡°Hmph! Even if she filled the paper, her answers are rubbish. What can you write in five minutes? Does she think she can top the exam by scribbling whateveres to mind? Who does she think she is?¡± The ssmates continued their discussion about Catherine. As Bryan entered the room, he overheard these conversations, and his expression turned gloomy. ¡°Damn it! She just agreed to be my Boss yesterday, and now it seems like she¡¯ll be expelled from the school soon,¡± he thought. No, he needed to talk to Catherine. He wanted to ask her which school she nned to transfer to so he could follow her. With that in mind, he hurriedly left the ssroom. Unfortunately, Bryan didn¡¯t catch up with her. He rushed to the school gate, only to see Catherine boarding a car. This time, it wasn¡¯t the shy Maybach with the expensive license te from before, but a low -key ck Mercedes. Bryan wasn¡¯t surprised that Catherine¡¯s daily transportation was a luxury car. After all, she was the chairperson of the Swann Corporation, set to inherit billions of dors. He just marveled at how impressive his boss was. As Catherine entered the car, Leonel handed her thetestpany report. ¡°Miss Swann, the transition of your position is almostplete. Linda informed us to meet at the office today because a project contract requires your signature. Please be prepared,¡± he said. Catherine understood the underlying message behind Leonel¡¯s final remark. Linda, the former chairperson¡¯s secretary, had always doubted Catherine¡¯s abilities and believed she shouldn¡¯t hold this position. This meeting with Linda could prove to be quite challenging. After hearing Leonel¡¯s reminder, Catherine remainedposed, as if she were an outsider unaffected by the situation. Her gaze fell upon Leonel, her expression indifferent and cold. Leonel, a middle-aged man, felt a shiver down his spine under Catherine¡¯s piercing stare. Her gaze was enough to unnerve anyone. ¡°Miss Swann, please let me know if you need anything. Your gaze is making me nervous,¡± he said carefully. Catherine said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, but you don¡¯t need to call me Miss Swann. Just call me Catherine.¡± Leonel didn¡¯t object, immediately nodding respectfully and courteously. ¡°Alright, Catherine.¡± Calling this prominent figure by her first name made Leonel uneasy. As awyer, he always had to be mindful of hisnguage. Catherine noticed that he didn¡¯t change the way he addressed her, but she didn¡¯t mind. As long as he didn¡¯t call her ¡°Madam Swann,¡± it was fine. She didn¡¯t want people treating her as if she were an old woman. Upon arriving at the Swann Corporation building, Leonel escorted Catherine to the chairperson¡¯s office. Linda, who was considered Crue De Vil, was already waiting for her. As Catherine entered, Linda greeted her with utmost respect. ¡°How are you, Miss Swann?¡± On the contrary, Catherine nced at her and went straight to the office. Observing the new chairperson¡¯s disregard for Linda, who had gained a reputation as Crue De Vil, the secretaries on the same floor held an admiring look. ¡°The new chairperson, Miss Swann, is so bold! Look, she even dares to ignore Linda.¡± After one executive secretary finished speaking, another secretary lowered her voice and said, ¡°Bold? She might be beautiful, but can this young girl reallypete with Linda? I¡¯ve heard. that the Swanns¡¯ countryside daughter is nothing more than an ignorant fool. She¡¯s just an innocent child who knows nothing. Mr. Swann stepped aside to appease the public. She¡¯ll likely be put back in her ce within a week.¡± Doubting the im, someone asked quietly, ¡°Is it true? Where did you hear that?¡± ¡°Guess who? It was Mr. Swann¡¯s senior assistant who told me! It¡¯s reliable information. This girl won¡¯t remain as chairperson for more than a week.¡± The secretaries continued to discuss Catherine. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Linda noticed the murmurs among the crowd. With her years of experience at the Swann Corporation, she understood the ever-changing dynamics of the corporate world. She could tell that Catherine had more presence than the other heirs of the Swanns. However, whether Catherine wouldst a week or three months remained unknown to Linda. It wasn¡¯t her concern. Her focus was on doing her job. Linda stepped into the office with her team, holding the files and cing them in front of Catherine. Her demeanor was respectful yet firm. ¡°Miss Swann, these are the documents. If everything is in order, please sign here.¡± Catherine nodded and proceeded to open the files, her beautiful face exhibiting a mix of charm and icy determination. One of the secretaries apanying Linda was secretly surprised upon seeing Catherine¡¯s documents. Linda didn¡¯t provide Catherine with a tranted cooperation proposal but rather the original version sent by their Creybian client. The client was from Creybia, and the document was all in Creybian. Not only that, but the document also involved many professional terms, so even for someone with a Creybian literature degree, tranting the content would take some time. It was widely known that the new chairperson had never attended university. Was Linda attempting to embarrass Miss Swann by forcing her to read the Creybian contract? The apanying secretary felt anxious, fearing that she would be caught in the crossfire of power dynamics among these influential individuals. She understood that their new chairperson, Miss Swann, would face significant challenges within the company. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Even Leonel, who stood by Catherine¡¯s side, was shocked, just like the secretary. As an outstanding graduate of a world-renowned political science andw school, he had confidence in his fluency in Theisian, the universalnguage. However, Creybian wasn¡¯t his strong suit. He worried about Catherine because Linda deliberately made things difficult for her. He feared that Catherine would end up embarrassing herself this time. With a nk expression, Catherine picked up the document and spent a minute meticulously reading every word on the paper. Linda observed Catherine scanning the content and believed that she was merely putting on an act. She couldn¡¯t hide the flicker of disdain in her eyes. The document was in Creybian, known as one of the most challengingnguages in the world. If Catherine had requested a tranted version, Linda would have provided it. But since Catherine aimed to impress and didn¡¯t seek assistance, Linda chose not to offer it. Catherine reached for the pen beside her and signed her name on thest page of the contract. Linda¡¯s face turned gloomy upon seeing Catherineplete the signing. In the end, this girl was ill-suited to be the chairperson of Swann Corporation. Did she event comprehend the significance of her signature? How dare she sign without delving into the details? This audacious move took everyone by surprise. Catherine seemed unconcerned about making a fool of herself, so Linda assumed she would stay on the sidelines. From behind, Linda retrieved another document, an Eskanan trantion of the Creybian contract. She looked at Catherine with a cold expression, her attitude bordering on impoliteness. ¡°Miss Swann, here is the tranted version. Would you like to take a look?¡± Catherine epted the documents and briefly scanned the content. She then raised her gaze slowly, her eyes ice-cold as she stared at Linda. Her voice dripped with coldness and severity as she spoke, ¡°Who tranted this?¡± Seeing her cold expression, Linda suddenly felt uneasy and stressed. She had nned to give Catherine a lesson, but now she could only confess everything. ¡°Miss Swann, the trantor, is the secretary in charge of our business with Creybia. Is there anything problem?¡± she asked. Bago and tanned the third line. She gave Linda a cold nce, her deep eyes sharp and chilling like an eagle, making everyone anxious. The words she spoke were even colder and more terrifying. ¡°As a professional Creybian trantor, the person made the most basic grammatical mistake.¡± Linda quickly approached to take a look. While she wasn¡¯t an expert in Creybian, she was proficient in eightnguages and could understand to some extent. After reading what Catherine pointed out and carefully reviewing the content, she discovered a trantion error. She was suddenly struck with shock, feeling as if she had been struck by lightning. Embarrassment washed over her. Her n had been to teach Catherine a lesson, but now she found herself unable to provide an urate trantion of the document. It wasn¡¯t Catherine who would end up embarrassed; it was Linda herself. Despite being middle-aged, Linda felt like a clown in the presence of Catherine, a young girl. She berated herself forcking the necessary abilities and attempting to embarrass others. In the end, she had only made a fool of herself. Upon discovering the mistake, Linda immediately offered a respectful and sincere apology.¡± Miss Swann, I¡¯m sorry. It was my mistake in my work. I am willing to ept any punishment, and I ask for your forgiveness.¡± Everyone present was dumbfounded. Miss Swann had already made Linda listen to her? People had anticipated that Catherine would seize this opportunity to win Linda¡¯s favor and gain some advantages. However, to their surprise, Catherine publicly reprimanded Linda without showing any mercy. ¡°Your performance bonus for this month will be deducted. Consider it your punishment, Catherine said with a rxed tone. The junior secretary beside Linda turned pale with fear, ncing at her cautiously, wondering if Linda would explode in anger. Contrary to their expectations, Linda nodded without any retort and replied, ¡°Thank you, Miss Swann.¡± The junior secretary couldn¡¯t believe what she had witnessed. Crue De Vil had vanished, and Miss Swann emerged as the true queen. Linda was known for her strong principles and refusal topromise, which meant she couldn¡¯t tolerate the slightest mistake. She had made a mistake, and if Catherine hadn¡¯t punished her, Linda would have looked down upon her. On the other hand, Catherine¡¯s actions further solidified Linda¡¯s appreciation for her unwavering determination. After this lesson, Linda no longer dared to make things difficult for the new chairperson. She now realized that Miss Swann was an extraordinary individual. Handing another document to Catherine, Linda said, ¡°Miss Swann, this is the financial allocation for this month. Please take a look.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Catherine respondedzily, her attitude nonchnt. However, no one dared to question her in the office. After all, they had all witnessed the earlier scene and understood that challenging her would lead to dire consequences. Catherine nced at the financial allocation and could see everything. After all, the Swann Corporation was arge enterprise, and Vicente had only hired talents. The ounts were meticulously done. Though she could grasp everything at a nce, her eyes narrowed, and a sudden change came over her face as she noticed a particr personal allocation. Linda no longer underestimated Catherine and promptly detected the shift in her expression. ¡°Miss Swann, this is a personal fund request from Mr. Johnathan. It went through a private ount, and one million was transferred from herest week,¡± Linda exined promptly. Catherine furrowed her brows, feeling perplexed. ¡°Does he have the authority to do that?¡± ¡°Miss Swann, this was demanded by Mr. Johnathan. His uncle is the finance manager in charge of disbursements, and the Swanns¡¯ children have monthly allowances. This is considered an advance payment, and he has already exceeded the limit by over three million.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Johnathan had previously restrained himself while Vicente was alive, requesting only small amounts, typically a few hundred thousand. After all, Johnathan was Vicente¡¯s grandson, so he had never taken this issue seriously. However, after Vicente¡¯s passing, Johnathan began acting without restraint. He saw himself as the Swanns¡¯ heir and took advantage of the Swann Corporation. With his rtive serving as the finance manager, he found various excuses to borrow money from thepany. After Linda rified the situation, Catherine¡¯s face darkened. She issued an order to Linda, saying, ¡°Notify the HR department to terminate the employment of this finance manager due to negligence in his duties.¡± Even Linda was taken aback by such amand. Linda had just mentioned that the finance manager was Johnathan¡¯s uncle, which meant he was Catherine¡¯s uncle as well. Was Catherine truly nning to fire her own uncle? Linda hesitated for a moment and then spoke slowly, ¡°Miss Swann, are you absolutely sure about this?¡± Catherine raised her head slowly, her cold gaze fixed on Linda, exuding an imposing and intimidating aura that sent shivers down one¡¯s spine. ¡°What seems to be the problem? Wasn¡¯t I clear enough?¡± she calmly inquired. However, her seemingly in words carried a strong undercurrent of threat. Even Linda, an experienced businesswoman, felt a sense of fear. ¡°Yes, Miss Swann. I will issue the instructions to the HR department today,¡± she promptly responded. ¡°Is there anything else I can assist you with, Miss Swann?¡± Catherine waved her hand dismissively, and Linda, along with the junior secretary, respectfully exited the office. Linda even closed the office door behind her before leaving. Once they were gone, the junior secretary patted her chest in relief and said to Linda, ¡°Linda, Miss Swann has such amanding presence. It¡¯s hard to believe she¡¯s still a student.¡± Linda nced at the secretary, silently conveying that she waspletely unaware of the true situation. Then she walked away with a mysterious smile. ¡°The new chairperson looks like a kitten but is a tiger. It seems that the Swann Corporation will change upside down,¡± she thought. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Soon, everyone else left, leaving only Catherine and Leonel in the spacious chairperson¡¯s office. Knowing that it wasn¡¯t the right time earlier with others around, Leonel finally mustered the courage to speak up. ¡°Miss Swann, do you intend to shake up the Swann Corporation?¡± he asked. Catherine casually reclined on the genuine leather sofa. ¡°Something is decaying here. Should we let it fester instead of cutting it off?¡± she responded without even ncing at Leonel. She was right, but the Swanns was not ordinary. It was inevitable for prestigious families to have their share of hidden secrets. Moreover, Eskana culture ced a high value on familial connections. People often trusted their rtives and friends rather than hiring outside talent for important positions. Over time, this led to issues and problems withinpanies. After giving it some thought, Leonel concluded that he should still remind Catherine so she could make the right decision. ¡°Miss Swann, even when your grandfather was alive, he struggled with such matters. After all, every rose has its thorns. You should proceed with caution,¡± he advised. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. A hint of coldness flickered across Catherine¡¯s indifferent face, disying her determination and pride. She smirked as she looked at the name of the finance manager on the document, her gaze icy and piercing. She had to cut out the rot. Out with the old, and in with the new. Catherine had a few responsibilities at the Swann Corporation, overseeing arge team of talented individuals. If every decision had to go through the chairperson, what was the purpose of having these capable people? Thepany would be fine even if there were no decision-makers for two or three months. The management team that Vicente hired would ensure the continuation of thepany¡¯s base operations. However, achieving Catherine¡¯s target of a 30% increase in stock price within three months seemed nearly impossible. That goal could only be realized if Catherine found a project capable of rapidly boosting the Swann Corporation¡¯s stock price and instilling significant hope in the shareholders. Otherwise, it would remain a mere fantasy. Having waited for the past two days, Leonel couldn¡¯t help but worry when he saw no signs of action from Catherine. He wondered if Catherine¡¯s three-month n was merely a temporary strategy or if she had other ideas in mind. Her calm demeanor was making him anxious. ¡°Miss Swann, I have a few documents here. Would you like to take a look? These are the contacts of your grandfather¡¯s friends. With their assistance, we might be able to secure some promising projects,¡± Leonel proposed. At that moment, Catherine held her vintage phone and deftly yed a game, her fingers moving swiftly. While Leonel spoke, she encountered an opposing team in the game, a squad of four members. She, on the other hand, was ying solo. In her hands, she held a VSS sniper rifle, while the sniper on the opposite hill wielded a 98K rifle with a long-range scope of at least 6x magnification. The enemy team had the upper hand, as the sniper on the opposite hill didn¡¯t consider Catherine a significant threat. Furthermore, Catherine wore only a level 2 helmet. If her enemies raised their guns, a single grazing shot would eliminate her Undeterred, Catherine calmly tossed a smoke grenade towards the southeast corner, then turned her attention to the documents Leonel had ced before her, nodding as if she was indifferent. ¡°Looks good!¡± Observing her engrossed in the game, Leonel leaned in to take a look at her phone and realized it was the same game his son had been yingtely. Catherine swiftly opened the built-in scope of the VSS and fired a volley of shots. Utilizing the silencer, she skillfully took down the opposing sniper with three urate shots. Capitalizing on her opponents¡¯ distraction, she seized the opportunity and created a diversion by throwing two smoke grenades. Seeing that she has thrown smoke grenades, the enemies assumed she was scared and was trying to escape. After all, one against four had little chance of sess. Who could have known that she would make it to the door and, with a hand grenade, kill a team with four members? Her enemies were furious and cursed. ¡°What the hell? Is she cheating? How is this even possible? VSS against the godlike 98K sniper rifle, and thetter lost? Something¡¯s fishy.. ¡°I am sure she is cheating! I¡¯ll report this ount. If the report fails, I¡¯m deleting the game tomorrow!¡± ¡°Yeah, we have to report this yer¡­¡± The four-member team continued toin about Catherine. She responded with boredom, smirking at their antics before turning off the game. Turning her head, she noticed Leonel staring intently at her phone. Arching an eyebrow, she shot him a questioning look. Leonel immediately snapped out of it, his embarrassment evident. ¡°I was checking it out since my son ys this game too. It seems you have great skills,¡± he exined. This game had gained worldwide poprity, with daily top-up volumes nearly surpassing those of a mobile game Catherine had developed in the past. Curiosity piqued, Catherine yed the game as part of her preparatory work for the game she nned to develop for the Duncan Corporation. ¡°I know!¡± Catherine responded calmly and began reviewing the papers Leonel had given her. Just as she picked up one of the documents, the office door suddenly burst open. Quickly following, Johnathan stormed towards Catherine¡¯s desk, his face filled with anger and arrogance. Linda and the junior secretaries trailed behind him. Linda nced at Catherine and respectfully spoke, ¡°Miss Swann, I apologize for the disturbance. Allow me to escort Mr. Johnathan out!¡± Catherine¡¯s expression remained indifferent as she allowed Linda to handle the situation. Linda reached out to grab Johnathan but was forcefully pushed away by him. Johnathan red at Linda with disdain and cursed, ¡°Bitch, mind your own business. I¡¯m here to deal with that jinx, not you. Get the fuck out of here.¡± Johnathan¡¯s icy gaze lingered on Linda, his face exuding contempt and haughtiness. He couldn¡¯t understand why everyone, even his father, feared Linda. What was so terrifying about this woman? This was the Swann Corporation, apany that would one day belong to him. Why would he allow this woman to interfere in his affairs? Linda straightened her posture, her face growing gloomy. She reached for her business phone, intending to call the security guards. Who did this brat think he was? However, as she reached for her phone, she felt a piercing gaze and looked up. She met Catherine¡¯s cold eyes and instantly understood what Catherine meant. She put her phone down and waited to see how she would handle the situation. Johnathan thought Linda was scared of him. He also thought he was in charge and pped the desk before Catherine. ¡°Who do you think you are? Who told you you could ask the HR department to fire my uncle?¡± he shouted at her. Leonel sighed. He still couldn¡¯t understand how the Swanns could rear such a child. Fortunately, Vicente had the foresight to write a will in advance. He would like to see how Catherine would deal with this spoiled boy of the Swanns. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 While Johnathan yelled and screamed, Catherine remained unfazed, as if he didn¡¯t even exist. Seeing that he failed to provoke a reaction from her, Johnathan grew even more upset. ¡°Catherine, you think you are the boss here, huh? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? ¡°Are you guilty? Scared?¡± Catherine took the office namete and showed it to Johnathan. Johnathan was about to continue yelling, but her action puzzled him. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± he asked with a confused look on him. ¡°Ha!¡± Catherine sneered, her beautiful eyes filled with disdain and mockery. ¡°I may not be highly educated, but does Mr. Johnathan not know how to read either?¡± As Johnathan continued to struggle with understanding, Leonel, who stood behind Catherine, stepped in to rify. ¡°Mr. Johnathan, the namete says ¡®chairperson.¡¯ Each namete represents the responsibility and identity of an individual. Miss Swann¡¯s namete says ¡®chairperson,¡¯ signifying that she is the highest decision-maker of the Swann Corporation. She has the authority to dismiss anyone she chooses. Surely you understand this,¡± he exined. In other words, he was subtly ridiculing Johnathan forcking intelligence. Johnathan might have caused a scene at home if he was unhappy with Catherine¡¯s actions. But how dare hee to the office and create a disturbance? Was he seeking trouble? Leonel had assisted Catherine on numerous asions, which had led to Johnathan harboring dislike towards him. ¡°Excuse me? You better shut the hell up. I am Johnathan Swann, the young master of the Swanns. In the future, the entire family will be mine. Believe it or not, the first person I¡¯ll fire will be you!¡± Unperturbed, Leonel smiled at Johnathan¡¯s warnings and threats. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting for you to fire me, Mr. Johnathan.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After saying that, he paused and spoke slowly. ¡°But I must remind Mr. Johnathan of something. Miss Swann will be the one to inherit everything from the Swanns, not you. You have nothing but a title, so would you like to exin how you will fire me then?¡± Leonel¡¯s words struck Johnathan like a harsh p in the face. Leonel had served the Swann Corporation for many years, and even Korbin Swann had treated him with respect. Johnathan, on the other hand, dared to shout and yell at Leonel as he pleased. Was he not digging his own grave by doing so? Unable to act against Leonel, Johnathan redirected his attention back to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, listen to me. You¡¯re nothing but a jinx. Ever since you came back, everything has been in chaos. Know your ce, get out of here, and let my uncle return to thepany. Otherwise, I will make sure you regret it,¡± he threatened. In the next moment, Catherine suddenly stood up Everyone could feel the tension rise in the office. No one knew what Catherine had in mind, and even Johnathan began to feel a hint of nervousness. Deep down, he was confident that Catherine wouldn¡¯t darey a hand on him. After all, he was the only male heir of the Swanns, and people had to call him Mr. Johnathan. If Catherine were to harm him in any way, his mother wouldn¡¯t let her get away with it. Catherine rose to her feet, her captivating eyes sweeping across the office until they fixed upon her grandfather¡¯s disy cab. On top of the exquisite wooden disy cab were various collections, including a leather horse whip that was a beloved possession of Vicente. A faint smirk of disdain crossed Catherine¡¯s cold and impassive face as her gaze fell upon the whip. She approached the cab slowly, taking the whip into her hands. Suddenly, Catherine turned around. With a forceful crack, the whip struck next to Johnathan¡¯s feet, making him instantly step back in fear. Once he regained his bnce, he looked at Catherine with contempt and defiance. He thought she was frightening him but would not darey a finger on him. ¡°If you have the guts, do it!¡± he shouted angrily. Leonel, unable to bear witness to what might unfold, covered his eyes, fearing the consequences. He certainly hadn¡¯t anticipated that Mr. Johnathan had a fondness for being whipped! Disregarding Johnathan¡¯s provocation, Catherine sneered with disdain, a smirk ying on her cold face. Once again, she swung the whip with force, causing it to whizz through the air, producing a loud crack as it struck Johnathan¡¯s shoulder. The next second, a shocking scream reverberated through the entire office. ¡°Ah_¡± Everyone present was dumbfounded. No one had expected Catherine to whip Johnathan, the spoiled boy of the Swanns, so publicly. Even Linda, and the others, were somewhat amazed by Catherine¡¯s audacity. ¡°This is just the firstsh, and it is for disrespecting Linda and Leonel. You are a descendant of the Swanns, and they contributed greatly to the Swanns. It¡¯s not your ce to lecture them.¡± After saying that, Catherine swung her whip again. The whip hit Johnathan¡¯s back as if it knew where to hit. The whip struck Johnathan¡¯s back, finding its mark amid the bones, inflicting excruciating pain. Gasping for breath, he copsed onto the floor, pathetically rubbing his back. Johnathan writhed in agony, his screams and moans filling the air. The once arrogant demeanor had completely vanished, reced by a pitiful figure desperately attempting to alleviate the pain. ¡°Catherine, have you gone mad? How dare you hit me? You are such a¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Catherine coldly interrupted. ¡°I do have the guts. The thirdsh is for yourck of respect towards the Swanns family and for misappropriatingpany funds through family connections,¡± Catherine coldly dered.¡± With those words, the whip cut through the air and swiftlyshed out for the third time. The whipnded directly on Johnathan¡¯s buttocks. At this point, Johnathan was defeated, reduced to agonized howls on the floor. He was too weak to continue shouting at Catherine. Johnathan bore the brunt of the threeshes, sustaining severe injuries that would leave him unable to stand straight for the next two weeks. The first twoshes brought a sense of catharsis to Leonel and the others. They were content with what they had witnessed. This brat deserved a lesson and someone to put him in his ce. As the office inhabitants waited for Catherine to exin her reason for the thirdsh, she remained silent. Everyone was itching to know the reason for her thirdsh. Under Linda¡¯s subtle suggestion, Leonel cautiously opened his mouth to ask. He was afraid that Catherine might give him ash if he upset her. His body would not be able to withstand a singlesh. ¡°Miss Swann, what is the reason for the thirdsh?¡± Without hesitation, Catherine responded straightforwardly, ¡°There is no reason. I did it because I wanted to.¡± Her exnation perfectly aligned with Catherine¡¯s nature. She never felt the need to justify her actions. She did as she pleased, seeking her own. satisfaction. Now that Johnathan had been whipped, he no longer dared to argue with Catherine. Those three lashes had nearly crushed his spirit. Everyone watched with anticipation, curious about how Catherine would handle the situation involving Johnathan To their surprise, Korbin, Catherine¡¯s father, arrived unexpectedly after being informed about the incident. The expressions on Leonel and Linda¡¯s faces instantly changed. They weren¡¯t afraid of Johnathan, considering him to be a spoiled and privileged individual. However, Korbin was a different story altogether. Not only was he Catherine¡¯s father, but he also had a reputation for being ruthless in the business world. Things were going to beplicated! Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Korbin had been aware of Johnathan¡¯s presence at the Swann Corporation from the moment. he stepped in. He knew his son had a vtile temper. However, with everything he had been dealing with since his father¡¯s passing, he had no time to pay attention to Johnathan. Despite hearing rumors about the brat¡¯s behavior, he couldn¡¯t be bothered by it. He believed Johnathan¡¯s visit would cause trouble for Catherine and put her in her ce. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Little did he expect to hear about the beating. The news shocked him, and he found it hard to believe. He knew Catherine was bold, but would she seriously dare to beat Johnathan in thepany publicly? He dropped everything and rushed to Catherine¡¯s office, only to be met with a scene that left him astounded. Catherine had indeed beaten Johnathan and had not held back. Even in his presence, Catherine¡¯s expression remained cold and unchanged, showing no signs of emotion. In Korbin¡¯s eyes, her behavior was deeply disrespectful towards him. Catherine had crossed a line, and he feltpelled to teach her a lesson and assert hist authority. Korbin¡¯s cold gaze fixated on Catherine as he emitted an intimidating aura that sent shivers. down everyone¡¯s spines. ¡°Catherine, why did you beat Johnathan?¡± Facing Korbin¡¯s anger, Catherine maintained her calmposure as she responded coldly and emotionlessly, ¡°He asked me to do it, and I granted his wish.¡± The bystanders struggled to contain theirughter at Catherine¡¯s blunt response. Catherine raised an eyebrow and nced at Leonel, who understood her intention and stepped. forward to testify on her behalf. ¡°That¡¯s correct, Mr. Johnathan requested Miss Swann to whip him. I witnessed the entire incident.¡± Not only did Leonel testify, but he also involved Linda. ¡°Linda can confirm this too!¡± Linda stared at Leonel. ¡°Humph, this cunning old fox wants to drag me into this drama,¡± she thought. However, she spoke up, as she found Johnathan extremely annoying. ¡°Yes, Mr. Swann. It¡¯s true that he asked Miss Swann to whip him. I can vouch for that.¡± Korbin looked at the two skeptically and sized them up. It was already disconcerting enough that Leonel was supporting Catherine, but now even Linda was aligning herself with her? Korbin had attempted to win Linda over with various incentives, but she had always refused. Now, she openly sided with Catherine in front of everyone. It seemed like a deration of loyalty. Korbin¡¯s expression grew increasingly sour as he realized he may have underestimated Catherine in the past. If he didn¡¯t handle her properly now, she could be a problem in the future. He intended to seize this opportunity to put Catherine in her ce. ¡°Catherine, even if Johnathan said some foolish things, he is still your brother. Don¡¯t you have an ounce of familial love? When he asked you to whip him, it was meant as a joke. How could you go so far as to batter him like this? As the leader of the Swann Corporation, shouldn¡¯t you possess even a shred of compassion?¡± That was a serious usation by Korbin. Despite the gravity of the usation, Catherine regarded Korbin with cold indifference,cking any respect for him. ¡°Because he is my family, that was why I hit him. Otherwise, the consequences would have been much harsher.¡± Korbin¡¯s face turned red with anger as he red at her, his eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°Tell me, what did he do to deserve such a severe beating from you? If it was about the one- million- dor advance he took, you could have informed your mother or even me. Do you think we are incapable of teaching our son?¡± ¡°What if he jeopardized thepany¡¯s interests?¡± Catherine responded coldly, her gaze piercing into Korbin. ¡°There are rules, Mr. Swann. If an employee of the Swann Corporation. damages the company¡¯s interests, should we send them home and ask their parents to educate them?¡± Korbin¡¯s face grew increasingly gloomy as he stared at her. ¡°Catherine, do you have evidence? Johnathan isn¡¯t even an employee of the Swann Corporation. What makes you think he poses a threat to thepany?¡± Upon hearing Korbin¡¯s doubts, Catherine turned around, opened herputer, printed a document, and handed it to him. Suspicion clouded Korbin¡¯s expression as he cautiously took the document, quickly scanning its contents. The documentprised several pages, and as Korbin¡¯s eyes skimmed through the first page, shock washed over his face, soon reced by anger. Observing Korbin¡¯s reaction, Catherine understood what was going through his mind. Even if Korbin had been present in the office today, she had no intentions of holding back when it came to Johnathan. She spoke coldly, ¡°Mr. Swann, Johnathan came to my office and demanded that I reinstate hist uncle¡¯s position in thepany. To prevent any future implications, usations of collusion, or corruption involving him and Johnathan, I had no choice but to act as I did.¡± Korbin stared at Catherine, his grip on the documents growing tighter. The excessive force. turned his fingertips white. These documents provided evidence of the corruptionmitted by Johnathan¡¯s uncle, Bruce Lang. Only a few could resist the temptation of embezzling money in the position of finance manager. However, Korbin hadn¡¯t expected Bruce to have the audacity to embezzle such a substantial amount for personal gain. Furthermore, one incident urred right after Johnathan took away the one million dors. If this information were to be leaked, Bruce would be ruined, and even Johnathan would be implicated. Despite his shorings, Johnathan was Korbin¡¯s only son. He could only me Bruce, the fool, for failing to cover his tracks and getting caught. Consequently, Johnathan had been beaten, and now he had to thank Catherine for it. Korbin¡¯s gaze turned cold as he looked at Catherine, nodding in agreement and altering his tone. ¡°You¡¯re right. He deserved to be beaten. As his older sister, it¡¯s your right to do so. You¡¯re siblings, and you should take care of Johnathan. If he doesn¡¯t learn his lesson this time, I¡¯ll break his legs when we get home.¡± Johnathan thought his father hade to support him, but little did he know that Korbin would utter such words. The flicker of hope that had just ignited was instantly extinguished. Gasping for breath, Johnathan fainted once more, unable to bear the pain. Catherine quickly grasped that Korbin was openly and subtly reminding her of their blood rtionship, as he feared she might take legal action against Johnathan. Haha! How pathetic! If she were to take action, would Johnathan even still be standing? She had made a promise to her grandfather not to harm anyone from the Swanns unless absolutely necessary, and she intended to keep her word. Her gaze slowly fell upon Korbin, and a mysterious smile curled on her lips. ¡°Father, in that case, please handle the matter concerning Bruce.¡± By addressing him as ¡°father,¡± Catherine implied that the issue with Bruce could be resolved. privately. As long as Korbin provided her with a satisfactory solution, she wouldn¡¯t harm Johnathan. Despite his anger, Korbin had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure the situation. ¡°Alright, leave it to me, but I¡¯m afraid I have to leave now!¡± he grumbled, turning his head with an irritated expression. He then scolded his assistant in a low voice, ¡°Take Mr. Johnathan out of here!¡± The assistant promptly followed orders, dragging the injured and unconscious Johnathan. along as they exited the office, with Korbin in tow. Linda and the others realized it was time to return to work now that the main characters had departed. However, amidst the chaotic Swann family drama, Linda had the opportunity to witness. Catherine¡¯s capabilities. It became clear that Vicente had chosen someone truly extraordinary. Before leaving, Linda unexpectedly turned around and respectfully bowed to Catherine. ¡°Miss. Swann, please don¡¯t hesitate to reach out if you need anything!¡± she offered. Leonel couldn¡¯t contain his excitement as he looked at Catherine. Within half a day of joining the company, she had managed to win over Linda, the most challenging employee at Swann Corporation. Catherine truly lived up to her reputation. It was clear that she was destined to lead the Swann Corporation. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Rachael rushed to the hospital and was horrified to find Johnathan lying in bed, covered in bruises. His face appeared pale and lifeless, almost as if he were dead. It shook her to the core, causing her legs to weaken. While she loved Liana dearly, Johnathan held a special ce in her heart. After all, she gained a foothold in the Swanns only because she had given birth to a son. Approaching him cautiously, Rachael felt her hands trembling, unsure of how to handle the situation. ¡°Johnny, how did this happen to you?¡± Johnathan held a grudge against his father for not standing up for him. However, Korbin had always been harsh to his kids, so he dared not speak up. However, now that he had his mother as his staunch supporter, everything felt different. Despite the pain, Johnathan summoned the strength to sit up and rushed toward Rachael. The sudden movement caused him intense pain, tears streaming down his face, making his plea more convincing. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally here! If you hadn¡¯te, that jinx would have killed me. She whipped me with a riding crop. The pain is unbearable, and it feels like I¡¯m on the verge of death!¡± Rachael¡¯s hands trembled as she cupped Johnathan¡¯s face, wiping away his tears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I will seek revenge for you!¡± Johnathan exposed the wounds on his back to Rachael. The purplish wounds were a horrifying sight for Rachael. Rachael had neverid a hand on her baby boy since his birth. She couldn¡¯t believe that Catherine dared to treat her son like this. Was that jinx insane? Rachael gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°Where is Catherine?¡± Filled with rage, Rachael stood up and red at Korbin. ¡°Are you just going to stand there and allow that jinx to harm our son?¡± Korbin could understand Rachael¡¯s anger, for he, too, was seething with fury. However, her public questioning of him only further infuriated him. ¡°Calm down!¡± he said. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°How can I stay calm when our baby boy has been beaten like this? Tell me, how can I stay calm?¡± she replied. Rachael clenched her teeth, ring resentfully at Korbin. Korbin gave her a stern look and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± Rachael followed him out of the ward and into a nearby small meeting room. When the door closed, Korbin forcefully pped the stack of documents Catherine gave onto Rachael¡¯s face. ¡°Take a good look at these papers. Look at what your cousin has done. Not only has he been caught, but he has also implicated our baby boy. Tell me, what should I do?¡± Rachael was stunned for a second by the bombardment. She was infuriated after reading the documents. She now realized that her rtives were more of a hindrance than a help. However, Rachael had what it takes to be able to climb to her current position. Sheposed herself and looked at Korbin calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss this now. We need to focus on how to deal with Catherine first. Haven¡¯t you been too lenient with that jinx? She does as she pleases and even dares to harm Johnathan. Let me tell you, the next one lying in a bed might be me.¡± Korbin stared at Rachael coldly, his eyes filled with mockery. ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re so short. sighted! Do you think we should fear Catherine? She¡¯s nothing more than a clown. The real concern lies with the people behind her. Leonel Bolton recently reestablished connections. with the old businessmen who were close to Vicente. Do you think that idiot Catherine can uncover any of that?¡± Rachael understood that Korbin didn¡¯t value her, despite the carefully cultivated image of an elegant wealthy woman she had maintained for years. ¡°So, Leonel is involved?¡± she inquired. Korbin sneered, a sinister smile forming on his gloomy face. ¡°Perhaps, but I¡¯m still investigating. I have a feeling there¡¯s another force at y. It won¡¯t be easy to uncover the truth with Leonel¡¯s limited power, let alone Catherine. Let her continue to be arrogant for a while longer. Once I expose the people behind her and eliminate them all, I¡¯ll send her back to the countryside. That will be the end of it,¡± he replied. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t go looking for trouble with her. Take care of our kids and ensure they don¡¯t give her any warning,¡± Korbin warned Rachael firmly. With that, Korbin opened the door and left the hospital. If it weren¡¯t for Johnathan¡¯s injury, he wouldn¡¯t have even bothereding to the hospital. Rachael watched him leave, her cold eyes narrowing as she emitted a sharp re. ¡°Catherine, how dare youy a hand on my baby boy? You¡¯ve messed with the wrong person, she muttered to herself. Meanwhile, another challenge awaited Catherine. The next day, as the first ss bell rang, Catherine entered the ssroom unhurriedly. As soon as she appeared, all eyes were on her. Catherine walked towards her seat with a cold face, her gaze empty and unfocused, disying azy and tired demeanor. Upon her entrance, Bryan, who had worn a cold expression, immediately changed his attitude. A warm smile appeared on his face as if he had transformed into a different person. He stood up and pulled a chair out for Catherine as he said respectfully, ¡°Boss, please.¡± Catherine remained indifferent to Bryan¡¯s ttery, her expression unchanged as he arranged her desk. She sat down and leaned on the table. Bryan carefully took his seat, ensuring not to make any noise. He had promised himself that he would ensure Catherine could get a good sleep in school. Nothing would stop him from fulfilling that promise. The first ss should have been literature. However, the literature teacher didn¡¯t show up. The homeroom teacher did, apanied by the imposing math teacher and the principal. The students of ss 8 sensed that something serious was about to unfold, as the principal rarely made personal appearances. The math teacher fixed her gaze on Catherine, who was still sleeping, a cold smile gracing her face. ¡°Sir, look at this student. While the ss is studying, she sleeps every day. How can a student like this achieve such results?¡± The principal shifted his attention toward Catherine upon hearing the math teacher¡¯s words. He had already checked Catherine¡¯s background and knew her academic performance couldn¡¯t match her grades. However, he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to have such a troublesome character in addition to her poor academic performance. Keeping a student like her would undoubtedly bring trouble. Yielding to the insistence of the two teachers, the principal decided to personally address the situation caused by Catherine. The homeroom teacher nced at the principal and sought permission to speak. The principal responded with a severe expression. ¡°You are the homeroom teacher of ss 8, so I will let you deal with it. I will be here watching, though.¡± The homeroom teacher nodded and stood on the stage, looking solemnly at the students of ss 8. ¡°Kids, a grave incident had urred in our ss. Although it hasn¡¯t been determined yet, the situation is severe. If the facts are revealed, severe punishment will be imposed!¡± The math teacher stepped forward, dissatisfied with the homeroom teacher¡¯s statement.¡± Allow me to be more direct. Certain troublemakers have tarnished the excellent reputation of ss 8. Cheating and tant disregard for ss rules. We are going to expose this student publicly and expel her from the school!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the students of ss 8 instantly knew whom she was referring to. The math teacher¡¯s excited expression provided them with the answer. Cautiously, they directed their gazes toward the sleeping figure, unsure of what would unfold next, Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Bryan¡¯s concern grew as he looked at Catherine. The presence of the principal in their ss indicated the seriousness of the situation. He hesitated for a moment. As the current situation became increasingly dire, he decided to wake Catherine before making further decisions. ¡°Boss, something is up! Wake up!¡± The next moment, after he finished speaking, Catherine slowly awakened and nced at him. Bryan felt awkward as he pointed towards the stage where several people stood. Catherine looked up and saw the group of individuals on the stage. She remained unfazed by the math teacher¡¯s malicious gaze. Although she had just woken up, Catherine¡¯s usually cold expression had transformed into a slightly endearing look ofziness. Standing on the stage, the math teacher was infuriated by Catherine¡¯sck of guilt. She waved a few exam papers in her hand and confidently addressed the students of ss 8. Present here are the outstanding students of Sincere High School ss 8 has always been known for its top academic performance and character. However, someone has tarnished this reputation. How should we handle such a student? Her approach of manipting the students to team up against Catherine was calctive and disgusting Catherine immediately became the target of their collective animosity. Liana feltpelled to say something ¡°Mrs, I believe such a disruptive student should be expelled from ss 8 to protect our ss¡¯ reputation.¡± The math teacher couldn¡¯t hide her satisfaction upon receiving Liana¡¯s response. ¡°Liana is indeed one of the top students in our school. It¡¯s a good point.¡± After the math teacherplimented Liana, her gaze on Catherine immediately turned to one of strong disdain ¡°Catherine, do you remember what you said before?¡± Catherine stared back at her coldly, refusing to utter a word. The math teacher mistook Catherine¡¯s silence for guilt. She couldn¡¯t wait to expose Catherine¡¯s true colors and have her expelled from the school. ¡°You imed that if you didn¡¯t achieve the highest score on the exam, you would drop out of school.¡± ¡°You obtained perfect scores in every subject, and I must say, I admire your cheating skills. However, cheating results in invalidation, making you not only the best student in the ss but also the worst in the entire grade.¡± After saying this, the math teacher¡¯s expression turned fierce, and her tone rose. ¡°So when are you nning to get out of ss 8 and give everyone a healthy learning environment?¡± The statement sent shockwaves through the ss. The whole ss caught two key points. First of all, Catherine scored full marks on all test papers. Second, she managed to cheat without getting caught. Bryan was stunned, and the other students were equally astonished. Looking at Catherine in disbelief, Bryan remarked, ¡°Boss, your cheating skills are impressive.¡± Catherine nced at him, her expression implying that he was foolish. The next moment, Catherine stood up and stared at the stage. ¡°I do recall what I said. However, what gives you the right to use me of cheating? Where is the evidence?¡± Her voice was icy, freezing the air around them, dripping with disdain. Frustrated by Catherine¡¯s continued defense, the math teacher seethed with anger. ¡°Do we need evidence for this? You didn¡¯t evenplete elementary school, yet you miraculously obtained perfect scores on a 15th-grade exam! Are you seriously suggesting that you didn¡¯t cheat? The test papers you submitted are evidence enough.¡± A confident smirk graced Catherine¡¯s carefree face as she raised an eyebrow. Her lips curled into a smile, making her more charming than before. ¡°So, you have no evidence!¡± Catherine seemed to have struck a nerve, prompting Bryan to quickly support her. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you have no evidence, don¡¯t make baseless usations. If you want to use someone, at least present the evidence!¡± he interjected. David and the others timidly echoed his sentiment. ¡°Yeah, where is the evidence?¡± ¡°Show us the evidence.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have any evidence?¡± The math teacher heard their words, and her embarrassment and gloom were evident. ¡°Are you rebelling? With such clear evidence, you dare question me for proof? This is nonsense! Believe me, I will give you all detention!¡± The threat silenced the voices of support in the ss. With graduation approaching, nobody wanted to risk having a negative mark on their record. After a moment of silence, Catherine spoke again, her voice still emotionless. However, an intimidating aura emanated from her cold demeanor. ¡°When a particr student expresses her opinion, you praise her as the best student. Yet, when other students voice their thoughts, you threaten them with detention. Why the double standards? If you want to hear everyone¡¯s opinions, apply the same standards to all,¡± she calmly stated. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine¡¯s emotionless expression hid a powerful presence that sent shivers down everyone¡¯s spines. The students who were threatened with detention by the math teacher realized the unfairness of her actions. ¡°Yeah, why the double standards? We haven¡¯t said anything wrong, have we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Observing themotion in the ss, the principal¡¯s expression grew stern. The homeroom teacher stepped in to mediate. ¡°Alright, everyone, be quiet and listen to me, okay?¡± The homeroom teachermanded respect and admiration from the ss, prompting everyone to quiet down when she began to speak. Once the room fell silent, her gaze shifted to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you recently joined our ss, and we want to have a clear understanding of your educational background. You achieved perfect scores in all your subjects this time. It might be a good idea for you to exin the situation and clear your name.¡± Catherine, respecting the homeroom teacher as an authority figure, was willing toply with her request. Her gaze softened slightly as she looked at the homeroom teacher. ¡°Mrs., may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± The homeroom teacher gave Catherine permission to justify herself, eager to hear her exnation. ¡°I heard you created the Theisian test paper. So, I want to ask if the test paper was leaked.¡± Catherine stood straight and spoke firmly. The homeroom teacher was momentarily taken aback by the question. After a brief pause, she responded to Catherine. ¡°Yes, I created the test paper myself, and I can assure you that there was no possibility of the questions being leaked. I made some minor modifications right. before the test, ensuring that no one had ess to the questions in advance.¡± Catherine followed up with another question, indirectly driving her point home. ¡°How many people achieved perfect scores, then?¡± ¡°Only you!¡± the homeroom teacher replied. With a shrug, Catherine fell silent. There was no need for further exnation unless the entire sscked critical thinking skills. Although her words seemed cryptic, Bryan immediately grasped their meaning. Suddenly, he raised his voice and eximed, ¡°I see what you mean¡­¡± Chapter 66 Chapter 66 After Bryan called out, he immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Now, the entire ss was waiting for Bryan¡¯s exnation. Bryan did not back down either, and he met everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°Catherine made it clear,¡± Bryan said confidently. ¡°Since the test questions can¡¯t be leaked out, it is therefore impossible for her to get it in advance and cheat. Furthermore, if she were to cheat, the only option would be to copy from someone else. No one scored higher than her, so who would she have copied from? ¡°The logic is so simple. How can you all not figure it out?¡± When Bryan said that, it finally dawned on everyone, and they nodded. ¡°That makes sense!¡± ¡°That makes a lot of sense!¡± ¡°It is more than making sense,¡± David said. ¡°Whatever Bryan says is a fact!¡± Everyone rolled their eyes at David. Hearing this, the homeroom teacher found that it made sense too. She looked at the principal, waiting for his statement. However, the math teacher still refused to believe it. ¡°Who knows what tricks she had used?¡± the teacher said snootily. ¡°If a person goes all out, they cane up with all sorts of methods. to do it. Anyway, I do not believe it. If she is at this level, does that mean all the students in the most advanced ss in Sincere High School fared worse than an elementary school student?¡± Bryan thought the teacher had crossed the line here. This matter was already quite clear, but the math teacher stillmented as such. It was a tant and intentional provocation. Even though Bryan did not know how Catherine did it, he was sure that Catherine had the capabilities. The atmosphere in the room turned awkward. The homeroom teacher discussed this with the principal and returned with a new decision. ¡°In this case, we will let Catherine take a test right here with everyone¡¯s supervision.¡± After saying that, the homeroom teacher looked at the math teacher and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± The math teacher did not believe that Catherine had the ability and wanted desperately to ge her dignity back. Naturally, she was agreeable to the suggestion. ¡°Okay, I agree!¡± She thought of something and looked at Catherine mockingly. ¡°But I am not sure if she is willing to take the test,¡± she said in a mean tone. ¡°What if she¡¯s getting cold feet for lying now.¡± Hearing this, Bryan was about to explode in anger. Even if Catherine had gotten everything correct by guessing in thest test, she might not be able to do the same this time. Bryan looked at Catherine worriedly and whispered, ¡°Boss, do not agree to it. We are in the right. Why should we agree to unfair conditions like these?¡± He kept talking out of concern, but Catherine did not respond. Her cold gazended on the homeroom teacher, who was still waiting for her response. ¡°I agree!¡± She knew that the math teacher would not give up so easily. Thus, she would use her true abilities to make that woman shut up! The homeroom teacher took out a Theisian test that had not been publicized before and ced it before Catherine. Catherine moved to the center of the room while the ss, two teachers, and one principal acted as the proctors. Meanwhile, Catherine was the only one to take the test. The exam was 150 points, and the duration was 90 minutes. As everyone looked on, Catherine started writing as soon as she got the test papers. Her speed was shockingly fast. She was writing down the answer practically without looking at the question. Even if she guessed the answer, such as those for the longest or shortest multiple-choice answer, she still had to read the question. But Catherine was answering one question in one second. She was faster than someone who randomly chose the answer! With her speed, she finished the test which was meant to be for 90 minutes in 10 minutes. When she set down her pencil, the entire ss was stunned. Their jaws practically dropped to the floor. Even the principal was stunned, let alone the students. This was his first time seeing a student take a test this quickly. He encountered several brilliant students in his many years of an educator, but he had never met someone like Catherine. He nudged the homeroom teacher. ¡°Take a look!¡± he urged. The homeroom teacher walked over and picked up Catherine¡¯s test papers. She scanned through it. There was not a single question left nk on the entire test. When she looked at Catherine, one could no longer describe her expression as ¡°shocked.¡± Her eyes bulged out in surprise that they almost fell out of her eye sockets. A few minutester, the homeroom teacher yelped, ¡°Full marks!¡± She could not hide the excitement in her voice. She had never met such an outstanding student. in her career as a teacher. She handed the test papers to the principal with shaking hands. ¡°Full marks again!¡± Before the principal could say anything, the math teacher snatched the test papers from the side. She seemed to be even more excited. ¡°How is this possible?¡± she mumbled to herself, staring at the test papers and answer key. She looked through the questions again and again, but there was no mistake. Catherine scored full marks on it. While the other students were shocked at what they were hearing, they looked at Catherine as if she was a monster. After all, the rumors said that Catherine had not even finished elementary school and she slept through all the sses. How could she get full marks on the test? Could she be the legendary test god? The kind who got full marks on every test? Catherine leaned back casually in her seat. There was no expression on her cold face. She did not seem to care that everyone else in the room was looking at her with stunned or terrified expressions. Her expression did not change, but the math teacher¡¯s face changed. All sorts of expressions and emotions shed on the math teacher¡¯s face. It was like a spectacr show. Now, Catherine had used her abilities to get back at the teachers. She proved that she was the top student in the ss and grade. Her scores were valid and truthful. Bryan had been worried that Catherine would fail the test and prove the math teacher right. He could not believe that Catherine was actually this amazing. He suddenly felt like he had found the right boss. The other kids had made fun of him before, but now, they knew that Bryan was the one who had foresight. Whoever he chose as his Boss would be the right choice. Bryan looked coldly at the math teacher. ¡°I remember you were the one who bet with Catherine at the beginning. You also said that people should be true to their words and own up to their bets. I hope you will not have double standards for yourself!¡± The math teacher¡¯s face turned red in anger and then paled in shock. However, she could not figure out what to say. The homeroom teacher felt that the math teacher had gone overboard too. They were teachers, after all. Since Catherine had proved herself, they should follow through with their words. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Bryan is correct,¡± the homeroom teacher said in support of Catherine. ¡°You should apologize to her.¡± The math teacher bit her lower lip and stayed silent. Her expression was dark and cloudy. The others might be scared of her, but Bryan was not. He would make sure she apologized to Catherine. ¡°You should follow through with your words, but that is not all. You should apologize to Catherine for your wrongful usations that she is cheating and for ruining her reputation for no reason. If this kind of news spreads, it could damage our ss¡¯ reputation and even that of Sincere High School.¡± Bryan gave the teacher a dose of her own medicine, repeating the words she said earlier. Bryan did not think the math teacher would dare not apologize to Catherine with these consequences in mind. Bryan continued to stare coldly at the teacher. ¡°Please make a statement and be an example to us all!¡± he boomed. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Faced with the requests from the homeroom teacher and students, the math teacher stared so hard till her eyes were about to fall out of their sockets. She did not want to give in, but the principal was there. The principal had shot her a look earlier, urging her to decide quickly. She had no choice but to make a compromise to avoid offending the principal. She stared at Catherine coldly and said with clenched jaws, ¡°Catherine, I am sorry. I take back what I said to you earlier.¡± Catherine scanned the math teacher slowly. She would have forgiven her if the math teacher had apologized sincerely. ¡°Excuse me, did you forget something?¡± Catherine suddenly asked. As soon as she did that, Bryan and the others piped up. ¡°Yeah, did you forget about what you agreed on earlier?¡± The math teacher turned around and red at Bryan. ¡°Shut up!¡± she barked coldly. Bryan shrugged as if he could not care less. Then he put on a hurt expression and said, ¡°Fine then. Since you do not hold up to your promises, we should perhaps let our parents know what kind of school we are in.¡± When he said this, the principal¡¯s expression darkened immediately. The principal knew clearly what Bryan¡¯s background and status were. It would be troublesome if the members of the parents¡¯ council knew about this matter. David and the others were shocked too. Bryan never liked to brag about his family and status. This was his first time using his family¡¯s influence, and they were surprised that it was to help Catherine. It seemed that Catherine held an important position in Bryan¡¯s heart. ¡°It is important to uphold promises to the students,¡± the principal said to the math teacher. ¡°I will return to the office now. Pleasee to me after you have taken care of this matter.¡± The principal shot a look of warning before he left. This scared the math teacher. From now on, she had another person whom she hated, and that was Bryan. If Bryan had not threatened the principal with his family¡¯s influence, she would not have been forced to apologize. Even though she was unwilling, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯m a pig!¡± After that, she red at Catherine. ¡°Happy now?¡± she asked. Catherine just shrugged and scoffed. The math teacher could not stand it anymore. She threw open the door and left the room. The homeroom teacher heaved a sigh helplessly. She hoped that the math teacher could learn a lesson from this. They should treat all students equally, rather than looking down on students who seem to have bad grades or were from families that were not as powerful. ¡°Alright, the show is over. Go back to your seats and get ready for the next ss.¡± The students scattered. Bryan followed Catherine back to their seats. Catherine had moved her table earlier, so she had to move it back now. When Bryan saw this, he immediately rushed over and pushed on the table before Catherine could. ¡°Boss, how can you do such manual work yourself? Let me do it! You can take a rest.¡± Catherine nced at him. Instead of objecting, she let go of her table and allowed Bryan to move it and the chair back to their original spot. The other students witnessed their exchange of words. They covered their mouths and tried not to laugh. Bryan was being a dutiful servant to his boss. Meanwhile, Liana stood in a corner in the distance and stomped her feet in anger when she saw this. She had just found out yesterday when she went home that Catherine had hit Johnathan. Johnathan had always been their parents¡¯ favorite since they were kids, but even he got taken down a peg by Catherine. Liana was quite happy to hear about it as she could finally see Johnathan get what he deserved. However, she was surprised her dad did not react to Johnathan getting hit. Not only that, her mom did not get angry at Catherine either! What exactly was going on? Her mom had always treated Johnathan as her precious baby and never even scolded him. But now, she did not make Catherine apologize for hitting Johnathan. This was out of the ordinary. By then, Bryan had repositioned the desk and rearranged the objects back to their original ce neatly. Then he turned around and leaned sideways against the door frame while looking at Catherine. ¡°Boss, please take a seat!¡± Catherine turned around. She nced at the desk expressionlessly and slowly walked over to sit down. When she sat down, Bryan followed suit quickly. He could not wait any longer. As soon as he sat down, he wanted to ask Catherine how she managed to get full marks so easily. Bryan¡¯s family tested his intelligence when he was very young. His IQ was much higher than the average person, and one could say that he was exceptionally bright. But even he could not do what Catherine had done. Plus, Catherine did not even have to try hard to do it. She just did it offhandedly. How crazy was that! Bryan turned around and unexpectedly saw that Catherine had sprawled across the desk and was asleep. Bryan had no choice but to leave Catherine alone. For some reason, he always felt it was wrong to disturb Catherine when she slept. Catherine never said that she disliked being disturbed when she slept. However, she had this natural aura that when people saw that she was asleep, everyone would subconsciously soften their movements in fear of waking her up. Catherine woke up just when the bell rang at the end of the ss. When Bryan saw she was finally awake, he took the initiative to speak. ¡°Boss, the test scores are out, and we all did pretty well. David and the others want to eat a barbecue to celebrate. There is an awesome restaurant. Do you want toe with us?¡± Hearing his voice, Catherine turned and looked at Bryan. She saw how Bryan¡¯s eyes were full of anticipation, and that the other guys were excited. Catherine wanted to reject them initially, but she ended up saying, ¡°Just a barbecue?¡± Bryan thought that she was worried about the time, so he nodded with an earnest expression. ¡°Boss, we promise the barbecue will not take up too much of your time. I know that your time is precious¡­¡± Bryan had prepared a long script to convince Catherine to ept the invitation. He did not expect Catherine to interrupt him in his speech with a single word. ¡°Okay!¡± Bryan froze. He could not process what had just happened. It only dawned on him after David tugged him from the back. Bryan stared at Catherine In shock as if he could not believe he had seeded so easily. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Boss, are you ying with me?¡± Catherine stared at Bryan from the corner of her eyes and arched an eyebrow. ¡°If we are not going, I will go home now, okay?¡± With that, Catherine started walking out of the ssroom. Bryan picked up his backpack and hurried out. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he called out while he ran to catch up with Catherine. ¡°How can we not go? Boss, wait for me!¡± Bryan and the others had driven to school. When he reached the entrance, Bryan earnestly invited Catherine to ride his car. His car was the newest Lamborghini model. He just got itst month as a gift, and it was the best sports car in the group. ¡°Boss, get in my car. I will be your driver for the day!¡± Catherine nced at the new sports car and shook her head. ¡°No need for that. I can ride by myself and will be behind you guys.¡± Bryan watched as Catherine walked away. He could not stop her at all. David walked to Bryan¡¯s side and poked him. ¡°Bryan, did I hear correctly? The boss said she is riding. ¡°What is she going to ride? A bike or a scooter?¡± Bryan jabbed David back with his elbow and red at him unhappily. ¡°Watch yournguage. Even if Bosses on a bike, no one is allowed tough. You all have topliment her on it!¡± Bryan realized that David was not listening to him at all. This annoyed him. He frowned and was about to hit David when he realized that David was staring behind him with a look of shock. ¡°Wow, Bryan, look! ¡°Boss is awesome!¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Bryan noticed that the guys were stunned at what they saw, so he turned around. Instantly, he started gaping. Vroom! Vroom! The sound of an engine roaring and it was deafening. A top-range motorcycle, a Phantom Harley-Davidson, zoomed past. It made a beautiful turn in front of Bryan and slowly came to a stop, which was so cool and handsome. The person on the motorcycle took off their helmet. Catherine did an attractive hair flip to throw her messy hair back to normal. Her luscious hair danced in the wind. This scene stunned everyone who was watching. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± ¡°So, so hot!¡± Catherine was honestly so attractive. She was beautiful, hot, and also had an air of mystery. It was impossible to describe the feeling. Bryan felt his heart pound as butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Some emotion was about to burst out of his chest. He felt like he was going out of control. After Catherine parked the bike, she arched an eyebrow at the group of guys with their mouths wide open. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to eat barbecue?¡± she asked coolly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going yet?¡± Catherine¡¯s cold voice pulled Bryan out of his thoughts and back to reality. He nodded quickly. Even though he had snapped out of his reverie, he did not know what to say. It was as if he had gone speechless. Catherine put her helmet back on and said to Bryan, ¡°I will wait for you at the intersection up ahead!¡± With that, she pressed down on the gas pedal. She left in a cloud of dust and disappeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. David recovered from his shock. He patted Bryan¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Bryan, our Boss is too hot, too amazing.¡± ¡°Initially, I thought that Boss was not good enough for you. But now, for some reason, I feel like you are kind of not good enough for her,¡± he added. He looked cautiously at Bryan after he was done speaking. He was scared that Bryan would lose his temper. Instead, Bryan looked matter-of-factly at David and said in a serious manner, ¡°No shit, Sherlock. What do you mean by ¡®kind of? I¡¯m not good enough for her at all! What you had just said is an insult to Boss. Do not say stuff like this in the future.¡± With that, Bryan got into his own car. David looked at Bryan¡¯s back in surprise. It seemed like Bryan had gone crazy. He waspletely crazy in love! After Bryan got into the driver¡¯s seat, he gazed at the new car that he had just gotten. He had been in love with it this morning and did not even allow David to touch it. For some reason, it was not as attractive as before. No wonder Boss did not want to ride in his car. Why would Charlotte sit in his crappy sports car if she had such a cool motorcycle? Bryan unwillingly stepped on the gas pedal. He decided that he would switch to another car tomorrow. The group quickly reached their destination. It was a new barbecue store. David had discovered it, and it had been on his list of restaurants to visit for a long time. He never had a chance to, but today, they decided to make Bryan treat them to it since Catherine was willing to join them. After they took a seat, the server brought over the menu and instinctively handed it to Bryan. However, Bryan handed it over to Catherine. ¡°Boss, what would you like to order?¡± he asked. respectfully. Catherine did not hold back at all. This was just a meal to her, and there was no point in being polite. She would order what she wanted and pass the menu to the next person. ¡°I have chosen the food I want. You guys can order what you want!¡± Bryan nced at the food that Catherine chose and was secretly overjoyed. He felt like he was one step closer to Boss. They had the same taste in food! This restaurant was quite famous. Many people came to try it out. A foodie like Triston would not miss out on this kind of ce for anything in the world. His friends booked a private room without him requesting it and invited him here. Triston strolled into the restaurant. He looked like he casually walked in and did not have a care in the world. However, when he walked up to the second floor and looked down, he saw a beautiful figure and froze immediately. He widened his eyes and looked carefully. Finally, he confirmed that his eyes were not lying to him. The friend that came with him saw that Triston had stopped walking. He hurried over and asked, ¡°Triston, what is wrong?¡± Triston nced at his friend. Then he took out his phone and made a call while standing there. People were still working at the Duncan Corporation. There was a top management meeting happening then in the president¡¯s office. Not many people were there, but they were the top executives of the Duncan Corporation. The atmosphere in the office was both quiet and serious. At least, it was quiet until the ringtone sounded out. The phone¡¯s ringtone was abnormally loud inside the silent office. Everyone panicked a little and looked subconsciously in the same direction. Branden nced at his phone on the table and picked it up casually. He raised a hand, and the person who had been reporting stopped talking immediately. Triston¡¯s excited voice streamed out of the phone. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do you want to eat barbecue?¡± When Branden heard this, he moved to end the call without saying anything. On the other end of the phone, Triston seemed to predict that he would do this. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Catherine is here too!¡± he called out at the critical moment. Branden¡¯s finger stopped above his phone screen. Then he pressed the phone close to his ear again. ¡°Give me the address!¡± he uttered coldly from his thin lips. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do not worry. I have sent the address to you and will be waiting for your arrival.¡± Branden ended the call and stood up. Paxton immediately got Branden¡¯s jacket and handed it to him. After Branden put on his jacket, he walked out of the office without looking back. The other executives stared at each other. No one knew what had happened. What could be serious enough for their president to go personally? After all, he had never left a meeting like this before. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. It seemed that something major had happened. In the barbecue restaurant, Bryan and the others had started eating already. They were all youngsters, so they did not hold back once they started eating. At first, Bryan had been worried that Catherine would feel awkward or unustomed having dinner with arge group. After all, Catherine had a cold personality and did not seem sociable. To his surprise, things went in a direction he would never have expected. Catherine was not socially awkward at all. Even though she did not say much and kept a cold expression, she ate and drank to her fill. She also had a strange aura about her. Even though she looked cold, people would still feel comfortable around her. In other words, Catherine did not say anything, but no one at the table felt awkward. The atmosphere was good, so David suggested they have a drink. Bryan peered at Catherine. Since she did not object, Bryan asked the server to bring over some beer. After the beer was served, Bryan opened a bottle and ced it before Catherine. ¡°Boss, would you like some?¡± he asked tentatively. Catherine did not say anything. She just reached out to grab the bottle. Suddenly, another hand reached over and snatched the bottle from Bryan. Everyone turned around, and they were stunned instantly! Chapter 69 Chapter 69 The one who had the biggest shock among all at the table was Bryan. Never would he think that he would see Branden here. It turned out that he had not been wrong that day. That car did belong to Branden, which meant that he did know Catherine. Bryan felt stupid for his naive thinking that he had been hallucinating. He had been lying to himself. Catherine looked back and saw Branden, as well as Triston, who was standing beside him. Her beautiful and delicate features scrunched up as she furrowed her brows. A frigid feeling gathered between her brows, but she did not speak. Branden sensed her unhappiness. ¡°You are not allowed to drink!¡± he said slowly. His voice was cold, but there was rare gentleness in his tone. With his words, a strange atmosphere fell over the table. Everyone there knew about Catherine¡¯s temper. They also knew she was not the type to take advice from others. Catherine was the type who could hold her ground even and out best many people all by herself. But this man was trying to tell Catherine what to do. Did he have a death wish? He was attractive, but a nice-looking face did not mean he could do whatever he wanted. Triston also sensed that something was amiss. He quickly pretended that he was familiar with them to resolve the awkwardness. ¡°Hey Catherine, what a coincidence! Mr. Duncan and I came to eat dinner. I can¡¯t believe seeing you here as well. ¡°Since we are all here, how about we eat together?¡± After the words left his mouth, Triston pulled two seats over without waiting for anyone to respond. The first seat was for Branden, and Triston invited him to sit down. However, Branden did not take his seat. He nced at David, who was sitting on Catherine¡¯s right- hand side. His eyes had a dangerous glint to it. David felt warning bells go off in his mind and he Immediately got up to give up his seat. He did this subconsciously. He did not need to think about it at all. Branden sat down, taking his time. He moved smoothly as if all of this was natural and as a matter of fact. After Branden and Triston took their seats, the atmosphere became a bit awkward. In a group of friends, there are bound to be the smart ones and the dumb ones. Someone butted in to ask, ¡°Catherine, are these your friends?¡± Bryan and David perked up, waiting for Catherine to reply. Bryan had decided in his mind that if Catherine said no, he would risk everything and pull Catherine away today. However, Catherine did not say anything. She did not have an obvious expression on her face. It was as though nothing had happened and she did not have a care in the world. She did not respond, but on the side, Triston took the initiative to do so. ¡°Yes, we are friends!¡± he said, grinning at the group. ¡°No, we are not!¡± A cold voice stood out. Everyone turned to look at Branden, including Catherine. No one could figure out why Branden suddenly denied it. Triston looked at Branden in confusion too. He was not sure what this man was up to. How could he continue to build a rtionship with Catherine if he made things embarrassing for her? While everyone was still trying to make sense of it, Branden made another shocking reveal. He slowly gazed at Catherine with deep and mesmerizing eyes. There was a determined look in his gaze. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°I am her fianc¨¦!¡± he said confidently. His voice was cold and deep, but it contained a strength that made people respect and fear him subconsciously. The four simple words stunned everyone at the table. Even Triston was shocked, let alone the kids who had no clue who they were. He could not help but apud Branden in his mind. ¡°Amazing!¡± he thought to himself.¡± Wonderful tactic!¡± People used to say that Branden had a low EQ and did not know how to flirt with girls. Triston would fight anyone who dare to say this in the future. Even Triston, a self-proimed yer, could not do this. However, Branden had executed it so wlessly and naturally. He was an expert at flirting. He either does not make a move, or it would be fatal. Amazing! The kids who had minor crushes on Charlotte were instantly heartbroken. The butterfly feelings they had in their hearts were extinguished by force. Even though Branden¡¯s tactic was advanced, it was a bit cruel too. Bryan stared until his eyes were about to pop out. Never would he imagine that this would be the rtionship between Branden and Catherine. He stared at Catherine in shock. ¡°Boss, is this real?¡± he could not help but ask. Catherine was quiet for a moment before she nodded. In her eyes, Branden was not in the wrong to say so. After all, they had a one-year marriage contract, so Branden was indeed her fianc¨¦ at the moment. Seeing Catherine¡¯s nod, Branden¡¯s thin lips curled and a slightly impish smile appeared on his handsome face. If Catherine had not nodded, Bryan would never believe that they are in a rtionship even if his life depended on it. But Catherine nodded! Bryan could not believe what he had just witnessed. He became a bit dazed and he stared at Catherine, feeling lost. ¡°Boss, why?¡± he gathered his courage and demanded from Catherine directly. Before Catherine could say anything, the intimidating man beside her spoke up. ¡°Bryan Duncan!¡± Those two words did not contain any emotion, but they made Bryan shudder in fear. He stood up instinctively and lowered his head before Branden. This reaction was ingrained in his mind. It was an instinct that came from years of experience. The others at the table were surprised yet again. Who exactly were these neers? Bryan usually did not fear anyone except Charlotte. Why would he be scared of this man too? Branden looked up and nced at him. ¡°Do I have to tell you to greet me?¡± Bryan hung his head and said in a tiny voice, ¡°Uncle Branden!¡± When he said that, the group of people were shocked yet again. Too many things had happened today. They just found out that Catherine¡¯s fiance was Bryan¡¯s uncle. They had heard that Bryan was the young heir of the Duncans. In that case, did this mean that this Uncle Branden¡± was the current person in charge of the family, Branden Duncan? Branden¡¯s face did not change after Bryan greeted him. Bryan knew what Branden wanted, but he could not bring himself to say it. He also knew what would happen if he pissed Branden off. Branden was the youngest in his dad¡¯s generation, but he was the one in charge of the entire corporation. All of the Duncans were talented and smart, so one could imagine just how powerful Branden was. Even Bryan¡¯s dad did not dare to piss off Branden, let alone himself. He hesitated a bit, but Bryan still muttered the two words with much difficulty. ¡°Aunt Catherine!¡± His friends were very into watching this y out. Their expressions were quite spectacr. They could not describe what they were witnessing! When Catherine heard Bryan call her that, her brows furrowed tightly. ¡°Aunt Catherine?¡± she echoed. It made her sound old and she did not like it. ¡°Bryan, just call me as you used to in the past.¡± This made Bryan overjoyed, but he did not dare to show it. He stole a nce at Branden. ¡°Do what your aunt says,¡± Branden said generously. Triston had just taken a sip of his beer then and he almost choked when he heard Branden¡¯sment. Branden was seriously an expert at this! Chapter 70 Chapter 70 It was supposed to be a simple meal of barbecue. However, due to the appearance of Branden and Triston at the venue, the atmosphere at the dinner table became incredibly creepy. Branden did not eat much himself. asionally, he would take some food and put it on Catherine¡¯s te. He did this so naturally as if they were an old couple. Triston felt a little jealous. He had known Branden for so many years. However, thetter had never taken the initiative to pour him a ss of wine, let alone take food for him. He felt crushed! Bryan felt very ufortable looking at how Branden was showing his attention to Catherine. He felt that Branden was going to cheat his Boss. ¡°Boss, that is the big bad wolf. Do not be cheated,¡± he shouted in his heart frantically. However, the said big bad wolf was his Uncle Branden. He would not dare to challenge Branden, even if he had the guts. And as such, he drank quietly. David saw that Bryan was not in the right mood. The others were not eating happily, so David. said carefully, ¡°I¡¯m almost done eating. I have not done my homework for the evening, so I shall go first!¡± After he finished speaking, the rest also started giving simr reasons. Branden nced at Catherine and noticed that she had already stopped eating. He graciously nodded his head and agreed to leave. When Bryan went to settle the bill, he was informed that Paxton had already done so. Bryan was so furious that he could not even do better than his Uncle Branden when settling the bill. But what could be done? He could only put up with it! When they reached the door, Branden suddenly stopped and said to Catherine, ¡°Let me send you back.¡± His tone carried no doubt as if everything should have been done this way. However, before Catherine could answer, Bryan suddenly popped up and said, ¡°Boss came on her motorcycle!¡± Branden raised his eyebrows and looked toward Catherine, who reached out and pointed to the parking spot on the side. That ck, dazzling Harley-Davidson looked extraordinarily different from the row of luxury cars parked at the side. Triston saw that too. He did not expect such a cute, soft-looking girl like Catherine would take a liking to this wild ride. He could not help but exim. ¡°That is so cool!¡± Branden raised his eyebrows and looked at Catherine. The expression on his handsome face remained unchanged as he repeated his words. ¡°Let me send you back!¡± Catherine looked at him from top to bottom with pondering eyes. Branden hade directly from the office, so he wore what he wore at work. That was a silver- gray suit with a slim-fitting ck shirt, the perfect corporate leader attire. This look would suit sitting inside a top business car, swirling a ss of red wine, and looking at all other beings with contempt. This attire did not match the motorcycle at all! Branden understood the meaning of her look with just one nce. He took off the jacket immediately and threw it to Paxton. He unbuttoned the shirt to chest level, looking all evil and handsome with a charismatic charm. Both his sleeves were pulled up above the forearms, exposing his well-toned forearms. The bronzed skin carried a hint of seduction. He turned his head towards Catherine and raised his eyebrows as a gesture. At that moment, Catherine felt her mind go nk. Then, she took out the key and threw it to Branden. When she realized it, Branden had already gotten on the motorcycle. It was toote to refuse now. Catherine could only look down and scold herself quietly. ¡°Lust makes you dumb.¡± When she looked up again, Branden had already ridden the motorcycle and stopped in front of her. She thought there would be a sense of contradiction, but there was none at all. Only charisma remained. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Branden took the helmet and helped Catherine wear it. Those misty, deep eyes made Catherine give up struggling. After wearing the helmet, Branden patted her head gently. There was a rare tenderness in those breathtaking eyes. Catherine fell deeply and immediately. She turned and got onto the motorcycle, subconsciously leaning her hands on the back seat instead of wrapping around Branden¡¯s waist. It was as if she was trying to keep a distance from him. Vroom! The sound of the motorcycle was like thunder, and it disappeared in front of everyone. The sight of a handsome couple was a treat. They had been gone for a long time before everyone realized it. Bryan came back to his senses after a long time. He subconsciously said, ¡°When did Uncle Branden learn how to ride a motorcycle?¡± To him, the family had high expectations of Uncle Branden since he showed great intelligence and talent from a young age. Growing up, Uncle Branden lived a different life from others even though he was just a few years older than him. While he was still ying football with hispanions, Uncle Branden had already started looking at thepany¡¯s report. He started following his great-grandfather around to learn how to deal with the company¡¯s affairs. The impression he had of his Uncle Branden would always be the meticulous, dignified, and noble image of a king. And now, after seeing such a willful and evil side of his Uncle Branden so suddenly had made him a little ufortable. Hearing Bryan¡¯s surprise exmation, Triston sighed slowly. He reached out, patted Bryan¡¯s shoulder, and sighed again. ¡°Compared to your Uncle Branden, you are still too young. Your Uncle Branden was the famous god of racing in Casier back then. His driving skills are superb!¡± ¡°Did such a thing happen?¡± Bryan wondered. On the other side, Branden took Catherine through the streets and small alleys on the motorcycle. Catherine could tell that his riding skills were good. It was unexpected that the heir of a wealthy family, who sat in the office daily, could ride a motorcycle this well. The handsome Harley-Davidson sped down the road! Suddenly, there was a roar of an engine behind them. A few cool motorcycles passed by them, and the other party was very provocative. After overtaking Branden, they turned around to look at them. They gestured at Branden with their thumbs down and shouted impudently. ¡°Kid, you are driving such a good motorcycle at such speed and only to pick up girls. It is not good!¡± Branden¡¯s sharp eyes darkened slightly on his cold, handsome face after hearing what was said. However, he did not retaliate immediately. He turned around and looked at Catherine to ask for her opinion. Catherine looked at the motorcycles surrounding them and returned a look to Branden as if to ask him, ¡°Can you do it?¡± One should never ask a man in his face if he could do it. It was because the consequences were often tragic! Seeing the provocation in her eyes, Branden smiled lightly. A handsome and willful smile. He gestured to the young men riding the motorcycles around him. He made a fist with his left hand, raised it high, and waved his palm back. It was a hand gesture that anyone who liked racing understood, meaning that the person behind him should speed up and overtake him. The gesture also meant to race. In an instant, their surroundings erupted with joy. Racing was the favorite thing this group of young people loved to do. A rumbling, deafening exhaust roar sounded. Branden controlled the bike with one hand while he reached backward with the other. He forcefully pulled Catherine¡¯s hand over and sped it around his muscr waist. ¡°Sit tight!¡± The minute he finished speaking, Branden released the brakes of the motorcycle, and the motorcycle flew out. A few ghostly figures were chasing after one another. The red motorcycle that provoked Branden just now was taking the lead. He was the god of racing in this racing circle, unrivaled. To him, Branden was a novice who was using the motorcycle to pick up girls. Hence, he did not take Branden seriously at all. But in the next second, he was shocked! Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Branden, who wasgging far behind just now, suddenly elerated and pushed to full throttle. The other motorcycles surrounded him, obstructing his route and not allowing him to move. But no one had expected that he would turn sideways and drive the car to the edge, using the drain to overtake the motorcyclists and forcing his way to the red motorcycle in front. Holy God, he went over the corner by the drain! This method was extremely dangerous. With the slightest misstep, the motorcycle would crash at a fast speed. This man was too bold. Henry, the person riding the red motorcycle, had finally realized that Branden was skilled. He did not dare to take Branden lightly. So he kept elerating, not wanting to be overtaken. However, it seemed that it was toote. The handsome ck and silver Harley-Davidson overtook the red motorcycle effortlessly, leaving only a nice back view for the cyclist after that. Branden stopped the motorcycle at the finish line. Catherine got off the motorcycle first. She took off her helmet and shook her long hair. Branden propped up on the ground with one foot with ease, resting his chin on one of his hands, looking at her stunning face. That face was as beautiful as a dream in the night, like a goblin falling into the mortal world, so captivating that people could not take their eyes off it. For the first time, Branden felt that his heart fluttered. When Catherine stopped and looked at him arrogantly with raised eyebrows, he felt his breath taken away for a moment, and he forgot to breathe. Catherine looked at Branden coldly, with a provocative look in her eyes and a wicked smile on the corner of her mouth. She nodded at Branden. ¡°You have good driving skills!¡± She rarely made positivements about a person, and Branden was the first person to make herment in such a short time. Branden looked at her with his head tilted. The deep eyes seemed to have hidden a sea of stars, which was very seductive. ¡°You have got a good motorcycle!¡± Sheplimented his driving skills. In turn, he praised her motorcycle? 1/4 What a scumbag! She remodeled the motorcycle herself and was the only one in this world. How could it be worse? The two talked briefly before the red motorcycle slowly appeared, followed by the motorcycle gang. Henry got off the motorcycle. He had nned to settle scores with Branden as he had never lost in this way. He must have met a person who is ying dumb today. Otherwise, how could he have lost in such a humiliating way? He had to get this back. Or else, how would he survive in the future? However, when Henry came up and stood in front of them, he froze suddenly when he saw Catherine. Henry, still acting aggressively just now, widened his eyes suddenly, and his eyes were full of excitement inside. He could not control his emotions efficiently and shouted. ¡°Gosh, what a hot chick!¡± Catherine¡¯s face was really stunning. Although she was wearing a simple white short-sleeved shirt with jeans, those simply could not hide the radiance emanating from her body. Those tight, slim-fitting jeans perfectly showed her long slender legs, which looked extremely attractive. Branden¡¯s dark eyes turned cold like the des of ice skates shooting at Henry. He said coldly, ¡°Look again and I shall gouge out your eyes and step on them.¡± The simple tone was filled with power that people dared not ignore. Henry subconsciously. lowered his head. The other party¡¯s aura was so powerful that even he did not know why he was so afraid. Branden reached out, grabbed Catherine¡¯s wrist, and pulled her back, blocking her with his tall body. Catherine¡¯s rare obedience allowed Branden to control her. The opponent¡¯s aura was domineering, but Catherine was not the kind who would give in easily. She had always protected others. This was the first time someone would take the initiative to protect her. This feeling made her feel an inexplicable emotion growing in her heart, and she suddenly forgot to struggle. It took a while for Henry to react. He had been unbeatable for a long time. This guy was too arrogant, having the guts to challenge him the first time they meet. Henry got his momentum back. He raised his head arrogantly, looked at Branden with his legs shaking provocatively, and said, ¡°You were cheating just now. You acted weak deliberately. So thepetition does not count! Do you have the guts topete again?¡± Branden gazed at him coldly. He seemed only a couple of years older than Bryan, but it was ridiculous that this fellow had tried to put an arrogant front of being the big brother. He took the cigarette case from his pocket, lowered his head, pursed his lips, and took one out. The movement was elegant, domineering tinged with evil. Even Henry could not help but gulp. God, this man was too charming! ¡°How do you want topete?¡± With a cigarette dangling from his lips, his voice was a bit vague, but it was difficult to hide his arrogance. Henry froze for a moment, not being able to respond. Catherine, at the side, reached out suddenly and pulled the cigarette out of Branden¡¯s mouth, and threw it on Henry¡¯s motorcycle. Branden turned his head and looked at Catherine. His dark and deep eyes were like a gentle and lovely night. The corner of his mouth curled up, and his eyes slowly fell on her, with unconcealed doting. Catherine threw the dangling cigarette away. He had also tossed out the remaining pack of cigarettes. If she did not allow it, he would quit doing it! Another shadow streaked past, and Henry Lowe returned to his senses. Damn, were they treating him like a trash can? However, the two parties didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit. Catherine looked at his actions and admired Branden¡¯s actions. ¡°Not bad. He¡¯s obedient!¡± she thought. Henry couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He didn¡¯te here at night to watch the two getting all romantic. He had to find his ce again. ¡°Kid, are we going topete?¡± Catherine frowned slightly. ¡°Ah, this guy is so annoying,¡± she murmured inwardly. She turned her head and said impatiently, ¡°Didn¡¯t he ask you what topete? Are you deaf?¡± Henry was stunned after being scolded. What a hot girl! He made a move after a while. He pulled the girl from behind him and put her before Catherine. 3/4 ¡°This is my girl. I have justpeted with this kid. There is no point inpeting again, so let¡¯s change a game between my girl and you, do you dare?¡± Henry knew his skills were not as good as Branden¡¯s. And he wanted to get back from elsewhere. Henry¡¯s girl wore a ck, tight-fitting leather jacket. She had two massive breasts that trembled like two giant balloons when she walked. She was wearing heavy makeup and looked at Catherine provocatively, ¡°Little girl, do you have the guts topete? Let me warn you first. I have never lost. Don¡¯tin that I bullied you if you lost.¡± Catherine smiled faintly and evilly. She spoke lightly, ¡°Since it is a gamble, what about the stakes?¡± Henry became interested after hearing Catherine spoke, ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s time to talk about the stakes. You are on the right track.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. If you guys lose, you¡¯re mine tonight. How about if we lose, we give you a million?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fine!¡± Catherine replied coldly, her eyes darkened, and a gleam of coldness shed across her eyes. ¡°I agree to your conditions, and I will increase the amount. If you win, I will even give you this motorcycle.¡± Henry¡¯s face was full of excitement. He had already had his eye on Catherine¡¯s superb Harley- Davidson. Since she brought up the topic herself, he would not hold back. ¡°Okay, if we lose, I¡¯ll add another million; I will not take advantage of you!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want it if we won. Even if it is 10 million.¡± Henry was a little confused, looking at the other party with puzzled eyes. ¡°What do you want then?¡± Catherine spoke coldly. Her voice was chilling, like it came from hell. ¡°I want one of your legs!¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Catherine¡¯s aura was so powerful that Henry was frightened. He even felt that a big knife was shing toward his leg as soon as Catherine¡¯s voice came out. Surrounded by his friends, Henry couldn¡¯t show his cowardice. He had to agree even though he was afraid, not to mention that he did not think Catherine could win. His girlfriend was correct. They ran on this road daily, and there was no way this girl could win them. Henry¡¯s attitude became arrogant after he hade to a decision. ¡°Fine, we will take the gamble? Let¡¯s begin!¡± The other party was ready and waiting for Catherine to make an appearance. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine looked at Branden. She reached out and grabbed his cor gently, and stared at him coldly. ¡°Are you noting?¡± Branden was the heir of a wealthy family, so he had no reason to join the gamble of life with her here. Catherine left the choice to him. Branden looked at her with profound interest. He took a step back instantly. At an astonishing speed, one hand crossed Catherine¡¯s waist, picked her up, and put her in the front seat. There was no sloppiness in that series of smooth and neat actions. The people watching wanted to scream. Branden did not release his hold on Catherine¡¯s waist even after she had sat down. Catherine frowned slightly and shook her body after she noticed it, Even so, Branden had not let go of her He closed the distance between them again, then spoke slowly, with a deep and seductive voice. ¡°I believe in Miss Swann¡¯s driving skills, but I will be afraid if it goes too fast. Holding you can give me a little more sense of security.¡± Damn it! Wanting to have more sense of security was a hoax. This man was taking advantage of her. But why didn¡¯t she kick the man aside and cripple him? While Catherine was thinking, Branden spoke again. ¡°Miss Swann, we will show ourselves as an unmarried couple in the future. You will need to learn to adapt to this kind of intimacy early!¡± Branden could feel Catherine¡¯s body soften after hearing what he said. She was not as stiff as before. He watched her retreat through the rearview mirror. A faint smile appeared at the bottom of his eyes, the corners of his mouth raising unconsciously. ¡°What a slim waist she has!¡± he thought. With everything ready, the motorcycles drove out at high speed at the sound of the whistle. Catherine started the car slowly amidst the crowd¡¯s scrambling. The referee began to feel anxious for her because of her slow attitude. The person in question did not respond. It was okay if she didn¡¯t. The problem was even the man behind her was not responding. Branden slowly sat down, full of calmness, and he did not rush Catherine. With the beauty in his arms and her waist so slender, why would he be anxious when he was so comfortable? With the tip of her tongue against her cheek, Catherine saw that the red motorcycle had already driven half ap, so she started the car at a slow pace. One either wouldn¡¯t move or moved in a way that shocked everyone. Vroom! There was a gust of wind, and it blew the referee¡¯s hat away. He had wanted to mock Catherine for losing. But when he opened his eyes, the people before him were gone. He turned his head and asked the people around him about the whereabouts of the motorcycle. The crowd was also bewildered. The people did not see clearly how those two elerated, and they had already disappeared from everyone¡¯s eyes. The referee looked at the dust still floating in mid-air, the whistle inside his mouth falling to the ground. Damn, did gods descend on Earth? Why were both the man and the woman so powerful? Catherine didn¡¯t release the throttle from the moment she started. She modified the motorcycle personally. elerating without letting go of the elerator would enable her to reach the limit. At the same time, it was precarious to do so. With this speed, even a tiny stone could make the tires skid, and the motorcycle would crash. It was a test of skills. The eleration at this time was even faster than when Branden was driving. Their motorcycle was like a phantom in the night, quickly surpassing the other motorcycles, one after another, approaching the one at the front. At the moment when the other party felt that triumph was near, lightly overtaking them would be like pouring arge basin of cold water down hard on them. Wouldn¡¯t it be boring to overtake them early and lead all the way? Even if a cat caught a rat, it would not kill it instantly. But it would y with it slowly, allowing it to escape and capture it again. Wouldn¡¯t such repeated y be fun? Catherine had this in mind. Unfortunately, the opponent was so weak that there was no fun. Catherine stopped the motorcycle. Branden sat in the back seat, and the expression on his face remained unchanged. He was still holding that cold smile in contempt of everything. Beneath the seemingly calm and unchanged handsome face, there was turmoil in his heart. Limitless elerated speed, the extreme pleasure made it seem like some power in his body. was about to burst out. Henry and the others lost, and Henry also knew that he had met an opponent. He couldn¡¯t help but admire Catherine. He was clear that he was also unable to win the girl in front of him. He got off the motorcycle. and walked to Catherine with a change in attitude. ¡°Girl, I concede defeat. How about 10 million?¡± Catherine curled her red lips, revealing a wry smile. ¡°You do it yourself, or I do it?¡± Henry was a little anxious, seeing that the other party refused to give up. If the soft approach didn¡¯t work, it would have to be on the hard. ¡°Girl, I¡¯m well-known in this area. It¡¯s not worthwhile for you to offend me. How about making a friend? You can use my name next time, and I will protect you.¡± Ha! Protect her? The person who could protect her didn¡¯t even exist in this world! Henry was acting all unreasonable. His people behind him had also gathered around, making a scene. There was no fear at Catherine¡¯s side, and their expressions did not change. Branden crossed his arms around his chest, leaning against the motorcycle, watching it all like a spectator. He didn¡¯t do anything because Catherine didn¡¯t ask him to. He wanted to see how Catherine would handle it. The atmosphere became tense instantly. Henry was ready to attack at any time. He looked at the other party and raised his chin with an arrogant attitude. ¡°Girl, you had better be sensible and leave. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being ungracious.¡± Catherine looked at him coldly and said in a provocative tone, ¡°Very well, go ahead!¡± She wanted to see how rude this little ck man was going to be. Henry was about to let his people make the move. To teach her a lesson to warn her off. Suddenly¡­ Vroom! There was a roar, and a dozen rare top-ss sports cars came speeding by. The head of the pack was an arrogant fluorescent green Huracan. There were only three such cars worldwide, and Casier had only one. The car was a symbol of status. Henry¡¯s and the others¡¯ faces sank the moment the car appeared. Everyone here was a car enthusiast, and everyone knew the owner of this top sports car. Those cars behind him were also not to be underestimated. Who could have attracted these big shots here? Chapter 73 Chapter 73 When the car stopped, the door was opened. Henry rushed to the car and respectfully greeted the young man who took the lead. ¡°Mr. Guzman, what brings you and the other misters here?¡± The young man was wearing a pinstriped suit with ck suit pants. His hair was light yellow, and he looked fancy. Henry was indeed overbearing, but he could only behave obediently in front of this young man. But Mr. Guzman ignored Henry¡¯s paying court to him. He looked at Henry in dislike and said with dissatisfaction, ¡°Piss off! Don¡¯t get in my way to see the true big shot here.¡± With that, the young man shoved Henry away and led the others to Catherine. The dozen young men who came were more powerful and wealthier than Henry. The leader, Keith Guzman, had the most influential family among them in the underworld. It could be said that Keith was the future leader of the underworld. No one dared to offend Keith. He had the power to be bossy there. However, such a bossy person changed his look in front of Catherine. He put away his lordly manner and was well-behaved as he walked over to Catherine. There was a ttering grin on Keith¡¯s face as he said, ¡°Catherine, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you woulde here? Am I not one of your friends?¡± Keith always yed it cool and was taciturn. Now that Catherine was there, Keith became at chatterbox. ¡°I heard an awesome silver-ck Harley-Davidson was here, and I guessed it was you. I told my friends it would be eye-opening and took them here in case they missed it. I¡¯m smart, right?¡± Keith¡¯s fellows were shocked. They were curious who this girl was and why Keith, the future underworld leader, would be so respectful to her. Catherine eyed him casually but did not speak. But Keith felt ttered by that nce. He thought thrillingly, ¡°Oh gosh! Catherine looked at me just now!¡± Catherine checked her watch and thought that she should get going. She had dyed for long enough because of this ident. Catherine pointed her finger at Henry and said tly, her tone calm, ¡°Keith, this guy lost a bet with me. He owes me his leg. You know what I mean.¡± Keith understood and said in reverence, almost down to his knees, ¡°I know what to do, Catherine. Leave it to me, and you can rest assured.¡± When Keith¡¯s words fell, someone handed him a baseball bat. If he hit Henry¡¯s leg with it, Henry would be disabled without a doubt. Henry wanted to flee, but it was toote. He was pinned down by some of Keith¡¯s fellows. Catherine knew what would happen next and had no interest in the scene. She was about to leave, so she shot a nce at Branden. Branden got on the motorcycle when he heard Henry yelling. ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares toy a finger on me! It¡¯s the Duncans who are behind me! I¡¯m one of their rtives!¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows at Branden, but thetter shook his head slightly, meaning he had no idea what Henry was talking about. Catherine got off the motorcycle and to the ground. Branden followed behind her. She moved toward Keith, and Keith stopped his move and said to her, ¡°Catherine!¡± Henry thought Catherine was scared after he told her his identity, and he was smug. He squinted at Catherine and scoffed. ¡°How is it now? Are you scared? Well, you should be. No one dares offend the Duncans in Casier. Even the Guzmans should show respect to them.¡± Catherine smiled wickedly, which caused Keith to shudder and sent shivers down his spine. He knew the smile was saying that someone was bound to get unlucky. Henry was a fool. A hopeless fool. He had no idea who Catherine was. Catherine was a big gun that even Keith¡¯s father would be respectful to. It was a joke thinking that she would fear the Duncans. The smile on Catherine¡¯s face gradually faded away. When the smile waspletely gone, she suddenly made her move. She was so quick that no one saw how she made her move. All they could feel was a whoosh blow. Then a desperate roar escaped Henry¡¯s mouth and pierced the night air. ¡°Ouch!¡± That was not enough. Catherine stretched out her hand to pull Branden from behind her. She looked daggers at Henry, and her eyes were like two ice skates ruthlessly stabbing into Henry¡¯s heart. ¡°Open your eyes and have a good look. This is the current big cheese of the Duncans. He¡¯s Branden Duncan! ¡°You don¡¯t even recognize him. How dare you im that the Duncans are behind you?¡± Her stern voice astounded everyone around her. And her words caused an uproar. Even Henry forgot to shriek in pain. He just gaped at Branden in horror. Who would¡¯ve thought the leader of the Duncan Corporation would take a girl out and have a car chase in the middle of the night? And the girl actually pushed Branden around. It was too shocking! Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The imposing manner of Branden could not be faked. Besides, he was stunningly handsome. Who could say that it was not Branden? Yet, Branden, who let Catherine do whatever she wanted, was not irritated. It was just there was a hint of resignation in his bright eyes. Well, Catherine was his girl. She wanted him to be up there with her, and he would be. After saying so, Catherine did not care what other people¡¯s reactions were but took Branden¡¯s arm and left. The rest of the people rubbernecked at their figures and was at a loss. Henry, in particr, knew he was so screwed. His family had been relying on the Duncan Corporation to make a living. Now that Branden. knew how he used the reputation of the Duncans to boss around, Henry knew what his fate would be. Branden would not let him and his family off. It was nothing that he lost a legpared to the destruction of his whole family. Watching the silver-ck Harley-Davidson motorcycle speeding away, Keith could not help but snap his fingers and exim with awe. ¡°She¡¯s damn cool! Even a big potato like Branden Duncan listened to her! That¡¯s amazing!¡± On the way home, it was still Branden running the motorcycle. This time, he drove it at a regr steady speed. Catherine got tired. She rested her head on Branden¡¯s broad back quietly. When they drove past a busy business street, Catherine sat up straight abruptly. Branden immediately sensed something wrong with her. He jerked his head back and asked her with his eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Catherine stared at the front and said coldly, ¡°Stop now!¡± Branden found a ce to stop the motorcycle without dy. Catherine walked to the business street while Branden followed behind her and blocked the crowded people for her. Catherine came to a halt. Her eyes, staring ahead of her, became even more menacing. Branden followed Catherine¡¯s stare and saw a man and a woman. The man had an average appearance but was dressed in style and looked arty. There were several shopping bags of luxury brands in his hand. The woman was adorable. She held an ice cream and beamed obsequiously at the man. Their interaction with each other was quite intimate. They ate the same ice cream from time to time, looking like a sweet couple. Branden did not know why Catherine would pay attention to those two people. He asked with confusion, ¡°Do you know them?¡± Catherine did not answer. She only eyed him briefly and then walked away. However, Branden could sense the change in Catherine¡¯s mood. She was instantly sullen. Was she angry? Because of that man and woman? Branden turned around, took a picture of the couple, and sent it to Paxton. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Catherine¡¯s look remained dark all the way from the busy street to the Swanns¡¯s residence. On ordinary asions, Catherine was aloof, but now, she looked gloomy. Branden guessed she was angry, but he could not understand why she would be like that. In the nick of time, Branden received Paxton¡¯s message. He took a look, and a faint smile crept across his face. He thought, ¡°Catherine is not totally cold and heartless.¡± He gave his phone to Catherine, and his voice rang out, ¡°Come on, have a look.¡± Catherine got down from the motorcycle and saw Branden handing over the phone. She took it, tapped on the screen, and nced at the information Paxton sent. A cold light shed across her eyes, and the aura on her was even more frightening. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± asked Branden. Catherine did not reply to that question. She handed the phone to Branden and demanded, ¡± Send me everything about him.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Branden promised briskly and found the QR Code on his WhatsApp and showed Catherine. ¡°Add me as your contact, and I¡¯ll send it to you.¡± If Triston were with them right now, he would say Branden was sly and took advantage of adding Catherine as a friend on WhatsApp. ¡°Good for you, Mr. Duncan,¡± Triston would probably say. Catherine thought nothing of it. She took out her phone and scanned the QR Code to add Branden as a contact. Then, Branden forwarded the information to Catherine¡¯s phone. After receiving the information she needed, Catherine turned to leave. She turned her back to Branden and raised her right hand high. She waved without looking back as a goodbye. Branden stared at the thin figure. The corners of his mouth raised, and he said silently, ¡°Good night.¡± When Branden turned around, the car Paxton drove stopped steadily by Branden¡¯s side. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Paxton got off, opened the car door for Branden, and waited by the door subserviently. When Branden sat still in the car seat, Paxton closed the door for him and walked around to get in the car. Branden fiddled with his phone. He tapped open WhatsApp and checked Catherine¡¯s status, but there was nothing. It was as mysterious as she was. Her WhatsApp profile photo was just a pure ck picture, and Branden could not see any more profile information. ¡°Interesting.¡± Branden made a cold snort, but there was a smile on his lips. Paxton peeked at his boss in the backseat from the rearview mirror. He still kept a straight face, but there was a hint of disbelief in his calm eyes. Paxton thought, ¡°What the heck happened to Mr. Duncan?¡± Branden had been indifferent and abstinent for over two decades and never allowed any female to show up around him within a hundred meters. Why would he be so serious about Catherine? He now went drag racing with Catherine in the middle of the night and even drove Catherine home! Besides, Branden meddled in Catherine¡¯s family affairs, which was extremely weird. When Paxton got the picture Branden sent him, he thought something big happened and arranged for men to check it out. Paxton even utilized the informationwork of the Duncans. To his surprise, the man Branden asked him to check was merely a photographer whose name was Erik Burke. The woman was an influencer and a still model. She had not many fans, and there was nothing special about her. After Paxton dug deeper, he found out that Erik, the photographer, had another girlfriend, who happened to be Audrey Swann, the eldest daughter of the Swanns. Only then did Paxton realize why Branden cared. Erik got a lot of nerve. He had a romantic rtionship with the eldest daughter of the Swanns while having an affair with an influencer. What was worse, they got caught by Catherine and Branden. Well, Paxton knew that was the end of Erik Paxton did not need to guess to know that Erik would not have a happy ending. As for how miserable Erik would be, there would not be a limitation. Branden raised his eyes to see Paxton¡¯s puzzled pair of eyes. Branden stared at Paxton for two seconds, and Paxton noticed it instantly. It was toote for Paxton to flee. Since his boss spotted his puzzlement, Paxton could only tell Branden what was on his mind. Paxton said hesitantly while there was timidness in his tone, ¡°Mr. Duncan, what do you think is so special about Miss Swann?¡± He was just curious why Branden would be so interested in Catherine. Branden¡¯s eyes moved, and a faint trace of a smile lingered on his lips. He spat out two words casually. ¡°She¡¯s pretty.¡± Paxton heard Branden, but he still did notprehend. He muttered to himself, ¡°Miss Swann is indeed pretty, but there are a lot of pretty girls in the entire Casier. Mr. Duncan never darts a look at those girls, let alone being interested in them.¡± Well, ordinary people like him could not be on the same wavelength as the big shots. Paxton kept his mouth shut. Catherine went to the school the following day. The moment Catherine entered the ssroom, she felt something wrong. It was not that Catherine¡¯s ssmates were weird, but Bryan was somewhat strange. On ordinary days, when Bryan saw Catherine from afar, he would stand up to pull the chair out for her. However, Catherine walked to her seat today, but Bryan stillid face downwards on the desk and was motionless. Catherine nced around briefly at her ssmates and saw David and the others kept their heads down silently. Catherine did not ask Bryan to get up. Bryan was in his youth and sometimes did silly things, so Catherine ignored him. She pulled out the chair herself and sat down. Catherine did not take it to heart, but her ssmates started gossiping in whispers. They all knew how Bryan idolized Catherine. Suddenly, Bryan neglected Catherine, so the others were all gossiping, and there were rumors on the grapevine. Someone conjectured lowly. ¡°Do you think Bryan falls out with Catherine? Without Bryan¡¯s care for Catherine, she must be lonely and has a hard time.¡± ¡°Without Bryan, Catherine is still the chairperson of the Swann Corporation.¡± Another person. retorted the former one in dissatisfaction. ¡°Pff! That title is a mere bluff. Don¡¯t you believe me? Ask Liana about her opinion of the so- call chairperson!¡± With the conclusion of the person¡¯s remark, people turned their eyes to Liana. In people¡¯s eyes, Liana was the true daughter of the Swanns. Therefore, no one knew more clearly about Catherine being the chairperson than she did. Under the curious gazes, Liana smiled faintly and looked as usual while her thoughts were spiraling. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. My dad still makes the decisions, and I heard Catherine only needs to sit there. After all, Catherine just returned from the countryside, and there are things she doesn¡¯t understand.¡± Her ssmates all understood what she implied. The Swann Corporation was arge corporation. How could it allow a girl returning from the countryside who knew nothing to be the chairperson? It was probably some kind of strategy to let Catherine sit there and turn people¡¯s attention to her. It was normal among thoserge families. Liana looked in the direction of Catherine coldly. Seeing, Bryan still face down on the desk, her heart jumped joyfully. She thought, ¡°Catherine gets to be bossy around because of Bryan! ¡°Let¡¯s see how that jinx can continue being overbearing now that Bryan blows her off!¡± The morning passed by, and here came the off-school hours. When the bell rang, Catherine woke up as a rule. She shot a nce at Bryan. He was still leaning against the desk. Catherine let him be and put her hands in her pockets, ready to leave. As soon as she turned around, Bryan, lying on the desk, suddenly stood up. He stared at Catherine¡¯s back and said. slowly, ¡°Boss!¡± Catherine heard the sound and turned back to look at Bryan with a slight raise of her brow. Bryan hesitated for a long time before asking Catherine cautiously, ¡°Can I still call you ¡®Boss¡¯ in the future?¡± After he went home yesterday, he was tortured all night because of the matter. He could not. ept the fact that Catherine was going to be his future aunt-inw. But after Bryan pondered it, it seemed no one deserved Catherine other than his Uncle Branden. Bryan was slumped for a day under the double torment of mncholy and hesitation. The school hours were almost over, and Bryan finally plucked up the courage to speak to Catherine. Catherine looked at Bryan¡¯s cautious appearance, and a slight smile arose on the corner of her mouth. As she expected, people at puberty were always dumb and silly. ¡°Never ask me such a stupid question again.¡± With that, Catherine walked away gracefully. It took a while for Bryan to react, and he shouted at Catherine¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Hail Boss! I love you! Boss!¡± David thought, ¡°Bryan must be out of his mind! He must be possessed.¡± Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Just as Catherine walked out of the school, she felt vibrations from her trouser pocket. She pulled out her phone to check. It was Audrey calling. When Catherine pressed the answer button, she heard Audrey¡¯s excited voice, ¡°Kathy! Is the school over? I¡¯ll pick you up! Let¡¯s go shopping, shall we?¡± Audrey¡¯s voice was so prating that Catherine had to put the phone away from her ear. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Catherine scowled, wondering why Audrey had to be so dramatic like Ronin. Her high-pitched voice was hurting Catherine¡¯s ears. Catherine never liked going shopping, nor had she ever gone shopping. If she had the time for shopping, she preferred sleeping at home. She was about to reject Audrey and end the call when the scene she sawst night suddenly urred to her. Her rejection changed, and she said, ¡°Send me the address.¡± After hanging up, Catherine got the message from Audrey. The address was a shopping mall nearby. Catherine nced at it, and the corners of her lips. slightly curved into a beautiful arc. Five minutester, Catherine rode her motorcycle and arrived at the mall that Audrey mentioned. She stepped through the entrance and noticed Audrey waiting there for her. It seemed that Audrey was in a good mood today. Seeing Catherine, Audrey rushed toward her with a wide grin. She winked at Catherine yfully, stretched out her hand to hook Catherine¡¯s arm, and said in a low voice, ¡°Kathy, let me tell you this. I have received my endorsement fee, and I¡¯m much richer now! I¡¯m so happy today! I want to buy some things for you!¡± After leaving the Swanns¡¯, Audrey became a fashion and beauty blogger with a background of being born blue blood. She taught her fans makeup skills and how to match clothes. Besides, she shared the merits and demerits of luxury brands and how to identify if they were fake. She was now a famous influencer on social media apps. Catherine had been wearing a T-shirt and jeans every day ever since she returned to live with the Swanns. Audrey was worried that Catherine¡¯s ssmates would look down upon Catherine at school, so Audrey specially arranged for Catherine to go shopping with her after receiving the endorsement fee and nned to buy Catherine some clothes. Catherine wrinkled her brows as she gazed at Audrey with bewilderment. Seeing Catherine in a daze, Audrey patted her chest and promised Catherine, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kathy. Leave everything to me today. I have ns for you and will definitely make you look more beautiful. You¡¯re so pretty, and your clothes must be good enough to match your beauty. Catherine came here to show the evidence of Erik¡¯s cheating on her. She wanted Audrey to see Erik¡¯s true color and leave the scumbag as early as possible. But at that moment, Catherine was not so sure. She liked the smiling Audrey, and she did not. want the smile to disappear from Audrey¡¯s face. As for Erik, since he dared to be a two-timer, Catherine would make him pay the price of cheating on Audrey. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this. I have enough clothes.¡± Catherine rejected Audrey¡¯s proposal and turned to leave the mall. Audrey did not give up. She dashed forward and hugged Catherine¡¯s arm. Catherine lowered her head and looked coldly at where Audrey was hugging her. The icy look. frightened Audrey, and she let go instantly. Yet, Audrey still did not give up. She looked at Catherine with aplimentary expression. ¡°Kathy, I know you have clothes. But all you wear are T-shirts and jeans. I think they are too drab. Let me buy something different for you. What do you think?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a waste of money!¡± Catherine responded brittlely. She only wore haute couture clothes that the chief designers of the mega brands personally made. She would never wear ready-made clothes sold in this kind of shopping mall. Unfortunately, Audrey did not grasp Catherine¡¯s point at all. From her perspective, Catherine was saving her money. They were all family, but Catherine was so much better than her other two siblings. The Swanns were rich, but all the money and properties were concentrated on Vicente. Korbin strictly controlled his children¡¯s pocket money. Except for Audrey, his other children were students and had no other source of ie. When Johnathan did not have enough pocket money to squander, he would ask Audrey for it. Johnathan did not care if Audrey had sufficient money for her own usage. Every time he asked Audrey for dough, the amount was over a hundred thousand dors. Even Liana took a great deal of money from Audrey. Catherine, however, was the only one who did not want to spend Audrey¡¯s money. Even if only to buy several pieces of clothes. Thinking of this, Audrey became more determined to buy clothes for Catherine. She did not want to make fish of one and flesh of another of her siblings. She liked to be nice to Catherine too. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Kathy. Do me a favor. You know I¡¯m a beauty blogger, and I sometimes teach my fans how to match clothes. Be my model. I want to take some pictures as the materials to exin to my fans.¡± Worried that Catherine would still refuse, Audrey hurriedly exined, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like to be photographed, so I will only take pictures of the clothes. Catherine, please, or I willck the materials for my blog this time. Promise me, will you?¡± Unable to stand Audrey¡¯s pleading, Catherine nodded almost negligibly. Audrey turned to be in raptures, and regardless of Catherine¡¯s frown, she hugged Catherine¡¯s arm again and pulled her forward. Audrey had a good figure but was half a head shorter than Catherine. Besides, Audrey knew she was going shopping today, so she wore a pair of t shoes, Holding Catherine¡¯s arm, Audrey looked like a dainty little woman. Well, it was also owing to the powerful vibe from Catherine. Catherine was not very tall either, but her vibe was too strong, making her look taller than she was. Audrey took Catherine to the women¡¯s clothing floor on the third floor, where all the luxury brands were there. She did not want to buy low-end goods for Catherine. She thought only big brands deserved Catherine. The luxury brands were costly, indeed. But with her money, Audrey could still afford one or two suits. Audrey led Catherine into a shop of an upscale brand. When Audrey and Catherine entered the shop, the service assistant recognized Audrey and greeted her, ¡°Miss Swann, Wee! We have some newly released bags. Would you like to have a look?¡± Audrey felt sad in her heart. What a coincidence that she came here today and there were new arrivals! The service assistants would not specially mention the newly released goods if they were not receiving high-ss clients. The new arrivals were saved for top clients, and ordinary ones would not have the chance to buy them even with money. It was a rare opportunity for Audrey to purchase bags! After a while of sadness, Audrey gave up the new bags. She smiled softly, ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m not here for the bags today. I want to buy some clothes for my younger sister. Do you have any newly arrived clothes?¡± It was quite a pleasant decision from Audrey for the service assistant. She could save the new bags for her other high-ss clients and still earn money from Audrey by selling clothes. She led the two ebulliently into the inner room and introduced, ¡°These are our new arrivals this season. Miss Swann, please have a look. Let me know if you are interested in any of them.¡± Catherine sat on the sofa and dozed off as soon as she entered the door. Audrey let her be and concentrate on choosing clothes on her own. She would like to do anything to make Catherine look more shining Audrey picked one after another, but she could not make up her mind to decide on one She felt every piece of the dress suited Catherine and matched her well, but she also thought those clothes were not worthy of Catherine¡¯s gorgeousness. Such contradictory andplicated emotion was constantly growing in Audrey¡¯s heart. The service assistant could tell what Audrey was thinking, so she walked to Audrey and asked, ¡°Miss Swann, we have some top new arrivals Do you want to have a look?¡± Top new arrivals meant that they would be expensive Audrey knew it, but since she had decided to buy something nice and expensive for Catherine, she was ready to spend money ¡°Great Get them and show me. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 The service assistant left to get one of the new dresses. When she brought it out, Audrey liked it at the first sight of it. It was a simple one-piece white dress, but it was well-designed and slim in cut, matching Catherine to a tee. Audrey was delighted, thinking that Catherine must look gorgeous in that dress. She was about to ask the service assistant to take it down for Catherine to try when she heard a slightly shrill and faking sweet voice from behind. ¡°Mommy, this one seems nice.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the voice was harsh on the ears, Catherine would not have turned her head to look at the speaker. The woman who spoke was in a pink dress with the brand logo printed all over it. It seemed as if she was afraid that other people would not know that she was wearing a mega brand. The woman had a rtively fine face shape but was wearing heavy makeup. One could tell that she had spent a lot on cosmetic surgery. Catherine looked at her from head to toe before closing her eyes and getting back to her rest. On the other side, Audrey shot a disdainful look at the woman. She was acquainted with that woman. Thedy was the daughter of the Burton Group¡¯s boss, called Sheryl Burton, and she was also Audrey¡¯s rival. The two of them had never gotten along peacefully. Audrey cast a disgusted look at Sheryl before she turned to the service assistant and said, ¡°Please take it down and let my sister have a try.¡± The service assistant nodded and reached out to get the dress down. Sheryl suddenly grabbed the dress. She looked askance at Audrey and said sourly, ¡°Look who this is! The unpopr social media influencer driven out by the Swanns. Why are you here? Do you have enough credit on your credit card to use?¡± Even after saying those mean words, Sheryl did not want to let Audrey off so readily. She put on airs and said to the service assistant drily, ¡°You! Your shop is a posh shop. Do you not have a basic judgment on how to choose your clients? How can you let such a D-List influencer in? They will only take pictures or videos of the clothes! Do you think they will buy anything here? They might even steal the designs of your brand. They are low! And your shop is bing one as well.¡± The service assistant was embarrassed and quite out of countenance. She nced at Audrey timidly. She knew Audrey was a beauty blogger. Furthermore, Audrey had been to their shop a thousand times before and would buy things every time. Therefore, the service assistant did not regard Audrey as an unknown blogger. Besides, she watched Audrey¡¯s videos as well. However, the service assistant could not afford to offend Sheryl too. Faced with Sheryl¡¯s provocation, Audrey¡¯s only response was to put on a cold face. She did not want to conflict with Sheryl and turned to the service assistant. ¡°Take the dress off and let my sister try it on. If it suits her, we will buy it.¡± Sheryl turned and dragged her mother over as she demanded, ¡°Mommy, I want this one!¡± Carol, Sheryl¡¯s mother, turned her nose up at Audrey. She said to the service assistant, ¡°Wrap it up for us. I¡¯ll buy all the new products in your shop. Pack them and send them to our house!¡± The service assistant was astonished, thinking of the vast difference in how a Madam of a wealthy family shopped. Sheryl looked at Audrey proudly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be rich and shop here. Go away!¡± She said to the service assistant, ¡°And you. Tell Miss Swann the price of this dress.¡± The service assistant was a salesgirl who could not slight her clients. She quoted Audrey the price of the dress as instructed. ¡°Miss Swann, this dress is one of the new arrivals in our shop. The price is about 680 thousand dors.¡± Audrey was shocked when she heard the price, which was far beyond her budget. Sheryl saw through Audrey¡¯s hesitation. She snorted coldly with contempt, and her snort was so loud that the whole shop could hear it. She said to the service assistant, ¡°You see? She can¡¯t afford it! Hurry up! Wrap it up for me.¡± When Audrey was still considering whether to spend all her money on buying the dress, a fair and slender arm stretched out behind her, holding out a ck credit card. The card was handed to the service assistant. Then, a chill yet majestic voice came out from behind Audrey, ¡°Take it. I¡¯ll have everything in the shop.¡± The service assistant was stunned. She had seen many wealthy people who bought an entire row of goods at a time, but she had never seen one so affluent that she could buy out the entire shop. That was incredulous! Audrey also could not believe her ears. She looked back at Catherine. Catherine still had that nd expression on her face. To her, saying that astounding sentence seemed as simple as saying she wanted to buy a bottle of water. Sheryl was dumbfounded too. When she came in, she saw Catherine on the sofa, but she did not pay much attention to her. Never in her wildest dreams would she think that Catherine would make such a shocking statement. Sheryl examined Catherine up and down and saw that Catherine was good-looking but not well - dressed. She did not think Catherine¡¯s clothes came from the big brands at first nce. She heard Audrey say that Catherine was her younger sister, and Sheryl knew Liana. To be precise, Sheryl and Liana got well with each other. In Sheryl¡¯s heart, Liana was the true and only daughter of the Swanns while Audrey was nothing. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sheryl could guess who Catherine was, and she sneered. ¡°Audrey, is this your younger sister who came back from the countryside? I heard she is a jinx. Aren¡¯t you afraid that she will bring bad luck to you? ¡°How dare she impersonates a rich person here? Does she think she can lie to all of us with that card? Does it even have money in it?¡± Catherine¡¯s pretty face instantly turned grim, and a hint of coldness appeared in her eyes. She wanted to say something when Audrey beat her to the punch. Audrey stormed toward Sheryl in rage and pointed at Sheryl as she said, ¡°What have you eaten today? Why does your mouth smell? You should find a mirror and look at yourself! You look like an ugly pig! How dare youe out to shop? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you will scare people out there? They may have nightmares after seeing you. ¡°Do you think you will be a diva after having double eyelid surgery, a chin imnt, a nose job, and a boob job? Wrong! With such an ugly face, you should hide at home!¡± Audrey felt it was not good enough of aeback after cursing Sheryl out, so she snatched the credit card over and waved it in front of Sheryl. ¡°Open your damn eyes! This is a top-level ck Card! There are only ten such cards on earth, and you thought it had no money! Are you really from a wealthy family? I think you are the bumpkin instead.¡± Audrey was so mad. She could tolerate it when others looked down on her, but she would not allow people to talk ill about her sister. Catherine had never caused an affront to Sheryl. What right did Sheryl have to insult Catherine? After saying so many angry words, Audrey was tired. She panted with her hands on her hips. A smile shed across Catherine¡¯s eyes, and the corners of her mouth raised a little. Her gaze fell on Audrey and the usual coldness within them was gone. She never thought that her elder sister would be so fascinating. Sheryl was not an opponent for Audrey and could not retaliate. She was furious and ran to her mother for help. ¡°Mommy!¡± Carol had not nned to participate in the vindictiveness of the young people, but her daughter was now humiliated and defenseless. If Carol did not take action, people might feel the Burtons were weaklings. She stood up slowly and walked to Audrey. Her next move was out of everyone¡¯s expectations. She raised her hand suddenly. People¡¯s mouths fell agape. They wondered if she would hit Audrey. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Carol moved at such a speed that the others thought that Audrey would be hit without a doubt. However, Catherine, who was standing behind Audrey, suddenly made her move. No one noticed how she did it. She dragged Audrey away with one hand and grasped Carol¡¯s hand to fling it away hard. Carol lost her footing and fell to the ground. Audrey gaped at the scene. She could not help screaming in her heart. ¡°Oh my gosh! Catherine is an alpha girl! She¡¯s so cool and domineering! All hail Kathy! I love you!¡± Sheryl hurried forward and helped her mother up before glowering at Catherine and Audrey. She said with resentment. ¡°How dare you attack my mother? Do you wish to die?¡± Carol stood up slowly. Her face was gloomy, and there was killing intent in her angry eyes. She screamed, ¡°You got the nerve to push me! Even your father, Korbin Swann, would not dare toy a finger on me if he was here. You two chicks attacked me! Our family would be shamed if I don¡¯t get even with you!¡± Audrey was somewhat flustered. Dealing with Sheryl was totally different than getting Carol involved in this matter, and Carol did not want to let them go. Audrey gently tugged on Catherine¡¯s hand, trying to persuade Catherine to leave. However, Catherine did not respond to her and maintained herposure. Catherine raised her eyebrows and stared at Carol, whose face was distorted from anger. She scrutinized Carol from up and down and said icily, ¡°Just cut your crap and do it!¡± Carol blinked. She had thought that Catherine and Audrey would be frightened by her threat. Catherine was surprisingly arrogant. Looking at Catherine¡¯s rebellious and hostile face, Carol wished she could tear Catherine apart. She pointed a finger at Catherine and warned her loudly. ¡°Listen, you bastard from the countryside. I will show you how powerful the Burtons are today!¡± Catherine narrowed her eyes. She looked as terrifying as a bloodthirsty person. There was only coldness was in her eyes and nothing else. She grabbed the hand that Carol was pointing at her and did a perfect shoulder throw. Her movement was smooth and without any hesitation or dy. Before the others could react, Catherine had already mmed Carol to the ground. Bang! With a loud bang, Carol¡¯s slightly fat body mmed heavily on the marble floor, making a startling sound. Catherine looked down on Carol from above with malice. Her voice was as callous as if it came from hell. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone tell you that it¡¯s rude to point at people when talking?¡± Carol grimaced and bared her teeth in pain. She could not utter a word while facing such a fierce and powerful Catherine. She was scared. Sheryl¡¯s eyes widened in horror, and they almost fell out of their sockets. She trembled. She had never thought that Catherine would be so bold as to attack her mother. ¡°Catherine Swann, are you insane? I¡¯ll call my dad toe here right now!¡± Audrey was frightened as well. She immediately pulled Catherine and wanted to walk out of the shop. ¡°Kathy, run! Leave it to me here!¡± she whispered. Catherine tilted her head and looked at Audrey calmly. ¡°Leave it to you? Can you handle it yourself? Can you bear the consequence?¡± Audrey knew that this matter was getting serious. The Burtons would not spare her now even if she apologized or take the me. But she did not want Catherine to suffer, so she could only grit her teeth and bear anything that awaited her. ¡°I can,¡± Audrey answered Catherine¡¯s question firmly. Catherine squinted at Audrey with a confused look. Audrey knew she was no match for the powerful Burtons. Why would Audrey bear the consequence for her? ¡°Why do you do this?¡± Catherine finally asked the question. A faint smile hovered around the edges of Audrey¡¯s lips. ¡°Because I am your sister!¡± Catherine felt an inexplicable emotion brewing in her heart. She wanted to hold onto that feeling, but she could not. Done with the call, Sheryl calmed down and looked at Catherine viciously. ¡°My dad is in this mall as well. He¡¯s on his way here! You¡¯re screwed. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can run away from this!¡± Audrey was still urging Catherine to leave, but Catherine dragged Audrey to sit down without any panic or fear on her face. ¡°We¡¯ll wait here,¡± said Catherine. Not long after, a man in an expensive suit came in with two bodyguards. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Sheryl rushed forward like a gust of wind before hugging the man. She cried, ¡°Daddy, you are finally here. These two damn girls from the Swanns attacked us. Do you see? Mommy¡¯s back is in so much pain that she can¡¯t even straighten up.¡± Josh Burton pulled Sheryl and came in with an imperious vibe. He stopped in front of Catherine and tried to size her up with piercing eyes. ¡°Did you attack my wife and daughter?¡± Catherine shook her head. Sheryl screamed, ¡°You lied! You did it!¡± Josh¡¯s face twisted further. He turned to shoot a nce at his daughter, and thetter had to quiet down. Catherine narrowed her eyes slightly. She stood still and slowly raised her head to look at Josh. ¡°I would only admit to what I have done. I didn¡¯t touch your daughter. You can¡¯t wrong me for that.¡± There was strength and a domineering aura in her clear voice. She did throw Carol to the ground but did not touch Sheryl. That was the truth. It was beyond Sheryl¡¯s expectation that Catherine would remain aggressive even with her father¡¯s arrival. She thought Catherine did not understand what she was facing. ¡°Daddy, you have to take revenge for us. She¡¯s too arrogant and doesn¡¯t take us seriously.¡± Josh was infuriated seeing his wife gasping for breath and trembling all over because of pain. ¡°Girl, your father and I have a good rtionship. You should kneel before my wife, admit your mistake, and ask for my wife¡¯s forgiveness. Then, you would go home and ask your father to apologize to us. I will then consider forgiving you,¡± he scolded Catherine. Catherine faced Josh with cold eyes. She remainedposed and without the tiniest bit of fear. She spewed the words out from her thin lips, ¡°What if I say no?¡± Josh nodded. He could tell that Catherine was indeed arrogant. His brows knotted tightly. His face was dark and full of displeasure. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being rude to you and your sister in that case.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes twinkled with interest. She stared at Josh and savored his words. ¡°Oh really? What do you n to do to us?¡± ¡°Your father will have to carry you out of here in stretchers,¡± Josh threatened. Sheryl blustered at the side. She was not afraid of anything with her father at her side. ¡°Kneel or be crippled. Your choice, bitch!¡± Catherine nced indifferently at the two bodyguards standing near Josh. They were big, but did they think that these bodyguards could cripple her? They wished! The atmosphere was tense. The service assistant was so frightened that she hid at a side and shivered. Audrey stood by Catherine, ashen-faced, while Catherine looked unaffected by what was happening. Seeing this, Josh signaled to the two bodyguards. ¡°Do it,¡± he ordered mercilessly. The situation was about to get out of hand. Suddenly, a cold and aggressive voice stole everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Mr. Burton, of all the nerve!¡± Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Following the voice, the people present turned their heads and saw a tall and handsome young man walking towards them with several executives in tow. They all gasped to see him. The man had a breathtakingly gorgeous face. Catherine frowned at Braden¡¯s alluring face. His features were refined and well-curved, and the corners of his eyes were slightly up. He had such an eye- catching appearance. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. What enhanced his charm was the aristocratic nature he was born with. He was young, but there was no air of impetuousness about him. He was distant and aloof, and people could not resist being in awe of him. Josh was also taken aback when he saw Branden. He knew who Branden was, of course, the one in the power of the Duncan Corporation and the heir to the Duncan empire. Josh took a step forward and faced Branden with respect. The smile on his face turned to one of ttery as he said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, what a coincidence! What brings you here today?¡± Branden stepped toward Catherine, and a trace of danger shed across his deep eyes. He darted a sharp look at Josh while his voice was low. ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence. I heard that my future wife was being bullied. That¡¯s why I am here.¡± Seeing that the incident was getting out of control and the people involved were big shots, the service assistant informed the mall¡¯s management team for support. Branden happened to be at the mall for an inspection. He got the news that the daughter of the Swanns had a conflict with others, so he hurried to the shop to have a look. It was indeed Catherine! Branden¡¯s im surprised everyone there. ¡°Future wife?¡± Josh looked at Branden in bewilderment, wondering who Branden was referring to among the females there. Branden noticed Josh¡¯s confusion and did not mind giving Josh a heads-up. ¡°Mr. Burton, you¡¯re a sessful businessman. Didn¡¯t you do some background checks before taking action?¡± Malice flickered in Branden¡¯s eyes. Although the smile on Branden¡¯s face was gentle, it made Josh feel like kneeling before him in terror. Could it be that my future¡­ Something came to Josh¡¯s mind and he was scared stiff of it. The corners of his mouth twitched as he opened his mouth to ask, ¡°Mr. Duncan, is this youngdy¡­¡± Branden cut him off and gave him the answer. ¡°That¡¯s right. Catherine and I are engaged. Mr. Burton, did you ask your men to hit wife in my mall just now? Well¡­¡± He drew out thest word. It sounded indolent, but it carried a strong warning nheless. Josh was wild with fear. Just a few words from Branden were more than sufficient to give him nightmares. Carol and Sheryl, who stood behind Josh, turned white with fear. They thought Catherine was a bastard, an unwanted child who returned from the countryside, but who knew that Catherine had such strong backing? She was Branden Duncan¡¯s future wife! In Casier, to fall foul of the Duncans was akin to courting death. That would be big trouble. Audrey watched Branden¡¯s towering figure and was ecstatic. Branden had absolute masculine charms and was the perfect boyfriend for Catherine. She tightened her grip on Catherine¡¯s hand and was overjoyed. She winked at Catherine several times in an attempt to cue her. Catherine tilted her head and furrowed her brows at Audrey. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eyes? Why are they twitching?¡± Audrey was speechless. Her sister did not have a single cell of romance in her. Audrey had to remain silent and watch her future brother-inw deal with the Burtons. Since Branden admitted that Catherine was his future wife in public, Catherine would be Mrs. Duncan one day. The Duncans were rich and powerful. The Burtons could not afford the consequences of provoking them. As a businessman, Josh knew how to weigh the pros and cons of any matter. He immediately pulled his wife and daughter to him and rebuked them with a sullen face. ¡°Are you blind or deaf? Apologize to Mr. Duncan¡¯s future wife right now!¡± Carol treated people the way she could because of her husband¡¯s power. Now that her husband was powerless, and to make matters worse, it was the Duncans whom she had provoked. How dare she not bow her head and apologize? She pulled Sheryl forward and apologetically said to Catherine, ¡°Miss Swann, we are sorry. It¡¯s all our fault. Please, forgive me and my daughter. I¡¯m begging you.¡± Carol epted reality quickly and apologized without hesitation. But how could Sheryl, who was spoiled since childhood, be willing to apologize to a country girl like Catherine? She was trembling with anger and stared daggers at Catherine as though her eyes would kill Catherine there and then. She refused to ept that Catherine would be Branden¡¯s future wife. ¡°Catherine is not worthy of such a wonderful man,¡± she thought. Branden eyed sideways at Catherine, only to see that her face was stern and her brows knitted. together. His face darkened, and he went on the offensive against Josh. ¡°Is this the Burtons¡¯ attitude when making an apology?¡± Josh turned pale with fright. He whirled around and pped Sheryl. ¡°Sheryl, do you remember what I have taught you? I will send you to the overseas boarding school today if you do not apologize to Miss Swann.¡± The threat made Sheryl flustered. She would rather die than be sent to the closed-up women. boarding school abroad. She looked at her father in panic, but there was a decisive and non-negotiable expression on Josh¡¯s face. Sheryl turned to her mother for help, but her mother signaled for her topromise. Atst, Sheryl had to lower her head and say sorry. She opened her mouth with difficulty and said stiffly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Swann.¡± Catherine shot Sheryl a nce without change in her straight face. She said in a stone-cold voice, ¡°You apologized to the wrong person.¡± Sheryl peeked up at Catherine, feeling infuriated. But in such circumstances, she could only bear with it. She turned to Audrey and bowed her head again to apologize. The unprecedented humiliation made her eyes bloodshot, and her voice choked up as she spoke, ¡°Audrey, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Audrey loved to see her lifelong rival Sheryl being taken a peg down. But the look of aggrievement on Sheryl¡¯s face made Audrey feel a little bad as well. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s it. Let¡¯s drop this.¡± However, Sheryl¡¯s head was still down, and she remained motionless. Audrey understood. Branden was the only one who could make decisions there. Without his approval, no one dared to end this matter. She stole a nce at Branden and was startled by his vibe. Audrey did not have the guts to talk to Branden, but she could speak to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, let it go. We were alright anyway.¡± Sheryl and her mother had spoken ill of them, but they did noty a finger on them after all. However, the Burtons were miserable. First of all, Catherine had thrown Carol over her shoulder. Carol was in so much pain that she took quite some time to get off the ground. Then, Josh pped Sheryl in public. Both punishments were disastrous for Sheryl and Carol. Catherine turned to Audrey upon hearing her persuasion. She raised her brow and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Audrey suddenly realized that Catherine had been refusing to respond as she was standing up for her. Audrey nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure. She had apologized to us, and I think that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Okay, it is up to you,¡± Catherine said coolly and flung Branden a look. Without Branden asking, Paxton arranged for the security guards who were guarding the shop door to part. Josh said to Catherine with gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Miss Swann, for forgiving us. Let us know if you need our family to do anything for you. We are leaving now. Sorry to bother you today.¡± With that, he pulled his wife and daughter away hastily. He seemed deeply afraid that he and his family would not be able to leave if he dyed for just one more second. Catherine looked at their retreating backs, and a glint shed across her eyes. It was a cutthroat world, and the weak would be eaten. Only men with power could overrule. everything. The only way not to be bullied was to stand at the top. The Burtons and their people were gone. Audrey took Catherine¡¯s hand and was about to leave as well. Audrey felt quite uneasy with Branden around them, especially since he had such an imposing manner. ¡°Kathy, shall we go to the next shop?¡± Audrey seemed determined to buy some clothes today and she would not go home if her goal was not achieved. Catherine had to nod in agreement Branden had been observing Catherine¡¯s expression from the side. He could tell Catherine did not want to go shopping, but she held herself back and did not refuse Audrey. He was somewhat curious about the reason. The Catherine he knew would never force herself to do anything she did not want to. Branden thought Catherine was indulging Audrey and not just tolerating her. Audrey seemed to upy an important position in Catherine¡¯s heart. ¡°Catherine¡¯s patient with Audrey, but why did she always have a poker face when talking to me?¡± thought Branden. Audrey held Catherine¡¯s arm and was about to step out of the shop. ¡°Wait!¡± Catherine suddenly shouted to stop her. Audrey stopped walking and looked at Catherine in confusion, wondering what Catherine wanted to do. Catherine rested her eyes on the service assistant, and thetter flinched under her icy gaze. The service assistant did not know what Catherine was up to. If Catherine wanted to get event with her, she would be doomed. She stepped forward, trembling as she went, and asked carefully, ¡°Miss Swann, is there anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°There is,¡± said Catherine muffledly. She gazed at the white dress and ordered, ¡°I want it. You may wrap it now.¡± Catherine handed the credit card to the service assistant, and Audrey automatically reached. out to stop her. Catherine tilted her head and gave Audrey a bewildered stare. She was not sure what Audrey had wanted to do. Seeing the frown on Catherine, Audrey pulled her to the side. She did not want to embarrass Catherine before Branden, so she muttered in a low voice. ¡°Kathy, that dress is too costly. We don¡¯t need to beat the Burtons now. You don¡¯t have to buy it.¡± Her words calmed Catherine down, and there was a hint of a smile in her eyes. Catherine whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You like it, so I want you to have it.¡± Her tone was still chilly, but the sternness in her voice was much lesser than before. Audrey was touched when she heard Catherine¡¯s answer. She tightened her lips and stared at her sister. She had never heard such words from her boyfriend, but she heard it from Catherine. Audrey was grateful to have a wonderful sister who cared so much about her. Catherine faced the service assistant and gave her the card again, but thetter refused to take it. She handed the dress that was wrapped up to Catherine in reverence. ¡°Miss Swann, Mr. Duncan said he would pay all your bills today.¡± Then, the service assistant handed several shopping bags to Audrey and said, ¡°And Miss Swann, these are the bags that just arrived in our shop. I¡¯ve packed them for you.¡± Audrey¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Her lips could not help but twitch in surprise. ¡°Did Mr. Duncan pay for all of these as well?¡± she asked. The service assistant gave her a nod. Paxton, who was standing next to them, added without any expression. ¡°Miss Audrey Swann, Mr. Duncan will pay for everything you and Miss Catherine Swann buy in this shopping mall.¡± Audrey was stunned. It was thergest shopping mall in Casier, and only customers with money and power could afford to shop there. It would be awesome if Branden did as he promised and paid for everything for them. Branden was indeed a good catch! Although Audrey was thrilled internally, she dared not show it on her face or take the bags. She turned her head to Catherine, waiting for Catherine¡¯s response. Catherine¡¯s eyes fell upon the handsome man near her, waiting for him to exin himself. Branden was staring at Catherine, so he noticed Catherine¡¯s move when she tilted her head. Branden eyed Catherine up and down slowly. His dark eyes were unruly and charming. His thin lips raised and formed a faint smile. ¡°Kathy, you are my future wife, and this shopping mall belongs to my family. It¡¯s only reasonable that I pay for all things you want.¡± Catherine did not care much about the money, as it was, at most, several million dors. After all, the projects in cooperation with the Duncan Corporation were worth tens of billions of dors. The daily profits churned out by the projects alone were enough to pay the bills. What she needed was merely a reason. She would not take anything that was given to her without a reason. Branden¡¯s exnation was quite sensible, so Catherine turned to Audrey and nodded. Just as Catherine nodded, Audrey reached out and took the bags the service assistant handed her without hesitation. As a fashion influencer, Audrey loved those bags. How could she not be cheerful since she could possess them effortlessly?Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Audrey beamed brightly as she thanked Branden wholeheartedly. ¡°Thank you so much, my future brother-inw.¡± Branden was satisfied with how Audrey addressed him and nodded at her with a grin. Both Branden and Audrey were happy, while Catherine was a little confused. She examined Branden secretly out of the corner of her eyes and could not figure out why Branden was so pleased. Catherine thought she had made it clear to Branden that they were just partners. Since their engagement was fake, why was Branden delighted when Audrey greeted him as her future brother-inw? Audrey¡¯s spirits rose now that she needed not to spend a penny to shop. Out of basic politeness, Audrey invited Branden along. ¡°We¡¯re going to shop for a while more. Catherine doesn¡¯t have enough clothes, and I want to get some for her. Are youing with us, Mr. Duncan?¡± Branden gave Catherine a probing look and saw that she wore her usual T-shirt and jeans. He said in a low voice, ¡°Indeed. More clothes will be better.¡± Audrey was puzzled. ¡°What?¡± Branden¡¯s answer was unexpected. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡± His words caught Audrey off guard. She had invited Branden to join them out of politeness and did not expect her future brother-inw to take her words seriously. It seemed that Branden was indeed enamored with Catherine. Otherwise, how would Branden, who had a million things to do, have the mood to join them for shopping? It was insignificant to Catherine whether Branden went with them or not. In the end, Audrey was the one who walked in the front. She went into every shop and purchased lots of things. Branden walked alongside Catherine, following Audrey in silence. Catherine stuck her hands in her pockets. She was bored after seeing how excited Audrey was. ¡°Shopping is quite a bore,¡± sheined. Branden looked at her with approval, seemingly to tell her that great minds think alike. He suggested, ¡°How about we go to a barbecue restaurant? Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Before Branden talked about the barbecue, Catherine felt nothing. Now that he brought it up, she realized she was rather hungry. She did not consent immediately but looked yfully at Branden and said sarcastically, ¡°I thought you could not eat such heavy food.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Branden took half a step forward and leaned closer to Catherine. They were so close to each other. On Branden¡¯s handsome face was a slightly mischievous and charming grin. His voice was low and maic as he spoke. ¡°Kathy, are you showing concern for me?¡± The warm breath gently caressed the back of Catherine¡¯s ears, which were her sensitive spot. It instantly brought bursts of tingling sensation to her, and her heart skipped a beat. This man was damn seductive! Audrey was walking out of the shop and wanted to ask Catherine toe in when she saw Catherine and Branden standing so close to one another. Afraid that she would scream out loud, Audrey hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands. She wondered if Catherine and Branden were kissing. But that was too big a step for them! Audrey caught a glimpse of Paxton standing stupidly like a block of wood nearby and reached out to drag him away. She gave Paxton a dissatisfied look and whispered, ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you aware that it¡¯s rude to stare at them?¡± Paxton was confused and thought less of Audrey. ¡°Is the eldest daughter of the Swanns a fool? A momentter, Catherine came to herself. She took a big step back. She was nearly enchanted by Branden earlier. Feeling her face burning, Catherine had to recite the periodic table in her heart several times to force herself to calm down. Branden stood before her with one hand in his pocket. He stared pointedly at her without any avoidance in his eyes. ¡°Kathy, are you shy?¡± Catherine raised her head and looked at the man opposite with displeasure. Why did Audrey and Branden love calling her ¡°Kathy¡±? Was the nickname ¡°Kathy¡± that lovely? She warned Branden with a stony face and irritation in her eyes. ¡°Do not call me that!¡± After seeing her attitude toward Audrey, Branden was no longer concerned that Catherine would be mad at him. Catherine might seem heartless, but she would not be mad at those who were kind to her. ¡°Well¡­¡± Branden deliberately stretched his word and stared at Catherine charmingly. ¡°What should I call you if I can¡¯t call you ¡®Kathy¡¯? You¡¯re my future wife. It sounds distant if I call you by your name. If I can¡¯t call you ¡®Kathy¡¯, perhaps I should call you ¡®Honey¡¯, ¡®Darling¡¯, or¡­¡± ¡°Enough¡± Before Branden could finish his words, Catherine shushed him angrily. She got goosebumps upon hearing those words. She turned her face away and refused to look at Branden She said tly, ¡°Alright. Kathy is fine. I should ask Audrey if she wants to go to the barbecue restaurant with us.¡± Branden stood on the spot and watched Catherine walk away, feeling pleased. He could tell Catherine was freaked out. Catherine told Audrey about going to the barbecue restaurant, and Audrey dly agreed. The three of them left the shopping mall together. When they stepped out of the gate, Catherine¡¯s face changed dramatically, and she turned to pull Audrey away from the entrance. ¡°Let¡¯s leave from the other gate.¡± Audrey was in the dark about Catherine¡¯s sudden and weird movement. She asked, ¡°Why? We¡¯re already at the gate.¡± Catherine did not give her another chance to ask but dragged her away. Branden also noticed Catherine¡¯s odd reaction. He looked up in the direction where Catherine had been looking at. Then he immediately realized why Catherine had to take Audrey away. His deep eyes darkened as he saw what Catherine had seen. Audrey had wanted to follow Catherine¡¯s order, but she thought of Branden and wanted to ask him to follow them. She jerked her head back abruptly, and Catherine failed to stop her. It was probably divine will. Audrey saw everything when she turned her head around. Her boyfriend was chatting andughing happily with a woman in his arm, and they looked intimate. Audrey went rigid with shock. She could not believe her eyes. Slowly, she walked to her boyfriend and stood in front of him. The moment Erik saw Audrey, he was taken aback and quickly let go of the woman¡¯s hand. The woman with Erik leered at Audrey and asked, ¡°Honey, who is she?¡± Erik was rattled. He looked regretfully at Audrey, thinking it was a stroke of bad luck for him to get busted today. He automatically shook off the woman¡¯s hand on his arm and reached to hold Audrey¡¯s, but Audrey dodged. ¡°Audrey, I can exin everything ¡± Audrey eyed him with disappointment. She was heartbroken. She had been with Erik for over three years and refused to marry the man her father arranged for her. Her father was enraged and kicked her out of the family. Now she caught Erik cheating on her. How could she handle this? She scowled at Erik with extreme disappointment and resentment. ¡°Shut up! I have seen it with my own eyes. What can you exin? ¡°We are done.¡± After saying that, Audrey took a step back and ran away. Erik sprung forward to chase after Audrey. He could not lose Audrey because Audrey was still useful to him. A figure, however, showed up and blocked his way. Erik looked up to see a pretty girl show up out of nowhere. He was surprised. He was a photographer and studied the human body, especially the face. Erik could tell at a nce that the girl in front had the perfect facial features. Still, what mattered most to him now was getting Audrey back. He knew Audrey was a pushover. As long as he said sweet nothings to her, she would listen to him and forgive him. But he did not expect the beauty to be so tricky to deal with. Catherine grabbed Erik by the cor and lifted him above the ground with one hand. Erik was stunned by how a dainty and thin girl would have the force to lift him with only one hand. He struggled to break free from Catherine¡¯s grasp, but Catherine was unmoving. Erik worked out a lot, and holding the camera day by day gave him strong arms. But he was weak before Catherine. Catherine let the scumbag struggle till he stopped. Then, she squeezed his neck hard. Her momentum, eyes, and the vibe she was giving off all frightened Erik Erik¡¯s stomach gave an unpleasant lurch. When Catherine started to tighten her sp, Erik panicked and wanted to shout for help. Catherine gave him no chance to do so. Catherine finally tossed him to the ground like trash after his breathing got weaker and his face turned red. The woman with Erik was horrified. She shrank her neck and did not dare say a word. Catherine looked down at Erik aggressively. Her face was full of unquestionable dominance. There was danger in her low and ruthless voice. ¡°Take your mistress away and disappear from Casier if you don¡¯t want to die. Don¡¯t show up in front of Audrey again, or you¡¯ll regret that you were ever born.¡± Catherine turned to leave. She had to chase Audrey. Erik, whoy on the ground for a long time, found his breath again. He muttered to himself that the girl just now was hell. Her eyes on him were full of malice and killing intent. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Audrey did not go far. She just sat by the fountain outside the shopping mall, so it did not take long for Catherine to catch up with her. Catherine approached Audrey, and that was it. She had never dealt with such things and had no idea how tofort Audrey. If it were someone else, Catherine would not bother caring. She turned to look at Branden, wondering if he coulde up with an idea. Branden could help her with many things, but his hands were tied too in this aspect. However, Branden could not bear to look at Catherine¡¯s frowning face. He had no such experiences, but someone else had. Therefore, the three who were supposed to go to the barbecue restaurant ended up in a newly opened bar in Casier. They went there because of Triston. Triston hit it off right away with Audrey. He held Audrey¡¯s hand and had a great talk with her. Catherine crossed her arms before her chest and stared at Branden near her doubtfully. She muttered, ¡°Will it work?¡± Branden mulled it over and raised his brows at Catherine, muttering to answer her. ¡°Who knows if we don¡¯t give it a try?¡± Catherine thought his words had a point. She thought of what she would do if it were her. She would get Erik tied up and throw him under Audrey¡¯s feet. She would avoid the vital parts of Erik¡¯s body, stabbing him a hundred times to vent her anger without getting Erik killed. Anyway, she could make up the forensic analysis to show those were flesh wounds. At most, she would pay for Erik¡¯s medical fee. Catherine got bored and took an interest in a ss of whisky aside. She took it and was about to drink. Suddenly, an arm stretched out to stop her. Unlike thest time when Branden took the ss away from her hand, he now leaned toward her hand and drank the whisky while she was holding it. After gulping the whisky, he looked at Catherine with fun and said in a deep but rather hoarse voice. ¡°Little girls are not allowed to drink alcohol.¡± Catherine did not respond but fixed her beautiful eyes on him with bafflement. Branden got closer to her, his warm breath spraying on her face, tangling with a light fragrance of whisky. He squinted his eyes, and in them was rxation mixed with enchantment. His voice became even lower and more maic, tugging Catherine¡¯s heartstrings. ¡°Do not stare at me like that, or I cannot promise not to do anything to you.¡± Catherine suddenly had a heart for ying. She had not prepared for it thest time and let him influence her. Now, she would not allow him to influence her again. Branden knew how to be seductive, and so did she. Since Branden was so close to her, she pressed her lips against his ears and blew softly. There seemed to be endless tenderness in her husky voice. ¡°Yeah? I can give it a try about the thing you mentioned.¡± She sounded like a siren, and her face was too delicate. She was so alluring, and Branden could not resist. Branden had always been proud of his self-control. But now, he was beaten. He felt a me burning inside him. Brandenughed at himself secretly. It was the first time he had that feeling in all his life. To avoid humiliating himself, he stood up and left the booth. He needed to go to the washroom to deal with the problem happening to his body. Catherine watched as Branden skedaddled, and there was a touch of a faint smile ying on her sexy red lips. She whupped Branden in this round. While Branden was away, Audrey drank a lot under the persuasion of Triston. Since Branden had not returned, Audrey dashed to Catherine. She pounced at Catherine and was ready to give Catherine a bear hug. But she froze instantly due to Catherine¡¯s chilly gaze. ¡°Burp.¡± Audrey gave an enormous hup out of fright. Seeing Audrey¡¯s silly look, Catherine wanted tough and was less likely to push Audrey away. Folding her arms, Catherine squinted at Audrey and asked, ¡°Go ahead. What do you want to ask?¡± Audrey was confused at first. Soon, she collected herself and gaped at Catherine. ¡°Kathy, how do you know I have a question to ask you?¡± Catherine rolled her eyes at her without replying to her question. However, Audrey felt awkward under Catherine¡¯s rolling, eyes, as if a basin of cold water was pouring down from her head. Catherine¡¯s look was too sarcastic. Audrey felt like she was an idiot in front of Catherine. That was very frustrating. Audrey was ready to leave in sadness. But a voice rang out behind her, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask me the question?¡± Only then did Audrey recall she was here to ask Catherine a question. She had not asked yet. How could she leave just like that? She turned around and stared at Catherine earnestly. ¡°Kathy, when did you find out the jerk cheated on me?¡± Audrey thought of how Catherine suddenly pulled her away at the mall. It must be that Catherine had seen Erik already and did not want her to be heartbroken. Catherine probably had known about it long ago, and Audrey was trying to figure out when it was. Catherine had thought that Audrey would have forgotten the scumbag under Triston¡¯s persuasion. It seemed she overestimated Audrey¡¯s ability. ¡°One day earlier than you. I met them by ident.¡± Audrey nodded. Catherine made the story brief, but Audrey understood everything. Thinking that Catherine knew it only one day earlier and did not hide it from her on purpose, Audrey unloosened the knot that held her. But the idea that Erik had been cheating on her still broke her heart. Audrey pouted as she looked at Catherine, seeming that she was about to cry at any moment. She comined, ¡°Kathy, I loved him so much. After everything I¡¯ve done for him, how could he do that to me?¡± Catherine¡¯s brows drew together tight. Her eyes became sharper, and then she cast them down. Audrey was still babbling when Catherine strode away from her. Seeing her leave, Audrey blurted out. ¡°Kathy, where are you going?¡± Catherine answered her without looking back, ¡°Tie Erik up and get him here so that you can stab him a hundred times.¡± Audrey stared at Catherine, gobsmacked. Her mouth opened wide, but she could not utter a sound. Triston, who was going toe to persuade Audrey to get drunk, heard Catherine¡¯s n and experienced a thrill of fear. He thought Catherine was indeed a badass. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Audrey knew Catherine would walk the talk, so she trotted forward to hold Catherine¡¯s hand. ¡°Kathy, you can¡¯t do this. Murdering him is a crime.¡± With an evil smile, Catherine turned around and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will teach you how to avoid vital parts and make them minor wounds.¡± Audrey was shocked by Catherine¡¯s exnation. How crafty Catherine was! Catherine was getting going when Audrey reached out again to stop her. ¡°Forget it, Catherine. I¡¯m not mad anymore. Don¡¯t go.¡± Stabbing Erik would be too gory and was not what Audrey wanted to see. Catherine¡¯s brows were still knotted, and she asked with a hint of doubt, ¡°Do you want to spare him?¡± Audrey did not dare to show any hesitation. She said, ¡°Yes, I do. It¡¯s my luck to find out he cheated on me.¡± She added excitedly, ¡°I decided to focus on my career. I¡¯ve lost my love and can¡¯t lose my career either.¡± Since Audrey was all right, Catherine gave up the thought of kidnapping Erik. It did not matter to her whether to stab Erik or not. All she wished was for Audrey to be happy. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Audrey had changed since that day, saying that she wanted to concentrate on her career and had not bothered Catherine ever after. Catherine felt relieved at first. After all, Audrey was a clingy sister. But as days passed, Catherine started to feel her life dull. Bryan was surprised that Catherine did not sleep on the desk today. After what had happenedst time, their teachers would not prohibit Catherine from sleeping. Even though she slept every day, Catherine still got the highest scores in their grade. She was way more intelligent than those teachers, and they had nothing to teach her anymore, so they let her be. Bryan thought it unusual that Catherine did not doze. He observed Catherine and saw the eyebrows on her beautiful face slightly furrowed. Something must have happened. Catherine was not in the mood! After thinking it through, Bryan made a decision. ¡°Boss, my birthday is on this weekend. I¡¯ll hold a birthday party at home. Do I have the honor to have you at my party?¡± Bryan looked at Catherine expectantly, looking forward to her response. Catherine did not want to refuse him under his expectant eyes. Catherine thought about her schedule and realized she had no ns for this weekend, so she nodded in agreement. Bryan just wanted to give it a shot. He did not think Catherine would It was such an ecstasy for Bryan agree, but Catherine did! ¡°Thank you, Boss! I promise you will have fun at my birthday party!¡± Bryan stood up and trotted out of the ssroom. Catherine stared at Bryan running away and frowned in confusion. She thought, ¡°It¡¯s his birthday. Why should I have fun?¡± Meanwhile, at the Duncans¡¯. Karl saw the butlere to him with a grin and was curious. ¡°Why are you smiling? Something good happened?¡± The butler answered with his back bent, ¡°Mr. Bryan called just now and said he would hold a birthday party this weekend. He asked us to prepare in advance.¡± Karl mumbled disgruntledly with a slight frown. ¡°I asked if he wanted a partyst week, and he said no. Why did he call to ask for a party today? That¡¯s odd. ¡°Alright. If he wants it, he can have it. Just do as he said.¡± Bryan was in bliss because Catherine had epted his invitation. David and other ssmates knew about it and asked to attend the party too. Atst, the entire ss 8 was invited to the Duncans¡¯ on the weekend. It was immaterial to Catherine since the birthday boy was Bryan, and she only attended the party as a formality. The phone in her pocket vibrated. Catherine did not pick it up until she left the ssroom. A intive came from the other end of the phone, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m bored to death at the base alone.¡± Catherine had assumed that Ronin had news to inform her, but it turned out that he wasining about the boredom. She said sternly, ¡°Ronin, are you looking for a beating?¡± The harsh voice sent a chill down Ronin¡¯s spine through the receiver. He shuddered and broke into a sweat. He believed Catherine was about to lose her temper, which would be a disaster. But he would die of boredom if he stayed at the base longer. Therefore, Ronin had to risk his life and put forward his request. ¡°Boss, I want to go to the school.¡± Catherine hated trouble. She could barely tolerate Bryan, but if Ronin went to the same school with her¡­ ¡°No. You stay at the base.¡± Ronin, who always listened to Catherine, was determined this time. ¡°No, Boss. I want to go.¡± Catherine rolled her eyes and said with resignation, ¡°Fine. Whatever you like.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Boss!¡± After expressing gratitude, Ronin immediately ended the call. He was afraid that Catherine would really be mad at him if he were on the phone one more second. The days flew by. It was soon weekend and came Bryan¡¯s birthday. The birthday parties were usually held in the afternoon, so Catherine did not get up until noon. When she left her room, she saw Liana, dressed decently, walking downstairs. Liana wore a formal dress of a posh brand and delicate makeup, which must have cost her several hours to get ready. As Liana stepped down, she saw Catherineing upstairs from the basement. Unlike her, Catherine was dressed casually in a T-shirt and a pair of ck trousers, and Liana smirked inwardly at Catherine¡¯s casualness. They had to wear school uniforms on weekdays, and Liana did not have a chance to show her beauty. Now that she could go to Bryan¡¯s birthday party, she must seize the chance to tell the world. that she was the realdy of the Swanns. She got up early and asked her mother to arrange for the best stylists to do styling for her. The stylists she hired were those who served the A-list celebrities. Liana needed to take people¡¯s breath away today. Her mother knew Liana was going to the Duncans¡¯ and bought her a set of pricey diamond nes. Liana had been fretting that Catherine would spend time dolling up for Bryan¡¯s party. Now she could finally heave a sigh of relief. Catherine leaned back on a sofazily, eyelids drooped, looking sleepy. When Liana walked past Catherine, she paused for a while and said in a low voice on purpose, Catherine, it¡¯s time for me to meet my friends. It seems you¡¯re not ready yet. I should go now. You can take a taxi yourselfter.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Liana wanted to go to the party in her family¡¯s best car. The imaginary scene of her sitting in a luxury car while Catherine took a taxi delighted Liana. The maids looked at Liana¡¯s triumph and then at Catherine¡¯s drowsiness. They shook their heads secretly. The two sisters had huge differences. Liana thought she had dealt Catherine a blow, and Catherine was too down to speak, so she left in grace. But Liana did not know that Catherine had turned a deaf ear to her words. Although Catherine had gotten up, her mind was not awake but stupefying. So she leaned against the sofa and freed her mind. Thirty minutester, Catherine was ultimately wide awake. It was about time. Catherine decided to get dressed and set off to meet Bryan. At the Duncans¡¯. The house Bryan lived in was located in an area full of wealthy people in Casier. It was in the best spot in the district, which showed the high status of the Duncans. Bryan rarely demanded a birthday party, let alone he asked to get it done well. The Duncans did an excellent job on it to satisfy Bryan. They followed Bryan¡¯s will and did not invite any business partners but only Bryan¡¯s ssmates and friends of the family. It was Bryan¡¯s birthday. Of course, he had his say. Sincere High School was a school for children from affluent families, and everyone attended the party dressed formally. They needed to show respect to Bryan as well as the Duncans. Bryan was wearing a ck tuxedo suit today, handsome and dazzling. He stood at the door, staring straight ahead, and was impatient to meet Catherine. He murmured, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Boss arrived yet?¡± Apanying him was David, who was also dressed in a suit and good-looking. Hearing Bryan¡¯s murmur, Davidforted him, ¡°Rx. The best is for thest.¡± Bryan thought David¡¯s words made sense. The next second, David yelled, ¡°There she is! That¡¯s the Swanns¡¯ car. I know that license te. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 The Swanns had a special license te that was easily remembered. When the car stopped, Bryan hurried forward to it. The other guests were envious of the Swanns since Bryan weed them in person. Bryan pulled the door open, and Liana put on her best smile to make an entrance. Bryan¡¯s face darkened immediately. His brows were furrowed, and his tone sounded distressed. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Liana went out of the car slowly under the envious gazes of the other guests. She looked at Bryan arrogantly and said, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be me? Thank you for weing me personally. I¡¯m honored to be at your birthday party.¡± Bryan red at her and snapped, ¡°You wish! I¡¯m not here for you.¡± After hearing Bryan¡¯s harsh words, the guests around looked at Liana differently. The crowd began to whisper. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°I thought the person Bryan wanted to wee was Liana, and I was jealous just now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an egg on Liana¡¯s face. Queen Liana got her just deserts.¡± ¡°Queen Liana? Does anyone still call her that on our campus BBS after Catherine came to our school?¡± Liana heard the gossip about her, and she trembled with rage. She gripped the hem of her dress and almost tore it with her bare hands. She was about to step forward to scold the gossipers when she heard otherments about her. ¡°That¡¯s right, but Liana¡¯s dress looked premium! Her family must be loaded.¡± ¡°Agreed. That set of jewelry on her must cost tens of millions. Her family is so affluent.¡± ¡°Did you see her dress? It¡¯s one of the Haute Couture designs of Monored this year. Only the client who spent the most at their shop has the right to buy it.¡± Thements on her dressing improved Liana¡¯s mood. Her efforts to dress up today paid off. She thought the initial gossipers were just a bunch of dumbasses who were jealous of her beauty, As the person he held the car door for was not Catherine, Bryan sulked and gave the crowd the cold shoulder. His face seemed to have a warningbel that said, ¡°Do not talk to me!¡± No one dared to approach him. Even David stood afar from Bryan and did not try to talk to him. Bryan was depressed and having uneasy thoughts that perhaps Catherine had stood him up. He did not liven up until he heard the rumbling sound of a motorcycle engine. He looked back, and a drop- dead gorgeous figure was in sight. Riding on the road in a silver-ck motorcycle was a rider dressed in a ck outfit that fit her fantastic body shape. Bryan was not the only one who was attracted to the figure. All people present locked their eyes on the rider as well. The motorcycle fishtailed, skidding steadily to a stop in front of the crowd. The rider turned the motorcycle engine off before taking off her helmet. Everyone gasped when the rider revealed her face. Their breath was taken away. She was drop-dead gorgeous and cool! David subconsciously wiped the drool on the corner of his mouth. He mumbled, ¡°Oh, man. Catherine is just incredible.¡± Catherine wore a tight ck leather jacket that fully showed her perfect figure. There was vitality in her beauty. When her long leg swept over the motorcycle as she stood up, many people could not help but scream in excitement. Thrilled. Bryan dashed to her before stopping in front of Catherine, grinning like a child. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re finally here! I thought you would note.¡± Catherine smiled faintly and replied, ¡°I¡¯d promised I would be here.¡± ¡°Of course, you will!¡± Bryan nodded vigorously. ¡°I knew you would not break your promise. Boss, I hired a chef to cook spicy food for you today. You can try itter!¡± Bryan was like a child asking for candy, looking forward to Catherine¡¯s response. His birthday party was held for Catherine in particr, and it would be regarded as a sessful party only if the party could perk Catherine up. Catherine gave a little nod and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tryter.¡± She did not refuse and even promised to try. That was the biggest reward for Bryan. Bryan was overjoyed and led Catherine into the house. Catherine seemed more like the protagonist of the party than Bryan was. Everyone watched as Bryan and his group of followers surrounded Catherine and led her inside the house, their faces full of envy. ¡°Bryan is too nice to Catherine. I wish I could be her!¡± ¡°I envy her. Her clothing today matches her perfectly.¡± All Liana could hear were endless voices praising Catherine, which exasperated her. She was well- dressed and wore jewelry worth tens of millions of dors, but people still valued Catherine and that motorcycle more than her, Liana could not put up with that. Liana stomped her feet fiercely. She felt that Catherine must have seen her dress up and wanted to win against her by dressing like that. She thought Catherine was conniving and had deceived her. The party officially started. Apanied by Bryan, Catherine walked around the area to eat various items and was ultimately a little stuffed. ¡°The food is quite tasty,¡± Catherine made a casual remark. Bryan was so proud of himself and nearly jumped for joy when he heard Catherine¡¯s praise. ¡°Thank you, Boss.¡± Halfway through the birthday party, the guests got bored. Therefore, they asked Bryan to open the birthday gifts and show them what they were. Bryan was too happy at the moment to refuse any request. Then, the gift-opening segment that everyone was looking forward to, began. The rule was that the guests could voluntarily hand their gifts to Bryan to open them. Bryan was a Duncan and had a high social status in Casier. Many people longed desperately to curry favor with him. In the past, gifts would be set aside in a pile and probably never be opened. It was a rare opportunity to show their sincerity, and they hoped Bryan would remember them if he was impressed by their gifts. One by one, the guests handed their gifts to Bryan. There was a wide range from high-end essories to the most popr action figures. Someone even prepared a sports car as a gift for Bryan. However, all of these were nothing to Bryan. He just thanked the man and put the car key down. When it was Liana¡¯s turn, she smiled triumphantly. It was her idea to have the gift-opening segment. She had already found out what Bryan liked, and winning Bryan over would help her be one of the Duncans in the future. She had to seed. ¡°Bryan, this is my gift for you. See if you like it.¡± Liana opened her gift in public and handed it to Bryan. Someone recognized the gift and eximed aloud. ¡°Oh, my goodness. Is this thetest game Storm being developed? I¡¯ve watched the trailer. But it isn¡¯t released yet. Why does Liana have it?¡± The exmation also drew Bryan¡¯s attention. Bryan loved ying video games. Storm was thergest and most acimed game developer in the world. Even Bryan was one of its loyal fans. A look of satisfaction shed across Liana¡¯s face as she enjoyed the crowd¡¯s gasps. Her painstaking efforts to get this thing was not in vain. Catherine stared crossly at the game card in Liana¡¯s hand. It seemed that the right time hade for her to do a cleanup. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Bryan had no particr feelings for Liana at the beginning. Or, to put it more urately, he had the same indifferent attitude toward all the girls in ss 8. The reason why he hated Liana eventually was because Liana did not show respect to Catherine. Catherine was Bryan¡¯s idol. Naturally, he disliked everyone who disrespected Catherine. But Bryan had to admit that Liana¡¯s gift got inside his head. He loved it. Any game developed by Storm was popr globally. Before this new game officially went online, its trailer had already attracted a lot of eager yers raring to try it out. Storm had just begun to recruit trial yers. The candidates they were looking for must be capable instead of those who spent only a lot on the in-game essories. The candidates must rank top three in their country to get the chance to try the demo. Liana got her hands on the game card even before the top yers tried it, which showed how precious it was. Bryan took it and thanked Liana sincerely, ¡°Thank you!¡± Liana smiled lightly and acted elegantly. ¡°I hope you liked my gift for you.¡± The others envied Bryan for receiving such a gift and Liana for being able to prepare such a gift. One of their ssmates could not help but ask Liana, ¡°Liana, this is an amazing gift. How did you get this game card? The game hasn¡¯tunched the demo domestically, right? I¡¯m so jealous!¡± ¡°So am I! I wish I could have it too! You¡¯re amazing, Liana!¡± Liana wasforted and satisfied by people¡¯s jealousness. She knew she would be the one who yed it at Bryan¡¯s birthday party. She pretended to be nonchnt and said with a calm expression on her face, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My family¡¯s company happened to have a project with Storm. Their product manager thought I liked ying video games and gave it to me as a gift. But you know, my favorites are ballet and piano. I don¡¯t know anything about video games so it¡¯ll show its true value in Bryan¡¯s hands instead.¡± The more casually Liana talked about it, the more envious the people around her became. Liana could get the thing people craved without effort and give it away as a gift. Of course, people begrudged her. Liana wore a faint smile while her heart raced with joy. Her eyes fell on Catherine, who was eating quietly at the side. Liana secretly rolled her eyes at Catherine, thinking that Catherine was indeed a bumpkin from the countryside. No one would keep eating non-stop at a party. She was hoping to have a chance to crush Catherine, and now she got it. She looked at Catherine jubntly. She feigned curiosity and asked, ¡°Catherine, everyone here has given Bryan their gifts. You have such a good rtionship with Bryan. I assume your gift for him must be awesome.¡± Her words drew people¡¯s attention to Catherine, including Bryan. He had his expectations and wondered if Catherine had prepared anything for his birthday. Catherine was enjoying the beef enchdas, taking one bite after another, when Liana asked her the question. The enchdas were covered in a spicy sauce with beef, vegetables, and cheese stuffed inside them, which were quite tasty. Catherine was still holding on to her fork when everyone fixed their eyes on her. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. The inquisitive gazes ruined Catherine¡¯s good mood. She lost her appetite and put the fork down. Bryan noticed Catherine¡¯s sulky look. He thought she was embarrassed for not preparing a gift, so he quickly opened his mouth to smooth things over. ¡°Guys, aren¡¯t you hungry? Does the food today suit your taste? Tell me if you want anything else.¡± It killed Liana to see Bryan defending Catherine. She did not understand what was wrong with those boys. Why do they always stand up for Catherine? She knew Catherine must not have prepared a gift and wanted to put Catherine down. ¡°Catherine, why don¡¯t you take it out? Have you forgotten to bring it here?¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows and stared at Liana with confusion. ¡°What should I take it out?¡± ¡°She¡¯s ying dumb,¡± Liana thought. She decided not to drop this topic. She wanted to put Catherine to shame tonight. She felt that even if Catherine had prepared a gift for Bryan, it would not be as precious as her game card, so Catherine would still be humiliated. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t joke with us. I¡¯m talking about your gift for Bryan. You brought it with have you?¡± ¡°Oh, that,¡± Catherine responded drily without expression on her face. She reached into her jacket pocket, whipped out a small envelope, and threw it to Bryan. ¡°Here. Happy birthday!¡± Bryan grabbed it. He did not expect Catherine to prepare a birthday gift for him and even wished him a happy birthday. He beamed radiantly and thanked Catherine gleefully like a child. ¡°Boss, thank you for the gift. It¡¯s the best birthday I¡¯ve ever had.¡± Everyone saw Bryan holding an envelope in his hand. They had no idea what was inside the crude envelope and were staring at it with interest. Even David and Bryan¡¯s other friends were curious, let alone Liana. ¡°Bryan, open it! Let us see what¡¯s inside.¡± Bryan also could not wait to know what Catherine gave him, but he did not dare to make his own decision. So, he raised his head to ask Catherine for her permission. ¡°Boss, may I open it now?¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Catherine replied, not caring much about this matter. Since Catherine did not reject, and the rest were urging him on, Bryan opened the envelope. It turned out that there was only a disk in it. More precisely, it was a sh drive. The moment Liana saw it, sheughed out loud. ¡°Catherine, you gave Bryan a sh drive as his gift. You didn¡¯t record a Happy Birthday song or something and save it in, did you?¡± Catherine cast her a stern look. As Catherine¡¯s sarcastic eyes swept over her, Liana felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her head. Bryan did not mind. He would be pleased no matter what Catherine gave him. Under the curious looks of David and the others, Bryan got his servant to send in aptop and inserted the sh drive into it. When the files in the sh drive were made public, the few onlookers erupted in astonished cries. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Oh, gosh!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± A burst of screams grabbed the full attention of others further away. Holding theptop in his arms, Bryan went to Catherine with a shocked face. ¡°Boss, is this really for me? How did you collect so many Storm games? Many of them are not avable for sale anymore. Some games have only been released for trial servers. This is a precious gift!¡± Everyone now looked at Bryan with jealousy and at Catherine with admiration. Liana¡¯s gift was only a demo game card of Storm, and people were envious of that. Catherine¡¯s gift was theplete collection of Storm games! That was incredible! Catherine did not understand why the others were so excited. She thought with a frown, ¡°Why the fuss? That¡¯s weird.¡± Those were just some games she wrote to kill time. Why were these people so thrilled? While the guests were still recovering from their astonishment, Bryan gave another startling cry. ¡°My gosh! This¡­¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 With the USB drive in hand, Bryan danced with excitement. This shocked all the students in ss 8. After all, Bryan had always been known for his aloofness, but now he looked like aplete idiot. David couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Bryan, why are you so slow to react? We¡¯ve already expressed how excited we were.¡± Bryan reached out and knocked David hard on the head, saying, ¡°You¡¯re the slow one, you idiot!¡± Bryan didn¡¯t want to bother with David. He had something very important to confirm with Catherine. Bryan approached Catherine with excitement, his heart pounding nervously as if it was jumping out of his chest. ¡°Boss, is this autograph genuine?¡± he asked, pointing to the USB drive. Catherine raised her head slowly, nced at the indicated signature, and nodded. ¡°Oh my god, Boss, I admire you so much! How did you manage to get this person to sign the drive? You have no idea, but this person is my idol. They are like a god to me. No one can everpare.¡± Seeing Bryan like this, David also approached and almost had his eyeballs pop out when he saw the signature. Heined without suppressing his surprise at all, ¡°Damn, that is Sugar¡¯s signature! Catherine, how did you manage to get Sugar¡¯s signature? This person is the founder of ¡®Storm,¡¯ the best hacker and most skilledputer expert in the world.¡± David finally understood why Bryan was so excited. If it were him, David might have passed out from excitement. Looking at her excited ssmates, Catherine was not at all bothered by their emotions. She sat back lazily in her chair, her expression calm and even a bit bored. If Catherine had known that Bryan would be so excited over a signature, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered with preparing a gift for him. She would have just asked Bryan to bring a piece of paper and written a hundred Sugar autographs herself for Bryan as a birthday gift. Anyway, she was Sugar. It would only take a moment to sign the word, which was no big deal to her at all. Since Bryan had been paying his respects and calling her Boss for such a long time, she would do this for him. Bryan asked excitedly, ¡°Boss, do you know Sugar personally? How did you get their autograph? This is the best birthday gift I¡¯ve ever received. I love it so much.¡± Catherine was thinking about whether she should tell Bryan the truth or not when David suddenly chimed in, ¡°Bryan, you¡¯re so slow today. Did you forget what Liana said earlier? The Swann Corporation has a partnership with Storm. They¡¯ve already sent Liana an unreleased. game card. Catherine is thepany president. It¡¯s no surprise that she can make Sugar her acquaintance and get them to sign the USB drive.¡± Bryan thought about it and realized David had a point. Therefore, Bryan couldn¡¯t help but shower Catherine with more praise again. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re so amazing.¡± Liana, who was standing nearby, was exploding with anger. Once again, Catherine had stolen. her limelight, and this time, Catherine hadpletely overshadowed her. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It didn¡¯t even matter that people knew her as the young miss of the Swann family. Catherine had climbed to the position of chairperson of the board. Her position was even higher than Liana¡¯s father¡¯s. There¡¯s no way Liana could everpete with her. ¡°This is so frustrating,¡± Liana thought. But the thing was, Liana couldn¡¯t do anything about this at all. She felt that Catherine, like at harbinger of disasters, was such a problem and was always in her way. After finishing their meal, Bryan suggested they y the game together, and everyone agreed. Who wouldn¡¯t want to try the beta version? Bryan looked at Catherine with a somewhat elusive expression. Seeing him like this, Catherine knew that Bryan had something to say but was hesitant to spit it out, so she took the initiative. ¡°Just speak your mind.¡± Bryan was almost in tears. ¡°Boss is really kind to me,¡± he thought. ¡°Boss, can I make a birthday wish? Will you y this game with me?¡± he asked. Believe it or not, Catherine actually agreed. The game Bryan mentioned was the one she had created. How could she refuse? Considering it was Bryan¡¯s birthday, Catherine nodded in agreement. At the Duncan Corporation. The top floor, the president¡¯s office. Paxton had just received a message from the intelligence team. He had rushed to the Branden¡¯s office to update him. ¡°Sir, we have news about Sugar. One of the aliases they used in the past has appeared again,¡± Paxton said. Upon hearing Paxton¡¯s report, Branden put down his pen and looked up slowly, his voice cold, ¡°Have you got the IP address?¡± Paxton had rushed over as soon as he received the information. He hadn¡¯t opened the message containing the IP address sent by the intelligence team. Paxton lowered his head, opened the message, and instantly froze. He muttered, ¡°How is this. possible?¡± Seeing that something was off, Branden asked again patiently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Branden was rarely patient like this. Paxton quickly regained hisposure, looked up at Branden, and respectfully replied, ¡°Sir, we have got Sugar¡¯s IP address.¡± ¡°But we traced it back to the Duncan family house.¡± An intrigued look shed in Branden¡¯s eyes. Since he had not given any instructions yet, Paxton continued his report. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve contacted the family house. The Young Master is hosting his birthday banquet there. The party has been approved by Mr. Vicente Swann. There are quite a few people invited, which means it¡¯s difficult to know who the real Sugar is!¡± Upon hearing this, Branden suddenly stood up. Paxton immediately stepped forward, respectfully helping Branden put on his coat. ¡°Sir, are you going back to the family house?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Branden responded without much emotion. ¡°Challenge epted. I¡¯ll figure out how this hacker, Sugar, got into my family house,¡± Branden thought. Like all century-old prestigious families, the Duncans were deeply rooted in the localmunity and had many family inembers. Bryan¡¯s father, Brady Duncan, was the cousin of Branden and the son of Karl¡¯s elder brother. Brady was a simple and honest person. He didn¡¯t have much ambition for power. Therefore, Karl kept him by his side since Brady was a child. Karl was already getting old when Branden was born, so naturally, Brady was considerably older than Branden. His father¡¯s status allowed Bryan to grow up in the family house and was greatly favored by Karl. He was treated by everyone as Karl¡¯s own grandson. Meanwhile, the birthday party at the family house continued, and the cheers grew louder and louder. The entire banquet presented a stark contrast. Almost all the boys gathered in one group. The girls chatted boringly on the side. Feelingpletely ignored, some people even started toin. ¡°What¡¯s so charming about Catherine Swann? Why do all these guys treat her like a goddess?¡± ¡°Who knows? Look at those guys. They¡¯re all so excited as if someone has cast a spell on them. I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so interesting about those games. Catherine is so good at this. She can capture everyone¡¯s attention just like that.¡± Liana heard all thesements. She wholeheartedly agreed that Catherine was simply putting on an act. With just a USB drive, Catherine managed to charm everyone away. ¡°She truly had her ways,¡± Liana thought. At first, Liana had thought Catherine wouldn¡¯t pose any threat at all, as she wouldn¡¯t know how to fit into Liana¡¯s social circles. Liana didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be this skilled with men. Before Liana came up with a retort, she heard another round of cheers. ¡°Wow, Catherine, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Chapter 86 Chapter 86 They were ying one of Storm¡¯s ssic survival games where a hundred people form teams and fight to be thest surviving squad. Catherine was the captain and sniper of Bryan¡¯s team. Under her leadership, their squad was unbeatable, and notifications of them killing the enemies covered their screen. Watching Catherine take down an enemy with a long-range sniper rifle, Bryan couldn¡¯t help. but exim, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re a sniper god. That was absolutely amazing!¡± David nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. Our strategy is working incredibly well. It¡¯s like we are just waiting for the fish to bite. These people don¡¯t stand a chance at all. We can wipe them. out completely.¡± Earlier, their team identally stumbled upon an airdrop. At first, they were excited and wanted to im it, but Catherine stopped them. Instead, she had everyone surround the airdrop and hide well. The team waited for their enemies to show up and sneak upon them. Catherine was responsible for setting up a sniping point on the highest mountain in the southwest, while Bryan and the others fired near the airdrop to use the gunshots to attract the enemy. Their n worked, and they attracted many enemies-five teams in total-all of whom had been sniped by Catherine. Her aim was perfect. Every time a gunshot sounded, someone would be killed. Not a single bullet was wasted. The opposing teams also had snipers, and this was a high-level game where everyone was skilled. However,pared to Catherine, they were nothing but trash. They couldn¡¯t even locate Catherine¡¯s position and were eliminated without a fight. Bryan, known for his aggressive fighting style, experienced the feeling of being protected for the first time while following Catherine. He didn¡¯t need to do much at all. All he did was kept cheering for Catherine, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re the best!¡± Catherine also made these boys rethink their perception of female gamers. They used to look down on girls ying games, but Catherinepletely outshone them this time. They realized that girls could also dominate a game if she¡¯s good at it. In the game, thest person standing was an expert. Bryan¡¯s team searched everywhere but couldn¡¯t find this person. They must have hidden themselves very well and nned on sneaking up on Bryan¡¯s team. Catherine drove to the vantage point. After scanning around, she spotted an area with slightly different colors beneath a grove of trees in the distance. It turned out to be a person in a ghillie suit! Catherine had azy and casual expression, but her eyes were cold, revealing a hint of pride and mischief in her character. After spotting her target, Catherine¡¯s slightly pursed lips twisted into a wicked smile. She slowly pulled the trigger! Bang! The game ended while the gunshot was still echoing. For a moment, Bryan and the others didn¡¯t realize what had happened. The game ended just like that?? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It seemed too fast. Typically, a match shouldst at least thirty minutes, but Catherine had ended it in fifteen, cutting the average gamey time in half. When everybody woke up from the stupor, their cheers for Catherine echoed in the room like the tide. Boss, that was awesome!¡± ¡°From now on, you are my absolute idol!¡± Branden walked into the hall and was swept away by the uproar. Branden furrowed his brows, hearing the cheers, and an annoyed look appeared on his handsome face. ¡°It¡¯s just a birthday party. Why the uproar?¡± Branden thought to himself. A group of bored girls first noticed Branden. They had all heard of this head of the Duncans but had never seen him in person. Suddenly seeing such a handsome and extraordinary man, the girls at the scene instantly became excited. Everyone tried to put their best foot forward, waiting for the man to show some interest in them. The moment Branden appeared, Liana¡¯s eyes lit up. She never expected to have such a pleasant surprise today, meeting Branden. She was d that she had dressed up well before she came to the party. ¡°This time, I can definitely leave a good impression on Branden,¡± Liana thought. Although Branden was engaged to Catherine, Liana believed that Branden definitely deserved better. She knew he wouldn¡¯t be attracted to such a country girl as Catherine. ¡°As long as I can be Mrs. Duncan, nobody at Casier can challenge me. Not Catherine, not anybody else,¡± Liana thought. Themotion on the girls¡¯ side also drew the attention of Bryan and his party. Everyone turned their heads and saw Branden walking toward them. Branden¡¯s authoritative gaze made everyone instinctively stand to the sides to make way for him, and they greeted him respectfully with their eyes. Bryan waste with a few people to notice Branden. When he looked back and saw Branden, he was absolutely astonished. ¡°Why is third uncle back?¡± Bryan wondered. Just as Bryan was about to speak, he was silenced by a cold gaze from Branden. The crowd quieted down, and a weird atmosphere enveloped the room. Catherine was looking at the monitor as the room quieted down. Feeling a bit tired, she was just about to take a break. Suddenly, a shadow cast over her, and she instinctively turned around. She didn¡¯t expect to see a handsome face behind her at that moment, just a little bit away from their faces meeting. All the people in the room gasped together. They all held their breath, and no one dared to speak. Catherine reacted quickly. She tapped her foot lightly on the ground and slid back half an inch in her swivel chair, instantly creating a distance between herself and Branden. She raised an eyebrow, looked up at the man who appeared suddenly, and asked without putting much thought, ¡°Why are you here?¡± A meaningful smile hinting at something appeared on Branden¡¯s face, his lips slightly curved. That was a silly question. This was the Duncans¡¯. Branden had every right to appear at his own home. Catherine casually put away the mouse on the desk. Then she stood up, walked to the sofa, and copsed. She didn¡¯t care about her posture andy on the couch looking exhausted. Her carefree attitude clearly meant she didn¡¯t take anyone present seriously. She was only doing this because it pleased her. Paxton suddenly appeared at the door, diverting Branden¡¯s attention. Branden nced at Catherine, stood up, and walked toward Paxton. Paxton whispered to Branden, ¡°Sir, Sugar¡¯s IP has logged out. It disappeared from the Duncans ¡®half an hour ago, and now we have found multiple logins spread throughout the entire Casier. There are no patterns to be identified. We suspect that Sugar¡¯s earlier appearance at the Duncans¡¯ was a smoke bomb deliberately released.¡± To put it simply, Sugar had been teasing them all along. Paxton was beyond angry. ¡°The Duncans have an impable intelligencework. How did this person get around it just like that? Damn this hacker,¡± he thought. ¡°Sir, what should we do next?¡± Branden answered coldly, ¡°Give it time. At a nce, Catherine saw Paxton reporting to Branden. She could roughly guess what Paxton was reporting to Branden. When Catherine was logging into her gaming ount earlier, she forgot to hide her IP address. Shortly after, she received a text message from Ronin, so she took measures to create a smoke screen and hide herself. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to catch me,¡± Catherine thought. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 After telling Paxton what to do, Branden walked back to the crowd. He attracted everybody¡¯s attention as they watched him walk straight to Catherine and sit down beside her without hesitation. This development of the incident made everyone present ufortable. All the guys at the party were intimidated by Branden¡¯s presence, and nobody dared to speak.But there certainly were brave people. For example, some of the girls were still drooling over Branden This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. His handsome face and elevated status were enough to drive them crazy. They would sacrifice everything, even their life, for Branden. See, here came a woman in a sexy nightgown. She walked to Branden with her hips swaying like a world-famous model, clearly in an attempt to attract him. She raised her pitch and said. pretentiously, ¡°Mr. Duncan, my father has always told me how much he admires you. I am honored to meet you today. May I propose a toast to you?¡± Her shrill voice made everyone¡¯s skin crawl. Even Catherine raised her nce and frowned at the woman. That woman was making eyes at Branden the entire time when Catherine looked up. Thetter spoke up in disdain, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eyes? Can¡¯t you look at people normally?¡± People in the room almost died trying to hold back theirughter. On the other hand, Branden just sat there with an intrigued look on his face. He was looking at Catherine and observing her reactions. Having been called out by Catherine, the woman was shaking with anger, but she managed to look at Branden with her puppy eyes and said cautiously, ¡°Mr. Branden, I just wanted to pay my respects to you.¡¯ Catherine was ying a game on her phone, and the constant chattering of the woman kept distracting her. This no doubt enraged her. She turned to look at Branden gloomily, then addressed him coldly, ¡°You, sit over there. Let her have her way with you.¡± ¡°As long as that woman is not flirting in front of me, I don¡¯t want to get involved in this. Just leave me alone,¡± Catherine thought. The woman didn¡¯t expect Catherine to point out her intentions so bluntly. She froze at the scene, on the verge of tears. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯sment, everyone in the room gasped at her boldness. They thought, ¡°How dare she say that? ¡°It¡¯s Branden Duncan she¡¯s talking to. ¡°That man can destroy Casier without even lifting his little finger. Is Catherine out of her mind, challenging him in public like this?¡± Perhaps Bryan was the only person who rooted for Catherine at that moment. He was smitten with how fearless Catherine was while confronting his third uncle. Bryan even had a n in mind. If Branden wanted to punish Catherine, Bryan would immediately go to Vicente and ask him for help. But nobody expected this. Branden wasn¡¯t offended by what Catherine said at all. In fact, there was even a faint smile on his face. He gestured behind him, and Paxton immediately stepped forward as an answer. Just as everybody thought Paxton was about to punish Catherine, the servant walked to the woman who approached Branden earlier and said coldly, ¡°Please leave the Duncans¡¯ right now. The woman¡¯s jaw dropped as she responded in shock. ¡°I believe you are talking to the wrong person,¡± she said. Paxton didn¡¯t waste a word of his because, the next second, he was already dragging the woman out. Paxton was very strong. The woman didn¡¯t even have the opportunity to put up a fight before she was kicked out of the house. Everybody held their breath as they were stunned by this turn of events. The noisy room had gone entirely quiet. Now, a dead silence hovered in the room. Realizing Catherine was bored, Branden offered spontaneously, ¡°Can I show you around the house?¡± The Duncans¡¯ enjoyed a history of over 100 years. Many of the structures were carefully designed and built by skilled artisans. Famous directors had beening to the Duncans, hoping to shoot some scenes at the house. But the Duncans turned them all down. If the house had gone on television, much more people would be visiting here. Catherine seemed uninterested in taking a house tour. She appeared exhausted after ying a video game for a while, and without much thought, she ced her phone down and nced at Branden. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± she said. Her tone wasn¡¯t as cold as before, and a trace of fatigue appeared on her face. Branden¡¯s gaze was fixed on her. Branden appeared quite gentle when looking at the tired. Catherine resting on the couch. ¡°The guestroom upstairs has been cleaned. Let me walk you there. You can have a rest.¡± Catherine nodded. She had done this many times before. And each time, she had been happy with Branden¡¯s arrangements. He had made the room as comfortable as possible for her ording to her liking, so she could ept resting there. Catherine wiggled her bodyzily. She didn¡¯t want to move. Just as she was to stand up, Branden reached out and held her hand. When their hands. touched, Catherine paused momentarily and shifted her gaze to her hand. However, Branden. didn¡¯t give her any time to think about this. Holding hands, he dragged her upstairs directly. When the two disappeared at the stairs, everyone finally figured out what had happened. One couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Oh my. What did I just see? Am I hallucinating?¡± ¡°No, you are not. We saw that, too.¡± ¡°We just saw Branden lead Catherine upstairs to her room,¡± everybody thought. This was quite the big news. Some people, unable to hold back their curiosity, went to ask Liana about it. ¡°Liana, Catherine is your sister. You must know something. Is she dating Mr. Duncan? Why are they so intimate?¡± Despite Liana¡¯s growing anger, those around her continued to ask insensitive questions. She couldn¡¯t help but imagine pping some sense into them to end their thoughtless gossip. ¡°God knows what kind of spells Catherine cast on Branden. How did she manage to make Branden even pay attention to her?¡± Liana wondered. How Catherine managed to enchant Branden was so unbelievable to Liana. Surrounded by all the people in the room looking at her curiously, Liana said with an attitude, ¡°Dating? I don¡¯t think so. Catherine must have been forcing herself on Mr. Duncan. My sister has been bringing bad luck to people around her ever since she was a child. That¡¯s why she was sent to the countryside, so she wouldn¡¯t bother any of us. Now that she¡¯s standing here in one piece, she must have learned some tricks to charm people and help her survive.¡± The person who asked the question earlier bellowed out again in surprise. ¡°Does Catherine really know some kind of supernatural abilities? Could this be why she managed to be top of the ss without being properly educated?¡± Once people started guessing, they came up with all kinds of exnations. After all, what Catherine had achieved was nearly impossible for a normal human being. Nobody knew how she did it, and everybody was surprised. Bryan slowly walked towards Liana while staring at her coldly the entire time. ¡°You two are biological sisters, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Liana asked in confusion. She didn¡¯t know why Bryan would ask such a question. Bryan simply ignored her question and retorted, ¡°ndering your sister like this in public, is that all you are capable of, Liana Swann?¡± Thisment was like a p in the face to Liana. The humiliation was unbearable. Bryan looked at Liana in disdain as if looking at a garbage pile. This made Liana almost choke. with anger. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it for Bryan. He scanned the room with a serious face and said, ¡°Do you all think it is that easy to trick the head of the Duncans? Supernatural abilities? If you all are so imaginative, go take on exorcism as an upation.¡± The gossipers were so embarrassed they couldn¡¯t even look Bryan in the eye. After all, Bryan was right. If Branden could be deceived just like that, he wouldn¡¯t be chosen as the family head at all. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Catherine woke up starving. When she opened her eyes, it was already dark outside. The room was quiet. But Catherine sensed another person¡¯s presence. She had acute senses, and they had never been wrong. In the darkness, a deep maic voice spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Catherine answered with an unusually good temper. ¡°Mmhm.¡± ¡°Flick.¡± The lights in the room were turned on. Perhaps it was because Catherine had just woken up. The man didn¡¯t turn the lights up too bright. There was a strangefort in the dim lighting. Catherine¡¯s bad temper after waking up was somehow alleviated by it. ¡°Do you want to eat first or talk?¡± The man gave her two choices. Catherine didn¡¯t want to guess what the man wanted to talk about. She didn¡¯t like thinking about things when she didn¡¯t have to. This allowed her mind to rest properly and focus on more important things when needed. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Say your piece,¡± Catherine said indifferently. She had made her choice. With his gaze fixed on her, the man chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what¡¯s happening at the Swann Corporation. It¡¯s been almost two weeks. Apart from firing a financial manager, you haven¡¯t made a move at all. Now you only have two and a half months left. Is that enough time for you? Catherine rose from the bed slowly. As she stood upright, her elongated legs entuated her graceful presence. She turned her head towards Branden and shed a mischievous smile. Her infectious grin had the power to captivate anyone in the world. ¡°You investigated me?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Branden said with a faint smile, his expression calm. ¡°The person I chose never loses.¡± The person he chose? Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at Branden. She looked proud and untamed with that grin on her face. Although Catherine was often seen as arrogant, many people felt she had earned the right to be confident, as if her sess was expected. ¡°Rx, I never lose.¡± Before Branden could respond, Catherine interrupted unapologetically, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± She said the three words in such a cold way, but they made the man¡¯s heart warm up. But this man had been known to be cold and ruthless. ¡°Your body is still growing. Of course, you¡¯ll feel hungry easily. I have told the kitchen to prepare dinner. Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Without giving Catherine a chance to respond, the man took her hand and led her toward the kitchen. Catherine furrowed her brows. Her calm expression was now tainted with a hint of displeasure. ¡°What is he doing? ¡°Is he getting into the habit of holding my hand?¡± Catherine thought. Catherine didn¡¯t like how the man took her hand without her consent. But being dragged around by someone like an invertebrate without worrying about anything felt really good. Catherine had always been the person who would bezy wherever and whenever she could. If she could lie down, she would never sit. And she wouldn¡¯t stand up at all if she could sit down. She would do anything to make herselffortable. Now that being dragged around made herfortable, she was more than happy to roll with it. When Catherine was taken to the living room, she noticed someone who seemed to have gone through a lot during her absence-Bryan. The birthday banquet had long been over. Bryan waited over two hours for his Boss to be led down from upstairs by Branden. A lot of things could happen in two hours. ¡°Boss was here to celebrate Bryan¡¯s birthday. Howe Branden took her away?¡± Bryan thought angrily. But it was Branden who took her away. Bryan could never stand a chance against him, so he couldn¡¯t do anything about it at all. Now that Catherine had returned, Bryan could no longer hold back his grievance. He eximed, ¡°Boss¡­¡± How much emotion was in that sentence and how Bryan called Catherine ¡°Boss¡± almost stunned Paxton. ¡°What¡¯s happening to all of them?¡± Paxton thought. ¡°Why is Bryan acting so differently? He¡¯s been so spoilt by Vicente that he wouldn¡¯t take orders from anyone else. He¡¯s also going through puberty, which is a rebellious stage. ¡°Nobody, except for the head of the Duncans, could discipline him. But now he¡¯s behaving so well in front of Catherine Swann. Is Catherine the person who will have the entire Duncans at hermand? Why would they both follow her everymand without question?¡± Catherine heard Bryan and turned around to look at him, her brows slightly furrowed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bryan was on the verge of confronting Catherine about her decision to leave, but as he nced behind her, he noticed Branden watching. In that moment, Bryan chose to keep his grievances to himself. Branden looked like he could kill with his eyes. Better not challenge him now. Bryan could only shake his head in silence and asked, ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to know if you slept well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Catherine answered dismissively. She wouldn¡¯t have even paid attention to Bryan¡¯s question if she hadn¡¯t sensed he had some grievances. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Catherine took the initiative to invite Bryan. This dispelled his bad mood in no time. ¡°Boss treats me so well. She¡¯s even buying me dinner tonight and talking much more to me,¡± Bryan thought. Bryan hadpletely ignored that he was a member of the Duncan family and the host at the party. When they arrived at the restaurant, they discovered it only offered spicy dishes. Bryan was fine with it because he could handle the spiciness, and his boss loved spicy dishes. Then Bryan looked up and saw Branden sit down with a straight face. Bryan felt he started to respect Branden more. ¡°He really goes out of his way to impress Catherine. He¡¯ll be torturing himself,¡± Bryan thought. Branden couldn¡¯t eat spicy food at all. Everyone in the Duncan family knew this. They said it was because Branden identally hurt his stomach when he was young. After that, he started to adopt a non-spicy diet. When Bryan saw Branden order everything spicy for Catherine, he only felt more admiration for his boss. He didn¡¯t realize doing everything as it pleased Catherine could potentially harm the Duncans¡¯ image at all. In other words, Bryan hadpletely forgotten he was also a part of the family. After dinner, Catherine was quite full. She rested against the table for a while, then stood up, nning to leave. Bryan saw her stand up and immediately followed suit. He asked reluctantly, ¡°Boss, are you leaving now?¡± Catherine turned back to look at him, nodded, then shifted her gaze to Branden. ¡°I rode my bike here.¡± The implication was that she refused to let Branden drive her home. Branden didn¡¯t push her. He simply answered, ¡°Be careful then.¡± Catherine turned around and left. She walked as if she didn¡¯t care about anything in this world. Her slender figure seemed to win anyone over with charm, putting ideas in people¡¯s heads. With Catherine gone, Bryan felt like even the house had be less alive than before. He couldn¡¯t help himself butment. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if Boss could live here forever?¡± Branden happened to pass by him when he said that. He patted his nephew on the shoulder and said definitively, ¡°That day wille.¡± Bryan froze for a second as he didn¡¯t know what Branden was talking about. But when he realized what Branden meant by that, the man was already gone. Bryan punched the air in annoyance and said menacingly, ¡°Boss has so many choices, and it doesn¡¯t have to be you.¡¯ Even if Branden were his uncle, Bryan would still put what Catherine wanted first. He would not bend this rule even for family. ¡°I¡¯ll root for Boss forever. This will never change,¡± Bryan thought. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Catherine deliberately avoided the crowd of students leaving when the school bell rang and waited for five minutes before leaving. Just as she walked out of the school gate, she sensed someone¡¯s gaze on her. She calmly walked along the road without addressing them, and soon that person appeared in front of her. The man was dressed stylishly in branded clothes. Although his appearance was ordinary, he had makeup on and wore a strong cologne, which indicated that he worked in the movie industry. ¡°Hello, are you Catherine Swann?¡± The man had a professional smile on his face as he looked at Catherine. Catherine raised an eyebrow, squinted her eyes, and looked him up and down with a chilling gaze. Kim felt a sudden chill run through his body as he gazed into Catherine¡¯s cold eyes. Regret flooded him as he realizeding here was a mistake. Catherine spoke, devoid of warmth, ¡°What do you want with me?¡± Kim swallowed nervously. He didn¡¯t expect such a little girl would be so difficult to handle. After all, he had been in the industry for many years and dealt with many people. ¡°This girl is truly something,¡± Kim thought. ¡°I¡¯m Kim Morris, your sister Audrey¡¯s manager. I came to find you today because I want you to work with your sister and go on a reality show.¡± ¡°No deal.¡± Catherine shoved the two words in Kim¡¯s face and walked casually around him. It took Kim a minute to realize what had happened. ¡°My God. She really is different from her sister,¡± Kim thought. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This girl is theplete opposite of Audrey. No wonder Audrey didn¡¯t want to work with her at the beginning.¡± However, Kim was a person who never gave up because of minor setbacks. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have signed Audrey in the first ce. She alone was quite a problem at that time. He said toward Catherine, who was already walking away, ¡°Audrey is your sister. Are you going to watch her career ruined? She just started getting into it.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t look back, but she slowed down a bit. Kim continued, ¡°Do you know she¡¯s been having a rough timetely? Your family has never stopped sabotaging her career. Now she¡¯s beenbeled as a cheater. Her career will be ruined if she can¡¯t make it to this reality show. ¡°Audrey told me that you are not like the other Swanns. You truly treat her as your sister and will protect her. Can¡¯t you help her for once? If this reality show is a sess, Audrey can definitely turn her situation around.¡± Kim let out a frustrated sigh as Catherine walked away without even ncing back. He watched as Catherine disappeared into the crowd. He was secretly d he didn¡¯t tell Audrey he would see Catherine today. Or Catherine¡¯s refusal would have broken Audrey¡¯s heart. Even though Audrey appeared to be casual about family rtionships, she cared about the bond between family members more than she appeared to. Kim and Audrey needed toe up with an alternative n. After getting back to her home, Catherine returned to the basement. These days, Korbin had been making a lot of moves and kept himself beyond busy. Rachael was taking care of Johnathan at the hospital. Even though he could have been discharged within three days, Johnathan insisted he stayed in the hospital for a week. Liana, the only person at the house, certainly didn¡¯t dare bother Catherine. Therefore, Catherine basically was roaming freely at the family mansion. Catherine found herself ying a game out of boredom. However, it had be monotonous for her as she mindlessly pressed buttons. Just when she was about to take a break, Ronin called. Catherine casually pressed the answer button, put the call on speaker, and set the phone aside. During the call, Ronin¡¯s voice sounded enthusiastic as he talked with Catherine, who positively impacted his mood. ¡°Boss, I have some information that may be helpful.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Catherine answered with her eyes closed, encouraging Ronin to go on. ¡°The woman you asked me to investigate, her name is Lilly Muller. Her family owns a real estate company. They have some money.¡± Ronin said they had some money because the Mullers¡¯ wealth was just a drop in the bucketpared with the amount of money his boss had. ¡°After Lilly was caught by you at the mallst time, she investigated you. But she couldn¡¯t do anything to you, let alone the Duncans. So, she went to a rtive of the Muller family, who was a high-ranking employee at a certain TV station, and targeted Audrey.¡± Audrey was her doormat this time because she was considered an easy target. For a long time, Catherine did not talk at all. Ronin O¡¯Connor couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Boss, should I take action and teach the Muller family a lesson? Let them know that they can¡¯t mess with us?¡± This was already the second time Boss had him investigate what happened to Audrey. Ronin could tell that his boss liked Audrey more than the other Swanns and treated her differently. Moreover, Audrey didn¡¯t seem that detestable. Ronin thought, ¡°Being bullied like this, she didn¡¯t even think about asking Boss for help. ¡°Those clowns were just jumping around in front of Boss. If Boss gives me the go-ahead, those people will bepletely done for.¡± After contemting, Catherine spoke again, ¡°No need.¡± She only wanted to understand the situation. She never liked meddling, so naturally, she wouldn¡¯t interfere in Audrey¡¯s business. In the following days, Catherine repeated her routine of going to school, taking a nap there, and returning home. After finishing school for the day, she received a call from Audrey. Audrey sounded a bit anxious on the phone. ¡°Kathy, can youe and help me? Bring me something. I¡¯m at¡­¡± Catherine bought a random piece of clothing at the mall and hurried to the location Audrey told her. On that day, Audrey was filming amercial for a waterproof cosmetics brand and had to perform an underwater scene. Audrey suddenly got her period and didn¡¯t have anything with her. In this crisis, she could only call Catherine for help. Catherine got her tampons as requested. Audrey emerged from the bathroom, greeted Catherine with a smile, and expressed her gratitude, ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve been clueless about what to do today!¡± Catherine gave her a curious look and asked, ¡°Do you happen to have an assistant?¡± She knew Audrey had a male agent, and asking a guy for help with this situation was awkward. But Catherine thought a female assistant should be with her sister to take care of her. Hearing this, Audrey smiled lightly as ifughing at herself. ¡°With my status, how could I have an assistant? My agent already handles seven or eight people. The reason why I can asionally get some work is because of our friendship. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even have had the opportunity for today¡¯s shoot.¡± Realizing she had said too much, Audrey quickly changed the topic and asked, ¡°Kathy, do you have any ns tonight?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t know what Audrey was up to, but she still shook her head. Audrey felt a bit happy when she realized Catherine was free tonight. ¡°Great, wait for me then. After I finish thest scene, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner!¡± Before Catherine could respond to Audrey, she was called by the crew for the shoot. Since there didn¡¯t seem to be anything urgent, Catherine decided to wait as Audrey had suggested. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Catherine wore a baseball cap thatpletely covered her small face. She was wearing a white T-shirt and ck cargo pants. People passing by couldn¡¯t help but turn their heads to catch a glimpse of her. She had a certain allure that drew attention, even when sitting quietly and ying games. Some people were born attractive. Suddenly, someone spoke angrily, ¡°Can you do it or not? If you can¡¯t, then I¡¯ll get someone. else to shoot the scene!¡± A man¡¯s hoarse voice caught Catherine¡¯s attention. Her hearing had always been better than an average person¡¯s. Catherine frowned slightly as she was displeased by the man¡¯s voice. She didn¡¯t intend to pay any attention to this altercation, but then she heard Audrey¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. Please let me try again!¡± Audrey¡¯s answer was almost like a plea, which caught Catherine¡¯s attention. She put away her phone and walked toward the film crew. She saw two middle-aged men with beards sitting behind their video cameras. Apparently, they had been shooting themercial. Audrey was trembling in the pool, and Catherine¡¯s slightly furrowed brows knitted together even more. No wonder Audrey asked her to buy tampons suited for swimming. Even during her period, Audrey still went into the water. Catherine heard everything the director told his assistant. Even though she was a bit far away from them, it was not a problem for her acute hearing. The director said, ¡°This girl has such a nice body. But her clothes can be more seethrough. Ssh more water on her. I want to highlight her sexy side more.¡± The assistant suggested. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask her to change her clothes into something white? Once drenched, white clothes can be really seethrough, giving a seductive illusion. It¡¯s the most provocative.¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re so good at this. Go ask her to change.¡± Then Audrey was called out of the water. She thought the shooting was over, but the crew member told her they needed to start over, and she had to change into another outfit. Audrey frowned and hesitated to cooperate. Seeing Audrey like this, the director¡¯s assistant berated her in front of everyone, ¡°Be more professional, will you? And be more cooperative. If not, we¡¯ll find someone else.¡± There were a lot of people at the scene. Berated by the director, Audrey¡¯s face turned red with the humiliation. She bit her lower lip and nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. I will go change now. Please don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Standing not far away from them, Catherine witnessed the entire incident. Audrey had already turned around and headed to the dressing room. Seeing Audrey obey his order, the assistant rolled his eyes as if he knew she would do whatever he said. ¡°As a D-list star, how dare she be so difficult, pretending to be an A-lister.¡± Catherine secretly pulled a decorative button off her pants and flicked it off with her thumb and index finger. After lecturing Audrey, the assistant was just about to return to the director¡¯s side and brag about how he coerced the actress into submission. As he walked by the edge of the pool, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle, which threw him off bnce and made him fall into the pool. m! His body hit the water, and there was a huge ssh. When the assistant fell, he knocked all the filming equipment into the pool. Everything became chaotic instantly. The filming crew hastily started running around, saving the equipment. Many of them were delicate and shouldn¡¯te into contact with water. This was massive trouble. Catherine coldly observed everything, her slightly narrowed eyes revealing a chilling and fierce glimmer. ¡°Some people need to watch their mouth, or I will give them a good rinse,¡± Catherine thought. Audrey came out of the dressing room and saw Catherine waiting for her at the door. She looked apologetically at Catherine and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kathy. I thought it would be quick, but I didn¡¯t expect the director to continue shooting, making you wait for so long. Are you hungry? If you are, let¡¯s¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Catherine had already grabbed her wrist and pulled her away without giving Audrey a chance to react. When Audrey realized what was happening, they had already walked quite a distance. She quickly reached out to stop Catherine and said, ¡°Kathy, I haven¡¯t finished shooting themercial yet. We can¡¯t leave like this!¡± Catherine stopped and turned to look at her, saying calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no more shoot for today! ¡°No more?¡± Audrey tilted her head and looked at Catherine curiously, her face confused.¡± Why? It¡¯s my job. I need to respect that.¡± ¡°The equipment identally fell into the water. The director gave everyone a day off,¡± Catherine said unapologetically. Audrey turned around and saw the production crew carrying water-damaged video cameras out of the pool. How did those get into the water? Before Audrey could figure it out, Catherine dragged her away from the pool. Catherine was so confident in her actions that she did not allow Audrey time to process what had happened. However, Audrey didn¡¯t pay much attention to the incident at all. She thought the director¡¯s team must have decided not to shoot today and informed Catherine, mistakenly thinking she was Audrey¡¯s assistant. ¡°In that case, let me treat you to dinner!¡± After a long day, Audrey also wanted to rx. They went to a barbecue ce again. Audrey couldn¡¯t understand why her sister loved barbecue so much, but she specifically asked the waiter for some non-spicy dishes this time, which really surprised Audrey when the dishes were served. Supporting her chin with both her hands, Audrey blinked happily and said to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re so nice to me. You know I don¡¯t like eating spicy food during my period, so you ordered non-spicy dishes for me. ¡°Thank you so much. I love you!¡± Catherine furrowed her eyebrows slightly, her bright ck eyes filled with doubt as she looked at Audrey. She had simply ordered ording to her sister¡¯s personal preference. Why was Audrey saying thank you like that? Just as Audrey was enjoying the barbecue, her phone suddenly went off. She nced at it and answered the call. An angry voice came from the other end. It was Kim. ¡°Audrey, have you gone crazy? Why did you leave halfway through the shoot? Do you want to drive me mad, or do you want to give up acting and return to being a spoiled princess?¡± The barrage of scolding left Audrey totally bewildered. After a few seconds, she realized what her agent had been talking about and responded to Kim. ¡°Kimmy, I didn¡¯t leave on purpose. There was an ident at today¡¯s shoot, and all the filming equipment fell into the water. We couldn¡¯t continue shooting, so I left.¡± Kim continued his lecture. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Audrey? When you left, did you tell the production team? Even if there was a problem with the equipment, did you inform the director you wanted to leave?¡± Thispletely confused Audrey. She didn¡¯t know the director didn¡¯t give her leave, and it was Catherine¡¯s idea to take her away when Catherine thought they couldn¡¯t continue the shoot. To avoid making Catherine feel bad, Audrey quickly apologized and walked aside to continue. the conversation. Kim vented his anger and calmed down. He had investigated the situation and indeed knew that there was a problem with the equipment, making it impossible to continue shooting. But when the director got furious and wanted to vent his anger on Audrey, he found out she had already left on her own. That was why he med Audrey entirely and called Kim at thepany to yell at him. After giving Audrey a lecture, Kim calmed down and asked where she was. Audrey told him that she was having a barbecue for dinner with Catherine. Then Kim asked her without hesitation, ¡°Have you told your sister about the reality show? Now seems a good time to bring it up. Your future career depends on it, young miss!¡± Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Kim Morris was still rambling on the other end of the phone. He was trying everything to make Audrey convince Catherine into attending the reality show. His words started to have an effect on Audrey. Now that her focus was on her career, she understood what Kim was trying to tell her. It was a rare opportunity for her to participate in this reality show. She would probably never have another chance at fame if she missed this. She raised her head and looked at Catherine. Catherine was still eating the barbecue at a leisurely pace. She exuded an air of elegance even when she ate something as homely as barbecue. Audrey looked at the face that semi-resembled her own. She still couldn¡¯t make up her mind to ask Catherine about the reality show. In her eyes, Catherine was an aloof yet sensitive person. She didn¡¯t like to interact with the outside world. One could even say that she¡¯s somewhat introverted. Most importantly, she was still in school. Although the show would be shot on weekends, it might still affect her studies. In an effort to make Kim stop nagging, Audrey tried to stall him by saying, ¡°Kimmy, don¡¯t worry. I will try my best to convince Catherine tonight. I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s good news!¡± Without giving Kim a chance to reply, Audrey hung up the phone. Pretending nothing had happened, she returned to her seat and resumed eating the barbecue. She didn¡¯t know that Catherine had heard her conversation loud and clear. A few minutes passed. After a long hesitation, Audrey finally decided to speak. She pretended to ask Catherine casually, ¡°Kathy, you saw me during the shoot today, didn¡¯t you? Do you like how it feels to be on TV?¡± Catherine shook her head without hesitation. Her nk expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. Audrey gave up. She had known that Catherine wouldn¡¯t like it. Given her personality, there was no way that she would like it. Audrey gave a cheerful smile, looking relieved. ¡°That makes sense. Not everyone enjoys being in front of a camera.¡± She noticed Catherine scrutinizing her andughed awkwardly. She tried to pretend that everything was fine. ¡°It¡¯s ok, I just thought that this was a good time to make conversation. Don¡¯t worry about it, let¡¯s enjoy the food!¡± Catherine looked at Audrey who was smiling awkwardly. For a split second, Catherine had the feeling that she didn¡¯t understand her. ording to Kim, Audrey could ride the poprity of the show and elevate her status in the entertainment industry. If that was true, then Audrey should have asked her about it at the first possible opportunity. A long time had passed since Audrey learned this. Yet she took no action besides tentatively asking Catherine about it that one time. Why would she rather endure being bullied by others, even to the extent of going swimming on her period, than to ask her to participate? Catherine really couldn¡¯t understand her! They finished the barbecue without Audrey raising the matter again. The two walked out of the barbecue restaurant. Unexpectedly, they ran into Triston and Branden when they stepped outside the doors. Triston looked at the Swann sisters, his face filled with smugness. He looked at Branden with a raised brow and said happily, ¡°What did I tell you? If you want to have a meal, the newest and most popr barbecue restaurant is the ce to go. There¡¯s even a chance of running into beauties. Mr. Duncan, are thesedies fit your liking?¡± Audrey was rather happy to run into familiar faces. She was especially happy that one of them was Branden. Now she had the chance to open some opportunities for Catherine. This was great. ¡°Mr. Lambert, what a surprise to run into you two right after finishing our meal here. Are both of you nning to dine here as well?¡± Triston was about to nod but was interrupted by Branden behind him. Branden¡¯s thin lips spat out a cold, one-worded answer, ¡°No!¡± Triston turned around in shock. He only realized what Branden was trying to do after seeing his serious expression. Thedies had finished eating, which meant that they were leaving the ce. If they go inside now, they would have to bid thedies farewell. He quickly agreed with Branden, ¡°We¡¯ve eaten. We were nning to find a ce to have a drink and give our bodies some time to digest the food. Would you like to join us?¡± Audrey looked at Catherine, whose face was void of expression. Since Catherine didn¡¯t show that she disliked the idea, Audrey made the decision for them. ¡°Never mind the drinks. How about we take a walk together to help digest the food we just ate? After living with her for a while, Audrey had a rough understanding of Catherine¡¯s preferences. Although she appeared aloof, she was an amiable and easy-going person. Triston stole a nce at Branden to see his reaction. Upon seeing that the person in charge didn¡¯t mind the proposal, Triston could only nod in agreement despite his empty stomach. ¡°Alright, let us go for a walk!¡± Coincidentally, there was a park beside the barbecue restaurant. The four decided to take their walk there. Triston and Audrey hit up a conversation quickly. On the other hand, Branden followed Catherine at her pace. Catherine walked very slowly, so the distance between the two pairs gradually increased. Branden¡¯s eyes were glued on Catherine. An almost imperceptible frown was present on her exquisitely beautiful face. It looked like she had something on her mind, which made her look less distant and closer to life. It made her feel more real. Branden opened his mouth slowly. With a rare tenderness in his voice, he asked, ¡°Something troubling you?¡± His voice blew past her ear like a refreshing breeze. She lifted her eyes and looked toward him. There was a hint of confusion in her eyes.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! She had to admit that Branden was something else. He was the sort of person that was gifted with the characteristics of nobility. Every move he made was so eye-catching. It felt like he was someone from a higher dimension. Despite that, he now exuded an aura of security that Catherine felt she could trust. Noticing the change in her eyes, Brandon continued tofort her, ¡°Kathy, there are many things in life that you don¡¯t need to aplish alone. Others can help you if you tell them about your troubles. They can give you advice too.¡± Catherine looked at him with her head tilted to one side. It was the first time she had heard something like this. From a young age, everyone told her that she could only depend on and trust herself. After contemting for a moment, she thought there might be some truth to what he said, so she decided to take his advice. She told him about Audrey¡¯s situation. He understood what she meant. She was a brilliant and outstanding individual, but she had never experienced kinship. Genisus were destined to be lonely. Catherine had lived in the countryside since she was young. It looked like the sisterly care that Audrey showed her was something beyond her realm of knowledge. It came as somewhat of a shock and she didn¡¯t know how to react. There was a smile on Branden¡¯s impressively handsome face. He looked at her with great interest. He asked in a low and husky voice, ¡°Have you considered the possibility that she is trying to protect you?¡± ¡°Protect me?¡± repeated Catherine. Her voice was filled with shock and confusion. ¡°Yes.¡± Branden nodded with a smile. ¡°Perhaps she isn¡¯t very bright in your eyes. However, sincerity is the only thing that matters in a rtionship. She understands that you don¡¯t like to interact with strangers. If you participate in the reality show, chances are your life will be affected by it. That¡¯s why she stopped bringing it up. She¡¯s trying to protect you!¡± In order to protect her, Audrey would rather suffer and be the target of ridicule than to fight for a chance to make herself famous? Is that really what was happening? Chapter 92 Chapter 92 After the walk, Triston suggested going for round two. Unfortunately, Audrey had a shoot arranged for the day after, so she declined Triston¡¯s offer. The group disbanded, and Catherine was responsible for sending Audrey home. As he watched the Swann sisters leave, Triston felt confused and asked, ¡°Mr. Duncan, this was a great chance to be a gentleman. Why did you let it go?¡± Triston had offered to send the two home with his car earlier but was declined by Catherine. Catherine declined his offer, but Branden also refused the idea. When Triston witnessed Branden dering his ownership thest time, he had thought Branden to be someone who knew their way to a woman¡¯s heart. Why, then, was he so romantically oblivious today? Branden had heard him. He turned around and threw him an interesting look. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, Triston understood what he meant with that look. ¡°You know nothing!¡± That¡¯s what it meant. Was Branden looking down on him? Catherine sent Audrey home. Audrey¡¯s phone in her pocket vibrated throughout the entire journey. She didn¡¯t need to check her phone to know who was trying to reach her. Kim survived many years in the entertainment industry without any background based on one sole quality-persistence. He always felt that Audrey had potential. However, she was from at wealthy family and didn¡¯t take things seriously. Audrey was the least popr celebrity under Kim. She had been with Kim for many years but had yet to make a name for herself. The fault was primarily her own. Now that Audrey finally decided to start focusing on her career, there was no way that Kim would let her off easy. Audrey felt her stomach cramp up and lost her focus momentarily. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if she did not go into the water earlier today. In order to enjoy being treated by others decently in the entertainment industry, one must be of high status. It wasn¡¯t long before they would arrive at Audrey¡¯s apartment. After some internal struggle, Audrey decided make the request again. That way, she would be able to tell herself that she had tried her best even if she ends up being rejected. ¡°Kathy, can I trouble you with something?¡± Catherine looked up at her without any expression on her listless face. That made it difficult for Audrey to make her request. After taking a few deep breaths, she chose to make her request. ¡°Kathy, can you go on that reality show with me? They require a family member to attend with the participant They could be the participant¡¯s sibling or parent. The shoots only happen on weekends, so your studies won¡¯t be affected. Can you please go with me?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t enjoy media exposure at all. She felt that this matter would be incredibly irritating. However, when she saw Audrey¡¯s teary puppy eyes staring at her, she was suddenly unable to voice her rejection. She looked down. With a hint of resignation, she replied slowly. and softly. ¡°Sure!¡± Audrey had thought Catherine would reject her. She was just about to give Catherine words offort she had prepared. She didn¡¯t want Catherine to feel guilty for turning her down. She didn¡¯t expect Catherine to agree! Audrey was briefly stunned. When she registered what had happened, she looked at Catherine with a brilliant smile. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯ve agreed? That¡¯s great! Thank you so much. I really mean it.¡± When Catherine saw Audrey¡¯s eyes filled with happiness, thest shred of resistance in her heart melted away. ¡°Yes. Go back home now. I¡¯m leaving!¡± Catherine drove off before Audrey could recover from her tion. The next day, Catherine went to school as usual. Ever since Bryan yed with Catherinest time, he had always wanted to y with Catherine again. As far as they¡¯re concerned, they¡¯d be invincible as long as they had Catherine with them! Catherine was the strongest leader! The crowd abetted Bryan to invite Catherine. After all, Catherine only attended that birthday party for the sake of Bryan. Bryan wanted to y with her too, so he braced himself and approached Catherine. He scratched his head and looked at Catherine with an awkward and expectant expression. ¡°Boss, can I make a request?¡± Catherine was feeling a bit lethargic. She opened her tired eyes and looked at him with a raised brow. Bryan understood that meant he had permission to continue. He made his request hurriedly and excitedly, ¡°Boss, can you join us for a few rounds over the weekend? You can pick any ce of your liking as long as you join us for a gane or two.¡± Bryan already imagined the epic scenario of Catherine leading their charge. ¡°It feels awesome to y with you. Even if we¡¯re not ying, just watching you y is an enjoyment!¡± After hearing Bryan¡¯s request, Catherine answered without even looking up at him, ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Bryan asked before he could stop himself. His brows were locked tightly together. ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± The simple yet unfeeling words killed Bryan¡¯s enthusiasmpletely. He was devastated. However, he only remained in that state for a few minutes. A few minutester, Bryan was back to his old self.. Noticing that Catherine had fallen asleep, Bryan left as he did not dare to disturb her. Friday arrived in the blink of an eye. Since the variety show started from inside the participants¡¯ homes, Catherine moved into Audrey¡¯s house the night before. Audrey called Korbin personally to update him. However, Korbin didn¡¯t care about such things at all. The only thing he was concerned with was having Catherine sign the transfer form three monthster. Catherine arrived at Audrey¡¯s house ratherte in the night. By the time she entered the house, all the equipment had already been set up. The show would start as soon as the crew arrive the next morning. Audrey was overjoyed to see Catherine arrive on time. However, she frowned slightly upon seeing Catherine¡¯s luggage. It consisted of a single small backpack. ¡°Kathy, why did you bring so few items?¡± Catherine looked at her calmly and replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s just two days, isn¡¯t it?¡± After replying, Catherine¡¯s eyes fell on two huge suitcases. The contents had been packed, but the suitcases were still open. She could see that the two suitcases were both filled to the brim. Noticing where Catherine was looking, Audrey gave an awkwardugh. ¡°Comparatively speaking, I did pack a little too much. I was worried about idents, so I packed aprehensive list of items.¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Despite saying so, Audrey started removing items from her luggage. She was doing so because she noticed Catherine¡¯s frown, which meant that Catherine didn¡¯t like the amount of luggage she was bringing. Eventually, after reluctantly discarding a plethora of items, she managed to reduce the number of suitcases to one. Only then did Catherine¡¯s frown disappear. Audrey finally felt relieved too. She was the one that asked Catherine for help, so she had to be mindful of how Catherine felt. She wouldn¡¯t do anything that Catherine didn¡¯t like! After all, she was an obedient sister. She wasn¡¯t acting ording to Catherine¡¯s wishes because she was scared. No way. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 The following day, Catherine was awakened by a series of door knocks. She suddenly opened her eyes. A sinister light shed across her empty eyes. She looked like a demon from hell. If Audrey saw her like this, she would be scared shitless for sure. Catherine managed to wake up fully after a few seconds. She disdained herself for apanying Audrey for the shoot today. After getting off the bed, she opened the door for Audrey. Audrey appeared to be in a cheery mood. She wearing a smile-a brilliant smile. ¡°Morning, Kathy!¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± replied Catherine unenthusiastically in a low and cold voice. Audrey stood between the camera and Catherine, so the camera couldn¡¯t see Catherine¡¯s face. Only her voice was caught on tape. The shooting crew had been feeling sleepy after waking up early in the morning. Catherine¡¯s grunt was like a frigid wind in the winter. It instantly made everyone fully awake. Someone couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°What a scary girl.¡± Audrey was close and heard what was said. An undetectable trace of awkwardness shed across her face. However, she recovered very quickly. After all, she had gotten used to the of Catherine¡¯s mannerisms. ¡°Kathy, dress now. I¡¯ll make you breakfast!¡± After hearing what Audrey said, Catherine closed the door immediately. That made Audrey on the other side of the door feel incredibly awkward. The cameramen didn¡¯t know what to make of what just happened either. Could it be that the sisters had a bad rtionship? It couldn¡¯t be helped. After her awkwardness wore off, Audrey turned to face the camera and exined, ¡°My sister is a bit introverted and shy of cameras. Don¡¯t misunderstand. We have a great rtionship!¡± The crowd thought, ¡°It¡¯s kind of suspicious that you have to dere something like that directly.¡± Although Audrey wasn¡¯t a well-known figure in the entertainment industry, she came from a wealthy family. Even if her parents didn¡¯t dote on her, she never had to do any chores. It was impressive of her to make toast and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. She also warmed up a ss of milk. She had wanted to show off her cooking skills by making two sunny-side-up eggs. However, that was too grand of an undertaking for her. The process was way too arduous for her, and she couldn¡¯t handle it. In the end, she gave up on the idea. Audrey looked awkwardly at Catherine, who was sitting primly on her seat. She told her gingerly, ¡°Kathy, please put up with my cooking and eat a few bites. If you get hungry again on our way to the studio, I¡¯ll buy you more food!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond. She picked up the toast, broke off a piece, and stuffed it into her mouth. Audrey kept staring at her. It wasn¡¯t until she swallowed that Audrey finally felt relieved. She took that to mean that she had done a decent job at cooking, which exined why Catherine didn¡¯t show any fuss. After all, everything she made was simple. There wasn¡¯t much to fuss about. Feeling relieved, she put a piece of toast in her mouth and chomped down. Her expression twisted immediately. It wasn¡¯t y she toasted, was it? Why was the toast as hard as a rock? Did she put it in the toaster for too long? Unfortunately, she was in front of a camera. She had to swallow it no matter how painful it was. Catherine turned and threw a nce at her. Her eyes were cold as ice. She said in a low voice,¡± Don¡¯t use baguettes to make toast next time!¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Audrey frowned in confusion. ¡°Can¡¯t baguettes be used to make toast?¡± she wondered. A few guys from the shooting crewughed uncontrobly in front of the camera. They almost lost their bnce. Baguettes were hard to begin with. Audrey didn¡¯t understand how temperature affected cooking and threw them directly into the toaster for two minutes. Although the baguettes weren¡¯t burnt, they were hard enough to be used as weapons. For the sake of her dignity, Audrey forced the bread down her throat. Catherine finished what Audrey put in front of her without expression and stood up. She needed to go back to her room and finish packing her luggage. When she entered her room, the sound of vibration could be heard from her pocket. She reached for her phone and was surprised to see that it was a call from Branden. She lowered her eyes slightly and pressed the answer call button. A husky voice came through the speaker. It was like a refreshing stream that captured her heart. ¡°So you¡¯re back in your room?¡± Catherine had been feeling somewhat irritated, but his voice extinguished that feeling. It was only after some time that she realized what he said. She frowned slightly and looked puzzled. ¡°How did you know?¡± She had only just entered her room. It was strange for Branden to call her immediately. It was if he had installed surveince on her. Hearing the confusion in her voice, Branden was a little shocked too. He asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you. know that the show is being streamed live for its entirety?¡± That was why the crew hade the night before to set up their equipment. They had been preparing to stream the entire show live. It was far more difficult to set up than recorded shows as it required a lot of adjustment of the equipment. In an attempt to avoid making the audience feel the show to be scripted, many reality shows. would arrange for part of their shows to be streamed live. Live streams provided more candid reactions. Some reality shows only streamed part of their shows live. After all, variety shows had to follow a general script. If they shot the entirety of the show live, chances are not many celebrities would be willing to attend. After all, life before and behind the camera was different. Celebrities were human too. If they were careless and exposed something obscene, they could. drop in poprity or even be prohibited from appearing in the media. This reality show they were in now was one of those bold ones where the entirety of the show was streamed live. As a result, many celebrities turned down their offer. If that hadn¡¯t been the case, the show would not have turned to a celebrity like Audrey, who had practically zero poprity. Catherine tried to recall what happenedst night. She seemed to remember Audrey mentioning something along those lines when telling her what to be careful of. However, Audrey was very long-winded. Many of the things she said were useless. As a result, Catherinepletely nked during her brief. While she might have heard what she said, she didn¡¯t actually listen to her. She asked coldly, ¡°So what if it¡¯s streamed live?¡± The man on the phone¡¯s other end instantly knew she didn¡¯t understand implications of a live stream. He curled his lips andughed. ¡°Haha, Kathy is really disconnected from reality.¡± Upon hearing the snarky remark, Catherine¡¯s brows furrowed even deeper than before. How was she out of touch? Paxton couldn¡¯t help but feel some disdain towards his boss when he saw him assuming the role of a serious teacher and exining to Catherine what live streamers implied. How dare he use Catherine of being the one who¡¯s disconnected from reality? A certain someone asked his secretary what a live stream was just this morning and had already assumed the teacher¡¯s role. After Branden exined it to her, Catherine understood the implications of live streams. She suddenly regretted agreeing to help Audrey. However, since she has agreed to it, naturally, she wouldn¡¯t break the contract in the middle of the stream. That was just the sort of person she was! After Paxton reminded him, Branden ended the call with Catherine somewhat reluctantly. ¡°Kathy, call me if anything happens.¡± It was almost too easy for him to interfere in a reality show. Even making the entire show focus on the Swann sisters was something entirely within the realm of possibility. After all, money made the world go round. That was the kind of power he had. However, he also knew that Catherine also possessed that kind of power. Since she didn¡¯t try to interfere with how the show was run, it must mean she didn¡¯t want to. If that was the case, he wouldn¡¯t interfere either. He wouldn¡¯t interfere, but he would watch over her. He would only help should she need it. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Audrey noticed that Catherine had been in her room for a very long time. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit anxious. The crew had already started to urge her to make Catherinee out. She had requested the crew not to install any surveince cameras inside Catherine¡¯s room. As a result, even she didn¡¯t know what Catherine was doing inside. Since Audrey was the least prominent celebrity of the show, she received the worst treatment. The show was streamed live in its entirety, which was why the production crew didn¡¯t force her to do anything. If that hadn¡¯t been the case, chances are they would have been hollering at her already. Audrey was pressured by everyone from the show into hurrying Catherine. She didn¡¯t have much choice but to go up to Catherine¡¯s room. She prepared to knock Suddenly, the door opened! Audrey was stunned for a moment. She didn¡¯t process what happened just yet. Catherine held her suitcase and looked at Audrey. She asked, ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Mhmm!¡± Audrey nodded subconsciously. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine started walking out of the house. She paid no attention to Audrey, who had a big bag in one hand and big suitcase in the other. Everyone from the shooting crew shuddered. Audrey¡¯s sister¡¯s personality was way too cold! They were lucky that Audrey wasn¡¯t popr. Compared to other live streams, nothing was happening in Audrey¡¯s. The show¡¯s title was ¡°The Most Important Person in My Life.¡± Some were couples, and some were mother and child. Others were siblings like Audrey. The audience would choose from four different families. They could choose a live stream that featured their preferred celebrity to increase that celebrity¡¯s viewership. Alternatively, they could also watch the shared stream that rotated between the families. All three other celebrity¡¯s streams were already full of viewers. Audrey¡¯s stream, on the other hand, was rather deserted. There were barely any viewers. Audrey left the house with Catherine. The other families set off too. Compared to the abundant gags and talent disyed in the other families, Audrey and Catherine¡¯s stream could be said to be an utter disaster. After Catherine got in the car, she pressed her baseball cap visor down and started sleeping. Audrey appeared to have gotten used to such behavior from her. She didn¡¯t force Catherine to keep her company. She had left the house without any makeup on purpose today. The n was to put on makeup during the live stream. Otherwise, having nothing to do during their ride. there would be awkward. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t help the stream much. It couldn¡¯t be helped. The other three families were just too popr. The show¡¯s main star was a lifelong award-winning actress, Cindy Hill. She only bothered to attend this show to make things easier in the future for her son. Cindy had not starred in any film or movies for many years. She only starred in them when they were grand productions or when she wanted topete for an acting award. The award-winning actress was now starring in a reality show with her handsome son. Naturally, this was something that captured the attention of many fans. After all, everyone wanted to know what the award-winning actress¡¯ personal life was like. The second family was a couple, Kate Cooper and Ryan Bell. The two weren¡¯t that different age-wisepared to Audrey. The same could not be said for the difference in their poprity. The two were the most popr male and female idols right now. Their new television show aired during prime time, and they had a huge fanbase. The fervent fans had alle to the couple¡¯s stream to watch their disys of affection. The couple¡¯s stream had even more viewers than the award-winning actress¡¯s. Thest of the three was a pair of siblings, Nick Parker and Rick Parker. The two were twins and the most popr merch-selling streamers. They had a huge fanbase. Elder brother Nick was the streamer, and younger brother Rick was his assistant. Perhaps due to them being twins, they have excellent chemistry and were amazing at selling their merch. They were the team with the most experience in streaming, as well as the team that knew how to interact with the audience the best. The number of viewers in their stream was just shy of that of Kate¡¯s team. Audrey had no chance of winning against these three teams. In the blink of an eye, the car arrived at the airport. Audrey woke Catherine up gently. Catherine opened her eyes without any expression. Her gaze was slightly chilly. Audrey thoughtfully handed over the Thermos bottle in her hands over. ¡°Here, Kathy, have. some water. The temperature is just right. You¡¯ll feel better after having some water after waking up.¡± Catherine took the bottle. She didn¡¯t show any sign of rejection. After she drank the warm water, she actually did feel better, just like Audrey said. A few fans who could not get into the other streamers¡¯ streams due to inte issues. witnessed the scene in Audrey¡¯s stream. They couldn¡¯t help but exim. ¡°What the fuck, what a thoughtful sister. I want a sister like her too.¡± ¡°I want a sister like her, too¡± ¡°Her younger sister is a bit too stuck up. I don¡¯t like her. I wanted to watch Kate¡¯s stream but couldn¡¯t get in because there were too many people. Boohoo¡­¡± Audrey had her phone in her hand. She could hear the text-to-speechments from the viewers. However, she didn¡¯t mind. As far as she was concerned, Catherine agreeing to go on the show with her was good enough. There was no point in forcing her to behave in a certain way. After they alighted the car, the Swann sisters met with the other three families. Since Audrey was a new celebrity, her poprity was even lower than that of the streamer brothers. She knew it was on her to greet them, so she took the initiative. She was afraid that Catherine wasn¡¯t used to this kind of interaction, so she asked Catherine to take care of the luggage as she went up to the brothers alone. What ended up happening was that fans started roasting Catherine. Since the four families were meeting, some of the fans of the other families entered Audrey¡¯s stream as they could not get inside their preferred family¡¯s stream. After seeing Catherine on camera, the chat started roasting her again. ¡°Holy shit, what the hell is thisss doing? Does she think she¡¯ll impress someone by acting so cool?¡± ¡°I agree. Why is she wearing such a big cap? Is she so ugly that she¡¯s feeling sorry for the viewers from all across the country?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t even bother to greet her seniors. She¡¯s making her sister look bad.¡± There were asionally praises such as ¡°Although the tip of her chin is the only part we can see, her chin is so anime-like. I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing her face.¡± However, they were instantly swallowed by the sea of roasts. The production crew had realized what was happening in Audrey¡¯s stream. Not only did they not try to make an exnation for Catherine¡¯s behavior, they were actually overjoyed to see the roasts. They had worried that there was no way to escte conflicts through the power of editing due to the show being a live stream. That was something that would make the show more interesting to watch. It must be stated that many people watch programs purely to do something to fill their time. If there was someone to roast, a crowd of people who liked to roast others would be attracted to the stream. In a way, it was also a form of attention. That was why many celebrities in the entertainment industry would create or reveal shocking news. After all, bing infamous also meant bing well-known. As long as she could be a well- known figure, it didn¡¯t matter how people came to know about her. What mattered was getting people to know her. The production crew didn¡¯t mind that Audrey was a nobody and had no say in the industry. Ever since the show¡¯s start, the sisters shouldered the responsibility of being the target of roasting. Luckily, Catherine wasn¡¯t bothered by the viewers. She pressed the visor of her cap ever lower. She sat in a willful and candid manner as she waited for Audrey to return from herworking, After Audrey made one full round of the other families, she returned to Catherine. She excitedly said, ¡°Kathy, this is my first time seeing Cindy in person. I love her movies.¡± Compared to Audrey¡¯s excitement, Catherine was so chill that she didn¡¯t even throw a nce at her. It wasn¡¯t until they boarded the ne that Audrey stopped her incessant bbering and finally allowed Catherine to rest in peace. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 The nended. The production crew had arranged a bus to take the four families to the destination. This was where they would stay for two days and one night. Since the show was streamed live, only three hours were reserved for the four families toplete missions where theypeted against one another. The rest of the time was for them to stream whatever they wanted to. After arriving at the destination, the production crew did not provide the families with food or help. The celebrities had to get everything by themselves. The production crew had one clear and simple goal: to make life difficult for the celebrities! The four families started drawing lots to see which amodation they would stay in. Audrey took the initiative to draw the first lot. Unfortunately, she picked the worst lot. It was a small bungalow. Her heart sank immediately. Afraid that Catherine would go crazy, she turned around carefully and peeked at her. The viewersmented, ¡°Did you guys see that minute expression of Audrey? She looks like me when my mother found out I did something wrong when I was young!¡± ¡°Interesting eye gesture.¡± ¡°Audrey¡¯s makeup is so good! It hasn¡¯t smudged after such a long time! I¡¯m envious!¡± Catherine nced at thements. Comments of all kinds were talking about Audrey¡¯s expression. She looked up toward Audrey and saw her returning to her. With innocent blinking eyes, Audrey said, ¡°Kathy, I got the worst house!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say anything. She started walking while dragging her suitcase along. Thement section exploded again upon seeing Catherine leave. The viewers agreed unanimously that Catherine¡¯s reaction was uncalled for, and she had a bad temper. ¡°This girl is way too arrogant. It was just the luck of the draw that they ended up with the worst house. That¡¯s not Audrey¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°I agree with the previousment. Poor Audrey, I feel so sorry for you¡­¡± ¡°I would never want a sister like her!¡± Catherine had a keen sense of hearing. She had heard everything the production crew told the celebrities a second ago. All three other teams received hints on how to avoid picking the worst lot. Audrey was supposed to pick the worst lot, so there was no need to give her any tips. It was a predetermined oue. So be it. Catherine didn¡¯t want to try to change it. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to! The Parker brothers saw Audrey looking devastated and proposed to her, ¡°Audrey, we managed tond a rather decent house. The facilities inside aren¡¯t too bad either. How about we make a switch?¡± The brothersnded a two-story cottage, which Audrey had her eyes on from the start. She didn¡¯t need the best house but didn¡¯t want the worst one. Who would have known that she would pick the worst one? Audrey was furious when she knew she picked the worst one. It was one thing to have bad luck, but Catherine would have to suffer with her. What should she do? Audrey wanted to ept the brothers¡¯ proposal. However, she remembered agreeing with Catherine that she would discuss everything with her before making any decision. So instead of deciding by herself, she turned and looked for Catherine. ¡°Kathy, the Parker brothers are willing to trade houses with us. What do you say?¡± Catherine replied apathetically without even turning to look at Audrey, ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± Audrey understood that Catherine didn¡¯t want to trade. She had seen thements from earlier too. She was worried that if she tried to understand why she didn¡¯t want to, the viewers would start roasting her aloof nature again. She stopped herself in a hurry and then rejected the Parker brothers. Not only was their house the worst, but it was also the furthest. Audrey dragged her suitcase along for a very long time before she finally found the house they would stay in. She even came close to losing her way two times on their journey there. Luckily, Catherine managed to stop her and guided her back on the right path. The suitcase was awfully heavy. So was the backpack. She was envious of Catherine, who had only had a purse. What a stress-free way to travel. Viewersmented, ¡°This younger sister is just too much. Are her limbs broken? How could she not even offer to help carry the luggage? If I were the elder sister, I would have gone crazy long ago.¡± A new round of roasts began. Thements wereing so quickly that there was barely any time to read them! Word of the situation even reached the director. ¡°Director, although Audrey¡¯s stream¡¯s numbers are still very low, they have improved significantly compared to earlier in the morning!¡± Upon hearing the news, the director turned around. Looking at his assistant, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡± The assistant exined what happened to the director, ¡°Audrey¡¯s sister has a poor character. The viewers are all watching the stream to roast her!¡± The director was excited and happy. ¡°Good, good. Conflicts give rise to poprity. You guys think of ways to make the situation worse, Shoot from a few different angles, and add in a few bloopers. You guys catch my drift?¡± The assistant smiled creepily. He had spent years in the industry and knew exactly how to edit the videos to produce the effects that the director was looking for. He agreed in a buttery tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, director, I¡¯ll settle it!¡± Audrey, in the meantime¡­ Eventually, they found the house allocated to them using the map. However, when they finally arrived at the house, Audrey waspletely dumbfounded. She looked at the thousand-steps staircase in front of her and felt her soul crushed. She suspected that the production crew had done all of this on purpose. Were they trying to kill her by making her climb a thousand steps while dragging her suitcase along? They still had missions in the afternoon. How was she supposed to handle that? She turned and looked at one of the cameramen and asked, ¡°So I¡¯ll have to climb the staircase myself, and no one is going to help bring my luggage up, correct?¡± The voice of the cameraman could be heard off-screen. ¡°The production crew needs you to do everything by yourself!¡± The viewers were roaring withughter. Audrey¡¯s expressions were simply adorable. A bunch of viewers became her fans instantly. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Poor Audrey, things would be so much easier if her sister decided to help her!¡± ¡°Fat hope. Just forget that her sister exists!¡± Audrey epted her fate. Among the four teams, she was the least popr celebrity with the least amount of fans. Who else was the production crew going to target as the clown of the show? Noticing that Catherine had climbed several steps already, she hurriedly grabbed her suitcase and tried to catch up. However, her suitcase was very heavy. The luggage she had almost crushed her. The camera team had received instruction from the director that they were not to help, no matter what happened. Their sole aim was to create trouble. At the same time, thements starteding in again. They were a mix of sympathy for Audrey and increased dislike towards Catherine. The number of roasts gradually increased in thements. The director and his crew were overjoyed. Their joy came at the cost of Audrey¡¯s suffering. Catherine¡¯s pace wasn¡¯t very quick. It looked like she was waiting for Audrey to catch up. Audrey finally made it halfway up the stairs after tremendous effort. She stopped to take a breather. Unfortunately, her sweat had made her hands slippery. The suitcase escaped her grasp. Audrey tried to stop the luggage from falling down the stairs without thinking. Half of the suitcase was filled with her cosmetics. They were crucial to her job. She could not continue to stream if the cosmetics were damaged. What ended up happening was a cry of pain was heard. The camera team panicked. While they did intend to create trouble, it was a different matter if the celebrities were injured. They would have created an ident, and the consequences for doing so were severe. Just as Audrey was about to fall t on her face, against everyone¡¯s expectations, Catherine saved her. She was so quick that even the viewer didn¡¯t manage to see exactly how she managed to dash and grab Audrey. With her hand on Audrey¡¯s waist, she pulled Audrey toward herself. At the same time, she used the other hand to grab hold of Audrey¡¯s suitcase that was sliding down. It was an incredible scene. Thement section was bombarded with tons ofemnts! ¡°Too cool!¡± ¡°What an awesome scene!¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Catherine only released her hold on Audrey after thetter had found her footing. Audrey was still in shock. If Catherine hadn¡¯t caught her in time, she would have fallen t on her face. Even if she didn¡¯t be a cripple after falling so many steps, she would probably end up disfigured. She felt that she would have PTSD of stairs from now on. ¡°Kathy, thank you so much! I would have no clue what to do if it wasn¡¯t for you!¡± When the viewers heard Audrey¡¯s words, they couldn¡¯t help but type out sarcastic remarks. They all thought that Catherine would abuse her act of saving Audrey and start treating Audrey even worse than before. Catherine disappointed the viewers. She didn¡¯t say a word and resumed climbing the stairs while holding Audrey¡¯s luggage in one hand. Audrey looked at Catherine¡¯s back view and immediately felt her brain functions grind to a halt. How was her sister climbing the stairs so effortlessly with her suitcase? The same suitcase that took everything out of her to drag it up halfway up the stairs. Could her sister be Hercules? Audrey caught up to her and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Kathy, is it heavy? Do you want us to carry it together?¡± ¡°No need!¡± Rejected Catherine in a cold voice. Her voice was very apathetic. Audrey released her hand on the suitcase subconsciously. Audrey had a much easier time now that she no longer needed to heave the suitcase around. She even found the energy to start chatting with Catherine. ¡°Kathy, how are you so strong? It took everything out of me to lug that suitcase around, yet you are moving it with just one hand!¡± Catherine continued to look forward without even throwing a nce at her. She said coldly,¡± I¡¯ve done a lot of manualbor, so I¡¯m strong!¡± Audrey thought about it and felt it made sense. Catherine had spent her childhood in the countryside. She must have had to do a lot of manualbor. Audrey felt her heart ache upon reaching that conclusion. Kathy must have suffered a lot in the countryside. Audrey decided that she would try her best to take good care of her from now on. The two eventually arrived in front of the house. It wasn¡¯t until they entered the house that they realized there wasn¡¯t even an air-conditioning unit inside. There was only a worn-down osciting fan. Audrey couldn¡¯t help but startining. On the other hand, Catherine took off her baseball cap quietly, tied up her hair, and started resting. When the camera captured Catherine¡¯s face, the viewers went crazy. The viewersmented, ¡°Oh my god, she is so good-looking!¡± ¡°Beautiful and cool at the same time. I¡¯m in love¡­¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t she be a celebrity? She¡¯s definitely pretty enough.¡± ¡°What an amazing pair of sisters. Having the elder sister be pretty is one thing, but who would have expected the younger sister to be even prettier?¡± ¡°My morals are guided by my eyes. I¡¯m a fan now!¡± ¡°Everyone, have you realized that she doesn¡¯t have makeup on? My god, kill me¡­¡± Thement section took aplete 180 the instant Catherine revealed her face. After arranging her stuff, Audrey decided to reward Catherine, who had a long day. Since it was their first meal, the production crew made an exception and provided the with some ingredients for them to make a meal of guests Audrey looked at the ingredients. Neither had a big appetite, so there should be sufficient to fill them. She decided to show off her culinary skills by making Catherine a nice meal. Catherine didn¡¯t eat much in the morning. She definitely needed to eat something for lunch! By the time Audrey¡¯s team entered their house, the other teams had already begun eating. Cindy¡¯s team¡¯s dishes looked the most appetizing. After all, she was a mother. Cindy looked. closer to life when she cooked, which drove her fans. crazy. Although Kate Bell and Ryan Bell¡¯s cooking wasn¡¯t as great, they had their meals at least. They fed each other, disying their affection for each other over and over. Their fans were highly hyped to witness the pair being all lovey-dovey. The Parker brothers surprised everyone. Nobody expected the popr streamers to be great at cooking. The elder brother was responsible for cleaning and cutting, while the younger brother was responsible for cooking. They two made a great team. The brothers exined afterward that they hade from a poor family and started working at a young age. At one point, they even worked as helpers in a hotel kitchen. It was only natural that they had some cooking skills. That won them the pity of many viewers who felt that they really had a hard time growing up. Their viewer count spiked again, and a bunch of new viewers became their fans. Things were kind of a joke when it came to Audrey¡¯s team. Audrey looked at the ingredients avable and decided to cook some homemade dishes. From what she understood, Catherine liked spicy food. Making a spicy dish must be the right move. She took the eggs and was on the way to the sink to wash them. Unfortunately, her hand slipped, and she broke one of them. There were only three eggs to begin with. Now there were just two. What an unlucky start. Audrey decided to make something else instead to change her luck, hopefully. She raised the knife and prepared to cut the meat. In the next moment, a cry was heard. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She cut her finger. The scream finally alerted Catherine. Audrey heard her footsteps and looked at her with panic in her eyes while covering her bleeding hand. Audrey¡¯s first reaction was to apologize. ¡°Kathy, it looks like I messed up again. Catherine didn¡¯t say a word. She dragged her by her non-injured hand onto a chair. She opened her backpack, found the band-aids, and started dressing Audrey¡¯s wound. The cut was small, so just one band-aid was enough. The entire process was both quick and professional, which was very impressive. When Catherine wasn¡¯t talking, she emanated a chilling aura that scared people off from approaching her. Audrey didn¡¯t dare to make her mad. She held her breath and didn¡¯t dare to move a muscle. She had watched a lot of cooking shows. It looked so easy when the cooking streamers made the dishes. Why was it so difficult when she tried to make them herself? Audrey frowned and looked upset. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Catherine left Audrey after dressing her wound. Audrey followed her in a hurry upon seeing her leave. Catherine entered the kitchen. She scanned the ingredients and understood roughly the dishes that Audrey was trying to make. Before Audrey realized what was happening, Catherine had picked up the kitchen knife. It was now too late to stop her. Audrey held her breath as she watched Catherine. She was worried that Catherine would cut her hand like she had. A few minutes passed, and Audrey was still frozen like a statue. She was in awe. The viewers were amazed too. ¡°Wow, what incredible knife skills! The meat was cut into identical strips as if a machine made the cuts!¡± ¡°Cook here. I can guarantee that she has at least ten years of experience working with knives to have this level of proficiency!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you guys find this scene slightly creepy? A girl with a poker face chopping up meat¡­ It feels kind of¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m that guy who said that my eyes guide my morals. I¡¯m willing to be the meat if this girl does the chopping¡­¡± Not only were Catherine¡¯s movements clean, but they were also fast. It didn¡¯t take long for her to finish cutting all the meat. Just like Audrey envisioned, she heated some oil and put the raw ingredients in. Ten minutester, two sizzling hot dishes were ready. It wasn¡¯t until Catherine started carrying the dishes to the dining table that Audrey realized she had finished cooking. She quickly volunteered to help. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯ll get the rice!¡± However, she was shocked when she opened the rice cooker. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Audrey was so shocked because she found the rice was still the same as when she put them in and hadn¡¯t changed a bit. She couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°My God. How could this happen?¡± Catherine, who had already ced the ingredients, came over and checked it out. Then, she picked up the unplugged plug and looked at Audrey coldly. With an embarrassed look on her face, Audrey hadn¡¯t expected it to be like this. All she could do was pout and apologize sincerely ¡°Kathy, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so stupid!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t reply to her or scold her. She turned around, took out some noodles, boiled water, and put the noodles in. In thement area, many peopleughed like crazy. [I didn¡¯t expect someone to leave the electricity unplugged while cooking rice¡­] [Audrey¡¯s expression just now was too cute. That could be a meme!] [Her sister is too cold and unlikable. Anyway, I don¡¯t like her!] [I don¡¯t think so. Don¡¯t you feel that one is like the president and the other is like a wife?] [I agree.] [I agree too.] Catherine put the fried tomato and eggs in the noodles and stirred them. This was their staple food. Audrey took the initiative to wash the dishes and set the tableware to make up for her mistake. She was absent the whole time. She felt she was so stupid that she was dragging Catherine down. Catherine had eaten half of her meal, but Audrey hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Her t voice brought Audrey back to her senses in an instant. She shook her head hastily. ¡± Yes, I love it!¡± Audrey quickly put a bunch of noodles into her mouth to prove she wasn¡¯t lying. After chewing a few times, she froze immediately. Seeing Audrey freeze, the subscribers in front of the screen continued to postments frantically. [What expression is that? How bad is it?] [I have been meaning to say for a long time that it is not tasty. It¡¯s tooplex. Pretty is useless. Taste is the most important thing!] However, in the next second, Audrey shocked everyone again. She swallowed the noodles in her mouth and looked at Catherine with widened eyes in surprise. ¡°Kathy, it¡¯s delicious.¡± Audrey picked up the bowl on the table and put it in front of her eyes. for a closer look, wholly immersed in it. Then she put down the bowl, looked at Catherine in bewilderment, and let out a burst of wonder. ¡°Kathy, those aremon ingredients. Nothing special, right? How can you make them so delicious? It¡¯s amazing!¡± Audrey¡¯s praise didn¡¯t change Catherine¡¯s indifferent expression. She still ate her noodles in small bites, while Audrey¡¯s exmation was still ringing in her ears. Pasta could make people gain weight. As a beauty influencer, Audrey had to maintain her figure. But the noodles made by Catherine were so delicious that Audrey couldn¡¯t stop. After finishing before Audrey, Catheriney down on the bed beside her, put on her hat, and had a rest. Because the room was small, the table was next to the bed. To avoid disturbing Catherine, Audrey continued to eat the noodles carefully and quietly washed the dishes after eating. After waking up and seeing the clean table, Catherine showed no dissatisfaction. So far, she hadn¡¯t regretted going out with Audrey. Audrey wasn¡¯t causing trouble. She was a bit stupid but knew how to behave and what to do or not do. Catherine woke up, not because she had slept enough, but because the program group had asked the four families to participate in the taping together that afternoon. Seeing her wake up, Audrey was happy and smiled brightly while looking at her. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re awake. Just the right time! Now we¡¯re sure we won¡¯t bete.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Catherine replied in a low voice, got off the bed, straightened her clothes, put on her hat, and was about to go out. Seeing that she was about to go out, Audrey raised her voice instantly. ¡°Kathy, are you going out like this?¡± Catherine turned her head, raised her eyebrows, and looked at her suspiciously. She looked at herself again and found nothing wrong, and her clothes were neatly put on. Seeing that she hadn¡¯t noticed her negligence, Audrey dragged her into the room. Audrey took out her special sunscreen spray and sprayed the exposed parts of Catherine¡¯s body. ¡°The sun is so strong outside, so you need sun protection, you know? Even if you have fair skin and are not afraid of the sun, you still have to pay attention, or you will get spots!¡± After spraying, Audrey saw that Catherine was still in a daze, so she spread the ointment. herself for Catherine. Touching her arm, Audrey let out another burst of surprise after a while. ¡°Kathy, how do you take care of your skin? Your skin is so good! What body lotion do you use? Your skin is so smooth.¡± ¡°Body lotion?¡± Catherine frowned and replied in a cold voice, ¡°I¡¯ve never used anything like that!¡± Audrey believed her when she said she didn¡¯t use anything. Nowadays a lot of girls said they didn¡¯t wear makeup, but in reality, almost all of them were wearing semi-permanent makeup. But Catherine wouldn¡¯t do that. Audrey knew she was indifferent but wouldn¡¯t lie or put on airs. Audrey couldn¡¯t help but marvel again, ¡°Kathy, we have the same mother, but why are we so different? Your skin is still so good without maintenance. I take care of my skin every day, but my skin can¡¯t compare with yours. I have a headache.¡± As Catherine watched Audrey apply sunscreen in earnest, she felt a little dizzy. This was the first time someone had been so close to her for so long. And the point was that she didn¡¯t reject it. It would be incredible for Ronin to see it. After all, someone had deliberately approached her at the base, causing her to unconsciously hit the guy and cripple his hands. At this point, it might be a miracle that Audrey had been able to touch her for so long. Seeing that the application of sunscreen was almost finished, Audrey stopped. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go! Audrey was carrying a lot while Catherine seemed not to have much burden. When they arrived, two groups had already been there. Only the group that Cindy belonged to had not yet arrived. It was usual for a big star toe out on the finale. Seeing Audrey and Catherine arrivingte, Kate was very upset. In the entertainment industry, experience was the most important thing. It could even affect the order of the red carpet, not to mention the filming of the show. Audrey, a minor inte celebrity, arrivedter than her with a student, which she could not ept. She smiled at Audrey and said, ¡°Your nap seems to be good and even made youte!¡± She seemed concerned about Audrey, but she was telling everyone that the two of them werete. Sure enough, after Kate finished speaking, there was a heated discussion in thement area. Kate¡¯s fans started sting Audrey and Catherine. [An unknown Inte celebrity dares to ask Kate to wait for her? She is putting on airs!] [What is the program group doing? Why would they invite such a person with no sense of punctuality?] [We will boycott them. We won¡¯t watch the footage that includes them!] [I totally agree!] [They should be boycotted!]N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 The program group¡¯s Risk Assessment and Control team spotted this problem right away. There was a lot of criticism of Audrey and Catherine in thements section. They reported the problem to the director team as soon as possible. But the director team told them to ignore them and not to ask someone to control thement section. At first, the director team was concerned that the live show would have little controversy without editing. Without contradictions and disputes, there would be no hot discussion. Actually, Audrey and Catherine were notte. They set off earlier than the other two groups. But their house was too far from the ce chosen by the program group. Kate was the closest, so she could almost walk there. Someone spotted this and said it in thements. Butpared to the words of Kate¡¯s fans, their words were too insignificant and had long been drowned inints and boycotts. Audrey took one look at Kate and offered to apologize to the other two groups for beingte. Others didn¡¯t care about it, but Kate was different. She was disdaining this while feigning generosity. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We didn¡¯t wait for too long.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Audrey knew Kate was giving her a hard time, but she couldn¡¯t help it. After all, she was not as popr as Kate and had fewer fans. So, she could only endure it! Standing aside and watching all this, Catherine didn¡¯t move. She had no energy and didn¡¯t want to care about it. If Audrey didn¡¯t even want to fight back even when someone bullied her, then she was hopeless. She didn¡¯t need to help such a hopeless person. In the end, the war without gunpowder did not subside until Cindy appeared. After everyone arrived, the program team began to announce the rules. The director stood up and looked at everyone with a smile. He was clearly a scheming and evil man. The program team gave the director a close-up and added a text box beside him that read, The show is about to begin. Today¡¯s rules are simple. The person who catches the most fish and is the most popr in the live room wins. The first-ce finisher gets to enjoy the cooked food, and thest ce finisher must be punished and responsible for feeding and cleaning the other two groups of families.¡± The rules were straightforward. It rewarded the first ce slightly but punished thest ce. quite badly. After understanding the rules, Audrey immediately had a frightened expression. She looked at Catherine timidly and asked her in a low voice, ¡°Kathy, can you catch fish?¡± She had never fished since she was a child. Now, she could only hope that Catherine had been exposed to these things while living in the country. She had seen country kids on TV dramas going down to the river in the summer to catch fish. Catherine responded with a casual and sloppy expression in a low voice, ¡°I haven¡¯t tried it!¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s answer, Audrey became more depressed and faced the camera with a sad expression. She quietly removed the earphones and whispered in Catherine¡¯s ear, ¡°Kathy, should I tell my friends to give us more likes? More likes will increase our poprity. I don¡¯t expect to be the first ce or thest. I don¡¯t want to clean or cook for anyone!¡± Catherine also didn¡¯t want to clean or cook for so many people. She did her best to suppress her boredom when cooking for Audrey, let alone for so many people. However, she still had an indifferent expression and said in a low voice, ¡°Up to you!¡± Seeing that Catherine did not object, Audrey immediately made preparations. But she underestimated the rigor of the program group¡¯s control. She had no way of getting her phone at all, so she couldn¡¯t notify her good friends to give her likes. In desperation, Audrey could only hope she would be lucky enough to catch more fish today. The program group gave them uniform underwater clothing. Once the clothing was unified, the importance of appearance woulde to the fore. Everyone stood in a row. Catherine was silent the whole time, but her face was enough to shock the audience in front of the screen. There was a lively discussion again in thement area. [Audrey¡¯s younger sister looks prettier than Kate!] [Don¡¯t get involved with Kate! We are not interested in her.] [I¡¯m not a fan of either of them, but she¡¯s definitely prettier than Kate¡¯s. Audrey seems to be the daughter of a wealthy family.] [The daughter of a wealthy family? Why was she unknown for so long? Also, you can see that her sister¡¯s dress doesn¡¯t even have a logo on it. It was clearly a defective product. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so pretentious even then!] Thement section was buzzing, and fans were frantically giving likes to their idols. The show was full of all kinds ofpetition. The most outstanding one was the group that Kate and Ryan were in. With good luck, Ryan caught a fish shortly after entering the water. Kate held a fish basket and frantically called on her fans in front of the camera. ¡°My friends, the group we are in today is undoubtedly lucky. I hope I can bring my luck to the children in the slums! Let¡¯s work hard together!¡± As an idol, it was inconvenient for Kate to ask her fans to give her likes directly. After all, it was easy to provoke ridicule. The program group said before that all the ie from this program would be donated to children in poverty-stricken areas for charity before the next program was broadcast. Kate was asking fans to give her likes in another way. Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, her fans went crazy. The fans of their group could go wild for their idols. And it was in the name of charity, which made it more natural. For a while, the number of likes in Kate¡¯s live broadcast continued to rise and far surpassed that of the other three groups. Kate felt smug as she thanked her fans. She was very confident that she would win the first. ce in this kind of show. Kate didn¡¯t pay attention to those humble Inte celebrities. She didn¡¯t think she was easy to mess with. Compared with the hotness of Kate¡¯s group, Audrey¡¯s group was quite bleak. Audrey¡¯s clothes were soaked by now, but she still didn¡¯t catch any fish, making her stomp her feet angrily. Catherine rxed and rested against the tree on the bank as if she didn¡¯t want to enter the water. Because of this, Audrey¡¯s live broadcast room also had heated discussions, but they all scolded. Catherine as if anyone unhappy could vent their anger here. The other three groups caught some fish while Audrey still got nothing. Even Nick and his brother beside her couldn¡¯t help but worry about her. Nick quipped to Audrey. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your sister to do it with you? You might have a better chance when doing it together!¡± Audrey showed a t smile and calm eyes, which showed no emotion ofint. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My sister helped me too much this morning, so she¡¯s tired now. Let her rest.¡± Seeing that Audrey didn¡¯t care, Nick and his brother didn¡¯t say anything more Chapter 99 Chapter 99 A long time passed, and Audrey still got nothing. Now there were only ten minutes left before the end time set by the program group. When Audrey saw her walking towards the river, she followed her anxiously. ¡°Kathy, what are you doing?¡± Anyway, she was going to lose, so Audrey simply gave up trying. In a good mood, Audrey smiled and walked to the tree to have a rest with Catherine. The leisurely state of the two girls stunned everyone. They seemed to have given up on themselves. Seeing that they had given up, the other three groups were less nervous. After all, not everyone wanted to be number one like Kate. It was fine for them not to best and not get penalized. Not long after Audrey sat down, Catherine stood up suddenly. Seeing her walking towards the river, Audrey followed anxiously. ¡°Kathy, what are you doing? Catherine didn¡¯t reply with a cold attitude. But Audrey didn¡¯t care because she pretty much knew Catherine¡¯s temperament already, knowing that this was her personality. Thinking that Catherine was about to go into the water for ast-ditch effort, Audrey hurried after her and shouted, ¡°Kathy, forget it. Don¡¯t go into the water. You¡¯ll feel bad if your clothes get wet.¡± She did feel bad. The water had soaked her pants. If she hadn¡¯t been in front of the camera, she would have taken off her wet suit and cleaned herself up In the face of Audrey¡¯s harsh persuasion, Catherine was unmoved and continued on her way. Having no choice, Audrey ran up and tried to pull her. Before entering the water, Catherine turned around suddenly, looked at Audrey with starry eyes, and said sternly, ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t move!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Startled by her, Audrey obediently stood there still. But she watched every Catherine¡¯s movement the whole time for fear that something might happen to her. The cameraman took a close-up of Catherine. Everyone wanted to know what Catherine was going to do after being silent for so long. Branden finally finished negotiating with a group of partners. As soon as he got into the car, he couldn¡¯t wait to nce at Paxton. Immediately understanding, Paxton put theputer that had been set up in front of Branden. On the screen was the live event where Catherine was. Seeing that the number of likes of the other three groups kept skyrocketing and some strange things were frantically popping up while Catherine¡¯s group got nothing, Branden frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ncing at it, Paxton quickly applied what he had just learned about live streaming. ¡°This is a gift, which is the fans¡¯ support for their idol. During the time specified in this program, the person who gets the most gifts will have a great chance of winning!¡± Paxton made Branden frown tightly for a moment. Branden nced at it and said solemnly with a serious look on his face. ¡°Which one is the most expensive?¡± ¡°This!¡± Paxton adjusted the screen so that Branden could see it better. ¡°This is called the Sky Arrow. Its price is one thousand dors!¡± ¡°So cheap!¡± Facing Branden, who didn¡¯t know much about ordinary people, Paxton still had an indifferent expression. For Branden, this price was really low. Branden tapped his fingers on his knee and said in a charming and domineering voice, ¡°Buy ten thousand Sky Arrows to see how it is going!¡± He didn¡¯t care even if the one he loved would lose, but she couldn¡¯t lose because ofck of money! In particr, they couldn¡¯t lose in terms of momentum. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Paxton did as he was told without hesitation. Just now, a fan posted ament to ridicule Audrey for being as poor as a beggar and suggested that unknown Inte celebrities like her quit the show immediately. But in the next second, a Sky Arrow suddenly flew across the screen. [Thanks to ¡°user v587¡± for the gift. I hope your luck can soar like Sky Arrow!] Paxton was operating it for the first time and was somewhat inexperienced with it, so he just sent one Sky Arrow. It drew jeers from Kate¡¯s fans again. However, as soon as their taunts appeared in thement section, something shocked them once again. [Thanks to ¡°user v587¡± for the gift. You are such a brilliant supporter of your idol, just like these ten thousand Sky Arrows!] Ten thousand Sky Arrows frantically shuttled across the screen. These Sky Arrows stunned the fans who were watching the live broadcast. They felt as if their computer had encountered some problems so that they couldn¡¯t even see the people in the picture. In addition to the fans, the entire program group was instantly shocked. A mysterious person bought ten thousand Sky Arrows, which directly sent Catherine¡¯s live broadcast room to the top of the list. It was so shocking that it took five minutes for all the Sky Arrows to cross the screen. Everyone still didn¡¯te back to their senses. There was a lively discussion again in thement area. [It is finally over. It almost blinded me.] [My eye disease seems to be getting worse. Is this a show ident? Can I getpensation?] [Who the hell is that? I have watched the live broadcast for so many years, but this is the first time I have seen such a grand scene!] [It was so extraordinary] [You are right!] Paxton reported to Branden immediately after all the Sky Arrows had been sent. ¡°Mr. Duncan, their broadcast room is number one now. Do we still need to send Sky Arrows?¡± Branden waved his hand to signal Paxton to stop for now. This was not because he couldn¡¯t afford them, but because these Sky Arrows would affect his watching the live broadcast. Many fans were attracted to Audrey¡¯s live broadcast room by these Sky Arrows, which made their poprity soar instantly. Audrey and Catherine still didn¡¯t know anything about Branden¡¯s crazy behavior at this time. All Audrey¡¯s attention was on Catherine, who was now watching her feet. She stood below the mouth of the river and watched the tiny bubbles rise from the surface of the water. On her delicate and beautiful face, a touch of self-confidence shed in her star-like eyes. The time was almost up. She was ready to! Catherine lifted the weeds on the water¡¯s surface and pulled up the basket that had already been buried. By this time, water was sshing everywhere and the sound of fish struggling came. Audrey, standing on the shore, was stunned! Except for her, the audience in front of the screen, the program crew, and everyone present were shocked after seeing this scene! ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°What the hell is this?¡± At this moment, a whole basket of fish was in Catherine¡¯s hands, which even made them. suspect that they had misread it. ¡°How did she make it?¡± ¡°Why did this happen?¡± they all wondered. Catherine walked ashore with a bamboo basket. She threw the bamboo basket at Audrey¡¯s feet when she got to the shore. The fish fell out of the bamboo basket. The struggling fish pped the ground frantically, bringing Audrey back to her senses. She looked up and stared at Catherine with widened eyes and an expression of horror and disbelief. ¡°Kathy, how the hell did you do it? How did you manage to catch so many fish?¡± There were also many question marks in thement area. Everyone was wondering how Catherine would do all this. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Thements section was boiling. Countless viewers came forward and asked for the footage to be reyed. Some people even questioned Catherine¡¯s behavior and imed that the show. crew helped her cheat. [The program team is too rampant. I didn¡¯t expect them to cheat in the live broadcast!] [Please tell us the truth, or we won¡¯t watch this show!] [We should boycott this disgusting show group!] Even the program team, let alone these ordinary viewers, was very curious about this. The director ordered them to change a scene and called up the public segment to y it at the audience¡¯s request. At the start of the game just now, everyone focused on their idols and gave them likes like crazy. There were not many people in Audrey¡¯s broadcast room at first. The few subscribers were watching Audrey fishing in the water. Almost no one paid attention. to Catherine. The yback showed Catherine sitting under the tree resting, but her hands never stopped. She was picking long strips of leaves from the river and weaving them into a green. At first, everyone felt that Catherine was just bored and would do such boring things to pass. the time. After weaving the, she walked towards the river with a bamboo basket specially used for catching fish. Catherine walked to a recess in the lower part of the river. The water temperature here was the lowest. She fixed the bamboo basket in the water with stones. She fixed a made of green leaves above the water. Then, she turned and left. After watching the rey, many viewers were still confused. They asked questions in thement area. [What is she doing? Can anyone exin this to me? I am too ignorant!] [I don¡¯t understand.] [Is it the summoning magic?] [Have you read too many fantasy novels? As a traveler with many years of experience in field exploration, let me exin this girl¡¯s behavior. This is a model of teaching videos about survival in the wild!] When the audience saw someone who knew about it appear, they immediately asked the unknown netizen for an exnation. [It¡¯s actually really simple. She made a trap for catching fish. Upstream, there are several groups of people fishing like crazy. Those fish are not stupid and keep moving downstream. Fish like shade and quiet ces. She just created such a suitable environment for the fish, so the fish will naturally swim into her foolishly. The principle is so simple, but her technique is amazing!] The other three groups had been busy for so long but had caught less than half of the fish in Catherine¡¯s bamboo basket. The point was, after the traveler exined, everyone knew that the other three groups had be Catherine¡¯s helper in fishing. If they hadn¡¯t disturbed the fish upstream, Catherine¡¯s traps downstream would not have worked. When the four groups went into the water to catch fish, for convenience, the cameraman only photographed the person who caught the fish personally, so the audience could not see what happened outside the screen. If the other three groups knew they were helping their opponents, they would probably go crazy. Audrey packed up all the fish Catherine had caught and tried to lift them up, but she suddenly felt dizzy. She tried all her strength but couldn¡¯t pull the bamboo basket up. The basket was made of bamboo, so its edges were not smooth. Her hand was cut, and the blood kept oozing out. Audrey took a deep breath in pain and subconsciouslyined to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, how many fish are there? Why is it so heavy? I can¡¯t lift it.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. She just wanted toin instead of asking Catherine to do anything. However, Catherine walked up to her, picked up the bamboo basket with one hand, and walked forward. Audrey was at a loss. She had just used up all her strength, but she couldn¡¯t shake the bamboo basket full of fish. But Catherine could lift it with one hand and walk forward with it like a strong man. Looking at Catherine¡¯s unrestrained back, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but admire her. Her sister was like a boyfriend. If her sister were a boy and not rted to her by blood, she would definitely woo her sister. Moreover, she would kill all her ¡°rivals in love.¡± Audrey was not the only one who had this idea. Catherine¡¯s decisiveness attracted many viewers in front of the screen. They all expressed their admiration for Catherine. Catherine carried the bamboo basket to the statistics ce of the program group and poured the fish into the basin. Her movements were neat and unrestrained without any sloppiness. Afterward, she casually threw the bamboo basket, walked away, and leaned against a nearby. tree again to enjoy the shade. Audrey followed her immediately. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t care about those fish, Audrey didn¡¯t pay attention to them either. With so many fish, she was not afraid that she would be in thest ce. Audrey would feel extremely lucky if she didn¡¯t end up in thest ce or take a penalty. She borrowed a small fan from the staff and came to Catherine with a pink thermos in her hand. Audrey fanned Catherine and handed her the thermos. ¡°Kathy, here¡¯s the sour plum soup I took out of the fridge before I left this morning. It should still be cold by now. Have some.¡± She poured some into a small cup. The sweet and sour smell of sour plum soup, with the cool air, immediately flew out of the cup. Even Catherine was attracted by it. Audrey gave the cup to Catherine and looked at her warmly. ¡°Kathy, this is for you. You must drink it.¡¯ ncing at the sour plum soup, Catherine thought of the picture of Audrey frantically reducing the weight of her luggage before going out. Every time she threw away something, she was reluctant, as if she was throwing away her life. However, she had never touched those cute colored thermoses in her bag. At first, she thought it was something special for Audrey, but it was really for her. Catherine gave Audrey a puzzled look. There was a sweet smile, which was as warm as the sun, on her face that was somewhat simr to Catherine¡¯s. It was as if sunlight had suddenly entered the darkness and brought her light. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t drinking, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but urge, ¡°Drink it now. If it¡¯s not cold, it won¡¯t taste good.¡± Catherine stared at her intently as she gradually came to her senses. She tightened her lips and drank all the plum juice in the ss. It was not that cold anymore, so it was somewhat cloyingly sweet. ¡°How is it? Is it good?¡± Audrey looked at her expectantly and waited for her answer. Catherine nodded slightly, with the coldness in her star-like eyes dissipating a little. She responded in a low and t tone, ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Chapter 101 Chapter 101 On the weekend, Bryan was bored at home. At a crucial moment in his video game, suddenly rang. He took a quick nce and saw the caller was David. his phone He looked away. In his opinion, David was probably bored and calling him to y video games. But the phone kept ringing, making him somewhat distracted. His game character got shot by an enemy and instantly fell. While waiting for his teammates toe to his rescue, Bryan reached out and grabbed his phone, pressing the answer button. Before he even had a chance to curse at David, he heard a rather excited voice on the other end of the phone. ¡°Bryan, I got some big news!¡± With his tongue against his cheek and gritted teeth, Bryan said in a deep voice carrying a strong warning. ¡°You better make damn sure your information is really juicy, dude. Otherwise, I¡¯ll smash your head!¡± Hearing Bryan¡¯s threat, David instinctively shrank his head on the other end of the phone. But this time, he was confident because he knew this news was big for Bryan. ¡°Bryan, I just spotted Catherine on TV!¡± Bryan¡¯s expression was indifferent when he heard this, and his voice sounded a bitzy. ¡°It is not something new for the Boss to appear on television. So, what new announcement has the Swann Corporation made this time?¡± Realizing Bryan¡¯s misunderstanding, David got a bit anxious. ¡°It¡¯s not the Swann Corporation. It¡¯s a variety show. Catherine went on as a guest for this show. Is she trying to make a debut?¡± Bryan was taken aback. ¡°Wait, what? A variety show? Debut? What the heck is this?¡± said he inwardly. On theputer, his game character just got rescued. And because he was standing stiff in one ce, he got shot down again. Bryan heard his teammate cursing in the earphones. ¡°Bryan! What the heck are you doing? Why are you standing still? You¡¯re just a sitting target, you know?¡± Bryan didn¡¯t give a damn. He simply turned off hisputer and walked away with his phone, looking super serious. ¡°David, you better exin to me clearly what the heck is going on?¡± In the production team. Thepetition part was over, and the members from the other three groups also brought their loot to the disy stand. The Parker brothers saw the Swann sisters resting again and snuck over to talk to Audrey secretly. ¡°Audrey, we caught a lot. Do you want me to share some with you secretly?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Audrey held her head up slowly and smiled gently. Her smile shone as brightly as the flowers blooming under the sunshine. ¡°No, It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve also caught quite a few, so we shouldn¡¯t best, right?¡± Kate happened to pass by and overheard this conversation. She couldn¡¯t help but snicker. ¡°Nick, there is no need for you and your brother to seek favor from someone who doesn¡¯t even bother paying attention to you!¡± When these words were spoken, the people present were all extremely embarrassed. The atmosphere on the scene suddenly became awkward. The Parker brothers knew Kate had many fans and didn¡¯t want to offend her. Luckily, the director called everyone together and saved everyone from this awkward moment. Everyone arrived at the meeting ce designated by the director. Kate couldn¡¯t hide her pride. on her face. Half an hour ago, her manager secretly told her that her live stream was super hot. It had only been an hour since the broadcast started. Her fans had already tipped over a million. So she was super confident she could snag first ce this time. ¡°Let alone those D-list inte celebrities. Even Cindy would be no match for me,¡± said she inwardly. The director started counting the fish caught in front of everyone, starting with the group that returned thetest. The first group to start was Cindy¡¯s team. Cindy¡¯s son was a fan of outdoor sports and an expert at catching fish. Inside his bamboo basket, there were a total of 18 pounds of fish. Next up was the Parker brothers. Together, they were slightly better than Cindy¡¯s team, with 20 pounds of fish. Next up were Kate and Ryan, who had a total of 12 pounds of live fish together. Kate was not worried because she knew it must be the D-list inte celebrities at the bottom. After Audrey¡¯s group finished weighing, everyone present was dumbfounded. No one expected that Audrey¡¯s group would catch 40 pounds of fish. Kate was shocked and eximed, ¡°How is that possible? They must be cheating!¡± Ryan quickly pulled Kate aside, turned off his earphones, and whispered to her. ¡°Attention, this is a live stream from start to finish!¡± Kate finally realized what was going on and put on a surprised expression. She then chuckled and joked. ¡°This is too unbelievable, don¡¯t you think?¡± Not only Kate but the other two groups of guests also found it strange. The Parker brothers had a good rtionship with Audrey, so they asked directly, ¡°Audrey, how did you guys do it? That¡¯s impressive. Doubling our results!¡± Audrey had a proud look on her face as she happily introduced to everyone, ¡°I did not catch these fish. They were all caught by my little sister. Pretty impressive, right?¡± As the champion, Audrey¡¯s group would give a speech on stage. The director¡¯s crew interviewed them for the audience. The assistant asked, ¡°Audrey, what do you think about getting the Fish Master title?¡± Audrey gave a little smile and replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m really happy, but this title shouldn¡¯t belong to me since I¡¯m not the one who caught the fish!¡± After she finished speaking, the director immediately turned the camera to Catherine. Her finely crafted and exquisite face instantly appeared before the audience, leaving the viewers completely shocked in front of the screen. The real-timements went viral. [OMG, her skin is just too good. There¡¯s not a single visible pore, even in such a close-up shot!] [Make-up free and still killing it!] [I really like your skincare products, but I have no idea what brands they are. Can you please make an episode about it?] Even the assistant was drawn in by Catherine¡¯s elegant and stunning demeanor, and it took her a while to snap out of it. She finally asked, ¡°Miss Swann, may I ask how you feel about catching so many fish and bing the champion?¡± After she finished asking, there was a three-second awkward silence. The assistant felt super embarrassed when Catherine didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Oh my! This girl is so aloof!¡± said she inwardly. Just for the sake of the show, she had to muster up the courage to ask again. ¡°Miss Swann, can you tell us about your experience? How did you manage to catch so many fish at once?¡± Catherinezily lifted her gaze, and her cold eyes slowly looked at the camera. With a slight smile, she said in a cold and bleak voice, ¡°Use your brain more when you work!¡± The simple sentence was so cool and awe-inspiring that it even shocked the assistant standing nearby. ¡°This girl really dares to speak her mind. She¡¯s not afraid of offending anyone at all,¡± thought the assistant. Audrey was freaking out as she listened on the side. She quickly stepped forward to protect Catherine¡¯s public image. After all, it was not good to offend too many people when facing the audience. ¡°Kathy might not be able to express it well, but she means that being strategic can help achieve goals faster.¡± However, it was probably useless now, no matter how Audrey exined it. Kate and the others on the audience stage were obviously already pissed off. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 The weight of fish caught in the first round had been recorded, but thispetition also had a poprity factor to consider. Kate didn¡¯t believe she would still lose. She felt like she still had a chance to turn things around. ¡°How could some D-list celebrities like Audrey and Catherinepare to a popr group us?¡± thought she like . The director announced the rankings for the most popr live streaming. To one¡¯s surprise, Audrey¡¯s stream was once again in the first ce. All four groups present were dumbfounded. Even Audrey herself was shocked. She was staring dumbly at the director and pointing to herself. ¡°Sir, our group is the most popr?¡± Although the director might not want to admit it, this was an indisputable fact. ¡°Indeed, your group is the most popr. Not only are you the most popr, but you also receive the most tips.¡± To avoid any doubts from the guests, the director specifically arranged for a screen to quickly review what just happened in the live streaming. At first, Kate¡¯s was definitely the hottest and most tipped live streaming. Both other two teams were doing well, except for Audrey¡¯s group, which wasgging far behind. When it got to thest ten minutes, everything suddenly changed. A huge spender appeared out of nowhere and started sting away on the leaderboards like crazy. With 10,000 Sky Arrows, it sent Audrey¡¯s team to first ce in the reward list, and everyone was stunned. It was too extravagant! Because of the big spender¡¯s move, Audrey¡¯s live stream was instantly buzzing with people. Later, because of Catherine¡¯s fantastic fishing skills, the poprity of the live broadcast soared to new heights. After two rounds of excellent maneuvering, Audrey¡¯s team ascended to first ce, bing the most popr live-streaming channel. With a yback testimony, even if the other three teams were surprised, there was no way to question it. After all, Audrey¡¯s team waspliant, thoroughly deserving of being number one. Cindy was the first to realize what had happened. She took the initiative to congratte the Swann sisters, which made Audrey feel ttered. After all, Cindy had been around the entertainment industry for many years and had seen all kinds of things. Plus, she was not worried about being inst ce because the program team would never let that happen anyway. As the biggest celebrity in the program, she might note in the first ce, but she definitely wouldn¡¯t be thest. Otherwise, the program team would never be able to invite big-name guests again in the future. Even for live shows, there would be some special treatment. The more she acted confident, the more she could win the audience¡¯s favor. ¡°Moreover, they were just two insignificant little girls who had yet to make their debut. They posed no threat to me at all. ¡°Avoid being too pushy to avoid being pushed aside. Why would I go against them?¡± thought Cindy. Needless to say, the Parker brothers had a cordial rtionship with Audrey. Hence, they extended their sincere congrattions to the Swann sisters. Although Kate was furious, she dared not show it to the camera. Next up, the director¡¯s crew announced the oue of thepetition. The result surprised everyone. No one expected Kate¡¯s team toe inst ce. Cindy¡¯s team, of course, received a good result. Although the Parker brothers¡¯ live stream might not be as popr as Kate¡¯s, they caught more fish. Overall, Kate¡¯s group was at the bottom. This really pissed off Kate, but she still had to keep it to herself. Audrey wasughing inside as she watched the expression on Kate¡¯s face. It was so satisfying. ¡°We didn¡¯t offend Kate, but Kate always felt like she was a big star and looked down on me as a beauty blogger, thinking that I was just an unknown inte celebrity. ¡°She continuously made sarcastic remarks about me, and now she ended up backfiring on herself. Well, she deserves it,¡± said Audrey inwardly. ording to the program team¡¯s rules, the first-ced team had a chance to receive a reward. So Audrey didn¡¯t have to cook dinner and could choose whatever they liked. The staff even asked Audrey what she wanted for dinner to show off the champion¡¯s privileges. Audrey was so happy that she couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°The program team¡¯s perks are excellent. We even get a choice!¡± The assistant replied enthusiastically, ¡°Of course, your team is the champion. Champions have lots of benefits!¡± Finally, Audrey was feeling refreshed and relieved. She made a grand gesture and decisively said, ¡°Then I choose to have a barbecue. Our Kathy loves barbecue the most and has contributed the most today, so let¡¯s go with her preference.¡± The assistant joyfully nodded and said, ¡°Sure, no problem, I¡¯ll take care of it for you!¡± She was worried that Audrey would present some challenges, but it was just a barbecue. That was an easy solution. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. A bunch ofizens couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Audrey¡¯s joyful appearance. Theymented. [As expected, there¡¯s nothing that a barbecue can¡¯t solve. If any, have it twice!] [I¡¯m so jealous of the Swann sisters. I wish I had a sister like Audrey!] Audrey eagerly awaited the barbecue, while Kate and her group had to face punishment by cleaning all the props used today and preparing dinner for the other two groups. Cindy said she was getting old and tired and returned to her room for a break. With tears in her eyes, Kate looked at the mountain of props in front of her, feeling frustrated and crying. Ryanforted her and told her to take a break while he did the wash. But with so much stuff, there was no way Ryan could do all of it alone, especially since their team still needed to prepare dinner. Kate wanted to throw a tantrum, but she knew she was in front of the camera and did not dare to show it. She could only try to force the audience to skip this step by expressing grievances. But the director¡¯s crew didn¡¯t budge. Because once they allowed this, how would they be able to continue with punishments in the future? The Parker brothers were being soft again and came to help out. Audrey saw the Parker brothers approaching and whispered to Catherine, ¡°Kathy, should we go over and help them? It looks like they have a lot of stuff to clean!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t even bother to look up. She wasn¡¯t really interested in this topic. But she now knew Audrey¡¯s temperament fairly well, thinking if she didn¡¯t give Audrey an answer, Audrey could obsess about it all day. She lifted her gaze andzily nced at Audrey with cold eyes. ¡°Mind your own business!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Audrey responded softly. She knew that Catherine intended for her to help, so she did. not further insist on this topic. Audrey forgot that although she had turned off her headphones while talking to Catherine, Catherine¡¯s headphones were still on. As for Catherine, she didn¡¯t give a damn if anyone heard. After all, she had always been determinedly independent, not caring at all about what others thought. As a result, due to the dialogue between the two sisters, thements exploded once again. Significantly, the haters and the fans of Kate and Ryan were full of energy and constantly roasted Catherine throughout the process. [Wow, how can someone be like this? Catherine is totally out of line!] [This Catherine is so disgusting. How could they let someone like this on the show?] [Who is this ugly creature? Winning just one game has made her so arrogant!] [Although I wouldn¡¯t say I like this girl¡¯s attitude, she¡¯s way too aloof for me. Come on! Are you serious about calling her an ugly creature?] Chapter 103 Chapter 103 After receiving the news, Bryan immediately sat in front of hisputer and watched the live stream. Seeing thements sh by on the screen seriously pissed him off. ¡°What? What the hell is this? Who are these ignorant fools daring to disrespect my boss? They¡¯re just asking for trouble.¡± Seeing Bryan getting so mad that he was about to break theputer, David quickly stepped in to stop him. ¡°Chill out, Bryan. Those people in thements are just inte warriors, brainless fans. What do they really understand? How could they know how awesome our boss is? ¡°Besides, getting so angry isn¡¯t going to solve anything, you know?¡± Although he knew what David said made sense, Bryan was still angry. ¡°No way, I have to fight back! These idiots dared to attack our boss. They¡¯re just asking for trouble!¡± David quickly chimed in and said, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. We need to fight back. I¡¯ll go find my buddies, and we¡¯ll fight back and give these idiots a taste of their own medicine.¡± Not only Bryan noticed the negativements about Audrey¡¯s team in the live stream, but also Branden. He watched it and had Paxton arrange for people to tip. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. To keep a low profile, he didn¡¯t tip much. It was only instructed to tip Audrey¡¯s live stream to first ce without surpassing second ce too much. Kate told her agency and even had her fan club try to get her to the top of the charts, but she still couldn¡¯t make it to number one. Kate¡¯s live stream just received a 10,000-dor tip, and now Audrey¡¯s would receive an 11,000- dor tip. It was not much, just a little more, but enough to make Kate furious. Seeing thements shing on the screen, Branden, still at work, furrowed his brows tightly. Paxton quickly noticed that Branden wasn¡¯t okay and went to check on him. After seeing the constant negativements about Catherine, Paxton immediately understood why his boss was unhappy. ¡°Mr. Duncan, these are somements from haters. It seems like some haters and trolls are attacking Miss Swann. Should I contact the PR team to clean this up?¡± They had to deploy more troll armies tobat these troll armies. When dealing with little problems like this, the PR team at The Duncan Corporation was the top in the industry. Branden gave a little nod and authorized Paxton to handle the matter. ¡°Contact the PR manager!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After receiving the order, Paxton slowly backed away. ¡°Gotta say, my boss really cares about Catherine Swann,¡± said he inwardly. Throughout the whole day, Branden never turned off the live streaming. Shortly after, the situation suddenly turned around in the live stream that was originally full of curses toward Audrey and Catherine. Thements said, [As an onlooker, I always feel like you guys are guilt-tripping them. Why do they have to help? As winners, shouldn¡¯t they enjoy their benefits without caring about obligations?] [Yeah, the viewpoint from the upper is spot on! Finally, someone is speaking the truth!] [Helping is apudable. Not helping is just fine. Don¡¯t let people guilt trip you into helping!] A person nicknamed ¡°Catherine¡¯s errand runner¡±mented, [Some people are just blindly talking. It¡¯s really amusing. Typical sore losers. They lose and immediately think of asking others for help. What a bunch of losers!] [Hey, Mr. errand runner from the upper post. Watch your words, and do not resort to personal attacks, okay?] ¡°Catherine¡¯s errand runner¡± replied, [Hey, brat! What¡¯s wrong with my words? Earlier, you called Catherine ugly, and now you are criticizing me for my dirty words? Hypocrite!] Another person nicknamed ¡°Catherine¡¯s little sandwich¡± added, [That¡¯s right, hypocrite!] The fans were in a heated uproar in thements section. However, the Swann sisters were enjoying their barbecue happily at this time. The shooting location arranged by the program team was in a remote mountain vige. Although the location might be a little out of the way, the environment was absolutely stunning. Watching the sunset while chowing down on some barbecue was a luxury not everyone could experience. Catherine sat quietly in front of the table, staring intently at the sizzling barbecue. Because they were having a barbecue, Catherine tied her long hair up for convenience. The contour of her entire face was perfectly presented, and her facial features were the meticulous creations of God, three-dimensional and delicate. The skin was so good that it was like a porcin doll, delicate and fragile. The thin red lips made people couldn¡¯t help but want to kiss them, and her whole person looked unbelievably beautiful. Let alone the audience behind the screen, Audrey herself was stunned. If it weren¡¯t for the amazing smell of the barbecue wafting in the air, giving her a taste of the earthly delights, she would have thought she had just seen a fairy. So Audrey started toin, a bit annoyed. ¡°Kathy, Howe your skin is still good, and you don¡¯t have any pimples when you love barbecue so much? What skincare product do you use? Can you rmend it to me?¡± Seeing Audrey ask the question seriously, Catherine furrowed her delicate brows and lost in thought for a moment before she gave Audrey an answer. ¡°I have no idea. A friend gave it to me. If you want one, I can ask him to get a set for you next time!¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Audrey enthusiastically nodded and asked, ¡°Is your friend particrly knowledgeable about skincare products?¡± This friend was none other than Ronin Oconnor. Before Catherine came back to the Swanns¡¯, Ronin took care of everything in her life. Even for stuff like skincare products, it was all arranged by Ronin. Catherine didn¡¯t like all those bottles and cans, which were super annoying, so Ronin customized one product for her. It was just a tiny bottle. She could apply it before going to bed. As for how Ronin knew anything about skincare products, she remembered Ronin once saying he had specifically acquired a top Euphosean cosmetics brand to create a customized skincare product for her. Back then, he seriously checked out the makeuppany when nning to buy it. So he should have some knowledge of cosmetics. Catherine nodded casually. ¡°Sort of!¡± Audrey knew that Catherine didn¡¯t like to talk much, so being able to answer these questions was already a luxury. She didn¡¯t ask any further and focused on enjoying the barbecue with Catherine. As a beauty blogger and uing star, Audrey was very strict about controlling her figure. She only ordered some vegetables and beef, not daring to have any oily meat. But she took care of Catherine the whole time. ¡°Catherine had a huge appetite, but her dining manner was particrly elegant, and that face¡­ wow!¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t help admiring. Thements went on. [Oh my god, this beautiful girl is such a goddess! She should totally turn to food live streaming! Don¡¯t you think her eating is so satisfying to watch?] [Yeah, I didn¡¯t feel like having dinner initially. But when I saw her eating, I instantly felt hungry!] [When she starts her food live-streaming, I will be the first to show my support¡­] Catherine¡¯s errand runner said, [The chicken thigh in my hand immediately lost its savory appeal. Is it toote to start a barbecue now?] [You are right, errand runner. I¡¯ve already picked up my phone to order takeout. I won¡¯t be at peace until I have some barbecue today!] That evening, sales at barbecue restaurants all over the country suddenly skyrocketed. They were just overwhelmed with multiple orders. The power of this food live streaming was incredible. After eating for a while, Catherine started feeling a bit sleepy. Her actions were quite smooth. She put down her fork and stood up, saying to Audrey, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go back to sleep!¡± She had no slightest intention of interacting with the audience, leaving the program team in confusion. But the audience in front of the screen found Catherine¡¯s performance so natural that they burst into laughter. [This girl is so unique!] Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Audrey and Catherine had already returned to their hotel, enjoying the sunset. Meanwhile, Kate¡¯s team hadn¡¯t even finished cleaning the props. Watching this contrast, the audience burst intoughter in front of the screen. Fans of Kate kept criticizing Audrey mercilessly, saying shecked team spirit and didn¡¯t help each other out. As soon as the haters showed up, Bryan and his crew fought back hard, relentlessly chasing after them and cursing them out until they finally backed down. Seeing Audrey had such loyal fans, the haters got a bit cautious before speaking up. They dared not speak nonsense anymore. The live stream was still going on. The hype in Audrey¡¯s livestream continued to rise thanks to the previous two exciting rounds. The number of her fans kept rising like crazy. Audrey happily walked up to Catherine with her phone, showing off. ¡°Kathy, look at how much my fan numbers have skyrocketed!¡± Catherine just gave a slight nod. Her expressionless face remained unchanged. It was pretty freaking cold. But Audrey was already used to her attitude, so it didn¡¯t bother her. She was still reveling in her own joy. ¡°Kathy, you are really my little lucky star.¡± After she finished speaking, Audrey happily started preparing things for the live stream. Catherine was just sitting there, holding her phone. Her gaze was unfocused. Audrey¡¯s words were echoing in her mind. ¡°Kathy, you are really my little lucky star.¡± From childhood until now, countless people have called her jinx, but this was the first time someone had called her a little lucky star. Audrey was getting ready for the preparation. As a beauty blogger, her daily routine was all about picking out the best makeup products and sharing thetest makeup tips with her fans. Since this show was supposed to depict the daily life of celebrities, she naturally had to do what she was best at and what was most relevant to her life. Audrey asked the program team to arrange a tablet for her to start live streaming and interact with her fans. However, the program team also made a request to her. They negotiated publicly with her, saying, ¡°Miss Swann, it would be better if both of you interact at the same time. You can live stream the process of doing makeup. It would be great if Catherine could be a part of it, don¡¯t you think?¡± Audrey turned her head and nced at Catherine, who was already dozing off on the sofa, and earnestly said to the assistant, ¡°This is how Kathy is at home. Isn¡¯t it about capturing the most authentic daily life?¡± The assistant looked at Audrey embarrassedly, thinking, ¡°Are millions of viewers going to watch Catherine sleep? ¡°This is so¡­¡± The viewers in front of their screens were surely bursting withughter. A wave ofments exploded once again. [Hahaha! Seeing the assistant being roasted by Audrey and left speechless is so funny!] [Audrey is so real!] [Catherine really can sleep. Is she born sleepy or what?] Catherine¡¯s errand runner said, [What¡¯s the big deal about loving to sleep? Sleeping is just part of everyday life. We love watching her sleeping! Why is the program team so chatty? Just get on with it already!] Although Audrey thought it was okay for Catherine to rest, she still had to respect the program team because they were still in the middle of recording the show. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go ask Kathy.¡± Audrey didn¡¯t really have any hope because she thought Catherine spent most of her free time. sleeping. As soon as Audrey got to Catherine¡¯s side, Catherine, who was sound asleep, instantly opened her eyes. Her drowsy eyes revealed a hint of coldness, and the immense aura made one shiver with fear. Audrey was so scared that she could hardly speak. When Catherine saw that the person was Audrey, her eyes softened, and her strong aura weakened. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, furrowing her brows as she looked at Audrey in front of her. Audrey spoke cautiously, afraid of identally offending Catherine. ¡°Kathy, you still have plenty of time to rest tonight. Why don¡¯t we do something else right now?¡± Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t object or agree, Audrey emphasized again, ¡°How about model, and I¡¯ll do your makeup?¡± This proposition caused a slight darkening of Catherine¡¯s face. She promptly voiced her refusal to Audrey. ¡°Nope!¡± Audrey actually had a hunch but proposed it anyway because the online audience demanded it. Catherine roughly guessed the reason why Audrey wasing to see her. She sat up slowly and looked at Audrey with an expressive face. ¡°I¡¯ll y video games!¡± When Catherine said she was willing to do something, Audrey wasn¡¯t going to force her. ¡°ying games is better than sleeping, right? After all, many people even live stream themselves ying games, and at least that gives something for the program team to work. with,¡± thought Audrey inwardly. The fan base of Audrey¡¯s live streaming was predominantly female. There were rtively fewer girls who yed games. As Catherine turned on her phone to y a game, everyone¡¯s attention turned to Audrey¡¯s makeup tutorial. Audrey¡¯s live stream was not very poprpared to the other three groups, rankingst among the four teams. Since Bryan found out that Catherine was going on the show, he had been glued to the live stream and hadn¡¯t taken a break. Now that he saw Catherine was ying mobile games, he couldn¡¯t help but click on the game and request to join Catherine¡¯s team. Looking all pathetic, he sent a direct message to Catherine. [Boss, can I join your team? Please! Catherine was nning to y solo, battling against a team of four, but Bryan showed up in time. She agreed to let him join. As soon as Bryan joined the team, he immediately got ready. Catherine started the game. without hesitation when she saw Bryan was prepared. David and the others were not fast enough to join the game. They could only feel regretful while watching the game,menting their inability to witness firsthand the maneuvers of the expert yers. Catherine was in a four-person teambat, but her team only had two people, so they had no advantage in numbers. Even though she was in a pretty bad position, Catherine still chose to go skydiving in the most popr spot. Those who survived in this popr factory typically could make it to the final round andpete for victory. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The most dangerous ce was also the ce with the most abundant resources. One could pick them up as soon as hended-no need to search at all. Anyway, it looked like luck didn¡¯t favor Catherine¡¯s team. After Bryannded, he saw a sickle. At the same time, Catherine was a bit luckier. She got a pistol. Butpared to other teams, their team was much more miserable. Gunshots rang out, and one person after another fell. Catherine put on her earphones. Her cold voice came through, saying, ¡°Follow me closely!¡± ¡°Okay, boss!¡± Bryan was being very obedient, without any of his usual arrogance. He was just a little henchman in front of Catherine. Catherine noticed a lone enemy up ahead, and the enemy saw her and Bryan, so he called his other three teammates toe over instantly. The enemy held a fully automatic submachine gun, which was way more powerful than Catherine¡¯s pistol. At the sight of the weapon Catherine held in her hand, the enemies could not resist the temptation to charge out and take her life. Gunshots rang out! The enemy thought they were lucky toe across two unarmed yers who had been separated from their team, yet they were unaware of the astonishing turn of events unfolding before them. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 They shot simultaneously, with Catherine holding a pistol and the other carrying a submachine gun. With her skillful moves, Catherine managed to dodge quite a few bullets. At the same time, the enemy got blown away by Catherine¡¯s rapid pistol shots. Seeing the enemy fall, Bryan quickly followed and killed the opponent directly with the sickle. He joyfully looted the body without hesitation. After getting the equipment, he immediately handed it to Catherine and said, ¡°Boss, here¡¯s the gear. I¡¯ll cover you.¡± Catherine nced over and said coldly, ¡°Take it yourself to save your life!¡± Although he was a tough guy, Bryan didn¡¯t care about any of his pride when facing Catherine. When Catherine said she didn¡¯t need help with the equipment, Bryan immediately squatted down to pick up the gear. ¡°It feels so good to have someone looking out for me,¡± he said inwardly. David and the others gathered around. When they saw Bryan¡¯s shameless face, it was really giving them a headache. ¡°Bryan used to be imposing and proud, but why is he acting like a weakling now?¡± they thought. But that was normal. After all, Catherine was so fierce. Ordinary people would likely be reduced to nothing when facing her. Although they thought Bryan¡¯s behavior wasme, they were filled with envy and jealousy. The enemy killed summoned his three remaining teammates, saying he would trap Catherine. and her teammates in this room for revenge. Three well-equipped and cohesive enemies never expected that they would all be killed by Catherine¡¯s pistol. Catherine took charge of the attack, while Bryan lurked in the shadows, responsible for covering up any loose ends. With wless coordination, the two acted in perfect harmony. They finished the other three enemies quickly. One of the enemies was so mad. He started cursing like crazy in the chat area. [Damn, are these two demons? Theirbat power is freaking strong!] Teammate No. 2 said, (I don¡¯t think they are demons. They¡¯re clearly cheating¡­ How shameless!] Catherine never turned on her chat function, so she waspletely oblivious to the insults. David was a totally different story. He turned red with anger after seeing the curses in the chatting area. ¡°Guys, these kids are saying Catherine is cheating. We gotta show them what true skill is and beat them down!¡± The ones who could study at ss 8 of Sincere High School were the cream of the crop among elites. They were all adept atputers, each one better than thest. Though none of them couldpare to an expert like Catherine, they were still far superior to the average muggle. Not too long after, David and his crew recorded a video of Catherine ying games. It was posted on thergest gaming website in the country and was quickly made the top of the list. Everyone was impressed by Catherine¡¯s exceptional skills and top-notch gamey. The video was constantly being clicked and shared. David also shared the link to Audrey¡¯s live stream below the video. Soon, Audrey realized that something was off. At first, only a few thousand people were watching their live stream, but suddenly tens of thousands of people flooded in, and the number kept increasing, making Audrey a little confused. She was giggling foolishly while staring at the screen. The director¡¯s team had arranged for her to have a phone so she could see the fans¡¯ messages on screen. ¡°Why are there suddenly so many people? Could it be that I¡¯m actually getting popr?¡± Then Audrey saw the real-timements popping up continuously. [Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a live stream of gaming? How did it be a makeup live stream? Did I stumble upon the wrong channel?] [Although the girl looks nice, I¡¯m dying to see the master gamer y games, so hurry up and bring out the master!] [Guys, I asked in the original post, and it¡¯s definitely this channel!] [Hurry up and bring out the master!] [I want to see the pro show her skills.] More and more people werementing. Audrey was getting dizzy. She never yed games and had no idea what thements meant. Watching the crews around her in confusion, she was like. ¡°What are they talking about? Is it a game or something?¡± Finally, one femaleizen who had been watching from the beginning couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and took the initiative to inform Audrey. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Only then did Audrey find out they were talking about Catherine this whole time. She turned her head toward Catherine, who was sitting next to her and ying on her phone. The live stream cable that was originally connected to the screen had been disconnected somewhen. Audrey quickly exined to the fans. ¡°Do you all want to watch Kathy livestream ying games? Please wait a moment. Let me go and ask if she is willing.¡± The fans watching the live stream were all shocked. ¡°Isn¡¯t the purpose of the anchor¡¯s live streaming to attract fans to watch?¡± thought they. It was the first time they had witnessed such an arrogant attitude. Audrey ignored the fans and crouched down beside Catherine. ¡°Kathy, are you ying some kind of game?¡± Upon hearing this, Catherine slowly raised her gaze and looked at Audrey nonchntly. ¡°Do you want to y too?¡± Audrey quickly shook her head and said, ¡°How would I know how to y it? Many fans are watching our live stream, saying they want to watch you y games. Do you want to do it?¡± ¡°Is it really necessary?¡± Catherine replied coldly. After hearing this, Audrey felt a sudden urge to back out. ¡°It was not easy for me to persuade Catherine to attend the show. I shouldn¡¯t push her to do more,¡± she said inwardly. At this point, her phone was receiving messages like crazy, Audrey nced down and saw that they were all messages sent by her agent. Kimmy: [Audrey, seize the opportunity and get Catherine on the live stream quickly.] Kimmy: [Hurry up! The fans are about to leave!] Kimmy hadn¡¯t stopped hassling her when she heard the director¡¯s team nagging in her earphones. ¡°Audrey, hurry up and make your sister y games on the live show!¡± The director¡¯s team also found out that Audrey¡¯s live stream had an unusual level of poprity. After investigating, they discovered that the segment where Catherine yed games was edited and uploaded to a gaming tform, causing a sudden surge in viewers and yers. After much hesitation, Audrey finally gave in, deciding to trouble Catherine onest time. ¡°Kathy, it might be necessary. There are so many fans here. They¡¯re all requesting to watch. you live- stream ying games, so why not just do a live-stream?¡± Just now, Catherine was live streaming while ying games. Butter on, she found that the live- streaming cable was causing trouble, so she unplugged it. Surprisingly, she was actually requested to live stream again. She had initially intended to take a break. Facing Audrey¡¯s request, she hesitated momentarily before ultimately nodding in agreement. Catherine connected her mobile phone to the live-streaming cable and started the game. In an instant, the fans watching the live stream got frenzy as if they had been injected with a shot of adrenaline. Those enthusiastic gamers had much more passion than those girls studying makeup skills. They kept calling and inviting their game buddies to watch the amazing moves of Catherine. Thements kept popping up. [Wow, I¡¯m totally blown away! It turns out the master gamer is actually a youngdy. That¡¯s just too astonishing!] [Wow, that girl is so beautiful, and she¡¯s rocking it with her skills!] [OMG! It was the first time I saw a girl who was so good at ying games and looked so good. Are you nning on bing a professional gamer? If so, count me in as your first supporter!] Those gaming enthusiasts were not just saying words of support. Many were big spenders in the gaming world. After witnessing Catherine¡¯s impressive skills, everyone was absolutely stunned. They went all out to support and tip her. The live stream¡¯s poprity instantly secured its ce at the top. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 After the live stream ended in the evening, Audrey¡¯s team, expected to be at the bottom, won first ce again. Compared to other live streaming of singing and dancing and revealing the inside stories of the entertainment industry, Audrey¡¯s team seemed to have won incredibly easily. The traffic brought by Audrey¡¯s makeup live stream at first was negligiblepared to the game live streamter. ording to the statistics from the backend data, Catherine¡¯s live streaming became the hottest that night, all thanks to her live broadcasts of games. Under the fierce gamer¡¯s tipping, Audrey¡¯s team, initially leading in wealth value, had received double the tips of the second group. When the director¡¯s team saw the data, theyughed so hard that they almost passed out. They couldn¡¯t believe this show became popr thanks to the least famous team. The number of people watching the online program that night exceeded that of the most popr TV dramas. With this data to testify, they could confidently report to the investors. Audrey was also overjoyed. She gained hundreds of thousands of fans overnight since Catherine had no social ount, causing all the fans to follow Audrey instead. Her agent sent her a message saying that she was really bing famous. Audrey was happy, while Kate was mad. After she found out about the data from that night, she nearly demolished the entire room. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She initially attended the show to enhance her resume and gain fame. She even decided to showcase her debut with her boyfriend on this program. Their love affair had always been low-key. This time, Ryan went against his agency to cooperate with her and even lost a great opportunity. As a result, the situation turned for the worse. Not only did they fail to obtain the poprity they desired, but now it turned out that an unknown inte celebrity had managed to steal the limelight from them. This directly led to Kate being mocked by her peer actors. The other actors at the same level as her were now actively contacting various marketing ounts, constantly exposing her negative information and preparing to add fuel to the fire and make fun of her. Thinking about all this, Kate couldn¡¯t help but get pissed off. ¡°All of this was because of Audrey and her annoying sister. ¡°I never expected these two inte celebrities to be so tricky. I can¡¯t believe they would resort to such means to deal with me. It¡¯s absolutely despicable,¡± said she inwardly. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She picked up the phone and dialed her agent¡¯s number. After the phone was answered, Kateined frantically. ¡°May, I want Audrey Swann and her sister kicked off the show. If they¡¯re on it, then count me out.¡± As Kate¡¯s agent, May Whea had a headache when she heard this. She had originally promised thepany that Kate¡¯s participation in this program would take things to the next level, and they even provided Kate with resources to help her seed. But who knew the Swann sisters woulde out of nowhere halfway through and destroy everything? May was also anxious, knowing that Kate had a bad temper. With her privileged background, Kate had an easy ride in the industry but caused plenty of trouble. ¡°What can I do? She has a dad in real estate and a strong family background. Even as a real estate agent, I have to give her some respect,¡± said May inwardly. Now she could only try to persuade Kate gently, ¡°Kate, don¡¯t worry. I will talk to the program team, but you know how they are. This duo of sisters has gained poprity, so it¡¯s not easy for the program team topromise. Maybe you can also find someone on your side to help?¡± Although angry, Kate had no choice. What her agent said made some sense. ¡°Alright, May, I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± May finally breathed a sigh of relief after calming down this ¡°time bomb.¡± Now she just needed to wait for updates from Kate. Being in the entertainment industry for many years, she knew best how to protect herself. ¡°It was strange how the Swann sisters suddenly gained so much poprity. Maybe somebody behind the scenes was pulling the strings,¡± she said inwardly. Kate was indeed one of her artists, but she couldn¡¯t let one artist ruin her entire career. Therefore, she instructed Kate to seek out assistance. If the assistance seeded, it would indicate that the sister duo was entirely isted. She would then be able to suppress the program team under thepany¡¯s name, achieving two objectives with a single action. Audrey got up early the following day because the director¡¯s team called for everyone to gather at 9 o¡¯clock. She woke up at seven and got ready. Although it was pretty early, the program team nned to shoot at this time for some incredible highlights in the final edit. If the show became popr, this special episode would be highly sought after. How could the program team pass up an opportunity to double their profits? The director¡¯s team arranged for breakfast, which one must collect on their own. Audrey saw Catherine was still sleeping, so she didn¡¯t bother her and went to get breakfast alone. When she arrived at the breakfast area, she saw that the Parker brothers hade even earlier than her. She went ahead and said hi to them. Seeing her, the Parker brothers immediately surrounded her with big smiles and congratted her. ¡°Audrey, your live stream yesterday was now widely talked about! It¡¯s enviable. Even a million-dor promotion might not generate the same effect as what you achieved.¡± Audrey smiled slightly and felt a little embarrassed, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t take credit for this. It¡¯s all thanks to my sister Kathy. It was she who made the live stream popr.¡± The Parker brothers nodded in agreement. ¡°Although we also y games, we¡¯re not very good. We had no idea your sister, being a girl and all, was so skilled at it. We heard that even the top yers from the global league came to watch herst night and praised her for her excellent skills.¡± After chatting briefly, they saw Cindy¡¯s son slowly walking toward them. Cindy¡¯s son was an aloof dude. They were shooting the show for a whole day yesterday but barely heard him say much. He was pretty much like Catherine. However, it was precisely this character that many female fans were attracted to, captivated, and infatuated by. In addition, he was aloof but with a hint of youthful mncholy, making him an absolute eye-catching lure. No one expected this aloof man to block Audrey, and he seemed toe specifically for her. After all, he was Cindy¡¯s son. Audrey didn¡¯t want to offend him, so she put on a friendly smile and asked, ¡°Elliot, do you have something you need from me?¡± Elliot nodded and then slowly said, ¡°Did Catherine note?¡± When he arrived, he looked around for a while and noticed that Catherine was not there. He couldn¡¯t resist asking Audrey about the situation. Audrey didn¡¯t expect this guy wasing for Catherine. When she heard him ask, she was a bit surprised. ¡°Nope, Catherine is still sleeping. She likes to sleep for a long time each day. Do you need to contact her for something?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± he replied indifferently before turning to leave. Audrey was left somewhat confused by him. ¡°This guy is really cold,¡± thought she. Cindy came to them as well. After all, they were in a show. Her son¡¯s behavior could easily be misunderstood. She smiled brightly and looked at Audrey. ¡°Audrey, please do not mind. My son is rather introverted. He was simply a little shy just now. Since Cindy personally came to exin. How could Audrey still mind it? Besides, Elliot did not do anything to her just now. He was just a little aloof. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just wondering what Elliot wants with my sister!¡± Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Cindy smiled generously in the face of Audrey¡¯s inquiry. She had already guessed that her son would not say anything. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. My son was also watching when you guys were live-streamingst night. He¡¯s also a game fan. After watching your sister y games live, he starts to admire her. He wants to ask her about some tips.¡± Cindy was a bit helpless. It was clear that they were supposed to have an adversarial rtionship, but her son had defected to the enemy first. However, she had already reached her current position and didn¡¯t need these entertainment programs to support her. She was only willing toe to this program because she wanted to send her son on his debut and apany him during his youth. When she was young, she only cared about her career. She didn¡¯t have time to take care of her son, which led to her having a very distant rtionship with her son. Hearing Cindy¡¯s answer, Audrey froze for a moment. She didn¡¯t realize her sister Kathy was so charming that she had easily captured another little fanboy. She looked at Cindy with a bright smile on her face and nodded. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll have Kathye to Elliot when she gets up. I don¡¯t know anything about the game, but they may have a pleasant conversation.¡± Cindy nodded. Although she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Catherine, she also roughly knew something about her because they were on the same program team. Catherine was cold and did not like tomunicate with others. She usually slept idly when she had nothing to do. So it was normal that she was still sleeping at this time. Cindy didn¡¯t insist, or else she would be considered to be using her power to suppress others. Wouldn¡¯t she be very embarrassed if Catherine didn¡¯t agree tomunicate with her son? After chatting with Cindy for a while, Audrey realized it was almost time. She was worried that the breakfast would get cold, so she quickly brought it with her and prepared to go back to find Catherine. There were milk and fries that Catherine liked for breakfast. Catherine would be happy to see them. And Catherines was a strange person. She didn¡¯t like to drink cold milk or too hot milk. She would only drink milk when it was at just the right temperature. Audrey had always spoiled her for these quirks. The feeling of doting on her sister made Audrey particrly satisfied. Audrey packed the breakfast and carefully held it in her hands, preparing to go back to Catherine. She happened to meet Kate, who arrivedte, as well as her group. Audrey proactively greeted them. ¡°Morning!¡± Kate nced at her and nodded without much expression on her face. ¡® Ryan¡¯s attitude toward Audrey was quite good, and he took the initiative to speak to her. ¡°Audrey, your group won first ce again yesterday. It¡¯s really impressive!¡± Audrey humbly smiled and said, ¡°Thank you. It was just a fluke. It was all thanks to the kindness of all of you. Knowing I¡¯m less popr, you didn¡¯t show your full strength. I¡¯ll keep all of this in mind. Thank you all.¡± By saying this, she had shown enough respect to the other groups. In addition, Audrey¡¯s attitude was humble, and she didn¡¯t put on airs, so the crowd didn¡¯t have too much hostility toward her. On the contrary, Kate¡¯s face turned blue when she heard Ryan praising Audrey. She nted a nce at Audrey with anger in her eyes and thought to herself, ¡°Is winning the first ce really impressive?¡± Just as Audrey brushed past her, Kate reached out her foot without a trace and tripped Audrey. Audrey was holding something in both hands. She lost bnce and could not support herself, so her whole body fell suddenly. By the time she screamed, it was toote. The worst part was that not only did she fall, but the hot milk she was holding in her hand spilled all over her arm, making her scream. As the person closest to her in terms of distance, Kate naturally reached out to help her up as soon as possible. ¡°Oh my god, Audrey. Are you okay? How are you doing? Didn¡¯t you get burned, did you?¡± Audrey knew that someone had tripped her just now, and it was very likely that Kate had tripped her. But she had no evidence. If she openly used Kate, she might get the me backward. Kate was disgusting. She couldn¡¯t win against them in thepetition, so she retaliated with such insidious means. It really angered Audrey. Audrey had no evidence at hand. She could only silently swallow the resentment in her heart. She braced her hand against Kate¡¯s hand and stood up, constantly exerting force. She pinched Kate fiercely under the cover of the sleeve. Seeing the look on Kate¡¯s face change and her frown in pain, Audrey felt a little relieved in her heart. Audrey pretended to be embarrassed and looked at Kate, saying, ¡°Sorry, did I use too much force? Did I hurt you? My feet are so painful that I can¡¯t even stand up on my knees, so I use more force. Please don¡¯t me me.¡± Kate gritted her teeth in anger. She didn¡¯t expect Audrey, the damn bastard girl, to get back at her so quickly. Although she was angry, she couldn¡¯t do anything to Audrey. Audrey looked at Kate coldly and thought in her heart, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know how to y the bitch?¡± If they really had to race to y bitch, Audrey would definitely win. After getting back on her feet, Audrey patted her hands to pat away the dust. After picking up a new breakfast, she headed toward the t. Catherine was just getting up when she entered. After cing the breakfast on the table, Audrey said in Catherine¡¯s direction, ¡°Kathy, breakfast is on the table. It¡¯s all your favorites. Enjoy it before the milk gets cold.¡± After saying that, she turned around and went into the room. Catherine¡¯s hand holding the towel paused for a moment. It was not strange for Audrey to go to fetch breakfast for her, but it was odd for Audrey not to eat breakfast with her. Audrey often emphasized that they needed to eat together because eating alone was boring. Audrey would rather wait for Catherine an hour or two to have meals with her together than eat alone first. What was wrong with her today? It wasn¡¯t long before Catherine smelled the scent of medicine. It was from the room. Noticing something was wrong, Catherine put the towel down and headed toward the room. Just as she entered, she saw Audrey with her shirt off, sitting on the bed with her bare shoulders. One of her hands was twisted into a strange shape, while the other hand was holding medicine and applying it to her arm. The original smooth and tender arm was now red and swollen, making it heartbreaking to see. On Catherine¡¯s cold and beautiful face, her eyes instantly narrowed, and her expression suddenly turned cold. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± Hearing the cold voice, Audrey was so scared that the cotton swab in her hand fell off. She looked up and realized that Catherine had stood before her at some point. She finally regained herposure andined softly to Catherine, ¡°Kathy, why didn¡¯t you make any noise when you walked? Do you know that you almost scared me to death?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t listen to what she said. Her eyes were fixed on the wound on Audrey¡¯s arm the whole time. ¡°What happened?¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t hide it, Audrey could only give an honest exnation. ¡°I can tell you, but you can¡¯t be impulsive.¡± Catherine nodded slightly. She never acted impulsively. She would only make those who offended her regret their impulsiveness. Seeing her promise, Audrey said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Kate, that bitch, didn¡¯t want to ept the fact that we had the first ce, so she intentionally tripped me when I was holding breakfast. As a result, the milk spilled on my arm. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve pinched her hard to get back at her.¡± Catherine knew Audrey didn¡¯t like milk, and she took the hot milk for her. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catherine¡¯s slightly narrowed eyes were filled with an eerie coldness. She thought in her heart, ¡°Kate, how dare you! ¡°It¡¯s fine. Those who dare to offend me must bear the consequences.¡± Chapter 108 ?Chapter 108 Diving for Fish Their program yesterday was fishing, but this morning''s program was even more exciting. It was diving to catch fish. Upon hearing the arrangement of the program team''s higher-ups, the Parker brothers and Audrey pulled a long face. The higher-ups of the program team would not be satisfied until they had yed all the underwater programs, right? However, they only had humble positions in the team. Since the higher-ups of the program team had already arranged it, they could only follow the rules of the program team''s game. Elliot liked this kind of exciting program, so Cindy followed him. As for Kate, her biggest worry was that she didn''t have the chance to show off her excellent figure in front of the audience. Now that there was such a rare opportunity for her to wear a swimsuit, how could she possibly miss it? When it came time for everyone to wear wetsuits, Kate refused. She looked at the director with a coquettish expression and said, "Sir, I think wearing a wetsuit will affect my y. It will make me lose. Can I not wear it?" The director looked at Kate''s sexy swimsuit and clearly saw what was on her mind. Since someone didn''t want to wear it, he would agree. "Fine. Do it your way." Ryan was a little angry, but he couldn''t dissuade Kate. Kate was from a wealthy family and often threw a tantrum. As long as it was something she decided to do, no one could dissuade her.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Kate and Ryan had already started to show a cold face to each other over this matter. But in Kate''s opinion, Ryan was angry with her because she had just tripped Audrey. Ryan was close to her and was the only one who saw what she did. Kate was not afraid to be seen by him. She knew that Ryan would eventually be on her side, so she recklessly tripped over Audrey. The four groups of families went to sea in two boats. Catherine and Cindy were in a group, while Kate was in a group with the Parker brothers. When they arrived at the diving area, they all brought their equipment and entered the water, ready to go. Elliot had been sitting across from Catherine and staring at her, but Catherine did not even look at him. She leaned aside with her eyes closed, resting all the time. In the face of such a hot gaze, Audrey somehow could not resist wanting tough. They were all young people, so they could get along easily. Seeing Elliot was cold but not arrogant, Audrey took the courage to joke with him. "Elliot, are you eager to ask Kathy for experience in the game?" Audrey initially thought Elliot would be shy and not respond to her, but he nodded at her seriously, which caught her off guard. Audrey had no choice. She could only reach out and nudge Catherine. Catherine woke up slowly. The sleepy eyes on her beautiful face at the moment made her look less cold than when she was sober. She now looked a little more approachable. She dropped her gaze on Audrey, asking with her eyes why she had nudged herself awake. Audrey pointed in Elliot''s direction and looked at Catherine with a smile. "Kathy, have you expected that? We also have your fan on our program team. Elliot said he wants to learn about your gaming experience." Catherine nced sideways at Elliot. The look in her eyes was too cold. Although she was expressionless, the aura she had pressed Elliot not to dare to raise his head. Knowing that Catherine was waiting for him to say something first, Elliot raised his head timidly. And then he asked the question that had been troubling him for a long time. "Miss Swann, how did you manage to hold the gun so steadily and instantly snipe while using an 8x scope? Don''t you need to aim?" Audrey had initially nned to listen to what they would discuss, not realizing that none of what the two were talking about was something she understood. She gave up. Most of the time, Elliot spoke, and Catherine asionally said a word or two. Just her one or two words alone were enough to make Elliot excited. He kept speaking, almost forgetting that the higher-ups of the program team asked him to go into the water. Watching her own son be happy, Cindy treated Audrey with a little more sincerity. "Audrey, I need to thank you and your sister this time. It''s the first time I''ve seen my son say so much to someone he''s not particrly familiar with, and I''m a little envious to see the adoring look he''s giving your sister." Audreyughed softly in response. ''I''m envious, too. My sister doesn''t treat me so well. She won''t say so many words to me either." Catherine was a bit quiet, and it was something Audrey had learned about a long time ago. She exaggerated it to increase Cindy''s liking for Catherine. Cindy was a crucial figure in the program team. She had a say in the program team, and if she were willing to look after Audrey and Catherine, they would have a rtively better time. The incident with Kate this morning left Audrey with lingering palpitations. She was not worried about Kate causing her trouble but about Catherine being implicated. Cindy''s gaze saw the wound on Audrey''s arm and asked in a low voice, "You''re not going in the water, are you?" Audrey nodded. Her arm was burned severely. Worrying that her wound would be purulent and infected after being soaked in seawater, the higher-ups of the program team agreed to let her not go into the water. "Kathy said she could make it alone!" Everyone else''s group had two people in the water together for the race, while Audrey''s group only had Catherine. Cindy didn''t like to owe others favors. Since Catherine was willing tomunicate with her son, she was willing to give Catherine something back. She said ndly, "Elliot has loved diving since he was young. He''s in good shape today. If he catches a lot of fishter, I''ll ask him to share some with you guys." The director frowned slightly after listening to Cindy''s words on the disy screen. This wasn''t in line with the rules, but Cindy said it herself, so he couldn''t embarrass Cindy in the face. Now, it seemed that he could only wait and see the situation. When it was time for the group to enter the water, Audrey looked at Catherine with concern. "Kathy, it''s your first dive? Why don''t we give up?" "No, it''s not!" Catherine responded in a cold voice before jumping directly into the water. Watching her go into the water, Elliot quickly followed. After arriving underwater, Elliot found that Catherine did not follow the original n of catching fish in the sea as stipted by the program team. Instead, she swam all the way forward at a fast pace. Seeing that there might be something wrong, Elliot followed with curiosity. He was a good swimmer and had trained with the provincial team since childhood. He almost signed up for internationalpetitions at that time. If his mother hadn''t stopped, he might have been a professional swimmer now. But even if he tried his best to swim, he could only see a shadow of Catherine and couldn''t catch up with her at all. In the water, Catherine swam faster than fish. Her speed was unbelievable. Catherine kept swimming forward and finally came to the docking position of another boat. She stopped at a reefed area and patiently watched for changes in front of her. Kate was a good swimmer. She loved diving because it cost money and could improve her tastes. Kate acted seductively in a coquettish manner to show off her sexy figure and swimming style in front of the crowd. When she saw a beautiful clownfish swimming by, she desperately tried to catch up with it despite Ryan''s discouragement. She wanted to catch the clownfish to show it off to everyone. Kate didn''t expect that shortly after she was out of the audience''s sight, a ck hand reached out and forcefully grabbed her. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Kate struggled with all her might, but she was no match for her opponent. Catherine had no intention of hiding herself from Kate. She generously exposed her face to her so that Kate could clearly see her face underwater. Kate¡¯s respirator was removed, and it became increasingly difficult for her to breathe. She opened her mouth subconsciously and desperately as if trying to drink up the water in the ocean. Her lungs were bing more and more ufortable. The water made her lungs hurt almost to the point of exploding. She was scared. Looking at Catherine¡¯s bloodthirsty eyes, she was so afraid that Catherine would kill her. Because the look in Catherine¡¯s eyes showed she was serious. Kate finally got scared and frantically begged for mercy. Under the dual effects of tension and fear, Kate soon fainted. Looking at Kate, who was powerless and lying in her arms, Catherine sneered disdainfully, her eyes gazing at her coldly. Catherine thought secretly, ¡°Such a useless person! She fainted like this in less than three minutes after she lost the respirator?¡± She plugged Kate¡¯s respirator back in and dragged her to a crowded area before leaving. It wasn¡¯t long before Kate was found. The program team was in a mess. No one expected Kate to have an ident. As Kate¡¯s boyfriend, Ryan was naturally the first to go to the rescue. He immediately dragged Kate ashore, and with the help of the apanying team doctor, Kate was out of danger. After undergoing CPR, Kate came to life. She was not in serious condition, mainly in a transienta caused by fright and drowning. The first thing Kate did when she woke up was to tug on Ryan¡¯s hand and look at him in horror, saying, ¡°Ryan, help me. Someone is trying to kill me.¡± Facing Kate¡¯s crazy talk, Ryan was also scared. ¡°Kate, what are you talking about? Who¡¯s trying to kill you? What the hell just happened?¡± Kate looked at Ryan with flustered eyes in panic, trembling nervously. ¡°Ryan, it¡¯s Catherine. Catherine, that bitch. She wanted to kill me.¡± They were still in the shot, and everything had been recorded. Ryan thought Kate must be crazy to be bullshitting like that. But seeing Kate¡¯s nervous expression, she didn¡¯t seem to be pretending, which made Ryan a little confused. Just as the crowd was confused, a sudden cheer came from the side. The crowd turned back and found the boat of the other two groups had returned. A few people came down from the boat, and it was obvious that the buckets carried in their hands were heavy. They should have harvested a lot. No wonder they were so happy. When Kate saw Catherine step off the boat, she instinctively trembled. But soon, she reacted to the fact that she was in full view of everyone, and Catherine would not dare do anything to her, so her attitude became arrogant.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She braced herself to stand up and rushed to Catherine. ¡°You murderer. You almost killed me. I¡¯m going to call the police to arrest you.¡± Before Catherine could respond, Audrey rushed up as soon as she could. She protected Catherine behind her and looked at Kate with a serious gaze. ¡°Kate, what do you want again? If there¡¯s something you want to do,e straight at me. Don¡¯t bully my sister!¡± Kate nced coldly at Audrey with a hint of disdain in her eyes. ¡°You and your sister are not good people. Since your sister dares to put her hands on me, she must bear the price. She dares to go against me. Just wait to go to prison.¡± She spoke too confidently. Ryan was worried that changes in things would have an adverse impact on Kate, so he took the initiative to exin the situation. ¡°Kate had an ident in the water just now. She said that Catherine was the one who removed her respirator and choked her, causing her almost to drown!¡± Catherine was originally nning toe forward and admit it. She never needed to deny what she had done. But Audrey was one step ahead of her again. Audrey reacted much quicker than her. ¡°Nonsense. Kathy has just been catching fish underwater, and these are the spoils she got. She has no time to go against you. On the contrary, it¡¯s you who keeps ying tricks. Don¡¯t think we¡¯re all fools.¡± Audrey angrily kicked the bucket by her feet, and the fish, still alive inside, kept fluttering. Looking at the bucket full of seafood, Ryan didn¡¯t believe that Catherine had the time to swim so far to persecute Kate either. And Audrey wasn¡¯t lying about one thing, which was that it was Kate who had been targeting them. Both Audrey and Catherine werepromising. ording tomon sense, Catherine was unlikely to be able to take action against Kate. The diver from the program team said, ¡°Although we were a bitte in the water, we have seen. Catherine catching fish since we got into the water. It¡¯s impossible for a normal person to swim back and forth just by the little time we werete, let alone doing something to someone. That was right. There was no way an average person could have made that. Kate was furious. She looked at the crowd with a red face of anger, saying, ¡°Why do you all speak for her? What benefits did she give you?¡± Facing Kate¡¯s usation, the staff of the program team thought of Elliot, who stood by in silence. ¡°Elliot, didn¡¯t you go into the water at the same time with Catherine? Did you see her do something to Kate?¡± Elliot raised his head slowly, and his gaze fell on Catherine, who was silent and didn¡¯t say anything. After looking at her for a few moments, Elliot said in a low voice, ¡°I was concentrating on fishing. I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± After saying that, he added, ¡°I was fishing so seriously, but I haven¡¯t harvested as much as Catherine did!¡± The implication was that he had tried his best to capture fish but hadn¡¯t caught as many fish as Catherine did. So, Catherine couldn¡¯t have had the time tomit a crime. And he meant what Kate said wasn¡¯t true. Catherine stood coldly in ce, and the expression on her cold face did not change a bit. She only shifted her gaze from Kate to Elliot. Was he helping her? After hearing Elliot¡¯s words, Kate immediately became angry and shouted at him, ¡°Elliot, what benefits did this woman give you to make you help her like this? Why are you so against me?¡± Ryan was scared when he heard what Kate said. Cindy was still standing at the side and had always treasured her son. How could she allow Kate to use her son like that for no reason? Under Ryan¡¯s reminder, Kate also realized that. She raised her head nervously and looked toward Cindy. At that moment, Cindy no longer had her usual warm smile but a hint of harshness. After seeing Kate look over, Cindy narrowed her eyes slightly. There was a hint of ferocity in her eyes. ¡°Ms. Cooper, my son said that he didn¡¯t see anything. He just made a statement based on the facts he knew. To make his words not be considered a liar, does he have to say that Catherine caused you to have the ident? You are too overbearing if you don¡¯t even let others tell the truth.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Kate¡¯s face turned pale when Cindy said those words. The director of her next y was Cindy¡¯s bosom friend. If she offended Cindy, her acting career mighte to an end. She was about to apologize, but Cindy did not give her a chance. ¡°Ms. Cooper, I think you¡¯ve caught a cold because you¡¯ve worn too little underwater, and your mind is unclear now. You¡¯re beginning to talk nonsense. I think you should go back to rest. After speaking, Cindy nced at the director. The director dared not disobey Cindy and immediately arranged for an assistant to persuade Kate away. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 The incident reached the end for the time being, but Kate had indeed vexed Cindy. All people decided to return to where they lived because of the incident. Catherine slowed to a walk behind the crowd with Elliot beside her. She stared indifferently ahead and said coldly, seeming like she was talking to herself, ¡°You saw me. Why didn¡¯t you tell them about it?¡± Catherine knew Elliot was behind her when she did it, but she did not care. She did not need a reason or fear to make her move. Elliot gave a mischievous chuckle upon hearing Catherine¡¯s question. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell them what I¡¯d seen in the morning either.¡± Kate tripped Audrey when they were having breakfast. Elliot saw it, as well as Ryan. Elliot had not bothered to say anything then, but he did so now. Kate brought down Audrey, and Audrey¡¯s sister got Kate to choke on the seawater. It was fair. Elliot was an outsider. Why bother caring? He did not have a whole day for it. Elliot added thest sentence only because Kate had been annoying, and he wanted to teach. her a lesson. They went back to the room, and Audrey was still indignant. She sat on the bed in a huff. ¡°Why is Kate so hateful? She probably has done so many awful things that she met devils in the water. She even tried to frame you? I can¡¯t believe she did that!¡± While Audrey was still chattering in rage, Catherine leaned against the sofa and closed her eyes in weariness. She said casually, ¡°I did it.¡± ¡°Kate is¡­¡± Audrey went onining but paused when hearing Catherine¡¯s words. She jerked her head back, her eyes popping at Catherine out of shock. Catherine was expressionless. She was still distant. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s weariness that made her look human, Audrey might think her sister did not belong to this world. Seeing Catherine like that, Audrey seemed to understand something. She checked her earphones and made sure they were all off. Then, she closed the door cautiously. Audrey was not rest assured. She even sealed the chinks in the door with some cloth. Catherine leaned against the sofa and watched Audrey¡¯s childish actions. She did not react. After doing everything to guarantee their privacy, Audrey sat close to Catherine and whispered, ¡°Kathy, did you mean it? It really was you? You¡¯re amazing!¡± Raising her brow, Catherine looked sideways at Audrey. Instead of the indignant look a few minutes ago, Audrey looked more like she was thrilled now. Catherine gazed at Audrey without answering her, but Audrey did not think it was a problem. All Audrey was thinking was how incredible Catherine was. She sorted Kate out without being caught. That was brilliant. Audrey was on cloud nine and forgot that she was hurt. Seeing Audrey jump up abruptly, Catherine frowned and grabbed Audrey¡¯s arm quickly. Audrey had a pained expression and wanted to ask Catherine why she had grabbed her. She turned her head only to see Catherine staring at her sharply with a grim face. ¡°Do you want to lose your arm?¡± It took Audrey a second to react. She looked down at her inmed arm with blisters and realized what Catherine meant. Audrey could have hit the arm of the sofa just now. It was a rattan sofa, not the soft leather sofa in their house. If she hit her arm on it, she would be in great pain even if she did not lose her arm. When Audrey saw the injuries on her arm, she realized another thing. Catherine was remote but would not attack people unless she had to. It was not that she could not do so, but she had no interest in most things or people in the world. She attacked Kate today, probably because Kate hurt Audrey. After thinking it through, Audrey was even more excited. ¡°Kathy, you kicked Kate¡¯s ass for me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Catherine nced at Audrey. The sarcasm in her eyes sent a chill down Audrey¡¯s spine, and Audrey shrank her neck automatically. After spending time with Catherine, Audrey was not as fearful of Catherine as she used to be. Her panic faded soon. The next second, Audrey returned to her excited state. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯m so lucky to have you as my little sister. You¡¯re great! My horoscope said I wouldn¡¯t have a romantic encounter today but might meet my guardian angel. Kathy, it¡¯s you! You¡¯re my lucky star! You¡¯re my angel!¡± Audrey repeated her words and emphasized how lucky she was. Catherine was too tired and wanted to ignore Audrey, but Audrey¡¯s words reyed in Catherine¡¯s mind like a spell. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re my lucky star!¡± ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re my angel!¡± Catherine thought, ¡°Aren¡¯t I the jinx? ¡°Why did I be a lucky star and an angel? Audrey must be the only one who thinks so in the whole family.¡± Something suddenly struck Audrey, and she cried out in panic. ¡°Oh no!¡± Catherine knew how dramatic her sister was, so she remained calm and asked tly, ¡°What?¡± Audrey had a look of terror in her eyes as she looked at Catherine. ¡°Kathy, Elliot entered the water with you. He must have witnessed you, right? Why didn¡¯t he report us? Is he nning to threaten us with it?¡± Catherine did not want to answer Audrey¡¯s questions. She knew Vicente was prudent and would never raise children not rted to him by blood. Otherwise, Catherine would have dragged Audrey to have DNA kinship testing with their siblings. Catherine could not understand why Audrey had nothing inmon with Liana since they shared the same parents. Catherine remained silent, and Audrey¡¯s imagination ran wild. She scared herself out of her wits. ¡°Kathy, what should we do? I really think that¡­¡± Catherine was getting a little sick of Audrey dwelling on this. She turned her head sideways and cast a cold nce at Audrey. This time, Audrey was terrified and shut her mouth right away. Catherine was even scarier than their grandfather when she was angry. Audrey dared not disturb Catherine again, but anxiety still lingered in her mind and showed on her face. Catherine hated people for procrastinating and being dramatic, especially Audrey¡¯s character. If facing someone other than Audrey, Catherine would throw the person out and never let that person have a chance to show up in front of her again. However, she tolerated Audrey, which she could not understand. A few minutester, Audrey was still immersed in her imagination. Catherine could not help but say, ¡°You¡¯ll be a pretty good actress, you know?¡± Audrey was confused. She raised her head and gazed nkly at Catherine, not understanding what she meant. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Catherine did not bother exining to Audrey but assured her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Elliot.¡± Even if Elliot snitched on her, Catherine knew how to deal with it. It was not necessary to worry. Seeing that Audrey opened her mouth and was about to ask again, Catherine said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Audreypressed her lips in a grievance. Since Catherine reassured her, she should not be disturbed anymore. However, Audrey thought, ¡°You¡¯re so harsh, Kathy.¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Kate seemed all right after they left the sea, but she, after all, had choked on the seawater. After she was taken to the medical room, she had a sore throat, which led to a fever. She had a high fever and had been making a fuss, which made the issue a grave situation. The program team had to ask Kate¡¯s agent to inform her parents. Kate¡¯s parents rushed to the program team without dy. Seeing her parents, Kate whined to her mother, ¡°Mommy, someone was trying to kill me.¡± Kate¡¯s mother was shocked. She asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it an ident? Why would someone want to kill you?¡± The program team told them that Kate did not prepare well before she entered the water, which caused her to choke on the water. The program team also passed the buck by implying that the ident was caused because Kate had not followed the instructions. Kate¡¯s mother was now confused upon hearing what Kate said. Since her parents had arrived and backed her up, Kate told them everything she had been through. She used Catherine of bullying her during the program and nearly killed her in the water. Kate¡¯s parents knew their daughter well. Kate had asked them to find the higher-ups to press the program team and cast Catherine and Audrey out. However, Catherine and Audrey were favored among the audience and helped increase the audience rating of the program. Why would the program team want to let such mas go? Kate¡¯s parents thought Kate only quarreled with the Swanns, so they did not force the program team to remove Catherine and Audrey. Now that they heard Catherine tried to kill Kate, they were irritated and had to take action. Kate¡¯s father banged on the table hard and snapped, ¡°How dare you let this happen to my daughter? You must be answerable for this today, or I won¡¯t let you off!¡± On the other side, some staff members of the program team were preparing the after-party for the first show. The other three groups of families were also there. They had heard the biggest investor in the program would attend the party tonight. Original from N?velDrama.Org. The producer naa ordered the director not to make any mistakes since their Deneractor would be at the scene. Everyone seemed to be pumped with adrenalin. When the three groups gathered together, Cindy kindly reminded Audrey of the attendance of the investor. Audrey thanked her and ran back to Catherine in excitement. ¡°Kathy, you know what? Our biggest investor wille to tonight¡¯s party, and so will Cindy! Do you think it¡¯s a good chance for me to reverse the situation?¡± Audrey also got the news from her agent, Kim. Kim texted and asked her to be on her best behavior and leave a good impression on the investor. In that case, Audrey would have more opportunities in her career. Unlike Audrey¡¯s excitement, Catherine did not react to the news. She was still emotionless as she heard Audrey¡¯s words. But Audrey thought it understandable. Catherine would not stay in the entertainment industry. She only joined the program this time for Audrey. Audrey had benefited from the program. Kim told her that some advertisers had already contacted him, and they wanted Audrey to endorse their products. It was something that Audrey did not even dare to think about in the past. She asked Catherine, ¡°Kathy, are youing to the party with me tonight?¡± Catherine shook her head without even thinking about it. She had no time for that investor. If she had time, she preferred to take a nap. ¡°No.¡± Her answer was simple but firm and non-negotiable. Audrey knew her well, so she did not force Catherine. ¡°Alright, take a rest in the room. I¡¯ll leave the party earlier and meet you here. Then, we can go home. Don¡¯t worry about me. Kim will pick me up and go to the party with me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine turned over and went back to sleep. Audrey left Catherine to rest. She took the things she needed and left the room. She did her makeup and went to the party. Kim was waiting for her at the hotel and was surprised to see her alone. ¡°Audrey, where¡¯s your sister?¡± Audrey answered straightforwardly, ¡°Katny is resting in the room.¡± ¡°Call her and ask her toe. You know how important the party is. How can she not be here?¡± said Kim seriously. He believed if he could sign her and be her agent, Catherine could do well in the entertainment industry. Audrey disagreed with what he said. She even frowned and eyed Kim in displeasure. ¡°Kim, my sister¡¯s character is unfit for showbiz. Don¡¯t even try. She said she didn¡¯t want toe here, so don¡¯t force her.¡± Kim had known Audrey for years and knew what mattered to Audrey. Audrey valued her family and would not allow anyone to force her sister to do anything she did not want to. Kim had to give up and said, ¡°Alright, alright. Anything you say, honey. Get in there. We can¡¯t bete.¡± Audrey arrived right on time, and she had a seat behind Kim. The guests were seated and waiting for the investor to show up. The door was suddenly opened. The program producer stood up excitedly, thinking it was the investor who arrived, but it turned out to be Bobby Cooper. The producer knew Bobby. They had dealt with each other. Seeing Bobby¡¯s darkened look, the producer walked to Bobby and greeted him with a smile. ¡°Mr. Cooper, what brings you here?¡± Bobby snorted coldly, still wearing his grim expression. He said somewhat sourly, ¡°Mr. Palmer, while you¡¯re having such a lively party, my poor daughter has a high fever on a sickbed in the hospital.¡± Everyone¡¯s face changed. Kim whispered to the puzzled Audrey, ¡°This man is Kate¡¯s father. He¡¯s powerful and has good connections in the industry.¡± Audrey changed color slightly and realized that trouble hade. She was only d that Catherine was not there at the party. She would take all the me and not incriminate Catherine. Peter Palmer, the producer, was astute. He smiled at Bobby and said, ¡°Mr. Cooper, it was an ident. No one wanted it to happen. Still, please ept my apology. How about you join us and take a seat? Let¡¯s have a drink. If I have a new program next time, I¡¯ll definitely invite Kate. The investor might arrive at any minute. Peter did not want to get into any trouble. Bobby refused to let it go. He turned Peter down with a cold face. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to drink with you. What happened to my daughter was not an ident. Someone tried to kill her.¡± Bobby nced at the people around icily, and when he saw Audrey, he looked daggers at her. Bobby went on pressing the program team. He said to Peter, ¡°Give her to me. Let me take her to apologize to my daughter. Then, we can still be friends, and I¡¯ll do everything to help you next time you need me.¡± Kim sensed something wrong. He took Audrey¡¯s hand and got up. Bobby had the means to achieve what he wanted in the industry, and they could not afford to offend him. Kim put on his standard smile and walked to Bobby with a ss of wine, ¡°Mr. Cooper, I¡¯m Audrey¡¯s agent. I knew her well. She would never harm anyone. This must be a misunderstanding. Please don¡¯t be mad and ept our apologies. It¡¯s our fault that made you angry.¡± Kim was so humble, trying to calm things down. However, Bobby did not show any respect to Kim. He knocked the ss in Kim¡¯s hand down, red at Kim, and snarled, ¡°Who are you? You¡¯re not qualified enough to talk to me.¡± It was a p on Kim¡¯s face. Audrey was furious. She could not suppress her anger and roared at Bobby, ¡°How could you do that? It was your daughter who started that fight. It¡¯s unfair that you me the innocent!¡± Bobby¡¯s face was as gloomy as a tremendous storm wasing. ¡°Are you saying that I bullied you?¡± Bobby nodded repeatedly and fiercely. He growled at Audrey and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let you know what bullying is.¡± Bobby raised his hand abruptly and pped hard on Audrey¡¯s cheek. It was loud. Everyone present was stunned. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 That was the rule of the entertainment industry. There were strict rankings. Facing a big shot like Bobby, Audrey, a little celebrity, was nothing. Elliot, at the side, wanted to do something when his mother grabbed his arm to stop him. Cindy was not afraid of Bobby, but she would not offend a potential investor for Audrey, who was useless to her. The entertainment industry was realistic and ridiculous. Audrey covered her cheek and gaped at Bobby in disbelief. She never thought that the old guy would hit her. Kim was also dumbfounded. When he recovered from the shock, he even dragged Audrey to apologize to Bobby. ¡°Audrey, how could you irritate Mr. Cooper? Come on. Apologize now!¡± He handed his ss to Audrey. Audrey mmed the ss upside down on the table heavily and rejected, ¡°No! He pped me. Why would I apologize to him?¡± People around them were out of countenance. They thought Bobby was rude and unreasonable, but no one would want to provoke him for Audrey. They all thought Audrey did not know what was good for her. She should have bowed down to Bobby and begged for his forgiveness. They had witnessed too many unyielding people like Audrey, and those people did not end well. The room fell silent, which Bobby had already expected. He stared sternly at Audrey and said coldly, ¡°Youngdy, I don¡¯t me you for not being sensible. But I¡¯ll teach you the rules of the entertainment world so that you¡¯ll have the chance to have a better career.¡± With that, he turned to Peter and changed the target. ¡°I know you¡¯re expecting a guest. Girl, I¡¯ll forgive you, for Peter¡¯s sake, if you p yourself. ¡°If you don¡¯t do what I said, I swear the gloves areing off. Understand?¡± Audrey stood helplessly in between Bobby and Peter. Kim had been her agent for several years and wanted to help her out of the situation. ¡°Mr. Cooper, how about I p myself? And then you can forgive Audrey. What do you think?¡± Bobby squinted his eyes at Kim. There was sarcasm in his sharp eyes. ¡°Who do you think you are? You don¡¯t deserve to talk to me.¡± Being humiliated, Kim stood still with an ugly look. He did not expect Bobby¡¯s abrupt appearance. They were unprepared and at a disadvantage situation. Suddenly, a calm and unexpected voice broke the deadlock. ¡°How about you? Who do you think you are, then?¡± The impassive voice rang out behind the crowd, along with the clickety-cking of boots. The voice was frigid and creepy, making people¡¯s toes curl. The crowd turned their heads back and saw Catherine striding toward them with her hands in her pockets. Although Catherine had a terrifying aura and frightened people at first sight, Bobby did not fear her. He recognized Catherine and knew she was Audrey¡¯s younger sister. However, he thought Catherine was just a young girl, and he could deal with both her and Audrey. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catherine walked directly to Audrey. She narrowed her eyes, and fury rose in them. She lifted Audrey¡¯s chin and fixed her eyes on Audrey¡¯s red and swollen face. Her eyes darkened, and her face was as cold as ice. Audrey automatically averted her eyes and looked sideways at Kim. She mumbled toin to Kim, ¡°Did you inform Kathy to be here?¡± Kim lowered his head and dared not answer Audrey. He felt that Audrey was in danger, so he texted Kathy and asked for help. No one could know that Bobby was so overbearing. Now, they were in great trouble. Catherine did not lose her temper instantly. She pulled out a chair and said on it casually. She had her legs crossed and looked up at Bobby harshly. The coldness and harshness in Catherine¡¯s deep eyes sent a chill down Bobby¡¯s spine and made him feel an oppressing sensation in his chest. Bobby was taken aback for a few seconds before he reacted. He sneered. ¡°I have to admit that your acting skills are quite good. Interesting.¡± He was still arrogant at that moment because he thought he was above the Swann sisters. He stared at Catherine with ridicule and provocation. He said maliciously, ¡°What? The knives are out, and you want to take revenge on me for your sister? ¡°Do you think you are capable of it, girl?¡± Catherine chuckled. Her pretty face looked even more vivid and aggressive because of her chuckle. She put her chin in her hand and twisted her other wrist rxedly. ¡°You made me feel somewhat regretful.¡± ¡°Of what?¡± Bobby asked through his gritted teeth. Catherine said softly, but her words were like a knife, ¡°I was regretful not to drown your daughter in the sea this morning.¡± People were astounded to hear what she said. No one had thought that Catherine would announce her crime tantly and arrogantly. Bobby narrowed his eyes at Catherine and nodded his head in rage. ¡°Great. You¡¯re bold. I hope you can still say such brave words soon.¡± Bobby redid what he had done to Audrey. He lifted his hand and was about to p Catherine. But the result was different. Before Bobby¡¯s hand couldnd on Catherine¡¯s face, she gripped it and stopped it. Catherine clutched his wrist with one hand and stretched out her other hand. ps sounded. She pped Bobby¡¯s cheeks crazily and did not stop until the tenth p. People¡¯s eyes were popping out when they watched the scene. They almost forgot how A long while after Catherine stopped, Bobby finally came round from dizziness. He opened his mouth and wanted to talk, only to spit out a mouthful of blood and two of his teeth. The blood streamed down from the corners of his mouth to his chin and chest. He looked awful. Bobby covered his face. His eyes were malicious and murderous as he red at Catherine. ¡°D-Damn¡­¡± Bobby stuttered because he lost his teeth and his face was swollen. ¡± Damn it! How dare you attack me? Do you know who I am?¡± An evil smile appeared on Catherine¡¯s face. She raised her brow, her eyes still cold. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking care who you are!¡± ¡°Who cares?¡± Catherine added, ¡°You must pay your price after hitting my sister.¡± Catherine sat back on the chair. At the same time, she raised her leg and kicked Bobby hard. Bobby flew forward and slumped onto the ground before Catherine with a loud bang. At that critical moment, Bobby¡¯s bodyguards rushed in. The four bodyguards stood behind Bobby to protect him. Bobby heaved a sigh of relief. He would never spare Catherine for what she had done to him. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Bobby turned around and angrily shouted at the bodyguards behind him, ¡°Help me up quickly!¡± The kick from Catherine had left himpletely drained of strength. He couldn¡¯t even summon enough energy to stand up now. The bodyguards quickly realized the situation and moved to help him up. Catherine nced over and swiftly snatched two forks from the table. With a swift motion of her wrist, she sent them flying. What were once two ordinary forks now resembled two deadly arrows. They sliced through the air and embedded themselves directly into the hands of the two bodyguards. The, speed was so fast that not even a drop of blood sttered. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The agonizing screams of the two bodyguards snapped everyone¡¯s attention back to reality. People stared in shock and terror at Catherine as if she were a monster. Kim cautiously stood next to Audrey. He quietly tugged at Audrey¡¯s hand and asked in a low voice,¡± Audrey, why is your sister so terrifying?¡± Audrey was so surprised that she opened her mouth wide and didn¡¯t respond. She genuinely had no idea about that. No one had witnessed how Catherine had acted. And the fact that an ordinary fork could turn into a deadly weapon in her hands was incredibly frightening. The bodyguards were seasoned fighters. They saw Catherine¡¯s action. And they knew that even if all four of them attacked at once, they wouldn¡¯t defeat Catherine. They were just there for the money. They weren¡¯t about to risk their lives for Bobby.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Another two bodyguards supported the two injured bodyguards. They quickly retreated from the scene. They gave Bobby a look of sympathy as they left. Catherine only dealt with those who deserved it. As for the bodyguards, they were just doing their job for money. As long as they didn¡¯t interfere with her affairs, whether they stayed or left didn¡¯t matter to her. Catherine¡¯s skills finally scared Bobby. He stared at Catherine in a panic. His face turned pale. ¡°Do you¡­ know who I am?¡± Bobby asked. Ten minutes earlier, Catherine had received a dossier containing all of Bobby¡¯s Information. Hearing that, Catherine slowly lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. She cast a cold gaze at Bobby lying on the ground. Catherine¡¯s skills finally scared Bobby. He stared at Catherine in a panic. His face turned pale. ¡°Do you¡­ know who I am?¡± Bobby asked. Ten minutes earlier, Catherine had received a dossier containing all of Bobby¡¯s information. Hearing that, Catherine slowly lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. She cast a cold gaze at Bobby lying on the ground. ¡°Who you are doesn¡¯t concern me. And you¡¯re not worthy of knowing who I am.¡± Catherine was dominant, arrogant, defiant, and sinister. At that moment, no one dared to question Catherine¡¯s words. With her skills, no one dared to question her arrogance. Catherine pulled out her phone and dialed a number. When the call connected, she said into the phone, ¡°Give you five minutes, and I want the Coopers bankrupt.¡± Her tone was in and unassuming, as if she were asking for a ss of water. Although the Coopers might not have been at the very top of the wealthdder in Casier, they were still significant figures. Now, Catherine imed she could bankrupt them in five minutes. It was simply unimaginable. Inside, everyone doubted her words. But they had seen her astounding power moments ago. So, no one dared to challenge her. As seconds ticked away, the atmosphere grew more tense. No one dared to move. No one could have predicted that this celebratory banquet would devolve into this. The only one at ease was Catherine. She adjusted her posture to a supremelyfortable position. Then she reclined in her chair to rest with her eyes shut. Everyone was eager to leave. But Catherine remained silent. It felt as if an invisible ss barrier enclosed the room. It prevented anyone from exiting. It was an aura of power. Although it was unseen, it could be sensed. Nobody dared to risk it. Suddenly, something unexpected happened. On the table, Peter¡¯s phone began to ring. In this quiet, private room, its ringtone sounded unusually loud. It caused several individuals to jump in surprise. Peter¡¯s face turned pale as he looked at the phone. He had been about toin about who would dare to call him at that moment. But when he saw the caller ID, his expression turned grim. He looked at the others helplessly and whispered, ¡°The investor is calling.¡± This investor held a significant position. And he was someone Peter couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Peter wanted to answer, yet he didn¡¯t dare. Just then, the door to the private room swung open once again. A tall and poised man stepped in. He was very handsome and elegant. His features were so perfect that they seemed to be sculpted by an artist¡¯s hand. Someone recognized him. He was known as the heir of the Duncans, the wealthiest in Casier. Their amazement was palpable as they realized he was the backer behind the program. The moment the door opened, the man¡¯s gaze fell upon Catherine. She appeared to be dozing off in the private room. His thin lips curved up. A hint of a smile shed across his handsome face. He thought inwardly, ¡°She really can fall asleep anywhere, no matter the asion.¡± Audrey hadn¡¯t expected the neer to be Branden. But she was excited She had been worried that the situation might spiral out of control. But with Branden here, everything would be easier to handle. Kim saw the excitement in Audrey¡¯s eyes. He realized that Audrey knew the neer. After all, Branden was a major financial supporter. ¡°Audrey, do you know Mr. Duncan?¡± Kim asked. Audrey didn¡¯t say a word. She nodded silently. To everyone¡¯s surprise, as soon as Branden entered the room, he walked straight to Catherine¡¯s side. The others assumed Branden might be displeased with her. But instead, Branden swiftly removed his coat and draped it over Catherine. A delightful fragrance wafted through the air. Catherine slowly opened her eyes. After she saw the handsome face before her, she frowned slightly. Then she whispered, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Branden chuckled softly. He looked at Catherine with a self-satisfied gleam in his eyes He asked, ¡± Don¡¯t you know that the investor for this program has been changed to the Duncan Corporation?¡± Catherine really had no idea. She didn¡¯t care about these things. So she hadn¡¯t looked into it. She naturally wouldn¡¯t know about the midway change of investors. Catherine adjusted her posture slightly. Then she sat up a bit straighter and nced at the time. The five minutes were up. As Catherine put down her phone, Bobby¡¯s phone in his pocket began to ring. Catherine raised an eyebrow as she looked at Bobby. She tilted her chin up and said, ¡°Answer it. Why aren¡¯t you picking up?¡± For some unknown reason, Bobby had a foreboding feeling. He cautiously answered the call. In the next second, his eyes widened in shock. And his voice grew louder in an instant. ¡°What? What did you say? How could this be?¡± The call seemed to be forcefully disconnected not long after. Momentster, Bobby regained his composure. When he looked up at Catherine, his gaze held more than just fear. There was a deep sense of dread in it. Bobby crawled to Catherine¡¯s feet. And he pleaded in a low voice, ¡°Miss Swann, I was wrong. I beg you for mercy. Please spare me. Can you give me a chance to survive?¡± Catherinezily extended her hand and pointed in the direction of the exit. ¡°The door is over there. Walk out yourself.¡± However, Bobby wasn¡¯t looking for that. Just moments ago, he received that call. He was informed that he had gone bankrupt in just five minutes. Something entirely imusible had be a reality under Catherine¡¯s influence. It showed just how terrifying her power could be. ¡°Miss Swann, please give me a chance to start anew. I know I¡¯ve made mistakes. I¡¯ll have my daughter come and apologize sincerely. Can you please not hold this against us? Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Catherine, with her tongue pressed against her cheek, let out a cold sneer. She didn¡¯t even bother to lift her eyelids as she said, ¡°You pped her, and I want a wholepany from you. That¡¯s fair.¡± This statement clearly left no room for negotiation. A p for apany was Catherine¡¯s idea of fairness. Bobby realized that trying to plead with Catherine was futile. He then shifted his gaze to Branden. Branden was now the only one who could help Bobby. In Casier, no one dared to cross Branden. He was like a king in the shadows in Casier. As long as Branden said a word for him, Bobby didn¡¯t believe that Catherine could do anything to him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯m Bobby from the Coopers. As you know, the Coopers have some acquaintance with the Duncans. And we¡¯re currently working on a project together. Considering the reputation of both our families, can you lend me a hand today?¡± Facing Bobby¡¯s plea for help, Catherine chuckled softly. Then she pursed her lips and remained silent. She thought inwardly, ¡°He is just irredeemably foolish.¡± Even if Bobby managed to bring the mightiest forces today, it couldn¡¯t save him. Hearing Bobby¡¯s plea, Branden slowly raised his head. He stared at Bobby coldly. ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­¡± That look made Bobby feel like an invisible hand was choking his throat, which left him breathless and speechless. As Branden saw Bobby¡¯s startled expression, he raised an eyebrow. Then he leaned casually against the chair Catherine was sitting on. He nonchntly said, ¡°Mr. Cooper, you have connections with the Duncans. Do you know what kind of rtionship she has with the Duncans?¡± Branden pointed at Catherine. Not only Bobby but everyone present was curious. They all knew Branden was the investor behind this program and the ultimate financial supporter. However, upon his arrival, Branden immediately interacted with Catherine. It was clear that their rtionship wasn¡¯t ordinary. Bobby was left stunned by the question. He silently shook his head. Paxton, who was standing beside Branden, stepped in to rify the situation. ¡°Mr. Cooper, Miss Catherine is Mr. Duncan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. You pped Miss Audrey and wanted to beat Miss Catherine, and now you want the Duncans to help you? Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± Bobby was instantly stunned. Then, his face twisted in disbelief. Finally, he slumped to the ground in helplessness. At that moment, Bobby finally understood whom he had offended. No wonder Catherine had such power. After all, she was Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Dealing with the Coopers was a piece of cake for her. Apart from Bobby, everyone in the room was taken aback by this revtion. No one had imagined that Catherine and Audrey, who were from the Swanns and seemingly insignificant, had such a significant background. Fear and unease filled the hearts of all present. After all, they hadn¡¯t uttered a word for Audrey when she was humiliated earlier. If the Swanns decided to hold a grudge, they would be in big trouble. Peter¡¯s face darkened. He wouldn¡¯t have wasted his efforts if he had known Catherine and Audrey had such powerful connections. He should have just tried to please the two of them. Elliot turned his head to look at his mother¡¯s embarrassed expression. And he couldn¡¯t help but mock. The reason Cindy had managed to stay relevant in the industry for so many years was because of her shrewdness in protecting herself. However, Cindy¡¯sck of breakthroughs over the years was also due to her excessive caution. Bobby was dragged out by Paxton¡¯s men. And from then on, the Coopers had fallen from grace. The events of today hade to an end here. Branden stared at Catherine. At that moment, when he looked at her, his originally cold, dark eyes ¡°Want to leave or stay here?¡± Branden asked. The reason Branden had agreed to attend the evening banquet was to apany Catherine out. He hadn¡¯t expected there would be such an incident in between. Catherine had initially not intended toe. If she hadn¡¯t received thest-minute message about Audrey being in danger, she wouldn¡¯t have rushed over. Now that things were settled, Catherine naturally wanted to leave. Catherine stood up and stared at Audrey. Audrey met Catherine¡¯s gaze and immediately said, ¡°Kathy, if you¡¯re tired, you can go ahead. Don¡¯t worry about me. I have Kim.¡± After Catherine heard this, she turned to look at Audrey¡¯s agent. Kim hadn¡¯t known about Catherine¡¯s significant background. Catherine might not have been favored within the Swanns. However, being officially acknowledged as Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e was enough for her to command respect in Casier. Moreover, Catherine¡¯s strength was considerable. When Catherine took action earlier, Kim was shocked by her power. As Kim sensed Catherine¡¯s gaze, he shivered and quickly said, ¡°Miss Swann, rest assured. I¡¯ll take good care of Audrey. I promise!¡± His demeanor was almost like he was making an oath. Catherine caught a glimpse of the marks on his clothes from being sshed with alcohol earlier. Then she didn¡¯t say anything more. Following Catherine¡¯s gaze, Kim secretly felt lucky. Fortunately, he had strongly discouraged Bobby earlier. Though Kim had suffered some humiliation, he had also protected Audrey. This could be considered making up for his mistakes. After all, it wasn¡¯t that Kim didn¡¯t want to protect Audrey. He was just an insignificant agent with no background or influence. His abilities were limited. After Catherine settled Audrey¡¯s situation, she left directly. Catherine didn¡¯t inform Branden before leaving. She strode forward confidently and left gracefully in front of everyone. Unlike those women who cling to the big shots, acting submissive and being the obedient girlfriend, Catherine was different. Catherine wasn¡¯t the one following Branden. It was Branden who followed her. Catherine¡¯s attitude was undoubtedly quite audacious. The people present were stunned. After all, this man was Branden. He was the current head of the Duncans. As Catherine walked further away, it finally dawned on Kim and the others. Kim turned to look at Audrey with surprise in his eyes. ¡°Audrey, your sister has such a dominant attitude. You two sisters¡­¡± Audrey knew what Kim was about to say. Even Audrey was astonished by Catherine¡¯s behavior, let alone Kim. Audrey replied, ¡°There are differences among different people. So what¡¯s the problem if there¡¯s a slight gap between me and my sister?¡± Kim thought inwardly, ¡°Is that just a slight gap?¡± Then Kim stared at Audrey with a strange expression. Audrey admitted that she and Catherine were quite different. But Audrey and Catherine had grown up in different environments. The disparities in their upbringing were bound to lead to differences in their personalities. Not to mentionparing Audrey with Catherine, even though Audrey and Liana grew up under the same roof, they were still worlds apart. Kim thought of something and changed his expression slightly. He looked at Audrey seriously. Then he asked, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have some mysterious, influential fianc¨¦ you haven¡¯t told me about, would you?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Audrey rolled her eyes at Kim and thought inwardly, ¡°This man has a terrible memory. Did he forget that I was just dumped not long ago? ¡°Where can I find a boyfriend so quickly, let alone an influential fianc¨¦?¡± Kim nodded in relief. He was just shocked by the fact that Catherine¡¯s fianc¨¦ was incredibly influential. Kim thought inwardly, ¡°If Audrey also has such a heavyweight fianc¨¦, why bother staying in the entertainment industry? She can directly be a top-tier wealthy housewife. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 After Catherine left the private room, she got ready to leave the restaurant. However, Branden suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into another private room. Catherine frowned at Branden¡¯s action. She was just about to warn Branden not to get handsy with her. But then a waft of spicy fragrance hit her. It caused Catherine to forget her previous thoughts in an instant. Catherine turned her head. Then she caught sight of the server inside the room putting some kebabs on the grill. It turned out that the barbecue was ready. No wonder the aroma was so enticing. As Catherine stared at the barbecue, Branden observed her with a subtle smile on his handsome face. Branden thought inwardly, ¡°What should I do? ¡°Although I am the heir of the Duncans, I seem to hold less significance in this woman¡¯s eyes than a barbecue.¡± Branden knew that his current value might not match that of a barbecue. However, when he saw Catherine¡¯s smile, Branden found it all worth it. ¡°Why are you still standing? It¡¯ste now. Let¡¯s eat first and then talk.¡± Branden directly guided the unmoving Catherine to her seat. He firmly pressed her down. Catherine still stared at the barbecue. Catherine had to admit that Branden really understood her. After Catherine returned from the program team, she had been resting in her room all along. If it weren¡¯t for Kim¡¯s news, Catherine might have slept right through to the next day. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Catherine didn¡¯t feel hungry until she saw food. But once she saw it and caught the aroma of the barbecue, she was starving. Most importantly, Branden had a precise understanding of Catherine¡¯s taste. On the table, on one side was her favorite beef brisket, while on the other side was pork steak. The food looked incredibly tempting just from its appearance. This made Catherine¡¯s appetite even more voracious. Paxton stood on the side and took in the aroma that filled the room. He was shocked when he saw Branden serve Catherine with care. Branden was always aloof and held a strong aversion to women. Rumor had it that Branden didn¡¯t allow women within 100 yards of his vicinity. If Paxton hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have believed that Branden would personally serve a woman a meal. No one would believe such a thing. As Paxton saw Catherine enjoying the feast and Branden constantly adding dishes to her te, he silently closed his eyes. Paxton thought inwardly, ¡°Out of sight, out of mind.¡± After finishing the barbecue, Catherine headed straight back to the Swanns¡±. After a while, Catherine was back at the Swanns¡¯ and entered the living room. She noticed that the usually deserted living room was still brightly lit today. Moreover, a surprising number of people were present. Aside from Audrey, all four members of the Swanns were there. Catherine gave them a quick nce. Then she turned to pass through the hallway and headed to her room. But just as Catherine turned, she heard Rachael¡¯s sharp reprimand. ¡°You uncouth thing! We are here, and you can¡¯t even offer a greeting upon your return? Is it that you never learned, or have your manners all disappeared?¡± Catherine stopped and slowly turned around. Then she looked at Rachael coldly. The coldness in Catherine¡¯s gaze was intense. Rachael felt a shiver run down her spine as if a gust of icy wind had hit her. However, Rachael thought she had dressed too lightly for the evening, which was why she felt After all, in Rachael¡¯s eyes, Catherine was utterly disgraceful. Rachael rolled her eyes at Catherine. Then she asked coldly, ¡°What? Do you dare defy me?¡± Catherine chuckled lightly. She looked at Rachael with a smile. And a sharp glint shed in her gaze. Catherine asked, ¡°Whether or not I¡¯ve learned, isn¡¯t Mrs. Swann well aware? ¡°In your eyes, I¡¯m just an uncultured girl, abandoned in the countryside from a young age. What manners could I possibly have?¡± Rachael hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to retort. The words Rachael had nned to say got stuck in her throat. A trace of unease flickered across Rachael¡¯s delicate face. But she quickly regained herposure. Then she stared at Catherine with her sharp eyes. ¡°me it on your bad luck. It¡¯s your misfortune to bring death to your grandmother as soon as you were born.¡± Catherine replied coldly, ¡°It¡¯s you who gave birth to me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Rachael was thoroughly provoked. She had always paid attention to her appearance. And she prided herself on her image as a socialite. Besides, she always appeared refined and elegant. It had been years since she had been this angry.. Now Rachael¡¯s face turned red due to Catherine¡¯s words. In reality, Rachael¡¯s disdain wasn¡¯t solely due to the belief that Catherine was a jinx. Deep within. her thoughts, Rachael held strong traditional views of favoring male heirs over female ones. When Laura was still alive, she didn¡¯t like Rachael from the beginning. Because Rachael wasn¡¯t from a prestigious family. Rachael was just a low-ranking woman with some charm. Most importantly, Laura had already arranged a marriage for her son back then. If Rachael hadn¡¯t hooked up with Korbin and subsequently be pregnant, Rachael wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to join the Swanns. As Vicente learned of Rachael¡¯s pregnancy, he arranged for Korbin to marry Rachael. Laura might have softened toward her if Rachael had given birth to a son during her first. Unfortunately, Rachael¡¯s first child was Audrey, a daughter. Laura was displeased because her mindset was even more traditional. She thought that the Swanns needed a male heir. Rachael knew her position in the Swanns wasn¡¯t secure. Disregarding her own health, Rachael became pregnant with Catherine when Audrey had just turned one year old. During her second pregnancy, perhaps due to the stress, Rachael developed anxiety. Not only that, but Korbin also started having affairs. Although Rachael knew about Korbin¡¯s infidelity, she chose to endure it to secure her position in the Swanns and be the mistress of the Swanns. Rachael ced her hope in her pregnancy. And she prayed that she would give birth to a son. If she had a son, Laura might have been less critical. Rachael¡¯s status within the Swanns could have been secured. However, fate had other ns. Rachael gave birth to another daughter during her second pregnancy. As Rachael faced Laura¡¯s sarcastic remarks, her illness worsened. Laura passed away not long after Catherine was born into the Swanns, and Rachael was seriously ill. Korbin sought help from an astrologer who was from nowhere. The astrologer imed that Catherine was a jinx. Upon hearing this, Rachael wholeheartedly believed it. She firmly convinced Vicente to send Catherine to the countryside for the sake of the Swanns¡¯ tranquility. So, Vicente ordered that the young Catherine be sent away to live alone in the countryside. From the moment Catherine returned, Rachael felt upset. These years, Rachael had enjoyed afortable life. She was envied as one of the most prosperous ladies in Casier. However, Catherine¡¯s arrival it all. Perhaps Rachael had initially known the im was false. But now, she wholeheartedly believed that Catherine was a jinx. The past was brought back to light. And Rachael could no longer contain herself. She pointed at Catherine with anger. Rachael shouted uncontrobly. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re a jinx that brings bad luck upon your parents!¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Catherine¡¯s face turned chillingly cold when she heard Rachael¡¯s hysterical outburst. In an instant, the living room seemed enveloped in a transparent barrier. It was suffocating. Liana and Johnathan had been watching the drama unfold. At that moment, they felt an unsettling panic in the atmosphere. Rachael was stunned, her words dying on her lips because Catherine¡¯s gaze was too unnerving. Seeing the situation deadlock, Korbin, who had been sitting silently on the side all the time, suddenly spoke up. He said with a serious and deep tone, Rachael, that¡¯s enough.¡± Korbin was the current head of the Swanns. And Rachael dared not argue with her husband. Moreover, she realized she had gone too far in her anger. For Rachael, although it was true that Catherine was a jinx, these words were not suitable to say publicly. After all, she was Catherine¡¯s mother. However, although Rachael recognized her slip of the tongue, she attributed all of it to Catherine¡¯sck of manners. She med Catherine for triggering her rage. Rachael stepped back, and Korbin stepped forward. As a leader ustomed to managing situations, Korbin was skilled at reading people¡¯s expressions when making decisions. He understood that Catherine¡¯s current anger was entirely natural from his perspective. To prevent Catherine from acting impulsively and making consequential decisions, Korbin sighed and continued, ¡°Kathy, your mother just got overly upset. She said some odd things in the heat of the moment. ¡°She¡¯s angry because she worries about you. You went off to record a show with Audrey without a word. In the Swanns, we already have one daughter who gets into the limelight and doesn¡¯t focus on her responsibilities. And now, you joined her. Naturally, your mother is frustrated.¡± Hearing Korbin¡¯s words, Catherinezily raised her gaze and coldly stared at him. Catherine seemed to understand why Audrey didn¡¯t seek help from the Swanns, even though she endured mistreatment outside. It was because even if Audrey asked for help, Korbin wouldn¡¯t assist even though Audrey was his daughter. In the end, it might even provoke mockery from Korbin¡¯s side. After all, Korbin genuinely looked down upon the line of work his daughters were involved in. He even considered it a disgrace. Catherine didn¡¯t respond. Korbin continued. ¡°Kathy, be obedient. Tomorrow, ask Audrey to withdraw from that show.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Catherine coldly rejected, leaving no room for negotiation. Korbin hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to challenge him in this manner publicly. He raised his head abruptly and stared coldly at Catherine with his sharp eyes. He was the head of the Swanns. And his authority was not to be challenged. He could indulge Catherine to an extent, but his patience had its limits. As their eyes locked, Catherine sensed the restrained anger in Korbin¡¯s gaze. She realized that Korbin would likely resort to force if she resisted further. Catherine wasn¡¯t worried about Korbin physically confronting her. He didn¡¯t have that capability. However, Catherine didn¡¯t want to get into a conflict with Korbin. She had promised Vicente that she wouldn¡¯t harm the Swanns, no matter the circumstances. Korbinposed himself and spoke calmly again, ¡°Kathy, be good. You shouldn¡¯t have joined that show.¡± Catherine¡¯s mind raced. She frowned and responded with a hint of annoyance. ¡°Why are you and Mr. Bolton both against me being on the show? I am just apanying Audrey for the recording, and it doesn¡¯t interfere with my sses.¡± After hearing that, Korbin was stunned. He had only heardints from his wife and daughter. They said that Catherine aimlessly hung out with Audrey and appeared on television. It damaged the Swanns¡¯ reputation. Now that Catherine had put it this way, it made Korbin realize it in time. Catherine¡¯s words had directly awakened him. Leonel and his backers wished to use Catherine to gain control over the Swanns¡¯ assets and oust Korbin from his position. Leonel chose Catherine because Catherine was the most controble candidate. Moreover, Catherine had the will left by Vicente. She was an ideal choice. In Korbin¡¯s view, Catherine had grown up in the countryside and had never seen the world. So she naturally enjoyed the limelight and the feeling of being a star adored by the public. If Catherine became engrossed in the entertainment industry and couldn¡¯t be manipted by Leonel, Korbin could secure his victory in the previous bet. In the face of wealth, personal dignity seemed insignificant. Korbin suddenly realized the situation. To avoid revealing his intentions too tantly, he put on a facade of helplessness as he gazed at Catherine. ¡°Do you really enjoy it?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t speak, nor did she deny it. She looked at Korbin with a calm expression. She observed the hint of a smile in his eyes. After a moment, Korbin sighed and whispered. ¡°Since you like it, go ahead. Consider itpensation for you. Just be mindful of your studies.¡± Catherine remained indifferent. She had long seen through Korbin¡¯s intentions, but she chose not to expose them. The best way to ruin someone was to let him indulge in corruption without a chance to rise. Rachael had just returned to her seat. She widened her eyes upon hearing this. And she found it hard to believe as she stared at Korbin. Unexpectedly, Korbin gave Rachael a warning look, prohibiting her from making a scene. Korbin smiled slightly as he waved at Catherine. He said, ¡°You must be tired from just returning. Go rest.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Catherine replied. After that, Catherine turned and left the living room. This time, no one stopped her. Just as Catherine walked away, Johnathan immediately eximed. ¡± Dad, how could you let that jinx go? She¡¯s involved in damaging the Swanns 1 reputation like this. Why don¡¯t you kick her out?¡± Since Catherine had beaten him upst time, Johnathan held a deep grudge against her. He was determined to find a way to get rid of her. Finally, he had found an excuse, but he never expected his father wouldn¡¯t take action. Korbin gave Johnathan a cold nce. Korbin was extremely dissatisfied with Johnathan, who didn¡¯t inherit his own intelligence and wisdom. ¡°Use your brain and think about it. Even if Catherine participates in the show, how could she disgrace you?¡± After being scolded, Johnathan instantly backed down. He sat on the side quietly without a word. Liana, who was sitting nearby, was the first to catch on. She had listened to the entire conversation, includingContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Catherine¡¯s words. Initially, Liana couldn¡¯t understand why they wouldn¡¯t just kick Catherine out. Now, she seemed to understand her father¡¯s reasons for not doing so. ¡°Dad, the appointed time is approaching. Do you intend to let it be? Korbin looked at Liana with appreciation. Among his children, Liana had the highest intelligence. But for Korbin, it was a pity that Liana was a girl. ¡°What Liana said is right. I know your thoughts. Just endure a bit longer,¡± Korbin said. Rachael had initially been reluctant toply. But after hearing these words, she knew she had to endure it. She knew thatpared to the Swanns ¡®wealth, it was insignificant. Everyone assumed that Catherine had walked far enough away not to hear them and was speaking boldly. They had no idea that Catherine had an extraordinary hearing. After Catherine heard their words, a chilling smile appeared on her cold face. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 As Catherine entered the school, she was met with numerous curious gazes. That reality show was top-rated now. So a lot of people knew that Catherine had participated in the show. Their impression of her had changed quite a bit. It turned out that Catherine was like this in private and was really good at ying games. With her confident demeanor and charming big-sister vibe, Catherine was a hit among the girls. Initially, everyone thought Catherine had a problematic personality. In their view, she was cold and even a bit pretentious. But after seeing Catherine on the show, they realized she was not what they thought. She was just genuinely not interested in socializing. And it was not an act. As for the attention from those around her, Catherine didn¡¯t pay it any mind. After entering the ssroom, Catherine kept aposed face. She took confident strides and looked straight ahead as she walked to her seat. But as soon as she sat down, Bryan rushed over. His face was full of excitement as he looked at her. ¡°Boss, how did you decide to join the reality show without even telling me?¡± he eximed. Bryan sounded a bit aggrieved. Catherine remained calm. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°You found out on your own, didn¡¯t you?¡± Bryan retorted. ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Bryan thought inwardly, ¡°How can that be the same?¡± For Bryan, hearing about it directly from Catherine waspletely different from discovering it on his own or receiving a report from David. If Catherine had told him herself, it would authenticate Bryan¡¯s status in her eyes. Naturally, it would be different. Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered with Bryan. She felt a bit tired because she had helped with a project for Ronin the previous night. And it kept her upte. Now she was a little weary. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you know next time.¡± With that, Catherineid her head down on the table to sleep. Though her response was somewhat dismissive, it was quite satisfying for Bryan. At least Catherine talked to him. That was enough. Seeing Bryan¡¯s contented smile, David and the others felt slightly disdainful. Ever since the arrival of Catherine, Bryan had changed. The current Bryan wasn¡¯t the same as before. Bryan had be Catherine¡¯sckey. Bryan turned around and coincidentally caught David and the others¡¯ gaze. He witnessed the thick mockery they didn¡¯t manage to conceal in time. Bryan sneered with a disdainful look, 11 Well. You¡¯re just jealous of me. Got it?¡± David and the others felt indignant and couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Jealous of you for what?¡± ¡°Then let me ask you. Can you guys get any attention from Boss when you talk to her? With a triumphantly raised eyebrow, Bryan looked at them. After David and the others thought for a moment, they conceded defeat. Seeing their initially confident demeanor crumble, Bryan secretly relished the moment. The joy of basking in Catherine¡¯s protection and rxing was truly remarkable for Bryan. With Catherine around, Bryan¡¯s days were indeed happy. Seeing the satisfied smile on Bryan¡¯s face, David and the others felt a mix of mockery and envy. But they had no way topete. They were not as handsome as Bryan, and their ability to please was not as strong as his. It was a tragic situation. When the bell rang, all the students returned to their seats. The homeroom teacher taught the first ss. As soon as the homeroom teacher entered the room and stood at the front, she announced something to the ss. She said, ¡°ss, we have a new student joining us today. Let¡¯s wee him with apuse.¡± The entire ss was surprised. Catherine had just transferred not long ago, and now there was another new student. They thought inwardly, ¡°Is ss 8 really that easy to get into?¡± In the next moment, their attention was drawn. Guided by the principal, a boy wearing a ck T-shirt entered the ssroom. The students thought inwardly, ¡°What a background! The principal personally brought him in.¡± With a cheerful smile, the principal led the boy in and said, ¡°Ronin, introduce yourself to everyone.¡± The boy had been keeping his head down. He slowly raised his head upon hearing the principal¡¯s instruction. He was fair-skinned, even fairer than some girls. He had great skin that seemed translucent enough to see veins underneath. Unfortunately, his face wasn¡¯t that impressive. He had a big bowl hairdo with thick, heavy bangs. Although his face wasn¡¯t big, those oversized ck sses covered a significant portion. His overall appearance was quite in. And he had a typical nerd look. He looked up and introduced himself in a low voice, ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Ronin Oconnor, the new transfer student.¡± With that, he lowered his head again. He appeared quite shy. But this kind of student was very much favored by the principal. The principal hade out to introduce him personally. The principal said, ¡°Ronin is this year¡¯s national mathpetition champion. He is an outstanding student. His ability to join and be a part of our school is remarkable. Let¡¯s give him a round of apuse!¡± No wonder the principal personally weed him. It turned out he was a top student. Now everyone was no longer in doubt. Although their school was private, this institution ced great emphasis on academic performance. Truly exceptional students with excellent grades could easily get in, but they must be among the top. The principal finished his introduction and left. The homeroom teacher was exceptionally courteous since Ronin was a student the principal personally brought in. ¡°Ronin, where would you like to sit?¡± Ronin looked up suddenly. He extended his hand and pointed to an empty seat without hesitation. He asked the homeroom teacher, ¡°Can I sit there?¡± Once it was confirmed where Ronin wanted to sit, everyone was stunned. No one had expected that Ronin would want to sit in Bryan¡¯s seat, and even the homeroom teacher was momentarily taken aback. Initially, Bryan had no interest in the new arrival. But now that everyone¡¯s attention was on Bryan, he lifted his head and looked toward Ronin. Bryan¡¯s fierce gaze carried a challenging dominance. Despite Bryan evolving into ackey, he was still immensely intimidating when he got angry. The moment Bryan lifted his head, the entire ss felt a shift in the atmosphere. The others remained silent and watched the intense gaze lock between the two. Even the homeroom teacher found it a bit strange. She thought inwardly, 11 Ronin seems gentle. But why does he choose Bryan¡¯s seat?¡± She tried to persuade Ronin. She said, ¡± Ronin, that seat is already taken by another student. How about you choose a different seat?¡± However, Ronin remained firm and looked at Bryan¡¯s seat without saying a word. Bryan raised an eyebrow and looked at him with confidence and dominance, Bryan couldn¡¯t believe that this neer dared to challenge him. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Bryan thought inwardly, ¡°Who does he think I am? ¡°Does he think I am an easy target to be bullied? ¡°If he has the guts, he should try it.¡± As tensions escted, the situation quickly turned into a deadlock. Even the homeroom teacher found it hard to mediate now. On one side was Bryan, and on the other side was the new top student. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to offend either. Just as everyone held their breaths, Catherine, who had been in a doze, suddenly woke up. She slowly lifted her head and propped her chin on her hand. Then she looked toward the front of the ss. As everyone knew, Bryan was now Catherine¡¯sckey. The others thought inwardly, ¡°Since her lackey is being bullied, Catherine shouldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing.¡± All eyes were on Catherine. They were waiting to see how Catherine would handle the new top student. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Catherine looked up, immediately recognizing Ronin standing on the podium. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, making everyone think that she would teach Ronin a lesson. However, she was just secretlyining that Ronin¡¯s costume was so ugly. She wondered what Ronin was thinking. Why would he dress up like that at school? Did he think he was cosying or something? Ronin looked at Catherine as she looked over, and his eyebrows furrowed. He felt uneasy, unsure if Catherine was angry because he acted without permission. Catherine¡¯s rosy lips slightly parted as she spoke in a cold voice. ¡°Sit down!¡± She pointed to the seat next to her in the adiacent aisle. Ronin nced at it. Although it wasn¡¯t Catherine¡¯s desk, the distance wasn¡¯t that far, so it could be considered sitting next to her. Out of respect for Catherine, he decided not to argue with Bryan. Ronin happily said, ¡°Okay!¡± Then, he slung his backpack and happily skipped over to the seat. The crisis was averted. The homeroom teacher breathed a sigh of relief, intensely appreciating Catherine¡¯s initiative to speak up and help maintain ss unity. Although Catherine appeared to have a cold personality, she had a warm heart. She just lent a hand at the right time. Bryan looked at Ronin, smiling at Catherine. For some reason, he felt ufortable. He had a feeling that Ronin was trying to steal his throne, and his position was insecure. Ever since Ronin appeared, Bryan had inexplicably developed a sense of hostility towards him. There were no idents during ss. But as soon as the dismissal bell rang and the homeroom teacher left, the atmosphere in ss 8 changed. The originally quiet ss 8 became even quieter during dismissal. Suddenly, Bryan stood up. Students present could all feel the atmosphere was thick with tension. The few people who usually followed Bryan gathered around him. To avoid disturbing Catherine¡¯s rest, Bryan circled around and walked to the middle of the aisle, lowering his head to scrutinize Ronin. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Ronin, who had always been obedient and studious stood un directly With one hand in his pocket, he looked at Bryan contemptuously. There was a hint of provocation in Ronin¡¯s eyes behind the ck- frame sses. Ronin did have the guts to provoke Bryan, which was truly admirable to everyone. As their eyes met, Bryan felt a strong sense of aggression emanating from Ronin. A mischievous smile curled on Bryan¡¯s face. He realized that Ronin was not as ordinary as he seemed. After exchanging nces, they reached a consensus. Bryan said first, ¡°My boss is sleeping. Let¡¯s go outside and talk!¡± The meaning behind the word ¡°talk¡± was profound. When Ronin heard Bryan refer to Catherine as his boss, his mocking smile instantly faded. By trying topete for Catherine¡¯s favor, Bryan¡¯s ignorant attitude obviously crossed Ronin¡¯s bottom line. Ronin clenched his teeth and coldly responded, ¡°I was thinking the same thing!¡± Then, Ronin followed Bryan out of the ssroom. Before leaving, Bryan instructed David and the others not to follow. David and other students expressed concern about potential trouble. They weren¡¯t worried about Bryan getting into trouble; they knew his skills well. However, they thought the neer, Ronin, was dangerous. He was so academically talented that he must be the principal¡¯s favorite. What if he got injured? After much hesitation, David summoned his courage and approached Catherine. ¡°Catherine, wake up!¡± Catherine heard the voice and slowly raised her head, her eyelids slightly lifted. A cold light gleamed in her drowsy eyes as she looked in David¡¯s direction. That gaze nearly scared David to death. He quickly exined, ¡°Catherine, please don¡¯t get angry with me. I have something important to report.¡± ¡°Go on!¡± These two cold words clearly showed Catherine¡¯s attitude. David briefly exined what happened to Bryan and Ronin, along with his concerns. Catherine nced at Ronin¡¯s seat, which was empty. She nodded and replied with a single word. ¡°Okay!¡± Then she lowered her head again. It wasn¡¯t that Catherine didn¡¯t care about Ronin. He had been trained for a long time under her guidance, likely on par with Bryan. Young people had hot tempers and good physical strength, so asional venting could be helpful. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t intervene, David and the others dared not ask further. Everyone waited anxiously for the two to return. The two people who had just stepped out for a ¡°talk¡± returned the moment the bell rang. All eyes were on them. Seeing that Bryan and Ronin were dressed neatly, everyone was even more confused. David carefully observed Ronin and felt conflicted. Could it be that Bryan was really just talking to Ronin? When had Bryan be so gentle? After the two returned, Catherine woke up. Her cold gaze swept over both of them, and she came to a conclusion. It seemed that the two were indeed evenly matched in strength. However, from Bryan¡¯s seating posture, it was evident that Ronin had a slight advantage. Ronin had been fighting on the streets since he was young. Although his strength and skills were lacking, he was cunning enough. An ordinary person couldn¡¯t take advantage of him. After Ronin sat down, he noticed that Catherine was awake and quickly smiled at her in an attempt to please her. ¡°Boss!¡± Everyone was shocked, wondering if Ronin had a close rtionship with Catherine. Catherine nced at him and coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s time for ss!¡± Ronin wasn¡¯t upset by Catherine¡¯s coldness. On the contrary, he felt happy that she spoke to him. ¡°Okay, Boss, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pay attention in ss!¡± Bryan secretly rubbed his leg in pain, venting his frustration internally. He felt particrly annoyed after seeing Ronin trying to please Catherine. ¡°You little brat,¡± he thought, ¡°I¡¯ll never let you take advantage of my boss!¡± Bryan looked at Catherine with a pitiful expression and asked, ¡°Boss, do you know this guy?¡± Catherine nodded but didn¡¯t speak. Upon hearing Bryan¡¯s question, Ronin raised an eyebrow at him. Then, he shed a provocative smile that could drive Bryan crazy. ¡°Boss has known me for much longer, you know!¡± ¡°You goddamn¡­¡± Bryan couldn¡¯t stand it, and they were about to argue. Hearing footsteps approaching, Catherine knew that the teacher was about to arrive. Her face immediately darkened as she coldly said, ¡°Time for ss, understood?¡± Bryan and Ronin immediately shut up, knowing personal grievances could be resolved anytime. The top priority at the moment was not to anger their boss. Bryan and Ronin were about to fight to the death. However, their anger instantly subsided with just a few simple words from Catherine. The ssmates who were ready to watch the show were left dumbfounded. Indeed, Catherine was formidable. She was the true boss here! Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Under Catherine¡¯s intimidating presence, everyone attended another peaceful ss. After the ss ended, Catherine woke up. The previous days of recording variety shows had disrupted her sleep schedule, and she couldn¡¯t stick to her habits. As she woke up, Ronin immediately took a box of pastries and a thermos from his backpack and handed them to her. His actions were skilled and natural, indicating that it was a habit he had developed over a long time. ¡°Boss, have some.¡± Catherine had a tendency for low blood sugar since she was young. Perhaps because she was too smart and talented, she was given some ws to make her appear more perfect. Moreover, Catherine preferred salty and spicy food and didn¡¯t like sweets. She often felt dizzy due to low blood sugar. Ronin had been by her side for many years and was ustomed to caring for her. With the familiar voice and aroma, Catherine naturally reached out and took a pastry, stuffing it into her mouth. Seeing her eat it, Ronin was pleased. He opened the thermos and handed it to her, saying, ¡°Boss, have some rose liqueur!¡± Catherine took it and took a sip. Indeed, the rose liqueur made by Ronin was the most authentic, even better than the imported one she had drunk at David¡¯s housest time. The other students in ss 8 were dumbfounded. Wasn¡¯t this how kings were served in ancient times? It wasn¡¯t enough to have Bryan as a servant. Now there was Ronin, who was a servant and a top student. They began to wonder about Catherine¡¯s identity. Why was everyone around her trying to please her? Bryan had an unhappy expression on his face. However, his unhappiness was not directed at Catherine but at Ronin by her side. He didn¡¯t know that Catherine was interested in pastries and liked drinking rose liqueur. ¡°What kind of person is Ronin?¡± he thought. ¡± He¡¯s such a bold guy.¡± Bryan had always been pampered and sheltered by his family, never experiencing the darkness of society. He found it hard to hide his straightforwardness, especially around Catherine. ¡°Boss, did you know Ronin before?¡± As soon as this remark was made, almost all the students in ss 8 perked up their ears, eagerly waiting for the gossip. Ronin had a hopeful look in his eyes. This time, he acted without seeking permission first and didn¡¯t know if Catherine would be angry. Catherine had no intention of hiding the truth. Seeing Bryan¡¯s interest, she nodded lightly and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± Perhaps it was because Bryan¡¯s expression was too innocent, it reminded Catherine of Audrey. She exined, ¡°We knew each other in the countryside.¡± Bryan was satisfied with Catherine¡¯s exnation. It turned out they knew each other in the countryside. No wonder they were so close. Ronin was happy as well. If Catherine was willing to say that, it meant she wasn¡¯t ming him. Overjoyed, he even forgot about the unpleasantness between him and Bryan. He started bragging. ¡°I used to be with Boss in the countryside. Boss took good care of me, understand?¡± Bryan didn¡¯t want to understand it at all. The thought of Ronin knowing Catherine earlier than him made him feel uneasy. Now, everyone knew Ronin¡¯s background. They initially thought he was from a prestigious family, a top student, but it turned out he was just a country boy who got in based on his grades. It wasn¡¯t surprising to have a few high- achieving students who were used as examples by schools to compete for rankings. Those who had wanted to tter Ronin suddenly lost interest. People¡¯s attention diminished, and they focused less on Ronin. Suddenly, George came back from the teacher¡¯s office holding a stack of forms. He went straight to the podium, facing the whole ss. ¡°Give me a minute, guys. I¡¯ve got something to tell you!¡± George had a good reputation in ss 8. He was a typical nice guy who was helpful to everyone. Although hecked authority, everyone was willing to show him some respect. Everyone looked up at George. George pushed his ck-framed sses up his nose and smiled pleasingly. ¡°The annual school celebration is here. This year is the 10th anniversary of our school¡¯s founding, and the school ns to hold a grand event. Each ss must perform several talent shows, so please participate actively and help our ss achieve a good ranking.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. At this point, George paused and sighed, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want other students to misunderstand our ss. We are not just good at academics. We must also excel in such activities.¡± Everyone knew what George meant. It was well-known that the students in ss 8 were arrogant because they had good grades. All the top students were in ss 8. But as young people, no one was willing to back down. So what if ss 8 had good grades? They were all bookworms,cking in arts and sports! Whenever there was a schoolpetition, ss 8 would be humiliated by students from other sses. The whole ss 8 had endured such humiliation for a long time. Someone couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and shouted, ¡°George, who said there are no talented students in ss 8? We have Liana, a talented pianist who could potentially be world- famous!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± someone echoed. Liana sat in her seat with a faint smile, not making any statement. She exuded an aura of an artistic genius. She had been learning the piano since she was young and was known as a prodigy. Her dream was to be the chief pianist of the best vocal ensemble in Vienna in the future. At that time, she would bring honor not only to the Swann family but also to her country. She thought that Catherine, a country girl, could neverpare to her. Also, Liana thought Catherine was a rude and unreasonable girl who relied on her rural upbringing to threaten people with her fists. ¡°Hmph!¡± Liana scoffed inwardly. ¡± What¡¯s so great about her? She¡¯s just a low-ss person.¡± George nodded and said to Liana,¡± Liana, I¡¯ll register you first. Can you perform a piano solo?¡± Liana gracefully nodded and softly said, ¡°Okay, every ss 8 student must strive for honor without tarnishing the ss¡¯s reputation.¡± That statement made Liana sound like a leader. However, it was despicable for one to boost oneself while belittling others. The words ¡°tarnishing the ss¡¯s reputation¡± referred to the giarism incident involving Catherine, which made ss 8 infamous throughout the grade. This was indeed a case of boosting oneself by tearing others down. Although Liana kept belittling Catherine, Catherine didn¡¯t react at all. Her scheme seemed to have no effect on Catherine. Catherine didn¡¯t pay any attention to her, not even a nce. Although Liana had agreed to perform a piano solo, it wasn¡¯t enough. After all, the school required at least five talent shows to be showcased. Not to mention achieving a good ranking, if they couldn¡¯t evene up with five talent shows, the whole ss 8 would be humiliated again. George¡¯s earnest persuasion was in vain, so he had to turn to Bryan for help. It was well known that Bryan had a lot of influence in the ss. It would be much more effective if he spoke up than George doing it himself. However, Bryan never liked getting involved in these things. He tly refused. Later, something happened after school, which solved George¡¯s problem. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 At the end of the school day, Catherine woke up and grabbed her backpack to leave. Bryan quickly caught up, not noticing a figure rushing towards them even faster. The figure bumped into him and squeezed next to Catherine. Bryan was furious, thinking, ¡°This little brat has got some nerve!¡± Ronin felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart. Catherine would always be his, and no one could take her away. ¡°Boss, let¡¯s have a barbecue together tonight. I¡¯ll cook for you. I¡¯ve developed a new barbecue sauce that tastes amazing,¡± Ronin said. Besides studyingputers, Ronin loved cooking. Making Catherine happy with his cooking was the most important thing to him. He couldn¡¯tpete with Catherine onputers. After all, Catherine was his teacher. But having culinary skills that impressed her was also a kind of ability. It had been a while since Catherine had tasted the food Ronin cooked, and she missed it a bit. The rose liqueur today awakened her taste buds. The food she had been eating recently was a disappointment, so it would be a good idea to try some Ronin¡¯s food. Catherine nodded in agreement, and Bryan quickly caught up and said, 11 Boss, I found an amazing chef. Can I treat you to a meal?¡± Ronin thought Bryan was so shameless that he tried acting cute to steal Catherine¡¯s attention. ¡°Act cute, huh?¡± Roninined inwardly. ¡°I thought you were a tough guy. Shame on you, bastard!¡± While the two were in a tensepetition, Catherine noticed a sounding from the side. She frowned and walked towards it with a cold face. Bryan was the first to notice Catherine¡¯s action. He wanted to call out to her but was quickly silenced by Ronin¡¯s hand. Ronin red at Bryan, looking at him as if he were an idiot. Bryan realized what was happening and blinked at Ronin. Only then did Ronin let him go, and the two followed Catherine¡¯s direction. Catherine leaned against the corner of the corridor, watching the violent scene inside. George was surrounded by several boys from ss 5, definitely at a disadvantage. George stood among them, trying to please the others. his eves somewhat cautious. ¡°Hey guys, we are schoolmates. There¡¯s no need for this, right? How about I treat you all to a meal today?¡± George said. A boy stood at the forefront, provocatively pping George¡¯s face with a smirk. ¡°Meal? Kid, are you trying to bribe us? How dare youe to our ss and cause trouble? You¡¯ve got some nerve,¡± he sarcastically taunted. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! These boys were extremely rude. However, George could only show weakness at the moment. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, I swear,¡± he pleaded. ¡°Don¡¯t deny it, boy. I think you¡¯re asking for trouble!¡± One of the boys from ss 5 grabbed George by the cor, threatening, ¡°Are you sneaking around our ss trying to find out about our talent shows for the school anniversary?¡± ¡°ss 8 is so despicable. You have no skills of your own, yet you try to steal from others? Just because you have better grades doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re superior to us. Who knows if you cheated, ha!¡± Mocking voices continued, filled with insulting words. George couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He felt his blood boiling, causing him to forget that he was still in a weaker position. He yelled furiously, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± The air fell silent for a moment, and then the leader of ss 5 showed a wicked grin, his fierce gaze fixed on George. ¡°You¡¯re asking for trouble, brat! Hey, guys, let¡¯s teach him a lesson!¡± George covered his head, preparing himself for the punches and kicks, but the expected pain didn¡¯t come. He slowly opened his eyes and was shocked by the scene before him. Bryan and Ronin quickly subdued several boys from ss 5 who were about to attack him. Leaningzily against the wall with her hands in her pockets, Catherine exuded an extraordinary aura. Despite her rxed posture, she emitted an intimidating presence that made her seem incredibly powerful. At that moment, George finally understood why someone like Bryan, who was usually so powerful, was willing to call Catherine ¡°Boss.¡± She looked truly intimidating! Bryan held the leader of ss 5 by the neck, positioning his head under his armpit. Then, he stared at that boy with a sinister smile. Bryan¡¯s voice was icy cold as he said, ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got some guts to bully George, huh?¡± That boy trembled in fear, knowing Bryan¡¯s reputation. They dared to bully George but wouldn¡¯t dare mess with Bryan. Bryan¡¯s title wasn¡¯t given for nothing. Everyone feared him. Bryan looked up at Catherine. Since she was his ¡°boss,¡± he was supposed to listen to her. ¡°Boss, should I teach this guy a lesson? He really deserves it.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she looked at George. George was terrified when he felt Catherine¡¯s cold gaze on him. He asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Catherine, do you have any orders for me?¡± Catherine pointed at the several boys from ss 5 and said coldly to George, You decide how to handle them.¡± This decision caught George off guard. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to do this. Bryan understood Catherine¡¯s intention. It was George¡¯s right to deal with those who bullied him. Thinking about taking Catherine out for a barbecue, Bryan impatiently said to George, ¡°Hurry up!¡± Startled by the shout, George trembled and stammered. ¡°We¡¯re schoolmates. We shouldn¡¯t fight and ruin our friendship!¡± After he finished speaking, Bryan released the person he held captive. The people from ss 5 didn¡¯t expect to escape unscathed. It seemed that the rumors were true. The leader of ss 8 was this girl named Catherine, not Bryan anymore. Before walking away, those boys cautiously looked around to confirm what George said was true. Just as they took a few steps, they heard Bryan¡¯s voice from behind, almost causing them to stumble. The leader of ss 5 turned around carefully and asked Bryan, ¡°Bryan, do you have any orders?¡± Bryan looked at them with a cold face and said domineeringly, ¡°Kids, focus. on studying and stop causing trouble. If I catch you bullying any other students, I¡¯ll beat the crap out of you. Got it?¡± These boys nodded quickly, continuously bowing. ¡°Yes, we will remember that!¡± Bryan waved his hand, allowing them to leave. At that moment, Bryan¡¯s image in George¡¯s mind instantly improved. Bryan was such a positive and loving person! George¡¯s thoughts became active. He didn¡¯t ask for Bryan¡¯s help before, but now he had found a new target- Catherine! As long as Catherine agreed to help, all the problems would be solved. George carefully approached Catherine and rehearsed countless times in his mind before saying, ¡°Catherine, can I ask you for a favor?¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Catherine didn¡¯t even look at George. Instead, she coldly uttered two words. ¡°No way.¡± Ronin stifled hisugh, almost falling over from amusement. It seemed like George had no idea what type of a person Catherine was. She never cared about these things. How could she agree to help? It was ridiculous! George, being rejected, didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all. He knew he would be turned down. The next second, what George did surprised everybody else. He started crying! He wailed loudly, and both Ronin and Bryan found it somewhat awkward. They had already criticized each other¡¯s acting skills, but now they encountered someone even more shameless than them. George sobbed and looked at Catherine, snot and tears streaming down his face. ¡°Catherine, please help me. I finally became the head of the ss and wanted to do something for our ssmates. Now, I can¡¯t even guarantee several talent shows. It¡¯s not just about me. It will embarrass the whole ss 8. Can you imagine how difficult it is for me?¡± Catherine furrowed her brows at him. Ronin and Bryan nced at each other, silently sighing. George did sacrifice a lot for this. Although Catherine knew that George was putting on an act, she couldn¡¯t fully understand his behavior. She had never exerted much effort to fight for anything because everything seemed to be within her reach, ready for her to choose. This made Catherine curious about George¡¯s actions. The next second¡­ ¡°How many more do you need?¡± Catherine asked coldly. George was taken aback for a moment before responding. ¡°We still need two more to meet the minimum requirement for registration. I¡¯m not asking for much.¡± Bryan understood Catherine¡¯s intention and knew she was willing to help. He quickly said, ¡°David is good at dancing. I¡¯ll have him sign up!¡± Despite David¡¯s slightly chubby figure, he was a master of popping. George¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Then we only need one more.¡± Now even Bryan fell silent. He knew that David was the only option, as the others were more focused on their studies andcked special talents. There was a moment of silence. Suddenly, Catherine spoke up. ¡°Count me in!¡± After saying that, she didn¡¯t linger and turned around to leave. Bryan and Ronin quickly caught up with her, while George, who had just realized what was happening, shouted after them, ¡°Thank you, Catherine!¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Hearing George¡¯s grateful shout, Catherine walked away with a confident stride, a faint smile shing across her eyes. Helping those in need made one attractive! Just as Ronin and Bryan were still undecided about where to have dinner, they werepletely caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a man. They had just left the gate when they noticed a ck G-Wagon parked before them. With just one nce, they could tell it was a top-of-the-line model owned by someone extraordinary. The window rolled down, revealing a confident and handsome face. The man¡¯s deep, dark eyes carried a hint of a smile as theynded on Catherine¡¯s face. ¡°Hey, babe, want a ride?¡± His casual yet captivating voice had a prating power that could shake one¡¯s heart. Catherine rarely saw Branden without his formal attire. He wore a ck shirt with a wide-open cor, revealing exquisite corbones and arge area of his tanned chest. His handsomeness carried a hint of wickedness. Catherine looked at him with a yful smile, finding him cute and s3xy. Ronin recognized Branden the moment he saw him, and rm bells started ringing in his mind. He nced at Bryan, and they came up with an idea. Now was not the time for rivalry. When faced with a stronger opponent, the weaker ones should stick together. Without Catherine¡¯s knowledge, Bryan and Ronin had formed an alliance, presenting a united front. Bryan felt that although Branden was his uncle, Branden was too overbearing and never hung out with him. Ronin was clearly a better choice! Bryan decisively decided to cooperate with Ronin. Ronin stepped forward and said to Catherine, ¡°Boss, didn¡¯t we agree to have a barbecue together tonight? I¡¯ve prepared thetest sauce for you. It¡¯s really delicious. Boss, you¡¯re not going to stand me up, right?¡± Bryan quickly chimed in. ¡°I¡¯m going too. Ronin just agreed.¡± Although they were both reluctant in their hearts, they were now tied together. Ronin had to agree. It was better to secure Catherine first instead of fighting between themselves and letting another man take advantage. At that moment, the man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Triston, spoke up. When he heard the word ¡°barbecue,¡± he became interested. ¡°What kind of barbecue? Is it tasty? Take me with you. I¡¯m an expert at judging food. Barbecue is only fun when there are many people. Ronin and Bryan exchanged a disdainful nce and ignored him. Branden¡¯s cold gaze swept over the two boys behind Catherine. There was originally just Bryan, but now there was another one. Seeing Bryan¡¯s and Ronin¡¯s protective looks in their eyes, Branden knew they might be very difficult to deal with. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be so popr. An elegant smile appeared on his handsome face as he gently looked at Catherine. ¡°Together?¡± What should she do? It was impossible to divide her body into pieces for everyone. Since they couldn¡¯t reach a consensus, they had no choice but to gather. Catherine nodded and agreed with Branden¡¯s proposal. ¡°Sure!¡± Branden got out of the car and opened the door, inviting Catherine to get in. The G-Wagon was tall, so she needed to use the footboard to get in. Before Triston could put the footboard down, Catherine used one hand to prop herself up and sat in the car. Branden¡¯s hand intending to help her, was left hanging in the air. He looked at his own hand, helplessly smiling. ¡°Quite impressive, girl,¡± he murmured inwardly. ¡°But this is not good, I guess. Branden followed suit and got in the car. Ronin quickly climbed in, disregarding the alliance he had formed with Bryan just a second ago! This left Bryan stunned. He was just one second slow, which was how Ronin treated him. ¡°Fine, you ruthless brat,¡± Bryan cursed inwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll get my revenge, I promise!¡± Reluctantly, Bryan opened the front seat door and climbed in, mming the door with a resounding noise. Triston looked at Bryan in confusion. ¡± Hey, dude, do you have a problem with my car or sitting in the same row as me? Is it necessary to be so rude?¡± Bryan nced at Triston coldly and muttered, ¡°Just drive, old man.¡± Old man? Triston was annoyed. ¡°You little¡­¡± Bryan interrupted. ¡°Is there a problem? Triston had no choice but to start the car and drive away. The Duncans were not to be messed with, so he¡¯d better keep silent. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 ¡°Oh my goodness! How was this barbecue sauce made? It¡¯s so delicious! It¡¯s amazing¡­¡± Triston eximed in astonishment as he quickly stuffed food into his mouth. Just like Catherine, he loved barbecue. He had tried all the barbecues in his home country, and in the end, he even opened his own barbecue restaurant with a master chef. It was evident that he truly loved it. Triston hade here to join in the fun, but he didn¡¯t expect this barbecue to be so impressive and delicious. It was truly extraordinary. Ronin rolled his eyes at Triston and couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°Why do you have to talk while eating? If you keep bbering, I¡¯ll kick you out!¡± Triston was scared by Ronin¡¯s fierce tone of voice. He quickly grabbed some meat and stuffed them into his mouth to prevent himself from being kicked outter. Ronin sat in his seat, looking unhappy. He had spent a long time researching the sauce and had tried it many times. It was specifically designed to serve Catherine. But now, so many people shared it. The sauce wasn¡¯t exclusively for Catherine now, which made him angry. ¡°How could it be like this?¡± he asked inwardly. ¡°I made the sauce for Catherine! I don¡¯t want you to share it with her!¡± However, Catherine agreed to let the other peoplee, and Ronin had no choice but to acquiesce. He looked towards Catherine and saw Branden naturally put a piece of meat on Catherine¡¯s te. Seeing this, Ronin exploded with rage. He stood up and red at Branden, his face full of anger. ¡°Hey, how can you use your fork to pick food for our Boss? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s contaminated with your saliva?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the noisy table fell silent, and only the sound of meat sizzling remained. Everyone¡¯s gaze focused on the two of them, but Branden remained calm as if he wasn¡¯t the one being shouted at. He slowly lifted his head and nced at Ronin, his gaze steady and icy, devoid of emotion. Catherine didn¡¯t think it was a big deal either. She continued to eat the meat on her te without any hesitation. Theck of response from the two directly answered everything silently. Tristonughed out loud in an attempt to diffuse the awkwardness. ¡°Well, what¡¯s the big deal? They¡¯re engaged, and their parents have agreed. It¡¯s normal for them to sleep together, let alone share food.¡± Ronin, already on the verge of exploding, threw a fit on the spot. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! How can this guy be worthy of our Boss?¡± The air fell silent in an instant, and Triston internally gave a thumbs-up to Ronin. ¡°Well done, young man,¡± he praised silently. ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡± Ronin might be the only person in Casier who dared to say such words to Branden. Sensing the strange atmosphere, Ronin felt panic in his heart, but he quickly overcame it with his strong belief. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong!¡± He stared at Branden, his eyes filled with resentment. In Ronin¡¯s opinion, this man¡¯s behavior tarnished Catherine, and he would not let that happen again. Branden¡¯s expression changed slightly, and his eyebrows slightly furrowed. He didn¡¯t have time to y around with Ronin, a little brat. He cared about Catherine. He locked his gaze Conto Catherine, his deep eyes seeming to carry the power to devour everything. 11 Do you think I¡¯m good enough for you?¡± Catherine, enjoying the barbecue, didn¡¯t expect such an abrupt question. Hearing the voice, she slowly raised her head, her cold eyes filled with confusion. Under Branden¡¯s charming temptation, Catherine instinctively nodded her head. A faint smile appeared on Branden¡¯s face. The tip of his tongue pressed against his cheek, and the upward tilt of his eyes was filled with pride. Triston noticed it as well. He reached out to pat Ronin¡¯s shoulder. Ronin turned his head and red at Triston angrily, forcefully shaking off Triston¡¯s hand. Catherine just wanted to enjoy the barbecue and didn¡¯t want any more conflicts. Suddenly, she spoke to Ronin. ¡°The barbecue is good!¡± In the previous second, Ronin was sulking, but a big smile instantly appeared after hearing Catherine¡¯s words. He turned his head to look at Catherine, his eyes filled with anticipation. ¡°Boss, I was originally worried that the sauce would be too salty. I didn¡¯t expect you to like it too. It¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Catherine raised her eyes slightly and nced at Ronin, who had a bright smile on his face. She nodded in agreement with his words. For Ronin, this was like being praised twice in a row by his Boss simultaneously, which enormously excited him. Just a moment ago, he felt the world was gloomy, but it suddenly became colorful and vibrant. ¡°Boss, I put some jelly in the refrigerator. I made it myself. I¡¯ll go get it for you!¡± After saying that, Ronin got up and left . Jelly went well with the barbecue. It was a perfect match. As soon as Ronin disappeared, Triston immediately red at Catherine, whispering, ¡°Catherine, this ssmate of yours seems a bit crazy, huh? How can he switch roles so easily? One second ago, he was a cold and arrogant top student, and the next, he was a sweet little puppy. He¡¯s quite an actor.¡± Like a family member, Ronin had been by Catherine¡¯s side since they were young. She didn¡¯t like hearing others talk about him. She raised her head, and her eyes instantly turned icy. Her eyes were like two sharp swords, shooting directly at Triston. Her gaze was intimidating. Just one nce at Triston made him feel a sense of fear, which was even more terrifying than Branden¡¯s. Triston suddenly realized that offending Branden wasn¡¯t the worst thing. But offending Catherine was because offending Catherine was equivalent to insulting Branden, Bryan, and even Ronin. Triston couldn¡¯t afford to offend them, so he quickly apologized. ¡°Well, sorry, I was just talking nonsense. I¡¯ll shut up and eat the barbecue, okay?¡± Since Triston had apologized, Catherine didn¡¯t dwell on it anymore. Ronin came back with a te in his hand. He ced it in front of Catherine, looking at her expectantly. ¡°Boss, have a try. I added some mint water and fruits without sugar!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t like to eat sweets. Bryan nced at the te and found that Ronin was quite scheming. There were so many people, but Ronin only brought jelly for Catherine. She was truly favored. Catherine took a bite and nodded in satisfaction. Ronin¡¯s cooking did suit her taste. She slowly raised her eyes and nced at Ronin, asking, ¡°Is there more?¡± Ronin knew what Catherine¡¯s words meant. He turned around to bring out a small pot, cing it in front of everyone. His voice was cold as he said, ¡°If you want to eat, serve yourself!¡± Ronin¡¯s attitude totally changed! Chapter 123 Chapter 123 With the end of the barbecue, the conflict was sort of put to rest. What followed was the big question of who would send Catherine back. The men were at odds with each other. Bryan didn¡¯t dare to fight with Branden, but he was bold enough to fight with Ronin! Ronin was young and had no fear of them. Although he was intimidated by Branden¡¯s aura deep inside, he didn¡¯t hesitate to choose Catherine when he was in front of her. Catherine had no idea how she had, all of a sudden, be the lead in their fight. Did she need them to tell her how to go back? While the few men were at a standstill, Catherine was already heading towards Ronin¡¯s underground garage. Several motorcycles were parked inside the garage, all of which were Ronin¡¯s, and the keys were all inside the slot. Without hesitation, Catherine picked one of them and straddled it handsomely. Then, she turned back and waved her hand at them. ¡°Gotta go! The few of them returned to their senses. Seeing Catherine trying to ride the motorcycle by herself, they knew there was no hope of giving her a ride. Just when Catherine arrived at the gate of the neighborhood on her motorcycle, she raised her head and saw the man at the entrance of the alley in front of her. The man stood under the streetlight, leaning against the wall. The yellowish streetlight poured on his body, lengthening his reflection infinitely. His cold and stunning temperament made people notice him at a nce. The motorcycle roared. Branden slowly looked up and saw Catherinee to a stop at his side. Catherine looked at the man in front of her. With his charming eyes narrowed, a faint smile escaped his cold face. ¡°You¡¯re quite fast!¡± After getting out of Ronin¡¯s house, she rode a motorcycle while he walked there. He leftter than her but still managed to be here earlier. Even if he had taken a shortcut, there was no way he could have gotten ahead of her without some skill. Catherine sized Branden up and down and suddenly felt that this man was a bit unfathomable. Branden¡¯s face was handsome and wless. His thin lips were curled up into a faint smile, and his eyes were upturned as he looked straight at her. ¡°Kathy, can you give me a ride?¡± Although he did not smoke, his voice was hoarse and low, with a hint of seductive maism. It made people unable to reject his words. In Catherine¡¯s frozen seconds, the man had already straddled the motorcycle. His movements were even smoother and faster than hers. When Catherine reacted, she could only start her motorcycle and ride away. Catherine took Branden¡¯s words seriously and sent him to the Duncans¡¯. She could only send him there because this was the only ce she knew where Branden was staying. As for other ces, she didn¡¯t know much about them. After arriving at the Duncans¡¯, Branden took the initiative to get off the motorcycle and didn¡¯t pester Catherine. In the darkness of the night, hisrge, bright eyes were as bright as thousands of stars. His gaze slowly fell on Catherine before he gently said, ¡± Thank you, Kathy!¡± Catherine realized that she couldn¡¯t stand Branden¡¯s voice when he spoke to her in such a way. It would put her into a state of obsession. Shooting a nce at him, Catherine turned back, started the motorcycle, and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Triston happened to see the scene as he drove Bryan back. Bryan despised Branden¡¯s behavior to the fullest. Although he didn¡¯t dare to rebel against Branden openly, he still cursed angrily through clenched teeth as he passed by Branden, ¡°Despicable!¡± Branden slowly shot a cold gaze at Bryan. Bryan¡¯s heart skipped a beat out of fear when he saw Branden¡¯s expression. He grabbed his school bag and rushed into the house. Triston wasughing crazily as he watched them from the side. He had never thought that a person like Branden would cause public anger one day. Just now, they were discussing how to get back home, and when they turned around, they realized Branden had already left. They didn¡¯t expect him to do this behind their backs. With his arms crossed over his chest, Triston pouted his lips and nodded at Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I do think that what Bryan said makes sense.¡± Branden looked up and raised his eyebrows, staring scornfully at Triston with icy eyes. Then, he said coldly,¡± Want to get beaten up?¡± Frightened, Triston hurriedly shook his head and changed his attitude. He looked at Branden with a fawning smile and said, ¡°Of course not! I just think your tactic is brilliant. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll never be a match for you. I¡¯ll learn from you in the future.¡± Before he could finish, Branden frowned impatiently and said in disgust, ¡°Get lost!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Triston didn¡¯t dare to disobey, so he quickly turned around and left. Catherine¡¯s agreement to attend the school g spread throughout the entire ss the next day. It was unlikely for George to spread the news. He didn¡¯t have the guts to offend Catherine. It was only because the school had a rule that the reported program had to be made public. The crowd was stunned to see that Catherine had actually prepared a singing performance. She was so majestic and usually wouldn¡¯t say a single extra word. But now, she was actually going to give a singing performance on stage. The scene would be¡­ Liana sneered deep down when she saw the news. She thought, ¡°How could a country bumpkin like Catherine know how to sing? ¡°I was worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to find a chance to crush her, but it seems like that chance has come to me automatically. ¡°This is a perfect opportunity to take the wind out of Catherine¡¯s sails. I want the whole school to know who the real princess of the Swanns is. ¡°Catherine will never be able to steal my limelight!¡± Ronin was excited to hear that Catherine¡¯s performance was singing. He was incredibly nimble with his fingers and had taken drum lessons for a while to train his wrist strength. During the ss break, he approached Catherine and said, ¡°Boss, is it okay if I perform with you? I¡¯ll y the drums for you. You still remember I know how to y the drums, right?¡± If someone asked Ronin to perform on stage alone, he¡¯d rather be killed than perform individually. But with Catherine, that would be different. He was willing to do whatever he was asked to do as long as Catherine was around. Hearing Ronin¡¯s offer, Catherine didn¡¯t think there was any problem. She knew that Ronin could y the drums. Back then, she had sent Ronin to a training ss. Butter, he came back after only taking one lesson. He then learned how to y the drums by himself on hisputer, performing better than anyone else. It wasn¡¯t much of a problem to have an extra person on stage for the performance. Since Ronin wanted to be on the stage with her, Catherine agreed. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay!¡± Ronin was happy about this. ¡°Thank you, Boss!¡± Just the thought of being able to perform on the same stage with Catherine made Ronin excited, and he couldn¡¯t contain the smile on his face. Bryan watched the two¡¯s expressions from the side, and inwardly, he despised Ronin. He cursed inwardly, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re a three-year-old child? It¡¯s a shame to pretend to be cute and beg for Boss¡¯s affection. You¡¯re just as shameless as Branden. ¡°Don t you just know how to y the drums? What¡¯s the big deal? I¡¯ll go back to learn the guitar tonight. I¡¯ll also perform on stage with Boss. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re the only one who can do that! Humph!¡± At this moment, Catherine¡¯s cell phone on the table buzzed. She looked up at it and found there was a message from the bank. [Dear Miss Swann, you have received a transfer of 500,000.00 dors.] Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Catherine handed her cell phone to Ronin beside her. ¡°Did you transfer this?¡± Her business had been handed over to Ronin. She would only focus on the numbers and didn¡¯t care how much it was. Ronin nced at it and burst outughing. ¡°Boss, how could I possibly transfer such a small amount to you? It definitely wasn¡¯t my doing! Even beggars wouldn¡¯t transfer such a small amount of money.¡± After saying that, Ronin quickly checked the information on the phone and tried to find out who had transferred the money. When he saw the name on the screen, he froze for a moment andughed awkwardly. Then, he looked at Catherine and said, ¡°Boss, please take what I just said as nonsense!¡± Catherine took a nce at it, and the moment she saw Audrey¡¯s name on the screen, she was already clear in her heart. She got up, took her phone back from Ronin¡¯s hand, and headed out. A few minutester, Audrey, who was in between takes, received a call from Catherine. She was a little confused. Audrey answered the call and said, Kathy, aren¡¯t you in ss? Why are you calling me?¡± Catherine¡¯s cool voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Why did you send me money?¡± In the next second, Audreyughed softly. Now, she understood why Catherine called her. ¡°Hahaha! Did you receive the money so quickly? The money is the advertising fee given to me by the program team. You apanied me to the program, so naturally, I have to share half of it with you. Buy whatever you want with the money. Don¡¯t save it.¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t hide the excitement in her voice. She wanted to share her happiness with Catherine. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯m telling you, you can use this money as much as you want. Don¡¯t worry about the money. I¡¯ve already received several endorsements. I¡¯ll give you some more when I get the endorsement fees. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to shoot themercial first. I¡¯ll talk to youter!¡± After saying that, Audrey hung up the phone directly. Kim stood aside and couldn¡¯t help but snort and roll his eyes at Audrey. Hearing Kim¡¯s mocking snort, Audrey looked up at him with a smile. ¡°My great manager, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why do you have that look on your face? What did I do wrong to upset you? Kim squinted at her with an angry look as if he was ming her. ¡°Audrey, I really don¡¯t know what to say about you. You only have that little bit of money, and now, all of it goes to your sister. Catherine is Mr. Duncan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Do you think shecks that little bit of money?¡± Audrey knew Kim was concerned about her, so she didn¡¯t me him. She just said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not the case. I¡¯m Catherine¡¯s sister. After all, Catherine and Branden haven¡¯t gotten married yet, so it¡¯s not appropriate for her to spend Branden¡¯s money. ¡°Catherine is now in an aristocratic school. She might need to spend more money so that people at the school won¡¯t look down on her.¡± Audrey knew the school where Catherine was going very well. After all, she had graduated from there as well. Audrey knew the situation at home even better. Her father didn¡¯t run the house, and her mother, Rachael, didn¡¯t give a damn about Catherine¡¯s life, so naturally, she would give Catherine any money. Catherine had just returned from the countryside and surely didn¡¯t have much money with her. Those bank cards from before were probably Branden¡¯s, and Audrey couldn¡¯t let Catherine use Branden¡¯s money. They hadn¡¯t even gotten married yet, so Audrey couldn¡¯t let them look down on Catherine. Audrey got her own ideas. Kim couldn¡¯t persuade her, so he could only let her be. The onlyfort was that Catherine was much better than Liana. At least she would help Audrey. At the thought of Liana, Kim felt a headache. The girl regarded herself as a noble girl, but when she asked Audrey for something, she never showed any mercy. Her attitude could piss people off every time. She was the real evil one. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t bother with you. Hurry up and get to the shoot. The director is waiting!¡± said Kim. Catherine hung up the phone and kept staring at the string of numbers on the screen with a puzzled expression. Audrey was unaware of the fact that Catherine had read her contract. That small amount of money was all she could get paid for the entire show, but Audrey gave Catherine all of it and even told Catherine that she only gave half of it. Catherine heard the sound of footsteps from behind her, and by the sound of them, she knew who was standing behind her. She had grown up around many different people. After so many years of changing, Ronin was the only one who stayed by her side. Vicente should have been the other one, but unfortunately, Vicente had left forever. ¡°Ronin, what do you think Audrey was thinking? She is the one who is short of money, but she is giving it all to me!¡± Ronin was not surprised that Catherine didn¡¯t have to turn around to realize that the visitor was him. Catherine was always that capable. Ronin couldn¡¯t answer Catherine¡¯s question. After thinking for a long time, Ronin suddenly voiced out his thoughts. He said, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just like me. She treats you as her family and wants to give you all the good things!¡± Although he called Catherine Boss, in Ronin¡¯s eyes, Catherine was his only family. If Catherine was short of money, he could give his entire fortune, and he felt that Audrey probably thought the same way. Ronin¡¯s words echoed in Catherine¡¯s mind. ¡°Treats you as her family and wants to give you all the good things!¡± Catherine wondered, ¡°Is that true?¡± Catherine had always been the smartest of the smart. However, she spent a lot of time on this question and failed toe up with a clear answer at the end. The school¡¯s celebration g this time was particrly grand because it coincided with the 10th anniversary. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The requirements were particrly high. Although each ss selected five programs, not all of them could make it to the stage of the celebration g. There was still an audition, after all. Thest winning program would be allowed to perform on stage. Liana was so confident that she didn¡¯t even feel the need to prepare. After all, she was well-known for her piano skills. Who couldpete with her in that school? Many sses agreed to give thest study session to those who had signed up for the performance to practice. Some students couldn¡¯t help but ask Liana when they saw her sitting inside the ss, focusing on her textbook. Liana, thepetition is on Friday. Are you nervous? Why don¡¯t you go and practice?¡± Before Liana could say anything, her deskmate, who had always been close to her, hurriedly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how good Liana¡¯s piano skills were at the wee party back then? It¡¯s just an audition. Liana doesn¡¯t need a rehearsal to win first ce.¡± In front of outsiders, although Liana thought those words made sense, she still graciously said, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished reviewing my textbooks yet. It won¡¯t be toote for me to practice after that!¡± When Liana first entered the school, she shocked the whole school with her piano performance at the wee party. With her beautiful face and excellent talent, as well as being the daughter of a wealthy family, she was already a winner. As a result, it took Liana only one day to win the title of Campus Belle. Before that, the title had always belonged to a senior student. At that time, she was always in the spotlight, no matter where she was in the school. However, her poprity waspletely shattered the day Catherine appeared. Catherine was even more amazing. She appeared without saying a word, but the crowd was overwhelmed. With her stunning appearance, Catherine gained unparalleled attention at school. Comparisons between Catherine and Liana were now all over the school forums. Everyone was arguing about who should be the Campus Belle between the two. Some said that Catherine was much prettier, while others said that Liana was a talented girl with brilliant piano skills. With both Catherine and Liana attending the celebration g this time around, there should be a winner. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Liana was rather satisfied with Kayley¡¯s ttery. That was also why she picked Kayley as her deskmate back then. She stared at Kayley with a soft smile on her face. After seeing her approving look, Kayley was encouraged and tried even harder. Right after she praised Liana, Kayley started to assail Catherine, making thetter a foil for Liana. ¡°The art section of our ss can only count on Liana. Some people are merely filters. Hopefully, they won¡¯t embarrass ss 8!¡± Her tone was really sarcastic and dismissive. Worse still, her voice was not low. People around them all heard her clearly. Yet, they didn¡¯t dare to make a sound or take a stand, afraid of causing trouble. However, as Kayley¡¯s words reached Bryan¡¯s ears, of course, he couldn¡¯t hold back his temper, let alone Ronin. In Ronin¡¯s eyes, Catherine was like a goddess. How could he allow anyone to nder her at will? Bryan and Ronin stood up at the same time. Instantly, the atmosphere in ss 8 was filled with tremendous tension. Everyone held their breath, not daring to utter a word. Kayley was a bit flustered. She watched the two of them with worry and regretted saying those bold words in order to please Liana. She forgot one thing. That was¡­ just because Catherine didn¡¯t care didn¡¯t mean that the people around her didn¡¯t care either. Liana also looked extremely embarrassed. After all, Kayley was speaking for her sake. Bryan and the others didn¡¯t care about who she was or whether she was a girl. Whoever dared to mess with their boss had to pay a price for that. Bryan directly pointed at Kayley and stared at her coldly. ¡°Did you sign up for it?¡± he questioned. Kayley didn¡¯t dare to say anything more. Intimidated by Bryan¡¯s imposing manner, she subconsciously shook her head. Immediately, Bryan snapped, ¡°Who do you think you are? How can you get to judge if our boss can do it or not? You didn¡¯t even sign up for it. How can you have the cheek to use others?¡± As soon as Bryan finished speaking, Ronin said in a sarcastic tone, pretending to be Kayley, ¡°Of course, she has the cheek to say that. After all, her cheek is really thick-skinned. Otherwise, why would she talk like that?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± He deliberately snorted in an exaggerated way, trying to make this known to everybody at school. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Bryan, have you ever heard about this? The ugly always makes more trouble. Her heart is as bad as her face!¡± Bryan was not talkative. He had been well-educated since he was little. Certainly, he couldn¡¯t be as mean as Ronin when dissing a girl. What Ronin said just crushed Kayley¡¯s pride. She felt extremely aggrieved, and her eyes turned red. She wanted to fly into a rage, but she could not afford to offend Bryan. Besides, Ronin, the new straight-A student at school, didn¡¯t seem to be easy to deal with. Nor did she dare to mess with him. She wanted to ask Liana for help, but Liana didn¡¯t even take a look at her and only lowered her head to focus on her exercise as if she had nothing to do with what was going on. Liana seemed to be immersed in studying, but she was holding her pen so tightly that it would be almost broken. She didn¡¯t expect that Bryan and Ronin would defend Catherine to this extent and even allow no one to say anything far-fetched. But she wouldn¡¯t offend Bryan to embarrass herself, let alone offend him for Kayley¡¯s sake. Lonely and helpless, Kayley, just like a clown, had no other choice but to face the ridicule of Bryan and Ronin. Besides, even George also stood up and defended Catherine. Previously, he didn¡¯t like Catherine, but what happened this time changed his mind. Catherine seemed to be different from his expectation. At least, she wasn¡¯t that difficult. He stood up and said, ¡°When other peopleughed at our ss for not having enough students to sign up for the school party, it was Catherine who stood forward to defend our ss¡¯s honor. She not only tried her best to persuade other ssmates to sign up for the event but also joined it herself. The spirit to defend the ss¡¯s honor is worth our learning. ¡°As for the ranking, it doesn¡¯t matter. Participation is more important. As the ss monitor of ss 8, I propose giving Catherine a round of apuse!¡± After saying that, George started to p his hands. Of course, Bryan and Ronin also did that, and the other students followed suit. The deafening apuse sounded like ps in Kayley¡¯s face, rendering her embarrassed beyond words. Meanwhile, Catherine was still sleeping with her head resting on the desk. Even though she heard the rumors, she didn¡¯t have to do anything. Ronin and Bryan could deal with it well. Sitting in her seat, Liana was shaking with anger. In her eyes, Catherine was deliberately against her. A glimmer of gloomy fierceness shed across Liana¡¯s eyes. She thought with deep resentment, ¡°Catherine wants to steal the thunder from me? I won¡¯t let her go! I promise!¡± After school, Catherine got rid of Ronin and went back to the Swanns¡¯ alone. Having eaten roasted food for several days in a row, she wanted to have a rest tonight. As soon as she crossed the door, she saw a group of servants getting out of the living room. Instantly, she slightly knitted her brows and subconsciously avoided the servants before entering. Then, she saw a ck piano in the center of the living room. Under the crystalmps, the dazzling piano was shining. Catherine walked toward the piano and stopped by its side. She recognized that it looked fine and took her hand out of the pocket, trying to test the tone of the piano. However, all of a sudden, a stern and furious voice came. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± Catherine subconsciously raised her head and looked at Rachael, who snapped at her from a distance. Rachael also met Catherine¡¯s gaze. Then, she cast a dismissive nce at Catherine and said with disgruntlement, ¡°Keep your hands off the piano. It¡¯s really expensive. It¡¯s not only made of a master but also an antique. You can¡¯t afford it at all. Got it? ¡°Besides, you can¡¯t y the piano. What if you break it?¡± Catherine threw a look at the sign on the piano. It was a foreign brand. If it was made of a famous master, it was worth a lot, indeed. It would probably cost a few million dors! She snorted. A sardonic look shed in her dark eyes. Seeing Catherine¡¯s cold face, Rachael hated her even more. This piano was bought by Rachael for Liana. Liana was going to attend the celebration g. The Swanns were also board members of Loyalty Academy. Of course, she knew the significance of the school celebration g. If Liana could get a good ranking and show her talent in the event, it would help her marry into a better family. Hence, she didn¡¯t scruple to spend an arm and a leg to buy the piano, doing Liana the favor. Back then, when Liana was born, Rachael was hit really hard again. She went to the fortune-teller, asking when she could give birth to the heir of the Swanns. She remembered that the fortune- teller said as long as Catherine was sent away, she could give birth to a boy. However, the prophecy didn¡¯te true. The fortune-teller told her that Liana was a boon for her. Liana¡¯s birth would bring good luck to her and make her give birth to a boy next time. As expected, the next year, Rachael gave birth to Johnathan. Afterward, her position in the Swanns was bing more and more secure. Everything went smoothly in her life. The fortune-teller was right. Liana was a boon for her. On the contrary, as for Catherine, whom she considered the jinx, she wished that Catherine could stay as far away from her as possible in case of causing her trouble. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Catherine was not interested in the piano at all. Nor did she give a shit about Rachael¡¯s disapproving gaze. Those whom she didn¡¯t care about couldn¡¯t affect her mood even a tiny bit. Catherine walked past Rachael and happened to see Liana running in her direction. Upon seeing Catherine, Liana lookedcent and even showed a provocative smile to her. Then, Liana sprang toward Rachael and said in a sweet voice, ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re the best. Just because you heard that I would attend the school party, you bought me such an expensive piano. Mommy, I love you so much!¡± When Catherine turned her head, Rachael happened to pat the back of Liana¡¯s hand gently and smiled at her with an amiable expression. ¡°You¡¯re my daughter. Of course, I love you. Just do your best at the contest with assurance and leave the rest to me.¡± In the face of this scene, Catherine¡¯s dreamy eyes slightly darkened a bit, and a hint of aloofness touched her lips. Liana was Rachael¡¯s daughter? What about Catherine? What about Audrey? What were they to Rachael? Since the piano was ced in the Swanns¡¯, the sound of piano ying had never ceased as long as Liana was at home. Liana kept practicing piano crazily every day. Korbin had to socialize often and barely came back home. So, this had little impact on him. To show support for Liana, Rachael just let her do whatever she wanted. Catherine was the most affected one. Lying in bed and listening to the terrible sound of the piano, she couldn¡¯t help knitting her brows. Didn¡¯t Liana im to be a talented pianist? Why did she keep making mistakes during the practice? The music should be beautiful, but Liana¡¯s performance was horrible. Catherine was about to go out and talk to Liana to solve the problem when someone knocked on the door. She slowly got up. As soon as she opened the door, leaving a tiny gap, the door was heavily pushed open by Audrey. Audrey went into the room and sat on the chair abruptly. No sooner had she been seated, she said to Catherine in a hurry, ¡± Catherine, pack your clothes and go with me now!¡± Catherine stared at her in shock and didn¡¯t understand what was going on. ¡°Isn¡¯t the show on the weekend?¡± Audrey recognized that Catherine had gotten her wrong and hastened to exin, ¡°Not for the show. I¡¯m asking you to stay at my ce for a few days. My ce is closer to your school. Hurry and pack your things. Let¡¯s go.¡± Catherine arched her brows and stared at Audrey, saying coldly, ¡°Tell me why! ¡°Why else would I do this? How can you still ask me why? I¡¯ve heard from the maid that Liana is practicing piano crazily at home. She doesn¡¯t need to rest, but you need to. You¡¯ve already had enough stress from school. How can you have the energy to stand all the noise she is making? You¡¯ll move back after the school party is over.¡± Audrey happened to have no job today. Originally, she nned toe back for Catherine. However, to her surprise, upon entering the house, she heard Liana practicing piano in the living room. There was actually a soundproof room in the house, but Liana didn¡¯t practice in that room. She insisted on ying in the living room, saying that it was more aligned with the atmosphere on the stage. She was literally insane! Initially, Audrey didn¡¯t mean to meddle in this matter. When she heard a maid¡¯sint inadvertently, she learned that Liana had been really crazy these days. She hastened to check on Catherine¡¯s situation and found that the noise could be heard even from the basement. Catherine didn¡¯t like to be disturbed during her rest, which Audrey was aware of. As Liana kept doing this, Catherine could hardly sleep well. For Catherine to live a peaceful life, Audrey must take her away. Audrey thought, ¡°Catherine has juste back. She must have nowhere else to go but the Swanns¡¯. In such a situation, she probably has no chance to escape. ¡°So, I must take her away from this terrible environment to keep her from being harmed.¡± Catherine originally intended to go out and tell Liana that if Liana made noises again, she would be kicked out of the Swanns¡¯. However, Audrey came and imed to take her away. Audrey noticed that Catherine was standing still and couldn¡¯t help urging her, ¡°What are you waiting for? Get moving and pack your things. We¡¯re leaving now. Audrey thought Catherine didn¡¯t want to cause her trouble and hastened to say, ¡°Juste with me. I have to work every day and rarely stay at home. So, you won¡¯t make trouble for me. Just listen to me for once. I¡¯m your sister!¡± Sister? Audrey¡¯s words reminded Catherine of the scene where Rachael was with Liana. Maybe Catherine and Audrey were sisters, but this had nothing to do with Rachael. Catherine didn¡¯t find it a problem to go with Audrey. After thinking it through, Catherine lifted her bag and showed it to Audrey.¡± Let¡¯s go!¡± Audrey was a bit surprised to see that Catherine only took a bag without packing her things. Yet, she came around soon. After all, Catherine only brought a bag with her to a two-day show. Perhaps, this was the force of habit. This also happened to give Audrey a good chance to buy clothes for Catherine. When Liana heard from the servant that Catherine would be away with Audrey for a few days, her face remained composed. In her eyes, it was even better that Catherine left. After all, she didn¡¯t want to see Catherine around. Catherine didn¡¯t belong to this home. She should have long left. Liana was the realdy of the Swanns. She was dismissive as she heard Audrey had be close to Catherine. She believed that it was merely two losers being together for some warmth. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t envy them. She didn¡¯t give a shit about Audrey at all! When Catherine followed Audrey to thetter¡¯s own apartment, unexpectedly, they came across Johnathan. Johnathan was a bit surprised to see that Catherine was standing next to Audrey. Then, he eximed in shock, ¡± Why are you here?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Catherine stared at him coldly, sending shivers down Johnathan¡¯s spine. Ever since he was beaten up by Catherine, he had been somewhat scared of Catherine. He found her too terrifying, for she had the nerve to hit him. Most importantly, after he was hit by her, his parents still couldn¡¯t force Catherine out of their home. Johnathan didn¡¯t understand why his grandpa would leave the assets of the Swanns to Catherine rather than the only grandson. After all, he was the most legally qualified person to inherit the assets of the Swanns. Yet, Catherine was the inheritor. This was literally a joke. No matter how dissatisfied he felt, Johnathan didn¡¯t dare to voice it out in front of Catherine. He grabbed Audrey¡¯s arm and pulled her to him, saying in a domineering voice, ¡°Come with me!¡± Audrey felt a bit resigned. She knew why Johnathan was here. She knew that her wretched brother must be here for a motive. After they walked for a distance, Johnathan finally stopped and raised his head arrogantly. He said to Audrey in a stiff voice, ¡°I¡¯m hard up for money recently. Give me 300,000 dors!¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Audrey stared at him with an astonished look. She was really stunned for a moment. ¡°This is so much! Johnathan, who do you think I am? How can I have that much money?¡± Johnathan didn¡¯t care about that and looked at Audrey dismissively, with his expression as arrogant as ever. ¡°Audrey, just cut the crap and tell me whether you¡¯ll give it to me or not!¡± He treated Audrey so badly as if she were his maid rather than his sister. Audrey was infuriated by his attitude and directly answered, ¡°I have no money!¡± Johnathan red up and red at Audrey, his eyes wide open. ¡°Audrey, aren¡¯t you doing variety shows andmercials these days? How can you have no money? If you don¡¯t want to give it to me, just say it. Don¡¯t give me that excuse. And don¡¯t beg me to put in a good word for you with Mommy next time. What a bummer!¡± Enraged by Johnathan, Audrey gasped for breath. Johnathan was so over the line. Previously, she did ask Johnathan to say something nice about her to Rachael. After all, since Rachael showed special affection for her only son, she would listen to his words. The reason why she went to Johnathan for help was that he was her brother. In her eyes, it was normal that Johnathan asked her for some money asionally. When Vicente was around, he was extremely strict with the pocket money for the young generation of the Swanns. Even Rachael didn¡¯t dare to give too much pocket money to her children. Among all the children of the Swanns, only Audrey had some ie. Certainly, her younger siblings would ask her for some money. However, Audrey didn¡¯t expect Johnathan to be even worse. He always threatened her to give him money with the same excuse. This time, it was even greedier of him to ask for 300,000 dors. Audrey didn¡¯t want to grant his wish anymore. After all, he was her brother. She said patiently, ¡°Johnathan, you should grow up now¡­¡± Before Audrey could finish speaking, Johnathan interrupted her impatiently. He yelled fiercely, ¡°Audrey, who do you think you are? How can you get to tell me what to do? You¡¯re merely an abandoned daughter of the Swanns. How dare you lecture me now? You and that¡­¡± He was about to say jinx, but upon thinking of having been beaten up by Catherine before, he instantly shivered all over and then bit his tongue. Then, he said with disgruntlement,¡¯ Fine. Don¡¯t lecture me anymore. I¡¯ll be going!¡± After saying that, he left irritably. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine here, he would definitely teach Audrey a lesson. Catherine was really something. He had suffered a lot from the previous confrontations against her, so this time, he didn¡¯t dare to confront her anymore. Seeing that he left in a fit of pique, Audrey felt a bit helpless. It was really troublesome to have such a brother. Audrey came back and found that Catherine was sizing her up with a strange look. Sheughed with embarrassment and said in a low voice, ¡°Kathy, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at me this way?¡± ¡°Does he often ask you for money?¡± Catherine settled her cold gaze on Audrey, not allowing her to avoid the question. Audrey felt as if being enshrouded in tremendous pressure. Originally, she didn¡¯t want to answer the question, but Catherine¡¯s imposing manner made her have no guts to lie at all. She nodded. ¡°He asks me for money asionally, but not every day. He is just a bit insensible and immature.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Seeing Audrey¡¯s careful look, Catherine didn¡¯t want to me her. After all, she was not in the position to do that. In Catherine¡¯s eyes, Johnathan was not only immature but also unbelievably childish and good-for-nothing. If she were Audrey, she would directly get rid of him. Keeping this kind man alive was merely a waste of food and energy. If it weren¡¯t because he was born into the Swanns, how could he get to live such a good life? She had promised Vicente that she would show mercy for the Swanns and not hurt them. As for Korbin, if he could behave himself, Catherine wouldn¡¯t hurt him. However, if Korbin attempted to do anything against her, she wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook then. Catherine turned around and went upstairs, followed by Audrey. Feeling that Catherine was really displeased, Audrey just followed with her head lowered and not daring to say a word. As she pushed the door open and saw the messy apartment, Catherine knitted her brows. Thest time Catherine came to Audrey¡¯s apartment, it looked fine. Why did it be so messy this time? In fact,st time, due to the shooting, it took Audrey three days and nights to clean her apartment beforehand. Although Audrey had moved out of the Swanns¡¯, she didn¡¯t have to do chores when she lived in the Swanns¡¯. Back then, Vicente was in charge of the Swanns. Even if Audrey wasn¡¯t favored, she still lived an easy life at home. How could she do the cleaning? Audrey also saw the mess in the apartment. Sheughed with embarrassment and hastened to kick away the shoes that were blocking the door. ¡°I¡¯ll clean this up right now. I¡¯ve been busy shootingmercials these days, so I didn¡¯te home and do the cleaning. Just take a rest, and I¡¯ll clean the ce right now!¡± After saying that, Audrey hurriedly dashed into the bathroom, grabbed the gloves, and rushed out in a hurry. Catherine watched her take off the ring and put on the gloves. Then, she just held Audrey¡¯s hand. Audrey raised her head in surprise and thought Catherine wanted to help. ¡°No need. You may sit aside and take a rest. I¡¯ve got this!¡± she said. However, Catherine took the gloves away from Audrey and made a call. ¡°Get me a housekeeper. The address is¡­ Then, before Audrey could react, Catherine dragged her away. When they got downstairs, Audrey realized what Catherine had done. ¡°Kathy, where are you taking me to?¡± Catherine turned around and darted a nce at her, saying in a casual tone, ¡°To eat!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Audrey thought for a while and then took Catherine¡¯s advice. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s eat first. There is a nice restaurant nearby. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Catherine had no problem with that. She just couldn¡¯t stand being in Audrey¡¯s messy home anymore. After eating a sd, Audrey rested her chin with her hands on the table and stared at Catherine with an envious look. ¡°Kathy, how I envy you! Why does your skin still look glowing even though you ate so much?¡± Watching Catherine eating the delicacies, Audrey couldn¡¯t help swallowing her saliva. These days, to make herself look good on camera, she kept eating sds. Even at the restaurant today, she only had eaten a sd too. On the contrary, Catherine was eating happily here, which made Audrey water nonstop. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Upon hearing Audrey¡¯s words, Catherine slowly raised her head and looked at her. She nced at Audrey¡¯s face indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re not fat. You can eat some!¡± As a makeup blogger, Audrey paid a lot of attention to skincare. Perhaps, she wasn¡¯t born as pretty as Catherine, but her skin was already well-maintained. Catherine¡¯s praise couldn¡¯tfort Audrey at all. ¡°Kathy, you don¡¯t know about how the camera works. I¡¯m as heavy as you are, but my face looks a lot bigger than yours. I can only make myself look better on camera by constantly losing weight. If I can have a face as small as yours, I won¡¯t have any worries then.¡± Catherine had such a pretty face. No wonder Kim was desperate to sign her. She was really drop-dead gorgeous! Admittedly, her beauty was beyondpare. While eating quietly, Catherine kept scrutinizing Audrey. She used to think that Audrey spent the money she earned all on herself. Given that Audrey had bought so many clothes for her, Catherine figured that Audrey couldn¡¯t be a frugal woman. Afterward, she found that Audrey actually was not generous with herself but with the people around her. She was even generous with Catherine, the sister she hadn¡¯t met for more than 10 years! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. To make money, Audrey did suffer a lot. Catherine just couldn¡¯t help wondering whether it was worth it or not. Aftering back to Audrey¡¯s home from the restaurant, Catherine still didn¡¯t figure out the answer. She decided to discuss this with Ronin someday. Suddenly, Audrey¡¯s cry broke into her thoughts. ¡°Oh, my goodness¡­¡± Audrey was astonished by the scene in front of her and couldn¡¯t help eximing. She subconsciously got away from the door and took a look at the door te. After confirming that it was her apartment, she shifted her gaze to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, did an angele to my ce? Catherine darted a slightly dismissive nce at her. ¡°Fairytales aren¡¯t for adults. If you insist on calling a housekeeper an angel, it¡¯s fine by me.¡± Audrey was really impressed by what Catherine had just done. She had hired housekeepers before, but they never did a satisfactory job. In the end, she stopped hiring housekeepers and did the cleaning herself. The housekeeper Catherine hired this time was really amazing. Audrey hurriedly sprang at her and said, ¡± Kathy, where did you hire the housekeeper? Give me her number. I¡¯ll hire herter as well.¡± Catherine had no idea. ¡°I asked my friend to hire the housekeeper. I don¡¯t know her number, either!¡± It happened that Audrey saw the statement on the table and figured that it should be left by the housekeeper. She immediately got excited. ¡°There¡¯s a bill. I¡¯ll check it out myself!¡± The moment she picked up the bill and saw the figure, Audrey almost passed out. ¡°Oh my gosh, Kathy! Are you sure it¡¯s over 10,000 dors instead of over 1,000 dors?¡± Catherine took a sip of the water and said casually, ¡°Can¡¯t you understand the figure?¡± Originally, Audrey wanted to hire such a housekeeper regrly, but as it appeared now, she couldn¡¯t afford one at all. ¡°Kathy, how can you spend so much money hiring a housekeeper? This is too expensive. Is this a fraud? Give me your friend¡¯s number. I¡¯ll call the housekeeper¡¯s agency.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t resist. Since Audrey wanted to figure it out, Catherine just gave her the number. Catherine found Ronin¡¯s number on her phone and passed it to Audrey. Audrey nced at the contact¡¯s name and made the call. She had prepared a speech to defend Catherine. In her eyes, Catherine must have paid the housekeeper¡¯s fee with the card Audrey had given to her. Since she had given the money to Catherine, it was Catherine¡¯s money. She wouldn¡¯t care about how Catherine used it. Yet, the fact that she didn¡¯t care didn¡¯t mean that she had no problem with getting ripped off by a fraud. After the call was put through, a young voice came from the phone. ¡°Boss, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°This is Audrey.¡± Ronin was dazed to hear Audrey¡¯s voice and said anxiously, ¡°Howe you¡¯re holding my boss¡¯s phone? Is there anything wrong with her?¡± As he got nervous at once, Audrey hastened to exin, ¡°No. I¡¯m calling to ask you about the housekeeper¡¯s fee. Do you think¡­¡± Before she finished saying, she was interrupted by Ronin. ¡°Oh, the housekeeper? Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The apartment was so perfectly cleaned, which Audrey was quite satisfied with. As soon as she replied, Ronin also responded right away, saying, ¡°Good thing that you¡¯re satisfied. Then, I¡¯ll tell the housekeeper to do the cleaning every week.¡± After knowing that Catherine would stay at Audrey¡¯s ce for a while, Ronin made all the arrangements well in order to let Catherine enjoy her stay there. ¡°Every week?¡± Audrey raised her voice right away. The cleaning service would cost more than 10,000 dors per time. If the housekeeper came and offered the service every week, it would cost 50,000 or 60,000 dors per month. How could she afford that? ¡°No, no, no, we don¡¯t need it. Mr. Oconnor, we can¡¯t afford it! We can ept one housekeeping service per month and hope that you can help us get a discount.¡± As the housekeeper came to clean the apartment after Catherine¡¯s call, Audrey thought Catherine¡¯s friend was the owner of a housekeepingpany. That was why she said so to Ronin. [10:42 pm, 30/09/2023] Nothing: Hearing Audrey¡¯s words, Ronin felt totally at sea. ¡°Discount? No need to get a discount. I¡¯ll get everything arranged for you. Is once per week not enough? How about twice every week?¡± No need to get a discount? Audrey seemed to realize what he meant and then said in a daze, ¡°Are you saying that we don¡¯t have to pay?¡± ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t need to!¡± Certainly, Catherine didn¡¯t have to pay for the housekeeping. Ronin could directly send the housekeeping staff of thepany there. It was not that he wanted to use their own staff to save trouble. Instead, their housekeeping staff was strictly selected, with only those who could suit Catherine¡¯s requests the most. He would not feel reassured about other people. Nothing: ¡°Then, why did the housekeeper leave the bill?¡± Audrey asked carefully. ¡°Oh, the bill? It¡¯s for ounting. Just throw it away.¡± Hearing Ronin¡¯s causal voice, Audrey felt that she shouldn¡¯tmunicate with him. She decided to hang up the phone first. After hanging up, Audrey came to Catherine with a surprised expression. ¡°Kathy, is this friend very close to you? For her, Ronin was like a student and a brother. They were close indeed. Seeing that Catherine nodded, Audrey couldn¡¯t help asking further, ¡°Do you know him for a long time? And your friend is very rich?¡± She had known Ronin for years. Ronin was in charge of many departments of thepany. He was dealing with many businesses. He could acquire lots of dividends. Although he didn¡¯t earn as much as she did,pared with ordinary people, he was rich indeed. So, Catherine nodded again. Since Ronin had no problems paying the housekeeping fee of a few ten thousand dors per month to a friend, he must be rather rich. Audrey could be sure of that. ¡°Kathy, is he a friend you knew in the countryside?¡± ¡°Umm?¡± As she kept asking, Catherine couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Any problem?¡± Audrey grinned. ¡°No. I just feel that the countryside is quite nice. I also want to sojourn there and make more friends!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t know what to say. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Catherine thought after moving into Audrey¡¯s apartment, she could live a quiet life. However, by night, deafening music suddenly came from upstairs. Even Audrey couldn¡¯t stand it, let alone Catherine. She got out of the room and happened to see Catherine who opened the door. Seeing Catherine¡¯s tired face, Audrey felt quite sorry for her. Catherine was such a poor girl. When she was in the Swanns¡¯, she had to suffer from the noises made by Liana. Now that she had moved in here, she had to go through the same suffering. This just kindled the wrath in her heart. Audrey patted her chest and said to Catherine, ¡°Kathy, rest assured. I¡¯ll go upstairs and deal with the new neighbor right now. I promise I will offer you a quiet environment. You won¡¯t be disturbed for sure!¡± After saying that, she rushed upstairs in a fury. She heard that a guy had moved into this buildingtely. To her astonishment, the new neighbor turned out to be so annoying and was making so much noise late at night. It was fine that she was disturbed, but it was really outrageous that Catherine got disturbed. Originally, Catherine wanted to ask Audrey if she wantedpany. Yet, this time, Audrey acted too fast. Before Catherine could say anything, Audrey had left. Catherine just let her be and turned to slump on the sofa. She adjusted her body to the best posture so that she could y gamesfortably. What she liked most about Audrey¡¯s ce was probably the sofa. It was big and soft enough, and she could sit on it with ease. As she put on the earphones and started ying games, she wouldn¡¯t hear anything outside. Bryan, who was bored, became excited immediately after he noticed Catherine had just logged into the game. He set up a special automatic notification. As long as Catherine logged in, he would receive a notification, which was the most obvious one. He sent a voice message to Catherine at once. [Boss, do you wanna y? Can you carry me?] Not only Bryan but also Ronin found that Catherine had logged into the game. They sent a voice message to her almost at the same time, and the content was quite simr. Catherine directly dragged them into the same game room. Ronin was happy about ying games with Catherine, but when he found that Bryan was also in the game room, he felt unhappy at once. ¡°Why are you here too, tagalong?¡± This was the first time that Bryan had seen Ronin¡¯s ount. It was after hearing Ronin¡¯s voice that he recognized it was Ronin. Bryan flew into a rage upon hearing Ronin¡¯s words. ¡°Bespectacled guy, don¡¯t you dare call me that way! You idiot!¡± ¡°Screw you! How dare you call me an idiot! Believe it or not, I¡¯ll give you a headshot! You stupid tagalong, you¡¯re following my boss all day long.¡± They got into an endless fight. Catherine actually wanted to have a quiet moment in the game. However, as soon as they joined her in the game, they kept arguing nonstop, which infuriated Catherine at once. ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, both of you just get lost!¡± Her cold words rendered the whole game room silent right away. Bryan and Ronin both realized what wrong they had done. They hastened to apologize sincerely. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry. I promise I¡¯ll shut up and y games quietly!¡± After Ronin said that, Bryan also said in a hurry, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Catherine finally let them off the hook and started the game. At times, Bryan would enjoy being protected by Catherine in the game, today, as Ronin was here, he had to watch Ronin and Catherine with each other tacitly. cooperate but Bryan was insanely jealous. He hated himself for not meeting Catherine earlier, for not knowing as much about Catherine as Ronin did, and for not being able to cooperate with her tacitly enough. Whenever Ronin tried to kill an opponent, Bryan would do his best to steal that. He would steal kills even if he was wounded. Given their ways of ying, if it weren¡¯t because they were really good and Catherine was covering them up, they would have been killed. Catherine yed the game for fun. However, these two guys just dampened her mood. After ying one round, she directly logged off without saying anything to them.. Ronin felt so mad that he snapped at Bryan online, saying, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. Now Boss is gone because of you. Happy?¡± Bryan replied, ¡°You¡¯re ming me? What¡¯s wrong with you? If it weren¡¯t for you¡­¡± They quarreled nonstop. Just like they were doing this in the game, if they were face to face in the real world, they would have got into a real fight. After logging off the game, Catherine found that Audrey hadn¡¯te back yet. She was a bit worried and intended to go upstairs and take a look. However, as soon as she got up, she found the door was open. The moment Audrey entered the door, she looked at Catherine gleefully. ¡± Kathy, guess who I met!¡± Catherine looked at Audrey¡¯s face and found that Audrey waspletely different from her fierce look before she went upstairs. Catherine couldn¡¯t help knitting her brows. ¡°Did you meet your first love?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Audrey didn¡¯t expect Catherine would tell a cold joke. Having been dumbstruck for a bit, sheughed her head off. ¡°Hahaha! Catherine, that¡¯s nonsense!¡± Right after she finished speaking, someone appeared from behind him and greeted Catherine warmly. ¡°Kathy, here we met again!¡± Catherine stared at Triston¡¯s funny face and asked coldly with aposed look, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Audrey came to Catherine excitedly and said, ¡°Kathy, it turns out that Triston is our new neighbor upstairs. He has just moved in and is having a party with his friends.¡± ¡°Kathy, may I invite you to my party upstairs for a while?¡± Triston blinked and looked at Catherine with an ingratiating expression. With a set cold face, Catherine was about to reject him when Triston beat her to it as if he had guessed her thought, saying, ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t turn me down. Just give me a chance. Please¡­¡± He looked like a puppy dog for the moment. Catherine could hardly understand why Triston was so desperate to invite her to his party. Even if she didn¡¯t go, it wouldn¡¯t cause any loss to Triston anyway. After all, their encounter was merely a coincidence. And Triston¡¯s party had been scheduled before. For him, whether she went to the party shouldn¡¯t matter that much. It was impossible for Triston to understand Catherine¡¯s thoughts. In his eyes, Catherine¡¯s appearance was a huge surprise. The person whom he could never invite here would probably rush here this time. He felt ecstatic and tried even harder to beg Catherine. Catherine couldn¡¯t stand his imploration and took a nce at Audrey only to find that she also looked excited. So, Catherine knitted her brows and asked in a low voice, ¡°You wanna go to the party?¡± Audrey nodded without hesitation. She really wanted to go. There was someone she wanted to meet upstairs. Since Audrey wanted to attend the party and Triston kept badgering her, Catherine nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll go t then!¡± Triston swung his hand merrily. ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± Triston¡¯s stupid action amused Catherine and Audrey. Even Catherine, who was always serious, looked at him with a smile. This man was so funny. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Branden just got home and intended to have a video call meeting and deal with the business in Bothor. Due to the time difference of 12 hours, it happened to be in the morning in that ce. As soon as the video call meeting started, the phone ced aside began to buzz. He picked it up and took a look only to find that it was Triston¡¯s message in the group chat. The group chat was created by Triston. The members were their good friends. Branden usually blocked the messages of the group chat. He wouldn¡¯t receive notifications unless he was mentioned. Today, Triston deliberately mentioned all the members in the group chat and also sent a photo out. Branden nced at the group chat and suddenly settled his gaze on an unnoticeable ce. Instantly, it just seized his attention. The senior managers in Bothor were all waiting for Branden to speak when they suddenly saw that he was staring at his phone. No one knew what was on the screen that could attract Branden¡¯s attention. The photo was followed by an address. The single guys in the group chat all went into an uproar. [Mr. Lambert, good for you. You have many girls. You should¡¯ve told me earlier. I¡¯ll be right there!] [The girl wearing a ck T-shirt in the corner looks hot. I¡¯lle too. Wait for me!] The girl wearing a ck T-shirt in the corner? That was Catherine! The moment Branden saw that scene, he put on a cold look. He pressed the picture and saved it on his phone. Then, he put the phone away and said, ¡°The meeting is over!¡± The senior managers of the branch in Bothor looked at each other in confusion. None of them knew what had happened to make Branden stop the meeting all of a sudden. Even Paxton was a bit astonished that Branden intended to leave suddenly. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ll arrange a car for you right now.¡± Branden sent him an address and said coldly, ¡°No need. You¡¯ll drive.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Paxton thought that Branden had something urgent to do. Seeing Branden¡¯s gloomy face, Paxton thought something serious was going to happen. So, the journey of more than half an hour¡¯s ride was reduced by half. At the Lamberts¡¯. Everyone was having fun. The friends Triston invited there today were all sensible and able to read the room. Even though Triston brought two young, pretty girls here after being away for a while, the other girls at the party didn¡¯t say anything about it. The people who could be brought there by Triston muste from a good family. Some rich young men did want to hit on Catherine upon seeing her. However, they were all stopped by Triston. ¡°Dude, be careful. She¡¯s not the girl you can get.¡± Jimmy felt quite perplexed about Triston¡¯s words. He stared at Triston in confusion. ¡°Mr. Lambert, is she your target? If yes, just tell me. We all get it!¡± Triston was away for 10 minutes just now. Then, he just came back with two beautiful girls. And Triston was extremely nice to them, which made the others rather puzzled. Jimmy thought Triston was chasing the girl! Triston sneered and patted Jimmy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Bro, don¡¯t joke about that! I still wanna live!¡± Judging from Triston¡¯s reaction, Jimmy and the others grew even more curious about Catherine¡¯s identity, but they also didn¡¯t dare to hit on her. After all, Triston looked quite serious. They were chatting when the doorbell rang. Someone shouted, ¡°It must be the food delivery I ordered. I¡¯ll get the door.¡± After opening the door, that man was struck dumb. As he made no sound for a while, a friend of his in the apartment said banteringly, ¡°Mate, are you infatuated with the delivery guy? Why don¡¯t youe in yet?¡± That man turned his head to look at everyone in a panic. Seeing his expression, others raised their heads curiously. Then, two people walked inside. The leading man looked extremely handsome, exuding an aristocratic air. Apparently, his identity must be extraordinary. Triston also noticed that. His eyes glistened when he saw it was Branden. ¡°Whoa, there you are, Branden!¡± Others all felt excited upon hearing Triston¡¯s words. None of them expected to meet Branden here. They all knew that Triston and Branden were close but never thought that Branden woulde to Triston¡¯s party. Audrey was having a good time. Since she got here, she had already drunk two bottles of beer because she felt happy. Audrey barely drank at times. This time she had had two bottles of beer For the moment, she became a bit hammered. Noticing that everyone was looking at the door, she also turned her head and glimpsed Branden standing at the door. She staggered forward and took a closer look. Then, she gave a smile. ¡°Whoa, isn¡¯t this Branden?¡± Branden lowered his head to look at Audrey in front of him. Seeing her red face, he recognized that she was probably drunk. He wondered if Catherine had drunk any wine, so he meant to go inside and take a look. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Unexpectedly, Audrey suddenly grabbed Branden¡¯s arm and turned to yell inside, ¡°Kathy, herees your fianc¨¦! Come and meet him now!¡± Everyone was astounded to hear that, their mouths wide open. None of them expected that Branden would have a fianc¨¦e and that she would be here. Branden froze briefly and then showed a faint smile on his face. His fiancee¡¯s sister was a bit interesting. Originally, Catherine paid no attention to that. Hearing Audrey¡¯s words, she immediately knitted her brows and rose to look at Audrey. Only a nce immediately made Audrey sober up. She trembled for a moment and then gazed at Catherine with puppy-dog eyes, saying in a low voice, ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± Facing her aggrieved expression, Catherine couldn¡¯t bother to me her and then dragged her over. Branden also followed Catherine closely. All of this just indicated that what Audrey said was right. Everyone came to their senses and still felt shocked, especially those who had designs on Catherine. At this moment, Jimmy finally understood why Triston told him not to covet Catherine. Who would dare to covet Branden¡¯s fiancee? It would be no different from courting death. Catherine put Audrey on the sofa.¡± You¡¯re drunk. Let¡¯s go downstairs!¡± Audrey¡¯s eyes were fixed on Catherine, and then, she shook her head. ¡°No, Kathy, we¡¯re finally having a good time. Let¡¯s stay for another while. After all, our home is downstairs. We can just go downstairs and sleep if we get drunk. Am I right?¡± Triston also came forward and agreed, saying, ¡°Audrey is right. Kathy, Mr. Duncan has just arrived. If you leave now, it¡¯ll make him look bad. Just cut him some ck!¡± Catherine looked up at Triston with a cold expression. ¡°Why would I cut him some ck?¡± Triston choked and didn¡¯t know how to respond. The others were also astonished by Catherine¡¯s arrogant words. She might be the only one who dared to say that she wouldn¡¯t cut Branden any ck in public! Everyone sized Branden up in secret and wanted to see how he would deal with this daring girl. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Branden made a move, but his actions shocked people even more. ¡°If you¡¯re tired and want to rest, I¡¯ll take you downstairs!¡± It was only one elevator ride away from upstairs to downstairs. But Branden said he would take her downstairs! Everyone could tell that Branden really cared about the beautiful woman in front of him. Watching Branden¡¯s astonishing behavior on the side, Triston clicked his tongue secretly. How did he not know Branden had such a good temper? Sure enough, it was a world where only good-looking people could be treated kindly, and he had no fairness. If one were nice to Catherine, she would also show them some respect. Audrey didn¡¯t want to leave, and Branden had just arrived, so it really wasn¡¯t the right time to go. She adjusted her posture and leaned back in her chair without leaving. Seeing that she hadn¡¯t left, Branden also put away the thought of leaving. ¡°Do you want something to drink?¡± The man¡¯s low voice soundedzy and hoarse. Catherine had little interest in alcohol. Audrey had already drunk a lot, so she didn¡¯t n to drink anymore. ¡°Soda!¡± Catherine answered faintly. Before Branden could do anything, Triston had already stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll serve it. I¡¯m the host, at least. How can I let you guests serve yourself? I¡¯ll do it!¡± Carrying a bottle of cold beer for Branden and a soda for Catherine, Triston obediently stepped back. His service was thoughtful and considerate. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The apartment Triston bought was about 3,000 square feet, with all the walls in the middle being knocked, and the oversized living room was enough for everyone to enjoy themselves. Triston had spent a lot of money on purchasing aplete set of sound equipment during the renovation, ensuring that its sound effect was better than that of hotels. However, although the lively room had beenpletely opened up, an invisible barrier in the middle seemed to separate the two sides of the room. The left side was filled with singing, dancing, and bustling, while the right was quiet and indifferent. Branden sat beside Catherine, one drinking beer and the other drinking soda, and the others dared not toe up to interrupt them. They were curious, but neither of them dared to step forward. After all, they didn¡¯t want to lose their lives. Neither Branden nor Catherine spoke. Branden had a cold temper and didn¡¯t talk much. Catherine was even colder than him. After a while, someone finally spoke up. Not surprisingly, the person who spoke was Branden. ¡°Kathy, what game did you y with Bryanst time?¡± Catherine tilted her head. Her dark eyes met Branden¡¯s gaze. ¡°You want to y too?¡± The man¡¯s thin lips slightly raised, his gaze deep was serene, as if everything was so natural. He handed her his cell phone, saying, ¡°Please download it for me!¡± His phone¡¯s screen lit up. Catherine was instantly attracted by the picture on his screen because she recognized the image as the very picture she had shared in her WhatsApp moments. Ordinary people would think that it was just a ck picture, but only Catherine could tell the secret at a nce. Because the image was designed by herself, and there was a dark pattern in it that ordinary people couldn¡¯t recognize. Catherine just nced at it and then moved her gaze away. After she helped Branden download the game, she handed him his cell phone. The inte speed of Branden¡¯s phone was exceptionally fast. At a nce, it was clear that his phone had been specially set up. She handed Branden his phone with the game downloaded. ¡°Here you go!¡± Although Branden had never yed games, he knew the basics. After logging in, he saw Catherine¡¯s ount inside his friend¡¯s list. He raised his eyebrows and looked toward Catherine. ¡°Let¡¯s y it?¡± Catherine was feeling bored. Since Branden wanted to y, she could apany him to y. Without saying a word, Catherine logged in. Branden invited her to y together, so after she logged in, Branden formed a team with her. Seeing that she was online, Branden was about to start the game. But he saw that someone had applied to join their team then. After a quick nce, he realized that it was Bryan who wanted to join them. Branden clicked refuse without even thinking. Branden didn¡¯t expect to find two strangers on their team when he started the game. He looked up at Catherine with surprised eyes. ¡°Did you invite them?¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°You started with a team of four!¡± All right, Branden felt like he was being taunted. He didn¡¯t know the game had this kind of operation. He felt disdained and said, ¡°The game developer isn¡¯t smart. Why doesn¡¯t it ask me how many team yers I needed for the game before I started?¡± Branden was focused on his phone¡¯s interface and didn¡¯t see Catherine¡¯s eyes gradually darken after he said that. However, Catherine admitted that the problem raised by the man did exist. She needed to arrange for the technical department to add an extra step to save some of the game idiots from not knowing how to operate it. The game had already started. Branden was not a tangled personality, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t be entangled in such a small problem in front of him. ¡°Do we need to exit and start over?¡± he asked. Catherine didn¡¯t care. ying with Branden, aplete novice, might not be as good as ying with two other strangers anyway. She didn¡¯t bother to quit! ¡°Go on!¡± After she said that, Branden naturally had no intention of exiting. Branden¡¯s operating interface was still the most primitive one. He had only watched Catherine y it without having yed the game himself. When one of the other teammates invited him for a joint skydive, Branden didn¡¯t click to ept or decline. Only after seeing Catherine¡¯s eptance did he click to ept. He didn¡¯t realize that the other teammate had invited Catherine to follow him long before asking him. Because the other teammate saw Catherine was a girl from her ount. Catherine had always beenzy to operate beforending, so the system defaulted to follow her teammate. These two other teammates knew each other. The intelligent system would usually match the corresponding teammates ording to each other¡¯s performance. For example, Catherine and Branden were on their respective friend lists. They knew each other. The teammates matched by the system would also be people who knew each other. Catherine and Branden were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, and their two teammates were male and female. The female was No. 3, and the male was No. 4. Now, No. 4 was in charge of taking them skydiving. He picked a ce with rtively abundant supplies and few people. Unfortunately, they were unlucky this time. Although they had chosen a safe ce, quite a few teams werending there. Catherine swept a nce. There were at least four teams in this ce. Just after theynded, No. 3, the girl spoke. Her voice was filled with dislike. ¡°Why did we match two people who don¡¯t talk? Can you guys make it? If you get shot, don¡¯t ask us toe to get you up!¡± After hearing herint, No. 4 hurriedly consoled her, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t you still have me if they get attacked? I promise to take you to the end game.¡± No. 3 said, ¡°Our team can only rely on you. I have great faith in your marksmanship!¡± Letting the two teammates boast each other up, Catherine picked up two guns. She threw one of them at Branden¡¯s feet. She didn¡¯t turn on her mike because it wasn¡¯t needed. Branden was right beside her. ¡°Take the gun and stay close to me!¡± Just after she said those words, she and Branden heard a gunshoting, followed by the screams of their female teammateing from inside their headphones, ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 No one expected someone to use a sniper rifle in this kind of venue as soon as the game started. The sniper directly exploded the level 1 helmet of No. 3 with a single shot, scaring her into a terrified scream. Branden raised his eyes toward Catherine with a questioning look in his eyes. When their gaze met, Catherine instantly read Branden¡¯s meaning. She pressed down on the small eye icon at the top of the screen and scanned to make sure of the enemy¡¯s location. ¡°Direction 170, southeast. You take a cover in the next room.¡± Hearing Catherine report a direction, Branden nced in the direction. He crouched down and did not hide inside the small room next door. He would not hide behind a woman and let her face the bullets. He would feel ashamed of himself if he did so. Catherine was observing the enemy¡¯s position when she heard No. 3 shouting in her earphones. ¡°No.1, No. 2, can you guys make a move? I¡¯m hit. Get me up. What are you waiting for? No. 4 has to shoot the enemy and save us, but you just stand there without moving. Isn¡¯t it too much?¡± Hearing theining voice, Catherine frowned slightly. She had already discovered the position of the sniper who had just fired. That sniper would inevitably run away if she went up to save No. 3 now. Catherine didn¡¯t go up to save her. Besides, she was some distance away from No. 3. It wasn¡¯t her who should have stepped up to save No. 3, but instead, No. 4, who wasn¡¯t far from No. 3. As for Branden, he had no interest in others at all. Even if his teammates died, he wouldn¡¯t look at them. His microphone had been turned off long ago. He didn¡¯t even want to hear what those two other teammates were saying. No. 3¡¯s heart had long been overwhelmed with anger. Even though they were virtual characters in the game, she still wanted to scold Catherine. She rushed toward Catherine as soon as she was up. As a result, her location was instantly exposed just as she stood up. Without helmet protection on her head, she was shot again the next second. At the same time, the person who shot her also exposed his location. Catherine instantly fired. While No. 3 was knocked down, their opponent was also knocked down by Catherine. Her shooting was fantastic. The No. 4 boy couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Nice shooting!¡± While amazed at Catherine¡¯s excellent shooting skills, he worshipped her perfect performance. ¡°No. 1, that was a great shooting!¡± On the other hand, Branden was observing everything with a faint smile on the side. Catherine didn¡¯t say anything. Once the gunshot rang out, the remaining enemies around them sensed something and would rush in the direction they were in. They had limited supplies, but their enemies had abundant supplies. If they attacked forcefully, it would be difficult to rely on her alone with three newbie teammates. No. 3 was very dissatisfied with her teammate¡¯s praising of Catherine, and she said with sarcasm, ¡°No. 4, do you think No. 1 could be a transvestite? The kind of disgusting man who specializes in ying with girl ounts. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she dare turn on her microphone to let us hear her voice?¡± Facing her nder, Catherine didn¡¯t care at all. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t say anything, No. 4 didn¡¯t know what to answer. In the eyes of No. 3, this was tacit eptance. After she was rescued, she didn¡¯t even take any meds and fired two shots, instantly exposing their location. It wasn¡¯t long before they heard someoneing. The other two teams had arrived at the location of the next house. Seeing that they were closing in, Catherine remained calm andposed. Branden watched the screen while sizing up Catherine with interest. Perhaps his gaze was too hot. Catherine sensed his gaze and looked up at him in a rush. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± The man¡¯s gaze was somewhat deep and hot, staring intently into her cold and beautiful eyes. The tip of his tongue lightly touched his thin lips. He looked evil but also seductive. He spoke in a very light and maic voice with a seductive vor, making people inexplicably have a feeling of desire. ¡°Kathy, do you know what it means that a serious woman is the most beautiful?¡± While Catherine wasmunicating with him, her eyes were fixed on every move inside the phone screen. The moment Branden said those words, Catherine shouted sternly in a cold and slightly deep voice, ¡°Crouch down!¡± Although Branden didn¡¯t know how to y the game, he naturally wouldn¡¯t be Catherine¡¯s burden. He was very obedient. Of course, he would only listen to Catherine. Just after Catherine asked him to crouch down, Branden immediately made a move. He instantly operated his cell phone to get himself crouched down. Although two teams were besieging their squad. these two teams seemed to have reached a tacit understanding, which wasmonly known as illegal teaming. The two teams joined forces to besiege Catherine and her squad. The other two teammates were instantly knocked down. Catherinemanded Branden to go to get them up. Branden initially didn¡¯t want to move, but Catherine asked him to go. He made a move for Catherine¡¯s sake. What he didn¡¯t expect was that the foolish No. 3 rushed out just after she was rescued. She was killed immediately. What a waste of his time. Although No. 3 waspletely done, she didn¡¯t quit the game. She was still there, constantly nagging. ¡°Hmph, a disgusting man ying a girl¡¯s ount. You guys will also be knocked out soon. Do you think you¡¯re powerful? I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able tost more than three minutes.¡± ¡± Branden had turned off his microphone and had no idea what No. 3 was saying, but as Catherine¡¯s brows furrowed, he felt something was wrong. He turned on his microphone. Then he heard what No.3 was saying. Branden retorted without thinking, ¡± You¡¯re already knocked out. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed to talk so much still? No wonder you can only date men inside the game, but unfortunately, No. 4 doesn¡¯t seem to like you. No. 1 is my woman. Who do you think you are? How dare you speak ill of her?¡± No one expected that the always silent No.2 would suddenly speak up and still be so domineering. It was said that listening to one¡¯s voice was like seeing one. As soon as they heard Branden¡¯s voice they knew he was not ordinary. No. 3 didn¡¯t know what to reply. While the two were arguing, Catherine quickly shot their enemies. Their enemies did not expect Catherine to be so powerful and openly surrender in the public channel. Catherine was tired and didn¡¯t want to knock them all out, so she let them go. No. 3, who was screaming just now, waspletely silent. Catherine didn¡¯t bother to keep ying this round, so she pulled out a frag and then a Molotov cocktail. She knocked herself out. Branden followed her. He taunted No. 3 before he exited the game. ¡°No. 3, your voice is very unpleasant, like a man¡¯s. Don¡¯t nag in the game in the future so as not to scare others.¡± After saying this, he directly exited the game, not giving No. 3 the opportunity to answer. His attitude could definitely make No. 3 angry enough to uninstall the game. After Branden exited the game, put down his cell phone. He inclined his head, and his eyes slowly fell on Catherine. he ¡°Don¡¯t want to y another round?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine shook her head. Her eyeballs rolled slightly, and she said in a low voice, ¡°Branden, why? You have a crush on me?¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Because of Catherine¡¯s words, Branden, who had always been unsmiling and cold, raised the corner of his mouth slightly. In a deep, hoarse, and maic voice, he said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it obvious enough?¡± Catherine was silent for a while. There wasn¡¯t much emotion on her face, making it impossible for others to guess what she was thinking. After a while, Catherine slowly raised her head to look at Branden, an obscure enveloping between her eyebrows on her delicate face. Her beautiful eyes were slightly raised. She looked calm and rxed, and her tone was light, as if she was not talking about herself. ¡°I¡¯m a jinx. I¡¯m destined to be lonely, and the people I am with will either be dead or injured!¡± It was the 21st century, but some people still cringed because of these ridiculous remarks. After hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Branden smiled faintly. His deep gaze fell carelessly on Catherine¡¯s face, gently sweeping over. He lookedzy, but his attitude was firm, and his tone was even more domineering. ¡°My fate is in my own hands!¡± Catherine appreciated Branden¡¯s personality, and he was right. Her fate was also in her own hands. ¡°Heh!¡± Catherine let out a lightugh and put away her cell phone, then stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for some fresh air!¡± Branden immediately stood up and followed without hesitation. Although Triston and the others dared not approach, they had been watching every move of Branden and Catherine. They watched Catherine standing up to leave and Branden following. Those initially a little worried and didn¡¯t dare to watch Branden and Catherine directly started to discuss when they saw them leave. They looked at each other and finally sent a representative to approach Triston to inquire. ¡°Mr. Lambert, who¡¯s Mr. Duncan¡¯s fianc¨¦e? I think Mr. Duncan quite favors her. She¡¯ll be his wife without any doubts, right?¡± Prominent and wealthy families have always emphasized the importance of family status. Even ordinary wealthy families would consider the family background when looking for a partner, not to mention the top wealthy families like the Duncans. If that girl also came from a wealthy family, she would be the matriarch of the Duncans in the future. Triston smiled elegantly while holding the wine, with a hint of pride on his face. ¡°She¡¯ll be his wife without any doubts. After all, this was the marriage agreement made by Branden¡¯s grandfather and Mr. Swann himself. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a certain thing?¡± Everyone was somewhat surprised when they heard this. Not many wealthy families were surnamed Swann in Casier, and even fewer people could make Triston respectfully call ¡°Mr. Swann.¡± After their analysis, they found that only the Swanns in the south of the city remained eligible. Suddenly, someone remembered something and said anxiously, ¡°I did hear my mom say that she had attended Mr. Swann¡¯s funeral before. Could it be that the girl just now is Mr. Swann¡¯s second granddaughter, Miss Catherine, who has just returned to the Swanns?¡± Those in the upper circles knew that the Swanns had made a fool of themselves, and the Swanns were considered one of the four famous families. After the death of Vicente, the most authoritative person of the Swanns, he did not entrust the assets of the Swanns to Korbin. Instead, he handed them over to his second granddaughter, who had been thrown into the countryside since childhood. Due to the Swanns being a powerful family, everyone did not dare to discuss this matter openly, but this matter was still spread on a small scale. There were always a few brain-dead people who knew this. Someone subconsciously blurted out, ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Catherine the jinx of the Swanns?¡± The atmosphere was quiet for a second. Everyone knew about this, but those who could publicly say such words were brainless. [p!] A p was hit heavily on the back of the head of the person who had just said those words. Audrey then staggered up, looking at the person who spoke with confused eyes. She couldn¡¯t stand still. ¡°Brat, what kind of nonsense are you babbling? How can my sister be a jinx? My sister is a blessing from God. I¡¯m her sister. How could I not know? If you keep talking nonsense, beware, I¡¯ll cut out your tongue.¡± Audrey was already a little drunk, and her speech was a little slurred. But that was just good. She could alleviate some awkwardness with the help of alcohol. The man who spoke reacted to his mistake and hurriedly bowed his head to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m wrong.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. As the host, Triston stepped forward at the right time and pulled Audrey away. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Audrey. You¡¯re drunk. I¡¯ll take you back.¡± Getting out of Triston¡¯s house and breathing in the fresh air outside, Catherine took a few deep breaths in contentment. When she was in Triston¡¯s house just now, it all smelled of cigarettes and alcohol, which didn¡¯t make herfortable. It was windy outside, so Branden took off his suit jacket and handed it to Catherine. He hade straight from the office and was still in his formal attire. Seeing the jacket in Branden¡¯s hand, Catherine¡¯s beautiful eyes held a faint smile. She raised her eyebrows to look at him. ¡°No need. I¡¯m not cold!¡± Although she didn¡¯t wear much, she wore a lot more than Branden. Despite her refusal, Branden still draped his jacket over her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s windy. You¡¯d better drape it!¡± The jacket covering her still carried the temperature belonging to him. The warmth caught her off guard. The faint aroma was refreshing. Not knowing what to do, Catherine sat quietly on the stone steps, staring at the boundless and beautiful moonlight. Branden, on the other hand, stood quietly observing her. The dim street light fully presented her beautiful appearance. Catherine¡¯s skin was very smooth. She looked very charming. After a long silence, Catherine suddenly said, ¡°You should have received the contract, right?¡± Branden said, ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Then he stood up and walked to Catherine, facing her. Their gaze met. The man suddenly leaned down and braced his hands on Catherine¡¯s sides, his eyes looking at her thoughtfully. ¡°The contract is in effect, and so is our one-year contract, right? My fianc¨¦e!¡± His deep, moonlike eyes were staring at Catherine. His gaze was so hot that Catherine¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but tremble momentarily. The man in front of her knew how to seduce people too well. In Vicente¡¯s will, Catherine asked Branden to agree to be her fianc¨¦ for a year. Now that she had fulfilled Branden¡¯s conditions, the contract had officiallye into effect. In just a second, Catherine adjusted her emotions. She looked straight at Branden with her beautiful eyes, the ends of which were slightly raised, with a mysterious and enigmatic smile. ¡°Yes, the contract is in effect. You remember to go home and read the contract regtions when you have time.¡± Branden could tell from Catherine¡¯s smile that she had other intentions. It seemed that he needed to find time to go back and study the contract still lying in the drawer of the Duncans¡¯ living room. But now, he had another question for Catherine. ¡°What is your rtionship with The Storm?¡± It was impossible for one to determine the global copyright agency of a game without some strength. This made him somewhat curious about Catherine¡¯s identity! Chapter 134 ?Chapter 134 Understanding Her The corner of Catherine''s mouth curled up into a faint smile, making her look quite mysterious and unpredictable. She stared intently at the handsome man at her side. Her gentle voice sounded both deep and hoarse. "Guess!" The simple word made the gentleness in the bottom of the man''s eyes grow deeper and thicker, just like the beautiful moonlight that could not be dissipated. Branden understood what she meant. Since she wanted him to investigate independently, he would do it himself. He didn''t believe that with the ability of the Duncans, he couldn''t even find out about this. The more challenging something was, the more interesting it was, wasn''t it? It was gettingte. Catherine had sses tomorrow, and Branden was in control of her situation. ''Let''s go. I''ll send you back to rest. You have sses tomorrow!" Was this man treating her as one of those little girls who had just be an adult and was busy with daily sses? Fine with her. As long as he was happy! Catherine put her hands in her pockets and turned around coolly without saying goodbye to Branden. Her posture was arrogant to the extreme. Branden didn''t mind. He had long known that her personality was reckless and arrogant. How could he care about this little matter? Returning upstairs, Catherine realized that Audrey had not returned yet. When she was about to go upstairs to find her, Branden stopped her. ''Get some rest. It''s not polite if you go to Triston''s house ande back. Audrey is an adult, and she''ll be fine with Triston around!" After thinking about it, Catherine thought it made sense. Audrey was even older than her and had been working in society for a long time. She nodded at Branden. "Well, I''m going to get some rest!" Looking at the way she turned and closed the door, Brandenughed with a helpless face. She was so mean to him. She didn''t even say goodbye to him. Just after he finished thinking about it, the door opened, followed by Catherine''s clear face appearing in front of him. Being confused by the sudden action, Branden was a bit puzzled. He asked by the look in his eyes, ''Is there anything else?" On Catherine''s delicate face, her pink lips curled slightly upward. She said with a hoarse voice, "Nothing much. I just want to say to you... Good night." She deliberately intoned thest syble. Her voice attracted Branden''s soul away instantly. Until the sound of the door closing sounded again, Branden''s thoughts were pulled back. Looking at the closed door of the room, he burst intoughter. He had always been sober, and few things could tempt him. But in front of Catherine, he had repeatedly lost his mind for various reasons that he hadn''t figured out. Before leaving, he took another look at the closed door of the room. He parted his thin lips slightly to murmur, Good night!" The next day, when Catherine got up to go to school, she noticed that the slippers ced at the door hadn''t even been changed position, indicating that Audrey hadn''t returnedst night. Catherine frowned slightly but didn''t do anything. Branden was right. Audrey was an adult, and she was capable of taking responsibility for her behavior. She didn''t need to worry about Audrey. Catherine went downstairs with her book bag. It was her first time going to school from Audrey''s house, and she nned to take a cab. Just as she went downstairs, she saw the ck Bentley parked out front. Catherine swept a nce at it and left. Unexpectedly, the ck Bentley drove slowly toward her and stopped beside her. The moment the car window was rolled down, the handsome face was revealed inside the car. Catherine froze momentarily when she saw the handsome face, not realizing it was actually Branden. Paxton got out of the car and respectfully opened the door for Catherine. Seeing Catherine''s uncertain look, Paxton hurriedly opened his mouth and spoke. *Miss Swann, Mr. Duncan came to wait for you early in the morning!" Hearing Paxton''s words, Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked toward Branden inside the car. The man lowered his eyebrows as his gaze gently locked onto hers. "Get in the car!" Catherine bent down and sat in the car. When Branden came to pick her up before, he drove the iconic Maybach. She had never seen the Bentley before, so she didn''t recognize it just now. After getting into the car, she casually asked, "You changed your car?" "Uh-huh!" Branden responded. Paxton, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, murmured softly in his heart, "He not only changed his car but also his house." Knowing that Catherine had been living in Audrey''s house these days, Branden moved to a nearby house overnight. Branden had bought that house long ago but had never lived in it. He moved there temporarilyst night and came to pick up Catherine to send her to school early in the morning. So, he didn''t use the car he usually used, and even the driver couldn''t be dispatched in time. All the equipment used there was from the house. Even the car was a new one ced in the underground garage there. Seeing that Catherine was about to close her eyes again, Branden stopped her. "Have your breakfast now!" Catherine had plenty of time to sleep after arriving at school. Although Branden was not studying at the school, he was still very familiar with Catherine''s situation at school. He knew that she slept every day during ss. He reached out and picked up the food box on the side to put it in front of Catherine. Inside the spacious carriage, all the equipment was designed to be fully automated. In the driver seat, Paxton had considerately operated the car to automatically raise a small table board for cing the food box. Catherine frowned slightly. She didn''t like having breakfast, just like she didn''t like getting up early. Ronin used to force her to have breakfast. He always prepared breakfast and brought it to her, trying all means to make her eat a little. It had been a long time since she had eaten breakfast in this period. Noticing a slight frown on her delicate face, Branden showed his rare patience to persuade her, "Breakfast is important. You must eat at least a little." While saying this, he helped her open the food box and showed her the exquisite dishes inside. There were pancakes, sandwiches, fries, and milk! Catherine didn''t like eating sweets. What she hated the most for breakfast was coffee with sugar and bread. On the contrary, these snacks were a little more eptable to her. Seeing the food Branden had prepared, Catherine''s originally furrowed brows gradually rxed. She didn''t expect this man to be careful with his arrangements, even noticing such small details. Quite a few foods were prepared, and it didn''t look like it was for only one person.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "Let''s eat together!" Catherine ced a fork aside, signaling Branden to have breakfast with her. The look in the man''s delicate eyes changed slightly as if he didn''t expect her to extend an invitation. It seemed that Catherine wasn''t that cold. She started to share food with him! The food prepared by Branden was to her liking, and she ate a lot of it. She rarely ate so much. If Ronin saw this scene, he might chase after Branden for the chef who cooked the food. By the time they reached the school entrance, Catherine had just finished her breakfast. She took a paper napkin to wipe her mouth and dashingly pushed the door to get out of the car. Unlike before, Catherine took the initiative to turn around and waved to Branden. "Bye!" Branden nodded his head. After her figure disappeared through the campus gate, he ordered Paxton to drive. Initially, he should have had a meeting in the morning. However, because of Catherine, he had explicitly excused himself for half an hour. All the executives were now waiting for him. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 As soon as Catherine stepped into the ssroom, Ronin immediately stood up and went up to say hello to her. Previously, it was George who used to be the first one to reach ss. Today, George discovered that Ronin had arrived when he arrived at ss. At first, he thought Ronin was a good student who loved to study and who wished he could go to ss early to study every day, butter, he realized that he was wrong. He waspletely wrong. It turned out that Ronin didn¡¯t go to ss so early to study. After entering the ss, Ronin took a small electric pot from his school bag. It was the kind of pot that could heat food. Afterward, his actions dumbfounded George. George didn¡¯t expect Ronin¡¯s cooking skills to be so good, and even more so, he didn¡¯t expect Ronin to go to ss early in the morning to make breakfast. He initially thought Ronin was living an exquisite life and pursuing perfection, but then he found out that Ronin didn¡¯t eat the food he cooked. It wasn¡¯t until Catherine showed up that George finally realized what was happening. It turned out Ronin¡¯s breakfast was all prepared for Catherine. Catherine¡¯s position in Ronin¡¯s heart made George exim and envy. Ronin presented his prepared breakfast to Catherine as if he were offering a treasure. He knew that Catherine didn¡¯t like to eat stale food. She only liked freshly made food. That was why he went to school early to cook breakfast. ¡°Boss, I prepared pizza, oatmeal, and some delicious pickles for you today. Do you want to eat some?¡± Catherine took a look. Ronin¡¯s cooking skills were indeed excellent, worthy of someone who was of the highest standard of skill in cooking. But she was full now and didn¡¯t have any appetite. Even if someone put her favorite dish in front of her, she wouldn¡¯t want to eat it. Catherine shook her head and told Ronin, ¡°I just got full!¡± Hearing this, Ronin looked up at Catherine in surprise. ¡°You just got full? Catherine didn¡¯t respond to him but went straight to her seat and sat down. Ronin froze for a while before reacting that Catherine wasn¡¯t joking. But Catherine had never liked having breakfast. Why did she take the initiative to have breakfast today? Ronin originally wanted to inquire about the reason. But when he turned his head, he realized that Catherine was already bending over the desk and sleeping. He had to shut up. Seeing Ronin¡¯s hospitality toward Catherine failed, Bryan couldn¡¯t help butugh at the side. Catherine was resting. The two didn¡¯t dare to make any noise, but they had never stopped arguing with their eyes, and neither had let go of the other. The people around were envious of Catherine when they saw this scene. Ronin not only was a good student but also had particrly good looks. He was sunny and handsome. He and Bryan were two completely different types of men. Bryan was originally an influential man in the ss. Many girls secretly had a crush on him. Now, these two excellent and handsome men were all around Catherine, and they couldn¡¯t wait to hold her in their hands as a treasure, making people envy her. Many people envied Catherine, and even more people were jealous of her. Liana¡¯s deskmate¡¯s face twisted in anger when she saw this scene. ¡°Liana, do you know what¡¯s so good about Catherine? Or are those men possessed? Otherwise, why would they all be around her? Are they blind?¡± Liana was also so angry that her face was twisted. She also couldn¡¯t figure out what was so good about Catherine; the jinx came from the countryside. There were so many people chasing after her. Those people were really blind. But she didn¡¯t say these things out loud. After all, Catherine, a country girl, was not worthy of being compared to her in her eyes. Hearing her deskmate¡¯s words, Liana said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to take it seriously. They just haven¡¯t seen her true face.¡± Looking at Liana¡¯s rxed face, her deskmate was still slightly angry. ¡°Liana, you¡¯re just too good-tempered. Catherine is obviouslyparing herself to you both in the open and the dark. If it were me, I would have gotten angry long ago. It¡¯s just that you have a good temper and don¡¯t bother with her! Liana¡¯s hand holding the pen kept tightening, and a touch of hostility shed in her big eyes. Her deskmate was right. Catherine was too shameless. Did Catherine want to defeat her and make everyone think that she was the realdy from the Swanns? N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. There was no way she was going to let Catherine achieve that. Catherine was just dreaming of it. ¡°Liana, the audition will start tomorrow. You must show Catherine what true music art is! She doesn¡¯t know anything at all!¡± Liana¡¯s deskmate looked in Catherine¡¯s direction with great disdain in her eyes and said to Liana with sarcasm. Liana thought that her deskmate was right. This time, she would make Catherine losepletely. During break time, Catherine woke up and leaned back in the chair in a daze. Ronin noticed that Catherine¡¯s sleeping time had been getting shorter and shortertely, and he frowned slightly. ¡°Boss, have you been in a bad statetely?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Catherine answered in a cold voice. She was in pretty good shapetely and didn¡¯t need to rest for that long. Bryan finally found a chance to talk to Catherine. He naturally wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity. ¡°Boss, I went back and practiced the song you chose a few timesst week, and I feel like I can y it better now. If you¡¯re free this afternoon, would you like to listen to me y it?¡± Catherine would participate in the celebration g¡¯s performance. Ronin was in charge of ying the drum set, and Bryan was naturally unwilling to be left behind. He practiced guitar every day these days. He paid for three teachers who were specifically responsible for teaching guitar and followed the teaching throughout without missing a second. He could finally y a piece proficiently andpletely, so he couldn¡¯t wait to show Catherine what he had practiced. ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t think much of it. Since Bryan wanted her to listen, then she would help him listen to it. Seeing Catherine agree, Bryan was very happy and looked at her with a smile on his face. ¡°Thank you, boss!¡± Facing Bryan¡¯scency, Ronin snorted in disdain. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯ve only been practicing for a few days. Do you really think you¡¯re a musical genius? You don¡¯t feel ashamed to show it off?¡± Ronin¡¯s sarcasm didn¡¯t irritate Bryan, and he directly refuted, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see who¡¯s the musical genius!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll wait and see!¡± The argument between the two continued. With their eyes fixed on each other, they were eager to kill each other with their eyes if they could. David and the others who were sitting around were trembling in fear. Ronin and Bryan could really get into a fight as soon as they meet. Catherine was probably the only one who could sit between them and let them bicker with no reaction. She didn¡¯t understand how Bryan and Ronin, who were originally quite cold, could be so childish when they met. She felt that both of them wanted to pounce on each other and bite each other before they would stop. But Catherine didn¡¯t want to care about it. She let the two bicker with each other. She thought it was their own business anyway. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 In the afternoon, because of the approaching celebration g, the students used gym ss as a practice ss under the arrangement of the gym teacher. Bryan had someone take over the practice room early in the morning. He couldn¡¯t wait to take Catherine there, ready to let her feel his efforts these days. After choosing the best viewing position, Bryan carried a stool and ced it before Catherine. ¡°Boss, please!¡± David and the others followed, looking at Bryan expectantly. ¡°Bryan, go for it!¡± Ronin was thest one to enter the door. He just happened to hear the cheers of David and the others. He disdainfully snorted and said sarcastically, ¡°Tsk, tsk¡­ You¡¯ve only practiced for a few days and are so arrogant. Do you really think you¡¯re a genius?¡± Bryan turned his head slowly sideways, his eyes staring at Ronin with disdain. The atmosphere in the practice room instantly became weird. Inexplicably, there was a kind of tension. After David and the others felt the pressure of the atmosphere, they silently scrunched their necks and didn¡¯t dare to move. Although Ronin was new there, judging from his imposing manner, they knew that he wasn¡¯t someone to be messed with. The pressure in the practice room continued to increase, and everyone began to tremble without knowing what to do. At the moment when the fight between Ronin and Bryan was about to break out, Catherine suddenly made a move. She looked up, and her slightly narrowed eyes swept lightly between the two. ¡°Can we begin?¡± It was a simple question. She spoke without emotion, but it instantly calmed the two, who were on the verge of a fight. Ronin was the first to give up the fight and found an empty seat to sit down. He stopped fighting with Bryan, and Bryan didn¡¯t keep arguing with him either. He took out his guitar and found a good seat to sit down. Bryan, who had never had stage fright, suddenly panicked a little as he looked up at Catherine. A saying shed through his mind. ¡± The more one wants to be recognized, the more one will be afraid of not being recognized!¡± In order not to be emotionally affected, Bryan closed his eyes. Familiar melodies shed through his mind, as well as every position he yed. Although he only had a few days of practice time, his muscles allowed him to naturally and proficiently pluck the guitar strings as if he had muscle memory. It was a short music piece. If it weren¡¯t for everyone¡¯s knowledge that Bryan had only been practicing for a few days, they would think he was hiding something about his musicianship. The level and fluidity he showed just now could not be achieved unless he was a musical genius. David and the others were all excited and thrilled. After Bryan finished ying, they started pping like crazy. ¡°Bryan, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Ronin¡¯s eyes toward Bryan also changed. He had to admit that Bryan was indeed smart enough to y a song to this level after such a short time of practicing. It was really impressive. After Bryan finished ying, his gaze was directly locked on Catherine. He didn¡¯t care what other people thought. He only cared about Catherine¡¯s opinion. After hesitating for a moment, Bryan slowly asked, ¡°Boss, how was it?¡± Perhaps his level was already very impressive in the eyes of ordinary people, but in Catherine¡¯s opinion, it was not enough. She opened her eyes and raised them toward Bryan. Her slightly serious expression caused the initially cheerful atmosphere to be silent instantly. It wasn¡¯t until the moment she spoke that the atmosphere changed. ¡°It¡¯s not bad. But a few pitches in the middle part aren¡¯t quite good enough. If you¡¯re going to perform on stage, it would be better if you practiced for a while longer!¡± In David¡¯s and the other¡¯s opinion, Bryan was already considered a genius for being able to do this, but they didn¡¯t expect Catherine to think that it wasn¡¯t enough. What a high standard did this require! Perhaps this was the first time Bryan, who had always been held in high regard, had not received recognition. Everyone was a bit worried that Bryan might be unable to ept it and silently looked at him. Before Bryan could say anything, a few students standing outside the door watching the show couldn¡¯t help but make sarcastic remarks. ¡°I don¡¯t know if she understands music or not. How could shement blindly here? Maybe she¡¯s not as good as Bryan when she goes on stage!¡± Those who coulde to the practice room were some who understood music. The piece of music that Bryan just showed off had already amazed many people. They couldn¡¯t tell that Bryan was just a neer learning to y the guitar. The person who made the sarcastic remarks and disagreed with Catherine¡¯sments was none other than Elena Leigh, the belle of the other ss. She had been studying dance since she was a child and was proficient in ballet. She had a good rtionship with Liana. Most importantly, there were rumors that she had a crush on Bryan and had been chasing after him for a long time. But she was not favored by Bryan. Elena not only satirized Catherine by herself but also invited Liana with her. ¡°Liana, in terms of musical attainment, none of us here are as good as you. Even our music teachers often discuss music with you. Why don¡¯t youe and give Bryan a review of how he yed just now?¡± Liana nced sideways at Elena. Compared to her deskmate, Elena was much smarter. ¡°Elena, don¡¯t tter me like that. I¡¯ve just studied music for a few more years and have a bit more of a foundation than everyone else!¡± ¡°Liana, don¡¯t be so modest. Who doesn¡¯t know that you won a prize only a while ago? You¡¯re destined to further your studies in the world¡¯s top music academies in the future. Come on,ment on it. Destroy Catherine¡¯s arrogance!¡± Elena didn¡¯t mind praising Liana at this time. She aimed to weaken Catherine¡¯s arrogant and domineering aura. She had long been displeased with Catherine. She didn¡¯t know what was so good about Catherine that she could make Bryan so attached to her. Elena just wasn¡¯t convinced. She just wanted Bryan to know that Catherine was just a bitch who liked to pretend. Liana smiled faintly. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll just give a briefment. You guys don¡¯t mind if I don¡¯t have a good comment!¡± After giving herself an opening speech, Liana turned her gaze to Catherine. Her originally gentle eyes became cold as she looked at Catherine. She instantly looked much more stern. ¡°I do think Bryan really ys well. Professionals may stillck control, but for a beginner like Bryan, it¡¯s not too much to call him a genius! ¡°Catherine, since you think he doesn¡¯t y well enough, why don¡¯t you y a piece and highlight Bryan¡¯s shorings? Wouldn¡¯t that be more convincing?¡± Liana predicted that Catherine didn¡¯t understand music. She felt that Catherine was pretending to understand music to gain attention. She felt that all she had done was to expose everything and let everyone know how hypocritical Catherine was. As Liana said those words, her eyes swept over the crowd, awaiting a response. There was no confrontation or rudeness in her words, which were well -founded, making everyone especially convinced. ¡°Yeah, I think Liana¡¯s right. If you have the ability, y it yourself to convince us. If you don¡¯t have the ability, don¡¯t blindly criticize others!¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°That¡¯s right. You y it and show us your level. You¡¯ll have to perform on stage eventually, anyway. Isn¡¯t it the same for you to perform here? Just consider it as a practice!¡± Everyone was giving their remarks. Their words were full of contempt and disparagement toward Catherine. Ronin was on the side. His eyes slightly narrowed as he contemptuously looked at the group, who had an exaggerated opinion of their abilities. Did they deserve to dominate his boss? They were really overconfident. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Catherine nced at the crowd coldly before fixing her icy gaze on Bryan. The moment her gaze landed on him, Bryan reacted swiftly. Bryan stood up abruptly. His handsome face darkened as he looked unfriendly at Elena and the others. He didn¡¯t mince words as he said, ¡°You think you can y a couple of tunes and dance a bit, and suddenly you¡¯re an expert? And now you want to give others advice? When did it be your turn to instruct me?¡± Elena blushed deeply at Bryan¡¯s blunt taunt. She hadn¡¯t expected Bryan to be so harsh. She stomped in frustration and tried to exin herself. She didn¡¯t want Bryan to misunderstand her. ¡°Bryan, I¡­¡± Before she could utter another word, Bryan raised a hand to silence her. The sound of her voice seemed to send shivers down Bryan¡¯s spine. Annoyance was written all over his face. Bryan said, ¡°Enough. Just shut up!¡± After Elena was scolded twice in a row, although she usually had a strongposure, well up her eyes I couldn¡¯t help but with tears. Elena just wanted to defend Bryan. But she never imagined that Bryan would publicly criticize her. ¡°Bryan, I was only trying to help you!¡± Bryan snorted disdainfully as he looked at Elena coldly. ¡°Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to say you¡¯re trying to help me? You im you¡¯re trying to help me, but you don¡¯t even respect the people I hold in the highest regard. Is that your idea of helping me?¡± Bryan pointed a finger at Catherine as he looked scornfully at her. ¡°I call her Boss. Whatever she says is right. If she says my ying isn¡¯t good enough, it isn¡¯t. Do you really think I need yourments?¡± When Bryan turned to look at Catherine, his expression changed. His eyes were filled with admiration and awe. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Boss, your critique is spot on. My vocal teacher, who taught me guitar, said something simr before. These aspects do need improvement. And you can trust me. I¡¯ll practice diligentlyter. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Catherine grunted. She showed no interest in the people standing beside her. She even didn¡¯t spare them a nce. Bryan¡¯s response was an unexpected turn of events for all the onlookers. Regardless of whether he had intentionally praised Catherine with his previous words, his response as the person involved left Elena utterly humiliated. Bryan effectively helped Catherine embarrass Elena. And Catherine didn¡¯t even need to make a move to make her opponents crumble. That was the most brilliant aspect of the whole situation. As the matter came to a close, Catherine felt tired. She slowly uncrossed her long legs and stood up. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Catherine strode toward the practice room¡¯s exit. Her presence there had been solely for Bryan¡¯s sake. Now that Bryan had finished practicing, there was no need for her to linger. Ronin followed closely as he noticed Catherine had gotten up. After Bryan saw Ronin¡¯s movement, he hastily packed up his things and followed them. As a result, the others followed suit one after another, which created a bustling exodus. Elena watched them leave with red eyes. She angrily looked at them with a mixture of bewilderment and resentment. She muttered to herself, ¡± What¡¯s the deal? What¡¯s so special about Catherine? She¡¯s managed to enchant them all. Are they all crazy? ¡°That damn seductress! She¡¯s quite the schemer!¡± Liana, who also nced in Catherine¡¯s direction, had a look of anger and jealousy in her eyes. ¡°Elena, all we can do now is show everyone how exceptional we are,¡± Liana said. Elena sneered dismissively, ¡°Even if we¡¯re exceptional, what good does it do us? In front of Catherine, we¡¯ll still end up losing. Just wait and see. I won¡¯t let her have it easy.¡± After her statement, Elena angrily departed. Liana watched Elena leave and let out a cold, mocking laugh. She murmured, What a stupid woman. She¡¯s only fit to be a stepping stone for Catherine.¡± Liana had cleverly used Elena to undermine Catherine. If Elena seeded, it would be the best oue. Even if Elena didn¡¯t, causing some trouble for Catherine was still a great achievement. After all, Liana did not need to intervene. She relished the situation as it unfolded. School was out, and Catherine picked up her backpack and headed outside. Ronin quickly caught up with her and spoke hushedly at her side, ¡°Boss, have you received any news from Arthur?¡± ¡°What kind of news?¡± Catherine had been focusing on her sses and spending time with Audrey recently. She hadn¡¯t been involved inpany matters during that time. Realizing that Catherine might not be aware, Ronin quickly exined the situation. ¡°Ourpany¡¯swork has been under continuous attack these past few days. And the attackers are getting more skilled with each attempt.¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow at the information. She looked at Ronin with curiosity. ¡°Oh. Really?¡± Theirpany was a renowned tech firm in the industry, and their tech experts were top-notch hackers. It was pretty interesting that someone would dare challenge theirpany. Catherine asked coldly, ¡°You haven¡¯t tracked down the culprits yet?¡± Ronin nodded reluctantly. Then he realized something was amiss. ¡°Boss, how did you them yet?¡± know we haven¡¯t caught Ronin looked at Catherine anxiously. He was worried that Catherine might punish them for theirck of ability. He was pretty uneasy about it. He thought inwardly, ¡°Boss asked directly like this. Has she already doubted our abilities?¡± To dispel any doubt, Ronin quickly reassured her. ¡°Boss, rest assured. We¡¯ll work hard and do our best to catch them as quickly as possible.¡± In the age of the Inte, information changed rapidly. If they didn¡¯t catch the culprits immediately, their chances of sess would diminish over time. Catherine didn¡¯t doubt their capabilities. However, Catherine knew Ronin very well. If Ronin had already caught the culprits, he would have been bragging about it to her. Since he was sharing this matter with her in a troubled manner, it likely meant they hadn¡¯t been sessful yet. However, what piqued Catherine¡¯s interest was the real motive behind these top-notch experts attacking their website. She thought inwardly, ¡°Who could coordinate so many experts within such a short time?¡± ¡°Ronin, did they leave any information behind?¡± Catherine inquired. ¡°Yes,¡± Ronin replied. He became angry when Catherine mentioned it. He thought inwardly, ¡°Those audacious troublemakers have gone too far.¡± He was determined to make them realize the extent of his prowess once he caught them. ¡°Boss, they left a challenge. They said they¡¯ll continue their attacks tomorrow night and guarantee that they will breach our defenses.¡± Catherine tilted her head and casually nced at Ronin. Her face was exquisitely beautiful. ¡°So, do you need me to step in?¡± she asked. Ronin chuckled awkwardly and replied, ¡°Boss, with you leading, victory is assured. With you, we¡¯ll easily take down these little troublemakers and show them how formidable we are. They won¡¯t dare to challenge us again in the future.¡± Catherine looked at him with disdain.¡± Why don¡¯t you just admit you¡¯re useless?¡± Ronin rubbed his nose in frustration. He couldn¡¯t exin why he hadn¡¯t been able to handle these hackers this time. ¡°Boss, please lend a hand,¡± Ronin pleaded with Catherine repeatedly. Catherine maintained her cold demeanor and replied coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 After speaking, Catherine walked away, and Ronin followed closely behind. As Catherine stood at the doorway, a Murion-made Rolls-Royce suddenly pulled up. It came to a smooth stop right in front of Catherine. Branden, who was in the car, rolled down the window and revealed his handsome face. He tilted his head and looked at Catherine. His eyes were clear and deep, which radiated a lethal charm. ¡°Get in.¡± Branden¡¯s husky voice came through his parted, thin lips. Ronin, who had caught up, happened to witness this scene. He looked at Branden with disdain. Ronin thought inwardly, ¡°Everyone seemed to be trying to get close to Boss. ¡°Ronin was determined not to let the scheming Branden seed. ¡°Boss, I drove here today too. Let me give you a ride back.¡± Catherine agreed to the car ride. Naturally, she had to show him some respect. She had no reason to decline since he was willing to pick her up personally. She turned and nced at Ronin. Then she said in a soft voice, ¡°No need.¡± After rejecting Ronin, Catherine opened the car door and got in. As Ronin watched Catherine¡¯s actions, he pouted sadly. He just looked as if he was hurt and deprived of Catherine¡¯s favor. Catherine lowered the car window and reached out to pat his head. Sheforted him and said, ¡°Go back and wait for me.¡¯ Ronin thought inwardly, ¡°She wants me to wait for her.¡± Ronin understood Catherine¡¯s words. Those simple words immediately transformed his sulky expression into a sunny smile. ¡°Alright. Boss, I promise to take care of the logistics for you.¡± After saying this, he shot a warning nce at Branden. ¡°Boss, be careful when you¡¯re out there. Some people may look good on the surface. But who knows what they¡¯re up to behind your back?¡± Branden leaned on the car window with one hand and stared at Ronin. Branden¡¯s slightly narrowed eyes carried a dangerous smirk. Branden wasn¡¯t quite sure why he had be so detestable to Ronin. He hadn¡¯t offended Ronin in any way. However, it seemed that Branden hadmitted some unforgivable crime in Ronin¡¯s eyes. Catherine chuckled helplessly. She thought Ronin was interesting. As soon as Catherine finished speaking, Branden started the car. He hit the gas pedal and sped away. He didn¡¯t give Ronin a chance to chatter on. This infuriated Ronin, who stood there and stomped in frustration. Ronin cursed Branden hundreds of times in his heart. Inside the car. Branden broke the silent atmosphere. ¡°That guy seems quite attached to you, ¡°he said. The passenger seat was set low. It allowed Catherine to rxfortably against the seat. With a slight upward tilt of her eyes, she could observe Branden¡¯s expressions through the rearview mirror. She raised an eyebrow andzily stared at Branden. Then she asked in a cold, low voice,¡± Are you jealous?¡± Branden used his tongue to touch his cheek. Then he sneered, ¡°Huh? ¡°Jealous over a child? Are you sure?¡± In Branden¡¯s eyes, Ronin was like a half -grown kid. He behaved more immaturely than a five-year-old child. For Branden, the idea of him being jealous of a five-year-old child was absurd. Following Branden¡¯s words, Catherine calmly asked, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why bother asking?¡± Branden was speechless by Catherine¡¯s words. In a battle of wits, every move was critical. After another silence, this time, it was Catherine who broke it. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Why are you driving yourself today, and where are we heading?¡± Catherine rarely saw Branden drive on his own. It was usually either Triston or Paxton behind the wheel. When Catherine took the initiative to inquire about his actions, Branden¡¯s initial discontentment melted away instantly. ¡°I¡¯m going to see a friend. Triston said he woulde on his own.¡± No wonder Catherine found it strange. Even Branden was puzzled by Triston¡¯s behavior. Triston usually liked to stick to Branden. But this time, Triston hadn¡¯t actively sought him out. After Branden called to inquire about the situation, Triston even said he woulde alone. Behind the unusual circumstances, there was always a hidden motive. Branden wondered what Triston was up to this time. Through the rearview mirror, Catherine could clearly see the hint of satisfaction in Branden¡¯s eyes. Some men might talk maturely, but deep down, they could be childish. With the destination rified, Catherine didn¡¯t ask further questions, Shezily reclined in her seat to rest. The stability and responsive brakes were advantages of luxury cars. Even in the midst of crowded city traffic, with constant braking, it was still afortable ride. Branden¡¯s strengthy in his ability to effortlessly understand others¡¯ preferences without the need for words or overt actions. He could easily grasp the other person¡¯s preferences as long as he wanted to. After Catherine got into the car, even the angle of her seat had been adjusted to her liking. It made Catherine feel Branden was even more considerate than Ronin. At the same time, Triston was at the Skritan Apartment. Triston sat in his luxurious penthouse apartment. He stared at the mess on the floor. His hair was messy, and his eyes were vacant, as if he had lost his soul. He wasn¡¯t worried about the aftermath of the chaos in his apartment. He was worried about himself. After a period of silence, Triston looked down again. After gazing at his naked body, he covered his face in agony. Alcohol was a curse. He couldn¡¯t remember anything about what had happened the night before. In his fragmented memories, he could only recall images of himself entangled with a seductive figure. It drove him almost insane. Many people hade and gonest night, and he couldn¡¯t remember who he had been with. Although Triston had a reputation as a yboy, no one knew that he hadn¡¯t gotten involved with anyone. This time, he had truly ruined himself. Triston copsed in pain on the couch, with his mind buzzing. After a while, his phone rang loudly, which broke the silence. He tiredly reached for the phone and instinctively answered it. His friend¡¯s voice came through the microphone. ¡°Mr. Lambert, you really know how to enjoy life, huh? Are you curled up in some woman¡¯s arms again and living for the moment without a care in the world?¡± For Triston, those words hit a nerve. It instantly roused him from his stupor. He yelled into the phone, ¡°Get lost! What nonsense are you bbering about?¡± On the other end of the call, as the people heard Triston speak so seriously, he thought Triston might be busy with something important. He quickly changed his tone. ¡°Mr. Lambert, what¡¯s up? Haven¡¯t you left yet? Branden is on his way. You don¡¯t want him to think you¡¯re arrogant, right?¡± Hearing Branden¡¯s name, Triston finally remembered the gathering with his friends today. He was always attending parties day after day, with very few moments of rest. If it weren¡¯t forst night¡¯s unexpected turn of events, he should be setting off with Branden right now. Once he realized this, Triston coldly responded to his friend. He gave a brief reply and then hung up the phone. He needed to sober up. And he had to find out who the woman was that had slept with himst night. She was so audacious and irresponsible. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Catherine, who was apanied by Branden, walked into the Charm Bar. It was the top entertainment venue in Casier. For Catherine, it wasn¡¯t her first time here. She knew her way around. Today marked the birthday of Aidan Lane, a close friend of Branden¡¯s. Moreover, the Lanes were once a famous wealthy family in Casier. Aidan had settled abroad with his family as the Lanes¡¯ overseas business flourished. This year, their business brought them to Casier. And it happened to coincide with his birthday. So, Aidan had gathered a group of friends to celebrate. Even Branden couldn¡¯t resist the rare asion and made a personal appearance at the gathering. He rarely participated in gatherings within the circle. The most luxurious room at the Charm Bar had been reserved for the asion by Aidan. The people who presented were all his closest friends. As everyone began to arrive, they noticed that Branden had yet to show up. Someone decided to ask Aidan directly. One of them asked, ¡°Aidan, didn¡¯t you say Mr. Duncan would be here today? Where is he?¡± Aidan grinned confidently at the questioner and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll be here. I just spoke to him on the phone, and he should be arriving soon.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the private room swung open. Everyone instinctively turned to see who it was. It was indeed Branden, but he didn¡¯t walk in immediately. Instead, he stood there holding the door like a service attendant.. Those who witnessed this scene were taken aback. They thought inwardly, ¡°Wow. Is there someone even more important than Mr. Duncan? He is personally holding the door!¡¯ Aidan thought inwardly, ¡°Triston has climbed to such a position?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t know the people inside the private room, and they were guessing about her identity. The crowd held their breath and waited to see who the neer was. They never expected the person to step forward in front of Branden to be a girl. Moreover, she was a very beautiful girl. This development surprised them once again. Branden, who usually kept his distance from romantic entanglements, was attending a gathering with a femalepanion. The crowd thought inwardly, ¡°Could the rumors be true? ¡°Does Mr. Duncan really have a girlfriend?¡± If this were true, it would be international news. Aidan was momentarily stunned. He finally realized the situation. He quickly stepped forward to greet Branden. He said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re finally here.¡± After exchanging greetings with Branden, Aidan turned his attention to Catherine, who was standing nearby. He gave her a quick nce. Then he thought inwardly, ¡°This is Mr. Duncan¡¯s first time bringing a femalepanion.¡± Moreover, Aidan didn¡¯t know her identity. So, Aidan didn¡¯t dare to take it lightly. Aidan politely asked, ¡°Mr. Duncan, would you mind introducing her to us?¡± Branden gently took Catherine¡¯s arm and pulled her closer to him. Catherine didn¡¯t resist and allowed him to shorten the distance between them. Branden had a handsome face and dark, captivating eyes. He changed his usual cold demeanor. At that moment, he turned his head slightly and smiled at Catherine. ¡°This is Catherine, my girlfriend,¡± Branden said. This simple introduction sent a shiver through everyone present. They thought inwardly, ¡°Who is this woman? ¡°She managed to make Mr. Duncan openly acknowledge her in front of everyone. That is not something to be taken lightly.¡± Upon hearing Branden¡¯s introduction, Aidan¡¯s face lit up with surprise. He greeted Catherine with a smile and then teased, ¡°Well. It seems my status has earned me quite a favor. We all thought Mr. Duncan was single, but it appears he had a girlfriend. It¡¯s truly an honor to have you, Miss Swann, join us at the gathering today!¡± At their age, it was natural to be somewhat influenced by societal norms. However, Aidan¡¯s attitude was quite amiable. Catherine managed a polite nod in response and returned the courtesy. Aidan was about to invite Branden and the others to take their seats when the closed private room door swung open once more. A strong perfume scent filled the air, and the charismatic Triston made his grand entrance. Triston had a deeper connection with Aidan than Branden, as they sharedmon interests. Aidan, known as a yboy, was also a charismatic young gentleman. ¡°Mr. Lambert, you arrivedter than Mr. Duncan today. Looks like the Lamberts are really on the rise lately, and so is Mr. Lambert himself,¡± Aidan teased. Hearing Aidan¡¯s jest, Triston shot him a cold nce. Triston retorted, ¡°Shut your mouth, or I might just make sure you don¡¯t get any caketer.¡± The two were used to bantering with each other, and neither took these jokes to heart. Aidan kept winking and making gestures toward Triston. However, Triston didn¡¯t catch on. Triston suddenly quipped. ¡°Aidan, have you been indulging in too many beautiestely? Are your eyes ying tricks on you?¡± In Aidan¡¯s eyes, Triston was beyond help at this point. He shot Triston a disdainful look. Aidan said, ¡°Damn it. You must be suffering from the consequences of excessive debauchery. You are clearly out of mind.¡± Aidan didn¡¯t bother paying any further attention to Triston. However, Triston turned his head and spotted Branden and Catherine sitting nearby. This time, his focus was primarily on Catherine. When he saw Catherine, Triston greeted her with a cheerful grin. ¡°Wow. Catherine is here too!¡± Catherine gestured in response and offered a simple greeting. Aidan was left dumbfounded. He reached out and hooked his hand onto Triston¡¯s shoulder. Then he stared at Catherine. Aidan asked, ¡°So, you know Miss Swann?¡± Triston misunderstood the situation and thought Aidan was interested in Catherine due to her looks. He quickly cautioned Aidan, ¡°Yeah. I know her. But you should be careful. Don¡¯t go fancying everyone you meet.¡± Hearing this, Aidan¡¯s face turned pale with shock. He anxiously nced in Branden¡¯s direction. When Aidan saw no change in Branden¡¯s expression, it finally calmed his racing heart. Then he nced at Triston with disdain and retorted. ¡°We¡¯re friends, and you¡¯re doing this to me? Miss Swann is Mr. Duncan¡¯s girlfriend. Just for that, even if you gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn¡¯t dare to fancy her. Triston, you have a wicked heart.¡± Triston responded with a sly smile. And he replied with a yful glint in his eyes, ¡°Well. Aidan, I¡¯m impressed. It¡¯s been only a short while, and you¡¯ve already figured out the rtionship between Mr. Duncan and Catherine?¡± Aidan nced at Triston with disdain. ¡± Mr. Duncan made it public the moment he arrived. How loyal of him. No need to guess or figure anything out.¡± After hearing that, Triston was utterly astonished. He widened his eyes dramatically and looked back and forth between Aidan and Branden. ¡°Aidan, are you telling me that Mr. Duncan publicly announced his rtionship with Catherine when he arrived?¡± Seeing Aidan nod, Triston immediately pounced toward Branden. Triston¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between Branden and Catherine. His expression was funny. Even Catherine couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. However, she remained silent and left Branden to handle the situation himself. Triston stared at Branden in shock. He raised his voice and asked, ¡°Mr. Duncan, is this an official confirmation? Why didn¡¯t I know about this?¡± Branden let out a disdainful snort. He coldly stared at Triston with his clear eyes. Then he replied in a cold and low voice, ¡°Since when do I need to report my love life to you, Triston?¡± Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Triston had just received a stern lecture from Branden, and he was finally behaving himself. Now Triston sat obediently beside Aidan. He kept sneaking nces in the direction of Branden. Triston looked at Branden with curiosity. But he didn¡¯t dare to size up Branden openly. He could only steal nces cautiously. Although Triston had known for a while that Branden had taken an interest in Catherine, he hadn¡¯t expected Branden to take action so swiftly. In Triston¡¯s view, Catherine looked incredibly youthful. Branden was quite audacious. Aidan noticed that Triston wasn¡¯t touching his drink. Triston just sat there and gritted his teeth. Aidan found it oddly amusing. Aidan poured two sses of whiskey and handed one to Triston. ¡°Mr. Lambert, have a drink.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Triston nced down at the ss and realized it was whiskey. He instantly felt a bit nauseous. ¡°Take it away. I don¡¯t drink this stuff.¡± Seeing his reaction, Aidan felt curious and couldn¡¯t help but tease him. He asked yfully, ¡°Oh, look who¡¯s refusing a drink now? Mr. Duncan gave us a big surprise today. Did it inspire you to quit drinking, Mr. Lambert?¡± Triston had no intentions of quitting drinking. He was just still shaken by yesterday¡¯s events. Watching Aidan take big gulps of drink, Triston shook his head in resignation and said seriously, ¡°Aidan, it¡¯s okay to drink less. Drinking too much can lead to trouble.¡± After saying this, Triston stood up and walked out of the private room. Aidan was thoroughly puzzled. He had no idea what was going on. Aidan stared nkly in the direction Triston had left. He muttered to himself, ¡°Have they all gone crazy?¡± Catherine sat beside Branden. Branden was concerned that she might be bored. He ced some hazelnuts in front of her. Hazelnuts tasted great, but they were a bit tricky to eat. The shells were tough and required a special tool to crack open to get to the flesh inside. As for pre-shelled products, the vor suffered due to prolonged exposure to air. To enjoy them, one had to go for these freshly cracked nuts. Catherine nced at the nuts and frowned. Aidan noticed that no one was singing and few people were drinking. He silentlymented how age seemed to take a toll on everyone¡¯s enthusiasm for fun. Then he suggested switching to poker. ¡°Mr. Duncan, how about a few rounds of poker?¡± he proposed. Triston leaned back and sneered. ¡± Haha. Aidan, why would you invite us when you¡¯re financiallyfortable these days? ying cards with Mr. Duncan? Who could beat him?¡± They had known each other for so many years and yed every trick in the book. Branden was simply a monster in everything he did. No one could beat him in business or games. Aidan knew very well how formidable Branden was. But with Branden here, they couldn¡¯t possibly leave him out when they yed games. After Catherine heard the conversation, she slowly raised her head. She looked at Branden with her clear, dark eyes, which carried a hint of yfulness. She was rebellious and wild-spirited. Her soft, rosy lips parted slightly, and a fragrance wafted gently toward Branden. She asked, ¡°You¡¯re good at ying cards?¡± Branden¡¯s handsome face bore a charming yet somewhat cynical smile. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Catherine gently. ¡°Not bad. I know a thing or two,¡± he replied. Triston, Aidan, and the others couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of exasperation. They thought inwardly, ¡°Branden is truly something else. He can spin tales in front of ady without batting an eyelid.¡± They were almost convinced. If they hadn¡¯t yed cards with Branden for so many years and never gained the upper hand in any game, they might have actually believed him a bit. They thought Branden was a master at bluffing. Catherine didn¡¯t need to guess. She could tell from the amusement in Branden¡¯s eyes. On the other hand, as Triston noticed Catherine¡¯s sudden interest, he thought she might be keen. Then he asked, ¡°Catherine, we¡¯re as good as done for when Mr. Duncan ys cards. How about you join for a couple of rounds?¡± Catherine shook her head and declined Triston¡¯s invitation. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y poker.¡± Unexpectedly, Triston pped his hands excitedly and raised an eyebrow. He looked at Catherine with enthusiasm and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know much. You y, and Mr. Duncan can be your backer. If you win, it¡¯s yours. If you lose, it¡¯s on Mr. Duncan. How about that?¡± Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°If I win, it¡¯s my prize. If I lose, Branden covers it?¡± She wasn¡¯t about to stoop to ying cards and having someone else foot the bill. Before Catherine could respond, Branden, seated beside her, spoke up, Alright. Let Catherine y.¡± Catherine turned her head to Branden beside her and stared at him with a questioning look. But Branden gently looked at her with indulgence. He said, ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today. Just y a couple of rounds.¡± After Branden finished speaking, Triston, Aidan, and the others erupted joyfully. Triston pped his hands dramatically and said, ¡°I thought I¡¯d never get a chance to dig money out of Mr. Duncan¡¯s pockets in my lifetime. Little did I know that Catherine would bring us such a great opportunity.¡± He even prepared to celebrate in advance. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. Mr. Duncan is wealthy, so feel free to lose. If I win, I¡¯ll give you half of the earnings. Just enjoy the game.¡± Hearing what Triston said, Aidan quickly echoed Triston¡¯s words. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll also give half of my winnings to Miss Swann as a bonus.¡± Branden gently squeezed Catherine¡¯s tender hand and lightly rubbed his thumb over her palm. He asked in a deep, attractive voice, ¡°Got it? y boldly. They¡¯ll both give you half their winnings. And you might end up making quite a bit.¡± On her cold and stunning face, Catherine didn¡¯t change her expression. But she frowned slightly with a mocking smile. She thought inwardly, ¡°When have I ever been worried? ¡°How can I not know that? ¡°Branden sure has quite an imagination!¡± Aidan witnessed Branden¡¯s seductive and shameless side for the first time. He turned to Triston beside him and whispered in amazement, ¡°Are you sure this is the same Mr. Duncan I know, the ruthless and indifferent one who considers everything meaningless? Triston rubbed his forehead with resignation. He raised a hand to pat Aidan¡¯s shoulder and replied in a hushed tone. ¡°Aidan, times have changed.¡± As Branden saw the two of them still quietly discussing, he lifted his foot and gave the table a light kick. He asked coldly, ¡°Are you ying or not? If not, leave now.¡± Although the force wasn¡¯t strong, the table jolted abruptly and hit Triston¡¯s diaphragm. It nearly caused him to regurgitatest night¡¯s drinks. Triston clutched his stomach and looked in the direction of Branden. He was too afraid to retort. Then he said, ¡± We¡¯re ying. Let¡¯s get started!¡± Triston thought inwardly, ¡°Why does all the bad luck seem to fall on me?¡± Triston was unable to compete head- on with Branden. He had already decided to regain his pride through Catherine. Initially, he considered being gentle since Catherine didn¡¯t know how to y poker. After all, he had always been very friendly toward girls. But now, it seemed entirely unnecessary. Catherine coldly looked at Triston, who was gritting his teeth. Her hand hanging by her side moved slightly. Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°Who can guarantee I will definitely lose?¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 The poker game had just started, and Catherine had no clue about the basic rules. It was Branden who stepped in to give her a crash course. Seeing this scene, Triston and Aidan couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Their eyes narrowed in delight. It was said that beginners had beginner¡¯s luck. And there was an aura of fortune around them. But when it came to Catherine, that saying didn¡¯t work. The first hand of cards that Catherine received made Branden feel bad. It was so chaotic. There was not even a pair in sight. She was entirely reliant on the yer before her for decent cards. Unfortunately for Catherine, the yer before her was Aidan. He was notorious for tightening the screws on the yer after him. Catherine could hardly manage to get good cards from his hand. Instead of having Catherine wait for good cards from his hand, it might be quicker for Catherine to rely on her luck to win. In the first round, Catherine lost, and Triston won. In the second round, Catherine lost again, and Aidan won this time. Both of the two had decent cards. When the third round began, Triston started to rearrange the cards and couldn¡¯t resist teasing Catherine. He asked, ¡°Catherine, how many chips do you have left?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Catherine reached out to check her chips. After two rounds, she had only one chip left. Two thousand chips had dwindled to one. Losing thisst one would mean she had utterly lost this round of poker. As Triston saw the lone chip in Catherine¡¯s side, he burst into heartyughter. ¡°Catherine, I think it¡¯s time to ask Mr. Duncan for guidance in this round. Maybe he can help you turn the tables.¡± They had initially been concerned that Branden would offer some advice from the sidelines. However, to their surprise, Branden didn¡¯t lift a finger to assist Catherine. He remained entirely focused on peeling hazelnuts. A small mound of white nuts had piled up, which looked quite tempting. Triston couldn¡¯t resist reaching out to take one for a taste. However, he didn¡¯t dare to do that. These nuts, peeled by Branden himself, were not for ordinary people.. Branden piled the peeled nuts in front of Catherine and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them. If you lose, just try one more. Have some nuts to boost your brainpower.¡± Branden¡¯s action left Triston and Aidan dumbfounded. They thought inwardly, ¡°Mr. Duncan is always indifferent to anyone. When has he ever been so gentle?¡± They instinctively looked at Catherine. They saw Catherine calmly picking up a nut and eating it. She didn¡¯t change her expression. Aidan, who was on the side, was in shock at herposure. He thought Catherine was unbelievably calm. He thought inwardly, ¡°What kind of background can make Mr. Duncan acknowledge her identity? Why is he caring for her so attentively? It is incredible.¡± The hazelnuts tasted pretty good. After Catherine had two, her appetite increased. She reached out for more nuts. As Branden saw her enjoy the nuts, he poured some coffee and handed it to Catherine personally. His service was exceptionally considerate. ¡°The coffee is warm. It will make you feelfortable.¡± Triston nudged Aidan and pulled him back from his state of shock. They locked eyes, and Aidan understood the message in Triston¡¯s gaze. They had won the game but lost theirposure. This disy of affection was bing a bit too much to handle. Even Aidan had grown tired of it. He forcefully pushed the poker cards in front of him and eximed, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s continue. If we don¡¯t, they¡¯ll make us sick with their lovey-dovey act. The new round began. This time, Catherine had decent cards. Unfortunately, Catherine¡¯s remaining chips were too few. It was difficult for her to turn the tables. Triston, Aidan, and their third friend, who joined in for fun, yed rather carelessly. They didn¡¯t take Catherine seriously at all. Branden kept an eye on Catherine¡¯s moves. He initially intended to offer some guidance to Catherine. After all, it was her first time ying poker, and losing too badly could hurt her pride. However, after observing a few of the cards Catherine yed, Branden put aside his intention to guide her. He focused on serving coffee and water. And he did an excellent job at it. Aidan and his friends yed absentmindedly. But when Catherine took several cards from him in a row, he became more alert. ¡°Miss Swann, you have quite the appetite for these niche cards, don¡¯t you?¡± he remarked. Catherine smiled slightly and didn¡¯t say much. However, the atmosphere at the card table took a strange turn. Whenever Catherine yed a card, it was as if she had it all calcted, and Triston would always take the card. Triston sat across from Catherine. And he was the yer before Aidan. After Triston took a card, it was Aidan¡¯s turn to y. Regardless of what card Aidan put down, Catherine would always take it as if she had it all nned out. Aidan couldn¡¯t believe it. He had the most chips. Even if he didn¡¯t win this round, he wouldn¡¯t be the one to lose in the end. So he continued changing his cards and disrupted his carefully arranged hand to prevent Catherine from winning. ¡°The ace of hearts!¡± Just as Aidan put down his cards, Catherine eximed, ¡°I win!¡± Aidan was baffled. He hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to win with such an obscure hand. Triston nced at Aidan with disdain.¡± Mr. Lane, if I didn¡¯t know you take the game seriously, I¡¯d suspect you secretly passed cards to Catherine. What a lousy hand you yed. Your skills are terrible! Aidan was about to retort when Triston looked at Catherine¡¯s cards. Aidan saw it too. After giving her five or six cards in a row, Aidan even gave her the king of spades. There was only the ace of hearts left in his hand. If Aidan didn¡¯t disrupt his y, Catherine would likely never win. Perhaps it was hisck of skill that was to me. Despite the teasing, Aidan had to acknowledge his failure this round. He grinned at everyone and said, ¡°Let¡¯s all congratte Miss Swann on hereback. Looks like we can continue the game for another two rounds.¡¯ Branden sat nearby. He had a mysterious smile on his handsome and stern face. He seemed to have seen through everything with his sharp and shrewd eyes. Triston and the others maintained a polite demeanor. After all, this was Catherine¡¯s first outing as Branden¡¯s girlfriend. They had to show some respect to Branden. And everyone assumed that the game would end soon with Catherine¡¯s chips running out. However, the unexpected happened. In the following rounds, Catherine seemed to be on fire. Not only did she have good luck with her cards, but her skills also skyrocketed. She even won several consecutive rounds. She took back all the chips that Aidan and Triston had won from her earlier. In the final round, Catherine managed to pull off an incredible victory. She left the three of them wholly defeated. With an absolute advantage of winning against all three opponents, she emerged as the undisputed winner. Triston¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Catherine¡¯s cards on the table. He couldn¡¯t believe it.¡± Catherine, are you cheating or something?¡± Triston, Aidan, and their otherpanion were all in disbelief. Catherine looked at them calmly and softly replied, ¡°Is it that difficult? There are only a total of 54 cards. Just remember them all, and it¡¯s that simple.¡± The others thought inwardly, ¡± Remember them all?¡± Everyone was speechless. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Aplete poker set consists of 54 cards, which was not difficult to remember. But if one wanted to remember the position of each card while shuffling and what was in each yer¡¯s hand, it would be impossible. Even if one could remember the entire sequence of the cards and knew what cards the opponents were holding and what cards were yet to be drawn, it still didn¡¯t guarantee a win. Poker was not only about skills but also about human nature. Everyone who yed poker had their preferences to some extent. Remembering the opponent¡¯s preferences and knowing whatbo they liked to win was tough. Triston looked at Catherine in astonishment, his eyes almost popping out of his head. ¡°Catherine, looks like you¡¯re pretending to be a noob. You¡¯re making fun of us, aren¡¯t you?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a cold gaze, her tone devoid of warmth. ¡°Is it necessary for me to do that to you?¡± Her arrogant and self-important attitude made Triston¡¯s face turn red with anger. He couldn¡¯t help it, so he turned to Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do something. Look, she¡¯s bullying your friend!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Branden chuckled lightly, his deep eyes carrying a cunning smile as he looked at Triston. ¡°Bullying? Is that so? She was telling the truth, wasn¡¯t she?¡± This was just like a game, and Triston was miserably defeated! He deeply regretted that he had sought help from Branden. Not only did he have to watch Branden and Catherine¡¯s public disy of affection all night long, but he also had to endure Branden¡¯s humiliation. With no one to rely on, Triston could only seekfort from his good friend on the side. ¡°Aidan, these two people keep mocking me! I can¡¯t stand it!¡± Facing Triston¡¯sint, Aidan snorted coldly. ¡°Hmph!¡± He pushed Triston away with a disgusted look on his face. ¡°Mr. Lambert, I advise you to keep your mouth shut, or you¡¯ll humiliate yourself!¡± It was no use reasoning with a person like Branden. Branden was famous for being protective of his loved ones. No one dared to offend his woman. Aidan had a deep understanding of this since childhood and always adhered to it. After teaching Triston a lesson, Aidan counted the number of chips he had lost and respectfully handed them to Catherine with a warm smile. ¡°Miss Swann, your intelligence is beyondparison. You¡¯re already so skilled after just a few rounds. From now on, besides Mr. Duncan, it seems we¡¯ll have another person to add to our poker cklist!¡± Aidan said, trying to please her. Seeing Aidan¡¯s ttering demeanor, Triston felt a pang of difort in his heart. Why didn¡¯t he learn anything from Aidan, an expert in ttering? Catherine turned her head towards Branden, who was tidying the table beside her. She pointed to the chips on the table, asking, ¡°How much are these worth?¡± Branden knew what she was asking and gestured a number to her. ¡°Ten thousand?¡± Catherine asked. Branden nodded in agreement, confirming her guess. One chip was worth ten thousand, and Catherine was faced with a stack of chips. It seemed that she had already won over a million. The value of the chips didn¡¯t make Catherine change her expression. She showed no signs of being shocked. This piqued the curiosity of Aidan, who had been quietly observing her. Based on Catherine¡¯s attire, she should be a student. Yet, when she knew she had won over a million in this game, she didn¡¯t seem surprised. And she didn¡¯t show any signs of excitement either. Her calm demeanor was quite rare. Indeed, a woman who could catch Branden¡¯s attention was not simple. Triston nced at the chips piled on Catherine¡¯s table and approached her with a sly smile. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯ve won so much tonight. How about you treat us to a meal?¡± Catherine looked at him with confusion, showing no politeness.¡± Why should I treat you just because I won?¡± Considering Triston¡¯s wealth, the amount of money he spent on this outing was much more than this. He asked just to tease Catherine. Unexpectedly, she was so impolite. In Catherine¡¯s opinion, this game was Aidan¡¯s doing. If she treated them, it would be disrespectful to Aidan. Besides, who said the winner had to treat? Aidan, seeing Triston being shut down again. pped his hands happily. ¡°Miss Swann, you¡¯re truly amazing!¡± Branden remained seated, his gaze gently falling on Catherine. While she shone brightly like a star, he concealed himself in the darkness like the sun but always present. After ying a few rounds of poker, Catherine started to feel tired. When her eyebrows furrowed, Branden immediately sensed it and asked proactively, ¡°Do you want to leave?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond to Branden but looked up at Triston. ¡°I won¡¯t treat you to this meal, but can I treat you to something else.¡± Hearing that Catherine was treating, Triston immediately looked excitedly at her. ¡°What are we going to eat? Is it delicious?¡± he asked. A faint smile flickered in Catherine¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out when we get there.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Branden held Catherine¡¯s hand and stood up. The two of them left without even saying goodbye, walking with a confident stride. Seeing them leave, Triston quickly followed. Following Catherine and Branden were much more interesting than staying here. After all, it was rare for them to be willing to take him along. Seeing Triston¡¯s expression, Aidan knew something interesting must be happening. Despite Triston¡¯s seemingly unrefined appearance, he was quite shrewd behind the scenes. Only by following Catherine and Branden could he have a share of the spoils. Immediately, Aidan left behind a room full of friends and followed the three of them. Left behind in the room, everyone could only watch with envy as the four people walked out of the private room. They all wanted to tag along with Catherine and enjoy the good food and drinks! Catherine brought the three of them to Ronin¡¯s house. Ronin had received the news before Catherine arrived. When he heard the doorbell ring, he rushed to open it. A yful smile appeared on his face, but it instantly froze after he opened the door. He thought it was Catherine aloneing to see him, but who knew she would bring along men? And there were three men! Ronin¡¯s face instantly darkened the moment he saw this. ¡°Boss, who are these people?¡± Ronin¡¯s disdain was palpable in his tone. Catherine gave Ronin a cold nce, and he quickly lowered his head, like a child voluntarily admitting his mistake. Then, he stepped aside and respectfully invited them inside. Aidan had initially thought it would be something fun, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be a barbecue. Seeing Triston¡¯s excited expression, Aidan quietly mocked, ¡°Are you a goddamn country bumpkin? Why do you always get so excited at the sight of a barbecue?¡± Triston disdainfully red at him. ¡± Shut up!¡± Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Aidan, who thought Triston was inexperienced and easily surprised, was proven wrong. He stared wide-eyed, his face filled with astonishment as he looked at everyone. ¡°Oh my god, what kind of barbecue is this? It¡¯s so delicious! The sauce is so good, and the meat is so tasty!¡± His mouth was already swollen from the spiciness, but he continued to enjoy the barbecue without any intention of stopping. Ronin snorted in disdain. He didn¡¯t need anybody to praise him. The barbecue sauce he made was award- winning. Besides, it was Catherine¡¯s favorite. He had spent over a month learning from a cuisine master, working hard just to obtain this secret recipe. Then, he carefully modified it ording to Catherine¡¯s taste, resulting in the amazing vor they were enjoying today. The aroma of the barbecue filled the air, and the surroundings were permeated with its scent. The more Triston ate, the morefortable he became. He looked at Catherine with admiration in his eyes. ¡°Catherine, if you had told us earlier you would treat us to barbecue after you won, I would have just lost to you! It tastes amazing!¡± Aidan chimed in, ¡°Mr. Lambert¡¯s words make perfect sense!¡± Losing a few hundred thousand in a poker game was nothing for them. But finding something they loved to eat was not easy. Especially for Triston, his favorite was barbecue. He even spent millions buying an entire barbecue restaurant to satisfy his craving. Catherine looked coldly at the two foodies in front of her. They couldn¡¯t even stop talking while eating. Ronin listened to their conversation and frowned. Catherine had secrets that he didn¡¯t know about, and he couldn¡¯t ept that. ¡°Boss, what kind of game were you ying?¡± Before Catherine could respond, Triston answered, ¡°Poker! Ronin, we can y together next time!¡± Triston was very shrewd. In his view, pleasing Ronin and building a good rtionship with him would make it easier for them to have barbecue gatherings in the future. However, Triston wasn¡¯t aware of Ronin¡¯s temper and disgust towards him. To Ronin, anyone who tried topete with him for Catherine¡¯s favor was a bastard, his major enemy. He nced disdainfully at Triston and mocked, Stay away from me. I don¡¯t want to y poker with you. It¡¯s disgusting!¡± Triston had always had an easy life and had never been treated like this in front of Branden. But today, he was being looked down upon by a little brat. He wanted to teach Ronin a lesson, but Ronin turned and left before he could speak. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ronin turned his head and looked at Catherine. The disdainful expression on his face underwent a complete transformation upon seeing her. His gaze towards Catherine conveyed admiration as if he was revering a deity. ¡°When did you learn it, Boss? Do you like it?¡± Catherine responded calmly, speaking softly and with simplicity. ¡°I learned tonight, and I yed quite well.¡± Upon receiving her response, Ronin was as happy as a child who had just received a candy reward. ¡°I knew it! Boss is the best. No matter what you learn, you excel at it. You can win any game right after you learn how to y it. You¡¯re amazing, Boss. I¡¯ll learn it too, and next time, I¡¯ll y poker with you.¡± Seeing Ronin¡¯s eager appearance, Triston and Aidan instinctively looked toward Branden. After all, he was the absolute master here. Branden¡¯s face was cold, his eyebrows furrowed tightly. His eyes flickered with a domineering aura, making it intimidating to meet his gaze directly. Branden was somewhat disapproving of Ronin¡¯s attitude towards Catherine. He could tell Ronin admired her, but his admiration was too intimate. As an ordinary man, it was difficult for him to ept having an attention- seeking admirer by his woman¡¯s side. ¡°Kathy, do we have any soda?¡± Branden suddenly spoke, his deep and attractive voice affectionately calling out to Catherine. Hearing this, Catherine was momentarily stunned. She turned her head and realized that Branden had finished his cup of water. Since they had already been drinking alcohol earlier, they had only been drinking water since they arrived here. Catherine instinctively wanted Ronin to fetch some soda, but then she thought of Ronin¡¯s attitude toward Branden. She had be ustomed to Ronin harboring hostility towards everyone except her, but she didn¡¯t think anything was wrong with it. ¡°I¡¯ll get it!¡± Catherine said and stood up, walking into the kitchen. Ronin stared in shock at Catherine¡¯s behavior. Once he realized what was happening, he red at Branden, his face filled with indignation. He shouted, ¡°How dare you order Boss around? You¡¯ve got some nerve, dude!¡± Ronin had always been the one to prepare everything and present it to Catherine. But this man dared to order her around, which was uneptable. Ronin was furious and was about to teach Branden a lesson when Catherine walked out and happened to witness the scene. She looked up and caught a glimpse of the ruthlessness in Branden¡¯s eyes. Her expression changed, and she sternly reprimanded, ¡°Ronin!¡± With just one simple word, Ronin fell silent. He felt extremely wronged and reluctantly turned to Catherine, murmuring in a pitiful tone, ¡°Boss¡­¡± Catherine¡¯s face darkened slightly. Her expression became more serious as she coldly said, ¡°Come inside and help me find some soda.¡± Catherine was unfamiliar with Ronin¡¯s kitchen because he had never allowed her inside. Catherine¡¯s orders were never to be disobeyed by Ronin, even if he was unwilling. No one noticed that the moment Ronin stood up, the coldness in Branden¡¯s eyes gradually dissipated. Once Catherine and Ronin turned around, Triston and Aidan gave Branden a thumbs-up, saying, ¡± Impressive, truly impressive!¡± Branden¡¯s move to use Ronin as a pawn left them dumbfounded. Branden was much more scheming than they had imagined. It was no wonder that all the businessmen in Casier would rather go bankrupt than offend him. This man was ruthless and could kill without leaving a trace. Offending him was worse than death. Brandenzily leaned back in his chair, his deep eyes slightly narrowing as he stared at the ss before him. In his calm and indifferent eyes, there was a sense of casualness. Was it because Branden was maniptive? Or was it because Catherine was vignt? Who could tell? Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Today, everyone who came to ss 8 was cautious. As soon as they entered the ssroom, they felt a sense of intimidation from a particr position at the back. Starting from Bryan, it radiated in a straight line and shadowed the whole ssroom, affecting everyone in it. David was trembling in his seat, constantly praying in his heart. His prayer was not for anything special but for Catherine to arrive quickly. At this point, only Catherine could control Bryan. As long as she appeared, there would be hope for salvation. When people heard footsteps approaching the door, their hopes were ignited. Unfortunately, when the owner of the footsteps entered the ssroom, they were disappointed. It wasn¡¯t Catherine, but Ronin. Bryan slowly lifted his head. His face turned utterly gloomy the moment he saw Ronin. He red in Ronin¡¯s direction. His cold gaze seemed like he wanted to tear Ronin apart on the spot. David and the other students felt the pressure and didn¡¯t dare to look up, shrinking back and remaining silent. They had a hunch that a crazy storm was about to hit. Now, all they could do was think about evading and protecting themselves if a fight broke out. Ronin walked straight towards his seat, getting closer and closer. Suddenly¡­ Swoosh! With its legs scraping against the floor, a chair came hurtling towards Ronin. He calmly lifted his foot, stopping the chair in its tracks. At each end of the chair, there was a slender leg. They belonged to two different but equally handsome boys. The ssmates of ss 8 silently swallowed as they witnessed this scene. They would have apuded and cheered for Ronin¡¯s little stunt if it weren¡¯t for Bryan¡¯s prestige. ¡°Oh my,¡± they eximed inwardly, ¡°he¡¯s so cool! 11 Ronin stood with his hands in his pockets, propping his foot up on the chair. His cold eyes stared straight at Bryan, exuding a strong sense of arrogance. With his tongue pressed against his cheek, he had a roguish and charming appearance that would make countless girls gasp. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You wanna fight me?¡± Bryan¡¯s heart was filled with anger, and he was thinking about where to vent it. It just so happened that Ronin appeared and angered him. ¡°If you want to fight me, then let¡¯s do it. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡± A major battle was about to erupt, and everyone¡¯s heart was in their throat. The bell rang, signaling the start of ss. A graceful figure appeared at the ssroom door, changing the current situation. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A cold voice came, instantly making the tense atmosphere between the two dissipate. Everyone turned their attention in the direction of the voice. Catherine walked into the ssroom, carrying her backpack in one hand. Her sharp eyes scanned Ronin and Bryan. Ronin was delighted to see Catherine. ¡± Hey Boss, good morning! Have you had breakfast?¡± Catherine nodded. Last night, she was still at Audrey¡¯s house, and Audrey suddenly decided to wake up early and make breakfast for her. In the end, however, all that appeared on the table was a ss of hot milk, slightly burnt toast, and a barely recognizable fried egg. Although they didn¡¯t look very appetizing, Catherine still finished them, considering it as a form of encouragement for Audrey. Ronin smiled happily upon seeing Catherine, but Bryan wasn¡¯t as pleased. Bryan¡¯s eyes were now filled with resentment and grievances as he stared straight at Catherine. ¡°Boss!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The way Bryan called Catherine was filled with extreme sadness, making him look like a sullen whiner. The intimidating atmosphere turned the ssroom into a pitiful battlefield. Everyone felt helpless in the face of this change, but they could be sure that nothing significant would happen for the time being. After all, the ¡°boss¡± had arrived. Who would dare to cause trouble? Upon hearing Bryan¡¯s cry, Catherine felt goosebumps all over her body. ¡°It¡¯s not even spring yet,¡± she thought, ¡°so why is he screeching like a cat in love?¡± Fortunately, she maintained herposure and calmly walked to her seat. The chair Bryan had kicked out earlier was respectfully pushed back into ce by Ronin. Then, Ronin invited Catherine to sit down. ¡°Boss, have a seat, please!¡± Ronin said. After Catherine sat down, her gaze fell on Bryan beside her. She was not paying much attention to him, but his gaze was like two shining light bulbs, making it hard for her to ignore him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bryan shook his head but then quickly nodded, realizing something was wrong. Catherine rested her cheek on her hand, squinting at Bryan. ¡°Just tell me.¡± After thinking for a moment, Bryan spoke up. ¡°Boss, why didn¡¯t you invite me to join you for a barbecue last night? After speaking, Bryan carefully observed Catherine¡¯s reaction, afraid that she would think he was being clingy. He couldn¡¯t help but feel angry when he saw the pictures Triston and Aidan posted on their social media. They had both gone to the barbecue, but Bryan wasn¡¯t invited. That was not eptable. Hearing what Bryan said, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at the ceiling. ¡°So, Bryan has been moody since morning because of this?¡± he wondered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? He looks like a little kid! It¡¯s ridiculous! Catherine was momentarily stunned by Bryan¡¯s question. She turned and noticed him looking at her with a probing gaze, full of caution and resentment, like a wounded rabbit. ¡°Weren¡¯t you practicing guitar yesterday?¡± she asked. Bryan had been devoting himself to practicing the guitar these days, neglecting sleep and food. He was naturally talented, and he could do it very well with a little effort. But in his opinion, it was still not enough. He wanted to be the best in the shortest time possible. He didn¡¯t want to disappoint Catherine! Hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Bryan looked at her thoughtfully. ¡°Boss, is that why you didn¡¯t invite me?¡± Catherine nodded gently. ¡°It was a spontaneous decisionst night, and you were busy, so I didn¡¯t invite you. If you want, we can go together next time! Bryan had been upset and sleepless all night, but at this moment, he finally felt relieved. Now, he understood that Catherine didn¡¯t invite him because she was worried about him and didn¡¯t want to interfere with his practice. Catherine was really good to him. And she even promised to invite him next time. She was so considerate! Bryan looked at Catherine with anticipation, his eyes shining like stars in the sky. ¡°Boss, remember to call me next time!¡± The speed of his emotional change surprised Catherine. She nodded earnestly and agreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make sure to invite you next time we have a barbecue!¡± Bryan¡¯s face lit up with a smile as he stared at Catherine. Without thinking, he blurted out, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re so good to me!¡± Catherine thought to herself, ¡°Well, his IQ has been decliningtely!¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Every time Liana practiced, the music room would be crowded with people.. Even though it was just practice, Liana¡¯s reputation as a musical prodigy echoed loudly within the school. She had been taking piano lessons since she was young, following famous teachers. She had a beautiful appearance, musical talent, decent academic performance, and an impressive family background. ¡°Wow, look at Liana, she¡¯s truly a talented girl. We will forever admire her!¡± ¡°Yeah, if I were half as talented as Liana, my mom would be happy!¡± Catherine and Ronin happened to pass by the music room. They overheard the conversation between the girls sitting beside them. Ronin¡¯s mouth twitched. He rolled his eyes, saying, ¡°Boss, do these people ever think before they speak? Liana is talented? Forget about it.¡± Bryan, who happened to be nearby, nced at Liana, sitting straight with an elegant posture in front of the piano. In school, Liana could indeed be considered a talented girl. But there were always people better than her. No matter how talented Liana was, she would instantly pale inparison with Catherine. It was just like a rockpared with a pearl. There was a huge difference. After carefullyparing, Bryan came to a conclusion. ¡°Boss, I agree with Ronin. Liana is far behindpared to you!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t expect these two, who always shed the moment they met, to actually reach a consensus. However, their consensus was so absurd. When Ronin heard Bryan¡¯s words, his face showed strong disagreement.¡± You¡¯re insulting our boss, you know? What do you mean by ¡®far behind¡¯? Boss and that woman are not even in the same league. How can youpare them?¡± Seeing that the two were about to start another argument, Catherine gave them a cold look, full of warning.. Instantly, both of them fell silent. Even though they were still dissatisfied with each other, they didn¡¯t dare to provoke Catherine. With just one look, they both felt like they were suffocating in a storm, afraid to act recklessly. Catherine had no intention of listening to their discussion, but now she turned her attention to Liana. Liana¡¯s musical skills were quite good. Catherine was about to close her eyes to Catherine was about to close her eyes to enjoy Liana¡¯s piano ying. But the next verse made her furrow her brows instantly. Catherine opened her eyes and looked up. Liana made a mistake. Although it was subtle, Catherine still heard it. This kind of mistake was fatal for a top musician. Liana did need more practice. As Liana finished her piece, she breathed a sigh of relief and was about to stand up to take a bow. Suddenly, Elena stood up. With a sarcastic smile on her beautiful face, she looked at Liana. ¡°Liana, you are the best, and it¡¯s undeniable. But you know what, I just heard someonepare herself to you. She¡¯s not talented, but she said she¡¯s better than you. What a joke!¡± As Liana saw the admiration on her ssmates¡¯ faces, she felt a sense of pride. Their recognition was something she deserved. However, Elena¡¯s words instantly darkened Liana¡¯s face. At the same time, a few girls standing next to Elena also chimed in. They had disliked Catherine for quite some time, but they didn¡¯t dare to speak ill of her. Now, they took advantage of Elena¡¯sment to teach Catherine a lesson. ¡°We heard it too, Liana. We all think you are the best, but Catherine ims that you¡¯re not even in the same league as her. Who does she think she is? It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Yeah, if she¡¯s so great, why doesn¡¯t she go up and y herself?¡± Catherine turned her head, her cold gaze casually sweeping over the girls speaking. She couldn¡¯t understand why she was med for Bryan and Ronin¡¯s words. Was she, as their boss, responsible for their improperments? Liana would have thrown a fit long ago if it weren¡¯t for the people present. Right now, her dark face was the result of her immense restraint. Catherine was indeed Liana¡¯s nemesis. No matter where Liana went, Catherine would always show up. Every word these girls said pierced Liana¡¯s heart like a sharp de, making her feel like she was about to explode with anger. Unable to stand it any longer, Ronin stepped forward. He tilted his chin up, looking down on Liana with disdain. He didn¡¯t like this woman and couldn¡¯t stand her showing off in front of Catherine. ¡°My boss didn¡¯t say those words. I said them. Any problem with that? I was telling the truth. Your piano ying sucks, Liana. You were just embarrassing yourself.¡± Elena¡¯s provocation was not enough to make Liana lose her temper. After all, Liana and Catherine still had a sisterly bond. Making a scene would only make Liana seem petty. However, Ronin was crossing the line. Liana thought that if she didn¡¯t react now, she would appear weak and easy to bully. Liana looked at Catherine with an unpleasant gaze as if trying to tear her apart. ¡°Catherine, what have I done to offend you? Why do you allow them to humiliate me? You just don¡¯t want to see me seed, do you? I was just practicing here. What did I do wrong?¡± Liana¡¯s grievances resonated with the people present, and they felt that her musical talent was impable. Whether these words came from Ronin or Catherine, they were inappropriate. In their opinion, Catherine didn¡¯t seem to have any talent. She was always so aggressive. It was truly beyond her abilities to speak ill of Liana. Catherine nced at Liana, who was ying the victim and acting coy. Drop the act, will you?¡± Catherine thought. ¡°I know well what type of person you are.¡± However, Catherine didn¡¯t want to argue with Liana today. She lowered her head, her eyes darkened, and she said coldly, ¡°Ronin, apologize.¡± Ronin looked at Catherine in shock, seemingly not expecting her to ask him to apologize. In Catherine¡¯s opinion, this incident was indeed Ronin¡¯s fault. He was not supposed to make those comments. Ronin had always obeyed Catherine¡¯s orders without hesitation. If Catherine asked him to apologize, he would do it. However, before Ronin could speak, Elena excitedly shouted. ¡°Apologize? That won¡¯t do.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ronin coldly stared at Elena¡¯s cunning face, raised an eyebrow, and asked disdainfully, ¡°So what do you want then?¡± Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Facing Ronin¡¯s arrogant question, Elena wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She was the youngdy of the Leighs, their only daughter, so it was normal for her to be arrogant. Besides, she had people investigate Ronin. He grew up in the countryside and only got into their school because of his exceptional grades. It didn¡¯t matter if this countryside kid looked look. She couldn¡¯t stand him at all! ¡°Ronin Oconnor, you¡¯re just an ignorant country bumpkin, so I don¡¯t me you for being used by others. Listen, we don¡¯t want your apology. We need Catherine to apologize to Liana properly. Today, we¡¯ll figure out who was more talented!¡± A country bumpkin? Ronin coldly studied Elena. It seemed that she had no real abilities. He had just casually arranged an identity for himself, and she took it seriously. ¡°You want Boss to apologize to you?¡± He scoffed inwardly. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡± Catherine looked at Elena¡¯s self- righteous expression, wanting tough. She didn¡¯t know where Elena¡¯s sense of superiority came from. Elena behaved like the role of a malicious supporting character in a cheap drama. Elena was indeed an ignorant woman! Catherine nced at Ronin. Since they didn¡¯t want him to apologize, so be it. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go!¡± With hermand, Ronin immediately followed. As he passed by Elena, his disdainful look swept over her, apanied by a cold mockery.¡± What a shameless woman! You should look in the mirror and see if you¡¯re worthy of my apology!¡± Elena was infuriated by his mockery, her face contorted. ¡°You¡­¡± In front of boys, she had always been the pampered little princess. She had never experienced such humiliation. Elena was about to explode with anger, but Ronin didn¡¯t give her a chance to retort. She couldn¡¯t argue with such a sharp-tongued man in public. Ronin wouldn¡¯t show her any respect, and in the end, she would be the one who suffered. As Elena stomped her feet in frustration, a cold voice broke the current stalemate. ¡°Stop!¡± Liana stared intently at Catherine¡¯s back, wishing she could tear Catherine to pieces. Her hands clenched tightly, releasing her inner hatred. ¡°Catherine, you publicly humiliated me, and now you n to leave like this?¡± Catherine stopped and turned around to look at Liana. Her piercing gaze fell slowly upon Liana, devoid of any warmth. ¡°I humiliated you? Are you sure Ronin and Bryan weren¡¯t telling the truth?¡± She hadn¡¯t intended to get involved with Liana, but Liana hade looking for trouble herself. Therefore, Catherine didn¡¯t want to behave politely anymore. Before Liana could react, Elena stepped forward to rebuke Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re too arrogant. Who do you think you are to say such things? Catherine nced at her sideways, and with just one look, Elena¡¯s heart began to panic. Elena didn¡¯t even know what happened, but being looked at by Catherine felt like someone was strangling her neck. It was painful and suffocating, which sent a shiver down Elena¡¯s spine. Seeing Elena¡¯s trembling body, Catherine sneered and mockingly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to talk to me. Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitudepletely infuriated Liana. She pushed Elena aside and stood in front of Catherine. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t have the right to talk to you, what about me? Catherine, don¡¯t go too far. You said you didn¡¯t humiliate us, , but why did you ask Ronin and Bryan to say those words? Who gives you the right to say I¡¯m not as good as you? Do you even understand music?¡± Catherine took a small step forward, narrowing the distance between them. She was much taller than Liana and coupled with her dominating presence, she looked much more intimidating than Liana. ¡°Firstly, I didn¡¯t say any of those words. If you want to attribute what Ronin and Bryan said to me, fine!¡± Her icy gaze swept over Elena and the two girls beside her. They trembled, their faces turning pale. Seeing their bewildered reactions, Catherine continued coldly, ¡°As for those exaggerated remarks that you want to throw at me, I wonder if you dare to repeat them!¡± Her eyes shed with a profound chill. Her cold gaze felt like a bucket of icy water poured onto Liana¡¯s face, leaving her defenseless. The aura emanating from Catherine was too powerful. Liana felt as if something was blocking her throat, rendering her unable to make a sound. Liana¡¯s reaction was entirely within Catherine¡¯s expectations. She nced. at Liana with a disdainful look, her voice soft and emotionless. ¡°Secondly, there is indeed a difference between you and me, and Ronin was right. Hmph, how do you know that I don¡¯t understand music?¡± Her arrogant tone and haughty posture felt like one p after another on Liana¡¯s face. The overwhelming aura forced Liana to take two steps back. After a few seconds of hesitation, Liana regained her courage and looked up at Catherine intently. ¡°Fine, since you understand music, why don¡¯t youe up and y a piece? Many people here have a musical background, and we¡¯ll let the audience judge. If you lose, you better apologize to me!¡± Liana had practiced the piano for decades, and her sense of music, cultivated since childhood, couldn¡¯t possibly lose to a nobody from the countryside. ¡°Why should Ipete with you?¡± Catherine¡¯s indifferent attitudepletely infuriated Liana. She stared at Catherine angrily, raising her voice.¡± Catherine, are you afraid topete with me?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine sneered. ¡± Concerto, the third section, the seventh bar, the fifth note, and the fourth section, the second note¡­ Did you y them correctly?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Liana¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°How could it be?¡± she murmured inwardly. ¡°How did Catherine know?¡± There were always many ssmates watching whenever Liana practiced in the music room. She would always choose pieces with a higher difficulty level to showcase herself. Today¡¯s piece was no exception, and the parts that Catherine pointed out were the ones Liana had yed wrong or not well enough. Liana had been conscientious about concealing them, and only top-notch musicians could notice. How did Catherine know? Seeing Liana¡¯sck of response, Elena became highly anxious. Elena originally wanted to take this opportunity to teach Catherine a lesson, but she didn¡¯t expect Liana to be so weak. Therefore, Elena had to step forward herself. ¡°Catherine, what nonsense are you spouting? Do you think you can fool everyone with just a few words? They have studied music since elementary school, and none have raised any issues. Who do you think you are to make those baseless ims?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine coldlyughed and looked at Liana. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Liana if I¡¯m making baseless ims?¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Catherine¡¯s sneering eyes were clearly calm. To Liana, they were like two sharp des scraping down hard on her face, hurting her to the core. She lowered her head, not daring to look directly into Catherine¡¯s eyes. Catherine¡¯s eyes, as bright as amber, fixed on Liana as if they could see right through her. Liana didn¡¯t believe that Catherine knew anything about rhythm. It was most likely that Ronin had secretly told her about it. Liana clenched her teeth and made her decision. When Catherine looked up again, she found that Liana had adjusted herself and was looking at her with a fierce look. But what was the use of being fierce? After all, Catherine was no match for her. Liana¡¯s gaze was fixed on Catherine. ¡± Cut the crap, Catherine. If you dare to go up to y a song and gain everyone¡¯s favor, then you¡¯ll win.¡± Liana was sure that Catherine wouldn¡¯t dare to go up because of her guilty conscience. Ronin had long been tired of tolerating Liana. Compared to Audrey, Liana, also a daughter of the Swanns, was simply a troublemaker. ¡°Liana, what do you think you are? On what basis do you think Catherine has to do what you suggest?¡± Ronin shouted. Even if Ronin did not say that, Catherine wasn¡¯t going to do so. She had always done things as she pleased. She had never listened to themand of others. Her stay there would only make Liana more arrogant, so why should she give her this chance? Seeing Catherine about to leave, Liana shouted, ¡°Catherine, are you afraid of losing? In fact, you don¡¯t know anything about music, and your words are all nonsense, right? You can leave as long as you admit that you know nothing about music!¡± Looking at Liana¡¯s smug face, like she was winning, Catherine suddenly felt pity for her. ¡°Liana, you¡¯ve forgotten why you first pursued music because of your desire to win. It¡¯s really pathetic.¡± Liana was taken aback by Catherine¡¯s words. However, to embarrass Catherine in front of the crowd, she had no other choice but to insist at this point. ¡°Catherine, stop pretending. Do you think everything is going to be fine just by putting up a high profile? Since you said I yed it wrong, go up there and y it again.¡± The two were at each other¡¯s throats when a boy with a hat sitting at the far corner suddenly stood up. ¡°She¡¯s right. You just yed it wrong,¡¯ the boy said. His voice was not loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly. ¡°As someone who practiced the piano since childhood, you don¡¯t even dare to admit that you yed it wrong. You are indeed pathetic.¡± Catherine looked in the direction of the person who spoke and saw that it was a young teenager with a fresh appearance. His most impressive feature was his eye-catching fair skin, which was almost as if it was transparent. Even the capiries underneath the skin could be seen clearly. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Liana, with her back to him, didn¡¯t know who was talking, but the other party¡¯s words had already annoyed her. Subconsciously, she wanted to teach the other party a lesson and blurted out, ¡°Who is it? How dare you say that? Do you know anything about music¡­¡± Her reproachful words were silenced the moment she turned around and saw the other party. She recognized who he was. She didn¡¯t expect the always-aloof Terry to suddenly get involved in this argument. Terry shot a cold re at Liana. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about music? Liana, how dare you. That girl is right. You¡¯re really pathetic if you don¡¯t even have the guts to admit that you¡¯re wrong.¡± Looking at Liana¡¯s defeated expression, as if she had been poured cold water, Ronin felt an inexplicable sense offort in his heart. ¡°Who¡¯s this guy? He¡¯s so awesome. Why doesn¡¯t anyone refute his ims?¡± It was not long since he came to the school, so not knowing about the school¡¯s affairs was normal. Hearing Ronin¡¯s doubts, Bryan took the initiative to exin, ¡°This person is Terry Hanke, our school¡¯s renowned musical genius. He is already a high- quality student. The world¡¯s top music schools are moring for him even before the exams start.¡± Everyone in the school knew that there was a male musical genius called Terry and a female Liana, but those who knew about music understood that Liana was no match for Terry. But this was an average full-time school, not a music academy. Only a few girls excelled in music, which gave Liana the chance to be on par with Terry. Everyone in the school was aware of Terry¡¯s position in music. He never socialized with anyone and kept a low profile as if he were invisible, but his musical talent was there for all to see. Therefore, no one questioned what he said because no one present had as much seniority as Terry, even though they knew music. Ronin excitedly replied, every word full of extreme sarcasm toward Liana,¡± Liana, you see it? Is it that Catherine can¡¯t do it? It¡¯s only because you don¡¯t deserve it, you know? ¡°Catherine is kind and doesn¡¯t want to embarrass you, but you¡¯re making a fool of yourself.¡± Terry¡¯s words were like a bucket of cold water thrown in Liana¡¯s face. Inparison, Ronin¡¯s words added fuel to the fire and hurt her to the bone. Liana couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fled in a panic, too ashamed to stay in the music room. Catherine didn¡¯t bother to argue. She had wanted to leave long ago and would have done so if Liana hadn¡¯t stopped her. Liana came back crying, giving Korbin a headache. It took a while to calm Liana down and send her away. Korbin leaned back in his leather chair and rested, his face full of exhaustion. The assistant pushed the door in and greeted Korbin respectfully, ¡°Mr. Swann¡­¡± Hearing the sound, Korbin looked at the assistant with slightly narrowed eyes. ¡°How is the investigation going?¡± ¡°Mr. Swann, we found out that Catherine has been in close contact with the Duncans recently. As for things rted to Catherine in the countryside, they should have been erased by Vicente. We can¡¯t find something useful.¡± Korbin couldn¡¯t figure out what Branden saw in Catherine that made him willing to get involved with her. Although young, Branden was exceptionally powerful and famous in the business world. Ordinary people dared not provoke him. Because of his status and position in the business circle, numerous girls wanted to throw themselves at him. However, he took no fancy to any girl and instead got close to Catherine. Korbin thought very highly of Branden. If Branden had a crush on Liana, that would be a bonus. If not, it would be fine for him to fall in love with Audrey. However, he chose Catherine, the most disobedient jinx of all. Korbin¡¯s head hurt just thinking about it. These days, although Catherine did not make a move, she was the chairperson of the Swann Corporation. Because of this matter, he didn¡¯t know how many times he had beenughed at. Inside, he med Vicente for leaving this mess for him to clean up after dying. Fortunately, the time left for the bet was limited. He had endured 10 years. In a few days, it wouldn¡¯t be a big problem. When the time came, he would kick that jinx out of the board of directors and throw her to the countryside to fend for herself. Korbin¡¯s eyes shed a fierce look as he looked toward his assistant. ¡°Continue to investigate.¡± Chapter 148 ?Chapter 148 Send You to School Soon, it was the first round of auditions for the school''s celebration g. It was an aristocratic school. Whenever it came to a celebration, the school would pay much attention to it and hold a grand event. Moreover, it was the anniversary celebration this time, so the school authorities attached great importance to it. Even people from art colleges wereing to select talents. Bryan had been training overtime these days and finally made some headway, and Catherine had already recognized him as part of the team. The school authorized the students not to wear uniforms during the performance. Bryan had arranged for the best tailor to make a new outfit, which was the same color as his guitar, an invincible match. Seeing Bryaning down from upstairs without wearing a school uniform and going out without even eating breakfast, Karl shouted to him to stop immediately. "Brat, dressed like that, where are you going by skipping school?"N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Hearing Karl''s words, someone immediately blocked Bryan. Bryan could only obediently turn back and respond, "Grandpa, I''m going to school." "Humph!" Karl snorted and rolled his eyes at Bryan with great disdain. "Going to school? Dressed like this? With such a big ck box on your back, are you telling me that you''re going to school? Do you really think I''m old and easy to fool?" Bryan really felt that Branden shouldn''t be so capable as to let Karl retire at such a young age. Judging from Karl''s vigorous appearance, he should be able to work at thepany for a few more years. That way, Karl wouldn''t have the time to keep an eye on him. "The first round of auditions for the school''s celebration g is being held today, and I''ve signed up to participate. The school informed us that we don''t have to wear school uniforms." Seeing Bryan''s sincere face, Karl cast a nce toward the butler on the side. The butler had been with Karl for decades and knew what he was going to ask with just one look. Everything, no matter how big or small, was followed by the butler. He knew that Bryan had been practicing his guitar hard at hometely. Getting an affirmative answer from the butler, Karl became interested and looked at Bryan with an excited face. "Since there''s a performance, do you want us to go and cheer you on? I''ll arrange for a group to go." "Cheer me on? Arrange for a group?" Bryan repeated inwardly. Karl''s words gave him a massive headache. He wondered, "Does Grandpa think this is a kindergarten performance party? Does he think I''m a kindergarten kid? Bryan was speechless and refused with a dark face. "No need, Grandpa. I''ve formed a troupe with my ssmates. It''s not so nice for you guys to go and their parents not to be there." He was clear that he couldn''t directly reject and refute Karl. Otherwise, when Karl''s temper red up, he might really arrange a group to go there. Bryan would be the one to suffer at that time. "Well..." Karl pondered it thoughtfully. Before he could think through the matter, Branden on the side blurted out, "Will Catherine be there too?" It was rare that Branden, who never cared about family matters, would suddenly ask something. The few of them were shocked and focused their eyes on him. Branden, however, looked natural. There was no other expression on his cool and handsome face. Only his clear and dark eyes slowlynded on Bryan. His eyes were calm without any emotion, but they gave Bryan an endless sense of oppression. Bryan did not want to talk to Branden about Catherine. After a stalemate of no more than three seconds, he failed. "Yeah," Bryan said. After hearing his response, Branden elegantly wiped his hands, stood up, and said coldly, "I''ll take you to school." Bryan was furious, but that was all. In front of Branden, he never dared to say anything. He thought, "I''ve already grown up, and I''m not an elementary school student. Is he actually taking me to school? How could he even think of that?" Bryan knew that Branden was taking him to school because he wanted to see Catherine. The thought of his bass being minded by some other people made Bryan uneasy in his heart. Even though he had a lot ofints in his heart, Bryan still had to obediently follow Branden the moment he walked out the door. This was the rule of the Duncans. The words of the family head were orders. No matter who it was, they had to carry it out unconditionally. Karl, sitting at the dining table, looked at the departing backs of the two men and silently fell into contemtion. He didn''t expect that his youngest son would actually emotionally change in one day. It was really rare. He noticed Branden''s eyes obviously softened for a moment when Bryan mentioned that name just now. It was unusual. He thought, "More good show is going toe. What a rare urrence." "Go check that Catherine, Karl ordered. Hearing themand, the butler hurriedly answered, "Will do, sir." Branden took Bryan to the school gate. Before they could get out of the car, Bryan took the initiative to say, "Boss arrives at school every day just as the bell rings. We came early today, so there''s no way we''ll run into her." He purposely asked the driver to speed up and didn''t remind Branden because he didn''t want Branden to bump into Catherine. He always felt that Branden was not a good match for Catherine. Although Branden was excellent and unrivaled in Bryan''s mind, he was a businessman with a mercenary and treacherous nature. He was experienced and cunning, and no one was a match for him. But Catherine was different. She was refined and unique, like a fairy. How could Branden not understand Bryan''s thoughts? He just didn''t bother with Bryan. Before Bryan could say more, Paxton had alreadye to the car door and took the initiative to open it for him. ''Mr. Bryan, please.'' It was evident that Bryan was being driven away. However, he was overjoyed in his heart that he had still achieved his goal. But Bryan underestimated how much Branden was interested in Catherine. After Bryan walked inside the school, he nced at the school gate and realized that Branden''s car was parked in the same spot with no intention of leaving. Bryan couldn''t help but feel a pang of exasperation. "I should have been more careful," he thought. True to Bryan''s word, five minutes before the bell rang, Catherine appeared. Catherine saw Paxton standing next to a ck car. Paxton was like Branden''s shadow. Whenever Paxton appeared, it meant Branden was also around. Catherine nced toward the ck car. It was different from thest one. It was a Cullinan ck Badge. "What a fickle man, but he''s dedicated to color. He''s never been in a car that wasn''t ck," Catherine thought. Just as Catherine turned back and headed toward the car, Branden got out of it and stood beside it, waiting for Catherine''s approach. Standing a step away from him, Catherine raised an eyebrow and fixed her cold eyes on Branden. "What brings you here?" she asked. Her voice did not have the slightest warmth, nor did her eyes fill with a smile. But she wasn''t as cold and unapproachable to Branden as she would have been to a stranger. For Catherine, it was already a rare attitude to have. Branden took the food box Paxton handed him and brought it in front of Catherine. "Here, your breakfast." "Did hee all the way here just to bring me breakfast?" Catherine wondered. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Catherine was confused. She gave Branden a searching look. Branden¡¯s handsome face revealed a hint of a smile. His lips could not help but lift a bit. ¡°I heard you are participating in the celebration g selection.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Catherine answered briefly. ¡°Can I watch it?¡± Branden looked earnestly at Catherine. It was one of the few times Branden used an interrogative sentence. He was used to ordering people. His interrogative sentences were only for Catherine. Catherine was okay with it. All teams would perform in public. Anyone could be in the audience, and so could Branden. ¡°It¡¯s the early stage now. I¡¯ll let you know when I make it to the final.¡± The teams would audition during the qualifying match, and there might not be many qualified performances. Catherine thought it unnecessary for Branden to watch her show at this stage, so she wanted him to be there after she was in the final. Branden gazed at her with a mischievous smile in his bright eyes. Catherine caught it and walked half a step toward him. She looked into his eyes, her brow raised. She asked lightly, stretching the words, ¡°What? Don¡¯t you think I can make it to the final?¡± ¡°You can make it.¡± Branden¡¯s voice was full of certainty and zero doubt. Catherine suddenly wanted to tease him. ¡°You have faith in me?¡± Again, Branden answered without any hesitation, ¡°I do.¡± It was only an activity at the school. The Duncan Corporation was the most influential honorary committee member, and the president could help Catherine¡¯s team skip to the final if Branden wanted. Branden did not worry about the final at all. It all depended on whether Catherine wanted to be in it or not. ¡°Liana, look! Is that Branden, the head of the Duncans?¡± Elena pointed at the school gate and spoke to Liana excitedly. Liana¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing Branden¡¯s name. Her gaze followed where Elena¡¯s finger pointed, and it was indeed Branden.. Liana¡¯s tired heart suddenly freshened up. She looked a lot more alive. Never had she thought that she would see Branden at the school gate. Elena said with a frown, ¡°Liana, he¡¯s with a girl. Who do you think she is? Her back is so familiar.¡± Liana took a closer look, and her eyes widened in resentment. How could the girl¡¯s back not be familiar? It was none other than Catherine. Liana was too familiar with Catherine¡¯s appearance. ¡°The bitch wants to seduce Branden again? Shame on her!¡± Liana thought. Liana was very mad at Catherine. Branden looked at his wristwatch and realized the time was nearly up. He urged Catherine, ¡°Go in. Don¡¯t forget to eat the food I brought you.¡± He remembered that Catherine seemed to have problems with her stomach. Catherine looked down at the food container. She could see the bread and omelet with steam through the ss lid. Since Branden was quite thoughtful, Catherine nodded and said, ¡°Got it. I should go.¡± She then whirled around and left without looking back. Branden stood rooted to the spot and watched her leave. His eyes were always cold. They only turned soft when he stared at Catherine¡¯s back. Elena finally knew who the girl was when Catherine turned around. She gaped at Catherine with her jaw dropped. ¡°Oh my. How can that be Catherine?¡± Liana heard the name and was agitated. She stomped in fury. ¡°Can you not mention that name?¡± Elena shut her mouth after Liana¡¯s rare loss of temper. She remembered well that Liana had imed only Branden deserved her. Before Liana could approach Branden, Catherine was already flirting with him in front of them. No wonder Liana was furious. Elena saw through what Liana was thinking. She wanted to cozy up to Liana, so she hurriedly comforted Liana. ¡°Liana, you don¡¯t need to worry. We all know Catherine is a jinx. Even if she wins Branden¡¯s heart with her filthy methods, it won¡¯tst long. A rich and powerful family like the Duncans will never ept her.¡± The more Elena belittled Catherine, the better Liana¡¯s mood became. Seeing Liana¡¯s mood lighten, Elena continued, ¡°Catherine wants to be in the spotlight, right? We can go against her together and eliminate her in the audition.¡± Fierceness flickered across Liana¡¯s eyes, and she nodded firmly. The rules were simple. The Student Union and the audience would appraise and elect the best performances from the auditions. The Student Union had arranged 300 students as the audience to vote. The heads of Student Union departments would be the judges. Liana and Elena both happened to be the heads of Student Union departments. One was the head of the Publicity Department, and the other was the head of the Liaison Department. They could eliminate Catherine during the auditions if they teamed up and allied with other heads. Catherine took the food container into the ssroom. Ronin was about to hand her the breakfast he prepared when he noticed what she was carrying. The Duncans¡¯ mark was on the container. Bryan arrived earlier than Catherine, so the food could not havee from Bryan. Other than Bryan, the only person in the Duncans that would do this that Ronin could think of was the sly Branden. Dissatisfaction rose in Ronin¡¯s heart. He wanted to take the container away and rece it with his food. ¡°Boss, I bought you breakfast too. Take mine. Mine is warmer.¡± While he talked, Catherine took the food out of the container. Hearing Ronin¡¯s offer, she rejected subconsciously, ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can heat this.¡± Her words left Ronin with no hope. Ronin was heartbroken, feeling like someone had given his heart a blow. Bryan watched at the side and tried to hold back hisughter. He recognized at a nce that the container belonged to his family. It had to be Branden who did this. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Bryan thought Branden¡¯s ploys of winning Catherine¡¯s heart were cunning. When Bryan saw Ronin¡¯s disappointed look, he was satisfied. Bryan never gained the upper hand during his fights against Ronin. Now that Branden won, as one of the Duncans, Bryan was quite pleased. Ronin knew there was nothing he could do since Catherine began to eat. He could only give up and report the day¡¯s school news to Catherine. ¡°Boss, the lessons in the afternoon will all be canceled for the audition. Many other teams asked for leave this morning. Do we need to take leave to practice?¡± Catherine had watched them y their parts, but the three had not rehearsed together. ¡°No. We¡¯ll do it in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay, boss,¡± Ronin replied briskly. He loved Catherine for being so badass and confident. And Catherine had the strength to be so. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 The auditions for the celebration g started in the afternoon. Other teams were all out to hog a suitable practice room. Many teams signed up for the audition, but there were not enough practice rooms to go around. They needed to hurry up to upy a space. George noticed that Catherine and her teammates did not move and felt puzzled. He had no guts to talk to Catherine, so he turned to Bryan, who was rtively friendly and on Catherine¡¯s team. ¡°Bryan, why don¡¯t you go to the practice room to rehearse? The practice rooms are almost jammed. You will probably not get a space if you don¡¯t move now.¡± Bryan looked up at George with a frown as if he had heard something ridiculous. ¡°Boss said we don¡¯t need to rehearse.¡± George admired Bryan¡¯s attitude. Bryan had always been so confident. George understood what Bryan meant, but he was still somewhat uneasy. Catherine¡¯s team had never rehearsed since the announcement of the celebration g, while others all rehearsed their performances more or less. No one had any idea what Catherine¡¯s team could do. George was worried that Catherine took the task only to help him, but she did not have a natural aptitude for music. If that were the case, George would be the one to me. Bryan got down to the music score Catherine gave him three days ago. He did not know what song it was but loved its melody when he hummed it. Some parts of the music score were modified, which happened to be the parts he was not good at. Bryan was a beginner in music, but even he knew how outstanding the music score was. It was like a song customized for their team. It was a pity that the music score had no name on it. Bryan did not know who wrote it, or he would visit such an expert and express his admiration. Several secondster, George still had not left. Bryan furrowed his brow slightly and looked at George in displease. The cold gaze swept across George¡¯s body and sent a chill down his spine. George realized that Bryan had never changed. He was two-faced. Bryan was cold, heartless, clever, and firm when in front of other people. Being with Catherine, Bryan was so much different from what other people thought of him. He was obedient and would y up to Catherine. Sometimes, he would fight Ronin for Catherine¡¯s favor. He was like a puppy dog with his master around. George sat far from Catherine, Bryan, and Ronin and observed them. Bryan read the music score wholeheartedly, getting acquainted with it. He treated it more seriously than an exam. Ronin was less disciplined. He sat casually on the chair, making himself at home. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Nheless, he still held two pens as drumsticks to practice. Catherine, as the center figure of the team, leaned on the desk and slept soundly. George was speechless. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 At noon, the final bell rang. It was like Catherine¡¯s rm clock. When the bell stopped ringing, Catherine awoke. When Ronin saw her wake up, he reacted immediately and handed her the coffee he prepared. ¡°Boss. Coffee.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine reached out to take it. Gulping down a big mouthful, she felt refreshed. ¡°Ronin, you¡¯re even more thoughtful now. The temperature of the coffee was neither too hot nor too cold. Catherine was satisfied. Bryan was jealous. He disdained Ronin¡¯s licking Catherine¡¯s boots. Meanwhile, he was jealous of Ronin. Ronin knew Catherine¡¯s preferences way better than Bryan did. Bryan could not ept that. He decided to pay more attention to everything about Catherine and marked down what she liked and did not. After she downed the coffee, Catherine was wide awake. She stood up. Ronin followed her and suggested, ¡± Boss, let¡¯s grab lunch.¡± The three did not go to the school cafeteria. Instead, they went to a restaurant near the school. Catherine loved spicy food. She did not like sweet food, but she could not resist anything spicy. Ronin and Bryan were not picky about food, so they had no objection to Catherine¡¯s choice. After leaving the restaurant, Bryan realized that Catherine was not heading to school, which was strange. ¡°Boss, where are we going?¡± Catherine walked non-stop but turned her gaze slightly at Bryan. She answered, ¡°To rehearse.¡± Her answer did not help Bryan out of his confusion but deepened it. Shouldn¡¯t they rehearse in the practice room in school? Why were they heading away from it? Seeing Catherine had no intention of answering him, Bryan stopped asking further. He was worried if he kept asking, Catherine would think he was stupid. They arrived at an open field not far from the school. Bryan noticed that a rarerge truck was parked there. Their school was one of the top fancy schools in Casier. It owned thend where the school buildings were built. Some open fields and roads nearby also belonged to it. Such arge truck carrying arge container would not be allowed to enter the field without permission. While Bryan was thinking, Ronin took a remote from his bag, pointed it at the truck, and pressed it. The side of the container rose instantly like an overhead door. Bryan was pleasantly surprised to see a small stage when the inner space was revealed. It was not only a truck. His eyes were aze when he stared at the specially decorated stage. Bryan eximed, ¡°Boss, did you arrange for all this?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine replied muffledly. Ronin added, ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste on fighting with others for the lousy practice rooms in school. We should use our equipment. The stage is only a container big, but all things here are made of the best materials imported abroad. Isn¡¯t that cool?¡± Bryan did not need Ronin to tell him that. He was not a fool. He could tell at a nce. It was just that he did not expect Catherine to be so awesome. He had decided to steal a practice room from other people, but now it seemed unnecessary to worry. Catherine had nned everything. With a leap, Catherine got onto the container stage. Up there, she cast a piercing nce at Bryan and Ronin. ¡°What are you waiting for? Come on Rehearse.¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Bryan had practiced a lot and showed Catherine, and he also witnessed Ronin practice asionally. However, Catherine had never sung in front of them. Bryan was perplexed, but he had unreciprocated trust toward Catherine, so he asked Catherine nothing. They were finally about to rehearse together, and Bryan wanted to see Catherine¡¯s prowess. But Catherine let him down. After getting on the stage, Catherine only asked Bryan to rehearse with Ronin while she was busy with herptop. Bryan wanted to ask, but he did not dare. He could only do as Catherinemanded. Several times of rehearsalster, he and Ronin lined up the rhythms. Ronin was experienced. He even drummed harder at some point to cover Bryan¡¯s weakness. ¡°Take a break.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Bryan and Ronin stopped. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll get some water.¡± Bryan saw the bottled water in the front of the truck, so he jumped down from the stage to get some. The moment he left, Ronin leaned closer to Catherine. ¡°Boss, have you done setting?¡± Catherine nodded slightly and replied, ¡± Um-hum.¡± She looked unapproachable, but it matched her aura. Someone else with an unapproachable expression would give off a feeling that they were pretending to be haughty. The same expression on Catherine seemed just right. It was as if Catherine was born distant and distinct. Ronin stood beside her, quietly watching her fingers typing quickly on the keyboard, elegant as performing ballet. Massive amounts of data scrolled on theptop screen, and Ronin was surprised by every line. He had always considered himself aputer expert. In recent years, he sessfully challenged countless hackers and ranked on the top 10 list of global hackers. Watching Catherine operate theputer and set up the apps, he finally realized how far he was from being a top. If Ronin was seen as a top hacker and aputer expert, then Catherine was a wizard withputers. It had been too long for Ronin to see Catherine operate theputer. He nearly forgot how incredible Catherine was. As long as she made a move, there was nothing her foes could do to resist. Ronin stared at Catherine¡¯s moves with amazement and awe. He was thrilled and had to express his admiration orally. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re amazing. You¡¯re the only person I admire in my life.¡± Catherine¡¯s expression did not change after hearing such a high praise. She had heard too many praises since childhood and felt nothing of them. She did not stop until she had done setting up. ¡°It¡¯ll be done in a second. I only need to add something more in their firewall.¡± An evil smile was seen on Ronin¡¯s face as he heard what she said. He thought, ¡°How dare those people challenge us? ¡°Don¡¯t they know who my boss is? ¡°This time, they will not end up well.¡± Several days ago, a mysterious organization sent the best hackers in the world to attack thework of their base. The enemy¡¯s goal was clear. The organization wanted to provoke them. The organization arranged for a grand number of skillful hackers to attack. Even Ronin became tired of dealing with those hackers. Atst, the organization threw down the gauntlet to them. Ronin did not want to lose. Besides, he wanted to punish the enemy, letting them know there was always someone better, so he begged Catherine to handle it. The original deal was topete the night before. Catherine was unavable that night, so the competition was rescheduled for this day. The enemy was aggressive and arrogant. They did not decline Ronin¡¯s request for rescheduling. They even made the immodest statement that Ronin could have one more day to pray. No one dared to talk to Ronin like that after he had followed Catherine. He almost smashed theputer in anger after reading the irritating message. Without dy, he asked Catherine to deal with the enemy. Catherine upgraded the firewall and installed some necessary applications calmly during the lunch break. She also added something else to massacre their enemy. She would tell the enemy what it felt like to be in hell. After pressing enter, Catherine pushed theptop with two fingers and turned it to Ronin. ¡°Alright. Now it¡¯s over to you.¡± Sinisterness and decisiveness that did not match his age broke on Ronin¡¯s young baby face. He had a smug smile on his lips. ¡°Boss, trust me. I¡¯ll let them enjoy their abject failure this time.¡± When Bryan returned, Ronin and Catherine were still chatting. He leaned toward them curiously. ¡°Boss, what are you talking about?¡± Catherine nced at him and took the bottled water he handed to her. ¡°How¡¯s your practice?¡± Bryan dared not boast about himself in front of Catherine. Every time Catherine looked at him, Bryan felt inexplicable pressure, even when Catherine¡¯s gazes were serene. Such pressure forced Bryan to be respectful to Catherine. He automatically replied to Catherine with his back straight. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The only two people Bryan was in inexplicable awe of were Catherine and his uncle, Branden. ¡°Boss, I think I¡¯m proficient enough after the practice. The audition will not be a problem.¡± Bryan¡¯s words were quite humble for him. If it were not Catherine he was answering, he would probably have said that he would be the champion. Catherine was satisfied with his answer. She looked up at the time. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She said softly,¡± 11 Let¡¯s do this together. We¡¯ll go to the audition if there¡¯s no problem.¡± Bryan suddenly tensed up a bit. His heart was beating fast. He had been looking forward to hearing Catherine sing. Now that he finally had the chance, he got nervous. The song Catherine chose was a lively one. She put the in-ear monitor with one hand and walked to the microphone. She squinted and stood rxedly. As the first few notes sounded, Ronin beat the drum, followed by Bryan¡¯s guitar. Catherine started singing, and Bryan was amazed by her voice. He plucked the strings in subconsciousness, relying on his muscle memory. Bryan¡¯s mind went nk. He did not know how to describe the astonishment Catherine brought him. He could not believe his ears. Catherine did not finish the whole song but stopped after the chorus. With her arms folded, she looked at Bryan with questions. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her tone was not harsh or reproachful, but Bryan lowered his head in guilt. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± The always firm and resolute Bryan was suddenly flustered at that moment. Bryan not only stammered, but he also seemed to lose his ability to express himself. Ronin could not suppress hisughter. He said with his eyes full of sarcasm and teasing, ¡°Boss, I know what¡¯s wrong with him.¡± Bryan jerked his head back and red at Ronin, warning him to stop talking. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Ronin did not fear Bryan. They were like imcable enemies and argued with each other all the time. ¡°What? Do you think you can stop me with your eyes?¡± Ronin turned to Catherine and told her what happened to Bryan. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t me him. He¡¯s a booby that has never seen the world. He must be shocked by your incredible voice and forgot what he needed to do.¡± Bryan was embarrassed and ashamed because what Ronin said was true. He dared not look at Catherine. He could only pounce at Ronin, trying to beat him. ¡°Brat, you don¡¯t know how to mind your words, do you? Let me give you a lesson. You¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Seeing them wrestle with one another, Catherine said nothing. She stood still and observed quietly. Bryan¡¯s actions were prompt, thanks to his training. Ronin¡¯s moves were tricky, which he learned from the street gangs. The two were nip and tuck. Catherine let them blow off steam and did not interfere with them. Later, their moves slowed out of tiredness. Catherine checked the time and finally spoke to stop them. ¡°We should go before it¡¯s toote.¡± The two fighting hard instantly let go of each other upon hearing Catherine¡¯s order. Their actions were surprisingly the same. Ronin looked briefly at Bryan and said, ¡°Pack the things, and I¡¯ll park the truck. Bryan wanted to say why he should listen to Ronin. When he turned around, he only saw Catherine. Ronin had already left. He could not leave the work to Catherine, so Bryan began to pack. Bryan got waited on hand and foot at home, but he was willing to be the one to serve Catherine. The only thing Bryan was d about was that Catherine rehearsed with them once. Without the rehearsal, he would have made a fool of himself in front of the whole school. He did not expect Catherine to be so excellent. She had a voice like an angel. Bryan never fancied any stars. He thought the fans were nuts for being crazy about a stranger, wasting their money and time. Now he seemed to understand why the fans were like that. If Catherine started in the entertainment business, Bryan would be her top fan and do anything for her. Catherine sang beautifully. There was no doubt. Judging from Catherine¡¯s short performance just now, Bryan knew their team would nail it. The game was on when they arrived at the venue. The teams would take turns to audition following an order of sses. There were 12 sses, so Catherine¡¯s team still had to wait for some time. Ronin felt unountably mad to see Elena and Liana at the judges¡¯ table. He snorted disdainfully, ¡°Why are those two bitches at the judges¡¯ table?¡± Bryan looked in the direction Ronin pointed and was disgusted as well. ¡°They are both from the Student Union and ranked in the top three atst year¡¯s celebration g. It¡¯s a rule that the top three fromst year can enter the final directly.¡± Ronin yelled, ¡°What a stupid rule! Which fool in thisme school made such rules?¡± Bryan narrowed his eyes and stared at Ronin with displease. He highly disagreed with what Ronin said. Ronin realized what he had said wrong. After all, they all went to this school.. As a student in this school, Ronin¡¯s curses were offensive to even himself. ¡°Boss, do you think we should do something to change the rule?¡± Ronin whispered with a ttering smile. Bryan was shocked to hear this. One should know that this was a fancy school. In Casier, a lot of students were born. into noble families. With different powers, none of them could run the show alone. Even Bryan, as one of the Duncans, thought it hard to do so. Ronin spoke firmly about changing the rule, and his tone was rxed. Bryan turned to him in shock. What was even more surprising was that Catherine answered Ronin calmly. ¡°No rush now.¡± Catherine did not want to bother. But to Ronin, it meant that Catherine made light of the rule. He said to Catherine smilingly, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s fine if the rule is not on our side. We will have thestugh. The rule meant nothing to him. Ronin He did not give a shit about it. Bryan could not help but shake his head at Ronin. ¡°What an idiot,¡± Bryan thought. While the three were squabbling and having fun, Liana, sitting at the judges¡¯ table, fixed her eyes on them. She saw Catherine¡¯s superior expression and wished she could rush over, tear Catherine apart, and feed her to dogs. Liana¡¯s life had turned into a mess since Catherine¡¯s appearance. The astrologer was right about Catherine. She was indeed a jinx. People around Catherine would be in trouble and unlucky. Yet, the jinx was quite capable of seducing men. Many men were willing to help her and protect her. Liana would not give Catherine her wish. She would not allow Catherine to make it to the final. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. During the break, Elena winked at Liana. Liana understood immediately and followed Elena out. Elena led Liana to walk forward quickly. She noticed someone ahead, but she still rushed to him regardless. They bumped into each other, and Liana cried, ¡°Ouch!¡± The one they ran into looked at her apologetically. ¡°Liana, are you all right?¡± Nash Wale reached out to support her and looked at her with concern. Elena apologized sincerely, ¡°Nash, I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have dragged Liana and run so fast. Are you okay?¡± Nash knew it was an ident, so he did not mind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Take your time, and don¡¯t run into someone else.¡± ¡°Nash, I need to go to the bathroom. Liana seemed to hurt her feet. Can you help her to sit down there?¡± Nash agreed readily and held Liana¡¯s elbow gingerly. Liana did not decline. Nash¡¯s face was a little red. Nash, the president of the Student Union, came from a wealthy family and excelled in school. Rumors had it that Nash had a big crush on Liana. Such rumors had never ended since Liana¡¯s performance atst year¡¯s celebration g. One knew the rumors were true when one saw Nash avoid looking into Liana¡¯s eyes. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Catherine had been waiting behind the stage with Bryan and Ronin. Thest team had just got on the stage. When they were done performing, it would be Catherine and her team¡¯s turn. The backstage area was packed with people. Some of them were born with stage fright. They had looked ghastly pale before they got on the stage, praying nervously. On the contrary, Catherine¡¯s team was surprisingly calm. Wearing an earphone, Catherine was sitting aside with her eyes closed. Her palm-size face was seamlessly covered by the ck cap. Evidently, her face was really tiny. As for Ronin, who was sitting next to her, he was dressed more or less like her. The two of them sat leisurely aside. Ronin was also wearing an earphone. The only difference between them was that Catherine was resting while he was ying with his phone. And he was even ying an online game with Bryan. This team didn¡¯t look like they were there for apetition. Instead, they seemed to make up the numbers here. Finally, the previous team¡¯s performance was over. It was time for Catherine¡¯s team to get on the stage. However, before they got on the stage, the grip brought them a piece of unexpected news. The grip looked at Catherine, and his forehead had beads of sweat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you that the audio equipment is broken. It may take a while to repair it. Can you sing without music?¡± ¡°Sing without music?¡± Before Catherine could give a response, Ronin shouted, ¡°How can you ask our team to sing without music? Are you kidding me?¡± The grip shivered in fright and then looked at Ronin uneasily. He carefully exined, ¡°Ronin, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m really sorry. I¡­¡± Ronin grabbed the grip¡¯s cor and wanted to beat him up, but Catherine just stopped Ronin. Ronin turned his head and stared at Catherine with a frown. ¡°Boss¡­¡± Catherine darted a nce at him. ¡°Now you remember I¡¯m your boss?¡± Instantly, Ronin released the grip. He almost forgot what Catherine disliked. He just let his temper get the best of him. The audio equipment was fine when the previous team performed, but now that it was Catherine¡¯s turn, it was broken. How could there be such a coincidence? Ronin thought it was very likely to be someone¡¯s scheme. They wouldn¡¯t constrain themselves unless they got a beating. Since Catherine had stepped in, Ronin would wait for her order. He believed that she would have a way to deal with it. Catherine sized up the grip only to find that he had sweat all over his forehead and didn¡¯t dare to look into her eyes. Then, she figured out the truth. She thought, ¡°They don¡¯t want me to get on the stage. Then, I must do it. ¡°They think I¡¯ll flinch because of such a dirty trick? ¡°How absurd!¡± Catherine turned her head to look at Bryan. Bryan was more familiar with the school than Ronin. Besides, Bryan¡¯s identity was more useful, too. ¡°Bryan, go and borrow the clip mics from teachers.¡± Bryan gasped at Catherine in surprise. ¡± Boss, can that microphone work?¡± Catherine¡¯s voice was in and yet potently convincing. It gave a feeling that she wasn¡¯t kidding at all. ¡°Just go!¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m on it!¡± After saying that, Bryan ran away as fast as possible. There wasn¡¯t much time left for them. Everyone thought Catherine was crazy. They didn¡¯t expect that she would think of using the teacher¡¯s clip mic when the audio equipment was broken. That would serve as a small audio equipment indeed, but it had poor audio quality and would create loud noises. It couldn¡¯tpare with the professional audio equipment at all. If they used it on the stage, they were sure to lose. People all waited for Catherine to humiliate herself. Catherine always showed a distant air at school. Others all thought that she was merely a good-for-nothing who took advantage of Bryan¡¯s power to swagger around. Faced with Bryan¡¯s request, even the teachers had to cut him some ck. It was not only because Bryan was sort of famous at school but also due to the background of the Duncans. Although Bryan was not a lineal descendent of the Duncans, his identity was enough for him to do whatever he wanted in Casier. Bryan quickly came back with three clip mics that were usually used for teaching. He threw one to Ronin and passed one to Catherine. ¡°Boss, let me put it on you!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t object. Bryan went forward and tied the loudspeaker around her waist in a respectful manner. Other people were quite astonished to see Bryan¡¯s attitude toward Catherine. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Bryan was sort of a big shot at school. Others all heard that Bryan, the arrogant and ruthless man, had changed since Catherine was transferred to ss 8. Now, Bryan was just like Catherine¡¯s true-blue subordinate, who only served her. They didn¡¯t actually believe that before, but now they had to. This scene literally astonished everyone. He was way too respectful. It seemed that Bryan had really changed. After the clip mic was put on, Catherine nced at Ronin and Bryan. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± Ronin and Bryan replied in one voice. Catherine nodded and walked forward, followed by the two of them. When the three of them were on the stage, they exuded an imposing momentum. Catherine and Ronin were not well known at school, but Bryan was quite famous. Moreover, David and the others took the lead in cheering and shouting. As soon as they appeared, there was an explosion of cheering among audience. the Liana was a bit confused to see them on the stage. She took a look at Elena, and then Elena made a gesture. Following Elena¡¯s gesture, Liana saw the loudspeaker at the waists of Catherine and the others. Then, she took a tumble. She gave acent smile on her face and looked even more confident. Liana thought, ¡°Some people are fated to fail, but they still insist on struggling. How absurd!¡± At the judges¡¯ table, Nash looked at the three people on the stage, holding the microphone. ¡°You guys are using the clip mics. Are you gonna present your music in some special way?¡± Ronin turned on the clip mic and said to Nash, ¡°You¡¯re one to talk! Your audio equipment is broken after a few performances. How can you call that crap the best equipment? A feast for the eyes and ears?¡± His words were like a harsh p on the Student Union. After all, the Student Union specially bigged the audio equipment up in the leaflet, saying that this imported audio equipment couldpare to the best concert equipment in Casier. No one expected that Ronin would diss Nash boldly in in sight. Now, all the members of the Student Union looked embarrassed. Nash felt awkward, too. He directly asked the person in charge of the stage equipment for this event about what had happened. That person looked at Nash with embarrassment and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve just talked to the backstage staff. It was broken indeed, but it has just been repaired.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Nash nodded, picked up the microphone, and looked at Catherine¡¯s team. ¡°Since the audio equipment has been repaired, why don¡¯t you perform with it? We won¡¯t mind if we wait a few more minutes.¡± Nash was being quite a jerk. It was clearly the organizer¡¯s fault, but he just made it sound like Catherine¡¯s team was wasting everyone¡¯s time. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Rather than making an instant decision, Ronin settled his gaze on Catherine, waiting for her to decide. Catherine knew what Ronin meant. She turned on the clip mic and said coldly, No need. Let¡¯s get started!¡± Everyone was shocked. Previously, the audio equipment was broken, and they had no other choice but to use the clip mics. However, it had been repaired. Why did Catherine still insist on using the clip mics? How could she win then? Not only the audience but also the judges looked at Catherine in astonishment.. Faced with others¡¯ confusion, Nash picked up the microphone and said to Catherine, ¡°The equipment has been fixed. If you insist on using the self- prepared audio equipment, we¡¯ll still judge you with the fairest standard. Are you sure you still wanna continue?¡± It was quite savvy of him to say so. Clearly, what he meant was that even if Catherine and her team used the clip mic, their performance would be judged with the standard of professional audio equipment. While Nash was speaking, Catherine didn¡¯t even take a look at him. With her head lowered, she just focused on fiddling with her loudspeaker as well as Bryan¡¯s and Ronin¡¯s. Nash was infuriated by her attitude. Originally, he didn¡¯t want to target her team, but he felt that they were so arrogant that he couldn¡¯t help doing something against them. ¡°Catherine is fine with this. What about the other two? If you have any problems, you may just say it!¡± Ronin arched his brows and looked at the one sitting in the middle with sses, his face full of disgruntlement and disdain. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s wrong with you? You just want trouble, right?¡± Nash looked at Ronin in confusion, not understanding why Roninshed out at him. Before he could speak, what Ronin was gonna say next was like a p in his face. Ronin snapped, ¡°You know we¡¯re a team. Do you know what team spirit means?¡± He pointed at Catherine in an imposing manner. ¡°This is our leader. She just represents the three of us. We¡¯ll stick with the clip mics. Just cut it out and let¡¯s get it over with!¡± Bryan said nothing, but his facial expression showed his attitude clearly. That was, he was absolutely obedient to Catherine. Sitting next to Nash, Elena felt overjoyed. She had felt how displeased Nash was. She knew that the more arrogant Ronin was, the more people would dislike him. Elena leaned on Nash and whispered, ¡± Nash, we all know you have a good heart, but these people are not worth it. They¡¯re too arrogant! This is so outrageous.¡± Nash agreed with Elena tacitly, put away the microphone, and asked Catherine¡¯s team to start performing. Catherine turned around, approached Bryan, and said to him in a low voice,¡± Tune it down by one step. Can you do it? Normally, people couldn¡¯t ept adjusting the tone of the song at thest minute. However, Bryan was not an ordinary person. He was a super-intelligent genius. It was difficult to some degree, but he believed that he could make it for sure. ¡°No worries, Boss!¡± The corners of Catherine¡¯s mouth turned up. She gave him an approving look. She was never wrong about people. The music came! Ronin beat a key, followed by Bryan¡¯s guitar sound. Although it sounded a bit weird with a key lowered, it was still fine on the whole. A highchair was ced on the stage. Catherine was sitting on it leisurely. Now, she didn¡¯t look like a performer on the stage. Instead, she was more like ady sitting in the bar, swirling the wine in her ss and swinging her body to the music. At times, Catherine was indifferent, cold, and bossy with a distant air. Meanwhile, she was also as noble and invibly beautiful as a goddess. Nevertheless, at that moment, Catherine was looking down at the audience loftily with her eyes slightly narrowed. Her eyes were unfocused, which were not fixed on anyone. She just nced across the audience without hesitation. An arrogant and headstrong temperament was discernible throughout her body. Besides, her drop- dead gorgeous face was really heart-stopping. Before Catherine even started singing, the audience¡¯s questioning and disdainful voices gradually faded away as she was brewing her emotions. Catherine covered her ear with one hand so that the clip mic could capture her voice urately. Her beautiful voice was clear and ethereal like the drizzling spring in the mountain. It sounded so nice that everyone got carried away. They were all astounded. Never did they expect Catherine¡¯s voice to be so beautiful. Those who meant to give a few negativements were rendered speechless with reverence for Catherine as soon as she began singing. Silence reigned on the ce at once. Liana, sitting in the judge¡¯s seat, gasped hard at Catherine. She didn¡¯t expect Catherine to sing so well. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Catherine turned out to have such an amazing voice. She didn¡¯t even have to use any techniques. The moment she started singing, her victory was half secured. The music went on, and the soft part was gone. As the guitar sound sped up, the tempo became brisk. Sitting behind Catherine, Ronin also beat faster. Meanwhile, Catherine¡¯s singing became cheerful as well. The hall was deadly quiet just now. Now, it was like the torrential ocean. The audience¡¯s passion was ignited at the moment. Everyone subconsciously waved the bars in their hands to beat the rhythm for Catherine¡¯s team. Catherine¡¯s voice was quite brisk, which was totally different from how she seemed at times. Now, she was like a witch who enchanted everyone present with extremely infectious magic. The song didn¡¯tst long, but when Catherine stopped, the audience was still immersed in her beautiful singing. They were still subconsciously twisting their bodies. The audience didn¡¯te around until quite a whileter. Those whoughed at Catherine¡¯s team and thought that they would definitely fail were all quiet now. Even some judges didn¡¯te to their senses until they heard Catherine¡¯s reminder. ¡°Can you announce the result now?¡± Her cold voice jolted Nash back to reality. He stared at Catherine in astonishment and never expected that she could sing so well. Was this the so-called intellectual snobbery? Just because she was too talented, she stood above all? He disliked Catherine¡¯s character, but anyway, Nash had to admit that she sang exceptionally well. He looked to both sides and then said, ¡± Guys, do you want to say anything?¡± Elena seized the microphone at once. Amazed as she was, she just disliked Catherine and didn¡¯t want to let thetter advance to the next round. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Elena looked at everyone with a serious expression and then shifted her gaze to Catherine sinisterly. She said coldly, You did sing well, but I think you¡¯re too bad-mannered. You show no respect for the judges or audience. So, personally, I don¡¯t suggest you advance to the next round.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, someone immediately chimed in with her. People were all selfish. Catherine¡¯s team was sopetent. If they advanced to the next round of the contest, they would be a tough opponent. The skeptical voice was getting more intense. Thecent smile on Elena¡¯s face also became bigger. Just now, she received Liana¡¯s hint. Liana suggested that she and Nash would cast an opposing vote for them. Coupled with the audience¡¯s objections, she didn¡¯t believe that Catherine¡¯s team could qualify for the next round. Hearing Elena¡¯s sarcastic words, Bryan and Ronin both looked enraged. The two of them looked at Catherine simultaneously, waiting for her response. Catherine looked quiteposed, and a faint sneer crossed her pretty eyes. She stared at Elena as if seeing an idiot. Maybe Catherine had sensed that Bryan and Ronin were waiting for her to make a decision, so she turned her head to take a nce at Ronin. Ronin alone could deal with this kind of situation easily. He had long been itching to do something. Now that his chance finally came, he was ready to take action. He arched his brows at Catherine, gesturing with his eyes to her that he could handle this. Ronin turned on the microphone and gazed at Elena with disdain and contempt. Elena was frightened by his eyes and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Why are you staring at me like this? What¡¯s wrong with me expressing my opinion?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong!¡± Ronin replied easily and gave a sinister snort. ¡°Well, answer my question. On what ground can you sit there to judge us and look down at everyone haughtily?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Before Elena could respond, Ronin interrupted her first, ¡°You don¡¯t know how to answer me, right? You¡¯re not a graduate of a professional college or a top expert. How can you get to sit there and point fingers? I¡¯ve already shown you enough respect by standing here. How can you have the cheek to say that we show no respect for others?¡± Seeing that Elena grimaced in a fury, Ronin snorted. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯m merely telling the truth. If you don¡¯t want to hear it, it¡¯s fine. Come andpete with me. Whatever you want to do, I¡¯m in. If I lose, I¡¯ll apologize to you!¡± If Ronin hadn¡¯t given the performance, Elena might have had the guts topete with him. Yet, as she had witnessed Ronin¡¯s ability, she would only embarrass herself if shepeted with him. Besides, faced with Ronin¡¯s censure in front of so many people, Elena felt gravely humiliated. She wanted to argue back, but she just couldn¡¯t. Seeing that Elena was rendered awkwardly speechless, Liana hastened to take over the microphone. She said, ¡°Ronin, we understand you disagree with the judge¡¯s opinion. But it¡¯s the stiption of the school that we act as the judges. It¡¯s also the voting result of all teachers and students. Besides, whether you can advance to the next round still remains to be confirmed. ¡°If you nder the Student Union for your own interest, isn¡¯t it too selfish?¡± Unlike Elena¡¯s explicit criticism, Liana¡¯s words were like a soft weapon. With a few words, she described Ronin as a guy who deliberately dissed the judge because he was unsatisfied with the result. If Ronin could be easily defeated by Liana, Catherine wouldn¡¯t let him deal with this. After hearing Liana out, Ronin retorted ruthlessly, ¡°Are you done?¡± Liana¡¯s face instantly darkened, but she didn¡¯t snap at once. She knew that someone would make Ronin pay for his arrogance. Shortly, he would arouse public wrath. All she needed to do was just wait and see. It was a pity that they had underestimated Ronin¡¯s ability. The reason why Ronin came to school was to keep Catherinepany. He would feel bad about being away from Catherine for even one day. Of course, he had been well prepared beforeing to the school. He had investigated everything about the school well. No one expected that he would directly target the Student Union. Hearing Liana¡¯s words, he felt likeughing a bit. ¡°A referendum in the Student Union? Who joined the vote? I didn¡¯t, anyway. How many people here joined the vote? He got no response but silence. Usually, these matters were all determined by a random internal vote among the seniors of the Student Union. They left out many procedures just to save trouble. As no one spoke, Ronin continuedshing out at Liana. ¡°Student Union? It¡¯s merely a den of iniquity under the reign of you despicable people. You¡¯ve done various shameful things. How can you have the cheek to talk about the Student Union. here?¡± Instantly, the seniors of the Student Union all looked furious. In particr, Nash was really mad. After all, he was the leader of the Student Union. He couldn¡¯t allow Ronin to sling mud at the Student Union like this. He thumped the table and red at Ronin. ¡°Ronin, mind yournguage. If I ever hear you nder the Student Union again, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡± ¡°Hmph, nder? Teach me a lesson? Bring it on! I¡¯m ndering the Student Union? Isn¡¯t the Student Union a den of iniquity? ¡°No rush to get miffed. Just let me finish first. Do I need to tell you how much money the Organization Department has embezzled through the Student Union all these years? And how much money have you acquired from the sponsorship as kickbacks?¡± His words just caused a sensation. Although some people also thought the Student Union was involved in several shady practices, no one had ever dared to question them, for they couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Student Union at all. Now, Ronin justid it bare boldly. He was so awesome! Nash flushed in anger and yelled at Ronin, ¡°If you continue talking nonsense, I¡¯ll ask the school superintendent to punish you!¡± ¡°Punish me? Absurd! What if I say I have evidence? How can you scam money from other students in the name of the Student Union? Did you have a good time in the hotelst week? And how did you spend the kickbacks the Liaison Department obtained from the learning machine supplier? Should you give us an exnation?¡± Everyone present was astonished to hear that. Ronin just offered several examples. The seniors of the Student Union were dumbstruck. None of them expected that Ronin would be aware of those things. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. They looked at Nash with pale expressions, waiting for him to offer a solution. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Nash was a lot calmer than others. He knew that some of the Student Union members were involved in some shady practices, but it was an unspoken rule anyway. He looked at them gloomily and berated, ¡°Ronin, I told you not to escte the conflict due to your personal grudge. We¡¯re talking about if you get to qualify for the next round. Don¡¯t try to shift the focus, okay?¡± Catherine raised her head and settled her cold gaze on Nash. To her surprise, this guy looked like a man of honor but turned out to be so vile. Ronin noticed that she intended to do something, so he just stopped talking and waited for her to speak. Catherine raised her head and looked at the judges. ¡°I have only one question. You question our qualification for the next round, believing that our character is bad. Then, do we have the right to suspect your qualification as the judges as you¡¯ve been engaged in shady practices and embezzled public funds?¡± Since they didn¡¯t want to determine the victory in terms of ability but character, Catherine wouldn¡¯t mind finding out whose character was better. Catherine¡¯s voice was not loud but powerful, which prated everyone¡¯s ears and heart. None of them were fools. Catherine had made it quite clear. It would be perfectly justifiable if Elena didn¡¯t allow Catherine¡¯s team to qualify for the next round due to their bad singing. However, it was indisputable that Catherine¡¯s team sang really well. Then, Elena pointed out that they had bad characters, so they couldn¡¯t advance to the next round. In this case, what about the judges? If the judges didn¡¯t conduct themselves well, how could they make such ament? The discussion gradually intensified. Nash looked even more saturnine. The several seniors of the Student Union were also rather embarrassed. Some of them even started to use Elena, saying that she shouldn¡¯t have caused such trouble for everyone. Elena was too incensed to speak. She really didn¡¯t expect that Ronin would know so many things. And worse still, he wasn¡¯t afraid of offending the Student Union and just disclosed it in public. Now, she could only hope that Nash would turn the tables. Nash was really in a plight. He never knew Catherine¡¯s team could be so tough. Yet, for the sake of the Student Union¡¯s interest, he had no other choice but to resolve the problem. ¡°Please stop ndering the Student Union. If you have any evidence, you may report this to the school. Now, you¡¯re in apetition. Please don¡¯t waste our time anymore. Many more performers are waiting to get on the stage! You¡¯re ndering the Student Union with a fabricated excuse only to put off the competition and make uspromise. This is too despicable and also unfair for other students!¡± After Nash finished speaking, Elena really wanted to p her hands for him. She felt that he had made a great speech. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She hastened to chime in, ¡°Exactly! You¡¯re deliberately dying thepetition in this way only to make uspromise. Do you think we¡¯re really afraid of you? Shame on you!¡± ¡°Shame on us? Hmph¡­¡± Catherine sneered with a hint of coldness shing across her beautiful face. ¡°If some unvirtuous people really seize the power, there will be a real disaster then! Her voice was imposing and potent. ¡°How about this? We¡¯ll go to the leaders of the school and talk this through. We¡¯ll provide evidence and let them judge. If they still think you¡¯re qualified as the judges, we¡¯ll be fine with losing then!¡± That was quite a tough one! Catherine¡¯s team was really tough! If other people were unsatisfied with the oue, they would diss the judges at worst. However, Catherine meant to drag all the judges down. Catherine¡¯s natural and graceful demeanor as well as her imposing temperament just convinced everyone that she had solid evidence. Before Nash could react, the other seniors of the Student Union couldn¡¯t restrain themselves anymore. They were all part of the two things Ronin mentioned just now. They didn¡¯t know what else Ronin and Catherine had got. If Ronin and Catherineid bare all the things, it would be hard to say how they would be punished by the school, let alone be the judges of this event. Everyone was persuading Nash to make a concession. Yet, they didn¡¯t dare to make it too clear. After all, if they said too much, it would actually indicate that they were guilty. As the situation entered into a stalemate, someone suddenly stood up. It was Terry Hanke, one of the judges. Everyone looked at him and wondered what he wanted to do. With a serious face, Terry fixed his eyes on Nash coldly. He said sternly, ¡°This is a seriouspetition of the celebration g, but it¡¯s be such a ridiculous drama! Good for you!¡± Nash didn¡¯t know how to respond. In his eyes, Terry was quite a geek. Terry was talented and yet never talked to others. As the top student in music, he was made one of the judges. Yet, Terry was too difficult. Now, he suddenly stepped forward. No one knew what he was up to. Terry pointed at Catherine and her teammates on the stage with an approving look. His voice was powerful with a tone of admiration. ¡°I dare say this team is the best I¡¯ve seen on this stage. This is a musicpetition. If the best team can¡¯t qualify for the next round, what¡¯s the point of thispetition then? ¡°Just to rify, if this team can¡¯t advance to the next round, I won¡¯t be the judge, then. A silly show isn¡¯t for me!¡± Terry was tough beyond words, causing an immediate sensation. The audience present felt that Catherine¡¯s team performed really well, but they were not professional. They simply had a feeling that it sounded nice. Now, thements of Terry, a recognized professional, were undoubtedly a p in the face of the judges who didn¡¯t allow Catherine¡¯s team to advance to the next round. The other judges all looked awkward. It was no longer their call at this point. Elena was rather anxious at the moment. She knew that she would be in trouble if this went on. She hastily asked for Liana¡¯s help. Liana was driven nuts by Elena¡¯s pushing and started to curse her inwardly. However, now, she and Elena were in the same boat. She had no other choice but to help Elena. She whispered to Nash, giving him a tip. Nash immediately made a decision. ¡°Everybody, listen up. Now, there is a division of opinion on the matter. So, I suggest having a pause. Thepetition will continue when we discuss this and work out a conclusion. Please be patient!¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Even a fool could recognize that Nash was trying to stall for time, but after all, Nash had been the president of the Student Union. He was somewhat formidable. Even though people were displeased, they wouldn¡¯t dare to offend him. As for Catherine¡¯s team, Ronin and Bryan would listen to Catherine. If Catherine didn¡¯t agree, they wouldn¡¯t let go anyway. Catherine didn¡¯t object. She took off the clip mic and walked to the backstage area. Ronin and Bryan immediately followed her in unison. Seeing that they returned to the backstage area, the judges finally let out a sigh of relief. Elena put on an arrogant air right away and then said sarcastically, ¡°See? They still have to compromise. They merely want to make it to the next round. They acted as if they were so sanctimonious. Shame on them!¡± The judges¡¯ expressions all hardened. Even Nash also looked rather awkward. Liana really didn¡¯t know how a fool like Elena could still live in this world! It was bad enough that Elena couldn¡¯t read the room. Worse still, all she did was be a drag on others. Apparently, Catherine and her teammates had gotten the goods on them. Yet, Elena still dared to talk tough. She was so unbelievably foolish. Noticing Nash¡¯s grave expression, Liana immediately made a reaction. ¡°Enough, Elena!¡± Her voice was quite harsh. Elena was bluffed at once, and her face turned deathly pale. Meeting Liana¡¯s eyes, Elena slowly shut her mouth. Since Liana stopped Elena from talking further, Nash¡¯s face finally softened. His impression of Liana just became better. He sighed and said, ¡°Now that this has happened, I think I¡¯d better go backstage and see if this issue can be resolved through mediation. Then, we¡¯ll see what to do!¡± Of course, others had no problems with that. It would be the best that Nash was willing to deal with the situation himself. Yet, when Nash was about to leave, Liana hastened to say, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you! The other seniors of the Student Union were all afraid of trouble. They would be happy to share the good together, but when a problem came up, they would expect him to bear the consequence alone. Only Liana stepped forward at this moment. Deeply touched by Liana, Nash stared at her with affection. Actually, Liana didn¡¯t mean to help Nash. Instead, the Publicity Department of the Student Union had got the most funds. Since she became the head of this department, the money was all pocketed by her. She felt that Catherine was confident and worried that Catherine really had evidence. After all, there had been so many astonishing things about Catherine. Just in case, she could only strike first. If this matter was exposed, not only might she need to compensate for the money, but also her reputation would be ruined. She was ady of the Swanns. How could she allow her reputation to be ruined for this matter? Absolutely not! She must make Catherine shut up, whatever it took! Backstage, Catherine was leaning aside for a rest while Ronin and Bryan were sitting by her on both sides. Bryan felt a bit confused. He didn¡¯t know how much evidence Catherine had acquired on the embezzlement of the Student Union. However, just now, even a fool could tell that the seniors of the Student Union had a guilty conscience. Actually, if Bryan joined the Student Union, Nash could never have been the chairman. It was just that Bryan was toozy and couldn¡¯t bother to deal with those people. So, he directly refused to join any organization. This way, he could live a more casual life. ¡°Boss, why did we give those losers a chance instead of throwing the evidence in their faces?¡± Catherine looked at him with fatigued eyes. She replied in azy tone, ¡°Isn¡¯t it more fun this way?¡± Ronin chimed in, ¡°You¡¯re right. A hunter must prefer to y with the prey before eating it.¡± Bryan took a tumble. In the case when the prey was too much, there was no point in eating the prey directly. It was a lot more fun to watch the struggle on the verge of dying. prey Shortly, Nash took Liana backstage and found them. When the two of them appeared, Catherine was still ying with her phone with her head lowered. She didn¡¯t even take a look at them. In this case, of course, Ronin and Bryan wouldn¡¯t be nice to Nash and Liana. Nash stood there with an extremely embarrassed expression. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Liana hated Catherine to the core, but at the moment, she could only drop her attitude to make a concession. As Nash was unwilling to talk, Liana could only say, ¡°Catherine, we¡¯ve discussed this. It was Elena¡¯s fault. She let her emotions get the best of her. There¡¯s nothing wrong with your singing. You can totally advance to the next round.¡± After she finished speaking, Catherine raised her head and looked at her indifferently. ¡°Are you done?¡± Liana didn¡¯t understand what Catherine meant. She just nodded subconsciously. Catherine turned her head to nce at Ronin. Then, she just stood up and walked forward. She strode with a dashing demeanor. Liana was dumbstruck to see Catherin leaving. She hastened to stop Catherine. ¡°Wait¡­ Catherine paused and turned to look at her. Liana stood in situ with pursed lips, her pale face filled with embarrassment. She lowered her eyes, reluctant to face Catherine¡¯s face. Only in this way she say what she was gonna say. could ¡°Catherine, since you¡¯ve advanced to the next round, can you just stop pursuing the matter of the Student Union?¡± Catherine arched her brows. A sneer crossed her pretty eyes. ¡°The Student Union? I¡¯m not a member of the Student Union. I don¡¯t know anything about the Student Union.¡± Liana teetered with resentment in her lowered eyes. She felt that it was so insensible of Catherine to try to push her luck. Liana had no other choice but to threaten Catherine. ¡°Catherine, anyway, you¡¯ve lost nothing. Why do you have to act against the Student Union for such a trifle?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine snorted. She had never feared being against anyone all her life. It was merely the Student Union. Catherine stopped there because Liana was also one of the Swanns. Since Liana wanted to make a fool of herself, Catherine wouldn¡¯t save face for her then. This time, Catherine turned around and left without hesitation, not intending to turn her head at all. Liana was about to cry out of anxiety. With red eyes, she stared in fright at Nash. ¡°What should we do now? Given Liana¡¯s attitude, she doesn¡¯t seem to let us go!¡± Nash was there when everything happened. Liana was such a poor girl while Catherine was so arrogant. Faced with Liana¡¯s puppy dog eyes, Nash felt so sorry for her. Heforted Liana softly and decided to take all the responsibility. ¡°Liana, rest assured. Just leave this matter to me. Anyway, I¡¯ll protect you. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± Liana lifted her eyes and looked at Nash sincerely and gratefully, ¡°Nash, how nice of you!¡± Immersed in Liana¡¯s admiration for him, Nash didn¡¯t notice the sinister smile at the corner of her eyes. For Liana, no matter what Catherine did, she had got a scapegoat for herself. She had nothing to fear then. Chapter 159 Chapter 159 As the eldest son of the Wales and the only son of the family, he was deeply adored by the seniors in his family. The Wales was not as powerful as the four big families, but they had developed rapidly in the north of Casier. They were sort of a powerful force. That day, Nash returned to the Wales¡¯ and told his family about what had happened. After hearing Nash out, Gary Wale, Nash¡¯s father, flew into a rage. ¡°How foolish of you! I sent you to school for your future career and for you to make more friends. But you just ruined your reputation for this little interest!¡± Nash just sat there quietly and didn¡¯t talk back. He was aware that his father was bad- tempered. If he talked back to Gary, Gary would be more infuriated and even punish him more harshly. He still needed his father to deal with this matter. So, at this point, he had to bow. He had learned that Catherine and her friends didn¡¯t mean to let them go when he left school. They had handed the evidence to the school. The principal had known about this matter and felt quite mad. He hurriedly took a leave of absence and went back home. The principal still needed some time to confirm if the evidence was true. And Nash had to deal with this matter before it was made public. Bailey Wale, Nash¡¯s mother, who couldn¡¯t bear to see her son being scolded, asked Addison Wale, Nash¡¯s grandfather, toe and stand up for Nash. Addison hit the ground hard with his stick and red at Gary. ¡°How foolish of you! Don¡¯t you know what kind of man your son is? How can he do such a thing? At worst, he merely connived with his subordinates and covered them up.¡± The Wales didn¡¯tck money. As the only son of the Wales, Nash was surely not short of money. All the resources and wealth of the family were invested in him. How could such a proud man do that kind of thing? Addison was clear about everything. He flew into a rage upon hearing that Gary was reproaching Nash. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°You idiot, you can¡¯t even see this through!¡± Scolded by Addison, Gary didn¡¯t dare to argue back. After Addison finished speaking, he turned to look at Nash with an angry expression. ¡°Tell me. Who on earth are you covering up? Just say it. I¡¯ll call your principal and deal with this matter right now!¡± Nash pursed his lips and said nothing. He agreed with Liana to keep her safe, so he could never disclose her. Even if he didn¡¯t mention Liana, once this matter was exposed, Liana would be found in the end. He could never let this happen. In his eyes, Liana was a kindhearted and innocent girl. He must protect her well. Addison knew better about Nash¡¯s temper than Gary. He was aware that given Nash¡¯s attitude, Nash would never say it. ¡°Fine. If you don¡¯t want to say it, just don¡¯t.¡± Hearing Addison¡¯s words, Gary immediately shut up. None of the Wales dared to disobey Addison. As Gary shut up, Addison settled his gaze on Nash. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on. Who is targeting you?¡± Addison knew well about Nash¡¯spetence. If it weren¡¯t because Nash couldn¡¯t deal with the problem, he wouldn¡¯t turn to his family for help. An obsessively proud man wouldn¡¯t bow easily. Nash was also aware that he muste clean now. Otherwise, Addison couldn¡¯t help him. So, he told Addison what he had known. After hearing Nash out, Addison nodded. ¡°Do you mean the Swanns and the Duncans?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa. But the main problem is Catherine Swann. Bryan always listens to her. As long as we deal with Catherine, this matter will be easily resolved!¡± ¡°Is Catherine the daughter of the Swanns who just came back?¡± Addison asked. Nash nodded. ¡°Yes, she is!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine then!¡± Addison thought Nash had offended the Duncans. Although Bryan wasn¡¯t the direct line of the Duncans, he was raised by Karl as his own grandson. The Wales had some forces but were not as powerful as the Duncans. If they offended the Duncans, they would be in big trouble. The Swanns was also one of the four big families, but Korbin valued immediate interests. He would be fine with everything as long as he was given enough money. The point was that Catherine was merely a daughter of the Swanns, who was just brought back from the countryside. She was not even a realdy of the Swanns. Korbin wouldn¡¯t offend the Wales for her. Catherine was an unfavored daughter of her family while Nash was the future heir of the Wales. It should be an easy choice for Korbin. Addison directly said to Gary, ¡°You¡¯ll go to the Swanns¡¯ with Nash and talk this through with Korbin. Let¡¯s see how to deal with this!¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± At the Swanns¡¯. The sudden visit of Gary and his son directly struck Korbin dumb. He barely dealt with the Wales. Even if the Wales wanted to seek cooperation, they couldn¡¯te to the Swanns¡¯.. Korbin hastened to put aside his work and invited them in. Gary was quite straightforward. As soon as he entered the door, he directly told Korbin why he came here today. Korbin initially thought something serious had happened. Unexpectedly, they were here for some conflict between Nash and Catherine. He found it quite hrious. ¡°Mr. Wale, it turns out that you¡¯re here for such a trifle. You shouldn¡¯t havee yourself.¡± With a serious look, Gary said to Korbin, ¡°Mr. Swann, if this thing happens to your son, a trifle?¡± will you think it¡¯s From where he and Korbin stood, a daughter was different from a son. They believed that their families should be inherited by a son. The reputation of the heir of the Wales wasn¡¯t a trifle at all. Thinking that Nash had done something wrong before, Gary made an offer first. ¡°Mr. Swann, we¡¯re wrong on this issue. You¡¯re interested in thend project in the north of Casier, right? Would you like to join the project?¡± Korbin¡¯s eyes lit up at once when he heard that. He had longed to join that project, but the Wales was powerful in the north of Casier. He needed to gain the Wales¡¯ approval if he wanted to be part of it. He had been unable to find a way. To his surprise, a chance came to him on its own. Korbin loved the bait offered by Gary. Instantly, he changed his attitude. Korbin immediately put on a stern look and criticized Catherine strictly. ¡°Mr. Wale, I¡¯m really sorry. My daughter grew up in the countryside since she was little. She is unruly and insensible. This time, she was brought back because my dad passed away. And I¡¯m too busy to discipline her, which ruins the friendship of the two families. ¡°She¡¯s too insensible. I¡¯ll discipline her well. No worries!¡± Gary¡¯s eyes glistened. He knew that Korbin had agreed. ¡°Thank you then. I still have things to do. I¡¯ll be going with my son now.¡± Chapter 160 Chapter 160 As soon as the Wales left, Liana, who had eavesdropped upstairs, slowly walked downstairs. Her eyes were filled with delight. She didn¡¯t expect that Nash could get his father toe here and deal with this matter personally. Liana slowly walked to Korbin and said in a soft tone, ¡°Dad, did Nash and his father juste?¡± Kobin nodded. Nash and Liana went to the same school and were about the same age. Korbin wasn¡¯t surprised that the two of them knew each other. The upper social circle was quite narrow. The Wales were in Casier, too. It was normal that Liana knew Nash. ¡°Dad, I know what they talked about just now. Catherine is gonna disclose Nash as well as Elena, the daughter of the Leighs, and¡­¡± She listed a series of her ssmates, who were all from illustrious families and yed a role in the Student Union. Yet, she didn¡¯t mention herself. Although Korbin was her father, he cared a lot more about Johnathan than her. Hearing Liana¡¯s words, Korbin looked increasingly gloomy. Out of rage, he thumped the table and snapped, ¡°That wretched girl! She¡¯s gonna destroy the Swanns!¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Faced with Korbin¡¯s wrath, Liana felt rathercent. The more Kobin disliked Catherine, the happier she felt. In her eyes, Catherine didn¡¯t belong to this home and should return to the countryside. ¡°Dad, I heard from the maid that Catherine couldn¡¯t bear the noise at home, so she moved into Audrey¡¯s ce. She¡¯s been living in Audrey¡¯s apartment these days.¡± Korbin¡¯s face immediately hardened. He was vexed and growled, ¡°How dare she! ¡°Make a call to Audrey or Catherine right now. She has half an hour. If I can¡¯t see Catherine at home in half an hour, she¡¯ll nevere back!¡± ¡°Okay, Dad!¡± Liana agreed obediently. When she turned around, she had a beaming smile on her face. When Catherine received the call, before Liana finished speaking, she directly hung up the phone. It was mainly because Liana was too arrogant. Catherine thought, ¡°Who does she think she is? Why would I cut her some ck?¡± She didn¡¯t want to hear Liana talk nonsense, so she directly hung up on Liana. Shortly after she hung up the phone, someone knocked on the door. Catherine stretched herself with fatigue, got off the bed, and opened the door. It was Audrey outside the door, who looked really anxious. ¡°Kathy, Dad wants you to go back. Hurry and get changed. I¡¯ll drive you back!¡± Unlike Audrey, who was panicked and flustered, Catherine seemed ratherposed. She staggered lazily as if just waking up from a dream. ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± After expressing her opinion concisely, Catherine meant to go back and lie in bed. Now, she needed to take a rest. She still had things to do at night. However, Audrey reacted extremely fast and reached out to hold the door. ¡°Kathy, wait.¡± Catherine stopped closing the door and arched her brows. She looked at Audrey aloofly, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Kathy, you must go.¡± Audrey stared at her with imploring eyes and emphasized carefully, ¡°And you must go as soon as possible.¡± Catherine really didn¡¯t want to go, but Audrey kept pushing her. Audrey didn¡¯t yell at Catherine. Instead, she just kept nagging like an annoying mosquito, which was really infuriating! Annoyed as she was, Catherine wouldn¡¯t hurt Audrey. Being entreated again and again by Audrey, Catherine could only agree. ¡°I¡¯ll go. Happy?¡± Hearing that Catherine finally agreed with her, Audrey instantly came around. Her imploring face was reced with a beaming expression. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re so good. I¡¯ll get the car now. Just get changed and come downstairs!¡± As if she was afraid that Catherine would go back on her word, Audrey just ran away without hesitation. Catherine shook her head resignedly and went back to get changed. It was not that she was in a hurry but that she never did things sloppily. Since she had agreed, she would deal with this matter as fast as possible. Audrey was really worried that Catherine would run away or note downstairs. So, she directly waited downstairs in her car. As soon as Catherine got downstairs, Audrey opened the door of the car and asked her to get into the car. Audrey¡¯s car looked really cute. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. It was a pink Beetle. Both its exterior and interior were pink. Lovely as it was, it was not aligned with Catherine¡¯s vibe. ¡°Kathy, I haven¡¯t driven this car for a while. This is the first time you¡¯ve got into my car, right? Is it very cute?¡± The corner of Catherine¡¯s lips twitched. She nodded. Audrey had long been used to Catherine¡¯s aloofness. If Catherine treated her warmly all of a sudden, Audrey might feel ufortable. ¡°Kathy, we¡¯ll record the show again next weekend. If you do it, will your academic work be affected?¡± ¡°No!¡± Catherine¡¯s answer was concise and clear. Since she had agreed with Audrey to do the show, she would not break her promise. To ease the atmosphere in the car, Audrey tried to chat with Catherine. ¡°Kathy, do you know why Dad wants to meet you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Catherine replied coldly. Given Catherine¡¯s attitude, Audrey couldn¡¯t continue the talk with Catherine anymore. She could only give up. It was just as well that they arrived at the Swanns¡¯ soon. The two of them came to Korbin¡¯s study. There was a bodyguard guarding the door. He saluted Catherine and Audrey respectfully and put his hand in front of Audrey. ¡°Mr. Swann said only Catherine was allowed to go inside!¡± Hearing the answer, Audrey knitted her brows with displeasure. She didn¡¯t know what Korbin was up to, but somehow, she just had a bad feeling. Audrey stood in situ, and Catherine went inside alone. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Hearing the voice from behind, Catherine stopped to look back and fixed her eyes on Audrey. Audrey bit her lower lip and hesitated a bit before saying, ¡°Kathy, if anythinges up, just shout for help. I¡¯m waiting for you at the door!¡± At this moment, Catherine really paused for one second. Then, the corners of her mouth turned up. She finally replied, ¡°Okay!¡± The moment she turned around, she put on a cold look as usual. She was only nice to the people she cared about. The bodyguard opened the door for Catherine. When she entered the door of the study, two folders whooshed to her.. Other people would be hit for sure. Yet, Catherine was not an ordinary person. Would she be struck by the folders? Of course not! Catherine slightly leaned to one side and dodged the folders with ease. After the folders fell to the ground, Catherine took one step forward and stepped on them casually. She slowly raised her head to look at Korbin and wanted to find out why he was so mad. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 In Korbin¡¯s eyes, the most hateful trait of Catherine was her arrogance, coldness, and haughtiness. He hated her for that. As the legitimate son of the Swanns, he spent the first half of his life working tirelessly for the Swanns. He was forever subordinate to Vicente, whose word wasw at the Swann Corporation. However, he was not angry or worried. In his understanding, he perceived himself as the future heir of the Swanns and firmly believed that the Swanns would ultimately be his possession. Finally, he witnessed the passing of Vicente. The passing of his biological father at his age brought about sadness, but there was not as much deep attachment. Furthermore, he contemted the future. With a blueprint for the future of the Swann Corporation entirely under his control, he would undoubtedly lead the Swann Corporation toward a better future. Korbin had nned it all out but didn¡¯t expect Vicente to y tricks on him before passing away. It was like Vicente invited the devil to him. Korbin resented the cruelty of his father toward him. At the same time, he ridiculed his father¡¯s foolishness in having introduced such a country girl to disgust him. ¡°Does father really think that by arranging for awyer, Leonel Bolton, to be by this girl¡¯s side, he can help her turn everything around? ¡°She will never escape me. ¡°How can a little naive girl like herpete with me?¡± said Korbin inwardly. Not considering Catherine as a threat did not imply that he did not hate her. Over the past few days, Catherine¡¯s actions had left him quite dissatisfied. Korbin raised his head with a stern expression and cold gaze, roaring angrily, ¡°How dare youe back? Do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused?¡± Facing Korbin¡¯s rage, Catherine calmly walked forward and pulled out a chair for herself to sit in front of Korbin casually. She let out a soft chuckle, her eyes slightly raised, and her gaze fell straight on Korbin. ¡°Father, if I understand your words correctly, it means you did not call me back, did you?¡± Korbin immediately got angry. He had been on the verge of losing control but then thought of the stubborn nature of the girl, as well as the conditions set by the Wales. He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you with this, but I asked you toe back because you still have blood ties to the Swanns. Do you know Nash Wale, the only son of the Wales? By offending him, you¡¯re essentially offending the entire Wales. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Catherine tilted her head with a strange smirk on the corner of her mouth as she looked at Korbin. ¡°Father, so you intend to fight against the Wales for my sake, right?¡± The mockery in her tone was not masked in the slightest. If Korbin couldn¡¯t detect it, he would have wasted his years of experience. He held a deep hatred for Catherine in his heart. Giving her a hateful look, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can deal with the Wales just because you know Bryan. Nash is the legitimate son of the Wales, while Bryan is only from a branch of the Duncans. You need to be mindful of the difference.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Catherine wanted tough. She wanted to ask Korbin what would happen if not only Bryan but also Branden were with her. ¡°After all, he can be considered my fianc¨¦,¡± thought Catherine. She had heard that Korbin¡¯s heart was not in great condition. Catherine decided to swallow her words to prevent him from having a heart attack. It went against her nature tomit patricide. ¡°So, what do you think I should do, father?¡± Catherine asked Korbin in return. Such were the words that Korbin was waiting for. Because Catherine proactively suggested it, his tone calmed down slightly without the previous irritability. ¡°You must go to the school tomorrow and retract those submitted documents. Inform the school authorities that they were all fabricated by you and are not genuine evidence!¡± said he. ¡°To falsify actual evidence and publicly admit to doing so in front of the school authorities. Father, you intend to make me an outcast in this school. ndering a ssmate is not a trivial matter. Even if I bear the sole responsibility, the lightest punishment I can expect is expulsion, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Catherine. Catherine calmly stated all the possible events that could ur. She was aware of Korbin¡¯s ulterior motives. ¡°It is likely that someone from the Wales has made a deal with the Swanns. In order to get some benefits, Korbin has agreed to the request of the Wales. ¡°At the same time, it is well-known that Bryan is involved in this matter. To avoid offending the Duncans, he wants to sacrifice me to satisfy his own need,¡± thought Catherine. Korbin¡¯s thoughts were exposed, but he showed no hint of embarrassment on his face. He solemnly followed Catherine¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s the matter of being expelled? I can always find another school for you. Casier is so big. Do you think there won¡¯t be a ce for you to study? Don¡¯t worry. As long as you do as I say, I will take care of the arrangements for you, and the impact will be minimal!¡± This statement sounded even more effortless than simply dismissing a beggar. Catherine let out a soft laugh with a chilly tone in her voice, making Korbin feel a bit uneasy. He couldn¡¯t figure out how this girl couldugh so creepily. ¡°What are youughing at, you silly girl? There¡¯s nothing to ponder about. Just do as I said tomorrow!¡± Korbin didn¡¯t know why he couldn¡¯t bring himself to meet Catherine¡¯s gaze directly. He always felt a sense of guilt whenever he caught sight of this girl. Faced with the dominance of Korbin, Catherine remained remarkablyposed from beginning to end, not even showing the slightest hint of emotion on her face. She spoke gently, not sounding like someone involved but rather an onlooker. ¡°Father, since you think it¡¯s so easy, iming it has no impact, why don¡¯t you advise the Wales to change a school?¡± With just a sentence, it immediately stirred up the anger in Korbin¡¯s heart. His face instantly darkened, and he red at Catherine with an ashenplexion, struggling to control his raging temper as he mmed the table and shouted angrily. ¡°You ungrateful child, are you ignoring me when I speak to you? ¡°I spoke to you nicely, but you didn¡¯t listen. You¡¯re forcing me to get angry. Let me tell you, if you don¡¯t go to school tomorrow and handle the matter, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Before he could finish, Catherine cut him off coldly, saying, ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± Korbin was infuriated by her and was about to speak up, but he found nothing that could threaten Catherine. In his silence, Catherine spoke on his behalf. ¡°All you can do is drive me out of the Swanns, but don¡¯t forget who the real owner of the Swanns is now.¡± With just a simple sentence, Korbin almost passed out from infuriation. As she watched Korbin exaggeratedly gasp for air, Catherine didn¡¯t feel any sympathy for him. She initially didn¡¯t want to make Korbin angry like this. But it served him right for pushing his luck too far. ¡°Then don¡¯t me me for being ruthless with my words,¡± said Catherine inwardly. ¡°I will withdraw my usations against Nash Wale if two conditions are met!¡± she added. Korbin gradually calmed down and took deep breaths to adjust his pace before eventually speaking up.¡± Alright, tell me the conditions!!¡± Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Catherine¡¯s conditions were not challenging. She sat with her hands folded on the table, emanating a cold aura. Her cold and distant gaze lingered on Korbin casually, but it brought Korbin an inexhaustible sense of oppression, making him instinctively feel a kind of fear toward Catherine. ¡°First of all, someone needs to be held ountable for this. But it¡¯s definitely not me who should take responsibility. It should be those guys from the Student Union. I can just let go of it. The rest is left to them.¡± Korbin hesitated momentarily, fully aware that this might be the Wales¡¯ bottom line. The bottom line for the Wales was to protect Nash and ensure that he was not heavily influenced. As for how to operate and at what cost, it was something only the Wales themselves could determine. After careful consideration, Korbin nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Okay, I agree to this condition. So, what is the second condition?¡± Korbin agreed readily. Catherine also did not beat around the bush and directly stated the second condition. ¡°Give Audrey the treatment she deserves!¡± The children of the Swanns were entitled to a share of dividends from the Swann Corporation as established at the time of their birth. This amount of money was insignificantpared to the vast wealth of the Swanns. However, it would be enough to cover the monthly ie if they were in an ordinary family. There were only two who didn¡¯t enjoy this treatment in the Swanns. One was Catherine, who was abandoned in the countryside since childhood, and the other was Audrey. Audrey initially enjoyed all of this, but from the moment she was kicked out of the Swanns¡¯, Korbin took it all back. Upon hearing this condition, Korbin was a bit surprised. He originally thought that Catherine would fight for her own benefit, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be sticking up for Audrey instead. Thinking about having to spend more money, and on top of that, on a useless and disobedient daughter, Korbin felt a little distressed. However, the benefits from the Wales were more cost-effective. ¡°Okay, I agree!¡± Seeing how readily Korbin agreed, Catherine guessed that the Wales must have spent a fortune this time. After examining the information found by Ronin, Catherine concluded that there was no stain on Nash. Her younger sister, on the other hand, was quite greedy. With the thought of Liana¡¯s reaction in the afternoon, Catherine had a clear understanding in her heart. ¡°The Wales boy seemed quite sentimental,¡± said she inwardly. Korbin found it irritating to see Catherine now that all the tasks had already beenpleted. He didn¡¯t want to see Catherine¡¯s loathsome face for even a moment longer, so he waved his hand at her directly, trying to drive her away. ¡°Okay, you can leave now!¡± He was unwilling to see Catherine. Catherine was also reluctant to stay. Before he could even finish his sentence, Catherine stood up and left without saying a word, disying an arrogant expression on her face. Korbin was so angry that he forcefully mmed the coffee cup on the ground, making a loud noise. The security guard outside the door entered immediately to check the situation. With a stern expression, Korbin red angrily at the bodyguard andmanded, ¡°Call my assistant Rusty Hunt and instruct him to keep a close eye on Catherine. We can¡¯t afford any mistakes!¡± Although he knew there was not the slightest possibility, Korbin still felt uneasy in his heart. With just over half a month left, he did not want to stir up trouble. When the half month was over, he would let everyone know who was the ruler of the Swanns. Catherine got out of the study. As she turned the corner of the hallway, she caught sight of Audrey, whose back was turned to her. From Audrey¡¯s back, it could be observed that she seemed to be quite nervous. Catherine stepped forward, intending to call out to Audrey, but to her surprise, Audrey turned around. It seemed that Audrey was caught off guard when Catherine appeared suddenly, which caused her to startle and freeze for a moment. A few secondster, Audrey came to her senses. She rushed forward directly, anxiously reaching out to grab Catherine¡¯s arm. She checked Catherine up and down repeatedly, saying, ¡°Kathy, are you okay? Did your fathery a hand on you? Catherine¡¯s mind went nk momentarily as she stared into Audrey¡¯s eyes, lost in thought. Seeing her nk eyes and unfocused gaze, Audrey was really startled. She eximed anxiously, ¡°Oh dear, why aren¡¯t you speaking? You¡¯re making me extremely worried. Do you know?¡± Catherine snapped out of it and regained her focus. She was staring at Audrey with a heated gaze and with some intriguing thoughts in mind. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll talk more at your ce!¡± ¡°Are you really okay? Why did I hear the sound of things being smashed inside?¡± Audrey still felt uneasy and looked at Catherine with an anxious expression. Catherine looked at her with a serious expression and emphasized. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯m fine. My father didn¡¯t hit me. He just smashed things in his study.¡± After confirming several times, Audrey finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that he didn¡¯t hit you. Let him smash things if he loves to do so. After all, the Swanns have plenty of money. It¡¯s not a big deal for them. ¡°Since you¡¯re okay, let¡¯s go. Lest some people go crazy and target you again!¡± said she. After Catherine was taken away, Audrey specifically got the details from Liana. ording to Liana, Catherine pissed off the Wales. So, Korbin wanted to give her a lesson and give an exnation to the Wales. How could Audrey not know Catherine? ¡°Catherine had always maintained aposed demeanor and avoided causing trouble. It must be that boy from the Wales who provoked her first. How dare he y the victim before the wronged party?¡± said Audrey inwardly. Although she knew it had nothing to do with Catherine, Audrey also understood her father¡¯s personality. ¡°Even if it were Liana, he wouldn¡¯t care, let alone Catherine, who had never been favored since childhood. ¡°Since the Wales hade knocking on our door, it was certain that it pertained to the interests of both families. At such times, Korbin would not hesitate to sacrifice Catherine,¡± said Audrey inwardly. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Therefore, she was so worried about Catherine. Now, Catherine had finallye out unharmed. Audrey¡¯s anxious heart could finally rest easy. Watching Audrey rushing around and even reminding her to fasten her seat belt before they got in the car, Catherine couldn¡¯t help butugh helplessly. ¡°Wow, Audrey, you¡¯re really like a babysitter!¡± Upon hearing this, Audrey instantly cast a seemingly angry gaze at Catherine, assuming a commanding boss demeanor. ¡°Miss, how dare you make fun of your sister? Do you believe I will teach you a lessonter and make you cry?¡± With a nod of her head, Catherine surrendered by raising her hands, indicating her fear. Audrey happily withdrew her hand, and the two siblings joyfully left the Swanns. As they disappeared into the distance, Liana, who had been observing everything from a corner, finally emerged. She gazed fixedly in the direction where Catherine and Audrey had disappeared, her cold eyes filled with deep hatred. ¡°Performing sisterhood in front of me? Do they think I would be envious? ¡°It¡¯s really ridiculous! ¡°Just two pitiful peopleforting each other. I don¡¯t care a bit,¡± said she inwardly. At Audrey¡¯s apartment. As soon as Catherine arrived, she walked into the room before Audrey could pull her in for a chat. Audrey anxiously chased after Kathy, yelling, ¡°What are we eating tonight? Are we going out or ordering takeout?¡± Catherine responded casually, ¡± Whatever, I don¡¯t mind!¡± Concluding, she added, ¡°I¡¯m going to do my homework inside. Call meter!¡± After the door was closed, Audrey finally realized. ¡°Why is Catherine so diligent today? ¡°Doesn¡¯t she even bother to bring her textbooks back with her usually?¡± thought she. However, she paid no heed to these matters. She needed to focus on resolving the predicament of arranging dinner for them. Since Catherine needed to do her homework, they would not go out. Audrey would love to cook, but she was not confident in her cooking skills, let alone serving it to Catherine. To not hurt Catherine¡¯s stomach, she ordered food for delivery. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Catherine entered the room, iming she needed to do her homework. However, this was merely an excuse to deceive Audrey. In fact, she had to deal with the affairs of the base. Their organization, Hacker Alliance, was currently under attack from cyber assants. Furthermore, it was not just a single elite hacker attacking them but a team of hackers. In the afternoon, Catherine had already made arrangements, and the group of hackers would have no way out tonight. Ronin initiated a video call to have a real-time conversation with Catherine. ¡°Boss, herees that gang of riffraff! Catherine turned her gaze toward theputer screen, only to find a swarm. of red attack points relentlessly targeting the firewall set up in the base. The first wave of attack, seemingly not so fierce, was more like a probing. Those people slowly approach Catherine¡¯s bottom line step by step, touching and exploring it continuously. Ronin tapped on the keyboard excitedly, engaging in a fierce confrontation with the opponent. He was just like a cat chasing a mouse relentlessly. There was a mischievous smile on the young boy¡¯s fair and slightly tender face. His clear eyes were filled with a morous yet excited radiance. ¡°Boss, they aren¡¯t good at all! Look, they can¡¯t even catch me. How dare they challenge you?¡± He was the vanguard. If the attacker failed to pass even this obstacle, it went without saying that they wouldn¡¯t be able to win over Catherine. Catherine leaned to one side, gazing at theputer screen with her stunningly beautiful face. ¡°Ronin, you must not take this lightly!¡± Catherine simply reminded him of this without saying much. Ronin grinned and shouted confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. I know what I¡¯m doing!¡± Since he had said so, Catherine didn¡¯t pay him further attention. Upon catching a whiff of fragrance wafting in from outside, Catherine set herputer aside and got up to walk out. As she left, Ronin eximed hastily, Boss, why are you leaving? Do you not need me anymore?¡± Watching the drama of crying and wailing about to unfold, Catherine left a word without turning around. ¡°Eating!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ronin sounded sad, but he didn¡¯t dare to stop Catherine. He just obediently reminded her, ¡°Boss, go ahead. I¡¯ll guard here!¡± Before he could finish, the figure of Catherine had vanished without a trace. Initially, Catherine thought that Audrey would order mild dishes, but to her surprise, all she saw were red chili sauce. ¡°Buffalo wings?¡± Catherine asked casually. Audrey looked at Catherine with delight and said, ¡°Kathy, your nose is really impressive. How can you tell just by smelling it? You are truly an amazing little baby!¡± Faced with Audrey¡¯s fierce praise, Catherine was left dumbfounded by her des. She frowned as she looked at the dishes on the table. ¡°Is something that can be seen through with just one nce worth boasting about?¡± said she inwardly. Audrey was nced at by Catherine and btedly realized that she might have been a bit too much exaggerated. Her gaze was somewhat elusive. She smiled awkwardly, not daring to meet Catherine¡¯s eyes directly. Because Catherine¡¯s gaze always made her feel like she was a fool. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat while it¡¯s still hot. I stumbled upon this restaurant by chance before, and the taste is absolutely amazing. I¡¯ve been expecting to bring you there to try it but never got the chance, so today is the perfect timing!¡± Seeing the anticipation on Audrey¡¯s face, Catherine chose not to expose her hidden agenda in changing the subject. The vor of New Orleans chicken wings differed from that of Buffalo wings. New Orleans chicken wings emphasized a sweet and spicy taste, while Buffalo wings emphasized a zestier vor. Although there were differences, for a lover of spicy food like Catherine, any spicy food was sufficient. ¡°Kathy,e on, hurry up and eat!¡± At the urging of Audrey, Catherine tasted the steak. Seeing her eating quietly without anyments, Audrey grew impatient. ¡°Kathy, why don¡¯t you tell me if it tastes good?¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows and nced at Audrey, saying, ¡°If you think it¡¯s not delicious, do you think I will eat it?¡± In Catherine¡¯s world, there were only things she liked and disliked. There was nothing that she must like. She would notpromise easily, nor would she be forced into doing something against her will. When she heard Catherine¡¯s response, Audrey¡¯s face lit up with a pleasant smile as she nodded approvingly and said thoughtfully, ¡°You are absolutely right!¡± Unlike the silent Catherine, Audrey loved to chat with familiar people. During the meal, her conversation with Catherine never ceased as she tried to find various topics to talk about. ¡°I also think that this restaurant is good. Although the takeout may not be as good as dining in, it saves a lot more time because I personally go there to pack it myself. There isn¡¯t too much of a difference!¡± Upon hearing this, Catherine paused momentarily and looked up with a thought flickering in her beautiful eyes. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°You said you went there to pack the food?¡± she asked. Without hesitation, Audrey nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, that would be quicker and reduce the impact on the taste. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat muchtely. I thought maybe the takeout food wasn¡¯t tasty, so I decided to give it a try.¡± Audrey spoke calmly, while Catherine appeared slightly distracted by the address on the packaging tape. The journey was nearly six miles long, and now was the time to get off work. During the peak hours, it took at least half an hour to travel to this destination. ¡°No wonder she had been gone for such a long time. It turned out that she personally went to pack the dishes. ¡°She actually noticed that I didn¡¯t have much of an appetitetely, and she even went back and forth to make me eat a little more,¡± said Catherine inwardly. During this meal, Catherine ate quite a lot. Feeling happy, she naturally decided to indulge a bit more. After finishing eating, Catherine was about to clean up the table. Seeing this, Audrey said enthusiastically, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it. Aren¡¯t you busy with your homework? Go ahead.¡± Catherine initially intended to decline, but her phone, which was ced in her pocket, vibrated twice at that moment. She abruptly stopped what she was doing and headed toward the room. Audrey couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw the empty food box in front of her. ¡°Catherine ate so much. It¡¯s not in vain for me toe all the way to get takeout,¡± said she inwardly. After spending a considerable amount of time together, she came to the understanding that Catherine¡¯s seemingly aloof demeanor was merely a facade. Inside, Catherine concealed a kind and enthusiastic heart. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity that life isn¡¯t fair, making her face all those hardships from a young age,¡± said Audrey inwardly. ¡°She is my sister.¡± Thinking about these things made Audrey¡¯s heart ache.. She decided to make amends for her parents and treat Catherine with even more kindness, letting Catherine feel the warmth of a family. When Catherine returned to herputer, she heard Ronin¡¯s desperate cry for help echoing. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re finally back. I was being bullied. Hurry up and help me!¡± Seeing that Catherine was still calm and collected, Ronin emphasized once again. ¡°I¡¯m really at my limit!¡± Catherine gave him a disdainful look and said mockingly in a soft voice, Didn¡¯t you say you were fine and could handle it?¡± Ronin wanted to p himself to salvage his past bragging blunders. He did not expect these hackers to be so despicable. There were so many masters behind that he ended up being defeated. Catherine didn¡¯t want to waste time talking nonsense to him, so she quickly joined the battle after turning on herputer. ¡°Mess with my people? ¡°Trying to provoke mywork? defense ¡°Since you¡¯re here, don¡¯t even think about escaping!¡± thought she. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 In the study of the Duncans¡¯. Paxton rushed in with hisptop and ced it in front of Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan. We can no longer hold on! Upon hearing Paxton¡¯s words, Branden was somewhat surprised. It was unexpected that his hacker team could also experience defeat. This team was built by him personally and had been through a lot of training. It had never been defeated before. He handed over this team to Paxton, who was also aputer expert and had never made a mistake. Despite knowing that it was difficult to breach the firewall of Hacker Alliance, he did not expect to be traced by the other party so quickly. His pitch-dark eyes glittered as he fixed his gaze intently on theputer screen and observed every single fluctuation in the data disyed on it. There wasn¡¯t any expression or posture from head to toe, but he emanated a fierce aura that discouraged anyone from meeting his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A cold voice immediately snapped Paxton, who was deeply immersed in his thoughts, back to reality. He quickly reported the situation. ¡°Sir, it was our negligence. We didn¡¯t expect the other party to set up anti- tracking traps right from the beginning. All of our IDs have been intercepted, and even our location has been discovered by them.¡± Paxton hung his head in embarrassment, feeling that he had never been so ashamed in his entire life. He even believed he no longer had the dignity to face Branden. Upon hearing the report, Branden, with a noble and mysterious aura, didn¡¯t criticize Paxton.. ¡°We were originally in a winning position, but just five minutes ago, the opponent suddenly switched to another person. This person¡¯s behavior was somewhat simr to the previous one. At first, we thought it was the same person, but we were provenpletely wrong in the next second. This person was really impressive!¡± Amid Paxton¡¯s speech, Branden¡¯s slender fingers were already tapping on the keyboard. On the spacious screen, lines of code scrolled by swiftly. At a speed that most ordinary people couldn¡¯t even keep up with, top hackers not only had to memorize the quickly scrolling code but also had to decipher each and every one of them. They even had to detect and identify the hidden bugs and closely track the other party¡¯s location to eliminate them. This was a game where every second counted. There was a chance that being just 0.01 seconds behind the opponent could result in losing the entire battle. Ronin got reced by Catherine and was now sitting on the side watching the action while helping her fix a few bugs. ¡°The other party was a team, but my boss was just on her own,¡± thought Ronin. He was getting ready to boast about the greatness of his boss, but the other party suddenly became very powerful. His eyes widened instantaneously, and he eximed in astonishment, ¡°What the fuck! ¡°Boss, is that guy attacking us on drugs or what? Howe he suddenly became so aggressive and intense?¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes and sarcasticallyment about Ronin¡¯s way of thinking that she reluctantly epted. ¡°You can¡¯t even tell that the person has been reced?¡± ¡°A different person?¡± Ronin eximed in shock, ¡°There¡¯s actually someone who¡¯s skilled enough to rival us? His strength is simply astounding!¡± The previous group of people had left a deep impression on Ronin. It was unexpected to see a supreme expert joining the battle. He had initially nned to sit back and watchfortably, but now, he must exert extreme effort to provide logistical support for Catherine. ¡°Should have called that brat Joseph Green to help earlier. I thought Boss could handle everything, but it turns out the other side had their own big shot,¡± said Ronin inwardly. Compared to Ronin¡¯s startled and apprehensive reaction, Catherine remained remarkably calm and composed. On that stunning face, within a pair of beautifulrge eyes, there was a rare hint of yfulness and amusement at this moment. Ronin was right. The other party¡¯s strength was indeed formidable. It had been a considerable amount of time since shest met such a pro. She wouldn¡¯t enjoy ying to her fullest if the other party were still at the same level as before. ¡°There is now someonepetent. I can also have a good time. ¡°It is time for me to take action finally, thought Catherine. In the final ten minutes, there would surely be a conclusive oue. Both sides were experts among experts, and the battle was particrly intense. Ronin¡¯s heart was in his throat. Even his breathing became cautious. He hadn¡¯t had this feeling for many years, and he couldn¡¯t even guarantee now that his Boss would definitely win. This was a feeling he had never experienced before. The other party¡¯s power was indeed too strong, which had caused him to have such an illusion. The countdown began. Three¡­ The results were out. Ronin instinctively closed his eyes, afraid to look at it. After a long time had passed, he realized that there was no sound and opened his eyes timidly, only to find that theputer screen had turned ck. He hurriedly turned to Catherine, saying, ¡°Boss, how did it go? What¡¯s the result?¡± Catherine had seen it clearly when Ronin covered his face and dared not look at the screen earlier. She gave Ronin a disdainful look and then told him the answer. ¡°It¡¯s a tie!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronin¡¯s eyes nearly popped out, and he looked at Catherine with a twitch in his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a tie? The opponent can actually fight you to a tie. Boss, is there really such a powerful person in this world?¡± In the eyes of Ronin, Catherine was already invincible. He did not believe that there was anyone more powerful than her. Catherine took a sip of water calmly, relieving the dryness in her throat. After devouring so many salty and spicy dishes just now without even having a chance to drink coffee, she was summoned by Ronin for some intense work and was indeed quite thirsty now. ¡°Yeah, impressive strength!¡± Hacker Alliance was on the defensive side, while the attackers were on the offensive side today. The attacker appeared out of nowhere and clearly wasn¡¯t ready for this. Catherine couldn¡¯t guarantee she wouldn¡¯t be ovee if the other partyunched an attack after adequate preparation. It appeared that the program she wrote three years ago was due for an upgrade. It was more than adequate for dealing with regr hackers, but there were still loopholes when facing top yers. Ronin was unable to recover from shock for a long time. Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to appreciate his foolish appearance and ended the video call directly to have a rest. She had worked hard all day and needed some rest. On the other side, in the study of the Duncans¡¯. Paxton was also staring at the screen with a shocked look. He never expected Branden to end up with a tie in the battle. ¡°Mr. Duncan, is this person a god? So powerful?¡± In the eyes of Paxton, Branden was akin to a divine entity. Branden¡¯s profound gaze was fixed tightly on theputer screen while his powerful mind repeatedly deduced every step that had just been taken. He was a person who pursued perfection and did not tolerate unnecessary failures. After several meticulous analyses, he could confirm that the opponent was indeed very strong. Moreover, he could tell that the other person¡¯sputer expertise might even surpass his. It must be an absoluteputer genius. ¡°Investigate it! I want to know all the information about this person!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing the order from Branden, Paxton did not dare to hesitate and responded promptly, ¡°Sure, I will do it at once.¡± Chapter 165 Chapter 165 On the following day. When Catherine appeared at school, the whole grade was shocked. ¡°Didn¡¯t she offend the Student Union? Why can she still study here?¡± ¡°Who knows, perhaps she hase to pack up her things!¡± Yesterday, Catherine confronted the Student Union with a group of people and reported the entire Student Union. ¡°Oh my!¡± All the students who were aware of this news were utterly shocked. ¡°This is the Student Union!¡± thought they. The chairs of the several departments inside not only held the title of ¡°chair,¡± but each of them had considerable influence and authority. This was a prestigious school where every student admitted came from a wealthy background. Those who could join the Student Union and be department chairs were all from powerful financial conglomerate families. It was truly astonishing that Catherine attempted to challenge the entire Student Union dominated by a powerful financial conglomerate all on her own and still managed to show up at school safely the next day. All eyes were on Catherine, but no one dared to stare at her openly. Although they had never witnessed Catherine losing her temper, Catherine exuded an aura that gave off an intimidating and unweing presence, making others hesitant to approach. She was like a cold light on the high mountain. One could only quietly admire her and couldn¡¯t approach her rashly. Furthermore, Catherine had two guardians by her side. One was Bryan, the infamous and terrifying bully within the school, and the other was the newly risen academic genius freshman, Ronin Oconnor. Being able to keep up with Bryan and not getting taken advantage of by him, Ronin was definitely not just a simple character. With the protection of these two individuals, Catherine was highly feared by the other students. After Catherine took her seat, Ronin proactively handed her a nutritious, high-protein breakfast. There were quite a few things, and they filled the table. Seeing this, Bryan couldn¡¯t help but tighten his throat and quipped, ¡°Ronin, are you feeding pigs? So much stuff!¡± Ronin rolled his eyes in disdain toward Bryan and said, ¡°What do you know? Boss is still growing and needs more nourishment!¡± ¡°Boss fought a hard battlest night. Is it uneptable to have a little extra high-protein replenishment today?¡± said he inwardly. Last night¡¯s epic battle was repeatedly discussed in the world hacker forum and was hailed as the most exciting showdown in nearly a decade. It was an extraordinary battle in aputer attack and defense war. It was beyond amazing. Ronin felt a heightened sense of admiration in the way he saw Catherine today. ¡°As expected of Boss. She¡¯s the best in everything, making people admire her greatly,¡± thought he. ¡°Still growing?¡± wondered Bryan. He gave Catherine a sidelong nce after listening to Ronin¡¯s words. After scrutinizing Catherine from head to toe, Bryan¡¯s gaze gradually slid down from her fair neck. Her slender and graceful figure was tall, well-proportioned, plump yet elegant, which was truly a perfect and wless physique. With just a quick nce, Bryan felt his entire body tense up. Subconsciously reaching out to grab the bottle on the table, he prepared to swallow some water to relieve the heat in his body. He totally overlooked a major issue. The water inside the bottle had only been filled when he left for school. It was hot! Hot as hell! Bryan took a big gulp absentmindedly and almost scalded his entire mouth. He couldn¡¯t help but blurt it out. Water sshed everywhere. Immediately, ss 8 fell into a state of silence. It was worth noting that Bryan usually presented himself as a noble gentleman. However, today¡­ he looked simply too awkward. Not to mention the other ssmates. Even Catherine paused her fork, looking at Bryan with confusion. The first to react was Ronin, his face contorted with rage and fury instantly. ¡°Damn, Bryan, you¡¯re so disgusting! ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re a grown-up and can¡¯t figure out how to drink water? This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You sprayed water everywhere. How can Boss still eat now?¡± At this moment, Ronin was even more fierce than a shrew. He cursed with precision, and his mouth was like a machine gun, firing a burst of rapid shots. Despite the calm expression on his face, Bryan¡¯s reddened ears betrayed his true emotions at the moment. He didn¡¯t actually care about Ronin¡¯s insults, but he felt embarrassed in front of Catherine. He turned around with sincerity and bowed his head to apologize to Catherine. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡± Catherine didn¡¯t mind it. Ronin had prepared abundant food today. She had already eaten quite a lot earlier. She turned around and asked Ronin, Do you have ice cubes? Get him some!¡± Oral burns could be serious. If left untreated, they might worsen and develop into painful ulcers. Ronin indeed had ice cubes. He even brought a small refrigerator to ensure that Catherine could always enjoy cold coke. Despite his reluctance, Ronin took a ss of ice cubes and handed it to Bryan. Bryan happily epted. ¡°Thank you, Boss!¡± ¡°The feeling of being favored by Boss is really great, although it is indeed a bit embarrassing,¡± said he inwardly. Just as the farce had finallye to an end, the ss monitor, George Drax, suddenly stormed into the ssroom shouting at the top of his lungs, ¡°Big news, a shockingly huge piece of news in history! ¡°Goodness gracious. Catherine is truly impressive. Let me tell you¡­¡± As George was about to make the announcement, he noticed Catherinezily leaning on her chair and Bryan, who had something in his mouth and looked ratherical, by Catherine¡¯s side. He was immediately taken aback. He involuntarily blurted out. Catherine, why did youe so early today?¡± Subsequently, he stood there stupidly, his entire body frozen as if paralyzed. Early in the morning, Audrey got up early. It was unknown what got into her. She insisted on taking Catherine to school. Catherine usually arrived at the school gate at thest minute. So she indeed arrived a bit earlier than before. George acted impulsively because he believed that Catherine was absent from the ss. The other students focused on George with the utmost caution, desperately craving to uncover the big news. However, being intimidated by the authority of Catherine, they dared not ask. Catherine adjusted her posture and casually crossed her long legs over the top of the table. Her whole body sank as she adjusted to a morefortable position. Then she looked up at George with a calm gaze. George was a bit of a scaredy-cat. Catherine was worried she would frighten him. ¡°George, since this news is such a big deal, don¡¯t waste time. Spill the beans! ¡°said she. George had a face full of despair, as if on the verge of tears. He wondered why he could have encountered such a string of unfortunate events. ¡°Catherine, I¡­¡± As he watched George¡¯s hesitant and fidgety appearance, Ronin was growing increasingly impatient. He shook his head and shouted, ¡°Stop wasting time. The boss asked you to speak, so speak!¡± His chilling tone almost frightened George to his knees. He spoke up cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s those people from the Student Union¡­¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t help but feel impatient seeing his hesitant and uncertain appearance. ¡°Speak up! Don¡¯t worry. Nobody will harm you!¡± added she. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Catherine was always a person of her word. With her assurance, George felt his confidence doubled instantly. ¡°It¡¯s about the Student Union. The chairman of the Student Union, Nash Wale, voluntarily resigned from his position today, and Elena Leigh was dismissed from the Student Union.¡± After speaking, George looked carefully at everyone and asked, ¡°This is considered a big matter, isn¡¯t it?¡± The crowd nodded subconsciously. This news was indeed shocking to everyone. Many people eagerly anticipated Catherine being boycotted by the Student Union and humiliated by the capitalists. As a result, the big shots of the Student Union ended up in trouble rather than Catherine. How could one not be shocked by this? All eyes were fixed on Catherine, gazing at her as if she were a monster. ¡°Who is this Catherine? How can she be so formidable? ¡°Nash is already considered a big shot. Byparison, Catherine must be the biggest big shot of them all,¡± said the students inwardly. Upon hearing this news, Ronin was also left somewhat shocked. He looked at Catherine excitedly. ¡± Boss, is it really that simple? Nash even voluntarily resigned, and yet Elena Leigh was the only one punished. Isn¡¯t the punishment too light? How about we put more pressure on those old guys and have them dispel the entire Student Union?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°No need!¡± Catherine refused curtly. ¡°Since the Wales gave an exnation and I made a deal with Korbin, this matter should stop here,¡± thought she. Sitting by the side, Bryan listened attentively and stared at Ronin intensely, wondering how confident this guy could be to brag so boldly. ¡°Is he out of his mind or what? ¡°As everyone knew it, each member of the Student Union had a wealthy background. It was easy to take action against one of them, but taking all of them down at once could not be done with just words. ¡°Even if I requested the assistance of the Duncans, it would still be somewhat challenging. How is it that Ronin makes it sound so effortless? ¡°To achieve such effect, at least Uncle Branden should intervene. Does Uncle Branden know about this matter?¡± Bryan wondered. He asked Catherine curiously, ¡°Does Uncle Branden know about it?¡± Catherine looked at Bryan with a puzzled expression, unsure why he would ask such a question. ¡°Know about what?¡± Upon hearing these words, Bryan immediately knew that his boss had probably not mentioned anything to his uncle. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± replied he. ¡°This is in line with the style of the boss. She¡¯s so excellent that she can handle things alone without relying on anyone else,¡± said he inwardly. No one noticed Liana sitting in the corner. Her face gradually turned pale. She never expected such a result. She thought Catherine was in trouble when Nash brought his father to the Swanns yesterday. Even if she wouldn¡¯t be punished severely or sent back to the countryside, she should at least be expelled from school and continue her studies elsewhere. However, she never could have imagined that Nash and Elena would get into trouble in the end. The voluntary resignation of Nash at least demonstrated the involvement of the Wales. Even with the involvement of the Wales, the oue of this situation was still like this, which confused Liana. ¡°Could it be that Branden helped Catherine, resulting in such an oue?¡± she said inwardly. Liana fumed with frustration as she thought to herself. Even if she had racked her brain, this was the only conclusion she could reach. Nevertheless, it was precisely this idea that made her even more angry. ¡°Why should Catherine be able to catch the eye of Branden? ¡°What¡¯s so special about her? ¡°She¡¯s just a disaster, a poor soul no one wants. What on earth makes her deserve such good treatment? ¡°I¡¯m not going to take it lying down. I definitely won¡¯t make it easy for her. I promise!¡± said Liana inwardly. Liana left the ssroom and went for Elena to find out exactly what happened. Seeing Liana appear, Elena red furiously at her, grabbing her arm tightly and shouting angrily, ¡°Liana Swann, how dare youe to see me? You caused me so much suffering. How dare youe to see me?¡± Liana looked at Elena with a face full of grievance. Herplexion was pale, and she looked like a frightened rabbit. ¡°Elena, I know you¡¯re feeling down. It¡¯s my fault for not being able to share the burden with you. Let¡¯s find a quiet ce and have a chat.¡± Liana pretended to be pitiful while exchanging meaningful nces with Elena. Everyone around was constantly gossiping. They thought that Elena had gone crazy. In their eyes, Liana was as fragile as a kite, as if a mere gust of wind could blow her away. However, Elena was just like a crazy woman tormenting Liana. She was so scary. Perhaps sensing the criticism from those around her, Elena decided to find a ce to clear things up with Liana. She red at Liana with a pale face and said fiercely, ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go to the rooftop. You must tell me everything clearly today!¡± Liana nodded her head docilely. ¡°Elena, as long as you can calm down, I am fine with anything!¡± As they watched Elena drag Liana away, everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel concerned for Liana. ¡°Poor Liana. She¡¯s really going through a tough time,¡± thought they. Liana followed Elena onto the rooftop, but with a swift motion, Elena pushed her in and then locked the rooftop door. Elena had her back to Liana and didn¡¯t notice the sly smirk that crossed Liana¡¯s face at that moment. She only felt a surge of anger with nowhere to vent and wanted to seek justice for herself. Elena turned around, her face darkened as she looked at Liana. ¡°Liana. There¡¯s no one else here now, so you don¡¯t have to pretend in front of me. It¡¯s clearly you who did all the things, and it¡¯s also you who squandered all the money from the Student Union. Why is it that I have to be punished in the end? Do you know that I got an academic warning?¡± Nash proactively took responsibility. Under the involvement of the Wales, the school decided to give everyone a chance. However, the main culprit must not be let off the hook. Clearly, Liana had been involved in the most corruption, but all of her ounts were under the name of Elena. Under the protection of Nash, Liana did not receive any punishment. Instead, Elena endured all the me. Elena pointed at Liana with her finger, looking fiercely at Liana. ¡°Liana,e with me to the principal¡¯s office now and exin what happened. Otherwise, I¡­¡± Liana looked at Elena with a condescending posture and asked coldly, ¡°Otherwise, what will you do?¡± ¡°How dare she still act like this now?¡± thought Elena. She got furious and moved forward aggressively, ready to teach Liana a lesson. But Liana was even quicker. She grabbed Elena¡¯s wrist and pped her across the face brutally. ¡°p!¡± A fierce pnded on Elena¡¯s face, followed by a menacing re. ¡°Elena Leigh, I show you some respect not because I fear you. I advise you to be smart and face the reality. Do you want to snitch on me? Show me the evidence. All that money was directly transferred into Elena¡¯s ount. Even the purchases were made using Elena¡¯s card. Liana didn¡¯t have any rtionship with that money. It had nothing to do with her. Finally, Elena was wise enough to understand Liana¡¯s intention. But she refused to ept it. ¡°If I¡¯m in trouble, no one else should be happy. Liana can¡¯t stay out of this,¡± said she inwardly. ¡°Liana! You despicable bitch¡­¡± Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Elena didn¡¯t expect Liana to dare to go back and hit her. ¡°Liana, you¡¯ve finally shown your true face. You bitch, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± After saying that, Elena pounced on Liana and was ready to teach her a lesson. Seeing Elena pounce on her, Liana still felt that Elena overreached herself. She thought in her heart, ¡°With such weak power, how dare you have the intention to hit me? ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a weak youngdy from a rich family?¡± The biggest concern of wealthy families was being targeted by unscrupulous individuals due to their superior wealth, leading to various tragedies. After all, there were too many such cases in real life, so Liana¡¯s grandfather arranged for famous teachers toe to her home for one-on-one tutoring for self-defense and fighting when she was young. Although she wasn¡¯t much of a fighter, she was still more than capable of dealing with a defenseless girl like Elena. Just as Liana was about to counterattack, she suddenly saw several people rushing up the hallway through a nearby ss window. Her fist, which was supposed to be punched out, was secretly withdrawn by her. Elena smoothly pounced on Liana and was about to p her to make her feel the feeling of being hit. Before Elena could do so, she heard a loud bang. The balcony door, which had been locked, was violently kicked open. Although the school¡¯s balcony doors could be locked as a precautionary measure, the lock was not very strong. Elena was so startled that she froze there, forgetting what she was about to do next. A group of people rushed in, led by Nash. As they rushed in, they saw Liana, who was held down by Elena, begging for help. Nash no longer cared about his manners. He rushed forward, yanked Elena off, then flung her away. After Elena reacted, she struggled to move forward but was stopped by the people who followed Nash. Nash crouched down to check on Liana and helped her up carefully. ¡°Liana, are you okay?¡± Liana¡¯s face was pale and bloodless, and her eyes were filled with fear, even her voice trembling as she spoke. ¡°Nash, don¡¯t me Elena. She¡¯s just too angry. I¡¯m fine!¡± Nash looked at Liana with a heartbroken look; his eyebrows tightened, and he said angrily, ¡°Liana, it¡¯s all over. Don¡¯t speak for her. She¡¯s really incorrigible. You helped her so much, but she¡¯s treating you like this!¡± Elena struggled hard on the side, looking at Liana with anger in her eyes. At that moment, she finally reacted. She realized that she turned out to be a fool, a pawn being used by Liana. ¡°Liana, you¡¯re really good at acting. You can act, so why don¡¯t you go to be an actress? With your acting skills, you can definitely be the best actress in the entertainment industry!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Liana leaned in Nash¡¯s arms. Her eyes panicked as she looked at Elena with a pained expression. ¡°Elena, I understand that you want to vent your anger. Feel free to vent your anger on me. As long as it can make you happy, you can hit me as much as you want. Even if you almost tried to kill me just now, I won¡¯t me you!¡± Looking at her pathetic bitch expression, Elena was furious. ¡°Liana, you bitch. You¡¯re still pretending even now!¡± Elena wanted to pounce on Liana to teach her a lesson, but two student boys were controlling her. She had no chance to break free. Nash was even more disgusted to the core when faced with the fierce- looking Elena. He told the two boys controlling Elena, ¡°You guys hurry up and send her to the principal¡¯s office and let the principal handle this. Elena may be delirious, so don¡¯t let her hurt the other students.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Elena cursed out. People who had never seen Elena¡¯s vulgar side before also felt that Elena had gone crazy and looked at her with disgust and fear as if they were looking at a real madman. Under the gaze of disgust and mockery, Elena wentpletely crazy. She struggled even harder. But in the end, she was taken away immediately. Nash¡¯s men showed her no mercy. As for Liana, she was like a scared rabbit leaning weakly in Nash¡¯s arms. She walked safely out of everyone¡¯s sight like a princess in distress being rescued by a prince. Not only did Nash and his men gather with the crowd, but Catherine and almost everyone from ss 8 were there. A ssmate told them that Elena hade to trouble Liana, and she had even dragged Liana onto the rooftop, threatening to kill her. Whether they were curious or worried about Liana, everyone who had heard the news rushed there. Catherine also heard about it. Liana was a member of the Swanns, after all. Catherine promised her grandfather that she would keep the members of the Swanns alive, so she also went there. She just didn¡¯t expect to see a good show after she arrived. Elena was right. With Liana¡¯s acting skills, if she went into the entertainment industry, she would definitely surpass Audrey in the future. Liana had a gift for acting. She acted like everything was real. Even David, on the side, couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Liana is so pitiful. She is such a beauty, yet she is treated like this. It¡¯s heartbreaking.¡± Standing by the side, Ronin nudged Bryan in dissatisfaction and said disgustedly, ¡°What kind of man is David? He actually thinks Liana is pitiful! ¡°She¡¯s such a bitch with poor acting skills. How dare your men feel sad for her?¡± In Ronin¡¯s opinion, Liana was ridiculous! Bryan gave Ronin a dissatisfied look and said, ¡°What do you want? A fight?¡± Ronin responded nonchntly, You¡¯re just a man weak in your limbs and simple in your brain. All you know is how to fight all day long!¡± Seeing that the two were about to argue again, Catherine scolded coldly, Enough!¡± The two immediately obediently stopped arguing. They stood obediently in front of Catherine like little students who had admitted their mistakes before the teacher. Catherine raised her eyes, and a cold light suddenly appeared in them, exuding a terrifying aura all over her body. She remained silent for two seconds. After confirming that they had stopped arguing, she left. They immediately followed. Although the two were dissatisfied with each other, they dared not speak out due to Catherine¡¯s authority. This matter finally ended with Elena¡¯s transfer to another school. Elena¡¯s reputation waspletely ruined in Casier. She initially could have been an elegantdy from a prominent family. In the future, even if her studies and career were not satisfactory, she could still marry a man with a comparable family background. But after this incident, Elena¡¯s reputation was now considered ruined in Casier. The Wales, the Swanns, and several friendly families joined forces against the Leighs. They requested Elena to transfer. Elena couldn¡¯t stay in Casier and had to move to study abroad. Elena cried and begged her family to help her take revenge but was loudly lectured by the elders of her family. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel ashamed? Look what you¡¯ve done.¡± After being reprimanded, Elena threw herself into her mother¡¯s arms and cried loudly, ¡°Mom, it was Liana. She framed me. She did all the bad things, but I¡¯m the one to take the me!¡± Elena¡¯s father stared at her coldly. ¡°Do you think this matters now? If you don¡¯t transfer, our family won¡¯t be able to give everyone an exnation. Their families will join forces to go against us. Are you nning to ruin the Leighs together?¡± Elena¡¯s father revealed the seriousness of the incident in just one sentence. Although Elena wanted to cry and defend herself, she knew she was powerless. Watching Elena cry with sadness, Elena¡¯s motherforted her with heartache and said, ¡°Elena, just go abroad to enjoy the new environment and ease your mood.¡± She believed what Elena said. She felt that her daughter Elena was simple and was not scheming. She thought the girl from the Swanns must have framed Elena. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the rest. When there¡¯s a chance, we won¡¯t let the Swanns go!¡± Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Tomorrow would be the weekend, and Catherine had to apany Audrey to continue filming the show. With two more episodes to go, Audrey had umted a lot of poprity because of the show. Her endorsements and filming had increased, and now she looked happy in front of Catherine every day. The bell rang for the end of school, and Catherine slowly woke up on time. When she opened her eyes, still redness in her cold eyes. there was On her extremely beautiful face, two dark brows furrowed tightly together. With a gloomy aura between her brows, she looked terrifying. During Catherine¡¯s one or two minutes of waking up, no one dared to go forward to disturb her. Even Ronin had to wait for her mood to improve before he dared to make a sound in front of her. ¡°Boss, have some coffee!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t even look up habitually stretched her hand. but Ronin moved naturally and served the coffee into her hand. Looking at her brows gradually rxing because of the hot coffee in her throat, Ronin felt a trace of satisfaction in his heart. Only he understood Catherine¡¯s preferences. Seeing Catherine happy and making herfortable was the most joyful thing for him because she had given him his life. No one could rece the position of Catherine in his heart. ¡°Boss, tomorrow is the weekend. We don¡¯t need to rehearse. Why don¡¯t we go for a night out?¡± Although the celebration g was just around the corner, and many teams would take advantage of the weekend to step up their practice, did they need it? With their level, they didn¡¯t need to know what rehearsal was at all. Hearing what Ronin said, Bryan pricked up his ears and waited. He was ready to speak at the appropriate time to express his willingness for a night out. Unfortunately, Catherine didn¡¯t let the two of them have their way. She propped up her chin with one hand and yed with the cup in her hand in a bored manner. ¡°I¡¯ll be up early tomorrow to film the show with Audrey. I need to rest tonight.¡± Ronin knew Catherine would apany Audrey to film the show tomorrow. If they yed toote tonight, it would affect Catherine¡¯s state tomorrow. Catherine had to be beautiful on the TV show tomorrow. She couldn¡¯t be affected. They would have time to have fun in the future. ¡°Boss, you go to film the show at ease. I¡¯ll be in front of the screen to cheer you on!¡± Without waiting for Catherine to react, Bryan on the side couldn¡¯t wait to add, ¡± I will do it, too!¡± ¡°Hey, why are you like this? You¡¯re so fond of repeating what others say!¡± Ronin shouted in dissatisfaction. Bryan retorted unwillingly. They were two adults, but they were more childish than two kids. Catherine shook her head helplessly and took her book bag with one hand to go out. By the time Ronin reacted, Catherine had disappeared, but he still did not forget to re at Bryan as hard as he did. ¡°Bastard, I won¡¯t argue with you today. I¡¯ll kill you next time. Let¡¯s wait and see!¡± After saying that, Ronin ran away with his stuff. Bryan shouted in dissatisfaction, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± While he shouted, he didn¡¯t stop moving his hands. After packing up his things, he rushed out. When Catherine exited the school, she saw the familiar car parked at the entrance. The car parked there today was a car she had seen before. She walked toward the car. The window of the ck McLaren automatically rolled down when she appeared, and the man stepped out of the car with his long, slender legs. He went straight to Catherine. Branden¡¯s deep eyes fell on her body, and his initially cold eyes became gentle instantly. ¡°You knew I was here?¡± The evening sunlight fell with the setting sun, and the golden sunlight enveloped Catherine¡¯s body, gilding her with a golden halo. Her elongated figure was half-hidden in the golden light, bright and dark, making her skin look transparent. Her beauty was dazzling and made people feel it was unreal. Catherine slung her bag in one hand and the other hand in her pocket, casually ncing at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She just had the feeling that he was there. She just felt that he would be there since it was a Friday. She had no expectations or hopes for him there. She walked out of the school naturally and saw he was there as if everything had been nned. The man smiled lightly. His handsome face became even more attractive and charming due to his smile. He lowered his eyes and pointed toward the car beside him with his chin. ¡°Get in the car. How about we go for dinner? ¡°Okay!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Catherine¡¯s answer was sharp and straightforward. The man pulled the car door open for her. He put one of his hands against the top of the door to prevent her from identally bumping her head. On the other side, Ronin and Bryan rushed and finally arrived at the school entrance. Unexpectedly, they only saw Catherine¡¯s back getting into the car. Catherine said she had to rest tonight and wake up early tomorrow! Liar! She was a big liar! Ronin vented all of his frustration on Bryan beside him, throwing all kinds of tantrums. Bryan was irritated by his tantrums. He couldn¡¯t help but reprimand, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? ¡°It¡¯s useless that you make a scene here. It¡¯s not me who took Boss away!¡± Ronin snorted in dissatisfaction and angrily pointed his hand at Bryan¡¯s nose, saying, ¡°You guys surnamed Duncan are all bad people!¡± After saying that, he angrily walked away. Bryan, who remained silent, rubbed his face helplessly. Suddenly, he felt it wasn¡¯t necessarily good that his surname was Duncan. His uncle was too treacherous. Branden had nned to take Catherine somewhere for dinner, but not long after driving off, he received a call from Triston. Triston invited Branden to a get- together and said a few friends, including Aidan, were there. Aidan felt the vastness of Casier after he arrived there, and he didn¡¯t want to go back. Branden didn¡¯t say yes right away. He turned his cell phone on speakerphone and ced it in front of Catherine¡¯s face so she could hear it. ¡°Are we going?¡± Branden turned his head and asked Catherine, his low, husky voice gentle. Catherine lethargically leaned back on the leather car seat, tiredly lifted her eyelids, and said faintly, ¡°Yes!¡± After receiving the reply, Branden put the phone back. Catherine¡¯s voice was not loud, but the person on the other end of the line could hear her clearly. Hearing that it was a girl¡¯s voice and it was cold, Triston knew it was Catherine without even guessing it. He said excitedly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, hurry up and bring Kathy here. We miss her. Hurry up. We¡¯re waiting for you! We haven¡¯t seen each other for a while. You muste.¡± Branden thought in his heart secretly, ¡® Miss her?¡± How dared Triston miss his woman? Branden hung up the phone without waiting for Triston to finish his words. Triston, who was smart, did not send the address to Branden but directly to Paxton. He knew that it must not be Branden who was driving and that Paxton would definitely be following Branden. After Paxton received the address, he nced behind him. Seeing that Branden didn¡¯t refuse, he turned the car around and drove toward the route Triston had sent him the address of. Are you busy?¡± Catherine suddenly asked. Branden tilted his head toward her, his eyes mixed with confusion. Seeing that he didn¡¯t understand what she meant, Catherine added, ¡°You haven¡¯t gone to meet with Triston and the others all this time?¡± She remembered that he and Triston were inseparable. Although Branden disliked Triston, Triston loved to pester Branden. When Triston was free, he liked to stay by Branden¡¯s side and could not be driven away. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Without waiting for Branden to respond to Catherine, Paxton, who was sitting in the front seat, suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Lambert¡¯s whereabouts have been strangetely. It seems he has lost his mind. We only heard something about him today.¡± Upon hearing that, Catherine understood. Since it was Triston¡¯s problem, she didn¡¯t care. The ce where Triston treated them for dinner was not far from Catherine and Branden. After a ten-minute drive, they had arrived. After the car stopped, Branden intended to help Catherine open the door and help her get out of the car. Unexpectedly, Catherine got out of the car before him. Looking at his hand frozen in mid-air, Branden silently curled his lips, revealing a faint smile. It was good that she wasn¡¯t pretentious. He liked it. Paxton inquired about the location and guided the two forward. Triston had rushed out to meet them after receiving the message that they had arrived. Aidan followed close behind. He was more excited than anyone to hear that Catherine wasing. Turning a corner and seeing Branden walking calmly in front, Aidan reached out to nudge Triston. Triston saw them as soon as he looked up. He was about to say hello to them. Unexpectedly, Catherine, who had been walking forward, suddenly turned aside, which surprised them. Their eyes followed Catherine. Branden was also surprised, but he didn¡¯t follow immediately. He stood still and waited for Catherine. Catherine saw a familiar figure and walked straight over. This was a very luxurious hotel in Casier. Its atrium was an open dining area, while the upstairs were private rooms. At that moment, an absurd farce was being staged in the atrium. A few boys were dragging a girl dressed as a student who looked like she had just started high school, toying with her for fun. The girl was being held down in the center by several boys while another boy stood on the couch holding a bottle of wine and pouring the wine into the girl¡¯s mouth forcibly. The girl struggled, her face full of tears, but she couldn¡¯t break free. Catherine stepped forward and immediately kicked the boy who was holding the girl down. The sudden movement stunned everyone present. No one expected a girl to dare to be so bold. It could be said that she didn¡¯t hesitate when she kicked that boy. That kick was just too cool! It was only after a moment that the crowd reacted. The troublemaker boy turned his head, ready to teach the malicious meddler a lesson. He was shocked when he saw that the malicious meddler was Catherine, saying, ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s you again!¡± The troublemaker boy was no other than Catherine¡¯s brother, Johnathan. Catherine had seen him from afar and noticed thescivious and deceitful smile on his face. When Johnathan saw Catherine, he looked at her like he had seen his enemy. Looking at her angrily, he said, ¡°Catherine, I was worried that I wouldn¡¯t have the time to settle the score with you. Just in time, you took the initiative toe to me. Today, I¡¯ll let you see how powerful I am!¡± Catherine stood leisurely with her hands in her pockets. Her gaze was clear and cold as she watched Johnathan shouting those stupid speeches. The Swanns¡¯ genes weren¡¯t too bad, so how did her parents give birth to such a douchebag? Johnathan had not inherited any good genes of the Swanns. He was really a good-for-nothing. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine knowing Vicente¡¯s nature, she would have doubted if her mother had done something to have a son to gain a foothold in the Swanns. Johnathan knew that Catherine could fight, and he would be afraid if he had to deal with her alone. Right now, he had so many of his brothers there. He thought they could beat Catherine down with so many of them. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He raised his arms, and with a wicked grin, he shouted, ¡°Bros, our new toy is here. If you beat her down for me, I¡¯ll treat you guys to a night of whatever you want!¡± Last time, Catherine beat him up in public, humiliating him and causing him to lie in a hospital for a few months. If he didn¡¯t take this revenge, how would he be able to stay in this city in the future? He was the only son of the Swanns. How could a jinx like Catherine dare to fight with him? Hearing Johnathan¡¯s shout, the eyes of the surrounding men lit up as if they were hungry wolves seeing food. It was not only because Johnathan promised to pay for everything tonight but also because of Catherine¡¯s beautiful face. She was so beautiful. She had a better look than those actresses in the entertainment industry. Her face was arousing, and her figure was perfect. Paired with the unique temperament emanating from Catherine, she was soulful and beautiful, making people incredibly aroused. There were many beautiful women in the world, but few looked good and had such a charming temperament. If such a stunning woman could be toyed with, it would be the most wonderful experience in the world. The boy who was kicked to the floor by Catherine just now got up and approached Catherine with a mischievous smile. ¡°Beauty, I don¡¯t me you for kicking me. As long as you please me, I¡¯ll help you plead with Mr. Johnathan, and he will let you go!¡± Catherine had previously thought that Johnathan was just childish, but she didn¡¯t realize that he was bad to the bone. She finally understood why Vicente would make such a decision before his death. Korbin valued male children more than Vicente. If Vicente gave the power of the Swanns to Korbin, the future sessor of the Swanns was bound to be Johnathan. With such a dandy as the sessor, it wouldn¡¯t take long for Vicente¡¯s life¡¯s work to be destroyed. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t respond, the boy who had just spoken to her in a rascal manner stepped right forward boldly, ready to make a move on Catherine. Aidan, who was standing not too far away, looked dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t help but keep ncing toward the direction where Branden was. Seeing Branden¡¯s calm face, Aidan panicked. He had no choice but to tilt his head toward Triston and inquire, Isn¡¯t it said that Mr. Duncan is exceptionally fond of Catherine? Why doesn¡¯t he make a move in such a situation? What if Catherine suffers?¡± Triston gave him a disgusted look and told him with his eyes, ¡°You know nothing!¡± It was possible that Catherine would have beaten them down before Branden even made a move. Aidan had never seen Catherine fight someone and had no idea what it was like when she fought. That was not even called fighting. That was called one-sided abuse! They were no match for Catherine, yet they dared to fight against her. They were simply seeking death. Branden didn¡¯t make a move because he knew he didn¡¯t need to, and Catherine didn¡¯t like anyone else interfering in her affairs. When the boy¡¯s hand was still 20 inches from Catherine¡¯s face, a choking smell of smoke hit her. Catherine frowned in disgust. She was most disgusted by this kind of stuff. She nced at the boy¡¯s hand and found that there was still mud hidden inside his fingernails, which made her feel nauseous. Catherine didn¡¯t even bother to use her hands. She lifted her leg directly and kicked the boy. She kicked the boy away. Catherine kicked him mercilessly this time, and that boy was kicked at least 10 feet away. Then he hit the floor heavily. With a bang, he fainted instantly. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 The people present were shocked to see the scene. After giving the boy a disdainful nce, Catherine looked up and swept a cold gaze at the few boys. That gaze was cold and terrifying. Whoever she looked at with that gaze would tremble. Those boys stepped back without hesitation. Catherine¡¯s kick was enough to make them understand the strength gap between themselves and her. The girl who fell to the floor finally reacted. She pounced forward and was ready to hold Catherine¡¯s thighs but froze at the moment Catherine¡¯s gaze fell on her. The girl tried to speak. She opened her mouth but hupped, looking stunned. Catherine casually pulled over a chair. After elegantly adjusting her long clothing by giving a slight shake to the ends, she sat downposedly and coolly. Her movements were unmistakably dominant. She looked intimidating. She raised her eyebrows at the girl and asked coldly, ¡°Why was he bullying you?¡± When she said ¡°he,¡± her eyes flicked toward Johnathan. The girl immediately understood. After hesitantly looking at Johnathan, she lowered her head, seemingly afraid to speak. Since she didn¡¯t say anything, Catherine didn¡¯t want to waste time there. ¡°Help yourself then!¡± After saying that, Catherine made a gesture to stand up. The girl was anxious. She hurriedly asked, ¡°Can you help me after I tell you? Catherine looked back at her. There was a hint of mockery in her cool gaze. Why should I help you?¡± The girl looked at Catherine with red eyes. She bit her lower lip tightly, not knowing how to answer. They were two people who had nothing to do with each other. Catherine was right. Why should she help a stranger? Catherine was not a savior and had no obligation to help her. Watching the girl lower her head in dismay, Catherine spoke again, her attitude still cold. No one could guess what was in Catherine¡¯s mind at that moment. ¡°After you tell me, I may be able to help you out if I¡¯m in a good mood!¡± Although Catherine was a girl, somehow, she could give others a sense of security that made others trust her immensely. The girl knew that maybe Catherine was her only chance. All of these boys were inhuman. They might not be able to deal with Catherine, but it would be too easy for them to deal with her. Even though Johnathan constantly threatened the girl with his girl still decided to speak up. gaze, the She reached out and pointed at Johnathan, shouting bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s because I told the teacher that Johnathan didn¡¯t do his homework. He brought his men to take me here to get back at me, forcing me to apologize and drink¡­¡± Catherine lowered her eyes. She looked toward the girl with a cold gaze. ¡°Are you from ss 1 of Ascending High School?¡± Ascending High School was the school Johnathan attended, and ss 1 was the notorious ss for the young wealthy heirs. Catherine looked at the girl¡¯s dress. Her white shirt was yellowed. She did not look like a girl from a wealthy family, which puzzled Catherine. Perhaps the girl understood the meaning of Catherine¡¯s gaze, and a hint of embarrassment crossed her face. She lowered her head and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m Theresa Sherman. I¡¯m indeed from ss 1. I was specially recruited because of my grades!¡± With that, Catherine understood. The poor top students who got into this kind of wealthy heirs ss were to raise the average score of the ss. The only thing they could profit from was the free tuition and the exorbitant schrships. It was a temptation that no student from a poor family could resist. After understanding the cause and effect, Catherine tilted her head toward Johnathan, who was on the side. Johnathan¡¯s heart palpitated at the look she gave him. To save his reputation, he still braced himself to say, ¡°Catherine, you jinx. You¡¯d better get a grip on yourself. Don¡¯t cause me trouble. If I don¡¯t deal with you today, I¡¯ll deal with you another day. You¡¯d better behave yourself!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°Johnathan, I didn¡¯t realize you were a school bully!¡± Watching Catherine focus all her attention on Theresa, Johnathan was furious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Does she have anything to do with you? Why did you intervene? Who do you think you are¡­¡± Catherine nced around, and her gaze rested on the pottedndscape used for decoration. She stood up and reached her hand toward the pottedndscape, quickly pulling out a bamboo whip from inside. She whipped Johnathan¡¯s thigh with the bamboo whip. The whip was thin. It would not hurt people¡¯s bones or muscles if it were used to hit, but it could make the person who was hit by it feel pain. After the whip fell on Johnathan, he burst into tears. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re crazy. You dared to hit me!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say anything more. She whipped him again. She whipped his left thigh just now, so she hit his right thigh. But Catherine didn¡¯t give Johnathan a chance to catch his breath this time. She kept whipping his left and right. thighs. Johnathan was screaming and cursing while dodging the whip, but it didn¡¯t help. No matter how much he dodged, he couldn¡¯t avoid the whip. ¡°Ouch¡­ Catherine, you crazy woman, stop it now.¡± Catherine exerted a little more force. ¡°Ouch, it hurts so much. Security,e quickly!¡± Paxton had already dealt with the security of the restaurant. Without Branden¡¯s order, they wouldn¡¯t dare toe out, even if the one who was whipped was their boss. Seeing that asking for help was useless, Johnathan, who was in pain, could only start using threats. ¡°Catherine, stop it. My parents won¡¯t spare you. Do you hear me?¡± But for Catherine, it didn¡¯t work at all. She kept whipping and looked at Johnathan with an indifferent attitude. ¡°If you have the energy to ask your parents for help, why don¡¯t you beg yourself?¡± Catherine whipped him faster and harder. Johnathan bounced back and forth like a fish thrown into a burning pot. His expression was twisted, and his movements were also hrious. Seeing Johnathan being whipped so badly and Catherine not even blinking an eye, Johnathan¡¯s friends were so scared that they were swallowing nervously. They wanted to leave but dared not. They could only silently crouch aside and watch, fearing that the next one to be whipped would be themselves. It was a big mess, but no one rushed to stop it. They were heirs of wealthy families and knew precisely what this meant. It meant that Catherine had a more significant background, and even the restaurant owner dared not offend her. The people behind the restaurant had some influence in Casier, and even they dared not offend her, let alone those wealthy heirs. Johnathan couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fell to the floor, wailing in pain. ¡°I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯m wrong, okay? Catherine, stop it!¡± Hearing his plea for mercy, Catherine said coldly, ¡°Hmph.¡± She then retorted without hesitation,¡± You¡¯re wrong? Is this the attitude should have for admitting you¡¯re wrong? ¡°Mr. Johnathan, didn¡¯t your parents teach you to admit your mistakes? Didn¡¯t they teach you that you should respect your seniors?¡± Johnathan gritted his teeth, not wanting to bow down. Catherine, however, refused to let him go and whipped him harder and harder. Not only were Johnathan and his group shocked, but so were Triston and the others. Triston gave a small gulp, then said cautiously, ¡°Mr. Duncan, if she keeps whipping him like that, will he die?¡± Branden responded without even looking up, ¡°No!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. When Triston was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, Branden¡¯s following words almost scared him to death. ¡°He¡¯ll lose one leg at most!¡± If Triston remembered correctly, the boy should be Johnathan, the wealthy heir of the Swanns. He was Catherine¡¯s brother. Catherine could be so cruel to her brother. She was indeed a cruel person! Catherine was ruthless! Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Johnathan was a boy who his family pampered. When had he ever been humiliated like this? He gritted his teeth to endure the pain and threatened Catherine again. ¡°Catherine, stop it right now. Or else Mommy and Daddy won¡¯t let you go. When they arrive, you¡¯ll be in for it!¡± Catherine wondered if Johnathan was an idiot. Hadn¡¯t he already made that threat once a few minutes ago? Why did he do it again? Did he think she would be afraid of his threats? Seeing Catherine¡¯s sudden stop, Johnathan thought his threat had worked. After all, he was his parents¡¯ favorite, the only heir of the Swanns. He thought Catherine dared not hurt him. Just when Johnathan was about to be arrogant and proud, Catherine suddenly threw the bamboo whip aside and drew a thicker, longer one out. It was a bamboo whip twice as thick as the previous one, and Catherine waved it in front of Johnathan. Johnathan¡¯s body tightened in fear, and he couldn¡¯t help shivering. He tried to brace himself so he didn¡¯t scream out. ¡°Catherine, what do you mean by that? Didn¡¯t you hear¡­¡± Catherine scratched her ear impatiently. ¡°Shut up. I heard you!¡± She reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone and threw it on the floor in front of Johnathan. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. You go live to show your parents what you look like now.¡± A faint smile crossed her stunningly beautiful face. The irony on her face was obvious. ¡°That way, maybe they cane faster!¡± Johnathan looked at Catherine in horror. Her smile made him feel a palpitating sensation in his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°What¡­ What do you want?¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Catherine sneered. Her face was with an evil and somewhat cynical smile. The whip in her hand gently swung in a perfect arc. This whip was as if it on her hand, and she could use it skillfully and smoothly. ¡°I can whip you 60 times in a minute and 360 times in an hour. How many times can I whip you before your parentse, and how many times can your body withstand?¡± Her voice was soft, but it was enough for Johnathan to hear her. He saw the serious and non- negotiable look in Catherine¡¯s eyes. He knew Catherine would really do something like this. If he let her whip him like that, he could be beaten to death before his parents arrived. [Snap!] A quick and uratesh fell on Johnathan¡¯s body. After changing the whip, the pain he felt was several times that of the previous pain he felt. Catherine still didn¡¯t give Johnathan any time to think before she just went ahead and whipped him. She was teaching him to behave with her actions. Johnathan couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and screamed, ¡°Ouch, help. She¡¯s killing me.¡± ¡°Even if I do whip you to death, so what? Don¡¯t forget who owns the assets of the Swanns now. I have enough money to make others do things for me. Aren¡¯t you most aware of these?¡± Catherine was letting Johnathan know how powerful she was in a way he could understand. As Catherine said, money could solve all problems in Johnathan¡¯s perceived world. Catherine was now the wealthiest person in the Swanns. All of their family¡¯s property was in her name. She had also be thepany¡¯s chairperson; even his father could not do anything to her. Thinking about all this, Johnathan was scared. After sensing that Catherine had no intention of compromising, Johnathan began to beg for mercy. He began to beg for mercy in the way Catherine wanted him to. ¡°I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m wrong, okay? I apologize. Catherine, I was wrong¡­¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Catherine slowed down the whip a bit, but she didn¡¯t stop. This made Johnathan realize something. As if being guided, he gradually realized what attitude Catherine wanted. Thinking about what Catherine had just said, Johnathan began to tter Catherine and beg for mercy to escape. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m wrong. I know I¡¯m wrong. Just let me off¡­ ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re my sister!¡± At that moment, Johnathan¡¯s group realized Catherine¡¯s identity. It turned out that the woman in front of them was the jinx that Johnathan mentioned daily: the second daughter of the Swanns, Catherine! Seeing that his plea for mercy was sincere, Catherine stopped whipping him. Just as Johnathan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Catherine turned her elbow and pointed the whip straight at his head, resting above his brow. He froze and sat on the floor again. He looked at Catherine in horror and said, ¡°You¡­¡± He was just about to question Catherine but realized that it was wrong. He hastily changed his attitude. ¡°I mean, what are you doing?¡± Catherine gave him a somewhat satisfied look. It seemed Johnathan wasn¡¯t stupid. He was still able to be educated. For Vicente¡¯s sake, she would take the trouble to educate him. ¡°Is it enough for you to just apologize to me?¡± Johnathan couldn¡¯t react for a moment.. Only after his friends beside him tried so hard to hint at him with their eyes did he realize what Catherine was trying to make him do. She was asking him to apologize to Theresa. Johnathan was somewhat reluctant. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the look on Catherine¡¯s face. She looked expressionless but was cold enough to make him wince at the sight of her. Johnathan dared not object and obediently came to Theresa to apologize to her. Seeing him approach suddenly, Theresa cringed in fear. Her whole body curled up, and she looked at him in fear. Johnathan gritted his teeth and bowed his head to apologize. ¡°I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry!¡± Theresa was dumbfounded and froze on the spot. Johnathan returned to Catherine after apologizing. He didn¡¯t say anything and waited for Catherine to give him orders. Catherine ignored him and then picked up a bottle of whisky and ced it in front of Theresa. ¡°He bullied you and has apologized for it, but he forced you to drink alcohol. If you want to get back at him, you can force him to drink this bottle of whisky to let him feel what it¡¯s like.¡± Theresa was shocked. Her eyes widened as she looked at Catherine in front of her. At that moment, Catherine was like a god that glowed in her eyes. Hearing that, Johnathan¡¯s face instantly went pale. He looked at Theresa in horror, wondering what decision she would make. He knew that if Theresa wanted to pour the whisky into his mouth, Catherine would have had someone hold him down and pry his mouth open so that Theresa could force a drink into him easily. It was a bottle of pure whisky, 17 ounces. If Theresa poured it down his throat forcibly, he would be sent to the hospital on the spot to have his stomach pumped. Theresa¡¯s heart was in turmoil. She realized that everyone was waiting for her to make a decision. Her eyes swept back and forth between the bottle of whisky and Catherine. Finally, she made up her mind and shook her head. The shake of her head was a relief to Johnathan. He felt relieved. Catherine didn¡¯t force Theresa. After sweeping Johnathan with her gaze, she dropped the whip and stood up to leave. Seeing that she had already left with her back turned, Johnathan remained unconvinced in his heart, and his resistance was stirring. As a result, he was held down by a couple of his friends on his side. One of his friends reminded him in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Johnathan, don¡¯t be impulsive. Look up over there!¡± Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Branden was still in ce without leaving, and Catherine walked over toward him. Seeing her walk over, the expression on Branden¡¯s handsome face remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened. Paxton stood over him. There was a set of cleaning tools in his hands. Branden sidled up to a hot towel that had just been sterilized. He took Catherine¡¯s hand that was hanging at her side. Catherine didn¡¯t resist, allowing him to wipe her hands clean with the hot towel. Her gaze followed the man¡¯s movements, which were gentle but meticulous. He wiped every corner of her hands clean. Catherine¡¯s hands were fair-skinned and tender, and her palms were soft like that of babies. But at that moment, her smooth palm had a red mark. The original simple red mark was a little too red and purple against her fair -skinned palm, and Branden narrowed his eyes suddenly. Catherine sensed it. She didn¡¯t move, waiting to see what Branden would say. His eyebrows furrowed, and his tone showed a hint of heartache. ¡°Next time, you should wrap a piece of cloth around your palm to protect it. Or else, you can order Paxton to do it for you.¡± After saying that, he added, ¡°Although Paxton isn¡¯t as dexterous as you, he wouldn¡¯t be too inferior if you gave him some suggestions!¡± Paxton, who was standing at the side, was somewhat speechless. So, what exactly did he do wrong? He was okay with being treated as a tool man, but he waspared with others and despised. Wasn¡¯t it too hard to be a tool man in the world now? Listening to Branden¡¯s sage advice as if being nagged by a little old man, the corners of Catherine¡¯s mouth involuntarily curled upward. ¡°I¡¯ll remember it!¡± Seeing her speak so obediently, Branden handed Paxton the dirty towel and took her toward the private room. ¡°It¡¯s great then!¡± Aidan waspletely stunned! He hadn¡¯t even returned to his senses from the scene where Catherine had just whipped her brother and was once again shocked by Branden. God, was this the same Branden he knew? He froze and turned his head sideways. He stared dully at Triston, who was on the side. His gaze seemed to ask, ¡°Did you see that?¡± Tristonughed sarcastically at the dumbfounded look on Aidan¡¯s face.¡± Youck of experience. Look how calm I am! But it¡¯s normal. You¡¯ve spent less time getting together with Branden and haven¡¯t seen him like this. You¡¯re really making a fuss. You¡¯ll be more experienced in the future. Don¡¯t fuss like a fool!¡± Seeing that he hadn¡¯t responded yet, Triston proudly lectured him. Aidan was bbergasted by Triston¡¯s lecture. He didn¡¯t expect that one day, he would be lectured by Triston. It seemed best for him to stay in Casier! Those friends who were with Johnathan were all from wealthy families. One of them quietly tugged on Johnathan¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Did you see who those people are? Your sister doesn¡¯t have a simple background. Luckily, we didn¡¯t follow you to make a move just now. Otherwise, we might all be finished now!¡± Johnathan knew those people. Those people were Triston from the Lamberts, Aidan from the Lanes, and most importantly, Branden, the head of the Duncans. Any one of them was a character that could make the people from Casier tremble. Seeing Branden¡¯s attitude toward Catherine, Johnathan finally understood. It turned out that Catherine could be so arrogant all because Branden was backing her up. Johnathan thought in his heart, ¡°I¡¯m not yet powerful. When I inherit the Swanns, I won¡¯t allow them to bully me like this.¡± He would seek revenge sooner orter. Catherine followed Branden, and the others entered the private room before realizing someone else was inside the room. Branden took the initiative to help her pull out a chair. This simple action caused everyone in the private room to change their gazes and attitudes toward her. Could an ordinary person have Branden personally pull out a chair for her? Aidan used a little trickery to get Triston away for a while. When Triston returned, he found that Aidan had taken the seat beside Catherine. He gritted his teeth and cursed Aidan in his heart. Aidan, the son of a bitch, was really devious. Aidan was very curious about Catherine. It was rare to see a girl with good looks and personality. She was simply the typical beautiful and valiant beauty that people liked. However, the liking he had for Catherine was pure admiration. He didn¡¯t have the guts to steal Branden¡¯s woman. Seeing Catherinezily leaning against the chair without saying anything, Aidan took the initiative to find a topic to talk to Catherine about. ¡°Catherine, judging from your actions just now, you¡¯ve practiced fighting?¡± Hearing his voice, Catherine tilted her head to look at him. Her eyes looked expressionless. She answered with one word in a cold voice, which almost froze Aidan. ¡°No!¡± She was such a cold girl, which made Aidan feel so novel. Aidan had been invincible with women all his life, and it was the first time he had been treated like that. The food was ready. Because Triston knew Catherine wasing, he arranged for the kitchen to add some spicy dishes. During the meal, Aidan watched Catherine the entire time. He would talk to Catherine every chance he got. Catherine didn¡¯t want to talk most of the time but managed one sentence or two now and then. Finally, when Aidan asked another question, Catherine got impatient. With a tilt of her head toward Aidan, she said, ¡°Is the food Mr. Lambert arranged bad, or is it that even the food in your mouth can¡¯t shut you up?¡± Her words shocked everyone present. Gosh, she was talking to Aidan! Aidan felt a bit aggrieved. He was from the famous Lanes. It was the first time in his life that he had been treated like this. Most importantly, it was a woman who had treated him like this. Aidan was very aggrieved inside. He was too miserable! Triston watched from the side. He almostughed out loud. He couldn¡¯t help but give Catherine a thumbs up before teasing Aidan. ¡°Did you hear that? If you don¡¯t like the food I ordered, say it. Don¡¯t disturb Catherine. You¡¯re annoying!¡± Aidan looked at Branden aggrievedly. They had been brothers for many years, and he hoped Branden could give him justice. After all, Catherine was his woman. Unexpectedly, Branden snorted coldly and said three words. ¡°You deserve it!¡± Aidan waspletely aggrieved. He had only been away from Casier for a few years. Why did he receive such treatment now? The rest of the people who didn¡¯t know the situation were all secretly sizing up Catherine. They thought that the person who dared not respect Aidan at the dinner table would have tragic consequences. Unexpectedly, nothing happened to Catherine. Triston was trying to speak for her, and the point was that Branden was also protecting her as if she was his treasure. Who the hell was this woman? How could she be so arrogant? Catherine felt as if nothing had happened. She leaned back in her chair with an unparalleled domineering posture. After she was full, she put down her fork and said, ¡°I¡¯m full. Shall we leave?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. There were rules at the dining table. If the person with the most honorable status at the dining table hadn¡¯t started eating, no one could take the first bite of the food. Simrly, if the most honorable person at the dining table did not stand up to leave, whoever dared to stand up and leave first would be considered breaking the rules. In the eyes of the others, Catherine was too rude. They were waiting to see her being punished. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 It was clear that Catherine¡¯s question was directed at Branden. Branden knew it too, and so he turned to look at Catherine. ¡°Are you full?¡± Branden inquired in a deep voice. Catherine nodded silently. She decided that if Branden had any further business to be done over here, she would leave first. To her surprise, Branden stood up after she nodded. He even took the initiative to help Catherine with her coat. It made everyone present stunned as this was unusual for him. Usually, others would be helping him. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Seeing that the two of them were about to leave, Triston became anxious. He finally came to his senses and decided to indulge himself after resting for many days. Hence, he set up this gathering. They had only just started eating, and now Branden wanted to leave. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Catherine, why don¡¯t you stay a bit longer?¡± Upon hearing this, the two paused in their steps. Catherine looked at Branden, indicating that he could stay. Branden turned and nced at Triston with his cold eyes, but his voice was surprisingly gentle. ¡°She has to get up early tomorrow.¡± With just one sentence, Triston felt goosebumps all over his body. Branden¡¯s behavior made Triston jealous. Triston thought, ¡°Having a girlfriend, is it impressive? ¡°Understanding her thoughts without her needing to say it out loud. Is it impressive? ¡°Understanding your girlfriend¡¯s every move. Is it impressive? ¡°Well then. He is indeed impressive.¡± Triston stared at their receding figures with a face full of frustration. He frowned uncontrobly. This disy of affection made him lose his appetite. The dishes on the table no longer seemed appetizing. Aidan rested his chin on his hand and asked, ¡°Mr. Lambert, how did Mr. Duncan be such a devoted boyfriend? I don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s strange.¡± Triston shot him a disdainful look and mockingly retorted, ¡°It would be stranger if you would understand what happened.¡± Feeling like he had just been ridiculed, Aidan was not pleased at all. ¡°Mr. Lambert, what¡¯s your problem? Do you think I¡¯ll go easy on you just because we haven¡¯t seen each other in a few years? How would I not understand? Look at the way Branden is acting. He¡¯s like a man possessed. Is that normal?¡± Hearing that, Triston snorted. He took a swig of his drink to mourn his lost youth and scolded Aidan thereafter. ¡°If you can get me a girlfriend like Catherine, I¡¯ll give you a makeover.¡± Triston thought, ¡°Aidan is clueless. If one meets the person he likes, anything goes.¡± Taking him as an example, he had preserved his virginity for so many years, and now it was gone. He felt miserable. It was extremely miserable for him! Watching Triston downing drink after drink, everyone in the room started to look concerned. Triston became like this after Branden and his girlfriend disy their affection for one another openly. ¡°Are the rumors true? ¡°Was Triston secretly in love with Branden all along, and his rebellious image a facade to hide this forbidden inner longing?¡± Those were the thoughts running through the onlookers. Everyone thought that they had stumbled onto a big secret. Triston was oblivious to the spection and the dramatic image he was creating unwittingly. He continued to drown his sorrows in alcohol. At the same time, in the car. Catherine was resting against the window when she suddenly heard a faint vibration. Though the sound was barely audible, it resonated clearly within the quiet environment. Paxton was the first to reach for the phone. After confirming the message, he turned to Branden. Branden didn¡¯t stop him from speaking. Paxton realized Branden didn¡¯t intend to hide things from Catherine, so Paxton exined the situation. ¡°Mr. Duncan, we¡¯ve found a way to contact Simons. We offered 10 million dors, but there was no response.¡± Branden¡¯s face darkened. His voice was cold and low. He said, ¡°Double the offer. If 10 million dors weren¡¯t enough, he would give 20 million dors. If 20 million dors still weren¡¯t enough, he would up it to 100 million dors. There was nothing he couldn¡¯t do. Catherine was sitting beside Branden and enjoying a lollipop that Branden had insisted she take. She nearly choked on her saliva due to the unexpected turn of events. Sensing her difort, Branden poured a ss of warm water and handed it to her. His voice was infinitely gentle. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Catherine was too embarrassed to look at Branden. She waved her hand and replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Branden took the lollipop from her mouth and tossed it into the nearby trash bin. ¡°You¡¯ve had enough of these. Catherine had a low blood sugar problem. As such, Branden would insist that she eat some candy every time she was with him. The candies he gave her were never too sweet, just within her tolerance level. More importantly, they made her feelfortable after eating them. So, she had never refused. Every time Branden handed her one, she would just suck on it. It seemed like Branden misunderstood and thought she had choked on the candy. However, Catherine hadn¡¯t choked on the candy. She was shocked by Branden. She realized that the idiot who offered her 10 million dors yesterday to breach a firewall was none other than the person sitting next to her, Branden. In the hacker world, her code name was Simons. Yesterday, she received a message from the ck market. It was from a broker she had worked with before, one of the few who could locate her. The broker told her that someone was offering 10 million dors for her to join a team and breach a firewall. The message also included a link. The ID was familiar, and she immediately recognized it as her base. Unable to hold back, she cursed at herputer in frustration. They are paying Catherine to breach her base¡¯s firewall and uncover her true identity. These people were idiots. The only thing she hadn¡¯t expected was that the person she had cursed at wasn¡¯t someone else but was sitting beside her. Catherine wanted to ask Branden what he was thinking when he decided to attack her base¡¯s firewall out of the blue. However, she believed that if she asked, given Branden¡¯s intelligence, he would figure out everything. In that case, she decided it was better not to ask. She didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity so soon. If Branden wanted to find out, she would leave him be. If he did manage to find out about her identity, it would be a testament to his abilities. At the same time, Johnathan was at the Swanns¡¯. Johnathan wasted no time in finding Rachael. This beating he had just endured wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed. ¡°Mom, you have no idea how close I came to losing my life. Catherine, that jinx, was truly intent on killing me. If I hadn¡¯t begged her in front of everyone, you might not have a son right now,¡± Johnathan comined. Hearing her son¡¯sment, Rachael¡¯s eyes turned red with empathy. She would close one eye to it if her son were grumbling to her in his usual yful manner. But now, he was beaten up to a point where he couldn¡¯t even sit down properly. Johnathan was Rachael¡¯s lucky star and precious son. He was the apple of her eye that she couldn¡¯t bear to see get hurt. She couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken. Unable to hold back any longer, Rachael abandoned her usual elegant and refined image. She turned her anger toward Korbin. ¡°Did you see it? Our son almost got killed by that jinx. How long are you going to keep tolerating this?¡± Rachael exploded when there was no reaction from thetter. ¡°Korbin, in the business world, everyone fears you. They call you a strong man in the business arena. I never thought you were just a creep. You didn¡¯t even dare to stand up to a girl!¡± she shouted, disregarding all decorum. At this moment, to Rachael, Catherine was no longer her daughter. She would not even be considered as a stranger. In her eyes, Catherine was a jinx. For Rachael, Catherine was the jinx set to gue her. Catherine was an enemy that had to be eliminated. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Korbin squinted his eyes upon hearing this. He looked at Rachael angrily with his dark eyes. He was a man and the head of the Swanns. His authority was not something that should be challenged. Under normal circumstances, Rachael might have felt fear and apprehension under Korbin¡¯s intimidating gaze. After all, the most impressive quality among women in the upper echelons of high society wasn¡¯t intelligence or their lineage, it was endurance. To be a sessfuldy of a prestigious family, one had to learn how to endure. However, Rachael could no longer hold back today. Johnathan was her bottom line and Rachael wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to harm Johnathan. ¡°What? Did I say something wrong? That jinx hase back to bring disaster upon us. She wants to drag all of us down with her,¡± Rachael retorted without flinching even when faced with Korbin¡¯s threat. Korbin¡¯s face darkened, not only because of Rachael¡¯s unprecedented refusal to yield but also because he was dissatisfied with Catherine. Just like Rachael, Korbin also valued Johnathan the most. After all, Johnathan was the Swanns¡¯ only son. Although Korbin had four children, the Swanns¡¯ fortune would ultimately be given to Johnathan. Johnathan felt emboldened upon seeing his father¡¯s anger and added, ¡± Dad, let me tell you. The reason why that jinx, Catherine, dares to be this arrogant is because Branden from the Duncans has her back. She thinks Branden is something special. But in your eyes, he¡¯s just a junior. Am I right? Hearing Johnathan¡¯s words, Korbin sensed that something was amiss. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s the full story?¡± Johnathan recounted everything he had witnessed at the restaurant to Korbin. He said, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s so good about that jinx? Apart from her looks, she¡¯s got a temper as tough as nails. Why would Branden, a big shot from the Duncans, be interested in her?¡± Korbin smirked. His eyes carried a mocking tone mixed with a hint of affection. ¡°You¡¯re still young and don¡¯t understand these things. Do you think Branden¡¯s reputation in the business world is for nothing? I suspect his intentions aren¡¯t that simple.¡± Being a child of a prestigious family, Johnathan quickly caught on. He asked, ¡°Dad, do you think Branden is thinking of using Catherine, that jinx, to gain control of the Swanns¡¯ wealth?¡± Korbin looked at Johnathan with curiosity. Then he calmly asked, Think about it. Whose name is the Swanns¡¯ wealth under now?¡± Johnathan pped his thigh and replied, ¡°That bastard from the Duncans! I knew he couldn¡¯t possibly be interested in that jinx. He¡¯s got other ns!¡± Rachael also picked up on the signs. Dealing with Catherine alone wouldn¡¯t be too daunting. But the Duncans were a family they couldn¡¯t afford to offend. If the Duncans were truly intent on taking over their assets, the Swanns would be in real trouble. ¡°Korbin, if the Duncans trulye after us, what should we do?¡± Rachael asked. Korbin¡¯s eyes were cold, and his smile gradually faded. ¡°Branden is a promising young man, but I, Korbin, am no pushover. It won¡¯t be easy for him to bring down the Swanns. Right now, the most crucial thing is to deal with Catherine. We need to keep her in check and make sure she doesn¡¯t make trouble. That¡¯s the top priority.¡± Speaking of which, Johnathan had already thought of a n on his way home. He was simply bidding his time, waiting for the right moment to bring it up. ¡°Dad, I have an idea. Next week, it¡¯s my grandmother¡¯s seventieth birthday. We can take Catherine along and let my uncle deal with Catherine. That jinx is used to rural life and may have some martial arts skills. But my uncle is a military man. Even if a few strong guyse at him, they won¡¯t be his match. If we let my uncle handle Catherine, I guarantee she¡¯ll be obedient afterward. Rachael had an elder brother with a peculiar personality. He had never gotten along well with others since they were kids. He especially disliked Rachael, who married into a prestigious family. It was fortunate that Rachael had married early. If she had been a homewrecker, her upright brother might have killed her. Rachael thought it was a feasible n. Her brother was a straightforward man. He would certainly take action if he knew about Catherine¡¯s ungrateful behavior. ¡°Korbin, I think our son is right. My brother doesn¡¯t listen to me, but he respects our mother. I¡¯ll talk to her about it during her seventieth birthday celebration.¡± After the two persuaded him in turns, Korbin nodded in agreement. Although he was reluctant to air their dirtyundry to outsiders, the fact that it was Rachael¡¯s brother made it more eptable. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go with that n.¡± After Korbin agreed, Johnathan smiled brightly. He guarantees that once Catherinends in the hands of her uncle, she will be in big trouble. Johnathan nned to speak ill of Catherine in front of his doting grandmother as well. He was certain Catherine¡¯s future would be very eventful. When Catherine returned to Audrey¡¯s home, she noticed Audrey sitting there absentmindedly. Audrey even didn¡¯t tidy up her things. This was strange. Hearing the door open, Audrey slowly turned and looked at Catherine with weary eyes. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re back.¡± Catherine frowned at Audrey and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You seem so listless. Are you feeling unwell? Audrey shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sick. I just have a bit of a headache.¡± ¡°What¡¯s giving you a headache?¡± Facing Catherine¡¯s inquiry, Audrey leaned against the wall and mumbled weakly, ¡°I have a headache about what to give as a gift.¡± After saying this, Audrey suddenly remembered something and shot up from her seat. Then she looked at Catherine. ¡°Kathy, you don¡¯t know yet, do you?¡± Catherine looked at her in confusion. Before Catherine said a word, Audrey could tell she genuinely didn¡¯t know. It was understandable since Catherine had grown up in the countryside and had little contact with the Langs. ¡°Kathy, Grandma¡¯s birthday is next week, and she¡¯s turning 70. Now that you¡¯re back, you have to go. Do you know?¡± If it had been an ordinary birthday, Catherine had all intentions not to turn up. She never liked such crowded asions and considered them a waste of time. However, a seventieth birthday was a special asion. Catherine felt obligated to attend. Seeing Catherine¡¯s furrowed brow and silence, Audrey assumed that Catherine was worrying about what gift to bring, just like herself. As the older sister, Audrey decided to take on this task herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the gift, Kathy. I¡¯ll take care of it. What you need to do is to set time aside ande with me then.¡± With Audrey¡¯s assurance, Catherine stopped hesitating and nodded. Catherine dropped her backpack and headed to the bathroom to wash her hands. As she was about to throw the used tissue into the trash can, she noticed an aluminum pillbox with used tablets inside the bin. The box had the words ¡°contraceptive pill¡± written on it. Catherine frowned and nced at Audrey, who was still sitting outside. Catherine contemted asking her about it. However, she figured Audrey was an adult and was capable of taking responsibility for her own choices. Catherine then turned away, walked into her room, and didn¡¯t dwell on the matter any further. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Audrey woke up early the next day. Kim had criticized her thest time she appeared on the variety show. Kim found Audrey to be too straightforward. The other female celebrities seemed to appear on screen make-up-free, but they all have their little tricks. Most of them did semi-permanent cosmetic procedures. However, Audrey was so naive. She did the entire program makeup-free, driving Kim so mad that she almost rushed to her house to give her a makeover. After a good scolding, Audrey learned her lesson. She got up early this morning and started getting herself ready. Though she still went makeup-free, she applied a face mask at the very least. She also did a lip treatment and even slyly applied somesh primer. Audrey was no stranger to these little tricks as a seasoned beauty blogger. When ites to subtle makeup that wasn¡¯t obvious, she had quite a few tricks up her sleeve. For example, no matter how you applied mascara, it was always obvious when it was there. But thissh primer was different. It had a nearly transparent color that not only keptshes curled but also extended their length. It achieved an unobvious m. That was the real secret. Seeing that the time was right, Audrey decided to wake Catherine up. If time permits, she would add a little ¡°m¡± to Catherine as well. After all, they were sisters, and beauty was meant to be shared. But as Audrey approached Catherine¡¯s bedroom, it swung open from the inside even before she knocked on the door. There stood Catherine with her exquisite yet dreamy face. Catherine was bathed in sunlight streaming in through the window. This gave Catherine, who had been lookingzy and tired, a mysterious and elegant vibe. It made her incredibly alluring. Audrey was momentarily stunned. Her gaze was fixed on Catherine. She couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard as she stared at Catherine¡¯s delicate skin. Catherine noticed Audrey¡¯s long silence. She squinted her eyes and looked Audrey up and down. Her usually cold voice was a bit husky since she had just woken up, which surprisingly added a touch of charm to it. Catherine asked, ¡°Is it time?¡± These few days, Catherine had prepared herself to wake up early to apany Audrey on the show. She had expected Audrey to wake her, so this wasn¡¯t a surprise. Hearing Catherine¡¯s attractive voice, Audrey snapped back to reality. She was still somewhat dazed. ¡°Oh, not yet. I just wanted to see if you were awake. Since you are, why don¡¯t you get up? I¡¯ll prepare breakfast for you.¡± With that, Audrey turned and left. Audrey decisively tossed the face mask she had in her hand onto a nearby shelf. Audrey thought, ¡°With a beautiful face and delicate skin, what need does Catherine have for beauty tricks? ¡°She is so gorgeous.¡± Catherine was bewildered by her actions. She had wanted to snooze for a little while more. However, her sleepiness vanished as soon as shey on her bed. It left her with no choice but to get up. She decided to check on Audrey and see if there was anything she could help with. Since she returned from thest variety show, Kim had dragged Audrey to do an intensive cooking training session. Although Audrey was not good at it, she had spent time learning cooking skills. Frying eggs and toasting bread were a piece of cake for her. When the production team arrived, Audrey had just set breakfast on the table. As it was a live show, many fans had been waiting in front of their screens early in the morning. Seeing Audrey and Catherine, the fans instantly became excited. They sent arge number ofments. [Oh, my god. I feel so ashamed of myself every time I see Audrey and Catherine. Why do these two sisters look so good without makeup? Can¡¯t they share their skincare secrets?] [Please share your skincare secrets!] [I second that!] This episode was unlike the previous ones. They added a segment where the host would ask questions to have more interactions. The production team assigned an on- site host to each group of guests. They were responsible for facilitatingmunication and enhancing interaction. The host selected the most frequently asked or the most intriguing topics fromments posted by online viewers to pose questions to the guests. The host held a small microphone and ced it in front of Audrey. Between Audrey and Catherine, it was Catherine who generated more discussion topics. However, Catherine¡¯s somewhat aloof and distant demeanor was enough to deter the host from approaching her too eagerly. The host asked, ¡°Audrey, fans are raving about how beautiful you and your sister look without makeup. Your natural beauty is exceptional. Would you mind sharing your daily skincare secrets with us and the viewers?¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t help butugh at the question. She replied, ¡°Haha. It seems my little trick today worked quite well.¡± The host feigned surprise and asked, ¡± ¡± Oh, how so?¡± ¡°In thest episode, my agent scolded me severely for appearingpletely makeup-free. So, I decided to wake up early today and use a face mask. I won¡¯t borate on the brand, as you should know it well. It has excellent moisturizing effects.¡± Audrey had recently been made the face of a face mask brand, and she cleverly seized the opportunity to promote it. This witty maneuver even earned her praise from Kim, who was watching the show. After spending time with her clever younger sister, Audrey seemed to have caught on and gotten smarter herself. After talking about herself, Audreyplimented Catherine. ¡°But I¡¯m the one with the tricks. On the other hand, Catherine simply washes her face with water in the morning, and her skin looks this good. Youth is truly an asset. Remember to try the anti- aging pill I endorse. It¡¯s the first step to maintaining a beautiful face!¡± Audrey promoted another product that she had endorsed. She took great pride in her savvy tactics. She raised her eyebrows and winked at Catherine. It seemed that she was seeking Catherine¡¯s praise. Seeing Audrey¡¯s yful expression, Catherine let out a faint smile. Just this interaction was enough to drive the female viewers crazy. [Oh, my God. Catherine¡¯s smile is just too dominant and affectionate!] [Yeah. Catherine has this inexplicable aura of a dominant president. I love it. She is so dominant.] [There are always these strange and unique pairings. One is causing trouble, and the other is smiling. I¡¯m so envious¡­] Amid the enthusiastic and excited atmosphere of the audience, Audrey and Catherine had packed their bags and were ready to set off. It was still a two-day trip. Since they weren¡¯t heading too far away, there wasn¡¯t a need to prepare an excessive amount of luggage. Catherine was in a simple all-ck sportswear outfit that showcased her wless curves. Her figure was stunning. She had a slender and envy-inducing waistline, which could be encircled with one hand. Even the host couldn¡¯t resist approaching her with a question. ¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Catherine, how do you maintain such an incredible figure? Do you work out regrly?¡± Catherine turned her head slowly. Her gaze was indifferent. She replied in a cold tone, ¡°Youth and good metabolism.¡± The host was speechless. That response was frustrating but also undeniable. After all, it was an indisputable fact that Catherine was young. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Kate had to drop out due to illness, and the production team didn¡¯t have time to arrange a recement. The main reason was the high-risk nature of doing live shows. One¡¯s reputation as a celebrity would be ruined if one did not tread carefully. Although the reason for Kate¡¯s withdrawal was illness, everyone knew it was just a gesture of courtesy from the production team. The change from being a rising star to the target of online criticism was too heavy a price. So, this episode was recorded with just three groups sof guests. Without Kate¡¯s interference, the atmosphere among the three groups of guests seemed harmonious. The theme of this week¡¯s episode was the zoo, and the guests were recording at the Universal Theme Park. As the three groups of guests met, their interactions were much smoother since they were acquainted. Audrey took the initiative to greet the Parkers brothers. She said, ¡± Congrattions! I heard you¡¯re making your debut in the film industry. You are ready to start a new career, huh?¡± The Parkers politely smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve been quite busy yourself. You grabbed seven or eight endorsements in no time, right?¡± After a round of businesspliments, everyone turned their attention to Catherine, who was standing nearby. ¡°Catherine, are you thinking about joining the industry? You have so many fans, but why haven¡¯t you even opened a public social media ount?¡± Catherine still hadn¡¯t opened a Twitter ount, and her fans had to go to Audrey¡¯s ount for updates. ¡°Not interested,¡± Catherine replied coldly. The Parkers may take Catherine as an arrogant person if they don¡¯t know that her personality is as such. Audrey was worried that Catherine¡¯s attitude might trigger an online bacsh. ¡°Catherine is still in school, and she is going to college soon. Education is her priority. As for her future career, it¡¯s up to her. We will support whatever she likes,¡± she quickly exined. After the conversation, the director appeared with a megaphone in front of everyone. ¡°Hello, everyone! In today¡¯s episode, we have a surprise guest joining us. As for which group will the mysterious guest join, it all depends on your abilities. ¡°Next, we¡¯ll have a game to see who can find the hippopotamus in the zoo and measure its weight the fastest. The winner will receive a clue about the hidden guest and get to form a new team with him.¡± Hearing the director¡¯s announcement of another boring game, the three groups of guests were less than thrilled. They expected to spend the two days and one night just drinking coffee and chatting, but the production team had other ns. The production team knew how to keep things interesting with their unexpected twists. Seeing that the three groups of guestscked enthusiasm, the director decided to give them a little boost. ¡°Our special guest is currently the top influencer in the industry and is the only one on Twitter with over a hundred million followers.¡± The director truly understood the minds of these guests. With ease, he managed to ignite their enthusiasm and the audience¡¯s excitement. Fans who follow the entertainment industry¡¯s news for a long time knew exactly who this hotshot was. He was indeed the nation¡¯s idol. Just like Catherine, Audrey had appeared indifferent earlier, but now she was excited. ¡°Kathy, my idol is here! I never expected such a bonus while recording a show. He is my idol!¡± The only one who remained calm throughout was Catherine, who didn¡¯t seem to care. Audrey understood her sister¡¯s behavior. Perhaps Catherine didn¡¯t even know who wasing. Audrey looked at Catherine with determination and said, ¡°Kathy, I¡¯m going to give it my all today. I will win for sure. The person who gets the clue will be me, and I¡¯ll get to see my idol at the first instance!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t know why Audrey was so excited. As for Audrey¡¯s idol, Catherine didn¡¯t care at all. As time passed, the sun grew hotter. Catherine longs for a nap under the scorching sun. As thepetition began, Audrey saw Catherine and the listless state she¡¯s in. She felt sorry for Catherine for getting up so early. She gently led Catherine to a shaded pavilion where tourists rested. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯ll find the hippopotamus first and start the task. Take a rest here and wait for me, okay?¡± Catherine wholeheartedly agreed with Audrey¡¯s decision. It was what she had hoped for. It seemed that Audrey understood her very well. ¡°No problem.¡± Rarely does Catherine initiate a response, and Audrey is in a good mood because of that. She finally felt like a big sister. After giving instructions to Catherine, Audrey didn¡¯t forget to emphasize her point in front of the camera having learned her lesson from what happened in the previous episode. She said, ¡°Dear fans, Kathy has been working so hardtely, and she woke up early today. So she¡¯s a bit tired. We¡¯ll let her rest for a while, and I¡¯ll take care of this simple task. Trust me. I¡¯lle in first. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re off!¡± People who understood the situation knew that Audrey was doing this to prevent a repeat of what happened before. She was protecting Catherine. As Catherine watched Audrey go to great lengths to exin to the fans, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. She thought,¡± 11 Audrey is indeed interesting.¡± All cameras in their group were focused on Audrey since Catherine was resting. It was unclear whether Audrey had incredible luck, or she was genuinelypetitive when serious as she managed to be the first to find the hippopotamus enclosure. Audrey felt conflicted when she saw the massive hippopotamus in its water pool. The hippo looked so huge. She wondered how she was supposed to measure its weight. Audrey turned to the nearby zookeeper and asked, ¡°Is there a scale to weigh the hippo?¡± The zookeeper nodded and replied, Yes, there was. But there isn¡¯t one today.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t understand. The zookeeper awkwardly smiled and exined, ¡°Because the director locked all the scales.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Audrey was stunned, and she frowned deeply. The viewers watching nearlyughed themselves to tears. They kept sendingments. [Haha. Audrey¡¯s expression is just too scary!] [Didn¡¯t see thating, did you? The director is clever.] With the hippo being so heavy, there was no way Audrey could lift it to weigh it. Following closely behind were the Parkers. Seeing that Audrey was already at the enclosure, they greeted her. ¡°Audrey, how¡¯s it going? Can you figure it out?¡± Audrey shook her head and replied, Not good. The scales were all taken by the director. How are we supposed to weigh it? Should I lift the hippo? If I had that capability, I¡¯d probably be the weightlifting champion at the World Championships!¡± The Parkers couldn¡¯t help butugh at herment. The three of them decided to brainstorm together to find a more practical solution. The Parkers came up with the idea of using a bnce scale to measure weight. However, there were no suitable tools avable around. Instantly, they were stuck once again. In the end, Audrey had no choice and suggested seeking help from Catherine. The Parkers sighed and said, ¡°If we can¡¯t figure it out, can Catherine help?¡± Audrey said confidently, ¡°My sister is so clever. She might have a solution. We won¡¯t know unless we try, right?¡± With that, she happily went off to find Catherine. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 In reality, Audrey didn¡¯t need to go back for Catherine. Catherine had already received the news from the video surveince. She was resting, not sleeping. When she saw how proud Audrey was as she showed off to the Parkers on the video feed, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had such a sister. If it weren¡¯t for their DNA, she might have questioned it. Audrey had just left the hippo enclosure when she saw Catherine heading her way. Audrey couldn¡¯t contain her excitement. She began waving and shouting, ¡°Kathy, I¡¯m over here!¡± At the same time, the viewers kept sendingments. [I don¡¯t see many animals in the zoo. But I see plenty of clowns.] [Haha. Audrey is just too funny.] [Is it eptable for female celebrities to be so unconcerned about their image these days?] [Sorry. Audrey might be nning to pursue aedy career. I¡¯m her dedicated fan.] As Kim watched this scene unfold on the screen, he couldn¡¯t help but facepalm and wipe the sweat off his forehead. Kim was always brilliant. But he wondered how he ended up with such a quirky actress. The crew members couldn¡¯t contain theirughter at Audrey¡¯s cuteness but Catherine continued to walk forward with a calm expression. She was unaffected by Audrey¡¯s antics. Perhaps Audrey had realized her behavior was childish. When Catherine approached her, she smiled awkwardly and asked, ¡°Kathy, was I a bit too childish?¡± Catherine calmly looked at Audrey with a serious expression as she replied, Not at all.¡± With just three simple words, she made Audrey ecstatic. She didn¡¯t care how others perceived her. As long as Catherine said it was fine, it was fine. Then Audrey said, ¡°By the way, Kathy, how are you so clever? You managed to find the hippo enclosure on your own. Did it take you a long time? This ce is pretty hard to locate, isn¡¯t it?¡± Catherine thought, ¡°Hard to locate?¡± Catherine frowned and nced at the nearby signs. Then she thought, ¡°Is it that hard to find? ¡°Any regr person should be able to find this ce.¡± Audrey didn¡¯t catch the meaning of Catherine¡¯s expression as she was focused on seeking help. ¡°Kathy, we¡¯re just one step away from meeting my idol now. Please help me quickly. Without any tools, how can we measure this hippo¡¯s weight?¡± After that, Audrey couldn¡¯t resistining about the show. She said, ¡± This director is annoying. He comes up with these challenging tasks for us every day. It¡¯s annoying!¡± With her pouting and adorable appearance, Audrey was endearing. After circling the hippo enclosure with Audrey, Catherine found the hippo¡¯s keeper. ¡°Can you bring the hippo over here?¡± The keeper remembered the director¡¯s instructions that as long as she did not reveal the hippo¡¯s weight, she should try her best to assist with other requests from the guests. Among all the requests, Catherine¡¯s was probably the easiest. She readily agreed. ¡°No problem.¡± Everyone stared at Catherine while Audrey stood nearby, full of anticipation. Audrey was waiting for Catherine¡¯s solution. Audrey didn¡¯t seem worried at all. It was as if the oue had already been decided. As Catherine looked at Audrey¡¯s expression with her beautiful eyes, she smiled slightly. ¡°But what if my n doesn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re so clever,¡± Audrey responded without hesitation. Audrey looked at Catherine with determination and earnestness. Catherine didn¡¯t want to let her down. Catherine instructed the keeper to guide the hippo into the water pool. It had sufficient depth to amodate the entire hippo. Once the hippo settled in the water pool, Catherine had someone measure the water level rise caused by the hippo¡¯s presence. She calcted the volume of the risen water by subtracting the original water level from the elevated one. At this moment, most viewers started their calctions as they had already guessed Catherine¡¯s calction method. Just as everyone was still calcting, Catherine confidently announced the result. ¡°1.35 tons.¡± Everyone was left dumbfounded. All cameras focused on Catherine. Many had been trying to calcte alongside her. However, Catherine had already provided the final result, even before anyone could figure out which form to use for the calction, This was impressive. The viewers began sendingments. [Oh, my God. Is this girl a talent? She calcted so quickly. I haven¡¯t even found my pen yet!] [Is this for real? She just randomly threw out a number. I¡¯ve studied mental math, and I¡¯m not that fast.] [1.35 tons for a single hippo? It¡¯s so heavy. Forgive me for myck of knowledge, but she¡¯s impressive. She is beautiful and intelligent¡­] There were all kinds of discussions, which created a lively and noisy atmosphere. After Catherine calcted her answer, Audrey stared at Catherine with admiration. ¡°Kathy, how are you so amazing? This is from N?velDrama.Org. You¡¯re fantastic! How did you calcte that?¡± She behaved like Catherine¡¯s devoted fan. Catherine thought that exining this to Audrey might take quite some time. So, Catherine pursed her lips, gave a faint smile, and calmly looked at her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to the keeper about the actual weight? She¡¯s constantly monitoring and should know their weight.¡± Audrey frowned and looked at Catherine with a serious expression. ¡± Can that work?¡± After receiving a confirmation, Audrey confidently walked over to the keeper. Seeing her approach, the keeper had an inkling of what wasing. She greeted Audrey with a polite but embarrassed smile. ¡°Miss Swann, I can¡¯t do anything about the director¡¯s arrangements.¡± When the production team nned the game, they intended to have the guests engage the keeper. The keeper was supposed to reveal the answer reluctantly to create the desired dramatic effect. However, they never expected Catherine. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Catherine was so impressive. Audrey red at the keeper fiercely. However, she knew that the keeper was in a predicament as well. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you off this time, but hurry up and tell me the hippo¡¯s weight. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be held ountable as well.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Under Audrey¡¯s threat, the keeper dared not conceal the truth. ¡°The hippo in front of us is an adult, and its current weight is about 1.4 tons. It¡¯s quite a fit and young hippo.¡± The result Catherine had calcted was 1.35 tons. It was not far off from what the keeper reported. After all, absolute precision was impossible to measure with water. However, Catherine managed toe up with such a method and calcte the answer in such a short time. It was impressive. After hearing this, Audrey couldn¡¯t contain her joy and rushed up to Catherine. She ced her hands on Catherine¡¯s shoulders and eximed excitedly, Oh, my God. Catherine, you¡¯re truly incredible. I knew you could do it, but you¡¯re incredibly smart!¡± IT After that, Audrey suddenly realized her hands were still on Catherine¡¯s shoulders. Catherine didn¡¯t like physical contact. It was a fact Audrey hade to understand through their interactions. Audrey¡¯s hands quickly withdrew. She looked at Catherine apologetically and said, ¡°Kathy, I didn¡¯t mean to do that. I was just too excited. I promise that next time I won¡¯t do it. Are you okay?¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Catherine looked calmly at Audrey, who was raising her hand to her ears with a look of earnest assurance. She could sense that she didn¡¯t dislike Audrey and even felt that Audrey was somewhat adorable. It was true that she didn¡¯t like physical contact with others, but it didn¡¯t bother her when Audrey touched her. Looking at Audrey¡¯s frightened look, Catherine wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Audrey froze for a moment, her eyes falling straight onto Catherine¡¯s hand on her shoulder. In shock, she realized something else. She stared straight at Catherine¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Wow, Kathy, your fingers look so good, don¡¯t they? They¡¯re fair and beautiful, just like the hands of aic book character.¡± After saying that, she reluctantly waved her hands and said unhappily, Look at my hands. I take care of them every day, but they¡¯re not as good as yours. Your hands would look even greater if you were to y the piano.¡± The camera also fixed on Catherine¡¯s hands as Audrey eximed. The crowd¡¯s eyes were drawn to the pair of hands. Catherine¡¯s eyes, on the other hand,nded on Audrey¡¯s exaggerated expression. She found that any little thing seemed worthy of being magnified in Audrey¡¯s case, causing her to let out a wow. It was kind of amazing how Audrey¡¯s flurry of astonishment left people speechless and made them find her adorable at the same time. Following Audrey¡¯s gaze, Catherine nced at her hand. They looked beautiful on the surface, smooth and tender, but outsiders didn¡¯t realize how many calluses were hidden inside, which were honed from hard work. The program team had a headache. They thought, ¡°Why don¡¯t the Swann sisters follow the script? Their minds are too active.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the favorable ratings, the director might have already blown up at them. Finally unable to bear it, the director flew into a rage. He held a loudhailer and shouted in Audrey¡¯s direction, Audrey, do you want your clue or not?¡± Audrey came to her senses and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Yeah, of course!¡± How could she not want the opportunity that Kathy had managed to get for her? Audrey rushed up and took the clue. But she was dumbfounded when she unfolded it. Holding the paper, she looked at the director with a puzzled gaze. ¡°Director, are you sure this is a clue? You didn¡¯t make a mistake, did you?¡± A mysterious smile escaped the director¡¯s face, and inwardly, he was pleased with himself. ¡°It¡¯s hard enough to stop you, isn¡¯t it?¡± he thought. Then, he put on a serious look and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the clue. It¡¯s also a puzzle, and you¡¯ll have to answer it yourselves!¡± Audrey was dumbfounded after hearing this. She red at the director with a face full of disgust and muttered in a disgruntled voice, ¡°You¡¯re such a pain in the ass!¡± The director was speechless. He thought, ¡°Howe such a group of oddballs were admitted?¡± He was furious. It was always the stars who tried to please the director, but he was so unlucky when it was his turn. Audrey didn¡¯t care that much and directly handed the paper to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, the troublesome director is giving us problems again!¡± Hearing Audrey¡¯s description of him, the director was exasperated. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she realize that everyone can hear her? he said inwardly. The crowd held back theirughter as they looked at Audrey. However, Audrey waspletely oblivious to the fact that she had again left a bad impression on the director. She was just waiting for Catherine to give the answer. Catherine nced at the paper and realized it was a very simple graphic cipher. In her eyes, this kind of question could be solved even by a kindergartener. She took the clue and headed towards the front ording to the guiding direction. Audrey hurriedly followed behind her.¡± Kathy, have you guessed the answer to the riddle? That fast?¡± Catherine nodded without much response. Audrey obediently followed. After walking for a while, she realized that Catherine didn¡¯t even need to look at the map or the signposts, and they seemed to be going the wrong way. ¡°Kathy, if we keep going like this, we¡¯ll be out of the area. Are you going the wrong way? Where are we going?¡± Catherine really couldn¡¯t stand Audrey to be such a chatterbox anymore. She directly told Audrey the answer, ¡°The people are in the Ferris wheel!¡± Audrey froze for a moment and then reacted. Pointing over her shoulder, she said, Shouldn¡¯t the Ferris wheel this way? Kathy, the sign says go this way.¡± Catherine stopped in her tracks, her gaze slightly gloomy. She wrapped her arms around her chest, her aura intimidating and overwhelming. ¡°Do you believe me or the signage?¡± asked Catherine. As a normal person, one should believe the guidance sign at this point. After all, it was the official answer. But as Catherine¡¯s fangirl, Audrey naturally chose to believe Catherine without hesitation. ¡°I believe you!¡± Audrey replied firmly. The gentle smile in Catherine¡¯s beautiful eyes intensified. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± This scene of the two was recorded by the camera throughout. Many people weren¡¯t satisfied with Catherine¡¯s performance andined about it in the bulletments. ¡°This Catherine is way too confident. Look at her, how proud she is!¡± ¡°Although Catherine is a bit arrogant, Audrey is very obedient. No matter what else, she regards whatever Catherine says as right!¡± Netizens all seemed to have very short memories. It was a p in the face for them when thest math problem had been done. But now they had already forgotten about it. Whatever wasn¡¯t possible seemed to be easy to Catherine. She led Audrey around a little bit, then arrived at the ticket gate for the Ferris wheel. Audrey was shocked. ¡°Kathy, why do I feel like we¡¯re going so fast.¡± ¡°Taking a shortcut will be faster!¡± Catherine answered. ¡°Kathy, do you know the park well? How do you know the shortcut?¡± Audrey was stunned and looked at Catherine with amazement. Why did she feel that Catherine knew everything? If she didn¡¯t know the park well, how did she know the shortcut? The routes on the guide boards of the park were all provided for tourists in order to make it easier for them to visit as much as they could. With such a route, there were bound to be a few more spots to see and, frankly speaking, a little more walking. Catherine¡¯s answer to Audrey¡¯s question, once again, shocked everyone. ¡°I looked at the navigation map when I was at the gate the first time I came here!¡± It took a full three seconds for Audrey to react to this sentence. She interpreted it in a way that she understood. ¡°Kathy, you mean you¡¯ve memorized the map of the whole park by just ncing at the navigational map, right? It looked like not only did she memorize it, but she was also familiar with applying it. Otherwise, how would she know how to take shortcuts? ¡°Is that hard?¡± Catherine looked at Audrey in confusion. Audrey wanted to punch herself when she heard Catherine¡¯s rxed tone. She thought, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m just here on this earth to make up the numbers. I get it. I¡¯ll shut up.¡± It was too much of a p in the face! But Audrey was not the only one who was humiliated. Those netizens had the same feeling as well. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Catherine really got a greateback on this one. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 The clock rang, and the Ferris wheel came to a stop. The door opened, and a long, straight leg appeared from the gond. Just seeing the leg alone was enough to set the audience screaming. Audrey tugged at Catherine¡¯s sleeve in excitement, unable to control her emotions. The man slowly showed up. His handsome face was like a work of art, well-defined and gorgeous, making people unable to move their eyes from him. A long ck trench coat aptly framed his perfect figure. As expected of a big star, his every smile was well-practiced, gentle, and polite. He appeared to be wless in managing his expressions. Catherine looked down at Audrey, who was on the verge of passing over with joy and couldn¡¯t help but give a reminder. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re a celebrity. Can you please mind your expression?¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Kim was now anxious before the screen. When he saw that someone finally understood his feelings, he couldn¡¯t help but shed tears of excitement. It seemed that begging Catherine to be here in the first ce was the best decision he could make. If it wasn¡¯t for Catherine being so upright, he didn¡¯t know what Audrey would have done. If Audrey was to appear on the program alone, he was afraid that her acting career would be cut short by now. Catherine remained emotionless while the crowd around her was just as ecstatic as Audrey was. Seeing this, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but exin the situation to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, you may not know about this, but the man here is a national idol. He¡¯s a dream to many youngsters! ¡°His name is Grayson Clifford, one of the hottest names in entertainment right now. Unlike some minor celebrities who can be reced casually, he is a real big star who receives attention all year round. Wherever he goes, he attracts all. He¡¯s a popr and awesome idol. ¡°Kathy, do you know? Grayson has won many awards at such a young age¡­¡± Audrey excitedly listed all the major awards Grayson had won over the years to Catherine. Catherine felt that if Audrey had focused on her job like that, Kim wouldn¡¯t have had to emphasize everything to her, over and over again. Grayson smiled at the camera and greeted the crowd. Then, he exchanged greetings with the various groups of guests. The first person he greeted was naturally Cindy, the most popr star among them. He had once worked with Cindy, but Grayson was new to the industry then. No one had expected that this young and handsome youth would make such a terrifying progression in just a short period. ¡°Ms. Hill, we meet again. How have you been?¡± He had a humble attitude, detached and cold but polite. Even Cindy, who had always liked to put on the airs of elders, could not find any fault with him. After the two of them briefly exchanged pleasantries, Grayson greeted the Parkers before turning to Audrey. Audrey¡¯s eyes lit up with a rare excitement when she saw him. Grayson greeted her with a polite attitude that was a bit puzzling. Before Audrey could figure it out, she was shocked by Grayson¡¯s action. When Grayson moved in front of Catherine, anyone with eyes that his attitude had changed. s could see Grayson was courteous and impably perfect to everyone just now. However, one could feel the detached coldness of his attitude. It was as though he had a natural ability to keep people at a distance. However, he was somewhat different when he stood in front of Catherine. He straightened his back as much as he could, and his eyes lit looked at Catherine. up when he ¡°Catherine, I didn¡¯t expect to be able to meet you. I¡¯m so happy!¡± The hard-to-approach boy seemed to be a half-grown child in front of Catherine in seconds. He smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits. Audrey was shocked. Not only Audrey but everyone who saw this scene was stunned. Especially so for Grayson¡¯s fans. It was the first time they saw their idol treating someone in such a warm manner. They had never expected to see such a scene. ¡°Kathy, do you know Peerless Grayson? ¡°Audrey asked, Peerless Grayson was the fans¡¯ alias for him because his achievements were just too amazing. They thought he was peerless in this industry. Catherine looked up slightly with an inscrutable look on her face. Grayson heard Audrey¡¯s question and took the initiative to respond. ¡°Audrey, I have known Catherine for a long time. She¡¯s particrly important to me!¡± He emphasized the words ¡°particrly important¡± on purpose, with an extremely ambiguous attitude. Catherine gazed at him gently. She was well aware of his thoughts. Sensing her gaze, Grayson silently pursed his lips. Somewhat aggravated, he then took the initiative to clear up the ambiguity. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, guys. I said she¡¯s important to me as Catherine is my teacher. I learned a lot from her and I¡¯m especially grateful to her.¡± Everyone wanted to hear the story of what had happened between them. However, they didn¡¯t dare to ask Catherine because she always gave off a feeling of authority, even though she was not angry. Sometimes, people would be too scared to be near her. But Audrey was different. As Catherine¡¯s sister, her personality was the opposite. The crowd fixed their eyes on Audrey, signaling her to go ahead with the gossip. Although she knew it would be difficult to get an answer, Audrey could not stop her curiosity and took the initiative to ask Catherine. ¡°Kathy, what have you taught Peerless Grayson? You¡¯re so awesome that even Peerless Grayson calls you his teacher?¡± Catherine cast a cold nce at her, her expression indifferent without a trace of warmth. ¡°We¡¯re here to film the program, not to catch up.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Audrey nodded dully after being lectured. The director in front of the disy sighed in relief. Finally, someone remembered that this was a variety show. The groups of guests returned to their positions, and the following program began in earnest. Each of the three groups was assigned the task of cleaning the zoo, and the first group toplete it with the highest rating would win, and the winner would receive a reward. Catherine rolled her eyes expressionlessly at the director¡¯s arrangement while Audrey couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°Director, can youe up with some creative ideas the next time? This is too childish!¡± The director was speechless and looked at the troublesome sisters with a dark face. He cursed to himself, ¡°A couple of pain in the asses.¡± Everyone felt that the new game was childish. However, they went along with it since it was the director¡¯s idea. Since Audrey was the first to find the answer, Grayson joined her group. Everyone thought that Audrey¡¯s group was going to win this time. After all, there were three of them, and would be more efficient than two. Moreover, Audrey¡¯s group had always been the first group toplete, so there was no suspense. However, everyone seemed to forget that nothing was a sure thing for Catherine. At the next event, it was an eye-opener for the audience once again! Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Catherine was assigned the task of cleaning the zebra stables, responsible for removing animal feces and garbage, and thenying fresh hay. Compared to the tasks of the other two groups, Catherine¡¯s group had a rtively lighter task, and they had more people in their group. Everyone believed that they would win. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Catherine¡¯s group lost. When the three of them changed into their cleaning uniforms and arrived at the stables, the staff prepared the tools and handed them to the three of them one by one. When the cleaning tools were handed to Catherine, Grayson directly snatched them from her. Everyone looked at Grayson in astonishment because his actions were too abrupt. Unexpectedly, Grayson said with a serious expression, ¡°How can Catherine do such things?¡± Those words sounded as if it was sphemy against Catherine if she had done such work. Audrey felt particrly strange. She asked Grayson seriously, ¡°Why?¡± Grayson nced at Catherine. Thinking about her usually low-key personality, he firmly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for a reason. Catherine just can¡¯t do this kind of work.¡± Audrey instinctively retorted, ¡°If Kathy doesn¡¯t do it, are you going to do it?¡± Actually, Audrey didn¡¯t necessarily need Catherine to do the work. After all, Catherine was her younger sister, and she was happier than anyone to let her sister do less work. The reason why she questioned Grayson was because she found it very strange. What surprised Audrey even more was that Grayson agreed without hesitation. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll take care of all of Catherine¡¯s work!¡± After saying that, he went to Catherine and looked at her with a well-behaved expression. ¡°Catherine, all you need to do is take a rest. Leave all of this to me. I¡¯ll handle it all!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t refuse when she saw how hard he was working. Audrey, who was standing nearby, furrowed her brows. Seeing Grayson¡¯s attentive appearance, Audrey felt that her position had been challenged. Grayson¡¯s confident manner of taking on all the tasks made everyone think that he was capable of doing household chores. However, when Grayson started working, the people present were dumbfounded. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that Grayson had little experience in life despite his previous adventures at a young age. He was trying his best, but unfortunately, his efforts were in vain. He couldn¡¯t even handle a broom properly, so how could he clean the stables quickly? And then, there was another half- hearted participant, Audrey. Coming from a prestigious family, Audrey found it a disaster when it came to cleaning. Seeing their futile efforts, the online viewers couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. As a result, the once highly anticipated team was defeated and became thest group toplete the task, and they had to face the punishment. A lot ofments shed across the screen. ¡°Ha! I didn¡¯t expect that our all- powerful and wless Grayson is actually a dumbass in daily life. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someone who doesn¡¯t know how to use a mop.¡± ¡°Grayson, marry me. I¡¯ll take care of all the household chores for you!¡± ¡°So, what did Catherine teach Peerless Grayson that he admires her so much?¡± The screen was filled with variousments, but Catherine and the others didn¡¯t care about them at all. They were about to face the punishment given by the production team, and this was the first time Audrey had been punished since joining the show. ¡°What do you think the production team will punish us with? It doesn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯m a bit nervous!¡± Audrey looked at Catherine and Grayson, waiting for their reply. Catherine didn¡¯t care about punishments at all. She just didn¡¯t feel like talking. Fortunately, Audrey was used to Catherine¡¯sposed demeanor. As for Grayson, he had a foolish look on his face. He gazed at Catherine as if he were her little fanboy, completely ignoring Audrey. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. No one paid attention to Audrey, yet she still had to ept the punishment. This made her quite annoyed, and she couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°Kathy, this is our first time being punished!¡± Catherine turned her head, looking at Audrey with certainty in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just for today¡¯s segment. Even if I did the work just now, we would still lose!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t even know why Audrey admired her so much. In fact, Catherine didn¡¯t know how to do these seemingly domestic tasks. After Catherine finished speaking, Grayson immediately chimed in. ¡°Yeah. Catherine never does these chores.¡± His tone sounded as if doing these chores would tarnish Catherine. Audrey frowned slightly. She thought Catherine had lived in the countryside before and would be more independent. Even if Catherine wasn¡¯t good at doing such work, at least she would know how to do it. Audrey began to wonder if she had misunderstood something. While Audrey was pondering why Catherine couldn¡¯t do household chores, the viewers caught another important piece of information. Numerousments came flooding in. ¡°Oh my god, I feel like I know something!¡± ¡°Why do I feel like Peerless Grayson and Catherine are so friendly with each other? He seems to know Catherine well. Could it be that they are really in a¡­¡± ¡°Who the hell is Catherine? She¡¯s not worthy of Peerless Grayson! Did the production team make a mistake? Separate them now!¡± ¡°Yeah, separate them right now! Catherine, stop clinging to Peerless Grayson! And the guy who said earlier that they are in a rtionship, screw you! We don¡¯t buy it!¡± The screen was filled with chaos. Grayson¡¯s die-hard fans were used to his domineering behavior and were loyal to him, considering him their idol. At the same time, they didn¡¯t allow anyone to get close to Grayson. If any female celebrities dared to do that, they would be attacked relentlessly by his fans. Some viewers misunderstood Grayson¡¯s rtionship with Catherine. They got furious and began to attack Catherine relentlessly. There were not only Grayson¡¯s fans in front of the screen but also many people who were interested in Catherine. Ronin saw thosements on the screen and sarcasticallymented, ¡± What the hell are you talking about? Can someone like Grayson, a little brat, be worthy of Catherine? You¡¯re kidding me, you lunatics!¡± In Ronin¡¯s opinion, no one couldpare to Catherine, let alone Grayson, whom he had known for so many years. Ronin had witnessed Grayson¡¯s growth. Grayson, just like him, was a child saved by Catherine. Catherine had given them everything. Grayson loved the stage, and Catherine was the one who helped him step onto it. Ronin lovedputers, or more urately, he loved being by Catherine¡¯s side. For him, the most important task in his remaining life was to take care of Catherine and make her happy every day. Ronin couldn¡¯t hold back his anger any longer. He decided to take action, not sparing those who insulted Catherine. He traced those viewers¡¯ IP addresses through the inte and hacked into all their devices. ¡°How dare you bastards insult my boss! ¡°Ronin thought. ¡°I¡¯ll hack into your devices, motherf*ckers!¡± Chapter 181 Chapter 181 The director team, which had been oppressed for so long, finally got the chance to punish Catherine and Audrey. One staff member suggested that since the three of them were so bad at cleaning, they should be assigned to clean the entire crew¡¯s area. However, the director rejected this proposal. In his view, the viewers already knew that the three of them were not good at these tasks. If they were still assigned to do them, it would be a very deliberate act. He didn¡¯t want the viewers to misunderstand their intentions and start boycotting the show. After all, the viewers were the ones who provided the financial support, and this show couldn¡¯t afford to offend them. The director smirked and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have alreadye up with a punishment. Just leave it to me!¡± When Audrey and the others received the punishment card from the production team, they were dumbfounded. Audrey looked at the staff in astonishment and asked, ¡°Are you sure the director hasn¡¯t gone crazy?¡± The staff couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter, awkwardly looking at Audrey. Seeing her reaction, Grayson approached and took a look at the card. He also seemed confused. ¡°The director must be insane!¡± Grayson eximed. Then, the staff loudly announced the punishment. ¡°As thest group toplete today¡¯s challenge, you will be assigned the punishment task by the production team. You have to brush the teeth of the crocodiles at the zoo!¡± In nature, all living things had a symbiotic rtionship and coexisted harmoniously. Animals like crocodiles had birds that cleaned their mouths in the wild. But in the zoo, regr cleaning by humans was necessary to ensure the health of their teeth. The punishment was set by the production team, and the three of them had toply. They were taken to the crocodile pool, where three crocodiles were waiting for them to help brush their teeth. To avoid hurting them, the crocodiles¡¯ mouths were secured temporarily. The staff handed them the cleaning tools, one for each person. Grayson took the lead and prepared to give it a try while Audrey cowered behind Catherine, her face wrinkled in fear. The director sat in front of the monitor, smugly waiting for the uingical scene. As soon as Grayson stepped forward,ughter erupted. Although the crocodile¡¯s mouth was secured, its body could still move. When Grayson approached with a specially made toothbrush, the crocodile suddenly swung its tail, scaring Grayson away. Grayson had probably never been so embarrassed in front of a camera in his life. Unfortunately, that was exactly what the production team was waiting for. They zoomed in on Grayson¡¯s face, capturing his twisted and exaggerated expression perfectly. It was at this moment that his fans realized that their beloved idol also had a vulnerable side. Despite his fear, Grayson regained hisposure and continued to try. His initial instinctive reaction to retreat was something he couldn¡¯t control. However, the task had to be completed, and Audrey was too scared to continue. They had to rely on Grayson. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. As they watched him step forward again and again, only to be scared back by the struggling crocodile, Audrey couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore and muttered quietly, ¡°The production team is too cruel. This task is unbearable.¡± Catherine, who had been standing silently, finally took action after seeing Grayson being scared back once again. As she walked forward, Audrey anxiously shouted, ¡°Kathy,e back! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Audrey¡¯s warning reached Catherine¡¯s ears, but Catherine remained unfazed. Catherine continued to approach and stood beside the crocodile. ¡°Catherine!¡± Grayson looked at her with a puzzled expression in his eyes. Catherine¡¯s gaze was calm as she slowly focused on him, raising her chin slightly to signal him. Then, she directly took action, making a shocking move. The director of the production team, who witnessed this scene, widened his eyes in astonishment. Catherine suddenly pounced on the crocodile, firmly holding onto its body with both hands. This was surely a bold move. But how could her strength as a girl overpower a crocodile? She must be crazy! Unexpectedly, Grayson followed suit. After Catherine held onto the crocodile, he instantly understood her intentions from their previous eye contact and rushed forward to brush the crocodile¡¯s teeth. Something strange happened. The crocodile seemed to be under some sort of spell. It was previously thrashing around violently, but now it remained motionless, allowing Grayson to clean its teeth. Grayson¡¯s speed was incredibly fast. After cleaning its teeth as required, he signaled to Catherine to let go of her grip, causing the crocodile to spring up. At that moment, everyone realized that the crocodile hadn¡¯t be obedient. It simply wasn¡¯t able to resist in the face of Catherine¡¯s overwhelming force. The astonishing strength of Catherine left everyone stunned. Her strength was even greater than the crocodile¡¯s. Oh my, she was amazing! At that moment, it seemed that Grayson was like a little girl. The two of them cooperated seamlessly, following the same n, and quicklypleted the task. After the crocodiles were taken away by the zookeeper, Audrey finally gathered her courage to step forward. The first thing she did was go to Catherine¡¯s side, tightly gripping Catherine¡¯s arm with a strange look in her eyes. Seeing her peculiar expression, Catherine furrowed her brows slightly and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Audrey nervously swallowed before daring to speak, ¡°Kathy, did you work on the muscles in your arms? Can I touch them?¡± Audrey was really curious. Although she didn¡¯t know how much strength it took to hold down a crocodile, she thought that Catherine looked so cool just now. Before Catherine could answer, Grayson rolled his eyes. In his opinion, Audrey¡¯s question was just too stupid. After all, Catherine was capable of anything. He had heard people in the base talk about how Catherine had encountered a tiger during wilderness training. And she was able to subdue the tiger barehanded, eventually escaping from its jaws. It showed just how terrifying she was. To prevent Audrey from disturbing Catherine with such foolish questions again, Grayson immediately changed the subject and took her away. With the mischievous person gone, the variety show instantly became much livelier. Thanks to Grayson¡¯s participation, the show gained a huge boost in poprity, and the ratings soared once again. Not only that, Grayson followed Audrey on Twitter because Catherine didn¡¯t use it. He could only keep up with Catherine¡¯s updates through Audrey. As a result, Audrey gained 300 thousand new followers overnight. Kim was ecstatic and immediately called Audrey. ¡°Audrey, let me tell you, Catherine is definitely your lucky star. With her poprity, it¡¯ll be easy for you to be famous. You better hold onto Catherine tightly. She¡¯s your lucky star! Don¡¯t listen to those people spreading rumors about her being a disaster!¡± Audrey held the phone, her face full of helplessness as sheughed. ¡°Kim, I¡¯ve said it before. Kathy is a lucky star, not a disaster!¡± Chapter 182 Chapter 182 The two-day program recording quickly passed by. Since each guest had their own chauffeur-driven car, the program team didn¡¯t arrange transportation for them to go back. However, this arrangement didn¡¯t apply to Audrey, who used to be a rtively unknown actress but had gained a bit of fame recently. Thepany hadn¡¯t gotten around to assigning a chauffeur-driven car for her yet. ¡°Kathy, wait a moment. Kim said he couldn¡¯te to pick us up, so I¡¯ll call a taxi right away!¡± Audrey said. Just after she finished speaking, a ck Mercedes chauffeur-driven car appeared in front of them. When Audrey wondered who could being to pick them up, the car door opened, revealing the handsome face of Grayson. With a friendly smile on his face, Grayson looked at Catherine affectionately and said, ¡°Catherine, get in the car. I¡¯ll take you home!¡± Catherine nced at Audrey. Audrey understood that Catherine was seeking her opinion. Despite Catherine¡¯s usual cold demeanor, she was actually very considerate of people¡¯s feelings. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s best to have a free ride. Let¡¯s go, Kathy. Let¡¯s get in the car!¡± Audrey said. Just when they were about to get in the car, they heard a honking sound. A ck Maybach slowly approached the two of them. When the car stopped, two handsome men with completely different temperaments got out of the car. Branden walked straight towards Catherine and stopped in front of her, extending his hand in the air, waiting for her. Catherine took off the bag on her back and casually threw it into the man¡¯s hand as if she had practiced the motion a thousand times. After Branden took Catherine¡¯s bag, he subconsciously felt an intimidating gaze on him. He turned his head and looked at the nearby chauffeur-driven car. Then, he met Grayson¡¯s intimidating eyes. Grayson doubted if there was something wrong with his eyes. He was dumbfounded when he saw Catherine getting so close to a man, and more importantly, Catherine willingly threw her bag into the man¡¯s hand. This was impossible! Triston came as well. When he heard Branden was going to pick up Catherine, he decided toe along with him. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s been a few days. Do you miss me?¡± Triston said with a mischievous tone. Hearing his inappropriate words, both Catherine and Branden rolled their at the same time. eyes Triston was so scared that he felt a chill down his spine. He was on the verge of kneeling down and quickly closed his mouth. After that, Branden¡¯s eyes turned towards Catherine. His originally sharp and cold eyes softened instantly when they fell upon Catherine. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Catherine nodded slightly but noticed that Audrey had been silent for a while. She turned her head to look at Audrey and noticed that something was off. ¡°Aren¡¯t youing?¡± Catherine asked casually. Unexpectedly, Audrey¡¯s reaction was extreme. Her expression suddenly changed as she said, ¡°Kathy, I just remembered that I have something to do. I¡¯ll go back and talk to the director about it. You guys go ahead!¡± She emphasized again, ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me. I¡¯m serious!¡± Without waiting for Catherine¡¯s response, Audrey dragged her luggage and left, leaving everyone confused and speechless. Triston looked at Audrey¡¯s fleeing figure and said, ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s wrong with your sister? Even if she has something to discuss with the production team, it¡¯s normal for us to wait for a while. It¡¯s not easy to get a taxi in this remote area.¡± Audrey¡¯s behavior was indeed weird, and Catherine could tell from her expression and eyes just now. It didn¡¯t seem like Audrey had encountered any problems, but she was obviously avoiding something. But in Catherine¡¯s view, this was Audrey¡¯s private matter. Since she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, Catherine wouldn¡¯t ask. If Audrey didn¡¯t want to go with them, they didn¡¯t have to wait for her. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine said. Then, Branden and Catherine got into the car. Triston, afraid of being left behind in this deste ce, immediately caught up and said, ¡°Wait for me!¡± He knew very well about his current status. He was a dispensable guy. If he didn¡¯t keep up, he could be abandoned at any time. In that case, he had to go home alone. Grayson¡¯s gaze was full of grievances as Catherine left. ¡°Damn it,¡± he cursed inwardly. ¡°Boss was taken away by a stranger. She didn¡¯t get in my car!¡± The manager beside him had never seen Grayson care so much about a woman before. Moreover, Grayson¡¯s reactions sinceing to this program werepletely different from his previous behavior, which waspletely surprising. Knowing that Grayson had a bad temper, as a manager, he still needed to understand the situation. ¡°Grayson, is Catherine really that important to you?¡± the manager asked. When Grayson heard the question, he turned his head. His previously pitiful eyes instantly darkened, and his facial expression became extremely serious. ¡°Ellis, just remember that Catherine is the person I¡¯m willing to sacrifice everything for. Please don¡¯t question her importance to me, and don¡¯t even think about making a move on her. Because neither you nor I can afford the consequences!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Grayson¡¯s response made Ellis¡¯s face darken. It was the first time he had seen Grayson introduce someone so seriously. In the entertainment industry, Ellis was considered a top- notch manager, and besides Grayson, he had many A-list celebrities under his management. But this was the first time Grayson had spoken to him like this, which piqued his curiosity. ¡°Is she really that important?¡± Ellis asked. Grayson nodded with a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Seeing his seriousness, Ellis had to drop the subject. As long as Grayson didn¡¯t have any intentions of developing a romantic rtionship with Catherine, Ellis didn¡¯t really care about anything else. Grayson was still on the rise now. He had countless fans. If he were to have a romantic rtionship at this moment, it would be fatal. After getting in the car, Catherinezily leaned against the back seat and rested with her eyes closed throughout the journey. Feeling the silence in the car for a long time, Triston started to feel bored. He cleared his throat before speaking. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve been so boredtely. How about I throw a party tomorrow and we can hang out together?¡± Triston now knew that the fastest way to invite Branden out was through Catherine. Only she could effortlessly get Branden, the big shot, to hang out. Hearing his voice, Catherine tiredly raised her head and rejected, saying, No.¡± She just said one simple word, which was quick and decisive! Before Triston could persistently plead, Branden, who was sitting beside him, closed hisptop and turned his head to look at Catherine. ¡°Do you have ns for tomorrow night? The Duncans¡¯ affairs wereplicated, and he had only recently taken over as the family head. Many things were waiting for him to handle. He had to make time if he wanted to see Catherine. Catherine casually replied, ¡°Tomorrow is my grandmother¡¯s seventieth birthday. I need to go to see her.¡± Branden nodded slightly and then asked, ¡°Should Ie along?¡± Chapter 183 Chapter 183 The Duncans and the Swanns formed an alliance through their marriage arranged by Vicente. Sitting in the front, Tristonughed happily, saying, ¡°Ha, Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re doing a great job being so respectful to the elders. Well done, you can be considered a role model for us young people. I will learn from you!¡± Branden kicked the back of the front seat with a handsome gesture. Triston immediately apologized, ¡°My bad. I¡¯ll shut up. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken.¡± After they finished their quarrel, Catherine repliedzily, ¡°No need.¡± She added, ¡°Besides, I haven¡¯t even met her either. It might be even more awkward if youe along.¡± With a simple exnation, everything became clear. Branden instantly understood the situation. Catherine had been abandoned in the countryside since she was a child. She was only called back when she turned eighteen. She had little contact with the Swanns, let alone the Langs. Since Catherine considered the birthday person unimportant, Branden naturally had no reason to meet her. The next evening, after Catherine finished school, Liana, who always kept her distance from Catherine and didn¡¯t want to have any rtionship with her, suddenly blocked her way. Catherine stopped and casually put her hands in her pockets,zily looking at Liana. Before Catherine could speak, Liana hurriedly stated her purpose. ¡°Catherine, did Dad tell you Grandma is celebrating her birthday tonight? You must attend, you know?¡± A hint of impatience shed across Catherine¡¯s face. Korbin had called her during lunch break, and she had already agreed. She didn¡¯t expect Liana to repeat it. It seemed that these people were afraid that she wouldn¡¯t go. Why did they need to emphasize it over and over again? Catherine didn¡¯t bother to respond, her gaze slightly darkened as she stared at Liana. Perhaps sensing Catherine¡¯s displeasure, Liana softened her attitude, and her voice became gentler. ¡°Catherine, our family¡¯s car is here to pick me up, right at the entrance. Since we¡¯re going to the same ce, I can give you a ride!¡± It was natural for Catherine, as the second daughter of the Swanns, to ride in the Swanns¡¯ car driven by the Swanns¡¯ driver. However, Liana¡¯s tone made Catherine feel like she was being given a favor. Ronin, who was standing aside, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He pointed at Liana¡¯s nose and cursed, ¡°What the hell? How expensive is your family¡¯s car? What kind of background does it have? And you¡¯re offering to give my boss a ride? How audacious do you have to be to say such shameless words? My boss doesn¡¯t need your car. With just one phone call, I can have a row of globally limited-edition cars wait for her!¡± Ronin¡¯s words were impolite enough, and his expression showed clear disdain towards Liana. ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass yourself. I advise you to go back home right now, dumbass!¡± he continued. ¡°Ronin, you goddamn little¡­¡± Liana¡¯s face twisted in anger as she red at Ronin. But Ronin wasn¡¯t buying into her act. He was even more aggressive than her. ¡°So what? Aren¡¯t you a princess? Are you ready to fight me? Fine, let¡¯s do this. I¡¯ll tear off your hypocritical mask and let everyone see. How dare you act so arrogant in front of me? I can tear you to pieces and humiliate you whenever I want! You think you¡¯re a tough fighter because you know a little martial arts? Your tricks are only suitable for dealing with someone like Elena!¡± When Elena was mentioned, Liana¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She didn¡¯t know what Ronin knew precisely, but she knew that if she continued to argue, she would be the one to lose out. Frustrated, Liana stomped her foot and yelled at Catherine in a pitiful tone,¡± Well, kindness goes unappreciated. Catherine, I just wanted to offer you a ride, but if you don¡¯t appreciate it, then fine, don¡¯t take it.¡± After saying that, she left in a huff. Watching her retreating figure, Ronin cursed in confusion, ¡°Boss, this hypocrite woman stomped her foot before leaving. It¡¯s infuriating. Next time, I¡¯ll make her regret it.¡± Catherine, bored, looked out the window at the falling leaves, listening to Ronin¡¯sints, her mind drifting away. Ronin could easily defeat Liana without Catherine¡¯s help. After venting for a while, Ronin finally stopped and then asked Catherine seriously, ¡°Boss, are you really going to that boring birthday banquet today?¡± Catherine adjusted the backpack by her side, casually slung it over her shoulder, pulled out a hat and put it on, and nodded absentmindedly. Seeing that she was determined to go, Ronin quickly eximed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Catherine lowered her head, nced at him, and said in a low, deep voice, ¡± Why are you going with me?¡± ¡°To serve you, of course!¡± Ronin said as if it was something natural. In his opinion, the Swanns and the Langs were not good people. Although Catherine had a high IQ, she might still be at a disadvantage in dealing with social matters. Ronin wanted to go to take care of her and help out. Catherine stepped forward, bypassing Ronin, and casually patted his shoulder, whispering, ¡°No need, all you need to do is study hard and prepare for the SAT!¡± Ronin was speechless. ¡°Are you serious, Boss?¡± he asked inwardly. ¡± The SAT?¡± He wondered if Catherine had forgotten that he graduated early from Starford University at fourteen. When Ronin snapped out of his daze, he couldn¡¯t find any trace of Catherine. Catherine walked towards the school gate, ready to pick up her motorcycle, but she saw a red Beetle slowly approaching in the distance, heading towards the school gate. She stopped in her tracks, waiting eagerly for the red Beetle toe closer until it stopped by her feet. After the car stopped, the window immediately rolled down. Audrey, with a big smile on her face, looked at Catherine. Her voice was slightly louder, sounding somewhat excited. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Kathy, luckily, I rushed here just in time after your school ended. I didn¡¯t expect to run into you like this.¡± Audrey¡¯s appearance made Catherine¡¯s face lose its usual indifference and gain a hint of coldness. However, Audrey didn¡¯t notice it and was still immersed in her own world, incessantly chattering to Catherine, You have no idea how congested the road was. I was so worried that you couldn¡¯t catch a ride. You¡¯ll have to take a taxi. The weather has been changing drasticallytely, and it gets so cold at night. It¡¯s also windy. If you stand by the roadside, you¡¯ll definitely catch a cold! But luckily, I arrived just in time, right?¡± Audrey looked up at Catherine with a happy smile, her eyes shining like stars. Catherine¡¯s face returned to its usual indifference, and her voice sounded emotionless. ¡°You rushed here to pick me up because you worried I wouldn¡¯t catch a ride and get cold?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Audrey answered without any hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You seem a bit off.¡± Catherine curled her lips into a faint smile, trying to appear as calm as possible. ¡°Nothing!¡± she said and then opened the car door to get in. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Halfway through, Audrey received a call from Rachael, asking where Audrey was and specifically emphasizing one question. ¡°Has Catherinee along?¡± After hanging up the phone, Audrey turned her head to look at Catherine, her eyes still filled with confusion. ¡°Kathy, why is Mom suddenly so concerned about us this time? She keeps asking if you¡¯reing or not. It¡¯s really strange!¡± Then, Audrey answered herself, lost in her own thoughts, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because our rtives on Grandma¡¯s side haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, and they¡¯re eager to see you since you rarelye back. Well, old people always hope for family reunions, right?¡± Audrey muttered to herself, and Catherine remained silent. Audrey was used to Catherine¡¯s silence, so she didn¡¯t think much of it and continued to speak from time to time. Catherinezily leaned against the car door, her eyes half-open. The nting sun made her face appear fair and radiant, which looked incredibly beautiful. A hint of mockery was on her exquisitely perfect face, hidden within herzy and carefree posture. ¡°They want to see me?¡± Catherine murmured in her heart. ¡°Perhaps. But anyway, I don¡¯t care.¡± After a journey of over half an hour, their car finally stopped at the entrance of the Langs¡¯. The Langs were originally an ordinary small family, but things changed because Rachael married into the Swann family. The Langs¡¯ children benefited from this marriage and gained many advantages from the Swanns. They went from an ordinary small family to a wealthy one. The rest of the Swanns had already arrived. Korbin, Rachael, Liana, and Johnathan were already seated and waiting. Audrey nced at them, a bitter smile appearing on her face. She whispered to Catherine, ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t you think they look more like a family? And we¡­¡± Audrey didn¡¯t finish hertter sentence of ¡°and we seem so out of ce¡± because she was worried it would upset Catherine. After all, being excluded and not valued by one¡¯s biological parents was too painful. Audrey had endured it for so many years, and she didn¡¯t want her sister to experience the same tragedy. Catherine nodded, agreeing with Audrey¡¯s observation. In her opinion, Audrey was right. These four people indeed looked more like a family, birds of a feather! Liana noticed their arrival but didn¡¯t immediately greet them or inform Rachael. She discreetly tugged at Johnathan¡¯s sleeve, gesturing for him to look over there. Johnathan nced over, and his eyes instantly lit up, excitement radiating from his whole being. The one they had been waiting for had finally arrived! ¡°Mom, look over there. The troublemaker has arrived!¡± Rachael put down her cup of coffee and looked in the direction indicated. It was Catherine, with Audrey standing beside her. As she nced over Catherine, the noble and dignified look in Rachael¡¯s eyes was instantly reced by disdain. She despised Catherine, considering her a disaster who kept causing trouble. Not only did she dislike Catherine, but she also hated Audrey, who was close to Catherine. Rachael¡¯s remaining fondness for Audrey disappeared, reced by disgust. ¡°Johnathan, go and bring those two over. Don¡¯t let them stand at the door. It¡¯s embarrassing!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Johnathan happily agreed and stood up, shouting in Audrey and Catherine¡¯s direction, ¡°Audrey, troublemaker, over here!¡± Johnathan¡¯s sudden movement and increased volume caught everyone¡¯s attention towards Catherine. Audrey had met these people before and could recognize them. Now, everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on Catherine, scrutinizing her. Then, they began to whisper to each other. ¡°So, this is the second daughter the Swanns threw to the countryside! She looks good!¡± ¡°She might look good, but so what? She¡¯s a disaster!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We must stay away from girls like her. She will bring bad luck to her husband!¡± Catherine stood quietly on the side, her hands in her pockets. Her neat bangs partially covered her star-like eyes, filled with a deep, serene gaze. A hint of arrogance and cunning could be seen on her face. Her lightly pursed, thin lips showed a faint trace of coldness. She heard every word around her clearly, and her gaze gradually turned icy as she listened to thosements. These people were not worthy of her taking action, were they? Audrey also heard the discussions of those people. Her face instantly darkened, and she frowned,ining, ¡°Johnathan is such a bastard! How could he call you like that?¡± Catherine turned her head and looked at Audrey with a piercing gaze, a hint of seriousness and mischief in her eyes. So you think he is a bastard too, huh?¡± Audrey was taken aback by her question but soon nodded silently. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re his sister. He shouldn¡¯t speak like that! I¡¯ll talk to himter and teach him a lesson.¡± Before Audrey could finish speaking, she noticed Catherine walking straight towards that table. Her steps were arrogant and domineering, like a gust of wind. Audrey quickly followed, sensing that something was wrong. Johnathan looked at Catherine and Audrey as they approached, a proud expression on his face. Finally, he had the opportunity to teach Catherine a lesson. As Catherine approached, a wicked smile appeared on Johnathan¡¯s lips, a particrly despicable look in his eyes. He crossed his arms, trying to provoke Catherine. ¡°Hey, troublemaker, you sure have a big ego. We¡¯ve been here for so long, and you¡¯re just arriving!¡± Noticing Catherine staring at him with a cold gaze, Johnathan said with disdain, ¡°What? You want to hit me? Come on, give it a try!¡± Catherine nodded and instantly fulfilled Johnathan¡¯s request. She pped him right across the face! With a loud sound, everyone was stunned. How dare she! Johnathan covered his face, unable to react for a long time. The first to react was Rachael. She didn¡¯t expect Catherine to have the audacity to hit her son in front of so many people. She mmed the table, expressing her anger and dissatisfaction, and this loud noise brought Johnathan¡¯s senses back. After Johnathan realized what had happened, his face instantly turned red with anger, and his eyes red at Catherine like daggers. ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± Catherine looked calmly at Johnathan with a smirk on her lips, exuding a yful arrogance and wickedness. ¡°You asked for it, didn¡¯t you? You asked me to hit you, and I gave you what you want.¡± Johnathan was furious. He wanted to retaliate, but when he remembered Catherine¡¯s aggressive posture when she hit him, he knew he would only end up being pinned down and beaten by her. He cursed, ¡°You goddamn¡­¡± but before he could finish his sentence, she silenced him by a single nce. Thest word instantly got stuck in his throat and couldn¡¯te out. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 There was no way to deal with Catherine, so Johnathan had to seek help from his parents. ¡°Mom, Dad, look. She dared to hit me in front of you. She used to bully me every day! She¡¯s so arrogant! She¡¯s a monster. If you don¡¯t punish her, she¡¯ll make more trouble,¡± he eximed. Rachael didn¡¯t lose her temper. They were in public, and she had to maintain herposure in front of Korbin, the head of the family. She turned her gaze towards Korbin, expecting him to handle the situation. Korbin looked at Catherine with a dark expression, his eyes sharp and fierce. ¡°Catherine, why are you so rude? What do you think you are doing?¡± Audrey was frightened. She grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand, trying to prevent her from acting impulsively. But Catherine wasn¡¯t being impulsive. Catherine didn¡¯t lose her temper or show much emotion from beginning to end. She calmly met Korbin¡¯s gaze, her indifferent attitude revealing an unknown hint of coldness. ¡°So, in your opinion, it¡¯s eptable for Johnathan, the legitimate heir of the Swanns, to shout and insult his sister in public?¡± she asked. ¡°Or perhaps Johnathan¡¯s actions were instructed by his parents?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Korbin felt embarrassed being publicly questioned like this. Seeing that Korbin didn¡¯t immediately punish Catherine, Johnathan grew impatient and angrily suggested. ¡°Dad, why waste time talking to her? Just get someone to hold her down and teach her a lesson!¡± Korbin turned his head and red at Johnathan, scolding. ¡°Sit down!¡± The authoritative and stern words almost made Johnathan kneel in fear. Under Rachael¡¯s gaze, Johnathan reluctantly sat down, his eyes filled with resentment. Korbin coldly stared at the disobedient Johnathan, feeling that he was stupid. It was true that Catherine was a troublemaker, but that was just a rumor spread in private. Before Vicente passed away, he personally brought Catherine back, acknowledging her identity. As a daughter of the Swanns, she was a part of the Swanns. Prominent families always valued their reputation, and Johnathan¡¯s outburst had indeed tarnished the Swanns¡¯ image. Regardless of how they treated Catherine privately, those scandals couldn¡¯t be brought to light. If people found out that the Swanns couldn¡¯t even ept their own daughter and treated her so poorly in private, what would happen to the Swanns¡¯ reputation? Korbin observed Catherine, and from her calm andposed demeanor, he sensed something. It turned out that this girl dared to be so audacious because she believed he wouldn¡¯t allow the Swanns¡¯ reputation to be insulted in public. No wonder she was so confident. If anyone was to me, it could only be his foolish son, who acted without using his brain. Despite knowing how arrogant Catherine was, Korbin had to swallow his anger silently. He was highly frustrated. He suppressed his anger and reprimanded Johnathan, ¡°Johnathan, if I hear those words from your mouth again, there will be severe consequences. Now, apologize to your sister!¡± Johnathan was dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t expect to be the one who had to apologize to Catherine. What kind of logic was this? Johnathan almost exploded with rage, but Rachael stopped him in time. She whispered, ¡°My dear son, don¡¯t forget why we came here today. Let that troublemaker be arrogant. The more arrogant she is, the less people will tolerate her. It¡¯s best to let everyone witness her rudeness, and then your uncle can deal with her.¡± Under Rachael¡¯s persuasion, Johnathan finally managed to hold back his anger. At the moment, Korbin had made a decision. Just because Catherine wasn¡¯t afraid of him didn¡¯t mean that the other Swanns weren¡¯t scared of him. Rachael was just a housewife without any real power. Everything she had came from the Swanns. Now that Vicente had passed away, she could only rely on her husband, Korbin. Johnathan was facing the same situation. Therefore, they couldn¡¯t offend Korbin as Catherine did. In their opinion, Catherine was just temporarily arrogant and would eventually be kicked out. They didn¡¯t even want to pay much attention to her. Everyone thought Catherine would be severely punished, but it turned out that Johnathan was the one who apologized. Those who had looked down on Catherine and considered her a troublemaker were dumbfounded. Could it be that Catherine held a high position within the Swanns? Nobody knew for sure. However, her arrogant attitude and the aftermath of her defiance made everyone cautious about underestimating her. These people were trying to curry favor with the Swanns during this birthday banquet, but now they didn¡¯t even dare to offend Catherine. Even the legitimate son of the Swanns would get hit for calling her a ¡°troublemaker,¡± let alone these people. The situation quickly calmed down, and Audrey finally breathed a sigh of relief. She cautiously pulled on Catherine¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡± Kathy, I was so scared just now. I was going to run away with you.¡± Audrey showed Catherine the car keys she had taken out of her bag. She had decided just now that if Korbin ordered someone to punish Catherine, she would run away with her. Anyway, they didn¡¯t live in the Swanns¡¯ house anymore. She could run away with Catherine, buying them some time to consider what they should do next. Looking at Audrey¡¯s serious expression, Catherine found it amusing, which was a peculiar feeling. Catherine didn¡¯t expect that when faced with conflict with the Swanns, the once obedient eldest daughter of the Swanns would want to run away with her. Catherine felt that her cold heart seemed to melt, and an unknown affection swept over her. Liana suppressed all her dissatisfaction. She thought that under Johnathan¡¯s provocation, Korbin could teach Catherine a lesson. However, Johnathan was such a fool. Not only did he fail to teach Catherine a lesson, but he also got pped himself. How stupid! Now that Catherine was showing her edge, it wasn¡¯t the time for Liana to confront her directly. Liana decided to stay put. She was always good at reading the situation and knew her mother would not let Catherine off the hook. She could do nothing now but wait for her mother to take action. A sound came from behind, and everyone turned their heads in unison. Catherine also turned back to take a look. It turned out that Donna and her husband had arrived. Today was her seventieth birthday, and she entered the hall in a festive red traditional dress, looking energetic. Everyone stood up and happily wished Donna a happy birthday, their faces filled with smiles. The two elders walked towards the main table, where the close rtives, including Korbin and the others, were seated. After the two elders approached, their gazes fell on Catherine. Donna suddenly asked, ¡°You¡¯re Catherine Swann, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Donna was 70 years old now, but she didn¡¯t look like a 70-year-old at all. There was no wrinkle on her fair and smooth skin. She looked like she was in her 50s, indicating that she must have spent quite some effort on skincare. Audrey was worried that Catherine might be too shy to deal with this kind of asion. So, she took Catherine to Donna and said with a smile, Grandpa, Grandma, you¡¯re right. This is Catherine, my sister!¡± Then, she tugged at Catherine¡¯s hand to signal thetter to say hi. Catherine said cooperatively, ¡± Grandpa, Grandma!¡± Her voice was cold and aloof. Donna nodded with a smile on her face. ¡°Good. Good thing that all your family are here!¡± Everyone looked at Donna¡¯s loving face and started to tter her again. Only Catherine noticed that Donna¡¯s smile didn¡¯t touch her eyes at all. And Liana, who always watched over others¡¯ shoulders, would only lower her head and act like a good girl in front of the seniors. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯ve been busy with my schoolworktely, so I didn¡¯te to visit you often. Please don¡¯t be mad at me!¡± Donna stared at Liana affectionately with an overjoyed expression. ¡°What a sweetheart! You have a lot of academic work to do. Of course, I won¡¯t me you. Your thought is the only thing that matters. Before Liana could respond, Johnathan came over here. Compared with Liana¡¯s obedience, Johnathan was a lot more perfunctory, just like a spoiled kid. He looked at his grandparents in a low spirit and said casually, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma!¡± Yet, such a simple greeting just made Donna burst with joy. She broke into a beaming smile. It looked like she loved Johnathan to the core. ¡°Johnathan, my good boy. I haven¡¯t seen you for quite a while. Why didn¡¯t youe to visit me? Let me take a look at you carefully.¡± Faced with Donna¡¯s warm concerns, Johnathan was a bit grumpy, just like an unruly kid. Liana stayed aside with aposed look, but her clenched hands hanging by her sides just gave away her real feelings. If anyone looked carefully, they would find how angry Liana was now. Catherine stood aside and looked at the scene dismissively. There was a profound look of mockery in her beautiful eyes. It turned out that Liana wasn¡¯t taken as seriously by the Swanns as she imagined. She was merely a bit more favored than Audrey. Johnathan was still the most loved child in the Swanns. Johnathan darted a nce at Rachael in secret. This time, it was smart of him to turn to his mother for help. Seeing Rachael nod at him, he showed Donna his red and swollen cheek. Just now, Donna didn¡¯t notice Johnathan¡¯s face. Now that he deliberately showed it to her, she immediately saw his cheek. Instantly, she widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Oh, my goodness. My dear, what¡¯s wrong with your face? Who dared to beat you?¡± she growled. Her loud voice just drew everyone¡¯s attention. Audrey also noticed that. Having shot a nce over, she asked Catherine in confusion, ¡°Kathy, did you p him hard just now? Why does his cheek look so red and swollen? And the marks of fingers are so obvious.¡± Catherine turned her head and took a look. With her eyes slightly hardening, she snorted. ¡°Hmph. Is this all he has got?¡± Somehow, Audrey felt that Catherine meant more than what she said. ¡°Kathy, what do you mean? Don¡¯t tell me Johnathan pped himself to make it look worse. Is he so crazy?¡± Sometimes, Audrey didn¡¯t know what to do with her brother. She had such a guess because she believed Johnathan might really do this kind of thing. Catherine didn¡¯t give Audrey an answer directly. Instead, she replied in a steely voice, ¡°You¡¯ll knowter!¡± Johnathan was always trying to find a way to get revenge for himself. Now, he finally had the chance. He would never let it slip through his fingers. Johnathan reced his arrogant look with a pitiful and helpless expression, acting like a child who had just been hurt. He said to Donna, ¡°I misspoke just now. Catherine heard that and then pped me out of anger.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, a rtive who was on good terms with Rachael immediately chimed in. She just comined a lot about Catherine. ording to her description, Catherine was like a mean girl who had done many evil deeds. Donna shivered in a fury and thumped the table. ¡°Just because of a few words, she beat you so hard? What kind of sister is she? I must ask her for an exnation.¡± Donna angrily pointed at Catherine and said coldly, ¡°Catherine,e here!¡± Catherine walked to Donna as told and then stood therezily with her hands in her pockets. She looked at everyone with a calm expression. If one was careful enough, he might find the chilling cold in her eyes. Donna was displeased to see Catherine¡¯s attitude, but she didn¡¯t show it. Today was her birthday party. She would inevitably be aughingstock if sheshed out at a junior in front of so many people. People would use her of not being amiable and forgiving enough. Besides, Catherine was taken to the countryside when she was little. If Donna showed her detestation of Catherine from the very beginning, it would easily arouse suspicion. She tried to look at Catherineposedly and not that seriously. Catherine, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be biased to anyone. Tell me, did you p Johnathan? If you say you didn¡¯t, I¡¯ll trust you anyway.¡± She believed that Catherine wouldn¡¯t dare to lie in in sight. If Catherine did, Donna would definitely disclose the truth, making it easier for her to stand up for Johnathan. Catherine nodded at Donna without hesitation. ¡°Yes, I pped him indeed!¡± As Catherine admitted it arrogantly, Johnathan got excited as if having the goods on her and yelled, ¡°Grandma, see? She is so arrogant. She shows no respect for you at all.¡± Johnathan wanted to call Catherine the bane, but after dealing with her a few times, he had learned something. Catherine even dared to beat him in front of their parents. Who knew whether she would beat him again in front of their grandparents? He didn¡¯t want to take risks, so he didn¡¯t refer to her that way. Seeing Johnathan¡¯s anxious face, Donna slightly frowned with a disapproving look. Yet, after all, he was her dear grandson. She didn¡¯t scold him, though she knew his behavior was inappropriate. Instead, she said in aforting tone, Johnny, no hurry. I¡¯ll do you justice when I figure out what actually happened.¡± Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Johnathan didn¡¯t understand. The whole thing was so clear. Catherine also had admitted it. She should just be punished. He couldn¡¯t understand what on earth others were thinking. Seeing that Johnathan was about to sabotage their n, Rachael tugged at his sleeve secretly. Johnathan had to restrain himself reluctantly, waiting for Donna to do him justice. Donna looked at Catherine with a grave face. ¡°Since you admitted hitting Johnathan, you were wrong then. Johnathan is your brother. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to treat him this way?¡± Then, her fierce eyes exuded an air of disgruntlement. ¡°You¡¯re a poor child anyway. You were not properly raised in the countryside before. Vicente took you back out of kindness. I also heard that he had handed the Swanns¡¯ assets to you to make it up to you, right?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t make any response. Donna just continued talking. ¡°Vicente loved you. I can get it, but this isn¡¯t good for you!¡± What she said was nothing but criticism of Catherine. Even Audrey couldn¡¯t stand it after hearing that. ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Donna heard her voice and immediately raised her head to dart a steely nce at Audrey. ¡°Audrey, I heard you didn¡¯t live at home these two years. Did you forget how to behave yourself, too?¡± Audrey stiffened, and her face turned pale at once. She didn¡¯t expect Donna to disclose the fact that she had been expelled from the Swanns in public. Audrey stood still in silence. No one noticed that Catherine¡¯s poker face had hardened at that moment. She grabbed Audrey¡¯s hand and pulled thetter behind. Her action didn¡¯t escape Donna¡¯s eyes. It was just that Donna didn¡¯t care about it. Donna used to be a teacher. In her eyes, these two girls were rtively easy to deal with. She didn¡¯t know why Rachael would lose to them and return to turn to her for help. Rachael even begged Enzo to get Adrien Lang, her brother, to deal with Catherine. Donna believed she could handle Catherine easily. There was no need to get Adrien involved. Donna gave an amiable smile, her eyes filled with gloominess. ¡°Korbin,e here. I have something to tell you today. Korbin came over and replied to Donna rather respectfully, ¡°Mom, please say it!¡± Donna was satisfied with Korbin¡¯s obedience and nodded approvingly. ¡® Yeah!¡± ¡°Korbin, I know you¡¯re busy and have no time to handle family affairs. It¡¯s also filial of you to follow your father¡¯sst will. But in my eyes, Vicente merely wanted to make it up to Catherine this way. She¡¯s too young to have so many fortunes. It¡¯s actually bad for her. Look what she has just done. She has pped her brother in public. Who knows what else she will do in the future? ¡°I may as well decide for you today. I suggest transferring all of Catherine¡¯s shares to you. She¡¯s your daughter. She will have a bright future ahead. She doesn¡¯t need to carry such a heavy burden at this young age.¡± After saying that, Donna also asked for Korbin¡¯s opinion. ¡°Korbin, what do you think?¡± Korbin put on a helpless look. ¡°I failed to look after my family well. I¡¯ll take your advice then!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Donna said smilingly. She loved it when she got to be the boss. After getting the response from Korbin, Donna shifted her gaze to Catherine. Her loving eyes had turned extremely stern and even a bit intimidating. ¡°Catherine, do you agree to my proposal? Don¡¯t worry about the money. You¡¯re the daughter of the Swanns. The wealth you can have is definitely beyond your imagination. The Swann Corporation is such a bigpany. And you don¡¯t know how to run a business at all. You¡¯d better return them to your father. He can create more fortune for you and your siblings so that your future can be secured!¡± ¡°Good girl, listen to me. I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡± It was then that Catherine realized why they made here to the Langs to celebrate Donna¡¯s birthday. It turned out that they just wanted to take back the shares of the Swann Corporation from her. This was so ridiculous! Donna must have treated Catherine as an ignorant and gullible girl. Korbin yed the same trick on her when she just came back to the Swanns. Now, Donna was doing it again. These people had no creativity at all. Catherine strode aside, sat down, and crossed her legszily, giving off an arrogant and dominant air. She slightly raised her head to look at Donna with arched brows. A hint of piercing cold shed across her eyes. She said briefly in a steely voice, ¡°No way! ¡°Ask the one who gave me the shares to take them back!¡± Catherine nced at all the people present with a faint smile. Donna was stunned. It seemed that she never expected Catherine to defy her boldly in public. After thinking through what Donna had just said, Donna knitted her brows and red at her with a gloomy expression. ¡°Nonsense. Your grandpa is already gone. How can he ask for the shares back from you?¡± Catherine nodded approvingly. ¡°You¡¯re right. Since he¡¯s gone, no one will take the Swanns¡¯ assets from me!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°You¡­¡± Donna flew into a rage and stood up to stare at her angrily, her eyes full of wrath. ¡°Everybody take a look at this granddaughter of mine. How can she treat her grandma this way?¡± As Donna red up, everyone pointed fingers at Catherine. All of a sudden, Catherine became the target of criticism as if she was an unforgivable sinner. Now that the soft approach couldn¡¯t work, Donna decided to y it hard and then looked at Enzo madly. ¡°Enzo, you¡¯ve seen what happened. Catherine has been improperly raised in the countryside. I don¡¯t know what to do with her. Look how she treats us. No wonder she dared to beat Johnny so hard. ¡°If this goes on, she will cause even bigger trouble.¡± Hearing that, Enzo¡¯s face turned dark. He usually wouldn¡¯t interfere with this kind of trifle. Now, as it appeared, he believed he had to step in. Catherine was sitting there leisurely, not caring about other people¡¯s criticism. In her eyes, these people spent so much effort making her attend the party. They couldn¡¯t give up easily. So, the Langs must have a backup n. Before she could think it over, the Langs¡¯ n B showed up. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 The sudden sound drew the attention of all. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Donna and Enzo both raised their heads. Upon seeing who it was, they felt quite ted. Noticing everyone¡¯s expressions, Catherine also darted a nce back casually. With the sound of the leather shoes hitting the ground, a middle-aged man walked to them slowly. The man walked with his back straight and a grave expression. He nced across all sharply, exuding a majestic air, Audrey introduced Catherine to Adrien considerately, saying in a low voice, Kathy, this is Uncle Adrien, as well as the most aplished man in the Langs. He¡¯s currently an officer. He¡¯s quite nice, except he looks a bit stern because he has to train the soldiers. Don¡¯t be afraid of him. Okay?¡± How could Catherine be afraid? Hmph, sometimes, Catherine really couldn¡¯t understand Audrey¡¯s thoughts. Yet, Catherine did recognize that Adrien could do martial arts. He was an officer who trained troops, as Audrey said, rather than an office clerk. Upon entering the house, out of his habitual vignce, Adrien felt a cold faze on him. He looked in the direction of the gaze only to see that a strange girl was sitting there. The girl was sitting in an imposing manner. She was different from the nieces he had seen at times. How she sat on the chair showed that she was rather casual now. ording to her gorgeous face, Adrien had figured out her identity more or less. People all said that Liana, the third daughter of the Swanns, was the most beautiful one, who fully inherited the good appearance of Rachael, the previous top beauty in Casier.This is from N?velDrama.Org. Now, as it appeared, that was not true at all. Liana¡¯s beauty was nothing at allpared with Catherine¡¯s. Catherine resembled Rachael more in appearance and contained all the merits of the Swanns¡¯ appearance. She was tremendously stunning. Donna and Enzo were rather happy about Adrien¡¯s appearance. Donna went forward to receive this foster son of hers. ¡°Adrien, you¡¯re busy with work. You¡¯ve just got promoted. I know you must be even busier. You shouldn¡¯t have toe yourself. I¡¯ve got your present. I really appreciate the thought! That bracelet is so nice. I love it so much. You¡¯re so considerate!¡± She was clearly showing off, but she deliberately acted as if she was having a small talk. Admittedly, she was an expert at bragging. With a few words, she sessfully announced that Adrien had been promoted again. Meanwhile, she humbly bragged about how filial Adrien was to her to show their close ties. She had given the fullest y to the art of humblebrag. Adrien knew Donna was showing off, but he still chimed in cooperatively, 11 Mom, today is your 70th birthday. No matter how busy I am, I must show concern for you anyway. This is my obligation as a son. It¡¯s nothing worth mentioning.¡± He acted like he was really close to Donna. Yet, he didn¡¯t mention that Donna had called him half a month ago. She even called him three times a day at the advent of her birthday, worried that he might be unable to attend the party for a temporary emergency. Adrien was not the birth son of Donna and Enzo. In fact, he was the son of Enzo¡¯s friend and Donna¡¯s student since he was little. Enzo¡¯s friend and his wife died in an ident. As a result, Adrien was adopted by the Langs and became the second son of this family. No one expected that this orphan would have been so aplished. Now, Adrien had be the second target the Langs boasted about. Given the favor the Langs had done for him, Adrien would turn a blind eye to many things they did. Donna and Enzo were old. It was understandable that they liked to brag. Getting Adrien¡¯s cooperative response, Donna smiled even more merrily. Her sharp eyes were full of satisfaction. Then, she beckoned to the several grandchildren aside. ¡°You must haven¡¯t seen Adrien for a while. Come and say hi. He is busy and barely stays at home. Take the asion to bond with him more.¡± Since Adrien had great power, even Liana and Johnathan Swann had to show him respect and went forward to talk with him. Audrey couldn¡¯t squeeze into them, so she stayed with Catherine aside. Unexpectedly, Adrien, who was always distant from others and rarelymunicated with people, took notice of Catherine. ¡°This is¡­¡± Everyone followed Adrien¡¯s gaze and found that he was referring to Catherine. The smile on Donna¡¯s face became stiff at once. Her expression became not that natural either. ¡°Adrien, this is Catherine, your sister¡¯s second daughter. She grew up in the countryside of Casier. She¡¯s unruly. No need to pay too much attention to her.¡± Donna¡¯s introduction implied that Catherine was merely a country girl, and Adrien didn¡¯t have to care too much about her. Audrey couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Even though she knew she might piss off Donna, she still couldn¡¯t help standing up for Catherine. This was her sister. She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to bully Catherine. ¡°Uncle Adrien, this is my sister, Catherine. She is a bit timid. As she has been back not for long, she isn¡¯t used to talking with strangers. Please don¡¯t me her.¡± Then, she hinted at Catherine and said, ¡°Kathy, this is Uncle Adrien.¡± Catherine gave a snort inwardly. She thought, ¡°He¡¯s clearly a scheming guy. Isn¡¯t he tired of being so affected?¡± Catherine disliked Adrien a bit because she believed he must have known who she was but pretended he didn¡¯t. Perhaps he didn¡¯t before, but he must have guessed it upon entering this ce. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t keep an eye on her behaviors out of the corner of his eyes. Others might not know that, but Catherine was aware of it. For the sake of Audrey, Catherine still said aloofly, ¡°Hi, Uncle Adrien!¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯s cold face with the hint of mockery at the corner of her eye, Adrien felt quite intrigued. Compared with the juniors who ttered on the surface yet spoke ill of him secretly, he liked Catherine even more. And he could recognize that Catherine had an unusual temperament, a bit fierce and even arrogant. Although he didn¡¯t know what on earth Catherine had experienced, he could be sure that she was like a fierce animal rather than a sheep. And it was the animal who yed dumb on the surface and yet acted ruthlessly, in fact. ¡°Hi!¡± Adrien replied casually. It seemed that he didn¡¯t take her seriously. However, this kind of attitude was usual in others¡¯ eyes. After all, how could a big shot like Adrien care about Catherine? He merely asked a few words about her, given the seeming kinship. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 In Rachael¡¯s eyes, Adrien asking about Catherine all of a sudden must be a result of Donna¡¯s saying something in advance. She had told Donna about this before she came back to the Langs¡¯. With a smile on her face, she went forward and settled her smiling gaze on Adrien. ¡°Adrien, great thing that you came today. I have a favor to ask of you.¡± Adrien stared at her with a casual expression. ¡°We¡¯re family. No need to stand on ceremony.¡± Rachael gave a faint smile and then turned to look at Catherine. Her soft eyes immediately turned steely when they were fixed on Catherine. She was actually displeased but still acted as if she was amiable and helpless. ¡°You know, Catherine is quite a concern to me. She didn¡¯t grow up by my side. When she lived in the countryside, she learned some martial arts. Aftering back, she just doesn¡¯t take anyone seriously. She can¡¯t stand any criticism from anyone. Otherwise, she would just re up like a bomb. ¡°Well, I really don¡¯t know how to discipline her. It is said that one can be trained in the army. So, I¡¯m wondering if you can do me a favor and get her into the army for a few years.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Normally, if a boy was too mischievous and behaved badly with poor academic performance, his family would send him into the army. In this way, the boy might be able to pick up good habits and restrain himself. Yet, this approach was usually applied to boys. It was the first time that someone would actually mean to send her daughter into the army at such a young age. The other people all realized Catherine¡¯s status in the Swanns upon hearing that. As the topic of discussion, Catherine was still sitting there with no regard to the discussion, as if she had nothing to do with what her mother was saying. It turned out that seizing her shares was the first move of Rachael and the others, and the second move was to send her away. In the army, absolute obedience was the rule. Once she joined the army, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to get out. However, even if the Swanns worked with the Langs, they still wouldn¡¯t make it. Noticing that Catherine still remainedposed, Audrey was really worried if Catherine knew the severity of this matter. As Adrien was about to speak, Audrey finally couldn¡¯t help herself and said, To the army? No way! Kathy is still studying at school. She¡¯ll have to take the SAT in a few months. Her academic performance is not bad. We can¡¯t hold her up.¡± Audrey didn¡¯t know how Catherine¡¯s academic performance was. She was simply worried that Catherine would suffer a lot in the army. Upon hearing Audrey¡¯s words, the Swanns and Donna all looked at her with disgruntlement. Their eyes were really fierce. Rachael just snapped, ¡°Audrey was somewhat well-behaved before. Nevertheless, after Catherine came back, they spent some time together. Now, Audrey has be so bad- mannered. It¡¯s my failure that my daughters be what they are now.¡± After saying that, she turned around and emphasized this to Adrien again. ¡°Adrien, you must help me with this! If this goes on, I¡¯m worried that my daughters will be all ruined.¡± She acted like a helpless mother. Getting called in public, Audrey looked pale instantly. She knew that Rachael disliked her but never expected that Rachael would criticize her ruthlessly in in sight. Hearing that, Catherine coldly nced at Rachael, her eyes with grave gloominess. No one noticed that Catherine¡¯s aura had turned cold at once. Hearing that, Adrien raised his head to look at Catherine. His eyes were profoundly solemn as if he was about to lecture a junior. ¡°Are you still studying? How is your academic performance? Is it satisfactory?¡± Catherine arched her brows and took a look at him. Before she could reply, Liana stepped forward. ¡°Catherine can¡¯t adapt herself to the school at all. She falls asleep almost in every ss. The final bell is like her rm clock. As the bell rings, she will wake up and go home with her bag!¡± What she hoped for most now was that Catherine could go away and had better be sent into the army. This way, Catherine wouldn¡¯t cause trouble for them anymore. Then, the Swanns could also get back on track and Liana could be thedy of Swanns happily again. Liana pointed that out in a teasing tone with a smile on her face, just like an innocent girl. The other people all looked at Catherine with sarcasm. Some of them even couldn¡¯t helpughing with a disdainful expression. Catherine ced her chin on her hand and her elbow on the armrest. With her eyes slightly narrowed, she cracked a sinister smile and watched Liana. After Liana finished speaking, Adrien shifted his gaze to Catherine, his eyes intense and piercing. His voice was husky but not majestic, with a hidden hint of teasing. ¡°Oh yeah? Catherine, is what your sister said true?¡± As she was mentioned, Catherine raised her head slowly and took a look at Liana. Liana subconsciously looked away, not daring to meet Catherine¡¯s eyes. Every time she looked into Catherine¡¯s eyes, she would feel frightened. She didn¡¯t expect Adrien would ask again. She was afraid that Catherine would disclose her real academic performance. Then, she would be totally embarrassed. Catherine slept in ss every day, but she still had better grades than Liana. If this got out, it would make Liana so useless. Liana had a guilty conscience! After all, she didn¡¯t reveal the whole truth. Catherine smiled coldly and unconcernedly. ¡°She¡¯s right!¡± She directly admitted that Liana was right. After all, Liana didn¡¯t lie. Catherine did sleep in ss every day and still came top in ss. Catherine¡¯s acknowledgment made Liana let out a sigh of relief. Rachael also felt a surge of wild joy. Rachael couldn¡¯t wait to make Catherine look even worse. ¡°Adrien, as you can see, I really can¡¯t discipline her, given her attitude. If possible, please send her to the army.¡± Adrien took a meaningful look at her and then slowly said, ¡°Catherine is still young. She¡¯s about to take the SAT. At her age, it¡¯s better to take the SAT. Since she has spent so many years at school, there¡¯s no need to give up at this moment.¡± Seeing that her n was about to fail, Rachael felt anxious. She kept winking at Donna, signaling Donna to help. Donna knew Adrien well. She was aware that Adrien only cared about what Enzo said. After receiving the hint, Enzo took a look at Catherine. He was rather dissatisfied with what she had done. The Langs wouldn¡¯t allow such a country girl to wreck the family¡¯s reputation. He cleared his throat and showed his superior position as the head of the family. Adrien hastened to say respectfully,¡± Father, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Sitting straight there, Enzo stared sternly at Adrien. ¡°Adrien, Catherine has been rarely educated and extremely unruly. I think you¡¯d better send her into the army!¡± Donna also chimed in with a sad expression, ¡°Yeah, today, when she just got here, she pped Johnathan so hard just because he said a few words.¡± Adrien sized up Catherine with intrigue again and thought, ¡°She¡¯s quite something.¡± She had been back for a while only, but she just made the Langs and the Swanns work together to deal with her. Clearly, she was really not ordinary. Catherine knew Adrien was scrutinizing her, but she didn¡¯t care at all. She just sat therezily. Adrien was a bit surprised to see that she lookedposed. She could maintainposure at such a young age. It looked like she couldn¡¯t be an ordinary girl. Thinking of the Langs¡¯ and the Swanns ¡®attitudes toward Catherine, Adrien couldn¡¯t help being dismissive of them. The Langs were always self-centered and haughty. He knew this better than anyone. Yet, he didn¡¯t expect Korbin to be like this too. It was really ignorant of them to choose the inferior daughter over the actually outstanding one. While others were all criticizing Catherine, Johnathan deliberately showed his injured face, clearly letting everyone know that Catherine had pped him hard. At that moment, he didn¡¯t care about his face or not. He would do whatever he could to send Catherine away and keep the Swanns¡¯ assets. The rtives were all pointing fingers at Catherine. They looked like they wished to send Catherine away. Adrien cast a look at Johnathan and took a tumble. However, he pretended that he knew nothing and sized up Catherine, waiting for her to give a reply. Originally, Catherine just wanted to ignore these people. She only showed concern for those she cared about. As for other people, they had nothing to do with her. Yet, Audrey was shivering as she was worried about her. So, Catherine decided to give these people a p in the face again. She raised her hand and beckoned to Johnathan. Her dark eyes were as cold and stern as the abyss, making Johnathan tremble all over. Johnathan subconsciously stepped back. He had been beaten by Catherine before. He was afraid he would be beaten again. He wouldn¡¯t be that silly! ¡°Catherine, do you think I¡¯m a fool? Why would I go over there because you beckoned to me? What if I go over there and you beat me? Look! The marks of your fingers haven¡¯t faded away yet.¡± Catherine stared at him and snorted, 11 Are you afraid that I might hit you, or do you have a guilty conscience?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Johnathan couldn¡¯t answer. Rachael took the opportunity to push him, signaling him to go forward. If Catherine still hit Johnathan on this asion, people would all know that she was arrogant and unreasonable. Even if they did anything against her, it would be perfectly justifiable. And Rachael didn¡¯t believe that Catherine could beat Johnathan again. Having received Rachael¡¯s hint, Johnathan went to Catherine reluctantly. He squinted at Catherine and said with deep disgruntlement, ¡°Just say it. Why did you ask me toe over here?¡± Everyone fixed their eyes on the two of them. They were also curious about what on earth Catherine wanted to do. Unexpectedly, Catherine made a move. She stood up abruptly before Adrien could see clearly what had just happened. Johnathan subconsciously started to scream with his eyes closed. Catherine seized his neck, and he thought that he was about to be throttled by her. Having seen clearly what Catherine was doing, Adrien, who was going to take action, stopped. A few secondster, Catherine also stopped and moved her hand away from Johnathan¡¯s face quickly. Meanwhile, she showed the makeup remover wipe in her hand to Audrey. She gave a sinister smile that contained an air of arrogance. ¡°I¡¯ve just tested your makeup remover wipe. It worked really well!¡± Catherine had thrown the dirty makeup remover wipe to the ground. Yet, her toss was like a p in Rachael¡¯s face, which made Rachael a total disgrace. Johnathan came around and found that Catherine had removed the makeup from his face rather than hit him. In a hurry, he tried to cover his face. However, it was already in vain. After all, everybody had seen what happened. Due to the good genes of the Swanns, every descendant of the Swanns was extremely fair-skinned, including Johnathan. Audrey came around and couldn¡¯t help stepping forward to defend Catherine. ¡°Johnathan, you brat! You¡¯re so mischievous. How can you do the makeup to frame Catherine? Don¡¯t you know she is your sister?¡± Johnathan looked so embarrassed and really wanted to re up, but he was suppressed by Rachael forcibly. Korbin darted a nce at Rachael. Unexpectedly, she couldn¡¯t even do that well. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Rachael was also innocent. Initially, she wanted to give Johnathan two ps to make things worse so that she could make Catherine a scapegoat and show everyone how wicked she was. Yet, Johnathan wasn¡¯t okay with that. He was afraid of pain and refused to agree by all means. Rachael always treated Johnathan as the apple of her eye. How could she let her son suffer like that? In the end, she could only feign the injury by putting makeup on his face. To her astonishment, Catherine had such a sharp eye. Catherine not only saw that through but also disclosed it. Audrey was getting more and more unruly, who always set against her. After disclosing Johnathan, Catherine turned her head to look at Adrien. Their eyes met. Catherine¡¯s eyes were provocative and arrogant. The Langs and the others all wanted Adrien to interfere with this. Well, she would let him deal with it then. Catherine hadid bare the truth. Now, she was waiting for his response. Adrien was amused by Catherine¡¯s reaction inwardly. He didn¡¯t expect her to shift the target to him. When Catherine acted, he had felt something unusual. She was a lot more impressive than his imagination. She acted unusually fast just now. Undoubtedly, she must have been professionally trained. This trip back to the Langs¡¯ was indeed worth it. After all, he found this interesting thing. Since Catherine wanted him to meddle in this, he would do it then. Adrien darted a nce at Johnathan. Instantly, thetter hastened to lower his head in fright, not daring to look at Adrien. He looked at the Langs with a grave expression. ¡°Dad, Mom, the army is indeed a good ce, for one can be well trained physically and mentally there. ¡°But I think the one to be sent into the army shouldn¡¯t be Catherine but Johnathan!¡± Instantly, Johnathan and the Langs were all flustered. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Sitting straight there, Enzo stared sternly at Adrien. ¡°Adrien, Catherine has been rarely educated and extremely unruly. I think you¡¯d better send her into the army!¡± Donna also chimed in with a sad expression, ¡°Yeah, today, when she just got here, she pped Johnathan so hard just because he said a few words.¡± Adrien sized up Catherine with intrigue again and thought, ¡°She¡¯s quite something.¡± She had been back for a while only, but she just made the Langs and the Swanns work together to deal with her. Clearly, she was really not ordinary. Catherine knew Adrien was scrutinizing her, but she didn¡¯t care at all. She just sat therezily. Adrien was a bit surprised to see that she lookedposed. She could maintainposure at such a young age. It looked like she couldn¡¯t be an ordinary girl. Thinking of the Langs¡¯ and the Swanns ¡®attitudes toward Catherine, Adrien couldn¡¯t help being dismissive of them. The Langs were always self-centered and haughty. He knew this better than anyone. Yet, he didn¡¯t expect Korbin to be like this too. It was really ignorant of them to choose the inferior daughter over the actually outstanding one. While others were all criticizing Catherine, Johnathan deliberately showed his injured face, clearly letting everyone know that Catherine had pped him hard. At that moment, he didn¡¯t care about his face or not. He would do whatever he could to send Catherine away and keep the Swanns¡¯ assets. The rtives were all pointing fingers at Catherine. They looked like they wished to send Catherine away. Adrien cast a look at Johnathan and took a tumble. However, he pretended that he knew nothing and sized up Catherine, waiting for her to give a reply. Originally, Catherine just wanted to ignore these people. She only showed concern for those she cared about. As for other people, they had nothing to do with her. Yet, Audrey was shivering as she was worried about her. So, Catherine decided to give these people a p in the face again. She raised her hand and beckoned to Johnathan. Her dark eyes were as cold and stern as the abyss, making Johnathan tremble all over. Johnathan subconsciously stepped back. He had been beaten by Catherine before. He was afraid he would be beaten again. He wouldn¡¯t be that silly! ¡°Catherine, do you think I¡¯m a fool? Why would I go over there because you beckoned to me? What if I go over there and you beat me? Look! The marks of your fingers haven¡¯t faded away yet.¡± Catherine stared at him and snorted, 11 Are you afraid that I might hit you, or do you have a guilty conscience?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Johnathan couldn¡¯t answer. Rachael took the opportunity to push him, signaling him to go forward. If Catherine still hit Johnathan on this asion, people would all know that she was arrogant and unreasonable. Even if they did anything against her, it would be perfectly justifiable. And Rachael didn¡¯t believe that Catherine could beat Johnathan again. Having received Rachael¡¯s hint, Johnathan went to Catherine reluctantly. He squinted at Catherine and said with deep disgruntlement, ¡°Just say it. Why did you ask me toe over here?¡± Everyone fixed their eyes on the two of them. They were also curious about what on earth Catherine wanted to do. Unexpectedly, Catherine made a move. She stood up abruptly before Adrien could see clearly what had just happened. Johnathan subconsciously started to scream with his eyes closed. Catherine seized his neck, and he thought that he was about to be throttled by her. Having seen clearly what Catherine was doing, Adrien, who was going to take action, stopped. A few secondster, Catherine also stopped and moved her hand away from Johnathan¡¯s face quickly. Meanwhile, she showed the makeup remover wipe in her hand to Audrey. She gave a sinister smile that contained an air of arrogance. ¡°I¡¯ve just tested your makeup remover wipe. It worked really well!¡± Catherine had thrown the dirty makeup remover wipe to the ground. Yet, her toss was like a p in Rachael¡¯s face, which made Rachael a total disgrace. Johnathan came around and found that Catherine had removed the makeup from his face rather than hit him. In a hurry, he tried to cover his face. However, it was already in vain. After all, everybody had seen what happened. Due to the good genes of the Swanns, every descendant of the Swanns was extremely fair-skinned, including Johnathan. Audrey came around and couldn¡¯t help stepping forward to defend Catherine. ¡°Johnathan, you brat! You¡¯re so mischievous. How can you do the makeup to frame Catherine? Don¡¯t you know she is your sister?¡± Johnathan looked so embarrassed and really wanted to re up, but he was suppressed by Rachael forcibly. Korbin darted a nce at Rachael. Unexpectedly, she couldn¡¯t even do that well. Rachael was also innocent. Initially, she wanted to give Johnathan two ps to make things worse so that she could make Catherine a scapegoat and show everyone how wicked she was. Yet, Johnathan wasn¡¯t okay with that. He was afraid of pain and refused to agree by all means. Rachael always treated Johnathan as the apple of her eye. How could she let her son suffer like that? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. In the end, she could only feign the injury by putting makeup on his face. To her astonishment, Catherine had such a sharp eye. Catherine not only saw that through but also disclosed it. Audrey was getting more and more unruly, who always set against her. After disclosing Johnathan, Catherine turned her head to look at Adrien. Their eyes met. Catherine¡¯s eyes were provocative and arrogant. The Langs and the others all wanted Adrien to interfere with this. Well, she would let him deal with it then. Catherine hadid bare the truth. Now, she was waiting for his response. Adrien was amused by Catherine¡¯s reaction inwardly. He didn¡¯t expect her to shift the target to him. When Catherine acted, he had felt something unusual. She was a lot more impressive than his imagination. She acted unusually fast just now. Undoubtedly, she must have been professionally trained. This trip back to the Langs¡¯ was indeed worth it. After all, he found this interesting thing. Since Catherine wanted him to meddle in this, he would do it then. Adrien darted a nce at Johnathan. Instantly, thetter hastened to lower his head in fright, not daring to look at Adrien. He looked at the Langs with a grave expression. ¡°Dad, Mom, the army is indeed a good ce, for one can be well trained physically and mentally there. ¡°But I think the one to be sent into the army shouldn¡¯t be Catherine but Johnathan!¡± Instantly, Johnathan and the Langs were all flustered. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 After getting her bag, Audrey took Catherine with her to the car. The two were about to take the car and go back, but when they reached the car, Catherine suddenly reached out to stop Audrey. Audrey was taken aback for a second before staring at Catherine with a puzzled expression. ¡°Kathy, what¡¯s up? Aren¡¯t you getting in the car?¡± Catherine lowered her eyes. Her gaze was freezing as she gestured to the side, signaling Audrey to be mindful of her surroundings. Audrey looked in the direction of Catherine¡¯s gaze and found that the car¡¯s tires were t. She walked around the car again and discovered all four tires were t. She looked at Catherine in panic. Kathy, what should we do? My car broke down, and I¡¯m sure someone intentionally sabotaged it!¡± There was no need for Audrey¡¯s assurance. Catherine knew that someone must have deliberately caused the damage. After all, this was something that anyone with eyes could tell. No need to guess. Catherine already knew who the mastermind was. ¡°Who else but that ignorant young mister from the Swanns coulde up with such boring and childish tricks?¡± she thought. Compared to theposure of Catherine, Audrey was quite restless and even a bit jumpy. ¡°Kathy, what do you suggest we do? ¡°This is a vi area where people usually drive in, and no one would take a taxi. Even if someone wants to, they would have to walk to the entrance of the vi area. ¡°It¡¯s at least two or three miles to walk from here.¡± After Audrey finishedining, she angrily stomped her foot and said, ¡± Forget it. I¡¯ll go inside and ask Father to arrange a driver for us!¡± Catherine grabbed Audrey, who was about to leave. ¡°Now that Johnathan carried out this matter, how could the Swanns offer assistance at such a time? ¡°If it were to cause amotion, the Swanns would face the embarrassment, she thought. Korbin was undoubtedly not going to provide any assistance. Catherine knew that without even having to think about it. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll figure it out!¡± She wouldn¡¯t be stumped by a car. Catherine seemed to have the magical ability to instantly calm the listener¡¯s agitated heart with a simple sentence. Such was the case with Audrey. She lost all her previous anxiety and uneasiness in a moment, obediently following behind Catherine to walk out. They walked out of the parking lot and saw a man in a ck coat standing not far away. The man leaned his slender body against a ck Bentley in the chilly wind. His clean and neat bangs partially concealed the deep eyes. Those bright moon-like eyes were gazing ahead, shimmering like clearkes. A gentle breeze brushed against the hem of his clothes, causing the loosely scattered ribbons to flutter about and bringing a slight hint of coldness. Seeing Catherine approaching, he quickened his pace toward her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked Catherine. As he saw Catherine¡¯s face, the man¡¯s initially icy, deep eyes thawed instantly, as gentle as the moonlight tonight. ¡°I know that the Langs are holding a birthday banquet, and you woulde, so I came here to take a look. If we meet coincidentally, I can give you a ride home.¡± Standing behind him, Paxton couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of anguish as he heard Branden¡¯s words. ¡°Has it anything to do with coincidence? He has been waiting for two hours already! ¡°His legs were shivering so much from the cold wind!¡± he said inwardly. Catherine¡¯s cold gaze swept over the man¡¯s shoulder, and a beautiful curve appeared at the corner of her lips. Her sparkling eyes were filled with hidden meaning as she smiled. ¡°Then, it¡¯s such a coincidence!¡± The man chuckled without saying a word. Audrey, who was by Catherine¡¯s side, ran toward Branden slowly and eximed excitedly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, what perfect timing! It¡¯s like you read our minds. Our car broke down, and we were stuck here without a ride. It¡¯s so thoughtful of you to give us a ride!¡± From Audrey¡¯s words, Branden discerned the unspoken words. With a raised eyebrow, he looked at Catherine with his eyes filled with a questioning expression, seeking her opinion. Catherine shook her head discreetly. What she liked about this man was that he would consult her opinion. Men who reached his position had long been ustomed to giving orders and having a self- centered attitude toward everything. Branden was different. No matter how small the issue was, as long as it involved Catherine, he would take the initiative to ask her opinion and wouldn¡¯t make decisions on his own. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t want him to take action, Branden didn¡¯t insist. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get in the car. It¡¯s super windy outside!¡± Audrey was following Catherine, and Branden was in front of them. Branden was so sweet that he even blocked the car doorframe for Catherine while she was getting in, making people jealous. In Audrey¡¯s mind, the young and famous heir of the Duncans had always been a cold man, forever aloof and proud, towering above everyone else. ¡°How did he end up being taken down by my younger sister?¡± she wondered. Anyway, Audrey was super happy. She initially thought that Branden was helping because of the agreement between their families, but now it seemed that maybe he really liked Catherine. The car slowly pulled up to Audrey¡¯s house. It was unknown if it was intentional or what. The distance that should have taken only half an hour took Paxton an hour and a half. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The top-of-the-line luxury and high- performance Bentley drove slower than the beat-up old car gasping for breath next to it. As soon as the car came to a stop, Audrey pushed open the door and rushed out of the car without even looking back, shouting, ¡°Kathy, I need to use the bathroom. Take your time. It¡¯s not a problem if youe upter!¡± When Catherine saw Audrey running away as if being chased by a beast, she shook her head helplessly. Branden¡¯s eyesnded on the raised corner of Catherine¡¯s mouth, his clear eyes pausing for a moment before he smiled. The corner of his mouth curved in the exact same way as Catherine¡¯s. His voice was very soft and gentle.¡± Your sister is interesting!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Catherine replied. Branden reached out and rubbed Catherine¡¯s head gently. Her hair was very soft and fine and had not been damaged by various dyeing and perming treatments. So it was incredibly well taken care of. It felt extremelyfortable, which gave people a sense of satisfaction. Branden couldn¡¯t help but be addicted to touching it, repeatedly feeling it a few more times. ¡°Scumbag! Is he treating me as a little kitten or puppy and is addicted to touching me?¡± said Catherine inwardly. Just as she was about to lose her temper, Branden seemed to have guessed her thoughts and withdrew his hand quickly. He turned around and grabbed a little box from the side. The packaging of the small box was highly exquisite. With just one nce, one could tell it was pretty valuable. ¡°Here! I had someone reduce the amount of sugar by half. Just have one when you have nothing to do!¡± Catherine furrowed her eyebrows slightly, feeling somewhat displeased, but Branden stuffed the small box into her hands forcefully. ¡°Behave, listen to me. They are not as sweet as before and will raise your blood sugar levels faster.¡± This was a fast-acting pill. Branden specifically sought out a biomedical team to develop it to address Catherine¡¯s hypoglycemic symptoms. Upon hearing the exnation, Catherine appeared delighted as a contented cat, dly epting it. She was not incapable of treating her hypoglycemia. Though it might require some effort, it was not impossible to alleviate it. She had gotten used to this constant state of exhaustion as it was the only way to rest and replenish her energy fully. ¡°However, since this man cannot bear to see me tired, I will listen to him. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a not- so-sweet candy like this asionally,¡± she thought. ¡°Thank you!¡± Catherine shook the small box in her hand and stepped out of the car. Branden didn¡¯t try to convince her to stay as Catherine still had to attend school the next day. It was not good for her health to sleep toote. After confirming that Catherine had gone upstairs and receiving instructions, Paxton was ready to start the car. Suddenly, he caught sight of the figure standing in the shadows ahead. His piercing eyes darkened immediately as he said respectfully, ¡°Sir, there is someone ahead!¡± Chapter 193 Chapter 193 The ck Bentley that had initially started its engine came to a stop. Ronin knew that he had already been discovered. He slowly approached the ck Bentley, his young face carrying a cold and gloomy expression that did not belong to his age. It was solemn and intimidating. He carried a backpack and walked with a rigid and straight posture. If one did not make eye contact with him, they would mistake him for a studious and obedient young man. However, if one were to look into his clear ck and white eyes, one would see a piercingly cold gaze. Paxton stopped the car, releasing his hands from the steering wheel. He gripped the door handle with one hand and was ready to step out to engage inbat at any moment. Branden slowly lowered the car window. His gaze was coldly fixed on the outside. Ronin was nning to provoke Branden and show Branden how good he was at hitting where it hurt the most. However, Branden raised his eyebrow and said softly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to stand guard!¡± ¡°Stand guard? ¡°Stand guard?¡± said Ronin inwardly. He could hardly contain his anger anymore. ¡°I came to negotiate with this man, and this man actually said he was on guard. ¡°Is he saying he¡¯s a security guard? ¡°Man, that dude can really spit some venomous words,¡± he said inwardly. He knew that Catherine would attend a birthday banquet in the evening and was worried that Catherine would not be ustomed to the food outside, so he specially wrapped up some fruit pizza and brought it over. It was still steaming hot. Instead of seeing Audrey¡¯s car returning, he saw a shy Bentley parked downstairs at Audrey¡¯s apartment. When he saw Audrey rushing out of the car, he knew that the yboy had begun his amorous pursuits once again. With a face full of disdain, he originally nned to remind Catherine after she got out of the car. Surprisingly, after Audrey exited the car, Catherine still hadn¡¯t gotten off. Through the car window, he saw the despicable man daringly extend his hand to pat his boss¡¯ head as if petting a small pet. ¡°Oh my goodness, can this scumbag do such a thing? ¡°I¡¯m gonna chop off that bastard¡¯s hands, and nobody can stop me,¡± he thought. After suppressing his inner anger with rationality, he finally rushed forward once Catherine exited the car. He was prepared to teach that guy a lesson but was taken aback when the guy imed he was on guard. ¡°How despicable and vulgar this man is!¡± thought Ronin. After a long while, he finally regained his composure. He gave Branden a dismissive nce and looked at him with disdain. He snorted and said, ¡°Speak up. Are you interested in my boss?¡± Upon hearing this, Branden looked at him casually and said, ¡°I thought Kathy had already told you that we were dating.¡± After speaking, Branden stared at him, smiled slightly, leaned back slowly in his chair, and scanned Ronin with a casual gaze. The gaze made Ronin feel despised. ¡°What does this guy mean? ¡°Is he showing off that he¡¯s with the boss? Or is he indicating that my rtionship with my boss isn¡¯t close enough that she didn¡¯t tell me about something like this? ¡°No matter what, I cannot allow that despicable man to belittle me. ¡°And he¡¯s still using such an intimate nickname as Kathy? ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. I absolutely can¡¯t,¡± he said inwardly. With a stiff neck and an angry expression, Ronin stared at Branden and said, ¡°Of course, I know all about my boss¡¯ affairs. I am here to inspect you on her behalf and see if you are qualified enough. ¡°Do you know how prestigious my boss is? She¡¯s not someone that any ordinary man can get in touch with. Those who admire her lined up from Casier to Paris, but she wouldn¡¯t even spare a nce, understand?¡± Ronin thought that he finally managed to regain some ground this time. To his surprise, Branden gave a slight smile with a surprisingly gentle look in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right!¡± he agreed. ¡°What does he mean?¡± wondered Ronin. He didn¡¯t quite catch the meaning behind Branden¡¯s words before he heard Branden say indifferently, ¡°Kathy does have high standards. Otherwise, why would she be with me?¡± Ronin was momentarily speechless, feeling a sense of unease about making sarcastic remarks. ¡°If I argue with the bastard now and show my disgust toward him, aren¡¯t I saying that the boss has a bad taste and is interested in such trash? ¡°No way! I can¡¯t do it! ¡°My boss has always been wise, brave, and extraordinarily intelligent. It¡¯s impossible for her to have a misjudgment,¡± he thought. Ronin couldn¡¯t find any reason to refute, so he sulked. In this round, Ronin suffered aplete defeat in his battle with Branden. Although somewhat reluctant and inexplicably feeling like he was being pushed into a trap, Ronin had to admit that Branden could indeed be considered outstanding. He had heard of the power of the Duncans, and it was said that they were unrivaled in Casier. They possessed overwhelming authority and were a force to be reckoned with. At a young age, Branden had surpassed his uncles and older rtives, directly inheriting the position of head of the Duncans. This demonstrated his incredible abilities. However, for Ronin, no matter how powerful Branden was, as long as Branden couldn¡¯t convince him, it didn¡¯t matter. Even if the great God himself appeared, he wouldn¡¯t change his attitude. ¡°I must warn you that my boss is very honorable. If you are in a rtionship with her, you must adhere to the principles of being a good husband and obey the virtue of men. Do you understand?¡± Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Paxton almost had a stroke when he heard Ronin¡¯s arrogant words. ¡°Is this kid crazy or what? He wants Mr. Duncan to obey the virtue of men! ¡°Does he even know the status of Mr. Duncan? ¡°Ridiculous!¡± he thought. As the party involved, Branden listened to Ronin¡¯s words with a calm and elegant expression, showing no hint of anger. Instead, he propped his chin up with one hand and looked at Ronin with an interested gaze. ¡°Share your thoughts!¡± Ronin initially intended to humiliate Branden and turn the tables on him, but unexpectedly, Branden became interested in his words. ¡°Since that¡¯s how it is, I should just have a good chat with him,¡± thought Ronin. ¡°It¡¯s super easy to be a good husband. All you have to do is be devoted to my boss while you¡¯re together. You should treat her with all your heart and never cheat on her, or else¡­ I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Chop off your penis¡± was what he wanted to say. But he didn¡¯t dare to say the second half of the sentence out loud. He hesitated briefly before emphasizing, ¡± Anyway, the consequences are very serious, you know what I mean.¡± Branden just gave a slight nod and replied with a simple word. ¡°Okay!¡± Ronin did not argue with Branden. In his view, a man of Branden¡¯s status would not make promises easily, so if he agreed to something, he would follow through on it. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Regarding this matter, he still trusted Branden. Due to Branden¡¯s prompt response, Ronin¡¯s gaze toward him changed, at least without the previous disdain and contempt. However, he was not so easily convinced. After all, concerned his boss, who was more important than his life. ¡°Next is the virtue of men, which is also easy! ¡°My boss has a bad temper. You mustply with her opinions, obey hermands, and respect her decisions! ¡°As for the other requirements, I have not decided yet. Let¡¯s see your performance and decideter on!¡± After he spoke domineeringly, he fixed his gaze on Branden, awaiting his response. He didn¡¯t believe that such a man, wielding power and standing on a pedestal, would agree to such harsh conditions. Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Catherine received a call from Ronin just after showering in the bathroom. She wouldn¡¯t have bothered to answer Ronin¡¯s call if it weren¡¯t for the phone ringing incessantly on the bed. Pressing the hands-free button, Catherine casually tossed her phone aside andzily leaned back on the bed, waiting for Ronin to speak. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Boss, listen up! I have to tell you something super exciting, and it¡¯s about someone. Can you guess who this person is?¡± Catherine squinted, adjusted slightly, and casually blurted out a name. Ronin was stunned on the other end of the phone. His suddenly elevated voice through the speaker was transmitted directly into Catherine¡¯s ears. ¡°Oh my God, Boss, how did you guess so urately?¡± The next second, he realized and asked cautiously, ¡°Did Branden tell you?¡± Catherine rolled her eyes. ¡°Why do I always have to deal with these things all day?¡± she thought. Unable to restrain herself, she made a few sarcasticments. ¡°Do you think you can hide downstairs like a sneaky ghost, and nobody can see you?¡± Even though it was over the phone, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but instinctively shrink his neck. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Catherine could see through him because Catherine was a god-like existence. It was reasonable for her to see through things. ¡°Boss, let me tell you. I just had a showdown with Branden. I demanded that he adhere to the principles of a good husband and follow the virtue of men!¡± he said. ¡°The principles of a good husband? ¡°The virtue of men?¡± wondered Catherine. She couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. Only a kid with a wild imagination like Ronin coulde up with such an absurd idea. It¡¯s ridiculous,¡± she thought. ¡°So, what happened?¡± Catherine asked. Ronin eximed in shock, ¡°He said yes to everything!¡± Then, he repeated his requirements for Branden. Let alone Branden; even he felt he was being a little too outrageous. However, it was unexpected that Branden agreed to everything he proposed. When Ronin thought of the scene where Branden had agreed to his requirements, he couldn¡¯t help but shudder. He finally realized and wondered, ¡± How did I have the audacity to make such a request to Branden then?¡± He still remembered that Branden nodded and agreed without any hesitation immediately after he finished speaking. Then, Branden nced at him casually. At that moment, he felt a strong sense of oppression, as if a tornado had swept toward him, pressing him down and nearly suffocating him. Branden asked him coldly, ¡°Have you finished?¡± Ronin had no time for any other response, so he could only nod silently. Then, Branden closed the car window, and the ck Bentley disappeared into the night, leaving only the smell of exhaust that lingered on the road for a long time. Ronin excitedly recounted the thrilling scene that had just taken ce, eagerly awaiting Catherine¡¯s response. In his opinion, his boss must also be shocked. After all, the man was Branden! In the next second, a cold and t voice sounded in the ear of Ronin. ¡°Have you finished?¡± Ronin had a particr illusion as if he had heard Branden repeat it. ¡°The two not only said the exact same thing, but astonishingly, their tone was so simr that it was as if one person was speaking,¡± he thought. Ronin replied honestly, ¡°Yes!¡± After that, he heard: [Beep, beep, beep¡­. The sound of the telephone hanging up came through. Ronin stared nkly at his phone for three seconds. On his handsome face, his lips curved up widely, revealing a bright smile. After a few seconds of sillyughter, he finally reacted and eximed excitedly to himself, ¡°Hahaha, the boss is always the boss. No matter what happens, she can stay so calm and collected.¡± In Catherine¡¯s room. After hanging up the phone, Catherine stared at her phone for a moment. A rare smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of her mouth, even with a hint of a smile in her eyes. She could imagine Ronin¡¯s lively personality and his bouncing around in front of Branden. However, it was unexpected that Branden would actually cooperate and agree to the immature terms. ¡°This man is truly interesting!¡± she said inwardly. The next day. When Catherine was about to ride her motorcycle to school, she saw the same Bentley parked downstairs. She nced at the key in her hand and smiled slightly. Apparently, the motorcycle that Ronin had prepared for her would umte dust in the garage. Branden always came to pick her up, like he knew her schedule. Catherine did not mind how Branden knew about her whereabouts or even her departure time. In her opinion, it was simply the power of this man. As long as it didn¡¯t bother her, she didn¡¯t mind. She headed straight to the car. Paxton respectfully greeted her, ¡°Good morning, Miss Swann!¡± Subsequently, he opened the car door and invited her to sit. When the car door opened, Catherine saw Branden inside, still working. The manzily sat in the car seat with a rxed attitude. His straight back firmly rested against the cushion while his long legs were crossed in front of him. Before him was aputer. His profound and dazzling ck eyes were fixed on theputer screen as he dealt with some businesses. From Catherine¡¯s perspective, she happened to catch a glimpse of the man¡¯s profile. His impable features were eye- catching, with perfectly carved facial contours, making it impossible for one¡¯s eyes to look away. What made Catherine most jealous was the man¡¯s eyshes above his star-like eyes. They were thick, long, and curly. She could notprehend what this man had consumed to grow such a handsome face. When Catherine got in the car, Branden closed hisputer screen, pushed the small table aside, and turned to her with effortless grace. His movements were as elegant as a perfect performance. As their eyes met, Catherine pursed her lips softly and responded casually and carefreely, ¡°If you have work to attend to, go ahead!¡± Branden reached out to take her hand naturally, only to find it was cold. His beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly. ¡°Your hands are so cold. Are you not wearing enough clothes?¡± As Branden nced at Catherine¡¯s dark -colored, thin clothes, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight disapproval. Catherine lowered her head and took a nce. Seeing his movements appear so natural, she couldn¡¯t help but say inwardly, ¡°He certainly was skilled at this.¡± Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t respond, Branden decided not to wait any longer and directly instructed Paxton in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Turn on the heater!¡± Paxton was left dumbfounded. ¡°It is nearly ny degrees outside. He wants me to turn on the heater?¡± he said inwardly. Before Paxton could react, Catherine immediately opened her mouth to stop Branden. ¡°No need. I am not cold,¡± she said. Without themand from Branden, Paxton remained stationary, uncertain whether to turn it on. Seeing that Branden was so stubborn, Catherine had to exin herself. ¡°I like to wash my hands with cold water!¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s exnation, Branden furrowed his brows even tighter. ¡°The girl is so young, but she¡¯s got quite a few bad habits. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s gonna be more headaches for me in the future,¡± he thought. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Arriving at ss 8, Catherine walked to her seat and sat down as usual. Under the supervision of Branden, her blood sugar control had been good, and she was not as tired as before during this period. It was no longer like before, where she would immediately lie down and fall asleep upon entering the ssroom. Ronin sat to the side, observing his boss from across the aisle. Since Catherine entered the ssroom, she never even nced at Ronin. It was apparent that Ronin had prepared breakfast in vain today. After feeling down for three seconds, Ronin quickly regained his lively demeanor and scampered over to Catherine joyfully. ¡°Boss, wanna drink some hot coffee?¡± Catherine had another hobby. She liked to drink hot coffee. Apart from rose liqueur, Ronin always had a variety of fragrant coffee beans with him. He boiled the coffee until it was slightly hot and served it to Catherine. Catherine did not refuse and extended her hand toward Ronin. Immediately, Ronin handed the cup of coffee to Catherine. ¡°Boss, please be careful. It¡¯s a little hot! Since Catherine appeared in ss 8, it was destined that she would be the focus of attention no matter what. At first, everyone in ss 8 thought that she would be quickly eliminated due to her inability to adapt. But who would¡¯ve thought that the big shot of ss 8, Bryan, would be Catherine¡¯sckey while Catherine would be the biggest boss in the entire grade since the moment she stood up against the Student Union president? Some students noticed that Catherine didn¡¯t start resting like she usually did, so their thoughts became restless. A group of girls gathered together and approached Catherine cautiously. They dared not approach Catherine too closely, keeping their gazes tightly fixed on her. Ronin did not like these girls. It was apparent that they did not have good intentions. He was just about to intervene and protect Catherine when she spoke up. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Shezily leaned against the back of the chair with her chin slightly lifted, squinting her eyes and looking at them calmly. The seeminglyzy but piercing gaze made the girls feel a sudden tremor in their hearts. However, they were not intimidated, which aroused Catherine¡¯s curiosity about their purpose for approaching her. She raised her eyelids slightly. One of the girls understood Catherine¡¯s gesture and took the initiative to speak about her purpose. ¡°Catherine, we¡¯ve been watching you and your sister¡¯s variety show.¡± Someone started it. Everyone else couldn¡¯t bear to be outdone and eagerly chimed in, saying, ¡°Yeah, we watched every single episode!¡± In fact, they weren¡¯t paying attention to Catherine at all. From the moment they heard that she would be on it, they were curious to see how she would embarrass herself. Surprisingly, Catherine not only did not embarrass herself but became famous after appearing on the variety show, which was quite desirable. ¡°And then?¡± Catherine patiently waited for the next part of the story. Seeing that Catherine did not drive them away and was listening to them talk patiently, the few girls got excited and started chatting around her. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re so impressive! You know Grayson Clifford!¡± ¡°Yes, you even know Peerless Grayson, and he says that you are a very important person to him.¡± ¡°Peerless Grayson is my lifelong idol. Could you please help me get his autograph?¡± From the chatter of these girls, Catherine managed to figure it out. ¡°So they came here for Grayson Clifford. No wonder those few people who always avoided me had the guts toe up and talk to me directly today. ¡°Looks like the power of idols is still strong. ¡°Every difficulty bes insignificant for a star-struck girl,¡± she thought. With a slight smile, Catherine summed up the purpose of their trip. ¡°Do you want his autograph?¡± The few girls nodded as if they saw hope, their eyes filled with excitement as they looked at Catherine. ¡°Can we? If that¡¯s possible, please!¡± Their attitude was okay. Since they were ssmates and Catherine was not mean, she did not intend to make things difficult for them. ¡°I heard that Grayson only attended an episode. If I bump into him next time, I will get some autographed photos for you all!¡± Although Catherine did not give a definite answer, it was enough to make the girls happy. At first, they had presumed that with Catherine¡¯s aloof personality, she might even scold them. However, they were pleasantly surprised by Catherine¡¯s quick eptance. They also knew that Grayson would only be a guest on one episode. However, it was a pleasant surprise that Catherine agreed to their request. The few girls looked gratefully at Catherine, constantly expressing their thanks. After they left, Ronin reluctantly approached Catherine and muttered, ¡± Boss, why did you say yes? These people usually look at you with disdain. Why bother with them?¡± Although having that brat Grayson sign a few words would be very simple, Ronin did not want to do so. Those who did not like his boss were hated and cursed by him. Upon hearing Ronin¡¯s words, Bryan couldn¡¯t help but frown and look at him disdainfully. ¡°You¡¯re a man. How can you be so narrow-minded and petty? Can¡¯t you be more open-minded?¡± If those words were spoken by Catherine, Ronin would take it as a warning and listen to them obediently. When someone else, especially Bryan, said it, it was considered a provocation. Ronin instantly became furious, like a cat on a.rampage. He mmed the table and gave Bryan a fierce re. ¡°You brat! Say it again! ¡°So what if I¡¯m petty and narrow- minded? If you¡¯re open-minded, then why don¡¯t you step up?¡± Bryan shouted aggressively, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Seeing the two about to argue again, Catherine mmed the book in her hands onto the table impatiently. [Bang!] With a deafening sound, the ssroom fell silent. Catherine took a nce around. Both of them lowered their heads obediently, showing an expression of guilt. Seeing that the two were quiet, Catherine scolded impatiently, ¡°Do you think you are still in kindergarten? ¡°You are arguing every day. Don¡¯t you get tired? If you want to keep arguing, then get lost! All of you!¡± One ¡°get lost¡± made Ronin so scared that the blood drained from his face. He looked as pale as a ghost. He immediately apologized and promised Catherine that he wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Boss, I swear I won¡¯t do it again. Please don¡¯t kick me out, I beg you!¡± Catherine crossed her arms and didn¡¯t say anything. Seeing that she was still angry, Ronin quickly signaled to Bryan with his eyes. Although Bryan was reluctant and felt that the fault was not his, he didn¡¯t want to be driven away by Catherine and obediently lowered his head to apologize. ¡°Boss, we were wrong. I won¡¯t argue with Ronin again!¡± ¡°At least not in front of you,¡± he continued inwardly. Both parties admitted their mistakes with a unified attitude and maintained a friendly and dignified demeanor. Catherine wanted to quiet her mind so she didn¡¯t make things difficult for them. ¡°If you keep making trouble, just get lost!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± The two of them promised in unison. Catheriney down to rest and ignored them. Ronin and Bryan were exchanging blows remotely again, but they wised up this time. They didn¡¯t argue but instead exchanged fiery nces. After all, neither of them liked each other. Bryan thought Ronin was too brutal and didn¡¯t follow the rules when doing things. Ronin couldn¡¯t stand how Bryan always acted like a spoiled brat. ¡°Just because he¡¯s a rich kid, does that make him special?¡± he thought. Long story short, they were born enemies. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 During the school celebration g auditionsst time, the results of Catherine¡¯s group were not announced due to their questioning of the Student Union. Later on, the president of the Student Union voluntarily resigned due to corruption and misconduct within the Student Union. The authority to judge was given to the music department¡¯s teachers. After watching the recording of that day, they granted Catherine¡¯s group the qualification to advance directly. Half of the candidates made it through the auditions, and the other half wouldpete in the next round. After the first round of thepetition was over, there was still the second round to go. The finals would be the performance at the school anniversary celebration. The entire school would vote on the finals, including teachers, students, and notable alumni. The best performance would be chosen to be the overall champion. The school held this celebration g with great grandeur. Many people were scrambling to be crowned the champions. Even if they couldn¡¯t win the ultimate championship, it was still great to make it to the finals. After all, the school had put a lot of effort this time to invite the excellent alums. They were all business elites, including many top-notch leaders. If this news had been released from the beginning, people would undoubtedly have applied for it on their own. George would not have needed to go through so much trouble seeking people to apply for it. Other ssmates had already begun preparing actively, but Catherine¡¯s group had not made any further moves after stunning at the audition. Honestly, this really baffled some students. Some rumors even said that Catherine¡¯s group only performed wellst time because of luck. After all, someone like Bryan just learned to y at thest minute. How could he have any real skills? At first, these rumors were whispered. However, people started to believe it more as Catherine¡¯s attitude toward the game reinforced the rumors. Catherine¡¯s three-person group was the most rxed. When she was not sleeping, she was ying games. But she followed the ss rules and would never do these things during ss time. The teachers stayed out of her business, and she would show the teachers some basic respect and not cause any trouble for her ssmates. After the ss, Ronin noticed Catherine staring at her phone. He thought she was ying a game and was about to invite her to y together. Approaching her, he was surprised to find that Catherine was writing musical scores on her phone. Ronin was surprised. ¡°Boss, isn¡¯t it just a celebration g? Are you really taking it seriously?¡± Catherine turned her head and gave him a cold nce. At that moment, Ronin felt like he was in the center of a tornado, enduring immense pressure and almost suffocating. Just as Ronin was about topromise and apologize, Catherine suddenly asked, ¡°When have I ever not been serious about the things I want to do?¡± Ronin dared not question her andughed obsequiously, saying, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re absolutely right. Your attitude is worth learning for all of us. Undoubtedly, we will be the champions of the finals!¡± ¡°Others might not know about my boss¡¯s capability, but I know it clearly,¡± he thought. Those few songs that made Grayson famous were all made for him by Catherine, and it was just done casually without much effort. At that time, Grayson rose to fame with a single song andter became a legend. It could be said that Grayson wouldn¡¯t be where he is today without Catherine. When Grayson¡¯s first song came out, it was hailed by all music critics as a masterpiece. Not only was theposition excellent, but it also had great poprity, making it the epitome of perfection. ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about a small school celebration g? ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of reaching out and grabbing it for us,¡± thought Ronin. Listening to Ronin¡¯s lengthy speech, Catherine raised an eyebrow at him. 11 Okay, stop kissing up. Go have fun by yourself.¡± Ronin knew that Catherine didn¡¯t like to be disturbed when she was working, so he quickly returned to his seat. He didn¡¯t y alone. He must keep watch over his boss to prevent others from bothering her because Catherine would be unhappy if disturbed. He did not wish for her to be unhappy. Catherine couldn¡¯t care less about the championship. She didn¡¯t need to chase after fame and wealth either. She found the newly formed group quite interesting. Naturally, Ronin¡¯s excellence went without saying, but she didn¡¯t expect Bryan to cooperate so well and be so in sync. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. All of these things sparked her inspiration. Since she had some free time, she decided to create something. After school, Branden messaged Catherine, saying that Triston was treating them to dinner tonight, and invited her toe along. ¡°Triston was truly idle!¡± thought Catherine. She was just about to reply when she received a call from Audrey. ¡°Kathy, let¡¯s have a barbecue together tonight. I have no work today, so I must indulge tonight!¡± Catherine thought that whenever Triston was around, there should be a barbecue. After all, that guy was also a barbecue enthusiast. So she invited Audrey toe along. When Audrey heard it, she got all excited. ¡°Is Mr. Duncan inviting us for dinner? Sure! Following him means I get to eat and drink like a king!¡± ¡°It is not Branden but Triston Lambert who would treat us to dinner tonight,¡± replied Catherine. After Catherine exined the situation, there was an obvious two to three seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. After a short while, Audrey¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Kathy, Kim suddenly hit me up with something. I can¡¯t go in the evening. Go by yourself!¡± After talking, she immediately hung up the phone without waiting for Catherine to respond. Catherine looked down, furrowing her eyebrows, staring at the pitch-ck screen. ¡°She¡¯s excitedly telling me there¡¯s no work one second ago, and the next, she¡¯s saying there¡¯s an urgent matter. Seriously, if she¡¯s going to lie, at least make it believable,¡± thought Catherine, feeling Audrey had been acting super weirdtely. And also, it seemed to be rted to Triston. ¡°If thest time they came back together from the film set was a coincidence, then is it also a coincidence this time?¡± she wondered. Catherine did not want to get involved too much in Audrey¡¯s affairs. As she walked out of the school gate, Branden¡¯s car was already parked at the entrance. Catherine walked straight toward the car, where Branden was leaning against the door and waiting for her. As Catherine approached the car door, hurried footsteps could be heard behind her. Ronin happened to overhear Catherine¡¯s phone call before leaving, but by the time he was ready to follow, Catherine had already disappeared. To catch up with her, Ronin called Bryan together. At that moment, the two finally had a harmonious rtionship. Branden raised his gaze. His eyes gleamed like ck gemstones, emitting a chilling light as it swept over the two. The hurried steps of the two suddenly stopped, and they froze in ce instinctively. Bryan was afraid of nothing but his uncle Branden. As he watched Branden¡¯s darkened expression, he could sense that Branden was on the verge of losing his temper. Bryan immediately changed his expression and frowned at Ronin next to him, saying, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, brat? Why did you drag me over here?¡± Ronin was left dumbfounded. He was cursing inwardly and wanted to throw a fuckingndmine at Bryan to blow him up. With one hand behind his back, Bryan tugged on Ronin¡¯s sleeve and gestured a few times. Ronin understood Bryan¡¯s plea and swallowed his anger forcibly. They were now on the same side, and there was no way to plot against each other. Ronin always felt an intense beam of light shining upon him at this time, so he instinctively looked up and met Catherine¡¯s cold gaze. His face stiffened, and he was so scared that he almost choked on his saliva. ¡°Boss, I¡­¡± Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Catherine raised her eyebrows and waited for Ronin¡¯s next words. Ronin originally had a spirited look, but he instantly drooped after meeting Catherine¡¯s gaze. He knew that Catherine was waiting for his next words, but he was terrified in his heart and dared not continue. He asked trembly, ¡°Boss, are you going to dinner?¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Catherine replied. Ronin couldn¡¯t tell what her mood was at the moment. He continued cautiously, ¡°How about you take me with you? I have nowhere to have dinner yet!¡± His pathetic look would make those who didn¡¯t know the situation think Catherine was abusing her men. As Ronin spoke, he pulled Bryan¡¯s sleeve, signaling him to say something as well. It was not that Catherine didn¡¯t notice the interaction between the two. It was just that they were so funny that she didn¡¯t even know what to say. Bryan had just tricked Ronin once. He feared Ronin would get angry if he didn¡¯t help him now. Therefore, he still forced himself to speak despite Bryan¡¯s fear of his uncle¡¯s dominance. He looked toward his uncle¡¯s car. His uncle¡¯s car today was a luxurious and low-key McLaren. He had an idea instantly and said cleverly, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry. That car can¡¯t amodate so many people. I¡¯ll take Ronin¡¯s car!¡± The most prominent feature of this McLaren was its integrated central control, which meant that only two people could sit in the back seat. So Bryan arranged everything and put forward his ideas politely. Ronin secretly gave Bryan a thumbs up. He didn¡¯t expect that Bryan, a man from a wealthy family, could almost be as cheeky as he was. The two of them looked pitifully at Catherine with the same gaze. Catherine didn¡¯t make a decision and turned her head to look at Branden. Branden nced coldly at the two of them. He didn¡¯t know that these two boys were addicted to following Catherine. Since they liked to follow Catherine, he would just let them. ¡°Okay!¡± After finishing speaking generously, he opened.the car door and led Catherine into the car. As soon as the two of them got into the car, Bryan and Ronin, who were standing at the window, heard the ¡± snap¡± sound of the central locking system. The car was locked, blocking Bryan and Ronin outside. With a faint nce, Branden looked at Bryan and Ronin outside the car window. He curled his thin lips gently into a smile, which looked very sinister. Paxton had been with Branden for many years and understood him the most. The high-performance McLaren was driven away with just one step on the elerator. Ronin and Bryan breathed in a lot of exhaust fumes, and their faces twisted with anger. Seeing Bryan standing still without moving, Ronin said disgustedly, ¡± Alright, stop looking at it. They¡¯ve already gone. Hurry up and get in the car to catch up!¡± Catherine leaned backzily on the back seat of the car. Watching the childish actions of the three men, she couldn¡¯t help but want tough. The ce where Triston hosted the banquet was the Charm Bar, which was also thergest entertainment venue in the entire Casier. Watching the vast group of peoplee in, Triston grinned happily. ncing around, he realized that all these people were rted to Catherine. It went without saying who they hade for. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Catherine, thank you foring. You brought so many people here. I like it. The more the merrier!¡± Facing Triston with an oily look, Catherine was filled with disgust. Fortunately, she was used to being cold, and Triston didn¡¯t dare to be reckless in front of her. With Branden, a big shot protecting her, who dared to make a scene in front of her? If she were anyone else, Triston would have rushed up and given her a big hug first. Triston suddenly asked, ¡°Everyone else came, but why didn¡¯t your sister Audreye?¡± Upon hearing Audrey¡¯s name, Catherine¡¯s eyes shed a hint of strangeness. And then she fixed her gaze on Triston¡¯s face as she asked, ¡± 11 She has an event to attend tonight. Why? You¡¯re dying for her toe?¡± Triston replied generously, ¡°Yes, of course. The more, the merrier, and Audrey has a good personality. I like being with friends who get along!¡± His attitude was sincere and generous, and he had no guilty look. Upon seeing that, Catherine felt that the reason for the change in Audrey¡¯s attitude just now could not be attributed to him. But Triston, who finally returned to his senses after a while, looked at Catherine with a fearful; gaze. ¡°Catherine, why are you staring at me like that? Could it be¡­ Before he could finish his words, Catherine said, ¡°You have a pimple on your face!¡± After saying that, Catherine sidled around Triston and entered the private room. Triston had indeed had some insomnia during this time. After staying upte every day recently, he had a small pimple on his face. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to notice it.. He couldn¡¯t help but ask himself, ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Ronin followed Catherine into the private room. As he passed by Triston¡¯s side, he ridiculed coldly, ¡°Your pores are huge!¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Triston became angry. He stopped Bryan, who was walking at the end of the line, and put his arm around his shoulder threateningly. ¡°Bryan, tell me. Do I look that bad?¡± Bryan hated it when Triston spoke to him threateningly just because he was his uncle¡¯s peer. And what he couldn¡¯t bear the most was when Triston called him ¡°Bryan¡± in a disgusting tone. Triston refused to change even after Bryan had asked him many times. He was simply seeking death. Bryan pushed Triston away with a look of disgust and said nonchntly, ¡°If you have time, wash your face more often!¡± Triston froze instantly! So, how bad did he look now? So many people had despised him! Was his skin really hopeless? After entering the private room, Catherine realized that there were quite a few other people in it, and Aidan was there too. But she didn¡¯t pay much attention and walked along with Branden to sit at the seats. When he saw Catherine, Aidan was about to say hello, but his attention was drawn to Bryan behind him. He turned his head toward Bryan. ¡± Hey, yo. Bryan, right? I haven¡¯t seen you in a few years. I can¡¯t even recognize you!¡± Bryan frowned tightly, his handsome face turning livid. How could so many of them try to suppress and bully him because of their seniority? Aidan, however, kept talking as if he hadn¡¯t noticed that Bryan was already angry. ¡°You were only in elementary school when I went abroad, right? In the blink of an eye, you are so big now. It¡¯s rare that you¡¯re willing to follow your uncle today.¡± He could remember Bryan being very rebellious from a young age. He was always fearless, and only his uncle Branden could suppress him. But it was normal. After all, there was no one Branden could not suppress. Bryan red at Aidan with dissatisfaction and denied instantly, ¡°I followed Boss here, not my uncle!¡± Aidan was deliberately making fun of Bryan, trying to piss him off for fun. He didn¡¯t expect Bryan to give him such an answer and confuse him. ¡± Boss?¡± His eyes swept over Branden and the group. He didn¡¯t believe Bryan had the guts to challenge Branden, calling him ¡°Boss¡± instead of ¡°Uncle.¡± Could it be that the ¡°Boss¡± Bryan referred to was the cute boy on the side with a backpack? Branden¡¯s expression changed when he heard the way Bryan addressed Catherine. His well-defined and slender fingers rubbed back and forth at the position of his chin. He was thinking, ¡°Maybe now is the time. I should find a time for Grandpa to teach Bryan the importance of honor and respect for the elder and the difference between the elder and the young.¡± Bryan didn¡¯t know that his uncle was nning to torture him, and he was still focused on expressing his displeasure toward Aidan. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Triston entered the door with his head and shoulders hanging down. He was covered in water stains, causing Aidan to be surprised for a moment. ¡°What the fuck. Mr. Lambert, did you stick your head into a ditch?¡± Triston nced at Aidan coldly and said impatiently, ¡°Fuck off. You¡¯re the one whose head was stuck in the toilet. Don¡¯t bother me. Can¡¯t you see a pimple had popped up on my face?¡± Aidan didn¡¯t want to lose to Triston and retorted casually, ¡°You¡¯ve got pimples, and you still want to have barbecued food? You should eat something light.¡± ¡°I like it. Who do you think you are to meddle in my business!¡± With one hand supporting her chin, Catherine propped her head on the table as she watched their verbal battle. It was as if she were watching an extremely entertainingedy show. Aidan and Triston were used to having verbal battles since they were young, and after a while, they sat down to have dinner. Triston liked lively environments and was not used to eating without banter or games. He waved his hand and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t just enjoy the food silently. Come on. How about let¡¯s y some games to cheer up?¡± The crowd nced at him and stared at him with disdain. Triston didn¡¯t mind it. His friends always had this attitude toward him, and he¡¯s used to it. Without waiting for anyone to agree with his suggestion, Triston got the waiters to serve alcoholic drinks, cleared the middle section of the table, and ced an empty bottle there. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s y Truth or Dare. The yer is whoever the bottle mouth points to. Whoever does not dare to y should leave right now. I won¡¯t force you to stay!¡± Seeing him in such high spirits, the crowd went along with him. Branden nced sideways at Catherine. Her expression remained unchanged. She didn¡¯t look like she did not want to y the game, so he didn¡¯t object to Triston¡¯s suggestion either. For Catherine, it was normal for everyone to have some entertainment after dinner. Others shared Catherine¡¯s thoughts. So, under the passionate call of Triston, the game of Truth or Dare officially began. The games started from left to right. No one expected Triston to be the first yer appointed by the spinning bottle. Everyone nced at him, waiting to see what would happen. Someone teased, ¡°Mr. Lambert, is there a restriction to the game? Or any request is okay?¡± Triston did not expect himself to be that unlucky. He was the proposer of the game, and he was also the first to y the game. But he had no choice. He could only brace himself to continue ying the game. Furthermore, he was the one who proposed it. If he pulled out of the game right now, how would he face his friends in the future? Triston waved his hand generously to express his thoughts about the game. Any request is fine. There is no restriction.¡± Hearing this, the crowd became agitated, and that man asked Triston, ¡± Mr. Lambert, when was thest time you had s3x?¡± That man wasn¡¯t afraid of offending Triston, and the crowd¡¯s spirits rose again. After hearing the question, Triston froze. He hadn¡¯t expected that man to ask such a private and embarrassing question. Everyone was waiting for him to answer, and he could only force himself to give it. ¡°It was not long ago, the night I hosted the housewarming party!¡± The man who asked the question teased, ¡°Haha, I thought it wasst night. It looks like Mr. Lambert is restraining himself!¡± Triston¡¯s answer attracted the attention of the jokers in the group, and also Catherine¡¯s. She had been watching from the side. If she remembered correctly, she and Audrey had been there the day Triston. moved into his new apartment, and it seemed that something had been off about Audrey since that day. Could it be¡­ Triston waved his hand impatiently and said, ¡°Okay, stop yakking. I¡¯ve done my turn, and it¡¯s my turn to spin the destiny bottle!¡± He spun it violently, and the bottle spun wildly in the middle of the table. The crowd stared intently at the bottle. Their heartbeats began to speed up, and their eyes rolled in time with the bottle¡¯s rotation in excitement. The moment the bottle stopped, the crowd silently took a deep breath. No one expected the bottle to¡­ stop in front of¡­ Branden. That was awkward! Even Triston swallowed silently and gazed cautiously at Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan?¡± Branden rested one of his hands on the back of Catherine¡¯s chair. Leaningzily against the back of his chair, he narrowed his eyes. His gaze seemed to be ignoring everything before him. Three buttons on his cor from top to bottom were unbuttoned, giving him a sense of casual yet domineering arrogance and recklessness. ¡°Truth!¡± His simple word was like an irresistiblemand. Triston instantly smiled andughed tteringly. ¡°Mr. Duncan, remember what you said. There is no restriction. Here Ie!¡± Triston said as if he would not give any chances, but in his heart, he didn¡¯t dare to take it too far. The person at the receiving end of his question was Branden, who was as ruthless as a demon from hell. No one dared to offend him! Triston knew Branden very well. He knew clearly that Branden had a vengeful nature. If he made Branden unhappy now, Branden would not let him have a good time in the future either. Triston didn¡¯t want to be retaliated against. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g So Triston asked a simple question. ¡± Mr. Duncan, when was your first kiss?¡± Branden answered without any hesitation. His answer shocked everyone. ¡°Six years old!¡± There was silence after Branden said that. The crowd¡¯s gaze drifted back and forth between Branden and Catherine. Catherine leaned one hand under her chin and looked at the man on her side with her head tilted. In her twinkling eyes, there was an ambiguous smile. Her soft lips curled slowly, and she said softly, ¡°Six years old? When you were in kindergarten?¡± Ronin was indignant. Due to the recent incident, he thought Branden was a good man and started to like him as a person. He didn¡¯t expect Branden to start kissing a girl in kindergarten. He gritted his teeth and cursed in his heart, ¡°What an animal!¡± No one expected Catherine to question and tease Branden in public like this. Although everyone was afraid, they couldn¡¯t help but observe Branden and Catherine on the sly. They were curious to see Branden¡¯s reaction. No one could guarantee that Branden wouldn¡¯t get angry. After all, a man with such power had never been questioned, let alone in public. Branden¡¯s dark and deep pupils were like the soft night sky. He fixed his gaze on Catherine¡¯s face. His angr face was exceptionally handsome. With his thin lips parted slightly, a deep and maic voice slowly voicing out. ¡°Not when I was in kindergarten. Do you want to know?¡± Catherine stared into his teasing eyes. She curved her lips into a smile before replying. ¡°No!¡± She was not interested to know the details of his game of ying house as a child. After all, she kissed a little boy when she was over one year old. In thatparison, she didn¡¯t lose to Branden, right? Since Catherine stopped asking, no one dared to continue that topic. Gossip was interesting, but no one wanted to risk their life to gossip about Branden. No one dared to challenge Branden¡¯s authority, and the game continued. Most of the people ying the game had no secrets that they didn¡¯t dare to tell others. Finally, it was Aidan¡¯s turn to spin the bottle. Aidan had been waiting all night for his turn to spin the bottle. He had a n about how he would y the game in his heart. As such, even before it was his turn to spin the bottle, he was looking at everyone yfully. ¡°I demand that the next person chosen by the bottle must choose ¡®dare¡¯ and not ¡®truth¡¯!¡± The crowd was in high spirits and didn¡¯t care whether the next yer wanted to choose ¡°dare¡± or ¡°truth¡±. All they cared about were that they were having a good time, and they wanted to keep it going. The bottle began to spin. After spinning round and round, it finally stopped. The mouth of the bottle was pointing straight in Catherine¡¯s direction, and Aidan¡¯s heart burst with joy. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to get Catherine to choose. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Aidan rubbed his hands together in glee. His eyes were full of anticipation, but he asked for Catherine¡¯s opinion as a symbolic gesture. ¡°Catherine, is doing a ¡®dare¡¯ okay?¡± Did he dare to mess with Branden¡¯s woman? Of course, he doesn¡¯t dare to do so. He could only y the game with caution. Both Ronin and Bryan disagreed. The two tried to stop the game but were stopped by Catherine. Since she dared to sit there, she naturally would dare to y the game. And she could see that everyone in the room was expecting it. She said graciously, ¡°Go ahead!¡± Her attitude was the same as when Branden responded earlier, perhaps even more arrogantly. Aidan was so happy that he almost jumped up and apuded. ¡°Okay, Catherine. Great!¡± Although Catherine was Branden¡¯s woman, since she was willing to y the game, Branden couldn¡¯t me him. Aidan narrowed his eyes and showed an evil smile. He fixed his eyes on Catherine. ¡°Catherine, my request is simple. Kiss the person sitting to your left or right for three seconds.¡± Branden was sitting on Catherine¡¯s left while Ronin was on her right. Upon hearing this, each of the three had very different expressions. Ronin didn¡¯t expect Aidan, the junk, to think of such a perverted way of ying the game. Catherine was his boss, a sacred and invible being. Branden¡¯s posture remained unchanged. He satzily without even a slight change in his posture. But if one looked closely, one would see a wicked smile on the corner of his mouth. It was quite a meaningful and somewhat unpredictable smile. The private room instantly quieted down. The air around gave people a feeling of suffocation, and the smile on Aidan¡¯s face gradually froze. To avoid getting into trouble, he decided to do something to save himself. ¡°How about you choose the punishment? Catherine, you can do the ¡®dare¡¯ or drink three bottles of beer!¡± As soon as the words left his lips, Ronin picked up a bottle of beer. He knocked it sharply toward the table, and the metal cap leaped up with a pop. It was as though a performance as he did it so skillfully. ¡°I¡¯ll drink the beer for Boss!¡± Seeing that he had picked up the bottle of beer and was about to drink it without hesitation, Catherine stopped him. Ronin turned his head sideways in puzzlement, intending to ask the reason for her to stop him. Unexpectedly, Catherine turned her head away without even looking at him. She reached out to wrap her arms around Branden¡¯s neck in a domineering manner. Their gazes met. Branden¡¯s beautiful eyes were like a sea of stars with magic, causing Catherine to go into a trance momentarily. However, it was only for an instant as Catherine quickly came to her senses. The corners of her mouth curled into a shallow smile, making her look like a seductive siren with a deadly charm. The distance between the two was reduced to zero by Catherine. Her soft, thin lips approached Branden¡¯s cold and thin lips. The unique aroma from Branden¡¯s body surrounded Catherine¡¯s body, giving her a dreamy feeling. She closed her eyes silently to stop meeting Branden¡¯s eyes. Branden was the most powerful demon. He was the evil demon specializing in possessing people¡¯s hearts and souls. Everyone was stunned. Catherine was too domineering. They were careful whenever they talked to Branden, but Catherine dared to force a kiss on him! They thought in their hearts, ¡°Oh, my goodness. She¡¯s indeed a powerful girl.¡± Watching Catherine force a kiss on Branden, Ronin felt a surge of joy in his heart. In his heart, he kept rooting for Catherine. ¡°Boss, go! Kiss him to death. Show him your power.¡± Bryan looked at Ronin¡¯s excited expression with disdain. He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes and said, ¡°What¡¯s so happy about? Can¡¯t you tell who¡¯s at the losing end?¡± With Bryan¡¯s reminder, Ronin finally reacts. Right, his boss was a girl, after all. In the end, his boss is at the losing end! He immediately became angry. What should he do now? Catherine counted down three seconds silently in her mind. But as she counted down to thest second and was about to let Branden go, Branden suddenly pressed against her head with his hand. His flexible tongue skillfully pried open her soft red lips and slipped within. In just a short moment, he had taken over the situation. He had the control now. Fortunately, Branden did not have the habit of kissing in public. After deepening the kiss slightly, he let go of Catherine. Otherwise, the situation might be out of control. Ronin had picked up a bottle by then. He put down the bottle only after seeing that the scumbag, Branden, had loosened his grip on Catherine. That scene just now was inappropriate for children. Catherine noticed Branden¡¯s eyes were red as he let go of her. It could be seen how much control this man had used to restrain himself! Branden leaned back in his chair quietly. His hand, which was on the back of Catherine¡¯s chair a moment ago, had now fallen to rest on Catherine¡¯s waist in a natural movement. He gasped imperceptibly as his strong self-control constantly worked to restrain the aroused desire within him from showing. He lowered his eyes and nced at the tent at his lower body, chuckling in his heart silently. He dared not express too much. His girl was still young, and he didn¡¯t want to scare her. For some reason, it was as if this game stopped since the kiss ended. Everyone began to enjoy the food and drinks tacitly, and the bottle in the middle of the table, which was used as a game prop, was righted and set aside. The meal was over. If it weren¡¯t for Bryan¡¯s obstruction, Ronin would have squeezed into Branden¡¯s car. After being stopped, Ronin looked at Bryan with dissatisfaction and asked, ¡± Why did you stop me? ¡°I know there¡¯s only one seat left in that car. I could give you the key of my car. Couldn¡¯t you go back on your own?¡± Although it was his precious car, he could bear to give Bryan control of his precious car for the sake of his boss¡¯ safety. Bryan couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. He asked Ronin patiently, ¡°Why did you have to squeeze in that car?¡± Ronin replied without even thinking, To protect Boss. If you don¡¯t want to protect her, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Bryan scolded him coldly and turned to leave. Ronin chased after him. ¡°Bastard, what do you mean? Exin yourself!¡± Bryan didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to him. ¡°Does Ronin think of Uncle Branden as an ordinary person?¡± he thought. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine, why would Branden allow them to be so reckless in front of him? Branden was notorious for his brutality and would never give others a chance. Bryan had seen a lot of his uncle¡¯s cruel behavior ever since he was a child. If Ronin weren¡¯t so stupid, Bryan wouldn¡¯t have cared about his life or death. Besides, his uncle controlled himself so much earlier that even his eyes turned red. He believed his uncle would protect their boss. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Of course, they don¡¯t have to worry about their boss. Even if his uncle and their boss started a fight, he believed in their boss¡¯ ability. On the contrary, if Ronin, the idiot, followed in the car, there would only be one ending for him. That was death! Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Branden looked sideways and saw Catherine holding her face with one hand. She was leaning against the window with her eyes closed in a nap. He reached out to wrap his broad palm around Catherine¡¯s shoulders, exerting a slight force to make her lean into his arms. Catherine frowned slightly, thinking that Branden¡¯s movements of embracing her were bing more natural and proficient. Just as she was about to struggle, she heard the man¡¯s warm and maic low voice from above her head. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Taking a nap this way would be morefortable.¡± As Branden spoke, he pressed his cold fingertips repeatedly against Catherine¡¯s head, soothing her entire head. It was a pleasant feeling. Catherine, who had wanted to struggle free initially, closed her eyes infort as though a well-fed cat. The man¡¯s eyes lowered. He saw Catherine leaning against his abdomen with her eyes closed and her face full of cute looks. She now waspletely different from her usual indifferent and aloof look. She waspletely different from when she was on the motorcycle as she elerated, racing with the wind. And she was now alsopletely different from the domineering Catherine, who fought against many people alone inside Charm Bar. At this moment, Catherine was just like a well-behaved little girl. She was so cute that he couldn¡¯t help but stroke her. How many identities and appearances did she have? Branden didn¡¯t know. The only thing he knew was that this little girl continuously brings surprises. He didn¡¯t even want to investigate her. He just wanted to look forward to her brilliance every time, feeling her changes silently. Catherine didn¡¯t know how long has she slept, and this was the first time she had fallen asleep unconsciously. She was a particrly poor sleeper. Under normal circumstances, it was difficult for her to fall asleep. If she wasn¡¯t in a ce that made her feel extremely safe, her brain would remain on high alert even if asleep. Any noise and movement could wake her up immediately, and she rarely slept as deeply. When she opened her eyes, there was ckness in front of her. After a moment of confusion, she realized she was still in Branden¡¯s car, with her head resting on Branden¡¯s soft abdomen. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The man¡¯s gentle voice rang out inside the pitch-ck space, waking every single cell in Catherine¡¯s body instantly. She grunted. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± After that, she sat up slowly with her elbows propped on the cushions. The man¡¯s hand reached her neck and gently kneaded her slender neck with his fingertips. She fell asleep leaning against him just now. Now that she was awake, her neck was indeed sore. With his massage, she felt much better. She closed her eyes to enjoy the man¡¯s attentive service silently. ¡°How long did I sleep for?¡± she asked casually. ¡°About an hour!¡± Branden replied before handing Catherine coffee. ¡°Have some hot coffee. It will soothe your throat!¡± It was as if he had the power to read minds. He knew what she needed and wanted the most without her stating it. After a few sips of hot coffee, Catherine felt her whole body wasfortable and in good spirits. She never expected to sleep for such a long time. Subconsciously, she thought she had only slept for 10 minutes or so. ¡°Have you learned how to massage?¡± She realized that all the positions that the man massaged her at were just right. He massaged her precisely and patiently, which instantly relieved her fatigue. The man smiled faintly, and his handsome face became more charming. ¡°I often give myself a massage!¡± Catherine froze for a moment. She didn¡¯t expect that this would be the answer she got. ¡°You have a shoulder or neck problem?¡± Branden shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been sent to train by my Grandpa since I was young. There were always times of intensity and exhaustion.¡± He didn¡¯t continue his words, but Catherine understood what he meant. Although she hadn¡¯t seen Branden in a fight, she could vouch that Branden¡¯s fighting skill was not inferior to hers. It would be impossible to achieve such abilities without plenty of training, even if someone had an innate advantage. She had experienced this before and knew the bitterness and hardship involved better than anyone else. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°I often give myself a massage¡± was a seemingly simple sentence. However, no one knew how much hardship and sweat it took to say it. Although the process of bing stronger was difficult, in retrospect, it wasn¡¯t that hard. After enduring that process, Catherine now thought it wasn¡¯t that difficult. Catherine stretched herself and pushed the car door open to get out of the car. She was ready to go upstairs to rest. Unexpectedly, Branden also pushed the door open and stood next to her. ¡°I can go up by myself,¡± Catherine said. Branden smiled faintly. There was a bright sparkle in his obsidian eyes. They were as bright as the stars shining in the night sky. ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Catherine looked at him in disbelief. Branden stepped forward. He held her hand naturally, moving forward. When the elevator reached the floor where she lived, Branden took out the key in his pocket and shook it in front of her. He was full of smugness, with that rare smile on his face. He looked less serious and aloof than usual, with a hint of childishness. ¡°Nice to meet you, my new neighbor!¡± Catherine realized that the new neighbor moving in next door that Audrey mentioned was none other than Branden! ¡°Why did you think of moving here out of the blue?¡± For the Duncans, who owned countless top-ss vis, it was condescending to have the current head of the family live in a small apartment. ¡°The Lamberts are the developers of this property. When Triston reserved arge t for himself, he also kept one for me!¡± Branden responded to Catherine casually. The world of wealthy people was truly unique, as they freely gave an apartment as a casual gift. Branden said it lightly. Triston did indeed gift Branden arge apartment. But it was the most luxurious one on the top floor instead of the small apartment on this floor. If Catherine had known that Branden had traded hisrge apartment for such a small apartment, she would probably think that the man in front of her was crazy. Branden had already moved in, so Catherine couldn¡¯t say anything! All she could do was to congratte him on the new move. Right? She reached out her hand to Branden and said gracefully, ¡°Nice to meet you, too, my new neighbor!¡± Catherine¡¯s hand and Branden¡¯s hand were stacked together. Branden¡¯s wide palm tightly surrounded Catherine¡¯s small hand and gently kneaded it. ¡± Kathy, I¡¯ll be in charge of taking you to school from now on!¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at him. There was an inquiring look in her sharp eyes! There was such a shrewd look in her eyes that not even the sophisticated Branden could hold his cool. He had no choice but to shrug his shoulders and give an honest exnation. ¡°The weather has turned cold. It¡¯s too cold to go to school by motorcycle in the morning. Girls should keep warm for the sake of their health!¡± Catherine nced coldly at him and said sarcastically, ¡°You know a lot!¡± After saying that, she turned around and entered the door. ¡°Bang!¡± The door of Catherine¡¯s apartment mmed shut, and Branden was turned away for the first time in his life. He couldn¡¯t fool Catherine. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust Catherine¡¯s riding skills, but riding a motorcycle wasn¡¯t as safe as taking a car. He didn¡¯t want any idents to happen to Catherine. He didn¡¯t want her to take any risks! Chapter 201 Chapter 201 The next day, Audrey was still in bed when Catherine was ready for school. Audrey struggled to get up and walk out of the room after she heard vague noises. Seeing Catherine with her bag, Audrey¡¯s eyes instantly widened as she nced at the clock on the wall. ¡°Geez, it¡¯s sote. Kathy, sorry. I¡¯m upte again.¡± ¡± She looked at Catherine with a frustrated look and said, ¡°I was going to make you breakfast, but I got upte again.¡± Catherine knew Audrey got back from her event in the early morning, and it was almost impossible for Audrey to wake up at 7 o¡¯clock to cook breakfast for her. ¡°I¡¯ll just eat in the restaurant!¡± Audrey reminded Catherine with a guilty expression, ¡°Please do. Breakfast is the foundation of the day!¡± After all, Catherine could only eat out because Audrey couldn¡¯t get up early. ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine continued, ¡°You can go back to sleep. I¡¯m leaving!¡± Looking at the door open and close, a sweet smile appeared on Audrey¡¯s face. The two dimples on the corner of her mouth made her look adorable, and she might not even know how cute she looked now. ¡°Kathy has been talking to me a little moretely. That¡¯s so nice!¡± After muttering to herself, Audrey returned to her room to continue sleeping. There was nothing morefortable and joyful than being able to sleep. As soon as Catherine walked out the door, she heard a deep and hoarse voiceing from not far ahead. ¡°Good morning!¡± The familiar voice evoked Catherine¡¯s good mood for the day. She looked up slowly and saw the man standing across from her in a straight suit. Unlike the seriousness of the traditional ck suit, the navy blue slim-fitting suit added a gentlemanly aura to the man. The man leaned against the door. With a gentle smile on his handsome face, he looked at her with his bright ck eyes. Catherine graciously and casually replied, ¡°Good morning!¡± At the same time, she raised the car keys in her hand and waved them in front of the man. The nking sound of keys colliding made the manugh helplessly. His little girl had a stubborn nature! The man suddenly stepped forward, reducing the distance between the two. The proximity allowed Catherine to feel the man¡¯s breath. Catherine felt the warm breath on her face. Catherine¡¯s heart skipped and beat irregrly as she tingled. The man seemed to lower his voice intentionally. His hoarse voice appeared more and more seductive at the moment. ¡°Kathy, I asked Paxton to prepare your favorite pancake. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to have some?¡± ¡°Breakfast is the foundation of the day, isn¡¯t it? Kathy¡­¡± Branden elongated thest syble deliberately, which made the original simple word sound ambiguous. Catherine grunted subconsciously. ¡± Mmm!¡± The man¡¯s eyes lit up. His raised eyes had betrayed his thinking. He looked at Catherine dotingly and said softly, ¡°Good girl, Kathy. Let¡¯s go!¡± He took the bag off her and held her hand to pull her toward the stairs. A whileter, Catherine finally reacted and cursed Branden countless times in her heart. ¡°He¡¯s such a bastard. He has excellent hearing, and he eavesdropped on my conversation with Audrey. ¡°The point is, he also seduces me with his handsome looks! ¡°He¡¯s good at flirting with me now. I¡¯ve been tricked by him, and it¡¯s toote to say ¡®no¡¯ now. ¡°It looks like I won¡¯t be able to escape from him. ¡°He¡¯s so charming!¡± Looking at the little girl sitting in the car eating pancakes quietly with bulging cheeks, Branden¡¯s mood improved greatly. There was none of the cold and aloof look that Catherine usually had. There was even a little resentment at the corner of her eyes, which made her look cute and made Branden want to kiss her. It was as if he had discovered something new. He was in a good mood after discovering another lovely side of Catherine! It seemed that his decision to move there was not a bad one after all. When Catherine entered the ssroom, she went to Ronin¡¯s seat immediately. When she was eating the pancake, she thought it was tasty, but now, was a little salty. she felt it ¡°Ronin, is there any coffee?¡± ¡°Boss, is rose liqueur okay?¡± Ronin asked. Catherine reached out. Ronin poured the rose liqueur into a ss and handed it over to her. Seeing that she was drinking it in a hurry, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡® Boss, did you have breakfast today?¡± Catherine answered casually, ¡°I had some pancakes. It was a bit salty.¡± She leaned back in her seat idly andzily, drinking the rose liqueur Ronin gave. She did not notice the change in expression on his face. Ronin¡¯s face was filled with resentment throughout. The once cute and handsome face was now twisted. He couldn¡¯t understand. Branden was the head of the Duncans. He had such a huge business and had a lot of affairs to deal with every day. But he had the time to bring breakfast to his boss and took her to and fro from school in person. Ronin thought to himself, ¡°Is he that idle? ¡°Doesn¡¯t he need to deal with his business? ¡°Will a man like him who doesn¡¯t do his job ruin his family? Will he make Boss suffer in the future?¡± The more Ronin thought about it, the more he felt that Branden was unreliable. He decided to spend some time investigating Branden thoroughly. If Branden was found unreliable, Ronin would have to advise his boss to stay away from him, even at the risk of death. Branden dropped off Catherine at school before rushing in his car to a meeting at the office. It was a half-hour drive from the Duncans¡¯ to Audrey¡¯s apartment at top speed. Not only was this a waste of time, but there was also no way for him to get breakfast to Catherine in the best condition. After a few tries, Branden decided to move to the neighborhood and live in the apartment across from hers. In this way, he saved time and maximized his time with Catherine. This enabled him to achieve two goals at one time.. Representatives from several partnerpanies wereing to hispany today to discuss the renewal of their contracts. There was no way he could bete for it. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Shortly after the car started, Branden sneezed three times in a row. His whole face sank. He didn¡¯t believe his strong body could catch a cold, and there was no reason for the sneezes. He raised his eyes to the front coldly. Paxton, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, instantly felt a feeling of oppression from a mysterious force. Paxton felt as if he was strangled. He expressed his innocence hastily. ¡± Sir, the car was cleaned yesterday.¡± What he meant was, it was unlikely for Branden to sneeze because there was dust inside the car! After hesitating for several minutes, Paxton couldn¡¯t hold himself back. ¡± Could it be that someone is scolding you right now?¡± he whispered slowly. This was possible. No one dared to challenge Branden¡¯s authority face to face, but it was possible to do it behind Branden¡¯s back. Branden¡¯s face instantly sank. He looked terrifying. His cold eyes swept over Paxton, and thetter felt like he could die any time. Paxton shut his mouth obediently and dared not speak again. He shut his mouth and focused on driving. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Recently, thest ss of the day has changed to be a self-study ss. As for the students who had signed up to be part of the performance, they went to the practice room to practice. Ever since the school announced the scale of the celebration g, everyone had been eager to compete for fame. Because of the incident with Grayson, many girls changed their opinion of Catherine. There are a lot more ssmates who dared to take the initiative to talk to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, doesn¡¯t your group need practice? It¡¯s not toote for now. If you goter, the practice room will be upied!¡± Without even raising her head, Catherine answeredzily and nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡± The ssmate who asked Catherine the question had gotten used to Catherine¡¯s attitude and stopped asking. Anyway, Catherine had been like this since she came to ss 8. At first, everyone felt offended by Catherine¡¯s attitude, but then they realized this was her nature and got used to it. Liana followed her best friend, Jessica Freeman, to the ssroom door and overheard the conversation between Catherine and that ssmate. As she walked out of the ssroom, Jessica frowned and asked, ¡°Liana, your sister¡¯s attitude is a little bad!¡± Jessica was Liana¡¯s new best friend after Elena. Like Elena, Jessica was also a rich youngdy from a wealthy family. She had a beautiful and dignified look. She was talented, and her swan dance surprised the audience. Liana had excellentmunication skills. From a young age, Rachael had brought her out to participate in various social activities. As such, she knew best how to make friends with these wealthydies. Since Jessica started talking about Catherine, Liana looked at her apologetically and whispered, ¡°Jessica, don¡¯t mind her. It¡¯s just that my sister is not quite sure how to get along with others. She was sent to the countryside by my Grandpa when she was a child. It hasn¡¯t been long since she returned, so she probably hasn¡¯t gotten used to it yet!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Jessica snorted coldly, her face full of disgust. ¡°You¡¯re right! She suddenly goes into the city and thinks she isn¡¯t a humble country girl anymore, so she¡¯s arrogant now.¡± They were all in the same circle, and Jessica naturally had heard about the story of the Swanns. Her mother was close to Rachael and as such, she too heard only bad things about Catherine. In her heart, she was very disdainful of Catherine. Liana sighed silently and didn¡¯t say anything. But from her big, watery eyes, one could see her sadness and helplessness. Jessica realized she had said the wrong thing and hurriedlyforted Liana. ¡°Liana, don¡¯t take it to heart. Although you are sisters, we know you are the real youngdy from the Swanns. You¡¯re the cultured youngdy raised in a powerful and rich family. That country girl is no match for you. I don¡¯t think Catherine can remain arrogant for long. Don¡¯t worry!¡± All Liana wanted was for outsiders to recognize her. She wanted everyone to know that the Swanns only had one youngdy, and that was her. Liana nodded politely. ¡°Jessica, you can¡¯t say that. Catherine is my sister after all. If she can be a little more modest, I¡¯ll be satisfied. I hope she can get the championship at the celebration g. As long as she is happy, I¡¯ll do anything!¡± Jessica looked at Liana with heartache, her dislike for Catherine growing stronger. ¡°Someone said she¡¯s not interested, but she brought down the Student Union by some means to get promoted. Look at how she tters Bryan. The Duncans must have helped her a lot in this.¡± Everyone didn¡¯t believe that Catherine could make the Wales bow down, and they all thought that the Duncans stepped in to resolve the matter. They all believed that Catherine¡¯s victory in the Student Union incident was because she had Bryan¡¯s favor and the support of the powerful Duncans. But no one in their group liked Catherine. When it came to Bryan, Jessica couldn¡¯t help butin. She had a good feeling about Bryan initially, but she didn¡¯t expect Bryan to like Catherine. In Jessica¡¯s opinion, Bryan followed Catherine around like a dog all day long. It caused Jessica to hate Catherine subconsciously. ¡°Liana, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re all on your side. Bryan will see that country girl¡¯s true face one day, and that will be the time for her misfortune!¡± Jessica didn¡¯t even bother to call Catherine by her name. In her opinion, Catherine didn¡¯t deserve to have Swann as her first name. Liana lowered her head, and beneath her lowered eyes was all icy coldness. Bryan wasn¡¯t important! She needed Branden to see Catherine¡¯s true face, and that was the key. Bryan was a junior in front of Branden. The person in power of the Duncans was Branden, the person standing at the top. Liana didn¡¯t realize that her Grandpa would be that biased toward Catherine. Not only did he leave all the family assets to Catherine before his death, he also arranged for Branden to be Catherine¡¯s fianc¨¦. The most annoying thing was that the Duncans agreed to this marriage. If the Duncans were any other family, others might think that they agreed to the marriage because they coveted the Swanns¡¯ assets. However, the Duncans were so rich that the wealth of the Swanns was several times lesser than that of the Duncans. How could the Duncans possibly covet the assets of the Swanns? Thinking about this, Liana became angry. ¡°Jessica,e on. Let¡¯s practice the piano!¡± Jessica could see that Liana was in a bad mood but she could understand. Anyone else who had such a jinxed sister would be unhappy, right? ¡°Liana, it¡¯s fine. You y the piano so well. The overall championship is yours for sure, and no one can steal your thunder.¡± Liana smiled in embarrassment. Jessica, don¡¯t forget that your dance is also amazing!¡± Jessica had a domineering appearance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not interested in the overall championship. I¡¯ll have all my fans vote for you then!¡± Jessica had been famous for a long time and had quite a few supporters inside the school. ¡°Thank you, Jessica. You¡¯re so nice to me!¡± Liana¡¯s face was covered in smiles. If one looked at her carefully, one could see the icy evil within her smile. That was a smile of an ambitious victory! Catherine¡¯s newlyposed music score was finally ready. She sent the score to Ronin and Bryan. ¡°You should practice it sometime.¡± Ronin shook his phone happily. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry. The tune you made is unprecedented.¡± Bryan nced at the music score and was shocked. Although he didn¡¯t know much about music, he could feel the power of the song just from scanning the score. Not only was its melody superb, but the lyrics had a great artistic conception. It was ethereal and overbearing, like the feeling of a great secret hidden behind the clouds. It was subtle, weird, and overbearing. Bryan looked at the music score and then at Catherine in amazement. Boss, did youpose this?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Without waiting for Catherine to answer, Ronin jumped in and said, ¡°Are you stupid? If it wasn¡¯t Boss, who else could haveposed such an exquisite song? You idiot.¡± Bryan felt that Ronin was right to praise Catherine. After all, their boss was excellent, but he couldn¡¯t ept Roninplimenting their boss while belittling him in the process. Bryan stood up suddenly, ring at Ronin. ¡°Idiot, who are you insulting?¡± Ronin didn¡¯t want to lose to Bryan. He responded, ¡°Idiot, I¡¯m insulting you!¡± Seeing that the two were about to fight again, Catherine stood up and walked out. These two must have been enemies in their previous lives. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 After Catherine left the ssroom, her phone rang once again. It was an unfamiliar number. But it had special symbols, which was rare. With one nce, she instantly recognized the caller. She casually pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear. From the noise on the other end, it seemed that the caller was extremely cautious and even surprised that the call was answered. ¡°Wow. The call went through. Is it Sugar?¡± As Catherine spoke, her voice had changed. It was deep and husky, like a man¡¯s smoky voice. No one would believe that this voice belonged to such a charming youngdy. ¡°Speak!¡± Catherine replied with a single word in a tone filled with a powerful presence. On the other end, the caller¡¯s voice sounded excited but he managed to restrain himself. ¡°Sugar, the ck market is offering 100 million dors for your expertise, and a few of the top hackers will work with you.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Catherine asked sinctly. The caller replied, ¡°Sugar, it was an anonymous order.¡± Catherine frowned. Her eyes were cold and terrifyingly chilling. ¡°Don¡¯t they know my rules?¡± Even though they were on the phone, the person on the other end of the line was so scared. He realized that the rumors were true. Sugar was indeed a fearsome figure. ording to the rumors, this mysterious top-tier hacker, Sugar, was exceptionally skilled, ruthless, and utterly cold-blooded. If someone dared to cross Sugar, he would get into big trouble. ¡°But, they¡­¡± Before he could finish, Catherine cut him off abruptly. She said, ¡°If there is a next time, I¡¯ll make you disappear from this world.¡± With her assertive words, she promptly hung up the phone. After the conversation, Catherine felt somewhat agitated. She had her own rules when it came to her business dealings. Making money was fine, but the money had to from a clean source. Regardless of who they are, they had to identify themselves first. Catherine does not ept anonymous orders. Anyone who dared to break her rules was courting their demise. After she put her phone away, she turned and saw Ronin walking straight toward her. Bryan walked steadily behind Ronin. He moved with a calm and unhurried pace. Bryan had grown up in the Duncans¡¯ and was practically raised by Karl himself. There was a hint of Branden¡¯sposure in him. Compared to Ronin, who was a yful youngd, Bryan was much more mature,Catherine gave them a cold look, which scared Ronin. He realized he had forgotten about it again. Every time Bryan teased him, he couldn¡¯t help but lose his temper. Despite knowing that Catherine despised disturbances, Ronin couldn¡¯t help himself. As such, he could onlye over to apologize sincerely. He said, ¡°Boss, we were wrong. We won¡¯t make a fuss again.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t trust him at all. Ronin had always kept his promises to her in the past. But since he encountered Bryan, he couldn¡¯t control himself. Ronin nced at Catherine¡¯s expression before lowering his head in guilt. Compared to Ronin, Bryan was much more straightforward. He said to Catherine, ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve gone through this piece. It feels perfect for our duo. I think I¡¯ll be able to master it quickly. How about we find a time to rehearse it? Catherine had tailored this piece of music for these two and Catherine made special adjustments to Bryan¡¯s part. While Bryan could ensure pitch uracy, he sometimes struggled with maintaining a sense of rhythm. Therefore, Catherine made adjustments specifically for him, which made him feel that the song perfectly suited him. ¡°There¡¯s no rush for it. You guys should practice for another night, and we¡¯ll schedule a full dress rehearsal tomorrow.¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s answer, Bryan didn¡¯t press further. He understood that once Catherine made a decision, it wouldn¡¯t change. Moreover, one of Catherine¡¯s remarkable qualities was her ability to see the big picture. Although some of her decisions seemed bizarre at first nce, they ultimately prove that Catherine had been right all along. Therefore, Bryan simply followed Catherine¡¯s orders obediently. Nothing would go wrong. However, Ronin sensed another meaning behind this. ¡°Boss, do have ns for tonight?¡± you Ronin had been by Catherine¡¯s side from a young age, and no one understood her better than he did. Catherine nodded and turned to look at Ronin. ¡°I promised Audrey to pick her up tonight.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After hearing that, Ronin responded reluctantly. He was starting to envy Audrey. In the past, Catherine favored him solely. But now Catherine favored her older sister, another man, and even Bryan. Ronin was quite upset about it. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Catherine had had enough of the wind. on the rooftop and felt cold. At that moment, she suddenly remembered a certain man¡¯s repeated advice. He said, ¡°Girls shouldn¡¯t expose themselves to the cold. It¡¯s not good for health.¡± With a single hand to support herself, Catherine gracefully leaped down from the high tform and strode away. Ronin realized something and muttered, ¡°Did Boss just smile?¡± Bryan looked at him with disdain and wanted to retort. However, Bryan remembered that Catherine didn¡¯t like them arguing, so he held his tongue. He gave Ronin a disdainful look and followed Catherine. After school, Catherine rode her motorcycle to Audrey¡¯s filming location. Audrey had beenining all evening since they hadn¡¯t been able to go out for a barbecuest night. Catherine promised to pick her up tonight and apany her to have a barbecue. As soon as she parked her motorcycle, Catherine felt eyes on her from behind. She had intended to enter the building, but she shifted her body and walked toward a nearby alley. Her beautiful eyes were filled with coldness, casual yet domineering. Once inside the alley, Catherine went straight to the darkest corner. In the next moment, a gust of wind swept by. Catherine remained calm. She even didn¡¯t blink. If it was any other ordinary person, he might have screamed and fled long ago. A tall figurepletely obscured Catherine and radiated a menacing aura. The next second, the tall figure suddenly knelt on one knee and lowered his head. He knelt before Catherine in an extremely submissive manner. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s something I need to report to you.¡± ¡°Speak!¡± Catherine spoke up coldly.Joseph dared to speak only after receiving the permission to do so. He continued, ¡°Boss, Miss Audrey was harassed today. I¡¯ve identified the harasser. He¡¯s the son of an investor in this drama. He hade to visit his girlfriend before he ran into Miss Audrey by ident. He was promptly stopped by Miss Swann¡¯s agent but I think he won¡¯t let this matter go.¡± Although Joseph betrayed the organization, Catherine didn¡¯t punish him as she felt that his actions were for a good reason. However, there were rules within the organization. Catherine could spare Joseph¡¯s life. However, Joseph couldn¡¯t return to the organization. It was the rules that everyone in the organization must adhere to. Joseph appreciated the leniency Catherine showed and requested to stay by her side to work. Then Catherine assigned him to Audrey¡¯s side to protect Audrey. Audrey was in the entertainment industry. This industry was extremelyplex, with many dangers lurking. Catherine couldn¡¯t always be there to watch over Audrey, so she arranged for Joseph to take care of Audrey. Under normal circumstances, Joseph wouldn¡¯t appear unless there was a threat to Audrey¡¯s life. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 As soon as Audrey saw Catherine, her tired face immediately lit up with a sweet smile. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re here! I just finished my work,¡± Audrey eximed excitedly. As everyone heard Audrey¡¯s excited voice, they all turned in the direction of her shouts. At the doorway not too far away, a slender ck figure stood silhouetted against the backlight. The golden sunlight framed her from behind, making her appear radiant. She sported a ck peaked cap, which barely revealed her petite face. If it weren¡¯t for the momentary glimpse of her beauty when she raised her head in response to Audrey¡¯s call, no one would have guessed she was so beautiful. Since Catherine had appeared on a show with Audrey, some people recognized Catherine and began discussing in a low voice. ¡°Oh, my God. She¡¯s Audrey¡¯s sister, Catherine. She looks even better in person. I thought it was just some video filter trick, but she¡¯s genuinely gorgeous!¡± ¡°Yeah. We all worked in the same industry and you know how it is with all this talk about natural look with no makeup and filters. But I never imagined Audrey¡¯s sister would be this stunning even without makeup on.¡± ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful, and her skin looks amazing.¡±Amidst the chatter, Audrey packed up her things and rushed over to Catherine. Kim followed her closely. Kim¡¯s eyes always lit up when he saw Catherine, but he quickly restrained himself. He didn¡¯t want to be too bold. In his mind, if Catherine ever decides to enter the entertainment world, she could easily be the next big star with just a little push. With such a lucrative opportunity right in front of him, Kim couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. However, Catherine¡¯s presence wasmanding, even to someone like Kim, a seasoned figure in the entertainment industry. Kim was a master at adapting to different situations. But when he stands before Catherine, he has to be cautious. Catherine gave Kim a brief look, and she understood that he had something to say. So she nodded in acknowledgment. Kim immediately understood and cautiously said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, but your sister has to work early tomorrow. You should keep an eye on her tonight. No alcohol, and be careful with the barbecue food. Or else she might wake up puffy. It won¡¯t look good on camera tomorrow.¡± Audrey was irritated and red at Kim. ¡°Kim, I¡¯ve been working non-stop for over a month. Can¡¯t you let me indulge for one night?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your relentless dedication, do you think I¡¯d allow to go for a barbecue? You¡¯ll still be eating garden sd every day,¡± Kim sneered dismissively. you Catherine crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She found their banter quite amusing. After Kim finished speaking, Catherine spoke up calmly. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe and oversee her yourself?¡± Kim was momentarily taken aback by Catherine¡¯s suggestion. He hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to invite him. In his perception, Catherine wasn¡¯t one to engage with outsiders easily. It was rare for others to get close to her as she exuded a cold and noble aura thatmanded respect. As Audrey noticed that Kim was still in a daze, she gave his shoulder a light pat and chuckled. Then she asked, ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go.¡± Kim followed Audrey closely. After closing some distance, he whispered, ¡± Is your sister just being polite?¡± Audrey shot him a sidelong nce with disdain. She replied, ¡°You think too much. ¡®Does my sister need to be polite?¡± After saying this, Audrey intentionally picked up her pace and distanced herself from Kim. She had always felt that Kim¡¯s intelligence would diminish whenever he stood before Catherine. Audrey didn¡¯t want to associate with him. Kim understood what Audrey was thinking about. Kim was greatly displeased with Audrey¡¯s arrogance and disdain. He stared at Audrey¡¯s retreating figure and pounded his chest in frustration. He murmured, ¡°Well. What¡¯s so great about having a sister?¡± The fact is, having a sister like Catherine was indeed great. Audrey initially thought Catherine would be coming on her motorcycle, as that was Catherine¡¯s usual mode of transportation formuting to school. She had nned for just the two of them but with Kim joining, there wouldn¡¯t be enough space. Audrey had intended for Catherine to ride with Kim in his car. But to her surprise, Catherine had driven an older model Mercedes. Audrey was a bit shocked as she saw Catherine¡¯s Mercedes. ¡°Kathy, you have a driver¡¯s license?¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Yes. Get in.¡± Audrey opened the car door and got in with Kim. Audrey knew Catherine¡¯s personality well. As such, she had chosen a restaurant and mapped out the route. She opened her phone¡¯s navigation app and handed it to Catherine. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯ve made reservations at the restaurant. Just follow the directions and drive there. We¡¯ll be eating in no time!¡± Catherine wore a sweet smile on her beautiful face. Catherine thought to herself, ¡°Audrey is indeed thoughtful and attentive.¡± Catherine nced at the navigation map on the phone in Audrey¡¯s hand. And she didn¡¯t take Audrey¡¯s phone from her. Audrey raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°Kathy, you don¡¯t need the navigator?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Catherine replied softly. Kim couldn¡¯t resist chiming in, ¡°Well. Catherine knows this ce like the back of her hand. A seasoned driver like her doesn¡¯t need the navigator for directions. Not everyone is as clueless as you.¡± Faced with her manager¡¯s sarcastic remark, Audrey was visibly irked. ¡°You have no idea. Kathy isn¡¯t familiar with this ce. She¡¯s amazing. She can look at a map once and remember all the routes. She can even choose the best ones.¡± Kim had wanted to argue with Audrey. Afterall, such a skill was beyond what normal humans could comprehend. He was about to speak up. However, he remembered Catherine¡¯s incredible performance in the amusement park during thest show. Then he remained silent. He could be sarcastic with ordinary people without any issue. But when faced with someone like Catherine, who surpassed normal human abilities, Kim felt it was better to remain quiet and obedient. Just as Audrey had mentioned, Catherine could find the best route and reach their destination in the shortest time without needing to rely on the navigator. As they got out of the car, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but praise Catherine. She said, ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re skilled at driving. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been able to fall asleep in a car. You drive so smoothly.¡± Catherine smiled faintly and remained silent. Audrey had reserved a spot at a popr barbecue restaurant. Despite the bustling atmosphere, there was no need for them to wait in line and they were seated right away. As they settled into their seats, Audrey sensed that there were incessant noises from their surroundings. She felt a bit guilty as she looked at Catherine. ¡°Kathy, I could only get a table in the central area. The private rooms were fully booked three months ago.¡± This barbecue restaurant garnered a lot of attention recently. Being able to secure a reservation was quite an achievement for Audrey. However, for Catherine, these details didn¡¯t matter. As long as the food was good, it was fine. With a composed expression, Catherine responded in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as the food is delicious.¡± As Catherine got up to visit the restroom, Kim leaned in close to Audrey and whispered, ¡°Is your sister always this cold toward you?¡± As Kim saw Catherine¡¯s demeanor earlier, he almost froze in ce and he couldn¡¯t help but admire Audrey¡¯s courage. Audrey kept approaching Catherine without any fear. In Kim¡¯s eyes, Audrey was impressive for having such courage. Audrey nced at Kim with confusion. She frowned and asked, ¡°Cold? She seemed quite warm to me.¡± Audrey thought, ¡°Catherine responded to me. Wasn¡¯t that considered warm enough?¡± Kim wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead in silence. The sisters from the Swanns were not ordinary people. Kim had finallye to realize that. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 The barbecue was piping hot and had vibrant colors. Under the relentless heat, the mouthwatering aroma filled the air. The enticing scent tickled the senses and whetted appetites. Catherine had a refined taste for barbecue, and at that moment, she was indulging in it gracefully. Audrey grew up in the Swanns¡¯. She had always known the rules at the dinner table. But today, she found herself struggling to control her cravings. It had been three months since she had enjoyed a proper meal. Now, in the face of the delicious barbecue, she couldn¡¯t resist. Kim noticed Audrey¡¯s voracious appetite and shook his head. ¡°Audrey, you¡¯re one of the hottest actresses out there. Can you please be a bit more conscious of your image?¡± Audrey waved her hand and replied, 11 Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not famous enough for everyone to recognize me yet.¡± Her words barely left her lips before she was proven wrong. ¡°Wow. Isn¡¯t this Audrey, the big star?¡± A mocking voice came from the front. It was filled with mischief and teasing. Audrey heard the voice and found it somewhat familiar. She looked up and then frowned instantly. She muttered under her breath, ¡°It¡¯s him again.¡± Although her voice was barely audible, Catherine heard it. Catherine hadn¡¯t intended to intervene, but Audrey¡¯s words made her look up. More than one person had arrived. They were led by a fat man with a round face. He was dressed in ostentatious clothes covered in logo prints. He exuded an air of arrogance. He had his arm around a hotdy with a seductive figure. The woman¡¯s attire barely qualified as clothing. It was more like a piece of fabric, which barely covered her from just above her navel to below her corbone. Seeing his appearance, Catherine felt a bit disgusted. Just a single nce at him gave Catherine a nauseating feeling. The beef slices in front of her suddenly didn¡¯t look appetizing anymore. Kim noticed the way the neers were eyeing Audrey and sensed that something was off. He quickly stood up to defuse the situation. ¡°Well. Isn¡¯t this Mr. ton? What a coincidence! We meet again. Mr. ton, since it¡¯s such a rare asion, would you do me the honor of letting me treat you to a meal?¡± Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°Mr. ton?¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes darkened as she realized the situation. She remembered that Joseph had mentioned someone nicknamed Mr. ton. He was Aaron ton, the youngest son of the tons from the west side of the city. Actually, Aaron¡¯s mother was originally a mistress. She wasn¡¯t the legal wife of the head of the tons back then. However, Aaron¡¯s mother was cunning. She was greatly favored by the head of the tons, which made him dote on Aaron exceptionally, sometimes even more than the legitimate eldest son of the tons. This had made Aaron exceptionally arrogant. The tons were involved in the entertainment industry, and Aaron often used his connections to pursue female celebrities. The project Audrey was working on today happened to be the one that Aaron had initiated to promote his current girlfriend. When Aaron came to visit the set and saw Audrey in her traditional costume, he was instantly captivated. Upon hearing Kim¡¯s words, Aaron sneered. Although he was a yboy, he wasn¡¯t foolish. He saw through Kim¡¯s attempt to distract him. Aaron pointed at Kim and chuckled. Then, he said, ¡°Sure. Treat me to a meal. I¡¯ll do you a favor and join you.¡± He directly pulled out a nearby chair that had a bag on it. Then, he plopped down right on top of Audrey¡¯s bag. Audrey¡¯s eyes widened in shock. That was the bag she had just bought. It was hertest obsession, and it was a new Herm¨¨s piece that she had waited for a long time. Seeing Audrey¡¯s shock, Aaron chuckled. He stared at Audrey with his small eyes. Then, he sneered, ¡°Oh, Miss Swann, my apologies for my clumsiness. I seem to have sat on your bag. How about I compensate you? If one is not enough, I¡¯llpensate you with 10 bags.¡± His arrogant attitude made Audrey wish she could pick up the scorching barbecue and throw it over his head to give him a much-needed wake-up call. Audrey was seething. As she was ready to explode in anger, Kim discreetly held her back. At the same time, Catherine was sitting quietly on the side. She suddenly reached for two forks on the table. Then, a subtle sound could be heard. The next moment, the chair Aaron was sitting on suddenly copsed. Aaron, who was caught off guard, tumbled to the ground. Everyone was stunned. No one had expected this to happen. Three seconds had passed. Audrey couldn¡¯t contain herughter, and neither could Kim. Catherine put down the fork and sat quietly on the side. She wore a faint smile on her beautiful face. The people around Aaron were usually the ones who ttered him the most. Seeing Aaron in such a humiliating situation, they hurriedly helped him up andforted him. Once Aaron sat down again, he felt deeply embarrassed and couldn¡¯t ignore Audrey¡¯s mocking smile. He was ready to cause a scene. As he stood Catherine. up, he suddenly noticed Catherine had been sitting quietly with her head down and her hat on. So, Aaron didn¡¯t notice her just now. Now, after seeing Catherine¡¯s face, he was instantly captivated. In his eyes, Catherine was incredibly beautiful. She had delicate features, perfect proportions, and a pair of eyes that were both cold and sharp. His anger dissipated as he stared at Catherine. He smiled at Catherine and called out, ¡°Wow. Such a beautifuldy! How did I miss you? Miss, my apologies. May I know your name?¡± Audrey realized that Aaron had taken an interest in Catherine. She panicked and instinctively moved to shield Catherine with her arm. Catherine looked down at Audrey¡¯s hand on her arm. Then, she slightly smiled. Audrey was so brave that she decided to protect Catherine. The tons held significant influence within the entertainment industry, and Audrey didn¡¯t want to antagonize them. To protect Catherine while also safeguarding her own career, Audrey had no choice but to yield to Aaron. Audrey forced a smile and gazed at Aaron. ¡°Mr. ton, are you okay?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She nned to divert Aaron¡¯s attention away from Catherine and get Catherine to leave quietly. However, Aaron looked at Audrey with disdain. He thought Audrey was just like any other woman he had encountered and was ying hard to get. Aaron thought Audrey was upset because she saw him shift his focus to someone else. ¡°Step aside. Don¡¯t obstruct me from chatting with this beauty.¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t take it anymore. If he targeted her, that was one thing. But messing with her sister was an entirely different matter. The sisters from the Swanns had fiery tempers. One should never cross their boundaries, or the consequences would be dire. ¡°Mr. ton, this is my sister. Please mind your words.¡± But Aaron ignored Audrey¡¯s warning. He smiled arrogantly. He ran his hand along his chin, and his lecherous gaze shifted between the two sisters. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect you two to be sisters. I like that.¡± After saying this, Aaron couldn¡¯t resist adding with a grin. ¡°Especially in bed¡­¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 As soon as those words were uttered, Audrey couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. She stepped forward and delivered a resounding p. Audrey pped Aaron. The sharp sound of the p left everyone stunned, and Aaron was dumbfounded. No one had expected Audrey to be so daring as to strike Aaron. Kim, who was standing nearby, instinctively wanted to apud. That p was undeniably precise and clean. There was a bit of Catherine¡¯s swagger in Audrey, and it was evident that they were indeed sisters. However, as Kim came to his senses, he realized this was too impulsive. Kim quietly turned to look at Catherine, who remained calm as ever. He couldn¡¯t help but admire her. Catherine was indeed impressive. Catherine nced at Audrey¡¯s trembling arm with a hint of disappointment. It seemed like she would need to find time to teach Audrey how to pack a punch. That p was far too weak. Finally, Aaron realized the situation. He looked up, gritted his teeth, and red at Audrey with a terrifyingly grim expression. He hadn¡¯t expected Audrey to actually p him. ¡°Bitch, how dare you strike me?¡± Audrey stared back defiantly. She shielded Catherine behind her and intended to protect Catherine. ¡°Aaron, don¡¯t forget my surname. The Swanns¡¯ power exceeds that of the tons. Are you sure you want to escte this?¡± Aaron was aware of the Swanns¡¯ influence surpassing that of the tons. They were all part of the same circle, and he had interactions with Johnathan. He sneered at Audrey with scorn. Then, he shouted, ¡°Haha. The Swanns!¡± Aaron rolled his small eyes. Then, he continued, ¡°The Swanns may be impressive, but what are you in the Swanns? I¡¯m the heir of the tons, and my dad spoils me, so I can do as I please. But you are expelled by the Swanns. What are you?¡± Audrey¡¯s face instantly paled. Catherine, who was standing behind her, stared at Aaron with her cold eyes. It seemed that Aaron needed a lesson to discern their boundaries. Catherine was about to take action when someone suddenly barged in. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on here?¡± A crisp male voice broke the tense atmosphere, and everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice. A sharply dressed man with a somewhat handsome appearance entered the scene. Catherine nced at him and felt a sense of familiarity. However, Aaron disyed a surprised expression when he saw the neer. ¡°Zachary, what are you doing here?¡± Zachary Lewis was the owner of the barbecue restaurant. He was also from a wealthy family, which was quite different from the tons. The Lewises had some influence in the underworld, so Aaron always addressed Zachary with great respect. ¡°Aaron, what¡¯s going on with you guys here?¡± After Aaron heard Zachary¡¯s question, his attitude became even more arrogant. ¡°Zachary, these two girls dared toy hands on me. Today¡­¡± Zachary nced at the two sisters from the Swanns. When he looked at Catherine, he paused for a moment. He immediately interrupted Aaron and turned to Catherine. Then, he said, ¡± Miss Swann, you¡¯re dining here today too?¡± Catherine squinted her eyes as she assessed him. She frowned slightly with confusion. Seeing her reaction, Zachary preemptively said, ¡°Miss Swann, I was also at the gathering of Mr. Lambert and Mr. Lanest time.¡± Catherine realized why Zachary seemed familiar. They had crossed paths inadvertently. Zachary had grown up in the business under his father. He quickly understood the situation. The Lewises had close dealings with the tons, and he needed to save Aaron. Zachary raised his foot and gave Aaron¡¯s thigh a hard kick. Then, he scolded Aaron fiercely, ¡°You brat! Did you offend them? Apologize right now¡­. Aaron felt like he had never been so clueless in his life. As the heir of the tons, he was ustomed to doing as he pleased. But he had been pped twice in a day. And this time, he couldn¡¯t retaliate.. Zachary¡¯s words were sharp, and his expression was serious. He didn¡¯t let Aaron ask for the reason and repeatedly demanded an apology. With no other option, Aaron reluctantly apologized. After learning the situation, Zacharypensated Audrey with a shopping card. ¡°Miss Swann, this is a shopping card for Seaside Mall. Consider it my way ofpensating for your bag on behalf of Aaron. I hope you can forgive Aaron.¡± Audrey turned to nce at Catherine. She recognized the card. It would be enough to buy several bags of the same style. Not only Audrey but everyone instinctively turned to look at Catherine. Audrey understood from Zachary¡¯s words that he must know about Catherine¡¯s rtionship with Branden. So, he was so cautious and insisted on making Aaron apologize. Audrey didn¡¯t want Catherine to get in trouble with Branden because of her own actions. ¡°Kathy, should we just let it go?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t mind it. Since Audrey didn¡¯t want to pursue it, Catherine decided to let it go and show some respect to Zachary. So, Catherine nodded slightly and agreed to let the matter go. After Zachary expressed his gratitude, he left with Aaron. On the way, Aaron was still very unhappy. ¡°Zachary, why did you force me to apologize to those two girls? Are we supposed to be afraid of them?¡± When Aaron mentioned the incident, his anger red up, and heined repeatedly. Zachary suppressed his anger and gave Aaron a stern look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Just remember not to mess with those two sisters, okay?¡± For no apparent reason, Zachary had to bend over backward for Aaron. He was unhappy, too. Zachary wasn¡¯t afraid of the two girls. He was afraid of the man behind Catherine. Catherine was someone Branden took out to social gatherings. She was pampered by Branden. Even Triston showed some respect to her. She was not someone to be trifled with easily. Catherine might very well be the future mistress of the Duncans. In Casier, no one dared to offend the Duncans. Zachary thought inwardly, ¡°Anyone who offends Mr. Duncan¡¯s lover will get into big trouble.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Aaron, go have fun on your own. I have something to take care of.¡± Zachary had originallye here for work and didn¡¯t expect to get involved in this mess. After Zachary left, Aaron still felt dissatisfied and agitated. One of his underlings realized Zachary¡¯s intentions and came up with a new idea. ¡°Mr. ton, we can¡¯t touch them, but what if we break something to vent our frustration?¡± Aaron¡¯s eyes lit up with a sinister smile. He patted the person¡¯s face next to him. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point.¡± Due to the unexpected incident, Catherine lost her appetite for barbecue. Not only Catherine but Kim and Audrey also didn¡¯t want to eat. So, they decided to head back home. When they walked out of the barbecue restaurant, they happened to see a group of people ying with cars. One person was driving a car and repeatedly ramming it into a ck car. Audrey recognized the car and eximed, ¡°Oh, my God. Kathy, is that your friend¡¯s car?¡± Audrey assumed Catherine had borrowed her friend¡¯s car since the old- model Mercedes didn¡¯t fit Catherine¡¯s style. Catherine took a quick nce and confirmed it was indeed her car. Through the car window, she could see the person in the driver¡¯s seat of the other car. It was none other than Aaron. When Aaron noticed their arrival, he confidently got out of the car with an arrogant and unruffled demeanor. As he surveyed the sisters from the Swanns, he raised his chin in arrogance. ¡°There is no doubt that the car is my doing. I¡¯llpensate you, and that¡¯s that.¡± After that, Aaron took out a card from his pocket and tossed it in front of Catherine. Then, he said, ¡°This card has one million dors in it. It doesn¡¯t have a password. ¡°Darling, that¡¯s more than enough to cover the cost of your old Mercedes.¡± Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Aaron was so audacious. And he was really arrogant. Catherine had encountered many arrogant people in her life. And she was eager to see how long Aaron could maintain his arrogance. Catherine took a slow step forward. With her leather boots, she casually stamped on the bank card Aaron had thrown on the ground. Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°He is arrogant, huh? ¡°Let¡¯s see who can be more arrogant. than me.¡± Aaron gave Catherine a sidelong nce and felt her overpowering presence. Catherine¡¯s fiery yet cold disposition piqued his interest. ¡°What? One million dors isn¡¯t enough? Darling, your appetite is quite something. One million dors is more than enough to buy three of your clunker. I¡¯m offering three times thepensation. You should be satisfied.¡± Catherine chuckled coldly. Her voice was crisp and crystal clear amidst the crowd. Catherine¡¯s eyes flickered. Her domineering and mocking gaze fell upon Aaron. Her voice was cold and scornful. ¡°Hey, this car doesn¡¯t have a small window on the door.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. When she spoke, everyone present was momentarily stunned. Some widened their eyes in astonishment, while others were utterly bewildered. Kim slowly rotated his eyes, which were starting to ache from staring. He eximed, ¡°Oh my God! There is no small window on the door.¡± Audrey, who was standing on the side, was utterly perplexed. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®no small window on the door ? What are you guys talking about? Why don¡¯t I understand?¡± Kim looked at Audrey with disdain. ¡± Audrey, your family, the Swanns, is one of Casier¡¯s top four wealthy families. How can you not know this? It¡¯s Maybach that doesn¡¯t have a small window on the door. Do you understand?¡± Audrey was unfazed by the disdain. She responded confidently, ¡°How am I supposed to know all this? Although the Swanns are rich, no one ever told me I had to know about cars.¡± Kim realized he couldn¡¯tmunicate with Audrey. He silently chose to give up. At the same time, Aaron was stunned when he heard that. Among Aaron¡¯s group, there were indeed some car enthusiasts. After closely inspecting Catherine¡¯s car, one of them muttered to Aaron ufortably, ¡°Mr. ton, it really is a Maybach. I checked the limited edition emblem on the tail.¡± Maybach was an ultra-luxury car series and belonged to the top tier of luxury cars. Because its emblem was simr to the emblem of the Mercedes, it was often mistaken for an older-model Mercedes. The simplest and easiest way to distinguish between the two series of cars was to look at the small window on the rear door. A small window on the door indicated a Mercedes S-ss car, while the absence of a small window on the door indicated the top-of-the-line luxury car, the Maybach. Maybach was synonymous with understated elegance. It was the preferred car for top-level executives. Catherine crossed her arms. She adopted anguid posture as she stood there. She looked at Aaron coldly. Aaron¡¯s expression changed slightly after he confirmed this information. His face darkened. Nevertheless, he feignedposure as he looked at Catherine. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re driving your dad¡¯s car, huh? You take advantage of me not knowing the market value. This car is worth four or five million dors. I¡¯m offering three million dors. That should be enough. As he spoke, Aaron was preparing to take out the money from his pocket. Though it pained him deeply, Aaron had to appear nonchnt at this moment. He treated it as if he were requesting an advance from his father for a new car. Catherine stared at him with her cold eyes. She raised her hand and pointed her finger directly at Aaron¡¯s forehead. ¡°Triplepensation. Mr. ton, you sounded so confident earlier. Can¡¯t you afford it?¡± Aaron was extremely awkward. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to ask for that. He was both embarrassed and irritated. But he maintained a pretense of calm as he looked at Catherine. ¡°What? You¡¯re pushing it with that request. Let me tell you. Your car is probably not worth more than one million dors on the second-hand market.¡± Upon hearing about themotion at the entrance, Zachary inquired and rushed over. Seeing that Aaron was causing trouble again, Zachary couldn¡¯t help but frown and sternly scolded him. ¡°Aaron, what¡¯s the matter with you? Didn¡¯t I tell you to show some respect to Miss Swann?¡± Before Aaron could respond, Catherine spoke up, ¡°Zachary, Mr. ton hit my car. He said he would pay triplepensation. Can you estimate Mr. ton¡¯s payment?¡± After realizing the situation, Zachary took a closer look at Catherine¡¯s car and frowned. He recalled that there were no more than three of these cars in the entire country, and one of them was owned by Branden. Aaron was really audacious. He got into big trouble this time. Zachary suppressed his desire to hit Aaron. He scolded Aaron furiously, You brat! You¡¯ve really done it this time. You¡¯d better call your father and ask him to help with this.¡± Aaron had an indignant look on his face. He felt that Zacharycked courage. He resented Zachary for it. ¡°Zachary, why bother my dad with such a trivial matter? If three million dors isn¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll give her five million dors. Consider it as if I had a rendezvous with an upscale whore.¡± Zachary recognized Aaron was extremely stupid. He quickly distanced himself from the tons. With someone as foolish as Aaron, the tons would get into big trouble. ¡°Aaron, you really don¡¯t understand anything. This is a top-of-the-line Maybach, with a market price starting at a minimum of 30 million dors. Add in the top-of-the-line features inside, and if you triple thepensation, you should pay at least 100 million dors. Can you handle that?¡± Aaron eximed, ¡°What? ¡°100 million dors?¡± Aaron gaped at Zachary in shock. Then, he turned to look at Catherine with surprise. He finally understood why Catherine had remained calm throughout and looked at him as if he were a fool. Zachary couldn¡¯t possibly be lying at a time like this, so the car¡¯s actual value might indeed exceed 30 million dors, and tripling that meant 100 million dors. It was 100 million dors. Aaron couldn¡¯t possiblye up with that much money. While the tons were wealthy, Aaron was just the heir of the tons. He had not yet inherited the family fortune. Zachary realized the gravity of the situation and promptly contacted Aaron¡¯s father. Ten minutester, Jameson ton, Aaron¡¯s father, arrived at the scene. Zachary subtly reminded Jameson of Catherine¡¯s rtionship with the Duncans. Then, Jameson immediately approached Catherine and greeted her. He said, ¡°Miss Swann, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Catherine nced at him and didn¡¯t respond. She didn¡¯t want to waste her time acknowledging everyone who approached her. Jameson felt somewhat embarrassed. But he kept a straight face as he had his secretary hand over a check. ¡°Miss Swann, here is 10 million dors. Consider itpensation on behalf of my son. Let¡¯s maintain a good rtionship in the future.¡± Zachary remained by the side and watched closely. When he saw that Jameson had offered only 10 million dors, he had a bad feeling about it. Catherine nced at the elderly man standing opposite her coldly. She thought inwardly, ¡°He and his son are both bastards.¡± Catherine took the check from Jameson¡¯s secretary and held it in her hand. She casually tapped it. Jameson¡¯s smile deepened. He was relieved that he hadn¡¯t listened to Zachary. Otherwise, he might have lost 80 to 90 million dors. No one¡¯s money came from thin air, and his family was not so wealthy. At this moment, Jameson was celebrating his decision. But in the next moment, the smile froze on his face. Because Catherine tore the ten-million -dor check into pieces right in front of Jameson with a smile. Her attitude was incredibly rxed, which gave the impression of yfulness. However, it sent chills down people¡¯s spines. Catherine spoke in a casual tone, but her words were cold and menacing. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money¡­¡± Jameson¡¯s face darkened. Being humiliated by a young girl in public was embarrassing. He wondered how he would save his reputation after this. He gritted his teeth and warned in a low voice, ¡°Miss Swann, what do you want then?¡± Catherine smiled slightly. She spoke with an air of nonchnce and delivered the ruthless words. She said, ¡°In the ck market, 10 million dors can buy a life. ¡°Your son owes me 100 million dors. I¡¯ll take two of his legs. Is that unreasonable?¡± Catherine wore a smile on her stunning face. Her beautiful eyes were filled with a bloodthirsty killing intent, which sent shivers down spines. It was 50 million dors for each leg. Catherine was really impressive. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Jameson stared at Catherine in shock. He hadn¡¯t expected this young girl to have such audacity and disregard his family¡¯s status. Although Catherine¡¯s rtionship with Branden was good, she was just a Woman. Jameson didn¡¯t believe that Branden would confront the tons for the sake of a woman. Jameson stared at Catherine coldly with his sharp eyes. His words wereden with a strong warning. ¡°Miss Swann, I believe in the principle of resolving disputes amicably. You should understand that.¡± Catherine provocatively stared at Jameson. Her attitude was seemingly carefree, but her presence was overpowering. She had given them enough time to consider their actions, but it seemed these people were eager to test her patience. They were just asking for trouble. ¡°So, you want to protect this guy?¡± Catherine wore a faint smile on her beautiful face. She continued, ¡°Use the tons to save your son¡¯s legs. Jameson, you¡¯re getting quite shrewd in business.¡± The irony in her words was clear, and Jameson certainly caught it. ¡°Miss Swann, I advise you not to speak too recklessly. Even if you be the Duncans¡¯ mistress, it won¡¯t be easy to bring down the tons. If you choose to confront us, I won¡¯t be afraid of you.¡± Both of them were arrogant. The atmosphere became increasingly tense. Audrey was worried about Catherine, After all, they were dealing with Jameson, a big shot from the ton Group. In the business world, Jameson¡¯s counterparts were figures like Audrey¡¯s father. Audrey discreetly tugged at Catherine¡¯s sleeve and signaled her to calm down. Jameson noticed Audrey¡¯s gesture. His sharp eyes flickered with hostility. ¡°Miss Swann, sometimes it¡¯s not a bad idea to listen to the advice of those around you.¡± Jameson had always wanted to connect with the Duncans. If paying 10 million dors could resolve this situation, Jameson was willing to do it. After all, he was well aware of how troublesome his son could be. Otherwise, Zachary wouldn¡¯t call him over. Damaging Branden¡¯s car could be a significant or minor issue, depending on perspective. In terms of money, it was a rtively big deal. However, when it came to Jameson¡¯s son, money was a smaller matter. Audrey wanted to let it go, but Catherine had different ns. Catherine wasn¡¯t so kind. Since Aaron dared to provoke her repeatedly, there had to be consequences. ¡°Mr. ton, since you decided to abandon the ton Group, just enjoy the consequences of your decision.¡± Catherine nced at Jameson with a smile. Then, she turned and gestured to Audrey. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The onlookers found it strange. Just a moment ago, Catherine had been acting arrogant, and now she was ending the confrontation so easily. Jameson felt that something wasn¡¯t right. He saw something unusual in Catherine¡¯s eves, but he couldn¡¯t understand it. Audrey thought Catherine chose to let it go. Although Audrey was not pleased with Aaron¡¯s actions, she didn¡¯t want to escte the situation and cause Catherine to get involved in any more trouble. However, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the damaged car. Aside from Branden, Audrey couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who might lend Catherine this car. Audrey couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this would lead to even more trouble. Aaron reveled in his victory. He turned to Zachary with a smug smile. ¡°Zachary, you see? We¡¯ve settled this matter so easily.¡± Zachary remained silent and stared at Aaron. He felt extremely upset. Zachary had noticed Catherine¡¯s final expression before she turned away. That expression sent shivers down his spine. Just then, a jarring ringtone interrupted the silence. Hearing that, everyone turned their attention to the source. It was Jameson¡¯s phone. Jameson answered the call and ced the phone to his ear. The next moment, his face turned pale. Without regard for the curious eyes around him, he shouted, ¡°What? Do you say the investment is withdrawn? How is that possible?¡± Momentster, Jameson¡¯s secretary¡¯s phone rang too. When the secretary answered the call, his face became even more ashen than Jameson¡¯s. He shouted, ¡°You say the entire cooperation is canceled? How can this be? ¡°Have we offended someone?¡± The onlookers observed the panicked reactions of the tons with curiosity. As the head of the tons, Jameson disyed such a disconcerted expression in public. It indicated the seriousness of the situation. Actually, leaders of major corporations were under constant scrutiny. Even a single action or expression could raise questions about their leadership. At this moment, Jameson¡¯s demeanor in a public setting was certainly unusual. Jameson was tunned. It was Jameson¡¯s secretary who was the first to put the pieces together. As the strategist and secretary, he had an impressive reaction time. He didn¡¯t say much to Jameson. Instead, he moved forward to intercept Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, please wait.¡± Catherine nced up at him with her cold eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, step aside.¡± Her voice was light, but it carried an overwhelming sense of oppression and sent shivers down spines. The secretary, who was overwhelmed by her powerful aura, instinctively took a step back. He hadn¡¯t expected her presence to be so formidable. It seemed they had truly underestimated the situation this time. Jameson wasn¡¯t foolish. He realized the seriousness of the situation after his secretary did. When the secretary failed to stop Catherine, Jameson gestured to his bodyguards. They immediately rushed to stand in front of Catherine. Catherine remained calm. At this moment, a ck figure darted out from the shadows. The figure moved swiftly. And a series of painful screams filled the air. In less than a minute, the four bodyguards who had been blocking Catherine¡¯s path were incapacitated. They were lying on the ground in agony. However, the assant stood unscathed in the center. Everyone looked at him with fear. As the assant approached them, Audrey was upset. She instinctively reached for Catherine, thinking of pulling her away from the chaos. But she was not prepared for what came next. The assant did something astonishing. He knelt down. In front of Catherine, he knelt down with deep respect. He was extremely serious. Joseph lowered his head and spoke to Catherine with great reverence.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Boss, I have taken care of all the trash. Joseph had been lurking in the shadows. He was responsible for protecting Audrey¡¯s safety. When Catherine signaled him, he acted swiftly. In truth, he had been growing impatient. These hooligans had dared to insult Catherine. They were asking for trouble. Joseph¡¯s attitude toward Catherine left everyone in shock. Jameson was stunned. Joseph possessed such remarkable skills. He wasn¡¯t a bodyguard that an ordinary person could afford. Jameson¡¯s four personal bodyguards were seasonedbat veterans. With military and mercenary backgrounds, they were top-notch fighters. However, Joseph had single-handedly defeated all four of them in a short span. It showcased Joseph¡¯s exceptional skills. The onlookers wondered about Catherine¡¯s identity. They thought inwardly, ¡°Why does she have such a powerful and skilled protector by her side? ¡°Could it be the bodyguard Vicente arranges for her?¡± After thinking it over, they realized that this was the only usible exnation. Realizing that the situation had taken an unexpected turn, Jameson quickly changed his attitude and turned to Catherine. He said, ¡°Miss Swann, I misunderstood the situation earlier, and I apologize. I¡¯m willing to make amends. ¡°Can I offer you 100 million dors?¡± Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Catherine¡¯s face was expressionless as she saidzily, her tone cold and low, ¡± I¡¯m not short of money. Besides, haven¡¯t you already decided to save your son?¡± Jameson finally understood Catherine¡¯s meaning. He had never expected Catherine to have so much power. She was actually able to undo the financing that ton Group had struggled to get in just a few minutes. Even several of the most important project partners of ton Group had called Jameson, saying that they wanted to cancel their cooperation. If all of this came true, then ton Group was considered to bepletely finished. Catherine was holding ton Group by the throat and could make it copse at any time. Jameson was flustered. His arrogant face was now covered in cold sweat. ¡± Miss Swann, let¡¯s discuss this further!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t even bother to look at him and was about to leave. Jameson wanted to block her way, but one look from Joseph scared Jameson to take a big step back. ¡°He wasn¡¯t someone to be messed with! thought Jameson. The quick-witted secretary quickly signaled to Jameson, who immediately reacted and kicked Aaron, who was still standing on the sidelines with a dumbfounded look. Aaron failed to stand still from his father¡¯s kick and fell onto his knees steadily in front of Catherine. Catherine stopped in her tracks, and Jameson politely stepped forward and apologized to Catherine while pping Aaron. ¡°Miss Swann, just give us another chance, please!¡± Aaron realized the gravity of the situation as well. He did not dare to speak and allowed his father to p him. It was the first time in his life that he had seen his father being so groveling. Feeling as if his apology alone wasn¡¯t enough, he asked Zachary to help beg Catherine as well. ¡°Zachary, you¡¯re on good terms with Miss Swann, right? Put some good words for me, okay? Things are negotiable, right?¡± A wave of disgust surged through Zachary¡¯s heart as he secretly cursed, ¡± You disliked me for being nosy just now. But now you¡¯re begging me to help! Who do you think you are? Do you think everyone has to serve you guys?¡± Now, he only felt grateful that he was smart enough not to bully Catherine along with them. Otherwise, the Lewises would also be implicated. Since he had already decided to break up with the tons, it was impossible for Zachary to help them. He reluctantly looked at Jameson. ¡°Mr. ton, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know Miss Swann very well, and I don¡¯t really have a say in front of Miss Swann.¡± His attitude was very humble. Jameson knew that Aaron¡¯s words just now had offended Zachary. So, he couldn¡¯t say any more. He could only turn his head and continue to beg Catherine to give him another chance. This matter kept reversing, and the attention of the crowd was focused on these guys. No one noticed that three people were standing in the dark not far away, watching all of this. Even if Joseph hadn¡¯t made a move earlier, Paxton would have been the first to rush over. Triston received a message about Catherine from Zachary, and he informed Branden at the first opportunity. The trio arrived as fast as they could, just in time to run into the scene where Jameson mobilized his bodyguards against Catherine. Paxton originally wanted to make a move, but he stopped when Joseph suddenly came out of nowhere. Looking at Joseph¡¯s somewhat familiar face, Triston pondered for a good while and said in surprise, ¡°I remember. Isn¡¯t this the guy that Catherine dealt with on the day at Charm Bar? So, it¡¯s Catherine¡¯s people. He¡¯s quite skilled.¡± He finished with a look like he was waiting for Branden¡¯spliments. But Branden shot a cold and merciless look at him, and he could only shut his mouth silently. Paxton stood by the side and asked in a low voice, ¡°Sir, should we go over now? Branden fixed his eyes in Catherine¡¯s direction without saying anything. Getting no answer, Paxton knew Branden had no intention of going over, so he remained standing in the darkness with Branden. On the other side, Catherine finally reacted to Jameson¡¯s begging. She looked down at Jameson and asked in a cold voice, ¡°Regret? Want to have a talk?¡± Catching a hint of hope, Jameson, who was so afraid of losing the opportunity, nodded his head in a hurry. ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Swann. Please name any conditions you have as long as we can keep ton Group. Then, we can talk!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine readily agreed. Her smile was warm, but her eyes remained cold, deterring anyone from meeting her gaze. ¡°The conditions are simple. Before, it was two legs. Now, it¡¯s two legs plus a hand!¡± added Catherine. Jameson instantly froze, his eyes ring. Catherine, however, still looked at him with a smile as if she was doing him a favor. ¡°I¡¯ll take a loss and take your left hand!¡± Aaron panicked and tried to escape, but he failed because Jameson had him trapped. Now, he couldn¡¯t care about anything but crying for mercy. ¡°Father, I¡¯m your most precious son. Do you really want to sacrifice me for your benefit? I don¡¯t want to be disabled. I don¡¯t want it!¡± Tears and snot were flowing down his face as he cried, a scene iparably lousy and ridiculous. Jameson¡¯s heart ached. As his son had said, Aaron was his most precious son, so how could he bear to see Aaron suffer? But there was no way he could let Aaron off the hook. After all, if the ton Group copsed, everything they had would be gone, and all those who they had once offended would take advantage of the opportunity to retaliate. At that time, the fate of the tons would be sealed. The secretary whispered to remind Jameson from the side, ¡°Mr. ton, you should be more decisive when you have to do so.¡± Jameson had also been through the business world. When he heard this, a hint of ferocity shed within his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he pushed Aaron in front of Catherine. His voice was trembling as he said, ¡°I hope you¡¯re true to your word!¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Catherine didn¡¯t answer and coldly stared at the shivering Aaron on the ground. Aaron tried to escape but was trapped by Joseph. Catherine turned to Audrey and gestured for her to teach him a lesson. Audrey, however, subconsciously dodged back, intimidated by Catherine¡¯s cold demeanor. Kim stood by Audrey¡¯s side and trembled with fear as well. At this moment, he finally understood why Audrey had said Catherine¡¯s attitude towards them was not cold. Compared to Catherine¡¯s current attitude, her earlier demeanor was warm and passionate. Upon seeing Audrey step back in fear, Catherine sneered. She thought, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to get her hands dirty, then I¡¯ll do it. Those who dare to touch my sister have to pay the price!¡± Catherine took two steps forward and opened the trunk of the car. Inside was a set of golf clubs, which sparkled in the moonlight like sharp knives. Catherine drew out a club and gently swung it twice in the air, and it was quite handy. She dragged the golf club along the ground, producing an ear-piercing sound, and confidently strode towards Aaron. Her posture was as leisurely as if she was about to y golf, but Aaron almost peed in fear when he saw her eyes. He thought, ¡°Her eyes were just too scary!¡± The golf club gleamed like an icy de. Catherine swung it in her hand and suddenly stopped its motion midway through the air. Aaron kept shaking his head, woefully begging for mercy. ¡°Please don¡¯t! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Catherine sneered, ¡°I heard that you like visiting prostitutes, and the ordinary ones can¡¯t get into your eyes, huh? Let me give you a hand!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Aaron let out a miserable cry as the golf club made contact. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Those who were present to witness the scene all widened their eyes in shock, their faces as pale as sheets. They had never seen a girl who was so ruthless and decisive in her actions. On that stunningly beautiful face, her eyes were cold and indifferent. A wicked smile escaped from the corner of her mouth, seemingly indistinct, making people feel unreal. When she sat there quietly without moving, she was like a holy flower on the top of a snowy mountain, lonely and cold. Her strikingly beautiful appearance and her cold, distant demeanor made it difficult for people to approach her with ease. On the contrary, as soon as she made her move, her expression remained unchanged, but her aura became terrifying, just like Satan descending to earth. She only struck three times, respectively aiming at Aaron¡¯s two legs and an arm, each blow faster and harder than thest. Aaron¡¯s desperate screams echoed through the scene. The arrogant and unruly Mr. ton of half an hour ago was now like meat on the chopping block and could not do anything. Aaron passed out from the pain after Catherine¡¯s beating. Jameson was better. At least he wasn¡¯t fainting. However, his sweaty face and bloodshot eyes gave away how much he was holding back his emotions and restraining himself at this moment. Catherine swung the golf club and stood aside. Joseph respectfully stepped forward and held a clean white handkerchief in front of Catherine. Catherine casually handed the golf club to Joseph and naturally took the white handkerchief to wipe her hands, like an elegant and noble queen. Jameson did not look very well at this moment, so his secretary took the initiative to help him with the situation and came to Catherine to ask her about it. After watching the whole process, everyone present no longer dared to look down on Catherine. The breathtaking aura around her overwhelmed the crowd. ¡°Miss Swann, about the ton Group, may I ask¡­¡± Catherine knew what the other party was going to say without him finishing his words, and shezily nced at the secretary. Just a single nce gave the secretary the feeling of being pressurized by a powerful aura, so much so that even breathing became a bit of an agony. Catherine remained silent, and at the side, Joseph took the initiative to Since say, you guys agreed to the deal, we will naturally not pursue ton Group any further. As for the losses caused by your own wrong decisions, you¡¯ll have to bear them yourselves!¡± Joseph¡¯s face was full of smiles as he spoke, and the cold and heartless wordsing out of his mouth gave off a feeling of thoughtfulness and care, which was just too scary. Jameson¡¯s secretary shuddered and inwardly felt a pang of remorse for his boss. Perhaps if they had decisively paid out 100 million dors just now and acted a little more sincerely, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten into this situation now. In just a short 10 minutes, ton Group¡¯s market value at least evaporated more than a billion dors. Not only that, but Aaron also lost a pair of legs and an arm. At the end of the day, it was all because they were too ignorant and arrogant to mess with someone they couldn¡¯t afford to. Jameson arranged for his son to be sent away, and his bloodshot eyes fixed on Catherine. Catherine did not say anything and just stood there, her eyes cold and dark, without any change. She knew that Jameson hated her. She had crippled Jameson¡¯s son, and it was impossible for Jameson to let her off. As long as there was a chance, Jameson would make her worse than Aaron! But the question was whether Jameson could get the chance. Catherine would wait and see if Jameson was so capable. Catherine looked up and caught the sight of the three men slowly approaching her. Her gaze uratelynded on the man standing in the very center, who seemed toe in a hurry and didn¡¯t even wear his coat. His tall, slender frame was perfectly showcased by a ck slim-fit shirt. The moment Catherine looked back, the man was already standing in front of her, making her unable to resist eximing in her heart, ¡°Longer legs are better. They walk faster than others. Branden stood beside Catherine and slightly bent down to hold her small hand hanging at her side. His sharp brows slightly furrowed on his stunningly handsome face. He asked in a low, maic voice, ¡°Why is your hand so cold?¡± Catherine had been standing in the cold wind for so long that her hands were naturally cold. She raised her head and fixed her clear eyes on the man in front of her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m pretty much dressed, and it¡¯s not very cold!¡± The man was already less than pleased. Even if she had worn enough, after standing in the wind for so long, she would still get cold from the blowing. He took Catherine¡¯s hand and turned back towards Jameson, who was watching them from the side. Jameson stared at Catherine with intense hatred in his eyes, and inside his brain were images of how to get back at Catherine. He couldn¡¯t even wait to kill this audacious woman right now. Branden¡¯s sudden stare caught him off guard, and he failed in time to retract his ferocious gaze. Branden¡¯s face darkened at the ferocious look, and a murderous aura emanated from his body as the corners of his mouth lowered. There was clearly a sense of arrogance and evil dominance in the man¡¯s dark, deep, icy eyes that gripped Jameson¡¯s throat like a vise. ¡°Mr. ton, my woman went too far and caused trouble for you.¡± Jameson stiffened at Branden¡¯s words. His already pale face became even uglier at this moment, and his bloodshot eyes instantly filled with desperation. He looked at Branden in a panic. ¡°Mr. Duncan, please don¡¯t say so. It¡¯s my son who was ignorant and offended Miss Swann. Mr. Duncan, please forgive us. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Branden murmured softly, with a touch of weird teasing inside his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s better to be a misunderstanding! My woman is timid, so Mr. ton, you¡¯d better not scare her. Juste to me anytime if there¡¯s something you want to talk about.¡± ¡°What? Timid? Are you sure you¡¯re not telling a joke? She wasn¡¯t even hesitant when she broke my son¡¯s legs, and that¡¯s still considered timid? Then, what constitutes boldness? Fighting a tiger with bare hands? You¡¯re just having her faults shielded,¡± cursed Jameson inwardly. The Duncans stood unrivaled in Casier. If one wanted to do business in Casier, the most important thing was not to offend the Duncans. Jameson was not that stupid to fight with Branden. He wouldn¡¯t court death, just like hitting a stone with an egg. He knew Branden had seen through his thoughts. Given the power of the Duncans, Branden could easily make the tons disappear in Casier if he ever dared to have such thoughts in the future. Jameson hastily bowed his head to apologize, totally giving up what he had in his mind. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Mr. Duncan, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding.¡± Branden did not bother with him anymore and led Catherine away. He didn¡¯t know exactly what had happened tonight, but he knew the tons¡¯ business in Casier was considered to be at its end. Branden¡¯s words had just been heard by a lot of people, and by tomorrow, the news was expected to spread throughout the entire city. It did not take a genius to realize that the tons had offended the Duncans, so who would dare to do business with the tons in the future? Aaron really brought a big disaster to the tons this time! Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Catherine sat in the car with Branden, and Triston, who had originally nned to follow them, silently watched as the car departed. He looked at Audrey and said, ¡°Hey, Audrey, give me a ride, will you?¡± Audrey avoided eye contact, kept her head down, and didn¡¯t even look at Triston. Her voice was firm as she said, ¡°I¡¯m not going your way!¡± After saying that, she quickly left, pulling Kim along. Watching Audrey¡¯s fleeing figure, Triston stood alone in the wind, feeling confused. Was it because he was not attractive enough or something? Why did girls ignore him like this? After pondering for a while, Triston turned to Zachary, who was waiting nearby. ¡°You¡¯re not going my way either?¡± Zachary was just worried that he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to exin this matter to Triston, but now that Triston was giving him the opportunity, he was grateful. ¡°How could that be, Mr. Lambert? I¡¯m always going your way! Just wait a moment. I¡¯ll be right back!¡± In every social circle, there were hierarchies. Zachary was respected in Aaron¡¯s circle, but in Triston¡¯s circle, he had to swallow his pride. Different circles meant different levels and positions. The night was charming, and the evening breeze gently stirred the hearts of those who felt it. Catherine leaned against the car window, calmly gazing outside. Beside her was Branden, whose cold eyes were fixed on her the whole time. He recalled the look in Catherine¡¯s eyes. when she broke Aaron¡¯s leg. At that moment, he understood that Catherine and he were the same kind of person. He was d that people like them could find each other. It was destiny! ¡°Can I close the window?¡± he asked. Hearing his voice, Catherine turned her head and met his sparkling eyes. Before she could respond, Branden pressed the button and closed the window. Catherine noticed that he was bing more and more natural in taking care of her, even managing something as simple as closing a car window. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Seeing her pouting in dissatisfaction, Branden found her extremely adorable. Without her noticing, he pulled out a candy from the drawer beside him and ced it into her mouth. The action came too suddenly, and Catherine hadn¡¯t even had time to react when she instinctively stuck out her tongue and licked it. Did he treat her like a child? Branden, who had originally intended to retract his hand, froze at that moment. Her soft and warm tongue, like a seductive hook, tightly entangled his hand. Originally, he just wanted to feed her the candy, but now, he had another n. His slender fingers gently moved, gliding over her rosy lips, while his other hand held her head and forcefully pulled her towards him. His cold lips pressed tightly against Catherine¡¯s. The sweetness of the candy, which had been just right, now seemed a bit excessive. Although separated by a partition, Paxton could still sense what was happening in the back seat through the change in atmosphere. His only relief now was that he had raised the partition in advance, avoiding embarrassment and preventing his boss from punishing him. From now on, he had to be even more careful, raising the partition every time he got in the car. Otherwise, he was afraid that one day he would be fired. The next day, as soon as Catherine arrived at school, she was surrounded by Bryan and Ronin. She frowned, crossed her arms, and scrutinized the two of them. Ronin said ¡°Boss Iheard you taught Aaron a lessonst night. Really?¡± He was not shocked that Catherine broke Aaron¡¯s leg but rather that she had done it herself. Aaron must have really deserved it. Otherwise, Catherine wouldn¡¯t personally take action. Bryan had also heard about it. The news had spread in their circlest night. They said Aaron had offended the Duncans, and they broke his leg. Bryan didn¡¯t know who had done it until he opened the video and recognized Catherine. That was the moment Bryan realized how gentle Catherine was towards them in her daily life. Initially, he was worried that the tons would cause trouble for Catherine, but when he saw his uncle appear, he breathed a sigh of relief. Catherine casually nodded and twisted her neck. ying too many games recently had caused her cervical spine to feel numb. Seeing Catherine nod, Ronin felt even more heartbroken. It annoyed him that it wasn¡¯t him by Catherine¡¯s sidest night, but that idiot Joseph. If it had been him, he would have kicked Aaron¡¯s balls. ¡°How dare that idiot offend Boss?¡± Ronin murmured. ¡°He asked for it!¡± Breaking a leg was not enough. In Ronin¡¯s opinion, it would be better to break Aaron¡¯s four limbs, disable his ability to speak, and throw him in the streets to beg for money! Seeing the gossip-filled expressions on their faces, Catherine quickly changed the subject, not wanting to delve deeper into the matter. She was not in the mood to answer such questions. ¡°How did the song you prepared go?¡± Confidently, Ronin blinked at Catherine and said, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you trust me?¡± Catherine nced at him, staying silent. Since Bryan appeared, Ronin had been feeling a sense of crisis, always trying to show off whenever he had the chance. Catherine turned her head and looked at Bryan. Realizing the question was directed at him, Bryan quickly answered, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry. Everything¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Rehearse once at noon, and if everything goes well, we¡¯ll wait for the competition!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± they both said in unison, very confident. Soon, it was noon. Bryan followed Catherine to the empty space where therge container truck was still there. With everything ready, the three of them began their first rehearsal. Ronin brought a chair for Catherine and ced it in the middle of the empty space. Catherine sat down. Wearing pitch- ck sunsses, she leaned back on the chair, exuding an air of dominance. Bryan turned his head and whispered to Ronin, ¡°Isn¡¯t Boss rehearsing with us?¡± Ronin understood what he meant and gave him a disdainful look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you and I pass the rehearsal, everything will be fine!¡± With Catherine¡¯s musical talent, she could easily win the championship. Rehearsing was meaningless to her. Seeing Ronin¡¯s confident expression, Bryan didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Is Boss really that amazing?¡± he wondered. He knew Catherine was invincible in terms of strength and gaming, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so talented in music as well. She was truly impressive! The two of them began to y and sing, but after only half a verse, Catherine raised her hand. They immediately stopped, looking at Catherine in confusion. Catherine slightly raised her chin, her prominent nose facing the sunlight, her eyes peeking through the gap in her sunsses. Her voice was cold and low, devoid of emotion, as she said, ¡°Bryan, your fifth bar in the first section is not good enough. Practice it a few more times and y it again.¡± Bryan was shocked. He had made a slight mistake just now, one that he himself might not have noticed. But Catherine could urately point it out, which was unbelievable! No wonder Ronin said there was no need to worry about Catherine. With her ability, what was there to worry about? Chapter 212 Chapter 212 In ss 8, there was amotion going on. However, this only happened when Catherine wasn¡¯t taking a break. Whenever she rested her head on the desk, ss 8 would be quiet, and no one dared to speak. Catherine never specified this rule, but everyone just epted it. Now, Catherine was ying games, and the atmosphere in the ssroom became lively. David and the others gathered around Bryan, making a lot of noise. ¡°Hey, Bryan, I¡¯ve been hearing you hum this tune for the past few days, and it sounds really good. How about singing it for us?¡± With thepetition approaching, Bryan didn¡¯t dare to waste time. He was the weakest among the three of them, so how could he afford to bezy? If it weren¡¯t for his talent, he probably wouldn¡¯t even qualify to be in the group. Catherine was talented, and Ronin was also impressive. They didn¡¯t need too much training. As for Bryan, he had always been a top- notch talent, and he had never experienced this kind of torment before. In order to not hold his teammates back, he had to give his all. Therefore, he practiced whenever he had the time, never cking off. David and the others had been listening to Bryan practice all along. At first, they didn¡¯t think much of it, but unexpectedly, they became fascinated by it. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Now they were begging Bryan to perform theplete version. Bryan pushed away David with disdain. ¡°Get lost. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy?¡± David persistently begged Bryan. He had already told his friends that he could ask Bryan to perform it again. With his rtionship with Bryan, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Bryan, consider this practice, okay? How about we go to the cathedral? It will be thepetition venue, and I¡¯ve already secured a spot for you. You can treat it as a trial.¡± Bryan nced at him. ¡°Well, well, well, David, you¡¯re a little bold, aren¡¯t you? Making decisions for me, huh? Do you think we need a rehearsal or practice?¡± David smiled, trying to please him. ¡°Of course not! Your skills speak for themselves. Bryan, just pity us a little and practice once for us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Everyone chimed in. Bryan finally realized that these people hade prepared, fearing that they would keep annoying him if he refused. Coincidentally, Catherine finished her game, so Bryan approached her cautiously, seeking her opinion. ¡°Boss, do you want us to give it a try? David is right. It would be good to familiarize ourselves with the stage!¡± After saying that, Bryan looked cautiously at Catherine. He didn¡¯t know what she was thinking because he knew that she always insisted on not rehearsing. In fact, Catherine didn¡¯t resist rehearsing. She simply felt it was unnecessary. Although she was ying games just now, she heard everything David and the others said to Bryan. Since they liked it so much, then they would practice. Catherine narrowed her eyes and said, Sure!¡± ¡± The moment she agreed, everyone around them erupted in excitement. David and the others even cheered happily, ¡°Boss is the best!¡± So, a group of people marched towards the school¡¯s cathedral. This cathedral was donated to the school by outstanding alumni and was extremely magnificent. It was usually treated as a church, but on special asions, it would be a performance venue. The stage of the celebration g would be held here, so many students who participated in the competition wanted to practice here. Every day, the ce was packed, and David and the others had already made reservations in advance just to be able to hear Catherine¡¯s group rehearse. While most people would book a time slot, they directly booked the entire afternoon, showing off their influence. Liana brought Jessica into the cathedral and reported to the registrar in charge of rehearsal nning for the cathedral, intending to use the stage for rehearsal in the afternoon. However, they were told that the entire afternoon was fully booked. Liana and Jessica were unhappy. They were used to not having to wait in line. They could use the cathedral whenever they wanted because the administrators here were familiar with Nash and would always give priority to Liana. Liana was unwilling to ept this. They had alreadye all the way here, so how could they just go back like this? ¡°Are there so many people rehearsing in the afternoon? The entire time slot is upied?¡± The registrar shook his head. ¡°Not really, although all the slots are booked, there¡¯s only one group rehearsing. Why don¡¯t you go and negotiate with them?¡± Hearing the registrar¡¯s words, Jessica was not only angry but also surprised. ¡± One group upying the entire afternoon? Who are they?¡± ¡°Liana, let¡¯s go take a look. I want to know who these guys are!¡± Jessica was extremely angry. She didn¡¯t expect that there were people even more powerful than them. Liana also didn¡¯t want to ept this, but she kept herposure. After all, with Jessica around, it was necessary for Liana to throw a fit. Liana and Jessica arrived in front of the stage and were shocked by the people on the stage. On the stage, Catherine was helping Bryan tune his guitar. Even though she had her back facing the crowd, her arrogant and wicked demeanor was still recognizable at a nce. At first, Jessica wasn¡¯t too angry, but when she saw that the person standing on the stage was Catherine, she instantly became furious. ¡°Who does this woman think she is?¡± she eximed inwardly. Liana stood by the side, clenching her fists. Her fingers turned white with anger. She whispered to Jessica, ¡°It¡¯s Catherine. Well, we should leave. Let her practice. It increases her chances of winning the championship!¡± Jessica pushed Liana¡¯s hand away, looked at her with a face full of anger, and said, ¡°Liana, you can¡¯t be too lenient. I know you are a kind girl, but you can¡¯t let her be so arrogant!¡± After saying that, Jessica angrily stepped onto the stage, picked up the microphone, and called out to Catherine, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, Catherine Swann. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate to monopolize the stage for the entire afternoon?¡± Catherine had just finished tuning the guitar. When she heard the voice, she turned her head to look at the person. If she remembered correctly, this girl was Liana¡¯s new ¡°best friend¡±. After examining Jessica for a second, Catherine rolled her eyes disdainfully. It seemed like birds of a feather flocked together. Seeing Catherine¡¯s expression, Jessica became even angrier. She gritted her teeth and stared at Catherine in frustration. ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude? Today, you must give me an exnation about the stage. Otherwise, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson! Catherine crossed her arms and looked at Jessica with a cold gaze. ¡°Who do you think you are? Why do you think I owe you an exnation? Come on. Teach me a lesson now!¡± As Catherine said this, Ronin and Bryan had already put down their instrument and stood behind Catherine, staring coldly at Jessica. Ronin sighed inwardly. ¡°Ah, here we go again. Why would these idiots keep bothering Boss? Are they insane?¡± Chapter 213 Chapter 213 As the crowd gathered, Liana had an idea and walked up to the stage, tightly holding Jessica¡¯s hand. To outsiders, it seemed like Liana was helping to mediate, which was rare for her to do at a time like this. Liana kept persuading Jessica while pulling her hand. ¡°Jessica, let it go.¡± 11 After saying that, she turned her head and looked politely at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, Jessica brought her dance costume today. You don¡¯t need to rehearse the whole afternoon, right? I remember that there are usually five or six groups rehearsing in the afternoon. Can you spare some time for Jessica? It doesn¡¯t matter if I practice or not!¡± Liana was quite clever. She indirectly criticized Catherine, using her of taking the opportunity of five or six people. At the same time, she praised herself and pretended to be good to Jessica. Her tactics were really impressive! The more Jessica listened to Liana¡¯s words, the angrier she became. She looked at Catherine with disgust. ¡°Liana, why are you always speaking up for her? Clearly, she¡¯s in the wrong. She¡¯s just a wild child who grew up in the countryside without anyone to discipline her. She¡¯s uncultured and doesn¡¯t understand any manners!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Catherine hadn¡¯t even gotten angry yet, but Ronin exploded with rage. He was an orphan, and if it weren¡¯t for Catherine, he wouldn¡¯t be where he was today. He hated it the most when others called him a wild child. Simrly, he would never allow anyone to say a single bad word about his boss. Seeing that Ronin was about to charge forward, Bryan quickly stopped him. Bryan was well aware of what kind of person Liana was. She had been instigating a lot of things before. Despite her seemingly gentle and weak appearance, she was a typical hypocrite. She would cause trouble and then find someone else to take the me. At first, Bryan didn¡¯t know her well and felt indifferent towards her. But now that he knew her better, he found her maniptive nature detestable. He stopped Ronin because he thought it wasn¡¯t right for a man to hit a woman, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t despise Liana and Jessica. When Bryan heard Jessica¡¯s arrogant words, he was also furious and pointed at her, cursing, ¡°You look down on others for being from the countryside? Have you ever thought about the days when your grandparents were in the business of cleaning up other people¡¯s shit?¡± The Freemans didn¡¯t start off wealthy. Jessica¡¯s grandfather was a servant before he made his fortune in the toilet business. The Freemans had always been ashamed of their past. While not many people in Casier knew about it, some in the upper circles did. However, in their daily interactions, people would show some respect to the Freemans and didn¡¯t mock them. He had exposed it publicly only because Jessica had provoked Bryan. Instantly, everyone burst into laughter. Everyone knew that the Freemans had made their fortune in the toilet business, but they never expected that Jessica¡¯s grandfather used to be a servant. Jessica didn¡¯t expect Bryan to expose this scandal at this moment. If someone had exposed it, she could have refuted it. Bryan never got involved in such matters. With the power of the Duncans, he did not need to tell such lies. Jessica¡¯s face turned red, and she stood still, almost fainting. Liana, seeing Jessica¡¯s defeat, was about to step forward. But Bryan had already seen through her scheme and directly exposed her. ¡°And you. Don¡¯t always act all gentle and weak, pretending everyone bullies you. Don¡¯t think we¡¯re all fools who can¡¯t see through your schemes. We will rehearse the whole afternoon, and everything will be done ording to proper procedures. Don¡¯t try to fool us with your tricks. They won¡¯t work!¡± After Bryan finished speaking, David immediately chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. We followed proper procedures. Our five groups applied, but we don¡¯t want to practice right now. We¡¯re willing to give our rehearsal time to Catherine and her team. Any problem with that?¡± To secure the stage, David had deliberately arranged for four or five groups to register. They offered their rehearsal time to Catherine, meaning they were not forcefully upying the stage. Other people in the crowd also expressed their opinions. Their dissatisfaction was directed towards Liana and Jessica, not Catherine and her team. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How dare they speak ill of others? They are always cutting in line. Last time, they forcefully pushed me out. Why didn¡¯t they mention that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We willingly gave up our practice time for Bryan. What does it have to do with them? Acting like they¡¯re some saviors, it¡¯s disgusting!¡± ¡°They should check their behavior before using others of upying the stage. Jessica Freeman is known for her domineering attitude. Everybody knows!¡± Seeing that the situation was not in their favor, Jessica lost all her fighting spirit. There was no other choice. Liana could only drag her away in shame amidst the scolding and disdain of the crowd. Perhaps they had never been so embarrassed in their lives. Ronin had been angry at Bryan for blocking him and not giving him a chance to teach Jessica a lesson. But he was surprised at how authoritarian Bryan was when he fought back. Seeing the two idiots fleeing, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but reach out and pat Bryan on the shoulder. ¡°Not bad, kid. You¡¯re a genius when ites to sarcasm. I like you!¡± Bryan rolled his eyes at Ronin and turned around to tune his guitar. His indifferent attitude instantly infuriated Ronin. ¡°You little brat, do you want to fight?¡± Ronin angrily rolled up his sleeves, preparing for a big fight. But when he looked up, he met Catherine¡¯s eyes. Thinking about how Catherine didn¡¯t like them causing trouble, he instantly stopped, not daring to act rashly. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll go prepare the drum set!¡± After saying that, he obediently ran off. With the two annoying people gone, the remaining people were all eager to see Catherine and her team¡¯s rehearsal. Last time, her performance was already shocking enough. This time, they would perform on the stage, which greatly piqued everyone¡¯s anticipation. The moment the music started ying, everybody was excited. Catherine¡¯s angelic voice struck everyone¡¯s hearts and left them mesmerized. ¡°Oh my god, how can someone sing so beautifully!¡± ¡°Yeah, this song is really amazing. What¡¯s the name, and who is the original singer?¡± ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t distract us from listening to the song!¡± Amid this appreciation and admiration, the music stopped. Not only the audience below but also Bryan was shocked by theplete performance. He didn¡¯t expect the song to be so good! Finally snapping out of their trance, David and the others pped frantically, cheering for an encore, hoping to hear it again. Unfortunately, Catherine suddenly put away the microphone and left. Catherine hadn¡¯t expected to gain anything new from rehearsing. She always aimed for perfection, and this rehearsal made her discover a minor issue, so small that it wasn¡¯t noticeable. But it wasn¡¯t enough for Catherine, who always strived for perfection. She had to correct it. Everyone looked disappointed as Catherine left. Who would dare to demand a performance from her? But they were sure about one thing- their performance was outstanding! Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Catherine was taken aback when she received a call from Triston. Usually, it was Branden who apanied her, and Triston rarely called her alone. Triston¡¯s voice sounded a bit strange. Catherine, school¡¯s over, right?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t have time for his nonsense and interrupted him directly, ¡°Get to the point!¡± Triston didn¡¯t dare to act rashly, and he immediately became obedient. ¡± Catherine, it¡¯s not me who wanted to call you. Aidan forced me to call you. He wants to invite you to dinner tonight but is too afraid to call himself, so he asked me to do it.¡± Aidan, who was standing nearby, almost rushed up to strangle Triston. When Triston had just received a car from him, Triston said everything was on him. But now, Triston sold him out. ¡°You¡¯re driving me crazy, you idiot!¡± Aidan cursed inwardly. Catherine paused for a moment and made a decision the next second. ¡± Alright.¡± Triston thanked her profusely and hung up the phone, then turned to face Aidan¡¯s eyes full of hatred. Triston coldly said, ¡°What are you looking at? Isn¡¯t everything settled? What else do you have to comin about? If you think you¡¯re a tough guy, call her yourself!¡± Aidan could only hold back his anger. Fortunately, Catherine agreed. Otherwise, he was really worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself and kill Triston on the spot! Catherine hung up the phone and left school. Both Triston and Aidan were Branden¡¯s friends. Otherwise, Branden wouldn¡¯t have taken her to meet them. Since they wanted to invite her to dinner, she decided to go. She had already faced danger head-on, so what was there to fear? However, Catherine didn¡¯t expect that as soon as she stepped out of the school gate, she saw that familiar car. Catherine walked straight towards the car. Branden got out of the car, opened the door, and helped Catherine sit inside. ¡°Did you also receive a call from Triston?¡± she asked. Branden nodded slowly. ¡°I told him to call you himself!¡± Triston didn¡¯t dare to privately contact Catherine without Branden¡¯s permission. He would be in big trouble if he identally got used of trying to snatch Mr. Duncan¡¯s girl. Catherine responded indifferently, ¡°I heard Aidan requested to invite me to dinner?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Before Catherine could ask further, Branden exined. ¡°The Lanes have some distant rtionship with the tons.¡± With this statement, Catherine understood everything. Casier might be a big city, but the upper social circles were limited to these people. They liked to engage in arranged marriages and alliances, so hearing about someone rted to another family wasmon. Since Catherine had known the other party¡¯s intentions, she didn¡¯t have to ask anymore. She was tired. She hadn¡¯t rested in the afternoon and was feeling exhausted. Shezily leaned back in the chair and didn¡¯t want to move. The seats in Branden¡¯s car werefortable, especially the backrest. It was just the right bnce of softness and firmness. Not bad! Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Seeing her sleeping like a tired little cat, Branden reached out and pulled her into his arms, allowing her to lean against him. ¡°Rest for a bit. We still have some traffic ahead. I¡¯ll wake you up when we arrive.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherinezily hummed, adjusted herself to afortable position, and showed no politeness. Half an hourter, the car stopped in front of a grand restaurant. Branden had initially nned for Catherine to rest, but after the car came to a stop, she woke up on her own. She groggily opened her eyes, still dazed from just waking up, without her usual coldness and distance. ¡°We¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Branden grunted, picked up a hot towel from the side, and handed it to her. Catherine never wore makeup, so after waking up, she refreshed herself by wiping her face with the hot towel. She instantly felt rejuvenated. Once she was ready, Branden took her hand and led her out of the car. Inside the private room, four or five people were already sitting, seemingly waiting for Catherine and Branden. When Triston and Aidan saw the two of them, they immediately stood up. Aidan eagerly stepped forward and took over the waiter¡¯s job, helping to pull out chairs for Catherine and Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Catherine, you¡¯ve finally arrived. Please take your seats!¡± Catherinezily nced at him and said nonchntly, ¡°Mr. Lane, you¡¯re being polite today!¡± A simple sentence made Aidan¡¯s heart skip a beat, and he thought something was off. He didn¡¯t dare to say much and could only force a smile, awkwardlyughing. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my honor to serve you, Catherine!¡± He felt bitter inside but couldn¡¯t express it. He regretted having such a foolish rtive from the tons. The Lewises, on the other hand, were shrewd and had already distanced themselves, keeping themselves out of trouble. As for Aidan, he had to fix all these problems by himself! After Catherine and Branden took their seats, the dinner began. After exchanging a nce with Triston, Aidan didn¡¯t immediately speak, following Triston¡¯s hint. From the moment Catherine entered the private room, she felt a gaze fixed on her. She shook her head and raised her eyes, meeting the unflinching stare across from her. She smirked and didn¡¯t respond. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t throw a fit, Terrance secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was his first time seeing a woman with such a terrifying gaze, especially one so young and seemingly underage. It was hard to imagine that such a young girl could be so fearsome when she got physical! After his brother was sent to the hospital, the doctor said his legs were shattered, making it extremely difficult for him to stand, and his arms werepletely broken. The doctor couldn¡¯t believe that a girl could have such strength, as even a normal adult man wouldn¡¯t possess it, let alone a bookish girl. But that was the reality. With so many people witnessing it firsthand, it was evident how terrifying Catherine truly was. Seeing Aidan remain silent, Terrance grew anxious. His wife was Aidan¡¯s cousin, and this time, he had to swallow his pride and ask his wife¡¯s family for help to invite Aidan here. Otherwise, who would dare take the risk of offending the Duncans? Now, the tons were on the verge of copse, and every minute he spent here felt like torture. He was so anxious, utterly devoid of his usual calm andposure. Terrance heard that there was a mysterious power behind Catherine, and they had already reached an agreement with his father, sparing the tons. But just because they spared the tons didn¡¯t mean Branden would let the tons off the hook. Terrance had gathered information about what happened that night and knew exactly what that bastard had done and said. Catherine was Branden¡¯s woman, but that bastard had dared to say such things to her. How could Branden let the tons off the hook? Now, he didn¡¯t hope that the Duncans would let go. He only hoped they would not eradicate the tons, for Aidan¡¯s sake. Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Aidan had been receiving hints from Terrance, and if he hadn¡¯t known that Terrance was different from Aaron and Jameson, he wouldn¡¯t have been willing to help the tons. How could he risk offending Branden? Just the thought of it made Aidan irritated. After hesitating for a moment, he seized the opportunity to make an introduction. ¡°Catherine, this is my cousin¡¯s husband, Terrance ton!¡± Finally, it was his turn to be introduced, and Terrance eagerly picked up his ss. Catherine, who had been sitting quietly, reached out and picked up a lobster when she heard the sound. Then, she threw it directly in front of Branden. Initially, everyone thought it was a normal gesture for Catherine to serve Branden, as many people wanted to show him their respect but never had the chance. However, her action seemed a bit rude, as the lobster was thrown in front of Branden without even being opened. Branden¡¯s eyes scanned the lobster before him, and he elegantly wiped his hands before dismantling it piece by piece. Using a specially designed tool, he shaved off the lobster meat and piled it on a clean, small te. Exceptional people were always different from others. Even watching him dismantle a lobster was like appreciating a performance. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Branden didn¡¯t immediately enjoy the lobster after dismantling it. Instead, he brought the whole te of lobster meat to Catherine and even dipped it in the sauce for her. ¡°Enjoy!¡± His deep voice was full of gentleness, and the smile on his face showed how much he loved her. The people around finally understood what was going on. It turned out that Catherine wasn¡¯t serving Branden but treating him as a free servant. In the entire Casier, perhaps Catherine was the only one who dared to give orders to Branden like this. Terrance had thought that Catherine was just a woman of Branden¡¯s, and the Duncans wouldn¡¯t really offend the tons and Lanes for a woman. Now, he was utterly shocked by this scene. It turned out that he waspletely wrong. This woman couldmand Branden in such a casual way. It showed her extraordinary status. Terrance held the ss in his hands, and his attitude changedpletely. He respectfully bowed and sincerely said, ¡°Miss Swann, I am Terrance ton. You may not know me, but my younger brother offended you yesterday. I am here today to apologize on his behalf. I hope you can forgive us. Catherine¡¯s eyes were as enchanting as the night. She raised an eyebrow slightly, giving Terrance, who was bowing, a mischievous smile. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re here to apologize!¡± Terrance straightened up and nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, Miss Swann, I¡¯m truly sorry. It was my foolish brother who offended you, and we will definitely discipline him when we get back!¡± ¡°No need!¡± These two simple words instantly made Terrance¡¯s heart skip a beat. His face turned pale, and he felt a sense of panic inside. What did Catherine mean by this? What Aaron had done was really unforgivable. Before Terrance could figure it out, Catherine gave him the answer. ¡°I said, there¡¯s no need to apologize! First, it wasn¡¯t your fault!¡± After saying this, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Terrance sharply. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, he is your half-brother, right?¡± Being publicly confronted with family matters, Terrance felt embarrassed but could only nod. He certainly didn¡¯t want to help his foolish brother, Aaron. Over the years, his father had done so much for that idiot, causing them to offend many people. In the past, the tons could handle it. Jameson, his father, was the one in charge, and Terrance had no say in the matter. He could only endure it. But this time was different. It threatened the foundation of the entire ton Group, and he couldn¡¯t just stand out for his family. Seeing him nod, Catherine continued. Second, your brother offended me, and I broke his leg. The debt has been settled, so why bothering to apologize?¡± Terrance knew what Catherine said was true, but since the incident yesterday, everyone knew that the tons had also offended the Duncans. The Duncans had even intentionally spread the news that any business that had a contract with the tons should voluntarily terminate it before the Duncans took action. Who would dare to offend the Duncans? With such a disturbance, the ton Group wouldn¡¯tst a week before going bankrupt. Today, Terrance came to beg for Catherine¡¯s forgiveness, but more importantly, he wanted forgiveness from Branden. Terrance nced at Branden but didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. Catherine knew Terrance¡¯s true intentions, but what did it have to do with her if it was Branden who had the final say? Why should she go to Branden to plead for an outsider? Who did the tons think they were? Terrance had prepared a bunch of excuses, but Catherine had shut him down with just a few words. Now, he didn¡¯t know what to say and stood there in a daze. Catherine leisurely picked up a piece of lobster meat and enjoyed it. After effortlessly finishing her meal, she put down her fork and said to Branden, I¡¯m full!¡± Branden smiled at her tenderly and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back then.¡± There was a hint of concern in his tone as he looked at her tired appearance. Earlier in the car, he nned to turn the car around and return home, but she woke up when the car stopped. Since she wanted toe, he respected her decision. No one could stop her now that she was full and wanted to leave. Catherine stood up, and Branden held her hand as they left in front of everyone. Who would dare to stop these two big shots? When they reached the door, Catherine suddenly stopped and looked back at Terrance. Terrance¡¯s eyes instantly lit up with hope, but Catherine¡¯s words were not about pleading with Branden for him. ¡°Oh, by the way, you might want to take your brother and father for a check -up when you have time. You might be surprised!¡± Looking at the mischievous smile on Catherine¡¯s face, Terrance was confused. Catherine didn¡¯t care about him, turning to leave. As she walked away, she hummed a tune. ¡°Cheating¡­ Love is full of cheating¡­¡± The people in the private room finally realized something. Triston¡¯s gaze was fixed on Terrance, and he couldn¡¯t hide his smile. Since he was familiar with Terrance, he joked openly. ¡°Well, Mr. ton, it looks like the tons need a proper DNA test right now!¡± Terrance remained silent with a serious face. He knew that Catherine wouldn¡¯t suddenly make things up. If Catherine could bring the tons to the brink of destruction in an instant, it was highly possible that she had discovered some information they didn¡¯t know. For example, Aaron¡¯s background! Aidan knew the situation well. He softly patted Terrance¡¯s shoulder and reminded him. ¡°Terrance, when it¡¯s time to decide, just make it. Catherine made it clear enough that it wasn¡¯t your fault! She has shown you enough respect!¡± Just the fact that Aaron called her a high-end prostitute¡± was enough for Branden to take drastic measures. If Terrance still didn¡¯t understand the severity of the situation, the Lanes, who were rtives of the tons, would have to cut ties with him early. The tons were undoubtedly going to be annihted, but it wasn¡¯t Terrance¡¯s fault. Catherine was clear about who had wronged her. She only took action against those who offended her. Terrance slowly realized what was going on and nodded. ¡°Sure, Aidan, thanks for your help. I have something else to attend to, so I¡¯ll head back first!¡± Aidan knew that Terrance would investigate Aaron¡¯s background, so he didn¡¯t stop him. He simply cautioned Terrance to be careful and let him go.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Branden led Catherine out of the restaurant, ready to get into the car. Aidan and Triston chased after them. Hearing the noise, Branden and Catherine both turned around. Aidan and Triston froze in their tracks, standing there awkwardly, wearing embarrassed smiles. Catherine nced at them without saying a word: After all, Branden was still standing beside her. It would be better to let him handle it. Aidan discreetly pulled Triston¡¯s sleeve, signaling him to speak up. Triston¡¯s face darkened, and he shouted. ¡°Damn, I came out with you to find out the gossip about your brother- inw¡¯s family. Now, you should go up and ask her yourself.¡± His words were full of righteousness, as if he had already mastered the truth in his hands. Aidan¡¯s eyes almost popped out when he heard this. He never expected to be fooled by Triston again. After not seeing each other for a few years, Triston had be increasingly scheming. However, Aidan couldn¡¯t even express his depression for now. He could only keep calm and swallow his pride. Branden didn¡¯t have time to watch the two clowns fooling around. Catherine was tired and wanted to go back to sleep. The car door opened. Branden led Catherine had hardly got in when two figures rushed over like arrows and sat in the car, one in the front and one in the back. Triston snatched the passenger seat without any hesitation. Aidan was surprised, wondering, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t this guy want to sit in the back?¡± Catherine leaned against the car door, casually looking at Aidan and Triston. ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, why don¡¯t you investigate it yourselves?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t believe that with the power of the Lamberts and Lanes, they couldn¡¯t find the information they needed. Aidan raised his eyebrows slightly andughed. ¡°Ha, investigate it ourselves? It¡¯ll be much more convenient to ask you, Catherine. But how did you know? Did Mr. Duncan investigate it?¡± Branden¡¯s gaze fell on Catherine. Jameson had always been a cautious person, known for being meticulous in his business dealings. However, Jameson didn¡¯t even know that his beloved youngest son wasn¡¯t his own. It showed how clever his mistress was. But in that case, how did Catherine realize it? Although Aidan and Triston couldn¡¯tpletely figure out Branden¡¯s thoughts, they could tell from Branden¡¯s expression that Branden probably had nothing to do with this matter. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. All three¡¯s gaze focused on Catherine. Triston couldn¡¯t help but say, Catherine, just do us a favor and tell us the truth!¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow, looking at them with a disdainful expression. ¡± Can¡¯t you tell that Jameson and Aaron don¡¯t look alike at all?¡± From when Jameson appeared, she felt he didn¡¯t resemble Aaron, especially in certain facial features. Jameson had a big nose, while Aaron had a small one. And Jameson hadrge earlobes, while Aaron did not. These were all dominant gic traits, and although they weren¡¯t entirely conclusive, the differences in their facial features were indeed suspicious. Catherine had instructed Joseph to investigate Jameson and Aaron¡¯s rtionship, and surprisingly, she found something. ¡°I had someone take a blood sample from Aaron while he was undergoing surgery. Wepared it to Jameson¡¯s. And now you all know the results!¡± After Catherine finished exining, Aidan and Triston apuded excitedly. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re amazing. You are so smart!¡± Branden looked at Catherine with a smile in his eyes. She was truly incredible, wasn¡¯t she? Then, Branden slowly raised his head and looked ahead. Paxton felt a familiar sense of pressure behind him, a strong aura surrounding him. He instantly understood his boss¡¯s intention and parked the car to the side, opening the door. Triston was shocked, looking at Branden in panic. He begged, ¡°Mr. Duncan, we don¡¯t even have a chance to get a taxi here. It¡¯ste at night, and it¡¯s so cold¡­¡± Before he could finish, Branden gave him a cold nce. With just one look, Triston trembled and scrambled out of the car. Aidan didn¡¯t understand what was happening and was still a bit confused. He was then kicked out of the car by Branden. Paxton swiftly closed the door after the two got out of the car. The ck Bentley disappeared into the darkness. Aidan held his throbbing thigh, grimacing in pain, cursing in the direction the car had left. ¡°Can¡¯t believe Mr. Duncan has be so focused on his woman that he¡¯s abandoning us like this! We¡¯re his friends!¡± Triston coldly eyed Aidan and said disdainfully, ¡°Is this your first day knowing him? If it weren¡¯t for Catherine, you wouldn¡¯t even have had a chance to get in the car!¡± Aidan finally realized that Triston had known all along. No wonder Triston made him sit in the back just now. Triston wanted him to bear the brunt of Branden¡¯s anger. ¡°Ah, you cunning guy,¡± Aidan murmured inwardly. ¡°Where did you learn all these maniptive tricks? I want to learn them too!¡± Terrance rushed to the hospital with his wife at night. Jameson immediately stood up as they entered the ward and went to Terrance¡¯s side. ¡°Terrance, how is it? What did Mr. Duncan say?¡± Terrance looked at his father with a grim expression. His father, once wise and imposing, was his hero. But now, his father acted like a fool, panicking in the face of disaster. Terrance replied in a cold tone, ¡°What else can I do? Haven¡¯t you heard about Mr. Duncan¡¯s temper? He¡¯s a devil in the business world!¡± Jameson had a solemn face filled with helplessness and frustration. Sylvia, who was standing aside, looked disdainful and made sarcastic remarks. ¡°Tsk, tsk, I used to think it was impressive of you to marry a wife with status and influence. But now it seems that she¡¯s useless!¡± When Terrance married his wife, Sylvia was very dissatisfied. In her opinion, Terrance, as the legitimate eldest son, already had a better chance of inheriting. It would be a strong alliance if he were to marry a woman with a powerful family background. Then, when Jameson passed away, there wouldn¡¯t be a ce for her and her son. Whenever Sylvia had the chance, she would humiliate Terrance¡¯s wife. Now was no exception. Terrance¡¯s wife became highly embarrassed, but she refrained from taking action due to her noble upbringing and the various social constraints she had been subjected to since childhood. Seeing his wife being wronged, Terrance quicklyforted her while ring angrily and dissatisfied at Sylvia. Sylvia pretended to be flustered, patting her chest and approaching Jameson with a frightened look. ¡°Look at your son. He looks like he wants to kill me. It¡¯s so scary!¡± Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Hearing his wife¡¯s frightened look, Jameson hurriedlyforted her. Sylvia was more than ten years younger than Jameson. She looked perfect for her age. She was almost forty but seemed only thirty. She was adept at maniption and coquetry, so Jameson adored her deeply. Jameson patted Sylvia¡¯s back and red at Terrance. ¡°How could you say that to Sylvia? Apologize!¡± Terrance was so disappointed with his father. He went about the trouble Aaron caused and begged for forgiveness. Yet, his father took Sylvia¡¯s side and rebuked him. Terrance could not stand it anymore. He finally understood that Aidan was right about his family. The tons were so hopeless. It was time for Terrance to draw a line with them and save himself. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He looked up at his father, his eyes firm. ¡°Dad, the only thing we can do is to cast Aaron and this bitch out of our family. In that case, our family might still have hope.¡± His words irritated Sylvia, but she was scheming and clever enough not to curse Terrance but ask Jameson to have her back. ¡°Jameson, you saw how Terrance treated me. He dared to say so in front of my face, so you can imagine how he spoke ill me behind my back-poor me. Aaron is still lying there unconscious. Why don¡¯t you just let me die?¡± Jameson was also enraged. He snapped at Terrance sternly. ¡°You bastard! How dare you! Apologize to Sylvia, or you will be the one that is cast out of the family.¡± ¡°Well, well.¡± Terrance sneered. ¡°Go ahead and cast me out. Think about it. What else will the tons still have after offending the Duncans?¡± Sylvia panicked. She thought Terrance did not care about the family because the tons were going bankrupt. If that were true, Terrance still had the legacy his mother left him and a wealthy wife, but Sylvia had got nothing. She could not let Terrance abandon the family. She begged hard with the grievance, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Jameson, Terrance, please, stop arguing.¡± Terrance hated Sylvia for pretending to be so pitiful. He looked sternly at Sylvia, who stood on the edge of a precipice without knowing it. ¡°You can drop your act now. We all know what shameful secrets you are hiding.¡± Sylvia was livid. She stared daggers at Terrance, wishing she could rush to him and tear him apart. ¡°What are you talking about? Why do you have to be so sour? I see. You want to abandon your father and run away when the family has a crisis. Am I right? You are a jackass. You will get your comeuppance.¡± Terrance fixed his eyes on Sylvia and asked her, ¡°Sylvia, why don¡¯t you talk about who the troublemaker is? We would not be in such a disaster if your precious son did not cause the trouble.¡± ¡°Damn it! That¡¯s your younger brother! ¡°Jameson roared with fury. Terrance still smiled coldly and calmly. ¡°You are wrong. That¡¯s not my brother. Sylvia¡¯s body froze with fear, but she maintained herposure. Jameson thought that his eldest son was crazy and refused to admit that he had a younger brother. However, what Terrance said the next second seemed to have set off a bomb. Terrance stared at Jameson. An evil smile yed on the corner of his lips, making him look somewhat ferociously. He was not hysterical or bellowed with rage. He only spoke calmly, like talking about something ordinary. ¡°Dad, tell me this. How can a type A blood and a type B blood give birth to a type O blood?¡± Jameson was shocked, and his pupils were dted. He seemed to age some years instantly. He was not a fool. Neither was his son. He could easily expose such a lie if Terrance lied about it. Sylvia was dumbfounded. It took her quite a while to react. She took Jameson¡¯s hand with her body trembling. ¡°Jameson, that¡¯s not true. Don¡¯t believe him. Terrance was framing me!¡± Terrance snorted coldly with disdain and took his wife to leave the ward, which disgusted him. His mother had long passed away, and there was no one worth Terrance sticking around for. After receiving the news about what happened among the tons, Catherine smiled faintly and ordered Ronin, ¡°Ronin, investigate Terrance and see if he is a talent. If so, keep him.¡± ¡°Yes. Boss. Leave it to me.¡± Ronin thought that Terrance was quite lucky. The tons were beyond saving. It would do no good to Terrance to stay with them anymore. If Terrance could work for Catherine, that would be a blessing in disguise. As Ronin thought, something else suddenly struck him. ¡°Boss, after we release the news of you and David officially signing the contract, plus the order the Swanns signed with our base, you will surely win in the valuation adjustment mechanism.¡± It was still yet toe to the set time, but Catherine could easily double the market value of the Swann Corporation and get its stock price surge with the two contracts. Ronin wanted tough. Those people were overreaching themselves by trying to fight against Catherine. ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine mumbled muffledly. She was not surprised by her victory. She had arranged the projects well enough to ensure that the market value of the Swann Corporation could soar. It was only that Catherine did not know what reaction Korbin would have after he heard the news. The Swanns owned enough of the industries. Korbin had spent most of his life managing the businesses. How would he be willing to give up now? Catherine decided not to think and just let things be. She only wanted to rest. Go back to your practice. We will have the preliminary the day after tomorrow and the final next week.¡± When he received Catherine¡¯s call, Ronin was practicing the drum set. ¡°Yes, Boss. I will work harder on it.¡± Two dayster came the preliminary. The oue was never in doubt. Catherine¡¯s team moved on to the final, and the audience immersed themselves in their music. The crowd surrounded Catherine, Bryan, and Ronin after they came down from the stage. David looked thrillingly at the three. At first, people all thought that they were only fillers. No one expected that they had such prowess. The crowd started to praise them non- stop. ¡°Catherine, Bryan, you are just amazing! I heard your song at the rehearsal and could not sleep that night. Your song had been reying over and over again in my head. Today, I finally could hear it again. It¡¯s perfect. I love it.¡± ¡°I just filmed it on my phone. I can rey the whole performance tonight! I am filled to the brim with happiness just thinking about it.¡± Catherine was expressionless. She was still calm and not affected by those praising words. On the other hand, it was the first time Bryan received such highments from his good friends. ¡°Are you sure you are not exaggerating? Bryan looked at the crowd with doubt. The crowd nodded in unison and reached out to point at Catherine.¡± Especially Catherine. Her voice was angelic. I have never heard anyone sing like that.¡± ¡°Indeed. She¡¯s great.¡± An unexpected voice chimed in. People all raised their heads and saw it was all raised their heads and saw it was Grayson standing behind them. Grayson had always been aloof and kept pretty much to himself. He had a natural gift for music and was proud, so he rarely talked to his schoolmates. His schoolmates were used to his indifference. After all, the geniuses were usually lone wolves. No one had thought he would apud Catherine, which proved that the crowd¡¯s praises were not exaggerated. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 On Grayson¡¯s face, the thin bangs hid his bright eyes, staring fixedly at where Catherine stood. Catherine did not speak a word among the crowd but was still in the spotlight. Grayson¡¯s usual calmness had a crack on it. Catherine walked away from the crowd that surrounded her. She took several steps ahead and realized someone was following her. Catherine stopped, whirled around, and narrowed her eyes. She looked indolently and casually at Grayson.¡± What do you want?¡± Grayson did not expect her to stop, and he would subconsciously follow her out. Catherine was like sunshine. People would want to follow her steps without even realizing it. ¡°Catherine, you have an excellent voice and a good sense of pitch. I heard that you wrote the song yourself. Is that true?¡± When Grayson heard Catherine sing, he found her voice mind-blowing. After hearing from people around that Catherine wrote the song on her own, Grayson was even more amazed by her musical talent. Catherine was now sizing up Grayson. She did not even look at him before. Grayson had fair skin. It was like he had been hiding in the dark and never walked under the sun. The skin on his face was thin and translucent, revealing the veins under it. He had finely carved features and was quite good-looking. That was how Catherine thought of Grayson. But what did it have to do with her that Grayson had a good-looking face? Facing Grayson¡¯s question, Catherine only replied with indifference, ¡°Yeah. So what?¡± Catherine¡¯s coldness did not harm Grayson¡¯s feelings at all. Grayson had already subconsciously thought of Catherine as the same kind as himself. They were both scornful of worldly things and social expectations because they never cared about them. Grayson looked earnestly at Catherine and said, ¡°I have received the admission letter from Ealsmen Conservatory. My professor is there. With your talent, it will not be hard for you to enter the Ealsmen Conservatory. Do you understand me?¡± Ealsmen Conservatory was the best music school in the world. It was a dream school for countless people who loved music, but the enrolment was limited to the number of graduatesst year, which was scarce. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Grayson got the admission letter so early. It meant that he had great prowess in music. He was a true genius. Ealsmen Conservatory was a school that Liana had been dreaming of and working hard for. She would do anything to exchange for an admission letter from it. One could be seen as a musician after graduating from it. ¡°Ealsmen Conservatory,¡± Catherine whispered the name with a sneer of displeasure. If she recollected correctly, she had received an email from the professor of Ealsmen Conservatory three years ago. It was a special invitation for her to apply to Ealsmen. However, she deleted the email and never thought of it again. Grayson noticed the slight of Ealsmen in Catherine¡¯s tone and thought she did not understand how famous and influential Ealsmen Conservatory was. He had heard Catherine had been raised in the countryside and had not been well-educated. ¡°Catherine, I don¡¯t think you understand this. Ealsmen is the university that everyone who loves music wants to go to. It¡¯s the best¡­¡± Before Grayson finished talking, Catherine waved her hand and signaled him to stop. ¡°Alright. Congrattions if you want to go there. As for me¡­¡± Catherine paused for a moment before her cold voice sounded again. ¡°I am not interested.¡± Her words were simple but powerful. With that, she turned around and walked away. Grayson stood in ce with frustration. As he watched Catherine¡¯s departure, a trace of confusion appeared in his beautiful eyes. He did not understand why Catherine refused to ept his kindness. Immersed in his own world, Grayson did not notice the malicious eyes staring at him not far away. Liana had just done her performance and went down from the stage when she saw Grayson standing face-to-face with Catherine. She did not know how Catherine and Grayson knew each other or why they would interact with each other. Grayson had an inborn musical aptitude. He was an incredible talent. Liana was not surprised that Grayson could get the admission letter from Ealsmen Conservatory. But what surprised her was that Grayson wanted to rmend Catherine to Ealsmen Conservatory! God knew how much time and energy she had put into getting a rmendation letter. Now, Grayson wanted to rmend Catherine! Liana had tried all the means to beg Grayson for his rmendation, but Grayson never agreed. Grayson even took the first step and offered to help Catherine, which was an opportunity Liana had long desired. What was more uneptable to Liana was that Catherine refused to seize the opportunity. She did not want it. It was something Liana was dying for. Grayson handed it to Catherine readily, but Catherine treated it as worthless. What did that mean? Who did Catherine think she was? She was only a jinx returned from the countryside. How could she be more outstanding than Liana? It was something Liana could never ept. It urred to Liana that the conversation between the two male students in the church, so she rushed to find them immediately. ¡°Hey, could you please¡­¡± The two guys were about to leave when they heard the voice sounding behind them. They turned around and saw Liana, so they nodded at her as a greeting. Liana¡¯s face was rather beautiful among ordinary people. She grew up in a wealthy family and was aristocratic. Besides, she knew how to dress up and wear makeup to add to her charm. The eyes of the two students lit up. They were too shy to say much to Liana, so they only asked. ¡°What can we do for you?¡± Liana smiled decently and nodded at them. ¡°Excuse me. I was sitting in the row behind you and identally overheard your conversation. Did you say that the song of Bryan¡¯s team had a familiar melody and seemed to be written by someposer?¡± The two students eyed Liana suspiciously, so Liana gave them a sweet smile to delude them. She said cautiously, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s not like what you have thought. I love that song and worship the one who has written it. You know that kind of feeling, right?¡± The two students nodded repeatedly in agreement. They were fascinated by Liana. ¡°Yeah, we know. We never heard the song of Bryan¡¯s team in Sugar¡¯s albums, but the style and the melody seemed like Sugar¡¯s. It¡¯s a great song. Liana caught the point. ¡°Sugar?¡± ¡°Yes, her! The most mysterious and legendaryposer. Every song she wrote was ssic, and she only wrote the songs for the moguls in the entertainment industry. She had only written a few songs, but they were all the best.¡± Liana heard the student¡¯s exnation, and a thrilled smile revealed on her face. She thanked the two students with pleasure and turned to leave. Attracted by Liana¡¯s pretty face, the two students did not think of why Liana would ask about that. Sugar only worked with the moguls, and Liana did not think Catherine had any way to reach Sugar. Catherine must have giarized the song. Liana was sure of it. A giarist! Liana would let Catherine learn what price she would pay to giarize. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Ronin received an email. It was an anonymous one that was sent to Sugar¡¯s business email. The email said a high school student giarized Sugar¡¯s song and lied that she wrote it, using it to chase fame. Ronin was furious just reading the email title. He could not help but swear, ¡°What the hell? Damn it. Let me see who the giarist is. I must teach her a lesson!¡± When he clicked open the email, he first saw Catherine¡¯s photo. He was perplexed and scanned the text. The email content talked about how Catherine had giarized Sugar¡¯s song. Ronin rolled his eyes and closed the Mail app. Ronin wondered which idiot dared to do such a stupid thing. It was so hateful to waste his time. What a hrious thing that Catherine would giarize herself! Ronin did not know why people nowadays were so weird. Why would they send such a boring email? He was so speechless about it. He had no time for this. He still had codes to modify. Some lunatics kept attacking their base, and Ronin needed to guard the front line for Catherine. He would ignore such idiots who sent the email in case they felt good about doing those silly things. It was soon came the celebration g. The big shots attended and gathered in the school, let alone the students and teachers. The principal was taken aback. Even though he had sent invitations to the top graduates, he never expected that so many of them had attended. Each one of the big shots was influential enough in Casier. The ck Bentley slowly came to a halt, followed by several colorful sports cars. The principal knew it must be someone powerful that came. He stopped what he was doing and came to greet theer. His eyes widened in shock when he saw theer getting out of the car. ¡°Oh boy. Am I dreaming? Why would this onee here?¡± thought the principal. He trotted forward while whispering to his secretary, who was following him, ¡± Inform the media. It will be a bombshell. Ask them to send their best journalists and cameramen here.¡± The secretary nced at theer and was astounded as well. He dared not dy and made the calls to all media right away. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Mr. Duncan, to what do I owe the honor to have you here?¡± The principal stood in front of Branden respectfully with his waist slightly bent. He looked so humble. Branden just darted a nce at him without saying anything. The principal did not take it to heart. The principal might have been astonished if Branden had replied to his words. The principal looked up and saw some young men standing behind Branden. He knew the one standing nearest to Branden was Triston and did not recognize the rest. Yet, he knew that they must be extraordinary. ¡°Mr. Lambert, what a pleasure to have you here with us too!¡± Triston grinned at the principal. He remembered that the principal was nice to him when he was still a student, so he greeted the principal enthusiastically. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s been a long time, right? You look younger than I expected! We heard that this year¡¯s celebration g would be grand, and we are avable for it. What? Are we not wee?¡± The principalughed joyfully as he looked at Triston. ¡°Howe! I¡¯m so d that you made time to attend the celebration g. It¡¯s a great honor for our school. The school is getting better and better thanks to the excellent students like you.¡± After exchanging words with the principal, Triston looked up and saw no trace of Branden. He hurriedly said goodbye to the principal and went after Branden. He took a few steps and saw Branden¡¯s back. In front of Branden stood Catherine. Triston¡¯s fellows were all there, while Triston was the only one missing. The principal wished to talk some time longer with Triston. He had no guts to speak to Branden but could chat with Triston. It would make him look great if any journalist had taken photos of him and Triston and put them in the newspaper. However, Triston left in a hurry without even finishing his words with the principal once he noticed that he had lost track of Branden. Following the gaze of Triston, the principal saw the big guns all gathering around Catherine. It looked like they were friends with her. The principal was confused and murmured to himself, ¡°Never have I heard that Catherine is so capable. Why would she attract so much attention?¡± His secretary stood beside him and reminded him. ¡°Sir, no matter how Catherine was like before, she is the daughter of the Swanns now. It¡¯s not strange that she knew those gentlemen. Besides, Bryan is with her. Perhaps Mr. Duncan is there for his nephew.¡± The secretary had just done talking when he saw the man who arrived. His mouth was agape in shock. ¡°Oh, my goodness. Sir, look who¡¯s behind you! I can¡¯t believe my eyes¡­¡¯ The principal was somewhat scornful, thinking his secretary was making such a fuss. Branden was there, and who else would be more influential than Branden? When he jerked his head unwillingly and saw the man, he almost fainted out of excitement. ¡°My good lord. Why would this one be here?¡± the principal eximed in his heart. Ronin could not stand it and furrowed his brow as he saw those people who came. He said with displeasure, ¡°Why are you all here?¡± Not only him, but Bryan was also annoyed. Why did those peoplee here instead of staying at their companies and working? Triston found it interesting to see the dissatisfied looks of Ronin and Bryan. He said, ¡°We are here for your Boss, of course. She¡¯s going to sing today. Am I right? How can we bear to miss this?¡± Triston had heard Catherine¡¯s attendance at the audition, but that time, Branden did note to watch it, nor did Branden allow them toe. It was a pity for Triston. Now that they finally had the chance, how would they let it slip? ¡°That¡¯s right, man,¡± said Aidan as he put his hand on Triston¡¯s shoulder and looked at the crowd with a smile. Ronin did not bother to care about those two idiots and turned to clean his drumsticks. Bryan also tuned up his guitar. Triston and Aidan looked at Ronin and Bryan and were irritated. Aidan asked bluntly, ¡°What do they mean?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Triston sneered and defended himself, ¡°Nothing. They thought you were an idiot.¡± He looked back and saw Branden sitting next to Catherine. Triston wanted to join them, but after a second thought, he gave up. He could not afford the consequence of offending Branden. When Branden sat down, he covered his coat on Catherine¡¯sp. Today, Catherine was wearing a simple hoodie and shorts. She looked casual and sporty yet still striking. Her long, straight legs under the shorts were the most eye-catching part.Many people noticed her legs, but no one dared to stare at them. They could only peek at them from time to time. However, that was enough for people to be amazed. The sudden warmth made Catherine notice the coat on her legs. Well-tailored by famous designers, the suit coat was worth hundreds of thousands of dors. Now, it was ced on herp casually. Catherine tilted her head. She locked her bright eyes on Branden with questions.Branden was calm and did not feel ufortable under her searching gaze. He said softly, ¡°The air conditioning here is too cool. I don¡¯t want you to catch a cold.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes were gleaming as she heard Branden. She sparkled. ¡°Branden is¡­ so adorable,¡± thought Catherine. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Liana¡¯s performance had been arranged after Catherine¡¯s, but Liana wanted to take the lead to impress the audience before Catherine, so she switched the order with Jessica. Jessica naturally agreed. She wished Liana could beat Catherine and avenge her. ¡°Liana, don¡¯t worry. I already asked my fans to be prepared. They will all vote for you, and so will I. You will surely win the championship.¡± Liana put on a bashful smile and looked somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Jessica, thank you so much. You are so kind, but I¡­¡± Jessica interrupted her words. ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®but.¡¯ I want you to be the winner, and that¡¯s it. ¡°Now, you need to powder your nose and freshen up. You are about to perform. You need to look astonishing.¡± Liana smiled slightly and turned to walk toward the stage. The moment she turned around, the smile on her face was gone. Her eyes were a little like Catherine¡¯s, and in them shed a hint of coldness. Liana never thought that she would be the one to benefit from the fight between Catherine and Jessica. She had regarded Jessica as a tricky opponent, but now Jessica had be her help. How ironic that was. Today, Liana would let Catherine know what she was capable of. The celebration g began. Catherine¡¯s show was at theter part, so she sat in the auditorium to have a rest. The performances began one after another, attracting the audience. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Catherine had no interest in the performances. She leaned against Branden¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes to rest. Branden was holding a tablet and working. He was there for Catherine and also had no interest in anyone else. When it was Liana¡¯s turn, Triston and the others in the front seats of Catherine and Branden were happy to see her walking on the stage. Triston even turned his head back in a thrill and shouted. ¡°Catherine, herees your sister.¡± Catherine was about to fall asleep but opened her eyes because of Triston¡¯s words. Branden noticed her move and cast a cold look ahead. The mere look frightened Triston, making him want to kneel already. His heart skipped a beat and almost stopped. He shrank his neck and dared not speak again. Catherine looked at the stage. It was indeed Liana. Liana was wearing haute couture from a luxury brand and delicate makeup. She was in high spirits. It seemed she had spent great effort for the celebration g. Liana started to y her song. Her piano prowess won the hearts of the audience. Catherine listened for some time and thought that Liana had improved herself. Catherine could tell that Liana had worked hard on practice, but she cared too much about the fame, causing slight impatience in her melody. It was not a good thing to be too eager to show oneself. Liana finished her song, and there was a burst of pping. Ronin came to Catherine and reminded her in a low voice, ¡°Boss, we should go and be prepared.¡± Catherine nodded and handed the coat on herp to Branden. Branden gazed at her and said hoarsely but tenderly, ¡°You can do it.¡± Catherine did not even bother to nod. She just revealed a faint smile before walking away with Ronin. Catherine went backstage, and Bryan had already been well-prepared and waiting for her. Seeing her still in her hoodie and shorts, Bryan was surprised. ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you going to change your clothes?¡± Catherine looked at him without much expression. She said quietly, ¡°Is it necessary?¡± Ronin chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right. You look perfect dressing like that.¡± Especially her long legs, which added so much to her charm. Since Catherine did not care, Bryan did not persuade her again. ¡°Last check before we go on the stage.¡± Ronin and Bryan heard Catherine¡¯s order and began to check their instruments. Liana left the stage slowly to tumultuous apuse. She knew from the eyes under the stage that she would surely be the champion. She wanted to see how Catherine couldpete with her. ¡°Liana, you are brilliant.¡± Nash walked to Liana with a bouquet of flowers. Liana took the flowers pleasedly. For her, the best thing was to be the center of attention. She left with Nash to celebrate her victory in advance. Anyway, the oue was a foregone conclusion. It would be enough for her toe back at the award ceremony. The emcee called Catherine¡¯s name and announced it was time for her team to perform the show. Catherine looked both sides at Bryan and Ronin. They were both confident without any stage fright or nervousness. That was the state Catherine expected them to be. She did not see this as apetition but merely a game she had in her spare time. She spat out the gum she had been chewing into the trashcan and took the microphone. Catherine walked onto the stage in an imposing manner. When the three stood still on the stage, the apuse and cheerful whistles sounded. There was no doubt that they were popr among the students. Standing on the stage, Catherine hooded to cover her delicate appearance. She put her finger before her lips and made a gesture. The audience fell into silence. They were all holding their breaths and waiting for her. The spotlight found her and shone on her like a bright moon. Catherine was like a big star on the stage at the moment. Branden sat quietly in the seat of honor in the auditorium, and he already put his tablet aside. Just like everyone else, all he could see was only Catherine. Catherine was definitely attractive on the stage. Branden¡¯s deep eyes were sparkling, and a smile yed on his lips. Her little girl was gloriously radiant and striking. With a signal from Catherine, Ronin drummed the first note. Followed by the deafening and intense drum beats was Catherine¡¯s dreamy voice. As the song¡¯s climax came, Catherine was so excited that she pulled down the hood that hid her face. The audience saw her gorgeous face on therge screen and almost forgot to breathe. She was stunningly ravishing. Her voice was fantastic, and her appearance morous. She was born to be the center of focus. Grayson was also sitting in the auditorium, watching Catherine¡¯s show. He had been mad at Catherine and decided to give her up since she had turned him down that day. But at that moment, he doubted his decision. He changed his mind. He would persuade Catherine to apply to the Ealsmen Conservatory. He believed she deserved it. No one was more clear than he was that it would be a shame if Catherine did not enter the music world. If Liana¡¯s piano piece surprised the audience, then Catherine¡¯s song was incredible. It was so pleasant to hear. Her voice was full of power and remained lingering around. It was not shallow but haunting. After a long time, the audience finally came back to their senses. There was a long, full meed of apuse, which was the greatest affirmation of Catherine¡¯s team. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 The celebration g came to an end. Many of the judges were celebrities in the industry. These big shots made the celebration g a media frenzy, creating a new trending topic for today. The smile on the principal¡¯s face never faded, and as one of the judges, he also voted for Catherine¡¯s team. This was not only because they were famous but also because their performance was truly outstanding, giving him a sense of excitement in his old age. After going around with Nash, Liana returned to the auditorium. The selection began, and the principal stood on the stage with the award results in hand. ¡°Good evening,dies and gentlemen. It is my honor to stand on this stage and announce tonight¡¯s champion. The champion tonight is¡­¡± The principal deliberately paused momentarily before excitedly saying, ¡°Catherine¡¯s team! Congrattions!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Cheers and screams filled the entire venue. Compared to the enthusiasm and cheers from the crowd, Catherine remained calm. She sat quietly in her seat, her gaze calm. There was only a faint smile on her face. Branden reached out and held her hand. His initially icy eyes were now filled with tenderness as he softly said, ¡°Congrattions!¡± Catherine nced at him, and the smile deepened on her face. ¡°Thank you!¡± Just as Liana returned, she happened to witness this scene. She had already prepared herself for the admiration and congrattions from everyone. But she never expected that Catherine would win the championship. How was this possible? Seeing that Liana¡¯s expression was off, Nash tried tofort her. ¡°Liana, don¡¯t be like this. You are also excellent. One failure doesn¡¯t mean anything, right?¡± Liana wanted to p this stupid guy in the face. What he said was meaningless. However, Liana didn¡¯t throw a fit right away. After all, Nash was still helpful, and she couldn¡¯t abandon him for now. She covered her face and looked pitifully at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nash, but I need some time alone!¡± After saying that, Liana turned and ran away. As soon as she returned to the dressing room, she dialed a mysterious number. At the same time, a hint of ruthlessness appeared in her eyes. This championship was hers, and she would not let Catherine easily take it away, no matter what. Amidst the audience¡¯s apuse, Catherine and her teammates stepped onto the stage. It wasn¡¯t the principal who presented them with the award but an elderly gentleman. Despite his advanced age, he looked energetic in his well-tailored suit, his sharp eyes exuding vitality. Seeing the respectful demeanor of the principal in front of him, everybody present could tell that the old man held significant influence. The old man approached Catherine with the trophy in hand. Smiling, he asked, ¡°Are you Catherine?¡± Catherine nodded slowly, not overly enthusiastic. On the other hand, Bryan, standing beside her, was astonished. The old man praised Catherine voluntarily, ¡°You sing well. Do you n to enter the entertainment industry in the future?¡± Although Catherine found the old man a little annoying, considering his seniority, she politely responded, ¡± Thank you, but I don¡¯t n to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.¡± She had plenty of other things to keep her busy. The entertainment industry was not included, though. The old man nodded satisfactorily and handed the trophy to Catherine, saying, ¡°Congrattions!¡± Just as Catherine received the trophy¡­ ¡°Shameless! Catherine¡¯s team doesn¡¯t deserve the award!¡± A jarring voice rang out, surprising everyone. As they turned their heads, they saw a young man standing on a chair in the audience, holding a microphone, loudly shouting at Catherine. The man had an average appearance, wore sses with ck frames, and looked somewhat sleazy and disgusting. Seeing that the situation was about to spiral out of control, the principal immediately signaled for two security guards to take the young man away. However, the young man went even more berserk, yelling, ¡°Catherine cheated! She doesn¡¯t deserve to be the champion. The principal is protecting a shameless cheater like her. The principal should step down!¡± The principal¡¯s face turned dark. He trembled with anger. On such a grand asion, someone was causing trouble, which was absolutely uneptable. Besides the principal, Ronin and Bryan were also furious. How dare this brat defame their boss? Was this guy courting death? Catherine raised her hand gently, stopping Ronin and Bryan from taking action. Her cold gaze fell on the young man, showing a hint of disdain. It seemed as if she waspletely unaffected by his words, not even bothering to argue with him. As the young man struggled desperately, the elderly gentleman who had just presented Catherine with the award suddenly spoke up, ¡°Hold on!¡± The principal¡¯s face froze, and the two security guards halted their movements. The gentleman stared at the young man, his sharp eyes filled with curiosity as he asked him, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying Catherine cheated? Why don¡¯t you tell us how she cheated? The voting for thispetition was done by all the students here. I don¡¯t think cheating in front of so many people is easy!¡± The difference in votes between the first and second ce was significant, with the first ce winning by an overwhelming majority. In fact, if only a few students had voted for Catherine, there would have been amotion among them. The principal followed the old man¡¯s words and asked the crowd, ¡°Raise your hand if you voted for Catherine¡¯s team!¡± A sea of hands went up, and there was no need to count. It was clear at a nce that more than half of the students had raised their hands. The young man, however, remained resolute. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the voting being rigged. I¡¯m saying Catherine cheated.¡± After saying that, he fixed his gaze on Catherine, his tone filled with usation. ¡°Catherine, you told everyone that this song is your creation, didn¡¯t you?¡± Catherine snorted disdainfully, not even bothering to talk to him. ¡°So what if I did?¡± Although she hadn¡¯t publicly dered it, she had told Bryan and the others, and everyone in the ss knew. A cold smile appeared on the young man¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re lying. This is not yourposition. It¡¯s a famous piece by the renowned music producer Sugar. You just giarized and adapted her work. You don¡¯t deserve to be the champion!¡± After speaking, the young man. dered, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go on Twitter. Someone has already posted aparison, and I believe everyone can easily tell the difference.¡± Many fans of the entertainment industry knew Sugar, and they knew she was a legendary musician. Although they hadn¡¯t seen her face, her legend pervaded the entire industry. Many students took out their phones, and the media invited to the event naturally wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity for breaking news. Before long, everyone saw the anonymous post and read its contents. The two songs had an 80 percent simrity! How could this be? Chapter 222 Chapter 222 The scene was in an uproar as the two songs were undeniably simr. After teachers of the music department analyzed them, they confirmed that they were bothposed by the same person, or rather, thetter was a slightly modified version of the former. Many people knew that Catherine imed to be the creator of this song. Now, it was so simr to the music of a famous musician, which was clearly giarism. The young man who exposed Catherine listened to the surrounding discussions and felt he had received reinforcements. He pointed at Catherine triumphantly, saying, ¡°The reason she dares to giarize is because this song was posted by Sugar on a forum a long time ago. She ruined a great musician¡¯s work. Do you think someone like her deserves to be the champion?¡± Branden stood in the audience, apanied by Triston. Seeing Branden¡¯s cold expression, Triston quietly asked him, ¡°Mr. Duncan, should I arrange for a couple of guys to drag this guy away and shut him up?¡± ¡°This four-eyed fool is courting death, ¡°Triston cursed inwardly. ¡°How dare he insult Catherine like that? Branden¡¯s going to kick his ass!¡± Branden spoke coldly, rejecting Triston¡¯s suggestion. ¡°No need!¡± From the calmness in Catherine¡¯s eyes, he could tell she had everything under control. ¡°Arrange for someone to investigate!¡± Triston instantly realized something and a wicked smile appeared on his raised lips. ¡°Alright!¡± It seemed that there was someone behind this young man. It didn¡¯t matter if Branden caught this young man. What was important was exposing the person behind him. Catherine stood on the stage calmly, enduring the disdainful gazes of the crowd. In their opinion, although Catherine sang well, iming to haveposed a song that wasn¡¯t her own was despicable. Her tant attempt to elevate herself was truly contemptible! The media on-site swarmed like they had discovered a treasure trove. After all, all the top figures of Loyalty Academy were present. Catherine was famous as well. She was currently appearing on a popr variety show, and she had quite a number of fans. Moreover, she was not only the younger sister of the superstar Audrey Swann but also the publicly acknowledged special girl of the celebrity Terry Hanke. Any one of these connections was enough to create a new trending topic. At the same time, this incident involved the top musician, Sugar. There had been cases of people giarizing Sugar¡¯s work in the past, and the result was always the giarizer being doxxed by her fans. Although Sugar didn¡¯t actively promote herself on the Inte, her fans fiercely protected her reputation. Anyone who dared to taint Sugar¡¯s work would meet one fate- destruction. The reporters thrust their microphones in front of Catherine, bombarding her with questions. ¡°Catherine, what do you have to say about the usation of giarism?¡± ¡°Do you have anything to defend yourself?¡± ¡°You giarized the work of Sugar, but aren¡¯t you worried about her fans finding out? Are you not concerned about your future in the entertainment industry or even your sister¡¯s reputation in the entertainment industry?¡± The more they spoke, the more outrageous theirments became. Ronin couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and shouted, ¡°What nonsense are you all spouting? Our bossposed this song. giarism? You¡¯re a bunch of idiots!¡± Feeling embarrassed by Ronin¡¯s outburst, the reporters shifted their target to the principal standing nearby. ¡°Sir, we now have evidence confirming that your student, Catherine Swann, giarized the work of Sugar. How do you n to handle this? Will you still award her the title of the championship?¡± Before the principal could respond, the crowd below began to voice their opinions loudly. ¡°No, it¡¯s absolutely uneptable to let someone like her be the champion!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right, absolutely not!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not the Champion!¡± People¡¯s opposition made the principal extremely awkward. If it were a regr team, he could announce the decision, but this team included Bryan. Even Karl hade personally, and the principal wouldn¡¯t allow any haphazard handling of the situation. Soon, the principal found himself in a dilemma. After hearing Ronin¡¯s rebuttal, the young man who exposed Catherine yelled again, ¡°Ronin, I don¡¯t me you for favoring Catherine since you have a good rtionship with her. But you are still trying to defend her even in such an obvious situation? Are you trying to tell us that Catherine is Sugar?¡± Ronin was indeed infuriated by this foolish young man. ¡°You goddamn idiot!¡± he cursed inwardly. Catherine pulled Ronin aside and took a step forward. Standing before the young man, she crossed her arms and maintained a calm expression devoid of anger. The moment the young man saw Catherine¡¯s eyes, he instinctively stepped back. Those eyes were too sharp, and Catherine¡¯s aura was incredibly strong. She looked so intimidating that even the thought of not taking a step back was impossible. After taking two steps back, the young man looked at Catherine in a panic. ¡°What do you want? If you dare toy a finger on me in front of all these people, not only would it show your guilt, but it would also bring you severe consequences! Do you understand?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°Good point, idiot. But what makes you think I don¡¯t know?¡± The young man was speechless, unable to respond fluently. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡± Catherine tilted her head, looking down at the insignificant person before her. This man had a pointed nose, hunched back, and rounded shoulders. It was clear he wasn¡¯t a good person. ¡°So, if I am Sugar, what will you do?¡± The young man seemed intimidated by Catherine¡¯s powerful aura, unable to speak for a moment. Liana, who had been watching the scene, furrowed her brows upon seeing this. She didn¡¯t expect the young man to be easily frightened by Catherine¡¯s few words. He couldn¡¯t even say anything! To destroy Catherine, Liana had to step forward. She approached Catherine, her voice not loud but clear enough for the surrounding reporters to hear. ¡°Catherine, why don¡¯t you just admit it? If you keep behaving like this, it might get Audrey in trouble. You have such a good rtionship with her, don¡¯t you? She¡¯s worked so hard in the entertainment industry. You can¡¯t ruin her career.¡± Hearing this, Catherine turned her head to look at Liana. Not daring to meet Catherine¡¯s gaze, Liana lowered her head. The reporters around them had heard what Liana said. They now knew that she was indeed Catherine¡¯s younger sister. They quickly handed the microphone to Liana. ¡°You¡¯re Catherine¡¯s sister, right? Catherine giarized Sugar¡¯s work and passed it off as her own. Now that you know about this, what are you going to do? Can you provide evidence of Catherine¡¯s giarism?¡± Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Facing the reporters¡¯ questions, Liana looked troubled. She had been speaking on behalf of Catherine, but her demeanor revealed some new information. ¡°Don¡¯t me my sister. It¡¯s probably just a misunderstanding. She just came back from the countryside. She may not know the rules. She thought that by adapting it, it would be her work. But her singing voice is good, isn¡¯t it? She has never learned music before, so being able to sing so well is already very impressive. The celebration g is just an artisticpetition, not a creative one, right?¡± While insisting on preserving Catherine¡¯s champion title, she inadvertently confirmed the usation that Catherine giarized Sugar¡¯s work. The young man who exposed Catherine earlier suddenly became arrogant again. ¡°Hmph, so she hasn¡¯t even learned music before, huh? Then how dare she say she is Sugar? Can¡¯t believe she¡¯s such a shameless person!¡± Catherine leaned to the side as if watching a show. She felt that if this performance were brought on stage as a group act, this young man and Liana would be the champions today. They indeed had exquisite acting skills! When Catherine stood to the side, Branden approached her. Catherine naturally leaned against him, treating Branden as a pir. The people present couldn¡¯t believe their eyes! They all knew Branden¡¯s supreme identity, yet Catherine treated him so casually. Liana also noticed, her eyes ring blood red. She couldn¡¯t understand why Catherine had won the favor of Branden. Her jealousy was driving her mad. These reporters were all astute individuals. Seeing the connection between Catherine and Branden, they dared not ask any more questions. ¡°Catherine, I suggest you exin whether or not you giarized Sugar!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you didn¡¯t do it, show us the evidence!¡± Some people didn¡¯t dare to speak loudly, only whispering, ¡°What evidence do we need? Isn¡¯t it obvious? She copied someone else¡¯s work. She can¡¯t be Sugar, can she?¡± Suddenly, a deep voice sounded from behind, diverting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Why can¡¯t she be Sugar?¡± Everyone turned around, and someone eximed in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s Peerless Grayson! It¡¯s Peerless Grayson!¡± ¡°Oh my god, Grayson¡­¡± Nobody expected Grayson to show up in person, especially at this time. The crowd on both sides voluntarily parted, creating a path for Grayson to approach Catherine effortlessly. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Grayson shed his signature charming smile, his eyes filled with gentleness as he gazed deeply at Catherine. ¡°Sorry, Boss, filming dyed me, so I couldn¡¯t see your brilliant performance. Congrattions on winning the championship.¡± Catherine nodded lightly. On the other hand, Branden paid even more attention to Grayson than Catherine did. His icy gaze carefully assessed Grayson, his expression unpleasant. That look startled Grayson. He originally wanted to see which audacious man dared to stand beside Catherine. But when he looked up, he was immediately intimidated by Branden¡¯s gaze. It was such an intimidating gaze. No wonder he was qualified to stand beside Catherine. He looked truly extraordinary. Grayson¡¯s appearance changed the atmosphere of the scene. The reporters thrusted their microphones in front of Grayson. ¡± Peerless Grayson, is it true that Catherine is Sugar?¡± ¡°Do I have any reason to lie?¡± Grayson replied calmly, his face full of confidence. ¡°I¡¯m the only one in the entire entertainment industry who has seen Sugar in person.¡± The scene erupted in uproar. No one had expected such a plot twist. Catherine turned out to be the musical genius Sugar. It was truly astonishing. Liana couldn¡¯t believe her ears as she looked at Catherine. ¡°This country bumpkin¡­¡± she thought in disbelief.¡± How could she possibly be Sugar? It¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡± She immediately approached the young man, ignoring the surrounding gazes, and muttered something. Instantly, the young man¡¯s expression changed. He red at Grayson, his eyes filled with murderous intent. ¡°Peerless Grayson, I am so disappointed in you. I always thought you were Sugar¡¯s good friend, someone she trusted deeply. But I never expected vou to help a giarist iust to clear her name. Do you think no one has ever seen Sugar before? Do you think no one can expose your lies? You¡¯re wrong! I have evidence that she is not Sugar!¡± The young man¡¯s words plunged the situation into further confusion. Everyone¡¯s attention shifted back to him, demanding to know what evidence he had. Grayson nced at Catherine, silently asking her what was going on. Catherine raised an eyebrow, signaling him not to act impulsively. Seeing her calm andposed, Grayson rxed. After all, she would never be defeated by such a trivial matter. Under the scrutiny of the crowd, the young man took out his phone and disyed it for everyone to see. ¡°Look, here¡¯s an email sent to Sugar by a fan detailing Catherine¡¯s giarism. And there¡¯s a reply from Sugar, stating that she will defend her rights with thew. Does Sugar not recognize herself?¡± His statement was true. The email even had pictures of Catherine¡¯s team, presumably taken during the preliminary rounds. If Catherine was Sugar, she couldn¡¯t possibly not recognize herself. Now, all eyes were once again on Catherine. People wanted to see if she had any defense now that the evidence seemed irrefutable. Faced with the multiple pieces of evidence presented, Catherine realized one thing-the other party had come prepared. His evidence was well-prepared, and if it were someone else, they would have been caught off guard. Unfortunately, she was Catherine Swann! These cunning people were destined to lose! Ronin, who had been silent for a while, suddenly burst out and shouted at the young man, ¡°You four-eyed loser! Not only are you stupid, but you¡¯re also a fraud. You¡¯re truly shameless.¡± The young man, being scolded, became very angry. If it weren¡¯t for Ronin¡¯s strong presence, he would have rushed over and started a fight. But now he had the upper hand and could sarcastically taunt Ronin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t believe it when you know your boss has done something disgusting? Even if you scold me, she must admit she is a giarist!¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± After cursing, Ronin turned to Catherine. ¡°Boss, I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± Catherine nced at him, bored. ¡°Then go ahead!¡± Given permission, Ronin was like a person who had taken an adrenaline shot, instantly bing excited. ¡°Nice!¡± Ronin waved the tablet he had just retrieved backstage before the young man. ¡°Use your four eyes to take a good look at what this is, you little punk!¡± Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Ronin held up Sugar¡¯s email, which disyed the report sent by the so- called ¡°fan.¡± The young man¡¯s eyes widened, almost popping out of his head. His stuttered, lips trembling, ¡°How¡­ How is this possible?¡± Ronin sneered. ¡°I was wondering which idiot sent my boss such a stupid message. So it was you who did it, you four-eyed loser! Are you saying that we¡¯re pulling a giarism stunt on ourselves? How ridiculous!¡± With Grayson as a witness and the email as physical evidence, there was no doubt that Catherine was the legendary musicposer, Sugar. As people marveled at Catherine¡¯s identity, they were even more astonished by her talent and youth. They couldn¡¯t believe someone so young could create such exceptional music. A curious journalist stepped forward and asked, ¡°Catherine, why didn¡¯t you admit it when everyone was questioning you earlier?¡± Catherine looked disdainfully at the journalist, exuding an air of dominance. ¡°Who are you? Why should I answer your questions?¡± Her response left the journalist dumbfounded, and the surrounding crowd fell silent. Now that Catherine¡¯s identity was confirmed, no one dared to question her abilities anymore. Her arrogance seemed justified. The young man who had exposed Catherine earlier nned to slip unnoticed while everyone was distracted. But as he turned around, he found himself nked by two imposing men. The two men red at the young man with sinister smiles, causing his legs to go weak. ¡°What¡­ What do you want?¡± he stammered. Triston abruptly reached out and pushed him in front of the crowd. The young man stumbled, fell to the ground, and then struggled to get back up in a disheveled state. However, it was toote. The media had captured the entire scene, and he could not escape. Triston surveyed the young man on the ground and, under Branden¡¯s guidance, revealed the information they had just uncovered. ¡°Look, I have a record of a bank transfer in my hands. This young man suddenly received arge sum of money and an email. The email happens to be a clip of the viral video from Twitter earlier. I know coincidences happen daily, but when there are too many of them, it bes suspicious.¡± Triston provided the background, while Aidan tried to pique everybody¡¯s curiosity, their teamwork seamless. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is too much of a coincidence, guys?¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. There were no fools present, and with that statement, they understood what was going on. Realizing that he had been exposed, the young man panicked. Triston, Aidan, Ronin, and Bryan, four tall and imposing men, surrounded him, their eyes filled with menace. The young man in the middle was so terrified that he nearly wet himself. Any one of these four could easily crush him. In this situation, he was indeed doomed. The young man held his head in agony. ¡°Please, stop treating me like this. I confess!¡± Just as it seemed that everything was about to be revealed, suddenly¡­ ¡°Hold on!¡± Another unexpected figure appeared. Could there be another plot twist? Excitement filled the air as everyone turned to see Nash walking calmly toward them, his face serious. ¡°You don¡¯t need to pressure him anymore. I was the one who instructed him to do this!¡± He admitted it so suddenly, leaving everyone in astonishment. The principal looked at Nash in disbelief. ¡°Why? Nash, you have always been well-behaved and academically excellent. Why would you do something so foolish today?¡± Nash came from a privileged background, and he had the capability to carry out such an act. However, no one knew the reasons. Facing the principal¡¯s questioning, Nash remained calm.. ¡°Sir, as you said, I strive for excellence and serve as an example to many in the school. But because of Catherine, I am now beingbeled a corrupt person. Even my position as the president of the Student Union has been revoked. Can you me me for hating Catherine? I identally discovered that Catherine¡¯spositions were simr to Sugar¡¯s. I thought she was giarizing. In my opinion, a despicable person like her doesn¡¯t have the right to use me! I couldn¡¯t ept it, so I devised this n.¡± However, no one expected that Catherine was Sugar, so Nash¡¯s scheme fell apart. There were consequences for his actions. The principal could only look at Nash regretfully and inform him to await the school¡¯s punishment. Catherine nced at Branden, and they shared an unspoken understanding. They knew the real culprit, but there was no need to expose her. Nash had taken the me for everything, destroying all the evidence. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to uncover the mastermind behind it all. Catherine was tired and didn¡¯t feel like arguing anymore. At the same time, she felt some sympathy for Nash. She didn¡¯t expect him to have the guts to take all the me in front of so many people. As long as the previous incident with the Student Union was kept under wraps, the Wales had the power to avoid any harm. But this time was different. It was a public confrontation in front of everyone. After Nash admitted his actions, his future was ruined. Catherine looked toward Liana, who was crouched in a corner,pletely focused on Nash. Perhaps sensing Catherine¡¯s gaze, Liana turned her head, and their eyes met. Liana¡¯s gaze was intense, as if she wanted to devour Catherine. There was no expected remorse or fear in it. Catherine thought Nash was a fool,pletely manipted by Liana. If it weren¡¯t for her grandfather¡¯s dying request, Catherine might have taught Liana a lesson,pletely getting rid of her trouble-making sister and bringing some peace to her life. Catherine found the constant disturbances annoying. Because of the revtion of Sugar¡¯s identity, Catherine became the center of attention for everyone. The media never expected to get such an amazing scoop at a school celebration g. Each of them wanted to interview Catherine, hoping to dig up thetest gossip from her. The tall man standing beside Catherine turned around and draped his suit jacket over her shoulders, firmly holding her hand. He pulled Catherine forward, and the media, who were initially swarming around her, spontaneously split into two groups, creating a clear path. No one dared to stop them. After all, this man was known as the Grim Reaper. Nobody dared to step forward because offending Branden would result in very severe consequences. After Branden led Catherine away, Paxton stepped forward and faced the reporters, saying only one sentence. Mr. Duncan doesn¡¯t want to see her name on social media. Please stop interviewing!¡± This would be a great news story, but they couldn¡¯t report it! The reporters who were cheering just a moment ago now felt like crying. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. However, no one dared to argue with Paxton, the current spokesperson for the Duncans. He had made it clear that it was Branden¡¯s decision. Who would dare to stir up trouble? Chapter 225 Chapter 225 The celebration g had ended, and Catherine was ready to go back and rest. However, her arm was tightly grabbed by Branden. Catherine turned to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Branden smiled at Catherine, his eyes filled with gentleness. His deep voice sounded incredibly charming as he said, ¡°You won thepetition. Shouldn¡¯t we celebrate?¡± Before Catherine could respond, Branden led her into the car, holding her hand. Paxton, who arrived late, sat in the driver¡¯s seat and briefed them on the basic situation. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve made contact with the Wales. Nash will no longer appear in Casier starting tonight!¡± Branden¡¯s eyes grew cold. He remained silent in response to Paxton. Sitting beside them, Catherine clearly heard what Paxton had said. She was not surprised and had no intention of speaking up for Nash. They were all adults and should be brave enough to face the consequences. If Nash was willing to take the me for the person he loved, then he had to ept the punishment. Even if the punishment was severe, it was his own choice!. As for whether he would regret it, that was none of Catherine¡¯s business. The so-called celebration banquet turned out to be a barbecue, which was not surprising. Catherine loved it! The waiter handed her the menu for her to choose from. She didn¡¯t hesitate and selected her favorite dishes before giving the menu to Branden. After taking the menu, Branden didn¡¯t order anything. He took a pen and changed the vor option from ¡°extra spicy¡± to ¡°mild.¡± Catherine nced at it and instantly furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Mild?¡± she asked inwardly. ¡°Is he a baby or something? At that moment, Branden looked up and coincidentally saw Catherine¡¯s perplexed expression. His cold eyes instantly brightened upon seeing this. In an instant, Branden knew what was bothering Catherine. His voice was gentle and calm, yet still carried a hint of warmth. ¡°Too much spice can hurt your stomach!¡± Catherine loved spicy food and couldn¡¯t resist it. Branden didn¡¯t want to stop her from enjoying herself, but he had to pay attention to her health. Health was a matter of principle, and he had always been assertive about it. Catherine was also aware of his character. Mild spice was better than no spice at all. The dishes had just arrived when they looked up and saw a group of people swaggering in, led by Triston. Behind him were Aidan, Ronin, and Bryan, four men with distinct styles. Without exception, they were all handsome and tall and exuded an extraordinary aura. As soon as the four of them entered the barbecue restaurant, they attracted the attention of the entire ce. It was not easy to see a handsome guy on a regr day, and suddenly, there were four. How could one not be excited? These handsome guys looked more attractive than the other, each with a unique temperament. They were indeed a sight for sore eyes. The four of them walked straight to Catherine¡¯s table. Triston was the first to speak. ¡°You guys are not considerate enough. You didn¡¯t even call us for a celebration banquet? After all, we also put in effort and tried our best to help, right?¡± When he turned around, seeking agreement, he found that the three behind him had all taken a step back, distancing themselves. Triston became angry. ¡°Hey, give me a hand, will you?¡± Bryan and Ronin simultaneously rolled their eyes at Triston and then turned around and left. As for Aidan, he was most delighted to have this opportunity to tease Triston. It seemed that the crowd¡¯s wisdom was infinite, effortlessly trapping Triston in a pit. Aidan reached out and patted Triston¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey bro, easy, easy!¡± Ronin quickly walked to Catherine¡¯s side, pulled out a chair, and sat down, looking smugly at Bryan. Bryan could only grit his teeth and curse Ronin countless times in his heart, ¡°Damn despicable bastard! How dare you step on my toes? Damn it!¡± After Ronin sat down, he nced at the barbecue and noticed that there was only half as much chili as usual. Without hesitation, he eximed, ¡± Why is it mild spice? How can we eat this? Who ordered it?¡± The disdain in his tone of voice was obvious. Catherine turned her head to look at Ronin, her gaze indifferent. Ronin suddenly felt like he was being hit head-on by a cold wind, leaving him shivering in the cold. He looked up silently at Catherine, not realizing what mistake he had just made. Catherine casually said, ¡°Mild spice is good!¡± Ronin suddenly understood that it was his boss who ordered mild spice today. He had unintentionally offended his boss. No wonder she nced at him like that. Luckily, he hadn¡¯t said any insulting words, or else it would be toote to dial 911 now. Ronin smiled and nodded, acting like a sycophant. ¡°You¡¯re right, Boss. Mild spice is good.¡± Although he agreed on the surface, he couldn¡¯t help but feel strange in his heart. Catherine always loved spicy food and couldn¡¯t live without it. Why did she suddenly stop eating spicy food today? Perhaps knowing Ronin¡¯s thoughts, Catherine emphasized, ¡°You should eat less spicy food in the future.¡± She then added, ¡°It¡¯s good for your health!¡± Ronin had been wondering why Catherine was giving up spicy food. Hearing what Catherine said, he instantly understood. It turned out that his boss was worried about his health. ¡°Wow!¡± Ronin eximed in his heart.¡± You¡¯re so good to me, Boss!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t expect her casual remark to evoke such strong emotions in Ronin. She just didn¡¯t want him to keep guessing. Sometimes, he liked to keep guessing, and it wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. After enjoying the barbecue, Catherine realized that mild spice was eptable. As they left the restaurant, Paxton was already parked at the entrance, waiting for them. Aidan greeted Branden with a smile. ¡± Mr. Duncan, I¡¯m going back to the Lanes¡¯ tonight. It happens to be on your way, so could you give me a ride?¡± He had arrived in Triston¡¯s car, but now he didn¡¯t feel like riding back in it. Since Branden was going the same way, he thought he could catch a ride. To Aidan¡¯s surprise, Branden replied without even turning his head. ¡°It¡¯s not on the way!¡± Then, he got into the car. The Lanes¡¯ was next to Branden¡¯s mansion, so how could it not be on the way? Aidan couldn¡¯t understand and decided to ask Paxton. ¡°Where does your boss live now? Why is it not on the way?¡± Paxton nced at him and mentioned the name of a residential area. ¡°The Earl¡¯s Mansion!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Aidan found the name familiar and thought about it for a moment before it hit him. ¡°Oh, Catherine lives there as well, right? It¡¯s Audrey¡¯s house!¡± It was indeed that house. After a moment¡¯s pause, Aidan seemed to have realized something and eximed in disbelief, ¡°Are you two living together?¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Instantly, everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Catherine and Branden, as the news shouted out by Aidan was genuinely astonishing. Especially Ronin, his eyes were almost popping out of their sockets. His voice trembled as he said, ¡°B-Boss¡­¡± The moment Aidan spoke up, Catherine sightly furrowed her brows, but soon her expression turned calm. ¡°Calm down.¡± The two cold words instantly calmed Ronin. He carefully observed Catherine and figured that it probably wasn¡¯t cohabitation. As for Aidan, he already knew he had caused an enormous mess. He cowered behind Triston, seeking refuge. He was now filled with anxiety, worried that Branden woulde storming out of the car in anger to silence him forever. After all, Branden¡¯s gaze was extremely intimidating just now. Branden rolled up the window, knowing there was no point in arguing with the single guys outside the car. Paxton understood Branden¡¯s intentions and stepped on the gas pedal, leaving the scene and a cloud of dust behind them. Left behind were the four handsome men still standing in the wind, looking confused. Triston stared in the direction the ck car had departed, a wicked smirk on his face. ¡°Mr. Duncan is truly impressive. His skills in picking up girls are top- notch. He has already progressed to living together with Catherine in such a short time. There¡¯ll be more shocking newsing, I guess.¡± No sooner had Triston finished speaking than he let out a cry of pain. from his mouth. In an instant, both Ronin and Bryan struck Triston. Each delivered a punch to Triston¡¯s stomach, one from the front and the other from the back. These two punches were quite powerful, and Triston bent over in pain, his face contorted. He propped himself up, slowly standing up straight, and muttered under his breath, ¡°You two little brats, how dare you plot against me? I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Triston didn¡¯t immediately retaliate but instead turned to look at Aidan. ¡°Doing nothing, huh? Will you just stand there and watch me get beat up?¡± Aidan looked at Triston with a half- smile, a burst of joy in his heart. At the same time, he gestured for Triston to look ahead. ¡°Coward!¡± Triston muttered under his breath before confidently standing up. But as he looked up, his once imposing demeanor instantly deted. The res from Ronin and Bryan seemed as if they wanted to suck his blood and break his bones. Triston felt a wave of fear wash over him and quietly asked, ¡°Are you going to keep hitting me? If you¡¯re still not satisfied, how about two more punches? As long as you don¡¯t hit my face!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Ronin coldly snorted and gave Triston a final warning nce, thinking, ¡°Keepining, and I¡¯ll make sure you regret it!¡± Apanied by Bryan, Ronin walked away while Triston held his stomach, grimacing in pain. He muttered, ¡°You two sly dogs!¡± Liana sat anxiously in Korbin¡¯s study, apanied by Rachael. It was almost half past ten, and she should be getting her sleep by now, but the matter at hand was still unresolved. Rachael grew impatient. She red at Liana disapprovingly and said, slightly annoyed, ¡°You¡¯ve always been smart, and we¡¯ve always trusted you. But why have you been making one mistake after another recently? And now you¡¯ve caused such a mess!¡± Liana¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She had always been the pride of the Swanns. Rachael strongly preferred boys over girls, and one of the reasons she doted on Liana so much was because Liana was ambitious enough. Among all the children, Liana had the most simr personality and temperament to Rachael. Her excellence was enough for Rachael to show off in front of those wealthydies. Hearing Rachael¡¯s words was undoubtedly the most devastating blow to Liana. All of this was caused by Catherine, just as the astrologer had predicted. Catherine was a disaster. She brought misfortune to those around her, and anyone who encountered her didn¡¯t have good luck. Liana didn¡¯t want to go back and confess, but she had no choice. Now that Nash had been punished, this matter had escted. If the Wales didn¡¯t let it go, and she continued hiding it from Korbin, it would be a major disaster. She would be the first one sacrificed by Korbin. In contrast to Rachael¡¯s anger, Korbin remained calm. In his opinion, this was just child¡¯s y. What he cared more about was the impact of this matter on the rtionship between the Swanns and the Wales. ¡°Liana, are you sure Nash won¡¯t expose you?¡± Korbin asked calmly. Liana understood what her father was thinking. In the eyes of the Swanns, only interests mattered. She didn¡¯t think it was a big deal because she was just the same type of person. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. Nash said he will take responsibility for this matter!¡± Liana reassured her father. As Liana said those words, however, she couldn¡¯t help but think of what Nash had said to her before they parted ways, and it made her inexplicably heartbroken. The pain onlysted for a moment, and what was left was the worry caused by the current problem. She didn¡¯t even win first ce in the celebration g. Did she still have a chance at the Ealsmen Conservatory? After all, this school was famous for only epting the best students. Every student there was at the top of the world. When he heard Liana¡¯s answer, Korbin wasn¡¯t too worried about this issue. Since Liana said so, it meant that she was very confident in handling this matter, so it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem. He was more concerned about another matter. ¡°Is Sugar, the legend in the music industry, well-known?¡± Although Liana didn¡¯t want to admit it, she had to nod. If one didn¡¯t know about Sugar, the legend in the music industry, then it could be said that one was out of touch with the industry. People of the traditional singing circle always looked down on the pop music industry. In the eyes of many traditional musicians, pop singers couldn¡¯t be considered musicians. But Sugar was different. Although she had fewpositions, each of her works was widely recognized and even gained the approval of many traditional musicians. It was rare for a pop song to receive such recognition. She was truly a top figure in the industry! However, what Liana didn¡¯t expect was that this mysterious giant turned out to be Catherine, a country bumpkin. How was that possible? Liana couldn¡¯t believe all this. She looked at Korbin and said, ¡°Dad, how could Catherine, a country bumpkin who didn¡¯t even finish school, know all these things? Sugar is a legend in the music industry. How could she be this disaster, Catherine?¡± Korbin didn¡¯t want to admit it, but the fact was right in front of them, wasn¡¯t it? He sighed and replied, ¡°Who knows what your grandfather taught Catherine? After all, she is a Swann, and your grandfather is responsible for caring for her.¡± Upon hearing this, Liana was about to explode with anger. Rachael, on the other hand, noticed another issue. ¡°Korbin, if news of Catherine being some kind of musical genius spreads, could it affect the Swann Corporation¡¯s stock price?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Korbin was worried about this. With the deadline approaching, there was no way he would give Catherine a chance to turn things around. The Swann Corporation could only remain in his hands, and the future heir could only be Johnathan, not Catherine! ¡°Take care of your affairs, and don¡¯t give me any more trouble!¡± Korbin left the study, leaving behind a warning for Liana and Rachael. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Branden and Catherine returned to the residential area and coincidentally ran into Audrey downstairs. Audrey, with a tired expression, was dragging her suitcase. The dark circles around her eyes were obvious. Hearing a voice behind her, Audrey instinctively turned around and saw Catherine and Branden standing there. ¡°Hey, Kathy!¡± Audrey greeted happily, and Catherine nodded calmly in response. Having grown ustomed to her sister¡¯s temperament, Audrey didn¡¯t think much of it, but she looked at Catherine with a face full of regret. ¡°Kathy, I heard that you performed on stage at a celebration g. Why didn¡¯t you invite me? I could have cheered you on, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get to see your performance!¡± Audrey learned about the news from Triston¡¯s social media, where he had explicitly posted a photo of himself with Aidan, saying they were there to support Catherine. Audrey was indignant. Why was Triston notified and able to support Catherine but not her, Catherine¡¯s own sister? Catherine nced at Audrey¡¯s face, which seemed to have aged a few years in an instant. Her voice turned cold as she asked, ¡°Do you have time?¡± The confidence that had just surged within Audrey was instantly extinguished. Audrey now wished she could copse on the ground. She wouldn¡¯t mind sleeping on the bare ground either. As the variety show she participated in became increasingly popr, she received more and more endorsement deals and appearance requests. In the drama Audrey had previously participated in, she was just a supporting character with limited screen time. But now, the director had the screenwriter change her role into the lead, instantly tripling her screen time. She was so tired that she could just close her eyes and fall asleep. The original female lead of that drama was the new girlfriend being promoted by Aaron, an actress who had just risen to fame not long ago. Shecked acting skills but had often abused her power on set, relying on Aaron¡¯s influence. Now that Aaron had gotten into trouble and waspletely kicked out by the tons, the director couldn¡¯t tolerate her and demoted her to a supporting role. Audrey¡¯s poprity was rising, and her fame was even higher than when she signed on to this drama. The director chose to promote her to the female lead, reducing costs. Audrey was helpless. Knowing that Catherine didn¡¯t purposely not invite her, Audrey felt much more relieved. With no more grievances, Audrey became more tired. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs and rest, Kathy.¡± When Paxton offered to carry her luggage, Audrey politely declined, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t have much stuff. We¡¯ll go up ourselves. You can go back with Mr. Duncan.¡± There was no need to prolong this any further. However, Paxton looked at Audrey seriously and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Swann. Mr. Duncan also lives here.¡± Branden lived here? The news shocked Audrey. ¡°When did Branden move in here?¡± she wondered. ¡°Why did I not know?¡± The shock continued until Catherine and Audrey returned to their apartment. Hearing a sound from outside the door, Audrey snapped back to reality. She turned her head silently, her eyes widening as she looked at Catherine. When did Branden move in?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t know the exact details, but seeing Audrey¡¯s serious expression, she casually replied, ¡°Just a few days ago, I guess.¡± Audrey instantly sat on the floor, and Catherine frowned at her dejected appearance. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Audrey lifted her head and looked at Catherine with a pained expression. ¡± Kathy, can you imagine how difficult our lives will be with such a big shot living next door? It¡¯s unbearable just thinking about it.¡¯ ¡°Does it directly affect our future with Branden living next door?¡± Catherine asked inwardly. She didn¡¯t quite understand the meaning behind Audrey¡¯s words. Seeing Catherine looking confused, Audrey helplessly eximed, ¡°Never mind. You wouldn¡¯t understand. I¡¯m going to rest!¡± For Audrey, having such a big shot living next door meant that every move she made would be under his watchful eyes. If, one day, she identally offended him, it could be a huge problem. She knew that Branden was not like any other man. His heart was difficult to fathom. It would be challenging to have such a big shot as a neighbor. All she hoped for now was that in the future, Branden would forgive her for the sake of Catherine and not hold grudges against her. Catherine didn¡¯t understand Audrey¡¯s train of thought and didn¡¯t need to understand it. Returning to the room, Catherine felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took it out and saw that it was a call from Grayson. Catherine suddenly thought of what had happened that day. She tapped the answer button, tossed the phone aside, and thenfortablyy on the bed, stretching out in a star shape. Grayson¡¯s deep and pleasant voice came through the earpiece. ¡°Boss, are you there?¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± Catherine hummed in response. In an instant, hisposed voice became somewhat excited. ¡°Boss, I listened to your performance, and it was amazing. Can you give me that song? I love it, and it happens that the next album I¡¯m working on doesn¡¯t have a lead single yet!¡± ¡°No!¡± Despite her excellent rtionship with Grayson, Catherine responded firmly without hesitation or exnation. There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before Grayson¡¯s voice, now tinged with sadness, sounded again. ¡°Alright, but that won¡¯t stop me from liking that song. Boss, your voice is truly incredible. If you were to enter the music industry, the level of the entire industry would be elevated because of you! I¡¯m one hundred percent sure!¡± Grayson wasn¡¯t just ttering Catherine. He genuinely believed she was a rare musical genius and admired her talent. Unfortunately, Catherine had no interest in entering the industry. She saw music as nothing more than a hobby. Ironically, her casual hobby reached heights many could never achieve, no matter how hard they worked. Sometimes, Grayson felt envious of Catherine because he knew that even if he worked his whole life, he would nevere close to Catherine¡¯s level of talent, not even a fraction of it. Just as Grayson was disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t have the chance to sing Catherine¡¯s new song, she spoke up again. Her voice soundedzy, with a hint of weariness. ¡°That song isn¡¯t suitable for you. If you insist on making it the lead single, I¡¯ll make another one for you!¡± She had adjusted many of the melodies toplement Bryan and Ronin, and it didn¡¯t suit Grayson¡¯s style as a performing artist. Grayson eximed in surprise,¡± Really? Boss, are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll give it to you in a few days!¡± For Catherine, writing songs was as easy as picking up a pen, especially when writing for Grayson. She knew his style too well. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She had always controlled Grayson¡¯s musical style and could effortlessly write the most suitable songs for him. ¡°Thank you, Boss! You¡¯re amazing!¡± Grayson couldn¡¯t contain his excitement and kept expressing his gratitude. ¡°I have two things for you to do!¡± Catherine said. Grayson immediately straightened up, even though they weremunicating through the phone. He listened attentively, waiting for Catherine¡¯s orders. ¡°Boss, just tell me what you need, and I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill it.¡± Chapter 228 Chapter 228 The thing Catherine asked Grayson to do wasn¡¯t difficult. She asked if Grayson knew anyone suitable to be a celebrity assistant. ¡°Is it for Audrey?¡± Grayson asked. Catherine made a disgruntled sound in response to Grayson. Grayson knew Catherine always protected her loved ones. She would protect them in every way. Audrey was lucky. She wasn¡¯t a bad person. The fact that Catherine was willing to live with her meant that Audrey had been epted as Catherine¡¯s sister. Naturally, Catherine was willing to protect her, and it was normal for Catherine to arrange a job for her. ¡°Boss, I used to have a good and hardworking assistant. She got fired by thepany because she was a girl. How about I introduce her to Audrey?¡± Grayson suggested. ¡°Sure!¡± Catherine responded to Grayson. She knew Grayson well. Compared to Ronin, Grayson was more mature. He knew exactly what he wanted and had clear goals for the future. The reason Audrey was so exhausted was because she didn¡¯t have an assistant. She had to handle many things herself, and herpany exploited its artists severely. But in the entertainment industry, artists without backgrounds were always treated like this. Audrey was rtively better off because she had Kim, a considerate manager. And Audrey didn¡¯t comin much. She was currently satisfied, so Catherine didn¡¯t interfere in her affairs unless it involved safety issues. However, seeing Audreye back every day exhausted and carrying her own luggage, Catherine decided to arrange for an assistant for her. ¡°Boss, is there anything else you want me to do?¡± Grayson asked as Catherine had mentioned more than one thing earlier. ¡°Not really, just bring me two autographed photos when you have time!¡± Catherine said. Grayson¡¯s call reminded her of the promise she made to her ssmate. Since she had agreed, she had to follow through. It was just a simple task, nothingplicated. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s request, Grayson was momentarily stunned. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to ask him for autographed photos. Even if Catherine wanted him, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Perhaps sensing Grayson¡¯s surprise, Catherine added, ¡°It¡¯s for a ssmate!¡± Grayson was surprised when he learned that Catherine had returned to school. With her level of expertise, she could easily be a university professor. So, it was pretty amusing to him that she decided to return to high school. He initially thought it was some mission where she had to disguise herself as a high school student for a few days. But as time went on, Catherine became more and more serious about her studies, to the point where even Ronin joined her school and became her ssmate. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Grayson had no choice but to believe that Catherine was genuinely studying as a high school student. It seemed like she was doing quite well in her studies. ¡°Boss, I can take care of this small issue for you,¡± Grayson assured her. ¡± Oh, by the way, are you free tomorrow? ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Catherine responded absentmindedly. ¡°Well, a friend of mine is opening a resort for trial operations tomorrow. I¡¯ve invested a portion of the funds. It has hot springs and golf courses. I think it¡¯s a nice ce. How about you bring Ronin and the others to join us?¡± Catherine hesitated for a second, thinking that the next day was the weekend. They had won the competition, and she hadn¡¯t rewarded Ronin and Bryan yet. Hanging out with them on the weekend would be a good idea. She casually agreed. ¡°Sure.¡± After saying that, without waiting for Grayson¡¯s response, Catherine hung up the phone. After all, it wasn¡¯t the first day they had known each other, so hanging up without any further conversation wasn¡¯t a problem. Little did she know how much of a reward her simple response was for Grayson. He was so excited that he couldn¡¯t sleep that night. He immediately informed his partners and raised the standards of the trial operations to ensure that there would be no problems when Catherine went on her vacation. The next morning, when Catherine was about to leave, she coincidentally ran into Audrey, who had just awakened from a dream and needed to use the bathroom. ¡°Kathy, isn¡¯t today the weekend? Why are you up so early?¡± Catherine looked at Audrey¡¯s ruffled hair and puffy eyes, feeling a bit helpless. ¡°I¡¯m going to a friend¡¯s resort for a vacation. Do you want toe?¡± Shaking her head wearily, Audrey said, ¡°No, I have a performance in the afternoon. I wanted to sleep in a bit longer in the morning! Kathy, have a great time! If you need money, I can give you someter!¡± Catherine chuckled silently. Did Audrey think she was a child, going out to y and expecting pocket money? ¡°No need. Have a good rest!¡± With that, Catherine turned and opened the door, leaving the house. As she reached the downstairs area, she saw Bryan and Ronin standing in front of a blue Ferrari. This car was clearly Bryan¡¯s style, and what was even more surprising was that there was only one car. Ronin was the first to notice Catherine. He happily waved his hand. ¡°Boss, over here!¡± Catherine silently furrowed her brow.¡± Am I blind or something?¡± she asked inwardly. She walked straight up to them, scanning left and right, and whispered, ¡°Did you agree toe together?¡± Ronin nodded. He had received a message from Catherine yesterday, informing him that they would be going on a trip. He had been excited all night. He immediately contacted Bryan, and after discussing it, they decided to try their best to avoid giving those ¡°bad guys¡± an opportunity. They decided to drive one car so that, no matter what, they and Catherine would be in the same vehicle. Seeing the expression on Catherine¡¯s face today, Ronin felt that their decision was excellent. Ronin approached Catherine with a sycophantic smile and asked, ¡°Boss, how is my arrangement today?¡± ¡°Not bad!¡± Catherine praised him, ncing at him. After being praised, Ronin became more attentive and invited Catherine into the car. Bryan was driving while Ronin yed the role of a helpful servant, serving Catherine attentively throughout the journey. Grayson¡¯s resort was on the outskirts, and driving there would take at least an hour. ¡°Boss, take a rest. I¡¯ll wake you up when we arrive!¡± Ronin¡¯s reminder was unnecessary. Catherine knew that she should go to sleep. Adjusting the seat back and finding the mostfortable position, Catherine slowly closed her eyes. The entire car became incredibly quiet because of Catherine¡¯s deep sleep. It wasn¡¯t until the car slowly arrived at the location provided by Grayson that Bryan saw Grayson standing there, eagerly awaiting their arrival. He couldn¡¯t believe it. Who exactly was Catherine? How did she know such top- tier celebrities like Grayson? Why was Grayson so respectful toward her? Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Bryan stopped the car, and Ronin made. a gesture, signaling him not to speak. Bryan¡¯s hand froze in an instant. He slowly turned back and sat quietly in his seat, not even daring to open the door for fear of disturbing Catherine¡¯s rest. Grayson saw that they hadn¡¯t gotten out of the car and looked through the window to see Catherine leaning against the seat. His view was obstructed, preventing him from seeing inside the car clearly. Despite this, he could still guess what was happening. He stopped in his tracks, standing in ce, not approaching. Bryan squinted at Grayson standing in front, a top-tier celebrity who was usually surrounded by countless fans waiting for him day and night. Now, he willingly stood there, waiting for Catherine to wake up. It was evident how powerful Catherine¡¯s charm was,. as it unconsciously evoked a sense of awe and respect for her in people¡¯s hearts. Catherine hadn¡¯t been asleep for long. After the sound of the car enginepletely ceased, she slowly opened her eyes. Ronin had been attending to Catherine. As soon as she woke up, he lowered his voice, saying softly, ¡°Boss, would you like to sleep a little longer?¡± Recently, he had noticed that Catherine had been sleeping less during ss. Although he didn¡¯t know the reason, he believed that she had her own purpose for doing so. Ronin was more concerned about Catherine¡¯s health because, as a genius, her brain consumed energy quickly. She would easily be fatigued. She often needed more rest. He was worried thatck of sleep for long periods would have an impact on her health. Catherine simply found the journey boring, so she closed her eyes and rested for a while. It was not because she was tired. Now that they had arrived, it was time for her to wake up. Otherwise, it would be a waste toe all the way here for nothing. ¡°No need, let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine ordered, pushing open the car door and getting out. Grayson stood in front of her, wearing a smile on his face. ¡°Boss, was the journey tiring?¡± Catherine slowly raised her head, a hint of a sneer in her eyes and a slight hint of mockery on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not that old. It¡¯s just a short journey. How could it be tiring?¡± Grayson awkwardly scratched his head. Seeing Catherine sleeping in the car and Ronin not allowing anyone to disturb her, he thought she must have been exhausted from the recent development of the base project. Catherine was a once-in-a-century genius. She guided and participated in many research projects. Research projects that contributed to the future development of humanity required a great deal of effort, and even someone like Catherine often found herself physically exhausted. In addition, Catherine was stubborn and would not give up until she conquered a difficult problem. Over the years, this led to health issues, such as chronic low blood sugar. However, despite herzy posture, her eyes were full of vitality and fierceness. She didn¡¯t seem tired at all. After observing her for a while, Grayson felt relieved. ¡°Boss, let me show you around!¡± Catherine nodded slightly, and Grayson excitedly walked ahead, followed by Ronin. Bryan received a sudden phone call and didn¡¯t catch up with them, saying he would join themter. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. This resort was located in a scenic area near Casier, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with high oxygen levels in the air, making it perfect for a vacation. Moreover, it had abundant hot spring resources, so it was evident that Grayson had truly made a name for himself by securing this project. The entertainment industry was not like it used to be. In the current capital- dominated entertainment industry, those who had financial backing had the final say. Whoever had capital support could rise to the top. Since Grayson¡¯s debut, there were always rumors about his background. There were even rumors iming that a wealthy woman kept him and that this mysterious woman had richly funded his debut. In the first few years, these rumors spread widely and seemed genuine. Especially when Grayson got out of a luxury car one time, the paparazzi captured a blurry figure that could only be identified as a woman. This photo waster hailed as solid evidence of Grayson being kept by a wealthy woman. Fortunately, Grayson overcame this scandal and used his talent to debunk all the rumors. He became the fastest- rising young actor and eventually reached the top. Grayson was very smart. He understood that as a celebrity, he would always be controlled by capital. So he took the initiative to engage with capital, integrate himself into it, and befriend those wealthy young men. This resort was one of the investment projects he undertook with those wealthy young men. With their endorsement and his fame, this resort would undoubtedly be a highly sought-after luxury item, with limited avability for the rich. Grayson arranged the best treatment for Catherine and acted as her personal tour guide. ¡°Boss, the basement is the leisure room. Behind it is the hot spring pool with public and private areas. I have arranged a private one for you. You can try itter.¡± The basement leisure area had everything one could imagine, with various entertainment projects that could fulfill any desire. Today, the resort had a trial opening, and Grayson invited Catherine and the others here. Grayson¡¯s business partners invited a group of wealthy young men and women toe and have fun, hoping to increase its fame within the industry. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t that Grayson?¡± A sudden female voice caught the attention of Grayson and the others. They all turned to look and saw a group of girls standing far away, one of whom looked familiar. Jessica was among them, but this time, she wasn¡¯t standing in the center but instead on the side. In the middle stood a girl wearing a pale yellow chiffon dress. Her appearance was not particrly stunning, but she exuded an air of sophistication and elegance. She was the kind of exquisitely beautiful woman that one would notice at a nce. In her every move, it was evident that she came from a wealthy family. One of the girls in their group called out to Grayson. When she saw Catherine, she frowned. She scrutinized Catherine, who was dressed casually without any famous logos on her clothes. It seemed like they were not custom-made, which made the girl somewhat disdainful of Catherine. ¡°Who is she? Why is she standing next to Grayson and even letting him be her tour guide?¡± The girl¡¯s voice was loud, and Catherine immediately noticed her. That girl¡¯s beautiful eyes were filled with innocence. She looked younger than others. Having been born into a wealthy family, she carried an air of arrogance and petnce. If there were no intervention, she would truly be insufferable in the future. Grayson¡¯s expression turned sour. He didn¡¯t expect to encounter this group of wealthy young women. He didn¡¯t want them to ruin Catherine¡¯s mood, so he hesitated to say something. But Catherine spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I wanna explore over there!¡± Grayson respectfully nodded and said, ¡± Alright, Boss!¡± Catherine¡¯s attempt to be polite didn¡¯t bring about peace. Instead, it only made those youngdies angrier. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Jessica approached Yesenia Duncan and said a few words, causing Yesenia¡¯s face to darken immediately. Yesenia was the girl who had called out to Grayson earlier, and she red in the direction Catherine had left, displeased. Yesenia had heard in a fans¡¯ group chat that Grayson was participating in a variety show, so she had done some digging. So this woman was Catherine, the woman who had unintentionally crushed Yesenia¡¯s image in Grayson¡¯s heart. How could Grayson, whom Yesenia held in such high regard, stoop so low as to apany an unknown stranger? Yesenia was furious. She watched as Grayson publicly acknowledged Catherine as his most esteemed person, and it became even harder for her to ept the truth. She couldn¡¯t understand what Catherine had that she didn¡¯t. Rumors had it that Catherine was nothing more than an abandoned girl from the countryside, brought back by the Swanns. How dare she be so arrogant? Unable to contain her anger, Yesenia rushed forward and shouted at their retreating figures, ¡°Stop right there!¡± Ronin had been irritated by the young girl just now. How dare such a young girl look down on his boss? Was she asking for trouble? If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s generosity in not wanting to make a scene, Ronin would have taught this ignorant girl a lesson earlier. And now she dared to chase after them. Did she really think they were pushovers? Ronin turned around, ring at Yesenia, and bellowed, ¡°Silly girl, did your parents not teach you manners? When addressing someone older, you should use respectfulnguage. Don¡¯t you even know that? You¡¯re so young, but your manner is so terrible. It seems like you¡¯ve been up to no good. Truly, as the saying goes, ¡®uglinesses from within.¡¯ You should take a good look in the mirror because your face looks hideous right now! With such an ugly appearance, you still want to intimidate us? Do you have any sense of decency?¡± Yesenia had initially intended to teach Catherine a lesson, but before she could say anything, Ronin launched a scathing attack, leaving herpletely defenseless. Ronin¡¯s sharp tongue was not something an ordinary person could withstand. His harsh words made Yesenia feel like crying. Loraine, who stood in the middle, couldn¡¯t hold back her anger any longer. Initially, she didn¡¯t think much of Catherine. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Even Grayson, in her opinion, was just a small-time celebrity. Calling him a mere actor wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration. She held the view that people were divided into different sses, and actors were considered part of the lowest ss. How could theypare to nobles like her? ¡°You ignorant brat!¡± Loraine cursed inwardly. ¡°How dare you disrespect Yesenia? You¡¯re courting death!¡± Loraine stepped forward and grabbed Yesenia, her eyes casting a cold and ominous gaze toward Grayson. Loraine¡¯s voice carried an obvious warning as she spoke. ¡°Mr. Clifford, these friends of yours have no manners at all. I hope you handle this properly!¡± One of the owners of this resort was a loyal pursuer of Loraine. She hadn¡¯t nned oning here in the first ce, but when Yesenia heard that one of the owners was Grayson, Yesenia insisted oning, and Loraine decided toe with her. Although Yesenia wasn¡¯t a direct descendant of the Duncans, she was the only girl in her generation and was favored by Karl. Even Branden treated her well. That was why Loraine always had her by her side. Now that Yesenia had been bullied, Loraine had to stand up for her and let Yesenia feel her charm. Although Loraine didn¡¯t know how Grayson managed to get acquainted with Yesenia, she was certain that Grayson wouldn¡¯t dare to offend her. After all, he was just a small-time celebrity with some poprity, notparable to the true aristocratic Sanfords. Grayson nced at her, knowing that she was Loraine Sanford, the only daughter of the Sanfords, a true heiress who was pampered and held in high regard. If Loraine had offended someone else, he wouldn¡¯t say much. But now, she was offending Catherine, which was definitely uneptable! He wouldn¡¯t let anyone insult his boss! Grayson looked at Loraine with a cold expression and said, ¡°Miss Sanford, I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot fulfill your request.¡± When Loraine heard this, her expression became highly unpleasant. She didn¡¯t expect that what Grayson said next would be the source of her anger. Grayson said coldly, ¡°And Miss Sanford, I ask that you apologize to my most esteemed guest for your improper words and actions.¡± Catherine crossed her arms and calmly observed the changing expressions on everyone¡¯s faces. It was truly fascinating. This show was much more entertaining than the resort itself. Loraine stared at Grayson in disbelief, her eyes wide open, what she was hearing. unable to believe Jessica stepped forward and bellowed, Grayson, have you gone mad? How dare you go against Yesenia for the sake of a disaster?¡± After speaking, she turned her attention towards Catherine. ¡°Indeed, you are a disaster. Whoever is with you gets unlucky. Do you even know who Yesenia is? She is Branden¡¯s girlfriend. How dare you offend her? Now both you and Grayson are done, do you understand?¡± Loraine nced at Jessica with displeasure in her eyes. ¡°Jessica!¡± Jessica stepped back, not daring to show any annoyance. She looked extremely obedient. Branden¡¯s girlfriend? Catherine nced at Loraine with curiosity. Indeed, Loraine¡¯s appearance fit the type that Branden would be interested in. But why hadn¡¯t she heard of this ¡°girlfriend¡± before? Ronin, who was standing nearby, heard the conversation. He was clearly angrier than Catherine. ¡°Damn!¡± he cursed inwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Branden actually to have a girlfriend! This scumbag already has a woman, yet he still dared to get close to Boss!¡± He secretly vowed that the next time he saw this scumbag, he would definitely cripple his legs, no matter the cost. How could Yesenia, who had never experienced such an insult in her life, endure it? She said to Loraine, ¡°Loraine, don¡¯t waste time talking to them. Just teach them a lesson. Only then will they know their ce.¡± Loraine agreed. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. She was being condemned by an actor. It was truly ridiculous. Loraine nced around and saw that her father had arranged a team of bodyguards to protect her safety. These were top-notch professionals in the industry, many of them former special forces with exceptionalbat skills. With a single gesture of hers, four people emerged from the shadows and respectfully awaited Loraine¡¯s orders. Before Loraine could speak, Yesenia said, ¡°Catch those people for me, except for Grayson!¡± The four bodyguards nced at Loraine, waiting for her approval before taking action. Ronin had been itching for a fight, and now four people were avable. Grayson hadn¡¯t had a chance to fight in a while, so he loosened the buttons on his sleeves, preparing to stretch his muscles. They exchanged a nce, and the assignments were silently made. They each would deal with two bodyguards! Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Catherine nced at the four. In fact, there was no need for Grayson to take action. Ronin alone should be enough. If Ronin couldn¡¯t defeat the four, then Catherine should seriously consider sending him back for further training. Ronin and Grayson were not actually fighting for their lives but ratherpeting against each other. Grayson showed no mercy when fighting. Ronin didn¡¯t want to be behind and increased his speed. They knocked out the four top-tier bodyguards within five minutes. Ronin arrogantly stomped his foot on a bodyguard, looking at Loraine provocatively. ¡°Are you so looking down on us as to actually send someone like this? Can¡¯t you find someone stronger so that I can move my muscles a bit?¡± Yesenia and the others were dumbfounded. They never would have thought that Ronin, who looked like a young boy with delicate features, would be such a good fighter. What surprised her the most was Grayson. She used to watch his movies and thought his martial arts moves were impressive. However, those were all just movies. She didn¡¯t take it seriously. Unexpectedly, he was able to fight exactly like in the movies. Yesenia felt that she liked Grayson a little more. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Grayson ttered that jinx. How hateful!¡± thought she. Loraine also didn¡¯t expect the two boys by Catherine¡¯s side to be such skilled fighters. While she didn¡¯t send out her best fighters, it was not a problem for her bodyguards to deal with a dozen or so big men. It was shameful that two thin young men defeated them within five minutes. Loraine took out her phone and sent out a distress signal. Soon, two men hurriedly rushed over. The two were arranged by her father to protect her. Unless facing a life-or- death situation, she rarely resorted to their assistance. Today, she was genuinely infuriated by Catherine. ¡°I must teach her a lesson to regain my dignity,¡± Loraine said inwardly. Of the two men brought by Loraine, one was tall, and one was short. The taller one had a towering stature and was a world champion boxer. The shorter one was the grandmaster of boxing. They were both hired by the Sanfords to protect Loraine, and theirbat force was exceptional. Ronin¡¯s eyes brightened when he saw the two. Finally came two interesting ones. He could have a good time fighting. The two experts recognized that Ronin and Grayson were skilled fighters and also looked forward to having a good fight. For experts like them, it was quite rare toe across worthy opponents in their daily lives. Unfortunately, before Ronin could approach them, Catherine had already reached out and firmly grabbed onto his shoulder. Ronin looked back. After figuring out Catherine¡¯s meaning, he obediently retreated, though somewhat unwillingly. It was not that Catherine wanted to fight, but rather that she did not want to waste time. ¡°The two possess goodbat skills. If Ronin and Grayson team up, they can easily handle one opponent each. ¡°However, the opponents are also top- notch experts, and this tug-of-war might not end in a short period of time, ¡®thought she. She seldom went out to have fun and did not want to waste her time here. Seeing Catherine suddenly walk out, the two experts were a bit confused. They carefully observed Catherine and did not see any significant signs of her having formidable strength. They pointed to Ronin and Grayson behind Catherine and said arrogantly, We don¡¯t fight with a girl. Let the two brats behinde out.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Catherine sneered coldly, tilting her head and ncing at the two with disdain. Her posture waszy and domineering. ¡°Stop babbling and just fight if you can!¡± The two were provoked by Catherine significantly and intended to teach her a lesson. One excelled in using fists, while the other excelled in using legs. The coordination between the two was very tacit, with one on the left and one on the right. In the beginning, both looked down on Catherine and only sent one person to fight. After Catherine performed a sweeping kick and knocked down the short person, they realized she was an unfathomable expert. Catherine gave the fallen man a chance to get up, hooking her finger at them with a defiant expression. Ronin and Grayson held their chins up in unison, watching Catherine fight with admiration. It had been a long time since they had seen her fighting. How could they miss such a rare opportunity? They hoped these two fools would put more effort into their fight andst for a while longer so that they might also learn from it. The two experts attacked Catherine with full force. This time, they did not dare to underestimate her and fought with utmost determination. One attacked her upper body, and one struck her lower body. They made every effort to attack but still could not resist Catherine¡¯s moves. Catherine¡¯s movements were exceptionally nimble, and her punches contained a powerful force that could inflict severe injuries upon her opponents. Seeing that they couldn¡¯t take advantage of the situation and both of them together were no match for Catherine, the shorter person made the decision to resort to treachery. He quietly reached into his pocket and drew out a specially-made small dagger, preparing to ambush Catherine. Catherine had noticed it, but she didn¡¯t care. ¡°ying dirty? Don¡¯t they know that I am their teacher in this field?¡± she thought. When the tall one lunged with his punch aiming at Catherine, Catherine greeted him head-on. Her two slender and tender arms were like a huge pair of scissors at this moment, restraining the big man¡¯s arm and bending it sharply. ¡°nk!¡± There was a crisp sound. Then, they heard the big man open his mouth and let out a shocking scream. Ah¡­¡± Under the terrified gaze of everyone, Catherine broke the big man¡¯s arm forcefully without the slightest mercy. The short man saw the opportunity and rushed forward with his small dagger. Catherine was ready to lift her leg, but in the nick of time, suddenly¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. With a scream, the short man rushing toward Catherine abruptly copsed to the ground in anguish and clutched at his leg. Catherine fixed her gaze and saw a knife was stuck in the man¡¯s leg. Perhaps due to the excessive speed and force, there was not much blood on his leg, but the scene was truly terrifying. Everyone looked in the direction where the knife was shot from and saw a group of men with extraordinary temperament. Branden was taking the lead, followed by Bryan and Triston. Bryan had just finished a phone call and happened to run into Triston. He asked a few questions only to know that his uncle was alsoing, so he waited for his uncle toe together. To his surprise, he was greeted by such a stunning scene as soon as he arrived. Loraine also saw Branden. She slowly stepped forward with a slight smile, ready to make the most beautiful impression on Branden. Seeing Branden walking toward them, she couldn¡¯t suppress the excitement in her heart and shouted in a low voice, ¡°Branden!¡± Unexpectedly, when passing by her, Branden did not pause and passed by her as he walked forward. Loraine turned back in anger, only to find that Branden had stopped before Catherine. In front of everyone, he directly took Catherine¡¯s hand. On Branden¡¯s handsome and stunning face, his two beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed, and his deep and dark ice-cold eyes nced disapprovingly at Catherine. His tone was also cold. He seemed to be suppressing his anger. He was really worried that his outburst would scare Catherine. The scene just now was too dangerous. He spoke coldly with a hint of suppressed anger in his tone. ¡°Why did you do it yourself?¡± Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Catherine lowered her head to nce at her hand, which had not a single scratch but was slightly reddened. Upon gazing at the gloomy yet handsome face before her, she saw the man who seemed capable of destroying the world at any moment and chuckled silently. Feeling herughing, Branden raised his head and gave her a displeasing stare as a warning. ¡°What do you mean byughing when I ask why you are doing it yourself?¡± Catherine casually waved her wrist. Her expression seemedzy and rxed. ¡°I have nothing else to do, so I¡¯m just stretching my muscles a bit.¡± ¡°Stretching muscles?¡± said Aidan inwardly. Upon hearing these words, Aidan, who stood on one side, was shocked. Although his strength was average, he had received a lot of training since childhood and gained some insights into fighting. The duel between Catherine and the two experts just now was not just an exercise but a life-and-death fight, where Catherine ruthlessly dominated the two. He had never seen a girl who could fight so well before. Catherine¡¯sbat skillspletely shocked Aidan. He pulled on Triston¡¯s sleeve quietly, suppressing his amazement and saying in a low voice,¡± Damn, Catherine is such a strong figure. Did she pretend to be weak to make fun of us before?¡± Triston nced sideways, casting a disdainful and cold gaze at Aidan, saying, ¡°You realized it now?¡± When they were in Charm Bar, Catherine disyed an impressive performance by single-handedly taking on multiple opponents. The incident today was only a minor event. Aidan was left dumbfounded. After confirming that Catherine was unharmed, Branden took the initiative to take her hand and turned to look at Paxton beside him. A nce from Branden was all it took to grasp his intention immediately. After Paxton¡¯s order, two men appeared from either side and took the two experts lying on the ground in pain away. Paxton nced coldly at the two, secretly sneering at theirck of self- awareness for daring to challenge Catherine. ¡°She was the little sweetheart my boss held dear in his heart, and wouldn¡¯t even speak with her in a loud voice. ¡°These idiots were getting bolder and daring to fight with her. ¡°Weren¡¯t they simply courting death? ¡°Since they refuse to take the path to heaven and barge into hell, don¡¯t me us for being merciless,¡± said he inwardly. From the coldness emanating from his piercing gaze, one could foresee how tragic the fates of the two experts would be. Loraine felt a sudden shiver in her heart inexplicably. These were the best bodyguards her father had arranged for her. Now, they had been injured by Catherine, and even the Duncans were retaliating against them. It would be a great loss for her if the two were dismissed. Unwillingly, Loraine looked in Branden¡¯s direction and was about to speak. As if anticipating her to speak, Branden cast a cold nce toward her. The cold and sinister aura emitted from those deep and profound eyes rendered Loraine unable to express her intended words. It seemed as though her voice had been stifled in her throat. She lowered her head anxiously, not daring to make eye contact with Branden again. The former Branden might have been cold, but that icy demeanor was a grandeur that kept people at a distance, exuding a mysterious and extraordinary aristocratic aura. At that moment, the icy and aggressive gaze of Branden instilled fear and panic in the hearts of those who witnessed it. ¡°All this is brought by that jinx, Catherine. I will not let her go. I swear! ¡± said Loraine inwardly. Catherine knew that Loraine was staring at her with hatred. She didn¡¯t care if Loraine would retaliate against her. It was okay as long as Loraine had the ability. ¡°If she had the guts, juste for me. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± thought she. Yesenia finally snapped out of the incident in front of her. She did not expect that jinx Catherine could fight so well. ¡°Oh my goodness! Can she even be considered a girl?¡± wondered she. She looked back and found that Bryan was standing beside her. She was a little surprised. ¡°Bryan, why are you and Uncle Branden here?¡± She didn¡¯t have the courage to ask why Branden was holding Catherine¡¯s hand. Her uncle was always a fierce and formidable beast, cold and unrelenting. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Although everyone said Branden was already very friendly to her, she was still afraid of him. After all, Branden¡¯s temper and momentum could scare many without him speaking. Seeing that Yesenia was also here, Bryan was kind of worried about her. Before he could reply, Ronin shouted from the side. Pointing at Bryan¡¯s nose, he rushed toward Bryan viciously with his gaze fixed on Bryan. ¡°It turns out that you are a traitor!¡± said he. Bryan looked puzzled. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Seeing that her cousin was bullied, Yesenia rushed forward instantly.¡± What are you doing? Don¡¯t you dare point at my cousin! Be careful, or I¡¯ll have someone beat you up!¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Ronin sneered disdainfully. ¡°Why don¡¯t you send someone over now? I¡¯ve been itching for a good fight.¡± He waved his fists and red threateningly at Yesenia. ¡°Believe it or not, after I finish beating up your men, I¡¯ll give you a good thrashing too.¡± Yesenia had seen Ronin¡¯s fierce fight just now, and she knew that Ronin was a good fighter. Now threatened by him, she subconsciously hid behind Bryan. After all, Yesenia was his cousin. Now that Ronin threatened her, Bryan naturally wouldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°Duncan boy, what¡¯s your problem? If you have grudges,e for me. What¡¯s the point of making things difficult for a young girl?¡± ¡°Come for you?¡± Ronin shook his head and clenched his teeth, his face full of anger. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m coming for you! I knew you were cut from the same cloth. You¡¯re not a good person, kid. And now I¡¯ve found out that you¡¯re just a rotten apple!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk this over. What the hell are you talking about?¡± Bryan felt something was wrong when he saw Ronin so angry. Grayson also sensed it and stepped forward to hold back the raging Ronin. ¡°Ronin, let¡¯s discuss matters directly. I don¡¯t think Bryan is aware of the situation.¡± Observing the state of the two, Bryan was getting increasingly confused. He did not wish to engage in any argument with Ronin. Therefore, he turned his attention toward Grayson. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Grayson red at Yesenia behind Bryan and said, ¡°This girl spoke impolitely to our boss, and she asked her friend Loraine to summon the bodyguards as well.¡± Bryan paused for a moment, not expecting it to be like this. No wonder Ronin was so angry. He knew better than anyone about Ronin¡¯s respect and admiration for Catherine. In Ronin¡¯s heart, Catherine was like a divine being and not to be desecrated. Yesenia felt somewhat dissatisfied. ¡± How is it that all the me is solely on me?¡± said she inwardly. Just as she was about to excuse herself, she raised her head and met Bryan¡¯s angry and sinister gaze. Although they weren¡¯t particrly close, it was the first time Bryan looked at her with such a gaze. Bryan red at her with great anger. Ignoring the fact that they were still in a public ce, he reprimanded Yesenia loudly. ¡°Yesenia, you are truly bing more and more outrageous. Relying on your family¡¯s favor, you be more unruly, aren¡¯t you? Hurry up and apologize to the boss. Your behavior is not at all in line with that of a member of the Duncans. The Duncans are not that stupid!¡± Yesenia had always been proud to be part of the Duncans, so Bryan¡¯s words really hit her sore spot. How could she, who was always arrogant and overbearing, possibly bow her head now? She totally lost her temper, disregarded everything, and chucked a fit. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Yesenia was quite spoiled and could be very fierce when she threw a fit. Her anger took over, making her lose all reason as she shouted directly at Bryan. ¡°What, you got a problem with me not liking her? ¡°Who does she think she is? Why are so many people flocking around her?¡± Yesenia vented her frustrations by speaking out all the hatred in her heart. She couldn¡¯t be stopped when she threw a tantrum like a princess. Relying on the Duncans¡¯ favor toward her, she had gotten used to acting arrogantly and not considering the consequences. When he looked at Yesenia¡¯s arrogant and domineering behavior, Bryan finally understood why Ronin wanted to p her. If Yesenia were not his cousin, he would also want to p her. He turned apologetically toward Catherine while anxiously worrying for Yesenia. ¡°Silly girl! She doesn¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on and is just talking nonsense,¡± said he inwardly. However, Catherine remained calm and showed no signs of anger on her face. She kept giving Yesenia a cold stare, with a hint of sarcasm in her eyes as if saying, ¡°What a reckless girl.¡± She withdrew her gaze and turned to face Branden. However, she noticed that Branden¡¯s gaze was not directed at herself but toward the direction of Yesenia with a furrowed brow. Noticing the displeasure emanating from his entire body at this moment, Catherine silently sneered with a cold face. ¡°Seems like I don¡¯t have to make a move myself. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m happy to sit by.¡± Yesenia still hadn¡¯t realized the danger approaching her, arrogantly tilting her head up and looking at Bryan. Bryan ignored her and looked directly behind Yesenia. He respectfully spoke.¡± Uncle¡­¡± The simple word made Yesenia¡¯s face pale instantly. She turned around instinctively and looked behind her. Upon seeing the gloomy expression on Branden¡¯s face, she was so startled that she almost couldn¡¯t find her words. This was the first time she had seen such a terrifying Branden. Her heart was pounding wildly, and her gaze panicked as she looked at Branden. Branden¡¯s eyes shed with a cold light. He looked at Yesenia¡¯s face gloomily as he spoke in a cold and emotionless voice. ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve been too lenient on your educationtely. So starting next week, you¡¯ll attend sses at Snd Women¡¯s College. Maybe that¡¯ll help you to shape up.¡± Upon hearing this news, Yesenia felt it was like a bolt out of the blue. Snd Women¡¯s College was widely known by the nickname ¡°Snd Women¡¯s Prison,¡± as entering this institution was akin to half dead, even if one managed to survive. This was a college exclusively for girls. Its management was quite strict, almost like a military discipline. Usually, the students could onlye out once a week. ¡°It would be better to kill me than to send me into this college,¡± thought Yesenia. She opened her mouth to argue but was cut off by Branden¡¯s prompt intervention. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay in the Snd, I can arrange for someone to send you to the Women¡¯s Religious Studies Academy of Theisia.¡± It was a ce more terrifying than Snd Women¡¯s College. For ordinary students, it was like a purgatory on earth. Yesenia never expected Branden to be so ruthless. She immediately turned red - eyed and felt like the world was falling apart. Triston and the others had all watched Yesenia grow up since she was little. It was heartbreaking for them to see her cry like this now. Triston sneaked up and stopped Yesenia. Branden gave a warning nce at Yesenia, then turned around and grabbed Catherine to leave the scene. ¡°It¡¯s windy here. Your hands are freezing!¡± Catherine did a quick self-check and wondered if Branden operated on a different temperature scale than her. ¡°I feel just fine, but why does he always feel cold all the time?¡± she wondered. After Branden left, Yesenia finally couldn¡¯t hold it in and yelled at Tristan in confusion, ¡°Uncle Triston, why don¡¯t you let me speak? I don¡¯t want to go to Snd Women¡¯s College! I would rather die! ¡°Uncle Triston, why didn¡¯t you speak up for me just now?¡± Triston looked at her seriously and said, ¡°Yesenia, aren¡¯t you making things difficult for me? I¡¯m sure Branden would¡¯ve sent you to Theisia if I hadn¡¯t pulled you away just now. When has he ever not fulfilled his promises? ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, daring to go against him like that. Do you even know who Catherine Swann is? Yet here you are, openly insulting her. You really have no fear, like a naive kid who doesn¡¯t know any better.¡± Yesenia was not convinced. Although she thought it was rare for her uncle to treat a girl so well, as soon as she thought about the girl being Catherine, she felt annoyed. ¡°Who else could she be? She¡¯s just the damn jinx from the Swanns.¡± Right before Bryan was about to leave, he heard Yesenia say something that instantly got him fired up. He turned around and red angrily at Yesenia, scolding in a low voice, ¡°You are hopeless. I should have advised Uncle Branden to send you away. You¡¯ve been influenced badly by Casier. I will talk to Grandpa and ask him to remind my uncle and aunt to educate you properly when I go back tonight!¡± Seeing Bryan storming off, Yesenia stomped her foot in frustration. ¡°They are both under a spell, aren¡¯t they? ¡°Why is everyone speaking up for Catherine? It¡¯s really pissing me off!¡± said she inwardly. Triston didn¡¯t want Yesenia to go astray. She was young. They had watched her grow up since she was little, so Triston advised her with a few words. ¡°Yesenia, you gotta remember, Catherine was the treasure for Branden. She¡¯s the one he holds dear, and if Catherine is willing, she might be your aunt-inw. So, I suggest you don¡¯t mess with her. ¡°Moreover, you saw for yourself Bryan¡¯s attitude. He touted Catherine as an idol. So, don¡¯t give yourself any unnecessary trouble.¡± Upon hearing Triston¡¯s words, Yesenia widened her eyes and looked at him in disbelief. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®if Catherine is willing?¡¯ It is a blessing for her that my uncle is interested in her!¡± Although Yesenia didn¡¯t quite understand why Branden would be interested in this disaster-causing Catherine. Based on Branden¡¯s attitude toward Catherine earlier, Yesenia could tell it was indeed very different. It was the first time she saw Branden getting so close to a girl in her lifetime. She had always idolized Branden despite Branden¡¯s moody temperament and distant attitude toward the family members. However, there was no doubt about his abilities. He was a legend and a mythical figure in the business world that would endure forever. In her eyes, the fact that Branden was willing to take a nce at Catherine was considered a blessing. How dare Catherine possibly dare to refuse him? Triston nced at the few girls standing on the side, all of them having weird and ironic expressions on their faces. These girls were not easy to deal with. They usually liked to gather together and gossip when they had nothing to do. Triston¡¯s group of men had no other distinguishing characteristics except their tendency to defend their interests. As long as these girls didn¡¯t mess with them, they wouldn¡¯t care. But if someone messed with them, they wouldn¡¯t show mercy. ¡°Yesenia, your uncle and cousin are your rtives and will not harm you. You should stay away from outside influences and keep your eyes clear. ¡°Do you really think your uncle is worse at judging people than you? If that¡¯s really the case, then how did the Duncans reach where it is today?¡± It was all thanks to Branden that the Duncans could achieve another triumph. Triston¡¯s insinuation made the several girls standing on the side very embarrassed. Especially Jessica. She was the most lively and active speaker just now. 11 Isn¡¯t Triston referring to me?¡± said she inwardly. Loraine¡¯s face darkened a little more. She didn¡¯t expect that Catherine had such a stronghold in these people. ¡°Damn it!¡± thought she. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Yesenia was not dumb. How could a girl born into the Duncans and raised by Karl be foolish? With Bryan taking care of her and ying with her, how could she be anything but astute? She was just too young, so there were things she didn¡¯t really understand yet. When she encountered more shrewd people, it was easy for her to get lost. Moreover, she was born into a wealthy family and had been showered with love and affection. Naturally, she became arrogant and overbearing. After receiving some advice from Triston, Yesenia began to awaken to realizations. ¡°Could it be that I have truly misunderstood Catherine? ¡°Is it possible that Catherine is not as despicable as I imagine? ¡°Uncle Branden is not an ordinary person. Any evil person would have to reveal their true colors before him and obediently await punishment. ¡°Since Catherine has gained the recognition of Uncle Branden and is respected by Bryan, she must have some exceptional qualities,¡± said she inwardly. Yesenia nced back at the several women behind her, feeling a hint of suspicion in her heart. Seeing that she had alreadye to her senses, Triston couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with this group of girls anymore. He left the scene with his hands in his pockets. Branden dragged Catherine to the rest area. As soon as she sat down, Paxton brought over the prepared fruits and ced them in front of Catherine. These were all the tropical fruits that Catherine loved. They were washed, cut neatly, and arranged beautifully on the te. Branden discovered that although Catherine didn¡¯t like sweets, she did not resist the sugar content of fruits. However, she didn¡¯t like fruits that needed to be peeled, and the reason was that she waszy. However, if someone cut the fruit nicely and served it to her like Ronin did, she could still ept it. Catherine nced at the brightly colored fruits, which looked particrly tempting. She didn¡¯t dy and picked up the skewer, sitting down and eating it right away. Aidan and the others were sitting on the side, watching Branden attend to Catherine like caring for a child. Branden asionally handed her tissues and such, leaving the people present dumbfounded. On the other hand, Triston covered his eyes, unable to bear the sight. As a single man, he couldn¡¯t bear to witness this scene. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand here. Since you guys don¡¯t want to soak in the hot springs, why not have some fun in the recreation area? What¡¯s the point of staring at others?¡± said Triston. Aidan agreed with Triston for the first time. Watching someone else being lovey-dovey was indeed dull. Before they left, they brought Bryan and Ronin with them. So many third wheels being present with lovers was not suitable. A short while after they left, Loraine arrived. All her girls were there, but only she dared approach Catherine. Loraine portrayed herself with grace and elegance. Her face was adorned with a slight smile as if the unpleasant incident that had just urred had never happened. She first greeted Branden, ¡°Branden, it¡¯s been a while since west met!¡± Branden was wholly focused on Catherine, not even giving an extra nce at her. Loraine¡¯s face showed a hint of embarrassment, with a cold and gloomy shade passing through her eyes. However, she quickly concealed it. She thought she was hiding it quickly, unaware that everyone around her could see it very clearly. Even Yesenia noticed that. One of the reasons why she got along well with Loraine was Loraine was truly outstanding. Loraine held the title of the number one socialitedy in Casier, not only due to her honorable family background but also her exceptional talent and knowledge. Furthermore, she had a strong and confident temperament and was sent to undergo military training for a few years. In times of crisis, she remained calm and collected, making her the ideal marriage partner of many prominent families. Furthermore, she was Branden¡¯s ssmate and one of the few girls who could appear beside him. There had been rumors circting that she was the girlfriend of Branden. Yesenia had also witnessed several interactions between Loraine and Branden. It should be known that Branden had a slight case of mysophobia when it came to women. There were hardly any female maids in his house. Even more astonishing was that the entire floor of the president¡¯s officecked even a single female staff member. Loraine¡¯s presence by Branden¡¯s side led Yesenia to naturally perceive Loraine as a special presence. Thinking that they would be a family in the future, Yesenia got closer to her to avoid any future estrangement. In addition to Loraine¡¯s kindness toward her, there was a feeling of being bathed in spring breeze when she was around such a highly thoughtful girl, which was why Yesenia gradually grew closer to Loraine. However, upon witnessing Branden¡¯s attitude toward Loraine today, Yesenia was fully aware that there was no rtionship between her uncle and Loraine. Noticing that Branden was ignoring her and only had his eyes on Catherine, Loraine shifted her gaze toward Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, I am Loraine Sanford!¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine happened to be munching on a slice of cantaloupe. When she heard Loraine calling out to her, she slowly raised her head. With her rosy lips still biting onto the fruit, she gazed at Loraine innocently. With a questioning look, she seemed to ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Loraine had a gentle, perfect smile, exuding the elegance of a high societydy. ¡°Miss Swann, I apologize for any misunderstanding that urred between us today. I havee here specifically to offer my sincere apologies, and I hope you can forgive me.¡± Triston and the others also noticed the situation here. After watching Loraine¡¯s performance, Triston apuded her inwardly. ¡°It must be admitted that Loraine can be Casier¡¯s number one socialitedy for a reason. ¡°Her demeanor is impressive! ¡°She can be flexible and adaptable. Even if she may be infuriated inside, she can still maintain a calm andposed appearance, which is her remarkable trait,¡± thought he. Catherine finally managed to swallow the cantaloupe. The next second, Branden handed her a cherry. She was somewhat disgusted, turning her head away. Branden coaxed her like a child, saying, ¡°Just one more!¡± When she saw the interaction between the two, Loraine¡¯s hand hanging by her side clenched into a fist. Under her continuous force, her intricately decorated nails forcefully stuck into the flesh of the palm. It was often said that the pain in your fingers was the most unbearable, so her pain could be imagined. Loraine still had a smile on her face. Only with this kind of pain could she suppress her inner emotions and maintain the most elegant smile. Standing behind, Jessica saw this scene and quietly recorded it with her phone. After she took the video, she sent it to her good friend Liana when no one was paying attention. Catherine reluctantly ate the cherry and then nced casually at Loraine. A slight smile appeared on her stunningly beautiful face as she looked at Loraine. Loraine was behaving generously, so she must also show generosity to avoid being rude. With a nonchnt nce, Catherinezily scanned Loraine. Shefortably leaned back on the leather sofa, assuming a posture that made herfortable. ¡°No need to apologize. I have to thank you.¡± Loraine looked at Catherine skeptically. ¡°Miss Swann, what do you mean?¡± Catherine smiled. Her beauty was indescribable. Her delicate pink lips slightly parted, slowly uttering a few words, ¡°Thank you for sending two people to help me relieve the boredom!¡± Triston and the others secretly gave a thumbs up. ¡°Catherine is indeed a pro. ¡°When ites to being sarcastic, no one can match her wit,¡± said they inwardly. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Branden pulled Catherine¡¯s hand and ced it inside his pocket with the excuse that her hand was too cold. Triston and the others could not bear to witness the scene any longer. They came here for vacation, not to see someone show off love. Therefore, Triston spoke up fearlessly. ¡°Mr. Duncan, since we have nothing better to do, how about a game?¡± They were ying billiards. Catherine and Branden were standing nearby. Their aura was so strong that the yers could hardly concentrate on their game. Branden raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Triston grinned, knowing that he was literally courting humiliation. ¡°If Branden is joining the game, how could I have a chance to beat him? I¡¯ll just bepletely dominated,¡± thought he. Just as Triston was hesitating, Loraine appeared again. She walked up to him with a beaming smile on her face. ¡°Mr. Lambert, since you know you¡¯re no match for Mr. Duncan, why don¡¯t I y with you instead?¡± Triston¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, ¡°Uh oh, this isn¡¯t good.¡± Even though Loraine was a beauty, Triston couldn¡¯t be tempted easily by good looks. On Loraine¡¯s pretty face, her bright eyes flickered slightly as she put on a charming and alluring smile. ¡°Mr. Lambert. It looks like you are unwilling to y a game with me. Are you afraid that defeating a girl like me would not be honorable?¡± ¡°Defeating Loraine?¡± said Triston inwardly. He knew that he might not have the ability to win over Loraine. Everyone knew that Loraine had yed billiards since childhood and was once the snooker champion in Casier. If it were not for her affluent family, she would probably be pursuing a career as a professional and performing on the world¡¯srgest stages at present. Although Triston yed quite well, he couldn¡¯tpare to professional yers. Just as he was about to refuse, to his surprise, Loraine beat him to it and spoke up first. She turned her head and fixed her gaze upon Catherine. Although there was a smile on her face, her eyes were as cold as ice. ¡°Miss Swann, since we all have some free time, why don¡¯t we y a game?¡± Branden furrowed his brows, his deep- set eyes lowered. A touch of displeasure flickered across his face. Loraine noticed Branden¡¯s aura was too strong, and she didn¡¯t dare to make eye contact with him. However, she harbored great discontent in her heart toward Branden¡¯s excessive care for Catherine. ¡°Is he protecting her so well that he wouldn¡¯t even let her lose a game?¡± said she inwardly. Her face darkened slightly. With an unpleasant expression, she spoke.¡± Miss Swann, if you refuse to ept the offer, forget about it. ¡°Reluctant as she look, would she be willing to give it up? I don¡¯t believe it. ¡°Now, she might say forget about it, but tomorrow she will go around telling everyone how cocky and disdainful I am. ¡°Does she really think I couldn¡¯t see through her shabby tactics? Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Although I do not care at all about what others say about me, why do I have to allow this woman to nder me? ¡°I refuse!¡± said Catherine inwardly. With her chin raised toward Loraine, Catherine asked, ¡°Would you like to have a game?¡± Loraine pursed her lips, a slight smile escaping the corners of her mouth. ¡± Why not? What a rare opportunity. However, I have been ying billiards for quite some time. How about I give you a handicap of three balls and let you make the first shot? ¡°If necessary, would you like me to give you a chance to start over again?¡± Ronin was left dumbfounded. ¡°Oh my, this woman is too arrogant and presumptuous. ¡°This is not showing mercy. It¡¯s clearly a humiliation. ¡°And to top it off, it was a humiliation in front of everyone. Seriously, it¡¯s just too much. ¡°Can¡¯t believe she dares to disrespect our boss like this. I¡¯ll have to teach this woman a lesson,¡± said Ronin inwardly. As Ronin was about to move forward, his coat was pulled by Grayson from behind. Grayson pulled on Ronin¡¯s clothes and whispered softly in his ear, saying, ¡± Don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± Rushing forward at this moment had no help in avenging Catherine. Instead, this was the perfect opportunity for the other party to nder Catherine. Furthermore, Grayson firmly believed that Catherine would win. Not only Ronin and Grayson, but the others also felt Loraine¡¯s words were too much. ¡°Although Loraine¡¯s billiards skills are quite good, she¡¯s being a bit too arrogant by saying this. ¡°Is it really fitting for a yer of almost professional level to humiliate others?¡± thought they. Upon hearing Loraine¡¯s arrogant remarks, Catherine remainedposed and unaffected, showing a nonchnt expression that carried a hint of disdain. ¡°No need for that. Since we¡¯re going to y, let¡¯s get started!¡± It was precisely this expression that annoyed Loraine the most. It made her feel deeply humiliated as if Catherinepletely looked down on her. Loraine held back her anger and put on a generous smile. ¡°Miss Swann, since you said so, let¡¯s put friendship first. Since it¡¯s a game, why not make it a little interesting? ¡°If I lose, I will give you 10% of the shares of Holiday Mansion. How about that?¡± Grayson¡¯s partner wanted to butter up Loraine and boost Holiday Mansion¡¯s profile. So, he gave Loraine 10% of the shares as a gift. The construction cost of Holiday Mansion was several million dors. Its current market value was definitely over a billion dors. The 10% of shares represented millions of capital. Loraine really was of incredible generosity. This was clearly a provocation. Catherine had just returned to the Swanns, and the entire Swanns was under the control of Korbin Swann. How could she afford to gamble against Loraine? Everyone felt nervous for Catherine silently while despising Loraine¡¯s tricks. Branden nced over at Paxton beside him. Paxton reached into his pocket, preparing to take out some capital for Catherine to bet against Loraine. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Catherine casually waved her hand and pointed to Grayson beside her, saying, ¡°If I lose, Grayson will forsake his share of Holiday Mansion and give you his shares!¡± Grayson owned 30% of the shares, three times as much as Loraine¡¯s. Loraine¡¯s face turned unpleasant. She could hardly maintain herposure any longer. ¡°Catherine doesn¡¯t have many fundamental abilities but is good at talking big. ¡°Does she intend to humiliate me with the 30% shares? ¡°Ridiculous!¡± said Loraine inwardly. She forced an awkward smile, revealing a hideous expression. ¡°Miss Swann, don¡¯t you need to ask Peerless Grayson¡¯s opinion first?¡± After Loraine finished speaking, Grayson spoke up. ¡°Miss Sanford, there¡¯s no need to worry about it. Boss owns all of my assets. You can consider me her employee.¡± ¡°Peerless Grayson, the top star of the entertainment industry, actually behaved so humbly in the presence of such a disaster as Catherine. ¡°Is he out of his mind? ¡°Has Catherine cursed him and taken away his consciousness?¡± said Loraine inwardly. She was extremely jealous. Although she looked down upon Grayson, a mere actor, the thought of him being so respectful toward the disaster-causing Catherine made her ufortable. ¡°Why is it that every man revolves around her? ¡°What¡¯s so great about a disaster like her?¡± thought she. Loraine didn¡¯t n on making things too difficult for Catherine at first, but her anger was on fire at this moment, and she had to give Catherine a serious lesson to make sure Catherine would conduct herself and embarrass her in front of everyone. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s get started! ¡± she said. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Unlike Loraine, Catherine did not go directly to the billiard table. Instead, she turned her head and looked at Branden standing beside her. ¡°Please, exin the rules to me.¡± The people around were all shocked when they heard Catherine say this. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she know how to y it yet? ¡°How dare she agree to participate in such a high-stakes event without understanding the rules? ¡°Should I praise her bravery and courage or just call her a young and fearless newbie?¡± thought they. Loraine fixed her gaze in the direction of Catherine with a hint of coldness in the corner of her mouth. ¡°How dare she bet against me without any knowledge about billiard? She¡¯s biting off more than she can chew,¡± said Loraine inwardly. Compared to the astonishment and ridicule of others, Branden¡¯s gaze at Catherine was much more meaningful. On that stunning face that looked like a sculpture, his eyes sparkled like gemstones as he smiled at Catherine. This girl really has some guts!¡± he thought. He exined the rules of snooker to Catherine with great patience. His voice was deep and maic, and the two seemed to be flirting rather than teaching. ¡°From low score to high score, hit the balls in. Among them, the red ball has the lowest score, and the ck ball is worth seven scores. The person with the highest score in the end wins!¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Catherine listened attentively to what Branden had said. On one hand, his exnation was concise and clear, while on the other hand, his voice was undeniably pleasing to the ears. ¡°If he were to be a singer in the entertainment industry with such a voice, I¡¯m afraid Grayson wouldn¡¯t stand a chance now. ¡°With his voice alone, he can y everypetitor in an instant,¡± said Catherine inwardly. Catherine raised a brow and confidently nced at Branden opposite her. Then, with a pompous stride, she walked toward the billiard table. Triston and the others noticed that when Catherine turned around, Branden nced at Paxton. Paxton nodded silently. Inwardly, they were pretty shocked. There should be no need to worry about Catherine anymore. As was widely known, Paxton was a master of a unique skill. He could urately nail a grain of rice-sized stone into a wall. With Paxton¡¯s covert support, Catherine would not lose too badly, even if she lost the game. However, what surprised them was that Branden was actually willing to go to such lengths for Catherine. He had always detested these things, yet he was now willing to cheat for Catherine. This demonstrated how significant Catherine was in his heart. As Catherine approached, Loraine was filled with such intense hatred that she almost snapped the cue she was holding. She forced herself to put on a smile and looked at Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, have you finished consulting? Or perhaps, let Mr. Duncan give you a head start of two strokes?¡± This statement sounded really arrogant. One could detect an air of confidence and assurance on Loraine¡¯s face, as if victory was already within her grasp. Even before the game had begun, she was already behaving like someone giving an eptance speech. She was truly arrogant. Perhaps someone else could get away with it, but Loraine was confronting Catherine. Who could be more audacious than Catherine? Catherinezily picked up a cue and leaned on it, putting her entire body weight on it. She was like a soft-bodied animal. Her voice was alsozy, cold, and void of emotion. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need for that. I don¡¯t even think his skills are worth mentioning!¡± Standing on one foot, Aidan fell directly onto Triston next to him upon hearing this. ¡°This girl surely knows how to stab people in the heart. ¡°Loraine was arrogant, but Catherine was a hundred times more arrogant than her. ¡°There was no doubt about Branden¡¯s abilities. ¡°Who among the present can match him? ¡°Catherine actually said that she looked down on Branden¡¯s abilities,¡± thought Aidan. Catherine¡¯s words were much more meaningful than Loraine¡¯s blunt and harsh remarks. Branden chuckled slightly. In all his years, it was the first time he had ever heard of someone not impressed by his abilities. ¡°My woman is quite interesting. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s fine that she looked down on my abilities. Anyway, I like her. That¡¯s all that matters,¡± thought he. Initially, the onlookers thought that being looked down upon like this would anger even the calmest person. To their surprise, Branden wasughing when they looked over. ¡°This frosty icebergughed when he was scolded. ¡°This is a rare sight! ¡°Indeed, anything that seemed impossible for Branden became possible when it came to Catherine,¡± said they inwardly. Loraine held her cue, took a step forward, and looked at Catherine. ¡± Miss Swann, after you.¡± With a casual nod, Catherine fiercely swung her cue toward the white ball. The neatly arranged triangle of balls suddenly scattered like a startled school of fish. Upon witnessing this scene, Ronin was the most exhrated. He could not help but let out an exmation of astonishment. ¡°Wow, amazing!¡± Triston and the others couldn¡¯t help but apud as well. Catherine started off well, and the positions of her balls were all good. Loraine snorted coldly. ¡°Is it really necessary to be so happy about a decent shot? ¡°So spoffish!¡± said she inwardly. She simply didn¡¯t believe that Catherine, a novice, could perform any remarkable shots. Catherine remained remarkably calm, maintaining the same expression even when she hit a good shot. After ncing at the overall situation, she chose the ball with the greatest difficulty on the edge of the table as her first ball. With one forceful shot, the ball was wlessly hit into the hole. Loraine was still calm andposed. ¡± It is just one score. Even if Catherine scores three more goals, I can handle it, thought she. As time passed, Catherine hit more balls into the holes. Moreover, she did it super quickly. One shot at a time. The people around were all amazed. ¡°With such precision and the ability to score even in the trickiest routes effortlessly, is she really a novice? ¡°Could it be that she is a big shot acting dumb to deceive others again?¡± thought the onlookers. Loraine couldn¡¯t sit still as she watched Catherine finish hitting all the red balls on the table. However, Catherine did not even give Loraine a moment to be surprised before she quickly hit the remaining colored balls with the fastest speed possible. On the table, there was only one ck ball left, which had the highest score. At this moment, Catherine stopped and set down her cue. Ronin was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle before him. Seeing Catherine cease her actions, he couldn¡¯t help but exim in frustration, ¡°Boss, why did you stop? Go on! ¡°Clearance!¡± He was waiting for Catherine to clear the table so he could harshly mock Loraine, who had just acted so arrogantly. But unexpectedly, Catherine stopped. Catherine nced at the roaring Ronin, causing him to shut his mouth immediately. After he had quieted down, Catherine yawned tiredly and turned to Loraine, softly saying, ¡°Miss Sanford, it¡¯s your turn for the rest of the game. I feel bad for making you wait so long and not even giving you a chance to hit the ball. ¡°Oh my God!¡± said Ronin inwardly. He was apuding Catherine fervently inside. Grayson raised the corner of his mouth and smiled disdainfully. Triston and Aidan silently gave a thumbs up to Catherine, thinking that the title of Sharp-tongued Boss was well-deserved. ¡°She is phenomenal!¡± thought they. Branden gazed fondly in the direction of Catherine. ¡°If she were to invest her efforts in the business world, her achievements would likely surpass mine,¡± thought he. A question suddenly urred to him. ¡± Should I perhaps put more effort into my business? ¡°If I don¡¯t start getting serious about my career, I¡¯m afraid that she will really look down on me.¡± Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Mixed emotions gued Loraine. She had probably never been so embarrassed in her entire life. She red at Catherine and forcefully mmed the pool cue she held onto the table. Loraine decided to endure it. She gritted her teeth and kept her temper. ¡°Miss Swann, congrattions!¡± Triston and the others were genuinely impressed by Loraine¡¯sposure. They thought she was indeed something. But Catherine was even more formidable. She surprised them every time. Catherine stared at Loraine with a faint smile. She enjoyed seeing Loraine being helpless while consumed with intense hatred. ¡°Miss Sanford, thank you for your generosity,¡± Catherine said. After that, Catherine waved to Grayson, who stood behind her. Grayson instantly understood and smiled at Loraine. ¡°Miss Sanford, thanks to you, I am now thergest shareholder of this resort.¡± Originally, the three of them had been partners. Grayson owned a thirty percent stake. The majority shareholder was Grayson¡¯s wealthy friend with a forty percent stake. But now, an extra ten percent stake had shifted into Grayson¡¯s hands, which made him the shareholder with a majority. This simple sentence left Lorainepletely unraveled. She knew that losing her temper at this moment would only make her look worse. Loraine suppressed her anger. After forcefully cing the pool cue on the table, she left the lounge area. She made her exit from the crowd¡¯s gaze. Once Loraine had left, Triston and the others enthusiastically approached Catherine and apuded her. ¡°Nice job, Catherine!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say much, but Ronin couldn¡¯t contain himself. He eximed, ¡°Of course. Boss is always this amazing. No one canpare to her.¡± His proud demeanor made it seem as if he had won the match. Ronin was Catherine¡¯s biggest fan, and this fact could never be changed. Ronin was happily immersed in his admiration for Catherine. Aidan was more curious about something else. He looked at Catherine with curiosity and asked, ¡°Catherine, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve never yed snooker before, and you didn¡¯t even know the rules? How did you y so well? Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Are you a snooker prodigy? Do you deliberately pretend to be clueless to mess with Loraine?¡± Considering Catherine¡¯s previous disinterest in Loraine, Aidan believed in his spection, as it seemed more logical. It was likely that Catherine deliberately pretended to be clueless to lower Loraine¡¯s guard. Then she could humiliate Loraine when Loraine least expected it. The others were equally curious. They watched Catherine to see if she truly matched Aidan¡¯s theory. Catherine nced coldly at Aidan, raised her chin disdainfully, and spoke softly yet with a powerful aura. ¡°Is it necessary?¡± Her tone was dripping with contempt and dominance. She was truly awe- inspiring. After she spoke, Ronin chimed in, 11 Well. It¡¯s absolutely unnecessary. Just silly of you!¡± ¡°Hey, you!¡± Aidan reached out to hit Ronin, only to hear Grayson beside him say, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s absolutely unnecessary.¡± Following that, Triston and Bryan also mocked him. Aidan¡¯s face contorted in anger. He just questioned Catherine, and then he became the enemy of everyone. Branden reached out, pulled Catherine¡¯s hand from her pocket, and smoothly slipped it into his own jacket pocket. Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a hint of confusion in her eyes. However, Branden stared at Catherine earnestly. ¡°My pocket is warmer. Your hands are cold.¡± Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°Cold?¡± Catherine¡¯s hands were practically sweating, and Branden was talking about them being cold. It was clear he was just trying to take advantage of her. Branden was doing it with such a righteous tone as if he were pacifying a child. Branden led Catherine to the side and sat down. When Catherine wanted to y a game, Branden became her backrest and allowed Catherine tofortably lean against him. He pampered Catherine throughout, which caused envy among the single men, especially Triston. Triston and Aidan had known Branden for many years. They were witnessing him pampering a girl like this for the first time. It was almost to an unbearable extent. As Loraine left, the group of wealthy girls followed her. However, Yesenia stood to the side with a bitter expression. She appeared torn and conflicted, which was oddly amusing to observe. After seeing this, Triston approached her and tried to cheer her up. He said, ¡°Yesenia, changing schools isn¡¯t such a big deal. Why do you look so upset?¡± Yesenia red at Triston with intensity. She thought inwardly, ¡°How can I not feel upset? ¡°It is like a prison. Like hell.¡± Thinking about it, Yesenia felt like she was about to explode. She was in a state of panic. Unable to bear it any longer, she turned to Triston for help. ¡°Uncle Triston, you¡¯re closest to Branden. Can you please help me plead with him? I really don¡¯t want to go.¡± This time, it was Triston¡¯s turn to wear a troubled expression. ¡°Yesenia, you¡¯re overestimating me. If I had that kind of power, would I be living this humble and tough life?¡± Although Triston didn¡¯t have that ability, he had a clever mind. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you suffer. I can show you a way.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yesenia eagerly agreed. Triston discreetly gestured in Catherine¡¯s direction. ¡°Yesenia, this person is your savior. Just look at how much Branden dotes on her. With just a few words, she can handle everything.¡± Yesenia thought for a moment and realized the logic behind it. Indeed, Brandenvished Catherine with care and affection. Yesenia felt torn. She knew Catherine could help her. However, it was not easy for her to ask Catherine for a favor in person. Triston nodded at Yesenia. ¡°Figure it out on your own.¡± He had given Yesenia a solution, but whether she could do it was up to her. If she was not even willing to do it, she would have to suffer the consequences on her own. After Triston left, Yesenia wrestled with her thoughts for a while and finally made up her mind. She slowly approached Catherine. She was initially unsure of how to start the conversation with Catherine without being embarrassed. However, when she saw the mobile game that Catherine was ying, she unintentionally got immersed in it. Yesenia was not only a fan of celebrities but also loved ying games. She liked everything that young girls were into these days. Her recent obsession was a popr battle royale game. Surprisingly, Catherine was ying it too. Yesenia had a high rank in the game. She was initially nning to give Catherine some pointers. However, after watching Catherine y for a few minutes, Yesenia waspletely captivated. Her eyes were fixed on Catherine¡¯s screen, and she couldn¡¯t even blink. When Catherine finished off thest enemy with a triumphant shot, Yesenia couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and eximed, ¡°You¡¯re awesome!¡± Chapter 238 Chapter 238 A few secondster, Yesenia realized that everyone was giving her a strange look. She awkwardly smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m just a gaming enthusiast.¡± Afterward, she focused entirely on Catherine. Earlier, she had been dismissive of Catherine, but now, she had no reservations. She sat right next to Catherine. If Catherine¡¯s presence weren¡¯t so commanding, Yesenia might have even snuggled up to Catherine. Yesenia stared at Catherine with admiration and asked, ¡°Oh, my God. How did you make that shot earlier? I didn¡¯t see you use a scope, so how did you hit your target?¡± Yesenia estimated that the distance was at least two to three hundred yards. But Catherine had managed to take down an opponent¡¯s level-two helmet with a single shot, all without using a scope. Such skill was terrifying. If Yesenia hadn¡¯t witnessed it firsthand by Catherine¡¯s side, she would have suspected that Catherine was using cheats or hacks. Upon hearing Yesenia¡¯s question, Ronin coldly snorted with disdain. He said, ¡°You im to be a gaming enthusiast, but you don¡¯t even know what a quickscope is? It¡¯sughable.¡± Although Yesenia had already received Branden¡¯s punishment, Ronin still didn¡¯t like her. Finally, when he had the chance, he naturally took the opportunity to taunt Yesenia. Ronin didn¡¯t like girls like Yesenia, who came from wealthy families and were extremely arrogant. She acted as if everyone owed her millions of dors. If he had met Yesenia initially, he might have just found her annoying, but he wouldn¡¯t have bothered with her. However, after Yesenia had conflicts with them and especially insulted Catherine, Ronin grew to hate Yesenia to the core. For Ronin, anyone who dared to disrespect Catherine, regardless of age or gender, should be dealt with mercilessly. Yesenia was angered by Ronin¡¯sment and stood up. She red at Ronin with her big, clean eyes. She shouted, ¡°Did I ask for your opinion? Is it your turn to butt in? ¡°Do you even understand quickscope? Can you do it? You¡¯re just bbering here. What¡¯s your rank? What gives you the right to talk here?¡± Yesenia had no respect for Ronin. He didn¡¯t seem much older than her, but he acted like an elder lecturing her. Yesenia didn¡¯t see why he had the right to do so. As the two of them engaged in a heated argument, onlookers silently watched them. They found it more entertaining than ying pool. Bryan believed that Ronin was naturally ipatible with the Duncans. Ronin had frequently shed with him. Now Ronin was going up against Bryan¡¯s cousin. It was no different. Bryan decided not to get involved. Yesenia had a fiery personality. Bryan decided to let Ronin handle Yesenia with his sharp tongue. It would give Bryan some rxation and spare him from engaging in arguments with Ronin. Not only Bryan but also Catherine paused and watched with amusement as Yesenia and Ronin argued. Catherine was a bit tired from ying, so she decided to take a break and enjoy the banter. Branden didn¡¯t care about it. He sat up straight and positioned himself perfectly as Catherine¡¯s backrest to ensure she wasfortable. One of his arms rested casually on Catherine¡¯s shoulder, while the other held a stack of fruits, which created the ideal backrest. Meanwhile, in response to Yesenia¡¯s retort, Ronin didn¡¯t back down. He countered with anger. ¡°You¡¯re right. I have no right to speak about you. After all, I¡¯m just a gaming legend, consistently in the top three in the Casier region. How can I have the right to judge you?¡± Some of his words may have been self- deprecating, but each one seemed to hit a nerve. Yesenia couldn¡¯t believe her ears. As she looked at Ronin, she pointed her finger at him and asked, ¡°You? You are the gaming legend, consistently top three in the entire region?¡± Ronin pursed his lips with a faint smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to, but I somehow ended up there.¡± Yesenia remained skeptical and turned to the others for confirmation. Finally, she looked at Bryan. Bryan nodded in agreement. He couldn¡¯t deny that Ronin was slightly better at the game than him. Seeing her cousin¡¯s confirmation, Yesenia was stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected Ronin to be this skilled. She thought inwardly, ¡°What about Catherine?¡± Perhaps sensing Yesenia¡¯s thoughts, before she could ask, Ronin said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Boss in front of me, I might have climbed even higher.¡± The top one in this region had a well- deserved title. Since entering the game, he had never been defeated. Furthermore, nobody heard him speak, and nobody knew who he was. Nobody knew whether he was a man or a woman or how old he was. Gaming legends with such achievements typically went into live streaming to make money. But this yer had never shown his face, and he rarely even shared game footage. That¡¯s why some spected that this yer might be a tester for the game developmentpany or even a bot for testing. Because achieving such a level of skill with conventional human speed seemed impossible. Setting aside the first-ce finish, the second-ce yer¡¯s performance was very close. He trailed the top spot by just a few points and secured the second position in the entire region. As for this mysterious yer, there had been no information avable to the public for a long time. However, recently, someone imed that this yer¡¯s identity was uncovered and this yer was actually a female. At that time, Yesenia didn¡¯t believe it. But now, with Ronin¡¯s words, she was genuinely shocked. In front of so many gaming elites, Ronin couldn¡¯t possibly be lying. Given their skill levels, any lie would be exposed in a heartbeat. Moreover, what Catherine just pulled off was truly astounding. If she were indeed the mysterious yer, it wouldn¡¯t be out of the realm of possibility. With wide eyes and a face filled with astonishment, Yesenia looked at Catherine Swann in disbelief. ¡°Oh, my God. Could you be the legendary yer, S1?¡± In the face of Yesenia¡¯s amazement, Catherine remained much calmer. She squinted her eyes and gazed at Yesenia with a hint of yfulness. With arms folded across her chest, she adopted azy and nonchnt posture. ¡°So what?¡± Ronin seized the opportunity to tease Yesenia. ¡°So, when some people see how amazing Boss is and how much they are wrong, they get scared.¡± Ronin hadn¡¯t even mentioned that Catherine upied the top two positions on the leaderboard, and yet Yesenia was already this astonished. It was truly amusing. Catherine had reached the maximum level in the game and then created a new ount to y again. In Catherine¡¯s eyes, the game was child¡¯s y, and she effortlessly imed the top three spots. Her skills were so formidable that she could be arrogant. As for her gaming name, it was simply because she couldn¡¯t be bothered toe up with one, so she went with codes like S1 and S2. The others had expected Yesenia to get furious after being teased like this. But to their surprise, she went from being shocked to staring at Catherine with a bright smile. ¡°Catherine, I never expected the legendary yer I¡¯ve always looked forward to meeting to be in front of me. ¡°Catherine, please take me as your apprentice.¡± Triston and the others had been waiting for a dramatic showdown, but Yesenia had transformed her attitudepletely. This sudden change in Yesenia¡¯s attitude left the others dumbfounded. However, Catherine showed no interest and nced at Yesenia. Then she responded coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t take apprentices.¡± Despite Catherine¡¯s refusal, Yesenia was undeterred. After learning that Catherine was a gaming legend, Yesenia admired her deeply. In Yesenia¡¯s mind, a true gaming legend should be aloof and unapproachable just like Catherine. After racking her brain for ideas, Yesenia came up with a new approach. She looked at Catherine with a pleading expression. ¡°Catherine, I promise to attend Snd Women¡¯s College obediently. Will you take me as your apprentice?¡± Triston was left dumbfounded. He thought inwardly, ¡°Isn¡¯t she the one who cried and said that Snd Women¡¯s College was a living hell just moments ago?T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How does a game be more important than escaping a living hell?¡± Chapter 239 Chapter 239 At first, Yesenia had shown disdain for Catherine and even called her a jinx. However, she had now transformed into a devoted follower. She stuck closely to Catherine¡¯s side, even more so than Branden did. Branden and Triston had gone to discuss some business matters. Branden had intended to take Catherine with him. However, Catherine firmly declined. She showed no interest in boring business discussions. So, Catherine remained in ce to rest, while Bryan and Ronin were pulled away. This left only Yesenia, who clung to Catherine relentlessly. ¡°Catherine, will you y a game with me? I really want to experience what it¡¯s like to be guided by someone!¡± Yesenia pleaded with eagerness as she looked at Catherine. In her eyes, Catherine was an unattainable character and a top-tier gamer. Yesenia was ustomed to leading others and raising their ranks in games. It was her first time begging someone to guide her in games. Considering Catherine¡¯s stature, it was natural to make such a request. Catherine had initially nned to take a quick nap, but she was swayed by Yesenia¡¯s pleading eyes. Yesenia¡¯s eyes were remarkably simr to Ronin¡¯s. They were bright and attractive. However, unlike Ronin¡¯s sharpness, Yesenia appeared more innocent and pure. Catherine remained calm. Shezily nced at Yesenia with her beautiful eyes and casually nodded. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s y.¡± At first, Yesenia didn¡¯t realize the situation. She had expected Catherine to be difficult with her. To her surprise, Catherine agreed so readily. After a moment of processing, Yesenia pped her hands enthusiastically. She smiled brightly in excitement. ¡°Yes. Thank you, Catherine.¡± After Yesenia finished speaking, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer and quickly opened her phone. She sessfully joined a team with Catherine face-to- face. The moment Catherine joined the team, Yesenia couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and let out another scream. She appeared like a big fan of Catherine. ¡°Wow. Catherine, the way you entered is just so cool.¡± In this game, there was no need for in- app purchases. Instead, rare resources were distributed based on yers¡¯ levels. The higher one¡¯s level was, the more dazzling the way one entered the would be. game The way Catherine entered the game was something that Yesenia had spent countless sleepless nights trying to achieve. As soon as Catherine pressed the ready button, Yesenia eagerly hit the start button. Although it was a four-person team game, Yesenia chose to cancel the matchmaking with random teammates. There was no way she was going to share this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with strangers. Yesenia wanted to enjoy it herself and learn skills from Catherine. The game officially started as they joined the battle royale. After that, Yesenia continued her usual strategy. She selected a location with the most resources and the highest number of enemies. She then began frantically looting resources and engaging in battles. However, she forgot that this game had a rule of matching teammates based on the team¡¯s average ranking. Actually, Yesenia was a good yer within her rank. However, Catherine¡¯s rank was significantly higher. Whenbined, the overall ranking of their team was higher than Yesenia¡¯s individual rank. Then the opponents all had higher ranks than Yesenia. Yesenia continued to y aggressively as she usually did. In less than three minutes, she was taken down by an opponent and needed to be rescued. She panicked and shouted for help. But she was taken down so quickly that she felt embarrassed to trouble Catherine. Thankfully, Catherine was not heartless. After eliminating Yesenia¡¯s attacker, Catherine rushed to her side. After saving Yesenia, Catherine tossed a health pack to her and left to continue her gamey. Yesenia watched Catherine¡¯s stylish departure with amazement. She was stunned for a while. In high- level matches like this, even a one-second hesitation could lead to fatal consequences. As Yesenia watched Catherine in shock, the sound of gunfire rang, and Yesenia was down again. Yesenia was frustrated and couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°Damn it. Who¡¯s that jerk? Can¡¯t you give me a chance to watch Catherine for a bit longer?¡± As time passed, the gunfire in the vicinity grew more intense. Now that everyone was well-equipped, the less skilled yers had been eliminated. Only the experts left. Although Yesenia wasn¡¯t the best yer, she knew that this was not the time for Catherine to be distracted. Seeing that Catherine¡¯s location was surrounded by gunfire and Catherine couldn¡¯te to her aid, Yesenia generously said, ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry about me. Be brave and go for the victory.¡± With no response from Catherine, Yesenia assumed that Catherine had epted her n. As she quietly hid in a corner of the ruins, she waited for her health bar to deplete gradually, which would lead to her inevitable death. She decided to end her game like this. She couldn¡¯t let her death be caused by those other yers. Her health bar slowly dwindled. In just a matter of seconds, it waspletely depleted. Yesenia thought the game would soon be over. She was about to set aside her phone and take some fruit to enjoy Catherine¡¯s performance. However, the next moment, Catherine suddenly appeared. Just as Yesenia¡¯s health bar was about to vanishpletely, Catherine triggered the rescue button and saved Yesenia in the nick of time. Yesenia¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. She quickly got up and held her phone again. ¡°Catherine, I told you don¡¯t save me. In this high-level match, I¡¯ll be a burden to you.¡± Catherine looked at her with a sidelong nce and calmly replied, ¡°A burden? That¡¯s not a thing. Just stick with me.¡¯ After the rescue, Catherine dropped a series of high-end equipment for Yesenia, including weapons, medicines, armor, and so on. Seeing the pile of items on the ground, Yesenia was astonished. ¡°Catherine, are you sure about this? What about yourself?¡± ¡°Just take care of yourself,¡± Catherine said nonchntly. At that moment, Yesenia finally understood what it felt like to be taken care of by someone. This feeling warmed her heart to the point of tears. Yesenia felt so blessed. It only reinforced her determination to cling to Catherine, and she wouldn¡¯t waver. In the end, there were no surprises. Catherine eliminated thest enemy and imed victory. Yesenia enjoyed a carefree victory experience. When Branden and the others came out, they were greeted by a rather surprising sight. Catherine and Yesenia were both sitting on the sofa. What made it amusing was that Yesenia sat upright with a serious expression, as if filled with reverence. Meanwhile, Catherine was reclining on the sofa with her legs crossed. She was in azy and rxed posture that seemed incrediblyfortable. From a distance, they could hear Yesenia¡¯s excitedments now and then. ¡°Oh, my God. Catherine, you¡¯re amazing. One shot and they¡¯re down. That¡¯s incredible! ¡°Go ahead. Let¡¯s eliminate these little trashes. They think they can gang up on us because we¡¯re outnumbered. ¡°With Catherine by my side, I won¡¯t worry about winning.¡± Aidan gave a sidelong nce at Branden and teased, ¡°Mr. Duncan, it seems like the Duncans have fallen under the spell of someone named Catherine. I remember not too long ago, this girl was rather critical of Catherine. ¡°Now, with this posture, it seems like she¡¯s turned Catherine into her idol. ¡± He had thought that Branden would be annoyed by his words, and Aidan was prepared to be scolded. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. However, when he looked at Branden again, he saw a faint smile on his lips. It seemed that Branden was in a good mood. Branden stared at Catherine with his intense gaze. His eyes darkened and became more gentle. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± he responded. Aidan¡¯s mouth twitched. He thought inwardly, ¡°It seems like the world has turned upside down.¡± Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Originally, the group had nned to spend the night at Grayson¡¯s vi, but Ronin had somest-minute business to attend to and needed to leave early. Catherine found it a bit boring and decided to leave early as well. When she suggested it, Branden wouldn¡¯t refuse. The two most important people were leaving, and the others also found it uninteresting and decided to leave. So they all naturally dispersed. Bryan had originally intended to take Yesenia home. But as Yesenia saw Catherine left with Branden in his car, she insisted on going with them. In front of her idol, Yesenia didn¡¯t even fear her scary uncle. She directly let go of Bryan¡¯s hand and rushed over to Catherine. Then she smiled sweetly at Branden, who was standing by Catherine. ¡°Branden, I know you¡¯re going to drive Catherine home. I want to go with you. After you drop off Catherine, I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± Yesenia had nned everything, even what she wanted to learn from Catherine during the drive. Unfortunately, no matter how perfectly she nned, it couldn¡¯t be a reality. Branden gave her a cold look and said, ¡± It¡¯s not on the way. Then he opened the car door and gently helped Catherine into the car. With a sharp m, the car door closed. Yesenia was left outside the car without any mercy by him. Yesenia felt resentful. She thought inwardly, ¡°Why isn¡¯t it on the way? ¡°Can¡¯t I go see my grandfather tonight? She wanted to confront Branden about this. It was a family matter after all, and Bryan had no reason to stand by and watch his cousin walk into danger without intervening. Then Bryan grabbed Yesenia and pulled her back. Yesenia turned around and looked at Bryan with resentment. She felt he was ruining her chance to get close to Catherine. ¡°What are you doing? Let me go. If you don¡¯t release me soon, Branden¡¯s car is going to leave.¡± Bryan rolled his eyes at Yesenia in silence. He thought inwardly, ¡°How can my cousin be so foolish?¡± Then he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Branden say it¡¯s not on the way?¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t it on the way? Can¡¯t I go to Grandpa¡¯s house?¡± Yesenia argued vigorously. She was eager to catch up to Branden¡¯s car. However, Bryan¡¯s next words completely shocked her. ¡°Branden doesn¡¯t live at the old mansion anymore. Catherine.¡± He lives with Bryan only said that they lived together, without specifying whether it meant living in the same house. If others misunderstood, that wasn¡¯t his concern. After hearing that, Yesenia was stunned. Yesenia turned back and looked at Bryan with astonishment. Her eyes were filled with disbelief. She nced at the others nearby. They all remained calm and showed no surprise. It seemed like everyone knew this news except for her. This was embarrassing. Yesenia stayed silent for a moment. Then she muttered quietly, ¡°Branden is such an old fox. He actually seduced Catherine into living together. It¡¯s really inhumane.¡± The people standing behind her were speechless. After all, it was Yesenia who had always idolized Branden the most since she was a child. But now she seemed to be having a change of heart. It just went to show that women could be quite fickle. As soon as Catherine got into the car, she fell asleep. When the car came to a stop, she was still resting and didn¡¯t even show the slightest intention of moving. However, Branden pampered her and didn¡¯t need her to say a word. He simply reached out and lifted her body. Then he carried her upstairs. Catherine realized that having Branden as her neighbor had its perks. At least she couldfortably treat him as her personal mover, without a hint of guilt. Branden could directly carry her from the car to upstairs. As the elevator doors opened, Catherine gracefully got rid of Branden¡¯s arms without him having to say a word. He barely managed to reach out and hold her waist. He cautioned her, ¡°Take it slow.¡± Although Branden knew that, given her agility, there was no chance of her stumbling, he couldn¡¯t help but remind her. Catherine turned to him with a faint smile. It made her already exquisite face appear even more radiant, which filled anyone who looked at her with joy. ¡°I got it,¡± she repliedzily. Although her voice was soft and gentle, it was sweet. Branden was tickled by her voice. He lowered his eyes and intentionally avoided eye contact. Sensing the man¡¯s subtle change, Catherine waved at him contentedly and turned to reach into her pocket for her keys. As she reached in, she realized she had left her keys on the shoe rack when she left in the morning. At that time, she had thought Audrey was home, so she hadn¡¯t been in a rush. She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Audrey¡¯s number. After a few rings, the call was quickly answered. ¡°Kathy, is there something you need?¡± Audrey asked. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Where are you?¡± Catherine inquired. Audrey found it a bit odd that Catherine was calling her at this hour, which wasn¡¯t usual. ¡°I¡¯m on set, shooting a scene. I¡¯m waiting for the next take. Do you need something? I probably won¡¯t be back until tonight.¡± Hearing that Audrey was on set, Catherine abandoned the idea of asking her toe back. Audrey was at the peak of her career, and filming was her top priority. There was no need to disrupt Audrey¡¯s work for her own sake. Catherine casually made up an excuse and let her sister off the hook before hanging up the phone. Branden didn¡¯t leave. He stayed by the side and waited for Catherine to hang up the phone. He spoke slowly, ¡°You forgot your keys?¡± Though she didn¡¯t want to admit it, Catherine nodded obediently. Branden walked toward his unit and unlocked the door with his fingerprint. Then he leaned against the door frame and looked at Catherine tenderly. He extended an invitation. ¡°Come on. Go inside and wait.¡± He didn¡¯t want to appear too eager. He wanted to avoid scaring Catherine into thinking he had ulterior motives for moving next door. Catherine didn¡¯t make a fuss. Standing at the door and waiting for Audrey toe back in the evening was lessfortable than going inside his house. She walked briskly toward Branden. But Branden grabbed her hand and stopped her at the door. Catherine looked up in confusion, while Branden lowered his head in silence to work on the keypad lock on the door. Then he took Catherine¡¯s hand and pressed her slender fingers against the fingerprint scanner. A mechanical prompt sounded.¡± Fingerprint added sessfully.¡± Only then did Branden release Catherine¡¯s fingers and lead her inside. Throughout the process, he gave her advice cautiously and patiently. ¡°If you forget your keys in the future, juste straight here. Don¡¯t wait at the door.¡± Branden couldn¡¯t bear to see Catherine suffer. Catherine didn¡¯t respond. She looked around the room and examined theyout and decor. Branden¡¯s personal taste was quite distinctive. The design of this room was identical to his room in the Duncans¡¯. It was all done in ck, white, and gray tones, whichbined coldness and strictness with understated luxury. Although it leaned toward cold, it was particrlyfortable for Catherine. Branden pulled Catherine to sit on the sofa. He knew her nature too well. She didn¡¯t like standing and preferred to lounge around when she had nothing to do. ¡°Sit and take your time to tour around. I¡¯ll go prepare some food for you.¡± Catherine looked at him in surprise and asked, ¡°You can cook?¡± A faintly indulgent smile appeared on Branden¡¯s handsome face. He raised an eyebrow and winked at Catherine.¡± Why don¡¯t you wait and see?¡± Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Initially, Catherine thought that Branden would be a terrible cook like Audrey. After all, considering the Duncans¡¯ reputation, Branden probably didn¡¯t even know the location of the kitchen of the Duncans¡¯ since he was a child. However, to Catherine¡¯s surprise, not long after, a rich aroma wafted from the kitchen. It instantly aroused Catherine¡¯s appetite. She didn¡¯t feel hungry before. Now, she caught a whiff of that aroma and immediately found herself struggling to suppress her hunger. Though Catherine¡¯s footsteps were barely audible, Branden still sensed them. He instinctively turned around and saw Catherine standing behind him. Branden¡¯s handsome face instantly softened, and his deep voice became more attractive as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t hesitate and bluntly stated her purpose. She said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± He smiled and gently stared at Catherine with his dark eyes. ¡°It¡¯ll be ready in a moment. Go wait outside. It¡¯s pretty smoky in here.¡± Catherine considered offering to help, but now it seemed she wasn¡¯t needed at all. Branden was true to his word. Catherine returned to her seat and messaged Ronin. She was preparing to y a game while waiting. Branden soon emerged with a te of food. ¡°Come over and eat.¡± Catherine approached the table with curiosity. There were meat and vegetarian dishes and a clear soup. The food emitted a rich aroma and looked very inviting.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Branden handed a fork to Catherine and raised an eyebrow in a gesture for her to dig in. Catherine didn¡¯t hesitate and took a bite of the meat. The taste wasn¡¯t mind -blowing, but it was definitely delicious. It was a simple home-cooked meal that gave a warm feeling. After trying all the dishes, Catherine gave a highpliment. ¡°Not bad.¡± She then asked with curiosity, ¡°Did you learn to cook?¡± Noticing her curiosity, Branden replied, ¡°I spent some time in a special training camp when I was a kid. I learned a little of everything there.¡± His tone was casual, but Catherine, who had a simr experience, knew the hardships involved. At the age of thirteen, she had also been thrown into the most famous special training camp in Decrine by Vicente. It was practically a living hell. Before entering, there were rigorous screenings, and it wasn¡¯t easy to get in. They selected elites from all over the world, and the number of those who could enter didn¡¯t exceed more than ten. Moreover, no more than three people graduated each year from the special training camp. If one didn¡¯t make it in five years, he would be advised to leave. For the elites who managed to enter the special training camp, being advised to leave was the greatest shame. Moreover, it took at least two to three years to graduate. Catherine was the only female graduate of the special training camp, and she held the record for the youngest graduate. She had officially graduated from the camp in just one year. Even someone like Catherine couldn¡¯t help but shiver when she thought of her days in the special training camp. It was truly a living hell, where life and death were trivial. Only the strongest people could walk out of there. It was unexpected that Branden had also been to a special training camp. Typically, a prestigious family like the Duncans wouldn¡¯t send their only heir to such a twisted ce. Losing an arm, breaking a leg, or going blind weremon urrences in there. It seemed that the patriarch of the Duncans was quite ruthless. He was willing to send Branden to such a ce. Catherine ate quickly. It was a habit she had developed through rigorous training. Soon, she finished the meal Branden had served her and declined his invitation for seconds. Branden didn¡¯t insist. Considering how cleanly Catherine had finished her te, she had given Branden quite apliment already. Branden pointed toward the direction of the couch and looked at Catherine. He said, ¡°You can sit there and rx.. I¡¯ll get you some fruit.¡± Catherine suspected that Branden really treated her like a pig. He made her rest right after eating and decided to offer her fruit. Catherine expressed her disdain verbally. But in her heart, she appreciated Branden deeply. Catherine couldn¡¯t deny that Branden did seem to understand her. She leisurely walked over to the sofa. Then she sank her entire body into the soft leather sofa. As she waited for Branden to bring her some sliced fruit, she let her mind wander. Early the next morning, Catherine opened her eyes groggily. Her brain started functioning normally after a brief moment of nkness. She found herself in an unfamiliar room with a distinct decorating style. Then she instantly recognized where she was. She rolled out of bed and walked out of the room. The living room was filled with a faint scent of milk, and she could hear the bubbling watering from the kitchen. Watching the tall figure in the kitchen, Catherine leaned against the wall quietly. Her gaze was fixed on the scene. Branden poured the boiled milk into a cup. As he turned around, he saw Catherine standing nearby. Her face was still swollen from sleep. Her eyes were bleary, which made herck the usual coldness and indifference. The golden sun streamed through the window. It illuminated the spacious and bright room and made Catherine appear dreamlike. She was quite attractive. Branden smiled warmly and stared at Catherine with his deep eyes. ¡°Good morning.¡± Catherine instinctively nodded in response and then listened to his suggestion. ¡°It will be a while before breakfast is ready. How about you get ready in the next room?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine epted his suggestion and walked to the adjacent room. Then she pressed the doorbell. The door opened quickly. A face that showed signs of staying upte appeared in front of Catherine. Catherine frowned at Audrey¡¯s tired appearance. ¡°Did you stay up all nightst night?¡± ¡°Not exactly,¡± Audrey replied. In truth, it was pretty close to staying up all night. She had barely slept at all last night. After saying that, Audrey pulled Catherine back into the room. With a thud, she mmed the door shut. Then, the two of them sat face to face on the sofa. Audrey sat up straight. She stared at Catherine with a serious expression. Catherine slumped on the sofa. She looked rxed and carefree. And she waited for Audrey to speak. Seeing Audrey struggling and appearing as if she wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t, Catherine grew tired of waiting and took the initiative to prompt her. ¡°If you have something to ask, go ahead.¡± As soon as she got the permission she needed, Audrey felt as if a burden had been lifted from her heart. ¡°Kathy, how did you end up sleeping at Branden¡¯s ce? When I came backst night and tried to call you, I heard the phone ringing from across the hall, and then the door of his house swung open. Audrey felt that even if she had ten more years, she wouldn¡¯t forget the scene fromst night. When the door opened, Branden¡¯s tall and elegant figure suddenly appeared before her. At that moment, Audrey was torn inside. She didn¡¯t know how to ask. Branden was brilliant. He had seen through her thoughts in an instant. Then Branden exined the situation simply. ¡°Kathy forgot her keys, so she¡¯s resting in the guest room now.¡± It was then that Audrey realized that Catherine had called her earlier because she had forgotten her keys. However, knowing that Audrey was working and not wanting to disturb her, Catherine hadn¡¯t informed her. The call had been made four or five hours ago. As Audrey thought about it, her heart softened. She muttered softly, ¡°Kathy is really careful.¡± She was worried about Catherine. She felt that Catherine cared too much about others. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 After Audrey realized the situation, she expressed her gratitude to Branden. Audrey learned from Branden that Catherine had already gone to sleep in the guest room. Although Audrey wasn¡¯t as clever as Catherine, she could discern Branden¡¯s intentions from his words. It seemed he had no intention of letting her take Catherine away. To put Audrey at ease, Branden had even generously invited her inside to check on her sister. Audrey cast a quick nce at the sleeping Catherine from afar to ensure her safety. Then she returned to her own room. However, after that, Audrey¡¯s heart was still unsettled. She didn¡¯t have the courage to disturb Branden. After all, Branden had done nothing wrong. He had kindly taken in her sister and provided her with a guest room. It would be ungrateful for Audrey to appear overly suspicious. She had a sense of ingratitude. Then Audrey struggled the entire night, being half-awake, half-asleep. She held out until Catherine finally rang the doorbell. The sound of the doorbell startled Audrey awake. After she rushed to open the door, she was relieved to see Catherine safe and sound. ¡°Kathy, were you okayst night?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t quite understand Audrey¡¯s meaning. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? Audrey carefully observed Catherine¡¯s condition, which seemed perfectly fine. Realizing that this topic might not be friendly to Catherine, who was still a student, Audrey didn¡¯t press further. She awkwardly smiled and waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just asking casually. It¡¯s gettingte. You should change clothes quickly. I¡¯ll make you some breakfast, and you have sster.¡± Catherine stood up and walked toward her room without looking back. ¡°No need to make breakfast. Branden already prepared it.¡± The sound of the bedroom door closing made Audrey instantly alert. She realized that Branden made breakfast for her sister. Branden had personally cooked despite being the head of the Duncans. Audrey was surprised. After living with Catherine, she seemed to receive an endless series of heart- stopping surprises. Audrey was shocked from time to time. After breakfast, Branden personally drove Catherine to school. Audrey carefully stood by the window and watched their every move. Seeing Branden help Catherine into the car, Audrey had a strange feeling. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Even though they were just neighbors across the hall, they seemed like a newlywed couple. They went in and out together every day. No wonder Triston and the others had misunderstood and thought they were living together. At school, Branden apanied Catherine out of the car and was attentive toward her all the way. ¡°Go inside for your sses, and I¡¯ll pick you up in the evening,¡± he said. Catherine responded with a nonchnt acknowledgment. Then she turned to walk toward the school¡¯s entrance. Branden didn¡¯t immediately get back into the car. Instead, he stood in ce and watched her leave for a moment. Paxton, who was standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang in his heart. He thought Branden was bing increasingly indulgent toward Catherine. Once Catherine arrived in her ssroom, she settled into her seat with her backpack. Ronin¡¯s usual seat next to her was empty. There was some business at the base. Catherine asked him to go back and handle it for three days. He had already taken a leave of absence from school. In Ronin¡¯s absence, Bryan had taken on the responsibility of looking after Catherine. ¡°Boss, would you like some breakfast? I¡¯ve prepared ham sandwiches and rose liqueur.¡± Before Ronin leftst night, he told Bryan that Catherine liked to drink rose liqueur and let Bryan prepare it in advance. Catherine curtly declined. She replied, ¡± No. Thanks.¡± Then she adjusted herself into afortable position. Seeing that Catherine wanted to rest, Bryan didn¡¯t dare to disturb her. He quietly sat beside her. Catherine didn¡¯t actually intend to rest. With one hand supporting her face, she used her long fingers to twirl a pen as she was deep in thought. It was the first time she had slept so peacefully in someone else¡¯s private space, and she hadn¡¯t even known when Audrey had visited yesterday. What impressed her the most was Branden, who had managed to create such a strong sense of security in her. By the time Catherine hade to her senses, she was already ensnared in his sphere and found it difficult to break free. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s time for ss.¡± Bryan reminded Catherine. Catherine still had her feet up and looked rather casual. She replied, ¡± Alright.¡± She continued to ponder the unresolved issues in her mind. Being in such afortable environment made her a bit sluggish. Branden had masterfully catered to her personality and habits. He created afortable and tranquil environment for her, which made her unwittingly sink deeper into it. Branden was quite formidable. Even Catherine couldn¡¯t help but want to praise him. He was a master of psychology. The time for rxation passed swiftly. By the time Bryan spoke again, the school bell had already rung, which signaled the end of ss. ¡°Boss, ss is over. Would you like something to eat? I can go get it for you, Bryan asked. Loyalty Academy was unlike other schools. It was a prestigious institution with arge supermarket and a five- star restaurant right on campus to cater to students¡¯ needs. Ronin used to handle this. Now that he was on leave, Bryan naturally took over. After hearing what Bryan said, Catherine replied calmly, ¡°No. Thanks.¡± After she spoke, George eximed in a loud voice. ¡°Bryan, there¡¯s someone waiting at the entrance for you.¡± Catherine turned her head to look at Bryan and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Having received Catherine¡¯s permission, Bryan stood up and walked out. To his surprise, Yesenia was standing at the entrance. Bryan frowned and looked at her. ¡± What are you doing here?¡± Yesenia smiled and stared at Bryan with excitement. ¡°Never mind that. Tell me. Is Catherine in this ss?¡± Hearing that, Bryan instantly understood her intent. Having Ronin around was already enough, and now having Yesenia around too would be more than Bryan could handle. So, no matter what, Bryan couldn¡¯t let Yesenia get close to Catherine. ¡°She¡¯s not here. Go back and study. Otherwise, I¡¯ll call Branden, and he¡¯ll have his peoplee and take you away.¡± Hearing Bryan mention Branden, Yesenia felt a bit apprehensive. The fearless Yesenia from the Duncans was only afraid of Branden. She reluctantly nced at Bryan and said with disdain, ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t ask. Your attitude is so terrible. Next time, I¡¯ll go tell Grandpa about you.¡± Bryan yfully reached out as if to smack her, which scared Yesenia off. After Yesenia hadpletely left, Bryan turned around. As he saw George at the entrance, he said, ¡°From now on, if that girles to our ss looking for someone, just tell her that the person is not here, especially when she is looking for Catherine.¡± After Catherine¡¯s rise to fame during the school celebration g, her ssmates in ss 8 admired her greatly. There were also many fans from their school chasing after her and essentially making her a star. After all, Catherine had both exceptional abilities and good looks, not to mention her connections with many top-tier celebrities. George nodded in understanding.¡± Don¡¯t worry, Bryan. I¡¯ve got this. ¡°I promise that no one will disturb Catherine.¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Bryan thought he had arranged things. properly. Unexpectedly, the ident happened. At noon time, Catherine went with Bryan and the others to the school¡¯s cafeteria for lunch. The cafeteria chefs in the school were all very good chefs, and the executive chef was a senior chef. If one went there once in a while, one would feel that the food there tasted good. As soon as Catherine entered the cafeteria, she saw a group of girls gathered not far away. The reason why her attention was directed at them was because she knew several of the girls. The one sitting was Yesenia, the one standing next to her with a big smile on her face was Jessica, and the one on the other side was Liana. Noticing Catherine¡¯s pause, Bryan followed her gaze and spotted Yesenia as well. He frowned slightly and made the suggestion immediately. ¡°Boss, how about we go to a restaurant outside for lunch?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Catherine responded casually before striding toward the food. The group of girls was too insignificant to make her change her decision. The girls were talking andughing. If someone got close and overheard their conversation, they would find these girls ttering Yesenia, especially Jessica. The Freemans had recently had business dealings with the branch of the Duncans, which was managed by Yesenia¡¯s father. It was impossible for the Freemans to get close to Branden, but it was a great thing to do business with the Duncans. So Jessica began to work hard to please Yesenia. ¡°Do you guys know that? Yesenia is a real princess growing up in a wealthy family. She is the only girl in the younger generation of the Duncans. She¡¯s a treasure that everyone in the Duncans holds in their palms. It¡¯s really enviable.¡± After saying that, Jessica put her hand on Yesenia¡¯s shoulder intentionally, giving others a feeling that she and Yesenia were very close to each other. The surrounding girls, except Liana, all cast envious gazes toward Jessica. She was of the same kind as Jessica. She knew Jessica¡¯s purpose at the moment better than Jessica herself. In Casier, there was no one who didn¡¯t know the Duncans, and there was no one who didn¡¯t want to establish a rtionship with the Duncans. Although Yesenia was not a descendant of the main branch of the Duncans, as Jessica said, she was the only girl in the younger generation of the Duncans. Unlike ordinary wealthy families who prioritized sons over daughters, the Duncans were already strong enough topletely disregard the view of prioritizing sons over daughters. When a thing was scarce, it was precious. Since Yesenia was the only girl in the younger generation of the Duncans, she was naturally loved by the Duncans. Everyone treated her as the pearl of the Duncans. All the other girls were also thinking of building a rtionship with Yesenia. ¡°Jessica, you¡¯re so close to Ms. Duncan! ¡°Ms. Duncan, are you suddenly transferring to our school just to find your friend Jessica?¡± Faced with a barrage of questions, Yesenia was annoyed to death. She didn¡¯t expect her unintentional action to cause herself so much trouble. She had approached Bryan at first, wanting him to lead her to Super Catherine, but Bryan simply ignored her and threatened her. In anger, she thought of Jessica. Jessica was the follower who stuck to Loraine every day. Yesenia remembered that Loraine was also in this school. Unexpectedly, as soon as Jessica heard. that Yesenia transferred here after they met, Jessica greeted her warmly and said she could take her around the school. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Originally, Yesenia thought she could stroll around for a while since it was not yet time for sses to end. She didn¡¯t expect that she had actually be a tool for Jessica to show off. Yesenia couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes for a moment. In her heart, she secretly thought, ¡± Why is Jessica so stupid? No wonder Bryan and the others don¡¯t like her. ¡°I was so blind to think she was nice. ¡°She is a world apart from Super Catherine.¡± Just as Yesenia was ncing around in boredom, she suddenly saw a familiar figure. Her eyes lit up in an instant and she became excited. She stood up without hesitation and rushed toward the figure. Sensing someone running toward her, Catherine sidestepped subconsciously. Catherine¡¯s sudden movement made Yesenia unable to react in time and almost fell to the floor. Fortunately, Catherine, who was behind her, suddenly reached out and grabbed her cor with one hand. She pulled her back forcefully. Yesenia turned back toward Catherine after she stabilized herself, her eyes filled with tears of excitement. ¡°Oh my goodness, Super Catherine. You saved me again.¡± Her pious look would make those who didn¡¯t know the situation think that she owed Catherine a big life- saving favor! Catherine frowned at the happy Yesenia in front of her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in Women¡¯s College?¡± Yesenia was overjoyed to see that Catherine was willing to talk to her. If anyone else had mentioned Women¡¯s College to her, she would have gotten angry. But Catherine was different. In Yesenia¡¯s mind, Super Catherine was concerned of her. Yesenia smiled. Her bright eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked at Catherine excitedly. ¡°Super Catherine, I went backst night, begged my Grandpa all night, and promised to enter the top ten list this semester. Only then did Grandpa help me persuade Uncle Branden to agree to transfer me to this school.¡± The Duncans treated girls quite differently than boys. They doted on girls very much. That was why Yesenia didn¡¯t do well in school. Seeing that she dared to make such a promise and begged all night, Karl promised her. What Yesenia didn¡¯t know was that Branden¡¯s promise to transfer her to this school was not becasue he was moved by her promise, but because he saw her admiration for Catherine. Letting her go to this school wouldn¡¯t cause trouble for Catherine, so he nodded and made it happen. ¡°Super Catherine, I did the transfer paperwork overnight and I came early in the morning. Do you think I¡¯m a good student?¡± Yesenia¡¯s big watery eyes looked straight at Catherine, with a look that begged for praise. After understanding the course of events, Catherine said expressionlessly, ¡°Mmm.¡± After that, she turned her head to continue ordering food, not paying any attention to Yesenia at all. Jessica and the girls came hurriedly. When Yesenia suddenly stood up and ran away just now, none of them reacted. They were surprised that Yesenia actually came to this school for Catherine! Seeing Catherine¡¯s attitude toward Yesenia, Jessica couldn¡¯t help but spit out, ¡°She¡¯s so arrogant. How dare she be so mean to Ms. Duncan and show such disgust? Does she really consider herself a god and think that everyone has to praise her?¡± After saying that, she immediately said to Yesenia warmly, ¡°Yesenia, let¡¯s ignore this jinx. Seeing her makes me sick. Let¡¯s go over there and enjoy our lunch!¡± Without waiting for Catherine to make a move, Yesenia flung Jessica away. Jessica lost her bnce. If it weren¡¯t for Liana helping her, she would have fallen to the floor. She looked at Yesenia in surprise. Unexpectedly, Yesenia¡¯s attitude was even more aggressive than hers. Yesenia red at her and cursed, ¡± Watch your words! Don¡¯t you know how to speak properly? ¡°You¡¯re the one who makes me sick. Look at your sycophantic behavior. You should get a mirror and see what you look like!¡± Jessica clenched her hands into fists and looked at Yesenia with shock on her face. She didn¡¯t expect Yesenia to treat her like this. Being humiliated in front of everyone,, Jessica was so furious that she struggled to prepare for a counterattack. Yesenia, who was unruly and capricious, wasn¡¯t inferior to Ronin when it came to fighting. Once again, she verbally assaulted Jessica, leaving her have no way to fight back. In the end, Yesenia emphasized righteously, ¡°Remember, I¡¯m not friends with you. I transferred here for Super Catherine. Beware of me if I ever hear you denigrate my Super Catherine again. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that your family is still relying on my dad to get rich!¡± Hearing these words, Jessica¡¯s face turned pale with fear. Her thoughts of retorting werepletely stifled. Yesenia was right. The Freemans were still counting on the Duncans to get rich. Jessica couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Duncans. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 For the first time, Bryan felt that Yesenia¡¯s unruly and capricious character was still somewhat useful. Jessica was unable to say a word because of Yesenia¡¯s verbal aggression and was about to cry. Seeing Jessica¡¯s expression that was on the verge of crying, Yesenia became angrier. She swept a disgusted nce at Jessica. ¡°What are you waiting for? Get out of my face!¡± Jessica didn¡¯t dare to offend Yesenia. She covered her face and ran away angrily. The other girls were worried about being publicly insulted and disdained by Yesenia, so they hid themselves far away from her obediently and didn¡¯te forward. If it were someone else who made such verbal attacks in public, they would have been humiliated by the people present long ago. But Yesenia was different. When Jessica ttered her just now, the crowd already knew her identity. No one dared to offend the youngdy of the Duncans! Even in everyone¡¯s hearts, they secretly felt that Jessica deserved to be humiliated. She ttered Yesenia doggedly and shamelessly, acting like she was close to Yesenia! So, she deserved it. After cleaning up the annoying people, Yesenia turned around to look at Catherine, wearing a smile on her face and with a look of asking for praise. Super Catherine, I drove away all those annoying people for you. I¡¯m still a little capable, right?¡± Catherine gave her an expressionless look. Although she didn¡¯t say anything, that look in her eyes was the greatest affirmation for Yesenia. Yesenia, who had watched a lot of soap operas, had already imagined a bunch of old-fashioned plots in her mind at the moment. She looked at Catherine with a sincere expression and said, Super Catherine, you don¡¯t need to say those bad and humiliating words. From now on, you will only be responsible for being high and mighty. I¡¯m responsible for charging into battle for you and cursing those shameless little bitches to death!¡± Hearing these old-fashioned words, Catherine frowned tightly as she took a severe look at Yesenia. She thought to herself, ¡°Is this girl¡¯s brain okay?¡± Seeing that Yesenia was still deep in her hallucination, Catherine turned back to order her food, ignoring her. Yesenia came back to her senses and followed to order her food. ¡°What kind of food did Super Catherine just order? I want the exact same food as her.¡± Faced with such Yesenia, even Bryan, who was standing behind her, couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. He thought his cousin might have been possessed. She was too obsessed with Catherine and was already beyond redemption. Liana, who was standing not far away and had not yet left, was so angry that she almost crushed her fork in her hand. She knew Yesenia, but Yesenia did not know her. Yesenia was the nobledy from the Duncans and had always been high and mighty. But she actually liked Catherine, a jinx from the countryside, and was obedient to her. What a joke. Liana was angry! She was furious! Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Because in her mind, these shouldn¡¯t be things that Catherine could have. Catherine didn¡¯t deserve all this! One day, she would let everyone know how despicable Catherine was. Carrying the food she had just received from the cafeteria waiter, Yesenia walked over to the seat across from Catherine and sat down. She grinned like a fool as she looked at Catherine. Bryan shook his head helplessly when he saw her in this state. In his mind, he thought that Yesenia was lucky. If it weren¡¯t for Ronin¡¯s leave of absence, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sit here so peacefully. If Ronin were here, she would have been defeated by his verbal attacks. Catherine didn¡¯t have a problem with Yesenia sitting across from her. The cafeteria was a public ce, and the seat across from her was for anyone. So, she didn¡¯t have any right to drive Yesenia away. Catherine¡¯s silence was a big surprise to Yesenia. In her mind, she thought Super Catherine epted her and was willing to let her follow her. Yesenia opened the food box excitedly and was ready to have lunch. But the moment she saw the food inside the food box, she was dumbfounded. She almost screamed out in shock, but luckily, she covered her mouth in time. Her reaction was so violent that she attracted Bryan¡¯s attention. Originally, Bryan nned to ignore her, but after seeing the food inside her food box, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He took the opportunity to trick Yesenia. He turned to her and said in an unusually serious manner, ¡°Since you ordered this food, you have to finish it. No wasting food. Otherwise, don¡¯t cry if Boss dislikes youter!¡± Yesenia quietly nced at Catherine. Seeing that Catherine had an expressionless face without refuting Bryan, Yesenia believed it to be true that Catherine really hated people wasting food. Although it was very hard and she was on the verge of crying, Yesenia still ate the food one bite at a time. Upon hearing the continuous sound of breathsing from ahead, Catherine finally paid attention to Yesenia. She didn¡¯t need to ask the reason. Only a casual nce could make her understand the reason behind it. Yesenia couldn¡¯t eat spicy food, but Catherine loved it very much. So, every dish Catherine ordered was spicy. Yesenia ordered the dishes as Catherine ordered, which was torture for Yesenia, who couldn¡¯t eat spicy food. As Yesenia breathed and stuffed the food into her mouth with a spoon, her sparkling tears asionally fell down. Catherine couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore. ¡°Okay, stop eating it!¡± Yesenia looked up in confusion, looking at Catherine in somewhat panic. She mistakenly thought that Catherine didn¡¯t like her and thought she was wasting food. She exined nervously, ¡°Super Catherine, I didn¡¯t mean to waste it. I¡¯m¡­¡± Without waiting for her to finish her words, Catherine reached out to snatch the spoon out of her hand directly and dominantly. And then, Catherine shoved a bottle of water into her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t eat it if you can¡¯t. It¡¯s not a waste of food!¡± Yesenia opened the cap of the bottle and drank the water hurriedly to ease the spicy feeling, with her big ck eyes staring straight at Catherine. Bryan, sitting on the side, was amused by her silly look and couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. As a result, he saw Catherine roll her eyes at him. Catherine nced at him coldly and said in disgust, ¡°As her cousin, is this how you treat her?¡± Realizing he had made Catherine angry by teasing Yesenia, Bryan apologized hurriedly, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m wrong. I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Watching her cousin Bryan, who had always been fearless, being so obedient in front of Catherine, Yesenia was really worshipping Catherine more and more. And Catherine scolded Bryan for her sake. Catherine¡¯s domineering gesture of protecting her made her so excited that she couldn¡¯t help but apud. In the game, Super Catherine also protected her like that. Surprisingly, Super Catherine did the same in reality. Catherine was worthy of being Super Catherine. Her appearance in real life was the same as her appearance in games, which was irresistibly pleasing. Yesenia now felt that it was worthwhile for her to transfer to this school at all costs. Thinking that she could be Catherine¡¯s junior sister and see Catherine every day, Yesenia couldn¡¯t help but get excited. Catherine was stared at by Yesenia to the point that her skin prickled. The way Yesenia looked at her looked like she was going to swallow her in one gulp. Yesenia¡¯s gaze on her was even hotter than that of Ronin back then. Over the years, Ronin had matured and didn¡¯t look at her day and night like he did before. At that time, Ronin even wanted to put his eyes on her. Unexpectedly, as soon as Catherine got rid of Ronin¡¯s sizzling gaze, Yesenia¡¯s sizzling gaze came. Thinking of this, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but frown. Yesenia was watching Catherine¡¯s every move the whole time. Seeing Catherine frowning, she immediately asked in a loud voice, ¡°Super Catherine, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did someone upset you? Tell me who is it and I¡¯ll go scold her to death!¡± Catherine shook her head with a serious face. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± After saying that, Catherine stood up and left the cafeteria. Yesenia immediately left her things behind to follow Catherine. From this moment onward, there was another follower behind Catherine, and that was Yesenia. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Just as the school bell rang, Catherine stood up and prepared to leave. However, the cell phone inside her pocket rang. After ncing at the caller ID, Catherine walked to the window to answer the call. Watching her walk to the window, Bryan winked at his followers on the side. They formed a simple circle to separate Catherine from the rest of the ss, leaving no one within 6 feet of her surroundings. Seeing Catherine answering the phone, Liana was originally prepared to step forward and eavesdrop. After seeing the circle Bryan¡¯s followers formed in front of her, Liana could only stomp her feet angrily and leave. Connecting the phone call, Catherine then heard a gentle voiceing from the receiver. ¡°Miss Swann, is school over?¡± The caller was clearly calling at thest minute, and he was asking knowingly. Catherine replied in a low voice,¡± Mmm.¡± Leonel¡¯s shallowughter came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s great. I was worried about interrupting your ss. I¡¯m calling to tell you some good news. Our coborative project with Mr. David has passed the first phase of trials. ¡°As long as this good news is spread, the market will definitely have great confidence in the Swann Corporation¡¯s business. As long as the market has confidence in the Swann Corporation, the stockholders will have confidence, and then the stock price will definitely soar. ¡°We try harder when the timees so that the agreement you made with your father on the bet may be fulfilled!¡± In Leonel¡¯s tone, there was an indescribable excitement. He was truly surprised that Catherine was able to achieve such results in a short period of time. This was simply magic. Catherine was too powerful. No wonder Vicente wanted to push aside public opinion and let her take over the management of the Swann Corporation. With her, there was hope for the Swann Corporation. He believed that Catherine would be the next legendary figure of the Swann Corporation. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine¡¯s bet with her father was not like it might be fulfilled, but it would definitely be fulfilled! And it would undoubtedly be overfulfilled! ¡°Leonel, get Linda to make the arrangements for me. I¡¯ll hold a shareholder meeting next week.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make the arrangements with Linda for you!¡± After getting Leonel¡¯s response, Catherine casually hung up the phone. Looking at the ck screen of her cell phone, a cold light shed in her cold eyes. She didn¡¯t even need to try any harder. Next week, all of this would settle. In the office of the General Manager of the Swann Corporation, Korbin massaged the bridge of his nose tiredly. During this period of time, he had been arranging internal adjustments in thepany. He reced the top leaders in each important position with his trusted employees, and he was exhausted. When he was just about to lean down and rest for a while, he heard a knock at the door. ¡°Come in!¡± Korbin¡¯s assistant pushed the door open and rushed to the front of the desk, looking flustered. ¡°Mr. Swann, we have a situation!¡± This assistant had followed Korbin for many years. He had been ced by Vicente at Korbin¡¯s side from a young age and was a trusted confidant of Korbin. He was highly valued by Korbin. He had been in the workce for many years, and if it weren¡¯t for a big change, he wouldn¡¯t have been so nervous. Korbin became nervous all of a sudden. He sat up straight and looked at his assistant. ¡°What exactly has happened? The assistant handed the document in his hand to Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, the first phase of the chip research and development project with Mr. David¡¯spany has been sessful. ¡°Mr. David¡¯spany also took the initiative to contact the government and did tests that also passed. I received news that the government intends to promote this project to benefit more electronic devices.¡± Hearing the news, Korbin waspletely unable to sit still. He hadn¡¯t even read the document. Just by listening to what his assistant said, he knew how serious this matter was The sess of this project¡¯s test alone was already a piece of unfavorable news. As soon as this news was released into the market, the Swann Corporation¡¯s stock price would definitely soar. If the government endorsed this project, then this project would definitely be profitable. Under the government¡¯s protection, this project would definitely be able to proceed smoothly. As long as this piece of news was spread, in less than three days, the share price of the Swann Corporation would surely double! For the Swann Corporation, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow. It had been very difficult for the Swann Corporation to further its development. Every step was taken with caution, and if it weren¡¯t for the extremely stable project, the Swann Corporation would not go too far. The project with Mr. David was an excellent opportunity for the Swann Corporation to move up to the next level. As long as the Swann Corporation could seize the opportunity, it would be able to further its development¡­ But for Korbin, this opportunity was a fatal blow. If the share price of the Swann Corporation doubled, that meant Catherine, the jinx, had seeded. Then, she would be able to sit in the chairperson position of the Swann Corporation and take over the Swann Corporation sessfully. At that time, all of Korbin¡¯s hard work during this period of time would go down the drain. How could he not panic? He raised his head up to look at his assistant with a ferocious cold look in his eyes. ¡°How many people know about this news?¡± The assistant didn¡¯t dare to hesitate and answered immediately, ¡°At present, it should only be known to Leonel and me. He was the first person notified by the experimental group.¡± If they hadn¡¯t been delicate in their work and arranged their own people within the experimental group in the first ce, they wouldn¡¯t have received the news so quickly. If they only received the news when it spread out, that would be the real end of them. Although this project was a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity for the Swann Corporation, in Korbin¡¯s opinion, the Swann Corporation could only be his. He was absolutely not going to give Catherine a chance to get it. Although this project was a rare one for the Swann Corporation, Korbin thought he would still get such a chance for it in the future. If the Swann Corporation was not in his hands, he really lost everything. Even if he gave up this project, he wouldn¡¯t let Catherine seed. ¡°Go get Baldy for me!¡± A chill ran down the back of the assistant¡¯s neck. He knew that Korbin would only use his trump card when it was necessary to use force against difficult targets. Baldy was the name of the leader of an elite unit raised by the Swanns. Three years ago, when Vicente¡¯s condition was in doubt, Korbin had quietly taken this elite unit under his wing as a precautionary measure. It seemed that Korbin had made a killing decision this time. ¡°Mr. Swann, I¡¯m going to inform Baldy right now!¡± Korbin raised his head and looked at the office door that was gradually closing. His face looked grim, and a murderous intent shed in his eyes. No one could stand in the way of his chances! Not even his own daughter. He had been hoping and waiting for so many years. He finally waited until Vicente passed away, but he didn¡¯t expect Vicente to do such a thing before his death. Korbin thought in his heart, ¡°Does he think this will knock me down? ¡°No way! It¡¯s an idiot¡¯s daydream! ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯ll make everyone know who is the true heir of the Swanns. ¡°As for Catherine, if she behaves herself, I¡¯ll keep her alive. ¡°I¡¯ll send her to the countryside to find an ordinary man. That way, she can live a quiet life with her family.¡± If she wasn¡¯t grateful and tried to challenge him, he would definitely do whatever it took to make her completely disappear from this world. He would do as he said! Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Catherine was taken to dinner by Branden and then sent back to the apartment. She returned to her apartment to rest while Branden rushed back to the Duncan Corporation to continue working. As the head of the Duncans, the job that Branden needed to do was not an easy one. Although there were arge number of brain trusts present, many important decisions still required Branden to personally make the call. When Catherine returned to the apartment, she found out that Audrey was home, which was rare. Hearing the door open, Audrey looked up with a facial mask on her face. When she saw that Catherine was back, she immediately jumped up and rushed up to hug Catherine recklessly. The scene was not difficult to imagine! In a dimly lit room, someone with a face as if painted suddenly rushed toward Catherine. A normal person would be scared out of their wits even if they were not scared to pass out. Catherine was probably the only one who was bold enough that she didn¡¯t get scared. She dodged on her side with agility. After she did so, Audrey was tragic. She almost couldn¡¯t stop and crashed into the wall. But Catherine reached out in time and pulled her back. Audrey didn¡¯t react until she stabilized herself. She was so happy that she forgot Catherine¡¯s inhibitions and almost caused an ident. After reacting, Audrey looked at Catherine silently. She looked like she was a child who made a mistake and was standing in front of her elders to wait to be punished. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t be angry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯m just too happy!¡± Catherine crossed her arms around her chest and nced at her with a cold gaze. ¡°Too happy?¡± Hearing that her words were a question, Audrey answered her quickly. ¡°Kathy, do you know why I can apply a facial mask at home and do skincare so leisurely today?¡± Catherine looked at her expressionlessly. She showed no interest in Audrey¡¯s question at all. She wasn¡¯t Audrey, and she didn¡¯t follow Audrey to work. How could she possibly know what happened to her today? Although Catherine didn¡¯t look interested, her attitude couldn¡¯t affect Audrey¡¯s high spirits. She looked at Catherine with an excited face and recounted all the events of her day. Audrey had gotten used to Catherine¡¯s indifferent look a long time ago anyway. ¡°Kathy, you don¡¯t even know how good that new assistant is. She nned my time well. She even took the initiative tomunicate with the director while I was waiting to shoot to put together all the scenes that could be filmed together. She helped me get everything ready, and even the director praised me for being well prepared.¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t understand. Wasn¡¯t all this what an assistant was supposed to do? From what she knew, Audrey was now the number one female lead in the cast. Not only that, Audrey was currently in the ascendancy, with the original one- month work schedule being abruptly changed to three months by the director¡¯s team. Because of the case of the former female lead¡¯s ident, Audrey was considered toe to the rescue. The director¡¯s team should naturally give her some preferential treatment over those actors who put on airs. Audrey¡¯s assistant only rationalized the filming time and provided her with more rest time, which was a verymon thing in the first ce. Catherine didn¡¯t understand why Audrey was so excited over such a small matter. Seeing Catherine¡¯s expressionless face, Audrey was still immersed in her own happiness. She kept expressing her joy to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, where on earth did you find such a professional assistant for me? She is simply amazing!¡± Facing Audrey¡¯s question, Catherine responded very coldly. ¡°Yourpany is stingy and doesn¡¯t arrange assistants for you. I asked Grayson to introduce one to you!¡± It seemed that the assistant Grayson introduced was quite reliable. Otherwise, Audrey wouldn¡¯t be happy like this. Catherine didn¡¯t know how difficult Audrey had been these past few years. She didn¡¯t rely on the background of the Swanns and fought her way through showbiz on her own, without epting the hidden rules. Her fame skyrocketed all of a sudden, and the ys she was contracted for kept increasing. She was happy but extremely tired at the same time. Now that Catherine had arranged for such a professional assistant to lead her work and help her get her work in order, she was experiencing joy like never before. ¡°So, she¡¯s the one Peerless Grayson arranged. No wonder she¡¯s so professional. Kathy, I really owe it all to you this time. I¡¯ve always said that you¡¯re my little lucky star, and it¡¯s true. With you around, I¡¯ll have endless good luck!¡± Looking at her giggling demeanor, the look on Catherine¡¯s face involuntarily softened a bit. Her sister was really easy to satisfy! ording to Audrey¡¯s current position, it was necessary to have an assistant. Even some cyber stars with little fame would go to events with one or two assistants. Not to mention that Audrey was now considered a bit of a celebrity in showbiz, with some fame. Once she had her own work to support her, she would be able to establish herself in showbiz firmly. There were many things that were not convenient for celebrities to handle on their own, and they could not always trouble their agents. Things likemunicating props and rehearsal time with the stage managers should be done by their assistants. So, assistants were not only the life nannies of celebrities but also the staff who helped them handle some docking tasks. Audrey was just too nice. She had been bullied by Liana and Johnathan since she was a child, causing her to have a non-aggressive nature. Audrey was still chattering excitedly about what had happened during the day. The cell phone inside Catherine¡¯s pocket suddenly rang. She nced at it and realized that the caller was Linda. She connected the phone and put it to her ear. Watching Catherine answer the phone, Audrey finally stopped. She nned to wait for Catherine to finish answering the phone and then continue chatting with her. Unexpectedly, Catherine¡¯s face became obviously serious after receiving the call. Noticing this reaction, Audrey immediately felt that something was wrong. After Catherine hung up the phone, she immediately asked, ¡°Kathy, what¡¯s wrong? Is something wrong?¡± Catherine nodded slightly, then said in a cold tone, ¡°Leonel was hospitalized in a car ident. I¡¯m going to the hospital to check it out!¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Audrey shrieked. By the time she regained her senses, Catherine was already rushing out. She threw the mask on her face recklessly and rushed out together after Catherine. ¡°Kathy, wait for me. I¡¯ming with you!¡± They both got into Audrey¡¯s car. Originally, Audrey was going to drive herself, but before she could get into the driver¡¯s seat, Catherine got in before her. Audrey pulled open the passenger door immediately to follow. She was worried about Catherine. ¡°Kathy, can you drive? How about let me drive?¡± Catherine said calmly, ¡°No!¡± She refused Audrey while instructing her to buckle up. ¡°Snap!¡± After the sound of the seatbelt locking sounded, Catherine pressed the elerator pedal to the bottom. The original forty-minute drive waspleted by Catherine in fifteen minutes. Audrey could only use one word to describe this journey, and that was thrilling! After the car stopped, Catherine opened the door and got out. Audrey really wanted to keep up, but she was now weak in the knees. For the first time in her life, she had just experienced the feeling of adrenaline rising. The speed of the car just now was so fast that she wanted to throw up. Her legs were still trembling even now. Catherine was driving too fast. Her driving skills were too excellent! It was not too much to say that she was a super driver inside a movie! Chapter 247 Chapter 247 In the hospital, Linda was in a state of disarray. She sat with the police to take statements. Her professional outfit was still stained with a lot of blood. Her hair, which had always been arranged meticulously, looked a bit messy at the moment. However, her strong professionalism allowed her to cooperate under such circumstances calmly. It was really surprising. After the police had finished taking statements, Catherine went straight up and walked to Linda¡¯s side. Linda was about to speak when she saw Catherine, but the expression on her face immediately changed when she saw Audrey behind Catherine. Catherine could tell what Linda meant right away. She turned her head to Audrey and looked at her with an expressionless face. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡± As soon as she heard Catherine say she was thirsty, Audrey immediately said anxiously, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy you water then. You ran in such a hurry just now. It¡¯s normal that you get thirsty. You just wait for me here!¡± After saying that, Audrey ran away in a hurry. Catherine turned back to look at Linda. Before she said something, Linda took the initiative to introduce the basic situations, disying thepetence of a professional secretary to the fullest. ¡°Miss Swann, Leonel is seriously injured, but his life isn¡¯t in danger. His leg bone is broken. The doctors are still examining his other injuries.¡± Catherine breathed a soft sigh of relief, but her face continued to show a calm demeanor. Her cold gaze went over Linda¡¯s body carefully. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Miss Swann, thanks for your concern. I¡¯m fine. Leonel and I discussed the project about an hour ago. It wasn¡¯t long after we left thepany that there was a car ident.¡± Linda looked at Catherine with a strange look for a moment after she finished speaking. It didn¡¯t take a guess for Catherine to realize that there was something in her words. ¡°Just tell me!¡± Linda nodded and lowered her voice, whispering, ¡°Miss Swann, I suspect that this is not an idental car ident but a deliberate murder. The other party drove toward us with no intention of slowing down at all.¡± Fortunately, Leonel had a quick reaction and turned the direction of the car at a fast speed to minimize the damage while shielding Linda at the same time. Otherwise, Linda would be the one lying in the hospital bed right now. Thinking of these things, Linda couldn¡¯t help but want to tear the other party apart. Catherine¡¯s calm eyes instantly became cold. ¡°This is not an idental car ident but a deliberate murder¡­¡± These chilling words kepting to Catherine¡¯s mind. She exuded a terrifying aura all over her body. Leonel had always served the Swann Corporation and was the chiefwyer of the Swann Corporation legal team. He hadn¡¯t offended anyone over the years. Now that he suddenly had an ident, Catherine seriously suspected that this matter had something to do with her. Linda looked at Catherine with some concern. The reason why she didn¡¯t dare to say these words in front of Audrey was that she was worried that this matter would be leaked out. Lowering her voice, she came close to Catherine¡¯s side and gave her a reminder. ¡°Miss Swann, I suspect that this matter has something to do with the cooperation project we signed with Mr. David. Now that Leonel and I are in trouble at the same time, you¡¯d better be careful too.¡¯ Catherine narrowed her eyes slightly at Linda. A chilling light appeared in her eyes, and her voice was cold to the bone. ¡°You mean, it was Korbin?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Linda didn¡¯t dare to nod her head, but her eyes were looking straight at Catherine. Linda wasn¡¯t fully certain who did it, but at the moment, Korbin was the most suspicious. Korbin was Catherine¡¯s father, so Linda couldn¡¯t say it bluntly. Linda looked at Catherine carefully after she finished speaking. She originally thought Catherine would be unable to control her emotions. After all, Catherine was just a little girl. Even if she was a bit smarter than an average person, it was normal for her to be unable to remain calm in the face of such a crucial matter of life and death. But to her surprise, Catherine¡¯s expression remained unchanged after learning that the object of suspicion was her father. The only thing Linda could sense was that Catherine¡¯s aura was constantly strengthening, and the surrounding air pressure became cold due to her powerful aura. Just when she was hesitating whether to say something or not, Catherine opened her mouth to say something. Catherine¡¯s gaze was clear and cold as she looked at Linda. The end of her beautiful eyes was slightly upturned, carrying an appalling domineering aura. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to look into this matter. I¡¯ll also arrange for someone to protect you and Leonel. Leave the rest to me!¡± Leonel and Linda were the people who worked for her, so they were her people. Since those people dared to touch her people, they would have to pay a corresponding price. For some reason, Catherine¡¯s words made Linda feel inexplicably secure. Catherine was born with leadership abilities and convincing abilities. If it were someone else who had said something like that, Linda would have mocked them in her heart for their self- importance. But Catherine made her believe it, and she was silently relieved. There was a sound of footstepsing. It was Audrey who rushed back after buying water. Audrey handed Catherine a bottle of water in her hand. ¡°Kathy, here you go! Audrey reacted only after Catherine took the water. She reached out, nning to get the water bottle back.¡± Catherine, I¡¯ll open it for you!¡± At the moment she spoke, Catherine had already unscrewed the bottle cap. She handed Audrey the bottle of water that had been opened. After that, she took the unopened bottle in Audrey¡¯s hand and opened it to drink. Watching the interaction between the two from the sidelines, Linda was a little shocked inside. Looking at Catherine¡¯s attitude toward the Swanns, Linda had originally thought that Catherine was carrying a great deal of hatred toward the Swanns inside. After all, Catherine had beenbeled as ¡°jinx¡± since she was a child. She was sent to the countryside and suffered a lot. Linda thought that this experience, which was difficult for normal people to experience, was highly likely to make Catherine be cold, indifferent, and even hate everything. However, based on the rtionship between Catherine and Audrey, Linda realized that her previous subjective judgment was wrong. Catherine didn¡¯t hate everything, and she was clear about what to love and what to hate. There was no disdain in Audrey¡¯s eyes when she looked at Catherine, and she treated Catherine with warmth and friendship. Catherine treated Audrey with the same attitude, giving her the greatest care. Johnathan had always despised Catherine, and in return, Catherine had given him a severe whipping. So, Linda figured that if she was loyal to Catherine, Catherine would definitely be nice to her. Audrey looked at Catherine and Linda. Only when she saw that both of them were quite calm did she dare to inquire, ¡°Is Leonel all right?¡± Catherine nced at Audrey and spoke in a cold voice, ¡°He¡¯s fine. He just broke a leg and a rib or two!¡± Hearing her say such horrible words in such an extremely calm manner, Audrey almost fainted. He just broke a leg? And a rib or two? This was called he was fine? Audrey could feel the pain by hearing those words, but Catherine was able to say it with such a calm face. Catherine was really impressive. After half an hour, the doctor came out and told them that the patient had woken up. Considering all the safety issues, the hospital only allowed one family member or friend to enter the ward to visit. Linda asked Catherine to visit Leonel without even thinking about it. ¡°Miss Swann, you go. Maybe Leonel wants to talk to you.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine gave a grunt and nodded in agreement. She understood what Linda meant. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Inside the hospital room, Catherine saw Leonel lying in a hospital bed. He was wrapped in a lot of bandages. He had just woken up from aa and still looked a little weak. Hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes. After discovering that the personing was Catherine, his expression was clearly a bit excited. ¡°Miss Swann, you need to be carefultely. After Korbin attacked me, his next target must be you!¡± Facing Leonel¡¯s reminder, Catherine looked at him with an expressionless face and issued a question strangely. ¡°Why are you so sure it was Korbin?¡± Leonel thought Catherine was too young to understand the sinister nature of human beings in the world. He reminded her again, ¡°Miss Swann, people can do anything for money. Many people can even kill their siblings for money. Humans are the most sinister. ¡°And the reason I¡¯m so sure is because I¡¯m well aware that Vicente had an elite unit cultivated secretly during his lifetime. Later, this elite unit was pocketed by Korbin. The person just attacked me happened to be someone I once met in the unit.¡± who Leonel was Vicente¡¯s most trusted person during his lifetime. He had been involved in many internal affairs within the Swanns and had a good understanding of the Swanns. Catherine didn¡¯t know that her grandfather actually had an elite unit. It seemed that her grandfather was really hiding a lot of things from her. However, this could save her time. She could check fewer things and focus on arranging the nextyout. Was Korbin desperate and starting to use his trump card? He was worried that she would win the bet and take the Swann Corporation into her hands, so he couldn¡¯t wait to kill her? Her father was really ruthless and had learned fully of Vicente¡¯s ruthless side. She had promised Vicente back then that she would never kill anyone of the Swanns. But she didn¡¯t say she wouldn¡¯t fight back! Since Korbin wanted to bring her to her death regardless of their family affection, why should she be merciful to Korbin? She pressed her lips together and curled them up slightly, showing a seductive and evil smile. At first nce, her smile was very charming, but upon closer inspection, it could make people¡¯s blood freeze. ¡°Have a good rest. I¡¯ll take my leave first!¡± Catherine walked out of the hospital ward after saying that to Leonel. Just as she walked out, Audrey stepped forward, looking at her with a concerned face. ¡°Kathy, is Leonel okay? ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡± Catherine responded coldly. Audrey breathed a sigh of relief silently and then emphasized, ¡°Leonel is Grandpa¡¯s most capable assistant and has been with Grandpa for so many years. We can¡¯t let anything happen to him, or else I¡¯ll feel guilty!¡± Catherine narrowed her eyes slightly and sized up Audrey with the corner of her eyes. It was a seemingly careless look, but if one looked at her closely, one would find that she was sizing Audrey up very carefully. She could tell that Audrey had great respect for Vicente. When Audrey was expelled from the Swanns, although Vicente did not personally do it, as the head of the family, Vicente did note out to stop it. It could be said that Vicente allowed all of this to happen tacitly. It was interesting that Audrey still respected Vicente so much after all that. ¡°You are so loyal to Grandpa. You even show a little more respect for the people he valued during his lifetime.¡± Catherine¡¯s voice was soft, even with a hint of teasing. Hearing this, Audrey froze for a moment. After a few seconds, she reacted. But instead of getting angry, she turned to Catherine andforted her. In her opinion, the fact that Catherine would make such a teasingment was a sign of her dissatisfaction with their grandfather for sending her to the countryside back then. ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t be angry with Grandpa. We have such a big family. We don¡¯t know how many things were waiting for Grandpa to handle every day. There was too much pressure on him. He still loved us. After all, we are his own granddaughters. Do you think I¡¯m right?¡± Catherine gave Audrey an expressionless look and said to her with azy attitude, ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy!¡± No one knew Vicente better than Catherine. He wasn¡¯t a responsible grandfather, but he was indeed a good head of the family. He was a great businessman. He had the situation well in hand and controlled everything, taking the Swann Corporation to create one glory after another. For the sake of the Swanns, he couldpromise everything. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. For example, she was obviously sent to the countryside by the Swanns when she was a child. But after she revealed her amazing talent, Vicente could condescend to personallye to apany her, tutor her, and even do everything to make her get the Swann Corporation. All of this was for a better Swann Corporation. This was Vicente, aplete businessman. After making sure Leonel was okay, Catherine was ready to go home. She still had a series of things to arrange. Since Linda wasn¡¯t hurt, Catherine left everything at the hospital to her for the time being. Catherine left the hospital with Audrey. Audrey couldn¡¯t understand why Catherine came to the hospital in a hurry just now but left after taking a simple nce. ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t we need to stay a little longer and help Linda?¡± Hearing her words, Catherine turned back to nce at her with her hands in her pockets and her head down. ¡°So, what do you think you can do to help Linda here?¡± Audrey wanted to refute her, but she couldn¡¯t find any words to refute her after she racked her brains. The fact was just like what Catherine said. Tough Linda didn¡¯t need their help at all. If Audrey stayed, she might even cause trouble for Linda. After seeing through the fact, Audrey left the hospital with Catherine obediently. Inside the building of the Duncan Corporation, Paxton immediately rushed into the door of the president¡¯s office after receiving the news. Since Catherine appeared, anything rted to her had been considered a level-one task and must be reported in the shortest possible time. Now Paxton understood that even if it was not Catherine who was in trouble, but someone close to her, it was still considered an urgent matter. And he had to report it to Branden as soon as possible. Hearing the knock on the door, Branden lifted his head slowly from the bookcase, revealing his handsome and stunning face. Upon seeing Paxton standing in the doorway, he said, ¡°Come in!¡± His deep and low voice echoed throughout the office. Paxton dared not hesitate and walked to Branden¡¯s desk with the document, reporting thetest situation. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Leonel was attacked. He is in the hospital and is not in danger of his life for the time being.¡± Branden stopped his movements and looked at Paxton. A chilling cold light shed in his obsidian-like eyes, giving out a terrifying domineering aura. Paxton lowered his head. Branden¡¯s powerful aura made Paxton not dare to look at him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann is fine. She has already visited Leonel at the hospital.¡± Just after saying that, Paxton felt the pressure inside the office gradually disappearing. He breathed a slow sigh of relief and secretly congratted himself on surviving. Paxton thought in his heart secretly, ¡± It seems that Mr. Duncan values Catherine far more than I¡¯ve imagined and deeper than my understanding.¡± Catherine¡¯s position in Branden¡¯s heart was unparalleled by ordinary people. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Paxton always felt that the atmosphere in the office was particrly depressing today, keeping him on his toes and making him very when reporting things. cautious He was afraid that any careless action would offend Branden and bring trouble to himself. ¡°Sir, after checking it out, it should be Korbin¡¯s secret guard team¡¯s doing!¡± Branden¡¯s icy cold eyes instantly darkened, and boundless gloom seeped from the bottom of his eyes. ¡°Arrange someone to protect Catherine!¡± Paxton immediately replied without any hesitation, ¡°Will do!¡± He was well aware of the position of Catherine in Branden¡¯s heart. Any injury to Catherine, or even the loss of a single hair, would cause a storm of bloodshed in Casier. At the most famous golf course on the outskirts of Casier, a caddie carried a huge work bag and walked straight toward Korbin, who was ying. He slowly stopped beside Korbin, bowed his head, and said in a lowered voice, ¡°Mr. Swann, the man isn¡¯t dead, but his leg is broken!¡± No one would have thought that the most elite bodyguard by Korbin¡¯s side would actually disguise himself as a caddie to report the situation to him. Hearing thetest news, Korbin narrowed his eyes and gazed at the boundless green grass before him. A touch of gloom prated the bottom of his eyes, and his face was terrifyingly grim. ¡°This thing isn¡¯t done beautifully, is it? His tone, obviously, was calm and gentle, but his words seemed to cause the temperature around him to plummet, sending a chill down the spine of the person standing beside him. The caddie¡¯s back visibly stiffened. He knew this matter was not done perfectly enough, and now that he had alerted the other party, it might spoil Korbin¡¯s n. This time, he had to take the me for being careless and making an error in judgment, but he had never expected a weakwyer to have this kind of skill. A murderous intent shed within Baldy¡¯s lowered eyes. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being careless. How about I sneak inside the hospital tonight and directly kill him?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Korbin snorted, his words dripping with great dissatisfaction. Baldy, I warned you a long time ago not to be overconfident. Leonel has been highly valued by the old man for many years. Do you really think he¡¯s easy to deal with?¡± Vicente was a ruthless man who had made his way out of Casier¡¯s bloodshed back then, and the person who could stay by his side for so many years was definitely not simple. For this reason, Korbin assigned Baldy to the task, but he never thought that this idiot would be so cocky that he would almost ruin his n. It was no longer realistic to have someone go to the hospital to kill Leonel again. For one thing, Korbin didn¡¯t want to attract any unwanted attention by making it a big deal. If the other party got serious and found out about his involvement, it would cause more problems than it was worth. For another, he was afraid that the other side had already realized something wrong and might be waiting for him to step into their encirclement. Baldy had been a bit too rushed just now, wanting to make up for his mistake, but now that he reacted, he knew that it wasn¡¯t going to be an easy thing to do. ¡°Mr. Swann, since it didn¡¯t work on Leonel¡¯s side, why don¡¯t I try it on Catherine?¡± Korbin didn¡¯t give a direct reply, and the scene fell into silence, leaving only the rustling sound of the wind asionally blowing through the leaves. After a good while, Korbin finally spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s arrange for someone to try it out first!¡± Baldy froze for a moment, then responded, ¡°Okay!¡± Staring at Baldy¡¯s departing back, Korbin fell into deep thought. From what Liana had said, Branden seemed to have really taken a liking to Catherine and had often gone out of his way to defend her. Since Baldy had already made a fuss, he¡¯d better have Baldy probe the situation again. If Branden really cared about Catherine¡¯s affairs, then this matter would be much more troublesome, and Korbin would have to consider alternative approaches to take a long- term view of the situation. The next day, Catherine walked out from inside the school as soon as the school bell rang as usual. The difference was that she was meeting up with Bryan and the others tonight to go to a barbecue. Bryan had invited her to join him to try out a new barbecue restaurant that had just opened in town and was very popr. Realizing that she hadn¡¯t had a barbecue in a week, she agreed. Just as she stepped out of the school gate, Catherine received a phone message from Ronin. It was about the development of the game. The project with the Duncan Corporation had already reached the second phase. Catherine stopped her footsteps and took a look at the document. After memorizing the content, she put her cell phone in her pocket and prepared to leave. Just as she looked up, Catherine felt a few unnatural lines of sight focusing on her. She nced up askance and noticed a few sneaky men, all locking eyes on her. Bryan, seeing that Catherine was standing still, stepped forward to her side and inquired softly and respectfully, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Boss?¡± Catherine had her hands in her pockets and acted casual, her eyes darting over Bryan¡¯s body. ¡°Something came up for me at the moment. I won¡¯t be going to the barbecue. You guys go by yourselves!¡± Bryan froze and sized up Catherine carefully for a few moments. Seeing her indifferent and cold face, he then reacted. ¡°Okay, Boss. We¡¯ll make another appointment then.¡± Behind them, David and the others were still a bit confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to go to a barbecue? Why do you change your mind? Bryan, you should try to persuade Catherine!¡± Just as David finished his words, Bryan grabbed him by the cor and dragged him to leave. After they left, Catherine walked home alone. Just as she walked into a secluded alley, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind her. Catherine continued to walk forward with a calm face, and when she reached the middle of the alley, she stopped in her tracks. She looked sideways to see two men wearing ck jackets with somewhat lewd looks standing at the entrance of the alley, staring intently at her. On Catherine¡¯s expressionless face, the corner of her mouth hooked up into a very light sneer. With her hands in her pockets and one foot out against a wall opposite, her entire body leaned lethargically against the wall behind her. She didn¡¯t take these two men seriously at all. At the other end of the alley, two more men, also wearing ck jackets, appeared. Catherine took a nce and said inwardly, ¡°Not bad. They look quite professional. At least their clothes are still uniform and pleasant to look at.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The four men sandwiched Catherine in the middle. They reached out and touched their ears, looking like they should be receiving orders. And by the time they lowered their hands, their eyes on Catherine became a bit harsh, and they kept moving closer toward Catherine. They didn¡¯t rush forward because the feeling Catherine gave them was just too strange. They had been in the field for so many years, but it was the first time that they had seen someone still acting so calmly under such a scene. More importantly, Catherine was still a young girl. It was the strangest thing. Although Catherine¡¯s background was unknown to them, her aura gave off a sense that she was not to be trifled with. The four men exchanged nces and slowly encircled Catherine. They were four, and the other party was just a young girl, so they definitely had a chance to win. After analyzing the situation, they decided to take direct action toplete the task set by the higher-ups. The person in the lead shouted, ¡± Attack!¡± Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Before the few men in ck jackets. could make a move on Catherine, a rush of footsteps sounded around them. The four men stopped and turned back to look. At the front end of the alley, Bryan arrogantly walked in with two men while David and his men surrounded the back end. Now, the four men finally understood why Catherine was able to be so calm. They had originally thought of encircling Catherine, but they didn¡¯t expect to be set up by Catherine. However, the four of them were not afraid. These people were students, and how could the well-trained fighters still be frightened of a group of students? It was impossible! David and the others finally realized why Catherine suddenly changed her mind. It turned out to be these few scumbags who came to make trouble. They thought, ¡°You guys are really bold and actually dare to come to our ce to cause trouble! Do you have a death wish?¡± Both sides of the people were ready to fight, but Bryan looked straight at Catherine, waiting for instructions. ¡°Boss, I haven¡¯t fought for a long time. ¡°He stared at Catherine with sincere eyes. These people dared to find trouble with Catherine. They were just courting death. Catherine was fine with it. Since Bryan and the others wanted to fight, she would give them an opportunity. She let out a hmm in agreement and fished out a candy Branden had given her from her pockets. Her long, fair fingers deftly unwrapped the candy and stuffed the candy into her mouth.. After Bryan received the signal, a wicked smile appeared on his handsome face as he gestured towards the others. David and the others understood tacitly and made their move at the same time. The next second, miserable screams echoed in the alley, apanied by the sound of bones cracking and shattering. The four ck-jacketed men had never thought these few students could be so strong in combat. Bryan and David cooperated well with the others. Coupled with familiarity with the area, there was a natural advantage on their side. Soon, the battle came to a win. Bryan and the others took an overwhelming advantage and subdued the four men. The four men came to their ce to provoke them, which made a few of the boys explode with anger. Every one of them fought to the fullest, not giving the other party a chance to catch their breath and directly bringing them down to the ground. After making sure that the other partypletely had no power to fight back, the boys stopped at Bryan¡¯s order. David and the others hadn¡¯t fully vented their anger yet. They shook their shoulders and said unwillingly, ¡± Come on, Bryan. Why did you stop so soon? We haven¡¯t fought enough. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve fought like this. Let¡¯s do it today!¡± When the four men on the ground heard this, their hearts inexplicably trembled. ¡°Are all the students nowadays so strong inbat? We¡¯ve been trained professionally, but we can¡¯t even beat a few students?¡± they thought to themselves. Bryan grabbed the cor of the ck- jacketed man in the lead, narrowed his eyes, and looked at him with a dark expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have bumped into us!¡± They wouldn¡¯t have survived so easily if Catherine had made a move. Perhaps these few people would have beenpletely disabled for the rest of their lives. The person in the lead failed to understand Bryan¡¯s meaning and thought that he was intentionally scaring them with his harsh words. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bryan threw the person violently, causing his head to hit the ground hard. Without waiting for the man to wake up from his dizziness, Bryan stomped on his back again and looked at him with a gloomy gaze. ¡°Say, who the hell sent you here?¡± Although the opposing party had lost in fighting against Bryan and his men, they maintained professionalism and knew what was appropriate to say. They all bowed their heads and kept silent. This scene angered Bryan and David, and they wanted to beat the other party again. Catherine, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly made a move. She retracted her foot and slowly walked towards them. Seeing Catherineing over, Bryan and the others took the initiative to separate into two lines, allowing Catherine toe forward. Her aura was that of a big shot. When the four people looked up, they saw Catherine standing in front with her hands in her pockets, arrogant and domineering. Bryan and the others stood behind her respectfully, with a submissive look on their faces. This made the four of them feel very strange, but at the same time, a strong sense of fear for Catherine overwhelmed them. All of these boys were not bad in strength, especially Bryan, who was in the lead. They could be said to be very skilled fighters. However, these boys were all very submissive to Catherine. The four men could not help but wonder how powerful Catherine was. Catherine raised the chin of the leader with her toes in a rather domineering gesture. There was no need to be polite to an enemy. The man looked at Catherine in horror, maintaining hisst stubbornness and resisting exposing the person behind the scene. But out of his expectation, Catherine only stared at him and sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it. Just bring a message when you go back!¡± The man was somewhat at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t understand what exactly Catherine was going to do, but a sense of crisis inexplicably rose within him at this moment, making him feel particrly panicked. Catherine stared at the man and said, Tell the person behind you toe to me in spite of anything. I¡¯ll be waiting here!¡± With that, Catherine¡¯s toes exerted a fierce force and lifted upwards. The man¡¯s jaw had already been dislocated by Catherine before he could cry out. Covering his mouth, he copsed on the ground with a painful look on his face. Catherine then arrogantly tilted her head to the upper left side. ¡°Still noting out?¡± At her words, the crowd all looked in the direction of the upper left corner. Yesenia popped her head out, smiling awkwardly as she greeted the crowd. ¡± Hi, everyone!¡± Bryan furiously red over at Yesenia. ¡± Get down there! You¡¯re a girl! How can you climb up the wall? Where are your manners?¡± Seeing Bryan angry, Yesenia obediently came down and came in front of them. Bryan wanted to teach her a lesson, but she was so focused on Catherine that she didn¡¯t care about Bryan at all, leaving Bryan with no ce to vent his anger. Anyway, Bryan couldn¡¯t really beat her up. If he did hit her, she would go back to the old man and comin to him, and Bryan would still be the one to suffer in the end. Sensing that the atmosphere was not right, David took the initiative toe up to soften the awkwardness. ¡°Boss Catherine, we¡¯ve cleaned up all these people, so why don¡¯t we continue going to barbecue? I¡¯m hungry after the fighting. It will be great to eat barbecue! Bryan originally wanted to teach David a lesson. All he knew was to eat. What a dumbass! But he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to agree. ¡°Good idea!¡± Yesenia immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll join you! After saying that, she realized that something was wrong. She cautiously looked at Catherine and seriously asked, ¡°Catherine, will you let me go? I want to join you!¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at Yesenia. Then, she asked sincerely, ¡°Beef brisket with spicy sauce?¡± Yesenia shuddered and paled visibly at these words. After hesitating for a few seconds, she immediately made a decision. ¡°Okay, spicy ones are fine!¡± With that look, those who didn¡¯t know would have thought that she was going to die heroically! Catherine nodded her head in agreement. Yesenia was so excited that she was about to jump up, saying, ¡± Thank you, Catherine!¡± They walked out of the alley together, and as they were near the entrance, Catherine suddenly paused in her pace and nced to her right. But after only a single nce, she continued walking forward. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 In a concealed corner on the right side of the alley, Paxton, apanied by a group of his men, hid themselves right after receiving intelligence that someone intended to harm Catherine. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do you think Miss Swann has discovered us?¡± one of Paxton¡¯s men asked. ¡°Of course she has! It¡¯s so obvious!¡± Paxton replied, rolling his eyes at his subordinate. Why bother guessing when it was so obvious? As soon as they arrived, they noticed that Catherine was surrounded. However, Paxton didn¡¯t act right away. He observed Catherine¡¯s demeanor and realized things were not as simple as they seemed. Sure enough, those fools fell into Catherine¡¯s trap. Seeing that Catherine was confident and to avoid alerting her, Paxton refrained from taking action immediately. Paxton sought permission from Branden at once. Branden instructed him not to interfere with Catherine as long as she was not in danger. Paxton understood the situation. After all, he and his men were just pawns. They would strike when Catherine had had enough fun. Bryan, along with Catherine and the others, arrived at the newest barbecue restaurant in Casier. As they reached the entrance, a staff member approached them. ¡°Excuse me, are you Miss Catherine Swann?¡± the staff member asked. Bryan turned around in surprise to look at Catherine. Catherine approached the staff member, standing before him with a cold gaze, carefully assessing him. The staff member had sharp eyes and immediately realized Catherine¡¯s identity. ¡°Miss Swann, my boss knows you¡¯reing to dine and has already prepared a private room for you. Just follow me upstairs. Everything has been arranged for you!¡± Catherine nced around at the decor, which was in her preferred style. Even the utensils on the surrounding tables were the ones she would instinctively choose on any regr day. She stopped the staff member and asked, ¡°Is your boss named Duncan?¡± The staff member smiled, bowed, and replied with utmost respect, ¡°Yes, my boss has instructed us to let you enjoy your meal. Once everything is ready, he wille to pick you up!¡± Upon hearing this, Catherine knew what was going on. She confidently followed the staff member towards the private room. Lagging behind, Yesenia caught up with Bryan and asked, ¡°What does this mean? Did Uncle Branden open this barbecue restaurant?¡± Bryan impatiently shot her a re, his voice filled with resentment as he said, ¡°How would I know? If you want to know, go ask yourself!¡± Yesenia was speechless. She didn¡¯t have the guts to do that, of course. After finally finding a newly opened barbecue restaurant to surprise Catherine, Bryan didn¡¯t expect Branden, his uncle, to actually open this restaurant! But then again, Branden had to take care of such arge family business, so how could he have time to open a barbecue restaurant to make such little money? Bryan immediately realized who this barbecue restaurant was for! It seemed that Branden was willing to do anything just to please Catherine! Catherine followed the staff member to the entrance of the specially reserved private room, which was simply but beautifully decorated. The staff member attentively stood by, assisting Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, this room is specifically reserved for you. It¡¯s not open to the public, so you can enjoy your meal with your friends here. After speaking, the staff member handed over a pre-selected menu. ¡°Miss Swann, these are the dishes that have already been ordered. Is there anything you would like to add or change?¡± All the staff members had been instructed that the fixed dishes she always ordered should be included in the menu whenever Catherine came to save her time from ordering. Knowing that Catherine didn¡¯t like dealing with these things, Branden went above and beyond to do everything possible. Catherine nced at the menu and saw that it included all the dishes she usually ordered. She didn¡¯t expect that Branden had remembered all of them. It was the slightest detail that could touch people the most. Even Catherine had to admit that she was a little moved right now. ¡°Add some mild-spicy sauce, but everything else can stay the same!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The staff member immediately responded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll prepare it for immediately!¡± you When Yesenia heard ¡°mild-spicy sauce, ¡®her eyes instantly lit up. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s cold aura, she would have already thrown herself into Catherine¡¯s arms, hugged and kissed Catherine passionately. Catherine¡¯s presence was too intimidating, so even though Yesenia was excited, she could only quietly revel in her excitement on the side. Yesenia stared at Catherine as if worshipping a deity, wishing she could get close to Catherine, saying, ¡°Oh, Super Catherine, how can you be so good to me? You know I can¡¯t handle spicy food, so you specially amodated me by ordering some mild-spicy sauce for me. You¡¯re such a nice person!¡± Although Yesenia couldn¡¯t handle spicy food, she understood that for someone who loved spicy food, ordering mild- spicy sauce was an insult to barbecue. However, Catherine was so considerate that she ordered it specifically for Yesenia, which could be viewed as the greatest act of love towards Yesenia. Yesenia stared at Catherine with an adoring gaze. But in fact, she was overthinking things. Catherine wasn¡¯t amodating her. She just felt that they should enjoy themselves since they were all out together for a barbecue. If Yesenia had to sit on the side and watch because she couldn¡¯t handle spicy food, it would definitely affect everybody¡¯s mood, So why not order some mild-spicy sauce so that everyone can enjoy themselves? Catherine wasn¡¯t an unjust person. She couldn¡¯t make everyone do things ording to her preferences. Upon hearing Yesenia¡¯s ttery towards Catherine, the others present tried their best not to burst out laughing. David cautiously tugged on Bryan¡¯s sleeve and asked with a pensive tone, ¡± Bryan, did Boss cast a spell on the Duncans? Otherwise, why would all of you be following her like crazy?¡± Bryan tilted his head, ncing at him with a sneer, and spat out two words through gritted teeth. ¡°Get lost!¡± In fact, Bryan wanted to ask David if he was also a Lambert. Otherwise, why would he ask the same question as Triston? This barbecue restaurant put a lot of effort into its operation. All the food in the restaurant was very fresh, and it seemed like all the ingredients were flown in. The most important thing was that the food was cooked on-site, with a strong aroma and a perfect bnce of saltiness and spiciness, especially suitable for people who loved barbecue. The spicy food tasted great, and the vegetable soup here was also delicious. Even Catherine, who usually didn¡¯t like this kind of light vor, ordered a bowl of vegetable soup. David and the others eximed in admiration, ¡°This barbecue restaurant is really good. No wonder there are so many people lining up. It¡¯s only because we came with Boss that we could enter without waiting. It¡¯s truly enviable!¡± Bryan clenched the number card in his pocket, pressing his fingers hard. He had bought it from a scalper, thinking he had done it meticulously. But he was left feeling like a loser under his uncle¡¯s power. Indeed, money could make one do whatever they wanted! Bryan called over a waiter, ready to pay the bill, but was told it wasn¡¯t necessary. He looked up at Catherine and didn¡¯t immediately make a decision. Catherine nodded casually. ¡°Sure!¡± Since Branden personally arranged this meal, it would be disrespectful to insist on paying the bill. This restaurant was open for her! The cost of this meal was not important at all. There was no need to pay the bill! Chapter 252 Chapter 252 After settling the bill, the waiter returned with a few VIP cards and distributed them to everyone present. ¡°Dear customers, check out our VIP card! You can have your own private room and avoid those long lines. These exclusive rooms are reserved just for our VIP guests. So, I hope you enjoyed your meal!¡± The waiter was highly respectful, and the service was thoughtful, giving people a feeling of being in a warm spring breeze. The people present were so excited that even David couldn¡¯t help but cheer out loud. ¡°Oh my goodness, this service is truly impable! Following our boss has its perks. The treatment we receive is truly exceptional.¡± Catherine remainedposed and did not appear smug despite David¡¯s ttery. Given their prestigious backgrounds, it was improbable that just a membership card could easily sway people like David. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, the service of this restaurant was indeed quite good. Secondly, they were showing respect toward her. Catherine was brilliant and knew these people were pretty cool. They didn¡¯t have many ulterior motives, so she was willing to befriend them. After finishing the meal, everyone prepared to leave. Catherine did not ask the waiter when Branden woulde to pick her up. ¡°Anyway, what wille wille. Why bother worrying so much about it? said she inwardly. The group of people walked out of the barbecue restaurant together. Bryan said affectionately to Catherine, ¡°Boss, let me take you home!¡± As Yesenia listened on the side, her gaze was fixed firmly on Bryan with a hint of unusual attention in her eyes. Catherine was not only the top candidate for her future sister-inw but also the only choice in her heart. ¡°If Bryan¡­ ¡°This is going to be a great inconvenience!¡± said she inwardly. Catherine did not respond, for she saw the ck Bentley slowly approaching them as she looked up. Noticing her gaze, Bryan followed it and also saw the ck Bentley. He was instantly deted. Paxton got out of the car and respectfully opened the door. A man dressed in a long ck windcoat slowly stepped out of the vehicle. His tall, straight posture appeared even more dazzling in the dark night, exuding a sense of nobility. Branden strode confidently toward Catherine, his long legs moving steadily, step by step. Finally, he came to a halt less than 20 inches from Catherine. His handsome face shone with a mesmerizing aura while his deep and radiant ck eyes glimmered with the moon¡¯s light. He gazed at Catherine with tenderness in his eyes. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked. Those eavesdropping with pricked-up ears were all stunned, not understanding the meaning behind the big shot¡¯s words. Only Catherine understood it without any need for guessing. She raised an eyebrow, gazing at Branden with contentment, and provided the most pertinent evaluation. ¡°The taste and the environment are both nice!¡± ¡°Your satisfaction is all that matters!¡± answered Branden. From the way the man spoke and the expression on his face, it was evident that Catherine¡¯s response did indeed satisfy him. However, Catherine was more curious about something else. Her gaze swept back and forth on Branden¡¯s body as if searching for something. ¡°Why did you open this restaurant suddenly?¡± Branden gently looked at her, pursed his thin lips, and revealed a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s windy outside. Let¡¯s talk in the car!¡± Ever since he found out that Catherine enjoyed having a barbecue, he immediately ordered someone to make arrangements for it. He had been involved in everything from site selection to product selection and then to interior design. The only purpose was to ensure that the oue of each process met her preferences. Whatever the cost, he would give it to her if she liked it. After Catherine left, Bryan turned around and got ready to go back. Yesenia quickly caught up and sat in the passenger seat. Bryan side nced at her with a disapproving look. Yesenia leaned back indifferently on the leather seat, observing Bryan with ease. ¡°I would like to visit Grandpa at the Duncans¡¯ tonight. Don¡¯t you want to give me a ride?¡± she asked. Bryan was left at a loss for words. Since Yesenia had said that she would go to the Duncans¡¯, it wouldn¡¯t be right if he didn¡¯t take her with him. Therefore, he agreed to bring her along. With a tone of disdain, he said, ¡°Put on your seatbelt!¡± Yesenia was looking pretty pleased with herself for her sessful scheming. As Bryan started the car, Yesenia suddenly approached and pressed the parking brake. Bryan was slightly angry. He turned and red at Yesenia disapprovingly. ¡°Miss, what are you up to again? If you don¡¯t want to take my car, you may get out and arrange for someone to pick you up or take a taxi yourself!¡± With a serious expression, Yesenia fixed her gaze on Bryan, scrutinizing him from head to toe with eyes as focused as a searchlight. Being stared at by such a gaze, Bryan felt particrly ufortable. He looked at Yesenia displeasingly. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± With an intense and unwavering gaze, Yesenia said in a serious and cold tone, ¡°You¡¯re so harsh toward me, yet you treat Super Catherine with respect and friendliness. Bryan, this is not right!¡± Upon hearing her words, Bryan couldn¡¯t help butugh coldly in anger. He sneered twice and said, ¡°Humph, Yesenia, you also said she is Super Catherine. Are you worthy enough to bepared to her?¡± If it were aparison with others, Yesenia would have lost her cool long ago. After all, she was the only daughter of the Duncans, and many people were amodating and ttering toward her. How was she not worth it? But if the person inparison was Catherine, then she could only silently ept defeat. ¡°I am simply not worthy, so what?¡± said Yesenia with an air of righteous indignation. Her bright, threatening, and warning eyes closely stared at Bryan. ¡°I admit that I am not worthy of being compared to Catherine, but what about you, Bryan? Do you admit that your gaze toward Super Catherine is improper and your attitude toward her is unusual?¡± After hearing Yesenia¡¯s question, Bryan was stunned momentarily before he silently closed his eyes and furrowed his brows. A few secondster, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Yesenia with a severe expression. That look made Yesenia a bit scared. She instinctively backed away and looked at Bryan with caution. ¡°What are you looking at? Stop staring at me like that. It¡¯s freaking me out!¡± said she. ¡°I just want to tell you that I admire Catherine just like you. There¡¯s so much about her that I¡¯ve always tried to attain but couldn¡¯t. She¡¯s the object of my envy and admiration, that¡¯s it. As for her and Uncle Branden, I believe she¡¯s more than capable! She definitely deserves to be the wife of Branden.¡± Upon hearing Bryan¡¯s words, Yesenia let out a sigh of relief silently. She reached out and patted Bryan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You scared me. I thought the Duncans was about to fall apart or something!¡± Bryan gave her a disdainful look and coldly retorted. ¡°Do you think I have a chance of winning against Uncle Branden?¡± ¡°If the opponent is Uncle Branden, I would only be beaten up. ¡°Let alone me. You can hardly find someone in the whole town of Casier who canpete with Branden. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Catherine is my idol, and the only one who may be a match for her is probably Uncle Branden,¡± said he inwardly. Yesenia totally agreed and nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s right, looks like you have a clear estimation of yourself after all!¡± Bryan couldn¡¯t be bothered with this overly anxious cousin and revved his car to leave in the middle of the night.. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Having lost twice in a row, Baldy felt ashamed in front of Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, the mission has failed!¡± Compared tost time, Korbin was not as angry this time. His expression was calm, and his gaze was slightly lowered. It seemed like he already knew how it was going to end. Even his voice sounded rtively calm. ¡°Tell me, who did the Duncans send out this time?¡± Baldy¡¯s already low head almost drooped to the ground when he heard this. He never expected that a group of students would defeat his elite subordinates. ¡°Mr. Swann, it¡¯s not the work of the Duncans!¡± As he heard this response, Korbin¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Not the members of the Duncans?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We checked and found out that those people were all students. There was one student named Bryan Duncan who had good fighting skills!¡± Korbin angrily picked up the ashtray on the table and smashed it toward Baldy¡¯s head, cursing loudly, ¡°Idiot, is that what I want to hear?¡± ¡°What does it have to do with me whether he has good fighting skills or not?¡± thought he. He wanted to know what Branden meant to do with Catherine and whether or not he would lend her a helping hand. Baldy did not dodge the attack and face the consequences of his mistake, as he knew it was the only way to appease his boss¡¯s anger. He endured such a hard blow that his head was smashed open, yet not a single cry escaped his lips. Fresh blood flowed slowly down his face as a nauseating odor filled the air. However, Korbin¡¯s appeased a little. anger wasn¡¯t His face turned pale, and he red at Baldy with cold eyes. ¡°How dare you say it? Can¡¯t you even handle a few students? You call yourself a top-level killer, but I think you better chop off your limbs and beg on the streets!¡± Baldy listened silently as Korbin scolded him and took out the list from his pocket. ¡°Mr. Swann, I checked up on all the students who are helping out Catherine. You may take a look at the information.¡± Korbin took a deep breath and paced back and forth a few times before returning to his desk. He lowered his head and looked at the list and documents on his desk. Those students¡¯ names were unfamiliar to him, but he was acquainted with almost all of their parents. All of them were important figures in Casier, which was quite normal. If they didn¡¯t have power, how could they have possibly sent their children to the best ss at Loyalty Academy? ¡°Are those students okay?¡± he asked. ¡°They are okay. Our men have suffered minor injuries. Those students are probably all skilled in martial arts and often get into fights, plus they had the advantage of numbers, so they weren¡¯t at a disadvantage!¡± replied Baldy. ¡°Good thing no one got hurt. Apart from Bryan Duncan, all these studentse from families that are not as wealthy as the Swanns. ¡°However, if they team up to deal with the Swanns, it would also be a disaster, thought Korbin. He did not expect that dealing with Catherine would involve so many families. ¡°It seems that my second daughter is truly remarkable. ¡°After studying in ss 8 for so long, Liana hasn¡¯t made many friends. ¡°But Catherine has only been in the ss for half a semester and already has so many people backing her up. That¡¯s impressive!¡± thought he. Seeing Baldy¡¯s hesitant expression, Korbin impatiently urged him to speak. ¡°Is there anything that cannot be said even now?¡± Baldy hesitated and spoke in a low voice, with his head bowed down. ¡°Mr. Swann, Catherine left you a message before she left.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± Korbin asked. Baldy reported the news from his subordinates to Korbin honestly. After hearing the message, Korbin mmed his hand on the table, creating a loud noise. On his darkened face, his eyes were wide open, as big as cowbells, and filled with bloodshot veins due to anger. It seemed like they were about to pop out of his eye sockets. He gritted his teeth and cursed angrily. ¡°Very well, since she let me wait, I will just wait to see how much uproar she can cause! ¡°Baldy, keep a close eye on her and report any news to me immediately.¡± Having failed twice in a row, Baldy had be more restrained. He humbly bowed and said, ¡°Sure, I will definitelyplete the mission this time!¡± He and Korbin were well aware that if he failed again next time, he would bepletely abandoned by Korbin. Because Korbin didn¡¯t tolerate useless people, those who made constant mistakes were destined to be disposed of. The discussion inside the study continued, but nobody noticed that a pair of ears outside the study had been listening to the conversation. As the discussion in the study came to an end, Liana tiptoed downstairs carefully and silently. ¡°Liana¡­¡± A loud noise came from behind, causing Liana to freeze in fear. Her heart was pounding heavily at this moment, and she cautiously turned her head to look behind her. Rachael walked down slowly in exquisite pajamas and frowned upon seeing Liana still holding a food box. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to bring veggie soup to your father? Why do you still have it in your hand? And why are you so pale and sweating on your forehead?¡± Hearing these words, Liana secretly breathed a sigh of relief and forced herself to stay calm, trying to maintain aposed look as she gazed steadily at Rachael. ¡°Mommy, I noticed that the study room door was tightly shut, and I didn¡¯t dare to go in and disturb Father, so I didn¡¯t bring it in.¡± Korbin never liked being disturbed when handling official matters. Rachael understood this more than anyone else. Upon seeing Rachael¡¯s gaze still evaluating her, Liana thought she had been suspected and quickly exined, I went up and down a few times just now, and I could always see that the study door was closed from afar. After a few trips back and forth, I got tired and broke a sweat.¡± ¡°Exercise more when you have free time in the future. You have only walked a few more steps and are so tired. Being weak like this won¡¯t do. It¡¯s not trendy now to be a sickly beauty, so think carefully!¡± Rachael had always been very explicit about her demands for Liana. Johnathan had enabled her to establish a stable position in the Swanns. At the same time, Liana was her most outstanding achievement, destined to join the flourishing aristocratic family and be the family¡¯s mistress in the future. She looked down upon those average families. Only the top-tier noble families could catch her attention. Therefore, she had been guiding Liana toward this path when Liana was young. Whatever requirements a mistress should possess, Liana needed to have them. Liana didn¡¯t dare to argue with Rachael, as no one knew better than herself just how ruthless Rachael could be. She knew her mother best. Rachael was willing to do anything to achieve her goals, no matter the cost. Seeing Liana with her head down and not saying anything, Rachael felt slightly annoyed. She said with a hint of disdain, ¡°If you have nothing to do, go back to your room. Put the veggie soup on the table. I¡¯ll tell your father to have itter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Liana responded with a grunt and silently went upstairs. As Rachel watched Liana¡¯s departing figure, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit unpleasant. ¡°Since Catherine appeared, the once excellent Liana seems to have been outshined by her. ¡°My side carefully raised Liana since she was young. How could she lose to Catherine, that jinx? ¡°I don¡¯t buy it, and there¡¯s no way I will go along with it. ¡°If I lend Liana a hand, she will definitely beat Catherine. No doubt about it!¡± she said inwardly. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Branden brought Catherine back to the apartment. Catherine¡¯s pocket started vibrating as soon as they stepped out of the elevator. It was a ubiquitous vibrating sound, but if one listened carefully, one could notice that the vibration frequency was slightly different. Only people who received professional training could distinguish it. Catherine knew right away that it was Ronin looking for her, so something urgent must be going on. No sooner had Catherine opened her mouth than Branden proactively asked, ¡°Did you have the key with you?¡± Catherine nodded. Branden raised his gaze and looked at her. His cold gaze softened considerably when it fell upon Catherine. ¡°Sleep early, as you have to wake up early for sses tomorrow.¡± Both of them knew in their hearts that Branden would have probably led her to the apartment next door if it weren¡¯t for that vibration sound just now. He was pretty smart. He knew Catherine was up to something but remained calm and showed no sign of it. Catherine took out the key and opened the door. A slight smile escaped her stunning face. She waved at Branden and turned to go inside the room. Branden also chuckled, feeling quite pleased. ¡°Not bad. She didn¡¯t even say hello before. At least she waved goodbye now. Isn¡¯t this a kind of progress?¡± said he inwardly. As soon as the door was closed, the smile on Catherine¡¯s face disappeared, and it returned to her usual expressionless and indifferent face. She whipped out her phone from her pocket and ced it next to her ear. Her voice was grim. ¡°Ronin. What¡¯s the matter?¡± After watching Catherine leave from outside the door, Branden didn¡¯t return to his apartment ording to the n. Instead, he pressed the button and walked inside the elevator. As the elevator door closed, Branden¡¯s perfectly chiseled smile disappeared instantly, revealing a cold and ruthless expression on his frigid countenance. He took out his phone from his pants pocket and ced it against his ear. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± His cold and deep voice echoed inside the elevator. Paxton¡¯s cold voice came slowly through the receiver. ¡°Sir, we have intercepted intelligence regarding Korbin. I am waiting for you downstairs.¡± Branden knew that this intelligence was not ordinary. Otherwise, Paxton wouldn¡¯t have contacted him right away. ¡°Okay, I will be there immediately!¡± At Audrey¡¯s apartment. After Catherine returned, she locked herself inside her room. Shey crookedly on the bed. It was clear that she had positioned herself to achieve maximumfort. Her phone was right next to her pillow. It was still lit up with the screen disying an ongoing call, and she was talking to none other than Ronin. ¡°Boss, this is all the information I can currently gather. That old rascal Korbin Swann is quite tough. From what I can tell, he is not a good person at all.¡± After Ronin had a fit of venting, he suddenly remembered the rtionship between his boss and Korbin. No matter what, Korbin was still his boss¡¯s father, so it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to say anything disrespectful about her father. Ronin realized he had said something wrong, so he tried to make some remedy. ¡°Boss, that¡¯s not what I meant. I mean, I don¡¯t even know how to put it¡­¡± Without him saying it, Catherine already knew what Ronin wanted to express. In the eyes of outsiders, the clever and talented youngputer genius Ronin may appear to be a simple and unpretentious younger brother in front of her. Ronin spoke to her without any guard, saying whatever he wanted without hesitation. Catherine¡¯s voice was calm, devoid of emotion, as if she was assessing a stranger. ¡°You are correct. Korbin is definitely not a good person!¡± Upon hearing these words, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. However, for some unknown reason, he felt a tinge of sadness within his heart, which was quite diforting. He couldn¡¯t figure out why Korbin was so lucky to have been blessed with such an exceptional daughter as his boss. ¡°Unfortunately, this foolish old mancks intelligence. He doesn¡¯t appreciate having such an excellent daughter and has engaged in so much stupid things. ¡°Seriously, he¡¯s helplessly stupid!¡± thought he. After hesitating for a moment, Ronin decided to give Catherine a heads-up. ¡°Boss, even though we might not need to make a move right now, we should still be prepared. If this old guy gets desperate and starts acting out, it could cause trouble.¡± Catherine knew what Ronin meant. She stared at the information transmitted by Ronin on the projection in front of her. She didn¡¯t expect Korbin to embezzle such arge sum of money from the Swann Corporation and invest it in foreign exchange trading. The foreign exchange market was especially unfavorable this year. Many people had lost a lot of money in spection. Even big investors like Korbin suffered significant losses. To plug the gap, Korbin used thepany¡¯s funds. Now, the management authority was still in the hands of Korbin, and since Vicente had passed away, it was hard for outsiders to find out about this embezzlement. However, if Catherine were to win the gambling agreement and ultimately gain control of thepany, this matter would be dug up again. When the time came, either Korbin would have to dig into his own pocket to make up for the loss, or he would face impeachment by the majority shareholders and endure the pains of imprisonment. That was why he strongly opposed Catherine taking over and refused to let go of his current position as the General Manager of the Swann Corporation. Catherine stared at the number on the document. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty significant amount of money. ¡°Korbin himself was absolutely unable to plug the gap. ¡°He did not allow me to take over the Swann Corporation because he thought I was unworthy and concerned about my superficial rtionship with the Swanns. He feared losing control and ultimately endangering himself if I were to take over thepany. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that he was so rmed when he found out about the sess of the first phase of our project in coboration with Mr. David. ¡°He even sent out his men to silence Leonel. ¡°After his attempts to silence Leonel failed, he began to probe the extent of my power. ¡°Regardless of how much he does, it is all in vain. ¡°The Swann Corporation couldn¡¯t fall into his hands. Considering he is my biological father, I can choose not to pursue criminal charges against him. ¡°But there¡¯s no way he can keep control of the Swann Corporation for himself, no matter how hard he tries. ¡°I promised Grandpa I would take over the Swann Corporation and not let it fall. So I will keep my promise. ¡°Anyway, this intelligence has informed me of his determination to acquire the Swann Corporation. I can also make better arrangements ordingly,¡± said Catherine inwardly. ¡°Ronin, please contact Joseph and ask him to keep Audrey safe during this period.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Leonel had just had an incident. To prevent Korbin from bing desperate and shifting his focus onto the people around Catherine. Catherine needed to be fully prepared for anything. Ronin knew very well the importance of Audrey to his boss. Audrey was the kindest person besides his boss in the entire Swanns. Moreover, she had a great rtionship with his boss. As for her men, Catherine had always been protective. Ronin was well aware of this. ¡°Boss, rest assured. I will tell Joseph and ensure that Audrey will be safe!¡± Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Catherineyzily on the bed, staring straight at the white ceiling above. Her bright eyes were distinctly ck and white. Looking closely, one would notice a trace of coldness mixed within the bright ck pupils. It was chilling to the bone. ¡°If Korbin didn¡¯t provoke me and let the matter pass, considering Grandpa and the blood rtion between me and Korbin. I wouldn¡¯t let him suffer and allow him to live with dignity. ¡°But If he continues to cause trouble, don¡¯t me me for being merciless. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me! ¡°No matter who he is! ¡°Seriously, if they¡¯re going to annoy me, even if he¡¯s my father, I¡¯ll show no mercy. ¡°He had never taken care of me even for a day. Why should I care about family rtionships?¡± thought Catherine. Ronin hung up the phone quietly as he noticed the prolonged silence from Catherine¡¯s end, wanting her to have a good rest. He had been following Catherine since he was a child and had grown up alongside Catherine. It was Catherine who rescued him from the evil hell. Catherine was everything to him. He would make whoever dared to harm her pay a painful price, even if it would cost his life. The following day. Catherine arrived at the ssroom at the veryst second. If it weren¡¯t for Branden knocking on her door in the morning, she would¡¯ve overslept. ¡°Looks like that candy Branden gave me has more than a glucose-boosting effect. ¡°There must be other benefits, too. I¡¯ll have to find time to get these candies tested!¡± thought Catherine. The ss was buzzing with non-stop discussion and chatter. As soon as Catherine sat down, Ronin approached her. ¡°Boss, wanna grab breakfast?¡± It was the same sentence every day. Catherine felt that Ronin never tired of asking it, but she was tired of hearing it. Before Catherine could respond to Ronin, Bryan joined the conversation. ¡°Boss, the school announced something important today. The top three winners in the school¡¯s celebration g will get to represent our school in the national league. If we win the league, we¡¯ll have priority for admission to top universities and get some awesome prizes. Nowadays, it¡¯s not just about grades. They¡¯re looking for all-around talents.¡± Bryan heard this news from David in the morning and immediately reported it to Catherine. David was well-known for being a big gossip. There was not a single piece of news at school that he wasn¡¯t aware of. Since he dared to confirm this news, the news must be true. Hearing the new information ryed by Bryan, Catherine coldly rejected, ¡± I¡¯m not interested!¡± After speaking, shezily slumped back onto the table and sprawled like a soft- bodied creature. All other body parts were in standby mode except for her brain working. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people. ¡°My boss is truly different from the average people. ¡°A great opportunity that ordinary people envy seems less important than the evening news and is easily dismissed by her,¡± thought Bryan. However, Bryan could understand her. After all, Catherine had good grades. ¡°As long as the boss is willing, she can get into any university. ¡°Whypete with other schools for this opportunity?¡± said Bryan inwardly. Except for them, every team that showed outstanding performance got bonuses after thest celebration g. Some groups had even been noticed by entertainmentpanies and signed contracts. As soon as this semester ended, they could go straight to art school and make their debut after training. Only Catherine¡¯s group remained utterly silent after the celebration g. There were many spections about them from the outside. Some people even mocked them forcking business savvy and not knowing how to fight for sess. ¡°These brainless fools. Ronin¡¯s email is flooded with coboration requests. How could nobody want us? ¡°It¡¯s simply that we have no interest in it at all!¡± said Bryan inwardly. Catherine couldn¡¯t care less about any college league. Her mind was filled with blueprints of chip architectures, with no attention to spare for such matters. Therefore, despite the lively discussion between Bryan and David, Catherine remained expressionless and uninvolved throughout the process. ¡°Do not bother me with such trivial matters!¡± thought she. The ssmates around noticed this and whispered to each other. ssmate A said, ¡°Catherine doesn¡¯t even care about this stuff. I heard from David that there are plenty of people trying to get in touch with her since she got famous. I even heard Terry promise to write a rmendation letter for her to Ealsmen Conservatory!¡± Student B replied, ¡°Is it true? Ealsmen Conservatory! That¡¯s like a music dreand for so many people. Wasn¡¯t Liana always aiming for that school? She didn¡¯t even have a chance, and now Catherine has the opportunity? Aren¡¯t the two sisters quite different?¡± ssmate A added, ¡°Who knows? But the two sisters are really different. I originally thought that Catherine wouldn¡¯t know anything because she grew up in the countryside, but now it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case!¡± ssmate B answered, ¡°Exactly!¡± Even though the conversation between the two was not loud, Liana could hear it clearly as she had been paying attention to them. The pencil that she had in her grasp was snapped in two by her during the conversation. The sharp pencil tip stabbed into her soft palm fiercely, but there was no sign of pain on her face. Her eyes were burning with intense fury as if she wanted to incinerate everything around her to ashes. Her life had been smooth sailing, and she had never experienced such great humiliation. She was staring closely in the direction where Catherine was, her pitch-ck eyes filled with endless hatred. Everyone now knew that she was not as good as Catherine, and Catherine was way better than her. ¡°Catherine must be feeling so smug right now. ¡°Why could she get Terry¡¯s rmendation? ¡°I have been tirelessly striving to gain admission to Ealsmen Conservatory. Why did Catherine get the chance to attend it so easily? ¡°That jinx should stay in the countryside and struggle with poverty for the rest of her life. ¡°It is destined that she is ill-fated. She is doomed to be unlucky in her life. ¡°Why did Grandpa have to bring back this jinx? ¡°She destroyed everything! ¡°Why did my parents not drown her in the toilet when she was born but instead abandoned her in the countryside? ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the presence of Catherine, this unfortunate series of events would not have urred. ¡°Outside of school, I will still be Miss Liana Swann of the esteemed Swanns,manding the admiration of others. ¡°At school, I will be the model student and the campus belle everyone loved. ¡°Because of Catherine¡¯s appearance, everything went to shit. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that jinx, Catherine! ¡°It can¡¯t keep going like this. I have to kick Catherine out of Casier for good,¡± said Liana inwardly. Her mind was upied by the conversation she had heard at the study room door that night. She knew that her father was already wary of Catherine. As long as Catherine misbehaved, her father wouldn¡¯t tolerate her. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. All she had to do now was give it a bit of a push to get things going faster. She would never have a peaceful day if she couldn¡¯t get rid of Catherine. ¡°Catherine Swann! She¡¯s a total disaster and must disappear!¡± thought she. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Catherine received a call from Kim during lunch break. Kim didn¡¯t exin what was going on over the phone. He just told Catherine to go to the hospital ASAP. Without hesitation, Catherine hung up the phone and rode her motorcycle to the hospital, where Kim had given her the location at the fastest speed possible. Kim was waiting outside the corridor for Catherine while Joseph stood beside him with a chilling vibe. Both of them heard the sound of footsteps approaching and turned their heads in unison. When Kim saw Catherine, hope sprang into his eyes. He hurriedly rushed toward Catherine. Just as he was about to reach Catherine, Joseph suddenly blocked his way. Joseph stood expressionless in front of Catherine, blocking her from Kim and preventing Kim from approaching her. Kim was about to throw a tantrum but held back because of Joseph¡¯s intimidating and icy aura. He quietly refrained from venting out his feelings. He could only stay in ce and watch Catherine from afar, saying anxiously, Oh, Catherine, you¡¯ve finally arrived. Your sister had an ident today and is currently in the hospital.¡± Shortly afterward, he pointed at Joseph and expressed his dissatisfaction. ¡± This hulking guy won¡¯t let me go in to see her. I am your sister¡¯s manager. Am I not allowed to go in?¡± ¡°I could understand it if Joseph were to block the journalists. ¡°However, I am Audrey¡¯s manager. Why is he even blocking me from visiting her? ¡°This is absolutely uneptable!¡± said Kim inwardly. He did want to resist, but having been in the industry for so many years, he immediately recognized that Joseph was not an ordinary guard. ¡°It is quite strange for such a master to suddenly appear on the set and risk his life to save Audrey. ¡°Based on the Swanns¡¯ usual neglect of Audrey, it¡¯s definitely not possible that someone from the Swanns would have done it,¡± thought Kim. When they had a conflict with the tonsst time, Joseph was there too, instantly reminding Kim of Catherine. Therefore, he immediately contacted Catherine. From the current situation, it looked like Catherine indeed arranged the person who was protecting Audrey. ¡°Wow, how long has this big guy been around us? We didn¡¯t even notice him!¡± ¡°The real pro is on another level!¡± thought Kim. Catherine was not concerned with Kim¡¯s authority issue in the first ce. She turned her head, and her cold gaze fell on Joseph with a hint of chilliness in her clear eyes. Seeing her nce, Joseph lowered his head instinctively. Beads of cold sweat formed on his back, and his whole body froze. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s my fault for not protecting Miss Audrey Swann!¡± Catherine did not care about these things. She only wanted to know how serious Audrey¡¯s injuries were and why she was injured. She walked over to the nearby bench and sat down with her legs crossed. Her exquisite face was expressionless and devoid of any warmth. No one could fathom her thoughts at this moment. Seeing that she remained silent, Joseph could only continue to report the situation. ¡°Boss, Miss Audrey Swann fell from a height of over 9 feet while filming due to a broken wire on the set. Her arm is fractured, and she just finished surgery and has been admitted to the ward for rest!¡± Catherine listened to Joseph¡¯s report expressionlessly and took out her phone to check the time. ¡°It is currently 1 PM. I need to be informed of all the details regarding this incident before 3 PM this afternoon,¡± ordered Catherine. Two hours was sufficient to investigate the matter thoroughly. If Joseph couldn¡¯tplete this task, there would be no necessity whatsoever for him to stay by Catherine¡¯s side to ept any assignments she arranged. Joseph also knew this was hisst chance and dared not hesitate. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m on my way!¡± After saying that, he quickly turned around and disappeared down the hospital hallway. Catherine walked into the hospital room. Since it was just a simple arm surgery, Audrey did not receive general anesthesia but only local anesthesia. Audrey opened her tired eyes when they came in and looked toward the two. With a poker face, Catherine stood by while Kim burned with inner turmoil, Upon seeing Audrey, Kim couldn¡¯t help but express his sympathy, ¡°Oh, poor Audrey, you must have had a rough time. Does your arm still hurt?¡± Audrey raised the corner of her mouth, revealing a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m okay. The anesthesia hasn¡¯t completely worn off yet, so I don¡¯t feel much pain.¡± After briefly exining the situation to Kim, Audrey focused on Catherine. ¡°Hey Kathy, did you put Joseph next to me?¡± When the incident happened, she thought she was done for. Luckily, Joseph rushed out without hesitation at that time. Although he couldn¡¯t save her in time, he used his body as a shield to reduce the harm to the minimum. If it weren¡¯t for Joseph, she would probably be dealing with more than just a broken arm right now. Catherine didn¡¯t deny it because she indeed arranged for Joseph. Seeing Catherine nod, Audrey was delighted. While d, she also worried a bit as she looked at Catherine. ¡°Kathy, isn¡¯t it a hassle for your friends to protect me? Joseph looks pretty strong. He must be someone extraordinary, right?¡± Audrey was mainly worried that Catherine would owe Joseph a favor for her sake, which would make her feel guilty, As Kim listened to Audrey¡¯s theory, he couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. It was evident to those with discerning eyes that a clear hierarchical rtionship existed between Joseph and Catherine, with Joseph even referring to Catherine as his boss. ¡°How could it be a hassle for him? ¡°However, it appears that Catherine is not as simple as Audrey said. ¡°Perhaps only Audrey herself thinks that her younger sister Catherine has genuinely just returned from the countryside and ispletely ignorant. ¡°Analyzing this situation, any normal person could tell that she¡¯s a big shot who¡¯s not to be underestimated, although they may not be able to guess her identity. ¡°If she¡¯s an average person, how could she possibly have ess to so many resources?¡± said Kim inwardly. When Audrey made a suggestion, Catherine didn¡¯t respond. She just stared at Audrey¡¯s wounded arm. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. On her poker face, a pair of dark and shiny big eyes stared intensely at the pristine white gauze. ¡°Have they performed a surgery?¡± asked Catherine. Audrey¡¯s arm had a little hairline fracture, so the doctor did a minimally invasive surgery to speed up the healing of the wound. Audrey nodded. ¡°Yeah, but the wound is not big. It¡¯s only about one inch.¡± One inch was not a big wound in surgical operations. But Kim panicked when he heard it.¡± Oh my god, such a big wound. Will it leave a scar? Did you tell the doctor to use the best suture and make sure not to leave a scar?¡± Joseph was in charge of everything once Audrey was brought to the hospital. Kim didn¡¯t even have a chance to get involved at all. A one-inch wound might not be a big deal for average people, but it was a massive wound for an actor. If it left a scar, it was going to be troublesome. For male actors, scars might be a badge of honor, but it could be a fatal blow for actresses. Actors had to be part of the fashion scene. If Catherine had a scar on her arm, it would inevitably affect her future work. Kim¡¯s passionate words affected Audrey, leaving her at a loss. She looked at Catherine bewildered, not knowing what to do. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Audrey also knew she couldn¡¯t have a scar, but that was not something she could control. With her mind devoid of ideas, she didn¡¯t know what to do and could only turn her gaze toward Catherine, hoping that Catherine would give her some advice. However, Catherine didn¡¯t say a single word but just took out her phone and dialed a number. ¡°I¡¯m at Mercy Hospital now. Audrey got injured and had a minor surgery. I¡¯m worried she might get a scar.¡± After briefly exining the situation, Catherine hung up the phone and casually leaned back on the side like nothing had happened. Audrey couldn¡¯t figure out what she meant and didn¡¯t know who Catherine was calling. She looked at Kim as if asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± In return, Kim looked at her helplessly as he winked and gestured as if saying, ¡°She¡¯s your sister. Now you¡¯re asking me? Audrey, you are a little ridiculous.¡± In the end, the two could only nce at each other in silence and sneakily peek toward Catherine. When Catherine was not speaking, she exuded a natural, formidable aura that made people hesitate to disturb her. After five minutes, the rigid silence in the ward finally broke out. A group of doctors wearing white gowns walked together into the ward. If one didn¡¯t know any better, one would think it must be some severe or rare emergency that required so many experts to have a consultation. In an instant, Audrey got flustered in bed. Catherine was still sitting calmly with the same indifferent expression on her face. Standing at the front, the doctor in the white gown looked around, then asked with a big smile, ¡°Excuse me, who is Miss Catherine Swann?¡± Audrey and Kim pointed their fingers toward Catherine in unison but were too afraid to speak. The scene before them was indeed quite daunting. Catherine slowly stood up, raised her head, and directed her gaze toward the leading doctor. Although he appeared authoritative, the doctor had a rather friendly attitude toward Catherine. He took the initiative to introduce himself. ¡°Hello, Miss Swann. I¡¯m Rhys Parry, the director of Mercy Hospital. Allow me to have a brief introduction.¡± After finishing, Rhys pulled out the doctor beside him, who appeared to be an expert with a head full of gray hair. ¡°Miss Swann, this is Virgil Badman, the director of our hospital¡¯s stic surgery department. He has extensive experience suturing wounds and considerable clinical expertise in wound healing and scar prevention in theter stages.¡± Catherine understood that the person in front of her was the expert arranged to take care of Audrey¡¯s wound. She fixed her gaze on Virgil, her cold eyes tinged with distance and respect. ¡°I just want to know one thing. Will the wound leave scars or not?¡± Catherine¡¯s presence was just too strong, leaving Rhys at a loss for words. When he received that phone call, he was so frightened that his legs became weak. This was the first time that big shot had called since he took over as the director of Mercy Hospital. Upon receiving the urgent news, he immediately contacted the experts and initiated top-level measures. After thorough discussions, he rushed directly to the patient¡¯s ward. He secretly breathed when he saw that the big shot wasn¡¯t there. At least he could take it easy for now. However, when Catherine appeared, his anxious heart leaped again. ¡°Seems like I let my guard down too early. Miss Catherine Swann doesn¡¯t seem ordinary either. Her presence is enough to rival that big shot,¡± thought he. Virgilnded her gaze on Rhys, indicating for him to speak. Earlier, Rhys gathered everyone quickly and said it was an emergency. Virgil was so flustered that he dared not to speak now. Rhys knew Virgil was struggling and could only grit his teeth and answer Catherine¡¯s question. ¡°Miss Swann, rest assured that we will do our utmost to leave no scars.¡± Catherine was expecting this sentence. Now that the other party had given it, she wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for them. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Parry. I¡¯ll leave my sister to you.¡± Rhys silently wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. When Catherine was staring at him earlier, he felt his blood pressure skyrocket and was experiencing a sense of imminent blood vessel bursting at any moment. ¡°Miss Swann, please do not stand on ceremony. We¡¯ll definitely get it done as Mr. Duncan personally instructed.¡± Without receiving a response from Catherine, Rhys took the initiative to share his own thoughts after a couple of seconds. ¡°If there are no other instructions, I¡¯ll take Virgil and the others to discuss the treatment n first because having too many people around will also disrupt the patient¡¯s rest!¡± Catherine nodded. After obtaining permission, Rhys led the doctors out of the ward. Just as they were walking down the hallway, Virgil stopped and blocked the path of Rhys. ¡°Rhys, what exactly is going on here? And who exactly is that person inside?¡± As a doctor for many years, he hade across a fair share of individuals with influential connections. Still, he had never seen anyone who could be treated so respectfully by the hospital director. Rhys gave a sideways nce at Virgil and looked at him strangely. ¡°Virgil, you and I have been friends for so many years. I cannot hide it from you. I dare to make this pledge because the person who called me just now is Branden Duncan! You know it. Branden Duncan! He emphasized the name of Branden Duncan especially. At this moment, Virgil finally realized what was going on. He widened his eyes and looked at Rhys in absolute astonishment. ¡°Rhys, are you saying the young heir of the Duncan family?¡± Rhys gave Virgil a chilling look and said, ¡°Now you understand why I feel the situation is serious. Let me tell you a secret. Come closer.¡± Virgil came closer. Rhys whispered, ¡°I heard that the person inside is highly likely the future Mrs. Duncan. How could I afford to say no to her?¡± Virgil could see the helplessness on Rhys¡¯ mysterious face. Understanding his plight, Virgil nodded in agreement before gazing firmly at him. ¡°Rhys, rest assured. I now understand your intentions. Leave it to me. I will take on this arduous task. I will definitely not let Mr. Duncan¡¯s sister-in w be scarred. I give you my word!¡± Rhys nodded with relief, thinking that he had finally convinced Virgil. He could finally rx a bit this time. The discussion outside the ward was lively, but the atmosphere inside the ward seemed somewhat strange. Under the various prompts of Kim, Audrey finally spoke to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, did you ask for Branden¡¯s help? Catherine nodded as Audrey expected. She did indeed ask Branden for help. They were in Casier. Who could be more powerful than the Duncans? T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. It would be more efficient to have the local big shot Branden arrange the treatment instead of Ronin doing it himself. From the current situation, there didn¡¯t seem to be any issues with her decision. Seeing her nod, Audrey felt a bit strange in her heart. ¡°Kathy, won¡¯t this trouble the Duncans?¡± ¡°Have you noticed any trouble?¡± Catherine questioned her. Audrey was left speechless by this question. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t get it. I¡¯ll just keep quiet, ¡°said she inwardly. Seeing that it was almost time for afternoon sses, Catherine realized that she had no more reason to stay there and decided to head back to school for ss. ¡°I¡¯m off to ss, take good care and get well soon!¡± Audrey didn¡¯t want to hold up Catherine from her studies. Besides, Kim was here too, so she hurriedly urged. ¡°Then you should hurry up!¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 After returning to the school, Ronin immediately came to Catherine. ¡°Boss, where did you go at noon? Why did you disappear as soon as I turned around?¡± Catherine had left hurriedly and didn¡¯t say goodbye to Ronin, so neither Ronin nor Bryan knew where she had gone. ¡°Audrey had an ident on set. I went to the hospital to see her.¡± Ronin was shocked to hear that Audrey had an ident. ¡°What? Was she even taken to the hospital? Is she okay?¡± Catherine¡¯s expression was faint. What mood she was in couldn¡¯t be seen from her expression, and her voice was somewhat cold. ¡°She¡¯s fine! She broke her arm and had a minor surgery!¡± From her expression when she said. that, people who didn¡¯t know her would think she had held a grudge against Audrey. Only Ronin knew that this had been Catherine¡¯s concern for Audrey. People like them were born with light emotions andcked the rich emotions of ordinary people. But as long as it was someone they cared about, they would go to great lengths and exert themselves to protect them. The fact that Catherine rushed to the hospital as soon as she received the news was enough to show how important Audrey was in her heart. ¡°Boss, could you please take me when you go to the hospital at night?¡± Before Catherine responded to Ronin, Bryan said, ¡°Boss, I want to go too. It also want to visit Audrey!¡± Hearing Bryan¡¯s words, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes and retorted sarcastically. ¡°You really like learning from others. Do you have to learn everything that I say and do?¡± Could Bryan bear this? He could bear anyone but not Ronin. He retorted back, ¡°Hmph, who do you think you are? Are you good? What aspects of you are worth learning from? As the two argued, Catherine frowned impatiently and growled coldly. ¡°Stop arguing. I¡¯ll take both of you!¡± Now, the two finally shut their mouths, neither daring to anger Catherine. Only after the two had quieted down did Catherine realize that the cell phone in her pocket was ringing. She nced at the two of them and signaled that they should be quiet. Afterward, she left the ssroom and answered the phone outside the hallway. Joseph¡¯s respectful voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Boss, today¡¯s ident has been clearly investigated. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the Swanns. It was an actress within the crew who was in conflict with Miss Audrey because of their resources, and she bribed the person in charge of the props to do something on the wires.¡± Audrey parachuted into the upper position and was just nobody when she signed on. Later, because of her rising poprity, the director¡¯s team kept changing her scenes to increase her scenes in the show. And because of the female lead¡¯s ident, the director directly made Audrey the female lead of the cast. The other actors who worked hard to get the resources naturally became jealous of Audrey and could not ept this fact. They wanted to get rid of Audrey and rece her. Catherine¡¯s cold eyes stared at the azure blue sky ahead, with a hint of terrifying coldness mixed in her bright eyes. She thought to herself, ¡°I won¡¯t attack unless I¡¯m attacked!¡± Since the other party made a move, wouldn¡¯t it make the other party feel it was easy to bully them if they didn¡¯t retaliate? ¡°Boss, do you need me to make a move? Joseph asked. ¡°No need. I have my own arrangements! On Catherine¡¯s stunningly beautiful face, a seeming smile shed on her thin pink lips. If Ronin were there and saw Catherine¡¯s expression like this, he would feel panic in his heart. He clearly knew that someone would suffer when Catherine showed such a smile. In the blink of an eye, it was time for school to end. Catherine carried her book bag and was followed by Ronin and Bryan. They walked out of the school together. Just as they walked down the stairs, they bumped into Yesenia, who had followed Catherine like a little tail since she transferred to their school. ¡°Super Catherine, where are you going? Ronin came back from hisst leave, knowing that Yesenia had transferred to their school specifically for Catherine. He made a fuss for a few days, but in the end, he had no choice but to let Yesenia follow Catherine casually. Upon hearing Yesenia¡¯s question, Ronin nced at Bryan. The two tacitly decided not to tell Yesenia where they were going so there would be one less follower. Catherine remained silent throughout. With her hands in her pockets, she walked forward at brisk, rxed paces. Just outside the school gate, Catherine saw the familiar vehicle parked there. The man got out of the car the moment he saw Catherine. Stepping forward, Catherine walked to the man¡¯s side and took the initiative to speak. ¡°I have to go to Mercy Hospital!¡± The man nodded and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± At the same time, the window of the ck car was rolled down. Triston¡¯s head popped out of the car, revealing his annoying face. He grinned at Catherine and said, ¡°Catherine, I heard that Audrey was injured. I¡¯ll go with Mr. Duncan and you to visit her. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re friends with Audrey. She¡¯s in the hospital, and how can we not visit her?¡± Catherine was a bit speechless. The group that visited Audrey today seemed to berge. These people all imed to be Audrey¡¯s friends. Audrey had not yet refused, and Catherine had no reason to refuse. In that case, they would just go together. Catherine followed Branden to get into the car. After hearing Triston¡¯s words, Yesenia, who was following behind, also knew where they were going, so she quickly climbed into Bryan¡¯s car and refused to get out of it, no matter what Ronin said. To avoid wasting time, Bryan had no choice but to drive. So, arge group of people arrived at the hospital. Kim panicked when he saw so many people suddenly appearing, all handsome men and beautiful women with extraordinary temperaments. He rushed back to the ward as soon as possible without even saying hello to them. He waved his hand at Audrey. ¡°Man, you¡¯re still in the mood for apples? Arge group of people came outside¡­¡± Audrey held the apple Kim peeled for her in her hand, thrust it into her mouth, and bolted. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who asked me to eat it? Is something wrong outside?¡± Looking at her cute but stupid look, Kim covered his face speechlessly. He was consideredpletely desperate. How did he meet such a cute but stupid actress? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Check by yourself!¡± Just as Kim finished saying that, Triston was the first to enter the ward. ¡® Audrey, I¡¯m here to see you.¡± Seeing Triston¡¯s face, Audrey was instantly startled. The apple she swallowed stuck directly in her throat, making her out of breath and coughing fiercely. Kim might not be very familiar with other people, but he still knew Triston, a famous nobleman from Casier. Watching Audrey act like this in front of such a top-notch wealthy gentleman, Kim was helpless. He was so unlucky to meet Audrey! Before she stopped coughing, Audrey saw several more people get into the ward after Triston. Audrey was so scared by the sudden arrival of so many people that she hupped. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Chapter 259 Chapter 259 ¡°Why are you all here?¡± Audrey asked in surprise before dropping her gaze on Catherine. Catherine looked at her with an expressionless look. She softly said, ¡°They heard that you were injured and hospitalized, so wee to see you together after school!¡± Ronin politely approached Audrey and said, ¡°Audrey, Boss is right. When we heard about your ident in the afternoon, we nned to visit you. But we didn¡¯t expect our group to be sorge!¡± As he said that, he red with dissatisfaction toward Yesenia, who was on the side. ¡°Especially the one we don¡¯t know very well. She insisted on following up.¡± Because of Catherine, Ronin treated Audrey in a very respectful manner. After all, Audrey was his boss¡¯ sister and could also be considered his sister. There was not much difference. As for Yesenia, since she dared to treat his boss like that before, she could not me him for being rude. Upon hearing that, Yesenia was angry, and she red at Ronin with her eyes widened. ¡°What do you know? Audrey and I have known each other for a long time.¡± Watching the two arguing, Audrey felt a bit confused about what was going on. She knew Ronin, the boy who followed Catherine around every day, and she heard that Ronin was a little younger than Catherine. As for the pretty girl, she did feel a bit familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall at the moment who she was. On the contrary, Yesenia looked at Audrey as if she knew Audrey very well. ¡°Audrey, do you remember me? I¡¯m Yesenia from the Duncans. You came to my birthday party on my sixteenth birthday.¡± ording to the custom of Casier, a grand party must be held on a girl¡¯s sixteenth birthday, and it was necessary to invite many friends and rtives. The richer the family, the bigger the party. Although Yesenia was not from the main branch of the Duncans, she was the only girl in the younger generation of the Duncans, and the elders of the Duncans loved her very much. So, on her sixteenth birthday, the Duncans changed their usual low- profile style and invited a group of wealthy families from the Casier to organize a big party. All the influential families in Casier attended Yesenia¡¯s birthday party. And that was why Yesenia was sure Audrey had attended her birthday party. She didn¡¯t even know if Audrey had attended, but she couldn¡¯t let herself lose to Ronin. She winked at Audrey, asking her to help her. Audrey remembered, and she did attend. Vicente was still alive at the time, and he was the one who arranged for Audrey and Liana to go to the party. However, at that time, Yesenia was the high and mightydy from the Duncans, while Audrey was the unloved eldestdy of the young generation of the Swanns. So naturally, they didn¡¯t have much contact. But unexpectedly, they had indeed met once. ¡°I remember. You¡¯re Bryan¡¯s cousin, Yesenia, right?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Right!¡± Yesenia breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, smiling incredibly sweetly. Yesenia was quite talkative. As long as she was willing to make friends with someone, she could quickly have a lively conversation with them. Yesenia and Audrey soon had a lively conversation about skincare products. The boys were uninterested in their discussion and were doing their own things. Catherine was uninterested in their conversation either. Ronin arranged all of her skincare products, and they were fully customized. She didn¡¯t need to learn or worry about skincare products at all. She looked toward Kim, standing at the side, with his face full of smiles. Perhaps due to Catherine¡¯s strong aura, when she looked over, Kim noticed her gaze immediately. Catherine nced at him and then walked out of the hospital room. Kim followed hurriedly, not daring to show any signs of neglect. Sitting silently by the side, Branden immediately noticed their movements and gestured to Paxton not to follow Catherine. Since Catherine was nning to handle it on her own, he would just let her handle it on her own and help when Catherine needed it. After Audrey had an ident, Catherine immediately called him to arrange for a doctor, which was already a happy thing for him. He knew very well that Catherine was the same kind of person as him. They wouldn¡¯t actively seek help from the other party if they didn¡¯t fully trust the other party. Outside the ward door, Kim stood respectfully in front of Catherine. He looked like a student waiting for his teacher to reprimand him. On the contrary, Catherine had her hands in her pockets and was leaning to the side. She lookedzy. Kim waited for a few seconds, but Catherine didn¡¯t say anything. He was a bit anxious and inquired cautiously, Catherine, are you calling me out for your sister¡¯s matter? I know I didn¡¯t take care of your sister this time, but¡­¡± Without waiting for him to finish, Catherine suddenly said, ¡°Check your mailbox!¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim froze for a moment. Catherine¡¯s cold eyes nced at him, and Kim immediately trembled and returned to his senses. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone shiveringly. Unexpectedly, there was a new email in his mailbox, and he hurriedly clicked on it. When he saw the contents of the email, he was shocked. The more he checked it, the brighter his eyes became, as if they were glowing, and his smile grew. He looked up at Catherine in surprise, and his eyes filled with uncontroble excitement. ¡°Catherine, how did you get so much gossip about that little bitch?¡± Unexpectedly, there were even close photos of that little bitch hooking up with her sponsor. If this news were exposed, this little bitch would be finished. The little bitch was the female supporting role of the same crew as Audrey. Relying on the support behind her back, she caused trouble and hurt Audrey. Kim had been displeased with her for a long time and sought opportunities to target her. However, it was said that she had a powerful backer, and Kim could not clearly determine the other party¡¯s strength, so he dared not take action. casually. Now that he had this information, he could finish that little bitch with just a simple move of his fingers. But he was curious about how Catherine could get this information. Could it be that Joseph had told Catherine about the usual bullying of Audrey? Catherine looked at Kim with a cold face and exined to him. ¡°Find a time to put out the news of Audrey¡¯s injury on a small scale and send the second email to the director.¡± At first, Kim only paid attention to the gossip of that little bitch, but didn¡¯t see there was another email. After opening the other email, he finally figured out the reason for Catherine¡¯s outburst. He gritted his teeth and cursed, ¡°I was curious why such an ident happened, so it was this little bitch who set up. Damn it. I must deal with this bitch. I won¡¯t let her off the hook. ¡°Catherine, no worries. Leave the rest to me. I promise to give you a satisfactory result!¡± With this information, it would be easy for him to bring down the little bitch. ¡°Mmmm!¡± Catherine grunted, then turned around and returned to the ward. The reason why she didn¡¯t take action personally but asked Kim to do it was purely because Kim was Audrey¡¯s agent. He was an insider in showbiz and knew better what to do. She believed Kim could get things right if she helped him get the other party¡¯s information. If Kim couldn¡¯t even get this small matter right, there was no need for him to be Audrey¡¯s agent in the future. Looking at Catherine¡¯s distant back, Kim was filled with emotion. The feeling of being doted on by an overbearing president was fucking fantastic! Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Inside the hospital room, Audrey and Yesenia were still chattering about skincare products while Bryan started ying games online with Ronin. Branden sat with his eyes closed, not saying a word, but no one dared approach him to disturb him. Paxton stood like a statue at Branden¡¯s side, motionless and imposing. With Paxton standing by Branden like that, others were even more afraid to go near him. Triston was the only one who was idle in the huge ward. He walked up and down the ward, looking around, but couldn¡¯t find any fun. Seeing Catherine enter, he suddenly had a bright idea and asked the crowd, ¡± Since everyone is here, why don¡¯t we have barbecues?¡± Audrey was arranged in a high-end independent ward. There were only two wards on this entire floor, and they were separated, with direct elevator ess. It would not affect other wards and routine medical work if they barbecued here. But after Triston said that, everyone¡¯s eyes attacked him. He nced cautiously at Catherine. Being nced at by Catherine¡¯s cold gaze was as terrifying as being looked at directly by Branden, making him tremble all over. ¡°I¡¯m just asking. If you don¡¯t want it, then forget it.¡± Triston smiled to ease his embarrassment. ¡°Take it easy. No hard feelings!¡± Yesenia tsked in disgust, and her words were full of contempt. ¡°Uncle Triston, you don¡¯t know what Audrey¡¯s situation is now? She could only have light food now. She could only watch us eat if so many of us barbecue here. Do you think it¡¯s good? ¡°Or you¡¯re holding a grudge against her and deliberately taking revenge on her? Triston didn¡¯t think so much. Audrey was Catherine¡¯s sister. It didn¡¯t matter if he offended Audrey, but if he offended Catherine, he would be finished. When Triston nned to exin, Audrey said reproachfully, ¡°That¡¯s right. Triston, you scumbag. Do you hold a grudge against me? Or else why do you gue me like this?¡± Triston¡¯s face was full of grievances. He looked like he had nowhere toin about his grievances. ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± He turned his head toward Branden for help, but Branden ignored him. Now, he was in despair. He could only me himself for being greedy and offering this suggestion without thinking twice. Although they didn¡¯t want to have barbecues, it was still time to have dinner. Seeing so many people in the ward, Audrey felt a bit awkward. After all, everyone was here to visit her. She said to Catherine, ¡°Kathy, you take everyone to have dinner. The hospital has arranged healthy meals for me, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Just as she finished speaking, she saw a girl wearing a sweatshirt and carrying arge school bag walk in. Seeing so many people in the ward, theer seemed slightly surprised. Subconsciously, she opened her mouth and said, ¡°Are you all Audrey¡¯s fans?¡± Seeing theer misunderstand, Audrey exined quickly, ¡°Kiri, they are all my friends. This is my sister Catherine.¡± ¡°Kathy, this is Kiri, the assistant you helped me find. She¡¯sing to the hospital to stay with me tonight, so you don¡¯t need to stay here with me. You still have to get up early tomorrow to go to school.¡± Catherine nced toward Kiri and nodded slightly in greeting. Her attitude was neither cold nor enthusiastic. Kiri, however, kept staring at Catherine, looking her up and down carefully. Then, with a face of surprise, she said, ¡± Miss Catherine, hello. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kiri Herman.¡± Kiri used to work as an assistant for Grayson for many years, but at that time, Grayson did not have the current status. She was just an assistant responsible for chores around Grayson. She knew Grayson¡¯s efforts and talent better than anyone else. She watched Grayson work hard and quickly ascend the peak that others would never reach, even if they worked hard for a lifetime. She always thought people like Peerless Grayson were like gods, without any emotions and desires, because she had never heard rumors about him. Later, she discovered something identally that shocked her. She found that every time Peerless Grayson received a mysterious phone call, he could be in a good mood for the whole day. Moreover, a photo of someone¡¯s back was inside Peerless Grayson¡¯s wallet. Although she could not see the face of the person in the picture, she was sure it was a girl. Whenever something major came up, Peerless Grayson would stare nkly at this back photo. She once boldly asked Peerless Grayson if the girl in the photo was the one he liked. She clearly remembered that Peerless Grayson said to her with a serious face, ¡°It¡¯s someone that I admire and respect as much as a god!¡± At that time, she was shocked. Later, when she saw the smile Peerless Grayson showed when he met Catherine in a variety show, she realized that this was the person who could make Peerless Grayson happy all day with every phone call. After meeting Catherine in real life, she finally realized what stunning beauty meant. Catherine was just too beautiful and graceful. Kiri had been observing Catherine consciously or unconsciously, and Catherine had also sized up Kiri. When Catherine saw that Kiri was quick and good at caring for people, she agreed that Kiri would stay and take care of Audrey. Catherine nced at the crowd and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Branden was the first to respond. He put down his crossing long legs and walked over to Catherine¡¯s side, actively taking her hand. His movements were both smooth and natural. He took Catherine¡¯s hand and put it into his arm. ¡°Going to dinner?¡± The man¡¯s deep eyes looked at her gently with questioning. Catherine didn¡¯t answer him but directly pulled him away, and the rest of the people naturally followed. In a few moments, however, Kiri was the only one left in the ward to apany Audrey. Seeing no one was around, Kiri boldly asked Audrey, ¡°Audrey, who was that handsome guy holding your sister just now? He was so imposing. I didn¡¯t even dare to take a look at him.¡± Audrey didn¡¯t expect Kiri to ask this, but she could understand why Kiri asked that. After all, as long as Branden was present in a ce, it was probably difficult for regr people not to notice him. ¡°He¡¯s my sister¡¯s boyfriend. Not to mention you, even I rarely look at him.¡± Audrey showed a mysterious smile toward Kiri. Kiri, however, smiled a bit guilty. From how Branden looked at Catherine, Kiri knew their rtionship wasn¡¯t ordinary. After learning about Branden¡¯s rtionship with Catherine, Kiri only felt a pang of heartache. She felt it for Peerless Grayson. She didn¡¯t know what Peerless Grayson would feel if he learned that his idol had a boyfriend. Catherine got in the car with Branden, and Triston followed to get in as well. When he reached out to pull the car door, he found it locked. He subconsciously knocked on the ss, but the car was started and driven away. Triston almost fell because he didn¡¯t react in time. He stomped his feet in anger. Catherine couldn¡¯t help butugh at the image of Triston making a fool of himself. The man sitting next to her looked at her with his eyes filled with doting and asked softly, ¡°Feel better?¡± Catherine turned her head and looked back and forth at the man with cold eyes. Her voice was very light, but there was a sense of arrogance. ¡°So you saw that!¡± Although she didn¡¯t know what exactly Triston had done to Audrey, Catherine knew that the one who suffered was Audrey. Since Audrey didn¡¯t pursue the matter, Catherine naturally wouldn¡¯t take action, but that didn¡¯t mean she forgave Triston for what he did. The man pursed his lips with a smile but didn¡¯t respond. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. However, Paxton, who was driving, felt a chill behind him and shivered. He knew now that he could offend anyone but never Catherine. To make Catherine smile, Branden even fooled his friends. If Paxton offended Catherine, even if he wasn¡¯t kicked out of the Duncans, he would be sent to an extremely impoverished ce to mine. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± The man leaned against the window and sat looking at Catherine. He had a cold face, and his dark ck eyes were filled with doting. Catherine had been eating barbecue almost dailytely and already felt slightly tired of it. She suddenly missed some simple home -cooked meals. ¡°I want to eat those dishes you made the other day!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The man responded softly, then ordered Paxton, ¡°Go to the apartment!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Paxton immediately responded, changed direction at the fork in the road, and rerouted to the apartment. Paxton couldn¡¯t see Catherine and Branden¡¯s expressions through the fender, but Branden¡¯s doting tone just now made him a bit panic. His hands were still shaking as he gripped the steering wheel. So, Branden had now be a cooking tool? s, the world might be about to change. Bryan followed them in his car and felt strange to see them suddenly changenes. ¡°Are they going to change direction?¡± Triston, who was driven to this car, saw through Branden¡¯s thoughts at a nce. After all, they had been brothers for so many years, and he knew Branden more or less. He said slowly, ¡°s, there¡¯s no need to ask. They¡¯re going home to romance and don¡¯t want to take us with them!¡± Ronin nced at the street sign. The direction Branden¡¯s car went was the direction back to the apartment. He said with some reluctance, ¡°Maybe Boss is tired and needs to rest. She didn¡¯t sleep much in ss today!¡± Rarely, Bryan didn¡¯t refute him but echoed, ¡°It makes sense!¡± Triston suggested generously, ¡°Since they don¡¯t want to have dinner with us, let¡¯s go by ourselves. Let¡¯s have barbecues together and go on a spree. My treat!¡± He finished speaking those words happily but only to find that no one was paying any attention to him. Yesenia put on a long face when she heard she could not have dinner with Catherine. ¡°Bryan, pull over to the side of the road! Bryanplied and pulled over to a parking spot on the roadside. Yesenia couldn¡¯t wait to get out of the car just as the car came to a stop. ¡°I¡¯m going back by myself.¡± After that, Ronin also got out of the car. Without Catherine, he wasn¡¯t interested in having dinner with these people. Seeing that they were getting off, Triston was a bit anxious. ¡°Hey, why are you all gone?¡± As a result, no one cared about him, so he could only turn his face to Bryan. Unexpectedly, Bryan nced at him and said coldly, ¡°Your home and mine are not on the same road.¡± This was clearly a rejection of him! In the end, Triston was driven out of the car. Standing alone on the roadside, he cursed at Bryan¡¯s car, ¡°Why are all the Duncans so bad?¡± Catherine followed Branden back to the apartment. Because Audrey was not there, she went straight into Branden¡¯s apartment. Branden pushed a snack cart over and ced it in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m going to make dinner. If you¡¯re hungry, eat some nuts first.¡± Watching a cart full of snacks with a wide variety and seemingly expensive prices, Catherine was somewhat surprised. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t eat snacks?¡± As far as she could remember, Branden never seemed to eat snacks. He only ate candy to coax her, and she put the candy in his mouth forcibly. At that time, his expression was a bit unforgettable to her. The man had a warm smile, and the aura emanating from his body was indescribably gentle. ¡°Because I have you!¡± Catherine froze momentarily, and a faint smile grew on her exquisitely cold face. She turned her head to look at Branden. With her beautiful eyes shining brightly, she sized him up with interest and said flirtatiously, ¡°I don¡¯t like snacks either. What should we do?¡± Knowing that she was saying that on purpose, Branden cooperated and said, ¡°Please take a bite for my sake!¡± Catherine reached out to pinch a nut and put it in her mouth. After that, she rested her cheeks on one hand and looked at Branden with interest. The ends of her eyes were slightly upturned on her pretty face. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a bite for the sake of Mr. Duncan!¡± Her tone was evil, wild, and provocative. Branden reached out and stroked her head. ¡°Good girl!¡± Catherine nced at theptop ced aside and asked, ¡°Can I use it?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Feel free to use it. I¡¯ll cook dinner. Food will be ready soon!¡± After saying that, Branden turned around and walked into the kitchen. On the other hand, Catherine used Branden¡¯sptop to deal with the work of the base. She had upgraded the chip to another version during this time, and it was still in the testing phase, so she had to catch up on her work. Time passed quickly, and Branden soon came out from inside the kitchen with the dishes. Catherine was still in front of theptop with a deep look on her face. Her serious look instantly made Branden a bit dumbfounded. A saying suddenly shed through his mind, ¡°People who work hard are the most beautiful!¡± At that moment, Catherine was so beautiful, and it made him forget to breathe. His hot gaze made Catherine stop her work and look up. Seeing her raise her head, Branden raised the food in his hand to signal that it was time for dinner. ¡°Food is ready!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine responded and happily turned off theptop, following the aroma of the food to the table. It was a simple three dishes and one soup. There was veggie chili, which looked spicy, but Catherine loved it. When she went to the spicy food restaurant with Branden, she ordered and ate a lot of it. Maybe that was why this dish appeared on the table tonight! After dinner, Catherine took the empty tes and was ready to put them in the sink, but Branden held her down. ¡°Leave it to me. You can continue to use theptop. The guest room remains the same, so you can rest first if you¡¯re tired!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine answered and went into the guest room with theptop in hand. Audrey was in the hospital, and it seemed she would still stay here tonight. After arriving at the guest room, Catherine sent Ronin the chip information that had just been tested. Just as Ronin received it, the phone she put aside rang. Catherine picked it up casually and ced it beside her ear. Ronin¡¯s excited voice came from the receiver. ¡°Boss, I thought you were rushing home to rest, but I didn¡¯t expect you were rushing to work. The data from the first phase of chip testing is avable now. It¡¯s so quick. Boss, you¡¯re simply God!¡± ¡°Cut the crap, put the stuff away, and arrange to go for testing!¡± Catherine¡¯s tone and attitude were cold, but Ronin had long gotten used to it and didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry. Leave all this to me. But Boss, do you have an intended target yet? If the news of our sessful new generation chip test is released, the outside world will definitely fight.¡± Their chips were at the top level and in a leading position worldwide. The world¡¯s top industry giants all hade to them with money to beg for chips. If the news that the new generation of chips was about to be sessfully developed was released, there might be another bloody storm. Ronin even suspected that the reason why their base¡¯s website was constantly being attacked before had something to do with this as well. Catherine swept a nce at theptop ced in front of her. She said slowly with a soft voice, ¡± Release the news to the Duncan Corporation!¡± ¡°The Duncan Corporation?¡± Ronin subconsciously raised his volume, and the shock between his words was hard to hide. ¡°Boss, You¡¯re giving them exclusive information! Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Leaving aside the benefits the Duncan Corporation would get after signing the chip, the Duncan Corporation would get tens of billions of dors in profits just by receiving the news first. If the Duncan Corporation operated properly, the profit could still double! Ronin was a bit distressed, mainly because he didn¡¯t want to give the news for free. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t we charge a token sum? Wouldn¡¯t giving it away be a bit of a loss?¡± He asked cautiously and was afraid to anger Catherine. Catherine nced at the nearby snack cart and the fruit te on the table with a faint smile in her cold eyes. ¡°It¡¯s already been charged!¡± ¡°Charged?¡± Ronin was very surprised. ¡°Mmmm!¡± Catherine answered, then said domineeringly, ¡°Do as I say!¡± Hearing this, Ronin knew that there was no room for negotiation and responded quickly, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get it done!¡± When Catherine opened the door the next day, she smelled the aroma wafting from outside. The smell of freshly baked toast was fragrant and tempting. As she stepped out of the room, she saw a busy figure in front of the dining room. Although the man¡¯s back was to her, he knew she was up the moment she appeared. Without looking back, the man said, ¡± Breakfast is ready!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine stood frozen in ce for a few seconds. Suddenly, she felt that she couldn¡¯t adapt to the atmosphere in this room. Sunlight revealed the huge floor-to- ceiling windows, shining throughout the whole house and making the room bright. The word ¡°warm¡± shed through Catherine¡¯s mind at that moment! The man felt a little strange because he felt there was no movement behind him after he said breakfast was ready. He put down the toast in his hand and turned his head. He saw Catherine was still standing in ce and freezing. She was with less of her usual evil and domineering demeanor but with more of a bit of stupidity, cuteness, and confusion. Branden couldn¡¯t help but reach out to scratch her nose. ¡°Why don¡¯t you move? Are you waiting for me to feed you?¡± Returning to her senses, Catherine nced at him with disgust and took a sharp bite of the toast beside his hand. Then she looked at him provocatively. Branden didn¡¯t get angry, but the smile on his face grew more prominent. Catherine¡¯s behavior gave him a more authentic feeling, which was more in line with the nature she should have at her age. ¡°Is it yummy?¡± Facing the man¡¯s inquiry, Catherine nodded honestly. Then she was pulled and held down by the man on a chair. He forced her to be full. She was forced to drink a ss of warm milk and eat two pieces of toast before being sent to school. Because of Branden¡¯s timely delivery, Catherine arrived at school a few minutes earlier than usual. Just as she entered the ssroom, Liana stood and walked toward her. ¡°Catherine, I need to talk to you. Come out with me for a minute!¡± Catherine followed her out of the ssroom, and the two stood at the end of the hallway. She stood idly by with her hands in her pockets, looking up at Liana. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Liana looked at Catherine with a tangled face and a particrly strange look in her eyes. ¡°Catherine, let me ask you. Is Audrey hurt?¡± ¡°So you knew it. Why are you asking?¡± Catherine looked at Liana with contempt and belittlement in her eyes. She knew very well that Liana wouldn¡¯t question her like this if she didn¡¯t know Audrey was injured. What she hated the most was this kind of pretentious demeanor from Liana. Liana red at Catherine with a very disgruntled look in her eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us immediately? I learned the news of Audrey¡¯s injury from George. Catherine, don¡¯t you think this is too much?¡± She wouldn¡¯t have known about it if George hadn¡¯t revealed it inadvertently. She didn¡¯t even know that Catherine took Bryan and the rest of them to see Audrey, but instead, she, as Catherine¡¯s sister, hadn¡¯t been brought along. Catherine had a look of disdain and tease in her eyes. ¡°What? ming me for not telling you? Now, you come to show me sisterly love. Do you have a good rtionship with Audrey?¡± Liana was so dumbfounded by her retort that she didn¡¯t even know how to fight back. It was true that she didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with Audrey. She didn¡¯t like stupid Audrey. Even making her pretend to have a good rtionship with Audrey made her ufortable. She took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed the anger that filled her, staring coldly at Catherine. ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s my sister. You should at least tell me. You didn¡¯t tell me because you were worried that Audrey wouldn¡¯t help you again after you told me, right? ¡°You approached Audrey because you knew she had a bad rtionship with our family and wanted to use her to deal with our family. From beginning to end, you returned to get revenge on Mom and Dad for throwing you out in the countryside when you were a child, right?¡± Catherine could see that Liana was absolutely deranged, deliberately messing around with her. ¡°You¡¯re right. I just came back for revenge. Are you satisfied?¡± After saying that, Catherine turned her head to leave directly. She had no time to waste on this mentally troubled douchebag. Looking at Catherine¡¯s disappearing back, a wicked smile appeared on Liana¡¯s face. She took out her cell phone and pressed the y button. The conversation she had with Catherine just now was all recorded by her. She was now looking forward to how her father would react when he heard this recording and knew that Catherine wasing back for revenge. She silently thought, ¡°Catherine, you can¡¯t win me!¡± In the suburban vi, Branden was there to inspect thetest projects. He rested in the vi at noon. Paxton appeared with thetest news. 11 Mr. Duncan, I have information that needs your confirmation.¡± It was likely not just a small matter for Paxton to go and confirm with him personally. Branden paused the conference call immediately and turned his gaze to Paxton. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Paxton handed Branden thetest information he received. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the Hacker Alliance took the initiative to release news to us, saying that the second-generation chip development has entered the testing stage and will soon be ready for market use!¡± This news was indeed not an ordinary one. Branden immediately looked up at Paxton and asked, ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Paxton nodded firmly. He was particrly shocked when he heard the news and repeatedly confirmed it. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the news is true. From what we have learned, the Hacker Alliance has only leaked this news to us so far, and it¡¯s an exclusive disclosure!¡± This was what puzzled Paxton the most. The Hacker Alliance was notorious for being mean. It was impossible to buy news from the Hacker Alliance. The Hacker Alliance had a perfect system. It was a very mysterious and powerful organization, and the members inside were all at the genius level. It was not easy to get news from these geniuses. ¡°Mr. Duncan, if this news is true, the Hacker Alliance has given us tens of billions of dors of profit. If we are allowed to be the exclusive supplier of the second-generation chips, it will be beneficial to the Duncan Corporation.¡± This excited Paxton the most, but this news came so quirkily that he dared not to make a decision quickly and could only go to Branden for a discussion. ¡°Mr. Duncan, what are we going to do now?¡± Chapter 263 Chapter 263 The news that the Hacker Alliance had exclusively released to the Duncan Corporation was indeed not ordinary news. Branden had wanted this chip for a long time and had been waiting for news to be released on the market. If there were any rumors, no matter how much the cost, he would take the exclusive rights. Hacker Alliance, one of thergest chip bases in the world, actually took the initiative to release news to the Duncan Corporation, which was indeed unusual. ¡°Paxton, arrange for Carlo toe back.¡± Paxton understood Branden¡¯s intention. Branden wanted to put Carlo Duncan in charge of this matter. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll contact Carlo immediately!¡± If Carlo was in charge of this matter, Paxton could rest assured. Otherwise, he worried he might not have enough energy to handle it. As Paxton was about to leave, he seemed to remember something and suddenly turned around to Branden again. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do you think it could be rted to Miss Swann?¡± Although they were not sure what Catherine¡¯s rtionship with the Hacker Alliance was, since she knew Joseph, she must have a connection with it. Just as he finished speaking, before Branden could respond, Paxton denied himself. ¡°It should not be possible. After all, the matter about chips is important, and only the Hacker Alliance¡¯s decision- makers can make this decision!¡± Branden remained silent throughout the process, his gaze coldly examining the document Paxton had handed him. At the end of ss, the homeroom teacher of ss 8 suddenly went to the ss looking for Catherine. ¡°Catherine,e out for a minute!¡± Ronin and Bryan looked at Catherine with concern, wondering what the homeroom teacher suddenly wanted from her. Catherine, however, stood up gracefully and dragged her bodyzily along with the homeroom teacher to the office. After the homeroom teacher handed Catherine a chair, Catherine sat down immediately. Shezily leaned back in the chair with a very dominant posture. It just so happened that the homeroom teacher of ss 7 also walked in and recognized Catherine immediately. Since thest celebration g, no one would not recognize Catherine, the popr figure of Loyalty Academy. Unlike others, the homeroom teacher of ss 7 did not like Catherine. She had long heard about Catherine¡¯s deeds and knew Catherine slept daily during ss and led a group of students in yful distractions. Most importantly, since Catherine¡¯s appearance, ss 8 had stolen all the limelight from ss 7. The homeroom teacher of ss 7 had a lot of grievances about this. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the office, she saw Catherine sittingzily on the chair without paying attention to her homeroom teacher. The homeroom teacher of ss 7 immediately became angry. She looked at the homeroom teacher of ss 8 and said sarcastically, ¡°Miss Joyce, you have such a good temper. You don¡¯t get angry even if some students are so arrogant in front of you!¡± Hearing this, Catherine had an expressionless face and didn¡¯t care. The face of the homeroom teacher of ss 8 sank. However, there were a lot of grudges between her and the homeroom teacher of ss 7, and she didn¡¯t make any direct attacks considering their colleagues¡¯ rtionship. Catherine and her homeroom teacher¡¯s silence did not make the homeroom teacher of ss 7 stop being sarcastic but instead made her even more arrogant. She sarcastically told Catherine, ¡± There are all kinds of students nowadays. Some students don¡¯t even have the right sitting or standing posture ande to school to sleep all day long. This type of student is a typical ck sheep. What¡¯s the use of keeping such students?¡± What she said was extremely unpleasant. Just as Catherine was about to retort her, her homeroom teacher suddenly stood up. She looked straight at the homeroom teacher of ss 7, her face very serious, and her eyes were filled with anger. ¡°Miss Hart, Catherine is my student. If there is anything she does not do well, I will advise her. As teachers, aren¡¯t you going too far in making such usations against the students in my ss without knowing the situation?¡± The homeroom teacher of ss 7 was furious at those words and was nning to hit back. However, she didn¡¯t expect the homeroom teacher of ss 8 to continue. ¡°I advise you to take care of the students in your ss and improve their grades when you have time so that you won¡¯t be criticized again at the next homeroom teacher assembly.¡± These words hit the point! What the homeroom teacher of ss 7 hated the most was that the students in her ss were not as excellent as those in ss 8. Every year, she received less year-end awards than the teachers of ss 8.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. It could be said that the homeroom teacher of ss 8 had now mentioned the homeroom teacher of ss 7¡¯s sore spot, and saying those words in front of Catherine made the homeroom teacher of ss 7 more embarrassed. The homeroom teacher of ss 7 was so angry that she stamped her foot and rushed out of the office. As soon as she left, Catherine, who was watching the show, gave her homeroom teacher a thumbs up. ¡®Nice one!¡± Her homeroom teacher pretended to be angry and rolled her eyes at her. ¡°Avoid her when you meet her in the future. I¡¯m worried that she¡¯ll cause you trouble without me around!¡± Catherine thought to herself, ¡°Cause me trouble? ¡°Does Miss Hart have this ability?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t continue the topic. After all, she wasn¡¯t afraid, even if Miss Hart really had the ability. ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking for me for something?¡± The homeroom teacher reached out and patted her forehead, looking cute. ¡± Yes, I have something to talk to you about. It¡¯s all Miss Hart¡¯s fault. She almost made me forget about it.¡± After saying that, the homeroom teacher took out a document and handed it to Catherine. ¡°This is a document issued by the school. As the first-ce group of the celebration g, you guys are qualified to participate in the National Literary League.¡± Catherine knew about this, and Bryan had mentioned it to her before. She refused her homeroom teacher without even looking at the document. ¡°I¡¯m not interested. You can find someone else!¡± It was the same answer she had given Bryan before. She was really not interested in it. The homeroom teacher knew what Catherine meant. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have called her to the office alone to discuss. Although unsure of what Catherine thought, she knew that the core of their group was Catherine, and as long as she could persuade Catherine, everything would be solved. ¡°Catherine, this isn¡¯t just an honor for you alone, but for our ss 8. As you can see, ss 8 is in the ascendancy within the school right now, and to maintain the passion of the whole ss, I think you should participate. ¡°What would other sses think of our ss 8 if our first-ce group didn¡¯t even participate?¡± Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t say anything, the homeroom teacher didn¡¯t force the issue. ¡°This is a personal request from me. I want you to go back and think about it. You can give me the answer tomorrow.¡± Catherine¡¯s face remained the same as she stood up with her hands in her pockets and walked out of the office. She went back into the ssroom and sat down. As soon as she sat down, Ronin and Bryan approached her. ¡°Boss, why did the homeroom teacher ask the office?¡± you to go to Catherine didn¡¯t hide it and said lightly, ¡°Something about the National Literary and Art League!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it!¡± Ronin nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s not a big problem. We¡¯ll just not participate.¡± He knew Catherine didn¡¯t like these, and she couldn¡¯t participate. There was a slight entanglement between Catherine¡¯s eyebrows. No one could force her, and she wouldn¡¯t do things she didn¡¯t want to do. But something seemed to be different this time! Chapter 264 Chapter 264 It had been a while since Catherine had spoken. In Ronin¡¯s mind, this pretty much confirmed Catherine¡¯s refusal to participate in the uing national artpetition. But then, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Catherine suddenly spoke up. ¡°Does anyone know how long thispetition willst?¡± she inquired. Both Ronin and Bryan were taken aback, especially Ronin. However, Bryan knew more about thepetition, so Ronin didn¡¯t reply, and Bryan responded to Catherine. ¡°Boss, thepetition consists of preliminaries, semi-finals, and the grand finals. It¡¯ll take about a month. They¡¯ve streamlined thepetition this year, and there¡¯s a rule that the top three in the preliminaries can bypass the semi-finals and go straight to the grand finals.¡± Thepetition wasn¡¯t an everyday affair. To amodate student participants, it was scheduled on weekends to amodate student participants, except for the special grand finals. Bryan handed thepetition schedule to Catherine. Coincidentally, the reality show that Audrey was part of had to make a substitution due to her injury, which gave Catherine time to participate on the weekends. After calcting the timing, in front of Ronin and Bryan, Catherine made her decision. ¡°Arrange everything. We¡¯re participating in thepetition.¡± Bryan and Ronin exchanged nces in surprise. They wondered why Catherine had suddenly changed her mind. Catherine leaned back in her chair. With her arms crossed, she nced at the two of them. ¡°Any problems?¡± They both shook their heads in unison. ¡°No problem, Boss. We¡¯ll follow your lead.¡± Bryan had never been interested in these things but hadn¡¯t had much fun at the celebration g. If it meant cooperating with Catherine and the others again, he was more than willing. As for Ronin, he always followed Catherine¡¯s orders without question. If Catherine wanted to participate, he would participate. It was as simple as that. In Ronin¡¯s view, Obedience to Catherine was above all else. By the afternoon, news of Catherine and their group¡¯s participation in thepetition had spread throughout ss 8. David and the others were so excited that they banged on their desks and cheered. ¡°Catherine, Bryan, you can count on us. When the timees, we¡¯ll cheer you on with all our might!¡± David eximed. George, who was standing by, looked at them and chuckled. He said, ¡°Our ss is truly honored this time. There are only three slots for the whole school, and we have two!¡± Ronin turned his head and nced at George. ¡°Two?¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Yeah. One of them is Liana. The sisters from the Swanns are exceptional, and each one is better than the other,¡± George exined. As George was speaking, Liana happened to pass by. The somewhat clueless George stopped Liana and stared at her warmly. ¡°Liana, Catherine agreed to participate in thepetition, so our chances of winning just got better, don¡¯t you think?¡± When Catherine heard Liana¡¯s name, she nced up and saw Liana standing there with a forced smile next to George. Liana appeared calm but was actually on the brink of exploding with anger. It amused Catherine. Liana had endured a lot over the years to maintain the image of a high-born youngdy. Liana¡¯s patience was truly remarkable. Before passing by this spot, Liana had already heard the news. She remembered that Catherine had initially refused to participate, and now Catherine had changed her mind. She thought inwardly, ¡°Does this jinx want to hog the limelight? ¡°She is born to oppose me. She is such an infuriating jinx. ¡°As for the damn George, why does he embarrass me like this?¡± Liana was seething inside but had to maintain a gentle andposed demeanor. She looked at Catherine and casually asked, ¡°Catherine, I heard you declined to join the nationalpetitionst time. You imed you weren¡¯t interested. Why the sudden change? Is it because you discovered this competition will be broadcast globally, and you want more people to know you?¡± She was trying to convey that Catherine was flip-flopping for fame. ¡°No.¡± As soon as George heard Liana¡¯s words, he quickly provided an exnation for Catherine. He said, ¡± Liana, you got it wrong this time. Catherine agreed to participate because our homeroom teacher enthusiastically invited her. When I was in the office earlier, our homeroom teacher said she had finally convinced Catherine. She¡¯s delighted that Catherine is representing our ss in thepetition.¡± Earlier in the morning, their homeroom teacher had summoned Catherine out of the ssroom. Everyone had seen it happen. At that moment, they had been specting about what Catherine had done to make their usually mild-mannered homeroom teacher suddenly call her into the office. Now, they realized the situation. With George¡¯s exnation, everyone understood what had happened. David led the apuse and said, ¡± Catherine, you really considered our ss¡¯s honor. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s all apud Catherine. She¡¯s such a modest person. She is willing to lead Bryan into battle for our school¡¯s honor. We shouldn¡¯t spare our apuse.¡± At that moment, apuse thundered throughout the ssroom. Catherine still loungedzily in her seat. She looked uninterested. It seemed that all these changes didn¡¯t concern her at all. As Liana watched Catherine, who was surrounded by adoring ssmates and was like a queen, a venomous hatred surged within her. The apuse and the praises directed at Catherine were like sharp knives plunging into Liana¡¯s heart with each word. Everything used to belong to Liana, whether in the Swanns or ss 8. She used to be the most dazzling. In Liana¡¯s view, all the apuse and honor were meant for her. She was the family¡¯s pride, even in the Swanns, where boys were traditionally favored. She was more precious than her two other sisters. But since Catherine¡¯s arrival, everything had changed, and Liana couldn¡¯t ept it. Liana thought Catherine had taken away everything that had once belonged to her. She swore to herself that she would get rid of Catherine. Liana looked up toward Catherine She didn¡¯t expect that Catherine was also sizing her up. Their eyes met, and it seemed that Catherine could see through Liana¡¯s soul. Catherine hadn¡¯t done anything, but it was as if Catherine had struck Liana¡¯s heart, which made Liana instinctively lower her head. Liana¡¯s heart raced, and she felt inexplicably flustered. This feeling made her highly ufortable. Finally, she hastily left the scene. Catherine had been keeping an eye on Liana¡¯s reactions. A cold smile yed on her beautiful face when she saw Liana flee. She understood Liana¡¯s intentions all too well. She had repeatedly emphasized that she could tolerate some of Liana¡¯s foolish actions. After all, every time Liana did something foolish, Liana was the one who suffered in the end. But if Liana sought her own demise, she shouldn¡¯t me Catherine for being ruthless. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Korbin was at Mercy Hospital. At that moment, a group of important individuals, including the hospital¡¯s director, Rhys, had gathered outside the operating room. Korbin looked at the director with an anxious expression on his face. ¡°Mr. Parry, how is my son¡¯s condition? Is it serious?¡± Rhys gazed at Korbin seriously and replied, ¡°Mr. Swann, rest assured. Our top-notch surgeon is performing the surgery on Mr. Johnathan. Mr. Johnathan¡¯s condition is not too severe and won¡¯t affect theter stages.¡± Korbin nodded and gratefully shook Rhys¡¯ hand. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Parry. I appreciate your efforts in handling this matter.¡± Korbin signaled to his secretary on the side. The secretary immediately took out an envelope from his pocket. It was a familiar routine. There was no need to guess. Rhys knew exactly what Korbin meant. He proactively declined the envelope offered by the secretary and looked polite as ever at Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, with your close rtionship with Mr. Duncan, these are all things we should be doing. Please don¡¯t do this.¡± Seeing Rhys¡¯ firm attitude, Korbin realized that Rhys was serious. Then Korbin signaled for the secretary to put the envelope away. Rhys left with a cheerful demeanor. As soon as Rhys was out of sight, his assistant quietly inquired, ¡°Mr. Parry, why are you being so courteous to the Swanns? The Swanns don¡¯t interact much with our hospital, do they?¡± Mercy Hospital, the finest private hospital in Casier, usually received affluent and influential patients. The fact that the Swanns could have Rhys personally involved was because of the Swanns¡¯ prominent status in Casier. Rhys met countless dignitaries. However, the assistant sensed that Rhys was exceptionally polite toward the Swanns. Rhys smiled and stared at his assistant with a meaningful look. ¡°The Swanns have a strong connection with the Duncans. If the Swanns were to form an alliance with the Duncans, we might have to consider the Swanns¡¯ preferences in the future.¡± Thest time Rhys returned, he had explicitly inquired about Catherine¡¯s background. He learned about the Swanns¡¯ rtionship with the Duncans. Korbin¡¯s son was injured this time, which was the Swanns¡¯ matter. Given Branden¡¯s attitude previously and his visit to the hospital, Rhys couldn¡¯t afford to neglect the Swanns. He had to be careful and attentive to them. When Liana arrived at the door of the operating room, Johnathan¡¯s surgery had not yet concluded. Only Korbin and Rachael were at the entrance of the operating room. Rachael had tears in her eyes, and Liana hurried over tofort her. She said, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry. Johnathan will be fine.¡± Rachael, consumed by thoughts of her beloved son, couldn¡¯t find any words to say and just shook her head silently. However, Liana was unusually concerned and asked, ¡°Mommy, how did Johnathan suddenly have an ident? Although he¡¯s young, he¡¯s a good driver and often talks about participating in races.¡± As the Swanns were well-off, and Johnathan, as the only son of the Swanns, had been pampered from a young age. He had a passion for cars. Rachael had arranged a car for him at a very young age. So, Johnathan¡¯s driving skills were indeed decent. His sudden car ident had surprised the Swanns. Seeing that her parents remained silent, Liana suddenly blurted out her thoughts. She asked, ¡°Could someone be intentionally trying to harm Johnathan?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. This single sentence drew the attention of the couple from the Swanns. Korbin looked at Liana with a serious expression while Rachael reached out and grabbed Liana¡¯s arm. ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you know if your brother has offended someone outside? Or something else? You¡¯d better exin yourself.¡± Being pulled by Rachael, Liana put on a fragile demeanor and looked at her innocently. ¡°Mommy, Johnathan never tells me anything about his affairs. I don¡¯t know if he has offended anyone.¡± ¡°Then why did you suddenly say that?¡± Rachael pressed for more information. Liana was hesitant, which made Rachael suspect that she knew something, ¡°Liana, it¡¯s a critical moment. Your brother¡¯s life is at stake. Why aren¡¯t you telling the truth?¡± Korbin also noticed this and said to Liana, ¡°Liana, if you know something, just say it. Is there anything you can¡¯t say in front of your parents?¡± Liana nodded with a look of helplessness and cautiously said, ¡°I¡¯ve always been worried that Catherine is seeking revenge on us.¡± ¡°Catherine?¡± Korbin looked at Liana in shock. ¡°Dad, Catherine came back to get revenge on us. She told me herself.¡± Liana took out her phone and yed the recorded conversation. After Rachael heard that, her face darkened. Her previously sharp eyes turned cold, and she spoke with determination, ¡°It must be that girl. She¡¯s capable of doing anything to get her hands on the Swann Corporation¡¯s wealth. ¡°This jinx! She¡¯s nothing but a troublemaker. Honey, Johnny¡¯s ident must be her doing.¡± Rachael stared at Korbin and urged him toe up with a n. Korbin nodded thoughtfully. Initially, he didn¡¯t want to take extreme measures considering the family ties. However, Catherine refused to listen and was indeed seeking revenge. In Korbin¡¯s view, Catherine tried to harm the Swanns¡¯ only son. Korbin thought inwardly, ¡°Does she believe that she could secure arger share of the Swann Corporation¡¯s wealth by doing this? ¡°That is nothing but wishful thinking.¡± Then Korbin said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Leave this matter to me. I will get to the bottom of it.¡± After saying that, Korbin turned to his secretary and instructed, ¡°Go and thoroughly investigate to see if there were any issues with Johnny¡¯s car.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Swann.¡± Liana hid behind Rachael and watched the retreating figure of Korbin¡¯s secretary. A smug and sinister smile yed on her face. She bore a slight resemnce to Catherine. After receiving the information, Ronin immediately informed Catherine. ¡°Boss, Johnathan had a car ident.¡± Catherine was in the middle of ying a game and didn¡¯t even lift her head as she asked, ¡°Is he dead?¡± Ronin shook his head and gave a concise reply. He said, ¡°No. He just broke his leg. He¡¯s currently undergoing surgery at Mercy Hospital.¡± ¡°Then why are you telling me?¡± Catherine¡¯s tone was cold and sinister. She was extremely indifferent. Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°He just broke his leg. He didn¡¯t die. Why bother me with it?¡± As Ronin assessed Catherine¡¯s attitude, he couldn¡¯t help but envy Audrey. Compared to Johnathan, Audrey was definitely the favored one. When news of Audrey¡¯s injury came, Catherine rushed to the hospital without hesitation. She arranged the best doctors and even brought Branden with her. Since Catherine didn¡¯t care about Johnathan, Ronin saw no need to continue the conversation. Since Johnathan was insignificant, there was no need to bother Catherine. Ronin approached with a cheerful smile and pleaded with Catherine. ¡°Boss, how about ying games with me for a while? It¡¯s been so long since we yed together.¡± Chapter 266 Chapter 266 When the secretary delivered the vehicle appraisal report to Korbin, he couldn¡¯t remain calm any longer. Korbin had some inkling of Liana¡¯s thoughts, so despite his doubts, he immediately instructed the secretary to inspect the car that Johnathan had been in when the incident urred. ¡°Mr. Swann, the brake pads on Mr. Johnathan¡¯s car have been tampered with,¡± the secretary said. Upon hearing this, Rachael, who was standing nearby, couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. She stood up. Her eyes were red and filled with hatred. She shouted, ¡°That jinx did this? Damn it. How dare she? ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her. I must go and kill her!¡± However, Liana, who was standing beside them, remained somewhatposed at that point. She reached out to hold her mother. ¡°Mom, although we suspect that Johnathan¡¯s incident wasn¡¯t an ident, we don¡¯t have evidence that Catherine did it. Shouldn¡¯t we investigate further?¡± she suggested. Rachael was furious, and her face was contorted with anger. ¡°Who else could it be but her? She¡¯s an absolute disaster, a jinx. She¡¯s back for revenge. She wants Johnny dead and the inheritance all to herself.¡± Not satisfied with venting her anger, Rachael directed her fury at Korbin. ¡°Are you just going to stand there while our child is in danger? He¡¯s your only son, your sole heir!¡± Korbin knew how much Rachael cared about their son, so out of consideration for their son, he chose not to argue with her. He looked at Rachael seriously and said, ¡°Mind your image.¡± Rachael was infuriated. At a time like this, her husband was reminding her to maintain her public image. Rachael realized Korbin couldn¡¯t be relied upon, but she still had her family to turn to. ¡°Korbin, you might be afraid of that jinx, but I¡¯m not. I will make her pay and do what I say.¡± As he watched Rachael storm out, Korbin calmly nced at the secretary standing nearby. ¡°Have someone keep an eye on her, but don¡¯t let things get out of hand.¡± This was a crucial time, especially after the recent incident with Leonel. Their cooperation with David had finally taken shape. If any scandal emerged now, it would allow the other side to seize their weaknesses through Catherine, and the consequences would be too significant. Korbin wouldn¡¯t let his wife¡¯s actions jeopardize the bigger picture. He was determined to eliminate Catherine. Korbin thought what his wife said was right. Johnathan was their only heir, and Korbin wouldn¡¯t let Catherine seed. After school, Catherine went straight to the hospital. Audrey was recovering fairly well, and she greeted Catherine with a smile. ¡°Kathy, you came right after school, didn¡¯t you? Next time, don¡¯t rush like this. I have Kiri here. If you want to visit me, you shoulde after dinner.¡± Audrey had also been a student and understood how tiring school could be at Catherine¡¯s age. Audrey¡¯s happiest moment after school had always been when she could eat something. Catherine shrugged nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± After every ss, Ronin would give her various snacks. She really wasn¡¯t hungry at that hour. Kiri managed things efficiently. She assisted Audrey with hospital matters, organized Audrey¡¯s work, and helped Kim with tasks. Watching this, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but nod in approval. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Audrey. ¡°Not bad.¡± Audrey noticed Catherine¡¯s gaze and understood her meaning. Then she replied, ¡°She¡¯s more than ¡®not bad¡¯. She¡¯s absolutely amazing! ¡°Kathy, I appreciate you finding me such a great assistant. And I have some exciting news to share with you.¡± Seeing Audrey¡¯s excitement, Catherine leaned to the side, propped her chin up with one hand, and waited for her to speak. Audrey said excitedly, ¡°Let me tell you. Thepany has agreed to cover half of Kiri¡¯s sry. Isn¡¯t the company just wonderful?¡± The fact that thepany would cover half of the assistant¡¯s sry made Audrey so happy. It left Catherine unsure whether to praise her for being content or call her naive. Nevertheless, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but think that the managementpany was being quite stingy. If it weren¡¯t for Kim, Audrey might have been taken advantage of. ¡°When you have time, let Kim send your contract to Ronin.¡± Audrey didn¡¯t know why Catherine suddenly wanted her contract, but she obediently nodded. Kiri was on the side and continued with her tasks while discreetly keeping an eye on the sisters¡¯ conversation. She thought inwardly, ¡°The older sister doesn¡¯t seem much like an older sister. And the younger sister appears more like the responsible one. They are indeed an interesting pair of siblings.¡± ¡°You two seem to be having a good time here, chatting andughing away. An abrupt voice interrupted their conversation. Audrey and Catherine turned around simultaneously to see Liana standing at the door. She wore a stern expression and red at them with cold eyes. Knowing who had arrived, Catherine lost interest and withdrew her gaze. She sat indifferently to the side. Audrey, who was slightly more hospitable, greeted Liana with warmth. ¡°Liana, what brings you here? Come on in.¡± Liana entered with determined steps. She emanated a cold aura, and her expression was dark, as if everyone owed her something. Sensing the tension, Kiri exchanged a nce with Audrey and quietly left the room. After entering, Liana confronted Audrey and Catherine with anger in her eyes. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Do you two have any conscience left? You live off the Swanns and benefit from the Swanns. But when Johnathan had an ident, you didn¡¯t even bother to visit him. Do you think that¡¯s justifiable?¡± Audrey was shocked to hear this. She widened her eyes and looked at Liana in disbelief. ¡°What are you saying? Johnathan had an ident? What happened to Johnathan? Is it serious?¡± Liana sneered and gave Audrey a sideways nce. She said coldly, ¡°Now you¡¯re feigning concern?¡± Audrey grew anxious and raised her voice. ¡°Liana, tell me. What happened to Johnathan?¡± Liana replied with an impatient tone, Car ident. He¡¯s undergoing surgery in the operating room downstairs.¡± After Audrey heard about Johnathan¡¯s car ident and his current critical condition, her face turned ashen. Despite Johnathan¡¯s asional rebelliousness and rude behavior, he was still Audrey¡¯s brother, and Audrey couldn¡¯t remain indifferent. While Audrey¡¯s reaction seemed normal, Liana observed that Catherine hadn¡¯t even blinked her eyes and showed no reaction whatsoever. Liana asked, ¡°Catherine, what do you mean by this? Johnathan has had an ident, and you¡¯re not concerned at all. Do you want him to die in that ident?¡± At that moment, Liana discreetly activated her phone¡¯s recording device. Catherine had initially nned to ignore Liana, but since Liana insisted on calling her name, Catherine had no choice. It was just a leg fracture, but Liana made it sound like it was a matter of life and death. Catherine wondered what her intentions were. Catherine raised her head and looked at Liana with her cold eyes. Then Catherine said, ¡°Audrey has been hospitalized for so many days, and you haven¡¯t visited her. Now that Johnathan has an ident, you¡¯re here questioning why we didn¡¯t see him. ¡°Liana, what do you mean by this? ¡°Are you suggesting that Johnathan¡¯s life is more important than Audrey¡¯s?¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Under Catherine¡¯s relentless barrage of questions, Liana was left speechless. Her eyes widened, and despite her anger, she had no way to counter. Catherine raised another crucial question. She looked at Liana with cold eyes as she interrogated, ¡°We¡¯re not trailing behind Johnathan. How could we possibly know what happened to him? If Johnathan had an ident, shouldn¡¯t you have informed us immediately? ¡°You didn¡¯t even call us. You just storm into the hospital room to interrogate us. ¡°What are you trying to achieve, Liana? Catherine¡¯s words left Liana with no opportunity to respond. She didn¡¯t expect her ulterior motives to be so transparent to Catherine, and she certainly didn¡¯t anticipate Catherine publicly confronting her like this. It left her speechless. As Audrey watched the two of them face off, she felt a headacheing on. She didn¡¯t think Liana was intentionally trying to achieve something. She thought Liana was just overly concerned about Johnathan. ¡°Alright. Stop arguing.¡± After Audrey calmed Catherine down, she shifted her focus to Liana. ¡°Liana, how is Johnathan now? Have our parents arrived? What¡¯s the situation?¡± Before Liana could answer, Audrey continued, ¡°Never mind. Asking so many questions won¡¯t help. Let¡¯s see him together. It¡¯s a big deal, and we can¡¯t just stand here.¡± After Liana heard that Audrey wanted to visit Johnathan, Liana¡¯s expression changed slightly. However, she quickly regained herposure. She looked at Audrey with disdain, and her voice wasced with sarcasm. ¡°You weren¡¯t in a hurry when it happened, and now you¡¯re pretending to care? We don¡¯t need you to visit.¡± With those words, Liana turned and walked out of the hospital room. Her face darkened. Audrey became increasingly uneasy as she thought about the situation. She slowly got up from the bed and intended to follow Liana, but Catherine stopped her with a firm hand. Catherine stared calmly at Audrey with her cold eyes and asked, ¡°Are you giving up on your hand?¡± Audrey had been highly cautious during this time to ensure proper wound healing and prevent hypertrophic scarring. She avoided any unnecessary movements that might disturb her wound. She understood Catherine¡¯s concern. But given the current situation with Johnathan¡¯s ident, Audrey, as the elder sister, felt it was necessary to visit him. Audrey looked at Catherine worriedly and tried to persuade her earnestly. She said, ¡°Kathy, Johnathan¡¯s life is hanging in the bnce right now. We¡¯re both his sisters. We should go see him together.¡± Catherine nced at Audrey with mockery. ¡°He won¡¯t die.¡± Audrey sensed a calmness in Catherine¡¯s tone and found it strange. ¡°Kathy, do you know something?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Catherine hadn¡¯t initially nned to reveal anything, as she didn¡¯t see the necessity. However, Audrey¡¯s attitude made her reconsider. ¡°I heard that Johnathan¡¯s car ident wasn¡¯t severe. He just had a leg fracture and was operated on by one of the top surgeons at Mercy Hospital. The surgery was very sessful. He¡¯s young, so he should recover in two or three months.¡± Although Audrey hadn¡¯t personally verified the information, she trusted Catherine¡¯s words. Audrey felt relieved that Johnathan wasn¡¯t in grave danger and had only suffered a leg fracture. She pursed her lips andined in frustration, ¡°Why did Liana make it sound so serious? She got me all panicked.¡± Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°If Liana didn¡¯t make it sound serious, could she have fooled you?¡± However, Catherine kept this to herself, as there was no need to share such thoughts with Audrey. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Audrey was still worried and wanted to see Johnathan for herself. Catherine, seeing Audrey¡¯s determination, agreed to go on her behalf. It wasn¡¯t much trouble as the rooms were just upstairs and downstairs. ¡°Kathy, be careful when you go. With Johnathan¡¯s ident and Mom¡¯s impatience, her mood might not be great right now. Don¡¯t mind that.¡± Audrey expressed her concern. Audrey was well aware of Rachael¡¯s attitude toward Catherine. She worried that Catherine might be treated coldly when she visited. Audrey felt uneasy, so she offered such advice. Catherine raised an eyebrow and nced at Audrey. Then, she casually nodded and left the room. Then Catherine went to the eighth floor of the hospital. Catherine had received information that Johnathan¡¯s surgery had been sessfullypleted, and he was now in a ward on the eighth floor. Following the information provided by Ronin, Catherine arrived at the door of the ward. Her sudden appearance drew the attention of the people inside the room. There were quite a few people inside the room, including the couple from the Swanns and Liana and Korbin¡¯s secretary. When they saw Catherine suddenly appear, they were all somewhat surprised. The first to react was Rachael, She stood from her chair, red at Catherine, and cursed, ¡°You dare to show up here. You are a jinx. You¡¯ve caused so much harm.¡± Hearing Rachael¡¯s usations, Catherine remainedposed. She showed no emotion andpletely ignored Rachael. Catherine turned to look at the hospital. bed. She found that Johnathan¡¯splexion seemed fine. It indicated that there weren¡¯t any significant issues. After Rachael noticed Catherine¡¯s silence, her emotions were getting increasingly agitated. Rachael could endure anything, but she couldn¡¯t stand anyone harming Johnathan. In Rachael¡¯s view, Johnathan was her guarantee of status within the Swanns. She believed that her position as the mistress of the Swanns was secured because of Johnathan¡¯s existence. Anyone who dared to harm Johnathan was essentially threatening Rachael¡¯s life. Rachael stood up and lunged forward. She was furious and wanted to tear Catherine to shreds. Liana sat on the side. Her eyes were red, and she appeared helpless. But she had no intention of intervening. At this moment, Liana felt an immense sense of satisfaction. What she wanted was for Catherine to make a fool of herself. She wanted to witness Catherine¡¯s humiliation, as only then would she find sce. When Rachael lunged forward, Catherine subtly shifted her body and effortlessly evaded Rachael¡¯s attack. Although Catherine had evaded. Rachael wasn¡¯t as fortunate. Due to her momentum, Rachael couldn¡¯t stop herself and crashed forward. She eventually fell to the ground in a highly disheveled state. Catherine stood to the side. With hands in her pockets, she looked down at Rachael on the ground. Then she spoke slowly in a cold voice. ¡°I wonder what your high society friends would think if they saw you like this.¡± Initially, Rachael had thought about causing a scene. But Catherine¡¯s sharp words had pierced her heart, and Rachael quickly got up from the ground. Rachael had almost ruined her carefully maintained image as a high- societydy. And she thought it was Catherine who had nearly shattered it. After Rachael stood up, her face turned livid, and she stared at Catherine with her sharp eyes. ¡°You are a jinx. Why did youe back? Why are you harming Johnny like this? What have we ever done to you? Why such cruelty?¡± Catherine looked at Rachael with confusion. She was puzzled by Rachael¡¯s words. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rachael was seething with anger, and her face was contorted. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know. You¡¯re a jinx. Johnny wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± After Catherine heard that, her beautiful eyes grew cold. Catherine had promised Audrey that she would visit, and now she had fulfilled that promise. Since they didn¡¯t wee her and kept calling her a jinx, believing her presence had brought harm to Johnathan, Catherine felt there was no need for her to stay there any longer. Without a word, Catherine turned and left. However, Rachael couldn¡¯t let it go and followed Catherine to the door. Then Rachael continued her usations. All eyes were on Catherine, and no one noticed Liana¡¯s relieved sigh as Catherine departed. As Liana watched Catherine¡¯s departure, her expression grew even darker. Liana wasn¡¯t afraid, even if Catherine tried to deny her role in Johnny¡¯s ident. Liana knew that the people present wouldn¡¯t believe Catherine¡¯s words. They would only see Catherine as trying to absolve herself of me. After venting her anger at Catherine, Rachael turned back to see Korbin sitting on the side. Enough time had passed for her to calm down. She knew that Korbin didn¡¯t appreciate women causing a scene. Rachael had already caused a scene once before. If she did it again this time, it might displease Korbin. ¡°Korbin, you saw it too. Catherine has such an attitude. Even after what happened to Johnny, she had the audacity toe here and inquire about Johnny¡¯s condition. It just shows how bold she is.¡± Korbin¡¯s face darkened, and his voice grew cold. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will handle this.¡± Rachael had been married to Korbin for many years. While she didn¡¯t fully understand Korbin, she knew him well enough. From his expression, Rachael could see a killing intent. She knew that this time, her husband wouldn¡¯t spare Catherine. He might make sure Catherine disappeared for good. Rachael felt no sympathy for Catherine. She hoped Catherine would vanish from the world and stop bothering her. Catherine returned to Audrey¡¯s ward. As Audrey saw Catherine, she stood up with concern. ¡°How is it? Is Johnathan okay?¡± Audrey asked. ¡°He¡¯s fine. The surgery was sessful, ¡°Catherine replied calmly. Hearing this, Audrey felt a sense of relief. However, Audrey suddenly remembered something else and asked, ¡°Are our parents with Johnathan?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Hearing that, Catherine nodded. Then she noticed Audrey¡¯s eyes dimming suddenly. Catherine could still discern it despite Audrey¡¯s attempt to hide her emotions. Audrey had been in the hospital for three days, and apart from Catherine, no one else from the Swanns had visited her. Audrey didn¡¯t know Catherine had noticed her emotions. She didn¡¯t want Catherine to worry. Then Audrey said to Catherine, ¡°You should go back earlier. I don¡¯t need anyone here. You can get some rest at home.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t object, as it was true that Audrey could manage on her own. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave then.¡± Kiri watched as Catherine walked away. Then she said to Audrey in a low voice, Audrey, it seems like your little sister might be a bit reserved. Is she hard to get along with?¡± Kiri felt that she had phrased it quite delicately. She considered that Catherine¡¯s rtionship with Audrey seemed to be only slightly better than with strangers. After understanding what Kiri was trying to convey, Audrey smiled lightly. ¡°My sister has that kind of personality. Don¡¯t be fooled by her cold demeanor. She¡¯s a very good person. She is very generous and doesn¡¯t hold grudges. She¡¯s been very kind to me.¡± Audrey was grateful for her sister. She knew that her situation would be much worse without Catherine¡¯s support. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 When Catherine emerged from the hospital, she immediately spotted the familiar car parked at the entrance. As if it had be a routine, Catherine didn¡¯t show a hint of surprise and headed straight for the vehicle. As she approached, Branden got out of the car in advance and kindly opened the door for her. His arm leaned against the wall, which ensured Catherine didn¡¯t bump her head. Catherine skillfully bent down and settled into the car. Both of them were fully engrossed in each other. Neither of them noticed that Grayson was watching them intently without moving. Grayson¡¯s assistant, Fiy Patel, was standing nearby. He had been with Grayson for many years and was his closest confidant. ¡°Peerless Grayson, why didn¡¯t you go and greet Catherine?¡± As Grayson¡¯s personal assistant, Fiy knew better than anyone how busy Grayson was. Grayson could spare time for the hospital because he sacrificed his precious rest. Fiy also understood Grayson¡¯s purpose in going there. But when Catherine had passed by them just now, Grayson had hesitated to greet her, which frustrated Fiy immensely. Faced with Fiy¡¯s question, Grayson hesitated and didn¡¯t know how to respond. He also questioned why he hadn¡¯t mustered the courage to say hello earlier. He thought inwardly, ¡°Would Boss have stayed if I had greeted her?¡± Grayson was known for his fearlessness and never hesitating in any endeavor. He couldn¡¯t understand why he was so cautious and hesitant around Catherine and refrained from doing anything. Maybe it was because Catherine was just too powerful. Seeing Grayson¡¯s reaction, Fiy couldn¡¯t help but want to offer some advice. In Fiy¡¯s view, Grayson looked like a naive young man who had fallen helplessly in love for the first time. Fiy thought inwardly, ¡°Peerless Grayson is undeniably excellent and outstanding. ¡°However, Peerless Grayson has spent years solely focused on his career and his fans. Hecks any experience in matters of love, so it is normal for him to be unsure how to handle them.¡± After much hesitation, Fiy finally made up Grayson. his mind to start persuading ¡°Peerless Grayson, your career is at its peak now, and your status in the industry is no longer as humble as it used to be. You have a lot of autonomy. If you want to date without going public, that¡¯s entirely possible.¡± Grayson didn¡¯t pay much attention to Fiy¡¯s words but caught the part about starting an underground rtionship with Catherine. That was something he couldn¡¯t ept. He whispered, ¡°No need. If she¡¯s willing, I¡¯ll let the whole world know that she belongs to me.¡± He thought inwardly, ¡°As long as she¡¯s willing.¡± Inwardly, Fiy couldn¡¯t help but admire Grayson¡¯s deration. It was bold, though perhaps it was a bit premature. ¡°Peerless Grayson, I understand what you mean. But have you ever heard the saying to strike while the iron is hot?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Grayson turned his head and looked at his assistant in confusion. As Fiy Looked at Grayson¡¯s expression, he couldn¡¯t help but suppress the urge to make sarcastic remarks. ¡°Peerless Grayson, did you not see how attentive that man was just now? It¡¯s clear he¡¯s interested in Catherine. If you don¡¯t make a move soon, she might end up with someone else.¡± Fiy¡¯s words plunged Grayson deep into thought. He had noticed the presence of Branden during the recent celebration g. Catherine had left with Branden without even exchanging a word with Grayson. During their stay at the hot spring resort, Branden had also stood by Catherine in a way that suggested a romantic rtionship. This time, it was Branden again. Grayson thought inwardly, ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Grayson furrowed his brows and silently sank into contemtion. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 After Catherine got into Branden¡¯s car, he started to inquire calmly. ¡°I heard your brother had an ident. Do you need any help?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Catherine¡¯s attitude was cold, and she didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid. She thought Johnathan didn¡¯t need her care. Johnathan was the only son of the Swanns. There were plenty of doctors waiting to attend to him. Since Branden brought it up, Catherine decided to ask for a favor along the way. ¡°Do me a favor.¡± Branden gently turned his head to look at her with indulgence. ¡°Go on. When others asked him for help, it depended on his mood. But when Catherine asked, it was a matter of one word. Catherine straightforwardly stated her request. She said, ¡°Investigate the car ident.¡± Branden raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a meaningful look. ¡± Johnathan?¡± Catherine nodded. She wanted to investigate Johnathan¡¯s car ident. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off. The timing of Johnathan¡¯s car ident was just too coincidental. Not long ago, Leonel had a car ident. Then Audrey had an incident, and now Johnathan had a car ident. With so many coincidences, it might not be a coincidence at all. Without hesitation, Branden nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Alright.¡± When Catherine was about to thank him, Branden seemed to read her thoughts and preemptively held her hand. Then he changed the subject.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Catherine, what would you like to eat tonight? How about barbecue?¡± Catherine shook her head and declined the proposal to have a barbecue. ¡°Yourst home-cooked meal was excellent.¡± Although Catherine loved barbecue, she had found that Branden¡¯s home- cooked dishes suited her taste after trying them a few times. Branden smiled and looked at Catherine with indulgence. He parted his lips lightly and uttered a single word. He said, ¡°Okay,¡± Paxton was sitting in the front seat. He inadvertently overheard this conversation and silently shook his head. He hadn¡¯t expected Branden to cook dishes one day. The world was truly magical. Last night, Catherine stayed in a guest room across his door again. This morning, she enjoyed the breakfast that Branden had prepared for her. Then she rushed to the ssroom at thest minute. As Ronin saw Catherine in this state, without asking, he knew she had already been well taken care of. Then Ronin silently ate the breakfast he had prepared for Catherine. As soon as the first ss ended, Yesenia eagerly ran over to find Catherine. After seeing Yesenia, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. He felt like he must have a grudge against the Duncans. He thought inwardly, ¡°Why are the Duncans, one after another,ing to bother me andpete for the attention of Boss?¡± He sarcastically asked George, ¡± George, should we install a card reader at the door to keep these people froming to ss 8? We can¡¯t handle so many of them.¡± After being called by Ronin, George looked at him silently. George knew he was being used as a scapegoat. He had no choice but to remain silent. Yesenia naturally understood that Ronin was targeting her. She had initially wanted to argue back. But when she thought about how Catherine didn¡¯t like people arguing in front of her, she gave up. Yesenia ignored Ronin, and Ronin¡¯s provocations failed. He lost interest instantly. Most importantly, Ronin was worried that making too much noise would annoy Catherine, which would be more trouble than it was worth. Ronin thought inwardly, ¡°Since Yesenia can act innocent and obedient in front of Boss, I can also do it.¡± Catherine was wearing headphones and ying a game. Shepletely ignored Yesenia. Yesenia approached Catherine with enthusiasm. She didn¡¯t mind whether Catherine acknowledged her or not. She cheerfully said, ¡°Super Catherine, there¡¯s a small concert by Peerless Grayson tonight, and I have tickets. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Tickets for Grayson¡¯s concert were in high demand, especially for small private shows like this one. If it weren¡¯t for Yesenia¡¯s continuous support for Grayson and her strong membership in his fan club, she wouldn¡¯t have easily obtained tickets to the small concert. Yesenia believed that Catherine had a good rtionship with Grayson and would be willing to go. After all, it was a way to support him. Ever since she learned that Catherine was not only a gaming sensation but also a talented songwriter andposer, Yesenia¡¯s admiration for her had reached its peak. Catherine remained focused on her game and paid no attention to Yesenia. Yesenia wasn¡¯t annoyed. She squeezed herself into half of Bryan¡¯s seat. Then she rested her cheek in her hand and idly watched Catherine y games. Bryan rolled his eyes. However, it was Yesenia, and he couldn¡¯t vent his frustration. Many in the ss knew that Yesenia was Bryan¡¯s sister. Both of them were part of the Duncans. Therefore, Yesenia¡¯s attitude toward Bryan was not surprising. It was normal for siblings to behave this way. Yesenia found watching Catherine y games was a unique form of enjoyment. As a spectator, Yesenia couldn¡¯t even grasp how Catherine was operating, yet Catherine had defeated the other party. Catherine¡¯s skill was simply outstanding. Yesenia was left feeling dazzled and couldn¡¯t help but scream in excitement. Finally, Catherine ended a match with lightning speed and removed her headphones. ¡°Super Catherine, I feel like your marksmanship has improved again. That performance of AWM just now was impressive. You¡¯re my idol.¡± Most elite gamers would choose a rifle paired with a sniper rifle for versatility in long-range and close- quartersbat. However, Catherine was different. She carried a shotgun and a single-shot sniper rifle. With these extraordinary maneuvers, she secured a steady victory. With just 20 AWM bullets, she had taken down 20 opponents. It showed her remarkable uracy and skill. After observing Catherine¡¯s operation for a while, Yesenia felt that it was more interesting than watching top gaming streamers. She would be willing to tip her entire fortune to Catherine if there were a tipping feature because no one deserved it more. Catherine¡¯s eyes were tired from ying, so she decided to take a short break. She nced at Yesenia with a cold gaze. However, Yesenia was enthusiastic and didn¡¯t notice Catherine¡¯s attitude. She continued approaching Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, are we going tonight? I heard it¡¯s Peerless Grayson¡¯s birthday today. Let¡¯s go together. It¡¯s a rare opportunity.¡± Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°Birthday? Catherine thought of a message she had receivedst night. It seemed that Grayson had indeed invited her. He hoped Catherine would attend his concert. However, Grayson hosted these kinds of concerts or performances several times a year. So Catherine hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it. She hadn¡¯t expected it to coincide with Grayson¡¯s birthday. Catherine realized that it had been a while since she celebrated Grayson¡¯s birthday. Since it was his birthday, Catherine decided to go to the concert. After Catherine nodded in agreement, Yesenia was overjoyed. She couldn¡¯t believe that Catherine had agreed. ¡°Super Catherine, you¡¯re truly beautiful and kind-hearted. I love you so much! Mwah!¡± After Catherine agreed, the ss time was approaching, and Yesenia prepared to leave. However, she was suddenly grabbed by the cor by Bryan and forcefully pulled back. Yesenia furrowed her brow and looked at Bryan with an unhappy expression. Her tone was rigid as she asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Bryan was somewhat awkward, and his voice sounded uneasy. ¡°How many tickets do you have?¡± Upon hearing this, Yesenia instantly understood and had a smug look on her face. ¡°So, you want a ticket, huh? No problem. Since you¡¯re a member of the Duncans, I¡¯ll give you one. You¡¯re in luck.¡± As Bryan watched Yesenia leave with arrogance, he wanted to give her a good smack. She was so infuriating. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 The recital ended up having a massive crowd with the addition of Catherine. Not only did Bryan go, but even Ronin followed. The appearance of several attractive people drew the attention of many of the fans in attendance. A big fan recognized Yesenia, as she had thrown a lot of money into supporting her favorite idol. ¡°Ms. Yesenia, you¡¯re here! Are these guys all your friends?¡± The fact that the fan did not recognize Catherine somewhat annoyed Yesenia, and she made an introduction to the fan at the first opportunity. ¡°Don¡¯t you know Super Catherine? She¡¯s Peerless Grayson¡¯s regrposer. Those famous songs of Peerless Grayson are all written by Super Catherine. Don¡¯t you even know that?¡± There had been rumors on the inte before that Catherine, the sister of actress Audrey, knew Grayson because she was Grayson¡¯s arranger. But it was all rumors, and no one had any solid information, so people weren¡¯t sure. After all, many people liked to boast and would end up getting exposed and humiliated. The big fan nced at Catherine and treated her kind of politely for Yesenia¡¯s sake. ¡°Super Catherine, please take a seat. The recital is about to start!¡± Catherine ignored the fan and sat down where Yesenia pointed. She had no interest in unfamiliar people. At thest celebration g, although her identity had been publicly exposed, Branden blocked all the news on the spot. The news that she was Sugar, a greatposer, did not explode on the inte; only a small portion of theizens knew about it. Because of Yesenia¡¯s introduction, Catherine had caught quite a few people¡¯s eyes. On their left side, a girl wearing a short pink shirt said to her friend at the side, ¡°This is Catherine. Previously, when Peerless Grayson was on the variety show, she was sticking herself to Peerless Grayson, wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to climb to the top!¡± ¡°That¡¯s her. Now she¡¯s rushing to the recital. Does she want to create more gossip so everyone knows about her and she can take advantage of the opportunity to get to the top?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that she and Audrey aren¡¯t that close either. It¡¯s all for the show. They are rted by blood, yeah. But because of her bad luck, she was brought to the countryside by her parents as a child to fend for herself. Other people called her a jinx, the kind that even her parents didn¡¯t want her!¡± ¡°Really? So exaggerated? How can a child from the countryside like her be a greatposer? Could she be another one of those tricksters? After all, no one has ever seen Sugar in person!¡± The girl in the pink shirt snorted. ¡°Who knows? I won¡¯t believe anything else unless Peerless Grayson personally certifies it!¡± The sound of their discussion was light but still reached Yesenia¡¯s side. Yesenia was furious as soon as she heard that someone was dissing Catherine. But just as she was about to stand up, Bryan pulled her back. Yesenia turned back and looked at Bryan with a puzzled expression. ¡± What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to stop me. Didn¡¯t you hear them bad-mouthing Boss?¡± Bryan swept a nce in Catherine¡¯s direction and said in a cold voice, ¡°Do you think Boss cares about that? Stay out of trouble and listen to Boss¡¯s arrangements.¡± Hearing his words, Yesenia nced in Catherine¡¯s direction, only to find Catherine had a calm look and focused on her cell phone with an expressionless face the entire time. It was obvious that she wasn¡¯t affected at all. It wasn¡¯t that Bryan wasn¡¯t generous, but he looked at the problem from a deeper perspective than Yesenia. They had plenty of opportunities to clean up these people. However, given Yesenia¡¯s dramatic personality, she wouldn¡¯t stop until she made a scene. The recital was about to start, and perhaps Catherine didn¡¯t want to ruin Grayson¡¯s recital. Yesenia sat down somewhat reluctantly, extremely annoyed. Bryan leaned close to her ear and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just wait until the recital is over, and then you can make as much of a scene as you want!¡± A few more minutes passed, and the recital hadn¡¯t started yet. The recital should have started five minutes ago, but nothing had happened. The crowd was chattering in groups inside the venue, but no one wasining. After all, these fans were used to waiting. Generally, this kind of small- scale fan recital could hardly start on time due to various factors, and a dy of one or two hours was the norm, not to mention five or six minutes. The head fan who had gone out to inquire about the news returned. She told the crowd of anxiously waiting fans about thetest news she had learned. ¡°I¡¯m telling you guys, Peerless Grayson shot all night yesterday for today¡¯s recital. He¡¯s already backstage and will be ready to start the recital in about ten minutes. He¡¯s a bitte because it¡¯s a long way from the set, plus the traffic is a bit more congested on Fridays. Everyone should be more understanding of him, okay?¡± At these words, the crowd of Grayson¡¯s fans let out sighs, feeling heartbroken that their idol was working so hard. For people like Bryan, it was already for Catherine¡¯s sake that they coulde to see Grayson¡¯s recital, and as a result, they now had to wait. When he heard that another ten minutes would be required, he couldn¡¯t help butin about it. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t he have left earlier when he knew that there would be traffic jams on a Friday? Is Grayson so unreliable in his work?¡± Yesenia, a perennial star follower with a lot of experience, looked at Bryan with disdain and said in disgust, ¡°You just know nothing! It¡¯s called a big star! The more famous one is, theter he appears. Waiting for the stage too early will mean disgrace, you know?¡± ¡°Why should I know it? Is Grayson different from us? Does he have one more nose or two more eyes than we do? I can be friends with Grayson, but it¡¯s better to kill me if I¡¯m told to follow some celebrities,¡± thought Bryan. Not only Bryan but Ronin also couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He suggested to Catherine in a low voice, ¡°Boss, we can find a separate time for Grayson to sing for you alone if you want to hear him sing. Or maybe we can wait untilter and celebrate the birthday together when his recital is over, just before twelve o¡¯clock. I don¡¯t believe he won¡¯te.¡± Then he added, ¡°It¡¯s almost seven now. Let¡¯s grab some food. You¡¯ll have a problem with your stomach if you starve too long.¡± Catherine¡¯s stomach had some minor problems, so she had to eat on time. Ronin knew it was all because of him, so he was more concerned about this than anyone else. Hearing Ronin¡¯s proposal, Bryan was in favor of it. ¡°I agree!¡± Before Catherine could reply, she heard the girl in the short pink shirt from before say mockingly, ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re something? How dare you let Peerless Grayson sing for you guys alone? Are you serious?¡± Another girl on the side immediately added, ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s that greatposer, but she dares to be so arrogant! Who do you think you are? You still want Peerless Grayson to celebrate your birthday with you. How dare you?¡± ¡°Times have changed, really. Anyone can brag about anything now?¡± Theter ones went further overboard, and what they said got harsher and harsher. Ronin was about to explode with anger. ¡°You bastards, how dare you diss Boss? It looks like you guys have a death wish! shouted he inwardly.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Ronin angrily pointed at the girl in pink and said fiercely, ¡°Shut the fuck up. If you dare to talk nonsense again, you should be aware of what I¡¯m going to do to you!¡± That girl didn¡¯t even know who Ronin was. She was spoiled by her family and didn¡¯t take him seriously at all. Hearing Ronin¡¯s words, she instantly became furious. ¡°Huh, what do you want to do? Did I hit your sore spot? You dare to say so, but why can¡¯t you ept the words of others?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the girls around her all spoke in her favor. ¡°Yeah. Why should we be told to shut up? Did we say anything wrong? You guys can brag and not allow us to tell the truth?¡± The girl in pink stopped her friend and looked at Ronin and the others with a face full of mockery. Then, she said sarcastically, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. What if she¡¯s really Peerless Grayson¡¯sposer? If we offend her, we might get into trouble, so it¡¯s better to be careful. Lying and bragging isn¡¯t a crime, and if we piss them off, we might get med for it!¡± Another girlughingly seconded the girl in pink, saying, ¡°You have a point. My mom told me that some people are born to be cursed. When we meet this kind of person, we have to avoid them, or else we¡¯ll get into bad luck!¡± What the girls saidpletely pissed off Bryan and the rest of them, especially Yesenia. She had been pulled back by Bryan just now so that she didn¡¯t lose her temper to deal with these annoying girls. Now that they were so arrogant, she could not imagine what they could do if she didn¡¯t teach them a hard lesson. ¡°You bitches, let me see if you dare to repeat what you just said. I swear I¡¯ll make you have a hard time!¡± Yesenia had one hand on her hip, surrounded by an overwhelming aura. She was ready to fight at any time. Bryan and Ronin stood behind her on both sides, backing her up. The somewhat powerful aura around them intimidated the girls on the opposite side. But given that they often gathered together for the stars, their rtionship was quite good, and at the call of the girl in pink, the biggest fan, Elliana, came near as well. ¡°Elliana, these few people insulted Peerless Grayson. We definitely can¡¯t let them off!¡± ¡°Yeah, especially that Catherine. She even pretended to be Peerless Grayson¡¯sposer and said that she¡¯d let Peerless Grayson sing for them alone. They don¡¯t have the slightest bit of manners!¡± Elliana¡¯s face darkened. Ronin¡¯s remark just now was indeed too arrogant. At Elliana¡¯s signal, several fans gathered around. When the girl in pink saw the helpers, her attitude instantly became arrogant. She said smugly, ¡°Come on. Do you really think we¡¯re afraid of you guys? None of you can leave so easily if you don¡¯t apologize properly to us today.¡± Catherine originally wanted to ignore it. She had put her cell phone away and slowly stood up. Seeing Catherine get up, Yesenia took the initiative to step back and make way. Catherine walked forward with her hands in her pockets, her pace leisurely, and her cool gaze gently swept over the people present. On her exquisite and stunning face, a domineering light filtered through her beautiful yetzy eyes, and cold light prated from the slightly upturned outer corners of her eyes, looking scary and terrifying. Her body was adorned with an appalling aura, and she looked evil, domineering, and overbearing. She raised her eyebrows slightly and narrowed her eyes, looking straight at the pink-clothed girl standing across from her. ¡°Who did you say couldn¡¯t leave?¡± The voice was not loud, but a weird coldness seeped out of her cold voice and chilled to the bones of the people around. With a single look from Catherine, the girl in pink on the opposite was frightened and took three steps back. She had never seen such terrifying eyes before, and a nce from Catherine made her feel like she was being jabbed with a sharp sword. Subconsciously, she wanted to escape, not daring to look straight into Catherine¡¯s eyes. Her discouragement deepened Elliana¡¯s resentment towards Catherine. They¡¯re right. Peerless Grayson hasn¡¯t even personally confirmed Catherine¡¯s identity, and now she¡¯s bringing people here to strut her stuff. She doesn¡¯t show any respect for me, right?¡± thought Elliana. To maintain her current position among the fans of Peerless Grayson, she had to teach Catherine a lesson. She looked at Catherine with sharp eyes and said with a condescending attitude, ¡°Since you are here, you should be Peerless Grayson¡¯s fan, so you have to obey the arrangements of the fan club. I order you to apologize to everyone immediately now, or don¡¯t me me for being rude. ¡°If you¡¯re really Peerless Grayson¡¯s regrposer, howe you didn¡¯t go to the VIP section arranged by Peerless Grayson but instead sat in the ticketed seat that I gave to Yesenia? ¡°Could it be that as the regrposer, you can¡¯t even get a VIP seat? Hearing Elliana¡¯s words, everyone became more and more unconvinced about Catherine being Sugar.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The voices of skepticism grew louder and louder, and Elliana led the way for everyone to demand Catherine and the others to apologize. Ronin clenched his fists in anger, his finger joint turning white, and so did Bryan, but he was somewhat calmer than Ronin. Anyway, it was wrong to hit someone. Besides, the other party was all girls, so how were they going to do that? A light beating would be of little use, but a heavier one might cause things to get out of hand. Just as things came to a standstill, Catherine suddenly tilted her head towards Ronin on the side and said, Notify Grayson and tell him toe here!¡± After all, the girls were his fans, so he shoulde to deal with the scene now. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Ellianaughed in anger. ¡°Huh, are you addicted to pretending? Do you think you can get Peerless Grayson toe here with just a phone call? Do you really think you¡¯re something?¡± Before Ronin could make the call, a maic and clear voice suddenly came from the front stage, instantly attracting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± The voice was so familiar, and the words were so gentle. The crowd subconsciously looked towards the stage, where they saw Grayson. He was wearing only a shirt and had not even finished wearing his makeup, and he was standing on the stage with a microphone in his hand. Some girls already couldn¡¯t help but scream, ¡°Peerless Grayson! Peerless Grayson is here¡­¡± Grayson stretched out his index finger and gently ced it on his lips, and the screams died out instantly. Under the crowd¡¯s astonished gaze, Grayson jumped off the stage swiftly and walked in the direction of Catherine and the others. The crowd of onlookers spontaneously parted, leaving the middle of the road for Grayson so that he coulde to Catherine as fast as he could. Grayson stood in front of Catherine with a clear light shining through his charming eyes, his gaze as bright as burning fire. He had just heard his assistant say that there were fans causing trouble outside, but he was used to this kind of thing. Most of the fans were young people with very different characters. They were highly emotional, and it was easy for them to get into conflicts. Grayson asked his assistant to persuade the fans not to make a big mess. Unexpectedly, when the assistant returned, he actually told Grayson that Catherine hade and was involved in this matter! Without even thinking about it, he pushed his makeup artist out of the way and rushed onto the stage with a microphone in hand. He was so happy that Catherine hade to see him! Chapter 273 Chapter 273 When Grayson saw Catherine, he felt a bit nervous, and his hands holding the microphone were sweaty. ¡°Boss, why are you here?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t speak, and her eyes looked cold. She nced in the direction behind Grayson. Grayson immediately understood Catherine¡¯s meaning. ¡°Boss, leave it to me!¡± After saying that, Grayson turned to face his fans with a very serious expression. Grayson, who was known for his gentleness, suddenly appeared so serious, which scared his fans. These fans instinctively took a step back. Especially the fan leader, who was panicking, began to feel her feet trembling. Grayson said in an unusually serious tone, his gaze cold and his voice deep and terrifying, ¡°Who said that Catherine is a fake? Step forward!¡± This time, Grayson didn¡¯t need to exin anything. Judging from his attitude, it was clear that Catherine¡¯s identity was real. The fans all turned pale, not even daring to speak. However, Grayson had no intention of stopping. He continued in a gloomy tone, ¡°The im that Catherine is my exclusive music teacher is incorrect!¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. Just a second ago, Grayson was defending Catherine. But why was he now denying her identity as his exclusive music teacher? Could there be a twist in the situation? The girl in pink couldn¡¯t wait to speak up when she heard this. Judging from her assertive expression, she was afraid that others wouldn¡¯t know how much she was looking forward to it. ¡°Now that Grayson has told you that Catherine is not his exclusive music teacher, shouldn¡¯t you all apologize to us?¡± Yesenia and the others were a bit panicked, not knowing what Grayson meant by this. Grayson and Catherine were good friends, weren¡¯t they? Why wasn¡¯t he speaking up for her? Yesenia stole a nce at Catherine and made up her mind to protect her. But she didn¡¯t expect that while she was anxious, Catherine remained calm andpletely unaffected. Bryan felt worried after hearing Grayson¡¯s words, so he wanted to discuss strategies with Ronin. But Ronin just stood there confidently with a sarcastic smile on his face. Although Bryan didn¡¯t know what Ronin was nning, seeing Ronin¡¯s expression made him feel relieved. He knew that Ronin cared about Catherine more than anyone else. If Ronin could remain so calm, it meant that Catherine would be fine. Grayson looked at the girl shouting happily in front of him, his eyes filled with anger and extreme displeasure. ¡°So, it was you causing trouble all along,¡± he said in a cold and deep voice, exuding a chilling dominance. The girl in pink didn¡¯t realize that Grayson was referring to her and still had a smug expression on her face. It wasn¡¯t until the girl next to her pulled her hand forcefully that she realized it. When she looked up, she met Grayson¡¯s icy and furious gaze. She was frightened and started to stutter, ¡°Grayson, why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Why? Then, how should I look at you? I despise people who sow discord and create chaos the most. If it weren¡¯t for you today, there wouldn¡¯t be such chaos.¡± Grayson¡¯s voice was cold, like a sharp sword, instantly piercing through the girl¡¯s heart. Grayson pressed on, his face covered in ayer of icy frost. ¡°You defamed my idol and ruined my concert. How should I treat you?¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± The girl in pink kept stepping back, her face turning red. Finally, she managed to say, ¡°But you said she¡¯s not your exclusive music teacher, right? She lied! So, we can expose her!¡± In response to her questioning, Grayson chuckled coldly. ¡°You¡¯re right. She is indeed not my exclusive music teacher.¡± Grayson paused for a moment, then spoke with utmost seriousness.¡± Because I am not qualified yet. Catherine¡¯s musical talent is unquestionable. She is my idol, someone I have always admired. Just like how you all see me as an idol, I also have an idol, and that is Catherine!¡± It turned out that it wasn¡¯t that Grayson didn¡¯t want to acknowledge Catherine¡¯s identity, but rather that Catherine was beyond his reach. The surrounding fans were shocked. They never expected their idol to admire someone else so much. Facing the amazed and inquisitive gazes of the crowd, Catherine stood expressionless, exuding an air of elegance and aloofness. Grayson immediately arranged for security to escort the girl in pink and herpanions out of the venue. As they were leaving, Grayson signaled to the security guard, who nodded in response. The fan lead turned pale with fear and stayed motionless among the crowd of fans. No one expected Grayson to be so domineering for Catherine. After all, for celebrities, fans were their most important support. Offending them could potentially ruin all their efforts overnight. The girl in pink was directly kicked out of the venue, and everyone thought that the situation had calmed down. However, Grayson walked straight toward the fan lead. He stared coldly at her, his voice low and authoritative as he said, ¡°I know you. Thank you for your support all these years, but today, you must apologize to Catherine.¡± The fan lead was excited about Grayson¡¯s ¡°I know you¡± remark. Although Grayson looked extremely serious, she was charmed by his intimidating look. Realizing her mistake, the fan lead immediately began apologizing to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯m sorry. I believed the rumors and misunderstood you. Please don¡¯t me me! I¡¯m sorry!¡± The girl¡¯s attitude was sincere, and it wasn¡¯t her who caused trouble earlier, so Catherine decided not to hold a grudge, Catherine nced at Grayson and softly said, ¡°Go ahead!¡± Without hesitation, Grayson responded, ¡°Okay!¡± He didn¡¯t even have time to fix his makeup properly before returning to the stage and instructing the band to start ying. After finishing a song, the audience was enraptured by the performance. Holding the microphone, Grayson thanked the fans for their support before his gaze settled on one spot. His deep and resonant voice reverberated throughout the concert hall, captivating everyone who heard it. ¡°I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my idol. Since I was 13 years old, she has been my idol. For so many years, because of her humility, I haven¡¯t been able to publicly express my gratitude to her. ¡°Today, I finally get the chance to express my gratitude, and I feel honored and extremely excited about it. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Catherine, thank you for your trust and support all these years!¡± ¡°Without you, I can¡¯t get where I am today.¡± The fans¡¯ voices were almost hoarse from cheering. No one expected Grayson to be so bold and publicly express his gratitude to Catherine on stage. People¡¯s gaze turned to Catherine. They wondered what her reaction would be¡­ Chapter 274 Chapter 274 At the Duncan Corporation. Triston, holding his phone, rushed into the office in a panic. He was moving so fast that Paxton couldn¡¯t even react. Before reaching Branden, Triston shouted, ¡°Mr. Duncan, we have a big problem!¡± Branden calmly looked up, his cold eyes fixed on Triston, instantly freezing him in ce. Triston had originally intended to charge forward, but this single nce from Branden made him stop 10 feet away. He was too afraid to approach any closer. Branden¡¯s lips slightly parted. He said in a low and cold voice, ¡°You better be sure that what you¡¯re about to say is important, or I¡¯ll have Paxton throw you out of here!¡± This building had a total of 88 floors, and Branden¡¯s office was on the top floor. It seemed that Branden was nning to throw Triston off without giving him a chance to exin. Triston was so shocked that his whole body trembled, his legs involuntarily shaking. He suddenly regretted his impulsiveness. He realized that he shouldn¡¯t have rushed to Branden¡¯s office as soon as he received the news. What if¡­ Triston quickly got out of his imagination, tentatively asking, ¡°If it¡¯s about Catherine, does that count as an important matter?¡± After observing for a while, Triston couldn¡¯t perceive any useful information from Branden¡¯s expression. After all, Branden always had an icy look, unchanging for years. Triston was now in a difficult position and felt panicked, not knowing what to do. He could only timidly seek help from Paxton, who was standing beside him.. Paxton was truly not interested in dealing with Triston¡¯s foolishness. If it weren¡¯t for Triston¡¯s long- standing rtionship with Branden, he would have thrown Triston out a long time ago. Rolling his eyes, Paxton coldly said, ¡± Mr. Lambert, Mr. Duncan wants you to cut the nonsense and get to the point!¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Triston responded, suddenly understanding what was going on. He quickly handed over his phone. ¡°Mr. Duncan, this is serious. You need to watch this video. Someone publicly confessed his love for Catherine!¡± As Triston¡¯s exaggerated words filled the air, Branden¡¯s face darkened. Paxton really wanted to strangle Triston on the spot. ¡°You just don¡¯t know how tomunicate properly, do you, you idiot!¡± he cursed inwardly. ¡± Do you really want to provoke Mr. Branden and get everyone in trouble?¡± The video started ying, and Grayson¡¯s deep voice echoed through the office. The more they listened, the darker Branden¡¯s expression became. Paxton¡¯s heart sank. He couldn¡¯t understand why fate had sent Triston, a fool, to sabotage him. His boss loved Catherine, and now another man dared to say such ambiguous things to her in public. That guy was asking for trouble! ¡°Ah, we¡¯re doomed,¡± Paxton murmured inwardly. A thinyer of frost covered Branden¡¯s face, and his eyes stared intensely atthe video in front of him. He gazed at Grayson¡¯s handsome face, his eyes growing even darker! Until¡­ After Grayson finished speaking, the video shifted its focus to another person at the scene. As the camera reversed, a stunningly beautiful face appeared on the screen. However, the owner of this beautiful face was taking. a nap. As Branden looked at her peaceful sleeping face, his sharp eyes gradually softened, and the cold aura around him slowly dissipated. The intense pressure in the office seemed to suddenly fade away, leaving Triston somewhat bewildered. Triston looked up and saw Branden smiling. ¡°His fianc¨¦e was being praised so ambiguously in public, and now he¡¯s smiling?¡± Triston asked inwardly. ¡± What the hell is going on?¡± Driven by curiosity, Triston slowly approached and nced at the screen. When he saw Catherine¡¯s sleeping face, he almost burst intoughter. But he didn¡¯t have a chance to examine it further, as Branden had already ced the phone on the desk upside down. Branden turned his head and nced at Paxton, who immediately stepped forward, preparing to escort Triston out. Startled, Triston eximed, ¡°Mr. Duncan, you can¡¯t be so ruthless! I came here to deliver information. Can¡¯t you at least let me have a drink of water before I leave?¡± Ignoring Triston¡¯s protests, Paxton continued to drag him away. As Triston was about to be dragged out of the door, he decided to y his trump card. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I have important information to report!¡± he eximed. The moment Branden looked up, Paxton, as if triggered by a sensor, instantly stopped restraining Triston. Shaking off Paxton¡¯s grip, Triston approached Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, although Catherine doesn¡¯t have any interest in Grayson, he is quite persistent. I suggest you be prepared!¡± Branden raised his head, his icy gaze falling on Triston¡¯s face. ¡°Is that all?¡± Triston wasparing him to Grayson. Was it because Triston thought highly of Grayson or looked down on him? This single nce made Triston panic. Triston swallowed nervously, his expression suddenly tense. He said slowly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I believe Grayson has some ulterior motive. He is doing well in the entertainment industry, and he even has a stake in his current talent agency. Also, he enjoys making investments and has made quite a fortune over the years. Most importantly, I suspect he has connections with the Hacker Alliance!¡± The mention of the Hacker Alliance caught Branden¡¯s attention. His eyes narrowed instantly. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Triston felt uneasy under the cold tone but cautiously nodded. ¡°Yes, six months ago, Grayson and Raymond were nning to coborate on a multinational project in thewless Middle Estria. They offended the local reactionary forces and almost caused a major incident. Later, Raymond said that Grayson had enlisted the help of the Hacker Alliance to resolve the situation.¡± Raymond was Triston¡¯s cousin, and Branden happened to know him. If what Raymond said was true, then Grayson must have some connection with the Hacker Alliance. The nature of that rtionship still needed to be investigated. Branden turned his head to look at Paxton, who immediately nodded respectfully and responded, ¡°Yes, sir, I will investigate right away.¡± As Paxton was about to leave, Branden stopped him. He nced in Triston¡¯s direction and said, ¡°Take him with you!¡± This time, Triston obediently followed along, Once they were out of the office, Triston finally let out his frustration and started venting. ¡°Paxton, what¡¯s wrong with your boss? I kindly brought him the information, and he didn¡¯t even offer me a ss of water. He just kicked me out like this! Are we still friends?¡± Paxton rolled his eyes at him without saying a word. Triston continued, ¡°Why is he so ungrateful? How can he be so ruthless to me?¡± ¡°You asked for it.¡± Paxton bluntly pointed out without any mercy. Triston was so infuriated that he almost fainted on the spot. What on earth was going on here? Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Grayson, standing on the stage, saw Catherine¡¯s sleeping face and smiled helplessly. Because it was just a small concert that was purely held as a way to express his gratitude toward his loyal fans on his birthday, it wasn¡¯t made particrly grand. The originally nned three songs, plus an encore requested by fans, were performed. The concert came to an end. As soon as the concert ended, Ronin reached out and tapped Catherine, waking her up. Catherine opened her eyes in a dazed state and looked at Ronin with a somewhat hazy gaze, asking, ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°Yeah, Boss, it¡¯s over. I received a message from Grayson. He invites us to meet at the secure passage,¡± Ronin said while handing her a cup of moderately warm coffee. Watching this, Yesenia was full of envy. Grayson¡¯s singing just now was so amazing, and she, just like other fans at the venue, screamed wildly. Now, her throat felt as dry as if it were on fire. All her water had gone, and she couldn¡¯t even take another sip. There was a regtion for the concert that each person was allowed to bring in one bottle of water. Ronin didn¡¯t even drink it himself, leaving a cup of coffee he brought in for Catherine. He really provided excellent service. Catherine waspletely unaware of what had happened. As they walked into the secret passage arranged by Grayson¡¯s security, Ronin enthusiastically revealed what had happened earlier. ¡°Boss, Grayson just expressed his gratitude and thanks to you on stage. Can¡¯t imagine this kid knows how to repay kindness.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°If one day, I get the chance to express my gratitude to you on a stage, I¡¯ll definitely do it so that the whole world can see!¡± Ronin had been by Catherine¡¯s side even before Grayson arrived. He had always been following her lead, with only the thought of protecting and taking care of her in his mind. He had known Grayson for many years, and in his opinion, Grayson¡¯s kindness towards Catherine was the same as his own. It was admiration and reverence! ¡°Is that so?¡± Catherine responded casually, her face showing no emotion. Perhaps it was because Ronin expressed his gratitude and appreciation to her every day, and she had long been ustomed to it. Bryan stood aside, sneering coldly, thinking to himself that Ronin was truly an emotional fool. Even he could tell that something was off. Ronin, however, couldn¡¯t even sense the strangeness in the situation. Grayson¡¯s gaze towards Catherine was so affectionate. There was surely a problem. ¡°How dare that guy say such things to Boss on the stage!¡± Bryan bellowed inwardly. ¡°If I don¡¯t do something, I¡¯d disgrace the Duncans!¡± ¡°Oh, here you are!¡± A slightly hoarse voice came from behind, and everyone turned around. They saw Grayson leaving his assistant behind and rushing towards them. Throughout the entire time, Grayson¡¯s eyes were focused on Catherine. He waved his hand to greet her. Catherine was about to respond when she felt a vibration in her pocket. She nced around and lowered her head to pick up her phone, cing it by her ear. ¡°Looking for me?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± A deep and attractive voice came through the receiver, different from Grayson¡¯s deliberately trained deep voice. Branden¡¯s voice sounded even deeper. It was the kind of voice that truly made anyone who heard it fall for it, piercing through their eardrum and striking the deepest part of their soul. ¡°Went to a concert?¡± the man asked, and Catherine hummed in response. Branden continued, ¡°It¡¯s about time for dinner. Shall I pick you up?¡± Catherine could tell that it was a tentative suggestion. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe along? I can¡¯t leave for now!¡± Since Catherine had promised Yesenia and the others to have dinner together, she didn¡¯t want to go back on her word. ¡°Alright, give me the address. I¡¯lle overter!¡± After Branden finished speaking, he waited for Catherine to hang up before putting away his phone. Triston watched in awe from the side. All of his rare moments of shock and amazement in life were dedicated to Branden. He never expected that Branden, the usually icy and aloof tycoon, could be so gentle when talking to his girlfriend over the phone. The brief moment of tenderness made Triston forget his fear of Branden. He immediately pounced on Branden, tugging at Branden¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I want to go too!¡± How could he, the gossip expert, miss out on this scene of avenging the adulterer? Branden remained unmoved, and Paxton, who was beside Triston, stepped in. Triston was directly thrown out of the hall! Triston shouted in frustration, ¡°Mr. Duncan, you can¡¯t just throw me out like that. I will be very helpful!¡± Ronin approached Catherine after she hung up the phone. ¡°Boss, is someone elseing?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Catherine nodded slightly, not wanting to say much more. Ronin knew what she meant. Who else could make Catherine answer the phone personally besides Branden? Grayson had been keeping an eye on Catherine. He noticed the change in her expression when she took the call. He knew that Catherine was always cold and aloof, treating everything and everyone with the same cold demeanor. He had assumed that Catherine was always like this and that she would never change for anyone. But during that brief phone call, Grayson had sensed something different. Her eyes were different. There was a light of joy in them. It turned out she was able to treat others in a gentle way, but she wouldn¡¯t treat him like that. Grayson felt a pang of difort, like a needle piercing his heart, but he still smiled and tried to act normal. ¡°Boss, can we go now?¡± Catherine nodded slightly. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go,¡± They went to a very secluded restaurant. It was highly private, and reservations had to be made well in advance. Grayson was a member, and since it was his birthday, he received special treatment and didn¡¯t even have to make a reservation. But they didn¡¯t expect to run into Loraine in the restaurant¡¯s lobby. They hadn¡¯t seen her since theirst encounter at the resort. That made sense. They lived in different circles, so they didn¡¯t cross paths often. Ronin was the first to notice Loraine. He rolled his eyes. leaned in towards Catherine, and whispered, ¡°Boss, we must have missed our lucky day today. We¡¯ve encountered another troublemaker!¡± Catherine followed his gaze and saw Loraine. Their eyes met, and sparks of hostility flew. Loraine walked towards them. Thest time they had seen her at the resort, things hadn¡¯t ended well. Now, no one knew what would happen. Even Yesenia unconsciously tightened her nerves and prepared for the worst. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Loraine eventually chose to stay right in front of Catherine, standing about 20 inches away from her, with a gentle smile on her face. For some reason, everyone felt that Loraine¡¯s smile looked somewhat creepy and eerie. ¡°Miss Swann, what a coincidence to run into you here!¡± Loraine said, her tone filled with a strange mix of friendliness and malice. Catherine nced at her indifferently and remained silent. Faced with Catherine¡¯s cold attitude, Loraine felt a bit angry, but she didn¡¯t show it. Instead, she continued to smile brightly. ¡°Well, Miss Swann, are you still mad about what happened before? I thought you had forgotten about it after the resort incident. Are you still holding a grudge?¡± Loraine said in a sarcastic tone. Listening to Loraine¡¯s snide remarks, Ronin was getting infuriated. Why was this woman seeking attention for no reason? She was clearly insinuating that Catherine was petty and scheming! Ronin was so angry that he wanted to tear Loraine¡¯s face apart and teach her a lesson. But Loraine remainedposed, maintaining an arrogant smile on her face, exuding an air of nobility thatcked courtesy. ¡°If you¡¯re still angry, how about I apologize to you again? Since we¡¯ve coincidentally met, let¡¯s not dwell on those trivial matters.¡± Even Yesenia felt her anger rising. She hadn¡¯t realized before how arrogant Loraine was. The more she looked at Loraine, the more ufortable she felt. She could clearly feel the underlying sarcasm in Loraine¡¯s words. Ronin¡¯s patience had reached its limit. Not able to hold back his anger any longer, he whispered to Catherine, ¡± Boss¡­¡± Catherine slowly raised her gaze, her eyes shimmering with a hint of rebellion. Her smile revealed a domineering aura. ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Catherine suddenly said in a cold voice, uttering two words that left everyone stunned. No one knew what Catherine meant by that. Even Loraine was a bit confused, not understanding the meaning behind Catherine¡¯s words. She furrowed her brows and earnestly asked, ¡°Begin what?¡± ¡°Begin your apology. You just said you wanted to apologize to me, didn¡¯t you? Catherine said, her expression serious as she carefully observed Loraine. Loraine struggled to maintain herposure, almost bursting with anger. Yesenia and the others standing behind Catherine were barely able to contain theirughter. Catherine¡¯s move was so ruthless! Loraine would never have imagined that Catherine would ask her to apologize again. Just moments ago, Ronin was furious, but after hearing Catherine¡¯s words, he instantly perked up. He knew well how to cooperate with Catherine. Now that she had taken the lead, it was his turn to take action. Ronin looked smugly at Loraine, his smile not hiding any hint of satisfaction. ¡°Exactly, are you nning on going back on your word, Loraine? I remember that the Sanfords are well known for their integrity in the business world. If the esteemed Miss Sanford¡¯s words hold no weight, it¡¯ll be quite embarrassing, right?¡± Loraine was trembling with anger. She never expected Catherine to be so shameless. But then again, she had dug her own grave. She had already been humiliated once, and now she was being forced to embarrass herself again. ¡°No!¡± she said to herself. ¡°I can¡¯t let this happen!¡± This was the lobby, after all! Although it was a secluded restaurant, there were still many people present. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose face like this. As the situation seemed to reach a stalemate, suddenly¡­ ¡°What¡¯s all themotion about?¡± A sudden voice broke the silence, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. As they turned around, they saw a figure in a ck trench coat striding towards them with remarkable presence. It was Branden, apanied by the equally distinguished Triston, who had asked the question earlier. Upon seeing Branden, a glimmer of hope lit up in Loraine¡¯s eyes, and she couldn¡¯t help but look a bit coy. She poised herself elegantly, ready to greet Branden perfectly. However, to her surprise, Branden didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. He walked straight to Catherine¡¯s side and took her hand in his own. At the moment Branden held Catherine¡¯s hand, he furrowed his eyebrows slightly. In a deep voice, he expressed displeasure and genuine concern. ¡°Why is your hand so cold?¡± Without waiting for Catherine¡¯s response, he took off his coat and draped it over her. Catherine nced down at the ck trench coat covering her, her expression slightly displeased. Was it really that cold? Why didn¡¯t she feel anything? That made sense. There was a kind of cold called ¡°your boyfriend thinks you¡¯re cold.¡± Branden carefully observed Catherine, who was wearing his clothes. She looked beautiful no matter when he looked at her, and his heart couldn¡¯t help but soften. With the major issue of Catherine¡¯s health resolved, Branden now had the mental space to focus on other things. ¡°Why are you guys standing in the lobby instead of going to the private room?¡± When he spoke to Catherine, his voice unconsciously softened. Upon hearing his question, Catherine looked up in the direction of Loraine and replied, ¡°She said she wanted to apologize to me again, so I¡¯m waiting!¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Catherine¡¯s words made Loraine feel as if she was going to vomit blood. At this point, she had no choice but to act tough. She refused to believe that a man like Branden would fall in love with a woman who always caused trouble. Loraine stared straight at Branden, her face full of grievances as if she had been greatly wronged. ¡°Branden, I just met Miss Swann and wanted to greet her, but she didn¡¯t seem too happy. I was wondering if it¡¯s because she hasn¡¯t forgotten the incident at the resort, so I thought of apologizing to her again.¡± Branden listened to Loraine¡¯s description and nodded earnestly. ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Loraine¡¯s seductive eyes kept giving off sparks towards Branden.¡± Branden, do you think I should apologize?¡± Branden looked at Loraine expressionlessly, his voice cold and sinister as he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to apologize? Come on. We¡¯re in a hurry to eat!¡± Loraine¡¯s eyes nearly popped out in shock when she heard this. She didn¡¯t expect that not only did Branden not scold Catherine for causing trouble, but he also forced her to apologize to Catherine. ¡°That¡¯s right. Hurry up. Our food is getting cold!¡± Ronin chimed in, his face full of smugness. The others also spoke up. Under the urging of the crowd and the coercion of Branden, Loraine reluctantly apologized to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I apologize to you for the incident at the resort!¡± Loraine endured the humiliation, her eyes red as she looked at Catherine. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 In response to Loraine¡¯s inquiry, Catherine chuckled. ¡°No worries. Next time you encounter me, you can apologize to me again!¡± Hearing this, Yesenia, standing behind Catherine, burst intoughter. Catherine¡¯s words were truly ruthless! She knew well how to infuriate people without using any foulnguage. The mockery andughter from the crowd left Loraine feeling utterly humiliated. She never expected that Catherine, a country girl, would have some tricks up her sleeve and such a sharp tongue, making her so embarrassed. Loraine¡¯s face had be extremely dark, and if she hadn¡¯t forced herself to remainposed, she would have probably copsed long ago. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to our next meeting!¡± Next time, she would make Catherine kneel and apologize to her. Catherine smiled faintly. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Loraine snorted coldly and left in a huff. She stomped her high heels so hard on the floor that it seemed like she was creating craters. It was evident just how angry she was this time. After Loraine left, Yesenia skipped over to Catherine¡¯s side, looking at her with admiration in her eyes. ¡°Catherine, why are you so amazing? You effortlessly defeated the number one socialite in Casier. I can tell that Loraine was so infuriated by you that her carefully crafted facade of the past decade is about to crumble.¡± Loraine was not only famous in Casier but also ranked highly on the national socialite list. Yesenia¡¯s elders used to encourage her to learn from Loraine, not only to improve herself but also to enhance the Duncans¡¯ reputation. She had intended tomunicate with Loraine, as Loraine rarely put on airs in front of her. But after knowing Catherine, she suddenly changed her mind and realized how naive and foolish she used to be. ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you afraid of Loraine morally manipting you? I feel like every word she said was meant to praise herself while taunting you,¡± Yesenia asked sincerely. Catherine responded, ¡°As long as I set aside my morals, no one can ever manipte me!¡± After Catherine finished speaking, Branden pulled her towards the private room, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Yesenia stood dumbfounded behind them, her face full of astonishment. Catherine was so cool! She was truly amazing! Yesenia admired her so much that when she finally came to her senses, Catherine was already almost inside the private room. She hurriedly caught up, saying, ¡°Super Catherine, wait for me!¡± Grayson, who was left behind, stared at the hand holding Catherine¡¯s, lost in thought. The moment Branden appeared, hepletely lost his presence. Countless people had told him that he was a superstar. And he had once lost himself, thinking that he was capable enough to stand by Catherine¡¯s side. But Branden¡¯s appearance made him. realize how insignificant he was. He hated this feeling! Even though he knew it was impossible, he still didn¡¯t want to let go. Seeing Grayson standing in the lobby in a daze, Ronin spoke up. ¡°Grayson, why are you still standing there like a fool? Boss and the others have already gone into the private room. I ordered a birthday cake for you. Chestnut vor, by the way. You and Boss love it, don¡¯t you? Hurry up ande!¡± Grayson smiled. He thought Ronin was so lucky. If only he could be as simple as Ronin, who treated Catherine as nothing more than family. He used to dislike everything with a chestnut vor, butter, he knew that Catherine loved it. Slowly, the chestnut vor became his favorite taste. There was only one reason-she liked it! The next day, Catherine arrived at ss, and as expected, she became the center of attention once again. The incident of Grayson¡¯s concert yesterday quickly spread on the inte. Although Grayson said it was gratitude, his tone was too ambiguous, and everyone was specting about the rtionship between Catherine and Grayson. Some even thought that Grayson liked Catherine. Grayson was currently a popr idol, and posts containing rumors about him were joked about as ¡°menstrual posts.¡± Basically, there would be a new post about him every month, indicating he was dating another woman. However, time had proven that those rumors were all orchestrated by the women involved, just to gain attention. But this time was different. Grayson was the one who said those ambiguous words first. The fans didn¡¯t know the truth, so various spections spread all over the inte. Catherine pulled out a chair and sat down, adjusting herself into afortable position, not paying attention to anyone. She exuded an aura that made people dare not approach her. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Although her ssmates were curious, no one dared to ask Catherine directly. They could only secretly hide in the corners, observing her every move. Liana was one of them, of course. She hated the sight of Catherine showing off in ss, and now she only wanted to see Catherine in a sorry state. Thinking of her mother¡¯s instructions, Liana followed closely behind Catherine as Catherine walked out of the ssroom. ¡°Catherine, stop!¡± she shouted, but her aggressive attitude didn¡¯t make Catherine stop in her tracks. Liana stomped her foot in frustration. Catherine was walking so fast, making it difficult for Liana to catch up with her. Unable to catch up, Liana had to use a different tone to call out to Catherine, Catherine, wait. I have something to tell you!¡± This time, Catherine stopped in her tracks. She turned around, squinting her eyes and tilting her chin up. With her hands in her pockets, she stared at Liana. Her rebellious and arrogant demeanor made Liana tremble with anger. Liana angrily questioned her, ¡°You heard me calling you, didn¡¯t you? Why didn¡¯t you stop?¡± Catherine, however, didn¡¯t even say a word. Hearing Liana¡¯s angry words, she turned around once again. Liana knew that Catherine was using her actions to threaten her. If she wanted to talk to Catherine, she had to follow Catherine¡¯s rules and speak properly. Liana stomped her foot in frustration, but there was nothing she could do. She knew how stubborn Catherine was, and for the sake of what was toe, she had topromise, ¡°Catherine, please stop. I have something to tell you!¡± Although Liana¡¯s tone had softened, Catherine still didn¡¯t pay any attention to her. Watching Catherine walk further away, Liana could only apologize obediently, It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry, okay? I apologize for my behavior earlier.¡± After she finished speaking, Catherine finally turned around, still in the same posture as before. With a cold gaze, she looked at Liana, expressionless.¡± What¡¯s the matter?¡± Liana didn¡¯t want to say much to Catherine, but she had toplete her task. ¡°Catherine, everyone is going to Grandma¡¯s house today. There will be a car picking us up after school, Remember not to bete!¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯s indifferent attitude, Liana couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Without looking back, Catherine left, leaving Liana fuming with anger. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 After school, Liana got into the car, but Catherine didn¡¯t show up. She felt strange and worried, wondering what to do if Catherine didn¡¯t appear. Just when she was about to get out of the car and go back to look for Catherine, Catherine suddenly appeared right in front of her. Liana was annoyed. Catherine was always the first to leave the ssroom, but today, she was so slow. Liana wondered if it was intentional, a way to anger her. Thinking that Catherine might be deliberately trying to make things difficult for her, Liana became angry. She red at Catherine with a dark expression and reprimanded, ¡°Why did you take so long toe? Is it on purpose, just to embarrass me?¡± Catherine looked at her coldly and asked in an indifferent voice, ¡°Well, I can leave.¡± If Liana kept bothering her like this, she didn¡¯t feel like going. She wasn¡¯t interested in going there in the first ce. If it weren¡¯t for Audrey saying that she was also on her way to Grandma¡¯s house, Catherine wouldn¡¯t have nned on going. Yesenia and Ronin wanted to go with Catherine, but she refused and managed to leave them behind, which dyed her a bit. Facing Catherine¡¯s icy expression, Liana almost choked on her own saliva. She truly didn¡¯t understand why Catherine¡¯s gaze could be so terrifying. Even when facing her angry father, she didn¡¯t feel this sense of fear, but just one look from Catherine made her whole body shiver. Liana silently closed her mouth, afraid to speak again. If Catherine decided not to go with her, all those efforts she had made would be for nothing. Gradually, the coldness on Catherine¡¯s face dissipated. She calmly sat in the car, adjusted herself into a comfortable position, and then reached out to pull down the brim of her hat. Her small face was instantly covered. Liana also got in the car. As soon as she sat down, she kept her eyes on Catherine. Seeing Catherine remain unmoving, Liana softly called out, ¡°Catherine¡­ Catherine¡­¡± The inside of the car was silent, and not a sound could be heard. Liana secretly rejoiced, a sinister smile appearing on her lips. She had been worried about finding an excuse, but now she didn¡¯t need to find any. The car continued to drive for a few more minutes when Liana suddenly said to the driver in front, ¡°Bob, pull over for a moment. I just remembered that I forgot something. You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll catch upter!¡± The car pulled over to the side of the road, and Liana opened the door gently. After getting out of the car, Liana didn¡¯t leave immediately. She stood still and nced back, seeing that Catherine was still in a deep sleep. Only then did she feel relieved and walked away. However, no one noticed that Catherine, who was supposedly asleep, moved slightly. The car continued to drive, silently moving forward without any sound. However, the road became steeper, and the car started to shake more violently. The driver nced discreetly through the rearview mirror and confirmed that Catherine was still sleeping, so he stopped the car with relief. He slowly pushed open the car door and got out, checking the road conditions ahead. Ahead was a section of a broken bridge, which had been halfway constructed but was abandoned due to funding issues. idents frequently urred as cars unfamiliar with this section of the road would fall off the bridge, resulting in fatal idents. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The car was about 6 feet away from the broken bridge. The driver tugged at his gloves. He had already released the handbrake. All he needed to do was push from behind the car, and it would fall down the bridge, shattering into pieces. He had prepared some sleeping pills, and he didn¡¯t expect the girl in the car to sleep like a corpse. It really made things easier for him. A sinister glint shed in the driver¡¯s eyes. He slowly positioned himself behind the car and whispered in the direction of the car, ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless. me yourself for blocking the way of the boss!¡± He ced his hands on the car, preparing to push it towards the broken bridge. Just when he took a step forward, a heavy forcended on his shoulder. The driver panicked, his breath stopping instantly. He slowly turned around and saw that stunning face and those incredibly terrifying eyes. Catherine stared coldly at the driver, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips. She said, her voice soft but filled with a chilling dominance, ¡°Surprised to see me?¡± ¡°You were pretending to be sleeping?¡± The driver frowned, staring at Catherine. He couldn¡¯t believe that after so many years in this line of work, he had been fooled by a little girl. ¡°No!¡± Catherine coldly denied the driver¡¯s statement. ¡°I was really sleeping, but you made too much noise when you got out of the car and woke me up!¡± The driver¡¯s heart sank. He had thought he could do it quietly, but he didn¡¯t expect the other party to wake up. He knew it was time to take action. He slowly reached into his pocket, which contained a sleeping shot. As long as this needle was inserted into Catherine¡¯s body, she would pass out within three seconds, no matter how strong she was. Then, he would push the car off the broken bridge, creating a scene of the car catching fire from the outside, destroying all evidence and perfectly covering up his crimes. The imagination was so beautiful, but when the driver was ready to act, he was dumbfounded. He reached into his pocket, only to find it empty. Watching his awkward actions, Catherine spread her hand in the air, asking, ¡°Looking for this?¡± There, on the palm of her hand,y a syringe. The driver¡¯s eyes widened, his face filled with horror and disbelief. ¡°How¡­ How did you get it?¡± Catherine chuckled coldly. ¡°Humph¡­¡± The bone-chillingughter made the driver¡¯s scalp tingle. He had been too confident, thinking that Catherine, a mere student, posed no danger. He didn¡¯t even consider her a threat. Now, however, he suddenly realized that things weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed! Catherine could silently take the syringe from his pocket and stand behind him without making a sound. So, what if she had used the syringe on him instead of tapping his shoulder earlier? He dared not imagine further¡­ The icy aura emanating from Catherine made him feel scared, and his mind went into chaos, with his terrified eyes fixed on her as he slowly backed away. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?¡± His trembling voice carried obvious fear, a manifestation of extreme terror. As he retreated in panic, Catherine advanced step by step. With no way to retreat, he decided to fight to the death. He refused to believe that he couldn¡¯t handle a girl with his skills. He made a quick move, but Catherine seemed to have anticipated it in advance. She uttered three cold words. ¡± Go to hell!¡± The next second, the oue was decided. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 When the driver made a move, Catherine swiftly reached out and plunged the needle that the driver intended to insert into her body into his own. The driver tried to struggle, but his hand was firmly held by Catherine, unable to move an inch. With a terrified look in his eyes, he stared at Catherine in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t imagine that he would be defeated by a gentle and beautiful little girl. The drug began to take effect. The driver began to lose consciousness, his vision fading to ck. Catherine pushed him forcefully, causing his body to fall to the ground. Her expression remained cold and emotionless. After the driver fell, two figures emerged from somewhere. Two men dressed in ck stood behind Catherine, bowing their heads respectfully. One of the men in ck knelt in front of Catherine, offering a towel. ¡°Boss, you can wipe your hands with this!¡± Catherine took the towel and carefully wiped her hands. Then, she casually threw it onto the driver lying on the ground. Catherine lowered her gaze and coldly nced at the driver, casually saying, Call an ambnce and throw him off!¡± With apletely calm expression on her face, she said the harshest words. The two men in ck received the order and replied without any hesitation, ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± Catherine stood in front of the car, gaze indifferent as she watched the driver being dragged into the car. She exuded a chilling aura, a formidable presence that no one could match. her Catherine was capable ofmitting the crime of murder. Since the driver seemed to enjoy the thrill of ¡°roller coasters¡± so much, she would let him experience the sensation of breaking every bone in his body. She would arrange for an ambnce to be waiting below, ensuring that his life would be saved in the shortest possible time. He would survive, but he would suffer for the rest of his life. That was the price he had to pay! The Langs¡¯ house was brightly lit and unusually noisy at the moment. Today, Rachael returned home, apanied by several children. The whole family was especially happy. Johnathan was not around, so Liana was treated like a little princess by everyone, receiving their care and attention. Liana was overjoyed. Everything she had been looking forward to had finally returned. Indeed, without Catherine, the world seemed to be a better ce, and even the air felt sweeter. Compared to Liana, Audrey had a somewhat troubled expression on her face. Her eyes were constantly focused on the front door. The darker the day became, the more anxious Audrey felt in her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but walk up to Liana, asking, ¡°Liana, didn¡¯t you say you came with Catherine? Why hasn¡¯t she arrived yet?¡± Liana had anticipated that Audrey would ask her this question. She wore a slightly impatient expression on her face, showing a look of disdain in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t understand why Audrey was so close to Catherine. They had grown up together, but Audrey had never shown this much concern for her. ¡°How would I know? Didn¡¯t I already tell you that I had to get off to get something? Catherine left before me. I know she hasn¡¯t arrived, but what does it have to do with me?¡± Liana¡¯s tone was unpleasant, and Audrey felt angry after hearing it. After all, Catherine was still Liana¡¯s sister. Now that they couldn¡¯t reach Catherine, Audrey thought it was so mean of Liana to say such words. She red at Liana, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction. ¡°How can you say that? Don¡¯t you care about Catherine at all?¡± ¡°Why are you arguing?¡± Donna heard them arguing and slowly approached them. ¡°I could hear you two arguing from far away. What¡¯s going on?¡± Liana reached out and hugged Donna¡¯s arm, looking aggrieved. ¡°Grandma, Audrey asked me where Catherine is. But I¡¯m not a mind reader. How would I know? She got angry and yelled at me!¡± ¡°yell at her?¡± Audrey asked inwardly. ¡± When did I yell at her?¡± Audrey looked at Liana in disbelief. Before she could even exin, Donna turned her head towards Audrey, her eyes filled with great displeasure. Audrey, how can you be so mean to Liana? You¡¯ve grown up. Do you still need me to teach you how to care for your sister?¡± Audrey felt a bit aggrieved, but she knew she couldn¡¯t argue with her elders. She tried to calm herself down and exined, ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m just worried about Catherine. She said she would come right after school, but she still hasn¡¯t arrived.¡± As Catherine was mentioned, Donna¡¯s expression grew even darker. She didn¡¯t like her at all. ¡°She just returned to Casier not long ago. She grew up in the countryside and has a wild temperament. Maybe she saw something interesting on the way and went off to explore it. There¡¯s no need to make a big fuss about it. Why did you have to scold your sister like this?¡± Liana stood by, watching Audrey being scolded with a smug smile on her face. But what made her happier was Catherine¡¯s disappearance. Liana thought her days of happiness had returned. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Audrey couldn¡¯t ept Donna¡¯s reprimand. She thought that Donna had misunderstood Catherine, and she wanted to exin clearly. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s not like that. Kathy is very responsible and dependable. If she promises to do something, she will do it. I¡¯m just worried that something might have happened to her. After all, she¡¯s just a young girl, and it¡¯s getting dark outside.¡± Because of Audrey¡¯s words, Donna¡¯s face turnedpletely dark. She never expected Audrey to dare to argue with her. This was truly outrageous. In the past, Audrey was extremely obedient. Although she was not as clever as Liana, she was still well- behaved. But after Catherine returned, Audrey changed. Donna didn¡¯t believe it in the first ce, but now she finally understood that Audrey had indeed changed. Donna¡¯s face instantly became gloomy, like a sky about to unleash a storm. She had a stern expression and coldly said to Audrey, ¡°Since you¡¯re so worried, then go out and find her yourself. Don¡¯t make a fuss here. You have no manners at all. It seems that you¡¯ve been corrupted by your job.¡± Audrey knew that her decision to enter the entertainment industry had never been approved by her family. She thought that by constantly working hard and achieving some sess, her family would support her choice. However, she never expected that they would still look down on her, believing that she was disgracing the family. Audrey lowered her head, feeling heartbroken, and a chilling sensation crept over her mind, making her shiver. The most terrifying thing was not the rumors and gossip from the outside world but the disdain from her loved ones. Although she was in great pain, she was more concerned about Catherine at the moment. She lowered her voice, trying to hold back her emotions. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll go and find Catherine, then. I¡¯ll come backter!¡± No one tried to stop her. She just slowly turned around, ready to leave. Just when she was about to leave, a voice sounded. ¡°No need. I¡¯m here!¡± The cold voice shattered the silence in the room. Liana followed the direction of the voice, her jaw almost dropping in astonishment. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Liana looked in shock towards the direction of the door, unable to believe what she was seeing. ¡°How is this possible?¡± she shrieked in her heart. ¡°Why does Catherine appear here unharmed?¡± Before Liana could fullyprehend the situation, their eyes met. Liana felt a suffocating sensation as if two invisible hands were choking her, making it difficult for her to breathe. Liana couldn¡¯t bear to meet Catherine¡¯s gaze and cautiously lowered her head, avoiding eye contact. Catherine continued to observe Liana, taking note of her every move. Seeing Liana¡¯s guilty and timid behavior, Catherine smirked and walked straight into the house. Audrey approached Catherine, her eyes filled with concern. ¡°Kathy, what¡¯s going on? Why are you sote?¡± Before Catherine could respond, a cold and elderly voice came from behind Audrey. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never seen someone as arrogant as you, Catherine. You like to keep us waiting, huh?¡± It was Donna, her face serious and full of disapproval towards Catherine. Audrey was taken aback, knowing that her grandmother was ming Catherine for beingte. She wanted to exin on Catherine¡¯s behalf. Just then, Rachael entered the room. As soon as Rachael saw Catherine standing in the living room, her face darkened. It seemed that she was shocked and surprised by Catherine¡¯s presence. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡± Rachael stammered. Hearing this, everyone turned their heads. Audrey, at the moment, also found Rachael¡¯s astonishment strange. The calmest person in the room was Catherine herself. A sinister and eerie smile appeared on her face, making it difficult for one to meet her gaze. Catherine took a step forward, protecting Audrey, and stared directly at Rachael. ¡°My mom asked me to come. Anything wrong? Well¡­ Could it be¡­¡± Rachael immediately realized what Catherine meant and quickly regained herposure. She calmly looked at Catherine. In a somewhat urgent tone, she said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I did ask you toe. Liana arrived early, so I found it strange that you were sote.¡± Catherine coldly surveyed Rachael. There was no need to guess who was plotting against her based on Rachael¡¯s guilty reactions. It seemed that Liana might not be the mastermind but rather Korbin. Otherwise, Rachael wouldn¡¯t have reacted like this. However, Rachael looked quiteposed. Catherine didn¡¯t expect Rachael to throw a question back at her so quickly. After Rachael finished speaking, Donna immediately answered her question.¡± Maybe she was ying around, and it dyed her arrival. How could she make us all wait for her? It¡¯s so rude!¡± Audrey looked worriedly at Catherine, not expecting Donna to scold Catherine in front of everyone. She watched Catherine cautiously, afraid that Catherine might throw a fit. Facing these usations, Catherine looked expressionlessly at Rachael. ¡°I had an ident on the way here. The driver¡¯s car broke down, so I took a taxi myself.¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s exnation, Rachael suddenly understood. She hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to be so lucky to escape unscathed. It seemed that she couldn¡¯t get rid of Catherine for a while. Donna, displeased with Catherine¡¯s exnation, felt that Catherine was just making excuses. ¡°How dare you¡­¡± Before Donna could voice her reproach, Rachael interrupted, ¡°Mom, let it go. She didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Let¡¯s go have some coffee. Forget about these impolite girls!¡± Donna was then forcefully pulled into the back hall by Rachael. Seeing Rachael and Donna leave, Liana quickly followed. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll go too!¡± Audrey and Catherine were left alone. Audrey seemed to be in a good mood, smiling at Catherine. ¡°Kathy, you see, Mom still cares about you. When Grandma scolded you, she immediately took her away to protect you!¡± Looking at Audrey¡¯s satisfied smile, Catherine snorted. Her voice was extremely cold as she asked, ¡°Is that so?¡± Audrey hesitated to respond. For no reason, she felt that Catherine¡¯s attitude was cold, different from usual. Could it be that this situation wasn¡¯t what Audrey had imagined? Audrey wanted to ask again, but Catherine turned and walked out of the hall. ¡°I need some fresh air!¡± Just as Catherine stepped out of the door, her phone vibrated. She reached into her pocket and took out her phone, ncing at the caller ID before putting it to her ear. A man¡¯s elegant and deep voice came slowly. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°At the Langs¡¯.¡± Catherine¡¯s response sounded somewhat cold. Having long grown ustomed to her personality, Branden didn¡¯t mind. It was not an easy task to make her willing to answer the phone, so why force anything else? As long as she was happy, she could treat him the way she liked. ¡°It¡¯s about Johnathan. It wasn¡¯t an ident.¡± Catherine leaned against the wall, propping herself with one foot in anguid posture. Her eyes gazed into the vast darkness ahead, something profound shing across her face. ¡°Do you know who was behind it?¡± she asked. ¡°Not certain yet, but it seems to be an inside job,¡± came the response. ¡°The person was very meticulous and cleaned up all the traces. Only someone close to Johnathan could have done it so perfectly.¡± Catherine nodded, finally understanding why Korbin suddenly turned against her and why Rachael used her so vehemently in the hospital. It turned out that this couple had pinned Johnathan¡¯s troubles on her. ¡°How ridiculous!¡± Catherine teased inwardly. ¡°They¡¯re truly overestimating themselves.¡± After a long silence, Branden couldn¡¯t help but initiate a conversation. ¡°How was your day today?¡± ¡°Nothing special.¡± Catherine¡¯s voice was cold, suggesting that she didn¡¯t want to talk much. Knowing her attitude, Branden didn¡¯t intend to say much either. If she didn¡¯t want to say much, then so be it. ¡°What time can you leave? Do you need me to pick you up?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you knowter,¡± Catherine replied. Without waiting for his response, she hung up the phone. She never liked talking on the phone, so a conversation this long was a rare urrence, After being out for a while, Catherine put away her phone and prepared to go back. But as she turned around, she saw a tall figure standing behind her. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. With a calm expression and a cold, piercing gaze, she asked, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Inside a mountain vi on the remote outskirts of Casier, Paxton walked into the living room lightly with a food box. After cing the food gently on the desk, he said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, you haven¡¯t eaten today. You should have some food now!¡± Branden didn¡¯t even have any food today because of Catherine¡¯s matter. Having just finished a phone call, Branden was in a good mood. After putting down his phone, he picked up the food Paxton brought, taking a bite every now and then. During Branden¡¯s mealtime, Paxton reported the most urgent matter at hand to him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, there is news from the hospital that the guy is currently experiencing massive bleeding in his abdominal cavity, with almost all his ribs broken. He has fractured both leg bones and aminuted fracture of his right arm. A certain amount of umted blood in his brain must be cleared before we can know how much he can recover!¡± Listening to Paxton¡¯s report, Branden¡¯s expression remained expressionless. His deep and dark gaze became increasingly severe as he chewed the food in his mouth. He lowered his eyes. His body seemed to be permeated with a strong and terrifying hostility. Branden parted his thin lips lightly and said coldly, ¡°Ask the hospital not to treat him for now but keep him alive and let him suffer the pain for a week.¡± His voice was as gloomy and terrifying as if transmitted from hell. Paxton, who received the response, trembled silently and thought to himself, ¡°Not treat him and make him suffer the pain for a week?¡± Branden was so ruthless! That guy probably was having a life worse than death right now. If one offended Catherine or Branden, one would better just kill himself directly. After intercepting the news of Catherine¡¯s ident, Paxton reported to Branden immediately. He didn¡¯t expect Branden to pay so much attention to it and personally brought someone to the scene. However, when they arrived at the scene, they found that the location was far from what they had imagined. The car ident had already happened when they arrived, and even the ambnce was on standby. However, the injured person was not Catherine but the unlucky one preparing to take action against Catherine. That was a nifty trick for Catherine to deal with that guy at his own game. Paxton never expected that Catherine, who looked so slim and quiet, would be so ruthless in her actions. It was an amazing move! He felt that he would have to stay a little further away from Catherine in the future to not identally provoke her and cause himself a more painful oue than death. Catherine¡¯s face looked calm, with a hint of dominance in herzy posture. On her stunning face, there was a mischievous and fierce expression in her beautiful eyes, which were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s eyes. She stared coldly at Adrien ahead. Every time Adrien saw the girl, Catherine, he was a little surprised. She always exuded an aura that made him inscrutable. Facing Catherine¡¯s inquiry, Adrienughed softly. ¡°Hehe, it seems you didn¡¯t keep the business card I left for youst time.¡± Did it matter if she kept it or not? Besides, Catherine didn¡¯t feel like she needed Adrien¡¯s help in any way. Catherine stared at him without saying anything. A fierce look was hidden in her seemingly calm gaze, and even Adrien was a bit overwhelmed. Initially, he didn¡¯t receive an invitation, but Enzo called to discuss something and mentioned that Rachael and her family wereing tonight. When he heard that Catherine would also be there, he wanted to see the girl again and drove over immediately. ¡°Why are you standing outside? Not going inside?¡± Adrien tried to lower his voice as much as possible. He was usually tough and managed to train in the army by shouting, so he was afraid to scare Catherine. Catherine, the jinx, was repulsive in the eyes of others but a treasure in Adrien¡¯s eyes. Catherine put her hands in her pockets and lowered her eyes to give him a light nce. Her casual posture fully demonstrated that she was not at all afraid of her Uncle Adrien, whom everyone feared in front of her. ¡°Get in there now!¡± After saying that, Catherine took a step over Adrien and walked toward the room. Adrien lowered his head, curled his lips, and smiled as he followed Catherine in. The room was initially filled withughter, but as soon as Catherine entered the door, there was an instant silence. Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Catherine with curiosity, disdain, and even hatred¡­ All kinds of gazes intertwined, forming a particrly strange atmosphere in the room. Only Audrey sat quietly in the corner, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at Catherine. Adrien, who followed closely behind, stepped into the door, and his solid and loud voice echoed throughout the room. ¡°Oh, why are you quiet as soon as Ie? Am I so terrifying? Did my arrival scare you?¡± No one expected Adrien to appear suddenly. After he entered the army, he seldom returned to the Langs because of his busy military duties. Enzo and Donna would notify everyone with excitement every time he came back, but such a sudden appearance was extremely rare. Even Enzo and Donna looked surprised this time. Donna looked at him in surprise and asked, ¡°Adrien, why did you suddenlye back? Is there something wrong?¡± A faint smile appeared on Adrien¡¯s serious face, reducing his sense of authority. ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t this my own home? Do I have to ask for permission when Ie back?¡± Donna didn¡¯t know what to answer and looked a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, Adrien spoke up in time to ease Donna¡¯s embarrassment, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m joking with you. Why are you so serious? Dad called me this afternoon and said there was a family gathering in the evening. It just so happens that I don¡¯t have many things to do in Casier today, so I stopped by to see you and gather with my brothers as well.¡± Donna nced sideways toward Enzo. After seeing him nod his head to confirm this, a smile immediately appeared on her face as she looked kindly toward Adrien. ¡°You¡¯re really a good boy. You evene back to see us when you¡¯re busy with work. You must be tired, right? Come have a seat and have dinner with us.¡± After saying that, she asked the maid to add a set of dishware and pulled Adrien to sit beside her. Audrey pulled Catherine to sit down. Just after Catherine sat down, Audrey talked to Catherine in a low voice. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re lucky to have met Uncle Adrien back today. Whenever hees back, grandparents will have a friendly face to anyone.¡± Audrey¡¯s words could be considered as she had already shown respect to Enzo and Donna. In fact, Enzo and Donna always liked to pretend to be kind in front of Adrien to please him. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Upon hearing Audrey¡¯s words, Catherine nced in Adrien¡¯s direction. Staying in the military for year- round training gave Adrien a sense of dignity and justice. Catherine always felt that there was something strange about Adrien. People like him were the least approachable. But Catherine could feel clearly that Adrien intended to approach her. As for the reason, Catherine would only know after checking. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Because of Adrien¡¯s arrival, the original dreary Langs had be cheerful andughing again, and everyone was talking and discussing enthusiastically. Returning to her senses, Rachael looked at Catherine with increasing disdain. She squinted at her elder sister -inw, Alyssa Lang. Alyssa had always followed Rachael¡¯s lead. When she married into the Langs, Rachael had not yet married into the wealthy family, the Swanns. At that time, the Langs could only be regarded as well-off. Since Rachael married into the Swanns, the Langs had radically changed. Alyssa was deeply cognizant of Rachael¡¯s position in the Langs, so she had always obeyed Rachael. With one look from Rachael, she knew what Rachael meant and immediately turned on Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I heard that you¡¯re also talented in music, and you won an award at thest celebration g, right?¡± Just after she said that, the crowd once again dropped their gazes onto Catherine and looked at her in various ways. Audrey originally wanted to have a quiet meal with Catherine, but Alyssa suddenly mentioned this. Audrey felt that Alyssa didn¡¯t have a good intention for some reason. ¡°Aunt Alyssa, the celebration g was just a literary and artistic evening, just for fun. Catherine was¡­¡± ¡°Did I ask you?¡± Alyssa¡¯s face was slightly darkened, and her eyes were very sharp as she nced at Audrey. She continued with a tone filled with dissatisfaction, ¡°You¡¯ve only been working for a while, and you¡¯ve been so unruly. How dare you interrupt your elders¡¯ conversation!¡± Audrey¡¯s face froze, and she was embarrassed. Alyssa had always been kind and affectionate toward Liana, but in front of Audrey, she appeared as a serious elder, full of airs. Audrey had been treated differently since she was a little girl and had gotten used to it. She hadn¡¯t tried resistance before, but it hadn¡¯t worked at all. Her mother would only feel that it was her fault. Alyssa was a bit proud to see Audrey being too scared to speak. She didn¡¯t believe that Catherine, who had just returned from the countryside, could be even more difficult to deal with than Audrey. She could deal with Audrey, let alone Catherine. Catherine curled her lips and chuckled lightly. Her piercing and deep eyes emanated with an icy expression without the slightest concealment. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She asked lightly, ¡°So what?¡± She was talented in music and won an award, so what? Seeing her indifferent attitude, Alyssa¡¯s face became even darker and more severe. There was a perfunctory smile on her face just now, but now there was only cold mockery. ¡°Since you like music, then work hard. You have a good rtionship with Audrey, and she can take you into the showbiz. It may be difficult to be famous if you don¡¯t work hard, but it¡¯s still possible to make a living and let us elders worry less!¡± Catherine looked at Alyssa with a calm gaze, the end of her eyes slightly raised, with a hint of evil smile in her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t Liana also win a second prize at the celebration g? Aunt Alyssa, why don¡¯t you care about her and ask her to enter the showbiz to make a living in the future?¡± Alyssa didn¡¯t expect Catherine to mention Liana suddenly, and for a moment, she lost her words and didn¡¯t know how to counterattack. The most gloomy person in the room was Liana, who didn¡¯t expect Catherine to mention herself suddenly and specifically mention that she hade in second ce. She had been outstanding for so many years, and she never stopped taking the first ce. This time, she won second ce and lost to Catherine, the jinx. She felt very unlucky. Catherine was really annoying. Liana was embarrassed and didn¡¯t want to talk. She didn¡¯t want anyone to bring up the topic. Seeing that no one spoke, Donna came out to help. She said to Catherine, Liana is different from you. A famous teacher has taught her since childhood and followed the path of an artist. She¡¯s also a good student in school, and in the future, she will at least be an outstanding graduate of a prestigious university. With a little effort, she may add another honor to the Swanns and the Langs.¡± Donna¡¯s words were all disparaging to Catherine, and she didn¡¯t show affection to Catherine. After she finished speaking, Liana immediately chimed in with a gentle voice and the graceful demeanor of a wealthydy, ¡°Grandma is right. Catherine, if you really want to take the path of art, I can have my music teacher teach you. With the guidance of a famous teacher, your music will definitely go up to the next level. ¡°The only trouble is that my music teacher is too famous, and she doesn¡¯t ept students with average qualifications. I don¡¯t know if Catherine can pass the interview.¡± Liana pretended to be embarrassed and looked at everyone, her eyes full of innocence. ¡°Hmph!¡± Alyssa snorted coldly, with a disdainful expression on her face.¡± Does she need an interview? She can¡¯t possibly pass the interview. Catherine grows up in the countryside and has some talent, only relying on the excellent genes of the Swanns. Maybe she doesn¡¯t even know the pentatonic scale. Liana, you don¡¯t need to worry about her. It¡¯s just a waste of time!¡± Catherine originally didn¡¯t intend to pay any attention to them, but she didn¡¯t expect Alyssa to get more and more aggressive. ¡°Hehe!¡± she sneered coldly. Upon hearing that, Alyssa frowned and red at Catherine in dissatisfaction, the anger in her eyes growing stronger. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to behave yourself? What do you mean by that smile?¡± Catherine looked up at her, her sharp eyes slowly sizing up Alyssa. ¡°My auntplimented me. Shouldn¡¯t I be happy?¡± ¡°Complimented you?¡± Alyssa¡¯s face was full of confusion, and she thought to herself, ¡°Is Catherine crazy? ¡°I was so straightforward already, but she thought Iplimented her?¡± ¡°I grew up in the countryside and didn¡¯t have the opportunity to learn. Relying on the excellent genes of the Swanns, I was able to win over a future artist like Liana, who was carefully trained from a young age. Aunt Alyssa, isn¡¯t that apliment?¡± Alyssa only heard that Catherine attended the celebration g and fooled around with a group of boys in a band. Still, she didn¡¯t know that Catherine actually beat Liana and won first ce. Liana initially thought that Catherine would not say these things, but she didn¡¯t expect Catherine to say she won her in public. In an instant, Liana¡¯s face turned deathly gray. Just now, she was so happy and full of satisfaction that she was ready to watch Catherine make a fool of herself, but now she looked unhappy. Liana looked bad, and Rachael also felt dishonored. After all, Liana was the bargaining chip she constantly used to show off, and now the daughter she had carefully nurtured was losing to Catherine, who had been thrown to the countryside. How could she not feel humiliated? Alyssa dared not say anything more when she realized Rachael¡¯s face looked terrible. She had realized that she had messed things up. She never expected Catherine to be so eloquent. Watching both her daughter and daughter-inw lose, Donna, who had initially nned to watch the show on the side, couldn¡¯t help but refute Catherine and say, ¡°You¡¯ve been so proud just after you performed well once? Humph¡­¡± She squinted at Catherine with a face full of mockery. ¡°I watched Liana grow up. She has won awards many times already, but I haven¡¯t seen her be so proud. ¡°Girls should know how to restrain themselves. It¡¯s true that one will like whoever educates him, and the one who has no one to educate will be wild!¡± Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Donna didn¡¯t show any mercy at all. Everyone from the Langs sat aside, watching Catherine as if they were watching a good show. They all didn¡¯t like Catherine. With Rachael¡¯s marriage to the top- ss family, the Swanns, she led to the prosperity of the entire Langs. Catherine, who was recognized as a jinx, was thrown into the countryside from a young age. And she was suddenly called back to inherit the entire assets of the Swanns, which made the Langs dislike her, whether out of hostility to the rich or consideration for their own interests. They despised Catherine for growing up in the countryside and looked down on her. Watching Catherine being educated, everyone gloated and held back theirughter. Catherine originally had no intention of paying attention, but she didn¡¯t expect the Langs to go too far. She casually put down the fork in her hand and looked at Donna indifferently. Her pure brown eyes exuded a cold aura, which made her look as fierce as a raging beast and sharp as an eagle. ¡°Grandma has a point. I have no one to educate me, and my nature is wild. The Langs is a literary family. You and Grandpa are professors and great schrs, teaching and educating for so many years, but the daughter you gave birth to is superstitious and threw away her own daughter. ¡°Grandma, do you think this is considered a failure in your educational milestone?¡± Although everyone knew why Catherine was sent away from her childhood, no one ever mentioned it openly. As Catherine said, as a descendant of a literary family, Rachael was superstitious and even sent her daughter to the countryside. If this matter were made public, it would be a disgrace. No one expected Catherine to open up this matter in front of so many people. Not only did it humiliate Rachael, but it also showed no respect to Donna and Enzo. Everyone was shocked. No one in the Langs dared to disrespect Donna and Enzo. No one had ever dared to talk to them like that in the Langs, and Catherine was the first person who had ever dared to speak to them in such a tone. Audrey sat aside, her eyes widening in shock. Although she agreed that Catherine¡¯s words were disrespectful, they sounded pleasant to her. Catherine was amazing! Donna was so angry that she gasped for breath. She reached out and patted the table, scolding Catherine angrily, You¡­ You unruly girl, how dare you talk to me like that?¡± Rachael hurriedly calmed her mother, smoothing her breath while ring angrily at Catherine with her sharp eyes. She gritted her teeth and angrily pointed at Catherine, shouting directly at her, ¡°Catherine, I order you to apologize to your grandma right now. Do it right now!¡± It had been many years since those present had seen Rachael, who had always appeared as a gentle noblewoman, get so angry. It could be seen how angry Rachael was this time. Everyone also began to me Catherine as if she were a murderer or an arsonist. Catherine didn¡¯t say anything. She raised her head slowly, looking around with her cold eyes with a powerful aura. The crowd was then instantly silenced. They had to be silent because Catherine¡¯s aura was too powerful, and those who were nced at by her would subconsciously panic and not dare to speak.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Only after the scene quieted down did Catherine speak unhurriedly, ¡°If you guys don¡¯t want to have a rtionship with me, you can just say it! If you want me to sit here, then show your sincerity. ¡°I didn¡¯te here to sit and listen to a lecture. ¡°If you guys still want to have business dealings with the Swanns, then don¡¯t put on such airs against me. Don¡¯t forget who the chairperson of the Swann Corporation is now!¡± She said those words lightly but it made everyone change their expressions. The people of the Langs, who were originally arrogant, now looked depressed. Faced with the silence of the crowd, Catherine arrogantly curled up her lips and gave her final advice with a cold smile. ¡°Remember, you¡¯re not qualified to meddle in my affairs!¡± After saying that, she stood up with her hands in her pockets. She looked at Donna and Enzo with an arrogant attitude. ¡°I¡¯m full, so I won¡¯t be here to affect your appetites, lest you all can¡¯t eat!¡± After saying that, Catherine turned around and left. Before leaving, she picked up Audrey by the cor with one hand. She took the still-dazed Audrey with her forcibly! She was worried that if she didn¡¯t take Audrey away, Audrey would be bullied by the Langs. Only after the two figurespletely disappeared did the Langse back to their senses. Enzo was the first one to speak at that time. He pped the table angrily to vent his anger. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been pointed at and humiliated like this in my life. And the person who humiliated me is a junior in my family. I¡¯ve lived my life in vain!¡± As soon as Enzo said that, the others echoed. ¡°Catherine is just too much of a badass. She¡¯s a junior but she dares to threaten her elders. We should really teach her a lesson.¡± The one who said this was Alyssa, who was shocked by Catherine just now. Now that she hade back to her senses, she couldn¡¯t wait to kill Catherine. Faced with the constant usation of Catherine from the people around her, Liana was the happiest one. She appeared obedient tofort Donna. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be so angry. Catherine grew up in the countryside, and she doesn¡¯t know how to behave herself!¡± As soon as she said that, Alyssa chimed in sarcastically. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know how to behave herself? I think she knows it too well. She was threatening us with the Swann Corporation? Who the hell does she think she is? Does she think she is in charge of the Swann Corporation?¡± ¡°Alyssa, Catherine is indeed in charge of the Swann Corporation!¡± Adrien¡¯s sudden words drew everyone¡¯s attention. Donna and Enzo¡¯s gazes were all focused on Adrien, with a hint of exploration and confusion in their eyes. Adrien didn¡¯t care about the attention of the crowd. After all, he had already understood the intention of what they had just said. He stared at Catherine all the time just now without saying a word because he wanted to see how much Catherine could endure and whether she would seek help from him. He didn¡¯t expect this girl to be really tough, directly letting the whole family feel embarrassed. He appreciated Catherine¡¯s tough nature. Alyssa didn¡¯t understand Adrien¡¯s meaning, so she took the initiative to ask, ¡°Adrien, what do you mean by that? Could it be that Swann Corporation really wanted Catherine, a little girl, to be the leader?¡± Adrien nodded slightly, agreeing with Alyssa¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right, the one who is in charge of the Swann Corporation now is Catherine. As far as I know, Catherine has the most shares, and she has also passed the board of directors¡¯ selection and has sessfully been elected as the chairperson of the board of directors of the Swann Corporation. ¡°As the chairperson of the board, Catherine has the right to decide on the future development direction and cooperation partners of the Swann Corporation!¡± To put it bluntly, Catherine held the power of life and death of the Swann Corporation. With the power in her hands, she could cooperate with whomever she wanted. If she didn¡¯t want to cooperate with someone, she could just stop the cooperation directly. Chapter 284 ?Chapter 284 Girlfriend Exclusive The news brought by Adrien left the Langs in shock. They had no idea about the specifics of what was happening within the Swanns. In their eyes, Catherine was just a little girl who was harmless and non-threatening. Enzo reacted first and looked toward Adrien. ''Adrien, are you sure about what you''re saying?" After hearing that, Adrien smiled. He had spent years in rigorous training, which had left his skin darker than usual. It made his bright white teeth stand out even more. "Dad, do I have any reason to lie?" "Adrien, you misunderstand. It''s just that it''s strange for you to bring up Catherine suddenly. You''ve never been interested in these matters before. How did you suddenly be aware of the Swanns'' internal affairs?" What puzzled Enzo the most was this point. Adrien had never cared about the Langs'' interactions or business dealings. This had been the case since he was a child. However, ever since Catherine appeared, Enzo felt that Adrien''s attention to her far exceeded his interest in anyone else. Facing Enzo''s questioning, Adrien replied calmly. "Dad, the Swann Corporation will announce a multinational chip coboration next month. It''s not just majorpanies paying attention. The government is also highly interested. Dad, that''s all I can say." After hearing that, Enzo instantly understood. Many of Adrien''s work matters couldn''t be disclosed to the outside world, not even to family. "I understand, Adrien. Be careful. As your family, we will fully support you. Irreversible mistakes must not be made!" The Langs would not let go of Adrien. Enzo realized that Adrien must know something significant, or Adrien wouldn''t be so confident. Enzo turned his head to look at Rachael and asked in a low voice, "What''s really going on?" Rachael lowered her head slightly and remained silent. Enzo always knew Rachael''s thoughts. He quickly realized that Adrien must be aware of the truth. Enzo was somewhat angry at Rachael''s concealment. Moreover, he was concerned about the Langs'' future. The ties between the Langs and the Swanns ran deep. Rachael was not close to the Langs and even harbored some grievances. If Rachael controlled the Swanns, it would be very unfavorable for the Langs. At this moment, with so many people around, it wasn''t the right time to discuss further. Enzo stood up and said, "Alright. That''s enough for today. You can leave now." No one dared to defy Enzo. They could tell his mood wasn''t good, so they left quietly. However, Adrien''s confirmation influenced the thoughts of the Langs. Their attitudes toward Catherine had shifted significantly. Liana followed Rachael out of the Langs''. As soon as they got into the car, Liana couldn''t help but ask Rachael. ''Mommy, is Catherine as powerful as Uncle said?" Rachael was still furious. She had thought that today, she couldpletely get rid of Catherine, but instead of eliminating her, it had brought a lot of trouble. She was infuriated. "Enough. Just be quiet. Instead of asking about these things, you should focus on yourself. *I''ve put so much effort into nurturing you. I have hired top tutors for you since your childhood. Yet you can''t even defeat a country bumpkin girl who never had an education. Do you have the audacity to say anything here?" Liana couldn''t lift her head under the scolding, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She used to be Rachael''s pride, but now she had be a stain that people used to mock Rachael. Not to mention Rachael, even Liana couldn''t forgive herself. Liana thought all of this was because of Catherine. She thought inwardly, ''Catherine is a jinx. Why does she still live in this world?" At the same time, Branden personally drove to the Langs'' to pick up Catherine. Audrey was surprised when she saw him driving alone. The Duncans'' wealth was beyond measure, and they certainly could afford a driver. The only usible exnation was Branden deliberately chose to drive himself to disy his affection for Catherine. As a tycoon, Branden chose to be the chauffeur himself. It was a clear sign of his deep regard for Catherine. Audrey obediently opened the car door and got in. Before Catherine could join her, Audrey closed the door. Catherine looked a bit puzzled and frowned slightly. After being scrutinized by Catherine, Audrey felt a sudden chill down her spine. Catherine''s aura seemed inexplicably formidable, and her gaze was terrifying. Audrey forced an awkward smile. "Kathy, why don''t you take the front seat? I''ll sit in the back for some extra space. I want to rest a bit." In Branden''s top-tier luxury car, there was never a shortage of space in the back. The two of them could practically lie downfortably. Audrey used a flimsy excuse. Catherine didn''t make a fuss. She thought inwardly, "If that''s what she wants, so be it." Catherine reached over and opened the front passenger door. Then she took her ce there. As they drove for a while, Audrey couldn''t bear the deafening silence in the car any longer. She began to wonder if Branden was doing this intentionally. He didn''t even y any music. To avoid feeling suffocated, Audrey cautiously started a conversation. "Do you guys use short videos? They''re all talking about how the front passenger seat is the exclusive seat for the girlfriend. Once a girlfriend sits there, no one else can sit there again. Some even put a ''Girlfriend Exclusive sticker on it.'' Audrey finished her words and chuckled. When she realized there was no response, she felt incredibly awkward. Upon reflection, she acknowledged that her topic choice was indeed rather peculiar. After ncing at Catherine, who was expressionless, Audrey was about tough it off and break the silence. To her surprise, Branden suddenly chimed in. He said, "Sure." "What?" Audrey was shocked. She didn''t understand what Branden meant. In the next moment, Branden kindly provided an exnation. "I''ll ask Paxton to put a ''Girlfriend Exclusive''bel on the front passenger seatter." Audrey was genuinely stunned by the dignified response from Branden. She couldn''t believe that her casual topic had been taken so seriously. Catherine shifted her gaze to the man driving attentively beside her. Her tone was nonchnt with a hint of mockery. "Do you follow these trends, too?" she asked. Branden gently nced at Catherine with his deep eyes. He smiled warmly. *I make sure you have everything others do," he replied. He made sure Catherine received all the treatment that a girlfriend should have. It was not just that. Branden would give Catherine the best treatment possible. In Branden''s view, CatherineN?velDrama.Org holds this content. deserved the very best. Catherine didn''t respond. She casually yed with her phone. However, on her delicate face, a faint smile shed across her rosy lips. It revealed her inner thoughts. Audrey sat quietly in the backseat and endured their public disy of affection. As they said, it was the most lethal when a big shot got serious. Audrey regretted that she had gotten into this car in the first ce. She was utterly overwhelmed by their public disy of affection. Moreover, she regretted having brought up this topic for no reason. Now, she had to face the consequences. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Audrey got out of the car halfway. She just couldn¡¯t bear the intense romantic atmosphere inside. Actually, both Catherine and Branden remained silent. They were upied with their own things. But that feeling was something else. Branden drove the car while Catherine yed games on her phone the whole time. As the car stopped at a red light, Branden reached over and adjusted the button to recline Catherine¡¯s seat. Catherine, who had been engrossed in her game, suddenly leaned back. She shifted her gaze from her phone to Branden. She coldly stared at Branden with a hint of confusion. Branden gently looked at her with his sparkling eyes. ¡°Kathy, give your eyes a break, and I¡¯ll wake you up when we¡¯re there.¡± ying on the phone in the car could seriously strain the eyes. Although Branden was driving, he noticed that Catherine had been on her phone for at least half an hour. So he asked her to take a break and rest her eyes. After understanding his intention, Catherine obediently turned off her phone and leaned back. She waspletely unconcerned about the fate of her in-game characters. ¡°Wake me up when we¡¯re there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Branden¡¯s voice was incredibly tender. The car was moving unusually slowly, which was quite unexpected given its exceptional performance. As Catherine woke up, the car had just reached the entrance of the residentialplex. It was just heading to the underground garage. The moment Catherine woke up, Branden noticed and nced at her from the corner of his eye. Catherine leaned her hand against the window and tilted her head. She casually observed Branden without saying a word. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Branden had been driving attentively. Suddenly, he remembered a video Triston had shared in their WhatsApp group earlier in the afternoon. It was a small group with him, Triston, Aidan, and a few other friends they often hung out with. After posting the video, Triston even mentioned everyone in the group. He just wanted to ensure everyone could see his one-handed steering wheel skills. He imed that being able to drive with one hand was thetest trend. It was really impressive. Branden had initially thought it was a boring stunt and it was something only Triston would take seriously. But to his surprise, everyone in the group agreed with Triston. After Catherine woke up, Branden quietly switched to one-handed driving. Catherine propped her chin up and idly looked around. She paused as she looked at Branden¡¯s fingers, which rested on the steering wheel. Once the car stopped and the door automatically opened, Catherine finally diverted her gaze. As she got out of the car, she suddenly said to Branden, ¡°Your fingers are quite good-looking.¡± Branden was momentarily taken aback. Then he smiled slightly. He deliberately lowered his voice and leaned in slightly. Then he asked, ¡°Do you like them?¡± Without hesitation, Catherine gave a simple and assertive reply. ¡°Yes.¡± Then she walked away confidently. Watching Catherine leave, Branden smiled brightly. Some of Triston¡¯s tricks and antics seemed to have their uses sometimes. At the same time, Korbin was in the Swanns¡¯ study. Korbin returned home unusually early today. His posture remained almost unchanged from the moment he walked in until now. When he heard a knock on the door, he slowly extinguished the cigar in his hand. ¡°Come in.¡± After Korbin¡¯s personal secretary received themand, he gently pushed the door open and entered the room. ¡°Mr. Swann, there¡¯s something new.¡± Korbin furrowed his brow and coldly uttered a word. He said, ¡°Speak!¡± Just half an hour ago, Korbin received a call from Rachael. She informed him that Catherine appeared unharmed at the Langs¡¯ and gave the Langs a good scolding. Catherine even used her position as the chairperson of the Swann Corporation to threaten the Langs. Korbin never expected that his meticulously nned scheme would have a loophole. He immediately dispatched someone to investigate. He wanted to find out what kind of force was behind Catherine. She escaped sessfully under his design. The secretary lowered his head. His expression showed clearly how troubled he was at the moment. Korbin urged him impatiently, which caused the secretary to shiver. ¡°Mr. Swann, we¡¯ve located Jacky. He is at the Hopkin Hospital in Casier. He¡¯s injured quite seriously. Luckily, a passerby found him and rushed him to the hospital or he might be dead now!! ¡°Is this what you were investigating?¡± Korbin¡¯s face darkened, and he looked at his secretary with sharp eyes. ¡°Mr. Swann, we find no connection between Jacky¡¯s ident and Catherine. The car indeed had a problem on the way, and Catherine got off at that time. Later, Jacky encountered his enemies. His own enemies injured him, and it has nothing to do with Catherine.¡± After briefly exining the situation, the secretary lowered his head again. And his hands began to tremble involuntarily. In the next moment, Korbin erupted in anger. ¡°You fools! I¡¯m keeping you to get things done, not to cause trouble for me. Stop making me clean up your mess day in and day out. Do you understand?¡± The secretary was so scared that he trembled all over and struggled to speak clearly. He replied, ¡°I understand, Mr. Swann. We understand.¡± After a brief outburst, Korbin regained hisposure and began nning the next steps. ¡°We can¡¯t use Jacky now.¡± Although Korbin didn¡¯t explicitly say it, the secretary understood his meaning and nodded obediently. ¡°Mr. Swann, rest assured. I will handle it personally.¡± To redeem himself, the secretary volunteered and said, ¡°Mr. Swann, should I arrange another group of people to deal with Catherine?¡± Korbin waved his hand and replied, ¡± Not for now. I¡¯ll consider it carefully before making a decision. You can go now. ¡°Yes, Mr. Swann.¡± After the secretary left, Korbin returned to his original position and relit his cigar. He never imagined that Catherine would be so lucky. She escaped like this. He thought inwardly, ¡°She is really a jinx.¡± Korbin¡¯s dark eyes flickered with a sinister and eerie intensity. He decided to find a suitable opportunity to deal with Catherine once and for all. Catherine had just entered the room and sat down when she heard her phone vibrating. She casually picked it up. On the other end was Ronin¡¯s voice. ¡°Hey, Boss. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Yeah. Go ahead,¡± Catherine replied softly. ¡°Boss, the people arranged by Korbin found nothing. They thought it was Jacky¡¯s enemies seeking revenge, and it allowed you to escape unharmed. ¡°As for Jacky lying in the hospital, he¡¯s probably in danger. After this incident, Korbin won¡¯t spare him.¡± After Catherine heard Ronin¡¯s report, a chilling look shed in her eyes. Her voice grew done!¡± y colder as she said, ¡°Well ¡°Boss, it wasn¡¯t me who did it,¡± Ronin said with a hint of grievance in his tone. Someone dared to target Catherine. It made Ronin want nothing more than to take those troublemakers down. But these individuals took measures so quickly and didn¡¯t give him a chance. He felt so wronged and innocent. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Ronin¡¯s response caused Catherine to furrow her brow. She lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Did you find out who it was?¡± Ronin was even more helpless when Catherine asked this. Despite his im of being an intelligence guru, he couldn¡¯t even dig up this bit of information. ¡°No.¡± Ronin¡¯s tone was filled with frustration. ¡°Boss, those people are acting mysteriously, and their whereabouts are well-hidden. I had the base¡¯s people look into it, but we haven¡¯t received any feedback yet. However, they don¡¯t seem like they¡¯re against us. It looks more like they want to help us.¡± Catherine spoke upzily after a brief silence on the other end of the phone. ¡°Since they¡¯re not against us, let it be,¡± she said. Her meaning was clear. If those people were not enemies, they would leave them be. Ronin thought this approach was somewhat risky. After all, they didn¡¯t know where these people came from. However, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but feel that Catherine had a point. After all, this group had appeared a few times. These people always supported them and never opposed them. Ronin thought inwardly, ¡°Could they be from one of Boss¡¯s many branches?¡± Catherine had too many aliases, and sometimes Ronin wasn¡¯t quite sure. Since Catherine said to leave it alone, Ronin would let it be for now and make a decision once there were other results. ¡°Find out who was responsible for Jonathan¡¯s car ident,¡± Catherine said. After she gave Ronin thest task, she hung up the phone. Before Ronin could respond to Catherine, he heard the phone hanging up. When Branden walked out of the kitchen with a te of freshly cut fruits, Catherine was lounging on the living room couch and engrossed in a video game. The couch was a recliner that Branden specially asked Paxton to pick out. It was incrediblyfortable, allowing one to sink into itpletely. Branden ced the fruit tter on the small coffee table to the left of Catherine. After he just set it down, Catherine instinctively reached for a piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth. Catherine still looked at the smartphone screen. Her movements were skilled and practiced, as if she had done this a thousand times before. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but think Branden treated her like a daughter. His methods were incredibly clever. He never forced her to do anything and respected her decisions. However, he subtly changed something over time. For instance, after every meal, Branden would prepare a fruit tter for her. Branden knew that Catherine didn¡¯t have a sweet tooth. He used fruits to provide her with the necessary sugars and always chose those with high sweetness. Catherine had a penchant for spicy food. Branden never tried to convince her to quit spicy dishes. Instead, whenever he cooked, he would deliberately include a non-spicy dish. He would gradually increase the proportion of non-spicy dishes. He was slowly influencing Catherine¡¯s eating habits. Catherine was well aware of all this and even started to ept some of his ways. The reason was simple. She found Branden interesting. Moreover, Branden had a remarkable knack for bnce in their rtionship. It was easy to get along with him. So Catherine liked to go along with it. The cantaloupe was cut into perfectly sized pieces. Catherine took a bite, and the sweet, fragrant juice filled her mouth. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but praise it. She said, ¡°This cantaloupe tastes great! After she spoke, Branden immediately picked up his phone and called Paxton. Then he ordered a whole carload of cantaloupes. Catherine nced at thebel on the cantaloupe. This cantaloupe was from Trnd, Janikon. This variety of cantaloupe was as precious as a Herm¨¨s brand bag. On average, one of these cantaloupes could cost three to four thousand dors. Branden ordered a whole carload of cantaloupes. In an instant, a string of numbers shed through Catherine¡¯s mind. Indeed, Branden was not short of money. ¡°Are you nning to go somewhere for the uing holiday?¡± Branden brought the fruit tter closer to Catherine, making it easier for her to eat while gaming. They had a three-day holiday starting next week due to the nationalw. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Catherine paused her game for a moment and looked up at Branden. She said casually, ¡°I¡¯m not really nning to go anywhere. I have to rehearse for a day because the National Literary and Art League starts right after the holiday. Her homeroom teacher had been urging her repeatedly about this, so she had scheduled a day for rehearsal during the holiday. ¡°Is there something going on?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow as she scrutinized Branden. ¡°Can we schedule the rehearsal for the first day?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure,¡± Catherine replied. Since it was just a one-day rehearsal, it didn¡¯t matter which day it fell on. ¡°Good!¡± Branden nodded earnestly. Triston bought a small ind near Casier a while ago. How about I take you there for a few days during the holiday?¡± Since it was a holiday, it should be a time to rx. If someone was offering food, drinks, and entertainment, there was no reason to refuse, especially when it wasn¡¯t someone she disliked. Catherine agreed and said, ¡°Sounds good. Just let me know in advance.¡± At the same time, Alyssa was at the Langs¡¯, Once Rachael and the others had all left, the Langs were in disarray. Alyssa was the first to be restless since her family now relied heavily on the Langs. The Langs¡¯ financial interests were in the hands of the Swanns. If what Catherine had said was true, then Catherine currently held the power within the Swann Corporation. In that case, they would be cutting off their own financial lifeline by antagonizing Catherine. Alyssa couldn¡¯t think of a solution and turned to the matriarch and the patriarch of the Langs. She said, ¡® Mom, Dad, you should decide on this matter.¡± As Donna looked at her impatient daughter-inw, she was somewhat displeased. She gave Alyssa a cold re. ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about? It¡¯s just a girl. Can she turn the world upside down?¡± Alyssa felt somewhat aggrieved after being scolded by Donna. She was just concerned. Alyssa reached out and discreetly tugged on her husband¡¯s sleeve to ask him toe up with a n. Malik initially didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. But now that Adrien had mentioned it, Malik had to take it more seriously. His wife¡¯s insistence made Malik decide to discuss the matter with his parents. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m afraid this matter may not be so simple. I know Korbin¡¯s personality. He wouldn¡¯t allow Catherine to act so recklessly unless there¡¯s some hidden agenda. Adrien¡¯s words are cryptic for a reason.¡± As a family member, Adrien would certainly exin everything clearly if he could. However, the hesitancy in his speech indicated that he knew something, but he couldn¡¯t reveal it due to official duties. After hearing Malik¡¯s analysis, Enzo nodded in agreement, with mncholy in his expression. As Malik pointed out, Korbin was not one to willingly suffer losses. While Korbin might not have the same business acumen as Vicente, Korbin had grown up with Vicente and absorbed much business knowledge. If there were a way, it would be impossible for Korbin to let Catherine act so recklessly. ¡°I recall Rachael mentioning that Catherine is just a puppet and there may be other forces behind her. This matter of the Swanns may not be so simple.¡± After hearing that, Alyssa suddenly had an idea. ¡°Why should we care about their situation? Let¡¯s y both sides. We¡¯re all Catherine¡¯s rtives. Does she want to disown her grandparents, uncle, and aunt, too?¡± Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Catherine hadn¡¯t even entered the ssroom when Liana blocked her at the door. Liana seemed to be waiting for her here deliberately. Catherine arched her eyebrows and cast a cold, curious gaze upon Liana. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± she asked. Liana stared at Catherine with a strong hint of dissatisfaction and resentment in her eyes. ¡°Catherine, how could you speak to our grandparents like that yesterday? Do you not have any respect for your elders?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Catherine sneered, her clear and bright eyes filled with a hint of mockery as she looked at Liana. ¡°So you are here to use me?¡± ¡°You treated your elders this way. Can¡¯t I even ask about it?¡± Liana justified her argument fiercely. After returning home yesterday, she felt uneasy all night and came to school early this morning to confront Catherine. Facing Liana¡¯s arrogance, Catherine approached her slowly with a slight smirk and responded in a low voice. ¡°Have you thought this through? Are you sure it¡¯s not because I exposed that you came in second at the school celebration g in front of everyone?¡± Liana never expected that Catherine would see through her inner thoughts. She took a step back, widened her eyes, and looked at Catherine in astonishment. In those big eyes, there was also a hint of fear besides anger. Liana was unexpectedly taken aback by Catherine¡¯s urate grasp of her psychology. She was left speechless and stunned in ce. Seeing her action, Catherine bypassed her and went straight into the ssroom. After Catherine disappeared, Liana finally realized it and stomped her foot angrily. She didn¡¯t understand why she would lose to Catherine every time. Her eyes shed a hint of viciousness. ¡± I¡¯m not just going to let it go. I¡¯ve got other ways to deal with Catherine,¡± said she inwardly. After entering the ssroom, Catherine sat down and walked directly to her seat. In the next second, Ronin immediately stepped forward and said, ¡°Boss, why did your phony sister suddenlye to you? Does she want to cause trouble again? Should I teach her a lesson?¡± In the opinion of Ronin, his boss¡¯s sister, Liana, was a ssic phony. ¡°There was inconsistency between her words and deeds, and she constantly schemed behind Catherine¡¯s back. ¡°If it were not for her blood rtion with Boss, I would have already dealt with this deceitful woman who is always up to something evil,¡± thought he. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°No need!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t consider Liana a threat at all, so naturally, she wouldn¡¯t care about Liana, nor would she bother having Ronin make an effort to deal with Liana. ¡°Are we all set for the rehearsal?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve got the rehearsal venue and props ready for tomorrow. We have two days off. Why don¡¯t we go back to base!¡± It had been a while since Catherine came out. Everyone was missing her. If Branden had not spoken first, perhaps Catherine would have consented to Ronin¡¯s request. ¡°I can¡¯t. I still have something to do!¡± Ronin originally wanted to ask Catherine what she was up to. However, knowing her temperament, Ronin realized that he couldn¡¯t casually inquire about her whereabouts, so he remained silent. It was just a casual conversation, but one listener took it to heart. Bryan was sitting on the side, listening attentively to the conversation between the two. Taking advantage of Catherine going to the restroom, Bryan beckoned Ronin, who was standing next to him with a careless and yful posture, toe closer. Ronin had never gotten along with Bryan and always had to p back whenever Bryan talked. ¡°Why should I listen to you? Just because you tell me toe over, have to do it? Who do you think you are? Bryan couldn¡¯t be bothered tomunicate with the fool. He rolled his eyes and said disdainfully, Whatever, but don¡¯te to beg meter!¡± However, his attitude had caused some doubts in Ronin¡¯s mind. ¡°Is there really something going on?¡± he wondered. Feeling uneasy, Ronin stepped forward and asked, ¡°What is going on? Tell me quickly.¡± Just now it was Bryan who took the initiative to approach him. Now, it was his turn to beg Bryan. Bryan put on an aloof air, ignoring Ronin. As a result, Ronin¡¯s curiosity was piqued when he was subjected to such treatment. ¡°If you¡¯re a man, then speak up, Bryan! ¡± said Ronin. Bryan looked at Ronin sideways and asked, ¡°Does it matter if I am a man or not? What¡¯s the deal with these two things?¡± ¡°You were just about to say it yourself, and now you¡¯re not saying anything? That¡¯s so unmanly!¡± Ronin said with a confident and righteous expression. However, Bryanpletely ignored him, giving him a sidelong nce and casually saying, ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty!¡± Ronin immediately got it. Even though annoyed, he still fetched a cup of hot coffee that he had prepared for Catherine and handed it to Bryan. ¡°Sir, please have some coffee.¡± After Bryan finished his coffee, he satisfactorily briefed Ronin on the situation. Finishing listening, Ronin looked at Bryan with a face full of astonishment. ¡°Is what you said for real?¡± ¡°You think my info can be fake?¡± Bryan was looking pretty confident. If it weren¡¯t for that joker Triston constantly showing off, Bryan wouldn¡¯t even know that this dude bought an entire ind. ¡°As if afraid that others wouldn¡¯t know it, he talked about it everywhere,¡± thought Bryan. With a meaningful nce at Bryan, Ronin said, ¡°Since you seem well- informed, I shall entrust this matter to you. Remember, you must leave a spot for me.¡± Bryan wanted to punch this idiot unconscious. ¡°I had initially thought of working together with both families to find a solution, but this idiot pushed all the responsibility onto me! ¡°This is too much!¡± thought he. Liana hurried to the hospital as soon as sses were over at noon. She arrived at the entrance of the hospital soon. The caregiver greeted Liana with a respectful and cheerful demeanor as she saw Liana. ¡°Miss Swann, you really care about your brother. You are visiting him so frequently!¡± Korbin and Rachael were both busy. They hardly showed up after arranging the top-notch caregiver for their son. On the contrary, Liana, the older sister, had been quite proactive in visiting him. With a slight smile, Liana elegantly looked at the caregiver. ¡°Let me chat with my brother. You can take a break. Why don¡¯t you go for a stroll downstairs for a bit?¡± asked she. The caregiver would kill for an opportunity like this. If it weren¡¯t for the high sry this family offered, she would never want to serve that hot- tempered Johnathan Swann. It was truly an agonizing experience. Hearing themotion outside the door, Johnathan thought the caregiver was returning and started cursing instantly, ¡°Where the hell have you been cking off? Taking so long toe back, do you still want your job?¡± ¡°What a temper! Mr. Johnathan!¡± Liana¡¯s voice was cool and full of sarcasm. Jonathan scrambled up and saw that theer was Liana. He rolled his eyes and flopped back down. ¡°What brings you here? You didn¡¯te all the way just to entertain yourself, did you?¡± He didn¡¯t believe Liana would be so kind as to visit him. Others might not understand Liana, but he did. ¡°Liana has always been more cunning than others since she was little. ¡°If I were not a boy, I might have also been isted like my eldest sister,¡± thought he. Facing Johnathan¡¯s bad temper, Liana didn¡¯t indulge him and directly retorted back. ¡°What¡¯s the point of getting angry at me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve done anything to harm you. If you have the guts, direct your anger at Catherine!¡± Upon hearing this, Johnathan was about to retort. However, as the words were about to leave his mouth, he realized that there was something off about Liana¡¯s statement. His gaze fixed on Liana as he asked, ¡± What exactly do you mean by that?¡± Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Liana wore an expression that clearly showed her reluctance to engage in conversation with Johnathan. Her gaze purposely avoided meeting his. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no way to exin this situation clearly. Just chill and take care of yourself!¡± Jonathan knew in his heart that Liana was up to no good. But he couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity, so he grabbed Liana by the wrist and wouldn¡¯t let her leave. ¡°Exin the situation clearly to me. What is going on?¡± he asked. ¡°If you want to leave, you must make everything clear. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about stepping out of the door,¡± said he inwardly. Liana had a hesitant expression as she said, ¡°Forget it. Just consider it as me being impulsive for a moment. Mommy instructed me not to let you know it because you tend to be impetuous, and it could cause a lot of trouble if you found out.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the trouble? Are you thinking I would kill Catherine or something?¡± Johnathan eximed with a hint of agitation. ¡°I was afraid you were gonna do something stupid!¡± said Liana casually. She might have said something without any hidden intention, but Johnathan interpreted it differently due to his own motives. He immediately caught on, staring at Liana with a fierce gaze. ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you saying that I got hurt because of Catherine?¡± Liana sighed helplessly. ¡°Since you already know, I won¡¯t hide it anymore. But I¡¯m also not sure about this matter. Father discovered it. He said that your car ident was not an ident, and he suspected it was the doing of Catherine.¡± Liana specifically emphasized it once again. ¡°Father was just suspecting it.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± cursed Johnathan. ¡°I know it. With my excellent driving skills, how could I have had an ident while turning the corner? ¡°Turns out someone has tampered with it! ¡°That Catherine is such a jinx, causing me so much suffering in the hospital. I won¡¯t let her get away with it, no way,¡± said he inwardly. Johnathan was so sure about it because he knew his father well. He knew how cautious his father was in doing things. Something like a suspect was just an excuse. ¡°It must be that Catherine is jealous of me being the only boy in the Swanns and wants to harm me so that no one else couldpete for the Swanns¡¯ wealth with her. ¡°Unexpectedly, I survived the car ident. I promise that I will make her suffer greatly,¡± thought he. Liana consoled him with pretending sincerity, ¡°Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t worry about these matters. Father will take care of everything for us, so please don¡¯t take action on your own!¡± ¡°If Father can handle it, would I be lying here now? ¡°I finally see through it. Father couldn¡¯t handle this matter effectively. ¡°He is way too cautious and scared toy a hand on Catherine because he¡¯s worried about the powerful force behind that girl. ¡°He is absolutely foolish! ¡°What is there to be afraid of? Those people are just acting arrogantly because of the will left by Grandpa. ¡°Without that will, they would be nothing. ¡°Since Catherine dared to make a move against me, don¡¯t expect me to care about the sibling rtionship. I have to get rid of her. ¡°As long as I get rid of Catherine, those people won¡¯t have any more reasons to fight against Father. ¡°My father is old and indecisive. If this matter had been handed to me, it would have been finished long ago,¡± thought Johnathan. Seeing that Liana was still standing there, he impatiently waved his hand toward her. ¡°Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t be a nuisance here. I get annoyed just seeing you!¡± Before being driven away by Johnathan, Liana offered him some advice helplessly. ¡°Johnathan, you better remember, don¡¯t do anything stupid. You¡¯re no match for Catherine, and Mommy won¡¯t forgive me if something goes wrong!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I got it!¡± Jonathan put on a look like he was about to get angry before finally driving Liana away. He thought that Liana was one of those girls with long hair but not much brains. ¡°Before, I prioritized the rtionship between siblings and always treated Catherine with kindness. ¡°If I were to really take action, would Catherine be my match? ¡°That is absolutely impossible! ¡°Now that she dared to attack me, I will surely retaliate against her and make herpletely disappear. ¡°My leg has been hurting for so many days. ¡°If I don¡¯t teach her a lesson, I¡¯ll really end up being stepped on and humiliated by Catherine in the future,¡± said he inwardly. Liana¡¯s worried expression changed the moment she walked out of the ward. She slowly curled her lips, revealing a hint of a cold smirk. Her goal had been achieved. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll just wait and see how Johnathan deals with that jinx, Catherine. ¡°If Johnathan could just get rid of her directly, that would be the best scenario. But if that¡¯s not possible, causing trouble for her would also be a great aplishment. ¡°No matter what, since Catherine dares to treat me this way, she shouldn¡¯t be surprised if I retaliated against her with no mercy,¡± said Liana inwardly. The three-day holiday just started. Catherine got a message from Ronin early in the morning telling her to be on time for rehearsal. When she was leaving, Catherine happened to run into Audreying back. Audrey had been leaving early anding backte these few days. It was rare to see her home. Judging from her appearance, Catherine guessed she pulled another all-nighterst night. ¡°Your arm had just recovered. What¡¯s the rush to work?¡± Catherine furrowed her brows as she looked at Audrey. Audrey understood what Catherine meant. She didn¡¯t want to be so tired either and could only sigh helplessly. What can I do? The injury has dyed the progress of the crew. I have to rush the progress since my injury has recovered. I can¡¯t make the whole crew wait for me, right?¡± The expenses of the crew were huge every day. Even though Audrey was the leading actress with a high status, it was impossible to dy everyone¡¯s efforts just for her alone. Dying more would only cause substantial financial losses. The production team wouldn¡¯t have been so amodating if it weren¡¯t for Audrey getting injured on set. They might even make Audrey act with a broken arm. After resting for so many days, Audrey was already pretty satisfied. ¡°We worked all night and finally finished shooting. I can finally have a good rest today. By the way, Kathy, why did you get up so early this morning? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Rehearsal!¡± Catherine responded briefly, instantly remembering something else. ¡°How many days are you resting after the final shoot?¡± Upon hearing this topic, Audrey was delighted. With a weary face, she looked at Catherine and smiled sweetly. ¡°Haha, Kim said I worked while sick, which was extremely exhausting. So, he showed mercy and canceled one of my job offers and gave me three days off!¡± ¡°Perfect timing!¡± thought Catherine. ¡°Branden and I will take a two-day vacation on a small ind tomorrow. Would you like toe along?¡± she asked. Audrey smiled slyly and asked Catherine, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I disturb your intimate moment?¡± Catherine replied in a cold tone, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯ll go. After all, the ind is so vast, and at worst, I¡¯ll simply keep a safe distance and enjoy myself alone!¡± How could Audrey miss the opportunity to tag along with the big shot, enjoy free food and drinks, and take a trip to a private ind? ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Most importantly, she didn¡¯t have to worry about paparazzi taking photos of her on a private ind. During this period, she had been exhausted from hiding from the paparazzi. ¡°Whoever doesn¡¯t join it is a fool!¡± thought she. ¡°Great!¡± Catherine curled her lips slightly with a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth, showing a touch of indulgence toward Audrey. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re really awesome. Go for the rehearsal quickly. I¡¯m going to have a good beauty sleep now!¡± Catherine kindly closed the door for her and strode out. The agreed-upon rehearsal time was drawing near. Leaving now would be perfect. She didn¡¯t allow anyone to bete and didn¡¯t like beingte herself. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 During vacation time, no one was using the music room at school. Plus, Ronin had applied in advance and had everything prepared. The rehearsal in the morning went surprisingly smoothly. Both Bryan and Ronin felt like they did a good job, but they noticed that their boss didn¡¯t seem to be in a great mood. Bryan nced at Ronin, signaling him to ask Catherine. Ronin responded with a wry face, indicating Bryan silently why he didn¡¯t do it himself. After a bit of fussing around, they decided to ask Catherine together. However, at thest moment, Bryan yed a little trick by tripping Ronin¡¯s foot, causing Ronin to be one step faster than him to reach Catherine. Ronin was so angry he wanted to turn around and beat the scheming Bryan, but for now, he could only grit his teeth and seek advice from Catherine. ¡°Boss, why do you seem a bit unsatisfied? Was there something wrong with our performance just now?¡± Ronin asked cautiously, but he didn¡¯t really think there was a problem with their performance. Both his and Bryan¡¯s intonation and pitch were pretty urate. The several rehearsals they had just done were perfect. Although Bryan was a beginner, he was very intelligent and had good musical talent. It was indeed not easy for him to achieve such a good result quickly. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Ronin looked down on him on the surface, but deep down, he really admired Bryan¡¯s talent. He couldn¡¯t figure out the problem and could only wait for Catherine to answer. Because of Ronin¡¯s questioning, Catherine was now looking at him. Actually, there weren¡¯t too many problems with the performance just now. Whether it was in terms of pitch orpleteness, it could be considered excellent. The two of them performed very well, and their previous coboration had already formed a tacit understanding within this team. With such a performance, there should be no problem advancing to the National Literary and Art League. However, this was a nationalpetition with numerous experts, so it might be challenging to aim for the championship. The biggest problem of today¡¯s rehearsal was they were too stable. They were so stable that one couldn¡¯t find ws or standout features. Catherine was feeling tired today and couldn¡¯te up with any solutions at the moment. But it was their first rehearsal. There was no need to rush. ¡°That¡¯s it for today. I¡¯ll go back and revise the melody a bit, then send it to you guyster.¡± Catherine felt like it was her song that was causing the problem. She had made several modifications earlier to amodate the newbie, Bryan, which made the melody particrly stable. When the music style was too stable, there were few standout moments. She needed to make some changes. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± After she finished speaking, Catherine stood up and left directly. Seeing her about to leave, Ronin was getting anxious. He nced at Bryan on the side, giving him a warning look. Bryan knew that he had tricked Ronin before, and Ronin had definitely born a grudge against him. Given no other choice, Bryan had to speak up to stop Catherine. ¡°Boss¡­¡± Upon hearing the call, Catherine came to a halt and lowered her hand that had been resting on the brim of her hat. She turned around to face Bryan. Against the light, she stood there with one hand in her pocket. Sunlight streamed through the window, enveloping Catherine¡¯s body. She stood in the center with one hand in her pocket, glowing with a golden halo. The sunlight entuated every feature of her strongly defined face, creating a beautiful and ethereal illusion. Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at Bryan, indicating him to speak. Seeing this scene, Bryan silently swallowed and repeated it in his heart many times, ¡°She¡¯s the big boss, my uncle¡¯s wife, and an unattainable goddess!¡± After a moment, Bryan finally regained his senses and slowly said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Boss, we wanted to ask if you want to hang out in the next two days. Triston said he bought a private ind and wants us to go together!¡± After chatting with Ronin, Bryan decided to take the initiative to invite Catherine. ¡°Regardless of whether the boss will be going to the small ind the next two days or not, it is always safe to invite her this way,¡± thought they. Catherine¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Her face was cold and devoid of any warmth. ¡°I¡¯ve got ns.¡± Finishing, she left directly. After she went afar, Ronin slowly approached Bryan. With a perplexed expression, he asked disappointedly, ¡® What exactly does Boss mean?¡± Bryan turned around, crossed his arms, and looked sidelong at Ronin. ¡°Are you asking me?¡± Ronin was somewhat timid. Despite his im to be Catherine¡¯s thoughtful little caretaker, It was truly embarrassing that he couldn¡¯t even understand his Boss¡¯ intentions now. However, he would never show his embarrassment to others. He decided to change the topic and ask Bryan, ¡°Are you going or not tomorrow? ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± Bryan turned around and left. He didn¡¯t want to be around Ronin for too long, afraid that he would end up pping this fool. After finishing the rehearsal, Catherine went straight back to Audrey¡¯s apartment. But she didn¡¯t expect that there was an uninvited guest in the apartment. Audrey sat on the sofa, her head slightly lowered, looking somewhat nervous. Her hands were anxiously sped together above her knees, and even her back subconsciously straightened. Sitting across from her was the well- dressed and elegant Alyssa Lang. Alyssa came from a humble background, but thanks to the continuous growth of the Langs, she finally had the opportunity to participate in high society activities. However, those wealthydies did not look highly upon her. Everyone was secretly mocking Alyssa behind her back, saying she was like those ignorant youngdies who benefitted from their families to enter high society, and she was just a country bumpkin, a rural girl. To fend off all the gossip, Alyssa kept dressing herself up. The most straightforward way was to dress herself with designer brands so she could look extra wealthy and fancy. Hearing themotion, the two looked up at the same time. Audrey looked panicked and lost in her eyes. She thought Catherine wouldn¡¯te back so early and she would have enough time to send her aunt away. But unexpectedly, Catherine came back so early. It caught her off guard and left her unsure of how to react. She kept giving Catherine looks, hoping Catherine would leave quickly ore up with an excuse to leave the apartment directly. However, Catherine walked straight toward Audrey and sat down in aposed manner,pletely ignoring the hints she had received. Upon seeing Catherine¡¯s arrival, Alyssa was about to assume a formal stance and say a few words. However, when Catherine casually nced at her briefly, Alyssa felt a sudden rush of adrenaline that caused her whole body to shrink back. The next moment, her momentum that was just built up copsed instantly. Thinking about the reason why she came today, Alyssa changed her attitude. She still had a proud attitude, but at least there was a hint of a smile. After waiting for a while but still not hearing Catherine¡¯s greet, she got angry. ¡°You are running around during a vacation. That¡¯s so bold of you!¡± After speaking, she looked at Catherine with a sidelong nce, hoping to make Catherine bow her head. Faced with the usation of her elder, Audrey was much more nervous than Catherine. She immediately stepped forward to defend Catherine and politely looked at Alyssa. ¡°Aunt, Kathy had something to attend to at school this morning. She went to school, not to y.¡± Alyssa had been ustomed to being impolite to Audrey. Hearing Audrey¡¯s interrupt, she retorted rudely, ¡°Did I allow you to speak?¡± Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Alyssa¡¯s scolding subconsciously froze Audrey. Catherine sat on the side with a slight frown on her face. She raised her head and looked in the direction of Alyssa, her cold eyes shutting Alyssa¡¯s mouth as she panicked. Thinking about the task she was put here for today, Alyssa immediately turned her attention to Catherine. The way she treated Catherine was also different from that of Audrey. very ¡°Catherine, your grandparents asked me toe here today, mainly to visit you!¡± Alyssa assumed a high stance, deliberately mentioning Catherine¡¯s grandparents from the Langs. But out of her expectations, Catherine didn¡¯t buy it. All of Alyssa¡¯s words were nonsense to her. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen me, can you go now?¡± said Catherine. Alyssa froze at Catherine¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t expect this girl¡¯s attitude to be so cold and direct. If she hadn¡¯te here with a mission, she would have already taught a lesson to this girl. Thinking of her husband¡¯s instructions, Alyssa carried over the handbag on the side, fished out one of the cards, and put it in front of Catherine. ¡°This is from your uncle. There are 50 thousand dors in it. Your uncle is soft -hearted and dotes on kids. He said it wasn¡¯t easy for you to grow up alone in the countryside, so he gave you more money to keep your use. You can see how good your uncle is to you.¡± With that, she added, ¡°This is 50 thousand dors, you know. You have to remember your uncle¡¯s kindness!¡± Alyssa kept emphasizing the amount of money, thinking that Catherine, a girl. who had just returned from the countryside, had never seen so much money. However, she didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be so calm. There wasn¡¯t the slightest change in her expression. Alyssa pondered for a short while and felt that it would not do. Then she again fished out another card from inside her bag and ced it on the table. ¡°This is from me. I feel sorry for you every time I look at you. There are 100 thousand dors in here, and you can secretly keep it. Don¡¯t be a spendthrift, okay? ¡°Your uncle and I, you know, are different from your parents. To us, all nieces are the same. As long as you can remember our goodness, we will dote on you as our own daughter.¡± Audrey, sitting at the side, watched this scene in shock. It was the first time Alyssa had been here since the apartment was purchased. She initially thought that Alyssa was here to make aint. After all, Catherine had offended the Langs that night. But right now, Alyssa¡¯s series of doingpletely puzzled her. Alyssa was notoriously stingy. No one could get anything out of her. But today, she was so generous and took the initiative to give Catherine such arge amount of money. It was simply unbelievable. Alyssa frowned. Seeing Catherine still untouched, she could not help but feel uneasy. She didn¡¯t know what Catherine meant, but it didn¡¯t feel right. Just as she was nning to probe again, Catherine, who was originallyzily leaning back on the sofa, suddenly made a move. She slightly sat up straight, turned her gaze to Alyssa, and coldly said, ¡°Thank you.¡± A satisfied smile appeared on Alyssa¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯re family, so there¡¯s no need for thanks. As long as you can remember our goodness, we haven¡¯t spent all this money for nothing!¡± After saying that, she kept winking at Catherine and signaling her. Catherine grunted just as a phone call came to Alyssa. She answered the phone, and it was a few richdies calling to ask her to y poker. She hade early in the morning just to block Catherine, but she did not expect the girl to be out of the house. And that was why she had been dyed for so long. Since her mission was aplished, she had no intention of staying here anymore and was about to leave. ¡°I still have things to do and won¡¯t chitchat much with you two.¡± After saying that, Alyssa hurriedly stood up and wanted to leave. Malik had given her 300 thousand dors, and she had aplished her task so nicely with 150 thousand dors. It made her happy just to think about it. Initially, she only wanted to use 50 thousand dors, but who knew that Catherine was so greedy? Although half of it was used, it was not bad to be able to keep half of it. Before leaving, Alyssa still didn¡¯t forget to give Catherine another reminder, telling her to remember Malik and her goodness. She was dedicated to her mission. The sound of the door closing with a thud brought Audrey back to her senses. She looked at Catherine with an incredulous face. ¡°Kathy, did you cast a spell on your aunt?¡± Otherwise, how could Alyssa, who had always been arrogant and stingy, suddenly be generous? How could she take special care of Catherine, who was the least likely to be noticed among the entire family? Catherine looked askance at Audrey with an oppressive aura of devouring everything in her evil and reckless eyes. She picked up the two cards on the table and shoved them into Audrey¡¯s hands. ¡°For you!¡± Audrey looked down at the two bank cards in her hands and was lost in thought for a long time. Although 150 thousand dors wasn¡¯t much, it still caught Audrey off guard when she suddenly received such a large sum of money from Alyssa¡¯s hands. Catherine, however, had already walked in the direction of the room. I¡¯m going to take a break. Don¡¯t call me until the dinner time!¡± Although Audrey was still in shock, she subconsciously replied to Catherine¡¯s request without thinking, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m done ordering.¡± On Catherine¡¯s stunning face, her two thin lips slightly curled into a half- smile. Audrey¡¯s behavior at times was indeed very adorable, she thought. Inside the hospital, Johnathan was able to get out of bed on crutches. With his leg just a little bit better, he couldn¡¯t wait to carry out his n of revenge. He summoned a few of his friends to the hospital, all of whom were his closest buddies, and only listened to him. ¡°Mr. Johnathan, what happened to you? Some days ago, when your father was there, I did not dare to come to see you!¡± The one who spoke was called Dayton Barret. He was the one who hung out with Johnathan most often and was also a rich kid, but his family was not as wealthy as the Swanns. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Johnathan impatiently swept a nce at him. ¡°Cut the crap. I¡¯m calling you guys here for something important. Someone injured my leg. As my friends, shouldn¡¯t you avenge me?¡± Dayton and the others froze for a moment at Johnathan¡¯s words. They hadn¡¯t expected that Johnathan¡¯s leg injury wasn¡¯t idental but caused by someone else. ¡°Mr. Johnathan, does your father not know about such a big thing? No way! If he knows, why do we need to make a move? Given your father¡¯s power, can¡¯t he manage it?¡± A killing intent permeated Johnathan¡¯s eyes when he heard this. He gritted his teeth and said coldly, ¡°Do you know who the person that hurt me is?¡± Looking at Johnathan¡¯s expression, Dayton secretly felt something wasn¡¯t right. They all envied Johnathan. An only son like him didn¡¯t have to worry about the fights for power in the family. In the future, everything in the Swanns would be Johnathan¡¯s, and he was much luckier than them. But Dayton always felt something was not quite right, judging from Johnathan¡¯s behavior. He tentatively asked, ¡°Mr. Johnathan, could it be that the one who hurt a Swann?¡± you is This sentence seemed to poke Johnathan¡¯s sore spot. He was instantly enraged and red at Dayton, as terrifying as if he were about to eat someone. ¡°How can that jinx be considered one of the Swanns? She doesn¡¯t deserve it!¡± Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Due to Catherine¡¯s schedule, the group of people who were supposed to leave early ended up starting their journey in the afternoon. There was a knock on the door, and Audrey hurriedly went to open it. Upon opening the door, she saw Branden standing outside. She immediately stood up straight, behaving like a well- behaved elementary school student. Branden nced at her without saying a word, and Audrey, realizing this, quickly responded, ¡°Mr. Duncan, Kathy is up. She should be ready soon.¡± Audrey had woken up early to do her makeup and fix her hair before waking up Catherine. Just as she finished speaking, Catherine came out of the bathroom. Perhaps it was because she had just washed her face with hot water; her face still had a hint of warmth, making her look like a fairy stepping out of a dreamlike wondend. She was so beautiful that it could take one¡¯s breath away. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Not only men but even Audrey, a woman, was stunned. In her mind, only one word could describe Catherine¡¯s beauty-stunning. Catherine was now like an angel, gorgeous and full of vitality. However, she didn¡¯t care about the envious looks of others. She had long been ustomed to receiving such attention from childhood to adulthood. Catherine said softly, ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go.¡± Her cold voice snapped Audrey back to her senses. She eximed, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll change my clothes right away!¡± Catherine nodded slightly and walked to the door with her backpack. As she approached, Branden reached out and took the backpack from her. It was a light backpack, indicating that there wasn¡¯t much inside. ¡°Is this all?¡± Branden raised an eyebrow and looked at her, his eyes filled with indiscernible emotions. ¡°Yeah, everything we need should be on the ind, right?¡± Catherine asked. She believed that she didn¡¯t need to bring too many things. After all, she wasn¡¯t going to the wilderness. They were going to the small ind recently purchased by Triston, which was previously owned by a wealthy businessman who had invested in several luxurious projects on the ind. The businessman went bankrupt due to some issues, leading him to sell the ind to Triston. The facilities on the ind were well- equipped, and apart from the essentials she couldn¡¯t do without, she didn¡¯t need to bring much as everything would be avable on the ind. Branden had personallye to pick them up, so Audrey didn¡¯t want to keep them waiting. She quickly changed into an outfit and rushed out. Audrey¡¯srge suitcase seemed a bit exaggeratedpared to Catherine¡¯s small backpack. Audrey herself realized this and awkwardly scratched her head, looking at everyone. ¡°Did I bring too much? Should I take some things back?¡± Catherine was aware of Audrey¡¯s situation. Audrey used to be a beauty blogger, and every time she went out, she would bring arge amount of makeup and clothes, take pictures of her outfits, and upload them to the inte. Over time, this habit of bringing many things with her when going out became ingrained, even for short vacations. Even when going to a small ind, not for wilderness survival, she would still bring everything she liked. ¡°No worries. Just bring it all!¡± Catherine answered. Audrey immediately withdrew her hand that was about to open the suitcase. She wasn¡¯t sure what she could bear to part with if she really had to throw things away. It felt like everything inside was what she had to bring. After Catherine finished speaking, Branden nced at Paxton beside him. Paxton respectfully stepped forward and approached Audrey. ¡°No worries, Miss Swann. I¡¯ll carry it for you!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Audrey smiled slightly and politely handed over her luggage. This was Paxton, Branden¡¯s assistant, and he was personally carrying her luggage. This was amazing. Indeed, being able to rely on a big shot was pure happiness. And most importantly, the big shot was her sister. It couldn¡¯t get any better than that. Just thinking about it made Audrey happy. Upon arriving at the destination, Audrey realized that there were more people going on this trip than just them. Nervously, Audrey approached Catherine and asked in a low voice, ¡± Why are there so many people?¡± Catherine looked up slightly, peering through the brim of her hat, and saw familiar faces. Ronin and Bryan were here as well, happily greeting her. ¡°Hey, Boss!¡± ¡°Hello, Super Catherine!¡± said Yesenia. Catherine didn¡¯t respond but nced at them briefly. Then, she lowered her head again. Triston felt an intimidating gaze scanning him. He instinctively looked up and met Branden¡¯s icy eyes, almost causing him to tremble in fear. Branden furrowed his brows slightly, and Triston knew his doomsday was approaching. Before the doomsday came, Triston nned to make onest struggle. Triston smiled apologetically and looked at Branden, carefully saying, ¡± It¡¯ll be more fun with more people. I don¡¯t know who spread the news that I bought an ind, and everyone told me they wanted to come and see it. I¡¯m a generous person. I can fulfill this little request, right?¡± Who else could it be? Apart from Triston, who always boasted, who else would actively spread the news? Everyone present knew Triston¡¯s n. His exnation was highly unconvincing. He nervously swallowed, worried that Branden would kill him on the spot. Suddenly, Catherine spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s board the ship first. It¡¯s windy!¡± Branden¡¯s expression immediately changed. He grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand and walked onto the ship. Aidan, who was silently worried about Triston, walked up to him and patted his shoulder, teasing, ¡°Congrattions to Mr. Lambert for escaping a disaster!¡± Triston secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. ¡°Catherine is really awesome!¡± Just a simple sentence of hers could make Branden change his mind. Perhaps she was the only one in Casier who could do this. Triston had made up his mind. In the future, he would worship Catherine every day. She was his savior! There were billions of people in the world. God blessed all living beings and didn¡¯t have time to care about him. Triston saw Audrey still standing by the side and started teasing her. ¡°Audrey, is your luggage heavy? Do you want me to help you?¡± Audrey rolled her eyes at Triston. She had no idea that this ind had any connection to him. To block the news about this yboy, she had even unfollowed Triston on social media. If she had known earlier that this yboy was the one who bought the ind, she wouldn¡¯t havee! Angry, she coldly snorted at Triston and walked past him without even giving him a second nce. Aidan rubbed his chin, observing Triston. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you offend Audrey? Although the Swanns don¡¯t favor her, she is Catherine¡¯s sister. She might be Mr. Duncan¡¯s future sister-inw. Can you afford to offend her?¡± Could he afford to offend her? What a joke! He couldn¡¯t afford it, of course! He wasn¡¯t stupid. Why would he offend Audrey for no reason? The ship hadn¡¯t yet set sail, and Triston had already received two cold res. He had his dignity! Triston grumbled discontentedly at Aidan, ¡°Get lost. Stop bothering me!¡± Chapter 292 Chapter 292 The previous ind owner had done a great job in nning the ind, and the facilities on the ind were exceptionally well-equipped. They arrived at the shore on a private yacht, where a butler personally came to greet them, and the rooms were arranged perfectly. Everyone would spend a pleasant day and night on the ship. After the butler introduced the basic facilities to everyone, Aidan couldn¡¯t help but praise Triston, ¡°Well done, my boy! This time, you hit the jackpot, a deal that¡¯s guaranteed to make a profit! When Triston announced that he had bought the ind, many people thought he was taking over something that no one else wanted. Now, it seemed that if it weren¡¯t for the previous buyer¡¯s urgent need for money, Triston wouldn¡¯t have gotten such a good deal. Although Casier was highly developed economically,nd resources were limited. Most of the avable land had been used for building tall buildings and real estate development, with very few opportunities like this unique vacation resource. The distance between this ind and Casier wasn¡¯t too far, and the ind had beautiful scenery and well- equipped facilities. It would definitely be highly sought after if used as a private vacation area. With the ind¡¯s stunning scenery and the Lamberts¡¯ resources, it would be easy to make money. People mocked Triston for being a spendthrift but didn¡¯t know that this young man had excellent business acumen. It was just that Branden often overshadowed him.. Not only Aidan but others also thought the ind was fantastic. Suddenly, Ronin approached Catherine and asked seriously, ¡°Boss, do you also like this kind of ind? How about I buy one, too, so you can have another vacation spot.¡± Everyone was shocked and looked at Ronin. This was a private ind, not a toy. It seemed too casual to say he would buy one. Initially, they thought it was just a joke from Ronin, but they didn¡¯t expect Catherine to nod seriously and say, Sounds like a good idea!¡± With Catherine¡¯s agreement, Ronin was especially happy. A bright smile appeared on his face as he said, ¡°Thank you, Boss. I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± Although Catherine responded everyone still found it strange, especially Yesenia, who couldn¡¯t help but ask Ronin, ¡°Ronin, do you know how much it costs to buy an ind?¡± Yesenia voiced the thoughts of everyone present. They all thought that maybe Ronin, being young, was too naive, so he spoke arrogantly-buying an ind just to please Catherine seemed like a joke. Ronin responded casually,pletely disregarding Yesenia¡¯s disbelief, ¡°For this kind of ind, if there¡¯s no specific purpose or nning, it would cost ten to twenty million dors.¡± It would cost ten to twenty million dors? What big talk. Yesenia wanted to retort. But then, Ronin continued, ¡°Buying the ind is easy, but the facilities on the ind would cost a lot more. It would take hundreds of millions of dors for this ind alone to get everything done! ¡°Oh, so you do know about it!¡± Yesenia couldn¡¯t help but exim. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph!¡± Ronin snorted, not bothering to respond to Yesenia. The others were shocked by Ronin¡¯s attitude toward buying an ind. He seemed more rxed about it than buying groceries. Audrey quietly approached Catherine and asked in a low voice, ¡°Kathy, is Ronin¡¯s family very wealthy?¡± How could he casually talk about buying an ind if they weren¡¯t particrly wealthy? While Audrey was asking the question, Catherine¡¯s brain, like a Supeputer quickly calcted and added up the possible wealth Ronin could have acquired over the years. With the final number in her mind, Catherine nodded at Audrey, agreeing with her statement. ¡°Yeah. Buying a small ind is easy for him.¡± Audrey looked at Catherine in shock, believing that Catherine wouldn¡¯t lie. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this prove that Ronin is really wealthy?¡± she asked inwardly. ¡°Could he be some prince or something? Ignoring everyone¡¯s spection, Ronin, with only Catherine in his eyes, perfectly embodied the image of a small assistant. Triston noticed that everyone was focused on the ind purchase issue, so he took the initiative to speak up, diverting the topic and shifting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Whether you buy the ind or not, I, Triston Lambert, can guarantee that as long as this ind is under my name, all the facilities on the ind will be free for everyone present.¡± Aidan, who always liked teasing Triston, thought of something and said, ¡°Alright, stop showing off. Triston, what are your ns? Can you tell us right now?¡± Triston looked at Aidan with disdain. ¡± You¡¯re so nosy. Aren¡¯t we just waiting to go to our rooms, rest, and thene out to have fun? I¡¯ve prepared beach volleyball, barbecue, jet skis, all of it.. What else could you possibly want?¡± Aidan was tired of ying the same games over and over again. ¡°Tsk.¡± He scoffed, giving Triston a cold nce. Branden took the initiative to help Catherine pick up her backpack and whispered in her ear, ¡°Shall I escort you back to your room?¡± Catherine waspletely sprawled out on the couch, like azy sloth. After Branden finished speaking, Catherine slowly got up and nodded at him, following behind him. Watching the two of them leave, Ronin felt a bit sad. He didn¡¯t expect that even something as simple as carrying a bag would be snatched by another man. He was just a second too slow, and now he had no chance. With Catherine gone, Ronin and Bryan lost interest and went to their rooms with their belongings. The others followed suit, leaving only Triston still enjoying himself. ¡°Hey, why is everyone leaving? You can tell me if you¡¯re not satisfied with the activities I arranged.¡± Hearing the shouting and screaming behind her, Audrey turned around and made a face at Triston. ¡°Shut up, Ind Owner!¡± Triston silently touched his nose. Why did he feel such resentment from Audrey? When did he offend this girl? He had no idea. Branden escorted Catherine to her room. To please her, Triston arranged her room next to Branden¡¯s, with an unobstructed 180-degree ocean view. The view was truly breathtaking. After helping Catherine settle her luggage, Branden casually sat on the couch in the room. With one hand supporting his chin, his eyes gently gazed in Catherine¡¯s direction. ¡°Rest first, or eat first?¡± On the way there, Catherine had eaten some pastries prepared by Audrey, so she wasn¡¯t hungry. The scenery here was beautiful, full of sunshine but not too hot, making it perfect for a vacation. The warm sun shining on her made her feel drowsy, and she just wanted to lie down and rest, not wanting to move. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± Catherine responded to Branden. Branden didn¡¯t insist and agreed with Catherine¡¯s decision. ¡°Sure!¡± Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Catherine pushed open the huge floor- to-ceiling windows, revealing a small nd with a row of lounge chairs next to it. She found a thin nket and covered herself with it,zily leaning back on the chair, basking in the sunlight. Seeing her rxing sofortably, Branden joined her on the lounge chair. The afternoon sun wasn¡¯t as intense. It only brought warmth when it touched their bodies, without any stinging sensation. Triston and the others had finished cing their luggage and gathered in the lobby as nned. Everyone else had arrived, but Catherine and Branden were nowhere to be seen for a long time. This made the rest of them feel a bit strange, especially Triston, who was the host. He raised an eyebrow, smiling wickedly at the others around him. ¡°Well, could the two big shots be having a date, leaving us here?¡± Just as he finished speaking, Ronin was the first to confront Triston. ¡°Stop talking nonsense, or I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart. Our boss would never do something like that!¡± That serious look on Ronin¡¯s face made Triston not dare to underestimate him. Ronin usually appeared like a harmless boy, but when he got serious, he was far more ruthless than others. Anything rted to Catherine was a sensitive topic for him, and it was best not to provoke him! Triston shut his mouth, and Yesenia suddenly became excited. ¡°Oh, I know what Super Catherine and my uncle are doing. Check the group chat, guys.¡± Before they set off, Aidan specially arranged a group chat. Everyone was in the group chat except Branden. The reason for not including Branden was that everyone felt that he was unpredictable, and his temper was difficult to gauge. Without Branden in the group chat, they could speak more freely. Upon hearing Yesenia¡¯s words, everyone immediately took out their phones and opened the WhatsApp group chat. They were immediately drawn to a photo that Yesenia had just sent in the group chat. The image in the photo was extremely beautiful. The sea was crystal blue. The beach shone like gold. And two people were resting on a white beach chair. Yesenia captured the perfect moment of the two of them sunbathing. Thebination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman was truly eye- catching. If it weren¡¯t for the evidence being right in front of them, it would be hard for anyone to believe that such a beautiful photo was taken sneakily and not by a professional photographer for a magazine cover. Indeed, even a casual snapshot can be turned into a masterpiece when someone looks good. Aidan gave a thumbs-up to Yesenia, saying, ¡°Impressive, Yesenia. You managed to capture such an amazing photo,¡± Who would dare to take photos of Branden secretly? Unless they wanted to have a long and painful death in various ways, perhaps. Yesenia was lucky. Her room was just one floor above Catherine¡¯s. At that time, Yesenia just wanted to enjoy the view from the balcony, but little did she know that she would see such a breathtaking scene. And she naturally wanted to capture it to share with her friends. Ronin nced at the photo and felt relieved. His boss was just resting, not abandoning them to have fun. Seeing everyone discussing Catherine¡¯s photo, Ronin became a bit angry. ¡°Boss works so hard every day. What¡¯s wrong with her taking a break? How can you allin like this? Seriously, you guys should return to your rooms and rest!¡± Except for Triston and Aidan, who were still excited, the rest of them just wanted to rest. They had gone to the ind for a vacation, but it ended up with each of them sunbathing in their rooms. Triston was so angry that he stomped his foot,ining that everyone was not following the ind owner¡¯s arrangements. By the time the sun was about to set, Catherine slowly woke up. When she opened her eyes, it was dim all around her. She looked closely and realized that there was a parasol above her. No wonder she didn¡¯t feel anything after sunbathing all afternoon, and she had slept sofortably. ¡°Are you awake?¡± A gentle voice reached Catherine¡¯s ears, diverting her attention. She turned and saw Branden standing beside her with one hand casually in his pocket. He stood against the sunlight, enveloped in a golden glow. The intense sunset made it difficult to see his facial expression, but it perfectly outlined his well-built features, making him charming and captivating. As their eyes met, Catherine¡¯s cool gaze was like a clear spring, slowly flowing into Branden¡¯s heart, nourishing his entire being. After a moment, Branden snapped out of it. Even he found it somewhat miraculous that every time he locked eyes with Catherine, his thoughts would drift away. It seemed that her eyes had a magical power that drew him in. He reached out and gently stroked Catherine¡¯s head twice. ¡°Shall we go eat?¡± After sleeping for so long, Catherine was indeed feeling hungry. Now that she was refreshed, she needed to fill her stomach and show off her vitality. Branden¡¯s hand was still resting on her head as Catherine nodded slightly in response. Seeing her in her current state, Branden¡¯s heart softened. He took her hand and said tenderly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to eat!¡± The rest of the group finally saw Catherine and Branden. The previously listless group of people became excited when they saw Catherine. They rushed over as if they had taken an adrenaline shot. ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Super Catherine!¡± Triston, who was sitting on the side, was dumbfounded. His eyes widened, and he looked at Aidan beside him in astonishment. ¡°Are they under some spell? Why are they all acting like they¡¯re in the terminal stage of an incurable disease?¡± Aidan gave him a disdainful look and whispered, ¡°Shut up!¡± Catherine had a certain charm to her. As long as she was willing to let her guard down and interact with someone, her charm would attract them and make them worship her like a deity. Aidan didn¡¯t know this before, but he gradually began to understand as he watched Bryan and Yesenia fall for her one by one. They didn¡¯t idolize Catherine as much now because Catherine had no intention ofmunicating with them at all. He could guarantee that they would be just like Bryan if Catherine gave even the slightest signal. In Triston¡¯s words, they would all be ¡± under the spell.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Dining on the ind naturally revolved around seafood. Fresh seafood was caught from the sea and cooked simply, resulting in a perfect vor. Without excessive seasoning, the deliciousness of the seafood alone was enough to conquer everyone¡¯s stomach. Audrey took a short video, posted it on her blog, and added a praise-filled caption. Setting down her phone, Audrey noticed that the newly arrived prawns looked particrly fresh. She wanted to peel some for Catherine. Catherine was different from others. She loved eating seafood but hated peeling it. Catherine refused to touch anything that required manualbor. Audrey had just peeled one prawn when she turned her head and saw that both of Catherine¡¯s tes were full of various freshly peeled seafood, each perfectly intact, showing the dedication of the peelers. Audrey nced around and saw that some of the seafood was peeled by Ronin and some by Branden. These two seemed to bepeting secretly, not caring whether Catherine could finish it all, and each one was peeling more enthusiastically than the other. Audrey silently swallowed and stuffed the messy prawn meat she had peeled into her mouth. It seemed that she was destined to be unnecessary here. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Triston suggested ying games together after dinner, but Audrey refused. Triston was enraged and roared, ¡°Why do youe here if you don¡¯t want to have fun together? Just looking for another ce to sleep?¡± Audrey¡¯s face darkened after being scolded in public. She glowered at Triston coldly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just here to sleep. So what? You¡¯ve gone too far. Why don¡¯t you mind your business?¡± ¡°You bought the ind but didn¡¯t buy the sea, alright? How about you tell the sea what to do?¡± ¡°You!¡± Triston was even more furious. She said that he had gone too far in such a sarcastic tone! Did he push things too far and dwell too deeply on it? Wasn¡¯t he trying to be a good host since he had invited them to his ind? Audrey saw Triston at a loss for words in his fury and stood up to leave the table. ¡°I¡¯m all set. I¡¯m going to have a rest. Enjoy yourselves.¡± The crowd finally dared to continue chatting only when Audrey was out of sight. Aidan looked at Triston curiously and asked, ¡°Hey, what have you done to offend Audrey? She¡¯s nice to the rest of us. Why would she stare at you like you¡¯re a jerk who has abandoned your family? She seems to wish to tear you apart?¡± ¡°How would I know? She has probably been worn out by her acting job and has her menopause in advance,¡± Triston said angrily. The rest dared not speak. They could tell that Audrey treated Triston differently from the others. Triston was sometimes unreliable, but he was so great to his friends. No one had any idea what was going on between Audrey and Triston. Only Audrey and Triston know why she was so rude to him. Most of the rest looked normal and did not take the episode to heart. Only Catherine raised her brows and nced at Branden next to her. Branden nodded slightly, and Catherine stood up, walking toward where Audrey had headed. Noticing Catherine was leaving, Ronin shouted anxiously, ¡°Boss, where are you going?¡± He was about to stand up when a force on his shoulder readily pinned him down on the chair. Ronin wanted to wrestle with the force. He did not believe he could not beat only one hand with all his strength. A few minutester, Ronin gave up quietly. He extruded all his strength, but the hand on his shoulder was still motionless. Ronin¡¯s face was already red, which was embarrassing. Ronin turned his head sideways and met the eyes of the owner of the hand. His eyes skipped a beat. He never knew anyone¡¯s gaze and aura could be more terrifying than his boss¡¯s. He softened instantly and admitted his defeat. The rest of the crowd watched them battle silently at the side. They were not surprised by such a result. What attracted them was Ronin¡¯s reaction. Compared to the boring games, the battle between Ronin and Branden was way more interesting. When Catherine found Audrey, thetter was lying on a recliner in the lounge. Sensing the appearance of Catherine, Audrey became somewhat flustered. She hurriedly stood up from the recliner and walked to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, why are you here?¡± Audrey looked at Catherine with a furrowed brow. She seemed to be in a bad mood. Kathy, you didn¡¯te here because you were worried about me, right?¡± ¡°Did Triston offend you?¡± asked Catherine straightforwardly, leaving no time for Audrey to react. Audrey did not expect that. She lowered her head in silence, gutless to look into Catherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°He didn¡¯t. It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Catherine said coldly, drawing out the final sound. Audrey panicked right away. She did not know why, but she had no way to lie in front of Catherine. She did not have the nerve to even think about lying to Catherine. All she could do was to avoid speaking and looking at Catherine. Catherine could tell from Audrey¡¯s posture that she did not want to discuss it. Everyone had the right to protect their privacy. Since Audrey refused to continue the topic, Catherine would not force her. ¡°If you need help, you know where to find me. Catherine left after saying that, leaving the area to Audrey. Audrey was staring at Catherine¡¯s retreating figure and was rapt in admiration. She did not understand how Catherine could form such an imposing manner under her thin figure. She felt a strong sense of security with Catherine around her. In her heart, Catherine was more like an elder sister to her than she was to Catherine. Audrey fixed her gaze on Catherine¡¯s back and opened her mouth. She said silently, ¡°Thank you.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The one-day vacation passed in the blink of an eye. The following noon, after lunch, the group decided to make a return voyage. Catherine had something on and did not want to leave with the crowd, so she nned to go ahead on her own. When she reached the ship, she realized the captain had changed. It was Branden waiting for her onboard. The two smiled at each other, and Branden reached his hand to her. Catherine held his hand and jumped nimbly onto the deck. ¡°How did you know I was leaving earlier?¡± asked Catherine. Branden tilted his head and beamed at her but did not answer her question. He had his way to figure it out if he wanted. Under Johnathan¡¯s strong insistence, Rachael allowed him to recuperate at home. Just as Rachael left home, Johnathan could not bear to wait any longer and contacted Dayton. He rolled his wheelchair and left the house. Dayton had been spying on Catherine¡¯s every move as Johnathan had told him to. ¡°Dude, are you sure Catherine will show up here?¡± Facing Johnathan¡¯s question, Dayton nodded without hesitation. ¡°Mr. Johnathan, trust me. I¡¯ve investigated everything. Catherine had a great time on the ind and will return today. We only need to stay here waiting for her.¡± Since Dayton was so sure, Johnathan only had to take his word for it. Dayton was still unassured and asked Johnathan onest time, ¡°Mr. Johnathan, are you sure you want to do this? No matter what, Catherine is more or less rted to you through blood.¡± There was a sh of viciousness on Johnathan¡¯s face, ¡°If I am merciful, who would be the one to pay the price for my leg?¡± Even though his parents dared not tell him the truth, Johnathan already knew it. His leg would be healed without a doubt, but there was no hope for it to return to its former condition. The doctor even suggested he avoid intensive sports in theing few years. It was equal to a notification telling him that he was disabled. It was all because of Catherine, the jinx. He was dying for Catherine to pay the price. ¡°Cut your crap. Do it if you¡¯re my bro.¡± Seeing Johnathan¡¯s determined face, Dayton decided to do it. Dayton usually fooled around and had made some friends with some gangsters. He had his means for acts of revenge. Otherwise, Dayton would not have been the first to pop into Johnathan¡¯s mind after the incident. A few more minutester, Johnathan started to lose his patience and wanted to ask Dayton what had gone wrong. Yet, Dayton shouted thrillingly at him, ¡°Mr. Johnathan, look! Their ship ising.¡± The dock was exclusive and not for business, so few ships anchored there. Therefore, it might have been the ship Catherine was on. Johnathan watched as the ship came toward them, and his face revealed a hint of excitement. He patted on Dayton¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dude, now it¡¯s up to you.¡± Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Branden took Catherine¡¯s hand and led her down the ship. Paxton was not with them, so Branden nned to drive himself. Their cars were all parked at the parking lot by the shore before they headed to the ind. Catherine peeked at Branden and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. She said casually, ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡± Branden did not object to it. He was d that Catherine was thoughtful and cared about him. ¡°Okay,¡± he replied softly and handed the car key to Catherine. Catherine had masterful driving skills. After they got into the car, Catherine started the engine quickly and drove away. The dock was remote, and they did not meet many cars or passengers, so Catherine drove speedily. When driving past a ditch, the car shook violently and hit the side uncontrobly. ¡°We have a t tire,¡± Catherine said sternly. It was an emergency, but Catherine was calm and unaffected by it. Yet, her cold eyes darkened a little, and she sneered. The ident caused the car to rush toward the guardrails out of control. They were in the mountainous region. If the car broke through the guardrails, they might fall from the mountain. On the other side was the precipice. At such a fast speed, the car would crash, and they would die if the car hit it. There was no time for Catherine to think. She could only try to lower the damage to the minimum level when confronting such an ident. They had an unexpected t tire while driving at high speed. Even an experienced driver who had been driving for decades could not handle it perfectly. It was inevitable to get hurt. All she could do was to reduce the damage and not get themselves killed. Catherine turned the steering wheel like crazy and drove toward the cliff¡¯s edge. Before the car hit the edge of the cliff, Catherine turned the steering wheel at full speed again. She drove the car into the ditch between the cliff¡¯s edge and the highway, consistently exerting effort to steer it uphill, intensifying the resistance. The car slowed down and came to a halt under such pressure and braking. Catherine avoided a disaster perfectly and ensured the safety of Branden and herself. Catherine looked at the seat next to her when the car was stationary. In the passenger seat, Branden was leaning his elbow against the window. The bright eyes on his handsome face were staring at her fixedly. In his eyes, Catherine saw no fear or panic but intriguing oddness. Catherine wore a faint smile and sized Branden up. She let out a low and hoarseughter. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid?¡± Hearing her question, Branden looked at her and raised his eyebrow, teasing, Why would I be since you¡¯re with me?¡± The simple words showed his deep faith in Catherine. It was almost impossible for Branden to trust someone with his family background and current status. It was not easy for him to trust Catherine with his life. Their eyes locked for a few seconds, and Catherine averted his first. ¡°Get off and check things out.¡± With that, Catherine pushed the car door open and got off. Branden followed suit, as obedient as a wonderful husband. White smoke seeped out of the car hood. The unconventional driving had damaged the vehicle. Fortunately, the car¡¯s high performance was crucial in avoiding a catastrophe. Catherine scanned the four tires and instantly knew what was going on. She tilted her head to eye Branden, and thetter realized what had happened. The four tires were all shed to some extent, and they noticed that some still had nails embedded, evidently used to puncture the tires intentionally. The specialized nails were triangle shapes and could even pop the best run -t tires. The fact spoke for itself. It was not an ident, but some people wanted them dead. Unsurprisingly, a group of people revealed themselves and surrounded them soon after.. They all wore masks and held weapons. Dayton never thought that Catherine could find a way to avoid the car crash under his borate n. He could only deem that Catherine escaped the doom out of her good luck. Nheless, she would not leave unharmed even if she was the Goddess of Luck. Since Dayton had promised Johnathan to teach Catherine a great lesson, he must get it done. Dayton called his men to gather there. He had heard that Catherine was quite agile and capable of fighting. Catherine was raised in the countryside, and it was normal for her to be nimble. To make his n foolproof, Dayton had arranged for a dozen hired thugs to do that. They were gangsters who were merciless and had no qualms about killing. It was a piece of cake for them to get rid of a bumpkin like Catherine. Catherine looked around at the thugs and was indifferent. She did not take the aggressive and lethal men to heart. With her hands in her pockets, she took a small step back. Her lower back met a palm that was supporting her like a powerful force. Catherine had never had such a feeling before. It was unusual and weird, but she did not hate it. She had been alone for too many years. She had dealt with even trickier problems by herself. It was the first time she had someone behind her back, supporting her. The weird feeling only existed briefly, and Catherine regained her usual sedateness. She ran her eyes over the masked men in front of her in insouciance. ¡°How about you tell us who your target is first?¡± She could decide what to do with the enemies if she knew who they were targeting. The leading masked man did not expect Catherine to be so calm. He felt excessively uncanny, sensing the terrifying aura on her. He could tell the man with a grim look behind her was even more dangerous. The leading masked man might be scared if he came alone. However, he was now with a dozen buddies. In other words, why would he be terrified since there was safety in numbers? He waved the baseball bat in his hand and pointed at Catherine. ¡°Enough of your nonsense. Kneel and let me break your legs. Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± The order he received was to kill them both, but the leading masked man did not want to have more blood on his hands. He decided to break Catherine¡¯s legs to finish the mission. Catherine smiled. Her chin lifted a bit and showed her wonderful jawline. Her red and thin lips moved up. She turned her head at Branden andughed, ¡°It seems I¡¯m the one they want.¡± Branden gave a slight nod, and his deep eyes never left Catherine. By tacit agreement, they knew what the other was thinking. The leading masked man saw them gazing at each other and was annoyed. He ranted, ¡°How dare you two ignore me? ¡°I¡¯ll just fucking kill you both.¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 The group of thugs surrounded Catherine. They sprang upon her and attacked her. The first action Catherine took was to push Branden behind her abruptly away. Her movement was precise and pushed Branden out of the surrounding circle. Since those men were after her, she would handle them herself. Branden¡¯s brows slightly furrowed when Catherine pushed him away. He watched as Catherine punched out and hit a man to the ground agilely, and there was a hint of resignation in his pretty eyes. His girlfriend was too capable, leaving no chance for him to protect her. How he wished he could do something for her! The thugs closed in upon her again, all having weapons in their hands. They had thought it would be a snap to take down Catherine. Yet, one of them was down first, and they did not even see how Catherine made her move. Catherine had nned to punch them with her bare hands. She felt a slight sting in her palm when she clenched her fists. She lowered her eyes and saw the bright red nail polish on her fingers. Audrey had applied the nail polish for her. She said Catherine never dolled up and barely wore dresses. She insisted on painting Catherine¡¯s nails, iming to let Catherine feel what it was like to be a young lady. The scene of Audrey¡¯s focused and earnest look when she did it for her popped into Catherine¡¯s mind, and she suddenly did not want to destroy her nail polish. She raised her leg and kicked a tall man hard down to the ground again. The incredible impact caused the tall man to fall in pain and dizziness. He had no time to see how Catherine attacked him. When he regained his senses, all he knew was that he was already on the ground. After taking down the tall guy, Catherine took the baseball bat from his hand. She nced coldly around the scumbags, who were afraid of her, but still did not give up trying to strike her. Catherine stood with her legs separated. She squinted at the enemies, and a hint of an evil smile yed on her lips. At first, she nned to y with the crowd of scumbags, but now she changed her mind. She only wanted a quick victory. Those guys could only me their fate. They happened to provoke her when she was in a bad mood. She raised the baseball bat and waved it at the crowd. She said in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°Come on. All of you.¡± The faces of the men in the mask changed dramatically because of Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude. Even through the disguises, Catherine could tell they were scared. The former imperiousness in their eyes turned to awe and uncertainty. Some of them even wanted to retreat. It was already horrifying when only Catherine was fighting them. What if the man with Catherine joined the fight? A short man standing behind the leading masked man approached him and muttered, ¡°Boss, it doesn¡¯t seem right. How about we retreat? This girl is not that simple. She¡¯s scary.¡± The short man said in a low voice, but Catherine had sharp hearing and heard all his words. They wanted to leave? Did she agree with that? She did not, nor would she allow them to. They needed to pay the price if they had the guts to screw with her. Catherine did not waste her words on them anymore. She flung the baseball bat in her hand at the short man. The baseball bat smashed at the short man¡¯s head urately. After an excruciating shriek, the short man hit the ground and passed out. The rest of the crowd was stupefied. Catherine¡¯s throwing was incredibly precise. One would never have had such outstanding wrist power and uracy without practicing for over ten years. Under the crowd¡¯s frightened gaze, Catherine made her move again. She gave no chance for the foes to retreat. She held the baseball bat again and hit her enemies by their crucial points. For a moment, there was an ebb and flow of squeals. The leading masked man was in mortal terror. He hid aside in a fluster and waited for the right moment. He thought it was his chance when he saw Catherine giving a big guy a thrashing. He sneaked to Catherine¡¯s back and was about to give her a lethal attack. Once he hit her with the bat, Catherine would go down even if she was Iron Woman. The man was smug about his n. Unexpectedly, a great force came from behind him. A mysterious force hit the back of his head instantly. He only felt a sharp pain. Without time to figure out what had hit him, he fell and became unconscious. Branden surveyed the masked man coldly with his eyes. He would have ended the guy¡¯s life if it were not for Catherine stopping him. The fool actually considered a sneak attack on Catherine. Did he forget that she was not alone? Branden stood up straight and walked toward Catherine unhurriedly. When walking past the masked man, Branden deliberately stepped on his body. Branden¡¯s first step was on the man¡¯s face precisely, and the shape of the man¡¯s face was changed. His nose was crooked and broken. Catherine held the baseball bat that dragged along the ground and slowly walked toward thest man standing. She was like an ancient behemoth approaching the man. She did nothing yet, but the man opposite her was already scared out of his wits under her gaze. With a plop, he knelt before Catherine and begged for forgiveness. ¡°Madam. My Lady. I¡¯m sorry. I should not do this. Please spare me. I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯m so sorry. Let me go¡­¡± Catherine only narrowed her eyes at him. Other than disdain, there was only indifference in her eyes. If apologies worked for every wrong deed, why would the world need police? Another loud bang sounded. The baseball bat was raised and waved, and thest man standing copsed. Catherine threw the baseball bat away casually, and it made a piercing sound. Her pretty face remained expressionless throughout the whole process. She did not even knit her brows for a second. After dealing with the crowd, she turned around and was about to leave. When she turned, she noticed Branden, who had been watching from the side, already standing behind her. Catherine looked up and met his eyes, and there was still killing intent in her eyes that had not yet faded away. Branden¡¯s eyes were always bright and filled with affection when they were on Catherine. He took Catherine¡¯s hand gently, took a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped Catherine¡¯s palm tenderly. It was an expensive handkerchief, and Branden used it to clean Catherine¡¯s palm carefully. When Branden did it, he was as focused and earnest as if cleaning something he cherished most. Catherine followed Branden¡¯s gaze and finally noticed a yellow smear on her wrist. The smear might be iron rust, judging from its color. The group of thugs did not seem like well-trained robbers. They were probably just some casual gangsters, so they took whatever weapons by hand. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Catherine believed the smear was caused by her holding the baseball bat. It was inconspicuous, and she did not expect Branden to be so attentive and notice it. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 The police station was in the suburbs, a district known for itsw and order. Generally, few people would call the police or report cases, and the police officers there were under a little less pressure. However, that day, the police station could be considered crowded. All kinds of noises and screams echoed, and the outsiders might think that something terrible was happening. Paxton was going through the procedures. The police officers who took statements noticed Paxton¡¯s extraordinary aura. They thought, ¡°The man and woman sitting aside must be from prestigious families. I can tell it from a nce. ¡°Although they are still young, they are already so good-looking, not inferior to those movie stars.¡± The one who called the police was a driver. He passed the tunnel and witnessed the affray. ording to his narration, the police arranged for two patrol cars to head to the scene. Unexpectedly, those who fought weren¡¯t brought back to the police station by the two patrol cars but were sent to the hospital by a dozen ambnces. Paxton received a call and rushed to the police station after the fight. The police officer on duty looked up at Paxton and said politely, ¡°The witness told us that the girl in a ck hoodie was also involved. We¡¯d like to take her statement. He was referring to Catherine. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Without Branden¡¯s order, Paxton dared not to allow others to disturb Catherine. Just as he was about to refuse the police officer, Catherine stood up and walked over. Since the police were fulfilling their duty, Catherine had no intention of causing them trouble. As she approached, Paxton bowed respectfully to her and then got the chair ready for her to sit. Paxton¡¯s respectful attitude stunned the police officer and even caused his gaze on Catherine to change slightly. The officer didn¡¯t return to his senses until Paxton coughed twice to remind him. Hearing Paxton¡¯s cough, the officer finally reacted. He looked at Catherine in embarrassment and apologized, I¡¯m sorry. I was distracted by the case just now.¡± Was he distracted by the case? Or was he just stunned by Catherine¡¯s domineering aura? Only he knew the answer. Catherine raised her eyebrows casually. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Go ahead.¡±. ¡°Okay.¡± The officer regained hisposure. Although he looked serious, his tone remained gentle and polite. ¡°Please tell me what happened and the details of it.¡± Catherine nodded slightly and said briefly. ¡°The group of people tried to kidnap me, and I had no choice but to resist.¡± A simple sentence contained two key points, which left the officer dumbfounded. ¡°They tried to kidnap you?¡± Wasn¡¯t it just a street fight? The opposing counsel heard Catherine¡¯s words and immediately retorted. Among the masked men, only two were slightly injured, and the rest were seriously injured and had been sent to the hospital. They suffered from varying degrees of fracture, and one was still in the emergency room because of severe head injuries. After learning about the situation, the man behind them contacted awyer. Thewyer raised his objections when hearing Catherine¡¯s narration. He patted the desk angrily, looking like a man of justice. ¡°Sir, it is a horrific crime. At first, it was just a minor dispute, and my clients could have resolved the misunderstanding peacefully. However, she chose apletely different way instead. She not only injured my clients badly but also forced them to a dead end! What she did is definitely unforgivable! ¡°I know she is studying at the Loyalty Academy, which ranks the top in our city. I didn¡¯t expect such a prestigious school to have a shameless student like her.¡± Thewyer looked at Catherinecently as he expressed himself with passion. It was as if he would undoubtedly win thewsuit. As the top university in Casier, it was difficult for ordinary students to be admitted to the Loyalty Academy. Besides excellent school performance, the school also paid much attention to students¡¯ character and conduct. Fighting with others outside the school was obviously bad conduct, and being involved in a serious case would also ruin one¡¯s reputation. Thewyer believed that Catherine was afraid of it. The police officer sized up Catherine for seconds. He thought, ¡°She looks young and should be a university student. It is surprising that she is from a top university. ¡°If she is a student, the case will be more thorny. ¡°ording to the current evidence and the witness¡¯ narration, it appears to be an affray. And once the truth is discovered, she would be at a great disadvantage.¡± Thewyer was d to see Catherine fall silent. Subconsciously, he began to threaten Catherine as he often did to others before. ¡°Miss, my clients are all in the hospital now, and one is badly injured. He is still in the emergency room, and his life may be in danger. So, don¡¯t even think of settling. You will have topensate them and even go to jail. Quickly ask your family to get a capablewyer to reduce the prison sentence for you. ¡°Also, you have another choice. Be sincere and take the initiative to apologize to my clients. This way, you can appeal to the judge for leniency.¡± Paxton was irritated by thewyer¡¯s arrogance. He wondered, ¡°How did he dare to be so provocative? How could he be so confident?¡± Paxton could not say anything if Catherine didn¡¯t give him a cue. Thewyer was indeed good at calling white ck, and Catherine could not help but give him a once-over, head to toe. Short and dark, thewyer didn¡¯t look like an upright person at all. There was a conspicuous mole beside his big nose, making him more frivolous. Moreover, two hairs grew from the mole and looked quite disgusting. ¡°You want me to apologize to them?¡± Catherine snorted. ¡°Alright, I will.¡± Thewyer thought that Catherine was going topromise. However, the next second, he heard her cold voice. ¡°I will apologize to him in front of his tombstone. Just wait for a while.¡± Thewyer understood the implied meaning in Catherine¡¯s words, and he red at her. ¡°You¡­¡± Catherine interrupted him and said, ¡± How? You just said that he is dying. So I will mourn him after he dies. Is there any wrong with it?¡± Thewyer¡¯s face turned ashen when he heard Catherine¡¯s words. He angrily rebuked, ¡°Girl, how sharp- tongued you are. But it is useless. You can¡¯t get away! You will be put into jail for at least three years! I¡¯m not threatening you, you know?¡± Neither Catherine nor thewyer was willing to admit defeat. The police officer finally couldn¡¯t stand their argument. He patted the desk and stopped them. ¡°Enough! I¡¯m the police, okay?¡± With that, he reprimanded thewyer. ¡°You are not in court. Don¡¯t chime in when I¡¯m taking statements.¡± What thewyer did was against the rules of the police station. He just took the chance to mess around and left the police with a bad impression of Catherine. The police officer turned to question Catherine after settling the dispute. ¡°You just said you resisted them because they tried to kidnap you. If that was the case, how did they get injured? Who beat them up?¡± Catherine replied calmly without hesitation, ¡°Me.¡± Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Catherine¡¯s answer stunned the police officer once again. He stared at her and asked in disbelief, ¡°You? Are you kidding? You fought a dozen adult men alone? ¡°Miss Swann, you are at the police station. Please be serious. Don¡¯t try to cover for someone. And don¡¯t try to tell a lie because every lie will be exposed in front of evidence.¡± As he said, the officer turned to nce at Branden. In his opinion, it was impossible for a girl like Catherine to fight with more than ten strong young men alone. Covering for someone was the only possibility. Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin. She had told the truth and didn¡¯t care whether the police would believe her. If she could, she might shrug and tell them, ¡°Believe it or not.¡± Paxton came well-prepared. He handed the evidence he had found to the police officer. ¡°The surveince camera at the tunnel entrance recorded what had happened at the scene. This is the surveince footage. It can prove that Miss Swann didn¡¯t lie. The dozens of criminals were the first to attack Miss Swann, and Miss Swann just defended herself.¡± Thewyer wasn¡¯t convinced and refuted, ¡°Things are still under investigation. How can you address my clients as ¡®criminals¡¯? Mind your words, or I will use you of ndering my clients.¡± Paxton nced at thewyer, his eyes filled with displeasure and warning. ¡± Can you shut up? Did the police officer allow you to speak? It doesn¡¯t matter if you want to sue me. Just do it at any time after we leave the police station.¡± Paxton thought in disdain, ¡°He wants to sue me? How ridiculous. Isn¡¯t he afraid of ruining his reputation? What a joke.¡± Thewyer finally shut up in the face of Paxton¡¯s overbearing attitude. He could only stare at Paxton silently with dissatisfaction. He was waiting to see what Paxton had found out. Paxton took photos he had just received from the file bag and put them in front of the police officer. ¡°These are some photos of the scene. We found a lot of nails in the tunnel. They were the same as the ones that broke the tires of Miss Swann¡¯s car. ¡°Please look at this one. It is a screenshot of the surveince video. In it, the suspects were intentionally cing the nails in the tunnel. ¡°ording to the photos, we have good reason to be suspicious. The suspects intended to murder Miss Swann but failed, so they decided to kidnap her instead.¡± When thewyer saw the photos, his face changed dramatically. He was informed that the mastermind had destroyed the surveince footage, or he wouldn¡¯t have epted the case. He had never thought that Paxton would find any evidence that would work in Catherine¡¯s favor. This way, he would be at a disadvantage instead. Thewyer secretly exchanged a nce with his assistant at the door. The assistant received his order and hurriedly strode out. Branden, who sat aside and seemed bored, noticed thewyer¡¯s trick. He didn¡¯t take it seriously. Anyway, Catherine was hurt in front of him, and no one would be able to escape. No matter what tricks they yed, Branden would not care. The police officer was shocked to see the evidence provided by Paxton. He turned to look at Catherine in surprise. He didn¡¯t expect a thin girl like her to be so ruthless while fighting. The police officer was known for his kickboxing skills in the police academy. However, when he watched the video of Catherine fighting, he was still amazed by her. If he was not on duty, he would have called Catherine ¡°master¡± and begged her to teach him her skillful strikes. The proof was irrefutable, and the case thus turned from a normal affray into one involving murder and kidnapping. The police officer sorted the evidence and spoke solemnly to Catherine and the others. ¡°Since it is not a simple case, I¡¯d like to report it to my superior. Please wait.¡± As a young police officer, he had the right to handle regr street fights. However, a murder and kidnapping case was beyond his power and should be handled by the criminal police. Catherine and the others didn¡¯t have objections and watched as the police officer left. Ten minutester, another police officer appeared. He looked older and more sophisticated than the young officer earlier. Moreover, he seemed more overbearing and showed little respect to Catherine and the others. As soon as he stepped in, he roared, ¡°Be quiet! This is a police station. No matter what happens, you have to cooperate with the police!¡± With that, the officer swept over Catherine in an unfriendly way. Also, thewyer¡¯s aggressiveness instantly gave way to ttery. He put on a smile and began to tter the officer. ¡°Captain Zeld, you are finally here. Everyone knows you are a professional in a criminal investigation. You have to seek justice for us!¡± Kason Zeld gazed at thewyer with a straight face, but from his eyes, one could tell that he was pleased by thewyer¡¯s ttery. Seeing that something was not going well, Paxton asked for Branden¡¯s instructions and walked aside quietly to make a call. Kason walked to Catherine, looking serious and cold. ¡°I heard that you had gotten someone badly injured. Haven¡¯t you watched the news recently? Don¡¯t you know about the crackdown on violent crime? How can you be so unscrupulous?¡± Catherine disliked being questioned for no reason. She ignored Kason and didn¡¯t say a word. She thought Kason was not worthy of her attention. Thewyer took the chance to nder Catherine and stir up the trouble. Captain Zeld, she didn¡¯t cooperate with the officers at all. The facts of the case are clear. My clients were all sent to the hospital for treatment. I think you should arrest her and then take her to court after the investigation.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to go too far because of the evidence Paxton prepared. Many things could be done behind the scenes, and he didn¡¯t need to expose his ns openly. Catherine didn¡¯t cast a single nce at Kason, and Kason thus believed that she was going against the law on purpose. He warned, ¡°Miss, I¡¯d like to remind you. You are in the police station and must cooperate with the relevant investigation. Or else, I will resort to enforcement measures and use you of obstructingw enforcement.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond to him. She leaned against the chair casually with a cold face. Her behavior and attitude could not be more provocative. Kason had worked as a police officer for years and had seen many offenders. Even so, Catherine¡¯s composure was still beyond his imagination. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He nned to suppress Catherine in terms of aura. Unexpectedly, Paxton went back and said, ¡°Wait¡­¡± Kason squinted at Paxton. ¡°Who are you?¡± Paxton smiled coldly. ¡°I¡¯m Miss Swann¡¯s assistant. Nice to see you.¡± ¡°An assistant?¡± Before Kason could say it out loud, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he immediately picked up the phone, his face changing slightly. After a while, his face became strange and even turned a little pale. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 After Kason hung up the call, he looked at Catherine. His gaze changed immediately as soon as his eyes met Catherine¡¯s. He looked more respectful and humble than before. Before he could speak, two middle- aged men barged into the lobby. They looked anxious. It had attracted everyone¡¯s attention. From the uniform of the two officers, it could be seen their ranks were high from the badges on their shoulders. Kason greeted the officers respectfully with a salute. ¡°Inspector, Sir, why are all of you here?¡± The two officers red at Kason, expressing their dissatisfaction. Themissioner had called them personally, and the matter seemed urgent. They dared not disobey his order. The two officers looked around and saw Paxton. After confirming he was the one, the inspector approached him and respectfully greeted Paxton. ¡°Mr. Duncan, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. You should have sent your subordinate instead ofing over personally.¡± Paxton nced at the officer and was still stern. His attitude did not change just because these two were of a higher status than Kason. ¡°Did themissioner contact you?¡± asked Paxton. ¡°Yes. We didn¡¯t know it was you, Mr. Duncan. Sorry for the inconvenience caused,¡± said the inspector as he bowed slightly. Everyone could see his humble attitude toward Paxton. Paxton nced at the inspector and introduced Catherine to the officers.¡± This is Miss Swann, the victim of this case.¡± Paxton was smart. His attitude when introducing Catherine had exined Catherine¡¯s status to the officers. He had even straightforwardly told the officers that she was the victim. The inspector nced at Catherine. From Catherine¡¯s young and beautiful appearance and her extraordinary temperament, he could tell her status was unique. Moreover, themissioner had told him they had two important guests. So, the inspector could guess Catherine was one of the important guests, except for Paxton. Just as the inspector was about to greet her, Paxton had noticed his intention beforehand. Paxton knew Catherine was different from others. She disliked being ttered and pestered. To prevent the inspector from annoying Catherine, he quickly diverted the topic and shifted their attention to someone else. ¡°My boss, Mr. Duncan, is also here. He is the witness of this case.¡± Branden had seen everything from nearby, and he was naturally the witness. The inspector was dumbfounded, but he soon realized what was going on. He thought Paxton was involved in this, but it was unexpectedly Branden. He never expected someone of such a high status to be in his ce. In Casier, anyone in the politics and business field would know the existence of the tycoon, Branden. Everyone looked in the direction Paxton had been looking and saw a man with an oppressive temperament sitting in a corner of the room, silently watching them. ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­¡± The inspector¡¯s voice trembled as he called out Branden¡¯s title. Beside him was the lawyer of the other person. When thewyer saw Branden, he knew they were done for this time. As a lawyer, he would know the details of the case. He would know who the culprit was and the victim. However, his client had paid him a high amount ofwyer fees. He wanted to turn the case and defend his client to get him the greatest benefit, but it seemed impossible this time. They were in great trouble this time. Thewyer wondered who Mr. Duncan was and if this man would affect his career as awyer. Branden looked at the inspector and warned coldly, ¡°This case is simple, and the evidence is clear. I hope you will follow thew upon carrying out your judgment.¡± It was a simple warning, yet the inspector was so nervous that his back was sweaty. He shuddered in fear and nodded his head profusely. ¡°Mr. Duncan, please rest assured. We will be fair and follow thew.¡± The evidence that had been taken away by one of the police officers was sent back upon the inspector¡¯s order. They yed the video with everyone around watching it. As Branden mentioned, the case was clear and straightforward. The culprits were the group of people, and Catherine was undoubtedly the only victim. At the same time, Paxton received a piece of new information and revealed it to everyone at the scene. ¡°Sir, here is a document of the culprits¡¯ background and identity. Three of them are wanted criminals. Please settle this case soon.¡± Looking at the document handed to him, the inspector¡¯s expression turned gloomy as he red at Kason coldly, ming him for being inefficient in settling this case. The documents of the wanted criminals were all online. Yet those people dared even to turn the truth. It was intolerable! It was a disgrace to his career since something like this happened in the area under his care. ¡°Kason, take them to the hospital and arrest these criminals. Once they are awake, interrogate each of them. Don¡¯t let anyone off easily!¡± ordered the inspector. Getting the signal from his boss, Paxton did his job to speak to the inspector immediately. ¡°Inspector, since this case is clear, can we leave first? Miss Swann had been through a fright and has to take a rest.¡± Fright! The inspector could not believe his ears upon hearing this. From the video, there were at least a dozen men, each sturdy. Yet none of them could defeat Catherine. Who would have thought ady could be so fierce when she beat up those guys? She whacked those guys with a stick, and each copsed after one hit. It was thrilling and unexpected, just like in the action movies. The matter ended under the police department¡¯s quick action in dealing with this case. The mastermind, Dayton, had been subdued when Catherine and Branden left after signing the documents. Moreover, he was arrested because he had attempted murder. Walking out of the police station¡¯s gate, Catherine realized the sky was getting dark. The night breeze blew through her hair, bringing the citrus scent from the man. It was warm andforting. She tilted her head and saw the man buttoning up her coat with a serious expression. Branden might have noticed her gaze and spoke gently. ¡°It¡¯s getting cold. You should have worn a thicker coat.¡± It was cold indeed, but they were getting into the car. The car was equipped with a warmer. It was not cold. However, Catherine noticed the man¡¯s stubborn gaze. She decided not to argue with him about this. After all, she had learned her lesson. It was just her boyfriend caring for her. The car pulled to a stop before them, and Paxton respectfully opened the door for them. Branden did not get into the vehicle immediately. Instead, he held Catherine¡¯s hand. After Catherine took her seat, he got into the car. The quiet environment in the car was suitable for taking a nap, and Paxton was a good driver. Catherine leaned against the window and rested. She squinted her eyes and looked at the cars passing by outsidezily. After a while, she realized something seemed off. She was toozy to open her eyes wide and askedzily, ¡°Where are we heading to?¡± Paxton heard Catherine¡¯s question and quickly answered, ¡°Miss Swann, Mr. Branden wants to go to the Swanns¡¯ today!¡± Catherine was not surprised to hear that answer and did not ask why they were heading there either. She just hummedzily and continued looking outside the window. It seemed like she was not interested in why they were going there. Since she did not ask, Paxton did not think it was appropriate for him to exin abruptly. After the police arrested Dayton, Johnathan, the real mastermind behind this, had been exposed, too. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Branden¡¯s motive for going to the Swanns¡¯ was not simple. Paxton knew Branden¡¯s motive might be to seek justice for Catherine. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Paxton pulled over the car at the gate of the Swanns. Catherine said nothing during the ride from the police station to the Swanns. She did not intend to ask Branden why he had brought her to this ce. She was involved, yet she gave others a feeling that she didn¡¯t care about this, like she had nothing to do with it. This was the second time Branden had visited the Swanns. Thest time he was there was at Vicente¡¯s funeral. He had never thought he would be the one who would bring Catherine back. It made him wonder what Vicente would think if he knew this. The maids did not show much enthusiasm when they saw it was Catherine visiting. The maids were all Rachael¡¯s workers and naturally would not be nice to Catherine. One of the maids who talked to Catherine did not even address her as Miss Swann. All she did was ask coldly, ¡°Who are you looking for? Do you know you have to make an appointment to get in?¡± Facing the maid¡¯s attitude, Branden frowned and took Catherine a step back. He nced at the maid coldly. His fierce gaze and oppressive temperament scared the maid. She dared not look into his eyes, and her attitude was less rude. After warning the maid with his gaze, Branden caressed Catherine¡¯s soft hair and asked, ¡°Has it always been like this?¡± Catherine knew what Branden meant. He asked her if the maids had always treated her like this and why she did not fight for her rights. After all, Catherine¡¯s character did not seem like she would endure this humiliation. Catherine did not even look at them. Shezily said, ¡°Why do I have to quarrel with the dog guarding this house? I don¡¯t know how to bark.¡± The maid¡¯s face flushed red in embarrassment and turned pale. She felt humiliated, just like she had embarrassed Catherine just now. The other two people behind Paxton tried hard to hold back theirughter, making the situation more awkward. Branden agreed to what Catherine said and did not take it as a joke. ¡°Your words make sense. Well. Let¡¯s look for someone who we canmunicate with. Ask Korbin to attend us personally,¡± Branden and Paxton were both leaders who could always intimidate others. Moreover, Catherine had always been ruthless when living with the Swanns, making the maids fear they might get what they wanted the hard way. Although the maids were displeased, they did not dare to express it. Even though they said nothing about it, they cursed Catherine deep down. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Everyone in the Swanns knew Catherine was a country bumpkin, and she was not taken seriously. So, it was ridiculous and impossible for Korbin to attend to her personally. She stood there, wanting to see Catherine being humiliated again. After Branden spoke, as the Duncan Corporation¡¯s president¡¯s assistant, Paxton dialed Korbin¡¯s number immediately. Korbin happened to be at home. Within ten minutes, Korbin arrived at the gate in a hurry. Upon hearing the footsteps, the maid turned around subconsciously. Noticing it was Korbin heading toward the gate, she was shocked, and her jaw dropped. It seemed that Korbin¡¯s arrival was not within her expectations. She had never thought Catherine could make Korbin wee her arrival personally. Korbin was also dumbfounded when he received the call from Paxton. Never did he expect Branden to visit the Swanns. Moreover, he was already at their door. When he was at the door, he saw Branden and Catherine. Although he was surprised to see them together, he did not show it on his face. Rumors about Branden having a girlfriend-a daughter of the Swanns- had been spreading. Since the rumor had spread, Korbin had naturally heard of it. So, he was not surprised. However, he had never expected that particr Miss Swann to be his jinxed daughter, who had grown up in the countryside since she was young. Catherine had inherited her mother¡¯s beauty, but Branden was not an ordinary man to fall for only that. If he had only cared about the beauty of women, he would have kept many mistresses. Korbin greeted Branden enthusiastically once he approached them. He ignored Catherine and never even bothered to look at her. ¡°Mr. Duncan, what brings you here? Pleasee in. I have just asked the kitchen to make you some coffee from the coffee beans I just got. Please do me the pleasure of tasting it.¡± ording to the seniority and age, Korbin was Branden¡¯s uncle. However, ording to the Duncans¡¯ status in Casier, Branden, as the Duncans¡¯ president, naturally had a higher position than Korbin. Korbin was an elder, but he still had to address Branden with a title. Branden showed no response to Korbin¡¯s enthusiastic invitation. He stood there with a cold expression. When Korbin was embarrassed and did not know what to do, Branden casually said, ¡°Mr. Swann, the maid you employ is dedicated to her job.¡± Then, he continued coldly. ¡°She is strict!¡± The simple remark had implied why Branden did not respond to Korbin¡¯s invitation. The maids of the Swanns had been trained to be friendly to the guests unless due to some exceptional circumstances. Even though they had never seen Branden before, they should know he was not any simple guest from his words andposure. So, the maids would never be disrespectful to the guests. Then, Korbin looked at Catherine, and he knew why. The maid must have seen Catherine and had wanted to make things difficult for her. That was why he was in an embarrassing situation now. It did not matter what Catherine¡¯s status was in the Swanns. When her grandfather took her back to the Swanns, she was already part of the family. They could treat her as badly as they wanted when no outsiders were around. However, Branden was an outsider, and they would only make a joke out of themselves if they let him see them bullying Catherine. Korbin calmly told the butler, ¡°Pay the maid the rest of her sry and ask her to leave.¡± The maid was dumbfounded and did not expect the punishment to be so severe. Never did she expect she would lose her job because of Catherine. She wanted to beg for mercy, but the butler knew Korbin would not change his mind. He covered the maid¡¯s mouth and dragged her away. Branden looked at Korbin, settling the problem expressionlessly. The Swanns had not trained their maids well and mistreated his girlfriend. He was already nice enough not to punish the maid personally. Korbin was respecting Branden by settling the matter before him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, pleasee in!¡± Branden did not ept Korbin¡¯s invitation and held Catherine¡¯s hand gently as he asked, ¡°Do you want to go in?¡± Catherine nodded. Only then did Branden hold Catherine¡¯s hand and walk into the house. Korbin looked at the couple. Branden¡¯s attitude pissed him off, but he could do nothing about it. The Swanns were far inferior to the Duncans. When they were in the living room, Korbin asked them to make themselves at home and have a seat. When the coffee was ready, Korbin chuckled and spoke to Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, may I know why you came to the Swanns, please?¡± He cared most about Branden¡¯s motive for the visit. The Duncans could affect everything in Casier with their current status. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Johnathan received Dayton¡¯s secret message, saying he was taken to the police station. He had a bad premonition and wanted his mother¡¯s help. Unexpectedly, he heard the maid mentioning Catherine was back. He was so scared that he dashed into his room and locked himself in it. Catherine might noty her hands on him in the Swanns¡¯ ce. Meanwhile, Catherine and Branden were in the living room downstairs. The atmosphere of the living room was strange. Korbin had asked Branden his motive for visiting the Swanns. Branden took a case file from the police station and handed it to Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, take a look at this!¡± Korbin was taken aback by it and read through the document seriously. The victim had already been changed to Branden. Korbin was startled by what he saw. He had never expected there would be someone in Casier who would dare to assassinate Branden. That person must be foolish! However, what shocked him most was Branden showing him the information. So, he knew that this matter might not be that simple. He put on a surprised expression and looked at Branden as she said, ¡°Who is the person who even dares to assassinate you? You should never let him off and punish him! Only then would no one dare to think about hurting you.¡± Branden shot Korbin a cold nce unintentionally before looking away. He spoke coldly, ¡°Mr. Swann, you are right. I do have to punish the mastermind to warn others.¡± Korbin was puzzled. He nodded and observed Catherine. Unsure why, he felt this had something to do with Catherine. ¡°Mr. Swann, haven¡¯t you just asked who was behind this?¡± Branden asked suddenly, leaving Korbin utterly bewildered. He could not guess meant. what Branden. He carefully observed Branden¡¯s expression, hoping to get an answer. Before he could guess, Branden told him the answer. ¡°Mr. Swann, ording to the clues and evidence given to me by the police, the mastermind¡¯s name is Dayton Barret.¡± Dayton? Korbin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he almost passed out. Paxton ced Dayton¡¯s document before him. ¡°Mr. Swann, this is the mastermind¡¯s information. It seems the police found he might have partners and are still investigating the matter.¡± Johnathan had many bad friends. Korbin didn¡¯t know many of his friends, but he knew Dayton once by coincidence. He did not even get to double-confirm if his guess was correct. The next second, he saw the photo on the document Paxton handed him. Maybe it was because he was flustered, but he forgot to hide his emotions. Although he calmed down shortly, Branden had noticed his puzzled and doubtful expression. He had been guessing that Korbin was involved. From Korbin¡¯s expression, he knew Korbin had no idea what was going on. Korbin¡¯s mind was in a mess, yet he remained calm on the surface. He would not believe his son would have the guts to murder Branden. Then, he looked at Catherine, silently sitting beside Branden and observing them. He finally understood what was going on. Korbin decided to face this calmly. He looked at Dayton¡¯s information and pretended to be surprised. ¡°I have never expected such a youngster would dare to kill you, Mr. Duncan, you should never let this guy off.¡± Catherine looked at her cunning father and remained silent. She understood why her grandfather was unwilling to hand over the family. assets to her father. Her grandfather did not want his lifework to be ruined just like that. Korbin would ruin everything he had umted all his life in just a few years. Even now, Korbin still could not see through Branden¡¯s motive. Maybe Korbin was doing this to protect Johnathan. He was willing to sacrifice anything for his son. Branden sneered meaningfully and observed Korbin. ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have any clue. Well, we will excuse ourselves, then.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Korbin still felt something was off. He thought, ¡°Is Branden here to test me?¡± All Branden came for was to ask this. It was impossible! It would not be simple. When he snapped out of his thoughts, Branden had already gotten up and wanted to leave with Catherine. Subconsciously, he called out. ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­¡± Branden stopped and turned around, looking at Korbin coldly. ¡°Mr. Swann, is there anything else you want to tell me?¡± Korbin hesitated and asked eventually, ¡°Mr. Duncan, may I know if you have any clues about the other culprits?¡± Branden snorted. He had already been kind enough to speak nicely since Catherine was Korbin¡¯s daughter. However, it seemed that he had been too kind. ¡°Mr. Swann, isn¡¯t it obvious why I am here?¡± Korbin¡¯s smile faded, and he realized he should not have taken it for granted. Branden was a reputable man and an influential person in Casier. He was someone everyone feared. Not only Johnathan but even if Korbin attempted to conceal it, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t be subject to investigation by the Duncans. Korbin had no choice left. He shot a cold nce at the butler and ordered coldly, ¡°Go. Get that brat Johnathan toe down now!¡± The butler knew something terrible had happened and left without hesitating. After the others left, Korbin invited Branden to have a seat again. ¡°Mr. Duncan, please sit and wait for a while.¡± Branden disagreed this time and still held Catherine¡¯s hand tight. Korbin felt awkward. He had no choice but to give up. He could not order Branden, but he could scold his daughter. ¡°Catherine, why are you standing in your house? Sit and bring Mr. Duncan over to sit there.¡± Catherine sneered. They had never treated her as family, yet he said this was her house. It might be a little toote now to acknowledge her. Although Catherine did not care about Korbin¡¯s order, she still sat. She wanted to see what Korbin would. do next. Upstairs, Johnathan heard someone knocking on his door and scoffed as he put on his earphones, trying to pretend he had not heard it. Unexpectedly, he had only been able to enjoy his silent moment for two minutes. The next second, the room door was opened forcefully, and he was dragged out of his room to the living room downstairs. The butler had received Korbin¡¯s order and had to carry it out. He knew it was urgent. So, he did not give Johnathan any chance to negotiate. He dragged Johnathan downstairs forcefully. ¡°Mr. Swann, Mr. Johnathan is here!¡± Johnathan looked at everyone in the living room and scoffed in disdain upon seeing Catherine. He was so angry that he broke free from the servant¡¯s grip and shouted, ¡± How dare you treat me like this!¡± Before he could scold more, he heard a loud pping sound and felt a burning pain on his cheek. That p made him feel dizzy, and he was dumbfounded. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Johnathan covered his cheek and looked at his father in disbelief. His father was stern, but he would never p him in public or scold him when outsiders were around. Yet his father pped him before his jinxed sister and with Branden and the others around. It was strange. Johnathan wanted to retort after he recovered from his shock, but his father scolded him before he could do SO. Korbin stared at Johnathan and cursed like Johnathan was not his son. ¡°You bastard! Kneel now!¡± Johnathan knelt subconsciously after being pped. Rachael got the news of Catherine visiting their ce as soon as Catherine arrived. She immediately headed back home and saw her son kneeling before everyone. She was pissed and questioned without even caring who was around. ¡°What is going on here?¡± Korbin lifted his head and looked at Rachael coldly and in displeasure. Immediately, Rachael realized something was off. She quickly calmed down and gently said, ¡°Hubby, what¡¯s wrong? What did Johnny do? Why are you punishing him? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Korbin snorted and looked angry. ¡°Ask your son what he has done!¡± Rachael approached her son and held his arm as she looked at his swollen cheek, feeling sorry for him. ¡°Johnny, what¡¯s wrong? Why is your father punishing you? Did you do something wrong?¡± Johnathan looked at his mother in grief. He was flustered, but he was not afraid anymore since his mother was with him. No one could bully him with his mother around. Johnathan looked at his mother, aggrieved. ¡°Mom, I did nothing. I was at home all day. I am sozy and don¡¯t even like toe downstairs. What would I do?¡± Rachael nodded, agreeing to that. She felt sorry for her son. ¡°Hubby, Johnny is right. He did not even leave the house. Could it be some misunderstanding? Maybe someone is trying to use our son of something he has not done.¡± When Rachael spoke, she nced at Catherine on purpose. Korbin sneered upon hearing this. Hmph, why would Mr. Duncane here if that was the case?¡± They were putting on an act and yed well. Rachael looked at Branden. Deep down, she was displeased with Catherine, thinking that Catherine was only bringing trouble to the Swanns. Although she was unhappy about it, she had to smile because she was facing Branden. She did not even care to bother about Catherine¡¯s existence. ¡°Mr. Duncan, maybe it¡¯s a misunderstanding?¡± Branden sat on the sofa with Catherine beside him. Feeling bored, Catherine was already ying games on her phone with her earphones on. Hearing Rachael¡¯s question, Branden sat upright and nced at her. Then, he scoffed. ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t know your son well.¡± Rachael was taken aback and only reacted after a while. She suppressed her anger and spoke, Mr. Duncan, what do you mean by that? The next second, Branden leaned back against the sofazily. He gave an annoying response this time, rejecting tomunicate with Rachael. With that, Paxton took overmunicating with them, indicating Rachael had no right to speak to him. Since Rachael disrespected his girlfriend, she had no right to talk to him. Paxton handed Rachael the document he had given Korbin. ¡°Rachael, an hour ago, Mr. Duncan was attacked. The mysterious man who attempted to murder Mr. Duncan has been arrested. They have arrested one of the masterminds, Dayton. I¡¯m sure they will discover the rest of the culprits. ¡°Since the Duncans and the Swanns were family friends, and Catherine is dating Mr. Duncan, Mr. Duncan decided to pay you all a visit. However, it seems that you and Mr. Swann do not appreciate this chance.¡± Rachael took a few steps back in shock when she heard what Paxton mentioned. Murder attempt? It was shocking news, and the person they wanted to murder was Branden. She was dumbfounded. Johnathan reacted quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t know Dayton. Why would you look for the culprit here? I warn you not to use me of what I haven¡¯t done. Otherwise, I¡¯ll sue you for usation without proof.¡± He would never admit this. It was purely an usation. He had never wanted to murder Branden! He wasn¡¯t a fool! He would never offend the Duncans! Johnathan shouted, yet Paxton nced at him coldly, ignoring his threat. ¡°Mr. Johnathan, the Duncan Corporation¡¯s legal team will await yourwyer¡¯s letter.¡± Those words were enough to shut Johnathan up. The Duncan Corporation¡¯s legal team was famous in Casier. It would be impossible to win them in a court trial. They would be lucky enough not to lose more. Paxton¡¯s phone happened to ring at that moment. He chuckled upon seeing the caller ID. Paxton was famous for his cold expression. It was creepy when he chuckled like that. After answering the call, Paxton ced his phone on the table and put the call on speaker mode. ¡°Mr. Duncan, we¡¯ve uncovered new evidence in the case, and it¡¯s a significant breakthrough. The confessed culprit, Dayton, has implicated Johnathan Swann, stating that this man instigated him.¡± Johnathan panicked upon hearing his name being mentioned. ¡°Stop talking nonsense! You are using me of what I haven¡¯t done!¡± Paxton hung up the call and looked at Korbin as he spoke coldly, ¡°Mr. Swann, I think the police will be here soon. This is a murder case, and I am sure your son could exin himself since he seems to be a good talker.¡± Korbin¡¯s expression turned serious, and he knew what Paxton meant. Johnathan was involved in a murder case, which could not be dealt with by bribing the police. Rachael was also shocked and did not expect this. The police had investigated and found out Johnathan was involved. This would be troublesome to deal with. Paxton looked at the expression on the Swann couple and told them thetestw. ¡°If the police have evidence about this matter, Mr. Johnathan would be sentenced to prison for ten years, and it would be worse if he were found guilty for some other thing. I am sure you understand what I mean.¡± Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Korbin understood what Paxton meant for sure. Paxton might only be Branden¡¯s assistant. However, what he said represented Branden¡¯s intention. Korbin did not speak up soon and looked at Rachael instead. He wanted her to settle this matter. Rachael panicked. She did not expect this matter to be so serious. Being imprisoned for ten years would mean her son¡¯s life would be doomed. She would never let that happen. Under her husband¡¯s instigation, she decided to beg Branden for mercy. The only person who could turn the table was Branden. She put down her arrogance and looked at Branden with a smile. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I think this must be a misunderstanding.¡± It was again the same old sentence. Branden did not even look at her. Feeling awkward, Racheal decided to punish her son. She turned around and pped Johnathan. It was a loud p as if she was trying to prove something. Johnathan was dumbfounded again. This was the first time his mother had pped him in his life. Rachael gritted her teeth and said, ¡± Brat, be honest! Do you want to be taken away by the police?¡± Johnathan lifted his head and looked at his mother. He noticed his mother trying to beckon him to go with her flow. He covered his face and cried, ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t do it! I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± He wanted to deny it, but Paxton did not give him another chance. Paxton took out a new piece of evidence and said, ¡°Mr. Swann, Mrs. Swann. this is the transaction history of Mr. Johnathan transferring money to one of the culprits.¡± When Paxton showed them the evidence, Rachael fell to the ground, and Korbin¡¯s expression turned gloomy. They finally understood that Branden did not go over to ask questions. He was there to seek revenge. From Paxton¡¯s attitude, they could see Branden had all the evidence needed and was waiting for them to admit it. Since that was the case, Rachael could only make her son admit it and minimize the damage caused to their family. Johnathan had never expected the Duncans to have so much evidence and wanted him to go to prison. He shoved off his mother¡¯s hand and roared, ¡°Mom, are you a fool not to notice Catherine is here to seek revenge? I have never arranged for anyone to murder Branden. My target had always only been Catherine!¡± Branden snorted and opened his eyes. He squinted his eyes and looked at them. His oppressive temperament was like the dark clouds before the storm. It was depressing to look at him. He looked sinister and cold. ¡°Looks like you have admitted you paid someone to carry out a murder for you Mr. Johnathan?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Then, he lifted his eyebrows and looked at Johnathan meaningfully. His gaze looked mysterious, challenging anyone to decipher its intent. Since things turned out like this, Johnathan gave up. ¡°Yes. I nned this, but I never wanted to kill you. My target is that jinx, Catherine!¡± Johnathan had always been ruthless and would never even listen to his parents. From the beginning to the end, he had reflected on his mistake. He felt embarrassed as he had been pped by his parents and humiliated before so many outsiders and the woman he hated the most. ¡°What have I done wrong? Catherine was the one who wanted me dead. I was getting back at her.¡± Johnathan did not expect it to be such a coincidence that Branden happened to be with Catherine. The men Dayton employed were thugs and would not recognize Branden. If he knew Branden would also be there, he would never have arranged for them to attack Catherine. No one would dare to offend Branden in Casier. He was not a fool. Why would he do something like that? Catherine happened to end her first round of games and heard Johnathan screaming through her silent earphones. She did not like exining but would not let anyone use her either. She knew what Johnathan meant by saying that. Catherine took off her earphones and lifted her head to look at Johnathan. Her calm and cold expression scared him a little. Evan Johnathan did not know why he would feel fear when Catherine looked at him like that. It was natural for him to be afraid when Branden red at him. Branden was a reputable man, and he had always had a domineering temperament. Meanwhile, Catherine was nothing to him. Putting her phone aside, Catherine felt ufortable sitting like that. She adjusted her position and leaned against Branden¡¯s shoulder, making him her bolster. After adjusting her position, she spoke in her usualzy tone as she nced at everyone casually, not taking anyone there seriously. ¡°It has nothing to do with me. You are a fool to believe in what others tell you and have been made used by them. Don¡¯t you realize that?¡± Johnathan heard Catherine¡¯s words and was pissed off. ¡°How could that have nothing to do with you? You did that. Catherine, do you think you could get away with it? You are such a coward for refusing to admit what you have done! What a shame!¡± Catherine scoffed as she looked at Johnathan. ¡°I don¡¯t need your praise. Johnathan, who do you think you are to condemn me? ¡°You can report it to the police if you have evidence.¡± Johnathan thought of something and quickly tugged his father¡¯s trousers. ¡°Dad, show them the evidence you found. We can report it to the police and make them arrest this jinx.¡± Johnathan had been a fool all this while. To him, he thought everything would be settled with Catherine being arrested. To keep herself safe, Catherine would have to let go of him. Then, he could get back at Catherine after everything was over. Korbin was speechless by his son¡¯s foolishness. He could not understand why his son was such an idiot. He had indeed investigated that someone had done something to Johnathan¡¯s car, causing the ident. But he had no proof that it had anything to do with Catherine. He would never let Catherine off if he had the evidence. With Korbin¡¯s character, he would have already reported to the police and gotten Catherine arrested long ago. It would help him eliminate this jinx and have the Swann Corporation to himself. With Johnathan causing this trouble, they had not only rmed Catherine but also given her an opportunity to get back at them. Catherine brought Branden to their ce just to get Johnathan arrested. Johnathan was a fool and had offended Branden. In Casier, no one would dare to provoke Branden. Korbin had no choice but to speak and try to turn the table to save his son. ¡°Johnathan, what nonsense are you talking about? How could you think of your sister like that and be blinded by other¡¯s instigation? How could you even try to murder your sister? You disappoint me! ¡°Don¡¯t ever say you are my son!¡± Chapter 304 Chapter 304 As Rachael Lang listened to her husband¡¯s changing tone, she instantly grasped the situation. Despite the ups and downs of their many years of marriage, the level of understanding and unspoken communication between them was still intact. She turned and angrily scolded Johnathan Swann, looking like she couldn¡¯t believe his recklessness. ¡°John, you are such a foolish child. How could you do this? It¡¯s bad enough that you¡¯re overthinking things, but you went as far as harming your sister, Kathy, as well. She is your sister, and we¡¯re family. How could you do this?¡± rebuked Rachael incredulously. Rachael sternly warned Johnathan,¡± I¡¯m telling you now, I won¡¯t tolerate this incident today. You owe your sister an exnation!¡± This reprimand even made Paxton Duncan, who was standing nearby, feel ufortable. He seemed to understand why Catherine Swann always had that icy and distant demeanor in order to keep everyone at arm¡¯s length. Dealing with a family like this would be strange if she weren¡¯t so distant. They would be all smiles when they needed something, addressing each other as family. However, in contrast, when there was no need, they wished the other person would disappear immediately, and they were experts at cing me. It was truly sickening. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After Rachael finished scolding Johnathan, she went on to appease Catherine. Although she secretly wished she could strangle Catherine, she had to lower her pride to please Catherine for the sake of her beloved son. ¡°Kathy, I know your younger brother made a mistake this time, but this is a family matter. There¡¯s no need to take it to court, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; after this incident, I will definitely teach Johnathan a lesson so that he won¡¯t dare to repeat such actions!¡± imed Rachael. In the face of Rachael¡¯s attempts to please her, Catherine didn¡¯t even nce at her. She stared at her phone throughout andpletely ignored her. Rachael trembled with anger at the moment as she noticed Catherine didn¡¯t bother about her. She would have charged up and given Catherine a piece of her mind if it weren¡¯t for Branden Duncan being present. As Rachael was unable to confront Catherine directly, she pretended to look helpless as she turned to Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, you¡¯ve seen it too. My daughter has been distant from us since she was young. She doesn¡¯t respond or agree to anything I say. I don¡¯t know how tomunicate with her anymore!¡± said Rachael. Rachael had only one purpose in saying all this, as she wanted to expose Catherine¡¯s true nature in front of Branden. She couldn¡¯t believe that a prestigious family like the Duncans would ept a girl who showed no respect for her elders and had no manners, even towards her parents. It was known that in the world of elite families, the utmost importance was ced on etiquette and hierarchy. While a girl like Catherine, who wascking in manners and refinement, wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to step into it. Branden¡¯s lips raised slightly, and he looked at Rachael with an amused and worldly-wise smile. ¡°I believe motherly love is noble, but Mrs. Swann, are you worthy of it?¡± asked Branden. The response from Branden didn¡¯t cause any significant injury but rather a severe insult. Clearly, Rachael had abandoned her child out of selfishness and left her to fend for herself in the countryside. Branden thought that it was shameless of her to even me Catherine for not being close to her. Rachael¡¯s face alternated with anger. She hadn¡¯t expected Branden toe to Catherine¡¯s defense, and she certainly hadn¡¯t anticipated that he would show her no respect in front of everyone. She fixed her eyes on Branden and hoped to find a way to justify herself. ¡°Mr. Duncan, could it be that my nine months of pregnancy were a sham? I am her mother, isn¡¯t that real?¡± said Rachael. However, in contrast to Rachael¡¯s frustration, Branden remained remarkablyposed. He spoke with a calm and indifferent demeanor, a stark contrast to his heated argument with her just moments ago. He continued, ¡°I wonder, Mrs. Swann, if you¡¯ve ever heard the saying, ¡°To give birth but not raise is to be ungrateful and sinful.¡±¡± Since no one had ever spoken to her like this due to their respect for the Swanns¡¯ influence, Rachael had been left speechless by this retort. After all, as Catherine was a girl that nobody wanted, it wasn¡¯t worth offending the Swanns for her sake. However, Branden was the first to speak such words, and Rachael was too shocked to know how to respond. After she fell silent, Branden gently removed the earphones from Catherine¡¯s ears. ¡°Take a break,¡± said Branden to Catherine. He continued, ¡°You¡¯ve been ying games for nearly an hour and stared at your phone screen the whole time. It¡¯s not good for your eyes.¡± His advice was delivered so gently,pletely different from the way he had fiercely confronted Rachael earlier. The transformation was striking. Then, Catherine obediently set her phone aside without hesitation. Rachael finally realized that everything she had said to Catherine earlier, and even as well as the subsequent nder, had been brushed aside. She had acted in a y with no leading character. This realization was more embarrassing than being pped in the face in public. At this point, she harbored a deep hatred for Branden. However, she knew that the Duncans wielded immense power, and she had no means of resistance to them. This feeling of pent-up anger and nowhere to vent it was enough to drive her mad. Korbin Swann had no choice but to step in after seeing his wife, who was unable to salvage the situation. He knew that without exining to Catherine today, or more urately, without exining to Branden, who was supporting Catherine, they would never be able to resolve this matter. Since they had already obtained favorable evidence, Johnathan might actually go to jail. ¡°Kathy, no matter what, Johnathan is your younger brother. Please, for my sake as your father, let him off the hook. If you have any requests, name them, and I will do my best to fulfill them,¡± said Korbin. Even the parents, who usually held themselves high, were bowing their heads to Catherine. Johnathan, the fool that he was, genuinely began to feel scared. His face turned pale, and he huddled behind Rachael. He was too frightened to show his face and thus relied on his parents to resolve the matter. Catherine smirked coldly, and her stunning face bore a chilly smile with a touch of sarcasm when she faced Korbin¡¯s request. ¡°You¡¯ll agree to any request?¡± she questioned. Korbin and Liana Swann felt that Catherine¡¯s gaze was off-putting, creating an inexplicable sense of fear. But for the sake of saving Johnathan, they had no other choice. After all, Johnathan was their only son. Korbin nodded and then looked at Catherine with a fatherly expression. ¡°Kathy, we¡¯re family, and Johnathan is your brother. You wouldn¡¯t harm him, would you?¡± said Korbin. ¡°Of course, not going to jail works too, ¡°Catherine casually remarked in a light voice and indifferent appearance. Korbin silently breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that Catherine, along with Branden, hade here to make a big fuss and strip him of his dignity. He had even prepared himself to part with some of his assets. He hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to be so amodating. ¡°It seemed that she still wanted to please us in the end.¡± thought Korbin. Korbin felt that Catherine was still clever in the end. After all, her blood ran with the Swanns¡¯ lineage. Korbin assumed, ¡°Her goal was clearly to marry the Duncans by getting closer to Branden. ¡°Furthermore, how could she have a better life in the Duncans without a powerful family backing her? ¡°Smart women knew how to make choices,¡± he muttered. Korbin smiled and nodded with his eyes containing a hint of satisfaction.¡± Catherine, I always knew that you were sensible and cared for your younger brother!¡± said Korbin. Catherine gave a faint smile looking at Korbin, but her charming expression hid an unfathomable chill. She said, ¡°Hold on!¡± Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Korbin Swann looked up, his gaze fixed on Catherine Swann, wondering what kind of trick this girl was nning to y. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked. Catherine stared coldly at her father and did not bother to hide her arrogance. ¡°I promised you that I won¡¯t let him go to jail. What about your end of the deal? ¡± said Catherine. Korbin had initially thought this was a mere formality, but Catherine was taking it seriously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your brother made a mistake, and I will make sure he pays for it. I¡¯ll cut off his pocket money for a whole year and have him reflect in front of your grandfather¡¯s memorial tablet,¡± replied Korbin. As Korbin revealed the punishment, all of them who were present had various reactions. Johnathan Swann was about to explode upon hearing that his pocket money would be cut off. Rachael secretly sighed in relief. After all, her husband did care for their son. When it came to matters that could be solved with money, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Upon hearing Korbin¡¯s punishment, Catherine burst intoughter. Herughter was clear and pleasant, with a touch of mockery and a hint of coldness, thus making it difficult for anyone to read her intentions. ¡°Dad, were you ying house when you came up with this?¡± said Catherine. Some people didn¡¯t need to resort to shouting or violence. She could make their opponent feel embarrassed with just a simple sentence. Catherine was such a person. When she spoke, Korbin felt as if he had been stabbed in the spine. He narrowed his eyes and cast a dangerous nce at Catherine. Just as his gazended on her, he felt an overwhelming pressureing from her side. Korbin immediately turned his head and met Branden¡¯s deep and gloomy eyes. The powerful aura emanating from Branden made Korbin feel uneasy. The words he had prepared to say suddenly stuck in his throat, and he swallowed them back. Catherine adjusted her sitting posture, put down her phone, crossed her arms, and looked at Korbin with a mocking smile. ¡°Dad, if Johnathan can hire someone to murder at such a young age, and if we let him go unchecked, he might be the next crime lord of the Swanns. What do you think?¡± said Catherine. Korbin had initially wanted to downy the situation, but from Catherine¡¯s tone, he realized that things were not as simple as he had imagined. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s definition of the incident as ¡°hiring someone tomit murder¡±, Rachael began to tremble. Despite Korbin¡¯s warning, she couldn¡¯t help butsh out at Catherine. With wide-open eyes and a furious expression, she looked like she wanted to devour Catherine. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? It was just a minor fight between siblings. There¡¯s no need to make up such ridiculous stories!¡± said Rachael. Catherine¡¯s attitude remained cold even when she was faced with Rachael¡¯s anger. Her beautiful face was now devoid of any warmth, and her eyes revealed a chilling indifference. ¡°If Mon has any objections to my statement, why not verify it with the police? I believe they will give you a satisfactory answer,¡± spoke Catherine coldly. Catherine left Rachael speechless with just a single sentence. Rachael knew she would be making a fool of herself if she went to confront the police with such an absurd story. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Now that the evidence is clear, and everyone knows the situation, how could she possibly do something so foolish?¡± thought Rachael. Thus, she could only resort to breaking the jar to figure out Catherine¡¯s true intentions. ¡°So, what¡¯s your n then? Since your father says you don¡¯t agree, it means you already have an idea in mind. Why don¡¯t you tell us?¡± said Rachael. Catherine indeed had a n in mind. When Branden asked her to handle this matter on her own, she had already thought of a solution. Johnathan had indeed made a mistake, but she had promised Vicente Swann that she wouldn¡¯t let Johnathan face a dire fate. Considering that Johnathan was the only grandson, Catherine wouldn¡¯t send him to prison. While capital punishment might be avoided, escaping the consequences of his actions in life would be difficult. ¡°Dentler Academy has some special methods for educating troublesome students. Let¡¯s send Johnathan to study there!¡± said Catherine. Johnathan hadn¡¯t heard of this school, so he didn¡¯t see any immediate issues, but the mention of changing schools made him feel uneasy. However, just because he wasn¡¯t familiar with it didn¡¯t mean Rachael and Korbin weren¡¯t. Dentler Academy was well-known among the elite circles, specializing in admitting problematic students, typically from affluent families. The tuition fees were exorbitant, thus making it inessible for ordinary families. The school was renowned for its strict management style, and before enrolling, parents had to sign an agreement. During their time at the academy, students were allowed to meet their families only once a year, and they were not permitted to leave the school grounds at any other time. If students wanted to leave the school before graduation, they had to pay a hefty breach of contract fee. However, if they graduate sessfully, one-third of the tuition fee will be refunded. The school was located in a remote and isted area on a small ind. Students were transported to the ind by helicopter, and leaving the school was as difficult as escaping from the strictest prison in the world. Rachael strongly opposed the idea after hearing that. She said, ¡°No, we can¡¯t send Johnathan to a ce like that. Going there is equivalent to a death sentence. How can you be so heartless?¡± Rachael knew her son best as he had been pampered since childhood. How could he survive in such a ce? Going there would be a one-way ticket to disaster. In response to Rachael¡¯s objections, Catherine remained remarkablyposed. She then replied, ¡°Then you can just let him die.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Rachael was exasperated and struggling for breath. ¡°You¡¯re a disaster. How can you be so malicious? He¡¯s your brother, and you¡¯re willing to let him die.¡± Catherine¡¯s gaze grew cold, and her eyes radiated an unsettling chill. ¡°A disaster has no brother nor any family,¡± replied Catherine upon hearing Rachael¡¯s words. Rachael was at her wit¡¯s end. There was nothing she could do to sway Catherine. Although Rachael had lived for many years, she had never encountered such a tenacious individual as Catherine. In this matter, Rachael had no say. Moreover, for the sake of her beloved son, she would be willing to sacrifice everything. After all, as long as Johnathan was around, her position as Mrs. Swann¡± in the Swanns would remain secure. Catherine redirected her cold gaze to Korbin and said, ¡°Dad, should we hand this to the authorities or send him to Dentler Academy? It¡¯s up to you.¡± Korbin didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Branden. He noticed that Branden had stopped intervening in the matter after Catherine began handling it, allowing her to take charge. Despite how hard Catherine challenged them, Branden maintained a calm expression and sat by Catherine¡¯s side as her support. ¡°Could it be that Branden had taken an interest in Catherine? Were they in a serious rtionship?¡± thought Korbin. If that were the case, it wouldplicate matters. Korbin wanted to make the final attempt and tried to negotiate with Catherine. He said, ¡°Catherine, I agree with your approach. But Dentler Academy is too far away. Can we find a stricter school in Casier instead?¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Korbin Swann felt that he had already given Catherine Swann enough face. If Branden Duncan weren¡¯t present, he would have already taken control of Catherine and taught her a lesson. She needed to learn her ce, especially challenging the Swanns. After hearing Korbin¡¯s condition, Catherine smiled and fixed her chilly gaze on him. She calmly asked, ¡°Dad, do you think this is a discount store? You keep asking to bargain.¡± Bargaining was beneath Catherine¡¯s dignity. She viewed it as a mockery of the situation. Korbin red at Catherine with anger in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t push it too far!¡± Catherine crossed her arms casually, appearing rxed but exuding an overwhelming arrogance. Catherine¡¯sposure made her seem even more dominantpared to the furious members of the Swanns. The atmosphere in the living room plunged to an icy low, and an intense standoff began between father and daughter. When it seemed the situation was about to escte further, the Swanns¡¯ butler hurriedly entered the room. Korbin was somewhat displeased when he saw the butler¡¯s anxious expression. He asked, ¡°Is the sky falling? Why are you so frantic?¡± The butler looked embarrassed after being reprimanded. He lowered his head and whispered, ¡°Mr. Swann, twow enforcement officers are outside. They say they¡¯vee to see Mr. Johnathan.¡± The speed of their arrival was astonishing. The expressions of everyone present changed with this news. Johnathan quickly realized the gravity of the situation and immediately grabbed Rachael¡¯s hand, pleading for mercy. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to go to jail. Please, please don¡¯t let me go to jail!¡± said Johnathan. Rachael was also getting anxious. Her earlierposure waspletely gone. She kept holding Johnathan¡¯s hand and trying tofort him. ¡°Johnny, don¡¯t be panic. Mom won¡¯t let you go to jail, absolutely not,¡± Rachael reassured him. Catherine looked at Rachael, who wasforting Johnathan, as her actions calmed him down. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She noticed and realized that not because they wereck ofpassion but they didn¡¯t care about her. Catherine¡¯s gaze remained fixed on them, and she didn¡¯t notice another pair of eyes watching her intently. Catherine¡¯s expression was calm and without a hint of emotion. Branden, on the other hand, sensed something different. He felt a trace of sadness for Catherine. He thought that deep down, she must have yearned and longed for maternal love even though she had grown up isted in the countryside. If not for her mother¡¯s cruelty, she might not have developed this tough exterior. It was truly heart-wrenching. Just now, even the once stern and unyielding Korbin had to give in when faced with this unexpected danger. He knew that Catherine hade prepared, bringing along Branden as her powerful advisor. This meant that they had already lost the upper hand in this battle. Korbin had no choice but toply. After all, he couldn¡¯t bear to see his son imprisoned. ¡°If I agree to your conditions, can you guarantee that Johnathan will be safe?¡± he asked desperation in his voice. Catherine didn¡¯t respond immediately. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him intently. Korbin knew that he had no room to negotiate. If he didn¡¯t ept Catherine¡¯s proposal, his son would face the risk of imprisonment. At least three years of studying in Dentler Academy seemed like a better alternative to him than going to jail. He believed that money had the power to move mountains. Once he dealt with Catherine, he would find a way to have his son withdraw from that wretched ce. He clenched his teeth and reluctantly agreed, ¡°Fine, I agree. When this semester ends, I will send Johnathan to Dentler Academy.¡± ¡°Tomorrow!¡± Catherine coldly uttered and set a deadline. ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Korbin eximed in surprise as his eyes widened. Catherine nodded slightly and taunted, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re still in your prime. You shouldn¡¯t have trouble with your hearing.¡± She didn¡¯t ask for tonight, which was already done a favor for the Swanns. Pushing for further negotiations would only lead to a prison sentence. Korbin was truly livid, but he had no choice. He had toply with Catherine¡¯s demands. Frustrated and with no outlet for his anger, Korbin finally exploded when he saw Johnathan still sitting there. ¡°Why are you still sitting here? Don¡¯t you want to pack your bags? Are you getting ready for prison?¡± he scolded. Rachael was startled as she had never witnessed Korbin lose his temper like this before. She hurriedly pulled her son away. At the same time, Paxton Duncan also got up and headed outside to deal with the twow enforcement officers. In the spacious living room, only four people remained. Korbin wore a scowling expression as he red at Catherine, who sat across from him with an air of indifference. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re quite something,tching onto your brother¡¯s mistake. You¡¯re not worthy of being part of the Swanns,¡± Korbin used. Catherine slowly stood up. The matter had concluded, and she was tired. Thus, it was time to rest. She didn¡¯t pay any attention to Korbin¡¯s usations and looked at him with a cold gaze. ¡°If someone at such a young age understands how to hire killers, considering it a hallmark of the Swanns¡¯ education, then it seems like it¡¯s a reflection of the values the Swanns have instilled. Perhaps it would be better if the Swanns ceased to exist, ¡± said Catherine. Korbin¡¯s face turned red with anger as Catherine continued to rebuke him. There was no denying that Johnathan¡¯s actions had been foolish. Furthermore, his actions were also felt like an insult to the intelligence and reputation of the Swanns. Catherine didn¡¯t spare her father, and she even made a subtle remark that could be interpreted as criticism of how Korbin had handled Vicente Swann¡¯s inheritance. ¡°The only silver lining in all of this is that Mr. Vicente passed away early. He doesn¡¯t have to witness these disgraceful events. Otherwise, he might have risen from his grave in anger and strangled these unworthy descendants of the Swanns. If they won¡¯t listen, that¡¯s one thing, but they also engage in such foolish acts!¡± said Catherine. Catherine¡¯s words held a double meaning. While she openly scolded Johnathan, she indirectly criticized Korbin as well. After all, it wasn¡¯t just Johnathan who didn¡¯t heed the words of the Swanns¡¯ elders. Korbin also ignored Vicente¡¯s wishes. This happened when it came to Catherine¡¯s inheritance left by Vicente for her and refusing to let go. As he was unable to out-argue Catherine, Korbin could only express his frustration with loud exmations. ¡°You are such an unfilial daughter! You¡¯re no daughter of mine!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine Swann snorted coldly and turned her back on Korbin. She had stopped regarding him as her father since the moment he decided to send her to the countryside. If not for the unchangeable Swanns¡¯ genes she carried, she wouldn¡¯t have even looked at Korbin properly. Yet, he still behaved so indifferently, prattling on and on. Catherine had no intention of continuing to engage with Korbin. She turned around and greeted Branden, preparing to leave. Branden held her hand and stood by her side. However, Branden didn¡¯t immediately leave with Catherine. He stopped in his tracks, fixing his cold and icy gaze on Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, the one who I supported, not to be trifled with. Today, I¡¯ll spare the Swanns out of respect for Catherine, ¡°said Branden. A cold gleam shed in his eyes despite his seemingly gentle smile, and his voice was chillingly cold. He continued, ¡°However, mark my words, if there¡¯s a next time, the Duncans will spare no effort in seeking justice.¡± Chapter 307 Chapter 307 After Catherine Swann, apanied by Branden Duncan, hadpletely disappeared from the Swanns, Korbin slowly came to his senses. At this moment, what echoed in Korbin¡¯s mind was the sentence Branden had said before leaving and the terrifying look in his eyes. He held his hand up in mid-air, looking somewhat awkward to maintain his bnce. The Swanns¡¯ butler, Ezra Noah, rushed forward to assist him and helped him sit down slowly. ¡°Mr. Swann, are you alright?¡± Ezra asked with concern. Korbin¡¯s gaze wandered, and he shook his head slowly. He hadn¡¯t expected that Catherine would find such a formidable ally to support her. His attitude and demeanor just now had been truly startling. He couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself, ¡°How did she manage to find such a powerful person to back her up?¡± Ezra shook his head silently and felt somewhat helpless as he watched Korbin¡¯s attitude. He had worked for the Swanns for the majority of his life, and his rtionship with Korbin was extraordinary. In fact, he was a few years older than Korbin. He genuinely didn¡¯t want to see the Swanns divided. From his observations during this period, he realized that Catherine wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. Sometimes, the person directly involved might not see things as clearly as an outsider, which was clearly Korbin¡¯s situation. ¡°Mr. Swann, this might not necessarily be a bad thing. After all, Miss Catherine is your daughter. Which daughter wouldn¡¯t help her father? In fact, the Duncans are one of the most powerful families in Casier, with immense influence and immeasurable strength! ¡°Which family wouldn¡¯t want to establish such a marriage alliance? Miss Catherine has this opportunity now. Shouldn¡¯t you be happy?¡± said Ezra. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. If the Swanns used the marriage alliance with the Duncans wisely, they could undoubtedly elevate their status. Korbin squinted his eyes and felt somewhat irritated when he thought of Catherine¡¯s attitude just now. ¡°That troublesome girl, she hasn¡¯t infuriated me enough already, and now she¡¯s helping me? How is that even possible?¡± said Korbin. Ezra cautiously said, ¡°Mr. Swann, if you¡¯ll permit me to speak freely. Please don¡¯t take offense.¡± Korbin naturally wouldn¡¯t mind. Ezra was one of his trusted confidants, someone who usually appeared to be his wife but ultimately followed his lead. ¡°Go ahead, don¡¯t hesitate. You¡¯ve been with the Swanns for many years,¡± said Korbin. Ezra nodded knowingly. It was precisely because of his long service in the Swanns that he dared to voice his thoughts. He continued, ¡°Mr. Swann, blood is thicker than water. It¡¯s natural for Miss Catherine to have some grievances in her heart, especially since she suffered a lot while growing up. If you could lower your stance a bit and ept her, how could she refuse? ¡°I feel that Miss Catherine might not be as ruthless as you imagine, or else she wouldn¡¯t have let the young master off the hook today,¡± said Ezra. Korbin fell into deep thought in response to Ezra¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t care about Catherine¡¯s opinion of him. Catherine was just a daughter to him, even who was with a notorious reputation for being a harbinger of misfortune. It didn¡¯t matter to him. He was a shrewd businessman who prioritized profit above all else. Regardless, Ezra had a point. The Duncans were a powerful and influential family in Casier. Thus, if his daughter could establish a connection with Branden and make him vouch for her, then he should indeed utilize this rtionship for the benefit of the Swanns. In the face of significant benefits, sacrificing a bit of pride seemed reasonable. Aftering to this realization, Korbin¡¯s expression changed, and a sinister smile crept onto his face. ¡°In a few days, when that girl has cooled off a bit, I¡¯ll give her the opportunity to move back in!¡± said Korbin. His tone sounded condescending, and Ezra couldn¡¯t help but feel a headacheing on. ¡°Was Mr. Swann really sure that Miss Catherine wanted to return?¡± thought Ezra. Back from the Swanns, Catherine found her eldest sister, Audrey Swann, already at home. The sound of the door opening caught Audrey¡¯s attention, and she greeted Catherine with a yful smile. ¡°Kathy, did you go out to have fun with Mr. Duncan? You¡¯re so mean, leaving your sister all alone,¡± said Audrey. Catherine didn¡¯t feel like exining too much in response to her sister¡¯s teasing. Catherine felt that certain things were better left unsaid as she felt Audrey didn¡¯t need to know. As Audrey saw Catherine remained silent, she didn¡¯t pay much attention. Audrey was well aware of her personality as she didn¡¯t know her for the first time. ¡°Kathy, I bet you and Mr. Duncan enjoyed some delicious food outside, right? Poor me, I had a lonely cup of instant noodles for dinner,¡± said Audrey. If Audrey hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Catherine would have forgotten that she hadn¡¯t had dinner yet. Images of the homely dishes Branden had prepared for her over the past few days shed by in her mind. Suddenly, the takeaway from Chuddle¡¯s downstairs didn¡¯t seem as appealing. Audrey chattered on to Catherine for a while, but Catherine remained silent. Eventually, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Kathy, I¡¯ve been talking for so long. Can you at least say something?¡± Catherine turned her head slightly and looked at Audrey with calm eyes. ¡°I remember you said yesterday thatst night¡¯s dinner was yourst one. You vowed not to have dinner for a month. That¡¯s yourmitment,¡± said Catherine. Yesterday, Audrey had indulged in a delicious and exceptionally fresh seafood feast. Audrey even made a solemn promise to her gym buddy, Kim Morris, that she would abstain from having dinner for a month to control her weight. Thismitment was particrly important because Audrey had just epted a role. She needed to maintain a slim figure for her character, a delicate youngdy in a traditional costume. ¡°Whoever has seen a petitedy who is as round as a ball, that¡¯s definitely not eptable!¡± thought Audrey. Catherine had discovered Audrey¡¯s secret and revealed it. Audrey couldn¡¯t help butugh awkwardly. ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t be like this. We¡¯re good sisters, after all!¡± said Audrey. Catherine rolled her eyes at her sister and didn¡¯t want to bother with her. Suddenly, she pulled out her phone to check as her phone rang and vibrated. [Come over for dinner!] The message was concise and clear. Without even checking the sender¡¯s number, Catherine knew it was from Branden. If Audrey were paying close attention to Catherine¡¯s expression at this moment, she would have noticed in Catherine¡¯s eyes the slight upturn at the corners of her eyes and her whole demeanor glowing with beauty. After reading the message, Catherine put her phone away and headed towards the door. Audrey had wanted to ask where Catherine was going before. However, seeing that she hadn¡¯t even changed her shoes, she closed her mouth in silence. Without asking, she knew that her sister was definitely going to the neighboring room where Branden was. Audrey shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°When girls grow up, they will then be independent.¡± The distance between the two rooms was just a step away. Catherine walked up to the door and was ready to knock. As if there were some telepathy, the person inside the room automatically opened the door. A handsome and charming face greeted Catherine¡¯s eyes, and with it came the aromatic scent of food wafting through the air. Branden took Catherine¡¯s hand and pulled her inside without saying a word. Catherine stared at their intertwined hands, and a faint smile yed at the corner of her mouth. This man had be so natural at holding her hand and not even bothering with a greeting! The delicious aroma of the food filled the room, making Catherine feel rxed all over, and her mood was exceptionally good. Suddenly, a phrase popped into her mind. ¡°The way to a person¡¯s heart is through their stomach. ¡°Indeed, this man was a master at slowly winning her over,¡± thought Catherine. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Loyalty Academy. After a short holiday break, the students in ss 8 didn¡¯t seem to be in good shape. Three days of vacation felt more tiring than their regr studies. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. They not only had to free their long- trapped souls but also faced a lot of assignments, which left this group of students exhausted. However, this exhaustion was mainly for ordinary students. For some students, those who were exceptionally outstanding made others envy and jealous as things were different. Take Bryan Duncan and Ronin Oconnor, for example. Their situation was unmatched! Bryan seemed to be in his usual state, but Ronin appeared to be a bit abnormal. He hunched over his desk, eyes fixed on something outside the window. However, it wasn¡¯t exactly clear what he was looking at. His normally dull eyes suddenly sparkled for a moment. Then, he stood up excitedly and shouted at the ssroom door, ¡°Boss¡­¡± Well, there was no need to look as everyone knew who had just arrived. Compared to the typical starstruck fans, Ronin, who was a die-hard fan of Catherine, was the epitome of perfect idol worship. His eyes only lit up when Catherine was around. A smile appeared on his usually cold and emotionless face. Catherine walked into the ssroom expressionless, and Bryan had already pulled out a chair for her. She sat down without a word. After everyone had arrived, Ronin approached Catherine with an aggrieved look on his face. Catherine nced at him and calmly asked, ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Ronin pouted and looked like a little wounded animal. His eyes were fixed on Catherine, and there was a hint of resentment and grievance in his tone. He said, ¡°Boss, why didn¡¯t you call me before you left yesterday?¡± Ronin had been upset the entire day because of this. He was so furious that he almost destroyed Triston Lambert¡¯s ind. If it weren¡¯t for Triston Lambert¡¯s persistent persuasion, Ronin would have exploded. Catherine had thought it was something important, but it turned out to be a useless sentence. But it was true, and it fitted Ronin¡¯s personality. ¡°Something came up, and I had to leave in a hurry,¡± Catherine exined briefly. Ronin, who had just looked so aggrieved, suddenly changed his expression within seconds. This change was as fast as a sh of lightning. His expression left everyone around in awe. To make it even more amusing, Ronin himself seemed completely oblivious to his actions. He continued cheerfully, ¡± Oh, I see. Boss, next time, if it¡¯s not an emergency, please let me know before you leave.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± replied Catherine. As Catherine responded promptly, Ronin¡¯s smile became even more obvious. Bryan, who was observing this, couldn¡¯t help but silently curse, ¡°Idiot!¡± Ronin¡¯s obsession couldn¡¯t even be described as being a fan anymore. It was more like a deep infatuation that was beyond cure. Just as everyone was enjoying their conversation, suddenly, Liana Swann burst into the room in a fit of anger. She pped her hand on the desk in front of Catherine. ¡°Bang¡± A loud bang instantly grabbed everyone¡¯s attention. All eyes were on this scene, and they had no idea what kind of drama was about to unfold. Among the students of ss 8. the Swanns sisters were the most prominent figures. Liana used to be the uncontested star of the ss, standing at the pinnacle of the social hierarchy as the heiress of the Swanns. However, ever since Catherine had arrived, the situation had changed dramatically. While Liana still held her position as a wealthy heiress, Catherine¡¯s unique personality and the support of various influential figures propelled her to a much higher status, surpassing Liana by a long shot. People in the room cautiously watched this spectacle unfold, fearing that their argument might identally ignite them, too. After all, neither of these two individuals was someone to mess with. Ronin had been displeased with Liana for a while now, and she dared to confront their Boss publicly. ¡°Did she consider them all as dead?¡± thought Ronin. Ronin kicked the table in front of him with a loud bang, creating an ear- piercing noise, and then stood up. His gaze turned ice-cold, and he exuded intense anger as he red at Su Liana. ¡°Liana, are you looking for trouble?¡± said Ronin. Liana shot him a disdainful nce, particrly irritated by his tough stance. ¡°Ronin, this is between Catherine and me. It¡¯s none of your business, and I advise you not to interfere,¡± said Liana. Ronin clenched his fists and ready to charge, However, Catherine stepped in and stopped him. She held Ronin back by a hand while the other rested on the table. Her fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, creating a rhythmic beat. ¡°Speak if you have something to say,¡± said Catherine. Catherine¡¯s words were enough to send shivers down Liana¡¯s spine. However, thinking that she had the moral high ground today, Liana raised her head arrogantly. She appeared to be an angry elder sister who had lost her rationality. Liana queried, ¡°Catherine, what do you mean by this? What did Johnathan do to you that you want to send him to Dentler Academy? ¡°Do you even know what Dentler Academy is? Do you know how dangerous and terrifying it is? ¡°Johnathan is your brother! Are you really willing to threaten our parents and force your brother into such a dangerous situation? Do you have a heart of stone?¡± Liana¡¯s voice was loud, and everyone could hear her clearly. The actions of Catherine left everyone in shock. Nobody had expected Catherine to do something like this. Most students hadn¡¯t heard of Dentler Academy before, but from Liana¡¯s description, they could tell it wasn¡¯t a good ce. A few students who were familiar with Dentler Academy whispered in shock. ¡°Dentler Academy? Oh my god, that¡¯s like hell! Going to that school means risking your life. It¡¯s terrifying.¡± Catherine remained silent, and her cold gaze fixed on Liana. ¡°Is that why you came here in such a rage, just to ask me about this?¡± Liana was clearly infuriated by Catherine¡¯s attitude. She red at Catherine with a rage bordering on madness and eximed, ¡°Is it just for this? Catherine, how can you casually say such things?¡± If someone were to observe Liana right now carefully, they would notice a hint of a sinister smile in her eyes, contrary to her outward appearance of anger. ¡°Catherine, did you do this on purpose? Are you afraid that Johnathan will take your ce in the Swanns, so you¡¯re willing to put him in such a dangerous situation?¡± said Liana. She continued, ¡°How can your heart be so cruel? He¡¯s your brother!¡± Liana¡¯s impassioned usations made her appear as a sister who deeply cared for her brother but felt utterly powerless to protect him. Liana¡¯s emotional outburst resonated with the entire ss. People began to whisper and use Catherine of her actions. They had heard of rivalries in wealthy families, but to put one¡¯s brother in mortal danger for personal gain was unheard of. No one had expected Catherine to be this kind of person. Her silence only made people believe she was guilty. As for Dentler Academy, Ronin had heard of it, and he knew it was a terrifying ce. He couldn¡¯t believe that his boss had sent Johnathan there. He felt there must be more to the story since Catherine did that. Seeing that people were misunderstanding his boss, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but urge Catherine. He said, ¡°Boss, please exin!¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Ronin Oconnor had just spoken, and before Catherine Swann even had a chance to react, he regretted it. ¡°Did he really need to exin things to his boss?¡± thought Ronin. He felt that he must have been driven crazy by Liana to say such things to his boss. Ronin quickly apologized, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry. I must have been out of my mind to say something like that. Let¡¯s ignore her; she¡¯s like an escaped lunatic.¡± Catherine had no intention of paying attention to Liana in the first ce. Responding to her would be giving her too much attention. Liana was not worried at all, even realizing Catherine was ignoring her, She stood on the moral high ground, confident that she could defeat Catherinepletely. ¡°Catherine, why are you so calm when you¡¯ve done something wrong? Clearly, you are the one who made a mistake, aren¡¯t you?¡± said Liana. She continued, ¡°You are plotting against your brother to obtain the Swanns¡¯ wealth. Doesn¡¯t your conscience condemn you?¡± Under Liana¡¯s vigorous spin, the emotions of the ssmates began to change. Now, in the eyes of everyone, Catherine was a demon who would stop at nothing for personal gain, even if it meant destroying family ties. However, they dared not curse loudly but only whispered their discussions on the side out of fear of Catherine¡¯s authority. ¡°This is too much. How can there be such a terrifying person?¡± ¡°He¡¯s her brother. Even if they didn¡¯t grow up together, does she have to be this ruthless?¡± ¡°Oh my god, staying in the same ss as someone like this is making my heart race. What if one day she¡¯s not satisfied with us? Will shee after us, too?¡± ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s actually possible!¡± ¡°Terrifying!¡± As the discussion grew more intense, the voices got louder. The criticism against Catherine became more and more severe, even catching the attention of the homeroom teacher. After the homeroom teacher entered the room and shouted angrily, ¡°Are you all fooling around during the holidays? Instead of studying quietly and waiting for ss, why are you making such a racket?¡± If it were a minor issue, the homeroom teacher¡¯s scolding would have been enough to quiet everyone down. However, this time, the matter was too significant. It not only crossed moral boundaries but also involved a cruel form of persecution that normal people would find hard to ept. Faced with the homeroom teacher¡¯s reprimand, someone couldn¡¯t help but speak up loudly, ¡°Teacher, we request that Catherine should be transferred out of our ss. We can¡¯t coexist with a ssmate like her!¡± As soon as a student spoke up, another raised their hand, saying, ¡°Yes, we must have a ss without such students. We fear for our safety if we continue to coexist with her!¡± ¡°Absolutely, we must have her removed from our ss 8!¡± The uproar of voices left the homeroom teacher dumbfounded. She had not expected things to turn out this way. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can someone please exin?¡± said the teacher in confusion. George Drax stepped forward and exined the situation that Liana had reported in detail under the homeroom teacher¡¯s inquiry, However, she never expected the situation to be soplicated! The homeroom teacher was also puzzled. Catherine did note across as someone solely interested in personal gain, so how could such a thing happen? Although she found it strange, this was ultimately a family matter. Thus, the homeroom teacher did not want to get too involved. She cleared her throat and spoke sternly to the students, ¡°This is the Swanns¡¯ affair, not a ss matter. Stop discussing it and sit down. Get ready for ss!¡± The homeroom teacher¡¯s words were clearly unable to suppress the high emotions of the students present. ¡°Teacher, even though it¡¯s a matter in the Swanns, Catherine persecuting her younger brother shows that her character iscking. cing such a student in our ss, aren¡¯t you concerned about our safety?¡± ¡°Exactly. When she goes crazy, who knows if she might bite someone?¡± Ronin was furious andshed out at them as he heard thements from those students, ¡°Are you fucking insane? Talking about biting people, why don¡¯t you start by biting yourself?¡± cursed Ronin. Both sides erupted in an argument immediately with this scolding. Although Ronin and his friends usually appeared imposing, now they were facing a united front, and nobody was afraid of anyone else. The ssroom was in chaos, with students from both sides shouting and arguing. Liana couldn¡¯t contain the smirk in her heart as she watched the scene unfold. This was exactly the kind of scenario she wanted to see, with Catherine facing disdain from everyone. Seeing that the situation was escting, the homeroom teacher approached Catherine for a talk. She looked at Catherine friendly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re this kind of person. How about exining yourself? Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Catherine turned sideways and crossed her arms. Her exquisite face was adorned with sharp eyes as she appraised the homeroom teacher with interest. ¡°Teacher, they all say I¡¯m a demon.. Why do you believe I didn¡¯t do such a thing?¡± asked Catherine. The homeroom teacher was momentarily stunned and seemingly not expecting Catherine to respond this way. After a brief moment, she realized the situation and looked at Catherine with a serious and somewhat expectant expression. ¡°You are my student, and if I don¡¯t believe you, who will? But if there¡¯s a misunderstanding, you should rify it with your ssmates as soon as possible. The ss needs unity!¡± replied the teacher. Catherine typically didn¡¯t exin herself since she did things as she pleased. As for what others thought or how they saw her, it didn¡¯t concern her at all. However, today, for the sake of the homeroom teacher, she decided to exin herself briefly. Catherine smiled at the homeroom teacher and said, ¡°Teacher, thank you for your trust, but I did do this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The homeroom teacher was left dumbfounded by Catherine¡¯s confession, not immediately understanding what was happening. Catherine then turned slowly and took a step to the center of the podium. She looked down at all her ssmates with an imposing gaze from top to bottom, She appeared calm, with only a hint of sharpness in her eyes as she swept her gaze around the room and uttered cold words. ¡°Be quiet!¡± The once noisy ssroom suddenly fell silent. Some students hadn¡¯t even realized everyone had stopped talking and followed suit. The homeroom teacher herself was shocked by this disy of dominance. Catherine had handled the situation with unparalleled authority. Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to Catherine, and they were curious about what she would say next. Catherine ced her hands on the podium, leaned forward, and looked down at everyone with a cold, calm expression. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Johnathan or me, it¡¯s all the Swanns¡¯ business.¡± The words uttered by Catherine did not satisfy the students. While it was true that it was the Swanns business, it was now involved their ssmate, and they felt a need for an exnation. Under the urging of the students, George was pushed forward. He took a step closer, looking at Catherine with caution. After a nce at Catherine, George almost dropped dead on the spot. His heart nearly stopped as he felt that her gaze was just too terrifying for him. George reluctantly spoke up as the students behind him pressured him. Catherine, it is indeed a matter of the Swanns. But since so many students are curious, why not exin it to us?¡± Once George had spoken, some students gathered the courage to join in. ¡°Exactly. If there¡¯s a misunderstanding, rify it. We have the right to know the truth!¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Upon hearing this, Catherine raised her head to look at the student who had spoken. The student immediately fell silent and didn¡¯t dare to meet her gaze. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. George Drax then cautiously addressed Catherine by wearing a friendly smile and a careful demeanor. ¡°Catherine, we¡¯re concerned about you too. If there¡¯s any misunderstanding, please rify it. In case someone tries to smear your reputation in the future, we can defend you, right?¡± said George. Normally, George was polite to Catherine. It was not easy to be the ss president in ss 8, which was known for its strong personality. Catherine didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for him either. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll ask Liana a few questions,¡± said George. George was relieved when Catherine agreed to his suggestion. Catherine said, ¡°Since Liana brought this matter up in public, it¡¯spletely reasonable to ask her for a response. After all, she is also involved.¡± Liana, who had been watching from the sidelines, didn¡¯t expect to be called out by Catherine herself. She didn¡¯t know what Catherine had in mind, but she had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t be good. She didn¡¯t want to respond to Catherine, but with so many eyes focused on her, she felt that showing any signs of weakness would make her appear suspicious. Reluctantly, Liana stepped forward. She walked up to Catherine with forced calmness and her icy gaze ring at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, there¡¯s no need to struggle anymore. No matter how much you exin, you can¡¯t hide the sin youmitted against Johnathan!¡± imed Liana. The reason Liana had exploded in the ssroom upon arriving was primarily for her benefit. She wanted to pressure Catherine to revoke the punishment of Johnathan. Johnathan had promised her that if she could aplish this, he would give her a set of antique jewelry that she had coveted for a long time. However, her mother had told her that this was something passed down from her grandmother and was meant to be given to a future daughter-inw, which meant it could only belong to Johnathan. She refused to ept that! She believed that she could obtain anything she desired. Catherine coldly observed Liana, who was pretending to remain calm. She believed that truly guilty people tended to act more desperately, using other means to cover up their wrongdoing. ¡°Liana, you mentioned that our parents consider Johnathan as their beloved child. Why did they agree to let Johnathan attend such a school then? Are you, as his elder sister, more concerned about Johnathan than our parents?¡± said Catherine. It was hard to evaluate Korbin, but Rachael was well-known in the circle for favoring her son. She considered Johnathan as her most cherished treasure, and everyone knew that. When Catherine asked this question, everyone started to realize. George followed Catherine¡¯s train of thought and felt that she had a valid point. ¡°Yeah, if that school is so bad, why would your parents let your brother go there? It doesn¡¯t make sense. Liana, what¡¯s the reason?¡± asked George. Liana didn¡¯t expect Catherine to bring up this topic suddenly. She only knew that her father had discussed conditions with Catherine. As long as her father agreed to Catherine¡¯s demands, Catherine wouldn¡¯t expose the real situation of Johnathan, and if not, the deal would be void. She thought that Catherine wouldn¡¯t dare to reveal the truth, but she didn¡¯t expect Catherine to use this to threaten her. After thinking for a moment, Liana maintained a calm demeanor and faced everyone. ¡°Catherine, why are you asking this? Don¡¯t you already know the answer? It¡¯s all because you dared to threaten our parents. You¡¯re going too far!¡± said Liana. ¡°Oh, not only did Catherine drive away her younger brother, but she also threatened her parents. How can someone be so evil?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not hard to imagine. Didn¡¯t they say she was abandoned in the countryside from a young age? Maybe shecks empathy!¡± ¡°Could it be that Catherine came back for revenge?¡± For a moment, various discussions filled the air. Just as Liana silently celebrated the sess of her little scheme and shifted the focus away from herself, Catherine spoke up again. She stared at Liana and asked another question. ¡°Liana, what could you possibly do to threaten our parents and make them send their most beloved son to suffer like this?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Liana couldn¡¯t wait to respond, ¡°How would I know? You¡¯re such a wicked person; you might have used some means.¡± Catherine chuckled coldly as herughter filled with mockery. Liana had a bad feeling after seeing her like this. She had a sense that something bad was about to happen. Catherine took out her phone right in front of Liana and waved it in front of her. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call our father right. now and exin the situation? Let our fathere and exin why they were so heartless as to send their precious son to Dentler Academy!¡± said Catherine. Liana instantly paled with just a simple sentence. Her previously arrogant and somewhat haughty demeanor began to crumble. Panic and confusion flickered in her eyes as she realized the seriousness of the situation. This matter was a private deal between her and Johnathan, and her father was unaware of it. If she seeded, her father would praise her. But if she failed or even disrupted her father¡¯s negotiations with Catherine, once her father med her, she¡­ Liana couldn¡¯t believe her situation as she saw Catherine starting to dial her phone. She rushed forward and attempted to stop Catherine¡¯s actions.. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± she pleaded. Catherine paused with a mocking look in her eyes as she nced at Liana. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you afraid to let me confront our father?¡± Catherine taunted. Liana¡¯s face stiffened, and she appeared extremely embarrassed. She stammered, ¡°Catherine, our father is busy with work every day. There¡¯s no need to bother him with a phone call.¡± Her excuse sounded feeble and unconvincing. Catherine decided to y along, aligning with Liana¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re not worried about disrupting the whole ss and insisting on discussing this matter? I believe our father won¡¯t mind spending a few minutes for the sake of ss unity,¡± Catherine said with a perfectlyposed response. Her response left Liana no room to criticize. Liana¡¯s expression remained awkward, and she couldn¡¯t hide her true emotions. It was evident to everyone that something was amiss. Ronin, who had grown tired of Liana¡¯s constant bickering with his boss, stepped in to support Catherine. ¡°That¡¯s right. With the situation escting like this, what¡¯s the harm in making a phone call? Unless someone feels guilty for something and is afraid to confront it,¡± Ronin added. Because of Ronin¡¯s statement, more and more students began to suspect that something was indeed wrong. As he pointed out, if there were no issues, a simple phone call could resolve everything. Why was Liana so reluctant to allow Catherine to make that call? The discussions in the ssroom shifted, and people started doubting Liana¡¯s motives. Liana had no choice but to lower her head and plead with Catherine as she faced the escting situation and lost the upper hand. Her eyes were filled with pleading as she looked at Catherine and said, Catherine, can¡¯t we just let this matter go ? Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Liana had an arrogant attitude not too long ago, but now she was as lousy as she could be. Before Catherine could decide, Ronin spoke first, his smiles full of sarcasm and his gaze cold enough to prate Liana¡¯s heart like a sword. ¡°What? You start begging for mercy now, huh? Are you afraid? Liana, weren¡¯t you arrogant just now? You incited the others to join in the criticism of Catherine. Howe you¡¯re not being arrogant now? Why don¡¯t you continue?¡± Liana knew she was now at a disadvantage and didn¡¯t dare to speak, worrying that irritating Ronin would be even more disadvantageous. One had to know that Catherine was nicer to Ronin, an outsider than she was to any of them. Ronin was unhappy with Liana but even more with the people making a fuss together. He stood beside Catherine with his chin held high, eyes sweeping the ss with contempt. ¡°You guys are smart, righteous, and eager to help. Now that Liana has lost her words, why don¡¯t you guys help speak up for her?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. With Liana¡¯s appearance, anyone with the slightest judgment could tell she had a guilty conscience. Otherwise, why would she beg Catherine? Anyone who wasn¡¯t too stupid could figure out what was going on here. Keeping silent now was to protect themselves, and they naturally wouldn¡¯t stand up for Liana at this time. Seeing the true colors of these people, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but make another sarcasticment, the kind that was directed at the whole ss. ¡°Humph, you change your mind so easily and have no judgment at all. That¡¯s all you guys got, huh? How ridiculous!¡± Some students lowered their heads in embarrassment, while others were unconvinced by Ronin¡¯s scolding. They were spoiled at home and were unwilling to be scolded. Therefore, someone directly stood out to refute it. However, after learning about the situation, the student directly targeted Liana. ¡°Liana, why don¡¯t you say anything? You used Catherine of plotting against your brother and asked us to stand up for you to get justice. Why do you give up halfway now? Are you being threatened by Catherine, or do you have a secret? Say something, now! Stop using us and letting us take the rap for you.¡± After this student finished speaking, some others immediately spoke up for him. ¡°That¡¯s right. You should give us an exnation!¡± ¡°In my opinion, she¡¯s probably using us. She usually looks like a delicate youngdy, but she¡¯s not that kind in her heart.¡± ¡°An angelic bitch, for sure. Liana had never suffered such hostility from her ssmates. It had always been her who incited them against others. This was the first time she had been targeted, and she was so angry that she wanted to kill Catherine right now. She knew that this was what Catherine was up to. She didn¡¯t make a response herself but instead got Ronin to incite everyone to strike her down. ¡°Catherine is too ruthless! She wants to bring me down once and for all,¡± thought Liana. If Liana were to retort now, not to mention what Catherine would do, just this group of brainless ssmates could kill her. Therefore, the only thing she could do now was to stay silent and do nothing, waiting until the right time to counterattack. With her head lowered and red eyes, Liana bit her lower lip tightly without responding and looked pathetic. Seeing this, Ronin was about to explode with anger. He whispered to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, the girl is still ying pitiful even now. Those who don¡¯t know would think that we bullied her. She¡¯s so hateful!¡± Then he added. ¡°Catherine, let me tell you. This girl has such talent. It¡¯s really a pity that she doesn¡¯t engage in acting. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Catherinezily looked up and nced in Liana¡¯s direction, just in time to see the hostility crossing the corner of Liana¡¯s eye. She silently sneered in her heart. ¡°Don¡¯t give me the chance to embarrass you if you are capable of doing so!¡± said Catherine inwardly. Liana had really learned their mother¡¯s tricks very well, but unfortunately, her skills were not as smart as their mother¡¯s. As a result, whenever she jumped out to make a scene, she would be defeated and humiliated. Not only did she not take advantage of the situation, but she also made a mess of herself. If she genuinely felt sorry for Johnathan and came to Catherine to plead for mercy, Catherine might have thought highly of Liana. But the purpose of Liana¡¯s behavior today was too obvious. She was here to get Catherine in trouble, so Catherine, of course, shouldn¡¯t be med for hitting back at her. Because of thismotion, the ss was thrown into disarray. Just a moment ago, the students were all targeting Catherine, but now they were all pointing fingers at Liana. The homeroom teacher was having a headache. She didn¡¯t understand how kids could be so rowdy nowadays. She tapped the table behind her, focusing everyone¡¯s attention.¡± Alright, now everyone can see. This is Catherine and her family¡¯s business, so don¡¯t get involved and make a scene!¡± After the homeroom teacher finished speaking, she said sternly to Liana, ¡® Liana, this is the ss, so please don¡¯t get your family¡¯s matters into the ss in the future. This affects the learning of the whole ss. Understand?¡± After being a top student for so many years, it was the first time that a teacher had lectured Liana. She couldn¡¯t hold back her grievances, and tears poured down from her eyes. The homeroom teacher, however, didn¡¯t buy it and even rolled her eyes at Liana. In her opinion, if Liana hadn¡¯t made a scene, how would it have gotten to this point? She couldn¡¯t understand why Liana had to target Catherine all day long. After all, they were sisters rted by blood. This way, not only did the two sisters not get along with each other, but they also disturbed the ss order, which she couldn¡¯t tolerate the most. After speaking to Liana, the homeroom teacher turned tofort Catherine, her attitude much better than earlier. ¡°Catherine, since the students are clear that you were wrongly used, let¡¯s end this matter for now, okay? You can go back and discuss it with Lianater. Let¡¯s continue with the lesson first, shall we?¡± The homeroom teacher¡¯s tone carried a sense of negotiation and was not tough. She knew that this matter, most likely, was not Catherine¡¯s fault. Catherine didn¡¯t want to affect the learning of the whole ss. Only Liana would make a fuss over such a trivial matter. However, she didn¡¯t want to let Liana off so easily. Since Liana wanted to embarrass her so badly, she had to do something in response in order not to let Liana down for putting on such a good show. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s put an end to this matter for now. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for Liana to disrupt the ss like this. What if the others follow her example?¡± Liana¡¯s eyes suddenly widened when she heard Catherine¡¯s words. She initially thought that this matter had already been settled, but she didn¡¯t expect that Catherine wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook. The homeroom teacher, however, felt that Catherine¡¯s words were somewhat reasonable, and what she feared the most was the others following the terrible examples. The country had itsws, and the ss had its rules. This couldn¡¯t be changed. ¡°It makes sense.¡± The homeroom teacher looked at Liana seriously and announced the punishment. She said, ¡± Liana, you¡¯ll stand in thest row during this ss as a punishment!¡± Ronin couldn¡¯t have been happier to hear it and pped his hands. ¡± Teacher, awesome decision!¡± Liana¡¯s face darkened in anger when she saw this, but she couldn¡¯t do anything to Ronin. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 The bell for the end of ss finally rang. Liana never thought standing for a whole ss could be so exhausting. Both of her legs were numb. As soon as the homeroom teacher left, she stiffly walked toward her desk. She was eagerly waiting for ss to be over, and so was Ronin. ¡°Catherine said that we should respect our teachers. ¡°Although these teachers might not be able to teach us much, they were still teachers, so they deserve respect. ¡°During ss hours, it is uneptable to cause disturbances that disrupt the teacher¡¯s teaching or distract the ssmates. ¡°I¡¯m the most obedient to Catherine, so naturally, I can¡¯t go against her wishes, ¡°thought Ronin. Catherine saw the subtle hints that Ronin was giving her. Ronin constantly made funny faces and winked as if he were worried that Catherine wouldn¡¯t notice. Catherine knew that Ronin was eager to engage in a fight. As long as Ronin didn¡¯t hurt himself, Catherine was not interested in bothering with him. ¡°Liana was annoying, but that was totally on her,¡± thought she. She couldn¡¯t be bothered with it and left Ronin to handle it himself. After receiving a response from Catherine, Ronin was all fired up and ready to take action. Liana walked toward her seat. Just as she was about to sit down, someone secretly snatched her chair away. Without any precautions, Liana almost fell t on her face. She angrily stood up and looked at Ronin on the side, cursing with a red face full of anger, ¡°Ronin Oconnor, is there any point in doing this?¡± Ronin just shrugged, spread his hand, and looked at Liana with a confident and righteous expression. ¡°Liana, please be reasonable. What did I do to receive such words from you?¡± Seeing Ronin¡¯s attitude, Liana got furious. All her anger exploded in that moment. ¡°Ronin, as a man, you pulled my chair to make me fall. You dared to do it but can¡¯t even admit it?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Ronin sneered. ¡°Just because you im that I did it, I must admit? When stating usations, one must provide evidence. Do you have any?¡± ¡°Evidence? That¡¯s easy.. ¡°It¡¯s break time. There¡¯s no way that not a single person in the whole ss noticed it,¡± said Liana inwardly. She looked around to find some witnesses for herself. She noticed that other ssmates either had their heads down or were mocking her, showing no intention of helping her at all. Liana was about to nce at her deskmate, but when she turned around, she saw her deskmate pretending to sleep on the desk with such poor acting. Just now, Liana dragged everyone down to deal with Catherine. She knew exactly what was going on, but she intentionally got everyone to join in opposing Catherine. Fortunately, the homeroom teacher stepped in. If Catherine had insisted on an exnation, Liana would have implicated everyone. Everyone was so pissed off at Liana right now, so why would anyone want to help her? Liana was so angry that she gritted her teeth while Roninughed heartily. This contrast was so ironic. Ronin snorted and red coldly at Liana. ¡°What? No evidence, right? Let me tell you, you can eat whatever you want, but be careful what you say, or I¡¯ll sue you!¡± Liana red angrily at Ronin, who was jumping up and down in front of her. She knew this must be Catherine¡¯s idea. ¡°Ronin always listened to Catherine. Without her permission, how could Ronin trouble me like this?¡± said she inwardly. She directed all her grievances at Catherine and was so angry to the point of losing her rationality that she confronted Catherine directly. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re so shady. You pretend to be nice on the surface but order Ronin to mess with me. Why are you so evil?¡± Ronin didn¡¯t expect Liana to be so shameless. ¡°It was clearly me who had a conflict with her, yet she med it on Catherine,¡± thought he. This really pissed off Ronin. He didn¡¯t care what Liana thought and confronted her directly. ¡°Hey, juste for me. Why get Catherine involved? Can¡¯t you see her resting? If you bother her, don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡± ¡°Humph, some pretentious bitch is absolutely disgusting!¡± The tone of Liana was indescribably sarcastic. If it weren¡¯t for the dominance of Catherine, Liana might have already cursed it out. No matter how harshly Ronin tried to confront her, Liana ignored him entirely and directed her anger toward Catherine. Catherine had initially intended to nap, but unexpectedly, someone was constantly chattering beside her. Finally, she showed a reaction. Shezily opened her eyes and lifted her eyelids, revealing those mesmerizing eyes. A cold gaze fell upon Liana. For a moment, Liana froze, her breathpletely halting. But soon, she reacted and pretended to stay calm as she locked eyes with Catherine. Although she was scared inside, she still looked very defiant. She couldn¡¯t believe that Catherine would hit her in front of so many people. Catherine wouldn¡¯t hit Liana, not because she was afraid, but because she was just toozy to bother with Liana. She looked at Liana coldly and said, ¡± Before doing anything, ask yourself whether you deserve it or not!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. This sentence didn¡¯t cause much harm, but it was highly insulting. Liana had a stubborn and indignant look but held her anger in earlier. Now, she was totally overwhelmed by anger. Her expression alternated between red and white, which was amusing. The statement from Catherine was humiliating. She ripped Liana¡¯s dignity off and stomped on it on the ground. That was not all, Catherine added coldly. ¡°I suggest you take it easy, considering that nobody in our ss has a taste for jerks!¡± After listening to Catherine¡¯s retort, Ronin stood on the side and apuded continuously. ¡°Catherine, you rock! That was an awesome speech!¡± ¡°The ability to humiliate people without using any vulgarnguage and to leave people speechless was only possessed by Catherine,¡± thought he. Under the mocking gaze of the entire ss, Liana couldn¡¯t take it anymore and ran out of the ssroom to hide. She hadn¡¯te back until the sses were over in the afternoon. It was time to finish school, and Ronin¡¯s thoughts began to stir. With a smirk, he leaned in toward Catherine and gave her a pleasing look. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s have a barbecue together tonight. It¡¯s been a long time since we had a meal together.¡± These words were indeed true. Since Branden started cooking at home, Catherine rarely ate outside. Whenever Branden was avable, he woulde to pick Catherine up after school, and then they would go to his apartment first. After having dinner, Catherine would return to Audrey¡¯s apartment to rest. Sometimes, she was toozy to walk and slept at Branden¡¯s apartment. Catherine looked sideways at Ronin and said, ¡°Think about what day it is today!¡± Ronin was caught off guard and nced at his phone before realizing it. He totally forgot about it. Now, it was not the same as before. He came to study with Catherine, and for him, this period was all about self- cultivation. He had nothing to do every day and even lost track of time. ¡°Come on, Catherine! You can do it!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine slightly nodded as she slung her backpack on one shoulder and walked away. Ronin couldn¡¯t help but stare in a daze at Catherine¡¯s back as she walked away. He felt like Catherine had been acting differentlytely. But he couldn¡¯t put into words what had explicitly changed. Perhaps the only adequate description would be that Catherine gave him a sense of ordinary people. For the first time, Ronin felt it would be the right decision to let Catherine return to the Swanns. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Boxing Match Just as Catherine walked out of the school gate, she received a phone call from Branden. Without hesitation, she casually picked her phone up and put it next to her ear. A melodic male voice came through the telephone, warming her ears. ¡®School¡¯s out, right?¡± asked Branden. ¡°Mhmm!¡± Catherinezily responded. ¡°Some businesses came upst minute. I won¡¯t be able to pick you up today. Should I send a driver to take you back home?¡± The driver would be waiting at the school gate anytime if Catherine wanted. The condition was that she agreed. Catherine replied coldly, ¡°No need. I have ns for tonight, too!¡± ¡°What ns?¡± ¡°None of your business¡± was something that Catherine originally wanted to say, but when it came to her lips, she changed it to something else. ¡°I am going to rehearse with Ronin and Bryan!¡± Branden had no intention of interfering with Catherine¡¯s business, as he understood that Catherine disliked being confined. If the burden of her shackles became too heavy, she could leave anytime without even bothering to say goodbye. ¡°Take care of yourself. Give me a call if anything goes wrong!¡± said Branden. After listening to Branden¡¯s instructions, Catherine hung up the phone and walked into the nearby alley. In the depths of the narrow alley stood a house. Catherine pressed the app on her phone, and the electric shutter door of the house opened automatically. Only a silver-ck motorcycle was parked on the first floor of the spacious house. Sunshine was shining on the body of the motorcycle, making it dazzling. Catherine elegantly executed a leg sweep and straddled this sleek silver- ck motorcycle with ease. ¡°Boom, boom, boom¡­¡± As the throttle elerated instantly, the motorcycle emitted a low roar, resembling the roar of a dormant dragon suddenly awakening. Catherine released the elerator, and the car shot out at lightning speed. Her stunning figure left a lasting impression, leaving people in awe. At a remote vige on the outskirts of Casier. No one would have thought a giant ck market was hidden underneath this remote vige. Every Tuesday, there was going to be a boxing match here. In the ck market, boxing wasmonly referred to as ck boxing. Two strong men with bare upper bodies were fiercely fighting on a tform of several square feet. Punch for punch, each onended on flesh. The dull sound of the collision of fists excited the nerves of everyone present. They shouted, roared, and cheered as if they had gone mad¡­ ¡°Fight, you wimp. Knock down that pussy!¡± Where there was apetition, there was going to be some gambling going on. People loved to ce bets. As the yer lost, the audience who lost money started to curse crazily. They took out their frustration from losing at boxing on the failed yer, even doubting themselves for betting on such a wimp. The loser was lying in a pool of blood, all beaten up. No one would feel sorry for him, and no one would want to help him. Those spectators who lost the gamble couldn¡¯t wait to go up and tear him up. The worst of human nature was unleashed to the extreme,id bare for all to see without restraint. Regrs here knew that the seemingly brutal boxing matches were just an appetizer. Next, there would be even more brutal things happening. With time, everything would only be increasingly cruel and also more stimting. After the first round of boxing came the second round. Unlike the first round, where the yers were evenly matched, the second round of boxing was more exciting and brutal. On the left stood a tall and sturdy guy about 6 feet tall. On the right side was a short, thin, pale guy who looked like a malnourished little boy. To the discerning eye, these seemingly mismatched yers were not at all peculiar in this boxing match. The vast difference between the two yers¡¯ strengths stimted the audience¡¯s senses, and the odds for this round were 1 to 10. If they ced a wager on the victory of the young boy, they could receive a payout that was ten times their initial bet. Although there was a significant difference in the betting odds, which was very tempting, no one was willing to ce a bet on a skinny little boy. As soon as the bell rang, the match officially began. The tall yer took the initiative to attack. He silently counted down in his mind, wanting to end the game as quickly as possible. ¡°Bang!¡± With one punch, the young boy fell to the ground. Everyone seemed unsurprised by this oue. Not even a cheer was heard. At the very top of the audience area, , an exclusive box was reserved for the elite VIPS. This was a ce reserved for a small number of highly distinguished guests. A man was shaking the red wine ss in his hand. On his cold, pale, handsome face, a pair of feminine eyes revealed a chilling smile. With a deep and eerie voice, he said, 11 What a pity, this little guy looks pretty good!¡± Right after his words, a cold female voice came from the darkness. ¡°Not really!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Unlike the gentle and softness of the man¡¯s voice, the woman¡¯s voice had a unique icy and bone- shivering coldness. She slowly walked out from the shadow and raised her head, revealing a stunning face that took everyone¡¯s breath away. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The man asked curiously. It wasn¡¯t because the boy on the stage had changed his mind, but because he knew the woman beside him never took risks without being sure. What she said was usually the truth. Faced with her friend¡¯s inquiry, Catherine did not know how to respond andzily uttered one word. ¡°Intuition!¡± Then, she stared at the activity on the stage below and watched the confrontation happening there. After being knocked down, the little boy didn¡¯tpletely give up. He struggled for a while before getting up. The big guy¡¯s fist was indeed powerful. It hit him so hard that he couldn¡¯t stand straight. The big guy didn¡¯t even bat an eye at the little boy, who managed to get back on his feet. He already epted the ending in his heart. All he wanted to do was break his own record of game time. So he didn¡¯t even hesitate for a second and quickly threw a punch, wanting to knock the little boy down completely with another punch. As the tall dude threw another punch, everyone thought that this would be the moment to determine the winner. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the big guy¡¯s fist missed its target. Taking advantage of his short height, the little dude swiftly crouched down and narrowly avoided the punch. Laughter filled the air from the audience as they constantly mocked. This move pissed off the big guy. He threw another punch quickly, nning to teach the boy a lesson. Although the little boy was weak and thin, he was very agile, just like a monkey jumping up and down. He never allowed the big guy to catch him and even made him dizzy. Upstairs in the VIP room, the man holding a ss of red wine finally understood what Catherine had just said. He curiously looked toward Catherine and asked, ¡°Cassie, how did you know that the boy intentionally took the punch to lower the opponent¡¯s guard?¡± He was the owner of this boxing gym, Sean Scott. Over the years, he had watched more than a thousand matches. Had he failed to discern the boy¡¯s ploy from the outset, he undoubtedly had aplete understanding of it by now. This little boy was adventurous and took a punch from the big guy to get a sense of the opponent¡¯s techniques while catching him off guard. Next came the real confrontation, but what perplexed Sean was how Catherine could see through it at first nce. ¡°Her ability is truly formidable!¡± thought he. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Chapter 314 I Want Him The big guy was repeatedly circled by the young boy, bing exhausted from the constant spinning. Not only did he fail toy a hand on the boy, but he also became increasingly furious. He started to go crazy and vent his anger by smashing in the air. Although the young boy was agile, the big guy possessed great strength. The boy struggled to keep up and narrowly escaped danger several times. With aposed expression, Catherine calmly observed the scene on the stage. When she saw the young boy maneuvering behind the big guy and preparing for a daring leap, she knew that the oue of this match had already been decided. The little boy leaped down from a high ce and struck directly at the big guy¡¯s weakest point on top of the head with great force. The big guy was covered in muscles. There was no weak spot except the soft spot on the top of his head. He was too tall for most people to reach. After observing him for a long time, the young boy finally spotted his weakness. With a loud bang, the big guy dropped to the ground. Right at the veryst moment before he fell, he struck aggressively. The little boy was also knocked down to the ground. A mouthful of blood spurted out, staining the stage red. The host started the countdown. Now, it was a matter of who could get up first and stand for a bit longer. The timer was ticking away second by second. Each tick set the hearts of everyone present aflutter. In the audience seats, all the audience was shouting, hoping that the big guy would stand up because only in this way could they win money. The big guy shook his head hard, trying to get up but falling again before he could get up. The little boy climbed up easily. He stood up slowly and resolutely. Even though his body swayed like a kite about to fall from the sky, he still stood up. The countdown was about to end. The little boy snatched the win despite all the teasing from the peanut gallery. His victory signified the defeat of many people present. The audience crowd wouldn¡¯t ept it and started chucking their water bottles at the little boy on stage. The little boy standing in the center of the stage appeared like an isted and helpless puppet, subject to the whims and taunts of the audience. His face had no expression of joy, even though he had won the game. Because even if he won the match, the prize money wouldn¡¯t be his. He was just a tool here. He was just a tool to collect money. Catherine¡¯s skills in judging people blew Sean away. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Cassie, you¡¯re amazing! You just made a bet at one to ten. Your odds were one million dors, and now you have ten million dors in your ount. That¡¯s impressive!¡± Ten million dors was nothing to them, but the meaning was different. It felt awesome. Catherine nced at Sean sideways, pressed her cap brim down a bit lower, and then made a handsome flip, jumping straight down from the second floor. Sean didn¡¯t even have the time to ask where she was going before Catherine¡¯s graceful figure disappeared from his sight. The little boy slowly descended from the stage. His employer approached and patted him on the shoulder while showing a mouthful of golden teeth and eximing with great joy, ¡°Not bad, Tyler. Keep making me more money, and I won¡¯t mistreat you.¡± His palm pped onto the little boy¡¯s body with increasing force each time. Despite his battered body, the little boy gritted his teeth and held on after enduring the repetitive p. Seeing that he was unwilling to submit, the employer¡¯s mischievous instincts soared. He raised his hand high, getting ready to give a solid p to make Tyler kneel in front of him.. He mmed his big hand down, and hisrge hand was about to strike the young boy. Suddenly! A strong wind swept by, and someone caught the employer¡¯s hand in mid-air. He turned around and scolded, ¡°Which fool dares to mess with me?¡± When he turned around, he could only see a girl wearing ck clothes with a mask on her face standing behind him. Upon noticing that it was a woman, he became excited. Although the woman wore a mask, her well- proportioned figure ignited a fiery passion within the employer. Heughed with a mouth full of golden teeth, constantly examining the woman¡¯s figure with great interest. ¡°Oh, where are you from, girl? Are you looking for a man to have fun?¡± Catherine was not interested in wasting time with small talk, so she straightforwardly stated her purpose. ¡°Killian Jensen, let¡¯s make a deal!¡± When Killian heard the woman say his name, he knew the woman was also part of the circle. However, his attitude remained arrogant. He was known as a big shot in this circle who did not pay attention to ordinary people. ¡°Huh, a deal? Sure, tell me, what kind of deal? Are you offering to clean yourself and get into my bed, or are you offering to kneel and lick me clean here?¡± Out of nowhere, a p suddenly came and directly hit Killian¡¯s face. Killian turned his head to the side. Blood gushed out of his mouth, sttering onto the ground. At the same time, his gold teeth were also spat out with blood. Upon seeing the spit-out gold teeth on the ground, Killian became infuriated. ¡°This woman actually dared to hit me. Is she courting death?¡± thought he. He was about to have someone teach Catherine a lesson when he found Sean standing behind Catherine. As the owner of the underground boxing gym, Sean was known by everyone. Seeing Sean show up, Killian became a lot friendlier. ¡°Mr. Scott, is she your woman?¡± asked he. Sean smiled slightly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have that ability.¡± Upon hearing these words, Killian knew the woman was not with Sean. This triggered his urge to use physical force again. Unexpectedly, Sean took the initiative to stop him the next moment. ¡°Killian, I suggest you think twice before acting. There are some people you shouldn¡¯t mess with!¡± Killian¡¯s face darkened, and he was full of anger. ¡°Mr. Scott, I would¡¯ve let her go for your sake, but this chick knocked out my teeth today. If I don¡¯t reim my dignity in this matter, how will I survive in this industry in the future?¡± ¡°For my sake? Hahaha¡­¡± Sean burst. intoughter, hisughter filled with sarcasm. Killian was somewhat bewildered by Sean¡¯s behavior and unable toprehend the situation at hand. Afterughing, Sean narrowed his eyes and looked at Killian. ¡°You might have to thank meter for saving your life. For my sake? Killian, you¡¯re getting old and confused!¡± Killian felt that Sean was acting strangely today. Having been in this business for many years, he fully understood the concept of ¡°never judge a book by its cover.¡± He vaguely felt that the woman beside Sean was not ordinary. He had been in this business for so long and had some fighting skills. However, when Catherine made a move just now, he didn¡¯t even have a clear understanding of her approach. Catherine¡¯s p directly knocked out his gold teeth. ¡°Her strength was not to be underestimated!¡± thought Killian. He carefully examined Catherine and asked in a low voice, ¡°Who exactly are you? ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at Tyler next to Killian, speaking in a cold tone, ¡°I want him!¡± Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 An Unfair Challenge Killian finally understood Catherine¡¯s purpose, and it turned out that she wanted to poach his money- making tool. Although Tyler was extremely thin and small, he was indeed a tough character. He dared to fight and wasn¡¯t afraid of death. Since Tyler was in his hands, Killian had made a lot of money. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It could be said that Killian¡¯s career was reaching its peak because of Tyler, so how could he easily give up Tyler and give him away? After spitting, Killian sneered and squinted at Catherine. ¡°You¡¯re dreaming!¡± Catherine didn¡¯te to negotiate with Killian at all. She just came directly to demand him to give her Tyler. The ck market had its own rules. There was only one rule in the ck market, which was that the strong ruled the world. Only the strong had the right to speak here. If Catherine wanted to take away Tyler from Killian, she had to pay the price ordingly. Under Killian¡¯s contempt, Catherine made an easy leap and jumped to the center of the arena. No one expected a woman with a delicate figure to appear suddenly. Although she wore a mask, her stunning figure alone was enough for men to go crazy. In an instant, Catherine caught everyone¡¯s attention. No one knew why a girl who just stayed in the corner suddenly entered the arena. Just as everyone was curious, Catherine suddenly made an astonishing move. She took off the dusty bell hanging in the center of the arena and threw it onto Killian below the arena. In an instant, the bell rang loudly in the entire venue. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Someone proposed a challenge! In another private room in the VIP area on the second floor, Triston watched the scene in the arena with interest, and he became excited. ¡°Mr. Duncan, look. Someone took the bell, and it¡¯s a woman!¡± Aidan rarely stayed in the country and only heard about this ck market, not knowing much about it. Seeing that Triston was so excited, and most importantly, even Branden¡¯s eyes were filled with intense colors of interest, which was strange for Aidan! He quickly asked Triston about the situation. ¡°What the hell is going on? Why are these people so excited? Tell me!¡± Triston nced at him with disdain and whispered sarcastically, ¡°Such a hick!¡± Aidan was so angry, but he could only endure it to figure things out. ¡°So, are you going to tell me or not?¡± Triston would certainly tell Aidan, but he would belittle him before telling him. ¡°This bell is the rule of the ck market. If someone wants to challenge others, they can ring the bell to designate the person they want to challenge. The designated person must take the challenge but can choose any way he wants to fight! If the derer loses, all the consequences that arise in the end will be paid by the derer.¡± Aidan asked in confusion, ¡°So the man with golden teeth can even find ten experts to fight against the woman in the arena?¡± Triston nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Most importantly, if the woman in the arena loses, she has to bear the cost of Killian finding people to deal with her. Don¡¯t mention Killian finding ten people to deal with her. Even if he finds one hundred people to beat her, it¡¯s allowed!¡± ¡°What!¡± Aidan shouted in surprise.¡± Isn¡¯t it clear that the woman is going to lose?¡± Triston sized him up with raised eyebrows. ¡°So, that¡¯s why the crowd is excited. You know what, it¡¯s been ten years since someone proposed a challengest time!¡± Now, Aidan was energized, pulling Triston to stare at the arena with his full attention. In addition to the two of them, Branden was also staring at the arena in this private room. Branden was now clearly in the spiritpared to his previousck of interest. He stared at the delicate figure below, feeling somewhat familiar. Below the arena, looking at the bell thrown into his arms, Killian was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect the other party to challenge him this way. He didn¡¯t know if the woman was too confident or if she was fearless. If he didn¡¯t take the challenge, wouldn¡¯t he appear too cowardly? If he didn¡¯t take the challenge, he would be ridiculed for not even daring to take a woman¡¯s challenge in the future. Killian raised his head toward the arena, his eyes looking straight at Catherine as he questioned arrogantly, ¡°Tell me. Since you want my man, what is your chip?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond directly but nced at Sean on the side. Sean sized up the boy named Tyler, but he didn¡¯t know what Catherine saw from this boy that she insisted on wanting him. ¡°Killian, she¡¯s betting 30 million dors. Even if she wins, she will still give you ten million dors!¡± Sean knew that Catherine had her principles in doing things. Although she acted arrogantly and did things domineeringly, she would never bully and take by force. Everyone knew in their hearts what prices teenagers like Tyler were on the ck market. Even if Killian lost the challenge, he wouldn¡¯t suffer a loss after he got the ten million dors Catherine offered! Killian was satisfied with the money Sean had quoted. The most important thing was, in his opinion, he would surely win! With such an easy deal to make thirty million dors, anyone who didn¡¯t ept the challenge would be a fool! ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take the challenge.¡± Killian grinned happily. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s toote for you to regret it now!¡± Killian hired the Twelve Ruffians of the ck market to win this challenge securely. The Twelve Ruffians was the most famous team of twelve thugs in the ck market. Anyone among them was a notoriously ruthless character, not to mention twelve of them joining forces at the same time. After realizing that Killian had hired the Twelve Ruffians to deal with the woman in the arena, some people couldn¡¯t help but feel angry for the woman and cursed Killian for being too despicable. But there was no way because that was the rule of the ck market. Since Catherine dared to challenge, she had to pay the price! The Twelve Ruffians made a brilliant appearance under the invitation of a huge sum of money from Killian. Each of the Twelve Ruffians was tall and strong, and all were big men. Living on the ck market all year round had made them experienced in fighting. Watching the twelve big men walk out at the same time, Aidan¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but miss a beat. He turned sideways and bumped Triston with his shoulder. ¡°Mr. Lambert, how many men can you fight at a time if it were you?¡± Triston replied confidently, ¡°That must be two!¡± He felt that it was no problem for him to fight two people by himself! ¡°Hmm!¡± Aidan gave him a disdainful look. In his opinion, Triston could fight at most one person. He turned sideways again toward Paxton, who had a cold face as if he were a statue. ¡°What about you?¡± Paxton took a closer look at the Twelve Ruffians, and a hesitation appeared in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can win steadily!¡± Paxton was the number one expert of the Duncans¡¯ defense team, and even he wasn¡¯t sure to win over the Twelve Ruffians. Then, it seemed that the woman in the arena was certain to lose. Thinking of a girl with such a good figure, who would possibly die or be disabled for nothing, Aidan was a little heartbroken. She had such a perfect figure! After a few seconds of silence, Paxton suddenly said, ¡°If it were Mr. Duncan, he¡¯d be sure to win!¡± Aidan had long heard that the most influential expert of the Duncans was not the defense team but the young head of the Duncans, Branden! Although he had been friends with Branden for many years, he had never seen him actually fight. He was kind of curious about how powerful Branden really was! Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Chapter 316 I¡¯m in a Hurry The Twelve Ruffians appeared in style, and when they saw that their opponent was Catherine, they instantly lost interest. They initially thought that the one who dared to propose the challenge would be some expert, so they prepared for a good disy. Unexpectedly, it was a little girl. Looking at this little girl, although they felt she was full of vigor, they suspected she could not withstand their blows. Ayden, the person ranked first in Twelve Ruffians, shouted toward Lennon, who was rankedst, Lennon, you go first. We¡¯ll rest first!¡± Lennon rankedst in the Twelves Ruffians, and it was often the top- ranked people charging into battles. Today, it was finally his turn. ¡°Chick, let me have some fun with you today. Killian¡¯s deal is so easy!¡± Who wouldn¡¯t like such an excellent money-making deal? To provoke Catherine, Lennon even stretched out only one hand to spar with her. ¡°Seeing you¡¯re a woman, I¡¯ll only use one hand to fight you!¡± Catherine looked at him coldly. There were originally no grievances or grudges between them, and she didn¡¯t want toy heavy hands on him. But she hated people who discriminated against women, and Lennon¡¯s words annoyed her. Lennon took the initiative to throw a punch. He initially just wanted to tease Catherine, but he didn¡¯t expect his fist to be yanked by Catherine. He sneered, ¡°Girl, you have some power!¡± He thought that he could drag Catherine with a little force, but he didn¡¯t expect that he couldn¡¯t take his fist back, even with all his strength. He was shocked. Catherine¡¯s strength was terrifying. Catherine stared at him with her cold eyes filled with a faint hostility. In a deep and cold voice, she said, ¡°Have you had enough fun?¡± She was still able to speak with a very steady breath, so Lennon¡¯s inner doubts deepened once again. Who was this woman? Before Lennon¡¯s inner doubts could even be reduced, Catherine had already started to make her move. With a sharp pull, she pulled Lennon forward. Catherine then raised her leg and kicked Lennon¡¯s knee. Lennon, in pain, knelt on one knee in front of Catherine. Catherine didn¡¯t retract her leg but kicked Lennon directly in the jaw. Catherinepletely defeated Lennon before he could even see her movements clearly. The whole scene was abuzz, and no one expected Catherine¡¯s strength to be so strong. The Twelve Ruffians were the closest to Catherine, and they didn¡¯t even put Catherine in their eyes at first. Now, after seeing Catherine so powerful, they were also a bit surprised. Catherine nced at the time and found that she had already been dyed for a while.. She reached out and beckoned to the Twelve Ruffians, her cold tone sounding slowly from her thin pink lips. ¡°You guyse together. I¡¯m in a hurry to leave!¡± ncing at Lennon, who was being helped down from the arena by his brothers, Ayden realized that Lennon had to be sent to a hospital for treatment. Ayden knew he underestimated the enemy. Though he knew Catherine had the strength, he didn¡¯t believe he could not beat Catherine by teaming up with the rest of his brothers. He looked around and united a few of his brothers, agreeing to make a move together. Compared to the strictness of the few of them, Catherine looked much more rxed. She yed with her fingers in a bored manner, waiting for them to attack her. Finally¡­ Theyunched attacks on Catherine together. These people had been fighting together for years and had long since formed a tacit understanding of fighting. They were more challenging to deal with than the average expert. But that was only for ordinary people. Catherine wasn¡¯t worried about that at all. Not to mention fighting twelve people by herself, she had even fought against a hundred people at the same time alone. Several fists swung toward Catherine simultaneously, and Catherine took advantage of her petite figure, lowering her body at the right time. As the crowd rushed toward her, she bent down to attack the lower part of those men¡¯s bodies. She was incredibly fast. She kicked over, and a scream was heard as someone among them had one of his legs broken. Catherine was extremely fast, and the power of her punches and legs was mighty. She was incredibly powerful! Ayden was known amongst the group for his hard punch, and no one in the ck market could stand a punch from him. Anyone whom he punched would be incapacitated. The other few people tried to dy Catherine, buying Ayden a chance. Watching Ayden¡¯s big fist pounding over, Catherine swung her first. As their fists collided, the crowd thought that Catherine had overestimated her strength. Unexpectedly, she held Ayden¡¯s fist and made the expression on Ayden¡¯s face change instantly. When Ayden froze, Catherine threw her left hand out and swung her fist across Ayden¡¯s face. Instantly, the burly man fell to the floor with a loud thud and lost the power to fight. The people around were stunned by the scene, and the whole scene remained silent. Everyone couldn¡¯t take their eyes off Catherine¡¯s performance. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. This was not a fight but a performance! It waspletely Catherine¡¯s one sided abuse. It only took her ten minutes to beat up all the members of the Twelve Ruffianspletely. On average, it took less than a minute for her to defeat one strong man. In the audience, all the audience were dumbfounded, and some were so surprised that their mouths were so wide open that they were even able to put down an egg. Looking at his brothers lying on the floor, Ayden struggled to get up, and his gaze at Catherine filled with fear. ¡°Are you Cassie?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond to him and slowly walked down the stage. Ayden, however, shouted insistently. ¡± You¡¯re Cassie. I definitely didn¡¯t mistake you!¡± Seeing him so serious, Catherine looked back at him kindly and sneered, ¡°Did I say I wasn¡¯t?¡± The arena was equipped with a radio. The conversation between the two was yed out loud on the sound in the venue, and everyone could hear it clearly. The originally quiet venue was abuzz at that moment! Killian was also a veteran in the ck market, and he had naturally heard of the name ¡°Cassie¡±! Now he finally understood why Sean said that he had to thank him. Sean was right, and he did have to thank him. Sean had literally saved his life! Killian never expected that the little girl in front of him, who just looked so young, was actually the big shot, Cassie! Aidan felt a bit confused again in the private room on the second floor as he watched the excitement in the audience below. ¡°Mr. Lambert, who is Cassie? Why is the group below even more excited after hearing her name?¡± Triston was hesitant, as he didn¡¯t quite know why. But to appear more experienced in front of Aidan, he came up with a witty solution. He couldn¡¯t rely on Branden to help him. If he asked Branden for help, he might even get his ass kicked! In Triston¡¯s eyes, anything that could be solved with money was not a problem. He rang the service bell, and a professional waiter soon came in. Triston casually pulled out a one thousand dor tip and threw it on the te. ¡°Here you go. Tell this hick what¡¯s going on down there, and tell him about Cassie¡¯s story!¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 She¡¯s a Legend Fortunately, this waiter had been working on the ck market for quite some time, and he had some understanding of ¡°Cassie.¡± Seeing the tip on the table, the waiter epted it calmly and started giving them some information. ¡°Gentlemen, Cassie is a legend in our ck market. Her story begins five years ago!¡± A legend has been circting in the ck market for the past few years. There was an underground boxing champion in the ck market who took one year to go from being a nobody to making a name for herself and bing the champion everyone in the ck market feared. The crowd knew very little about this champion. At first, they didn¡¯t know her name, age, where she came from, or even if she was a man or a woman. Even the nickname ¡°Cassie¡± was only known after she told them herself. ¡°Cassie¡± had never lost a fight since entering the underground boxing. She even set an unbeaten record for winning continuous battles without sleep or rest for three consecutive days. She became famous in that battle and became the most powerful person in the underground boxing gym. The unknown information about her made her mysterious, making people love and fear her. But ¡°Cassie¡± became famous quickly, and she disappeared quickly. It had been three years since she had been in the ring. Many people were forgetting about the ck market champion. But that didn¡¯t mean the legend of ¡± Cassie¡± had disappeared there, as evidenced by the abuzz atmosphere of the old audience under the arena when she revealed her identity today. The Lump Of Worms Will Come Out Of You In The Morning. Try It Guys, Try This Tip Tonight And Never Have To Rely On Viagra Again ¡°Cassie¡± was a myth in the hearts of many people! Hearing the waiter¡¯s story, Aidan and Triston¡¯s surprised expressions were the same as those of the audience. Especially Aidan, his eyes widened in surprise, and the corners of his mouth even twitched when he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re saying she¡¯s been fighting continuously for three days and three nights? She fought with everyone alone?¡± The waiter nodded, his eyes filled with admiration. Aidan also heard what Paxton said just now. Now, hearing the waiter say that Aidan couldn¡¯t help but look toward Paxton again. ¡°How long can you fight with her?¡± Paxton frowned slightly and said coldly, ¡°Ten minutes!¡± The crowd subconsciously looked toward Branden again, only to see a somewhat bizarre expression on Branden¡¯s face. He looked as if he was a bit angry, and his face was so gloomy that they found it frightening. However, no one had messed with him just now! Branden stared down with cold eyes, his bizarre gaze following the woman¡¯s figure. Catherine had told him that the school had a rehearsal. He thought to himself, ¡°Hmph! Very well!¡± Catherine had learned to lie to him! Catherine got out of the arena and walked right up to Killian arrogantly. Her gaze fixed on Killian coldly. ¡°I won. He has to go with me!¡± If Killian didn¡¯t know Catherine¡¯s identity just now, he probably would resist onest time. Now that he knew who the woman in front of him was, how could he have the guts to resist? Unless he didn¡¯t want his life anymore, only someone who sought death would go against Cassie. Killian hurriedly showed a smile and looked at Catherine with a pleasing face. The Lump Of Worms Will Come Out Of You In The Morning. Try It Guys, Try This Tip Tonight And Never Have To Rely On Viagra Again ¡°Cassie, you win me, and Tyler is naturally yours. I¡¯ll neverin!¡± In fact, what Killian was thinking in his heart was that he would thank God as long as Cassie didn¡¯t me him. He dared notin at all! Catherine nced at Sean beside her, and Sean immediately took out a check and handed it to Killian. ¡°Ten million dors, it¡¯s yours!¡± Killian quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°No, no, no. I can¡¯t take this money!¡± Although money was important, life was more important. Sean smiled coldly as he sized Killian up, with a hint of mockery in his piercing eyes. ¡°Just take it. You spent 100 thousand dors when you bought him, and now I give you a hundred times the money. You¡¯re not at a loss!¡± Killian reached out and took the check, wiping the cold sweat on his forehead secretly. Killian wasn¡¯t surprised that Sean knew about his background. After all, there wasn¡¯t anything Sean didn¡¯t know in this ck market. After arranging everything, Catherine nced at Tyler and turned toward the exit. Tyler followed her without hesitation.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He was Catherine¡¯s man now, and he had to follow Catherine. He had no choice. Tyler knew this from a very young age. Inside the private room on the second floor, Paxton received an updated message. The expression on his face changed slightly, and he quickly reported it to Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the person we¡¯re looking for is that boy named Tyler down there! But now that boy had been taken away by someone else. Paxton¡¯s face looked gloomy because their intelligence was a bitte. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do you need me to go snatch the boy back up?¡± Branden turned his head and gave him a cold look with his stern eyes. ¡°Can you beat her?¡± Paxton lowered his head in shame. He really couldn¡¯t beat her! ¡°Hehe!¡± Brandenughed coldly with an indifferent gesture. ¡°Forget it. Arrange for someone to watch them carefully and report back if anything happens!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Although Paxton took Branden¡¯s order, he always felt something strange. Branden was determined to win the boy, so how could he let him be taken away by someone else so easily all of a sudden? This was not in line with Branden¡¯s style of doing things! Although ¡°Cassie¡± was very capable of fighting, in Casier, there was no one that the Duncans couldn¡¯t handle. Even if one could fight, could he withstand weapons? Paxton always felt that Branden¡¯s gaze at that woman named ¡°Cassie¡± was unusual. Catherine went up to the top floor, the most secret location in the ck market. Sean¡¯s office was there. Now Catherine was sitting in the office, and opposite her was hertest winning gift, Tyler! Catherine leaned back on the sofa chairzily, slightly squinting her eyes in azy posture. She had azy posture,pletely different from the handsome boxing champion who had just been in the arena. She was a bit tired after the fight just now. Her voice was a bit hoarse as she rested her cheek with one hand. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. You can ask me three questions!¡± Tyler was an intelligent boy, and he knew what Catherine meant. To avoid the opportunity, he opened his mouth and asked immediately, ¡± Why did you buy me?¡± He always felt that Catherine¡¯s purpose in buying him was different from Killian¡¯s, who bought him to make money. He was an orphan and grew up on the streets because he was too old to go to an orphanage. One of his best friends was caught by Killian¡¯s men while stealing something due to hunger and taken to an underground boxing gym. To save his best friend and keep him alive, Tyler became a tool for Killian to make money. Catherine wasn¡¯t surprised that Tyler would ask that question. ¡°Someone entrusted me!¡± This was Catherine¡¯s response. ¡°Who?¡± Tyler followed up with the second question. Catherine didn¡¯t hide it and told Tyler directly. She was not afraid of him knowing the truth anyway. She pulled a document from the side and threw it to Tyler, saying, ¡°Your biological father.¡± Someone indeed entrusted her, and as for the deal she made with that person, Tyler didn¡¯t need to know. The document contained information about Tyler¡¯s father. If Tyler wanted to know the identity of his father, he could read it himself, and it was a gift from Catherine to him. Catherine was sleepy, and she wanted to make it quick. ¡°You can ask the third question now!¡± Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Chapter 318 The ck Market Tyler knew that he had no chance of resisting in front of Catherine. It wasn¡¯t just because of Catherine¡¯s mysterious status but also Catherine¡¯s formidable influence that left him in awe. ¡°Can you help me save someone?¡± After hearing that, Catherine showed some interest. She nced at him and asked, ¡°Is this your third question?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Tyler blurted out. He eagerly stared at Catherine. ¡°Can you help me? If you help me, I¡¯ll obey your everymand.¡± Tyler had no resources now. All he could do was obey orders and gain eptance from others. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± When Catherine asked, Tyler hesitated for a moment. He hadn¡¯t expected such an irrelevant question. Tyler remembered what he had said earlier. He immediately showed obedience. ¡°My name is Erick Olsen.¡± Remembering Catherine¡¯s purpose ining to him, Tyler added, ¡°I share my mother¡¯sst name. Tyler is a nickname Killian gave me. You can call me Erick.¡± Catherine knew he wasn¡¯t lying. The information she received showed that his birth mother¡¯sst name was indeed Olsen. ¡°Why are you willing to obey me?¡± When he was with Killian, he followed Killian¡¯s orders topete and earn money. But he had always been rebellious and defiant. However, in front of Catherine, he acted obediently. Erick understood Catherine¡¯s meaning. Catherine¡¯s question made his cheeks turn slightly red. He showed a hint of shyness. ¡°Because you¡¯re really strong.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t have much reaction to this. She had heard these kinds ofpliments too many times and had be numb to them. After understanding Erick¡¯s purpose, Catherine agreed to his request. ¡°Is the person you want me to help save yourpanion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Erick nodded solemnly. ¡°He saved my life.¡± Catherine intended to use Erick to obtain something, which was her purpose for going to the boxing gym today. She made use of Erick, and now she agreed to his condition. It was a fair exchange. Neither owed the other anything. ¡°I¡¯ll have Sean help you find the person. You stay here and follow him. Don¡¯t go anywhere else!¡± As Catherine stood up to leave, Erick felt an impulse he couldn¡¯t exin and blurted out, ¡°What about you? Won¡¯t youe back?¡± Catherine looked back at him and said, ¡°Tomorrow evening, I¡¯lle to pick you up.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Erick smiled faintly and revealed his cute canine teeth. He said softly, ¡°Okay. He liked the feeling of getting a response and not being abandoned. Catherine opened the door and walked out of the office, only to find Sean leaning against the doorframe. Sean squinted his eyes mischievously and looked at Catherine. He spoke in a low, suggestive tone, ¡°Cassie, it¡¯s not right to seduce young boys like this.¡± Catherine¡¯s attractive eyes darkened and turned cold. She gave Sean a warning with a nce. ¡°Mind your own business.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Catherine left that Sean regained hisposure. He silently breathed a sigh of relief. Women like Catherine were too terrifying. He couldn¡¯t afford to provoke her. Since he couldn¡¯t provoke her, he had to behave and save his own skin. He turned and entered the office, only to be met with the intense gaze of Erick, who Catherine had just brought in. Erick stared at him in a rather eerie manner. Sean was still reeling from Catherine¡¯s warning, and his temper red up instantly. He scolded impatiently, ¡± What are you staring at me for? Trying to pick a fight?¡± Erick remained calm as he replied coldly, ¡°Cassie asked you to help me save someone.¡± Sean looked at him disdainfully and sneered, ¡°Why should I listen to what she says? Who do you think I am?¡± Erick¡¯s face darkened instantly, and his eyes turned cold. ¡°Are you insulting her?¡± He asked in a menacing tone and exuded a bloodthirsty aura. Sean, who had been angry just moments ago, suddenly burst intoughter. But his smile had a sinister undertone. He took a step forward and got close to Erick. He emitted an eerie vibe as he looked Erick up and down with narrowed eyes. ¡°Tyler, you¡¯ve been tamed by Cassie so quickly. Are you starting to protect her now?¡± Hearing that, Erick was momentarily stunned. He hadn¡¯t realized just how special Catherine had be to him. As Sean saw Erick deep in thought, he smiled. Hisughter filled the entire office. Then he said, ¡°Haha. Amusing. It¡¯s pretty amusing! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you with what you want. But it¡¯s got nothing to do with you. I¡¯llplete any tasks given by Cassie.¡± When Catherine emerged from the ck market, she sensed someone following her. She remained calm as she continued walking forward. And she didn¡¯t care about the person tailing her. If he had the guts, he coulde at her. However, it seemed the person behind Catherine had no intention of harming her. He simply continued following her. After Catherine reached her apartment, she felt the person behind her disappear. Once she was sure no one was following, Catherine pressed the elevator button to go upstairs. It wasn¡¯t that she was afraid of anyone knowing where she lived. She just didn¡¯t want any unexpected encounters with Audrey, who often came and went at odd hours. The motion sensor lights in the hallway appeared to be malfunctioning. They didn¡¯t immediately turn on when the elevator doors opened. Catherine didn¡¯t seem to mind and walked forward confidently. Catherine had trained since childhood. And her night vision was better than someone with night vision goggles. She could walk normally without lighting equipment. Catherine heard shallow breathing behind her and frowned slightly. Before she could react, a gust of wind rushed toward her. Then Catherine reacted quickly. She immediately fought back, and they were entangled in a brief scuffle. However, within a few seconds, Catherine stopped and surrendered willingly. She allowed the person to embrace her. A low, husky male voice came from behind her. The man asked, ¡°No more struggling?¡± Catherine smirked arrogantly and said softly, ¡°I¡¯d hate to damage you. It would break my heart.¡± After hearing that, the manughed. After the fingerprint lock beeped and the door opened, the man led Catherine into the room. When he made his move, Catherine recognized him by the familiar scent. Catherine stopped without hesitation. She knew it was Branden. And he would never harm her. Once inside, Catherine casually sprawled herself onto the enormous recliner. This was a new addition that Branden had acquired for the apartment since her arrival. The oversized recliner allowed Catherine to arrange herselffortably, and it was incredibly rxing. Catherine often yed games on it until she fell asleep. In the end, Branden would have to carry her to the bedroom like he was holding a precious baby. Branden believed that sleeping on the recliner might affect Catherine¡¯s bone development. After Catherine found her mostfortable position on the recliner, Branden calmly asked, ¡°Did you guess it was me?¡± Catherine nodded without hesitation.¡± Of course. I could tell it was you as soon as you got close.¡± It seemed like Catherine was in a good mood today. When she smiled, her eyes were exceptionally beautiful. Catherine¡¯s smile was so bright and attractive. It instantly warmed Branden¡¯s heart. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Chapter 319 A Glutton Before returning, Branden had considered asking Catherine why she appeared at the underground boxing gym and even inquiring about her intentions in taking Erick away. However, he abandoned all those thoughts when he saw Catherine¡¯s smile. There was no need to question these things. After all, Catherine trusted him so much and surrendered immediately. Branden reached out and gently caressed Catherine¡¯s beautiful face with his long fingers. His voice also softened instantly. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Catherine had rushed to the ck market right after school and hadn¡¯t eaten anything. If Branden hadn¡¯t mentioned it, she would have forgotten that she hadn¡¯t eaten. She subconsciously moved her face closer to his hand and rubbed her cheek against his palm for some reason. She was just like a kitten seeking affection from its owner. The slight touch felt electrifying. It made Branden¡¯s heart instantly restless. In front of Catherine, Branden¡¯s once- proud self-control could easily crumble. ¡°Be good and wait here for me. I¡¯ll go prepare something for you.¡± As she watched Branden flee, Catherine smiled faintly. It was amusing. Catherine had clearly seen the fire in his eyes just moments ago. Branden worked quickly. In just ten minutes, he had prepared a bowl of fragrant pasta with tomato sauce. Catherine followed the scent to him without needing an invitation. Upon closer inspection, the sauce was indeed red, but it was obvious there was no spiciness at all. Instantly, Catherine frowned. Branden didn¡¯t need to guess. He knew exactly what was on Catherine¡¯s mind. He gently handed Catherine a fork he had brought out. ¡°It¡¯ste. Don¡¯t eat anything too spicy.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say anything and silently protested. Branden patiently coaxed her. He said, ¡°Try a bite. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll get you something else.¡± Catherine was the type who responded better to gentle persuasion. Branden¡¯s soft coaxing was the most effective with her. She obediently sat down and took a bite. The pasta was so delicious that it made her involuntarily squint her eyes in appreciation. When she had a barbecue, she despised those who added tomato sauce. She didn¡¯t like the tomato vor. However, the pasta made by Branden, despite containing tomato sauce, had no discernible tomato taste. It was incredibly savory, and she had forgotten entirely about the spiciness she was expecting. She started eating the pasta with a rare look of contentment. Branden had been standing by and observing her with a faint smile. As Branden watched her eat the pasta one bite at a time, he knew he had made the right decision. Catherine was not only a fierce beast but also a glutton After finishing the meal, Branden brought over a few sets of worksheets. He ced them in front of Catherine. These were supplementary exercises for Catherine to reinforce her learning. Even though Catherine¡¯s grades were already excellent, Branden insisted that she couldn¡¯t ck off since there would be an uing exam. Catherine was unable to resist him and reluctantly started working on the worksheets. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that Branden was ying tricks on her for some unknown reason. She had an inexplicable sense that Branden had bad intentions. Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°Could it be that he knows I didn¡¯t attend the rehearsal tonight?¡± The next day after school, Catherine declined Bryan¡¯s invitation to y games by citing a prior engagement. Just as she left the school gates, Ronin caught up to her. ¡°Catherine, are you going to the ck market?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond. Ronin lowered his voice and leaned in closer. Then he whispered, ¡°Catherine, take me with you. I promise to keep it a secret and won¡¯t let Bryan and the others find out.¡± Ronin thought Catherine was concerned that taking him along might lead to Bryan and the others finding out. That was why she hadn¡¯t responded immediately. Ronin regretted not going with Catherine yesterday. He initially thought it was just Catherine¡¯s routine visit to the ck market. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to intervene personally. When he saw the video sent by Sean, he wished he could turn back time and cheer for Catherine when she entered the fray. Ronin couldn¡¯t believe he had missed such an exciting show. With Ronin¡¯s insistence, Sean sold Ronin a piece of information. Catherine would be going to the ck market again that night and taking the boy named Tyler she had recently acquired. Ronin had missed out on the big show the day before, and he wasn¡¯t about to let it happen again that day.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Ronin pleaded with Catherine relentlessly. Catherine knew his character well. Once Ronin set his mind on something, he was extremely stubborn. So, she decided to take him along. She stared at him coldly and said, ¡± Hurry up and start the car. I don¡¯t like beingte.¡± Ronin was stunned for a moment. Then he realized what had happened and happily shouted, ¡°Thank you, Catherine!¡± After the shout, he rushed away happily. He was afraid that Catherine would scold him if he moved too slowly. He knew that Catherine didn¡¯t like beingte, so he absolutely couldn¡¯t let her down. Half an hourter, they arrived at the ck market. Sean had received advance notice and was waiting at the entrance. However, to their surprise, Erick was standing alongside Sean. Catherine¡¯s presence instantly brought a spark to Erick¡¯s usually gloomy face. Sean took the initiative to greet Catherine. He asked, ¡°Cassie, why did you bring Ronin along?¡± Hearing this, Ronin immediately kicked Sean. Sean reacted quickly and jumped aside. He narrowly avoided the attack. Sean¡¯s face darkened as he cursed at Ronin, ¡°You little brat, you¡¯ve got some nerve. You dare to mess with me!¡± The Scotts were a prominent family in the dark underworld. Moreover, the name of the Scotts carried a lot of respect and fear in the criminal world. Sean was the young heir of the Scotts. He single-handedly managed the entire ck market and had risen rapidly to a position of significant influence. Anyone with a bit of a reputation had to show some respect to Sean, as no one wanted to provoke him. But Ronin dared to take direct action. He was really audacious. However, Ronin seemed utterly unfazed. After he heard Sean¡¯s threat, he sneered, ¡°Does my business concern you? Catherine wants to bring me along. If you dare to meddle with my rtionship with Catherine, I will just set fire to this underground market of yours.¡± Sean¡¯s face darkened further as he gritted his teeth. He replied, ¡°Try making a move on me!¡± Tensions rose, and the surrounding underlings were trembling with fear. They didn¡¯t dare to intervene. Since Ronin dared to bicker with Sean and threatened to burn down the ck market, he couldn¡¯t be a small fry. The two continued their heated exchange, and Catherine had had enough. She frowned and sternly reprimanded them. She shouted, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± The next moment, the two individuals who had been ready to fight each other fell silent. A few secondster, Sean cleared his throat and found a way to save face for himself. He coughed and said, ¡°Today, I¡¯ll let it slide for Cassie¡¯s sake.¡± Ronin sneered and was not willing to back down. He replied, ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t argue with you for the sake of Catherine.¡± Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Chapter 320 The Winfreds Ronin and Sean stopped arguing. Catherine noticed that Erick was staring at her with no reaction at all. Erick kept staring at Catherine without even a flicker in his eyes. Catherine hadn¡¯t worn a mask likest time when she came today. Her uncovered face was unbelievably beautiful. She was as beautiful as a princess in a fairy tale. Erick waspletely stunned. He had imagined countless faces behind her mask, but he had never thought Catherine would be so beautiful. Catherine nced at him and continued walking forward. She paid little attention to Erick. Ronin immediately followed suit. Sean reached out to pat Erick¡¯s shoulder and teased, ¡°Wake up, kid!¡± Sean wasn¡¯t surprised that Erick was shocked to see Catherine¡¯s true face. After all, the first time Sean saw Catherine¡¯s face, he had been dumbfounded for quite a while before returning to his senses. Erick realized the situation and hurriedly lowered his head to catch up. His reddened earlobes indicated his true feelings. The four of them arrived at Sean¡¯s office together. As soon as they entered, Ronin began to size up Erick. He examined Erick from head to toe and scrutinized every detail. ¡°Catherine, is this the person the Winfreds are looking for?¡± Catherinezily nodded and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Ronin, get me some water.¡± Ronin skillfully stepped forward and opened Sean¡¯s fridge. After a quick nce, he frowned andined, ¡°Catherine, Sean has no taste. Besides some foreign liquor, there¡¯s only bottled water in the fridge. Can¡¯t we have something fancier?¡± Sean probably used the bottled water to mix with his liquor. Sean red at Ronin unhappily and found him too picky. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did I say something wrong? How dare you offer this bottled water to Catherine?¡± Ronin¡¯s tone clearly showed his disdain. When it came to Catherine, Sean didn¡¯t want to argue. ¡°Bring it here,¡± Catherine shouted. Ronin reluctantly opened the bottle and handed it to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯ll have to make do with this. I¡¯ll get you your usual brand when we return.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t mind at all. She didn¡¯t care what she drank. As long as it was clean. Water was just for quenching her thirst. But Ronin was overly particr sometimes. After taking a sip of water and quenching her thirst, Catherine asked Sean coldly, ¡°Have you found the person?¡± Sean knew what Catherine was asking. He said, ¡°I paid one million dors to retrieve him from Killian.¡± Killian dared to ask for a high price. Erick¡¯s friend didn¡¯t seem worth much, yet Killian dared to demand one million dors. He had quite the audacity. Catherine had given Sean this task, and Sean couldn¡¯t shirk it. With time running short, Sean couldn¡¯t haggle with Killian and could only ept the hefty price. ¡°After the person arrives, I will arrange a job for him at a factory. As long as he works obediently, the factory will provide meals, amodation, and a sry. His future should be secure.¡± Sean was always considerate and covered all aspects of the situation. After hearing this, Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at Erick. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Erick nodded and looked at Catherine with gratitude. It had previously been arranged by Killian for his friend to work in an underground money exchange, and lived a miserable life. Now, he was rescued and given a good opportunity to live a normal life. It was more than enough. ¡°Thank you. I owe you 11 million dors from now on,¡± Erick said. Catherine had paid ten million dors to redeem him and one million to save his friend. Erick remembered these amounts clearly. Upon hearing this, Ronin scrutinized Erick once again and teased, ¡°You¡¯ve got some backbone, huh? I bet you don¡¯t even have one hundred dors in your pocket right now. What will you use to repay?¡± Erick looked at Ronin seriously with a fierce look. ¡°You can trust me. I will keep my word. If I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll pay with my life!¡± Ronin saw something familiar In Erick¡¯s eyes. At that moment, Ronin suddenly understood why Catherine had personally intervened to save Erick. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The Winfreds were lucky to have such a determined kid. Ronin patted Erick¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got spirit. I like your determination.¡± Erick remained silent and stood with a stern face. He kept looking at Catherine. Catherine suddenly spoke up and instructed Ronin, ¡°You have half an hour to help him change his clothes, and then we¡¯ll go out for a meal.¡± Ronin never questioned the tasks assigned by Catherine. He always followed Catherine¡¯s orders. ¡°Sure thing, Catherine.¡± Seeing Ronin so obedient, Erick didn¡¯t argue with Catherine. He followed Ronin and left. Once they were gone, Sean asked, ¡± Cassie, why does Tyler listen to you so well? I asked him to close a door, and he treated it like a life-or-death matter. He didn¡¯t listen to me at all.¡± Catherine wanted to tell Sean that because he was not worthy. But out of consideration for their years of friendship, she held back. ¡°I paid ten million dors,¡± she replied. Sean thought about it and found it reasonable. The ck market was full of kids like Erick. Although Erick did seem a bit different, he didn¡¯t seem worth ten million dors. ¡°Cassie, why did you buy him? What did the Winfreds promise you?¡± Sean only knew that Catherine had bought Erick to make a deal with the Winfreds. Sean was unaware of the specific trade that Catherine intended to conduct with the Winfreds. He didn¡¯t dare to inquire without Catherine¡¯s permission. The outside world believed that the young heir of the Scotts was the mastermind of the ck market. However, they didn¡¯t know that the true leader behind the scenes was this beautiful girl in front of Sean. It would be hard to believe. However, this seemingly harmless, beautiful girl was not only the biggest boss behind the ck market but also the most formidable boxer in the ck market. Her impressive record of 108 undefeated matches had firmly secured her position as the top figure in the ck market. Actually, it was 109 matches now. For Erick, she had won another match yesterday. Catherine had no intention of keeping it from Sean. She was just toozy to exin. ¡°Erick is Xavier¡¯s illegitimate child. The Winfreds posted the information publicly online. Whoever finds Erick and brings him back will be rewarded with the mining rights to a rare metal deposit that the Winfreds acquired in South Apridon.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s exnation, Sean was secretly surprised. He said, ¡°The Winfreds are investing heavily in this kid.¡± They went to great lengths for an illegitimate child. It was pretty extraordinary. After all, Xavier had his own legitimate children. Xavier had two sons and a daughter. The family¡¯s session wasn¡¯t in jeopardy. It was indeed quite rare for him to invest so heavily in Erick, who was just a lost illegitimate child. Chapter 321 Just a Deal Chapter 321 Just a Deal The Winfreds were a prestigious family in Oceanvile. Oceanvile was renowned alongside Casier, and if Casier were considered the aristocracy, then Oceanvile would be a rising star. The Winfreds were involved in the mining business and made a fortune in previous years. Although they had a tough time in recent years, they had a solid financial foundation. A few months ago, they acquired a rare mine in South Apridon, which attracted envy from the whole industry. Now, they unexpectedly let go of this lucrative opportunity for the sake of an illegitimate child, which was a generous act. It was no wonder Sean didn¡¯t value family ties. The Scotts also used to be a prestigious family, and there was a lot of scheming and deceit among the wealthy. He had seen it all. When it came to profit, parents and siblings were all considered trivial matters. ¡°Cassie, is this a trap?¡± Catherine always thought Sean was reliable in his actions, and indeed he was. He never did anything without certainty. People thought that Sean was reckless, heartless, and did whatever he wanted. But they didn¡¯t know he was discreet, leaving no detail unattended! Catherine understood Sean¡¯s meaning, andpared to his worries, she seemed much calmer. ¡°No. That mine is too rare. Even if the Winfreds choose to keep it, they won¡¯t be able to benefit from it. The Winfreds are facing financial difficulties, and although they have handed over the mining rights, the rest will still belong to the Winfreds three years from now!¡± Sean had heard about that mine, and it was said to have a considerable reserve. The Lump Of Worms Will Come Out Of You In The Morning. Try It Guys, Try This Tip Tonight And Never Have To Rely On Viagra Again At present, it was only in the exploration phase. It would take at least a year or two before actual mining couldmence. The Winfreds had granted a three-year window for these mining rights. In reality, only one year of the mining rights was avable. After three years, they would take it back. By then, they would get pure profit. Xavier was truly cunning. Sean thought of something else and quickly reminded Catherine, ¡°Cassie, I heard that the Duncans are also eyeing that mine. The Duncans are like fierce tigers. It won¡¯t be good if they set their sights on it!¡± ¡°The Duncans¡­¡± Catherine muttered softly. Her neat bangs partially covered her starry eyes, a faint smile ying at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Do they want it?¡± Sean didn¡¯t understand what Catherine meant by this, and he felt that something was off about her. ¡°Anyway, be more cautious, Cassie. The Duncans are powerful. We should avoid them!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond to him, and the smile in her eyes grew wicked. Half an hourter, Ronin arrived on time with Erick. After changing his new clothes, Erick lookedpletely different. Living in the ck market for years had drained some color from his originally fair skin. The pale-skinned teenager possessed an exquisite appearance, and his slightly upturned eyes were filled with a captivating aura. His cold temperament perfectly embodied the image of a mysterious young man. Even Sean couldn¡¯t help butpliment, ¡°This kid looks even more delicious in new clothes!¡± In the next second, Ronin retorted. ¡°I chose this outfit for him, you know? By the way, Sean, you are such a sick pervert. What kind of adjective are you using? Delicious? You¡¯re so disgusting!¡± Realistic Game For Men Over 40! Guys, Try This Tip Tonight And Never Have To Rely On Viagra Again Seeing that the two were about to argue again, Catherine shook her head helplessly, stood up, and coldly uttered one word, ¡°Hungry!¡± After saying that, she walked away quickly, and the two promptly followed, forgetting about their argument. Erick stood still, looking down at his new attire, furrowing his eyebrows. In his mind, he reyed Catherine¡¯s expression just now. ¡°Is it not good-looking?¡± he wondered. ¡°Why didn¡¯t shepliment me? Ronin chose the restaurant for dinner. Unsurprisingly, it was a barbecue restaurant. By the time they reached the entrance, Ronin and Sean had already rushed in while Erick hesitated at the door. Catherine, who was walking at the back, noticed Erick¡¯s hesitation and cast a cold gaze at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t youing with us?¡± Erick hesitated momentarily, lowered his head with a hint of shyness, and softly asked, ¡°Can Ie in, too?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Catherine replied without hesitation. ¡°Why would I bring you here if not?¡± Catherine had said what needed to be said. Whether he entered or not was up to him! Seeing Catherine had already left, Erick immediately followed suit. This was Erick¡¯s first time dining with others at the same table. When he was with Killian, Killian would asionally take him out to eat after winning a match, but he always stood at the door, waiting for leftovers. He could choose not to eat, but the result would be hunger. Ronin diligently helped Catherine with everything, cutting meat for her and putting it on her te. Seeing this, Sean couldn¡¯t help but tease Ronin. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just feed it to Catherine¡¯s mouth so she doesn¡¯t even have to lift a finger!¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ronin knew Sean was teasing him, but he wasn¡¯t angry. Instead, he confidently responded to Sean, ¡°If Catherine is willing, I¡¯ll do that for her! Sean couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Unbelievable! Had he not been aware of Ronin¡¯s admiration for Catherine, he might have suspected that Ronin had feelings for her. Erick quietly ate his food, silently observing the movements of the people around him. In his slightly squinted eyes, there was envy. He believed that one day, he would also be able to sit by Catherine¡¯s side and prepare everything she liked. Catherine had agreed to meet the Winfreds at 8 p.m. After finishing the barbecue, Ronin drove them to the Winfreds¡¯. Sean thought he shouldn¡¯t go there, so only the three of them went. Once they got in the car, Catherine leaned on the backseat and closed her eyes to rest. Erick sat silently beside her while Ronin, the chatterbox, drove in boredom. Although Ronin focused on driving, his eyes never left Catherine for a moment. With a stranger in the car, he didn¡¯t trust anyone except Catherine. He had to keep a close eye on this ¡°Tyler¡± to prevent any idents from happening. After a while, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but ask Erick when he noticed that Erick hadn¡¯t said a word. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that we might sell you?¡± Hearing this, Erick slowly lifted his head. His eyes emitted a faint green light in the dim car, cold and eerie. ¡°She has the right to.¡± The ¡°she¡± he referred to was Catherine. Ronin couldn¡¯t help but praise Erick, ¡± Kid, you¡¯ve got some guts. Don¡¯t worry. Catherine isn¡¯t a bad person. We made a deal with the Winfreds. You can return to your home once we get what we want. It¡¯s better to live with the Winfreds than to follow Killian in the ck market.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Erick said in a cold voice. Ronin drove through the green light, not noticing Erick¡¯s faint smile and the killing intent in his eyes! Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 The Winfreds This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. A ck car slowly pulled up in front of the Winfreds¡¯. This wasn¡¯t the Winfreds¡¯ primary residence, so the home wasn¡¯t magnificent. Before they arrived, someone had already gotten in touch with the Winfreds. Therefore, as soon as the car pulled up, someone was there to greet them. ¡°Greetings, I¡¯m the butler. Mr. Winfreds and the others are waiting inside. Please follow me.¡± Ronin nodded and walked in front. Erick was in the middle, and Catherine strolled along at the back. The butler locked his eyes on Erick as soon as the three of them got out of the car. It seemed that he had recognized Erick at first sight. Ronin found it odd and slowed down to walk beside Catherine. ¡°Hey, Catherine, why¡¯s the butler so fixated on Erick? Does he know him?¡± Catherine stayed silent, and Ronin didn¡¯t push it when he realized she didn¡¯t want to discuss it. Once they entered the Winfreds¡¯ digs, Ronin finally understood why the butler had been staring at Erick. ¡°Sir, Miss, the man at the forefront is the leader of the Winfreds, and the one beside him is his eldest son.¡± Ronin followed the butler¡¯s gesture and thought, ¡°Dang, they really look alike!¡± The Winfreds¡¯ master, Xavier, and Erick were like peas in a pod. Seeing Xavier, Ronin didn¡¯t need to wait for years to learn what Erick would look like when he got older. No wonder Catherine didn¡¯t bat an eye earlier. She must¡¯ve been in the know. Ronin yfully nudged Erick¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Man, you¡¯re the spitting image of your dad!¡± Erick looked up at Xavier with a fierce look in his eyes. Xavier got up enthusiastically, his face showing a lot of excitement, and he hurried over to Ronin. ¡°I guess you¡¯re the experts of Hacker Alliance. Thank you so much for helping me find my son. I really appreciate it!¡± The sudden warmth caught Ronin off guard, and he wasn¡¯t sure how to react. Catherine stood to the side, showing an indifferent attitude. She squinted her eyes a bit and kept a close eye on Xavier. After putting in a great deal of effort, Xavier had finally found his long-lost son, Erick, who had been missing for years. Now that Erick had returned, instead of immediately going to see him, Xavier was surprisingly warm and weing to her and Ronin. Wasn¡¯t that strange? Catherine chose not toment. After some small talk with Ronin, Xavier finally noticed Erick standing nearby. He fixed an intense gaze on Erick, and a hint of redness appeared in his eyes. ¡°Erick, isn¡¯t it?¡± Xavier asked. ¡°It¡¯s been many years, and I¡¯ve put in a lot of effort to find you!¡± In contrast to Xavier¡¯s warmth, Erick remained incrediblyposed. His stern face showed no signs of warmth or joy from the reunion. Xavier was slightly surprised by Erick¡¯s coldness, but he quickly regained hisposure. After all, he was an influential figure in the region. If he couldn¡¯t handle this situation, it would be pretty disappointing. He said to Erick, ¡°Your older brother is here today. Let me introduce you.¡± Then, Xavier nced back, and the Winfreds¡¯ eldest son, Jeremy, reluctantly stood up. His displeasure was written on his face, indicating that he didn¡¯t have much affection for his younger brother. After all, they weren¡¯t blood brothers. People in high society were often quite cold-hearted. Who would have wanted a half-brother with an illegitimate status? But under Xavier¡¯s hint, more urately, his coercion, Jeremy took the initiative to greet Erick. ¡°I¡¯m Jeremy, the eldest son of the Winfreds. Wee to the Winfreds!¡± His words made his attitude crystal clear, even though he didn¡¯t verbally taunt Erick. From Jeremy¡¯s assertion of his authority and emphasis on his status as the eldest son, it was evident how unwee Erick was. It was ¡°Wee to the Winfreds,¡± not ¡°Wee back to the Winfreds!¡± Whose home was this, anyway? Everyone heard it loud and clear, and they understood the message. With Erick handed over, Catherine had no desire to linger with the Winfreds. They had no business or reason to engage with them. Catherine nced at Ronin, and he immediately grasped her intention. He stepped forward to bid farewell to the Winfreds. ¡°Mr. Winfred, now that we¡¯ve safely handed Eric over to you, we still have something to do, so we¡¯ll take our leave. Xavier politely wished them well, saying, ¡°Take care!¡± Catherine casually put her hands in her pockets and turned around, locking eyes with Jeremy just as they left. Jeremy¡¯s expression wasplex, blending resentment with gratitude toward them. His conflicted look left Catherine wondering about his intentions. As Catherine and Ronin walked out, they suddenly heard desperate footsteps behind them when they were about to get into their car. Catherine stopped and turned around, only to see Erick rushing out anxiously. Catherine nced at Ronin, and he understood her cue, promptly getting into the car and waiting for her. Erick quickly approached Catherine,ing to a stop in front of her. His beautiful eyes were locked onto Catherine. His lips were quivering, revealing the inner conflict and distress. Catherine calmly observed him, silently counting the seconds. She didn¡¯t like waiting, granting everyone only a limited amount of time without exceptions. Right at thest moment, Erick finally spoke up. He looked at Catherine with a determined gaze, and it was obvious from his bodynguage that he had gathered a lot of courage to say something. ¡°If I agree to your terms and follow your orders, can you take me with you?¡± His voice was hushed, tinged with humility, and tugging at the heartstrings. It felt like a wounded creature yearning for rescue. Unfortunately, Erick was unaware of Catherine¡¯s frosty nature. She had a reputation for her cold demeanor, and her decision to save Erick, aside from his Ronin-like eyes, was driven by her ties to the Winfreds. Catherine pressed her lips together, maintaining her silence, but her decision was evident in her expression. Erick felt somewhat discouraged. Although he wasn¡¯t surprised by her response, he still felt a sense of despair. He struggled to speak, his voice barely above a whisper, his head lowered, and unable to summon the courage to make eye contact. ¡°I understand. Thank you!¡± Then, he turned to leave. In that fleeting moment, Catherine suddenly seized his hand. She pulled his arm and wrote down a series of numbers on his palm. ¡°For emergencies, call me.¡± Erick¡¯s faint smile appeared as he gently tugged at the corner of his mouth. It was as though he had caught a glimmer of hope in the midst of despair. He had forgotten how long it had been since he had smiled like this. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Prepare a Midnight Snack Catherine had just settled into the car when Ronin couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity. ¡°Catherine, what was Erick up to just now?¡± What made Ronin wonder was when Catherine casually reached out and touched Erick¡¯s hand at the end. They¡¯d only met a few times, but they seemed really tight, which made him jealous! Catherine decided to brush off Ronin¡¯s question. She knew him too well. Every so often, Ronin would do something like this. Ignoring him was the way to go. Catherine adjusted her seat and told Ronin, ¡°Give me a heads up when we arrive!¡± Seeing that Catherine wanted to take a break, Ronin understood that she didn¡¯t feel like talking. He stayed quiet and let her rx with her eyes closed. At the Duncans¡¯. With thetest information in hand, Paxton knocked on the study door. He opened the door and entered the study only after hearing a ing¡± from inside. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I have a message from the Winfreds!¡± In the dimly lit study, Branden waspletely immersed in a crucial online meeting while seated at his desk. ¡°Let¡¯s take a ten-minute break.¡± Branden¡¯s cold voice came through the microphone, and they all quickly logged off, not wanting to be slow. After muting the microphone, Branden turned to look at Paxton. The room was dark, but Branden¡¯s face was clear in theputer screen¡¯s glow. That stunning face was the object of envy for many. When Paxton noticed Branden ncing his way, he quickly got the message and gave a brief report. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Erick has been returned to the Winfreds. Miss Swann and Ronin were the ones who took him back, but currently, there¡¯s no news of them signing any agreement with Xavier.¡± Paxton couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow as he continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like Miss Swann and Ronin are actual Hacker Alliance members, Mr. Duncan. It seems more like they were hired by the Hacker Alliance to bring Erick back to the Winfreds.¡± Otherwise, why¡¯d they finish the job but not sign any contract? That would be giving away their leverage. If the Winfreds were to change their minds, what would the Hacker Alliance use as bargaining chips? This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The Hacker Alliance is a super secretive group with exceptional members, each having unique skills. Saying Catherine and Ronin were part of the Hacker Alliance might have been a bit much, but they could have been hired or had some connection with them. But these were just Paxton¡¯s opinions. The final verdict would be up to Branden. ¡°Keep an eye on Catherine and make sure she¡¯s safe!¡± Branden ordered. Paxton didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Got it, Mr. Duncan. We¡¯re all set!¡± Though he responded fast, Paxton didn¡¯t think Catherine needed protection. He was well aware of Catherine¡¯s abilities, and even two of him might not stand a chance against her. The world saw the ¡°cursed daughter¡± of the Swanns as useless, but little did they know she was a real pro! Seeing Branden stand up suddenly, Paxton followed suit immediately. ¡°Mr. Duncan, where are you off to?¡± Branden gave him a quick look and whispered, ¡°Now¡¯s the right time to get somete-night snacks for her!¡± Paxton was momentarily surprised, and his eyes widened. Did Mr. Duncan realize what he had just said? Late at night, at the Winfreds¡¯. The lights were still on inside the Winfreds¡¯ study at that moment. The old butler stood respectfully to the side, bowing his head slightly as he reported to Xavier. ¡°Mr. Winfred, Mr. Erick is all good now. He¡¯s in that little west-side building, and we¡¯ve got someone taking care of him.¡± When they mentioned ¡°taking care of,¡± they meant having someone watch him to ensure Erick didn¡¯t run off. Once the butler wrapped up, Jeremy, standing beside him, couldn¡¯t hold back and said, ¡°Hey, are you losing your marbles? That guy, what sort of ¡® young master¡¯ is he? He¡¯s just a useless, homeless bum! If it weren¡¯t for Dad-¡± Before Jeremy could finish his sentence, Xavier coldly interrupted, ¡± Jeremy, shut your mouth!¡± Xavier scolded loudly, and Jeremy felt some fear, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s just us here, even if I say it, so what? That bastard won¡¯t know!¡± he said. Xavier red at Jeremy, frustrated. He couldn¡¯t understand why he had a son who was nothing like him. Jeremy wasn¡¯t justcking in guile. He often rushed into things with little thought. Before Xavier could speak, Jeremy suggested again, ¡°Dad, since we¡¯ve found Erick, why don¡¯t we just take him to the hospital for a test?¡± Xavier shot Jeremy an annoyed look and said, ¡°Do you know what Erick went through in the ck market?¡± ¡°Are you feeling sorry for him?¡± Jeremy asked with great displeasure in his eyes. Frustrated by Jeremy¡¯s stubbornness, Xavier coughed violently. The butler immediately poured him some coffee,forting Xavier while trying to exin things to Jeremy. ¡°Young master, there¡¯s a misunderstanding. Your father isn¡¯t feeling sorry for Eric. What he¡¯s getting at is that Erick¡¯s thriving in the ck market and serving as a right-hand man to a local boss highlights his capabilities. He meant not to rush things too much to avoid jeopardizing the entire n.¡± Even though Jeremy knew his father wasn¡¯t sympathizing with Eric, he still couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°Dad, he¡¯s just a henchman. We can assign more bodyguards to deal with him!¡± Xavier didn¡¯t want to argue with Jeremy. After all, a person¡¯s potential was limitless, and it was impossible to predict how much they could unleash in a crisis. He always aimed for business stability, requiring thorough nning before moving forward. The ck market was filled with all sorts of people, and Erick¡¯s survival and usefulness there indicated his abilities. To be cautious was better in case of any unexpected situations. ¡°Drop this for now, Jeremy. Focus on overseeing thepany. The contract for the South Apridon project with the Hacker Alliance isn¡¯t finalized.¡± Jeremy proudly interjected, ¡°Dad, you won¡¯t believe it. Two green Hacker Alliance members turned up today, looking like fresh high school grads. I doubt they can handle our project. Why not explore other options and make some money?¡± Xavier shared Jeremy¡¯s concerns about the two guys not mentioning the contract. Still, he felt something was amiss. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them. While the Hacker Alliance might struggle with this project, we can¡¯t afford to alienate them. They¡¯ll sign the contract eventually. It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± Jeremy kept his reservations quiet, thinking his father was growing overly cautious due to age. Even if the Hacker Alliance signed, Jeremy had no intention of cooperating. He could readily find other buyers, make a profit, and let them uncover their internal discord. Wouldn¡¯t that be a case of ¡°when two dogs fight for a bone, the third one runs away with it¡±? In business, one needs to be bold! Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Their True Purpose Catherine had just scolded Johnathan and given a little warning to the mischievous Liana. The house had be surprisingly quiet in the past few days. After a significant setback, Korbin was wary of picking fights with Catherine. Rachael was also busy looking after Johnathan to keep him out of trouble, leaving her with no time or energy to deal with Catherine. In ss 8, the atmosphere had changed significantly. Even after ss, there were no more rowdy noises. Students mostly sat quietly, chatting in their seats, and the chaos was a thing of the past. Noticing that Catherine wasn¡¯t resting or ying games, Ronin brought a chair and sat close to her. ¡°Catherine, did you really send Johnathan to Dentler Academy?¡± Catherine casually nodded. Ronin believed sending Johnathan to Dentler Academy was a fitting punishment, but he couldn¡¯t help but worry. Dentler Academy was renowned for its life-and-death waiver agreement, which required all students to sign it. Although the chances of idental death were slim, it wasn¡¯t impossible. Some students suffered severe injuries, and a few even died on campus. Moreover, Johnathan was the Swanns¡¯ only son, and Catherine had promised Vicente to protect the Swanns. Wasn¡¯t she concerned about Johnathan¡¯s safety at that school? Little did Ronin know that Catherine had taken precautions to ensure Johnathan¡¯s safety at Dentler Academy. She had connections with the current headmaster and had made arrangements to protect Johnathan from harm, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t suffer any injuries. Leaving Johnathan in Casier to continue his unruly behavior would have been a surer path to his destruction. A lot of Johnathan¡¯s rebellious behavior had been caused by Rachael spoiling him. If Dentler Academy couldn¡¯t straighten him out, he¡¯d be a lost cause. ¡°Catherine, we haven¡¯t signed the contract with the Winfreds yet. I¡¯ve already sent someone to their ce today. Once they finish signing, I¡¯ll arrange for a team to head to South Apridon as soon as possible. The sooner we act, the sooner we¡¯ll get our hands on everything!¡± Catherine was responsible for the big- picture nning, while Ronin handled the deployment details. Catherinezily replied, ¡°You arrange everything.¡± As she finished speaking, Ronin noticed his phone ringing. ¡°Catherine, I need to answer this!¡± Catherine initially paid it no mind, but as she turned her head, she noticed Ronin¡¯s face change. Despite Ronin¡¯s seemingly carefree demeanor, he had been with her for many years and had matured significantly. He was exceptionallyposed in his actions. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He wouldn¡¯t be wearing that expression if it weren¡¯t for something serious. Catherine stood up, walked over to Ronin, frowned, and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Ronin ended the call and nodded at her, a rare hint of frustration visible on his face. ¡°Catherine, the Winfreds are going way too far. We worked hard to find their son and spent over ten million, and now that old brat is denying it.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t need to guess. She knew something must have gone wrong when signing the contract with the Winfreds. Her face stayed neutral as she asked calmly, ¡°What did our people say?¡± ¡°They said the Winfreds were making excuses, clearly stalling to avoid signing the contract. I think they¡¯re being dishonest and want out!¡± Ronin was furious. They had never encountered such a situation in all the years of doing business with Catherine. The Winfreds had pushed their limits. Ronin wanted to return to their base immediately, get a bunch of people, and attack the Winfreds to make them disappear for good. In contrast to Ronin¡¯s anger, Catherine remained calm, almost like an observer. ¡°Don¡¯t rush it. Tell our folks to return. If the Winfreds don¡¯t want to sign, we won¡¯t push them.¡± Catherine¡¯s response shocked Ronin. He looked at her with intense disbelief in his eyes. ¡°Catherine, are we just letting them off like this?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine¡¯s icy tone sent shivers down the spine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I never make bad deals.¡± Catherine¡¯s frosty tone gave Ronin chills. Catherine¡¯s ominous words immediately made Ronin feel much better. He soon realized the Winfreds had made a big mistake, and when Catherine acted, they would be in trouble! ¡°Hehe, Catherine, I¡¯ll follow your lead. When the timees, the Winfreds will beg us to sign the contract.¡± Just as they finished discussing the Winfreds, Ronin¡¯s phone rang again. The constant ringing annoyed Ronin, and he couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡± Who¡¯s got time to call me every day?¡± Ronin reluctantly answered and then went cold when he heard the other person¡¯s words. After hanging up the phone, Ronin hurriedly told Catherine, ¡°Catherine, the Winfreds are ruthless. They took Erick to the hospital, but they don¡¯t n to ept him at all!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Catherine inquired. After regaining hisposure, Ronin exined the situation to Catherine. If the Winfreds hadn¡¯t rushed to take Erick to the hospital, their true intentions wouldn¡¯t have been revealed so quickly. Xavier was seriously ill, with both of his kidneys failing. To survive, he needed a kidney transnt. However, the Winfreds¡¯ two sons were unsuitable donors. The elder son had kidney damage from an injury several years ago, and donating to Xavier would ruin his life. The younger son was too young, and Xavier couldn¡¯t bear to make him a donor. After his daughter¡¯s compatibility test, it turned out she wasn¡¯t a match. So, Xavier thought of his abandoned son, Erick. On the second day of finding Erick, Xavier rushed him to the hospital. ¡°Catherine, Xavier is ruthless! He doesn¡¯t even want to wait a moment! Doesn¡¯t he realize that if Erick donates a kidney, he¡¯ll be in a worse condition than Jeremy?¡± Catherine sensed something was off in Ronin¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Is Erick also unwell?¡± ¡°Yeah, I checked his background. He had a kidney injury from a past fight, and it ruptured. Although it¡¯s healed, donating another kidney to Xavier would be hard on him. Such bad luck.¡± Before Ronin could finish, he noticed Catherine had left. He hurried after her. ¡°Catherine, where are you going? I¡¯ming too!¡± He needed to protect Catherine and make sure she was safe. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Not Good People Catherine and Ronin had taken a temporary leave from school to visit a rtively unknown hospital in Casier. Based on the information Ronin had received, Erick had been brought to this hospital. He needed a series of tests, and once they werepleted without issues, he would be taken to Oceanvile. Oceanvile was where the Winfreds had their roots. If they waited until Erick was brought there, it would be much harder to get close to him. At the far end of the top floor¡¯s corridor, Ronin and Catherine waited near the stairs. ¡°Catherine, the room at the very end is Erick¡¯s. There are guards at the door, we should be in the right ce.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Catherine replied tersely. Ronin hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Catherine, are we really going to save him?¡± Their prior deal with the Winfreds included an agreement not to interfere once the deal waspleted. While the Winfreds might be hical, it was their business, and they didn¡¯t need to get involved. In terms of a business perspective, messing with the Winfreds for Erick wasn¡¯t a profitable deal. Catherine understood Ronin¡¯s point. From a business standpoint, this deal didn¡¯t make sense. However, she always went with her gut. Given her connection with Erick, giving him a helping hand was something she was willing to do. The Winfreds¡¯ hical behavior was something she disliked. Catherine coldly responded to Ronin with two words, clearly indicating her stance. ¡°I¡¯m unhappy.¡± Ronin didn¡¯t say more. If Catherine was upset with the Winfreds, it was their bad luck. They were ready to take actions. The entrance was guarded by two burly bodyguards, and with their skills, taking them out would be a piece of cake. But if they wanted to do this without raising any suspicions, distracting the guards required careful nning. Seeing Catherine about to enter, Ronin quickly stopped her. ¡°Catherine, hold on. Let me check first. Then he took out aptop he carried with him and sat down. This laptop was aspact as a tablet but packed a punch with its impressive features. He effortlessly hacked into the hospital¡¯sputer system, quickly mapping out their route. After taking Catherine to the janitor¡¯s room on the upper level, Ronin pointed at a venttion shaft above. ¡°This vent goes straight to Erick¡¯s room. If we want to avoid alerting the Winfreds, we can use it to enter directly,¡± Ronin exined. ¡°Alright,¡± Catherine nodded. Hospitalputer systems weren¡¯t wless, and Ronin¡¯s speedy hacking was no surprise. After all, Ronin was a skilled hacker who could break into even high- security systems, so this was easy for him. Catherine gave a strong push off the wall, climbed onto the ceiling, and effortlessly opened the vent¡¯s louvers, sliding inside. Her small size made it easy for her to move through the narrow vent. After Catherine vanished into the vent, Ronin skillfully shut the louvers. He grabbed a tissue and wiped off any faint footprints on the wall, clearly showing his keen eye for detail from years of experience. His coordination with Catherine was exceptionally seamless. Catherine navigated a bend and quickly reached the ceiling of the next floor. The bend led to the end of the corridor, right where Erick¡¯s room was. Catherine peeked through the small openings in the louvers and saw only Erick lying in the bed, with nothing else in sight. Catherine moved silently, lifting the louvers and jumping down gracefully. She didn¡¯t make any sound. In his drowsy state, Erick felt someone approaching him. He didn¡¯t even bother to open his eyes but stubbornly shouted, ¡°Whatever you want, bring it on. I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± Although he seemed defiant, his voice was hoarse. Catherine gazed at Erick, whoy on the bed, appearing tired with dark circles under his eyes. She chuckled coldly. ¡°Heh!¡± The faint sound startled Erick, and he mustered all his strength to open his eyes wide. There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, which quickly faded. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He gazed at Catherine with azy, indifferent expression. ¡°I¡¯m already with the Winfreds. I¡¯m useless to you now. No need for you to be here!¡± Catherine ignored his words and reached for the IV bag hanging beside him. She inspected the bag, which hadplicated scientific terms written on it. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile coldly. It was just as she suspected. To control Erick, the Winfreds had injected him with a drug that rendered his muscles powerless. They had also added a small amount of sedative to the medication, making him both awake and helpless. This was not something that should be done in a legitimate hospital, which is probably why the Winfreds went for this small private hospital for Erick¡¯s checkup. Once the tests werepleted, they would take Erick back to Oceanvile, where the Winfreds would haveplete control. Catherine deftly removed the needle from Erick¡¯s hand, and Erick, unable to move, watched her with a cold gaze. Catherine sat down casually, showing no signs of being an intruder. Her beautiful face had a sneaky smile, and her pretty eyes looked around the room. ¡°I answered your questions before, now it¡¯s your turn,¡± she said. Erick, still suspicious, looked at her but didn¡¯t respond. On the other hand, Catherine didn¡¯t care about Erick¡¯s attitude. In her world, she did what she wanted, in and simple. ¡°Did you know beforehand that they nned to take your kidney?¡± After all, Erick had sent her a distress signal before, or else he wouldn¡¯t have chased after her when she left the Winfreds¡¯. He knew he couldn¡¯t confront her and didn¡¯t trust her either, so he merely asked inquisitively without taking any action. Erick simply shook his head. Then he shared a long-buried secret from his past. His expression was cold, and despite a faint smile on his pale face, it held a sharp and mocking edge. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Winfreds¡¯ intentions, but I was certain it couldn¡¯t be anything good. ¡°The Winfreds are not good people!¡± Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Chapter 326 So Powerful The reason Erick said there was not a single good person among the Winfreds dated back to the rtionship between Xavier and Erick¡¯s mother many years ago. While the Winfreds had wealth, it had dwindled in Xavier¡¯s father¡¯s time. To revive the Winfreds, Xavier married Jeremy¡¯s mother and used her family¡¯s money and his business skills to turn the Winfred Group into a sessfulpany. Erick¡¯s mother and Xavier were originally college sweethearts. However, they separated after graduating. When they met againter, Xavier lied about being married and got back together with Erick¡¯s mother. When Jeremy¡¯s mother found out about Erick mother¡¯s pregnancy, she confronted them. As a result, Erick¡¯s mother had a tough delivery and passed away shortly after giving birth to Erick. To prevent Jeremy¡¯s mother¡¯s family from withdrawing their investment, Xavier abandoned Erick and left him to be cared for by his grandparents. Erick¡¯s grandparents were devastated by their daughter¡¯s sudden death, and their health declined. Within a few years, they passed away, leaving Erick as an orphan who was eventually sent to an orphanage. Erick spoke monotonously about his past as if he were telling an unrted story. His expression remained cold as he locked eyes with Catherine. ¡°What good can my father, who abandoned me long ago, expect from me now?¡± The bitterness in his look showed how cold Erick¡¯s heart was. After listening to his story, Catherine remainedposed. Her expressioncked both mockery and sympathy because she was used to. hardships, which made Erick¡¯s story seem ordinary to her. She then asked her second question, Wanna leave?¡± Erick hesitated for a moment, then looked at Catherine with a mocking expression. ¡°I have no value left, will you help me?¡± Catherine narrowed her eyes at him. ¡± Answer my question.¡± Erick nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes!¡± The Winfreds treated him unfairly, and his connection to Xavier was severed when Xavier abandoned him. All he felt now was anger. If it weren¡¯t for Jeremy¡¯s mother, his own mother might still be alive. He could have had a better childhood without all the suffering. His grandparents were well-educated and refined people, and he could see from his mother¡¯s photos that she was a kind woman. Catherine grabbed her phone, dialed Ronin, and said, ¡°Get the things ready. I¡¯m bringing him with me.¡± Then she ended the call. Erick had no idea what she was nning. He was weak and could only lie on the bed, watching Catherine. Catherine nced around and spotted a wheelchair nearby. She wheeled it over and helped Erick onto it. When everything was ready, her phone buzzed. Catherine picked up the call, hearing Ronin¡¯s breathless voice. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve distracted them. You¡¯ve got three minutes to get to the entrance, and I¡¯ll be there to pick you up. Hurry!¡± Catherine spoke calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have enough time.¡± She pushed the wheelchair and headed straight out of the ward. Instead of taking the elevator, she chose the stairs. There were five floors between here and the ground floor. Erick was too weak to walk, and even if he tried, he wouldn¡¯t reach the entrance in three minutes, let alone thirty. He didn¡¯t understand why Catherine was so confident in her words. Catherine wheeled Erick over to the staircase railing. She opened her arms, preparing to lift Erick and ce him on the railing. With a raised eyebrow and a curious look, she asked, ¡°You ok?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Erick grasped Catherine¡¯s n the moment he saw the staircase railing. He knew she was truly determined to get him out of there. Without hesitation, he nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m ok.¡± Giving it a try wouldn¡¯t hurt. Seeing Erick¡¯s determined expression, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile. She whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die. Without further ado, she grabbed Erick and swiftly jumped off the railing. Taking advantage of the railing¡¯s slick surface, they slid down the stairs one after the other. The whole thing felt like an exciting roller coaster. Erick was weak, and his senses were dull, making the exhrating sensation even more intense. His innate fear was amplified, making him feel even more vulnerable than usual. As they descended from the fifth floor, theirbined weight without protection meant they would likely get hurt. Erick knew even if he didn¡¯t get killed by this, he would probably break several ribs. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for the pain. ¡°Thud!¡± A sound echoed, but the expected pain didn¡¯t follow. Even though they still bumped into something, it wasn¡¯t too hard, and the pain didn¡¯tst long. In a moment of confusion, Erick opened his eyes and saw Catherine flipping herself over gracefully and landing without a hitch. She had also managed to pull him down effortlessly. Despite Erick¡¯s tall and lean stature, he still weighed quite a bit. However, Catherine skillfully handled him, and what amazed Erick the most was that neither of them get hurt. Pulling off such a feat required immense arm strength. Erick silently looked at Catherine, focusing on her slim arms. It was difficult to believe that her slender and delicate arms could be so incredibly strong. ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Catherine¡¯s stern voice snapped Erick back from his thoughts, leaving him puzzled as he looked at her. Without a word, Catherine took his arm and quickly led him away. When they reached the hospital entrance, a ck car sped towards them. Catherine swiftly opened the car door and pushed Erick inside, following right behind him. Before the car door had even shutpletely, Ronin revved the engine and elerated. ¡°Catherine, you did it in just two minutes and thirty-eight seconds, faster than expected!¡± Ronin¡¯s enthusiastic voice revealed his excitement. He was clearly thrilled with how quickly Catherine was.. ¡°Those idiot guards are probably still stuck in the bathroom. They might not have even realized what happened!¡± Ronin added. Compared to Ronin¡¯s excitement, Catherine remainedposed. She simply advised, ¡°Focus on driving!¡± Ronin calmed down and concentrated on driving. Erick sat in the back seat, silently watching the two of them. In his chilly gaze, there was a touch of admiration. He liked their teamwork, and the trust between them. Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Offending the Wrong People The Winfred Group¡¯s Subsidiary Company. When Jeremy got the phone call, he got incredibly angry that the veins in his neck were bulging. He clenched the phone firmly and scolded angrily, ¡°You bunch of morons! How can you screw up so badly? Can¡¯t you even watch over one useless guy?¡± The other end of the phone remained silent, and Jeremy¡¯s anger grew to the point where he mmed the phone against the wall. ¡°Bang!¡± With a loud crash, his state-of-the-art phone shattered into pieces and fell to the ground. At the same time, the office door was pushed open from the outside. Xavier entered with a cold expression. When he saw who it was, Jeremy didn¡¯t even have time to hide the anger on his face. Xavier¡¯s leather shoes thudded heavily on the wooden floor as he walked, each step feeling like a punch to Jeremy¡¯s gut. He just stood there, unable to say a word. Xavier slowly sat down and scolded in a cold tone, ¡°You have quite the temper.¡± Jeremy kept his head down, too scared to look up. He knew very well that his father was not someone to be trifled with when he was in such a rage. Looking at Jeremy¡¯s helpless appearance, Xavier felt even more annoyed and couldn¡¯t help but curse, I¡¯ve told you countless times to be cautious and not rush into things. Why won¡¯t you ever listen?¡± Jeremy knew that his father must havee for the matter concerning Erick, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. ¡°Dad, I had people watching the hospital, and I injected medicine into Erick. How did he disappear like that? Plus, the hospital cameras stopped working exactly when Erick disappeared. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence!¡± ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Xavier asked, raising his eyebrows in slight surprise. ¡°Of course not, Dad. I¡¯d never lie about something this big,¡± Jeremy confidently replied. Xavier could tell that Jeremy was telling the truth, but he also found it strange. ¡°Dad, could this be the Hacker Alliance¡¯s doing? I doubt Erick, that brat, has the skills for this!¡± Xavier quickly noticed something amiss and gave Jeremy a stern look. ¡°Did you offend the Hacker Alliance?¡± Jeremy realized he had identally let something slip and looked extremely embarrassed. Xavier mmed his hand on the nearby table in frustration, ¡°You fool! At a time like this, you¡¯re still trying to hide things from me?¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not a big deal. The Hacker Alliance sent someone this morning to discuss the contract, and I managed to send them away. They didn¡¯t say much and just left. I thought it was fine!¡± Jeremy said. Seeing Jeremy still seemingly unaware of the gravity of the situation, Xavier felt like he was about to have a heart attack. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You thought it was fine? Do you know what kind of organization the Hacker Alliance is? Do they easily let go of what they¡¯re interested in?¡± Just as they were arguing, Xavier¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He picked up the phone and his expression grew increasingly grave. Seeing Xavier¡¯s reaction, Jeremy panicked, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale?¡± Xavier pointed a trembling finger at Jeremy, his eyes widening significantly, ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentences, he passed outpletely! Erick never expected that Catherine would bring him back to the ck market. As he observed Catherine confidently entering the heart of the ck market, he began to question what Catherine¡¯s rtionship with Sean really was. He hadn¡¯t known Sean¡¯s identity before, butter, he learned that Sean was the Mr. Scott of the ck market. Gaining a high position in the ck market at a young age gave Sean great influence and power there. Unless someone had a death wish, nobody dared to mess with Sean. Although Catherine was a skilled boxer, she was still just a boxer. How could she casually enter the core of the ck market? What was her rtionship with Sean? Before Erick coulde up with an answer, they were already back in Sean¡¯s office. Sean was reading documents when someone barged in without even a greeting. He was nearly losing his temper because they barged in suddenly. But everything changed when he nced up and spotted Catherine. In an instant, he calmed down. He couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Catherine. Taking a closer look, Sean realized that not only Catherine but also Ronin and Erick were there. He put down the documents and stood up slowly, assessing them. ¡°Well, howe you left just yesterday, and today you¡¯re back? Has my shabby ce suddenly be a hot spot that everyone likes to visit?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say anything. She strolled over to a bookshelf, grabbed a book in front of everyone, and opened a hiddenpartment next to it, revealing a ck cab. Sean, feeling impatient, yelled at Catherine¡¯s back, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Don¡¯t you see how many people are in here? Why are you opening mypartment?¡± The ck cab was actually a fridge, but Catherine didn¡¯t pay attention to Sean¡¯sints. She opened the fridge and began to take something out. Sean didn¡¯t know what she was up to and rushed to stop her. Ronin stepped forward and stood in Sean¡¯s way. He assumed a confident posture and dered, ¡°If you want to get past, you¡¯ll have to step over my dead body!¡± Seeing Ronin¡¯s stance, Sean turned red with anger. ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Catherine found what she was looking for, turned around, and waved Erick over, signaling him toe closer. Erick didn¡¯t hesitate and approached obediently, walking unusually slowly. While Erick was walking, Catherine exined to Sean, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t touched your precious belongings!¡± Then, she rolled up Erick¡¯s sleeve, took a syringe from the nearby area, and injected its contents into Erick¡¯s arm. ¡°Alright, go rest for a bit!¡± After finishing the injection for Erick, Catherine casually closed Sean¡¯s little secretpartment. Sean, seeing that Catherine indeed hadn¡¯t tampered with his valuables, breathed a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, he decided that as soon as they left, he would relocate his precious items. ncing at the small medicine vial Catherine had used, Sean suddenly realized what had happened. He shifted his gaze to Erick. ¡°Did someone give Tyler a dose of Softener?¡± ¡°Softener¡± was just another name for this drug. Actually, it was a drug that weakened one¡¯s limbs. This kind of thing was quitemon in the ck market. Correspondingly, Sean also had an antidote for this type of drug. Just now, Catherine had administered the antidote to Erick, and its effects would kick in within ten minutes. No wonder Sean had noticed that Erick seemed sluggish today,cking his usual fierceness. It turned out he had been drugged! Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Going Back to Cook Sean looked at Catherine in confusion. ¡°Catherine, didn¡¯t you send Erick back to the Winfreds? Why did you bring him back?¡± Catherine leaned against the wall, appearing indifferent, and didn¡¯t respond to Sean at all. Well, Sean had to turn to Ronin, who was standing nearby. Ronin, clearly irritated, chimed in, ¡°Xavier, that old brat, ys dirty. Catherine doesn¡¯t like him!¡± Sean finally grasped the situation, Xavier must have crossed a line. Otherwise, Catherine, known for her laid-back attitude, wouldn¡¯t bother getting involved. Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, Catherine nonchntly took it out and checked the message, [Are youing back for dinner?) Catherine nced at the message, put her phone back in her pocket, and without turning around, she casually told Sean, ¡°I¡¯m leaving him here for now.¡± Sean, looking visibly rmed, nced at Ronin next to him and asked in disbelief, ¡°Did I just see Catherine smiling? Who on earth has the magic touch to make her smile like that? Unbelievable!¡± Of course, Ronin knew who it was without a second thought. ¡°Who else could it be? Besides that Dandy,¡± Ronin replied with a touch of anger. In Ronin¡¯s eyes, Branden was nothing more than a charming flirt who had managed to captivate Catherine with his looks. Sean wanted to probe further, but Ronin chose to remain tight-lipped. The two of them were so caught up in their talk that they didn¡¯t see Erick¡¯s expression. Catherine¡¯s smile was like a breath of fresh air, gradually quenching his parched heart and reigniting his hope. At the Duncan Corporation. Triston kept hanging around in Branden¡¯s office, waiting for him to go party together in the evening. ¡°Branden,e on, do me a favor. It¡¯s been so long since you partied with us. Taking a little break from work won¡¯t hurt, and the Duncan Corporation can handle things without you!¡± Triston stayed in Branden¡¯s office because he was afraid that Branden would disappear again. It had been a while since no one could find Branden, leaving all friends baffled. Triston had promised in front of a few friends that he would definitely bring Branden along today. How would he face them if he failed? Branden ignored Triston. Once he saw Catherine¡¯s reply, he promptly stood up to leave. Triston, seeing Branden about to leave, hurriedly followed, ¡°Branden, no need to rush. We can first go change our clothes.¡± However, Paxton stopped him right after he had taken a few steps. He looked at Paxton, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m going to party with Branden. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± would disappear again. It had been a while since no one could find Branden, leaving all friends baffled. Triston had promised in front of a few friends that he would definitely bring Branden along today. How would he face them if he failed? Branden ignored Triston. Once he saw Catherine¡¯s reply, he promptly stood up to leave. Triston, seeing Branden about to leave, hurriedly followed, ¡°Branden, no need to rush. We can first go change our clothes.¡± However, Paxton stopped him right after he had taken a few steps. He looked at Paxton, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m going to party with Branden. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Paxton looked expressionless at Triston. ¡°Mr. Duncan isn¡¯t going to hang out with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Triston looked puzzled at Paxton, his eyes showing his confusion. ¡°How did you know?¡± Paxton rolled his eyes in silence as a response. Feeling disrespected, Triston got angry and tried to confront Paxton. However, in the next moment, Paxton grabbed his arm. Knowing he couldn¡¯t win a physical confrontation with Paxton, Triston persisted in bothering him. Paxton reluctantly shared a few details with him. The next second, Triston was so surprised that his mouth hung open. He stared wide-eyed at Paxton and eximed, ¡°Is what you¡¯re saying true? Branden leaves work on time every day just to go home and cook for his girlfriend?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Branden cooks?¡± Triston asked again. Paxton nodded silently, Even though he also thought it was odd, that¡¯s how it was. Triston was so stunned that he nearly passed out. He yelled in frustration, ¡± Well, I¡¯ll be damned!¡± When Branden returned home, Catherine was already there. She sat with her legs crossed near the front door, and her small size made her seem even tinier when she huddled up. In this curled-up position, she looked quite sad, like a lonely, abandoned kitten. Branden¡¯s heart twinged with guilt for making her wait so long. He squatted down to face Catherine, saying, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going inside?¡± Branden had reced the front door with a fingerprint lock to for Catherine and had recorded her fingerprint for easy ess. Because he knew that Catherine didn¡¯t. like carrying keys. When Catherine heard him, she looked up and calmly responded, ¡°Toozy.¡± Branden couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. His girl was incredibly cute. Actually, the reason Catherine sat right in front of the door and didn¡¯t bother unlocking it, even though she had the ability to do so, was simply because she knew Branden would arrive very soon. If he wasing right away, why bother hurrying? Well, she could aways relied on Branden! Branden reached out and gently stroked Catherine¡¯s hair, his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at her. ¡± Alright, let me open the door.¡± ¡°Click!¡± The door was open. Branden had just stood up when he turned back to squat down. He simply reached out and picked her up, not giving Catherine a chance to react. ¡°I bet you¡¯re toozy to walk, aren¡¯t you?¡± Catherine leaned on him silently, but the slight smile on her lips showed how she felt. Branden put her on her favorite reclining sofa, so that she could rx. Meanwhile, he began to prepare ingredients in the kitchen. They talked casually, like any regr couple, showing their warm affection without making a big show of it. ¡°Why are you back so early today?¡± Branden asked. At this time, Catherine¡¯s sses should have just ended. That¡¯s why Branden had returned hometer than Catherine. He didn¡¯t know she had skipped her sses. ¡°I had to go out for something this afternoon and came back as soon as I got your message,¡± Catherine quickly replied. Branden didn¡¯t dig further. Catherine had her own life, and they didn¡¯t have to spill everything. Sharing everything wouldn¡¯t improve their rtionship but make things moreplex. Branden got some fruit ready and ced it nearby for her to grab easily. ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much fruit. We¡¯ll have dinnerter!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine nodded obediently. Branden always did this, offering her a variety of fruits but not letting her eat too much, iming it might spoil her appetite for dinner! Branden went into the kitchen, and shortly after, his phone in his pocket started ringing. Once the call connected, Paxton¡¯s voice sounded cold as he said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ve got some information.¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Her Happiness Mattered Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Paxton reported thetest information to Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the Hacker Alliance acted against the Winfreds because they expelled the Alliance¡¯s representative. They¡¯vepletely stopped the Winfreds¡¯ maritime shipping in Oceanvile. Xavier, upon hearing this, got extremely angry and was rushed to the hospital. We don¡¯t know how he¡¯s doing now.¡± From Paxton¡¯s report, Branden instantly deduced the situation. The shipping route was like the heart of the Winfred Group. They made a lot of money from it in recent years. If the Hacker Alliance had the power to cut off the Winfreds¡¯ lifeline, it meant they could destroy them in the blink of an eye. How could Xavier not be anxious? Branden coldlymented, ¡°¡±The Winfreds brought this upon themselves!¡± Paxton agreed with Branden. In business, honesty was important, and the Winfreds deserved their problems for not being truthful. ¡°Mr. Duncan, word has it that the Hacker Alliance not only messed up the Winfreds¡¯ business but also sent two pros to snatch Erick.¡± When Branden heard this, he stopped chopping vegetables for a moment and nced out of the kitchen. Catherine was still busy ying a game. Branden shook his head quietly, wearing a slight smile on his face, and went on listening to Paxton¡¯s report. ¡°Mr. Duncan, right now, the Winfreds. are actively searching for Erick, and it seems they¡¯re seeking help from the Swanns,¡± Paxton reported. In the Four Noble Families of Casier, the Lamberts had strong connections with the Duncans. So, if the Winfreds asked the Swanns for help, it was like asking the Duncans for help. However, Xavier wouldn¡¯t easily approach the Duncans unless it was ast resort. Other than Lamberts and the Duncans, the remaining options were the Andersons and the Swanns. The Swanns had a well-established business in Oceanvile, making it a logical choice for the Winfreds to approach first. Branden wasn¡¯t surprised by this. ¡°Keep a close eye on them,¡± Branden ordered. Paxton knew that Branden currently cared about Miss Catherine, so they had to be extra cautious when it came to the Swanns. ¡°Mr. Duncan, rest assured. Everything is set up,¡± Paxton said. ¡°Oh, one more thing!¡± Branden stayed calm and just said, ¡°Go on. Paxton went on, ¡°Mr. Duncan, it looks like the people we ced around Miss Swann have been found out. She¡¯s purposely avoiding them. Should we consider sending more people?¡± Speaking of this, Paxton felt guilty. Wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing if this became public? The famous Duncan guard team couldn¡¯t even watch over a young girl? Paxton had expected Branden to be angry, but Branden remained calm. ¡°No need. Withdraw them all,¡± Branden said. Paxton hesitated for a moment but then quickly replied, ¡°Understood, Mr. Duncan.¡± Branden had his men watching over Catherine mostly to keep her safe because her sudden return had sparked interest of some greedy people regarding her inheritance. But now that he saw Catherine could handle things on her own, adding more guards would be pointless. There¡¯s a saying, ¡°The eyes are bigger than the stomach.¡± Now that Branden knew Catherine could take care of herself and had some skills, adding more people would be pointless. With her abilities, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for her to find it. Since she was intentionally avoiding them, it meant she didn¡¯t like their presence. In that case, then removing the surveince was the right choice. Her happiness mattered most. At the Swann Corporation. It was already quitting time, and the meeting room was brightly lit. Korbin, apanied by his secretary, personally met with Xavier. The news had spread; Xavier was seriously ill and unconscious in the hospital. But no one could have expected that the very leader of the Winfreds, who. was rumored to be unconscious, was now in the Swann Corporation¡¯s meeting room negotiating face-to-face with Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, if you can lend a hand this time, I will be extremely grateful,¡± said Korbin. Both Korbin and Xavier were seasoned yers in the business world, known for their polite exteriors but ruthless natures underneath. Now that Xavier hade knocking on his door, how could Korbin easily let go of this opportunity? If he didn¡¯t extract something substantial from Xavier, could he still deserve the title of a seasoned yer? ¡°Mr. Winfred, it¡¯s a pleasure to have you here in Casier. You came straight to me with your concerns, which speaks volumes about our mutual respect. If you need a hand, count on me to give it my all,¡± said Korbin, shing a polite smile at Xavier. Then he added, ¡°Rest assured. I will do whatever I can!¡± Xavier maintained hisposure, trying to appear calm. How could Xavier not understand Korbin¡¯s true intentions? Despite the polite facade, he knew that Korbin had no real intention of helping him unless he gained concrete benefits. Given the immense crisis facing the Winfreds right now, Xavier also had to swallow his pride and observe if there was any room for negotiation with the Hacker Alliance. As for Erick, that pesky kid, he had no choice but to seek the assistance of the Swanns in finding him. Furthermore, he suspected that the Swanns might have yed a role in it. In order to minimize the damage, Xavier had to throw out his most valuable bargaining chip. ¡°¡±Thank you, Mr. Swann, for your generous help. If we can find my son this time, I am willing to offer a 20% share of our maritime shipping routes as a token of appreciation!¡± Korbin had long been extending his reach into Oceanvile, aiming to expand the Swanns¡¯ territory. In Casier, as long as the Duncan Corporation was around, there was no room for the Swann Corporation to grow, unless they allied with the Duncan Corporation. The Duncan Corporation was much more powerful than the Swann Corporation and had no ns to team up with them. If the Swann Corporation was the one reaching out for cooperation first, it would mean they were in a less favorable position. Since that n didn¡¯t work, given Korbin¡¯s eager nature, he naturally sought to grow the Swann Corporation¡¯s influence elsewhere. Oceanvile was his top priority, but there were several influential families here, making it challenging for him to establish his business there. Now that the Winfreds were offering their main business, it was like giving Korbin a key to enter Oceanvile. When Korbin heard about this offer, his eyes lit up instantly, and he struggled to control his emotions, saying, ¡°Mr. Winfred, I¡¯m really moved by your deep love for your son, just like any parents in the world have for their children. We¡¯re close in age, so I can empathize with your emotions. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll. use all our resources to find your son.¡± Xavier knew he had made the right bet. He could tell the oue from Korbin¡¯s unguarded expression. With the chips on the table, he decided to speak straightforwardly. ¡°Mr. Swann, I wonder if your second daughter could also help?¡± Xavier inquired. Korbin looked at Xavier with confusion, not sure what he meant. ¡°Catherine?¡± Xavier nodded and showed a photo to Korbin. The photo disyed surveince footage from the Winfreds¡¯ living room, with several people present, including Catherine. ¡°My son, Erick, was brought back by Catherine, Mr. Swann. I think she might know something,¡± Xavier exined. Korbin was astonished. He hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to be involved. Who exactly was Catherine, and why did she seem to be involved in so many things? Chapter 330 ?Chapter 330 Disrespecting Father Korbin looked puzzled as he held Xavier''s photo, his mind swirling with questions. From the photo, there was no doubt that the person in it was Catherine, but what worried him more was the Winfreds'' intentions. Did it make sense to sacrifice a portion of the mining and shipping businesses for an illegitimate child? If the Winfreds had no other heirs, Korbin could somewhat understand such a sacrifice. However, Xavier had two legitimate sons, and his wife''s family had significant influence. Allowing Xavier to act recklessly couldn''t be permitted. Korbin''s greater concern was that Xavier might set a trap and harm the Swanns.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. After all, the Swanns were currently the weakest among the Four Noble Families. It''s possible that Xavier nned to use them to gain more advantages in Casier. He gave the photo to his secretary and said, "Take a look!" After receiving the photo, the secretary took a picture of it and sent it to someone. A few minutester, the photo analysis results came out. "Mr. Swann, the verification team has confirmed that the photo is real." Korbin fell silent for a few seconds. Then, he stood up directly and instructed his secretary, "Prepare the car. We''re going back." The secretary, being thoughtful, asked, "Mr. Swann, should we also call Miss Catherine to return?" He guessed that Korbin''s quick return to the Swanns had something to do with Catherine. Korbin nodded, and the secretary immediately made the arrangements. At the Swanns''. The Swanns, usually brightly lit, had been quietertely. All the servants walked carefully, didn''t dare to make any sound. Lately, Rachael had been in a moody and unpredictable state. As the servants, they had to be cautious. When Korbin came back and saw the strange behavior of the servants and Rachael''s absence, his expression turned serious right away. He turned his gaze to the butler and asked in a cold tone, "Where''s Mrs. Swann?" The butler answered cautiously with his head down, "Mr. Swann, Mrs. Swann mentioned she''s not feeling great and went to her mother''s ce to chill out." That was just an excuse. Rachael had actually gone shopping. Since Johnathan was sent away, Rachael had lost her spark. She couldn''t find the energy to hang out with her wealthy friends anymore. She couldn''t even keep her son safe, and her daughter had sent her packing. When this news spread, people wouldugh at her. Originally, they could have kept this matter quiet since not many people knew about it. However, Liana, in her attempt to scheme against Catherine, caused a chaos at school. In the end, she made a fool of herself, and Catherine turned the tables, making her theughingstock of everyone. This also exposed the fact that Johnathan had been sent away. Now, the entire upper-ss circle in Casier knew that nobody in the Swanns could handle Catherine, the jinx who had returned from the countryside. Even their most precious son was sent to Dentler Academy because of Catherine. Rachael had be a joke, and she didn''t want to face people outside anymore. She spent her days venting her anger through excessive shopping. Liana, knowing she had made a mistake, didn''t dare to provoke her mother again. The most pitiful ones were the servants, who had to endure Rachael''s unpredictable temper every day. Korbin''s first reaction was to curse Rachael, but after some thought, he changed his attitude. He calmly told the butler, "Never mind, she''s been in a bad mood these days. Let her be." Then he added, "When Catherine returnster, bring her to me." The butler nodded respectfully and sighed in relief, "Copy that, Mr. Swann." Soon, the guards said that Audrey had brought Catherine back. This time, the butler immediately had someone brought them in. Audrey had received a call from Korbin''s secretary, telling her to bring Catherine back right away. Audrey rarely encountered such situations and thought something big had happened, so she promptly contacted Catherine. Originally, Catherine didn''t want toe, but Audrey insisted. In reality, Korbin''s secretary didn''t have Catherine''s contact information and had no choice but to contact Audrey. The two hurried back to the Swanns, and Audrey walked in with Catherine, not forgetting to reassure her, ''Kathy, don''t worry. I''ve got your back. If Dad and Mom give you a hard time, then we will leave!" Audrey also knew the situation with her parents and was concerned that Catherine might be mistreated. Catherine, with a cold expression and without saying a word, followed behind Audrey as they entered the house. In the living room, they saw that only Korbin was there. The room looked quite empty. Rachael and Liana were nowhere to be found, and the atmosphere in the living room felt unusually eerie. Seeing Catherine and Audrey enter, Korbin slowly lifted his head, took his cigar out of his mouth, and cast a cold gaze on them. "You''re here. Have a seat." Audrey took the initiative to ask Korbin after sitting down. "Dad, is it just you at home?" "Hmph," Korbin responded curtly, his attitude cold, as if he didn''t want to answer that question. Audrey felt a bit awkward and remained silent. Korbin shifted his gaze to Catherine. "I heard you know people from Hacker Alliance. What''s the situation?" Catherine''s attitude was even colder than Korbin''s. She remained silent. Korbin thought she hadn''t heard, so he asked again. However, Catherine still didn''t say anything. Now, Korbin was getting angry. In Korbin''s mind, Catherine''s behavior was more than just disrespect; it was ignorance. He frowned and stared at Catherine with an annoyed look. "Are you deaf or mute? Why aren''t you answering my question?" Catherine didn''t hold back and gave him a straight look, countering, "What about you then?" Korbin got what Catherine meant. She was ming him for not answering Audrey earlier. Well, she was really stubborn. Korbin could feel anger building up, but he tried to keep his cool and said to Catherine, "I''m your father. Do you understand?" Catherine just responded with an indifferent "Ok." Her attitude made Korbin even more furious. He had never met someone so disrespectful. Unfortunately, he didn''t know how to handle her. As tensions rose, Audrey stepped in to mediate. "Dad, Kathy, let''s have a calm conversation. Don''t get upset." Korbin used his eyes to signal Audrey, encouraging her to persuade Catherine. Audrey had to follow her father''s request and asked Catherine, "Kathy, do you know what the Hacker Alliance is? Have you heard of it?" Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 The Kindness C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. When Audrey asked her questions, Catherine stayed quiet, as if she didn¡¯t hear anything. Korbin, noticing Catherine¡¯s attitude, couldn¡¯t resist butin to Audrey, ¡°You see it too, right? It¡¯s not me being too tough on her. It¡¯s her attitude.¡± Audrey sat there feeling embarrassed, unsure of how to respond to her father. In her upbringing, Catherine¡¯s attitude was indeed inappropriate. After all, she was the daughter, and she shouldn¡¯t treat her father this way. However, Audrey also felt that Catherine had her reasons. Perhaps it was because Korbin didn¡¯t fully understand Catherine¡¯s personality, which had led to the current misunderstanding. Seeing her father turn away in frustration, Audrey had no choice but to try to persuade Catherine. After all, they were all family. ¡°Kathy, if you know anything about that Hacker Alliance, just let Dad know. We¡¯re all family, and there shouldn¡¯t be any secrets between us, right?¡± Catherine gave Audrey a cold look, but Audrey remained sincere, not at all intimidated by her. She even winked at Catherine, sending her a subtle message. After a few seconds of silence, Catherine turned her head and looked at Korbin with a cold gaze. Thinking that Audrey¡¯s words had worked, Korbin felt a bit pleased. However, Catherine didn¡¯t answer his. question. Instead, she asked a new one. ¡°Has Xavier contacted you?¡± Korbin was taken aback, not expecting Catherine to turn the tables on him. After a moment, he nodded and narrowed his eyes, signaling danger as he stared at Catherine. ¡°So, the photo Xavier showed me is real? You know members of the Hacker Alliance?¡± ¡°Not familiar,¡± Catherine replied inly because she wasn¡¯t lying. The Hacker Alliance had grown so large, with countless members scattered around the world. She was one of the founders of the Hacker Alliance, so how could she possibly know every member? They usually used chips to distinguish between friend and foe, with clear rank distinctions on the chips. She held the highest rank as one of the founders,. and ordinary members rarely had the opportunity to meet her. So, she told the truth. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not familiar with them?¡± Korbin stared at Catherine suspiciously, then continued to ask, ¡± So why did you help return the Winfreds ¡®secret son to them on behalf of a Hacker Alliance member?¡± ¡°Taking money to help people out is something Hacker Alliance members do in the ck market,¡± Catherine replied. Korbin now understood. Catherine knew some shady characters on the fringes of society, and he was aware of this. Those people were not to his liking at all. It seemed like Catherine¡¯s involvement with Xavier was purely coincidental. Knowing the reason behind this, Korbin secretly rejoiced. This meant that they had acquired the Winfreds¡¯ valuable resources all thanks to Xavier¡¯s misunderstanding, thinking that the Swanns were connected to Catherine and the Hacker Alliance. Now, all they had to do was find Erick and hand him over to the Winfreds for a profit. Seeing Korbin still, Audrey hesitated and spoke up, ¡°Dad, did you hear what Catherine just said?¡± Korbin¡¯s thoughts snapped back, and he unconsciously nced at Audrey. His cold stare had softened somewhat, and his voice was less stern than usual. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got it now. Since Catherine doesn¡¯t know them, there¡¯s no need to worry. You alle back, let¡¯s have a meal together before you leave.¡± Audrey was left speechless by Korbin¡¯s unexpected gentleness. It was the first time in so many years that he had spoken so softly. Moreover, their father inviting them to have a meal together was something they couldn¡¯t have imagined. Then, Korbin turned and headed to his study, as he still had important matters to attend to. The resources that the Winfreds were willing to give up were certainly significant, and Korbin was in a good mood. Naturally, he was much nicer to Audrey. After Korbin had vanished from sight, Audrey dared to approach Catherine and asked her in a hushed voice, ¡± Kathy, did Dad go crazy today?¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile inwardly. She didn¡¯t anticipate Audrey making such a bold statement. It looked like being around her had rubbed off on Audrey and made her adopt some cheeky habits. Korbin wasn¡¯t necessarily acting crazy. He was simply in a good mood and being more generous. As a wealthy family, inviting them for a meal was a minor gesture, especially since they were the Swanns¡¯ biological daughters. Catherine understood the reason for Korbin¡¯s happiness. Xavier must have offered something valuable to the Swanns in exchange for finding Erick, and this pleased Korbin greatly. While Catherine didn¡¯t know the specifics of their deal, she knew it must be highly beneficial to Korbin. Initially, Catherine didn¡¯t n to stay for dinner, but seeing Audrey so excited, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to refuse, so she agreed. Korbin not only asked them to stay for dinner but also ate with them. The long-lost fatherly affection left Audrey feeling a bit overwhelmed, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile with her hand covering her mouth throughout the entire dinner. After dinner, Audrey took Catherine and left. Korbin didn¡¯t say anything. It was better for Catherine to stay with Audrey instead of being at home and possibly having conflicts with Rachael. On the way back, Audrey was still in high spirits. ¡°Kathy, as I¡¯ve told you before, as long as we behave well, Dad will see our merits and eventually ept us,¡± she said. Catherine didn¡¯t intend to crush Audrey¡¯s hopes, but she also didn¡¯t want Audrey to have unrealistic expectations andter feel disappointed. So, she chose to gently remind Audrey. ¡°I don¡¯t need eptance from anyone in the Swanns.¡± Her cold tone was like a ssh of cold water, jolting Audrey back to reality. Audrey realized that Catherine was different from her. While Audrey had grown up around her parents, even though they weren¡¯t particrly affectionate, her grandfather had always treated her very well. She had afortable life growing up. If it wasn¡¯t for that awful man who hurt her grandfather and made her move out of the Swanns to live on her own, things would have been different. However, Catherine was sent to the countryside to fend for herself shortly after birth, and she went through a lot of hardships to get to where she was today. She likely had hard feelings towards her family. In reality, it should have been her epting her family, not the other way around. Once Audrey realized this, she understood that Catherine shouldn¡¯t be med for it. She could understand how Catherine felt. Audrey gently patted Catherine¡¯s shoulder to show her support and understanding. Looking at Audrey¡¯s expression, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. Did Audrey pity her? There was really no need for that! Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Branden¡¯s Cat In a remote estate in Casier. Triston was in high spirits today. He had organized a wine tasting event and brought out his long-cherished wines for the asion. What excited him even more was Branden¡¯s presence. He had initially thought that Branden wouldn¡¯t come, but to his surprise, he did. ¡°Branden, how¡¯s this wine? Pretty good, right?¡± This wine came from a vineyard in Veridonia and had been stored for thirty years. It was quite rare, and Triston had spared no expense to treat Branden. People outside saw Triston as a notorious yboy, always living it up and never getting down to serious business. He neglected the family¡¯s business and instead hung out with women, and purchased inds and vineyards. This was in stark contrast to Branden, who had been attending high-level meetings at the Duncan Corporation since he was eight. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. However, only Branden knew that Triston, in reality, was quite cunning. Despite his carefree image, every time he took action, he made a significant profit. To consistently make money in every business deal was no small feat, and Triston¡¯s exceptional performance showed his remarkable business talent. The Lamberts¡¯ situation was moreplicated than the Duncans¡¯, as Triston had an older brother, Michael. Michael had been groomed as the Lamberts¡¯ sessor since childhood, diligently preparing for over a decade. If Triston got too involved in business, there was a possibility that the Lamberts might choose a different sessor for their future interests. Triston¡¯s choice of a dissolute lifestyle was also for his brother¡¯s benefit. Combined with his naturally carefree personality, he felt even more at ease in this way. As for the judgments of society, Triston didn¡¯t care about that at all. Branden tilted his head back and downed the wine in his ss in one gulp. The warm yellow light highlighted his perfect jawline, making him look so handsome that it took one¡¯s breath away. Triston could tell from Branden¡¯s expression that he was very satisfied with the wine. In Casier¡¯s high society, here was always this puzzling question. In theory, someone like Branden, with his personality, should have be friends with Michael, the Lamberts¡¯ sessor. However, Branden didn¡¯t interact much with Michael, and their limited contact was mostly due to Triston, who appeared a dandy. Triston confidently approached Branden, wearing a friendly smile. ¡± Branden, I saved some of this wine for you. I¡¯ll ask someone to deliver it to your ce, how about that?¡± Without even looking, Branden could tell what was on Triston¡¯s mind. ¡°Go ahead, what do you want?¡± Upon hearing this, Triston couldn¡¯t help butugh happily. ¡°You know me the best!¡± he said. Then he continued, ¡°Branden, do you know what the Winfreds are up to now? I received word that the Winfreds have allied with the Swanns!¡± Like the Lamberts, the Swanns had been doing well in Casier¡¯s business scene. However, with the presence of the Duncans, it was challenging for the Lamberts to expand further. To break through, they had to venture into Oceanvile, an area the Duncans hadn¡¯t explored much. Two years ago, Michael had extended the Lamberts¡¯ business there. If the Winfreds were really cooperating with the Swanns, they needed to be prepared. It wasn¡¯t that the Lamberts were afraid of the Swanns. It was just that the Swanns were different now. The current leader of the Swanns was Catherine, whom Branden had openly acknowledged as his fianc¨¦e. The Lamberts couldn¡¯t risk damaging their long-standing rtionship with the Duncans for the sake of any profit in Oceanvile. That was why Michael contacted Triston to gather information. If the Swanns were serious about coborating with the Winfreds, then the Lamberts needed to prepare in advance. Just three minutes ago, Branden had received a message. Erick had been ced in Sean¡¯s ce by Catherine. Even though the Winfreds and the Swanns didn¡¯t know yet, it was just a matter of time before it became known. Branden slowly stood up and gave his answer. ¡°Catherine won¡¯t coborate with the Winfreds!¡± Given Catherine¡¯s personality, since the Winfreds had deceived her once, she wouldn¡¯t give them another chance. Triston paused for a moment, then realized what Branden meant. Branden was referring to Catherine, not the Swanns. That meant that there was indeed a coboration between the Swanns and the Winfreds, but the one in charge was Korbin, not Catherine. As long as it wasn¡¯t Catherine getting involved, it had nothing to do with the Duncans. So, whether the Winfreds could join forces with the Swanns depended on whether the Lamberts would agree to it. Even though the Swanns and the Lamberts were both prestigious among Casier¡¯s four noble families, if the Lamberts decided to target the Swanns, the Swanns wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. Branden prepared to leave, his eyes falling on the strawberries Triston had prepared for guests. The fresh strawberries were big, red, and extremely tempting. This basket of strawberries had just been won at an auction in an ind country¡¯s market, and it was incredibly sweet. Recalling thest time Catherine ate strawberries and made a face because they were a bit sour, Branden said with a serious tone, ¡°Add these to the delivery and send them to my apartment.¡± Triston followed Branden¡¯s gaze towards the strawberries on the table and quickly nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrangeter!¡± Considering the big favor Branden had just done, sending some strawberries was only fair. Although these strawberries were expensive, Branden¡¯s help made the cost worthwhile. After Branden left, someone nearby became curious and approached Triston to ask, ¡°I never saw Mr. Duncan eat a single strawberry during the whole event. Why did he ask to take some with him as he left?¡± Branden hadn¡¯t eaten anything throughout the wine-tasting event. It seemed strange that he would want to take some strawberries with him as he left. The person asking this question was trying to find out Branden¡¯s preferences. Countless people wished they had the chance to meet Branden, but it was nearly impossible. If they could discover what Branden liked, it would be seen as quite an achievement. Triston understood this guy¡¯s intentions and gave him a disdainful look, saying, ¡°This isn¡¯t for him, it¡¯s clearly for his cat!¡± The guy was stunned. Branden had a pet cat? He hadn¡¯t heard about this. Indeed, even giving such fancy fruit to a cat revealed that this was a world of super-rich elites beyond the understanding of regr folks. Triston also stared at the te of strawberries, contemting. Right now, the only thing he was grateful for was that Catherine hadn¡¯t agreed to cooperate with the Winfreds. However, because Branden had a strong liking for Catherine, if she tried to persuade him, he might have shifted his focus and caused trouble for the Lamberts. The Lamberts would be in big trouble if that¡¯s the case. Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Backing Triston¡¯s estate served multiple purposes. The top floor was his private space for hosting guests. The first and second floors housed a bar and club, respectively. Triston had developed this entire estate to the fullest. Apart from ¡°Charm Bar,¡± this club was also very well-known in Casier. Many wealthy people frequented it for leisure. One had to pass through the first floor to leave the top floor. After concluding his discussion with Triston, Branden descended from the top floor. Branden nced at an open private room as he walked through the first floor. He noticed someone he knew inside, which caught his attention. Paxton noticed that Branden had suddenly stopped, and following Branden¡¯s gaze, he saw Audrey standing in the private room. Audrey was with a few fat men, and one of them, the film producer Jeff Baker, was seen holding a ss and pouring Audrey a drink. Considering Audrey¡¯s rtionship with Catherine, Paxton proactively asked, ¡± Mr. Duncan, should I go over?¡± Branden didn¡¯t respond to him but instead walked directly toward the private room. This surprised Paxton once again, as Branden was usually indifferent to such matters. If it had been Catherine inside, he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised, but for Branden to personally intervene for Catherine¡¯s sister indicated that Catherine held a significant ce in his heart. The once lively private room suddenly became eerie. The intense atmosphere made everyone look towards where the strange feeling came from. Among the film producers, some recognized Branden and quickly stood up, approaching him with great respect. ¡°Mr. Duncan, such an honor to see you! ¡°Mr. Duncan, so good to see you!¡± In Casier, when someone was addressed as ¡°Mr. Duncan¡± and treated with such respect by Mr. Baker, who was typically quite arrogant, it was clear that there was likely no one else but Branden who could command such reverence. Everyone was shocked and didn¡¯t understand why Branden hade over. Branden nced coldly at Audrey, who was standing nearby, and Audrey immediately lowered her head. Given Catherine¡¯s rtionship with Branden, Audrey could consider Branden as someone close to him. Being caught in such a situation by Branden, Audrey felt incredibly embarrassed. Jeff followed Branden¡¯s gaze and saw Audrey¡¯s reaction, which surprised him. There had been rumors in the industry about Audrey having a powerful background, but she hadn¡¯t made much impact after her appearance on the variety show. She would have already had plenty of acting chances if she had such strong connections. So whye to him for a role in his movies? Jeff didn¡¯t think much of it and, seeing Audrey¡¯s attractive looks and figure had thought of having some fun with her. He hadn¡¯t expected her to know Branden. Now, he was doomed! If he upset Branden, it wouldn¡¯t just affect him in Casier. Jeff was concerned he might be unable to work in the industry anymore. Jeff felt highly anxious, like waiting for an impending storm. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Branden didn¡¯t say anything. He simply turned and walked away. Audrey understood that Branden had looked at her before leaving, signaling her to follow him. Branden¡¯s strong presence made Audrey not dare to oppose him, so she obediently followed him. Before leaving, she also apologized to Jeff. ¡°Mr. Baker, I¡¯m sorry, I must go now.¡± Jeff couldn¡¯t me Audrey for anything but felt grateful for her. ¡°Miss Swann, take your time. We can discuss the contract signing tomorrow. Audrey gave a bitter smile, thinking about how superficial society could be. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Just a moment ago, Jeff acted as if he wouldn¡¯t cast her in his movies without taking advantage of her. Now, he was willingly offering a contract, all because of Branden¡¯s influence. Knowing that Branden was waiting, Audrey didn¡¯t dare hesitate. She nodded casually and walked out the door quickly. As she reached the doorway, she noticed a ck Maybach parked outside. The car door was open, indicating that it was waiting for her to get in. Audrey sensed the tense atmosphere in the car but understood that disobeying Branden could have serious consequences. In the end, she forced herself to get into the car. Inside the car, she saw it slowly heading towards the apartment. Branden also lived in that area, so this was probably just a convenient ride he offered her. Audrey secretly breathed a sigh of relief but remained tense. The car was eerily quiet, and even the sound of breathing was distinct. Her scalp tingled with anxiety, and she tried to speak several times but was subdued by Branden¡¯s imposing presence. Finally, she mustered the courage to speak. ¡°Mr. Duncan, can I ask you for a favor?¡± Audrey sat in the back seat, separated from the front by a partition. The car was initially silent, and with Paxton¡¯s excellent hearing, he also heard Audrey¡¯s words clearly. A trace of disdain crossed Paxton¡¯s lips. He had seen countless women like Audrey. In his eyes, perhaps Branden would help her out of respect for his sister Catherine. After all, asking Branden for a favor was a better choice than mingling with those older men. Branden heard Audrey speaking, turned his head to look at her, and motioned for her to continue. Seeing that Branden wasn¡¯t angry and remainedposed, Audrey finally dared to speak slowly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I just want to ask you not to tell Catherine about this, would that be alright?¡± Audrey had Kim take her out to socialize because she didn¡¯t want to burden Catherine. Catherine had endured a lot, and now that she was back from the countryside and dating Branden, her future looked promising. How could she bear to see Catherine humbling herself for her sake? Having grown up in high society, Audrey knew all too well how important it was to have a powerful husband. In this world, a husband¡¯s power determines his wife¡¯s social standing and honor. Though it might sound harsh, it was the reality. Catherine had asked Branden for help several times before to make Audrey¡¯s path easier, ensuring she could join variety shows without fearing retaliation orpromising herself. But Audrey didn¡¯t want to rely on Catherine all the time. She was Catherine¡¯s elder sister, she would need to be stronger. Even though she couldn¡¯t help Catherine with the Swanns¡¯ issue, Audrey hoped to be there for Catherine in other ways. In the future, she wanted to be Catherine¡¯s support and help her gain a higher standing in Branden¡¯s eyes. Chapter 334 ?Chapter 334 The Affection Branden and Audrey returned together, and as soon as the elevator doors opened, they happened to see Catherineing out. The encounter of the three seemed somewhat awkward. Catherine had her hands in her pockets, standing there with a carefree attitude. Audrey, on the other hand, appeared somewhat awkward and had an inexplicable feeling of being caught off guard! Once she realized it, Audrey quickly distanced herself from Branden, who was initially quite far away. "Kathy, please don''t misunderstand. I just happened to run into Mr. Duncan, and he knew I wasing back, so he gave me a ride back!" Audrey exined anxiously. Catherine looked at Audrey calmly. Compared to Audrey''s flustered state, Catherine seemed much moreposed.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. To Catherine, it was usual for Branden to run into Audrey and give her a ride home. So, Catherine wondered why Audrey seemed so nervous. "What''s wrong?" Catherine asked. Audrey paused briefly, relieved that Catherine didn''t suspect anything. "Nothing, absolutely nothing!" she said. Then Audrey continued, "Kathy, it''s alreadyte. Are you nning to go out?" Catherine nodded slightly. "I''m hungry!" Audrey was surprised and worried, "You haven''t had dinner yet?" Branden had social obligations tonight, so he hadn''t made dinner for Catherine. Catherine had initially nned to have dinner with Ronin, but when she arrived at the restaurant with him, the dishes didn''t appeal to her. She had only eaten a little. Feeling a bit hungry now, Catherine had just gone out to find something to eat and unexpectedly bumped into Audrey. Branden stood by silently, raising his eyebrows when he heard that Catherine hadn''t even had dinner. "Why haven''t you eaten yet?" Branden asked. Catherine just stared at him, not saying a thing, with a determined look in her eyes. Branden could read something from her eyes and let out a resigned sigh. It seemed like he needed to find a chef and learn some recipes because Catherine was bing increasingly picky. "Would you like me to make some noodles for you?" he asked. His voice carried a rare gentleness filled with affection and tenderness. Catherine took a moment to think and then nodded casually. Audrey was quite puzzled. Branden was usually serious and aloof outside, but he seemed so easygoing and approachable in front of her sister. It was genuinely intriguing. Branden extended his hand and brushed aside a few loose strands of hair from Catherine''s shoulder. He gently said, "Take a rest for a bit. It''ll be ready in ten minutes." "Okay," Catherine obediently nodded and turned to enter the apartment. Branden then followed them inside. Audrey could see that Branden was genuinely caring for her sister. If it were an ordinary man, she might have had some reservations. But when someone was as remarkable as Branden, there was no need for more scrutiny. As soon as Catherine entered the apartment, she flopped herself onto the sofa,zily lying down. Audrey, equally exhausted,y down beside her. "Kathy, there''s something I think I should talk to you about," Audrey said. Catherine let out a muffled sound with her eyes closed, indicating for Audrey to continue. As sisters, there were no taboo topics between them. "Kathy, you see how incredible Mr. Duncan is. Don''t you think you should make your move? A guy like Mr. Duncan probably has many women lining up for him out there!" Although Audrey felt it might be a bit early to talk to her younger sister about this, she couldn''t help but worry. Audrey was worried about her sister, Catherine, even though she thought Branden truly liked Catherine. She was concerned because many other women were also interested in Branden. Catherine raised an eyebrow, her gaze piercing as she looked at Audrey. Audrey felt a shiver down her spine under Catherine''s intense scrutiny. "Kathy, why are you looking at me like that?" Audrey asked, confused by Catherine''s unusual expression. She wondered if she had said something wrong, causing Catherine to give her such a strange look. Catherine replied calmly and straightforwardly, "So, you were rushing to exin earlier because you were afraid I''d get the wrong idea about you and Branden?" Audrey blushed and lowered her head. Although Branden was an exceptional man, he was already her sister''s boyfriend, and Audrey would never entertain any inappropriate thoughts about him. Her exnation earlier had only been to ensure that Catherine didn''t misunderstand. Catherine couldn''t understand what Audrey was thinking. She couldn''t figure out why Audrey would have such thoughts. If a man wanted to cheat, no amount of watching would prevent it. If a man were faithful to his rtionship, no matter how tempting other women might be, he wouldn''t be swayed. As for Branden, it was true that many women were interested in him. After all, finding someone more outstanding than him in Casier was not easy. It was unlikely for Catherine to keep worrying about someone trying to take Branden away. If Branden ever cheated, Catherine would deal with him firmly. She believed she could get whatever she wanted, no matter the cost. Audrey couldn''t help but feel that Catherine''s expression was somewhat terrifying at that moment. Just as Audrey was about to say something to ease the awkward atmosphere, Catherine''s phone suddenly rang. and she nced at it before standing up, saying, "I''m going to eat!" Audrey nodded without hesitation, almost blurting out, "Sure!" When Catherine opened the door, she saw the kitchen door was already open. Branden was casually leaning against the doorframe, with the backlight highlighting his tall, lean figure. He waved his hand towards her in the backlight, signaling for her toe closer. As if under a spell, Catherine didn''t hesitate and instinctively walked towards him. The familiar scent became stronger as she got closer, and Catherine was captivated by its delightful fragrance. Branden instinctively took her hand and guided her into the dining room. The pasta primavera, rich with vors and aromas, was incredibly tasty. It was quite different from Catherine''s usual preference for spicy food. Even though there weren''t any spices in the pasta, Catherine didn''t find it unpleasant. In fact, she couldn''t wait to eat. She knew Branden was a skilled hunter. He excelled at the art of seduction, patiently setting traps and enticing his prey step by step, making them willingly fall into his snare. Branden handed her a fork, encouraging her to enjoy the pasta. Catherine didn''t hesitate and took a bite of it. Just as she had expected, it was incredibly delicious. The broth was full of vor. It was cooked well and very tasty. Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Sweet Strawberries Branden didn¡¯t seem hungry at all, as there was only a te of pasta primavera on the table. While Catherine was eating, he sat quietly by her side. asionally, he picked up his phone to attend to messages, seemingly working. Even though he was wrapped up in work, Branden still watched Catherine closely, never taking his eyes off her. Unlike Catherine¡¯s dominating and cold demeanor, she was exceptionally graceful while eating, clearly indicating the strict training she had likely received since childhood. She ate quickly but with a touch of elegance in every bite. Catherine had a rhythmic way of eating, taking a bite of pasta followed by a sip of soup, almost like a well-rehearsed performance. Before long, Catherine had polished off her pasta primavera, leaving just a bit of soup. She gently pushed her empty te forward as if showing off her aplishment. Branden¡¯s hands, calloused from years of gun practice, gently brushed her cheek. Catherine was quite familiar with those calluses, and their location revealed his frequent shooting practice. Catherine had simr calluses once, but Ronin had discovered them. Ronin had forced her to apply various softening creams, transforming her callused hands into the soft, delicate ones they were now. ording to Ronin, a girl¡¯s hands should be soft and smooth. Catherine didn¡¯t really mind, but since Ronin insisted, she went along with it. Branden¡¯s deep, raspy voice whispered, ¡°Babe, just rx for a bit, and I¡¯ll join you once I¡¯m done with the dishes.¡± At first, Catherine wanted to refuse him. After all, she wasn¡¯t a child. She didn¡¯t need him to look after her. But when she looked into Branden¡¯s gentle eyes as she raised her head, all the words she had nned to say disappeared. Branden¡¯s eyes were not just good- looking. They had a way of convincing people, and whatever he said was hard to resist. Catherine had to go along with whatever he wanted. If Ronin were here, he would surely be surprised. After all, Catherine had never been this obedient before. Branden arranged Catherine on her favorite recliner sofa and let her y games on her phone while he worked beside her. Half an hour went by, and Catherine¡¯s game ended with her expected win. She ced her phone down, ready to give her eyes a rest. Branden had alsopleted his work and shut hisptop. Just when he was about to turn to Catherine, the doorbell suddenly rang. Catherine looked at Branden, and he signaled for her to stay put. Then, Branden got up and went to open the door. The visitor was someone Triston had sent to deliver things. When he saw Branden, he greeted him respectfully. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Mr. Lambert asked us to deliver these items. Where would you like them ced?¡± he asked. Branden stepped aside and let him in, indicating that he should ce the wine on the floor. The guy acted with great care. Once everything settled, he slowly backed out, and just as he turned to leave, he happened to catch a glimpse of Catherine reclining on the sofa. In just one look, he was stunned by Catherine¡¯s stunning beauty. He never thought he would run into such a stunning girl in the world, as if she was a princess who stepped out of a fairy tale. But he dared not sneak another peek, promptly lowered his head, and quietly left. No wonder Triston had been telling his friendstely that Branden was in love and didn¡¯t have time to hang out with them. It would be odd for any man to want to go out when there¡¯s such beauty at home. Catherine had noticed the guy looking at her, but she saw no reason to confront him since he meant no offense. Once the man left, Branden closed the door and brought a box of strawberries over to Catherine. Because Catherine was sitting, he half- squatted to ce the box of strawberries in front of her. ¡°Do you want to eat them now, or should I wait?¡± he asked. The strawberries were a bright red, with dewdrops glistening, showing how fresh they were. Their sweet aroma wafted through the air, enticing anyone who caught a whiff. Their sweet aroma wafted through the air, enticing anyone who caught a whiff. Catherine wasn¡¯t usually a fan of fruit, but Branden always took care to present it to her. Today, the strawberries looked very tempting, and she felt like trying them. She nodded as she looked at the strawberries, unconsciously licking her lips. Branden kept his eyes on her the entire time and couldn¡¯t resist the temptation either. His usually strong self-control crumbled in Catherine¡¯s presence. He quickly lowered his head. Branden whispered in a husky voice that carried a hint of unease. ¡°I¡¯ll wash the strawberries.¡± Catherine was puzzled and looked up. She saw Branden almost running away. She smiled faintly. She recalled a fellow trainee back at Creybia, Theisia, who was self-assured and lived avish lifestyle. Catherine didn¡¯t think highly of Theisia, who spent her time surrounded by different men, relying on her looks. However, Theisia had told her that she didn¡¯t truly know men. She mentioned that when Catherine became interested in a guy, she would also be curious about his body. At this moment, it seemed she had developed an urge to know Branden more. How amusing! With Branden devoting all his patience to her, should she perhaps give something back? As a way of saying thanks? Branden spent half an hour in the kitchen washing the strawberries before finally walking out. Hearing footsteps, Catherinezily opened her eyes and shot him a casual look. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Her gaze was like a light breeze that gave one a brief, ticklish sensation and vanishedpletely when one tried to catch it. Catherine gazed up at Branden, her lips painted a bold red and curved into a slight smile. Her tone was composed as she asked, ¡°Why did it take so long?¡± Indeed, it did take quite a while to wash those strawberries! Although Branden knew she was teasing him, he didn¡¯t show the slightest sign of annoyance. He grabbed a fresh strawberry from the bowl and held it up to Catherine¡¯s mouth. Catherine simply opened her mouth, not bothering to lift her head, and let Branden feed her without any fuss. The juice slid down her rosy lips, and it tasted incredibly delicious. Branden withdrew his hand, lightly licking his fingers. With that handsome face and the way he did it, it was utterly breathtaking! ¡°It¡¯s sweet!¡± he said after tasting. His deep, controlled voice, oozing irresistible masculinity, almost drove Catherine wild! At that moment, Catherine couldn¡¯t contain herself any longer and jumped up, making her quick getaway. Was Catherine a deserter for the first time? Branden¡¯s sensuous lips curled into a subtle smile while watching Catherine¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°Hmph, now we¡¯re even,¡± he thought with a sense of satisfaction. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 The League In the blink of an eye, it was time for the National Literary and Art League. Loyalty Academy had a total of three slots, and ss 8 managed to secure two of them. The principal specifically instructed their homeroom teacher, Myra, to keep a close eye on these two teams and do her best to bring glory to the school. Myra wasn¡¯t worried about Liana¡¯s team at all. Liana worked harder than anyone else. Even the school¡¯s music department teachers praised her as a promising talent, noting how diligently she practiced daily. On the other hand, Catherine¡¯s team was rarely seen rehearsing, which always left Myra sighing. There were three people on that team. Ronin was quite unruly, and Myra couldn¡¯t seem to get any chance to communicate with him. As for Bryan, his enthusiasm for participation was rtively low from the start. Myra had no choice but to approach Catherine, who appeared the most difficult to get close to, but still had some room for negotiation. ¡°Catherine, for the National Literary and Art League, I hope you all will take it more seriously. I¡¯m not saying you have to win, although winning would be awesome. But could you practice more in your free time?¡± Myra spoke cautiously, not knowing why she always felt nervous around Catherine. Although she was Catherine¡¯s teacher. However, Catherine¡¯s natural presence made her feel a certain sense of awe, causing her to speak more carefully. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but be amused by Myra¡¯s humble demeanor. ¡°Miss Joyce, does our performance affect your job evaluation?¡± Catherine was initially speaking casually, but unexpectedly, she hit the mark. Myra awkwardly nodded. ¡°In some way, yes.¡± Then, she lowered her voice and said, ¡± Let me tell you a secret. The principal has hinted at me. If you guys manage to perform well this time, I might not only get a bonus but also have a shot at a promotion!¡± Seeing Myra¡¯s delighted expression, Catherine found her particrly adorable. Myra was a decent, fair- minded woman who always stood up for Catherine. Catherine raised an eyebrow, giving Myra a meaningful look, and whispered. ¡°Miss Joyce, rx. Your promotion and sry raise are just around the corner!¡± After saying that, she walked confidently toward the ssroom. Myra was still standing there, feeling a bit stunned. She thought, ¡°Is Catherine a bit too confident?¡± But why did she feel like Catherine¡¯s words made a lot of sense as if the championship trophy was already theirs? So odd! After returning to the ssroom, Ronin excitedly looked at Catherine and shared thetest news. ¡°Catherine, I just got a message from the organizingmittee. Thepetition rules have changed.¡± Bryan, seated nearby, also caught wind of this news and promptly furrowed his brow. ¡°Why would they change the rules at thest minute when the first round begins tomorrow? What on earth were the organizers thinking?¡± Usually, the organizers would notify the participants of any rule changes at least half a month to a month in advance, giving them time to prepare. This sudden change in rules was highly unusual. ¡°Ronin, are you sure you got the message right?¡± Bryan asked skeptically. Ronin red at him, ¡°Nah! Do you think I could get my sources wrong?¡± On the contrary, Catherine remained insteadposed. ¡°Ronin, what are the new rules?¡± she asked. What mattered most now wasn¡¯t assigning me to the organizers but knowing thetest rules and figuring out how to adapt. ¡°Catherine, the message from the organizers says they¡¯ve changed the evaluation criteria to a comprehensive assessment. It¡¯s not just about one thing anymore. They¡¯ll be looking at vocal skills, dance abilities, and stage creativity. All of that counts toward the scores now!¡± Ronin exined. Upon hearing this, Bryan was shocked. ¡°That¡¯s a big change!¡± Although Bryan wasn¡¯t majoring in performing arts or music, he understood how significant these changes could be for the oue. Changes like these wouldn¡¯t be announced so close to the competition without a reason. ¡°Ronin, do you still think there¡¯s no issue here?¡± Catherine asked. Ronin sighed in frustration. ¡± Catherine, it¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t think someone from the organizers would mess with this and deliberately dy telling us. Everyone else got the message before us.¡± To win apetition, one could resort to various means. Finding out the mastermind behind this maniption wouldn¡¯t be easy. During the previous school celebration g, Catherine¡¯s team performed exceptionally well, impressing many professionals who thought they were incredibly talented. Someone might want to hinder them, preventing them from winning the championship. Investigating would take time, and thepetition might already be over by the time they uncovered the culprits. What would be the point then? Ronin, seeing Catherine¡¯s silence, made a suggestion. ¡°Catherine, how about we start practicing choreography now? If we dedicate the whole day to practice today, maybe we¡¯ll make it in time!¡± Their bodies were agile, and with diligent practice, they might not achieve the best results, but they could still make some progress. Catherine gave Ronin a sidelong nce, her eyes carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. ¡°Do you want to work me to death?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Making her practice dance all night? Ronin¡¯s idea was quite demanding! Being scolded by Catherine, Ronin realized she had a point. It wasn¡¯t worth exhausting Catherine like this just for apetition. Observing Catherine¡¯s calm demeanor, Bryan believed she probably had another n. After all, Catherine had never disappointed them before. ¡°Catherine, if you happen to have any ns, please just tell us. Don¡¯t keep us hanging,¡± Bryan urged. He felt they could either choose not to participate or participate without worrying too much about the oue. However, they would be very disappointed if they fell victim to such schemes and didn¡¯t achieve a good ranking. Catherine remainedposed, showing no signs of nervousness. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see. Tomorrow¡¯s performance will go ahead as scheduled,¡± she replied before resting her head on the desk. Although Bryan didn¡¯tpletely understand, he didn¡¯t dare to press for more details. The three of them concentrated on the new rules, unaware that a pair of intense eyes was observing them from the sidelines. Liana had received notification from the organizingmittee a month ago, and she also knew one crucial detail: Catherine and her team had not received any notice about the rule change! When Ronin had mentioned it earlier, Liana overheard and couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. In her eyes, it was all Catherine¡¯s fault for seeking the spotlight and rubbing people the wrong way. Otherwise, why would someone want to scheme against her? She was eager to see how badly Catherine would lose once thepetition began. Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 National Literary and Art League On the day of the National Literary and Art League. To support the three teams they had sent out, Loyalty Academy allowed all the students to end school earlier so that the students could go and support their fellow schoolmates. Because this was the National Literary and Art League, all the participating teams were elites sent from the various prestigious high schools. Hence, although this was only the preliminary rounds, it garnered the entire nation¡¯s attention. As long as one had ess to the inte, one would be able to witness this sensationalpetition. Some celebrity teams had arge fanbase online. Take the representative team from Belmont High School as an example. As the most esteemed art academy in the nation, students who graduated from there always entered the entertainment industry. Many students already drew public attention when they enrolled in Belmont High School. The students representing Belmont High School were determined to win. Their only goal was to win thispetition. As the team¡¯s representative, Ronin went up to draw lots to decide on the order in which their group would perform. After what happenedst time, Ronin was more vignt. He would cripple the legs of whoever dared target them! ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll go to draw the lots now! ¡± he said. Catherine nodded. Compared to the tense and nervous feeling of the people around her, who seemed combat- ready, Catherine did not seem like one who was here for apetition. Even those invited to be spectators of thepetition were more excited than her. The lots were drawn quickly. Ronin came back cheerfully and showed Catherine the lot. ¡°Catherine, we are the eighth team, which means we¡¯re in the middle. It¡¯s perfect!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Their team was neither too front nor back. Ronin felt that he was very lucky to draw such a lot. Upon hearing the result, Catherine was a little displeased. She was hoping that their team could be the first. That way, after their performance, she could go back and sleep! If it were not for the fact that she had to fight for the honor of her ss, she would not even bother participating! For her ss to rise in the ranks, Catherine had no choice but to participate in thispetition. Liana had drawn the lot earlier than Ronin. Her team was second and would start their performance earlier. Catherine checked the time. Realizing that it was still early, she turned to Ronin, who was standing beside her. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest for a bit. Wake me up when it¡¯s our turn,¡± she instructed. The students of ss 8 were beside Catherine and the rest of the team, apanying them. When they heard what Catherine said, everyone was startled. This was the National Literary and Art League! It was okay if Catherine was not nervous, but should she not use this time to go over the song lyrics and the movements? She still wanted to sleep? It was apparent that Catherine did not take the National Literary and Art League seriously at all! However, Ronin did not have a problem with that. He even changed his position and blocked the light shining on Catherine¡¯s face. When everyone saw that, they knew that this fellow was hopeless. The students of ss 8 turned their gazes to Bryan, hoping he was rational enough to persuade Catherine. ¡°Bryan, aren¡¯t you going to do anything about this?¡± Bryan nced at the ssmate who had said that and rolled his eyes. ¡°What do you want me to do? If you have the guts, you do it!¡± If that ssmate did not have the guts, he should not havee and annoyed him like so. Nobody had the guts, so why did they think that he was brave enough to do so? It was a well-known fact that Catherine should not be disturbed while sleeping. He did not want to take this risk. What was the worst that could happen? At most, they would be the team that was rankedst. Between offending Catherine and embarrassing themselves, Bryan would choose thetter option without hesitation. Beingst was a small matter, but he would be in big trouble if he offended Catherine! Ronin did not want to do anything, and Bryan was not gutsy enough to do anything. In the end, everyone could only helplessly watch Catherine sleep openly in a venue where all eyes were on them. She was most definitely the only one like that. Meanwhile, at the Duncan Corporation. Someone who should have been in a meeting with his executives was now sitting in front of arge screen and watching the National Literary and Art League with Triston. Triston could not help but grumble when he saw the host talking non-stop. ¡°Mr. Duncan, why is the host talking so much? She should hurry up and announce the start of the competition! Isn¡¯t Kathy going to bepeting today? I¡¯m waiting to watch that!¡± Bright and early in the morning, Yesenia had sent many messages in the group chat. She told them that Catherine waspeting today in a nationwidepetition and hoped everyone could tune in to support Catherine. Initially, Triston thought that judging from how much Branden doted on Catherine, he would be at the scene to support Catherine. Unexpectedly, Branden was in his office. Triston thought that if he had not rushed over and turned on the large monitor, Branden might not have even watched the live broadcast. Seeing that Branden did not answer him, Triston could not resist adding, ¡± Mr. Duncan, why do I feel that you¡¯re not concerned about this at all? If I didn¡¯te, you wouldn¡¯t have watched the live broadcast?¡± Even Paxton, standing at the side, felt that Triston was babbling too much, not to mention Branden. ¡°Why would Triston think that if he didn¡¯te, Mr. Duncan wouldn¡¯t watch the live broadcast?¡± he thought. Branden had already instructed him to cancel a very important meeting very early on. After that, he had been waiting for thepetition to begin. Triston was merely behaving like a smart alec. Triston wanted to say something else, but Branden nced at him. Triston¡¯s face turned ashen white in fear, and he hurriedly shut his mouth. He could offend anyone except for Branden! The director switched the scene from the host to the audience and the waiting area. Although it was just a second, Branden still caught sight of that beautiful figure. Among all thepetitors, she seemed so out of the ordinary. Branden wanted to phone her but stopped himself. Since Catherine was resting, he decided not to disturb her. That way, she could have a good rest. When Catherine set out this morning, Branden had personally sent her to the venue. Before she got out of the car, Branden specifically asked her if she wanted him to go with her. In the end, she rejected him without any hesitation. Catherine was the only one who would reject him so promptly and arrogantly. He would listen to her since she did not want him to go. Branden would only go if she told him to. Back to thepetition venue. After giving the basic opening speech, the host introduced thepetition¡¯s judges. There was not only a highly reputed and respected elderly senior in the arts industry but also a famous manager in the entertainment industry. In the end, the host also introduced a mysterious judge. The host blinked her eyes and stared in fascination below the stage. ¡°Come, let us wee the dream man of millions of girls, Grayson Clifford!¡± When they were promoting the show, the production team only mentioned that there would be a mysterious guest. Everyone guessed that that person would be Grayson. However, no one expected that Grayson would appear as a mentor and a judge. This implied that Grayson, who never participated in any variety show, would be here from the preliminary rounds until the finals as a judge. This news resounded in everyone¡¯s ears like a thunderp. Everyone burst into an excited uproar. Catherine was in deep sleep when she suddenly heard the environment be noisy. She opened her eyes in a daze. ¡°Is there an earthquake?¡± she murmured. Using his phone at the side, Ronin heard her words and answered, ¡°No, it¡¯s not an earthquake. They just announced that Grayson is a judge. Go ahead and sleep. When it¡¯s our turn, I¡¯ll wake you up.¡± Catherine made a muffled sound of acknowledgment before turning her head and sleeping again. The people around them, who were initially excited, heard Ronin and Catherine¡¯s conversation. All of them stopped their actions. What kind of queer team was this? This seemed like it was made up of a mistress and her servant. Why were they not the least bit excited about such astonishing news? If this continued, they felt nothing would affect Catherine¡¯s sleep, not even if the sky fell! Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Are You Blind? Thepetition officially began. Because it was the preliminary rounds, it was rtively simple. Each team had five to ten minutes of performance time. After ten minutes, the music would automatically stop, signaling their time was over. After the sixth team finished their performance, Ronin still did not intend to wake Catherine. When Bryan saw that, he became a little anxious. He reached out to push Ronin, who was ying games on his phone and said in a low voice, ¡°Stop ying. It¡¯s almost our turn to go backstage and prepare.¡± The ninth and tenth team was eagerly awaiting their turn to perform. However, being the eighth team, they were still behaving in an unhurried manner. The lead singer was still sleeping! Ronin looked at Bryan disdainfully.¡± What¡¯s the hurry? It¡¯s not as if you¡¯re rushing to meet your end.¡± Bryan¡¯s temper sparked upon hearing his words. He wanted to charge toward Ronin and fight him. However, it was almost their turn to perform, so Bryan could only give up on that notion. He would endure it first! Bryan suppressed his anger, and Ronin did not push his luck, too. He patted Catherine¡¯s shoulder lightly and said, ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s almost our turn to perform!¡± Following that, he heard a pleasant- sounding voice. ¡°Okay.¡± Although the sound was soft, there was a seductive tinge in her hoarse voice. It was extremely pleasing to the ears. After that, Catherine removed the hat covering her face, revealing her beautiful features. Liana¡¯s team was one of the earlier ones to perform, so they had already ended their performance some time ago. Having mingled in the art industry for a long time, Liana knew many people. She was acquainted with many participating teams. At this moment, Liana had her arm linked with another girl¡¯s. That girl was the team leader of Belmont High School¡¯s representative team and the campus belle. It was said that she was an all-rounded artist. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Her name was Emma Hazel. Hailing from a family of performers, Emma learned the cello since young. She was well-known in the music industry for being an exceptional and gifted cellist. Moreover, she was even hailed as the hope of all cellists in Casier. However, when she was taking the admission examination for the art academy, this genius, who had a guaranteed spot overseas, gave up on that chance and her career as a cellist that she had been pursuing. Instead, she chose to enroll at the famous Belmont High School. Although Belmont High School was also an art academy, it was not a school that nurtured artists. Instead, many students would be sent into the entertainment industry every year. Everyone was puzzled by Emma¡¯s decision. They felt she was akin to a star that had fallen from the sky and wasted her marvelous talent. However, by the principle, ¡°A real diamond never loses its shine,¡± Emma proved everyone wrong. She was an amazing cellist. Despite giving up on that career path, when she entered Belmont High School, she was like gold and continued excelling in everything she did. Many entertainment agencies were desperate to have a look at this beautiful and talented rising star. Especially since Emma was born into a family of performers, many of her elders had a say within the industry. Many people were certain that Emma could quickly be the most popr and youngest actress once she entered the entertainment industry. Emma had not even officially entered the entertainment industry yet, but many people had heard of her name. Once she became formally part of that industry, with some promotion and marketing, and as long as she had a natural appeal to the public, she could be renowned. If they handled this well, she could gainrge crowds of fans and get much media attention. Hence, many eyes were drawn to Emma the moment she appeared. Some people predicted that her team would be the winner. After all, she was very influential. Liana held onto Emma¡¯s arm and walked up the stairs. The initially narrow path became even narrower as they walked side by side. Catherine kept her head lowered as she kept close to the wall and walked downward. Her shoulders brushed lightly against the other party¡¯s. It was a gentle brush against the shoulder. Normal people would not be bothered about that, so Catherine kept quiet. However, when she took a step forward, a voice called out. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to apologize after knocking into someone? Are you blind? The person who spoke was rude. Not only was her voice loud, but it was also full of mocking contempt. The surrounding people all looked over. Realizing that Emma was the one who had spoken, an increasing number of people looked over. Catherine stopped and turned around. Without waiting for her to speak, Ronin, who had been behind her, stepped forward. ¡°Don¡¯t you have manners? Don¡¯t babble nonsense the moment you speak. You have created such a big fuss in the venue. Are you going to be held ountable for it?¡± he remarked. Catherine looked up slightly and looked over at Emma. Coincidentally, when she looked over, Emma also looked toward her. With just one nce, Emma recognized who Catherine was. Emma liked to be fully prepared. When she decided to participate in thispetition, she did a background check on all participating teams. She knew that the girl staring at her was Catherine, the popr candidate whose name had previously been on the trending topics! Emma crossed her arms around her chest. She lowered her chin and lowered her eyes at Catherine in a condescending fashion. ¡°Oh? I wondered who it was¡­ So it¡¯s the champion of the Loyalty Academy¡¯s celebration g. No wonder she¡¯s so arrogant.¡± After saying that, Emma threw a side nce at Liana. ¡°Liana, I heard that you lost to herst time. Tsk, I really feel that it¡¯s a pity that you lost. I wonder what kind of tricks she used in order to win. She¡¯s remarkable!¡± Earlier, when they were heading up the stairs, Emma had already seen Catherine. Emma subconsciously tilted her body to the side when they walked past each other to avoid Catherine, but Liana shoved her a little. Emma would not have bumped into Catherine if it were not for Liana. Although Emma knew what Liana was nning, she did not mind Liana making use of her to teach Catherine a lesson. After all, she also detested Catherine. ¡°I heard that you gained quite a lot of poprity because you are rumored to be in a rtionship with Grayson. Is that true? If it is, why don¡¯t you teach us how you did it? Allow us to learn a trick or two from you.¡± The people surrounding them stared at Catherine with knowing looks, seeming to be certain that something was going on between her and Grayson. After all, there was news on Twitter previously that imed that Catherine and Grayson were quite close to one another. Could it be that Catherine harassed Grayson in order to achieve her goal? Nobody knew the truth except for the parties involved. Ronin and Bryan were enraged to see how rude Emma was toward Catherine. Ronin was about to explode in anger. All he wanted to do was dash up and tear that pretentious bitch apart! Seeing that Ronin wanted to attack Emma, Catherine subtly blocked him. However, she managed to block Ronin, but not Bryan. Bryan stepped forward, and his cold gazended on Emma, staring at her with disgust. ¡°As a girl, I can¡¯t believe that you would nder another girl¡¯s reputation in public like this based on groundless usation. To think that you were born into a family of performers. Emma, if the elders at home get wind of this, do you think they¡¯d feel ashamed of you?¡± Emma did not expect that Bryan would stand up for Catherine. His handsome looks alone were enough to make the girls around go crazy for him and lose their sanity. Emma was furious and yelled at Bryan, ¡°Y-you¡­¡± Bryan interrupted coldly without waiting for her to speak, ¡°All I want to do now is hand you a mirror so you can see your reflection. That way, you¡¯ll know how ugly you look now.¡± Bryan paused, and Ronin finally had a chance to step out and say, ¡°That¡¯s right, you ugly woman! You really remind me of a saying that ugly people often make trouble!¡± Emma was boiling with anger, and she clenched her fists tightly. She stared at Catherine with a dark and seething look, seeming like she would go up in mes at any moment. ¡°You¡¯re indeed amazing, Catherine, to be able to fool all these boys and let them stand up for you. ¡°Are you a clown who only knows to hide behind boys¡¯ backs and depend on them to defend your image?¡± Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Chapter 339 You Can Do it Catherine suddenly looked up. Her original cold gaze had a devilish look in it now. She curled her lips and chuckled lowly. Catherine was enchanting and mesmerizing, yet giving off a creepy vibe. ¡°So, are you envious or jealous of me?¡± Catherine asked. Bryan was, without a doubt, an outstanding man. The same goes for Ronin, who got first ce in the National Olympiad and was granted special admission to Loyalty Academy. Both boys had different looks and demeanor, but both were giants among men. Few people were on par with them. Any girl would be green with envy to have such boys defending her. Upon hearing that, Emma was fuming. She seemed like a mouse with its tail stepped on, and hair bristled with rage. Her oval eyes widened in anger as she glowered at Catherine. ¡°Do you think everyone is the same as you? I am Emma Hazel. Do I even have a reason to be jealous of you?¡± Catherine scoffed coldly. Following that, she lifted her brows and looked up. There was a look of mild displeasure on her face. She said coldly, ¡°So you finally realize that you¡¯re the one acting like a fool?¡± Emma was boiling with anger to see how arrogant Catherine was behaving. The event was being broadcast live. It would not be good if the public saw this. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Hence, a friend of Emma¡¯s came over to persuade her. ¡°Emma, forget it. Why do you want to quarrel with someone like that? ¡°For people like them, who knows if they can get to the semi-finals.¡± Only now did Emma realize what had happened. She had been led by the nose by Catherine. Once she composed herself, she imitated Catherine¡¯s expression and chuckled coldly at Catherine again. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the finals. That is if you manage to get there.¡± Emma had a very arrogant attitude, as if she were certain that Catherine would not be able to get to the finals. As he watched Emma and the rest leave, Ronin felt very aggrieved.¡± Catherine, why did you hold me back? I want to tear her mouth in pieces.¡± He was furious at how anyone could behave so arrogantly toward him. Did they think that he was someone who they could easily bully? Aspared to how angry Ronin was, Catherine was very calm. She stuck her hands into her pockets and said casually, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the loudspeaker announce that it¡¯s our team¡¯s turn?¡± Ronin immediately snapped out of it. Hearing that the announcer was already urging their team to prepare, they had to rush to the backstage. Liana was sitting in the waiting area. She was in a good mood. Earlier, she was overjoyed to see Emma calling Catherine out. Now, she was looking forward to seeing Catherine make a fool of herself on stage. Catherine had only gotten the news that the production team had changed thepetition format close to thepetition date. She did not believe that Catherine¡¯s team had time to make changes to their performance! It would be very satisfying to see Catherine¡¯s team not being able to even get through the preliminary rounds! The music sounded. The eighth team performance officially started. Liana had guessed correctly. Indeed, Catherine did not have time to change their performance, so they decided to perform their original arrangement. There was no stage performance but just pure singing. The three wore the same outfits. The boys standing on either side of Catherine were handsome, but Catherine was the most captivating. The moment she appeared, she captured everyone¡¯s attention. Catherine seemed to have a natural affinity for the stage. No matter the asion or setting, Catherine could be the brightest star as long as she was willing. The moment the trio appeared, the audience at the venue and the online audience got into an uproar. After all, everyone loved to see a team of attractive people. Meanwhile, at the Duncan Corporation. Triston took two sets of contracts and rolled them up. Using them like microphones, he shouted through the hole, ¡°Come on, Catherine! You can do it! You¡¯re the best!¡± Paxton coldly stared at Triston as thetter continued this idiotic act. Paxton felt that it was beneath his dignity to do something like that. Triston was not bothered by Paxton¡¯s contempt toward him. He did not dare ask Branden, sitting quietly at the side, to join him. Hence, he could only target Paxton. Triston pulled onto Paxton¡¯s hand and said seriously, ¡°This is your boss¡¯ future wife. As one of his subordinates, you aren¡¯t cheering for her. Aren¡¯t you worried that he¡¯ll fire you for this?¡± Paxton frowned when he heard Triston¡¯s words. Feeling immense pressure assaulting him, he turned to look at Branden. However, Paxton realized Branden, who usually did not like entertainment, was watching the monitor intently. He was so focused that one might think he was discussing a deal that involved hundreds of billions of dors! Triston softly muttered, ¡°Paxton, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you. If you want to have an easy time in the future, it¡¯s better for you to be more proactive now.¡± Triston said, ¡°Come, let us cheer for her together! Catherine, you¡¯re the best!¡± Paxton frowned and hesitated momentarily before saying coldly, ¡± You can do it¡­¡± When Triston saw Paxton¡¯s expression, he wanted tough so badly. It was simply hrious! Triston said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Be more passionate. Repeat after me. Catherine, you can do it¡­¡± After a momentary pause, Paxton chose to listen to Triston¡¯s suggestion. Their cheering voices rose and fell in session. There was a cheerful, festive atmosphere in the usual solemn office. The atmosphere at the Duncan Corporation was very lively, and Catherine¡¯s live performance was also exceptional. Previously, during Loyalty Academy¡¯s celebration g, Catherine¡¯s group had already astonished many people. However, this time, their performance was even more impressive. With time, the chemistry between the three of them had slowly developed. Even in some difficult parts, Catherine and the two boys could coordinate perfectly. The entire performance could be said to be an extravaganza. Catherine¡¯s divine voice lulled everyone into a dream-like state. At the judges panel, Grayson looked at that star shining brilliantly on stage. The excitement coursing through him was indescribable. At that moment, all he wanted was to have a giant barrier that could cover the stage. That way, nobody would have a chance to witness how brilliantly this star was shining! After the song ended, the audience did not react for a moment. After a few seconds, thunderous apuse filled the venue. Emma was sitting below the stage, and her original disdain-filled gaze was now filled with amazement. ¡°She can even sing so well live. Looks like she has real singing skills!¡± Emma thought. The host went up the stage and briefly introduced the song before inviting the judges toment on Catherine¡¯s team. The maximum points that a group could obtain was ten points. The first judge gave eight points, indicating his acknowledgment of the team¡¯s ability. This judge was a famous producer in the music industry. The host asked, ¡°Mr. Stewart, can you tell us why you gave this group a rather high mark?¡± Gregory Stewart replied, ¡°I gave them this score afterprehensively evaluating their team. The judging criteria also mention that the judges must score the team based on their overall performance. Although this group sings well, their stage performance is just so-so. They didn¡¯t even dance. Thus, I only gave them eight points!¡± This was the truth. His scoring was rtively reasonable, so everyone could ept his exnation. The second judge was an exceptionally outstanding performer who rated Catherine¡¯s group with a nine. That was because she felt that Catherine had great singing skills, which made up for theck of stage performance. Finally, it was time for Grayson toment. The host turned her gaze to him excitedly. Whenever it was Grayson¡¯s turn toment, the host would enthusiastically ask him many more questions. She had no choice but to do that as Grayson was the program¡¯s biggest selling point and could get the show onto trending topics. The host asked, ¡°Mr. Clifford, I saw earlier that you didn¡¯t really look at them throughout the entire performance. Is that because you¡¯re dissatisfied with this group?¡± This host was indeed one who was famous for her sharp tongue. She gave Grayson such a tough question. It was obvious that she was trying to stir things up! Everyone held their breaths in anticipation of Grayson¡¯s answer. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 She Is My Mentor The audience at the venue and those watching the livestream online were looking at Grayson intently. They were eagerly waiting to hear Grayson¡¯sment on this group. Many people were hoping that Grayson would criticize Catherine¡¯s group severely. After all, he did not even watch their performance, so he must be very dissatisfied. Or perhaps, because of the scandal, Grayson wanted to avoid having too much interaction with Catherine. No matter the reason, it would still be a trending topic. All eyes were on him. Grayson picked up the microphone. Faced with the host¡¯s direct question, Grayson did not immediately speak but turned his scoreboard around so everyone could see. On that A4 size whiteboard, he had written ten points. When they saw this number, everyone screamed. Eight groups had performed thus far, but this was the first group Grayson had given full marks. Amid everyone¡¯s surprise, Grayson slowly spoke, and his low and mesmerizing voice filled the air. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to see their performance, but I don¡¯t dare to.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard that. Grayson said that he did not dare to see their performance. What did that mean? Following that, Grayson gave his exnation. His long fingers wrapped tightly around the ck microphone. At that moment, his deep-set eyes were fixed on Catherine, staring intently. There was a hint of greed and obsession in his eyes. ¡°I am a singer. Although the program told me that the judging criteria are to judge the group¡¯s performance as a whole, as a singer, my priority would be to consider the vocals. Catherine¡¯s singing skills are, without a doubt, impressive. The audience¡¯s reaction is the best indication that the score I¡¯ve given is a well-deserved one! ¡°In my opinion, this group¡¯s outstanding singing skills have made up for theirck of performance. Hence, I gave them full marks. Likewise, I hope that in their following performances, they¡¯ll be able to have a breakthrough and show us even better performances.¡± After saying that, Grayson set down the microphone. He gave a very standard answer to reply to the host¡¯s question. The host was a little surprised. Originally, she thought she could get a big scoop or this would be a trending topic. Unexpectedly, Grayson answered the question so simply. The host was unwilling to give up, so she continued asking Grayson other questions. She said, ¡°Thank you for yourment, Mr. Clifford. ¡°Although you exined why you gave this group full marks, you didn¡¯t exin why you didn¡¯t dare to watch their performance. I think that everyone is very curious about it, too. Are you willing to share with us the reason, Mr. Clifford?¡± At this point, a wave ofments flooded the screen. [Wow, this host is superb! She¡¯s so direct, I like it!] [I¡¯m also very curious. Why doesn¡¯t he dare to watch their performance?] [Could it be that there is really something between them?] [Will Peerless Grayson answer the host¡¯s question?] The production team notified the host about the attention this question was receiving and told her to continue pressing Grayson for an answer. Even though this was a nationwidepetition between the elite schools, the program needed many sponsors to ensure the show was sessful. If thepetition received much attention from the public, the sponsors would also be pleased. After receiving the news from the director team, the host became even more unreserved in asking Grayson questions. She looked like she would not rest unless she got an answer from him. Initially, Grayson did not want to say too much. Otherwise, the production team would use what he had said to its advantage to hype up the show. It was not because he worried that those rumors would affect him. Instead, he was well aware that Catherine did not like to be on television. He was worried that Catherine would be troubled by all the attention she was receiving. However, the host kept pressing him for an answer, so Grayson had no choice but to reply. Grayson said, ¡°You said something wrong. In front of this group, you shouldn¡¯t address me as Mr. Clifford.¡± ¡°And why is that so?¡± the host asked. Grayson¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed a little. If one observed him carefully, one would notice that the usual aloof and supercilious Peerless Grayson was nervous. He behaved like a newly debutedd. ¡°Everyone knows that Sugar used to be myposer. Actually, she is much more than that. The reason I could get to where I am today is because of Sugar¡¯s mentoring. Strictly speaking, Catherine could be considered my mentor. As a student, I don¡¯t have the right to call myself a judge in front of her. ¡°When I saw Catherine¡¯s amazing performance, I suddenly felt a little ashamed. I didn¡¯t put full effort into making music, so I didn¡¯t make any progress. I¡¯m too ashamed to face my benefactor and mentor, Catherine!¡± After finishing his speech, the scene was in an uproar. Nobody expected that Grayson would behave so humbly. Grayson was well known for his professionalism in the industry. He strived for perfection in his performance. Everyone knew him to be a hard worker. However, he could say something so humble in front of the audience. Once again, the screen was flooded withments! [Goodness! Peerless Grayson will criticize himself like so in front of a nobody? Am I dreaming?] [Peerless Grayson, you¡¯re no doubt my idol. Unlike him, nobody else will criticize their shorings in the entertainment industry.] [What is Catherine¡¯s background? How could she possibly be Peerless Grayson¡¯s debut mentor?] [Catherine is not bad at singing, but Grayson doesn¡¯t need to brag about her like so. Could it be another way of trying to hype up the show?] [No, I don¡¯t agree with what you said. Is there even a need for Peerless Grayson to hype up this show, especially for a neer?] [This is such a fantastic show!] Not only was the audience shocked by Grayson¡¯s words, but even the participants in the waiting area were also astounded. As one of the program¡¯s judges, Grayson must be very impressed by Catherine to speak so highly of her. A dark look came over Emma¡¯s face when she heard Grayson¡¯sment about Catherine¡¯s group.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Nobody knew that thecent Emma was also one of Grayson¡¯s fans. Grayson was one of the reasons that she gave up the cello and chose to enter the entertainment industry. Emma liked Grayson. She hoped they could be on the same stage and perform together one day! This was a sweet dream of hers! Emma constantly kept herself updated with Grayson¡¯s news. Naturally, she knew about the rumors regarding Catherine and Grayson. In her opinion, that was all Catherine¡¯s doing. Peerless Grayson was such an aloof and cold person. How could he possibly be involved in a scandal with Catherine? Hence, when Liana made use of her earlier, Emma stepped out unhesitatingly. That was because they had the same goal, which was to teach Catherine a lesson! However, she never expected that Grayson would speak of Catherine so highly. Based on what? Why was someone like Catherine able to get Grayson¡¯s appreciation? On the stage, the host was also dumbfounded by Grayson¡¯s words. She was in a daze for a few minutes before donning a customary smile. ¡°Thank you for giving us an answer, Mr. Clifford. Seems like you have a really high rating of Catherine¡¯s team!¡± Holding the microphone in front of Catherine, the host added. ¡°So, do you guys have anything to say? Or perhaps, hearing that Mr. Clifford has spoken so highly of your team, you might want to give a response?¡± Catherine was carrying a guitar and standing on stage in a rxed manner. She had a devilish and unrestrained aura emitting from her. Upon hearing the host¡¯s question, Catherine looked upzily. ¡°There¡¯s still hope for you yet,¡± she said reluctantly. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Thank You Everyone was excited, and thements flooded the screen. Thements: [How could Catherine be so arrogant?] [Even Peerless Grayson is so humble. How dare she be so smug! Who does she think she is?] [Her singing is fine, but she is too insensible!] [Peerless Grayson isn¡¯t angry about it. He is so well brought up. I¡¯m sure he is sad deep down.] Thements mainly were nastyments about Catherine¡¯s behavior. They were condemning her and, at the same time, paying attention to Grayson¡¯s reactions. Since Catherine spoke, Grayson¡¯s gaze had never left her. He had been paying attention to Catherine¡¯s expressions and movements. He held the microphone and smiled gently as he stared at Catherine affectionately. ¡°Really? Do you think I can do anything to improve it?¡± The smile on his face was sincere. So, many of his fans were mesmerized by it. That smile of his was pleasant to watch. Catherine looked at Grayson, smiling, and nodded silently. It might just be a simple nod, but it strongly encouraged Grayson. He was like a student, holding the microphone as he stared at Catherine sincerely, speaking out what was on his mind. ¡°I have always been worried because I want more. I have seen holding concerts and attending various activities, greatly affecting my initial dream. I have let down everyone, afraid those who support me might be disappointed. ¡°Your encouragement has helped me move on, holding onto my dream! ¡°Catherine, thank you!¡± Grayson smiled sincerely again after finishing his speech. Those fans of Grayson who had been scolding Catherine for being smug and arrogant without having any ability showed a different attitude toward Grayson when theymented about him. Thements about him appeared one after another. [Peerless Grayson, you will always be my idol! What a positive speech!] [You are good enough!] [Peerless Grayson wants to show the best of himself before us! Go for it, Peerless Grayson!] [Maybe Peerless Grayson only wants encouragement, no matter how much he has achieved. It would help him strive higher. I think that¡¯s why Peerless Grayson is so happy when Catherine encourages him. Way to go, Peerless Grayson. Catherine, thank you! ] [Wow! Yourment is the length of an essay!] [It¡¯s heart-warming!] [Way to go, Peerless Grayson! Thank you, Catherine!] Comments of gratitude and encouragement filled the screen. It was different from just now. They had changed their attitude from reprimanding Catherine to thanking her for encouraging Grayson. To prevent affecting the rest of the filming, the host could not keep the eight teams on stage for too long. So, the host had to ask Catherine¡¯s team to leave the stage and invite the next team. Catherine had been standing too long. So, she did not dawdle and quickly walked down the stage for the next group to perform. Looking at group number eight, which had performed well, those participants in the waiting zone were envious. Getting such high attention like group number eight was something the other groups would never dare to imagine. Emma sat in the waiting zone, observing Catherine¡¯s every move. When she heard Grayson¡¯s words, she knew she had underestimated Catherine. Grayson¡¯s rtionship with Catherine seemed much better than she had thought. At least it was not Catherine pestering Grayson, and they did know each other in person. However, she did not care, even if they did know each other. She would never let anyone take away the man she wanted. She would make sure Catherine lost in thispetition. Only then would Grayson notice how much better she was than Catherine. Unlike other groups, she stayed back and observed other group¡¯s performances even though her turn was over. Catherine¡¯s group packed their things and left after they got off the stage. They did not look like they were there for thepetition and more like they came as special guests. It looked like they were only there to perform that song. The group walked out of the filming set. Everyone was excited because they had just finished their performance. Ronin suggested going for a barbecue to celebrate. Before Bryan could agree to that suggestion, they heard the sound of someone¡¯s phone ringing. Each used the same phone brand and set the same ringtone. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. They subconsciously looked for their phone, yet they noticed Catherine calmly taking out her phone from her pocket and answering it. Branden¡¯s soothing voice came from the other end of the call. ¡°Have you done filming? I am at the door.¡± That man had chosen the right time to call her. Once she had done filming, he was already at the door waiting for her. Catherine answered with a hum and waved her hand to her friends as she strode toward the door. Ronin had no idea what was going on. He wanted to chase after her, yet Bryan dragged him back by pulling his cor. Displeased, Ronin red at Bryan disdainfully. ¡°Why are you pulling me back? I have to stop Catherine from leaving so that she can have a barbecue with us tonight.¡± Bryan was toozy to exin to this idiot who was never observant. It was so obvious Catherine¡¯s boyfriend called, yet Ronin had not noticed it. What else could Bryan say? ¡°Catherine has no time to have a barbecue with us. Don¡¯t you see why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ronin was in a puzzle. Byran rolled his eyes. ¡°Catherine is going on a date!¡± Ronin was startled, and his eyebrows furrowed. He was starting to dislike the Duncans! Catherine walked toward the door and saw the Maybach. As she was approaching the car, Paxton walked down the car and opened the door for her. Triston popped his head out of the front seat¡¯s window and grinned as he greeted her. ¡°Kathy, congrattions!¡± Catherine quickened her steps and got into the back seat. Just as she entered the car, the man beside her took her bag naturally and ced it beside him. He did it casually, as if he had done it countless times. Triston nced at Catherine in the back seat as he smiled and said, ¡± Catherine, congrattions on getting into the semi-finals. Why don¡¯t we have dinner outside tonight to celebrate this?¡± Although they had not announced the result, everyone knew Catherine would get to the finals because her total marks were high, and her ranking was among the best. Catherine did not answer Triston immediately. She looked at Branden and asked casually, ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a barbecue?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Branden agreed without hesitation. They had been having meals at home and had not had a barbecue for days. His little girlfriend liked barbecue. So, she would naturally crave it. Triston was excited, ¡°Catherine, what a great suggestion! Barbecue is perfect. Why don¡¯t we go to the barbecue restaurant I own? We just received a batch of fresh ingredients yesterday. I am sure you would like them!¡± Although he was excited, Branden and Catherine did not seem to want to answer him. Triston did not mind and took it as they had agreed. He excitedly ordered Paxton to drive to his shop. Paxton nced at him. He had no idea why Branden agreed to bring Triston along. Triston was energetic and active, which might be a little noisy sometimes. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Afraid Catherine Might Dump You ¡°Brat, don¡¯t push it!¡± Sean raised his leg and kicked the chair Erick sat on. Erick turned around and red at Sean with his cold and sharp gaze as if he would skin Sean alive if he could. Even someone ruthless like Sean was taken aback by that look. Erick might look weak and thin, but he was like a wolf pup. He could be fierce and ruthless if he were provoked. Sean would never risk his safety to deal with someone like Erick unless necessary. Since he could not deal with Eric the hard way, he could only negotiate with him. ¡°Hey, although Catherine did sing well, aren¡¯t you bored listening to the cuts of her singing hundreds of times? Can you please y something else?¡± Erick had gotten the information from somewhere that Catherine was joining thepetition on a live broadcast show. So, he woke up early and sat before the television, waiting for Catherine¡¯s turn to perform. After Catherine performed, he closed the live broadcast and cropped the part where Cathrine sang, ying it countless times in a loop. Most importantly, he watched the video countless times. Others might even think he was trying to look for something through the video. Erick nced at Sean coldly upon hearing his question. Ignoring Sean, he continued to watch the performance seriously. Sean did not know what to say. He had no idea why Catherine left this boy at his ce. His ce was turning into a shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Sean understood that if he continued pestering Erick, Erick might fight with him. So, Sean decided to seek another approach and called Catherine to ask her to deal with this matter. Meanwhile, Korbin was in his vi. His assistant was reporting thetest information he got to him. ¡°Mr. Swann, Erick is now in the ck market. He is being held captive by the boss of the ck market.¡± Korbin puffed the cigar and spoke in his hoarse voice. ¡°Is this information urate?¡± The secretary handed a few blurry pictures to Korbin. Although unclear, he could still see that the young man in the photos was Erick. ¡°No wonder we failed to find him even after searching Casier inside out. So, he is now in the ck market!¡± A sinister smile appeared on Korbin¡¯s face. He seemed to be confident about getting Erick. ¡°Send these photos to the Winfreds. Ask Xavier to look for us if he needs us.¡± The assistant was efficient and immediately sent the Winfreds the photos. When Xavier received the photos, he sent a precious gift to the Swanns to express his gratitude on the Winfreds¡¯ behalf. The Winfreds were not as powerful as the Swanns in Casier. Although Xavier knew Erick was in the ck market, he could not get Erick out of that ce. They still had to rely on the Xavier family¡¯s help. The assistant told Korbin the information he brought back from the Winfreds, ¡°Mr. Swann, the Winfreds had sent over the document. The nning department had checked it, and they had discussed the details. The Winfreds intend to ask for our help to get Erick out. If we can hand Erick over to them, they would sign the contract, and the deal would be done!¡± Korbin squinted his eyes as he looked at the document before him. A glimpse of malicious intent shed across Korbin¡¯s sharp eyes. ¡°Xavier is cunning. He had nned everything well and left no room for us to take advantage of him.¡± ¡°Mr. Swann, what should we do about this? Should we agree to the Winfreds¡¯ request?¡± asked the assistant. ¡°Of course. Why can¡¯t we agree? Arrange someone to get Erick out of the ck market, no matter what,¡± said Korbin, giving a new order. ¡°Noted.¡± The assistant nodded and went to make the arrangements. Catherine had just arrived at the barbecue shop when she received Sean¡¯s call,ining to her about Erick in a long-winded manner. It made her frown. She snapped coldly. ¡°Cut it short.¡± Sean, who had wanted to tell Catherine his grief andints about Erick, immediately stopped comining once he heard Catherine¡¯s cold and impatient voice. He went straight to the point. ¡± Catherine, can you please take this brat away with you? My ck market is turning into a homeless shelter now.¡± Before Sean could continue his request, Catherine cut off the call. She disliked it when Sean was whiny. After hanging up the call, Catherine got back into the private room. Looking at her walking in, Branden pulled the chair for her to sit naturally. Catherine¡¯s empty bowl was again filled with her favorite grilled food. The meat in her bowl was still hot. It seemed that he had just grilled it for her. Catherine looked at the man beside her. His beautiful eyes were looking at her with anticipation. That melted her heart and made her less irritated. Even her puckered eyebrows loosened. The man smiled upon seeing her, and his gaze on her eas gentle. His soothing and deep voice sounded gentle as he spoke, ¡°Have some more barbecued meat before it gets cold.¡± Triston, sitting opposite them, was stunned. He subconsciously wanted to fork the hot meat and eat it, yet the hot meat almost burned him. To prevent being embarrassed, Triston endured the pain and swallowed the meat. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. He felt aggrieved that he had to see the couple acting lovey-dovey and even got burned by his favorite barbecue. It made him realize he should not be there with them. He regretted having this meal with them. After dinner, Catherine left the barbecue shop with Branden and Triston. Just as she left the shop, her phone beeped. It was a message. Catherine looked at the message and let go of Branden¡¯s hand. Branden noticed it and looked at her in a puzzle. He asked curiously, ¡°Do you have something to deal with?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Catherine nodded. She was about to leave. Then, she stopped as if she had just remembered something. She turned around and looked at Branden, promising. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about thister when I get back.¡± Branden¡¯s displeased face calmed down instantly, and his gaze was softer. ¡°Okay. Call me when you are done. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After Catherine left, Triston quickly approached Branden, wanting to gossip. ¡°Mr Duncan, Catherine has left just like that. Aren¡¯t you going to ask what she is going to do or where she is going? Aren¡¯t you afraid she might dump you and run away? After all, she is young and beautiful¡­¡±She was even cool. Many guys like girls like her. Triston did not tell Branden everything on his mind because Branden had already red at him when he praised Catherine for being beautiful. That gaze was so scary that Triston was rmed. ¡°Please don¡¯t misinterpret my words. I am just concerned.¡± Branden snorted as he nced at Triston coldly. He said in disdain, ¡± Only those useless men would be afraid of losing their girlfriends.¡± Then, he got into the car without looking back. Just as he closed the door, Paxton drove off. Only Triston was left standing before his shop in a daze. After a few seconds, he realized he had been mocked. Branden was indicating he was a useless man. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Maniac Catherine had just turned into the street before her when Joseph¡¯s car pulled over before her. Joseph exited his car and stood before Catherine, reporting everything he had investigated to her. ¡°Boss, I have received information Korbin had ordered the Swanns¡¯ secret bodyguards. His target is the ck market. Just like the other families, the Swanns had their secret bodyguards. Vicente had been holding the power to order them. Then, part of the power was passed down to Korbin, but no one knew the real boss of those bodyguards was Catherine. Before Vicente passed away, he had handed over the power to control the secret bodyguards to Catherine. Vicente might have written her name as the heir, but it did not mean she could inherit it. Recently, the Swanns¡¯ market price has been rising. Moreover, the deadline for Korbin and Catherine¡¯s bet was approaching. Catherine was about to win the bet, so Korbin was about to make a move. He had to quickly root his powers in Oceanvile and move his powers from Casier to that ce. Even if Catherine took over the Swann Corporation, it would only be an empty shell. If Korbin wanted to stabilize hispany in Oceanvile, his best temporary partner would be the Winfreds. So, he had to find Erick. The cooperation between the Swanns and the Winfreds had to go on smoothly. Catherine sat in the car and ordered Joseph. ¡°Take me to the ck market.¡± It was silent in the car. Catherine did not like noises when she was in the car. She would not even y music. So, he took the opportunity to report to Catherine about Audrey¡¯s strange behaviors recently. ¡°Boss, I found something about Miss Audrey that I think I should report to you.¡± Cathrine did not even look at him as she said coldly, ¡°Speak!¡± After getting Catherine¡¯s permission, Joseph said, ¡°Boss, I noticed Miss Audrey attended many gatherings, and they seemed to be different from before. Joseph stopped there, not saying much. Catherine had only given Joseph one task. She wanted him to protect Audrey¡¯s safety. Audrey¡¯s activities and social life had nothing to do with his task. So, he had no right to ask. Catherine knew what kind of a man her subordinate was. If it were not because Audrey¡¯s whereabouts had been strange, Joseph would never mention this to her. As for Audrey¡¯s change, Catherine had noticed it, too. Audrey had no filming job on the set recently, yet she had attended many events and would be back homete. However, Catherine did not interfere much in it. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Audrey was already a grown-up, and she had her thoughts and ns. Even if they were sisters, she had no right to interfere in Audrey¡¯s life. Catherine lowered her head and closed her eyes as she said, ¡°Keep an eye on her and make sure she is safe.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± answered Joseph immediately, hesitating not even a bit. He knew Catherine did not want him to interfere in Audrey¡¯s life, but he had to ensure Audrey was absolutely safe. Since he had betrayed the group, he was considered dead. But his boss had shown him mercy and spared his life, keeping him to carry out the tasks she arranged for him. Since he had a chance to survive, he had to carry out the task his boss arranged for him. Even if it might cost him his life, he would do it. After all, it was the boss¡¯s order, and no one could disobey it. Half an hourter, they arrived at the ck market. When Sean saw her, he rushed toward her like she was his savior. However, before he could approach Catherine, a figure dashed out and attacked him. He said nothing and kept attacking him. Each punch was deathly. If Sean were not agile, he might have died by now. With just a few punches, Sean was so scared that he shouted for help, ¡± Catherine, quickly stop this maniac! ¡°We are acquaintances. Why are you beating me up? ¡°Boss! Catherine!¡± Five minutes passed¡­ Catherine looked at the time and shouted, ¡°Joseph!¡± Joseph stopped and stood behind Catherine again. His handsome face was expressionless as he watched Sean¡¯s movements. Sean gritted his teeth and shook his head. He had been blocking Joseph¡¯s attacks, and his arms were in pain. After snapping out of shock, he cursed Joseph, ¡°Hey, brat! Are you out of your mind? We know each other. Why are you trying to kill me?¡± Joseph stared at Sean coldly and said nothing. He was still expressionless and did not intend to apologize. He would never let anyone who dared to disrespect his boss off easily. Sean was toozy to argue with Joseph, who seemed unyielding and simple-minded. Although he did not intend to argue with Joseph, he still could not help himself fromining. He stretched out his hand, wanting to point at Catherine. But he pointed at Joseph instead after pondering. ¡°Brat, think about it with your blockhead! Catherine is so good at fighting. Why would I attack her? Do I look like I want to die so soon? I am not that foolish and want to end my life so easily. I want to wee her arrival warmly.¡± Joseph said coldly, ¡°No!¡± Sean was so pissed off, yet could do nothing about it. He felt Catherine was insane. Each man she kept around her was difficult to deal with. Ronin had always had a sharp tongue. He would never stop ridiculing others. Because of some misunderstanding, Ronin hacked hisputer and gave his money to charity. Joseph was like a bear, protecting Catherine from anyone who tried to approach her. He would never let that person off until Catherine ordered him to do so. Erick, the new person Catherine kept, was also a maniac. Thinking about Erick reminded Sean why he had rushed toward Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you came at the right time. Go and look at Erick. He seemed to be mesmerized by your performance and had been watching it since this afternoon. He had never stopped watching until now.¡± Sean walked into the house after saying that, leading Catherine to Erick. Just as he opened the door, they heard a familiar song. Erick was still ying Catherine¡¯s performance video. Erick was nowhere to be seen. He had been sitting on the sofa all day before Catherine came. Sean felt strange. ¡°Where is this brat?¡± He smiled and looked at Catherine as he said, ¡°Is he embarrassed to see you and hide himself?¡± Catherine¡¯s expression turned cold, and she red at him. That shot of ce made Sean feel like an idiot. He realized something was off and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Could something bad have happened?¡± Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Erick Is Missing Catherine nced at Joseph. Immediately, Joseph got Catherine¡¯s order without her needing to speak. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll look for him!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Sean quickly stopped Joseph. Then, he stopped fooling around and looked at Catherine seriously. ¡°What is going on?¡± Catherine nced at him coldly. She did not even need to say anything. Her cold gaze was enough to run a chill down Sean¡¯s spine. Standing behind Catherine, Joseph said, ¡°The Swanns¡¯ secret bodyguards had been sent out to take Erick out of the ck market. Erick must be with them now.¡± Sean finally understood why Catherine would visit the ck market suddenly, bringing Joseph with her. So, she had received the news and was there to protect Erick. Sean was displeased, and his temperament changed. His gaze turned cold. ¡°That bunch of bastards! I am still here, yet they came and took away Erick just like that? Looks like I have not been activetely, making them forget how ruthless I have been!¡± After scolding those people, he looked at Catherine seriously. ¡°Catherine, I lost Erick. You don¡¯t have to go through the trouble of finding him. I will look for him. If I can¡¯t bring him back, I will punish myself by not appearing before you anymore.¡± Then, Sean pulled the drawer nearby, took a P18C gun, and headed out of the room. Joseph looked at Catherine, waiting for her next order. Catherine looked around and said calmly, ¡°Let him do it.¡± Joseph nodded and retreated to the side. After Sean left, Catherine did not leave immediately. She walked around the ce and observed everything in the room. A smirk appeared on her face, mysterious and confident. She did not ask Joseph to interfere because Sean could deal with it, and she had to let him do it. Moreover, Erick¡¯s missing case was not as simple as it seemed. She had seen Erick fighting. Although he was not a top fighter, he was ruthless, and his attacks were deadly. Sean was outside. He felt silently taking Erick away while they were only a wall apart from him was impossible. The room was still untouched. Not even a trace of a fight was seen. So, Sean came up with a conclusion. Erick might have left with them willingly. As for why, they had to ask Erick to know. ¡°Investigate Erick¡¯s past before he came to the ck market. I want to know every detail.¡± Catherine suddenly ordered, and Joseph was taken aback. Then, he snapped out of his shock before nodding. ¡°Yes, Boss. I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡± Sean could find Erick while she was only concerned about why Erick left. After all, she was not that foolish to be used by others. After ordering Joseph, Catherine left the ce without hesitating. Joseph followed behind her, protecting her safety. Half an hourter, Catherine was back at her apartment. When the elevator door was about to open, she felt someone was standing outside. Subconsciously, she lifted her head and saw a handsome man standing before her when the elevator door opened. The man was half a head taller than her, meaning he was at least eight inches taller. His height was considered tall for a man. With a height like this, he would be easily seen no matter where he stood. Moreover, he was the only person standing outside. Branden¡¯s eyes glowed with joy as soon as he saw Catherine. His voice was soothing and gentle only when he spoke to Catherine. ¡°You are back. Why didn¡¯t you call me to pick you up? It¡¯s already so dark outside.¡± It had only been two hours since Catherine left, and it was only eight in the evening now. That was not consideredte. Catherine did not retort. She squinted her eyes and said calmly, ¡°I have forgotten.¡± The man stopped nagging and held Catherine¡¯s hand like usual. He said gently, ¡°Remember to call me the next time.¡± Catherine did not answer. So, Banden kept staring at her, waiting for an answer. Atst, Catherine nodded. The man smiled, and his mood brightened. ¡°Good! Come on. I bought some fruits for you.¡± Catherine walked into the apartment with Branden and did not intend to break free from his grip. She had never rejected any of Branden¡¯s requests. If those men in her base saw this, their jaws would drop. She had never doted on anyone like this before. Actually, Branden knew once Catherine returned. Since living in thismunity, he had changed each surveince camera to the Duncan Corporation¡¯swork. He knew Joseph had driven her back. However, he had never mentioned a word about it. The apartment was the ce Branden lived in now, and everything in it was Catherine¡¯s. On the coffee table were Catherine¡¯s favorite snacks and her textbooks. Even half of the closet was filled with Cathrine¡¯s clothes. Branden had arranged everything she needed for her. Catherine¡¯s apartment was opposite his, yet his apartment was more like her house than hers. After entering the unit, Catheriney there in thezy chair. Those who did not know her well would think she had a busy day at work because she always looked sluggish and tired. Branden poured her a ss of milk and ced it somewhere she could reach. ¡°Have some milk!¡± Catherine did not like milk, yet this man would always pour her a ss of milk and coax her to drink it. He would be happy if she could even take a sip. He told her it was because he wanted her to grow up healthy. Catherine took the ss of milk, took a mouthful, and ced it aside. Branden did not force her as she had drunk one-third of the milk. He took the ss and drank the rest of the milk. Catherine¡¯s head was in a drooped state as she leaned in afortable position. The man pressed her shoulder and massaged it. He was good at it, and it rxed Catherine¡¯s tensed muscles. She squinted her eyes and enjoyed the man¡¯s service like a tamed wild kitten. ¡°Why do you always look so tired?¡± Although Catherine had joined apetition, she had been sleeping until it was her turn to perform. Only then did she wake up and go to the stage to perform. Catherine did not even open her eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s different. My mind works faster than others, and it¡¯s tiring.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. No matter why she was tired, she had to rest more. Catherine¡¯s mind was like aputer, predicting and calcting many things each day. She would be thinking even when she was taking a nap. She was not physically tired but mentally upied. So, she would take a nap when she could. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Attitude The next day, Ronin brought Sean to Catherine. Catherine was leaning on the chair with her legs on the coffee table. She looked like a boss instead of ady, casual and carefree. Sean stood before Catherine. The handsome young man looked pale and looked haggard. He looked like a prince in distress. His dark circles were noticeable for a fair-skinned man when he stayedte. He looked like a panda. Sean looked at Catherine, who seemedzy and carefree. He felt his heart hammering. He was in trouble this time and had dug a grave for himself. After hesitating momentarily, Sean still did not know how to tell Catherine about that. He had never been so embarrassed before. After waiting for some time and getting no answer, Catherine lifted her head expressionlessly and looked at Sean. Only a nce from her, the rumored ruthless and heartless ck market boss knelt before her. He finally understood why those men in the base were so afraid of an underage girl. She was the boss, after all, and her gaze was enough to scare him. He had to face it no matter what. So, Sean decided to say it and get punished. ¡°Miss Catherine, please feel free to punish me. I have promised you I¡¯ll get Erick back from you and will not return without him.¡± Sean thought Catherine was mad, so he had even prepared himself to face the pain of his limbs breaking. Unexpectedly, Catherine¡¯s voice came from not far away, and it sounded calm. ¡°Erick refused to leave with you?¡± Sean was startled and asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± It made him wonder if Catherine had any superpowers or mind -reading abilities. He had taken his men from the ck market to look for the Swanns¡¯ secret bodyguards¡¯ whereabouts and gotten Erick¡¯s location. With that, he immediately headed to the location to get Erick out and wanted to teach Korbin a lesson. He wanted Korbin to know he should not have kidnapped Erick in his ce. After all, this ce was Casier. It was the Swanns¡¯ territory, and their secret bodyguards were challenging to deal with. The men Sean brought were more or less injured, but they found the ce where Erick was held captive. Just as they were about to take him away, Erick changed his mind. That was frustrating! In the end, his men were injured, and he did not manage to bring Erick back. It was inexplicable to face a little loss. Sean did not mind that. What annoyed him most was he did not manage to bring Erick back because Erick refused to leave. No matter what, it would be humiliating if others knew this. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Sean felt embarrassed to face Catherine. If it were not because Ronin came looking for him, he had nned to hide from Catherine. Catherine was not surprised to know SEan failed to bring Erick back. Erick seemed better than what she had seen before. Catherine scoffed and said to Sean, ¡± You don¡¯t have to look for Erick anymore. Let¡¯s take this as a tie.¡± Erick was kept in the ck market, and Sean was responsible. However, the problem was with Erick. So, she decided to forgive Sean. Sean did not understand what Catherine meant and asked, ¡± Catherine, are you not going to save Erick anymore?¡± Catherine answeredzily, ¡°Since he refused to leave, why should I save him? Sean was in a puzzle and could not understand what Catherine meant. He wanted to ask further, but Catherine had closed her eyes. So, he did not dare to ask. All he could do was wink at Ronin, hoping he could exin. Ronin did not care much about Erick. He was happy that Erick was gone. With that, one less person would be around Catherine. ¡°Catherine, what about the Winfreds? Hacker Alliance and the Winfreds¡¯ business corporation isn¡¯t over yet, and the Winfreds have not given us the developing rights.¡± Catherine ordered with her eyes closed. ¡°Ask Withal to deal with it.¡± Thezy tone, which seemed less intimidating, still ran chills down Sean and Ronin¡¯s spine. Although the Hacker Alliance was a hacker organization, they had various job scopes. They were involved in many fields. In simple, they could do anything as long as they got paid. There was nothing the Hacker Alliance could not do. Hacker Alliance was divided into the Grentelist, Withalist, Zobers, and Wantells, a total of four divisions. So, everyone guessed the Hacker Alliance¡¯s boss was from Zerwick. Otherwise, they would not divide the Alliance into such special four divisions. The leader of the Withalist was called Withal. His job scope was to punish and warn those who betrayed the alliance. They were the police in the alliance. As rumors said, Withal was an assassin on the top three of the world ranking list of assassins. Moreover, he had always been in the top three for seven years. The ranking of the ten assassins had changed throughout the years, yet the top three¡¯s positions remained. Catherine asked Ronin to get Withal, meaning the Winfreds were in great trouble. They should not have dug their own grave by provoking Catherine. Feeling the slight buzz from her phone, Catherine, who had been keeping her eyes closed, opened her eyes suddenly. Her eyes were always cold, and looking into them was scary. Just ncing at it was enough to scare Sean. He wondered who had disturbed Catherine¡¯s nap. Unexpectedly, Catherine did not fly into a rage. She stood up, took her bag, and walked out. Ronin looked at Catherine¡¯s reaction and quickly asked, ¡°Catherine, where are you going?¡± Catherine did not turn around and said, ¡°ss!¡± Sean almost fell off his chair when he heard that answer. He had heard of Catherine attending a high school for no reason. It made him wonder if Catherine was serious. Sean tried to ask Ronin, ¡°It¡¯s just a school. Your boss is qualified even to be the headmaster. Why is she so hardworking, attending sses on time?¡± Ronin nced at Sean in disdain as he said, ¡°Catherine said she has to be serious once she decides to do something. It¡¯s the attitude that matters.¡± Then, Ronin followed Catherine. ¡°Where are you going? Let¡¯s have a cup of coffee together,¡± Sean shouted as he chased Ronin. Ronin did the same as Catherine. ¡± ss!¡± Sean froze. He did not expect Ronin was going to go to ss with Catherine. It made him wonder if they were trying to recall their childhood. As he knew, Catherine had graduated from university when she was seven, and Ronin graduated one year older than her. It made him ponder if he should return to high school, too. Maybe he should try out Catherine¡¯s hobby. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Listening to Catherine The National Literary and Art League qualifier held the day before was over. Half of the teams were eliminated, while the other half made it into the semi-finals. Two of the three teams from Loyalty Academy had entered the semi-finals, and they were all students of ss 8. The homeroom teacher of ss 8, Myra Joyce, received manypliments from her colleagues when she entered the office. ¡°Miss Joyce, you have amazing students. They always perform well in their studies and are good at arts and sports. It seems you will get a promotion soon.¡± Myra smiled humbly. As the homeroom teacher of ss 8, she did feel proud of her students. However, Myra did not show her joy in front of other people. ¡°I¡¯m proud of them too. They do well in every aspect.¡± Speaking of that, the Theisian teacher aside could not help but sigh. ¡°The sisters of the Swanns are so different. I heard they are biological sisters. Liana is perfect in everything, but you know what? Miss Joyce, Catherine got a zero this time.¡± Myra was somewhat awkward, but she still liked Catherine a lot. She replied, ¡± Maybe Catherine doesn¡¯t want to take the SAT and focuses on the arts. Her test resultsst time proved that she was quite good at studying, right?¡± The Theisian teacher had mixed feelings. If Catherine had not had the best gradesst time, she would still think that the Swanns had sent an idiot to their school. What would one be if not an idiot when they had zero in every subject? The Theisian teacher sighed again and said indignantly, ¡°It justes easy for Catherine. Perhaps God loves her. She sleeps during ss but could be the year¡¯s top student easily. Liana is always well- behaved and hardworking. Yet, she is still no match for Catherine. It seems like Liana¡¯s failure is predestined.¡± It was improper to talk about the students behind their backs. Myra persuaded the Theisian teacher, and they both stopped talking. No one had noticed that a pink figure had suddenly disappeared from the office door. Standing on the rooftop of the teaching building, Liana stared at the blue sky and white clouds, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes. Everything had been going right in her life before Catherine showed up. After that, Liana¡¯s life had changed thoroughly. The fortune-teller was right. Catherine was a jinx. She brought bad luck to the Swanns and would ruin their lives one after another. ¡°Liana is always well-behaved and hardworking. Yet, she is still no match for Catherine. It seems like Liana¡¯s failure is predestined.¡± What the Theisian teacher had said was like a curse constantly reying in Liana¡¯s mind. Liana was so tortured that she punched the wall beside her in fury. The rough wall caused her tender hand to be bloody and bruised, but she could not feel the pain. It was the hand that she used to y the piano. It was her pride. At that moment, there was only resentment in Liana¡¯s eyes. No matter what price she had to pay, she would make Catherine disappear. She wanted the world to see she would tread Catherine underfoot and that Catherine would never be as good as her. She said to herself, ¡°Catherine, you jinx. We will see.¡± Ronin handed the phone to Catherine after receiving thetest news. ¡°Catherine, the organizingmittee just sent an email saying that the rules have changed again, and we will have on-the-spot performances this time. The themes will be announced when the semi-finals begin, and the judges will give marks based on our instant reactions.¡± Ronin had learned his lesson since he was set up thest time, so he informed Catherine as soon as he received the email. Catherine did not react after hearing what Ronin said. But Bryan¡¯s face was full of anxiety. What if the performance theme we get is to dance? What should we do?¡± Ronin was also worried about the same thing. The two fixed their eyes on Catherine. Catherine had no intention of replying to them at first. Seeing how much they cared about it, she saidzily, ¡°I won¡¯t think too much about it. You¡¯ll know what to do when the timees.¡± It was still a week before the semi- finals. Since Catherine said so, Ronin¡¯s worries disappeared in no time. ¡°You are right! Why should we worry about it so much now? We can do anything under your leadership. We should not waste our time worrying. How about we think of what to eat for dinner?¡± Bryan¡¯s teammates were not anxious, so he set aside his anxiety, too. They had participated in the competition as a makeweight. It did not matter to them whether they were the champions or not. They would be happy with whatever they did as long as they did it together with Catherine. Another thing suddenly urred to Ronin, and he reported to Catherine hurriedly. ¡°Catherine, there¡¯s something else. Thepetition next week will be held in Oceanvile instead of Casier.¡¯ It was a national league, and many other schools participated in it in Oceanvile. The qualifier was held in Casier, and Oceanvile won the bid to host the semi- finals. Catherine had no objection to it. She had nned to go to Oceanvile next month. She would finish what she needed to do in Oceanvile when she had the semi- finals there. At the Swann Corporation, Korbin¡¯s assistant went to Korbin¡¯s office with the newest contract. ¡°Mr. Swann, the Winfred Group has signed it.¡± There was a faint smile and rarecency on Korbin¡¯s face. ¡°Did you send Erick there?¡± His assistant nodded. ¡°We sent him to the Winfreds¡¯ house this morning, and Xavier has signed the contract and given it to us.¡± ¡°Did you find out why the Winfreds wanted the illegitimate son?¡± asked Korbin. Korbin did not believe in family ties. Erick was Xavier¡¯s illegitimate son, and the Winfreds would not waste so much of their time and energy on him. There must be some secrets. Korbin¡¯s assistant admired Korbin¡¯s wisdom. He could not understand why Vicente would hand a big corporation like the Swann Corporation to a girl rather than a great businessman like Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, what you guessed was correct. The reason the Winfreds wanted Erick was not that they wanted Erick to return to the family. It turns out that Xavier was sick and needed Erick¡¯s kidney. That¡¯s all I have found out. The details are not clear yet.¡± It was not easy to dig that out. It was a secret for the Winfreds. If it were not for the fact that it had gotten big, the Winfreds would never let any other soul know about it. Korbin had a shrewd and calcting look. He needed the news to know his partner better. Now that they were partners, the Winfreds¡¯ influence in Oceanvile was something the Swanns needed to enter Oceanvile. Korbin would not turn against Xavier so soon. Everything was negotiable as long as Xavier could provide what the Swanns needed. Korbin already got the information he wanted about the Winfreds. Now, what he needed to deal with was Catherine. ¡°I heard Leonel and Linda take action recently. Tell me what they have done.¡± Since he had taught Leonel a lessonst time, Leonel did nothing for quite a while. Lately, Leonel began to make his moves again. It seemed he did not learn much in thest lesson.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 You Wanna Die? The assistant was about to report to Korbin when Korbin asked about it. ¡°Mr. Swann, the government has acquired the chips we developed together with Mr. David. The stock prices of the Swann Corporation are climbing fast. They are probably waiting for a good opportunity to pump up the stock prices.¡± ¡°Pump up the stock prices?¡± Korbin smirked. There was keen shrewdness in his old eyes. Catherine was clever and had the Duncan Corporation behind her, but so what? She was still the young girl under his thumb. Korbin had seeded in cooperating with the Winfreds. After he had transferred the assets of the Swann Corporation to Oceanvile, he would see what Catherine would do with the empty shell of the company. It was all Vicente¡¯s fault to leave the Swann Corporation to that jinx, Catherine. Vicente must have been out of his mind. How was Catherine qualified to have the Swann Corporation? Instead of letting others talk behind his back that he was fighting for the family property with his daughter, Korbin might as well build his business empire based on the Swanns¡¯ huge assets. He wanted the world to know what he was capable of. ¡°Tell the others to sell all the stocks when the price rises by two more percent.¡± The assistant understood what Korbin meant and promised, ¡°As you say, Mr. Swann. I¡¯m on it.¡± Half an hourter. Catherine was still sleeping during ss when she got a mysterious call. ¡°Boss, the Swanns n to sell the stocks.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Catherine sneered. The matter was more interesting than she had thought. ¡°Buy the stocks. No matter how many.¡± ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± Catherine ended the call and continued sleeping. The Swanns in Casier would never change. She had promised Vicente that she would not let the Swanns suffer any loss at her hands and would keep her word. At the Winfreds¡¯ ce. The Swanns visited in the morning and sent the Winfreds a big surprise. Jeremy wasshing Erick hard with a whip in the basement of the Winfreds¡¯ house. Erick was tied to a pir. Iron chains cuffed his hands and legs tight, and he could not move. Jeremy waved the whip in his hand like crazy and hit Erick repeatedly. Everysh caused a deep purple, bloody mark on Erick¡¯s body. Erick did not even knit his brows slightly. He just let Jeremy vent his rage. It was only when Jeremy was tired that he mmed the whip to the ground. He squinted at Erick, who was tied to the pir and was in an awful state, and said sarcastically, ¡°What a mean bastard. You are not afraid of being hit, huh? You are just a lowlife.¡± Erick raised his eyes coldly. On his gloomy face, his eyes that were locked on Jeremy¡¯s face looked like he wanted to eat Jeremy alive. Theshes were nothing to Erick. After all, he had suffered so much beating in the ck market. He got beaten after losing a match. He got beaten if he was disobedient. He also got beaten when his boss was in a bad mood. He grew up under fists, whips, and bats. In his eyes, what Jeremy did to him was nothing. Jeremy instantly red up under Erick¡¯s gaze. He raised his leg and kicked Erick. Meanwhile, he said nastily, ¡°What? Still defiant? Well, aren¡¯t you capable and great at escaping? Come on. Hit me! Erick did not feel much pain from Jeremy¡¯s attack. He undertook Jeremy¡¯s beating up with a cold smile and talked back. ¡°Jeremy, who do you think you are without Xavier?¡± Everyone knew that the eldest son of the Winfreds was a loser, and Xavier was the one supporting the family. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Only Jeremy did not realize that. He always thought that his father had done too much and gotten in his way so that people did not know what he could do. Erick¡¯s words were like sharp scissors that cut the fig leaf Jeremy had. How could the proud Jeremy bear that his father¡¯s illegitimate son looked down on him? Jeremy could no longer control his madness and roared, ¡°Erick, you filthy lowlife. Do you wanna die?¡± ¡°Screw you.¡± Erick spat bitterly at Jeremy¡¯s face. ¡°Boy. If you have the guts, kill me, or you will die in my hands one day.¡± Erick was emotionless when he spoke. His voice was extremely chill and was like a dagger that could kill one instantly. Jeremy could stand it no more. He picked a crowbar and thrashed Erick madly. The butler at the side felt sick to watch it. He walked forward to stop Jeremy. ¡°Sir, let him be. Don¡¯t kill him and ruin your father¡¯s n.¡± Jeremy regained hisposure. He panted and red at Erick. ¡°Brat, you are still useful, and I will spare your life for now. After you have no use for us, I will feed you to the dogs.¡± The Winfreds had intended to take only one of Erick¡¯s kidneys. If Erick refused to obey, Jeremy would take his life. The butler persuaded Jeremy to leave, leaving only Erick in the basement dungeon. Erick said nothing. He raised his eyes at the dark ceiling, and the song Catherine sang echoed in his head repeatedly. Soft footsteps sounded in his ears. Erick lowered his head slowly and looked ahead. Xavier walked toward Erick. His stern face was somewhat ashen because of his sickness. Only his eyes were still ruthless. Their eyes met, but neither of them spoke. Xavier stared at his face, which bore a distinct likeness to his. He showed no emotions. Only by then did he admit that Erick¡¯s character resembled him most among all his children. Erick was cruel and merciless, sharp- eyed, and very clever. If Xavier¡¯s wife had given birth to Erick, Xavier would have chosen Erick as his sessor. It was a pity that Erick had been out there all those years. Besides, Erick was as stubborn as his mother and was ungrateful. Xavier could not take his family as a wager on such an ingrate. His eldest son was a good-for-nothing, but Xavier still had his second son. If Xavier kept a healthy body and held on for another ten years, his second son could be the sessor after he grew up. He opened his mouth and spoke slowly, his voice vicious. ¡°Erick, remember. You are only a tool for our family. ¡°Since your mother and I had a past, I will let you live if you are obedient enough.¡± Afterward, Xavier disappeared from the dungeon. The basement returned to its original quietness again. Erick gazed bleakly at the front, and his mouth curved into an evil smile. There was still a hint of childishness on his face. The former handsome look turned ferocious. The evil smile on his face gradually widened and became more terrifying. Heughed out loud coldly. If one listened to hisughter carefully, they would tremble and feel scared. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 She¡¯s Like Their Goddess Catherine left Branden¡¯s apartment and returned to Audrey¡¯s ce. She opened her phone. She received a video call, and Ronin¡¯s babyface appeared on Catherine¡¯s phone screen. ¡°Catherine, Jolene sent a message that there¡¯s something wrong with the data and wants to talk to you about it.¡± Catherine nodded in agreement. ¡°Put her through to me.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ronin replied. The next second, the image on the screen changed. Ronin¡¯s good-looking face was gone and was reced by a sexy, pretty girl with tanned skin who was wearing a ck slip- dress. ¡°Hi, Catherine! It¡¯s been a long time! I miss you so much!¡± Behind Jolene Carter was a giant screen where different data was scrolling quickly. Once Catherine got to work, she would put on a straight face and give off the aura of warning others not to disturb her. She had a powerful vibe. ¡°Send me the data. I will check it.¡± Jolene was in ecstasy to finally get in touch with Catherine. In thoseputer geniuses¡¯ hearts, they could always get the answers and solutions to the most challenging questions they could not figure out. Catherine was like their goddess. She was their faith. ¡°Catherine, I have sent you all the data. We have tried to deal with it many times. Each time, the program would end up in an endless loop. We failed to solve it.¡± Catherine scanned the data and could not judge which part was problematic for the time. She needed to check and run the program from the beginning. ¡°I will reply to you tomorrow.¡± Jolene was shocked. Catherine seemed omnipotent. Her whole group had studied it for a week without a result, but Catherine said she would reply to her tomorrow at a nce. How capable! Jolene admired Catherine even more and was more eager to be around Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you have been away for several months. Is school so interesting?¡± Although Jolene had finished her university lessons at 12, she still wanted to know what it was like to be in school. She was so envious of Ronin. Catherine only raised her brows. ¡°Is there anything else you need to say? No? I got to go.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jolene screamed out loud. She had only seen Catherine for less than a minute, and Catherine cut the call just like that. That was so cruel. The heartless Catherine pressed the button to end the call under Jolene¡¯s whining. Catherine was the one who owned the Hacker Alliance, but only Jolene and Ronin had seen her, and only Ronin could contact Catherine. Even when Jolene wanted to talk to Catherine, she had to get to Catherine through Ronin. It was hard for Jolene to meet with Catherine, and the meeting had ended abruptly. Jolene whined in depression. She would be sad for quite a while. Branden had a call inside the study in his apartment. When he came out, there was no one in the living room.The person who ought to be lying on the bean bag was now gone. The corners of Branden¡¯s lips turned down in resignation. He was thinking if he should buy a pair of handcuffs to lock Catherine by his side. He hated the feeling that she always left without letting him know. Just as Catherine put the phone down, her phone rang again. She frowned slightly, but a trace of a smile appeared when she saw the caller ID. ¡°What?¡± Catherine said briefly. Branden¡¯s low and hoarse voice sounded in Catherine¡¯s ear. ¡°Where did you go? What are you doing? Catherine looked at theputer by her hand and said, ¡°In my room and doing homework.¡± She was calm and did not feel ashamed to say so. She was working out the forme and running the program. How was that not regarded as homework? Branden remembered Catherine always copied Bryan¡¯s homework. She never wasted her time thinking about it, did she? Yet, Branden did not call Catherine¡¯s bluff but continued the topic with interest. ¡°Why are you so hardworking?¡± ¡°Tomorrow is the due date.¡± Catherine smiled. She did not know when, but Branden¡¯s weight in her heart gradually increased. ¡°Go on.¡± Branden did not force her or interfere with her. ¡°Come here and have a ss of milk before you sleep.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Catherine did not like drinking milk but still promised, as Branden wanted. In Oceanvile. All projects of the headquarters of the Winfred Group hade to a stop since one o¡¯clock in the afternoon. No one knew what had happened, and they could only watch thepany lose money. The money was like water in a broken faucet that kept running out. The General Manager of the Winfred Group finally contacted Xavier, who was in Casier. Xavier knew something must have happened when he received the General Manager¡¯s call. The General Manager was someone Xavier had groomed and trusted and was excellent at work. If it were not urgent, the General Manager would not call Xavier when he was about to have the operation. Xavier almost fainted after hearing what the General Manager had said. The General Manager got to the point. ¡± Sir, if we keep losing money at this speed, we will have to shut down a subsidiary corporation every three days. They would lose a subsidiary corporation every three days? Even though the Winfred Group was affluent, it could not stand such a tremendous loss. Xavier was having the operation the following day, but he made up his mind. ¡°Hold on to it. I will be back right now.¡± Notwithstanding his family¡¯s persuasion, he rushed back to Oceanvile to control the situation. As long as Erick was in his hand, his body could wait a few more days. But the loss of the Winfred Group could not wait. If Xavier did not stop it, his business would be screwed in less than a month. Xavier left, but his son, Jeremy, still stayed in Casier. Xavier left the butler behind to rein in and keep an eye on Jeremy. Jeremy nned to go out and have fun since his father had left the city and there was no one to control him. The butler stopped him. ¡°Sir, your father is not around, but many things still need to be dealt with. You should stay home and handle them for your father.¡± Jeremy red at the butler impatiently. It was a rare chance that his father was not around, but that old guy was annoying enough to ruin his mood. ¡°I know what you mean, but our ce is secure against assault. There¡¯s a team of mercenaries guarding down there. Nothing will happen. ¡°Get out of my way. I¡¯m going out. I wille home earlier in the evening, alright?¡± Jeremy pushed the butler away and left the house. Seeing Jeremy¡¯s retreating figure, the butler shook his head helplessly. But he thought what Jeremy said made sense. The mercenary team was guarding the dungeon and was supposed not to let even a fly in. Little did the Winfreds know that someone was already getting into the dungeon they thought was heavily guarded and secured. The mercenaries had not noticed anything. Catherine had managed to hide herself and sneak into the dungeon. Catherine was not surprised to receive Erick¡¯s news of wanting to see her. Since Erick chose to return to the Winfreds¡¯ ce, he must have prepared everything. Catherine went to see what Erick wanted from her. ¡°Tell me. Why do you want to see me?¡± Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Help Me Once More A rare smile appeared on Erick¡¯s previously stern face when he saw Catherine in front of him. ¡°You are finally here.¡± Catherine saw that Erick was tied to a pir and in rags. He was wearing dark clothes, but she could still see the dark brown blood on his clothes. Catherine was indifferent to the scene she was looking at. Her cold eyes stared fixedly at Erick, and there was no trace of empathy in them. It was all Erick¡¯s choice that led to such a situation. He had chosen to leave with the guards of the Swanns and not to go with Sean when Sean went to rescue him. He had to bear the consequences the choices brought him, and there was no way back. Catherine just eyed him, waiting for him to speak. Erick knew Catherine must know the truth of his leaving. He had not knitted his brows even once under Jeremy¡¯s beating, but now, he looked at Catherine with a long, miserable face. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Erick asked gingerly, scared and nervous.He feared Catherine would say yes because he did not know how to appease her anger. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Her short and emotionless answer caused an emotional copse in Erick. Compared to anger, what Erick feared more was that she did not care about him. Catherine did not give a damn about him, so she would not be angry with him. Erick bore the pain in his heart and told Catherine what he wanted. ¡°Can you help me once more?¡± ¡°You want me to stop Xavier from getting back to Casier?¡± Catherine answered softly. Catherine had almost figured out Erick¡¯s n on the way there. Erick was not surprised that Catherine could guess what his n was. In his eyes, Catherine was just mighty and unfathomable. He nodded slightly. ¡°Yes. Three days. That¡¯s all I need.¡± He did not dare ask for too much, fearing that Catherine might see him as useless. ¡°Why should I help you?¡± Catherine¡¯s voice was indifferent. She acted like a businessman negotiating a deal on the bargaining table. Erick lowered his head. He knew no matter how Catherine treated him, he could not ask her for her forgiveness. He was the one who had betrayed Catherine, even if he had his reason. Erick gritted his teeth and promised, ¡± As long as you help me this time, all the Winfreds have will be my honoraria to you.¡± His original n was to destroy the Winfreds. He wanted to take all members of the Winfreds down with his mother. If Catherine were interested in the Winfreds¡¯ property, he would give it to her readily. A meaningful smile shed across Catherine¡¯s delicate face. She raised one brow and rested her eyes on Erick, ncing at the chains on his hands. Her eyes seemed to question Erick. He could not even be sure of his safety. How could he talk so big? Erick looked seriously at Catherine and made a promise. ¡°Trust me. I will fulfill my words.¡± The Winfreds¡¯ property was not appealing to Catherine. If she wanted it, she could have it anytime. What was more interesting to her was that Erick was poor and powerless. What could he do to fight against the Winfreds and win? C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She preferred to watch other people fight against each other rather than do it herself. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s a deal.¡± With that, Catherine strode out of the dungeon. The dungeon that was supposed to be secure against the assault meant nothing to Catherine. Erick stared greedily after Catherine as she walked away. He wished he could have a chance to be by Catherine¡¯s side like Ronin, even if only as a sidekick. He believed he would have a chance to do it one day, regardless of whatever he needed to pay for it. It was soon time to go to the semi- finals. They needed to set off to Oceanvile a day ahead to see the venue. Their school arranged for teachers to lead the teams to thepetition and booked hotel rooms. The students did not need to worry. The day before they headed to Oceanvile, Audrey kept nagging Catherine. ¡°Kathy, I have prepared cold medicine and Band-Aids for you. Do you want some stomach medication?¡± Catherine controlled the character in the game to lie down in the grass and looked up at Audrey. She said, ¡°There are pharmacies and malls in Oceanvile.¡± The hidden message in her words was that Audrey did not have to prepare those things. Audrey knew what Catherine meant, but she still said earnestly to Catherine, ¡°I know. Oceanvile is a big, well- developed city, and you can buy anything. But you need to bring these requisite things with you. What if you suddenly need them? It will be inconvenient for you to buy them by then.¡± Catherine gave in to Audrey¡¯s constant and considerate chatter. She focused on her mobile game again and let Audrey pack up for her. While packing, Audrey chatted with her, ¡°Kathy, I told my fan club about your semi-finals. I heard there would be online voting, and my fans all promised to vote for you. ¡°But don¡¯t be stressed and enjoy the game. The results don¡¯t matter, but the process does.¡± Catherine pressed the buttons on the phone. After taking down the enemies, she put on a light smile and responded to Audrey asionally. No one knew if she smiled at her victory in the game or the considerate words from Audrey. The doorbell unexpectedly rang just as Audrey was about to continue talking. Catherine was immersed in her game, so Audrey answered the door. It was Branden standing outside. Audrey knew he must be there looking for Catherine. Audrey had no guts to be with Branden alone, so she shouted at Catherine inside the house, ¡°Kathy, Mr. Duncan is here.¡± ¡°Ask him to wait for a while. I will go out when I finish the game.¡± Audrey was almost scared out of her wits hearing Catherine¡¯s response. She looked at Branden with a reddened face and dared not repeat Catherine¡¯s words. Branden did not need Audrey to repeat Catherine¡¯s words for him. The door was open, and he had heard Catherine. Branden said to Audrey, who was awkward, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I will wait here.¡± It was the first time Audrey saw Branden be so gentle and good- tempered. She was envious of and admired Catherine. No one else other than her sister in Casier dared to ask Branden to wait outside the door. What was more, Branden was willing to wait. Catherine was impressive. Audrey felt the air be thin standing between Catherine and Branden. She decided to escape from the scene for her safety. ¡°Kathy, I will go to the room and check for anything else you need to bring.¡± She ran away from the door with no intention of dying.After Audrey was gone, Branden walked into the living room and sat near Catherine. Catherine was halfway through the game. She knew it was Branden sitting and did not even look at him. She moved closer to Branden and rested her head on hisp. Adjusting to afortable posture, she refocused on her game. Branden did not feel annoyed at all. He gazed tenderly at Catherine and waited quietly for her to finish the game. The scene looked warm and harmonious. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Teaching You a Lesson Oceanvile was not far from Casier, but Loyalty Academy had deep pockets and arranged a ne for the teams participating in the semi-finals. Branden arrived at Catherine¡¯s house early in the morning. When Audrey was in a dazed state to open the door and tried hard to open her eyes to send Catherine to the airport, she saw Branden¡¯s tall and imposing figure. Branden reached out his hand, and Audrey automatically handed the suitcase to him without thinking about it. Audrey was hesitant about whether to say something when Catherine stumped out of her room, looking drowsy. Catherine was not surprised to see Branden standing outside the house. The only thing she felt weird about was Branden¡¯s good spirits. He had been dealing with the jobst night when she was asleep. He got up earlier than she did and was vigorous and energetic. There was no hint of sleepiness on his face. Seeing Audrey yawning constantly, Catherine could not help but frown. Audrey insisted on getting up early and demanded to drive her to the airport, leaving no chance for Catherine to refuse. Catherine looked askance at Audrey and pointed at Branden. ¡°He will send me to the airport. Go back to sleep.¡± Audrey would still insist on apanying Catherine if it were not Branden but someone else. Since Branden was with Catherine, Audrey didn¡¯t need to be the third wheel. Besides, Audrey was so sleepy. Audrey squinted at Catherine and waved at her. ¡°Kathy, be careful. I will go back to sleep now.¡± Catherine raised her brow and nodded casually. After Audrey returned to her room, Catherine left with Branden. There was some distance from Catherine¡¯s apartment to the airport. After they got into the car, Branden thoughtfully adjusted the seat for Catherine and let her head rest on his shoulder. ¡°Get some sleep. I will wake you when we arrive.¡± Catherine nodded in satisfaction. She was d that Branden had arranged everything for her. Paxton was a steady driver. He knew Catherine always slept in the backseat, so he would try to slow the speed every time he drove for Catherine. Branden never objected to what Paxton did, even when the time on the road extended to double. After a few times, Paxton knew what to do. Catherine had a nice nap before they got to the airport. If it were not that Catherine had a flight to catch, Branden would not want to wake Catherine up. It was not that Branden could not use his private ne, but Catherine did not want to be treated specially, so Branden let her be and adapted to her style. The moment Branden¡¯s palm touched Catherine lightly. Catherine opened her eyes. There was chill and wariness in her eyes on her gorgeous face. One could see the vignce that only top fighters had from Catherine¡¯s eyes. Branden never brought up Catherine¡¯s past, nor did he allow the Duncans to dig it up. Everyone had their history. He would not check Catherine¡¯s if she did not allow him to. When Catherine was wide awake, chill and wariness began to fade. Catherine looked sideways at Branden and asked, ¡°Are we there yet?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Branden eyed her softly and asked, ¡°Do you want to rest longer or go in there now?¡± If she wanted to rest some more time, Branden had his ways to dy her flight. There was nothing he could not do for Catherine. Catherine checked the time. It was the right time to go in. She was not too early and needed to wait for the others, nor was she toote and kept others waiting. Paxton was great at timing. The time they arrived was what Catherine wanted. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Catherine sat up straight and got out of the car. Paxton opened the car door and prepared to take the suitcase for Catherine, but Branden took it. Branden would carry the suitcase for Catherine in person. He held Catherine¡¯s suitcase in one hand while holding Catherine¡¯s hand in the other. The two were a perfect match and caught many people¡¯s eyes in the crowded airport terminal. Catherine was wearing a hat, but Branden did not. Only his face was appealing enough to the passers-by. Some people subconsciously took out their phones and wanted to snap him, but Branden cast a cold nce at the passer-by who raised his phone the first. That man was startled and dropped his phone to the ground, and the others shut down the idea of taking photos of Branden. Branden was not only handsome but had a powerful vibe. He was so powerful that others would feel stressed. The passers-by did not dare to provoke him. Catherine had sharp eyes and saw her teammates and teachers, so she stopped Branden. ¡°They are there. I will go to them myself.¡± Branden did not insist on going with her. He only asked, ¡°What time is your flight the day after tomorrow? I will pick you up.¡± The semi-finals would onlyst for one day. Catherine would be there today and have thepetition tomorrow, and she would return to Casier on the third day. Branden wished he could fly to Oceanvile with Catherine, but he had important things to do in Casier. Catherine did not show her emotions and said, ¡°I won¡¯t be back with them. I asked for several days off from the school. There¡¯s something I need to do in Oceanvile.¡± Branden¡¯s brows drew together tightly after he heard what Catherine said. He asked reluctantly, ¡°How many days do you need to stay there?¡± It did not matter that Catherine asked for leave, and he had no intention of prying on what Catherine wanted to do. All that mattered to him was how long Catherine would be away from him. Catherine thought fast about her schedule before she gave him the answer. ¡°At least a week.¡± ¡°A week?¡± Branden¡¯s already furrowed brows deepened. After a moment of hesitation, Branden did not stop her. He said concernedly, ¡± Call me anytime if you need anything.¡± Catherine rarely agreed so readily. ¡°I will.¡± Then, she took her suitcase from Branden¡¯s hand and walked toward her teammates. Branden watched her back retreating. She did not even bother to wave goodbye at him. He suddenly felt a little sad. What should he do? She did not go far yet, but Branden already felt unhappy to part with her. He decided to handle things in Casier quickly and fly to Oceanvile to be with Catherine. Her teammates saw Catherine heading to them and greeted her delightedly. ¡°Catherine is here!¡± Ronin had been ying a mobile game. When he saw Catherine, he put his phone down and ran to her. He took over Catherine¡¯s suitcase and pulled out the chair for her. ¡°Catherine, why didn¡¯t you let me pick you up this morning?¡± Ronin texted Catherine and offered to pick her up, but Catherine refused. Ronin obeyed whatever Catherine said, so he did not go to her ce. The others were ustomed to Ronin¡¯s attention to Catherine. After all, Ronin had been around Catherine from the first day he came to ss 8. At first, some students thought Ronin fancied Catherine and wanted to pursue her. Later, even a blind person could tell that Ronin merely saw and served Catherine as his superior. There was nothing romantic between them. The two looked more like siblings, and of course, Ronin was a little younger than Catherine. Liana was wearing earphones, seemingly immersed in her music. However, she was paying more attention to Catherine than anyone else. She snorted coldly and disdainfully at Ronin¡¯s gantry toward Catherine. When Catherine falls from grace, Liana wondered if those simps would still suck up to Catherine. Liana would wait and see. Catherine arrived at the right time, and there was no time for them to chat because they were supposed to line up and board. Bryan stood up and walked to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, my seat is near yours. Let me go with you.¡± Catherine said nothing but only lowered the brim of her hat to cover her little face, preventing the others from seeing her expression. It was weird that Ronin did not object. Usually, Ronin would be irritated when Bryan was ying up to Catherine. It was a miracle when Ronin and Bryan stopped quarreling with each other even for one day. No one could stop their quarrels. They would only have a truce when Catherine asked them to. Ronin did not react when Bryan said his seat was next to Catherine¡¯s. How was that not surprising? The question was answered after they boarded the neCatherine found her seat and sat down, and Bryan followed her. Just as Bryan was about to sit, Ronin, behind Bryan, fastened his pace and took the lead to sit next to Catherine. Bryan held back his rage and said to Ronin, ¡°This is my seat. Get up!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Ronin looked up and stared at Bryan smugly. ¡°Who told you it¡¯s your seat? Open your eyes and check your ticket carefully. Is this your seat?¡± Bryan took out his ticket and was about to show it to Ronin and p him in the face. He did not expect that his seat was not there but three rows behind Catherine¡¯s. Bryan was shocked. He widened his eyes and red at Ronin, ¡°Brat, you yed me?¡± They were flying to Oceanvile together. How would Ronin let go of the chance to sit near Catherine? Ronin had already hacked the airline system and switched seats with Bryan. It was just that Bryan was foolish enough not to discover that. Ronin raised an eyebrow and looked at Bryan gloatingly. ¡°Kid, I¡¯m teaching you a lesson about how dangerous the world is. Be careful next time.¡± Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Presidential Suite The school booked the hotel rooms for them. It was a new hotel near thepetition venue so that it would be convenient for the students. It was not a luxury hotel but was newly opened, so it was clean and decent. Everyone took their driver¡¯s license to check in at the reception, and Ronin offered to help Catherine. But when it was Ronin¡¯s turn, the receptionist only handed him one key card. Ronin found it strange and asked, ¡± What¡¯s wrong? Why did you only give me one key card? I have two driver¡¯s licenses with me. Did you make a mistake?¡± The receptionist looked at Ronin politely and was respectful to him. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. Miss Swann¡¯s room is quite special. I have asked our manager toe and check in for her. Here¡¯s your key card. You can have a rest in your room first.¡± Ronin was confused, wondering why the receptionist said so. Ronin looked back at Catherine and saw her leaning against the back of the sofa. She looked rxed. Sensing Ronin¡¯s gaze, Catherine raised her head slightly and nced at him, saying casually, ¡°You can go to your room.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ronin refused Catherine and sat by her, waiting together with her. Fortunately, the manager came fast. He arrived the moment Ronin sat down. The manager was in a neat suit. He walked to Catherine with respect.¡± Excuse me. Are you Miss Catherine Swann?¡± Catherine nodded, and the manager handed a key card to her even without checking her driver¡¯s license. ¡°Miss Swann, your room is on the eighth floor. This is your room card. May I send your luggage to your room?¡± When the manager¡¯s words fell, Ronin took Catherine¡¯s suitcase and said, ¡°No need. I will do it.¡± Ronin hated that people always offered to help Catherine no matter where they were. Ronin was worried that Catherine might not need him anymore if he did not act actively. After getting the key card, Catherine stood straight and went upstairs to her room. However, it was a small world. They met Liana on the elevator, who took it from the lower ground level. Ronin scowled at Liana and walked into the elevator. ¡°Catherine, give me your key card.¡± Ronin reached out his hand at Catherine. They needed the card to press the floor button their rooms were at. They tapped the card on the device, and the floor button would light up immediately. Catherine gave the key card to Ronin, and thetter tapped it on the device. ¡°Eighth floor,¡± the machine voice broadcasted. ¡°Catherine, my room is on the sixth floor. Why is yours on the eighth floor? ¡°Roninined unhappily. No one noticed that Liana, standing behind them, had her expression changed dramatically. After she checked in and went to her room, she found out that her room was too small and was not facilitated enough. She nned to pay and upgrade her room herself. But the hotel told her that the only presidential suite on the eighth floor was reserved for the top VIP guest. Since that was the case, there was nothing Liana could do. She could only me the school for being too stingy and booked an average hotel for them, which had only one presidential suite. Liana did not dwell on it at first. Anyway, they would only stay there for one day. After knowing that Catherine was the top VIP guest of the hotel, Liana could not stand it anymore. Why on earth did the jinx deserve the best presidential suite? Catherine was a bumpkin from the countryside. It was outrageous that Catherine had a better room than she did. The elevator doors opened, and Ronin noticed Liana standing still like a fool. He rolled his eyes and reminded Liana, ¡°What are you waiting for? Are you going out or not? Or is your room on the eighth floor, too?¡± His words interrupted Liana¡¯s thoughts. She red at Ronin and suppressed the anger in her heart. Liana thought, ¡°Catherine just wants to show off her presidential suite while I could only stay in a regr room. ¡°Who cares other than the bumpkin from the countryside that hasn¡¯t seen the world?¡± Liana snorted coldly and strode out of the elevator. Heavy stamps sounded. As the elevator doors closed, Ronin¡¯s face darkened. He mimicked Liana¡¯s snort and said, Humph!¡± ¡°Catherine, why do you think that the chick is always arrogant? We never provoked her, did we? Why does she always act like we owe her money?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Ronin had always been dissatisfied with Liana. If it were not that Liana was Catherine¡¯s sister, Ronin would have already given Liana trouble. Ronin disliked anyone who had it in for Catherine. As they talked, they had arrived at the eighth floor. When the elevator doors opened, Ronin finally understood why Catherine¡¯s room was on the eighth floor. His room on the sixth floor was a regr single room. There was nothing special, but it was clean. The entire eighth floor belonged to the presidential suite Catherine stayed in. It was beyond luxury. Looking around the spacious room, Ronin could not help but exim, ¡± Catherine, how could you not tell us that you upgraded your room? No wonder the manager has received you personally, and Liana looked at you in hatred. Your room is much better than hers.¡± Catherine had no idea about the presidential suite. But she did not guess to know who did that for her. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Catherine threw her tired body to the sofa aside. Ronin put the travel mug on the chair beside Catherine. ¡°Catherine, here¡¯s the rose liqueur I prepared for you. I should go. Call me anytime.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Catherine replied muffledly in tiredness. Ronin took his suitcase and left. As long as he left, Catherine¡¯s phone rang. It was Branden¡¯s video call, and Catherine answered it. The next second, Catherine saw Branden¡¯s charming face on the screen. ¡°Are you in the hotel room?¡± Branden¡¯s voice was pleasant to hear, as always. Catherine was too exhausted and did not bother responding to him. Branden did not mind. He asked several questions and cut off the call, knowing that Catherine wanted to sleep. Catherine closed her eyes immediately after the call ended. Ten minutester, Catherine, lying on the sofa, opened her eyes abruptly. There was coldness in her eyes. She sat up straight and changed into all ck before she left the hotel room. When she reached the hotel lobby, the phone in her pocket rang. A crisp voice sounded in her ear through the receiver, ¡°Chief, it¡¯s me, Rodge.¡± Catherine looked at the time and replied, ¡°I will see you in yourb in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Chief, do you mean it? It seems our captain is not lying. I¡¯m going to meet you in person!¡± Rodge Milton¡¯s voice was full of excitement. He seemed thrilled at Catherine¡¯s arrival. Catherine did not speak and heard the delighted voice expressionlessly. A few secondster, Rodge realized he was too happy and apologized awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I got carried away at the thought of meeting you. ¡°We are all in theb, waiting for you!¡± Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 The Arbotte Laboratory The usually quiet and meticulous Arbotte Laboratory suddenly became a hub of activity. It was a world- renowned research facility. While it was just aboratory, its research projects garnered global attention. Many countries coveted the opportunity to coborate with this facility. Despite its small size, consisting of only a dozen members, each was a globally recognized genius in their field. Theboratory primarily focused on cutting-edge technology, excelling in physics and chemistry research. Every research achievement from theboratory had the potential to change the world. However, thisboratory was shrouded in mystery; little was known about its members or location. The only means to obtain information about theboratory was through two channels. The first was to monitor the sporadic updates on the Arbotte Laboratory¡¯s website, which sometimes went without new details for the entire year. The second option was to obtain information through the ck market, but Arbotte Laboratory¡¯s information was notoriously expensive and required significant sacrifices. As everyone knows, anything can be a currency if it holds value in the ck market! No one expected this world-renowned and enigmaticboratory to be hidden within the bustling neighborhood of Oceanvile. Amidst the dpidated old city, with itsbyrinthine alleys, an unremarkable residential building from the 1990s stood. At first nce, it appeared ordinary, amon sight in this aging city. Two slender teenagers were standing and whispering to each other outside the building, ¡°Rodge Milton, do you think the chief wille?¡± Scott Theo asked innocently, looking at Rodge with anticipation. Rodge was on the verge of being driven crazy by the constant chatter. While he was also excited about the chief¡¯s arrival, he couldn¡¯t stand the continuous talking. He gave Scott a cold nce and said, ¡± Brat, shut your mouth. Be careful; she might cut off your tongue when the chief arrives. The chief doesn¡¯t like talkative people!¡± Scott was frightened and immediately fell silent. In his eyes, the chief was his idol, and he was a simple person. He admired whoever was more potent than him. As for the chief, he did not doubt that she was far more powerful than anyone he had ever met. She was his ultimate role model. Therefore, the chief had to be his only idol. Rodge checked the time as their meeting with the chief was approaching. His heart raced with excitement. He had been aboratory member for three years, and this would be his first encounter with the chief. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. He couldn¡¯t help but feel thrilled. After all, the chief was a genius and a visionary leader. As he eagerly anticipated her arrival, his heart soared. Just as he had finished admonishing Scott, he saw a slender figure dressed in ck approaching from a short distance away. Rodge was momentarily stunned. She had to be the chief just by judging her overwhelming aura. How could an ordinary person possess such a powerful presence? Scott, who was next to him, widened his eyes and couldn¡¯t find words to speak. He could only grasp Rodge¡¯s hand and shake it eagerly. Rodge was nearly infuriated by this annoying kid. He was the youngest science champion in Halleywick, yet hecked this muchposure. Catherine walked up to the two of them. They were still pushing and shoving each other, but they stopped when she cleared her throat. Rodge immediately stood up straight, his demeanor much more respectful. He cautiously spoke, ¡°Excuse me, are you the chief?¡± Catherine replied in a soft voice, ¡± Hello, Rodge.¡± It was a charming feminine voice, and she sounded pretty young. Rodge was stunned. When the chief contacted them, she always used a voice modtor. So, apart from their team leader, nobody knew if the chief was male or female, old or young. Rodge had considered that the chief might be an older man with a full beard or a middle-aged man with extraordinary charisma After all reaching the height of leadership required a lot of time and experience. However, he never would have imagined that the chief was a woman. Moreover, she was a very young woman based on her voice. Rodge hadn¡¯t had a chance to look at Catherine yet, as her face was mostly hidden under a cap, and he dared not to stare at her closely. On the other hand, Scott, who was even younger than Rodge, was excited to the point of losing his composure. If it weren¡¯t for Rodge instinctively holding him back, he would have thrown himself into Catherine¡¯s arms. ¡°Chief, I¡¯m Scott. Do you remember me?¡± said Scott. Catherine nced at the young boy, who looked even younger than Rodge. Scott had an adorable cherubic face. His eyes would crinkle when he smiled, giving him an endearing and friendly appearance. She recognized him, a young physics genius who joined theb over a year ago. He was still rtively young but had made significant contributions to physics research. She nodded slightly, ¡°I read your paperst month, and your arguments were well done.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Scott was overjoyed. He beamed at Catherine. ¡°Chief, you¡¯re so kind, praising me like this!¡± Rodge, on the other hand, was worried that Scott¡¯s thoughtlessness might offend Catherine. He tried to guide the conversation and said, ¡°Chief, shall we go inside theb first?¡± Catherine gave a slight nod, and Rodge led the way. They entered the core of theboratory, a room that appeared quite ordinary and furnished. But when Rodge nced at the decorations near the entrance, the originally whitewashed walls suddenly began to move aside. A hidden high-techboratory tunnel slowly revealed itself. The decorations had iris recognition devices, allowing onlyb members to open the mysterious door and ess theboratory¡¯s interior. However, this door was just the first obstacle. There were many more mechanisms inside to ensure the lab¡¯s security. For outsiders, entering theb was practically as difficult as reaching the heavens. Rodge escorted Catherine to the innermost part of theboratory, the core area. ¡°Chief, please have a seat. I¡¯ll retrieve the data for you,¡± said Rodge. Catherine showed no courtesy as she walked over to a nearby sofa and plopped down, adopting a casual and unreserved posture, exuding the air of a big shot. On the other hand, Scott looked like an enamored fan. He rested his chin on his hand and gazed in fascination in Catherine¡¯s direction. No matter how he looked at his idol, he felt that she was incredibly beautiful. Their chief hade in person, and Rodge couldn¡¯t afford to bex. He promptly prepared the data and handed it over to Catherine. ¡°Chief, here are the results of our current research phase. The initial findings are already avable. Please review and let us know if you¡¯d like to proceed with the second phase of experiments,¡± said Rodge. As he handed the documents to Catherine, Rodge inadvertently looked up. He was frozen in shock and his mouth agape, as if he had encountered something immensely startling. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Revealing the Chief ¡®s Beauty Hearing the strange sound from Rodge Milton, Scott Theo, who was next to him, approached curiously. ¡°Rodge, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Scott asked. Rodge couldn¡¯t speak and kept his head down. Suddenly, a cold voice came from above his head. ¡°Why? Is my appearance frightening?¡± asked Catherine. Catherine squinted her eyes as she assessed Rodge. She knew that Rodge was surprised because he had seen her face just now. She hade to theb today and had no intention of hiding her face. If someone saw her, so be it. It was not a big deal. However, Rodge¡¯s reaction seemed a bit exaggerated. Rodge scratched his head in embarrassment and said, ¡°No, no, Chief, your appearance isn¡¯t frightening at all! I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± Scott, who was standing on the side, was getting anxious. ¡°Come on, Rodge, what didn¡¯t you expect? Can you please finish your sentence at once? You¡¯re making me nervous!¡± said Scott. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so beautiful!¡± Rodge finally managed to say. ¡°Some more, I¡¯ve heard rumors that anyone who sees your face won¡¯t live to see the next day. So, I was scared!¡± Catherine silently rolled her eyes at the ceiling. How could herb have such adorable people? It was nothing more than a baseless superstition as for the rumor that anyone who saw her face would die before the next day. ¡°Do lessen your fanciful notion in the future!¡± she spoke with clear disdain. Rodge knew he was being looked down upon, but he didn¡¯t mind or feel embarrassed. Although it might be a novelty, there was some truth to it. After all, no one had seen the chief¡¯s face, and nobody knew what she looked like. Thus, in a way, the rumors had some foundation. People who had seen the true face of the chief were silenced, which was why nobody had seen her. So, Rodge¡¯s misunderstanding was somewhat understandable. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Arbotte Laboratory originally had only three members, with the most important one being the current chief, Catherine. The other two were geniuses in the fields of physics and biology. Later, these two became the leaders of their respective teams within theb, guiding a group of talented individuals to continue their research and expand theboratory¡¯s influence. Rodge and Scott were neers. They had only seen their respective team leaders but not Catherine. Scott was very curious and constantly trying to get a better look at Catherine¡¯s face. Rodge already knew what the chief looked like, but he was curious as well. Driven by curiosity, Scott finally mustered the courage to speak up.¡± Chief, would you mind taking off your hat? The lighting in here isn¡¯t good for you to read the reports.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t hesitate and removed her hat. Her long and jet-ck hair cascaded gracefully, revealing her stunning face to the two of them. Scott was left in awe. He finally understood why Rodge had been so surprised. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re so beautiful!¡± Scott swallowed hard and couldn¡¯t take his admiring eyes off her. Then he said, somewhat dumbfounded, ¡°Boss, you must be no ordinary person, right? You¡¯re as beautiful as a fairy and as powerful as a deity. You must be a goddess!¡± That was the only exnation he coulde up with. Rodge, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but comment sarcastically, ¡°Brat, are you really the youngest science champion in Halleywick Province? You¡¯re not pulling our legs, are you?¡± Halleywick was known for its highlypetitive SAT scores, and the top science champion was a highly sought- after candidate by major universities. They were the cream of the crop among geniuses. Scott confidently responded as he faced with Rodge¡¯s question, ¡°Absolutely not! Seeing that Scott didn¡¯t catch his sarcasm, Rodge didn¡¯t bother arguing further. Meanwhile, Catherine had already watched all the demonstration videos of the experiments and provided her analysis. ¡°Rodge, suspend the second phase of the experiment. There¡¯s a problem with this phase,¡± said Catherine. Rodge widened his eyes and found it hard to believe her response. ¡°Chief, are you sure?¡± asked Rodge. As soon as he questioned her, Rodge realized his mistake and quickly apologized, ¡°Chief, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have questioned you.¡± The chief was indeed highly capable. Their previous experiments had been sessful and had shocked the world. However, Rodge still couldn¡¯t understand what the problem was with their current experiment. Their experiment this time involved thetest stealth fighter jet, which was not onlypact but also had a massive payload capacity. Although it was still in the first testing phase, once it was introduced, it would be thetest and most formidable weapon. It would even be capable of evading radar and satellite monitoring and thereby shaking the world. In the first phase of the experiment, their team had conducted numerous trials, and they hadn¡¯t identified any issues. They had reported their progress to the team leader and intended to proceed with the second phase of the experiment. Unexpectedly, the chief had ordered them to halt it. Catherine knew their concerns. She got up, walked over to theb bench, and reenacted the experiment using 3D reconstruction technology. ¡°You see these values here. Although the errors seem negligible, they could lead to fatal consequences if they umte,¡± said Catherine. Her casual remark was like a frag exploding in the hearts of Rodge and Scott. Their prideful experiment had a potentially deadly w, and they were fortunate that their chief had spotted it in time. Otherwise, the consequences could have been disastrous. Scott quickly grasped the issue and apuded. ¡°You truly deserve to be our chief! You¡¯re amazing. We¡¯ve been researching for so long and didn¡¯t notice such a critical mistake!¡± Rodge¡¯s admiration for Catherine went from astonishment to deep respect. This physics prodigy, who was highly regarded in the scientificmunity, now held her in the highest regard. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Chief. I¡¯ll gather the team to make the necessary corrections.¡± They weren¡¯t afraid of making mistakes. What they feared was not having the ability to detect those mistakes. Catherine had that ability, and her one nce had revealed the problem. ¡°Chief, thest batch of experimental weapons is ready to be deployed. Several countries have approached us for negotiations, with Alton offering the highest price.¡± Alton was known as a leading power weapon, and entrusting the equipment to them might lead to the best oue. Catherine didn¡¯t give a straightforward answer, and instead, she casually asked, ¡°What about Zerwick?¡± Rodge replied, ¡°Zerwick has also negotiated with us, but their offer is slightly lower than Alton¡¯s.¡± ¡°Give it to Zerwick,¡± replied Catherine. Catherine¡¯s casual remark changed thendscape of cutting-edge weaponry. With business matters concluded, Rodge shifted his focus to Catherine¡¯s arrangements and asked, ¡°Chief, you¡¯ll be staying in Oceanvile for a few more days. Do you need us to arrange amodations for you?¡± Catherine replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be here for a few more days. If there are any issues with the experiments, contact me immediately.¡± Rodge, usuallyposed and impassive, was now as happy as ark. He hadn¡¯t expected such a great opportunity and was determined to make the most of these few days to learn from the chief. Scott, on the other hand, was more interested in the possibility of meeting Catherine. ¡°Chief, can Ie visit you when you have free time?¡± asked Scott. Being younger and exceptionally intelligent, he had followed a different path from others, and his thoughts were refreshingly innocent and straightforward. Catherine nodded slightly and left the room gracefully. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chief¡¯s Identity Revealed Looking at Catherine¡¯s graceful departure, Scott couldn¡¯t help but ask with curiosity, ¡°Rodge, how can the chief walk out of theboratory? Aren¡¯t there 108yers of security measures here?¡± It was extremely challenging to enter and leave the Arbotte Laboratory. Theboratory had numerous intricate security measures in ce. Scott was utterly astonished to see Catherine leaving as if it were nothing. Rodge rolled his eyes silently and could not understand why the team leader had paired him with such a chatterbox. He was on the verge of being annoyed. Amid Scott¡¯s ongoing questions, Rodge finally lost his temper and shouted, ¡± Don¡¯t you know that the chief herself designed these security measures? She can walk out because she created these mechanisms!¡± Scott was stunned when those words left Rodge¡¯s mouth. It took him a while to process the information. He only knew that the chief was a genius in weapon design, but he had never imagined she was also a genius in creating security mechanisms. Rumor had it that the reason the Arbotte Laboratory was so impregnable was due to its master builder, who was the only disciple of the renowned master of mechanism design. His inherited knowledge of mechanisms had been continually evolved and improved with time. Any mechanism built by them was impervious to decryption. Scott slowly realized that Rodge had said the chief was the one who created these security measures. This meant that the chief was the sole apprentice of the legendary master of mechanisms. He was surprised that he had stumbled upon something incredible once again. The chief of the Arbotte Laboratory was a genius in weapon design and the sole inheritor of the legendary master! ¡°How could their chief be this powerful and versatile?¡± thought Scott. Scott felt like nothing more than a speck of dust in front of Catherine, even though he was the pride of Halleywick! The Duncans¡¯ mansion. As the owners of Zerwick¡¯s most potent intelligencework, the Duncans received critical information from around the world daily. Their elite team categorized and selected the most important news to present to the Duncans¡¯ head for decision-making. Paxton delivered thetest intelligence report to the study, where their boss, Branden, was. ¡°Mr. Duncan, we have received news. Thest batch of advanced equipment from the Arbotte Laboratory has been decided to be sold to Zerwick at a price ten points lower than what Alton offered,¡± said Paxton. However, this news didn¡¯t surprise Branden. The Arbotte Laboratory¡¯s mysterious chief seems to have a particr fondness for Zerwick. They noticed that looking through all their products, they prioritize Zerwick whenever it involves Zerwick¡¯s essential interests, even if it means lowering prices and reducing ie. Paxton also had some critical information. He said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, we intercepted a message. The Arbotte Laboratory seems to have developed thetest generation of stealth fighter jets, and the first testing phase has already beenpleted!¡± No more than three intelligence organizations had intercepted this message at the moment. It was bound to cause a considerable stir once this news came out. Regardless of which faction or power can obtain this stealth fighter, it will undoubtedly be a national treasure with far-reaching consequences! Branden ordered coldly, ¡°Arrange for our people to monitor Arbotte¡¯s activities closely. Notify me as soon as there is any news. We cannot let this weapon fall into the hands of another country!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Duncan, you can rest assured!¡± Paxton assured him with a serious expression since his matter was important that none dared to take lightly. After handling official matters, Branden instructed Paxton to arrange his personal affairs, ¡°Arrange a flight to Oceanvile for me tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oceanvile?¡± Paxton looked somewhat surprised, ¡°Mr. Duncan, are you going to see Miss Swann?¡± Branden nodded slightly. Tomorrow would be thepetition day, and his girl should be resting at this hour. He didn¡¯t want to disturb or affect her performance due tock of sleep. Paxton quietly noted the matter in his heart after getting Branden¡¯s answer. He felt that Branden seemed to be growing increasingly fond of Catherine. This exined why Branden, who never worked overtime, was uptest night toplete his work in advance and rushed to Oceanvile tomorrow to see Catherine. He felt Branden was showing affection to singles in the middle of the night. These days were bing more and more challenging. The next day, Ronin arrived on the eighth floor early in the morning and knocked on Catherine¡¯s door. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve prepared breakfast for you. Please pick and eat!¡± said Ronin. They would be going to the venue soon, so Ronin didn¡¯t prepare too much, just a few dishes that Catherine liked. Catherine was still half-asleep and silently chewed the food he handed her, mumbling unclearly, ¡°Is everything ready?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I guarantee that everything will go smoothly today, and we¡¯ll dazzle everyone¡¯s eyes for sure!¡± replied Ronin. After a simple breakfast, Ronin picked up Catherine¡¯s backpack and joined the rest of the team. Catherine leaned back as usual in her seat and rested with her eyes closed at the venue. She had returnedtest night and received materials from Rodge, requiring her to review experimental data. She ended up working until midnight. Catherine needed some rest to ensure she was well-prepared. Bryan and Ronin acted like her bodyguards and guarded her on both sides to ensure she could rest without disturbance. They were sitting in the waiting area and surrounded by other contestants. Many people knew about Catherine¡¯s team, especially since they had received such high praise from the legendary, Grayson Clifford. There were even rumors that Grayson himself carried Catherine¡¯s team! The treatment of Catherine¡¯s team was the envy of many. Emma Hazel sat with her teammates in the waiting area, and her teammates were aware of the rivalry between Emma and Catherine. They weren¡¯t fond of Catherine either. Emma¡¯s teammates couldn¡¯t help but be sarcastic as she saw Catherine sleeping at a time like this, ¡°It¡¯s great to have connections. Let¡¯s take us as an example; we trained tirelessly all night, and she came here to sleep. When it¡¯s time to perform, she can easily get a high score from the mentors with a simple routine. Are they even worried about not getting votes with Peerless Grayson¡¯s support?¡± Since Grayson had a massive fan base, his fans would naturally support the team he liked. Today¡¯s finals would involve judges scoring the performance and allowing all viewers watching the live broadcast to vote. Thebination of these two would determine the ultimate champion. Therefore, the final results wouldn¡¯t be avable until after today¡¯spetition. This scoring method was quitemon. Sincerge-scalepetitions required substantial funding, this voting method helped generate revenue to support the event. However, it was also more challenging for the contestants as they needed positive feedback from judges and fan support through voting. For some highly popr contestants, this scoring method was particrly advantageous! This format was particrly advantageous for highly popr contestants like Catherine and Emma. Emma¡¯s gaze towards Catherine gradually turned fierce. She was convinced that she couldpete with Catherine and win the championship! Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Stunning Everyone Unlike before, this time, Catherine Swann¡¯s group drew a cement in the second-tost group. Ronin Oconnor informed Catherine of the drawing results, saying, ¡± Catherine, we¡¯re in the second-tost group, so we have to wait quite a while! He thought Catherine might be unhappy about it since he knew her temperament very well. They didn¡¯t care about theirpetition cement at all. After all, they were doing their best, and finishing the competition early would allow them to leave sooner. However, to his surprise, Catherine didn¡¯t seem upset at all. In fact, her mood was quite lightened up. ¡°Just right. We¡¯ll be in the back, so I¡¯ll take a nap,¡± said Catherine. ¡°Catherine, feel free to sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up when it¡¯s time,¡± Ronin said considerately and then shared the drawing results in their WhatsApp group. The others, like Yesenia Duncan, couldn¡¯te in person due to sses. However, they were all waiting eagerly on their phones and ready to watch thepetition. Sometimes, old rivals couldn¡¯t help but reunite. As for Emma¡¯s group, they were just ahead of Catherine¡¯s group in the lineup. However, Liana Swann¡¯s group remained unusually quiet with no signs of activity, which left Ronin feeling rather puzzled. ¡°These were people who usually loved to cause trouble, so why were they suddenly so silent? It was truly baffling, ¡°thought Ronin. Emma had always looked down on Catherine, considering her as nothing more than a clown who couldn¡¯t hold her own. Many people began topare Catherine with Emma because of their previous encounter. Now, it was Emma¡¯s turn to take the stage. As she walked towards the stage, she nced sideways at Catherine. When she saw Catherine, who was still fast asleep, she felt rather disdainful. ¡°Sleeping like this, and she dares topete with me? ¡°I don¡¯t even need to make a move; I can defeat Catherine with my skills alone. The championship is rightfully mine,¡± Emma thought to herself. Emma approached the stage to draw her performance style, and the result surprised many. It was a dance performance! Emma¡¯s forte was music, not dance. However, she showed no signs of panic or distress. When the music started ying, she immediately entered a state of focus. To everyone¡¯s amazement, Emma, who was known for her musical talents, performed remarkably well in the modern dance segment. Her wless performance left the audience in awe. Many believed that this year¡¯s championship would undoubtedly belong to Emma, given her exceptional performance in a field where she wasn¡¯t even specialized. Ronin and the others in Catherine¡¯s group weren¡¯t particrly interested in Emma¡¯s performance. They had no desire to watch and were eagerly waiting for Catherine¡¯s group to perform next. Like all the other groups, Catherine¡¯s group had to draw their performance style. ssical music! ssical music was their draw, and Catherine handed the card to Ronin. Ronin whispered, ¡°At least it¡¯s better than dance!¡± Dance was the weakest point In their group. Many people were looking forward to Catherine¡¯s group¡¯s performance, especially since they had several public performances that featured modern music and instruments like guitars. Now, no one knew how they would conduct the performance using ssical music. After some preparations, their performance officially began. Dry ice billowed and created a hazy mist that enveloped the entire stage, turning it into a dreamlike setting. Just as the audience was wondering what they were about to perform, the soothing sound of a mandolin began to fill the air. Apanied by the ethereal mist and the sound of flowing water created on the stage, it instantly transported the audience into a dreamy realm. The mandolin was yed melodiously and beautifully. As the first climax passed, the sound of a flute joined in, taking the music to even greater heights. The mist gradually dissipated, revealing the performers within. A white-d girl yed the mandolin with her exquisite face disying an arrogant and dominant expression. As her agile fingers gracefully strummed the strings, the music became increasingly melodious, captivating the audience. Two handsome young men were standing behind her. Their flute yingplemented the mandolin¡¯s melody, pushing the music to its climax. By the end of the performance, the entire audience was spellbound. Until the music ended, it seemed like the audience hadn¡¯t snapped back to reality from the mesmerizing performance. Grayson Clifford was sitting in the audience, watching Catherine¡¯s astonishing performance with admiration clearly visible on his face. The only person who seemedpletelyposed throughout the performance was Catherine herself. After her performance, she gracefully put away the instruments and walked off the stage. Catherine ran into Grayson at the backstage. He had been waiting for Catherine, and when she walked in, he was already there. ¡°Waiting for me?¡± Catherine asked. Grayson¡¯s handsome face broke into a faint smile, and he looked at Catherine with gentle eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± He didn¡¯t deny that he hade specifically to wait for Catherine since there was nothing to hide. ¡°Catherine, your performance this time was a huge sess. It¡¯s been so long since I heard you y the mandolin, and I never expected such an opportunity,¡± Grayson praised. Not everything paid off with effort because some people were naturally gifted. Grayson knew that no matter how hard he worked, he would never reach Catherine¡¯s level. Catherine wasn¡¯t just naturally talented. She was the kind of person who was heavenly blessed. That¡¯s why Grayson admired and respected her. Seeing Catherine about to pack up the mandolin, Grayson took the initiative to help. ¡°Let me take care of this, Catherine!¡± When he was with Catherine in the past, these tasks were his responsibility. Ronin was absorbed in his computer, and these traditional musical instruments were not suitable for him. As Grayson carefully packed up the instrument, Catherine sat leisurely by the side and allowed him to handle it. After Grayson had neatly put the mandolin away, he spoke to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s have dinner together tonight. It¡¯s been a while since we met.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when the timees. I have something to attend to,¡± Catherine replied. She was in Oceanvile not just for thepetition but also because of the matter involving Arbotte Laboratory. She anticipated that Rodge mighte looking for her in the evening so that she couldn¡¯t agree to dinner with Grayson right away. As he heard Catherine¡¯s response, Grayson didn¡¯t want to disturb her further. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you knowter. If you¡¯re free, we can have dinner together!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine responded with a grunt before slowly getting up. She put her hands in her pockets and prepared to leave. ¡°Take care of the instrument. I¡¯m leaving first,¡± said Catherine. Catherine left as she finished the sentence. After Catherine left, Grayson continued to gaze in the direction she had gone and was lost in thought. Unbeknownst to anyone, not far away, someone was observing their every move closely. After exiting the backstage area, Catherine found Ronin and Bryan waiting for her. Ronin noticed that Catherine was no longer holding her instrument case and found it a bit strange. He asked, ¡± Catherine, where¡¯s your mandolin?¡± Catherine casually replied, ¡°I gave it to Grayson.¡± Ronin felt reassured after hearing that it was given to Grayson. However, neither of them made an effort to speak discreetly, and many of the surrounding contestants overheard their conversation. Their expressions towards Catherine changed. But Catherine paid no attention to the reactions around her. With everything packed up, she was ready to leave. She had no time to linger here. Ronin and Bryan naturally followed her. They were returning to Casier the next day, so Ronin suggested, ¡°How about we have a good time in Oceanvile tonight?¡± Bryan was about to agree when he suddenly saw a figure ahead and bumped into Ronin¡¯s shoulder. He said, ¡°Look ahead before you speak!¡± Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Ronin Oconnor was taken aback momentarily as he looked up and only realized when he saw Branden Duncan ahead. ¡°Why is this guy following us everywhere? Isn¡¯t it annoying?¡± Ronin muttered. Bryan gave him a disdainful nce, his face full of disdain. ¡°Kid, are you feeling too safe? Speaking ill of my uncle like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of him!¡± Ronin protested. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Hmph!¡± Bryan coldly snorted, his tone dripping with disdain. ¡°Sure, you¡¯re not afraid.¡± Ronin felt a bit embarrassed. He had wanted to argue back but realized that he was indeed no match for Branden, so he kept silent. However, he was still somewhat unwilling. He approached Catherine and tried to be ingratiating.¡± Catherine, we rarelye to Oceanvile, and we won thepetition. Can¡¯t we celebrate together tonight? It¡¯s been a while since I had a meal with you.¡± Catherine had been staying in her apartmenttely and enjoying the meals Branden had personally cooked for her. Thus, it had indeed been a while since she had eaten out. ¡°Wait!¡± Catherine tossed out these words to Ronin before walking over to Branden. She wasn¡¯t surprised at the sudden appearance of the man in Oceanvile. She raised her gaze, and her initially cold eyes softened as theynded on the man. ¡°Is the work taken care of?¡± asked Catherine. The man looked at Catherine tenderly, raising an eyebrow slightly, a hint of a smile in the corners of his eyes, and nodded. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± asked Branden. The man handed over the decision to Catherine, letting her make arrangements. ¡°Thepetition is over. Ronin and the others want to have a meal together,¡± Catherine replied casually. Branden reached out and gently stroked her hair as his face filled with indulgence. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange it,¡± said Branden. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine replied, feeling at ease leaving everything to him. Since the man said he would arrange it, it would surely be well organized, and she didn¡¯t need to think about it any further. After getting into the car with Branden, Paxton, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, immediately reported the situation. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the private room is ready. It¡¯s at Meadow Restaurant, and I¡¯ve sent the location to you,¡± said Paxton. Bryan and Ronin rode together in one car, and he would take Ronin there. Half an hourter, Branden¡¯s car stopped in front of Meadow Restaurant, the most famous private kitchen restaurant in Oceanvile. The restaurant was renowned, and seat reservations were already booked until next year. However, the owner had prepared a special private room not open to regr guests, only used for important asions when distinguished guests were present. It wasst used when a neighboring country¡¯s dignitary visited Oceanvile. Local officials had arranged for it to give the dignitary a taste of Oceanvile¡¯s specialty dishes. After getting out of the car, Catherine, Bryan, and Ronin followed Branden. Ronin was in high spirits. Although he hadn¡¯t arranged the location, he was pleased as long as he could celebrate with Catherine. The private rooms were different from the regr dining area. They were on the third floor and required a separate elevator to ess. The owner of Meadow Restaurant had been waiting at the entrance and rushed forward to greet them when he saw Branden bringing Catherine. ¡°Mr. Duncan, it¡¯s been a long time. Wee to Meadow Restaurant.¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan, Mr. Lambert, and Mr. Lane have alsoe to Oceanvile. They are waiting for you in the private room! Branden nodded indifferently without showing any particr reactions. Catherin guessed that Mr. Lambert and Mr. Lane, mentioned by the owner, were probably Triston Lambert and Aidan Lane. Besides these two, no one else could know Branden¡¯s whereabouts. As expected, even before entering the private room, they heard the arguing between Triston and Aidan. These two were natural enemies, constantly arguing when they met as if they were ufortable if they didn¡¯t exchange a few words. The owner of Meadow Restaurant personally led them to the private room¡¯s entrance before respectfully leaving. ¡°Mr. Duncan, please. A service bell in the room connects directly to my office. If you need anything, please feel free to request it!¡± Inside the private room, there were service bells provided for different clients. For those regr customers, they could only summon waitstaff. However, prominent figures like Branden had service bells connected directly to the owner¡¯s office. Branden led Catherine into the private room. After everyone had entered, the owner of Meadow Restaurant personally closed the door before leaving. The head manager on the side looked puzzled and quietly asked, ¡°Boss, who are these important guests? Why did you personally serve them?¡± He thought, ¡°Even when the neighboring country¡¯s dignitary visitedst time, his boss only had a brief meeting and didn¡¯t personally serve.¡± The owner of the Meadow Restaurant gave his subordinate a mysterious and enigmatic look and said in a tone filled with mystery, ¡°These are all extraordinary individuals with exceptional insight. Remember to serve them well. Offending any of them would end our business in Oceanvile.¡± The manager nodded nervously. He understood that if the boss said something like this, these guests were not to be taken lightly. As a small yer, he couldn¡¯t afford to offend them and could only serve them well. Inside the private room, Triston pped his hands when he saw Catherine and the others enter. ¡°Catherine, your performance today was truly amazing! Aidan and I were mesmerized when we watched it on the ne!¡± But the next moment, Triston let out a miserable cry. He clutched his foot and red at Aidan. ¡°What the hell, why did you step on me!¡± As Aidan saw this guy, he didn¡¯t react at all. He decided not to rescue him and just rolled his eyes, letting him fend for himself. Just as Triston finished speaking, he felt a chilling presence approaching from behind. He turned his head and met Branden¡¯s icy eyes. In the deep, intense gaze, his eyes were like two sharp swords piercing straight at Triston. Terrified, he shivered all over and finally realized what was happening. He quickly exined. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, Mr. Duncan, We absolutely had no intention of coveting Catherine. We just thought her performance today was too stunning, and we¡­¡± Aidan quickly intervened as he worried that Triston would dig himself into a deeper hole with more exnations. He picked up a te of pre-dinner fruits from the table and stuffed it into Triston¡¯s mouth, saying, ¡°Eat more, and thus, you can¡¯t talk anymore!¡± Triston gave Aidan a fierce re butplied, understanding that Aidan wasing to his rescue. Therefore, he didn¡¯t argue with Aidan. Catherine picked up her phone, which was ced on the table, to answer the call as it vibrated. Scott had been trying to get Catherine¡¯s number for a long time and finally managed to get it after much effort. Last night, he had felt that Catherine looked familiar, and today, after watching the intercollegiate competition, he finally realized why she seemed so familiar. He hade across a video with over a billion views on a random website featuring a performance by Catherine. He had been captivated by that brief glimpse of her. Now that he knew Catherine had finished the competition, he couldn¡¯t resist contacting her to arrange a meeting. He had never expected the chief to be outstanding and multi-talented. ¡°Chief, can we invite you for dinner?¡± Scott cautiously expressed his thoughts as he was afraid that Catherine might refuse. He even pleaded. ¡°Chief, please give us a chance!¡± Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Someone is Targeting Catherine Catherine Swann didn¡¯t pay much attention to it and told Scott Theo she was having dinner with friends. ¡°You cane if you want!¡± Scott was not shy at all. He had one thought in his mind: to meet Catherine! He was even willing to eat while standing if that¡¯s what it took. As he was excited to receive Catherine¡¯s response, he immediately replied, ¡± Great, thank you, Chief! Please give me the address. Rodge and I wille over right away!¡± The cheeky imp even took advantage of the situation to bring Rodge along. Catherine thought he was quite the character. Knowing that they had been waiting in Oceanvile for a while, she assumed they would be familiar with Meadow Restaurant and mentioned the name to Scott. After hanging up the phone, she mentioned to Branden. She said, ¡°I have two friendsing to Oceanvile.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Branden Duncan responded gently. Paxton, standing nearby, understood and left to pick them up. Catherine remembered Grayson as she thought about friends. ¡°Ronin, contact Grayson and ask if he¡¯sing,¡± said Catherine immediately. Ronin grinned at Catherine, ¡± Catherine, Grayson called me ten minutes ago. I told him we were at Meadow Restaurant, and he said he was waiting for a ride to pick him up. Then he¡¯lle over!¡± Grayson was his best friend, so there was no way he could forget him! As for Catherine¡¯s friends in Oceanvile, Ronin had no idea who they were. He knew that Catherine had a remarkableboratory in Oceanvile. However, it was her project, and he had little involvement in it. Consequently, he didn¡¯t know the members of herb. Just as the food arrived, the private room¡¯s door was knocked on again. Ronin opened the door, and Paxton led several people inside. The first to enter was Grayson, a well- known idol star recognized by everyone. The other two were unfamiliar to everyone except Catherine. Rodge, wearing a ck shirt, was tall and handsome. Standing beside him was Scott, who looked even younger than Ronin. He wore a hoodie and a baseball cap, giving him a youthful appearance. As soon as Scott entered and saw Catherine, his eyes lit up like light bulbs. ¡°Chief, I¡¯m here!¡± He shouted and was about to rush over. Fortunately, Rodge was quick to react. He grabbed Scott and held him tightly by the cor to prevent him from approaching Catherine. Scott, who was being held back, was a bit disgruntled. He turned to re at Rodge and questioned him with his eyes. Rodge gave him a cold nce and said, ¡°Did you forget what I told you before we left?¡± Scott instantly realized his mistake and became obedient again. When he greeted Catherine again, he was much quieter. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m here!¡± repeated Scott. ¡°Please have a seat,¡± replied Catherine as she gestured to the empty seats beside her. The others didn¡¯t react much, although they found it odd when Scott addressed Catherine as ¡°chief.¡± However, they didn¡¯t dwell on it. On the other hand, Ronin¡¯s face turned a bit unpleasant from the moment Scott appeared. He couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself in his mind, ¡°What the hell! Another guy hase topete for Catherine¡¯s favor. This is getting unbearable!¡± Once Scott seated himself, he noticed that Grayson was beside him. Despite his young age, Scott was quite knowledgeable about the entertainment industry. Upon seeing Grayson, his eyes lit up like light bulbs. ¡°Oh my gosh, I¡¯m sitting at the same table as Peerless Grayson now! Is this for real? I¡¯m so honored! I¡¯m so happy! ¡± said Scott. People like Grayson, who were Catherine¡¯s friends, were always treated generously. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Grayson. It¡¯s a pleasure to have the opportunity to have a meal with you,¡± Grayson said amiably. Though Scott was naive, he wasn¡¯t foolish. He knew that Grayson, a famous idol, wouldn¡¯t be here at the dinner table without some connection to Catherine. His admiration for Catherine reached new heights, and he couldn¡¯t help but show starry-eyed affection. ¡°Catherine, your friends are all amazing!¡± Catherine smiled at him. Thus, she felt teens like Scott were hard not to like. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. He was highly endearing, sweet, and had an innocent charm. On the other hand, Rodge rolled his eyes silently, deeply regretting bringing this guy to meet Catherine. He made a subtle gesture, urging Scott to behave. Upon receiving the hint, Scott closed his mouth and obediently continued eating. Meadow Restaurant truly lived up to its reputation as the top private kitchen in Oceanvile. Each dish was not only artistically presented but also delicious. The freshly served abalone was particrly exquisite and looked very fresh. Catherine nced at it with a slight frown and didn¡¯t pick up her cutlery. The next moment, a perfectly peeled abalone was ced before her. Apanied by the maic yet gentle tone of the man, ¡°Give it a try. If you like it, I¡¯ll peel some more for you.¡± The abalone¡¯s flesh was semi- transparent and exceptionally fresh. The man¡¯s peeling skills left the meat intact, carefully extracting every corner from the shell. Catherine raised her fork and ced the peeled abalone into her mouth. On the side, Ronin noticed that Catherine had started eating and silently stuffed half-peeled shrimp meat into his mouth. Since Catherine didn¡¯t need him, he would take care of himself. Scott, with nothing else to do aside from enjoying the delicious food, was quietly ying with his phone since Rodge didn¡¯t allow him to talk. While scrolling through his phone, he suddenly screamed, ¡°Ah¡­¡± Everyone immediately stopped using their forks and looked at him. Rodge couldn¡¯t help but rub his temples and muttered, ¡°Why are you acting so dramatic? Can¡¯t you calm down?¡± Scott anxiously grabbed Rodge¡¯s hand, shaking it, and turned his gaze toward Catherine. ¡°Chief, someone¡¯s trashing you on the inte!¡± Seeing how anxious he was, he had even forgotten to use the appropriate title. The next moment, everyone took out their phones and opened Twitter. Catherine, the person at the center of attention, didn¡¯t seem in a hurry at all. She didn¡¯t even touch her phone. Since someone would inform her about it, she felt no way to be anxious. Branden was on the same page. He slowly removed the shell from the abalone, cing the fresh abalone meat into Catherine¡¯s bowl and meticulously cleaning his hands before picking up his phone. Triston, sitting on the side, seemed more anxious than anyone else, showing an impatient demeanor. He was the bystander who was more concerned than the person concerned. ¡°Mr. Duncan, someone is really trashing Catherine. Take a look!¡± said Triston. Branden took the phone and nced at the Twitter posts. His deep eyes darkened, and his aura instantly became more intense. Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Anxious Bystander Audrey Swann was filming enthusiastically on the set. During a break, Kim Morris rushed in, looking extremely anxious. Audrey felt a bit flustered seeing his worried expression. ¡°Kim, what¡¯s the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Audrey asked. ¡°Audrey, did you gather your fans to vote for Catherine Swann?¡± Kim asked seriously. Audrey hesitated momentarily and nodded, ¡°Yes, Kathy has recently been participating in a university event. Thus, I asked my fans, Ava, to support and cheer for her.¡± Ava was a senior member of Audrey¡¯s fan club who regrlymunicated with Audrey and helped promote various publicity matters. This time, Audrey wanted to show her support for Kathy¡¯spetition and even made announcements on Twitter. Ava had also helped with the promotion. Kim frowned and looked at Audrey with a great deal of resentment. ¡°I told you to consult with me before making decisions. Why don¡¯t you listen? Can you gather votes so casually?¡± Audrey didn¡¯t understand and looked puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Audrey. Kim Morris handed her the phone. ¡± Take a look for yourself!¡± Audrey was puzzled and looked at the Twitter app on Kim¡¯s phone. There were several popr posts about Catherine. They used her of seducing her mentor to cheat and imed she took advantage of her sister¡¯s celebrity status and fans for votes. The usations against Catherine were severe, and Audrey was furious. She clenched her phone and eximed, ¡± This is absurd! How can these people nder Kathy like this?¡± ¡°No way, I need to rify this on Twitter immediately. My sister would never do such a thing!¡± said Audrey. Kim snatched the phone away from her as she saw she was about to log in to Twitter. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Audrey. Do you even realize your current situation? Just because of this vote-pulling thing, you¡¯re already losing fans.¡± ¡°I was negotiating a national endorsement deal this morning. They just called and said they want to wait a bit longer. I had a sure thing within reach, and now it¡¯s slipping away!¡± said Kim. Audrey was starting to grasp the impact this situation had on her. In the age of social media influence, it was truly a ¡°make or break¡± case by the fans. However, after thinking for a moment, she made a decision. ¡°Kim, you don¡¯t need to worry about this anymore. Catherine is my sister, and I¡¯ll definitely help her. Even if I lose that endorsement deal, I don¡¯t care.¡± said Audrey. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Realizing the potential consequences, Kim regretted bringing up the matter with Audrey. He changed his approach to persuade her, ¡°I understand your concern for your sister, but why don¡¯t you contact Catherine first to understand the situation before taking action?¡± said Kim. Audrey was now calmer and found merit in Kim¡¯s suggestion. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should call Kathy now!¡± said Audrey. Meadow Restaurant. The group was still in the private room and had all seen what happened on Twitter. The most popr post was made by a user named ¡°Righteous Dude¡± on a forum called True Journal. She imed to be a staff member of the event organizer and alleged that Catherine had colluded with Grayson. She asserted that Catherine had prior knowledge of the event¡¯s theme, which gave her an advantage and even suggested a romantic connection between her and Grayson. Furthermore, the post used Catherine of being the pre-determined champion due to her alleged rtionship with Grayson. It also imed that Catherine had forced her sister, Audrey, to use her fans to vote for her and effectively took advantage of her sister¡¯s followers. They were mocking Audrey for exploiting her fans and alleging that the two sisters joined forces to take advantage of their fans¡¯ support. The detailed post included several backstage photos confirming the author¡¯s ims. The photos were clearly taken without permission and showed Grayson assisting Catherine with a mandolin. The angle they found was quite tricky, as it looked like the two of them really had something going on! Apart from the neers, Rodge and Scott, who did not know about Catherine¡¯s rtionship with Branden, this post was openly trying to humiliate him. Could he tolerate this? Triston and Aidan, eager to join in the gossip, were hesitant due to Branden¡¯s intimidating presence. They dared not make a fuss and sat obediently, waiting for Branden to take action. Grayson read the entire post with a serious expression. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m going to exin right now. I¡¯ll let the managementpany handle the public rtions. I won¡¯t allow these people to defame you!¡± said Grayson. The entertainment industry was a big cauldron, and Grayson had been in the entertainment industry for many years. He had seen all sorts of disgusting situations. He had even encountered all kinds of dirty tricks. He didn¡¯t care about most things. However, he would never agree if someone tried to use him to harm Catherine. All eyes were now on Catherine and waiting for her decision. Ronin was itching for action and preparing to take drastic measures. Whoever dared to defame Catherine was looking for trouble! Catherine calmly finished eating the shrimp that Branden had peeled for her. She was about to say something when her phone started ringing. She nced at it and saw it was Audrey calling. She answered the call. Audrey¡¯s voice sounded anxious through the receiver. ¡°Kathy, it¡¯s me. Where are you now? Are you okay? Have you seen the messages on your phone?¡± A string of questions followed, leaving Catherine almost no chance to speak. She waited quietly until Audrey paused before slowly responding, ¡°I¡¯m in Oceanvile. I already know about the situation. You focus on your filming and leave the rest to me.¡± Then, a sycophantic voice from Kim came through the phone, ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure to take care of your sister and won¡¯t cause any trouble for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact youter!¡± After saying this, Catherine hung up the phone. She had already seen the comments Audrey had posted under the announcement of herpetition on Twitter. She knew this situation would have some impact on Audrey and didn¡¯t want her to get involved. After hanging up the phone, Catherine picked up her fork and continued eating. Her calm attitude left the others dumbfounded. Ronin couldn¡¯t contain his impatience and said, ¡°Catherine, why aren¡¯t you doing anything? People online are cursing you!¡± Catherine nced at him, and Ronin immediately fell silent. ¡°Grayson, will the online situation affect thepetition¡¯s results?¡± Catherine asked Grayson. Grayson understood what Catherine was asking and looked at her with certainty as he responded. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. The results of thispetition will be absolutely fair. Dirty tactics like this won¡¯t affect it in any way.¡± Thepetition would lose meaning if every little disturbance could tarnish a contestant¡¯s performance. Grayson, as a mentor and with some authority, could ensure thepetition¡¯s absolute fairness. With the assurance she wanted, Catherine remained calm and called out to everyone, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s continue eating!¡± Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 All Hidden Influential Figures No one knew what Catherine meant. The online buzz was growing and even filled with criticism against her. Grayson¡¯s fans attacked Catherine as if they had gone mad, using her of being a seductress who used men for her gain. However, Catherine remained calm. She refused to address the situation herself and discouraged others from getting involved. It all seemed quite mysterious. Ronin was unhappy about this but didn¡¯t dare speak up due to Catherine¡¯s authority. Scott didn¡¯t quite understand the situation and cautiously asked, ¡± Shouldn¡¯t we do something about these clowns who are insulting us?¡± Catherine replied expressionlessly,¡± Let them be. They will eventually reveal themselves after some time.¡± It was evident that the post was deliberately released, and Catherine had no faith in the ims about behind -the-scenes staff. No one expected that a simple universitypetition would attract so much attention. The staff arranged by the sponsors was simply insufficient. The scene was bustling. The staff were working tirelessly backstage, and there was no spare time for them to take these photos, let alone post them with such a sarcastic tone. It was easy to deduce that it was probably from another group participating in the same program, most likely motivated by jealousy and fear of her winning thepetition. She had no interest in immediately exposing these people. Instead, she preferred to raise someone high and then watch them fall dramatically. That would be more entertaining. Branden sat silently on the side. After understanding Catherine¡¯s intentions, he slightly nodded to Paxton standing nearby. Paxton promptly instructed his subordinates to halt all actions. Ronin felt anxious earlier as he thought Catherine wasn¡¯t taking any action. However, now that he realized she had her approach. Thus, he was ready to support her fully. Nevertheless, Ronin continued to be infuriated by those people. He gritted his teeth and stared at his phone, saying, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m going to create some online ounts right now. I want to engage in a fierce battle with these little keyboard warriors and show them who the real online warriors are!¡± Scott enthusiastically nodded and said, ¡°Take me with you. I also want to curse those brats who insult our chief!¡± Catherine was waiting for the situation to escte further. She paid no attention to Ronin and the others wanting to vent their anger by arguing with inte users. Rodge anxiously nced at Catherine as he received a message on hisputer indicating another problem with the experiment. Catherine immediately understood that the current experiment was more important. As for the online issues, she would deal with them when she had the time. Catherine turned her head to look at Branden and said, ¡°I have something to do and need to go out.¡± ¡°Do you want me to apany you?¡± asked Branden. He didn¡¯t ask what Catherine would do, nor did he get angry that she was leaving midway. He knew that Catherine had other matters to attend to in Oceanvile besides thepetition. ¡°No need,¡± Catherine shook her head. She turned back to him and said, ¡°If it getste, you cane and pick me up. A gentle smile appeared on the man¡¯s handsome face as he nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright.¡± Triston was shocked to hear him speak in such a tone since he had known Branden for over a decade. ¡°My goodness, was this the Branden who I knew? ¡°The one who was cold-blooded and ruthless?¡± wondered Triston. Rodge and Scott followed Catherine immediately once she left. Bryan noticed Ronin, who was usually attached to Catherine, showed no particr interest in their departure. He asked, ¡°Who are those two, and why are they following Catherine? Aren¡¯t you going with them?¡± Ronin was busy operating his phone and didn¡¯t lift his head as he responded, ¡°Stop being a nosy parker. It¡¯s not your business.¡± Ronin knew they were from theboratory since they called Catherine the ¡°chief.¡± He knew it must be rted to their work as Catherine was leaving in a hurry and bringing these two people along. Catherine didn¡¯t like to be disturbed when she was working. Besides, he still had a bunch of keyboard warriors to deal with. Who had the time for that? ¡°You¡­¡± Bryan was infuriated by Ronin and decided not to bother with him. ¡°If he didn¡¯t want to talk, then so be it. Who cared?¡± thought Bryan. He didn¡¯t want to stay in this miserable ce with Catherine not around. The rest of the group dispersed, with Catherine gone. Meadow Restaurant on the floor above was the most famous hotel in Oceanvile. Triston and the others¡¯ rooms were also on that floor. Branden went upstairs with them to make it easier for him to pick up Catherer. As they walked halfway, Aidan suddenly shouted. Triston bumped into him and asked, ¡± What¡¯s up? Are you imitating Scott, shouting for no reason to mess with people?¡± Aidan turned and red at him. ¡°What do you know? I¡¯m just amazed at Catherine¡¯s powerful connections. Everyone she knows seems to have an even bigger background!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Triston didn¡¯t understand what Aidan meant and asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Aidan handed Triston his phone, and a news report was on the screen. The news content was about the announcement of the Physics Gold Ball Award winner, the most prestigious physics award at the world¡¯s most famous academic institution, five years ago. The recipient was a very young man. Triston was initially about to tease Aidan for making a big deal out of it. However, when he took a closer look at the recipient, he snatched Aidan¡¯s phone and widened his eyes in surprise, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this the same guy we just saw, Rodge?¡± Aidan rolled his eyes at Triston and replied, ¡°You¡¯re just realizing that!¡± Aidan also graduated from the same university and attended the awards ceremony five years ago. However, after five years, people changed, and he couldn¡¯t recognize Rodge. It was only when he felt a sense of familiarity that he eventually remembered the Physics Gold Ball Award, looked it up, and was surprised to find out it was indeed him! Triston continued investigating Rodge¡¯s educational background and eximed, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this guy, who seems so quiet, to be so amazing. He¡¯s even hailed as the hope of 21st- century physics.¡± What was even more interesting was the way Rodge treated Catherine. He might have been acting under her orders. Aidan agreed and nodded, saying, ¡± Open another window and check the background of the young kid, Scott!¡± Triston followed his instructions and opened another website. After checking, he eximed again, ¡± Unbelievable! Halleywick¡¯s youngest science prodigy, this young kid is incredibly talented!¡± In contrast to Triston¡¯s amusement and amazement, Aidan was more concerned about another matter. He looked at Branden seriously and said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, seriously, are you sure you don¡¯t want to investigate Catherine¡¯s background and origins?¡± Catherine, who had been considered an ill omen due to her unfortunate birth and was abandoned in the countryside for years, had been brought back to the Swanns. She inherited a billion-dor fortune as soon as she returned, and the people around her were all influential figures. This was highly suspicious, and Aidan was curious about Catherine¡¯s identity. Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Attack Using Other¡¯s Strength Faced with Aidan Lane¡¯s reminder, Branden Duncan remained calm. He had never asked about Catherine¡¯s past or arranged for anyone to investigate her life in the countryside. He knew that Catherine had secrets, but he had never mentioned it. As long as Catherine didn¡¯t tell him, he wouldn¡¯t inquire. ¡°No need!¡± said Branden. Branden straightforwardly rejected Aidan¡¯s suggestion. Seeing this, Aidan could only put away his thoughts. He was extremely curious about Catherine¡¯s identity and background, believing she was more than just a member of the Swanns. However, since Branden had made it clear, he didn¡¯t dare to investigate more toward Catherine, fearing that Branden would trip him up. Anyway, he didn¡¯t have the courage! Aidan and Triston Lambert exchanged nces and could only give up on their suggestions. Shermann Hotel, Room 603. Liana didn¡¯t join her friends from Oceanvile in celebrating. She had no time for friends. In front of an exquisite notebook, the flickering screen disyed a continuous stream of maliciousments, steadily increasing. The smile on her lips grew more apparent as she watched. She closely monitored the online developments, and the scandal involving Catherine¡¯s seduction continued to escte. Many posts, a mix of truth and fiction, had joined in. At this point, Catherine¡¯s reputation online had be quite negative. ording to the posts, Catherine was portrayed as an academicallyzy troublemaker who skipped sses, slept during lectures, and got into fights daily. She supposedly used her looks to manipte male ssmates into doing her bidding. Not only that, but also attempting to seduce Grayson to secure her victory in thepetition. As she watched more posts cropping up, Liana¡¯s mood grew increasingly joyful. She carefully observed the situation and noted no signs of posts being deleted. Even if some individuals asionally tried to defend Catherine, the angry fans would quickly shut them down. Catherine had be notorious, a pariah in the eyes of the public. Liana believed that no one woulde forward to defend her, as no one wanted to get involved and risk a tarnished reputation for the sake of one woman. As for Catherine, Liana thought she might be agitated right now, so how could she have the time to delete posts? With a satisfied smile, Liana continued to gaze at the heated posts on her screen. If Catherine liked fame so much, Liana was determined to ensure she got her fill of it. After hesitation, Liana felt that the current situation was not enough. She needed Catherine to be despised by the world and unable to turn things around. Liana picked up her phone and made a call. Ten minutester, she arrived on time at the coffee shop downstairs at the hotel. The person she had arranged to meet was already waiting at their table. Liana gracefully approached and took her seat. ¡°Emma, I¡¯m sorry for being a littlete.¡± Emma Hazel nced at Liana, noticing her meticulous appearance, and couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes inwardly. She didn¡¯t say much in response. Liana was indeed a master of pretense. The hotel was just upstairs, and only the two were meeting. Yet, she still needed to dress up carefully beforeing downstairs. People like her were exhausting to deal with. However, Emma had seen it all before. In their social circle, many people lived for appearances and prioritized looks above all else. Some individuals never revealed their makeup-free faces in their entire lives. Emma and Liana were not close enough to share a sisterly bond, so they didn¡¯t feel the need to bepletely open. After Liana ordered her drink, Emma finally said, ¡°So, what brings you here to talk to me?¡± Liana put on a faint smile and pretended to be shy as she said, ¡± Emma, have you seen the posts online, by any chance?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Emma raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean about Catherine?¡± Emma immediately understood the purpose of their meeting after seeing Liana nod. She didn¡¯t say anything initially, and Liana decided to take the initiative. She looked at Emma with a seemingly aggrieved expression and said, ¡°Emma, your performance today was amazing, truly stunning. I can¡¯t believe that Catherine is so capable. Judging by how well-prepared she was, she must have known the exam questions in advance. She seems determined to win the championship!¡± Emma maintained herposure on the surface and didn¡¯t even blink. However, her hand resting by her side betrayed her true emotions. At this point, she knew precisely what Liana wanted from her. She wanted to attack Catherine using the strength of her. Emma would not have given them this opportunity if it were any other person. Liana was not qualified in her eyes, but the situation was too sensitive right now. Emma wasn¡¯t sure if Catherine had cheated through Grayson or not, but the timing of this scandal was highly precarious. However, those photos had infuriated Emma. ¡°How dare Catherine behave like this?¡± thought Emma. She even dared to let Grayson pack her bags for her. Did she deserve any of this? Emma struggled to control her anger and reluctantly suppressed her urge tosh out. She forced herself to speak calmly, ¡°Is there anything else you need? If not, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Liana watched Emma¡¯sposed exit and smiled with an air of gentleness. She shook her head and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re busy, I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Liana couldn¡¯t help but admire Emma¡¯s self-control as she sipped her coffee. She hadn¡¯t expected Emma to remain soposed even in this situation. However, she knew that Emma would never let Catherine off the hook. As she left, the bulging veins in Emma¡¯s neck told her as much. Liana had her reasons for involving Emma in this matter. Emma came from an artistic family with several rtives in the entertainment industry who were influential figures. If Emma were willing to help suppress Catherine, a little family pressure would be all it took to ensure Catherine could never recover. Liana didn¡¯t need to do anything herself. She could sit back and watch Catherine¡¯s downfall. Arbotte Laboratory. The demonstration resumed, and every action had a ripple effect in science. Changing even a single piece of data meant overturning everything done previously. Scientific rigor allowed no room for error. Rodge Milton and Scott Theo weren¡¯t afraid to start over. Catherine¡¯s previous input had been crucial, and without her guidance, they would have been in real trouble. The sooner they discovered the problem and resolved it, the better. It had been two hours since they left the Meadow Restaurant and arrived at theboratory. Catherine had been locked inside theb, continuously working through the problem. Meanwhile, Rodge and Scott Theo were left waiting outside and increasingly bored. Scott nced at Rodge and winked. ¡± Hey, bro, are you as bored as I am?¡± Rodge let out a sigh of resignation with helplessness. ¡°I¡¯m not just bored. I¡¯m frustrated. I can¡¯t help with anything!¡± said Rodge. He had lived a life of constant sess and had always excelled. His outstanding achievements earned him recognition from everyone around him. He used to think he was strong. However, when he encountered Catherine, he realized there were always greater heights to reach. True talents were in a league of their own, and he didn¡¯t even have a chance to lend a hand. Chapter 361 Chapter 361 A Devoted Boyfriend After the final run-through, Catherine saved the data and left theb. She stared at Rodge and Scott calmly as she said casually, ¡°Simtion is done, and data is saved. Double-check it, and feel free to reach out if there¡¯s an issue. ¡°Is that it?¡± Scott eximed in surprise, with his mouth wide open. Catherine raised an eyebrow. She lowered her head and shot him a quick nce. ¡°What did you expect?¡± ¡°Chief,st time, Rodge and I pulled all -nighters for a week to run a single simtion. Chief, you managed to finish it in less than two hours¡­¡± Scott was truly taken aback by Catherine¡¯s skills. They said that seeing was believing. He had heard about Catherine¡¯s prowess and how she was rumored to be a genius in her field. However, it was all hearsay, and he had never experienced it firsthand. He had no idea of Catherine¡¯s skills. Now, having witnessed it with his own eyes, he finally understood why Catherine was considered a genius in the intellectualmunity. As Scott gazed at Catherine, Rodge could only facepalm and tug at Scott¡¯s sleeve. Rodge whispered, ¡°Enough. Stop talking about it.¡± ¡°Stop embarrassing yourself,¡± he thought. This time, he waspletely awestruck. Scott stopped talking. He pouted and was obviously unhappy. If he couldn¡¯t talk about that, he would find something else. ¡°Chief, I¡¯ve been following the developments on Twitter closely. It¡¯s escting, and another big shot in the industry is using you of disrupting the order.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Scott was getting a bit anxious. While he could understand why Catherine remained soposed, he couldn¡¯t help but feel the urgency. Great minds like Catherine, at the ceiling of their field, were always contemting global-scale events. They didn¡¯t have time to manage these trivial matters. As a staunch supporter of Catherine, he would not tolerate any nder against her. If Catherine didn¡¯t allow him to intervene and rectify the situation, he could only watch in frustration and difort. Catherine didn¡¯t pay much attention to what Scott was worried about. Many people talked about her regrly, and if she took everything to heart, she would be constantly irritated. She picked up her coat and prepared to leave. Once Scott started talking, he couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Chief, I need to tell you that those fans are going crazy. They¡¯re not only attacking you on Twitter, but they¡¯re also targeting a female artist named Audrey Swann. They im that she is your sister and use fans to¡­¡± Before Scott could finish, he sensed an intense gazeing from Catherine. He instinctively looked up. Then, he met her cold, piercing eyes. His heart skipped a beat. He thought inwardly, ¡°What has gotten into chief? ¡°Why is she suddenly so angry?¡± Scott had no idea. He sat quietly and wisely kept his mouth shut. Catherine, who had initially decided to leave, turned to Scott and asked, ¡°You mentioned those people online are harassing Audrey?¡± Scott was stunned. He nodded silently. He didn¡¯t understand Catherine¡¯s intentions in asking about that. He could feel that the air around Catherine grew colder. It took him a while to snap out of it after Catherine had left. Scott, who was still shaken, looked at Rodge with a bewildered expression. ¡°Rodge, what¡¯s going on with chief?¡± Rodge shrugged with a nonchnt attitude. ¡°Kid, instead of worrying about these small matters of the chief, why don¡¯t youe in and learn from me? Watch how the chief conducts simtions.¡± Rodge was now filled with passion, and his fighting spirit had been ignited by Catherine. He was determined to learn and stand alongside the chief for the next data analysis. That was the goal he set for himself. As for the events involving the chief, in Rodge¡¯s eyes, they were inconsequential. He thought that the chief was just toying with them. When the chief didn¡¯t want to y anymore, she could easily eliminate these shameless individuals. He didn¡¯t need to be concerned about that. Completing their current tasks was the best way to repay the chief. Inside the hotel room, Triston and Aidan were ying cards with Branden. They rarely got the chance to gather together. Since they didn¡¯t invite any girls, they could only y cards. Triston and Aidan decided to team up to take down Branden in their card game. Paxton watched from the sidelines and continuously chuckled. He couldn¡¯t understand why, after so many years, Triston and Aidan still hadn¡¯t learned their lesson. Even if they joined forces, they were still no match for Branden. Moreover, Branden was well aware of their coboration and continued to y with them. His confidence was astounding. However, these two men remained oblivious to the reality. Branden once againid down all his cards. He swiftly and mercilessly defeated both Triston and Aidan in a round that left them penniless. In less than two hours of gaming, the two of them had respectively lost the equivalent of a luxury apartment in Oceanvile. Triston eximed with a hint of frustration, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s continue. I don¡¯t think you can always win.¡± Unusually, Branden arranged the cards. Suddenly, the phone left aside made a notification sound. He nced at his phone. Then, he casually tossed his cards, stood up, and walked away. Triston was stunned. He followed and asked, ¡°Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re leaving just like that?¡± Branden walked away with his hands in his pockets, not bothering to turn around. He left the room without a second thought. Triston was left bewildered and turned to Aidan, who remained in his seat. Triston asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did he leave so suddenly?¡± Aidan looked at him with disdain and replied, ¡°You can¡¯t figure it out? It¡¯s obvious that he has been summoned by Catherine. He¡¯s rushing to pick her up!¡± He hadn¡¯t forgotten the scene at Meadow Restaurant when Catherine was about to leave. Branden, the illustrious young heir of the Duncans, was acting like a lovesick fool. He insisted on picking her up. When Catherine agreed to let him pick her up if she stayed out toote, Branden¡¯s aura returned to normal. When Aidan witnessed that scene, he began to doubt his own eyes. He even suspected that Catherine must have put a spell on Branden. Otherwise, how could someone who was always so aloof and dignified suddenly transform like this? It seemed like Branden was increasingly moving toward a path of being a devoted boyfriend, which made it all feel surreal to Aidan. After a reminder from Aidan, Triston finally caught on. It turned out that Branden¡¯s urgency was for picking up his girlfriend. This world had indeed changed. Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Audrey¡¯s Anger Catherine stepped out of the neighborhood and spotted a ck car waiting at the side. Branden was not sitting in the car. He leaned against it and waited for her. As she appeared, Branden took the initiative to approach. They were just a step apart when Branden reached out and naturally took Catherine¡¯s hand. As their hands intertwined, Branden frowned. He asked in a hoarse voice, ¡± What¡¯s wrong? Your hand is so cold.¡± Before Catherine could respond, Branden gently pulled her hand into his embrace and warmed it with his own body heat. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s get in the car and warm up a bit.¡± In reality, Catherine wasn¡¯t actually cold. Her hand was icy from the two hours she had spent in theb operating machinery without a break. Once inside the car, Branden instructed Paxton, who was seated in the front. He said, ¡°Increase the car¡¯s temperature.¡± Thanks to the car¡¯s excellent performance, the interior temperature rose within seconds. Catherine had just endured two hours of high-intensity work, and now she was feeling a bit tired. As the temperature inside the car increased, she couldn¡¯t help but yawn. Seeing her feeling exhausted, a rare expression of concern appeared on Branden¡¯s face. After he reached out, he gently caressed her cheek and turned her toward him. ¡°Rest for a bit. We still have quite a distance to your hotel.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Catherine replied. Sheplied and leaned against Branden quietly. There was a faint, pleasant scent about him, which was conducive to sleep. It was something she hadn¡¯t noticed the first time they met, but she hade to appreciate it in subsequent encounters. It was an inviting fragrance that brought a sense offort. Every time, Catherine could peacefully rest her head on his shoulder and doze off for a while. Online discussions about Catherine had escted, and inte users had started to mockingly refer to her as royalty. They imed that she didn¡¯t rely on her talent topete but instead had strong backing. Especially after two influential figures in the industry spoke out, it almost seemed like they had solid evidence of Catherine¡¯s cheating. Netizens swarmed Catherine¡¯s Twitter andunched an attack. This situation had a ripple effect on Audrey as well. The moment she stepped out of the filming location, journalists surrounded her. Kim had anticipated this and had already advised Audrey not to respond publicly. However, they didn¡¯t expect the onught of reporters to be so intense. Kim did his best to lead Audrey through the crowd. ¡°Audrey, is it true that you¡¯ve been using your fans¡¯ love for you to support your sister?¡± ¡°Audrey, what is your take on your sister getting cozy with the mentors and joining the royalty during the competition?¡± As Audrey heard the word ¡°cozy¡±, she frowned instantly. She was about to respond when Kim firmly held her back. Remembering Kim¡¯s instructions, Audrey reluctantly stayed silent. The gossipy journalists were all sharp observers. Audrey¡¯s irritation only spurred them on. They wanted to provoke her to create a sensational headline. For them, it would be perfect for a headline like ¡°Audrey Swann Furious and Lashes Out at Reporters in Anger.¡± They continued to press Audrey with tricky questions. ¡°Audrey, won¡¯t you answer?¡± ¡°Is she such a big star? What level of celebrity is she, anyway?¡± ¡°She only became famous recently and already has such an attitude!¡± Audrey wasn¡¯t bothered by the insults and criticism directed at her. What she couldn¡¯t tolerate was when someone used Catherine as a target. When she heard a reporter use Catherine of shamelessly flirting with everyone, Audrey couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. She forcefully pushed Kim¡¯s hand away and grabbed the reporter¡¯s cor. The surrounding journalists immediately became excited. Camera shes went off like crazy. No one wanted to miss this potential headline. Kim stood to the side and felt a headacheing on. Trouble was brewing. The reporter being held by Audrey showed no fear and even stared at Audrey with a smug expression. ¡± What¡¯s the matter, big celebrity? Do you want to assault a reporter in public? Audrey¡¯s expression turned serious. She put aside her usual lighthearted demeanor and coldly stared at the reporter with her sharp eyes. She replied, ¡°Assault you? Do you take me for a fool? I won¡¯t make such a mistake in public, and I won¡¯t give you the chance to spin it into self- promotion or put a falsebel on me. ¡°I¡¯m here to warn you. There are plenty of eyes and cameras here, and there¡¯s bound to be footage of your words and actions.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Despite Audrey¡¯s serious demeanor, the reporter still disyed an arrogant attitude. ¡°I¡¯m a journalist, and you¡¯re a celebrity. Can¡¯t I ask you some questions?¡± ¡°You can ask me questions, but you can¡¯t nder my sister!¡± Audrey¡¯s voice was stern and cold, and her gaze was sharp. ¡°Today, you must publicly apologize to my sister for this matter, or else¡­¡± The reporter remained arrogant and didn¡¯t take Audrey¡¯s words seriously. Audrey was a public figure, and escting the situation would not be in her best interest. She couldn¡¯t afford to make a scene. However, no one expected Audrey to be so resolute this time. She directly told the reporter, ¡°If you don¡¯t apologize, I will take you to court. I will go to any lengths to seek justice, even if it means sacrificing my entire acting career. ¡°You heard me right. I¡¯m warning you. You can report however you like when you go back, but if you don¡¯t apologize today, you won¡¯t leave here! ¡°I¡¯ll use my future prospects to confront you. Don¡¯t believe me? You can try!¡± The journalists witnessing themotion were shocked by Audrey¡¯s tough stance. The previously bustling crowd suddenly fell silent. All the cameras were focused on the reporter and Audrey. The reporter being held by Audrey didn¡¯t expect her to be willing to sacrifice so much to confront him. He was an entertainment journalist who was skilled in creating controversies to attract attention. In the past, he always operated like this. Even if he asionally faced criticism from fans, it didn¡¯t bother him. Just like making a celebrity rise through scandals, they needed to create buzz. If they didn¡¯t have the ability to ignite a hot topic, who would read their news? His intention in making those provocativements earlier was to provoke Audrey. Audrey was completely provoked by him, and she also began to take things very seriously. As Audrey had said, there were cameras all around, and his every word and action had been recorded. If it turned into a legal battle, he would undoubtedly lose. Seeing that Audrey had no intention of backing down, the reporter had to yield. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, then.¡± However, a simple apology didn¡¯t quell Audrey¡¯s anger. She brushed off Kim¡¯s discreet gestures and demanded a sincere apology. ¡°Please, in front of the camera, apologize to my sister Catherine for your words and actions.¡± The reporter didn¡¯t want to end up in a legal battle. He reluctantly followed Audrey¡¯s instructions. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Chapter 363 The Project N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Audrey¡¯s confrontation made those reporters think twice about causing a scene. Taking the opportunity, Kim led Audrey away from the media frenzy. As soon as they got into the car, Kim couldn¡¯t help but scold Audrey. ¡°I told you not to act impulsively. Why didn¡¯t you listen? ¡°You¡¯ve just offended all those reporters, and no one will speak well of you in the future.¡± In the entertainment industry, thest people one wanted to offend were the reporters. Their pens were like swords. They could make or break a person¡¯s reputation. Reporters didn¡¯t solely depend on celebrities for their livelihood. It was a mutually beneficial rtionship. They liked fish and water, and they were inseparable from each other. Audrey held onto one reporter publicly. If they all teamed up against her, her path in the industry would be treacherous. In the face of Kim¡¯s scolding, Audrey maintained a humble demeanor, but she didn¡¯t regret it this time. When those reporters criticized her, she could take it. When they insulted Catherine, she couldn¡¯t stand for that. Kim began to realize that Audrey wasn¡¯t listening at all. Now, he was starting to regret thinking that Audrey¡¯s connection to Catherine would pave a smooth path for her in the future. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be such a troublemaker. Now, Audrey might get caught in the crossfire. Audrey also knew that Kim was probably in a bad mood now, so she remained silent. Outside the film set, the reporter, who had been publicly humiliated by Audrey, felt intense resentment toward her. In all his years as a reporter, he had never endured such humiliation. He vowed to regain his reputation by writing a scathing article about Audrey. However, at that moment, the phone in his hand rang. He saw it was the chief editor calling and hurriedly answered. He was showered with a torrent of reprimands. ¡°You brat! If you don¡¯t want to make a living, don¡¯t drag me down with you.¡± The reporter was stunned. He wasn¡¯t sure what he had done wrong. It wasn¡¯t until the chief editor sent him a resignation letter that he realized how serious the situation was. The chief editor on the phone made it clear that this reporter had offended someone without specifying whom he had offended. He proceeded to confiscate all the ounts held by the reporter. The chief editor also mentioned the camaraderie among colleagues and advised the reporter not to cause any more trouble, or else he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to stay in this city. After reviewing the situation, the reporter could only think of one person. It was Audrey. He had only offended Audrey recently. There had been rumors about powerful connections behind Audrey. Since many paparazzi had followed her for a long time without finding any significant leads, they had dismissed it as hearsay. Now it seemed to be true. Only true power yers could hide their tracks. The reporter realized that he had truly offended someone powerful. In Oceanvile, Catherine¡¯s car arrived safely at the hotel. Instead of taking Catherine to the hotel where he was staying, Branden brought Catherine back to her original one. The car pulled directly into the underground garage and parked in front of the elevator. From the moment Catherine¡¯s school made the reservation at this hotel, the hotel changed ownership and became one of the establishments under the Duncan Corporation. Paxton parked the car and then nced back. After receiving instructions from Branden, he slowly exited the car, circled around to the other side of the car, and helped open the door for Branden. Branden got out of the car first. Then, he turned around to gently carry Catherine out from inside. He cradled Catherine in his arms with great care and took the elevator to the top-floor presidential suite. The suite consisted of three rooms, which Catherine had upied alone before. Just as Branden was about to ce Catherine on the bed, Catherine suddenly opened her eyes, and her cold gaze was filled with intense hostility. Her eyes were sharp and chilling. Her pupils slowly focused. After she recognized who was holding her, the cold aura around Catherine instantly dissipated. She returned to her previousnguid demeanor and even leaned her head against Branden¡¯s chest. She rubbed against him like a yful kitten, which caused Branden to smile. Catherine woke up, and Branden had no intention of putting her to bed for rest. He carried her directly to the living room. Catherine obediently rxed against Branden, allowing him to carry her into the living room. Once they were seated on the living room sofa, Branden poured a ss of warm water and handed it to Catherine. He said, ¡°To soothe your throat.¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to take the ss herself and simply drank from Branden¡¯s hand. She took a few sips before reclining back again. It was just meant to moisten her throat. Though she only took a little, Branden didn¡¯t press her any further. He softly asked, ¡°Would you like to sleep a little longer?¡± Catherine shook her head and reached into her pocket for her phone. She was tired when she returned earlier and hadn¡¯t had a chance to handle online matters. As she opened her phone, she saw a message from Joseph. She promptly opened it without trying to hide it from Branden behind her. Branden held Catherine, and since Catherine didn¡¯t avoid him, he didn¡¯t take the initiative to move away. He allowed Catherine to adjust herself in his embrace. He was just like a reliable and obedient human couch. The message from Joseph contained a video. Catherine noticed that the video¡¯s cover featured Audrey. She clicked on the video to watch it. Upon seeing Audrey¡¯s transformation from mildness to fierceness, Catherine let out a cold, sarcastic laugh. Following this, Branden teased her from behind her head, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your sister to be so fierce. Quite a sight!¡± Catherine lifted her head slightly and stared at Branden with her yful gaze. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you find the daughters from the Swanns too fierce to handle?¡± Knowing that she was in a yful mood, Branden yed along. He embraced her with one arm while idly caressing her soft fingers with the other. ¡°Fierce? I¡¯ve never seen it. Kathy, you can show me sometime.¡± Knowing he was just teasing, Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to engage further. She rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°Be careful. When I get fierce, I might just skin you alive and eat you!¡± The next moment, Catherine felt a change in the man¡¯s gaze. She hadn¡¯t realized the ambiguity in her words until a while had passed. Her cheeks reddened slightly. To avoid further embarrassment, Catherine swiftly changed the subject. ¡°I heard that Triston¡¯s entertainment project is supposed to be a big deal in the second half of the year. It¡¯s been in the works for a long time.¡± It was more than just in the works. Over a hundred actresses had already gone for auditions. With a big production, a substantial team, and financial backing, nobody wanted to miss out on this opportunity. Not to mention Catherine, even Branden was aware of this news. After hearing that, Branden understood her intention. He replied, ¡°There¡¯s indeed such a project. You can forward this video to Triston. Audrey¡¯s fierceness might be somewhat simr to the female lead.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Catherine readily nodded, and the matter was settled. For Branden, it was his duty to please his future sister-inw by helping her with her career. After all, Audrey was wronged for Catherine¡¯s sake this time. Branden wanted to make amends. With Audrey¡¯s matter settled, Catherine continued her online activities. She was ready to see how the inte trolls had bullied her. Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Chapter 364 The Principal¡¯s Decision Catherine had just opened her Twitter when she was bombarded by a barrage of mockingments fromizens. Catherine once imed on a variety show while apanying Audrey that she would never venture into the entertainment industry. Now, Catherine was being dragged into the spotlight, with manyizens using her of having a burning desire for fame. Some even started a trending topic on Twitter, demanding a vote to kick Catherine out of thepetition. They believed that someone like Catherine didn¡¯t deserve to be part of thepetition team, let alone have the qualifications to win. Apart from some objectivementers, there were also a bunch of bored keyboard warriors. They vented their frustrations under Catherine¡¯s tweet with a barrage of insults and curses. After Branden nced at it, his expression darkened instantly. He reached out to take Catherine¡¯s phone from her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t look at that. How about somete-night snacks? Althoughte-night snacks were not the healthiest, Catherine was still growing, and a bit of extra nutrition wouldn¡¯t hurt. Catherine gave thements a cursory look. She didn¡¯t really care about those onlinements. Just when she was about to put her phone away, a call came through. It was her homeroom teacher, Miss Joyce. Catherine answered the call and held the phone to her ear. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s Myra. You haven¡¯t gone to bed yet, have you?¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Catherine grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m callingte mainly about thepetition. As you know, it has sparked some discussions online.¡± Myra¡¯s voice sounded somewhat awkward, as it wasn¡¯t a very positive situation, and it was understandable that it might be ufortable. ¡°You are my student, and I naturally believe in you. I hope you can rify this externally, at least to convey our stance. If you need assistance, I can help you draft an official statement.¡± In fact, the minimum educational qualification for teaching at Loyalty Academy was a Ph.D., and Myra¡¯s qualifications were indeed impressive. ¡°Miss Joyce, I understand, and I will handle it,¡± Catherine responded directly. Seeing that Catherine had her own ns, Myra decided not to dwell on the matter. ¡°Alright, then. If you need any assistance, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡± After ending the call with Catherine, Myra turned her attention to the people at the head of the table. In fact, they were all still in the school conference room because of Catherine¡¯s situation. Catherine¡¯s situation had sparked considerable discussion online and had directly impacted the school¡¯s reputation. The principal had decided to keep them all for a meeting, and the recent phone call was also initiated by the principal. The math teacher standing nearby couldn¡¯t help but get infuriated by the homeroom teacher¡¯s lukewarm defense of Catherine. Ever since the incident thest time, her position at school had been declining day by day, and some students even looked down on her. She lost opportunities for promotions and professional recognition. It was all because of Catherine. How could she possibly like Catherine? ¡°Miss Joyce, you¡¯re quite good at protecting your students. I think Catherine is nothing but a troublemaker. A student who tarnishes the school¡¯s reputation should be expelled!¡± Although the math teacher¡¯s views were sharp, many other teachers also expressed their dissatisfaction with Catherine. This was mainly because Catherine¡¯s situation had led to online users conducting a virtual witch hunt. They even dragged teachers who had taught her into the fray. They questioned these teachers¡¯ methods in their Twitter posts. This bacsh was hurting their interests, which was why they were all so hostile toward Catherine. Seeing everyone¡¯s negativements about Catherine, the homeroom teacher couldn¡¯t help but speak up, Dear colleagues, I understand your feelings. But I know my student¡¯s character very well. Even though Catherine might seem aloof, she¡¯s still a good student. This situation might be a misunderstanding, and I hope everyone can give Catherine a chance to rify.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± The math teacher sneered a few times. Then, he said, ¡°Miss Joyce, you¡¯re quite lenient. How can you call Catherine, who sleeps in ss and even got into a fight with students from another schoolst time, a good student?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. On a previous asion, students from another school hade to Loyalty Academy to provoke a fight with Catherine, and she had only given them a simple lesson. Since it was the other school¡¯s fault, the school didn¡¯t hold Catherine ountable. Now, the math teacher was attacking Catherine for this issue. ¡°I believe she¡¯s a bad influence and should be expelled.¡± She strongly suggested that the principal should expel Catherine to minimize the damage. The principal was also somewhat hesitant, but with so many teachers expressing their views, he needed to bnce their opinions. Just when the principal was about to make a decision, the phone on his desk rang. He asked the teachers to wait and got up to answer the call. Two minutester, the principal returned, ending the call. The math teacher and others were impatiently waiting for the principal to announce Catherine¡¯s expulsion since they thought the principal seemed inclined in that direction. Myra could also guess and still wanted to make an effort. She was biased toward Catherine. She believed Catherine hadn¡¯t done anything wrong and that she deserved a chance to exin her side of the story. ¡°Principal¡­¡± Myra spoke up, but she was interrupted by the principal¡¯s gesture. She had no choice but to give up. Watching the smug faces of the math teacher and others, Myra felt wronged and unsatisfied. In her eyes, Catherine hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. There wasn¡¯t a definitive conclusion on the matter. The principal gestured for everyone to quiet down and spoke with an unyielding tone, ¡°I¡¯ve heard all your opinions. Personally, I believe that until there¡¯s a conclusive resolution, as educators, we should first believe in our students¡¯ character. ¡°If we don¡¯t trust them, who will? So, in this matter, the board of directors has decided to support Catherine and our student body. Let¡¯s not discuss the topic of expelling Catherine any further. We won¡¯t easily cast any student out of our school.¡± The principal¡¯s stance suddenly turned rigid and firm. The other teachers understood the shift in the situation and didn¡¯t dare to bring up the matter again. Although the math teacher was dissatisfied, she didn¡¯t dare to confront the principal. Moreover, the principal mentioned the board of directors. It hinted that the Swanns might be exerting pressure. Even though Catherine had aplicated background within the Swanns, the Swanns¡¯ stock holdings still seemed to be under her name. It was possible for her family to intervene. In any case, the hope of expelling Catherine seemed to have faded. The happiest person in the room was undoubtedly Myra, who could finally breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, Catherine was in Oceanvile. Catherine watched as Branden put down his phone and looked up at him. ¡± Did you call the school¡¯s board of directors?¡± Branden nodded slightly and appeared quite casual. ¡°I took care of it.¡± When it came to Catherine¡¯s affairs, he paid more attention to every detail than to a project worth several hundred million dors. The Duncans were thergest shareholder on Loyalty Academy¡¯s board of directors, and his words could easily sway the entire board. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Just Friends In Oceanvile, Catherine came across several high-profile figures on Twitter, all with verified ounts. One of them was a renowned music producer who had posted a tweet garnering a lot of likes and followers on Twitter. ¡°The music industry has seen better days than a decade ago, but we¡¯re still working hard. Let¡¯s not bring negative influences into the music industry and tarnish thest traces of purity in this circle!¡± Although he didn¡¯t directly mention Catherine on Twitter, he had previously liked a post from a popr blogger who criticized Catherine. It didn¡¯t take much guessing to figure out who he was referring to. A group of fans joined in. They passionately supported his views and added their own criticism of Catherine. Branden nced at the man¡¯s Twitter profile and immediately provided Catherine with background information. ¡°He is from the Hazels in Oceanvile. He has a niece participating in thepetition.¡± With thest name Hazel, she participated in the samepetition. Catherine looked up at Branden and asked, ¡°Is it Emma Hazel?¡± He nodded and replied, ¡°That should be the name.¡± Even though he hadn¡¯t taken direct action, he had all the information he needed. Catherine squinted her eyes as she was deep in thought. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that this situation wasn¡¯t as straightforward as it seemed, especially considering the frenzy on Twitter. Catherine recalled her homeroom teacher¡¯s instructions and decided to post an update on her Twitter ount. Meanwhile, Ronin was engrossed in his game. He was infuriated by those online trolls attempting to smear Catherine. He could only find sce by eliminating a few opponents in the game. Suddenly, a notification popped up. ¡°Your friend has posted a tweet.¡± He only had one friend on Twitter, and that was Catherine. The moment Catherine updated her Twitter, Ronin immediately closed his game and logged onto Twitter to check it out. Catherine posted a tweet. ¡°Just friends. It¡¯s all about one¡¯s abilities.¡± With these simple words, she made a bold statement. Upon seeing it, Ronin let out a loud cheer and enthusiastically liked the post. He eximed, ¡°Catherine, that¡¯s amazing!¡± After that, he took a screenshot of Catherine¡¯s tweet and shared it in a WhatsApp group. He actively mentioned all his friends and said, ¡± Hurry up and show some support for Catherine. Give Catherine some likes!¡± Although most of them weren¡¯t active on Twitter, some of them had verified ounts and a substantial following. Triston had a verified ount that indicated he was the CEO of a prominentpany. He also retweeted Catherine¡¯s tweet and liked the post. He mentioned Catherine and made ament. ¡°Cheer up, Kathy. Let¡¯s not tolerate anyone trying to ride on Catherine¡¯s poprity.¡± Yesenia was a social media maven who loved to share and had an ount with numerous followers on Twitter. She also retweeted Catherine¡¯s post on Twitter and rallied behind her. Initially, the tone ofments on Twitter was overwhelmingly negative, but with these influential figures showing their support for Catherine, thendscape shifted dramatically. Some clueless fans made ament. ¡± How much did Catherine pay to get so many people to promote and defend her?¡± If such ament were made on a typical tweet, it would be ridiculed mercilessly. But when it was made under Triston and the others¡¯ posts, it only invited scorn for thementer¡¯s ignorance. Could someone like Triston, who was the CEO of Boren Entertainment and known for his extravagant lifestyle andvish spending, be bought? And did the Lamberts need money? Triston found thement amusing and posted a picture of several ck credit cards from his wallet on Twitter. Then, he made ament. ¡°How much for an army of trolls? Can I use these cards?¡± The tone of the discussion took a sudden turn, and fans started posting variousments. They pointed out that even a single card from the set would be enough to buy an airne. Theymented that a wealthy young man like Triston couldn¡¯t be short on money. As for Yesenia, her Twitter ount was renowned for extravagance. A wealthy girl like her wouldn¡¯t be short of money. Their WhatsApp group exploded into chaos due to Yesenia¡¯s and Triston¡¯s provocative actions, and those who didn¡¯t have Twitter ounts were moring to create one. However, what intrigued them the most was Branden¡¯s reaction. Before they could indulge in any more gossip, Yesenia let out a scream in the group. ¡°Wow! Hurry up and check Twitter. My uncle is so cool! ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± Aidan and the others scolded Yesenia for her constant dramatic reactions. They called her inexperienced. Nevertheless, they couldn¡¯t resist pulling out their phones and checking Twitter to see what Branden had done. After all, it was a rare asion for someone as low-key as him to make a public statement. Branden had always maintained a low profile, with very few reports about him in the media. It was even challenging to find a single photo of him. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. asionally, Branden could be seen at international economic forums during some global summits. Just as online discussions were focused on how Catherine knew so many people, an official Twitter ount with no connection to the entertainment industry suddenly retweeted Catherine¡¯s Twitter post. It drew the attention of the public. The only official Twitter ount of the Duncan Corporation had shared Catherine¡¯s tweet on Twitter with a simplement. ¡°Support!¡± The Duncan Corporation was known for its formality and seriousness, and its official ount typically only retweeted thepany¡¯s official activities. Now, it was sharing Catherine¡¯s tweet, who was a rtively unknown individual in the entertainment industry. Twitter went wild in an instant. People started digging into Catherine¡¯s background to understand why she had received so much support from prominent figures. After Grayson posted his tweet, he happened toe across Branden¡¯s tweet. He gave a bitter smile and handed his phone to the agent who had been preventing him from tweeting further. ¡°Even without me, Catherine can still handle it. She is more powerful and impressive than you¡¯ve imagined.¡± The agent nced at Grayson¡¯s phone and was stunned. He was well aware of the Duncans. It was one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Zerwick. Their official Twitter ount was now publicly supporting Catherine. It was evident that they wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to Catherine. The agent had been trying to prevent Grayson from offending his fans over an artist with little fame. He thought his approach was correct, but he never expected Catherine to have such a powerful backing. This time, he had truly miscalcted. The agent hesitated and wanted to exin. He said, ¡°Grayson, I think¡­¡± Grayson raised his hand to silence the agent and didn¡¯t give him an opportunity to speak. Grayson smirked at his agent with a face filled with mockery, and his eyes were cold. He stood up with one hand in his pocket and walked away. As he watched Grayson¡¯s haughty figure depart, the agent realized that he had indeed offended Grayson this time. He knew that he had offended Grayson, but he had no idea how sad Grayson was. Grayson resented his ownck of strength and realized that he wasn¡¯t as powerful as Branden. Even if Grayson had tweeted, it wouldn¡¯t have made any difference. Catherine nced at the Twitter ount of the Duncan Corporation and frowned. She then turned to Branden beside her and raised an eyebrow in inquiry. Branden understood her intent. He had originally nned to create his own Twitter ount and retweet Catherine¡¯s message. However, he believed that it was too early to make their rtionship public. Catherine was still in school, and it was better to be cautious. Time was on their side, and there was no rush. They could take things slowly. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Apologies to Catherine Catherine originally nned to put down her phone and take a break. Then, she received a message from Ronin. [Catherine, Grayson just tweeted. Take a look!] Upon seeing the message, Catherine opened Twitter. She didn¡¯t have to search. Grayson¡¯s tweet was already at the top of her feed. She clicked on it. Then, she saw Grayson¡¯s tweet. Grayson¡¯s Twitter handle was simple. It was just Grayson Clifford. Ten minutes ago, he posted a long tweet with two pictures. Grayson posted the tweet. ¡°That year, we were both eight years old. Thank you for bringing me back to the real world.¡± The first picture showed an adoption certificate with Vicente as the adoptive parent. The second picture featured two children. The boy looked handsome, and the girl, though incredibly beautiful, had a hint of an awe- inspiring and dashing aura. Grayson¡¯s fans all knew Grayson didn¡¯t have a family. From rags to riches, Grayson had achieved everything through his own hard work, with no one¡¯s help. But what his fans didn¡¯t know was that Catherine had adopted Grayson when he was a child. When Catherine was just a child herself, she adopted Grayson. Because she was too young to handle the formal adoption process, Vicente handled the adoption paperwork for Grayson, just like he did for Ronin. In Grayson¡¯s view, there was no Grayson without Catherine. Like Ronin, he called Catherine affectionately. Catherine had always been exceptionally intelligent, even as a child. Both of them had grown up with Catherine. Ronin had joined the family earlier. Ronin had been by Catherine¡¯s side since he was five years old. It was hard for outsiders to believe that when Catherine was a child, she had taken care of two children around her age. But it was the truth. They were grateful to Catherine, and they cared for Catherine more than anyone else. They knew better than anyone that they wouldn¡¯t be where they were today without Catherine. Grayson¡¯s dedicated fans were moved to tears by Grayson¡¯s Twitter post. In thements section, fans were in deepmentation. They expressed their empathy for Grayson¡¯s struggles. They were especially sympathetic to Grayson, who, under pressure and threats from various online users, had decided to reveal his past. Forcing himself to confront the pain from his past was such a cruel thing to do. The fans made numerousments. A user with the handle ¡°Only Love Peerless Grayson¡± posted a comment. ¡± Wow. I can¡¯t believe Catherine was Peerless Grayson¡¯s savior! No wonder Peerless Grayson is so good to her. They are childhood friends. I¡¯m in awe! Another user with the handle ¡°Lifetime Admiration¡± posted ament. ¡°This is heartbreaking. What did Peerless Grayson do to deserve this?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. A user with the handle ¡°Grayson¡¯s National Fan Club President¡± posted ament. ¡°A few photos are supposed to prove cheating? If you have evidence, show it! To push someone to this extent is ruthless! Someone who helped Peerless Grayson when he was so young would never cheat over a minor competition!¡± ¡°What they said above is so true!¡± The Twitter feed was in chaos. Some fans went on a frenzy to defend Grayson and Catherine after Grayson posted the tweet. However, there were still those who felt that these posts didn¡¯t prove that Grayson didn¡¯t help Catherine cheat. Instead, it testified to their close rtionship. After the celebrities and Grayson posted their tweets on Twitter, the official ount of thepetition finally joined in. The official ount of the SKD Intercollegiate Competition posted a tweet. ¡°To ensure the fairness of the competition, the rules of the event are all formted by the eventmittee, and the selection of the cards is arranged personally by the event chairman. Whether it¡¯s event mentors or participants, no one has the opportunity to know in advance which card they will draw.¡± Subsequently, two other mentors also retweeted the official Twitter post of thepetition and confirmed this fact. As mentors, they also had no opportunity to know in advance. Since none of the mentors had that chance, it was natural that Grayson had no opportunity, either. This proved that Catherine did not cheat. The fans finally had favorable evidence, and Grayson¡¯s devoted supportersunched a fierce counterattack. Audrey¡¯s fans believed that since Audrey and Catherine were sisters, it was not wrong for Audrey to cheer on Catherine in apetition. The hashtag ¡°Apologies to Catherine¡± gained momentum and trended on social media. Manyizens started apologizing voluntarily, but a small, stubborn faction resisted. However, their resistance posed no real threat, as Grayson¡¯s powerful fanbase exposed them one by one and forced them to apologize to Catherine. Catherine finished browsing her phone and was about to put it away. Branden, who had gone to heat milk for her, suddenly returned and stared at her phone screen. For some reason, Catherine had a nagging feeling of being caught red- handed. She casually tossed her phone aside, but Branden picked it up again. He stared at the screen for a while and lowered his gaze to Catherine. In his deep eyes, he had a meaningful look as he watched Catherine. After a long pause, Branden finally spoke in a voice with a hint of sorrow and concern, ¡°We haven¡¯t even taken a photo together.¡± Catherine was genuinely taken aback, and then, it hit her. Branden was feeling jealous. She looked up and gazed intently at Branden before her with her beautiful eyes. ¡°So, you¡¯re jealous?¡± Branden didn¡¯t say a word and maintained a stern expression. Catherine raised her hand and gently ced it on Branden¡¯s shoulder. With a slight pull toward her, she brought Branden closer. Her rosy lips met his thin lips with pinpoint uracy. The kiss was brief, which left Branden with no chance to savor it. Afterward, Catherine let go of him and gazed yfully at Branden. Her beautiful eyes were filled with mischief as she stared at him. ¡°Still jealous now?¡± She was so beautiful, and her gaze was so captivating. It made Branden feel ufortable all over. He knew it wasn¡¯t the right time, so he had to bear it. Even with strong self-control, he was enduring immense pain. He now understood that some people were destined to be his lifelong nemesis. Noticing his change inplexion, Catherine didn¡¯t realize the power of a simple kiss. She purposely extended her hand and gently ran her fingers over his face. Then, she gently caressed it back and forth. After that, with a mischievous tone, she asked, ¡°So, are you still jealous?¡± Branden¡¯s deep eyes darkened instantly. Catherine was really ying with fire. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should be impressed by her trust in him or be annoyed by her boldness. On the verge of exploding, Branden managed to hold back. He spoke in a hushed tone, ¡°Get some rest. I have to go to work.¡± After that, as he turned to leave, he heard theughter behind him. It sounded arrogant and satisfied. Branden couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly with affection. He didn¡¯t care more about that photo and the so-called childhood friends. He had gotten his girl right here in his arms. No one could take her away. If anyone dared to make a move, he would deal with them personally. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Chapter 367 A Video The next day, when Ronin woke up, he found a video on his phone. He was originally pondering who had such great capabilities to send a video to his phone without being in his contacts. However, he didn¡¯t n to investigate the sender after he started the video. He just wanted to thank this kind person. Now that the rumors about Catherine¡¯s cheating had been cleared up online, those who had once insulted Catherine had realized the fact. But this wasn¡¯t enough. They hadn¡¯t caught the real mastermind yet. The timing of the video was perfect. It was taken from a dimly lit area behind the stage with a surveince camera. Although the video was a bit blurry and the lighting was low, he could still make out the contents of the video. Most importantly, the person hiding behind the curtain was also captured on video. The video was somewhat unclear, and it would be hard for anyone who wasn¡¯t familiar with the person to recognize her. But that outfit was too distinctive, and Ronin recognized her at a nce. He never expected Liana to have such skills. She had been quite audacious to frame Catherine. Did she really think he was an easy target? Ronin forwarded the video to Catherine and waited for Catherine¡¯s reply. A few minutester, Catherine responded with just three words, [Up to you!] Ronin was overjoyed. He had wanted to deal with Liana for a long time. But he had held back because of her rtionship with Catherine. Now he had the perfect opportunity, and he wasn¡¯t about to miss it. Ronin brought out hisputer and focused on managing it. He uploaded the video to the inte and used multiple anonymous ounts to push the video to the forefront. Grayson¡¯s fans had been looking for an outlet to vent their frustration, and the appearance of the video finally gave them one. They realized that it was Liana¡¯s plot. With the guidance of enthusiastic inte users, this group of crazy fans found Liana¡¯s Twitter. They even doxxed Liana and exposed her rtionship with Catherine. Topics like ¡°Scheming Bitch Jealous of Her Overachieving Sister¡± immediately trended on Twitter. Because of the sensitive rtionship between Catherine and Liana, it attracted even more attention. Liana had suddenly be famous, but it was for all the wrong reasons. At the same time, Liana was at the Swanns¡¯ in Casier. Liana was brought back to the Swanns¡¯ by Rachael, and as soon as she walked in, she saw Korbin, who was sitting in the living room with a dark expression. She was so scared that she shrank behind Rachael. Rachael also didn¡¯t look too pleased. She had been dealing with enough headaches recently due to her son¡¯s issues, and Liana¡¯s actions were an unexpected addition. Korbin¡¯s anger red up when he saw Liana. He lifted his head and red at Liana with sharp eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve got the nerve toe back here after all the trouble you¡¯ve caused!¡± Liana had always been the pride of the family, and she had never experienced such a situation. She quickly knelt on the floor. With tears in her eyes, she looked at her father and pitifully pleaded, ¡°Dad, please help me. I¡¯ve been framed by someone. I really have been framed!¡± ¡°Framed? Do you mean the video is fake, and someone deliberately impersonated you to frame you?¡± Korbin questioned her sternly. He was aware of the conflicts between his two daughters, but they had always been minor, just typical squabbles between sisters. Even if it escted, it was usually resolved with a call to the school. Korbin didn¡¯t mind those little disputes, but now it had gone public and grown into such a big issue. The employees of the Swann Corporation were all aware of this. It tarnished his reputation. Due to the attacks on Liana, the Swann Corporation¡¯s reputation had been damaged, and it had started to affect some ongoing projects. This was something Korbin couldn¡¯t tolerate, and what frustrated him even more was Liana¡¯s foolishness. How could she let such a minor incident be a public spectacle? She was so foolish. Now, he was in a critical phase of his career in Oceanvile. Such news came out. It was absolutely infuriating. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Rachael sighed in frustration. While Liana was in the wrong, just the thought of Catherine made Rachael itch with anger. ¡°Liana, apologize to your father. You don¡¯t realize that your actions have damaged thepany¡¯s projects!¡± Her words sounded like advice, but they were more of a reminder. Liana suddenly understood the reason for her father¡¯s intense anger. In her father¡¯s eyes, nothing came before their family¡¯s interests. He had even sent Catherine to the countryside because he believed that Catherine¡¯s bad luck would hinder the Swanns¡¯ progress. Once she realized her father¡¯s priorities, Liana quickly devised a strategy to address the situation. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve truly been wronged. The mastermind behind this isn¡¯t me. It¡¯s Emma from the Hazels in Oceanvile, the one you met before.¡± When Liana mentioned Emma, Korbin momentarily struggled to recall who that was, but as soon as she mentioned the Hazels in Oceanvile, he remembered. ¡°Why is the Hazels involved again?¡± Liana swiftly brought up her Twitter on her phone and handed it to her father. ¡± Dad, look. This is Emma¡¯s uncle. Without the influence of the Hazels in the entertainment industry, how could it have escted to this? ¡°Emma is a fan of a celebrity named Grayson, who has some connection to Catherine. Grayson was one of the children Grandpa adopted. Emma was jealous of Catherine, and after the photos were identally taken, she exploited it, which led to this situation. Surprisingly, there was more to the story than Korbin had originally thought. His expression was still grim, but it had softened somewhatpared to before. Rachael took the opportunity to intercede. She spoke in Liana¡¯s favor and offered many kind words. ¡°Korbin, Liana is our daughter. Do you really not understand her intentions? There might be a misunderstanding here. I¡¯ve heard that the Hazels have a significant influence on the industry. We can¡¯t let them throw all this mud at the Swanns.¡± Regardless of the situation, Liana was still his daughter, and for the sake of the Swanns¡¯ image, Korbin was willing to help Liana. He had groomed his daughter into a youngdy from a high-ss background, with the hope that one day she would be able to assist the Swanns. He had a son. His daughter was just another pawn in his game. After investing so much in her upbringing, Korbin couldn¡¯t let her downfall be so easy. Once her reputation was ruined, it would be challenging for her to make a sessful marriage. ¡°Liana, I will help you this time as long as you cooperate. I will deal with the Hazels, but if you ever make a mistake like this again, don¡¯t me me for disowning you as my daughter!¡± Liana knew that Korbin would definitely follow through on his words. The fact that Korbin was willing to help was enough for her. She quickly nodded without a hint of hesitation. ¡°Dad, rest assured. I will never make the same mistake again.¡± Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Chapter 368 The Hazels On that afternoon, the results of thepetition were announced. Catherine¡¯s team won the championship as expected. Their group had consistently received the highest scores from the judges. Following this, there was a Twitter frenzy for the entire day. Grayson¡¯s fans went crazy voting for Catherine¡¯s team. The casual observers misunderstood Catherine due to this incident. To show their remorse to Catherine, they cast all their votes for Catherine¡¯s group. Catherine¡¯s team won by andslide, with nearly double the votes of the second-ce team. There was no doubt about their victory. At the moment the results were revealed, Yesenia was the first to express her congrattions to the three of them in the group chat. However, the three of them, being the ones directly involved, remained calm andposed. For Catherine, the oue wasn¡¯t a surprise. She had participated in thepetition out of respect for their homeroom teacher. The homeroom teacher had always been supportive and kind to her. She was only returning the favor. As for Ronin and Bryan, their sole reason for participating in the program was Catherine. The final rankings were of little importance to them. As long as they could be with Catherine, they were happy to do anything. Winning the championship didn¡¯t change much for them. The only thing bothering them was the flood of calls from various talent agencies wanting to sign all three of them into the entertainment industry. Catherine promptly shut her phone off and ignored the offers. Those who contacted Bryan, upon learning about Bryan¡¯s background, wisely stopped bothering him. After all, he is the young heir of the Duncans. If he wanted to enter the entertainment industry, he didn¡¯t need these small agencies to recruit talent. The Duncans could easily arrange for apany and help him debut. With his exceptional family background and remarkable looks, Bryan would undoubtedly reach the pinnacle of stardom with ease. As for Ronin, the people who called him were nearly driven to madness. Ronin was such a handful that after a series of bizarre interactions, no one dared to approach him. Bryan and Ronin, along with the rest of the group, were getting ready to head back to Casier. However, Catherine had taken a week off and stayed behind in Oceanvile for some business. Before leaving, Ronin stubbornly clung to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I was only studying to apany you. How about I take a week off as well and stay here with you? Catherine turned her head and casually nced at Ronin¡¯s face. In an instant, Ronin calmed down and obedientlypromised with Catherine. ¡°Alright, Catherine. I¡¯ll go back to studying, and you can contact me anytime you need!¡± Catherine nodded in response and waved him off. Ronin didn¡¯t have a chance to stay, and neither did Bryan. So, Bryan didn¡¯t even bring up the idea and simply bid farewell to Catherine before boarding the ne. Once the two of them had left, Branden took Catherine¡¯s hand and started leading her back. ¡°Where are you going?¡± He knew Catherine had some matters to attend to in Oceanvile, but he didn¡¯t press for details. Catherinezily swayed her body and replied, ¡°Back to the hotel to sleep.¡± Brandenplied and guided her into the car. He instructed Paxton to drive them to the hotel. Catherine casually leaned back in the back seat and looked out at the bustling streets. Suddenly, she thought of something. Without turning her head, she simply let her head droop and leaned against the car window. She looked incredibly rxed. She asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t go back to Oceanvile. Are you nning to stay here with me?¡± Branden nodded and didn¡¯t deny it.¡± It¡¯s been a while since I visited our Oceanvile branch. This seemed like a good opportunity toe and check things out.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t want to be a hindrance to anyone. Nor did she want to be used of disrupting the Duncan Corporation. If Branden was willing to stay with her and even neglect his work, it might not be a good thing. Hearing Branden¡¯s words, Catherine felt a bit more at ease. As shey against the cold window, she didn¡¯t move. Branden extended his hand to pull her into his embrace. He exined, ¡°The window is too cold. You might catch a chill sticking to it.¡± Catherine was so pliable, which allowed him to do as he pleased. As long as he could handle everything and she didn¡¯t have to think too much, she didn¡¯t mind being arranged. Due to the situation involving Liana, Korbin reached out to the Hazels. The Hazels had some connections with the Winfreds, but they didn¡¯t have deep ties. After all, the Hazels were primarily known for their involvement in the world of art, with only limited ventures into the business sector. When Korbin conveyed his intentions, the expressions on the faces of the Hazels members turned sour. Korbin, who was always cunning, could easily be aware of the situation. Nevertheless, since the matter had escted, someone had to take responsibility. Korbin didn¡¯t care who took the fall as long as it wasn¡¯t the daughter of the Swanns. He exined Liana¡¯s side of the story to Emma¡¯s grandfather, Reece Hazel. After that, Reece frowned. He had already heard about the incident to some extent. His nephew, who worked as a producer in the entertainment industry, had also been embroiled in it. It was all because Emma asked him to post a tweet. But Reece was no fool. He understood the purpose behind Korbin¡¯s visit. With a smile, Reece looked at Korbin and said, ¡°Mr. Swann, are you sure we can me my granddaughter for this? After all, it was your younger daughter who took those pictures, and the evidence was quite clear on the inte. Korbin chuckled. He wouldn¡¯t have taken this step if he wasn¡¯t confident. ¡°Mr. Hazel, you¡¯re right. However, it¡¯s important to know who fanned the mes and escted the situation behind the scenes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware of that. My daughter merely had a quarrel with her sister, which is a family matter. But Miss Hazel, for the sake of a performer in the entertainment industry, turned it into such a big issue. What do you think people will say?¡± Reece¡¯s face darkened. He pursed his lips and remained silent. He truly felt a mix of anger and love for his granddaughter. He couldn¡¯t help but love her because she was his granddaughter. But she was so headstrong. She had given up a promising future to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. It was all for the sake of a male celebrity. Korbin noticed the change in Reece¡¯s expression and had already made his calctions. He was certain that this matter couldn¡¯t be med on Liana. ¡°Mr. Hazel, perhaps there¡¯s one thing you¡¯re not aware of. My second daughter has already been engaged to the young heir of the Duncans. It was a betrothal arranged by myte father and Mr. Karl.¡± ¡°The Duncans¡¯ young heir, Branden?¡± Reece raised his head instantly with his eyes wide open. Korbin gave an ambiguous smile and nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡± Reece understood now. That¡¯s why they couldn¡¯t suppress the news, as the Duncans were interfering. The Duncans were not to be trifled with. Now, Reece wanted to know about the Swanns¡¯ intentions. Reece remained silent and waited for Korbin¡¯s response. Korbin understood his meaning and straightforwardly revealed the purpose of his visit. ¡°It was all a misunderstanding. I will have my youngest daughter publicly rify the situation. Mr. Hazel, I hope you can help us clear this up.¡± The Swanns wereing to do business in Oceanvile and didn¡¯t want to offend the local elite. While the Hazels weren¡¯t directly involved in business, they held significant influence in Oceanvile. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Businesspeople preferred to have more friends than enemies. Moreover, the Hazels had a certain influence on the entertainment industry. If the Hazels were willing to intervene, the matter could be resolved satisfactorily. The Swanns were already one of the Four Noble Families in Casier, and now, with their alliance with the Duncans, they had be even more influential. Crossing them was something the Hazels couldn¡¯t afford to do. After contemting for a moment, Reece agreed and replied, ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll handle it as you¡¯ve suggested. In the future, our two families should continue to interact.¡± Korbin, who was satisfied with the sess of his n, had a contented smile on his face. ¡°Exactly, Mr. Hazel. We should continue to engage with each other.¡± Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Chapter 369 The Contract These days, in Oceanvile, the Winfreds definitely had the toughest time. Xavier had a heap of problems on his te. Even though he knew he had ruffled the feathers of the Hacker Alliance, he just couldn¡¯t seem to focus on dealing with them right now. And it didn¡¯t seem like the Hacker Alliance was making any moves, so he had sort of brushed it off for the time being. But little did he know that this time, the Hacker Alliance struck hard. By the time Xavier received the message, it was already toote. The leader of Withalist from the Hacker Alliance personally intervened. The leader of Withalist caused quite a stir in the Winfreds¡¯ projects and even made a public deration to the entire Oceanvile. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Anyone who dared to assist the Winfreds would be considered an enemy of the Hacker Alliance. The Hacker Alliance was not one to do business with its enemies, and once one was on their cklist, there was no chance of cooperation. The Hacker Alliance¡¯s influence was vast. For some tricky matters, people often needed to approach them. No one wanted to offend such a massive organization. In just one day, Xavier couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. The Winfreds¡¯ financial chain broke, all their projects came to a halt, and they were losing hundreds of millions of dors every day. Xavier aged overnight, and his health deteriorated. To save the Winfreds, Xavier reached out to the leader of Withalist. However, the other party only agreed tomunicate online and refused to meet in person. Xavier had no choice but to ept, as he had heard that the Hacker Alliance members were shrouded in mystery. Many didn¡¯t even know their gender. After the screen link was established, it remained pitch-ck. Xavier thought hisputer was acting up and quickly asked his assistant, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Before the assistant could check, a cold and deep male voice came from the darkness of the screen. ¡°Xavier, you¡¯ve got quite the nerve.¡± Xavier realized that his conversation partner was using a cked-out screen, and he shot a quick nce at his side to signal his assistant. The assistant obediently left the room. After that, Xavier spoke with great deference, ¡°Mr. Withal, this is all a misunderstanding. My son, in his ignorance, offended the Hacker Alliance. Mr. Withal, I humbly request your forgiveness. ¡°I was seriously ill recently and didn¡¯t handle this matter properly. Mr. Withal, please grant the Winfreds another chance.¡± After witnessing the Hacker Alliance¡¯s capabilities, Xavier was well aware of the vast difference in power between the Winfreds and their opponent. He couldn¡¯t afford to maintain a haughty attitude. All he could do was bow down and apologize. It was something he had probably never done in his entire life. ¡°Xavier, offending the Hacker Alliancees at a price. Do you understand?¡± How could Xavier not know? In just a couple of days, the Winfreds¡¯ assets had already plummeted by half. That was a heavy enough price. ¡°Mr. Withal, this time, it¡¯s the Winfreds who have wronged the Hacker Alliance. We acknowledge our mistake! Please, show mercy and spare the Winfreds. The Winfreds are willing to bear the cost!¡± Withal didn¡¯t want to waste any more words. The instructions from Catherine were crystal clear, and he was following them. ¡°Xavier, since you¡¯re willing to bear the cost, that¡¯s good. I¡¯ve sent you a contract on yourputer. Sign it, and I¡¯ll arrange for someone to collect it.¡± After that, the screen disappeared entirely. Xavier hadn¡¯t even had a chance to react before he heard a sound from hisputer. The Hacker Alliance excelled inputer skills. They could hack into even Alton¡¯s national security agency, let alone hisputer. Xavier wasn¡¯t surprised at all that they could transmit messages directly to him. When he opened the file and saw its contents, he nearly spat blood on the screen. It was all because of his wayward son. If he hadn¡¯t acted so arrogantly, the Winfreds wouldn¡¯t have to endure this. What was initially just a mining facility lent to the Hacker Alliance for three years had turned into a direct gift to the Hacker Alliance. Xavier had no room for negotiation. Xavier understood that the longer he dyed signing this contract, the more losses the Winfreds would incur. So, he printed the contract, signed his name, and stamped it with his seal. As he signed, Xavier¡¯s hands trembled. He had never experienced such humiliation in his life. After signing, Xavier called his assistant in. ¡°Keep this document safe. If the Hacker Alliance¡¯s peoplee tomorrow, hand this over to them.¡± Xavier stared at the document. Once his assistant had put it away, he couldn¡¯t contain his inner bitterness and fury any longer. He coughed up a mouthful of blood. The assistant was startled. He hurriedly approached and checked on the situation. ¡°Mr. Winfred, are you okay?¡± Xavier felt like everything was going dark in front of his eyes, and before he could say anything, he fainted. News of Xavier¡¯s worsening condition quickly spread in Oceanvile. Upon hearing the news, Jeremy rushed back to the Winfreds¡¯ with the butler. They also brought Erick, who had been imprisoned in the dungeon. Time was of the essence, and Xavier was critically ill in bed. Jeremy knew he had a big problem on his hands. It was all because of his negligence with the Hacker Alliance. Offending them had brought a colossal disaster upon the Winfreds. The only way out now was to wake Xavier up. As long as he was conscious, there was a glimmer of hope for the Winfreds. On the Hacker Alliance¡¯s side, due to Xavier¡¯s concession, they had temporarily halted their attacks on the Winfreds. This gave the Winfreds a moment of relief. With Xavier incapacitated, Jeremy took charge as the head of the Winfreds. In Oceanvile, their influence within the city allowed them to handle certain matters more easily. Jeremy immediately contacted the hospital to arrange a kidney transnt for Xavier. At the hospital, the doctors suggested conducting aprehensive examination on Erick. Upon hearing the doctor¡¯s suggestion, Jeremy grew impatient and asked, ¡± Didn¡¯t he just have one not long ago? How long will a new examination take? The doctor replied, ¡°It will take at least 48 hours.¡± Jeremy was in a hurry, and he couldn¡¯t wait that long. ¡°Forget the examination. It¡¯s been less than a month since thest one. His health won¡¯t have changed significantly.¡± Knowing that Erick was going to provide a kidney for Xavier, Jeremy refrained from causing him serious harm. He only allowed minor injuries and made sure Erick received medical treatment afterward, so Erick was currently in good health. The doctor wanted to object, but Jeremy¡¯s temper red up, and no one dared to oppose him. He angrily told the doctor, ¡°Do you want to stay at this hospital or not? I¡¯ll tell you what to do, and you¡¯ll do it!¡± This was a private hospital where the Winfreds held a significant stake. For Jeremy, removing a doctor was a simple matter. The doctor didn¡¯t dare to provoke Jeremy and followed his instructions. After the doctor left, the butler carefully considered the situation and felt it wasn¡¯t right. He intended to offer a suggestion to Jeremy, but before he could speak, Jeremy interrupted him. ¡°Donald, I know what you¡¯re going to say, but there¡¯s no need to. Saving my father is the top priority, and we can¡¯t waste a minute. As long as my father is awake, we can handle anything.¡± The butler understood that as long as Xavier woke up, there was hope for the Winfreds. So, he didn¡¯t try to persuade Jeremy further. Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Meeting with Catherine After receiving the contract from the Winfreds, Withal immediately contacted Catherine. Not all members of the base had the chance to contact Catherine. If Withal hadn¡¯te to Oceanvile on this mission, he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to contact Catherine. Catherine nned to give herself a year¡¯s vacation this time and had issued an order that no one should disturb her. She could only be contacted through absolutely secret single-line contact. Withal only learned through Ronin that Catherine was also in Oceanvile. He couldn¡¯t wait to call Catherine, waiting for her to connect. Branden went to the branch office in Oceanvile, while Catherine was a bit bored at the hotel by herself. Her phone rang. Looking at the special symbol after the unfamiliar phone number on her screen, Catherine knew who was looking for her and knew it must have been Ronin who gave her contact information to the caller. If there was no important matter, Ronin would not have given her contact information to others. Catherine pressed the hands-free button and casually threw the phone aside. A clear man¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding as if he was still a bit excited. ¡°Catherine, is that you?¡± ¡°Go ahead. What¡¯s it?¡± Catherine asked simply. On the other end of the phone, after Withal confirmed that the person answering the call was Catherine, he became even more excited. He was even more tense than when he was asked to negotiate alone in the armed opposition organization, and he could even hear his own heartbeat at that moment. He hesitated for a while. He was nervous but worried about missing this great opportunity, so he mustered the courage to say, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m also in Oceanvile. Can we meet up?¡± Catherine knew that Withal was in Oceanvile because it was she who had arranged for him to be there. She naturally knew the situation. Since they were in the same city, Catherine decided to agree to meet Withal. ¡°Okay.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Withal froze for a moment. It took him a while before he came back to his senses and responded, ¡°Ca- Catherine, you agreed?¡± He stuttered when he spoke, and Catherine couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡± Message me the time and address. I¡¯m going to hang up if there¡¯s nothing else! Without hearing the other party¡¯s response, Catherine hung up the phone. A beep came from the other end of the phone, followed by silence. It took Withal a long time to react to the fact that Catherine had actually agreed to meet him and allowed the ce and time to be set by him. Catherine originally thought she would have to go out immediately. After all, Withal was always decisive and agile in his actions and didn¡¯t like to procrastinate. Unexpectedly, she only received Withal¡¯s message after an hour. Branden would be back soon, and Catherine left a note on the cab before leaving to meet Withal. With the help of the map¡¯s instructions, Catherine found the address given by Withal. It was quite a remote ce, so it would be hard to find without a map. [Catherine, I¡¯m at the second table on the left side of the door!] Catherine walked through the door and sat down at the second table on the left. There was a young boy sitting opposite her and he looked not much older than Catherine. He was wearing a ck t- shirt, which stood in stark contrast to his fair, somewhat glowing skin. His skin was not only particrly fair but also particrly transparent. His blue veins and blood vessels could be seen exceptionally clearly, indicating that he belonged to a gloomy boy who did not like to bask in the sun all year round. Withal kept looking anxiously toward the door, but suddenly, a little girl sat opposite him. She had a good figure but was wearing a peaked cap, and Withal couldn¡¯t see her full face. However, Withal was not interested in this girl. He said bluntly, ¡°The seat is taken. Please leave!¡± The reason why Withal said it bluntly and nonchntly was because this was already the fifth girl who had taken the initiative to sit opposite him. From the moment he arrived at this restaurant and sat down, he had been annoyed by girls sitting down and talking to him. If it were a normal day, perhaps he would chat with them for the sake of their appearance. But today was his big day to meet Catherine, and he wouldn¡¯t allow any slip-ups! What if Catherine saw him chatting up with other girls and thought he didn¡¯t respect her? He would be done for. Listening to Withal¡¯s tone of cold rejection, Catherine wanted tough. She lowered her voice and said, ¡± Hamza!¡± Seeing that Catherine had no intention of leaving, Withal had originally prepared to drive her away, but before he could say anything, he heard Catherine call out his name. Now, Withalpletely froze. He was the head of the Withalist, nicknamed Withal, and those who knew him would call him Withal. His real name was Hamza Shelton, and this was the top-secret information of the base. Currently, only Catherine knew about it. Then, the girl must be Catherine, right? He stared at Catherine in a daze, and after a long time, he eximed with uncertainty, ¡°Catherine?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Catherine nodded slightly. Withal had only been in contact with her online before and had not seen her before. Catherine knew the information about everyone on the base. As long as she had taken a look at someone¡¯s information, there was no one she couldn¡¯t remember, so she knew Withal¡¯s details very well. Catherine was wearing a peaked cap, and Withal needed to slightly lower his head to see her appearance. After quietly examining Catherine, he was shocked and couldn¡¯t help but mutter inwardly, ¡°Oh my god. Catherine is really amazing. Does she have the ability to make herself look youthful? She looks like an underaged girl. But the aura she emits is really amazing.¡± If Catherine hadn¡¯t looked too young, Withal wouldn¡¯t have been so shocked. After confirming Catherine¡¯s identity, Withal scratched his head awkwardly and said, ¡°Sorry, Catherine. I didn¡¯t recognize you. You look too young and even younger than me, so I didn¡¯t dare to think that you¡¯re Catherine.¡± Catherine¡¯s expression was calm. Her whole body leaned back on the sofa, and her posture was very casual, exuding a cold andzy atmosphere. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. I¡¯m indeed a few years younger than you!¡± ¡°What? A few years younger than me?¡± Withal thought to himself secretly and swallowed the water he had just taken a sip. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words, he almost spat the water out of his mouth in surprise. In order not to scare Catherine, he forced himself to swallow the water and almost choked himself to death. His face turned red! Catherine was actually younger than him? Catherine, who seemed to be omnipotent and even like a god, was actually a little girl a few years younger than him. Seeing Withal being surprised, Catherine ignored him. She came out in a hurry and hadn¡¯t eaten yet. Calling the waiter, she ordered a few dishes randomly. After the dishes were ordered, Withal was still looking confused. Catherine reached out and tapped on the table. ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± Her cold voice pulled Withal¡¯s drifting thoughts back slowly. Withal was surprised to have such a gain from his visit to Oceanvile this time. Not only did he meet Catherine, but he also knew so many secrets that a thrill ran through his heart. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re amazing!¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Catherine wasn¡¯t there to listen to his ttery. She had things to do. ¡°Has the matter with the Winfreds been resolved?¡± Seeing Catherine speaking seriously, Withal immediately corrected his attitude. He took out the contract ced aside and ced it in front of Catherine. ¡°Catherine, this is the contract signed by the Winfreds. Please take a look!¡± Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Catherine Also Needed Money Opening the contract handed over by Withal, Catherine scanned the contents on it and put it down. Seeing that her expression remained the same, Withal was somewhat unable to figure out Catherine¡¯s thoughts. In the base, there were various legends about Catherine. It was rumored that not only was she a genius in the field of science and technology, but she was also good at fighting, and on the list of the top ten killers in the world, she had always ranked in the top three. It was also rumored that she had a cold personality,mitted innumerable murders, was ruthless and cold- blooded, and no one dared to offend her. But these were all rumors. Only a very few of the original members of the base had seen her, and the rest of the members could only contact her through absolutely secret single-line contacts. In order to find her, they had to find Ronin first. Withal waited for a few more minutes, but Catherine still didn¡¯t speak. Unable to sit still, he took the initiative to inquire, ¡°Catherine, is there anything wrong with this contract?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s good!¡± Her goal from the beginning was to get the mine, and the rest didn¡¯t matter. Withal had already aplished his mission. Catherine answered faintly, so Withal¡¯s heart was still in a state of turmoil. He hesitated for a while before reporting what he had done in the past few days. ¡°Catherine, we not only blocked the Winfred Group¡¯s project these days, we also shorted the Winfreds¡¯ stock to make a profit. In three days, we have nearly 400 million dors in revenue!¡± At the mention of money, Catherine¡¯s eyes lit up. She nced at Withal in satisfaction. ¡± Great. It just so happens that I¡¯m short of moneytely!¡± Catherine then sent Withal a bank ount number. ¡°Transfer the money to this ount!¡± Short of money? Catherine from Hacker Alliance was actually short of money? Withal couldn¡¯t believe it. Although this might sound unbelievable, it was true that Catherine was short of money. Arge portion of her money went to the Arbotte Laboratory. Any random project in theirboratory required several years of experimental time and several tens of billions of dors in funding. Even if Catherine could make more money, she couldn¡¯t afford so much money! Originally, selling the products that theirboratory made could bring a huge profit to theboratory, but Catherine sold the recent products to Zerwick at a 50% discount. Although the other members were fine with it, it led to a shortage of funds for theboratory. For this, Catherine could only choose to use her own money to pay for it. It was a big sum of money, and even the richest person would be poor after paying for it! Could Catherine not be poor after that? Seeing Catherine asking for money, Withal didn¡¯t ask much and transferred the money directly without keeping a single penny for himself. ¡°Catherine, the money is transferred. Please check it!¡± After he finished saying that, it so happened that the food was served to the table, and he hurriedly asked Catherine to eat. ¡°Catherine, this restaurant may be a bit out of the way, but it¡¯s an old brand restaurant in Oceanvile, and their food is very authentic Oceanvile food. Try them!¡± In order to find a good restaurant, Withal searched through food posts for a whole hour before selecting it. It could be said that he was very attentive to the matter of meeting Catherine. Catherine nced at the dishes on the table and thought they looked quite delicious. She then took off her peaked cap and tossed it aside. Withal originally did not pay any attention to it. Unintentionally, he raised his eyes and saw Catherine¡¯s face. He was so shocked that he bit his tongue directly. He really didn¡¯t expect that Catherine was not only young and had a good figure but also had a good- looking appearance. He thought it would be no problem for Catherine to enter the showbiz and be a famous actress! Seeing Withal didn¡¯t move, Catherine shook her head helplessly. ¡°Are you absent-minded again? Hurry up and eat. There are things waiting for you to do!¡± Upon hearing this, Withal obediently started to eat as if he couldn¡¯t wait to take theing task. If those familiar with Withal knew that the intimidating head of Withalist still had such an obedient side, they would probably be shocked to death. During the meal, Withal thought of one thing and hurriedly reported to Catherine, ¡°Catherine, idiot Xavier brought Tyler back. I received news that he scheduled surgery for Tyler today. That¡¯s pretty ruthless. He¡¯s really ruthless to do that! ¡°Catherine, should we intervene?¡± Withal had heard Ronin say earlier that Erick was saved by Catherine. He wondered if Catherine wanted to save him again now. If they needed to save Erick again, it would be just a small matter of arranging for someone to make a move. Xavier was no match for them even when he was healthy, let alone he was dying now. Catherine was not surprised at all. She only gave a shallow sneer when she heard the news. What couldn¡¯t humans do to survive? She refused Withal¡¯s proposal directly. ¡°No need!¡± She had given Erick the chance to make his own choice. Since Erick had chosen a path he wanted to take, no matter what the future held, he would have to pay the price for his choice. It had nothing to do with others. ¡°Have you heard any news about Red Startely?¡± Catherine inquired suddenly. Withal shook his head. In the past two years, they had been paying attention to a mysterious organization called ¡± Red Star¡±, investigating its movements, but there had been no news. There were very few organizations in this world that even the Hacker Alliance could not find. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Red Star was one of them. It was a very powerful organization, and it not only sold weapons, manufacturing a variety of top chips, but it also participated in various high-end medical experiments. It could be said that there were no fields that Red Star was not involved in. However, for such a huge organization, the world knew less about it than the Hacker Alliance, and this organization was even more mysterious than the Hacker Alliance. Speaking of Red Star, Withal was furious. He said viciously to Catherine. ¡± Catherine, don¡¯t worry, I will do my best to investigate Red Star. Once I find out the chief of their organization, I will capture him and chop him up to relieve your anger!¡± The reason why Withal said such words was because three years ago, the chief of the Red Star organization had once set Catherine up. They tried to set up a big trap to trick Catherine. Withal was not sure what exactly happened. He only knew that Catheriney in the highest level hospital bed at the base for three months after returning that time. He, Ronin, and several other leaders swore together that they must find the chief of the Red Star organization and chop him up to relieve Catherine¡¯s anger. Catherine wrote an address on paper and threw it to Withal. ¡°There was someone selling my information in the ck market and there were once members of the Red Star here. Go check it out!¡± Sean from the ck market had some connection with Catherine, which Withal knew well, so he believed that the information must be true. ¡°Okay, Catherine. I¡¯ll definitely check it out!¡± Withal nced at the address and destroyed the paper on the spot after he remembered it in his heart. The address was in Oceanvile, which was one of the reasons Catherine hade to Oceanvile. However, she still had to take care of theboratory these days, so she didn¡¯t have time to investigate for the time being. It just so happened that Withal was there, and she wanted to ask Withal to investigate before she made her move. Almost finished eating, Catherine¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. She nced at her cell phone and found that it was a message from Branden. [Are things done? Do you need me to pick you up?] Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Wanted to Stay With You Withal followed Catherine out of the restaurant in a sad mood. Their group of people were particrly envious of Ronin because he was the only person who could apany Catherine every day, which was really enviable. Catherine had sent Branden the restaurant address, and by the time she walked out, Branden was already there waiting. He stood at the entrance of the alley as if he had sensed Catherine wasing. He raised his head as soon as Catherine came out and looked toward her. The moment his eyesnded on Catherine, he noticed Withal following her. Catherine walked straight toward Branden, and from a distance, Branden reached out to hold onto her palm. Withal followed behind and saw the scene clearly. When he saw their hands holding together, he trembled all over. God, he had discovered another secret. Catherine was actually with someone, and the point was that the man was freaking handsome. Just as Withal hesitated to politely go up and say hello, Catherine had taken the initiative to make the introduction. ¡°This is Hamza, my friend!¡± Hearing that Catherine was introducing himself to the man in front, Withal rushed forward. After sizing up Branden, he said politely, ¡± My name is Hamza. You can call me Withal as Catherine did!¡± Branden nodded and said coldly, ¡°My name is Branden!¡± He then turned his gaze back to Catherine. There was no other ce for anyone else in his eyes. He thought he and Withal only needed to get to know each other briefly. As Catherine prepared to leave, Branden followed her to the car. Withal stood frozen in ce for a long time as he watched the car move away. He always felt that the name Branden was somewhat familiar, and he could sense from the aura emanating from this man that this man was not ordinary. ¡°Branden!¡± Withal recited the name in his heart again silently, and suddenly¡­ He remembered! The man was the young head of the Duncans in Casier, who was rumored to be the perfect man! ording to rumors, the Duncans were not only the richest family in Casier but also the richest family in the country. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Because the Duncans had always kept a low profile, they had not publicly ranked as the richest family in the country. People who knew the truth knew that the more prosperous a family was in the past century, the more they knew how to keep a low profile. On the contrary, the wealthy families on the rankings were just being pushed out to cover the truly wealthy families. The truly wealthy were still the heirs of these top families. The man behind Catherine was actually Branden. Withal originally thought that no man in the world was worthy of Catherine¡¯s exceptional intelligence, but after learning that her man was Branden, Withal felt they were a win-win union inexplicably. After all, Branden was rumored to have a transcendent status. The title of heir to the Duncans alone was enough to put him on the tip of the world¡¯s pyramid. It was quiet in the car. Catherine had rested enough today, so even if she was sitting in the car now, she was not sleepy at all and could still take out her phone to y games. Upon seeing her ending the game, Branden promptly reached out and pressed her hand. ¡°Stop ying. Let your eyes rest.¡± Branden might not stop Catherine¡¯s behavior openly, but he had always kept a standard in his heart. He would remind Catherine from time to time. After ying a game, Catherine was also tired. Upon Branden¡¯s reminder, Catherine put down her phone. Seeing her being so well-behaved, Branden looked at her with a doting face and asked, ¡°Do you have anything to do tomorrow? When do you n to return to Casier?¡± ¡°Next week!¡± Catherine then gave the precise time. She still had a few things to do, so she wasn¡¯t nning on going back so early. The matter of the Winfreds was still unsettled. The Swanns had close contact with the Winfreds, and it was a little more convenient for her to stay over here as she was able to get first- hand information at Oceanvile. ¡°I have something to do tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.¡± The man frowned slightly, with a hint of helplessness in his tone. ¡°You can focus on your things. I can do it all alone.¡± Catherine was not the kind of little girl who was clingy. She had always been used to being alone, so even if Branden was not by her side, she was fine. The huge Duncan Corporation was now all handed over to Branden to manage, and he had to do a lot of things every day. Men were busy with their careers, and Catherine could understand it very well. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Brandenughed a little helplessly. It was not necessarily a good thing that one¡¯s girlfriend was too generous. He put one arm around Catherine¡¯s waist, and with a slight application of force, he grabbed Catherine¡¯s entire body into his arms. He rested his head on Catherine¡¯s shoulder and whispered softly, ¡°The one who can¡¯t be alone is me.¡± The one who couldn¡¯t be alone wasn¡¯t her but Branden himself. Thinking about leaving for two days, Branden wanted to kill that group of idiots in hispany. They never got things done right, and he had to handle things in person. Even he didn¡¯t know when he started feeling like he couldn¡¯t live without Catherine! Inside the dimly lit car, Catherine¡¯s clear eyes shone like the brightest stars in the night sky. The person who had always been cold had her eyebrows curved with a smile at this moment. ¡°It¡¯s just two days. It will end very soon! ¡°Rarely, Catherine actuallyforted the man who began to sigh because he was going to be separated from her for two days. It was still early. Branden guessed that Catherine should have just finished her meal, so he didn¡¯t n to take her to dinner. ¡°How about we have a walk?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Just finished eating, Catherine also nned to take a walk to help digestion. Beforeing to Oceanvile, Audrey asked her to bring back some specialty products. Although Catherine didn¡¯t like shopping, she didn¡¯t reject it, either. Shopping for something during a walk was not a bad idea. Paxton parked the car in the underground garage of Oceanvile¡¯srgest mall, which was not only the largest in Oceanvile but also one of the threergest zas in the entire East. On the first floor, there were cosmetics and luxury goods from around the world, all of which were first- tier brands. Some second-tier products were difficult to have a ce here. From the fourth floor to the eighth floor, there were all luxury items. Branden led Catherine directly to the clothing area on the fourth floor, but her requirements for clothing were not high. Her clothes were all arranged by Ronin, all of which were luxurious and customized designs. She nned to start checking the bags on the fifth floor! ¡°Let¡¯s go to the fifth floor!¡± Branden had no objections at all. He took Catherine¡¯s hand and walked up the esctor immediately. They got on the esctor, and the first store on the left was Herm¨¨s. Herm¨¨s products were always at the forefront of luxury products. Catherine remembered that Audrey and Yesenia both loved this brand. After receiving thest shooting¡¯s payment, Audrey bought a Herm¨¨s handbag and showed it off in front of her for a long time. Catherine nned to go in and take a look, but Branden¡¯s cell phone rang. She asked Branden to answer the phone first while she went into the store alone first. There were not many customers in the store, but there were quite a lot of clerks. As soon as Catherine entered the store, the clerks noticed her. They looked Catherine up and down. Seeing her shopping alone with aplete set of ck sportswear and a peaked cap that couldn¡¯t tell the brand on her head, they were somewhat reluctant toe up to receive her. However, those who came to the store were guests, and they had to follow the employee rules. After hinting at each other, the new clerk was pushed out. Approaching Catherine, she said coldly, ¡°Hi, how may I help you?¡± Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Chapter 373 TOP VIP ncing at the clerk, Catherine didn¡¯t respond, intending to look around herself first. Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond, the clerk thought that she had already done her most basic duty, so she didn¡¯t intend to bother with Catherine. After all, there were often many inte celebrities who could not afford to buy their bags and just liked toe in to take a look. Knowing that they could not take photos inside the store, those inte celebrities would be happy enough just to take photos of them entering the store door. Catherine looked around on her own and noticed that the styles listed were somewhat outdated. She looked up at the nearby clerk and said, ¡°Do you have thetest model?¡± As soon as the clerk heard this, she knew that Catherine was someone who couldn¡¯t afford their bags but still wanted toe in to pretend to be a regr customer. The clerk rolled her eyes at Catherine numerous times secretly. After that, she said to Catherine in a cold voice, ¡°Sorry, miss. If you want to see the new models in our store, you need to make an appointment. Only VIPs who have spent a certain amount of money at Herm¨¨s have the opportunity to learn in advance about the new model¡¯sunch and receive a chance to make an appointment.¡± The clerk¡¯s voice was loud, and there was some mockery lingering in her tone. She was with a look of not worrying about offending the customers at all. Her words attracted the other customers inside the store. When Emma heard the clerk¡¯s mocking words, she turned back to look. Originally, she just wanted to watch the show of others being mocked, but she didn¡¯t expect to see that the one being taunted by the clerk was actually Catherine. Seeing Catherine made Emma angry. Not only did Catherine take away the championship of the competition, making her the object of everyone¡¯s scorn, but Catherine also made her be chastised severely by her grandfather. Emma was the only girl of their generation in the family, and her grandfather had doted on her since she was a little girl. This was the first time her grandfather had ever punished her so harshly! It was all caused by Catherine and the Swanns. The most despicable one was the girl Liana, who actually asked Korbin toe to Emma¡¯s family to solve this matter. In the end, not only did Emma¡¯s family have to go through the trouble of helping Liana deal with the trouble online, but they also had to be the object of ridicule by everyone in Oceanvile. However, Liana avoided the me by simply saying that her cell phone was stolen and that it wasn¡¯t her who sent the pictures. Emma fell victim to the fight between the two sisters of the Swanns. Emma had never been fooled with such a trick in her life! Thinking about all this, Emma was furious and wished she could tear Catherine apart on the spot. She was really lucky. Meeting Catherine there at that moment was a good opportunity for her to get back at her! If she didn¡¯t take this opportunity to properly humiliate Catherine, wouldn¡¯t it be too much of a loss for her? Putting down the bag in her hand, Emma crossed her hands around her chest, stepped on her high heels, and walked toward Catherine with a noble look on her face. ¡°Hey! So, it¡¯s Miss Catherine. What a coincidence!¡± Feeling that the voice she heard was somewhat familiar, Catherine turned her head and saw the one who just spoke was Emma. She nced at Emma with a cold look and ignored her. This kind of belittling attitude was an absolute blow to Emma. How could she let Catherine humiliate her like that? So, she decided to strike back. Sheughed loudly and coldly at Catherine deliberately. ¡°Hehe, Miss Catherine. You enter Herm¨¨s stores to say that you want to buy a bag, while you don¡¯t even know the routine knowledge that buying Herm¨¨stest bags requires an appointment. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡± Without waiting for Catherine¡¯s response, she continued, ¡°Right, I almost forgot it. You¡¯ve been living in the countryside since you were a child and you¡¯ve never seen the world, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know about this. ¡°But the bags here are not cheap. I wonder if Miss Catherine has brought enough money.¡± After Emma said those words, the clerk looked at Catherine with more and more disdain. Catherine originally didn¡¯t intend to argue with Emma, but Emma was too stupid and arrogant. Catherine raised her eyes and looked at Emma coldly. Without considering to show any respect to Emma, she parted her thin lips slightly and said, ¡°I wonder what your Grandpa¡¯s mood would be if he knew that you didn¡¯t even take his words seriously?¡± It wasn¡¯t that Catherine wasn¡¯t aware of the deal Emma¡¯s family had made with the Swanns. It was just that she hadn¡¯t been avabletely and hadn¡¯t nned on caring yet. However, if Emma was so brainless and liked to provoke her, then she wouldn¡¯t mind taking the time to teach the Hazels a lesson. Facing Catherine¡¯s threat, Emma¡¯s face turned pale with anger. After a long time, she finally found her words. ¡°Catherine, you only know how to threaten me with my Grandpa. You can¡¯t even afford to buy a bag. Who do you think you are?¡± Without waiting for Catherine to speak, an abrupt voice broke the atmosphere in the store. ¡°What kind of bag is it? Even you can¡¯t afford it!¡± Everyone looked up and saw a tall man in a dark blue suit with a handsome face walking straight toward the store. Only by a nce, the clerk could tell from the aristocratic aura emanating from the man and the watch he was wearing on his wrist that the man was definitely a wealthy man. If he was not a wealthy man, how could he possibly be wearing a watch worth millions of dors? Without waiting for the clerk to warmlye forward to greet him, this iparably noble-looking man stopped by Catherine¡¯s side and wrapped one arm around her waist with a doting face. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to call me when paying the bill?¡± Catherine repliedzily, ¡°I didn¡¯t see the right one!¡± The man raised his head, and his gaze fell on the clerk in front of him. ¡°Bring out all the new models for her!¡± Although the man looked very rich, the clerk still had to follow the rules of the store. But inparison, she treated Branden with a much more respectful attitude. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. Only our VIPs can reserve our new bags!¡± VIP was nothing more than a system of treating customers differently using the amount of money they spent in their store. Paxton, the assistant, knew a lot more about this than Branden. After all, Branden had nevere to buy a bag himself. Paxton took out the membership card from his bag and handed it to the clerk. ¡°Please check if the amount we spent is enough for us to reserve a new model!¡± Seeing Branden with an assistant, the clerk knew at a nce that he was not an ordinary person, and she hurriedly took the card and went to check. In less than three minutes, the clerk rushed back in a panic and whispered a few words to other clerks before reappearing in front of Catherine and the others. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, our distinguished customer. We didn¡¯t know about your visit. We¡¯ll arrange it for you right away!¡± After saying that, two of the clerks walked over to Emma and the others and said to them, ¡°Excuse me, ladies. Please leave for now. We have to serve the exclusive VIPs individually!¡± Emma red at the clerk with cold eyes and gritted her teeth. ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t want me to pay the bill, do you?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. The bag that Emma was interested in was just a basic model in the store, and the clerk naturally couldn¡¯t possibly offend a top VIP customer for her sake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. Thatdy and gentleman are our brand¡¯s top VIP customers. They enjoy exclusive rights. As long as they appear in any of our stores, we have to close the store exclusively for them. Please pardon me, and look forward to your next visit!¡± The clerk had a serious face when she said these words, and she didn¡¯t look like she was discussing with Emma at all. Instantly, the scene fell into an awkward situation. Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Exclusive Services The other clerks had already started to set up the exhibition area for the exclusive VIP customers, while Emma still refused to give in. Seeing that Emma had no intention of leaving, the clerk immediately issued an eviction order. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Our store cannot serve you today. If you are unwilling to leave, then I can only call the security!¡± Emma and the others clearly knew the clerk¡¯s words were not a joke. After all, this luxurypany had always been known for its coldness and had no shortage of customers. The only ones it couldn¡¯t offend were the top exclusive clients, so this clerk would ask security to drive them away. Perhaps this was why everyone wanted to be the top VIP of luxury goods stores. As long as one had enough money there, one could decide everything. If Emma didn¡¯t leave by herself now, she would feel more humiliated after being driven out by the security guardster. In the end, Emma was dragged out of the store by her friends. Emma was full of reluctance, but there was nothing she could do. After clearing out, Catherine and Branden were the only two customers left in the store. All the clerks in the store came out and stood in two rows, waiting to serve Catherine. The store manager came out to serve Catherine in person. ¡°Just a moment. We¡¯ll immediately show you all thetest bags in the store!¡± Taking a nce at the clerk who served her when she entered, Catherine said to the store manager, ¡°Let her get them!¡± The store manager dared not hesitate at all and quickly nodded. ¡°Okay, just a moment!¡± The clerk who was named didn¡¯t expect such a surprise. Judging from Catherine¡¯s behavior, she knew that Catherine would spend much money here today. She hurriedly ran to pick up the bags, and the other clerk could only be envious. Even if VIP guests came, they usually only showed one or two new products to the other party to check. But Catherine was different. The card that Paxton had just shown was the symbol of their identity. There would not be more than ten top VIPs like this globally, and they not only enjoyed the exclusive clearance rights but also enjoyed the priority to reserve any bags from this brand. Even if they asked the design team to customize them individually, there was no problem! That clerk carried out all the new bags and popr models in the store, and because Catherine appointed her, no one else even had the right to help. The clerk was the only one who ran around all by herself, sweating profusely. After the bags were brought out, the store¡¯s exclusive disy clerk would put on ck velvet gloves and carry them out to show to Catherine one by one. Catherine leanedzily against Branden¡¯s side, casually eyeing the exquisite disys in front of her. It was like a carefully prepared big brand runway show, and Catherine was the only customer who came to watch this top luxury bag runway show. When Catherine was interested in one bag, she would raise her hand, and the clerk would put the bag aside as a pending item, waiting for the second disy. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Catherine would finally decide which bag she wanted to buy today among the pending items. Half an hour passed before the first round of disy ended. Catherine yawned tiredly, and Paxton immediately stepped forward and called a halt to the disy. He looked at the clerk with a cold face. ¡± No need to disy anymore. Pack up all the ones she just selected!¡± The clerk was shocked. There was no less than ten bags! The total price of these bags was enough to buy a house in the center of Oceanvile. This was too extravagant. Branden reached out and gently rubbed Catherine¡¯s hand, cing it in his palm and kneading it back and forth, with his face filled with doting. ¡°Anything else to buy? Let¡¯s shop some more!¡± Catherine rarely shopped, not realizing that buying a bag was so tiring. She ncedzily at the man and uttered two words in response, ¡°I¡¯m tired!¡± The man smiled both helplessly and dotingly. Didn¡¯t they all say that women loved shopping the most? Although he hadn¡¯t apanied a woman on a shopping trip, he knew that his mother and the other women from the Duncans would spend almost a whole day shopping once they decided to go shopping. He was ready to shop until the evening, but he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to get tired so quickly. Catherine was really special. ¡°Okay. Since you¡¯re tired, let¡¯s go back and rest!¡± The man stood up with his arm around Catherine. Catherine was like a cartginous animal, softly leaning on the man¡¯s shoulder and letting him wrap his arms around her. Seeing that the two of them were leaving, the clerk whom Catherine had just instructed to serve them went forward quickly to walk out the two of them respectfully. Catherine was about to leave when she suddenly turned around as if she remembered something. She nced at the clerk, then reached out and pointed to the clerk standing at the far end of the line wearing intern clothes. ¡°Oh, by the way, all my spending today counts toward her performance.¡± After saying that lightly, Catherine turned around and resumed thenguid look she had just now. The clerk assigned to carry the bags running around exhaustedly was shocked! She was still in the joy of achieving a huge performance the previous second, and Catherine sent her to hell in this second. Although Catherine¡¯s instruction was a bit strange, the store manager didn¡¯t dare to neglect her. After all, she was a top VIP, and not everyone could afford to offend her! Adhering to the principle that the customer first, the clerks could only obey Catherine¡¯s words. The intern Catherine pointed at did not expect such a big surprise toe to her suddenly and was dumbfounded for a long time. Only when Catherine was about to leave the store did she return to her senses. She rushed toward Catherine, bending down and bowing toward Catherine¡¯s back, shouting respectfully, ¡°Thank you, miss, sir!¡± Catherine heard it and sneered coldly without any further indication. There was no particr reason she did that, purely because she was unhappy with the clerk who had just been snobbish. It just so happened that the intern was pleasant-looking, so Catherine wanted to give her a gift to make her happy. Emma didn¡¯t leave immediately after they were kicked out of the store. She was so angry that she wanted to see what background Catherine had. Watching Catherine walk out being embraced by such a handsome man, followed by arge group of clerks carrying Herm¨¨s shopping bags, she felt both hatred and envy in her heart! Bags were a woman¡¯s favorite product, and no woman could resist the temptation of designer bags. Emma didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be able to seduce such a wealthy and handsome man while having an affair with Grayson. Why on earth did Catherine get so much favor? Thinking of these, Emma¡¯s heart was filled with anger. The me of jealousy burned her reason, and she could no longer resist rushing out, blocking Catherine and Branden. She looked up and fixed her gaze tightly on Branden, shouting loudly, Sir, do you know what dirty things the woman beside you has done behind your back?¡± Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Chapter 375 The Unusual Rtionship Someone suddenly rushed over, and naturally, Paxton had to stop it. He stepped forward to block Emma¡¯s way. Paxton was cold in nature. Usually, when he didn¡¯t speak, he had a stern face, and the aura that permeated from him was very appalling. Emma retreated silently after Paxton gave her a look and didn¡¯t dare to go forward. Since she dared not go forward, she stood still and red at Catherine with wide eyes. On the other hand, Catherine, the person involved, stood indifferent and had no intention of paying attention to Emma. Seeing Catherine¡¯s fearless appearance, Emma didn¡¯t want to give up and shouted bravely, ¡°Sir, you really don¡¯t want to know?¡± Branden nced toward Paxton, and Paxton took a step back. A faint smile appeared on Emma¡¯s face. She knew that no man could tolerate his woman betraying him, not to mention the man in front of her was a nobleman. At first nce, Emma could tell he was a top tycoon. She was a little smug and couldn¡¯t wait to tell Branden, ¡°Sir, Catherine must have deceived you. She¡¯s having an affair with several boys. ¡°Do you know Grayson?¡± To get back on Catherine, Emma even mentioned Grayson. ¡°He¡¯s a top idol star, and his rtionship with Catherine is unusual. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Catherine!¡± After saying that, Emma looked at Catherine smugly. She was waiting for the man beside Catherine to get mad and see the image of Catherine being abandoned by the man. Branden had thought he could hear some incredible gossip, but it turned out that was all! He nced down at Catherine and asked coldly, ¡°Kathy, is what she said true?¡± Emma was already happy inside because her purpose was about to be achieved. Her gaze was fixed on Catherine, and she could guarantee that Catherine would not dare to lie. At best, Catherine would not respond or change the topic. No matter what Catherine¡¯s reaction was, Emma had something to say in response, and she was sure that Catherine wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to retort. Unexpectedly, Catherine didn¡¯t even deny or defend herself. She just nodded her head. What Emma said was true. Vicente had adopted Grayson since Grayson was a kid, and he and Catherine grew up together. Their rtionship was indeed unusual. But who said an unusual rtionship had to be a boyfriend and girlfriend rtionship? Couldn¡¯t it be friendship, sibling rtionship, or something like that? Seeing Catherine nodding her head, Emma instantly became excited and said to Branden anxiously, ¡°Sir, did you see that? She admitted that she has an unusual rtionship with Grayson!¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± After hearing Emma¡¯s usation, Branden nodded rather approvingly. Without waiting for Emma to get carried away, Branden looked at Catherine and asked, ¡°What about us, Kathy? What about our rtionship?¡± His voice was very gentle.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Catherine knew very well in her heart what the man in front of her was thinking right now. With her eyes turned slyly and a hint of cunning at the corner of her mouth, Catherine¡¯s gaze fell straight to the man. ¡°Normal! ¡°Our rtionship is that of a normal unmarried couple, I guess!¡± She had a marriage contract with Branden. Although her grandfather set it, Branden was still her fianc¨¦ at the moment. The two of them were indeed an unmarried couple! Hearing her admit their rtionship, a smile appeared on Branden¡¯s handsome face as he reached out and gently rubbed her soft cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± It seemed he needed to thank the brainless Emma because she made Catherine willing to admit that he was her fianc¨¦. Watching the interaction between the two, Emma was extremely jealous. She didn¡¯t understand what kind of charm Catherine had that could make men surround her one by one! Were these men too blind to see how disgusting Catherine was? Emma looked at Branden in disbelief. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you even mind Catherine flirting with another man?¡± Branden turned back, his initially gentle face instantly darkened. He looked coldly at Emma, and his eyes were like two sharp swords that went hard through Emma¡¯s body, frightening her to the point that she trembled. ¡°So what?¡± The man¡¯s low and grim voice was just two different voices from when he spoke to Catherine. Emma didn¡¯t expect the man to say that. As she was in a daze, not knowing how to answer, the man spoke again, and his words this time were even more shocking. ¡°Not to mention she has an unusual rtionship with Grayson, even if she used to date Grayson, and as long as she¡¯s with me now, willing to recognize me as her fianc¨¦, that¡¯s enough!¡± Hearing this, Emma¡¯s eyes widened in shock. There was such a man in the world. Emma wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked. Paxton, standing behind them, also widened his eyes in shock when he heard this. Was the man who just said those words his boss? Could it be that Catherine knew magic powers and had used a spell to control Branden? How did a cold, big man be so doting toward Catherine? His words just now were unbelievable! Paxton wanted to tell Branden, ¡°Mr. Duncan, if you¡¯ve been controlled, just blink. I¡¯ll help you!¡± Branden didn¡¯t have the time to keep fooling around with Emma. His little girl was tired from shopping and needed to get back to resting. He left with his arm around Catherine, and when he passed by Emma, he followed Catherine¡¯s previous attitude of speaking to the clerk, saying coldly and lightly, ¡°Help me say hello to your Grandpa and tell him that my surname is Duncan!¡± His surname was Duncan! Emma froze in ce instantly, feeling a constant coldness rising from her feet, making her body stiff with cold. She did hear her grandfather say that Catherine had a fianc¨¦, and it was the well-known man in Casier. But she thought it was just a marriage contract set by Vicente, and Branden wasn¡¯t interested in Catherine. She didn¡¯t expect that he actually came to Oceanvile for Catherine, and not only that, Branden also doted for Catherine so much that he could even do this for her! Emma gradually became desperate. She knew she was finished this time. That night, when Emma returned home, the Duncans made a phone call to her grandfather. It was Paxton who made the phone call in person! Although Paxton usually followed Branden and did everything, he was also a senior manager at the Duncan Corporation. He could be considered Branden¡¯s special assistant. After receiving the call, no matter how Emma cried and screamed, her grandfather sent her abroad overnight. Emma¡¯s father came to plead for mercy, but Emma¡¯s grandfather only said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want our family to go bankrupt, do what I say!¡± Emma¡¯s father naturally knew that his father would not joke about this, so he did not dare to say anything more but sent his daughter away directly. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Getting Pregnant? In Casier, Audrey had justpleted a filming. Kim knew that Catherine wasn¡¯t at home these days and wasn¡¯t at ease with Audrey being alone, so he personally sent her back. ¡°Audrey, your sister is amazing. Did you see thements on Twitter? It was like a famous scene! Many big men went to help her. Amazing!¡± Audrey¡¯s expression was light after she heard Kim¡¯s words. She was not too excited. ¡°They¡¯re Kathy¡¯s friends. Besides, this matter was not Kathy¡¯s fault at all. Someone with an ulterior motive framed her!¡± When Audrey first saw thements on Twitter, she was furious and knew that someone must have framed Catherine deliberately. How could Catherine do such a thing? She was such an influential person. Did she need to do such a thing? She didn¡¯t expect that in the end, it turned out to be rted to Liana. Thinking of her sister Liana, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but frown. Liana was going too far. How could she do such things? They were sisters from the same family. It was fine that she didn¡¯t help Catherine, but how could she go against Catherine? The more Audrey thought about it, the more headaches she got. Seeing Audrey not speaking, Kim was hesitant to persuade, ¡°Catherine knows so many big shots. Why don¡¯t you ask her to help you a little? Her little introduction will be helpful, right?¡± Upon hearing this, Audrey¡¯s brow couldn¡¯t help but furrow. ¡°Kim, that¡¯s not what Kathy is trying to do by being friends with those people. Their friendship will be destroyed if I ask her to do that.¡± Audrey didn¡¯t want Catherine to be looked down upon because of herself. She knew that if she asked Catherine to do that, she would say yes, but she didn¡¯t want to! The two of them chatted and came out of the elevator. Just as they walked out, they saw several handsome men in suits standing in front of Audrey¡¯s apartment. They were carrying Herm¨¨s shopping bags in their hands. Kim and Audrey nced over and found the scene very eye-catching. Herm¨¨s was a luxury brand, and Kim looked envious. Audrey was confused. There were so many Herm¨¨s bags. How much should it be? She thought these people must be delivering goods to Branden, who lived opposite her. Who else had the money except him? Considering she and Branden were neighbors, Audrey kindly reminded the few handsome men before her. ¡°You¡¯re delivering to the wrong address. Branden lives in there.¡± The leading among the men took a step forward and approached Audrey with a particrly respectful attitude, silently surveying her without any trace. ¡°Excuse me, are you Miss Audrey?¡± Audrey wore a mask, and the man could not immediately recognize her. The man knew Audrey¡¯s name, and Audrey was confused but still nodded. ¡± Yes, I¡¯m Audrey. Why¡­¡± After confirming Audrey¡¯s identity, the man quickly beckoned the other men behind him toe forward together. ¡°Miss Audrey, this is your package. Please sign to acknowledge the receipt! Audrey froze for a moment, subconsciously reaching out and pointing at herself. ¡°You mean they are mine?¡± The man nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Please sign for it. Here is the receipt form!¡± Audrey took it and nced at it, realizing that the sender was Catherine. She then understood. It turned out that Catherine had bought them for her, but there were too many, weren¡¯t there? After Audrey finished signing, she handed it to the man. The man took it respectfully and said, ¡± Miss Audrey, there is also a Herm¨¨s store in Casier. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions ore to us if you need cleaning. Have a nice day!¡± After saying that, he took the other men left. Audrey followed Kim into the apartment with the bags, and Kim couldn¡¯t wait to help Audrey unpack the package. Every time a package was unwrapped, Kim¡¯s exmation could be heard. ¡°Oh my god, Audrey. This is thetest limited edition. Someone took a photo with a fake one in the airport and was still mocked by everyone! ¡°And this one, the runway model. And this one¡­¡± Audrey herself used to be a beauty blogger and naturally knew the preciousness and value of these Herm¨¨s bags. She immediately called Catherine. ¡°Kathy, why did you suddenly buy so many bags?¡± Catherine¡¯s clear and light voice came from the phone. ¡°I bought too many today while shopping, and I¡¯m giving you several of them.¡± Kim¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to Catherine¡¯s words aside! They were top luxury Herm¨¨s bags and limited editions that were hard to get even if one was wealthy. Catherin gave them all to Audrey? And she sounded so light? And there must be at least ten of them! Kim could only sigh now that he didn¡¯t understand the world of the rich! Audrey frowned slightly in the face of Catherine¡¯s answer. ¡°Kathy, these bags are expensive. It¡¯s a waste of money to buy so many!¡± Catherine said casually, ¡°The person who paid for them was Branden. You keep them. I still have something to do. I¡¯ll talk to you when I get back!¡± Hearing that she had something else to do, Audrey couldn¡¯t say anything more and took the initiative to hang up the phone. Seeing her hang up the phone, Kim came up and said, ¡°Audrey, your sister is really good. She always remembers to share with you when she has good things. Coincidentally, thepany¡¯s funds have been tight recently, and the cost of configuring clothing for you is not very much. This can be considered a saving for us. I¡¯ll contact the photographer tomorrow, and let¡¯s have you the airport fashion outfit photograph!¡± Kim carried a rare crocodile leather bag and put it in front of Audrey. ¡°Come on. Come on. Smell it. These are all the smells of money!¡± The special odor of leather rushed into Audrey¡¯s nostrils all at once, and the expression on Audrey¡¯s face instantly changed. ¡°Barf¡­¡± She covered her chest in a fit of nausea. Kim was startled and poured water for her. It took a while for Audrey to relieve the feeling of nausea. Kim looked at Audrey suspiciously. The look in his eyes was peculiar, and her voice was also a bit cold. ¡°Audrey, you¡¯re not getting¡­ pregnant, are you?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Audrey froze momentarily, and her face went pale for a while. But in a moment, she reacted. ¡°You¡¯re with me daily, and I don¡¯t even have male friends around. How could I be pregnant?¡± Kim thought for a moment and felt that Audrey¡¯s words made sense. He had been focused on guiding Audrey ever since she had the beginnings of fame. Audrey wasn¡¯t the kind of star who needed to follow hidden rules to be famous, and even if she had asional parties, she would leave as soon as she had enough food. She stayed in the crew every day and didn¡¯t have the opportunity to get in touch with men. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t eaten muchtely. I hurt my stomach!¡± Audrey tried to exin. Female celebrities ate very little to maintain their figure, and they also had to face high-pressure work. Few of them had healthy stomachs. Kim looked at her in distress and said, ¡± Then pay more attention to your body. If you can¡¯t make it, let¡¯s go to the hospital. I¡¯ll arrange it for you!¡± Audrey was now considered famous in showbiz, and paparazzi kept their eyes on her daily. If she went to the hospital suddenly, she might be photographed by the paparazzi and be in trouble. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, go to bed early. Youpleted the filming today, and I¡¯ll arrange for you to take two days off. Just rest at home. I¡¯ll cancel all your activities!¡± Compared to other agents who only knew how to downtrodden actors, Kim was kind and considerate and took great care of her. This was also why Audrey had been following Kim without changing agents. ¡°Thank you, Kim!¡± Audrey stood up to walk Kim out, and the moment the door closed, she stared at her stomach nkly for a long time. Only after she sighed deeply did she stop staring at her stomach. Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Chapter 377 The Thing Handed by Robot Catherine was still in a remote part of the Oceanvile countryside when she got the call from Erick. Erick¡¯s voice was very soft, sounding a little breathless. ¡°Catherine, can I see you?¡± Catherine did not reject him and gave him an address. She was sure he could find it. An hourter, Erick arrived at the address Catherine had given him. It was a very remote part of the countryside, on the edge of Oceanvile. It was full of green wheat fields at a nce, giving a feeling of freshness and serenity. Erick didn¡¯t expect Catherine to stay in this kind of ce. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine giving him the address in person, he would have thought someone was ying tricks on him! Erick searched the wheat fields, but there was not even a single figure in the vast wheat fields. He called Catherine, but the phone was never answered. Erick had no choice but to go around the wheat fields by himself. When he broke into the deeper wheat fields inadvertently at the edge, he suddenly saw a familiar back figure in front of him. Instantly, his eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace toward the back. The girl had her back to him, wearing a light gray dress with a hat to shield her from the sun and loose and plump pants, which were very different from her usual attire. But Erick recognized her at once. When they were three steps away, he couldn¡¯t help but start calling out her name, Catherine!¡± Catherine was observing the ears of wheat in the wheat fields, and when she heard the sound, she turned around to see Erick walking toward her. Used to seeing Catherine¡¯s usual cold attire, Erick suddenly froze at the sight of her dressed like this. It was said that good-looking people would still be peerless beauties even if they went out in a sack! This sentence was aptly used on Catherine! Catherine took out the experimental bag from her pocket and put the wheat kernels in it before turning her head to look at Erick. ¡°Follow me!¡± Erick followed Catherine. Seeing her passage through the dense wheat fields familiarly, Erick could tell she was pretty familiar with this ce. He had heard rumors that although Catherine was thedy of the Swanns, she grew up in the countryside, so it seemed the rumors might be true! Thinking about this, Erick couldn¡¯t help but feel distress for Catherine. Subsequently, he followed Catherine to a small cabin by the roadside. Although it was a small cabin, it had two stories and was more like a courtyard. It was right near the wheat fields. A small yard was fenced out at the entrance, and quite a few crops were nted in the middle of the yard. The mostmon crop was chili peppers, both yellow and red! What surprised Erick the most was the instation of an electronic lock at the small fence switch, which seemed to be face-recognized! After Catherine approached and stood there for a second, the small fence automatically opened. Erick followed closely behind Catherine into the small courtyard. It was unclear from the outside, but aftering in, he realized that the interior of this courtyard was muchrger than what he saw from the outside, and a small gazebo had been built. In the center of the gazebo was a vintage set of tables and chairs with coffee cups on. Catherine took the hat off her head and hung it aside, walking over to the chairs and sitting down. ¡°Take a seat. Let¡¯s have some coffee!¡± Erick took the coffee, and the strong aroma of coffee hit his face. It was refreshing. The coffee had an intense color and aroma. After Erick sipped it lightly, the gentle coffee ran between his lips and teeth, sweet and refreshing. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Catherine, the coffee is good!¡± Catherine nodded casually. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good. The people in the vige nted it themselves. It¡¯s pure natural and pollution-free!¡± Erick nodded in agreement. As a kid living with his grandmother, he often had ess to farm produce. The appearance of farm produce might look average, but they always had a different taste. Thinking of the past, Erick¡¯s eyes darkened instantly. Catherine was holding a coffee cup andzily leaning against the rocking chair, feeling very cozy. Branden had something to attend to for two days, and she just happened to take advantage of this time to return to the vige to visit her wheat fields. If it weren¡¯t for her grandfather¡¯s call, howfortable her vacation life would be! She would only need to take care of her wheat fields daily, water her little chili peppers, raise flowers, and feed fish. How happy her life would be! Unfortunately, her grandfather called her back to inherit his inheritance and asked her to help him deal with his bad son! This was her daily headache! Catherine didn¡¯t miss the change in Erick¡¯s expression, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention. She had always emphasized that one would have to live the life one chose. She was not the heroine and didn¡¯t have the mind to save the world. After a few moments of sadness, Erick returned to his senses and locked his gaze on Catherine. ¡°Catherine, this is 30% equity of the Winfreds. I promised you that I would give the Winfreds to you!¡± He fulfilled his promise to Catherine in the Winfreds¡¯ dungeon of Casier! Erick had a rare smile, and his gaze fixed on Catherine. Catherine nced at the contract on the table and didn¡¯t reach out to pick it up. Catherine had no surprise on her face when such a huge fortune came suddenly, and the expression on her face made people couldn¡¯t tell what mood she was in. She turned her head and looked at Erick with a cold gaze. Looking at his pale cheeks, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Is it worth losing a kidney for this?¡± Erick froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting Catherine to know everything. On second thought, he understood. Catherine was such a powerful character. How could she not even know these things? Erick gave a shallow smile that was both cold and sarcastic. ¡°Just consider it a repayment for him giving me the chance toe into this world!¡± In the beginning, Xavier hurt Erick¡¯s mother and grandparents. Erick was carrying Xavier¡¯s bloodline and used one kidney to pay back this. After that, he only had hatred for Xavier! The Winfreds owed his mother and his family, and he would make them pay it bit by bit. Catherine pulled out her cell phone and pressed it toward the cabin behind her. It didn¡¯t take long to see a humanoid robot waddling out. It finally stopped in front of Catherine and said respectfully, ¡°Boss, this is what you asked for!¡± Erick looked at this scene in amazement. Was there an intelligent robot in this poor countryside? ¡°Catherine, what is this?¡± Erick couldn¡¯t help but inquire curiously. Seeing his gaze on the robot, Catherine lightly replied, ¡°I created it when I was bored to apany me, and it usually delivers things to me!¡± She took the thing from the robot¡¯s hands, and the robot bowed to her before backing away on its own. ¡°Boss, see you next time. Looking forward to your next call!¡± Erick was a bit dumbfounded. The robot was created by Catherine when she was bored to apany her, but it was so high-end! It seemed that Catherine was much more powerful than he had imagined. Catherine handed Erick what the robot had given her. Erick took it and took a closer look. He was shocked by the content. ¡°Catherine, this¡­¡± Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Help Me Make Money Catherine also gave Erick a document of share, and it was the share of the Winfreds. Erick didn¡¯t realize that Catherine was holding five percent of the shares of the Winfreds, and it turned out that all those little shares scattered in the market were in Catherine¡¯s hands. At that moment, Erick suddenly realized how shallow his thinking was. When he got the Winfreds¡¯ shares, he was inwardly joyful and even a littlecent. He had worked so hard for so long to honor his promise to Catherine. He even expected Catherine to think highly of him andpliment him. But now, he realized that perhaps everything waspletely different from what he had imagined. Catherine was the one who controlled the overall situation. She had alreadyid out everything long ago, and he was just a tiny part of it. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Erick slowly raised his head, his hot gaze falling on Catherine¡¯s face, examining her peerless appearance greedily. ¡°Catherine, are you nning to hand over the Winfred Group to me?¡± Catherine liked interacting with intelligent people because she could say and exin less. ¡°The Winfreds are doing well in Oceanvile, and I¡¯m short on money these days. How about you help me make money?¡± She raised one eyebrow, her yful eyes surveying Erick¡¯s face, which was supposed to be cute but had a fierce look. Erick agreed without even thinking. ¡± No problem!¡± Even if Jeremy and his brother each held ten percent of the shares in their hands, Erick was still the largest shareholder of the Winfreds as he had thirty percent of the Winfreds¡¯ shares in his hands and the five percent shares Catherine offered. He could be the president of the Winfred Group anytime he wanted. Catherine would not give him these shares for no reason, and he knew that Catherine must have other purposes. He didn¡¯t realize Catherine was asking him to make money for her! It didn¡¯t matter. As long as Catherine wanted him to do it, he would do it! Being able to make money for Catherine was also a joyful thing. Catherine¡¯s yful smile grew more assertive in her starry eyes as she looked up and down at Erick and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you even ask about the pay?¡± Since it was a transaction, then there must be effort and gain! She asked Erick to help her make money, so naturally, she had to make Erick have something in return. ¡°I¡¯ve sent you an address on your cell phone. Find him and ask him to treat you. I don¡¯t want to see you lose your life before you can make money for me! Although it was said that missing one kidney wouldn¡¯t kill someone, it was a body organ, after all. How much damage it would cause to the body when missing one was imaginable. Catherine knew a doctor who was very skilled in medicine and was an authority in this area. He usually didn¡¯t give medical treatment, but if it were someone Catherine referred to him, he would agree to treat. ¡°Okay!¡± Erick smiled with a gentle face as he looked at Catherine. He knew that she was caring about him. Perhaps only Catherine could make him unguardedly remove his disguise and reveal a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since I promised to help you make money, I will do it!¡± Erick looked at Catherine with a firm gaze and gave his assurance. Since he had promised Catherine, he would do it. It was his promise to make a lot of money for Catherine to spend casually. For Erick¡¯s promise, Catherine did not respond. She slowly closed her eyes and leaned back on the chair leisurely to rest. This kind of day that she could sunbathe was simply enjoyable. She rarely had such a rest day, so she naturally wanted to enjoy it well. Seeing Catherine resting, Erick didn¡¯t want to disturb her and packed his things to leave. When he walked to the fence, the robot inside the cabin automatically came out. It walked to his side and opened the door for him. Its intelligence level made Erick unable to resist being amazed again. This robot was much more practical than those high-tech robots on the market, and it looked cute, just like a big white ball. Before Erick left, the robot said to Erick, ¡°Boss said that you cane here to find her at any time.¡± Erick smiled knowingly and took the initiative to reach out and touch the robot¡¯s head. ¡°Okay!¡± Two blushes appeared on the robot¡¯s face. It looked at Erick with a smirk.¡± Boss said no strangers are allowed to touch me.¡± Erick was stunned and heard the robot whisper again, ¡°You¡¯re not a stranger. You¡¯re Boss¡¯s friend, so you can touch me!¡± At that moment, the smile on Erick¡¯s face involuntarily widened! He started to echo what a robot said, ¡± Yeah, your Boss is right. I¡¯m her friend! Erick waved at the robot Seven and then left. Seven closed the fence door and returned to Catherine¡¯s side as soon as he was gone. Catherine squinted and handed the coffee cup in her hand to Seven, and Seven took the cup with its round hand. Catherine took afortable deep breath, adjusted herself to a cozy posture, and began her happy nap. In a remote suburban factory in Oceanvile, it was the 417 Laboratory. No one would have imagined that the 417 Laboratory would be located in such a rudimentary factory with a mottled and rusty exterior. In fact, there was a different ce inside, hiding a top-notchboratory! Inside the conference room, several elites of theboratory were present, all gathered in one hall, waiting for the man sitting in the main seat to speak. Paxton stood behind the man, handing over several experimental data to him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, these data still have error points after repeated experiments and have dyed the schedule quite a bit!¡± Branden took the data report and personally looked at it. However, he didn¡¯t find the error points after scanning it. Paxton whispered from the side, ¡°Mr. Duncan, Dr. Jon gave a reply of one month, saying that their team should be able to pass the experiment in one more month! ¡°But news from Cory said that the first phase of the Arbotte Laboratory¡¯s experiment has been dered a sess!¡± After Paxton finished speaking, he stepped back quietly, his entire nerves tensed silently. Not only he, within the entireboratory everyone¡¯s nerves were tensed at that moment. The man stared at the data on the report and on his handsome face, the corners of his mouth curled up into a cold, grim, and domineering smile. ¡°The Arbotte Laboratory has seeded in their experiment, but you guys are telling me that I still have to wait a month? ¡°This is the answer you guys gave me?¡± His grim and cold words made these top researchers¡¯ blood freeze. Theirboratory was on par with the Arbotte Laboratory, and their research direction was also the same. It was just that theirboratory did not take on missions, and the results of the experiments they completed were all contributed to Zerwick except for their use Unlike the Arbotte Laboratory, they took on missions from all over the world. The Arbotte Laboratory would use the remuneration obtained from taking on the missions as funding for the research and development of theboratory. The project the 417 Laboratory was researching was the same as the one being studied by the Arbotte Laboratory. If their research were slow, it would inevitably subject Zerwick to the constraints of the Arbotte Laboratory, which was why Branden was furious. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Bizarre Story At this critical decision-making moment, all were focused on Paxton, hoping his words could reduce the sudden tension in the conference room and save everyone. Paxton felt an enormous amount of pressure as each and every one of these people was trying to drag him toward his demise. If Miss Catherine Swann were here, everything could be resolved. With just one sentence, Catherine could appease Branden¡¯s anger. However, he was not Miss Catherine Swann. Considering the earnest plea of the crowd, Paxton made the daring decision to give it a try, even at the risk of his own life. ¡°Sir, perhaps things are not as bad as they seem. Remember the previous experiment? Arbotte Laboratory sold their product to Zerwick at a discounted price, didn¡¯t they? Maybe there is a simr possibility as well this time. What do you think?¡± Branden slowly turned his head and nced at Paxton. With one nce, it was as if a sharp de had instantly pierced Paxton¡¯s heart, bringing him endless oppression. Startled, Paxton immediately knelt down and obediently apologized. ¡°Sir, I messed up big time. Please punish me!¡± Branden¡¯s chilly voice echoed throughout the conference room, leaving everyone too scared to breathe. ¡°I spend so much money to raise you all, and you let me rely on others for their verdict. Is this how you repay me? The simple sentence left the attending experimental personnel ashamed and embarrassed. They knew that what Branden said was very reasonable. ¡°Even though Arbotte Laboratory might release the results of their experiments, that was ultimately something held in someone else¡¯s hand and would inevitably be subject to their restraint. ¡°What if the other party bes unhappy? ¡°If they don¡¯t want to give, they don¡¯t have to. The best result is always keeping things in your own hands,¡± thought they. Finally, the leader of theb stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Duncan, our team is doing everything we can to cooperate with Dr. Jon and strive to give you the results within a week. Even though the first phase of the experiment in Arbotte Laboratory ispleted, as long as we catch up in theter stages, there is still a chance to get ahead and gain an advantage before the other party!¡± Branden hired the personnel himself and naturally knew their abilities. One week should be the limit. Since the leader made a promise, Branden dly epted it. ¡°If I don¡¯t see any results in a week, then you can leave on your own!¡± The team leader¡¯s face turned pale momentarily, and he silently nodded to ept the task. ¡°Thanks a lot, Mr. Duncan!¡± After that, the team members of the experiment left, and the organization members entered the conference room. Having more tightly scheduled meetings in a row, Paxton felt his lifespan would also decrease. Brandenbined the two meetings to save time and stay with Miss Catherine Swann. The leader of this team was Carlo Duncan. They all grew up together and were explicitly trained to stay by Branden¡¯s side. Unlike Paxton, who had followed Branden all year round, Carlo had been stationed in Oceanvile, taking care of the organization¡¯s various matters. Today, they received an urgent message, which was of great importance, and it was necessary to ask Branden toe forward for consultation. ¡°Sir, we have received information. The people from Asmein are all searching for Dr. Seven. It seems they want to seize the research findings in Dr. Seven¡¯s hands!¡± Dr. Seven, a globally renowned expert in the field of food, made tremendous contributions toward tackling global hunger. However, Dr. Seven had always been mysterious. The outside world knew very little about them. It was unclear whether Dr. Seven was a man or a woman or what he or she looked like. The only thing known was that Dr. Seven served Zerwick and had not only helped resolve the issue of grain production but also cultivated numerous rare varieties. Dr. Seven was considered a top talent that was highly sought after by countries around the world. ¡°Sir, the higher official has sent us a message, hoping we can protect Dr. Seven. However, they have already lost contact with Dr. Seven for over a month, and there is no news about Dr. Seven.¡± This matter was indeed delicate. Asmein and Zerwick had never been friendly in recent years. Now, Asmein was attempting to poach Dr. Seven, undoubtedly in an attempt to break free from the constraints of Zerwick and upset the bnce. They could only hope for the higher official to quickly contact Dr. Seven and keep this top-notch research expert firmly in their grasp to maintain the bnce between the two countries. Branden quickly made a decision. ¡± Bring back Cory to work with you. Let¡¯s find Dr. Seven first before anything else!¡± ¡°Will do!¡± Carlo eagerly responded. Thergest intelligencework of the Duncans was under the control of Cory. Finding someone would be much easier with the cooperation of Cory. The matter would be much easier if they could find Dr. Seven a step ahead of the people from Asmein and ensure his protection. Paxton suddenly remembered a message that had been sent by Cory and reported it immediately. ¡°Sir, I have heard that someone from Hacker Alliance has taken on a mission to investigate Red Star!¡± Branden showed no reaction upon hearing this, but Carlo, who was standing aside, couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Investigate us? We have always had no conflicts with Hacker Alliance. Why would they take on a mission to investigate us?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Paxton shrugged. Whether to investigate or not was irrelevant. It all depended on how Branded decided. After all, whether it was the Red Star organization or 417 Laboratory, there was only one highest decision maker. Branden vaguely sensed aplicated rtionship between Hacker Alliance and Catherine, so he did not want to take action against Hacker Alliance. Hacker Alliance now had quite a lot of cooperation with the Duncan Corporation, so his interferences would undoubtedly have a certain impact. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Keep your eyes on it!¡± ¡°Sir, rest assured. I will keep a close watch on Red Star!¡± Carlo assured firmly. Since Branden entrusted him with Red Star one year ago, he vowed to protect it and never disappoint Branden. Just as the meeting was about to conclude, Paxton wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, only to receive a shocking news out of the blue. He looked up, his eyes avoiding contact, with a slightly trembling expression. ¡°Sir, the men following Miss Swann have reported that they lost her.¡± The man who remained unperturbed when faced with various decisions just now immediately became solemn upon hearing this news. His brows were furrowed tightly. Even Carlo was startled on the side, secretly wondering, ¡°Who is this Miss Swann? She can influence Branden¡¯s emotions. It¡¯s truly astounding.¡± Branden whipped out his phone and made a call right away. ¡°Hello¡­¡± His furrowed brow finally rxed as thezy and rxed sound came through the phone. When he heard thezy and low voice, a slight smile appeared on Branden¡¯s handsome face, making him appear much gentler. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Seeing such a scene, Paxton stood up with particr perceptiveness. Carlo was still foolishly sitting in his spot. If Paxton hadn¡¯t dragged him away, that idiot would still be acting as a mere bystander. Being yanked out by Paxton, Carlo still had some discontent in him. ¡°Why did you pull me? I haven¡¯t been given the order to leave yet, have I?¡± Paxton silently rolled his eyes. ¡°How could I have such a terrible teammate?¡± wondered he. ¡°You are foolish, but don¡¯t drag me into your foolishness. You want to stay inside like a third wheel. How many lives do you have to waste?¡± Carlo was still in a state of confusion and stared nkly at Paxton. ¡°Who is it that is calling boss? Why has his emotions suddenly changed so drastically?¡± Paxton rolled his eyes at Carlo and disdainfully said, ¡°Mrs. Duncan of the Duncans!¡± Carlo was left in a daze as Paxton¡¯s figure receded into the distance. ¡°Branden has taken a wife? ¡°This is truly a bizarre story!¡± thought he. Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Old Apprentice After she finished the call with Branden, Catherine¡¯s nap came to an end. After taking the cushion from Seven¡¯s hand and cing it on the nearby chair, she ordered, ¡°Go back and recharge!¡± Seven nodded its silly big head toward Catherine. ¡°Thank you, Boss. I will now go back and have my meal!¡± Catherine stared at the silly backside of Seven and got lost in thought inexplicably. ¡°What was I thinking? Why did I code such a silly program?¡± thought she. She stood up and stretched lazily when the doorbell echoed through the room suddenly. She opened the door with her phone. Then, an older man with gray hair walked in from outside the fence and came before her. The older man respectfully looked at Catherine with a genial smile and softly spoke. ¡°Mrs. Swann, it¡¯s time to eat!¡± Catherine nodded and walked into the room. The older man carried a food box as he followed behind Catherine. His name was Randolph Dunn. He was a specialist in wheat technology research and wasmonly addressed as Dr. Dunn by the public. Unlike other doctors who spent all year in theboratory, Randolph spent all year shuttling between fields, dressing in a simple farmer costume of a white undershirt every day. If one did not know his background, it was indeed difficult to associate him with those top scientists. Although he had gray hair, he was not that old and was only in his early sixties. Inside the house, the furnishings were in and simple. In the empty hall, there was only one table. Randolph was putting all the food from the lunch box on the table and arranging it nicely. ¡°Mrs. Swann, you can eat now.¡± Upon hearing this, Catherine walked to the dining table and sat down. Randolph also followed suit, sitting down. It was rare to have the opportunity to have a meal with his teacher, and he couldn¡¯t be happier. ¡°Mrs. Swann, this fish is a new breed that we have developed in our pond. It is delicious and only has one bone in its entire body, so it is hassle-free to eat. Please give it a try!¡± Their ownboratory developed the ingredients of the three dishes and one soup. They were many times more delicious than those outside food products. The chili pepper in the sd was a new variety carefully cultivated by Catherine. It was spicy and fragrant, very appetizing. Many people had begged him for some peppers, but he refused all. After all, these were all the hard work of his teacher. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to eat them, so how could he bear to give them away? Catherine didn¡¯t start eating immediately. Her gazended on Randolph nonchntly as she casually said, ¡°Dr. Dunn, as I mentioned before, you can call me Catherine. There¡¯s no need to address me as Mrs. Swann.¡± The old man chuckled foolishly and said, ¡°I know. You did say that, but I feel morefortable calling you Mrs. Swann. Let¡¯s eat. The dishes are getting cold!¡± Catherine¡¯s talent in her field of expertise was beyondpare, and she had learned from the top leader in the industry. It was just that the old master had passed away, and Catherine was his only student. ¡°Over the years, Catherine had shared her knowledge with me without reservation. I respectfully called her Mrs. Swann, which was only reasonable. ¡°This is my showing of respect toward her, which will never change!¡± thought Randolph. Catherine saw that Randolph couldn¡¯t be persuaded and decided not to dwell on it further. ¡°Call me whatever you like. It¡¯s just a form of addressing, after all,¡± said she inwardly. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t eat much, Dr. Dunn frowned slightly. ¡°Mrs. Swann, do these dishes not suit your taste today?¡± These dishes were specially prepared by the chefs here. As Catherine had a special status, Dr. Dunn brought them specifically for her to eat alone. It was not exactly that the dishes didn¡¯t suit Catherine¡¯s taste, but that Catherine had been eating the food made by Brandentely. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Branden felt that overeating spicy food was not good for her stomach, so he gradually reduced the amount of chili used each time. Over time, Catherine became ustomed to it. Dr. Dunn was arranging meals for her ording to her previous preferences, making her somewhat unustomed to them. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I am already full. Please continue!¡± said Catherine. Randolph was somewhat traditional, with a particr insistence and stubbornness toward specific ideas. As Catherine put down her fork, Randolph followed suit and put down his fork as well. ¡°Mrs. Swann, how did you feel about inspecting the wheat fields today?¡± ¡°Seven!¡± Catherine shouted in the direction behind her. Seven immediately responded, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m here. What do you want me to do?¡± Catherine gave it an order. ¡°Go to the second floor and fetch the report!¡± A few minutester, Seven brought the report that Catherine had requested and cleverly ced it in front of Randolph. Randolph had a strong fondness for the robot invented by Catherine. When he was frustrated with unsessful research, he would chat with Seven. This robot surpassed those disappointing gadgets on the market by a great margin, not to mention how much more sophisticated it was. ¡°Thank you, Seven!¡± He reached out and gently patted the little ck dot on Seven¡¯s head. This was the robot¡¯s sensing area, capable of receiving specific messages. Two flushes appeared on Seven¡¯s face, and it sweetly said to Dr. Dunn, ¡°You¡¯re wee. Dr. Dunn!¡± Randolph always felt that Catherine managed to bring to life the missing aspect within her body when creating Seven. The adorable robot was like a charming little girl that everyone loved, attracting attention from all around. ¡°Dr. Dunn, check out this data analysis report I did on the sampling today. Maybe it¡¯ll be helpful!¡± Randolph flipped through the information Seven gave him earlier. The more he looked at it, the more excited he got. It was often said that those closely involved often became bewildered, as they were often blindsided by superficial phenomena during their research. However, Catherine was different. She always managed to hit the nail on the head and pinpoint the critical issues, identifying any overlooked points. Seeing these data, Randolph was particrly excited and wished he could immediately turn around and dive into theboratory to study the data thoroughly before proceeding with the experiment. However, he still had something to report to Catherine. ¡°Mrs. Swann, there is news from the higher official that people of Asmein are looking for Dr. Seven, and they want me to get in touch with Dr. Seven as soon as possible and turn it over!¡± Randolph did not inform the organization above about the news of Catherine¡¯s return to the experimental base. Catherine had never liked dealing with those people. ¡°Mrs. Swann was fullymitted to the research at the base. I naturally needed to maintain her integrity so that mundane matters did not disturb her,¡± thought Randolph. ¡°Asmein?¡± wondered Catherine. She heard some news recently that some Asmein spies had been particrly activetely, but she never expected that they wereing toward the experimental base. ¡°Everyone says that Asmein¡¯s spies were world-renowned. Well, I¡¯d like to see how good these spies are!¡± said she inwardly. Catherine rejected Randolph¡¯s proposal because she did not want to be disturbed. ¡°No need to say more. Just go ahead and deal with it.¡± Randolph had always been supportive of Catherine¡¯s proposal. ¡°Okay, Mrs. Swann. You can rest assured. I will take care of these things! ¡°May I ask how many days you n to stay here, Mrs. Swann?¡± Catherine pondered for a moment before answering. ¡°I have to return in three days because the SAT ising up soon!¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Randolph was so surprised that his mouth parted wide. He heard from that mischievous Ronin that Catherine went to study at a private school. He initially thought that Catherine just had a task and had to disguise herself for a few days. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Mrs. Swann still has to take the SAT. What is she up to?¡± wondered Randolph. Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Three Days From Now After much hesitation, Randolph finally decided to ask Catherine. ¡°Mrs. Swann, why all of a sudden you gotta go study? Is high school, like, a st or something?¡± Catherine casually replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t attended it before. Just want to give it a try!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Randolph nodded in understanding. ¡°Trying new things in life could be a good experience. Upon consideration, I have never attended high school. Perhaps it is worth finding some time to go back and experience the joy of Mrs. Swann!¡± said he inwardly. Catherine¡¯s phone that was ced aside rang again. She nced in the direction of it. Randolph immediately understood and walked over, holding the packed lunch box and respectfully bidding farewell to Catherine. ¡°Mrs. Swann. I can see that you¡¯re busy. I¡¯ll take my leave now!¡± After Randolph left, Catherine reached out to answer the phone. Branden¡¯s deep and gentle voice could be heard on the other end of the phone. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Just finished eating!¡± Catherine replied. She took the phone and sat on the nearby sofa, adjusting her posture and furrowing her brows. The sofa here was not asfortable as the one purchased by Branden. It was unknown where he bought hiszy sofa, but it was extremelyfortable to lean on. Upon hearing her response, Branden realized that he hadn¡¯t eaten for eighteen hours. He had been with the scientific researchers, dedicating himself to theboratory project. After finally finishing the data organization, he handed it over to the subordinates and had a moment to call Catherine. He didn¡¯t expect to miss Catherine so much after being apart for just one day. Without Catherine in his arms, he always felt like something was missing, and even his work became less enjoyable. ¡°I will be going home the day after tomorrow. Will you be there?¡± His voice carried a palpable feeling of anticipation. He knew that Catherine must have brushed off the people he arranged for her and went to Oceanvile for business. However, he did not know how long it would take for Catherine to return. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. He missed Catherine. Catherine had just told Dr. Dunn that she would stay for three days, so she couldn¡¯t return until three days from now. She left in a hurryst time to attend her grandfather¡¯s funeral, leaving many things unfinished. After Dr. Dunn urged her several times, she took the opportunity to visit Oceanvile to deal with the unfinished matters here. ¡°Three days from now!¡± Catherine gave a specific time. Everyone felt a bit disappointed that Branden still didn¡¯t bring it up. Branden didn¡¯t wish for Catherine to change anything because of him. Only one more day. He could hold on. ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Catherine gently replied before reminding him, ¡°Be good and eat your meals on time!¡± The man on the other end of the phone revealed a slight hint of surprise as his woman showed a proactive interest in his well-being. ¡°Awesome!¡± said he inwardly. After he hung up the phone, the smile on his face still hadn¡¯t faded. The sound of knocking echoed. Branden responded in a deep tone, ¡± Come in!¡± Paxton and Carlo simultaneously pushed open the door and walked in. The two nervously walked through the door. Upon seeing their boss¡¯ expression, they were filled with immense perplexity. ¡°Just a moment ago, the researchers were discussing how the boss was going to lose his temper, but it appears now that his mood is rather good,¡± thought they. With a heart full of doubt, Paxton reported the matter he was about to report. ¡°Sir, there is news from the Winfreds. Erick now holds a 30% stake in the Winfred Group and may be the next president.¡± Hearing this news, Branden was not surprised. He had met that boy Erick before and knew him to be a very clever brat. ¡°Catherine is willing to release that trouble, which means that she has recognized the capabilities of that young man,¡± thought Branden. Seeing that Branden didn¡¯t have much of a reaction, Paxton continued speaking. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s said that Erick pulled some shady stuff to get Xavier to give up his shares and transfer them to him.¡± Xavier was critically ill and needed Erick¡¯s kidney to survive. No one expected Erick to be so ruthless. He was acting as bait. He poisoned himself, and the kidney transnted into Xavier¡¯s body was poisonous. The only antidote was with Erick. He would rather die than let Xavier off the hook. Erick was a regr fixture in the ck market and was quite proficient in dealing with some shady things. The poison he obtained was not something an ordinary person could detoxify. Erick had always gambled with his own life to achieve his goals. How could he allow Xavier to detoxify easily? This brat was truly ruthless! However, this entire situation could be med on the stupidity of the Winfreds, who surprisingly did not take any precautions against Erick. Without even carefully checking, they removed Erick¡¯s kidney, giving him an opportunity to seed easily. To stay alive, Xavier had no choice but to transfer all shares under his name in the Winfred Group to Erick. After all, only by being alive could he have a chance to take revenge on Erick. Paxton briefly introduced the situation of Erick to Branden. Branden had a poker face on andpletely overlooked such shady methods. On the side, Carlo couldn¡¯t help but want to apud Erick. ¡°This little brat is quite fierce, which I like!¡± thought he. After Paxton finished reporting the news, it was Carlo¡¯s turn to speak. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve received a message from the higher official. It turns out the experimental base is located in a vige near Oceanvile, and there¡¯s an expert there who is a student of Dr. Seven. The higher official wants us to contact them to find out the whereabouts of Dr. Seven!¡± Branden immediately contacted Cory and asked him back from overseas to assist Carlo in investigating Dr. Seven. The spies from Asmein had already infiltrated. They needed to hurry up. After finishing reporting, the two of them respectfully left. Before they left, Branden suddenly called out to Paxton. Paxton quickly turned around, awaiting the orders of Branden. ¡°Bring me some food over!¡± After a moment of hesitation, Paxton replied, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± After they left the room, Carlo looked at Paxton curiously and inquired, ¡± Doesn¡¯t our boss usually skip meals when working? Why is he asking for food this time?¡± When Branden was in theboratory conducting research, he was most concerned about being disturbed. He didn¡¯t even have time for meals sometimes. It was not that they didn¡¯t care about Branden but that no one dared to break the rules that Branden had set. No disturbance was allowed without a summons. This was an order that must be obeyed no matter what cost. Paxton nced at Carlo and replied coldly, ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ll prepare the meal for him, and you can attend to your business.¡± ¡°Ever since Miss Swann showed up, the boss has changed so much that he¡¯s no longer someone we can figure out,¡± thought he. Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Strange Visitors Cory brought Carlo to a secluded rural area in the western outskirts of Oceanvile. Looking at the vast expanse of wheat fields, Carlo couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Aaron, who would have thought that the globally renowned wheat research facility would be located on the remote outskirts of Oceanvile if it weren¡¯t for the higher official¡¯s guidance?¡± ¡°Call me Sir!¡± Cory gave Carlo a disdainful nce, his face full of disgust. They had grown up together since childhood, and he was about the same age as Carlo. He was a few months younger than Carlo and was selected to join the Duncans earlier than Carlo, so he was named Cory and enjoyed more respect. If it weren¡¯t for the summoning of Branden, he wouldn¡¯t be willing to meet Carlo in Oceanvile. Carlo wanted to say a few words but was interrupted by Cory coldly. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s find the person first andplete the task immediately!¡± He didn¡¯t want to continue to endure the endless ramblings of Carlo. If given the choice, he would rather choose Paxton over Carlo. Unfortunately, Paxton closely followed the boss and could not leave freely. He could only make do with teaming up with Carlo and striving to settle everything,quickly, aiming for a swift victory. The two walked to the end of the path and came across an older man wearing a white shirt who was diligently farming with a few young people. Cory had been responsible for intelligence collection. He recognized the other party at a nce as he had seen Randolph¡¯s photo. ¡°Randolph Dunn, senior Ph.D. in biology and the only student of Dr. Seven!¡± Upon hearing Cory¡¯s introduction, Carlo narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the older man. ¡°He disguised himself well. If you hadn¡¯t introduced him, I would have thought he was leading the farming here!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go for a look over there!¡± The two walked together and came before Randolph. ¡°Dr. Dunn!¡± Upon hearing someone call his name, Randolph turned around and instinctively protected the students behind him. From Randolph¡¯s actions, Cory read the information and knew that the other party was aware of the news and on alert, prompting him to dere his identity immediately. ¡°Dr. Dunn, we are here on behalf of the official.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. At this moment, Randolph¡¯s tense nerves rxed a bit. He turned to the students behind him and said, ¡± Everyone, go to theb and look closely at the data!¡± After the students had dispersed, Randolph carefully scrutinized the visitors. Noticing the doubt in Randolph¡¯s eyes, Cory dialed the higher official¡¯s number and handed it over to him. Randolph exchanged simple words to confirm their identities and then nced at the two. ¡°Follow me, please.¡± The two followed Randolph to his residence. As they passed a small courtyard, Carlo suddenly noticed something peculiar and said to Cory, ¡± Aaron, take a look at this nice little cottage. There¡¯s even an electronic lock at the entrance. Rural development nowadays sure is advanced!¡± Upon hearing these words, Cory carefully surveyed the building that Carlo had described, and indeed, it appeared especially pleasing to the eye. Although there was nothing particrly dazzling about its appearance, it made people feel uniquely comfortable at first nce. When he noticed the two staring at the small courtyard, Randolph¡¯s face slightly darkened as he warned in a low voice, ¡°Gentlemen, this is an experimental research base. Please follow the rules of our base and refrain from looking around!¡± Carlo was slightly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that even a nce wasn¡¯t allowed. Cory remained calm and immediately apologized to Randolph. ¡°Dr. Dunn, please excuse us. We willply with the regtions of the base. Randolph was a rare professional talent of Zerwick who devoted his life to serving the nation and contributing to his career for the benefit of humanity. Besides, this was a core experimental base where countless secrets might be hidden. ¡°If it were not to protect Dr. Seven, the higher official would not have exposed the address of the experimental base. Therefore, it was understandable for Dr. Dunn to be cautious. ¡°Despite the seemingly rural attire of this elderly gentleman, who dedicated his entire life to this field, one can be certain that his mindset is exceedingly calm and his actions incredibly cautious,¡± said Cory inwardly. The sudden arrival of the two caused some concern for Randolph. He did not have time to inform Catherine and was unsure if she would be discovered. He discreetly nced at the small courtyard, but his action did not escape the notice of Cory and Carlo. This excited their interest in the courtyard even more. They didn¡¯t know who lived in the courtyard or what was hidden inside. Randolph hastened his pace and arrived at the residence with the two to avoid any potential trouble. ¡°Please have a seat!¡± Although Randolph was esteemed as a top-notch scientific researcher, his lifestyle was remarkably simple, and his humble abode reflected this. ¡°Feel free to ask whatever you want, but please leave as soon as you¡¯re done. I am busy all day and don¡¯t have time to entertain you both!¡± Cory and Carlo locked eyes briefly, and Carlo, the talkative one, asked the question. After inquiring for a long time, he obtained no helpful information. Whenever it came to any news rted to Dr. Seven, Randolph always imed to bepletely ignorant. ¡°Dr. Dunn, I am curious about how you and Dr. Sevenmunicate with each other.¡± After a moment of hesitation, Randolph decided it would be better to provide some information to let the two give up. ¡°Unlike me, my teacher is not constantly stationed at the base. Her whereabouts are difficult to ascertain, and the duration of her visits is also uncertain. Sometimes, she stays for three to five months, while other times, it is merely for three to five days. It has always been the teacher who seeks me out, and I have no way of contacting her!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you contacted her even once in so many years?¡± Carlo couldn¡¯t believe it. Randolph calmly replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. My teacher is a mysterious expert. Whenever the base needs her, she will appear automatically without me contacting her! ¡°That¡¯s all I can say!¡± He spread his hands out, assuming a posture that indicated he wanted to drive the two away. Carlo was just about to leave. Before he could say anything, Cory suddenly grabbed hold of him. ¡°Dr. Dunn, we have received information that people from Asmein have already discovered this ce. They may infiltrate here in the next few days. For the safety of you and the students, we would like to stay here for two days until reinforcements for protection arrive from the higher official, and then we will hit the road again!¡± Randolph¡¯s face became highly embarrassed. After asking a few questions, he thought they would leave, but he did not expect them to want to stay. ¡°If what they say is true, what should I do with my students if I don¡¯t allow them to stay?¡± wondered he. Cory had a keen insight into people¡¯s hearts. He immediately sensed Dr. Dunn¡¯s hesitation and said, ¡°Dr. Dunn, rest assured that we will not interfere with or disturb your work. We promise to abide by the rules here.¡± ¡°The safety of students and the base is of utmost importance. They would only stay for two days,¡± thought Randolph. After a short period of consideration, he made a decision. ¡°Fine. You may stay here for two days. Remember, do not wander around without my permission. If you do, I will promptly raise my objections to the higher official!¡± Carlo and Cory both nodded in agreement. After Dr. Dunn dropped them off at their residence and no one else was around, Carlo spoke up in a low voice. ¡± Cory, what are you doing? Aren¡¯t we supposed to find Dr. Seven? The boss didn¡¯t give us much time.¡± Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Courtyard If it weren¡¯t for Carlo knowing Cory well enough to know that Cory wouldn¡¯t cause trouble recklessly, he would have intervened just now. Even if Cory had obtained specific intelligence and was aware that spies wereing, their time was limited, and they couldn¡¯t stay behind to protect the research personnel here. Cory coldly spoke up. ¡°Imbecile! Dr. Dunn just lied!¡± ¡°Did Dr. Dunn lie? What does that mean? What is he hiding from us?¡± asked Carlo. Cory shook his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for two days and see. Don¡¯t rush!¡± As a matter of fact, Cory was not aware of what Dr. Dunn had been keeping hidden from them. He merely had a vague feeling that this matter was not simple or that there was something they wanted inside this experimental base. No matter whether his judgment was urate or not, he would like to stay and examine carefully. Hearing Cory¡¯s words, Carlo decided it was best to remain silent and stay here for the time being. After separating from the two, Randolph went to the small courtyard. He was the only person who could enter the courtyard. Not even the students under hismand could enter. ¡°Mrs. Swann, what is your perspective on this matter?¡± Randolph told Catherine everything that had happened and was waiting for her decision. Catherinezily replied, ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t bother me, do whatever you want!¡± ¡°Mrs. Swann, rest assured that I will not let the two disturb you,¡± replied Randolph. ¡°My teacher¡¯s time is super valuable, and it¡¯s rare for her toe back and research with me for a few days. If her time is wasted, wouldn¡¯t it be such a great pity?¡± thought he. Catherine was still researching new embryos and had no time for Randolph. ¡°You can go back now. I¡¯ll have Seven find you if I need you!¡± As a researcher, Randolph naturally understood the importance of focus. Seeing Catherine focusing on her work, he dared not disturb her and quietly put down the food to leave. There was a cafeteria on the base/ Carlo and Cory would have dinner at the cafeteria tonight. Randolph gave them simple instructions. The nts in the experimental field must not be touched. ess to the seed bank was forbidden. Above all, the small courtyard was off-limits. With a serious expression, Carlo nodded in agreement. When it became dark in the evening, the two stealthily made their way to the gate of the small courtyard. ¡°Aaron, I¡¯ve told you something is wrong with this courtyard. Look, they installed an electronic lock on this shabby fence, and astonishingly, it¡¯s even electrified. The voltage is so high that even a strong bull could be electrocuted!¡± Cory had no intention of arguing with him. He was studying how to crack the electronic lock. He initially thought it was just an ordinary electronic lock, but it turned out to be very difficult to unlock. Ten minutes later, Cory dered his surrender. Carlo was shocked. ¡°Aaron, even you can¡¯t unlock it?¡± Cory gave him a side-eye, saying, ¡°If you¡¯re so capable, why don¡¯t you have a try?¡± After finishing speaking, Carlo immediately followed him. ¡°I did not mean it. I always believed that you were a master of unlocking. I did not expect that there are locks you cannot crack!¡± In fact, Cory did have a way to crack the lock, but he needed more time and couldn¡¯t guarantee that there would be no noise. It would be troublesome if they acted rashly and alerted the enemy. Therefore, he decided to leave before considering the next steps. Both of them were unaware that their every move just now was observed clearly by the people in the small courtyard. Seven slowly approached Catherine and said, ¡°Boss, there is the bad guy. Do you want me to activate attack mode?¡± Perhaps Cory and Carlo should be grateful that Catherine was in the courtyard. Otherwise, Seven would have entered attack mode without reporting first. Thus, it was likely that they would be awaiting rescue at the hospital now. Catherine nced at the monitor screen and gave a cold smile with no intention of making a move. ¡°They¡¯re smart enough to know when to back off and avoid getting shot. Otherwise, they¡¯ll have to get a taste of my bullets,¡± said she inwardly. After returning empty-handedst night, Cory had been unwilling to ept the failure. He got up early in the morning and waited outside the small courtyard with Carlo. The entire morning had psed, leaving them nearly baked under the scorching sun, while there was still no sign of activity in the courtyard. Just when the two were about to give up, Randolph rushed to the gate of the small courtyard, holding a few sheets of data paper and looking excited. In an instant, the nerves of Cory and Duncan were instantly ignited as they fixated their attention on the courtyard with unwavering focus. After Randolph stood at the doorway for a while, a slender girl descended from the upstairs. They couldn¡¯t see her clearly because Randolph was blocking the way. After the arrival of two outsiders, Catherine immediately upgraded the security system of the courtyard by a level. Even Randolph needed to apply for ess. Randolph had made a discovery in his experiment and promptly came to inform Catherine of the news. He was about to call ¡°Mrs. Swann,¡± but unexpectedly, Catherine beat him to it and said, ¡°Mr. Dunn, what¡¯s making you so happy?¡± He was momentarily stunned before quickly responding to cooperate with Catherine. ¡°The data improvement you proposed the other day has yielded results. I have brought it for you to review!¡± Catherine nodded and then walked toward the small field ahead. As Catherine walked straight toward them, Carlo dared not keep looking and was about to retreat but was stopped by Cory. Before he could ask what Cory meant, he was pulled out. The two groups of people faced each other. Randolph looked embarrassed. He would have made a mistake if it weren¡¯t for his quick-thinking teacher just now. ¡°Why are the two young men so disobedient?N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°They didn¡¯t follow my rules. It¡¯s truly infuriating!¡± thought he. Catherine nced up and down at the two, her cold gaze slowly falling upon them as she spoke in a voice devoid of emotion. ¡°Gentlemen, you have been exposed to the sun all morning. Are you not afraid of heatstroke?¡± Cory¡¯s expression slightly changed as he never expected the other party to know that they were outside and still dared toe out. ¡°Are they too confident or simply don¡¯t care about us at all?¡± he wondered. Carlo was taken aback by Catherine¡¯s beauty. He never expected to see such a stunning girl here. ¡°Her face, her figure is simply stunning!¡± thought he. Upon seeing the impudent youth persistently staring at his esteemed teacher, Randolph became furious. He popped out from behind and went into his teacher mode, grabbing Carlo by the ear. ¡°You brat! If you look at my student disrespectfully, I will rip your ears off!¡± Carlo also knew that he had made a mistake and quickly apologized. The desire for beauty was universal among people. He just thought this girl was good-looking without any other evil intentions. He didn¡¯t expect Randolph to be so overprotective of his student, and his ear was hurting badly. Randolph decisively brushed off Carlo and looked at Cory. ¡°You little troublemaker! Didn¡¯t you promise me that you wouldn¡¯te to the courtyard? What have I said to you? How did you guarantee it?¡± Compared to Carlo, Cory had a much colder temperament. He looked at Randolph with a stern face. ¡°Dr. Dunn, we haven¡¯t forgotten our agreement. We are just here to enjoy the sun and haven¡¯t entered the courtyard, so it doesn¡¯t vite our agreement!¡± ¡°Some people are so shameless that there¡¯s nothing you can do to deal with them,¡± said Randolph inwardly. His face turned red from anger. A schr like him couldn¡¯t win an argument over Cory. Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Here He Is Catherine didn¡¯t bother with the two of them and just let Randolph kick them out. After Cory and Carlo left, Randolph quickly apologized to Catherine, ¡°Mrs. Swann, it¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t manage them well!¡± Catherine was indifferent to the matter and didn¡¯t think it was Randolph¡¯s fault. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Give me the research report. I will let you know once I have studied it thoroughly.¡± ¡°Dr. Dunn, keep an eye on the two guys when you have some free time.¡± Randolph didn¡¯t dare hesitate even a little at Catherine¡¯s order. ¡°Rest assured, Mrs. Swann!¡± After seeing off Randolph, Catherine gave a call to Withal. Withal called her just now, but she did not answer it. ¡°Withal, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Catherine, I found out that Red Star is connected to 417 Laboratory, and a group of members from Red Star went to 417 Laboratory recently,¡± replied Withal. ¡°417 Laboratory?¡± thought Catherine. She furrowed her brows slightly. She was well aware that this laboratory was as renowned as Arbotte Laboratory. The twoboratories were simr in many research directions, but they didn¡¯t know each other very well. After all, the projects they studied were top secret. The chief of Red Star once tricked her. It was the first time in her life that she had been cheated by someone. She swore to find that bastard and pay him back double, making him feel the torture he caused. Unexpectedly, the other party¡¯s whereabouts were so elusive that even she couldn¡¯t find them. Furthermore, under her continuous investigation, she discovered that Red Star was even more massive than she had imagined. Now, 417 Laboratory was also implicated. She vaguely felt a greater force might be behind Red Star, which was the truly terrifying existence. After a moment of silence, Catherine responded to Withal. ¡°Keep investigating, and be careful!¡± ¡°Catherine, rest assured. I¡¯ll have an investigation and won¡¯t do anything reckless!¡± Withal said with cheerfulughter. ¡°This damn Red Star actually dared to mess with Catherine. ¡°When I find them, I¡¯m gonna kill their chief and bring his head for Catherine to kick as a ball,¡± thought he. Just after Catherine hung up Withal¡¯s call, a call from Branden came in. Originally, the two had alwaysmunicated through video calls. However, Branden had been busy with official matters these past few days, so they could onlymunicate through phone calls. Branden¡¯s maic and gentle voice could be heard on the phone as soon as the phone was picked up. ¡°Are you busy?¡± ¡°Just finished!¡± Catherine spected that Branden had probably called her earlier but didn¡¯t answer because she was on the phone with Withal. ¡°Same with me here,¡± replied Branden. Catherine could discern the pleasure in Branden¡¯s voice. In the next second, she sussed out the man¡¯s little scheme. ¡°I may need a few more days,¡± said she. Initially, it was nned for three days. But if the people from Asmein came, she had to take care of Randolph and the people in theboratory, so she might not be able to return so soon. ¡°How about youe to me instead?¡± added Catherine. Branden also had such an intention. That was why he called Catherine. ¡± Alright, I wille to you tonight!¡± Carlo was sitting at the dining table inside the base cafeteria, seemingly on the brink of madness. He had been staring at Randolph with wide eyes since Randolph found them at noon. Randolph followed them the entire time, never taking his eyes off them no matter where they went. If it were someone else, Carlo would have taken violence long ago. But Dr. Dunn was a top scientist in the country and an old man with gray hair. How could Carlo hurt such a man? After ten minutes, Carlo could no longer bear it. ¡°Dear Dr. Dunn, could you please kindly stop staring at us like that? Your creepy gaze is freaking us out!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Randolph snorted coldly toward Carlo, his face full of arrogance as he dered, ¡°No, I have to keep an eye on you two to prevent you from breaking the rules again!¡± Unable to convince Randolph, Carlo chose to surrender. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t go to the courtyard again, alright?¡± Randolph let out a disdainfulugh and uttered a word. ¡°No!¡± He had already promised Catherine he would not allow these two brats to disturb her. Carlo felt overwhelmed and could only turn to Cory for help. Cory nced at Carlo. The two of them were perfectly in sync. They stood up simultaneously three secondster. Randolph also stood up but didn¡¯t expect these two brats to be so cunning. One went left, and the other went right. ¡°Little brats! How dare they y dirty tricks on me! ¡°This is my base. Not to mention two men. I¡¯ll notice even if it¡¯s just one sprout missing,¡± thought he. Half an hourter, Carlo found Cory in a small drain. He took refuge inside it as he gasped for breath. ¡°Wow, Aaron, you¡¯re impressive! You found such a good ce.¡± Cory remained silent, engrossed in studying theputer in his hand. Carlo was exhausted from being relentlessly tracked by Randolph. It was unexpected that a doctor specializing in wheat research could track him even better than Carlo, an expert in this field. ¡°Aaron, I believe that the courtyard and that beautiful woman are definitely not ordinary. Otherwise, Dr. Dunn would not attach much importance to them. I suspect the beautiful woman might be Dr. Seven¡¯s granddaughter or something. In any case, she must be connected to Dr. Seven somehow.¡± After a moment of silence, Cory finally muttered a word as a response. Carlo gave him a bump. ¡°What are you muttering about? Have you been listening to me?¡± Seeing him still holding and operating the micrputer, Carlo could not help but approach to have a closer inspection. It turned out that Cory was investigating that beautiful woman. ¡± Aaron, how is it going? Did you find any information about her?¡± ¡°No!¡± Cory shook his head. ¡°It was extraordinary that no information was avable about her, as if her background were a nk sheet of paper. ¡°There were few people that I could not obtain their information on the intelligencework of the Duncans. Who exactly is this woman?¡± said he inwardly. Carlo asked about Cory¡¯s following ns. Cory gritted his teeth and muttered in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll personally go there when it getste at night. I don¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep Dr. Dunn upied for you. You go ahead!¡± Carlo said with a loyal expression. Cory did not want to bother with this idiot and intended to act alone. It was the first time Paxton had seen Brandene to a remote and impoverished area in the middle of the night. ¡°It was unknown why Miss Swann hade here, and my boss is madly in love. As soon as the experiment in theboratory was over, he immediately rushed over without even having a short rest,¡± Paxton said inwardly. ¡°Sir, this is it!¡± Paxton looked at the small courtyard in front of him and respectfully reported to the man behind him. Branden was nning to call Catherine to tell her he had arrived when a round and chubby robot emerged from the house and opened the door for them. ¡°The boss has asked me to pick you up. Please follow me.¡± After ncing at the intelligent robot, Branden couldn¡¯t help but curl up the corner of his mouth into a slight smile. ¡°Quite adorable!¡± thought he. They followed the robot into the courtyard and saw Catherine leisurely resting there. The robot slowly moved over to Catherine and briefed her about the situation. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m back!¡± Catherine sat straight slowly and looked toward the man standing not far away. With his gaze unwaveringly fixed on Catherine, Branden stood in the dark night and slowly walked toward her step by step. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Two Idiots Cory and Carlo guarded the outer perimeter of the courtyard in the still of the night. With the previous experience, they did not dare to get too close this time. Only after the sky darkened and even the streetlights were turned off did they dare to approach the small courtyard cautiously. Cory could confirm that something was off with this courtyard. Therefore, no matter the cost, he must enter the courtyard today and investigate the situation inside before making further decisions. He had already arranged for some professionals in the Duncans to study and find a way to crack the lock on the fence. They were certain to win today. Seeing Cory not move for a long time, Carlo couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡± What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s been so long. Didn¡¯t you say you already cracked it?¡± Just after Carlo finished speaking, Cory reached out and pushed the door. The door was opened smoothly. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you already open it? Don¡¯t be such a drag!¡± As Carlo strolled in grandly, Cory was at a loss to exin the situation to this fool. Because he never cracked the lock in the first ce! Carlo had already gone in. Although Cory despised Carlo, he couldn¡¯t just watch Carlo venture into danger alone. He hastily followed him as well. The two slowly approached the small wooden cottage. They exchanged a knowing nce, silently understanding each other¡¯s thoughts. They went up the stairs simultaneously, with one on the left and one on the right. On the second floor of the small cottage, there were a total of three rooms. The two adjacent rooms were upied by Branden and Catherine, respectively. Having been sleeping peacefully in bed, Catherine suddenly opened her eyes when the faint sound of movement downstairs reached her ears. Her gaze was icy and sharp like two well -honed des, ready to draw out at any moment. After a moment, her eyes regained their usual coolness. Shey on the bed calmly,pletely disregarding the impending threat. It waste at night. No one could stop her from getting a good night¡¯s sleep. The second floor was quiet without the slightest movement. Cory gestured toward Carlo, and the two took out mini shlights, ready to search for useful clues. Cory discovered a desk ahead, with many files spread out on top. Just as he was about to examine the documents, suddenly, his hand froze with his entire nerves tense and his adrenaline soaring instantly. A cold and hard object was pressing against his lower back at this moment. Years of training enabled Cory to know what weapon was pressed against his lower back without even turning around. He put down what he was holding and raised his hands high to show that he surrendered. Waiting for the opponent to rx a little, he quickly seized the opportunity and counterattacked fiercely. Cory initially thought he would strike with absolute precision, but unexpectedly, he was no match for his opponent. Feeling utterly astonished, Cory was once again subdued. He could not believe such a skilled expert would be hiding in this small cottage. He knew he was finished. Having failed once, he would never have another chance. He would rather die than provide any valuable information to the other party. When Cory was hesitating about how to finish himself, suddenly¡­ The light was turned on with a ¡°pop,¡± illuminating the room with bright light. ¡°Carlo, Cory, why on earth are you here?¡± Hearing the voice from Paxton, Cory was taken aback and turned around abruptly. They met each other¡¯s eyes. The intimidating and domineering look in Paxton¡¯s fierce gaze caused Cory to kneel in fear immediately. ¡°No wonder that I couldn¡¯t win. It turned out that the one who fought me was my boss,¡± said Cory inwardly. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Carlo was also at a loss as he looked at the familiar faces. ¡°Sir, why is it you?¡± They calcted repeatedly but never expected that the person in the small courtyard would be their boss. Just as they were confused about what was happening, a sudden, cold voice broke the deadlock. ¡°Have you had enough of this farce?¡± They looked toward the sound while Catherine leaned against the door in her thin nightgown, gazing coldly at everyone. Branden furrowed his brow and strode forward, pushing back Cory as he positioned himself in front of Catherine, blocking all lines of sight. ¡°Did it disturb your rest?¡± he asked. Upon hearing the gentle voice of Branden, both Carlo and Cory, who were unaware of the situation, were frightened to the point of trembling. ¡°Oh my! Is this the voice of the boss?¡± thought they. Catherine gave a disdainful look at Branden and nodded in displeasure. Branden felt sorry for Catherine being disturbed during her rest. He bent down and carried her in his arms, saying, ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll take you back to sleep!¡± Catherine was his precious. He got all worried if she took just one more step. As Paxton and the others remained in ce, unsure of their next course of action, they suddenly heard a cold andmanding voiceing from up ahead. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Get lost and do handstands downstairs!¡± Upon hearing Branden¡¯s order for punishment, the three did not dare to hesitate and immediately rushed downstairs. They each found a suitable spot, lined up in a row, and stood upside down against the wall on their hands. Branden gently ced Catherine on the bed and was about to withdraw his hand. Unexpectedly, Catherine exerted sudden force and dragged him into the bed with a flip. Before he could react, Catherine leaned over on both her hands and feet, murmuring, ¡°Don¡¯t move. Be my pillow!¡± She hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but ever since she got used to sleeping in Branden¡¯s apartment, she always felt something was off whenever she came back here. Catherine originally intended to endure it. After all, it was only for two days. However, Branden unexpectedly arrived here at night. Since he was already here, there was no point in wasting the opportunity. Brandenughed quietly and subtly adjusted his position to make Catherinefortable. It wasn¡¯t easy to fall back asleep after being suddenly awakened. Catherine leaned against Branden and chatted aimlessly with him. ¡°Who are those two funny idiots!¡± she asked. ¡°Their behavior wasughable,¡± said Catherine inwardly. Branden didn¡¯t expect the two men he arranged to investigate Dr. Seven to sneak in here. ¡°They are all Duncans¡¯ Shadow Guards members, just like Paxton Duncan.¡± It turned out that they were all members of the Duncans. Once Catherine found out they were not enemies, she had no intention of further questioning. Just like Branden didn¡¯t bother investigating her identity, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to dig into the hidden force behind Branden, either. It was so tiresome to explore all those things. Seeing that she did not seem inclined to further questioning, Branden gently patted her arm as if soothing a child to sleep. ¡°Be good and sleep. I will tell you about the matter tomorrow!¡± said Branden. Catherine obediently closed her eyes. Having someone taking care of her while she slept was quite pleasant. She was truly enjoying it. The people upstairs had already turned off their lights and gone to bed. Only then did the people downstairs dare to whisper. As the only innocent party implicated, Paxton was full ofints. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two? How did you end up investigating here and getting me involved? Fortunately, Miss Swann didn¡¯t pursue it. Otherwise, you would have been finished!¡± Branden used to have a violent and ruthless personality, being aloof and indifferent. He had be so ruthless to protect Catherine now that the word ¡°inhuman ¡°would not do him justice. It was indeed a thrilling moment just now. Carlo¡¯s curiosity was instantly piqued. He leaned against the wall as he moved toward Paxton. ¡°Paxton, what¡¯s going on? Who is that Miss Swann upstairs?¡± Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Three Versus One After a thorough exnation by Paxton, both Cory and Carlo had a grasp of the situation. One of them was in Oceanvile, while the other was abroad. Neither of them had stayed by Branden¡¯s side. They only heard that their boss was to be betrothed to Miss Catherine, who had returned suddenly to the Swanns. However, they did not have any knowledge about who Miss Catherine was. It was rumored that their boss had an extreme fondness for Miss Catherine and even made many changes for her, which shocked many people. It was unexpected that Miss Catherine of the Swanns appeared suddenly in the courtyard of the experimental base. It was a conflict that arose between people on their own side. Tonight, they disrupted their boss¡¯ night and disturbed the young miss beside their boss. Just punishing them for doing handstands could be considered lenient. With a gossipy look, Carlo leaned in to please Paxton. ¡°Paxton, why did you suddenlye here? Isn¡¯t Miss Swann the second youngdy of the wealthy Swanns? How did she be Randolph¡¯s student?¡± ¡°Carlo, why are you so nosy? Can¡¯t you learn from Cory? Why doesn¡¯t he behave the same way as you?¡± Paxton lectured Carlo with a righteous expression. A cold and abrupt voice came from behind him as soon as he finished speaking. ¡°I would also like to know!¡± Both Carlo and Paxton turned to look at Cory together. To their surprise, even colder than Paxton, the introverted and silent Cory could be so gossipy today. Carlo was all pumped up and yelling for Paxton to tell them. When ites to matters concerning his boss, Paxton dared not casually discuss them. He would rather keep the two brothers in suspense than reveal gossip about the boss. The next day, Catherine groggily woke up under the intense sun. She opened her eyes and saw the man sleeping beside her and being used as her pillow. Under the sun¡¯s shining rays, the man¡¯s skin disyed a glistening transparency. What was most enviable was that his smooth skin had no pimples or e marks. Even the pores were barely visible. Lost in a daze, Catherine suddenly snapped out of it and noticed that the man beside her had his eyes open. A bright light shone through in his deep pupils, as dazzling as stars. The man¡¯s thin lips parted slightly. Perhaps because he had just awakened, his voice was hoarse as if it had been smoked over, deep and mesmerizing. ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll make breakfast for you!¡± Branden asked. Catherine was originally going to refuse, but when she thought she hadn¡¯t eaten the food Branden made for a few days, her stomach couldn¡¯t help but crave it. Unconsciously, she nodded her head. Because of her actions, a slight smile appeared on Branden¡¯s face. He extended his hand to stroke Catherine¡¯s forehead gently. ¡°I¡¯ll go get ready. You can sleep a little longer if you don¡¯t want to get up. I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s ready!¡± Catherine remained silent, gazing at Branden¡¯s rapidly retreating figure. She could see his perfect v- taper even through his clothing. He had an ideal build. She wasn¡¯t a foodie in the past, but ever since she met Branden, she couldn¡¯t help wanting to eat the food he cooked. Zobers, the love guru, once told her that the first step to capturing a man¡¯s heart was to start with his stomach. She felt that Branden might have pleased her stomach. At the entrance of the courtyard on the ground floor. The three who were punished for doing headstandsst night were still doing headstands today. Even though their faces were blushed and their arms were sore, no one dared toe down without Branden¡¯s order. Initially, they could endure this punishment. After all, they had experienced even more brutal situations through their training since childhood. However, the fragrance wafting down from upstairs in intermittent waves was the lethal weapon that tortured them the most. Even the strongest people couldn¡¯t resist being tempted by such a fragrance. Carlo couldn¡¯t help but swallow and quietly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Swann to be such an excellent cook. The vor is excellent!¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Paxton scoffed. Carlo immediately sensed the hint of gossip and quietly approached.¡± Paxton, it seems like there¡¯s another meaning behind yourughter!¡± Paxton didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush with the two brothers. Besides, he knew Carlo¡¯s personality and cut straight to the point. ¡°The one who cooks is our boss!¡± Not to mention Carlo, even Cory was taken aback. As they were still in shock, a strange sound suddenly came to their ears. They instinctively looked to the side and saw a chubby white robot moving toward them. Upon nearing the three, the robot made a mechanical alert sound. ¡°Garbage detected ahead. Clear it up!¡± ¡°Garbage detected ahead. Clear it up!¡± It repeated the sentence again and again. Carlo was getting quite annoyed and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°This robot is so noisy!¡± Tragedy struck in the next moment. The robot suddenly took action with astonishing speed. All three were caught off guard and were directly sent flying into the air. No one expected that the foolish robot would possess such immense power. It was truly remarkable to be able to kick all three people away at once. Struggling to get up from the ground, Carlo looked around and saw that the two brothers had also been hit. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in frustration. ¡°Where did this badass robote from? It looks so cool!¡± Paxton and Cory looked embarrassed. They were considered top-notch Duncans¡¯ Shadow Guard experts, yet a robot had just taken down them. If this were to be spread, how could they maintain their dignity? The three scrambled up and were about to investigate where the robot ahead came from. Suddenly, the robot swiftly turned around, running toward the direction on its side. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re here!¡± The tone of the robot changed. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Catherine strolled down from upstairs and gently touched the robot¡¯s sensor area. The robot immediately emitted a series of whimpering sounds, just like an excited child eating candy. All three of them were left dumbfounded when they saw this scene. ¡°This robot is just too intelligent! ¡°thought they. As soon as Catherine retracted her hand, the robot obediently moved to stand behind her. It wasn¡¯t clingy. Catherine raised her gaze to examine the three. ¡°Top-notch Shadow Guards of the Duncans? Humph!¡± said she inwardly. She nced at them, then extended her hand and gently curved her finger. With a mischievous grin, she coldly spoke. ¡°You guys attack together!¡± Carlo was momentarily confused and did not understand what she meant. He reached out and gently tapped Paxton on the side to get his attention. Paxton understood it but didn¡¯t dare to do it. He worried that his boss would destroy him if he were to fight with Catherine. He quickly made a respectful bow.¡± Miss Swann, we dare not offend you. If you wish to punish us, please give us yourmand!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting tired of living. Why would I pick a fight with her?¡± thought he. Catherine stared at Paxton with a cold look and said, ¡°Stop talking nonsense! ¡°Do you want me to have Brandene down and give you the order?¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Paxton hastily agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s begin then!¡± Catherine was prepared. Paxton nced at the two beside him and decided to toughen up and face the situation head-on. ¡°Anyway, it was Catherine who asked for it herself, so even if the boss were to me me for it, I have an excuse,¡± said he inwardly. Carlo didn¡¯t get it, wondering, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that she¡¯s going to be the future mistress of the Duncans? ¡°Can we still keep our lives by engaging in a physical confrontation with her?¡± wondered he. But seeing Paxton insist on it, they had no choice but to take action. Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Extremely Insulting Besides Paxton, Cory and Carlo had yet to witness the martial prowess of Catherine. It would be fine if they didn¡¯t know Catherine¡¯s identity. But now they knew she was the future mistress of the Duncans. Besides, she was a woman. ¡°As two men, how could we fight against her?¡± thought Carlo and Cory. They could only follow behind Paxton to scrape the barrel while nning on throwing Paxton under the bus for this. To their surprise, Paxton, who charged forward first, got taken down by Catherine in just three moves. Paxton was shocked. Carlo and Cory were even more shocked. Paxton was surprised to find himself so vulnerable in front of Catherine, while Carlo and Cory were completely stunned by Catherine¡¯s violence. The kick from Catherine was so strong that it sent Paxton flying. Catherine did not continue with the next round of attack. Shezily stood in ce, raising her eyebrows and looking frivolously at Paxton. ¡°I am giving you all one more chance. If you don¡¯t want to die, show me what you¡¯re capable of!¡± This statement might not cause much harm, but it was highly insulting. Having witnessed Catherine¡¯s moves just now, the other two knew she was a master among masters and dared not to take her lightly. However, Catherine¡¯s words were truly insulting. The three of them looked at each other and decided to team up to fight. They grew up and trained together since childhood. Their tacit understanding was off the charts. Thebined strength of the three was definitely several times greater than each of them fighting alone. Each of them was an expert rarely seen outside. Although they knew that Catherine had excellent fighting prowess, they were not worried. The tension was high during the fight. Compared to the seriousness of the three, Catherine seemed nonchnt. She didn¡¯t even stand up properly. Her body twisted as if she had snuck out in the middle of the night and hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep. Only when the three rushed toward her did Catherine slowly react. She suddenly opened her slightly narrowed eyes. There was an eerie coldness in her clear eyes. As Cory approached, the glint in those eyes was like two sharp swords flying out in an instant. Catherine made a move! A sudden, powerful punch struck Cory¡¯s abdomen directly. Cory was training all year round. His abs were as hard as rocks. He knew Catherine was about to punch him in the stomach, but he didn¡¯t immediately dodge it. Because he believed in himself and Catherine was just a girl, even if she trained year-round, her speed, agility, and strength would never be too impressive. The moment the fist attacked him, he realized he was wrong. The power in Catherine¡¯s punch was astonishing. She delivered a direct blow to Cory¡¯s stomach, causing him to take three steps back and cough heavily before regaining his bnce. After knocking down Cory, Catherine followed up with a sweeping left kick, aiming directly at Carlo¡¯s temple. Due to the high speed, Carlo could not react in time and instinctively protected his abdomen with his arms. Unexpectedly, Catherine moved at a breakneck pace. When she noticed Carlo blocking her attack, she immediately shifted her direction of attack and kicked toward Carlo¡¯s rib cage instead. Having no time to respond to the attack, Carlo was knocked to the ground. After ten minutes, the three top captains of the Duncans¡¯ Shadow Guard all fell to the ground and couldn¡¯t even muster the strength to get up. Even though it hurt like hell, no one dared to utter a word. Considering the shameful situation they were in, they wanted to dig a hole and bury themselves in it. Branden slowly descended from upstairs at that time, holding a small te of pancakes. He walked straight up to Catherine and didn¡¯t even nce at the three lying on the ground. He picked up a piece of pancake with a fork and handed it over to Catherine. ¡°Try it. How does it taste?¡± Catherine opened her mouth and took a big bite. The pancake that just came out of the oven was still a little hot, with a tempting aroma wafting. It was filled with cheese and meat in the middleyer and was topped with green onions and sesame seeds. With one bite, the lips and teeth were left with fragrance. The crispness of the pastry was irresistible. ¡°Delicious!¡± Catherine gave her appraisal. Branden considerately stuffed the remaining half into her mouth. ¡°Shall I bring it for you to eat in the yard?¡± When he came in, he immediately noticed a small pavilion on the left side of the yard. There were quite a few utensils inside, indicating that Catherine often ate there. Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to walk upstairs, so Branden¡¯s suggestion was the best decision for her. She nodded with a satisfied expression. ¡°Alright!¡± Branden turned around to get breakfast upstairs. As he passed by the three, his gentle face suddenly darkened. The change was so fast that it was like a blur to them. Upon seeing the expression on their boss¡¯ face, the three immediately felt a sense of unease. They knew that they were in big trouble this time. Branden spoke in a cold tone. ¡°When the mission ispleted, you¡¯ll take turns training on Scorpion Ind for three months!¡± Upon hearing the punishment, the expressions of all three changed. Scorpion Ind was the most terrifying existence. They had all previously experienced the training on Scorpion Ind, a ce that could be aptly described as a purgatory. There was an 80 percent chance of death during the three-month training session. If one were lucky, one would only be seriously injured. Only a miracle could ensure one¡¯s safe survival. However, their boss had already issued the order. No one dared to refuse. After all, they weren¡¯t good enough. Three of them couldn¡¯t even beat Catherine. Of the three, Cory suffered the most severe injuries, all on his face. Thanks to Catherine, his once handsome face now looked like a pig¡¯s. Seriously, Paxton thought Catherine did it on purpose. After all, this young mistress of the Duncans was rather ruthless. Paxton knew it better than the other two. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Catherine was lounging in a rocking chair, enjoying the pancakes that Branden had made just for her, along with some freshly squeezed juice. She was feeling pretty content. Exercising early in the morning was good for the body. She had a huge appetite now and could even eat a whole cow. Seeing how quickly she was eating, Branden took a pancake from his te and handed it to Catherine. ¡°If you like it, I will make it for you again tomorrow!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± muttered Catherine with some pancake in her mouth. He had this pancake the other day. As coon as he took a bite he knew Catherine would love it. He sought guidance from the master who made the pancake. Finally, he had the opportunity to make it for Catherine. As expected, he had guessed correctly that Catherine did love it. The scent of food wafted through the air on one side, while on the other, the three not only got a beating but also felt weak and hungry. The hurried pattering sound of footsteps could be heard from outside the fence. Shortly after, Randolph hurriedly ran in from outside, intending to report the situation to Catherine. He was instantly stunned after ncing around and finding that the courtyard was jammed with people. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Randolph let out a startled hup. Catherine took the initiative to speak.¡± Dr. Dunn, is there something you need? Randolph had intended to tell Catherine that the two scoundrels surnamed Duncan had run away, but to his surprise, he found them all there when he arrived. Moreover, there were two more men there. The most deplorable thing was that the seemingly handsome little rascal among them even held his teacher¡¯s hand. ¡°How despicable! ¡°I cannot tolerate it any longer!¡± said Randolph inwardly. Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Chapter 388 A Misunderstanding The moment everyone saw Randolph raise his hand and strike Branden, they were all shocked. It seemed that a highly professional research expert would lose his life. Feeling danger approaching, Branden looked up, his sharp gaze fiercelynding on Randolph. That look was truly terrifying. Randolph had never been afraid of anyone. However, he never expected to be scared by a young man¡¯s gaze. His hand froze in mid-air, hesitating to strike down. Catherine stood by the side, observing the scene with great interest. Seeing Randolph being frightened, she stepped forward, grabbed his hand in mid-air, and nced at Branden. ¡°Dr. Dunn, he is my boyfriend, Branden Duncan!¡± This time, it was Randolph¡¯s turn to be surprised. He widened his eyes to observe Branden and then furrowed his brow. ¡°Miss¡­ Well, Catherine, he is¡­ Branden Duncan? It sounds familiar!¡± Randolph originally wanted to make an unfriendlyment about Branden. In his opinion, Catherine was highly noble and honorable. He never expected that one day she would have a boyfriend. He didn¡¯t believe there would be anyone worthy of her. She was like a goddess, pure and sacred, not to be profaned! When Randolph pronounced the words ¡°Branden Duncan,¡± he felt a strong sense of familiarity, as if he had heard it somewhere before. He repeated it several times, finally getting a clue, and suddenly looked up. ¡°The Duncans of Casier?¡± Catherine nodded. After receiving the confirmation, Randolph suddenly became a little nervous. He pulled Catherine to a corner and murmured,¡± Miss Swann, how did you get involved with the Duncans?¡± The Duncans of Casier were an ancient and mysterious aristocratic family. The outside world only knew that the Duncans were wealthy, but they had no idea of the extent of their power. In the entire Zerwick, no one couldpare to the Duncans¡¯ influence. Randolph happened to know a little about them. Despite being busy farming all day, he was often tricked into reporting to his superiors for research projects. He had seen a big shot before, someone from a coteral branch of the Duncans in Casier. Even a coteral branch was powerful, not to mention the heir of the Duncans. Randolph had only heard some rumors about the mysterious young master of the Duncans and had never seen him in real life. Randolph didn¡¯t expect the first meeting to be so shocking! Initially, he wanted to advise his teacher not to be deceived by this pretty boy¡¯s appearance and lose herself. But after knowing that the man was Branden, he felt that the term ¡°pretty boy¡± was inappropriate. After all, the Duncans were powerful and influential. Seeing Catherine remaining silent, Randolph wore a concerned expression and said, ¡°Miss Swann, the Duncans are not as simple as they seem. They are dangerous. If you think you can be carefree here, you¡¯re mistaken!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Catherine didn¡¯t know how to exin to Randolph all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing!¡± Randolph was stubborn and sometimes inflexible in dealing with people¡¯s rtionships, but he genuinely cared for Catherine. Hearing Catherine¡¯s light-hearted response, Randolph didn¡¯t want to say much. Since his teacher said she had a strategy, he shouldn¡¯t argue with her. Randolph would never do anything to offend his teacher. Catherine¡¯s introduction soothed Branden¡¯s mood. After knowing the close rtionship between Randolph and Catherine, he no longer cared about the offense Randolph had caused. When Catherine approached, Branden reached out and held her hand, leading her to sit down. Considerately, he handed Catherine a fork and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Seeing that her ss of milk was empty, Branden took the ss and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pour you some milk!¡± Watching him go upstairs, Catherine wondered if she should tell him to give her less of what she didn¡¯t like to drink. Under normal circumstances, Catherine would hold a Coke instead of a ss of milk she didn¡¯t like. But Branden always found ways to rece the unhealthy food around her. He never said it was unhealthy, never forcing her to quit it. He would silently rece it with food that was rtively beneficial to her health. Randolph watched Catherine eat the pancakes and quietly asked, ¡°Did he make them?¡± Catherine naturally knew who ¡°he¡± referred to. While chewing on the pancakes, Catherine mumbled, ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not bad!¡± Randolph muttered and nodded his head. After knowing Catherine for so many years, he had never seen her enter a kitchen, so it was obvious that she didn¡¯t make them herself. As for the other three little rascals, he could tell who was punishing them just by looking at their bruised and swollen faces. ¡°Miss Swann, did you beat up those three little rascals?¡± Randolph asked. Catherine nced at the Duncans¡¯ Shadow Guards, who were squatting in the corner and reflecting on their mistakes and nodded in response. ¡°Good job!¡± Randolph eximed happily, pping his thigh. He had woken up early to check if the two troublemakers had caused any trouble, but they were not in their dormitory, which worried him. He knew that those two mischievous boys must have been targeting his teacher. Catherine always preferred to keep a low profile and didn¡¯t want people to know her true identity. After all, even if it were revealed, no one would believe that this world- renowned scientist was a young girl. To prevent Catherine¡¯s identity from being exposed, Randolph hurriedly rushed to the courtyard, never expecting to witness such a shocking scene. What surprised him even more was that Catherine had already dealt with the troublemakers. Feeling the anger in his heart dissipate, Randolph was happy. It was all because of these little rascals that he had been so anxious. The three people in the corner had been paying attention to the situation. When they saw Randolph pping his thigh, Paxton couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did you two do to offend Dr. Dunn? Why is he so gleeful?¡± Paxton initially thought that Cory was reliable. But to his surprise, Cory just turned his face away and refused to answer. He then shifted his gaze to Carlo, who was covering his face, looking embarrassed. ¡°Paxton, let¡¯s not talk about it. It¡¯s all because of Aaron¡¯s misjudgment. This is a misunderstanding!¡± Cory thought to himself, ¡± Misunderstanding my ass! How could I have known that such a mysterious courtyard housed our futuredy of the house?¡± Seeing Randolph¡¯s nervousness, he thought there must be some hidden secret. But now¡­ What else could he say? The only one he could me was himself! Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Family Cook Catherine followed Randolph to the field, while Branden stayed in Catherine¡¯s small courtyard, apanied by three Shadow Guards. Unlike his other two brothers, Carlo was a chatterbox who kept talking. ¡°Sir, how did Miss Swann end up in the base? I heard she is Dr. Dunn¡¯s student. Does she know about Dr. Seven?¡± It was easier to get things done with acquaintances. If Catherine knew Dr. Seven, there would be no need to rely on Randolph to get information. Branden leaned back in Catherine¡¯s exclusive chair to rest without reacting to Carlo¡¯s question. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t get an answer, Carlo had to seek help from his two brothers. Paxton was also curious. Besides his eldest brother, he was the one who had the most contact with Catherine. He had never seen a girl so mysterious. People said that she was a disaster for the Swanns. Left in the countryside at a young age, Catherine had suffered, but everyone around her was of a high rank. And Catherine was even more powerful than these high-ranking individuals. She was highly skilled, and herbat abilities were extraordinary. He initially thought he could spar with Catherine for a few rounds, but he didn¡¯t expect that even if the three brothers attacked her together, they were no match for her and were beaten miserably. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t we need to arrange for someone to investigate Miss Swann?¡± Suddenly, Branden opened his eyes, and a cold chill emanated from his deep gaze. The icy stare frightened Paxton. He immediately knelt down. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Six miles!¡± Branden said coldly. Paxton didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. He immediately stood up, preparing himself for the six-mile weight- bearing run. Seeing this, even Carlo, the chatterbox, didn¡¯t dare to speak, not to mention Cory. The two of them silently prepared to escape, hoping to avoid Branden¡¯s punishment. However, before they had taken a few steps, they heard a cold voiceing from behind them. ¡°Twelve miles!¡± Carlo trembled all over. He thought he could escape, but they were in a worse situation than Cory. They exchanged nces and turned around, respectfully bowing to ept their punishment. Paxton was right. Never offend the people who were close to their boss because it was much more serious than offending their boss himself. After all, their boss was even more terrifying than a demon. Randolph was with Catherine in the field, examining the newly cultivated seeds. Looking at the golden ears of wheat, his face lit up with a smile. ¡°Miss Swann, look how plump they are. With these seeds, wheat production can increase by one-fifth annually, helping many people solve their food and hunger problems.¡± The thought of how many people¡¯s food and hunger issues could be improved each year because of these new seeds made Randolph¡¯s eyes well up with tears. Catherine looked at her carefully cultivated creations in front of her, her eyes filled with a sense of joy. As she turned her head slightly, she saw Randolph, who looked like a child with red eyes and even a red nose. ¡°Hey, old man, why are you crying?¡± ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯m so happy!¡± Randolph had no trace of embarrassment. In front of Catherine, he could express his inner emotions without any reservations. ¡°I have to thank you for constantly helping me fulfill my wishes!¡± His wish was to cultivate better, more outstanding, and higher-yielding seeds. Over the years, with Catherine¡¯s help, he had been able to improve the seeds time and time again, conducting repeated experiments and yielding significant results each time. This was the happiest day of his life. Catherine chuckled. The only thing she could do to help Randolph was to change the data and assist him in researching nt gics. And the current results in front of them were only possible with Randolph¡¯s hard work and decades of silent cultivation. He had dedicated all of his youth and passion to thisnd. After the sentimental moment passed, Randolph returned to the main topic. He thought of another matter. Initially, he didn¡¯t dare to speak up in the courtyard, where there were too many people. Now, he felt more at ease in this field with only him and Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, why did you bring the Duncans here? Aren¡¯t you worried that they will discover your identity?¡± Catherine shrugged indifferently.¡± Whatever.¡± She didn¡¯t care at all whether Branden knew she was Dr. Seven. Even if he did, what could he do? Given the current power of the Duncans, they wouldn¡¯te to her. Seeing Catherine¡¯s nonchnt attitude, Randolph didn¡¯t want to worry too much, either. Catherine was smart. She always had a backup n. These were not the things that worried Randolph the most. He was most concerned about Catherine¡¯s safety. ¡°Miss Swann, the Duncans have suddenly mobilized so many people. It shows that the people sent by Asmein are not ordinary. You should be more cautious!¡± Randolph knew that if her identity was exposed, it would attract the attention andpetition of many countries, and that would truly put her in danger, causing nothing but trouble. Catherine understood what he was worried about. She patted his shoulder softly, saying, ¡°Focus on your research. Leave these things to me.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. After inspecting the wheat fields, Catherine decided to pack up and leave. ¡°Miss Swann, you go ahead. I still have one more field to inspect before I go back!¡± Randolph looked at Catherine with a happy smile. For him, these vast wheat fields were his lifeline. Catherine knew his determination. She didn¡¯t try to persuade him. She simply turned around and left. Back in the courtyard, she saw Branden lying there leisurely. Not far away, the Duncan trio was panting heavily from running. ¡°Wee back, Boss!¡± Seven noticed Catherine¡¯s return and hurriedly moved to stand in front of her. Catherine reached out and patted its round little head, softly saying, ¡°Good boy!¡± In an instant, Branden was already standing before her, gazing at her from a step away. ¡°This robot is not bad.¡± ¡°Well, I made it as apanion a couple of years ago.¡± Catherine¡¯s tone was notably casual, not taking the matter seriously at all. Branden carefully examined the robot, knowing very well how remarkable it was. In today¡¯s market, no matter how much money one had, it wasn¡¯t easy to buy such high-end robots unless they were in specializedboratories. The programming of these intelligent robots was too complex, the craftsmanship requirements were high, and there were specific requirements for the users, making it difficult to poprize. Thinking of all this, Branden couldn¡¯t help but smile. In his opinion, Catherine was an absolute genius, excelling in everything she did. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. let¡¯s make something to eat!¡± Catherine ced her hand on her stomach and looked straight at Branden. Branden was also hungry. Suppressing the restlessness in his heart, he imitated Catherine¡¯s action of touching the robot and gently touched her head, saying tenderly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll cook for you. ¡°Hurry up. The food in the cafeteria these days hasn¡¯t been as delicious as what you make!¡± Catherine comined dissatisfiedly. Although Randolph had arranged for the cafeteria to make special meals for her, it still couldn¡¯tpare to Branden¡¯s cooking. ¡°I¡¯ll go immediately, and I promise you¡¯ll be satisfied!¡± Branden looked proud, as if he wanted to wear a sign that said ¡°Family Cook Exclusively for Catherine.¡± Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Dire Consequences Catherine left the research base with Branden on the second day. Paxton apanied them while the other two stayed behind temporarily toplete their tasks. After arriving at the airport with Branden, Catherine was about to board the ne when she suddenly heard her phone ringing from her pocket. At the same time, Paxton also received a phone call. As Catherine was about to put down the phone and speak to Branden, he directly took her hand and led her in the direction of the exit of the airport. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you back to the base!¡± It turned out that he had also received the news, which was expected since Carlo and Cory were still at the research base. The news of Randolph¡¯s disappearance should reach their ears soon. Branden was the first to know this piece of news. They quickly returned to the base. As soon as they entered, they saw Carlo and Cory questioning the research staff inside the base about the situation. Sensing the arrival of Branden and the others, Carlo and Cory immediately approached them. They nced casually in Catherine¡¯s direction. Catherine understood what they meant and asked indifferently, ¡°Do you need me to stay away?¡± ¡°No need!¡± Branden suddenly said and warned Carlo and Cory with his eyes. Startled, the two didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly reported the situation. ¡°Sir, after you and Miss Swann left this morning, we also nned to leave. But when we reached the base, we noticed several unfamiliar vehicles in the vicinity. Cory was worried that something was wrong, so we returned to the base to investigate. As a result, the research staff here told us that Dr. Dunn didn¡¯t appear in the experimental fields this morning. Currently, there¡¯s no trace of Dr. Dunn!¡± Paxton proposed a possibility. ¡°Could it be that Dr. Dunn is still in the research base? After all, the base is so big. He might be hiding somewhere in one of the fields doing research!¡± They often encountered this situation, where some scientific researchers would immerse themselves in their work, neglecting sleep and food. However, Catherine quickly denied this spection. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Dr. Dunn must be in trouble!¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s firm tone, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on her. Catherine exined, ¡°The seeds in Field NO.1 on the west side have ripened in the past few days. Dr. Dunn¡¯s year-long research results wille out in these few days, and he would never leave this field at such a critical moment.¡± Randolph would rather sleep in the fields 24 hours a day, fearing that something might happen to his experimental results. How could he disappear at such a crucial moment? There was only one possibility, which was that he was forcefully taken away. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. A few minutester, Cory returned with an extremely grim expression. He faced everyone and said, ¡°The surveince of the main passages in the base has beenpletely disabled. The other party is skilled.¡± Cory and Carlo both lowered their heads silently, waiting to be reprimanded. They had made a mistake in their initial assumption. They had thought that the other party was targeting Dr. Seven and would do whatever it took to find his whereabouts. So they had joined in the search for Dr. Seven, hoping to find him first and ensure his safety. But the other party had unexpectedly focused their attention on Randolph, seizing the opportunity when they left to abduct him. Randolph was the only person who knew Dr. Seven¡¯s whereabouts, so capturing him meant having the most direct clue to Dr. Seven. The other party seemed to have a better understanding of the situation on the base than they had imagined. This was not only a major blow to the base but also a great humiliation. Those who only knew how to make mistakes without offering solutions had no ce in the Duncans. After admitting their mistake, Cory and Carlo immediately proposed a solution. ¡°Sir, please give us two days.¡± Branden snorted coldly and waved his hand. Cory knew that this meant their request had been epted. He quickly turned around, pulling Carlo to stand up. They had to act quickly. If they didn¡¯tplete the mission properly this time, they might be kicked out of the Duncans. While the Duncans were taking action, Catherine showed no intention of stopping. She would solve this problem in her own way. Initially, she had no intention of making enemies with the other party, but now that they had provoked her, it would make her look like an easy target if she didn¡¯t take action. Anyone who dared to harm her would face dire consequences. Catherine took out her phone, walked to the side, and made a call. Paxton stood beside Branden and watched Catherine walk away. He whispered to Branden, ¡°Sir, I noticed that Miss Swann doesn¡¯t look pleased. What do you think?¡± Her expression was more than just displeased; it was downright ominous. At the moment, she was even more terrifying than when Branden got angry. Paxton even felt a sense of suffocation. Branden silently watched Catherine¡¯s retreating figure as she made a phone call, his deep eyes gradually darkening. He would teach them a lesson if someone wanted to cause trouble. ¡°Send out the list of agents from Asmein involved in international activities!¡± Paxton was stunned upon hearing Branden¡¯smand. The Duncans had an entire intelligence network, which was well-known internationally. Therefore, they possessed a lot of ssified information, which not only served as their greatest bargaining chip but also a weapon to control others. Now, Branden had ordered the release of the list of Asmein agents, intending to deal a fatal blow to Asmein. Paxton now understood the meaning of the phrase ¡°a wrathful man for the sake of a woman.¡± It was indeed ruthless. In a corner, after the call was connected, Catherine immediately identified herself. ¡°Withal, it¡¯s me!¡± Upon hearing the familiar voice, Withal instinctively straightened his posture. ¡± Yes, Catherine. Please give your orders! Since Catherine suddenly called him, it must be something important. Withal immediately stopped what he was doing and waited for Catherine¡¯s instructions. After sending some information to Withal¡¯s phone, Catherine continued, Help me investigate this person and find him as quickly as possible. Ensure his safety. The other party might be an Asmein spy infiltrating our base. Be cautious!¡± Withal was currently in Oceanvile, where Randolph had disappeared. Catherine knew that contacting Withal was the quickest and most efficient way to find Randolph. ¡°Understood, Catherine. I¡¯ll do my best! Though Withal didn¡¯t know why Catherine suddenly shed with someone from Asmein, he knew that he had to follow any task she had assigned. Lastly, Catherine gave a shockingmand thatpletely stunned Withal. ¡°Mobilize all our forces and spare no expense to ensure Randolph¡¯s safety!¡± Withal paused momentarily, realizing that Randolph was not just an ordinary scientist. This matter was far from simple. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I guarantee you thepletion of the mission!¡± Chapter 391 Chapter 391 Chapter 391 A City-Wide Manhunt A small, ordinary cargo ship was slowly making its way through a remote sea in Oceanvile. Inside the cabin, Jon had received a message from his superior. He was so angry that he smashed the computer. ¡°Damn bastard!¡± Seeing this scene, the henchman at the side trembled slightly and went up to Jon¡¯s side. ¡°Jon, what¡¯s the situation?¡± he asked in a small voice. Jon said through gritted teeth, ¡± Someone has published the list of our agents in various countries to the ck market. One can get it as long as one pays money!¡± Everyone¡¯s face changed when they heard this. They were the most aware of what would happen to their colleagues once their identities were leaked. If someone really had the list of their colleagues and put it on the inte for public sale, it would be a huge disaster for them. One of them couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Jon, do you know exactly who¡¯s on the list?¡± Despite feeling angry, Jon controlled his emotions and didn¡¯t express them in order to keep the situation calm for everyone else. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°There are more than a hundred people. All of them are second or third- rank members of our organization. The first-rank members have not been exposed.¡± Although they were only second or third -rank members, over a hundred were on the list. That was a reallyrge number. The first-rank members were the core of their organization. If they were exposed, then their organization would be doomed. The exposure of so many second-rank members would surely result in great problems for them in carrying out their work in various countries, and their safety would be threatened. ¡°Jon, why would all this suddenlye to light? Is something happening at home?¡± Jon remained silent. At the moment, no notification from domestic was received by him. However, this matter happened too strangely. The other party did not seem to have the slightest intention of negotiating. They directly released the news as if they were desperately striking back. Moreover, the timing of this matter was too sensitive. It was hard for Jon not to associate it with the person imprisoned in the ship¡¯s cabin. In a stern voice, he instructed his subordinates, ¡°It¡¯s pointless to overthink things that have already happened. Our only option now is to carry out the orders given by our superiors. Guys, monitor the man closely. Don¡¯t let him out of our sight for even a moment.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± the crowd replied in unison. Catherine, who had initially nned to leave the base and return to Casier, took a few more days off from school and stayed in Oceanvile. Erick kept an eye on the Swanns¡¯ cooperation with the Winfreds so she didn¡¯t have to worry about it. The most important thing now was to find Randolph and get him back. Seeing Catherine sitting motionless in front of the window sill, Branden slowly approached and pressed his hands gently on her shoulders, helping her rx. ¡°I¡¯ll get Dr. Dunn. You can rest for a while!¡± Subconsciously, Catherine leaned back, enjoying the pleasant sensation of Branden¡¯s gentle massage. She closed her eyes withfort and slowly uttered, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. They can¡¯t get away!¡± Branden didn¡¯t know where she got the confidence to say such a thing, but he admired her. And Catherine was right. There was absolutely no way that group of people could get away. ¡°Buzz, buzz¡­¡± The cell phone Catherine ced on the table vibrated, and she snapped her eyes open. A stern, overbearing light shone from within her cool eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go get you some fruit!¡± the man said, leaving immediately. Although Catherine had no intention of avoiding him, he left on his own ord, and she didn¡¯t want to exin anything. Catherine picked up the cell phone on the table and answered the call. As soon as the line was connected, Withal¡¯s excited voice came from the other end. ¡°Catherine, this is Withal!¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s you!¡± Catherine replied sinctly. Although Catherine¡¯s voice was cold and indifferent, Withal didn¡¯t care and continued excitedly, ¡°Catherine, who is this Dr. Dunn? Why does it feel like all the bigwigs are looking for him? From what I¡¯ve found out, not only us but even Red Star and the Duncans have all been mobilized with the same target.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t care who was looking for Randolph right now. What she was concerned about was Randolph¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Where is Dr. Dunn?¡± Withal froze for a second at Catherine¡¯s question. ¡°No word yet.¡± Before Catherine could get angry, Withal immediately exined, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Catherine. Although Dr. Dunn¡¯s whereabouts have yet to be found, the scope has been well-defined. ¡°Now we can be sure that they haven¡¯t left Oceanvile. I have organized people to monitor all modes of transportation, including airnes, trains, buses, and minibusses. The entire city is now under our watchful eye. If they attempt to flee, I will ensure that they have nowhere to hide.¡± Listening to Withal¡¯s smug report, Catherine bluntly asked, ¡°What about the sea?¡± Withal was about to retort that it wasn¡¯t possible, but he hesitated. Nothing was impossible in their industry. There were many experts, and they could do anything. ¡°Catherine, I see. I¡¯ll go and check all the nearby seas!¡± At the same time, Paxton also received thetest information. When he found Branden, Branden was cutting fruits in the tiny kitchen in the courtyard. Paxton was taken aback by his intense concentration. Without even looking up, Branden knew who wasing, and he was removing the ends of the strawberries bit by bit. ¡°Speak.¡± The ice-cold voice brought back Paxton¡¯s wandering thoughts, and he hurriedly adjusted himself and reported earnestly. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve just received information. People from the Hacker Alliance are also involved, and the person in charge of investigating Dr. Dunn is the leader of Withalist, a branch of the Hacker Alliance.¡± Paxton didn¡¯t expect that a mere Dr. Dunn could stir up such a big storm. Those who were involved were extraordinary, no exception. There was no evidence yet to prove whether Catherine was rted to the Hacker Alliance. Still, judging from what had happened earlier, Paxton felt that Catherine had some connection with the Hacker Alliance. So, it was possible that Catherine was a member of the Hacker Alliance. He could tell it, and so could Branden. However, Branden had no suspicions and did not even allow them to look into the matter. Then, there was nothing they could do. Catherine was too mysterious, so much so that everyone was curious about her. Just as Paxton was contemting, Branden suddenly spoke up. ¡°Have Cory and the others share the information with Hacker Alliance!¡± ¡°Share the information?¡± Paxton¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. The Duncans had always been powerful. When had they ever shared anything with anyone else? Branden slowly looked up and cast a nce at Paxton. ¡°Do I need to repeat myself?¡± ¡°No, of course!¡± A cold chill ran down Paxton¡¯s back, and he shivered in fear. Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Joining Forces The Withalist guys froze when they got the information and reported it to Withal first. ¡°Boss, could this be a trap? Howe the Duncans are helping us find out the news?¡± Withal nced at his man and gave him a look as if saying, ¡°You know nothing.¡± Withal was quite aware of why the Duncans were helping them. The Duncans¡¯ head, Branden, was now Catherine¡¯s man. Now that Catherine was looking for someone, how could the Duncans not help? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Withal was d to think about it. He did not expect Catherine to be so capable and hurriedly instructed his men to send the information they had found to the Duncans. He told the Duncans to pay attention to the sea. It was very likely that the other party would flee by water. For a mere Randolph, the two top alliances were actually joining forces. Other organizations that knew about this news silently prayed for Asmein¡¯s agents. After all, only very few organizations could withstand Hacker Alliance joining forces with the Duncans. Soon enough, precise news came in. Withal informed Catherine at the first opportunity. ¡°Catherine, there¡¯s news. You really are a genius. They are at sea. These bastards disguised themselves as fishermen. Fortunately, the Duncans¡¯ maritime channel is awesome, so we managed to target them quickly!¡± ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. I will bring the people back to you!¡± he added. Catherine expressionlessly listened to Withal¡¯s report and said, ¡°Send me the location!¡± Withal froze for a second. ¡°Catherine, are you going in person?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say anything and hung up. She didn¡¯t like to talk nonsense and was always decisive. Hearing the beep as the call was ended, Withal got all excited. He wondered how long it had been since he¡¯d seen Catherine take matters into her own hands. Catherine hadn¡¯t been seen since she had been set up and injured by the chief of Red Star a few years ago. Today, she actually made a personal appearance for the sake of Randolph. This old man should be something. And this group of idiots from Asmein. They dared to offend Catherine. It seemed like they were courting death. Withal was getting a little excited and couldn¡¯t wait to see how Catherine would deal with them. After receiving the location sent by Withal, Catherine changed her clothes and drove out of the base alone. On the waters west of Oceanvile, the sea seemed calm, but no one could predict when the next storm woulde. After all, the weather at sea was highly variable and hard to predict. Carlo and Cory, with a group of elite forces, changed into diving suits and nned to sneak onto the fishing boat to bring Randolph out. After rescuing Randolph, they would take down the men from Asmein. ¡°There¡¯s Hacker Alliance around!¡± Cory told Carlo thetest intelligence. Carlo wasn¡¯t surprised about that. After all, they shared information, and it wasn¡¯t difficult for Hacker Alliance¡¯s people to uncover such details. ¡°So be it. Anyway, as long as they don¡¯t bother us, it doesn¡¯t matter. Mr. Duncan told us to share the information with them, so perhaps Mr. Duncan has reached a cooperation with Hacker Alliance! ¡°Cory, I¡¯m ready to go into the water. Remember to inform Mr. Duncan of my sess!¡± After saying that, Carlo leaped and jumped off the fishing boat. With a team of men on the other side of the sea, Withal observed every move on the waters not far away. A subordinate was reporting to Withal thetest news they received. He said, ¡± Boss, the Duncans have made a move. Should we take action?¡± Withal said calmly, ¡°There is no rush.¡± Suddenly, an update was reported. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s a speedboat at 30 degrees northtitude heading toward the target at top speed!¡± Withal quickly picked up the binocrs and looked in the direction. The white speedboat rushed forward, bringing up waves of water. Standing in the driver¡¯s seat, the person drove the speedboat with the greatest of ease. Looking at Catherine¡¯s impressive posture, Withal couldn¡¯t help but cheer inwardly. ¡°Peerless Catherine, awesome!¡± ¡°Inform everyone to proceed at full speed and assist the speedboat at any cost!¡± The Duncans¡¯ men were the first to reach the target ship, but the ship was guarded by elites from the other side, and the Duncans¡¯ men were instantly exposed. Both sides engaged in directbat. The men that Carlo brought with him were all elites, and it was hard to tell the winner between both sides. No one noticed that, at that point, a speedboat had suddenly approached. Catherine arrived at the ship in the shortest possible time. As soon as she boarded, she saw the person fighting with Jon, and she instantly recognized that person as Carlo. It had been far too long since she¡¯d got into a fight, so Catherine didn¡¯t strategize. She immediately rushed forward and grabbed Jon by the neck. Carlo was interrupted from the fight by Catherine¡¯s sudden movement. He originally wanted to strike, but after realizing that the person was Catherine, he instantly stopped his movement. His goal had changed from finding the person to protecting Catherine. After all, she was the beloved of Branden, and if anything went wrong, Branden would surely kill him. However, Carlo soon realized that the mighty Catherine didn¡¯t need his protection. It was more like Catherine was protecting him now. Catherine choked Jon¡¯s neck, pressed him against the table, and said coldly, ¡± I¡¯ll give you one chance. Tell me where Randolph is being held!¡± Jon didn¡¯t expect a pretty little girl to have such an overwhelming aura when she was ruthless. Her eyes were even more intimidating than the murderous demons he had seen on the battlefield. Although he was afraid of Catherine, the first element of being an agent was keeping secrets, so he naturally couldn¡¯t give out the whereabouts of the hostage so easily. Three seconds passed, but Jon still had no intention of answering. Catherine threw her arm out to her side, and before Carlo could react, Catherine took the gun on his waist away. Carlo froze for a moment. One had to know that he was the champion of physical training in the Shadow Guard of the Duncans. His gun was snatched away so easily in front of so many people. How embarrassing! In the blink of an eye, Catherine had already fired the gun. Contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, she aimed directly for Jon¡¯s arm. She looked at Jon with cold eyes, which were as terrifying as a demon that would devour people, contrasting sharply with her stunningly beautiful face. ¡°I don¡¯t like bullshit, much less do I like people defying me. Tell me what I ask you, or you¡¯ll suffer more.¡± Jon gritted his teeth in agony, knowing that Catherine wasn¡¯t joking with him. Someone who could shoot without blinking an eye must be heartless. Catherine asked again, word by word, Where is he?¡± Jon bit his lower lip and refused to speak. This time, Catherine had no mercy. She fired four shots in a row, hitting each of Jon¡¯s limbs. The people around were dumbfounded, and no one had ever seen such torture, let alone the one who did it was a stunningly beautiful young girl. And this was not the end. After the shots were fired, Catherine picked up a dagger. She said, ¡°If you still refuse to answer, I¡¯ll cut a piece of flesh from each of your wounds and feed it to the fish.¡± Catherine sneered, a grim smileced with blood and terror. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t say anything. Anyway, the person I want is on this ship. I¡¯ll get him as long as I return to dismantle the ship. It¡¯s just a matter of time!¡± She took the dagger and slowly approached Jon. The pain from the wounds was so intense that Jon¡¯s veins were bulging. Only then did she continue to speak, teasing Jon. ¡°You should love sashimi! Would you like to try something new? How about something other than the fish kind?¡± Jon, though a tough guy, was instantly scared out of his wits. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Chapter 393 You¡¯ll Have a Future Silence fell over the scene. Jon was strong-willed and had endured the most painful torture during his training. Although Catherine¡¯s methods were horrific, those who were in the business never thought they¡¯de to a good end. What they feared most was psychological warfare, not physical torture. Jon had to admit that Catherine was amazing, and she was absolutely right. They had boarded the ship and gained an overwhelming advantage, so it was only a matter of time before they found the hostage. Jon, on the other hand, was at Catherine¡¯s mercy. Since the end had been settled, the sooner he confessed, the less pain he¡¯d suffer. In the end, Jonpromised. After getting the answer, Catherine put away her knife and shoved Jon toward Carlo. She then strode away, determined and cool. Though always on the verge of death on the battlefield, Carlo¡¯s henchmen felt a shiver when they saw this scene. Curiously, they asked, ¡°Carlo, who is this amazing girl?¡± She was fearless and stunningly beautiful! Carlo pushed Jon, who was covered in blood, toward his subordinates and said viciously, ¡°Keep an eye on the person and shut your mouth. Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t, or be careful that your tongue will be cut off.¡± After saying that, he immediately chased after Catherine. He had to protect her well. Otherwise, in case she got hurt, Branden would skin him alive. When Catherine arrived, people from the Duncans had already found Randolph first. Carlo had brought the best of the best this time. They were fast in their movements and capable. However, a new trouble hade their way. Upon seeing Carlo¡¯s appearance, the men immediately rushed up to him. ¡°Carlo, Dr. Dunn won¡¯te with us and is threatening us with death!¡± This was the first time they had encountered such a situation. Every time a hostage was rescued, they cried and begged to get out of there. But Dr. Dunn was strange. When they went in to rescue him, he refused to leave with them and called them liars, threatening them with death. Carlo hurriedly looked toward Catherine. Catherine stepped around him and headed toward the small cabin where Randolph was being held. ¡°Dr. Dunn, it¡¯s me!¡± Randolph, who was struggling violently, instantly settled down as he heard Catherine¡¯s cold voice. Catherine stepped forward to help him untie the ropes on his hands. He was obedient and allowed Catherine to do it. Those men from the Duncans at the side all looked dumbfounded. They thought, ¡°Who is this girl? Why is she so powerful?¡± After the restraints were undone, Randolph excitedly took Catherine¡¯s hands and said, ¡°You can rest assured. I didn¡¯t say anything. I know you wille for me. I didn¡¯t give in to them!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Catherine responded and calmed him down. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to the base. The seeds are almost ripe. You have to watch them!¡± At the mention of seeds, the originally dispirited Randolph was instantly full of energy. ¡°Hurry up. Let¡¯s go!¡± Seeing Catherine take Randolph away, the Duncans¡¯ men wanted to stop them, but they didn¡¯t know how to do so, so they could only helplessly look at Carlo. ¡°Carlo, they¡¯re gone. Aren¡¯t we going to chase after them?¡± ¡°No need!¡± Carlo gave the order and then brought his men back to meet up with Cory. Catherine took Randolph alone and drove the speedboat to the shore. As soon as theynded on the shore, they saw an extremely conspicuous jeep. Noticing the return of the two, a strong man jumped down from the jeep. Randolph subconsciously stood in front of Catherine. In any case, his teacher couldn¡¯t be in trouble. Catherine gently patted his hand and said, ¡°Dr. Dunn, he is on our side!¡± Withal was amused by the old man. He looked like he had never even killed a chicken but was trying to protect Catherine. Hearing that the person was Catherine¡¯s man, Randolph looked Withal up and down, then nodded approvingly. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re not bad. With Catherine, you¡¯ll have a future!¡± Hearing this, Withal burst outughing, but what the old man said made sense. ¡°Dr. Dunn, you¡¯re right!¡± ¡°Both of you, get in the car!¡± Catherine yelled, and the two climbed into the jeep. Withal was there specifically as a driver to take the duo back to the base. As soon as they had gotten out of the car after arriving at the base, Randolph couldn¡¯t wait to dash toward the field. The seeds were his most precious thing, more than anything else. Branden had been waiting at the gate, and he knew as soon as Catherine returned. Carrying a cup of water, he approached her and said, ¡°Have some water first!¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. After a long journey, Catherine was quite thirsty, and the cup of water came at just the right time. Just after finishing the water, the man¡¯s ice-cold voice was heard. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you left?¡± After Catherine received the news, she left in a hurry and forgot to exin to Branden. Hearing the man¡¯s question, Catherine decided to admit her mistake. ¡°I forgot in my haste. I¡¯ll keep it in mind next time!¡± The man¡¯s tone was serious, but his eyes looked at Catherine with a rare doting favor. ¡°Okay. Never again.¡± Not long after, Carlo and Cory arrived at the base as well. As soon as Catherine took Randolph away, Carlo informed Paxton. Learning that it was Catherine, Paxton didn¡¯t have a problem with it. After all, Catherine would be the future wife of their boss, so what could they say? When Carlo returned with Cory, he called Randolph along. Everyone was now gathered in Catherine¡¯s small courtyard. Cory always felt something was off when he saw Withal. Perhaps because of the same profession, he instantly sensed a distinctive aura about Withal. He stopped Carlo as Carlo was about to ask Dr. Dunn about the situation. The duo looked in Withal¡¯s direction, and Withal sensed their gazes were on him, but he sat motionless. There was nothing anyone could do to force him to leave without Catherine saying so. Paxton didn¡¯t know what to say to Cory, who was always stubborn. He hinted at Cory with his eyes to no avail. In the end, he could only whisper, ¡°This is Miss Swann¡¯s friend.¡± Even Branden didn¡¯t say anything, so why should the two brats care? Hearing that, Cory finally reacted and agreed for Carlo to continue. Randolph got a little impatient and said, ¡°What the hell do you guys have going on? Quickly, you guys, I must take care of my seeds!¡± He was so preupied with his seeds that he didn¡¯t care about anything else. Carlo looked at Randolph with a bitter face. ¡°Dr. Dunn, we are so familiar with each other. Can you please give us some information about Dr. Seven? We have only one purpose: to take revenge on him. Look at it. The Asmein people were able to infiltrate and capture you. If something happens to Dr. Seven, it would be considered a loss to you, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Randolph didn¡¯t say anything but just secretly gave Catherine a quiet look. Then he looked at Carlo with a serious look and asked, ¡°Can you really protect Dr. Seven?¡± Carlo replied, ¡°I swear on my life!¡± Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Chapter 394 This Is Dr. Seven! Seeing him swear, Randolph finally nodded hesitantly. ¡°Alright, since you swear, I¡¯ll invite Dr. Seven out.¡± Carlo rolled his eyes silently. It turned out that Dr. Seven was at the base. He and Cory had searched for Dr. Seven everywhere but failed. Randolph was just so cunning. Randolph stood up and walked toward the yard. Not long after, he led a white and chubby robot out. They all knew this robot. It worked at Catherine¡¯s yard. Carlo looked at Randolph in puzzlement and asked, ¡°Dr. Dunn, didn¡¯t you say you would invite Dr. Seven out? Do you need this robot to contact Dr. Seven?¡± Randolph nced at Carlo and said like he had heard something hrious, ¡± This is Dr. Seven!¡± The rest were shocked. Carlo took a long time to react and looked at Randolph in disbelief. ¡°Dr. Dunn, please don¡¯t joke with us. This is Dr. Seven?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Randolph said disdainfully to Carlo, ¡± Why should I waste my time to joke with you? I still have my seeds to take care of!¡± He then pressed the button on the robot. The robot said, ¡°Hello. My name is Seven. You can call me Dr. Seven. You can ask me anything rted to the seeds or wheat gene. I will tell you anything I know.¡± Carlo and Carlo heard the mechanical voice of the robot and almost fainted. That was why they could not find Dr. Seven even by using the intelligencework of the Duncans. Dr. Seven was not a human at all but a robot! While the others were still astonished, Randolph pushed the robot toward where Carlo stood. ¡°I¡¯ll leave my teacher to you. Protect it carefully, or I¡¯ll report to the higher official if it has any damages.¡± Randolph staggered out of the yard with his hands behind his back. He was concerned about the farnds and had no time to waste chatting with them. Carlo¡¯s mouth was agape. He carried the robot and looked at Branden. Branden was with them, and it was more appropriate for Branden to decide how to tell Rolf. Branden turned to Catherine at the side. Thetter was leaningzily against the rattan chair and resting. Perhaps sensing that Branden was eyeing her, Catherine turned her head and looked at him. Their eyes met, and there was casualness andnguor in Catherine¡¯s eyes. In Branden¡¯s gaze was a hint of scrutiny, but it onlysted for one second before it turned to be his usual tenderness. ¡°Feeling sleepy?¡± Catherine only nodded slightly. Branden took her hand and helped her stand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You need some rest.¡± The people in charge were gone, leaving the rest dumbfounded. Carlo stared at Paxton and asked awkwardly, ¡°Paxton, what do they mean? How should I tell Rolf about it?¡± Paxton cast a nce at him and replied, ¡°How should you tell him? Tell him the truth. Do as what Dr. Dunn said. Anyway, the robot is in your hands now. Protect it well.¡± Sometimes, Paxton felt himself the right one to stay by Branden¡¯s side. Carlo was too young and naive to understand what Branden was thinking. It was clearly rted to Catherine, even though Paxton did not know how it was rted to her. But Catherine did not talk about it, and Branden did not ask. Why should the rest of them care too much about it? They got the result they wanted, and what they ought to do was report it. Therefore, the crowd left and did their own things. When Catherine woke up from her nap, it was already dark. She would want to sleep longer if it were not for the pleasant meal smell. Catherine reached around and found her phone. After she unmuted it, she saw two missed calls. They were both from Erick. Catherine immediately called Erick back. Catherine didn¡¯t have to wait for long before Erick answered the phone. ¡°Catherine, is that you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Catherine¡¯s voice was still somewhat hoarse from the sleep. Her hoarse voice aroused Erick¡¯s guilt, and he said, ¡°Catherine, are you resting? Did I disturb you?¡± ¡°I just woke up. You can talk.¡± Catherine¡¯s tone was mild and t. Erick realized that Catherine was not angry and continued, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve settled down everything with the Winfreds. I¡¯m now the General Manager of the Winfred Group. Although Xavier is still the chairperson, he has to stay in bed for the next two years.¡± ¡°Congrattions,¡± Catherine said, barely excited. That was not the reason he called Catherine. Erick had something else to tell her. Erick had fought hard to fulfill themitment he made to Catherine. Even if he were going to hell in the future, he would take the Winfreds down with him. ¡°Catherine, after Korbin knew I was in charge of the Winfred Group, he canceled the appointment with Jeremy and contacted me. ¡°He wanted me to help the Swanns pave the way to the business world in Oceanvile, and he would help me gain a foothold among the Winfreds.¡± The Swanns were no doubt a powerful partner. Cooperating with Korbin was a dangerous game, but Erick had to admit he needed help from an influential family. At least, he needed the world to think he had a helping hand. Catherine was not surprised to hear what Erick had told her. It was a fact that she had boosted the share prices of the Swann Corporation. After she returned to Casier, the bet between Korbin and her would be considered done. Korbin would not sit and do nothing about it. He would undoubtedly think of all kinds of strategies to turn the tide. Catherine sneered and told Erick her instruction. ¡°It can help you establish a foothold in the Winfred Group if you choose the Swanns as your partner. Do it.¡± She said the Swanns, not Korbin. Erick understood what she meant. ¡°Catherine, I know what to do.¡± Getting Erick¡¯s answer, Catherine ended the call without hesitation. It was not a big deal and was not worth her precious dinner time to waste on it. The pleasant smell downstairs was getting stronger and got Catherine hungry. She walked downstairs slowly and saw Branden bringing dishes out of the kitchen. Branden heard the sound from the stairs and turned to look in that direction. They locked eyes, and a smile dawned on his handsome face. ¡°I was going upstairs to wake you up. Come on. Dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Catherine walked fast toward the dining table. Branden only made four dishes, and all were her favorites and looked appetizing. The three Duncans that guarded the yard, plus Withal, who had been to the base not long ago, squatted in a row. They also smelled the delicious dishes and felt what they had eaten in the cafeteria was swill. Withal took a deep breath and muttered to the others, ¡°Mr. Duncan is a good cook. That smells so great. No wonder Catherine seems to have gained weight recently.¡± However, the three Duncans felt it was weird and harsh to hear someone say that Branden was a good cook. But Branden enjoyed being Catherine¡¯s cook, and they could only ept it. The most wordless person among the three, Cory, suddenly looked at Withal and said in a low voice, ¡°Want some practice?¡± Withal had heard the three Duncans were great fighters and long wanted to see what they got. ¡°Sure. Why not? Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Being Followed At the Swanns¡¯. It waste at night, but Korbin¡¯s assistant suddenly visited him. The butler led the assistant to Korbin¡¯s study. The assistant handed the file to Korbin. It was thetest information they intercepted. ¡°Mr. Swann. Here¡¯s the news of Oceanvile.¡± Korbin read the file with a triumphant smile on his lips. The prick, Leonel, had plotted against them. Catherine had cooperated with Mr. David to have the chip and have the Duncans supporting her. With all kinds of help, Leonel and Catherine increased the stock prices and tried to get Catherine to be the chairperson. But so what? Korbin was still in charge of the Swanns and would inherit the family properties. With that file, Korbin would have an even more bright and prosperous future. Feeling somewhatcent, Korbin looked up at his assistant and asked sternly, ¡°Have you found Catherine¡¯s whereabouts?¡± ¡°Yes, we have, Mr. Swann. Miss Swann didn¡¯t go to school in the past few days but went to Oceanvile. We heard that she went on a holiday with Branden.¡± Korbin thought, ¡°She¡¯s at Oceanvile? No wonder my men can¡¯t find her.¡± He ordered, ¡°Keep an eye on the flights from Oceanvile to Casier. Get rid of her when you have the chance.¡± Since Catherine was so unruly, she did not have to live and be a curse to the Swanns. The following day. Carlo and Cory stayed to arrange for the protection of the base. The people from Asmein kidnapped Randolph from the base, which was the biggest humiliation to the Duncans. Carlo and Cory had to rearrange the guards to protect the safety of the scientific research base. They had inflicted heavy losses on the spies from Asmein, but the spies did not achieve their goal and would not give up so easily. Catherine and Branden set off back to Casier. Catherine still had sses, and it was soon the final exams. She had to go back to school. They took the flight in the morning and arrived at Casier at noon. After they got off the ne, Branden nned to go home with Catherine and get some rest together. But he received a call from work, saying something urgent needed his attention, so he had to hurry to thepany. Knowing that he had to work, Catherine did not say anything. Paxton arranged a car to drive Catherine home. Catherine did not refuse. She was tired and did not bother to call a car herself. It was good to have a car readily avable. Branden did not leave until Catherine got into the car. He had been to Oceanvile with Catherine and had many matters awaiting his attention. The car drove fast on the road, but Branden, leaning against the backseat, opened his eyes abruptly. Paxton in the front seat noticed and whispered, ¡°Sir, what can I do for you?¡± Branden said coldly, ¡°Why did Roman Glover from the Corewell Corporation suddenly want to meet me in person?¡± ¡°Mr. Glover said he was confused about something in the contract and wanted to discuss them with you again.¡± Branden¡¯s eyes darkened, and his face turned to be stern instantly. ¡°Check what the Corewell Corporation is doingtely.¡± Paxton knew Branden meant it and dared not dy. ¡°I¡¯m on it now,¡± The one who drove for Catherine worked for Branden and had excellent driving skills. Catherine had been leaning against the seat and resting since she got in the car. When the car was driving on the highway of Casier, the wary driver sensed something wrong. He stepped on the brake asionally, and Catherine felt it. She opened her eyes, and there was a sh of coldness in her eyes as she asked chilly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The driver knew how much Branden valued Catherine and did not dare slight her. ¡°Miss Swann, it seems some cars are following us.¡± He tapped the brake to confirm whether the cars were tailing them. Catherine turned her head imperceptibly to observe behind. There was a Buick on the left and a Toyota on the right. The cars seemed unrted, but they were all following her. Their target was the car Catherine took, and it was hard to get rid of them. The followers did nothing yet, so Catherine could not figure out who her enemies were. The car was still driving fast, and the driver had confirmed that they were in danger. He did not dy and wanted to contact the Duncans to send more people to help. He could not let anything happen to the person behind him. Otherwise, his superior would gut him like a fish. He did not expect their enemies to be prepared and blocked the signal on the way. The driver had no choice but to update Catherine on it. ¡°Miss Swann, my phone has no signal here. I can¡¯t contact Mr, Duncan for now. I can only speed up to drive you to the Duncan Corporation and hope I can keep you safe.¡± Where they were heading was a different direction from the Duncan Corporation. Since their enemies were well-prepared, they would not let Catherine go so effortlessly. The driver¡¯s idea would not work. Catherine was much moreposed than the worried driver. She checked the route on the onboard navigation system and said to the driver calmly, ¡°We¡¯ll soon enter the next crossing. Slow down and keep the speed at 20 when you turn. I¡¯ll leave the car at that time, and you keep driving. Alright?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Miss Swann. I have to ensure your safety.¡± The driver objected to Catherine¡¯s request. Even if he lost his life, he had to protect Catherine. Catherine¡¯s voice was asmanding as a ruler as she said, ¡°This is an order. Understand?¡± The driver shivered in fear and nodded obediently. ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯ll do as you say. Please be careful.¡± Meanwhile, Paxton also received a message and reported to Branden right away. ¡°Sir, Mr. Glover seems to have had close contact with Mr. Swann recently. I mean, Miss Swann¡¯s father.¡± Branden¡¯s straight face turned gloomy, and his eyes were cold and ruthless. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He took out his phone and called Catherine. Paxton knew something must be amiss and tried to call Catherine¡¯s driver, too. Yet, no one answered their calls. Paxton¡¯s face turned pale. He never expected that something would happen. If anything terrible happened to Catherine, Paxton could not imagine what Branden would do since Branden was so deeply in love with Catherine. Branden ordered the driver to turn around and track down Catherine¡¯s car. He also made a new order to Paxton, ¡± Send a notice out. Cancel all the contracts we signed with the Corewell Corporation at all costs. I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The stony voice sent a chill down Paxton¡¯s spine. He knew the Corewell Corporation was doomed this time. Even Roman and his family might find it hard to live in Zerwick in the future, let alone Roman¡¯s corporation. How dared Roman help that jerk Korbin to hurt Catherine? Catherine was the most important one to Branden, and Branden would never allow anyone toy a finger on her. Those who dared to harm Catherine must pay the price. Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Chapter 396 1 Versus 4 When they were about to enter the turn, the speed was limited to 40 ording to the traffic rules. The driver¡¯s deceleration did not raise the suspect of the following cars. The speed was slow, so the vehicles behind did not dare get too close to them. Catherine caught an opportunity when the car drove past the next turn and was about to leave the highway. She opened the car door and leaped out. The driver was astonished but did not dare hesitate and sped up. Only in that way could he not arouse the suspicions of the cars following behind and ensure Catherine¡¯s safety. Catherine made several rolls and got onto the green belt. The driving speed was not fast, and Catherine was agile, so she did not even have a scratch. Catherine heard the engines off and knew that her enemies might have seen what she had done. She spotted a ditch not far away. That ce was dark and wet, and people barely went there. After confirming where her destination was, Catherine set off for it. Several men following behind Catherine thought she had fled into any ce she could find, so she chose somewhere that was more advantageous for them. The men had been worried that it would be inconvenient for them to take down Catherine with many people around, but Catherine went to a ce where nobody would see them. It was a perfect ce for them to deal with her. The four men looked at each other and decided to corner her. They split up to outnk the culvert. It was dark inside the culvert. After the four men slowly entered it, they could not find any trace of Catherine. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°No idea. She¡¯s probably hiding somewhere. How about we turn on a shlight? This ce is not big. She can¡¯t escape.¡± They entered the culvert from both sides and were sure Catherine did not leave it. The four men turned on a shlight. There was no one but the four in the small ditch. ¡°Damn it. How could she disappear just like that?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Abruptughter rang above them before they could figure out what had happened. ¡°Huh¡­¡± The four men looked up subconsciously and saw Catherine supporting herself on the ceiling. She dug her slender fingers inside the cracks between the b stones and got herself above them with incredible arm strength. The four men had no time to react when Catherine lowered herself with incredible speed. She swept her leg and kicked one of them away. Only then did the other three men regain their senses and realize what a mighty person they were facing. They withdrew their slight attitude toward Catherine and decided to attack Catherine together. Catherine gained her foothold and had her arms around her chest. She looked at the three men contemptuously. She was not flustered when the three men besieged her. There was still the calmness and rxation she always had on her appealing face. The distances between them were decreasing. One man was so close to Catherine now. The danger set in. Catherine made the move suddenly and punched hard at the man¡¯s belly from close quarters. The men screamed in pain and kept staggering back. He finally stood unsteadily on the spot. But it onlysted three seconds before the man spat out a mouthful of blood, and the others heard a muffled sound. The man copsed onto the ground and could no longer stand. The other two men were stunned as they watched what had happened. It was not difficult for a great fighter to knock a person out with force from up to down. But Catherine only had one punch at such a close distance, and the man spat out blood and fell to the ground. They could not imagine how strong Catherine¡¯s punch was. The two men could not believe their eyes. Their legs shook uncontrobly, and fear spread throughout their bodies. Catherine in front of them was like a demon from hell. She was powerful, murderous, and horrific. The color ebbed slowly from the men¡¯s faces until they were as white as a sheet. However, Catherine was calm and rxed and did not take them seriously. She moved toward the two men with an evil smile on her lips, terrifying. The two men stepped back subconsciously. If they had a chance to regret it, they would never have taken the fatal mission they had thought was easy. But there was no turning back. They had made their choice and had to bear the consequences. Catherine cast a cold nce at them. They dared to attack her, so they had to pay the price. She made her move so fast that the two men did not see iting. She grabbed one man¡¯s arm and gave him a shoulder throw before he could register what was going on. Catherine not only threw the man onto the ground hard but also dislocated one of the man¡¯s arms. She laughed scornfully. Still holding the man¡¯s arm, she whirled around and broke the man¡¯s arm. The man shrieked in pain, begging for forgiveness and help non-stop. They were in a remote ce, and no one woulde to save them. Catherine scratched her ear somewhat irritably and kicked the man¡¯s chest, who was already on the ground. The man rolled his eyes and lost consciousness. Catherine pped her hands and muttered in disgust, ¡°Too much noise.¡± The only one standing among the four men was stunned. When he noticed Catherine was looking in his direction, he turned around and wanted to flee. But he wished! How could he run away when Catherine had already targeted him? Catherine picked a fragment of a brick from the ground and urately hurled it at the man¡¯s back. ¡°Argh!¡± The man let out a scream and fell to the ground. Catherine straightened her clothes and pped her hands before she walked out of the ditch triumphantly. When passing by thest man falling to the ground, Catherine stepped on his body on purpose. She wanted to be fair to all four men and not let thest one suffer any less on the ground. Catherine walked out of the culvert. The sunshine was somewhat dazzling, and she frowned in displeasure. If not for those bugs dying her, she would have already been resting at home. She heard the roaring sound of the cars and then the screeching brakes. Catherine stopped her steps and looked around. Branden opened the car door hastily and got out. When he stood on the ground and raised his head, he immediately caught sight of Catherine as if they had telepathy. His brows loosened when he saw Catherine in front of him unharmed. Branden approached Catherine. He took her hands and checked her from head to toe before finally revealing a light smile. ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± Catherine¡¯s answer was proud. Branden reached to caress her cheek. ¡± You got dirt on your face. I¡¯m d you are fine.¡± Catherine had been in high spirits and unstoppable just now during the fight. Now that Branden had arrived, Catherine seemed to have be a mollusk and fell into Branden¡¯s arms. ¡± I¡¯m tired and sleepy.¡± Branden carried her up without hesitation and turned to walk toward the car. ¡°Come on. Let me take you home to rest.¡± Catherine leaned on his chest, her eyeszy as she stared at him and chatted, ¡± You said you were going back to thepany.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going now,¡± Branden answered without even thinking. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± A smile was ying around the edges of Catherine¡¯s lips. ¡°Cook for me when I wake up. Will you?¡± Branden answered patiently. His voice was tender and pleasant. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll make food for you when you wake.¡± Paxton identally overheard their conversation and shook his head silently. He nowprehended the power of beauty. Branden was as doting on Catherine as an ancient crazy king who would do anything for his queen. Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Chapter 397 I¡¯ll Stay With You Branden left, and Paxton was naturally the one to deal with the mess. Paxton watched his subordinates running toward him with astonished looks and knew that things were not simple. His brows knitted tightly as he asked his subordinates, ¡°What happened in there?¡± One of his subordinates dared not answer but lowered his head and said to Paxton, ¡°Paxton, you should see it yourself.¡± Paxton strode to the culvert and understood why his experienced subordinates would have such dumbfounded looks. Paxton saw the enemies passed out on the ground in various abnormal postures. He could not help but have the shivers. He even started to feel sorry for the enemies. Paxton did not expect Catherine, who looked so delicate, to be cruel and merciless. Paxton decided never to offend Catherine in the future. Seeing the scene before him, Paxton suddenly considered himself lucky. He was d Branden was important to Catherine so she would show Paxton, Carlo, and Cory mercy during their fight. Otherwise, the three Duncans might end up like that as well. After Catherine returned home to put her things down, she headed to Branden¡¯s ce. She took a shower and changed her clothes before lying down in bed. Catherine tossed and turned, feeling something wrong. She mulled over it and finally realized what was wrong. She got out of bed and walked out of the room. Branden was still busy at work with hisptop in the living room. Hearing footsteps, Branden looked over his shoulder. Catherine wore the pajamas he picked for her and stood nearby like a fragile little girl. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She did not have the usual aggressive aura about her, nor did she have the brutality she possessed during fights. She was like a little princess who was pretty, innocent, and lovely. Branden¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved automatically, and he stood up and walked toward Catherine. ¡°What happened?¡± His voice was so tender, like a mild breeze in spring. When he walked to her side, Catherine leaned closer and pressed her cheek on his chest. She whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. She was exhausted but could not sleep because she felt something was missing. Branden looked down and saw Catherine standing on the floor barefoot. His gentle face twisted into a scowl. He bent to carry Catherine up again and warned her in a low voice, ¡°Tell me if you need anything. Never walk barefoot again.¡± Catherine even walked on the ice river barefoot during the training back then, let alone on the floor. Her feet were almost disabled because of the ice. Walking without shoes at home was nothing to her. Catherine did not care at all. But she saw how Branden cared about her and put her into bed gently. He ced her feet on his chest and used his body temperature to warm her cold feet. Catherine changed her mind and nodded at Branden obediently. Branden touched her hair so tenderly with affection. ¡°My good girl.¡± Branden took off his coat andy in the bed with her. He reached out one hand to hold her shoulders. ¡°Try it again. I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡± Catherine did not respond to his words. She only nuzzled his chest and adjusted to the most comfortable posture before closing her eyes. She now found the thing she thought was missing. She wascking a pillow in human shape. She fell asleep soon with Branden by her side. Hearing her steady breathing, Branden looked up at the white ceiling and smiled bitterly and resignedly. Catherine had always been astute and cautious. Why did she trust him so much? Branden had to think of something solemn to calm himself down. He imagined a bucket of ice water pouring down from his head and making his head clear. He wanted to extinguish his desire for Catherine. Catherine did not know how long she had slept when Branden woke her up. It took her mind several seconds to react upon hearing Branden¡¯s voice. Then, she opened her eyes slowly and stared ahead nkly. She did not speak. There was no aggression on Catherine when she woke up, and she looked so soft and lovable. She was beguiling, and Branden could not help but kiss her gently on the forehead. ¡°Still sleepy?¡± Catherine moved her body in the bed and nodded reluctantly, acting like a child. Branden chuckled and said dotingly, ¡± Eat something before you go back to sleep. The dishes are ready. ¡°I¡¯ve made you beef Wellington, m chowder, meatloaf, and apple pie.¡± Every dish he said formed a picture in Catherine¡¯s mind, and she swallowed. Catherine seemed to love those dishes, and Branden was an expert at cooking them. Three secondster, Catherine finally could not resist the delicacy¡¯s temptation and sat up straight. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll wash up and eat!¡± Looking at her cheerful back rushing to the washroom, Branden shook his head with a smile. Branden was curious. How could such a lovely Catherine be so strong and aggressive during a fight? Paxton reported to Branden that two of the four men they had taken away were severely injured and were transported to the hospital in critical condition. Catherine tidied herself up and sat by the dining table. Branden did not lie to her. The food he prepared was all her favorites and inrge portions. Different from Audrey, Catherine did not need to restrict her diet. Catherine was young and metabolized fast enough. Even though she always ate a lot, she still had a surprisingly perfect body shape. After dinner, Branden cleared the table, took Catherine to the sofa, and sat down. ¡°The men who assaulted you in the afternoon have told us everything. Interested?¡± Catherine had intended to ask Ronin to investigate it after she woke up. Anyway, she would not let any of them go. Since Branden had investigated it for her, she did not have to do it herself. ¡°Who were they?¡± Catherine was interested, so Branden contacted Paxton. Soon, Paxton arrived and handed the files he had collected to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, those four men worked for the Swanns but were not the Shadow Guards. Korbin trained them separately to help him do his dirty work.¡± When they fought, Catherine knew the enemies were not from Asmein. The four men in the afternoon aimed at killing her, but those from Asmein only wanted to take her away. Catherine had offended many people over the years. Although her whereabouts were always kept a secret, every wall had a hole. Perhaps there were people mighty enough to know where she was and wanted revenge. Catherine could not think of who the mastermind was during the afternoon. She did not expect that the one who wanted her life was her biological father. It was so ridiculous. Branden frowned at Catherine and asked softly, ¡°How do you want to deal with this?¡± He did not believe that Catherine would be soft-hearted and care about the blood bond with Korbin. She was not that kind of person. But no matter what, Korbin was Catherine¡¯s father, so Branden had to consider the fact before he took action. If Korbin were not Catherine¡¯s family, Branden would have done something after discovering that Korbin tried to murder Catherine. And Korbin would never exist in Casier ever since. Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Who Do You Think You Are? ¡°How do I want to deal with this? Well¡­ Catherine sneered, and her eyes darkened. Her voice was icy. ¡°§¯§Ö deserves to be punished.¡± She had nothing rted to Korbin other than the blood bond. Catherine would not want Korbin¡¯s life since he was her father. Yet, Korbin had done things wrong and needed to be punished. He dared to think of getting rid of her and had to be prepared for her fury and the consequences. Paxton was standing to one side and when he saw Catherine¡¯s sneer, it sent chills down his spine. He thought Korbin must be nuts not to love his outstanding daughter and, instead, want to kill her. Even wild beasts looked after their young. Korbin was even worse than the beasts and arranged for killers to murder his daughter! The point was that didn¡¯t Korbin know how capable Catherine was? No one could save Korbin, even though he was Catherine¡¯s father. Catherine stroked her slightly gorged belly and said casually, ¡°I¡¯m stuffed. Maybe I can take a walk and visit my father.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Branden made a decision immediately. Paxton took the hint and went downstairs to start the car. At the Swanns¡¯. It was night, and the men Korbin sent had yet to return. Korbin¡¯s assistant did not call him, and Korbin knew something must have gone wrong. He took out the hidden phone and made a call. When the call got through, Korbin secretly heaved a sigh of relief. His assistant still answered the phone, so it was probably not that big of an issue. Korbin said in stateliness and anger, 11 What¡¯s wrong with you? I asked you to report to me timely. Did you forget it?¡± However, the reply he received was his assistant sobbing over the phone. ¡°Mr. Swann, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help you anymore.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Korbin furrowed his brows and an irritated expression appeared on his face. ¡°Mr. Swann, I¡¯ve been taken to a wastnd in another country, and they¡¯ve caged me. They only left me a satellite phone. I¡¯m risking my head now. I can¡¯t help you.¡± With that, Korbin¡¯s assistant cut the call. He looked up at the robust men around and begged, ¡°Sirs, I did everything you requested. Could you let me go now?¡± The leader smiled mischievously at Korbin¡¯s assistant, and his eyes twinkled with fun. ¡°We¡¯ll keep our promise and won¡¯t kill you since you were so well-behaved. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go.¡± The men left right away before Korbin¡¯s assistant could react. The assistant was kept in a small cage and could not stand straight. Korbin¡¯s assistant freaked out. He was in a wastnd overseas! He patted the cage and yelled for help, ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you! Please take me with you! ¡°Help! Anyone help me!¡± No one responded to his cries for help, but his voice attracted some green- eyed animals. The wolves howled, along with the dholes. The sound was bone-chilling. The assistant in the cage was scared out of wits and desperate. Meanwhile, Korbin held the phone and scowled. He did not seem to understand what happened when the call was cut. There was an insistent knock on his door, which startled him and cast his mind back. He boomed a reply, ¡°Come in.¡± Ezra pushed the door open and reported to Korbin. ¡°Sir, Miss Catherine is here. She¡¯s in the living room now.¡± Korbin¡¯s face turned grim. He mmed the table furiously and bellowed, ¡± Damn it! How dare shee here? I¡¯ll be right down.¡± Catherine sat on the sofa in the living room. Unlike the otherdies from the wealthy family, Catherine¡¯s posture was casual, and she put her feet on the tea table. She looked arrogant. The servants were dismissed. No one dared to pour Catherine a cup of coffee without order. Those were the Swanns, and the house was under Catherine¡¯s name. Catherine had left it be for too long. She thought it was time to rectify this. Footsteps rang in Catherine¡¯s ears, but she still sat there leisurely and did not turn back. Korbin came into the living room and saw Catherine¡¯s improper posture. He was irritated again and roared, ¡°Look at you! Do you realize you¡¯re a girl? Mind your behavior! You unruly country girl!¡± His words just fell when he felt a chill in the air. Korbin turned his head and met Branden¡¯s malicious look. Korbin¡¯s heart skipped a beat out of fear. Korbin had to drop the idea of scolding Catherine again. He said to Ezra behind him, ¡°Get two cups of coffee for us.¡± Right. Only two cups. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Korbin did not even prepare a cup of coffee for Catherine, and his house did not wee her. Catherine just sat on the sofa calmly without a word. Ezra served the coffee. He stole a nce at Korbin and only put one cup in front of Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, please.¡± Branden¡¯s look was indifferent, and he said nothing. He took the cup and handed it to Catherine. ¡°The temperature is right. Drink some? Seeing how Branden coaxed Catherine to drink the coffee, Ezra¡¯s face burned with shame. He had learned the way of hospitality his whole life and naturally understood what Branden meant. Korbin wanted to teach Catherine lesson, telling her she was unwee, but they did not expect Branden to help Catherine and humiliate them. People wouldugh at their way of receiving guests if they heard about it. Korbin was quite out of countenance, but that was Branden, and he could not vent his anger at Branden. Korbin could only target Catherine. Before Korbin said anything, Catherine spat out the sip of coffee she had just taken. ¡°What the hell is this? Disgusting!¡± Branden was cooperative and took the cup away. He then coaxed Catherine again. ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯ll make you better-tasting coffeeter.¡± How the two were on the same side embarrassed Korbin. Korbin could not stand it anymore and yelled harshly at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you didn¡¯te home to visit me but to make a fuss, did you?¡± Catherine raised her eyes and rested her meaningful and disdainful eyes on Korbin. ¡°Visit you? Who do you think you are that deserves my visit?¡± ¡°You!¡± Korbin trembled in rage. Catherine did not care and continued arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯m one of the Swanns, and this is the house under my name. Why do I need your permission toe to my house?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an unfilial daughter!¡± Korbin could control himself no more and exploded with wrath. ¡°Unfilial daughter?¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting way to address me. I thought we were not rted as father and daughter.¡± Her words somehow confused Korbin, and he snarled, ¡°You¡¯re not my daughter! You¡¯re a jinx!¡± Catherine put her legs down slowly and stood up. She was ruthless and imposing. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Turn Back from the Wrong Path Catherine¡¯s imposing momentum stunned Korbin. He didn¡¯t know what Catherine meant. While he was in a daze, Catherine continued speaking. ¡°Since you don¡¯t admit our rtionship, of course I don¡¯t need to admit you¡¯re my father. In this case, please get out of the Swanns¡¯!¡± Korbin not only acted tyrannically in her house but also wanted to kill her. What on earth had she done to make these people think she could be easily bullied? ¡°Brat, you finally said it, huh?¡± Korbin gnashed his teeth and grimaced in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t know what trick you yed to make your grandpa leave all the family assets to you. Now that you¡¯ve got them, you¡¯re going to retaliate against me, right? ¡°I¡¯m the eldest son of the Swanns and you¡¯re my daughter. Catherine, aren¡¯t you afraid that others may curse you behind your back?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Apart from cursing Catherine, Korbin alsoined about her to Branden. ¡°Branden, you¡¯re the son of a big family anyway. How can the Duncans allow you to marry such a woman? After all, you¡¯ve seen the fierce and wicked side of hers?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Branden couldn¡¯t helpughing. He stared at Korbin with obvious mockery in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Swann, you¡¯re old now. You¡¯d better not lose your temper easily. It¡¯s bad for your health! ¡°I know Kathy well. She is gentle, pure, innocent, and asionally stubborn. You¡¯re her father. Don¡¯t you know her better than me?¡± Korbin choked in anger and thought, ¡± How can Catherine be gentle and pure?¡± He was rendered speechless by Branden¡¯s words! Korbin didn¡¯t know whether Branden was actually blind or Catherine was so enchanting that even Branden was captivated by her. Korbin gave a gasp of fury, thinking, ¡± Catherine is big trouble indeed!¡± Catherine paid no attention to what Korbin said to her because she never cared about what outsiders thought of her. However, Branden never allowed anyone to vilify Catherine. He threw to Korbin the materials that had been brought here by Paxton. ¡°Since you have so many problems with Catherine, why don¡¯t you take a look at these?¡± Korbin settled his gaze on Branden and saw thetter look at him disdainfully with arched eyebrows. ¨¢ hint of suspicion shed through his mind. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know after taking a look at it!¡± Korbin unfolded the document and took a look at it. His heart sank instantly. After his assistant got into trouble, he knew that what he had done couldn¡¯t be concealed anymore. He didn¡¯t expect that Branden would find so many things about him. It seemed that the Duncans were really powerful. Korbin thought, ¡°It turns out that Catherine has piggybacked on the Duncans. No wonder she¡¯s so tough now!¡± He realized that his scheme had been exposed. So, he couldn¡¯t bother to continue acting and decided to go all out. Korbin tossed the document onto the table randomly and arrogantly gazed at Catherine and Branden. ¡°Catherine, yes, it¡¯s me who sent those people to get rid of you. So what? You brought Branden here today. Are you gonna question me with the power of the Duncans?¡± ¡°With the power of the Duncans?¡± Catherine raised her head and sized up Korbin with a cold sneer. ¡°Do I need that to deal with you?¡± Her scornful and arrogant attitude could irritate anyone easily. Korbin was always a proud man. Despised by a girl now, how could he bear with it? ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t get too arrogant! Do you think you¡¯re invincible because you have the assets of the Swanns and are backed by the Duncans? ¡°You want this house. Fine, I¡¯ll give it to you, but you should know you¡¯ll beg me one day!¡± Korbin showed a triumphant smile on his face. Now he didn¡¯t mind falling out with Catherine. He had been fully prepared. He would make Catherine regret it and let her know the consequence of offending him. Catherine slowly got up and turned her neck. Then, she took a casual look at Branden. Branden immediately took her hint and said to her gently, ¡°You may go on. I¡¯ll go out and get some fresh air. Let me know if anything.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine replied. Branden stood up and walked out of the Swanns¡¯. Korbin didn¡¯t understand why Catherine would suddenly let Branden leave them alone, but he could faintly feel that something seemed to be wrong with Catherine. After Branden got out, Catherine¡¯s eyes rested upon Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, am I tough now, or are you well prepared?¡± Since Korbin didn¡¯t admit Catherine was his daughter, why would she treat him as her father? The smile on Korbin¡¯s face froze at once. He looked Catherine up and down, seemingly trying to see through her trick. ¡°What do you mean? What on earth do you know?¡± ¡°Hmph. What do I know?¡± Catherine fiddled with her fingers randomly in a leisurely look. ¡°Then you should confess what on earth you have done first. Apart from the business with the Winfreds in Oceanvile, what have you done to the Swann Corporation? ¡°Why don¡¯t we discuss it a bit?¡± Catherine slightly narrowed her eyes with a faint smile in her eyes and just stared at Korbin. Her seemingly innocent eyes contained a strong sense of oppression, making Korbin ufortable all over. Korbin felt insecure as if he was being stripped naked at that moment. He kept sizing up Catherine and observed her facial expression, trying to find out what she meant. He thought, ¡°What on earth does Catherine know? ¡°My cooperation with the Winfreds is confidential. How did she know that? ¡°Is it because of the Duncans again? ¡°The Duncans are terrifying and resentful. If Catherine handed over the Swann Corporation obediently, our rtionship wouldn¡¯t have be like this. ¡°Now that the Swanns and the Duncans are rted by marriage, the situation shouldn¡¯t be so serious. ¡°It¡¯s all this girl¡¯s fault. She is the bane against her parents indeed. ¡°My career has been ruined by her.¡± Korbin said to Catherine, ¡°Catherine, let me tell you. No matter what you know, you can¡¯t change it anyway. You¡¯d better apologize to me. Given that you¡¯re my daughter, as long as you act obediently, I still can offer you a well -off life and help you marry into the Duncans!¡± Korbin gave Catherine thest warning. ¡°Otherwise, without the powerful help of the Swanns, do you think you can marry into the Duncans on your own or with Branden¡¯s affection for you?¡± He was born into a big family. He understood what those big families thought. Once the Swanns behind Catherine got destroyed and he refused to admit that Catherine was his daughter, Catherine would finish. She would be the bane, cast aside by all! ¡°You¡¯d better turn back from the wrong path. Otherwise, I¡¯ll immediately make a statement in the newspaper to disown you!¡± Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Chapter 400 He¡¯s Done This Time Catherine felt that he was so ridiculous. It was the 21st century. And this old man still tried to threaten her by disowning her. Korbin was still waiting for Catherine to bow to him and show repentance. He didn¡¯t believe that Catherine would really dare to disown him. Unexpectedly, the next second, the reply he got almost stunned him. ¡°Mr. Swann, I¡¯ve got a rtionship with the editor of Casier News. Do you need me to set you up with the editor?¡± Hearing the reply, Korbin almost passed out in anger. Catherine was bold indeed. Since she dared to be so arrogant, he wouldn¡¯t show mercy then. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll make a statement in the newspaper tomorrow!¡± Catherine nodded with satisfaction. ¡± Since we¡¯re no longer rted, I think there is something you should know!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Korbin stared at her with a frown. Catherine took out her phone and made a call. Then, she put it on the speaker and threw it to the table. Korbin didn¡¯t know what she was up to. Somehow, he felt she didn¡¯t mean well. Then, the voice that came from the other side of the line made him stiff instantly. ¡°Catherine, what can I do for you?¡± This¡­ This was¡­ Korbin recognized the voice was Erick¡¯s. Yes, it was Erick¡¯s voice. While Korbin was in a daze, Catherine said slowly, ¡°Erick, give Mr. Swann a briefing on the Winfred Group!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Erick¡¯s voice was rather serious and his attitude was rather respectful as if he was a responsible subordinate. ¡°Mr. Swann, hello. This is Erick Olsen. Catherine is my boss. Now, all my shares under the Winfred Group belong to Catherine. And thepany you and I established jointly is also financed by her!¡± Hearing Erick¡¯s statement, Catherine waved at Korbin. Needless to say, Korbin realized what was going on. Gradually, he came back to his senses and slumped onto the sofa. Erick turned out to work for Catherine. In other words, what he had done in Oceanvile would be actually for Catherine. He thought his n was perfect. However, he turned out to be a pawn. It was really hard for Korbin to ept this. He sat bemusedly.. Catherine stood up and walked to him, looking down at him from a height. ¡°My grandpa told me to keep you alive. ¡°For his sake, I won¡¯t kill you. But you¡¯d better put aside the wicked thoughts. If you dare to act against me again, I have a lot of ways to make you lie on the bed without being able to move a finger. ¡°As for the assets you¡¯ve transferred into Oceanvile, I¡¯ll regard them as the Swann Corporation¡¯s investment in Oceanvile and help you finish the wish of expanding the Swann Corporation.¡± Korbin raised his head to look at Catherine. At this moment, it was the first time that Catherine had made him feel frightened. It turned out that she was sopetent. He had messed with her and even seized the assets he had transferred to Oceanvile with great efforts before. He was done! Now, he was really done! Korbin was overwhelmed by pain. With a cold face, Catherine remainedposed and walked away right in front of him. However, when she went through the door, Catherine still informed the butler. She didn¡¯t leave Korbin to die! From now on, the Swann Corporation didn¡¯t need Korbin anymore. He would just stay here quietly and enjoy the rest of his life. If he dared to have any bad intentions, she would definitely make him pay! She would make Korbin lie in bed for the rest of his life! The moment Catherine got out, Branden noticed that. So, he came to her. ¡°Is everything done?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine nodded. Branden held her hand and left the Swanns¡¯ without hesitation. This was the house built by Vicente. She didn¡¯t mind leaving it to Korbin and his family. It was for the sake of Vicente. Catherine finally reported back after a leave of absence and started to go to school. Recently, the students of ss 8 were all so busy preparing for the final exam that they didn¡¯t feel like gossiping anymore. Even though Catherine hade back, no one cared about what she had done over the past several days. They just said a few words of concern and then left her alone. However, Liana had been isted for a long time due to the previous matter. The situation finally eased these days. As soon as Catherine appeared, everybody seemed to have their memory back. Liana hated Catherine for thetter¡¯s appearance. She didn¡¯t know why Vicente liked Catherine so much. She wished that Catherine would have died! However, no matter how much Liana hated Catherine, it couldn¡¯t change the truth that Catherine was getting more and more popr in the ss. Catherine was always aware of Liana¡¯s hostility but she just never cared. After all, there were so many people who hated her. If she cared about them all, she would be really exhausted. As long as Liana didn¡¯t cause trouble, Catherine didn¡¯t care how much Liana hated her. Now that Catherine hade back, Ronin was the happiest one. He learned that Catherine had taken Withal to save people in an imposing manner. ording to Withal, the scene was really awesome. Ronin felt really jealous. It was a pity that he wasn¡¯t there. Now Catherine was finally back. He was still Catherine¡¯s favorite subordinate. He didn¡¯t have to be jealous of others. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re back!¡± Catherine abruptly pushed Ronin who wanted to approach her and then stood up. Seeing that she was leaving, Ronin hastened to ask, ¡°Catherine, where are you going? Take me with you.¡± Catherine tilted her head to take a look at him, scaring Ronin to sit back at once. When he sat down, Catherine exined where she was going. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the homeroom teacher to report back after an absence of leave.¡± After knowing that, Ronin didn¡¯t want to go with her then. Catherine found the homeroom teacher and submitted the second note for leave. The homeroom teacher looked at her with a smile, ¡°Kathy, congrattions on winning the championship and bringing such a high honor to ss 8.¡± Catherine arched her brows and made no response. Others would think Catherine was arrogant. Yet, the homeroom teacher knew her well. She was aware that Catherine just didn¡¯t care. The homeroom teacher dragged Catherine aside and whispered, ¡°I have good news to share with you. The principal said I had a great chance of getting a promotion and a pay rise.¡± Catherine raised her brows and said gently with a faint smile, ¡°Miss, congrattions. You¡¯ve finally got what you wanted!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your support. Thank you!¡± The homeroom teacher knew Catherine had made lots of effort to make her get a promotion and a pay rise. In her eyes, Catherine was merely hard on the outside but soft on the inside. She was just not expressive. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve got the note of leave. Go back to the ss!¡± Catherine said goodbye to the homeroom teacher and returned to her ss as usual.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. As the bell for ss rang, she leaned over the desk and slept. However, she was awoken by the sound of the phone vibrating. ording to the rules in ss, Catherine always put her phone on vibrate. Having taken a look at the phone, Catherine found the caller was Kim and guessed it should be about Audrey. She raised her hand and asked for a leave with the excuse of going to the toilet. Catherine loved sleeping but she always followed the rules. This kind of situation barely happened, so her request was permitted by the teacher. After getting the teacher¡¯s permission, Catherine stood up, got out of the ss, and picked up the call at the crossing. Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 She¡¯s Pregnant Half an hourter, Catherine arrived at the destination ording to the address provided by Kim. In a parlor of a remote coffee shop, she met Kim, who was wearing a cap and sunsses. Catherine took a seat. Kim stared at her mysteriously. ¡°Did you look around and notice if you were stalked on the way here?¡± ¡°No!¡± Catherine replied coldly. Kim didn¡¯t believe her and then asked again, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Catherine shot him a look, which was intimidating enough for him. Kim trembled all over and dared not ask further. He smiled coquettishly and then looked at Catherine fawningly. ¡°Force of habit. You know, your sister is getting more popr. I have to be cautious.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t take that to heart and then asked coldly, ¡°You said that Audrey was in trouble. What happened? She didn¡¯t think anything serious would happen to Audrey. After all, she had arranged for someone to protect Audrey. Audrey couldn¡¯t be in danger. Just now, Kim called her anxiously, saying that he wanted to talk with her about Audrey. He also mentioned Audrey was in trouble. At his request, Catherine came to meet him. As Catherine asked the question, Kim hastened to lower his voice and acted like he was nervous. ¡°I¡¯ll tell only you about this. She¡¯s your sister. You won¡¯t hurt her, right?¡± Catherine was a bit annoyed about Kim¡¯s shilly-shallying, so she cast a warning nce at him again. Her eyes only were enough to make Kim feel suffocated. Kim felt a bit regretful about calling Catherine out. It was like torment to him. Now he didn¡¯t dare to hesitate or keep her in suspense. He hastened to tell her what she wanted to know. ¡°Catherine, I suspect your sister is pregnant!¡± That was quite shocking. Even Catherine was taken aback. These days, she didn¡¯t show concern for Audrey. Although she felt something was wrong with Audrey, she believed Audrey was an adult, who should be able to solve problems on her own. So, Catherine didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. Now as it appeared, Audrey didn¡¯t seem to have been able to solve problems on her own. As Catherine stayed quiet, Kim thought she was astonished by the news. So, he continued talking about his conjecture. ¡°Catherine, I noticed your sister often felt like throwing up. I also identally found she had bought pregnancy test sticks. Is she really pregnant? ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t reach her these days. I told her to have a few days off and she really did. She even turned off her phone!¡± After hearing that, Catherine stood up and left. ¡°Catherine, where are you going?¡± When Kim ran out, Catherine was gone. He couldn¡¯t find her at all. Kim was really helpless when it came to Audrey and Catherine. Audrey was the most difficult celebrity to work with for him. Catherine returned to the apartment at the fastest speed. The moment she opened the door, she saw the shoes on the ground. Then, she knew she guessed it right. Audrey didn¡¯t leave. She was hiding in the apartment. Catherine knocked on the door to Audrey¡¯s room. A whileter, Audrey finally opened the door with messy hair. ¡°Eh, Kathy, why are you back?¡± Without saying a word, Catherine grabbed a coat from aside and put it on Audrey. Then, she just grasped Audrey¡¯s hand and walked outside. Audrey was confused and subconsciously asked, ¡°Kathy, where are you taking me to?¡± Catherine said nothing and kept dragging Catherine forward. Audrey was dragged to the underground garage without a chance to struggle. Catherine wanted to ride her motorcycle but something suddenly urred to her. Then, she turned her head and asked Audrey, ¡°Where is your car key?¡± Audrey never took her car key with her, because she always left things behind. She lost things too easily. She had installed the rted software on her phone so that she could drive the car with her phone. She started the car. Blinking her eyes, she looked at Catherine. ¡°Kathy, what on earth do you want to do?¡± Catherine paid no attention to Audrey¡¯s question. After sending a message to Branden, she focused on driving. She had never driven such a slow car. And this was also a mini Beetle, which was very girly as well. Driven by Catherine, the car finally arrived at the underground garage of the hospital. Then, Catherine received a call from Branden and he offered her an address. Paxton was waiting there for them. Seeing their car appear, Paxton immediately rushed forward to open the door and weed Catherine¡¯s arrival. ¡°Miss Swann, Mr. Branden has arranged everything. Please follow me.¡± Catherine dragged Audrey out of the car and followed Paxton forward. Then, totally at a loss, Audrey was pushed into the examination room for a series of checkups. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Half an hourter, Audrey got out of the examination room together with the doctor. The doctor had received an order. She knew what to do. Without saying anything, she directly passed the result of the examination to Catherine. Catherine nced at it only to find the result wrote, ¡°No fertilized egg is found!¡± And the blood test also showed that Audrey wasn¡¯t pregnant. After doing a series of checkups, Audrey finally figured out what was going on. It turned out that Catherine thought Audrey was pregnant, so Catherine took her to the hospital for an examination. Audrey looked at Catherine with a bitter smile. ¡°Kathy, why did you think I was pregnant? I¡¯m not pregnant!¡± She was taken to the hospital by Catherine before she found out what happened. What a huge mistake! Catherine stared at her suspiciously, ¡± Since you¡¯re not pregnant, why did you buy the pregnancy test stick?¡± Audrey lowered her head and didn¡¯t dare to respond to Catherine. Paxton found something was wrong and realized that he shouldn¡¯t stay there. He hastened to excuse himself and also empty the whole floor. After all the people left, Catherine finally opened her mouth. ¡°Tell me. What on earth happened?¡± With her arms around her chest, she looked into Audrey¡¯s eyes. Without raising her head, Audrey still could feel Catherine was sizing her up. She couldn¡¯t help it. Catherine¡¯s sense of presence was so strong that Audrey couldn¡¯t ignore them. Catherine asked further, ¡°Do you need me to find the man?¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Audrey raised her head and looked at Catherine in horror and kept shaking her head. ¡°No need!¡± After saying that, Audrey lowered her head and kept quiet. Audrey knew that Catherine wouldn¡¯t let go since she was aware of this matter. So, Audrey had to exin it to her. ¡°The other day, I felt sick to my stomach and wanted to throw up. I thought I was pregnant. I was worried about being found if I came to the hospital. So, I used Kim¡¯s ount to buy pregnant test sticks!¡± She often used Kim¡¯s ount to buy things to avoid being found by her crazy fans. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect something would be wrong with the pregnant test sticks I bought. After I used the stick, I thought I was pregnant!¡± Catherine finally understood why. No wonder Audrey looked so weird before. It turned out that Audrey thought she was pregnant. ¡°What happened after that?¡± Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Chapter 402 How Dare You Call Her That Way Faced with Catherine¡¯s questions, Audrey felt that Catherine was even more terrifying than Korbin and exuded a feeling as imposing as Vicente. Audrey even felt that the reason why Vicente passed the Swanns¡¯ assets to Catherine was that Catherine shared simr character traits to Vicente. Somehow, she felt frightened and couldn¡¯t even look into Catherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°I was deceived by the fake product and thought I was pregnant. As a result, I acted a bit decadently for a few days, and then Kim found it. The other day, I had a stomachache and went to the hospital only to find that I was diagnosed with a stomach flu!¡± After saying that, Audrey felt extremely awkward. For the moment, she wished to bury her head in the sand. After hearing Audrey out, Catherine felt relieved for Audrey. Audrey was in the crucial stage of her career. If she was pregnant, she would have to choose between her career and her baby. Just as well it was a mistake. It would save a lot of trouble. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and take a rest!¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Audrey was originally worried about if Catherine would ask who she had slept with. Unexpectedly, Catherine asked nothing. Audrey let out a sigh of relief in secret and followed Catherine away. Now that she knew that Audrey was fine, Catherine had no scruples then. Catherine took an elevator downstairs with Audrey. As they opened the door, they heard a voiceing from the front. ¡°Catherine¡­¡± The familiar voice made Catherine raise her head subconsciously. She saw Triston standing in front of them slovenly. He stood there, putting his arm around the shoulders of a sexy and pretty girl with a curvy body shape. The girl must have had a lot of stic surgeries on her face, which suited Triston¡¯s taste. Triston saw not only Catherine but also Audrey. ¡°Whoa, why are you two here? Are you injured?¡± Catherine said nothing. Instead, Audrey couldn¡¯t help roasting Triston after seeing him. ¡°What are the odds? I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. Are you infected with any illness as you didn¡¯t take proper measures?¡± Triston didn¡¯t expect Audrey to mock him on purpose. His face immediately sank. ¡°Audrey, we¡¯re friends anyway. Why are you being so mean?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Audrey snorted with contempt. ¡°Mr. Lambert, I¡¯m kindly reminding you to be careful of your health!¡± Seeing that Triston was about to refute her, Audrey argued back ahead of him, ¡± Enough, Mr. Lambert. I¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡± ¡°Kathy, let¡¯s go!¡± After saying that, Audrey dragged Catherine away. Triston felt so mad that he got out of control at once. The pretty girl next to him said in a soft voice, ¡°Mr. Lambert, please don¡¯t take this kind of annoying bitch to heart. She looks so cheap!¡± Upon hearing the word bitch, Triston wore a sullen look right away. He stared at the girl coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve been with me for two days only, but you¡¯ve got some nerve. How dare you call her bitch?¡± The girl didn¡¯t expect Triston would take it out on her all of a sudden. She was freaked out and instantly wanted to defend herself in a flurry. ¡°Mr. Lambert, I¡­¡± Triston shook away her arm and cast a gloomy nce at her. ¡°The car at the door is for you. Don¡¯t contact me anymore!¡± After saying that, Triston left on his own. The girl wanted to rush forward but didn¡¯t dare to. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend Triston. If she messed with him, she would be in big trouble. Staring at the key to the sports car, the girl felt unwilling to let go. It took her a lot of effort to triumph over other girls and snatch a great man like Triston, but she had been dumped. It was so outrageous! It was the two women¡¯s fault. And she knew one of them. After all, she was a model. Of course, she knew that Audrey was a star. The girl originally intended to leave, but as she realized that she was still in the hospital, she came up with a brilliant idea. She decided to teach Audrey a lesson. She took out her phone and sent a message. Since Audrey caused trouble for her, the girl would make life difficult for Audrey. Audrey didn¡¯t expect to meet Triston here. As she thought of Triston, she felt increasingly angry. She couldn¡¯t help losing her temper. ¡°Kathy, why was I so unlucky? Why did I meet Triston the scumbag?¡± Catherine replied with a cold expression. ¡°No matter what kind of man Triston is, it has nothing to do with you or me! ¡°Psychologically, the more you take somebody to heart, the more concern you will show for him!¡± Her simple words instantly struck Audrey dumb. After she collected herself, she didn¡¯t dare to look into Catherine¡¯s eyes. She looked away and didn¡¯t dare to look at Catherine. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. I just dislike that scumbag and want to get rid of him for the society!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t refute her. One should never try to wake up the beast. Afterward, Audrey and Catherine took some intestines and stomach coordinating medicine together and decided to leave the hospital. Audrey went to a clinic before. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as reliable as the hospital. Since Audrey had done the checkups, she might as well take some medicine for body conditioning. As soon as the two of them got out of the hospital, a group of people suddenly rushed to them. The overwhelming shlights made the two of them unable to open their eyes at all. A group of journalists gathered around them, holding microphones and followed by photographers. ¡°Audrey, I heard you are pregnant. Is it real?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the father of your baby?¡± ¡°Are you here for an abortion?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid the sudden pregnancy will affect your career and hurt your fans¡¯ hearts?¡± Various questions kepting to her. Even though Audrey was used to this kind of life, she didn¡¯t know how to deal with the situation at the moment. At other times, Kim would protect her from this. Now, she didn¡¯t know what to say. The journalists strived to squeeze forward as if they could get first-hand information as long as they arrived in front of her. Audrey couldn¡¯t respond to the questions. She could only lower her head instinctively. With a frown, Catherine held Audrey¡¯s hand and wanted to leave with her. The journalists kept following them. Catherine and Audrey couldn¡¯t leave at all. A journalist even deliberately triggered a conflict to acquire better news. He poked the camera at Audrey¡¯s head, seemingly trying to make her raise her head this way. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Audrey¡¯s head was hit. She let out a scream in pain. Audrey turned her head and happened to see the journalist taking photos of the scene with a comcent expression. When she saw the scene, Catherine¡¯s face sank at once. Originally, she thought since Audrey was working in showbiz, for Audrey¡¯s own good, it was better not to intervene in Audrey¡¯s matter. However, these people were really out of line. Catherine stopped and looked back. The journalist got excited and thought there would be big news for him. He wished it could be the news big enough to hit the headline. He kept pressing the camera button. His excitement even surpassed the sense of crisis. He didn¡¯t realize how dangerous the situation would be. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Show No Respect for Laws Catherine reached out her hand to knock down the camera. The journalist was dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be so fierce. A camera would cost a few ten thousand dors. However, he collected himself at once and scolded Catherine with a stern look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? How could you hit me? I¡¯m a journalist. It¡¯s my job to take photos.¡± He was surrounded by journalists. To stir things up, other journalists all showed support for the one who had been hit. ¡°Exactly! How can you beat him?¡± ¡°You show no respect forws at all!¡± Catherine nced around and settled her gloomy gaze on everyone. Her eyes were as sharp as arrows. Some journalists who were cowardly had subconsciously stayed back. Even those bold journalists didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. Even the journalist who stirred up the trouble ceased his trap! Catherine took a step forward and grabbed his cor in front of all. She lifted him off the ground directly. The journalist didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be so tough. Instantly, he was stupefied. He merely wanted to do his job. He didn¡¯t want to risk his life. A glint of fierceness shed across Catherine¡¯s eyes. Her beautiful face looked rather terrifying as if being covered with ayer of ice. Her voice was as cold as frost. ¡°Audrey is a star. You¡¯re a journalist. It¡¯s your job to take photos of her, but you shouldn¡¯t hurt her!¡± ¡°Show no respect forws? Hmph¡­¡± Catherine snorted coldly. ¡°How about I take her to check her wound and see who attacked first?¡± The journalist knew that he had hurt Audrey indeed. Yet, he didn¡¯t expect Audrey¡¯s sister to be so tough and fight back at once. Catherine threw him aside as he didn¡¯t respond. Then, she leaned aside and reached out her finger to point at the people who had said awful things to Audrey. ¡°Just now, you said Audrey came to the hospital for an abortion! ¡°You said Audrey was pregnant! ¡°You asked who the baby¡¯s father was! N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Am I right?¡± The journalists whom Catherine had pointed at didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do. They only felt that Catherine¡¯s momentum was so powerful that they were all awed and wanted to run for their lives. Catherine withdrew the report result from Audrey¡¯s hand in front of them and then showed the medicine to them. ¡°Look carefully. This is the statement for the stomach flu examination. And this is the doctor¡¯s diagnosis report. This is the medicine! ¡°Audrey merely has the stomach flu. So, you¡¯re all ndering her!¡± Audrey stood aside, watching Catherine confronting the journalists for her. She was aware of Catherine¡¯s character. Catherine disliked exining things and spent her words as if every word were a golden coin. Nevertheless, for Audrey¡¯s sake, Catherine had to exin the whole thing in front of so many people. They were all journalists. If Catherine didn¡¯t show evidence on the spot, Audrey would be affected no matter how hard she tried to rify the matterter. The most effective way was to show the evidence and p them in the face right now. The journalists present were astonished to see the evidence in Catherine¡¯s hands. They received a tip that Audrey was having a pregnancy test in the hospital, so they just rushed here. This was amon practice. As long as a female star showed up at the door of the hospital, the journalists would report on their pregnancy. Even if that was not the truth, the female star would rify itter. Never had anyone been so tough. Originally, they all thought things would be over after Catherine showed the diagnosis result. However, Catherine didn¡¯t mean to let them go. Raising the diagnosis result, Catherine settled her gaze on the journalists who had mored just now. ¡°You ndered Audrey before you figured out the truth. Even though you are journalists, so what? ¡°Just wait for thewyer¡¯s letters!¡± Unexpectedly, Catherine was not only tough but also acted immediately and resolutely. Yet, the journalists weren¡¯t that worried. After all, this had happened before. The case would be dyed. Even if the journalists lost the case, they would be required to make an apology letter in public at worst. After all, Audrey still had to stay in showbiz. She couldn¡¯t offend them. Several journalists often covered entertainment news. They all knew each other and then exchanged nces. They decided to work together to confront Catherine. Before they made a sound, a dozen men in uniform arrived in a hurry and protected Catherine and Audrey. The journalists saw the spokesman of the Duncan Corporation bowing to Catherine respectfully before they recovered from astonishment. They were ck-jawed in astoundment. The spokesman for the president¡¯s office of the Duncan Corporation actually bowed to Catherine! Paxton stood in front of Catherine respectfully. ¡°Miss Swann, the car has been ready for you. Leave the rest to me! Catherine slightly nodded, signaling to him to take over the matter. After getting the approval, Paxton turned around and looked at the journalists¡¯ names called by Catherine. ¡°Guys, you¡¯ll receive thewyer¡¯s letter from the Duncan Corporationter. Ourwyers will file a sue against you!¡± The journalists were all shocked and the others didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. They were ordinary people. How could they confront thepetentwyers of the Duncan Corporation? Everybody knew that the Duncan Corporation¡¯spetentwyers were ever-victorious and never lost any case. Previously, in an infringement case, an ordinarywyer could only make the defendant make an economicpensation. Yet, thepetentwyers of the Duncan Corporation directly made the defendant go broke. Their ability was imaginable. No one expected Audrey¡¯s sister¡¯s backer would be so powerful! Now they were really in big trouble. And even if they regretted their actions, there was nothing they could do. Then, Paxton said to the journalists present in a warning tone, ¡°Guys, things have been very clear. Audrey came here for medical treatment only. I hope you can show some respect. Don¡¯t leave any photos to bring trouble for yourselves!¡± As soon as Paxton finished speaking, the journalists present all took out their cameras. They deleted the photos and videos right away. None of them dared to dy. After all, if they were targeted by the Duncan Corporation, they couldn¡¯t make a living in Zerwick for the rest of their life. Paxton looked around and found they were more or less done. Then, he escorted Catherine to get in the car. Since the Swanns assaulted Catherine, Branden had ordered Paxton to drive for Catherine as long as she went out. Branden would be worried if others drove for her. After they got in the car, Audrey was still a bit at sea. Her phone aside rang. She found it was from Kim and hastened to pick up the call. As soon as the call was put through, Kim¡¯s voice came, ¡°Audrey, how are you doing now? Are you alright? Why were you caught at the door of the hospital? I¡¯ll be right there. Hang in there. Don¡¯t answer any questions. Got it?¡± After Kim asked a series of questions, Audrey finally got a chance to talk. ¡°Kim, you don¡¯t need toe. Catherine has dealt with the matter for me. I¡¯m not pregnant. I¡¯ve got the stomach flu only. The journalists won¡¯t dare to cover this matter. Today, there won¡¯t be any news about me!¡± Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Hospitalized The phone call remained unanswered for a while, and Kim took a moment to realize what was happening. He hadn¡¯t expected the situation to be resolved so easily and with the assurance that there would be no more traces in the news. Catherine was truly remarkable. ¡°Since I¡¯m not needed there, I¡¯ll forget about it. If you¡¯re not feeling well, you should go back and rest!¡± After hanging up the phone, Kim received another call shortly. Upon hearing the content of the call, Kim was overwhelmed. His head was buzzing after ending the call. He had never expected that a top- tier production and a renowned director¡¯s crew would personally call him to have Audrey audition. Even if it was just an audition invitation for such a high-profile production, it was something worth showing off. Kim immediately notified Audrey of this good news to share the joy. Upon receiving the message, Audrey was also shocked for a while. Catherine was by her side at the moment, so she shared the news with her. ¡°Kathy, I received an invitation from Cloudy World. The director of this drama is a legend, and even though it¡¯s just a supporting role, it¡¯s still something to be happy about, even if I only appear for a second.¡± ¡°A legend, that¡¯s amazing!¡± Compared to Audrey¡¯s excitement, Catherine appeared much moreposed, even somewhat aloof. After hearing Audrey express her joyful emotions, Audrey only nodded lightly. Audrey thought she might not be aware of the director¡¯s status, so she took the opportunity to exin the background of the renowned director to her. Catherine still remained quite indifferent. In the end, Audrey decided to drop the topic. In the front seat, Paxton listened attentively to the entire conversation between the two sisters. He suddenly felt that Catherine was incredibly tolerant of her sister, Audrey. He had always seen Catherine as aloof andmanding, and people around her were usually quite afraid of her. Even those close to her dared not be too chatty in her presence, but Audrey remained silent without giving any feedback. Most importantly, Paxton knew that the Duncan Corporation had recently invested in a big-budget film produced by Triston¡¯s entertainmentpany. The movie was titled Cloudy World. It was impossible that they hadn¡¯t informed Catherine about it. So, Catherine had likely known about Audrey¡¯s invitation from the Cloudy World crew and her potential role for a long time but had remained silent. What else could this be if not a form of favoritism? Catherine and Audrey returned to their apartment. As they approached the door, they saw an unexpected visitor waiting in front of it. Audrey was taken aback for a moment, then realized who it was and greeted Rachael. ¡°Mom, what brings you here?¡± She couldn¡¯t address Rachael with the same affection as Liana did; she knew that Rachael didn¡¯t like it. Catherine, standing to the side, maintained her cool posture with her hands in her pockets. She nced at Rachael but didn¡¯t bother with unnecessary greetings. From the moment Catherine appeared, Rachael¡¯s gaze was fixed on her, observing her every move. Seeing Audrey greet them while Catherine remained silent, Rachael¡¯s temper red instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand basic etiquette? When you see someone older from your family, don¡¯t you know how to offer someone a greeting?¡± Catherine initially had no intention of acknowledging her. If it weren¡¯t for Audrey tugging at her sleeve, she would have already started ushering Rachael out the door. After Audrey¡¯s greeting, Catherine, under her sister¡¯s signal,zily said hello. ¡°Hello, Rachael.¡± The moment she spoke, Audrey wanted to cover her face with her hands. Hearing this form of address, Rachael was momentarily taken aback. ¡°What did you call me?¡± Catherine sneered and answered, ¡°I thought maybe it would make you a little happier, Rachael.¡± Rachael¡¯s face turned particrly sour. She didn¡¯t like Catherine, but she hadn¡¯t expected the jinx to openly disrespect her like this. To diffuse the tension, Audrey suggested they go inside to talk. However, Rachael interrupted her, ¡°No need. I came here to find out what this brat did to your father. Do you know that your father was hospitalizedst night because of her?¡± ¡°Dad is in the hospital?¡± Audrey eximed in shock. She was genuinely unaware of this news. Rachael, although not fond of Audrey, realized that she had no knowledge of the situation. She couldn¡¯t hide her frustration as sheined to Audrey, ¡°You really need to talk to that jinx by your side. Since she came back, our family hasn¡¯t known peace. ¡°Your brother has been sent away, and Liana has been moody every day. Now, even your father is hospitalized because of her. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°That jinx is indeed a jinx, born to bring cmity upon our family!¡± Initially, Audrey had thought she should be patient since the person in question was her own mother. But now, seeing how her mother treated Catherine, Audrey could no longer hold back. ¡°Mother, calling Catherine a jinx is nothing but superstitious nonsense. She¡¯s still your daughter, no matter what. Your constant use of that term is why Catherine calls you by your first name.¡± Rachael had raised Audrey for so many years, and the girl had always been respectful. She had never spoken to Rachael like this before. She was momentarily taken aback and couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Her eyes widened as she stared at Audrey in shock. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far. Have you been influenced by that jinx after spending so much time with her? ¡°How dare you talk to me like this? If you persist, I¡¯ll cut off all contact with you. You won¡¯t be part of the Swanns from then on.¡± Audrey greeted her teeth, her eyes red and determined. She didn¡¯t believe she was in the wrong. She just couldn¡¯t tolerate her mother¡¯s constant use of the term ¡®jinx. After all, Catherine was her sister, and Audrey was only trying to protect her. How could her mother threaten to cut ties over this? Catherine¡¯s favorite sight was seeing Audrey, usually mild-mannered, suddenly assert herself. However, she hadn¡¯t expected her to do so quickly. Using her seniority to bully others wasn¡¯t a commendable approach from Rachael. Catherine took a step forward, positioning herself between Audrey and Rachael, her cold gaze fixed on Rachael. ¡°If you¡¯re here to me someone for Korbin¡¯s hospitalization, I believe you¡¯re looking in the wrong ce. Whatever he did tond himself in the hospital, you should ask him.¡± Rachael had no idea about the situation between Korbin and Catherine, as she had only heard that he had been hospitalized when she returned homest night. She had inquired with the household staff, who mentioned that Catherine had visited and that there had been an argument. But when she asked Korbin about it, he refused to speak. He only told her that he had lost and that the Swann Corporation¡¯s future was entirely in Catherine¡¯s hands. How could this be? The Swann Corporation¡¯s future belonged to her son, not to Catherine, the so-called jinx. She absolutely would not allow it! Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Chapter 405 A Parent? In the face of Catherine¡¯s exnation, Rachael couldn¡¯t hear a word. She scolded Catherine with fury, asserting her authority as Korbin¡¯s wife. ¡°Catherine, how dare you try to exin yourself? The servants have already made it clear that it¡¯s your fault your father fell ill!¡± Catherine looked at her askance, adopting an air of superiority as if she couldn¡¯t care less about her. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why bother exining further?¡± Rachael was on the verge of exasperation, facing Catherine¡¯s arrogance. She felt helpless, unable to hurt Catherine no matter what she did. This feeling of powerlessness was what angered her the most. Knowing that Catherine cared about Audrey, Rachael decided to hit Catherine where it would hurt the most through Audrey. ¡°Catherine, calling you a jinx is spot on. Your influence on your sister has brought nothing but misfortune. A daughter like this isn¡¯t worth having! ¡°Remember this!¡± Rachael pointed her finger menacingly at Catherine. She had dropped the facade of a high and mightydy. ¡°It¡¯s because of you that Audrey was kicked out of this house by her parents. Do you understand?¡± Rachael¡¯s threats made Catherine quietly chuckle. With a sly twinkle in her eyes, Catherine watched Rachael with an amused smile. ¡°Is that so? Do you n to pin this usation on me forcibly? But I have a different perspective from the norm. In my eyes, some people, despite having children, don¡¯t deserve to be parents¡­ ¡°Just left home? Hmph, Rachael, have you forgotten whose name the properties you¡¯re living in are registered under now?¡± All of the Swanns¡¯ assets now belonged to Catherine. Originally, the Swanns¡¯ had been in her father¡¯s name. After his passing, he had left all the assets to Catherine, including this house. Rachael tried to remainposed, but her eyes burned with hatred as she red at Catherine. Her face turned pale, and her breathing became heavy.¡± You insolent wretch, do you intend to kick me out of the Swanns¡¯?¡± ¡°If you continue to harass me, it¡¯s not entirely impossible for such a thing to happen!¡± With a sly smile in her eyes, Catherine added, ¡°After all, in your eyes, I¡¯m just a star-crossed disaster who disregards family ties, right?¡± Rachael had intended to scold Catherine further, but she quickly changed her mind. She hade unprepared, and she knew she would lose in a direct confrontation. Catherine, that insolent brat, wouldn¡¯t yield to any pressure, and nobody could predict her next move. Even Korbin had been hospitalized due to her, which showed how capable she was. In the end, Rachael issued a final warning to Catherine and reluctantly left, clutching her purse. Catherine pushed the door open and walked inside,fortably sinking into a sofa. These people were all so annoying, wasting so much of her precious rest time. Audrey followed, her curiosity piqued, and came over to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, did you really make Dad ill?¡± Catherine made azy sound, giving off an air of indifference. ¡°Whether he¡¯s sick or not, one thing is certain, he¡¯s definitely angry.¡± Audrey was jaw-dropped when she heard Catherine¡¯s response. It seemed that among the four siblings, only Catherine had the power to make their father ill. The others, even Johnathan, were always respectful in their father¡¯s presence. Their father had a cold demeanor and seldom showed leniency toward his children. Audrey asked, ¡°Kathy, what did you do to make Dad so angry?¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer and simply replied, ¡°Ask him yourself.¡± With that, Catherine closed her eyes to rest. Seeing her fatigue, Audrey refrained from further questions and quietly retreated to her room to rest. Catherine had initially intended to recline on the sofa for a brief respite, but she unexpectedly drifted into slumber. Had it not been for the ringing of her cell phone, she might have continued to sleep. Catherine reached for her phone, pressed the answer button, and brought it to her ear, inquiring, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Just one cold question from her made the person on the other end almost tremble in fear. Disturbing Catherine during her sleep was practically asking for trouble! However, the call had already been made, so it couldn¡¯t be disconnected now. If it were, Catherine might issue an order to hunt him down for the interruption. In a trembling voice, he said, ¡°¡± Catherine, Scorpion Ind is offering a high price for you to act as an instructor and train for a month.¡± ¡°No,¡± came Catherine¡¯s prompt and resolute response. Still not giving up, he muttered softly, ¡± They¡¯re offering 100 million dors for just a month.¡± Without any response, Catherine promptly ended the call. After all, when had she be someone who could be bought with money? With the call done, Catherine initially thought of resting a bit more but realized her stomach was growling. Holding her phone, she considered ordering takeout, but it seemed more reliable to depend on the delivery person than on Audrey. Seeing an unread message, Catherine decided to check it.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Come to eat when you wake up. I¡¯m waiting for you!¡± Seeing the message from the man, Catherine¡¯s lips curved into a somewhat self-satisfied smile. Now, she didn¡¯t need to open a food delivery app. She rose from the sofa and headed to the apartment next door. Upon entering, she was greeted by the delightful aroma of a well-prepared meal filling the room. It wasn¡¯t greasy but rather a scent of dishes she was familiar with and loved. Catherine felt that her stomach was slowly being tamed by Branden. Witnessing her enter, the man emerged from the kitchen with some cheese. Just like every time, the final course was cheese. Catherine enjoyed strong cheese, preferably blue cheese. If it was mildly vored, she would furrow her brows. Though she never voiced it, the man seemed to have noticed. Every time he prepared cheese, it was always at that perfect, pungent, earthy aroma. As she gazed at the simple yet delicious dishes on the table, Catherine squinted with a faint smile on her face. The man took her hand and led her to the seat. ¡°Sit and eat!¡± Catherine thought she hadn¡¯t asked for any assistance. With no objections, she picked up a fork and started to savor the meal with a contented heart. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. Perhaps continuing to live like this wouldn¡¯t be so bad. Rachael returned to the Swanns¡¯; a vast mansion with not a single Swann family member present except for the servants. Korbin was in the hospital, and Liana had been acting oddly recently, leaving early and returningte each day, iming that she wanted to surpass Catherine in her studies to prove herself. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. As for Johnathan, that poor child had been sent to a full-time boarding school overseas to endure his own hardships. Staring at the empty mansion without a hint of sound, Rachael couldn¡¯t help but feel aggrieved. Catherine was far too arrogant, daring to speak such words to her. If she just sat back and did nothing, she would certainly be underestimated by Catherine. She needed to do something about it! The Swanns were devoid of family now, and Rachael decided to consult her parents. She couldn¡¯t allow Catherine to continue living in suchfort. Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Jokes Faced with Catherine¡¯s resolute refusal, Sean couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit frustrated. A project worth 100 million dors, with a ten percentmission, meant a cool ten million dors in his pocket. He couldn¡¯t help but feel like he had let a golden opportunity slip through his fingers. Ten million dors was a big number, but Sean was no ordinary businessman. He ran the ck market, and in this business, if you weren¡¯t a bit ruthless, you wouldn¡¯tst long. It was all about mutual consent, and he believed it wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. After giving it some thought, he decided to consult Ronin. Ronin was often by Catherine¡¯s side and knew her better than anyone else in their circle. He might hold some valuable information or provide insights into her decision. Sean gave Ronin a call, briefly exining the situation. On the other end of the line, Ronin¡¯s response was curt. ¡°Thirty-seventy.¡± Sean felt a pang of regret. He had forgotten that Ronin wasn¡¯t just a follower of Catherine but also her trusted financial advisor. Ronin had a reputation for being shrewd when it came to money, and his de was sharper than Sean¡¯s in the realm of finance. Sean was desperate. He would need to pay a high price to extract information from him. After some contemtion, Sean clenched his teeth and replied, ¡°You get three, I get seven.¡± Ronin hadn¡¯t originally nned to aim for a big profit. After all, the business belonged to Sean, and he was just providing some assistance. Taking too much would be hical. ¡°Sean, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve be blinded by the allure of money. How can you not see the bigger picture? ¡°Catherine refuses to ept it. What¡¯s the use of trying to convince her? You should be trying to persuade the other side. If she didn¡¯t ept 100 million dors, wouldn¡¯t she ept a billion dors?¡± Sean was taken aback. Ronin had just raised the stakes tenfold. Under any other circumstances, it would be a no-brainer. But with Catherine, nothing was certain. Sean inquired cautiously, ¡°Are you sure she¡¯d agree to the higher price?¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t, we have me, remember? Besides, Catherine is just flesh and blood, not a deity. Money is something she naturally likes. No problem.¡± With a renewed sense of purpose, Sean decided to seek out potential buyers for the project. He dered, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll find the buyers. You handle the rest.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Ronin agreed. He then ended the call with a smug face. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. After disconnecting the call with Sean, Ronin sent a message to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, Sean contacted me!¡± Making money was one thing, but betraying Catherine? He wouldn¡¯t even consider it, no matter what. On Catherine¡¯s end, just after finishing her meal and preparing to rest, she received a text message from Ronin. Catherine pocketed her phone with a faint smile upon reading the message. She then looked up and noticed the man sitting across from her, who had been watching her intently. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± she inquired. The man raised an eyebrow, and his starry eyes sparkled with a radiant light. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering what kind of message could make you smile like that. Sometimes, just a random smile on her face could make his heart beat faster. ¡°Haha.¡± Catherine Swann chuckled lightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Ronin sent me a joke.¡± With that, Catherine reclined on her dedicated beanbag. The beanbag here was genuinelyfortable! As she watched the man tidying up the desk, the smile on Catherine¡¯s lips lingered for quite some time. Little did she know that after she uttered those words¡­ The man had assigned Paxton a task, leading him to flip through various joke books throughout the night. Yesterday, after Catherine had dealt with Rachael, she was cornered by Liana the very next day. Liana wore a look of righteous indignation as she raised her voice, seemingly ready to break into song. ¡°Catherine, what have you done to Dad? Why did you upset him so much that he ended up in the hospital?¡± Catherine watched her coldly as she squinted her eyes, arms folded. ¡°Liana, sometimes you have to know your limits when you¡¯re acting. Haven¡¯t the previous lessons taught you anything?¡± Liana¡¯s face turned pale. While Catherine¡¯s words seemed harmless, they felt like a p across her face, leaving her embarrassed. ¡°Catherine, what do you mean?¡± Liana clenched her teeth, ring at her. Catherine pushed Liana¡¯s shoulder with one hand. ¡°We both came from the same womb. Even if there¡¯s a difference, I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s that big. Use your brain to think, is this something you should be meddling in?¡± If Liana could not handle it, she shouldn¡¯t have interfered. How foolish could someone be to meddle in something that was bound to have no result? Catherine had said what she needed to. Whether Liana could understand it was up to her. If she brought it upon herself, Catherine wouldn¡¯t be lenient. Liana watched Catherine¡¯s retreating figure, and her teeth clenched so hard that she bit her lip. Catherine was detestable. A person like her deserved to go to hell. Now that Catherine had thrown the Swanns into turmoil, Liana was determined not to let her get away with it.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ She had been too impulsive in the past, underestimating Catherine¡¯s strength. It was surprising to see that Catherine, who had grown up in the countryside, had this kind of influence. It seemed that her grandfather hadn¡¯tpletely abandoned her. He must have secretly arranged for someone to nurture her in the countryside. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be the person she was today. She would n more carefully and not give Catherine another chance. The next day, Rachael got up early, a rare sight considering she usually slept in until noon. She rushed to her parents ¡®house. Her parents were somewhat surprised to see her. ¡°Rachael, why are you back all of a sudden?¡± Rachael, who was used to acting sophisticated in front of others and unting her status as a rich man¡¯s wife, didn¡¯t hold back in front of her parents. She angrily threw her handbag aside andined to her mother, ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t go on like this anymore. Why did I give birth to a jinx?¡± Seeing her daughter¡¯s sudden outburst, Rachael¡¯s parents were puzzled. Theyforted her while urging her to exin what happened. Rachael exined the recent events at the Swanns. Her parents were equally shocked, never expecting such a turn of events in the Swanns. In their eyes, Korbin was quite a capable individual. ¡°Korbin was really hospitalized because of her actions?¡± Enzo still found it hard to believe. Rachael¡¯s eyes widened in anger. Every time she thought about Catherine, she couldn¡¯t control her facial expressions, and her entire face twisted with frustration. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for such a significant incident, could I havee back to discuss things with you? Right now, I don¡¯t even have anyone to confide in. Korbin said she not only angered him but also gained control over the Swanns. She even ims that the Swanns¡¯ is her property, and she intends to kick me out of my own home. This news was indeed shocking for Enzo and Donna, as nobody could have foreseen such a dramatic turn of events in the Swanns. They had assumed that with the passing of Vicente, Rachael¡¯s husband would take over the family smoothly. They had been relieved that her husband¡¯s family had no significant property disputes, which meant fewer headaches for them. But now, instead of sibling rivalries, father-daughter conflicts were taking center stage! Rachael¡¯s words deeply concerned her mother, and she urgently turned to her husband. ¡°Dear, you must help our daughter find a solution!¡± she said. Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Chapter 407 You Better Not After learning about his daughter¡¯s situation, Enzo fell silent for a long while. Their eldest son had relied on the Swanns¡¯ business, and now, not even Korbin could handle that troublesome girl. So, there was no hope to count on their eldest son. The only one they could rely on was their second son, Adrien. After pondering for a long time, Enzo made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll make a call to Adrien.¡± With those words, he headed to the study. Donna reached out and held Rachael¡¯s hand, whispering to comfort her, ¡± Don¡¯t worry. Your father has gone to see Adrien for help. Adrien is capable, and Catherine Swann won¡¯t be a problem.¡± In the past, Rachael would have believed those words. But now, even Korbin couldn¡¯t deal with that girl. Though Adrien was indeed capable, his skills mainlyy in politics. Rachael wasn¡¯t certain about his ability in the business world. Rachael and Donna discussed their situation in the living room. They were unaware that there was a figure lurking in the corner, eavesdropping on their conversation. Alyssa had heard from a servant that her sister, Rachael, had returned, which was unusual. Rachael visited them from time to time, but she rarely showed up in the morning. There must be something wrong at this hour. Quietly, she stood in the corner of the living room, not making a sound, hoping to learn what they were discussing. Unexpectedly, she heard such significant news. Her earlier judgment was correct. Catherine was not an ordinary girl. She had even brought down Korbin. Alyssa needed to inform her husband of this news quickly. No matter what, she had to be prepared not to offend either side so they could maximize their profits. The security officer watched as Adrien answered the phone. Adrien¡¯s smile held an odd, eerie expression that made the officer wonder. ¡°Chief, what¡¯s made you so happy today?¡± He remembered that Mr. Lang wasn¡¯t particrly fond of the Langs, and each time they called, his face remained indifferent. Why did he seem that pleased today? Adrien Lang looked up at him, his eyes carrying a profound meaning. ¡°How did the investigation I asked you to conduct go?¡± As for the matter in question, the security officer couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow. ¡°Chief, I was wondering why you wanted me to investigate a young girl. I now understand she¡¯s not ordinary. She¡¯s like a nk canvas, and nothing amiss about her.¡± As long as a person existed in this world, they would inevitably leave some traces. The only possibility for this nk page was that the person who carried out the investigation didn¡¯t have sufficient authority to ess core information. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Adrien¡¯s expression changed at the response, furrowing his brow. He asked again, ¡°Did you follow my orders properly?¡± The officer replied earnestly, ¡°Yes, Chief. I even checked in the archives under your name, but there is no information about this girl.¡± Modern archives were all interconnected. As long as someone lived in this world, they left some sort of record. However, thest time he investigated, he couldn¡¯t find any information. Adrien became interested, for he hadn¡¯t expected there were people they couldn¡¯t trace. It seemed that his niece was truly extraordinary! But if she were ordinary, the situation wouldn¡¯t be interesting. After all, she had managed to infuriate Korbin to the point of being hospitalized, which made her either a genius or a devil. Seeing Adrien rise, the security officer promptly followed. ¡°Chief, are you going out?¡± the officer asked. Adrien grunted in agreement, and the officer rushed to prepare the car. Adrien intended to investigate personally to understand who his niece really was. Once he had gathered enough information he could report back to Enzo. After school, Catherine arrived at the school gate and saw Branden¡¯s car parked in front. The moment she appeared, Branden stepped out of the car. To avoid attracting more attention, Catherine didn¡¯t linger. She walked straight to the car and didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. Even so, her actions drew considerable attention. This included her envious stepsister, Liana. She saw Branden bend to open the car door for Catherine, and her jealousy reached its peak. ¡°Why does Catherine have so many people showering her with favor?¡± Liana wondered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all because of her charms that she beguiled Branden? If it weren¡¯t for the Duncans supporting her, what would she be?¡± Liana saw Catherine as nothing more than a rural disaster child that no one wanted. As Catherine¡¯s car gradually departed, there was hatred burning in her eyes. She vowed to make Catherine pay the price she deserved. Catherine sat in the car, with Branden ying with her hand as they chatted. ¡°Triston invited us for dinner, so we are eating out tonight. Are you up for it? Triston and Aidan were eager to meet Catherine after hearing she had returned. Branden was open to the idea as long as Catherine agreed. Catherine didn¡¯t mind eating out, even if the food couldn¡¯tpare to Branden¡¯s culinary skills. However, she wouldn¡¯t mind dining out from time to time. ¡°Yes,¡± Catherine replied. It was never a bad thing when someone else paid for dinner. With Branden, Catherine arrived at Restaurant l¡¯Am¨¦nite, which they often visited. There, she discovered that not only Triston and Aidan were present. Yesenia and Ronin had both arrived, even earlier than Catherine. Seeing Yesenia, Catherine was not surprised that all of them were gathered there. Yesenia¡¯s persuasive skills were unparalleled. The restaurant manager noticed Branden¡¯s arrival and came out personally to greet him. Adrien had a private dinner engagement tonight, and to ensure privacy, he had deliberately chosen Restaurant l¡¯Am¨¦nite.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The person hosting the dinner had some influence on Casier, given that even the manager of Restaurant l¡¯Am¨¦nite greeted them. ¡°Sorry, gentlemen, I need to attend to a few more VIP guests. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± the manager said. He was about to leave. Then, Adrien, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, ¡°Were those two young people who entered the private room just now?¡± The manager¡¯s gaze shifted to Adrien. Although he wasn¡¯t wearing a uniform today, his presence was extraordinary. After years in the service industry, the manager honed his ability to spot important individuals. The manager quickly turned around. He responded with respect, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s better not to inquire further about those two.¡± This remark caused a change in the expressions of those present. The host who had invited Adrien to dinner frowned, feeling somewhat challenged by the response. ¡°Why can¡¯t I ask about their background? Is their influence so great? ¡°the host inquired. Understanding the host¡¯s intention, the manager was careful to safeguard the interests of the guests. ¡°Mr. Hauray, the person you just inquired about is from the Duncans,¡± the manager stated, making his point clear. The person asking the questions was jaw-dropped. To be of this age and still from the Duncans and to have the manager of Restaurant l¡¯Am¨¦nite acting so cautiously, could it be that¡­ ¡°Branden Duncan, Mr. Duncan?¡± the person eximed and then immediately fell silent. In Casier, everyone knew about the Duncans. Their overwhelming influence made them untouchable, especially Branden, who was renowned for his ruthlessness. No one dared to provoke them. Compared to the others¡¯ astonishment, Adrien remained silent. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the girl who had stood by Branden¡¯s side was indeed Catherine. He noticed that their hands seemed to be linked! The fact intrigued him more and more. His niece was turning out to be an interesting woman. Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Just a Little Business Catherine emerged from the private booth, heading for the restroom. As she turned the corner, she felt a pair of eyes fixated on her from behind. Catherine halted and turned. She saw Adrien standing at the far end of the corridor, his gaze clearly sizing her up. He also noticed Catherine turn around. He initiated the greeting. ¡°What a coincidence, us dining here?¡± He had clearly been standing there for a few minutes. Was it a coincidence? Not at all. Catherine gave him an indifferent look, then turned to leave. Adrien hadn¡¯t anticipated Catherine¡¯s reaction. He immediately tried to stop her. ¡°Catherine, we cross paths, and you can¡¯t even say hello?¡± he called out. Turning back once more, Catherine cast a nonchnt nce at Adrien and scrutinized him from head to toe. She dismissively uttered, ¡°Hi, Adrien.¡± Her expression seemed to question him. ¡°Is that enough? ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Adrien was growing more intrigued by his niece. She was certainly different from the rest of the Langs. He approached Catherine with a friendly smile. Meanwhile, his eyes were brimming with warmth. ¡°Though we may not share any blood rtion, there¡¯s no need for hostilities, right? Why not be friends, even if just in name?¡± Catherine scoffed and answered with disdain in her eyes, ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m not in the habit of making friends.¡± Adrien watched Catherine¡¯s confident departure and let out a bitterugh. This was the first time he¡¯d faced rejection. ustomed to being admired, he had failed in his attempt to befriend her. As Catherine left, the hidden security officer finally emerged from the shadows and approached Adrien. ¡°Chief, this youngdy doesn¡¯t seem to have a pleasant personality. You are older than her, but she¡¯s showing disrespect to you.¡± Adrien replied, ¡°She¡¯s already being rtively nice to me. She¡¯s been through a lot from childhood. I only hope she¡¯ll have an easier life in the future.¡± Earlier, Adrien received a call from Enzo, who informed him of Catherine¡¯s ruthless tactics. She had pushed Korbin into the hospital, ejected Rachael from the family home, and asked for Enzo¡¯s advice. At that moment, Adrien contemted that this young woman was clever, but facing someone like Korbin in the business world would not be easy. It turned out that Catherine had the support of the Duncans. Adrien was well aware that the Duncans ¡®influence extended beyond the business world. Originally, he had no intention of helping Donna and Enzo deal with Catherine, as he knew what kind of people they were. Catherine had been sent to the countryside while still a child. Still, it was one of those baseless usations rooted in feudal superstition. Could normal parents really do such a thing? They had sown the seeds of their own wrongdoing, and now it was time for them to reap the harvest. Catherine had no intention of having one person after another corner her in the restroom. It was Adrien earlier, and now Ronin. When she appeared, Ronin quickly approached. ¡°Catherine, I need to talk to you,¡± he said. Catherine nced at him and nodded in agreement. ¡°Catherine, our final exams are just a week away. After that, we¡¯ll have a month off. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Ronin spoke. Catherine, growing impatient with his circumlocution, replied curtly, ¡°Cut the crap.¡± One sternmand was enough to make Ronin shiver. He quickly got to the point. ¡°Catherine, we received a message from Sean offering a billion dors for you to be an instructor for a month.¡± As Catherine finally understood his real intention, she scanned him from head to toe with a chilling expression. It sent shivers down Ronin¡¯s spine. It was terrifying. Finally, Ronin couldn¡¯t bear the tension any longer. ¡°Catherine, Sean Scott is willing to pay me thirty million dors. I don¡¯t intend to keep the money for myself. I just think that instead of letting Sean earn that money, we could siphon some into your pocket. After all, we don¡¯t have much left in our ounts,¡± he pleaded. Upon hearing this, Catherine furrowed her brows slightly and asked, ¡°Are we out of money?¡± Even though he risked getting a beating from Catherine, Ronin decided toe clean. At Catherine¡¯s quizzical look, he added, ¡°The money you had me transfer to thebst time was thest of it.¡± Without the money from the Winfreds, courtesy of an arrangement facilitated by Withal, they wouldn¡¯t have had enough to fund their experiments. Catherine had many qualities, but a sense of financial responsibility was not one of them. No matter how much they earned, she often spent money without keeping track.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Once Ronin realized Catherine¡¯s financial tendencies, he took control of her ounts, earning a degree in financial management in the process to help with her finances. Not only could he manage their ie and expenses efficiently, but he could also invest the surplus funds wisely, allowing them to generate even more ie! Catherine was terrible with money. She believed the money they received from the Winfreds was enough to support theb for a while. She didn¡¯t expect it to be gone so soon. Theb¡¯s expenditures were truly fast. It seemed she¡¯d have to work hard to earn some money. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Otherwise, all the research projects would stall, and theb¡¯spetition was about who could burn money faster and spend more. As long as aboratory was willing to spend generously, they could achieve anything. Catherine asked, ¡°Find out who this person is.¡± Anyone willing to pay her 100 million dors to be an instructor was no ordinary person. Ronin shook his head, ¡°We haven¡¯t received any information from Sean, but it seems there¡¯s a connection to the 417 Laboratory. They train people to join Shadow Guard for the 417 Laboratory.¡± 417 Laboratory? Interesting. Since the buyer was willing to pay, he reluctantly epted the role of an instructor. After all, it wasn¡¯t her first time doing such a job. In the past, she had trained her own people for free, but now that she would be paid for it, it felt different. Catherine set a strict deadline, ¡°Ronin, inform them we¡¯ll give them 21 days. Only 21 days, life or death.¡± If they wanted her to be the instructor, they should be prepared to have their skin peeled off and possibly lose their lives at any moment. When Catherine agreed to the proposal, Ronin didn¡¯t care whether the buyer would ept these stringent conditions. Ronin agreed readily, ¡°Alright, Catherine, I¡¯ll have Sean negotiate with the buyer. If they refuse, so be it.¡± If the buyer didn¡¯t agree, they would just walk away. Catherine was not someone anyone could hire. They were running low on funds, but as long as their Catherine did something, they had many fortunes waiting to be obtained. He thought that the buyer seemed generous. He had increased the price tenfold, and they had not hesitated. Now, he was trying to persuade his Catherine to ept. In the end, it was a simple decision. If they didn¡¯t ept, they wouldn¡¯t negotiate further. Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Chapter 409 The Final Exams Before everyone knew it, the final exams were upon them, and this time, the school was cing a significant emphasis on these year-end assessments. Next semester, their cohort was scheduled to graduate. Loyalty Academy always had a head start on other schools, havingpleted the curriculum that other schools would cover in thetter half of the semester. In the uing semester, they would focus entirely on revision, preparing themselves as best as possible for their quest to secure spots at prestigious universities. ss 8 was renowned as one of the top- performing sses in the school. ss 4 next door was always eager to surpass ss 8. Recently, ss 8 had gained significant momentum and had be the target of jealousy for several other sses. The teachers from nearby sses couldn¡¯t help but mention ss 8 frequently, causing anxiety and insecurity among other students. Liana watched Catherine napping with her head on the desk and felt a sense of triumph. The first day of the final exams was just around the corner, and Liana couldn¡¯t ept that after all her hard work, she was stillgging behind Catherine, who didn¡¯t even seem to know where her books were kept. Liana needed to outperform her academically, as she couldn¡¯t yet challenge Catherine in any other way. For this reason, Liana was dedicating herself to her studies, avoiding any trouble with Catherine, which was a rare urrence anyway. David and his friends began to notice Liana¡¯s unusual behavior. They realized that asking Bryan for information was pointless, so they turned to Ronin, who always had the inside scoop. ¡°Ronin, do you think something¡¯s wrong with Liana? Why is she suddenly studying so hard and not causing troubles?¡± they inquired. After observing Liana¡¯s actions over time, they had a fairly good idea of her character. Naturally, her shameless behavior alienated many people. Now, they found her new dedication to her studies strange. Worried that she might be up to something, they decided to seek Ronin¡¯s opinion. Ronin nced in Liana¡¯s direction and noticed her newfoundmitment to studying. He smirked and thought to himself, ¡± Seems like a miracle has urred.¡± Ronin¡¯s quick mind allowed him to guess what Liana was up to. She was likely trying to win Catherine¡¯s favor through her academic achievements. However, it would be a rather futile attempt. Who did Liana think she was? How ridiculous! These simple study topics were something Catherine could ace without even thinking, let alone teaching. After understanding Liana¡¯s motives, Ronin chose not to reveal them immediately. He turned to the others and said, ¡°Let her be. If she¡¯s nning any mischief, she¡¯ll have to deal with me.¡± This reassurance put everyone¡¯s mind at ease. With Ronin keeping an eye on her, they didn¡¯t have to worry about Liana causing any trouble. Meanwhile, to Catherine¡¯s surprise, her uing final exams became a significant event within the small apartment. Audrey had requested two days off from Kim toe home and assist Catherine in her preparations. She found Catherine engrossed in a mobile game and knew that, as the elder sister, she had to do something. ¡°Kathy, your exams start tomorrow, and you¡¯re not studying?¡± Audrey inquired. Catherine had just finished a game on her phone and looked at Audrey with a serious expression. ¡°Will my performance on these exams make a big difference?¡± she questioned. Audrey was momentarily taken aback. Were students nowadays this unconcerned about their grades? After some thought, she offered a perfect response, once again adopting her elder-sister authority. ¡°It may not affect me, but it can significantly impact your future. You mustn¡¯t give up on going to a good university, okay?¡± Catherine furrowed her brows slightly, wondering if she had to go to university. She had attended high school previously, driven by Audrey¡¯s aspirations and a desire to experience high school life. ¡°I have to go to university?¡± Catherine questioned. ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t want to?¡± Audrey looked surprised. Without waiting for Catherine¡¯s response, she began listing a hundred disadvantages of not attending university. ¡°Kathy, I support you in everything else, whether it¡¯s your grades or anything else. But university is something you must not give up on, understand?¡± Catherine gazed at her earnestly and asked, ¡°Do I have to?¡± Audrey nodded without hesitation, ¡°A life without a university education is iplete. So yes, you must.¡± ¡°A life without a university education is iplete?¡± Well, if she put it that way, she had never attended university. At the age of seven, she took the university entrance exam, and shortly after that, her mentor sent her to the researchb. She barely spent any time in a university setting. Listening to Audrey¡¯sprehensive arguments, Catherine began to look forward to her university life. Audrey was deeply concerned that Catherine might not want to attend university and persisted in trying to persuade her. Catherine, feeling increasingly agitated, finally interrupted Audrey¡¯s lengthy lecture, ¡°Alright, I promise you. Is this enough? ¡°I¡¯ll go to university, okay?¡± Audrey, satisfied with Catherine¡¯smitment, rxed her initially wrinkled face and beamed at her sister. ¡°Great, as long as you promise to excel in university!¡± Audrey was worried that due to the excessive pressure from her constant reminders, Catherine would stop attending university altogether. Now, she was even hesitant to push her to study for the uing final exams. Catherine, realizing Audrey¡¯s intentions were pure, resumed ying her game. Meanwhile, Audrey upied herself by reading a script. She had not taken any acting gigs or participated in any TV shows for the past few days. She had already sessfully passed the first audition for ¡°Cloudy World,¡± and the director seemed pleased with her performance. They had given her a new script for the next round of auditions. To secure this rare opportunity for Audrey, Kim canceled all of her engagements to give her time to focus on her preparations. ording to the information he¡¯d gathered, she had a good chance of receiving the script for the supporting character. This was her golden opportunity to break into the big screen, and she couldn¡¯t afford to miss it. The two sisters continued with their respective routines, not interfering with each other, creating a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The next morning, Catherine was jolted awake by Audrey¡¯s rm. She usually woke up naturally, but today, Audrey had shown an unusual interest in her studies, worried she might miss her final exams. So, she had set an rm for her. Catherine found this wake-up call rather infuriating. Dragged down by fatigue, Catherine was just about to leave her room when she collided with Audrey, who was rushing towards her with disheveled hair. Fortunately, Catherine was not easily scared, and she remained calm, even though she frowned slightly as she took a step back. ¡°Good morning, Kathy. Go have a shower. I¡¯ll prepare breakfast for you.¡± Catherine initially thought she could decline, but before she could speak, Audrey had rushed off and entered the kitchen. Audrey was a passionate person, and Catherine decided not to stop her. When Catherine emerged from the bathroom, a subtle aroma already filled the air around the dining table. Soon, Audrey¡¯s head peeked out from the kitchen, and she smiled warmly at her sister. ¡°Kathy, your breakfast is on the table. If you¡¯re in a hurry, go ahead and eat.¡± Catherine Swann walked to the table and nced at the spread. There were partly-made fries, milk, and two slightly overcooked sunny-side-up eggs. Even the arrangement of the fries and eggs formed A+, revealing Audrey¡¯s genuine effort and care. Catherine sat down and ate her breakfast in silence. By the time Audrey came out of the kitchen, Catherine had finished her meal. ¡°You already finished everything? I¡¯ll get your backpack. Do you want me to take you to school?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Catherine replied directly. When Catherine opened the door, she saw her neighbor from across the hall, Branden, waiting outside to give her a ride to university. Audrey noticed this and decided not to insist. She waved in Catherine¡¯s direction, her face beaming with a smile, making a supportive gesture. ¡°Kathy, good luck with your exams!¡± Catherine watched the innocent and cute expression on Audrey¡¯s face, pursed her lips, and stepped into the elevator. As she did, the smile on Audrey¡¯s face slowly faded. When she was a student, she had always envied her ssmates, who received support and encouragement from their parents. She also wished for that, but being part of the Swanns meant she was denied this opportunity. Now, she wanted to provide Catherine with all the love and support she never received herself so that Catherine could feel the warmth of a family. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. She wanted everyone, including Catherine herself, to know that she was the one who was loved. Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Extraordinary Two days of final exams finally came to a close yesterday. At Loyalty Academy, unlike other schools, after the exams, all the teachers stayedte on the same day to release the rankings and results on the following day. On the second day after the exams, many students with dark circles under their eyes arrived at the school early, eagerly waiting for the results to be posted. Liana arrived early today, brimming with confidence that she had done well this time. In her quest to get the results faster, she discreetly inquired with her teachers. When the results were finally announced, they did not disappoint her. She ranked second in ss 8 and third in the entire grade. After learning her results, Liana immediately asked a teacher if Catherine was the first in the ss. The teacher was very sure and firmly denied it. Thinking about this, Liana couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased and looked forward to the moment when the results would be made public. She would love to see Catherine¡¯s reaction when she found out. As the homeroom teacher walked in, Liana¡¯s heart raced. She deliberately nced in Catherine¡¯s direction and couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw her still napping on the desk. All the students were focused on their homeroom teacher, eagerly waiting for the results. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the first ce went to Ronin, with Liana and Bryan following in the top three. Catherine hadn¡¯t even made it to the top three. After the teacher announced the top three rankings, she distributed the remaining results and left the stage. As a teacher, she understood that students needed a space for discussion and processing. Since she couldn¡¯t effectively suppress it, she decided to simply let go and allow the students to engage in free discussion. Holding her second-ce result, Liana casually walked over to Catherine. Catherine was still napping, and Liana gently tapped the desk to get her attention. Catherine lifted her head, and her drowsy, slightly hoarse voice carried an intriguing allure. Liana quietly took a step back, fear stifling her words. ¡°What do you want?¡± Catherine Swannzily inquired as she awoke, her voice tinged with sleepiness and a husky allure. Catherine¡¯s voice snapped Liana back to reality. She gazed at Catherine, her expression full of pride. ¡°Catherine, what was your score this time?¡± Catherine stared at her with an icy gaze and retorted, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Liana wasn¡¯t surprised by Catherine¡¯s response. After all, the teacher had already revealed the top three rankings, and she had outperformed Catherine. Liana thought that feeling a tinge of shame, Catherine had a point in not wanting to reveal her score, and it was perfectly normal. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re my sister, after all. I just wanted to know your score. Isn¡¯t that a normal thing to do?¡± Liana insisted. Catherine could easily tell what was on Liana¡¯s mind. She pretended to care about her sister, which she found nauseating. Before Catherine could make another sarcastic remark, Ronin, who was nearby, suddenly showed up. ¡°Liana, it¡¯s really self-inflicted humiliation to ask about our family head Catherine¡¯s score. I, who am the first, even feel awkward doing it. You, as the second, should definitely avoid it, ¡± he said. ¡°After all, you¡¯re Catherine¡¯s little sister,¡± one of them said, ¡°I¡¯m just offering you some friendly advice.¡± She despised both Catherine and Ronin, with Catherine being her top target. For he was Catherine¡¯s most loyalpdog, and at times, he could turn into a fierce wolf. In her eyes, Catherine was merely afraid of embarrassment and didn¡¯t dare to share her score. ¡°Ronin, you¡¯re the first in the ss. What¡¯s so embarrassing about that? Can Catherine be even more formidable than you?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Ronin said, oozing confidence. Their argument caught the attention of onlookers, and a crowd began to gather. David, always eager for gossip, couldn¡¯t resist and approached Catherine. ¡± Catherine, how did you do on the test? Why did Ronin say you scored higher than him?¡± Catherine grew impatient with the crowd around her. She responded curtly, ¡°Zero.¡± Zero!Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The crowd was shocked by this response. Zero in all seven subjects? Wouldn¡¯t that make her the lowest in the whole grade? Even Liana, who had seen Catherine¡¯s previous scores, was surprised, Liana had seen Catherine¡¯s impressive scores before, so how could she have scored a zero this time? Had Catherine cheated before? David, now realizing the implications, eximed, ¡°Catherine, you can¡¯t be serious! How could you score zero?¡± Catherine was seemingly indifferent to the reactions of the people around her. Ronin, who had overheard the conversation, approached them, pushing David aside. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. ¡°You know nothing! Do you think it¡¯s easy to get a zero? There are hundreds of multiple-choice questions in seven subjects. Even if you had no clue, you¡¯d guess a couple, right? To get a full zero, you¡¯d have to know all the correct answers. Find me one example.¡± The listeners initially didn¡¯t grasp Ronin¡¯s point but soon understood. Even if your scores were bad or you were unlucky, you could still fill in the answers randomly to score some points. There was the existence of some easy questions. Falling behind every student with a perfect zero required knowing all the correct answers in advance. David btedly caught on and pped his thigh, giving Catherine a thumbs- up. ¡°Impressive!¡± ¡°Catherine is truly extraordinary. Being first is nothing special. To rank the lowest in the grade and still hold all the correct answers, that¡¯s what real talent is!¡± he eximed. ¡°Unconventional and amazing, I admire you,¡± added another student. As a result of David¡¯s enthusiastic ount, the crowd¡¯s perception of Catherine changed. Initially, they couldn¡¯t understand why Catherine had the lowest score, but now they admired her. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Indeed, Catherine was always full of surprises. The way she carried herself and her unexpected attitude set her apart from ordinary folks. It turned out that even the lowest score could be something to be proud of if done with style. Everyone was praising Catherine with appreciative looks. Liana couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed. But she wasn¡¯t foolish enough to argue with these people who seemed to have lost their minds. If she attempted to argue, they wouldn¡¯t listen anyway. Liana hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to outshine her, scoring a perfect zero. She felt suffocated, trapped with these crazies in the room. Being surrounded by these people, she could hardly breathe. She had to get out for some fresh air. Meanwhile, Ronin sat backfortably, imitating Catherine¡¯s posture. He leaned back in his chair, sharing an update with her. ¡°Catherine, you didn¡¯t see Liana¡¯s face. It was priceless. The brat tried to use her scores to taunt you, but she¡¯s daydreaming.¡± Catherine¡¯s willingness to let herself be the worst in the ss meant that Liana couldn¡¯t take advantage of the situation. With him around, Liana had no chance of turning the tables. After discussing the gossip, Ronin had to address more serious matters. He didn¡¯t want Catherine to find him irritating. ¡°Catherine, they¡¯ve agreed to the 21 days. When are you nning to leave?¡± Catherine, with her eyes half-closed and azy demeanor, responded, ¡± Alright.¡± Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Connections Branden went to pick up Catherine from school. After getting her homework, winter break had officially begun. The winter in Casier was a bit cold, so he nned to take Catherine to Oceanvile. Besides, the business of the Swann Corporation and the Duncan Corporation had been doing well theretely. The man had it all nned out in his mind, but he still needed to ask Catherine¡¯s advice. ¡°Do you have any ns for winter break? If not, how about I take you to Oceanvile for the winter?¡± Catherine might have regarded Branden¡¯s arrangement favorably if she hadn¡¯t taken the training mission to Scorpion Ind. Rodge had messaged her a couple of times for help, and Dr. Dunn had been urging her to make a trip over there. ¡°No!¡± Catherine instantly rejected the man. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go to Alton to tutor those brats¡­ I promised and took the money. It can¡¯t be refunded!¡± In her opinion, training those rookies was just like tutoring little kids! ¡°For how long?¡± The smile on the man¡¯s face was already fading. Catherine casually replied, ¡°About a month!¡± Although it wouldn¡¯t take a month, Catherine preferred to grant a wide range of time to cope with all sorts of changes. The winter break was less than 40 days, and Catherine would be gone for a month. Three days was long enough for Branden, and when he heard this, his brows instantly furrowed. ¡°Can¡¯t you not go? I¡¯ll pay for the tuition. Double!¡± The man¡¯s generosity took Catherine by surprise. She clicked her tongue and thought, ¡°He offers double without asking me how much the tuition fee is?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°No, I have to go!¡± Catherine rejected and winked at the man, a naughty and adorable look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person who gives in to money. I am a person of principle! It sounded like a joke, but the man knew that Catherine had made up her mind. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t persuade her, the man could only reach out and embrace Catherine into his arms, letting her sit on hisp and hug her tightly. After all, they were about to be separated for a month, and the thought of going through such a long period without seeing each other made him feel irritable and depressed. ¡°The Duncan Corporation has a branch in Alton. Can I arrange for someone there to take care of you if you go over there?¡± Catherine could see the man¡¯s depression and held back herughter inside. Aspensation, Catherine agreed to his request. ¡°Okay!¡± After returning to the apartment, Catherine ran into Audrey, who rarely had free time at home, and Catherine told her that she would be going abroad for a month during her winter break. Audrey immediately shouted, ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re going abroad for a month alone? How can that be?¡± Then she added, ¡°Kathy, how about I go with you? It¡¯s risky for you to be alone in a foreign country.¡± Images of crises instantly shed through Audrey¡¯s mind, scaring her pale! Catherine repeated inwardly, ¡°Risky to be alone in a foreign country?¡± Catherine could not understand why Audrey was worried about her being in danger. She felt that Audrey should be more concerned about the brats she would train. After all, they were the ones who were in danger. Hearing Audrey say that she would apany her abroad, Catherine looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a yful look in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you have an audition next week? After that, you¡¯ll likely be on the set getting ready for the shoot, so how can you go with me?¡± Catherine¡¯s words instantly put Audrey in a tangle. Kim had said that there was a good chance that she would be selected this time, and it would be a waste to miss out on a movie as good as Cloudy World. But Audrey still felt uneasy about Catherine going abroad alone and surrounding herself with danger. After a long time of struggling, Audrey made her final decision. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯ve made up my mind. I¡¯m going to go with you to Alton. That movie is a big production, and the chances of me being chosen are slim. Besides,pared to your safety, a movie is nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± thought Catherine. She stared at Audrey, and for a moment, Catherine felt that she had never understood Audrey. She clearly knew how much Audrey cared about this movie. Otherwise, Audrey wouldn¡¯t sacrifice her sleep to read the script. But now, Audrey was giving up this opportunity to apany her abroad. And she even said her safety was more important than the opportunity! Audrey¡¯s words kept echoing in Catherine¡¯s mind as she gradually returned to her senses, her initially nk eyes lighting up. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apany me to Alton. The Duncans have apany over there, and Branden will arrange for someone to take care of me.¡± After that, she added, ¡°Focus on your practice. I believe you¡¯ll be in a position to be selected!¡± It was rare to hear Catherine say so much at once, and Audrey was a bit surprised. She almost forgot that Catherine had a big shot like Branden beside her. After all, the Duncans¡¯ industries were spread all over the world. Since Branden said that he would arrange for someone to take care of Catherine, Audrey could rest assured. ¡°Kathy, do you really think I¡¯ll be able to seed in the audition?¡± Catherine nodded her head without hesitation. Although movies were not what Audrey was good at, she had seen Audrey¡¯s performance at home, and it was indeed not bad.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Catherine¡¯s affirmation gave Audrey the greatest encouragement, and Audrey¡¯s eyes crinkled as she smiled. ¡°Kathy, that¡¯s really nice of you. Thanks for your affirmation, and I¡¯m super happy!¡± ¡°There is still a long way to go, but I¡¯ll work hard. Kim said that those like me who passed the second round of auditions would have a chance to show their faces in the movie. But only if no one among the competitors has a strong background or connections.¡± The entertainment industry wasplex, and making a name without a background or backer was incredibly difficult. It always took a while to start to matter. But if it was impossible to start, everything after that was a fantasy. Looking at Audrey¡¯s silly smile of pleasure, Catherine could not help curling her lips upward. She didn¡¯t intend to tell Audrey that the person with the strongest connection in the entire Cloudy World crew was no one else but herself. Although the Cloudy World project was the biggest project of Triston¡¯s entertainmentpany next year, the financier behind it was the Duncan Corporation. And the Duncan Corporation was willing to fund the project only because Audrey would be acting in the movie. As long as Audrey¡¯s acting skills were up to par, no one could snatch her role! Anyway, no one dared to stand against the Duncans in the whole of Zerwick. After talking about Catherine¡¯s trip abroad, Audrey thought of another crucial thing. ¡°Kathy, if you¡¯re going abroad for a month, will you return in time for Christmas?¡± For people from Zerwick, Christmas was a very significant day, and they would go out of their way to return home for Christmas no matter where they were. For Catherine, however, Christmas was a somewhat foreign word. As far as she could remember, she didn¡¯t seem to have celebrated Christmas, but looking at Audrey¡¯s eyes full of expectation, Catherine couldn¡¯t bear to refuse her. ¡°It depends. I¡¯ll try my best!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Audrey excitedly held Catherine¡¯s arm. ¡°Kathy, it doesn¡¯t matter even if youe back on Christmas Eve, as long as you can be there. We¡¯ll spend Christmas together as a family!¡± ¡°Family!¡± Catherine muttered inwardly. Frowning slightly, Catherine mumbled in a hoarse voice, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Departure Branden took Catherine to the airport. Catherine was going to Alton. Branden gazed at her, his eyes filled with reluctance. ¡°Come back as soon as possible. I¡¯ll pick you up!¡± Catherine¡¯s name could be heard in the airport announcement, but Branden didn¡¯t intend to let her go. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try.¡± After saying that, Catherine swiftly took the luggage from Branden¡¯s hand and ran into the security checkpoint. ¡°Gotta go, bye!¡± Watching her back as she ran away without turning her head, Branden helplessly chuckled. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Well, that¡¯s very cruel of you,¡± he murmured inwardly. ¡°I showed so much reluctance, yet you could still happily leave without showing me mercy.¡± After Catherine boarded the ne, she realized that Branden had booked her the entire first-ss cabin. The flight attendant politely ced Catherine¡¯s luggage down and led her to her seat. Being able to book the entire first-ss cabin exclusively for one person was enough to prove the man¡¯s wealth. He must be a big shot. Catherine used to travel a lot, and Ronin would also book first-ss for her, but not as extravagantly as Branden did. The quiet first-ss cabin was indeedfortable and suitable for resting. After the flight attendant brought a clean nket, Catherine decided to rest well and not be disturbed. During the three-hour journey, Catherine slept peacefully without any disturbances. The money spent was indeed worth it! When Catherine disembarked, she walked through the exclusive VIP channel, which was much faster than the regr passengers. After she walked out of the airport, she saw several men in uniform standing in the VIP waiting room ahead. She noticed them at first nce because the group leader emitted an extraordinary aura, indicating that he had excellentbat skills. Soon, he noticed Catherine, their eyes meeting. The man walked straight toward Catherine and stopped a step away from her, politely and respectfully saying, ¡°Miss Swann, hello, I¡¯m Francis Duncan!¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s Branden¡¯s person,¡± Catherine thought. After knowing about Cory and Carlo, Catherine had wondered if there was another Duncan. But she was toozy to ask Branden about it. Unexpectedly, there really was another Duncan. Francis respectfully reached out and took the luggage from Catherine¡¯s hand. ¡°Miss Swann, may I ask if you intend to stay at a hotel or Duncan Manor?¡± It was normal for Branden to have his own house or manor in Alton, given that the Duncans had business interests worldwide. However, Catherine had no intention of staying at the manor. She was only staying for one night and would be leaving tomorrow. ¡°Arrange a hotel for me!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Francis said without any hesitation. ¡°Miss Swann, this way, please. The car is waiting outside!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries and walked straight ahead. Francis watched her arrogant and domineering steps, his eyebrows slightly furrowing. He had always been curious about what kind of woman a powerful man like his boss would choose, but the answer had never appeared in his mind. When Francis knew that Catherine wasing, he felt a bit excited. He wanted to see what kind of person this youngdy, whom Cory always considered extraordinary, would be. After seeing Catherine, however, he was disappointed. Catherine looked too much like an inexperienced student. Not only was she young, but she was also exceptionally beautiful. In Francis¡¯s opinion, being too beautiful might not necessarily be a good thing. A great doubt arose in his heart. He wondered why his boss, such a formidable man, would choose Catherine. Was it just based on her appearance? After Catherine got in the car, she adjusted the angle of the seat andfortably leaned back. The hat on her head was pressed down low, and therge brimpletely covered her small face. Seeing that she didn¡¯t intend to speak, Francis secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was easy for him to protect someone, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it if he had to entertain a talkative person. As soon as the car engine turned off, Catherine spontaneously woke up. Francis exited the car and opened the door for her, handling her check-in procedures. ¡°Miss Swann, you will be staying here tonight. I will be in the room next to yours. I am responsible for all your safety matters during your time in Alton. If you need anything, feel free to tell me!¡± Catherine walked into the room without saying a word and threw herself onto the sofa, propping her feet up without moving. Francis didn¡¯t show any expression, but inside, he was slightly displeased with Catherine¡¯s behavior. After cing her luggage down, he respectfully said, ¡°Miss Swann, if you don¡¯t have any special instructions, I would like to take my leave. I will bring your dinner at six o¡¯clock, and you can contact me anytime if you have any needs.¡± Catherine remained silent, and after waiting for three seconds, Francis turned and left.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Upon hearing the sound of the door closing, Catherine pulled over a nearby nket andfortably rested. She knew that Francis didn¡¯t like her and only treated her with respect because she was Branden¡¯s girlfriend. But for Catherine, that didn¡¯t matter. After all, she didn¡¯t expect everyone to like her. She just wanted to sleep peacefully while Francis did his duty without disturbing each other. That was enough. After leaving the room, Francis immediately contacted Carlo. ¡°Carlo, are you kidding me? You couldn¡¯t even beat a little girl?¡± Carlo had previously told Francis that he had fought against Catherine and was defeated by her instantly. Francis¡¯s disbelief brought a mischievous thought to Carlo¡¯s mind. Carlo, Paxton, and Cory had all been punished by their boss before, but Francis had never experienced it. As good friends, they naturally faced difficulties together, and Carlo decided to give Francis a chance. Carlo deliberately said vaguely, ¡± Whatever, I¡¯m currently on a mission and don¡¯t have time. That¡¯s it!¡± The hastily disconnected call made Francis furrow his brow tightly. He guessed that Carlo was deliberately fooling him. This guy was full of lies. At six o¡¯clock in the evening, Francis knocked on Catherine¡¯s door with her dinner right on time. The door was fully automated. The door opened automatically after Catherine pressed a button on the remote control. Francis pushed the food cart and personally delivered it to Catherine. This was because Branden, his boss, had instructed him that Catherine didn¡¯t like interacting with strangers. Catherine, exhausted and worn out, sat down at the dining table. She had initially thought that Francis would arrange some special dishes for her, but to her surprise, the dishes he had prepared were all her favorite. ncing at the dishes, she was happy. ¡°Miss Swann, these dishes were ordered by our boss. We prepared them ording to the menu he provided. You can taste them first, and if you¡¯re not satisfied, I can arrange for a different chef!¡± Francis said. Francis hadn¡¯t expected his boss to value Catherine so much, not only giving him strict instructions but also personally providing a menu for him. Francis was instructed to arrange three meals for Catherine ording to the dishes listed on the menu, which even took into ount her favorite fruits. Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Top Three Assassins Internationally Catherine sampled the food. Even though it did not taste as good as Branden¡¯s cooking, it was eptable. ¡°No need. This is good!¡± replied Catherine coolly. Since dinner was alright, Francis could continue with the rest of the arrangements. ¡°Miss Swann, do you have any special arrangements tomorrow? Otherwise, here is a list of nearby travel destinations. Why don¡¯t you take a look? If there is anywhere you are interested in visiting, I can make arrangements.¡± Francis felt sad inside. He did not expect to see the day when he would be a mere tour guide! After waking up, Catherine received a text message from Ronin. He informed her that the client would contact her at night and she could make her way over tomorrow. Her time was very precious, so she did not have the time to travel. ¡°No, thanks. From tomorrow onward, you don¡¯t have to follow me around. I have my own arrangements!¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s rejection, Francis nearly lost control of his expression. He quietly inhaled and asked, ¡°Miss Swann, do you have a problem with my work? If there¡¯s any way I should change, just let me know. I will do my best to amodate.¡± Catherine looked at Francis coldly. She treated people she did not know well with the same attitude. ¡°I have personal matters to attend to. I will personally tell Branden about it. Just remember. I don¡¯t need you to follow me!¡± Seeing her firm attitude, Francis could only do as she said. After leaving, Francis contacted Branden immediately and told him about the situation. ¡°Do as she says. Just protect her secretly!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Hearing Branden¡¯s instructions, Francis hung up the phone. He did not expect to see the day that his brilliant boss would act this way! Shortly after dinner, Catherine¡¯s phone rang by the side. She swiped the phone to answer and held it to her ear. A man¡¯s husky voice came from over the phone. ¡°Hi there. Is this Anon?¡± It was not that she did not have a name. She never left any information out there, so people started calling her this. Since she never denied it, ¡°Anon¡± became her codename over time. Anon had always been among the best in the international assassin¡¯s ranking. J and Anon had always been the top two. Some said she was the number one assassin, while others supported J. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. However, neither of them confronted each other before, so no one knew who was better. ¡°Speak!¡± The moment Catherine opened her mouth, her cool female voice turned into a deep male one. Perhaps the other party wanted to talk to Catherine badly, so he did not notice anything amiss with her voice. Instead, he simply automatically continued with the conversation. ¡°Mr. Anon, please give me the address so I can pick you up tomorrow. The trainees have already gathered and are ready for training.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Just send me the location. I will show up punctually!¡± Saying this, Catherine did not allow the other party to say no and hung up the phone. After Catherine washed up and left the next day, Francis promptly sent security detail to protect her secretly. However, 30 minutester, Francis received an unexpected update. The security detail he sent had lost Catherine! Considering how much his boss cared about Catherine, Francis checked on the situation without hesitation. In the end, after investigating for some time, he could not find her. Sadly, Francis could only contact Branden, update him about the situation, and apologize. ¡°We lost her!¡± Branden did not react particrly strongly at the get-go. He asked coolly, ¡°Did you lose her or something?¡± Based on their subordinates¡¯ reports, Catherine had deliberately lost them. He did not expect Catherine to discover the men secretly following her and even manage to lose them sessfully. From the looks of it, he was indeed careless. He had underestimated Catherine¡¯s abilities. ¡°Miss Swann deliberately lost the tail on her!¡± No matter what, Francis was at fault. He admitted his mistake honestly and awaited the punishment. ¡°Francis, you should see Carlo and the others tomorrow. You need more training as well!¡± Despite Branden¡¯s gentle, airy tone, Francis nearly wanted to crumble and kneel. Francis did not dare argue or hesitate in the slightest. After leaving, Catherine noticed the secret security detail. Catherine confirmed that they were not after her before she lost the tail entirely. She went to the pier as agreed with the client. Scorpion Ind was globally well- known as a training ground facility. Scorpion Ind¡¯s location was mysterious. It was on an unknown ind somewhere in the Patrific, undetectable even by satellite. The only way to ess the ind was by helicopter. After Catherine got properly dressed, she showed up punctually. Not longter, the thunderous sound of a helicopter could be heard. Itnded on the helipad in front of Catherine. A burly man dressed in camouge got off the helicopter. He walked straight to Catherine and eyed her up and down. Catherine was wearing a cap, a mask, and ck training gear covered from head to toe. Jon scrutinized Catherine feeling something did not feel quite right about her. Then again, considering the location and time, if this person did not receive any prior instruction, there was no reason for anyone to be here. Jon hesitated before he finally asked, ¡± Are you Anon?¡± Catherine stood with her arms crossed. She raised her head, looking at Jon particrly coldly. ¡°Are any introductions needed?¡± Jon was caught by surprise. He did not expect the small, inconspicuous guy to be Anon. Judging from the petite frame, he looked like a girl. Jon had a particrly beefy body. He was 6.2 feet and covered with muscles. Catherine was 5.5 feet in height. In Zerwick, she was considered tall, but looked short next to Jon. However, Jon could sense her incredibly powerful aura. This was probably why Anon could be the top assassin in the industry. This was Anon, so he had to treat her with respect. Otherwise, he might die without knowing who took him out. ¡°Mr. Anon, this way, please!¡± Catherine got onto the helicopter deftly. The helicopter took nearly an hour to get from the pier to the ind. After getting off the helicopter, Jon initially wanted to let Catherine take a break and introduce the ind to her. Unexpectedly, Catherine turned down his offer coolly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s start immediately!¡± Seeing her drive, Jon did not continue with the subject. ¡°Mr. Anon, the little cabin up ahead is your living quarters. I will gather the trainees, and we can start in 10 minutes!¡± The moment he finished his sentence and proceeded to turn, Catherine had already disappeared out of sight. Jon suddenly understood why his boss would spend a considerable sum of money for her to be the instructor. Her moves were simply incredible. Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Chapter 414 The Instructor Scorpion Ind was a small ind located in the central Patrific. It was surrounded by steep cliffs. Leaving this ce without a sound was nearly impossible. Unless one happened to be the Sea King of Atrantis. Just ten minutes ago, the ind¡¯smander, Jon, sounded the rm. It signaled the beginning of the training in earnest. As is customary, the special ops team members assembled on the training ground. Rumor had it that they had enlisted the world¡¯s top assassin as their instructor this time. Every three years, Scorpion Ind arranged for a special training session, each time with a different instructor, but these instructors were always someone notorious for their brutality. There were casualties in every training, so they signed a life-and-death agreement before being selected toe to the ind. Although the mortality rate was extremely high, those who managed to leave the ind could rise to the top of the world rankings. So, being able to train on Scorpion Ind was a source of pride for everyone present. It meant that those who walked away from here would be among the world¡¯s elite. They stood on the training ground for about five minutes, but there was no sign of their instructor. Though everyone was puzzled, no one dared to question it. They weren¡¯t ordinary trainees. If they couldn¡¯t wait for five minutes, there was no point ining to Scorpion Ind. Carlo discreetly nced at Cory and signaled him with his eyes. But Cory paid him no mind. They had been sent here for training again because they had offended someone dear to their master. Six years had passed since theirst visit. They knew that their master had sent them to Scorpion Ind not only because they had offended Catherine but also to strengthen their physical conditioning. Once before, they had managed to leave Scorpion Ind. This time, if they couldn¡¯t, it would mean they were worse off than they were six years ago and would be considered expendable. Five more minutes passed, and the group remained motionless. No one knew what the instructor, codenamed ¡°Anon¡±, had in mind. No one dared to raise any questions. No one wanted to be the first to offend the instructor and be the prime target. Suddenly, a deep, eerie, and unsettling male voice boomed from the loudspeakers on the training ground. It echoed like it hade from the abyss. ¡°Everyone, wee to my training squad. I am your instructor, Anon! ¡°My goal is to eliminate every one of you!¡± With such a bold statement, it was hard for the top-notch individuals present to remain calm. The scene erupted with various voices, which created amotion. ¡°It seems you all have some opinions about my words. Well, use your strength to prove me wrong!¡± After that, Anon officially announced, ¡± Special selection begins now! N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°In the dense forest to your left, I left a signal behind. Find it within ten minutes, and you pass. If you can¡¯t find it within ten minutes, you¡¯re out! ¡°Good luck!¡± Anon made a mischievous remark, and then a buzzing sound ensued. She muted her microphone. No one expected the first training exercise to involve finding something. The instructor had just arrived on the ind, yet she had already set up props and started training. This kind of instructor who didn¡¯t even give them a chance to meet before training was a first. Time passed quickly. The group rushed madly toward the dense forest. Catherine sat in front of the monitor and observed every move of the trainees. When she saw some of the trainees blindly charging into the forest without surveying the terrain, she couldn¡¯t help but scoff andment, ¡°I have to train these fools?¡± Jon stood nearby. He was overpowered by Catherine¡¯s strong presence. Although Catherine appeared petite and feminine, she had a domineering aura. It left Jon breathless. Actually, Jon was a former strict instructor from the Middle Estria battlefield. He had seen all sorts of gruesome scenes. However, when he stood beside Catherine, he was still awed by her presence. Catherine kept a close eye on the monitor and suddenly noticed two familiar faces. Despite their disguises and camouge, there was no hiding from someone as skilled as Catherine. Catherine smirked quietly. Catherine recognized them. However, she was different from others. When encountering acquaintances, she wouldn¡¯t hold back. Instead, she would provide even stricter training. Whether the two people from the Duncans could make it through her rigorous training depended on their true abilities. Five minutester, Jon, who had initially left, returned to Catherine¡¯s side. ¡°Instructor, there¡¯s a request from higher-ups to add one more member.¡± ¡°Are you trying to pull some strings?¡± Catherine gave Jon a cold nce. Even though Jon couldn¡¯t see her eyes, he could feel her mockery. It was his first time encountering such a situation, but he had to obey the higher-ups¡¯ orders. ¡°Mr. Anon, this new recruit is exceptionally talented, a former graduate from here who made it off the ind. I hope you can make an exception.¡± If he hadn¡¯t seen the recruit¡¯s file, Jon wouldn¡¯t dare say such a thing. ¡°When will this recruit arrive?¡± Catherine asked. Jon¡¯s face lit up, and he replied, ¡± Tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Very well. Provide a parachute over the waters near the neighboring ind and have him jump.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes were cold and ruthless. If he was truly outstanding, then let her see just how outstanding he was. If he was capable, he could swim over and make his way there. If not, he shouldn¡¯t join her team. Jon, who was standing by, was taken aback. Despite her unassuming appearance, he hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to be so ruthless in her actions. It seemed like this batch of trainees was in for a tough time. Once Catherine arrived on the ind, even Jon, as themander, had no authority to interfere with her decisions. That was the rule of Scorpion Ind. Those who didn¡¯t obey had to be thrown to the sharks. Seeing Catherine¡¯s determination, Jon didn¡¯t dare say more and silently prayed for the recruit who jumped the queue. The conversation between the two had just taken five minutes. After that, Catherine sounded the rm. It signaled the end of the first round of the game. Out of the 30 members in the special training squad, five hadn¡¯t found the signal, and five were injured. Three of them were seriously injured. Eight individuals were eliminated in one fell swoop. The remaining trainees on the training ground wore troubled expressions. Initially, they thought the training would gradually intensify, but it had started at full throttle. With one-third of the participants eliminated in the first round, would they all be gone in just three days without needing the full 21 days? Carlo sat on the ground and panted heavily. He exchanged whispers with Cory. ¡°Cory, this is much tougher than our initial training. This instructor seems to be a formidable one. If this intensity continues, who can endure it?¡± ¡°At this intensity?¡± Cory raised an eyebrow and looked at him with disdain. There was no way they would continue at this intensity. He had a hunch that what they had just experienced was merely a warm-up. The real challenges were likely waiting for them ahead. Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Chapter 415 The Nighttime Training The first round had just ended. Then, the speakers above the training ground began to emit that chilling, devilish voice again. ¡°Round two begins!¡± The cold tone of the announcement caused even the famously tough individuals present to shiver involuntarily. The second round was rtively simple. It focused on physical tests. If one couldplete the test within the allotted time, he would pass. Once the rules were revealed, a collective sigh of relief swept through the group. Despite the tight time constraint, their physical fitness was up to the task, so they believed they would all pass. Eight individuals had been eliminated in the first round, and nobody wanted to face the same fate. Everyone gave their all toplete the task. Even those who were initially holding back their strength had to show their true abilities under Anon¡¯s relentless scrutiny. The second round concluded, and the afternoon training was done for the day. Anon announced the dismissal through the loudspeakers. As for their food, they had received arge supply package before starting the training. It was meant to sustain them for the next three weeks. If they ran out, they¡¯d be without supplies. Carlo enjoyed a compressed biscuit and leanedfortably against Cory. He was so hungry that even dry, throat- scorching biscuits tasted delicious. ¡°Cory, my legs feel like they¡¯re not mine anymore!¡± It wasn¡¯t just Carlo. Everyone in the group had trembling legs. Cory was the same, but he showed greater restraint. He didn¡¯t disy the fatigue as obviously as the others. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. While the trainees rested, Catherine also nned to have a break. She returned to her dorm. After she changed into morefortable clothing, her phone rang. It was a video call from Branden. Catherine answered it without hesitation. Then, the handsome face of Branden appeared on her screen. From the background, it was clear that he was in his office. Sure enough, the next second, Branden spoke up and confirmed the setting. ¡°I just finished a meeting. I want to see you.¡± Branden¡¯s expression was straightforward and not hesitant. It was a style of interaction that Catherine preferred. He didn¡¯t inquire about her dismissing the Shadow Guards. At the same time, she didn¡¯t feel like exining either. It was perfect. ¡°What about you?¡± Branden¡¯s soft, husky voice came through the phone. He asked Catherine, ¡°What are you up to?¡± Catherine wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked exhausted. Then she replied, ¡°I just finished a session with a bunch of rookies. I¡¯m preparing to grab a bite and continue in the evening.¡± Seeing the delicate beads of sweat on her forehead, Branden frowned slightly. He couldn¡¯t help but remind her. He said, ¡°Eat on time and eat well. There is no need to be so proactive.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure who had requested Catherine to teach, but he had received her grade report from the school. Catherine had marked her address as his apartment. She had scored zero in all seven subjects, not a single point more. It seemed she had gone to school early in the morning for two days during the final exams just to make up the numbers. On Branden¡¯s end, someone brought him a file that needed his attention. Catherine noticed he was busy with work, so she excused herself and imed it was time for her to eat. Then, she ended the video call. After ending the call, she was about to put her phone aside when it rang again. This time, the call was from Withal. Catherine nced at the number for a moment and then answered the call. As soon as she picked up, she heard Withal¡¯s excited voice. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve got information on Red Star. I heard they¡¯re organizing a deal in Alton in two days. Because the cargo is special, the chief of the Red Star will likely attend.¡± Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°The chief of the Red Star?¡± Catherine¡¯s mind immediately conjured up the terrifying man who had been worse than a devil back in the day. He was the man who had caused her to stumble for the first time in her life. If he were standing before her now, she would make him pay for the grudge she had held for so long. Withal noticed that Catherine hadn¡¯t responded for a while and asked, ¡± Catherine, are youing?¡± Although Catherine was in Alton, she currently couldn¡¯t leave Scorpion Ind. ¡°Withal, I¡¯m working as an instructor on Scorpion Ind this month. I can¡¯t leave right now. Keep an eye on the situation of the Red Star and inform me if you have any updates.¡± Withal readily agreed to take on the task once he learned Catherine couldn¡¯t make it. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep an eye on it for you.¡± After Catherine hung up, Withal finally realized what Catherine had said. She was working as an instructor on Scorpion Ind. He thought inwardly, ¡°Oh, my God. Catherine is an instructor on Scorpion Ind.¡± He realized that he had stumbled upon a major secret. Withal had never been to Scorpion Ind for training. It was not because he didn¡¯t have the qualifications but because the selection process for Scorpion Ind was rigorous andplicated. He was just toozy to deal with the intricate procedures and hadn¡¯t participated in the training. Although he hadn¡¯t participated, it didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t know about Scorpion Ind¡¯s reputation. Those who could leave Scorpion Ind were among the elite of the elite, let alone bing an instructor there. Catherine was truly capable and impressive. At the same time, Catherine hung up the phone, made a quick tidy-up, and prepared to leave. It was getting dark, and she was about to begin the nighttime training. The trainees, who had just sat down to rest, were jolted by the rm bells ringing on the training ground. Everyone gathered on the field. Carlo whispered to Cory, ¡°You guessed it right. Looks like we¡¯re in for extra training tonight.¡± Initially, Carlo had wanted to rx and take a break, but Cory had told him that the instructor was unlikely to give them such a long rest. Cory¡¯s prediction turned out to be correct. Fortunately, Carlo heeded Cory¡¯s advice and didn¡¯t let his guard down in the slightest. The devilish voice echoed once more through the loudspeakers and entangled everyone¡¯s minds. ¡°Everyone, it¡¯s dinner time. Tonight¡¯s dish is called ¡®The Great Escape¡¯. The deadline is tomorrow noon, and the goal is simple. You should stay alive.¡± The location was the same as the afternoon. The only requirement was surviving in the dense forest until noon the next day. While the forest didn¡¯t house many dangerous animals, it had its share of unusual insects, traps, and landmines. For ordinary people, entering this forest was a life-or-death gamble, but for these elites, it was a less daunting task. Despite the seemingly straightforward mission, a sense of foreboding lingered in the hearts of the trainees. ¡°Cory, why do I feel like things aren¡¯t as simple as they seem? Can they really let us off the hook so easily? Just stay one night?¡± Cory nced at the incessantly talking Carlo with an expression that seemed to say, ¡°You¡¯re not entirely foolish.¡± It was apparent that this mission wasn¡¯t as straightforward as it appeared. Often, the simpler a task seemed, the more dangerous it actually was. One never knew just how massive the iceberg hidden beneath the surface was. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Chapter 416 The Bombardment Paxton knocked on Branden¡¯s study door, bearing thetest message from Alton. After receiving Branden¡¯s permission, he gently pushed open the door. ¡°Mr. Duncan, on the Alton side, the transaction time for that shipment has been confirmed. With Francis and the others away, maybe I should handle this trip.¡± They were the four finest members of the Duncans. Each was highly capable and trained from a young age by the family head. They had taken on nearly all the projects the head had epted but had yet to excel in them as the head did. This trade deal in Alton was worth tens of billions of dors and was supposed to be managed by Francis in Alton. But the head had surprisingly sent Francis to Scorpion Ind. Not only Francis, but the other two were also on Scorpion Ind. With such a substantial project, Paxton couldn¡¯t entrust it to others, so he volunteered. Branden leisurely finished signing thest document. Then he looked up at Paxton. ¡°Arrange a flight to Alton for tomorrow afternoon.¡± Paxton was taken aback. ¡°Mr. Duncan, are you nning to go yourself?¡± Branden rested his elbow on the desk, and his deep eyes glinted with a hint of coldness as he gazed at Paxton. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. That cold look sent a shiver down Paxton¡¯s spine. He shivered and quickly replied, ¡°No, Mr. Duncan. Your presence is naturally the safest option. I¡¯ll arrange it right away.¡± As Paxton exited the study, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a lingering unease. Branden arranged the deal personally. It was not because Branden didn¡¯t trust Paxton. There were other reasons for his trip to Alton. It might be partly due to manpower issues, but the more significant reason was Catherine. Catherine was in Alton right then, and Branden had a chance to meet her. Paxton finally understood the saying, ¡± Absence makes the heart grow fonder.¡± Catherine and Branden hadn¡¯t been parted for long, but Branden was deeply bewitched. What would be of him in the future? Paxton was deeply troubled. On Scorpion Ind, the third round of special training had officially begun. To secure their chance of staying until the end, these trainees had already started secretly forming groups. More people meant more strength and ample resources. Carlo had no doubts about partnering with Cory. He didn¡¯t trust the others. The duo quietly infiltrated the forest. Carlo¡¯s strategy mirrored many others¡¯ strategies. He chose to stick to the outskirts. As per the current rules, surviving until noon the following day would be considered a sessful mission. Carlo spread out a map and selected a concealed location. ¡°Cory, what do you think of this spot?¡± Cory looked at Carlo¡¯s choice. It had a strategic advantage for both offense and defense. But it seemed too safe. He had a feeling this training was not as simple as it appeared. Then he pointed to a different spot on the map. ¡± I¡¯d like to go here.¡± Carlo furrowed his brow at Cory¡¯s choice. ¡°Cory, aren¡¯t you making it unnecessarily difficult for yourself? This ce is riskier and deeper within the jungle. Aren¡¯t you worried about not making it until noon the next day?¡± ¡°The riskier, the safer,¡± Cory replied. Carlo hesitated, but he ultimately agreed. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with your suggestion!¡± Even though Carlo thought he had chosen a good spot, he had more faith in Cory. Over the years, Cory¡¯s judgment had seldom faltered. Cory was the most like the head among the four of them. He was silent,posed, and decisive. Besides unwavering loyalty to Branden, Carlo only had these few close friends. After agreeing, they familiarized themselves with the route and set off. Catherine sat in front of the monitoring screen and observed every trainee through the cameras. When she saw the spot chosen by Cory¡¯s team, a slight smile tugged at her lips. Indeed, they were people from Branden¡¯s camp. They disyed a hint of cleverness. Seeing that most trainees were well- prepared, Catherine took out her walkie -talkie and informed Jon. She said, ¡± Spice things up for them.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s instructions, Jon became excited. He knew there was no way they would let these trainees off so easily. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it.¡± Without warning, poisonous smoke ignited around the perimeter of the jungle. It spread rapidly. After noticing that, many trainees near the jungle¡¯s edge began to sprint. Carlo noticed the scene and quickly informed Cory with excitement on his face. ¡°Cory, you¡¯re amazing. We¡¯ve struck gold this time!¡± The two of them were positioned in the jungle¡¯s center, and the poisonous smoke wouldn¡¯t prate as quickly. It gave them ample time to prepare. Cory nced at Carlo and signaled for him to stay cautious. ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate too soon. The real challenge may still be ahead.¡± Catherine, who was watching from the monitor, couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. But she was good at lip-reading. It was easy for her to know what they were talking about. Back during her training, she had learned lip-reading from a team member from Middle Estria. She was highly talented and mastered it in just seven days. She could pick up mostnguages, provided they weren¡¯t too obscure. Cory indeed showed some intelligence. He knew that the real challenge was yet toe. The real challenge was just around the corner. She ryed another order into the microphone and said to Jon, ¡°No stopping until daybreak!¡± Jon couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy as he watched bomb after bomb raining down on the jungle. His heart ached. It wasn¡¯t because he cared for the trainees but rather for the money. Each bomb cost millions. Without a second thought, Anon had used them at such a rate. It depleted the ind¡¯s ammunition and wasted a significant amount of money. However, the higher-ups had instructed him that they must adhere to all of Anon¡¯smands for these three weeks, regardless of the cost. He had to do it even if he had to part with the money. The once silent jungle transformed into a hell on Earth. It was filled with cries of agony. Another bomb dropped, which was dangerously close to Carlo. Carlo reacted swiftly and dived away just in time. Thanks to his quick reflexes and agile movements, he narrowly escaped, bing another victim of this human -made disaster. With a deafening explosion, the bomb went off not far from him. It showered Carlo in sand and debris. When he looked up, his face was covered with dirt. He was unable to contain his frustration as heined to Cory. ¡°Damn it. This instructor is insane! First, the poison gas, and now this bombardment. He¡¯s giving us no chance at all. Are they not nning to let us leave Scorpion Ind alive?¡± While Carlo ranted, Cory remained remarkably calm. ¡°Comining won¡¯t help. Let¡¯s focus on getting through until dawn.¡± This was not the most challenging part of the training. It was just getting dark. The most difficult phase should be thest two hours before the end of thepetition. At that point, everyone¡¯s energy should be nearly depleted. It could be catastrophic if the instructor added more challenges at that time. To survive until the end, they had to prepare ordingly. Catherine watched the group of trainees desperately fleeing on the monitor. They were increasingly disheveled, one worse than the other. She sneered and turned to take a break. The trainees¡¯ suffering was their problem, and it was better for her to get a good night¡¯s rest. She would check the situation when she woke up the next day. Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Being Thrown off the Helicopter The next morning, Catherine woke up on time at nine o¡¯clock. As soon as she woke up, she received an update from Jon. Last night, three trainers chose to quit due to being unable to withstand the pressure. This was better than Catherine expected. It was only three people, whereas she had anticipated at least half would not make it. Looking at the messy faces on the monitor, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted and said, ¡°What poor physical strength!¡± Since she was awake, she would prepare some ¡°breakfast¡± for them. A smug smile appeared on Catherine¡¯s face. ¡°Jon, get ready to drop the bombs!¡± Upon hearing that, Jon immediately woke up with a jolt. ¡°Okay!¡± This was really exciting. Bombs were being dropped 24 hours a day without interruption. He finally understood why the higher- ups spent a lot of money hiring Anon. Although Anon was an assassin, he was very good atbat training. The team members who could stay this time would definitely be the elites among the elites. The trainers in the dense forest had only rested for a while before discovering something wrong. There was a particrly subtle sounding from above them. Unlike the sound of roaring helicopters, it was very light and sounded like a drone this time. It was difficult for ordinary people to hear it clearly, but those trainers weren¡¯t ordinary people. They had undergone professional training so they could hear it. Sure enough, following the direction of the sound, the trainers saw the drone flying straight toward them. The distance between them and the drone was getting closer and closer, and there seemed to be something tied underneath the drone. By the time they could see what was tied under the drone, it was already toote. ¡°Run. There are bombs!¡± One bombnded just after one trainer said that, and the trainer who had just spoken was instantly injured, with no possibility of continuing training. The extensive bombing that beganst night did not stop until 7 a.m. It was only 9 o¡¯clock now. The trainers had rested for less than two hours before being bombarded by a new round of bombs. Unlikest time, it wasn¡¯t an extensive area bombing but a precise drop of bombs using the drone. With surveince in the dense forest, the drone could urately capture their positions and bomb them all in one go. To avoid being bombed, they had to avoid the drone radar and the dense surveince everywhere. Even Carlo was in despair. ¡°Cory, this instructor is the devil!¡± Two hourster, the sound of an rm on the yground reached the dense forest, and this round of testing was finally considered over. The crowd gathered on the yground, dragging their tired and tattered bodies. Failing to reach the yground before noon would also result in them failing the test. Everyone knew that the training on Scorpion Ind was brutal, but no one expected it to be brutal to this extent. The instructor, this time, was really perverted! It was only the second day, and half of them had already been eliminated. When the trainers arrived at the yground, they saw an off-road jeep on the yground. On the car¡¯s roof, a heavily armed man wrapped tightly from his head to his feet. His sitting posture was extremelyzy and arrogant. Even if they could not see his body and face, the aura emanating from him alone was enough to intimidate everyone present. Seeing that everyone was almost there, Catherine picked up the nearby loudspeaker and casually ced it in her hand to speak. ¡°I¡¯m d to still see you all standing here!¡± Judging from this familiar voice, everyone knew who this seemingly annoying person in front of them was. At first, everyone didn¡¯t recognize him as the instructor because he was so petite in front of them. Compared to them, the big and tall men, he looked like a tall woman. But when the crowd heard his iconic demonic voice, they immediately trembled all over. There might be nothing in the world that could make them feel more terrifying than his voice. It was not until the third day that they saw the instructor, which showed how unique he was! Before Catherine could continue speaking, a sudden voice broke the quiet of the scene. ¡°Report, team member Francis is here! Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man who was all ragged and wet walking toward them from the side. Everyone was somewhat puzzled. The quota for this training was fixed. Could someone join in now? Just as they wanted to watch the instructor teaching this trainer a lesson, they heard the voice of the instructor calling him to take his post. Catherine didn¡¯t expect that the trainer who was said to be excellent and joined through connections would be Francis. It seemed that Branden really had the ability. He even enjoyed privileges on Scorpion Ind. Francis took the initiative to walk over to Cory and Carlo¡¯s side, but he didn¡¯t rush to greet them. The three exchanged nces at each other, each tacit. Various noisy voices echoed in the team, all of which were questions about Francis¡¯s sudden joining. After all, they had a difficult day and night. If Francis could join them without passing the previous tests, would it be fair for those eliminated? The questioning voice grew louder and louder, and it wasn¡¯t until Catherine looked up and nced at the crowd that the voice gradually disappeared. But this was due to Catherine¡¯s authority. They werepletely unwilling to ept Francis¡¯ joining in their hearts. Catherine was very clear about their ideas. To ensure fairness, Catherine directly reached out and pointed at Francis. ¡°You,e out.¡± Francis stepped out of the line as instructed. Catherine told him coldly, ¡°Tell these people how you came to the ind!¡± ¡°I was thrown off the helicopter over the Patrific and swam to the ind!!¡± Francis said it lightly, but those familiar with this area knew how difficult it was to swim from Patrific to this ind. Putting physical strength aside, if one wanted to go to the ind, one not only needed to pass through an ind full of cliffs but also through a sea area frequently infested by cannibal sharks. No one expected Francis to be thrown off a helicopter, which was much more difficult than what they experiencedst night. The point was that Francis was still alone, unlike them, who could still have a team and a buddy to help, which further increased the difficulty factor for Francis. ¡°Take your post!¡± Catherine shouted coldly, scanning the crowd. ¡°So, do you have any more questions?¡± The crowd didn¡¯t dare to speak again. Thispetition was meant to choose the strong. Since Francis was so strong, the others had nothing to say. A few secondster, Catherine announced thetest task. ¡°Since no one has any objections, let¡¯s continue.¡± What? Everyone present had their blood frozen. This instructor didn¡¯t treat them like humans at all. He treated them like animals. No, they should be inferior to animals in his eyes. They hadn¡¯t rested since yesterday. Looking at the dejected faces of the trainers ahead, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°Look at yourselves. You¡¯ve be tired so easily? ¡°I promise I¡¯ll let you rest for an afternoon after the new task!¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Although this news sounded somewhat exciting, everyone knew that the instructor in front of them was a pervert. Who knew how tough the next task would be? They didn¡¯t even dare to be happy, mainly because they were scared. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Chapter 418 An Impossible Task The next training task was target shooting. Those who were able to go to Scorpion Ind as trainees were all considered sharpshooters. Ordinary shooting was nothing to them, but now, no one dared to ignore the task arranged by this seemingly petite instructor. No one knew what kind of difficulties they were about to face, and they had never had such a moment of despair about the way ahead. Each person had ten bullets, and Catherine required everyone to hit the nail in the center of the bull¡¯s eye within the specified time. Under normal conditions, this task was not impossible for sharpshooters to complete. The trainees had just gone through a one-day and one-night escape battle, and their physical strength was already overdrawn. Not to mention hitting the bull¡¯s eye, they didn¡¯t even have the strength to hold the gun. Even more frightening was that Catherine didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of letting them go. She asked Jon to bring a fewrge buckets and ced them in front of the crowd. No one knew what Catherine was trying to do, but many people were already feeling uneasy. They knew that there was no way Catherine would let them go. Cory noticed that Francis¡¯s expression was not right and lowered his voice to ask in a low voice, ¡°Is there a situation? Francis nodded slightly. They did not want the people in this training camp to know about the rtionship between the three of them just yet. If the others knew about the rtionship between the three of them, this would only be bad for them. ¡°There¡¯s something inside!¡± Francis conveyed the message to the two by silently mouthing the words. Both Cory and Carlo received it and they trusted Francis¡¯ judgment. There wasn¡¯t just something in that bucket; it was a living creature. Francis had a unique ability to tell if a living creature was nearby as long as the distance was close enough. After confirming Francis¡¯s judgment, Cory and Carlo began to worry. They were really in trouble. Sure enough, when Catherine ordered someone to open the buckets, the trainers who were close enough to see what was inside cried out frantically. ¡°Snake¡­ There are so many snakes¡­¡± The person who said these words had turned pale with fear and kept retreating. A horrified expression appeared on the faces of the surrounding several big- sized men. The big buckets were densely packed with snakes. There was an ind called Snake Ind nearby, where highly venomous snakes lived year-round, making it difficult for people to approach. These snakes were the venomous snakes that Catherine had arranged for people to capture from that ind, specifically used to train these trainees. Catherine narrowed her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Seeing the pale faces of the group of trainees around her, she chuckled in her heart. She had already achieved half the effect she wanted. Catherine said coldly, ¡°As you can see, this training is not very demanding. Just stand in the bucket, shoot out the bullets, finish the target, and rest!¡± Disapproving voices then appeared on the scene. At first, because Catherine was their instructor, these trainers tried their best to obey her. Usually, they train others, but rarely have they been trained so hard that they do not even have the energy to lift their heads. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Thinking of Catherine¡¯s initial statement that none of them would be able toplete the assessment, and under this kind of blow and pressure, everyone could no longer hold back and started to rebel. Various noisy voices rang out, which were all questioning Catherine¡¯s decision. Everyone felt that Catherine was not training them but wanted them to die. Finally, someone couldn¡¯t help but take the lead in questioning. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no way anyone can do what you¡¯re asking. All of the snakes inside the buckets are poisonous, and every single one is highly venomous. In such a situation, being bitten will most likely cause irreparable damage even if we have the snake venom serum!¡± Facing the question, Catherine answered easily. ¡°As long as you can control your body temperature and maintain a bnce, you naturally don¡¯t have to worry about these snakes biting you.¡± There was an active volcano on Snake Ind, and these snakes were different from other species of snakes in that they would only eat or attack under certain temperature conditions. In other cases, they remained in a dormant state. Unless one was emotionally excited and his body temperature rose sharply, those snakes would not actively attack. Catherine said those words lightly, but those people still felt the task was challenging. ¡°This is simply impossible!¡± Someoneined loudly, even questioning if Catherine was the executioner and wanted to kill them. Where there was oppression, there would be resistance. The best way to suppress these voices of resistance was to disy even greater strength. Catherine grabbed a gun from the side and jumped into the bucket with a cool somersault. Her movements were very precise, and her jumping into the bucket was exceptionally gentle, not disturbing the venomous snakes inside. She picked up her gun, her movements fast and steady. She used only three bullets to hit the nails ced in front of her into the bull¡¯s eye. Catherine didn¡¯t stop, hitting the nails into the bull¡¯s eye with every shot. She asked the trainers to use ten bullets to hit one nail into the bull¡¯s eye, but she used ten bullets to directly hit four nails on four targets into the bull¡¯s eye, three of which were stillteral to her because she had never changed positions throughout. The trainers present were stunned! Amidst everyone¡¯s stunning gaze, Catherine somersaulted and jumped out of the bucket, tossing the used gun casually. The gunnded steadily on the disy rack in front. With her hands in her pockets, Catherine walked arrogantly and left without turning back. There wasplete silence. For these people, the best way to convince them was to show them greater strength. Catherine proved everything with her super strength. What else could those who mored that Catherine was trying to kill them say? ncing at the crowd, Jon¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery and disdain. The higher-ups weren¡¯t fools. If Anon had no skills, how could they spend a lot of money hiring him? There were few people in this world who were more stingy than those people. ¡°What are you waiting for? None of you want to rest?¡± Jon let out a roar, snapping everyone¡¯s wondering thoughts back to the present moment. Some people were still unconvinced by the instructor before, thinking that the instructor was intentionally panicking them. However, from that moment onward, no one would dare to bring up the topic. Strength determined everything, and the instructor¡¯s strength was clearly far superior to theirs. ¡°Cory, why do you keep staring at the instructor¡¯s back? If Mr. Duncan and the instructor were to confront each other, who do you think would win?¡± Facing Carlo¡¯s inquiry, Cory asked thoughtfully, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the instructor¡¯s back is particrly familiar? I always feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere!¡± ¡°What?¡± Carlo thought carefully and replied with a teasing smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know any men who are this petite and delicate!¡± Cory thought Carlo had a point. If there were such a petite man around them, even if they only saw him once, they would remember him. ¡°Cory, let¡¯s not think about all this nonsense. Let¡¯s think about how we¡¯re going to get through this first.¡± Just thinking about it gave Carlo a headache. The task this time was challenging, and if they couldn¡¯tplete it, they didn¡¯t know what punishment would be waiting for them. Thinking about it made Carlo feel heartbroken. He regretted that he had offended Catherine and ended up being punished on this ind. Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Missing The ne from Zerwick to Alton had only justnded, and Branden, who had just gotten off the ne, turned on his cell phone and made a phone call. A mechanically cold female voice came over the phone, ¡°Hello, the number you have dialed has been turned off!¡± Branden hung up and used WhatsApp to make a video call. Still, no one answered, and it disconnected automatically. Branden¡¯s brow instantly furrowed. ¡± Go find out where Catherine is!¡± Knowing that Branden had gone to Alton primarily for Catherine¡¯s sake, Paxton didn¡¯t dare to cause a dy. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± On Scorpion Ind, Catherine had just walked from the shooting range to the lounge when she saw her phone screen darkening. She picked up her phone and realized that Branden had called her. For convenience, she didn¡¯t bring her phone with her during training. She usually set her phone to quiet mode and ced it in the lounge. Just as Catherine was about to return Branden¡¯s call, Withal called in. Catherine picked up the phone and put it to her ear. ¡°Catherine, the news of Red Star is confirmed. The chief of their organization will personallye to preside over this deal this time!¡± A deal that could make the chief of Red Star personally appear was definitely not ordinary. After learning about this matter, an idea immediately came to Catherine¡¯s mind. ¡°Withal, don¡¯t act rashly. You only have one goal: to find out the chief of Red Star for me. You just need to find out his identity.¡± As long as she could find out who the Red Star¡¯s chief was, she believed she could take revenge with her ability. Although Withal was usually arrogant, he knew that his ability was limited. Red Star¡¯s chief was a big man who had made even a tough character like Catherine fall into his trap back then. Withal was no match for him, and he needed to be self-aware of this fact. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do what I can. It¡¯s best if I can find out his identity. I¡¯ll try my best!¡± Catherine also meant the same thing. She couldn¡¯t leave right now for the time being. Otherwise, she would definitely go to meet the chief of Red Star in person to avenge herself. Withal was the person who worked for her, and his life was more important than anything else. After hanging up Withal¡¯s phone call, Catherine received a message from Jon. She didn¡¯t have time to respond to Branden. Thinking that it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal, she dropped her phone in the lounge and returned to the yground. After arriving at the shooting range, Catherine obtained thetest data from Jon. Eight out of a group of 18 people passed the test. What surprised Catherine was that the three people sent by the Duncans all passed the test. It seemed that these three people still had some skills. Catherine stood in front of the crowd with her hands behind her back, her body¡¯s aura unusually powerful, giving people an unparalleled sense of authority. ¡°I always keep my word. Those who passed the task can rest now. Those who didn¡¯t pass will now begin the next round of physical training. You must practice more if your physical fitness is not as good as others. Do you think you¡¯ll have food if you can¡¯t practice well? Dream on!¡± The eight people who passed the task breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Catherine kept her word and didn¡¯t make things difficult for them again. The people who did not pass the task had a fluke mentality. Although physical training was painful, it was only physical pain, which was much simpler than psychological pain. Jon approached Catherine, and now he had no doubts about her abilities. He dared to guarantee that the people Catherine trained would be the kings of Scorpion Ind. He had never seen such a training method before, and after only two days of training, half of those who participated in the training were eliminated. In such an environment dominated by the strong, only the strongest among the strong could survive. ¡°Mr. Anon, are you still nning to train them with such intensity next?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Catherine sat on the roof of the jeep in an extremely arrogant posture, looking down at Jon and saying, ¡°There will only be stronger intensity.¡± Jon furrowed his brow slightly, and based on the current situation, the trainees were already exhausted. ¡°Mr. Anon, aren¡¯t you worried that if the intensity is too much, there won¡¯t be anyone left in the end?¡± Jon asked the thing worrying him the most. He really couldn¡¯t guarantee how many people would be left in the end. Facing Jon¡¯s inquiry, Catherine smiled yfully and looked at him. ¡°That only proves that there is no one strong among them!¡± The truly strong would be stronger when they met the strong. ¡°Isn¡¯t the mission I came to Scorpion Ind to select the strong?¡± Catherine¡¯s exnation made Jon understand her intentions. Catherine would not reduce the training intensity. The scene in front was brutal for the trainees, but it was only beginning for Catherine. To survive there, one must be the strongest among the strong. Jon had no right to interfere with any of the training content. He could only silently pray for those trainees in his heart. He didn¡¯t know whether it was their good fortune or misfortune to run into such a devilish instructor. After arriving at the Duncans¡¯ vi in Alton and putting down his things, Branden contacted Catherine first. She still couldn¡¯t be reached, and no one replied on WhatsApp. The man, who was always calm and steady, had an immediate change in his expression because he couldn¡¯t contact Catherine. Hearing a sounding from the front, Branden immediately looked up. Realizing that he was looking over, Paxton quickened his pace quickly. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I can¡¯t find out anything about Miss Swann. This is thest picture of her before she disappeared!¡± Paxton showed the footage taken by the surveince cameras before Catherine disappeared, and everything in the footage was normal. Catherine got rid of those who had been ced around her for protection on her own. Branden was able to contact Catherine the first two days so he did not inquire about her specific situation. It had only been half a day since he couldn¡¯t reach Catherine, and Paxton felt that Branden was a little overwrought. ¡°Mr. Duncan, maybe Miss Swann is just giving a ss to the students and doesn¡¯t notice the call. She will contact you after sster! Now is not yet the end of ss time in Alton!¡± Actually, Paxton really wanted to say that they hadn¡¯t been in touch for just half a day. Moreover, after Catherine disappeared, it was not that she hadn¡¯t been in contact with Branden. A few hours ago, the two video-called, and Catherine was doing fine. The probability of not looking at her phone due to being busy in such a short period of time was very high. The biggest concern for Paxton was still the issue of time, as there were only two hours left before they needed to trade. He was worried that Branden would be distracted by this. Although he knew Branden was powerful, there had never been a Catherine as a variable in the past. Branden had made too many impossible things possible because of Catherine. Despite the danger, Paxton took the risk to remind Branden of the current time. Branden nodded slightly with a cold expression before standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The two cold words instantly gave Paxton the feeling of returning from hell to heaven. Just a moment ago, he almost thought he was going to be killed by Branden. Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Behind the Scene From the bustling streets in the east to the chaotic zones in the west, this ce was a forbidden zone for the rule ofw. Due to geographical reasons, it was often filled with crime and darkness. The most dangerous ce was also the safest ce. With the cooperation of the intelligencework between Withal and Hacker Alliance, Withal finally figured out the location of Red Star¡¯s transaction today. To investigate the identity of the chief of Red Star, Withal arrived there early and had been camping there, suffering from hunger and dizziness but still not daring to leave the narrow flue pipe. He had paid a huge price to find out who the chief of Red Star was. The agreed time for the transaction at 7 o¡¯clock was approaching. Withal¡¯s heart began beating faster and faster. The other party¡¯s forces had already taken their positions and were only waiting for the arrival of Red Star¡¯s personnel. When the clock on the wall hit 7 o¡¯clock, the people from Red Star promptly showed up in the warehouse. Upon witnessing the meeting between the two sides, Withal was beyond excited. He would soon find out who the chief of Red Star was, and the opportunity to avenge Catherine was just around the corner. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Hey motionless inside the flue pipe, not daring to breathe too loudly. Paxton apanied Branden to the scene. ¡°Sir, let me handle it. You can rest in the car. You¡¯ve already personallye here. If they¡¯re still unsatisfied, we can choose not to do business with them.¡± To persuade Branden, Paxton cleverly mentioned Catherine. ¡°What a pity it would be if Miss Swann happened to call you at that very moment and you missed the call!¡± No matter how important the business was, it couldn¡¯tpare to a phone call from Catherine. Branden nodded at him, consenting for him to get out of the car to conduct the transaction. Red Star sent a big shot to show up. Even if the other side wanted to y tricks, they had to weigh their options first. The whole process went very smoothly. Paxton handed over the location and key for storing the weapons to the other party and instructed them to transfer the payment to the designated ount. The payment and the delivery of goods urred simultaneously. No one expected that a pair of eyes was watching this massive transaction unfold from the flue pipe above. Withal had thought that the chief of Red Star would be some intimidating figure. But after seeing him in person today, Withal thought the chief seemed pretty impressive but less scary than he had expected. For some reason, he always had a feeling that something was off. Only after thepletion of the transaction did he leave in secret. Beforeing, Withal specially borrowed an LCD recorder from Hacker Alliance. This recorder hadn¡¯t hit the market yet and only existed within Hacker Alliance. It possessed an enormous storage space and could continuously record for 24 hours. The most impressive aspect was that its appearance looked just like regr contact lenses on the market. Even the most powerful detection devices would be unable to detect it when ced above the pupil. This device had been developed by Catherine the year before when she was bored as a form of entertainment. Little did she know it woulde in handy now. Withal saved the photos inside the recorder and sent them to Catherine. Catherine discovered that she had not had the opportunity to answer Branden¡¯s call today. When she returned home, she saw she had missed his call. Just as she was about to call him back, she received a document from Withal. The data had been highly encrypted. Catherine knew this must be information of the chief of Red Star. She was a little curious about this mysterious enemy, so she decided to look at the information first. When she opened the email and the photos began to load, Catherine¡¯s eyes instantly turned as cold as ice. Right after that, a video call from Withal popped up. Catherine casually clicked on it. Once the video call was connected, she could hear the excited voice of Withal on the other end of the phone. ¡°Catherine, have you seen that guy¡¯s photo? Should I release it right now and catch Red Star off guard?¡± ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t take the wrong photo?¡± Catherine asked with a hint of skepticism in her tone. ¡°Of course not. These are all people from Red Star. Middle Estria has also sent intelligence, confirming the transaction waspleted. There¡¯s absolutely no room for error!¡± Withal might seem carefree, but he was actually very cautious in his actions. After he left, he didn¡¯t immediately hand over the things to Catherine but went to verify them first. That was why he dared to confirm the person was from Red Star. However, he wouldn¡¯t dare to question Catherine. Over the years, Catherine had never been wrong. He just had doubts in his heart. ¡°Catherine, I checked. He is from Red Star. Is there something else going on?¡± Catherine nced at the photo and said coldly, ¡°The person in the picture is from Red Star, but he¡¯s not the chief of Red Star.¡± ¡°Catherine, did you already find out who¡¯s the chief of Red Star?¡± Withal¡¯s voice sounded excited. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re incredible!¡± ¡°What a coincidence! I happen to know him!¡± There was a hint of sarcasm in Catherine¡¯s voice. Maybe because Withal was too excited, he didn¡¯t notice it and excitedly asked about the situation. ¡°Catherine, you actually know him? Why didn¡¯t you take revenge?¡± With gritted teeth, Catherine said, ¡± Didn¡¯t I just find out? This grudge will be settled soon.¡± Her cold voice made Withal suddenly feel a shiver running down his spine. He instinctively asked, ¡°Who is it? Who is the chief of Red Star?¡± Catherine uttered a name coldly, ¡± Branden Duncan!¡± ¡°Branden Duncan?¡± said Withal inwardly. He paused for a moment and almost didn¡¯t react in time. ¡°Oh my goodness! Isn¡¯t Branden Duncan Catherine¡¯s man?¡± he thought. After a long while, Withal finally found his voice and hesitantly asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Catherine, what do you n to do?¡± Catherine hadn¡¯t yet thought of it.¡± Let¡¯s talk about itter!¡± After finishing speaking, Catherine promptly hung up the phone. She took a nce at the photo. The person captured by Withal in the picture was Paxton. Paxton was the personal bodyguard of Branden, like a shadow always by his side. Catherine had previously fought against the chief of Red Star, knowing Paxton couldn¡¯t reach her skill level. The only possibility was that the chief of Red Star was the boss behind Paxton. So, it must be the heir of the Duncans, Branden Duncan. Since Catherine escaped from Red Star back in the day, she had never disclosed the details of her experience to anyone. However, after returning to the base, she did not get out of bed for a month. She had never hated anyone in her lifetime. After all, there were not many people who could trip her up or take advantage of her. The chief of Red Star was an exception. Catherine had never given up investigating the chief of Red Star over the years. Her only goal was to avenge the humiliation she had suffered in the past. However, it never urred to her that the person identified ultimately would be right by her side after all she had been through. Catherine was lost in thoughts when her phone, which was ced aside, started ringing again. With a slight nce, she discovered that the caller was none other than her arch-enemy. Catherine picked up the phone, but she did not answer the call. Instead, she hung up and turned her phone on airne mode. She was not in the mood to answer the phone now. She needed to carefully consider how to solve the big problem in front of her. Chapter 421 Teach the Instructor a Lesson Chapter 421 Teach the Instructor a Lesson Branden frowned as he looked at his phone. His eyes seemed to be as cold as ice. Looking at Branden¡¯s gaze, Paxton felt a deep sense of trepidation. His heart was about to jump out of his throat, beating frantically. If one listened carefully to his words, one would notice the trembling in his voice. ¡°Sir, has Miss Swann still not answered her phone call?¡± She not only ignored the call but straight up hung up on Branden this time. When Branden tried to call back, he was notified to leave a message after the beep. Upon careful recollection, Branden realized that he hadn¡¯t offended Catherine in any way. ¡°She was fine after thest phone call. Why did she suddenly ignore me? ¡°Has something really happened?¡± he thought. Branden instantly panicked at the thought of this possibility and lost his usualposure and stability. ¡°Send everyone out to search for Catherine. Find her no matter what the cost,¡± he ordered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. I will make arrangements right away!¡± Paxton didn¡¯t dare to dy in the slightest. He had initially thought that he could rx a bit after the transaction, but he did not expect there to be trouble on Catherine¡¯s side. ¡°She hadn¡¯t answered the phone for such a long time. What if there really was an urgent matter? I might be the first to be destroyed by Branden,¡± thought Paxton. Just thinking about it gave Paxton heart palpitations, so he quickened his pace. At Scorpion Ind. Today, all the trainees sensed that their instructor didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood. Although the instructor exuded an imposing aura previously, it was stern and sharp. However, this stern and sharp aura had clearly turned into the aura of death today. The horrifying vibe around him could even be sensed many miles away. The trainees who figured this out were on edge, not knowing what the angry instructor might do next. ¡°After all, the situation was already like hell on earth, even before his outbreak of fury. ¡°If he were to lose his temper, no one would know what might happen in the future,¡± they thought. With a soft cough, Catherine cast her cold gaze toward the trainees standing in front. ¡°Today is the training session for physical fitness andbat. Please gather here for the group drawing. Three individuals will form a group, and only the first-ce contestant in each group will be awarded a safety card.¡± Upon hearing the task announced by Catherine, the 18 trainees present couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously in silence. This meant that only six people among them would be safe today, and the rest could be eliminated and kicked off Scorpion Ind. The three brothers from the Duncans now could only pray that they wouldn¡¯t get matched up as a team. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. They didn¡¯t want to be rivals against each other and definitely didn¡¯t want to see anyone getting kicked out from here so early. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t always go the way they wanted. Carlo and Francis were unexpectedly assigned to the same group. Looking at each other, they exchanged nces and decided to give their all. They couldn¡¯t let the opportunity of advancing slip away to someone else. As for the duel between the two, Catherine was rather looking forward to it. The fighting here wasn¡¯t just a simple exercise. It was an hour of close-range fighting with three persons battling it out. Ultimately, it depended on the psychological warfare tactics as to whether to first cooperate with the other party and eliminate one of them or engage in a three-way fight directly. One hourter, the six members who stood firmly in the arena were finally awarded safety cards. The duel between Carlo and Francis came to an end, with Carlo emerging as the hard-won victor. It was not at all surprising to Francis that Carlo had always been better at martial arts and had a much greater physical advantage over him. The remaining 12 candidates who didn¡¯t win the first round would proceed to the second round of combat, which would be much more brutalpared to the previous three-person duel. Before, it was one against two. Now, it was one against eleven. What was worse, it was under the circumstances where each individual had already experienced a round of intense battle, and their physical stamina had already been depleted. But among those who could stay, everyone was an elite. No one would give up. The more they persisted, the harsher the situation became. The six individuals who advanced to the next round could not help but close their eyes and secretly felt relieved when they saw the bloody scene. However, they seemed to have celebrated a bit prematurely. Sitting on the rooftop with a leaf between her lips, Catherine suddenly spoke up the next moment. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. They have their challenges, and you have your own challenges!¡± The six were at a loss for words. One of them couldn¡¯t help but ask Catherine a question. ¡°Mr. Anon, didn¡¯t you say earlier that we would be able to obtain a safety card if we emerge victorious?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Catherine nodded in agreement, her gaze filled with meaning as she looked at the speaker. ¡± Do you think you don¡¯t have to participate in the next round, and the training will end if you get the safety card? ¡°If you would like to go home, just let me know. I will immediately arrange for a ne!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience fell silent. No one dared to speak. Deep down in the hearts of all six individuals, it was clear that the task would definitely not be this simple with the instructor¡¯s personality. They were just trying to make a final desperate attempt. With her elbow leaning against the car roof, Catherine leaped down with a stunning pose andnded steadily in front of the six. ¡°They lost to you. So they would fight against 11 people. As for you, it will be easy to fight six versus one. The time limit is one hour, and whoever stands till the end can rest. Those who lose will continue with weighted training at night.¡± The six people were all a bit confused, evidently not understanding the meaning behind Catherine¡¯s words. Carlo suddenly raised his hand. ¡± Excuse me, Mr. Anon. Could you please rify what you mean by ¡®one¡¯?¡± Catherine pointed to herself and replied, ¡°Me!¡± The six were dumbfounded, wondering, ¡°All six of us team up and fight against Mr. Anon? ¡°Although he is impressive, each of us here is even more formidable. We are all masters ofbat. ¡°Not to brag. He might not necessarily have a chance of winning when fighting against only two of us, yet he would fight against a team of six. ¡°Perhaps he has good marksmanship skills, but can he handle closebat with such a small physique? ¡°Is he really not joking?¡± they thought. Catherine stared at everyone with a serious expression. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. If you have the ability, then bring it on and defeat me. Otherwise, be prepared to be thrown out of the training camp!¡± Regarding the sadistic training methods of the instructor, the trainees of this session had long been dissatisfied in their hearts, each harboring a deep resentment toward the instructor. They all wanted to find an opportunity to have a goodbat with the instructor. It was rare to have such a good opportunity. No one would be willing to let it slip by. The six individuals exchanged nces and acted together. Upon hearing that Mr. Anon would participate in thebat personally, Jon immediately led the other instructors on the ind to spectate the event. The past few days of training had left them very curious about this ¡°killer instructor.¡± Having witnessed his marksmanship, they were fully aware that he was a sharpshooter. However, they had not yet had the opportunity to witness his closebat skills. Everyone gathered around, looking at Mr. Anon fighting against the trainees. ¡°Six against one. The instructor sure is truly confident!¡± they thought. Taking advantage of her physique, Catherine didn¡¯t attack abruptly in the beginning but opted for flexible responses, depleting the stamina of the six trainees. The six individuals were truly the best among the best. It didn¡¯t take long for them to notice Catherine¡¯s strategy. In response, they quickly adapted their approach to deal with Catherine. They strove to bring the instructor to his knees to take their revenge. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s teach the instructor a lesson!¡± they thought. Chapter 422 Identity Exposed Chapter 422 Identity Exposed After the six men changed their strategy, it was evident that their attack had be slightly more effective. However, they gradually realized the instructor¡¯s formidable strength. Although the six teamed up to fight him, the instructor still effortlessly held his own after ten minutes, which demonstrated his exceptional skills. They could assert without a doubt that the physical stamina of the instructor was in no way on par with that of the six of them. If only they could endure a bit longer, they would unequivocally manage to subdue the instructor. They were able to discern Catherine¡¯s tactics, and Catherine could see their thoughts as well. Catherine changed her strategy. She was engaged in a war of attrition with them earlier. From that moment on, she suddenly stepped up her attack. Her movements were incredibly swift. She didn¡¯t take them on individually but targeted one and charged a brutal attack. There was absolutely no opportunity for the other party to hit back. Despite Catherine¡¯s small stature, her punches were surprisingly powerful. She had already found out who was the weakest during the previous war of attrition. That would be her first objective. The other five individuals noticed that Catherine only attacked one person without fully understanding her intentions. As a result, they became confused, and their actions weakened. Every second counted when experts fought. During a moment of confusion, the trainee whocked his helpers was quickly taken down. Topletely incapacitate him, Catherine didn¡¯t hold back at all. The instructors watching the battle on the side seemed somewhat terrified. After all, they were all hardened individuals who had witnessed the shedding of blood on the battlefield. Everyone was doing the math in their heads, figuring out if they couldst an hour against a formidable opponent like Catherine if they were to step into the arena right then. There were six people before, and now, one of them waspletely wrecked by Catherine. Next, Catherine took the same strategy and knocked out two more trainees. Currently, only Carlo and Cory were still standing in the arena, along with another extremelyrge and durable trainee who was super strong and capable of taking a good beating. Carlo and Cory both realized the objective of their instructor, whose prowess was truly terrifying. To survive, their only option was to work together as a trio. In 15 minutes, the mission woulde to an end. They could sessfully aplish this task as long as they could hold on for these 15 minutes. The Duncans brothers naturally would unite together. But when they gave insinuations to the fat guy, the fat guy didn¡¯t react at all. The fat guy had his own secret n in his mind. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He was aware that he was currently the strongest among this group of people, and Catherine would not choose him as her first target. The purpose of hising here was for the greatest honor. ¡°Isn¡¯t it more honorable to be the only one standing at the end rather than standing together with two others?¡± he thought. This was the scheming of the fat guy. However, he never expected that he had guessed wrongly. Catherine did not start her attack with the Duncans brothers but instead chose to target the powerful fat guy. It took the fat guy a few seconds to react. He was caught off guard by Catherine¡¯s attack. Catherine didn¡¯t confront him directly but used a gentle approach to ovee the strong. She stared at the fat guy¡¯s massive body, hoping to imagine his face as that of Branden so she could vent out some frustration. But the fat guy was just too ugly to be rted to Branden. Helplessly, Catherine had to finish him as soon as possible. Five minutes. In just five minutes, the fat guy coveted by everyone as thest hope was knocked down in front of all. After defeating the fat guy, Catherine stood atop her spoils and beckoned to the Duncans brothers with a confident demeanor. ¡°You guys attack together.¡± Cory and Carlo exchanged a nce. There were only ten minutes remaining. ¡°Despite the formidable power of the instructor, which may lead one to believe that such a creature could not possibly exist, as long as we can sessfully hold out for these ten minutes, there is still hope,¡± they thought. They decided to proactively attack and seize the initiative while using all their strength to restrain Catherine. Although Catherine¡¯s strength was formidable, she had already consumed too much energy before. Therefore, she still struggled a bit when she was fighting the two. As for the Duncans, the brothers were different from other groups. They worked together with excellent coordination and mutual understanding. As Catherine continued to fight, her expressions became increasingly serene, and her gaze exuded a calm aura. There was only one minute left. Carlo gritted his teeth and persevered. His leg had just been kicked by the instructor and was almost destroyed. If he were to fall, Cory would also be out of the game. Whether it was for Cory or himself, he must hold on. As the final ten seconds began to count down, he watched the instructor rush toward Cory with a fierce blow. Carlo rushed forward and held back the instructor with all his strength. Time was up. Jon blew the whistle. Out of the six people, only Cory stood till the end. Because Carlo sacrificed himself to keep Cory. Among these six men, he also suffered the most severe injuries. Catherine lowered her head and looked at Carlo, who was still tightly holding onto her, saying sternly, ¡°Won¡¯t you let go yet?¡± Carlo paused for a second before he quickly let go of his hand. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Anon. I forgot!¡± Catherine lowered her head and nced at him, then announced to the men on the ground, ¡°Don¡¯t forget! An extra training for the fallen one tonight!¡± Everyone wanted to cry and whine but didn¡¯t have the guts to. After all, they were too weak and couldn¡¯t beat the instructor, even with six of them teaming up. Jon looked down on the group of trainees with a contemptuous expression. Only after Catherine left did they dare to wail. ¡°Do you still have the face to cry? Afterpleting the weight training tonight, each of you will write a two- thousand-word self-criticism! Reflect deeply on why some people can endure till the end!¡± The only reason Cory could stand till the end was because of Carlo¡¯s strong support. Since they had been selected as a group of six, they were effectively considered a team. If they could unite together, the oue would definitely be different. However, each of them was fighting for their own interests without any sense of teamwork, which ultimately led to nearly the entire group being wiped out. The other four people, especially the fat guy, were scolded so severely that they didn¡¯t dare to raise their heads. If the fat guy hadn¡¯t relied on his physical advantage just now to be the only winner, they could have lasted the fifteen minutes. At least half of the people would have stood till the end, and they wouldn¡¯t have been looked down upon by everyone like now. Cory went over and helped Carlo get up. As the only one who could take a break, he had to administer medication to Carlo. After walking to a ce where no one was around, Carlo couldn¡¯t help but whisper to Cory. ¡°Aaron, don¡¯t you think the move the instructor just used feels familiar? ¡°Why do I feel that we¡¯re fighting Miss Swann again? Could it be that they learned from the same teacher?¡± ¡°That Miss Swann by our boss¡¯ side has always been a huge enigma,¡± he thought. After the incident last time, Carlo never dared to underestimate any woman around him. After all, he was once defeated by a girl in a three-on-one fight. How could he have the guts to look down on others or discriminate based on gender? At first, Cory didn¡¯t want to respond, but Carlo was too noisy, so he had to exin the situation. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? ¡°he asked. Carlo thought that Cory didn¡¯t believe it and was eager to exin. ¡°I¡¯m serious. They might be disciples of the same teacher. They had identical attack skills!¡± Cory couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes, wondering, ¡°How did Ie to know such an idiot?¡± ¡°Not just identical, but the same person!¡± he replied. ¡°The same person?¡± wondered Carlo. He was astonished. His mouth dropped so wide that it could fit a whole egg in one gulp. He stared straight at Cory with his eyes wide open and even forgot the pain in his body. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Mr. Anon is Catherine Swann?¡± Chapter 423 Bloodbath Chapter 423 Bloodbath Paxton got every man in Alton out there, nearly turning the whole of Alton upside down, but there was no sign of Catherine. Catherine just disappeared from the world. There was no trace of her. Paxton returned to Branden with a defeated look. He didn¡¯t find Catherine but got a crucial piece of information. ¡°Sir, could it be that the men from Asmein have made a move on Miss Swann?¡± Paxton handed Branden thetest findings. They had all thought that Catherine was Dr. Dunn¡¯s student, and this time, the information they found out shocked them. It turned out that Catherine was not Dr. Dunn¡¯s student but the developer of the robot, Seven. If what Dr. Dunn said was urate and the robot Seven was Dr. Seven, then Catherine would most likely be the father of wheat, the person behind Dr. Seven. These men from Asmein never gave up and were still investigating Dr. Seven¡¯s whereabouts even after they were interruptedst time. There were no eternal secrets in the world. Since they could find out about the information, these men from Asmein could do so with some effort. If anyone couldy hands on Catherine, then the agents from Asmein were the most likely to do so. The man listened attentively to Paxton¡¯s analysis. The more he listened, the more absorbed he became, and the more he felt that what Paxton said made sense. Finally, Branden suddenly stood up. Paxton was shocked and confused as he saw this. ¡°Sir, what are you doing?¡± Branden stared coldly ahead, walking in the direction of the gate with a chilling and powerful aura. Without looking back, he said, ¡°Go and teach those bastards from Asmein a lesson!¡± ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Paxton barely caught his breath. It looked like Branden was furious and was about to cause a bloodbath in the world for Catherine. To prevent things from getting out of control, Paxton hurriedly followed behind. He was mentally prepared to risk his life to give advice. That night, several of Alton¡¯s branches and important intelligence stations in Asmein were attacked by an unknown organization. The other party showed no mercy, and it looked more like retaliation than anything else. Asmein¡¯s intelligence stations suffered a severe blow, shocking several important decision-makers in Asmein. That night, an emergency meeting was held. They tried to negotiate but only got a result they could not have imagined. The other party came for Dr. Seven and asked them to release him immediately. The people from Asmein had been investigating for so long without any news of Dr. Seven. How could they release him? If they had Dr. Seven, they would have started negotiations with the neighboring country long ago. There was no way they could have waited until this time. Inside the vi. Paxton carefully walked into the empty hall, which was permeated with a silent and cold atmosphere. Over a night, they offended the entire Asmein. They turned Alton upside down but still couldn¡¯t find any trace of Catherine. ¡°Sir, news came back from Asmein. After they lost in Zerwickst time, they didn¡¯t give up on searching for Dr. Seven, but they didn¡¯t gain much. And they said that if we¡¯re willing to stop, they¡¯re willing to do their best to cooperate with us to find Miss Swann!¡± This was already the biggestpromise Asmein had ever made. They suffered a significant loss for no reason, and now they even offered assistance to the other party. They were so miserable! Branden waved his hand impatiently, leaving the matter for Paxton to decide. All he wanted to do now was think about where Catherine could possibly be. No matter what, he should find Catherine first. On Scorpion Ind. Carlo still couldn¡¯t digest the news. He was dumbfounded for a long time and still couldn¡¯t believe that Catherine was the instructor. ¡°Cory, are you sure you¡¯re right? Instructor? Catherine? I can¡¯t equate the two!¡± Cory came to his judgment after a long time of observation as well, and he felt that Catherine shouldn¡¯t have specifically concealed herself from them, or else it should have been difficult for him to detect her identity. ¡°Do you think Catherine is capable?¡± Facing Cory¡¯s question, Carlo immediately nodded. ¡°Of course! She¡¯s awesome. We couldn¡¯t beat her back then when we fought three to one.¡± That was true. The three of them were no match for her alone. What was more, the three of them had grown up training together. ¡°What about the instructor?¡± Cory pressed on. At the mention of the instructor, Carlo had his eyes full of admiration, and his faith in the instructor was second only to Catherine. ¡°That goes without saying. The instructor¡¯s strength is obvious to all of us. He¡¯s invincible and awesome!¡± ¡°Then why do you think the instructor can¡¯t be Catherine? Their fighting skills were the same, and their figures were also simr!¡± Cory¡¯s question froze Carlo. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t they be the same person? Is it because of the subconscious discrimination in my mind? Is it because I think women are inferior to men?¡± A slight blush appeared on Carlo¡¯s face at the thought. He was ashamed of himself for having such thoughts. He shouldn¡¯t have had such thoughts at all. To dispel the doubt in his mind, Carlo decided to get to the bottom of it. ¡°Cory, I¡¯m going to find the instructor! After saying that, Carlo stood up and chased in the direction Catherine left. Cory originally wanted to call out to him but eventually gave up after some thought. ording to Carlo¡¯s character, he would not be satisfied until he rified the questions. Halfway, Jon ran into Carlo and stopped him. ¡°0398, why don¡¯t you participate in weight training? Where are you going?¡± Trainers here had no names, no regions, and even no races. People would call them by their assigned number when they came here. That number would stay with them from the moment they stepped into Scorpion Ind until they left. ¡°Instructor Jon, I have something I¡¯d like to ask Mr. Anon about, and I¡¯m going to find him!¡± Jon shot a nce at Carlo. He had always been quite favorable to Carlo, but he didn¡¯t expect Carlo to be so bold as to go and find Anon. ¡°Go ahead. Be careful. He¡¯s not that easygoing.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Thest simple sentence sent a chill down Carlo¡¯s spine. Jon was right. Anon had an unpredictable personality, and no one could imagine what would happen if he was pissed off. Carlo was a little torn. But only a secondter, he figured it out. He still wanted the truth. He went to the door of Anon¡¯s lounge and took the initiative to knock on it. ¡°Mr. Anon, this is 0398. Are you there?¡± Catherine had just changed her clothes and was about to rest, not expecting Carlo toe to her. She was aware of what Carlo was up to. It must be that when she attacked just now, the other party recognized her after seeing her fighting skills. Catherine didn¡¯t redress into her disguise suit and directly opened the door. The moment the door opened, Carlo, standing in the doorway, gulped nervously. But in the next second, he was utterly shocked. What Cory had said was absolutely right. Their instructor was really Catherine. Chapter 424 You’re My Enemy Chapter 424 You¡¯re My Enemy Catherine, wearing a tight vest and camo pants, stood confidently before Carlo. Carlo was stunned for a while. Seeing him silent for a long time, Catherine said, ¡°Why are you still standing there? nning to ck off and skip training? Hearing the word ¡°training,¡± Carlo immediately snapped out of it and stood up straight. ¡°Instructor, I was not trying to ck off. I just¡­ I mean¡­¡± Carlo couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the rest of his words and could only steal nces at Catherine. Catherine gave him a cold look. ¡°Get back to training!¡± Although Carlo now knew that Catherine was the instructor, he dared not show any disrespect due to her authority. Catherine had given themand, and he had toply obediently. ¡°I¡¯m going back now!¡± Catherine watched Carlo hurriedly escape, smirking. ¡°These guys are quite interesting,¡± she murmured. After returning from the instructor¡¯s residence, Carlo joined Francis and Cory. As soon as he sat down, Cory, who was usually not much of a talker, asked a question. ¡°How was it?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Carlo gave a thumbs-up to Cory. ¡°Cory, you¡¯re amazing. The instructor is really Miss Swann!¡± Compared to Carlo¡¯s extreme surprise, Cory remained calm. After all, he was the first one to figure it out. On the other hand, Francis, who waspletely confused, looked at the two with a puzzled expression. ¡°What do you guys mean? Miss Swann is the instructor? Which Miss Swann?¡± Seeing Francis¡¯s confusion, Carlo got excited and eagerly exined. ¡± Francis, let me tell you something. We just found out that Catherine is Mr. Anon. I even confirmed it myself!¡± Francis was stunned for a moment. ¡± You mean that girl, Catherine, who looks like a teenager, is our instructor?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I personally confirmed it,¡± Carlo confidently replied. Francis was speechless. He never expected that such a young girl would be so impressive. No wonder she could disappear without a trace right under his nose. While the two were still in shock, Cory had already found Jon. ¡°Instructor, can I use satellite communication?¡± When Cory arrived, there were some special instructions from higher-ups. As long as it didn¡¯t interfere with training and the requests weren¡¯t excessive, Jon wouldn¡¯t interfere with them. At a vi in Alton. Paxton had been anxious for almost 48 hours. The people he sent out found nothing; he could even sense Branden¡¯s patience was reaching its limit. If Catherine didn¡¯t show up soon, he was sure something terrible would happen. ¡°Sir.¡± Upon hearing the sound, Paxton turned around, and his eyes widened unconsciously. ¡°Is there any news about Miss Swann?¡± His subordinate shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s Cory. He wants you to answer the phone!¡± ¡°Cory?¡± Paxton frowned slightly. If it were Carlo, Paxton wouldn¡¯t answer the call. But Cory was different. He was currently training on Scorpion Ind, so it must be something important if he called! Paxton didn¡¯t expect that this phone call from Cory would bring him a huge surprise. The problem that had been bothering Paxton for so many days was finally solved. In the evening, a helicopter suddenly arrived on Scorpion Ind. Several mysterious figures got off the helicopter. Jon personally received them, while the other instructors didn¡¯t even have a chance to see them. Branden exuded an unparalleled aristocratic aura. He stood in front of Jon as if he were a natural ruler. Jon respectfully bowed to him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, wee!¡± Branden was in a hurry to find Catherine and had no intention of talking to Jon. He asked eagerly,¡± Where is Mr. Anon?¡± ¡°In the dormitory!¡± As soon as Jon finished speaking, Branden disappeared. Jon couldn¡¯t help but whisper in admiration, ¡°Mr. Anon is really powerful!¡± Catherine had just changed her clothes and was ready to go to the training ground. As soon as she opened the dormitory door, she saw a tall man standing at the door. She wasn¡¯t surprised by Branden¡¯s appearance. Since she didn¡¯t hide it from Carlo, she had no intention of hiding it from Branden either. She hadn¡¯t figured out her revenge n yet, and her enemy had shown up, which was just convenient for her to deal with him. Although Catherine was wearing a disguise, Branden recognized her at a nce. He was about to approach her, but Catherine instinctively stepped back. When Branden noticed her subconscious action, his heart sank. His brows furrowed once again. He didn¡¯t dare to approach and just stood there, staring intently in her direction. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± he tentatively asked, his statement carrying an unusual sense of humility and plea. He could tell that Catherine¡¯s attitude towards him had changed. Catherine didn¡¯t say anything. She simply turned around and walked into the house. After a moment of hesitation, Branden followed her inside. Once Catherine was inside, she removed her coat before Branden, revealing her true appearance and looking him straight in the eye. Compared to Branden¡¯s caution and prudence, Catherine¡¯s attitude seemed much more eerie. She sat arrogantly in the chair, crossing her long legs, her demeanor casual yet exuding a sinister fierceness. Branden sat across from her, gazing at her with adoration in his eyes. The girl, who was capable of turning the whole Alton upside down, was now sitting before him. He was satisfied. ¡°Even death row inmates have the right to a trial before execution. So, I just want to know the reason,¡± he said. ¡°Why did you suddenly reject me?¡± Catherine assessed Branden in front of her, realizing that he was even more capable than she was. She couldn¡¯t be sure whether his pitiful and sympathetic tone was genuine or just an act. With her arms crossed and a cold expression on her face, she exined everything in a monotone voice. ¡°Three years ago, in the primitive forests of northern Myanville, the chief of Red Star captured a high- ranking member of the Hacker Alliance. Do you remember? Your excellency, the chief.¡± Her indifferent tone made her seem like a mere bystander. Branden couldn¡¯t help but tremble uncontrobly, and his expression froze as soon as he heard Catherine¡¯s description. His pupils dted involuntarily. He hadn¡¯t thought of it before because he hadn¡¯t even considered that possibility, considering it was an event that happened three years ago. But now, as Catherine mentioned it, he finally understood everything. Three years ago, in an ident, he almost killed Catherine. Branden¡¯s shocked reaction let Catherine know that he had remembered everything. She didn¡¯t need to be polite any longer. ¡°Thank you. After that incident, it was the first time in my life that I had spent such a long time lying in a hospital bed! Her words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into Branden¡¯s heart, leaving him in pain. He seemed unable to speak or even breathe. This girl, whom he viewed as his beloved one, had once been cruelly hurt by him. Now Branden understood why Catherine suddenly became angry and ignored him. Even if she pointed a gun at him directly and shot him, it would be expected. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Branden slowly stood up and walked silently towards the door. Watching his receding figure, Catherine remained silent. She was the type of person who never let grievances go easily, especially when she had hatred in her heart for three years. Chapter 425 Absurdly Dramatic Chapter 425 Absurdly Dramatic Paxton, Carlo, and Cory on Scorpion Ind were all shocked. Paxton and the others knew Branden had caught a leading member of the Hacker Alliance, and he had tortured that member cruelly to acquire thetest information about chips the Hacker Allianceunched. That Hacker Alliance member was unyielding. She endured the brutal torture Branden set for three weeks long and never let the cat out of the bag. In the fourth week, Paxton and his fellows knew Branden had lost his patience. Branden no longer wanted to torture the Hacker Alliance member but prepared to kill her. Paxton started to feel sorry for that Hacker Alliance member. She was tough and insisted on not telling after three weeks of agony. But when Branden decided to kill the Hacker Alliance member, she spoke and negotiated with him. She agreed to sell the followingtest chips the Hacker Alliance developed to Red Star as the substitute for the current one Red Star wanted, and she promised the new one would be no worse than the current one. Branden finally spared that stubborn, tough person because of the condition she offered. At that time, they thought maybe Branden valued such a talent, so he let her go. Branden paid dearly to catch that Hacker Alliance member and even got shot. But now, they knew Catherine was the Hacker Alliance member they had caught back then! Catherine was Branden¡¯s future wife, the one Branden loved the most, but she was also the enemy Branden had captured and done those horrible things for a month. No one could ever imagine such a plot. It was absurdly dramatic. Carlo could not help but exim.¡± Paxton, are you sure you didn¡¯t make this up? That¡¯s bizarre and absurd. You¡¯re not joking with us, are you?¡± Paxton scowled at Carlo and rolled his eyes. He thought of Carlo as a fool and did not bother answering him. Paxton turned to Cory and Francis and raised his brows. ¡°What you need to do right now is to think about how to deal with this. Branden is obviously in a bad mood. I¡¯m afraid that something bad will happen.¡± Cory and Francis sunk in deep thought upon hearing Paxton. Branden was alwaysposed and strong-minded. He would not blink even when a building suddenly copsed in front of him. Therefore, Paxton could tell how influential the truth was to Branden. Branden was mighty and could not figure out how to settle it, let alone the others. Seeing their frustrated looks, Paxton knew he could not count on them. ¡°Alright, go train, you two. Don¡¯t bete, or you¡¯ll be punished.¡± Before they left, Paxton warned them, ¡± Be serious about the training. I¡¯ll punish you first if you dare fool around. Hearing Paxton¡¯s bumptious words, Francis expressed his dissatisfaction ahead of Carlo, the chatterbox. ¡°Fooling around? Paxton, how about you join us and have the training?¡± Carlo could not agree more with Francis and nodded repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s right! You have no idea what we¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go training. Ignore him!¡± Paxton mumbled displeasedly as he watched their backs retreating, ¡°How hard could the training be?¡± It was the lunch break. Catherine changed into a training suit and headed to the canteen for lunch. When she opened the room door, she saw Paxton standing outside with a smiling face. Paxton had been waiting for her for a long time. Seeing the door open, he pushed the cart forward and talked to Catherine criously. ¡°Miss Swann, Branden said the dishes in the canteen must not be your favorite. He made you some dishes personally. Would you like to have a taste?¡± Branden had tortured her for a whole month, and now he wanted to make peace with her with merely a meal. Nice try. Catherine snorted coldly and nced at the dishes disdainfully. She had nned to ask Paxton to discard the dishes but hesitated when she saw the food. Catherine could not help but swallow. She had been staying on the ind for nearly a week and eaten the same thing as other instructors. Branden was right. She did not like the food the canteen provided. But the food was something she could ovee, at least when there was no such a full table of delicacies. Catherine could not stand it when so many delicious dishes awaited her. Paxton could tell Catherine¡¯s falters in her determination, so he hurriedly delivered the dishes into her room. ¡°Miss Swann, please enjoy them. I¡¯ve got to take off.¡± He left the dishes and ran away before Catherine could respond. Catherine looked at the tempting dishes on the table and raised her brows. She decided to please herself and eat them. After thinking it through, Catherine did not waste her time and enjoyed the meal. Satisfaction crawled onto her face when she took the first bite. Her stomach finally got what it desired after a week of suffering. After lunch and a nap, Catherine headed to the training ground. The trainees were in the center of the training ground under the scorching sun. They stood erect and stiff and dared not ck off. The trainees seemed to be pumped with adrenalin when they saw Catherine. Their eyes lit up. Catherine¡¯s training was exhausting and challenging, but it could bring out the best in them in the shortest time. As for those who were eliminated, they were just not capable and potential enough. Other instructors on Scorpion Ind forecast that the trainees this year would be the best ones Scorpion Ind had ever witnessed. The trainees all busted a gut to keep themselves from being eliminated. Catherine strode toward them, nced around, and nodded. ¡°Great. Since you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s get started.¡± Catherine¡¯s words just fell when a crisp but abrupt voice rang out. ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± The voice attracted all the eyes, including Catherine¡¯s. Catherine looked over her shoulder and saw Branden. He changed into a regr training suit and stood by her side. Catherine stared at the man before her, who had a solemn look. She said coldly, ¡°Speak.¡± Getting her permission, Branden said slowly, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m the new trainee here, and my number is 0339.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes twinkled with fun as she measured Branden up and down, unwilling to miss any expression on his face. She wondered if Branden volunteered to be her trainee because he wanted her to torture him. He probably did not know how harsh Catherine could be to the trainees. The three brothers of the Duncans gaped at Branden, who had be one of the trainees. They thought Branden must be out of his mind and did not know what Catherine could do. Branden was going to his doom! The other trainees did not know who Branden was. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. But they were not as objective to his joining them as to Francis. They all looked at Branden with sympathy. After all, no one knew what Catherine would do to this neer. The only thing they could be sure of was that Branden would not end up well. Chapter 426 No Right to Plead Chapter 426 No Right to Plead There was a mischievous smile on Catherine¡¯s face when she looked meaningfully at Branden. ¡°You have to think it through. Bing my trainee halfway through is not something easy. You may lose your life during my training.¡± Her words sent a chill down the other trainees¡¯ spines. They knew their instructor was not joking. They might identally get themselves killed. Facing Catherine¡¯s question, Branden¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He replied to Catherine calmly, ¡°Sir, I want to join your camp. I can bear any consequences, even death. I¡¯ve signed the disimer. Please, give me a chance.¡± He did it formally with a good attitude. Catherine was interested in it. Since Branden offered to be tortured, why not? She would not be merciful to him. ¡°0339, back in the line.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Branden shouted aloud and stood in the line. Catherine asked the other trainees to have regr training. As for the neer, she had something special for him. The first round was a physical challenge. When Francis joined her camp halfway, she only threw Francis out of the ne and asked him to swim to the ind. Branden waster than the others for a week and had offended her, so Catherine would not make things easy for him. The trainees had witnessed her fighting against six people but never saw anyone fighting against eighteen people. Cather asked eighteen trainees to attack Branden simultaneously. Her request was simple. Thest one standing would be the winner. Branden could pass the test if he could be thest one standing. Meanwhile, Catherine demanded the other eighteen trainees. She eyed them sternly, her eyes harsh and domineering. ¡°There are eighteen of you. If you can¡¯t deal with only one person, you¡¯ll have no time for rest in the next few days.¡± The trainees¡¯ faces were as white as a sheet. It was already a wild wish for them to rest for even one more minute now. It would be equal to killing them if they lost all the time for rest because of the neer. They could only give it their all for their benefit. After finishing her words, Catherine nced at Carlo, Cory, and Francis among the eighteen members. If they dared to do the game-fixing, she would show them how miserable they would be to cheat. Under her gaze, Carlo and his brothers felt a sting in their hearts and shivered. They did not dare to cheat even if Catherine did not warn them. Especially after Branden had signaled them with his eyes not to do so. If they did not bend all their efforts, Branden would not spare them before Catherine did anything. The trainees were no longer the ones a week ago. After receiving Catherine¡¯s training, their coborativebat skills improved significantly. Even Catherine was no match for them if the eighteen people attacked her together. This time, Branden was in great trouble. He might be beaten hard to the ground. Branden heard Catherine¡¯s order but still looked at her peacefully without anger or fear. There was his usual tenderness and affection for her in his eyes. ¡°Sir, trust me. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Catherine snorted silently and averted her eyes from him. She would not be soft-hearted. Branden¡¯s trick was of no use to her. Paxton watched the scene between Catherine and Branden before the monitor screen and facepalmed. Branden was hopelessly in love with Catherine. Paxton was sure of it. The first round of training began. The team of eighteen members surrounded Branden and attacked him. It was inevitable for Branden to get hurt, even with his excellentbat skills. Catherine observed their fight with a straight face, and her expression barely changed. Paxton had thought they would fight casually and punched Branden several times, then Catherine would be tenderhearted to let Branden go. What surprised him was that Catherine left not long after the fight began. But the trainees knew Catherine¡¯s style and did not rx even when she was gone. No one knew if Catherine would hide somewhere and keep watching them. What if she noticed them ck off and made the training harder? Catherine¡¯s leaving had left Paxton dumbfounded. Thebat was not faking. Eighteen experts in fighting versus Branden only! Even though Branden was powerful, he could not oppose many skillful people simultaneously. Catherine had set the time limit to two hours, double than before. She did not want to let Branden get past the first round. Paxton hated to stay aside and watch. He wished he could bear all the suffering for Branden. ¡°Sir, just give up. Please!¡± Branden turned his head and looked askance at Paxton coldly. His eyes were warning Paxton not to speak again. Paxton realized Branden was determined. His hands were tied since Branden did not listen to him, nor did Paxton have the ability to stop the fight. Paxton could only wait. One hourter, Branden started to be physically tired. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. He was not down yet, but he got a lot of injuries. Yet, he still stood imposingly and had no trace of falling. The other eighteen people¡¯s courage mounted during the fight. It was a rare but great opportunity for them to face off such an expert like Branden. The fight continued, and Branden was beaten non-stop. Paxton could not bear to see it any longer. He knew it was almost Branden¡¯s limit for holding to it for an hour. Branden did not listen to Paxton, so Paxton needed to get someone Branden would listen to to persuade him. Knowing where Catherine was from Jon, Paxton set off to see her. Catherine was lying leisurely in a hammock by the sea. The sea breeze blew and brought her coolness. She was more rxed than any other. Paxton¡¯s heart burned with rage when he saw her chilled-out look, but he still smiled ingratiatingly at her. ¡°Miss Swann, it¡¯s been over an hour. Branden is already physically tired. You see, we¡¯ve been knowing each other for so long. How about¡­¡± Catherine heard his voice and looked down at him. Her bright, big eyes revealed themselves slightly behind the sunsses. She sneered as she sized Paxton up and down. ¡°What? Are you going to beg me to let him pass like that?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Paxton denied it immediately and paid Catherine a lot ofpliments. Finally, he said, ¡°Miss Swann, it¡¯s too challenging for the first round. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s challenging?¡± Catherine¡¯s cold voice contained doubt. Paxton was about to nod when he stiffened because of what Catherine said. ¡°If memory serves, I¡¯d been held in a cage with a tiger in front and a lion behind me that year. I didn¡¯t think it challenging at that time.¡± Paxton gave up persuading her decisively. If he were Catherine, who had experienced so much and knew that the foe was her boyfriend now, he might do the same thing as she did. Probably, he would be more spiteful than Catherine. Paxton knew he had no right to plead for Branden. It depended on Catherine how she wanted to deal with Branden to vent her anger. Paxton left quietly without saying anything else. He could only pray in his heart for Branden¡¯s safety. Chapter 427 Please Let Me Do It Chapter 427 Please Let Me Do It After Paxton was gone, Catherine looked at the time. It was only half an hour left. She estimated Branden must be exhausted, so she got up and headed to the training ground. Just as she reached the training ground entrance, Paxton stopped her. ¡°Miss Swann, could I trouble you for one more thing? Come with me, please. ¡°What do you want?¡± Catherine stared at him with doubt. Paxton kept his head down and avoided meeting Catherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Swann, you only need to follow me.¡± Catherine walked behind Paxton for some time and came to a halt. Paxton noticed and looked over his shoulder. He saw Catherine fold her arms before her chest with a grim look. Her eyes seemed harsh and piercing, almost scared Paxton out of his wits. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna tell me the truth?¡± said Catherine with amanding vibe. Paxton did not know what he had done wrong to expose himself, but he knew he could hide it from Catherine no more. He could onlye clean. ¡°It¡¯s Branden¡¯s order. He doesn¡¯t want you to be at the training ground. He wants toplete the challenge by himself.¡± Speaking of which, Paxton felt aggrieved. When he was back at the training ground, Branden had given him a strict order to stop Catherine from returning. Branden did not want Catherine to end the task in advance. Catherine turned around to head back to the training ground, but Paxton strode in front of her and blocked her way. Catherine red at Paxton, and thetter subconsciously retreated a few steps. Watching her domineering back, Paxton muttered, ¡°Branden, this is not my fault. She¡¯s too powerful. I dared not say no.¡± Catherine was indeed, as Paxton said, powerful. When she returned to the training ground, the fight was not over. There was still fifteen minutes left. Branden could pass the test after fifteen minutes. The onlookers who worried about Branden all let out a sigh of relief. In their eyes, as long as Branden kept that pace, it was not a big problem for him to make it to the end. But when Catherine returned, the situation changed considerably. When they saw Catherine, the eighteen people low in spirits under Branden¡¯s attacks were suddenly full of strength again. Catherine was their spiritual leader. Seeing her was equal to having more challenging tasks. The eighteen people made their attacks more fiercely and violently like crazy. If Branden kept his pace, he could have made it to the end even if he could not win. Yet, he seemed to want to give up after catching sight of Catherine. He gradually stopped resisting, letting the trainees punch him repeatedly. Their punches were heavy, and the onlookers were feared. The eighteen people were well-trained, and their fists were much stronger than ordinary people. Branden only covered his head with both hands, standing still like a mountain and letting the crowd beat him and kick him. One of the trainees noticed Branden did not fight back, so he swept his leg and kicked Branden¡¯s back. Branden groaned, walking two steps ahead before he steadied his body. The next moment, he spat out a mouthful of blood. Catherine¡¯s brows drew together tightly as she watched their fight. She wondered if Branden wanted her to sympathize with him in that way. That was a nice trick. Catherine was indeed unwilling to hurt him too severely. After all, who would cook for her if Branden was disabled in the fight? Catherine walked forward and wanted to call off the fight, but Branden shook his head as if he had guessed what she intended to do. Catherine paused and stood on the spot. Branden continued to be beaten. The training continued, and Branden was more badly hurt as he received more punches. Catherine scowled at what was happening before her. She tried to move forward, but Paxton blocked her way and did not let her pass. ¡°Miss Swann, Branden has given me the order to stop you from going to the arena.¡± Seconds ticked by. It was the first time Catherine felt the training time was too long. Jon blew the whistle when the one- minute countdown ended. Branden still stood in the arena. His eyes searched for Catherine stubbornly. When he saw her, the fierceness in his eyes turned to tenderness. He smiled at Catherine, his teeth behind the lips stained with blood, shocking. ¡°Sir, the training is over. Can I join your camp?¡± Catherine replied indifferently to Branden¡¯s seemingly provoking question, ¡°You passed the first test and can join my camp now. But you arete for a week, so you must pass the survival challenge. Will you do it?¡± ¡°I will!¡± Branden answered without thinking twice. Catherine sneered and left the decision to Branden. ¡°To keep things fair, how about you assign yourself a task? You can join our training after you aplish it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± The light smile never left Branden¡¯s face. Paxton and the other three Duncans were secretly delighted, thinking that Branden¡¯s affection for Catherine had worked and softened Catherine. She stretched rules for Branden, and they could feel assured. But as they felt rxed, Branden¡¯s decision startled and fazed them again. ¡°Sir, my survival challenge will be heading to Snake Ind in the north alone and staying there for a day and a night. If I could survive, please give me a chance to be at your camp.¡± He had just fought eighteen skillful people and was wounded all over his body. Yet, he asked to go to Snake Ind for the survival challenge. Was Branden out of his mind or asking for death? Catherine did not expect Branden to bring up such a request. It reminded her of the scene that the members of Red Star had thrown her into a hole full of snakes. Did Branden mean to experience all the torture she had ever had? Before Catherine responded, Branden volunteered again. ¡°Sir, please let me do it.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. The people around all thought Branden was nuts. The task just now was sufficient for him to be Catherine¡¯s trainee. It was unnecessary to add one more task like that. He was going to die! Catherine was intrigued seeing his persistence. She was curious when Branden would stop hurting himself. ¡°Fine. As you wish.¡± With that, Catherine whirled around and left, giving no time for Branden to regret. Branden had no intention of regretting it. That was his decision, and it had nothing to do with Catherine, no matter whether he died or was disabled. He would not me Catherine. If he could not survive, that was the punishment he deserved. If he survived, it was his paying back to Catherine. He owed Catherine, and he had to pay the debt. Those two tasks were child¡¯s ypared to what he had ordered to do to Catherine. Branden kept thinking, what would things turn out to be if he had interrogated Catherine in person instead ofmanding remotely? But he was d that he was not there personally. They had different stances and did not know each other at that time. Under such a circumstance, it was a sure bet that he would torture Catherine. If they had known each other back then, everything romantic between them would never happen. Chapter 428 Something Happened to Branden Chapter 428 Something Happened to Branden Branden boarded the private ne and headed to Snake Ind. Paxton sat with him on the ne and felt uneasy, so he handed the serum theb newly developed to Branden. ¡°Sir, this is the serum. Inject it for your safety.¡± Branden nced at Paxton as a warning, and thetter put the serum away gingerly. Branden then pulled open the airne door. Without a moment of hesitation, Branden jumped off the ne. Paxton was dumbfounded. They did not arrive at their destination yet. Why did Branden jump off suddenly? The n was to send Branden to Snake Ind, and Branden finished the survival challenge there. But Branden chose to increase the difficulty by jumping to the nearby sea area and swimming to the shore. The sea area around Snake Ind was a famous dead zone. Theplex geography caused the sea to swell roughly, and the most dangerous thing was the man-eater shark. If starting from that sea area, Branden would probably be eaten by a shark before he got to the ind. Paxton could not understand what Branden wanted. Whether to beg for Catherine¡¯s forgiveness or simply torture himself. Paxton could not stop Branden from swimming to Snake Ind and stayed till the challenge was completed, but he needed to know Branden¡¯s condition at all times. Everything was as usual on the training ground. There was nothing different after Branden joined them. After all, Catherine did not agree with Branden to join her camp officially. It still depended on whether Branden could be back alive from Snake Ind. Catherine started the other half of the training. The trainees were highly focused, and no one dared to do anything wrong. They knew Catherine¡¯s cruel methods and did not have the guts to risk it. As time passed, Catherine¡¯s training methods became even more harsh. Three people were eliminated in the afternoon only. Yet, no oneined, not because they feared Catherine. They knew the training goal was to pick out the best elites from them. If one was not capable enough, they were expected to be out. Most importantly, they had witnessed their improvement in just one week. That was what Catherine brought them. They were much more powerful now. Catherine was arranging the following training for the trainees when she heard Jon¡¯s voice from the wireless headset. ¡°Mr. Anon, could youe to the medical room right now?¡± Catherine was confused. Why would Jon suddenly ask her to be in the medical room? Catherine wanted to refuse, but Paxton¡¯s nervous voice sounded in her ear. ¡°Sir, this is Paxton. Something happened to Branden. Come here now, please.¡± Catherine was hesitant for a second after the talk ended in the headset. Then, she began to rush toward the medical room. When she arrived, it was already a mess inside the room. Seven or eight medical officers surrounded the bed and pressed Branden¡¯s body, preparing to give him an injection. Paxton noticed Catherine and hurriedly approached her. ¡°Miss Swann, please, talk to Branden. He doesn¡¯t listen to anyone else other than you.¡± Catherine¡¯s brows knitted tightly, and she asked, trying to suppress her rage, ¡± Tell me. What the hell happened?¡± Paxton dared not hide anything from her and told her everything Branden experienced, from departing to staying on Snake Ind. ¡°Miss Swann, there are many snake bites on Branden. After he fought hard to return, he refused to be cured immediately but said he had to report to you. Please, ask him to receive treatment.¡± Before Catherine replied to Paxton, Branden, on the bed, caught a glimpse of her. He exerted all his strength to push away the medical officers around him, struggled down the bed, and staggered to Catherine. When he stood in front of Catherine, he made his body stiff and straight. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve finished the mission on surviving Snake Ind.¡± Branden almost could not make it. He opened his eyes with difficulty, revealing how bloodshot they were. Catherine could see all kinds of injuries on his body. The rtively small wounds almost stopped bleeding. But therge ones still oozed out blood because he refused to cooperate. The medical room was filled with the heavy smell of blood and disgusted people. Even so, Branden still tried hard to say, ¡°Sir, would you please give me a chance?¡± A chance? What chance? Did he mean a chance for him to join her camp or a chance to forgive him? Only Branden knew which meaning it was. After learning the truth, Branden never asked Catherine for her forgiveness. He only tortured himself, maltreating himself in ways that were way crueler than what he had done to her that month. His behavior seemed to tell Catherine that he would repay the pain he had inflicted on Su Mian tenfold and a hundredfold on himself. Catherine stood still on the spot, motionless. She fixed his eyes on him. Branden¡¯s eyes were red, but Catherine¡¯s were only numb. Catherine measured him with her eyes from head to toe. She asked inposure, ¡°You desire to join my camp?¡± Her words were simple but like a shot of adrenaline, cheering Branden up, who had been about to pass out. He used thest of his strength to smile slightly. ¡°Yes!¡± His words were firm, unlike the voice that his weak and wounded body could utter. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Catherine looked away from him. She raised her eyes and looked past Branden. She snapped, ¡°What are you waiting for? Come and save him.¡± Paxton was the first to react and signaled the doctors and nurses to treat Branden. Branden still did not ept to have the injection. Under his strong aura, no one dared to force him. Branden did not speak nor move. He just stood there and stared fixedly at Catherine. Catherine took the injector from the nearby nurse and asked, ¡°Intravenous injection?¡± The nurse nodded as an answer to Catherine¡¯s question. Catherine took Branden¡¯s hand, rolled his sleeve, and injected him. Branden had been as fierce as a tyrannosaurus, and no one dared approach him. Now, he was well- behaved like a kitten, letting Catherine do anything to him. Catherine pointed the bed behind Branden with her chin and ordered Branden, ¡°Lie down on the bed.¡± Branden immediately staggered to the bed andy down obediently, showing no hint of objection. The medical officers and nurses could not believe their eyes. Why bother making a fuss if they had known Branden would listen to Catherine? They could have asked Catherine to be there earlier. After getting Branden to lie down, Catherine was in no hurry to leave. She stayed there and watched him have the operation and stitch his wounds. When all treatments were done, she stood up. Before she left, she turned back to take a look at Branden. ¡°You have two days. You don¡¯t have toe to my camp if you cannot recover. Branden¡¯s eyes lit up, and he was ted. He looked like a mess right now but was still handsome. There was a small smile ying on his lips. His voice was so tender when he opened his mouth to answer Catherine. ¡°Of course.¡± Chapter 429 Not an Ordinary Person Chapter 429 Not an Ordinary Person Catherine did not stand up to leave until Branden received all the injections and had his wounds bound up. She was the instructor, and her mission was to train the trainees. Her private matter should not keep her too long. As soon as Catherine left, Paxton pounced toward the bed to serve Branden. When Catherine was there, Branden did not allow anyone to get near him. He endured the pain and everything. Paxton could feel the pain by only watching it. ¡°Sir, why do you have to do this?¡± Branden knew what Paxton meant and smiled bitterly. He said dispiritedly, ¡± This is nothingpared to what I have done to her that year.¡± Paxton did not know what to say upon hearing Branden. Branden was willing to do that as his atonement to Catherine. What could Paxton say? The anesthetic started toe into effect, and Branden was gradually unconscious. Before he fell into sound sleep, he gave Paxton onest order. ¡°Call theb. Ask them to deliver thetest potion they developed.¡± Paxton understood what Branden wanted. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at Branden. ¡°Sir, that potion hasn¡¯t passed the clinical trials. We don¡¯t know what it could do to human bodies. You can¡¯t use it.¡± Branden eyed him and said decisively, ¡± This is an order.¡± Paxton stood upright and saluted Branden. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The three Duncans were mind wandering on the training ground. Especially Carlo. His heart seemed to drift away. When the instructor did not notice, he whispered to his brothers beside him. ¡°Branden would not be in danger, would he? I heard Paxton¡¯s voice from Catherine¡¯s headset, and he seemed pretty anxious.¡± Not only Carlo but Cory and Francis were worried. They were Shadow Guards of the Duncans. Their primary mission was to protect Branden and do anything as Branden instructed. If anything happened to Branden while they were around, how could they stay and work for the Duncans in the future? Laden with anxiety, the three looked ahead till Catherine showed up again. Since they knew Catherine was their instructor, they were more in awe of her. Just as Cory said, Catherine was the only female he admired except for his mother. Carlo was thinking about asking Catherine how Branden was doing, but he quickly shut down the idea under Catherine¡¯s nce. Catherine nced around harshly and said aloud grimly, ¡°No matter what you¡¯re thinking, stop thinking about it. Tense up and behave yourselves. Don¡¯t think you are safe after half of you are eliminated this week. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°No one of you will pass the tests if you are not qualified enough.¡± Her threatening got the trainees uptight again. They would not doubt whether Catherine meant it. Catherine always did as she promised. If they rxed, Catherine would eliminate them all. Carlo, Cory, and Francis knew Catherine was emphasizing discipline to them. She would kick them out of her camp when she had the chance without the slightest hesitation. When all the trainees refocused, Catherine led them to the following training. They used to have forest operations, and now they were about to have deep-ocean training. The rule had not changed. The winners took all. The ones who couldplete the task could stay while those who could not would be out. After assigning the task, Catherine went back to the car to rest. She removed her disguise and looked at the time. Zerwick must be at night, so Catherine made a video call to Ronin. Ronin answered the call, and his young face upied the entire screen. Ronin pouted and looked at Catherine in grievance. ¡°Catherine, you finally call me! You haven¡¯t texted me after so many days. You¡¯re so heartless.¡± Catherine did not call him to hear hisint. She waited for a few seconds for Ronin to end his gabbling before looking into Ronin¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve something serious to talk to you.¡± Ronin instantly put away hisints. He stared at Catherine in high spirits. ¡°Catherine, tell me what I can do for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to do anything. I want to tell you that I know who the chief of Red Star is.¡± Ronin was furious when it came to the chief of Red Star. He gritted his teeth as he said, ¡°Catherine, who that jerk is? Tell me. I¡¯ll take out 100 million dors to issue a warrant to hunt him down no matter where he is. I¡¯ll chop him and feed him to dogs.¡± Ronin was in a hurry and rage.¡± Catherine, who is he?¡± He still felt sorry for Catherine every time he recalled how much she had suffered that month. If he could, he wished he could take the sufferings for Catherine. ¡°Catherine,e on. Who is that?¡± Ronin urged again. Catherine only spat out a name. ¡± Branden.¡± ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m asking about the name of the chief of Red Star. Why do you bring up Branden?¡± Ronin was confused. Catherine rolled her eyes at Ronin and made herself more explicit. ¡°Branden is the chief of Red Star.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronin eximed aloud. ¡± Branden is the reckless jerk who hurt you?¡± Seemingly noticing that he said something wrong, Ronin suddenly fell into silence. He gave Catherine a searching look and confirmed that Catherine was not joking before he asked cautiously,¡± Catherine, you called me not because you want to tell me you have killed him, right?¡± No one knew better than Ronin how resentful Catherine was to the chief of Red Star. That was the first and only time Catherine was in such great danger since she started out as a hacker. After Catherine recovered, the first thing she did was to arrange for all the forces she could to investigate the Red Star, wanting to find out who its chief was. If she could catch him, she would make him suffer a million times more than she did. Ronin believed that once Catherine caught the chief of Red Star, she would kill him without hesitation. To Ronin¡¯s surprise, Catherine¡¯s sworn enemy was her current boyfriend. It was just so dramatic that no one could ever imagine. Catherine realized that she made a huge mistake. She should not have called Ronin and told him. Ronin was an idiot. She should have talked to Withal. She rolled her eyes at Ronin again and exined, ¡°No. I didn¡¯t kill him.¡± Ronin breathed a sigh of relief, but then he heard Catherine¡¯s cold voice. ¡± He¡¯s not far from death.¡± Branden was severely wounded and might even be disabled. Ronin¡¯s body stiffened. Catherine was indeed not an ordinary person. That was her boyfriend, and she did not show mercy to him. She was much of a badass. Chapter 430 I Didn’t Mean That Chapter 430 I Didn¡¯t Mean That Catherine told Ronin the details of what had happened these days. Ronin was stunned by Branden¡¯s actions. ¡°Catherine, he¡¯s inhuman and incredible.¡± Branden even ignored his safety. If that were not inhuman, what would that be? Catherine did not respond, and Ronin kept talking. ¡°Catherine, are you still going to kill Branden?¡± Ronin was not sure of it. He could tell Branden was important to Catherine. But Catherine had been hating the chief of Red Star for three years and wished to kill him even in Catherine¡¯s dreams. After a series of twists and turns, Catherine¡¯s sworn enemy was now by her side and was her boyfriend. That was a horrifying twist. Any ordinary person would find it hard to ept. Ronin¡¯s question kept reying in Catherine¡¯s mind. When she knew Branden was her enemy, she had thought of giving him a shot and killing him. But that thought onlysted for a moment. She would never kill him, but neither did she think of how to punish Branden. She did not arrange for the harsh tasks for Branden on purpose, but he asked for them. Catherine squinted at Ronin on the screen and asked, ¡°How about you kill him for me?¡± Ronin had just regained hisposure when he heard Catherine¡¯s words and was taken aback and nearly choked on his saliva. His head raised sharply, and he looked in terror at Catherine with widened eyes. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re joking, right?¡± Branden was the young leader of the Duncans and the chief of Red Star. He was a big shot no matter which identity. Ronin would not dare to think about it if he did not want to courting death. Besides, even if Ronin promised to do it, he would not seed with Branden¡¯s mighty ability. ¡°Look how cowardly you are! I didn¡¯t teach you to be like this!¡± Catherine red at Ronin in disappointment. Ronin felt wronged. How could he beparable to Branden? Getting no answer from Ronin, Catherine ended the video call. She did not want to waste her time on meaningless chatting. After that, Catherine got out of the car. She did not need to keep an eye on her trainees. They were active and hardworking. Catherine left no shortcut for her trainees. If they wanted to stay, they could only train hard. The moment she left the car, Jon rushed to him hastily. ¡°Sir, your trainees have blown up a warship. Should we stop their training? Jon was distraught as he gazed at Catherine. He had witnessed many merciless or mighty instructors but never met an instructor who cost so much money. Catherine would rank at the top if there were a ranking of costing money among the instructors. Catherine looked indifferent and lifted her chin to nod at Jon. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Go on?¡± Jon¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets out of astonishment. ¡± Sir, one warship is worth tens of billions of dors!¡± Catherine knew how much it cost for one warship, but why did it matter? She raised her eyebrow at Jon and asked, ¡°Did you pay for it?¡± Jon shook his head. The warship was costly, but he did not pay for it. Catherine shrugged, looking nonchnt. That was what she meant. They did not need to afford the warship. The higher officers did not stop them from doing that. Why should they care? Catherine answered Jon¡¯s question and strolled away. She walked around without goal and reached the door of the medical room. Since she was there, she decided to go in and see Branden. Her arrival attracted all people¡¯s attention inside. After all, she was the only one Branden would listen to and obey. When Catherine walked in, Branden was back on her, unrealizing her appearance. Paxton noticed Catherine and greeted her. ¡°Miss Swann.¡± Only then did Branden hurriedly turn around and lock his eyes on Catherine. When Catherine was in his sight, his eyes could not see anyone else. Catherine kept a straight face. She pulled out a chair and sat down domineeringly. ¡°You can walk? That¡¯s pretty fast.¡± Her words finally delighted Branden, and he had a small smile. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll be at the camp on time tomorrow.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Paxton secretly turned up the whites of his eyes, thinking Branden once again put himself in hazard. He had just applied for the medicine, and he stood up immediately. He even asked for training tomorrow. Catherine¡¯s camp was no ordinary camp. A healthy and robust person would probably have died during the training, let alone Branden had suffered severe injuries. He would be dead in the training. It was not easy to pursue a girl in the present day. One might be disabled or even lost his life. Paxton had wanted to tell Catherine Branden¡¯s situation, but when he raised his head, Branden seemed to have noticed his thoughts. Branden looked dagger at Paxton and intimidated him. Paxton had to leave the medical room immediately and dared not be rash. Catherine sat motionlessly, so Branden walked up to her with affection and pleading in his eyes. Catherine was not a doctor and did not know how badly he was hurt. But the various injuries over the years made her an amateur doctor. She had trained perennially, and it was normal for her to get hurt. Based on how badly he was hurt, Catherine was sure Branden could not stand up so quickly. Even if he could recover the fastest with the best medicine, it would take him at least two weeks to get off the bed and walk. There must be a secret for Branden to walk within a short time. Catherine did not want to probe into the detailed reason. She would prefer to know Branden¡¯s following n. Catherine narrowed her eyes to survey Branden. His wounds were bound up, and she could not see anything wrong. ¡°Are you sure you want to train with your wounded body?¡± Facing Catherine¡¯s doubt, Branden raised a brow and eyed her with a hint of yfulness. ¡°How about you check it yourself?¡± His words were meaningful, and Catherine took the hint. She blushed unconsciously. How could he even joke under such circumstances? Catherine red at him and said coldly, ¡°Come to the training ground at eight tomorrow morning.¡± Then, she stood up and walked out of the room. As long as she left, Branden could no longer hold it. Thanks to the chair Catherine sat on, Branden grabbed it and supported himself so he did not fall. Paxton rushed into the room instantly after Catherine was gone, but he was stillte. Seeing Branden lean against the chair with sweat on his forehead, Paxton hurried to him and said, ¡°Sir, let me help you back to the bed.¡± With Paxton¡¯s help, Branden moved slowly to the bed andy down. Branden had been tough. He once had an operation without anesthesia and did not cry in pain. Now, he gasped and frowned deeply. He must be in great pain. Paxton had wanted to remind Branden of how lethal Branden¡¯s decision would be, but no one could change Branden¡¯s mind. As Brandeny down, he gave Paxton another order. ¡°Ask the doctor to adjust the potion to the maximum dose and use it on me.¡± ¡°Again?¡± Paxton could not help but yell. Was Branden hellbent on killing himself? ¡°Sir, that potion¡­¡± Branden stopped Paxton in the middle of his sentence. ¡°Do I need to repeat my words before you do it?¡± Paxton knelt and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Chapter 431 Join the Training Camp Chapter 431 Join the Training Camp The following morning. Catherine arrived at the training ground on time at eight, and the trainees were all waiting for her, including the neer, Branden. Branden fixed his eyes on Catherine since she showed up and never turned away. ¡°Sir, this is 0339 reporting for duty.¡± Branden¡¯s voice was loud, clear, and firm. Catherine was in her usual disguise suit. Like she used to be, she was stern andmanding. She seemed to look at Branden casually, but she noticed his condition was so much different than it was yesterday. ¡°Are you sure you want to join the training?¡± Catherine asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Branden bellowed his answer. Catherineughed grimly andmanded, ¡°Back in the line.¡± That was officially agreeing to Branden¡¯s joining the camp. The other trainees had no objection to Branden¡¯s joining. The tasks Branden had finished had gotten spread around. Surviving that kind of horrible environment proved his superior strength. Their training was dangerous and challenging, but it was no match for what Branden had experienced. How dared they object to such a formidable person? They had the deep-ocean training yesterday, so Catherine decided to have simple physical training this morning. Hearing the training content, Paxton doubted if Catherine did it on purpose. She knew Branden should avoid the vigorous exercise and still made such a decision. What would that be if she was not targeting Branden? Women¡¯s heart was even more unfathomable than the ocean. After her announcement, Catherine walked to Branden and stared at him with interest. ¡°0339, it¡¯s difficult to be my trainee, but it¡¯s easy for one to quit. I won¡¯t force anyone to stay. You can leave anytime if you don¡¯t want to receive the training.¡± Branden¡¯s lips upcurled into a slight smile, and his eyes followed Catherine dotingly and persistently. ¡°I¡¯m d you allowed me to join your camp, sir. I¡¯ll never quit.¡± Catherine decided to let him be since he was so stubborn. Physical training it was, then. He chose to join the training and needed to obey the rules. Catherine¡¯s Physical training was nothing like ordinary training, running or so. The training content included rock climbing, deep diving, and other extreme sports. Carlo, Cory, and Francis learned the conditions about Branden from Paxton and were so anxious. Even though Branden had superior strength, he was hurt too badly. The average people could not even move, let alone have extreme sports. The three Duncans stared at Branden, afraid that any ident would happen to him. When they climbed down the rocks barehand from the highest ce on the ind, the three Duncans surrounded Branden and dared not leave. They could tell from Branden¡¯s dripping sweat on his head that he was enduring great pain. ¡°Sir, let us help you down. Shall we?¡± Carlo proposed gingerly. The rock climbing was tough for them each, but if they worked together, it would not be a big deal to help Branden. They would rather get hurt themselves than let Branden get hurt. Branden looked at them provocatively and snorted. ¡°What? You think you¡¯re so capable now?¡± ¡°No, sir!¡± The three answered in unison. After scolding them, Branden moved around Carlo and kept climbing down. Carlo once again wanted to help, but Cory stopped him. ¡°No one could change Branden¡¯s mind. ¡°Cory sighed softly. The point was that Branden would never change what he had decided. Helping Branden would not only offend Branden but add more trouble to him. Just now, when Branden went around them to avoid their help, he already had a longer route than they did. They were not helpful but got Branden more exhausted. The loss outweighed the gain. Catherine had been in front of the monitoring screen and observed them. She saw that the three Duncans wanted to help Branden and that Branden refused them. Catherine admired Branden¡¯s character even more. When theypleted the physical training, Branden¡¯s result was not on the top orst, only above average. If Branden were in his best self, those trainees would not be opponents to him. Branden got off the cliff, and his limbs could not help shaking. The injuries on his legs were not healed. Although he used medicine to suppress the pain, it still affected enormously on his strength. He was at the limit after the physical training. The whistle rang out, and the training was over. Branden almost copsed like a deted balloon. Fortunately, the three Duncans were prepared and supported him to hide his tiredness. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Catherine was still watching the monitor screen till she heard the knocking on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± she said. It was Paxton who pushed the door open. Paxton had been thinking about it for a long time and decided to see Catherine. He would bear any consequences. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± Catherine gave Jon near her a look. Jon understood and left the room, leaving privacy for them to talk. Paxton was in a hurry to say after Jon was gone, ¡°Miss Swann, it¡¯s my decision to tell you this. Branden has no idea I¡¯m here to see you.¡± ¡°You mean his injuries?¡± Catherine tilted her head with her arms around her chest, looking indifferent. ¡°You¡¯ve guessed it?¡± Paxton was somewhat surprised. Catherine did not answer but signaled Paxton to continue. Since Catherine was aware of Branden¡¯s situation, Paxton felt less nervous. ¡°Miss Swann, have you heard of the X Potion?¡± ¡°The Muscle Memory Potion?¡± Catherine stared at Paxton with a frown. The questions in her heart seem to have answers, followed by greater uneasiness. Paxton nodded. ¡°Yes, thetest developed potion to help one maintain muscle memory. It¡¯s still understudied in 417 Laboratory. ¡°Branden has used it to restore his strength, but the side effects¡­¡± Paxton did not need to finish his words, and Catherine understood what he meant. Such a potion could help people get the best curative effect temporarily, but the cost was the lethal side effects. Branden was indeed so cruel to himself. He used the potion to help himself join her camp. Catherine did not air her opinion. She only gazed at Paxton coldly and nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Then, she drove Paxton away, which confused Paxton. Chapter 432 Being Grouped Chapter 432 Being Grouped Catherine issued thetest training n -groupbat. Each group of three wouldpete in jungle battles against each other, and winning was the only goal. Because of the number of people, Branden, who joined in the middle, was isted. Everyone wanted him in their group instead of in anyone else¡¯s. But before they could discuss the results, Catherine announced the answer-Branden was grouped with her. Catherine was an instructor and strong, but Branden was injured. Coupled with the fact that there were only two of them in the group, they seemed to be at a disadvantage. Therefore, no one had any objections to Catherine¡¯s arrangement. Branden came to Catherine¡¯s side with smiling eyes, his gaze following her closely, and he seemed to be in a good mood. ¡°Thanks, sir!¡± Catherine nced at him with a cold face and said indifferently, ¡°Wait for elimination if you are at the bottomter!¡± Branden did not care much about the harsh words and still looked in a good mood. He followed Catherine¡¯s lead and went to prepare the materials. Paxton stood in front of the monitor screen and looked at Branden¡¯s fawning appearance. He could not help but shake his head. ¡°Well, Mr. Duncan haspletely fallen!¡± said Paxton inwardly. The training began with a helicopter dropping them off in the middle of the virgin forest. This time, they were in a war between six teams. The training wouldst 48 hours, and the team with the most killings would win. Those who performed poorly, as determined by Catherine, would be immediately eliminated, while winners would have a day off and the rest continued training. There were no rules and no assistance. There was only one option for them- either they beat other teams or lose to the other teams and be eliminated. The helicopter hatch opened. As the instructor and also one of the members of this training group, Catherine chose to let the others rope down first. After the other teams finishednding, she gestured to Branden behind her. ¡± Your turn!¡± Over the past so many years, it was the first time a girl had protected Branden. But it was his girlfriend, so he didn¡¯t need to be polite. He reached for the rope handed by Catherine and fastened the locking buckle around his waist. Then he agilely and handsomely rolled out of the helicopter, his slender legs folded, holding the rope between his legs, and slid down quickly. Catherine waited three seconds and followed, moving with the same handsomeness and ease. Brandennded first. He was fast, and his movements were textbook perfect. But as his feet touched the ground, he still staggered, and Catherine saw it. He had injured his thigh, and despite the special medicine, it still affected the stability of hisnding. Catherine knew that his injury was much more serious than she realized. Branden didn¡¯t realize Catherine was staring at him, and once he was steady on his feet, he turned around and scooped up Catherine, who was speeding down through the air, in a hug. He couldn¡¯t bear to let hernd on her own and held her secure in his arms. No matter how skilled one was, the moment they fell from a high altitude, the impact would still cause some damage to the knees. It didn¡¯t matter if it hurt once or twice, but the knees would be damaged over time. He didn¡¯t want to see Catherine suffer anything. Catherinended in his arms, and when he stabilized himself, Catherine spoke coldly, ¡°Put me down!¡± Without hesitation, the man let her down from his arms as he was told. Catherine took out a map from her bag at the first opportunity after she stood steadily, judging her location based on the terrain. After ascertaining the location, Catherine nced towards the man on the side. ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± Branden had a rxed look on his face. He looked less like he was inbat and more like he was on vacation. ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time. Let¡¯s have lunch first!¡± He took Catherine¡¯s hand and headed forward. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry and wasn¡¯t worried about being eliminated, and Catherine had no problem with that. Branden held Catherine¡¯s hand along the way and found a shady cave. He pulled Catherine inside, unscrewed the lid of his water bottle, and handed it to Catherine. ¡°Get some water first!¡± Thebat wouldst for a full 48 hours, and without external assistance, their supplies were a little tight, so they couldn¡¯t afford to waste anything. Catherine took a sip and handed the water back to Branden. Branden took it in his hand, pressed his lips to where Catherine had been drinking, and took a small sip. Then he ced the water bottle back down next to Catherine¡¯s side. ¡°You stay here. I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s any food we can use as supplies!¡± Their food was limited, and it was not the time to eat their supplies, so it would be best to search for suitable food first. Catherine understood what Branden meant and agreed with him. She nced at the man¡¯s legs and then stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll join you!¡± Branden revealed a faint smile. ¡°Are you caring about me?¡± Catherine rolled her eyes at him and didn¡¯t say anything. Originally, Branden wanted Catherine to rest, but since she was willing to follow, so be it. To Catherine¡¯s surprise, Branden was not only strong in physical ability andbat strength, but he was also great at outdoor survival. He was able to judge the flow of the water through the growth of the nts, thus finding the water source within the shortest time. A look of surprise escaped the man¡¯s face as he looked at the clear stream. He made two tough fishing nets out of branches aside and put them into the water. ¡°There, just wait for the fish!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond, leaning aside to rest in boredom. Branden leaned over as well, and the two of them looked somewhat cozy in this look. In front of the monitor screen, Jon looked at the scene and couldn¡¯t help butin to Paxton. ¡°Is your boss here on vacation?¡± Although Paxton wanted to retort when he heard Jon¡¯s sarcastic remark about Branden, he felt that Branden and Catherine seemed to be on vacationpared to the other teams fighting fiercely. The other teams had already fought a few battle rounds, but Branden and Catherine were still fishing and leisurely barbecuing. Weren¡¯t they afraid of attracting their opponents to them? Paxton didn¡¯t know whether it was because of their negligence or because they were overconfident. But this was just fine. With Branden¡¯s current physical condition, he couldn¡¯t withstand the torture. If he really fought with the other teams, Paxton was not sure that Branden would be able to take it. ¡°Can¡¯t you just take it as himing on vacation?¡± Paxton responded to Jon with a provocative look on his face. Jon was slightly offended and about to retort when Paxton threatened, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Mr. Duncan hasn¡¯t approved the funding for next year yet!¡± Hearing this, Jon¡¯s attitude immediately changed from questioning to praising. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Mr. Duncan is handsome and awesome! Even hisbat strategy is so unique!¡± The one with money was the boss! After all, the Duncans were one of the biggest financial supporters behind Scorpion Ind. Offending them was thest thing Jon could do in his life. Chapter 433 Set a Trap Chapter 433 Set a Trap An hour passed, and three small fish were already inside the fishing basket. It was enough for a meal for two, and now it was a race against time. Branden quickly caught the fish, cleaned them, stuck them on a branch, and put them on the self-made roasting rack. Looking at the man¡¯s skillful movements, Catherine finally realized why the man was so good at cooking. It seemed that he had gotten a lot of outdoor training! Watching the man¡¯s bold behavior of building a fire, Catherine curiously surveyed him. ¡°Isn¡¯t he worried about being discovered?¡± she thought. The fire smoke would surely expose their location. Those in the other teams were all capable fighters. If they sneaked into the neighborhood and surrounded them together, she couldn¡¯t be sure that she and Branden would be a match for so many people. Catherine had doubts in her mind but didn¡¯t show a single sign of dissent. Branden patiently picked off the bones of the grilled fish and handed it to Catherine. ¡°Have some of this first.¡± The freshly grilled fish had little spice vor, just a light charred aroma. It was already not easy to have a bite of something warm in the wilderness, so Catherine was not picky. Besides, Branden was a good cook and grilled the fish to a perfect tenderness. This fish could be considered a delicacypared to the supplies inside their backpacks. After feeding Catherine to full, Branden finished the remaining fish in one bite without the slightest bit of disdain on his face. ¡°Can you climb trees?¡± asked Branden. Catherine looked at the man with a raised eyebrow, wondering why he asked such a question. Following Catherine¡¯s line of sight, Branden looked toward the tallest tree at the side, his deep eyes as dazzling as the bright starlight. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll help you up to the highest point.¡± Catherine gazed up at the towering tree. The dense foliage made it difficult to determine the exact height of the highest point, but she estimated it to be at least 100 feet tall. This height was no difficulty for her, but it might be a bit troublesome for Branden. With his injured legs, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to climb to this height right now. Catherine immediately made a decision. ¡°You go first!¡± With her support, it would be easier for Branden to go up! ¡°Hah!¡± The man snorted lightly, dragging Catherine¡¯s arm and forcefully lifting her upwards. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not as bad as to ask you to help me out!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Good girl, hide up there!¡± Branden¡¯s voice was gentle and maic, his low, husky voice carrying a touch of seductiveness. Seeing that the man was so ungrateful, Catherine decided to leave him alone. She would like to see how capable this man was. Catherine had been given specialized training in the dense virgin forest, and climbing a tree was not difficult for her. Branden lifted her a bit, and his strong arms gave her the most assistance. In a very short while, she swiftly climbed to the top of the tree and hid herself in the shade. Then she turned back to look for Branden, only to find that the man had disappeared without a trace. She had caught a glimpse of Branden when she was halfway up the tree, but now he had gone out of sight. Catherine carefully searched around. Standing at a high ce, she had the clearest view. However, she still couldn¡¯t find any trace of the man. Branden seemed invisible, and she couldn¡¯t see any traces of him. ¡°Could it be that his camouge ability was really that strong?¡± wondered she. Catherine didn¡¯t act rashly. She stayed quietly at the peak of the tree and made herself ready for battle. She had already caught a whiff of something troubling. There should be enemies approaching them. The moment the fire was lit, the members of the other teams locked onto the location and rushed toward it one after another. For them, winning was the ultimate goal, and the prerequisite for winning was to take out the other teams. The rules were simple, but the simpler it was, the harder it became. The only way to win was to be the team with the most killings. Several teams slowly approached their destination. Everyone wanted to take down this team first, but no one was a fool. This team dared to light the fires arrogantly, so they probably had already set up a trap, just waiting for the others to fall. The trio of Duncans noticed the smoke as well. Cory looked over toward Francis, who was the most familiar with the forest terrain, and waited for him to give his opinion. Francis understood what Cory meant and exined his analysis. ¡°It¡¯s not as straightforward as it appears. Based on that location marked on the map, I can tell that the terrain there is highly intricate. It has a funnel- like shape, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.¡± Francis analyzed the risks, while Carlo stated the most realistic problem. ¡°Our team is now ranked third in the entire training camp, just one point away from the fourth ce. If this continues, we¡¯re likely to lose!¡± As time went on, it got harder and harder to gain points. They were different from the other teams. They did not adopt aggressive strategies and thoughtfully considered all their actions before taking them. But as time passed, other teams were being eliminated, forcing them to take a less conservative approach. After analyzing the two ideas, Cory, as the leader, gave his final decision. ¡°Then let¡¯s creep over there and decide based on the situation!¡± The other two nodded in unison and set off towards the targeted location. Suddenly, Carlo said, ¡°I wonder how Mr. Duncan is doing. Their number of killings is still zero on the leaderboard! Each team had a recorder to increase the exciting nature of the matchups. They could see the results of the other teams¡¯ battles on it, thus motivating themselves while making the entire atmosphere of the match more tense. The other two were silent and didn¡¯t say anything. No one dared to be sure if Branden could hold on this time. With those heavy injuries, if it were any of them, they might have copsed in a hospital bed waiting for the caretaker to attend to them. The fight over there had already begun before the three arrived at the location. Two teams were fighting over killing records. Before they could even find the target, these two teams fought first. From the peak of the tree, Catherine had a clear view of the situation below. She watched the two teams fighting against each other and couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°How did I end up teaching such foolish trainees?¡± she thought to herself. She was hesitating whether or not to make a move and fight for Branden to gain some points. After all, she did not want Branden to lose badly. However, a third team joined the fight and sneakily fired a shot, killing a member of the two fighting teams. Immediately after the member fell, his teammate shouted loudly, ¡°There¡¯s a sniper!¡± Both teams¡¯ members were not foolish. They had unknowingly collided, and no one could have set up a sniper in such a short time. The only usible exnation was that the team reaching the area first hadid an ambush, anticipating the other team¡¯s arrival. The opponent¡¯s position was well hidden. They couldn¡¯t locate it and had no choice but to evacuate first. The man hidden in the middle of the dense forest was watching every move in front of him. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. As he sensed that the other party intended to withdraw, an evil smile appeared on his camouge- painted face. ¡°Want to leave? No way!¡± Chapter 434 I Can Endure Chapter 434 I Can Endure Catherine looked around for a while and finally located Branden. The location of his ambush was very well hidden. If she hadn¡¯t been standing high above the ground and Branden had shot first, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to find him. Standing high, Catherine could also tell that the team below was preparing to evacuate. Unfortunately, it was toote! The feast of carnage belonging to Branden was about to begin! After Branden pulled the trigger a second time, Catherine also made her move. Like apetition, she and Branden fought for points in this small, dense forest. They weren¡¯tpeting against another team. Instead, they werepeting against each other. The broadcast on the screen shocked everyone in this battle. [Anon beats the member of Team 3, +1 point.] [0399 beats the member of Team 2, +1 point.] [Anon beats the member of Team 4, +1 point.] The broadcast the screen was constantly updated, and wailing filled the dense forest. As one after another team member was eliminated, Catherine and Branden¡¯s team ranked higher and higher. Carlo was dumbfounded at this scene, holding the monitor and looking at the other two teammates. ¡°Didn¡¯t Paxton say that Mr. Duncan was seriously injured? How could¡­¡± Francis let out a coldugh, looking ahead with awe in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Duncan is like a god! There is no impossibility with him!¡± That was right. Anything impossible could be possible when it came to Branden. Branden¡¯s ability was just so mind- blowing. Carlo silently gulped to ease his nerves. ¡°So, are we still going?¡± They would be sending themselves to their deaths if they went now. Francis and Cory nced at each other, and their years of tacit understanding made them smile simultaneously before speaking in unison, ¡°Yes!¡± For such a feast of carnage, they would be honored even as witnesses. More importantly, they would likely have the opportunity topete with the two experts, so there was no reason not to go. Branden was indeed heavily injured, so his fighting strength was bound to be not as good as before. On the contrary, the three of them were at their peak state, cooperating well and fighting with full strength. What if they win? One never knew what the oue would be until they tried. They had to go! Once the decision was made, the three set off together. Initially at zero points, Branden¡¯s team had now ranked third ce, taking out Francis¡¯ team. It was evident that the toughness of Branden¡¯s team was simply overwhelming. Catherine locked onto a target as the battle continued and prepared to attack. Right now, she had the exact same number of points as Branden, and because of this battle, the long- dormant desire to fight within her was awakened. That thrill of chasing after the blood and killing made her unconsciously regard Branden as an imaginary enemy. What was originally a cooperative match against each other turned into a duel between the two. Branden was very satisfied with Catherine¡¯s performance. His little girl was always able to give him surprises. He locked on to the same target that Catherine had chosen. Now, it was all about who was faster. The two of them chased after each other, almost striking at the same time. In thest fraction of a second, the man, however, stopped. He would give whatever his girl wanted. Catherine, who had gotten the points, wasn¡¯t happy and had a frown on her face. She knew better than anyone else about the situation just now. She was about to lose, but the man at her side took the initiative to give up the opportunity to strike. Without waiting for her to inquire, Branden held her hand in his and dragged her away. Catherine did not know his next move yet, so she could only follow him to leave first. The two quickly made their way through the dense forest with no difficulty. Ten minutester, Branden dragged Catherine back to the cave where they had first hidden. After stopping, Catherine turned back and was about to ask Branden about the situation. Unexpectedly, the next moment, Branden fell straight down towards her. Catherine froze momentarily, then quickly reacted as she reached out and supported him. Branden didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and leaned into Catherine¡¯s arms. Catherine helped him to the side and sat him down, taking off her water bottle and handing it to him. After Branden was seated, Catherine carefully checked his body. His dark green camouge pants had been stained reddish-brown. At that moment, Catherine finally understood why Branden had suddenly retreated. His leg could no longer cope. The wound had split open, and blood had stained his pants entirely. If this continued, one would die from the massive loss of blood, no matter how powerful they were. The sky gradually darkened, and the rainforest temperature would drop very quickly at night. With the double blow, it would be hard for Branden to make it through the night. Catherine made a quick decision. She directly took out her knife and cut through the man¡¯s pants. Branden¡¯s strong thigh was then exposed. The bandage used to fix the wound was now stained red, and blood continued to ooze out. In the backpack provided to them by the training camp, there were some rudimentary medical equipment and medicines. Catherine took out these medicines and then handed Branden the knife. ¡°Bite it! Branden instantly understood Catherine¡¯s intentions, but he didn¡¯t follow her instructions. He casually threw the knife away, and the sharp-edged knife nted itself firmly in the ground aside. ¡°Kathy, just do it. I can endure!¡± Why did that sound a little strange? Catherine leaned in close, her stunningly beautiful face perfectly appearing in Branden¡¯s sight. Her big, beautiful, and seductive eyes were staring at Branden, and ambiguity was evident in her fluttering eyes. Her pink, thin lips slightly curled up, and a touch of seductive charm lingered within her soft tone. ¡°Are you serious? Are you sure that you can endure?¡± Like a white feather, her gentle tone softly glided over the man¡¯s heart. A helpless smile escaped Branden¡¯s face, and his eyes were filled with a sense of doting. He could endure anything but had no resistance to her. Even if she were a poison, Branden would still take it. Catherine sensed more blood seeping from Branden¡¯s leg, nearly at the speed of a spurt. With a face full of smugness, she stopped teasing. She was afraid that Branden was really going to die if she kept talking. Catherine¡¯s movements were very swift. She quickly cut the original gauze, re-sewed the gaping wound, and sprinkled anti- inmmatory medicine before bandaging it. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. After tying it in a pretty bow, Catherine pped her hands casually, finishing her perfect work. Then she looked up towards the man, whose face was already sweaty due to theck of anesthetic the entire time. From start to finish, Branden hadn¡¯t uttered a single word. It wasn¡¯t something an average person could do. Catherine raised her eyebrows, her provocative eyes staring straight at the man. ¡°Why bother? Do you regret it now?¡± Chapter 435 A Clumsy Trap Chapter 435 A Clumsy Trap ¡°What¡¯s there to regret about trading your life for a chance?¡± Branden cocked his brows and looked at Catherine with a smile. He didn¡¯t care, so why was she worried? Catherine threw the things in her hands away, leaned back and was about to get some rest. Conditions were limited in the dense forest, and Catherine wasn¡¯t fussy, so she could rest just by leaning against a rock. Just as she was about to lie down, Branden stretched out his long arm and pulled Catherine up in an embrace. ¡°Here you go. You¡¯ll be morefortable like this.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t refuse. She adjusted to afortable position in Branden¡¯s arms and began to rest. Everyone¡¯s stamina was limited, and the battle had already tired them out. Now that their team was in the top three of the leaderboard, a little rest and full preparation for the night¡¯spetition was the best thing they could do. The ce Branden chose was very well hidden. Resting peacefully here for a few hours would not be a problem. Branden looked down at the delicate little face in his arms, the smile at the corners of his mouth widened infinitely. Finally, he was holding her in his arms again! Everything was worth it! Paxton repeatedly scrutinized the monitor screen but couldn¡¯t locate Branden and Catherine. His heart was thumping wildly from the fight just now. It was so exciting that it made his blood boil. He bet the wound on Branden¡¯s leg must have opened up again after the battle. He wanted to find Branden now and see how he was doing. If he couldn¡¯t, he would arrange for a helicopter to go in and get Branden out. But in the blink of an eye, Branden disappeared without a trace. Paxton stared at the monitor and tried to find Branden several times but couldn¡¯t see any sign of him and Catherine. Having no choice, Paxton could only seek Jon¡¯s help. ¡°Quickly help me look for them! Where are they!¡± Jon shrugged and spread his hands. He wanted to help, but there was nothing he could do. ¡°It¡¯s no use. I can¡¯t find them either!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the chief instructor of Scorpion Ind?¡± Paxton roared in anger. ¡°Catherine is the instructor for this training!¡± Jon looked at Paxton with an innocent expression. He really couldn¡¯t do anything about it, and like Paxton, he started looking for signs of the two from the moment they disappeared, but in the end, he found nothing. They seemed to have disappeared into thin air. There were no traces of them in an instant. This was an amazing skill. It would be very hard for an ordinary person to do such a thing. Seeing Paxton anxiously pacing back and forth, Jon opened a beer bottle and threw it to him. ¡°Come on, bro. Why worry so much? Not to mention how strong Branden is, Mr. Anon alone is enough to keep him safe! Can¡¯t you see Mr. Anon¡¯s intentional favoritism?¡± It was obvious that they could have been split into four teams, but they were deliberately grouped into five! For the sake of the extra Branden, Catherine even had to include herself in training. What else would this be, if not favoritism? Paxton reacted with hindsight and felt Jon¡¯s words made sense, and his tense heart rxed. Sitting quietly in front of the monitor, he continued to monitor the battle situation in the dense forest. The speed of the Duncans¡¯ team of three was rtively slow, and Branden and Catherine were already gone by the time they arrived. Not being able to fight against the two made the trio somewhat disappointed. Carlo regretfully said, ¡°What a shame. I thought I¡¯d finally get a chance to fight Mr. Duncan!¡± Since Branden took over the Duncans at 16, they hadn¡¯t had the chance to fight him again. Hearing Carlo¡¯s sigh of regret, Cory couldn¡¯t help but ridicule, saying, ¡± Even if you were given the chance, you¡¯d only end up being eliminated!¡± ¡°Not to mention Mr. Duncan, the three of us are no match for Mr. Anon alone!¡± At the mention of Mr. Anon, even a tough man like Carlo couldn¡¯t help but tremble. He scrunched up his neck and obediently hid to the side. Francis leaned down on the ground and carefully observed the battlefield after the chaos. Seeing him continuously exploring forward, Cory came forward and inquired in a whisper, ¡°Any findings?¡± Francis cautiously nodded. ¡°Perhaps I can find where Mr. Duncan is now!¡± Cory had no doubts about Francis¡¯ words. Even Branden had said that Francis was a born jungle king. Nothing wasplicated for him in the dense forest. ¡°If we know where Mr. Duncan is staying, we can quietly approach them and catch them off guard. Wouldn¡¯t that give us a better chance of winning? Cory narrowed his eyes and looked at the duo with a sly grin. Carlo instantly got excited. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m a little looking forward to it.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t beat Mr. Duncan head-on, but we canunch a sneak attack from the side, right?¡± thought he. Catherine opened her eyes exactly an hourter. When the time was up, she opened her eyes spontaneously, as if someone had put an rm in her head. She looked upwards, and the man seemed to have woken up even earlier than she had. He looked at her with a tender gaze, his posture already adjusted. Catherine propped her elbows on the ground and brought her body upright. Just as she was about to stand up, her eyes suddenly darkened, and she carefully listened to the changes in her surroundings. There seemed to be something going on. At the same time, the man behind her noticed something unusual as well. Catherine turned back to him. Branden shook his head at her with a smirk, signaling her not to do anything for now. Then Branden gestured at her again. Catherine knew that it meant for her to wait for the prey to take the bait. ¡°Could it be that he had already set a trap and was waiting for the enemy to sneak up on him?¡± wondered she. Catherine followed Branden¡¯s arrangement and hid herself between the rocks. Then, Branden began to set traps. However, the trap was too clumsy and seemed to be a temporary one. With Branden¡¯s skill, he couldn¡¯t make such a useless thing. For a while, Catherine had no way to guess Branden¡¯s intention. The trio of the Duncans arrived outside the cave, and they could almost tell that the person they were looking for was inside. If they went straight in, they would surely die. To win, they had to outsmart their opponents. After Carlo explored the way, he returned and reported the situation to the other two teammates. As they expected, someone was inside, and a trap had been set at the entrance. But that trap looked like it was set by a fool. There was no way it could have been Branden. Carlo¡¯s word was believable, and Francis¡¯ judgment was never wrong. The momentary disagreement left the three unable to decide once. Francis firmly said, ¡°I believe my judgment is right!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Carlo quickly decided and said, ¡°I¡¯ll sneak in and find out what¡¯s going on. If I¡¯m not out within five minutes, that means Mr. Duncan is inside. You can choose another chance to act. This way, our team won¡¯t be wiped out even if something happens!¡± They weren¡¯t in first ce right now, but they weren¡¯t inst ce either. If they lost this opportunity, they would really be facing elimination. After hesitating for a while, the three finally reached an agreement. Carlo would be the pioneer and go in first. This way, they could get to know the situation the fastest. Chapter 436 All Wiped Out Chapter 436 All Wiped Out Ten minutester, Cory and Francis, who had been waiting outside, realized that Carlo hadn¡¯t emerged from the cave yet. They knew that something must be wrong. The strangest thing was that they were guarding the entrance of the cave, but they didn¡¯t hear any movement from inside. With Carlo¡¯s ability, even if the other party was a powerful expert, he would be able to send them a final signal at a critical moment. There was no way he could just disappear without a trace. Francis and Cory nced at each other, and the perennial tacit understanding made the two of them understand each other¡¯s intentions. Inside, the cave was dimly lit, and the air was humid. The cave was a natural treasure ce in the dense forest, easy to defend and hard to attack. In order not to let the people inside the cave discover their presence, Francis and Cory chose to climb in slowly along the steep walls of the cave. The cave was quiet inside. It was so quiet that even their breathing could be heard clearly. Francis slowly approached towards the depths, being extra careful. Suddenly, he felt something wrong in the dark. He subconsciously turned back, but it was already toote. The cold muzzle of the gun had been pressed against his forehead. Francis wanted to resist, but after seeing who the person was, he silently gave up this stupid idea. Even if Branden could only move one hand now, he might not be a match for Branden. It was because Branden knew him too well. Knowing that there was no hope of escape, Francis prepared to inform Cory and ask him to leave. Branden seemed to see through his intentions and raised an eyebrow at him as he tilted his head. Francis looked sideways, only to see that Cory was already at the mercy of Catherine¡¯s gun. As for Carlo, he was leisurely leaning aside and eating his food. Francis gave up resistance, and Branden did not hesitate to ¡°kill¡± him. The trio of the Duncans were all wiped out. Catherine¡¯s team got three more points and directly reached first ce. There were currently two teams left, and both of them had only one person left to fight alone. They didn¡¯t have a chance to win against Catherine¡¯s team. After dealing with the trio, Branden pulled Catherine to sit down. There was still a long time before dawn, but this battle had already reached the final stage. It was over far quicker than expected. With the three points just now, Catherine¡¯s team was instantly on top, and she and Branden finally rxed a little bit. Branden arrogantly set up a me inside the cave and put the caught fish on the grill. Under the heat of the mes, the appetizing aroma of the fish gradually spread out. Carlo, who was still leisurely eatingpressed crackers, suddenly felt that the crackers in his hand didn¡¯t taste good anymore. He stared longingly at the fish to assuage his hunger. Branden took the boxed meal out in front of him and heated it up with boiling water. Instantly, the vor of braised beef wafted through the air. Grilled fish and braised beef, not to mention Carlo, even Francis and Cory were about to be unable to resist. Branden carefully ced the heated meal in front of Catherine to prevent her from getting burned. ¡°Eat something!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t refuse and reached out to take the food, taking small bites of the hot meal. Building a fire during thepetition wasn¡¯t because they were too arrogant. After all, their opponents were too weak. Seeing her holding the lunch box, Branden was still a bit worried. He directly approached her, took the lunch box in her hand, and carried it for her. Because it was a self-heating meal, the bottom of the lunch box was very hot, and it was easy to get burned if one was not careful. For those who were always training outside, this boiling heat was nothing at all, and no one would care. Branden had always been well-bred, but now, for Catherine¡¯s sake, he willingly carried the lunchbox so that Catherine could eat morefortably. Carlo was so shocked that his jaw dropped. He was here to be trained, not to be tortured. Branden and Catherine¡¯s intimate behavior hurt him deeply. Carlo leaned cheekily towards Cory and said, ¡°Cory, why don¡¯t you catch me two fish?¡± Cory nced at him in disgust and responded indifferently, ¡°A dead person should shut up!¡± Yeah, the three of them were now dead in this battle, and they didn¡¯t even have the right to talk. Carlo, who had been struck once again, helplessly retreated to the sidelines and stared silently at what was happening in front of him. The two remaining members of the other teams were wiped out by Catherine¡¯s team at the moment of dawn. In the end, Catherine¡¯s team won. Standing on the training ground, Catherine put her hands behind her back and looked at the trainers lined up in front of her. They all bowed their heads. Catherine was considered very petite and delicate in a group of hunky boys who averaged over 5.9 feet tall. However, her tiny body seemed to contain a huge power, and she had an overbearing aura that made all the brawny men present shiver a little bit. She swept a nce towards the crowd, and everyone immediately lowered their heads in fear. Catherine said indifferently, her voice cold and vicious, ¡°48 hours of dense forestbat, and only halfway through the time, all of you were wiped out. With such an achievement, do you guys have the cheek to stand here?¡± Her powerful voice was like a sledgehammer pounding on everyone¡¯s body. With experts like Catherine and Branden around, it was extremely difficult for them not to lose. But no matter what, their performance this time was too poor, and the trainees did not dare to retort. The usually arrogant and domineering elite talents all lowered their heads at this moment, behaving like timid little rabbits in front of Catherine. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. During this round of training, Catherine eliminated three more people, and now the entire camp, plus Branden, totaled only 13 members. ¡°Except for 0399, all the rest will have extra training! Since you can¡¯t win, you should train more! If it still doesn¡¯t work, just wait for all of you to be eliminated!¡± Branden stood on the side with a light smile on his perfect face, his deep eyes gazing straight in Catherine¡¯s direction. ¡°Scatter!¡± He slowly walked towards Catherine when the group dispersed at Catherine¡¯smand. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s take a break!¡± The two walked towards Catherine¡¯s dormitory. As soon as Catherine entered the dormitory, she leaned over towards the camp bed on one side. After lying on the hard rocks in the wild, even the camp bed made her feelfortable. After lying down, Catherine took out her cell phone to y video games. She hadn¡¯t been online for a few days, and her teammates were looking for her like crazy. If she didn¡¯t show up soon, they would probably post search notices all over the world. The camp bed was small and could only fit one person. After Branden came in, he sat in the chair on the side. The petite chair didn¡¯t match his long legs, and it looked a little funny. But Branden did not care. He leisurely leaned back and looked at Catherine with obsessive eyes, chatting casually with her. ¡°There¡¯s only a week left of training. Shall we go back to Casier together then?¡± Chapter 437 Something Was Wrong Chapter 437 Something Was Wrong In the face of Branden¡¯s inquiry, Catherine casually nced at him and gave a cold reply. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Wait until you survive the remaining week!¡± The implicit meaning was that if he couldn¡¯t even endure the training camp, then there would be no chance for anything else. Branden silently chuckled. What else could he do? He had offended her back then due to his ignorance. Now, it was generous of Catherine to give him a chance. If he didn¡¯t cherish it, he would probably not even have the opportunity to meet her again. ¡°Rest for a while. I¡¯ll head out!¡± After saying that, Branden stood up and left the room. Everyone had their own private space. As the head of the Duncans, Branden had countless matters waiting for him to handle every day. Catherine didn¡¯t find it strange at all that he left. She continued to y games, not worrying that the other trainees outside would ck off because she wasn¡¯t there. The people she wanted to train had to be the cream of the crop. If theycked self-control and needed her to supervise them, they only deserved to be eliminated. After leaving, Branden hurried towards his own dormitory. Halfway there, he encountered Paxton. Paxton had always been by his side. Even though Branden¡¯s expression was calm, Paxton could still sense something was off. He immediately quickened his pace and arrived at Branden¡¯s side, supporting his arm. ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± Branden pushed his hand away and chose to walk independently. ¡°We will talk when we get to the dorm!¡± Paxton didn¡¯t dare to support him any longer and immediately called the medical team. The effects of the medication should have worn off an hour ago, but Branden had endured until now. Paxton didn¡¯t even dare to imagine how painful it would be. Paxton closely followed Branden into the dormitory. The moment the dormitory door closed, Branden couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and copsed to the ground. At thest moment, before his eyes closed, he gave Paxton a final instruction. ¡°Don¡¯t let Catherine find out!¡± Paxton hesitated, but he didn¡¯t dare to disobey Branden¡¯smand. The only thing he could do was nod. Ever since Branden left Catherine¡¯s dormitory in the morning, she hadn¡¯t seen him again. As a reward for training, he was allowed to rest for a day. Even if he disappeared for a whole day, it was eptable. Therefore, Catherine didn¡¯t go looking for him. Instead, she went to the training ground alone to prepare for the afternoon training session. Jon stood by. As time went by, he was bing more and more impressed with Anon. Anon¡¯s abilities were indeed formidable. Ordinary people were no match for him. Jon had a question these past few days. He wanted to ask Anon but felt a bit embarrassed. Today¡¯s training was the perfect opportunity to bring it up. ¡°Mr. Anon, do you know Branden?¡± Jon asked. Catherine thought that everyone could tell that she was familiar with Branden. She didn¡¯t expect Jon to ask such a boring question. Although it was uninteresting, Catherine still answered him. Jon¡¯s gaze at Catherine instantly turned somewhat uneasy and sympathetic. Catherine didn¡¯t know what was wrong with this guy. She had to train them and didn¡¯t have time to chat with him. Jon watched Catherine¡¯s figure receding into the distance and silently felt heartbroken. He didn¡¯t expect Anon to be interested in men! Although Anon¡¯s figure seemed delicate, he was still a man after all. In Jon¡¯s mind, images of Branden being intimate with Anon shed, causing him to shudder involuntarily. The world had indeed changed. Gender was no longer an obstacle. After the afternoon training ended, Catherine still hadn¡¯t seen any trace of Branden. It had been half a day since shest saw him. Was he really nning to wait until tomorrow to show up? Catherine decided to go check on the situation. The dormitory Branden stayed at was behind the training ground, and it only took Catherine five minutes to walk there. However, when she arrived at the dormitory, she saw that it was empty and tidy. It seemed that Branden hadn¡¯t returned to the dormitory. Catherine furrowed her brows, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart. After leaving the dormitory, she immediately took out her phone and dialed Rodge¡¯s number. ¡°Rodge, I need information about a reagent!¡± Five minutester, Catherine received the information sent by Rodge. The document had a dozen pages, but it only took her two minutes to skim through it. After reading it, Catherine immediately headed to the ind¡¯s hospital. Every day, injuries urred on the ind. Getting injured during training was amon urrence. The equipment in the hospital here was more advanced than that of some top- tier hospitals. When Catherine arrived at the hospital, she saw Paxton standing at the entrance. Paxton¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Catherine¡¯s arrival. This time, she couldn¡¯t me him. After all, she hade on her own, and it had nothing to do with him. Paxton hurriedly walked towards Catherine. With no one around, he called her by her name. ¡°Miss Swann, why are you here?¡± Catherine looked at Paxton coldly and said in a cold voice, ¡°Where is Branden? Paxton felt as if he was being scolded by Branden due to Catherine¡¯s icy attitude. He subconsciously tensed up. ¡°He¡¯s being treated inside.¡± Looking at the closed door of the examination room, Catherine pushed Paxton away and barged in. The room was filled with doctors who hade for a consultation. Catherine¡¯s sudden arrival startled everyone, and their eyes focused on her. Catherine was still dressed in her disguise. Someone recognized her as Anon and saluted her. ¡°Mr. Anon, this is the examination room. Please wait outside.¡± Catherine ignored their advice and walked straight towards the hospital bed. Someone tried to stop her, but Catherine gave them a cold nce. Her icy and ruthless gaze made the person shudder, and they silently stepped back, not daring to stop Catherine anymore. Standing by the bedside, Catherine saw Branden lying there motionless, his eyes closed. It seemed that the situation was worse than she had imagined. Catherine turned to the oldest doctor in a white coat standing beside her. ¡°What¡¯s the current situation?¡± The old doctor didn¡¯t recognize Catherine. He had just been transferred from the Arbotte Base and had only been here for a few hours. Although he didn¡¯t know Catherine¡¯s identity, seeing that no one on the ind dared to stop her, he didn¡¯t dare to refuse her directly. He looked up at Paxton, seeking his opinion. After getting Paxton¡¯s approval, the old doctor exined the situation to Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s getting worse. There is too little clinical trial data on the reagent. Besides, Mr. Duncan had severe injuries and was given double the dosage¡­¡± Catherine raised her head assertively, interrupting the old doctor¡¯s rambling and directly stating her ultimate goal. ¡°Tell me, what is the worst-case scenario!¡± That was what she wanted to know! Chapter 438 Quit Chapter 438 Quit The old doctor gestured at Branden¡¯s thigh and then looked at Catherine with a serious expression, giving an exnation. ¡°The worst-case scenario is theplete paralysis of the lower body!¡± Upon hearing this result, Catherine, who was usually calm, couldn¡¯t help but frown. Complete paralysis of the lower body? That was equivalent to being crippled! She was one hundred percent sure that Branden would never ept this oue. After hearing the doctor¡¯s exnation of the worst-case scenario, Catherine pushed open the door of the examination room and walked out. Paxton immediately approached, but Catherine kept walking, giving him a sidelong nce. With just one nce, Paxton immediately stopped in his tracks, not daring to approach any further. Unable to follow her, Paxton had no choice but to go in and ask the doctors about Branden¡¯s condition. Branden¡¯s condition was moreplicated than the doctors had imagined, mainly because the previous medications were tested in a static environment, and they couldn¡¯t predict the extent of the reagent¡¯s impact on Branden¡¯s body. Seeing Branden injured, Paxton was extremely anxious. If something really happened to Branden, his entire life would be ruined. The Duncans couldn¡¯t live without Branden. But now, he had reached out to everyone he could find. He even directly transferred the reagent development team from the 417 Laboratory, but there was still no progress. Paxton was so anxious that he pointed his gun at the doctor¡¯s head, ring at him and giving him a harshmand. ¡°If you can¡¯t cure him, I¡¯ll kill you. Don¡¯t worry. I willmit suicide. See you in Hell!¡± The doctor was terrified by Paxton. Paxton¡¯s eyes were bloodshot like an angry lion, and his appearance was truly terrifying. The doctor¡¯s hands trembled. He didn¡¯t dare to offend Paxton, afraid that if Paxton¡¯s hand shook identally, his life woulde to an end. After all, he could only live once. Everyone was afraid of death. ¡°Paxton, please rest assured. I will do my best. I will do everything I can to ensure Mr. Duncan¡¯s safety.¡± Paxton¡¯s eyes were red with anger as he held onto the gun tightly. If it weren¡¯t for the people around him holding him back, he might have really pulled the trigger. In order to save his own life, the doctor proposed a new solution. ¡°Paxton, if the Dr. Miracle were here, perhaps he could cure him!¡± Paxton¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when he heard this. ¡°Dr. Miracle?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The doctor nodded. ¡°He can be considered the best doctor. If we can find him, I can assure you that it will greatly increase the chances of a sessful cure!¡± As long as it could increase the chances of saving Branden, Paxton would do anything, even if it meant turning the world upside down. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go find him now!¡± As the doctor watched Paxton hurriedly leave, he silently frowned. It was not easy to find Dr. Miracle. Rumors had it that his medical skills were superb, and because of his proficiency in traditional medicine, he was revered as Dr. Miracle. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. But this mysterious doctor had a peculiar temperament and unpredictable whereabouts. It was definitely not an easy task to find him for treatment. Even if one managed to find him after great effort, whether he would be willing to lend a helping hand was not for sure. After getting the lead, Paxton immediately found the Duncan trio and exined the situation. Although the trio was in training, the matter of Branden was more important than anything else. Without hesitation, they found Jon and expressed their intention to withdraw from thepetition and quit the training camp. Jon looked at them in shock. Although he knew something had happened to Branden, he didn¡¯t expect the situation to be so serious that all three of them were prepared to withdraw from thepetition. Jon didn¡¯t quite agree! These three were elites of the team, and Jon could even predict that they would definitelyplete the training and be thest ones standing. They were exceptionally talented. ¡°No, I can¡¯t make this decision. I have to talk to your instructor! You know, I can¡¯t take responsibility for this!¡± When it came to the trainingpetition, Catherine had the final say. Even though Jon was the head instructor, he had no authority to intervene. Carlo was the most anxious one among the three of them. Seeing that Jon imed to have no authority, he immediately rushed out to find Catherine. Cory noticed Carlo¡¯s change in expression and reached out to stop him. ¡°Carlo, calm down!¡± As they turned around, they saw Catherine walking in withrge strides. She was dressed in disguise, with only her eyes exposed. Her icy and chilling gaze sent shivers down their spines. Catherine looked up and stared at the three of them, making them feel ufortable as if being pricked by needles. ¡°Give me a reason for why you are here! Her voice was cold and icy, like the chill inside an ice cer, piercing through their bones. Normally, Carlo might have trembled in fear, but now, his mind was filled with worries about Branden. He feared nothing and only wanted to save Branden. He raised his head and stepped forward, directly approaching Catherine. ¡°I want to withdraw from the training!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Catherine coldly uttered a word. ¡°No reason!¡± Carlo didn¡¯t want to exin too much to Catherine. He just wanted to leave now. Catherine reprimanded in a cold voice, ¡°If there¡¯s no reason, then go back and train harder!¡± This statement instantly ignited a surge of anger in Carlo. He red at Catherine with a strong sense of resistance. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t I withdraw from the training?¡± Carlo red at Catherine, the tension between them escting. ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine snorted coldly, her face full of mockery. She exuded a chilling and domineering aura. ¡°What? Are you going to challenge me? Even if the three of you fight against me together, you cannot even leave this room.¡± Carlo¡¯s face darkened. He knew what Catherine meant. Indeed, even if the three brothers teamed up, they couldn¡¯t even leave this room without Catherine¡¯s consent, let alone the ind. Seeing that the trouble was brewing, the calmest of the Duncan trio, Cory, stepped forward to persuade Catherine. ¡°Catherine, we have an urgent matter to attend to. We want to end the training early. Please let us go!¡± Catherine sat down on the side, propping her feet up casually,pletely ignoring Cory¡¯s persuasion. Carlo was headstrong, and Cory was more diplomatic, but Catherine remained unmoved. They had no way to convince her. Francis couldn¡¯t take it anymore and directly stated the reason. ¡°Catherine, Branden is in trouble, and we need to find Dr. Miracle. Please let us go and help find him!¡± They were all extremely anxious. But why was their instructor so calm? Catherine squinted her eyes and stared at Francis. Seeing her suddenly sit up straight, Francis thought there was hope. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief. But the next second, Catherine crushed all his expectations. ¡°Go back. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡± Chapter 439 Heartless Chapter 439 Heartless Catherine¡¯s cold and stern attitude was unbearable for the Duncan trio. Francis stood frozen in ce, staring at Catherine with a puzzled expression. Carlo was not asposed as Francis. Unable to tolerate Catherine¡¯s indifference, he erupted in anger. ¡°Francis, let¡¯s just withdraw from thepetition and ignore this heartless woman.¡± After expressing his thoughts, he felt that it was still not enough. When he thought about Catherine¡¯s attitude, a nameless fit of anger surged within him. ¡°You¡¯re a heartless creature! If it wasn¡¯t for our boss trying to please you, would he have suffered so much? Now that he is in trouble, we just want to save him. We don¡¯t even need your help. We just want you to let us go, but you refuse. You hold a grudge against him and want him dead, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Humph¡­¡± Catherine sneered. The look in her eyes was as sharp as a honed de shooting toward Carlo. ¡°You know me well. You¡¯re right. I want to torment him!¡± For Carlo, Branden was not only his boss but also his hero, someone he admired. Hearing his idol being insulted, Carlo was on the verge of exploding with rage. He knew that he couldn¡¯t defeat Catherine, but he still wanted to give it a try, even if it meant risking his life. Suddenly, Catherine¡¯s phone buzzed in her pocket. She immediately stopped her sneer, put on a serious face, and ordered Jon beside her, ¡°Send them back to training. If they train passively, throw them into the water dungeon and keep torturing them until they¡¯re willing to train!¡± After saying that, she turned around to leave, not even sparing a nce at the three of them. Carlo wanted to catch up, but he was pulled back by Cory. Although Cory was also angry, he was more level-headed than Carlo. He saw the bigger picture. As long as Catherine didn¡¯t agree, the three of them would never be able to withdraw from thepetition. They had to follow the rules and listen to Catherine¡¯smands. If Catherine didn¡¯t agree, no one would be able to leave. Carlo forcefully shook off Cory¡¯s hand and looked at him with a serious and angry expression. ¡°Why are you stopping me? Do you also agree with that lunatic¡¯s decision? She wants to kill our boss. You¡¯re not going to do something about it? Can you bear to watch him being tortured by her like this?¡± In the face of Carlo¡¯s furious usations, Cory sighed helplessly. ¡± Carlo, do you know what our boss did to her back then¡­¡± Before he could finish, Carlo interrupted him directly. ¡°I know our boss mistreated her back then, but we were on opposite sides at that time. We didn¡¯t know who she was. If our boss had lost, she wouldn¡¯t have shown mercy to him, either.¡± Carlo¡¯s words made sense. Catherine was the type of person who sought revenge for the slightest grievance. She would never let anyone who offended her get away with it. Most importantly, she hadn¡¯t done anything to Branden yet. It was Branden who was punishing himself. If he was willing to do this, he could only me himself. Francis decided not to sit idly by. ¡± Don¡¯t forget who owns Scorpion Ind. I¡¯ll contact our immediate superior right now. Our boss is the one in trouble this time. I refuse to believe that we can¡¯t get out of here!¡± The three of them unanimously agreed to let Francis make the arrangements and not rush out of the ind forcefully for now. However, after Francis contacted their immediate superior, he was informed that Branden had given orders for the entire ind to follow Catherine¡¯s instructions. As long as she didn¡¯t agree, no one could leave here. Everyone on the ind was an elite, so it was impossible for the three of them to confront the entire ind. Francis decided to inform Paxton immediately and let him figure out a solution. Upon receiving the news, Paxton hurried to find Catherine. He also thought that she had gone too far this time. In his opinion, it was fine for her not to ept Branden¡¯s apology. It was her personal decision. However, she shouldn¡¯t prevent others from saving him! ¡°You three focus on training. Leave this matter to me. I swear on my life that I will not let anything happen to our boss!¡± After saying that, Paxton hung up the phone. He didn¡¯t have much time to waste. Besides dealing with his training, his ultimate goal was to find Dr. Miracle to treat Branden. Paxton hurriedly left the hospital to find Catherine. On the training ground, Catherine sat casually on the stairs, holding her phone to her ear, listening to the incessant chatter on the other end of the line. ¡°Catherine, I heard you¡¯ve been on Scorpion Ind recently?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t deny it. Casier was Sean¡¯s territory. She had suddenly disappeared for so many days. Sean would definitely notice it. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to find out her whereabouts from Ronin. Sean was also on their side, so there was no need to hide it from him. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re really something. By the way, is someone sick on Scorpion Ind? The whole inte just received a bounty posted on Scorpion Ind, and the bonus offered is amazing. They say they¡¯re looking for Dr. Miracle. Do you know anything about it?¡± Finding Dr. Miracle? Catherine squinted her eyes and casually looked around. She identally caught sight of a familiar figure approaching her, and she responded to the person on the phone, ¡°I have something to deal with. Let¡¯s talkter!¡± Then, she hung up the phone. Paxton hurriedly came to Catherine. ¡± Miss Swann, I came to ask if you could release Carlo and the others. I need their help right now!¡± Paxton was anxious and overwhelmed. The news of Branden¡¯s illness was too confidential. If the enemy found out, there would be very severe consequences. Paxton couldn¡¯t openly announce it, so he had to release the information under someone else¡¯s identity. However, this method was too slow and would inevitably dy the treatment. He needed help, and those three brothers were the best choice. ¡°Miss Swann, please, I¡¯m begging you. I work for my boss. If you still hold a grudge from the past, you should direct it at me. I have noints, no matter how you punish me. I only ask you to let me solve the most pressing matter, okay?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Catherine finally spoke. She looked at Paxton with cold eyes, showing no emotion in her gaze.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Enough?¡± This cold word sent a shiver down Paxton¡¯s spine, extinguishing his hope. Paxton felt hopeless. He knew he wouldn¡¯t get any answers from Catherine. He chose to leave, believing that with the power of the Duncans, they would be able to save Branden. ¡°You will regret it!¡± He stared at Catherine with cold eyes filled with hatred. Catherine remained indifferent. There were too many people who hated her, and she simply didn¡¯t care. ¡°Whatever!¡± Chapter 440 Dr. Miracle Chapter 440 Dr. Miracle Outside the ward, Paxton had almost brought all the medical experts from theboratory, and they were in the midst of a consultation. Branden was still in aatose state and had not woken up yet. No one knew the reason behind this coma or what method could be used to wake him up. Another hour passed, but there was still no sign of any recovery. In a state of panic, Paxton reached for the gun at his waist, preparing to rush in. His subordinates quickly held him back, saying, ¡°Paxton, don¡¯t be hasty!¡± While Paxton could remain calm in other situations, he couldn¡¯t calm down when his invincible boss encountered a problem. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, his emotions were no longer stable. Suddenly, a cold voice disrupted the chaos. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Everyone turned around and saw Catherine walking towards them with an arrogant stride. Paxton, already enraged, saw Catherine¡¯s arrival as an outlet for his anger. He charged at her directly, angrily asking, ¡°Why are you here? If you¡¯re still not satisfied, do you want me to give you a gun and let you kill him?¡± Catherine raised her head, gave him a cold nce, and remained silent. In the next second, she suddenly made a move as fast as lightning, catching everyone off guard. Paxton felt a gust of wind approaching, but before he could react, Catherine kicked him, sending him flying. His entire body shot forward and crashed heavily onto the ground beforeing to a stop. Paxton grimaced in pain, propping himself up with his hands. As he stood up, blood sprayed out of his mouth. The surrounding people were stunned. They knew that Catherine had formidablebat skills, but they didn¡¯t expect her to be this tough. Now, they instinctively backed away, afraid that they might be caught in the crossfire. Even someone as strong as Paxton, after being kicked, was coughing up blood. They couldn¡¯t even imagine what would happen to them. Catherine¡¯s face remained indifferent, her cold gaze falling on Paxton. Her thin lips parted slightly as she said with a chilling tone, ¡°Even your boss doesn¡¯t dare to speak to me like that!¡± Paxton lowered his head, knowing that he had overstepped the line. Catherine was right. She was someone held in high regard by Branden, and Paxton didn¡¯t have the qualification to disrespect her. It was just a momentarypse of control that led to hisck of respect towards her. Catherine had actually shown mercy. Otherwise, Paxton might have been killed. Realizing this, Paxton immediately knelt in front of Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, I apologize for my impulsive actions earlier. Could you please allow Francis and the others to help find Dr. Miracle?¡± he pleaded desperately. ¡°Our boss has been unconscious for over two hours!¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Catherine sneered, her face full of disdain and her eyes as cold as ice. ¡°He¡¯s still alive, isn¡¯t he?¡± Paxton didn¡¯t expect Catherine to speak so heartlessly. This woman was too ruthless. Her heart must be made of ice! Ignoring Paxton, Catherine walked directly towards the ward. Paxton¡¯s subordinates quickly blocked her path, trying to stop her. Catherine nced at the crowd. The icy gaze from her eyes frightened them, causing them to quickly lower their heads, but they remained motionless. Catherine began to admire Branden¡¯s subordinates¡¯ bravery, for they were all tough and fearless men. She turned to Paxton, asking ¡°Do you know who this gentleman is?¡± Paxton had beenpletely focused on Catherine earlier and hadn¡¯t noticed who she had brought with her. Now, he found that there was a middle-aged man standing behind her. The man had a plump figure, a rosyplexion, and gray hair. Paxton carefully studied that man but had no impression of him at all. He didn¡¯t understand why Catherine wanted him to see that man either. Seeing Paxton looking at him, the middle-aged man smirked and said, ¡± Kid, go find a doctor for yourself. It¡¯s painful to have broken ribs!¡± Paxton was shocked, his eyes widening instantly. He had just been kicked, but apart from coughing up blood, he hadn¡¯t shown any signs of his broken ribs. Yet, this man, without even observing him, knew that his ribs were broken. His skill was incredible! ¡°Sir, who are you?¡± Paxton didn¡¯t dare to specte randomly. After all, Catherine was a big shot, and it was normal for her to know some extraordinary individuals. Rubbing his round belly, the middle- aged man burst intoughter. ¡°I¡¯m Thomas Theo. I know a bit of medicine. People usually see me as a doctor. They gave me the nickname ¡®Dr. Miracle¡¯!¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Paxton waspletely shocked. It turned out that Catherine wasn¡¯tpletely indifferent to the situation. She had directly brought the key person here. Just a moment ago, Paxton, who couldn¡¯t even stand up, suddenly trotted toward Thomas. ¡°Dr. Miracle, we finally found you. Please quickly examine my boss and give a diagnosis!¡± he pleaded urgently. The middle-aged man had a kind smile on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t care about others, but I do care about Cassie¡¯s boyfriend!¡± he said. Paxton¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. He quickly pushed aside his subordinates and said to Thomas with a bow, ¡°Dr. Miracle, please come in!¡± The two of them walked into the ward together, with Catherine standing at the back. She didn¡¯t like crowds or noisy environments, so she always walked at the back, keeping her distance from others. Seeing Paxton¡¯s lips curling into a smile, Catherine frowned slightly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he just lying on the ground and unable to get up?¡± she wondered. ¡± Why is he suddenly full of energy? Could it be an act?¡± Inside the ward, Thomas looked at the well-equipped medical equipment and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Wow, even though it¡¯s small, it has everything!¡± After making a joke, he shifted his gaze to Branden on the hospital bed. ¡°So, this is Branden Duncan?¡± he asked. Paxton nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Theo. Please help us examine our boss!¡± Thomas carefully observed Branden and nodded in agreement. ¡°He looks good. No wonder Cassie likes him!¡± Then, without any hesitation, he nced at Catherine. Catherine nodded slightly, her face calm. No one could tell what she was thinking at the moment. With her consent, Thomas sat down and began checking Branden¡¯s pulse. Inside the ward, there was complete silence, and no one dared to disturb Thomas¡¯s examination. After a few minutes, Thomas¡¯s face turned cold, and he looked at everyone with a serious expression. ¡°Who is his attending physician?¡± The doctors that Paxton had brought were all waiting in the ward. When they heard Thomas¡¯s question, a middle- aged man immediately stood up. ¡°Mr. Theo, I am Mr. Duncan¡¯s attending physician. Is there anything you need to know from me?¡± Thomas red at him andunched into a scolding. ¡°You fool!¡± Chapter 441 Are You Joking? Chapter 441 Are You Joking? Thomas¡¯s scolding left everyone present dumbfounded. The attending physician stared at Thomas in disbelief, his face filled with fear. ¡°Mr. Theo, what¡¯s going on? Is there anything wrong with my previous treatment n?¡± he asked. ¡°What treatment did you perform? Tell me!¡± Thomas impatiently looked at the attending physician, his eyes filled with disgust. The attending physician lowered his head and responded cautiously, ¡°Mr. Theo, since we haven¡¯t been able to determine the cause of Mr. Duncan¡¯sa, we have only conducted various tests and have not administered any medication.¡± He had no choice. He was also innocent. Branden¡¯s status was so noble that he couldn¡¯t juste up with a treatment n casually. What if something unexpected happened? He couldn¡¯t afford the consequences! Every step he took was extremely cautious. After numerous discussions, he finally made the decision. And because there were different opposing opinions each time, which required constant argumentation, they hadn¡¯t administered any medication yet. They had only conducted extensive examinations, but all the results were within the normal range. However, Branden had still not awakened. They suspected that the reagent had affected Branden¡¯s brain nerves because it was still in the experimental stage, with too much uncertainty. In addition, the human brain was tooplex, so they couldn¡¯t determine the exact cause of Branden¡¯s unconsciousness. They could only choose conservative treatment and conduct various tests to determine the oue. And before they could determine the cause, Thomas arrived. ¡°Humph!¡± Thomas coldly snorted. ¡°I knew it. Look at you. You don¡¯t even know where you went wrong. Now I¡¯ll tell you why I scolded you!¡± Thomas pointed at Branden, who was lying motionless on the hospital bed, and shouted at the attending physician, ¡°I¡¯m telling you. This kid is not ill at all. He is just exhausted and sleeping!¡± What? Thomas¡¯s voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly. Not to mention the attending physician, even Paxton was shocked. ¡°Mr. Theo, are you joking?¡± Despite Thomas¡¯s amiable appearance, he could be quite intimidating when he got angry. He shrugged, his face cold, and cursed at Paxton, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me? Then, why did you make me come here? Do you think it¡¯s goddamn fun?¡± Paxton was scolded mercilessly, but he had to face Thomas with a smile. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe Thomas, but this whole situation sounded incredibly absurd. After scolding Paxton, Thomas continued to berate the attending physician. ¡°You¡¯ve studied medicine for so long, yet youck confidence and are so hesitant. Are you even qualified to be a doctor if you can¡¯t even examine a patient?¡± The attending physician couldn¡¯t even lift his head. Throughout the process of treating Branden, he had indeed been excessively cautious. But then again, he had no choice. Branden was a big shot, so he had to be cautious. Moreover, Paxton was always by his side, and any careless move could bring disaster upon him. He couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. Now, after hearing the teachings of a medical senior, he could only nod obediently. ¡°Mr. Theo, I will remember your teachings!¡± Thomas unleashed his full fury, scolding everyone present. By the end, even Paxton couldn¡¯t take it anymore and had to seek help from Catherine. Throughout the whole ordeal, Catherine remained the calmest, standing by as if nothing was happening. Catherine originally didn¡¯t want to get involved, but she couldn¡¯t stand Paxton¡¯s help-seeking winks and gestures anymore. She chose to step forward and persuade Thomas, saying, ¡°Mr. Theo, when will Branden wake up? Thomas, who had been cursing up a storm, immediately changed his attitude upon hearing Catherine speak. He regained his amiable appearance and looked at her, saying, ¡°Cassie, don¡¯t worry. I need to examine him again and then administer some additional medication to boost his energy. He should wake up today!¡± Then, he added, ¡°The medication that was administered has a powerful stimting effect on his body, consuming his energy in advance, which has led to this bizarre sleep. As for his legs, I don¡¯t see any major issues. Rest assured. I¡¯ll cure him!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Catherine responded, her attitude indifferent and not very enthusiastic. Butpared to her usual attitude towards others, her attitude towards Thomas was already considered quite warm. Thomas smiled and looked at Catherine as if the old man who had just exploded in anger and cursed at people was not him. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. How could I not do my best for you? Scott said that if I don¡¯t help you, he won¡¯t call me Grandpa anymore.¡± Despite Thomas having a rosyplexion and appearing to be in his fifties, he was actually in his seventies. The little genius Scott Theo from the Arbotte Laboratory was his grandson. Catherine had aplicated rtionship with the Theo family members, and Thomas was one of the few people who knew her background. That was why he was willing to let his grandson be in Catherine¡¯sboratory for research. After Catherine learned that Scorpion Ind was looking for Dr. Miracle, she knew it must be for Branden. Luckily, she had a connection with Thomas and knew that he was the patriarch of the Theos. So, she immediately contacted him. Catherine had known Thomas for many years, and with just one phone call, she managed to bring him to the ind without much effort. Watching Thomas¡¯s friendliness and affection towards Catherine, Paxton quietly rubbed his nose. He never expected Thomas to have two kinds of attitudes. While he treated them like a fierce and terrifying demon, he was all smiles and kindness towards Catherine. Catherine had great faith in Thomas¡¯s medical skills. Back then, impressed by her talent, Thomas was determined to pass on his medical knowledge to her. However, she had no interest in it and didn¡¯t agree. She didn¡¯t know how to heal or save lives, but she had a knack for making and using poisons. However, she rarely had the opportunity to use poisons. She didn¡¯t like the idea of doing things in secret. If she found something displeasing, she would simply eliminate it directly. Why bother with the trouble of poisoning? Catherine entrusted Branden to Thomas without any worries. Since Thomas had provided an answer, saying that Branden would wake up today, then Branden would surely wake up today. She had known Thomas for so many years and understood his character. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She knew he wouldn¡¯t say anything without confidence. Branden had already dyed her training for half a day, and she couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time. ¡°Mr. Theo, I¡¯ll leave him to you here. I have something to attend to at the training ground, so I¡¯ll go first!¡± Thomas waved at her with a smile. ¡°Go ahead and take care of yourself. Leave him to me, and make sure to rest well!¡± Chapter 442 Step Forward! Chapter 442 Step Forward! Catherine returned to the training ground, where the trainees were diligently conducting physical training. Even if Catherine, their instructor, wasn¡¯t present, they didn¡¯t dare to ck off. Carlo and his two brothers had already returned to the training ground. Their gaze remained fixed on Catherine when she appeared. Catherine approached them with an arrogant stride, her cold eyes giving off an icy aura. Once their eyes met Catherine¡¯s, fear gripped the hearts of the three men. It felt as if the funeral bells were tolling, apanied by a mournfulment. Catherine nced at the three men and pointed at them with her hand. ¡°You, you, and you, step forward!¡± Silently, the three men stepped forward, their hearts pounding wildly. Their teammates beside them mourned silently for them. Everyone knew that the instructor had a reputation for being ruthless. If the instructor suddenly called them out by name, it couldn¡¯t be anything good. With her hands behind her back, Catherine casually circled around the three men. ¡°You left the camp without permission, quit training without reporting, disobeyed orders, and challenged your instructor¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Catherine recited each of the mistakesmitted by the three men. Carlo had initially held a glimmer of hope in his heart, thinking that Catherine wasn¡¯t a mean person and that her cold demeanor was just a facade. He hoped that, perhaps, she would spare them for the sake of Branden. But now it seemed impossible for him to escape punishment, and he could only hope that she wouldn¡¯t be too harsh. Catherine remained silent, continuing to circle around them. She had amanding presence, and the cold aura emanating from her alone was enough to kill them. After contemting for a while, Carlo decided it was better to face his fate as soon as possible. Since they were bound to face punishment sooner orter, it was better to take the initiative to face it. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s our fault. Please punish us. We ept any punishment!¡± he pleaded. They had already received news from Paxton that Catherine had brought Dr. Miracle to treat Branden. Paxton had also advised them to focus on training and not argue with Catherine. They had indeed overestimated themselves! But then again, who would dare to argue with her? It would be suicidal. If it weren¡¯t for Branden¡¯s a,¡± they wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to confront her. Now that Branden was fine, it was time for them to ept their punishment. Catherine¡¯s eyes lit up, revealing a shrewd look. ¡°It seems that you have no objections to the mistakes you¡¯ve made,¡± she said. ¡°Yes!¡± the three of them replied in unison, their bodies stiff and straight. ¡°Good.¡± Catherine nodded and pped her hands. p, p, p¡­ After a series of loud apuse, Jon arrived, driving a pickup truck. With her hands behind her back, Catherine stood in front of everyone, exuding a chilling aura. ¡°For the remaining time today, let¡¯s learn how to deal with interrogation! As prisoners of war, it is essential for each of you to learn how to preserve your life while keeping the secrets hidden,¡± she dered. Everyone present thought that Catherine¡¯s viewpoint was correct. They could sacrifice their lives to protect secrets, but they shouldn¡¯t sacrifice themselves needlessly. If they had a chance to save their lives, they should prioritize that. Catherine¡¯s attitude towards sacrifice was different from that of other instructors, so she instantly gained people¡¯s support. Just as everyone was waiting for Catherine to announce the cruel training toe, they heard her say, ¡± We won¡¯t have a collective training session this afternoon. These three boys will demonstrate the training first, and then we will practice together. Other people couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter. It was too tragic! The Duncan trio was in for a real punishment. After hearing Catherine¡¯s announcement, the faces of the Duncan trio turnedpletely dark. They knew that Catherine¡¯s training was always brutal, and now they not only had to train but also had to do it twice. Who could be unluckier than them? However, the three of them dared notin. Comining only led to even more torture. Catherine nced at Jon behind her and beckoned him. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± Jon directed his men to unload severalrge barrels from the truck, and with a sympathetic look, he winked at the three of them. After all, they shouldn¡¯t have offended Catherine. The three of them were ced inside threerge barrels, and someone poured something from a can onto their heads. As Carlo smelled the sweet fragrance, he couldn¡¯t help but quietly discuss it with his two brothers. ¡°Why do I feel like it¡¯s honey?¡± Francis nced at him and said coldly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a lick and find out?¡± Carlo took it seriously and actually stuck out his tongue and licked it. He then eximed in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s sweet. It really is honey!¡± Honey? Cory¡¯s face turnedpletely dark, with a hint of despair in his eyes. Carlo, who was always naive, still thought that it was sweet, unaware of the tragedy he was about to face. Francis¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim, and if one looked closely, one could sense a hint of nervousness in his eyes. Cory knew Francis all too well. Growing up together with Francis, he knew that whatever scared Francis must be truly terrifying. Three instructors approached with gloves on, carrying threerge jars. As they got closer, Carlo and the other two couldn¡¯t help but gulp nervously. The fear of the unknown was truly testing their hearts, something that ordinary people would struggle to bear. The lids of the jars were opened, and thousands of ants were poured out from them. Under the scorching sun, they endured the ants¡¯ biting. These were not ordinary ants but red ants that lived in the nearby rainforest. Being bitten by these ants caused not only swelling but also unbearable itching and excruciating pain. This torture was much worse than being beaten or stabbed. Catherine coldly observed the three of them, her face devoid of any expression. The more indifferent and emotionless she appeared, the more people felt fearful of her. ¡°If you can¡¯t take it, you can choose to surrender,¡± she said. Carlo had never been a deserter in his life and would never surrender, no matter what. However, before he could say anything, Catherine continued, ¡± After all, this is just the first level!¡± Her words meant that there were even more intense challenges ahead! Carlo was instantly frightened. He turned his head to look at his two brothers, weakly suggesting, ¡°Should we surrender?¡± However, he was met with fierce res from Francis and Cory. In their opinion, there was only a possibility of death, not surrender. They would rather die than surrender, and they would never quit! Chapter 443 Are You Jealous? Chapter 443 Are You Jealous? After the training was over, Catherine headed straight to the hospital. At the entrance of the ward, the people guarding Branden saw Catherine and voluntarily saluted her, each one more devout and respectful than thest. Catherine still had a cold expression on her face, showing no emotions and emitting a formidable aura. Paxton was inside the ward, and when he saw Catherine enter, he immediately saluted her with admiration in his eyes. ¡°Miss Swann!¡± Catherine nced at him, her icy gaze at him lingering for only a second before shifting away. Branden had awakened. Just as Thomas had mentioned, Branden had exhausted himself physically and was too tired, so he fell asleep. This kind of physical exhaustion was not the ordinary tiredness that was caused by running too much, which only needed some sleep. Humans had only tapped into less than twenty percent of their physical potential, but under the influence of the experimental reagent, Branden had unlocked more than half of his potential. It was as if all his energy had been emptied, leaving him exhausted and unconscious. Thomas only said it was excessive sleepiness because he knew how to help Branden¡¯s body recover. But if an ordinary person were in Branden¡¯s situation, it was highly likely that they would never wake up from being physically overused. The reason why Branden was able to wake up so quickly was not solely due to Thomas¡¯s treatment. The more important factor was that his physical strength was extraordinary. When Catherine looked at Branden, he was also looking at her. However, the gaze in his eyes, perhaps because of the stern look on his face, looked somewhat weird. It didn¡¯t resemble the joy of seeing someone after a long time but rather a sense of resentment. Catherine frowned, not understanding what Branden meant. Was he ming her? Catherine¡¯s aura gradually became colder, her face expressionless. The atmosphere in the ward turned thick with tension, and the few people present noticed this as well. Thomas was the first to break the awkward silence in the ward. After all, he had seen countless scenarios like this. ¡°Cassie, my examination is almost done. His condition is stable. I¡¯lle to check on himter!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond, and Thomas quickly slipped away. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Seeing Thomas trying to leave, Paxton quickly caught up. ¡°Mr. Theo, let me see you off!¡± Paxton was smart. Knowing that the atmosphere was getting off and that both big shots were in a bad mood, he decided to leave as soon as possible. What if Catherine and Branden started fightingter and he got caught in the crossfire? It was better to leave now. After all, if Catherine was injured, Branden would take care of her. If Branden got injured¡­ Well, that was none of his business¡­ No one would die from this conflict. Why should he worry so much? After a few people left, the entire ward quieted down. Catherine crossed her arms and stared at Branden. Her eyes looked cold, and her whole body exuded a dangerous and icy aura. Compared to Catherine¡¯s coldness, Branden, who was lying on the hospital bed, seemed somewhat innocent. He stared directly at her, unmoving. Catherine¡¯s gaze fell on his pale and bloodless face. Due to excessive bleeding from his injuries, his face appeared much paler than usual. She couldn¡¯t help but approach Branden slowly, reaching out to lift his chin. Her sharp gaze swept across his handsome face. Her soft pink lips parted slightly as she coldly uttered three words. ¡°Angry with me?¡± Branden, who was enjoying Catherine¡¯s flirting, didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly raise such a question. His eyes paused for a moment before he quickly came back to his senses, a faint smile appearing on his face. ¡°Yes.¡± Catherine let go of him and turned around to leave. He should me himself for his own suffering. What right did he have to me her? How shameless! Seeing that Catherine was about to leave, Branden panicked. Ignoring the needle of IV drip in his hand, he reached out and grabbed Catherine¡¯s waist, pulling her into his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± His domineering tone was unapologetically arrogant. ¡°When you came in, the first person you looked at was Paxton. Shouldn¡¯t I me you for that?¡± Although his tone was cold, there was a hint of grievance in his usation. Most importantly, this was not his usual noble and aloof demeanor. A faint smile appeared in Catherine¡¯s cold eyes, so faint that if one didn¡¯t look carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to notice it. So, the reason for this sudden change in Branden¡¯s attitude was because of this! Catherine turned around, lowered her gaze, and looked at him with a smile in her eyes. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re jealous of Paxton?¡± She didn¡¯t expect Branden to be angry because of that, which made her find him a little cute. ¡°He¡¯s a man, after all!¡± Branden answered without any hesitation, a resolute expression on his face. Catherine had just nced at Paxton earlier. If the two of them had had any physical contact, Branden might have killed him. As soon as Branden thought of this scene, he couldn¡¯t help but want to teach all those audacious and presumptuous people who tried to peep at his girl a lesson. ¡°Achoo!¡± Paxton sneezed several times, tears flying out of his eyes. He had just sent Thomas back to rest when he suddenly started sneezing. Could it be that someone was badmouthing him behind his back? Catherine twisted her body and nced at Branden on the hospital bed with lowered eyes. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°No!¡± Branden, in contrast to his usual cold attitude, tightly held onto Catherine¡¯s slender waist. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Catherine now suspected that the reagent might have had an impact on his brain nerves. Otherwise, how could this man be so abnormal? Branden did know whether he was crazy or not. But now, in this private space, he was holding the girl he loved. He didn¡¯t want to put on a cold face in front of her. In order to prevent Catherine from leaving, Branden resorted to various tactics. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I want to eat some fruit!¡± ¡°Eat fruit?¡± Catherine sat beside him with a frown, selecting a red apple and slowly peeling off the skin with a knife. The shiny knife in her nimble fingers continuously pushed forward, peeling off the skin of the apple cleanly. The apple peel remained intact from beginning to end, neatly piled up in a small circle on the table. Branden leaned against the hospital bed, enjoying Catherine¡¯s every movement as if watching a movie. Catherine divided the peeled apple in half and handed one half to Branden who was staring at her. ¡°Eat it!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Branden smiled and took the apple, looking satisfied. Watching Branden eat bite by bite, Catherine couldn¡¯t resist the aroma and took a bite of the other half of the apple. In the split second she bit into it, Catherine instantly frowned. This apple looked sweet, but it was unexpectedly sour. After taking a bite, Catherine threw it into the nearby trash can, showing a disgusted expression. Seeing Catherine¡¯s actions, Branden seemed somewhat reluctant. When Catherine reached out to take the half of apple from Branden¡¯s hand, he quickly avoided her. ¡°This one is too sour. Let me get you another one!¡± Branden finished the remaining apple in his hand with one bite, squinting his eyes and smiling at Catherine, his face filled with gentleness. ¡°It¡¯s not sour. It¡¯s sweet!¡± Chapter 444 Are You Monsters? Chapter 444 Are You Monsters? When Paxton arrived, Catherine was no longer in the ward. He heard that she had gone to the training ground to train those little brats. He also received news that the Duncan trio had been severely tortured. Carlo had attempted to surrender several times, but the other two stopped him. Paxton could imagine how cruel Catherine¡¯s methods were. Branden, lying on the hospital bed, opened his eyes instantly when Paxton entered the room. His icy gaze was like a sword, bursting out from his eyes, sharp and horrified! ¡°Where is she?¡± Paxton understood Branden¡¯s meaning and immediately gave an answer.¡± Boss, Miss Swann is still training them on the training ground!¡± If Branden had known earlier that Catherine was Anon, he wouldn¡¯t have spent a fortune to hire this instructor and bring her to Scorpion Ind for training. The environment on Scorpion Ind was harsh, and the training was tough. Catherine had gotten tanned these past few days, which made him feel heartbroken. Paxton didn¡¯t know what was going on in Branden¡¯s heart at the moment, but seeing Branden squinting his eyes and looking dangerous, he was so frightened that he knelt down. Branden must be thinking about how to punish him right now. ¡°Boss, I offended Miss Swann. So, I beg for your punishment!¡± Then, Paxton exined in detail what happened during the past two days of Branden¡¯s unconsciousness, including his confrontation with Catherine and the punishment of the Duncan trio. After finishing, Paxton looked up and saw that Branden¡¯s face hadpletely darkened. Suddenly, a faint voice in Paxton¡¯s heart told him, ¡°You¡¯re done for!¡± Branden nced at Paxton coldly. ¡°Paxton, you do have some nerve! I¡¯ve only been asleep for two days, yet you¡¯ve caused so much trouble for me!¡± Paxton¡¯s heart sank. Apparently, Branden didn¡¯t know about these things. ¡°I¡¯m done for,¡± Paxton murmured inwardly. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s all my fault. I ept my punishment!¡± Branden showed no mercy. He could forgive Paxton for other things, but not when it came to Catherine. ¡°Next month, there¡¯ll be a project in South Apridon, and you¡¯re going!¡± Paxton¡¯s legs went weak with fear. It seemed like he was being sent to the border to do hardbor. Reluctant as he was, Paxton dared not disobey the order. He nodded obediently. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Thinking about the punishment this time, Paxton trembled and looked toward Branden. ¡°Boss, should we investigate Miss Swann or ask if she has any other identities, like a powerful figure that would scare people to death when revealed?¡± Seeing Branden¡¯s face darken, Paxton quickly exined, ¡°Boss, Miss Swann is now considered our family. If we happen to encounter her in the future, it would save us a lot of trouble if we know her identity.¡± The word ¡°family¡± seemed to please Branden a lot, and his expression softened a bit. Paxton secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had already been sent to South Apridon. If he offended Branden again, he might be expelled from the Duncans. Branden had never investigated Catherine and had never nned to do So. Seeing that Branden¡¯s mood seemed to be good, Paxton boldly asked again, Boss, should I arrange for someone to investigate now?¡± Branden coldly nced at him. ¡°Even if I let you investigate, what would you find?¡± Those simple words were truly discouraging. Branden was right. Even if Paxton investigated, he wouldn¡¯t find anything. Judging from the exposure of Catherine¡¯s disguises, any one of them was of the level of a super powerful figure. It wasn¡¯t something that could be easily investigated. After careful consideration, Paxton decided to give up. ¡°Boss, please consider what I said as nonsense.¡± Catherine was still giving them training on the training ground. The team members were all in awe of Catherine because she could maintain a cold and emotionless expression in such circumstances. She must have incredible skills. The three Duncans looked at Catherine with painful expressions. Their faces were swollen, each bigger and funnier than the other. Carlo¡¯s head, which was already very big, now looked like a pumpkin. It was swollen all over, making people unable to hold back theirughter. The toxicity of those red ants was too strong. They managed to endure the training yesterday, but it came at a painful cost! Now, whenever people saw their faces, they couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Their faces looked truly ridiculous. For the three Duncans, beingughed at was no longer their concern. They now simply hoped that Catherine would not punish them like this again, as they couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Catherine looked around, preparing to announce the nextmand. Suddenly, a jarring sound came.¡± Reporting to the instructor, 0399 is back!¡± Catherine turned her head and saw Branden, who was now wearing training attire, standing beside her and saluting her. His injuries seemed like they were still healing. He had just woken up, and now he was ready to cause trouble again? Catherine looked at him seriously and said in an unusually stern tone, ¡°0399, this is a training camp, not a preschool. If your body can¡¯t take my training, I don¡¯t rmend you enter the camp!¡± Branden looked at Catherine seriously, his eyes filled with a smile and gentleness that was only directed at her. ¡°Sir, I understand. But please rest assured. I will definitelyplete the training tasks. I will train myself hard until the end of the training!¡± From his eyes, Catherine sensed determination and an unwavering resolve. Everyone had to take responsibility for their own choices. Since Branden had chosen to participate in the training, he would have to bear whatever consequences came with it. ¡°0399, back to the team!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Branden saluted Catherine and quickly walked towards the team. When he saw Carlo and the other two Duncans, he frowned and couldn¡¯t help but make ament. ¡°Are you three monsters or something? Carlo felt terrible and wanted to cry, but he managed to hold it in. With his current appearance and his actions, he looked both funny and disgusting. Branden looked at Carlo disdainfully and sarcastically remarked, ¡°You look so ugly. Why do you have to participate in the training?¡± Carlo couldn¡¯t hold back his tears anymore. He never expected that one day his own boss would look down on him. The reason? He was too ugly right now! ¡°Quiet!¡± Catherinemanded, and silence fell over the surroundings. There was only one week left for training, and considering the current situation, there would be a need to eliminate a few people. ¡°Brace yourselves up! Don¡¯t get caught by me. Otherwise, none of you will graduate!¡± Her words scared everyone present, their faces turning pale and trembling. Theing days were bound to be more and more brutal. Chapter 445 A Secret Chapter 445 A Secret As expected, Catherine¡¯s next move was incredibly cruel, mercilessly torturing people without any mercy. There weren¡¯t many people left to begin with, and she managed to torture them to the point where only eight people remained, including Branden. However, this wasn¡¯t the result of Catherine going easy on Branden. It was because of his overwhelming power. Despite suffering serious injuries, he was still able to stand out among this group of people and sessfully survive. Tomorrow would be thest day of training. As long as they could survive the final test tonight, they would be considered sessful in their training. No one knew how many more people Catherine was nning to eliminate. Or perhaps, none of them would be able to pass the test. On the first day of entering the training camp, everyone thought Catherine was joking. After all, they were here to train. How could they all be eliminated? But now, those who had said that Catherine was joking knew they were na?ve. With her ruthlessness, it was very likely for them to be annihted or even tortured to death. The more critical the situation became, the less they dared to rx. After the morning training session ended, they had a two-hour break for lunch. As soon as Catherine announced the training pause, everyone immediately copsed on the ground, causing a small dust storm. However, there was an exception, Branden. From the moment Catherine announced the pause of training, he started approaching her. Catherine turned and walked away, and he followed her closely from behind. Those present who had sharp eyes noticed that something was off between these two big shots, but no one dared to say anything. In order to betterplete the training, except for a few members of the Duncan team, the rest of the people were unaware of Catherine¡¯s identity. They naturally had no idea about her rtionship with Branden. Even Jon was kept in the dark, so whenever he saw the two of them, he couldn¡¯t help but feel strange. However, hisck of strength prevented him from privately discussing it with others. Branden turned the corner, making sure no one could see them. Then, he quickened his pace and took two steps forward, grabbing Catherine¡¯s hand. Catherine made no attempt to struggle and allowed Branden to hold her hand. he looked at her with a smile, his eyes sparkling with tenderness. They looked like two iron-faced executioners on the training ground, but now they lookedpletely different. ¡°What would you like to eat for lunch? I¡¯ll prepare it for you!¡± The food in the training camp had one requirement, which was nutritional bnce. As for the taste, it was indeed mediocre. Catherine¡¯s appetite had long been spoiled by Branden. Filling her stomach was not a problem, but making her feel like she was eating well was difficult. Whenever Branden had the time, he would try to improve Catherine¡¯s meals. Catherine shook her head and refused Branden. ¡°No need. I want to go to the cafeteria for lunch today.¡± Seeing her refusal, Branden didn¡¯t insist but cooperatively said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll apany you to the cafeteria for lunch!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. After a simple lunch in the cafeteria, Catherine said to Branden, ¡°I¡¯m full. I want to take a nap!¡± Branden looked at her gently and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine stood up and walked away without hesitation. To her surprise, Branden didn¡¯t follow her but obediently went to take a nap. Catherine thought he was just too tired, so she didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, her training camp was known for its cruelty and was not a ce where just anyone could easily graduate. After returning to the dormitory, Catherine casuallyy on the bed and took out her phone to y games. She didn¡¯t need a nap. For her, the best way to rx was to do something entertaining. Like ying games! Games could rx her entire nervous system. When her brain rxed, her body could enter a state of rest that was simr to closing her eyes and sleeping. When a round of the game ended, Catherine noticed some movement outside the door. She then threw her phone aside, stood up, and walked towards the door. Paxton stood at the door hesitating for a long time, unsure if he should knock on the door. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew behind him. Paxton instinctively turned around, only to be punched and sent flying the next second. His bandaged ribs would probably need medical treatment again. Paxton held his chest, struggling to stand up. Due to the impact just now, his arm was dislocated, and now he couldn¡¯t move it at all. Catherine approached, nced at him, and stretched her hand towards him. Paxton slowly lifted his injured arm and handed it to Catherine. After she took it, she quickly twisted it. With a ¡°snap,¡± the dislocated bone instantly returned to its original position. It happened so fast that Paxton didn¡¯t even have time to see Catherine¡¯s movements before his arm waspletely restored. Paxton moved his wrist and felt a bit sore, but it was much better than he expected. ¡°Thank you, Miss Swann!¡± Paxton smiled sincerely. Catherine looked at him coldly, her face showing indifference and her eyes filled with a strong warning. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t lurk around my door!¡± ¡°Lurk around?¡± Paxton murmured inwardly. ¡°Me?¡± Paxton wanted to exin, but thinking about Catherine¡¯s temper, he silently shut his mouth. He almost forgot that Catherine had another identity, one of the top three assassins in the world. With his suspicious actions just now, she could have easily killed him. He was only slightly injured, and that was on the basis of his previous injuries, which indicated that she had shown extreme mercy. Paxton was about to tell Catherine the purpose of his visit when he heard her coldly say, ¡°Lead the way!¡± Paxton was stunned and looked at Catherine in surprise. The aura of dominance emanating from her was terrifying, and Paxton lowered his head in awe without saying a word. He silently led the way, not daring to ask any more questions, though he didn¡¯t know how she had figured out the purpose of his visit. Did Thomas tell her? Catherine followed Paxton all the way to the hospital. In fact, she knew exactly what the purpose of this visit was. The fact that Paxton came to find her so cautiously could only mean that it had something to do with Branden. The top floor of the hospital had a huge treatment room, and from the outside, one could see the scene inside through the ss windows, but the inside couldn¡¯t see the outside. At this moment, Branden was fixed on arge circr contraption. It looked as if he was tied to a huge gyroscope, and as it kept rotating, the expression on Branden¡¯s face became increasingly painful. Thomas stood by, monitoring the various data on the screen. Seeing Catherine¡¯s serious expression, Paxton lowered his head and exined to her in a low voice. ¡°In order to participate in your training camp, Boss asked Mr. Theo to use banned drugs on him. These drugs have significant side effects, but only in this way can the blood cirction in his body be elerated, allowing the toxins to be quickly eliminated. Although his life is saved, it is as painful as being skinned and having tendons pulled apart. It¡¯s unbearable for ordinary people.¡± Saying this, Paxton thought, ¡°It¡¯s even more painful than what you experienced back then.¡± Paxton only dared to silently say it in his mind, not daring to say it out loud. Chapter 446 Wait for Me Chapter 446 Wait for Me Catherine turned her head and looked at Paxton, her sharp gaze instantly tightening his heart, making even his breath unstable. ¡°Miss Swann, why are you looking at me like that?¡± Paxton asked, his voice trembling. Catherine said coldly, her face expressionless, ¡°Since Branden forbids you from telling me, why do you bring me here?¡± People like them had to constantly remember their identities and responsibilities. They could be devoid of emotions and even cold-blooded, but they must always obey orders. Their only duty was to obey their superiors. Paxton knew that he had vited his boss¡¯smand,mitting the most unforgivable and deadly mistake a follower could make. He silently lowered his head, straightened his back, and faced Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, after the training ends tomorrow, I will go to my boss and ept my punishment.¡± The consequences of disobeying orders would be more painful than death. Having worked for Branden for so many years, Paxton understood this better than anyone. ¡°Miss Swann, I can ept punishment. But please, consider my loyalty to my boss and find a solution!¡± Paxton pleaded. Catherine¡¯s gaze fixed on him, making him feel as if he were naked, with nowhere to hide, no chance of escape. After a long while, she nced at him and turned away. Before taking her first step, she coldly uttered a sentence. ¡°The final test will be changed to jungle shooting!¡± Paxton, who had already given up hope, was surprised by this unexpected turn of events. His eyes lit up instantly, and he eximed, ¡°Thank you, Miss Swann!¡± On the training ground, all eight members of the training group were present. Catherine stood with her hands behind her back, her posture appearingzy. She would always do things in the most comfortable way. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ironically, despite her rxed and casual attitude, there was an aura of chilliness emanating from her that made everyone hesitate to underestimate her. Catherine circled around the eight individuals, and with each step she took. the atmosphere in the area seemed to be more intimidating, making it increasingly difficult for everyone to breathe. ¡°Your training wille to an end at 12 o¡¯clock noon tomorrow. Can you make it to the end?¡± Her voice was cold and devoid of warmth, chilling to the bone. No one dared to answer. On the silent training ground, Catherine¡¯s voice sounded exceptionally loud and sharp. ¡°The training officially begins now. It¡¯s jungle shooting. Within this jungle, there will be 80 trained soldiers, including all the instructors from Scorpion Ind. As long as you can survive their attacks without being eliminated, you will pass.¡± The eight men looked helpless. They had to face ten opponents, all of them elite instructors. It seemed like a setup to annihte them all. Sensing their low morale, Catherine decided to inject them with a dose of encouragement. ¡°I won¡¯t participate!¡± Three simple words relieved the tension in their hearts. Even Branden secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Catherine was formidable, and with his current injuries, he couldn¡¯t guarantee victory against her. What mattered most was that she was on the opposing side. He might choose to surrender directly. It was better to let him end himself rather than attack Catherine. Catherine casually fired a signal gun andzily announced, ¡°Training begins!¡± As the gun went off, the trainees immediately picked up their backpacks and rushed towards the dense forest. Only Branden slowly walked towards Catherine, gently taking her hand. ¡°See you on the training ground tomorrow!¡± Catherine¡¯s cold gaze slowly fell on Branden¡¯s handsome face. His facial features were sculpted, evoking envy. In her calm eyes, there seemed to be no warmth, as usual. However, Branden still noticed the difference. When Catherine looked at him, her eyes weren¡¯t as cold as before. This made Branden feel better. He seemed to have seen the dawn of victory. He looked at Catherine with joy. ¡°Wait for me toe back!¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, Catherine nodded. Time was running out. Branden held Catherine¡¯s hand, gently rubbing it before turning and disappearing into the darkness of the forest. Jon stood on the side, his body covered in goosebumps as he saw this. He suppressed the urge to feel disgusted and looked at Paxton with disdain. ¡°So, this is the reason why Branden has been avoiding women for so many years?¡± His tone carried both disdain and excitement, two contradictory emotions that were somehow reflected in one person. After Paxton heard what Jon said, his face turned dark with rage. ¡°Shut up, you fool!¡± The way he looked at Jon was filled with disgust. Jon was scolded for no reason, and the fact that Paxton looked down on him made him extremely resentful. ¡°What? Do you wanna fight me?¡± Jon challenged. ¡°Forget it!¡± Paxton sneered coldly.¡± The jungle needs you, Instructor Jon!¡± All the instructors from Scorpion Ind, except for Catherine, were required to participate, including Jon. The trainees had all entered the jungle to begin their battle, leaving only Catherine on the training ground. Paxton approached Catherine, trying to please her. He handed her the food that Branden had instructed him to give her. ¡°Miss Swann, these are what my boss asked me to give you. In addition to fruits, there are also some cakes and jerky that can fill you up!¡± These were the foods that Catherine loved to eat and were usually stocked in her apartment. After Branden arrived on the ind, he had his men regrly deliver them to her. Even the strawberries in the box were the ones rmended by Triston. They were milk strawberries air- shipped from another country and were the top-tier variety in the strawberry world. Paxton was deeply moved by all these foods. He never expected that his boss would go to such lengths for a woman. If it were him being doted on, he would probably love the other party to the point of being unable to extricate himself. Only Catherine had such outstanding self-control. Facing Branden¡¯s pampering, she remained steady andpletely unaffected. Catherine expressionlessly epted the food and didn¡¯t immediately open it to eat. Seeing that she was about to leave, Paxton quickly followed. Catherine turned around and stared at him with an unfriendly gaze. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± That one look almost gave Paxton a heart attack. It was so intimidating. He was stunned for a moment before regaining hisposure. Then, he exined his actions calmly. ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯m going with you to the surveince room.¡± ¡°Who told you I¡¯m going to the surveince room?¡± Catherine looked at him coldly. ¡°Where are you going, then?¡± Paxton didn¡¯t quite understand. As the head instructor, shouldn¡¯t Catherine be in the surveince room monitoring the trainees? Catherine was indeed different from everyone else. She didn¡¯t need anyone to teach her how to do things, nor did she need to follow any training patterns. She only did as she pleased, and right now, she only wanted one thing. ¡°To sleep. Don¡¯t follow me!¡± Chapter 447 Don’t You Trust Him? Chapter 447 Don¡¯t You Trust Him? Catherine did go to sleep. When she woke up, it was already past ten in the morning. Catherine leisurely finished washing up and headed towards the surveince room. Inside the surveince room, Paxton was still engrossed in staring at the monitor screens, not even noticing Catherine¡¯s entrance. It was only when Catherine pulled out a chair and sat down that he heard the sound of the chair sliding on the floor. He quickly turned around. Upon seeing that it was Catherine, he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Miss Swann!¡± Paxton eximed. Catherine nodded slightly and nced at him, noticing that his eyes were bloodshot. Frowning, Catherine asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been here all night?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Paxton admitted, nodding. The battle was more interesting than watching a movie. More importantly, he was worried about Branden¡¯s physical condition, so he stayed up all night without resting. For Paxton, not resting for a night wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He was still full of energy. But staring at the screen without blinking for too long had made his eyes sore and swollen. ¡°How many people have been eliminated?¡± Catherine asked. Paxton waved his hand, excitedly answering, ¡°None!¡± This surprised Catherine a little. None of them had been eliminated! Paxton was so excited that he wanted to pull her over and make her watch the monitor herself. ¡°Miss Swann, look. They¡¯ve formed a team, and Boss is the team leader. Under his leadership, they have been fighting a guerri war and haven¡¯t lost a single teammate!¡± Catherine raised her gaze to the monitor screen and immediately spotted the most handsome face among them. Branden¡¯s face was smeared with camouge, but it couldn¡¯t hide his handsomeness and charisma. He was a born leader, and even in his injured state, he effortlessly became the one leading the team. With only an hour left until the end of thepetition, the instructors, led by Jon, were also fueled by a killing frenzy. Both sides wanted to deliver a fatal blow to the other, and Jon was a little annoyed. With so many of them against only eight opponents, even if they didn¡¯t wipe out the entire enemy team, they had to take down a few to show their strength. But now, not a single one had been eliminated, which greatly hurt the pride of the instructors. Therefore, in thest hour, the instructors had to gather all their strength and take down at least a few of the enemy teams, no matter what. As for Branden¡¯s team, they had been battling continuously for a day, and their strength was nearly depleted. Almost everyone was injured. They couldn¡¯t withstand the opponents¡¯ full- force counterattack. The only constion for them was that this brutal training was about to end in an hour. As long as they survived this hour, they would win. Everyone held on with theirst bit of strength. They had trained so hard for so many days. There was no reason to give up at the final moment. Some teammates suggested adopting guerri tactics to disperse the enemy¡¯s strength and ensure at least one person survived. However, Branden immediately rejected this suggestion and ordered everyone to stick together. ¡°We¡¯ll pass this together! Trust me and follow my lead!¡± This simple sentence was like a rope thrown to a group of drowning people, giving everyone motivation. Among them, there were several who should have been eliminated earlier. If they hadn¡¯t stuck together with Branden, constantly breaking through encirclements and escaping traps under hismand, they would have already been kicked out. They firmly believed in Branden¡¯s decision, knowing that following him would lead to a way out. Since Catherine took her seat, she had been watching every move of the team of eight on the screen. Branden was very clever, and even she had to admire his intelligence. The traps and ambushes he set up were impossible to discern until the veryst moment. Time passed by minute by minute, and the team of eight remained without any casualties. With only ten minutes left, Jon decided to go all in and make a big move. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Paxton heard the roaring sound of the jet in the sky, his eyes widening in shock. He stood up abruptly and eximed, ¡°Is Jon crazy? How dare he use a fighter jet? This ispletely insane!¡± Catherine remained unfazed, making Paxton a little confused. ¡°Miss Swann, Jon is deploying a fighter jet. They¡¯re going to bomb the jungle. Aren¡¯t you going to stop him?¡± Catherine crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, looking at Paxton with indifference. ¡°Stop him? Why should I?¡± Paxton was on the verge of going crazy. Not only did he encounter one lunatic, but now he hade across two. ¡°Miss Swann, the jungle isn¡¯t that vast. And they just had a confrontation. Jon and his team can urately pinpoint the location of the eight-member squad. With this bombing, the entire squad will be wiped out. Shouldn¡¯t you stop it?¡± Facing Paxton¡¯s argument, Catherine only made onement. ¡°Jon has the right to do that!¡± During a battle between two forces, there was no room for such discussions. The instructors had the right to mobilize all resources on the ind for the fight. From opposing perspectives, Jon had no reason or obligation to think for the other side and give up his team¡¯s victory. Paxton understood Catherine¡¯s point. Now that the two teams were at war, Jon¡¯s actions were not wrong. Catherine knew that Jon was acting out of anger, but his actions were reasonable, and no one had the right to stop him. As third-party observers, all they could do was silently watch everything unfold. ¡°But¡­¡± Paxton wanted to make onest attempt. Catherine gave him a cold stare and asked in a cold voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you trust your boss?¡± With a simple sentence, Paxton was stumped. Branden had always been his faith, and there was nothing impossible for him. No matter how difficult the task, Branden could easily aplish it. The fighter jet flew overhead, its roaring deafening. Jon provided precise coordinates, leaving the enemy with nowhere to hide. The fighter jet took its position, and the pilot above sent a signal to Jon, indicating they had reached the designated location. He was requesting final instructions. At the moment of issuing themand, Jon hesitated. This was a desperate move, but they were now on opposing teams, each with a simple goal and mission, which was to win! ¡°Begin the bombing!¡± With Jon¡¯smand, the bombingmenced. Within ten minutes, the jungle turned into a sea of fire. Paxton couldn¡¯t even bear to look at the screen. It was too cruel. Under such bombing, the eight-member team should have beenpletely wiped out. Paxton¡¯s heart sank, and he stared nkly at the ckened monitor screen, which was devoid of any signs of life. Chapter 448 I’m Your Instructor Chapter 448 I¡¯m Your Instructor Paxton¡¯s heart sank, and he rushed out of the surveince room towards the training ground. Jon slowly emerged from the dense jungle with his teammates and made his way to the training ground. The instructors¡¯ team had suffered severe damage, and those who could still stand were supporting each other, looking defeated. Paxton became infuriated when he saw Jon. He charged at Jon, grabbing him by the cor and yelling, ¡°Isn¡¯t this just training? Is it necessary to take it so seriously? Are you happy only if the whole team is wiped out?¡± Jon, exhausted and powerless, was no match for Paxton. He allowed Paxton to grab his cor and scold him. After a while, Jon finally caught his breath. Weakly, he pointed behind himself, saying, ¡°Look!¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Paxton, confused, instinctively looked up and was instantly shocked. His boss, Branden, was leading a group of people, approaching them. He walked at the forefront with an imposing aura, followed by a group of exactly seven people. All eight teammates survived! Jon stared at Paxton, looking helpless. ¡°You can let go now, man!¡± Paxton finally realized what was happening and released his grip. He gave Jon a push, showing his disgust. Jon was so angry that he wanted to attack Paxton. If he had enough strength, he would have done so. Paxton rushed towards Branden. In this situation, his boss could still achieve victory with his seven teammates being alive. It was truly impressive. It was a miracle! Facing Paxton¡¯s enthusiasm, Branden simply bypassed him and walked in the direction behind him. Paxton felt embarrassed and turned around to take a look. Catherine stood dominantly not far away, leaning against a pir of the training frame with a very rxed posture. Branden walked straight to Catherine, his gaze never leaving her. Paxton couldn¡¯t bear to watch that scene. Since he couldn¡¯t embrace Branden, he could only choose to greet the three Duncan brothers. Catherine stood silently in ce, her gaze coldly fixed on Branden approaching her. Branden stopped a step away from Catherine and saluted her. A deep smile gradually appeared in his eyes. ¡°Reporting to the instructor, Trainee 0399 haspleted the task. Please give further instructions!¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow, and her once cold expression gradually softened. ¡°Good job. Assessmentplete. Congrattions, 0399, you have sessfully graduated!¡± As Catherine spoke, Branden took another step closer. ¡°Thank you. May I hold your hand now? Catherine watched as the distance between them narrowed. She even began to admire the audacity of this man to push his luck. He could always seize every single chance she gave him. ¡°0399, I¡¯m your instructor. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to be so attentive to your instructor, isn¡¯t it?¡± Branden was momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting Catherine to tease him like this. ¡°My instructor?¡± he murmured inwardly. ¡°Good point. Can¡¯t believe you cane up with such a good excuse.¡± Catherine blinked at him and smiled triumphantly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Trainee 0399? Do you have any objections to your instructor?¡± When Branden saw the smile on her face, his grievances instantly disappeared. Since she was the girl he loved, he had to bear with her, and any objections would be useless. ¡°No objections. Whatever the instructor says is right!¡± The smile on Catherine¡¯s face grew wider. Branden could be considered a gentleman. At least he could handle her teasing. ¡°Good. Congrattions on your sessful graduation!¡± Catherine reached out her hand, holding it out in the air. Branden extended his hand and firmly held hers. A smile instantly appeared on his face. ¡°Thank you, Instructor!¡± But the next moment, Catherine sensed something was off about Branden. Her expression instantly turned serious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Branden struggled to force a bitter smile. ¡°The effects of the drugs have worn off!¡± Catherine immediately realized that Branden had used some banned drugs gain, and now the effects had worn off. She quickly helped Branden up and pulled him in the direction of the hospital. Branden had initially wanted to tell her that he could manage to walk on his own. But then, he realized that she rarely showed such concern for him, so he decided to keep quiet. Jon was shocked to see Catherine holding onto Branden and leaving so quickly. He lowered his voice and whispered to Paxton beside him, ¡°Is it appropriate for Mr. Anon to act like this in public?¡± Paxton rolled his eyes at him and replied, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? You¡¯re making a big deal out of nothing. They have a normal romantic rtionship, not an affair!¡± Jon was even more shocked. He didn¡¯t expect Paxton to be so open-minded. Was this eptable? Could it be that Paxton was also a¡­ Thinking of how Paxton interacted with the Duncan trio, Jon suddenly felt uneasy. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. He instinctively distanced himself from Paxton. Catherine and Branden went to Thomas. Thomas seemed to have been waiting for Branden, as he immediately called over the medical staff to support Branden when Branden appeared. ¡°You brat, aren¡¯t you afraid of death? You¡¯re more than half an hourte. Aren¡¯t you worried about your own life? As Catherine watched Thomas angrily take Branden away, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but darken. She stopped Thomas and blocked his way. Thomas had a bad temper, and he had his own rules when it came to treating and saving people. He didn¡¯t allow others to interfere. But if it was Catherine, then things were different. Thomas looked at Catherine with a loving expression. ¡°Cassie, if there¡¯s anything you need, just tell me, and I¡¯ll take care of it for you!¡± ¡°Mr. Theo, how is Branden now?¡± Catherine asked directly. When it came to Branden¡¯s condition, a frown appeared on Thomas¡¯s face.¡± This young man is quite headstrong. His injuries are more severe than yours were back then, yet he stubbornly held on. This is crazy. If anything goes wrong, he could lose his life.¡± Back then, Ronin had found a lot of doctors for Catherine, and many of them had admitted their helplessness after examining her condition. It was only after he found Thomas that she was sessfully treated. At that time, Catherine was feeling very terrible, but what surprised her was that Branden¡¯s condition now was even more serious than hers back then. It seemed that Branden was truly pushing himself to the brink of death with an unyielding determination. To be so ruthless towards himself, this man was truly merciless. Chapter 449 Calm Down Chapter 449 Calm Down The surgerysted for a full three hours, and all the members of the Duncans on Scorpion Ind gathered outside the operating room. No one knew what was happening inside, and they all anxiously waited outside. Three hours had passed, and Paxton couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. His eyes turned red, and he shouted angrily, ¡± No, I have to go in and take a look!¡± As soon as Paxton finished speaking, he rushed towards the door of the operating room, ready to forcefully open it. But as soon as his hand touched the door handle, his body froze instantly. There was a gun pressed against his waist! Paxton quickly turned around and realized that it was Catherine who was threatening him. Catherine stared at him coldly, her lips pursed without saying a word. However, her dominant and powerful aura made him hesitate to make any rash movements. The people around were shocked to see Catherine pull out a gun. No one expected her to act in such a way. Carlo and the others were even more frightened, as they knew that no one here could stop Catherine from doing anything. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to stop her, but it was simply impossible. The extent of Catherine¡¯s power was well-known to everyone present. Even if the four of them confronted her at once, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against her. Realizing the unfavorable situation, Carlo had no choice but toe forward and persuade her at the risk of his own life. ¡°Catherine, calm down. Bullets don¡¯t discriminate, and it wouldn¡¯t be good if someone got injured.¡± Catherine nced coldly at Paxton and ordered directly, ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Although Paxton didn¡¯t dare to make any rash movements, he couldn¡¯t swallow his anger. He desperately tried to exin, ¡°Miss Swann, we still don¡¯t know the situation inside. Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Catherine looked at him dominantly, asking only one question. ¡°Are you a doctor?¡± Paxton was momentarily stunned. He wasn¡¯t a doctor, so even if he rushed in, what could he do? Could he save Branden? The answer was obvious. He couldn¡¯t. Paxton could only helplessly step aside and squat against the wall. The other three Duncans came forward tofort Paxton. They were also concerned about Branden¡¯s safety. Among the four brothers, Paxton had spent the most time with Branden and had the best rtionship with him. It was understandable that he was so anxious. After another ten minutes or so, the door of the operating room finally opened. The four men immediately rushed forward, but Catherine remained sitting on a nearby bench, seemingly indifferent to the situation. As soon as Thomas came out, he rushed directly towards Catherine,pletely ignoring the Duncans. ¡°Cassie, I¡¯m sorry it takes such a long time.¡± Catherine patted the seat next to her, gesturing for Thomas to sit down. Thomas was not young, and although he was in good health, he had performed surgery for over three hours. Even a normal person would find it unbearable, let alone someone of his age. After Thomas sat down, he began to update Catherine on Branden¡¯s condition. ¡°Cassie, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Branden is not in life- threatening danger, and his legs will be fine. At most, he¡¯ll have to stay in bed for three months.¡± Then, he added, ¡°After all, he is your boyfriend. I will try my best to save him. You can rest assured!¡± Catherine¡¯s attitude remained cold, but the slight frown on her face softened a bit. The situation was better than she expected. At least, Branden¡¯s life was saved, and he wouldn¡¯t be left with any disabilities. ¡°Mr. Theo, let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine stood up first, with Thomas following behind her. The surgery had just ended, but the two of them left in such a carefree manner. The four Duncans were left dumbfounded, with Francis being the most perplexed. ¡°Didn¡¯t Boss and Miss Swann have a good rtionship? Why does Miss Swann seem so indifferent to him?¡± Carlo couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡± She¡¯s just a heartless woman!¡± Thinking about Catherine¡¯s ruthless training methods, Carlo was sure that this woman had no emotions and was extremely ruthless! They all held a strong dislike towards Catherine. Although herbat skills were formidable, she could never rece the ce Branden held in their hearts. At that moment, Paxton suddenly spoke up. ¡°Perhaps the truth is not as it seems!¡± Carlo looked at Paxton in surprise. ¡± Paxton, are you nning to defend her? After all, just a moment ago, Paxton and Catherine were on the verge of a confrontation. Why would Paxton suddenly defend Catherine? Paxton gave an annoyed look at Carlo, saying, ¡°You know nothing about her! Some people are naturally cold. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Paxton had spent the most time with Branden, which meant that among the four Duncans, he knew Catherine the best. He knew better than anyone else how cold and ruthless Catherine could be. No one else could have persuaded her to stay here for over three hours, and most importantly, Thomas was brought here by her. If it were someone else, how could Catherine have offered to help? Therefore, Paxton believed that Catherine do have feelings for Branden, but everyone expressed their love differently. The nurse in the ward came out and exined the situation, instantly breaking themotion. ¡°Mr. Duncan has woken up. You can go in and see him now!¡± Inside the ward, Branden looked better than they expected. He only looked a little pale, not weak to the point of being unrecognizable. Paxton was the first to stand by his side, quietly asking Branden, ¡°Boss, do you have any orders?¡± Branden scanned the room and didn¡¯t see Catherine. His eyebrows furrowed instantly. A gloomy expression appeared on his pale face. ¡°Where is Catherine?¡± Paxton had already guessed that the first thing Branden would ask when he woke up was about Catherine. ¡°Boss, Miss Swann just went out with Mr. Theo. She was waiting outside the operating room, and she has just left!¡± Worried that Branden would be upset, Paxton exined it in detail. ¡°I see.¡± Branden nodded lightly and then instructed, ¡°Go check if she hasn¡¯t had lunch. Have the cafeteria prepare a separate meal for her and deliver it to her!¡± The three Duncans beside Branden were dumbfounded. Their boss was lying on the hospital bed, but he was still taking care of Catherine¡¯s meal. What kind of fairy-tale rtionship was this? Paxton knew Branden¡¯s temper well. Since he had given the order, no one was allowed to change it. ¡°Yes, Boss, I¡¯ll have Cory go now.¡± Paxton didn¡¯t want to leave because he was worried that Branden might need him. Seeing that their boss didn¡¯t object, Cory saluted and immediately went to handle it. After Cory left, Branden ordered the remaining few people, ¡°All of you, go out!¡± Carlo and the others had originally wanted to stay, but seeing that Branden had closed his eyes to rest, they didn¡¯t dare to disturb him and obediently left. Once they were outside the door, they began to discuss in low voices. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Isn¡¯t our boss too heartless? How could he just chase us out like this?¡± Paxton sneered. ¡°What? Are you not satisfied? Even if you¡¯re not satisfied, what can you do? You¡¯re not Catherine, are you?¡± If Catherine had entered the ward just now, things might have been different. Branden would do everything possible to keep her there. x Chapter 450 I Don’t Have the Guts Chapter 450 I Don¡¯t Have the Guts In the cafeteria, Catherine personally carried a bowl of hot soup and a te of food to Thomas¡¯s table. Thomas looked at her with a smile; it was even happier than that of a three- year-old child. ¡°Cassie, you¡¯re so good to me. You remember all my preferences and prepare everything for me.¡± After saying that, he picked up a spoonful of soup and took a sip, his face filled with delight. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, Cassie! The soup you brought is really tasty!¡± Catherine looked at Thomas¡¯s exaggerated acting, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth. This old man was really good at making a fuss. Thomas was so happy that Catherine personally took care of him. In his opinion, Catherine was someone who appeared cold on the outside but had a warm heart. Despite her icy and distant demeanor, she was actually a caring person who paid attention to details and remembered more than others. The Theos had a gic blood issue since childhood, and despite studying medicine for many years, Thomas couldn¡¯t find a way to solve the gic issue for the Theos. It was as if they were cursed, as the men of the Theos couldn¡¯t live past forty. This was the reason why Thomas dedicated his life to medicine, not only to treat and save others but also to save himself. However, despite his efforts, he still hadn¡¯t made a breakthrough. Luckily, he met Catherine and learned a special method to improve the Theos¡¯ genes. However, although it could save the Theos from the curse,pared to others, they would still experience more health problems after the age of forty. After performing a surgery thatsted over three hours, his physical strength had reached its limit. While others might not have noticed, Catherine knew it well, so she brought Thomas to the cafeteria. The more Thomas thought about it, the happier he became. After his mood improved, he found the things in front of him more pleasing to the eye as well. After a satisfying meal, Thomas started urging Catherine. ¡°Branden can start eating now. Go order some food and bring it to him!¡± Catherine was about to say that it wasn¡¯t necessary, but then she remembered Thomas¡¯s words from earlier. She stood up and went to order some food for Branden. Ten minutester, Catherine returned to the ward. The room was quiet. Not a sound could be heard. Brandeny on the hospital bed, resting with his eyes closed. When he sensed someone¡¯s presence, he immediately opened his eyes. His handsome face, with well-defined features, appeared even paler due to the surgery. When he saw her, however, the look in his eyes instantly transformed from sharpness to gentleness. ¡°Catherine?¡± he said in a deep voice, slightly hoarse, making it particrly soothing to listen to. Catherine ced the packed cereal in front of him and raised the small table on the bed. ¡°Eat some!¡± Branden squinted his eyes, looking at her with a faint smile. His eyes were fixed on her, unmoving. After being stared at for a few seconds, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Branden chuckled and raised his arm helplessly. At the moment, his right hand was in a cast and couldn¡¯t move, and his left hand was wrapped in gauze, which affected its normal use. ¡°What do you think, Kathy?¡± Catherine red at him with faint despise on her face. ¡°Sense of humor, huh?¡± After expressing her disdain for Branden, Catherine uncovered the lid of the bowl of cereal and scooped some with a spoon to feed Branden. With a smile on his face, Branden approached and swallowed the cereal from the spoon. Branden ate quickly from Catherine¡¯s hand-feeding. Soon, the bowl of cereal was empty, and it was precisely at this moment that Paxton entered with medicine in hand. Thomas prescribed traditional medicine, which needed to be processed. Paxton had just gone to get the prepared medicine for Branden. As soon as Paxton entered, he saw Catherine sitting on the edge of the bed, feeding his boss the cereal. Without much thought, Paxton asked, ¡± Boss, didn¡¯t you just finish eating? Why are you eating again? Should you wait a little longer to take the medicine?¡± After all, Thomas had instructed that medicine should be taken half an hour after a meal. Catherine paused with the spoon in her hand. How dare this man lie to her? Branden quickly regained hisposure. Although he was seething with anger inside and had mentally executed Paxton hundreds of times, he maintained a smile on his face and looked at Catherine, trying to please her. ¡°Paxton¡¯s food is too bad. Your cereal is much better!¡± he said. Paxton was shocked by the cold aura emanating from Branden. From the tone of Branden¡¯s words, Paxton knew he had ruined something. He quickly changed the subject, hoping to salvage the situation. ¡°No wonder you only took several bites earlier, Boss. Miss Swann really cares about you. The cereal must be tasty, right?¡± Branden nced at Paxton and thought Paxton was clever enough to go along with the lie. Catherine coldly watched their act. Paxton was a considerate subordinate. How could the food he prepared for Branden be less delicious than the cereal she brought back from the cafeteria? He must have realized what was happening and just yed along with Branden. Branden lied to her, making her personally feed him the cereal. Catherine thought that she needed to teach Branden a lesson. She urately threw the nearly empty bowl of cereal into the trash can nearby and pped her hands before standing up. ¡°You¡¯re done eating. I¡¯m leaving!¡± Seeing her about to leave, Branden quickly got up, trying to chase after her. But he forgot that he still had an IV drip in his arm. The needle flew out, causing Paxton¡¯s heart to skip a beat. For other people in love, their rtionships were usually sweet and harmonious. But why was it so thrilling and dangerous when it came to Branden¡¯s, with so many minor injuries and even life- threatening situations? Could it be that exceptional people have a unique way of dating? Fortunately, Branden immediately grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand. Catherine turned her head and looked at Branden with a cold gaze. Branden looked at her with an expression full of ttery, his forced smile somewhat ruining his handsomeness. ¡°Kathy, won¡¯t you stay a little longer?¡± Catherine sneered at him with a cold face. ¡°Stay longer? So you can keep deceiving me?¡± ¡°No!¡± Branden raised his hand in a surrendering gesture. ¡°I don¡¯t have the guts to do that!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the guts? Well¡­¡± Catherine coldlyughed. ¡°Is there anything that you wouldn¡¯t dare to do? The Red Star has always been invincible, right? Howe you, as its leader, don¡¯t have the guts to deceive me?¡± Branden smiled helplessly. How did they end up talking about this again? It made him feel guilty. Thinking about the suffering Catherine had endured, Branden decided to admit his mistake obediently. He would never show weakness in front of others, but in front of the girl he loved, ying weak was necessary! ¡°Kathy, it¡¯s my fault!¡± Watching Branden and Catherine confront each other, Paxton decided to avoid the situation for now. In case his boss couldn¡¯t get what he wanted from Catherine and decided to vent his anger on him, he should leave here as fast as he could. Running away was the best option for now.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Chapter 451 A Perfect Boyfriend Chapter 451 A Perfect Boyfriend The three-week special training on Scorpion Ind officially came to an end, and only eight people, including Branden, sessfully graduated. As soon as the graduates¡¯ list was released, many people contacted Jon, hoping to hire these eight graduates. Jon looked at the list andughed coldly. Without Branden, the entire team would have been wiped out. But then again, Branden had to admit one thing. This batch of trainees would be the most outstanding since the establishment of Scorpion Ind. Under Mr. Anon¡¯s training, any one of these eight people was qualified to be a leader. After the training ended, Catherine prepared to return to Casier. Her studies were not yet finished, and Ronin and the others were waiting for her there. To go from Scorpion Ind to Casier, she had to pass through Oceanvile. Naturally, Branden would apany her, and Thomas also joined them. Thomas hadn¡¯t seen his grandson in a while, so Catherine decided to stay in Oceanvile for a day before heading back to Casier. At the airport, Jon looked at everyone with reluctance. The person he was most reluctant to part with was Mr. Anon. ¡°Mr. Anon, can we invite you back for next year¡¯s training?¡± Catherine looked at Jon jokingly, replying, ¡°It seems that Scorpion Ind¡¯s funds are quite abundant!¡± On this trip, she had spent the reserve funds for the next three years of Scorpion Ind, and only eight trainees graduated sessfully, four of whom were Duncans. Scorpion Ind had suffered a great loss. Jon rubbed his nose and nced at Branden beside him. The Duncans were one of the backers behind Scorpion Ind. It was reasonable for him to ask for the opinion of the main financial supporter right now. Branden coldly swept his gaze over Jon and gave him a look that meant ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± At first, Branden didn¡¯t know that Anon was Catherine. If he had known, how could he have allowed her toe to the ind? After all, besides Catherine, there was no other female on the entire ind. Sensing Branden¡¯s possessiveness, Jon looked at Catherine with concern and whispered, ¡°Mr. Anon, take care of yourself!¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t understand the meaningful look in Jon¡¯s eyes. Ever since Branden appeared, she had felt a sense of sympathy in Jon¡¯s eyes when he looked at her. Jon thought that Branden was so strong, while Mr. Anon looked particrly petite. When the two of them were together in bed, Mr. Anon must be the one below Branden. Jon felt sorry for the torment Mr. Anon had to endure! Knowing Branden was a tough man, Jon sighed inwardly. ¡°Poor Mr. Anon¡­¡± A helicopter slowly approached. It was their ride to Zerwick. Since they were about to leave, Catherine didn¡¯t need to disguise herself anymore. She took off the heavy disguise she was wearing. Jon didn¡¯t pay attention to Catherine at first. After talking to Paxton, he turned around and saw a slender and stunning beauty standing behind him, which instantly made him dumbfounded. He stared at Catherine, his face full of disbelief. ¡°Where did youe from?¡± Just as he finished speaking, he noticed the disguise next to Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same as Mr. Anon¡¯s!¡± he eximed inwardly. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Are you¡­ Mr. Anon?¡± Everyone around looked at Jon with a helpless expression. Jon was probably the only one who didn¡¯t know Catherine¡¯s identity. Catherine casually nced at him, and then Branden pulled her onto the ne. After Branden and Catherinepletely disappeared from sight, Jon finally came to his senses. He grabbed Paxton¡¯s hand and eximed excitedly, ¡°So, Mr. Duncan isn¡¯t a gay?¡± Paxton gave him a fierce re and rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the gay one! Your whole family is gay!¡± The helicopternded at Oceanvile Airport, and Scott, who received the message, immediately dragged Rodge to pick them up. Thomas hadn¡¯t seen his grandson in a while, so when he saw Scotting to pick him up, he couldn¡¯t wait to rush over. ¡°Scottie, Grandpa is here!¡± Scott¡¯s originally excited face darkened when he heard his grandfather calling him. He went straight past Thomas and pounced towards Catherine. ¡°Chief, I miss you so much!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Just as Scott was about to hug Catherine, Branden suddenly appeared. His icy gaze fell on Scott, frightening him into stepping back. Branden¡¯s aura was just too intimidating. Scott couldn¡¯t afford to provoke him. However, although Scott couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Branden, Scott couldn¡¯t resist his love for Catherine. Scott looked at Catherine with a pitiful expression and said in a childish voice, ¡°Chief, it¡¯s been so long since west saw each other!¡± Branden turned around and grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand, not allowing her to meet Scott¡¯s gaze. Catherine seemed to be sought after, as people everywhere wanted to get closer to her. ¡°This brat doesn¡¯t seem like a good guy,¡± Branden thought. ¡°If he gets involved, he might be even more troublesome than Ronin Oconnor!¡± To prevent any potential problems, Branden had to nip it in the bud. Scott was infuriated. He felt that Branden was too domineering. Unfortunately, Branden was so powerful that Scott couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. Seeing his grandson being upset, Thomas approached Scott with a smile. ¡°Come to Grandpa!¡± Scott turned around and red at his grandfather. ¡°Old man, you¡¯re always running around. Watch out. I mightin to Grandma! And if you don¡¯t want me to tell Grandma, stop calling me by my nickname!¡± Scott thought his name sounded normal, but whenever his grandfather called him by his nickname, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like a little girl. Therefore, he particrly disliked Thomas calling him ¡°Scottie.¡± Unfortunately, Thomas loved to call him that, and they would argue about it every time Thomas mentioned that name. Thomas was fearless in his entire life, except when it came to his wife, whom he obeyed and became increasingly obedient to. This led his descendants to threaten him with it every day. However, this time, Scott couldn¡¯t threaten him. ¡°Kid, I came out to help Cassie. Your grandmother knew about it, so she won¡¯t me me!¡± Seeing his grandfather looking smug, Scott became angry. His cute little face instantly puffed up. The car arranged by Paxton arrived, and everyone set off for the Duncans¡¯ vi in Oceanvile. Upon arriving at the vi and sitting down, a servant came to inform them that there was someone visiting outside the door. Catherine leaned back on the couch, lying in afortable but somewhat domineering posture. She listened to the conversation of everyone with half- closed eyes, showing no intention of chatting. She was tired and just wanted to rest. Paxton frowned. They had just arrived at the vi, and someone was already visiting. Could there be a mole among them? ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out, Boss!¡± said Paxton. Branden was fanning Catherine with a fan and had no time to deal with Paxton. He casually waved his hand, letting Paxton handle it himself. Thomas said that Catherine was afraid of cold because of an ident in her childhood that inflicted her with some hidden illness. If she followed the instructions and took care of herself, it could be cured. Unfortunately, she never listened to his advice and never paid attention to it. After Branden knew this, he treated it as a top priority. He didn¡¯t even turn on the air conditioning in the spacious vi. When Catherine felt hot, he fanned her to cool her down. What a perfect boyfriend who would go to great lengths to take care of her! Chapter 452 Bring Her Money Chapter 452 Bring Her Money Paxton returned to the living room, followed by a sturdy man who looked somewhat overbearing and seemed to be tough to deal with. The man shot a nce at everyone with a cold face. When his gaze crossed Catherine, his eyes glinted. His eyes lit up instantly as if a sh of bright light went through the clouded sky. ¡°Catherine!¡± Catherine looked at him with narrowed eyes and beckoned him to the empty seat aside. ¡°Take a seat!¡± Withal sat down as he was told and then settled his excited gaze on Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯ve been away for three weeks. Now, you¡¯re finally back. ¡°You know what, I¡¯ve really had enough of Ronin. He didn¡¯t dare to contact you, so he kept pushing me. He called me every day, asking me when you woulde back.¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond to Withal¡¯s chattering. Withal babbled for a while and noticed that Catherine didn¡¯t give any response at all. So, he shut his mouth and kept quiet. Catherine was good-tempered, but if she red up, she would be rather terrifying. So, he just stopped talking. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯ve juste back. You must be tired, right? I¡¯ll leave you to take some rest!¡± As soon as Withal stopped talking, a servant came to report the arrival of a visitor. Paxton looked at Withal and raised his brows at thetter. Withal immediately replied, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. It has nothing to do with me. I came here alone. I didn¡¯t even tell Ronin about this.¡± Afraid that Ronin might immediately ask for leave ande to Oceanvile after knowing Catherine had come back, Withal didn¡¯t dare to tell him about it. With suspicion, Paxton got out of the living room. A few minutester, Paxton led the visitor to the living room. This visitor was also here to meet Catherine. It was Erick. With his arms around Catherine¡¯s shoulders, Branden cast a casual nce at Paxton. Paxton felt so frightened that he shivered all over. He wasn¡¯t sure whether he had leaked the news about Catherine. Why did everyone know their whereabouts? It might be Catherine who informed Withal about her return. Could it be that Catherine also informed Erick? Since he entered the house, Erick had fixed his eyes on Catherine. Seeing that Catherine looked so tired, he couldn¡¯t help feeling that he hade at a bad time. He was so eager to meet Catherine. He hadn¡¯t seen her for three weeks, so he really missed her. Erick didn¡¯t even dare to lift his head. He was afraid that he might go bananas on the spot when he saw Catherine leaning against another man¡¯s chestzily. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯lle by tomorrow!¡± Catherine felt exhausted indeed, but she didn¡¯t want to be disturbed for a second time. She supported herself by pressing her hand against Branden¡¯s thigh, sat straight up leisurely, and then looked at Erick. ¡°No need. Just say it if there¡¯s anything! As Catherine stood up, Paxton immediately looked at Branden. After receiving Branden¡¯s hint, he respectfully came to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, I will take you to the study upstairs.¡± Catherine was fine with that. Since they would talk business, it was better to go to a quiet ce. Paxton pushed open the door to the study. Catherine went inside. Paxton said to Catherine, ¡°Miss Swann, this chair is Mr. Branden¡¯s spot!¡± After he said that, Catherine just sat on the chair. Instantly, Catherine knitted her brows andined coldly, ¡°It¡¯s so hard!¡± Paxton hastened to exin, ¡°Miss Swann, we came back so suddenly that we forgot to change it. Mr. Branden usually sits on hard chairs¡­¡± Only when Catherine was around would Branden sit on a soft chair. He didn¡¯t dare to finish his words, afraid that he would be reproached by Branden again. Branden was the only heir of the Duncans appointed by Karl. However, Branden didn¡¯t grow up amidst care and love. Because he had to bear the burden of the Duncans, he had to suffer a lot more than others. Since he was three years old, he had to learn to sit properly and maintain his demeanor as the heir of the Duncans. When he was eight years old, he followed Karl to join senior meetings in the Duncan Corporation. Comfort and softness were left for those who needed to be protected. As the powerful protector, Branden didn¡¯t have the right to sit on a soft cushion. As Catherine didn¡¯t mean to continue talking, Paxton hurriedly excused himself. After Paxton left, Erick brought the cushion over here from aside and put it in front of Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you may put this on the chair.¡± Catherine leaned against the chairzily and rejected Erick without lifting her eyes. ¡°No need!¡± Erick¡¯s hand holding the cushion stiffened. He didn¡¯t dare to take further action. After being silent for a few seconds, Erick collected himself and started reporting to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, now the Winfreds¡¯ assets are all under my name. Xavier is stuck in the senior citizens¡¯ home and can¡¯t get out anymore. Jeremy is no longer a threat either. As for the shares of the Winfreds that belong to the Swanns, I¡¯ve transferred them to you!¡± Erick reported his work as a responsible employee. He pointed out the highlights of his work and left out all the details. He didn¡¯t tell Catherine how much effort he had made to utterly crush the Winfreds, especially Xavier the crafty scoundrel. Erick had been hunted down over the past three weeks. Things didn¡¯te to an end until hepletely destroyed Xavier and seized the assets of the Winfreds. Originally, he could have taken a rest and focused on disposing of the Winfreds¡¯ assets. Yet, he didn¡¯t do that. Instead, he came to confront Korbin. If Xavier was deemed a crafty old fox, Korbin would be like a fierce tiger. He had been exhausted. So, it would take him courage and a lot of effort to deal with Korbin. Luckily, Erick won and seized all the assets transferred away by Korbin. Slightly squinting, Catherine looked Erick up and down. Erick was as fierce as a wolf indeed. When he grew up a bit, he would show his sharp fangs and the target chosen by him couldn¡¯t escape then. Catherine knew that Erick must have been through a lot. She arranged for Withal to keep an eye on Erick¡¯s actions and yet didn¡¯t offer him any help. It was Erick¡¯s own effort that made him what he was today. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Erick took out the document and put it in front of Catherine. ¡°Catherine, this is the agreement on equity transference. As long as you sign it, the Winfred Group will be yours.¡± Catherine could just take the assets without caring about the rest. He would help her deal with everything. It was Catherine who gave him a second life. He could give his everything to her. It turned out that Erick was here to bring her money. Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to hold a pen. She rejected Erick indifferently. ¡°Just keep it!¡± Korbin must have been in great trouble after what Erick had done. Catherine decided to meet her father when she was back in Casier tomorrow. Since Catherine refused to sign the agreement, Erick didn¡¯t insist then. As long as the Winfred Group was under his name, it would be like being under Catherine¡¯s name. He would help Catherine deal with everything. And Catherine could just sit back waiting for profits. Chapter 453 Big Shots Are All Ruthless Chapter 453 Big Shots Are All Ruthless Initially, the servants thought only Branden and Catherine would return to the vi. Unexpectedly, so many people came along. Plus Withal and Erick, who came uninvited, there were quite some people in the vi now. Just as well the vi was big enough. It wouldn¡¯t be crowded even if more than a hundred people lived in the vi. Everyone knew that Catherine would leave Oceanvile the next day, so they all wanted to treat her to dinner. As they insisted on staying and badgering Catherine, Branden looked livid with sullen eyes. Yet, they were all Catherine¡¯s friends. He had taken great pains to win Catherine¡¯s forgiveness. Of course, he didn¡¯t dare to mess with Catherine again now. Although he didn¡¯t dare to piss off Catherine, he couldn¡¯t let Catherine eat out with them. ¡°How about having a barbecue tonight? Branden stared at Catherine gently with affection in his eyes, waiting for her reply. Catherine spent three weeks on Scorpion Ind, where she had plenty of healthy meals and never had any barbecue. If Branden didn¡¯t bring it up, she wouldn¡¯t think of it. Now that Branden mentioned it, she couldn¡¯t get it off her mind. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s have a barbecue!¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s merry tone, Branden knew that Catherine was very satisfied with his arrangement. Branden looked somewhat pleased. Sure enough, he was the one who knew best about Catherine¡¯s taste. Having received Branden¡¯s hint, Paxton immediately got up to prepare materials for the barbecue. As for the others, since Catherine didn¡¯t want to go out, they would stay here to eat with her. All they wanted was to be with her. Paxton got everything ready quickly. The table was full of Catherine¡¯s favorite materials, which were all the freshest on the market. They all looked delicious and mouth-watering. When the fire was lit up, Branden rose and took Catherine to start eating. As Catherine sat down, the others all rushed forward. Scott was the one who acted fastest. He directly sat on the left side of Catherine and smiledcently as if he had won a contest. The other people all looked at each other and rolled their eyes at Scott inwardly. He was merely a young man. They wouldn¡¯t take him to heart. Withal took a nce at Branden and met thetter¡¯s gaze. Immediately, Withal lowered his head. He slightly bent down to rub his leg. Just now, it was actually Withal who was closest to Catherine. He was about to sit next to her when a toothpick suddenly prated his leg. As a result, he was held back and acted a bit slower than Scott. And who shot the toothpick at him was quite obvious. He didn¡¯t expect that Branden was so possessive! Scott was also rather happy because he had seized a good spot. He smiled at Catherine merrily. ¡°Catherine, do you like barbecue too?¡± Catherine nodded casually in response. Although Catherine acted aloof, Scott didn¡¯t mind at all. Catherine was an awesome woman. Awesome people were usually aloof, which was understandable. Scott was approachable and easy- going. He got close to Catherine warmly. ¡°Catherine, now we have the same hobby. It¡¯s so nice. What do you like to eat? I¡¯ll make it for you. How about beef?¡± Branden¡¯s hand holding beef stiffened. His eyes slightly darkened. Scott didn¡¯t notice that while Thomas saw that clearly. After all, given his old age, he knew a lot more than Scott. To protect his grandson, Thomas had to remind him. ¡°Scott, mind your manners. No talking while eating. Did you forget it?¡± Scott was a bit defiant. He felt that his grandpa was old-school and wanted to talk back. Thomas saw him through and immediately scolded him, ¡°What? Any problems? ¡°Look at Cassie. Did she talk while eating? How rude of you! You may be loathed!¡± Now that Thomas mentioned Catherine as the role model, Scott¡¯s face stiffened at once. He found that Catherine was indeed eating quietly. It meant that Thomas had made a good point. Scott nodded obediently right away. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡± The fire was still on. Everyone had different facial expressions. They were all eating with various thoughts. Only Catherine was focusing on eating the food fed by Branden. The next day, Branden dragged Catherine out of bed early and meant to take her back to Casier. Catherine wasn¡¯t even awake. She was carried onto the private ne by Branden, dressed in pajamas. There were too many people badgering Catherine in Oceanvile, which he disliked. When Catherine opened her eyes, she found she was already in the apartment of Casier. Branden was sitting opposite her with his back to her. His body was covered with faint blue light. It seemed that he was working in front of theputer. Catherine supported herself on her elbow and meant to get up. Such a subtle noise still rmed Branden. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He immediately turned around and his cold eyes became gentle at once. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± His husky voice sounded really attractive. As if being afraid that Catherine wasn¡¯t awake, he talked rather gently in case of disturbing her. Catherine nodded with narrowed eyes. She was not indeed awake. She found that she slept increasingly soundly by Branden¡¯s side. And her sleeping time was getting longer and longer. This morning, when Branden carried her onto the ne, she did feel that, but she just fell asleep within a blink of an eye, not intending to wake up at all. Branden closed theptop casually, turned on the night light and slowly walked to Catherine. He sat in front of her and gently held her in his arms. Catherine didn¡¯t push him away. She just leanedzily against his broad chest to refresh her mind. Branden rested his chin on Catherine¡¯s head. She could feel clearly the vibration generated as he spoke. ¡°Are you hungry? Would you like to eat something?¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± Catherine mumbled. Branden replied patiently, ¡°It¡¯s almost five o¡¯clock. You haven¡¯t had lunch yet.¡± It was Branden who fed her breakfast on the ne when she was in a daze. As for lunch, she really didn¡¯t have it. When she heard Branden calling her, she just pped him away ruthlessly. So, she hadn¡¯t had her lunch. However, Catherine wasn¡¯t hungry at all. Staying in Branden¡¯s arms, she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± Branden didn¡¯t insist then. Catherine was stubborn. No one could force her to do what she didn¡¯t want to do. ¡°Would you like to get more sleep?¡± Catherine got out of bed and walked out of the room. While walking, she responded without turning her head, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to take a look at Audrey!¡± Staring at her back, Brandenughed resignedly. Catherine was so heartless. She just left him behind ruthlessly as he was no longer useful to her. Chapter 454 She’s Back Chapter 454 She¡¯s Back The next day, Catherine went to the homeroom teacher and reported back after a leave of absence before returning to the ssroom. When she reached the door of the ssroom, David was the first one to notice her. Only he wasn¡¯t sleeping while the other students were leaning in low spirits over their desks lifelessly. The moment he saw Catherine, David was a bit stunned and then rubbed his eyes in disbelief. ¡°Am I dreaming? Catherine is back?¡± He pinched himself in secret. Because he did it too hard, he grimaced in pain. It was then that he was sure that Catherine hade back indeed. He hurriedly reached out to push Bryan, who was sleeping soundly aside. Bryan was resting at this moment. Disturbed by David, he flew into a rage and then snapped without raising his head, ¡°Who is it? Do you have a death wish?¡± His cold voice sent David a chill down his spine. He hastened to exin, ¡± Bryan, Catherine is back¡­¡± Bryan was dumbstruck and then asked coldly, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Who else can it be? Of course it¡¯s Catherine!¡± After David finished speaking, Ronin stood up at once before Bryan could react. Catherine had arrived around them at this moment. Ronin went forward with excitement. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re finally back.¡± Seeing Ronin running in her direction, Catherine reached out her arm to distance herself from him. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. It was then that Ronin realized that he had overacted and almost pissed off Catherine. Just as well Catherine didn¡¯t attack him. Otherwise, he would have been taken to the hospital. Apart from Ronin, the other students all fixed their eyes on Catherine. Catherine had been away for almost one month. Everyone thought she wouldn¡¯te back. They thought she would leave without warning, just like her sudden transfer to this school. Unexpectedly, Catherine just showed up all of a sudden, startling the students of ss 8. Catherine stood aside with her arms around her chest, looking down at all with slightly narrowed eyes. ¡°You seem to be doing well here. The graduation exam is around the corner. You¡¯re all sleeping instead of studying.¡± Faced with Catherine¡¯s criticism, Bryan and the others all felt guilty and didn¡¯t dare to talk back. They all kept their heads lowered. Since Catherine asked for leave, they had felt that life in the ssroom was rather tedious. Besides, as the graduation exam was approaching, everyone was soaked in a dreary atmosphere. Ronin knew best about Catherine¡¯s temper. He knew that she didn¡¯t really mean to reprimand them. He went forward fawningly, pulled Catherine¡¯s chair out, and invited her to her seat. ¡°Catherine, hurry and take a seat. While you were away, I wiped your desk and chair every day. They¡¯re definitely clean.¡± Catherine arched her brows and shot Ronin a nce in surprise. She thought as she got leave from school, Ronin would ask for leave too. After all, Ronin went to school for fun. She didn¡¯t expect that he woulde to ss every day. It appeared that Ronin was interested in school. The originally dull ss 8 came back to life due to Catherine¡¯s return. The students all burst into an uproar with excitement. Liana stared in the direction of Catherine with deep hatred in her eyes. She thought that Catherine could nevere back. However, Catherine was back now. Liana thought, ¡°Why does she keep showing up?¡± While Catherine was not around, she finally had a chance to breathe. Korbin was so busy dealing with thepany¡¯s affairs that he barely came home while Rachael stayed in the Langs ¡®. Now, only she lived in the Swanns¡¯. This made her feel like she was back in the past when she lived like a princess served by all servants at home. Because of Catherine¡¯s reappearance, Liana felt rather uneasy as if something would change again. After school, Ronin insisted on having dinner with Catherine. Bryan wanted to go along too. Catherine hadn¡¯t seen them for a while indeed. So, she decided to invite them all to dinner and proposed going to Triston¡¯s barbecue restaurant. It happened that the restaurant was nearby. Others were all fine with that. So, they went to the barbecue restaurant together. When they got to the barbecue restaurant, Ronin thought of one thing. ¡°Catherine, while you were not around, I noticed that Audrey seemed to be close to Triston the yboy. Do you think we should teach him a lesson?¡± Ronin was young and simple. He believed that one should be loyal in a rtionship. Ronin hated yboys like Triston most. It was fine to make friends with Triston, but Ronin wouldn¡¯t allow him to have designs on Audrey. After all, Audrey was Catherine¡¯s sister, which made her his sister too. Audrey was an innocent girl. How could he allow a yboy like Triston to get his hands on her? Catherine wasn¡¯t surprised at all to hear Ronin¡¯s report. She looked calm andposed. Ronin felt a bit confused. ¡°Catherine, why aren¡¯t you angry at all? Triston dares to have designs on Audrey!¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at him. ¡°Audrey is a grownup.¡± Catherine had made her stance clear. Audrey was a grownup, who could judge between right and wrong. She didn¡¯t need Catherine to worry about her. Now that Catherine didn¡¯t want to interfere, Ronin couldn¡¯t do anything to Triston though he was disgruntled. After being silent for a few seconds, Catherine suddenly said, ¡°Sometimes, things are not what you see!¡± Stunned a bit, Ronin suddenly felt that Catherine¡¯s words sounded somewhat unfathomable. Was Audrey¡¯s rtionship with Triston not that simple? Or was Triston not as simple as he seemed to be? Catherine had started to eat. Ronin didn¡¯t dare to ask further. After all, it wasn¡¯t Catherine¡¯s business. He wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to it. Before they finished eating, Catherine¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Ronin knew that it couldn¡¯t be an ordinary person who could get through to Catherine. It was Leonel, who had been working for Catherine at the Swann Corporation. He was the talent left by Vicente to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, you¡¯re back in Casier, right?¡± When she left Casier, she had informed Leonel, but she didn¡¯t tell him about her return. Yet, she wasn¡¯t surprised that Leonel knew that she was back. She didn¡¯t conceal her whereabouts. It wasn¡¯t hard to find out where she was. ¡°Yes!¡± Catherine replied. ¡°Is it convenient for you toe to the office now?¡± Catherine was aware of Leonel¡¯s character. If not for important matters, he wouldn¡¯t call her. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there in half an hour!¡± Catherine gave a concise reply. After hanging up, Catherine finished her meal and directly stood up. Ronin immediately got up considerately. ¡°Catherine, just go. Leave here to me!¡± Meanwhile, Ronin passed his key over. ¡°The car is at the door.¡± Catherine took the key and turned around to leave. Chapter 455 He Is On My Side Chapter 455 He Is On My Side In half an hour, a ck Harley-Davidson motorbike stopped before the lobby entrance of the Swann Corporation. The security guards, who had been used to seeing luxurious cars, were not ustomed to seeing the motorbike. They felt it was strange. They approached immediately, wanting to stop thedy riding it from parking her bike there. ¡°Miss, sorry. You can¡¯t¡­¡± Catherine shoved her leg backward and got off the bike. She even took off her helmet as she stood still. Her fair and exquisite face was revealed. She looked like a fine sculpture, breathtakingly beautiful. No one would dare to take her for granted upon seeing her beauty. The bodyguards were astonished by her beauty. They froze for a few seconds before realizing they should be asking her to leave. One of the security guards approached Catherine and said politely, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry, but I have to ask you to leave. This is not a parking area.¡± Catherine nced at him coldly. Her exquisite face looked cold and oppressive. Before Catherine could speak, hasty footsteps came from behind them. ¡°Wait¡­¡± The security guards heard the voice, and their attitudes were respectful. Leonel and Linda strode toward them. Linda¡¯s high heels made tapping sounds as she walked. Seeing the two security guards stopping Catherine from entering, Linda¡¯s gaze turned sharp. ¡°Keep your eyes open. This is Miss Swann.¡± The security guards were startled. They knew thepany¡¯s chairperson had be the former chairperson¡¯s granddaughter. However, none of them had expected the granddaughter of the chairperson to be so young. Catherine noticed Linda was trying to help her establish her credibility and wanted to scold the security guards. She quickly interrupted. ¡°Let¡¯s do what¡¯s important first.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± answered Linda respectfully as she followed Catherine into the building. Looking at them leaving, the two security guards gossiped. ¡°Looks like Miss Swann, who can inherit thepany at such a young age, is not simple. Even Linda is so respectful to her. Linda had never even treated Mr. Swann so respectfully.¡± ¡°Miss Swann is not only young and beautiful. She even had an oppressive temperament. Who said the Swann Corporation is doomed? I think it will have a better future with such a leader.¡± Catherine and Linda would never know what the security guards had been gossiping about. After they entered the office, Leonel urged Linda to report thepany¡¯s situation to Catherine. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Miss Swann, we suspect Mr. Swann had transferred the Swann Corporation¡¯s assets. They had suspected this earlier but were still investigating. No matter what, Korbin was Catherine¡¯s father, and they would not dare to use him without evidence. However, Catherine looked calm upon hearing that, which was unexpected. They thought Catherine did not believe them. Linda and Leonel looked at each other and took out the evidence. ¡°Miss Swann, this is the information of a tradingpany in Oceanvile. Mr. Swann, your father, is the owner of thispany.¡± It would not be strange for someone like Korbin to have manypanies under his name. Having money and investing in many ces was normal. So, it was understandable, even if he forgot how manypanies he had. However, Linda found out thispany had been establishedtely and had something to do with the Winfreds in Oceanvile. Then, they found evidence of Korbin transferring the assets. They had never expected Korbin to be so despicable. The first thing they did after the investigation was to inform Catherine. Catherine looked at the documents on the table and casually flipped through the pages. When Linda saw Catherine seem to not care, she thought Catherine had not realized how serious this matter was and exined again. ¡°Miss Swann, although retrieving these transferred assets is difficult, we can¡¯t just do nothing. If you can give out an order for the higher-ups to take action, we might be able to cover some of those losses. Linda was anxious deep down and was not as calm as she seemed. She had no confidence in how much they could reduce the loss. Korbin would never be reckless. He had nned this and was well prepared. Since this had happened, it would be difficult for them to stop it. Catherine rejected Linda¡¯s suggestion indifferently. ¡°Leave it. We don¡¯t have to do anything. Linda was anxious that Catherine was doing nothing even when the situation was so bad. She admired Catherine¡¯s calmness, but this was a big matter. She could understand settling it calmly, but Catherine would at least have to think of a way to fix things. Linda had already given a solution, yet Catherine put on an indifferent expression and even asked them to do nothing. She could not understand what Catherine meant. Leonel stood up upon noticing Linda¡¯s anxiousness. He nced at Linda. Linda beckoned him to take over, and she retreated to the back. Leonel stepped forward. He knew Catherine better than Linda. He had seen Catherine turning the tables in many impossible situations. From the moment he got to know Catherine, she had been cold toward everyone and everything. That was her character, being calm in every crisis. ¡°Miss Swann, do you have other ns? Please tell us so that we coulde up with a solution.¡± Catherine shook her head indifferently. ¡°I have no ns.¡± The cold tone extinguished Leonel¡¯s enthusiasm. Leonel was troubled, thinking Catherine could note up with anything this time. Suddenly, Catherine spoke again. She said something out of the topic. ¡°Erick Olsen is with me.¡± Leonel did not think much and subconsciously answered, ¡°Who is Erick Olsen? Miss Swann, we are discussing about¡­¡± Catherine lifted her eyebrow. Her gaze was so cold that it ran a chill down his spine. ¡°Erick Olsen?¡± Leonel¡¯s eyes lit up, and he turned around and asked Linda, ¡± What¡¯s the name of the new heir of the Winfreds?¡± Linda did not expect him to react like that and was startled momentarily before answering, ¡°If I did not remember wrongly, his name is Erick.¡± Leonel turned back around excitedly and stared at Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, Erick Olsen is your people?¡± He sounded uncertain and surprised. Catherine said nothing, but he could see the answer from her expression. He pped his hands happily as he said to Linda, ¡°Linda, let¡¯s go for a drink and rx tonight. We don¡¯t have to worry about the rest.¡± Linda did not understand what was happening and looked at Leonel in a puzzle. Leonel exined patiently when he noticed Linda did not know what was happening. ¡°Don¡¯t you even understand this? Erick is Catherine¡¯s man, meaning the Winfred Group is in Miss Swann¡¯s control. No matter how much Korbin transfers, he has to go through the Winfreds. So, in the end, the assets would still go to Miss Swann.¡± Linda finally understood what they meant. She looked at Catherine with her jaw dropped. ¡°Miss Swann, do you have superpowers like predicting the future?¡± Chapter 456 Amazing Catherine Chapter 456 Amazing Catherine Linda would not say something like that usually. The staff of the Swann Corporation had always felt she was stern and conservative. She had always been serious and would follow the rules whenever she did something. Even Leonel, who had been working with her for years, was taken aback to hear that. He chuckled. ¡°Linda, Miss Swann doesn¡¯t have any superpowers. She has greater foresight than us and considers more. With Erick in the Winfreds, this troublesome matter is solved.¡± They both were senior staff of the Swann Corporation, and Vicente trusted them. Before Vicente passed away, he trusted thepany to them. If Korbin ruined thepany, they would be embarrassed as they failed to do what they had promised Vicente. Fortunately, Catherine was brilliant and good at making strategies. Linda realized what she said did not match her usual behavior. But her reaction was because she was shocked. Catherine was amazing to think of something like this. Linda had been working with Korbin for at least a decade. He was the eldest son of the Swanns and the only heir. Everyone thought Vicente would pass down thepany to him after he retired. Linda disliked Korbin¡¯s way of doing things. She had nned to resign and enjoy her retirement life after Korbin took over the company. Vicente had been generous with her sry. The money she earned working in the Swann Corporation was enough to live happily without working for the rest of her life. No one had expected Vicente to change his will at thest minute before he passed away, making his granddaughter, who had been dumped to live in the countryside, inherit thepany. When everyone looked down upon this girl from the countryside, her every move and strategy shocked them, changing their perception of her. Catherine¡¯s expression turned gentle as she looked at the two quipping. ¡°I¡¯ll leave since this matter is settled.¡± ¡°Miss Swann, please wait.¡± Linda stopped Catherine from leaving. She ced a pile of documents before Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, we need you to sign these documents to get some of the projects started.¡± Catherine was a student and had to attend sses. So, most of the documents were kept aside until she visited thepany. Then, she would sign it all in one go. Catherine did not say anything. She knew Linda would not trouble her if someone else could sign these documents on her behalf. She flipped the pages of the documents and read them quickly before signing on the ces that needed to be signed. Her actions were swift and decisive. Her signature was also simple and quick. Linda noticed Catherine¡¯s quick action and nced at Leonel. Leonel smiled and said nothing. Catherine was just like Vicente when he was young. She was firm, mature, and decisive, like a true leader. They trusted the men they employed and would never keep anyone who betrayed them. After signing those documents, Catherine pushed them to Linda and looked at her. ¡°Do you have any more documents I have to sign?¡± The beautiful face before her mesmerized her, making her forget to answer. Just as Linda was startled, Catherine had already gotten up and left the office. When Linda was astonished, Catherine was not in the office anymore. Leonel stood beside her and lifted his eyebrow. ¡°Hey, do you want to have a drink together?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Linda smiled in response. She had never drunk alcoholic drinks during her working hours, afraid of neglecting her work. However, with a capable boss like Catherine, she had no worries and could rx. When Catherine was at the Swann Corporation¡¯s lobby, the two security guards bowed and shouted, ¡°Miss Swann!¡± Their voices were so loud that it was thundering to the ear. Everyone nearby looked at them, and Catherine immediately became the limelight in the crowd. Catherine frowned and walked ahead without reacting. When she walked out the door, she saw red istion belts had already surrounded the bike Ronin lent her. It looked like an exhibition to those who did not know this was her bike. It stood in the middle of the Swann Corporation¡¯s entrance with the istion belt, which was hrious. The two security guards took off the istion belt immediately. ¡°Miss Swann, your bike!¡± Catherine stopped walking and looked at the security guard, helping her to hold onto the bike. It made her wonder if he was worried she could not get onto the bike or if it might be too heavy for her. Catherine picked her eyebrow squinted her eyes, and looked at them. The security guard stepped back subconsciously because Catherine¡¯s gaze was scary. Although she did not show much expression, a gaze from her was enough to make them nervous for no reason. After the security guard backed away, Catherine got onto the bike in a swift and handsome posture. The Harley-Davidson bike that looked heavy and big was like an obedient toy in Catherine¡¯s hands. She rode it without any fear. Vroom! The engine roared, and Catherine slid down the sunblock sses on her helmet. She let go of the brake, and the Harley- Davidson shot out like a bullet. The security guards looked at Catherine leaving and muttered, ¡°Miss Swann is so cool!¡± Another security guard said confidently, ¡°I¡¯m sure Miss Swann has practiced martial arts before. Even I could feel the weight of the bike when I held it. ¡°Look at how easily Miss Swann had rode it!¡± Catherine headed to the Swanns¡¯ after leaving the Swann Corporation on the Harley-Davidson. She had received a call from Korbin asking for her presence in the Swanns¡¯. She knew she had to face it sooner orter. So, Catherine did not intend to avoid it. When Catherine entered the house, she felt the tense atmosphere in it. A faint smile appeared on her delicate face. Something seemed to have amused her. Hearing the footsteps, Korbin put down the documents and looked at Catherine. When his eyes feel on Catherine, his face was ashen. ¡°How dare youe back?¡± Everyone could hear the anger in his voice. The maids in the living room quickly left upon sensing his anger, afraid Korbin might throw his rage at them. Catherine looked at Korbin expressionlessly. ¡°Looks like I must have misunderstood your meaning in that call. ¡°Well, then. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Looking at Catherine who was about to leave, Korbin was so pissed off and he red at Catherine. ¡°Stand there!¡± Chapter 457 Hard Earned Money Chapter 457 Hard Earned Money Catherine turned around and sat opposite Korbin fearlessly. Her back leaned against the headrest of the sofa, and crossed her legs, sitting in the posture she felt mostfortable for her. When Korbin saw her reaction, his anger red. He despised Catherine because he felt she was not educated with proper manners and was not taught even to sit properly. Korbin looked away, not wanting to see Catherin like this, afraid he might pass out due to rage. Catherine saw Korbin rolling his eyes, but she did not care. To her, Korbin was just a stranger. Since they were not familiar with each other, why would she have to care about his feelings? Soon, she heard footsteps. It was Rachael in high heels walking toward them elegantly. Rachael nced at Korbin, then at Catherine. She seemed to have expected Catherine¡¯s arrival. She observed Catherine as she sat beside Korbin. Korbin spoke again after Rachael sat beside him. He sounded demanding, as if he was questioning Catherine. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with the Winfreds?¡± After long, just a few seconds before Korbin got pissed off, Catherine spoke calmly. ¡°I do not know them.¡± Korbin knew this girl intentionally did this to piss him off. Korbin gritted his teeth as he red at her. ¡°Do not know them? Why would that brat Erick transfer such much money to you.¡± Recalling the money he had just transferred returning to Catherine, he was angry. As his anger grew, he could no longer remain calm. His rage exploded. ¡°Catherine, how dare you act dumb before me! It has turned out like this, and you still shamelessly say you are unfamiliar with the Winfreds?¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Catherine scoffed. Her delicate face turned cold. She lifted her head and looked at Korbin straight in the eyes. ¡°Is Erick one of the Winfreds?¡± Erick had never admitted he was one of the Winfreds. The Winfreds had never officially taken him as a part of the family either. So, Catherine was not lying. She knew Erick in person, but it did not mean she was familiar with the Winfreds. After all, Erick could not be considered a part of the Winfreds. Korbin waved his hand impatiently. Everyone could see he was annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time talking nonsense with you. I don¡¯t care what are you and Erick up to. You have to return the money to me obediently, or¡­ His gaze turned cold as he red at Catherine warningly. He looked at Catherine as if she was his enemy and wanted Catherine dead. He did not expect to fall into Catherine¡¯s trap on something he had nned for so long. After he snatched the money from Catherine, he would ensure Erick paid for what he had done. Korbin wanted Erick dead! To him, Erick was only a brat who thought he had taken over the Winfreds and could live at ease. Ridiculous! He would let Erick know the consequences of provoking him. Catherine tilted her head. She looked calm and rxedpared to Korbin¡¯s rage. Her expression was still cold, but she had a smile, making her seem strange and dangerous. She casually retorted Korbin, rejecting his demand. ¡°Why should I give you the money?¡± Before Korbin could snap, she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s put aside whose money this is. Even if it is the money Erick earned, why would I give it to you? ¡°Some people are so foolish that they could not see through such a simple trick yet like to me others for their mistakes.¡± Catherine was merciless when scolding Korbin. She would never want to talk to such a foolish man if that man weren¡¯t her father. Korbin¡¯s face turned pale and then flushed red due to embarrassment. He almost had a heart attack and passed out. Never did he expect this girl would retort him like that openly. Rachael, silent all this while, spoke out when she saw the father and daughter quarreling. She looked at Catherine and changed her attitude. She was enthusiastic and even smiling. ¡°Catherine, why are you so stubborn?¡± Catherine knew this could not be that simple. Rachael would never speak nicely to her. So, Catherine sat on the sofa silently and watched Rachael putting on an act Rachael did not get a response from Catherine, but she did not mind. She continued, ¡°He is your father. Would he harm you?¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± A look of disdain shed across Catherine¡¯s face as she smiled, remaining silent still. Meanwhile, Rachael was excited as she spoke, like she wanted to pull Catherine out of the abyss. ¡°Catherine, we are your family and would never do any harm to you. Your father doesn¡¯t want to keep the Swanns ¡®assets in your hands because he fears you might get deceived at a young age. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°To the outsiders, the Swann Corporation is a huge benefit, and everyone would want to share it. Your father had been by your grandfather¡¯s side since he was young. He had seen many schemes. ¡°They knew they could noty hands on the benefit with your father guarding it. So, they tried getting it from you instead. All the rumors outside are trying to hurt you. They are not your family. Why would they do anything for you?¡± Catherine knew Rachael was coaxing as if she was a three-year-old. The second child of the Langs seemed to have advised Rachael to change her strategy from harsh to gentle. Korbin pretended to be harsh, and she advised gently. They were putting on an act. Rachael said so much, and she was already thirsty, yet Catherine showed no reaction like she was deaf. Her suppressed anger surged. This girl was annoying, and she was pissed off. She continued to suppress her burning rage and increased her volume. ¡°Catherine, I have said so much. Did you hear what I said? ¡°You have to understand we will never harm you, okay?¡± Catherine did not want to answer such a childish question, yet Rachael kept asking. She tilted her head and nced at Rachael coldly. One sentence was enough for Catherine to tear off Rachael¡¯s disguise as a good parent. ¡°Mrs. Swann, you must have forgotten I am only a jinx to you.¡± Chapter 458 Who Is The Outsider? Chapter 458 Who Is The Outsider? Rachael noticed Catherine was indeed a jinx. Her return only brought chaos to the Swanns. Rachael listened to her parents¡¯ advice and tried to get along peacefully with Catherine first. Then, when she sessfully coaxed Catherine to hand over the Swanns¡¯ assets, she could get rid of Catherine. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Unexpectedly, Catherine was stubborn and did not know how to get along with them. Rachael wanted to re up, but it reminded her of her countless failed quarrels with Catherine. Her husband failed to transfer the assets and had even been set up by this jinx, Catherine. Rachael got the advice from her family and nned to use another trick. No one would want to be abandoned by their family. Otherwise, why would Catherine choose to return to the Swanns? They could pretend to ept Catherine¡¯s return. After getting the Swanns¡¯ assets and cing them under Korbin¡¯s name, they could deal with herter, which would be easy. Rachael wept andy in her husband¡¯s arms. ¡°Honey, look. Our daughter is ming us for everything back then. I did not have a second choice. When your mother was still alive, she hated me so much because I gave birth to a daughter. You knew that, too. ¡°I did not expect my daughter would hate me so much.¡± Thisdy even brought up her mother- inw to make herself look innocent. Madam Swann was indeed part of why Catherine was sent to the countryside, but she would not have insisted if Rachael defended her. The Swann family was wealthy, and raising another daughter would not be tough. Catherine looked at Korbin casually. When she saw him doing nothing, she knew how heartless he was. He did not mind tainting his mother¡¯s reputation just for benefits. Rachael¡¯s face flushed red as she sobbed. Droplets of tears flowed down her cheeks. She looked at Catherine as if she had suffered many griefs. ¡°Catherine, I know you are mad at us and think we have mistreated you. But you have to trust that we did all this for you. ¡°You are young and don¡¯t know how to manage the family¡¯s business. Giving you the Swann Corporation would only bring loss. It¡¯s better to let your father manage it for you. ¡°What do you think?¡± Loss? Catherine¡¯s brows furrowed. Although she did not like managing the business, each business she did was profitable. She would never let herself lose any money. Rachael had looked upon her highly. She could never lose money. It was too challenging! Catherine looked at Rachael coldly. She spoke as she looked into Rachael¡¯s¡± kind¡± eyes, ¡°What if I refuse?¡± The repeated rejection had pissed Rachael off. She nced at Korbin secretly, giving him a signal. It was Korbin¡¯s turn to act after remaining silent for long. His expression was cold as he stared into Catherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you refuse to agree and want to disobey us, don¡¯t me me for using the hard way.¡± Was threatening, and that cold and vicious gaze how one should treat their daughter? No! That was more like treating his enemy. Since his attitude was harsh, Catherine was less burdened. Shey on the headrest and squinted her eyes as she observed Korbin. ¡°The hard way? Are you going to use those people you secretly trained to deal with me? ¡°Heh¡­¡± Korbin was startled upon hearing her chuckle. He snapped out of his daze and observed Catherine with his lips pursed. ¡°What do you know?¡± He was again shocked by Catherine¡¯s words, not knowing what this girl knew about his secret. He had been careless before this and underestimated Catherine¡¯s ability. She had silently taken back the money he had transferred from thepany. It made him wonder what the girl had allowed her to do. His n was disrupted, and she knew he had someone working for him. Korbin¡¯s heart sank. He felt he should get rid of Catherine soon. Catherine lifted her eyebrow and looked at her father meaningfully. ¡°It depends on what you have done. Secrets can¡¯t be kept for long.¡± Everyone in the big living room was silent. Korbin sat silently as he observed Catherine¡¯s expression. From Catherine¡¯s words, he noticed something strange. It seemed he had to get rid of those people. Korbin¡¯s expression turned gloomy, and his eyes turned cold. Married for years, Rachael naturally knew what Korbin¡¯s gaze meant. It seemed that Catherine would be unable to leave the Swanns¡¯ ce today. Rachael helped Korbin keep Catherine calm, and Korbin had arranged for someone to keep Catherine imprisoned in the Swanns¡¯ ce. Catherine sat on the sofa, feeling bored as she listened to Rachael¡¯s insincere words. Everything was going on as nned. Korbin thought Catherine was already under his control. The butler came in suddenly. ¡°Sir. Mr. Duncan is here!¡± Korbin¡¯s forehead puckered, and his expression was gloomy. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Branden walked in before Korbin could set any order. He walked toward Catherine. His gaze had been on Catherine and no one else. ¡°Do you want to leave?¡± The man stood beside Catherine and lowered her head as he asked her. Catherine leaned against the sofa, looking at the husband and wife acting. She was already bored. Squinting her eyes, she nodded at Brandenzily. Branden wanted to help her up. However, something stopped him. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Korbin cleared his throat, interrupting them. Branden turned around. His handsome face turned cold as he looked at Korbin. ¡°Is there anything else you want to say, Mr. Swann?¡± Korbin did not show a weing attitude either. ¡°Mr. Duncan, this is the Swanns¡¯ ce. Even if the Duncans are powerful, do you think it¡¯s appropriate to take my daughter away from this ce anytime you wish?¡± Branden sneer. It was a sarcastic remark, mocking Korbin for being a hypocrite. Rachael could no longer stand it. She asked, ¡°Branden, what do you mean by sneering at us?¡± Branden looked at the wife of the wealthiest man in Casier and spoke coldly, ¡°Does Kathy have anything to do with you? I remember you disowned Kathy years ago.¡± Rachael¡¯s expression changed. The Swanns had done it discreetly, and no one knew. However, it was not difficult for the Duncans to investigate this. Branden cared so much about Catherine. So, he must know the truth. Rachael red at Branden in displeasure, maintaining herposure as Mrs. Swann. ¡°Mr. Duncan, no matter what happened years ago, it is between us and Catherine. We are her parents. Why should you, an outsider, interfere in our matter?¡± ¡°An outsider¡­?¡± Brandenughed, and he looked at Rachael ironically. ¡°Mrs. Swann, you are interesting. ¡°Everyone in Casier knows Catherine is my fiancee and will be my wife soon. ¡°Do you still think I am an outsider, Rachael?¡± Chapter 459 Something Bad Had Happened Chapter 459 Something Bad Had Happened Branden protected Catherine domineeringly, making Korbin and Rachael dumbfounded. Korbin looked at Branden with hostility. He was suppressing his anger and about to reach its limits. He was about to explode in anger. ¡°No wonder this girl dared to treat us like this. So, you were supporting her.¡± Branden seemed rxedpared to Korbin. He had one of his hands in his pocket and stood beside Catherine casually. ¡°After Vicente passed away, Catherine did not have many rtives left. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to help her as her fiance? Why does this irritate you so much, Mr. Swann?¡± Catherine nced at the man tiredly. Instantly, the man¡¯s cold gaze turned soft, and looked at her with care. He knew from Dr. Miracle that Catherine¡¯s body health had declined since she got injured. He felt sorry for her every time he saw her looking tired. He wanted to piss Korbin off but lost interest when he saw Catherine tired. All he wanted to do was to take Catherine home. The man bent down and carried Catherine in his arms. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go back and rest.¡± Catherine would naturally not reject anyone from helping her. Shey in the man¡¯s armzily and let him carry her. Looking at Branden carrying Catherine as he headed out, Korbin flew into a rage. He shouted, ¡°Stand there! ¡°Do you think you can bully the Swanns as you wish and leave and enter our house just like that?¡± Branden stopped and looked at Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, I can¡¯t do anything to the Swanns, but you¡­¡± He paused as he looked at Korbin meaningfully. His gaze was so scary that it shocked Korbin. Korbin took a few steps back without realizing he had shown his fear. ¡°Mr. Swann, do you really think I can¡¯t do anything to you?¡± ¡°You have to thank Kathy for being your daughter. This rtionship saved you.¡± Korbin froze. He did not expect Branden to threaten him. He had said whatever he should. As for what Korbin would do, it was not what he cared about. The man carried Catherine as he strode out the door. Rachael was anxious and quickly pulled Korbin¡¯s hand. ¡°Hubby, are you going to let them leave just like that?¡± Korbin was angry. Something struck him. He naturally would not let them leave that easily. He was about to make a call. However, a call came in before that. Looking at the number, Korbin was a little rmed. He tapped on the answer button and ced the phone by his ear. ¡°Mr. Swann, something terrible had happened. ¡°A secret organization had messed up ourirs. Our men had been captured, and some of our old crimes had been investigated. This is a disaster.¡± Among those men Korbin had employed, this batch of people were loyal to him. They had helped him do many illegal deeds. Those people needed him, and he had something on them. He did not expect things to turn out like this. Since they had found hisirs, Korbin was in despair and fell onto the sofa. He was doomed this time. Rachael looked at Korbin falling on the sofa and eximed, ¡°Hubby, are you alright? ¡°Don¡¯t scare me!¡± Korbin did not respond. He only stared at her coldly. He did not even blink his eyes. Branden carried Catherine to the car from the Swanns¡¯. Catherine was hugged tightly by him, and she sweated a little. The man quickly told the driver, ¡°Turn down the temperature.¡± The driver did not hesitate and quickly carried out the order. After the driver reduced the temperature, Branden draped the nket on Catherine. The simplest way was to ce her aside, and she would not feel hot anymore. The man was reluctant. So, he kept adjusting everything. Catherine did not mind. After all, it was Branden doing everything. She let him do it since he was willing to do it. Paxton sat on the front passenger¡¯s seat and noticed the movement behind him. When it was finally silent, he spoke. ¡°Sir, we have settled it. Korbin¡¯s men had been cleared.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Catherine heard it since she was not deaf, and Paxton did not hide it from her. She lifted her head and looked at the man¡¯s face through the streetlight shone into the car. Due to the dim lights, the man¡¯s face looked skinnier, and his jawline was obvious. After long, Catherine squinted her eyes and spoke. ¡°Why did you attack Korbin for no reason?¡± She had already taken Korbin¡¯s assets, and Korbin was now penniless. Since he had lost his support, he was harmless. Since he was harmless, Catherine let him be arrogant like he wanted. Never did she expect Branden would attack Korbin¡¯s men. She did not feel sorry for Korbin but did not want to implicate the Duncans, tainting their name. The man naturally did not know what was on her mind, and his expression turned gloomy. Catherine did not notice it. She lowered her head and rubbed her tiny head on the man¡¯s chest. The angry man was instantly happy and caressed her head with love. His girl had been independent all these years. So, she was not ustomed to asking for help. Even if he helped her, she would still think it was unnecessary. It was because she could do it but was toozy to do so. He could only dote on her and let her do whatever she wanted since she was his fiancee. He would not care who were those who dared to hurt his girl. As long as that person intended to hurt his fiancee, he would make sure that person would be doomed before he could do anything. It was just like what Korbin said. It was all thanks to Catherine¡¯s blood- rted rtionship with Korbin. Otherwise, Korbin would not be able to get away with it with such a light punishment. The man¡¯s gaze was cold upon thinking of it, but it was gentle again when he looked at Catherine in his arms. ¡°Take a nap, and I¡¯ll wake you up when we reach home.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine did not reject, and she felt she was beginning to like lying in the man¡¯s arms. She noddedzily and curled up in his arms in afortable position. Her tiny, delicate face was cute and less cold than usual. Chapter 460 Nonsense Chapter 460 Nonsense Korbin¡¯s resources were scrubbed and taken away immediately. They did not even have the time to see how they were reced. Rachael was so anxious that she rushed home immediately after she knew it. She told everything to her parents. ¡°Dad, Mom, I did not expect the jinx would do this to us.¡± The Langs were displeased to hear that, especially Donna. She sighed and said, ¡°She is your daughter after all. She would not be that foolish even if she is dumb.¡± It was an interestingment. ¡°Mom, stop sighing. Think of something.¡± Korbin¡¯s money and men were taken away. With her husband¡¯s perished, her wealthy life would end. The jinx hated her and would never let her off. Rachael knew this well. Enzo¡¯s expression turned stern upon seeing Rachael so anxious. He red at her and reprimanded her. ¡°Why are you so anxious? Nothing serious has happened. I have taught you to be calm. Have you forgotten it?¡± After Rachael got scolded, she stopped whining. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you look for Adrien?¡± Enzo red at his daughter. His son and daughter had inherited his wife¡¯s character and did not inherit his thinking capability. ¡°You are muddle-headed. Have you not seen the situation?¡± Rachael looked at her father in a daze, not knowing why her father said so. Enzo red at Rachael. ¡°Do you think I did not look for Adrien? ¡°Think about the consequences of me looking for him.¡± After remaining silent for a few seconds, Rachael realized what he meant. She lifted her head in shock. ¡°Dad, do you mean Adrien is helping that jin?¡± Then, Rachael felt something was off, and she quickly denied it. ¡°It is impossible. They don¡¯t know each other. Adrien would never help that jinx.¡± Enzo sighed and froze. His words were so nice initially but crooked because of his emotions. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of sympathy or some other reason we don¡¯t know.¡± He had the same thoughts as his daughter. It was bizarre and impossible. They did not seem like they knew each other. Just like Adrien knew Enzo well, Enzo knew his foster son, too. He had paid him a few visits. If Adrien intended to help, he would not stand by and do nothing. He agreed to help a few times, then did nothing about it. That exined everything. Upon hearing her father¡¯s exnation, Rachael was still puzzled. ¡°Sympathy? Why would Adrien feel sympathy for that girl?¡± The girl seemed still puzzled, and Enzo was toozy to exin more. When his daughter decided to send her daughter to the countryside, he tried to stop her. It was cruel. Even if the kid was a jinx, it was inappropriate to abandon her. He would rather keep the kid in the Langs and did not want his daughter to bear the name of a cruel mother. But his daughter refused to listen. She did what she wanted, like a lunatic. Enzo remembered Adrien returning from the military and was shocked to hear this. He even questioned him. ¡°Why is she treating a baby so cruelly?¡± Maybe from that day on, Adrien began to feel sympathy for that girl. Enzo was almost in his seventies yet still looked young and healthy. Those who did not know him would think he was only in his sixties. Rachael resembled Enzo¡¯s appearance. He had more temperament than his daughter and looked like an intellectual. He spoke slowly but was firm. ¡°You did not only give birth to Catherine. Can¡¯t you think of something else when your husband is useless?¡± Rachael retorted, ¡°What if I give birth to some other kids? Johnny is somewhere else. We don¡¯t even know how he is now.¡± Only when talking about Johnathan would Rachael show her motherly side. She was concerned and worried about him. Mentioning her daughter would only make her reveal a disdainful expression. She would mock and insult her. ¡°Jonathan is unreliable. How could I depend on Liana? She needed my help more than I needed hers.¡± Rachael had just finished her words, and her father red at her, disappointed. She was rmed and realized what he meant. ¡°Dad, do you mean Audrey?¡± She had forgotten another daughter she had given birth to. It was another daughter she cared less, Audrey. Enzo said calmly, ¡°Since something serious like this happened, she had to help her parents.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. After Enzo spoke, Donna realized what he meant and leaned toward her daughter. ¡°Rachael, Audrey does have a good rtionship with Catherine, doesn¡¯t she? Why don¡¯t you do as your father says and look for her? It might work.¡± Since her parents had given her a solution, Rachael knew what to do. Catherine had been nice to Audrey. If she went to Audrey, she might get what she wanted. Rachael got up anxiously. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯ll leave first!¡± Enzo looked at his daughter, leaving hastily, and frowned. She was not mature at all. It was their critical moment in just half a month, and everyone was preparing for it. Unlike other kids who were revising, Catheriney on the table drowsily. She squinted her eyes and looked ahead. Ronin knew Catherine was spacing out when she was like that. Catherine was different from others. Others needed deep sleep to rest and rx. However, Catherine could stop thinking and adjust her body and mind into sleep mode. It was how she rested. She could maintain herself in this state for days. Ronin moved his chair closer to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I heard you taught Korbin a lesson and guarded the Swanns, preventing him from leaving. Is that true?¡± He always felt Catherine had been too kind toward that head of the Swanns. However, they were indeed blood- rted. So, she naturally would show mercy. But he did not expect Catherine to be so decisive and cut off everything Korbin had. That was pleasing to know. Catherine remained in azy state as she looked at Ronin. ¡°Why are you so chatty and talk so much nonsense?¡± That shut Ronin up as he retreated while gesturing to zip his lips. He did not dare to ask more. Chapter 461 Picking Her Up Chapter 461 Picking Her Up Ronin had just left when Liana suddenly came over. She stood in front of Catherine with her head up and chest straight, her gaze coldly looking at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I need to talk to you!¡± Catherinezily rested her head on the table, motionless. Ronin gave Liana a disdainful nce. He wondered why Catherine and Liana were so different even though they were obviously siblings. Liana and Catherine were naturally iparable, as they could not bepared on the same level. Butpared to Audrey, Liana was still far inferior. Obviously, they were all born to the same parents. Why were they so different? ¡°Liana, can¡¯t you see that Catherine is resting? You are really stupid. Hurry up and stay wherever you should stay.¡± Ronin¡¯s incessant chatter made Liana frown. She didn¡¯t want to get into it with Ronin, but he kept chattering, and Liana couldn¡¯t bear it. She tilted her head toward Ronin and gave him a fierce re. ¡°Can you be a little cultured? Did I talk to you? Do you have to keep chattering non-stop?¡± Facing the annoyed Liana, Roninughed smugly, looking at Liana with a flirtatious meaning all in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not cultured? ¡°Haha¡­ You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not cultured. In front of ady from a wealthy family like Miss Liana, I do look uncultured. However, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because there are many deaf people in the wealthy family or what. Obviously, no one here wants to pay attention to you, but you appear so deaf and still stay here cheekily. ¡°Now, I understand that this is called ¡® cultured¡¯!¡± Liana couldn¡¯t argue with Ronin, and her face turned red with anger. She could not deal with Ronin and could only go to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, will you just let Ronin humiliate me like this? Is this what you want? ¡°You¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, Catherine suddenly looked up. Her icy, cold eyes fell straight on Liana. With a cold and domineering look in her sharp gaze, Catherine frightened Liana so much that she froze on the spot, unable to speak. Catherine frowned impatiently and responded to Lianazily, ¡°Did I ask you to stay here?¡± Ronin, who was sitting by the side, immediately chimed in, ¡°Yes, you even dare to me Catherine. It¡¯s clearly you who stay here cheekily, disturbing Catherine¡¯s rest. ¡°Miss, the exams areing up. Can you please not disturb others¡¯ studies? Can¡¯t you see that Catherine is still meditating? ¡°Just leave and get lost, okay?¡± Liana initially approached Catherine to talk about family matters, but she didn¡¯t expect that to happen. However, she no longer wanted to talk to Catherine about it anymore. She felt that Catherine was deliberately humiliating her, giving her no chance to speak up. This jinx was really disgusting. Shepletely hated Catherine now. She stared fiercely at Catherine, her eyes filled with hatred. ¡°Hmph, continue your meditation. I¡¯ll see how well you can do in the exams then!¡± A person who hadn¡¯t studied for over half a month still wanted to do well in the exams? Liana didn¡¯t believe Catherine had the strength. Liana left in a fit of anger after she said those harsh words. Roninughed proudly. Liana seemed to be unable to understand normalmunication, so he had to use this method to drive her away. ¡°Catherine, do you think Liana would do something bad behind our back? How about I arrange for someone to teach her a lesson?¡± It was too easy to deal with Liana. It was just a matter of whether or not it was necessary. Catherine waved her hand casually and refused Ronin¡¯s proposal. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the ability!¡± She knew Liana¡¯s intentions. Liana might have received rumors about Korbin¡¯s funds, so she came to question her. Unexpectedly, Liana didn¡¯t even have the chance to bring it up because of Ronin¡¯s stir-up. Catherine had said long ago that for Vicente¡¯s sake, as long as Liana behaved herself, she could continue to be the wealthydy of the Swanns, enjoying everything she currently had. However, if Liana didn¡¯t behave herself and ruined her own future, she could only have herself to me. As soon as school ended, Ronin quickly picked up his small backpack and approached Catherine¡¯s side with an attentive face. ¡°Catherine, let me drive you back!¡± After saying that, he didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°I drove my car today. I didn¡¯t ride a bike!¡± Catherine braced herself on the table with one hand, her eyes casually falling on Ronin. ¡°Do you have a driver¡¯s license?¡± Ronin proudly took out his driver¡¯s license from his pocket and waved it in front of Catherine. ¡°When you went out on businessst month, I took my driving tests. I passed all the tests in one go. It¡¯s awesome, right?¡± Looking at Ronin¡¯s striking face, Catherine¡¯s emotions toward him changed slightly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s awesome.¡± ¡°Come on, Catherine. I¡¯ll drive you back!¡± Ronin was so active that Catherine had no intention of rejecting him. The two of them walked toward the school gate together. Just as they arrived at the school gate, Ronin suddenly stopped, and his face darkened, looking very gloomy. Sensing something strange, Catherine followed Ronin¡¯s gaze. The familiar ck Maybach caught Catherine¡¯s attention, and the corners of her eyes unconsciously rose a little. Ronin felt like a doormat, looking at Catherine in anger. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re not going to take my car, right?¡± Catherine nced at him, indicating with her eyes that he was fully aware. Ronin was so angry that he wanted to hit someone and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Catherine, didn¡¯t you say that guy hurt himself all over? How could he still have the strength toe out?¡± ¡°How should I know?¡± Catherine shrugged and approached the car. Branden had hurt himself all over and almost couldn¡¯t get out of bed. However, this did not prevent him much from looking for Catherine. His wound had opened up again yesterday after he forcefully carried Catherine back from the Swanns¡¯. When Catherine discovered it, she scolded him, and he was obedient. Initially, Catherine thought he would recuperate at home quietly, and Ronin also thought so, or else he wouldn¡¯t have driven to school specifically. He had nned to drive Catherine home during Branden¡¯s recovery period personally. Unexpectedly, the persistent Branden still showed up. When the car door opened, Catherine saw the man sitting in the car. Changing from his usual rigorous attire, the man wore a set of home clothes today, catching Catherine¡¯s eye. The man took the initiative to exin without waiting for Catherine to speak. ¡°Look, Kathy. I had a good rest. I¡¯ve been lying in bed all day today, and my wounds are almost healed.¡± Catherine, who had been thinking about how to teach Branden another lesson and make him remember the lesson well, immediately dispelled this idea. She bent down and sat in the car. Branden reached out to take her backpack skillfully, kneading her hand gently, and his movements were skilled and natural, as if he had made these movements a thousand times. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯ve arranged for a chef to make you dinner at home. Shall we go back for dinner tonight?¡± Branden looked at Catherine inquiringly, his deep eyes filled with anticipation. Initially, he nned to cook on his own, but due to Catherine¡¯s warning, he had to hire a chef. He didn¡¯t really want Catherine to go to a restaurant for meals. There were too many people who loved to pester his girl, so he had to hide her well. The simple life made Catherine feel veryfortable, and she nodded in agreement. The man immediately and cheerfully informed the driver in front of him to drive, and his smile was particrly contagious, causing Catherine¡¯s mouth to curl up uncontrobly.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 462 She Saw Through Her Thoughts Chapter 462 She Saw Through Her Thoughts Audrey suspected something was wrong with her eyes when she saw the butler appear on the set. The butler bowed respectfully to Audrey. ¡°Miss Audrey, Mrs. Swann wants to see you.¡± Audrey froze momentarily, then stood up and looked at the butler with wide eyes and a face full of disbelief. ¡°My mom is here?¡± The butler nodded slightly, signaling Audrey. ¡°Please follow me!¡± Seeing this scene, the surrounding staff stopped their movements and focused on Audrey. They had long heard that Audrey had a profound background. Once she debuted, the y she starred in was famous, and her target partner was either a popr star or a top-level star. She had a promising future. They finally saw the truth today. Audrey was indeed ady from a wealthy family, and even the butler from her family was so imposing. Audrey nced at Kim standing aside, and Kim immediately followed. But the next second, Kim was stopped by the butler. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. Mrs. Swann only wants to see Miss Audrey!¡± Undoubtedly, he was the butler from a wealthy family, and even Kim, who had seen the world, had to give in in front of him. In order not to cause trouble, Audrey could onlypromise. ¡°Kim, please help me tell the director that I need to take half a day off.¡± She then followed the butler and left. A top-notch RV was parked in the open space at the entrance of the set. It was a film and television base, and many famous movie stars shot there, so it was unsurprising to see luxury vehicles there. Audrey, however, instantly recognized that it was one of her mother¡¯s vehicles. She didn¡¯t know the purpose of her mother¡¯s visit this time. Before, every time her mother had something, she would call her and ask her to go back to the Swanns. Audrey had never had the experience of her mothering to her in person. With an uneasy heart, Audrey slowly sat in the RV. Rachael sat elegantly in the RV, drinking coffee. Hearing the movement, she looked up calmly. Her stunning face was wearing exquisite makeup. It was as if time had forgotten her. She had already given birth to four children, but there was no sign of aging on her face, and she looked a dozen years younger than her actual age. ¡°Have a seat.¡± A simplemand instantly made Audrey straighten her waist and sit down demurely. Ever since Audrey was a child, her mother had felt that she wasn¡¯t as noble and imposing as Liana and that she did not have the wealthydy demeanor of Liana. When Audrey was a child, to gain her mother¡¯s attention, she would deliberately restrain herself to put on a wealthydy¡¯s demeanor at all times. Even now, in front of her mother, she couldn¡¯t help but straighten her back and did not dare to rx. Rachael red impatiently at Audrey. As for her eldest daughter, Audrey, Rachael had never liked her much, let alone that Audrey was now following Catherine, the jinx, to go against her, which made her deeply disgusted. If it weren¡¯t for her father¡¯s advice, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to go there. ¡°Audrey, I¡¯m here today to ask you to do your responsibilities as the big sister. You should advise Catherine to stop antagonizing us. ¡°Do you know what she has dely? She conspired with outsiders to seize the assets of the Swanns. Is this something that humans should do?¡± The more Rachael spoke, the more agitated she became. If it weren¡¯t for her constant cultivation that kept her alert to maintain her decorum, she would have begun to break into a tirade by now. Audrey looked at her mother in shock. She was indeed stunned for a moment. After that, she reacted and began shaking her head desperately. ¡°No, that¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Hearing Audrey¡¯s denial, Rachael¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How dare you speak for Catherine? Are you out of your mind?¡± Rachael was about to explode. She didn¡¯t know why she had given birth to these children to make herself suffer in the first ce. Looking at her angry mother, Audrey began to exin continuously. ¡°Mom, this must be a misunderstanding. How could Catherine possibly do such a thing? Absolutely impossible!¡± With things at this point and Audrey still defending Catherine, Rachael couldn¡¯t hold back and roared at Audrey, ¡°You¡¯re actually speaking for that jinx. Audrey, are you crazy?¡± Jinx! This wordpletely stung Audrey. She suddenly looked up at her mother with immense anger in her eyes. ¡°Mom, I am your daughter, and so is Catherine. What did she do wrong to bebeled as a jinx by you? ¡°Are there mothers in the world using insulting words to refer to their daughters?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Rachael widened her eyes instantly, her chest heaving up and down in anger, and her gaze became extremely sharp immediately. ¡°Are you all going against me? ¡°I¡¯m just here to ask you to fulfill your responsibilities as a big sister and give Catherine some advice. ¡°Audrey, weren¡¯t you very cultured before? Is this how you should treat your mother?¡± Looking at her mother, who was filled with righteous indignation and anger, Audrey was utterly disappointed. She didn¡¯t care about her mother¡¯s coldness toward her or mind her mother¡¯s preference for her younger siblings, but she couldn¡¯t ept her mother¡¯s humiliation of Catherine like this. After all, they were siblings from the same mother, and she knew in her heart what kind of person Catherine really was. There was no way she could advise her mother on her repeated mistakes, but she would not help her either. Audrey slowly stood up and bent down to bow to Rachael. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± After saying that, she didn¡¯t wait for Rachael to respond, and without hesitation, she opened the door and walked down. Rachael was so angry that she went berserk in public in the car, sweeping everything at hand to the floor and smashing them in a mess. In the evening, Audrey returned to the apartment from the set. As soon as she entered, she saw Catherine leaning on the couch, with a somewhat domineering posture, holding her phone in her hand while ying games. The ttering of firearms in the game filled the entire room. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, Catherine moved her gaze away from the screen and nced in Audrey¡¯s direction. Her gaze was light, but it gave Audrey an awkward feeling of being stripped off and watched on the spot. Fortunately, Catherine¡¯s gaze only lingered on her briefly and then moved away. Watching Catherine continue to y the game, Audrey breathed a sigh of relief secretly. After a long time of contemtion, Audrey finally sat next to Catherine. Catherine held her phone in her hand and moved her fingers quickly, manipting the buttons on the phone screen to eliminate the enemies urately in the game one by one. The game, which was still ten minutes away from ending, ended early under Catherine¡¯s frantic ughter. Once thest enemy died, Catherine threw her cell phone aside and raised her eyes toward Audrey. On her cold and delicate face, a pair of beautiful eyes were glittering with flowing light, shining exceptionally. ¡°If you have something to say, say it!¡± Audrey didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be able to see through her mind. She looked at Catherine with an awkward smile after a pause. ¡°Kathy, how did you know I have something to say?¡± Chapter 463 Monopolize the Property Chapter 463 Monopolize the Property Catherine nced at her with a cold expression of disdain. Her wise eyes seemed to tell Audrey, ¡± How can you fool me with your poor tricks?¡± Usually, as soon as Audrey returned, she would inevitably chatter incessantly and then copse on the couch, screaming andining for a while. As soon as she entered the door today, she had a worried and preupied expression and then slowly approached Catherine, sizing her up several times. Catherine wasn¡¯t blind or stupid, so how could she not notice it? Audrey timidly approached and told Catherine about Rachael¡¯s visit to her this afternoon. ¡°Kathy, do you have any misunderstandings with our family? Why did Mom say that you have joined hands with outsiders to snatch our family¡¯s money?¡± Catherine was not surprised that Rachael went to Audrey about this matter. After all, it was possible for Rachael to do such a thing when she was desperate. Catherine looked at Audrey with a rxed and leisurely expression. ¡± ording to her understanding, what she said was right.¡± Audrey was really shocked now. She rushed toward Catherine in a hurry. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Kathy, have you really taken action on the assets of the Swanns? What¡¯s going on? Did Dad bully you again?¡± Audrey¡¯s first thought was not that Catherine would embezzle these assets, as Rachael said. In her opinion, Catherine would only fight back after she was hurt. Catherine squinted her eyes slightly, sizing Audrey up with interest. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I¡¯m trying to monopolize all the money of the Swanns?¡± Anyway, the Swanns were considered one of the four wealthiest families in Casier, and the little bit of wealth they casually allocated was the money that many people had never been able to earn in their entire lives. Audrey shook her head without even thinking. ¡°No one can snatch my things away, and I won¡¯t snatch others¡¯ things. What Grandpa should have given me has already been given to me, and the rest is given to you by Grandpa. How you handle it is your business.¡± Most importantly, Audrey thought Catherine was exceptionally powerful. It was definitely not good to hand over the Swanns to her, but it was different to hand it over to Catherine. The stock price of the Swanns had recently skyrocketed, and even Kim came to inquire about it from her and asked if she had any internal information. This was all thanks to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, what¡¯s going on? If it¡¯s Dad and the others bullying you, you must tell me. I will help you!¡± Catherine initially didn¡¯t want to tell Audrey about this, but she changed her mind after hearing what Audrey said. She told Audrey about Korbin¡¯s transfer of the Swanns¡¯ property. After listening in confusion, Audrey thought for a long time before roughly understanding the situation. She was shocked by her father¡¯s actions and didn¡¯t expect him to do such a thing. ¡°Kathy, is Dad crazy? He¡¯s also a member of the Swanns. How could he do such a thing?¡± The Swanns had a century-old foundation, but their father¡¯s actions were undoubtedly ruining the Swanns. Catherine curled up her lips with a faint evil smile in her eyes. ¡°As long as the money is in his pocket, what does it matter if the Swanns¡¯s century-long glory is still there?¡± Most people were selfish and could do many unimaginable things for money. After listening to Catherine¡¯s description, Audrey suddenly understood why their grandfather did not leave the assets of the Swanns to their father, but rather to Catherine. Their grandfather was a wise man, and he knew his son very well. Their grandfather must have known that their father would do anything for profit. For the sake of the Swanns¡¯ century-old foundation, their grandfather entrusted Catherine with managing the Swanns¡¯ property. Audrey felt a little guilty when she thought that Catherine was younger than her but had to bear so much, and as the elder sister, she couldn¡¯t do anything to help. Audrey anxiously cautioned Catherine, ¡°Kathy, I think Dad and Mom won¡¯t stop. You¡¯d better be careful. If there¡¯s anything you want me to do, just let me know. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Hmph, even if they wouldn¡¯t stop, so what? Catherine had a cold and calm face. Korbin couldn¡¯t pose any significant threat to her now. ¡°You just focus on your filming and be at ease. I¡¯ll take care of the rest!¡± Audrey still wanted to say something, but when she looked up and saw Catherine¡¯s domineering and absolutely beautiful face, she silently closed her mouth. Since she couldn¡¯t help, she would listen to Catherine, who was never wrong. Rachael suffered setbacks from Catherine, and seeing that Audrey was also so disobedient, she immediately became furious. When she returned to the Swanns¡¯, she immediately instructed the people under hermand to ban Audrey. Since Audrey didn¡¯t listen to her, she would make Audrey pay the price for her disobedience. Rachael thought to herself, ¡°Even if I can¡¯t handle Catherine, can¡¯t I even handle Audrey?¡± Rachael had a dedicated secretary who was not only responsible for the business activities she usually attended but also helped her with some tasks. Rachael asked the secretary to investigate the situation of Audrey¡¯s agency and instructed the secretary to cancel all of Audrey¡¯s activities to ban Audrey from the entertainment industrypletely. Was it not easy for their Swanns to ban a person in the entertainment industry? The Swann Corporation invested in many advertisements yearly, supporting many celebrities who relied on endorsements for their livelihood so those agencies wouldn¡¯t dare to offend them. After hanging up the phone, Rachael¡¯s mood finally improved, with a cheerful smile. Since Audrey dared to go against her, Rachael would make Audrey return obediently and beg her to take her back. Then, she would let Audrey know what would happen when she did not listen to her parents. Ten minutester, the secretary called her back. Rachael answered the call elegantly and said coldly, ¡°Is everything done?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Swann!¡± The secretary¡¯s apologetic voice came from the other end of the line. Rachael¡¯s brows instantly tightened.¡± What¡¯s the situation?¡± The secretary said warily, ¡°Mrs. Swann, ording to our investigation, the boss behind Miss Audrey¡¯s agency has changed, and the other party is powerful. If we forcefully intervene, it may cause certain damage to us.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Rachael raised her volume, and her eyes became iparably sharp. Were there still people that their Swanns could not afford to offend in Casier? ¡°It¡¯s the heir of the Duncans, Branden! ¡°the secretary whispered in response to Rachael. The Swanns were remarkable in Casier, but there was still a big gappared to the huge Duncans. After understanding clearly who the opponent was, Rachael explodedpletely. She threw the phone in her hand and smashed it to the floor, shattering it into pieces. The Duncans would not protect Audrey without reason. Needless to say, it must be Catherine who was behind it. Catherine was really a jinx. She would not feel good before she ruined the Swanns. Chapter 464 The Kidnapping Chapter 464 The Kidnapping In the blink of an eye, it was exam time again. This test was a big deal for everyone. Even Bryan had been ordered to stay at home and hit the books. He couldn¡¯t even step outside. Ronin was feeling incredibly bored and decided to seek out Catherine. ¡± Catherine, not going to school is no fun at all. It¡¯s so dull.¡± To attend school, Ronin had delegated all the base matters and was now apanying Catherine as she studied. On regr days, he could banter with Bryan at school and y games with David, even when Catherine wasn¡¯t around. But now, with everyone busy revising for the exams and making that final push, there wasn¡¯t even someone to banter with. He found himself incredibly bored. Catherine had herptop on herp. She was engrossed in studying the data Rodge had sent her. She was conducting three-dimensional simtion tests to assess missile uracy. Unfortunately, Ronin was still chattering away nearby. It disrupted her peace. Suddenly, Catherine looked up with her cold gaze fixed on Ronin. ¡°They¡¯re all studying. Don¡¯t you think you should be too?¡± Ronin thought inwardly, ¡°Why bother studying?¡± That was what Ronin had initially intended to say, but when he encountered Catherine¡¯s cold stare, he nearly choked on his saliva. In his eyes, the big exam was just about scribbling a few words. Why bother with the hassle of studying? But with Catherine¡¯s sudden outburst, he realized he had no choice but to hit the books. In the previous moment, Ronin had beenining, but now he acted obediently. He didn¡¯t dare to disturb Catherine as she worked. ¡°Catherine, you keep working. I¡¯ll go back to studying.¡± Catherine nodded without lifting her head, and Ronin finally let go of his worries. With bated breath, he tiptoed away and ensured no disruption. With Ronin¡¯s departure, the room fell quiet. Catherine was deeply engrossed in her research. She stared at the rapidly changing numbers on her screen. It felt like an eternity had passed. If it weren¡¯t for the incessant buzzing of her phone ced nearby, Catherine wouldn¡¯t have even blinked. The ringing irritated her. With a furrowed brow, she picked up her phone. She intended to decline the call. However, when she saw the caller ID was Audrey, she finally answered. ¡°I¡¯m busy now. Speak quickly,¡± Catherine said coldly. Her cold words perfectly reflected her current state of mind. To her surprise, a strange man¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Audrey is in my hands. If you want to keep her safe, follow my instructions!¡± The call was abruptly disconnected after the stranger finished speaking. Catherine tried to call back. However, she received a text message from the stranger. [Don¡¯t call the police. Come alone, or else Audrey will be in a body bag!] The message included an address. After Catherine read the text message, a sardonic smile yed on her cold face. She thought the stranger was ying a kidnapping drama with her. It seemed like they thought they lived long enough. They were asking for trouble. Catherine skillfully dialed a number. She put the phone to her ear when it was answered. From Kim¡¯s tone on the other end, it was evident that he was surprised by Catherine¡¯s call. ¡°Catherine, why are you calling me all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Where is Audrey?¡± Catherine asked concisely in a cold tone. Her voice made Kim shiver all over. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Audrey too. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. She said she¡¯d be out for a bit, but she hasn¡¯t returned, and she¡¯s not answering her phone.¡± Maybe thinking he had beenining too much, Kim suddenly stopped his rambling and asked Catherine seriously, ¡°Do you need anything from her? Should I ry a message when shees back?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fine,¡± Catherine replied and immediately hung up. She hadn¡¯t told Kim about the possibility of Audrey being in trouble because involving more people would only increase Audrey¡¯s risk. The kidnapper had contacted Catherine directly, not Kim. It meant they were targeting Catherine, not Audrey. If that was the case, Catherine had to go alone. Catherine saved herputer data, picked up her jacket, and left the apartment. She grabbed her motorcycle from the garage and rushed to the address provided by the kidnapper. After she removed her helmet, her phone in her pocket began to ring. On Catherine¡¯s cold, stunning face, her sharp eyes narrowed slightly. With a smile in her eyes, she looked dangerous yet captivating. She answered the phone, and on the other end, the person with a mechanized voice told her an address and then hung up. Just as the kidnapper ended the call, Catherine¡¯s phone rang again. It was a call from Branden. After ncing at the time on her phone, Catherine assumed he was probably inviting her to dinner. Without hesitation, she hung up. She knew that someone was likely monitoring her every move in the shadows. For Audrey¡¯s safety, she needed toply with the kidnapper¡¯s instructions and avoid contacting anyone. After ending the call, Catherine revved her motorcycle once more and headed toward the location indicated by the kidnapper. She cooperated meticulously throughout the journey. After several location changes, Catherine finally arrived at an abandoned factory. There was no need to say it. This was the ce the kidnapper had demanded. After parking her motorcycle, Catherine strode confidently toward the abandoned factory. There was no sign of nervousness on her cold face. She pushed the factory door open forcefully. Behind it stood seven or eight men armed with weapons. They stared at Catherine with their cold, menacing eyes. The man at the forefront had a gruesome scar on his face that would unsettle most people. However, Catherine exuded a cold aura. She calmly stared at him. The scarred man examined Catherine and couldn¡¯t fathom why their boss had repeatedly emphasized caution. He thought Catherine was nothing more than a young girl. ¡°You¡¯re quite bold,ing here all alone. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± In response to his question, Catherine smirked with sarcasm. She replied, ¡°I came alone. Isn¡¯t that what you arranged?¡± ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got quite a sharp tongue, and you¡¯re fearless. I admire you.¡± The scarred man pointed at Catherine with appreciation in his eyes. Catherine came alone and disyed no fear on her face. She really had courage. Catherine had no time for small talk andzily said, ¡°Cut the chatter. State your terms.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. The scarred man was secretly taken aback. He initially thought Catherine was just bold, but how she carried herself seemed out of the ordinary. Thinking of the boss¡¯s instructions before they left, the scarred man didn¡¯t want to waste more time. ¡°Alright. You¡¯re straightforward, and I¡¯ll be straightforward, too. Come here and sign this document, and I¡¯ll release the person to you.¡± Chapter 465 The Scarred Man Chapter 465 The Scarred Man Catherine didn¡¯t even nce at the documents the kidnapper held. She had one request. ¡°I¡¯ll sign when I see her.¡± Catherine stood at the entrance of the factory. The afternoon sun cast a glow upon her, which made it impossible to discern her expression or features. However, she exuded an intense aura that was hard to ignore. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s demand, the scarred man sneered and squinted his eyes. He stared at Catherine with a malevolent look in his gaze. ¡°Kid, I¡¯ve got the upper hand now. You¡¯re no one to negotiate with me. ¡°Come over here and sign this obediently. I¡¯m giving you this opportunity because you¡¯ve got some guts left. Don¡¯t think just because you¡¯re a girl, I can¡¯t handle you.¡± The scarred man often enjoyed hunting in the mountains, but when he captured prey, he wouldn¡¯t immediately finish it off. Instead, he¡¯d give the prey a glimmer of hope and let it escape. When the prey believed it had escaped, he¡¯d recapture and kill it. He would make his prey experience the utmost despair before eventually dying in agony. To the scarred man, Catherine was now just like the prey he had recently captured. However, this was just the scarred man¡¯s imagination. After all, he was facing Catherine. Catherine idly yed with her fingers. She was thoroughly uninterested in the scarred man¡¯s nonsense. She remained calm and casually looked up, with her eyebrows slightly arched. ¡°Stop wasting time. If you¡¯re going to act, do it quickly!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± the scarred man chortled. He was taken aback by Catherine¡¯s confidence. He looked at Catherine mockingly and waved his hand toward the two henchmen behind him. Dealing with a girl like Catherine, he thought two of his men were overkill. His two henchmen rubbed their hands eagerly and stepped forward with smiles on their faces. They had been itching for Catherine for a while now. With her stunning face and attractive figure, she was extremely beautiful. She was even better than the top-notchdies from the high-end clubs. And she came from a wealthy family to boot. Catherine was so extraordinary. Just getting a touch would be a jackpot for them. They would have pounced long ago if their boss hadn¡¯t held them back. With excitement, the two men inched closer to Catherine. One of them couldn¡¯t resist reaching out a hand when he was just a step away from Catherine. But before his hand could touch Catherine¡¯s clothes, suddenly¡­ A gust of wind rushed in. The men couldn¡¯t quite grasp how Catherine moved so quickly, but he felt a powerful force pulling his body forward, and then he was sent sprawling. Then came two crisp snaps, and his forearm was twisted into an unnatural position. He didn¡¯t even have time to register the pain or scream. Catherine swiftly raised her leg and brought it down hard on the man¡¯s lower back. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A wretched scream followed, and the many writhing on the ground in agony. The force behind that kick was enough to leave him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. On the side, another henchman witnessed everything up close, leaving him petrified. He had been in the game for years and seen many tough folks, but never had he witnessed anything as terrifying as this. Moreover, Catherine was just a young girl. Catherinezily scrutinized the other henchman. She extended her hand and lightly beckoned him with her finger. The henchman screamed in fear and instinctively tried to retreat. Catherine lifted her foot and delivered a powerful kick, sending him flying through the air before crashing onto the ground. A loud thud followed as his massive body hit the ground. It caused a cloud of dust. The henchman struggled to get up and attempted to seek help from the scarred man. But as he opened his mouth, a surge of blood gushed from his lips. Then he copsed to the ground without lifting his head. The scarred man was sttered with hisrade¡¯s blood. He stood there in shock. He hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to be this formidable. At that moment, he finally understood why his boss had warned him to be cautious of Catherine. His grip on the small vial in his pocket tightened. With anxiety, he felt regret that he didn¡¯t use it. His boss had prepared a vial of special substance for him to deal with Catherine. By threatening her through Audrey, he¡¯d make Catherine take the substance and then have her sign the agreement. But upon seeing Catherine, he dismissed her as just a pretty girl. He thought his boss was overreacting and didn¡¯t follow the n. Now he realized his mistake. The scarred man turned around and saw his dozen or so henchmen behind him. They were all armed with weapons. He himself had a revolver holstered on his waist. With this kind of firepower, Catherine¡¯s strength was irrelevant. Thinking of this, the scarred man regained his confidence. He looked at his henchmen as he raised his arms and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go together! Once we finish her, we¡¯ll have a victory celebration tonight!¡± Motivated by the scarred man¡¯s call, the henchmen brimmed with enthusiasm. Catherine still maintained her indifferent posture. She was seemingly unimpressed with their numbers. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. But she thought the scarred man¡¯s decision was quite sensible. For Catherine, dealing with all of them at once was more efficient. With a thunderous roar, the henchmen charged forward and caused a cloud of dust. Catherine stood her ground and allowed them to approach. When a henchman swung a baseball bat at her head, she casually retaliated. She lifted her leg and delivered a swift kick to the henchman¡¯s head. With a side kick, the henchman holding the baseball bat went flying in an instant. Then Catherine grabbed another henchman. She seized his arm and struck his abdomen with her other hand. Her movements were swift and precise. She delivered a brutal blow. Coincidentally, the two individuals who were struck happened to be together, providing each other with somepany. In just a few short minutes, Catherine hadpletely dismantled the opposition. Their previously confident demeanor had crumbled under Catherine¡¯s blows. Now, they were filled with fear. The scarred man was stunned. He stood frozen and forgot to move. It wasn¡¯t until Catherine sent another henchman flying andnded right in front of him, emitting a deafening scream, that he snapped out of his stupor. In a frenzy, the scarred man hastily drew his revolver and trembled as he aimed it at Catherine. At that moment, the scarred man was wearing a self-satisfied grin. In his view, no matter how powerful Catherine¡¯s fists were, she couldn¡¯t withstand the cold bullets. No matter how good she was at fighting, she would still end up dead in his hands shortly. Catherine, who was in the midst of fighting, suddenly felt a chilling presence behind her. After she quickly turned her head, their gazes met. The scarred man hadn¡¯t anticipated Catherine to turn around at this critical moment. He was shocked by the look in Catherine¡¯s eyes. Her gaze was akin to a ck hole and seemingly capable of swallowing everything. It brimmed with an iprehensible and formidable power. After years in the game, he had lived through some seriously tough times. He had seen all kinds of tough folks, but it was the first time he¡¯d encountered someone with such an intense presence. The scarred man was stunned, and his hand paused. After just a briefpse of 0.01 seconds, the situation took aplete turn. Chapter 466 The Bullets Chapter 466 The Bullets Catherine moved swiftly. The weapon that had been tightly held by the scarred man was suddenly in Catherine¡¯s hand. The scarred man was genuinely shocked this time. He instinctively examined his palm. He flipped it back and forthically and ludicrously. Before he could see how Catherine managed to touch his hand, Catherine had already snatched the weapon away from him. He thought Catherine must not be ordinary. Her speed was beyond human capabilities. As the scarred man stared at Catherine, his pupils dted. His eyes were filled with not just fear but also confusion and bewilderment. Catherine toyed with the scarred man¡¯s weapon in her hand for a moment. Then she sneered. It was just an outdated relic from thest century, and this man had the audacity to y with it. He was not even afraid of being ridiculed. Catherine suddenly pulled the trigger. The scarred man¡¯s eyes widened, and his face instantly turned pale. He had a hunch that his life was about to end at that very moment. His focus was entirely on Catherine, and he had even forgotten how to call for help. However, what happened next left the scarred man even more surprised. It was just like how he initially wanted to toy with Catherine. Catherine didn¡¯t immediately harm him. The scarred man¡¯s gun was rotated twice in Catherine¡¯s hand and thenpletely disassembled into individualponents. That was truly impressive. The scarred man had seen skilled marksmen, even experts who could disassemble and reassemble guns blindfolded. But someone like Catherine, who disassembled the weapon with one hand while rapidly spinning it, was something he had never witnessed before. At that moment, the scarred man suddenly realized he had provoked someone extraordinary. Catherine held seven bullets she had disassembled from the firearm and waved them in front of the scarred man. Her eyes shifted, and she cast a cold, disdainful nce at the scarred man before uttering three words in a chilling tone. ¡°Where is she?¡± The scarred man had been in this game for many years and had grown indifferent to life and death. While he was fearful, he didn¡¯t reveal his boss¡¯s secrets. Their boss had leverage over them. Their own life was expendable, but they couldn¡¯t jeopardize their families. ¡°If you want to kill me, then do it, but you¡¯ll never find out where she is. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°With my lowly life, I¡¯ll kill a rich youngdy. I¡¯ve won¡­¡± Catherine sneered. She couldn¡¯t help but admire the scarred man. Even in such a dire situation, he dared to talk tough. She asked only once and wouldn¡¯t ask again if there was no response. The scarred man observed the eerie smile on Catherine¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t press him further, nor did she threaten him with any harsh words. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a shiver down his spine. The more silent she became, the more it indicated trouble. As he watched Catherine approach with the disassembled bullets in her hand, he felt an inexplicable sense of danger. He panicked and stared at Catherine. He involuntarily tried to step back. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Catherine held a bullet between her fingers. She spun it before pressing it against the scarred man¡¯s cheek. With astonishing force, Catherine embedded the bullet into his cheek. It caused blood to spray directly onto Catherine¡¯s fair face. It was such a gruesome sight, and she didn¡¯t even blink. The scarred man writhed in agony and screamed wildly, but it was futile. To prevent him from struggling, Catherine had tied his hands and feet, rendering any movement a luxury. Catherine had no intention of stopping. With bullets one after one, the torment continued. The pain was unbearable. It was worse than death. The scarred man would rather she had put him out of his misery with a single shot. Catherine picked up another bullet. This time, it was aiming for the scarred man¡¯s eye. This time, the scarred man¡¯s lifeless eyes came to life. His instincts kicked in, and he could no longer endure the excruciating pain. He began to beg Catherine, and his voice was hoarse and desperate. ¡°I was wrong. It was my mistake. I should never have offended you. Please¡­¡± Due to the continuous sttering of blood, Catherine¡¯s once cold and elegant face was now stained with blood. It created a stark contrast to her fair skin. With her aloof demeanor, the blood added a hint of bewitching charm and made her presence even more formidable. The scarred man¡¯s plea didn¡¯t make Catherine stop. She continued to approach with the bullet aimed at the scarred man¡¯s eye. Seeing that she was about to drive the bullet into his eye, the scarred man couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He surrendered. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you! Just please give me a quick death!¡± Catherine halted her actions and gave the scarred man a cold, piercing look. The scarred man didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly pointed toward a small room upstairs. ¡°She¡¯s up there. We haven¡¯tid a finger on her. You can trust us.¡± Catherine roughly dropped the scarred man to the ground and ascended the rickety stairs to the second-floor room. The room was dimly lit, with only a small window providing a faint light source. Catherine, with her exceptional eyesight, immediately spotted Audrey in a corner. Audrey¡¯s hands and feet were bound. She leaned weakly to one side with her head drooping, which suggested she had been drugged. Catherine approached Audrey and untied her. Then she gave Audrey a sharp pinch on the philtrum. The intense stimtion made Audrey regain consciousness slowly. She opened her eyes and saw Catherine crouching in front of her. Her eyes widened instantly. She opened her mouth and shouted, ¡°Kathy, run! I¡¯ll cover you. Hurry¡­¡± Catherine was momentarily puzzled by Audrey¡¯s strange behavior, but then she realized and smiled slightly. ¡°Audrey, why are you still smiling? Don¡¯t you realize we¡¯re in trouble?¡± Midway through her sentence, Audrey suddenly noticed something and rushed forward. ¡°Kathy, what happened to your face? Why is it covered in blood? Did those kidnappers hurt you?¡± Her voice choked as she spoke, and tears welled in her eyes. Facing such an endearing sister, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but feel a little helpless. She casually wiped the blood off her face with her hand. ¡°Look closely. This is someone else¡¯s blood, not mine.¡± Even though Catherine exined, Audrey still couldn¡¯t rx. She rushed forward and gently touched Catherine¡¯s cheek to make sure there were no wounds. After that, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer. She cried out, ¡°You scared me. I thought they disfigured you!¡± Catherine was so beautiful. It would have been a shame if anything had happened to her face. Catherine pulled Audrey to her feet. ¡± Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± Audrey was surprised. She asked, ¡± Kathy, are we just leaving like this? What about those kidnappers? What if they catch us again?¡± Her words were overflowing, and if Audrey wasn¡¯t her sister, Catherine might have silenced her for good. Then Catherine dragged Audrey downstairs. Audrey couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she saw the chaotic scene below. ¡°Kathy, look at this!¡± Chapter 467 Catherine Got Hurt Chapter 467 Catherine Got Hurt Audrey was so shocked when she saw the kidnappers below, who were lying in all sorts of postures and asionally screaming in pain, that her eyes were almost popping out of her sockets. She had intended to pull Catherine to watch it together but found that Catherine had already headed toward the kidnappers. Worried that Catherine might encounter any mishap, Audrey quickly caught up with her. ¡°Be careful, Kathy!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t pay attention to Audrey babbling behind her. Her gaze urately fell on the table ahead. The papers on the table were exactly the ones the kidnappers used to threaten Audrey into signing. Catherine casually picked up the document and nced at it. When she saw the huge title on the document cover, a smug smile appeared in her eyes. Seeing her expression so weird, Audrey felt really strange. ¡°Kathy, what do you have in your hand? Catherine casually waved her hand and smoothly ced the document into Audrey¡¯s hands. She then nodded and gestured for Audrey to look at it herself. With a heart full of doubts, Audrey flipped through the document. The moment she opened it, she was blown away by the contents of the file. The title was Share Transfer Agreement. The contents of the document surprisingly requested that Catherine give up her current shares in the Swann Corporation, with the beneficiary being their father, Korbin Swann. Audrey immediately grasped what had happened here, even though she might have seemed foolish. After she received a phone call from her family, she was kidnapped and taken away shortly after leaving the film set. Then Catherine appeared in this abandoned factory and managed to rescue her in front of so many kidnappers. Audrey¡¯s eyes instantly turned red as she looked at the document in her hand. Although she knew the truth in her heart, she still refused to believe it. She lifted her head and fixed her bright red eyes on Catherine, wanting to figure everything out. ¡°Kathy, how could he do this? We¡¯re both his daughters. As the saying goes, the most ferocious animal wouldn¡¯t eat its own cubs. How could he do such a thing?¡± Audrey never imagined she would be kidnapped by her father one day. The most terrible thing was that her father¡¯s kidnapping of her was actually to use her as a threat to her sister to achieve his selfish goals. When faced with Audrey¡¯s painful questioning, Catherine didn¡¯t utter a single word. A thinyer of coldness was increasingly covering her exquisite and stunning face, and the indifference in her beautiful eyes was also bing deeper. For money and power, many people were even willing to sell their own souls. Nothing was surprising about this. Catherine had seen the darkest side of humanity and had long turned a blind eye to it. Audrey was still trapped in her father¡¯s selfishness and couldn¡¯t ept everything she knew. Catherine also got lost in her memories because of the questioning from Audrey. Neither noticed that the scarred man behind had quietly gotten up and was now holding a short knife, waiting for his chance. Seeing Catherine with her back facing him, the scarred man felt that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He hated Catherine! He had never been treated this way by anyone in his whole life. Whenever he got the chance, he would definitely make Catherine suffer. Seizing the opportunity, the scarred man lunged forward brutally, aiming to deliver a single decisive blow. When the opponent approached, Catherine sensed something was wrong, so she looked back and found that the scarred man was counterattacking. The distance between the two was too close for Catherine to react, so she could only take a step back to create some space before striking the scarred man fiercely. Seeing that he didn¡¯t manage to harm Catherine on the first attempt, the scarred man desperately swung his knife again to stab her without hesitation. Catherine calmly waited for the scarred man¡¯s approach. She was already prepared and on guard. The scarred man¡¯s intentions to harm her were simply a delusion. However, none had anticipated that Audrey would alsoe to her senses at the same time. As she saw the scarred man intending to harm Catherine, all in her mind was a single thought. ¡°Kathy must not be harmed. I absolutely cannot let her get hurt,¡± she said inwardly. ¡°Kathy, run now!¡± Audrey lunged forward directly as if she was going to push Catherine away. This unexpected turn of events caught Catherine off guard. She had been used to being alone for many years. Even if special tasks required her to take people out, those people were all high-level experts inbat. Usually, everyone minded their own business and had no habit of helping others. Initially, she didn¡¯t give a damn about the scarred man because she knew he couldn¡¯ty a finger on her. But then, she didn¡¯t expect to run into a wild card like Audrey. When the scarred man saw Audrey rush toward him, he pointed the tip of his knife toward her and stabbed it fiercely. ¡°Anyway, between the two sisters, one must inevitably be hurt in order to break even,¡± he thought. As Catherine watched Audrey about to be injured, she swiftly reached out and pulled Audrey back with one hand. To prevent the knife from cutting Audrey¡¯s face, Catherine instinctively shielded it with her hand. The razor-sharp de sliced Catherine¡¯s arm, leaving arge wound with blood sttering. Catherine¡¯s reaction was extremely quick. After saving Audrey, she swiftly turned around and delivered a powerful kick, sending the scarred man flying. The scarred man was kicked away by Catherine and fell hard to the ground, unable to stand up again. Audrey was so scared that she didn¡¯t have time to think much. Catherine¡¯s blood had sttered on her face just now. She knew that Catherine must have been hurt. When she lowered her head, she noticed the huge gash on Catherine¡¯s arm. She was so scared that her whole body trembled, and her voice choked up as she spoke. ¡°Kathy, you got hurt! There¡¯s so much blood. ¡°How am I supposed to deal with this?¡± Audrey was freaking out, and her mind was a mess. She instinctively reached out to cover the wound on Catherine¡¯s arm with her hands. The wound was too severe, and the blood couldn¡¯t be stopped. Fresh blood kept flowing non-stop, driving Audrey to the brink of panic. However, Catherine remained calm as if nothing had happened, prompting Audrey to yell at her in frustration. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Kathy, what¡¯s the deal with you? If you¡¯re in pain, just cry out. If that doesn¡¯t work, shout a little. I¡¯m so scared to see you like this.¡± Catherine stood motionless, her gaze icy cold. This demeanor left Audrey uncertain about what to do. ¡°Cry?¡± thought Catherine. In her memory, she never cried. She slowly lifted her gaze, and her cold eyes fell on Audrey¡¯s panicked and distorted face. ¡°What¡¯s the point of making a fuss about such a minor injury?¡± Catherine¡¯s in tone was like a needle poking into Audrey¡¯s heart, making it so painful that she couldn¡¯t even breathe. She recalled when Johnathan identally tripped at the stairway and scraped his knee. That brat was crying in such an exaggerated way, like he wanted the whole world to know how badly he had fallen. Finally, Korbin had to personally intervene and coax the little brat into calming down. Rachael was so upset that she fired the two maids caring for Johnathan. Plus, she went ahead and changed the entire building¡¯s staircase and even got an all- wool carpet custom-made from abroad to cover all of the stairs. It was ridiculous how much effort Rachael put into for just a little skin scrape while Catherine barely batted an eye at such a severe injury. Thinking of all this, Audrey felt even more heartbroken for Catherine. ¡°Kathy, we¡¯re going to the hospital. I will take you to the hospital!¡± Audrey was anxiously dragging Catherine to leave. With a cold look in her eyes, Catherine casually nced at her arm and watched as the fresh blood continued to flow. Without much thought, she tore her T-shirt and used it as a makeshift bandage to wrap around her arm. The blood stopped gushing as if on cue, but the wound still looked pretty creepy with the mix of red and white. Catherine nned on ignoring it, but Audrey kept insisting. When Catherine saw Audrey¡¯s swollen eyes, which were as big as two walnuts, she silently decided not to argue anymore and let Audrey make all the decisions. ¡°Just go to the hospital already,¡± she said inwardly. Chapter 468 Courage Chapter 468 Courage At Casier Hospital. The car hadn¡¯t evene to a halt when the man impatiently pushed the door open and got out of the car quickly. As soon as he got off, he immediately stretched his legs and strode toward the hospital. Hurriedly, Paxton got out of the passenger seat and followed closely behind. Triston also followed them as he happened to be hanging out with Branden today. Ten minutes ago, Branden got a call from Audrey. During the phone call, Audrey informed him that Catherine had been injured and was in the hospital. Branden immediately left behind the negotiation with the oil prince who had traveled from the Middle Estria and hurried to the hospital. Everyone was on edge right now, not knowing the actual condition of Catherine. On the phone, Audrey was crying and couldn¡¯t speak properly. She just kept emphasizing for Branden toe quickly. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Branden didn¡¯t say anything but just got up and left. If something were to happen to Catherine, he might probably overthrow the entire city of Casier. The sound of hurried footsteps messed up the peacefulness in the treatment room. Catherine was already getting a headache from Audrey¡¯s nagging. Hearing these hurried footsteps just made her frown even more. She looked up toward where the sound came from and saw Branden hurrying in. As soon as Branden walked in, his gaze was fixed on Catherine. At the next moment, his gaze shifted to Catherine¡¯s injured arm. The sight of bright red and fresh blood caused a sharp sting in his eyes. Instantly, his handsome face darkened, and the surrounding vibe plummeted in the blink of an eye. Branden suppressed the emotions about to explode inside him and spoke in a low voice. ¡°What the heck is going on here?¡± He went straight up and stood next to Catherine. Before Catherine could say a word, the doctor on the side spoke up first. ¡°Are you the patient¡¯s family member? Please wait outside, as we are about to perform a stitching procedure. You are not allowed to be here!¡± Branden suddenly lifted his head, casting a cold gaze at the doctor. The gaze scared the doctor so much that he trembled all over. He had been in the profession for many years and had never seen such terrifying eyes. As soon as he picked up the forceps, they fell instantly, causing his shoulders to shake in shock. Upon seeing this scene, the hospital director, Rhys, was almost frightened to his knees. He quickly went forward, pulled the doctor behind him, and respectfully bowed to Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, sorry for the inconvenience. This doctor doesn¡¯t know you. Apologies, and please forgive us.¡± At that moment, Branden¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t contain anything else. His gaze was tightly fixed on Catherine, with a hint of sorrow revealed. Catherine observed all of this. Seeing the foolish demeanor of Branden, she couldn¡¯t help but find it somewhat amusing. She casually sized him up with a rxed posture and joked, ¡°Are you going to handle the wound, or do you want my blood to run dry?¡± The simple sentence instantly calmed down the man who was on the verge of erupting like a volcano. Branden turned around to look at Rhys, who was standing behind him. He ordered with a very serious expression, ¡°Arrange the best doctor with excellent skills immediately. Ensure no scars and minimal pain.¡± When Rhys saw the hot-tempered big shot being so anxious and caring for someone else for the first time, he immediately knew how important that wounded woman was, so he didn¡¯t dare to dy even for a moment. Rhys cautiously lifted his head and nervously looked at Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Dr. Pierce Presley here is the best surgeon in our hospital. His suturing skills are amazing. And if we use scar-removing medicine afterward, I guarantee there won¡¯t be any scars left.¡± Pierce just got scared really badly by Branden and was too chicken even to step forward now. ¡°Here was the renowned Casier Hospital, which could be ranked as one of the best hospitals in the whole country. ¡°The person before me could earn the director¡¯s respect and was politely addressed as ¡®Mr. Duncan.¡¯ He must be none other than the heir of the Duncans, Branden Duncan. ¡°I just yelled at him so loudly. It will be questionable whether I can continue to stay in Casier. ¡°If I identally offend him, my life might even be in danger,¡± he said inwardly. After taking on such a thorny issue, Pierce found himself in a dilemma where he couldn¡¯t express his bitterness. Branden was very aware that Rhys would never dare to deceive him. At present, there was no time to seek a better doctor. Branden could only follow the advice of Rhys and chose Dr. Presley. He took a step back voluntarily, making space and even speaking politely. ¡°Dr. Presley, would you please tend to my fianc¨¦e¡¯s wound?¡± A moment ago, he was acting like a demon, ready to devour people. Now, he had suddenly be so polite. Pierce almost couldn¡¯t react in time. It was only when Rhys nudged him that he snapped back to reality. After regaining hisposure, Pierce immediately stepped forward with respect. ¡°Mr. Duncan, it is my duty to treat the wound. I will definitely be cautious.¡± Standing on the side, Triston and the others were left dumbfounded as they watched the scene. ¡°Branden has always been high and aloof with an air of nobility. When did he ever lower himself like this? ¡°He¡¯s actually now being so polite to the doctor who had just yelled at him? And all because this doctor is about to perform surgery on Catherine. ¡°Unbelievable! It¡¯s seriously unbelievable. ¡°Whenever ites to anything rted to Catherine, Mr. Duncan¡¯s reaction is utterly different from before, ¡°they thought. Although Branden did not hinder him, let alone express any anger toward him, the mere presence of such a big shot beside him made Pierce¡¯s hands shake uncontrobly as if they were defiant. Initially, it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but it was made into such a big deal. Catherine didn¡¯t really like it. Now that she saw Pierce¡¯s reaction, Catherine¡¯s eyes instantly darkened. She raised her head and coldly ordered the man standing beside her like a pir, ¡°Get out. Wait outside!¡± Her tone gave both Pierce and Rhys a real shock. ¡°Mr. Duncan¡¯s fianc¨¦e has some serious guts to talk like that to such a big shot. Doesn¡¯t she even fear the big shot throwing a fit?¡± they thought. Both of them were secretly sweating for Catherine in their hearts. But to their utter surprise, Branden didn¡¯t eveny a finger on Catherine. Moreover, he had an eager look as he watched Catherine and instructed her affectionately, reluctant to part. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting at the door. Just call me if you need anything!¡± Seeing Branden obediently leaving, Pierce couldn¡¯t help but greatly admire Catherine from the bottom of his heart. To dare speak to Branden like this and to make him so obedient, there might be no one else in the entire city of Casier who could do it except for Catherine. Without the supervision of Branden, Pierce¡¯s hand became considerably steadier. Adding to her admiration for Catherine, he became more dedicated, and his actions became more precise. The wound was soon stitched uppletely. When stitching such arge wound, despite being under anesthesia, patients would usually experience excessive difort and even shout and scream due to psychological factors. However, Pierce noticed that Catherine didn¡¯t even furrow her brow throughout the entire process, which only furthered his respect for her. ¡°Indeed, the woman who could intimidate the big shot was truly something,¡± he said inwardly. Chapter 469 Inhumane Chapter 469 Inhumane When Catherine walked out of the treatment room after the wound stitching was done, a few people waiting outside immediately surrounded her. Leading the way was Branden, who gently avoided the wound on Catherine¡¯s arm and showed great concern on his face. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t worry too much about such a minor injury and calmly shook her head in response. Standing aside, Triston was more concerned with Audrey, whose eyes were swollen from crying. ¡°Weren¡¯t you shooting on set today? Why are you hanging out with Catherine now? Did you get hurt?¡± he asked. Faced with Triston¡¯s concern, Audrey didn¡¯t know how to answer him and could only keep shaking her head. Triston got so mad at her that he was about to have internal injuries. ¡°This girl never speaks her mind in an emergency and always ys dumb with me, which is quite interesting,¡± he thought. ¡°Did you hurt your tongue and can¡¯t talk now?¡± Audrey didn¡¯t know how to exin this situation to Triston. She didn¡¯t think anyone would believe it even if she said it. Which father in the world would use or even sacrifice his daughter to achieve his own goals? Realizing that he couldn¡¯t get answers from Audrey, Triston stopped asking her and turned his gaze to Catherine. It seemed that he could only get the answer from Catherine. Before Catherine could respond, a series of hurried footsteps could be heard. Paxton rushed over to Branden in a panic, pulled out something, and handed it over to him. ¡°Sir, everyone has been taken care of. We found this in the pocket of the leading scarred man.¡± Branden looked down and saw a small medicine bottle with a nkbel and no indication or description. But if it was something that Paxton brought personally, it couldn¡¯t be anything good. Branden was about to reach out, but Catherine was one step ahead and snatched it away. Paxton wanted to back off, but Catherine squinted her eyes at him. Upon seeing her look, Paxton immediately stepped back and did not dare to make any more moves. After grabbing the medicine bottle, Catherine directly opened it in front of everyone. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Branden tried to stop her, but it was already toote. Catherine crushed a small pill from the medicine bottle, then held it under her nose to sniff. The next moment, a slight smile appeared on her lips, eerie and wicked. On that delicate face, her charming eyes were as deep as the abyss. Suddenly, the atmosphere around her became tense. Even Audrey could tell that something was off with Catherine¡¯s mood. Moreover, all of this started with the medicine bottle held in Catherine¡¯s hand. She curiously stared at Catherine. ¡°Kathy, what kind of medication is this?¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond initially, but she figured it wouldn¡¯t necessarily be bad for Audrey to know some things, so she replied. ¡°A hallucinogenic drug that can mess with your mind!¡± Paxton added, ¡°With the dosage in this bottle, it¡¯s enough to be lethal!¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Audrey was shocked, her mouth agape. Even her footsteps became unstable. Her face turned pale instantly as if all the blood had drained away in the blink of an eye. On her pale little face, a pair of unbelievablyrge eyes stared lifelessly ahead while murmuring, ¡°How could it¡­ ¡°How could he¡­¡± Triston observed the state of Audrey and increasingly felt that something was amiss with her. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Audrey, what¡¯s going on with you? What on earth are you talking about?¡± Audrey could not listen to Triston¡¯s words, not even for a moment. Her head was a total mess, and she had no energy to think about anything else. She couldn¡¯t ept what she was seeing right now. It was just too cruel. She suddenly looked up at Catherine and said firmly, ¡°No, I have to see him in person. I want to ask him why he¡¯s treating me like this.¡± After saying that, Audrey stormed out like crazy. Catherine followed her closely. Letting Audrey go alone was like sending amb into the jaws of a tiger. When Triston saw the two suddenly run away, he impulsively started running after them but was blocked by Paxton¡¯s swift step. Triston stared at Paxton with a puzzled expression and asked, ¡°Why are you not helping me chase after them but blocking my way?¡± Paxton was like a dedicated guard, standing in front of Triston and blocking his way. Triston knew very well that Paxton wouldn¡¯t have acted like this without Branden¡¯s consent. He turned around and gave Branden a serious look. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? The two sisters are running out like this. One is weak, and the other one is injured. Aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡± He didn¡¯t believe that Branden was not worried. Everyone present knew how important Catherine was to Branden. Branden remained calm and stood aside, showing no intention of taking any action. This was an affair concerning the Swanns. Catherine didn¡¯t wish for them to interfere. Therefore, Branden would not go against her wishes. He nced at Paxton, who immediately exined the situation to Triston upon receiving the order. After listening to it, Triston was also shocked, staring at Branden in disbelief. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that old geezer Korbin Swann kidnapped Audrey and was using her as a tool to threaten Catherine? ¡°How is this even possible? They¡¯re both the Swanns¡¯ biological daughters! ¡°Triston scoffed sarcastically, unwilling to believe everything he had heard. Paxton was staring at Triston with a serious look. His eyes said it all. These were all true stories, not made up. Having grown up listening to the internal struggles of wealthy families, Triston found it hard to believe when he received this news. He finally got why Audrey got bullied yet hesitated to name the culprit. Finally, he understood why Audrey reacted so excessively upon learning what was inside that medicine bottle. Now, everything was understandable. ¡°Korbin is terrifying! He not only disowns his own family but can even harm his daughter when he gets ruthless. ¡°He¡¯s simply inhumane,¡± thought Triston. Once he found out about all of this, he began freaking out even more. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go together! That old geezer is capable of doing something like this. If they go now, they¡¯re walking into a lion¡¯s den, right?¡± Ever since Paxton discovered Catherine¡¯s multiple identities, he had never dared to underestimate her even a little bit. Deep down, he was filled with admiration for her. After hearing what Triston said, he gave Triston a cold nce and asked coldly, ¡°But can you do better than Miss Swann? ¡°Are you more of a brawn or a brainpared to her?¡± It was a simple question, but it made Triston so mad that his face darkened. He looked up at Paxton with an angry expression and red. ¡°Hey, kid, your boss hasn¡¯t even spoken yet. What are you trying to boss around for?¡± Paxton¡¯s face was full of disdain. ¡°Once my boss speaks, do you think you¡¯ll still have a chance to stand?¡± Triston was left at a loss for words. ¡°Fine! You won!¡± he said inwardly. Chapter 470 Outright Confrontation Chapter 470 Outright Confrontation At the Swanns¡¯. Upon hearing the urgent doorbell, the servants quickly went to open the door. After opening the door, they finally saw who it was, but before they could even say hello, the visitor pushed them aside. Audrey angrily entered the living room and happened to run into Rachael face- to-face. When Rachael saw Audrey¡¯s angry appearance, her face darkened immediately. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Are you treating me like an enemy? ¡°This is the Swanns¡¯. You don¡¯t have the right to throw a tantrum here!¡± Audrey was now filled with anger and had nowhere to vent. The only thing shemented was that her grandfather passed away early, leaving no one to help her uphold justice. If her grandpa were there right now, her dad would have been kicked out of the house long ago. Audrey coldly stared at Rachael without the former respect from before. There was only resentment in her eyes now. ¡°Where is Korbin? ¡°Where is he? I need to see him!¡± Her angry tone shook Rachael up. ¡°This is not the eldest daughter that I know. Audrey always shows respect and courtesy toward us. It¡¯s impossible for her to speak to us in this manner,¡± said Rachael inwardly. Just when Rachael was wondering, Catherinezily walked in gracefully and unhurriedly from the front gate. Upon seeing Catherine¡¯s arrival, Rachael seemed to have understood something and shot a menacing re toward Audrey. When she opened her mouth to speak, her tone was creepily sarcastic. ¡°Oh, I thought someone had gone crazy and lost her mind. It turns out she was just riding on someone else¡¯s sess and acting all high and mighty. Am I right?¡± Audrey looked at Rachael in disbelief. It was difficult to believe that a mother could speak such ironic words to her own daughter.1 She slowly snapped out of it and looked at Rachael with a gradually disappointed look in her eyes. Rachael felt a bit unnerved by Audrey¡¯s stare at her. She couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows and reprimand Audrey, ¡°Audrey, why are you looking at me like that? How can you be so disrespectful? Do you even still see me as your mother?¡± Audrey gave a sarcastic chuckle. ¡°Hmph, mother? ¡°Mother, I would like to ask you if you have ever considered me as your daughter. If the Swanns were not wealthy, would I have been abandoned like Kathy at a young age?¡± Her attitude made Rachael suddenly unsure of what was going on. Rachael knew something must have happened. Otherwise, Audrey wouldn¡¯t be throwing such a tantrum. ¡°What¡¯s your problem? What¡¯s going on?¡± Audrey no longer wanted to waste time talking to Rachael. She was thoroughly disappointed in them and didn¡¯t have any expectations. She had just gone there to rify some things today. Audrey¡¯s face gradually turned cold, and her voice became much colder. ¡°Where is Korbin? I want to see him.¡± Seeing Audrey oblivious to her presence, Rachael turned her attention to Catherine, who stood aside with a nonchnt posture as if she were just a bystander. She walked toward Catherine and angrily pointed her finger at her. ¡°It must be you causing trouble and discord, right?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine snorted coldly with an indifferent expression, her cold gaze not even bothering to look at Rachael. The two of them had a cold and arrogant attitude thatpletely enraged Rachael. Fuming with anger, Rachael angrily shouted at the servants next to her. ¡°You still standing here watching the show? What¡¯s the use of keeping you here? Hurry up and kick these two girls out of here. Never let theme back in!¡± The servants were a bit hesitant. They exchanged nces but ultimately did not dare to defy Rachael¡¯s orders. After all, she was the mistress of the house and was closely rted to their work. A few servants hurriedly came forward. They dared not do anything to Catherine, so they set their sights on Audrey instead. Catherine casually walked over to the nearby couch and sat down, unting amanding attitude and not giving a damn about the people in the room. Audrey furrowed her brows and stared at the servants surrounding her, shouting angrily, ¡°What are you doing here? This is none of your business. Get out of here!¡± Because of Rachael¡¯s threat, the servants were forced to take action against Audrey. However, before the servant¡¯s hands even touched Audrey, he was hit on the arm by a ck shadow, leaving him screaming in pain. After the ck shadownded, everyone realized that the thing was not a mysterious weapon but a piece of candy. A piece of candy that was on the coffee table in the living room. Catherinezily leaned on the sofa, casually crossing her long legs. Her eyes were slightly narrowed with a hint of danger as she gazed at the servants. ¡°Anyone wanna snack on some candy?¡± It was just a simple sentence, but it made all the servants turn pale with fear. Everyone knew that Catherine was a unique presence, and no one should dare to offend her in the Swanns. Even the most favored young master, Johnathan, got exiled because he offended Catherine. Now, none of the servants knew where he had been ced. The servant whom Catherine just hit with the candy was still on the side, wailing and moaning in agony. It was worth noting that this servant was not only tall and sturdy but also renowned in the Swanns¡¯ for his great strength and pain tolerance. If even he was in such pain, one could only imagine the pain experienced by others. The servants were too afraid to approach, which made Rachael burst into fury. ¡°What? Are you all going to turn against me?¡± she said. ¡°What could possibly be worth you making a scene here?¡± Korbin¡¯s voice came down from upstairs before he appeared in front of everyone. When he saw Audrey and Catherine, there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared. Although it disappeared quickly, Audrey, who had been keeping an eye on him, noticed it. She had noticed it, let alone Catherine. Korbin calmly approached everyone and even chatted animatedly with Audrey. ¡°You¡¯re not out there being a big star? How do you have time toe to the Swanns¡¯?¡± Before Audrey could answer, Rachael couldn¡¯t help but stand up toin. ¡°Now that she has grown up, she dares to cause trouble at the Swanns. Korbin, you better take care of these two girls today and make sure they don¡¯t act this arrogantly anymore!¡± Korbin nced back at Rachael, his eyes slightly narrowed and his face showing a hint of displeasure. Rachael immediately shut her mouth and dared not say another word. Korbin nced at Audrey and finally settled his cold gaze on Catherine with a terrifying, sinister look. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be so damn lucky and managed to escape yet another fucking close call. ¡°What exactly are the two of you doing here at the Swanns¡¯ today?¡± After hearing what Korbin said, Catherine uncrossed her legs and lifted her gaze to focus on him. ¡°The slightly lifted edges of her eyes bore an eerie smile.¡± ¡°Since you have gone to such great lengths to see us, why don¡¯t we juste to you ourselves, Father?¡± As soon as these words came out, Korbin¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°I¡¯m afraid these two girls are here to cause trouble today,¡± he thought. Chapter 471 Cutting off Ties Chapter 471 Cutting off Ties Korbin knew it in his heart, but he wasn¡¯t the least bit afraid of the two girls. He frowned and spoke in a low, menacing voice. ¡°Why does this sound so harsh? Don¡¯t want toe here? No one invited you. The entrance is over there, so get lost!¡± Seeing her dad still holding onto such an attitude till now, Audrey felt even more sorrow in her heart. She couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and loudly questioned Korbin. ¡°So, you¡¯re admitting it was all your doing, right?¡± Korbin nced coldly at Audrey.¡± Admit what? ¡°You may throw your tantrum elsewhere, but this is not the ce for you to go nuts!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Catherine sneered on the side silently, saying inwardly, ¡°This couple is truly a perfect match. Even their lines are almost the same.¡± She sarcastically remarked, ¡°Some people have the audacity to do things butck the courage to admit it, huh!¡± This sentence instantly angered Korbin. ¡°What do I have to be afraid to admit? ¡°Could I be afraid of those two little girls?¡± he said inwardly. He gave Audrey a wicked stare, his gaze bing increasingly intense. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Okay, fine. I admit it was me. So what are you going to do about it?¡± He was being so cocky, fearless, not taking it seriously at all. Audrey waspletely enraged. She approached with a nk expression and fixated her gaze firmly on Korbin. After a while, she finally spoke. The tremble in her voice was evident. ¡°Have you even considered us as your daughters?¡± Korbin still maintained the same poker face with not a shred of guilt on it. ¡°Then you should ask yourselves if you have treated me as your father.¡± ¡°For so many years, I¡¯ve always respected and loved you and seen you as the person I admire. But today, Father, you really disappointed me. You did things that not even an animal would do, do you know that?¡± added Audrey. When Audrey finished speaking, Korbin smacked her hard across the face without hesitation. His force was so powerful that it directly knocked Audrey down. Audrey propped herself up on her elbow, nced at Catherine out of the corner of her eye, and motioned for Catherine not to move. She wanted to settle this matter with Korbin by herself. After Korbin pped Audrey, his anger still did not subside. He then proceeded to scold Audrey. ¡°Brat! How dare you talk to me like that? From now on, you¡¯re not my daughter anymore. You will never be my daughter!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Audreyughed out loud. ¡± Well said. That¡¯s exactly what I had in mind. Since you never treated me like a daughter, from now on, I am just Grandpa¡¯s granddaughter, Catherine¡¯s sister, Audrey Swann, But I am no longer your daughter!¡± Audrey slowly stood up, her gaze fixed directly on Korbin. ¡°For the sake of your own interests, you used me as a pawn to threaten Catherine and even wanted to kill her just to grab her wealth. Someone like you does not deserve to be my father!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Korbin was fuming and about to hit Audrey once again. However, Audrey did not allow him toy a hand on her this time. She quickly looked up and caught Korbin¡¯s arm. Her eyes instantly became cold and emotionless. ¡°You were still my father just now, and I let you scold and hit me. Now, we have absolutely no rtionship. So, if you dare toy a hand on me again, don¡¯t me me for being disrespectful! Hmph!¡± Audrey forcefully pushed away Korbin¡¯s hand. Korbin was stunned by this sudden change in Audrey¡¯s behavior and fell to the ground due to his dyed reaction. Rachael was totally shocked by what she saw and finally understood why Audrey had suddenly changed. It was all because of this. But in her opinion, Korbin didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It was all her daughters¡¯ fault. She helped Korbin up and then angrily red at Audrey, scolding her. ¡°Audrey, you used to be a good girl. Now that you¡¯ve been hanging out with this jinx, your brain has be muddled, and you even dare to defy us. Do you still see us as your parents?¡± Audrey looked at Rachael coldly.¡± Mother, didn¡¯t you hear just now? Korbin had someone kidnapped me to use as a threat against Catherine and to make her sign the equity transfer agreement.¡± Rachael sounded a bit impatient as she spoke. ¡°I heard it. I heard it all! ¡°Since your father asked you to do something, why aren¡¯t you assisting him? Instead, you¡¯re working with this jinx! Aren¡¯t you being disrespectful to your father?¡± Rachael¡¯s twisted morality certainly opened Audrey¡¯s eyes. Audrey thought Rachael didn¡¯t know about it before but didn¡¯t expect her to say something so heartless after knowing the truth. It was totally inhumane. ¡°Even if we¡¯re strangers who have nothing to do with each other, she shouldn¡¯t do things like that. And to think we¡¯re family!¡± thought Audrey. Audrey felt her heart break at that moment. She decided not to allow them to hurt herself, and most importantly, she could not let them continue to hurt Catherine. ¡°Mom, since you¡¯re so insistent, I guess you don¡¯t want me as your daughter anymore. Well then, I have no connection with you from now on.¡± Rachael was totally shocked. She didn¡¯t expect Audrey, who was usually obedient, to say such things. ¡°You little ingrate! I¡¯ve wasted all this effort raising you!¡± Audrey lowered her head without saying a word. Giving up on her rtionship with her parents, she felt more sorrowful than anyone else. Rachael saw right through Audrey¡¯s mind. She knew for sure that she couldn¡¯t let Audrey switch sides and cut ties with them. Her parents warned her beforehand that perhaps Audrey would be a weapon to restrain Catherine. She absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow Audrey to be such an ingrate. ¡°What about all the knowledge and principles you learned since a young age, Audrey? Did you forget them all? You use us of being cold-hearted. What about you? Are you anything better for turning against your parents? ¡°I worked hard to raise you, only for you to be my enemy?¡± Rachael¡¯s scolding made Audrey¡¯s head hang even lower. Catherine saw through Rachael¡¯s little trick at a nce and spoke calmly at the side. ¡°Mrs. Swann, don¡¯t talk so highly of yourself. What else have you done besides carrying Audrey in your belly for ten months?¡± Catherine was not exaggerating in the slightest with this point. After Audrey was born, Rachael got a shot to stop her milk production immediately so she could maintain her figure. Plus, Audrey was a girl and was not liked by Rachael. So, Audrey grew up under the care of a nanny since she was young, and she was also drinking form milk. Rachael had never even spent a day taking care of Audrey. In her mind, high -society women didn¡¯t personally take care of their children. That was what nannies were for. She was just trying to make Audrey feel guilty when she said that earlier. Upon realizing that Audrey¡¯s emotions had changed, Rachael grew to hate Catherine so much that she wished to strangle Catherine right then and there. ¡°You¡¯re a total disaster. I shouldn¡¯t have even brought you into this world. You¡¯re nothing but a jinx!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine nodded vigorously in agreement with a mischievous and chilling smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. You shouldn¡¯t have given birth to me in the first ce!¡± After speaking, she put away her smile and resumed her cold expression. ¡°Audrey, leave now. I have to talk to them!¡± Chapter 472 The Big Boss Chapter 472 The Big Boss Audrey¡¯s leaving made the Swanns¡¯ living room much quieter. Facing Catherine, Rachael was even more rude. In her eyes, Catherine was nothing but aplete troublemaker. ¡°You jinx, why don¡¯t you just leave? What on earth do you want?¡± Hearing the noise, Catherine slowly sat up, her sharp gaze shooting straight at Rachael¡¯s face. ¡°I will leave, but make sure you pay your price!¡± Upon hearing this, Rachael looked at her suspiciously and felt that something was off. Catherine¡¯s expression gave her a very bad premonition. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Is there any unfinished business between us? Just get lost now!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Catherine let out a cold, contemptuousugh with a chillingly indifferent expression. ¡°Kidnapping, drugging, violent threats¡­¡± She suddenly looked up and stared directly at Korbin with a cold and terrifyingly sharp gaze, exuding an overwhelming sense of power. When Korbin was nced at by her, his heart involuntarily skipped a beat, leaving him momentarily breathless with astonishment. He didn¡¯t expect a young girl like her to have such a sharp gaze. At that moment, Korbin realized something btedly. Perhaps the daughter before him was not as unbearable and mediocre as he had imagined. But it was toote now. After calming down, Korbin still maintained a proud attitude toward Catherine. At that point, there wasn¡¯t really anything he couldn¡¯t admit. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t me me for being tough on you. You were born lucky to be my daughter. If you don¡¯t act recklessly, disobey me, and foolishly try to take everything from me, I can still give you a wealthy life!¡± Korbin was very confident and believed that no one would refuse to be a daughter of the Swanns. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Only with great luck could one be a child of the Swanns. As she heard the speech of the unrepentant and shameless Korbin, Catherine¡¯s eyes filled with an even deeper hint of amusement. ¡°Even on the verge of disaster, this old geezer still refuses to repent. ¡°Why did my grandfather have such an evil child?¡± thought Catherine. Rachael joined in on the argument against Catherine when she saw her husband angrily confronting Catherine. ¡°That¡¯s right, Catherine. You were born to bring trouble upon us. We didn¡¯t kill you back then, and instead, we let you livefortably until now. You should be grateful to us. ¡°You¡¯re now turning on us. Catherine, you¡¯re nothing but a total backstabber! ¡°said Rachael. ¡°Is fighting back equivalent to backstabbing? ¡°I had indeed witnessed how distorted Rachael¡¯s values were today. ¡°No wonder Liana and Johnathan, who are close to her, have such personalities. With a mother like that, it¡¯s a miracle they can be normal people!¡± said Catherine inwardly. Seeing Catherine look at them with a cold smile and remain silent, Rachael always felt that something was off, thinking that Catherine must have some ulterior motive. She made up her mind to unleash her final ace up her sleeve. She looked at Catherine with a proud expression. The smile at the corner of her mouth carried a hint of arrogance. ¡°Catherine, do you think you¡¯ve won? ¡°Based on the bond that you have lived in my womb for ten months, I advise you to stop quickly. Spit out the shares of the Swanns. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you will regret it and cry to me for help, but I won¡¯t give you the chance!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ is that so?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow and gave a meaningful look at Rachael. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re pretty confident that you can handle me. ¡°Spill it. What kind of trick are you up to this time? ¡°You failed in deceiving and lost money when transferring assets. Even kidnapping didn¡¯t work. What else can you do?¡± Catherine¡¯s arrogant demeanor truly infuriated Rachael. What she detested the most was Catherine¡¯s arrogance, recklessness, and not treating her seriously. ¡°Catherine, do you really think that you can live peacefully just because you have obtained those properties? The Swanns is such a prominent family. Do you really believe that a country bumpkin like you can control it? ¡°I am not afraid to tell you. I already have hired some top-notch experts in the industry. If you don¡¯t obediently hand over the Swann Corporation, they¡¯ll team up and turn it upside down in a sh. Do you believe me or not?¡± Speaking of this, Rachael seemed quite pleased with herself. All this was thanks to her father, who had students all over the world. Because of Catherine¡¯s matter, Rachael¡¯s dad stepped in and personally reached out to some people for her. These people were all big shots in various industries, including the representatives of the Chritie region for the top five financial consortiums in Halleywick. As long as they took action, Catherine¡¯s days would be tough. Catherine was looking at Rachael with a cold eye. ¡°Does this woman really think I¡¯m blind and unaware of all her secret actions? ¡°Absolutely ridiculous!¡± she said inwardly. She opened her phone and projected the screen onto the white wall in front. Her chin pointed toward Rachael as a gesture. Rachael didn¡¯t know what Catherine was up to again, but her eyes couldn¡¯t help but look in the direction that Catherine was gesturing. The screen, with a fleeting pause, was finally connected, and then the face of a diligent and handsome middle-aged man appeared on it. The moment she saw who it was, Rachael couldn¡¯t control the shock in her heart, and her eyes widened. She instinctively opened her mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­¡± The guy on the screen was none other than the Chritie regional representative that Rachael met recently, who she thought was her ultimate ace in the hole. Various thoughts were rapidly swirling in her head, and then she came to a conclusion. She suddenly turned around and stared at Catherine with wide eyes. ¡°Little brat! Are you poaching from me behind my back?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine snorted coldly without responding. Catherine¡¯s attitude made Rachael so angry that she screamed at the screen. ¡°Pete, you¡¯ve got no professional ethics. After working with me first, how could you work with that brat? ¡°How much did that girl benefit you?¡± Pete waspletely taken aback by Rachael¡¯s aggressive attack. He indeed had previously met Rachael and agreed to work together. It was mainly because Rachael¡¯s offer was just too damn attractive for anyone to resist. Pete furrowed his brows and stared at the screen. He appeared puzzled as he asked, ¡°Mrs. Swann, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t understand?¡± Rachael gritted her teeth angrily, tossing aside her image as a wealthy socialite. She pointed at Catherine and angrily shouted, ¡°You¡¯ve even teamed up with this girl, don¡¯t you understand?¡± Pete was pale with fright when he saw Rachael treat Catherine with such a fierce attitude. ¡°Mrs. Swann, why are you giving our group¡¯s shareholders such a bad attitude? She is our highest- level investment advisor. If you want this deal to go smoothly, you better ask Miss Catherine for guidance!¡± As long as Catherine agreed to take on this project, fulfilling Rachael¡¯s request would be a piece of cake. Rachael was perplexed. ¡°What is this white-skinned Pete Hester saying? ¡°Miss Catherine? Investment advisor?¡± she wondered. Chapter 473 Catherine’s Genius Chapter 473 Catherine¡¯s Genius Rachael was so shocked that her eyes nearly popped out. Her lips quivered as sheined, ¡°What did you say? Is Catherine a shareholder in yourpany? Is she your top-level advisor? ¡°Are you telling me to rely on this girl to take down the Swann Corporation?¡± Pete nodded solemnly. He looked at Rachael with a stern expression that made it clear he wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Mrs. Swann, let me be clear with my professionalism. To achieve the least amount of loss in this coboration, we need Miss Catherine and no one else.¡± Rachaelughed in anger. ¡°Pete, do you even know who this girl is?¡± Pete was also perplexed. Seeing Catherine sitting next to Rachael, he thought they might know each other. If they did, Rachael hadn¡¯t needed to approach him in the first ce. Before Rachael could respond, Catherine casually spoke up. Catherine said, ¡°Pete, it¡¯s quite a coincidence. I inherited my grandfather¡¯spany six months ago. Thispany happens to be the Swann Corporation.¡± Her attractive,zy voice had a special charm to it. Pete initially thought of congratting Catherine, and maybe even currying favor with her. After all, Catherine was not easy to meet. However, he couldn¡¯t hide his surprise when he heard the rest of Catherine¡¯s statement. He never expected that Rachael woulde to him for help to deal with Catherine. For him, it felt like a death sentence with no way out. Pete couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had unknowingly offended Rachael in some way, leading to this kind of retaliation. ¡°Mrs. Swann, have I offended you?¡± Rachael hadn¡¯t fully processed the situation yet, as everything happened too suddenly. Ignoring Rachael¡¯s daze, Pete continued, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why would you set me up like this? Don¡¯t you realize that if I upset Miss Catherine, my career might be over?¡± He was stating it lightly, but if he really offended Catherine, his life could potentially be ruined. Before Pete could press Rachael further, Catherine tapped her phone and turned off the screen. The moment the screen went dark, Rachael finally snapped back to reality. She stared at Catherine in confusion. She struggled to ept everything that had just unfolded. ¡°Who are you?¡± Rachael questioned Catherine in a dazed manner. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Even Korbin was left dumbfounded, let alone Rachael. He could tell that Pete had not been lying. If that were the case, Catherine was really a shareholder of one of the five major conglomerates. What was her true identity? Seeing the skepticism on their faces, Catherine lifted a corner of her mouth faintly. ¡°No need to doubt. I am Catherine.¡± She knew that Rachael and Korbin suspected her to be an imposter, who tried to seize the Swanns¡¯ wealth under the guise of Catherine. At this point, Catherine decided to reveal the truth. After all, she had never intended to hide, but these people simply couldn¡¯t find out. It was they that ¡°Every year, Vicente goes to our family estate in Westain for a month. In truth, he¡¯s not going to Westain. He¡¯s going to see me¡­¡± The Swanns originated in Westain, and Vicente had built a vi in Westain for his rest and rxation. After Laura passed away, Vicente started going to Westain for a month every year. He didn¡¯t allow anyone to disturb him. Everyone assumed it was because Vicente missed Laura, but no one knew that during that month, instead of going to Westain, he was actually apanying Catherine. Back then, Vicente had agreed with everyone¡¯s decision to send Catherine back to the countryside. It wasn¡¯t because he thought Catherine was a jinx that brought bad luck to the Swanns. It was because he saw Catherine¡¯s future in Audrey¡¯s attitude toward Rachael. If Catherine were forced to stay with the Swanns, her childhood would undoubtedly be miserable. The children of the Swanns were not meant to have such a fate. After weighing the pros and cons, Vicente agreed to send Catherine to the countryside. He was confident that even if Catherine didn¡¯t stay with her parents, the Swanns¡¯ influence could ensure Catherine lived a carefree life. But he didn¡¯t anticipate that a twist of fate would ur shortly after Catherine was sent to the countryside. After Catherine moved to the countryside, she had a dedicated caregiver. Vicente even arranged for Catherine to attend school. Catherine¡¯s talents were discovered after she entered school. Because of Catherine¡¯s unique status, someone reported it to Vicente immediately. Vicente immediately had Catherine undergo an IQ test, and the results exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. Catherine was not just intelligent. Her IQ was close to two hundred. She was actually a rare genius. Upon discovering his granddaughter¡¯s extraordinary potential, Vicente spared no effort to enroll Catherine in a special school. When Catherine was seven, her professor arranged for her to take the SAT. That year, the nation witnessed a miraculous SAT achievement as the top scorer achieved a perfect score that nobody had anticipated. All universities were searching for this genius, but no one could get any information. Catherine went to the special school, and it was her own choice. Since Catherine was seven years old, Vicente had no way to influence her life. Catherine¡¯s life was entirely determined by her own choices, and nobody could sway the decisions of this genius. Upon learning Catherine¡¯s history, Korbin and Rachael were utterly shocked. They hadn¡¯t expected that Vicente had kept this a secret for so long. Korbin began to feel some resentment toward his father. If he had known earlier that his daughter was such a genius, they wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation. The reason Vicente didn¡¯t disclose Catherine¡¯s genius to the public, aside from Catherine¡¯s own unwillingness, was primarily to protect Catherine. As Korbin¡¯s father, Vicente knew well about him. Korbin had significant ws in his character. If he were to find out about Catherine¡¯s exceptional abilities, there was a high likelihood that Catherine would be a tool manipted by him due to the bonds of family. Catherine had said all the things to both of them. Her patience had run out, and she didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation with them. ¡°Please leave, both of you.¡± Catherine raised her hand and signaled toward Rachael and Korbin. They were somewhat baffled and didn¡¯t understand what Catherine meant. Before they could grasp the situation, a group of elite professionals in ck uniforms appeared in the living room. Korbin stared at them in astonishment. ¡°Who are you? How did you intrude into the Swanns¡¯?¡± Chapter 474 The Candy Chapter 474 The Candy The leading butler approached Korbin with the utmost respect. ¡°Hello, Mr. Swann. We are a professional estate management team hired by Miss Catherine. From now on, we will handle all affairs at the Swanns¡¯. I kindly ask you and Mrs. Rachael to leave the Swanns¡¯ as soon as possible.¡± At that moment, Korbin couldn¡¯t believe his ears and looked at them with a bewildered expression. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Are you serious? Do you want me to leave the Swanns¡¯? I am Korbin Swann, and this is the Swanns¡¯!¡± Korbin was furious and angrily berated the leading butler. He shouted, ¡°You¡¯d better leave now, or I¡¯ll have the servants call the police!¡± After his stern warning, he gestured to the nearby servants and ushered them to escort the butlers out. The butlers on Catherine¡¯s side were no pushovers. Each of them was well- trained. The leading butler produced the relevant documents and presented them to Korbin. ¡°Mr. Swann, this is the proof of ownership. The actual owner of this house you¡¯re in right now is my employer, Miss Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s your right to call the police if you wish, but please vacate this house immediately. Otherwise, we will also report the matter. I assume you wouldn¡¯t want this to be a public issue, would you?¡± Korbin was left speechless by this statement. He fell back onto his seat, and his face turned red. Rachael rushed forward to support her husband and unleashed a barrage of usations against Catherine. ¡°You heartless ingrate! This is the Swanns¡¯! We are your biological parents, and you dare to treat us like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid of your grandfather¡¯s spirit condemning you?¡± Catherine, who had been leisurely snacking on the couch, suddenly stopped upon hearing Rachael¡¯s words. She turned her head and stared at Rachael with her cold gaze. ¡°You dare to bring up my grandfather?¡± Catherine¡¯s cold attitude and piercing eyes left Rachael feeling uneasy. She had to muster her courage and maintain a fearless demeanor while facing Catherine. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I mention your grandfather? Will his soul find peace after he knows you¡¯re using his estate to mistreat your own parents?¡± After hearing that, Catherine let out a coldugh. She thought Rachael was so stubborn. ¡°What about you?¡± Catherine asked as she coldly stared at Rachael. Then she continued, ¡°You coborate with Pete and willingly give up the Swanns¡¯. Who are you being fair to?¡± Rachael realized that Catherine knew what she had done. Rachael was also taken aback and joined her husband on the couch. She hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to be aware of these things. The biggest real estate project of the top five conglomerates¡¯ agentpany in Chritie in the second half of the year happened to be linked to the Swanns¡¯. Rachael had given up the Swanns as a gesture of gratitude to persuade the other party to get involved. If Rachael hadn¡¯t damaged the Swanns¡¯ assets, Catherine wouldn¡¯t have made this decision. Catherine hadpleted everything she intended to do. She had no intention of dragging things out any longer with this couple. Catherine stood up and nced at the butler she had brought with her. The butler respectfully nodded to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, rest assured. I will take care of everything.¡± After receiving the assurance, Catherine left gracefully. Rachael realized that Catherine was about to leave and hurried to catch up with her. But she was intercepted by the people Catherine had brought with her. She was not even given a chance to get close to Catherine. As Catherine left the Swanns¡¯, she breathed a sigh of relief. In the distance, she noticed the ck sedan waiting at the entrance. There was no need to guess. It must be the Branden. Paxton, who was keeping an eye on Catherine¡¯s exit, quickly informed the man in the back seat. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann ising out.¡± Branden put down hisptop, got out of the car, and walked toward Catherine. He personally opened the car door for Catherine. He carefully avoided her wounded arm and helped Catherine into the car. Catherine¡¯s right arm had just been sutured, and she needed to be extremely cautious. Once seated in the car, Catherine rested her elbow on the window. She squinted at Branden as if asking why he had returned. Without words, through her eyes alone, Branden understood the message in Catherine¡¯s gaze. On his handsome face, his deep eyes looked tender as he stared at Catherine. He spoke in an attractive voice tinged with a hint of helplessness. He said, ¡°It¡¯s been four hours.¡± Catherine paused for a moment and then realized what he meant. When the doctor had sutured her wound, the doctor instructed her that because the wound was quite deep, she needed to take an antibiotic every four hours to prevent infection and furtherplications. At the time, Catherine hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it, but Branden had taken it seriously. When Catherine looked at him again, he had already taken out the medicine and ced it in front of Catherine with a warm cup of water on the side. Given that it was offered to her, Catherine didn¡¯t want to make a fuss. She reached for the pills and swallowed them. Then Branden handed her a piece of candy. His deep, sparkling eyes shone like stars in the sky. ¡°It¡¯s a reward!¡± The brightly wrapped candy exuded an irresistible charm, which made it clear that the candy must be incredibly sweet. Catherine hadn¡¯t expected that one day, someone would be concerned about her finding a pill bitter and would prepare a candy in advance. A subtle smile shed across her beautiful eyes. Catherine unwrapped the candy and ced the pink confection in her mouth. After savoring it for a moment, she gave her assessment. ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± On her usually aloof andposed face, a faint and radiant smile appeared. Branden, who witnessed this scene, was momentarily stunned and found himself captivated by her breathtaking beauty. After a long while, he regained his senses. He reached around her waist from behind and instantly shortened the distance between them. He had longed for her pink lips. When it came to matters between a man and a woman, as long as the man was Branden, Catherine had no objections. She reveled in the pleasure he brought. When their kiss finally ended, Branden slowly released Catherine. Branden reluctantly licked his own lips. If it weren¡¯t for his worry about continuing like this, he would have hurt her. He couldn¡¯t bear to let go of this sweet touch. After a long aftertaste, Branden also gave his assessment. He raised his eyebrows and looked vaguely at Catherine. Then he whispered, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s very sweet.¡± His words held a double meaning. Whether he referred to the candy or the person, only he knew. Paxton had been waiting for a while and finally saw a lull in the situation, so he cautiously brought up a matter. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann has injured her hand, and she has a major exam the day after tomorrow. Should we make arrangements to assist her?¡± Catherine had injured her right hand, which she used for writing. With the wound being quite deep, it would likely be challenging for her to write. This could significantly impact her performance on such an important exam. Paxton¡¯s reminder made Branden¡¯s eyebrows furrow deeply. He stared at Catherine¡¯s arm. ¡°How about you don¡¯t participate?¡± With the Duncans¡¯ influence, getting Catherine into a top-notch school was a piece of cake. As long as Catherine was happy, even having Branden personally create a world-ss institution for her would be no issue. Thinking about Catherine having to take the exam with her injury, Branden felt a pang of reluctance. However, Catherine, the person directly involved, disyed an indifferent attitude. She didn¡¯t want to waste her time or brainpower on such a trivial matter. She replied coldly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Whatever. Seeing Catherine¡¯s nonchnt and uninterested attitude, Branden didn¡¯t push further. Instead, he began contemting which school would be the best investment. Everything else was unimportant. It had to suit Catherine¡¯s needs. Chapter 475 Rachael’s Anger Chapter 475 Rachael¡¯s Anger As Rachael gazed at the cramped little apartment, she was extremely angry. They had been kicked out of the Swanns ¡®by Catherine. Originally, Rachael wanted to return to her mother¡¯s house, but Korbin was firmly against it. In the end, they had no choice but to settle into this small city apartment. This apartment was less than 1,000 square feet. It had been purchased for Liana to take a nap during a nearby training ss. It was initially registered under Liana¡¯s name, and Rachael had never anticipated they would end up living here. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. The living room in this ce wasn¡¯t even half the size of her former walk-in closet. She couldn¡¯t believe that a high-societydy like herself would end up in such a situation. Unable to contain her anger any longer, Rachael picked up the phone and dialed a number. At the same time, Audrey was on the set in the Northwest. Audrey was still busy shooting, and she had entrusted her phone to Kim for safekeeping. When Kim noticed the vibration of Audrey¡¯s personal phone, he quickly took it out. After he saw the iing call on the screen, a sardonic smile appeared on Kim¡¯s face. He thought inwardly, ¡°She really has the nerve to call. It¡¯s unbelievable.¡± Initially, Kim was reluctant to answer the call, but the phone continued to ring incessantly. With a roll of his eyes, Kim finally answered it. As the call connected, he was greeted by Rachael¡¯s furious voice. ¡°You brat! It took you this long to answer. When did you be so arrogant?¡± Kim, who had seen the two faces of female celebrities both on and off the stage, was momentarily taken aback by Rachael¡¯s words. He hadn¡¯t expected such a stark contrast in Rachael¡¯s behavior. ¡°Mrs. Swann, it¡¯s me. Audrey is still busy shooting.¡± Upon hearing Kim¡¯s voice, Rachael recognized him as Audrey¡¯s agent, whom she had met a few times before. As Rachael faced Kim, her anger was somewhat subdued, but her attitude remained haughty. ¡°Tell her to stop shooting and answer the phone.¡± Rachael was so arrogant that Kim couldn¡¯t help but wish he could throw a shoe at her face. Considering Rachael¡¯s attitude, Kim adopted a cold tone. ¡°Mrs. Swann, if you have something to say, tell me, and I¡¯ll convey it to Audrey once she¡¯s avable.¡± Rachael reacted as if she had heard a joke. She sneered, ¡°Who do you think you are? Talking to you is already showing you some respect. Are you even qualified to ry a message for me?¡± Kim had no idea how Audrey had managed to survive all these years. Having a mother like Rachael was a truly unfortunate thing. ¡°Mrs. Swann, if you don¡¯t have any other business, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± ¡°You dare!¡± Rachael warned sternly. In Rachael¡¯s view, even a small-time agent from the entertainment industry dared to speak to her like this. It was ridiculous. Taking a page from Rachael¡¯s earlier tone, Kim responded with a touch of sarcasm. He sneered, ¡°What do I have to be afraid of? Do you still think you¡¯re the high and mighty Mrs. Swann? Haven¡¯t you already severed ties with Audrey? Then why are you calling?¡± He had heard about Audrey cutting ties with the Swanns yesterday. Kim learned about the terrible things the Swanns did to Audrey, including kidnapping Audrey to threaten Catherine. In his opinion, cutting ties was just the beginning. He would have sought vengeance if he were in Audrey¡¯s shoes. ¡°You¡­¡± Rachael couldn¡¯t believe that Audrey had shared such matters with Kim. Her face turned red with anger. Then she shouted, ¡°Cut ties? She¡¯s enjoyed all the luxuries at the Swanns¡¯ for years, and now she¡¯s cutting ties with me. ¡°Audrey is so unfilial. Isn¡¯t she afraid of being ridiculed by the world? I could expose her to the media. Let¡¯s see how this ungrateful girl fares in the entertainment industry.¡± In the entertainment industry, people dreaded these kinds of amoral scandals. If Audrey wanted to thrive in this circle, she needed to be obedient. After being threatened, Kim was thoroughly infuriated. Heughed in anger. ¡°Haha. Fine, Mrs. Swann. While I¡¯m not from a prestigious family like yours, I do know quite a few people in the media world. Mrs. Swann, if you need anything, feel free to contact me, and I¡¯ll arrange for several media outlets to give you some coverage.¡± He continued, ¡°And I must rify one thing. Audrey did have a privileged upbringing in a wealthy environment, but none of this was thanks to you, Mrs. Swann. She was born into the Swanns, a wealthy family. Even you, Mrs. Swann, wouldn¡¯t have your current status without the support of the Swanns.¡± The wealth of the Swanns was built by Vicente¡¯s ancestors, and Vicente continued to expand it, leading to their current status as a prominent family. All this wealth had no connection with Korbin and Rachael. Moreover, Audrey grew up by Vicente¡¯s side and wasn¡¯t even raised by these two for a single day. Finally, Kim issued a warning to Rachael. He said, ¡°Mrs. Swann, please be sure to mention the fact that you and Mr. Swann have severed ties with Audrey when you hold your press conference. I¡¯ll apany Audrey to file a report. The kidnapping incident from yesterday isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Actually, they weren¡¯t afraid of Rachael exposing the matter. They knew that in the end, the heartless N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. couple would be the ones facing a grim oue. However, Audrey¡¯s career was currently on the rise and in its prime. The big-budget film she had auditioned for had finally been confirmed, and Kim didn¡¯t expect her to secure the role of the female lead. Kim believed that once the movie was released, Audrey¡¯s career would reach new heights. Kim used to wonder why Audrey, a fine youngdy, would endure such hardship in the entertainment industry. Why didn¡¯t she return home to inherit her tens of billions of dors worth of family wealth and live a life of leisure as a socialite? Now he understood. With parents like hers, she wouldn¡¯t be happy, even if she had hundreds of billions of dors in inheritance. Rachael was shocked and couldn¡¯t believe that Audrey had actually shared such matters with others. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Not at all. Mrs. Swann, I just hope that you appreciate what you have now. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± After that, Kim hung up without hesitation. He thought what he did just now was so cool. He sneered and thought inwardly, ¡± Who does she think she is? She is nothing!¡± Rachael¡¯s phone beeped. The sound of the call being disconnected reached Rachael, and her anger had reached a boiling point. She couldn¡¯t control herself any longer and hurled the phone at the wall. ¡°These ingrates! This bunch of ingrates¡­¡± She had hoped to get Audrey involved in some trouble, but Audrey actually didn¡¯t answer her call, and Kim even threatened her. Rachael thought inwardly, ¡°These girls are truly asking for trouble!¡± Liana stood silently outside the door. She had overheard the entire conversation inside the room. Her hand at her side clenched tightly. Liana thought inwardly, ¡°Catherine is such a jinx. She caused so much trouble. Liana had originally just wanted to focus on her uing exams and hadn¡¯t wanted to get involved in all this. However, things had spiraled into this mess. With just one more day, after tomorrow¡¯s exam, she would have the time to deal with Catherine. After subduing her anger, Liana turned away with an indifferent expression. Chapter 476 An Accident Chapter 476 An ident On thest day of preparations for the big exam, all the students were called back to the ssroom. The homeroom teacher had to inform them of exam instructions, check everyone¡¯s admission tickets, and arrange somest-minute work. As Catherine entered the ssroom, Ronin was the first to notice something was amiss. He eximed, ¡°Catherine, what happened to your hand?¡± Catherine nced at the bandage on her hand and slightly frowned. After Ronin¡¯s loud outburst, everyone¡¯s attention turned to Catherine. Ronin couldn¡¯t wait and hurried to Catherine¡¯s side with righteous anger. ¡°Catherine, tell me who hurt you. I¡¯ll take care of the scoundrel who injured you!¡± He had turned incredibly furious. It seemed that he was ready for a fight. Catherine gave him a cool look and asked in a cold tone, ¡°Do you think you can handle the person who hurt me?¡± With just that simple statement, Ronin found himself deep in thought. Catherine was right. Whoever had hurt Catherine was a formidable opponent, and there was no way Ronin could handle it. After all, Catherine was so powerful. Ronin couldn¡¯t fathom who it might be. After a moment of contemtion, Ronin reluctantly said, ¡°Catherine, even if I can¡¯t get revenge for you, I can still settle the score a bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ident.¡± After Catherine said that, she pushed Ronin onto a chair. Her gesture indicated she didn¡¯t want Ronin to get involved. Ronin understood and then nodded. ¡°I see. It was an ident. I knew it!¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Bryan nced at Catherine¡¯s injured hand and frowned with concern. ¡± Catherine, your right hand is injured. How are you going to take the exam tomorrow?¡± Catherine waved it off dismissively and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll manage.¡± Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t want to discuss it further, Bryan decided not to press the issue. Liana, who was sitting nearby, noticed the situation and couldn¡¯t help but smile smugly. She had been worried that Catherine might take some impressive measures. But now, it seemed like Catherine was indeed a jinx, and her luck had taken a turn for the worse. Catherine got injured on the right hand the day before the exam. It rendered her incapable of taking the test. Liana thought inwardly, ¡°With an injured hand, how can Catherineplete the exam? ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any chance. She is bound to fail.¡± As Liana thought about the phone call, she became upset. She hadn¡¯t initially intended to cause trouble for Catherine, but seeing Catherine¡¯s injured hand, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Liana asked, ¡°Catherine, how could you have such an ident the day before the exam? ¡°I¡¯ve heard many people get pre-exam jitters, and they fear they won¡¯t perform well. So, they try to find ways to avoid it.¡± Liana smiled and stared at Catherine with a peculiar, sinister expression. ¡°Catherine, are you one of those people?¡± Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. It drew the attention of those around them. Liana¡¯s implication was quite evident. She suggested that Catherine intentionally caused the ident to avoid the exam. Everyone else could see it, so there was no way Catherine wouldn¡¯t. She looked at Liana coldly and said calmly, ¡°Instead of worrying about me, you should think about your own future. After Liana heard these words, her face turned pale. She had no response to Catherine¡¯s retort. Korbin and Rachael were both expelled from the Swanns¡¯, so Liana had no chance to stay at the Swanns¡¯ either. Without power and status, Liana, who was once the heiress of Swanns and the most envied socialite in Casier, might suffer a lot in the future. Ronin observed the situation and looked at Liana with a cold, mocking expression on his face. He thought inwardly, ¡°She justcks self-awareness. Even in this situation, she still has the nerve to mock Catherine. ¡°She really is overestimating herself.¡± The awkward atmosphere was interrupted when the homeroom teacher entered the ssroom. During the ss meeting, the homeroom teacher emphasized the instructions repeatedly. It seemed that doing so would prevent any unexpected mishaps. Once the instructions were clear, the teacher had the whole ss double- check everything. Finally, the teacher turned her attention to Catherine. ¡°Catherine,e with me to the office. In the office, the homeroom teacher looked at the wound on Catherine¡¯s arm with a headache. ¡°How could you be so careless and injure your right hand?¡± Catherine had faced many challenges over the years. But she never expected that a minor wound like this would draw so much attention. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Catherine replied casually. Seeing Catherine¡¯s attitude, the homeroom teacher was still somewhat concerned. Catherine¡¯s grades were exceptionally high, and she consistently performed well in important exams, even if she slept through regr sses. The homeroom teacher had hoped Catherine would achieve a good ranking this time and bring glory to ss 8, but now, it seemed that her expectations might not be met. Despite the unfortunate timing of the injury, the homeroom teacher refrained from scolding and offered ¡°Be more careful, stay rxed, and do your best. Since it has happened, just try to make the best of it.¡± Catherine nodded slightly and left the office. In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived. It was the day of the big exam. Many people had trouble sleepingst night, but Catherine was an exception. She had gone to bed at 8 PM and was awakened at 6 AM by Audrey. Knowing that Catherine had an exam today, Audrey took a day off from the crew to apany her. Audrey led the still-sleepy Catherine to the dining table and gestured for her to sit down. ¡°Kathy, wake up a bit. I¡¯ll go prepare breakfast for you.¡± Catherine had just woken up and was in a daze. She asked in a drowsy voice, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Audrey had originally intended to cook breakfast for Catherine. However, after reconsidering her culinary skills, She didn¡¯t want to risk Catherine getting sick on such an important day. After a moment of thought, she decided to change her ns. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll just go buy something for you.¡± As she opened the door, she was surprised to find a group of people waiting outside. Audrey was puzzled. She asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Paxton, upon hearing her voice, stepped forward. ¡°Miss Swann, Mr. Duncan arranged for us toe. We are here to prepare breakfast for you and Miss Catherine.¡± Audrey observed their professional attire and noticed the emblem of a local five-star hotel on their chef hats. It was evident they were top-notch private chefs brought in by Branden. Knowing Branden arranged it, Audrey epted their help without hesitation. After all, given how aplished Catherine was, pursuing her was no easy task. Even a noble like Branden had to put in the effort to win her over. Chapter 477 The Exam Chapter 477 The Exam Catherine was heading to the exam room in Casier. Looking ahead at the crowded scene, Catherine impatiently spoke up in a cold voice, ¡°Drop me off up front.¡± There was no choice. The ce was packed with the parents of exam- takers. Many families had mobilized for this event. The once spacious road had now be unbearably congested. Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, the driver was sweating profusely. But he didn¡¯t dare to make any decisions. Seeing the severe traffic jam up ahead, Branden simply pushed the car door open. With the zing sun outside, he reached for the umbre by the car door and propped it up to shield himself from the scorching rays. Paxton approached and intended to take the umbre, but Branden avoided his hand. Branden circled to Catherine¡¯s side, opened the car door, and led her out. As they stepped out, the big umbre cast a shadow over Catherine and shielded her from the sun ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Branden said. He held Catherine¡¯s hand and led her toward the exam room. The parking spot wasn¡¯t too far from the exam room, just 100 yards away. The entrance of the exam room was swarmed with people. Branden, who usually avoided crowds, showed no signs of dissatisfaction. He stood behind Catherine and blocked the harsh sun with his tall figure. At the school gate, there were also TV reporters covering the event. With Branden escorting Catherine, the two of them immediately caught the attention of many people. The reporters were quick to notice this attractive couple. One of them couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Wow. This guy is so handsome! He doesn¡¯t look like a student here to take the exam. And the girl he¡¯s with is so gorgeous, like a princess. Is he her brother, here to see her off?¡± The more experienced cameraman behind the reporter rolled his eyes and teased the new intern for herck of insight. ¡°Didn¡¯t you look at their hands? How can they be siblings when they¡¯re holding hands like that?¡± Upon closer inspection, the reporter realized what the cameraman said was right. The two people¡¯s intertwined fingers made them look like a loving couple. The reporter was truly captivated by their looks. With a few minutes left before the entrance time, she decided to approach them for an interview. As she prepared to approach, the cameraman immediately stopped her. The puzzled reporter turned to him and wondered why he was holding her back. ¡°Sir, why aren¡¯t we going to interview them?¡± ¡°Take a closer look at the logo of their umbre. Not everyone can be interviewed,¡± the cameraman exined. Branden had a powerful and authoritative presence. From the aura emanating from Branden, the cameraman understood that Branden was not ordinary. Moreover, the umbre he held, with such a prominent logo, was a symbol of wealth. After being reminded, the reporter finally noticed the umbre that Branden was holding. She had read about these umbres built into car doors, and they started at a price of at least one hundred thousand dors. This umbre Branden had looked even more high-end than what she had seen in those informative posts. The price must have been on the higher side. Its price must easily match that of a mid- range to high-end car. Upon this realization, the reporter quickly abandoned her n to interview and expressed her gratitude to the cameraman. Branden noticed the nearby camera crew, but he didn¡¯t pay them much attention. As long as they didn¡¯t disturb Catherine¡¯s exam preparations, he was fine. The bell rang, and the exam room¡¯s door opened. Catherine didn¡¯t rush in. She waited for most of the people to enter before giving Branden a subtle nod. Then, she walked confidently toward the exam room. Her expression was rxed andposed, and she showed no signs of nervousness. Watching that, Paxton couldn¡¯t help butpliment her. He said, ¡°Miss Catherine¡¯s calm demeanor is truly admirable. After all, this is such a significant exam, and she doesn¡¯t seem nervous at all.¡± Branden stared at Catherine as she walked away. She gradually disappeared from his sight. Then he replied earnestly, ¡°She is like me.¡± Paxton had initially wanted to lighten the atmosphere by praising Catherine, but he never expected Branden to respond. It was truly surprising. Catherine found her exam room, and coincidentally, Liana also walked in. It was quite a coincidence that they were assigned to the same exam room. As soon as Liana saw Catherine, her first reaction was to nce at Catherine¡¯s arm. When Liana noticed the bandage on Catherine¡¯s right hand, a smug smile appeared on her face. It was evident that Catherine had suffered a significant injury, and she could hardly pass this important exam. Liana coldly snorted with arrogance and left. Catherine had no interest in engaging with her. If she wanted to put on a show, Catherine was content to let her do so alone. Only half an hour into the exam, a student suddenly raised a hand to turn in the paper. This student was Catherine. The exam proctor came over to her and asked repeatedly, ¡°Are you sure you want to submit your paper?¡± Catherine ced her paper in the proctor¡¯s hands. She picked up her belongings and left without a word. The proctor watched Catherine walk away with an embarrassed expression and then shook her head. Some students couldn¡¯t be persuaded, and this time, she didn¡¯t bother trying. Catherine submitted her paper so early, which caused quite amotion. Liana naturally noticed it, and the mockery in her eyes intensified. She thought inwardly, ¡°Catherine¡¯s hand is injured. ¡°What is the point of just sitting there? She might as well turn in the paper.¡± This time, Liana was brimming with confidence. She believed she would ultimately outperform Catherine. Two days of exams passed in the blink of an eye, and the major exam was finally over. To reward Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Catherine, Branden specially arranged a trip for Catherine to rx for a few days. He had all the prepared documents ready to present to Catherine, but Catherine promptly refused for a simple reason. The reason she provided was just one word. ¡°Tired!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t want to do anything. She just wished toy at home and y games. Seeing her in this state, Branden had no choice but to let her be. He put away the travel ns and materials and let Catherine rx at home. He tried to finish any work that could be done from home and free up as much time as possible to be with Catherine. In the afternoon, Branden had to attend a meeting at thepany. Catherine was bored. She yed games on her phone. As soon as one game ended, a call from Withal came in. Catherine casually answered the call, put it on speakerphone, and tossed it aside. She was sozy that she didn¡¯t even want to hold the phone in her hand. ¡°Catherine, I heard you just finished your exams and have some free time.¡± Withal¡¯s voice was filled with excitement. Catherine didn¡¯t need to guess. She knew it was Ronin who told him. Ronin was probably about to broadcast it to everyone with a megaphone. Catherinezily responded with her sultry voice. ¡°Spit it out.¡± Even though Catherine¡¯s mood seemed rtively good, Withal didn¡¯t dare to be disrespectful in front of her. He quickly got to the point. ¡°Catherine, the king of Ravenloth sent us a letter of request and asked you to visit Ravenloth.¡± Chapter 478 Ravenloth Chapter 478 Ravenloth After hearing that, Catherine thought inwardly, ¡°Ravenloth?¡± Ravenloth was a small country on the eastern ocean. It might be tiny in size and poption, but this ce was loaded. Thanks to its vast mineral resources, each year, the revenue from these resources alone was enough to make the people of this country prosperous. But Catherine couldn¡¯t care less about this news. After all, she was in such high demand worldwide. If she met with everyone who wanted to see her, she would run herself ragged. If it weren¡¯t for Withal¡¯s call, Catherine wouldn¡¯t pay any attention. She nonchntly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t specify,¡± Withal replied and chuckled. He looked quite pleased as he said, ¡°But our intelligencework is top-notch. I¡¯ve already dug up some information. It seems that the royal family of Ravenloth suddenly contracted a mysterious illness. It has affected over a hundred of its members. They want you to help.¡± Upon hearing that, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°If they¡¯re sick, they should see a doctor. I¡¯m not a medical expert. Whye to me?¡± At first, Withal thought the same way. After he delved deeper into the situation, he realized their true aim. ¡°Catherine, this might not be an ordinary illness. The king of Ravenloth suspects it¡¯s a special virus, and they need an expert in bioresearch.¡± Who was the most powerful and least business-oriented bioresearch expert globally? It was none other than Catherine. Even so, Catherine showed no interest and responded coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± After saying that, she was about to hang up. Withal sensed Catherine¡¯s intention and quickly stopped her. ¡°Catherine, the king of Ravenloth is willing to offer a gold mine as a reward. Catherine paused for a moment before hanging up the phone. She asked, ¡± How much gold does it contain?¡± Withal couldn¡¯t contain his excitement and raised his voice as he replied, ¡°The gold it contains is at least enough to rank among the top ten globally!¡± This time, the king of Ravenloth was really going all-in. He had no choice but to offer a generous reward. In just three days, over a hundred royal members had fallen ill. If this continued, the entire royal family of Ravenloth would be wiped out, and all the gold mines would be worthless for them. Catherine thought about the call she¡¯d received from Rodge about the tight finances in herb. After that, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It seemed like raising people was a costly endeavor, and she had quite a few under her care. ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with you once I decide the time,¡± she said. Fearing that Catherine might change her mind, Withal quickly agreed. He replied, ¡°Alright.¡± This time, before Catherine could hang up, Withal quickly ended the call and didn¡¯t give her any chance to say another word. After the call ended, Catherine casually tossed her phone aside. She continued to lie on the sofa and even didn¡¯t bother to move her eyes. Half an hourter, Branden returned to the apartment. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. As he pushed the door open, the warm yellow light inside brightened his mood. He realized that Catherine hadn¡¯t left her spot and had been staying there for three days. She even didn¡¯t feel bored. After entering the living room, he saw Catherine lounging in a rtively carefree posture. He hadn¡¯t made any extra effort to be quiet when he came in, so Catherine must have known he was home, but she was just toozy to move. Branden took off his jacket and undid the rather awkward tie he¡¯d been wearing all day with his slender fingers. This tie was one that Catherine had personally tied for him before he left this morning. He wondered why she suddenly feltpelled to help him with his tie. It was clear that it was her first time, as her hands weren¡¯t very skilled, and after a while, it ended up looking quite strange. However, Branden didn¡¯t mind. He wore the awkward tie to thepany without anyints. Today, they had their semi-annual quarterly meeting, and besides the localpany¡¯s top management, there were members from various overseas subsidiaries. Everyone saw Branden sitting in the chairman¡¯s seat, listening to the meeting, and wearing a tie that was somewhat peculiar in shape. Word had spread that Branden had gotten engaged and had a beautiful fianc¨¦e. Now, everyone knew that Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e was not very skilled at tying ties. Branden waited for a while, but Catherine remainedid back. She showed no intention of moving. He had no choice but to approach her himself. Then he carefully lifted Catherine¡¯s head and ced her body on his thighs. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± His attractive voice was incredibly gentle. Catherine let out azy grunt and rejected Branden¡¯s offer. She was well on her way to being fed like a pig by Branden. Shey around all day without moving a muscle. She wasn¡¯t hungry at all. Catherine had just calcted the time in her head and figured she could set a date. ¡°Two days from now, I need to go out.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Branden was genuinely relieved that Catherine was now willingly discussing her whereabouts and didn¡¯t leave without a word. He was pleased that his efforts had finally paid off after all this time. Catherine hadn¡¯t initially wanted to say anything. However, she didn¡¯t know how long this trip would take. Fearing Branden might be upset and make trouble likest time, she decided it was best to speak up. ¡°Ravenloth.¡± As soon as Catherine mentioned it, Branden realized the situation and frowned. ¡°Ravenloth Pce?¡± From his tone, Catherine could tell that he¡¯d received the information. Given the magnitude of the situation in Ravenloth Pce, they were probably actively inviting experts worldwide to Ravenloth to assist them. It was no surprise that Branden had ess to this information. Branden was the chief of the Red Star. If he couldn¡¯t even receive this kind of intelligence, Catherine would start doubting his capabilities. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to take a look,¡± Catherine responded. Branden had received the informationst night. Although Ravenloth was not arge country, it had economic ties with many top nations worldwide. If the Ravenloth royal family had a problem, it could potentially trigger a global catastrophe. The situation in Ravenloth was currently shrouded in mystery, and going in could be very dangerous. Thinking of all this, Branden made up his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you the day after tomorrow.¡± Catherine was a bit surprised and opened her eyes to look at him inquisitively. ¡°You¡¯re going too?¡± Branden nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be there with you. Since he couldn¡¯t stop Catherine, he would at least be there with Catherine. He would have less to worry about when Catherine was around him. Seeing his firm resolve and seriousness, Catherine had no choice but to agree. ¡°As you wish.¡± The Duncan Corporation had numerous branches worldwide. Branden had a lot of work to deal with each day, much of which had been prearranged. He made a sudden decision to go to Ravenloth and didn¡¯t know how many days it would take. He had to make sure the Duncan Corporation¡¯s work was delegated properly in advance. So he could apany Catherine to Ravenloth without worries. Despite his busy schedule, he also took the time to prepare food for Catherine and watched her eat. Catherine didn¡¯t like taking medicine, so he made sure she took her medicine before going to work. On this matter, Catherine couldn¡¯t resist him, so she decided to go along with his ns. She thought to herself, ¡°Taking medicine is no big deal, especially when it¡¯s right in front of me.¡± With a gulp, she raised her head, closed her eyes, and took the medicine. ¡°I took it.¡± After that, Catherine handed the empty cup to Branden. Branden took it and gently stroked Catherine¡¯s head. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll go work for a bit.¡± Catherine gave him an annoyed sidelong nce. She felt he was treating her like a three-year-old he needed to soothe. Chapter 479 Boxing Match Chapter 479 Boxing Match Catherine had been lying in bed for a couple of days, and her whole body was in a state of lethargy. She saw Branden heading toward the door early in the morning, and she knew he was mostly going to exercise. A glimmer of light shed through Catherine¡¯s cold eyes, and she instantly rolled up from the bed. ¡°Wait for me!¡± Branden stopped and turned to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re going too?¡± Catherine nodded without hesitation, then raised her eyebrows to look at Branden with a meaningful gaze.¡± Can¡¯t I?¡± Branden did not think she could not go, but he just did not expect Catherine to want to exercise with him. After all, she had always beenzy, and she would lie down. Branden smiled helplessly as he thought of Catherine¡¯s very bored andzy appearance at home these past few days. ¡°Do you need to change your clothes?¡± Catherine was wearing casual clothes, so she did not need to change. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine followed behind Branden and was pulled out of the door by him. At first, she thought Branden was just exercising and running in themunity every day, but she did not expect the man who pulled her out of the door to take her upstairs. There were a total of two apartments on the top floor, one of which was the apartment that Triston bought to view the river. Were they going to Triston¡¯s apartment? As soon as the elevator door opened, Branden pulled her toward the opposite direction of Triston¡¯s apartment. He opened the door with his thumbprint. ¡°Ding-dong!¡± The sound of the door being opened sounded, and the door opened after that. It was an apartment of the same type as the one they lived in, with an oversized area but not decorated like a regr residence. All the rooms inside had been knocked into one and turned into a fully equipped gym with all kinds of equipment avable. Catherine tilted her head to look at Branden. ¡°You bought this ce as a gym?¡± Branden did not deny it! Although thismunity was not considered a top-tier rich and powerful residence, it was still considered a high -grademunity in Casier, wherend was precious. And this building was the closest to the river, so the price was even higher. Branden actually bought an apartment on the top floor to use as a gym. This man was really extravagant! Thergest apartment in this building was only over 3,000 square feet, which was pitifully small To move closer to Catherine, Branden had no choice but to buy the apartment opposite Audrey¡¯s. He had the habit of exercising every day, and even if he were busy, he would still find time to exercise properly. This apartment was originally a property under Triston¡¯s name, butter, it fell into Branden¡¯s hands, and he had someone directly turn it into a gym. Although the view from this floor was better than that from downstairs, he knew Catherine¡¯s nature too well. If he lived on the top floor, Catherine would never bother waiting a few seconds to take the elevator to his apartment. Branden took a clean towel and hung it around his neck as he stepped onto the treadmill to warm up. Catherine, meanwhile, wandered around the gym alone. After walking around, she finished visiting this ce. In the end, she set her gaze on the nearby boxing ring. Branden was running on the treadmill, but he kept his eyes on Catherine. Seeing her lingering in front of the ring, he paused the treadmill and approached slowly toward her. ¡°Are you interested in it?¡± Branden¡¯s noble and maic voice came from behind Catherine. Thinking of the scenes of losing to Branden a few years ago, Catherine suddenly became interested. She turned back to the man with raised eyebrows and provocative eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s have apetition!¡± Branden did not speak but took the initiative to take out the protective gear on the side. He put it on Catherine. Catherine, however, refused him. She just grabbed a pair of boxing gloves, and with one of her hands bracing the edge of the arena, she climbed up into the arena neatly. ¡°Time is precious. Let¡¯se straight to it!¡± Branden raised the corner of his mouth slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his incredibly handsome face. His smile was filled with helplessness. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. He had a girl with a super highbat power. What should he do? Worrying that Catherine would get impatient, he quickly flipped over and climbed onto the arena. Catherine had been boxing on the ck market for several years and was very familiar with the skills and rules of boxing. After a brief greeting, the two began boxing straight away. Their moves were neat and agile without any hesitation. When Paxton and Triston arrived, Catherine and Branden had been boxing for more than ten minutes. Both of them were sweating all over! The scene of the experts¡¯ showdown was fascinating, leaving Paxton and Triston, the two bystanders, stunned. Watching Catherine punch every time, Triston could not help but want to cheer her up. This was much more exciting than watching the world wrestling entertainment. He looked at Paxton beside him and asked in a low voice, ¡°How long can you box Catherine if it were you in the arena?¡± Paxton could not help but roll his eyes at Triston. Did Triston even need to ask that? Paxton thought he would probably get kicked off by Catherine before he even had a chance to get into the arena. Who had not heard of the name of the killer ¡°Anon¡±? Seeing him like this, Triston patted his shoulder as if tofort him and said, ¡°Okay, okay. Let¡¯s stop mentioning your sadness. It¡¯s not a shame to fail Catherine!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Paxton sneered disdainfully and then said with a respectful expression, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a shame. I can freely admit that my strength is not as good as Miss Swann¡¯s!¡± Hearing this, Triston could not help but admire Catherine a little more. He had known Paxton for quite some time. He knew that in all those years, other than Branden, Catherine was the second person Paxton admired. Unexpectedly, this little girl who looked so delicate and beautiful had such an overwhelming power. ¡°Paxton, who do you think will win between Mr. Duncan and Catherine?¡± Paxton could not answer that question. If it were someone else in a boxing match with Branden, he would not hesitate to say that Branden would win. However, in front of a supreme expert like Catherine, Paxton did not dare to jump to conclusions. Catherine was really powerful! On the arena, Branden and Catherine¡¯s sparring continued. Catherine¡¯s eyes became colder and colder as she continued. Branden¡¯s power was much stronger than she expected. Over the past three years, her power had improved a lot. But Branden did not waste his time in the past three years either and had be more powerful. In peak battles, any slight carelessness could lead one to a disadvantage. Seeing Branden distracted, Catherine took advantage of the opportunity and forcefully pushed him back with abination of punches. Branden took a few steps back. In the end, Branden lost. He raised his left arm high and looked at Catherine with a smile in his eyes. ¡°I lose!¡± Catherine stopped. She took off her boxing gloves and threw them aside in a cool manner. In fact, she should be the one who was supposed to lose! At thest minute, Branden could have attacked her, but he hesitated. Catherine seized this opportunity to gain an advantage. Moreover, Branden¡¯s previous injury on Scorpion Ind had not yet healed, and his physical strength was not at its peak. They could all be considered the reason for Catherine¡¯s narrow victory. Catherine sat casually on the floor while Branden squatted down and wiped her flushed cheeks with a clean towel. The intense exercise made Catherine¡¯s fair-skinned face flush fiercely. Her face looked like a ripe apple now, fragrant and tempting! When Branden had almost wiped her sweat, Catherine took the opportunity and fell into Branden¡¯s armszily. She saidzily, ¡°I¡¯m tired!¡± Branden looked at her with infinite doting in his eyes. He said in a voice full of tenderness, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll carry you back!¡± After standing up, he carried Catherine in his arms and walked straight out of the gym. Triston was standing on the side and ignored. He finally came back to his senses after Branden and Catherine left his sight. He looked at Paxton with a face full of surprise and asked, ¡°Are these still the two people I know?¡± They were so intimate that they werepletely different from the cold and indifferent two before. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Paxton sneered and gave Triston a look of contempt. Chapter 480 Departing for Ravenloth Chapter 480 Departing for Ravenloth Catherine received a phone call from Withal at noon. As the phone was connected, Withal¡¯s ttering and cautious voice came from the receiver. ¡°Catherine, have you made a decision yet?¡± Withal did not want to rush Catherine, but Ravenloth Pce was pushing him too hard. The old king of Ravenloth urgently posted everywhere to beg experts to help. Withal was afraid that they would lose the money they were about to receive. Fortunately, Catherine did not refuse him. ¡°Tomorrow!¡± After receiving Catherine¡¯s urate response, Withalughed heartily with joy. As long as Catherine was willing to step up to the te, he felt that this matter was already a sure thing. Withal could not wait to say, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare your flight ticket for tomorrow then!¡± ¡°No need!¡± Catherine rejected him without hesitation. Withal was a bit confused. Could it be that Catherine wanted to fly the ne herself? Catherine just hung up the phone without giving Withal a chance to ask the reason. The next day, Withal arrived at Ravenloth before Catherine. Ravenloth was not argend area and was sparsely popted. There were only two airports in the whole country. Catherine would take a ne from Casier to Ravenloth, so she could onlynd at the eastern airport. Withal had been waiting at Ravenloth¡¯s eastern airport early in the morning. He stared at the departure gate anxiously. A whole day passed, and he did not get any news about Catherine. He did not know when she would With a sense of unease, Withal waited at the airport gate for another two hours. Not long after, there was amotioning from the VIPne of the private ne ahead. It was unknown which big shot had chartered the ne toe to Ravenloth. This kind of thing wasmon in wealthy Ravenloth. Withal nced and did not pay much attention to it. Although Catherine was very wealthy, she was very stingy toward herself. She spent all her money on conducting experiments. Withal did not think it was possible for Catherine to do something like chartering a private ne. Just as Withal was about to turn his head to ignore the scene in front of him, he happened to see a tall This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. figure in the crowd. He recognized the tall figure at once! Was not that man Branden¡¯s assistant Paxton? Why was he there? Could it be¡­ Withal no longer hesitated and rushed straight up. He only took two steps before being stopped by the bodyguard. ¡°Sir, please stay away!¡± The bodyguard¡¯s attitude was particrly tough and serious. Withal exined to that bodyguard with an anxious face, ¡°Please make way. I¡¯m looking for someone!¡± The bodyguard had seen too many people like Withal in his career as a bodyguard. He still meticulously stood in front, not giving Withal any chance to get closer. Withal became angry and directly knocked down the bodyguard. The bodyguard did not expect Withal to attack him so directly, nor did he expect Withal to be so powerful. In an instant, many bodyguards rushed over and surrounded Withal. Themotion over there also attracted Paxton¡¯s attention. Hearing that someone was causing trouble, Paxton¡¯s face immediately darkened. There were always some stupid people making trouble for themselves. With a gloomy face, Paxton went forward and prepared to teach the other party a lesson, but he was surprised to find out that the person causing trouble was actually someone he knew. ¡°Stop!¡± The bodyguards all stopped at Paxton¡¯s order. Withal rotated his neck slightly to rx himself. He was surprised that the bodyguards of the Duncans were so powerful, and it took a lot of his strength to deal with them. After stopping, Withal waved at Paxton. ¡°Have you seen Catherine?¡± Paxton brought Withal to Branden. Branden had just walked out of the VIPne with a petite girl in his arms. The girl had her back to Withal, so he could not see her face. However, Withal recognized the girl as his boss, Catherine at a nce. He had never seen Catherine¡¯s feminine side like this before. If not for the fact that the person holding Catherine was Branden, Withal would not have believed that the girl in front of him was Catherine. The scene was just too shocking! Seeing the person who came was Withal, Branden did not say anything. He carried Catherine in his arms and continued to walk forward. Catherine continued to sleep quietly in Branden¡¯s arms, showing no signs of waking up. Branden did not want to wake her up, so he protected her carefully in his arms to prevent her from being disturbed by people around. Withal followed them into the car. He frowned slightly as he saw there were so many suitcases. He raised his eyebrows at Paxton on the side and asked, ¡°Are you guys bringing any secret weapons here?¡± Paxton reached out and pointed to the suitcases next to him. ¡°This is Miss Swann¡¯smonly used pillow, this is her favorite nket, and this is her favorite coffee cup¡­¡± Paxton told Withal one by one about the things in those suitcases as if they were all treasures. Branden gave the order to pack them, and Paxton had no choice but to obey it. Paxton had supervised the entire packaging process, so he knew better than anyone what was inside these suitcases. Withal was holding back hisughter as he listened. In that case, it seemed that Catherine was not there to take on a mission, but she was more like moving to immigrate. All the things she used to use were packed! Paxton nced coldly at Withal, his face full of disgust. ¡°You canugh if you want, or else you¡¯ll suffer internal injuries!¡± The car slowly drove to a manor entrance and stopped. Paxton was the first to get out of the car and pushed open the door for Branden. Branden got out of the car with Catherine in his arms. His hand holding Catherine had ne never been released from the moment he boarded the ne until now. Even when Catherine woke up, she nestled in his arms, killing time with her cell phone. Branden was willing to let Catherine do that, and Catherine did not object. After entering the manor, Branden ced Catherine on a nearby sofa chair, and she opened her eyes slowly. Her half-asleep appearance made her less cold and detached than usual but more charming. Branden regretted it a little. He should not have put Catherine on the sofa chair. He should have just carried her upstairs and hidden her in his room so no one would see her beauty. Catherine woke up. She was not surprised to see Withal sitting across from her. She opened her mouth Seeing that Catherine had no intention of hiding the matter from Branden and the others, Withal went to the point directly. ¡°I¡¯ve made an appointment with Ravenloth Pce for ten o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. They will arrange for someone to pick us up!¡± Catherine nodded, took out her cell phone and started ying games. Paxton was curious as he watched Catherine¡¯s movements. He heard that the king of Ravenloth asked Catherine to help, but he did not see Catherine prepare for it. The things for tomorrow had already been arranged, but Catherine was still leisurely ying games on her cell phone. Her calmness was admirable. Branden left with Paxton. Withal and Catherine were left in the living room. As soon as they left, Withal could not wait to ask Catherine, ¡°Catherine, are you going to have Mr. Duncan apany you?¡± Catherine lowered her eyes and red at him. Her gaze seemed to question Withal, ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡± Withal was so startled that he waved his hand in a hurry. ¡°Nope. I just wonder if we need to get the king of Ravenloth to give us some extra money. If you two big guys are going on the mission together, we¡¯ll suffer a loss with the price I negotiated before!¡± ¡°Good point!¡± Catherine nodded rather approvingly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave this to you!¡± After getting Catherine¡¯s order, Withal could not wait but wanted to p himself. He med himself for talking too much. He got himself into trouble! x Chapter 481 Questioning Catherine Chapter 481 Questioning Catherine In Ravenloth Pce, Branden held Catherine¡¯s hand as their group of four appeared at the entrance of Ravenloth Pce. All four had been disguised, and their original appearance was difficult to distinguish. Ravenloth was worthy of being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and its pce was not only exquisitely constructed but also permeated with a rich atmosphere. The guards of the pce were very strict. The four of them met the pce attendant who came to receive them at the entrance of the pce. Withal handed the invitation letter from the pce to the pce attendant for inspection. After reading the contents of the invitation, the pce attendant looked at them with an instantly different look in their eyes. Even his attitude toward them became much more respectful. The remuneration provided by the king of Ravenloth was exceptionally high, so there were many talented and extraordinary individualsing to take on the mission. The pce attendant could receive experts who came after taking the task every day, but the matter remained unresolved after so many experts came. But the invitation letter Withal showed him was different. It was an invitation letter personally issued by the king. Catherine was the expert the king had been searching for months, so her treatment was naturally different. ¡°After you, please!¡± The group of four people was brought to the hospitality hall of the pce. The one who received them there was the chief attendant, the superior of the pce attendant. The chief attendant stood in front of them with a dignified face, wearing the traditional livery of Ravenloth. He looked to be in his early fifties. With a serious face, he scanned the four of them with sharp gazes. Catherine¡¯s group was abination of three men and one woman. The chief attendant¡¯s sharp eyes remained fixed on the man and the woman standing in front. He realized that both of them had quite a powerful aura, and they had a noble aura emanating from all over them. At first nce, he knew that these two people were not ordinary people. Surprisingly, he could not tell who was the real expert among these two people for a moment. This was quite a rare thing! After a few seconds of contemtion, the chief attendant took the initiative to ¡°May I ask which one of you is Dr. Sugar, the biology expert?¡± It was rumored that this biology expert was highly mysterious, and no one knew her background and identity information. No one even discovered what school she graduated from. It was only known that every time she made a move, it was a major event that stirred the world, and in the end, this mysterious expert would leave nothing behind. All the documents she signed only left a code name, Sugar! So, the outside world honored her as Dr. Sugar.¡± Ravenloth Pce had tried to contact this expert from the very first moment of the incident. However, Dr. Sugar¡¯s whereabouts were too secretive and hard to find. After searching the world for several months and finding nothing, Ravenloth Pce contacted the Hacker Alliance, a powerful organization. It was said that Dr. Sugar had worked with them before. After a lot of trouble, Ravenloth Pce contacted Dr. Sugar. To ask her to help, Ravenloth Pce had to pay a lot. They even promised to offer a gold mine¡¯s mining rights. They were afraid that they would be rejected by this top-notch bigwig outright if they provided a low Catherine looked up at the chief attendant. Her clear eyes coldly swept over The chief attendant understood immediately and nodded politely at Catherine. ¡°Dr. Sugar, it¡¯s been a long journey. Thank you foring!¡± After saying that, he dropped his gaze on the man at the side. This man¡¯s aura was just too special. It was intense and contained iparable nobility. This aura made the man look even more noble than quite a few outstanding royals in Ravenloth Pce, and this kind of aura was extremely rare. Without knowing the man¡¯s background and identity, the chief attendant asked the man in a very polite manner, ¡°May I know who you are?¡± Because the chief attendant asked Branden, Withal was in no position to answer. He could only wait silently for Catherine¡¯smand. But before Catherine said anything, Branden made his own exnation. He said, ¡°I¡¯m her assistant!¡± The chief attendant¡¯s eyes twinkled momentarily, and he did not say much after a lightugh. ¡°The king is already waiting in the main hall. Pleasee with me!¡± It was not an easy thing to enter the main hall of the pce. Every time they passed through a gate, there were heavily guarded soldiers inspecting them. Although Catherine and the others were impatient, they were used to it. The pces were just like that. The procedures to enter a ce wereplicated and troublesome! If it weren¡¯t for the high price they offered, Catherine would not even look at them. Arriving at the main hall, the group was arranged by the chief attendant outside the door. ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll go report to the king!¡± Catherine nodded slightly with a very indifferent attitude. Once the chief attendant left, Withal could not help but spit out in a low voice, ¡°Catherine, the orders of pces are troublesome. There are too many procedures. We¡¯d better not ept such orders in the future!¡± Catherine turned her head and gave him a cold look. ¡°Who was that greedy person?¡± The low pressure lingering around Catherine¡¯s surroundings intimidated Withalpletely. He turned pale with fear and apologized cautiously. ¡°Catherine, I was wrong!¡± This could not be med on him, and it was the old scheming people at the base who should be med. They actually made him, the head of Withalist n, in charge of receiving customers and taking on orders now. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Catherine was the one to do the orders, he would have quit long ago. To have more contact with Catherine, he would just endure it! The chief attendant left quickly and came back quickly. It did not take long for him toe back and ask Catherine and the others to go in. When they entered the hall, they realized that there were some strangely dressed people within the main hall besides the king. Noticing Catherine¡¯s frown, Withal exined hurriedly in a whispered ventriloquist voice. ¡°Catherine, in order to cure the pce¡¯s bizarre condition, the king of Ravenloth has issued a mission around the world. These people all came upon hearing the news!¡± It was the norm for people to be driven by profit. The chief attendant introduced Catherine and the others to the king on the main seat above. ¡°King, this is Dr. Sugar!¡± At these words, the hall was quiet for a few seconds. Everyone focused their eyes on Catherine. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Dr. Sugar was well-known worldwide, and many people had heard of her name. They were all surprised that Ravenloth could be able to have this big shot there. Some people worshipped Dr. Sugar, and naturally, there were also people who questioned her. After all, there were many scammers these days, so one had to be cautious. No one expected that the famous Dr. Sugar was actually a little girl with a delicate figure. Although Catherine was wearing a mask and the crowd could not see her appearance, they could still tell she was very young! Not only was she young, but the three men standing beside her also looked particrly young. Could these people really be able to solve the matter? Doubts arose in the hearts of the crowd! The king¡¯s eyes fell on Catherine. The king was getting old and already looked a little out of his depth. If it were not for the fact that this incident affected the entire pce members, the old king would not have personally intervened. ¡°Dr. Sugar, you have a long day. Thank you for youring!¡± Catherine stood there with an expressionless look. She was fearless as the crowd looked at her up and down. The chief attendant approached Catherine slowly and asked, ¡°Dr. Sugar, may I ask when you can start checking? If you need to use any equipment or instruments, just tell us. We will definitely try our best to prepare for you!¡± At these words, the crowd became interested and gazed eagerly at Catherine. Everyone wanted to see what superior abilities Dr. Sugar had! Chapter 482 I Finally Got You Chapter 482 I Finally Got You Catherine shook her head at the chief attendant. ¡°No need to prepare the equipment. Just take me there!¡± The chief attendant thought that Catherine and her group should have brought their own equipment after he saw the silver box in Withal¡¯s hand. Without much hesitation, the chief attendant took Catherine to the patient. There were already more than thirty infected patients in the entire pce. In order to allow capable and talented individuals to have a clear understanding of the situation, the pce chose a member of the royal family with the lowest status and the most humble identity. This member was used as the object of being diagnosed. To put it bluntly, they were making this royal family member by the name of Bert, ab rat. After all, no one knew now whether this situation was caused by a disease or a virus. Or else, as some supernatural figures imed, the royal family had been cursed. Catherine was brought to Bert, who sat weakly in his wheelchair. With a pale face, he looked in a very bad situation. He was like a dying man. After observing him for a moment, Catherine made a request. ¡°I need to take a tube of his blood forb tests!¡± The chief attendant responded immediately, ¡°Is one tube of blood enough?¡± Catherine nced at Bert¡¯s arms. They were covered in pinholes of all sizes. It seemed like Bert had already had his blood taken many times. As ab rat, he must have suffered inhuman treatment. Catherine nced coldly at the chief attendant. ¡°Judging from his situation, how many tubes of blood do you think I can take from him?¡± Hearing the mocking meaning in Catherine¡¯s words, the chief attendant did not say anything more. With a faint smile, he stepped back. Withal opened the silver case. There was not much inside the case, only a piece of very simpleb equipment. This seemingly simple equipment was made by Catherine herself. Catherine ced the blood sample on the equipment for testing. Theb data from the equipment was connected to the Arbotte Laboratory. Within minutes, Rodge would forward the analyzed report to Catherine. While waiting for the results, Catherine began to carefully examine Bert¡¯s condition again. She asked several questions. The main reason some people said this bizarre illness was someone¡¯s curse on the royal family was because all the people infected were members of the royal family. The disease was only spread between members of the royal family, and non-royal members would not develop it even if they had close contact with the infected members. After asking a few simple questions, Catherine was ready to leave. She had gotten the sample she wanted, and she had also seen the symptoms. Although she knew medical theory, she was not a doctor. So, there was no way for her of checking the patient with the ways of diagnosis. Her specialty was in research. Now, all she needed to do was bring the blood sample back for testing. Catherine took off her gloves, and Withal immediately began to pack up. Those who had been waiting to see what shocking actions Catherine would take were all dumbfounded. She actually started packing her things to leave just after taking the blood sample. That was all? Finally, someone could not hold back and shouted in Catherine¡¯s direction, ¡± Dr. to leave just like that? Are you worthy of the money the king paid you?¡± The chief attendant stood aside and did not say anything. Catherine was an expert that the king had spent a lot of effort to hire. They could not afford to offend her. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Although they could not afford to offend her, they could not do much and control the situation before it got too big. When someone started to stir up, there was someone to respond. For a moment, the people present began to talk about Catherine. Withal was furious. These people actually dared to talk about Catherine like that. Did these people really think Catherine was someone they could mess with? Before Withal could do something, Branden, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up. ¡°Have you finished your words?¡± His words carried a powerful majesty, instantly shocking all the people present. Everyone¡¯s gaze turned toward Branden, standing next to Catherine. In the next second, they were all shocked by Branden¡¯s sharp gaze. This man¡¯s aura was too powerful. His body exuded a hint of a king¡¯s demeanor, which made people dare not easily offend him. As for the first person to question Catherine, after being stared at by Branden, he was so scared that he choked on his own saliva. He coughed violently in confusion. This unusual scene made the chief attendant once again notice Branden standing next to Catherine. He could guarantee that this man was definitely more than simply an assistant. As for the reason why he was disguised as Dr. Sugar¡¯s assistant, the chief attendant did not know yet. Under Branden¡¯s powerful aura, the questioning voices around disappeared. Catherine led her group, strutting out of the main hall. No one present noticed that in the dark corner behind the main hall, there was a pair of fierce eyes staring at everything with a cold light. This person was mainly focused on Catherine. Staring at Catherine¡¯s back, the person said in a low voice, ¡°Dr. Sugar, I finally got you!¡± Catherine and her group did not ept the pce¡¯s arrangement of amodation. They chose to continue living in the Duncans¡¯ vi in Ravenloth. Everything there was specially designed by Branden to Catherine¡¯s liking. No matter how good the pce was, it could not make Catherine feel asfortable as she was staying there. Besides, the things Branden had prepared for her were by no means inferior to those in the pce. After Catherine arrived at the vi, she changed herzy state from the previous two days. She did not even sit on the sofa for a while before rushing straight upstairs. On the attic of the top floor, there was aboratory that Withal had temporarily built out. It was exclusively for Catherine¡¯s use in doing research. When Catherine was doing research, no one could disturb her. Even Branden could not go upstairs to disturb her. An afternoon passed, and they did not hear any noiseing from upstairs. Catherine missed two meals. Paxton realized that Branden had no intention of going upstairs to ask Catherine to have some food. That was something strange! ording to Branden¡¯s concern for Catherine, not to mention that she did not have any food for two meals, she could make this always calm big shot frown even by taking a few bites less. After a long hesitation, Paxton decided to ask Branden. After all, serving Branden¡¯s future wife was one of Paxton¡¯s tasks. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do you need the kitchen to prepare a little of Miss Swann¡¯s favorite food and send it upstairs?¡± Hearing the inquiry, Branden put down the work in his hands. He raised his eyes to Paxton. ¡°Just have the kitchen prepare it and keep it warm. No one is going upstairs!¡± Not to mention the top floor attic, in order not to affect Catherine, everyone was not even allowed to enter the second floor. To create a quiet andfortable environment for Catherine, Branden was even working directly in the living room. Withal was leaning over and studying ¡± The Ten Tortures¡± on his cell phone. After hearing the conversation between Branden and Paxton, he could not help but give Branden a thumbs up in his heart. Branden really knew Catherine well enough. At that time, not to mention delivering food, even if the world was destroyed, no one could go and disturb Catherine. Catherine could not bear to be disturbed when concentrating on her research. Withal had gotten used to it after so many years of following Catherine. Anyway, when it was time, Catherine would naturally go downstairs. They did not need to worry about her at all. Chapter 483 Catherine Knew Medicolegal Expertise Chapter 483 Catherine Knew Medicolegal Expertise At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, a little noise finally came from the quiet vi. Catherine swaggered down the stairs. She once again fell into a state of lethargy and exhaustion. When she went downstairs, she swayed and looked like she was about to fall. Seeing her like this, Withal still admired her. Branden stopped working and stepped forward. He put one hand around her waist to help her down the stairs. Only when Catherine was sitting on the sofa did Withal dare to start asking her how things were going. ¡°Catherine, how¡¯s the research going?¡± Catherine reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had stripped and dposed Bert¡¯s blood and also checked Bert¡¯s genes. However, she did not find anything suspected of being viruses, nor did she see any foreign viral invasion inside the blood. For a while, she was still unsure whether the cause of this strange disease was rted to biological viruses. She might need to spend some more time researching it. Seeing Catherine not responding, Withal panicked. There were actually things in the world that could stump Catherine. It was over. Ravenloth Pce was over. If even Catherine could not help, then no one could save them. ¡°Catherine, the pce has invited many famous doctors to check the patients. All the check results show that the patients are fine and healthy, but the vital signs of all the patients are gradually declining.¡± The more Withal thought about it, the more he felt scared. He felt this matter was horrible after thinking about it carefully. ¡°Catherine, could it be true that it was a curse on the royal family by the former queen?¡± The former queen had died for over ten years, yet a rumor had been circting in the pce. The rumor said that the former queen was killed, so she ced a curse on the royal family before she died. The rumor was spread even more intensely in thee out to refute the rumor. The matter hade to a point where it must be resolved. Otherwise, the old king would not have cost so much tounch missions worldwide. Branden was not interested in any of that research. Even it would not matter to him. All he cared about was Catherine. His beautiful eyebrows furrowed as Catherine did not eat the oatmeal. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Branden made the oatmeal in person. Catherine often ate oatmeal. Catherine looked down at the oatmeal. She felt that the food arranged by Branden was bing increasingly light and tasteless. She pushed away the oatmeal in a rude manner and said lightly, ¡°I want to have a barbecue!¡± Once Catherine wanted a barbecue, no one could change her mind. Hearing her words, a faint smile appeared on Branden¡¯s face. For Branden, it was better for Catherine to have a barbecue than to eat nothing at all. The man looked at her tenderly with a doting look in his eyes. Instead of refusing Catherine¡¯s request directly, he coaxed Catherine to eat some oatmeal patiently as if she were a child. ¡°Eat some oatmeal first. I¡¯ll prepare the barbecue for you right away!¡± Catherine did not say anything. She ate the oatmeal off and on while choosing the food to barbecue on theptop Paxton handed her. Before the barbecue was ready, an ident suddenly urred. Withal suddenly received a call from Ravenloth Pce. ¡°Catherine, the first case of death has urred.¡± Catherine raised her eyes toward Withal with a calm look. ¡°Is it Bert?¡± Withal widened his eyes instantly. He said in shock, ¡°You¡¯re amazing. You even know this!¡± Withal had always suspected that Catherine had precognitive powers. He just did not have the evidence to prove it. The best way to cause panic was death! ¡°Catherine, the pce asked us toe into the pce. They said they wanted us to learn as much as possible about Bert¡¯s condition. What do you think?¡± Withal dared not make decisions without authorization. He had to ask Catherine¡¯s opinion. Catherine casually handed theptop to Paxton and faintlymanded, ¡°I¡¯ll have a barbecueter when Ie back! Not daring to hesitate, Paxton took theptop in a hurry. ¡°Miss Swann, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely prepare the barbecue ording to your tastes!¡± And then, the group of four entered the pce, once again in disguise. Ravenloth Pce was lit upte at night due to the first case of death. Members of the royal family stood nervously inside the pce. No one knew before that this unknown disease would be fatal. Now that they knew, who wouldn¡¯t be scared and panicked? Not only those members of the royal family but also some talented individuals who were invited also started to retreat. What if the disease mutated and spread to non-royal members? This was something that no one could guarantee. It was still the chief attendant who received Catherine and her group. He took them to the temporary mausoleum to check Bert¡¯s body. He handed the four of them masks made of nts that the people of Ravenloth believed could ward off evil spirits. ¡°Dr. Sugar, please!¡± Withal could not help but ask, ¡°May I ask if this is a tradition in your Ravenloth Pce? Do you need to wear this to see the dead?¡± The chief attendant shook his head.¡± Not really. It¡¯s just that Bert died in a bad way. In order to avoid the evil spirits from his body affecting you, it would be better for you to cover yourselves with the mask!¡± It turned out that the mask had an allegory to ward off evil spirits. If this was a tradition of Ravenloth Pce, Catherine might have respected it. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. But it had nothing to do with tradition and was frankly a superstition. Catherine had seen a lot of gory horrors on the battlefield, so how could she possibly be afraid of evil spirits? Catherine walked straight into the mausoleum and said in a cold voice, ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡± After having her take the lead, the rest of her group also refused the chief attendant¡¯s good intentions. Catherine pulled out her white gloves and put them on. She then began to examine Bert¡¯s body. She did not treat Bert¡¯s body rudely like the others. She had a solemn expression and a strict attitude. Her respect for the body was evident in every movement she made. Her professionalism could be seen in her movements. Paxton, who was standing by the side, could not help but be a little shocked by this scene. He lowered his voice and asked Withal at the side. ¡°Miss Swann also knows medicolegal expertise?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Withal let out a smug sneer and said with a face full of pride, ¡± Catherine knows a lot more. She¡¯s examined a lot of corpses, so she¡¯s top- notch at examining them! ¡°There are many things that are not the matter of whether Catherine knows about it or not. They are the matter of whether she¡¯s willing to do it or not. ¡°As long as it¡¯s something she¡¯s interested in, she only needs to put a little effort into it to achieve the ultimate in it easily.¡± If Withal praised others like this, Paxton would definitely refute him. Few people in the world could be that excellent. But Catherine was indeed such a perfect person. Some things might sound unbelievable, but some people had the personal charisma to make others believe it was all true. Catherine was one of those people who had the personal charisma! After examining it, Catherine came to a conclusion. She raised her eyes, her cold gaze falling on the chief attendant. She faintly opened her mouth and asked, ¡± He died of heart failure?¡± Chapter 484 A Carefully Designed Game Chapter 484 A Carefully Designed Game The chief attendant¡¯s eyes lit up unconsciously after hearing the conclusion Catherine had reached. Catherine did not use any instruments to test. Based on her observation of the corpse with only her eyes, she was able to give the same conclusion as the one prescribed by the most brilliant forensic experts in the royal family. This was too impressive. The chief attendant nodded silently, affirming Catherine¡¯s conclusion. ¡°Dr. Sugar, ording to the joint judgment provided by the forensic bureau, it is currently determined that Bert died of heart failure!¡± Catherine said no more and continued to observe the body. Suddenly, a small pinhole on Bert¡¯s neck caught Catherine¡¯s attention. This small pinhole did not stand out on Bert¡¯s body. There were too many scars on his body, and the pinholes of all sizes were dense on his body. There were those left from treatments and those left from experiments to determine the disease. No one knew what the pinhole on his neck was for! Catherine looked at that pinhole for a while. She did not attract anyone else¡¯s attention to that pinhole when she looked at it. After examining Bert¡¯s body, Catherine took off her gloves and threw them in the recycling bin on the side. She and her group did not leave the pce immediately. The pce only provided the entrance passage, but not the exit passage for the time being. The chief attendant did not want to snub Catherine, so he arranged for them to take a night tour inside the pce. Even if only part of the pce were open, it would still take half a day toplete a tour. Catherine was not interested in wandering around all the time. Her physical strength was not for walking. After casually strolling around the back garden, Catherine followed the crowd back to the mausoleum. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Noticing that Catherine¡¯s gaze was fixed on the recycling bin in front of her, Branden inquired with concern, ¡± What¡¯s wrong?¡± Catherine said faintly, ¡°The gloves I threw away are missing!¡± Paxton nced at the recycling bin. There was a pile of white gloves thrown together, and it was impossible for him to tell which pair Catherine had just used. He admired Catherine for being able to tell the difference. ¡°Maybe they were put away by the servants! There are so many gloves, and you may misrecognize them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡± Catherine answered with a firm tone. Everything she used was specially prepared by Ronin. Even her gloves were customized by Ronin with special symbols on them. As for Paxton¡¯sment about the gloves being taken away by the servants was possible, but Catherine dismissed it the next moment. Because all the other gloves were still there, only the pair she used disappeared. The servants could not just take away her gloves alone, right? Catherine¡¯s expression was serious. Branden trusted Catherine¡¯s judgment. He swept a nce toward Paxton. Paxton dared not hesitate. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I will check it out right now!¡± The missed pair of white gloves were now being carefully ced on a dark rosewood table deep in the pce. The person cing them was observing them with an extremely admiring look in his eyes. It was the first time the servant who brought the gloves there saw Prince Harry showed such a dedicated and serious gaze. Perhaps the servant¡¯s gaze was too persistent, and it caused Harry to suddenly look up. Harry¡¯s sharp eyes were fixed on the servant. The servant was so frightened that he immediately knelt. He was trembling all over and couldn¡¯t even speak. His slightly trembling appearance made Harry burst outughing uncontrobly. He lifted the servant¡¯s chin with his toe slowly, forcing him to lift his head. ¡°Jesse, don¡¯t be afraid. I am not going to put my hands on you. All you need to do is to keep an eye on Dr. Sugar for me. Report to me if there is any news. Got it?¡± Jesse nodded in a hurry. He was afraid the prince would kill him if he nodded a secondte. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. I will do my best to serve you!¡± ¡°Okay, I let you go!¡± After getting Harry¡¯s order, Jesse fled the ce as soon as possible. He only felt a strong sense of oppression when he was by Harry¡¯s side. That feeling made him feel as terrifying as if he was in hell. Jesse¡¯s fleeing figure made Harry¡¯s mouth outline a malicious sneer. In a low voice, he slowly cursed, ¡°Uselessckey!¡± After cursing Jesse, his gaze once again fell onto the pair of white gloves. Harry picked up the white gloves and sniffed the fragrance on them affectionately. He had finally found Dr. Sugar after all his efforts. He should think carefully about how he should appear in front of Dr. Sugar in order to attract her attention. More than half an hourter, Catherine and the others got permission from the pce to leave the pce. Just then, Paxton returned. Withal was responsible for driving. Paxton sat in the passenger seat and reported the situation. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ve checked the surveince. Someone should have picked up Miss Swann¡¯s gloves. This person is especially familiar with the pce, and none of the surveince cameras captured his face. He was wearing the clothes of a pce servant, so it was a bit difficult to track him down. I¡¯ve strengthened my manpower to continue tracking him down!¡± Without waiting for Branden to respond, Catherine gave her decision in a cold voice. ¡°There is no need to continue tracing!¡± Paxton looked at her in surprise. He did not understand Catherine¡¯s purpose. At first, he thought Catherine was making a big deal out of it. It was only a pair of gloves that were missing, and it was entirely possible that Catherine was mistaken. Butter, Branden gave him the order, and he had to check it out. When he arranged for an elite squad to infiltrate the pce¡¯s surveince system and check the surveince equipment, he was once again shocked by Catherine¡¯s sensitivity. Unexpectedly, the matter of the gloves was really done by someone on purpose. Although the other party did it cautiously, under their careful investigation, they still found clues. Paxton had been following Branden for many years and had always been cautious, He would not let go of any details. Although it was only a pair of gloves that were missing, it had already aroused Paxton¡¯s inner rm. This was too unusual. He was ready to transfer manpower to conduct a full investigation. However, Catherine refused so lightly. Paxton could not guess what Catherine was thinking and could only fall his gaze on Branden. He would do what Branden asked him to do. Branden looked at Catherine calmly. He did notment on the decision she made. Facing the curiosity of the crowd, surprisingly, Catherine was in the mood to give them an exnation. ¡°Just let it be! When it¡¯s time for him to appear, he¡¯ll appear, right?¡± That person would even secretly take her gloves, so he would inevitably try to appear in front of her by all means. Since that was the case, why should they bother looking for that person? They might as well just wait peacefully for the other party to show up. When it was time for him to appear, he would appear! Branden held Catherine¡¯s small hand and gently kneaded it. Catherine¡¯s skin was especially delicate, and her hands were soft and smooth to the touch. While ying with Catherine¡¯s hand, Branden thought about the chaotic situation they were facing. Initially, he thought that their trip to Ravenloth was simply to fulfill a mission, but now it seemed that this mission was somewhat like a carefully designed game. If this game was really aimed at Catherine¡­ Inside the dimly lit car, the man¡¯s deep eyes suddenly darkened, and the darkness in his eyes was bottomless. Chapter 485 The Secret Chapter 485 The Secret Withal had been wrestling with a question for some time, and he finally decided to pose it to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re not a doctor, so how did you determine that Bert died from heart failure?¡± he inquired. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Catherine, who had never performed an autopsy herself, had relied on the outward signs of the body to deduce the cause of death. Even the chief attendant, who had witnessed her assessment, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. ¡°Catherine is truly remarkable!¡± he thinks. In response to Withal¡¯s question, Catherine, who was leaning against Branden, groggy and half-asleep, gave her answer. ¡°Well, when waiting for the test results, I flipped through some medical books out of sheer boredom,¡± she said. Upon hearing this, Withal couldn¡¯t resist giving Catherine a thumbs-up. It was evident that she was a top-notch expert, effortlessly surpassing others with her remarkable insights. Withal chose to remain silent, and he didn¡¯t want to pursue the matter further. He felt that pressing on would only be an affront to himself. The following afternoon, Catherine was once again summoned. She headed to the pce. Bert had passed away, but the mysterious illness hadn¡¯t ceased. Another royal member had been assigned for experimentation and analysis. This new member¡¯s mother held a higher maternal status within the royal family than Bert¡¯s mother did, so initially, he wasn¡¯t the first choice. No one had anticipated that Bert would pass away so quickly, and thus, this new member had to fill his position. When Catherine met Henry, she found his condition to be quite dire. It wasn¡¯t that his illness was more severe than Bert¡¯s, but his emotional state was in tatters, on the brink of copse. The torment of his ailment and the mental pressure had elerated the deterioration of his physical condition. After examining him, Catherine found that, apart from the emotional stress, the rest of his symptoms were identical to Bert¡¯s. Catherine had been there for two days already, and there was no improvement to report. Those who had been keeping a close eye on her couldn¡¯t help but indulge in gossip. ¡°Oh, I thought these self-proimed top global biologists were extraordinary. It turns out they¡¯re just using the title of ¡®Doctor¡¯ to pull the wool over everyone¡¯s eyes!¡± ¡°You see! When it trulyes down to it, she can¡¯t handle it!¡± Catherine paid no attention to the idle chatter. Her expression remained cold and distant, like an ind of serenity amid turmoil. Just as she had finished her examination and turned around, Henry suddenly convulsed, frothing at the mouth. It seemed that he was on the brink of death. The attendants were in a panic, urgently calling upon various experts, mystics, and even energy healers to try and save him. However, various healers, chatans, and even Reiki therapists all made their appearances, but they were all equally helpless, providing no solutions. Henry was in a state ofplete breakdown, overwhelmed by anxiety. His eyes bulged, and he stared at the onlookers in terror, his pleas barely audible. ¡°Please, save me, please¡­¡± It was a heart-wrenching scene. Were all these people just going to stand by and watch his life slip away before their eyes? Finally, Catherine took action. She stepped forward with amanding presence thatpelled the experts surrounding Henry to part and make way for her. Catherine knelt by Henry¡¯s side and, in full view of everyone, began to unbutton his shirt. Henry¡¯s servants attempted to rush forward to stop her, but Withal intervened directly. One of them shouted, ¡°Release His Highness! You lowly woman, you¡¯re not allowed to touch His Highness¡¯s noble body.¡± In Ravenloth, it was still an era of monarchy, and as a result, the deeply ingrained concepts of male dominance and female subservience held significant sway. There were strict rules against women touching a man¡¯s chest or anything above it. If this rule was vited, it was believed that the man would face ill fortune, and the woman responsible would face execution. After understanding the situation, Catherine cast a cold, disdainful nce at the servant who had attempted to intervene. She questioned him in a frosty tone, When His Highness¡¯ life is hanging by a thread, are you still concerned about his fate? Is that a joke?¡± The servant was momentarily stunned by Catherine¡¯s words. As Catherine had pointed out, Henry¡¯s life was on the line, and at a time like this, adhering to antiquated customs was utterly futile. Catherine had no time for further discussion with the servant. She unbuttoned Henry¡¯s shirt, revealing his emaciated chest. Simultaneously, she withdrew a silver needle she had carried with her. After returning home the previous night, she shared her research findings with Mr. Theo and sought advice on treating the ailment. When she arrived at the pce today, she had brought the silver needles with her, not expecting that they would be put to use so quickly. The onlookers watched Catherine¡¯s actions anxiously. As she inserted one silver needle after another with precision into the acupuncture points, Henry¡¯s condition appeared to improve. Witnessing Henry¡¯s transition frombored breathing to gradual relief and a less pallidplexion was a relief for everyone. Several minutester, Henry was able to speak slowly. His consciousness was returning, and upon seeing Catherine, he recognized her. Yesterday, when Catherine made her appearance, he had been present and knew her identity. Gratefully, he looked at her and said, Thank you, Doctor.¡± Catherine remained unresponsive, wearing an aloof expression as she carefully put away the needles. Those who had mocked her earlier now felt the sting of embarrassment as they witnessed her capabilities. However loudly they hadughed before, the current situation left them utterly mortified. Many among them wished the ground could have swallowed them now! The chief attendant immediately reported this situation to the king. The king personally summoned Catherine and invited her to the stage. ¡°Doctor, I heard you used a mysterious acupuncture technique to save my nephew?¡± The king, despite being rted to Henry as his uncle, was anxious. ¡°Doctor, have you discovered the secret to unraveling this mysterious ailment?¡± The strange illness had already caused panic among the entire royal family and had significantly impacted external trade with Ravenloth Pce. This had the king in a state of urgency. After all these days, Catherine was the first one who seemed reliable. With just a few simple needles, she had sessfully cured Henry. It seemed their extensive efforts in searching for the right person worldwide had not been in vain. In the king¡¯s presence, Catherine maintained a cold and indifferent demeanor, treating everyone with the same expression except those close to her. Regardless of the person¡¯s social standing, she remained impartial. ¡°No, Your Majesty. Right now, I can only seal his meridians to prevent blood cirction. But to fully identify the cause, I need time,¡± she replied. Through her study of Bert¡¯s blood, Catherine discovered that the pathogenic factors resided within it. The most effective way to preventplications during an outbreak was to inhibit blood cirction. Given the risks involved, Catherine had reached out to Mr. Theo the previous night to learn acupuncture techniques to minimize these risks. Although the king seemed disappointed by Catherine¡¯s response, she was the only one who had given him a glimmer of hope after all these days. He still had faith in her. ¡°Very well, Doctor. I¡¯ll give you the time you need. I just hope you can resolve this issue as soon as possible,¡± the aging king said. There was a hint of resignation in his expression. Catherine raised an eyebrow, her dark, prating eyes revealing a cold and distant countenance. With an air of nonchnce, she nodded. Chapter 486 The Curse Chapter 486 The Curse Catherine found herself in the spotlight once more due to her impressive disy of skill. She had initially disagreed with the king¡¯s request to stay at the pce. The King of Ravenloth increased the stakes once again! Money could make almost anything happen, and seeing how generous the king was, Catherine agreed to stay until evening. Alone in the royal garden, Catherine enjoyed a leisurely walk. Before long, a handsome young man approached her. Judging by his attire, he was undoubtedly a member of the royal family, perhaps even a prince. His captivating. However, what drew the most attention were his eyes, which held the captivating depth of the ocean, drawing anyone into a world of unspoken secrets. Catherine could sense that he was heading straight toward her and even paused intentionally in front of her. But for Catherine, whether he was a king or a prince, there was no point when she chose not to engage. As Catherine passed by him, she continued walking without so much as a nce in his direction. In response to her aloof demeanor, Harry didn¡¯t show any anger. A faint smile adorned his handsome face. If any pce servants had witnessed this scene, they would have been astounded. The usually ice- cold Prince Harry disyed such a gentle smile, which was nothing short of astonishing. Before Catherine could get too far, Harry stopped her. ¡°Dr. Sugar, please wait!¡± he called out. Catherine halted and turned to give him a sharp, curious look. Harry quickly introduced himself, not wanting to dy a moment. ¡°Dr. Sugar, hello, I¡¯m Harry, Prince Harry!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t care whether he was a prince or a servant, and she could not care less about his identity. Her impatient expression might have clued Harry in, so he immediately revealed his intention. ¡°Dr. Sugar, I¡¯m Henry¡¯s cousin, and among all the siblings, Henry and I are the closest. I¡¯m very grateful for saving Henry today, and I don¡¯t even know how to express my gratitude!¡± Catherine gave him a cold nce. ¡°No need. Just don¡¯t block my way.¡± There was a hint of impatience in her words, and it was clear she had no interest in this prince. However, Harry didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of giving up. He looked at Catherine with a puzzled expression. ¡°Dr. Sugar, am I going to suffer from this incurable disease soon, just like my cousin?¡± Catherine heard Harry¡¯s plea. ¡°Come see me when you¡¯re sick,¡± she responded bluntly. With that, she walked away without even giving Harry a chance to say another word. Harry watched Catherine¡¯s departing figure with infatuation. No woman had ever been so indifferent in his presence, but Catherine was the first. ¡°Dr. Sugar is different from others!¡¯ he thought. He was interested in this doctor. Catherine returned to the royal resting room where the other three were waiting. Withal reported the ¡°Catherine, we¡¯ve received word that many members of the royal family have secretly fled Ravenloth in recent days.¡± The wealthier they were, the more they feared death. These royal members, rich as Croesus, valued their lives above all else. Since Bert¡¯s death, the royal family had been far from calm. The king had tried everything, seeking talented experts, but he still couldn¡¯t calm other royal members down. They believed it was a curse on the royals and that the only way to survive was to leave. Catherine sat on the sofa, her legs crossed casually, one foot raised even higher than Withal¡¯s. She made herself Withal reported the situation, and Paxton also shared the information he had gathered. Catherine indulged in the snacks Branden had prepared for her, listening half-heartedly. Meanwhile, she yawned asionally to express her weariness. ¡°Tell me more about that curse from the former queen.¡± Catherine interrupted Paxton¡¯s report, showing unexpected interest in these strange phenomena. Paxton paused, surprised that Catherine was showing interest in these peculiar urrences. However, now that Catherine had inquired, he had a duty to exin it thoroughly. Otherwise, Mr. Duncun, who had be infatuated with his beloved wife, would probably deal with him in no time. Now, the aging king, who had not been the ideal heir in the first ce. He had only ascended the throne because he had married a powerful and influential woman as his queen, snatching her from his brother. The king¡¯s love story with the queen did not live up to its romantic beginnings. After three years of rule, the king had been involved with two mistresses, including one of the queen¡¯s maids. This had been a direct p in the face to the queen. Subsequently, he continued to have more mistresses, numbering well into the double digits. The queen had born two sons and a daughter, and the eldest son was dered the heir to the throne at the age of five. But ever since his establishment as heir, the queen was gued by illness, sumbing not even two yearster. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. As for the queen¡¯s two sons, both had fallen victim to various idents, never reaching adulthood. The only princess had be mad after losing her loved ones one by one. Rumors in Ravenloth began to spread, attributing the deaths and misfortunes to the curse cast by the former queen, a curse born from the king¡¯s affection for his mistresses and disregard for his queen, ultimately affecting their children. In the third year after the death of Prince Toby, the king defied popr opinion and chose Prince Levi as the heir to the throne, bypassing the order of session. Initially, it seemed unlikely that Prince Levi would ever ascend to the throne. However, the king¡¯s infatuation with Prince Levi¡¯s mother, the new queen, Queen Lina, led him to firmly and decisively select Prince Levi as the crown prince. The year the heir was confirmed, strange urrences began. The unexined cracking of the former queen¡¯s tomb had urred first, and a grave illness had struck the king. Some even imed to have seen the former queen¡¯s ghost wandering in the pce, loudly vowing revenge. So, news of the former queen¡¯s curse started circting wildly and gained firm believers among the people. Later, at the king¡¯s request, the most renowned psychic in the country was summoned to perform a spiritual cleansing. Following the psychic¡¯s guidance, the king would be buried next to his former queen after his passing, finally putting this matter to rest. The eruption of this strange illness coincided with the king¡¯s preparation for retirement and his intent to abdicate the throne in favor of Prince Levi. Given the timing of this mysterious outbreak, it was hardly surprising that some connected the illness to the curse of the former queen. Many believed it was her restless spirit seeking revenge because she couldn¡¯t ept the son of Queen Lina ascending to the throne. It was because Queen Lina, taking advantage of the king¡¯s favor during the reign of the former queen, had shown extreme disrespect towards the queen. In the end, the former queen achieved what she probably desired most, which was the extinction of her sessor¡¯s lineage and the downfall of the royal family. As a result, rumors of her curse continued to escte, with many staunch believers. Chapter 487 Jealousy Chapter 487 Jealousy Upon Catherine heard Paxton¡¯s exnation, her eyes sparkled with curiosity. ¡°Well, this story is unexpectedly intriguing. It¡¯s more captivating than some period dramas penned by those boring ywrights.¡± Paxton was surprised that Catherine had the inclination to jest about such matters. Currently confined within the pce, every time they mentioned leaving, the king presented various reasons to convince them to stay. If sweet words didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d resort to spending exorbitant sums. In their eyes, Catherine had now be the lifeline for the entire royal family. After learning about the queen¡¯s curse, Catherine¡¯s interest was piqued by another matter. She raised an eyebrow at Paxton, who instantly felt a chill running down his spine. The voice that spoke again was almost trembling. ¡°Miss Swann, feel free to ask if you have any concerns!¡± As long as he didn¡¯t have to endure that terrifying look, he was ready to do anything for her! Catherine raised an eyebrow, her tone calm and unhurried. ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed, it¡¯s nothing serious. Since you seem to excel at gossip, let¡¯s just chat for a bit!¡± Paxton felt a rush of despair in his heart. Just chatting for a bit? That attitude alone was enough to suffocate him. Could she please not chat with him? Catherine rested her arm on the armrest, absentmindedly tapping it as she asked, ¡°Who is Prince Harry?¡± ¡°Pardon me, Miss Swann, but may I ask why you¡¯re inquiring about him?¡± Paxton looked at Catherine with a touch of suspicion. Catherine gave him a sidelong nce, nearly causing Paxton to kneel in fear. He immediately realized his mistake. He hastily apologized, ¡°Miss Swann, I was wrong.¡± After a slight reprimand, Paxton knew better than to cross her again. He understood that displeasing Mr. Duncun was less dangerous than offending the woman in Mr. Duncun¡¯s heart. Offending Mr. Duncun might result in punishment, but upsetting Mr. Duncun¡¯s beloved could lead to N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. permanent exile. Paxton had diligently gathered information, even about peripheral figures within the royal family. One such figure was Prince Harry. He was the king¡¯s thirteenth son,monly known as Prince Harry. In a culture that found the number thirteen unlucky, this prince did not enjoy the king¡¯s favor. Furthermore, Prince Harry¡¯s mother came from a humble background, making him a less influential member of the royal family. An unfavored prince,pounded by a less influential maternal lineage. In this powerful royal family, the underprivileged Prince Harry naturally found himself on the fringes. Rumors had it that he had been once exiled for offending Queen Lina. It wasn¡¯t until the king¡¯s birthday that he had been granted amnesty and allowed to return to Ravenloth. However, even back in Ravenloth, his status remained low, and he was not held in high regard. ¡°Miss Swann, this is all the information we have at the moment. There¡¯s no data avable about what this prince experienced during his exile. If you wish, I can arrange further investigation,¡± Paxton exined. Catherine did not respond. But the silent man beside her suddenly spoke, ¡°Go ahead and investigate this prince.¡± Seemingly anticipating Catherine¡¯s next move as if he could read her thoughts, he took care of things for her without her having to say a word. ¡°Yes.¡± After Paxton left, the man took Catherine¡¯s hand and gently kissed it. ¡°Why the sudden interest in this person?¡± he inquired. Catherine raised an eyebrow, her gaze filled with mischief. ¡°Is it wrong to find him cute?¡± The man immediately tightened his strong arm and brought Catherine closer, shortening the distance between them. He possessed a face as exquisite as a sculpted masterpiece, with well- defined and deep-set features. His eyes, particrly, were captivating weapons, gazing directly into Catherine¡¯s soul. ¡°Better looking than me?¡± Facing the solemn question from the man, Catherine pretended to give it serious consideration for a while. She responded, ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose he falls a bit shortpared to you!¡± Hearing her answer, the man finally looked rxed again. This girl had learned how to tease him. As the time was drawing near, Catherine prepared to leave. ¡°Withal, please inform the attendants and arrange our travel documents,¡± she instructed. Withal set aside his work and promptly stood up. ¡°Alright!¡± Even before Withal could step out of the doorway, the chief attendant hurriedly entered and found Catherine. ¡°Doctor, it¡¯s urgent! Pleasee over right away!¡± This level of urgency was unprecedentedpared to this morning when Henry fell ill. Noting the gravity of the chief attendant¡¯s demeanor, Catherine asked, ¡°Is it about the king?¡± The chief attendant shook his head and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s not the king! It¡¯s Prince Levi!¡± Upon hearing his words, Catherine knitted her eyebrows. Prince Levi was the heir to the throne of Ravenloth and the son of Queen Lina. No wonder the chief attendant was in such a hurry, for he was the heir to the throne and the beloved queen¡¯s son. If anything were to happen, it would be trouble for the entire Ravenloth Pce. Catherine quickly grasped what was going on. ¡°Prince Levi wasn¡¯t listed as one of the ailing members, was he?¡± Catherine questioned. She had received a list of the sick members from the royal family before, and even though she had just nced at it, she remembered the names of the people listed. But Prince Levi wasn¡¯t on that list! The chief attendant nodded, confirming Catherine¡¯s observation. ¡± You¡¯re right, Miss Swann. Prince Levi, indeed, wasn¡¯t part of the initial group of patients. The royal family takes extreme precautions to protect the crown prince and istes him from other members. However, idents do happen. When Bert passed away, the physician suddenly discovered that Prince Levi was also ill! ¡°And Prince Levi¡¯s condition seems more severe than others. He was diagnosed as soon as he fell ill, and his symptoms are identical to Henry¡¯s,¡± the chief attendant added. Catherine furrowed her brows. There was something unusual about Prince Levi¡¯s illness. Although she didn¡¯t believe in the supernatural, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the queen¡¯s curse. Seeing Catherine lost in thought, the chief attendant couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He urged, ¡°His Majesty and others are waiting for you, Doctor. Pleasee with me right now!¡± Catherine had initially intended to leave the pce, but it seemed she couldn¡¯t escape this time. The task was getting more intriguing. She wondered what astonishing revtion woulde when the mystery unraveled. Catherine followed the chief attendant to the door of Prince Levi¡¯s chamber. A crowd of priests gathered and prayed together at the door, making it look quite grand. Catherine nced at the scene and faintly smiled. Then, she followed the chief attendant into the chamber. Inside the chamber, a considerable number of people had gathered, and even the king was present, which indicated Prince Levi¡¯s importance. Beside the elderly king stood a woman who appeared mature in age but impably preserved. Her beauty was entuated by meticulously applied makeup on her exquisite face. She adorned herself with numerous precious jewels, radiating an air of opulence and exuding a powerful presence. If Catherine¡¯s guess was correct, this should be the king of Ravenloth¡¯s favorite woman, Queen Lina! Chapter 488 Mess with the Wrong Person Chapter 488 Mess with the Wrong Person The moment Catherine appeared, all eyes were on her. Seeing her arrival, the old king couldn¡¯t wait and said, ¡°Dr. Sugar, pleasee over and check the crown prince. He suddenly fell ill, and the physicians were helpless.¡± Catherine took a step forward. ¡°Your Majesty, are you sure she¡¯s up to the task?¡± Queen Lina, who was sitting beside the king, spoke. Her words dripped with disdain as if she held Catherine in contempt. The old king, holding the queen¡¯s hand, filled with affection, said, ¡°My love, the doctor is truly skilled. It was she who used mysterious Eastern medical arts to cure Henry¡¯s illness. I believe in her, and she can help the crown prince.¡± Queen Lina¡¯s eyes scrutinized Catherine from head to toe, her gaze thorough and unrelenting. Catherine stood tall and unbothered by Queen Lina¡¯s condescension. When Queen Lina continued her inspection without pause, she casually moved to a nearby chair and took a seat. Knowing it was Queen Lina¡¯s son who was suffering, Catherine was aware that every minute dyed meant another minute of agony for him. Seeing Catherine¡¯s audacious attitude, Queen Lina, who was ustomed to a position of power, couldn¡¯t contain her anger. She nced at a nearby servant, and the burly servant immediately understood and walked toward Catherine.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. His grim expression suggested he intended to give her a harsh lesson. In Ravenloth, no one dared to disrespect Queen Lina. The servant strode menacingly toward Catherine, but before he could reach her, he suddenly dropped to one knee. He clutched his knee in agony, screaming continuously. No one saw how the previous scene had unfolded. Withal coldly nced at the servant writhing on the ground. This servant had dared toy a hand on Catherine. If it weren¡¯t for Branden intervening more swiftly, he would have crippled the insubordinate servant right then and there. With her servant injured publicly, Queen Lina¡¯s face darkened. She sharply reprimanded Catherine, ¡± Daring to harm someone within the pce, it¡¯s aplete disregard for thew. Arrest all of them!¡± Facing Queen Lina¡¯s anger and indignation, Catherine remained calm, stood up, and looked at everyone with cold, unwavering eyes. ¡°It seems I¡¯m not needed here. I¡¯ll take my leave,¡± she said. The next second, she left without hesitation. The royal guards immediately surrounded them, enclosing the group in a tight formation. Confronted by the numerous royal guards, the three of them stoodposed and unruffled. Withal discreetly approached Catherine and sought her permission, ¡°Catherine, may I negotiate with them?¡± Catherine, not wanting to move, agreed to Withal¡¯s decision. Withal bypassed the royal guards and engaged the old king in negotiations. ¡°Your Majesty, through the task you issued via the Hacker Alliance, you must be aware of the rules of the alliance. Dr. Sugar is a highly protected individual within the alliance. If you don¡¯t want to stand against the entire global membership of the Hacker Alliance, you should reconsider!¡± he advised. With these words, the face of the king of Ravenloth immediately changed. Who didn¡¯t know about the global influence of the Hacker Alliance? Eighty percent of countries used chips manufactured by the Hacker Alliance. Offending the Hacker Alliance could bring significant trouble to Ravenloth, so the old king hesitated. Queen Lina, who had been the beloved queen of the king for years, hadn¡¯t experienced such treatment before. Enraged, she told the king, ¡°See how insolent these people are before you,pletely disregarding the royal family. Even if the target is protected by the Hacker Alliance, would the alliance oppose the entire Ravenloth just for one person? ¡°Those who dare to be so audacious in your presence, Your Majesty, are a threat to the royal family and must not be spared!¡± she continued to persuade the king. Under the influence of the queen and her provocations, the king¡¯s demeanor changed once again. In his view, Catherine was indeed too arrogant. If they could crush her spirit, it might be beneficial for the future. ¡°Apprehend them!¡± the king ordered. With thatmand, the royal guards rushed toward Catherine and herpanions. The three of them remained calm, only making their move when the guards approached. They acted with precision, taking down the guards as if they were mere kittens. In no time, the dozens of royal guardsy defeated on the ground. Their cries of agony echoed throughout the pce, leaving the onlookers dumbfounded. Queen Lina was the first to react, shouting at the attendants, ¡± Attendant,e quickly to protect His Majesty!¡± The old king turned pale with fear, and his eyes widened. For many years, he hadn¡¯t experienced such a situation. The attendant rushed in and came next to the king. He remained silent. Queen Lina impatiently issued hermand, ¡°Attendant, I order you to send troops immediately to take these three people and confine them to the dungeons of Ravenloth.¡± However, the attendant did not heed Queen Lina¡¯smand. Instead, he looked at the king with a grave expression. This attendant, who had been in the king¡¯s service for many years, was well understood by the king, who ordered him to stand up and speak. The attendant got up and approached the king, quietly reporting the message he had just received. Upon hearing this message, the king immediately changed his face. He stared in disbelief at the attendant, repeating, ¡°Are you sure the message is urate?¡± The attendant wore a grim expression and replied, ¡°Your Majesty, I would never dare to deceive you.¡± The king knew the attendant would never have the audacity to lie, but the message hade so suddenly that he struggled to process it. After a moment, the king fixed his gaze firmly on the three individuals in front of him and inquired, ¡°Who are you, and how are you connected to the Red Star organization?¡± Just ten minutes ago, the Red Star organization had unterally terminated the weapons agreement with Ravenloth, refusing to provide any weapons or equipment to the nation. What was more, they had dered that if Ravenloth dared to harm Dr. Sugar, they would stand in opposition to the country. Moreover, they would offer advanced weaponry to any of Ravenloth¡¯s adversaries free of charge. If this news became public, Ravenloth¡¯s enemies would undoubtedly unite to exploit the situation. With the world¡¯s foremost intelligence organization, the Hacker Alliance, providing them with favorable information, it would be a dire prospect. With these two powerful forces united against them, the consequences for Ravenloth would be severe. It might be even to the extent of endangering its existence. Considering these factors, the king could no longer maintain hisposure. He gazed at the three individuals in front of him, utterly astounded by their immense power. The fact that they could prompt both the Hacker Alliance and the Red Star organization to intervene, even at the cost of their interests, and sever ties with Ravenloth was astounding! Even the king had to surrender in the face of such overwhelming power. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss matters privately. I assure you, in my capacity as the King of Ravenloth, we will not harm you. You will be treated with the highest honors and respect,¡± he said. Chapter 489 Who Is He Chapter 489 Who Is He Withal cast a disdainful nce at the king of Ravenloth, surprised at how quickly the old man could change his demeanor. The same king who had been shouting and demanding their submission now wore apletely different, ingratiating expression. It made Withal wonder if the king¡¯s reputation was indeed so insignificant. ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s our next move?¡± Withal inquired, He knew that Catherine was the only one he truly cared about. Whatever Catherine said, he would heed. Catherine seemed to bezy at that moment. She responded with just two words, ¡± Let¡¯s go.¡± Following her lead, they departed with an air of nonchnce. Queen Lina was fuming, and her face flushed with anger. Sheshed out at the king, ¡°Your Majesty, how can you let these three walk away like this? They insulted the royal family and even injured our people. Are you just going to let them go unpunished?¡± The king looked exasperated. He tried to calm the furious queen. ¡± Lina, let this matter be. Say no more.¡± Queen Lina, however, was not willing to relent. She couldn¡¯t fathom why the king would be so indulgent toward these individuals. ¡°Your Majesty, we should not spare them. We should arrest them all and throw them into the dungeons. Let them experience Ravenloth¡¯s punishments and understand the severity of disrespecting the royal family!¡± The king heard his beloved woman¡¯s words, and his face darkened. He sharply retorted, ¡°Do you realize the consequences if you go through with this?¡± Unperturbed, Queen Lina coldly huffed and said, ¡°They are just three nameless pawns. What harm could they possibly do to us?¡± Staring at his beloved concubine, who still wore a look of ignorance and innocence, the king couldn¡¯t help but angrily shout, ¡°Foolish!¡± ¡°Do you want to bring about the destruction of Ravenloth?¡± It was the first time the queen had seen the king so stern, and she was momentarily taken aback, unsure of how to react. All of a sudden¡­ A maid rushed out of the inner chamber, her face filled with panic. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s an emergency. Prince Levi¡¯s illness has red up again, and the royal physicians This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. have no solution. Pleasee and check His Highness!¡± Upon hearing his son¡¯s agonizing cries, the king burst into the inner chamber, with Queen Lina following closely behind. The physicians knelt on the ground, trembling with fear. The king¡¯s face darkened. He loudly demanded, ¡°When the crown prince is suffering like this, do you mean to say you have no solution?¡±. The physicians all lowered their heads in silence. Seeing her son writhing in pain, his face pallid and contorted, Queen Lina couldn¡¯t contain her anguish. She yelled at the physicians in desperation, ¡°You bunch of useless people, what good are you to the royal family?¡± All the physicians had arrived, but not a single one could alleviate Prince Levi¡¯s suffering or save his life like Catherine. The chief physician had no option. He spoke up under life-threatening circumstances, ¡°Your Majesty, at the moment, the only one who might be able to save His Highness is Dr. Sugar.¡± In Henry, they all found a glimmer of hope. In the king¡¯s eyes, a hint of powerlessness and helplessness showed, as they had recently greatly offended Dr. Sugar. Summoning her back to provide treatment might be challenging. As the three were on the verge of leaving the pce gates, they coincidentally encountered Paxton. He had returned from official duties. Paxton had already heard about the recent events and couldn¡¯t help but worry for the old king. Daring to challenge Catherine in their presence, the old king might have a death wish. Moreover, Catherine was formidable in her own right, and anyone considering harming her was incredibly foolish. Catherine suddenly felt an intense gaze on her and looked up to see Harry not far ahead. Harry noticed Catherine¡¯s attention and immediately approached her. After Branden also noticed Harry, his eyes darkened instantly. He disliked how this man looked, particrly the possessiveness and desire he disyed when gazing at Catherine. It made Branden want to get rid of him. Harry approached Catherine with a pained and distressed expression on his face. ¡°Doctor, could you do me a favor?¡± This was apletely different demeanor from when Catherine had seen him earlier. Catherine wasn¡¯t particrly interested in unrted people. She wasn¡¯t a saint, so why should she go around helping everyone? Catherine was about to depart when Harry suddenly rushed up to her. Branden raised his foot and sent him flying with a kick. ¡°Whether you¡¯re a prince or a king, if you dare to covet Catherine, don¡¯t me me for not being polite,¡± he thought. Harry never expected the man beside Catherine to make a move suddenly. From the moment he first saw this man, he knew he must be extraordinary. He had tried to use his connections to investigate, but he couldn¡¯t find any information about this man, not even his name. Such a mysterious man couldn¡¯t be just an assistant, Harry thought. Moreover, he could tell that the way this man looked at the doctor was different. Catherine didn¡¯t pay any attention to Branden¡¯s actions. Her man had suddenly made a move, so there must be a reason for it. Harry propped himself up with his elbows, looking at Catherine with a humble gaze. ¡°Doctor, are you going to stand by and watch someone die?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine gave a disdainful snort and took a step closer to Harry, her icy eyes filled with mockery. ¡°If you want help, go find someone from the church!¡± Catherine¡¯s response gave Harry a glimmer of hope. ¡°Of course not. As long as the doctor is willing to help me, I can offer a reward. ¡°Reward?¡± Catherine murmured lightly and then let out a cold, mockingugh. ¡°Do you n to make a deal with me using a gold mine, just like your old man?¡± ¡°No!¡± Harry immediately denied Catherine¡¯s statement. ¡°Doctor, as long as you¡¯re willing to help me, I can give you a piece of Passam Stone.¡± Catherine paused momentarily, her cold face showing a slight deepening of her gaze. ¡°You have a Passam Stone?¡± Harry nodded. ¡°I once obtained a piece of the Passam Stone. If you are willing to help me, I can offer this stone to you. What intrigued Catherine wasn¡¯t that Harry had the Passam Stone, but how he knew she was searching for it. The Passam Stone was the name of a meteorite that was said to contain immense energy. It had fallen in a once barren area, but the impact had caused flowers to bloom everywhere. Many people believed this miraculous meteorite had regenerative properties. Scientists and researchers were eager to study its mysteries. Catherine also wanted the Passam Stone, but her purpose was different from others. She had been searching for its whereabouts for years, but she had kept her efforts a secret, even from the members of the Hacker Alliance. How did Harry know about her quest? Who was he, after all? Chapter 490 Waiting for You Chapter 490 Waiting for You Catherine¡¯s silence unsettled Harry. He quickly sensed something was amiss, and a perplexed expression crossed his face. ¡°Doctor, don¡¯t you desire the Passam Stone?¡± he inquired. ¡°Aren¡¯t scientists like you the most eager to get hold of it? 11 Catherine examined him carefully, finding no traces of deceit on his face. ¡°Tell me,¡± she eventually replied. ¡± What do you need my assistance with?¡± Her response brought relief to Harry. He said, ¡°Doctor, my request is modest. I simply hope that you can help me escape from the pce.¡± He went on, ¡°A strange illness is spreading within the pce, much like a gue, afflicting members of the royal family. The king has decreed that no one from the royal family can leave the pce. I only wish to stay alive. If you can aid me in escaping and safeguard my life, I¡¯ll reward you with the Passam Stone.¡± Catherine lowered her head, a frigid intensity in her eyes, and her icy gaze swept over Harry. ¡°Why do you believe I can get you out of the pce?¡± she inquired. Harry locked eyes with Catherine, unwavering in his resolve. ¡°Because you are the sole person who has dared to offend Queen Lina and depart from the pce unharmed.¡± The king¡¯s deep affection for Queen Lina was evident in his determination to elevate her son to the throne despite opposition. Within the pce, no one dared to cross Queen Lina. As if concerned that Catherine might doubt his sincerity, Harry emphasized, ¡°Doctor, all I desire is to survive. For me, staying alive is more crucial than anything else.¡± A few seconds passed before Catherine responded to Harry. A few secondster, Catherine turned to Withal, who was standing nearby, and ordered, ¡°Take him away.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Withal promptly acknowledged. Even before their arrival in Ravenloth, their headquarters had already established awork of informants and personnel within the pce. Effecting the disappearance of a person from the pce without a trace wasn¡¯t too challenging. After receiving Catherine¡¯s directive, Withal nodded to Harry. ¡°Your Highness, this way, please.¡± Harry looked at Catherine with gratitude and said, ¡°Doctor, thank you. Once they departed, Paxton Duncan spoke softly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, this is Prince Harry, the thirteenth son of the king.¡± With that, he shifted his gaze to Catherine. Observing Catherine¡¯s interaction with Harry, it was clear she wasn¡¯t aplete stranger to him. Paxton dared not press further, mindful of Mr. Duncan¡¯s presence and the boundaries of his role. Unexpectedly, Branden reached for Catherine¡¯s hand, and she turned her gaze toward him. Are you interested in the Passam Stone? ¡°he inquired.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t deny it, simply nodding casually. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it possesses some mystical properties and thought it might be fun to have.¡± Branden paid little attention to Catherine¡¯s motive behind wanting the Passam Stone. His focus was on her intentions. Since Catherine desired it, he was determined to acquire it for her. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll obtain it for you!¡± His tone was gentle. After all, it wasn¡¯t the role of random men to fulfill Catherine¡¯s desires. Catherine was unfazed, and she was more than willing to ept Branden¡¯s assistance. Prince Harry piqued her interest; she couldn¡¯t help but feel that this matter was moreplex than it appeared. She had only been to the pce twice, and both times, she had crossed paths with him. There were no such coincidences in this world. Furthermore, Prince Harry didn¡¯t seem as ineffectual as the rumors suggested. How could he have learned so quickly about her interaction with Queen Lina, given that the information within the crown prince¡¯s chamber was sealed? The fact that informants were ced in the crown prince¡¯s pce was evident. Could he be an ordinary person? Reflecting on Catherine, who hadn¡¯t even had dinner, Branden couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. ¡°Come, let¡¯s return and have a meal,¡± he suggested. He was concerned solely with what mattered to him. As for the royal family members, they were of no consequence to him. The following day, Catherine enjoyed a peaceful slumber, waking up well into the afternoon when the sun shone brightly. As she descended the stairs, the delightful scent of freshly prepared food greeted her. Noticing her arrival, Withal, who had been seated on the sofa, immediately stood up and cast an urgent nce her way. When he stood up, Branden¡¯s gaze followed suit. At that moment, Withal felt an icy chill sweeping in, apanied by a powerful tempest. It sent shivers down his spine, and he promptly retreated, too scared to advance. Having overseen the Withalist n of the Hacker Alliance for quite some time, Withal had encountered all sorts of ruthless individuals. However, apart from Catherine, Branden was the only one who could instill such an instinctive fear in him. After seeing to Withal, Branden made his way to the dining table and joined Catherine for the meal. Catherine raised an eyebrow as she noticed him picking up a fork. ¡°Haven¡¯t you eaten either?¡± A faint smile danced on the man¡¯s handsome face, and a subtle glint graced his deep, enigmatic eyes. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± ¡°Haha,¡± Catherine chuckled softly. After a restful sleep, her mood was quite good. Withal, who was sitting on the sofa, watched the scene from a distance, silently enduring this disy of affection. Even big shots enjoyed disying affection, and there was no shortage of lovey-dovey moments between them. After waiting for a considerable time for Catherine to finish her meal and settle on the living room sofa, Withal finally dared to approach. As he got up, he intentionally nced in Branden¡¯s direction. Ensuring that the big shot had no objections, he then breathed a sigh of relief. Times were getting tougher; he was, after all, the head of the Withalist n. He not only had to Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. consider Catherine¡¯s wishes but also factor in her man¡¯s sentiments when conducting business. How frustrating! Catherine sensed that Withal¡¯s demeanor indicated something to report. She reclinedfortably in her seat,zily prompting, ¡°Speak.¡± Those two words felt like a pardon for Withal, who immediately proceeded to ry the matter he needed to discuss. ¡°Catherine, Prince Harry has been arranged. He¡¯s in the small vi behind this estate.¡± The reason Withal had hidden Harry on Branden¡¯s estate was that he sensed that Catherine held a certain interest in him. To find out what Prince Harry¡¯s true intentions were, he needed to keep him under close observation. The closer the distance, the clearer the person¡¯s true nature would be. ¡°Mm,¡± Catherine grunted in acknowledgment. Withal felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest. He¡¯d guessed right! After reporting on Harry¡¯s situation, Withal went on to mention another matter. ¡°Catherine, the royal family contacted me today. Prince Levi is critically ill, and this strange ailment seems to be endangering his life. The king wants you to return and provide treatment.¡± After Withal had finished speaking, he cautiously approached Catherine. He was genuinely concerned Catherine might vent her anger at others if provoked, and he didn¡¯t want to be caught in the crossfire. Fortunately, Catherine, aside from her usual aloofness, disyed no other expression on her face. She casually replied, her voice sounding exceedinglyzy, ¡°It¡¯s not like I have nothing to do here.¡± Withal clearly understood Catherine¡¯s decision. The King of Ravenloth hadn¡¯t acted in good faith this time. If it were up to him, he wouldn¡¯t have stepped in again. Thinking that he wouldn¡¯t bother treating the royal family¡¯s ailment, Withal originally intended to inquire about Catherine¡¯s departure date. However, before he could utter a word, his mobile phone rang once more. Seeing the iing call, Withal looked at Catherine with an embarrassed expression. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s the royal family calling again!¡± Chapter 491 Deal Chapter 491 Deal Catherine¡¯s slender arm rested casually on the sofa¡¯s armrest, tapping rhythmically. ¡°Answer it,¡± shemanded. A single word containing an order. Withal immediately answered the phone and switched it to speaker mode. The voice on the other end of the line was impatient, belonging to the chief attendant. ¡°Mr. Withal, is the doctor avable? Could you please put the doctor on the line?¡± The chief attendant¡¯s tone was extremely polite when saying this, quite different from the impression Withal had of him when they had first met at the pce. Withal responded irritably, ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to reach the doctor. She¡¯s made it clear he won¡¯t take any more contracts from Ravenloth. Give up on this idea.¡± Following the principle of money talking, after their initial refusal, the chief attendant didn¡¯t hesitate to sweeten the offer. ¡°Mr. Withal, the king is willing to add another 100 million dors to the previous offer as a goodwill gesture.¡± Withal looked at Catherine for her opinion. Catherine continued tapping her armrest, with her other hand resting under her chin, moving back and forth. Time ticked away, and the person on the other end of the phone was growing increasingly anxious. They could afford to wait, but the crown prince couldn¡¯t. Every second of dy meant another second of agony for the crown prince. With no other options, the chief attendant continued to sweeten the deal. ¡°200 million dors. Will that be eptable?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t like haggling. Instead, she preferred to get straight to the point. ¡°One billion dors.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s answer, let alone the chief attendant, even Withal himself was momentarily stunned. Catherine sure knew how to ask for a lot. She had said all that needed to be said, and the rest was left to Withal. Catherine slowly stood up and walked over to the dining table. There were still some after-meal fruits prepared for her by Branden, and she hadn¡¯t had a chance to eat them yet. Shortly after, Withal returned, wearing an ted smile on his face. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s done!¡± ¡°Moreover, this time, I¡¯ve had them deposit half of the agreed sum in advance. When you depart, it will be ready for you!¡± When they had approached Ravenloth Pce with sincerity in the past, the royal family hadn¡¯t taken them seriously. They sought their services, so they shouldn¡¯t be surprised by the high price. Catherine was not someone who could be easily hired. When Catherine heard Withal¡¯s report, her expression remained unchanged, as if she had already been certain that the royal family would agree. After all, Prince Levi, the future king and a cherished child of Queen Lina, would probably make the Ravenloth king part with half his wealth willingly. Soon, Withal received a message from the Bank of Nospines. He looked at the string of numbers on the screen, his eyes gleaming with excitement. ¡°Quite fast!¡± He grinned at Catherine, showing her the phone screen. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s in!¡± Catherine was not one to fuss. She handled the money matters efficiently. ¡°Get ready. I¡¯ll go change,¡± she said as she headed upstairs. She ran into Branden as he wasing down from the upper floor. The man had just gone upstairs to work. Whenever Catherine was present, his gaze would naturally fall on her. ¡°Going out? ¡°To the royal pce?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Catherine confirmed. The man raised an eyebrow, a soft, affectionate smile in his charming eyes as he gazed at Catherine. ¡°Come on, how much did you squeeze out of them?¡± he asked. Catherine rebuked him with a side-eye. ¡°It¡¯s a mutually beneficial deal. How can you call it squeezing? The Ravenloth Pce is renowned for its wealth worldwide. Even an extra billion is just a drop in the bucket for them.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± the man responded, nodding approvingly after Catherine¡¯s bold statement. ¡°You¡¯re right. Looking at it that way, a billion seems a bit modest.¡± Catherine took Branden¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You stay here to work. I¡¯m going to the royal pce.¡± A mere trip to the Ravenloth Pce with so many people, Catherine thought it was a losing proposition. Her man wasn¡¯t someone you could easily call for, and she preferred not to engage in such unprofitable dealings. After discussing it with Branden, Catherine followed Withal to the royal pce. They encountered Harry at the entrance, and by his appearance, he¡¯d been waiting there for quite some time. Withal parked the car next to Harry. As the car window slowly lowered, Harry saw Catherine inside. Despite Catherine wearing sunsses and arge cap that concealed most of her face, Harry remained convinced that she must be exceptionally beautiful. ¡°Doctor, are you going to the pce?¡± Harry asked. Catherine turned her head to look at him, her sharp eyes glinting with coldness. ¡°You seem to know my whereabouts quite well.¡± Harry realized the sarcasm in Catherine¡¯s words. He hastily exined, ¡°Doctor, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I wasn¡¯t trying to spy on you. I¡¯ve been waiting here since dawn, and now I¡¯ve finally found you. ¡°As for how I knew your destination, it¡¯s because I thought that for the sake of saving the crown prince, the royal family would do everything to invite you to help again.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t need an investigation to believe that at least half of Harry¡¯s words were true. The entire estate was under surveince, and if he lied, it would easily be exposed. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to utter such words. ¡°So, what¡¯s your purpose in waiting for me?¡± Catherine inquired. She raised an eyebrow with a meaningful look. ¡°So, tell me. Why were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°Doctor, Queen Lina always seeks retribution. People who offend her have never had g Chapter 491 Deal Catherine¡¯s slender arm rested casually on the sofa¡¯s armrest, tapping rhythmically. ¡°Answer it,¡± shemanded. A single word containing an order. Withal immediately answered the phone and switched it to speaker mode. The voice on the other end of the line was impatient, belonging to the chief attendant. ¡°Mr. Withal, is the doctor avable? Could you please put the doctor on the line?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The chief attendant¡¯s tone was extremely polite when saying this, quite different from the impression Withal had of him when they had first met at the pce. Withal responded irritably, ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to reach the doctor. She¡¯s made it clear he won¡¯t take any more contracts from Ravenloth. Give up on this idea.¡± Following the principle of money talking, after their initial refusal, the chief attendant didn¡¯t hesitate to sweeten the offer. ¡°Mr. Withal, the king is willing to add another 100 million dors to the previous offer as a goodwill gesture.¡± Withal looked at Catherine for her opinion. Catherine continued tapping her armrest, with her other hand resting under her chin, moving back and forth. Time ticked away, and the person on the other end of the phone was growing increasingly anxious. They could afford to wait, but the crown prince couldn¡¯t. Every second of dy meant another second of agony for the crown prince. With no other options, the chief attendant continued to sweeten the deal. ¡°200 million dors. Will that be eptable?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t like haggling. Instead, she preferred to get straight to the point. ¡°One billion dors.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s answer, let alone the chief attendant, even Withal himself was momentarily stunned. Catherine sure knew how to ask for a lot. She had said all that needed to be said, and the rest was left to Withal. Catherine slowly stood up and walked over to the dining table. There were still some after-meal fruits prepared for her by Branden, and she hadn¡¯t had a chance to eat them yet. Shortly after, Withal returned, wearing an ted smile on his face. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s done!¡± ¡°Moreover, this time, I¡¯ve had them deposit half of the agreed sum in advance. When you depart, it will be ready for you!¡± When they had approached Ravenloth Pce with sincerity in the past, the royal family hadn¡¯t taken them seriously. They sought their services, so they shouldn¡¯t be surprised by the high price. Catherine was not someone who could be easily hired. When Catherine heard Withal¡¯s report, her expression remained unchanged, as if she had already been certain that the royal family would agree. After all, Prince Levi, the future king and a cherished child of Queen Lina, would probably make the Ravenloth king part with half his wealth willingly. Soon, Withal received a message from the Bank of Nospines. He looked at the string of numbers on the screen, his eyes gleaming with excitement. ¡°Quite fast!¡± He grinned at Catherine, showing her the phone screen. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s in!¡± Catherine was not one to fuss. She handled the money matters efficiently. ¡°Get ready. I¡¯ll go change,¡± she said as she headed upstairs. She ran into Branden as he wasing down from the upper floor. The man had just gone upstairs to work. Whenever Catherine was present, his gaze would naturally fall on her. ¡°Going out? ¡°To the royal pce?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Catherine confirmed. The man raised an eyebrow, a soft, affectionate smile in his charming eyes as he gazed at Catherine. ¡°Come on, how much did you squeeze out of them?¡± he asked. Catherine rebuked him with a side-eye. ¡°It¡¯s a mutually beneficial deal. How can you call it squeezing? The Ravenloth Pce is renowned for its wealth worldwide. Even an extra billion is just a drop in the bucket for them.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± the man responded, nodding approvingly after Catherine¡¯s bold statement. ¡°You¡¯re right. Looking at it that way, a billion seems a bit modest.¡± Catherine took Branden¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You stay here to work. I¡¯m going to the royal pce.¡± A mere trip to the Ravenloth Pce with so many people, Catherine thought it was a losing proposition. Her man wasn¡¯t someone you could easily call for, and she preferred not to engage in such unprofitable dealings. After discussing it with Branden, Catherine followed Withal to the royal pce. They encountered Harry at the entrance, and by his appearance, he¡¯d been waiting there for quite some time. Withal parked the car next to Harry. As the car window slowly lowered, Harry saw Catherine inside. Despite Catherine wearing sunsses and arge cap that concealed most of her face, Harry remained convinced that she must be exceptionally beautiful. ¡°Doctor, are you going to the pce?¡± Harry asked. Catherine turned her head to look at him, her sharp eyes glinting with coldness. ¡°You seem to know my whereabouts quite well.¡± Harry realized the sarcasm in Catherine¡¯s words. He hastily exined, ¡°Doctor, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I wasn¡¯t trying to spy on you. I¡¯ve been waiting here since dawn, and now I¡¯ve finally found you. ¡°As for how I knew your destination, it¡¯s because I thought that for the sake of saving the crown prince, the royal family would do everything to invite you to help again.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t need an investigation to believe that at least half of Harry¡¯s words were true. The entire estate was under surveince, and if he lied, it would easily be exposed. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to utter such words. ¡°So, what¡¯s your purpose in waiting for me?¡± Catherine inquired. She raised an eyebrow with a meaningful look. ¡°So, tell me. Why were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°Doctor, Queen Lina always seeks retribution. People who offend her have never had good endings. You must be cautious, especially when leaving the pce,¡± Harry earnestly warned. His gaze held seriousness and unwavering determination. ¡°Haha!¡± Catherine scoffed and closed the car window. At that moment, Withal also stepped on the gas pedal. Harry stood in ce, watching the car gradually disappear. A strange and greedy smile appeared on his face. He extended a hand and gently touched his lips, giving a deep, passionate kiss. Unbeknownst to him, someone was watching him from a window upstairs. The man exuded a profound, deathly aura, and his oppressive presence felt like a powerful low- pressure system that stole the very air. Paxton, standing nearby, quietly wiped away his sweat. Some people were just asking for trouble, and he wondered why he had to be involved. The oppressive atmosphere made him tremble all over, and even breathing felt difficult. It left Paxton trembling, head down, with his cor pulled tight. Harry, that fool, was ying with fire, daring to covet someone who had captured Mr. Duncan¡¯s heart. What a way to seek death! ood endings. You must be cautious, especially when leaving the pce,¡± Harry earnestly warned. His gaze held seriousness and unwavering determination. ¡°Haha!¡± Catherine scoffed and closed the car window. At that moment, Withal also stepped on the gas pedal. Harry stood in ce, watching the car gradually disappear. A strange and greedy smile appeared on his face. He extended a hand and gently touched his lips, giving a deep, passionate kiss. Unbeknownst to him, someone was watching him from a window upstairs. The man exuded a profound, deathly aura, and his oppressive presence felt like a powerful low- pressure system that stole the very air. Paxton, standing nearby, quietly wiped away his sweat. Some people were just asking for trouble, and he wondered why he had to be involved. The oppressive atmosphere made him tremble all over, and even breathing felt difficult. It left Paxton trembling, head down, with his cor pulled tight. Harry, that fool, was ying with fire, daring to covet someone who had captured Mr. Duncan¡¯s heart. What a way to seek death! Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Her Audacity Catherine and Withal were both in the car.After driving for a while, he finally spoke up to discuss with her. ¡°Catherine, why do I feel like Prince Harry is quite concerned about you?¡± Withal asked.Prince Harry had waited for quite a while just to remind Catherine to be cautious of that foolish queen. His concern seemed a bit excessive. Catherine leaned on her hand, her beautiful eyes gazing forward unfocused.She calmly replied to Withal. ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck!¡± Withal was silent for a moment. Finally, he gave his assessment. ¡± You¡¯re right.¡± In this world, there were plenty of people eager to please Catherine. What was a mere Prince Harry? Unlike their previous visit to the pce, this time, Withal drove the car directly to the pce gate.The chief attendant himself came out to wee them and politely opened the car door for Catherine as she stepped out. The difference in treatment from their previous visit was stark.Catherine remainedposed, her face indifferent, and followed the chief attendant to the crown prince¡¯s chamber. The king and Queen Lina were bothpresent. Queen Lina saw Catherine, and her eyes practically shot daggers at her. ¡°Cough, cough,¡± the king cleared his throat. He tried to silence Queen Lina. ¡°Humph!¡± Withal snorted disdainfully. ¡°If Queen Lina dares to show disrespect to Catherine again today, I won¡¯t give a damn about saving face for the Ravenloth king. ¡°I¡¯ll step in directly!¡± he thought. A confrontation might spark a full- blown war between the Hacker Alliance and Ravenloth, but sometimes it couldn¡¯t be avoided. In a world of intellects and visionaries, a few individuals stood out as shining examples of sheer, unadulterated stupidity. Their actions and words served as a testament to the inexhaustible depths of their ignorance.Though warned by the king, Queen Lina was still visibly discontented. At this moment, Prince Levi, inside the chamber, once again had a seizure.His whole body convulsed, foam dripped from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back.The sight made it seem like he could pass away at any moment. Both the king and Queen Lina were desperate.The king immediately thought of seeking help from Catherine. ¡°Doctor, please, check on the crown prince!¡± This time, Queen Lina stood by without showing any sign of displeasure. Now, the only one who could save herson was Catherine. Her husband was growing old, and her son was the beacon of her happiness in thetter part of her life.She would never allow anything to happen to her son! Amidst the crowd¡¯s pleading and anticipation, Catherine calmly approached Prince Levi.While she didn¡¯t possess medical skills as advanced as Mr. Theo, judging by Prince Levi¡¯s condition, he was suffering even more than Henry had. Catherine took out a syringe and followed the same steps she had used when treating Henry. However, something strange happened this time. The treatment didn¡¯t yield the miraculous results they had witnessed on the previous asion. Prince Levi continued to suffer, wailingin agony.Everyone present, including Withal, was left astonished, struggling to believe their eyes. Why was it different fromst time? Upon seeing this scene, Queen Lina became even more convinced that Catherine was a fraud.Perhaps she had used some trickery or just happened to cure Henry by sheer luck. This time, her attempts were futile. Upon hearing her son¡¯s painful cries, Queen Lina rushed forward. ¡°You fraud! Release my son!¡± Withal swiftly positioned himself between them, his icy gaze locked onto the queen. ¡°Your Majesty, I advise you to maintain yourposure!¡± In front of others, Withal was always cold and ruthless. His imposing figure,bined with his stern, indifferent face and an air of frostiness, genuinely instilled fear in people.Additionally, the queen had witnessed him in action during thest incident, which left her terrified. The queen couldn¡¯t do anything about Withal. She was so enraged that she stomped her feet without caring about her image. Unable to suppress Withal with her presence, the queen eventually had to seek an audience with the king.Outside, there was amotion, and the people present were starting to question Catherine¡¯s abilities. Yet, Catherine herself seemed to have discovered something remarkable, aglint of excitement in her eyes.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Her slightly upturned eye corners betrayed her contentment.She meticulously withdrew the silver needles she had inserted, changing their positions and sealing the acupoints again. This time, the acupuncture treatment finally showed results. Prince Levi¡¯s wails began to subside, and hisplexion gradually improved.Once she had sessfully stabilized Prince Levi, Catherine began removing the needles one by one. For now, the ailment within Prince Levi¡¯s body seemed temporarily under control.With a stretch and a slight hint of weariness, Catherine stood up. Without hesitation, Withal hurriedly approached her, offering her a cup of coffee.His demeanor was not merely that of a servant obeying their master, motivated solely by necessity.Withal¡¯s approach to serving Catherine was filled with genuine admiration, his eyes showing deep respect. After Catherine had sipped her coffee, Withal attentively collected the empty cup. His attitude enhanced the admiration of those around Catherine.Dr. Sugar was able to secure such a remarkable assistant, so her ability was undoubtedly at the highest level among experts. The physician took over after Catherine left. After that, he reported the condition of the crown prince to the king. Upon hearing that the crown prince¡¯s condition had stabilized, the king breathed a sigh of relief.However, Queen Lina, who stood beside him, still wore an unhappy expression. In her eyes, it was an honor for Catherine to treat the crown prince.Being employed by a member of the royal family in Ravenloth was an unparalleled privilege, an incredible honor. Queen Lina was deeply unhappy with Catherine. In her opinion, not only did Catherine dare to negotiate conditions with the royal family, but she also disyed unforgivable insolence. Aware that his beloved consort was still displeased with Catherine, and to avoid any unnecessary troubles that mightlead to economic losses, the king decided to take the initiative tomunicate with Catherine.Through this, he could reduce the presence of Queen Lina. ¡°Doctor, your acupuncture technique is truly extraordinary. I would like to know approximately how much time will it take for these peculiar ailments to bepletely cured?¡± The turbulence within the Ravenloth royal family had deprived him of peaceful sleep for quite some time.If this bizarre catastrophe didn¡¯te to an end soon, the royal family would face irreparable losses. In the presence of the king, Catherine offered no courtesy.She didn¡¯t immediately respond to the king¡¯s question. Instead, she sat on a nearby sofa to rest. Once she sat down, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°This chair is exceptionally hard, not the least bitfortable.¡± Ravenloth Pce was known for adorning everything with gold as a symbol of its opulence. The chair that Catherine sat in was made entirely of pure gold.Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words, the people around her couldn¡¯t help but admire the doctor¡¯s audacity. She was the first to show such disdain for the pce¡¯s furnishings in front of the king. Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Treatment Even though Catherine¡¯s demeanor mighte off as arrogant, she had every reason to be.After all, in the face of the strange illness that had afflicted the royal family, numerous experts and schrs had been helpless, while Catherine had effortlessly suppressed the disease. In other words, the entire royal family was now dependent on Catherine. So, her assertiveness was quite justified. During the meeting, Catherine hadined about the hardness of the chairs. In response, the old king immediately ordered a luxurious leather chair.It proved to be exceedinglyfortable when Catherine tested it. Seeing the satisfaction on Catherine¡¯s face, the chief attendant finally daredto approach her.He inquired, ¡°Doctor, may I ask if there¡¯s anything else we should be prepared for?¡± Catherine¡¯s mood was upbeat, and she decided to provide the royal family with some additional services. ¡°Summon all the infected individuals here. I will administer treatments to them.¡± While Catherine hadn¡¯t yet identified the source of the strange illness, her treatments could temporarily alleviate the crisis the royal family was facing. The old king was highly satisfied with Catherine¡¯s decision and ordered all the physicians to await her. Additionally, he arranged for ten servants to attend to Catherine¡¯s needs. Even the chief attendant stayed, ready to serve her.The chief attendant, with a fawning expression, spoke to Catherine, ¡± Doctor, if you have any requests, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± Catherine gently ced her hand on her stomach.The chief attendant, skilled in reading people, immediately caught the signal. ¡°Doctor, please let me know what you¡¯d like to eat. The chefs can prepare any dish you desire.¡± During lunch, the meal prepared by Branden was quite nd, and Catherine was now feeling hungry.She casually suggested, ¡°How about a barbecue?¡± He had expected Catherine to request something extravagant, but to his surprise, she simply asked for a barbecue. Although this was Ravenloth, it wasimportant to note that in recent years, Chritie had developed significant influence. All around the world, there were skilled individuals from Chritie, and with them, the culture and cuisine of Chritie had spread far and wide. Barbecue, this convenient and delicious cuisine, had received widespread acim, and even in Ravenloth, there were numerous Chritien barbecue restaurants.The chief attendant was delighted to agree, ¡°Of course, I will make the arrangements immediately.¡± Witnessing this scene, Queen Lina was furious. Catherine had be intolerably arrogant, and the most infuriating part was that there was no way to punish her. The king had mentioned Catherine¡¯s mysterious and formidable backing, making it impossible to challenge her. More importantly, Catherine was now the only one who could save the royal family. ¡°If we get rid of her, who will save the royal family?¡± she thought. Queen Lina couldn¡¯t bear the scene before her, so she chose to leave. She pretended not to see anything. When everyone was far enough away, Withal approached Catherine. He quietlymunicated with her in Chritien, ¡°Catherine, why are we voluntarily helping them clean up this mess?¡± he asked. The royal family¡¯s attitude was terrible, especially Queen Lina¡¯s. Who did she think she was to treat Catherine like this? It was exasperating! Even Mr. Duncan couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and Withal had never expected that Catherine would voluntarily offer assistance.Catherine was rxing in her reclining chair. She responded to Withal¡¯s query, ¡°You know, Withal, we¡¯re getting paid for this. I¡¯d rather solve it all at once than be bothered repeatedly by them, calling us to give shots to one person and perform surgery on another.¡± Henry and Prince Levi had fallen ill, and Catherine was confident that the next victim was inevitable.These people would go to great lengths to summon her to the pce to save their lives. She preferred to resolve the issue once and for all, avoiding the annoyance ofrunning back and forth repeatedly. Hearing Catherine¡¯s exnation, Withal felt there was some truth in her words.Rather than making multiple trips, she aimed for aprehensive solution.Withal nced around to ensure there was no one nearby. Finally, he dared to quietly inquire of Catherine, ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s going on with these people from the royal family? Could it be the former queen¡¯s curse?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine sniffed disdainfully, her face full of contempt. The so-called curse was often the guilt- ridden minds of those who had done wrong. If they didn¡¯t start with the knowledge that what they were doing was wrong, why should one they about a curse? The more people were afraid to believe in such superstitions, the more it revealed their guilty conscience. ¡°Nonsense, it¡¯s clearly poisoning!¡± ¡°Poisoning?¡± Withal eximed in surprise, his eyes wide, looking at Catherine with disbelief. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe their boss¡¯s judgment, but it just sounded far -fetched.Ravenloth might be a small country, but it had a thriving economy and considerable wealth. The royal family controlled ny percent of the nation¡¯s economy. While money wasn¡¯t everything, it could achieve things that seemed unimaginable.In such circumstances, it was hard to believe that the Ravenloth royal familycould still be poisoned. What was even more astonishing was the sheer number of victims. ¡°Catherine, are you sure?¡± Withal asked again, still unable to believe it.Catherine nodded slightly. If she couldn¡¯t be certain before, seeing Prince Levi today had helped her make up her mind. However, after she suppressed the toxins in Henry¡¯s body thest time, the poisoners became aware.The poison in Prince Levi¡¯s body had been modified, evident from his recent condition. However, the changes observed were minimal, and it was highly unlikely for a virus from the natural world to evolve and change this rapidly. The only usible exnation is that someone had poisoned them. Her reluctance to study medicine stemmed from her aversion to the trouble of saving lives.She had spent some time with Mr. Theo and had observed numerous sick peopleing to him, resorting to various means to seek his help. She had found it annoying. While she hadn¡¯t learned medicine, she was well-versed in various poisons and methods of poisoning.The ones who poisoned were unlucky indeed, for if they had encountered an ordinary person, their actions might have gone unnoticed. Unfortunately for them, they happened to cross paths with her! The mysterious illness was spreading rapidly among the members of the royal family. When Catherine first arrived, there had been just over thirtyaffected individuals. Now, that number has grown to more than sixty. When they heard that the king had brought a doctor willing to treat them, all the afflicted royals rushed to the pce. Some who had heard about Catherine¡¯s confrontation with Queen Lina were wary of her.However, there were always a few who, despite her noble status, tried to act tough in front of her. In the end, Catherine kicked them out, and any attempts to cause trouble were thwarted by the chief attendant. ¡°She¡¯s someone the king dares not offend. I advise you to think twice,¡± the chief attendant warned. His words immediately brought them to their senses. After subduing the troublemakers, Catherine began administering treatments one by one.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. After treating two patients, she suddenly beckoned to Withal. She leaned in close to him and whispered instructions for a secret task. As Withal, with some confusion, grasped the meaning of Catherine¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t quiteprehend why she would want to do this. But he knew there must be a reason behind it. Without dy, Withal responded. ¡± Catherine, I¡¯ll be back quickly.¡± Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Take the Bait The pce was buzzing with people, but inside the hall, there was only the sound of sizzling barbecue.The noble princes and princesses, who usually indulged in delicacies, now watched intently as Catherine enjoyed the barbecue in front of her. It was truly tempting and mouth-watering. Catherine leisurely leaned back on the soft chair specially prepared for her by the king, holding a fork in one hand and eating barbecue while administering injections to the patients beside her with the other hand. Sometimes, without even looking, she could insert the needle into the correct acupuncture points of the patients. Despite Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude, no one dared to question her. After all, she even dared to scold Queen Lina. Who would dare to provoke her? The princes who had received the acupuncture treatment looked refreshed and rejuvenated. It was unclear whether Catherine¡¯s medical skills were truly remarkable or if there was a psychological factor at y. These princes spread the word about Catherine¡¯s miraculous healing abilities. They said she could cure strange illnesses with ease. The news spread quickly, and soon, the entire pce knew about it. Outside the hall, a servant named Adams observed the flushed faces of the princes as they came out after receiving the acupuncture treatment. He furrowed his brow. Adams was a lowly and inconspicuous servant in the pce. He had been observing everything for a long time. The fact that every prince came outwith a smile on their face made him wonder if the doctor brought in by the king was indeed that skilled. Although Adams had doubts, seeing the same expression on all the princes reassured him. He kept his head low and quietly left, unaware that Withal had been observing his every move from the doorway. After Adams left, Withal returned to the hall and nced up at Catherine. Both of them understood each other without words. The trap had been set, the bait had been thrown, and now they just had to wait for the big fish to take it. After leaving the hall, Adams sneaked to a secluded spot where no one was around. Once he confirmed no one was nearby, he took out his cell phone and dialed a mysterious phone number. As soon as the call connected, Adams¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Boss, I have important information to report!¡± He proceeded to tell the person on the other end about everything happening in the pce. Anxious, Adams eagerly awaited the boss¡¯s response. ¡°Boss, please think of a solution. I heard that the doctor ns to teach her mysterious acupuncture technique to the physicians in the pce. Soon, anyone who falls ill can be easily cured with just a few needle pricks.¡± The man on the other end of the phone said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, just keep an eye on her. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to handle it!¡± After speaking, the man hung up the phone.Adams¡¯s face was filled with worry as he looked at the dark screen of thephone. What if his boss¡¯s n failed?N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. It took Catherine half a day to administer acupuncture to over sixty members of the royal family. After treating thest prince, Withal approached the chief attendant with a serious expression. ¡°The doctor is exhausted from all the needling and needs a break. Have all the servants leave. I¡¯ll call for them when needed!¡± The chief attendant didn¡¯t dare to defy Withal¡¯s orders and quickly ushered the people away.Once everyone was gone, Withal approached Catherine. ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s our next move?¡± ¡°Wait for the fish to take the bait!¡± Catherine leisurely enjoyed the fruits provided by the chief attendant,looking content. There was no point in rushing. Besides, there were people hiding in the shadows who were more anxious than her. This trip to Ravenloth had already taken up a lot of time, and her patience was wearing thin. Although Catherine had treated all the patients, she had no intention of leaving the pce. She was still waiting for the big fish to take the bait. On the other side, after spending an afternoon using all means possible, Paxton had gathered all the information about Prince Harry. ¡°Boss, here¡¯s the document. Please take a look. Prince Harry has quite aplicated background. He was diagnosed with congenital autism at a young age and has below-average intelligence. After the queen¡¯s death, he was exiled for many years andsuffered greatly due to offending Queen Lina. It¡¯s already quite a feat for him to return to Ravenloth alive.¡± As Branden carefully examined the information, Paxton thought of something and immediately reported it to him. ¡°Boss, I know who thest owner of the Passam Stone was. It was the queen of Ravenloth. However, with the queen¡¯s mysterious death, the Passam Stone haspletely disappeared! Do you think Prince Harry, who was fostered under the queen¡¯s care since childhood, could have been given this treasure by the queen?¡± Branden¡¯s sharp eyes stared intently at the document in his hand. Every word on it left an impression in his mind, and he had a feeling that things weren¡¯t so simple. ¡°Where is he?¡± Paxton paused for a second and then realized Branden was asking about Prince Harry. He immediately found the surveince footage on his phone and handed it to Branden. ¡°He¡¯s still lying in the room, and our people are guarding in the shadows at the door. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems!¡± Even so, every half an hour, Paxton would personally check Prince Harry¡¯s whereabouts to avoid anything unexpected. Branden suddenly stood up and grabbed his coat from the side, instructing Paxton, ¡°Prepare the car. I¡¯m going to the pce. You stay here and watch that kid!¡± Paxton originally wanted to follow along. In his opinion, nothing was more important than the safety of his boss. However, his boss had orderedhim to stay and watch the person, so he couldn¡¯t leave. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare the car right away.Paxton knew Branden was worried about Catherine¡¯s safety and wanted to find her in the pce. Paxton believed that nothing would happen to Catherine even if she was alone in the pce, considering her skills and strength. However, he dared not disobey Branden¡¯s decision. He arranged a car for Branden and personally kept an eye on Harry. The task assigned by his boss must not be taken lightly. It took nearly half an hour to drive from the manor to the main hall of the pce. By the time Branden arrived, it was already dark. The pce attendant knew Branden was Catherine¡¯s assistant, so he allowed Branden to drive his car into the main hall. ¡°Sir, the doctor is having dinner. I¡¯ll take you there right away!¡± Guided by the pce attendant, Branden arrived at the pce where Catherine was temporarily staying.At this moment, Catherine was being personally served by the chief attendant. Due to the special nature of Catherine¡¯s identity, her dinner was prepared ording to the king¡¯s standards. Therge table was filled with various delicious dishes, allowing Catherine to choose freely. ¡°Doctor, your assistant is here!¡± the pce attendant announced. Catherine looked up from her meal, noticing Branden standing beside the pceattendant. It seemed that she had been here for too long. Branden became so anxious that he came directly to the pce.Catherine greeted him graciously and invited him to sit down. ¡°Perfect timing. Come on. Let¡¯s eat together!¡± Branden had initially been worried that she might be at a disadvantage in the pce, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be living morefortably than anyone else. It seemed that his worries were in vain.Seeing Branden still standing there, Catherine personally approached him, took his hand, and led him to sit down. Although Branden had a serious expression, he allowed Catherine to pull him along. Once she asked him tosit down, heplied obediently, surprisingly well-behaved. Catherine handed him a fork and raised an eyebrow at him, saying, ¡°No matter what the matter is, let¡¯s eat before discussing it!¡± Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Let¡¯s Gegin Catherine and withal had just finished their meal when the pce attendant hurriedly entered the hall, looking nervous. ¡°Doctor, please move to another pce.Withal put down his fork and looked up at the pce attendant. ¡°Why would you want our doctor to change ces? Are you nning to dispose of him once he¡¯s served his purpose?¡± Hearing this, the pce attendant quickly exined. After all, he couldn¡¯t afford to offend Catherine. The entire royal family was counting on her to save them. If he angered her, the king might have him killed. ¡°Withal, you¡¯ve misunderstood. There¡¯s been a fire in the queen¡¯s pce, and the guards are doing theirbest to put it out. Your pce is closer to the queen¡¯s, so for your safety and the doctor¡¯s, please follow me and leave!¡± Withal turned to Catherine, waiting for her decision.Catherine stood up, stretched her neck, and rxed her body. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look,¡± she said. Since Catherine wanted to go, the pce attendant dared not stop her. He had no choice but to follow behind.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. From a distance, Catherine saw ck smoke billowing from the queen¡¯s pce. The royal guards were actively fighting the fire, and many servants were spectating. ¡°Well, the doctor managed to treat the princes¡¯ illness, but then the queen¡¯s pce caught fire. Maybe the curse is taking effect!¡± ¡°Yeah, it must be. Haven¡¯t you heard about it? The queen¡¯s family has witches who are skilled in powerful magic!¡± ¡°The curse of the queen must be real!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± After hearing these discussions from the servants, the pce attendant¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°How could they openly discuss these pce secrets?¡± he said inwardly. ¡°Do these people not care about their lives?¡± He quickly approached and drove the people away. Noticing Catherine and the others staring at him, the pce attendant felt extremely awkward. ¡°I apologize for these unruly servants. Theyck manners and have embarrassed you, Doctor,¡± he said. Catherine nced at him and sneered.¡± The curse of your queen seems to be quite effective!¡± Upon hearing this, the attendant¡¯s face immediately changed. ¡°Doctor, it¡¯s not like that. Some matters cannot be talked about, truly!¡± Seeing his anxious and flustered appearance, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°This old man is quite interesting,¡± she thought. Then, she said, ¡°It was just a casual remark. Why are you taking it so seriously?¡± It was true that Catherine had made a casualment. However, if her words reached the king¡¯s ears, the king would definitely have the attendant chopped up. It was natural for the attendant to be afraid. Catherine noticed that Brandensuddenly answered a phone call. She took a step forward and approached him.Seeing Catherine approaching, Branden put down his phone and looked up at her. ¡°Harry has disappeared!¡± The call was from Paxton, who was responsible for guarding Harry in the estate. Every half an hour, he would personally check on Harry. Just a few minutes ago, he discovered that Harry was not in the room, mysteriously gone. He immediately informed Branden. Upon hearing this news, Catherine wasn¡¯t surprised. A faint smile crossed her cold eyes, and then she nced at Withal. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Withal couldn¡¯t hide his excitement on his face. After being restrained for so many days, it was finally his turn to take action. He reached out and grabbed the pce attendant by the neck, capturing him. Terrified, the pce attendant¡¯s face turned pale, and he quickly begged for mercy. ¡°Mr. Withal, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Just taking you to have a chat with your king!¡± Withal said as he pulled the pce attendant away. After the two left, Catherine, feeling a bit bored, turned to Branden beside her and said, ¡°I heard there¡¯s a sacred spring in the pce that only members of the royal family have the chance to enjoy. Shall we go take a look?¡± Branden nodded without surprise. ¡± Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡± Initially, when the first king of Ravenloth fell ill, a prophet guided him to find a spring. After drinking from it, his illness disappeared. Later, the king dered this spring as Ravenloth¡¯s sacred spring, reserved only for male members of the royal family. Catherine arrived at the entrance of the sacred spring, entering the passage leading to it. Several guards were stationed there, indicating tight security. When they tried to enter, the guards immediately stepped forward to stop them. ¡°This is the location of the sacred spring. Outsiders are not allowed inside without the king¡¯s permission. Please leave!¡± Catherine boldly approached,pletely ignoring the guard¡¯s words. One of the guards attempted to stop her, but Catherine nced at him, causing him to freeze in his tracks. In a cold and domineering tone, Catherine said, ¡°Go and ask your king if it¡¯s his order that I can go wherever I want in this pce!¡± For the convenience of Catherine¡¯s research, the king personally ordered that the entire pce cooperate with her, allowing her toe and go wherever she pleased freely. The guard was stunned by Catherine¡¯s words. The other guard beside them reacted quickly. He stepped forward and grabbed the other guard, whispering, ¡°Be a little smarter, will you? This is Dr. Sugar, a distinguished guest of the king.¡± After saying this, he emphasized, ¡°The one who stoodagainst Queen Lina!¡± With just a simple sentence, thetter immediately understood Catherine¡¯s distinguished identity. He looked at Catherine again, now filled with admiration and fear in his eyes. Catherine diverted her attention from them and walked straight toward the sacred spring. This time, the guards dared not stop her and herpanion. After all, they couldn¡¯t afford to offend someone. Even Queen Lina couldn¡¯t afford to offend. The so-called sacred spring was nothing more than a spring flowing through the cracks in the mountains. However, it was decorated extravagantly, with numerous jewelry and golden artifacts visible at a nce. Every single item here was a pricelesstreasure. Whether they were members of the royal family or ordinary wealthy people, they considered it the ultimate honor to offer their own treasures to the sacred spring. The treasures here wouldn¡¯t be stolen, not only because of the strict guards, but also because the people of Ravenloth had unwavering faith. In their opinion, the sacred spring was invible, and anyone who defiled it would be punished. This kind of punishment would not only befall the individual but also bring destruction to the entire family. No one dared tomit such a heinous act! After taking a look around, Catherine suddenly looked up at Branden. There was a strange glint in his sharp eyes. Catherine nodded slightly at him, an unspoken understanding passing between them. Catherine didn¡¯t like beating around the bush. She was always decisive in her actions. After finding a spot to sit down, she leisurely spoke to the air. ¡°I¡¯vee all this way. Aren¡¯t you willing to show yourself?¡± Chapter 496 The Culprit Chapter 496 The Culprit Knowing that his whereabouts had been exposed, Harry no longer hid and walked out from the shadows. Behind the sacred spring, there was a small wooden cab where Harry used to y since he was a child. He knew every decoration there better than anyone else, and he knew exactly where to hide to remain unnoticed. However, he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to figure out his presence as soon as she arrived. His heart panicked momentarily, but he quickly regained hisposure and calmly approached Catherine. ¡°Doctor, what are you doing here? This is the sacred spring, and non-royal members are prohibited inside!¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Catherine sneered and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.¡± And yet, here you are. You went to great lengths to ask me to take you out, even bringing the Passam Stone. Now, why did you sneak back here?¡± Harry remained calm, showing no signs of guilt. He covered his face, pretending to be in pain. ¡°Doctor, I don¡¯t want to die, and I definitely don¡¯t want anything to happen to my brothers. The sacred spring is a holy symbol in Ravenloth. The prophet said that as long as we sincerely pray to it, the sacred spring will hear our prayers and bless the members of the royal family with safety. I was just too scared, and I wanted to pray to the sacred spring for the safety of our royal family!¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow, her face exuding an intriguing and mysterious expression. ¡°Is that so?¡± These three simple words made Harry¡¯s expression change. ¡°Doctor, don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Harry¡¯s expression seemed genuinely sincere, and an ordinary person might have believed him, but unfortunately, he encountered Catherine. Catherine¡¯s eyes were cold, and her tone was t as she said, ¡°Believe you in what? Believe that you didn¡¯t poison the sacred spring? Or believe that you¡¯re not the mastermind behind all this?¡± Harry was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to have figured everything out. He wanted to exin and defend himself. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! I¡¯m also a member of the royal family. How could I do such a thing? What benefit would it bring me?¡± He just wouldn¡¯t drop the act. Perhaps he would only admit everything willingly once the evidence was presented. Catherine was well-prepared. If she didn¡¯t have evidence, she wouldn¡¯t have gone through the trouble of setting up this trap to catch Harry. ¡°Then, are you willing to let someone draw a vial of blood from you?¡± she asked. ¡°Why would I let someone draw my blood?¡± Harry was furious. He felt a sense of unease, but he firmly believed that Catherine couldn¡¯t possibly know the truth. Although he knew Catherine was intelligent and formidable, he was sure his wless n would never be exposed. Harry noticed that Withal, who had been following Catherine, was nowhere to be seen. He knew that things couldn¡¯t be that simple. He thought carefully for a while and gradually figured out Catherine¡¯s intentions. ¡°Doctor, you can¡¯t treat me like this. I can go with you to see the king and confront him. I believe the great king will believe in my innocence!¡± Branden stared at Harry, who was still desperately acting, with a faint smile ying in his eyes. It seemed like he was mocking Harry¡¯s futile attempts. From Harry¡¯s behavior, Catherine had already seen through his thoughts. She didn¡¯t expect this guy to be so quick- witted. She sent a message to Withal on her phone and then looked at Harry, raising an eyebrow, saying softly, ¡°As you wish!¡± A momentter, Withal appeared with the king, Queen Lina, and several princes from the pce, all standing by the sacred spring. When Harry saw the king, he knew he had guessed correctly. He quickly prostrated himself in front of the king and pleaded, ¡°Father, you must believe me. I didn¡¯t poison anyone.¡± The king¡¯s face was very grim. He couldn¡¯t ept the fact that someone had been poisoning the royal family, especially when it was done by such an inconspicuous son of his. The king didn¡¯t believe that Harry could be the one who poisoned them. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to ask Catherine about it. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Doctor, could there be a mistake or something in the investigation?¡± Before Catherine could speak, Queen Lina said in a slightly sarcastic tone, ¡± Exactly. Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn¡¯t dare to do such a thing! Doctor, are you just randomly using someone without finding any evidence? Well, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. Prince Harry is not a smart person, and he¡¯s mentally disabled. Before you look for the culprit, Doctor, perhaps you should inquire about the situation in our royal family.¡± Both openly and subtly, her words were implying that Catherine was randomly finding someone to take the me to catch the culprit. This sentiment spread among the people present. Prince Harry was just too inconspicuous. He came from a humble background and had alwayscked intelligence. Even if something happened to Prince Levi, it wouldn¡¯t be his turn to be the crown prince. So, why would he go through all this trouble to frame the members of the royal family? Harry looked at the crowd discussing and felt a trace of joy in his heart. He knew that no one would believe what Catherine said. The more people knew him, the less likely they would believe he could do such a thing. When he saw Catherine being questioned, he even voluntarily defended her. ¡°Father, it¡¯s not the doctor¡¯s fault. Perhaps she was just too eager to find the truth. I came to the sacred spring just to pray for our safety, nothing else! The king was not at all surprised by Harry¡¯s words. The sacred spring was a sacred symbol in their hearts, and many members of the royal family woulde here to drink the holy water and pray for health when they were ill. The king was in a dilemma. Even though Catherine¡¯s exnation sounded absurd, she had helped members of the royal family and temporarily suppressed their illnesses. Coupled with her background, he couldn¡¯t take action against her for now. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± A sudden voice broke the king¡¯s speech. Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to Catherine¡¯s side. No one knew why this man, who had been standing there quietly, suddenly spoke up. Branden had no interest in the intrigues of the royal family of Ravenloth. But if someone dared to target Catherine, he wouldn¡¯t stand up for her. Catherine wasn¡¯t surprised by Branden¡¯s sudden intervention. She just waited by his side, looking rxed. The king¡¯s gaze also fell on Branden. He had a feeling that this assistant beside Catherine was extraordinary. This man gave off apletely different aurapared to Withal¡¯s, who was always behaving respectfully by Catherine¡¯s side. Branden exuded a strong sense of nobility, even more outstanding than many princes in the pce. This kind of nobility couldn¡¯t be obtained overnight. It required not only a privileged background from birth but also intense cultivation and exceptional personal qualities. The king had even arranged for someone to investigate this assistant¡¯s identity, but he couldn¡¯t even find his name. His whereabouts were just too mysterious. After pondering for a while, the king took the initiative to ask Branden. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± Chapter 497 Change His Appearance Chapter 497 Change His Appearance Branden nodded slightly, exuding an extremely powerful aura that made it impossible for anyone to divert their gaze from him, even if he didn¡¯t say a word. Facing curious looks, Branden remained calm andposed. He casually uttered a sentence that threw the whole scene into chaos. ¡°What if this person is not Prince Harry?¡± Everyone was stunned, including Harry, but Catherine¡¯s expression remained unchanged. The first to speak up was Queen Lina, who had held a grudge against Catherine for a long time. She wanted to teach Catherine a lesson. Even if no one dared toy a finger on Catherine, it would still be satisfying if Catherine got punished by the king. Queen Lina pretended to be angry and scolded, ¡°Nonsense! This is Prince Harry. Can¡¯t the king even recognize his own child?¡± Branden turned his head and nced at Queen Lina. His sharp eyes shot directly at her, causing her heart to skip a beat. She felt as if someone had their hands around her throat. She had never encountered such a terrifying gaze before. Who exactly was this man? Branden¡¯s words shattered Harry¡¯s previous confidence. Harry felt that the man in front of him was not an ordinary person. This man¡¯s gaze was as sharp as if he could see through people¡¯s hearts. What did he know? Harry didn¡¯t dare to specte randomly. He could only defend himself loudly, ¡°No, this is impossible. I am the king¡¯s son, and that is an undeniable fact!¡± Everyone present found it absurd. Although Harry was not favored, he was indeed the king¡¯s son. The royal bloodline was always strict, and no one could fake it. It seemed that Harry refused to believe it until he saw the evidence. A chill shed in Branden¡¯s icy eyes, and his eyes showed a profound coldness. His voice was cold, sending shivers down people¡¯s spines. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re not the king¡¯s son. I only said you¡¯re not Prince Harry!¡± Branden deliberately paused for a moment, and then a mysterious smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. ¡± Is that right, Prince Hayden?¡± ¡°Prince Hayden?¡± The other people were dumbfounded. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he dead?¡± Branden¡¯s words were like a giant bomb exploding in the water, stirring up a thousand waves. Prince Hayden was the queen¡¯s second child. After the death of Prince Toby, he lost his life at a young age due to a car ident. This incident was always a taboo topic within the pce, and the king ordered everyone to keep silent about it. However, Branden suddenly brought it up in public, leaving everyone in a state of confusion. Queen Lina was even more shocked, staring at Prince Harry in disbelief. ¡°What did you say? You said he is Prince Hayden? How is that possible?¡± Branden had no intention of engaging with this foolish woman. His gaze remained fixed on Harry. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Do I need to continue?¡± he asked. Everyone here was intelligent enough to understand. This man was able to sinctly point out Harry¡¯s true identity, which meant he must have solid evidence. Branden¡¯s bluntness caused Harry¡¯s face to darken instantly. With a grim expression, Harry stared at Branden and asked, ¡°How did you find out?¡± He had been hiding his identity for so many years, erasing all traces of his past. How could Branden possibly uncover it? How did Branden find out about everything? Branden coldly assessed Harry, not even considering him a threat. He nced at Harry with a mocking expression, sending a chilling breeze that made Harry¡¯s heart feel cold. He didn¡¯t even dare to meet Branden¡¯s gaze. When Harry obediently lowered his head, Branden spoke slowly, his voice calm yet firm. ¡°You know how to change your appearance, but why didn¡¯t you erase the traces of your life in that country?¡± Hearing Branden¡¯s words, Harry immediately understood where he had gone wrong. He had been careful enough to erase all the information about his changed appearance, but he hadn¡¯t erased the traces of his life in that country during that month. If someone were determined to investigate him and continued to dig after finding this clue, they would eventually discover something. After all, in this world, there really was no such thing as a secret. He had been cautious enough, but Branden¡¯s ability to uncover an event of so many years ago was incredible! The current Harry was not the true Prince Harry. He was Hayden, the queen¡¯s second child. Hayden was born a year before Harry. Due to Harry¡¯s mother¡¯s humble status, Harry had been fostered under the queen¡¯s care. Being close in age and living together, the rtionship between Harry and Hayden had always been good. Back then, someone tampered with Hayden¡¯s car, causing the brakes to fail and sending it crashing off a cliff. Luckily, the queen¡¯s confidant discovered it just in time and saved him. Worried about further persecution, Hayden had been kept outside the pce, seeking an opportunity. Later, Harry was expelled from the pce and met his demise on the streets after offending Queen Lina. Seeing a chance, Hayden altered his appearance to look like Harry and assumed Harry¡¯s identity, waiting for an opportunity to seek revenge. Having grown up together, Hayden knew Harry¡¯s habits and life experiences like the back of his hand. No one ever suspected his true identity. Now, everyone understood that all this trouble was rted to Hayden. The king looked at Hayden with a pained expression, asking, ¡°My child, why did you do this? You are a prince, a member of the royal family. Why would you harm your own sibling like this?¡± Queen Lina took the opportunity to interject, her smile hiding her true intentions. ¡°Why? Because he¡¯s jealous of the crown prince and wants to be one himself!¡± Upon hearing Queen Lina¡¯s words, Hayden erupted in anger, roaring at her like a provoked lion. ¡°Shut up! Do you think I need to be jealous of that idiot? I am the queen¡¯s son. Even if my older brother is gone, as long as I¡¯m here, the crown prince will never go to your son.¡± Hayden was not bluffing about this. The Ravenloth royal family ced great importance on the distinction between children born from concubines and wives. As long as the queen had children, no one else¡¯s child could be the crown prince. With hatred in his eyes, Hayden red at Lina, his red eyes burning like two surges of mes as if he wanted to burn her to ashes. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the reason why you wanted to kill me?¡± Exposed in front of everyone, a moment of panic shed in Queen Lina¡¯s eyes, but she quickly regained herposure. After all, she had lived in this pce for so many years and had seen all kinds of tactics. This little trick couldn¡¯t scare her. ¡°Nonsense! Show me the evidence!¡± After venting her anger on Hayden, she turned to the king andined bitterly. ¡°Your Majesty, Hayden plotted against members of the royal family, and now he¡¯s trying to achieve his dirty goals by ndering me. He should be put to death as soon as possible!¡± Chapter 498 The Truth Chapter 498 The Truth Catherine and Withal stood as bystanders, watching the power struggle with cold eyes. Withal had brought a te of fruits and ced it in front of Catherine. ¡± Catherine, have some fruit before watching the show.¡± This power struggle might not end anytime soon. Catherine appreciated Withal¡¯s thoughtful service. Under the influence of Queen Lina, the king disyed his dissatisfaction towards Hayden. ¡°Hayden, no matter the reason, it cannot justify you persecuting the royal family and tarnishing the N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. sacred spring. ¡°Hmph!¡± Hayden snorted disdainfully, his face full of contempt. ¡°Even if I destroy this country due to my vengeance for my mother¡¯s death and my hatred for my brother, what does it matter? Father, have you forgotten how our ancestors established Ravenloth?¡± The first king of Ravenloth had also suffered persecution from a tyrant, which led to the establishment of Ravenloth that continued until now. Nevertheless, the king expressed his discontent towards Hayden¡¯s actions. ¡°Hayden, perhaps these are just misunderstandings. Although Lina has a temper, she wouldn¡¯t do such things.¡± When Lina heard the king¡¯s trust in her, her face was filled with pride. ¡± That¡¯s right. How could I possibly do such a thing?¡± After she finished speaking, Hayden eximed, ¡°What if I have evidence?¡± Both the king and Queen Lina were taken aback. Hayden took out his phone and yed a video for Queen Lina. ¡°Do you think you can get away with what you did? Look at who this is.¡± The man in the video was Queen Lina¡¯s younger brother. He revealed everything about how Queen Lina had harmed Prince Toby and tampered with Prince Abbott¡¯s car. A sh of panic crossed Queen Lina¡¯s face, but she quickly regained herposure and stared at Hayden with a vicious gaze. ¡°You captured my brother? You are so ruthless!¡± After saying that, she pleaded with the king once again. ¡°Your Majesty, he treated my brother so cruelly. Under torture, my brother would say anything. To save his own life, my brother had no choice but to betray me. Hayden had long known Queen Lina¡¯s venomous nature, so he knew how despicable she was. He was well aware that he couldn¡¯t easily expose himself without a foolproof n. ¡°Queen Lina, what is this?¡± Hayden eximed. In the following videos, there was surveince footage of Queen Lina secretly poisoning the queen¡¯s medicine and removing her oxygen tube. It was all because of Queen Lina¡¯s suspicious attitude. She trusted no one. The more important the matter, the more she liked to handle it herself. Seeing these videos, Queen Lina could no longer control her emotions. She began to tremble uncontrobly. She never expected that after all these years, Hayden had so much evidence in his hands. Hayden presented the evidence to the members of the royal family. ¡°Everyone, this is the evidence of Queen Lina¡¯s plot to murder the queen. It is irrefutable.¡± Enraged, Queen Lina rushed forward, trying to snatch Hayden¡¯s phone, shouting fiercely, ¡°You can even get stic surgery to look like Harry. Who knows if you would find someone to imitate my appearance and frame me on purpose? You bastard, tell me, why did you do this to me? Just to be the heir to the throne? You¡¯re so cruel. You would go to any lengths to persecute everyone just to be the crown prince!¡± The onlookers always saw more clearly than those involved. The members of the royal family, who had suffered unjustly, now turned their anger towards Hayden, believing him to be the culprit. However, Catherine and the other bystanders saw through Queen Lina¡¯s conspiracy. Her methods were cunning enough to incite conflict. By diverting everyone¡¯s attention to Hayden, who was caught poisoning, she made them overlook the truth of her plot to harm the queen. Catherine, who had been silently observing, saw the change in the king¡¯s attitude and suddenly spoke up. ¡°Your Majesty, the poison used by Hayden was extremely peculiar as if it was specifically designed based on the gic traits of the royal family members. All I can do is suppress the toxicity, but to Catherine casually made up a story,pletely overturning the situation Queen Lina had worked so hard to create. As soon as these words were spoken, the members of the royal family immediately changed their expressions. Catherine was not a Ravenloth person, and she couldn¡¯t serve Ravenloth her whole life. Most importantly, no one wanted to have an illness for no reason, especially one that couldst a lifetime. Instantly, the agitated members of the royal family started challenging the king, urging him to resolve the problem as soon as possible. Queen Lina¡¯s eyes were almost spitting fire as she looked at Catherine. She wished she could kill Catherine on the spot. Unfortunately, she had no way to deal with Catherine, not even a chance to touch her. Hayden understood what Catherine meant. Although he didn¡¯t know why Catherine was helping him, he was immensely grateful inwardly. Hayden looked up at the king with a serious and calm expression. ¡°Your Majesty, it is an undeniable fact that Lina plotted to murder the queen. As long as you are willing to send Lina to trial and make her face thew, I am willing to provide the antidote to save the members of the royal family. After the recovery of the royal family members, I will apologize andmit suicide in front of the sacred spring.¡± Hayden left himself no way out now. He had worked so hard for one purpose, which was to kill Lina and make everyone know how despicable she was. This decision shocked Lina and everyone present. No one expected Hayden¡¯s hatred to be so intense. Queen Lina stared at Hayden, her anger turning into a mockingugh. ¡°Hah, Hayden, are you really willing to die like this? Don¡¯t you want to be the crown prince? You must be lying. Spit it out, Hayden, and tell us your true purpose.¡± ¡°Humph¡­¡± Faced with Queen Lina¡¯s anger, Hayden became even moreposed. He stared at Queen Lina intently, gritting his teeth as he said slowly, ¡°I¡­ want¡­ you¡­ dead!¡± After warning Queen Lina, Hayden left the final decision to the king. ¡°Your Majesty, you can choose to favor your favorite concubine as you have done before, or you can even kill me right now. It doesn¡¯t matter. With so many members of the royal family apanying me in Hell, I can consider it a win.¡± The king had yet to speak up, but the members of the royal family couldn¡¯t keepposed anymore. No one wanted to die, and some even stepped forward, turning their anger towards Queen Lina. ¡°Your Majesty, Queen Lina killed the queen, and the evidence is solid. She should be punished!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Kill Queen Lina and save the royal family!¡± Chapter 499 His Intention Chapter 499 His Intention Lina looked at those disgusting faces, all of whom used to tter her all the time. Now, they had turned against her and wanted to kill her on the spot just to please Hayden. Facing these hypocritical faces, the once arrogant Queen Lina couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. She crawled to the king¡¯s side, begging him not to believe these nderous words. If it were any other day, the king could have turned a blind eye, but the situation was different now. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. There was solid evidence of the queen¡¯s murder, and so many members of the royal family were advising him. He was the king of Ravenloth and couldn¡¯t just think about himself. If all the members of the royal family had objections, who would support him as the king? After a long silence, the king finally made his final decision. ¡°Bring Hayden and Lina down. Detain them for now,¡± he ordered. Seeing this, Hayden knew he would definitely win. The king had alreadypromised, and Lina¡¯s death was only a matter of time. With a calm expression, Hayden followed the guards without any struggle. But before leaving, he smiled and nodded toward Catherine, expressing his respect. Catherine didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she casually picked up a piece of fruit and ate it leisurely. In contrast, Queen Lina was different. Perhaps anticipating her future, she struggled violently, even cursing without caring about her elegant demeanor. This scene shocked the young members of the royal family. No one had expected Queen Lina to be like this. Seeing this, the king showed disgust on his face. His expression darkened, and he ordered the soldiers to take her away. After the soldiers took Queen Lina away, the whole scene finally calmed down. Then, the king forcibly dismissed the members of the royal family. Everyone knew that this matter would not be resolved so easily. Ravenloth Pce was about to experience a major upheaval. After everyone left, the king found Catherine. In just a few hours, the king seemed to age ten years instantly. His aged eyes stared at Catherine. ¡°Doctor, is it impossible to develop an antidote?¡± Catherine looked up and said slowly, ¡± Not exactly. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Hearing this, a hint of joy appeared on the king¡¯s face, and he anxiously asked, ¡°What do you need? Just tell me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need anything special. It¡¯s just a matter of time. Give me one year, and I promise to develop the antidote!¡± Catherine¡¯s response instantly extinguished the mes of hope in the king¡¯s heart. One year! How many members of the royal family would die within this year? No one could tell! But he knew that under the circumstances where the members of the royal family already knew the truth, if this matter was not resolved within a month, Ravenloth would witness its first coup in its history. At that time, whether the king of Ravenloth would still be him would be a question. Unable to find an answer from Catherine, the king could only leave in despair. After the king left, Withal approached Catherine and asked softly, ¡°Catherine, why are you helping Hayden kill the queen?¡± Catherine frowned and said coldly, The smell of the perfume she¡¯s using was too strong. It irritated my nose!¡± This answer made Withal tense all over. His heart skipped a beat in fear. Indeed, Queen Lina¡¯s perfume was a bit strong, and no one expected that she would offend Catherine because of it, leading to her demise. Without Catherine¡¯s help, Hayden might not have been a match for Lina. After all, Lina had a powerful husband! With the royal family on the verge of copse, the king still wanted to protect her. Was Catherine really powerless against this virus? Withal didn¡¯t think so! When Catherine walked out of the pce, she almost bumped into a servant. She stopped and looked down at the servant lying on the ground, her expression icy cold. The servant trembled on the ground. Before he could react, a dark and chilling voice came from above. ¡°Tell me, why did you bump into me?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the servant, who had been trembling on the ground, suddenly paused. Then, he raised his head and met Catherine¡¯s eyes. There was a hint of a mysterious smile in the servant¡¯s eyes, and the fear and cowering from before were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Doctor, you truly live up to your reputation. You have sharp eyes.¡± Catherine coldly stared at the servant before her, ready to annihte him in an instant if he made any dangerous move, denying him even the chance to cry for help. The servant saw through Catherine¡¯s intentions because she didn¡¯t bother to hide them. He respectfully bowed to Catherine and said, ¡°Doctor, I am Prince Hayden¡¯s man. He has something he wants me to give to you!¡± After speaking, as if performing a magic trick, he pulled out a small box from somewhere and ced it in front of Catherine. ¡°Doctor, this is what the prince wanted me to give you!¡± Catherine reached out and took the embroidered box, opening it to see what was inside. A featureless ck stone, about the size of her fist, greeted her eyes. Completely ck, resembling a lump of coal, it didn¡¯t seem to have any remarkable features. Just as Catherine was about to touch it with her finger, the servant quickly reminded her, ¡°Doctor, no! This is the Passam Stone, containing immense power. It can only be touched with special gloves!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine snorted, not heeding the advice. She picked up the stone with her bare hand, instantly feeling a faint electric current entering her body from the tip of her finger, causing a slight tingling sensation. The electric current was extremely weak, and only someone with a heightened sense of perception would be able to detect it. The servant was shocked. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be so formidable, daring to pick up the stone with her bare hand. He had witnessed his prince¡¯s fingers being corroded and burned when he touched it, but Catherine seemedpletely unaffected. Catherine ced the stone back in the box and whispered to the servant, ¡°I¡¯ll take it. You may leave now.¡± Due to Catherine¡¯s overwhelming intimidation, the servant stood up and left without daring to look back. Catherine lowered her gaze, staring at the box in her hand, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. She vaguely sensed that something was amiss in this whole situation. Originally nning to leave the pce, she turned around and headed in the opposite direction. This direction led to the dungeon of the pce. It was where the members of the royal family who had She needed to find out what exactly was going on here. Chapter 500 Do You Know Me? Chapter 500 Do You Know Me? In the dungeon. Compared to other dungeons, the environment here was much better. There was no dark and damp atmosphere, and everyone was imprisoned in separate cells, equipped with everything they needed. The only thing missing was probably freedom. After revealing her identity, Catherine was taken to the bottom floor by the guards. Hayden¡¯s crimes were too severe, so he was imprisoned here. The sound of the door opening startled Hayden inside the cell. Since he entered, Hayden had been sitting cross-legged on the bed, facing the wall, ignoring everyone. But this time, upon hearing footsteps, he immediately put down his legs, turned around, and smiled at the person who entered. ¡°Doctor, please!¡± Catherine sat down without any hesitation. Although it was a dungeon, the environment was still decent. After she sat down, Hayden began to observe her carefully. His gaze didn¡¯t carry any hostility. It was a particrly gentle gaze. There seemed to be admiration and respect in it. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly said, ¡°Doctor, do you have any questions you want to ask me? Feel free to ask.¡± Looking at his confident expression as if he had everything under control, Catherine showed disdain in her eyes. ¡°Why would I have any questions to ask you?¡± Her answer surprised Hayden, and a hint of astonishment shed in his eyes. ¡°Doctor, aren¡¯t you curious about the truth behind all this? Or rather, you¡¯re not curious why I went to such great lengths to give you the Passam Stone?¡± Catherine shrugged, seemingly indifferent. ¡°How about I give it back to you?¡± After saying that, she took out the box she had just received and ced it in front of Hayden. Since Hayden had already given the stone to Catherine, it was impossible to take it back. Hayden found Catherine¡¯s reaction too strange. He felt like he could never see through her thoughts. ¡°Doctor, if it wasn¡¯t for the Passam Stone, why would you help me?¡± Without Catherine¡¯s help, he could still defeat the vicious Lina, but it would require much more effort. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow at him. Hayden looked sincere. ¡°Yes, please give me an answer.¡± Since Hayden asked sincerely, Catherine decided to be merciful and gave him an answer. ¡°I¡¯m not helping you. I just simply despise that Queen Lina, who is ugly and constantly bothers me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hayden was shocked by this answer. He didn¡¯t expect that the reason for his sess after so much effort was not because of his hard work but because Catherine did not like Lina. Then, Catherine decided to make things clear. ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t realize your borate n to bring me to Ravenloth and use me to expose Queen Lina¡¯s crimes in front of the royal members, forcing the king to admit everything?¡± At first, Catherine was indeed unaware. The king of Ravenloth indeed issued the bounty mission, and Withal was in charge of coordinating it. At that time, she simply took it as a routine task. But when she encountered Hayden disguised as Harry, she sensed something was off. Upon further investigation, she discovered too many coincidences. Everything seemed too natural, as if someone had carefully orchestrated it. Knowing that it was a trap set by someone, Catherine didn¡¯t withdraw. Instead, she and Withal set up a n to lure Hayden, the mastermind, out into the open. Hayden had no ill intentions toward her, and he didn¡¯t withhold the promised reward. Since that was the case, she didn¡¯t need to deal with Hayden herself. After all, he was now imprisoned and deprived of his freedom. Hayden looked at Catherine in shock, his heart trembling uncontrobly. This was all beyond his expectations. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to know everything. ¡°Doctor, then why¡­¡± But before he could finish his sentence, Catherine interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯ve already exined it!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t like repeating herself. If Hayden couldn¡¯t understand, it was his problem. Understanding Catherine¡¯s intention, Hayden didn¡¯t dare to say anything further. ¡°Then why did youe to the dungeon today?¡± he asked, confusion evident in his eyes. He realized that he had overestimated himself. In front of Catherine, he was nothing. ¡°Do you know me?¡± Catherine suddenly spoke up. The emotions that Hayden had just managed to calm down surged once again. He looked at Catherine with an incredulous expression on his face. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°How could you possibly recognize me? It was simply impossible, after all, back in the day¡­ ¡°Your reactions tell me that we must have met before!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t hide it from Hayden; she could remember anyone she had met, no matter how long ago. But she was certain she had never met Hayden before, perhaps because he had changed his appearance. Hayden hoped that Catherine could recognize him, but he knew it was not possible. He smiled bitterly, looking at Catherine. ¡°Doctor, you are the biggest redemption in my life, do you understand? If it weren¡¯t for you saving me back then, I would probably no longer be alive.¡± The incident happened seven years ago when Hayden had sessfully undergone stic surgery and became Harry. Although he was exiled, Queen Lina still didn¡¯t trust him, as Harry was the queen¡¯s adopted son. Having been raised by the queen since birth, he was very likely to be her biggest threat one day. To be on the safe side, she sent assassins to hunt him down. To escape the pursuit, Harry infiltrated the crowd of people kidnapped and sold in the ck market. At that time, Catherine happened to be on a mission and encountered the traffickers harming Harry and others. When their lives were hanging by a thread, it was Catherine who took action to save Harry. At that time, Harry was locked in a small cage specifically used for holding animals, cowering in a corner. Catherine didn¡¯t even notice him. When Catherine appeared, everyone respectfully called her ¡°Dr. Sugar.¡± When she ordered the release of the captive, those traffickers let him go without even hesitating for a moment. At that moment, for Harry, Catherine was like a god sent from heaven, a deity specifically sent to rescue him. Although it was just a silhouette, her figure was deeply engraved in his mind. After sessfully escaping to Ravenloth, he remained low-key, biding his time, never ceasing his search for Catherine. He didn¡¯t know why, but he only wanted to find her, as if finding her would bring him redemption. The Passam Stone was a relic of his mother¡¯s, something he cherished deeply. He wanted to use it to thank Catherine for her past kindness. After recounting the past, Hayden looked up, his gaze devout and infatuated as he stared at Catherine. ¡°Doctor, I¡¯ve wanted to say ¡®thank you¡¯ for a long time! Thank you sincerely for your help back then!¡± Chapter 501 Even More Powerful! Chapter 501 Even More Powerful! After listening to Hayden¡¯s words, Catherine remained calm. ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Her voice was calm, devoid of any warmth. Hayden looked at Catherine with a puzzled expression. ¡°Doctor, what do you mean?¡± Catherine bluntly told him, ¡°You¡¯re thanking the wrong person.¡± Hearing this, Hayden anxiously interrupted Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. I couldn¡¯t have remembered wrong. It was you who saved me back then!¡± ¡°It was indeed me, but I didn¡¯t do it to save you.¡± Catherine¡¯s face remained expressionless, her eyes not even blinking. ¡°The person who harmed you had augh that was too unpleasant.¡± That person was a human trafficker in the ck market. He enjoyedughing while dealing with the captive. Catherine happened to pass by at that time and was extremely disgusted by theughter. In order to stop the person fromughing, she released all the kidnapped individuals. This was the only time she intervened in the internal affairs of the ck market. The ck market had its own rules, and outsiders were not allowed to interfere. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s good rtionship with the Lamberts, it would have been much more difficult. However, Catherine didn¡¯t expect that her unintentional act would lead to such an oue. Hayden was stunned, gazing at Catherine with a dazed expression. He never expected that all these years, it was his own delusion. After a while, he snapped out of it. A relieved smile appeared on his face. In fact, there was nothing to be sad about. From the beginning, it was just his wishful thinking, right? Regardless of Catherine¡¯s intentions, she saved him. It was true in the past, and it remained true now. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Doctor, I still have to thank you!¡± Catherine already knew everything she wanted to know. As decent as the dungeon was, it was far inferior to the outside world. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pay the reward!¡± Catherine said, standing up and leaving without even saying goodbye to Hayden. Hayden stared, mesmerized at Catherine¡¯s departing figure. His only regret was that he had never seen her true face. He believed that the doctor must be as beautiful as an angel. Catherine walked out of the dungeon. The crisis in the Ravenloth Pce had been resolved. As for the fate of Queen Lina and Hayden, it had nothing to do with her. She didn¡¯t care who would win or lose. She just wanted toplete the tasks she was assigned and receive her rightful reward. She didn¡¯t care about anything else. Inside the pce of Ravenloth. The king personally summoned Branden, or rather, he should be said to be seeking an audience with Branden. The doctor¡¯s assistant had a temper worse than anyone else, and it wasn¡¯t easy to meet him. No one else had this opportunity except for the doctor. After the pce attendant pleaded several times, they finally managed to bring this big shot to the pce. Branden calmly sat in front of the king, elegantly sipping his coffee. The king had been waiting for half a day. He finally couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, taking the initiative to speak. ¡°Sir, I heard that you and the doctor are about to leave Ravenloth. Is that correct?¡± Branden put down his cup of coffee, slowly raised his head, and his gaze fell calmly on the king. ¡°Of course. The mission is over.¡± ¡°If I n to continue employing you and have you stay in Ravenloth, what conditions do you want? As long as you are willing to stay and serve Ravenloth, you can ask for anything,¡± the king said, his gaze fixed on Branden, not wanting to miss any of his expressions. Branden didn¡¯t show him any respect and gave a two-word response. ¡°Not interested!¡± The surrounding servants were shocked to hear Branden publicly refuse the king, their jaws almost dropping. In Ravenloth, the king was supreme, and anyone who dared to treat the king like this would be sentenced to death. In their eyes, Branden was already a dead man. They believed that the king would punish Branden. But just when they thought that, the most unexpected oue came. The king coldly watched Branden, his face darkening and his attitude bing colder. ¡°What if I insist on you staying?¡± Branden remained calm andposed, casually sweeping his gaze over the king. ¡°You can give it a try, Your Majesty.¡± Compared to the previous sentence, this one was even more arrogant, and the people around were already trembling in fear. This time, they all believed that Branden was not only doomed, but would also be subjected to Ravenloth¡¯s harshest punishment. Unfortunately, the king¡¯s attitude once again shocked them. Not only did he not punish Branden, but he evenughed out loud. ¡°Well, well, well. It seems like I have guessed it right. Why hadn¡¯t you even given a heads-up before you came to Ravenloth, Mr. Duncan? I should have weed such an esteemed guest!¡± Branden wasn¡¯t too surprised that the king had known his identity. He had been in Ravenloth for some time now, and the king had just found out, which was already a littlete. Branden responded calmly with a poker face, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to wee me personally, Your Majesty. My identity here is merely as Dr. Sugar¡¯s assistant. If Your Majesty has no other business, I will take my leave.¡± Branden¡¯s attitude was clear enough. He came to Ravenloth solely as the doctor¡¯s assistant, which had nothing to do with the Duncans. However, this didn¡¯t mean that the king of Ravenloth could easily manipte him. If Branden wanted to leave, not only could the king not stop him, but he also had to respectfully see Branden out. After Branden left, the king became furious. Seeing the king¡¯s bad mood, the chief attendant lowered his head and cautiously asked, ¡°Your Majesty, since you don¡¯t want him to leave, why don¡¯t I arrange for someone to bring him back? This is Ravenloth. Why should we fear him?¡± The king coldly nced at the chief attendant, his icy gaze seemed to respond to the pce attendants with ¡± You fool!¡± Terrified, the pce attendant quickly knelt down and continuously apologized. The king still had a dark expression as if he could explode with rage at any moment. ¡°Do you know who that man is? Even if we detain him now, we will have to send him backter and apologize. It¡¯s not worth the trouble.¡± The pce attendant didn¡¯t expect the situation to be so serious. He believed that the king wouldn¡¯t say such things without reason. If that was the case, there must be a reason behind it. That assistant was definitely not an ordinary person. ¡°Your Majesty, what is the background of this assistant?¡± The king gave him a hidden nce and coldly said, ¡°Have you heard about the Duncans from Chritie?¡± The pce attendant was stunned for a moment, then widened his eyes and looked at the king in fear. ¡°The Duncans?¡± The king nodded, revealing Branden¡¯s identity. ¡°He is the current head of the Duncans. It¡¯s already strange enough for him to appear in Ravenloth, and now that he¡¯s with Dr. Sugar, I¡¯m not sure what the rtionship is between them.¡± The pce attendant understood the king¡¯s deep concern. The Duncans from Chritie were a very powerful family, and if they were involved with the Hacker Alliance¡­ Once this piece of news was confirmed and spread to the world, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar, and the dynamics of a lot of things would change drastically as a result. The pce attendant finally understood why this ¡°assistant¡± dared to openly disregard their king¡¯s power. Because he was even more powerful! Chapter 502 Return to Casier At the Swanns’. Chapter 502 Return to Casier At the Swanns¡¯. Withal was investigating the ount of the Bank of Nospines on theputer. After seeing a series of numbers change, he happily waved his hand to greet Catherine. ¡°Catherine, we¡¯ve got the money.¡± Just now, they received themission from Ravenloth, marking thepletion of this mission. Catherine was leaning on the side, ying a game. As the sound of gunfire rang out, a burst of green smoke rose, signifying the end of the battle. She threw her phone aside and turned her gaze back to Withal. ¡°Contact Rodge and transfer the money to him.¡± ¡°Are we giving it to Arbotte Laboratory again?¡± Withal felt a bit distressed. Although this sum of money belonged to Catherine, and she could spend it however she liked, the operation of Arbotte Laboratory was too expensive. Several hundred million dors were being used there, and Catherine didn¡¯t allow anyone toin about it. Catherine nced at Withal again, and he understood what she meant. He dared not say anything more and immediately called Rodge. Rodge¡¯sboratory was in dire need of funds. He had originally nned to hold on a little longer before contacting Catherine. After all, he had indeed spent too much money, but he didn¡¯t expect to receive a call from Withal so soon. With the new fundsing in, theboratory became active again. Rodge couldn¡¯t be happier. ¡°Mr. Withal, please thank the chief for me!¡± Withal reluctantly said, ¡°Save it.¡± Every time Rodge said thanks, it cost several hundred million dors, and Withal couldn¡¯t afford it. The only one who could afford it was Catherine. Just as Withal finished the call with Rodge, Branden returned with Paxton. When Withal returned with Catherine, he noticed that Branden and Paxton were not there. Thinking that they had probably gone out for something, he asked others and found out that they had been summoned to the pce by the king. Withal immediately panicked, thinking that the king wanted to renege on the deal and hold Branden and Paxton hostage. He immediately nned to rush to the pce. But he was stopped by Catherine, who looked at him with an indifferent expression and asked, ¡°Do you think the Duncans are pushovers?¡± This simple sentence brought Withal back to reality. Catherine was right. If even Branden couldn¡¯t handle the situation, Withal would only make things worse by going there. Branden was Catherine¡¯s man, so if Catherine wasn¡¯t worried at all, Withal shouldn¡¯t be too. Withal regained hisposure. As Catherine expected, the king obediently allowed Branden to return. As soon as Branden entered, he walked straight towards Catherine and sat down next to her. After he took his seat, Catherinefortably leaned against his thigh. ¡°Is everything taken care of?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at Branden. Branden nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of my end. What about you?¡± Catherine smirked, feeling somewhat proud. ¡°I¡¯ve got the money, anyway.¡± Seeing her joyful expression, Branden reached out and patted her head. ¡± Great, when are you nning to go back?¡± Without hesitation, Catherine answered, ¡°Now!¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Paxton and Withal, who were nearby, exchanged a nce subconsciously, thinking that Catherine was acting a bit crazy. Although they all wanted to return as soon as possible, this seemed a bit rushed. In the next moment, Catherine realized that the time she mentioned was a bit tight. It might be toote to contact the airlines now, so she was nning to change the schedule. However, to her surprise, Branden nodded and agreed to her idea. ¡°Alright, go upstairs and pack. I¡¯ll arrange the ne. We¡¯ll leave soon!¡± Catherine hesitated and asked him, ¡± Won¡¯t it be too tight on time?¡± ¡°No!¡± Branden looked at her tenderly.¡± The exam results will be announced tomorrow. It¡¯s perfect to go back in the evening so we can check the results together tomorrow.¡± Branden thought that she wanted to rush back to check the exam results, but in fact, Catherine just wanted to go back to her homnd and enjoy the food there, as she was tired of the cuisine in Ravenloth. Even though many of the ingredients were flown in from Chritie, the taste was still different from what she had in her home country. Hearing this, Paxton knew that this matter had been settled and there was no room for negotiation. He obediently contacted the airlines and urgently arranged the flight. His boss, Branden, really doted on his woman. Even if Catherine said she wanted the moon, he would contact the space agency without hesitation. Seeing Branden doting on his wife to the point of madness, Paxton sighed silently and shook his head as he left. Withal quietly gave a thumbs-up to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll go pack and leave with you too. There¡¯s no need for me to stay here anymore.¡± They had arrived silently, and they left without a trace. It wasn¡¯t until the ne took off and left Ravenloth¡¯s airspace that the king received the news. He was furious. ¡°You bunch of idiots! Four grown adults left just like that, and you didn¡¯t know?¡± The officials responsible for the investigation knelt on the ground, afraid to utter a word. They truly didn¡¯t expect this group of people to be so powerful. The private ne slowlynded at the airport in Casier. This was a private exclusive apron where the Duncans¡¯ private nes in Casier took off andnded. As soon as the ne came to a stop, the Duncans¡¯ guards approached respectfully, waiting by the side. The sudden appearance of the guards surprised the people on the ne. Withal couldn¡¯t help but make a joke. ¡°I know our identities are somewhat special, but do we really need such a grand reception?¡± Branden subtly nced at Paxton, who immediately went forward to inquire about the situation. Afterwards, Paxton looked at Branden with a serious expression. ¡°Boss, Mr. Karl requests your presence. Branden¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed. ¡°I see. Send Catherine back first.¡± Right after Branden said that, Paxton looked at Branden with a reluctant expression. ¡°Boss, Mr. Karl said he wants you to bring Miss Swann along.¡± After Paxton finished his sentence, he shrank his neck and didn¡¯t dare to move. He understood better than anyone else the importance of Catherine to Branden. Now that Karl suddenly wanted to see her, he didn¡¯t know what was going on. Moreover, it seemed that Karl didn¡¯t inform Branden in advance. No one knew why Karl wanted to see Catherine. What if it was because of something unpleasant? What would happen? Branden¡¯s slightly furrowed brows tightened. He turned his head to look at Catherine. As long as she showed any displeasure, he would immediately refuse Karl¡¯s request, even if it would anger Karl. However, Catherine showed no displeasure. She just nodded indifferently. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Branden asked, ¡°Are you really going?¡± Catherine nodded without hesitation.¡± Since I¡¯m invited, why not?¡± Chapter 503 The Adorable Side of Karl Chapter 503 The Adorable Side of Karl The Duncans, a prominent family, have been located in the southwest corner of Casier for centuries. There had always been a legend that this ce was a gathering point for spiritual energy. It was rumored that one of the ancestors of the Duncans was a powerful psychic who recognized the auspiciousness of this location and built the ancestral home here, ensuring the prosperity of the Duncans for generations. Although Catherine wasn¡¯t a psychic, she couldn¡¯t deny that the Duncans chose a great location. Nestled by the mountains and rivers, it was a pleasant ce to live in. The car came to a steady stop in the courtyard, and Paxton stepped out of the car to open the door for Branden before standing aside obediently. Branden walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door for Catherine. Catherine stepped out of the car and entered the house together with Branden. Unlike the modern-style architecture outside, the living room of the house was full of traditional decorations. The crimson color added a sense of solemnity and dignity to the entire room. As soon as Catherine sat down, she heard the sound of a cane tapping on the flooring from the side. She turned her head and saw Karl walking towards them energetically with his cane. Karl had injured his leg when he was young, and now that he was older, he needed the cane to walk properly. Although he was nearing his twilight years, there was still a faint aura of dominance surrounding him that made people hesitate to meet his gaze. After Karl sat down, Catherine stood up voluntarily and bowed slightly as a gesture of respect. Karl was an elder, and although Catherine was usually not bound by formalities, she was not a disrespectful person. Seeing her stand up and bow, Karl, who had originally wanted to maintain a serious demeanor, suddenly became lessposed. He quickly extended his hand and gestured for Catherine to sit down, saying, ¡°Please, have a seat. No need to be so polite.¡± Catherine sat down with a calm expression on her face, her demeanor still indifferent and distant. Karl¡¯s presence didn¡¯t affect her. Karl squinted his eyes and nced at Catherine from time to time. He thought no one had noticed, but even Paxton could see it all. Suddenly, Branden, who had been ignored by Karl the whole time, spoke up. ¡°Grandpa, since everyone is here, you can tell us why you want us here now.¡± Sensing Branden¡¯s impatience, Karl red fiercely at him. ¡°Now?¡± Karl thought. ¡°Not even close, boy. How can you be so impatient? Stay cool, kid. You¡¯re a Duncan!¡± If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s presence, Karl would have raised his cane to hit Branden, teaching Branden a lesson. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for almost half a month, and I asked you toe back. Do you have any objections?¡± Branden nced at Karl coldly, his gaze indicating that his patience had reached its limit. Seeing Branden¡¯s stubbornness, Karl shifted his gaze to Catherine. ¡°Cassie, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw you. I almost forgot what you looked like. Why didn¡¯t you Thest time Karl saw Catherine was at Bryan¡¯s birthday party, almost half a year ago. Karl¡¯s sudden enthusiasm caught everyone off guard. Initially, they were worried that Karl would make things difficult for Catherine, creating some melodramatic family drama. But judging from his tone, it felt more like he was coaxing Catherine, without any intention of causing any trouble. Fortunately, Catherine was always calm andposed. She could handle any situation with ease. She calmly exined, ¡°I was busy with an exam before.¡± Catherine had just arrived from the airport, but she still managed to tell such a lie in a calm demeanor, earning everyone¡¯s admiration. Surprisingly, Karl fell for it, nodding in understanding after hearing Catherine¡¯s exnation. ¡°An exam? Well, it¡¯s normal to be busy. Now that the exam is over,e here whenever you have time. Don¡¯t mind the shabby condition. If you¡¯re worried about the distance, I¡¯ll arrange a car to pick you up!¡± Karl¡¯s attitude left the servants of the Duncans dumbfounded. How could the magnificent century-old mansion be referred to as a shabby house? Moreover, such disdainful words were said by Karl, which was unbelievable. Catherine nodded slightly, epting Karl¡¯s generous invitation. Branden sat calmly on the side, silent, but the slight arch of his eyebrow revealed his inner thoughts. Amongst the people present, no one understood Karl better than Branden. Karl was a smart person. He knew that Catherine was lying, but he still went along with it because he wasn¡¯t seeking a result, but rather a way out. Now that Catherine had given him a way out, he naturally followed suit. Branden discreetly lifted the cup of coffee by his side and took a sip, then firmly ced the cup back on the saucer, making a crisp sound. Instantly, all eyes turned to Branden. He calmly waved his hand and said, ¡± Oops, slipped!¡± Slipped? That was just an excuse! Karl, his grandfather, saw through Branden¡¯s little trick faster than anyone else. Branden was probably annoyed by his preaching and reminding him to finish the talk quickly. In other families, when the daughters grew up, they didn¡¯t want to stay. Howe in his family, everyone wanted to leave? Karl¡¯s son, always out of the house because of his wife, had left Karl with no choice but to put his hopes on his grandson, Branden. But Branden¡¯s performance was even worse. What trouble had the Duncans gotten themselves into? Why were they always involved in these silly romantic affairs? Despite his own disapproval, Karl had to respect his grandson¡¯s wishes. If he didn¡¯t speak up, he worried that Branden would throw a tantrum and nevere to see him again. ¡°I invited you here today mainly because it¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw you, and also because I want you to apany me to a banquet in Loxton tomorrow night.¡± The Duncans were originally from Loxton, but for various reasons, they had moved to Casier. Karl still had connections with many prestigious families in Loxton. Branden was about to refute his grandfather and say that he could go meet the people himself. He N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. didn¡¯t want to get Catherine involved. Before he could say that, Catherine suddenly spoke up. ¡°Sure!¡± Surprised that she agreed to such a request, Branden turned to look at her. Catherine remained expressionless, her face calm. While Branden wasn¡¯t paying attention, Karl had been winking and nudging at her. Seeing how adorable Karl was, Catherine thought it would be fine to help him once, so she willingly agreed. As they locked eyes, Branden could see Catherine¡¯s intentions through her gaze. Since Catherine agreed, Branden had no reason to oppose. Thinking of the fact that they were brought here right after they got off the ne, Branden was worried that Catherine might be too tired. So, he pulled her up and said to Karl, ¡°I¡¯ll take her there tomorrow!¡± Without waiting for Karl¡¯s approval, he immediately pulled her away. This infuriated Karl, who angrily banged his cane on the ground. As they walked away, he couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°You ungrateful brat¡­¡± Chapter 504 The Welcoming Gift Chapter 504 The Weing Gift The next day at noon, Catherine woke up and saw Branden sitting at the end of the bed, working on his Catherine groggily got up and sat upright on the bed. Branden, noticing that Catherine was awake, looked up at her. His voice was so gentle as he asked, ¡± Would you like some water?¡± Catherine weakly nodded, her eyes still closed. Branden picked up the ss of warm water he had prepared and handed it to Catherine. The warm water instantly warmed her whole body, and Catherine slowly woke up. She leaned against Branden¡¯s chest, her posture extremelyfortable, with a contented look on her face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the office today?¡± Catherine remembered clearly hearing Paxton say yesterday that there were a lot of documents piling up at thepany that Branden needed to sign. She originally thought Branden would be at the office, but she didn¡¯t expect him to stay and work at home. In response to Catherine¡¯s question, a rare expression of helplessness appeared on Branden¡¯s face. This expression surprised Catherine a bit. It was the first time she had seen Branden show such a look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Get up. I¡¯ll make you some oatmeal. Rolled oats, okay?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t like oatmeal, but she had low blood sugar. In addition to providing Catherine with the sugar from fruits on a daily basis, Branden would also specially prepare some sweet oatmeal for her. Catherine originally didn¡¯t like this kind of sweet oatmeal, but Branden always managed to make it to her liking. After eating it a few times, Catherine got used to it. While Branden went to prepare rolled oats, Catherinezily got out of bed and wandered around the living room with nothing to do. Her natural sensitivity made her notice something was wrong, so she walked to the balcony and looked down. A row of ck cars parked downstairs greeted her eyes, all Rolls-Royces, looking majestic and imposing. At that moment, Catherine suddenly understood why Branden had been acting so strangely today and didn¡¯t even go to thepany. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to go, but that he couldn¡¯t. She walked to the kitchen and looked at Branden who was busy cooking. ¡°Are those people downstairs sent by your grandfather?¡± Who could arrange for so many Rolls- Royces to pick them up downstairs like this? Catherine couldn¡¯t think of anyone other than Karl. Branden put down the spoon in his hand and turned around to look at Catherine, raising an eyebrow with a hint of helplessness in his eyes. Sensing Branden¡¯s helplessness, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile. They had evene to their doorstep to wait for them. It seemed that Karl was worried that Branden would go back on his word. ¡°How about we skip the rolled oats? We still have to go to Loxton, don¡¯t we?¡± Although the banquet usually took ce in the evening, it would still take a two-hour flight from Casier to Loxton. ¡°No need. It¡¯ll be ready soon. Take your time!¡± Branden brought out the cooked rolled oats and ced them in front of Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s a little hot. Be careful.¡± Catherine knew that he hadn¡¯t eaten yet, so she filled a bowl and handed it to him. Branden didn¡¯t actually like sweet food, but he was forced to eat a little bit each time just to apany Catherine. Seeing Catherine quietly eating her oatmeal, Branden casually started a conversation. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, just tell me. Don¡¯t worry about my grandpa.¡± Although Branden didn¡¯t know the purpose of Karl¡¯s trip today, he knew very well that Catherine wasn¡¯t the type to join in the crowd. She always kept her distance from such gatherings. If it weren¡¯t for that, Karl wouldn¡¯t have resorted to such measures to pick them up. But then again, it was just a meal, and Catherine didn¡¯t think it was a big deal. It was Branden who was overly considerate of her emotions and seemed a bit hesitant. ¡°No need!¡± Catherine casually declined Branden¡¯s kindness. ¡°Just tell me when it¡¯s time to leave!¡± After saying that, Catherine ced the empty bowl on the table and walked away. Watching her retreating figure, Branden remained motionless. He lifted the bowl of oatmeal and took another sip. For some reason, he felt that the oatmeal in his mouth tasted overly sweet. Karl was getting impatient and was about to get out of the car, but thinking about Branden¡¯s temper, he sat back down. With a stern face, he instructed the butler beside him, ¡°Go and check why they haven¡¯te down yet.¡± The butler had a mournful expression as he looked at Karl. ¡°Sir, since you don¡¯t dare to go, how can I have the courage to do that?¡± Karl¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡± What do you mean I don¡¯t dare to go? Is there anything in this world that I¡¯m afraid of? Stop talking nonsense!¡± Sensing Karl¡¯s vaguely visible anger, the butler quickly apologized, ¡°Sorry, sir, it was my mistake. I¡¯m the coward!¡± While apologizing, the butler couldn¡¯t help but suppress augh in his heart. If Karl wasn¡¯t afraid, why would he ask him to do that? Karl red at the butler. ¡°Do it now!¡± The butler had no choice but to obediently get out of the car, ready to go upstairs. Just as he turned around and looked up, he saw the persons he wanted to see. He quickly turned back to report to Karl, ¡°Sir, look!¡± Karl looked up and saw Branden leading Catherine out of the gate. Branden¡¯s gaze never left Catherine, showing that he was truly interested in her. Thinking about the imminent realization of the dream of having great -grandchildren, Karl became excited. He had constantly reminded himself on the way here to maintain a cold and elder-like attitude in front of Catherine. But when he saw Catherine, he forgot everything. He pushed the car door open and couldn¡¯t wait to get out of the car, waving ahead. ¡°Cassie, I¡¯m here!¡± His voice was loud and powerful, instantly attracting everyone¡¯s attention. Catherine followed Branden to Karl and took the initiative to greet him. Karl¡¯s happy smile was about to burst. ¡± What a coincidence! I didn¡¯t expect to meet you as soon as I arrived!¡± Just arrived? Branden raised an eyebrow and nced at his grandfather, coldly saying, ¡± Yeah, it¡¯s surely a coincidence!¡± Seeing his grandson about to cause trouble again, Karl immediately red at him, threatening in a low voice, ¡°You brat, watch your words!¡± Catherine stood aside, her eyes narrowed, expressionless. She watched the yful interaction between Karl and Branden. Regardless of how angry Karl was, Branden remained calm. Finally, Karl had no choice but to wave his hand impatiently and say, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Get in the car!¡± After everyone got in the car, Karl smiled and looked at Catherine. ¡°You left in a hurry yesterday, Cassie. I didn¡¯t even give you a weing gift. I specially brought it today. Here, take it! Karl took out a brocade box and handed it to Catherine, urging her to open it quickly. ¡°Hurry up and open it. See if you like it! Chapter 505 Everfrozen Ruby Chapter 505 Everfrozen Ruby Catherine nced at the brocade box and immediately knew that it was valuable. The craftsmanship of the box was exquisite, and the patterns on it were lifelike and pleasing to the eye. Catherine didn¡¯t take it immediately. Instead, she turned her head to look at Branden beside her. He was casually lounging on the sofa, seemingly less indifferent. He exuded a bit of a rogue vibe. Perhaps this was the state he revealed in front of his closest people. In response to Catherine¡¯s questioning gaze, Branden waved his hand and ced the brocade box in Catherine¡¯s hands. ¡°Just take it and open it to see if you like it. If it¡¯s not good, you can give it back. After all, my grandpa has plenty of treasures.¡± Only Branden dared to say something like that in front of Karl. Karl was fuming with anger, his mustache trembling and his nostrils ring. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s presence, he would have already given Branden a good beating. Suppressing his anger, Karl eagerly looked at Catherine and said, ¡°Cassie, open it and see if you like it or not. If you don¡¯t like it, there are other treasures for you to choose from, whatever you want!¡± Under their eager gazes, Catherine opened the brocade box. A purple crescent-shaped ruby pendant greeted her eyes, emitting a faint luster. When she gently twirled it in her fingers, the pendant would emit a faint glow. The entire ruby pendant was translucent without a trace of impurities. When Catherine held it in her hand, a cold sensation spread through her fingertips and into her blood, gradually spreading upwards. Catherine suddenly realized something and looked up at Karl. ¡°Everfrozen Ruby!¡± Surprised that Catherine could immediately identify the material of the pendant, Karl was momentarily stunned, a hint of delight shing in his eyes. ¡°Cassie, you know the Everfrozen Ruby?¡± Catherine nodded. The Everfrozen Ruby was a precious treasure among rubies, a small piece of which, when worn, could give a person the sensation of warmth in winter and coolness in summer. In ancient times, only emperors could possess such high- quality rubies. It was extremely rare, and ordinary people could hardly even catch a glimpse of it, let alone own it. Observing the subtle change in Catherine¡¯s eyes, Karl knew that she liked it and felt relieved. He was afraid that the young girls of today only liked branded bags,cking enthusiasm for these kinds of things. But seeing Catherine not only liking the pendant but also being able to identify its material, he finally felt at ease. ¡°Cassie, just keep it. Next time youe visit me, I will give you more good stuff!¡± Branden sat aside, smiling but remaining silent. Karl was adopting a bribery policy, intending to entice Catherine to visit him more frequently. Unfortunately, Karl did not know that Catherine was super rich and was not at all interested in such trivial matters. The Facers, a well-known wealthy family in Loxton, were just as prestigious as the Duncans. It was also a long-established aristocratic family. Today was the 70th birthday banquet of Conor Facer, the patriarch of the Facers, and the whole city of Loxton was bustling with excitement. The elite families from all around hade to Loxton, as possessing an invitation from the Facers was considered an honor. The car of the Duncans slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the banquet hall, distinct from the others. The Duncans¡¯ car had the privilege of parking directly at the entrance, a treatment not avable to ordinary families. Instantly, all the guests in the banquet hall turned their attention towards it. The car door opened, and Karl stepped out. Some of the guests recognized him amidst the crowd, their eyes instantly lighting up. Karl had been renowned worldwide in his younger days, and everyone knew him as a shrewd businessman. However, ever since Branden took over his business, Karl had retired and rarely appeared in public. If it weren¡¯t for Conor¡¯s grand birthday celebration today, it would have been difficult to see Karl. No wonder the Duncans received such special treatment! People noticed that the person getting out of the car behind Karl was none other than Branden, the most influential figure in the upper-ss circle at present. Among the younger generation, there was no one more powerful than him. All eyes were on Branden and Karl. Upon hearing that Karl had arrived, Conor personally came out to greet him. he greeted Karl with a beaming smile. From his appearance, one could hardly tell his age. ¡°Oh, Karl, it¡¯s very kind of you to be here today!¡± As longtime friends for decades, Karl and Conor had a yful and tacit understanding between them. ¡°Come on, man. This is your 70th birthday celebration! Even if I have to wear a venttor, I¡¯lle and give you a round of apuse, just to make some noise for you!¡± Karl and Conor walked away hand in hand, chatting, leaving the others behind. Branden turned around and helped Catherine out of the car. He knew that Catherine didn¡¯t enjoy such asions, and if Conor saw her, she would inevitably be pulled into small talk. In Branden¡¯s opinion, Catherine¡¯s presence was already a favor to Karl. On this kind of asion, she didn¡¯t need to socialize. So, he intentionallygged behind, waiting for Karl and Conor to leave before holding Catherine¡¯s hand and helping her out of the car. Branden¡¯s appearance became the center of attention. The two top-notch big shots had already left, so N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. people began to watch in Branden¡¯s direction. Seeing Branden carefully supporting a girl out of the car, many people were dumbfounded. It would be difficult to mend the broken hearts of thedies at the scene. Among the crowd, a group of beautiful women from the prominent families of Loxton were also watching in Branden¡¯s direction. They were all renowned socialites in Loxton. Leading the group and standing at the front was Conor¡¯s granddaughter, Jada. She was known as the number one socialite in Loxton. Her eyes lit up when she saw Branden getting out of the car. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Branden would actually bring a woman with him. She had never seen Branden so close to any woman before. Who was this woman? Jada¡¯s eyes darkened as she stared at Catherine. Despite her efforts to control herself, her friends still noticed her anger because she couldn¡¯t suppress the jealousy in her heart. Crystal Brown looked at Jada¡¯s angry expression and felt a sense of satisfaction. She didn¡¯t expect that Jada, who always thought highly of herself, would have a day when she would be jealous over a man. ¡°Jada, that woman next to Mr. Duncan looks good, but why is she dressed so inly? Even the waitresses inside the banquet hall are better dressed than her.¡± Catherine never liked wearing formal dresses, and she was particrly uninterested in gowns. Branden knew her personality and only prepared clothes that werefortable for her daily life. After hearing Crystal¡¯s words, someone immediately chimed in. ¡°Exactly, when Karl was present, that woman didn¡¯t even dare to show up. The way I see it, she doesn¡¯t have a proper background!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Listening to thements from her friends, Jada felt that her hope was ignited once again. Exactly, only a socialite like her deserved to stand by Branden¡¯s side. Chapter 506 Provocation Chapter 506 Provocation Branden rarely came to Loxton, so many old friends were eager to have a chat with him. Knowing that Catherine didn¡¯t like to interact with people, Branden settled her in afortable seat. After that, he was ready to leave, though with a reluctant look on his face. ¡°Get some rest here. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Catherine raised her eyes slightly and gave him a nce, saying nothing. Branden gently patted her head and turned to leave. Once Branden was gone, Catherine withdrew her gaze. She reached into her pocket, took out her phone, put on her headphones, and began ying a game. With Branden gone, Jada and her friends began to openly scrutinize Catherine. One of the women frowned and stared in Catherine¡¯s direction, making a snidement. ¡°She¡¯s not bad-looking, but her demeanor can¡¯tpare to Jada¡¯s. I wonder where Branden found this waitress.¡± Right after she finished her words, another woman chimed in. ¡°Jada, isn¡¯t your family already engaged to the Duncans? Now, Mr. Duncan has brought this vixen along. What¡¯s going on?¡± The Facers were a well-known wealthy family in Loxton, and coupled with Jada¡¯s exceptional personal qualities, it was extremely rare to find a suitable young man in Loxton who could match her. Over the years, Jada had no scandals. The outside world had always been saying that the Facers were engaged to the Duncans of Casier, and Jada was already considered Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e by everyone. Jada herself had never denied it, and over time, it became a fact in everyone¡¯s eyes. These friends of hers, in order to tter Jada, belittled Catherine to no end. Under the esction of such remarks, Jada could no longer control her temper. She, who was usually quiteposed, had been acting recklessly ever since she encountered Branden. She directly led her friends to confront Catherine. In order to maintain the basic etiquette of a socialite, she suppressed her anger and said with a calm expression, ¡°Excuse me, miss¡­¡± Catherine was engrossed in her game with her headphones on,pletely indifferent to the people In Catherine¡¯s opinion, those so-called political and business elites were not as interesting as the virtual characters in the game. How could she possibly pay attention to them? Not receiving a response, Jada felt extremely awkward. She didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be so ignorant of her own worth and dare to openly provoke her, the daughter of the Facers. On such an asion today, Catherine, a girl who appeared out of nowhere, was being so audacious! Seeing Catherine having her headphones on, Jada had a cunning smile in her eyes. She wanted to know how long Catherine could keep up the act. Seizing the moment when Catherine wasn¡¯t paying attention, Jada raised her hand and swung it towards her. The people standing by were all watching the spectacle, but no one had any intention of stepping in to help. If Jada wanted to teach someone a lesson, it was unlikely that someone could interfere. Just as the p was about tond on Catherine¡¯s face, a dark figure whizzed past. Then, a horrified scream echoed through the air as Jada was thrown to the ground, in too much pain to get up. Meanwhile, Catherine, who had been the target of the attack, remained unscathed, calmly tapping on her phone as if nothing had happened. The people around her hadn¡¯t even caught a glimpse of how she had fought back against Jada. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jada had met her downfall after approaching Catherine! A few secondster, several socialites finally snapped out of their shock and helped Jada up. ¡°She has some nerve. How dare she attack Miss Facer? She¡¯s really asking for trouble.¡± After they helped Jada up, they began to insult Catherine. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s an insignificant nobody. She thinks she¡¯s something just because she¡¯s gotten close to Mr. Duncan. That¡¯s why she¡¯s acting so recklessly here. She¡¯s just courting death!¡± ¡°Exactly! What an ignorant woman! She acts as if she¡¯d married Mr. Duncan! They seemed to be reprimanding Catherine, but in reality, these words had also crushed Jada¡¯s dignity. Faced with such humiliation, Jada couldn¡¯t possibly swallow her pride. She was attacked at her own family¡¯s banquet, which was absolutely uneptable. Jada was supported to her feet, and she shouted towards the entrance, ¡°Are you all just going to stand there and watch? Take this crazy woman down!¡± The security at a banquet like this was extremely strict. In order not to disturb the esteemed guests, the security team remained hidden in the shadows. Hearing Jada¡¯s shout, a group of bodyguards immediately rushed out. The imposing bodyguards made Jada¡¯s confidence soar. She wanted to let Catherine know the price that Catherine would pay for attacking her. As a round of games ended, Catherine put away her phone. Just then, the captain of the bodyguards came rushing over, and Catherine nced at him. Her icy gaze swept coldly over his face, causing the bodyguard to freeze for a moment. Then, something astonishing happened. The captain, who had just been full of indignation, suddenly knelt in front of Catherine, bowing his head respectfully. When people present saw this, they were dumbfounded, especially Jada, who knew that this newly appointed captain was a top-notch mercenary her grandfather had paid a lot of money to hire. Only for such a significant banquet would he be assigned, and he wouldn¡¯t appear in ordinary events. Now that he was here, he actually kneeled in front of Catherine. What was going on? Jada red at him and scolded, ¡°Baron Jones, what are you doing? I asked you to take her down. Why did you kneel to her?¡± Catherine calmly observed Jada, her eyes cold and indifferent. She grew impatient with Jada¡¯s incessant chatter, responding in a cold voice, ¡± You sure talk a lot!¡± ¡°How dare you¡­¡± Jada trembled with anger. She didn¡¯t expect this girl to be so audacious and dare to speak to her like that. ¡°Damn it!¡± After reprimanding Catherine, Jada cursed Baron furiously, ¡°Why are you still kneeling there? Take this woman down!¡± Baron¡¯s expression remained cold and stern. Although Jada was his employer, his contract clearly stated that he had the right to refuse to carry out tasks that endangered his life. ¡°Sorry, Miss Facer. I can¡¯t do it,¡± Baron said, his wordsnding like a hard p on Jada¡¯s face. She couldn¡¯t evenmand her own bodyguard, especially at a banquet like this! If this were to spread, how was she supposed to face her friends and family in the future? Jada was on the verge of going mad! ¡°Baron Jones, you¡¯re being so insolent. Do you think you¡¯re so great just because you have some skills? I can make it difficult for you to survive in Loxton!¡± She wasn¡¯t joking. After all, the Facers had a great deal of influence in Loxton. Although Baron was a mercenary, if the Facers really wanted to deal with him, he would be in trouble. Baron¡¯s expression changed instantly. Seeing this, Jada felt a sense of satisfaction. She began to nder Catherine. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, a seemingly insignificant woman, to be so cunning. You flirt with Mr. Duncan while entangling yourself with Baron Jones, making him dare to defy even his employer¡¯s orders.¡± Jada thought that Baron didn¡¯t act against Catherine because he had a romantic rtionship with Catherine. Chapter 507 I’m Here to Support Her Chapter 507 I¡¯m Here to Support Her Jada¡¯s words made everyone look at Catherine with increasing disdain. Compared to the powerful and influential Jada Facer, Catherine, a woman of unknown origin, naturally became the target of criticism. The crowd supported Jada and despised Catherine. However, Catherine¡¯s gaze fell on Baron, and with just a nce, she recognized him. ¡°Code 021?¡± Baron nodded. He had seen Catherine once on the battlefield when she was their team¡¯s highest Catherine was a woman with a petite figure. How could these brave and skilled mercenaries possibly take orders from her? But in the end, Catherine proved herself with her formidable strength. She made everyone willingly obey hermands, establishing herself as the most powerful candidate formander. Not to mention just Baron alone, even if there were ten more, they would be no match for Catherine. Offending Jada would, at most, result in financialpensation and some physical difort, but offending Catherine meant torture that was more unbearable than death. Baron wasn¡¯t stupid, so naturally, he made a wise choice. Themotion in the banquet hall alerted Karl and Branden. Branden rushed over as soon as he heard that something happened to Catherine, standing by her side. Apanying Karl was Conor. As soon as he appeared, without Jada saying anything, the people nearby immediately came forward toin on her behalf. ¡°Mr. Facer, this girl appeared out of nowhere and attacked Miss Facer. Even this bodyguard is on her side!¡± Conor nced at his granddaughter. When he saw her embarrassed appearance, his expression darkened. He then turned his gaze to Catherine. Catherine calmly sat by the side, exuding a faint aura of dominance. Conor couldn¡¯t discern any emotions from her face. It was quite rare for a young girl to possess such Standing beside Catherine was Branden. Although the Duncans didn¡¯t reside in Loxton, Conor had heard quite a bit about Karl¡¯s grandson. He had seen Branden a few times. When had he ever seen Branden act so intimately with a woman? Even the Duncans themselves might not receive much attention from Branden. Now, in public, he was being so close to a girl. Could it be that¡­ Conor furrowed his brows. He originally nned to take advantage of this opportunity, where his old friend personally attended his birthday celebration, to discuss the engagement between Jada and Branden. However, something unexpected happened. Considering Branden¡¯s attitude toward Catherine, Conor didn¡¯t directly confront her but instead first asked for rification. ¡°Miss, is there some misunderstanding? Why did you attack my granddaughter?¡± Catherine nonchntly set down her phone and looked up at Conor, giving a nonchnt response. ¡°She was too noisy!¡± Thisment was even more embarrassing than thest one of Catherine¡¯s. Jada couldn¡¯t control her anger any longer and rushed in front of Branden. She was well aware that without Branden¡¯s support, this woman wouldn¡¯t dare to be so arrogant. ¡°Mr. Duncan, have you seen how arrogant her attitude is? Shepletely disregards everyone. Are you going to let her tarnish your reputation?¡± Upon hearing Jada¡¯s usations, the people around couldn¡¯t help bute forward in support. ¡°What a shameless woman!¡± ¡°How could she be so rude?¡± ¡°She has no manners at all. How did such a person infiltrate our circle?¡± Several women took turns criticizing Catherine, belittling her to the point of worthlessness. After receiving support from the crowd, Jada became even more arrogant and once again questioned N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Branden, ¡°Mr. Duncan, this woman not only tarnished your reputation but also brought everyone¡¯s discontent. Shouldn¡¯t you say something to ensure justice?¡± ¡°Humph¡­¡± Branden sneered coldly, his voice extremely gloomy. ¡°Ensure justice?¡± Seeing his expression, Jada couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of unease. But she still refused to back down. She was sure that if Catherine admitted to her wrongdoing, Branden would stop protecting Catherine immediately. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I implore you to ensure justice!¡± Branden¡¯s face grew colder, and his eyes grew darker. He ced his hand on Catherine¡¯s waist, pulling her closer to him, and said in an overbearing tone, ¡°I¡¯m here to support her, not to ensure justice!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the girls who had just ndered Catherine changed drastically, their eyes filled with panic. As Branden¡¯s face grew darker, the atmosphere at the scene gradually became thick with tension. All eyes were focused on Jada. The Facers were the most powerful family and the only one capable of resisting the Duncans. Jada immediately realized that something was wrong. She turned to her grandfather for help. ¡°Grandpa, look at Branden. He¡¯spletely infatuated with this woman! ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Conor reprimanded Jada. Given their respective positions, Conor wouldn¡¯tpete with Branden. He turned around and began conversing with Karl, who was standing behind him. ¡°Karl, who is this youngdy?¡± Conor, in his younger days, was a prominent figure with exceptional skills and a keen mind. Since Branden dared to defend Catherine so firmly in public, aside from Branden¡¯s own power, there might be a connection with Karl. Karl had initially nned to be a bystander and watch his grandson y the hero. Unexpectedly, Conor suddenly questioned him, leaving him with no choice but to respond. He smiled at Conor, pointed at Catherine, and had a somewhat proud expression on his face. ¡°Conor, she looks amazing, huh? She¡¯s my future granddaughter-inw, Catherine!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked. They had originally thought that Karl didn¡¯t like Catherine. However, not only was Karl¡¯s attitude towards her favorable, but he also openly acknowledged her identity. Even Conor was momentarily stunned. However, he quickly regained hisposure and calmly congratted Karl. ¡°Congrattions, you are truly lucky, Karl. Branden gets engaged at such a young age, which is enviable!¡± On the surface, he was congratting Karl, but in fact, he was reminding Karl that Branden didn¡¯t require an early public engagement based on Branden¡¯s age and status. After hearing this, Karl burst intoughter. ¡°It¡¯s about time. I¡¯ve been looking forward to it for over a decade. Once Cassie graduates from college, I will arrange for them to get married. And then, I¡¯ll have fulfilled Vicente¡¯s wishes! Let me tell you something, Conor. Cassie is Vicente¡¯s granddaughter. She was betrothed to my grandson, Branden, at a young age! Everyone had initially thought that Catherine was an insignificant girl with no status, but it turned out that she was the daughter of the Swanns and had been betrothed to Branden since childhood. The people who had mocked Catherine earlier were now in a panic. Chapter 508 I Don’t Need a Reason Chapter 508 I Don¡¯t Need a Reason Jada was infuriated by the Duncans¡¯ words. She couldn¡¯t believe that not only did Branden defend Catherine, but even Karl did as well. Karl publicly stated that Catherine had been betrothed to Branden since childhood. What could she say now? Wouldn¡¯t she be aughingstock in Loxton after today? Jada was so angry that she wanted Conor, her grandfather, to stand up for her. ¡°Grandpa, they¡­¡± Before Jada could finish her sentence, Conor sternly interrupted her, ¡°Jada, stop making a scene!¡± Conor knew that Jada had suffered a loss this time, but there was nothing he could do to seek justice for her. Today was his birthday banquet, and there was no need to make a fuss. Judging from Karl¡¯s attitude and Branden¡¯s behavior, Catherine was someone the Facers couldn¡¯t afford to offend, even though she hadn¡¯t officially be a part of the Duncans. Conor had known Karl for decades, but he had never seen Karl defend anyone so firmly in public. It was evident how much Karl loved this future granddaughter-inw of his. Perhaps even Branden¡¯s mother was not qualified to be treated in this way. Despite Conor¡¯s dissuasion, Jada was still unhappy. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life. She even felt that the gazes around her were mocking her as if she had been stripped naked and thrown on the street. She stomped her feet in anger and shouted at Conor, ¡°Grandpa, say something! Are we afraid of the Duncans? Today is the Facers¡¯ banquet. This woman openly assaulted me, which is a serious insult to the reputation of the Facers.¡± Jada¡¯s voice was sharp, and Catherine had already taken off her earphones. The piercing sound was like a screeching cat, causing Catherine¡¯s eyebrows to slightly furrow. Catherine couldn¡¯t tolerate it anymore, and she didn¡¯t need to. Before Branden could intervene, she stood up directly. Catherine was much taller than Jada, and as Catherine stood up, the domineering aura she exuded gradually intensified. Jada couldn¡¯t believe that Catherine was still so arrogant. She thought that Catherine was taking advantage of the Duncans¡¯ power. This made Jada even more dissatisfied. ¡°Grandpa, look at her. She doesn¡¯t think she¡¯s wrong, and she¡¯s still so arrogant!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine snorted coldly, her expression icy as she stared at Jada.¡± Yeah, I¡¯m arrogant, but what can you do about it?¡± Furious, Jada instantly retorted, ¡°You hit me! What makes you think you have the right to be so arrogant?¡± Her goal was to make Catherine a target of public criticism. She didn¡¯t believe that the Duncans would tolerate a woman who was despised by everyone. ying tricks and acting innocent might work on others, but to Catherine, it was a joke. Catherine took a step forward and crossed her arms. She didn¡¯t say anything, but her imposing aura alone could overwhelm Jada. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°I hit you, so what? I don¡¯t need a reason for that.¡± Such arrogance shocked the onlookers. They had never seen someone so audacious before. Even Conor was momentarily stunned. Karl, who was standing beside them, didn¡¯t get angry at Catherine¡¯s arrogance. Instead, there was a hint of admiration in his eyes. He felt a surge of excitement in his heart. ¡°As the woman my grandson has chosen,¡± he murmured inwardly, ¡°being domineering is necessary!¡± Baron, who had been silent on the side, noticed Conor¡¯s attitude. He knew that Conor had been provoked by Catherine¡¯s behavior. In Baron¡¯s opinion, the reason Catherine could be so arrogant was that she had the power to behave like that. As he was currently employed by the Facers, he decided to do something for his employers. Baron stood up and approached Conor, whispering a few words. Conor¡¯s expression changed instantly. He turned his head and looked at Baron with a serious gaze, confirming the truth behind his words. Baron understood Conor¡¯s meaning and looked sincerely at him. ¡°Mr. Facer, please believe me!¡± Conor had investigated Baron¡¯s background and work experiences before hiring him as the Facers¡¯ bodyguard, so when Baron said this, Conor knew he was telling the truth. After a few seconds, Conor¡¯s face became calm, but his eyes remained chilling. He looked at Baron and said, ¡± Take Jada away!¡± Baron knew that Conor believed what he had said. He followed Conor¡¯s order without hesitation and took Jada away. Regardless of her struggles, he didn¡¯t loosen his grip on her. Having forcibly sent away his granddaughter, Conor smiled at Karl, ncing in Catherine¡¯s direction. He casually said, ¡°Karl, you¡¯re so lucky!¡± However, the smile on Conor¡¯s face soon faded. Karl was taken aback, not knowing what Conor was up to. But he knew that Conor wouldn¡¯t Karl forced a smile and bantered with Conor for a while. Under the bantering of the two big shots, the banquet returned to its previous lively atmosphere. However, everyone present tonight would remember the name ¡°Catherine. After all, who could maintain such an arrogant attitude after hitting Jada at a birthday banquet held by the Facers? There probably wouldn¡¯t be a second person like her in the entire Loxton. On the second floor of the banquet hall. In the study, Conor sat majestically at the head of the table, while his son, Franklin Facer, stood in front of him. Franklin was the eldest son of the Facers and the father of Jada. Conor was now in a semi-retired state, with half of the Facers¡¯ power falling on Franklin¡¯s shoulders. After receiving the news about his daughter, Franklin immediately went to his father. ¡°Dad, even though the Duncans are powerful, we¡¯re not in Casier. Now, Branden¡¯s woman is openly provoking us. She even hit Jada. Are we just going to let her get away with it? What about the reputation of the Facers?¡± After Franklin knew what Catherine did to his daughter, his face turned dark with rage. The Facers had never been humiliated like this before! The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension. Conor, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze directed at his son. ¡°Reputation, huh? Today is my 70th birthday, and an audacious came to my door and pped my granddaughter in the face. Isn¡¯t that the same as humiliating us all? Of course, I¡¯m angry! Conor¡¯s words made sense, but Franklin didn¡¯t understand why his father was tolerating this. ¡°Dad, then, why didn¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of the Duncans?¡± Conor red at his son in anger. Seeing that Franklin still didn¡¯t understand, Conor pointed at Baron. ¡°You tell him. What is the background of that girl named Catherine Swann!¡± Chapter 509 Mysterious Background Chapter 509 Mysterious Background Franklin was incredibly astonished to hear about Catherine¡¯s background. He frowned looking at Baron as he asked quizzically, ¡°Were you mistaken? ¡°I heard she is just a young woman and barely a grown-up. How could she be capable of this?¡± Baron shook his head firmly. ¡°Mr. Facer, regarding this, I¡¯m absolutely sure. Even though the Franklin did not suspect Baron¡¯s background at all. After all, his father had picked the man, so he trusted Baron. Also, Baron had quite a reputation in the mercenary trade, and his words could be trusted. ¡°Then, do you know more about her background?¡± The Swanns¡¯ granddaughter had be the highest authority in a mercenary team. Even though neither things had anything to do with each other on the surface, they were the same thing. This was genuinely mind- boggling. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either, but one thing I know for sure. Themander is not merely a member of the family!¡± Just that family alone was not enough to pull this off. As for the rest, he could not say more. He was simply hired by the Facers, so he had no intention of using his life to show his loyalty. The Duncans alone were hard enough to handle. If Catherine had a background as powerful as the Duncans, the Facers could not afford to offend her. No wonder Franklin¡¯s father wanted to quietly move on. After giving it some thought, he decided to do the same. ¡°Sigh. In that case, let¡¯s just let things slide, huh? We can always take care of them when the right opportunity arises!¡± Inside the study, no one knew that someone was listening to their conversation. Jada was standing outside the study. Hearing her father¡¯s decision, she was so angry that she wanted to explode. Let things slide, huh? How could they? Who did the Swanns think they were? She would never let Catherine off for this. Halfway through the banquet, Catherine was so tired that she wanted to sleep. The people at the banquet were still very excited about the opportunity to expand theirwork. She looked quite different from them. The Duncans from Casier were a powerful family globally, let alone in Loxton. Usually, it was a luxury to even see Branden. Now that he had finally appeared at a banquet, everyone wanted to talk to him and befriend him. However, Mr. Duncan was holding Catherine the entire time, with a cold and distant expression on his face. He was such an intimidating man. Who would dare to approach him? Did it look like anyone had a death wish? Karl walked around the banquet before he slowly came back. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. He could already see his grandson¡¯s threatening looks. If he did note back soon, his grandson might lose his temper. When he got to Branden, Karl pretended to only just notice Branden¡¯s impatience and said, ¡°Cassie looks tired. Why don¡¯t we head back first? I¡¯ve already chatted with my friends.¡± After hearing what Karl said, Branden could not even be bothered to be polite. He held Catherine and left openly. His actions left all eyes turning to him. Sure, men could dote on their women, but this was to an excessive degree. Moreover, with Branden¡¯s status and identity, he was one in a million. A moment ago, people were judging Catherine for using Branden to climb the socialdder. But now, they were overwhelmed by envy. It was not an easy task to gain the favor of Branden to begin with. Catherine was doted on not only by Branden but also by his grandfather, Karl. This made everyone extremely jealous of her. Seeing Branden walk off, the surrounding people finally dared to gossip softly. ¡°That girl from the Swanns is so lucky. Just look at the way Branden dotes on her. He simply adores her, right?¡± ¡°Vicente was the smart one. Haven¡¯t you heard? They were engaged as young children. Branden is such a catch!¡± ¡°Sigh. They were engaged as kids. If the Facers and the Duncans are going to enter a political marriage, then what about Miss Facer?¡± The person talking did not get along with the Facers. Now that someone was mocking Jada, she could not resist chiming in, ¡°Hmph. Who knows? Everyone thought the Facers wouldbine powers with the Duncans and move up thedder. From the looks of it, it was just wishful thinking!¡± As Jada went down the stairs, she happened to hear the conversation. The expression on her face became increasingly stiff. She clenched the hands hanging by the sides of her body as tightly as she could. Otherwise, she might have thrown a temper publicly. She had never suffered so much embarrassment in all her life. Because of Catherine, she had shockingly embarrassed herself in front of all of the high society in Loxton. How could she take it lying down? Her grandfather and father had already told her to let it slide, but she would never let this happen to herself. Catherine, huh? Just wait. She would definitely seek revenge for this. Aftering back to Casier from Loxton, the results happened to be due for release. Catherine did not feel like checking her results, but the homeroom teacher, Miss Joyce, called her to Catherine dragged her exhausted self back to school. It had been a long time since she had seen the ss. Catherine was not the only person called toe to school. Some other students were also there. Ronin, Bryan, and Liana were all there! Seeing Catherine, Ronin could no longer control his emotions and lunged at her excitedly. ¡°Catherine, you went away for so long. I missed you so badly!¡± Catherine reached her hand out to stroke his head before she replied, ¡± Good boy!¡± It did not take much. Just two words alone were enough to make up for everything. Seeing Catherine¡¯s exhaustion, Ronin hurriedly pulled over a chair and let her sit down. He knew that Catherine had gone to Scorpion Ind to train some mercenaries. Those people must have been incredibly intimidating. Catherine must have lost a lot of sleep this time around. She was going through puberty, so losing sleep was not good for her growing body. She should take the opportunity to rx a little now! When Liana saw Catherine appearing, she frowned hard. Liana roughly knew the reason they were called to school. Their school was one of the best in Casier and ranked well nationally. Each year, after the SATs were over, representatives from the top colleges would visit to select a batch of students ahead of time. She felt that she was probably here today for just that. She must be here to see the representatives from the various colleges and get offered a ce first. However, she did not expect to see Catherine here. What gave Catherine the right to show her face? A smug look shed across Liana¡¯s eyes as she smiled looking at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, did youe with Ronin or Bryan today? Without either of them, you probably have no right to enter and see things like this, right?¡± Liana¡¯s voice was rather loud. Even though Catherine was very sleepy, she heard every word clearly. She frowned, tilted her head towards Liana, and looked at her coldly. She was clearly annoyed. ¡°Do you have to talk so much?¡± Chapter 510 What’s She Talking About? Chapter 510 What¡¯s She Talking About? Seeing Catherine¡¯s poor attitude, Liana nearly wanted to explode in anger. ¡°How could you talk like that?¡± Catherine did not answer Liana. She did not want to talk to her at all. However, Liana did not want to let her go easy. She looked down at Catherine cockily. ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s the point, really? You found out why the teacher asked to see us here, so you tagged along desperately. Who got you in? Was it Bryan or Ronin, huh? ¡°Or did you bribe the homeroom teacher for an opportunity like this?¡± As for Catherine and the homeroom teacher¡¯s rtionship, Liana had never liked it to begin with. In her opinion, the homeroom teacher was taking sides with Catherine. The teacher must have done this because of Catherine¡¯s bribes! The more Liana thought about it, the angrier she felt. She could not helpining. She could not let Catherine get her hands on such an opportunity ¡°Catherine, do you think just because you get to talk to those representatives for advanced college cement, you¡¯ll get the chance to enter a good college? Let me tell you, it¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s all about the grades, okay?¡± Despite Liana talking so much, Catherine still looked very lost. Since Liana was so agitated, Catherine decided to be charitable and give her a degree of reaction. She leaned back slightly, raised her head to look sideways at Liana, and asked Ronin, ¡°What is she talking about?¡± Catherine¡¯s words left Liana scoffing uncontrobly with disdain all over her face. ¡°Catherine, by now, why do you even bother pretending?¡± Liana was probably the only person thinking Catherine was pretending. After knowing Catherine for such a long time, everyone knew she had a firm and decisive personality. As for pretending¡­ She despised pretense. Seeing this, Ronin figured out what was going on. ¡°Catherine, didn¡¯t the homeroom teacher tell you what you¡¯re doing at school today?¡± Catherine replied mildly, ¡°She just told me toe over.¡± A knowing look appeared on Ronin¡¯s face. Usually, when people received such calls from their homeroom teachers, they would automatically ask about the purpose of the meeting. Otherwise, they would find out more on their own, like Liana. However, Catherine was no ordinary person, so her mind did not operate the same way. Catherine was willing toe back to school entirely on ount of the homeroom teacher. Would she even bother asking questions? Ronin quickly told Catherine about advanced college cement. After he was done talking, everyone turned to look at Catherine expectantly. After all, when Catherine took the exam, everyone knew her arms were injured, so her movements were restricted. She had trouble even moving, let alone taking a major examination. Liana was surprised by Catherine¡¯s presence at school, and she was not alone. The other students around them felt the same way. Seeing the expectant looks on their faces, Catherine answeredzily. She answered with a single syble, ¡± Oh!¡± Catherine¡¯sckluster reaction left everyone disappointed. Liana was certain that Catherine was only pretending. Catherine had trouble even writing. How could she have good results? The atmosphere in the ssroom felt tense, but it broke when the homeroom teacher entered the room. She had entered at the perfect time, so Liana stopped trying to argue with Catherine. If not for maintaining social graces, she even wanted to run up in front of the homeroom teacher and show the teacher her excellent results. This time during the exam, she was top ten in the county. Even in a high society school like Loyalty Academy, she was top 3. She was worthy of being present today! ss 8 had done well this time, so the homeroom teacher was praised by the school, She looked energetic and particrly happy. She stood on the podium with all smiles. ¡°I¡¯d like to congratte everyone for excellent results this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure all of you know the reason you were called toe, right? In that case, I will cut to the chase. The school representatives who are here to select advanced cement students are already next door in the multimedia room. You may go over and talk to them now!¡± Once the homeroom teacher told them to go, everyone anxiously went next door. Undoubtedly, good grades were very important, but it was even more important to pick the right school. If they could leave a good impression on the college representatives, it would certainly give them an edge. Liana had done her homework and prepared a lot of documents. She walked over excitedly, afraid of being left behind. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. In the ss, only Catherine failed to react much and did not move after some time. Ronin was also not anxious. He came to school to be with Catherine. He would pick whatever Catherine wanted. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s go check it out!¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Catherine finally stood up and went to the multimedia room next door with Ronin. Inside the room, teachers from the best colleges in the country were waiting. Loyalty Academy was the best high society school in town. The students here came with powerful backgrounds, and they were particrly professional and had good grades. The teachers treated the school as a very important ce for securing advanced college cement candidates. Liana had clear goals. She nned on going abroad to study at the best music college and be a well-known pianist. This way, she would be a model for all high societydies. Thanks to Catherine, her chances were affected. Her mother was unsupportive about her studying abroad. It took a lot of money to study art, and all the family resources were poured onto Catherine right now. They were unable to afford to pay tuition for a music college abroad. She could only go with n B and choose finance. In the future, she would snatch everything back from Catherine and run the family businesses. Hence, Liana approached the representative for the University of Penny the moment she entered through the door. This was the best college in the country. In Loxton, it was the college with the best finance department. The best people in the country from the finance trade were mostly from this college. Liana confidently handed all her information to the advancement cement teacher. ¡°Sir, here are all my results along with a short introduction about myself. I hope you can take a look!¡± The school representative did not need any information. Beforeing, they had already gotten their hands on all the information they needed about the schools. They probably knew the results and backgrounds better than them. Liana was indeed an excellent student and had no problem entering the college. The advancement cement teacher smiled at Liana and said in a friendly tone, ¡°Liana, you have excellent grades. As you know, finance is the strongest department in our college, so we have high standards. Are you confident about getting in?¡± Just as Liana was about to speak, she could sense amotion behind her. Even the teacher in front of her was stunned, so she automatically stood up. She hurriedly turned her head and looked behind her. ¡°And this is¡­¡± A white-haired professor with two middle-aged assistants went towards a spot in the corner. The sign on the table in front of him clearly read: Styre University! If the University of Penny was the best college in the country, then Styre University was the most mysterious college in Chritie. Styre University students would all get selected by the government. A handful that got left out also got hired by the bestpanies in the country. So to speak, having their university diploma was like having the golden ticket. This mysterious college never took advanced cement students previously. So, what were they doing here? The people present were excited to see them here. If they got selected by the college, it would be a great honor for their families. Chapter 511 Cheating Chapter 511 Cheating No one expected that Styre University woulde to Loyalty Academy to recruit students this time. This was an unprecedented thing. Liana, who had just been bent on attending the University of Penny, was now shaken. Being selected by Styre University would naturally be much better than attending the University of Penny. After all, her grades were in the top three. If she didn¡¯t have a chance in this group of people, the others would have even less. Liana was about toe forward with her resume. Not only her, but all the students present had such thoughts. Everyone wanted to be the lucky one. The gray-haired professor sat on the chair with his back straight and his face solemn as he scanned the crowd. After a while, the old professor suddenly spoke. ¡°Is there a student named Catherine Swann among you!¡± Hearing this, the crowd spontaneously made way to reveal Catherine, who was sitting at the very end. Catherine was still ying games with her phone. She had no interest in advance approval. The sudden attention made Catherine look away from her phone and stare at the crowd. The next second, the old professor stood up and walked towards Catherine. ¡°Are you Catherine Swann?¡± Catherine¡¯s first impression of the professor was not bad. He looked at people with sincerity and wore simple clothes. He looked like someone who specialized in research. Out of respect for the elder, Catherine took the initiative to stand up. ¡°I¡¯m Catherine!¡± The old professor also had a good impression of Catherine and took the initiative to introduce himself to her. ¡°Nice to meet you, Catherine. I¡¯m Marshall Hartley, a professor of electronic engineering at Styre University. Do you have the intention to apply for our Styre University?¡± Hearing this, everyone present secretly gasped. This professor was truly a pir of the country. His research results, not to mention in Eskana, were famous around the world. He was also known as the father of chips in Eskana. The projects he had on his hand were all high-tech experiments that could change the fate of electronic equipment. If one could join his team and be his student, they would truly enjoy a life of glory. Catherine took a closer look at Marshall. She knew this person. He did make certain gains in the field of chips. If she remembered correctly, one of her disciples was a close friend of Marshall. Before Catherine could give her answer, the admissions officers at the University of Penny were anxious. The director of the admissions office hurriedly stood up and came in front of Catherine. ¡°So, you are Catherine Swann. Nice to meet you!¡± Catherine gave the other party a faint look, her expression cold. In spite of this, the director of the admissions office of the University of Penny was still enthusiastic, and he almost wanted to pull Catherine. ¡°Catherine, are you interested ining to the University of Penny¡¯s finance department? Our finance department is one of the best in the country. If you are willing toe, I can let you join Professor Winston Warner¡¯s team and let him be your mentor.¡± Winston was also a very famous figure in the financial circle. Liana¡¯s target was Winston. She was originally worried that she would not be able to join Winston¡¯s team. However, they volunteered and even prayed for Catherine to join. Liana trembled with anger when she saw this scene. She couldn¡¯t use Catherine in public. It would ruin her image. However, she was unconvinced. Why didn¡¯t she get this special treatment as the top three with excellent results? ¡°You still don¡¯t know, right? Catherine doesn¡¯t have the qualifications to participate in the advance approval. With her grades, it shouldn¡¯t be enough!¡± Liana said to those admissions officers. Hearing Liana¡¯s sarcastic words, Marshall turned back and looked straight at her. ¡°Well, there¡¯s only one top scorer in your province who got full marks, right? If she doesn¡¯t even qualify for the advance approval, then who would be qualified?¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Liana didn¡¯t even think about it and then continued, ¡°The top scorer is naturally qualified, but¡­¡± She was about to say more when she suddenly remembered something and instantly paused. ¡°What did you say?¡± She stretched out her hand and pointed at Catherine with a face full of disbelief. ¡°You said she was the top scorer?¡± Marshall pointed at Catherine and asked, ¡°Is her name Catherine Swann?¡± Then he said her name¡¯s spelling letters. Liana nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s right, then. This year¡¯s top scorer in the province is Catherine in your school. Do you have two Catherine in your ss?¡± Liana didn¡¯t know about the other ces, but there was really only one Catherine in their school. But how was this possible? Liana immediately asked her doubts, ¡± Professor, this is simply impossible. Her right arm was injured on the day of the exam and she couldn¡¯t move at all. I was in the same examination room as her, and she came out after half an hour of the exam. How could such a person be the top scorer with full marks?¡± To prove her words, Liana even brought her ssmates as witnesses. Liana pointed at Catherine with a face full of righteous indignation and roared, ¡°You must have cheated, right? What means did you use to get full marks?¡± The teachers present were surprised. It was not that they did not believe Liana¡¯s words. However, it was the first time that they encountered someone exposing a ssmate¡¯s cheating on the spot. More importantly, the one who was used of cheating got full marks. It was really incredible. Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Catherine. The way they looked at her was different, and everyone¡¯s thoughts varied. Ronin was the only one who was bent on defending Catherine. He red at Liana angrily. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? You can¡¯tpare to Catherine, so you framed her! ¡°Do you think the national exam is child¡¯s y? Do you know how strict that testing system is? How dare you talk nonsense here? Aren¡¯t you afraid of going to jail?¡± It was said that SAT was the first hurdle that determined one¡¯s life. In Eskana, the way to change one¡¯s fate was to get into a good university. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize how hard it was to cheat in such an important exam. Hearing Ronin¡¯s retort, the teachers present also felt that it made sense. Still, Liana was unwilling to believe it, and she held on to that point and did not let go. ¡°Who knows what methods were used? Then how do you exin that she can¡¯t move her right hand and can still get full marks?¡± Although cheating was extremely difficult, if Catherine really couldn¡¯t even move her right hand, there was no way she could take the exam. Everyone was talking noisily, but Catherine didn¡¯t respond at all. Ronin was anxious. ¡°Catherine, just say something!¡± Catherine was originally indifferent. If Ronin hadn¡¯t been persuading her, she would have been toozy to exin. ¡°What¡¯s there to say? Can¡¯t you use your left hand when your right hand is injured?¡± The simple sentence shocked all the people around. Marshall looked at Catherine with joy on his face. ¡°Your left hand is as flexible as your right one?¡± The way he looked at Catherine was not with doubt but with an indescribable joy. He looked extremely excited. Seeing Catherine nod, he immediately took out a pen and paper and handed them to Catherine. The best way to stop rumors was to produce evidence and expose everyone¡¯s hypocrisy. Catherine took the pen and casually wrote and drew on the paper. No one knew what she wrote, but what was certain was that she did use her left hand very smoothly. Catherine handed the finished paper to Marshall. After Marshall took it, he took a look and instantly eximed. ¡°Oh my god, this¡­ this is?¡± Chapter 512 I Chose Styre University Chapter 512 I Chose Styre University The gazes of the people present were all focused on Marshall. No one knew what the reason was that this authoritative international professor was so amazed, After all, he was alwaysposed. Marshall repeatedly checked what Catherine had written and then looked up at Catherine with a face full of amazement. ¡°Catherine, do you know the programming of chips?¡± Ronin snorted at the side. Catherine was more than knowing. She was considered the top in this industry. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s low profile, everyone present should have called her teacher respectfully. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Faced with Marshall¡¯s inquiry, Catherine nodded casually. ¡°I know a little.¡± But how could Marshall believe that? The students in his team who had been with him for several years might not have this understanding. Marshall felt more and more that he hade to the right ce. There were provincial top scorers every year, but there were not many with full marks. He originally came with this thought, but he didn¡¯t expect to meet such an excellent student. Catherine was indeed a talent, and he had to convince her to choose Styre University. ¡°Catherine, if you are willing toe to Styre University, I promise to waive your tuition fees. At the same time, you can choose any mentor you want as long as you are willing to join us!¡± Those words were like a p in the face to the others. Just now, Liana and the others were still questioning the authenticity of Catherine¡¯s results. Now, Catherine not only proved the ability of her left hand but also the authenticity of her results. Marshall was not an ordinary person. He wanted this student so much. How could there be any problem? The director of the admissions office at the University of Penny saw Styre University show such sincerity. Although he didn¡¯t know what Catherine was capable of, he was sure that Catherine was an excellent one. Otherwise, it would be impossible for a top university like Styre University to offer such conditions. A talent like Catherine was naturally impossible for the University of Penny to miss. The director of the admissions office at the University of Penny immediately offered new conditions to tempt Catherine. ¡°Catherine, we can waive your tuition fees too if you choose the University of Penny. More than that, we can provide you with a full yearly schrship under the same conditions. Our University of Penny¡¯s schrship is the most in the country, and we pay the most attention to the cultivation and education of talents!¡± The University of Penny was not lying about this. After all, a university famous for its finance department naturally had extraordinary economic strength. Styre University was known for its academics, and it was naturally not as rich as the University of Penny with deep pockets. Faced with the conditions put forward by the University of Penny, Marshall was a little flustered. He was not afraid of anything in his life, not power, not evil. His greatest fear was that good students would be taken away from him. After all, it was not easy to get a talent. Styre University couldn¡¯t afford the conditions offered by the University of Penny, but to win Catherine, it didn¡¯t matter if he would rather subsidize it himself. ¡°Catherine, if you want a schrship, I can apply for it. Chips are the soft underbelly of Eskana. If we want to be strong, we still need fresh strength like you. You are hope. You are the future!¡± Both parties were top universities in Eskana, and the conditions of both sides were very superior. It was difficult for anyone to choose. In an instant, everyone¡¯s attention was on how Catherine should choose. Since Catherine had chosen to take the exam, it meant she nned to further her education. Besides, Audrey kept rambling on about how important a good school was. If she knew that Catherine had given up the top university, she would talk about it for the rest of her life. Catherine slowly lifted her eyes and looked firmly at Marshall. ¡°I choose Styre University!¡± Hearing this, Marshall could not hide his excitement, and his eyes were full of surprise. ¡°Thank you, Catherine. Wee to Styre University!¡± Marshall felt that Catherine must be a very ambitious and idealistic person with great patriotism. Under his persuasion, she gave up the high schrship without hesitation and chose Styre University. She really was a very honorable person. In fact, Catherine¡¯s reason for choosing Marshall was very simple. She was not short of money, and the schrship meant nothing to her at all. When everyone questioned her grades, Catherine couldn¡¯t see even the slightest disdain in Marshall¡¯s eyes. The old professor believed in her ability from beginning to end. This was the ultimate reason why she chose Styre University. She had to choose one that she liked, right? After Catherine finished choosing the school, Ronin immediately approached forward. He originally disdained Styre University, but Catherine chose it, so he naturally wanted to follow her. Ronin handed over his resume. ¡± Professor Hartley, my name is Ronin Oconnor. I want to go to Styre University!¡± Hearing this name, the admissions office director of the University of Penny turned green. He was the second-best student in the province, with grades second only to Catherine. If the two both went to Styre University, how should he exin to the school? Marshall did not immediately respond to Ronin. They came to Loyalty Academy for only one purpose-to win Catherine, the top scorer. There was no extra quota. Ronin saw Marshall¡¯s hesitation at a nce. ¡°Hmph, he actually dared to dislike me! ¡°he thought. It seemed the other party wouldn¡¯t know how capable he was if he did not show them something. Ronin learned Catherine¡¯s way and wrote a program. Then he handed it to Marshall. Marshall took a look. He did know this program, but he was not proficient in different types of work. He handed the paper to the professor of information engineering, who came with him. The professor nced at it, and his eyes instantly lit up. His expression now was exactly the same as when Marshall saw the program written by Catherine before. He excitedly pulled Marshall and said, ¡± Marshall, this student is aputer genius. We must take him. The quota is not in the way. He must stay!¡± Rules could be broken for outstanding talents. It was not a big deal. Since it could be proved that this student had this talent and the results of his cultural courses were also among the top, it was natural that they could not miss him. ¡°Very good. Congrattions to you, Ronin, and wee to join Styre University!¡± Ronin smiled happily. ¡°Thank you, Professor Hartley!¡± Then he raised his eyebrows at Catherine with a proud face. ¡± Catherine, we can still be together in the future!¡± The duo¡¯s actions made the students around them envious. Styre University was such a good university, but they actually went to it so easily. Especially Catherine! The professor from Styre University prayed for her to join them. Bryan was also envious. Although his grades were also at the forefront, there should be no hope of attending Styre University. Moreover, his original target wasn¡¯t Styre University either. He wanted to go to the finance department of the University of Penny. If he hadn¡¯t insisted on staying home, his family would have sent him abroad to study. Liana watched Catherine ept everyone¡¯s envious gaze from the side, and jealousy reigned in her heart. ¡°Why did Catherine, the jinx, take all the benefits? What was so good about her? Even the professor from Styre University wanted her!¡± she cursed inwardly. Chapter 513 Gorgeous Dancing Girl Chapter 513 Gorgeous Dancing Girl After the end of the enrollment, Ronin insisted that they must have dinner together tonight, saying that it had been quite a while since Catherine had gathered with them. Thinking that it had been almost a month since theyst saw each other, Catherine agreed. The group had just walked out of the ssroom when they heard urgent footstepsing from behind. ¡°Hey, you! Stop right there!¡± The familiar voice made everyone furrow their brows. There was no need to guess who it was. Ronin impatiently eximed, ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s go. No need to pay any attention to this crazy woman!¡± It seemed like Liana saw through Ronin¡¯s thoughts. She hastened her steps and arrived in front of the group, directly blocking Catherine. Catherine stopped in her tracks and gave Liana a cold stare. Seeing Catherine¡¯s face, Liana was pissed off. In her eyes, she felt Catherine was looking down on her with a condescending attitude. Liana gritted her teeth, ring at Catherine with eyes full of hatred. ¡°Are you feeling proud of yourself now, Catherine? ¡°Why are you deliberately hiding your grades to embarrass and humiliate me in front of the admission officer? Why are you targeting me like this?¡± Liana continued to fervently use, believing that Catherine intended to humiliate her. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± Catherine casually replied. Liana was a bit stunned by the unconventional response of Catherine. She paused, but Catherine didn¡¯t. Before Liana could even react, Catherine kept talking. ¡°Target you? Huh!¡± Catherine sneered sarcastically, her once calm eyes suddenly turning icy cold. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± Her badass questioning made everyone standing behind Ronin unable to resist apuding her. Catherine had no interest in getting involved with Liana as Liana wasn¡¯t even worth it. After she finished mocking Liana, Catherine continued to walk forward. Ronin and his group quickly caught up and did not hesitate to take a jab at Liana as they passed her by. ¡°Hmph, who do you think you are?¡± Each person said a sentence, causing Liana¡¯s face to turn red awkwardly. She was so angry that she wanted to rush up and fight with Catherine. She didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be such a jerk. ¡°Not only did she mock me, but she got so many others to join in on trashing me. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll definitely get revenge for this!¡± said she inwardly. After the big exam was over, Catherine and Ronin finally had a good time to rx. Finishing having a barbecue, Bryan arranged for everyone to continue the fun at a newly opened club in Casier. This newly opened entertainment club was said to be a haven for young people. Whether it was the stage, the lighting, or the sound effects, they were all top- notch equipment. As soon as they entered the club, David and the others started screaming uncontrobly. The club was absolutely amazing, causing every pore on one¡¯s body to scream with excitement. Bryan reserved a spot in the inner ring and invited Catherine right away. ¡°Catherine, please take a seat!¡± Unlike the excitement of others, Catherine remained calm andid back, sittingzily on the booth¡¯s sofa. The big exam was finally over, and everyone was feeling relieved. Bryan had brought plenty of alcohol to celebrate. He deliberately poured a ss for Catherine. Seeing that Ronin did not stop him, he knew that Catherine could drink it, so he dared to hand it over. ¡°Catherine, wanna grab a drink?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine was open to anything. Ever since she moved into the apartment across from Branden, Branden had been extremely strict about her diet. He didn¡¯t explicitly say Catherine couldn¡¯t eat this or drink that, but somehow, he had a way of making sure she didn¡¯t get to see those things. Catherine wasn¡¯t really a greedy person, so it didn¡¯t matter if she couldn¡¯t have it. She hadn¡¯t even touched a drop of alcohol in a long time. Bryan handed her the ss, and she took it without hesitation. Once Catherine expressed her willingness to have a drink, the rest also loosened up and poured themselves some booze. After all, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste toe to a ce like this for fun and not have a drink? Everyone was drinking. One after another, they finished quite a few sses. Bryan arranged a high-quality whisky with a high alcohol content. Although Catherine could hold her liquor pretty well, she hadn¡¯t had a drink in a long time, and on top of that, she was in a good mood today. After a few drinks, her beautiful big eyes began to squint slightly. She was initially cold and serious, exuding an aura of dominance, but after having a few drinks, she became infused with a touch of charming allure. Like a sexy goddess descending from the heavens, her beauty was so mesmerizing that it was hard to look away. On the 360-degree full-screen stage, there were seductive figures everywhere. In this situation and scenery, people would temporarily lose themselves, forget their own consciousness, and crazily move their bodies with the music. Bryan was having a st, and his courage had grown. He took the initiative to invite Catherine. ¡°Catherine, wannae up and dance with us? No worries if you can¡¯t dance. Just move your body a little!¡± In the eyes of Bryan, big shots like Catherine wouldn¡¯t stoop to this kind of thing. Catherine¡¯s sparkling eyes glinted with a mischievous grin on her slightly upturned lips. She was interested but didn¡¯t want to get on stage like that. She reached out and hooked two beer cans, then opened them and hooked the pull rings on her index finger. The sharp pull rings turned into a handy little pair of scissors in Catherine¡¯s hands. Using this tiny pair of scissors, Catherine repeatedly pulled and stretched on her loose T-shirt. By cutting a number of holes in her boyfriend-style T-shirt, Catherine instantly transformed the shirt into a uniquely styled T-dress. Catherine used the two pieces of fabric she cut to tie a bow on her back, instantly transforming the loose style into a fitted and stylish one that perfectly showcased her slender waist and wless figure. They had no idea what Catherine was up to, but Catherine never needed a reason for doing things. After finishing the modifications on her clothes, Catherine lowered her cap and stepped onto the stage with a nimble flip. As the music ebbed and flowed, Catherine swiftly danced. Every time she spun, those strips of cloth she pulled out with homemade scissors danced along, revealing her beautiful curves. It was not particrly obvious, but there was a subtle sense of ambiguity, which strangely made it even more captivating and hard to look away from. All eyes were on the mysterious girl with a hat covering her facepletely. Her figure and dance moves were enough to drive every man in the room crazy. The inner circle booths were like the VIP section of the club, and the private box on the second floor was the pinnacle of luxury. Triston and some of his friends were chilling in this private room today. This club belonged to one of his childhood buddies. To support his buddy, Triston not only set up a gathering but also brought along many good friends. It was unknown who called out, but someone shouted that an incredibly attractive girl was on the stage below, catching everyone¡¯s attention. Triston was originally drinking with a big shot while his friends next to him kept calling him. ¡°Mr. Lambert, she¡¯s really something else, a rare gem in the world. You should take a look!¡± Triston felt tantalized when talking to Branden, the big shot beside him. He joked, ¡°Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re different now. You are now keeping away from girls for Cassie, but I¡¯m still free. I¡¯ll take a look, and if she¡¯s really exceptional, I¡¯ll call out to you!¡± Watching Triston rush out in a panic, Branden remained calm and cold, with a strong aura as he sat still without any change in expression. The private room had floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, so he didn¡¯t have to cram in for a good view-just a casual nce, and he could catch a glimpse of the scene below. Branden was holding his ss, deep in thought about whether or not to leave. When he unintentionally caught a glimpse of the enchanting figure on the dance floor, he instantly stood up. This move scared the people present. No one knew what happened to this top -notch big shot. Chapter 514 Chapter 514 A Good Spanking Someone reported Branden¡¯s situation to Triston. Triston turned around and saw Branden walking toward him. When the big shot appeared, people on both sides quickly moved aside to make way. Branden stood in front of the huge floor -to-ceiling window, his gaze firmly fixed on the stage below. Without even looking at the face, he knew that it was his woman. Plus, he even saw that his silly nephew upied the neighboring booth. As the woman made a wild leap, her clothes flew up, exposing her slender and pristine waist and prompting screams from the audience under the lights. Branden¡¯s face instantly darkened with eyes as cold as an icy pond. Everyone around him felt the atmosphere in the private room suddenly turn icy, and nobody knew what happened. They were too scared to speak and even dared not look at the big shot, only able to turn toward Triston on the side, asking about the situation. Triston was also pretty confused at first but eventually figured it out. ¡°Over the years, there was only one person who could elicit such emotional changes in Mr. Duncan!¡± he thought. He didn¡¯t recognize it just now because he didn¡¯t make the connection. Branden¡¯s reaction now hit him instantly. ¡°So that was what it was all about!¡± said Triston inwardly. Those gazes toward Catherine made Branden want to dig out the eyes of everyone present. Before his temper erupted, Branden quickly turned and walked downstairs. Triston quickly called his friends and brought two teams of bodyguards to clear the way for Branden. Apart from Triston, nobody knew what the big boss wanted to do. As Catherine was dancing in high spirits, she suddenly felt a breath approaching from behind. She instinctively lifted her elbow and swung it backward. To her surprise, her elbow actually got caught. She suddenly turned her head, but someone forcefully pulled her in the arms before she could see who it was. A familiar scent flowed through her body into every corner of her being. Catherine¡¯s body instantly softened. Shezily leaned against the man¡¯s embrace. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Thinking about those eyes lusting after her, Branden just wanted to kill everyone in the room. He said through gritted teeth in a cold tone, ¡°If I don¡¯te now, do you n on going to heaven?¡± A strong sense of jealousy swept over her. Catherine found it amusing and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s fun!¡± ¡°Is it fun?¡± said Branden inwardly. He really wanted to give this girl a good spanking so that she wouldn¡¯t dare to be so reckless next time. Some people were eyeing Catherine, but they didn¡¯t dare approach her because of her strong presence. When they saw Catherine being pulled into the arms of a mysterious man, they couldn¡¯t help but feel an intense regret for not being bold enough and missing such a wonderful opportunity. As David saw Catherine hugging a man, he was about to approach them but was intercepted by Bryan. ¡°That¡¯s my uncle. Isn¡¯t David asking for trouble by going up there? ¡°Plus, it was obvious at first nce that Catherine willingly went along with it,¡± said Bryan inwardly. Of course, Ronin also knew it and sat angrily in the booth, eating watermelon. The bright red watermelon was used as an outlet for Ronin¡¯s frustration as he took bite after bite, imagining it was Branden¡¯s head. ¡°Damn, dude! He actually had his arms around Catherine. ¡°Ugh, how annoying! ¡°But I can¡¯t beat them, and most importantly, Catherine doesn¡¯t object to it at all. What can I do?¡± said Ronin inwardly. On the dance floor, Catherine was totally killing it. With both hands wrapped around the man¡¯s neck, she hugged him tightly and swayed back and forth. The dazzling lights shone on Catherine, making her look like a dream. Her ambiguous gaze, paired with that stunning face, was so beautiful it took Branden¡¯s breath away. He only felt like a thousand poisonous insects were biting all over his body. Feeling unbearable, he grabbed Catherine horizontally and walked straight off the dance floor. Someone refused to ept it. ¡°How can just one person own such a beautiful masterpiece?¡± he thought. Before the man could even approach, one look from the surrounding bodyguards pushed him back down. The big shot disyed a domineering posture. Who would dare to cause trouble? With Catherine in his arms, Branden hopped into the car straight away. Paxton was personally driving the car. The moment they got in, Branden manually put down the partition. Not even a single second was spared for others to sneak a nce, which frightened Paxton into trembling. Catherine¡¯s hand was on Branden¡¯s neck. She didn¡¯t sit alone on the side as usual. Catching a strong smell of alcohol on Catherine, Branden furrowed his brows and softened his tone. ¡°Why were you drinking?¡± Catherine raised her gaze. Her eyes shone like stars, resembling two captivating mas that firmly caught hold of Branden¡¯s heart. ¡°What? You got a problem with it?¡± Seeing her pair of eyes, how could any man still find fault with her? It was even hard to resist feeling heartbroken for her. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get a headache tomorrow! Just drink some hot water first. It¡¯ll make you feel a bit better.¡± Catherine nodded slightly, still holding onto Branden¡¯s hand. After she took a few sips, she refused to drink anymore. Branden was both helpless and gratified when he first saw Catherine so enthusiastic. He tightened the hand around Catherine¡¯s waist, almost gritting his teeth as he uttered his words. ¡°If you keep making trouble, I¡¯ll give you a good spanking when we get back! Catherine heard it, and she heard it clearly. She raised her head, gazing at Branden with a bewildered expression. ¡°Whoever gets spanked is not necessarily determined!¡± Branden was rendered speechless by her words. Catherine was his beloved little treasure, and he couldn¡¯t bear to say any harsh words toward her. Feeling all fired up but having nowhere to vent, Branden could only coldly admonish Paxton in front, ¡°Hurry up!¡± Scared out of his wits, Paxton, who had never been urged on before, mmed his foot on the gas pedal and drove the car wildly out. The usual half-hour drive was cut short by about ten minutes. After getting out of the car, Branden didn¡¯t let Catherine¡¯s feet touch the ground. He directly carried her to the apartment. At the moment of entering, Branden was about to turn on the lights. Catherine moved faster. With a quick turn of her hand, she forcefully pinned Branden against the door. Her beautiful eyes stared deeply into Branden¡¯s, looking domineering and charming. ¡°Are you trying to spank me or what?¡± Branden shuddered all over. Millions of his pores were screaming crazily. If it weren¡¯t for his strong restraint, he would have really been afraid of hurting Catherine. He was holding back his power, gritting his teeth, and speaking in a low and restrained voice. One didn¡¯t even have to listen carefully to hear the suppressed pain and difficulty. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re ying with fire!¡± Catherine knew what she was doing. She raised her eyebrows at Branden.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°What? Can¡¯t handle it?¡± This was the first time in Branden¡¯s life that he got questioned. If he couldn¡¯t handle it, who could? The urge inside him felt like it was boiling, almost breaking through his limits like a few atomic bombs were waiting to explode in his chest. He endured with great difficulty. He would have let go long ago if it weren¡¯t for his strong self-control. He was gritting his teeth. His voice sounded like a beast roaring, full of ferocity and menace. ¡°Behave, don¡¯t mess around, or you¡¯ll get hurt!¡± ¡°Get hurt? The person who can hurt me probably hasn¡¯t been born yet!¡± Catherine smirked as she thought. She gave a strong push and took a step forward. Her hot pink lips pressed down on the cold lips of Branden. Branden felt that if he kept holding back his urge, he wouldn¡¯t even be a man anymore, let alone a human. He couldn¡¯t even bear to separate their lips. He held Catherine tightly in his arms and hurriedly carried her toward the master bedroom. ¡°Some mischievous woman needs a good spanking!¡± thought he. In the darkness, no one noticed the smile at the corner of Catherine¡¯s eyes. Chapter 515 Chapter 515 A Hot Body Early in the morning, Catherine reluctantly woke up in a haze of smoke, feeling groggy and tired. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the man beside her, shirtless and looking like a noble deity from mythology. On the handsome and delicate face of the man, therey a cigarette between his thin lips. His slightly raised brow showed a hint of sadness. This was the first time Catherine had seen Branden smoke in front of her. She knew Branden smoked, but in her memory, he had never smoked in front of her, not even letting her catch a whiff of the smell. Last night, Branden persistently lingered with her in s*x and finally released her with reluctance until dawn. She was too tired to say anything, so she just closed her eyes and turned around to fall into a deep sleep. When he noticed the movement beside him, Branden¡¯s eyes shed with a panic. His first response was to put out the cigarette in his hand.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Having no time to find an ashtray, he snuffed out the cigarette butt with his fingers. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± His deep voice carried a hoarseness, and it was mesmerizing. ¡°No!¡± Catherine groaned, raising her arms high in the air and stretchingzily. She had amazingly fair skin, and she practically glowed when the sunlight shone on her. The purplish-red marks, set against her immacte skin, shone even brighter like dazzling roses in full bloom. After he took a nce, Branden¡¯s eyes were filled with heat. He was worried that if things continued like this, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold it anymore. As Catherine experienced sex for the first time, even with an excellent physical condition, she couldn¡¯t withstand such long sex. Branden tilted his head and looked away, then turned around and said to Catherine, ¡°I¡¯m gonna get you some food!¡± The grey silk quilt slipped off his body as he moved, revealing his strong and robust physique. He appeared slim with his clothes on, but when he took off his clothes, one might see some sexy muscles. ¡°The bare upper body, the tanned skin, not a single trace of excess fat on the whole body, a perfect inverted triangle shape, truly captivating entity. I am not at a loss in sleeping with him.¡± thought Catherine. She propped her elbow on the pillow, half-closed her eyes, and admired Branden¡¯s exquisite figure. Half an hourter, Branden walked into the bedroom carrying the cooked meal. When Catherine waszy and not getting out of bed before, Branden would also bring food into the bedroom like this. However, Catherine wasn¡¯t going to have her meal in the bedroom today. The whole ce was filled with this weird smell that was totally killing her appetite. Focus was crucial when having delicious food. Branden would always grant whatever was requested by Catherine. The food that had been brought over was put back on the table. Catherine sat at the dining table. Considering that she had just woken up, Branden cooked a rtively nd meal. He also prepared a ss of rose liqueur for her. Catherine drank quite a bit of alcoholst night, and her voice was hoarse. This rose liqueur was just perfect. It immediately awakened her soul. After finishing cooking the oatmeal, Branden ced it at Catherine¡¯s side. ¡°I heard you agreed to go to Styre University?¡± It didn¡¯t surprise Catherine that Branden was aware of her choice. This was not a secret. She presumed it must have already been spread within the school yesterday. Branden had always cared about her every move, and it was inevitable that he would know it. Catherine gave a half-hearted response. ¡°There¡¯s only Styre University to choose from domestically, and that old man Marshall Hartley doesn¡¯t seem to have a bad temper!¡± The nationally renowned expert was notorious for being difficult to deal with. Even some leaders had to be respectful to him. However, he was a good-natured old man in Catherine¡¯s eyes. She was probably the only one who dared to say that. Styre University was definitely good domestically, but it was like its name, mysterious and serious. Catherine was a carefree and unconstrained person. With so many rules and regtions in this university, Branden worried she wouldn¡¯t adapt well. ¡°Hey, how about I help you switch to a different college?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter of going to college, causing so much trouble and inconvenience. What a hassle!¡± thought Catherine. She didn¡¯t even think twice before rejecting Branden¡¯s offer. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m going to Styre University!¡± Branden looked at her with affectionate eyes and a doting expression. ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll go to Styre University!¡± Located in Loxton, Styre University was several hundred miles away from Casier. Catherine put down her bowl and gave Branden a cold stare. ¡°Do you want me to stay in Casier?¡± she asked. Branden immediately understood what Catherine meant, and of course, he wouldn¡¯t separate from Catherine. It might be a bit troublesome if Catherine applied to study abroad now. But if she were to stay in the country, Branden could visit Loxton, where the former residence of the Duncans was located, without any geographical restrictions. ¡°If you go to Styre University, then I¡¯ll go to Loxton. If you stay in Casier, then I¡¯ll also be in Casier!¡± Catherine could tell that Branden was trying to move his business to Loxton. She raised an eyebrow, her beautiful eyes slowly turning, giving off a hint of flirtatious nces toward Branden. ¡°You said that the Duncan Corporation¡¯s future development was in Oceanvile, but now it has changed to Loxton?¡± In the face of Catherine¡¯s temptation, Branden showed no fear and leaned toward her, saying, ¡°The future of the Duncan Corporation is wherever you are!¡± Initially, he nned to go to Oceanville, but Catherine would be in Loxton for the next few years. Therefore, the Duncan Corporation would make Loxton its main direction. Moreover, there was that bastard Erick in Oceanvile. He didn¡¯t want to have someone¡¯s eyes glued to his woman all the time. After returning to her small apartment, Liana was about to lose it when she saw the cramped space and the pile of takeout boxes on the table. She angrily threw her handbag, unable to contain her temper any longer. ¡°Have you had enough? What¡¯s the difference between you guys and the stinky bugs living in a garbage pile?¡± Korbin turned his head and stared at Liana with a stern look. He couldn¡¯t believe that his little daughter would talk to him with such an attitude one day. ¡°Are you trying to defy me now, Liana?¡± ¡°Back in the day, my dad used to be all high and mighty, but now not only can¡¯t he lift his head because of Catherine¡¯s oppression, but he¡¯s also left with nothing thanks to Catherine. ¡°My mom stays at my grandparents¡¯ house all day and doesn¡¯t want toe back,¡± said Liana inwardly. With the humiliation she received, Liana couldn¡¯t control her temper anymore. She shouted angrily at Korbin, ¡°Why don¡¯t you shout at Catherine, huh? If you¡¯re so capable, why did you let all of Grandpa¡¯s assets end up in the hands of that jinx?¡± Korbin had be aplete mess during the past few days. Branden had cut off all his resources. None of his old friends were willing to help him. He could only be a bum at home, being a useless loser. Unexpectedly, he was scolded by his own young daughter. Korbin could no longer control his temper and stood up in anger, eyes zing with fury as he looked at Liana. ¡°You damn girl, you¡­¡± When faced with a home like this, Liana really had no mood at all. She was not afraid of Korbin at all now. She picked up her bag and turned around to leave. When she turned around, she didn¡¯t notice Korbin¡¯s difference behind her. Korbin¡¯s face turned red like a tomato, and he looked super painful. At the very moment when Liana closed the door, Korbin couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and copsed. Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Put the me on Catherine Catherine was still ying a game online with Ronin and a few others when she got the news. She threw down the gamepad and rushed to the hospital as soon as possible. Outside the operating room, Audrey, Liana, and Rachael had already arrived. They all stood at the door of the operating room with a solemn expression. Catherine walked from the intersection toward the depths of the corridor. Her pace was slow. She looked so calm that one could not tell what mood she was in. Her footsteps echoed, and everyone turned around. Seeing Catherine appear, Rachael¡¯s eyes were immediately filled with anger. She sprinted forward and rushed toward Catherine. Audrey¡¯s movements were faster. She stepped in front of Catherine quickly, separating Catherine and Rachael. Seeing Audrey in front of Catherine, Rachael stopped in her tracks. She looked at Audrey with a fierce look in her eyes and snarled, ¡°You¡¯re still defending Catherine. If it weren¡¯t for her, how could your Dad be lying inside the operating room now? He¡¯s almost dead.¡± After yelling at Audrey, Rachael snapped her head back up to re at Catherine. ¡°You jinx, you are really a jinx and a disaster to us. We haven¡¯t had a good time since the moment you came back. Your Dad is almost killed by you now!¡± These words were even more vicious than curses, and even Audrey could not bear to listen to them. This was not something a mother should say at all. When Audrey was about to stop Rachael, she heard Catherine, who was behind her, snort coldly and say mockingly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you break off all rtions with me since I was a kid? ¡°What? It¡¯s on me now?¡± Catherine¡¯s sarcasm infuriated Rachael so much that she gasped for breath. Rachael¡¯s face flushed, and she could barely speak. Liana was on the side, rushing up to appease Rachael. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s not worth getting angry for such people!¡± After saying that, Liana turned her gaze at Catherine angrily. ¡°How cold-blooded are you? The one lying inside the operating room in resuscitation is our father, and you have the mood to argue with our mother here now. Do you still have some conscience?¡± Audrey felt that her mother, Rachael, should not talk like that. However, considering that Rachael was worried about their father, Audrey did not want Catherine to start a conflict with their mother at this time. ¡°Kathy, why don¡¯t we just forget about it? Let¡¯s go out and rest for a while!¡± Catherine ignored Audrey¡¯s persuasion as her gaze fell faintly on Liana. When Catherine and Liana¡¯s eyes met, Liana averted her eyes subconsciously. She did not dare to look into Catherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°Cold-blooded? Haha, it¡¯s so funny. What qualifications do you have to say the word ¡®cold-blooded¡¯ to me?¡± She thought in her heart, ¡°If Liana were me back then, would she still be as calm as she is now? ¡°Never advise others to be kind if one has not experienced the pain of others!¡± Her mockery made Liana unable to answer. The atmosphere was at once in an awkward state. It was as if everything was on the verge of exploding. The opening of the operating room door broke the awkward scene at hand. The crowd rushed over to the operating room. The attending doctor had just finished his surgery and did not even have time to take off his gloves before they surrounded him. ¡°Doctor, how is my husband¡¯s condition?¡± The doctor had served the Swanns for many years and was Vicente¡¯s exclusive doctor. So, he naturally knew Rachael. ¡°Mrs. Swann, Mr. Swann¡¯s condition is not optimistic. Although the congestion in his brain has been cleared, his brain has been deprived of oxygen for too long. Even if he wakes up, it may cause great after-effects. You have to be psychologically prepared!¡± Upon hearing the doctor¡¯s words, Rachael fell to the ground instantly, with no light in her eyes. She relied on the Swanns and her husband for her entire life. Now, the assets of the Swanns were in Catherine¡¯s hands, and her husband was seriously ill. What hope did she have? Liana froze when she heard the news. But her freeze was different from Rachael¡¯s, which Catherine noticed. It was a while before they finally reacted to the news. Rachael and Liana once again pointed the finger at Catherine. Ignoring her image of being a noble and gentledy, Rachael cried and cursed on the side. Liana, on the other side, stood up and used Catherine directly. ¡°You are the main culprit who causes Dad in trouble. If you hadn¡¯t taken the Swann Corporation, how could Dad have fainted?¡± After Rachael and Korbin were kicked out of the Swanns¡¯, Catherine had been secretly observing their movements. Catherine knew they were not homeless but moved to a property in Liana¡¯s name. That house was not big, but it was more than 1,000 square feet, which waspletely more than enough for a family of three. In Casier, where every inch ofnd was expensive, many people had not had the chance to live in such a house yet! After leaving the Swanns¡¯, Korbin had been actively contacting his old friends to find ways to make aeback. He seemed even more motivated than he was working at the Swann Corporation. Would someone like that experience a cerebral hemorrhage because of anger? Catherine thought she really needed to think about the story behind the scenes! Catherine looked at Liana calmly, with an imperceptible coldness in her eyes. ¡°Liana, are you sure I pissed him off?¡± A sh of panic shed in Liana¡¯s eyes, but it quickly disappeared. It was a panic that was very hard to detect. Liana regained herposure at once and looked at Catherine with her neck craned. Her attitude was more dominant than just now. ¡°Of course, he was pissed off by you. Is there anyone else in the world who drives her parents out of their house and even seizes her parents¡¯pany? Dad is sick because of this. What other excuses do you have?¡± Catherine shrugged her shoulders in an indifferent manner. ¡°Anything you say! She mentally muttered. ¡°You all know what the truth is.¡± Liana was secretly relieved to see that Catherine did not dwell on the topic. Because of Korbin¡¯s condition, Rachael was particrly unhappy with Catherine. Considering Catherine¡¯s emotions, Audrey decided to take her away first. After leaving the door, Audrey tried to put in good words for Rachael and Liana. ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t take Mom¡¯s words to heart. Now that Dad is sick, it¡¯s normal for her to feel bad and say harsh words to you!¡± Catherine naturally would not take those to heart. After all, they were not even strangers to her. How could they hurt her with their words? She nced at Audrey coldly and said faintly, ¡°You really haven¡¯t learned your lesson at all!¡± Hearing this, Audrey instantly froze in ce. Catherine lifted her foot to leave. If Audrey had not called, she would not havee to the hospital at all. Audrey came back to her senses long after Catherine left.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. She understood the meaning of Catherine¡¯s words. She knew that since their father kidnapped her for profit to threaten Catherine, she should have given up on them. But she and Catherine were different, after all. Even though their parents had not favored her since she was a child, she was still a child who had grown up beside their parents. How could it be so easy to forget their decades of feelings? Thinking of their parents¡¯ current situation, Audrey went to settle the medical bill. Only then did she leave following the direction Catherine had gone. This was probably all she could do for their parents. Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Branden¡¯s Private Property Catherine contacted Ronin after she left the hospital. They got together again for dinner. However, this time, Catherine did not choose to have a barbecue. Influenced by Branden, she had been enjoying some lighter-vored dishestely. They chose light dishes today. Ronin shaved the bones of the chicken legs and ced them on Catherine¡¯s te. Bryan, who was sitting next to him, did not want to be outdone. He poured a cup of iced c and handed it to Catherine. But they all tacitly agreed not to mention the matter of the Swanns the whole time. They all knew that Catherine did not like to hear about these things, so no one dared to mention it. Seeing that Catherine had a good appetite today, Ronin served her some soup. He took the opportunity to ask, ¡± Catherine, if we go to Loxton to study, won¡¯t you and Mr. Duncan be separated?¡± Catherine picked up the soup and took a sip. After that, she put the soup down slowly before responding to Roninzily. ¡°That¡¯s not true. The Duncan Corporation is going to develop in Loxton next, so Branden will be spending a lot of time in Loxton!¡± Bryan eximed just as Catherine finished speaking. ¡°No wonder my Dad and the others have been busy working overtime every daytely. It turns out it¡¯s because they¡¯re shifting their work focus to Loxton!¡± At these words, the expressions on the faces of everyone present changed a little. Although Catherine¡¯s face remained the same, the slightly upturned corners of her eyes revealed her mood at the moment. Ronin also looked pleasant. Branden was willing to do something for Catherine, which was worthy of Ronin¡¯s affirmation. Ronin¡¯s impression of Branden had improved a bit. Speaking of Loxton, Ronin remembered something. He turned his head to Bryan and asked, ¡°Bastard, didn¡¯t your family develop well in Loxton back then? Why did you guys move to Casier and forcibly take the leading position here?¡± If the Duncans had not moved to Casier, the leading position in Casier now would be another family. The Duncans had been moving to Casier for a long time. Before Bryan was even born, the Duncans had already made it big and strong in Casier, so he did not know much about it. ¡°I did hear my Dad talk a little about it. Loxton is the center of power. There are not many people in our Duncans who work in civil service, so it¡¯s better to go elsewhere instead of staying there and fighting with those people!¡± Among the Duncans, there was only one branch that worked in civil service, and this branch also had the power entirely in its hands.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. If one had money and power, one would naturally be liable to be attacked. It was the right choice for the Duncans to withdraw from the center of power to focus on business development in Casier, leaving only one branch in Loxton. Seeing that Ronin looked like he had no end to continue asking, Bryan shouted with some impatience, ¡°What? Even the food in your mouth can¡¯t stop you from talking?¡± While they were eating, the cell phone Catherine ced aside rang. The moment she picked up the phone, Branden heard Bryan and Ronin¡¯s voice from the phone. ¡°You¡¯re having a meal with your ssmates?¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Catherine responded casually. Then she hung up the phone and continued eating. Seeing her hang up, Bryan dared to speak. ¡°Catherine, is Uncle Brandening over?¡± ¡°He¡¯lleter. He should be here when I¡¯m done eating!¡± Branden had just said he wasing to pick her up, but he did not say he wasing over to eat with them. After hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Bryan lowered his head and ate silently. As much as he wanted to spit about Branden, he did not have the guts. After all, Branden was the person he feared the most since he was a child and the man in charge of the Duncans, who even his father feared. Half an hourter, Catherine received a message from Branden. Branden was already downstairs in the restaurant. Just as Catherine finished eating, she packed her things and stood up. ¡°Goodbye!¡± Catherine casually waved her hand and then walked out of the private room gracefully. For Ronin, this was already quitemon. For Catherine to say goodbye to them before leaving could already be considered a good thing for them. What more could they ask for? Catherine went to the front desk and told the waiter the name of the private room. She was ready to pay the bill. The waiter looked at her politely and said, ¡°Miss, hi, Your bill has been paid. It was ordered by our manager personally. He said you don¡¯t need to pay the bill!¡± Catherine frowned. Just as she was about to ask the reason, the manager came rushing in with a very respectful attitude. ¡°Miss Swann, hello. I am the manager of the restaurant!¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows and nced at him. The manager immediately understood the meaning in Catherine¡¯s gaze. ¡°Miss Swann, your bill is directly credited to the ount. This restaurant is Mr. Duncan¡¯s private property!¡± Catherine understood instantly. Who else but Branden could be called ¡°Mr. Duncan¡± in Casier? It seemed Branden had a lot of private property. She needed to find time to thoroughly investigate his assets. After all, all of these could very well be her property in the future. Since it was Branden¡¯s money, she did not refuse. Catherine waved her hand toward the manager. Under the awed gaze of the manager, she left the restaurant. Branden¡¯s car was parked at the entrance. It seemed there was a telepathic connection between Branden and Catherine. Branden noticed immediately the moment Catherine appeared. Then he stopped his movements and pushed open the car door to get out. Paxton was used to it by now. As long as there was Catherine around, he was not qualified to even open the car door. After Catherine bent down to sit in the car, Branden sat in after her. After smelling the faint coffee scent on her, Branden sniffed lightly. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a barbecue?¡± Catherine responded with a casual attitude. ¡°I¡¯m already tired of barbecue! Branden smiled lightly. It was as if he wasughing at Catherine¡¯s words that she was tired of barbecue. Catherine, who had just finished eating, was toozy to move even one finger. She leaned against the window with azy look on her face. Branden took her hand and put it in his hand to y. Her skin was smooth and tender, especially her palm. It was softer and more tender than a baby. Seeing that she was in a good mood, Branden opened his mouth slowly and asked, ¡°I heard that something happened to Korbin.¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Catherine responded weakly. She did not sound like she was resisting or evading to talk about this topic. The man then asked, ¡°Do you need help?¡± ¡°No!¡± Catherine responded exceptionally quickly. Her attitude showed that she did not care about the Swann family. Branden understood and did not say anything more. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re the boss!¡± He would let her do whatever she wanted. As for the opinions of the bystanders, what did it have to do with them? Liana came out from inside the hospital room. The annoying atmosphere inside the hospital room built up so much pressure that she could hardly breathe. The ticking sounds were like the calling of death, making it impossible for her to stay in the hospital room for a moment. Rachael asked Liana to stay there to look after Korbin before going back to the Langs. Liana could not stand it and took out her phone to call her mother. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m still in a hurry to get back to choose a school. You need toe here quickly!¡± Rachael was also quite a bit annoyed when she answered the phone. She did not really want to go to the hospital and was on the verge of suffocating right now. She could not think of a solution. If she went to the hospital to face her unconscious husband on the hospital bed, she would be even more anxious. ¡°Liana, hold on a little longer. Your grandpa is feeling a bit unwell. I¡¯ll go to the hospital after taking care of your grandpa!¡± After saying that, Rachael hung up the phone. Hearing the beep sound of the phone being hung up, Liana was so angry that she smashed the phone. She knew better than anyone what her mother meant. She thought to herself, ¡°You clearly didn¡¯t want toe. You¡¯re leaving all the troubles to me and using my grandpa feeling unwell as an excuse. ¡°If grandpa is feeling unwell, he has grandma, uncle, and the others to take care of him. How can it be your turn to take care of him?¡± Liana stood outside the hospital room. She looked through the ss window at her father lying on the hospital bed. A touch of ruthlessness shed in her eyes. She only hoped that her father would always sleep like this and never wake up again. Chapter 518 Chapter 518 One Million Dors Rachael was furious the moment the demand note of her husband¡¯s medical bill was thrown in her face. She did not expect that there would be a day in her lifetime when she was called for debt. Originally, she had nned to hire two full-time caregivers to watch over her husband 24 hours a day. This way, both she and her daughter could rest without being bothered. However, she never expected to receive a demand note from the nurse after she arrived at the hospital. Staring at the amount owed, Rachael¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Are you guys mistaken? How could we possibly be in arrears?¡± The nurse was with a cold face and a somewhat aloof attitude. She said to Rachael, ¡°The demand note is clearly stated. Your pre-paid fees were used up yesterday. Please pay the fees as soon as possible so as not to dy the treatment!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. After saying that, the nurse left the ward without looking back. Rachael rubbed the demand note in her hand into a ball angrily and cursed in a low voice, ¡°Damn it. Don¡¯t these bastards know who we are? I¡¯m calling the director and telling him to fire this stupid nurse!¡± Liana sat by the side, frowning. She looked gloomy. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t waste your energy. It¡¯s useless!¡± Rachael froze at once. She looked at her daughter with a puzzled expression. ¡± What do you mean by that? What do you mean it¡¯s useless?¡± Helpless, Liana could only tell the truth. ¡°If calling the director was useful, I would have done it long ago. The hospital informed us that from now on, all the bills we spend here will not go through the Swann Corporation¡¯s fund. From the moment Korbin was kicked out of the Swanns¡¯ board of directors, they no longer enjoyed all the privileges of the Swanns. Liana¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. ¡± Mommy, this is all because of that disaster Catherine. She wants to drive us to a dead end!¡± Rachael finally realized. It turned out that Catherine was behind all of this. ¡°No, I have toe to her!¡± Liana was a bit impatient with the fact that her mother had not yet realized the current situation. If it were helpful toe to Catherine, they would not have fallen to the point where they were at the moment. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s the point ofing to Catherine? If youe to Catherine, you might as welle to Audrey. The previous medical bills were all pre-paid by Audrey. If we don¡¯t pay the medical bills, Dad might be kicked out of the hospital!¡± Upon hearing her daughter¡¯s suggestion, Rachael¡¯s face was very gloomy. She did not expect that she would fall into such a situation one day. No matter what, she could not let her husband lose his treatment. She was still waiting for her husband to wake up and make aeback! On the set, Audrey just got out of the car and noticed that the phone on the side was ringing. Kim moved faster than she did. He picked up the phone and threw it into the drawer, then immediately closed the drawer. This made Audrey look confused! There should not be many people who know Audrey¡¯s private phone number. So, this could not be some harassing call from an obsessive fan. ¡°Kim, what¡¯s going on with you? Who¡¯s calling? You¡¯re so excited.¡± Audrey pulled open the drawer, ready to take her cell phone. Kim had a peculiar expression on his face. His facial expressions were distorted. He said sarcastically, ¡°Who else could it be? It¡¯s that high and mighty Mrs. Swann! ¡°This is already the third time she¡¯s called!¡± Kim was very happy to know that Catherine had taken over the power of the Swanns. He had met a lot of famous nobledies, but he had not seen many nobledies as rude as Rachael. He guaranteed that if this call were not answered, Rachael would definitely call a fourth, fifth, or even more times until Audrey got through. Hearing Kim¡¯s mockery, Audrey looked a little sad. After taking a deep breath, she said something that seemed to be saying to Kim and more like tofort herself. ¡°My Dad is sick right now. Maybe there¡¯s something wrong going on at the hospital. I¡¯d better pick it up!¡± Watching Audrey pick up the phone, Kim could not help butin in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re not a doctor. What¡¯s the point of them calling you?¡± The moment the phone call was connected, Rachael¡¯s harsh curse came from the receiver. ¡°Damn girl, I¡¯ve called you so many times. You don¡¯t even know how to answer them? Are you dead?¡± Rachael¡¯s voice was loud. Even if Audrey did not turn on hands-free, Kim could still hear it very clearly. If it were not for Audrey being Audrey¡¯s mother, Kim would have started cursing her long ago. Kim chided in his mind, ¡°She deserves to be a nobledy? She¡¯s so vulgar and worse than a shrew!¡± Audrey was also helpless. She could only try to keep her tone calm and not escte the conflict any further. ¡°Mom, I just finished my filming. How am I supposed to answer your call when I was hanging on a wire?¡± Hearing Audrey¡¯s exnation, there was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. Audrey then took the initiative to break the awkwardness. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Rachael became much more straightforward. She opened her mouth to state her purpose without hesitation. ¡°Hurry up and transfer me one million dors!¡± This statement surprised Audrey a bit. ¡°Mom, why do you suddenly need so much money?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just one million dors?¡± Rachael¡¯s tone was very dismissive. Her attitude made it seem like she was asking for one hundred dors instead of one million dors. ¡°Just transfer it to me. Cut the crap!¡± Kim was desperately trying to stop Audrey. Luckily, Audrey had notpletely lost her reason. ¡°Mom, you tell me what you want all this money for all of a sudden first.¡± Although Rachael was unwilling to exin, she still exined to Audrey for the sake of money. ¡°The money is definitely to pay for your father¡¯s medical expenses. Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Hurry up and transfer the money to me!¡± After saying that, Rachael hung up the phone unceremoniously. She did not even want to say a word more to Audrey. Only after the call ended did Kim dare toe forward to Audrey andin. ¡°Audrey, you don¡¯t want to give her one million dors, do you? You already did a lot for them these days, but they are not grateful at all. They¡¯re asking for one million dors from you as if they¡¯re asking for one hundred dors. Who can make money so fast?¡± It was one million dors, not one hundred dors. Seeing Audrey¡¯s brows furrowed and her struggling, Kim hastened to dissuade her at the side. ¡°Audrey, you have to think clearly. You think I don¡¯t know how much money you have? Besides, why should you carry all the pressure alone? Don¡¯t your Mom and Liana have money?¡± Audrey had told Kim most of what was going on. Therefore, Kim knew Rachael and Liana had much more money than Audrey. They did not want to use their money to pay the medical bill, so they nned to take money from Audrey. They were so disgusting. When they had money, they were condescending in front of Audrey and mocked her. Now that they did not have that much money, they treated Audrey as an ATM. They asked for one million dors from Audrey without feeling ashamed. Kim¡¯s persuasion made Audrey¡¯s mind sober. She thought to herself, ¡°My Mom has more money than I do, but she just doesn¡¯t want to use it to pay Dad¡¯s medical bills. ¡°I can¡¯t go on like this.¡± After that, Audrey handed her cell phone to Kim. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this matter to you!¡± Kim breathed a faint sigh of relief. He finally convinced Audrey. He then reported to Catherine about the matter secretly. Chapter 519 Chapter 519 The Physical Training When Catherine received a message from Kim, she couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Her sister was actually making progress. Branden happened to witness this scene when he came out. Seeing her rare smile, he asked, ¡± What¡¯s making you so happy?¡± Catherine raised her phone and waved it at him. ¡°Rachael tried to borrow money from Audrey and got rejected.¡± Understanding her meaning, Branden smirked. ¡°Under your guidance, she is showing good judgment.¡± Catherine gave him a disdainful nce. Afterward, she called the hospital. Korbin could use any medication he needed. However, he must pay for the non- essential expenses. It wasn¡¯t that Catherine ced great importance on this matter. She considered it helping Audrey. Once Catherine was done, Branden sat beside her and reached out to lift her up. ¡°I heard you¡¯re starting college early this year. Shall I take you to Loxton next month?¡± The meteorological department announced that this year¡¯s peak temperatures would arrive earlier than in previous years. To ensure that the college students couldplete their pre-school training smoothly, universities in Loxton had announced an early start to the academic year. Styre University was no exception, which meant the academic year would begin half a month earlier than nned. It was Catherine¡¯s first time attending college, and Branden intended to escort her personally. Catherine didn¡¯t mind it. She casually replied, ¡°You arrange it.¡± Branden asked only to show respect for her, and he would make the arrangements regardless. Styre University had organized a unique physical training week for the iing freshmen. Thinking of the hot summer days and physical training on the field, Branden couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°What if we cancel this physical training?¡± For him, it wouldn¡¯t be a difficult task. Hearing his words, Catherine almost choked. ¡°Are you worried about my physical training?¡± If Branden hadn¡¯t been to Scorpion Ind and hadn¡¯t known she was Anon, Catherine would understand his worries. From Catherine¡¯s disdainful look, Branden understood her meaning. ¡°On Scorpion Ind, you¡¯re the instructor. It¡¯s not the same as being trained during military exercises.¡± Though he said that, he thought the instructors probably wouldn¡¯t have the ability to train Catherine. ¡°No need to cancel it.¡± In Catherine¡¯s view, there was no need to trouble a whole group of people for the sake of one person. Chapter 520 Catherine’s Choice Chapter 520 Catherine¡¯s Choice Rachael couldn¡¯t get any money from Audrey, and Audrey¡¯s phone was always busy. Rachael had to go to Liana to ask her to figure out a way to get the money. ¡°Liana, don¡¯t you still have the fund your grandpa left you? Take some out!¡± Rachael urged. Liana¡¯s face immediately darkened after she heard this. She didn¡¯t have much in her savings, and she needed that money for her future tuition and living expenses. How could she take it out when she couldn¡¯t even cover her own needs? However, Rachael could casually buy a handbag worth the price of a whole house. Liana wondered why Rachael didn¡¯t use that to help her father. Since Audrey didn¡¯t want to pay the money, Liana decided to take some extreme measures. ¡°Mom, Audrey wants to be a star, right? Since she¡¯s not willing to pay, we can expose her for not supporting her parents and see how she fares in the industry!¡± Rachael looked at her daughter in astonishment. She never expected Liana to have such a thought. ¡°Liana, you can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Liana didn¡¯t believe her mother would suddenly care about mother-daughter bonds at a time like this. Rachael had always said that Liana was the most like her. Liana admitted that, in some aspects, her way of handling things was indeed simr to Rachael¡¯s. So she didn¡¯t need Rachael to say it. She was confident that her mother wouldn¡¯t sympathize with Audrey. A hint of embarrassment shed across Rachael¡¯s face as she looked at Liana with a gloomy face. ¡°Have you thought about the consequences of exposing this? This industry is very cutthroat. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Once this matter made headlines, everyone would know that Rachael, the former morous socialite, couldn¡¯t even afford her husband¡¯s medical bills. How much ridicule would she face? She¡¯d rather die than live like that. Liana suddenly understood her mother¡¯s meaning, and she didn¡¯t want this either. But if she didn¡¯t pay this money, and her mother didn¡¯t either, what would happen to her father lying in the hospital bed? Rachael also noticed Liana¡¯s thoughts and knew that Liana didn¡¯t want to provide the money. Rachael sighed in resignation and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry that much. I don¡¯t believe that Catherine would let your dad get kicked out of the hospital.¡± It sounded like she was speaking to Liana, but it was more like consoling herself. After all, she had never gained anything from Catherine. Liana also thought it made sense. As far as she was concerned, her father remaining unconscious was the best oue. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re right. That jinx won¡¯t let Dad die. We should just let it be.¡± The mother and daughter consoled each other, and in the end, neither of them had any intention of using their money to save Korbin. A week passed, and Catherine received a call from the hospital. ¡°Miss Swann, your father¡¯s medical bills remain unpaid. Should we continue the treatment?¡± Catherine chuckled. She had anticipated the response from Rachael and Liana. Rachael was capable of abandoning her child for personal gain, so her actions didn¡¯t surprise Catherine. As for Liana, her personality mirrored Rachael¡¯s. Both of them were willing to do anything for their benefit. In Catherine¡¯s view, it was no surprise that Liana acted this way. Unfortunately, Korbin probably never imagined his beloved wife and daughter would treat him like this. ¡°Continue,¡± Catherine ordered coldly before hanging up the phone. If Vicente were still alive, he wouldn¡¯t want to see his son in this situation. After ending the call, Catherine dialed Thomas¡¯s number. The doctors in Casier had run out of options, and if they wanted Korbin to wake up, they had to rely on Thomas. Thomas had been with Scott these days. When Catherine called, Scott was right by his side. Upon hearing Catherine on the line, Scott excitedly grabbed the phone. ¡°Chief, it¡¯s me!¡± Scott eximed. ¡°I know.¡± Catherine had a low, attractive voice. Scott became even more excited upon hearing her words. He continued, ¡°Chief, you¡¯re amazing! ¡°Chief, I heard you¡¯re going to study at Styre University. Is that true?¡± Scott was particrly surprised to hear this news. With Catherine¡¯s abilities, bing a professor at Styre University seemed like a waste. Scott didn¡¯t expect Catherine would choose Styre University. He wondered who in Styre University could even teach Catherine. It would be a source of amusement. But when Scott ryed these thoughts to Thomas, Thomas exined the reason to him. Catherine achieved what most people couldn¡¯t in a lifetime at such a young age. She was a genius. However, geniuses were destined to be lonely. To live a life more like an ordinary person, she had to experience the ordinary person¡¯s journey. Catherine¡¯s choice was the right one. She was merely experiencing a different way of life. After hearing his grandfather¡¯s exnation, Scott seemed to understand it to some extent. Catherine was aware of Scott¡¯s good rtionship with Ronin, and she suspected that he had learned about her ns to attend Styre University from Ronin. ¡°Yes,¡± Catherine replied. She confirmed the fact that she was going to study at Styre University. Scott immediately became excited and said, ¡°Chief, I want to go too. ¡°Chief, I¡¯m so happy to be able to see you more often!¡± Given Scott¡¯s status in the country, getting into Styre University was not a difficult thing for him. Catherine noticed his excitement, but she didn¡¯t say much in response. Thomas was worried that Scott might be bothering Catherine, so he quickly took the phone and hung up. At the Arbotte Laboratory, after Scott saw his grandfather finish the call, he looked a bit displeased. ¡°Grandpa, why didn¡¯t you let me talk to the chief for a bit longer?¡± Thomas knew that his grandson deeply admired Catherine and considered Catherine his idol. Scott held more respect for Catherine than he did for Thomas. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°If you keep pestering her, she might find you annoying. She likes peace, and if you make too much noise, she won¡¯t be pleased.¡± After Scott heard Thomas¡¯s warning, he frowned with a gloomy face. ¡°Grandpa, does that mean I can¡¯t talk to the chief anymore? What if she gets tired of me?¡± Thomas had known Catherine for a long time and understood her personality better. So, what he said was quite possible. Scott didn¡¯t know how to handle this. Seeing his grandson¡¯s troubled expression, Thomas was worried. So, he changed his tone tofort Scott. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. As long as you don¡¯t talk too much, for the sake of humoring me, Catherine won¡¯t ignore you.¡± After Scott heard his grandfather¡¯s words, his brow furrowed even more. This left Thomas somewhat puzzled. ¡± What¡¯s with that expression, Scott?¡± Scott responded with a disdainful look, ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯d better not think about these unrealistic things in the future. It¡¯s so disgusting!¡± After saying that, he turned and left. Thomas was outraged. He angrily shouted at Scott¡¯s retreating figure. He cried out. ¡°You ungrateful child of the Theos!¡± Chapter 521 The Same Flight Chapter 521 The Same Flight In the blink of an eye, it was the first day of school. Audrey had taken a leave from her acting job early in the morning and had Kim arrange the schedule for her. She nned to apany Catherine to Styre University in Loxton. Ever since she knew that Catherine had been epted to Styre University, Audrey couldn¡¯t stop smiling. On the way, she kept talking to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, among our generation, you¡¯re the smartest and the most talented in academics. If Grandpa knew you got into Styre University, he¡¯d be so thrilled!¡± Catherine sat calmly and didn¡¯t say a word. She thought inwardly, ¡°Will Grandpa be happy just because I get into Styre University?¡± When she was seven and got into college, her grandfather had only given her a gift and didn¡¯t seem overly excited. Instead, he boasted about the Swanns¡¯ superior genes and imed it was expected. Back then, the young Catherine was full of defiance. She enjoyed challenging Vicente. So, she immediately fired back. She asked Vicente how the Swanns¡¯ genes produced someone like Korbin. Vicente was furious and shouted, ¡°He had a gic mutation. He can¡¯t represent the Swanns¡¯ level!¡± Reflecting on those days, Catherine smiled slightly. After a while, Audrey didn¡¯t hear a response. She turned her head to look at Catherine. When she saw the rare smile on Catherine¡¯s face, Audrey was taken aback. In the entertainment industry, Audrey was known for her stunning looks. However, when she noticed Catherine¡¯s radiant smile just now, Audrey realized what true beauty meant. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re so beautiful. When you smiled just now, my heart almost melted!¡± Audrey wasn¡¯t joking, and even Kim, who was beside them, was in awe when he saw Catherine. Beauty was not just skin deep. The entertainment industry was filled with beautiful women. Many of them were beautiful either by birth or through effort. However, many people¡¯s beauty was only skin deep. Natural beauties like Catherine were truly a rare find. If Catherine were willing to enter the entertainment industry, she wouldn¡¯t need to make much effort. With her face alone, she could easily be a hot star and a leading influencer. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Sensing the intense gazes from the two of them, Catherine nced down and then said softly, ¡°I¡¯m not entering the entertainment industry. I won¡¯t rely on my looks to make a living.¡± Audrey pursed her lips and yfully fell into Kim¡¯s arms. ¡°Kim, I feel deeply wounded. Some people are just born to be pampered by fate.¡± Kim pushed her away and looked at her with disdain. ¡°Come on. Be content with what you have!¡± Not only was Audrey born into a wealthy family and exceptionally beautiful, but most importantly, she had a powerful sister like Catherine. During their banter, Catherine¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Seeing her answer it and put it to her ear, Audrey and Kim stopped teasing each other and fell silent. The caller was Branden. After Catherine answered the call, his deep, attractive voice came through. It was distinctively tender. ¡°Are you on your way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the car.¡± Catherine gave a brief response. Originally, Branden had offered to drive her, but Audrey had already taken leave, so she declined his offer. She thought he had something important to say when he called, but he just warned her to be careful on the road before hanging up. After Catherine hung up the phone, Audrey finally dared to speak. She asked, ¡°It was Mr. Duncan, right?¡± Catherine nodded slightly and didn¡¯t say much. However, Audrey wore a worried expression on her face. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re going to study in Loxton, and the Duncans are based in Casier. It¡¯ll be a long-distance rtionship. What are you going to do?¡± Catherine found it strange that everyone seemed so concerned about this issue. She thought inwardly, ¡°Do couples have to be glued to each other to be considered together? ¡°If something doesn¡¯t feel right, what good will chaining them together do?¡± Catherine hadn¡¯t wanted to answer such a trivial question, but when she saw Audrey¡¯s worried expression, she responded. She said, ¡°He will shift his work focus to Loxtonter.¡± Audrey paused for a moment and then finally understood. ¡°Kathy, are you saying Mr. Duncan will spend most of his time working in Loxton from now on?¡± As the car came to a stop, Catherine didn¡¯t bother to reply to Audrey. She pushed open the car door, got out, and headed toward the airport. Audrey turned to Kim and asked, ¡°Did you understand?¡± Kim couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at her. ¡°Are you really sisters, born from the same mother? How can you be so different?¡± With that, Kim left with a disdainful look on his face. Audrey hurriedly followed him. As she questioned Kim, she lowered her voice to avoid attracting attention. ¡°What did you say? You need to exin that to me!¡± Due to Audrey¡¯s status, they used a special boarding channel and sat in the VIP first-ss cabin. They didn¡¯t have to wait long for the boarding process, and they smoothly took their seats on the ne. After boarding, Audrey looked at Catherine with a polite expression. ¡°Kathy, it seems someone has purchased the seat next to you. But don¡¯t worry. Once the other passenger boards, I¡¯ll ask to switch seats. I believe it should be possible.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t mind whether or not she sat next to Audrey. As long as her seatmate wasn¡¯t too noisy, she had no concerns. Seeing Audrey¡¯s insistence, Catherine gave a perfunctory nod. As soon as Audrey left, Catherine leaned back, lowered her hat brim, and prepared to rest. A few minutester, she heard the sound of a heavy object settling in the neighboring seat. Catherine knew the passenger in the adjacent seat had arrived. She furrowed her brow and continued to rest. The ne began to taxi slowly, and the flight attendant in the first-ss cabin initiated the service. ¡°Sir, would you like a nket?¡± ¡°She would like one.¡± The familiar voice made Catherine instantly open her eyes. She turned her head and found that the man beside her was Branden. Now Catherine finally understood why he had been so quick to hang up the phone earlier. It turned out he had already prepared for the journey. This exined why Audrey had said there was no avable ticket. It was because Branden had purchased it in advance. As the flight attendant observed the way Branden was looking at Catherine, she immediately abandoned her previous thoughts. She had initially thought Branden, sitting in the first-ss, with his striking looks and powerful presence, was a rare find. She had even considered making a move if the opportunity arose. However, she could tell from how he looked at Catherine that she would never have a chance with him. Branden epted a nket from the flight attendant and covered Catherine with it. ¡°Continue resting. I¡¯ll wake you up when we arrive.¡± Originally, he had arranged a private jet to take Catherine to Loxton, but Audrey hade along the way. He had no choice but to change his n. He chose to take the same flight as Catherine to apany her. Seeing that the cabin crew¡¯s preparations were almostplete, Audrey decided to get up and ask for a seat change. However, she was promptly pulled back by Kim. Audrey looked at him in confusion. She was taught a lesson by Kim, who yfully poked her forehead. ¡°Can¡¯t you pay a tad more attention and look at the person across from you? Audrey finally nced over and realized why Kim had prevented her from moving. It turned out that Branden had arrived, and it was no wonder that Kim stopped her. Chapter 522 The Chair Chapter 522 The Chair It wasn¡¯t until the moment they got off the ne that Audrey dared to approach. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯ve booked a hotel. Shall we go together?¡± Catherine was starting school tomorrow. Audrey knew Catherine didn¡¯t like waking up early, so she had considerate. Catherine nced at the man beside her and thought he might also have ns. Sure enough, when Catherine looked over, Branden revealed his ns. ¡°Let¡¯s stay at my ce!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t object. For her, it didn¡¯t matter where she stayed. The main thing was to consider Audrey¡¯s preferences. ¡°Stay at your ce?¡± Audrey looked at Branden with surprise. ¡°Mr. Duncan, have you bought a house in Loxton?¡± Kim, who was standing nearby, wished he could dig a hole and bury the somewhat clueless Audrey. Branden was the heir of the Duncans and the Duncan Corporation. If he didn¡¯t have a house in Loxton, it would be unusual. ¡°Yes,¡± Branden replied curtly out of politeness. Audrey thought for a moment. Staying in a hotel was only temporary, and if Branden had a ce in Loxton, Catherine might stay there in the future. It made sense to check it out now. ¡°Staying at a home isfortable, and hotelsck privacy.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t think as much as Audrey did. She was fine with staying anywhere. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She casually said, and the others followed her as they left the airport. Paxton had arranged for a vehicle in advance, so they got in the car directly. Audrey initially thought Branden¡¯s house would be in one of the top affluent areas of Loxton, but she was surprised to find it was right next to Styre University. Although this area was all residential, the price per square foot was rtively high. But considering Branden¡¯s status, it seemed somewhat inadequate. Catherine also noticed the location of the house and raised an eyebrow. She looked at Branden and asked, ¡°Did you just buy this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s convenient.¡± Branden nodded in agreement. The reason he chose this location for the house was mainly because of Catherine. Styre University had a rule that required all students to live on campus until their third year. Considering that, to make it easier to meet Catherine, Branden chose a location right next to Styre University. Inside the house, Catherine noticed that the decorations and furnishings were almost identical to the apartment in Casier. It gave her the impression that Branden had simply moved his apartment to N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Loxton. This saved her the trouble of adapting to a new ce. She didn¡¯t like new things. Keeping things as they were like this suited her best. Seeing the satisfaction in Catherine¡¯s eyes, Branden slightly smiled. Audrey also noticed Branden¡¯s consideration for Catherine. She finally put her mind at ease. Even though Catherine was exceptional, she met a big shot like Branden. It made Audrey somewhat uneasy. However, judging by Branden¡¯s treatment of her sister, Audrey¡¯s worries seemed unnecessary. After settling in, Audrey originally suggested going out for dinner. However, that n fell through as the house was already stocked with food, and Branden had personally prepared a few dishes that Catherine loved. Kim watched Catherine¡¯s disappointed expression and tried to hold back a smile as he teasingly said, ¡°I suggest you take it easy and give up on your ambitions. Mr. Duncan has already prepared everything perfectly.¡± Although Audrey wasn¡¯t happy about it, she knew Kim was speaking the truth. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll just y dead,¡± she said. Then she imitated Catherine and flopped her entire body onto the sofa chair. The plush chair made her exim in surprise. ¡°Kathy, no wonder you like lying down and ying on your phone like this. It¡¯s sofortable. This sofa chair is perfect!¡± Catherine gave her a faint look. Then she lowered her head and continued to focus on her game. Audrey tried the chair and then asked Paxton, ¡°You just bought this chair, right? How much does it cost? I want to get one too.¡± Paxton, who was Branden¡¯s personal assistant, had prepared all these purchases. After hearing Audrey¡¯s inquiry, he answered politely. ¡°Miss Swann, if you need one, I can arrange for it to be delivered to your door. Just let me know when, and I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Audrey was the sister of Branden¡¯s future wife. Paxton couldn¡¯t afford to be neglectful. Audrey declined his offer and said, ¡± Never mind. Just tell me how to buy it.¡± She knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch. ¡°Oh. I forgot to ask you. How much does this chair cost?¡± Paxton, seeing her insistence and unable to refuse her, responded honestly. ¡°Miss Swann, this chair was custom- made in Itasca, and its current market value is approximately one million dors in Eskanese currency.¡± ¡°What?¡± Audrey was stunned and fell from the chair. She looked at Paxton in amazement. ¡°One million dors for this chair?¡± Paxton nodded. He had only mentioned the market price of the chair. He didn¡¯t mention to Audrey that to purchase this chair, one must spend a certain amount at the brand¡¯s boutique, which was under the top furniture designer¡¯sbel, to be eligible to buy these personally designed pieces of furniture. In reality, the chair was much more expensive than its listed price. Audrey swallowed hard and mumbled. ¡± Never mind. I don¡¯t deserve this chair.¡± Catherine, who had been ying a game, overheard the conversation. Catherine looked at the man who was preparing food in the kitchen. He was handling everything with great care and elegance. Perhaps Branden sensed Catherine¡¯s gaze. He looked up at her when she nced over. Their eyes met, and Branden raised an eyebrow. He silently asked the purpose of Catherine¡¯s sudden gaze. Catherine¡¯s lips curled slightly, and her beautiful eyes narrowed as she stared at Branden. She pointed at him and then pointed at the sofa she was sitting on with her fair finger. ¡°Give me cash next time!¡± Since theunch of the Arbotte Laboratory¡¯s new project, her money had been spent faster than it could be earned. Catherine was broke. While the sofa was nice, one million dors in cash was even better. Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Branden smiled. ¡°Already spent it all so quickly?¡± Catherine knew Branden was referring to the profits she had made in Ravenloth. She had earned a substantial sum in Ravenloth and even obtained a gold mine. The funds had been transferred directly to the Arbotte Laboratory, and it had all been spent within a week. As for the gold mine, it took time to extract and convert it into money. Altogether, Catherine was currently in dire straits. Bringing up money, Catherine recalled a previous incident. She stared at Branden with her cold eyes. Her voice was cold and low, with a hint of an enticing tone. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you have quite a bit of private wealth.¡± Chapter 523 Her Brother Chapter 523 Her Brother After yesterday¡¯s interrogation, Catherine received a substantial sum from Branden. She called it hush money. The next day, Catherine felt significantly better both physically and mentally. Audrey was now a rising star in the entertainment industry. She had arge following of fans. If she apanied Catherine to school today, it would surely attract attention, potentially leading to unwanted trouble. Considering her unique status, Audrey decided to have Branden apany Catherine for the enrollment at Styre University. Styre University admitted only a limited number of students each year, unlike other schools. Usually, it wouldn¡¯t exceed 200 students, which was even fewer than the students in a typical department at a regr university. That was why getting into Styre University was such a prestigious achievement, as rare things were often considered valuable. Thousands of students took the entrance exams yearly, but only a handful could make it to Styre University. Although their admission was limited, Styre University still held a lively enrollment ceremony. As the car reached the university¡¯s entrance, Branden got out, and Paxton followed. Then Paxton helped Catherine with her luggage. Unlike other students carrying many bags, Catherine had only one suitcase. Paxton stood straight on the side, waiting for Branden to enter the university. Unexpectedly, Branden reached out his hand toward Paxton. Paxton was momentarily taken aback until he saw a glint in Branden¡¯s eyes. He was scared and nearly dropped the luggage. At the next moment, he quickly and respectfully handed Branden the luggage. With one hand holding the luggage and the other hand holding Catherine¡¯s hand hanging by her side, Branden said gently to Catherine beside him, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll apany you inside.¡± The constant buzzing of his phone forced Branden to stop and take it out. In the WhatsApp group, Aidan was being yful. He mentioned everyone, urging them to join the chat. With his handle ¡°The Charming and Dashing Mr. Lane,¡± Aidan mentioned everyone and texted, [My dear friends, I rarely wake up early in the morning. Let¡¯s have a gathering!] Triston replied, [Aidan, are you going crazy early in the morning? Is this ever going to end?] The group of people chatted enthusiastically, but someone suddenly texted, [Where¡¯s Mr. Duncan? It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen him.] After Branden saw the message, he opened the camera function, took a photo, and sent it to the group. People in the group were initially puzzled. After Aidan opened the photo, he couldn¡¯t resist He texted, [Who¡¯s this? What lousy photography skills! Carrying a suitcase and a girl, what¡¯s the big deal? Although that girl¡¯s hand looks nice!] Just as he sent this, Branden, who sent the photo, followed up with a text message. [I¡¯m apanying my girlfriend for her first day at college!] The group of people was stunned. Triston was the first to react. He didn¡¯t expect that Branden, who rarely chatted in the group, suddenly made an appearance and was openly disying affection. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Under the mentions from the others, Aidan also realized the situation. He realized that he had actually mocked Branden just now. Looking at Branden¡¯s photo and the tone of his message, it hit him. He thought Branden was really mischievous. Aidan texted, [Okay. I¡¯ll skip breakfast this early morning. This disy of affection is too much for me to handle. I¡¯m leaving the group to digest!] After he sent this, there were plenty of responses. All of them wished him well. Aidan actually made fun of Branden and coveted his girlfriend¡¯s hand. He was definitely asking for trouble. Aidan wasn¡¯t just leaving the group to digest. He was practically fleeing. Catherine initially thought Branden was handling some work when he took out his phone, but his amused expression puzzled her. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Branden put away his phone. His tone was tender, and his eyes twinkled as he said, ¡°Nothing. I just watch Aidan act silly.¡± The brief episode of Branden showing affection soon passed. The two of them strolled over to the enrollment area of the electronic information engineering department. The senior students had been waiting for quite some time, and finally, a new female student arrived, or rather, a beauty. Even though Catherine had her face mostly hidden beneath a cap, the small visible part revealed her exceptional appearance. A few students couldn¡¯t help but stand up. They smiled brightly as they warmly approached Catherine. ¡°Are you a freshman in the electronic information engineering department?¡± Catherine remained calm as she reached into her pocket and handed her eptance letter to one of them. Seeing Catherine¡¯s somewhat aloof attitude, the senior students didn¡¯t take offense. They understood that new students tend to be shy and reserved. After all, they had gone through the same experience themselves. However, after Catherine handed over her eptance letter, they confirmed that she was indeed a new student in the electronic information engineering department. These senior students started cheering internally. After they waited for years, the electronic information engineering department at Styre University finally weed one of the few female students, and she happened to be so beautiful. Several male students eagerly stepped forward. One of them said, ¡°Come on, girl. We¡¯re the senior students in the same department as you. Today, we¡¯ll help you get acquainted with the campus.¡± Another one asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your luggage? Leave it to us. We¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need,¡± Catherine replied and took a step back. Branden stood behind her for a while. He had been somewhat ignored in the crowd for the first time. At this moment, he finally gained some attention. The senior students noticed Branden. As they saw his face, they were shocked by his good looks. They thought Branden brought pride to their male students. He was incredibly handsome. His aura was simply astonishing and left everyone in awe. One of the senior students enthusiastically stepped forward and politely asked Branden, ¡°You¡¯re her brother, right? Let me take the luggage. We¡¯ll help!¡± Branden thought inwardly, ¡°Brother?¡± Branden¡¯s face immediately darkened, and his intimidating aura left the speaking senior student stunned. Catherine, who was standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. She initially thought Branden would exin or even lose his temper to deal with the tactless senior student in front of them. However, his reaction turned out to be quite different from what she had imagined. With a stern expression and a low voice, Branden directly refused the offer. ¡°No need.¡± Hearing his response, the senior student finally snapped out of it. He chuckled awkwardly and tried to defuse the situation. ¡°You two are rather quiet, huh?¡± These senior students led the group to the dormitory building. Before they went upstairs, Branden swiftly snatched the key from the senior student¡¯s hand and dangled it on his finger. He stared at the student with a cold expression. ¡°We¡¯ll go up by ourselves.¡± The look in Branden¡¯s eyes terrified the senior student. The senior student had fought hard for the chance to take care of Catherine. However, he didn¡¯t expect that Catherine had a powerful brother. He realized that he might not even have a chance to show himself. He could only stand in ce and watch the freshman and her protective big brother leave. Once they were upstairs, Catherine slowly turned to look at the man behind her. With a yful smile in her eyes, she lowered her voice and called out, ¡°Brother!¡± Branden was just stepping onto the stairs when he suddenly heard this, and his eyes instantly lit up. He looked at Catherine with a passionate gaze, tightened his grip on her hand, and swiftly pulled her into his embrace. Resting his chin on Catherine¡¯s head, he whispered in a husky, low voice, ¡± Next time, save that for the bed!¡± Chapter 524 The Roommates Chapter 524 The Roommates The dormitories at this school were standard four-person dorm rooms. Branden apanied Catherine and found her room. After Catherine knocked on the door, she pushed the door open. She arrived not too early, as the other three roommates were already in the dorm. The sound of the door opening startled the girls inside the room. They all turned their heads and saw a girl with an air of nobility standing at the doorway. The lowered brim of her hat concealed her face. As the earliest arrival among the roommates, Isabe Whitmore was the first to inquire. ¡°Hey, are you our roommate for room 403?¡± Catherine removed her hat, looked calmly at everyone, and let out a muffled sound. ¡°Yeah.¡± When Isabe got a good look at Catherine¡¯s face, she was instantly shocked, and her eyes widened. ¡°Wow. How can there be such a beautiful girl? You are so beautiful! We have some stunners in room 403. First, we have the new campus beauty, Beatrice, and now we have another gorgeous beauty.¡± The remaining roommates were also taken aback by Catherine¡¯s beauty. God just favored some people. They all had a nose and two eyes, but some looked exceptionally good. Facing Isabe¡¯s exaggeration, Catherine stood expressionless, mainly because she had heard these kinds ofments too many times and didn¡¯t find them particrly noteworthy. She usually just ignored them. However, this led to an awkward atmosphere in the dorm room. To ease the tension, Isabe quickly introduced Catherine. ¡°Catherine, this is Beatrice Facer. She¡¯s beautiful too, isn¡¯t she? Let me tell you. Beatrice is the rising star among our new freshmen. I heard she defeated the former campus beauty before she even started school and became the new campus beauty!¡± Catherine nced at Beatrice. Beatrice was decent among the crowd, but she couldn¡¯tpare to Audrey or Liana. Her appearance could be considered, at best, slightly above average. While Catherine observed Beatrice, Beatrice also looked at her. Beatrice seemed to dislike Catherine. She thought Catherine was just a bitch. As Beatrice saw Catherine remain silent, her inner anger red up. She looked at Catherine and asked with a snide tone, ¡°Miss Swann, your nose and eyes look nice. Did you get them done in Janikon or Kor?¡± As Beatrice made thisment, the atmosphere in the dorm room instantly became tense. While Beatrice didn¡¯t outright say it, it was clear she was sarcastically implying that Catherine had gotten stic surgery on her face. Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at Beatrice once again before letting out a faint smile. Facing Catherine¡¯s response, Beatrice grew somewhat annoyed and eximed, ¡°What are you Catherine chuckled coldly. She smiled, but her eyes had an eerie coldness. ¡°Your eloquence and performance skills are impressive. Did you fail to get into Loxton Theatre Academy because you set your sights too high?¡± Loxton Theatre Academy was a well- known, prestigious performing arts institution in the country, and many prominent figures in the entertainment industry had graduated from there. However, Loxton Theatre Academy had a strict rule not to admit students who had undergone facial stic surgery. Beatrice was instantly shocked. She had spent a fortune on her eyes, and everyone had praised them for their natural look, but Catherine had seen through it with just one nce. Her anger gnawed at her insides. As she was about to argue, she met Catherine¡¯s sharp gaze, and she silently retreated. She was afraid that Catherine might discern more and expose her falsehoods. With Beatrice now subdued, only one roommate remained besides Isabe. Unlike Beatrice¡¯s shy appearance, this student had a simple look, with oversized ck-framed sses on her face. She appeared to be a diligent and studious individual. Curiously, she looked at Catherine and asked in a soft voice, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m Amelia Ashford. Are you in the electronic information engineering department?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Catherine replied simply. In the next moment, Amelia¡¯s eyes lit up, and she looked at Catherine with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s really you! Oh, my God! I thought I was hearing things earlier!¡± Isabe was puzzled by Amelia¡¯s excitement. She reached out and patted Amelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Amelia, what¡¯s going on?¡± Amelia held Isabe¡¯s hand and eagerly looked in Catherine¡¯s direction. ¡°Be, I finally see my idol. Catherine isn¡¯t just the top schr in Casier. She even caused a dispute between the admissions officers of Styre University and the University of Penny, who fought to recruit her. I heard that our school¡¯s admissions officer even used his personal funds to offer a schrship to Isabe had heard about a particrly remarkable student before she arrived, one whom the professors had personally fought to recruit, but she hadn¡¯t expected to be roomed with that student. Now, Isabe also looked at Catherine in admiration. ¡°Catherine, you are really amazing!¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Beatrice sneered and muttered quietly, ¡°Who knows how she got those grades? Thisment infuriated Amelia. She had excelled in her studies from a young age. What she couldn¡¯t stand the most were those students with poor grades who didn¡¯t put in the effort themselves but enjoyed criticizing others. Catherine didn¡¯t need to intervene. Amelia immediately retorted, leaving Beatrice speechless. ¡°It¡¯s still better than someone who barely got into the school.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Beatrice¡¯s face turned red, and she red at Amelia in anger. In any school, aside from the top student, the most attention was often drawn to thest one. Beatrice, being a local resident of Loxton, faced significantly lower admission requirements due to the regional quota system for students from Loxton. Beatrice was the lucky one who scraped her way into Styre University by ranking deadst. What irritated her the most was when others brought up this fact, so she had actively participated in various school forums even before entering the university. She engaged in conversations with upperssmen and interacted with iing freshmen. She gradually built a reputation among the student body. It allowed everyone to forget about her academic performance. She didn¡¯t expect Amelia to bring this up publicly. It was the greatest humiliation for Beatrice. Beatrice retreated to her bed in anger. She closed the curtains and refused to engage with anyone. Amelia shrugged casually and nced at Catherine, indicating for her not to worry. Catherine politely nodded in response. The dorm room quickly returned to a state of rtive calm. Although the atmosphere remained somewhat awkward, at least there was no tension in the air. Catherine began to unpack her belongings. She didn¡¯t have much, so organizing them was a quick task. Branden would initiallye inside, but since this was a female dorm, Catherine didn¡¯t let him in. After finishing unpacking, Catherine received the key to her locker from Isabe, inquired about the curfew time, and then left the dorm room. Branden was waiting, and she couldn¡¯t keep him waiting too long. However, to her surprise, she found Branden standing in the hallway with a gloomy face. The corridor was crowded with girls holding their phones, and their eyes were filled with excitement. At that moment, the word ¡°wolfish¡± suddenly crossed Catherine¡¯s mind. Chapter 525 An Unexpected Encounter Chapter 525 An Unexpected Encounter Catherine, with her hands crossed, slowly walked toward Branden. As she passed by him, she deliberately didn¡¯t stop. She nned to tease him a bit. However, Branden didn¡¯t give her a chance. He simply grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs. At that moment, Catherine felt like she could hear the hearts shattering behind her. How miserable! As Branden dragged her downstairs, they reached a corner. Suddenly, Branden got tough and pushed Catherine into a dark corner. Without waiting for Catherine¡¯s response, he pressed up against her. His cold, thin lips met Catherine¡¯s soft ones with a hint of domination and punishment. Catherine let him have his way. She enjoyed watching Branden when he lost control asionally. It was quite entertaining. After a while, Branden reluctantly released Catherine. He rested his head on her shoulder, and his hoarse voice echoed in Catherine¡¯s ear. ¡°Dare to watch from the sidelines next time?¡± Catherine coldly chuckled, and her voice was almost inaudible. She smiled and stared at Branden with her beautiful eyes. Her fiery gaze made Branden feel overwhelmingly hot. If it weren¡¯t for the inappropriate setting, he would have seriously dealt with Catherine in front of him. After helping Catherine straighten her clothes, he pulled her out of the dark corner. ¡°How about grabbing a bite to eat?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t immediately respond to Branden. Instead, she took out her phone. She checked a message from Ronin, who had invited her to have dinner together. ¡°Ronin is here too. How about having dinner together?¡± Branden had no objections. Since Ronin was in the same school as Catherine, they decided to go together. Ronin had already scouted the location of the school¡¯s student center and chose a restaurant he thought Catherine would like. He sent the location to Catherine. It was only a five-minute walk from the dorm. Catherine and Branden decided to head to meet Ronin. Ronin had been waiting downstairs. He was delighted when he saw Catherine¡¯s figure from afar. He eagerly waved and called out, ¡± Catherine, over here!¡± Hearing his voice, Catherine immediately spotted Ronin and headed toward the restaurant. It was a New Orleans chicken wings ce near the school. It certainly couldn¡¯tpare to the restaurants that Branden had taken her to on normal days. However, for the next few years, she might be living here, and the surroundings would be her new environment, so there was no need to be too picky. Ronin was very happy to see Catherine and willingly ignored Branden by her side. He followed Catherine and eximed, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve already reserved a private room. Let¡¯s go in!¡± When Ronin arrived at the school and put his things down, he went out to make arrangements. While he couldn¡¯t be in the same ss as Catherine, being at the same school as Catherine was eptable. ¡°Alright,¡± Catherine responded before confidently striding into the room. She exuded an imposing Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. presence. Ronin and Branden followed closely. Their auras were both powerful, each one stronger than the other. The appearance of the three of them instantly attracted the attention of many in the restaurant. It was the start of the academic year, and the student center was livelier than usual. Although Catherine¡¯s appearance was partly hidden by her hat, Branden and Ronin were both handsome. They drew the eyes of many. After a while, they reached the entrance of the private room and were about to enter. Suddenly, something unexpected happened. ¡°Mr. Duncan¡­¡± A melodious voice called out from behind. The three of them instinctively stopped and turned around. Upon seeing who had called him, Branden furrowed his brows slightly and disyed a hint of displeasure on his handsome face. However, Jada was utterly unaware of this. She waspletely focused on Branden standing before her. She couldn¡¯t believe she had unexpectedly run into him here. She thought this was truly fate. Jada gazed at Branden with affection and called out with a sweet voice, ¡°Mr. Duncan, what are you doing here?¡± The sound nearly gave Ronin goosebumps all over his body. He thought inwardly, ¡°Where does this ugly persone from? Why is she here to disturb me?¡± Jada had already tainted his eyes, and now she was polluting his ears. Branden didn¡¯t even bother to greet her and turned to leave. Jada finally noticed that Branden had that annoying Catherine by his side. The thought of Catherine, who had embarrassed her within their social circle, made Jada grit her teeth in hatred. She red at Catherine with a gloomy face and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± After the previous incident, Jada tried to seek revenge on Catherine by sending people to Casier. However, although she sent people twice, there was not a word in response. Recently, the Facers faced various issues, leading to significant cutbacks in her expenses and resources. She had no choice but to give up on her revenge n. Jada didn¡¯t expect to run into Catherine here. Today, she decided to give Catherine a good lesson. Jada had a solid n and had already considered how to deal with Catherine. But sometimes, ns couldn¡¯t keep up with the ever-changing reality. Before Catherine could respond, Ronin couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. He detested people who had issues with Catherine more than anything. For Ronin, anyone targeting Catherine was essentially targeting him. He thought inwardly, ¡°This ugly person dares to show no respect to Catherine right in front of me. She is asking for trouble!¡± Ronin stared at Jada with his beautiful eyes as he unreservedly retorted, ¡°Who are you? Why are you making a noise here? We haven¡¯t even mentioned how your voice sounds worse than a toad¡¯s croak. Now, you dare to question us? What gives you the right? ¡°You¡¯re so ugly, and you dare toe out and scare people. Why don¡¯t you take a look in the mirror and see if you can scare yourself into passing out? ¡°Most importantly, it¡¯s not just about being ugly. You¡¯re ugly, and you¡¯re out here scaring people. Are you so bored that you have nothing better to do, or do you want to harm all living beings and destroy the Earth?¡± The string of insults and taunts left Jada speechless and powerless to retaliate. She could only stand in ce. She was seething with anger as her face turned red. ¡°You¡­¡± Ronin didn¡¯t allow her to speak and instantly retorted. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you even have the right to speak? Do you have manners and education? Did you waste your time in school? Who asked you to talk?¡± Jada was so furious that she nearly spat out blood on the spot. She was so angry that she even had difficulty catching her breath. Seeing her unwellplexion, Ronin, who had finally vented his anger, felt satisfied. After he turned to Catherine, he immediately changed his expression to a charming smile and looked at her affectionately. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s not bother with these trashy people. Let¡¯s go to the private room, and I¡¯ll show you what¡¯s best to eat here!¡± Catherine nced at the defeated Jada. She was relieved that she didn¡¯t have to intervene. She walked toward the private room, and Branden quickly followed, not sparing a single nce for Jada. In an instant, Jada, who had previously been the center of attention, became a pitiful figure in everyone¡¯s eyes. Jada couldn¡¯t bear this humiliation and stormed out. Every time she encountered Catherine, she never fared well. Catherine was truly her nemesis, and no matter what, she was determined to get rid of Catherine. Chapter 526 Work the Formula Out Chapter 526 Work the Form Out There was also a group of her supporters standing beside Jada. Seeing Jada being humiliated, the few supporters gathered together. ¡°Jada, who are they? Why are they so rude?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Their words are too rude. Where are their manners?¡± Jada felt much morefortable when she heard the supporters around her criticizing Catherine and the others. She pursed her lips and smiled with great grievance. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. One of them is my friend. It¡¯s just that those two new friends he made don¡¯t like me very much, and to stop me from being friends with him, they targeted me.¡± Hearing this, the surrounding people blushed with anger. ¡°How can there be such people?¡± ¡°They¡¯re so shameless!¡± ¡°Jada is such an excellent person, still from a rich and powerful family. It¡¯s an honor that Jada is willing to be friends with them. How dare they dislike her? They really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them!¡± ¡°Jada, I¡¯ve seen that boy, the one in ck.¡± This attracted Jada¡¯s attention. She fixed her gaze on the boy who spoke. ¡± You met him? Are you sure?¡± The boy thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Jada, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve met him. The boy in ck is called Ronin, a freshman in thework engineering department. My ssmate was responsible for receiving him this morning, so I have an impression!¡± It turned out that Catherine had apanied her friend to Styre University. No wonder Jada could see her here. ¡°Right, how could the idiot Catherine get into a top college like Styre University?¡± thought Jada. Jada exined a few words to the boy alone, asking him to pay attention to Ronin in the next few days so that Ronin¡¯s freshman life would not be too smooth. If he dared to scold her, he would have to bear the price of doing so. In the private room, Ronin was still a little resentful. If Catherine hadn¡¯t stopped him just now, he really wanted to teach the woman at the door a lesson. ¡°Catherine, who is that woman? What a bummer!¡± Catherine propped herself up on the back of the chair with one hand and held her chin with the other. Hearing Ronin¡¯s words, she slowly looked up at him and then nced at Branden. Ronin reacted at once. No wonder that woman kept staring at Branden just now. She was among those who liked him. Ronin wanted to re up, but he couldn¡¯t because of Branden¡¯s overwhelming aura. Having no other choice, Ronin could only mutter in a low voice on the side to vent his indignation. ¡°Can¡¯t you keep some distance from other women? It¡¯s simply hateful to cause Catherine so much N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. trouble!¡± The voice was small, but the people present all had excellent hearing, and both Branden and Catherine heard it. When Branden looked up, he saw Catherine looking at him, and her yful eyes lingered on him several times. When she found Branden looking over, Catherine didn¡¯t show any fear. Instead, she raised her eyebrows somewhat provocatively. The next second, she heard the man say calmly, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll try not to go out alone in the future!¡± Ronin was eating soup. Hearing this, he almost choked. ¡°It seems Branden can be just as shameless as the average person, or more so,¡± he thought. After the meal, Ronin wanted to stroll around with Catherine, or they could y games together. In his opinion, as long as he could be with Catherine, it was a good thing. However, this idea was decisively rejected by Branden. The reason was that they had to get up early for the orientation meeting tomorrow, and after the whole morning of the meeting, they would start their physical training in the afternoon. This was the rule of Styre University. No time was allowed to be wasted. Catherine had to rest well. Otherwise, she will be out of energy tomorrow. The reason was so sufficient and justified that Ronin could not refute it. He could only watch as Branden sent Catherine back to the dormitory. Downstairs in the dormitory, Branden reluctantly let go of Catherine¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m staying here for the next few days. Call me whenever you need anything!¡± It was not an easy thing for the Duncan Corporation to return to Loxton. No one knew how many powerful families there were in therge Loxton, the capital of Eskana. It was hard for them to have finally waited for the Duncan Corporation to leave earlier, and now that it was back in town, those people were sure to pay attention to it. This matter was not something that could be solved in a day or two. It was already not easy for him to stay here for a few days. Catherine felt a little distressed. ¡°If you have something to do, go ahead. You don¡¯t have to stay here. I¡¯m here to go to school. It¡¯s okay.¡± Branden naturally knew that Catherine was here for school, or how could he let here? He reached out and gently touched Catherine¡¯s head. His eyes were full of affection. ¡°Not bad. You know to care about me. You don¡¯t have to worry about thepany. I don¡¯t keep idle people!¡± He spent so much money to hire these elites toe to thepany with high sries, so they had to work for thepany. If he had to do everything himself, then why should he spend the money? Seeing that he was so confident, Catherine didn¡¯t bother to worry about this. She turned and waved at him without looking back before going upstairs. Catherine pushed open the dormitory door, and the other three were there. The moment Beatrice saw Catherine, she rolled her eyes at Catherine in disdain. Isabe and Amelia took the initiative to greet Catherine, and Catherine responded politely as well. Seeing her idol appear, Amelia hurriedly rushed forward and handed Catherine the form she had already written. ¡°Catherine, this is a form I saw on a foreign website. It is especially difficult to work out. I spent a month studying it to no avail. Are you interested in taking a look?¡± Catherine took the notebook and nced at the form. In fact, it was not difficult. She had sent a simr one on the forum before. The person who wrote this question should have made simple modifications on the basis of what she had sent. Catherine pulled out the chair under the bed, took Amelia¡¯s pen, and began to calcte. Amelia was shocked and eximed in a low voice, ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re so fast!¡± Catherine did not respond to her, calcting intently. Beatrice had been paying attention to the situation on this side. Seeing Amelia¡¯s adoring face, she became even more upset. She was alone at the side and said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s not pretend anymore, okay? Do you really think you¡¯re something? We¡¯re studying in the same school. You¡¯re no better than us!¡± What Amelia couldn¡¯t stand most was that others ndered the excellent ones. She turned around and argued with Beatrice. ¡°Talk is cheap. If you¡¯re so good, show us! If you can work it out, I will admit you¡¯re better than us. Otherwise, just shut up.¡± Beatrice knew Amelia. She had the highest test scores in Dierlem and won countless awards. Since Amelia dared to say this, it meant that this question must be very difficult. Beatrice did not want to embarrass herself. She pretended to be tough and said, ¡± Who knows what problem it is? Maybe even the genius can¡¯t solve it. Why should I do as you said?¡± At that moment, Catherine said to Amelia, ¡°I¡¯m done. Here!¡± Beatrice immediately turned green when she heard this. Chapter 527 Complaints in the Group Chat Chapter 527 Comints in the Group Chat Catherine threw the detailed steps of the question to Amelia. Seeing this, Beatrice wanted to say that Catherine had a problem with the answer. In the next second, however, she heard Amelia shouting at Catherine excitedly, ¡°Catherine, you really deserve to be the top student with full marks. I¡¯ve been working on this question for nearly a month to no avail. But you actually solved it in just a few minutes. No wonder Professor Hartley wanted to win you to our school. You really are a genius!¡± Catherine remained calm in the face of such enthusiastic praise. She responded politely. ¡°I happen to have met simr questions before.¡± Catherine¡¯s words seemed to Beatrice to be a loophole. Her voice was heavy with irony as she said at the side, ¡± You¡¯re just lucky.¡± Catherine¡¯s expression froze, and her face darkened slightly. However, before she could say anything to retort, Amelia, who was on the side, could not sit still. She directly rushed in front of Beatrice and red at her straight. Seeing Amelia¡¯s aggressive appearance, Beatrice was a little intimidated. She bit the bullet and stood up, looking straight at Amelia. ¡°Did I say something wrong? Didn¡¯t she say it herself? It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. She was really pissed off. ¡°Beatrice, it doesn¡¯t matter if your grades are poor, but don¡¯t make a fool of yourself by showing off your poor intelligence, okay?¡± After saying that, Amelia snorted coldly at Beatrice in disdain. Beatrice grew up being pampered by her family. When did she suffer such indignities? Just as she was about to lose her temper, she realized Amelia had turned around arrogantly and ignored her. Having no other choice, Beatrice could only try to find approval from Isabe. ¡°Be, you see, right? What kind of attitude does Amelia have? What does she mean by that? Who does she think she is to say that about me?¡± Isabe was always a peacemaker, and now she did not know how to ease the awkward situation. She looked at Beatrice awkwardly and exined the reason. ¡°Beatrice, for this kind of arithmetic problem, changing even just one of the very insignificant data can change the entire calction. ¡°Although I¡¯m not majoring i in electronic information engineering, I can tell that this problem is very difficult, so Catherine is really awesome!¡± Isabe¡¯s well-meaning exnation was undoubtedly the most fatal blow to Beatrice. Beatrice¡¯s eyes immediately turned red with anger. She was acting all cocky and aggressive just now, but now she looked like the most aggrieved person in the world. She looked at Isabe angrily and shouted, ¡°You guys ganged up on me!¡± With that, she angrily returned to the dormitory bed and closed the bed curtain as if she were isted. Isabe was left standing where she was, with grievances all over her face. ¡°What did I do wrong? I¡¯m just telling the truth. How does that make me the bad guy?¡± she thought. Isabe felt wronged and went back to bed. The whole dormitory fell into a strange atmosphere. Catherine expressionlessly took out herputer and ced it on the desktop. There were still a lot of things that she needed to help deal with at the Arbotte Laboratory. Besides, there was an orientation meeting tomorrow morning. She was on a bit of a time crunch. As soon as she went online, she received a message from Rodge. [Chief, you¡¯re finally online.] Catherine could feel his excitement just from the text he sent. [Tell me, what¡¯s wrong with the experiment again?] asked Catherine. Rodge hurriedly sent thetest data deduced from the experiment to Catherine. [Chief, the parameters here are obviously correct, but no matter how I deduce them, one or two out of ten times will always be wrong!] Catherine instantly understood the reason why Rodge was annoyed. Dealing with this kind of bug was the most troublesome. If the data deduced each time was different, it was easy to find the wrong problem. But now, only one or two out of ten times were wrong, so it was difficult to correct the parameters and find out the root of the problem. Catherine nced at it. Rodge was cautious in his deduction. She couldn¡¯t find the problem at once after a rough look. [Send me the data. I¡¯ll give you the result after deducing it tomorrow!] Seeing Catherine¡¯s message, Rodge was finally relieved. He couldn¡¯t eat or sleep for the past three days. He worked almost 24 hours daily on his deduction, but he still couldn¡¯t find the problem. It made him very upset. Now that Catherine had given this answer, he could finally feel at ease. He believed that as long as Catherine said it, she would definitely be able to do it. After the experiment problem was settled, Rodge began to care about Catherine¡¯s life. [Chief, I heard from Scott that you went to Styre University to study, and you chose Marshall as your mentor. Is that true?] At first, Rodge took this news as a joke. After all, Catherine was the world¡¯s top scientist, and what she studied were worldwide problems. Styre University was indeed very outstanding, but which teacher could teach Catherine? Catherine was quite speechless at Rodge¡¯s surprise. She slipped down from the chair she was sitting in andy in itzily. ¡°Why was everyone so surprised that I hade to Styre University? Did Styre University owe them something?¡± she wondered. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. [There¡¯s nothing bad about experiencing college life!] sent Catherine. Rodge understood what Catherine meant. Catherine¡¯s life from childhood to now was particrly extraordinary. Now that she wanted to experience the life of the ordinary, it was normal. [But how do you choose Marshall? Isn¡¯t he¡­] asked Rodge. Without waiting for Rodge to finish his words, Catherine directly interrupted him. [Marshall doesn¡¯t know my identity, so let it be!] Seeing that Catherine had made up her mind and had no intention of changing, Rodge could not persuade her. There was no need for them to interfere too much with Catherine¡¯s thoughts. After ending the chat with Rodge, Catherine began to concentrate on deducing the data sent by Rodge. Her fingers danced fast on the keyboard. At the same time, on the bed diagonally opposite Catherine, Beatrice was also frantically operating the Sheined in a group chat full of freshmen. She told them about being targeted by her roommates and bullied by them. It instantly resonated with many people, and all kinds ofints and abuse ensued. [What the hell? How can there be such a person? It¡¯s really too much¡­] [Beatrice, what¡¯s the name of that roommate who scolded you? Tell us. We¡¯ll avenge you.] [It¡¯s too much of a bully!] [So what if she gets good grades? Who does she think she is? Who is she to criticize others?] [Bad character is the most terrible!] A satisfied smile appeared on Beatrice¡¯s face as she looked at the group chat full of denunciation of Catherine. That was precisely what she wanted. She didn¡¯t believe that so many people together couldn¡¯t teach Catherine a lesson. It was best to drive her out entirely so she would not be so proud in the future! Chapter 528 Bullying Chapter 528 Bullying Early in the morning, Catherine was woken up by the rm ringing across the bed. When she was training, she also lived with the others. But her roommates at the time were quite self-disciplined. They would never do such a wicked thing as leaving the rm on to wake everyone up while they themselves were still asleep. Catherine rolled over in bed and precisely located the source of the ringing. She nimbly removed a useless screw from the iron bed frame beside her and held it between her index finger and ring finger. Then she aimed and flicked the screw out. With a soft click, the rm died abruptly, and the dormitory instantly quieted down. After that, Catherine nced at the time. There was still half an hour before her wake-up time, and she This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. could continue to sleep. Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. After waiting for the two roommates to get up, Catherine slowly got out of bed and began to wash and tidy up. Seeing that everyone was up but Beatrice was still on the bed, Isabe kindly stepped forward and called her. ¡°Beatrice, Beatrice, we¡¯re going to bete for the orientation meeting!¡± Beatrice opened her eyes in a daze and fumbled to find her phone. She nced at it and was stunned instantly. In the next second, Beatrice¡¯s screams were heard throughout the dormitory. ¡°Ah¡­ Why is it at this hour?¡± Beatrice did not immediately start to wash up. Instead, she looked up and med Isabe on the side, throwing a tantrum. ¡°Isabe, did you do it on purpose? Why didn¡¯t you call me earlier?¡± Isabe looked at Beatrice innocently. ¡± Beatrice, you didn¡¯t tell me thisst night. I thought you set the rm yourself, so I didn¡¯t think much of it. You didn¡¯t wake up when we were about to leave, so I reminded you.¡± Beatrice¡¯s face turned green with anger, but she immediately reacted.¡± The rm clock, yes, my rm clock. Did you turn it off for me?¡± Isabe¡¯s bed was right across from Beatrice¡¯s, so she thought of Isabe in the first ce. Isabe was so frightened that her face turned pale. She waved her hand and hurriedly exined, ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me. How could I do such a thing!¡± Seeing Isabe being scolded by Beatrice, Catherine couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She took the initiative to shout, ¡°Isabe, I heard that you are the liaison of your ss!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes! Anyone can bete but me!¡± Isabe eximed and hurriedly followed Amelia and Catherine. The three of them left hand in hand, leaving Beatrice alone to stomp her feet in anger. Catherine helped Isabe out, and it made Beatrice more and more disgusted with Catherine. She was so angry that she wanted to tear Catherine apart right now. Catherine was in the same ss as Amelia, so she followed Amelia to the yground and found the team of the electronic information engineering department. Amelia was chatting with a few new ssmates to get to know each other. Unlike the sociable Amelia, Catherine found a shady ce to sit and rest. Girls in the electronic information engineering department were preferred. Apart from Amelia and Catherine, there were only three other girls. There were only five girls in arge ss of 60. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize how rare the girls in this ss were. Catherine wore a hat on her head, and the lowered brim of the hat concealed her appearance. On the contrary, Amelia, who was sunny and cheerful, seemed a little more popr at the moment. The team next to them was from Styre University¡¯s medical department, and Beatrice was among them. She rushed over here when she was about to bete. Like Isabe, she was also the ss liaison, but she was thest member of the ss to arrive. Beatrice found the ssmate who had helped with the roll call. She looked at him with a big smile and said, ¡°Calvin, thanks for helping with the roll call!¡± Her voice was sweet and gentle. Calvin was initially a little ufortable, but after seeing how gentle Beatrice¡¯s attitude was, he instantly surrendered. He scratched his head and looked at Beatrice with a shy face. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Calvin, it¡¯s all thanks to you today. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even know what to do!¡± Beatrice looked aggrieved and seemed to have suffered a lot. Seeing Beatrice being wronged, Calvin could not help but press her about the situation. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I thought you said you overslept.¡± Beatrice showed the rm clock list on her phone to Calvin. ¡°Calvin, I set a lot of rm clocks, but they were turned off. I stayed up tootest night, so I didn¡¯t wake up and almost got the whole ss in trouble.¡± Hearing Beatrice¡¯s aggrievedints, Calvin was furious. ¡°You said you were scolded by a freshman in your dormitory yesterday, and someone turned off your rm clock today. Beatrice, did someone target you?¡± Beatrice¡¯s face was full of grievances, and her eyes were very innocent. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I don¡¯t think anyone will.¡± Looking at Beatrice being so kind and defending her bad roommates at this time, Calvin couldn¡¯t help it anymore. ¡°No, we can¡¯t let this matter go. If you let them off the hook this time, they will continue to bully you in the future. Beatrice, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely give you justice in this matter. No one will be allowed to bully the people of our medical department at will!¡± Beatrice nodded at Calvin gratefully and cheered inside. Her purpose was finally achieved! Catherine quietly leaned under the tree to rest. Fortunately, most of the freshmen still didn¡¯t know each other, and no one thought she was weird. Suddenly, arge shadow enveloped her. Before Catherine could look up, she heard noisesing from her head. ¡°You must be Catherine, right?¡± Catherine raised her eyes to look at the leading boy. His appearance was average, and there were a few pimples on his forehead that had just appeared. He looked bad-tempered and mean. When she wanted to remind him that anger was bad for his health, the boy suddenly sneered and said, ¡°Well, you bullied our people in the medical department, and now you don¡¯t dare to admit it, right?¡± ¡°So he¡¯s here for trouble. Someone from the medical department?¡± wondered Catherine. Catherine stood up and looked at the boy with a cold gaze. Amid the other party¡¯s chatter, she asked indifferently, ¡°Who are you?¡± Calvin was nning to give a long speech but was choked by Catherine¡¯s question. After a while, he reacted and stammered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am, but if you dare to bully your ssmates on campus, then you¡¯re wrong!¡± Catherine crossed her arms and looked at him with raised eyebrows. She sized Calvin up and down with interest in her eyes. Then she sneered. ¡°Well, tell me, who did I bully?¡± Chapter 529 Arrogant Catherine Chapter 529 Arrogant Catherine Calvin looked at Catherine with a smug smile as if he had expected that Catherine would not admit it. ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. You know in your heart what you did. How dare a freshman like you to be so arrogant?¡± Catherine looked up and adjusted the brim of her hat casually, revealing her stunning face. ¡°I really don¡¯t know. Could you please tell me about it?¡± The moment her perfect face was revealed, the people around her were all stunned. Their eyes were fixed on Catherine. It seemed that they didn¡¯t expect to see such a beautiful person in the real world. Beatrice, hiding at the side, became anxious instantly after seeing that Catherine had charmed all the boys as soon as she revealed her appearance. She originally wanted to see Catherine make a fool of herself. She cursed inwardly, ¡°Bitch!¡± Then she rushed in Catherine¡¯s direction angrily. In thest second, she was still angry. But when she came to the boy who asked for justice for her, she pretended to be very aggrieved. She gently pinched Calvin¡¯s hem of clothes and shook it twice. With a sweet voice, she whispered, ¡°Calvin, forget it. I don¡¯t think Catherine did it on purpose. Why don¡¯t you just let this matter go.¡± Beatrice¡¯s eyes turned red as she spoke. Calvin was amazed by Catherine¡¯s stunning face just now. Now that he saw Beatrice crying with grievance, he immediately became angry again. ¡°Beatrice, don¡¯t be afraid. You are just too kind. We can¡¯t let this matter go so easily, or you will still be bullied in the future!¡± Catherine wondered who she had bullied to cause so many people toe to her. Now that she saw Beatrice¡¯s pretentious appearance, she finally understood. They were all here to defend Beatrice. After Calvin finishedforting Beatrice, he turned and sized up Catherine again. ¡°You look pretty. But I didn¡¯t expect you to be so vicious!¡± Catherine squinted her eyes and looked at the other party with disdain. ¡°Who are you to judge me?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Calvin was so angry at Catherine that his face twisted. ¡°Let me tell you, if I hadn¡¯t seen you as a girl, believe it or not, I would have beaten you up today.¡± ¡°I believe it.¡± Before Calvin could understand the meaning of Catherine¡¯s words, he was struck to the ground by Catherine with a shoulder throw. He couldn¡¯t get up for a long time. Catherine pped her hands casually. She disliked it and felt sick for touching the boy¡¯s clothes. She didn¡¯t like to talk nonsense and preferred to solve problems with action. Calvin felt that his insides were almost shattered by this fall. Calvin¡¯s eyes shed with panic as he saw Catherine approaching. He stuttered, ¡°What¡­ what are you going to do?¡± Catherine leaned down and waved her hand lightly, causing Calvin to exim in fright. Catherine couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, and then she said word by word, ¡± I believe you want to hit me, just like I want to hit you! It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t have the guts, but I do!¡± That was why she hit Calvin without hesitation. One had to bear the consequences of messing with her. Beatrice did not expect Calvin to be such a wimp and was frightened by Catherine like this. To suppress Catherine, she could only bite the bullet and stand up for Calvin. ¡°Catherine, how can you bully and insult others like this?¡± The crowd of onlookers was shocked by Catherine¡¯s handsome action just now. Hearing Beatrice¡¯s roar, they all regained their senses. Although Catherine¡¯s action was very handsome, it somewhat made people ufortable. She did act a bit like a bully. Under Beatrice¡¯s instigation, the crowd directed their usations at Catherine. Beatrice looked at Catherine with a serious face, like a moral judge. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s fine that you scolded me in the dormitory and secretly turned off my rm clock, but Calvin just couldn¡¯t bear it and said something for me. How can you beat him like this? ¡°I can ignore my affairs, but you must apologize to Calvin in public today.¡± Many freshmen knew about Beatrice being excluded and bullied in the dormitory. They just didn¡¯t expect that the bully was Catherine. Hearing what Beatrice said, they became even more dissatisfied with Catherine. They followed Beatrice and shouted, ¡± Apologize! Apologize!¡± Their voices were getting louder and louder, and they seemed not to give up if Catherine did not apologize. ¡°Apologize?¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°How ridiculous!¡± Her beautiful eyes turned cold instantly, making people not even have the courage to look straight at her. ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you deserve my apology?¡± Catherine said such words in public. Beatrice had never been humiliated like this before, and her cheeks flushed with anger. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re too arrogant!¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m arrogant. What can you do?¡± Her expression seemed to say, ¡°Fight me if you want.¡± Beatrice had just seen Catherine hit Calvin. How could she dare to fight with Catherine? She could not beat Catherine, but she wouldn¡¯t stop there. She began to incite the onlookers who did not understand the situation to stand in solidarity with herself. ¡°Guys, there shouldn¡¯t be such a scum like Catherine in such an excellent environment. Someone like her will only ruin the reputation of our school!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Calvin immediately echoed in support. The surrounding people began to discuss how to deal with Catherine noisily. Some people suggested reporting to the school and kicking Catherine out. And some even said that they would expose Catherine online. Seeing the crowd¡¯s criticism of Catherine, Beatrice felt smug in her heart. ¡°Catherine¡¯s just a barbarian who knows how to fight. She¡¯s not as smart as me and doesn¡¯t know how to use others,¡± she thought. She condescendingly looked at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I know it¡¯s not easy for you to get into Styre University. I¡¯ll give you another chance. As long as you are willing to stand on the stage and apologize to us with the microphone, I¡¯ll let this matter go.¡± Catherine nced at the group of freshmen, who were filled with indignation along with Beatrice. Then she sneered and said, ¡°Originally, I thought that the students at Styre University, the top college in Eskana, should all be highly qualified. I didn¡¯t expect that you guys would be so stupid. Catherine¡¯s words undoubtedly offended the public, but she still looked like she didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of anything. Beatrice didn¡¯t know whether to say that Catherine was too stupid or that Catherine was too arrogant. Did she think she could afford to make an enemy of the entire school on her own? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Beatrice squinted and stared at Catherine with a face full of warning.¡± Since you¡¯re still so arrogant, then don¡¯t me us for being rude!¡± ¡°Just go ahead, as long as you have the ability.¡± Catherine pped her hands indifferently. Finally, someone in the crowd recognized Catherine. ¡°Hey, this Catherine is the one who got the first ce with full marks in Casier! It was known that Marshall had once gotten into a fight with the people from the University of Penny to win Catherine. Despite Catherine¡¯s identity being released, some people stillined. ¡°So what if she got the first ce with full marks? With a personality like that, what¡¯s the point of getting good grades?¡± ¡°Can she bully others just because she has good grades?¡± Chapter 530 Apologize Chapter 530 Apologize The atmosphere intensified, and some even suggested writing a joint letter to get Catherine out of school. However, a few people felt that perhaps things would turn around since Catherine could be so confident. A lot of things might change in the blink of an eye. It was best not to take sides and blindly follow the trend. The voices of supporting Beatrice were loud. However, Catherine stood calmly in the crowd, ignoring those scolds around her. She always did things casually and unrestrained. ¡°Beatrice, if you¡¯re really capable of getting me kicked out of school, just go ahead!¡± Seeing that Catherine was still so arrogant, Beatrice almost burst a blood vessel. ¡°Catherine, how can you be so shameless? You bullied the others and still had such an indifferent attitude.¡± ¡°What? I bullied the others?¡± Catherine looked at Beatrice with a yful look in her eyes. ¡°Beatrice, take a good look at yourself in the mirror, okay? Don¡¯t be so confident. Even if I want to bully someone, it won¡¯t be your turn!¡± Beatrice couldn¡¯t argue with Catherine any longer. She frantically incited the students around her to support her. It seemed that she would not stop until Catherine was driven out. Suddenly, a different voice erupted from the crowd. ¡°Beatrice, you¡¯re disgusting!¡± Seeing Catherine being criticized by the crowd, Amelia immediately rushed over. After learning the whole story, she hated to tear Beatrice apart. Beatrice¡¯s face twisted at Amelia¡¯s appearance, but she still refused to give in and retorted, ¡°Amelia, I know that you are close with Catherine, but you shouldn¡¯t join forces with her to bully me like this!¡± She spoke first, indicating that Catherine and Amelia were on the same side. Amelia snorted in disdain. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± She did not waste time on Beatrice and directly turned to face the onlookers. ¡°I¡¯m in the same dorm as them. I can prove that Catherine didn¡¯t bully anyone at all, and the person who scolded Beatricest night wasn¡¯t Catherine but me. Also, the rm clock rang countless times this morning but just couldn¡¯t wake up Beatrice. Instead, it woke us all up. ¡°Finally, we kindly woke her up and told her she would bete, but she med us for calling her too huh?¡± Amelia gave Beatrice no chance to retort, and Beatrice looked extremely embarrassed. It was the first time everyone lived together in a dormitory, and thest thing they could tolerate was their roommate¡¯s ringtone waking them up while they slept soundly. Hearing what Amelia said, quite a few people disdained Beatrice and began to feel that she was wrong. Seeing that the others began to waver, Beatrice immediately retorted. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯re so despicable to join forces with Catherine to target me. You want to please her, right?¡± Amelia had long known that Beatrice would deny it. She pointed at Isabe at the side. ¡°Be, you are also from our dormitory. Tell them what exactly is going on!¡± Isabe did not expect Amelia to expose her in public. She looked at everyone with an embarrassed face. However, both Amelia and Beatrice were forcing her. In desperation, she could only choose an ambiguous way to tell the truth. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t think that Catherine bullied Beatrice.¡± Beatrice froze immediately. In full view of the public, two of her roommates exposed her true colors. She did not know what to do now. Just as Beatrice was about to defend herself, Catherine, who had been silent for a long time, showed her phone screen in front of Beatrice and looked at Beatrice with a mocking face. ¡°Beatrice, the next time you post to curse someone, remember to change both your ount and your phone number. Don¡¯t you know that numbers are registered under real names?¡± Amelia leaned forward and carefully looked at the contents of Catherine¡¯s phone, only to find that on the school forum, someone was constantly sneering at Catherine and ndering her. Those words did not seem like those of a girl at all. Beatrice did not expect Catherine to be able to expose everything she did behind her back in such a short time of silence. Seeing the change in the eyes of everyone looking at her, Beatrice suppressed her anger and said, ¡± Catherine, you just nder me. Who knows if you did something to frame me on purpose!¡± Ronin originally didn¡¯t want to get involved, but after learning that it was rted to Catherine, he rushed over immediately. He was really sick of seeing Beatrice pretend. He snorted coldly at Beatrice with disdain. ¡°To say you¡¯re stupid is to praise you! Thework engineering of Styre University is also ranked on the front. If you feel a problem, you¡¯re wee to question us anytime!¡± Ronin¡¯s arrogant and confident attitude made Beatrice not dare to respond. She had a guilty conscience because she had done this. How could she dare to confront Ronin with this in public? Seeing that Beatrice was intimidated, Ronin did not bother to deal with her. He did not think someone like Beatrice deserved topete with Catherine. Looking at Beatrice¡¯s guilty look, Catherine quickly took the next move. ¡°The statements in the post are all false. I can sue you for nder at any time. Since you don¡¯t admit it, I can only choose to use thew to do me justice.¡± Then she turned to Ronin. ¡°Ronin, get awyer!¡± Ronin took out his cell phone and waved it at Beatrice. ¡°Thewyer I know is the most famous and capable one in Eskana. You¡¯re doomed this time!¡± Seeing Catherine decide to get awyer, Beatrice panicked. If she were found guilty of defamation, the school would definitely expel her. It was not easy for her to rely on attending Styre University to gain a certain status in the family. Once she was expelled, what could she doter? Beatrice panicked. She changed her attitude and looked at Catherine ingratiatingly. ¡°Catherine, we are schoolmates and even roommates in the same dormitory. Do you have to do this to me? Do you want to push me to my death?¡± Seeing that the nting and framing had failed, she changed her strategy and threatened with death. She really did everything she could to achieve her goals. However, Catherine did not buy it at all. ¡°Just get away if you want to die. If not, follow what you said and apologize.¡± Catherin¡¯s request left Beatrice deeply torn. She could not be expelled, but she did not want to apologize to Catherine either. Catherine ignored her. She had to deal with Calvin next. Calvin had intended to slip away, but when he saw Catherine approaching, he instantly froze in ce. Catherine stretched out her hand and pointed at him. ¡°And you, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t apologize. You like to look to the school to solve your problems, so I¡¯ll help you. It¡¯s not hard for the school to give you a demerit for picking a fight, right?¡± If he was given a demerit right at the start of school, how would he live his future college life? Calvin was different from Beatrice. He immediately apologized to Catherine obediently. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s all my fault. I apologize to you.¡± Seeing Calvin admit defeat, Catherine felt bored. She thought Calvin was very affectionate to Beatrice, but it turned out to be just that. ¡°Remember to use your brain before you do anything in the future,¡± said Catherine. Chapter 531 What Can You Do? Chapter 531 What Can You Do? Calvin¡¯s apology made Beatrice panic. Now, she was fighting alone. The people around were all watching the fun. They couldn¡¯t help her. For the sake of her dignity, Beatrice had no choice but to cry and shout, ¡± Catherine, don¡¯t go too far. You bully others based on good grades. Do you think that¡¯s funny?¡± Catherine sneered, and her yful eyes circled Beatrice¡¯s body in disdain. ¡°Yeah, I find that¡¯s funny. What can you do if I bully others?¡± If she could do anything, would it be Catherine¡¯s turn to question her like this? Beatrice still didn¡¯t give up and wanted to unite with the people around her to help her out. Her eyes swept around, and wherever her eyes went, those people would subconsciously avoid her. They did not even dare to look at her, let alone speak up for her. Ronin looked at Beatrice¡¯s appearance and couldn¡¯t help but urge, ¡°Hey, you were quite arrogant when you forced others to apologize just now. Howe when it was your turn, you were allowed to be a coward? ¡°If you dare to stand on the stage and apologize to Catherine, this could stop here! ¡°But if you still want to y tricks to frame people, don¡¯t think of getting off the hook today. Moreover, even if I lose my degree today, I will fight with you to the end!¡± Ronin¡¯s seemingly in words were full of domineering presence. Anyway, he came to Styre University to apany Catherine, and it didn¡¯t matter whether he had a degree or not. Beatrice was really scared by Ronin¡¯s words. Ronin didn¡¯t look like he was lying at all. In order to keep her degree, Beatrice could only apologize. ¡°Catherine, since you have to embarrass me, then I will fulfill you!¡± Looking at Beatrice¡¯s decisive back, Ronin couldn¡¯t help butin. ¡°Catherine, I really can¡¯t understand why she¡¯s acting like this. She¡¯s the one who should apologize, and she¡¯s acting like she¡¯s been wronged. Could she really get herself killed like she just threatened us with?¡± Catherine nced at Ronin calmly and curled the corners of her mouth slightly up into an evil smile. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no way someone like her wouldmit suicide.¡± Ronin nodded in agreement and turned to look at Amelia. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I heard that you helped Catherine just now. Thank you!¡± Ronin had always been arrogant and unrestrained, and nothing could keep him down. But as long as it was rted to Catherine, he could do anything. Amelia had spoken up for Catherine, and he had to thank Amelia politely. Amelia had been staring at Ronin just now. She found that this person looked very handsome, even more so than those celebrities. The most important thing was that Ronin had a domineering aura. He looked young, but his momentum was so powerful. His appearance was a great contrast to his personality, and Amelia liked this very much. Now that she heard Ronin talking to her, Amelia¡¯s ears were burning unconsciously. She avoided looking at Ronin and lowered her head. ¡°Catherine is my roommate, and I¡¯m just telling the truth. Besides, I admire Catherine very much. This is normal, and you don¡¯t need to thank me,¡± she whispered. Ronin didn¡¯t notice Amelia¡¯s strangeness at all. He only heard Amelia say that she admired Catherine. He couldn¡¯t help but feel proud and said, ¡°Yes, Catherine is so awesome. Anyone with proper judgment would admire her!¡± Catherine was like a god in Ronin¡¯s heart and was much worshipped by him. Seeing Ronin still chattering, Catherine frowned slightly and whispered, ¡± Shouldn¡¯t you go back?¡± Her cold tone suddenly diluted Ronin¡¯s passion. ¡°Okay, Catherine, I¡¯m leaving right now!¡± said Ronin. The long and boring freshman meeting finally ended with the principal¡¯s final speech. After a two-hour break at noon, they had to attend a pre-physical training meeting at 2 p.m. It could almost be said that the school didn¡¯t even give the freshmen a chance to catch their breath. They allined, but no one could change the rules of the school. As soon as they were dismissed, Ronin rushed to find Catherine. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s go. I know there¡¯s a good restaurant around here. I¡¯ll take you there for lunch!¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Catherine nodded casually, already ustomed to Ronin¡¯s various arrangements. However, Amelia suddenly approached them. She was in the same ss as Catherine, so she noticed Ronin when he came over. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s have lunch together before going back to the dormitory.¡± Hearing Amelia¡¯s proposal, Ronin was a little displeased. He finally could have a meal with Catherine, but why was she disrupting his n? But in the light of Amelia¡¯s performance in the morning, Ronin didn¡¯t say much and left it to Catherine to decide. Anyway, it was all about grabbing a meal. Catherine didn¡¯t have a problem with one more person Therefore, the three went together. Ronin took Catherine and Amelia to a fast food restaurant at the end of the student center, which looked small but very clean. The restaurant was targeted at students, so the prices were rtively low. With Ronin around, Catherine didn¡¯t even need to order. Amelia, who was at the side, watched this scene with envy. ¡°It¡¯s truly a blessing to have such a thoughtful person helping to service around,¡± she thought. Amelia took a bite of the food and said in amazement, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s delicious. It has only been three days since I¡¯ve been here and this is the best meal I¡¯ve ever had. Ronin, how did you find this ce? 11 Being praised, Ronin looked proud. ¡°You¡¯ve only been here three days ago, but I arrived half a month earlier. I¡¯ve eaten all the restaurants within a radius of six miles, so I naturally know which one is the best.¡± Amelia gave him a thumbs-up and looked at him in admiration. ¡± Awesome. You¡¯re really a foodie!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I just want Catherine to have the best food. As for myself, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Ronin shrugged casually, seeming genuinely unconcerned about the food. Seeing this scene, Amelia was a little surprised. She tried her best to control her emotions and asked cautiously,¡± Ronin, forgive me if it seems as if I am trying to gossip. Are you pursuing Catherine?¡± Ronin looked at Amelia in surprise. His eyes seemed to ask Amelia, ¡°How could you have such an idea?¡± ¡°Girl, you think too much. How can I bepared to Catherine? Catherine is perfect in my heart, understand?¡± Amelia would have told that, but she still felt that Ronin and Catherine were getting too close. ¡°Is it possible that Ronin has a crush on Catherine?¡± Amelia wondered. Catherine looked at Ronin, who she had brought up since childhood, and felt a headache. ¡°He has a good IQ butcking in EQ,¡± she thought. She raised her eyebrows at Amelia and calmly exined, ¡°We¡¯re sort of like brother and sister, understand?¡± Chapter 532 Unexpected Encounters Chapter 532 Unexpected Encounters At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the freshmen came to the yground under the scorching sun despite how reluctant they were. The two-week physical training officially kicked off. Themander stood on the stage and gave a passionate speech. The chief instructor brought a group of instructors to train the freshmen. Those who understood physical training knew that themander usually did not participate in the training but simply gave the report while on the stage. And the chief instructor would be in charge of the training. There were few freshmen at Styre University, and the physical training requirements were so strict that it was said that all the instructors who came this time were elites, and they were all special forces soldiers. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The chief instructor also had many years of actualbat experience and was a rather strong one in the army. Amelia whispered the news she received to her ssmates, ¡°Look at the instructor¡¯s face. Just from his eyes, he looked fierce enough. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll suffer for the next half a month.¡± The freshmen nced at the chief instructor¡¯s eyes and swallowed silently, their faces pale. Without Amelia¡¯s reminder, they already knew how difficult the future would be. Amelia originally wanted tofort Catherine, but she didn¡¯t expect Catherine¡¯s expression to remain the same. It seemed that the physical training was nothing in her eyes. ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you worried about physical training at all?¡± Hearing Amelia¡¯s words, Catherine gave her a sideways nce and asked indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s so difficult?¡± For Catherine, it was just soaking up the sun and walking! Her calm attitude made Amelia give her a thumbs up in admiration of her. ¡± You¡¯re really different from the others, Catherine,¡± said Amelia. There were not many instructors, so the chief instructor was put in charge of physical training for the electronic information engineering department, which had thergest number of freshmen. This was bad news for the students in that department. Anyone knew that the chief instructor was bound to be the toughest of all. Unlike the other teams who started training immediately, the chief instructor had a different strategy and instructed them to stand under the sun. A girl couldn¡¯t bear it and pretended to be sick and asked for leave. The chief instructor didn¡¯t even look at the girl and directly called the doctor who was waiting on the side. After the diagnosis, he punished the girl by running threeps. With the girl¡¯s failure as a warning, the remaining freshmen were so scared that they didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly for fear of being caught by the chief instructor. Not to mention asking for sick leave, even if they really had a headache or a fever, they did not dare to say it unless they really could not bear it. Looking at everyone¡¯s appearance, the chief instructor checked around with satisfaction. When he passed by and saw the familiar face among the team, he was instantly stunned. He even suspected that he was seeing the wrong person. But after he took a closer look, he was sure that he was not mistaken. That person was the awesome one in his memory. The chief instructor never expected to see Catherine again in the freshman physical training at Styre University. The fixed gaze made Catherine tilt her head to look. When their eyes met, the chief instructor lowered his head all of a sudden. Catherine¡¯s aura was still strong. He was no match at all, and he could not help but stand straight. Catherine raised her eyebrows and nced at the chief instructor, and thetter immediately understood what she meant. He continued to train quietly, not daring to have too much contact with Catherine. The opening ceremony of the physical training took up half of the time, so the training task this afternoon was not heavy. In less than two hours, it was time for dinner. Just when the freshmen thought they were relieved so they could have a good rest, the chief instructor dropped another bombshell. ¡°Take a rest for two hours. The night training starts at seven o¡¯clock!¡± Comints instantly were heard everywhere when they found out about the news. This kind of training was quite difficult for ordinary freshmen, but for people like Ronin, it was simply a piece of cake. As soon as the instructor announced the dismissal, he couldn¡¯t wait to find Catherine for dinner. However, he couldn¡¯t find Catherine, so he could only turn to Amelia. ¡°Have you seen Catherine?¡± he asked. Amelia shook her head. ¡°She was still there just now but disappeared in the blink of an eye!¡± On the other side, in the temporary office of the chief instructor. The chief Instructor, who had been imposing in front of everyone just now, looked like a recruit. He bowed his head and stood in front of Catherine with a respectful expression. Catherine sat in a folding chair, her slender legs crossed casually on the table. Seeing her posture, those who didn¡¯t know might think she was a domineering female warlord. Catherine didn¡¯t say anything aftering in. Seeing this, the chief instructor approached with a smile and asked cautiously, ¡°Catherine, why are you here?¡± Catherine used to be his instructor. What was more, Catherine not only trained him but also saved his life. The chief instructor¡¯s name was Dn Beaumont and he was from a military family. He had excellent grades and physical fitness since childhood. Three years ago, he received a rare opportunity. He was selected by his superiors to participate in special training in West Creybia. He was apanied by outstanding soldiers from a dozen of the most powerful countries in the world today. As an Eskanese, he might not have the physical strength of some of the people of the north, but he was definitely mentally stronger than anyone else. The training was very difficult. Before entering the training camp, Dn even signed a death agreement. However, with his tenacious perseverance, he had been performing very well until a joint operation, when he almost had a major ident due to his negligence. Fortunately, the special instructor at that time, Catherine, saved him. As a special instructor, Catherine was terrifying at the training camp. Her strength was too strong, powerful enough to make anyone fear her. Dn¡¯s admiration for Catherine grew after he learned that Catherine was also an Eskanese. He had learned a lot of fighting and survival skills from Catherine. He had always regarded Catherine as his teacher and was convinced of her. He just didn¡¯t expect that he would meet Catherine in college physical training. Hearing Dn¡¯s question, Catherine responded briefly, ¡°Can¡¯t I experience college life?¡± Dn responded immediately, ¡°You can, of course. You can do whatever you want!¡± If the soldiers under hismand saw his current behavior, they would be shocked. Dn, who had always been imposing, actually could be cowardly sometimes. However, after hearing Catherine¡¯s exnation, Dn understood her decision. It was normal for the extraordinary ones to want to experience the life of the average asionally. ¡°Catherine, how about I apply to get you out of this physical training?¡± Dn felt that this training was just a piece of cake for Catherine, so why waste her precious time? Chapter 533 Beatrice’s Call Chapter 533 Beatrice¡¯s Call At Loxton Airport. In the endless stream of people, the duo of a man and a woman attracted the attention of many people. The man was tall, dressed stylishly and elegantly, and there was a touch of noble mannerism in his actions. But the girl beside him was more eye- catching. She wore a tight vest on the upper body and slim jeans on the lower body, revealing her slender waist. Her head of long purple hair covered half of her small face, revealing only two bright, shing eyes. She looked like a rebellious angel fallen from heaven, making people not be able to take their eyes off her. Looking at the gleaming diamond belly button ring on her slender waist, Withal shook his head helplessly. He frowned and said, ¡°Zobber, can¡¯t you be a little more restrained? Keep a low profile, will you? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being targeted?¡± Zobber shrugged at Withal indifferently. Paying attention to her meant that she was attractive. Otherwise, why did those people not look at anyone else but her? ¡°What? Are you worried that someone will bully me?¡± asked Zobber. Withal gave up. He couldn¡¯t argue with her and could only admit defeat. ¡°Who dares to bully you?¡± Zobber¡¯s gaze at Withal was filled with disgust. At most, she was showing off her original beauty. But Withal especially perfumed himself before getting off the ne. It was a total act! ¡°Stop talking nonsense. When can I see Catherine? I just want to see Catherine! Seeing that he couldn¡¯t persuade Zobber, Withal chose to give up. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Catherine is in Loxton, and I have informed her that we are here. Do you think we can meet her if we want to? We have to wait for her call.¡± If someone else had said this, with Zobber¡¯s temper, she would have beat them up long ago. But since it was Catherine, things would be different. After all, she only admired one person in her life, and that was Catherine. Although she was a little disappointed that she could not see Catherine immediately, she felt happy thinking of being in the same city, breathing the same air, and feeling the same temperature as Catherine. ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll wait for Catherine to notify us!¡± Only Catherine¡¯s orders could make Zobber obedient, and no matter how much others said, it was useless. Withal touched his forehead helplessly. Only by mentioning Catherine could he get Zobber quiet. He really could do nothing to the little devil Zobber. This time, they received a mysterious mission in Loxton. He knew that Catherine was also in Loxton, so he told Catherine about it. Inadvertently, Zobber, a huge fan of Catherine, found out about this. Knowing that Catherine was also there, she mored toe, so Withal could only bring her. It was toote to regret it now. Withal was really exhausted. At Styre University. When Catherine came out of the instructor¡¯s office, she met Ronin, who was guarding outside with two lunch boxes in his hand. When Dn went out, he happened to see this scene. Looking at Ronin¡¯s persistent gaze at Catherine, he gestured to Catherine with his eyes, afraid to speak something wrong. Catherine understood the meaning in Dn¡¯s eyes. She pointed at Ronin and said, ¡°My friend, Ronin Oconnor.¡± Hearing Catherine introduce him as her friend, Ronin was very happy and smiled at Dn. ¡°Hi!¡± Dn¡¯s attitude immediately changed after he learned that the other party was Catherine¡¯s friend. ¡°Hi, Ronin! Nice to meet you.¡± Seeing Ronin carrying lunch boxes in his hand, Dn immediately pushed open the office door behind him. ¡°You can eat in my office and take a break. You have to gather for trainingter. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll eat with the team.¡± Just now, he had wanted Catherine not to train, but Catherine said it didn¡¯t matter and it was a good choice to experience the physical training at the university. After saying that, Dn left sensibly. The discipline of the army was particrly strict. Without his order, no one else would enter his office. Inside the office, Ronin opened the lunch box and ced it in front of Catherine. In fact, Catherine had told him that he didn¡¯t have to serve her all the time. But Ronin was insistent on doing so. He believed that being able to stay by Catherine¡¯s side and help her with trivial things was the happiest he could be. To Catherine, he was a cute little boy, and to outsiders, he was a ruthless hacker. Catherine mentioned Dn¡¯s identity, and Ronin was not surprised that Catherine had once trained the chief instructor. After all, Catherine had this ability. ¡°By the way, Withal sent me a message saying that he and Zobber had gotten off the ne. They stayed at the hotel in Loxton for the night and asked when we would contact them,¡± said Ronin. A confidential document was stolen from one of the Loxton executives. ording to reliable sources, the document had not been taken out of Loxton for the time being. The document was inside a super- structured safe with a top-level chip imnted inside. If the safe was forcibly destroyed, the chip would start the self-destruct program, and the document inside would bepletely burned. The higher-ups immediately dispatched an elite team while secretly contacting the Hacker Alliance to offer help. They only wanted to get this document back as soon as possible. ¡°Ask them to focus on the task first, and I will arrange it when it is time to contact them,¡± said Catherine. ¡°Okay,¡± replied Ronin. In the team of the medical department, because of what had happened in the morning, Beatrice had now be the target of public criticism, and the girls in the ss all avoided her. Only some of the boys who were blinded by her acting remained around her. Looking at the changes in the eyes of the people around her, Beatrice was furious. She should have been adored by all, but now the boys looked at her with pitiful eyes, and the girls looked at her with contempt. There was none of the old envy. She had never suffered such humiliation in her life. ¡°It was all because of Catherine! If it wasn¡¯t for her, how could I have suffered such humiliation?¡± she said inwardly. The more Beatrice thought about it, the angrier she became. She couldn¡¯t just let Catherine off. She thought, ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re just a nobody from Casier, and you dare to offend me in Loxton. I swear I¡¯ll teach you a hard lesson.¡± Beatrice walked to the side, her heart full of anger. She then took out her mobile phone and dialed a certain number. Afterining, Beatrice hung up the phone. She was confident that Catherine would definitely suffer this time. Chapter 534 The Facers Chapter 534 The Facers Half an hour after the night training, the chief instructor came to Catherine and called her out. ¡°Catherine, step out!¡± After Catherine came out, the chief instructor looked at her solemnly. ¡°The school is looking for you. Come with me to the academic affairs office.¡± Catherine nodded and followed behind Dn. After the two of them left the team, Dn lowered his voice and exined the situation to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I suddenly received a notice from the school saying that the director of teaching called you over. Although I don¡¯t know what the specific situation is, I feel that something is not right. You should pay more attention!¡± Unlike the worried Dn, Catherine looked calm and even somewhat indifferent. ¡°It¡¯s useless to think so much. Let¡¯s go take a look and we¡¯ll know.¡± Dn nodded in agreement. He was a little worried at first, and now the worry in his heart disappeared after he heard Catherine¡¯s words. He almost forgot how capable Catherine was. Not to mention the director of the school, even if the higher-ups of Loxton¡¯s education bureau came, they could not do anything to Catherine. Catherine, led by Dn, came to the office of the director. Other than the director, a middle-aged couple in gorgeous clothes were also present. The man was a little fat and potbellied, and one could tell at a nce that he had lived a good life. The woman wore a branded suit, with expensive jewelry on her hands and neck. She looked like she wanted to tell the world that she was rich. After Catherine came in, the two of them immediately locked their eyes on her. They looked Catherine up and down, their eyes full of despise, and they didn¡¯t seem to take Catherine seriously. After Dn brought Catherine in, the director first thanked Dn politely and then looked at Catherine. He didn¡¯t beat around the bush and directly questioned Catherine. ¡°Catherine, a freshman in the electronic information engineering department, right?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine replied calmly. Her cold attitude took the director by surprise. ¡°I heard that you bullied someone at school. You joined forces with your roommates to iste her and forced her to apologize to you in front of the whole school. Is there such a thing?¡± asked the director. Catherine immediately understood when she heard that. It must be Beatrice asking for help because she couldn¡¯t deal with Catherine on her own. Without waiting for Catherine to reply, the middle-aged woman standing by the side spoke aggressively. She targeted Catherine without the slightest bit of politeness. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s there to ask? Isn¡¯t this an obvious thing? I showed you the video. It¡¯s this country bumpkin came out of nowhere that bullied her schoolmates. ¡°The ck sheep among the freshmen must be eliminated. I think it is best to kick her out of school directly.¡± The director looked very embarrassed after hearing the woman¡¯s words, and it was obvious that he was in a difficult position. Catherine was a freshman in college and an outstanding student whom Marshall had made a great effort to win over. The school could not expel her at will. What was more, it didn¡¯t cause a great deal of damage. At most, the school would give her a verbal warning, not expel her. But the Facers looked aggressive and had a strong stance. They were one of the prestigious families in Loxton, and many experimental projects in the school still needed their strong support. If the director offended the Facers, it would be a troublesome thing. It was really difficult for him to make a decision. From the torn expression on the director¡¯s face, anyone could tell how difficult he was feeling about this at the moment. The Facers didn¡¯t expect that expelling an ordinary girl would get the director so torn, and they immediately expressed their displeasure. ¡°Sir, if a student like her stays in the school, it will not only hurt other innocent students but also damage the school¡¯s reputation!¡± There was a strong warning in the words. The Faces were well connected to the education bureau, and the director could sense the threat in their words. He looked at Catherine again with a sharp look. ¡°Catherine, quickly admit your mistake. Do you really have to wait until you are expelled before you know what you did wrong?¡± Catherine nced at him. She didn¡¯t expect that the director of a famous school was not even as good as her homeroom teacher, Myra, from Loyalty Academy. How did someone like him be the director of a top school? After Dn brought Catherine here, he didn¡¯t leave immediately but chose to stand quietly by the side. Now that he saw how unfair the school was, he couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°Sir, you and this couple here have been using Catherine all the time. Thieves and even murderers can defend and provide evidence in court. Shouldn¡¯t you listen to what Catherine has to say?¡± Beatrice¡¯s mom was about to retort when she heard Dn¡¯s words. But when she looked over, she happened to see the stripe on Dn¡¯s shoulder, and the contempt in her eyes disappeared instantly. However, she did not give up because of this. ¡°Sir, I think you are a soldier. Aren¡¯t soldiers the most disciplined? Shouldn¡¯t a scum like her be directly rejected from the excellent team?¡± Dn was very unhappy with the woman¡¯s arrogant attitude. ¡°Madam, as I said just now, even death row inmates have a chance to defend themselves, not to mention that she is just a student. But you are so aggressive. Who are your backers, huh? Dn¡¯s words made Beatrice¡¯s mother look very embarrassed. She wanted to retort but was stopped by her husband behind her. Getting a student expelled from school wasn¡¯t a big deal, and there was no need to fight an officer for her. To have such a rank at such a young age, Dn¡¯s background would have been impressive. Seeing that the couple didn¡¯t speak, Dn asked Catherine directly,¡± Catherine, did you bully your schoolmates on campus?¡± Catherine nced at Dn casually and responded in a cold and domineering tone, ¡°If I want to bully her, does she still have a chance to talk? Her words were brief but made sense. Dn also felt that it was impossible. Just like Catherine said, if she really wanted to bully someone, the other party would have died countless times. Seeing Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude, the couple was immediately pissed off. ¡°Sir, as you see, this girl is so arrogant. Her attitude is simply infuriating. If a student like this is not expelled, the school will be discredited.¡± The director also felt that Catherine¡¯s attitude was too arrogant and intensified the conflict. He scolded her coldly and said, ¡°Catherine, apologize immediately for your attitude just now, or don¡¯t me me for being rude!¡± Catherine sneered with a domineering expression. She raised her eyebrows and looked at the director. ¡°Try being rude to me. I dare you.¡± Chapter 535 You Can File a Lawsuit Chapter 535 You Can File a Lawsuit Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude made everyone present dumbfounded. The director did not expect that a freshman would be so arrogant. Feeling that his prestige had been challenged, this time, without waiting for the couple to say anything, the director red at Catherine fiercely and asked in an angry voice, ¡°Who gave you the right to be so arrogant and reckless?¡± ¡°Me!¡± The abrupt voice interrupted the silence in the room. Everyone subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound. The cold and handsome man walked in quickly from the door, exuding an unusually noble aura. The director was about to question who the other party was when he saw the principal of Styre University standing behind the man. He immediately rushed forward. ¡°Mr. Principal, why are you here?¡± Catherine stood where she was and looked at the man gradually approaching her. Her face remained calm, not too surprised. ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked Catherine. As if afraid of Catherine¡¯s misunderstanding, Branden immediately exined. ¡°I heard you were brought here when I came to find you, so I came.¡± Worried that Catherine¡¯s training on the first day was too hard and the rest time was not enough, Branden calcted the end time for the night training and arrived when it was almost time. He didn¡¯t expect to hear the news that Catherine had been called away. It was not a good thing for the director to call Catherine away for no reason, so Branden immediately notified the principal and rushed over with him. The director had yet to understand the situation and was still enthusiastically introducing the Facers to the principal. ¡°Sir, Mr. Facer¡¯s daughter was bullied at school. Now he and his wife are here at the school, and I¡¯m dealing with this girl bully.¡± Sensing that Branden¡¯s expression changed slightly, the principal really wanted to kick the stupid director. How dare he talk such nonsense in front of Branden? Branden¡¯s face darkened slightly, and his originally cold eyes instantly became extremely sharp. He nced at the director. ¡°Girl bully?¡± His gloomy and cold voice was full of disdain and doubt. ¡°I just want to know how my fianc¨¦e became a girl bully.¡± The director looked up at Branden, only to feel that the man was unusually noble and his aura was particrly strong. It made people subconsciously feel afraid when they saw him. However, the director was used to being arrogant in school and had long been blinded by his superiority. After a moment of surprise, he returned to his previous arrogant attitude and asked Branden coldly, ¡± Who are you?¡± Branden nced at the principal. He didn¡¯t think the director deserved to talk to him. The next second, the principal kicked the director hard. The sudden attack caught the director by surprise, and he lost his bnce and fell to the side. He looked up at the principal with a puzzled look on his face, not knowing why he was beaten up in public. The principal looked at him in disappointment and said angrily, ¡°Shut up if you don¡¯t know what is good for you. Don¡¯t be such an idiot.¡± After scolding the director, the principal came to Branden respectfully. He bent over and smiled as if he was groveling. ¡°Mr. Duncan, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely give you an exnation for this matter. I guarantee that I will not wrong anyone. Please rest assured. ¡°I believe that through your fianc¨¦e¡¯s disposition, this kind of thing is absolutely impossible.¡± Such an important person suddenly appeared, and such a big thing happened. The principal felt that he might lose his position as principal if he couldn¡¯t handle this matter properly. The director, who had fallen to the ground and hadn¡¯t had time to get up, was instantly stunned when he saw this scene. He had never seen the principal treat anyone so respectfully. This meant that this man was surely not an average one. He just said that Catherine was his fianc¨¦e, right? Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Thinking of this, the director felt a chill down his spine. The Facers kept looking at Branden. After hearing the principal¡¯s words, Beatrice¡¯s mother snorted disdainfully. ¡°Hmph, sir, what you said is too biased. My daughter is obviously the victim. Is it wrong for us to ask for an exnation?¡± The principal¡¯s face was very gloomy. He had already understood the general situation before he came. He directly called to inform the teacher and asked the teacher to call all the students who were present in the morning. ¡°You guys, tell me what happened between Beatrice and Catherine,¡± said the principal. Seeing that the principal, the director, and even the chief instructor were there, those several students were scared and quickly exined the matter clearly. Beatrice incited the others to wrong and nder Catherine, but she was finally exposed to the truth by Catherine and forced to apologize in public. The testimonies of several students were the same, and the Facers suddenly could not stay calm. Beatrice¡¯s mother shouted arrogantly, ¡± We can¡¯t believe what these students say. Who knows if they teamed up to bully my daughter on purpose?¡± The principal didn¡¯t show Mrs. Facer any respect. After all, Styre University was a nationally renowned school. As the principal of Styre University, he would not respect everyone. ¡°Well, if so many students have wronged your daughter, I think you should find the reason from your daughter. Why did so many people join forces to bully her? Is there anything wrong with her?¡± Beatrice¡¯s mother¡¯s face twisted at the principal¡¯s words. She pulled her husband¡¯s clothes and wanted him to help Beatrice¡¯s father then looked at the principal with a serious expression and spoke with a heavy threat in his words. ¡°Sir, bullying on campus is no small matter. If we have a difference of opinion, then I will have to hire a The principal naturally could tell the threat in the other party¡¯s words, and he turned to look at Branden behind him. He had done everything that the school should do. If the other party really wanted to go through legal procedures, it was Branden¡¯s turn to handle the matter. Branden stepped forward and stood in front of Beatrice¡¯s father. ¡°You can file awsuit.¡± He narrowed his cold eyes slightly and looked at the other party threateningly. Then he took out a business card from his pocket and threw it on the other party¡¯s face. ¡°Just contact me.¡± To Beatrice¡¯s father, Branden¡¯s attitude was simply defiant. He had never seen anyone so arrogant in his life. He bent down and picked up the business card that had fallen on the ground, wanting to see who Branden was for him to be so arrogant. When he saw the name on the business card, he was dumbfounded. Seeing his strange expression, Beatrice¡¯s mother was puzzled. She wondered why he hadn¡¯t taught the other party a lesson. ¡°Hubby, what are you thinking? Teach him a hard lesson!¡± said she. Annoyed by his wife, Beatrice¡¯s father turned around and pped his wife in the face. Beatrice¡¯s mother was dumbfounded, but her husband was still angry. If his wife hadn¡¯t been inciting him today, he wouldn¡¯t have offended such a big shot. He red at his wife and shouted angrily, ¡°Do you know who he is?¡± Chapter 536 Punishment Chapter 536 Punishment In the face of her husband¡¯s fearful attitude, Beatrice¡¯s mother was still in a daze. She came from a wealthy background and wouldn¡¯t have chosen her husband if it weren¡¯t for the prestigious status of the Facers. Although her husband was a lesser son of the Facers, he was still considered part of the Facers, a powerful and influential family. Seeing her husband cowering in fear, Beatrice¡¯s mother became angry. ¡°Tell me, who could it be? Who has the guts to be so arrogant in Loxton?¡± His wife¡¯s cold expression made Beatrice¡¯s father angry as well. ¡°Branden Duncan from the Duncan Corporation! Understand?¡± Upon hearing this familiar name, Beatrice¡¯s mother was stunned for a moment. ¡°The Duncan Corporation? The one that has a good rtionship with Conor?¡± Her husband gave her a cold nce as if telling her, ¡°What else could it be?¡± After learning the other party¡¯s identity, Beatrice¡¯s mother widened her eyes in shock. Her face was filled with horror, an exaggerated reaction to the surprise. She truly hadn¡¯t expected that a girl from Styre University would turn out to be the fianc¨¦e of Branden Duncan. She didn¡¯t know who Branden Duncan was in the past, but she witnessed his power at Conor¡¯s birthday banquet. Jada, the most beloved daughter of the Facers, and the most famous socialite in Loxton, was publicly humiliated. And the worst, unbelievable part was that the other party just walked away unscathed. Standing behind the one who humiliated Jada were the Duncans. Not only that, Conor had ordered that the Facers should not cause trouble for the Duncan Corporation, fearing it would backfire on them. Even Conor had to show respect to the other party, how could they, as distant rtives, afford to offend her? Beatrice¡¯s mother finally understood her husband¡¯s fear and realized that her daughter had offended a big shot this time. She quickly put on a smile and approached Branden. In the face of power, she yielded faster than anyone else. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I apologize. There¡¯s a misunderstanding between us. The Duncans and the Facers have always had a good rtionship. Beatrice is here to personally apologize to Miss Swann. She would even kneel to apologize if I ask her to!¡± Beatrice happened to enter the room when she heard her mother¡¯s words. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she looked at her mother. ¡°Mom, what are you saying? How could I possibly kneel down to that despicable woman?¡± Before Beatrice could even react, her mother pped her hard across the face. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done?¡± Beatrice covered her face, looking at her mother in disbelief. She never expected her mother to not only make her kneel and apologize to Catherine, but also p her in the face. It seemed that there was no way out for Beatrice anymore. As the scene came to an end, Catherine grew tired. Seeing her yawn, Branden frowned with concern and decided not to continue the confrontation. He coldly stared at Beatrice¡¯s father and issued his ultimatum. ¡°If you want to resolve this matter, have Conore and find me!¡± After saying this, he ignored the pleas of those behind him and walked away with Catherine. His arrogant and confident demeanor reached its peak. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The Facers were most afraid of their problems catching Conor¡¯s attention. They always tried to keep things under wraps. But now, they had offended the Duncans, who demanded a personal visit from Conor. If Conor found out, they would surely face severe consequences. Thinking about this, Beatrice¡¯s father felt a headacheing on. He red at his daughter and scolded her, ¡°Look at the mess you¡¯ve created!¡± Although Beatrice was angry, she had never seen her parents so submissive before. And now, Branden even demanded that Conor should handle the situation. She instantly realized the severity of the matter. ¡°Dad, he just wants Grandpa to handle it. If we don¡¯t tell Grandpa, what can he do? Besides, Grandpa is not someone who can be summoned by just anyone, right?¡± Seeing that her daughter still didn¡¯t understand the gravity of the situation, Beatrice¡¯s father left in frustration. Before leaving, however, he couldn¡¯t help but give his daughter a final warning. ¡°You and your mother are both short- sighted. Go tell Conor yourselves. I¡¯m done with this! And I¡¯m warning you onest time. He is Branden Duncan. Even Conor has to show him respect!¡± Beatrice¡¯s father¡¯s words made the atmosphere fall into silence. Beatrice might not have fully grasped the situation, but her mother understood the implications of her husband¡¯s words. If they didn¡¯t handle the problem ording to Branden¡¯s demands, the final oue was probably theplete destruction of their family. They shouldn¡¯t have provoked such a powerful figure! After the Facers left, the director trembled as he approached the president. He awkwardly called out, ¡± Sir, what should I do about this?¡± The president looked at him coldly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do anything. I want to see your resignation letter tomorrow!¡± The director¡¯s face turned ashen. He didn¡¯t expect such a severe punishment from the president. ¡°Sir, isn¡¯t it too harsh? I didn¡¯t punish that student. Can¡¯t we find another way to handle this? It¡¯s unfair to me, isn¡¯t it? The president gave him a cold nce and said, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done? If you don¡¯t submit your resignation letter, it will be me who submits mine to the education bureau, and no one will be able to protect you then!¡± These wordspletely destroyed the director¡¯s hope. He never expected the consequences to be so severe. This time, he was truly finished. Catherine was picked up from the campus by Branden and taken to an apartment near Styre University. The apartment, regardless of its size or decoration, was exactly the same as the one in Casier. Catherinefortablyy on the reclining chair, while Branden stood by her side, his eyes fixed on her. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°I had dinner!¡± Catherine replied briefly. Branden knew that Catherine already had her dinner. Ronin had even taken a photo and posted it on social media with a caption reading, ¡°It¡¯s so great to have the first dinner with Catherine at Styre University!¡± ¡°Great my ass!¡± Branden cursed when he saw it. ¡°You must be tired from physical training. Have ate-night snack!¡± Seeing Catherine subconsciously touch her waist right after he spoke, Branden quickly persuaded her, ¡°You¡¯re so skinny. There¡¯s barely any fat on you. If you don¡¯t gain some weight, a gust of wind could knock you down. Alright, just wait a few minutes!¡± Without waiting for Catherine¡¯s response, Branden walked into the kitchen. A few minutester, the aroma of food wafted over. It seemed that Branden truly feared that Catherine would get hungry if she waited too long. Before long, he came out with a deliciouste- night snack on the te. Catherine didn¡¯t even have to get up. Branden carried her horizontally and ced her on a chair, even cing the fork directly into her hand. Catherine felt so lucky that she didn¡¯t gain weight easily. Otherwise, with the way Branden was feeding her, she would have be extremely fat. Branden, who was always high and mighty and ruling over everything, was willing to cook for her. And he didn¡¯t show any signs of getting tired or bored. Chapter 537 An Unexpected Kiss Chapter 537 An Unexpected Kiss Styre University had a clear rule that freshmen were not allowed to stay overnight outside of school. Although this rule was nothing to Branden, after Catherine had eaten and rested enough, he still took her back to the campus. Underneath the dormitory building, Branden¡¯s eyes were fixed on Catherine¡¯s stunning face. His voice showed a hint of helplessness and reluctance as he said, ¡°I have to go to thepany tomorrow. Call me anytime if you need anything!¡± Branden found himself increasingly wanting to keep Catherine by his side forever, not allowing her to go anywhere. However, he forcefully suppressed this thought in his mind. Catherine was an independent individual, different from ordinary girls who wanted to cling to him. As she was independent, she was also incredibly strong, like the brightest star in the sky, radiating a dazzling light. He didn¡¯t want to confine her or let her lose such radiance. He would rather be a that constantly revolved around her, protecting her forever. The Duncan Corporation had moved to Loxton. Catherine knew that there must be a lot of things for Branden to handle. ¡°Okay,¡± she responded, blinking her eyes at Branden. Her pursed lips formed a faint smile as she turned and left. Seeing her leave with a carefree demeanor, Branden couldn¡¯t help but feel a little frustrated. He gave a bitter smile, thinking, ¡°You¡¯re truly heartless, sweetheart, not showing any reluctance at all.¡± Just as Branden was about to step down the stairs and leave, he heard light and brisk footsteps behind him. He instinctively turned around and saw Catherine running toward him, her beautiful face adorned with a sweet smile, making her extremely captivating. Branden was about to ask her if there was something wrong when he heard Catherine¡¯s cheerful voice calling out to him, ¡°I forgot the most important thing before leaving, and I need it from you now!¡± The next second, she pounced on him. Branden instinctively reached out and embraced her waist to prevent her from falling. Catherine fearlessly clung to Branden, urately aimed at his thin lips, and gave him a passionate kiss before quickly running away. Catherine stood at the staircase, looking at Branden who was still in a daze. Then, she gave a mischievous and carefree smile. ¡°Alright, I got the kiss. You can go now. With a queen-like posture, she waved her hand at Branden, showing no hint of reluctance, and stepped onto the stairs. Branden had hardly savored the fragrance when Catherine happily ran away. He stood in ce. His expression was full of helplessness, but the smile on his lips deepened. It was obvious that he was in a very good mood. As the Duncan Corporation shifted its focus to Loxton, the employees of the Loxton branch had been working day and night recently. Suddenly, they received an email saying Branden had decided to double everyone¡¯s sry for this month. Upon seeing this email, the employees were ecstatic. Indeed, the Duncan Corporation was a rare, conscientiouspany. Although they needed to work overtime for a long period due to the strategic shift, the president showed his humanity by voluntarily awarding benefits for his employees. Where else could they find such a goodpany? However, Paxton frowned upon reading the news. He immediately forwarded the email to Karl, telling on Branden. ¡°Who else could make Boss so extravagant besides Catherine?¡± he thought. ¡°But if Boss keeps doing this, the entire Duncan Corporation will be ruined!¡± After receiving the email, Karl didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, he rebuked Paxton. ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re still single?¡± Paxton was confused. ¡°What does my rtionship status have to do with this? ¡°he asked inwardly. Seeing Paxton¡¯s dumbfounded look, Karl didn¡¯t bother to beat around the bush with someone of such low emotional intelligence. ¡°You¡¯re just too stingy. Can a stingy man attract girls? The money you earn is for spending. What¡¯s wrong with spending a little to pursue a girl? Besides, Branden is just looking out for the welfare of his employees. It¡¯s an act of mutual benefit.¡± Paxton still had a bewildered look on his face, wondering how his telling on his boss turned into a scolding and lecture from Karl. Karl looked frustrated, staring at Paxton with disdain. ¡°You fool, even if I exin, you won¡¯t understand. Spread the word. Each employee will receive an extra month¡¯s allowance this month,ing from my personal ount.¡± Seeing Karl¡¯s delighted expression, Paxton felt that all the men of the Duncans had gone crazy. Otherwise, how could they all be affected by Catherine¡¯s charm? However, this made Paxton understand one thing. As long as Catherine was happy, his boss would be happy. And if his boss was happy, the entire Duncan Corporation would be happy. In other words, if Catherine was happy, everyone would be happy. Catherine returned to her dormitory. As soon as she stepped in, she heard the sound of someone crying in distress. If someone who didn¡¯t know the situation heard it, they would truly feel that the person was in a pitiful state. Catherine walked into the room, expressionless, allowing her roommates¡¯ gazes to fall upon her. She walked indifferently to her own bed, took off the training uniform she wore for physical training, and tidied up briefly. Since Catherine returned, Beatrice had been observing her. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t pay any attention to her crying, Beatrice cried even louder. Isabe looked extremely distressed and didn¡¯t know how to handle the current situation. Feeling an intimidating aura emanating from Catherine, Isabe didn¡¯t dare to talk to her. Isabe could only turn to Amelia, nudging her elbow to signal her to say something. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. She had seen through Beatrice¡¯s maniptive tactics. Unable to resist Beatrice¡¯s crying and Isabe¡¯s persuasion, she decided to ask for rification and find out what was going on. ¡°Catherine, can I ask you something?¡± Hearing Amelia¡¯s voice, Catherine put down what she was holding, turned around, pulled out a chair, and sat down, gesturing for Amelia to speak. With Catherine¡¯s agreement, Amelia straightforwardly asked, ¡°Catherine, Beatrice came back and cried to us just now. She said that because of what happened this morning, you forced her to go home and made her grandfather apologize to you. She also said that you want the school to expel her. Is it true?¡± Amelia¡¯s bold questions made Beatrice, who was hiding behind the bed curtain, blush with anger, but she could only curse Amelia in her mind. Facing Amelia¡¯s questioning, Catherine admitted honestly, ¡°Strictly speaking, that¡¯s true!¡± She indeed asked Conor to intervene, and she also knew that the school intended to expel Beatrice. These were all possible oues in the end. So, what Beatrice said wasn¡¯t wrong. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard Catherine¡¯s admission. They didn¡¯t expect it to be true. That was just too mean¡­ Chapter 538 Not Powerful Enough Catherine¡¯s admission was direct, and not only Isabe but even Beatrice herself was stunned. Once Beatrice realized what had happened, she felt secretly delighted. She had thought that Catherine was a powerful figure, but it turned out Catherine was just a paper tiger. If it were Beatrice, she would never say it out loud. In this world, everyone likes to sympathize with the weak. Telling the truth wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing to do. Beatrice sniffled and held Isabe¡¯s hand, knowing that Isabe would definitely help her. ¡°Be, I studied so hard to get into Styre University. If I¡¯m forced to drop out, my life will be ruined!¡± Isabe understood what Beatrice meant and sympathized with her plight. She knew how difficult it was to get into Styre University. During Isabe¡¯s three years of high school, she didn¡¯t even take a single weekend off, all for the sake of sessfully getting into Styre University. Earlier, Isabe was afraid of falsely using Catherine, not daring to speak up. But now that Catherine had admitted it herself, she naturally had to stand up for Beatrice. To avoid conflict, Isabe tried to maintain a friendly attitude toward Catherine. ¡°Catherine, we¡¯re ssmates and roommates. That¡¯s fate. I know Beatrice was in the wrong, but expulsion is a bit too severe. How about we find a different form of punishment, like having Beatrice sincerely apologize to you?¡± Catherine nced at Isabe. Even though Catherine hadn¡¯t done anything, Isabe felt an immense sense of shame. Isabe silently lowered her head, not daring to meet Catherine¡¯s eyes. Then, she discreetly tugged on Amelia¡¯s arm, hoping Amelia would speak up. Amelia had a better rtionship with Catherine than Isabe did, so maybe Catherine would listen to her. Although Amelia also thought that Catherine¡¯s demands were a bit excessive, her principle had always been ¡°Do not advise others on what they haven¡¯t experienced themselves.¡± She remained silent and chose to be a bystander, not getting involved. Sensing Amelia¡¯s indifferent attitude, Isabe had no choice but to continue persuading Catherine. ¡°Catherine, we¡¯re ssmates after all. If you¡¯re not satisfied with an apology, you can make other requests.¡± Isabe, on the surface, was known for her kindness, but to put it bluntly, she couldn¡¯t distinguish right from wrong. She tended to believe whatever people said, but deep down, she wasn¡¯t a bad person. ¡°Isabe, did Beatrice tell you why her parents came to school today?¡± Isabe was taken aback and looked at Catherine in surprise. ¡°You mean Beatrice¡¯s parents came to school?¡± ¡°Humph.¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°It seems that Beatrice has been keeping a lot from you. Her parents came to school today not only to demand a public apology from me but also to persuade the director to expel me.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Catherine having a more powerful background, she would be the one facing expulsion today, not Beatrice. Isabe was shocked. Beatrice indeed hadn¡¯t mentioned this to her. Beatrice only said that Catherine¡¯s apology wasn¡¯t sincere and that she had brought this matter to the attention of the president. She also mentioned that Catherine had a capable boyfriend who forced her to drop out and made her parents beg for mercy. However, Beatrice didn¡¯t mention that she had asked her parents toe to school first to teach Catherine a lesson and force Catherine to drop out. Amelia, upon hearing what Catherine said, secretly felt relieved that she hadn¡¯t interfered. Otherwise, she would have been embarrassed now. Facing Beatrice¡¯s hypocritical behavior, Amelia couldn¡¯t help butment in a sarcastic tone, ¡°I thought she was so pitiful, but it turns out she¡¯s only pitiful because her background isn¡¯t powerful enough! The first thing she did after making a mistake was ask her parents for help. How childish! And the most embarrassing part is that her parents are not powerful enough, so she ended up begging for mercy!¡± Although Amelia didn¡¯t mention any names, there were only four people in the room. Who else could she be referring to? Beatrice couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She stood up abruptly, ring at Amelia and scolding her loudly. ¡°Amelia, what the hell is wrong with you? Why do you have to nder me like this? I didn¡¯t offend you. Why are you mocking me?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Amelia coldly snorted in disdain. ¡°Then why did you ask me for help? Just a moment ago, you sat there crying, begging us to intercede with Catherine on your behalf. I didn¡¯t expect that you were the real culprit!¡± Beatrice, despite her arrogance, was left speechless. Amelia¡¯s retorts made her face turn red. She decided not to argue with Amelia. Instead, she focused her gaze on Catherine. ¡°Catherine, how do you n to resolve this matter? State your conditions, and I will agree to them. But you have to guarantee that I won¡¯t be expelled, and that my grandfather won¡¯t find out about this.¡± Catherine sat there, her eyes slightly raised, calmly assessing Beatrice. She couldn¡¯t understand what was wrong with Beatrice. How could Beatrice be so foolish? At this point, Beatrice still maintained her arrogant attitude, indicating that she hadn¡¯t learned her lesson yet. Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with her. ¡°You¡¯re not even worthy of negotiating with me.¡± After saying that, Catherine stood up and pushed the chair to its original position. She had thought there would be an interesting twist of events, but it turned out that none of them were worth her time. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t fall for her tactics and even ignored her, Beatrice became desperate and started crying again. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Catherine, why are you so heartless? What can make you satisfied? My death?¡± Catherine opened the window, revealing her beautiful face, her gaze calmly fixed on Beatrice. ¡°If you want to kill yourself, go somewhere else. Don¡¯t disturb our sleep.¡± She spoke in the calmest tone, uttering the harshest words. Someone like Beatrice would never actuallymit suicide. At most, she would use it as a means to threaten others and achieve her goals. Even if Beatrice did try to kill herself, Catherine wasn¡¯t afraid. Catherine was naturally cold-hearted, and even her own family couldn¡¯t sway her, let alone a stranger like Beatrice who had framed her. Seeing that Catherine remained unmoved, Beatrice became truly desperate. Her father had made it clear that if this matter reached Conor¡¯s ears, he would disown her and kick her out of the house. In her panic, Beatrice thought of someone who might be able to help her ovee this difficult situation. Chapter 539 Can Tou Prove It? The next day at noon, when Amelia and her ssmates returned from physical training, they found Beatrice¡¯s bed empty with no sign of her belongings. Amelia cautiously looked at Catherine and asked, ¡°Did she really drop out?¡± Catherine shrugged, indicating that she didn¡¯t know. It was inevitable that Beatrice would be expelled, but the specifics of how and when were unknown to Catherine. Unable to get an answer from Catherine, Amelia turned to Isabe, who suddenly said, ¡°She¡¯s not dropping out, she¡¯s transferring!¡± ¡°Be, how do you know? Transferring? Which university is she transferring to?¡± Amelia eagerly questioned Isabe. Isabe felt a bit embarrassed by this question. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not entirely sure, but Beatrice sent me a message before leaving. She said that even if she forced herself to stay here, she wouldn¡¯t be happy, so under her family¡¯s arrangement, she transferred to the University of Penny.¡± Hearing this, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but feel envious. Indeed, having connections made a difference. Transferring from Styre University to the prestigious University of Penny seemed like a piece of cake to Beatrice. Catherine was present, so she naturally heard what Isabe said. However, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. It had nothing to do with her whether Beatrice was expelled or transferred to another university. As long as Beatrice didn¡¯t provoke her again, it was fine. With that, the topic of Beatrice came to an end. After a morning of physical training, everyone was exhausted and could barely lift their arms. There was only a short break, and if they didn¡¯t rest properly, the afternoon would be torture. August was the hottest time of the year. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Because of the heatwave, the physical training that was supposed to start at two o¡¯clock was dyed until half past two. Even though it started half an hourter, the temperature on the sports field was still scorching. If one wore thin-soled shoes and stood on the rubber track, blisters would form on one¡¯s feet from the heat. As soon as the instructor gave themand and blew the whistle, the students obediently began their drills. The heat was unbearable, and everyone was sweating profusely as they ran. Amelia ran beside Catherine and noticed that Catherine wasn¡¯t sweating at all, which puzzled her. ¡°Kathy, why aren¡¯t you sweating?¡± Amelia asked, panting heavily. As for Catherine, she was running at an easy pace. Hearing Amelia¡¯s question, Catherine nced at her and noticed that she was drenched in sweat. ¡°I don¡¯t like sweating. It¡¯s sticky and ufortable,¡± Catherine exined, further confusing Amelia. ¡°Not like sweating? Kathy, can you control sweating?¡± Catherine calmly nodded. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not too intense exercise, calming your mind and adjusting your breathing can help control it.¡± Amelia listened to Catherine with a puzzled expression on her face. ¡± Really? Then teach me, I don¡¯t want to sweat either.¡± One of the boys who was running with them overheard their conversation and sneered. ¡°Hmph, Amelia, do you really believe such lies? Sweating is instinctive, unless you don¡¯t have pores. Some people just spout nonsense like this without thinking twice.¡± This boy was also from the electronic information engineering department, but he happened to be roommates with Calvin. He had always held a grudge against Catherine because of Calvin¡¯s incident. His macho nature made him feel that Catherine didn¡¯t show Calvin any respect and was acting out of line. Now, upon hearing Catherine¡¯s conversation with Amelia, he couldn¡¯t help but mock her. Amelia sensed the unfriendly attitude of this boy and frowned, ring at him. ¡°Corey Sinir, if you don¡¯t know, keep your mouth shut. No one thinks you¡¯re mute.¡± Corey felt annoyed after being scolded. ¡°You should shut up, you dumbass!¡± The conversation between them caught the attention of the instructor. The instructor blew the whistle, and everyone paused, standing in ce without daring to move. With a stern face, the instructor walked toward Corey and the others, his gaze serious and sharp, scaring Corey to the point where he didn¡¯t even dare to lift his head. In a cold and serious tone, the instructor¡¯s voice rang out. It was filled with anger, causing people to tremble. ¡± What are you all doing? You should be running! Not chatting!¡± Corey was forced to lift his head and respond, ¡°Sir, we weren¡¯t chatting.¡± The instructor¡¯s dark face instantly turned even colder as if he was on the verge of throwing a fit. ¡°How dare you lie to me? You have some nerve! Confess now, or the whole ss won¡¯t have dinner tonight.¡± If the entire ss couldn¡¯t have dinner because of a certain person, that person would probably have a hard time in the ss from then on. While others remained calm, Corey panicked and tried to shift the me to Catherine. ¡°Sorry, sir. It was because Catherine Swann boasted about being able to control sweating. As a student who believes in silence, I refuted her.¡± Upon hearing Corey¡¯s words, Amelia was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect this guy to be so shameless that he would frame Catherine just to save himself. This was totally uneptable! Amelia was about to speak when suddenly someone grabbed her arm. Amelia cautiously turned her head and found that the person grabbing her was Catherine. She didn¡¯t understand what Catherine was trying to do, but she was certain that Catherine didn¡¯t want her to speak. The next moment, Catherine stepped forward and exined the situation. ¡°Sir, I did mention the ability to control sweating. I was concerned that excessive sweating among girls could lead to severe oxygen deprivation, so I suggested that they adjust their breathing to reduce sweating.¡± Catherine¡¯s words provoked a direct rebuttal from Corey. ¡°How dare you spout such nonsense? Can you really control sweating? Do you think you¡¯re some kind of superwoman?¡± Speaking without permission was a serious vition of military discipline in front of a strict instructor. Corey noticed the instructor ring at him and immediately lowered his head, obediently admitting his mistake. The instructor coldly nced at Corey and realized that this kid was truly ignorant, not understanding that there would always be someone better than him. Controlling sweating was just a small skill that could easily be achieved by someone like him, an experienced instructor. After exchanging nces with Catherine, the instructor made a decision. ¡°Since you two hold different views, present your evidence. Whoever can prove themselves correct will not be punished, and the loser will run tenps around the track.¡± On such a hot day, running onep around the 400-yard track was exhausting enough, let alone ten laps. Upon hearing this punishment, the students present all turned pale. However, Corey was somewhat excited. He thought that he could take this opportunity to teach Catherine a lesson. He didn¡¯t believe that she could prove herself. Afraid that Catherine would back out, he immediately raised his hand and said, ¡°I willply with your orders and arrangements, sir!¡± The instructor looked at this ignorant boy and silently felt a bit sorry for him. ¡°Since you have no objections, let¡¯s begin!¡± the instructormanded. Corey immediately challenged Catherine. ¡°This is simple. If you can prove that you can control sweating, then you win!¡± He wore a smug smile on his face and raised an eyebrow at Catherine. ¡°The problem is, can you prove it?¡± Chapter 540 Friendly Catherine Catherine nced at Corey and gestured for him to wait. Then, she reached out and pointed at Amelia, signaling her to step forward. Amelia immediatelyplied with Catherine¡¯s arrangement and stood up. Catherine looked at her, her lips slightly curved upwards. ¡°How long does it take for you to start sweating on a day like this?¡± Without hesitation, Amelia replied, ¡± On a day like this? Well, I may start sweating even without moving. I¡¯ll be drenched in sweat just sitting there.¡± As soon as she finished speaking,ughter erupted around her. No one questioned Amelia¡¯s words because many of them were in the same situation. In such a scorching summer, everyone would sweat even just sitting, let alone exercising. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine approached Amelia and whispered a few words in her ear. ¡°Do you understand?¡± People who could get admitted to Styre University were considered highly intelligent. Moreover, Catherine¡¯s method was rtively simple, so Amelia instantly understood. She nodded at Catherine. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Catherine nodded in satisfaction. ¡± Alright then, let¡¯s begin!¡± Except for Amelia, no one knew how Catherine would prove her theory. The next moment, Amelia simplyy down on the nearby grass. Catherine squatted down and held onto her ankle. It turned out that Amelia was going to do sit-ups! ¡°Why would Catherine make Amelia do sit-ups?¡± someone asked. ¡°If she does sit-ups on such a hot day, it¡¯s very likely that she¡¯ll faint on the spot.¡± ¡°One, two, three¡­¡± Catherine counted, and Amelia followed her rhythm, doing one sit-up after another. Although the speed was slow, her posture was standard. Afterpleting the thirtieth sit-up, Catherine pulled Amelia up. Amelia was pleasantly surprised to find that, following Catherine¡¯s instructions on adjusting her breathing, she wasn¡¯t tired at all. Not only was she not tired, but she also didn¡¯t sweat much. Amelia excitedly took off her hat, disying her face to everyone. ¡°Look. I have hardly any sweat on my face!¡± Everyone carefully observed Amelia and then astonishingly discovered that she indeed had hardly any sweat on her face. When they were running together just now, sweat was pouring down from Amelia like a faucet turned on full st. It was truly miraculous that she had done so many sit-ups without sweating. Amelia didn¡¯t let Corey off the hook when she noticed the change in his expression. She wouldn¡¯t let this petty man go after daring to question her idol, Catherine. She immediately bounced over to Corey, looking at him provocatively. ¡°You see that? I¡¯m a living proof right in front of you. Is it enough? Humph!¡± Amelia snorted disapprovingly, her face full of mockery. ¡°You im to be the top student, right? But why don¡¯t you know anything about sweat- controlling? Now you¡¯ve been proven ¡®wrong, loser!¡± Under Amelia¡¯s mocking, Corey¡¯s face turned red with shame. The living proof in front of him made him feel so ignorant. Without the instructor even needing to say anything, Corey started running, which was a funny sight to see. The instructor instructed the rest of the students to take a break while waiting for Corey to finish his run before continuing the training. Once everyone was seated, they gathered around Catherine, asking her about her breathing skills. ¡°Catherine, can you teach us? We also want to sweat less. Sweating too much makes us smelly. Even we ourselves find it disgusting!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, especially during lunchtime when we can¡¯t take a shower. The smell is unbearable.¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly!¡± Without any hesitation, Catherine shared her methods of adjusting breathing and calming the mind with them. Those who could enter this university were the cream of the crop selected from all over the country. They were among the best in terms of mental resilience and intelligence. After Catherine exined the methods, they quickly grasped the secrets behind them. With a bit of practice, they could master the tricks. The students were pleasantly surprised to find that using Catherine¡¯s breathing techniques could indeed reduce sweating. Amelia looked at Catherine, who had willingly shared her techniques with everyone, and her admiration for Catherine instantly increased. ¡°Catherine, from now on, you will be my idol. You¡¯re truly amazing, not only academically but also knowledgeable in so many other areas.¡± Catherine smiled faintly without saying a word, appearing very indifferent. The more she acted this way, the more Amelia and the others admired her. At first, Catherine¡¯s ssmates thought she was too aloof. They heard that she was personally recruited by Professor Hartley, a top student among top students, so they harbored hostility against her from the moment they saw her. Due to her intimidating aura, her silence gave off a distant and cold feeling. It made people hesitant to approach her, thinking she was too arrogant. After just having a conversation with Catherine, they found that she was just a bit cold in personality. In fact, she ¡®was a nice person. As long as they asked politely, she would respond politely. She wasn¡¯t the type of person who thought highly of herself and looked down on others. Because of this incident, Catherine¡¯s reputation in the ss instantly improved. After all, her ssmates were still students, who wouldn¡¯t hold evesting grudges against others. They were just a bit unfamiliar with her at the beginning, but after getting to know each other, misunderstandings were cleared, and barriers naturally disappeared. Half an hourter, Corey dragged his exhausted body back slowly and copsed heavily on the ground. The instructor took a quick look and, seeing that he was fine, walked away, leaving Corey to rest on his own. When Catherine caught sight of Corey lying on the ground looking miserable, ¡®she said a few words to Amelia. Amelia didn¡¯t want to get involved in the first ce, but she could never refuse Catherine¡¯s requests. Amelia approached Corey and, following Catherine¡¯s instructions, told him about a few pressure points Catherine had instructed her to share. ¡°You can try pressing on these points. It can relieve the soreness. Otherwise, you might not be able to walk tomorrow!¡± Corey, knowing that Amelia was instructed by Catherine, became even more annoyed. He sneered and disdainfully cursed, ¡°Get out of my face! Your stupid trick doesn¡¯t work on someone like me, retard!¡± Corey¡¯s ungratefulness made Amelia furious. She turned around and returned to Catherine¡¯s side with a sullen expression. Catherine, seeing her upset,forted her, ¡°Forget it. If he wants to be treated like a retard, just let him be.¡± Corey himself said that it didn¡¯t work on someone like him, a retard. He seemed to have admitted that he was a retard. After thinking for a moment, Amelia understood the deeper meaning behind Catherine¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re really talented. What you said is right. He¡¯s treating himself like a retard!¡± Amelia covered her stomach,ughing uncontrobly. The ssmates around couldn¡¯t help butugh as well. Everyone wasughing. The only person who didn¡¯t find it amusing was Corey. His face turned red with anger, ¡®but he had nowhere to vent it and could only endure the difort. Dn also noticed Corey¡¯s expression. Looking at Corey, who was full of arrogance and ignorance, Dn knew that Corey was overestimating himself again. The method that Catherine shared with him was the best way to rx his muscles. ¡°This kid is stupid and rude,¡± Dn thought. ¡°He deserves to beughed at. Chapter 541 Mocking After a week of physical training, the freshmen suddenly received a notice to start field training. ¡°What does field training mean?¡± the freshmen asked the instructor in confusion. The instructor, with a piece of grass in his mouth, looked at the questioning freshmen with disdain on his face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys say that you are top students? Why don¡¯t you even know what field training is?¡± After a few days of getting along, the instructor had developed a good rtionship with the students. He would asionally joke around with no hard feelings. The freshmen smiled, teasingly saying, ¡°Sir, this isn¡¯t a readingprehension test. Don¡¯t y dumb with us. Just tell us.¡± ¡°Listen up. I don¡¯t want you to make me feel embarrassed.¡± After the instructor finished speaking, he exined the meaning of field training to the freshmen. There was an old military camp near Styre University, which had some training equipment. Styre University thought that the physical fitness of the freshmen was getting worse every year, and they lacked tenacity and perseverance. The school contacted the military camp, nning to send the freshmen there for training. After the instructor finished exining in detail, the freshmen all became excited. In the entire Loxton, only the students of the University of Penny had the opportunity to practice shooting. Other schools¡¯ training only consisted of exercises like marching under the sun. If Styre University freshmen could participate in field training, they would have the opportunity to practice shooting and even get hands-on experience with military equipment. They were all young students under twenty, full of passion and enthusiasm. What could be more exciting for them than this? The instructor looked at the excited freshmen with a cunning smile in his eyes. While others didn¡¯t notice the instructor¡¯s smile, Catherine saw it clearly and silently mourned for these naive students. They wereughing so happily now, but they would be cursing loudlyter. After a simple morning training, all the students sat in military vehicles and headed toward the nearby military camp. The scorching sun couldn¡¯t dampen their enthusiasm. Their curiosity about this mysterious camp had surpassed everything else. As expected, the first part of the field training was target shooting. But it wasn¡¯t a free-for-all where everyone got a gun and started shooting. Instead, the freshmen were divided into several small groups, taking turns to shoot the target, one group at a time. The instructor circled around the freshmen with his hands behind his back, shouting, ¡°If you want to shoot urately, you must hold the gun properly.¡± The first group stepped forward, carried their rifles on their shoulders under the scorching sun, and knelt on one knee, unmoving. The instructor¡¯s requirement didn¡¯t seem harsh. They only needed to maintain this posture for 10 minutes! At first, the freshmen found it easy, but as time passed, they felt more and more terrible. Most of them could endure for one minute to three minutes, but by the fifth minute, almost half of them gave up, and none of themsted for 10 minutes. As for Catherine, she didn¡¯t even participate. She told the instructor that she had heatstroke and sat on the side resting. However, other students didn¡¯t dare to do this. Everyone knew how strict the instructor was when it came to taking leave. If one couldn¡¯t provide evidence that showed they truly had heatstroke, he wouldn¡¯t allow them to rest. Therefore, everyone believed that Catherine had really suffered from heatstroke. After the first round of failure, they proceeded to the second round. Only when everyone passed the ten- minute rifle-holding exercise would the instructor allow them to shoot. The ss that passed it first would have the opportunity to shoot first. This turned into apetition between sses, not just individuals. In an instant, the freshmen¡¯s competitive spirit was ignited. Those who could only hold on for three minutes just now gritted their teeth and endured for five minutes this time. Originally, no one had managed to hold on for 10 minutes, but now half of them did. After two more rounds of training, the EIE ss became the first ss granted permission to shoot. Technically speaking, the strongest ss should have been the medical ss. The medical department students were required to exercise every day from the beginning of their enrollment. Although they appeared fragile, each one of them was incredibly strong. So, why did the EIE ss seed first? The ss leader of the medical ss couldn¡¯t ept it and came to the EIE ss, trying to learn something from them. The EIE ss didn¡¯t hesitate and directly gave him the answer. ¡°We have a genius in our ss who knows a breathing technique that can change the way we breathe. It not only reduces sweating but also minimizes unnecessary physical exertion.¡± This miraculous technique astonished the entire medical ss. ¡°What?¡± They gave an exmation of surprise. ¡°How could there be such a technique?¡± The medical students, driven by their curiosity, gathered around to learn about Catherine¡¯s breathing technique. A little whileter, they returned with their minds full of questions. This made the EIE ss feel proud. The medical ss had always looked down on them, saying that they only studied useless things. Unlike them, who researched human engineering, gic modification, and the cure for various malignant diseases. They imed to solve problems fundamentally, driving the progress of medicine and ensuring everyone¡¯s health. They were always boasting about how wonderful they were. But now, they couldn¡¯t even figure out how this breathing technique worked, which was ridiculous. The EIE ss students were eager to try. Even though they were using nks, those guns were real, and not everyone in Chritie could get their hands on them. Each person had 10 bullets to shoot at the target. The instructor only taught them the posture, but the way they performed depended on their talent. There were 10 rings on the target, each worth one point. Some had a natural aptitude for shooting and could score up to 80 points out of a hundred, while some could only score 20 to 30 points. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When Catherine stepped onto the shooting range, the bottom line of those scores was finally broken. The ssmate who went to check the scores didn¡¯t even have the courage to report her score. He directly handed the scorecards to the instructor. ¡°Sir, please take a look!¡± The instructor nced at it and read it aloud, ¡°Zero points!¡± This was unbelievable. Zero points meant missing the target with every shot. Originally, they thought that even if Catherine didn¡¯t perform well, she would at least get a passing grade. After all, her physical fitness was good, as she didn¡¯t get breathless when running. But they didn¡¯t expect her shooting to be so bad. The person most delighted by Catherine¡¯s score was Corey. He couldn¡¯t help but taunt her, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect there to be something that the academic overachiever isn¡¯t good at. I thought you were born with an extra brain, but it seems not. Hahaha¡­¡± Catherine coldly nced at Corey, not even bothering to respond to him. At first, the surrounding students sympathized with Corey, thinking that it was a pity he lost the bet and had to run 10ps. But when they heard Corey¡¯s arrogant words, they all felt disdainful of him. After all, why would they sympathize with a guy who was so petty and calctive? Chapter 542 I Like It This Way Corey¡¯s sarcastic remarks didn¡¯t bother Catherine at all. She didn¡¯t need to do anything because her ssmates quickly shut Corey down with theirments, leaving him with no courage to stay. He slinked away in embarrassment, which was what he deserved for being so mean. Dn found that Catherine was leaning against the side, resting. He intentionally coughed twice to wake her up. Catherine opened her eyes, slightly squinting at him, which scared Dn out of his wits. If it weren¡¯t for the students around them, he would have apologized to her right away for disturbing her rest. Dn lowered his voice and exined, ¡°Ms. Swann, someone is looking for you in the office.¡± Catherine frowned and nced at him. It was a very indifferent look, but it made Dn¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°It has nothing to do with me. It¡¯s amand. I don¡¯t even know who gave it to me!¡± Catherine knew that Dn wouldn¡¯t dare to lie to her. The fact that the other party coulde to this military camp to find her indicated that they had a lot of influence. Catherine didn¡¯t intend to make things difficult for Dn. She got up, patted her thighs, and said casually to him, ¡± Lead the way!¡± Seeing that Catherine finally agreed to go, Dn silently breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like surviving a disaster. There was a five to six-minute walk from the training field to the office. Catherine walked with Dn under the scorching sun until they reached the office door. Standing outside the door, Dn stopped in his tracks. ¡°Ms. Swann, you can go in by yourself. I have to go back to the training field!¡± He was instructed to leave once he brought her here. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sure!¡± Catherine responded in a muffled voice and took a step toward the office. She wanted to see who this mysterious person was. The curtains in the office were drawn, so it was dim inside. Catherine casually walked in and suddenly felt an aura behind her. She immediately turned around, but a dark figure instantly approached her. She couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was pressed down. With a soft click, the office door closed. At the same time, she was pinned against the door. ¡°Aren¡¯t you resisting?¡± Branden¡¯s deep voice echoed softly in Catherine¡¯s ear. His warm breath sprayed onto her cheeks, tickling her pores. In the dim light, a mischievous smile appeared on Catherine¡¯s face. Branden¡¯s voice was low, but hers was even lower. ¡°Resisting? Such a good-looking man is standing in front of me. Why do I need to resist?¡± ¡°Humph.¡± Branden chuckled, his voice as enchanting as music ying from a gramophone. In the next moment, Catherine spun around and pressed Branden against the door. She extended her finger and lifted his chin, forcing him to raise his head. Her posture was dominant yet alluring, exuding a sense of ambiguity. She slightly lowered her head and blew a breath onto Branden¡¯s nose, lowering her voice as she softly said, ¡°I like it this way!¡± After speaking, she pressed her warm lips tightly against Branden¡¯s. The impact of this kiss was as powerful as a meteor striking the earth. If it weren¡¯t for Branden¡¯s strong willpower, Catherine would probably not be able to walk out of this room today. Considering that Catherine was still in physical training, Branden only kissed her a few times before stopping. Catherinefortably fell into Branden¡¯s embrace, allowing him to hold her as he pleased. ¡°Why did youe here today?¡± ¡°Because I missed you!¡± Branden¡¯s answer was concise, but his purpose was clear. There was no particr reason. It was just because he missed her. He came regardless of everything, just wanting to see her. Like an ordinary conversation between a married couple, Catherine stayed in Branden¡¯s arms, talking with him about the most ordinary things. ¡°The food at school is not bad, and I¡¯m getting used to it. The food at the military camp is also good, simr to the taste in Casier.¡± Branden looked at Catherine¡¯s beautiful face, his eyes full of affection, He gently caressed her hair. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± What Catherine didn¡¯t know was that the food in Styre University cafeteria used to be average. The recent improvement in the food was because Branden had managed to change the chefs in advance. The former chefs of a five-star hotel now worked in the kitchen of Styre University cafeteria. The reason the food in the military camp tasted simr to that in Casier was that the chefs in the camp were personally arranged by Branden from Catherine¡¯s favorite restaurant. Branden did everything he could for her, but she had no idea about any of it. However, he didn¡¯t need Catherine to know. His purpose was simple-to make sure she was happy. The physical training continued, and Catherine had no intention of standing out. Branden had many things waiting for him to handle at hispany. Therefore, they only spent an hour together before parting ways. Before saying goodbye, Branden reached out and caressed Catherine¡¯s soft hair, his eyes filled with reluctance. ¡°After the physical training ends, I¡¯lle pick you up!¡± After the physical training, the school would give the students two days to rx. Catherine, rarely obedient, nodded. ¡± Okay!¡± With a gentle kiss on her forehead, they separated once again, each busy with their own tasks. After two days of practical training, the school nned to hold a ¡°Military Training Games,¡± where the training exercises would be turned intopetitive events. Each ss would have 10 events, with at least 10 athletes participating. Catherine had no interest in any of this and hardly participated in it. After seeing Catherine¡¯s performance in ss, the temporary president of the EIE ssmates Union, Sophia Miller, silently gave up on her and didn¡¯t even ask her to sign up. After all, why would she ask someone who scored zero in shooting to participate? Why would she do such a foolish thing? In the afternoon, when the registration results were announced, the EIE ss was in an uproar. Amelia was the first to ask Catherine. She looked at Catherine in disbelief. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re incredible! You signed up for five events, including shooting! Are you sure?¡± Not only Amelia but also the entire EIE ss students had their eyes on Catherine. Catherine was momentarily confused, looking at Amelia with a puzzled expression. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chapter 543 What If You Lose? Amelia could tell from Catherine¡¯s reaction that she still didn¡¯t understand what was going on. ¡°Catherine,e with me,¡± Amelia said. She led Catherine to the bulletin board, where the registration form for the games was posted. It detailed thepetition events and the list of participants. Catherine nced at it and saw her name on many of the events. If there weren¡¯t restrictions on the number of registrations, the other party would have signed her up for all the events. Amelia knew that Catherine didn¡¯t sign up for these events herself. The thought of someone sabotaging Catherine made Amelia restless. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s go tell the instructor. We can¡¯t let these schemers have their way,¡± Amelia said. Right after Amelia finished speaking, Dn stepped out and exined, ¡°It can¡¯t be changed once it¡¯s been decided! His words meant that Amelia should give up on changing it. Catherine didn¡¯t say anything, but Amelia was furious. ¡°Sir, this doesn¡¯t work!¡± Dn looked at her sternly. ¡°Rules are rules. If everyone cancels their participation, iming they didn¡¯t sign up themselves, how can thepetition proceed?¡± Amelia bit her lip, falling silent. Finally, Catherine spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just apetition. I¡¯ll participate.¡± Amelia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Catherine didn¡¯t mind at all. She quietly approached Catherine and whispered, ¡°Well, it¡¯s your participation that matters. Just treat it as ying a game or something.¡± Based on Catherine¡¯s previous performance on the training field, it would be difficult for her to even complete thepetition, let alone win a prize. Catherine¡¯s ssmates all knew that she would be participating in thepetition. After she returned, they gathered around to cheer her on. Amelia knew Catherine¡¯s personality well and knew that Catherine didn¡¯t like to talk much. Even though Catherine didn¡¯t mind, she still felt quite angry. She immediately stopped those students who came up to talk to Catherine. After that, Amelia began to vent her frustration. ¡°Who is that disgusting guy who secretly signed Catherine up? He surely knows that Catherine is not good at these events! Well, he just wants to see Catherine make a fool of herself!¡± In Amelia¡¯s opinion, nobody was perfect, and Catherine was no exception. Catherine¡¯s focus was on studying, and it was normal for Catherine¡¯s physical fitness to be a bit weak. After Amelia¡¯s scolding, a sense of justice arose among the crowd. They thought that Catherine had been bullied and justice needed to be served. ¡°This is despicable. We cannot let that guy get away with it. We must expose the wrongdoer.¡± Catherine nced at Corey, who stood silently in the corner, a hint of amusement in her eyes. She stood up and stopped a few students who were ready to make a scene. ¡°There¡¯s no need. The instructor already said that rules are rules and cannot be broken. If we do that, it will only make things difficult for the instructor.¡± After she finished speaking, Amelia repeated what the instructor had said. The students began to comfort Catherine. ¡°No worries, Catherine. The ranking doesn¡¯t matter to our ss. The important thing is for you to stay safe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Safety first, and the ranking doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Catherine, no matter what happens, we will support you. You¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± Catherine looked at those sincere faces, finding the situation very interesting. She remembered when Vicente came to visit her during her first year of college. She was just eight years old at the time, and even though she was in a special ss, the oldest student in the ss was not over 16. She was still the youngest child in the entire ss. When Vicente came to see her, he asked what kind of university she was attending. It didn¡¯t feel like a university at all. He evenined that she had attended a fake university. At that time, she didn¡¯t understand what Vicente meant. She was attending the best university, so how did it be a fake university? Perhaps, what she was experiencing now was what Vicente meant. Now, she gradually understood why Vicente only called her back and forced her to inherit the Swanns¡¯ fortune at the moment of his death. Other than wanting her to preserve the Swanns¡¯ century-old legacy, perhaps he also wanted her to experience the life of an ordinary girl. In the afternoon, the Military Training Games officially began. The first event was a triathlon, which was particrly tough. Five sses registered to participate, including the EIE ss, with Catherine representing them. Not able to get in, Amelia held a bottle of water and a tissue, standing by the fence with her ssmates, cheering for Catherine. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s so hot. Have some water!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you!¡± Catherine reached out and took the bottle of water, casually taking a sip. The scorching sun had made the triathlon much tougher. ¡°Catherine, just treat it as ying a game. We don¡¯t care about the rankings. Don¡¯t get heatstroke.¡± Catherine knew that her ssmates were all concerned about her. Before she could respond, someone from the neighboring medical ss suddenly spoke up. The person¡¯s attitude was very impolite, giving off a strange feeling of sarcasm. ¡°You do have self-awareness. You know you will lose even before it starts, huh? It¡¯s quite funny.¡± This remark instantly caught the attention of the EIE ss. The person speaking was Elvis Harrington from the medical ss, who had a good rtionship with Calvin. He targeted Catherine and the EIE ss because he believed that Catherine had framed Calvin, causing Calvin to receive disciplinary action. It made Elvis resentful. Seeing that everyone from the EIE ss was looking over, Elvis stood up straight, looking very arrogant. ¡°What? If you want me to shut up, let your performance do the talking. If you lose, then you should shut up!¡± The student sent to participate in the triathlon by the medical ss was known for his good physical fitness and strength. It seemed that the championship was basically a foregone conclusion. Although the EIE ss was angry, they had no choice but to feel helpless. The EIE ss¡¯s silence made Elvis even more arrogant. ¡°I told you, you¡¯re just a bunch of losers. You might as well just stand there and watch. Don¡¯t bother competing!¡± Catherine, who was standing on the track, suddenly walked back and stood by the fence. She looked at Elvis, with disdain in her eyes. ¡°What if you lose?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Elvis burst into exaggeratedughter. ¡°Well, well, well, what a joke! How could we possibly lose? Lose to whom? Lose to you? Hahaha¡­¡± Catherine¡¯s face remained calm, her eyebrows slightly raised. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her fingers casually tapping on her arm in rhythm. ¡°Enough nonsense. Just tell me, what will happen if you lose?¡± Chapter 544 Live Streaming Elvis¡¯s arrogance contrasted with Catherine¡¯s calm demeanor. The ssmates from the EIE ss stood behind her in support, unwilling to show weakness. Amelia stepped out and pointed at Elvis, cursing, ¡°Stop hopping around like a sissy. Tell me, what will you do if you lose?¡± Elvis, knowing that the EIE ss had gotten provoked, put on a triumphant smile. ¡°You can¡¯t scare me, and you can¡¯t scare the medical ss! Let me tell you, in thispetition, you have no chance of winning. If you miraculously win, I¡¯ll agree to whatever conditions you set.¡± Catherine took a step forward, standing in front of Elvis with her arms crossed, exuding dominance. ¡°If I lose, I¡¯ll drop out. And if you lose¡­¡± Before Catherine could finish speaking, Elvis excitedly interrupted, ¡°If we lose, then what?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Catherine chuckled lightly and stated the punishment she wanted. ¡°You have to live stream eating shit. Do you dare?¡± ¡°Holy crap!¡± The surrounding students were stunned. They didn¡¯t expect the stakes to be so high. If Catherine lost, she would have to drop out of school. If the medical department lost, although he wouldn¡¯t have to drop out, it would be a huge blow to his reputation. After all, he had to live streath eating shit! ¡°It¡¯s amazing that Catherine came up with such a punishment!¡± someone eximed. ¡°She¡¯s a genius!¡± Elvis¡¯s face turned red with anger. He could tell that Catherine was deliberately humiliating him. But he didn¡¯t care. He was confident that he would win. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take this bet with you.¡± Catherine pointed her finger at Elvis and smirked. ¡°Remember what you said!¡± After saying that, she returned to the track. The chief instructor responsible for blowing the whistle nced at the head instructor, Dn, seeking his instructions. Dn, seeing that Catherine had settled the bet with that ignorant brat, nodded to signal the start of the competition. He nced at Elvis, who was still arrogantly standing aside, and silently mourned for Elvis in his heart. ¡°How dare he provoke Ms. Swann?¡± he asked inwardly. ¡°He sure has some guts!¡± He wondered if Elvis would cry after thepetition. Unlike a regr triathlon, the military triathlon had some differences. It consisted of running, carrying weights through a muddy obstacle course, and oveing obstacles. Each event tested the physical fitness and coordination of the team members. As soon as the whistle blew, five figures rushed out simultaneously. Catherine, like a streak of lightning, shot ahead, taking the lead. Upon seeing Catherine¡¯s excellent running posture, the students from the EIE ss couldn¡¯t help but cheer for her. ¡°Tsk.¡± Elvis sneered disdainfully. Leading in the running race was nothing to him. It was normal for Catherine to have a slight advantage in running, given her smaller buildpared to Elvis¡¯s ssmate, who was bigger in size. But when it came to the second part of the triathlon, carrying weights through a muddy obstacle course, Catherine was bound to lose. With her petite frame, she wouldn¡¯t be able to lift those two huge tires. Just as Elvis was about to mock the EIE ss, he was dumbfounded the next second. Not only he but also the ssmates watching the race beside him were dumbfounded. Those huge tires were difficult to lift for girls, even with both hands. But Catherine effortlessly lifted one tire in each hand and charged forward. The two massive.tires seemed lighter in her hands than two bottles of water. While the other participants were still struggling in the mud, Catherine had already rushed out of it and completed the third event. Her speed was so fast that not only the onlookers but even the soldiers in the military camp were left dumbfounded. Someone approached Dn and asked cautiously, ¡°Chief, it seems like her speed is faster than yours¡­¡± Dn chuckled coldly. The soldier, feeling embarrassed, smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Chief, my bad. You¡¯re a lot better than her!¡± Dn suddenly knocked the soldier¡¯s head and looked at him with disdain. ¡°Better my ass! How can my speedpare to hers? Don¡¯t overestimate me!¡± Dn knew Catherine¡¯s abilities better than anyone. Catherine had clearly held back half of her strength, and even with that, her speed surpassed his, let alone if she went all out. He knew that he was no match for her. If hepeted with her, it would only be humiliating himself! Catherine crossed the finish line, and the instructor timing cheered loudly. ¡°She broke the record!¡± As for the other four participants, two of them were still struggling in the second mud obstacle course. Catherine shook off the dirt from her body and walked gracefully toward the crowd. Elvis, who was arrogant just a moment ago, turned pale when he saw Catherine appear. He silently stepped back, wanting to escape. But it was toote. Amelia and her ssmates had already anticipated that he would try to escape, so they immediately blocked his way. Elvis looked panic-stricken, nervously swallowing as he stared at them. ¡°What¡­ What do you want?¡± Amelia stepped back in silence, allowing Catherine to step forward. Catherine stood in front of Elvis, her face expressionless. But if someone were to observe her closely at this moment, they would notice a captivating smile in her eyes. Catherine nced at Elvis, who was now trembling in fear. Elvis never expected Catherine to be this formidable. In order to preserve hisst bit of dignity, he mustered his courage and shouted, ¡°You cheated! You never said you were good at this!¡± Elvis¡¯s shameless words disgusted everyone. Not just the EIE ss, but even his own ssmates couldn¡¯t bear to support him. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine stood there, hands in her pockets. Then, she said in a deep voice, ¡°Cheated? Who told you I was not good at it? Did I ever say that I would lose?¡± Catherine had never imed anything about her abilities from start to finish. It was Elvis who assumed she was weak and wanted to take the opportunity to humiliate her. Atst, he ended up humiliating himself. Facing Catherine¡¯s questioning, Elvis couldn¡¯te up with an answer. He could only hang his head and stand there like a coward. Catherine didn¡¯t keep questioning him. She simply said, ¡°Remember to notify me of the live streaming time!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Laughter filled the surroundings, and Elvis truly felt embarrassed. The triathlon had just ended, and the next shootingpetition had begun. Needless to say, Catherine was also on the list of participants. Everyone had witnessed Catherine¡¯s shooting performance before, especially now, right after completing the triathlon. It was doubtful if she could even hold the gun steady, let alone pull the trigger. No one had any expectations of Catherine. After all, she had already won a championship, bringing great honor to the EIE ss. They could rely on other ssmates of theirs to win awards. The shootingpetition began, and Catherine was the third to shoot in the first round. No one paid much attention during thepetition, but when the results were announced, everyone was dumbfounded. Amelia strained her ears, momentarily doubting her hearing. ¡°What¡­ What did you just say?¡± Chapter 545 You’re Amazing! The young instructor felt a bit embarrassed as everyone stared at him. He scratched the back of his head and smiled shyly. ¡°10 rings, 10 points!¡± Catherine hit a perfect ten with her first shot, which was unbelievable! She was amazing! They had initially thought the first shot was luck, but then, as the results of the second and third shots were announced, no one dared to say that Catherine was just lucky. Throughout thepetition, Catherine never missed the 10-ring. Everyone was astonished, except for Dn, who knew that even if Catherine closed her eyes, she could easily hit the center of the 10-ring. The shootingpetition ended, and Catherine easily took first ce. Seeing this, the students from the EIE ss all rushed forward under the lead of Amelia. Originally, they wanted to give Catherine a hug to celebrate. But when they got close to her, one nce from her made them silently shrink back in fear. There was no way to describe the powerful aura emanating from Catherine. Just one gaze of hers was enough to make their hearts race and leave them feeling breathless. Timidly, everyone looked at Catherine. In the end, Amelia was pushed forward. As Catherine¡¯s roommate, who had a close rtionship with her, Amelia was the most suitable person to ask the question everyone wanted to know. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re so amazing at shooting. But why were you so¡­?¡± ¡°Bad-at it before¡­¡± Although Amelia didn¡¯t have the courage to say thest four words, her expression said it all. Catherine turned her head toward Amelia, her face expressionless. She asked in a cold voice, ¡°Amazing?¡± Amelia eximed in astonishment, her voice raising an octave, ¡°Aren¡¯t you amazing? All 10 rings!¡± Catherine gave a faint smile and remained silent. Amelia continued to pursue the question, unwilling to give up. ¡± Catherine, you haven¡¯t told us why you missed your shots before.¡± Facing Amelia¡¯s persistent questioning, Catherine furrowed and stared at the shooting dummy in front of her with a somewhat disdainful expression. ¡°That thing is too ugly!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Her words meant that it was so ugly that she didn¡¯t even want to waste bullets on it! Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s exnation, everyone burst intoughter. If someone else had said these words, these students would have thought they were crazy and extremely arrogant. But when Catherine said it, it seemed like the shooting dummy was truly at fault for being ugly. This was probably the most humiliating moment in the shooting dummy¡¯s life. The EIE ss, which had initially held no hope, was filled with anticipation after witnessing Catherine¡¯s two consecutive victories in thepetition. No one knew what surprises Catherine would bring next. The third event was the parallel bars. There was no gender segregation in this event, but hardly any girls signed up for it. However, there were exceptions, like Catherine, who was forced to participate and became the only femalepetitor in this event. The parallel bars tested arm strength and physical endurance. Without strong arm strength, winning was impossible. Moreover, there was a significant disparity in innate strength between males and females. Although Catherine had won the previous two events, no one believed she could win the third. However, Amelia was the exception. She waved the g and shouted, ¡°Super Catherine, go for it! We believe in you! You can do it!¡± Someone couldn¡¯t help but mock Amelia, saying, ¡°Come on. Just because you¡¯re shouting so loudly doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll win! Besides, with Catherine¡¯s petite build, winning is impossible!¡± Amelia red at the person and said disdainfully, ¡°If you have nothing better to do, just shut up and watch. Stop spouting nonsense here. Believe it or not. Catherine will be the champion! 11 Amelia¡¯s words made everyone doubt if she was a die-hard fan of Catherine. Thepetition began. Catherine¡¯s slender arms stuck to the parallel bars as if they were glued, never coming off even once. While others were trying to hold on as long as they could, Catherine appeared rxed, as if she was ying a game. In the end, all the otherpetitors fell, while Catherine was still hanging on the bars, lookingpletely at ease. The oue was clear. The championship was Catherine! Once again, Catherine¡¯s incredible arm strength and exceptional physical fitness left everyone in awe. After all, this was her third consecutivepetition. This time, Amelia didn¡¯t need to take the lead. The students from the EIE ss spontaneously shouted at the top of their lungs, ¡°Catherine! You¡¯re amazing! Catherine! You¡¯re our idol!¡± Not only the EIE ss, but students from other sses joined in the cheering together. The president came over to inspect the training and was somewhat stunned by the students¡¯ high spirits. He turned to the teacher in charge and asked, ¡°Are these students always so enthusiastic?¡± The teacher in charge introduced Catherine to the president, saying, ¡± This student named Catherine is very aware of ss honor. She tries her best to lead her ssmates to make progress together.¡± ¡°Catherine?¡± The president remembered her. She was a highly aplished new student with excellent grades. Initially, he was worried that having such a student at their school would be troublesome, but now it seemed that Catherine not only had excellent grades but also had a very good character. It was a wise decision to drive away the female ssmate who had bullied Catherine before. However, Catherine was unaware that she had unknowingly left such a good impression on the president. After the parallel bars event, Catherine won two more championships. In total, she won five out of the five events. Instantly, she pushed the EIE ss to first ce, an unshakable position. The EIE ss was buzzing with excitement. All the students who didn¡¯t participate in thepetition surrounded Catherine, looking at her with looks in their eyes that resembled idol worship. Everyone was praising Catherine in a lively manner. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°You¡¯re truly talented in both academics and sports, Catherine!¡± ¡°No, no, Catherine is talented in both looks and brains. I feel like she¡¯s the prettiest girl in the whole school!¡± At first, Catherine¡¯s ssmates all thought that she was aloof. Talking to her would give them a sense of unease, and some even secretly gave her the nickname ¡°Ice Queen.¡± However, after they got to know her, everyone realized that she did have a cold and quiet character and didn¡¯t like to talk, but she was a good person and not an arrogant type. After thispetition, everyone noticed Catherine¡¯s magnanimity andposure, and their admiration for her grew even stronger. Who would dislike such a powerful but humble beautiful girl? While everyone was engaged in a heated discussion, Amelia suddenly spoke up. ¡°I think we should thank the person who secretly signed Catherine up. Catherine is too low-key. Without that person, how could we have known about her strength?¡± Amelia said, immediately receiving agreement from someone. ¡°You¡¯re right, Amelia! We really should thank this cunning guy. I wonder if he¡¯s regretting what he has done!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Everyone burst intoughter, but in a corner, a figure quietly slipped away, disappearing without a sound. Chapter 546 Physical Training? Intense training made all the freshmen suffer every day. Every night, after Amelia returned to the dormitory and took a shower, she would have a foot bath. ording to her, if she didn¡¯t have a foot bath at night, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to walk the next day. Seeing Catherine sitting in a chair and ying games with her feet propped up, Amelia became even more curious. ¡°Catherine, you used more physical strength today than any of us. But why don¡¯t you feel tired at all?¡± she asked. She had never seen Catherine having a foot bath or doing anything like that to rx her muscles. Every time Catherine finished washing up, she would immediately start ying games without any signs of fatigue. After her roommates finished washing up, Catherine would turn off her phone immediately and rest with everyone else. Just as Catherine finished a game, she heard Amelia talking to her and turned her head to look at Amelia. Amelia was having a foot bath, her face twisted in pain, and she kept making all sorts of cries. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile. This new roommate of hers was quite an interesting person. ¡°Press the area that is two inches below the knee and massage the center of the sole of your feet a hundred times. It¡¯ll be much more useful than your foot bath.¡± Hearing what Catherine said, Amelia became very happy, thanking Catherine excitedly. ¡°Thank you, Catherine!¡± Even before trying it out, Amelia wholeheartedly believed in Catherine¡¯s words. Isabe stood alone, watching the interaction between the two. Since Beatrice left, the atmosphere in the dormitory had been quiet and peaceful without any conflicts. At first, Isabe thought Catherine was too dominant, forcefully driving Beatrice away even before sses officially started, leaving Isabe with one less roommate. But after spending these few days with Catherine and feeling the peaceful atmosphere in the dormitory, Isabe started to think that her current life was not bad. The intense training didn¡¯t leave Isabe time to think about those trivial matters. Now, seeing how well Amelia and Catherine got along, she felt a tinge of envy and worried about being excluded. Isabe¡¯s biggest fear was being isted. She was afraid that the two of them wouldn¡¯t include her in their activities. She sighed quietly and lowered her head. Although the sound was faint, Amelia still noticed it. She turned her head and waved at Isabe. ¡°Be, we should believe in Catherine. Look at how rxed she is. There must be a trick to it. Hurry up and give it a try,¡± she said. Amelia¡¯s enthusiasm prompted the slightly introverted Isabe to join in. She nodded at Amelia and said, ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine had been watching the two of them since Amelia interrupted her game. Despite Amelia¡¯s carefree demeanor, she was actually very perceptive and attentive to the emotions of those around her, always ready to lighten the atmosphere. As for Isabe, she seemed easy to get along with and willing to go along with anything, but that was actually a result of her low self-esteem and a desire to conform. She always felt that as long as she didn¡¯t stand out orpete with others, she could win everyone¡¯s favor. Everyone had their own unique personalities, and Catherine didn¡¯t judge them for it. There was no right or wrong, just different choices. On the top floor of a luxurious seven- star hotel in Loxton, Zobber kept pulling apart and resembling her newly bought game console, feeling extremely bored. After doing it several times, she truly felt uninterested. She threw the game console into the trash bin and stopped wasting her time on it. Bang! The sound caught the attention of Withal, who was resting with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes and nced over, noticing the game console in the trash bin. It was a limited-edition global release, but she just threw it away without any remorse. ¡°What an extravagant girl!¡± Zobber noticed Withal¡¯s gaze and swiftly pounced toward him. But Withal was faster and raised his foot in response. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t win in a fight against Withal, Zobber turned and rolled to the side, sitting down calmly on a sofa. Then, she stared at Withal with a respectful expression on her face. ¡°Withal, when can I meet the leader?¡± As soon as the leader was mentioned, Zobber, who was previously listless, suddenly became spirited, eagerly waiting for Withal¡¯s answer. Withal couldn¡¯t stand her pestering anymore. Afraid that if he didn¡¯t reveal some information, this girl would drive him crazy, he reluctantly disclosed Catherine¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Catherine is busy with physical training these days. She has no time to deal with us!¡± ¡°Physical training?¡± Zobber became excited, her face filled with enthusiasm. ¡°Where is the physical training taking ce? Is she training a special forces unit? The Super Ace Troop, right?¡± Withal rolled his eyes in his mind and said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s not training others. She¡¯s participating in physical training and being trained by others.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Zobber eximed in awe. ¡± Can¡¯t believe there are experts capable of training Catherine. Who is this amazing person?¡± Unable to bear it any longer, Withal shouted, ¡°Styre University organized it, you idiot!¡± Zobber was stunned for a moment before finallying back to her senses. ¡°Physical training organized by Styre University?¡± she murmured inwardly. ¡± Why did Catherine participate in that kind of childish physical training organized by a school? This is ridiculous!¡± Sensing that Zobber was not in the right mood, Withal had no choice but to secretly send a message to Catherine for help. The next second, Catherine called back. ¡°Let Zobber answer the phone!¡± Withal handed the phone to Zobber and said, ¡°Here, Catherine is calling!¡± Zobber widened her eyes, shocked and seemingly unable to believe that happiness hade so suddenly. She took the phone with both hands and held it to her ear. ¡°Hi, Catherine, this is Zobber!¡± Her voice was trembling like an electric sound. Withal couldn¡¯t help butugh, and he was kicked hard by Zobber before he could stop himself. Catherine, holding the phone, gave Zobber a brief exnation of the mission. ¡°Ronin has found the address of the target. You and Withal go there and make sure to retrieve the safe. After you get it, find a safe ce and wait for me. I wille to you.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay!¡± Zobber obediently nodded, her heart bubbling with excitement. Every time she answered a call from Catherine, she felt that Catherine¡¯s voice was so pleasant. The next second, the phone was hung up, and Zobber felt a bit reluctant and annoyed. ¡°I forgot to say goodnight to Catherine!¡± If it weren¡¯t for knowing that both of them had no issues with their sexual orientations, Withal would have suspected that Zobber had fallen in love with Catherine. Ding! A text message arrived, and Zobber opened it and handed the phone to Withal. ¡°Hurry up and get to work!¡± Withal stared at her with disdain in his eyes. ¡°Now you know you should get to work, huh? What did Catherine say to you?¡± Hearing Withal¡¯s question, Zobber couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. As her mood improved, she started talking more. ¡°Catherine said that once we get the safe, she wille find us. That¡¯s to say, as long as we get the safe, we can see her. Can you imagine how excited I am? She is so good to us!¡± Withal silently rolled his eyes. ¡°Do you really think Catherine ising to see us, you idiot?¡± he cursed inwardly. ¡°It¡¯s all because only Catherine can open that safe. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to come in person!¡± Chapter 547 Afraid of Annoying Her Catherine had just hung up the phone when another call came in. Without even looking at the caller ID, she knew who it was. Branden knew that she was living in a dormitory now. He would call her every day at nine o¡¯clock to avoid disturbing her, as she had to turn off the lights and go to sleep by ten. Catherine answered the call and held the phone to her ear. Branden¡¯s deep and attractive voice came from the receiver. ¡°I heard you participated in apetition today and even won a prize?¡± Even though Branden wasn¡¯t present, he knew everything rted to her at school. Facing his knowingly asked question, Catherine didn¡¯t hesitate to expose him. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t you know better than me?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Branden chuckled softly, his voice deep and husky. ¡°Are you angry? If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t inquire about your affairs anymore.¡± His cautious tone carried a sense of carefulness and probing. No one would believe that the esteemed president of the Duncan Corporation, the chief of Red Star, would be so submissive in front of a girl. It was precisely because he cared too much about her that he was so afraid of annoying her. After all, if she got angry, he would be the one to suffer in the end. If she left him, he would live in misery for the rest of his life. Therefore, it was best to serve her with caution. Catherine could tell his current mood. She couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°No. Why are you so afraid? I¡¯m not ming you! ¡°Will youe back after the physical training ends the day after tomorrow?¡± The next day was thest day of physical training, and the day after tomorrow, they would have the closing ceremony in the morning. The school arranged two days of rest before starting regr sses. Branden was starting to regret letting Catherinee to study there, or maybe he should have let her attend a school where she couldmute. Even if he stayed in Loxton all day, he wouldn¡¯t be able to spend much time with her. Thinking about this, Catherine felt a bit sorry for the fact that he had been shuttling between Casier and Loxton for over half a month for her sake. Moreover, he had a lot of things to deal with recently. With the two-day holiday just around the corner, Catherine also wanted to take a good rest. ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle over right after the closing ceremony.¡± Catherine¡¯s agreement made Branden smile, and he began to look forward to their meeting the day after tomorrow. A phone call turned into a conversation thatsted for over half an hour, despite both of them being naturally reserved individuals. Seeing that everyone needed rest, Catherine announced the end of the call. ¡°Time to sleep. See you the day after tomorrow!¡± Branden¡¯s attitude remained gentle, a gentleness that was only reserved for Catherine. ¡°Okay. Contact me anytime if you need anything.¡± The Duncans¡¯ in Loxton used to be the ancestral home of the Duncans a hundred years ago. Although the ancestors of the Duncanster moved to Casier, the ancestral property there had been preserved to this day. Generation after generation, the descendants of the Duncans would maintain and renovate the old house, which was still in pristine condition. With the changing times, it had be the wealthiest real estate center in Loxton. Quiet amidst the bustle, this was an excellent location. Branden would work there whenever he came to Styre University. The outside world knew that the headquarters of Red Star was in Loxton, but no one knew that its headquarters was in the ancestral home of the Duncans. Paxton held thetest intelligence and waited by the side. Only after Branden hung up the phone did he cautiously approach with the information. ¡°Boss, we have located those criminals. There is still no evidence to prove that they are from Rexinheim, but based on our past experience, it should be them. They should already know what is inside the safe, and now they are being extremely cautious. It won¡¯t be easy to catch them. Besides, the Hacker Alliance is also involved in this. It is said that the Hacker Alliance has arranged for two cadres to personally take action, appearing confident of victory.¡± Branden squinted as he examined the information handed by Paxton. He knew better than anyone else how important the contents of the safe were. ¡°Arrange for Francis and the others toe over. I don¡¯t care who is involved in this. I just want to see the results.¡± Paxton quickly nodded, not daring to hesitate. ¡°Yes, Boss. I¡¯ll inform them right away. Aftering out of the study, Paxton ran into Carlo, who was walking toward him. The Duncan Corporation¡¯s move to Loxton was a big project that required manpower. Paxton requested early that Carlo be transferred to Loxton to help. After working overtime for a week, Carlo looked at his brother with two dark circles around his eyes. ¡°Paxton, when will this end?¡± Carlo sighed. Paxton sympathetically patted his shoulder. ¡°Soon, our boss has ordered Francis and the others to come. Once they arrive, the burden on you will lighten.¡± The moment Carlo heard that reinforcements wereing soon, his face finally brightened. ¡°That¡¯s good. I was worried that there would be no end to this. Boss is so considerate! By the way, Paxton, do you think Boss suddenly moved the business to Loxton just to be closer to Catherine? Does old Mr. Duncan have any objections?¡± Carlo thought that Branden must have kept this matter a secret from Karl. Otherwise, there would have been a big fuss long ago. Paxton disdainfully nced at Carlo, his face full of contempt. ¡°Oh, Carlo, you¡¯re still too naive!¡± This mocking remark made Carlo feel quite ufortable. Unable to hold back, he approached Paxton, arguing, ¡± What do you mean by I¡¯m naive? Paxton, your words sound a little harsh. I need an exnation, or I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Carlo was always so stubborn. ¡°You know nothing. Without old Mr. Duncan¡¯s consent, how could such a drastic move be possible? Old Mr. Duncan is willing to do anything for Catherine, even if it means giving the entire Duncan Corporation as a gift to her,¡± Paxton said. Carlo was dumbfounded, his mouth agape. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of lying to you?¡± Paxton looked at him with disdain. Carlo pondered carefully and then started tough, mumbling, ¡°Catherine is truly amazing. I can¡¯t believe old Mr. Duncan likes her so much. Fantastic!¡± Watching Carlo happily babbling, Paxton silently held his forehead. Indeed, they were not born from the same mother. Even growing up together since childhood didn¡¯t make a difference. Genes were something that couldn¡¯t be changed easily. Chapter 548 The Physical Training Ended The day of the closing ceremony of the physical training arrived in the blink of an eye. All the freshmen were dressed in brand-new training uniforms, marching in perfect unison in front of the g-draped podium. With the ceremonying to an end, the freshmen¡¯s physical training journey also concluded. Immersed in the exhaustion brought by the training, the only thought on the mind of all the freshmen was for the training to end quickly. But now that it was truly about to end, they started to feel reluctant. Having spent half a month together, the thought of the instructors leaving weighed heavily on the freshmen¡¯s hearts. Amelia took out her Proid camera and raised her arm, shouting, ¡± Let¡¯s take a group photo with the instructors!¡± The usually serious instructors appeared quite outgoing at this moment, satisfying various requests from the freshmen. Several girls expressed their desire to take individual photos with the instructors, and Amelia offered to help take the pictures. After the closing ceremony, the instructors only had 10 minutes to leave Styre University. Military orders were strict, and there was not a second to spare. The freshmen rushed forward one by one, not wanting to miss this opportunity. The instructor, who had been smiling throughout the entire process, suddenly approached Amelia. Amelia was taken aback, thinking that the instructor was going to lecture her. But instead, the instructor pointed to Catherine, who was standing nearby. ¡°Can you take a photo of me with her?¡± Cheers erupted! These students had long sensed that the instructor seemed to treat Catherine differently, but due to his identity as an instructor, they never voiced it out. Now, he suddenly proposed to take a picture with Catherine, which was an ambiguous act. Since the physical training had ended, everyone was no longer afraid of the instructor and boldly joked with him. ¡°Sir, are you interested in Catherine?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Sir, you¡¯re so handsome, and you¡¯re only three or four years older than us. Even if you really are interested, it won¡¯t be a problem. You two make a perfect match!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± These remarks made the instructor feel embarrassed. If it weren¡¯t for his sun- darkened skin from years of training, his face would have turned red by now. ¡°Not really. My rtionship with Catherine is purely that of a trainer and a trainee, without any complicated emotions.¡± As for who was the trainer and who was the trainee, only the instructor himself knew. ¡°The only reason I want to take a photo with Catherine is that I admire her. She is the most impressive girl I have ever seen, both in shooting and physical fitness. She is amazing.¡± The instructor¡¯s praise immediately shifted the topic, and the students agreed with his words. Catherine was indeed impressive. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be called ¡± Super Catherine¡± by everyone. Those who could enter Styre University were all top students, and no one would be willing to keep a low profile. However, in the face of Catherine, they had no choice but to admit defeat. The instructor walked up to Catherine, carefully observing her. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Catherine stood up, hands in her pockets, adopting a cool and confident pose. The instructor immediately approached her like an enthusiastic fanboy. Amelia saw that they were ready and quickly pressed the shutter. Click! The photo slowly came out of the camera. ¡°Sir, here you go!¡± Amelia handed the photo to the instructor. Dn took it and looked at the photo of himself with Catherine, revealing a toothy smile. He couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°She looks so pretty!¡± Dn¡¯s shyness amused everyone. He carefully put the photo into the pocket of his jacket and looked at Catherine with a sincere gaze. Catherine nced at him and slightly nodded. Just as he had said, he truly admired Catherine. She was the most impressive person he had ever seen. Such an impressive girl deserved his respect! ¡°Sorry, guys. Gotta go to the restroom. I¡¯ll be right back!¡± After Dn finished speaking, he hurriedly ran off. The students didn¡¯t think much of his urgency. Amelia hurriedly ran toward her bag, preparing to rece the camera¡¯s battery. Seeing her rushing around, Catherine kindly reminded her, ¡°No need to rece it!¡± Amelia¡¯s hand paused, and she looked up at Catherine in confusion.¡± Catherine, what do you mean?¡± Catherine replied, ¡°I mean, we can go back to the dorm now!¡± Amelia paused for a moment. The next second, she eximed, ¡°What? Do you mean the instructor has left? He actually used such a boring excuse!¡± The surrounding students were attracted by Amelia¡¯s exmation. Some people didn¡¯t believe Catherine¡¯s words, so they went to check it out. In the end, they only caught a glimpse of a bus¡¯s departing figure. The instructors¡¯ dormitory was already empty. Some students felt unhappy that they didn¡¯t bid farewell to the instructor, and some even started to comin about Catherine. ¡°Catherine, if you knew the instructor was leaving, why didn¡¯t you remind us? ¡°At least you should have let us say goodbye to the instructor!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even get a photo with the instructor!¡± ¡°Yeah. What a pity!¡± Instantly, cries of grievance filled the air. Seeing that something was off, Amelia tugged at Catherine¡¯s sleeve, signaling her to say something. Catherine didn¡¯t want to speak in the first ce. Since Amelia reminded her, she decided to exin the situation to them. ¡°Those 10 minutes were meant for you to bid farewell! Military discipline is absolute!¡± Although Catherine¡¯s words were harsh, it was the truth. The school gave them time to bid farewell to their instructors, but soldiers were meant to be different from ordinary students. While ordinary people could have a grand farewell, soldiers had to follow strict military orders. Even if they were a second late, they would be punished. Gradually, everyone epted Catherine¡¯s exnation, although they were still saddened by the situation. After the physical training ended, they dispersed to their respective dormitories. After finishing the physical training, Amelia was excited and couldn¡¯t contain her emotions. ¡°Catherine, the three of us should book a private room and have dinner tonight. What do you think?¡± After saying that, Amelia added, ¡°You can bring Ronin if you want!¡± ¡°No. I have something to do. I won¡¯t be going back to the dorm tonight!¡± After saying that, Catherine quickened her pace and walked away. Just now, she received a message that Branden was waiting for her at the entrance. Watching Catherine¡¯s rapidly departing figure, Amelia silently stood in ce and sighed. ¡°Catherine is really busy!¡± Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Double Standards Catherine had just arrived at the school gate when she spotted a familiar figure waiting at the entrance. Branden knew she didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention at school, so every time he came to see her, he would purposely park his car outside Styre University or on a distant street and then walk in to find her. It was midsummer, and the scorching sun was shining on the earth. Branden stood under the shade of the trees at the school gate, his white shirt perfectly wrapping his figure, revealing his exceptional build. He wore a simple pair of ck trousers, and the tailored cut made his already long legs appear even straighter, emitting a hint of restraint. From a distance, he looked like the campus heartthrob, looking handsome and charming. Passing girls couldn¡¯t help but nce at him, not willing to take their eyes off him. Branden, however, remained indifferent, his face devoid of any warmth. Then, he saw that familiar graceful figure appear, and suddenly, the ice in his eyes melted. In the next moment, his eyes sparkled like brilliant stars. Such a simple change in the look in his eyes caused a group of girls to scream. Catherine quickened her pace to reach his side, and as soon as she approached, Branden grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. There were too many onlookers around, so before Branden could speak, Catherine impatiently said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Branden smiled helplessly and pulled her away from the scene. Once they were out of the main street, people¡¯s attention diminished significantly. Branden stopped and walked leisurely while holding Catherine¡¯s hand. ¡°Is there anywhere you want to go?¡± Catherine thought for a moment and then shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s just go back and take a rest!¡± She didn¡¯t want to go anywhere right now. She just wanted to find afortable ce to lie down and empty her mind for a while. Seeing her exhaustion, Branden took the initiative to squat down in front of her. Catherine was briefly stunned and looked at him in surprise. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Branden patted his own back with his hand. ¡°Get on. I¡¯ll carry you back!¡± Their house was about 400 yards away. It would take at most five minutes to walk, but Branden actually wanted to carry her back. Although Catherine thought Branden was being a bit exaggerated, she threw herself at him. Branden immediately stood up. Catherine was tall but very light in weight. Carrying her on his back was no pressure at all for Branden. He carried her, feeling more at ease. A little whileter, however, he slightly frowned. His tone was somewhat serious as he asked, ¡°Why are you getting lighter again?¡± The weight she had painstakingly gained in Casier was all gone within half a month. Catherine didn¡¯t expect him to notice this small detail. ¡°I eat quite a lot every day. Maybe it¡¯s just because of the exhaustion from physical training. Amelia said she lost weight, too.¡± Branden knew that Amelia was Catherine¡¯s new roommate. It was said that she was talkative and chattered non-stop around Catherine. She was quite interesting. ¡°Next time, we can invite Amelia to join us for a meal.¡± ¡°Why do we have to eat together with Amelia?¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t quite understand his suggestion. Branden said matter-of-factly, ¡°Since she is your roommate, I should at least meet her and thank her.¡± Branden didn¡¯t tell Catherine that it was Triston¡¯s suggestion. Triston said that if Branden wanted to please his girlfriend, Branden had to please her roommates as well. There was an unwritten rule among college students that if a girl had a boyfriend, regardless of how long they had been dating, they had to treat all their roommates to a meal. It was also a way to get to know each other so that if they bumped into each other on campus, they wouldn¡¯t be strangers. Although Branden thought all of this was child¡¯s y, since there was such a rule in college, why not follow it? After all, he finally got the chance to experience what it felt like to be a college student¡¯s boyfriend. ¡°What are you thanking her for?¡± Catherine still didn¡¯t understand. Facing her questioning, Branden had to exin, ¡°Thank her for taking care of you in the dormitory.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine nodded. Although she didn¡¯t admit that she needed someone to take care of her, Amelia was a kind-hearted person. If Branden wanted to treat her to a meal, then so be it. It was just a meal after all. The only thing that surprised her was that Branden would be so considerate. After finishing the meal, Catherine went upstairs to take a shower. After the shower, she copsed on the nearby sofa, unmoving. She had eaten too much tonight. Branden, using the excuse that she had recently lost weight, forced her to eat a lot of food. After the meal, he made her eat a te of fruit before finally letting her rest. If she hadn¡¯t strongly protested, she would never have gone for a walk. At this moment, she should have been holding hands with Branden, taking a walk like the elderly couple next door. Branden pushed open the door and saw Catherine lying on the sofa. She was wearing an oversized nightgown, and her long, slender legs were casually resting on the coffee table. The scene was simply¡­ breathtaking! Instantly, he felt a rush of heat rising from within him, almost causing him to have a nosebleed. He immediately shifted his gaze when he saw Catherine resting her head on the armrest of the sofa, her hair still wet and dripping. All the fire of desire in Branden¡¯s heart was extinguished at that moment. With a helpless sigh, he walked to the side, opened a drawer, took out a hairdryer, plugged it in, and sat down next to Catherine. When Catherine saw him, she raised her upper body. Once Branden had settled into position, she obediently rested her head on his thigh. Her movements were very skilled, without Branden needing to adjust her posture. As he dried Catherine¡¯s damp hair, he gently lectured her, saying, ¡°Next time you finish washing your hair, don¡¯t just wait like this. If you keep your hair wet for too long, you¡¯ll get a headache!¡± Catherine silently snorted in her heart. ¡°You never blow-dried your own hair. What right do you have to criticize me? This is truly a case of double standards! Catherine¡¯s hair wasn¡¯t too long, just reaching her shoulders. This was the longest length she had kept it. Every time she went to get a haircut, Branden always had various reasons to stop her. Ten minutes was enough to blow-dry Catherine¡¯s hair. Branden¡¯s movements were gentle, his fingers lightly flicking her strands of hair. Catherine felt sofortable that she fell asleep. Looking at her peaceful smile, Branden turned off the hairdryer, leaned down, andnded a kiss on her forehead. In the next moment, however, Catherine suddenly opened her eyes. She quickly raised her hand and forcefully pulled him down, her soft pink lips preciselynding on his lips. Initially, Branden had been reluctant to make a move, considering that she had just finished training and was too tired. But at this moment, he could no longer restrain the desire within him. He changed positions and pressed himself onto her. Chapter 550 Crisis Late at night, outside Loxton, Zobber and Withal parked a discreet ck SUV in a pile of grass in front of a factory. The factory had been abandoned for many years, and the grass had grown taller than a person, making it quite hidden. However, very few people came here, so suddenly appearing in the workshop would definitely attract attention. Withal decided to leave the car where it was and sneak in while it was dark. When he got out of the car, however, Zobber grabbed him. ¡°I¡¯ll go. You keep watch!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Withal asked. Zobber nodded without hesitation, not only because she wanted to impress the leader but also because she understood that this task suited her better. She was petite, agile, and less likely to be detected, although herbat skills were not as good as Withal¡¯s. Loxton was not their territory, so it wasn¡¯t suitable to cause a scene. It was better to use strategy. Withal didn¡¯t say anything more when he saw her determination, but he gave her a final reminder. ¡°Remember, if I tell you to retreat, no matter the situation, you must retreat promptly. Do you understand?¡± If anything happened to Zobber, he wouldn¡¯t be able to face Catherine. To Catherine, the person was always more important than the mission. Zobber didn¡¯t argue with Withal. She obediently nodded, lowered her cap, pushed open the car door, and got out of the car. Seeing her lower her hat, Withal felt a sense of familiarity, as if he was looking at Catherine. A faint smile appeared on his stern face. Zobber swiftly climbed onto the roof of the factory building. The sound of hernding was even quieter than a cat¡¯s. The factory was empty. Zobber searched around but found no sign of activity. If she didn¡¯t trust the organization¡¯s intelligence, she would even doubt if she had been deceived. Withal had also noticed this situation from the surveince monitor. Before he came, he had already investigated this factory. It was a chemical factory left over from the previous century¡¯s invaders, and it had been abandoned due to rumors of haunting and its remote location. There were a few rtively sealed areas inside, and Withal transmitted the specific locations to Zobber through a wireless earpiece. ¡°Go and check these ces.¡± Zobber looked at the indicator in her hand. It was her team¡¯stest product, invented by Catherine, with extremely high uracy. Withal pointed out a location. Even if it was three floors underground, Zobber could easily find it. ¡°Got it!¡± Withal said, ¡°Stay safe!¡± Zobber descended slowly from the floor and made her way to the location Withal had mentioned through a secret passage. Finally, at the end of the path, she spotted a glimmer of light. A mocking smile crossed Zobber¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t expect these bastards to hide in such a dark and airtight ce. No wonder it took her team so long to find them. But it didn¡¯t matter. In the end, they would still be caught. Zobber raised her hand and tapped the earpiece by her ear, whispering, ¡± Withal, keep a close eye on things. I¡¯m going in now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Withal¡¯s deep voice brought an inexplicable sense of security to Zobber. Perhaps it was the result of working together for many years. She never worried that Withal would abandon her. Zobber approached her target slowly, preparing to take out the device behind her to attack. Suddenly, Withal¡¯s stern voice came through the earpiece. ¡°Wait!¡± Zobber halted her steps, instantly adopting a serious expression. ¡°Zobber, something is not right inside. Retreat for now.¡± Withal¡¯s voice sounded urgent, indicating that the situation was dangerous. Zobber frowned, not showing any intention of retreating. She lowered her voice and anxiously asked Withal, ¡± Withal, what¡¯s going on? Exin it to me!¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Withal replied anxiously, ¡°There are too many people inside! Something is off. Retreat! Now!¡± With the infrared device carried by Zobber, Withal detected an increase in the number of people inside. It contradicted the information they had received, making him suspect that something had gone wrong. To prevent Zobber from taking unnecessary risks, he decided to have her retreat first. ¡°The numbers don¡¯t match? Withal, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take another look. If it¡¯s really dangerous, I¡¯ll retreat!¡± Zobber didn¡¯t want to give up. It took her a long time to find this group of people. Whether it was for Catherine or for this country, she couldn¡¯t let these bastards take the safe away. Withal kept sending signals, which made Zobber impatient. She took off her earpiece at once. Realizing that the situation had changed, Zobber became even more cautious. Sensing the approaching danger, she carefully pushed open the door in front of her. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, a gust of cold wind struck her. Zobber quickly took a step back. Bang! A loud noise rang out as a bullet narrowly missed her forehead, almost hitting her head. The other party showed no mercy, and Zobber was no longer patient. She pulled out her weapon and engaged in a fight with the opponent. She couldn¡¯t believe that these people were really skilled. With a couple of kicks, Zobber kicked the door open. As she entered, she waspletely stunned by the scene inside. The group of people she was targeting had already been subdued. Another group had arrived ahead of her and taken what they wanted from those bastards. Zobber stared coldly at the masked figures in front of her and sternly demanded, ¡°Hand over the safe, and I might spare your lives.¡± One of them sneered, their cold voice filled with disdain for Zobber. Zobber charged forward, and they began fighting. Initially, the opponent wasn¡¯t aware of Zobber¡¯s strength, so they didn¡¯t use their full power. After taking a kick from Zobber, however, they unleashed their full strength. Seeing that something was amiss, the people around also joined the fight. In the midst of the fight, Zobber sensed a daggering toward her. The other party¡¯s movements were so fast that she could only dodge the vital strike, but her arm still got grazed, instantly causing blood to flow. Zobber knew that if she kept fighting, she would surely die. Seeing Zobber injured, the group of people seemed to have changed their strategy. They decided not to kill her but to capture her alive. Just as Zobber was about to be captured, a deafening explosion shattered the silence in the room. Smoke filled the air, obscuring the scene in front of her. Zobber only felt a pair of strong hands grabbing her arm. She immediately knew that her reinforcements had arrived. She shouted excitedly, ¡°Withal! Withal didn¡¯t respond. With one hand around Zobber¡¯s waist, he took advantage of the opponent¡¯s distraction and swiftly carried her away. Thete-night phone ringing shattered Catherine¡¯s slumber. Her eyes opened instantly, shining but icy cold. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Her deep voice seemed to contain immense power. After learning the situation, Catherine immediately got up and briefly responded, ¡°I see. I¡¯ming over now.¡± Hanging up the phone, Catherine was about to leave. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind. At that moment, Catherine realized that she seemed to no longer be alone. The cold and stern expression on her face softened, reced by a gentle smile as she turned to look at Branden behind her. ¡°I need to go out for something.¡± Chapter 551 Catherine’s Boyfriend When Catherine spoke, Branden had already gotten up and stood behind her. In the moonlight streaming through the window, his perfect abs were clearly visible. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going out?¡± His deep voice brought Catherine¡¯s wandering thoughts back. As Catherine snapped back to reality, Branden had already put on a white shirt. While she was in a daze, he casually picked up her jacket and helped her put it on. But this jacket was a bit¡­ thick. It was summer now, but he had brought her a long-sleeved jacket. Noticing Catherine¡¯s puzzled expression, Branden exined earnestly, ¡°It gets chilly at night. It¡¯s better to wear more.¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time Branden had done something like this. Indeed, nights were much colder than the daytime, so Catherine went along with him. The main reason was that she felt it would be too troublesome to take off her clothes again. The two of them went downstairs together. Branden didn¡¯t notify anyone. He just took the car keys and brought Catherine along. ¡°Address,¡± he said. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine forwarded the location that Withal had just sent to her phone to Branden. Originally, Catherine wanted to tell him to stay at home. But seeing that Branden had no intention of consulting her, she agreed. The address given by Withal was for a hotel in the city center. The busier the ce, the safer it was for them now. When they arrived at the door of the room, Catherine dialed Withal¡¯s number. The next second, the door opened. Withal was about to say something to Catherine but froze upon seeing Branden next to her. This was the first time Catherine had brought a man along. Although he knew they were in a rtionship, he didn¡¯t expect their rtionship to be this firm. Withal came back to his senses and stepped aside, inviting the two of them in. ¡°Where¡¯s Zobber?¡± Catherine asked as soon as she entered the room. Withal pointed in the direction of the room behind him. Catherine nced at Branden. He nodded coldly and sat down on the nearby sofa. Catherine walked toward the room. Pushing open the door, Catherine saw Zobber lying on the bed. Her complexion was pale, and her eyes were closed. Perhaps sensing something, Zobber struggled to open her eyes. The moment she saw Catherine, her previously dull eyes suddenly lit up. She tried to sit up, but her movements caused pain in her wounds. Her face contorted in agony, and she involuntarily gasped in pain. Catherine leaned against the side, her sparkling gem-like eyes fixed on Zobber. ¡°Good. You¡¯re still alive,¡± Catherine said in a cold voice. Instead of deterring Zobber¡¯s enthusiasm, these words only made Zobber more excited. ¡°Catherine, you knew I was injured, so you came here to see me, right?¡± Before Catherine could respond, Zobber was already getting emotional. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re too good to me. I knew you must love me the most, right? Catherine couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. She remembered that when she recruited Zobber, Zobber wasn¡¯t this emotional. ¡°What has she experienced over the years?¡± Catherine thought. ¡°When did she be so dramatic?¡± ¡°Alright, if you can get out of bed, thene out.¡± Catherine crossed her arms and walked out of the room. She had entered the room to assess Zobber¡¯s injuries. Now she knew that Zobber¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t severe. Since that was the case, Catherine decided to deal with the important matters first. She wanted to know who the other party was and why they dared to attack Zobber. When Withal saw Catherinee out, he quickly went into the room to help Zobber out. He knew that Catherine was going to talk about the safe. Withal supported Zobber and led her to the living room. When she saw Branden, who was sitting next to Catherine, she waspletely shocked. ¡°This guy is really handsome!¡± She gave an exmation of surprise in her mind. That made sense. Some men only looked good on the surface butcked charisma and presence. Branden was different. Not only was his face stunningly handsome, but he also exuded a domineering aura from head to toe. It made people both infatuated with his appearance and awed by him. Most importantly, he was sitting next to Catherine. Seeing Zobber staring at Branden in a daze, Withal quickly pulled her arm, signaling her to calm down. However, he identally tugged on Zobber¡¯s wound, and she erupted in anger. ¡°Withal, can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m injured? Why are you pulling me when I¡¯m already in pain?¡± Her tone was serious, indicating that she was getting annoyed. Withal rolled his eyes. He had kindly saved her, but she didn¡¯t appreciate it. ¡°I asked you toe out to talk about the mission, not to drool over Catherine¡¯s boyfriend,¡± he said. Zobber was about to retort, but then she processed what Withal had said and froze for a moment. She turned her head and stared at Withal, then at Branden, her face full of disbelief. ¡± What did you say? Catherine¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Withal didn¡¯t want to talk to her, so he chose to remain silent. Seeing that Withal ignored her, Zobber locked her gaze on Branden. This time, her gaze toward Branden no longer held infatuation but more of curiosity. ¡°Are you really Catherine¡¯s boyfriend?¡± she asked. Branden coldly raised his eyes to look at Zobber, his gaze as sharp as a knife. Being stared at by him, Zobber took a step back in fear. His gaze was too intimidating, making her feel uneasy. She had never been afraid of anyone in her life, and no one had ever made her feel this way with just a nce. He was the first. Knowing she might not be his match, Zobber looked at Catherine with pleading eyes and a pitiful, aggrieved expression on her face. ¡°Catherine, is he really your boyfriend?¡± Catherine leaned toward Branden. He skillfully wrapped his arm around her waist, allowing her to lean comfortably against him. After that, Catherine¡¯s gaze slowly fell on Zobber. She raised an eyebrow as she asked softly, ¡°Since when do I have to report to you when I find a boyfriend? This seemingly emotionless sentence frightened Zobber. Her face turned pale, and her whole body involuntarily trembled. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ I just¡­¡± Zobber started to babble in fear. Catherine didn¡¯t want to scold Zobber, but Zobber was talking too much. If she didn¡¯t give Zobber a warning, Zobber would continue to babble on. ¡°Enough, let¡¯s get to the point,¡± Catherine said. Zobber immediately closed her mouth. Withal exined the basic situation. The three of them focused on discussing the matter, unaware that behind Catherine, Branden¡¯s expression suddenly became serious after hearing their conversation. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Catherine turned around in confusion to look at Branden. Chapter 552 Spill the Truth Branden¡¯s voice caught the attention of the three of them. Seeing everyone¡¯s gaze on him, Branden remained calm. After all, he had gone through a lot of crises like this. He slowly lifted his head, his gentle gaze falling on Catherine. ¡°Are you looking for Mr. X¡¯s safe?¡± Catherine casually nodded. Since she had brought Branden, there was no need to hide it from him. ¡°I took on a mission to find this safe.¡± Branden sighed helplessly. His expression carried a faint smile, making it difficult to tell his current mood. Catherine sat up straight, crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow as she stared at Branden beside her. That gaze seemed to say, ¡°Spill the truth.¡± If it were anyone else treating Branden with this attitude, they would have been sent straight to hell. But Catherine was different. She was the girl who held a special ce in his heart, and he had to indulge her. ¡°Next time, why don¡¯t you let me know before taking on a mission?¡± Branden¡¯s tone carried a hint of helplessness, making Catherine instantly realize something. She spread her hands, uttering three words. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Branden looked at Catherine with infinite doting in his eyes, softly saying, ¡°Alright.¡± He was even willing to give her his life if she wanted, not to mention a safe. The conversation between Branden and Catherine left Zobber and Withal dumbfounded. ¡°Why do these two big shots have to talk in riddles?¡± they both thought. ¡°We can¡¯t understand a single word you said.¡± Zobber was confused. However, having just been scolded by Catherine, she didn¡¯t dare to speak up. Withal, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity and cautiously asked, ¡°Excuse me, but can you tell me what we should do next?¡± Catherine turned her head, nced at him, and said softly, ¡°Rest.¡± ¡°Rest?¡± Withal couldn¡¯t quite grasp what Catherine meant. ¡°But we haven¡¯t found the safe yet, and we still don¡¯t know who the other party is. How can we rest?¡± ¡°No need to look for it. Someone will deliver it,¡± Catherine replied simply, her tone cold but exuding an unquestionable dominance. Given the current situation, Withal didn¡¯t dare to ask any more questions. He simply nodded obediently. Besides, all he had to do was follow Catherine¡¯s orders. Once Catherine finished speaking, Branden held her hand and asked, ¡± Shall we go?¡± Catherine had two things to do there, which were checking on Zobber¡¯s condition and looking for the thing she wanted. Zobber was fine, and the thing she wanted would be handed to her personally. She had no need to worry. She could go back to sleep peacefully. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Catherine said and stood up. Branden casually picked up the coat that Catherine had taken off when she entered the room and draped it over her shoulders. ¡°Put it on,¡± he said in a gentle tone that carried an undeniable dominance. Catherine reluctantly reached out and put on the jacket. Seeing that she obediently dressed, Branden nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll go start the car. You cane downter.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine muttered. She knew that Branden was intentionally giving her time to talk to Withal and Zobber. After all, it was obvious that Withal and Zobber were dying to gossip. As soon as Branden closed the door, Withal couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity and rushed up to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, what exactly happened? Please exin it to us.¡± Looking at his gossipy face, Catherine felt a bit helpless. Withal was given the nickname Cold- Faced Withalist. It meant that he was not only ruthless and decisive but also cold-blooded and indifferent to everything. Catherine now wondered whether the person who gave him that nickname was blind, brainless, or both. Withal, with his gossipy appearance at the moment, could hardly be called Cold -Faced Withalist. Gossipy Withalist would be more urate. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Turning her head to look at Zobber, Catherine saw that Zobber had an even more gossipy expression than Withal¡¯s. Catherine sighed in her mind. ¡°How did I end up with these two idiots?¡± she wondered. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not asplicated as you guys imagine. You don¡¯t need to look for the safe anymore. It seems that it was taken by Branden¡¯s men,¡± Catherine exined simply. Withal instantly understood what was going on. It was no wonder Catherine had reached out to get something from Branden earlier. It turned out she was asking him to give her the safe. Zobber was dumbfounded when she heard that the safe was taken by Branden¡¯s men. Her mouth was agape. ¡°What? Your boyfriend is so powerful? He can snatch it from Withal and me?¡± Zobber eximed. The skeptical look Withal gave Zobber was full of disdain. ¡°Girl, are you praising yourself?¡± Zobber retorted angrily, ¡°Do I have to call you a loser so that you will be happy?¡± Withal was speechless. Catherine smiled faintly as she watched the two of them banter. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving.¡± After saying those two words, she departed gracefully. Catherine¡¯s departure left Zobber feeling a bit disappointed. She instantly slumped onto the sofa, looking dejected. ¡°Why did Catherine leave so soon? I didn¡¯t even get a chance to chat with her,¡± Zobbermented. Facing Catherine¡¯s ultimate fangirl, Withal couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless. Just as he was about to leave, Zobber called out to him. ¡°Wait!¡± Withal turned around, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zobber got up and stared at Withal with determination. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me about Catherine¡¯s boyfriend. Where does hee from?¡± She was dying of curiosity. She wanted to know everything rted to Catherine. Withal could tell from her expression that she wouldn¡¯t give up until she found out. ¡°Stop gossiping, will you? Even Catherine herself might not know where her boyfriendes from, let alone me,¡± Withal replied, thinking that this answer would finally put Zobber at ease. But in the end, he realized that he didn¡¯t understand women well enough. As soon as he finished speaking, Zobber instantly perked up. The next moment, she pounced on him, grabbing his arm. She didn¡¯t at all resemble someone who was injured. Instead, she had a fierce and intimidating aura. ¡°Oh my god, are they ying this game of not knowing each other¡¯s backgrounds while dating, and then they slowly reveal their secrets? How exciting! Catherine is truly something. She has a special way of finding a boyfriend!¡± Zobber stared at Withal with a fascinated expression, but it wasn¡¯t directed at him. Withal was well aware of this. He pouted, pushing Zobber away with a look of disdain. ¡°There must be something wrong with these women,¡± he murmured in his mind. ¡°They like ying the game of not knowing each other¡¯s backgrounds while dating, constantly revealing each other¡¯s secrets. Is that considered romantic? Am I getting old, or have I be too vulgar to understand love?¡± Chapter 553 I Trained Her The next morning, Paxton arrived with his men at the entrance of the apartment next to Styre University. Francis and Carlo stood at the door, enduring the wind blowing for the entire morning. Finally, they couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Carlo, always the talkative one, was the first to speak. ¡°Paxton, what¡¯s going on? We¡¯ve been standing here for almost five hours. Can¡¯t we go in yet?¡± From seven in the morning until now, almost noon, Paxton showed no intention of opening the door. The wind in Loxton was biting in the morning, and the scorching sun near noon made people dizzy. It was truly torture. Paxton nced at Carlo irritably and then looked down at the watch on his wrist. He said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient. It¡¯ll be another half an hour. ¡°It¡¯ll be noon in half an hour,¡± Carlo retorted, annoyed. ¡°So what? Are you tired? Do you want me to throw you into the mines in Ravenloth?¡± Paxton¡¯s tone was cold, and it scared Carlo. Cory was currently working in the mines in Ravenloth. He now looked like a plump of charcoal. The conditions there were harsh, and Carlo surely didn¡¯t want to go. Last time, the king of Ravenloth gave Catherine a gold mine. To expedite the excavation of the gold inside, Branden arranged for Cory to work there. The reason there was a gold mine in that ce was that it was rarely visited by people, and the conditions were extremely harsh. Threatened by Paxton, Carlo instantly became obedient, not daring to say anything more. Seeing that Carlo had shut up, Paxton stopped threatening him. In fact, Paxton was holding back his anger. He was sent to stand in punishment by Branden the previous night, and he didn¡¯t even have the time toin. What right did Carlo have to make comints? If it wasn¡¯t for Carlo and Francis not handling things well, they wouldn¡¯t be standing there in punishment now. The notice Branden sent Paxton the previous night required Paxton to arrive at seven in the morning, but he still hadn¡¯t been notified to enter. Paxton knew very well what was going on. Now he could only wait obediently, hoping that Branden would let him in soon. Inside the room, the summer sunlight shone on the tender skin of the person on the bed. Catherine woke up in a wave of heat, her sleepy eyes squinting as she looked ahead. ¡°What time is it?¡± Her voice sounded hoarse but cute,cking the usual coldness. Branden couldn¡¯t help but smile when he heard the voice. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Do you want to rest a little longer or get up for lunch?¡± he asked. Catherine, still half-asleep, shook her head and furrowed her brows. She wasn¡¯t hungry. Although she didn¡¯t get out of bed in the morning, Branden brought breakfast to her and fed her before letting her go back to sleep. It had only been four hours since breakfast, so she wasn¡¯t hungry. ¡°I¡¯ll get up, but I don¡¯t want to have lunch yet,¡± she replied. Branden hugged her affectionately and softly responded, ¡°Alright.¡± Catherine got up and walked to the window, stretchingzily in the sun. Since she had gotten up, she didn¡¯t want to stay in bed. She caught a glimpse of three familiar figures below the window and paused for a moment, turning to look at Branden behind her. ¡°Paxton and his two brothers are downstairs. Shouldn¡¯t we let them in?¡± she asked. Catherine knew that it must be Branden who had asked them toe there. Branden didn¡¯t say much. He just nodded at Catherine and took out his phone to unlock the door. Click! Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The sound caught the attention of the three people standing outside the door. Just after being reprimanded by Paxton, Carlo didn¡¯t dare to act out and obediently stood there waiting for instructions. It was Paxton who confidently pushed open the door and led his two brothers into the house. In the living room, Catherine was ying with her phone on the sofa, looking bored. Branden was busy in the kitchen. When Francis and Carlo entered, they were dumbfounded to see their boss wearing an apron and cutting fruit. At that moment, they even began to wonder if the man in the kitchen was Branden Duncan or not. Carlo was the most shocked, his mouth agape. Paxton, on the other hand, remainedposed. After all, he had seen even more submissive behavior than this. What was there to be surprised about? After Branden finished cutting the fruit, he brought it over and sat down next to Catherine. He handed her the prepared fruit with a fork, taking care of her every need. ¡°We¡¯ll have lunchter. Have some fruit first,¡± Branden said, attentively. As Catherine looked at the beautifully arranged and perfectly cut fruit, she couldn¡¯t help but feel tempted. She took a bite and found it quite tasty. Seeing her start eating the fruit, Branden gave a faint smile. However, his gentleness only stayed with Catherine. When his gaze turned toward the three Duncans, it instantly turned cold and ruthless. Carlo was so scared by Branden¡¯s gaze that he almost fell to the ground. ¡°Why is there such a difference in Boss¡¯s attitude toward Catherine and us?¡± he wondered. Paxton quickly ced the safe he was holding on the table. ¡°Boss, this is the safe you asked for.¡± Seeing Paxton getting down to business, Carlo and Francis immediately regained theirposure. Francis was the first to report on the mission. ¡°Boss, besides the people from Rexinheim, there is another mysterious force searching for this safe. They are quite powerful.¡± Hearing Francis¡¯s words, Carlo quickly added, ¡°And there was a woman on the mission. Herbat skills were quite good.¡± Catherine, who was ying games on her cell phone, put down her phone and looked at Carlo. Sensing Catherine¡¯s gaze, Carlo thought he had said something wrong and quickly exined, ¡°Miss Swann, although herbat skills are good, she definitely can¡¯tpare to you.¡± Carlo¡¯s words brought a faint smile to Catherine¡¯s indifferent face. Just as Carlo thought he had ttered her, he heard Catherine whisper, ¡°You¡¯re right. I trained her. Of course she can¡¯tpare to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Miss Swann. With her limitedbat skills, how can shepare to you¡­¡± Carlo stopped halfway through his sentence, his eyes almost popping out. His mouth twitched as he asked, ¡°You trained her? She works for you?¡± Catherine did not deny it. She gestured toward Branden. Branden picked up the safe that Paxton had just ced on the table, handing it to Catherine. Catherine took it without hesitation and then made a request. ¡°Give me aptop.¡± Paxton quickly went to the study and brought out aptop, handing it to Catherine. As Catherine held theptop and pounded away at the keyboard, the other three people still hadn¡¯t recovered from their shock. It was at this moment they realized that they were fighting amongst themselves. Chapter 554 You’re Truly Amazing! In just 10 minutes, Catherine managed to open the safe. Paxton, Francis, and Carlo watched her closely as her fingers swiftly tapped on the keyboard. They couldn¡¯t see clearly what she was typing before the safe opened. They were shocked by what they had seen. Their mouths were agape. Branden, on the other hand, leaned against the side with an expression of pride on his face. After all, his girl was truly outstanding. After opening the safe, Catherine carefully took out the contents. Once she confirmed everything was in order, she took out her phone and contacted Zobber. With the taskpleted, she casually tossed the precious safe aside. Catherine¡¯s casual act dumbfounded Paxton, Francis, and Carlo. They knew Catherine¡¯s formidable combat skills, but they never expected her to have such amazingputer skills. They were well aware of how difficult it was to open the safe. Otherwise, the people from Rexinheim wouldn¡¯t have risked their lives to take the entire safe away. They couldn¡¯t open the box in Eskana and had to bring it back to Rexinheim, relying on experts in that country to find a way. However, Catherine just effortlessly opened the safe. Carlo was so astonished that he kneeled before her. ¡°Amazing. You are truly amazing.¡± Catherine nced at Carlo, finding him amusing. ¡°Stop ttering me. Let¡¯s go y games.¡± She had been ying a game recently that had a team battle mode, where two sides wouldpete against each other. When they were on Scorpion Ind, Catherine yed the game with Carlo and Francis. These two were much better at gaming than Paxton. Since she was bored right now, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to y with some skilled yers. Carlo, hearing that Catherine was willing to y games with them, became excited. ¡°Wow! Great! Let¡¯s do this!¡± Carlo immediately took out his phone and connected with Catherine online. Seeing that Francis hadn¡¯t moved yet, Carlo kicked him. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Didn¡¯t you hear Catherine¡¯s orders?¡± Francis nced coldly at Carlo, causing thetter to shrink back in fear. Once Carlo shut up, Francis discreetly sought approval from Branden. Paxton knew what Francis was thinking. He thought of Francis as a blockhead who couldn¡¯t see the bigger picture. There was no need to seek their boss¡¯s approval at all. Branden was clearly under Catherine¡¯s spell. If she wanted to y games, Branden would allow them to apany her. Even if they were in a real-life battle, Branden wouldn¡¯t hesitate to bind them and offer them up to Catherine, allowing her to do as she pleased. After receiving a response from Branden, Francis obediently took out his phone and connected with Catherine online. In fact, he was somewhat excited. It was mainly because Catherine was incredibly skilled, and ying games with her was always a thrilling experience. The three of them sessfully connected and officially started the game. Due to their high levels, they were matched with the top 10 yers on the server. This was a world dominated by professional gamers with impable skills. It wasn¡¯t an easy task to defeat them. When Carlo saw the opponent¡¯s ID, he couldn¡¯t help but scream in excitement, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s the top- ranked yer on the server! This is gonna be a challenge!¡± Hearing this, the people nearby immediately gathered around to see what was going on. They all knew that Catherine was good at the game, but facing the top yer on the server would definitely pose a challenge. After all, that person was the champion of the professional league.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 555 Dominating Her Opponents When Zobber entered the house, she was stunned by what she saw. Catherine was sitting in the middle of the sofa. Several young men surrounded her. They werepletely focused on her phone. Zobber nudged Withal, asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Withal rolled his eyes. Lately, he felt like his eyes were twitching from rolling them too much. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can¡¯t you tell that Catherine is ying games?¡± Withal replied, ignoring Zobber. How could he miss the thrilling scene of Catherine dominating her opponents? Catherine had reached the final of this game. She was leading Francis and Carlo against four professional yers from the opposing team. Currently, the situation was that all three opponents, except the captain, had been eliminated. On their side, only Catherine remained. It was now a one-on-one showdown between Catherine and the top-ranked yer on the server, Hero. Hero yed for the powerful Golden Star Professional League and was considered the best yer in the country for this game. His skills in mobile gaming were incredible, and he often represented Eskana in matches against foreign yers. No one expected Catherine to be matched up against Hero for a showdown. As the battle unfolded, Hero had taken an advantageous position. He was in the center of the circle and didn¡¯t need to avoid the poison. Catherine was on the edge of the circle, with only 10 seconds left before the poison would start closing in. There was no cover ahead. If she ran directly, she would undoubtedly lose.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. At the Golden Star Training Center, all the team members were surprised to be matched against such a strong opponent while casually ying a game. All three professional gamers on their team had been eliminated, leaving only their captain, Hero. Jerry carefully watched the screen, observing his captain¡¯s every move. ¡°Cap, we will win, right? The opponent will reveal their position when they try to enter the circle, and they will be doomed. But then again, I didn¡¯t expect them to be this tough. Can¡¯t believe these random yers are so formidable. It¡¯s truly terrifying,¡± Jerry said. His teammates all fell silent. No one expected that a casual match would turn out to be so intense. They were professional yers. But now, they had to rely on their captain to turn the tide. Those random yers were much better at this game than they had imagined. Hero silently stared at the screen, his eyes fixed on his surroundings. Just as Jerry had said, they had underestimated the opponents¡¯ skills. They never expected that a casual match would be more challenging than a professional league game. They hade to crush some noobs, but now they were in a one-on-one situation. Although Hero had confidence in winning this round of the game, the fact that they had turned a casual match into such a situation was proof of their failure. The 10-second countdown ended, and Catherine officially began her attack. She knew that her opponent had locked onto her. She couldn¡¯t see their position, but that didn¡¯t hinder her progress. The poison zone was tens of timesrger than the safety zone. Although the poison zone seemed perilous, the safety zone was even more dangerous. Catherine pulled out a few smoke grenades from her backpack and threw them in all directions. She knew that the moment she threw the smoke grenades, she had exposed her position. Her opponent was not weak, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to spot her. After Catherine threw the smoke grenades, she immediately changed her position. The moment Hero saw the smoke grenades being thrown, a smirk gradually appeared on his face, as he understood that the game was about to end. He took out his gun, pulled the trigger, and shot into the smoke. The bullet grazed Catherine¡¯s shoulder, but she skillfully dodged it. She quickly switched guns and started shooting at a rapid pace. The game ended. Jerry and his teammates stared at the second ce on the screen, instantly dumbfounded. They thought their captain would win for sure, but it didn¡¯t happen. Jerry stood up instantly, bellowing, ¡± How is this possible? They must be cheating! There were no ballistics just now! How could it end like this? Maybe there¡¯s a glitch in the game!¡± Jerry angrily cursed, unable to ept the fact that their captain had lost. Hero, on the other hand, faced everything with calmness. He said casually, ¡°It¡¯s the VSS.¡± Withal was stunned. ¡°The VSS sniper rifle can indeed hide ballistics, but who would choose such a lousy gun in the final?¡± he analyzed. ¡°Not to mention its low damage, its uracy is shockingly low, making it practically useless at a certain distance. How confident was the opponent to use this gun?¡± Hero looked at the opponent¡¯s concise ID on the screen and fell into deep thought. He then opened the chat box and sent a message. After finishing the game, Catherine noticed a small red dot on the chat box, so she clicked on it. [Are you a professional yer?] Catherine nced at it and then closed the chat box,pletely ignoring it. She threw her phone aside, and cheers immediately erupted around her. Carlo looked at Catherine with admiration on his face, shouting, Catherine! Super Catherine! You¡¯re my idol! You just defeated Hero! You¡¯re amazing!¡± 11 In that game, there was probably no one who didn¡¯t know Hero. He was the best yer on the server, not only in this game but also in several others. He never lost a battle. But even such a top yer had lost to Catherine. Catherine, who was not a professional yer and had not received long-term training, managed to defeat the top yer on the server despite being at a geographical disadvantage. It proved just how formidable she was. Not only Carlo, but everyone else also looked at Catherine in awe. She was so good at this game that they couldn¡¯t help but admire her. Sensing the excitement of these people, Zobber felt a bit unhappy. She approached Catherine, saying, Catherine, everyone yed the game except for me. How about we y another round, and I join you?¡± Catherine held the nearby documents and tapped Zobber on the head. ¡°Not before the mission ispleted.¡± Although reluctant, Zobber understood the priorities and carefully took the documents handed to her by Catherine, storing them in a bag. ¡°Alright, Catherine, so you promise that once I finish the mission, you¡¯ll y a round of the game with me, right?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond or refuse. Zobber assumed that Catherine had agreed. She believed that as long as Catherine had free time, Catherine would definitely y this game with her. During the intense match between Catherine and the top yer, Zobber hadn¡¯t noticed the other people in the room. Now that the game had ended, she suddenly noticed Francis in the corner. That day, the person who attacked her had a mask on, so she couldn¡¯t see their face clearly. But at such a close distance, Zobber recognized him. Her eyes widened instantly, and she pointed at Francis, shouting, ¡°You brat, it was you who attacked me, right?¡± Chapter 556 Punishment Zobber suddenly shouted, startling everyone. Francis slowly lifted his head and looked at Zobber with a calm expression. He had already learned from Catherine that the person he had fought against was Catherine¡¯s ally. But he didn¡¯t expect this girl to be so pretty. Her vibrant purple-red hair looked bold and unrestrained. Zobber, seeing Francis sizing her up, couldn¡¯t help but ask irritably, ¡°What are you looking at? Haven¡¯t you seen a beauty before? Be careful, or I¡¯ll poke your eyes out.¡± Francis remained calm. Although Zobber seemed fiery-tempered, he was not an ordinary person who got easily intimidated. Carlo, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Francis when he saw Zobber making a fuss. ¡°How dare you call yourself a beauty in front of Catherine? Also, why did you shout so loudly for no reason? Do you think we¡¯re deaf, just like you?¡± Hearing Carlo¡¯s mockery, Zobber immediately became furious. ¡°What did you say, you brat? Do you believe I¡¯ll p your face?¡± Carlo showed no signs of backing down and said defiantly, ¡°Come on. Try me.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The two of them argued, just like children bickering. Paxton couldn¡¯t bear to watch, wondering why his subordinates were so childish. He cautiously stole a nce in Catherine¡¯s direction, afraid of angering the person who was so precious to Branden. Catherine leaned against the side, her headfortably resting on Branden¡¯s arm. She calmly watched Zobber and Carlo quarrel. Seeing no signs of anger from Catherine, Paxton secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Zobber, with a hot temper, immediately challenged Carlo to a duel. Although Carlo was the least intelligent among the Duncan brothers, hisbat skills were quite good, second only to Cory. After a few moves, Zobber realized that she was no match for Carlo. Catherine noticed this and spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± With just two words, the two immediately stopped fighting. Catherine was protective of her people, not allowing anyone to hurt them. Zobber knew well what was going on and realized that Catherine was deliberately protecting her. She felt extremely happy and didn¡¯t feel any shame. Zobber proudly raised her eyebrows at Carlo, showing off that she had someone looking out for her. Carlo looked a little bit jealous, wondering what it felt like to have someone powerful protecting him. Zobber approached Catherine with ttery. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re amazing. You managed to retrieve the mission so quickly.¡± Catherine calmly replied, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a retrieval. It was a delivery.¡± That made sense. Branden was willing to give her whatever she wanted. Catherine nced at Branden, and he immediately stood up and left, followed by Paxton, Francis, and Carlo. Catherine wanted to assign Zobber the next task. They had obtained the contents of the safe, and now the challenge was to return them in a safe way. In the study on the second floor, Branden sat at the main seat, facing the Duncan brothers. Francis was the first to break the silence. ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t think those two people apanying Miss Swann are ordinary. We just arrived at the warehouse in the northwest, and they immediately appeared. If we hadn¡¯t been slightly faster, the safe would have ended up in Miss Swann¡¯s hands even earlier.¡± In Francis¡¯s opinion, it was their boss¡¯s decision as to who would possess the safe. He didn¡¯t need to worry about it. But if he hadn¡¯tpleted the task, the situation would be different. After Francis finished speaking, Carlo immediately added, ¡°Boss, we received a message from our immediate superior. Besides us, the only ones who would have the coordinates of the abandoned factory in the northern suburbs are members of the Hacker Alliance. Could it be that these two people with Miss Swann are from the Hacker Alliance?¡± Carlo really couldn¡¯t understand what their boss was thinking. Catherine was like a puzzle. Nobody seemed to know who she really was. However, Branden didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of investigating her, which was quite strange. ¡°Boss, are you really not going to investigate her?¡± Carlo asked again. Branden lifted his head from theputer, coldly looking at Carlo. Though his gaze seemed in, it immediately stunned Carlo. It was Francis who quietly kicked Carlo, prompting him toe back to his senses. After Carlo realized what had happened, he immediately kneeled before Branden, obediently admitting his mistake. ¡°Boss, It¡¯s my fault.¡± Branden looked at him coldly. His voice was unusually icy as he said, ¡°Carlo, it seems I have indulged you too much. You have learned to challenge your superiors.¡± Such a simple sentence scared Carlo out of his wits, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. He instantly understood the meaning behind those words. He had indeed made a grave mistake, one that was unforgivable. No matter what mysterious power Catherine had behind her, she was their boss¡¯s woman, the future Mrs. Duncan. Talking behind her back was a challenge to authority. ¡°Boss, I was wrong. Please punish me,¡± Carlo pleaded. Branden¡¯s face showed a serious expression. ¡°Cory is applying to be transferred back. You will rece him for three months.¡± Upon hearing the punishment, Carlo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. That was probably the lightest punishment. Although mining in Ravenloth was a tough job, it was still better than being sent to the Court of Punishment and getting tortured. ¡°Thank you, Boss. I will leave tomorrow.¡± Not only Carlo but Paxton and Francis also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they were brothers who had grown up together. They didn¡¯t want Carlo to be severely punished. Paxton asked, ¡°Boss, when Coryes back, should we let him stay in Casier ore to Loxton?¡± ¡°Loxton.¡± Branden made the decision without hesitation. Cory was different from Carlo. Carlo had betterbat skills and was more suitable for taking on missions. Cory, on the other hand, had a talent for business. Bringing Cory back to handle the Duncans¡¯ business in Loxton and assisting Paxton would be a good n. It was also an opportunity to give Carlo a lesson. Downstairs, Catherine was assigning tasks without any reservations. Zobber thought that Catherine had purposely kept Branden unaware, but now Catherine seemed to have no concerns at all. It made Zobber curious. ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you afraid that the people upstairs will hear?¡± Zobber asked cautiously. Catherine gave her a cold nce. ¡± What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± The reason she had asked Branden to leave was simply because she wasn¡¯t used to having too many people around. As for Branden, he had no intention of getting involved in these matters. After all, with the capabilities of the Duncans, he could find out about everything he wanted to know. Zobber was still puzzled and asked carefully, ¡°Catherine, what is the background of your boyfriend? The people around him don¡¯t seem ordinary. Since they could easily bring her down, they were definitely not ordinary people. Catherine didn¡¯t hide anything from Zobber and told her the truth. ¡°He¡¯s the head of the Duncans and leader of Red Star.¡± Chapter 557 Gaming Adonis Zobber was focusing onpleting the new mission Catherine assigned her, with no spare time to gossip. The holiday hade to an end, and Catherine returned to school. After Beatrice left, the dorm room seemed more spacious andfortable. As soon as Catherine entered the room, she saw Amelia sitting on a chair with her feet propped up. Amelia was watching a live-streaming video on herputer. Hearing the sound, Amelia turned her head and saw Catherine. She waved at Catherine excitedly and asked, ¡± Catherine, do you y the mobile game ¡®yerUnknown¡¯s Storms?¡¯¡± Catherine nodded slightly. She had indeed been ying that mobile game recently. Amelia looked down on Isabe for being a bookworm and not ying games. Seeing Catherine nod, Amelia became extremely excited and quickly introduced her new idol. ¡°Catherine, since you y this game, you must know the top yer, Hero. He¡¯s be very popr on the inte, not only because he¡¯s good at the game, but also because he¡¯s incredibly handsome. He¡¯s been dubbed ¡®Gaming Adonis¡¯ by his fans.¡± Amelia excitedly pointed at theputer screen, almost dragging the man from inside theputer out and presenting him in front of Catherine. Considering Amelia¡¯s excessive excitement, Catherine nced up at theputer screen. Indeed, there was a pretty handsome face disyed on the screen. The young man did have a handsome face. He had a refined oval face, a prominent nose, and three- dimensional facial features. He looked truly alluring. Catherine took a quick nce and noticed the namete ced on the table. It was ¡°Hero.¡± For the past few days, there had been a yer with the same name constantly sending her friend requests in the game. Catherine had never epted any of his requests. She never friended people she wasn¡¯t familiar with. Catherine¡¯sck of interest didn¡¯t diminish Amelia¡¯s enthusiasm. She continued to talk non-stop, introducing her new idol. ¡°Catherine, let me tell you, Hero is not only amazing at gaming, but he¡¯s also incredibly intelligent. He¡¯s in the same university as us. It¡¯s said that he got epted into Styre University this year. And because he¡¯s participating in thepetition, the school has granted him an exemption from physical training. Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say anything, as she had no interest in these gaming celebrities. Faced with Amelia¡¯s enthusiasm, she just wanted to rest. At the Golden Star Training Center, Hero¡¯s teammates noticed that Hero was still staring nkly at his phone, which made them curious. ¡°Cap, hasn¡¯t that mysterious yer friended you yet?¡± Hero furrowed his brow and remained silent. He had sent countless friend requests, but there was no response. He also noticed that the mysterious yer hadn¡¯t been online recently. He had checked this yer¡¯s game record and realized that she had only yed a few dozen matches this season, which didn¡¯t seem like the record of a professional yer. If this yer was just an ordinary yer, then they must have been an incredibly talented one. Having someone like them on the team would undoubtedly enhance their chances of winning thepetition. Knowing Hero¡¯s dilemma, his teammates decided to give him some advice. ¡°Cap, I don¡¯t think it will be difficult to find this person.¡± Hero immediately looked up at his teammate. ¡°Do you know this yer?¡± The teammate shook his head and said, ¡°Of course not. If I knew such an amazing yer, I would have bragged about it every day. Jacob is aputer genius at Styre University. We can trace this yer¡¯s location based on the IP address. Once we have the location, it should be much easier to find this yer.¡± Hero agreed with this idea. Even though it seemed a bit intrusive to invade someone¡¯s privacy, in order to find this talent, he was willing to give it a try. Once he had made up his mind, he immediately stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk with Jacob about it.¡± In the female dormitory at Styre University, the sound of an rm clock woke up the sleeping residents. Isabe was always the first one up, followed by Amelia, and finally Catherine. Unlike the other two, although Catherine woke up thetest, she was the quickest to leave. She was efficient and swift in her actions. With a simple tidying up, she could be ready to go. As Catherine was about to leave, Amelia quickly called out to her, ¡°Catherine, wait!¡± Catherine turned around. Amelia pulled out a book and handed it to her. ¡± Catherine, your book. I went to pick it up for you yesterday.¡± Catherine nced down and reached out to ept it, saying softly, ¡°Thanks. This kind of thing was always taken care of by Ronin, and Catherine had never picked up her own books before. When she was at Loyalty Academy, her backpack was always kept in the drawer, with books from various subjects inside. The way sses were conducted in college was a bit different, with no fixed ssrooms. Depending on the course, students had to bring their own books to school for each ss. If it weren¡¯t for Amelia¡¯s reminder, Catherine would have just walked straight to the ssroom like that. Watching Catherine¡¯s departing figure, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but squint her eyes and turn to Isabe behind her. ¡°Be, don¡¯t you think Catherine has a great presence? She¡¯s so cool when she said ¡®thanks¡¯ just now.¡± Isabe chuckled and grabbed Amelia¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, stop daydreaming and go to ss. I don¡¯t want to bete.¡± Catherine walked downstairs and saw Ronin already waiting there. Holding a delicate food container, he rushed up to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, your breakfast.¡± The lid of the food container was transparent, through which Catherine could see the delicious breakfast inside. All of it was her favorite, perfectly suited to her taste. Catherine reached out and took it, asking in return, ¡°Did you eat?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Ronin replied without hesitation. He had woken up at five in the morning just to prepare breakfast for Catherine. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t be ustomed to the breakfast in the cafeteria. Since he was apanying her to university, he had to take care of her from every aspect. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. As for himself, he would just eat an eggter. Ronin caught sight of the book in Catherine¡¯s hand and widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Catherine, you went to pick up the books yourself?¡± He hadn¡¯t known about this before. It was after his roommate told him that he knew he had to go pick up the books himself. After picking up his own books, he went to Catherine¡¯s ss and picked up her books as well. Catherine raised the book in her hand and said, ¡°Amelia picked them up for me.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Ronin felt a little unhappy. His job had been taken over again. But it was a good thing. Catherine¡¯s roommates weren¡¯t annoying and were willing to take care of her. Ronin was happy that Catherine seemed satisfied with the breakfast he had prepared. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll apany you to ss.¡± Chapter 558 The New Teaching Assistant Ronin had gotten Catherine¡¯s ss schedule before he got his own. He knew better than Catherine what sses she had that day. Catherine left the dorm room early. There were more than 10 minutes before ss, allowing Catherine to finish her breakfast in peace. ¡°Catherine, are you really nning to spend four years studying here?¡± He had initially thought that Catherine was just there to experience college life, but now it seemed like she was getting more and more into the college student mindset. He was starting to have trouble understanding what she meant. For Catherine, spending her days in the base doing research and projects was not different from going to college. For now, she was satisfied with her current life and had no ns to change it. ¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time. Who knows what the future holds?¡± Ronin agreed with her decision. For him, he would agree with anything she said. Catherine stuffed thest piece of pastry into her mouth, wiped her hands with a tissue, and stood up to head toward the ssroom. ¡°ss is about to start. Hurry up.¡± Catherine¡¯s concern was greatly appreciated by Ronin. He nodded obediently, quickly tidied up, and assured Catherine, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I won¡¯t bete.¡± The first ss was taught by the most famous professor in the university, Marshall Hartley. The EIE department students were eagerly waiting for Professor Hartley¡¯s ss. When Catherine entered the ssroom, it was already full of people. Her presence immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention. Her arrogant yet beautiful face was truly eye-catching. Coupled with the great presence she possessed, even if she tried to be low- key, it was difficult not to attract people¡¯s attention. Amelia had been in the ssroom for a while and hadn¡¯t seen Catherine. She didn¡¯t expect Catherine to leave the dorm room earlier than her but arriveter. She quickly raised her hand and greeted Catherine. ¡°Catherine, over here!¡± Upon hearing the voice, Catherine walked straight toward Amelia and sat down next to her. As soon as Catherine sat down, Amelia couldn¡¯t wait to approach her, chattering away. ¡°Catherine, didn¡¯t you leave the dorm earlier than me? How did you end upingter?¡± Out of politeness, Catherine responded with a few words, ¡°I went to have breakfast.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Amelia looked envious and said, ¡± Catherine, it¡¯s good to wake up early. I didn¡¯t have breakfast, and now I¡¯m so hungry. Could you please wake me up in the morning?¡± Catherine nced at her and said, ¡°It seems that you wake up earlier than me. ¡°Well¡­¡± Amelia scratched the back of her head awkwardly and said, ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll finish cleaning up as soon as possible.¡± Even though Amelia woke up early that morning, she didn¡¯t eat breakfast because she was dragging her feet. Catherine reached into her pocket, took out a handful of choctes, and ced them on the desk. ¡°Here.¡± These choctes were specially prepared for her by Branden to replenish her energy when she had low blood sugar. They tasted good. Amelia didn¡¯t hesitate to take them and put one in her mouth. At first, Amelia didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. After chewing a few bites, she realized that the chocte was really delicious. ¡°Catherine, where did you buy it? It tastes so good. I want to buy some too.¡± Catherine shrugged indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t know. A friend of mine gave it to me.¡± Upon hearing that, Amelia took out her phone and searched for it herself. After all, nowadays, it was easy to search for a specific product, thanks to the powerful image recognition function of all kinds of apps. When the search wasplete and the results appeared, Amelia was dumbfounded. She carefully read the details of the product, including the weight on the packaging. She was almost choked by her saliva in shock. The chocte she had just eaten cost a three-digit number, and Catherine had given her around eight choctes. In other words, the choctes Catherine had just given her cost over four digits. Amelia thought of the moment when she said that she also wanted to buy some, feeling embarrassed. However, Catherine didn¡¯t mock her, which proved that Catherine treated her as her good friend. After hesitating for a moment, Amelia quietly pushed the remaining choctes toward Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I can¡¯t ept them. They¡¯re too expensive.¡± Catherine had never checked the price of this kind of chocte before. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Amelia. ¡°Expensive?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Amelia nodded. ¡°It¡¯s from Itasca, very expensive. No wonder it tastes so good.¡± Catherine pursed her lips and smiled lightly, saying calmly, ¡°There are many high-quality imitations on the market now. Just take them.¡± ¡°High-quality imitations?¡± Amelia was somewhat conflicted. ¡°Could high- quality imitations taste this good?¡± she asked inwardly. Soon, the bell for ss rang. Seeing that Catherine had no intention of taking back the choctes, Amelia carefully put them away and ced them in her pocket. ck, ck, ck¡­ The sound of high heels tapping on the floor could be heard from outside, followed by a graceful figure entering the ssroom. ¡°Hello, everyone. I am your teaching assistant, Jada Facer. Today is the first ss at Styre University, and I¡¯m sorry to inform you all that Professor Hartley is busy with an experiment and won¡¯t be able to make it to this ss for the time being.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t pay much attention at first, but when she heard the name Jada, she looked up. As she raised her head, Jada seemed to have noticed her presence as well. Jada looked her way. Their eyes met, and Jada was momentarily stunned. She didn¡¯t expect to see Catherine there. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she said with displeasure, ¡°We are about to start the ss, so unrted people should leave immediately.¡± While speaking, she kept her gaze fixed on Catherine. At first, the other students didn¡¯t notice it. But as Jada continued to dy the start of the ss, it caught their attention. The temporary president of the EIE ssmates Union, Sophia Miller, immediately counted the number of students and stood up to report to Jada. ¡°All the students from the EIE ss are present today. No one is absent.¡± Catherine remained calm, sitting silently without being affected in the slightest. She wanted to know what Jada was going to do there. Amelia had a feeling that Jada¡¯s gaze was particrly unfriendly. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Jada, do you think Catherine is not a student in our ss? She¡¯s the top student personally recruited by Professor Hartley from Casier. Professor Hartley even had a public dispute with a professor from the prestigious University of Penny just to recruit her. If she¡¯s not in our ss, nobody here is.¡± As soon as the words fell, Jada¡¯s face instantly darkened. The student recruited by Marshall turned out to be Catherine, which shocked Jada to the core. Chapter 559 Personal Grudges Jada couldn¡¯t bear it. She had heard before that Marshall had discovered a highly intelligent student during the admission process, and he had even snatched her from the University of Penny. ording to Marshall, he was particrly interested in this student and nned to bring her into his research group. Jada had been following Marshall for a long time, from freshman year until now, always assisting him in any way she could. Not only that, but the Facers had also invested a considerable amount in Marshall¡¯s laboratory; and this year was her chance to enter theb. What right did Catherine have to get into the research group? Jada couldn¡¯t believe it. Anger and jealousy had made Jada lose her rationality. She looked at Catherine with annoyance and couldn¡¯t care less about her image as she sneered. ¡°These days, there are plenty of people who seek attention and create hype for themselves. Who knows if you¡¯re the student Professor Hartley mentioned? Could it be true or just a made-up story? As soon as Jada said that, the way people looked at Catherine changed. Some bystanders were immediately led astray by Jada¡¯s words. Amelia anxiously tugged at Catherine¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Catherine, you need to think of a way to rify this situation. If you don¡¯t show them the evidence, it will be troublesome in the future.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t want to exin in the first ce, but Jada¡¯s face was just so annoying. Jada heard the discussions rising around her and felt somewhat pleased. She just wanted to see Catherine¡¯s reputation destroyed. Suddenly, Catherine stood up and stared directly at Jada. Jada stared back, refusing to back down. She somewhat smugly asked, ¡± What? Are you angry because I told the truth?¡± Catherine looked calmly at her and said, ¡°This is Styre University. I advise you to use your brain and not embarrass yourself like a clown here.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Jada was instantly speechless. Her face turned red and looked particrly ridiculous. Amelia also noticed that Jada was targeting Catherine. Jada¡¯s high and mighty attitude was quite annoying. Seeing Catherine fight back, Amelia immediately came to her support. ¡°Exactly. This is Styre University. Rumors like these can be debunked in minutes. We¡¯re not fools. Besides, Jada, Professor Hartley only recruited one student from Casier, and that student is Catherine.¡± Catherine¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s words left Jada at a loss for words. Jada was powerless to retort, her face turning dark with embarrassment. Just now, she made a foolish decision in a moment of anger and didn¡¯t expect Catherine to react so quickly. The atmosphere became thick with tension. Catherine didn¡¯t want her. personal grudges to disrupt the ss for the other students. ¡°It¡¯s meaningless to say these things. Let¡¯s not waste the first ss,¡± Catherine said calmly. Many students nodded in agreement and urged Jada to start the ss. Jada was a senior at Styre University. She had been following Marshall for a long time. Although she wasn¡¯t a top student, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to teach the basics to the freshmen. Jada had originally wanted to showcase her abilities and prestige in front of the freshmen, but she was completely embarrassed by Catherine before the first ss. All her ns were disrupted, and the first ss ended in haste. As soon as the bell rang, she packed up and left the ssroom awkwardly. As soon as Jada left, whispers filled the ssroom. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that students who can enter Professor Hartley¡¯s research group are all exceptional? Why does that girl called Jada seem so average?¡± ¡°Perhaps some people are just not good with words and focus more on their projects. Those who can enter the research group are definitely not average students.¡± Hearing the discussion between two ssmates, someone who knew a little inside information stepped forward to argue, ¡°I heard that Jada is the daughter of the Facers, one of the prominent families in Loxton. The Facers have sponsored a lot of projects of Professor Hartley¡¯sb.¡± After saying that, this person gave everyone a meaningful look, leaving them to interpret it themselves. Amelia came over to gossip with Catherine. ¡°I was wondering why Jada was so arrogant. Turns out she has such a powerful background.¡± Amelia also grew up in Loxton, so she had heard of the Facers. The Facers were well-known in Loxton as a wealthy and influential family, so it was no wonder Jada was so arrogant. Catherine didn¡¯t want to pay much attention to Jada¡¯s background. She simply said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the dormitory.¡± Amelia saw that Catherine wasn¡¯t interested, so she stopped speaking, ready to go back to the dormitory with Catherine. As they reached the ssroom door, they were stopped by the president of the EIE ssmate Union, Sophia. Since the physical training had just ended, the president of the EIE ssmate Union had not yet been formally elected. Sophia was serving as the interim president. Within the week, the ssmate Union would be officially formed, and everyone had the right to sign up for the election. Sophia was a bit short in stature, and Amelia had to lower her head when looking at her. ¡°What¡¯s up, Sophia?¡± Sophia smiled at them, asking, ¡°Do you have any interest in joining the ssmate Union?¡± Catherine remained calm, exuding a cold aura. Her intimidating presence made normal people hesitate to approach her. Sophia didn¡¯t even dare to speak to her and could only turn to Amelia. Amelia had been the academic representative for three years in high school and was truly tired of it. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re not interested,¡± she replied. Sophia didn¡¯t want to give up so soon. She tried to persuade the two of them. ¡°You both know that there are only a few girls in the ss. Amelia, ¡®I¡¯ve seen your record. You were the academic representative for three years in high school. Why not sign up?¡± After saying that, she nced at Catherine and cautiously continued, ¡± And Catherine, I think the position of learning activities coordinator would suit you well.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond or get angry, so Sophia continued to persuade her. ¡± I¡¯ve seen the video of you participating in the dancepetition. Your dance moves were amazing. I¡¯ve also seen the variety show you were on. Audrey, the superstar, is your sister, right?¡± Upon receiving this piece of news, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but scream. ¡°Oh my goodness! Is this true? Catherine, you have a famous star as your sister, and you¡¯re talented yourself!¡± In Amelia¡¯s senior year, she focused on preparing for the SAT and getting into her dream university. She barely had time to use her phone and spent every day battling various practice questions. Catherine didn¡¯t hide anything. Since the moment she appeared on the show, there were some things that couldn¡¯t be avoided. Seeing Catherine nod, Amelia became so excited that she almost jumped up. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Sophia quickly calmed her down, ¡± Amelia, you and Catherine are roommates. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to be excited. Can you spare some time for me, or maybe help me persuade Catherine?¡± Sophia then turned to Catherine. ¡± Catherine, sign up and participate in the election, please. I believe you would be the best candidate for the position of learning activities coordinator in our ss.¡± Chapter 560 Decline the Opportunity Catherine nced at Sophia and calmly uttered two words. ¡°Not interested.¡± After saying that, she walked past Sophia and left the ssroom directly. Seeing Catherine leave, Amelia blinked at Sophia and said, ¡°ss monitor, you should go find others. We¡¯re not interested. Oh, gotta go. Bye.¡± After saying that, Amelia quickened her pace to catch up with Catherine. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s still early for dinner. Shall we go back to the dormitory or take a stroll around campus?¡± ¡°Go back to the dormitory,¡± Catherine replied. She had no interest in wandering around the campus of Styre University. Beforeing to school, she had studied the map and memorized the locations of all the academic buildings. Having woken up early for ss, Amelia was tired. She nodded in agreement with Catherine¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a shortcut back. We can save some time by walking through the middle corridor.¡± After listening to her suggestion, Catherine turned to the side and took a turn onto a small path. This area was the botanical garden of Styre University located in the northwest corner of the university. Cutting through there could indeed shorten the distance. Catherine walked quickly, takingrge strides. Amelia had to almost jog to keep up with her. In her haste to catch up with Catherine¡¯s pace, Amelia didn¡¯t pay attention to the ground beneath her feet. As a result, she identally stepped on a tree branch on the ground and suddenly bumped forward. Amelia bumped into Catherine¡¯s back, pushing her forcefully. The sudden movement caught Catherine off guard. She reflexively stumbled forward, coincidentally colliding with the person in front of her. The other person seemed to be just like Amelia, not paying attention to the path while walking. In the next moment, pieces of paper flew up in the air, falling down like snowkes. After Amelia steadied herself, she saw the consequences of her actions and silently shrunk her neck. She immediately helped Catherine up and asked, ¡°Catherine, are you okay?¡± Catherine shook her head and turned to look at the person she had bumped into. Ignoring what had happened, the person lowered his head and quickly picked up the scattered documents on the ground. Catherine and Amelia stepped forward, trying to help. They gathered the documents from the ground and handed them back to the person. When the person looked up and saw Catherine, he froze for a moment. After recognizing the person, Amelia was also shocked. Her voice became a bit stammered as she said, ¡°Professor Hartley¡­¡± Catherine remained calm and politely called out, ¡°Professor Hartley!¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Marshall was walking with his documents, deep in thought about the experimental data, when he was suddenly interrupted by these two female students. His mood became particrly sour. He was a typical old schr. Research was more important to him than his life. Amelia¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw Marshall¡¯s dark expression. ¡°Why did you walk so recklessly? Be careful next time,¡± Marshall scolded. Amelia caused this trouble, so it was her responsibility to apologize. She hurriedly approached Marshall, bowed, and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor Hartley. It was my fault. I wasn¡¯t watching where I was going and bumped into you. I promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Marshall was focused on organizing his messy documents and didn¡¯t even nce at Amelia. He waved his hand, gesturing for them to leave. He didn¡¯t want to me the students. He just didn¡¯t have the time to deal with them. Catherine noticed the dense calction data in Marshall¡¯s hands and immediately spotted a problem. She reached out and pointed at the documents Marshall was holding, saying in a calm tone, ¡°Professor Hartley, look here. There¡¯s an extra datum.¡± Marshall¡¯s hand paused, and his gaze focused on the spot Catherine was pointing at. He furrowed his brow and carefully examined it for a few seconds. He then gestured toward Catherine. ¡°Wait¡­ wait a second¡­¡± he said urgently, as if afraid that Catherine would leave. After speaking, he took out a pen from his chest pocket and began calcting on the spot. Catherine wasn¡¯t in a hurry, so she stood still and waited for him. Amelia stood there,pletely confused. She had no idea what was happening. But since the two big shots didn¡¯t move, she didn¡¯t dare to move either. Half an hourter, Marshall roughly went through the data on threerge sheets of paper. He looked up with a face full of joy. If any students familiar with Marshall saw this scene, they would be extremely surprised. Marshall was always serious and never smiled, but now he looked very happy. Marshall approached Catherine with the three pieces of paper full of data, looking at her with excitement. ¡°Your name is Catherine, right? I remember you.¡± Catherine nodded. Marshall¡¯s eyes, hidden behind his ck-framed sses, stared intensely at her. ¡°How did you know that this was an extra datum and that there was an error in the calction result?¡± He had been working in theboratory for three whole days without any clue. With this data error, nothing else could be done. He was even too distracted to attend sses, tirelessly calcting day and night. If it weren¡¯t for a student suggesting that he go outside and breathe in some fresh air to improve his thinking, he would never have stepped out of theboratory. But unexpectedly, he had indeed found a new approach. If one listened carefully to Marshall, they could sense the excitement in his words. Catherine nced at the data that Marshall was calcting. The reason she coulde to a conclusion so quickly was that she had conducted the same experiment a year ago and sessfully calcted the results. She had encountered the same problem that Marshall faced. Therefore, she could pinpoint the key issue. Catherine looked calmly at Marshall. ¡± Professor Hartley, when I was helping you gather these materials earlier, I took a look at your calctions and noticed the problem.¡± This response shocked Marshall, and he involuntarily widened his eyes. ¡°Just like that? In such a short time?¡± Not only could Catherine understand his calctions, but she could also point out the error that he had been looking for for a long time. Marshall¡¯s heart was filled with excitement. Alongside the overwhelming shock, it felt as if there was a beam of light in front of him, showing him hope. ¡°Come with me to theboratory. Let¡¯s conduct research together and solve this problem.¡± Many students chose the electronic information engineering department at Styre University because of Marshall. Some even made it their lifelong goal to enter Marshall¡¯sboratory and conduct research with him. Amelia, who was standing beside them, couldn¡¯t contain her excitement, even though it wasn¡¯t about herself. She was almost about to faint. On the other hand, Catherine remained calm and indifferent, maintaining her usual demeanor. She even declined this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would be considered extraordinary for an ordinary person. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it another time. I need to go back to the dormitory now.¡± Chapter 561 The Esports Club Catherine calmly rejected Marshall¡¯s proposal without any hesitation or indication of interest. She just didn¡¯t feel like going. She was tired from getting up early in the morning. ¡®School¡¯s over now. Why am I going to theb?¡¯ she thought. Marshall felt slightly down since he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to reject him. He could tell that Catherine was not someone who could be forced to do something. Although he really wanted to test Catherine¡¯s ability urgently, he didn¡¯t dare to rush it. ¡°That¡¯s cool. Just drop by whenever you have time. Myb¡¯s doors are always wide open for you!¡± Catherine politely replied, ¡°Thanks a lot, Professor Hartley!¡± As soon as the words were spoken, Catherine didn¡¯t waste any time and left directly. Amelia was following behind,pletely absent-minded, and almost bumped into Catherine. Catherine stopped in her tracks and looked at Amelia. With a casual tone, she asked, ¡°Can you please pay a bit more attention while walking?¡± The cold tone snapped Amelia back to reality. She looked up with excited and admiring eyes at Catherine. ¡°Oh my god! Super Catherine, you actually turned down Professor Hartley¡¯s invitation!¡± After finishing speaking, she couldn¡¯t believe what she had just personally experienced. Instinctively, she tightly covered her mouth. Catherine watched her exaggerated movements. Amelia¡¯s eyes were wide open like a little hamster, and she was actually kind of cute. ¡°Can you stop being foolish? Didn¡¯t I say to go back to the dormitory? So why let these things interrupt us?¡± ¡®Just because she wanted to go back to her dorm and rest early. That¡¯s the only reason. ¡®Catherine is incredibly stylish and exudes an overwhelming aura of authority. It¡¯s truly impressive! ¡®Why is an opportunity that others can¡¯t even beg for so insignificant for her?¡¯ thought Amelia. It suddenly became quite lively after they came out of the botanical garden. As they were still in the weing period, many clubs took advantage of the free time to onboard freshers. Little stalls were set up with desks lining both sides of the road, and senior students were constantly trying to persuade people to join them. When Catherine and Amelia passed by, they immediately caught many people¡¯s attention. Although Catherine wore a hat, her tall and straight figure, graceful physique, and excellent temperament were still the main attention-grabbers. Amelia wasn¡¯t bad-looking either. She was a fair and clean little girl with pretty big eyes, about the same height as Catherine, the type that stood out in a crowd. If it weren¡¯t for the powerful aura emanating from Catherine, people would have probably already started fighting for her along the way. Amelia was attracted by a poster halfway through and stopped in her tracks. At the same time, she called out to Catherine. ¡°Hey, Super Catherine,e here quick!¡± Catherine thought something big had happened, but when she looked back, she realized Amelia was drooling over the poster with a lovesick expression. Amelia couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the character on the poster, excitedly sharing her happiness with Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, check it out. It¡¯s Hero, my idol, like a big shot in the gaming world!¡± Catherine was totally not surprised by Amelia¡¯s idol revtions. ¡®This girl is a top-level flirt. ¡®Her idol¡¯s expiration date is probably calcted by months. Maybe she even forgot who her idol was three months ago,¡¯ said Catherine inwardly. Seeing that a girl finally showed up and actually stopped by their booth, the recruitment senior students of the esports club hurriedly went up to her. The esports club had plenty of new members, but they were seriouslycking in female freshmen. It was even rare to have two girls, and they were so beautiful and elegant. Such promising talents must not be missed. ¡°Hey girls, you interested in joining our esports club? Besides having top-level senior yers who can help you rank up, the best part is that our club spokesperson is Hero! There¡¯s even a chance for you to meet Hero in person!¡± That senior student was pushing it really hard. She practically wanted to sign up for them herself. Catherine couldn¡¯t care less, but Amelia was enthusiastically discussing with the senior. Seeing that Amelia was so engrossed in the conversation, Catherine was about to leave first, but then Amelia stopped her right there. Amelia was looking at her with a hopeful expression. ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you also ying this game? Let¡¯s join the esports club together. It would be great to have someone to y with!¡± Catherine had zero interest written all over her face. She was not interested in joining any club. ¡°Not interested!¡± However, Amelia had already been brainwashed. Recently, she had been deeply infatuated with Hero, and just now, the senior student tempted her with the promise of seeing Hero next time. It was really a blow to her heart. There was no need for this senior student to take action as Amelia had already used all her means to persuade Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, just join in. The senior student just mentioned earlier that the esports club doesn¡¯t have many errands going on. It¡¯s really easy. I know you don¡¯t like getting involved in too much trouble. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered inviting you to any other clubs. ¡°Super Catherine, being a college student without joining a club is notplete. Come on!¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t dissuade Amelia, mainly because Amelia was too good at acting cute. She just tossed the registration form that someone shoved into her hands to Amelia and said, ¡°You fill it out!¡± Amelia eagerly reached out and grabbed it, practically jumping with excitement. ¡°Super Catherine, I always knew you were the best!¡± So Catherine was forced to join the esports club and became a new member. The senior student was holding two registration forms, totally thrilled. ¡°Hey, you two, remember to attend the orientation meeting tomorrow night at 8 PM! Don¡¯t bete, okay?¡± Amelia nodded and contentedly pulled Catherine away. Throughout the journey, she was yakking away with Catherine, talking about how handsome her idol was. Catherine had absolutely no reaction, not even a word in response. Amelia secretly thought that Catherine was not just a bit cold but also didn¡¯t understand what was a hot guy. ¡®Catherine doesn¡¯t really care about the well-educated professor. ¡®Even a handsome guy doesn¡¯t catch her attention. What exactly is she thinking?¡¯ said Amelia inwardly. The two of them walked to the dormitory building, getting ready to go upstairs. Amelia suddenly spotted a handsome figure ahead, which instantly caught her attention. She stared at it carefully momentarily, and her emotions were instantly stirred up. She excitedly grabbed Catherine¡¯s sleeve and shook it continuously. ¡°Catherine, look! There¡¯s a super handsome guy!¡± Catherine looked nonchnt but couldn¡¯t resist the enthusiasm of Amelia, so she turned her head to look. At the moment she caught sight of the person, Catherine¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Catherine, can you believe that hottie is walking toward us? What does he mean? Oh my god, my heart can¡¯t handle this. He¡¯s soooo hot!¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Amelia was so excited that she started stomping her feet unconsciously. The tall man walked straight up to the two of them and paused for a moment. But his gaze wasn¡¯t on Amelia but was tightly fixated on Catherine standing beside Amelia. His gaze was beyond gentle. ¡°Kathy, why did youe back sote? Didn¡¯t you finish ss at forty?¡± Chapter 562 Surprise Everyone Branden knew Catherine¡¯s ss schedule even better than Catherine herself. He knew she only had one morning ss at Styre University that day, so he rushed over to see her once he finished his work. Standing aside, Amelia initially couldn¡¯t understand why such a handsome guy would approach them. It turned out he was seeking after Super Catherine. ¡®He even called Super Catherine Kathy, such an intimate nickname,¡¯ said Amelia inwardly. She was staring at them without blinking, trying to figure out something. The gaze by Catherine¡¯s side was so passionate. Catherine wasn¡¯t blind, so of course, she could sense it. She slightly turned her body, looked up at Branden, and then turned her gaze to the side at Amelia. She calmly introduced, ¡°My boyfriend, Branden Duncan!¡± Branden knew that Amelia was Catherine¡¯s roommate, so he politely nodded at her. ¡°Hello!¡± Amelia¡¯s face turned red instantly when she was greeted by such a handsome guy. ¡®Turns out this handsome guy is Catherine¡¯s boyfriend,¡¯ she thought. Just a moment ago, she thought to herself that Catherine couldn¡¯t appreciate the handsome guy for not being excited when seeing Hero. Now, she realized how wrong she was. ¡®Who says she couldn¡¯t appreciate handsome guys? She simply doesn¡¯t care about Hero¡¯s looks, that¡¯s all. ¡®If I had a handsome boyfriend like Branden Duncan, I wouldn¡¯t even bother looking at other men,¡¯ Amelia thought. Enough daydreaming, Amelia decided to back off smartly. ¡°I gotta go rest upstairs. You guys keep chatting!¡± Branden nced at the back of Amelia as she ran off and chuckled softly, saying, ¡°Your roommate is quite interesting!¡± Catherine nodded in agreement. ¡°Her personality is pretty good, very cheerful!¡± Branden thought that Catherine just needed someone with a lively personality by her side. Catherine was such a cold person. Genius was meant to be lonely. She had long surpassed the heights that others could never reach in their entire lives. This also destined her to an extraordinary life. So when Catherine chose to go to college, Branden did not oppose her decision and also felt that Catherine should experience the typical journey that most people take at her age. ¡°Feeling hungry?¡± His gentle voice surrounded Catherine¡¯s ears. Catherine shook her head and said, ¡± Nah, I¡¯m not hungry. On our way back just now with Amelia, we stumbled upon a club recruitment event, and she convinced me to sign up for the esports club. Took us a bit of time.¡± This could be considered an active response to the question posed by Branden earlier. Branden gently took her hand and ced it beside him. ¡°You could join the esports club since you y games often,¡± he said. ¡°Since you¡¯re not hungry, how about taking a rest first and going out to eatter?¡± Thest half sentence was a question. Catherine heard it, but she didn¡¯t really have any thoughts about going out to eat. ¡°Forget it. How about you cook?¡± Branden was totally okay with cooking himself. Since Catherine wanted to eat his cooking, he would get in the kitchen. ¡°Okay.¡± Around 7 o¡¯clock in the evening, Catherine was bored and ying games on her phone when Amelia suddenly ran over excitedly. ¡°Super Catherine, when are we going to hit the road?¡± Catherine slightly raised her gaze, looking at Amelia with a puzzled expression in her eyes. ¡°Super Catherine, you didn¡¯t forget about tonight¡¯s esports club orientation meeting, did you? The senior told us we must not miss it!¡± eximed Amelia as she raised her voice. The esports club only managed to recruit two female freshmen as new members. The senior was so afraid that the new members would run away. After adding Amelia¡¯s WhatsApp, she kept reminding and urging them toe tonight and not bete. Actually, Catherine totally forgot it. Of course, even the registration form was filled out by Amelia for her. She didn¡¯t care about this at all. She didn¡¯t even hear clearly what the senior student instructed them to do. But it was not toote now. They could still go there in time. ¡°Are we going now?¡± Seeing Catherine didn¡¯t back out, Amelia let out a sigh of relief. She was actually worried that Catherine would say no and quit the esports club. If that were the case, she wouldn¡¯t be able to exin it to the senior at all. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s leave now!¡± replied Catherine. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Catherine turned off the game, took her hat, and pressed it onto her head, covering up arge part of her delicate eyebrows and eyes. It was a bit of a distance from the dorm to the esports club, and by the time the two arrived, it was already past eight. As soon as she walked in, Amelia immediately apologized. ¡°Sorry, guys. We¡¯rete!¡± The sudden and sweet female voice instantly caught the attention of all the guys inside. It had been a long time since the members of the esports club saw any female members. Now, not only had girls finally shown up, but there were two of them. The girl without a hat looked so cute and soft. As for the one wearing the hat, although her face was not visible, her figure and demeanor were truly exceptional. Upon their arrival, the senior student who had recruited them felt relieved and greeted them warmly. Looking at the two with a big smile, she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Our esports club is not that uptight. As long as you can make it,e on in, two lovely freshmen!¡± After she pulled the two in, the weing ceremony of the esports club kicked off. Speaking of the wee ceremony, it was essentially an opportunity for everyone to introduce themselves and share their gaming rankings, facilitating making friends through showcasing their strengths. Everyone had finished introducing themselves, leaving only Catherine. Seeing that Catherine did not react, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but bump into her. Catherine finally realized what was going on and slowly stood up. Her voice was devoid of warmth. ¡± Catherine Swann, ying The Storm, tinum level. It was a simple self-introduction, simr to the style shown by Catherine, austere and cold. After finishing speaking, Catherine was about to sit down. The rest of the people curiously sized up to Catherine, and nobody was surprised by her gaming expertise. Girls are generally not as good as guys when ites to ying games. Being in the tinum level is pretty normal for girls. In The Storm, tinum level is the second tost rank, which is not really considered a great achievement. ¡®But Catherine has such a cold personality,¡¯ they thought. The senior student awkwardly looked at Catherine, unsure why she always became cautious when facing Catherine. Subconsciously, she was convinced by Catherine¡¯s powerful aura. ¡°Catherine, now you¡¯re also part of our esports club. You always wear that cap, and we can¡¯t see your face clearly. How about taking off the cap and showing us your face? ¡°In the future, we¡¯ll all be part of the same club. Just in case you have something going on, we can cover for you!¡± It was just a habit for Catherine to wear a hat. She didn¡¯t mean to target anyone in particr. So, after the senior student made this request, Catherine nodded and took off the hat resting on her head. The moment the hat was taken off, her beautiful, delicate face instantly appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. When everyone saw Catherine¡¯s appearance, they couldn¡¯t help but stare with wide eyes. Some even forgot to breathe. ¡®Wow, what a beautiful face and such a pretty girl,¡¯ said they inwardly. At that moment, they finally understood why Catherine chose to wear a hat. ¡®Going out with such a gorgeous face, she must have encountered a lot of. trouble. ¡®After all, who could resist such a face?¡¯ they thought. Chapter 563 E-sports Competition The scene was silent for at least a minute as if even the air froze instantly. The several boys sitting directly before Catherine had almost identical expressions and movements. Their eyes and mouths were wide open as they stared straight in Catherine¡¯s direction. The one who came back to the senses first was Amelia. After all, she had been with Catherine for a while and was already somewhat familiar with Catherine¡¯s striking looks. She wasn¡¯t that surprised. However, Amelia was still excited to see so many people marveling at Catherine¡¯s appearance. She lowered her voice and approached Catherine. She said, ¡°Super Catherine, your appearance is truly stunning and amazing!¡± Catherine nced at her lightly. She coughed to clear her throat. Her sudden cough pulled back the drifting thoughts of those around her. The boys lowered their heads one after another. They dared not to look directly at Catherine again. The female senior smiled awkwardly, but inwardly, she was thrilled. She did not expect that she would identally find such two beautiful schoolgirls for the club. With the addition of these two schoolgirls, their club would have no worries about flourishing. The female senior said to Catherine and Amelia, ¡°Please take a seat. Our club is different from other clubs. The biggest characteristic of our club is that we don¡¯t follow the rules. I¡¯ll introduce you to the members of the club so that you can get to know each other. ¡°This is the president of our club.¡± The boy mentioned had a simple and honest appearance. The skin on his face was smooth and clean. He wore a pair of ck framed sses, which made him look like a good student. He took the initiative to stand up and greet Catherine and Amelia, ¡°Hello, guys. My name is Franco Braun. I¡¯m a junior in the engineering department.¡± Catherine followed Amelia and responded to Franco, ¡°Hi, Mr. Braun!¡± The female senior mysteriously whispered to Catherine and Amelia, ¡± I¡¯ll tell you a secret. Franco and Hero are in the same dormitory. Hero can definitely be considered a member of our club.¡± Catherine had no interest in Hero at all. She looked very calm. Amelia was different. She was so excited that she was about to jump up. Looking at Amelia¡¯s excited reaction, Franco felt a little proud inside. Hero was really a living sign for their club! He looked at Catherine again. Seeing that Catherine did not show any interest in Hero, he could not help but be a little curious. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t you like Hero?¡± Catherine did not expect Franco to ask her about it like this suddenly. She turned her head to him and replied, ¡± Yes!¡± Her cold tone made Franco a little embarrassed. He thought in his heart, ¡®Her nature is so cold.¡¯ Amelia sensed something was wrong with the two of them, so she tried to smooth things over quickly. ¡°Mr. Braun, it¡¯s not that Catherine doesn¡¯t like Hero. That¡¯s just her personality. She¡¯s not interested in anything. ¡°She ispletely focused on her studies, and I forced her to join the club. I just want her to interact with everyone more so that she can have a more outgoing personality!¡± Amelia¡¯s exnation instantly dissolved the awkwardness. Franco smiled and said, ¡°It seems that Catherine should be a top student with excellent grades!¡± Catherine did not respond. Amelia rushed to answer, ¡°Of course. Catherine is my idol when ites to studies. She¡¯s the top science student in Casier. She¡¯s very good at her studies! In the face of Amelia¡¯s praise, Catherine¡¯s expression remained indifferent. She still stood in her original position. She did not seem arrogant or irritable but exuded a domineering aura. At the Styre University, there were many top students. Everyone there was ustomed to the students with excellent studies and isted personalities. After all, at Styre University, a top school, students who focused on learning and neglected other things were toomon. ¡°I see.¡± When they were chatting, a member of the club suddenly shouted out, ¡°Holy shit!¡± The sudden sound instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Franco looked toward the club member who had yelled out. ¡°Berg, what happened? Why are you shouting?¡± Berg was the person¡¯s nickname, and everyone in the club called him that. ¡°Mr. Braun, those guys from the University of Penny are initiating a challenge to us inside the public channel.¡± Hearing Berg¡¯s exnation, a member shouted disdainfully, ¡°So what? Berg, take it easy. It¡¯s just such a small matter. It¡¯s not worth shouting like that! Are we still afraid of the Penny Team?¡± ¡°Cut the crap. Let¡¯s turn on the game, get online and fuck them off!¡± Berg was so anxious that he patted his legs to exin, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Their team has recently recruited new yers, too. They recruited the striker of the League Team, and their morale has risen so much that they said they¡¯re going to make us lose seven times in a row tonight!¡± ¡°The striker of the League Team? You mean Stanley?¡± Franco frowned at Berg. Berg nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s him. Mr. Braun, why don¡¯t we ask Hero to join us? With this kind of professional yer like him joining them, we still need a good yer to secure a win!¡± Stanley was the League Team¡¯s newly recruited striker. His ying style was particrly aggressive. He became famous not long after joining the team. Although all of them were good at the game, they were only limited to ying against ordinary yers. There was still a big gap between them and professional yers. Facing Berg¡¯s proposal, Franco shook his head. ¡°Hero is in closed training these days.¡± Hearing this, Berg was a bit desperate. ¡°What are we going to do then? Wait to lose?¡± Franco tried his best to act calm in order not to let his teammates suffer from low morale. ¡°Don¡¯t be so demoralized. Who says we¡¯re bound to lose? They said they would make us lose seven times in a row? The Penny Team is too arrogant. ¡°Let¡¯s get online. Let¡¯s go frustrate the Penny Team!¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. They met such an intense scene on their first day joining the esports club. Amelia was a bit nervous and pulled on Catherine¡¯s sleeve secretly. ¡°Super Catherine, is this going to be okay?¡± Catherine nced at her with a faint and cold look. She looked iparably calm. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look first.¡± There were only four positions in the game team. To facilitate better viewing for the rest of the club members, Franco projected his phone onto therge screen. As soon as the yers of the esports club got online, the Penny Team sent out an invitation to apply for a rivalry match. They chose the entertainment mode, team killing! The rules were simple. The team members could resurrect an unlimited number of times, and whichever team¡¯s one member got 16 kills first, the team would be considered the winner. Team scores would not be umted. Only individual scores were considered. Everyone was familiar with this mode. Franco and his team also used this mode before, so they were particrly familiar with this map board. As the team leader, after entering the. game, Franco started deploying. ¡°Berg, you three cover me. This mode is forbat. My ability to shoot is still good, so I¡¯ll be the main yer!¡± Berg and the others naturally had no problem with that. After all, among the four of them, it was indeed Franco who was the best in the game. While they were still deploying, the Penny Team had already started moring arrogantly. ¡°Franco, stop struggling. Just admit defeat voluntarily.¡± The opponent¡¯s sarcastic tone sounded very unpleasant, making them very ufortable. Originally, ying the game was to have fun, but to the Penny Team, it became a symbol to show off their strength. Although the Penny Team said harsh words, the esports club refused to admit being inferior to them. ¡°Let¡¯s use our strength to tell us who will win. Penny Team, be careful. Don¡¯t get a real wallopingter!¡± Chapter 564 Super Catherine Joined Them Facing the shouts from the Styre Team, the Penny Team unted their new yer proudly. ¡°Franco, you want us to lose? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a bit difficult. By the way, I forgot to tell you guys. The striker on our side today is Stanley. Since you guys are so confident, how about we make a bet?!¡± Franco asked in a cold voice, ¡°Bet on what?¡± The Penny Team shouted arrogantly, Whoever loses will post on the other party¡¯s Bulletin Board System admitting defeat and saying they are inferior to the other party. ¡°How about that? Do you guys dare to bet?¡± They pushed the Styre Team so hard that Franco had to force himself to agree. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll make this bet!¡± The emotions of the members of the Styre Team were aroused. After all, no one wanted to be a coward, nor did they want to lose to such people! The enthusiasm of the entire club members was high, and the battle was on the verge of breaking out. Catherine sat on the side, quietly watching the screen. At first, all four team members chose favorable terrain to conceal themselves. No one wanted to be the first to be killed. With the end of the broadcast prompt, the battle officially began. The first shot was taken with great caution by everyone. Bang, bang, bang¡­ With a burst of intense gunfire, the broadcast soon broadcasted thetest news. ¡°Penny Team takes the first point!¡± The Penny Team leader, who was hiding in the dark, met Berg and killed him to win the first blood. Seeing that Berg was a bit frustrated, Franco hastened tofort him. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. It¡¯s only the first blood. We¡¯ll catch up soon. Everyone, go for it!¡± Watching the anxious war between the two sides, Amelia¡¯s heart was in her throat. She always wanted to grab something when she was nervous. Not daring to yank Catherine¡¯s hand directly, she tugged at Catherine¡¯s clothes tightly. ¡°Super Catherine, do you think we can win?¡± At that moment, the game was 10-3. The Penny Team had sessfully taken 10 points, and the Styre Team had only gotten 3 points. Catherine gave Amelia an indifferent answer. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely lose!¡± There was a significant difference in strength between the two teams. The striker of the Penny Team was really strong, and he scored 7 points alone in the first half. How could the Styre Team match such strength? Upon hearing Catherine¡¯sments, the worry on Amelia¡¯s face increased a bit. Catherine¡¯s voice was not loud, but quite a few people around her heard it. Everyone¡¯s faces looked gloomy. Although the situation was currently unfavorable for the Styre Team, Catherine¡¯s statement was too straightforward. Given that Catherine was a girl, the others were not nning to argue with her. But the way they looked at her had changed. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. The next moment, the bell rang for the end of the match, and the Styre Team lost this round. Best of three, the Styre Team lost in the first round. Moreover, they were crushed and lost the matchpletely. Their morale instantly lowered, and all the members of the club looked particrly frustrated. There were still two more rounds to go. Seeing that the Styre Team was ying so hard and still could not match the Penny Team, the rest of the people in the club were not feeling good in their hearts. Amelia asked Catherine in a low voice, ¡± Super Catherine, what should we do? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much chance of winning!¡± Catherine gave her a cold nce. ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s not much chance of winning. It¡¯s that there is no chance of winning at all!¡± Catherine¡¯s words instantly sparked dissatisfaction among some boys present. Someone red at Catherine angrily and shouted, ¡°What do you mean? Are you only happy when we lose?¡± ¡°You should know what level you are. You¡¯re just a y at the tinum level. What qualifications do you have to makements on the game between yers at the ace level? You know nothing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Girls arecking knowledge and experience!¡± ¡°If you have the ability,e andpete with us!¡± Facing the usations from the crowd, Catherine was not angry, but Amelia suddenly became furious. ¡°Don¡¯t speak so harshly. We are also concerned about our club. Are we wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re concerned? I think you two are just trying to demoralize us. If you have the ability, don¡¯t just talk about it. Let¡¯s sit down andpete!¡± a boy said arrogantly. Catherine nced at the boy who was speaking. With a simple nce, Catherine made the boy shut his mouth immediately. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s speak with our strength!¡± After saying that, Catherine walked over to Berg. Berg was the striker of the team, and the opponent¡¯s striker was professional Stanley. Berg was not a match for Stanley at all. If they kept Berg in this position, it would only make their team weaker. Watching Catherine suddenly appear, Berg looked up at her in confusion. ¡°What do you want?¡± Catherine said two words with a cold face and a faint tone, ¡°Stand up!¡± Berg froze for a moment and stood up involuntarily. He did not even realize his movements. After Berg stood up, Catherine stepped forward and sat down. Franco looked at Catherine in disbelief. When Catherine introduced herself just now, she said she was only at the tinum level in the game. Berg was at least a yer at the ace level, and they had been cooperating for so long and had already had a tacit understanding. So Franco felt that no matter what, it would always be better for Berg to y than for Catherine to y. In order not to hurt Catherine, Franco said politely, ¡°Catherine, I think¡­¡± Seeing his hesitant appearance, Catherine felt a bit impatient. She said coldly, ¡°Cut the crap. If the game is lost, I will be responsible. Let¡¯s start!¡± Her domineering attitude left Franco unable toe back to his senses for a long time. It so happened that the second round was about to start. The Penny Team was yelling arrogantly again, so in a state of impatience, Franco clicked start directly. As soon as they entered the game, the Penny Team saw that the Styre Team had changed one yer, and it was a female yer. They began to mock arrogantly again. ¡°Haha, Franco. You can¡¯t beat us, but you arranged a female yer¡­ I thought you were going to arrange someone professional. And I was nning topete with you guys wholeheartedly, but you actually arranged a girl! ¡°And she¡¯s at tinum level. Are you trying to humiliate us? Or is it a direct surrender?¡± The yers of the Styre Team, except for Catherine, all looked gloomy. Penny Team was too arrogant. But they were very strong now. The Styre Team could not beat them and could only beughed at by them. Some even med all this on Catherine, believing that they would not have been ridiculed so hard if it were not for Catherine¡¯s appearance. Facing various doubts, Catherine remained calm all the time, without even changing the look in her eyes. Amelia, standing by, could not help but apud for Catherine in her heart. She thought to herself, ¡®Super Catherine, you¡¯re really powerful!¡¯ The battle started immediately. Less than three seconds into the game, the first scoring point came out after a burst of intense gunfire. Everyone was staring at the screen. They had hardly had time to see clearly before someone was killed. Some wondered inwardly, ¡®The person who fired was so amazing! What the hell is going on? Who was the first person to be killed?¡¯ The next moment, the broadcast prompt on the big screen made everyone dumbfounded. No one expected that the first person to be shot would actually be him! Chapter 565 Catherine’s Playstyle ¡°The Red Team takes the lead with 1 point as the Blue Team¡¯s Stanley gets eliminated by the Red Team¡¯s yer!¡± As the announcer¡¯s voice echoed, the crowd was taken aback. No one had expected that Catherine, the neer, would achieve the first victory. Even more astonishing was that Catherine not only imed the first win and the initial score but also ousted Stanley. He was the strongest professional yer on the opponent¡¯s team. The audience was momentarily stunned, but Amelia couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and was on the verge of jumping up. She knew that Catherine would surely deliver. On the Penny Team side, they quickly reacted after a brief moment of bewilderment. The captain from the Penny Team over on the public channel taunted disdainfully, ¡°Hey, even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while. Consider this your one lucky shot!¡± Not just the Penny Team, but even the Styre Team felt that Catherine was just lucky. After all, when a tinum-level yer defeated a professional-level superstar, besides sheer luck, what other exnation could there be? In the face of the Penny Team¡¯s arrogance, Catherine remained indifferent. She smiled with her delicate eyebrows raised subtly. Her rosy lips parted slightly as she softly said to the microphone, ¡°Blind pig? That¡¯s a fitting description for Stanley.¡± As the captain of the Penny Team heard Catherine¡¯s words, his expression noticeably darkened. He hadn¡¯t expected to get caught up in this banter. Carefully tilting his head, he nced toward a young man with a refined face and a cool temperament standing nearby. Sensing the sidelong gaze, the young man turned coldly and locked eyes with him. Then Stanley, the young man, said, Let¡¯s give it our best!¡± Even though he was the captain of the Penny Team, he couldn¡¯t help but feel an inexplicable sense of fear toward Stanley, who was a neer. Upon hearing Stanley¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t dare say much and simply nodded inpliance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This time, we won¡¯t hold back. If we don¡¯t grind Styre Team into the ground, I¡¯ll write my name backward!¡± After hearing the spirited words of his teammates, Stanley remained focused and vignt. He was confident that the previous victory of the opponent was not mere luck. Every second counted in the professional gaming arena, and luck was not a factor. Looking at the opponent¡¯s season stats, he couldn¡¯t discern any exceptional qualities, and their ranking seemed rather low. There was a possibility that the opponent was using a new ount and hid her true identity. Regardless, Stanley couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate the situation. He adjusted his stance and prepared for the decisive battle. Due to Catherine¡¯s retort, the Penny Team took a hit, while the morale on the Styre Team¡¯s side received an instant boost. The Styre Team finally vented their frustration. They began to rx a bit. Franco raised his arms and shouted to rally the team. He eximed, ¡°Guys, charge!¡± They continued with their original strategy, with everyone supporting Franco to help him score. However, Stanley on the opposing team proved to be too formidable. He took down two of Franco¡¯s team members in quick session. Catherine had initially intended to y a supporting role to help the team. However, after seeing what happened, she realized that Franco was not up to the task and was merely giving the opponents an advantage. Catherinepletely abandoned Franco and decided to step in. Just moments ago, the Penny Team had been brimming with confidence and filled with arrogance, but now they were stunned. The score had gone from 7-2 to a tie in the blink of an eye. Catherine was like a ruthless butcher, effortlessly eliminating opponent after opponent with her ded weapons. In less than a minute, she scored about seven points alone and surpassed the Penny Team. Even the Styre Team was left in disbelief, let alone the Penny Team. As they saw Catherine¡¯s skills, they were all stunned. No one had expected Catherine¡¯s skills. to be this exceptional, her gamey this brutal. It didn¡¯t feel like apetition. It felt like a massacre. Catherine¡¯s three teammates on her team stood there in a daze. She nced at Franco and scolded coldly, ¡°Are you still standing there?¡± Her cold voice immediately snapped Franco back to his senses. He had to change the original strategy and adapt to Catherine¡¯s ystyle. He urgently called out to his other two teammates, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Protect Catherine.¡± The other two teammates, who had previously looked down on Catherine, now understood her true strength and didn¡¯t dare to object. They responded in unison, ¡°Okay!¡± After seeing that they took action, Catherine directed their movements. After all, it was a team game. Even Catherine¡¯s strength wouldn¡¯t be enough to secure a victory if her teammates kept feeding kills. At this moment, Catherine exuded the aura of an invincible, powerful, and dominant general. Amelia, who was high-spirited, kept her eyes fixed on the screen without blinking. ¡°Super Catherine, go for it! Take down the Penny Team! Charge!¡± Stanley seemed to have figured out Catherine¡¯s ystyle. He avoided her line of sight and targeted other Styre Team members to secure points. Suddenly, a thud could be heard. Things took an unexpected turn when a gunshot rang out, and Franco fell to the ground. Stanley saw an opportunity and believed his strategy was sessful. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. This was a game where the team with more points won, so if he couldn¡¯t defeat Catherine, he could at least score against other opponents. Just as Stanley was proud of his strategy and expected to achieve victory soon, the broadcast announced the game¡¯s end. ¡°The game is over. The Red Team¡¯s yer, Cassie, is the first to achieve victory. Congrattions to the Red Team!¡± Stanley was dumbfounded. He thought inwardly, ¡°Weren¡¯t there three more points to reach the end of the game just a moment ago? ¡°How could this happen?¡± Stanley was unwilling to ept the result. He reviewed the game¡¯s final moments. When he saw Catherine skillfully take down three opponents with precise headshots in a matter of seconds, he was astonished. He was shocked by Catherine¡¯s speed, uracy, and recoil control. Even professional yers couldn¡¯t execute such a beautiful performance without cheating. Moreover, Catherine was a girl, inherently less sensitive than male yers. Before Stanley could voice his doubts, the other members of the Penny Team couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Captain, isn¡¯t the Styre Team using cheats?¡± The Penny Team¡¯s captain silently shook his head. Although he also found it unbelievable, cheating was out of the question. ¡°No. Setting aside Franco¡¯s character, we have monitoring and reys for every match, as well as anti- cheat devices. Styre University can¡¯t afford to have anyone cheating. They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Losing a game was one thing, but getting caught cheating would be the most embarrassing oue. Both Styre University and the University of Penny prided themselves on their skill and wouldn¡¯t resort to such deceitful tactics. ¡°Don¡¯t discuss this. Guys, pull yourselves together. It¡¯s only 1-1. We haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± The Styre Team¡¯s morale skyrocketed with this victory, and cheers filled the air. The way people looked at Catherine hadpletely changed. Those who had previously underestimated Catherine now had a change of heart. They echoed Amelia and called out to Catherine in unison. They shouted, ¡°Super Catherine, how should we y next? You lead, and we¡¯ll follow yourmands!¡± Chapter 566 An Exceptionally Powerful Gamer In the third round, despite the Penny Team showing great determination, they were still crushed by Catherine¡¯s dominant performance, resulting in an overwhelming defeat. Even with an excellent yer like Stanley, there was no chance of salvation. As the battle concluded, the Styre Team erupted into thunderous cheers. ¡°We won! We actually won!¡± Amid the jubtion, one could hear the astonishment in their voices at this unexpected oue. What they had assumed was a guaranteed loss had been miraculously turned around by Catherine singlehandedly. In the third round, Catherine was like a butcher who relentlessly eliminated opponents. No matter the tactics used by the opponents, they couldn¡¯t withstand her marksmanship. After the game ended, the Penny Team fell into silence. At the same time, the Styre Team began to boast. Berg and the others excitedly taunted the Penny Team over the voice chat and demanded they uphold their promise. Initially, the Penny Team had been very arrogant, but now they found themselves in a humiliating situation. Nevertheless, the Penny Team had to keep their word, for breaking a promise was more shameful than losing the match. Once the Penny Team responded, Berg and the others immediately surrounded Catherine. They looked at Catherine with admiration and excitement. No one had expected Catherine to be this formidable. As the captain, Franco, spoke first, Miss Swann, we never expected yourbat skills to be this powerful. We were truly disrespectful earlier, doubting you like that. ¡°It¡¯s mainly because you used a tinum-level ount to y with us. Did you intentionally use a new ount?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t deny it. Many people already knew about her main ount. Whenever she logged in, someone would invite her to y. She didn¡¯t want to y games with her friends at the moment, so she created a new ount. She had only yed a few games on that ount and had just reached the tinum level. Franco noticed that Catherine had a cold and reticent personality. The three rounds of the match had taken over an hour. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine nced at her phone and then gracefully stood up. Then she looked over at Amelia. ¡°Coming with me?¡± Amelia was momentarily taken aback. Then she immediately nodded and replied, ¡°Yes! Super Catherine, let¡¯s go together!¡± Catherine politely said goodbye to the group and walked gracefully out of the ssroom. Amelia closely followed her. It was only after the two hadpletely left that the others realized what had happened. Staring at Catherine¡¯s retreating figure, Berg couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°What a powerful aura! She¡¯s so dominant.¡± Franco nodded in agreement and said, ¡± She can afford to be dominant. Who among us can match her?¡± Even professional yer Stanley was utterly defeated by Catherine, making him look like a beginner. How could ordinary gamers like them ever hope topete with her? Seeing that it was gettingte, Franco informed everyone that they should leave. After that, he headed back to the dormitory. Once in the dormitory, he ran into Hero, who suddenly returned. He looked at Hero in surprise. ¡°Hero, weren¡¯t you in closed training? Why are you back?¡± Hero nced at Franco and replied coldly, ¡°I was feeling a bit agitated. I came back to clear my mind.¡± A persistent figure had been in his mind, making it impossible for him to. concentrate during training. Seeing Hero¡¯s downcast state, Franco thought about chatting with him to provide some encouragement. ¡°Hero, let me tell you. Today, our club recruited two new female members. One of them is an exceptionally powerful gamer!¡± After hearing what Franco said, Hero appeared somewhat disdainful. He didn¡¯t see how a girl could be outstanding at gaming. He thought Franco was just being chivalrous. However, what Franco said next took him by surprise. Chapter 567 A Familiar Scene Franco could tell from Hero¡¯s expression that Hero didn¡¯t believe a word he was saying. To prove he wasn¡¯t exaggerating, Franco recounted today¡¯s events to Hero. Franco said, ¡°You have no idea, Hero. The Penny Team got all cocky when they added this professional yer called Stanley. If I didn¡¯t know you had your phone off during your training, I¡¯d have asked you for backup. ¡°Let me tell you. Our new ssmate, Miss Swann, is seriously amazing. Don¡¯t be fooled by her being a girl. Her ystyle is incredibly aggressive and powerful. She wiped the floor with Stanley, making that professional yer look like a noob!¡± Hearing what Franco said, Hero frowned with a hint of doubt in his eyes. ¡°Is she really that powerful?¡± Franco took out his phone and opened the game rey to prove his point. ¡°Here. Take a look at her performance!¡± Unexpectedly, after watching the game rey, Hero snatched Franco¡¯s phone. He noticed that the skill of the female yer in the battle was indeed astonishing. With pinpoint uracy in her shots, her marksmanship was impressive. It was as if the bullets were guided by hermand, striking the enemies with precision. Hero had faced Stanley before. He knew Stanley was a newly recruited member of the League Team. The reason why Stanley was ced in the forward position was because of his incredible speed and precision with the steel gun. He was capable of instant enemy kills. However, in this battle, Stanley waspletely outyed and the female yer exploited his weaknesses. Often, she took down Stanley before he. could get close. After watching the game rey of the second round, Hero immediately opened the game rey of the third round. Now, he was curious about the new female ssmate. In the third round, the female yer seemed to have changed her strategy. She became even more swift and aggressive. It seemed that she wanted to end the battle quickly. What should have been a half-hour match was abruptly over in just twenty minutes. As the match ended, Hero contemted the scene. He thought it felt a bit familiar. Suddenly, he seemed to have realized something. He thought of the mysterious, powerful yer, Sugar. In the third round, the female yer¡¯s ystyle was eerily simr to that of Sugar, and both of them were female. Hero wondered whether it could be the same person. Then Hero turned and grabbed Franco¡¯s cor. Franco was frightened, and his face turned pale. His voice trembled as he asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Tell me. What¡¯s this girl¡¯s name, and where is she now?¡± Hero¡¯s voice carried an intense excitement. ¡°I only know her name is Catherine Swann, and she¡¯s a freshman this year. As for anything else, I¡¯m not sure. As you know, recruitment is not my department.¡± Franco replied. This kind of detailed work, like recruiting students, was typically handled by female members, while Franco was solely in charge of team training. Hero was extremely eager, and he couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. He asked, ¡°So, where is she now? Take me to meet her!¡± Franco looked at Hero in amazement. His eyes filled with disbelief as he asked, ¡°Now?¡± Hero couldn¡¯t understand Franco¡¯s surprise and asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Franco pointed to the dark sky outside and said, ¡°Hero, it¡¯s already 10 p.m. In half an hour, the lights will be out. You want me to take you to find a freshman club member who¡¯s also a girl? ¡°Do normal people have such thoughts? Have you not been hit on the head by the dormitory supervisor¡¯s broom, and it didn¡¯t sit well with you?¡± Franco¡¯s scolding made Hero gradually realize the situation. It was indeed quitete, and approaching a girl from the dormitory at this hour might startle her. Thinking about these things, Hero. could only suppress his curiosity and return to his original gloomy demeanor. Seeing him like this, Franco felt a bit sorry. ¡°Don¡¯t be so disheartened. Maybe I can ask our learning activities coordinator to organize a club gathering tomorrow. Miss Swann is a new member of the club, and she might attend. You two can have a chat then.¡± After hearing Franco¡¯s suggestion, Hero, who was usually reserved and spoke very little, surprisingly responded, ¡°Alright.¡± Franco was once again shocked, as he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be so charming. She even made Hero, who hardly talked to Franco, actively respond to him. In Franco¡¯s opinion, Hero¡¯s strong desire to meet Catherine was mainly because he admired her exceptional gaming skills and wanted to have a friendly exchange. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. To fulfill his roommate¡¯s rare request, Franco informed the learning activities coordinator, a senior responsible for recruitment, to organize a friendly match to assess the club members¡¯ skills. Such activities weremon, so it didn¡¯t raise any eyebrows. The next day, Catherine, as usual, got up for her sses. Perhaps because it was the beginning of the school year, the workload wasn¡¯t too heavy. She had only one ss in the morning, which was her second-period ss. After ss, Amelia immediately bounced over to Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, it¡¯s almost 11 a.m. Let¡¯s go to the cafeteria together. I heard the fifth cafeteria in our university is famous in the entire college town!¡± Catherine had no objections. The choice of food wasn¡¯t very important to her as long as it was clean and didn¡¯t taste too strange. As they left the ssroom, they spotted Ronin waiting in the hallway. Ronin stood at the staircase with a cold expression. There was an air of indifference about him. However, when he noticed Catherine, everything changed dramatically. His previously cold and indifferent gaze lit up instantly, and he looked in Catherine¡¯s direction with a warm smile. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m here!¡± After seeing Ronin, Catherine knew that he hade to join her for lunch, so she mentioned Amelia¡¯s suggestion. ¡°How about going to the fifth cafeteria together? Amelia said the food there is pretty good.¡± Seeing Amelia present, Ronin had initially thought he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to have lunch with Catherine. He was pleasantly surprised that Catherine invited him. ¡°Sure, Catherine! I¡¯ve never eaten at the school cafeteria. Let¡¯s go together!¡± Watching Ronin¡¯s excited expression when he saw Catherine, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but envy their close rtionship. ¡°Super Catherine, your little brother is so considerate. He came to find you right after ss. Having such a supportive family member in a new ce is really nice!¡± Amelia knew that Ronin was a few years younger than Catherine, and although they weren¡¯t biological siblings, their bond was incredibly strong. Ronin wasn¡¯t thrilled about Amelia, who was always hanging around Catherine. However, hearing Amelia praise their good rtionship made him look at her in a new light, and he visibly perked up. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly! I don¡¯t want Catherine to go hungry!¡± Chapter 568 A Friendly Match At Styre University, one of the top three universities in Eskana, even the cafeteria standards were higher than those of regr colleges. The campus boasted five cafeterias, each offering a different cuisine. The fifth cafeteria specialized in upgraded New Orleans chicken wings and beef stew, earning high praise among students and making it the most popr on campus. Surveying the crowded cafeteria, Ronin stepped forward enthusiastically. ¡°Catherine, tell me what you want to eat, and I¡¯ll stand in line and get it for you!¡± Catherine nced at the electronic screen above the cafeteria and casually selected a few dishes. Ronin instantly took note and said, ¡± Catherine, just wait. I¡¯ll go get it!¡± After saying that, he turned to the side and gave Amelia a meaningful look. Amelia immediately understood and said, ¡°I¡¯m not picky. I¡¯ll have whatever Super Catherine is having!¡± Ronin thought that the request wasn¡¯t too troublesome. Then he nodded in satisfaction. Catherine surveyed the area, found an empty seat, and sat down. The moment she sat down, numerous gazes were directed toward her. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Some were filled with admiration, while others carried a strong sense of envy. Not only was she attractive, but her figure was also top-notch. She was such a rare find in the mortal realm. Catherine calmly sat in her seat and scrolled through her phone. She waspletely indifferent to the surrounding attention. Amelia admired Catherine¡¯s calm and domineering attitude, finding her disregard for everything quite impressive. When Ronin returned with the tray, Amelia received a WhatsApp message. After reading it, she promptly informed Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, the club said they¡¯re organizing a friendly match tonight. The president wants to assess everyone¡¯s gaming skills and foster camaraderie within the club.¡± In the early stages of club recruitment, clubs typically organized events to help new members integrate faster. These activities could facilitate the bonding between new and old members. Catherine remained silent, but Ronin wore a curious expression and approached. ¡°Catherine, did you join the club?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Catherine grunted in agreement and nodded. Ronin dared not press her further and redirected his question to Amelia at his side. ¡°What club did you get Catherine into? ¡°he inquired. Amelia was a bit displeased with his questioning style. ¡°What do you mean? How are you so sure it was me who got her into it?¡± Ronin gave Amelia a disdainful look. ¡± Who do you think Catherine is? She has no interest in joining clubs, so it must be because you dragged her into it!¡± Amelia admitted that Ronin was right. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I just noticed that Super Catherine ys games regrly, ¡°she confessed. Ronin immediately saw through the truth. ¡°So, you dragged Catherine into the esports club, right?¡± With her chin resting on her hand, Catherine listened with interest as the two bantered. Both Ronin and Amelia were fun individuals with straightforward minds, making it easy to be around them. Feeling like her secret was exposed, Amelia didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation with Ronin. She turned to Catherine and wore a bright smile. ¡°Super Catherine, it¡¯s our club¡¯s first event. You¡¯ll join me, right?¡± For some reason, Amelia always felt that convincing Catherine, the revered figure, wouldn¡¯t be easy. However, she had already promised the senior student that she would ensure Catherine attended, and she couldn¡¯t afford to go back on her promise. Chapter 569 The Queue Jumpers Catherine hadn¡¯t responded to Amelia yet when Ronin raised his hand to express his interest. ¡°Catherine, if you join the esports club, I want to join too! Take me with you!¡± For him, the club itself didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was being with Catherine. Catherine, who was initially uninterested, agreed when she saw the enthusiasm of the two. Since she yed games when bored at night, she figured a change of location wouldn¡¯t hurt. The Duncan Corporation was quite busy with its operations these days. Branden had flown abroad and wouldn¡¯t be back until tomorrow night. Seeing Catherine finally nod, Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. It met the expectations of the senior student. The food at the fifth cafeteria was indeed good. Even Catherine ate quite a bit. After finishing lunch, the three stood up to line up and take their trays to the recycling area. Ronin tried to take Catherine¡¯s tray. ¡± Catherine, I¡¯ll do it!¡± They had ordered a lot, and if Ronin carried the tray for Catherine, there was a risk of dirtying his clothes. Although Catherine waszy, she was not fussy. She said, ¡°No need. Let¡¯s go together!¡± Seeing Catherine insist, Ronin didn¡¯t say much. The fifth cafeteria was crowded, and even the line to return trays was quite long. At Styre University, there was a rule that after eating, students should take their trays to the recycling spot. This made it easier for the cafeteria staff to clean up. If a student didn¡¯t follow this rule and got caught on the cafeteria cameras three times, they would face disciplinary action. The punishment was severe, making students unwilling to take shortcuts. After all, returning trays was just a couple of extra steps, but getting disciplined meant having a record. Things were going smoothly, with everyone in an orderly line. Suddenly, up ahead, a girl in a purple dress started waving and calling out to her right. In no time, several people squeezed in front of her. This tant cutting in line was downright audacious. Many people present had their reservations, but most preferred to roll their eyes silently rather than confront such behavior. However, Amelia couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She became highly annoyed as she saw that. She had initially hoped someone else would speak up first, and then she would support them, but nobody did. She couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. With a raised voice, she eximed, Could you please have some decency and not cut in line intentionally?¡± As soon as she spoke up, the surrounding murmurs of discontent started to rise. The girl in the purple dress became displeased. After rolling her eyes, she turned around and identified the source of the loudest voice, which happened to be Amelia. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯ve been waiting in line since early on. I¡¯m holding spots for my friends. Any problem with that? ¡°Which eye of yours saw me cutting in line? Don¡¯t go around using people of having low manners. If you have the time, I suggest you improve your own manners first.¡± Amelia had never seen someone make a mistake and then act so confidently. Those who had cut in line with the girl in the purple dress stepped up to support her. ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t have a bit of camaraderie!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really so rushing. Can¡¯t spare this bit of time?¡± ¡°Some people have nothing to do but poke their noses in others¡¯ business!¡± ¡°Do you just love being the center of attention?¡± The voices were moring. All of them scolded Amelia. This infuriated Amelia. With a red face, she nearly ran out of breath, trying to respond. After a while, she could only manage to say, ¡°You cut in line, and you still think you¡¯re justified?¡± Catherine coldly surveyed the brazen crowd. When she caught sight of Jada standing among the queue jumpers, she finally understood the meaning of birds of a feather. Amelia had only spoken a sentence, which had already triggered an onught from the group. ¡°Apologize!¡± ¡°using us of cutting in line and calling us uncivilized? Just because your mouth is on your body doesn¡¯t mean you can say whatever you want!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t even think about leaving if you don¡¯t apologize today!¡±. The group mored, demanding an apology from Amelia. Catherine held her phone and spun around, capturing each person¡¯s face on video. With one hand casually in her pocket and the other steadying her phone, she spoke in a cold tone, ¡°No need to argue. You all know whether you cut in line or not. I¡¯ll upload this video to the inteter. The entire cafeteria is under surveince. Let the school andizens decide who should apologize. What do you think?¡± After hearing that, the group changed their expressions. No one expected Catherine to escte the situation to this extent and bring it online for public judgment. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. The group felt upset. Whether they did something wrong or not, the queue jumpers knew it best. The earlier arrogant ones suddenly fell silent. They looked at each other and hoped someone would come up with a solution. Jada noticed Catherine taking charge and felt a surge of anger. She hadn¡¯t even confronted Catherine yet, and Catherine dared to provoke her again. She thought Catherine was asking for trouble. She stepped forward and looked sternly at Catherine. ¡°Who gave you the right to record me? You¡¯ve vited my image rights. I demand you delete the video immediately, or I will sue you!¡± After her statement, the group joined Jada in shouting, all threatening to sue Catherine. Facing the threats, Catherine remained calm and evenughed lightly. ¡°Sue me?¡± She chuckled and then continued, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting for your court summons anytime!¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude, Jada felt a deep sense of anger and dissatisfaction. ¡°Catherine, do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you? The Facers¡¯ legal team is no pushover. If we go to court, I guarantee you won¡¯t get away with it!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Catherine retorted coldly with a sarcastic tone. Then she continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Facers¡¯ legal team is pushover or not. Miss Facer, you im to be a high-IQ socialite, but you seem quite ignorant. You don¡¯t know any legal knowledge!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Jada stamped her foot in anger. She was infuriated by Catherine. ¡± Catherine, don¡¯t be so arrogant. You actually dared to scold me publicly!¡± Catherine raised her head with a domineering and audacious demeanor and loudly replied, ¡°I¡¯ve publicly pped you. What¡¯s there to be afraid of in scolding you?¡± Upon hearing this, the onlookers were all shocked. The usually arrogant socialite Jada had been pped by Catherine. This was truly big news. After Jada heard Catherine¡¯s words, her face turned pale. She felt everyone around her staring at her with eyes that seemed to be enjoying a joke. She was so angry that she was unable to move. Her eyes widened as she red at Catherine. She gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re too arrogant. Don¡¯t think just because you have the Duncans backing you, I won¡¯t dare to touch you!¡± ¡°Jada, next time you threaten someone, change your script. I¡¯m bored to hear the same lines every time. If you¡¯re brave, don¡¯t talk. Just act.¡± Catherine stood firm and remained calm. She exuded an aura of domineering. Jada was usually considered a high- ss socialite. However, as she stood opposite Catherine, she presented a stark contrast. Catherine appeared regal and dominant like a princess, while Jada seemed no better than a flustered bitch, who was thoroughly embarrassed. Chapter 570 Jada’s Apology Jada found herselfpletely speechless under the scolding of Catherine. Catherine tended to be indifferent and silent. It was just that she didn¡¯t feel like talking. When Catherine decided to engage, others were simply no match for her. Then Catherine said, ¡°That¡¯s just me being generous when I say you don¡¯t know legal knowledge, Jada. If you want to sue me, just do it. ¡°As for your im that I vited your portrait rights, I suggest you reconsider. As one of the victims of this queue-jumping incident, I have every right to document how my rights were vited. ¡°If you really want to take legal action, feel free to go after the school. After all, it¡¯s their cameras that caught your ugly faces during this shameful incident, not mine. ¡°I¡¯ve said what needs to be said. You can choose to go public or offer a sincere apology.¡± Catherine crossed her arms and exuded a domineering aura as she stared down the group. Despite being outnumbered, Catherine showed no fear. She maintained her powerful and formidable presence, making everyone think twice before disregarding her words. After hearing Catherine¡¯s words, the several girls with the girl in the purple dress began to feel uneasy. These girls were quite popr at school and even in the nearby college town. They had a good reputation. In other words, everyone praised them. If this incident ended up online, they could face public criticism for cutting in line. Those inte warriors wouldn¡¯t hold back their words, and these girls didn¡¯t want to be famous for such a thing. Someone discreetly tugged at Jada¡¯s sleeve, signaling her to defuse the situation. ¡°Jada, can¡¯t we just downy this whole thing?¡± But Jada wasn¡¯t willing to let it slide. Apologizing to Catherine in publi? was more humiliating for her than getting pped by Catherine. She didn¡¯t want to bear such a disgrace. ¡°If you want to apologize, do it on your own. Don¡¯t involve me in this mess!¡± Jada retorted. The others, who didn¡¯t want to escte the situation further, reluctantly stepped forward to apologize for their line-cutting behavior and obediently joined the back of the queue. As Catherine looked at Jada, who was still defiant, sheughed mockingly. After Jada heard the derisive sound, she immediately turned her head and red at Catherine. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered with more words. She had said enough for the day. She nced at Ronin standing nearby and said, ¡°Let the Facers know.¡± Ronin had long been itching with resentment. He thought inwardly, ¡± Who does Jada think she is, daring to mor against Catherine? It¡¯s like asking for trouble.¡± He swiftly pulled out his phone. Without making a call, he sent a message. Momentster, Jada¡¯s phone, which was tightly gripped in her hand, suddenly rang. Upon seeing the iing call, Jada frowned. After she answered, her expression turned extremely grim. A few secondster, Jada¡¯s face turned pale, and she tremblingly ended the call. Observing her reaction, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°I told you earlier to learn to apologize when you mess up. You didn¡¯t listen. Regret now, huh?¡± Jada red at him with a look of resentment. Her face turned ashen, and her teeth clenched tightly. The call was from her grandfather. Her grandfather had always cherished her. But he ordered her to apologize to Catherine. He even threatened that she shouldn¡¯t bother visiting him at the old mansion again if she didn¡¯t apologize. Jada thought inwardly, ¡°Damn it!¡± She thought Catherine must have enlisted the help of Branden. The Duncans were currently dominating Loxton, and no one dared to confront the Duncans head-on. Even her family had to cooperate with the Duncans, not daring to offend them. In Jada¡¯s view, Catherine was taking advantage of her engagement with Branden and bullying her like this. It was just too much. Even though she was reluctant and unwilling, Jada still bowed her head and apologized. Without the Facers, she was nothing, so she couldn¡¯t afford to lose the Facers ¡® support. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered. Her voice was barely audible. As Ronin watched Jada¡¯s unwilling demeanor, he grew infuriated. He thought Jada was so arrogant. ¡°Why are you speaking in such a low voice? Can you be louder?¡± he asked. Jada clenched her hands tightly. Her fingertips turned white from the force, and her meticulously done nails dug into her flesh. Her eyes turned red from the pain. Leveraging this difort, she suppressed her reluctance and raised her voice, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± After saying this, she lifted her head and stared at Catherine. ¡°Is that enough?¡± Catherine looked at her coldly and maintained her dominant posture. Not satisfied? Come find me anytime!¡± Suppressing her anger, Jada flung her tray at a nearbypanion and stormed out of the cafeteria. The humiliation she had just endured fueled a determination to get revenge on Catherine. Amelia witnessed Catherine¡¯s dominant behavior throughout and gazed at her with admiration. ¡°Super Catherine, you¡¯re just too awesome!¡± Catherine nced at her and coldly admonished, ¡°Queue properly!¡± Amelia hastily bnced her tray, stood up straight, and got in line. curiosity consumed her. She took a risk and approached Catherine. Then she asked, ¡°Super Catherine, do you have some grudge against Jada? She¡¯s been targeting you since the first day of ss. Are you two old acquaintances?¡± Her words happened to be overheard by Ronin standing nearby, and he immediately stepped forward. ¡°What did you say? That bitch dares to target Catherine?¡± Seeing Ronin¡¯s angry look, Amelia felt a bit frightened and instinctively took a step back. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± She mistakenly thought it was a secret, and Catherine didn¡¯t want Ronin to know, but she inadvertently revealed it. After a few people left, the queue naturally moved faster. When it was Catherine¡¯s turn, she handed her tray to the cafeteria worker and then turned to leave. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. As Ronin and Amelia saw that, they quickly abandoned their trays and followed her. At 7 PM, Amelia began urging Catherine to go out. ¡°Super Catherine, are you ready to go?¡± After finishing her work on theputer and saving the documents, Catherine got up from the bed. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As they descended the stairs together, they saw Ronin, who had been waiting downstairs. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re here.¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow at him, thinking he arrived surprisingly in time. Although Amelia and she had gone downstairs early, he managed to catch up. Perhaps sensing the meaning in Catherine¡¯s e Ronin immediately exined, ¡°Catherine, I added Amelia on WhatsApp and asked her to notify me before leaving.¡± He proactively confessed, fearing Catherine might be displeased. Catherine nced at him appreciatively and said in a low voice, ¡± Smart.¡± Ronin happily shook his body a bit. ¡± Catherine, all thanks to your teachings! After hearing that, Amelia got goosebumps. She thought she was already Catherine¡¯s number-one fan. She realized that her level of enthusiasm for Catherine didn¡¯t match up to Ronin¡¯s. Ronin was the true, wholehearted admirer of Catherine. Chapter 571 Invitation They arrived at the esports club. Unlike the other clubs where people had to be repeatedly asked to attend, many came in advance, though the agreed time was 8 o¡¯clock. When Catherine and her group arrived, almost all of the people arrived. Knowing Catherine was not much of a talker, Amelia took on the role of spokesperson for the trio as soon as they entered. She found a senior student in charge of recruitment and introduced Ronin. ¡°This is Catherine¡¯s brother. He also likes ying games. He wants to join the esports club.¡± Upon hearing that he was Catherine¡¯s brother and was also a fan of gaming, the senior student immediately perked up. She reached out her hand to Ronin. ¡°Wee to the esports club!¡± Ronin politely thanked her, ¡°Thank you!¡± Amelia, who was standing on the side, was astonished. The reputation of ¡± 11 Super Catherine¡± really worked wonders. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Catherine felt a gaze fixed on her and instinctively looked towards the corner of the room, where she saw a young man sitting quietly. His head was slightly raised, his eyes staring in her direction. Hisrge cap obscured his face, making it impossible for Catherine to see him clearly, but she was sure he was staring at her. Catherine nced at him and then shifted her focus away. She found a seat and sat down, followed by Amelia and Ronin. Ronin also noticed the gaze. He asked Catherine quietly, ¡°Catherine, who¡¯s that guy? Why¡¯s he been staring at you? His voice was not loud, but Amelia overheard. Out of curiosity, she turned her head to stare in the direction pointed by Ronin. The moment she saw the guy, she was taken aback. She seemed unsure, and after a few more seconds of observation, she suddenly raised her voice in surprise. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Her strange behavior startled Ronin, and even Catherine silently furrowed her brow. Ronin patted his chest, looking at Amelia disdainfully. ¡°Are you crazy? What¡¯s with the sudden outburst?¡± Amelia pointed to the corner, her voice trembling with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s Hero! It¡¯s Hero!¡± The veteran members of the esports club were obviously aware that the guy sitting in the corner was Hero. Compared to the excitement of a starstruck girl, they remained much calmer. In fact, they were used to such behavior from Amelia. Quite a few girls in the school were fans of Hero, and their reactions to seeing him were far more exaggerated than Amelia¡¯s. Perhaps because his identity had been revealed, Hero no longer maintained his air of mystery. He got up and walked in their direction. Amelia watched her idol step towards her. Her breath instantly caught. Her heart raced, and an inexplicable burning sensation spread throughout her body. She rehearsed the first lines she would say to her idol repeatedly in her mind. Just as she was about to speak, her idol spoke first. ¡°Hello, Catherine! I am Hero, and you can also call me by my Eskanan name, Drake Spencer.¡± Amelia almost choked on her saliva. Her idol wasn¡¯t here for her but for Catherine. After realizing the truth, Amelia immediately made room for her idol to have a close exchange with Catherine. The people around were shocked after witnessing this historic moment! It was the first time they had seen Hero initiate a conversation with someone. If they hadn¡¯t witnessed Catherine¡¯s gaming skills, they might have thought Hero was only interested in her beauty. After all, her stunning face was enough to captivate anyone. But they all knew how amazing her gaming skills were. Indeed, talents were always treated specially. Being good at games was also an advantage. Catherine nodded politely and continued ying with her phone. Standing beside her, Hero, hailed as the strongest game yer in Eskana and the idol of countless girls, was being treated as if he were invisible by Catherine. This attitude shocked everyone. Although Catherine was also a great yer, her behavior towards Hero seemed too arrogant. But Hero didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit slighted. To him, Catherine was like a puzzle, attracting him and making him want to delve deeper to understand her. Before meeting Catherine, he had imagined countless scenarios but never imagined that she would be so beautiful. She was truly stunning, like an angel from Heaven, so beautiful that people were even afraid to look directly at her. Having heard of the reputation of Hero, Ronin had been observing him for a while. Every game yer knew about this big shot. Ronin was somewhat interested in learning about Hero. But after seeing Hero¡¯s attitude towards Catherine, Ronin was only worried that there would be one more personpeting with him. Therefore, he was now full of dissatisfaction with Hero. Ronin called out in a bad mood, ¡°Drake, have you seen enough? Has no one taught you basic manners? How dare you to stare at a girl like that?¡± Hero¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by Ronin, and he also realized it was inappropriate, quickly looking away and gesturing an apology. After some hesitation, he decided to speak up. ¡± Can I ask you a question?¡± Seeing the other party persist, Catherine raised her eyes with a cold look. ¡°You can ask, but I may not answer.¡± Hero smiled faintly, not getting angry at Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude. ¡°Okay! ¡°His voice was gentle and pleasant. ¡°Is your ID ¡®Sugar¡¯?¡± Ronin was stunned. It turned out that Hero was here to look for Catherine. He stood quietly on the side without saying anything, not knowing what Catherine was thinking. Catherine responded with a cold attitude. ¡°Guess for yourself.¡± Although Catherine didn¡¯t admit it, Hero already knew the answer. If Catherine was not the person he was looking for, her first reaction should have been to ask him what this ID was rather than letting him guess. Knowing the answer, Hero was pleased. The puzzle that had gued him for a week was finally solved. He excitedly said to Catherine, ¡°Catherine, you are qualified to join the League Team. Are you interested in joining our Golden Star League Team?¡± Catherine was already a bit impatient. ¡± This guy called Hero sure talks a lot,¡± she thought. She directly refused. ¡°Not interested. Go away!¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s response, everyone present was shocked. This was Hero, the best yer. The team he led was also the best in the Eskana Gaming League and the most likely to win the World Gaming League championship trophy. However, Catherine refused him like this. She was so arrogant! People spected that Hero must be angry. However, Hero¡¯s attitude remained the same. He looked at Catherine with an appreciative look in his eyes. ¡°Please consider it again. I sincerely hope that you can join our team!¡± Chapter 572 Losers No matter how hard Hero tried to persuade Catherine, her attitude remained the same. She was not going. To others, it seemed like an extraordinary opportunity, but to Catherine, it was nothing. Only Ronin knew how amazing Catherine was. Catherine could easily defeat those so-called invincible teams from Euphosean and effortlessly bring back the trophy of the World Gaming League. After all, the mastermind behind Storm Technology was none other than Catherine. No one was more familiar with the games derived from game scripts developed by Storm Technology than its founder, Catherine. If Catherine participated, it would be unfair to those yers. It would be a one-sided game! Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t participate in such an event. Seeing that Hero was still not giving up, Ronin, with a cold face, mocked. ¡± Just give up. Haven¡¯t you heard what Catherine said? She¡¯s not interested. Or do you not understand Eskanese? Do you need me to trante for you?¡± Hero persisted. ¡°Catherine, I think you should consider it.¡± Catherine was annoyed by his persistence. She stood up directly, facing him, her eyes exuding unusual dominance. ¡°You want me to join your team?¡± Hero thought Catherine had changed her mind, so he nodded happily, making a promise. ¡°I can guarantee you the best treatment.¡± No one knew that the sponsor of the Golden Star League Team was surnamed Spencer. The main source of funds was from the Spencers, one of the noble families in Loxton. It was because of the strong support from the Spencers that the Golden Star League Team could be provided with the best training facilities. Hearing the conditions set by Hero, Catherine smiled coldly, her charming smile carrying captivating eeriness. ¡°If I were to join, I only have one condition. ¡°You name it, I agree to it!¡± Hero eagerly replied. He was too excited and didn¡¯t notice the smile in Catherine¡¯s eyes. The smile seemed to be mocking Hero¡¯s overestimation of himself. The next moment, Catherine stated her condition. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Defeat me! I don¡¯t team up with losers!¡± This statement was both sarcastic and domineering. Hero hadn¡¯t expected that, being praised as a genius since his first match, he would one day be rejected by others for his gaming skills. He was not even worthy of being her teammate! Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words, the people around were stunned. Catherine¡¯s statement was not only arrogant but also hurtful. Hero fell silent for a moment. He had yed against Catherine once before and had witnessed her battle with Stanley. He was certain that if he were in Stanley¡¯s position then, he wouldn¡¯t have been a match for Catherine. Her strength was just too overwhelming. If one victory were a fluke, the next two would certainly be a testament to her amazing gaming skills. Hero understood that he truly wasn¡¯t a match for Catherine at the moment. ¡°Alright, I ept your condition. Give me a month. If I still can¡¯t defeat you after a month, I promise I won¡¯t bother you again!¡± Hero said. After he finished speaking, Catherine nodded faintly, agreeing to his request. The people around were in an uproar. The yer who had been hailed as the best in Eskana¡¯s history was now being so humble in front of an unknown yer. They were all fans of Hero and couldn¡¯t bear such an insult. Hero didn¡¯t get angry, but they did. ¡°What¡¯s with your arrogant attitude, Catherine?¡± ¡°Hero, why are you being so humble in front of her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a good shot but nothing more. How arrogant she is¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly¡­¡± If anyone else had heard these words, they could have taken it, but when Ronin heard them, he exploded with rage. ¡°How dare they insult Catherine like this?¡± he bellowed inwardly. ¡°They are asking for trouble!¡± Ronin immediately retorted, ¡°You bunch of fools, are you blind? Didn¡¯t you hear what your idol said? If he can beat Catherine, must he practice for a month? Catherine has extraordinary gaming skills. Why should she be humble? Are you guys not satisfied? Fine, defeat Catherine in a one-on-one! Ronin scolded everyone whoined earlier, and they were no match for him. They couldn¡¯t even get a word in edgewise. One thing Ronin said was right-Hero had admitted he wasn¡¯t as good as Catherine. If he were better than her, they could settle it in a live match. There was no need to wait for a month. After Ronin¡¯s retort, no one could say anything. Catherine¡¯s interest was fading. She was tired and had to show the experimental report to Rodge. Seeing Catherine stand up and leave, no one dared to stop her. It was mainly because of Catherine¡¯s overwhelming presence, which made people feel like stopping her would be seeking death. Ronin, hands in his pockets, followed behind Catherine, ying the role of a dutiful second-in- command. Amelia watched as the two of them left and then followed suit to depart. However, she didn¡¯t have the courage of the two big shots. She bid farewell to the president of the club obediently before stepping out of the club. After the three of them left, the remaining people couldn¡¯t help but start whispering, ¡°Oh my, Catherine looks so cool, doesn¡¯t she? Do you know where shees from?¡± Another student immediately approached and whispered, ¡°I inquired about her yesterday. I heard she¡¯s the top student from Casier, and Professor Hartley personally recruited her.¡± ¡°Really? The top student from Casier? Isn¡¯t she a genius?¡± ¡°She¡¯s good-looking, smart, and even excels in gaming. How can she be good at everything?¡± That made sense. To be the top student in such apetitive city showed just how outstanding she was. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Sigh,parison is the thief of joy!¡± At the Facers¡¯. After Jada got humiliated in the cafeteria, she immediately went to investigate Catherine¡¯s background. She felt like she had missed somethingst time, so this time, she directly arranged for someone to go to Casier to thoroughly investigate her. At ten o¡¯clock in the evening, the person sent to investigate Catherine finally brought back news for her. ¡°Miss Facer, I found it. Here are the documents. Please take a look.¡± While Jada was scanning the documents, the investigating personnel took the initiative to exin on the side, ¡°Currently, the head of the Swanns has changed from Korbin Swann to Catherine Swann. It¡¯s said that Catherine has confined Korbin.¡± To be able to change the ownership of the Swanns in just half a year, it seemed that Catherine was indeed powerful. Jada didn¡¯t understand before why Branden would care so much about this girl. It turned out that behind this girl was the Swanns. The Duncans wanted to expand their business in Loxton and also wanted to retain their foundation in Casier. Marrying the daughter of the Swanns, one of the Four Noble Families of Casier, was the best way. Jada thought she had now found the key to the problem. As long as she destroyed the Swanns, Catherine would be nothing. After Jada thought of a solution, a sinister smile appeared on her face. She vowed to witness the downfall of the Swanns with her own eyes. She wanted to see Catherine kneel before her, begging for forgiveness. Chapter 573 See What You Got The Duncan Manor stood tall and imposing. Paxton, holding thetest intelligence, approached the door of the study. Once granted permission, he cautiously pushed open the door. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s some information regarding the Swanns. Would you like to take a look?¡± In the past, Paxton would have handled such matters himself without reporting to anyone. But things were different now; she was the head of the Swanns, and she would be Branden¡¯s wife. That was to say, the Swanns were now considered part of the Duncans¡¯ interests, so it was natural to report such matters to Branden. Branden nced over, frowning slightly. ¡°Grelin Group?¡± Paxton bowed and responded, ¡°Boss, the Grelin Group is backed by the Coopers from Loxton, who are the in-ws of Mr. Facer.¡± Noble families loved powerful alliances, and Jada¡¯s mother also came from a prestigious background, with her family¡¯s influence matching that of the Facers. Otherwise, Jada wouldn¡¯t have gained Conor¡¯s favor and affection. Branden¡¯s deep eyes narrowed slightly as he coldly stated, ¡°Keep an eye on Grelin Group and find out what they¡¯re up to.¡± If Jada was not too foolish, she should know precisely what the consequences would be. ¡°Do we need to inform Miss Swann about this?¡± Paxton asked. ¡°No need. Kathy just started school recently and is busy with her studies,¡± Branden replied. His initially cold voice softened noticeably when he mentioned Catherine. Paxtonined inwardly, ¡°Come on. To her, going to university was just a way of experiencing a different life. How could she be busy with her studies? That¡¯s definitely not going to happen!¡± Branden handed the signed documents to Paxton. ¡°Get me a ticket for the morning flight to Loxton,¡± he ordered. Paxton was taken aback. ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be in the evening?¡± There was an important meeting in the afternoon, and negotiations for a project were scheduled for the evening. In order to return to Loxton as quickly as possible, they had already been squeezing their schedule with no extra time. And now, Branden was asking to leave even earlier. Perhaps this was what ¡®going to extreme lengths for the sake of love¡¯ meant. Branden fixed Paxton with a cold gaze. Paxton was so frightened that he immediately knelt. ¡°Sorry, Boss. I will prepare it for you right away!¡± When Catherine woke up in the morning, she received a call from Linda. During her time at school, she had specifically assigned personnel to watch over the Swann Corporation. Besides the professional manager, there was also Linda, the secretary left behind by her grandfather. ¡°Miss Swann, there¡¯s a significant potential investment opportunity in a recentrge-scale coboration, but it involves a substantial amount. It may need your advice,¡± Linda said. Having worked for the Swann Corporation for so many years, Linda wouldn¡¯t contact Catherine unless she met something she wasn¡¯t sure about. Catherine responded, ¡°Send the documents to my email,¡± and then hung up the phone. ¡°Catherine, we need to pick up the pace. Otherwise, we¡¯ll bete for Professor Hartley¡¯s ss today!¡± Amelia stood at the door, raising her voice to get Catherine¡¯s attention. Catherine strode over to her. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ever since Hero publicly invited Catherine to join his team and was rejected, Catherine¡¯s status in Amelia¡¯s eyes had risen several notches. Now, she regarded Catherine as her idol, better than anyone else. The two hurried to the ssroom, and just as they entered, the bell for ss rang. Amelia once again gave Catherine a thumbs-up. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re amazing! You¡¯ve calcted the journey down to the last second!¡± Along the way, Amelia had been fretting about beingte, whispering to Catherine to hurry up. Catherine, however, calmly assured her that with their walking speed, they would make it to the ssroom before the bell, so there was no need to worry. Amelia now finally understood why Catherine was always soposed. It wasn¡¯t just confidence; it was also meticulous nning. If she could calcte every detail-distances, speed, frequencies-so urately, she might also have that sameposure. But these were things that an ordinary person could never achieve, which set Catherine apart as a ¡°super¡± individual. As they found their seats and saw Jada enter with the teaching materials, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes silently. Her impression of Jada was deteriorating, and she found Jada more and more annoying. ¡°Her again?¡± Ameliained, but Catherine remained silent. She didn¡¯t care who was teaching her. After all, she wasn¡¯t interested in any of the content. Seeing Catherine¡¯s silence, Amelia quietly warned her, ¡°Catherine, that woman is giving you strange looks. You should be careful.¡± Catherine nced at Jada. At that moment, Jada also looked back. Their eyes met, and the hatred in Jada¡¯s eyes was unmistakable. She clenched her hands on the desk, forcefully breaking the chalk in her grip. Catherine, however, remainedposed, with a demeanor that made it clear to any discerning person that she didn¡¯t care about Jada. Jada could sense the disdain, and her hatred grew even stronger. She almost ground her teeth to pieces with the intensity of her anger, but she knew it wasn¡¯t the right time. She would make Catherine understand her power soon enough. She vowed that even if Catherine begged for forgiveness, she wouldn¡¯t forgive this despicable person. Jada did her best to suppress her anger. ¡°Everyone, Professor Hartley will join us in the second half of the ss. For now, I¡¯ll exin the basic concepts of this course. Please open your textbooks. The sound of pages turning filled the room, and the ss officially began. Soon after, Jada suddenly wrote a problem on the board and then looked at the entire ss. ¡°This is a basic arithmetic problem. Who cane up and solve it?¡± The room fell silent as soon as she finished speaking, and no one wanted to step forward. Jada chuckled. ¡°Since no one¡¯sing up, I¡¯ll choose someone myself.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. While observing Jada¡¯s smile, Amelia was about toment to Catherine about how eerie it was when Jada pointed in Catherine¡¯s direction and loudly said, ¡°Let¡¯s have Catherinee up. I¡¯ve heard Professor Hartley personally selected you. Let¡¯s see what you got.¡± Thement was filled with an unmistakable air of hostility. Chapter 574 I’m Your Mother Catherine, with her wireless earphones hidden in her hair, didn¡¯t hear a word of what was being said on the stage. Suddenly, Amelia violently nudged her, prompting her to press the power button on her earphones. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Seeing that Catherine noticed her, Amelia quickly exined the situation to her in a hushed voice. ¡°Jada wants you toe up and solve the problem!¡± Catherine looked up nkly and happened to lock eyes with Jada¡¯scent gaze. She coldly replied, ¡°I can¡¯t solve it.¡± Then, Catherine continued to ignore Jada. This decisive and straightforward response waspletely unexpected by Jada. She had been confident that Catherine woulde up, considering that the problem wasn¡¯t tooplex for someone of her level but posed a certain difficulty level for a freshman. If Catherine couldn¡¯t answer, she could mock her. If Catherine solved it, she could demonstrate an alternative solution, showcasing her strength. She had thought through all these scenarios but hadn¡¯t anticipated Catherine¡¯s direct and resolute refusal. Jada looked at Catherine with a cold sneer. Since Catherine had willingly stepped into the firing line, she would be very willing to teach her a lesson. ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you the student personally recruited by Professor Hartley? Howe you can¡¯t even handle a problem like this?¡± The thick tension in the air drew everyone¡¯s attention to the interaction between the two. It was clear to everyone that Jada and Catherine were at odds, especially considering the incident that had already spread throughout the campus. Many ssmates were aware of the animosity between the two women. A showdown between them was imminent, and everyone was already preparing to watch the drama unfold. Catherine had initially wanted to rest, but the woman on the stage was incessantly chattering. She looked up again, and her cold gaze swept over Jada, filled with disdain and mockery. ¡°Stop showing off with such a childish problem. Instead of wasting time on that, why don¡¯t you think about how to develop your dull mind?¡± Amelia burst intoughter, clutching her stomach. ¡°Catherine really has a sharp tongue!¡± she thought. Jada hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to show her such disrespect, daring to insult her in front of the entire ss. Bang! She mmed her hand on the desk, ring in Catherine¡¯s direction, her neck veins popping with rage. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯ve gone too far. Have you no respect for anyone? I asked you to solve the problem, and if you didn¡¯t want to, that¡¯s fine. But why did you say the problem was childish and even insulted me? Who do you think you are? ¡°she scolded. ¡°I¡¯m your mother. How about that?¡± Catherine responded unapologetically, her attitude extremely arrogant. She wouldn¡¯t show Jada any respect. No one had expected Catherine to be so harsh, not sparing any mercy in her rebuke of Jada. The ssroom was instantly filled with tension, and the other students subconsciously held their breath, watching quietly. Suddenly, the arrival of someone broke the silence inside the room. It was unclear who first noticed the door, but someone shouted, ¡°Professor Hartley is here!¡± Everyone immediately turned their attention to the door and saw Marshall rushing in with his teaching materials. Jada, upon seeing Marshall, felt a surge of joy. She had been worried about not having the chance to show him the true colors of Catherine, and now the timing was perfect. She quicklyined to Marshall, ¡± Professor Hartley, you¡¯vee at just the right time. This student named Catherine disrupted the ssroom discipline and is affecting the rest of the ss.¡± Marshall looked at Catherine and asked softly, ¡°Oh, is that so? Have you disrupted the ssroom discipline?¡± Catherine lowered her eyes with a hint of a domineering air between her brows. Though not loud, her cold voice was heard clearly by everyone in the ssroom. ¡°Believe whatever she says.¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯s nonchnt and arrogant attitude in front of Marshall, Jada secretly felt ted. Catherine was too arrogant; she had no idea who Marshall was. As a top expert in his field, he despised people who were full of themselves. ¡°She will be in big trouble,¡± Jada thought. Jada couldn¡¯t wait to tell Marshall. about Catherine¡¯s behavior. ¡°Professor Hartley, I wrote a question on the ckboard to test the students in the ss. I didn¡¯t expect Catherine not only to disobey the instructions but also to insult me!¡± she exined. Marshall nced at the chatty Jada, who immediately fell silent. After Jada stopped talking, Marshall began to examine the question on the ckboard. Seeing his expression darken, Jada knew that Catherine was in trouble. Finally, Marshall spoke. However, what he said shocked everyone. After checking the question on the ckboard, Marshall calmly said, ¡± She¡¯s right.¡± Jada was stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at Marshall. ¡°Professor Hartley, you¡­¡± she began, unable toprehend. Thinking Jada didn¡¯t understand what was going on, Marshall pointed at Catherine and repeated, ¡°I said, what she said is indeed correct. With her intelligence and abilities, this kind of question is indeed somewhat childish to her.¡± After getting a definite answer, Jada was dumbfounded. ¡°How could Professor Hartley say such words?¡± she wondered. Marshall then walked over to Catherine and stopped in front of her. ¡°Catherine, we meet again. Have you considered my invitation fromst time? Would you like to join my lab and work on the project with me?¡± he asked. After hearing the professor¡¯s words, everyone around was left in shock, their mouths hanging open. Marshall, the renowned professor of Styre University, actually invited a freshman to hisb! This was an opportunity that many doctoral students would beg for but never get. ¡± Did Professor Hartley really extend an invitation to a freshman?¡± they all asked inwardly, wondering if there was something wrong with their hearing. Then, Marshall said something even more shocking. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t refuse me this time,¡± he said sincerely to Catherine. ¡°Ourb is about to embark on a new project. Here¡¯s the information. I think you¡¯ll be interested.¡± He handed Catherine a document from his arms. It was then revealed to everyone that Marshall had previously invited Catherine, only to be rejected by her. ¡°Who is Catherine exactly?¡±.they couldn¡¯t help but ask inwardly. ¡°How could she make Professor Hartley repeatedly ask her to join theb?¡± Jada couldn¡¯t snap out of her shock. Marshall¡¯s words felt like a p in the face to her. The thing she had longed for was disdainfully refused by Catherine. How could she bear it? Everyone was waiting for Catherine¡¯s response, wondering if she would reject Marshall for the second time. One rejection was unbelievable enough. If it happened again, the entire Styre University would erupt into amotion. How could someone be so disrespectful to Professor Hartley? Chapter 575 Joining the Lab Catherine skimmed through the materials Marshall handed her and found that the experimental project was very simr to what Rodge was currently working on. Rodge hadn¡¯t yet ovee the entire experiment; he hadn¡¯t even passed the first phase. She had been helping Rodge adjust the data but wasn¡¯t physically present in theb. All the data was based on Rodge¡¯s feedback, which inadvertently added difficulty and slowed down the progress of the experiment. If she joined the project at Styre University, she could directly observe the entire experimental process, which would better help Rodgeplete the experiment. ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± With these three simple but decisive words, Catherine agreed to Marshall¡¯s request to join theb. Marshall was extremely excited; he could tell that Catherine was an absolute genius in this field. If he could bring such talent into their experiment, it would definitely help hisb make remarkable progress. For the past two years, hisb had been at a standstill, unable to implement experimental projects, and had reached a bottleneck. He had been unable to make a breakthrough. That day, in the botanical garden, Catherine pointed out hisputational error straight to the point. At that moment, he felt like he saw hope. Perhaps Catherine could be the hope to lead theb to a breakthrough. In addition to agreeing, Catherine also made a request. ¡°I¡¯ll join, but only for this one project.¡± Amelia looked at Catherine¡¯s expressionless face and secretly admired her, thinking, ¡°Catherine truly lives up to her reputation as a top- notch expert, daring to set conditions in front of Professor Hartley. Catherine will definitely be the leading figure at Styre University!¡± Marshall smiled knowingly, looking at Catherine with a sense of mutual understanding. He hadn¡¯t even mentioned other projects to Catherine. The project he had just presented was intentionally used to test her, and everything went just as he had expected. She was the genius he had been looking for. Only such talent could understand how great his current project was. ¡°Okay, no problem!¡± Marshall readily agreed to Catherine¡¯s conditions. ¡± After ss, I¡¯ll take you to theb for a tour,¡± he added. Returning to the front of the ssroom, Marshall was greeted by Jada. ¡°Professor Hartley, are you ready to start the ss?¡± she inquired. Marshall nodded indifferently. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± His demeanor shifted back to that of a stern instructor, a far cry from the amiable attitude he had just shown Catherine. Feeling like a clown, Jada retreated to the side, enduring the scrutiny of the entire ss, feeling extremely embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t understand what was so special about Catherine that even Marshall treated her differently. Not only had he invited Catherine to theb, but after being rejected, he had also dangled the most valuable project in the entireb to entice Catherine. If this project seeded, theirb would lead globally, and they, as researchers, would gain recognition among the world¡¯s scientificmunity. It was the ultimate honor, and Marshall had given this opportunity to Catherine, a freshman who hadn¡¯t even opened her textbooks once. Why? Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Anger and resentment almost consumed Jada. Perhaps earlier, she could have endured it and waited for the implementation of the next n. But now, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She had to destroy Catherine and reim everything that belonged to her. When no one was paying attention, Jada discreetly slipped out of the ssroom, clutching her phone. She was determined to change her ns and make Catherine pay the price for her pride. As the bell rang, Marshall promptly announced the end of the ss. He didn¡¯t like to drag on, nor did he want to take up the students¡¯ break time. However, being a renowned professor at Styre University, leaving after ss wasn¡¯t so simple. Thetter half of the ss had been so captivating that many students were still engrossed in it and had questions to ask after ss. They had no choice but to stop Marshall and seek his exnations. Seeing Catherine stand up, Marshall, afraid she might leave, quickly called out in her direction, ¡°Catherine, wait a moment. I¡¯ll take you to thebter.¡± The surrounding students nced in Catherine¡¯s direction, their eyes filled with envy. ¡°To be favored by Professor Hartley, Catherine is truly fortunate,¡± they thought. Catherine heard Marshall¡¯s call and paused with her book in hand before sitting back down in her seat. Seeing her sit down, Amelia followed suit. Catherine turned her head to look at her, raising her eyes and asking softly, ¡± Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Amelia chuckled mischievously. ¡± Catherine, can I go with you to visit theb? Even though I¡¯m not qualified to go to theb, I want to take this opportunity to have a look. You know, Professor Hartley¡¯sb is the ultimate dream for students in this field nationwide!¡± Amelia¡¯s expectant expression amused Catherine. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine agreed simply. Hearing this, Amelia was taken aback. She had expected to persuade Catherine for a while and then have Catherine ask Marshall for permission. She didn¡¯t anticipate Catherine¡¯s immediate agreement. She stared at Catherine in astonishment. ¡°Really?¡± Shrugging, Catherine¡¯s face was filled with nonchnce. ¡°Do you want to go or not?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Amelia nodded vigorously. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± Her voice, though soft, carried a verypelling tone. Amelia firmly believed that Catherine would follow through on her promise. Ten minutester, Marshall finally managed to escape the questioning students. He packed his teaching materials and approached Catherine. ¡± Catherine, let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine stood up, and Amelia stood up as well. She was about to exin the situation to Marshall, but Catherine stopped her. She didn¡¯t know what Catherine meant, but since Catherine didn¡¯t want her to speak, she remained silent. The two followed Marshall to the most mysteriousboratory in Styre University, the top university in Eskana. At Styre University, Marshall had aboratory building all to himself, a promise personally given to him by the university president when he first started teaching at the university. They had to go through multiple processes and various password verifications to enter theboratory. Each time they passed a checkpoint, Marshall would introduce to Catherine the passwords and how to ess them. Amelia, unable to contain her curiosity, quietly asked Marshall, ¡°Professor Hartley, when you talk about these confidential passwords, should I step aside to avoid them?¡± Marshall looked at her curiously. ¡°Why would you need to avoid them? If you don¡¯t know the passwords, how are you supposed to enter in the future?¡± Amelia was taken aback. ¡°In the future? Professor Hartley, are you saying I can enter theboratory?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you Catherine¡¯s assistant? Won¡¯t you enter theboratory with her?¡± Marshall looked at her with some confusion. Amelia looked at Marshall, then turned her head to nce at Catherine, still not understanding when she became Catherine¡¯s assistant. The sudden surprise of being able to enter the most famous laboratory in the country left her feeling dazed. Catherine smiled lightly, raised her eyebrows at Amelia, and whispered, ¡± Pay attention to what the professor said. We¡¯ll talk about the restter.¡± Amelia nodded silently, feeling touched, and followed behind Catherine. She knew that Catherine must have fought for this opportunity, and she absolutely couldn¡¯t be careless. She had to study hard and not let Catherine down. Chapter 576 Proactive Care After nearly an hour, Marshall finally managed to give Catherine and her group a tour of theboratory. Marshall stopped and looked at Catherine with great interest, asking, How do you like it?¡± Upon hearing Marshall questioning her, Catherine responded earnestly with a word as her evaluation. ¡°Great!¡± Marshall asked again, ¡°Have you noticed anything that needs improvement or areas that could be further enhanced?¡± Besides them, there were a few remaining students in theb. They were all staff members of this laboratory and also Marshall¡¯s students. They had been following Marshall for many years but had never seen Marshall be so polite and amiable toward anyone. ¡°Wow, this cute girl is really something!¡± they thought. Catherine looked around and pointed at the machine being operated in front, saying, ¡°I feel like these devices are a bit outdated. Maybe we can get a new batch of more advanced machines if we¡¯re going to work on a new project.¡± When Catherine spoke up, the guy operating the machine immediately showed his displeasure and even straight up rejected what she said. ¡°Hey, youngdy, if you don¡¯t know, please don¡¯t talk nonsense. This is currently the most advanced equipment domestically, with an uracy of up to 20 nanometers. Do you understand these numbers?¡± His tone sounded a bit stiff, and he didn¡¯t seem particrly friendly. Marshall was just standing there, watching the fire start to spread. He didn¡¯t seem to want to get involved at all. As theboratory leader, he recognized Catherine¡¯s abilities and recruited her. Whether everyone in theboratory could ept Catherine depended on whether she had the ability or not. Faced with such tough questioning, Catherine remained calm andposed. ¡°20 nanometers is very advanced, but the project that we are going to research next is an issue that has not been sessfully researched yet. In order to be ahead of others and be at the forefront of the world, our equipment must also keep up. Alton¡¯s equipment uracy has already reached 7 nanometers. How can wepete with them using 20- nanometer equipment?¡± Her gentle voice resonated powerfully, enveloping the entireboratory space like a heavy hammer pounding on everyone¡¯s heart. Hearing Catherine¡¯s response, the guy who was talking earlier was left dumbfounded. Since nobody said anything, Catherine continued, ¡°The equipment in Alton is 7 nanometers. That¡¯s public data. I¡¯ve seen 5-nanometer equipment at Arbotte Laboratory, and I believe that if Arbotte Laboratory can do it, then Alton can do it, too.¡± Hearing this news, everyone in the room, including Marshall, was absolutely shocked. He stared at Catherine with an astonished look and excitedly asked, ¡± You actually went to Arbotte Laboratory?¡± Catherine nodded and calmly said, Yeah!¡± Amelia discovered that after Catherine said she had been to thatboratory, the people present all looked at her with glistening eyes. ¡°What kind ofboratory is this? It¡¯s actually so powerful?¡± she thought. Catherine¡¯s confident response made Marshall¡¯s heart race. ¡°5 nanometers. We are four times theirs. You¡¯re right. Relying on current machines, we¡¯ve already lost in terms of hardware if we want to be ahead of the world. ¡°Catherine, the information you provided is very important. I¡¯ll report it to my superior and see if there¡¯s any way to improve the hardware conditions.¡± Once theb tour ended, Catherine proactively told Marshall that she wanted to leave. Marshall didn¡¯t stop her but just reminded her toe to theb after ss every day and get familiar with theb¡¯s operation with everyone before letting her go. After leaving theb, Amelia was nning to take Catherine to eat something. But Catherine didn¡¯t feel like going. She wanted to head back to the dorm and rest. Branden would be back in the evening, and Catherine wanted to keep some room in her stomach to enjoy the meal he cooked, which was much better than the cafeteria food. So, the two of them hurried back to the dormitory. Just as they reached the dormitory building, Amelia excitedly grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand, urgently pointing in the direction ahead. When Catherine raised her eyes, she caught sight of that highly anticipated figure. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be back in the evening? How did he arrive in the afternoon?¡± she wondered. Seeing Catherine had noticed it, Amelia let go of her hand automatically. Catherine approached the figure, unaware of how long the man had been standing there. Upstairs and downstairs, countless gazes had already fallen on him and his surroundings. As Catherine approached, it was like a psychic connection. Branden immediately sensed her presence. Catherine walked toward him, and he approached Catherine as well, both moving toward each other. The moment they got closer, Branden couldn¡¯t wait to hold Catherine¡¯s hand. Catherine was just like a regr girl, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with Branden. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that you would only be back at night?¡± Branden¡¯s eyes were full of smiles as he looked at her, and he asked leisurely, ¡± Is this considered proactive care?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow and showed a hint of challenge in her delicate eyes, saying, ¡°If you think it is, then it is!¡± Her words brought a delightful feeling to Branden, and all the exhaustion along the way vanished in an instant. ¡°I finished things early, so I came back early,¡± he replied. If Paxton were to hear this from Branden, he would probably be so infuriated that he would drop dead on the spot. They were so busy that they didn¡¯t even have time to use the bathroom in order to make it back early. They wished they could put a diaper on them and make the most of every minute. Returning to the apartment near Styre University, Catherine, as usual,y on the couch to rest. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. It was still early before mealtime. Branden quickly prepared some fruits and apanied Catherine to rest. Catherine was ying on her phone while Branden was holding hisputer to do his work. From time to time, the two of them would have some verbal exchanges, just like an ordinary couple coming home from work, feelingfortable and at ease. After finishing a game, Catherine put down her phone, grabbed Branden¡¯s arm, and sat up. ¡°I went to visit Professor Hartley¡¯sb today.¡± Once he heard her speak, Branden immediately put down the work in his hands and patiently listened to what she had to say. ¡°Did you get into Marshall¡¯sb?¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Catherine nodded slightly. ¡± Their project just happens to be simr to the project being done at Arbotte Laboratory, but it¡¯s not convenient for me to go to Arbotte Laboratory. So, I decided to conduct research here at Styre University, which is faster.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Branden nodded in agreement. As long as Catherine made the decision, he would support it. Speaking of Arbotte Laboratory, Branden thought of something else. The Duncans had an extremely powerfulwork of information, enabling them to be privy to many undisclosed pieces of information. Branden received a message that had some connection with Catherine yesterday. ¡°Have you been in touch with Zobbertely?¡± ¡°No, what happened to her?¡± Catherine looked at Branden with confusion. She knew there was no way Branden would bring up that name for no reason. ¡°I am not really sure. Perhaps she might have encountered some trouble recently!¡± Branden had only received the news. Without Catherine¡¯s indication, he would not investigate her people. Hearing the news, Catherine immediately stood up. ¡°I¡¯m gonna make a phone call!¡± She knew Zobber must be in trouble because she knew how reliable the Duncans¡¯ information was. Chapter 577 Help Zobber was a bit confused when she received a call from Catherine. ¡°Catherine, are you a mind-reader or something? How did you know we were in trouble?¡± Catherine rolled her eyes inwardly upon hearing the excited voice of Zobber on the phone. ¡°Get to the point!¡± Zobber quickly controlled her excitement and obediently exined the situation to Catherine, ¡°Catherine, we¡¯ve indeed got a bit of a problem. We got ambushed by some enemies. Me and Withal are currently on the run from them! ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but it feels like someone got the information before us and came to ambush us!¡± After she listened to Zobber¡¯s report, Catherine¡¯s gaze gradually sank, and her voice became much colder. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to pick you up!¡± Only the members of the Hacker Alliance knew about this opportunity. Zobber and Withal were two of her most reliable aides. They were very careful and would never let such an oversight happen. The only possibility was that she had left for too long. Some people were starting to get restless, itching to cause trouble. It was not difficult to have people help Zobber and Withal out of their predicament. The tricky part was deciding where to send this group of people. The current situation would be unclear if they were to look for someone from the Hacker Alliance. They were out in the open while the enemy lurked in the shadows. If they were not careful, they might end up alerting the enemies. After careful consideration, Catherine thought of Branden. She took back her phone and went back to the living room. Branden was still sitting on the sofa in the living room, keeping his posture of working on theputer. Hearing the sound, he looked up and gently gazed at her. ¡°Is everything sorted out?¡± Catherine shook her head and said her intention directly, ¡°I need to borrow two people.¡± ¡°Is Francis and Carlo alright?¡± Branden replied quite straightforwardly. He knew that if he didn¡¯t help, Catherine would definitely go herself. With her abilities, there was naturally no problem. But the problem was that he didn¡¯t want Catherine to leave. Catherine had trained both of them on Scorpion Ind. So, she had some knowledge about them. Catherine naturally had no objections to Branden arranging for the two to assist Zobber and Withal. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she just promised Marshall to do the experiment together, she would have gone herself to bring them back. ¡°I sent you the coordinates on your phone. Just bring them back!¡± said Catherine. Branden sent the coordinates to Francis and ordered him to go with Carlo to bring the people back safely. With the matter resolved, Catherine gestured to Branden. Branden immediately understood and adjusted his posture to make Catherinefortable as shey down. After Catheriney down, she adjusted her posture and found afortable position to lie in. Branden gently stroked her cheek and whispered, ¡°There¡¯s a banquet this weekend. Would you like to go together? With a slight raise of her eyes, Catherine took a long, leisurely look at Branden before finally agreeing. ¡°Okay! Having known each other for so long, Branden had never taken the initiative to request her presence at any banquet. Paxton once came to her toin, saying that Branden was now alwaysing to her whenever he had time and refused all social engagements, causing thepany¡¯s vice president to attend various events and banquets every day like a call girl andin incessantly. ¡°There must be a reason why he suddenly wants me toe together,¡± thought Catherine. She didn¡¯t think too much about it and just agreed to it. Seeing that she agreed, Branden revealed a slight smile. ¡°Take a break. I¡¯ll go get you something to eat.¡± Catherine nodded slightly, took out her phone, leaned backfortably on the recliner, and started ying games. At the University of Penny, Liana had be the most outstanding freshman in the field of finance this year, while Bryan was on par with her. The university forum elected both of them as the most photogenic couple. When Bryan learned about this, the forum rankings were over, and his expression was even darker than if he had eaten a fly. It was a rare asion when the whole department was doing an activity together today. Bryan¡¯s roommate was absolutely amazed when he saw Liana and couldn¡¯t help but gossip about it with Bryan. ¡°Bryan, I heard you and Liana went to the same school and were even in the same ss. So, does that mean you could be considered childhood sweethearts? Is there a possibility for a romantic rtionship in the future?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Bryan snorted with disdain. ¡± Thanks, but don¡¯t ever put me together with this kind of person. It¡¯s okay if you scold me, but I won¡¯t ept being humiliated like this!¡± Everyone looked at the usually quiet and reserved Bryan and was stunned when he said these words. ¡°What do you mean by that, Bryan?¡± Bryan nced in Liana¡¯s direction and coldly said, ¡°What do I mean? You¡¯ll understand itter. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°And also, don¡¯t be a person of narrow view. Go out and explore the world, There are so many better ones than this. ¡°Is there anyone more outstanding than Liana?¡± Bryan¡¯s roommate looked at him with a face full of surprise, as if he couldn¡¯t believe Bryan. After all, Liana was really impressive and able to enter the prestigious University of Penny, which was essentially a symbol of excellence. There were hundreds of thousands of people taking the exam every year, but only a few elite ones could make it to the University of Penny. ¡°The thing was, Liana not only studies well, but she is also good-looking. I heard that shees from a prestigious family background as a daughter of a wealthy family, and she is skilled at ying musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting. ¡°This kind of talent is like the cream of the crop,¡± Bryan¡¯s roommate thought. Bryan looked at his roommate with an air of superiority and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Of course. Let me tell you about my boss, Catherine. Three Liana wouldn¡¯t be enough for her to defeat single-handedly. ¡°She is a science genius. She got the highest grades and was specially admitted to Styre University.¡± Upon hearing suchvish praise from Bryan, everyone was filled with excitement and anticipation. ¡°Is she really that outstanding?¡± they asked. ¡°Come on. Why would I fool you? There¡¯s no benefit in lying to you. Anyone with half a brain can easily distinguish the difference between Catherine and Liana. There is a world of difference between them. One is in the sky, while the other is on the ground. There is noparison!¡± Bryan didn¡¯t even notice that Liana happened to walk by when he said that. Liana was just standing beside him and listened attentively to every word he said. His roommate quietly tugged on Bryan¡¯s sleeve. Noticing something was wrong, Bryan turned around to take a look. Upon seeing the darkened face of Liana, he instantly understood everything in his heart. He shrugged nonchntly, taking full responsibility for his own words. He had been pissed off with Liana for a long time. ¡°This chick thought she could mess with Catherine just because they were rted by blood. And now she won¡¯t even let him say a few words? ¡°he thought. ¡°Hmph!¡± Bryan stared coldly andughed at Liana with a cocky look. ¡± What, am I not allowed to speak the truth now?¡± Liana was staring at him with a fierce look as if she wanted to stab Bryan. She thought going to a different university from Catherine would ease her troubles, but she still couldn¡¯t get rid of Catherine. She totally hated Catherine! She hated that Catherine kept lingering around, hated that Catherine appeared. ¡°Catherine is a real disaster,¡± she thought. Chapter 578 My Fiancée Liana was staring daggers at Bryan, and everyone around, sensing the tense atmosphere, fell silent. Liana took a deep breath and ultimately let it all go. Bryan was the legitimate heir of the Duncan Corporation. However, at present, Liana was nothing. Bryan was someone she could not afford to offend. She could not do anything right now. As Liana stormed off angrily, all sorts of gossip started flying around. ¡°I saw Liana chatted happily with a ssmate about Bryan previously, and I thought they were tight. But now it seems like Liana was putting on a show! ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that Liana was just putting on an act? Just look at Bryan¡¯s attitude. You can tell how disdainful he is!¡± Watching Liana leave with a gloomy expression, Zain, who had been chasing after her, caught up with her. Like Liana, he was also a freshman in the finance department at the University of Penny. After chasing Liana for a while, Zain finally caught up with her. ¡°Liana, stop running away. I know you¡¯re feeling crappy, but hey, am I not still here for you?¡± Liana stopped in her tracks. ¡°Zain, am I that useless? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, but do I have to endure being looked down upon just because my grades are a little lower?¡± she looked at Zain in sorrow and whispered. These words instantly made Zain¡¯s mind go astray. He thought that Bryan had looked down on Liana just because he had good grades. ¡°Liana, don¡¯t think like that. You¡¯re excellent. Bryan is just relying on his family background. You don¡¯t need to care about what he says.¡± Zain racked his brain for a long time before finallying up with a way to cheer her up after seeing that she remained sad and bothered. ¡°Liana, there¡¯s a finance conference this weekend. Your favorite finance guru, Professor Edward Anderson, will be there. Shall we go together?¡± Liana suddenly brightened up, looking at him with excitement. ¡°Professor Edward Anderson¡¯s finance conference? Isn¡¯t that event open to a small group of people? How can we go?¡± Zain confidently patted his chest and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a way. Count on me!¡± ¡°Zain, you¡¯re awesome!¡± Liana smiled at him, the sweetness in her smile increasing with each passing moment. Zain came from a well-known family, the Facers, in Loxton. Liana checked that out. Even though Zain was not the legitimate son of the Facers, it was said that the legitimate son of the Facer family indulged in games all year round, neglecting his duties, and had long been abandoned by the family as the heir to the family¡¯s wealth. Zain could be said to be favored over this person. This finance conference was a rare opportunity, and Liana had been itching to join for ages.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. However, without the support of the Swanns, she was left without assistance, making it difficult for her to participate in such gatherings. She was still figuring out how to approach Zain for this, but Zain came knocking on her door himself. She would find a way to see Edward when she¡¯s at the finance conference. Although Edward was just a finance professor, behind himy a vast financial conglomerate with such formidable resources that outsiders couldn¡¯t even estimate. ¡°If I could win Edward¡¯s favor, that jinx, Catherine, would have to step aside willingly whenever she sees me in the future.¡± As she thought about this, the anger in Liana¡¯s heart finally dissipated a little. In the blink of an eye, the weekend was here. Catherine slept in until noon while Amelia was already dressed up. ¡°Super Catherine, you awake? Perfect timing! Do you want to join us for some shopping? It¡¯s just me and Be!¡± Catherine was still sleepy and said, ¡± You guys go ahead. I have something to do!¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± Amelia replied. Amelia pulled Isabe out of the dorm. The dorm suddenly quieted down. Catherine slowly got up, tidied up, grabbed the baseball cap nearby, and left the dorm neatly. When she reached the campus gate, she realized Branden was already waiting there. As Catherine got into the car, she took a nce at the exhaust pipe and knew that they had been there for some time. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you arrived?¡± Branden tucked the cushion in for Catherine, allowing her to sitfortably. Only then did he respond to her question. ¡°You can sleep in a little. I can work in the car all the same!¡± Paxton, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, kept quiet but couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡± He came here at 7 in the morning and has been working for a solid five hours. Can this be the same?¡± After Catherine finally settled into her seat, the car slowly started moving. The ck Bentley was soon parked in front of thergest private styling studio in Loxton. After Paxton opened the passenger door for Branden, he stood there quietly, waiting on the side. After Branden got off, he went around to the other side of the car and slowly opened the door for Catherine, leading her out. Catherine looked up and saw the words written on the sign above. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. ¡°Are you taking me to get a style makeover?¡± Branden couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. His deep eyes sparkled like stars in the sky at that moment, captivating anyone who looked at them. He held Catherine¡¯s hand, gently rubbing it as he exined softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go in and check it out. If you find something you like, just put on it. If not, we will leave!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t think much of it. Since she was already here, she decided to go in and have a look. Upon they entered the store, there wasplete silence with no sound whatsoever. Only the shop owner, with the manager, came out to serve them. The rest were all taken care of by Paxton. The shop owner knew Branden, the renowned big shot in charge of a famous globalpany. ¡°The young, handsome, and wealthy Branden, not to mention talented. If I didn¡¯t know who is he, how would I be able to make it in this industry? ¡°But why does the person the big shot brought today seem a bit strange?¡± the shop owner thought. A massive peaked cap covered Catherine¡¯s entire face, and he could not see her face clearly at all. The loose T-shirts and oversized sweatpants she was wearing hid her figure, making her look like a young, naive student. It left the owner bewildered. With no choice, the shop owner approached Brandan, standing respectfully beside him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, is thedy beside you today here for a styling appointment?¡± he inquired in a subdued tone. Branden gave a slight nod, indicating at the same time the identity of Catherine. ¡°My fianc¨¦e, Catherine Swann.¡± The shop owner was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t expect to hear such surprising news when the big shot spoke. In an instant, the shop owner looked at Catherine differently, and his attitude became increasingly respectful. ¡°Miss Swann. Right up ahead is our dress section. Do you want to pick your own, or do you want us to provide suggestions?¡± Catherine bypassed the shop owner and went straight to the dress section. After a nce, her eyes finallynded on a ck dress tucked away in a corner. She casually pointed her finger and said, ¡°Let me give that a try!¡± The shop owner was stunned for a moment. He had thought of all possibilities but never expected Catherine to choose this item. ¡°Oh, man! This is going to be trouble!¡± he thought. Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Perfect ck Swan Catherine sensed his hesitation and nced at him sideways. Paxton immediately stepped forward and asked, "What''s the issue?" The shop owner wore a gloomy expression, trying hard not to let his emotions show. He shook his head slightly. "No problem. This dress is from a top-notch designer. It is the final masterpiece showcased in this year''s fashion week and was meticulously created by dozens of skilled craftsmen. Let me take it off for you now, and let''s see if you''re satisfied with how it looks when you try it on!" Catherine didn''t care about the extravagant praise the shop owner was spouting. She thought this dress looked simple. Among these various formal dresses, it looked special and also the mostfortable piece to wear. After the staff hung up the formal dress, she politely invited Catherine to try it on in the fitting room. Catherine casually took off the peaked cap on her head, and her hair, shining like seaweed, naturally poured down. When the shop ownerid eyes on Catherine''s face, he was stunned. "This girl is too pretty! "There''s a saying that ''Beauty is in the bones, not in the skin.'' "It means that good-looking people have perfect bone structure, not just surface- level perfection," he thought. He had been around the fashion scene forever, and at a nce, he could tell that Catherine wasn''t just drop-dead gorgeous on the outside. Even her bone structure was wless to the max. "This kind of look was top-notch in this world," he thought. After Catherine took off her cap, she casually tossed the peaked cap to the side, looking cool as she threw it to Branden. Branden reached out and gently took it in his hand. This scene scared the heck out of the shop owner. His heart almost jumped into his throat. His store was the most famous luxury clothing store in Loxton. There was no telling how many VIPS came here every year, and he had seen countless high-ranking nobles bring their femalepanions along. The more prestigious they were, the more respectful and polite their femalepanions around them were. Thedies had to ask for opinions on every little thing, fearing their choice would displease their man in any way. "However, isn''t Mr. Duncan''s fianc¨¦e a bit too bold? I mean, she threw things at Mr. Duncan. Isn''t she afraid he''ll get unhappy?" thought the shop owner. The shop owner nced nervously behind him. He saw Branden ying with the cap and looked quite pleased. He got it. Some people had great courage, which only came from being favored by others. "Judging by this gentleman''s behavior, it seems the girl has been quite indulged," he thought. Not long after, Catherine changed into the dress and came out. She didn''t expect this dress to fit her so well. It was like it was tailor-made for her. The moment she stepped out, every gaze turned toward her was filled with astonishment. Even though she was not wearing makeup or had her hair styled, once she changed her outfit, the whole vibe was different. She was just like a noble and morous ck swan. The shop owner couldn''t help but exim, "Oh my God. It''s amazing. Miss Swann, you are the only person who can wear this dress. "You know what? I was nervous before you came out. The person who created this dress is the most famous fashion designer in the world. When he designed this dress, he tailored it to the world''s ideal body proportions to make it fit perfectly. "Many guests took a liking to this dress, but it doesn''t fit them. Only you are the true owner of this dress." This was also why the shop owner seemed reluctant when he saw Catherine choose this dress. It was not that he didn''t want to do business with Catherine, but this dress was demanding. He was worried that if Catherine couldn''t fit in the dress, she might get mad and cause trouble for the shop. But he didn''t expect Catherine to not only look beautiful but also have a perfect figure. This dress was made for Catherine. The shop owner came forward and said, "Miss Swann, we have the most famous stylist in all of Loxton here. Let her style you up!" Catherine didn''t like other people putting chemical products on her face. "There''s no need for that. Take me to a ce where I can do my makeup. I''ll do it myself!" "After you!" The shop owner respectfully ushered Catherine out. After Catherine walked forward, Branden, who had been silent all this time, finally snapped out of his daze. It was not that he didn''tment just now. He just forgot to react. He always knew Catherine was pretty, but he never imagined she would be drop- dead gorgeous, making him lose his mind instantly. Branden quickly caught up and walked by Catherine''s side, casually reaching for her hand. The shop owner brought Catherine to the dressing room, where the entire wall was filled with cosmetics. Catherine frowned at what she saw. The stylist on the side received the message and politely stepped forward to pick out a set of makeup products suitable for Catherine. Catherine finally rxed the tension on her eyebrows. Even so, she didn''t use many of the products the stylist picked out. She applied some powder on her face to even out her skin tone. Then she put on some lipstick to brighten up herplexion. And that was how she finished her whole makeup look. Unlike theyers uponyers of makeup on others, Catherine''s makeup was clean and lively. She had a sense of youthful innocence thatcked a little maturity but added a touch of sparkling brightness. She was so beautiful that it took one''s breath away. Branden had been by her side and had never taken his eyes off her from beginning to end. "Alright!" Catherine muttered softly before putting down the makeup in her hands. The shop owner immediately pushed over a row of shoes and ced them in front of Catherine. "Miss Swann, which pair do you think looks good?" Without waiting for Catherine to choose, Branden squatted down. He checked out the fancy shoes. They were of different heights, each pairContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. shining brilliantly. Branden didn''t go for those good-looking shoes after all. Instead, he chose a pair of rtively ordinary silver leather shoes. Gom Although theycked the brilliance of other shoes, they had a low heel and were made of softmbskin. Holding the shoes, he swung around and asked Catherine, "How about this pair?" It was what she was looking for. The purpose of wearing shoes was to befortable while walking. She would not sacrificefort for surface-level aesthetics, so she would not choose those good-looking but impractical shoes. "This one will do!" As soon as Catherine answered, the staff beside her immediately crouched down, ready to help her put on her shoes. Unexpectedly, she was blocked by Branden. "I got this!" he said in a low and gentle tone. The staff was frozen in ce. Branden had crouched down to lift Catherine''s feet gently and helped her put on her shoes. Everyone inside the shop was shocked to see him do that, and their mouths dropped wide enough to swallow eggs. Only Paxton remained unfazed as he had long grown ustomed to it. He stood calmly throughout the entire process. Such gentleness from his boss was meant for Catherine only. Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Look Alike When Catherine arrived at the banquet venue, she finally realized the nature of the banquet. The globally renowned business and finance banquet happened to be held in Loxton this year. After Branden got out of the car, he took Catherine''s hand and helped her out. Catherine leaned in slightly and looked at him. "Grelin Group?" Branden had a small smile and didn''t answer. He took Catherine''s hand and slowly led her inside. "My little girl was just so smart. She can guess everything," he thought. Recently, Grelin Group approached the Swann Corporation regarding a potential coboration project. However, Linda expressed concern about the significant amount of funding involved and sought a discussion with Catherine. Catherine could tell at a nce that there were problems with the project, but she still chose to coborate with the Grelin Group. "We can''t just roll over and y dead when the other side is trying to trick us. "Not fighting back would appear as if the Swann Corporation is too weak and can be easily bullied, wouldn''t it?" she thought. The best way to deal with Grelin Group was to sign a coboration agreement and cut off the financial support behind Grelin Group. Once the financial chain of Grelin Group broke, thepany would face bankruptcy immediately. Catherine had just uncovered the Grelin Group''s source of funds. The Skybow Group, headed by Professor Edward Anderson, was its biggest source. The financial newspaper reported a few days ago that Edward would be attending this finance banquet. Branden brought her along. As for the reason, Catherine didn''t need to guess to figure it out. When the two showed up at the entrance, everyone''s eyes were glued to them. No one expected that the always mysterious Branden would show up at the banquet. It should be noted that this big shot always abstained from attending any events. In recent years, he barely even joined any private gatherings. Although there had been rumors that some heavyweight figures would attend the event, they all thought it was the finance tycoons like Professor Edward Anderson. No one expected it would be Branden Duncan, the power holder of the Duncans. Everyone wanted to go up and say hi to Branden, but because this big shot had such a strong vibe, no one dared to be the first one to take the plunge.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. What was even more noteworthy was the stunning girl by Branden''s side. There had been rumors going around earlier that Branden got engaged. It looked like that news was legit now. Themotion downstairs caught the attention of those upstairs. But none of this had anything to do with the man and woman sitting in the corner. Liana was elegantly dressed in a gorgeous gown, sitting upright like a noble princess. Zain couldn''t take his eyes off Liana all night as his crush looked so beautiful. With one nce, he knew Liana was one of those proper, elegant youngdies from an esteemed background. She was filled with grace and charm. It was said that she was the legitimate daughter of the Swanns, one of the Four Noble Families in Casier. Only with such a prestigious background could they nurture a socialite like her. Zain''s heart was captivated by Liana. Liana looked around; she was no stranger to this kind of banquet. After all, she grew up in the Swanns, and Rachael always loved dragging her into all sorts of gatherings. She was not interested in those people at the party. She was looking for Edward. Her real target was the Skybow Group behind Edward. "Zain, do you know when he ising? Zain was thrilled when Liana finally spoke to him. He quickly responded, "I just inquired about it. My uncle said Edward had some business to attend to and would be here in about half an hour. When he arrives, I''ll let you know! Liana nodded slightly. "Thanks, Zain!" "Cut it out. I want to meet Edward, too! "Zain''s cheeks blushed a bit as he shyly scratched his head. When Zain looked up, he happened to spot a familiar figure. He quickly said to Liana, "Come with me. I''ll introduce you to someone." Liana stood up with Zain and walked to a young, handsome guy. Zain skillfully greeted the man and turned to introduce him, "This is Drake Spencer, my cousin. His nickname is '' Hero,'' and he''s skilled at ying games." When Liana saw Drake, she initially thought he was the rumored prodigal son of the Facers who didn''t take his responsibilities seriously. When she heard hisst name was Spencer, Liana''s expression suddenly grew a lot darker. She had no idea what was wrong with Zain. "He wasn''t doing anything productive. Did he want to keep taking me to visit his rtives? "I ain''t got the time. If he were the legit son from the Facers, maybe I would consider making friends. "I don''t have time to talk to those useless cousins," she thought. Drake noticed the change in Liana''s mood and sneered. "Only my cousin would fall for such looks! "Anyway, she is not that good looking. It''s a bit simr to Catherine but still a far cry from her beauty," he thought. Liana couldn''t be bothered dealing with Drake, and Drake didn''t want to talk to Liana either. He turned his head and saw a familiar figure. Although it was just a nce, Drake was sure he wasn''t mistaken. After all, this figure had appeared countless times in his dreams. As that person was about to leave, Drake couldn''t hold back anymore and shouted, disregarding the situation. " Catherine!" Branden got called away by a partner because of some business. Catherine didn''t want to impede his work. Therefore, she decided to find a corner and take a break. She didn''t expect someone to shout her name out loud. The calling didn''t just grab Catherine''s attention but also Liana''s. She thought she misheard it and followed the direction of the sound. That shy ck silhouette immediately caught Liana''s attention. She couldn''t believe it was Catherine. What a small world! Zain nced up as he noticed both of them paying attention. At just one nce, he was utterly blown away. He stared nkly at Catherine as he muttered to Liana, "Liana, this person looks just like you!" Liana couldn''t help but roll her eyes. 11 Why wouldn''t they since they came out of the same mom''s womb?" she thought. Catherine also noticed Drake. She nced at him but continued to sit alone without showing much enthusiasm. Drake walked up to Catherine and greeted her with exceptional enthusiasm. "Catherine, what brings you to the banquet?" When Zain saw Drake''s smile, he was caught off guard. It was his first time seeing his younger cousin treating someone with such enthusiasm. In general, his little cousin always acted so cold and distant from his family that even his uncle couldn''t do anything about it. Ever since Catherine showed up, Liana''s mood had gone downhill. With a straight face, she walked up to Catherine as if she was interrogating her. "Why are you here?" Catherine lifted her gaze and gave Liana a cold look as if talking to her was a total waste of time. She had wanted to find a quiet ce to rest for a while. Who knew that they woulde up one-by-one and ask her why she was there? "Are these people crazy or what?" she thought. Seeing Catherine remain silent, Liana flew into a rage right away. geen Bryan talked behind her back thest time, and she had been holding it in for a long time. Seeing Catherine again, she couldn''t hold back her anger anymore. Angry mes burned away thest traces of reason in her mind. "Catherine, what''s your attitude? I''m talking to you. Can''t you hear me? I don''t know how you managed to get Now how into this banquet. Believe it or not, I''ll report you to the organizers and get you kicked out." Liana''s impolite attitude annoyed Drake. "Why are you talking like that? What''s it to you whether she''s here or not? Is your family the host of the banquet?" Liana was so pissed off with Drake defending Catherine that her face turned ashen. She immediately looked at Zain, who was next to her. "Zain, hurry up and talk to your cousin. He''s so rude. Get this person out of here. I don''t want to see them anymore!" Drake smirked at Liana and said, Hmph! You think you can kick me out?" Chapter 581 Chapter 581 The Conference Room Liana noticed that Drake''s attitude was arrogant, so she immediately brought up Zain. "This is the ytons'' event. Doesn''t Zain have the right to do that?" Drake looked at her disdainfully. He despised women who relied on their connections. He thought, "Does she think she is special just because she''s involved with my cousin?" Drake nced at Zain and asked, "Zain, should we ask this person to leave?" Zain could sense Drake''s anger and felt a bit uneasy. Everyone in the ytons knew that Drake had a bad temper. No one dared to offend him. Catherine, who found the banquet boring, was not expecting this to happen. Liana was always silly andpletely clueless. She even couldn''t see how the man next to her feared Drake. For Zain, he was caught between his love interest and the most beloved cousin of the family. After some hesitation, Zain chose to yield to his cousin. "Liana, maybe we should just let it go." Hearing this, Liana widened her eyes in disbelief. She couldn''t believe those words came from Zain. She knew Zain was interested in her, and he had never refused her requests. But now, he wouldn''t agree to her request to ask Catherine to leave. "What do you mean, Zain?" "Liana, Drake is my uncle''s son. As you know, this event is hosted by my uncle. How can I ask him to leave?" Zain exined helplessly. "Uncle''s son?" Liana was shocked. " Isn''t hisst name Spencer?" Zain nodded. "My cousin took his mother''s surname." Liana finally realized the ytons'' first heir in line had taken his mother''s surname. Liana never expected this. No wonder Zain wouldn''t offend him. The ytons'' family lineage was vast, and their alliance was with the only daughter of the Spencers. To secure the alliance, the ytons agreed that the firstborn, regardless of gender, would have Spencers as thest name. Drake, favored by both families, grew up spoiled and rebellious. Zain, as a distant rtive, could never match Drake''s status in the famiy. Liana was dumbfounded! She finally realized how wrong she had been and why Catherine had looked at her strangely earlier. Liana''s anger surged. She stared at Catherine and used her, "You did this on purpose, didn''t you? You watched me embarrass myself on intention. Catherine, how can you be so wicked?" Catherine coldly sneered with disdain. She replied, "Liana, you should look in the mirror when you have the time. What makes you think I would do this to you intentionally? Why would I waste my time on you? Stop ttering yourself!" Her blunt words were like a series of ps on Liana''s face. Liana felt so ashamed that she wished the ground would swallow her up there and then. "Catherine, you''ve gone too far!" With that, Liana turned and stormed out. Zain immediately chased after her. In the corner, only Catherine and Drake were left. With the annoying Liana finally gone, Drake''s mood improved, especially after he saw Catherine. He didn''t want to attend this banquet, but his father forced him to. Now he didn''t regreting. When he saw Catherine at the banquet, everything seemed to be beautiful. "Catherine, don''t pay any attention to that girl." Catherine took a sip of her drink without responding to Drake. Seeing that Catherine remained silent, Drake thought she didn''t want to continue the previous topic. Drake tried to find amon ground to chat with Catherine. Remembering that Catherine came to the banquet, he had an idea. "Catherine, are you here for Mr. Anderson too?" "Yes," Catherine replied casually out of politeness. Knowing her purpose, Drake felt things would be easy now. "Catherine, my dad is talking to Mr. Anderson, and they should be out soon. Let me take you there so you can be the first to meet Mr. Anderson and have a private conversation with him." Without waiting for Catherine''s response, Drake stood up. "Come on. Follow me!" Realizing Branden was upied and would not be returning for a while, Catherine agreed to Drake''s invitation and followed him to the entrance of the conference room. As they approached, Catherine noticed Liana was also there. After leaving in anger earlier, Zain managed to convince Liana to stay. With a bit of persuasion and the promise of introducing her to Edward Anderson, Liana''s mood improved a little, and gave him a smile as a reward. Seeing Catherine approaching, Liana sneered. "Catherine, I see that you''re here to find Mr. Anderson. too. With your non-finance background, he might not even bother looking at you." Facing Liana''s arrogance, Catherine calmly responded, "If he won''t look at me, does that mean he''ll look at you?" "Just wait and see!" Liana confidently replied. Liana believed that as long as Edward saw her, she could use her professional knowledge to make Edward continue interacting with her. Their standoff ended as the conference room door opened. The head of the ytons, apanied by Edward and several prominent figures in the financial industry, walked out of the meeting room. The moment they emerged, Liana rushed forward. She knew it was a risky move, but this was her only chance to defeat Catherine. Liana smiled and stopped in front of Edward. "Hello, Mr. Anderson. I''m Liana Swann. I once sent you an email about financial analysis. Do you remember?" The head of the ytons frowned slightly when he saw Liana rush forward.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. However, upon noticing the hint from his nephew, he decided to overlook Liana''s impolite behavior. More importantly, he saw that his son was here too and brought a beautifuldy along. He noticed his son was staring at the girl throughout, not even stopping to blink once. He thought this was interesting. om After careful consideration, Edward recognized Liana and warmly responded, "Yes, I remember your analysis report. Well done. You are very talented. I didn''t expect you to be so young and attractive." Liana felt proud of herself for being praised. She believed she had outshone Catherine. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Edward prepared to continue with his next agenda. As he looked up, he was stunned. He looked ahead in astonishment and eximed loudly, "Oh, my God. Look who I just saw!" Chapter 582 Chapter 582 The Real Mastermind Edward''s sudden reaction surprised everyone. The onlookers who were admiring Liana for gaining Edward''s favor were now following his gaze forward. Step by step, Edward walked up and stood in front of Catherine. His initially stern expression softened as he saw Catherine. It was only then that everyone noticed another stunning beauty standing there. She was even more beautiful than Liana. Liana remained in ce and felt extremely awkward. Despite her efforts to get close to Edward, she found herself outshone by Catherine. She wondered what Catherine had that attracted everyone''s attention. When Edward saw Catherine, he couldn''t contain his excitement. His voice raised a few notches higher involuntarily. "Catherine, it''s great to see you again. How did you end up here?" Catherine smiled faintly and replied softly, "Just apanying my boyfriend. I heard you were here, so I came over." After hearing that Catherine had a boyfriend, Edward was surprised. He then turned to look at Drake behind her. "Catherine, is this handsome man behind you your boyfriend?" This question made Drake tensed up. Although he and Catherine weren''t in that kind of rtionship, he was willing to cooperate if Catherine needed him to. Just as Drake was about to nod, Catherine responded, "No. My boyfriend had somest-minute business and was taken away by a business partner." Edward apologetically nced at Drake, and he was secretly relieved. He couldn''t believe Catherine would be with someone who seemed so immature. He was not a good match to the powerful aura she exuded. Jaxton yton, seeing that Edward''s attention was on Drake, walked up. Mr. Anderson, this is my son, Drake." "So, he is Mr. yton''s son. No wonder he is so handsome." "Haha. My son inherited his mother''s looks." Jaxton then turned his gaze to Catherine and asked, "By the way, Mr. Anderson, who is this?" "Mr. yton, let me introduce you!" Edward walked to Catherine''s side and said, "This is our foundation''s trading advisor, Catherine Swann. Our foundation will seek her opinion for all of our major projects. She''s truly a remarkable talent." This revtion shocked everyone. Everyone looked at Catherine in astonishment. If Edward hadn''t said it himself, no one would believe it. They never expected a college girl to be the trading advisor behind a global capital operation. Edward was the public face of the Skybow Group, and Catherine was the real mastermind behind the scenes at the Skybow Group. She was the one holding the true reins of power. Just a moment ago, Liana was disdainful of Catherine and deemed that she had used means to attract Edward''s attention. Now, she was stunned. "How is that possible?" Liana couldn''t help but exim loudly, "It''s impossible!" Her voice was so loud that she attracted everyone''s attention. Edward looked at Liana in confusion. She seemed somewhat simr to Catherine butcked Catherine''s powerful aura. "What do you mean?" Edward asked. Liana rushed forward. "You must have been deceived by her. She''s just a country girl who grew up in the countryside. How could she be the trading advisor of the Skybow Group? Mr. Anderson, you absolutely cannot be fooled by her!" She exined hurriedly. The crowd looked at them in curiosity and broke out into chaos. Jaxton quickly stepped forward. "Miss, you can''t just talk nonsense." Liana would say anything to make everyone believe her and tarnish Catherine''s reputation. "I''m not lying because she''s my sister!"Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. There was amotion in the crowd. No one expected things to escte like this. Zain and Drake looked at Liana in astonishment. They thought Liana and Catherine looked alike, but they never imagined they to be sisters. Catherine sometimes thought Liana was foolish beyond the point of redemption. Edward nced at Catherine. Seeing her calm demeanor, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried that if Catherine got upset, everyone at the event would suffer. "Catherine, is she your sister?" Hearing Edward''s question, Liana looked at Catherine with disdain. She wanted to see if Catherine would dare to lie in public. Facing the question, Catherine coldly nced at Liana and said with disdain, "Maybe blood-rted, but there''s no connection in terms of intelligence." "Haha..." Drake couldn''t help butugh. He said, "Catherine, I think you have a point. There seems to be a significant IQ difference." Not only Drake, but even Edward nodded in agreement. "I''m just about to say that. Catherine, how can you, being so smart, have such a foolish sister? If I don''t even know who mypany''s trading advisor is, I probably won''t have the qualification to stand here today." People realized that Edward spoke the truth. To mistake a stranger for a friend wasmon, but not recognizing one''s boss was ridiculous. Liana stood still and looked stunned. She wasn''t stupid. She just refused to believe that Catherine could have the ability. She was like a clown now, subject to public humiliation. She thought Catherine was indeed formidable. No wonder even her father couldn''t defeat Catherine. Liana stared at Catherine in confusion. "Tell me. Why? You were sent to the countryside since childhood. Why are you so capable?" Seeing her look of desperation, Catherine decided to reveal a little. "Who told you that being sent to the countryside would make me worthless? Remember that no matter what I am the daughter of the I am Swanns family, the granddaughter of Grandpa. I have a better education than you since childhood." Liana sat on the ground and stared at Catherine. Under her mother''s influence, Liana thought Catherine was a jinx amm unwanted child abandoned in the countryside at a young age. Liana lived in the Swanns family home and considered herself superior to Catherine. She forgot that, as Catherine said, Catherine was the daughter of the Swanns family, her grandfather''s granddaughter. As the dominant figure in the family, her grandfather would never allow the Swarns'' daughter to be in such a miserable state. Even if Catherine was sent to the countryside from a young age, she must have received private tutoring. If Catherine had shown exceptional intelligence, she would have gained even more. After looking around, Branden decided to approach the crowd. Then he spotted Catherine. "Kathy!" A familiar voice caught Catherine''s attention, and she turned to see Branden walking toward her. She took the initiative to grab Branden''s hand and introduced him to Edward who was standing nearby. "This is my boyfriend, Branden." With that simple statement, many were stunned. A number of them had hopes of approaching her initially. Even Jaxton couldn''t help but sigh. He thought Catherine was so outstanding that she was clearly out of his son''s league. Drake stared at Branden. Without even having topete, Drake knew he could not win. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 The Coboration Project Edward was stunned for a while when he saw Branden. He knew Branden. Everyone knew Branden as the heir to the Duncans and managing the Duncans'' affairs currently. However, as the spokesperson for thergest financialpany globally, Edward understood that this mysterious heir to the Duncans was more than what met the eye. Branden had a lot of power behind him. Edward never expected Catherine to be associated with Branden. Catherine was impressive enough, and now these two were teaming up. Edward wasn''t sure if this was a good or bad thing. He was relieved that he belonged to Catherine''s camp and not on the opposite side. He pitied her enemies. Branden nced at Catherine with a meaningful look. "You are the trading advisor of the Skybow Group." His soft and low voice was extremely attractive. Hearing Branden''s words, Catherine tilted her head and exuded a confident charm. She looked into his eyes. Then she leaned over and lowered her voice to a volume only Branden could hear. "Not as impressive as Mr. Duncan''s Skyline Fund." Hearing that, Branden paused for a moment. The next moment, his lips slightly curved to reveal a mysterious smile. Skyline Fund was on par with the Skybow Group, indicating its high status in society. Rumors suggested it was backed by oil magnates from the Middle Estria. Although those were just rumors spread by the market, it was true that some of the princes from Middle Estria held a percentage of the shares. However, not many knew that the biggest shareholder of the Skyline Fund was Branden. Furthermore, the money didn''te from the Duncans but belonged to Branden solely. Branden was more powerful and wealthier than the outside world imagined. Catherine had stumbled upon this information unintentionally. After that, she realized why Branden was so generous every time he gave her money. It turned out that he was so rich. When Catherine learned about this, she was mildly surprised but did not feel anything else. After all, she was interested in Branden as a person, not his wealth. She didn''t care about how many identities he had. After all, she had many identities herself. Catherine turned aside. Then she exchanged a nce and a smile with Branden. Edward, who was standing nearby, could feel the tension in the air. To his surprise, the confrontation between the two big shots was so interesting, especially considering they were in a romantic rtionship. In the end, their ''battle'' concluded with Branden''s voluntary surrender. Branden chuckled helplessly, and he looked at Catherine affectionately. He reached over and pulled on Catherine''s slender waist, closing the distance between them. Seeing that he had surrendered, Catherine stopped and turned back to Edward. Edward immediately understood Catherine''s intention and asked Jaxton nearby, "Mr. yton, can I borrow a ce to talk to Catherine for a moment? "Of course!" Jaxton nodded with a smile and extended an invitation to the others. He said, "Please follow me!" Catherine and the others followed Jaxton to a small meeting room on the top floor. After escorting them up, Jaxton intended to leave. Just as he was about to go, Catherine spoke up. She asked, "Mr. yton, I have a proposal to make. Would you be interested?" Jaxton was a businessman. Although the ytons had some status in Loxton, the influence of the ytons seemed a bit inadequate in the face of these big shots. Jaxton was worried about not having a chance to connect with these big shots. He didn''t expect Catherine to take the initiative to invite him to stay. He thought his somewhat ipetent son had finally done something good. "Miss Swann, that''s so kind of you. As a businessman, I can''t ask for more if there are good projects," Jaxton said.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. After Jaxton took his seat, Catherine started to exin her purpose of finding Edward. She got straight to the point and said to Edward, "The Swann Corporation in Casier is my asset. It''s thepany my grandfather left me. Last week, we cooperated with the Grelin Group on a project. Are you aware of it?" As soon as the Grelin Group was mentioned, Edward immediately understood Catherine''s intention. "Catherine, be rest assured. Since the Swann Corporation is your asset, the Skybow Group won''t invest in the Grelin Group''s project anymore." Without further financial support, the future of the Grelin Group looked bleak. Jaxton didn''t expect Catherine to speak so openly in front of him. While others might not understand, he knew the ins and outs of the situation. The Grelin Group belonged to the eldest daughter-inw of the Facers family. There was some kinship between the two families, and they had a lot of business dealings. It seemed it was time for Jaxton to cancel the project they were cooperating with the Facers. Offending such a big shot like Catherine could be troublesome for the Facers in the future. After discussing with Edward, Catherine turned her attention to Jaxton. "Mr. yton, are you interested in this project?" She ced the project documents in front of Jaxton. It was a project between the Grelin Group and the Swann Corporation. She did not have any intentions for a third party in the project initially as she thought she had enough funds toplete the project on her own. However, money was never enough, and she didn''t want to take on too muchtely. Sharing the benefits and finding a reliable partner to develop the project together was a better decision. Jaxton nced at the contents of the documents and was instantly attracted to the project. It was indeed worth investing in. It was arge project and had a high-profit margin. After a moment of silence, he made a decision. He stood up and reached out to shake hands with Catherine. "Miss Swann, it''s my pleasure to coborate!" Catherine looked at him with crossed arms. "Mr. yton, you are quite bold. With such a big project, don''t you want to think it over?" "} Jaxtonughed before replying, Fortune favors the bold. To gain high profits, naturally have to take risks. ? I''m willing to take this risk." Catherine liked dealing with direct people. She extended her hand and shook hands with Jaxton. "A pleasure to coborate, Mr. yton. With that, Catherine closed a project valued at more than tens of billions of dors. The men present silently admired her ability. They thought Catherine was indeed a big shot. It''s no wonder that she could own so much capitafat such a young age. She had the ability that age. some people might never achieve in their lifetime. Branden sat quietly on the side and watched Catherine handle her work. The current Catherine was so dazzling and attracted the gaze of everyone present. Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Atop a Hill Liana slunk away in frustration and curled up in a corner nearby. She couldn''t fathom why she''d lost to Catherine. She thought, "Even if she had received a good education, could itpare to growing up in the Swanns''? "How could Catherine be so sessful while I can''t?" Zain fretted about Liana''s well-being and stayed close by her side. He was also shocked by the truth. When he heard Bryan speak of knowing a girl who was more exceptional than Liana, he thought Bryan was exaggerating or seeing things through rose-colored sses. In Zain''s eyes, Liana was perfect. He didn''t believe there could be someone better. But upon seeing Catherine, Zain understood Bryan hadn''t lied. Catherine was not only prettier but also far more outstanding than Liana.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Sensing the constant presence beside her, Liana no longer wished to hide her emotions. "Why are you still following me? Are you not satisfied with me being a joke? Am I not pathetic enough for you?" She snapped at Zain. Zain was taken aback. He hadn''t expected such ruthless words from the gentle Liana. However, considering the blow Liana had just endured, Zain felt he should be more understanding. He thought maybe Liana was just in a bad mood. Everyone had their off days. "Liana, you''re an outstandingdy. You don''t need topare yourself to Catherine, alright?" Zain''s words cut through Liana like a sharp de, hurting her pride. She red at Zain with her cold eyes. Shut up! Who do you think you are? What right do you have to judge me?" Seeing the bewilderment in Zain, Liana stood and walked away from him. In her view, Zain was such a useless man that he was utterly worthless to her. She had no use for him anymore. Drake had been waiting outside the conference room until Catherine showed up. As soon as he spotted Catherine, he hurried over. Catherine halted upon seeing him and looked at him coldly. "Need something? Drake wasn''t entirely sure why he had stopped Catherine. He just wanted to see her again. After hesitating, Drake murmured, I''ve been training hardtely. Soon, I might catch up to your shooting speed." Catherine gave a faint smirk and replied casually, "Congrattions." Drake felt a pang of disappointment. He was not disappointed with Catherine but with his inadequacy. He asked in a low voice, "Even if I could beat you, you wouldn''t join the team, would you?" He recalled how confidently he''d invited Catherine to join the team before and even asked her to set her conditions. Now that he knows how much power Catherine holds, he realizes how absurd he has been. He thought Catherine must have seen him as a joke back then. Drake couldn''t help but chuckle self-deprecatingly. Seeing him like this, Catherine responded, "Wrong." Drake looked up at Catherine in confusion. Catherine spoke softly, "I always keep my word." What she promised, she would deliver. Catherine raised an eyebrow at Drake and winked. "Provided you beat me." At that moment, Catherine''s faint smile seemed to have cast a spell and instantly ignited hope in Drake''s lonely heart. He nodded silently. "Alright. I''ll strive for it. I hope for a day when I can win against you!" Catherine was the pinnacle to him, the goal he''d relentlessly pursue in the future. He would continuously strive to challenge himself and surpass his goal. "Go for it!" Catherine said before stepping away. Drake stood there, and he was unable to snap out from watching Catherine leave. "She''s not meant for you!" An abrupt voice interrupted Drake''s thoughts. Turning around, he saw Jaxton behind him. Drake spoke slowly but firmly, "Dad, I know. I''ll take her as a goal to strive for. She''s beyond reach, but I''ll be better because of her." Jaxton sighed in relief. Thankfully, his son had self-awareness and wasn''t too stubborn. Otherwise, the ytons and the Spencers might be in trouble. Jaxton thought, "Disregarding Catherine''s excellence, her fianc¨¦, Branden, is a powerful figure. How could my sonpete with Branden?" Jaxton had no idea about the limitations of Branden''s capabilities as thetter was enigmatic. However, he knew that the ytons were not a match for the Duncans. Even if they teamed up with the Spencers, they would still be soundly defeated. After saying goodbye to Drake, Catherine prepared to leave. When she reached the door, she spotted Branden leaning against the railing. Right now, Branden, with his long legs crossed, stood casually. The usually formal suit he wore had been loosened, with his tie hanging loose and a few buttons on his shirt undone. He exuded azy yet charming aura. Nheless, he captivated everyone''s attention like an elegant prince. Catherine approached slowly and was irritated by the gazes surrounding him. She didn''t like to share her man with others. To everyone''s surprise, she grabbed Branden by his tie and dragged him out. When Paxton saw them, he immediately drove up. Catherine opened the passenger door and tossed Branden, who allowed her antics, in. Then she looked up and signaled to Paxton. Paxton hesitated but eventually sumbed to Catherine''s powerful aura. He stepped out of the driver''s seat. Catherine sat elegantly in the car and mmed the door shut. With a firm press on the gas pedal, the luxurious car shot off like lightning. Paxton was left standing by the side. As the car sped on, with one hand propped against the car window, Branden enjoyed the wind and Catherine''s perfect side profile. The car elerated continuously. Catherine drove fast yet steady. The surroundings grew deste, and the streetlights diminished. The car finally halted on an empty spot atop a hill. Amidst the darkness, the faint light inside the car illuminated. Catherine turned to Branden beside him her and looked at him with hen m beautiful eyes. "Aren''t you afraid I''ll bury you in a secluded ce?" 11 Branden chuckled and calmly replied, Just call me when you need a hole dug. Don''t hurt your hands!" Catherine raised a yful smile. Then, she smoothly maneuvered to straddle over him and halfid across Branden. With his deep eyes, Branden gazed affectionately at the charming Catherine above him. His voice was low and attractive as he asked, "Fairdy, aren''t you m nning to bury me? Are you intending to torment me differently?" With a lightugh, Catherine deftly undid Branden''s belt buckle. Hearing his words, Catherine adopted his demeanor and leaned in to m whisper yfully in Xis ear. "Yeah. It irks me to see you being so flirtatious everywhere. So, I n to punish you and set an example!" Chapter 585 Chapter 585 The Grelin Group Jada had been in a great mood these days. She knew that the Swann Corporation and the Grelin Group were nning to coborate on a project. She figured that once the projectunched, it would mark the beginning of the Swann Corporation''s downfall. Without the Swanns'' support, Catherine would not be as high and mighty. Even Branden might not give her the time of day anymore. Jada relished the idea of the Swanns going bankrupt and Catherine''s fall from grace. Jada came downstairs in high spirits, only to find her mother rushing in from outside. "Mom, what''s going on? Why the rush? "Jada asked. Eloise Facer, abandoning her usualposure, dashed upstairs and grabbed her daughter''s arm. She looked agitated. "Jada, tell me. What did you do with the Grelin Group?" Jada looked bewildered as she did not understand why her mother was asking this. "Mom, I have no idea what you''re talking about. What''s happening?" "Jada, did you team up with the Swann Corporation from Casier on the southwest project? Did you do that?" Eloise''s anxious and serious expression unsettled Jada, giving her an ominous feeling. She''d never seen her mother like this, and it scared her. "Mom, what''s wrong? Isn''t it good to work with the Swann Corporation?" Hearing that, Eloise knew it was her daughter''s doing, and her heart sank. With a troubled look on her face, she gazed at Jada. "Jada, you''re wrong. Why would you offend the Swanns? What''s going on with you?" Seeing her mother so flustered, Jada still couldn''t grasp what had happened. Before she could understand, her father hurried in as well. As Jada looked at her father, his gaze met hers, and the look in his eyes made her afraid. "Dad, what''s going on?" Jada''s father red at her with a gloomy expression. "How dare you ask me what''s going on? I should be asking you what have you done? You don''t have the ability, so why did you want to stir up trouble?" Jada was still puzzled, but she sensed something huge had happened from her parents'' attitude. "Mom, Dad, what''s going on? Can''t you exin it clearly to me?" "Jada, did you think your trick of using the Grelin Group to lure the Swann Corporation into a trap to break their finance chain would go unnoticed?" Eloise looked pained as she spoke to her daughter. Then she continued. " Not only did they catch on, but they had also retaliated against the Grelin Group. Do you understand?" After her mother''s exnation, Jada paused for a while before she realized the situation. At that moment, she erupted in anger and shouted, "Damn it! They saw through it! Catherine is quite capable. It''s a shame I didn''t drag the Swanns down with this fantastic project!" Jada was angry after she realized that her scheme failed. Seeing her unrepentant, Franklin stepped forward in anger. He pped Jada across the face. "Do you still not realize how utterly wrong you are? Do you even know who Catherine is?" Jada held her face in shock. She had not expected her father to strike her for someone else. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she red at her father. "Dad, you hit me for Catherine? Are the Facers afraid of Catherine?" Franklin stared at his daughter in anger. "The Facers? In front of Catherine, the Facers are nothing! Because of you, the Grelin Group''s shareholders have pulled out and cut off all future funding. The one bankrupt now isn''t the Swann Corporation. It''s the Grelin Group. And the one on the brink of having its finance chain broken won''t be the Swann Corporation, but the Facers!" Hearing that, Jada looked up in astonishment. "Dad, what are you saying? How is that possible? Weren''t the Grelin Group''s shareholders from the Skybow Group?" Others might not know how powerful the Skybow Group was, but Jada did. The Skybow Group was one of the world''s top investment firms with immense financial funds. With the Skybow Group behind them, the Grelin Group could match up to the Duncan Corporation, not to mention the small Swann Corporation. Jada couldn''t fathom how easily the Grelin Group, backed by the Skybow Group, could face bankruptcy. Seeing her daughter still in disbelief, Franklin decided toy it out inly. He said, "The Skybow Group is m indeed powerful, but do you know that Catherine is the top investment advisor and major shareholder for the Skybow Group?" This revtion left Jadapletely stunned. She almost couldn''t believe what she was hearing these words hadn''te from her father, she would have thought that person was delusional to say this. "No. That''s impossible." Jada stared at her father, and she was bewildered. " Dad, Catherine is so young. How could she have that much influence?" Franklin sighed deeply. He was also shocked and in disbelief when he first heard it, but the truth remained. "Last night at a financial g, Mr. Anderson from the Skybow Group personally announced this. Today, not only did the Skybow Group withdraw their funding from the Grelin Group, but even severalpanies close to the Facers broke off their partnership with us even if it meant suffering losses." Hearing that, Jada reluctantly epted the harsh reality. She finally grasped the gravity of her mistake.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. She never imagined that one wrong decision could lead to such severe losses for two families. "Dad, what do we do now?" Franklin sighed in resignation and replied, "Well, we can only hope that Catherine will be willing to go easy on us and forgive our misstep." Immediately, Jada realized the situation and replied, "I''ll apologize!" Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Jada''s Apology When Catherine stepped out of the ssroom after ss, she bumped into Jada right in the hallway. Jada stood there and stared at Catherine. After spotting Catherine, she immediately approached. "Catherine, can youe with me? I need to talk to you!" Before Catherine could respond, Amelia rushed in from the side. Amelia had a protective vibe as she asked, "Why should we go just because you call us? Who knows what your intentions are?" Amelia couldn''t help but roll her eyes at Jada. She thought Jada didn''t seem like a good person. She never quite understood why Jada didn''t get along with Catherine, but she didn''t dare ask Catherine. She thought that, as an outstanding person, Catherine wouldn''t entertain such boring questions. Later, Amelia identally talked to Ronin about Jada and found out it was due to rtionship issues. Amelia had seen shameless people, but none was as shameless as Jada. Catherine was engaged to Branden, yet Jada wanted to meddle. It was so outrageous. This made Amelia furious. She wanted to march forward and give Jada a couple of ps. Catherine observed Amelia, who looked even angrier than her. With her arms crossed, Catherine stood at the side and looked like a spectator enjoying the show. Seeing Catherine ignoring her, Jada initially thought of storming off, but she remembered her father''s advice before leaving.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. The fate of both the Facers and her mother''s families rested on her shoulders. Jada had to swallow her pride. Jada hesitated and then awkwardly said, "Catherine, I''m sorry for what I''ve done. Please, can you forgive me this time?" Hearing Jada''s apology, Amelia was taken aback. She turned to Catherine and whispered, "Am I hearing things right? The usually high and mighty Jada is actually apologizing?" Amelia''s words left Jada feeling extremely embarrassed. But she couldn''t retreat. The fate of two families depended on her. Catherine stood there and remained calm. She had expected Jada toe and apologize. Perhaps even if Jada hadn''t, the Facers would push her to do so. Catherine looked down at Jada, who lowered her head and looked embarrassed. "You haven''t wronged me. No need to apologize. Just get out of the way, please!" After Jada heard Catherine''s cold refusal, her heart sank. With a pained expression, she looked up at Catherine and asked, "Can you please spare the Facers and the Grelin Group?" Catherine remained cold and ignored her. She turned and was ready to leave. Jada rushed forward and stood directly in Catherine''s path. "Why won''t you let me go, Catherine? Is my pleading not enough? Are you really going to make me kneel to NO you? know you dislike me, but please spare my family. My grandpa was old. He can''t handle this. Please!" As it was the end of ss, many witnessed this scene. Onlookers pulled out their phones to capture the moment. They felt sympathy as they heard Jada''s desperate plea. People who initially enjoyed the spectacle suddenly turned empathetic. They gazed at Catherine ve with questioning and angry eyes, while looking at Jada with sympathy and seeing Jada as the vulnerable one. Some couldn''t bear it and morally pressured Catherine, "Catherinem Jada is begging you. Isn''t it enough no matter the level of hatred?" One voice led to many agreements. Suddenly, what was once a crowd spectating turned into a battalion condemning Catherine. Chapter 587 Chapter 587 An Exit Strategy Amelia sensed something was off. As the voice condemning Catherine rose, she discreetly tugged at Catherine''s sleeve. "Catherine, maybe we should leave. Something''s not right here!" Though Amelia believed Catherine was innocent, stirring up a crowd wasn''t worth it. They had better step back and let things cool down. Catherine was initially nning to leave, but Jada didn''t figure out the situation and even morally pressured Catherine. Jada was so clueless and asking for trouble. If Catherine didn''t y along, it''d be rude not to reciprocate. Catherine took a couple of steps forward and approached Jada. Seeing Catherine closing in, Jada was uneasy. Catherine had an intimidating aura, which made Jada tremble as she talked to Catherine. "What do you want to do, Catherine?" Catherine stared at her, sneered, and asked in a low voice, "Aren''t you hoping I''ll forgive you?" That cold, eerie grin sent shivers down Jada''s spine, making her upset. She was regretting this, and she thought she shouldn''t have provoked Catherine. Even though Jada felt a bit scared now, it was toote for her to change anything. She braced herself and continued with her initial n. "Yeah. If you''re willing to forgive me, I''ll do whatever you ask!" Catherine crossed her arms and slowly circled Jada. Every step Catherine took was torment for Jada. Each turn of Catherine made Jada more upset and her hands trembled involuntarily. The immense pressure made it hard for Jada to keep her hands steady by her side. Noticing Jada''s reaction, Catherine sneered, "No need to be so tense. I''m not about to kill you. If you want my forgiveness, why not publicly confess what you did wrong to me? Let the folks here judge, and I might consider forgiving you." Seeing Catherine pressuring Jada, Amelia knew Jada must have done something wrong. Seeing Jada staying silent, she decided to help Catherine. "Yeah. Spill it. Tell us what you did wrong!" After Amelia said that, the onlookers began to chime in, but they were helping Jada. "Jada, your apology is so sincere. I feel like no matter what happened, it should be forgivable. You can openly share it, and we''ll definitely support you!" "Yeah. That''s right! We all stand behind you!" Jada''s expression darkened in an instant. She hadn''t expected Catherine to confront her right there. If she revealed why she angered Catherine, no one would support her. Then, it would be irreparable. Moreover, it would damage not just the Grelin Group''s reputation but also the Facers'' standing. Jada realized that she couldn''t confess. Faced with Jada''s silence, people around couldn''t grasp what was happening. Catherine didn''t have the patience. She raised her voice and said, "If you can''t even admit your mistake, why should anyone believe your apology is genuine? Hearing Catherine''s words, Jada couldn''t respond. She stood frozen, and her face was filled with anguish. Catherine pointed at the surrounding crowd and questioned Jada, "Guiding these uninformed students, you use them as tools for your moral maniption. Are you sure your conscience won''t condemn you?" Jada, with her head bowed, still couldn''t admit what she did to Catherine. Catherine stood at the side, and she was resolute and upright. The onlookers, initially sympathetic toward Jada, woke up. Catherine''s words acted like a wake-up call. The onlookers realized their sense of justice and kindness were used as tools against Catherine. They felt extremely angry. Those who used Catherine moments ago now demanded an exnation from Jada. "Jada, we need to hear the whole story before we can help you. You get that, right?" "No need to keep looking. Her stance tells it all. She''s too scared to spill. She probably did something shady!" Facing the crowd''s usations, Jada felt embarrassed as if her clothes had been ripped off in public. After pondering for a while, she finally came up with an excuse. Looking distressed, she looked at the crowd and exined in a flustered tone, "I''m sorry, everyone. It''s not that I don''t want to share. It''s just I can''t. It involves sensitive business matters of my family''spany. It''s confidential!Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. As soon as she finished, Amelia was the first to step up and refute her. "You were desperate for the whole world to know about Catherine bullying you earlier, and now it''s suddenly business secrets? You can''t say anything? Jada, it seems like you''re feeling guilty, huh?" Amelia was unable to tolerate Jada''s deceitful behavior. She couldn''t stand this two-faced girl. If it weren''t for Catherine''s quick thinking, the whole school might have heard rumors of Catherine being a bully. But now that the truth was out, Jada started pretending to be innocent, which was utterly despicable. "Super Catherine, since she won''t speak, why not speak up for her? Things need to be rified, or everyone will think you bullied her!" Amelia suggested. Catherine thought Amelia''s suggestion wasn''t bad. Since they were in this situation, it was best to clear the air. "It''s not that big of a deal. Jada used her family''s massive resources and set a trap for a partnership with my family, aiming to bankrupt us. However, her funds weren''t enough, and she fell into her own trap." After Catherine''s brief exnation, Amelia exploded in anger and cursed loudly. She shouted, "Holy crap! That''s despicable! She failed at setting a trap and then wants your forgiveness and help? How shameless! This is a new low!" Amelia wasn''t the only one. Everyone''s perspective on Jada changed after hearing the whole story. Catherine noticed that Jada raised her head and seemed to want to exin herself. Catherine calmly asked, "Do you want me to be more specific?" The incident involving the Grelin Group and the Facers was still an localized matter Both families were trying to contain the issue, hoping to minimize the damage. If Catherine disclosed this matter here, all their efforts would be in vain. Jada couldn''t let that happen. Faced with Catherine''s dominance, she could only bow her head and apologize. "I''m sorry. Please forgive me this time. Spare the Facers and thepany my grandfather left behind!" Catherine already anticipated Jada''s approach. From the beginning, she had prepared for an exit strategy. "Go back and tell your grandfather toe find me!" Chapter 588 Chapter 588 The Computer Virus Watching Catherine walk away, Jada slumped to the ground. Just now, Jada indeed wanted to use public opinion to make Catherine yield, to beg her forgiveness, to assist the Grelin Group and the Facers. But she never expected Catherine to see through it all, let alone act so decisively. Jada had a feeling she might have really messed things up this time. If the Facers''pany suffered because of her, she might never have a chance to show her face within the family again. As Catherine exited the ssroom, she followed Amelia to theb. She had promised Marshall that she would visit theb whenever she had time after ss. The moment people in theb caught sight of Catherine, all of them discreetly stared at her. In all the time theb had been established, they had never let a freshman in. They heard Catherine wasn''t just skilled. She also had a significant background. If she was just an ordinary person, she couldn''t possibly know about the Arbotte Laboratory, let alone have a chance to enter it. Moreover, Marshall held Catherine in high regard. After this special admission to theb, she even got assigned an assistant. Such treatment could make anyone jealous. Seeing Catherine standing there, Brodie Leach approached her and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Catherine, what project are you nning to work on today in theb? Want me to show you around and give you a rundown of theb equipment?" Brodie had been studying and excelling in his academics at Styre University for five years. Not only was he the top science student in Loxton, but was also offered a speed-track program of his doctorate due to his outstanding performance. During his Ph.D., he chose Marshall as his advisor and was now conducting experiments under Marshall''s guidance. Despite his excellence, he had been making steady progress in Marshall''sb, and the experiments he was currently working on were just regr projects within theb. He hadn''t thought much of it until Catherine arrived and shattered everything. She not only overturned everyone''s stereotypical view of Marshall but also got ess to theb''s most crucial project. Brodie was unconvinced, and he wanted to see just how skilled Catherine really was. Catherine nced at him and bluntly retorted, "Speak your mind and stop beating around the bush. Instead of wasting time with these cheap tricks, why not check your calctions?" Her cold and dominant words left Brodie feeling humiliated. "Catherine, you are just a neer. How dare you be so arrogant? I just wanted to cautiously remind you. What''s with this attitude of yours?" Catherine scoffed coldly and assessed Brodie with disdain. "My attitude depends on the person." After saying this, she raised her head and nced at the screen on Brodie''sputer, focusing on a tiny piece of data. "I told you to check it, yet you wouldn''t listen. All these calctions are off. Doing more won''t change a thing!" Following Catherine''s remark, everyone looked at Brodie''sputer. Brodie felt that Catherine was deliberately humiliating him. He retorted angrily, "Quit spouting nonsense and diverting the topic. I demand an apology from you. Got it?" Brodie''s friend nudged him discreetly. Irritated, Brodie turned and angrily shouted at his friend, "Don''t stop me! She is too audacious. If I don''t teach her a lesson, she won''t know her ce! His friend looked embarrassed and replied in a hushed tone, "Brodie, your dat¨¢ might actually be wrong." "Impossible!" Brodie blurted out without thinking. To his surprise, someone nearby added, "I also think it might be wrong." With consecutive voices pointing out his error, Brodie had to face the issue. After sitting down, he reran all the programs and double-checked all the data. Unexpectedly, it turned out that he was indeed wrong. And the exact error was in the location Catherine had pointed out earlier. Noticing Brodie''s expression, Catherine knew he had finally calcted the correct data. Seeing Brodie stunned in front of theputer, Catherine turned back to continue with her work. Brodie stared nkly at theputer screen. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. He wondered how this was possible. Not only Brodie, but everyone in theb who witnessed this scene was shocked. Brodie had been working on this project for half a month, and he was unable to find an answer. However, Catherine pinpointed the issue with just a nce. No wonder the professor went to great lengths to bring Catherine into theb team. Catherine truly had the capability and talent. After this incident, everyone''s attitude toward Catherine became even more respectful.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Having noticed the change in the atmosphere, Amelia whispered to Catherine, "Super Catherine, you''re incredible! Your aura is just too strong!" "Cut it out." Hearing that, Catherine interrupted her. Amelia was quite the chatterbox, and if she continued, this topic might never end. Seeing Catherine engrossed in herputational work, Amelia didn''t dare disturb here she obediently sat beside Catherine and focused on her own studies in theb. As time ticked by, everyone in theb was engrossed in their tasks, and the entire ce fell into absolute silence. After a while, someone suddenly eximed, "What''s happening? Myputer''s frozen!" This was followed by others echoing the same issue. They shouted, "Mine too!" Apart from Catherine, even Amelia, who had been sneakily ying Minesweeper, encountered a frozen screen. The bestputer expert in theb immediately stepped forward to help. A few minutester, he gried out in rm, "This is bad. There''s a virus in theputers! We need to inform the professor. I suspect someone''s trying to steal ourb''s secrets!" Foreign hackers often attempted to steal theb''s secrets, so theirputers were encrypted inyers, stronger than theputers of Ocraolia''s Congress. But this time, the hackers seemed more interested in causing trouble by destroying the data within theputers than stealing it. If the data within theputers were destroyed, it would be an unprecedented disaster for theb. Panic spread among everyone. They had no idea what to do. Marshall rushed in with severalputer virus experts. As time ticked by, theputers remained inoperable. They couldn''t restore them. Watching theputer experts sweating profusely, Marshall was distressed, and his face turned pale. He shouted anxiously, "Can''t you fix it yet? After shaking their heads, the experts F replied, ¡°The virus imnted is toq powerful. We''re still attempting to repair it. Professor Hartley, please give us more time!" With each passing moment, the data inside theputers became more endangered. Everyone present, except Catherine, was on edge. Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Chapter 589 The Truth After Catherine finished the final step of her calction, she stood up and then approached these experts. She nced at the screen. As she watched the lines of code rapidly flickering, her mind processed the entire program in mere seconds. ¡°Let me give it a try.¡± Although her cold voice was not loud, it broke the quiet and tense atmosphere of theb abruptly. Instantly, everyone looked at Catherine, making her the center of focus. Marshall hesitated and stared at Catherine. Although he didn¡¯t know her too well, he believed Catherine wouldn¡¯t make such a request without reason. As Marshall pondered, one of the students who had been quietly discussing earlier stepped forward. It was Brodie, who had shed with Catherine before. ¡°Catherine, seeking the spotlight has its timing. What¡¯s the point of causing a scene now?¡± Brodie confidently remarked, ¡°Don¡¯t you know time is more valuable than everything else? Is your expertise truly superior to these experts¡¯?¡± His voice reverberated through the entireb, causing mixed expressions among the onlookers. Many felt Brodie had a point. After all, these were among the bestputer science experts at Styre University, top- notch across the country, while Catherine was just a freshman. Facing Brodie¡¯s challenge, Catherine nced coldly at him. Her tone, though calm, held immense authority as she retorted, ¡°Quiet down for a moment. No one is treating you like a mute.¡± Brodie was infuriated. He pointed at Catherine and said to Marshall, Professor Hartley, see this. Catherine¡¯s always this arrogant. Her attitude isn¡¯t suitable for a research scientist.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He aimed to reveal Catherine¡¯s true nature to Marshall and ideally have her expelled from theb. Marshall looked at Catherine. Watching herposed demeanor, Marshall decided to take a risk. He reached out and tapped the man still engrossed at theputer in front. ¡°Winston, step aside. Let my student give it a try.¡± Marshall¡¯s words stunned everyone around, particrly Brodie. He didn¡¯t expect Marshall to show such favoritism toward Catherine. Incredulously, Brodie eximed, ¡± Professor Hartley, this is¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Marshall shot him a cold 11 nce and rebuked in a hushed tone, ¡± Do I need you to teach me how to handle things?¡± Hearing that, Brodie shivered and silently refrained from speaking further. The person Marshall had called was a guest professor from Styre University¡¯sputer science department. He was almost equal in status to Marshall, and the two of them were friends. Understanding Marshall¡¯s character, Winston didn¡¯t hesitate and stood up. He rose and gestured for Catherine to take the vacant spot. He smiled lightly and said, ¡°Come on, freshman.¡± Without hesitation, Catherine took her seat. The moment Catherine sat down, her hands swiftlynded on the keyboard. Her slender and graceful fingers moved across the square keys and danced swiftly. As lines of code appeared on the screen, Winston, who had been spectating, turned increasingly serious. Incredulously, he leaned closer and stared at the screen. He murmured, ¡± How is this possible? How?¡± Hearing his voice, Marshall grew curious. ¡°Winston, what do you mean?¡± Winston turned to Marshall and asked with a grave expression, ¡°Where did you find this gem? Take me there to dig a bit.¡± Marshall smiled and was about to respond, but Catherine abruptly stopped and said coldly, ¡°Done!¡± Before anyone couldprehend, ab researcher eximed in delight, ¡°It¡¯s done. Myputer¡¯s fixed!¡± Others hurried to check theirputers, and all were fixed too. Amelia rushed forward and found that even herputer was fixed and back to normal operation. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re incredible!¡± As Brodie looked at his now functionalputer, he was stunned and disbelieved in Catherine¡¯s abilities. After pondering, upon seeing Catherine¡¯sputer, he found his answer. The next moment, Brodie shouted angrily, ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re despicable! You actually use this method to boost yourself. Do you realize you¡¯ve endangered the entireb?¡± Hearing this usation, Catherine turned her head toward Brodie and frowned. She coldly asked, ¡°Why this intense desire for theatrics? Staying in thisb seems beneath you. You should aim to show business and bring glory to our country.¡± The people around chuckled at Catherine¡¯s response. Amelia rarely witnessed Catherine¡¯s humor and burst outughing. Facing everyone¡¯sughter, Brodie felt embarrassed and redirected his usation toward Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re the one skilled at acting. This whole incident was orchestrated by you. You created the virus, damaged theseputers, and then repaired them. Do you think no one would notice?¡± Marshall looked at Brodie with a gloomy expression. ¡°What are you implying? What do you mean by¡¯ orchestrated¡¯? Do you have evidence?¡± ¡°I do, Professor Hartley!¡± Brodie confidently stated and then walked to Catherine¡¯sputer. ¡°Catherine, your methods are impressive, but even the most meticulous ns slip up!¡± Catherine crossed her arms and gazed at Brodie with curiosity. ¡°Do you think you are Holmes?¡± ¡°Stop trying to justify yourself!¡± Brodie struck a righteous pose. ¡°Let me ask you. Why did every computer get infected except yours? If this isn¡¯t your doing, how is it so coincidental? Even Professor Warner couldn¡¯t crack the virus. As a freshman, you actually managed to crack it.¡± As Brodie spoke, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to Catherine¡¯sputer. Its screen was still on and disyed the document she had been working on. The document was written during the virus attack. It proved Brodie wasn¡¯t lying, and Catherine¡¯s computer had indeed remained unscathed. Combined with Catherine¡¯s extraordinary abilities, the perception of her among the group instantly shifted. Realizing this, Brodie turned to Marshall and shouted, ¡°Professor Hartley, please give us the truth!¡± Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Chapter 590 The Lollipop Facing the crowd¡¯s gaze, Marshall knew he had to clear things up today, no matter what. Though he trusted Catherine and had a way to handle this, power couldn¡¯t silence everyone¡¯s talk. Without the truth out, Catherine would have to endure this usation in theb. It would cause her substantial harm. Marshall looked at Catherine and asked seriously, ¡°Catherine, any response to the doubts from others?¡± Catherine shrugged confidently and then looked at Winston nearby. ¡°If there¡¯s doubt, just let Professor Warner check myputer.¡± Marshall gestured to Winston, who promptly went to Catherine¡¯sputer. A few minutester, Winston abruptly stood and approached Catherine. ¡°You wrote the security program on thisputer?¡± Catherine casually nodded andzily replied, ¡°I had some spare time, so I made a desktop.¡± That was no idle work. With this firewall, even the world¡¯s top hackers would struggle to breach this computer. Upon entering theb, each member got their ownputer to ensure their research sess. Even Amelia had her own, let alone Catherine. After Winston heard Catherine¡¯s response, his eyes lit up instantly. He looked at Catherine with an unusually excited expression, and he said with enthusiasm, ¡°Tell me. What did Marshall offer you? I¡¯ll double it. Aputer genius like you shouldn¡¯t be in this chaotic ce. Come to myb, and I¡¯ll give you top treatment!¡± Marshall, seeing his old friend tantly poaching, was dumbfounded. After snapping out of it, Marshall immediately rushed over and pushed Winston away. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Winston, that¡¯s not cool. I asked for your help, not to steal my talent! Hands off my people!¡± Winston looked at Marshall with disdain and sneered. ¡°Yourb¡¯s atmosphere doesn¡¯t suit such talent. If shees to me, I¡¯ll even give her my spot. Do you even know what you have in your hands? She¡¯s a computer prodigy. The program she casually created on herputer is beyond our national defense teams, let alone ordinary hackers.¡± Winston¡¯s words were like cold ps on everyone¡¯s faces at the scene. They doubted Catherine¡¯s abilities and even suspected she orchestrated this drama for fame. However, at this moment, they realized that she wasn¡¯t just a genius in electronic chips but also a talent in theputer field. Even Winston was vying for her, offering to give up his position for Catherine. It showcased how incredibly powerful Catherine¡¯s skills were. Worried his precious find might be snatched away, Marshall was red-faced and furious. He drove Winston away. ¡°She¡¯s mine. Stop eyeing her. No amount of goodies will make her leave! After seeing off Winston, Marshall returned to theb. The Marshall who was calm moments ago now had a gloomy expression. Theb was filled with a dangerous vibe, and everyone was on edge, except for Catherine. She sat rxed, with legs crossed. She sucked on a lollipop and waspletely at ease. After all, no matter what happened, someone would help her to handle it. Once Marshall entered, Brodie was the most anxious. After hesitating for a while, he finally mustered the courage to speak up. He said, ¡°Professor Hartley, I¡­¡± Without letting him finish, Marshall raised a hand and signaled him to pause. ¡°No need to say. Ourb can¡¯t amodate you. Please leave!¡± ¡°Professor Hartley, please!¡± With tears welling up, Brodie pleaded. Marshall showed no mercy. He nced at two students nearby, who immediately stepped forward and dragged Brodie away. Marshall wasn¡¯t much of a talker usually, but when he became serious, all the people in theb trembled. After sending Brodie away, Marshall continued addressing everyone. His cold gaze swept the room as he spoke softly, ¡°Remember it. In myb, you should follow my rules. Put away your petty schemes and focus on experiments. Don¡¯t bring this kind of chaos again, or you¡¯ll see my harsh side! I have only one rule. The capable lead. If you don¡¯t agree, then surpass me in skill. If you¡¯re strong enough, I¡¯ll listen to you. Understood, everyone?¡± Everyone replied in a loud voice, ¡± Understood!¡± ¡°Dismissed!¡± With Marshall¡¯smand, everyone returned to their stations and resumed work. Marshall beckoned Catherine over. ¡± Come with me.¡± Catherine followed Marshall into his office, and he gestured for her to take a seat. Catherine didn¡¯t hesitate and sat down across from Marshall. Her long legszily rested on the chair¡¯s edge. It was a posture asfortable as could be. Marshall didn¡¯t mind. He appreciated Catherine¡¯s straightforwardness. ¡± Catherine, you knowputers?¡± With a lollipop in her mouth, Catherine spoke somewhat indistinctly. She replied, ¡°A bit.¡± Marshall thought inwardly, ¡°A bit? If she only knows a bit, why does Winston risk a confrontation to snatch her away? Perhaps she is just too low-key. Winston is right. I indeed find a gem. She is a real treasure.¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, Marshall rubbed his hands and said in a low voice, ¡°Catherine, if you have any requests, speak up. Myb is no worse than Winston¡¯s. Anything he can offer, I can match. You catch my drift?¡± He was concerned about her being lured by Winston. Earlier, Catherine didn¡¯t quite understand, but now it clicked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Professor Hartley. I¡¯m only interested in yourb¡¯s projects. I won¡¯t consider Professor Warner¡¯s side. With Catherine¡¯s words, Marshall felt at ease. He liked her attitude. ¡°Alright. Since you¡¯re resolute, no need for further words. Get back to your tasks.¡± As Catherine stood up to leave, Marshall blurted out, ¡°Why do you always have a lollipop? Is it really that good?¡± Marshall couldn¡¯t imagine Catherine as someone fond of lollipops. It piqued his curiosity. Raising an eyebrow, Catherine nced at him. ¡°I have low blood sugar. They are from my boyfriend.¡± With that, Catherine walked out without looking back. Hearing that, Marshall was stunned. He inadvertently watched a public disy of affection. He thought young people these days indeed had diverse ways of disying affection. Chapter 591 Chapter 591 Chapter 591 The Bodyguard in ck Catherine came out of theboratory. When she arrived at the dormitory building, she saw several men in ck standing under the dormitory building. They stood straight, with a solemn expression and upright posture. It was clear at a nce that they were all bodyguards. Amelia was not aware of the situation and was joking with Catherine. ¡°Catherine, look. Are these people like the bodyguards of a certain princess whoe specifically to catch the escaped princess?¡± Catherine nced at her, her cold eyes slowly sweeping over Amelia¡¯s body. At that moment, Amelia felt so cold that as if a violent storm had hit her, her heart trembled. She hurriedly exined, ¡°Super Catherine, I¡¯m just kidding. Don¡¯t be nervous!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Catherine looked at her with a serious face. ¡°Go away. Stay away from me!¡± Amelia thought in a secret surprise, ¡± Have I offended Super Catherine?¡± She had originally nned to defend herself, but as Catherine¡¯s face grew colder, she backed away silently. Catherine immediately stepped forward after Amelia backed away. As soon as Catherine appeared, the group of men in ck surrounded her. Amelia was too far away to hear what they were saying. But she could sense that Catherine was fairly calm. It turned out that these men were not there to capture the princess, but to find Catherine. Watching Catherine leave with them, Amelia instinctively reacted. Catherine asked her to go away just now not because she was angry with her, but to protect her. The more Amelia thought about it, the more she thought it was possible. Worried that Catherine was in danger, she thought of contacting Catherine¡¯s boyfriend first. But she did not have Branden¡¯s contact information at all. In a hurry, Amelia thought of Ronin. She hurriedly took out her cell phone and called Ronin, exining the situation. On the other end of the phone, Ronin asked her to return to the dormitory and assured her that Catherine would be fine. After that, Amelia hung up the phone. Catherine followed the bodyguards in ck into the car. Their attitude was very respectful. ¡°Miss Swann, please!¡± Catherine calmly sat down in the back row. After getting into the car, she took out her phone from her pocket and started ying games. She remained silent all the way, not even changing her expression! Troy Facer, the leader of those bodyguards, who was sitting in the passenger seat, quietly observed Catherine through the rearview mirror. Before he left the house, Conor had asked him to treat Catherine politely and invite her to the Facers¡¯ with a friendly attitude. He was still curious that Catherine was just a little girl from university, was she worth Conor¡¯s attention? But when he received Catherine, he knew that Conor had not made a mistake. He even felt that it was inevitable that Jada would be defeated by Catherine. At Catherine¡¯s age, being able to maintain thisposure in the face of such a situation was not something that ordinary people could do. Catherine was calm, but Troy could not help himself. He took the initiative and asked, ¡°Miss Swann, aren¡¯t you curious about where we are taking you?¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Catherine snorted coldly and put down her cell phone to raise her eyes at Troy. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Facer¡¯s age, he should be the one to see me this time!¡± Catherine showed her respect to the elders. Seeing as Conor was old and inconvenienced in his legs, she got in the car. Otherwise, if she was unwilling, who could force her? In Loxton, the Facers would not allow anyone other than Catherine to make such an arrogant remark to them. Right now the Facers were trapped by her, Troy could do nothing about Catherine¡¯s arrogant remarks and could only show a smile as a response. He dared not to question anything more! Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Head of the Five Families At the Facers, Catherine once again met the once-dominant Conor. Conor, who had just celebrated his birthday, was in high spirits as he sat in the garden pavilion leisurely drinking coffee. When he heard footstepsing, he did not turn around. He said majestically, ¡°Miss Swann, hi! Please have a seat!¡± Troy apanied Catherine all the way. Hearing Conor¡¯smand, he took the initiative to help Catherine pull out the chair and asked Catherine to take a seat. Catherine bent down and sat down. She acted very naturally. Conor poured out the coffee he had brewed in his hand and made a new one for Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯m curious if you know how to make coffee. Drip coffee needs to be brewed for a longer period of time so that it can have a purer vor. There¡¯s no rush!¡± If one was familiar with Conor, one would definitely know that there was something in his words. Catherine naturally knew what he meant. But she did not have to pay attention to him. So, Conor was saying what he wanted to say, while Catherine yed her own game. They did not interfere with each other. Seeing her in this natural and unpretentious look, Conorughed out loud. ¡°Haha, your grandfather and I knew each other in our youth as well. You really do have a bit of his early style. ¡°Here, have some coffee!¡± After slightly curling her fingers and tapping on the tabletop, Catherine lifted her coffee cup and took a sip. After putting down the coffee cup, she slowly spoke up. ¡°Is that so? My grandpa never said I looked like him. He said I was an anomaly in the Swanns.¡± Hearing this, Conor burst outughing. Troy had been waiting on the side. He had no idea what Conor was thinking about. Thepany¡¯s affairs were urgent. He wondered how Conor was still in the mood to chat with Catherine so leisurely. When Conor did not speak, Catherine did not continue the conversation and just spent time on her cell phone. Conor let out a long sigh after he sized up Catherine enough. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Vicente is so lucky. Although his son is ordinary, his granddaughter is amazing!¡± Among the next generation of these people who were on par back then, few could surpass them. The same went for Conor. His two sons were quite mediocre. He was not as lucky as Vicente and Karl, whose sons were notpetitive, but their grandchildren were top-notch. Catherine was quiet and did not say anything as she waited for Conor to continue. Conor took back his drifting thoughts. His expression was calm and his gaze at Catherine suddenly became more serious. ¡°Tell me your conditions!¡± Conor said coldly. He finally got to the point. Catherine put down her crossed legs. Straightening herself slightly, she looked up at Conor. ¡°Mr. Facer, it wasn¡¯t me who wanted to trouble the Grelin Group and the Facers. It was your granddaughter who hand-delivered something to me, forcing me to ept it!¡± Although Catherine¡¯s words were infuriating, Conor had to admit that Catherine was telling the truth. It was indeed his granddaughter Jada who was too stupid to send thepany¡¯s interests to Catherine¡¯s hands, and it would make Catherine appear stupid if she did not take it. Catherine wanted to propose her conditions without hesitation. After all, she did not need to be soft when dealing with outsiders. ¡°I heard that the Facers bought an ind up north two years ago!¡± Conor calmly nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ll give the ind to you!¡± Catherine curled her lips gently and as she raised her eyebrows. A strange smile appeared in her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I¡¯m curious if you have the final say in Grelin Group¡¯s project in Casier.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll give it to you, too!¡± As Conor said this, his sigh was obviously longer. Both for the Facers and the Grelin Group, the losses this time were heavy. ¡°Here is the third condition. You can take a look!¡± Catherine ced her phone on the desktop, and the phone¡¯s micro projection device projected a contract on the screen. After seeing the contract Catherine showed, Conor¡¯s eyes widened instantly. Then he suddenly looked up, looking at Catherine as if he was about to swallow her. ¡°You¡¯re so young, but you¡¯re very greedy!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine snorted coldly. ¡± Mr. Facer, it¡¯s said that don¡¯t underestimate young people. I¡¯m thin but I have a greedy stomach.¡± Conor had a calm face and his eyes narrowed slightly. There was a dangerous aura in his cold eyes, and the chill lingering around him made people shudder. ¡°Girl, don¡¯t forget. You¡¯re in my house. ¡°Coming in here is easy, but going out can be difficult!¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Catherine let out a leisurely breath. Shezily stretched herself,pletely ignoring Conor¡¯s threat. A hint of doubt arose in Conor¡¯s heart. He carefully looked at Catherine and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you really afraid?¡± ¡°Mr. Facer, you can give it a try!¡± On Catherine¡¯s beautiful and delicate face, her slightly raised eyes exude an emperor-like dominance. It made people dare not underestimate her. She picked up the phone on the table and shook it in front of Conor. Two minutester, Troy hurriedly came in front of Conor and leaned down to whisper a few words in Conor¡¯s ear. The moment he finished speaking, there was an immediate change on Conor¡¯s face. From the expression on his face, it could be seen that he was both unbelievable and somewhat frightened. He looked at Catherine seriously and questioned once again, ¡°What is your rtionship with the Breens?¡± Many people believed that the world¡¯s richest family was the family of theputer-savvy tycoon, but few people know that the world¡¯s richest family who was exposed was fake. Because its transparent assets were ranked first. The truly wealthy families were not superficial wealthy families like his. They were just the tip of the iceberg, and the world¡¯s top five mysterious families hidden beneath them were the real wealthiest families in the world. These five mysterious families not only control eighty percent of the world¡¯s wealth but more importantly, they also control the decision-making power of many countries. They could even manipte the election of presidents to make those decision-makers serve their families. The most mysterious and wealthy of the five families was the Breens. This ancient and mysterious big family controlled almost half of the world¡¯s wealth. All the rich businessmen and celebrities were nobody in front of the Breens. The spokesperson of the Breens sent an official notice to the Facers just now that if they dared to hurt Catherine, the Breens would make the entire Facers disappear from the world. This was not an rmist talk. As long as the Breens wanted to do it, they could easily make the Facers disappear. As for the entire Facers and interests, Connor naturally understood which was more important. Watching Catherine¡¯s calm andposed demeanor, he knew he had lost miserably. In an instant, this once dominant old man seemed to age in an instant, aging a lot. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He sighed deeply. He closed his eyes and said with a helpless face, ¡°This is my misfortune. I ept it. I¡¯ll sign this contract!¡±s Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Korbin Was Dying After Conor finished signing the contract, Catherine casually put her cell phone away. She turned around, ready to leave. Troy nced subconsciously at Conor. Conor waved his hand to signal Troy to let Catherine leave. After Catherine¡¯s figure disappeared, Troy could not help but ask Conor, ¡°We have agreed to all the conditions put forward by Catherine, but we have not made any demands on her yet. Is it okay to let her go just like that?¡± Conor sighed helplessly and nced deeply in the direction of Catherine¡¯s departure. ¡°So what if it¡¯s not okay? If she wants to make a move against the Facers, we can do nothing about it!¡± Having the spokesperson of the Breens personally send an email warning them showed that Catherine¡¯s position in the Breens was not simple. Such a character was not someone that the Facers could offend! The Facers could only me themselves for not recognizing Catherine¡¯s strength and attempting to make a move against her. Upon hearing Conor¡¯s tone, Troy was startled. He thought, ¡°Catherine is so powerful at such a young age. It¡¯s too scary!¡± Watching Catherine walk out, Jada immediately followed. ¡°Catherine, wait!¡± Although Jada did not know what exactly her grandfather had promised Catherine, from the person who had told her the situation, she knew that Catherine had asked a lot from the Facers. Hearing the voiceing from behind her, Catherine stopped in her tracks and gazed at Jada with a cool gaze. Jada narrowed her eyes slightly. A dangerous light released from within her eyes as she watched Catherine. ¡°You must be very proud now that you have obtained so much from us. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by God for being too greedy?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Catherine snorted coldly. Jada¡¯s brows instantly furrowed as she red at Catherine angrily. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°I¡¯mughing at you for being so stupid!¡± Catherine was blunt and undisguised. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t go too far!¡± Jada shouted angrily. ¡°I go too far? If I hadn¡¯t been merciful, do you think the Facers would still exist? An asset that is huge in your eyes is not even enough to be a tip in mine!¡± It was true that she had benefited a lot from the Facers this time, but she was going to invest that money in the Arbotte Laboratory as startup funds for her experiments. The money from the Facers might just be enough to finish the first phase of an experiment. A huge asset in the eyes of others was not enough for her to use two or three times. ¡°Jada, I would have learned to be wiser if I had gone through this. ¡°People should not be afraid of falling. But you keep moving forward even if you know you¡¯ll fall. Don¡¯t you think you are stupid?¡± Catherine turned around and left straight after saying that to Jada. She had no time to continue arguing with Jada, the stupid person. Jada was so angry that she stomped her feet. She wanted to take this opportunity to teach Catherine a good lesson. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Now that Catherine was in her territory, was she still afraid of her? Before she could do anything, she heard a familiar voice from behind her. ¡°Jada!¡± Jada stiffened. She turned her head back slowly, and the hostile aura on her body gradually dissipated. She obediently greeted her grandfather, ¡± Grandpa!¡± Looking at her grandfather¡¯s stooping figure, Jada suddenly felt a little sad. ¡°Grandpa, I heard that you promised Catherine many unequal treaties. Is this true? ¡°Catherine is now alone in our territory. Why should we be so afraid of her?¡± Seeing that Jada was still unclear about Catherine¡¯s strength, Conor sighed helplessly, ¡°That¡¯s right, Catherine is here alone. But do you know how powerful and amazing the force behind her is? ¡°If you make another mistake, you¡¯ll drag the entire Facers into the abyss. Do you understand? ¡°At that time, it won¡¯t be a matter of whether I save you or not, but a matter of our entire family will be in trouble. Understand?¡± Jada looked at her grandfather in fear. In her mind, her grandfather had always been mighty. She never imagined that one day, her grandfather would say such words in such a humble manner. Moreover, the person her grandfather was bragging about was still Catherine. ¡°Grandpa, are you sure you¡¯re not joking?¡± ¡°I also want this to be a joke. If it were a joke, I wouldn¡¯t have to lose half of the Facers¡¯ assets!¡± Conor finished helplessly and turned away with his hands behind his back. Jada fell and sat on the ground. The words of her grandfather warning her echoed in her mind. She could care less about herself but could not implicate the entire family. Coming out of the Facers¡¯, Catherine saw the familiar ck Bentley parked in front of her. Branden leaned on the side of the car and looked down at the phone in his hand. At the moment Catherine approached, Branden suddenly looked up. Their eyes met, and Catherine quickened her pace. Branden reached out and grabbed her hand, asking softly, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at him. She said jokingly, ¡°If I¡¯m not okay, are you still able to stand here?¡± It was rare to see Catherine¡¯s mischievous side, and Branden responded with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Paxton, sitting in the car, breathed a sigh of relief. He took out his phone and notified the people deployed around to retreat. They thought a big war was inevitable. Now that Catherine came out unharmed, this war naturally ended before it began. However, if the Facers dared to take action against Catherine today, they would no longer have a foothold in the territory of Loxton. Paxton remembered when Branden gave the order; he said that if the Facers dared to put their hands on Catherine, they would directly destroy the Facers. Branden¡¯s tone at the time was very mighty and domineering, which shocked people¡¯s hearts. The breeze came and messed up Catherine¡¯s hair. After Branden helped tidy her hair, he pulled her into the car. ¡°Get in the car. It¡¯s windy outside!¡± Catherine got into the car with Branden. Just as she sat down, she received a call from Audrey. ¡°Kathy,e back quickly. Dad is dying!¡± Branden noticed the slight change in Catherine¡¯s expression. After she hung up the phone, Branden immediately asked, ¡°Something wrong?¡± Catherine nodded slightly. ¡°Take me to Casier. Korbin is dying!¡± After Paxton, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, heard it, he immediately stepped on the elerator and elerated the car¡¯s speed to the fastest without waiting for Branden¡¯smand. The car then changed direction and rushed toward the airport. At the Yanio Airport in Loxton, the Duncans had specially rented a piece of parking apron that allowed private nes to start at any time. Seeing Catherine¡¯s face calm and without any change in her expression, Branden gently grabbed her hand and slowly ced it in his palm. His body temperature was transmitted to Catherine¡¯s body through his palm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go back with you!¡± Two hourster, the Duncans¡¯ private airnended on Casier¡¯s personal apron. The car, which had been waiting for a long time, immediately came forward. With steady steps, Branden took Catherine¡¯s hand, got into the car, and headed toward the hospital. Surprisingly, the entrance to the hospital was overcrowded and surrounded by people. These people held various cameras, and there were constant shes around. It was unknown which celebrity was on the scene. Paxton was very sensitive and immediately discovered the person being trapped. He reported the situation immediately, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Audrey!¡± Catherine¡¯s face then darkened as she casually pushed open the car door and stepped out. Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Who Dare Offend the Swanns Audrey came out from the set temporarily after receiving Rachael¡¯s call. Because she was in a hurry, she did not pay attention to the reporters around her. Seeing her suddenly leave the set, some reporters immediately followed and caught up with her. When Audrey arrived at the hospital, she realized that some reporters had followed her. At that time, she could not get rid of them even if she wanted to. Because Audrey was worried that the reporters would disturb her father, she dared not even step inside the hospital gate. Those reporters saw Audrey wearing a hat and lowering her head without saying a word. They were actually bold enough to reach out and remove Audrey¡¯s hat. The reporters would do anything for the gossip news. After Audrey¡¯s hat was removed, she red at the reporter, who removed her hat with anger on her face. The reporter was trying to record the scene of Audrey ring at him with anger on her face. For the sake of gossip news, these reporters asked very sharp questions. ¡°Audrey, did you suddenly stop working toe to the hospital because of a health problem, or is the recent rumor that you are pregnant true?¡± A few days ago, Audrey took two extra bites and did not tuck in her stomach in time when she appeared on camera. After being captured by aizen with bad intentions, her stomach, which was not tucked in in time, caused a huge uproar online. Rumors were circting that Audrey was pregnant. They even have well- founded rumors about the identity of the child¡¯s father. Facing the reporter¡¯s sharp questions, Audrey, who was in a state of impatience, shouted impatiently, ¡°Cut the crap. Get out of the way!¡± Seeing Audrey¡¯s uncooperative attitude, the gossip reporters became even more arrogant. Someone even directly questioned Audrey, ¡°Are you putting on airs?¡± Those reporters¡¯ microphones were almost rubbing onto Audrey¡¯s face. Seeing Audrey bow her head and not respond, someone even reached out to grab her hand. But the person¡¯s hand was grabbed by someone before it even touched Audrey. ¡°Who is it?¡± The reporter turned around in extreme anger. When he was about to curse angrily, he saw that the person who grabbed him was a pretty girl. Seeing the girl look simr to Audrey, everyone immediately recognized that the girl was Audrey¡¯s sister. After the reporter, whom Catherine grabbed, realized that the girl was Audrey¡¯s sister, he forced the question arrogantly. ¡°Do you think you can do anything you want to me because you¡¯re the sister of a celebrity?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine snorted coldly. She grabbed the reporter by the wrist and swung him straight out. Bang! The reporter fell heavily to the ground, and the people around him were dumbfounded. After reacting, they frantically pressed the shutter to record this scene. Catherine faced the crowd fearlessly, her cold gaze falling on the reporter who had been thrown to the ground by her. ¡°If you dare to hurt her, I¡¯ll make youpletely disappear from Casier!¡± Her domineering words made the surrounding people widen their eyes in shock. Those reporters who had excitedly pressed the shutters just a moment ago now had their hands shaking slightly. The reporter who fell to the ground was so scared that his heart skipped a beat. His face instantly turned pale. It was mainly because Catherine¡¯s gaze was too terrifying. Being stared at by her would give people a creepy feeling. Catherine looked up at the crowd and scanned every reporter present individually. ¡°You guys can record. The cameras are in your hands, and you can film whatever you want. But whenever any remarks against the Swanns and the members of the Swannse out, I dere as the person in charge of the Swanns that I will pursue the matter to the end!¡± Catherine¡¯s cold voice echoed in the hearts of the crowd, inexplicably making people¡¯s hearts miss a beat for a while. When Catherine did not say these words, everyone seemed to be on the verge of forgetting that this little girl, who was less than 20, was now in charge of the entire Swann Corporation. As one of the Four Noble Families in Casier, the Swanns were not the one that ordinary people could mess with. Just as Catherine finished saying those words, Branden stepped forward and stood behind her. ¡°Catherine is my fianc¨¦e and the future mistress of the Duncans. Her decision is also the decision of the Duncans!¡± The moment Branden said those words, the reporters on the scene consciously began deleting the photos and videos inside their cameras. Although Branden did not show up often, everyone working in Casier¡¯s press knew him and did not dare to offend him. Branden was the man in charge of the Duncans, the head of Casier¡¯s business empire. No one would dare offend both the Swanns and the Duncans. Seeing that everything had been handled there, Catherine took Audrey¡¯s hand and turned toward the hospital. Branden, with one hand in his pocket, followed behind. He was really a big shot who liked to dote on his woman. There were still reporters holding on to the idea of taking a few pictures, but Paxton, who had stayed in ce, had already seen through their minds. ncing at the reporter who was just about to pick up the camera, Paxton whispered, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the Duncan Corporation¡¯s legal team has filed awsuit!¡± Hearing this, that reporter responded with a smile. He then smashed the camera in his hand right in front of Paxton. ¡°Mr. Paxton, this camera doesn¡¯t work well. I smashed it!¡± Watching the shattered camera, Paxton¡¯s cold smile slowly faded from his face. He turned and left with satisfaction. In the hallway of the hospital, Rachael and Liana sat quietly on the bench, their faces solemn. Last night, Korbin identally pressed down his oxygen tube. Because the caregivers who took care of him did not realize it in a timely manner, it caused Korbin to experience hypoxia in his brain. He was now in emergency treatment in the operating room, and he might lose his life at any time. The hospital had already issued two critical notices, so there was almost no hope for Korbin¡¯s survival. Seeing Catherine appear, Rachael¡¯s eyes widened as if she wanted to swallow Catherine alive. She pounced directly on Catherine. Branden wanted to step forward to protect Catherine immediately. When Catherine realized it, she reached out to him and gestured. Branden stopped in his tracks. Catherine looked up and red at Rachael with a cold gaze. Her simple gaze made Rachael restrain a lot. Rachael did not dare to pounce on her. All she could do was stand still, watching Catherine and speaking harsh words. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, you jinx. If it weren¡¯t for the disaster you brought, how could our family have fallen to this point? Your father wouldn¡¯t have gotten into trouble either. It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Jinx? Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Catherine snorted with disdain coldly. ¡± Was Korbin¡¯s condition really caused by me?¡± Her cold gaze fixed on Rachael, causing Rachael¡¯s heartbeat to suddenly stop for a moment. ¡°What do you mean by that? Wasn¡¯t it you who caused this? If it weren¡¯t for you robbing the assets of the Swanns, your father wouldn¡¯t have been angry and hospitalized, and he wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. ¡°You even stripped us of all our property. If there were more caregivers to take care of your father, would such a thing happen?¡± Facing Rachael¡¯s questioning, Catherine coldly replied, ¡°More caregivers? Are you not clear if it¡¯s because I don¡¯t hire enough caregivers or if you¡¯ve been doing something secretly?¡± Catherine¡¯s inquiry caused Rachael to avert her eyes. Noticing that something was wrong, Audrey stepped forward to inquire hurriedly. ¡°Kathy, what the hell is going on? What do you mean by that?¡± Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Their ¡°Good¡± Mother Before Catherine could say anything, Rachael snapped, ¡°What else does it mean? Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s quibbling? She¡¯s a disaster and tries to put the me on someone else all day long!¡± Liana knew how difficult Catherine was to deal with. Noticing that Catherine¡¯s expression had changed a little, Liana reached out and took her mother¡¯s hand hastily. ¡°Mom, stop it!¡± Rachael angrily shrugged off Liana¡¯s hand and angrily scolded her, ¡°Why are you afraid of her? What could she do to me?¡± Watching Rachael¡¯s unrepentant appearance, Catherine nced at Paxton on the side. Paxton then appeared in front of the crowd with a woman. The woman obediently lowered her head and dared not speak. Rachael, however, gasped at the sight of the woman. Although she had been trying to pretend to be calm, everyone around her felt her nervousness. The more nervous she became, the more anxious she became, and the more she wanted to cover up her wrongdoing. ¡°What do you mean by this? Finding someone like her to set me up?¡± Catherine looked coldly at Rachael, who remained unrepentant. Catherine was somewhat impressed by Rachael¡¯s attitude of denying the evidence. ¡°She is the person I found? Isn¡¯t she the caregiver you found for Korbin? If it weren¡¯t for you changing the caregivers without permission and using an inferior caregiver as a substitute, could today¡¯s situation have happened?¡± Audrey became more and more confused as she listened to their conversation. How could this even involve the caregiver? ¡°Catherine, what the hell is going on?¡± Catherine told Audrey the truth of the matter. No one expected Rachael to change caregivers without permission. Ever since Catherine took control of the entire Swanns, Rachael¡¯s life had be increasingly difficult. She was used to being extravagant and wasteful, so how could she stand it? In addition to getting some money from her parents, Rachael tried to get money in any way she could. Catherine arranged three top-notch caregivers to take care of Korbin in shifts. These caregivers were all professional senior caregivers, and none were underpaid. It was precisely because they were not underpaid that Rachael had done something to get money by using them. She had hired a random caregiver at the hospital after pocketing the money for the three caregivers. Because the caregiver Rachael hired took on another part-time job, her sry was underpaid. Due to theck of dedicated caregivers and inadequate care, Korbin identally pressed his oxygen tube, but no one noticed, and ultimately, a tragedy urred. After listening to Catherine¡¯s argument, Audrey looked at Rachael incredulously. Rachael did not expect Catherine to expose all the things she did in public. Catherine really showed no respect for her at all. She looked at Catherine angrily, her sharp eyes piercing her. ¡°You disaster¡­¡± Without waiting for Rachael to finish, Audrey snapped straight away. She yelled out with almost all her might, Mom!¡± 11 Audrey¡¯s roar startled Rachael. She froze in ce and looked at Audrey in panic. Audrey could not hold back any longer as she started ming her mother. ¡°So far, you¡¯re still ming Catherine. You even withhold this money. You are really inhuman!¡± Liana did not expect what Rachael did to be so extreme, either. She had been neglecting Korbin and Rachael since she started college. Rachael asked her for money several times, but she refused. Faced with Audrey¡¯s anger, Rachael showed no remorse. She even put the me on Audrey. ¡°I¡¯m inhuman. You¡¯re human. We raised you and gave you the best life, but you don¡¯t have the most basic filial affection. If you gave me money, why would I withhold your dad¡¯s caregiver¡¯s money? I had no choice but to do that.¡± Although Audrey said she did not want to care about Rachael, every time Rachael asked her for money, she would give her more or less. Because no matter what, Rachael was her mother, the woman who gave birth to her and raised her. Looking at Rachael¡¯s unrepentant appearance, Audrey suddenly realized how wrong she had been. She used to think that Catherine was too cold-blooded to treat their parents that way. Now, she realized that someone like Rachael did not deserve to be a mother. Audrey red angrily at Rachael, giving her final warning. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter why youe to me next, I won¡¯t give you a dime. If you want to go to the press to use me, just do it. Do you think anyone will sympathize with a woman who can leave her young daughter behind due to superstition and almost kill her husband for money?¡± Rachael¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. She did not expect Audrey to say such things to her. ¡°You¡­ you bastard!¡± Audrey averted her face, not looking at Rachael anymore. She decided that she would pretend that she did not have such a mother in her life. Seeing Audrey ignoring her, Rachael immediately went to Liana. Liana was her only hope right now. She did not believe that Liana would ignore her. Facing Rachael, Liana was also distressed. ¡°Mom, Dad is still in there being resuscitated. Could you please stop for a while? Let¡¯s talk about it after Dades out, okay?¡± Rachael looked at Liana with red eyes and reached out to curse at her, ¡°You¡¯re all ungrateful and vicious daughters. If Johnny were here, no one could bully me!¡± Liana rolled her eyes helplessly. Even if her useless brother had been there, he would only have caused more trouble. No one paid any more attention to Rachael. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the operating room. After a while, the director came out of the operating room. His medical gloves were still stained with blood! Korbin had a special status, so the director personally performed the surgery. He took the initiative to walk up to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, it¡¯s very dangerous this time. We don¡¯t have much certainty!¡± What he said was actually quite conservative. Korbin¡¯s illness was very dangerous, and their hospital¡¯s capabilities were indeed limited. ¡°What should we do, Kathy?¡± Audrey tightly grabbed Catherine¡¯s arm with both hands. At some point, she had taken Catherine as her support and belief. Compared to Audrey¡¯s disorientation, Catherine appeared to be much more calm. Catherine had no feelings for Korbin, and she only saved him for the sake of Vicente and Audrey. She had once promised Vicente that she would try her best to help if something happened to a descendant of the Swanns one day. Vicente only had one son. Catherine could kick Korbin out of the Swanns and take away everything from him, but she could not see him die. ¡°You don¡¯t have much certainty. What if Mr. Theo were to lead the surgery? Will the probability of sess increase slightly?¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, the director suddenly regained hisposure. He looked at Catherine with a surprised expression on his face. ¡°Are you talking about Dr. Miracle? If it were really him, Mr. Swann could be saved!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine nodded and turned to walk out. Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Sweet Karl Branden found Catherine in the hospital stairwell just after she had finished a call and was about to return. ¡°Have you found Mr. Theo?¡± the man inquired. Catherine nodded. ¡°Got him on the phone. He¡¯s in Oceanvile. I¡¯m nning to go there!¡± Branden casually rejected Catherine¡¯s decision and said, ¡°No need. I¡¯ve arranged for Paxton to fetch him, bringing him back as quickly as possible.¡± He hadn¡¯t forgotten about the watchful young guy in Oceanvile. He wasn¡¯t willing to let Catherine go there. Catherine was well aware of Paxton¡¯s capabilities. Since Branden had it all sorted out, she had no objections. ¡± Alright, I¡¯ll go with your n.¡± Seeing her agreement, a hint of joy appeared in the man¡¯s eyes. He gently took her hand, holding it securely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of everything. You¡¯ve rushed all the way here; rest for a while.¡± By the time Catherine returned to the corridor of the hospital ward, Rachael and Liana were nowhere to be seen. Audrey, seeing Catherine¡¯s appearance, took the initiative to exin. She said, ¡± Mom said she had a headache, so Liana went with her to Grandma¡¯s house to rest.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Whether it was a genuine headache or just avoidance, only Rachael knew. Catherine didn¡¯t care whether Rachael was present or not. For her, spending time on irrelevant people was the most foolish thing in the world. Branden answered a call and left, leaving only Catherine and Audrey in the corridor. After a long silence, Audrey couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡± Catherine, do you think Dad will die?¡± Although Korbin had done many wrong things, he was still Audrey¡¯s father. Unlike Catherine, who had been abandoned since childhood and naturally had no feelings for the Swanns, Audrey had grown up in the Swanns and had been doted on by Korbin when there was only one daughter in the Swanns. She couldn¡¯t stand idly by and watch her father die in front of her despite his many wrongdoings. With a nonchnt attitude but firm gaze, Catherine said in a light and convincing tone, ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± Audrey didn¡¯t know if Catherine¡¯s words were true or justforting. But after hearing Catherine say this, her heart settled, and she was all relieved.¡± Kathy, you¡¯re right. Father will be fine. We must have faith!¡± Catherine made no response, standing up. ¡°He¡¯s in surgery; staying here won¡¯t help. If you want to stay, do so. I¡¯lle over when Mr. Theo arrives.¡± Audrey looked at Catherine, who seemed tired, with concern. Her sister had just rushed over from Loxton and hadn¡¯t even had a drink of water. With everything arranged but Mr. Theo, it was time for Catherine to rest for a while. ¡°Alright, you quickly let Mr. Duncan take you back to rest. I¡¯ll stay in the hospital, and if there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll notify everyone.¡± Catherine knew Audrey¡¯s personality well; she would choose to stay. So, from the beginning, Catherine had no intention of bringing her away. ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± After waving to Audrey, Catherine turned around and left the hospital. Branden had just finished his work and came out. Seeing her leaving quickly, he hastened his steps to catch up. ¡± Ready to go back and rest?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Catherine nodded slightly. Branden suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Duncans¡¯ old mansion. You can rest first, and we¡¯ll have dinner with Grandpa tonight.¡± Since learning of their return to Loxton, Karl had called dozens of times, wanting them to visit the old mansion. Branden didn¡¯t immediately agree. Now that Catherine was nning to rest, he tentatively asked her. Catherine didn¡¯t mind; with Branden around, no one dared to trouble her. ¡± Okay,¡± she said. After Catherine agreed, Branden led her back to the old mansion. While upstairs, Karl heard the news from the servants that Branden¡¯s car had arrived at the door. ¡°Just him? Is Catherine here?¡± Karl immediately thought of Catherine. The servant happily replied, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s here. Both of them came together and are downstairs!¡± Karl immediately got up, eager to greet them. His granddaughter-inw wasing, and he naturally wanted to see her. Simon followed behind. Seeing Karl rushing downstairs, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. Only when Branden and Catherine came did Karl attach such importance. Even when his son came back, there were times when Karl refused to meet him, let alone others. When Catherine entered, she saw Karl hurrying downstairs. She politely greeted him. Karl¡¯s heart melted when he heard that. His granddaughter-inw was not onlypetent and beautiful but also filial. He liked her very much. Every time he went out, he showed off to his old friends, who all envied him. ¡°Catherine is here; take a seat. I¡¯ve prepared the best rose liqueur for you. I¡¯ll let the butler bring it out now,¡± said Karl. Ever since knowing that Catherine liked to drink it, the old mansion not only kept Branden¡¯s favorite coffee beans but also specially prepared Catherine¡¯s favorite rose liqueur so that she could have it whenever she wanted. Branden was about to speak, but Catherine stopped him. Catherine nced at him, and Branden obediently stayed silent. Seeing the interaction between the couple, Karl felt sweet as he sipped his coffee. His grandson was notoriously tricky to handle, but now someone could manage him. Catherine knew what Branden meant; he wanted her to rest early. However, Karl cherished them so much. He even arranged her favorite drink. If she left like this, wouldn¡¯t it hurt Karl¡¯s feelings? After sitting with Karl for a while, the old man took the initiative and said, ¡± You¡¯ve been rushing all the way; you must be tired. Go rest. The rooms are ready, and we¡¯ll call you for dinnerter!¡± Although Karl was old, he was clear- headed. Nothing could escape his eyes. After the two went upstairs, Simon dared to approach Karl and asked softly, ¡°It¡¯s rare for them toe back. Why not let them apany you more? Karlughed lightly. ¡°As long as they¡¯re at home, it¡¯s the same. The Swanns have had so many things happen. Catherine has a hard time. Let her rest more. Who knows what else will happen next.¡± Hearing Karl¡¯s response, Simon joked with him, saying, ¡°In the world, only you spoil your granddaughter-inw so much. She¡¯s not even officially married into the Duncans, and you¡¯re pampering her like this!¡± Karl, instead of getting angry, admitted generously. He said, ¡°She is such an outstanding girl. If I don¡¯t spoil her a bit more, many people are probably outside waiting to snatch her away!¡± He felt that his grandson had done the best thing in his life by agreeing to the Swanns¡¯ arranged marriage. Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Rapid Progress in Rtionship At eight o¡¯clock that evening, Catherine received the news that the ne Thomas was on hadnded at Casier. After exchanging a few words with Karl, she decided to go to the hospital. Branden personally drove, and the two set off together. Standing at the entrance of the old mansion, Karl, watching their figuresing and going together, asked in a low voice, ¡°How much longer until Catherine graduates?¡± The butler responded quietly, ¡°Sir, Miss Swann has another three and a half years to graduate from Styre University.¡± Karl¡¯s brows furrowed instantly when he heard that. ¡°Is it still that long? When will my great-grandchild finally arrive then?¡± Knowing Karl was anxious, Simonforted and said, ¡°If they can¡¯t marry yet, let¡¯s have an engagement ceremony. Even though the families have verbally agreed, we haven¡¯t held a formal banquet yet, right?¡± ¡°Good point!¡± Karl, satisfied, nodded at Simon. ¡°You¡¯re quite smart. When Brandenes backter, tell him to find me!¡± In the corridor outside the operating room, Catherine spotted Audrey, but to her surprise, Triston was apanying her. Their intimate behavior suggested a close rtionship. It seemed that the two staying in Casier had made rapid progress in their rtionship! Sensing movement beside them, both of them turned their heads. When Audrey saw Catherine, she immediately jumped away from Triston. Seeing this, Triston felt awkward, even sensing Branden mocking him on the side. He had said he was a dreamboat to all women before. But now Audrey had pushed him away in public. It was like a p in the face. Feeling displeased, Triston grabbed Audrey¡¯s arm and dered to Catherine with a raised chin, ¡°Catherine, I solemnly tell you, I am now pursuing your sister and will soon be your brother-in- law!¡± Before Catherine could respond, Audrey exploded and kicked Triston. ¡± Are you crazy? What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Triston gazed affectionately at Audrey and said, ¡°Audrey, I¡¯m serious. Today, Catherine is here as well. Let¡¯s clear things up!¡± ¡°Clear what? If you dare repeat such nonsense, I¡¯ll beat you up!¡± Blushing, Audrey looked at Catherine and changed the topic. ¡°Kathy, why are you here at night? Is there something going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Theo is here!¡± Catherine had just finished speaking when footsteps approached from behind. Paxton appeared with Thomas, and apanying Thomas was Scott. Knowing that his grandfather was there to see Catherine, Scott even sacrificed his precious time to make a deal with him, exchanging it for the opportunity to apany him to see Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I missed you so much!¡± Scott reached out to hug her, but before he could reach, Branden stretched out a leg, causing him to fall t on his face. Thomas, standing by, didn¡¯t mind. His grandson was mischievous and sometimes needed to be disciplined appropriately. Scotty on the ground, ready to explode. ¡°How dare you scheme against me! Do you want to die?¡± he shouted inwardly. However, when he turned around and met Branden¡¯s ice-cold gaze, Scott shrank his neck, quickly retreating. He couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Branden. Scott looked up with a pitiful expression and gazed at Catherine. ¡± Catherine, it hurts!¡± ¡°Stand up!¡± Catherine coldly uttered two words, and Scott immediately stood up, assuming a military posture. Thomas approached Catherine, standing in front of her with a smile. ¡± It¡¯s only you who can manage this rascal!¡± Upon hearing that Thomas had arrived, Rhys rushed to the scene and stood at the operating room door. ¡°Mr. Theo, it¡¯s really you. Long time no see.¡± Rhys had the privilege of meeting Thomas at a previous academic symposium, and that had left him a deep impression. Having only heard briefly from Catherine, Rhys hadn¡¯t expected her to bring Thomas over so quickly. This level of influence was not something an ordinary person could possess. ¡°Mr. Parry, please provide me with Korbin¡¯s medical records. After reviewing them, I n to see the patient and make a decision based on the condition.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll arrange it right away.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After Rhys left, Thomas resumed a serious expression and looked at Catherine. ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯m here.¡± He knew better than anyone what Catherine had been through and understood her attitude toward Korbin. Catherine politely responded, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Theo!¡± Soon, Rhys brought Korbin¡¯s medical information. Finally, Thomas understood why Rhys had said their hospital wasn¡¯t confident about this surgery. The operation was extremely risky, mainly because Korbin¡¯s body was too weak to withstand such a powerful procedure. To save Korbin¡¯s life, the blood clots in his brain needed to be cleared. Many of these clots were connected to sensitive nerves, and mishandling them could lead to Korbin not even being able to get off the operating table. This was why the hospital hesitated to proceed with the surgery; they didn¡¯t dare to offend the Swanns due to Korbin¡¯s special status. Holding the information, Thomas said to Catherine, ¡°The situation is not optimistic. Let me go back and think tonight. If I cane up with a n by 8 a.m. tomorrow, we¡¯ll proceed with the surgery immediately!¡± Time was running out. One more second of dy would put Korbin in more danger. Catherine agreed, nodding. ¡°Okay.¡± Paxton took the initiative and respectfully invited Thomas, saying, ¡± Come with me!¡± But as soon as he finished speaking, Scott immediately rejected. He said, ¡± No, I don¡¯t want to stay in a hotel.¡± Scott looked at Catherine with pleading eyes. ¡°Catherine, can I stay with you?¡± As long as he could live under the same roof as Catherine, he would be happier than anything else. To increase his chances of staying with Catherine, Scott turned to ask his grandfather for permission. The two engaged in a series of gestures that were iprehensible to outsiders. To live under the same roof as Catherine, Scott reluctantly entered into an unequal treaty with his grandfather. After he agreed, Thomas said slowly, ¡± Cassie, I don¡¯t want to stay in a hotel either. I want to be with you guys.¡± Catherine looked up at Branden. Today, she would most likely stay at the Duncans¡¯ old mansion. Since it was the Duncans¡¯ ce, she couldn¡¯t make the decision herself and waited for Branden¡¯s opinion. Seeing Catherine look up at him, Branden understood her meaning and instructed Paxton beside him, ¡± Arrange a car to take Mr. Theo and the others to the old mansion.¡± Excited at the mention of going to the old mansion, Thomas asked, ¡°Cassie, do you guys mean the Duncans¡¯ old mansion? I mean, where Karl lives.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Catherine nodded slightly. Thomas seemed thrilled. ¡°Great! I haven¡¯t seen Karl in a long time. Perfect, I¡¯ll go meet him tonight.¡± ¡°Mr. Theo, do you know Karl?¡± Thomas joked and said, ¡°Of course, I know him. Back in the day, we evenpeted for the same girl.¡± Seeing that they were acquainted, Catherine had no more reservations and led them to the Duncans¡¯ old mansion together. Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Chapter 598 There¡¯s Hope After Catherine left, Karl waited in the living room. On a regr day at this hour, he would already be upstairs preparing for rest. Today, however, he sat in the living room with a spirited demeanor, and Simon came up to persuade him. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s gettingte. Let me help you upstairs!¡± Simon suggested. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Karl replied leisurely, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? They haven¡¯t returned yet. Why are you in a hurry?¡± Seeing Simon persisting, Karl became impatient. ¡°You old man, what do you understand? Catherine and the others haven¡¯te back yet. Catherine is a sensible girl, unlike Branden. If she¡¯s noting back, she¡¯ll let me know. If she doesn¡¯t say anything, she¡¯lle back. I¡¯m waiting for her!¡± Simonined quietly in his heart. People who didn¡¯t know might think Karl was Catherine¡¯s grandfather. Never had he seen someone so caring for a future daughter-inw. In Karl¡¯s eyes, his grandson was like a weed, and the prospective daughter-inw was the treasure. As for his son, he probably didn¡¯t even rank as high as a weed! Just as they finished chatting, they heard a car honk at the door. pping his thigh in joy, Karl looked at Simon with satisfaction. ¡°See, I told you. Catherine is a sensible child. She knows I¡¯m waiting for her, so she¡¯ll definitelye back.¡± Simon quickly agreed and said with a smile, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Miss Swann understands you the best!¡± This struck a chord with Karl, and he nodded happily. As Catherine entered the house with Branden, she noticed Karl sitting in the living room, and she was stunned for a moment. ¡°Karl, why haven¡¯t you rested yet?¡± Karl smiled nonchntly and replied, ¡± I had a hearty dinner tonight, so I¡¯ll restter. How¡¯s it going at the hospital? Everything alright?¡± Simon, standing aside, silently rubbed his nose. He thought Karl was a master of lying, even more so than in the past. He showed no sign of embarrassment, no change in expression, not even a blink of his eye. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine at the hospital. I brought two friends back; I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Catherine said. Karl waved generously. ¡°This is your home. Why would I mind when you have guests? If you can do this, it means you consider this your home. I¡¯m more than happy!¡± Just as he finished speaking, a vigorous voice sounded from behind. ¡°Karl, I came all the way here, and youe out to greet me!¡± didn¡¯t Thomas deliberately let Catherine and the others enter first, wanting to see Karl¡¯s reaction. ¡°This voice sounds somewhat familiar. ¡°Karl frowned, looking at Catherine in front of him. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°See for yourself!¡± Catherine said, stepping aside to make way. Karl carefully examined the person and recognized him instantly. He stood up in an instant. ¡°You brat, what are you doing in my house?¡± Thomas did not get upset and approached Karl with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, and your temper hasn¡¯t changed a bit!¡± Karl pretended to be unhappy. He snorted and stared at Thomas, hands behind his back. ¡°Is it you who tricked Catherine into bringing you here, thinking she¡¯s easy to talk?¡± ¡°Heh, do you think I can trick Catherine? You overestimate me,¡± Thomas responded with a disdainful tone. ¡°Let me tell you, Catherine is exceptional. Only you have the blessing to have such a good grandson, winning her over. It¡¯s truly enviable!¡± Karl was very proud to hear those words, and the slight unpleasantness in his heart instantly disappeared. ¡°This is true. With a daughter-inw like Catherine, I am very proud.¡± Branden, seeing the two old men reminiscing, pulled Catherine upstairs. Simon followed, quietly saying, ¡°Mr. Branden, you and Miss Swann can rest without worrying. I¡¯ll take care of the rest!¡± With Simon taking care of things, Catherine didn¡¯t need to worry. She followed Branden upstairs to rest. Early the next morning, Catherine set off for the hospital with Thomas. In the car, Thomas was still eximing, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for having to perform surgery today, I could have had a bottle of good wine with Karlst night. It¡¯s been more than ten years; we both have aged!¡± Hearing his grandfather¡¯s words, Scott couldn¡¯t help but taunt him. ¡°Grandpa, with your current drinking capacity, I¡¯m afraid two drinks would be enough; no need for a whole bottle.¡± ¡°You brat!¡± Thomas was angered and scolded. Amidst the argument, the group arrived at the hospital. Audrey hadn¡¯t returned homest night and had been waiting at the hospital. As soon as she saw Thomas, she quickly approached him. ¡°Dr. Miracle, do you have a solution for my father¡¯s illness?¡± Knowing she was Catherine¡¯s sister, Thomas treated her quite well. ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ve got it. If the surgery goes well, your father not only can keep his life, but he might also recover even better. If it¡¯s not sessful, at worst, he¡¯ll go back to the way he was. In any case, I can save his life.¡± Hearing this, Audrey breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. Thank you, Dr. Miracle!¡± Thomas went to prepare for the surgery, and everyone waited in the corridor outside the operating room. Around noon, Liana arrived. She didn¡¯t want to talk to Catherine and went straight to Audrey. ¡°Audrey, I heard a miracle doctor came to perform surgery on Dad. Is that true?¡± Audrey nodded. ¡°Yes, Catherine brought him here. The doctor said Dad¡¯s life can be saved, and if the surgery goes well, he might even recover fully and be able to talk and walk.¡± Just as she finished speaking, Audrey noticed Liana seemed slightly off. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so preupied, and there¡¯s a hint of unhappiness?¡± Liana forced a faint smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just worried about Dad. After all, this is a major surgery, and I¡¯m afraid.¡± Hearing her say this, Audrey felt somewhat relieved. She always felt Liana had be somewhat cold and heartless after Korbin¡¯s injury. Although Liana was busy with work and hade a few times, she hadn¡¯t returned after going to Loxton. Even her visits were less frequent than Catherine¡¯s. As the most beloved daughter, this was uneptable. Now, seeing Liana show concern for her father, Audrey felt a bit better. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Theo is extremely skilled. He will personally perform the surgery, and everything will be fine!¡± Liana sat aside, lowering her head. There was a hint of panic in her eyes. She looked very nervous, and many people thought she was worried about her father, so they didn¡¯t think much of it. But only Liana knew what was really going on. She was in a state of panic, unable to think of a solution. Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Sessful Surgery The surgerysted a full three hours, and at almost one o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the lights in the operating room finally went out. Thomas, wearing surgical attire, emerged from the operating room. He was slightly trembling, showing signs of fatigue. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Scott immediately went to support his grandfather. Although he often bantered with his grandfather on ordinary days, he cared more about the old man than anyone else at crucial moments. ¡°Grandpa, you should rest for a while!¡± ¡°I am still strong. No problem!¡± Thomas sat down, panting yet with a smiling face. Audrey was deeply worried. If she hadn¡¯t seen Thomas being too tired just now, she would have immediately inquired about the situation. Now, all she could do was stand patiently on the side, waiting for Thomas to catch his breath before providing them with answers. Thomas had been a doctor for so many years, so how could he not understand what his patients were feeling? After resting for a while, Thomas turned to Audrey and slowly said, ¡± Don¡¯t worry. Your father¡¯s surgery was very sessful. Not only did we save his life, but we also cleared the blood clots in his brain!¡± Upon hearing this, Audrey was so excited that she almost jumped up. She turned around and grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand, eagerly asking, ¡°Did you hear that? Dad is going to be okay!¡± Catherine nodded calmly, showing no excessive excitement. She had brought Thomas here only to save Korbin¡¯s life; what happened afterward was not her concern. Unnoticed by everyone, Liana, who had been silently standing in the corner, slipped away after hearing this news. In the hallway, Liana trembled, unsure of what to do. If Catherine and the others found out that she was the cause of her father¡¯s condition, they would not spare her. She had now realized one thing-she currentlycked the power to defeat Catherine. She could only wait patiently for an opportunity, a chance to bring Catherine down. But Catherine would surelye after her if her father woke up and revealed the truth. Without the ability to fight back, how could she confront Catherine? After all the effort and grievances she had endured, she couldn¡¯t bear to give up now. No, she absolutely could not give up. If her father could sleep once, then let him sleep a second time. As long as he kept his life, that would be enough. Korbin was wheeled out of the operating room and transferred to the intensive care unit. Having just undergone surgery, he wouldn¡¯t wake up so quickly; he needed to be observed for another three days. For a long time toe, he would need to stay in the intensive care unit, gradually recovering. Audrey was overjoyed with this oue, She had never thought that her father would have a chance to get better, and all of this was closely tied to Catherine. From Rhys, she had learned how powerful Mr. Theo was and understood that the more skilled a person was, the harder they were to approach. Who would bother with them if it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s influence? Audrey felt sorry for Catherine. She had been treated poorly since childhood, and yet she repaid it with kindness in the end. ¡°Kathy, you guys go back. The surgery is over now, and I¡¯ll take care of things here. I¡¯ve asked Kim to help me reschedule some of my actingmitments. For the next while, I¡¯ll fully focus on caring for Dad.¡± Catherine hadn¡¯t been raised by her parents since childhood, and after finally returning to the Swanns, she still faced unfair treatment. Audrey believed that she didn¡¯t owe anything to her parents. Audrey, however, was different. Her parents had raised her, and now, she couldn¡¯t rest easy to entrust her father to Rachael¡¯s care, so naturally, she had to take time out to care for her father. Catherine had no objections. She had already arranged for caregivers; if Audrey insisted, she could stay. She had no obligation to Korbin and wouldn¡¯t sacrifice her time to care for him. Saving Korbin¡¯s life was the kindest thing she had ever done in her life. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine told Branden, and they all left the hospital together. With the critical surgery over, the rest could be handled by Rhys and the hospital staff, and Thomas did not need to stay. He left with Catherine and the others. Seeing Catherine¡¯s group leaving, Liana felt secretly triumphant. She had been worried that with Catherine around, she wouldn¡¯t find a suitable opportunity. To her surprise, Catherine didn¡¯t care about Korbin at all. Now that they were gone, she could carry out her ns. After leaving the hospital, Catherine had Branden take her to the Swann Corporation. Since going to Loxton, she had entrusted the Swann Corporation to a professional manager. Now that she was back, it was a good time to check on things. Initially, she wanted to send Thomas to the Duncans¡¯ old mansion to catch up with Karl. Unexpectedly, Thomas disagreed and insisted on following her. ¡°Cassie, take me with you. I promise not to disturb your work!¡± Seeing his determination, Catherine agreed. She took Branden¡¯s car keys and personally drove. As soon as she pressed the elerator, the high- performance car sped away. Scott, who had never been in such a fast car, turned pale with fright. ¡± Catherine, can you drive a bit slower?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still so green!¡± Upon hearing his grandfather¡¯s teasing, Scott turned around, ready to mock him. Unexpectedly, his grandfather remained calm, steadily sitting in the back seat without even blinking. It was as if the high- speed racing car did not affect him. Seeing his grandson nce over, Thomas calmly said, ¡°When I used to race, your father was still in school.¡± This remark left Scottpletely at a loss for words. If he retorted, it would be the same as insulting his own father. His grandfather was too cunning. Scott could not say anything and obediently sat in the seat. Catherine drove the car to its top speed, then stopped by a park. She pushed open the car door and stepped out, with Thomas following suit. Just as Scott was about to move, Thomas stopped him with a stern look. ¡°Sit still!¡± Rarely did his grandfather look so serious, and Scott was startled, obediently sitting back down. Catherine leaned against the side of a corridor, waiting for Thomas to walk over slowly. Supporting himself with a cane, Thomas panted as he reached Catherine¡¯s side. Just as he stopped, heughed and pretended to scold Catherine, saying, ¡± Girl, how can you walk that fast with your long legs? Don¡¯t bully the old man! Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at him. ¡°Mr. Theo, just say what you have to say.¡± Seeing her like this, Thomas, with his straightforward nature, didn¡¯t bother concealing anything. He burst intoughter. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re indeed sharp. Nothing can escape your notice!¡± Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Wee Back, Miss Swann Material ? N?velDrama.Org. The reason Thomas didn¡¯t agree to go to the Duncans¡¯ old mansion but followed Catherine was because he wanted to talk to her privately. Catherine noticed this, so she took the keys from Branden and left with Thomas. Catherine leaned casually on the corridor, revealing her perfect figure effortlessly. A gentle breeze tousled her hair, causing it to flutter in the wind. Thomas nced at her. When he first met Catherine, she was only eleven years old. At that time, she already showed her sharpness as a rebellious and cold teenage girl. There was no childishness in her that should have been present at her age and no ordinary warmth. She was like a cold machine, indifferent to everything. However, ever since he learned about her rtionship with Branden, he saw different emotions in Catherine¡¯s eyes. She seemed to be just like an ordinary little girl. He was genuinely happy for Catherine. He didn¡¯t expect to see this in his lifetime, and it was a rare sight. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve contacted the Breens?¡± Catherine confronted the Facers through the Breens, extracting a considerable sum. Although it was confidential, for the major families, it wasn¡¯t difficult to uncover such information. Many people now wanted to know Catherine¡¯s true identity. After returning to the Swanns, she quickly took control of the whole family with strength. That was already astonishing. What was more, who would have thought she was also the mastermind behind the Skybow Group and now connected to the Breens? The Breens, on her behalf, took the initiative to approach the Facers. Otherwise, how could the Facers, firmly rooted in Loxton for a century, easily hand over half of their family fortune to Catherine? The Duncans had always been secretly using their connections to keep Catherine¡¯s identity hidden. Others might not understand the intricacies, but Thomas was one of the few who knew the situation. ¡°I received a message. Shane wants you to go back, right?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Catherine looked up and chuckled, her indifferent eyes filled with disdain and coldness. ¡°Should I just go if he wants me to go back?¡± She was used to ordering others; no one had the authority to order her. Catherine nced at the time; 15 minutes remained until her scheduled meeting with Linda. Driving from here would be just right. ¡°I¡¯m leaving if there¡¯s no other business.¡± Watching Catherine¡¯s graceful departure, Thomas shook his head helplessly. He didn¡¯t know how things would develop in the end. After Catherine kicked Scott out of the car, he hurried to his grandfather. ¡± Grandpa, did you make Catherine angry?¡± Thomas red at him angrily. ¡°Kid, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t anger Catherine, why did she leave with such a cold aura, as if she was about to settle something with someone?¡± Scott looked puzzled as he stared at his grandfather. The way Catherine carried herself made it seem like she was prepared to take on an entire group alone. Thomas sighed. Catherine would have to resolve this herself. After figuring that out, Thomas raised his hand and pped the back of Scott¡¯s head. He shouted, ¡°You brat,e on, let¡¯s go for a walk!¡± Scott rubbed his head in pain, his face twisted. ¡°Grandpa, can¡¯t you speak nicely? Why did you hit me?¡± The two bickered as they left. At 2:10 p.m., Catherine¡¯s car smoothly parked in front of the Swann Corporation building. She drove Branden¡¯s car, a symbol of top-tier status in both the license te and emblem. The security guard approached promptly, opening the car door courteously. ¡°Miss, may I ask which floor you¡¯re going to and whom you¡¯re looking for?¡± Catherine nced and saw that the security personnel at the Swann Corporation had changed since she wasst there. Linda, who had been waiting downstairs, saw Catherine and immediately approached along with her team, respectfully bowing to Catherine. ¡°Wee back, Miss Swann. We¡¯re honored to have you inspecting.¡± After her words, the high-ranking executives behind her collectively shouted, exuding an imposing and somewhat domineering aura. The security guard was momentarily stunned. Although he had heard that the current chairperson was a youngdy, he hadn¡¯t seen her, and he never expected the young chairperson to be so young and beautiful. After regaining hisposure, the security guard stood straight and respectfully saluted Catherine. ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Swann!¡± Catherine nced at him, and Linda immediately stepped forward. ¡°Miss Swann, these security personnel just took office this month. Following your instructions, we rotate positions every month.¡± Catherine had requested regr rotation for security positions, especially at the front gate. Although seemingly inconspicuous, these positions could have a fatal impact. Anyone entering or leaving thepany would encounter the gate security. If one person stayed in this position for too long, there was a risk of people seeking opportunities for personal gain. If a security guard understood the attendance patterns of internal employees and leaked that information, it could significantly impact thepany. Catherine nodded slightly and replied coldly, ¡°Good.¡± With her cold reply, the atmosphere among those present seemed to dete. Despite Catherine¡¯s young age and resemnce to current pop stars, her business acumen, as reflected in the Swann Corporation¡¯s financial reports over the past two quarters, was beyond what even Vicente could achieve. The decisions that led to significant profits were all projects approved by Catherine, this new chairperson. Vicente¡¯s two right-hand men, Leonel and Linda, were now following her orders obediently. Thepany¡¯s continuous growth was assured even if she wasn¡¯t physically present at the Swann Corporation. With such capabilities, who would dare to underestimate her? ¡°Miss Swann, please follow me.¡± Linda led Catherine up to the top-floor conference room of the Swann Corporation. Catherine instructed Linda to disy the cooperation n with the Grelin Group on therge screen in the conference room. Sitting at the head of the table, Catherine¡¯s posture was extremely casual, in stark contrast to the serious executives below. Yet, none dared to underestimate her presence. As her spokesperson, Linda stood dutifully at her side. Linda immediately conveyed her message with a slight lift of Catherine¡¯s gaze. ¡°Managers, Miss Swann would like to hear your opinions on this project. Any thoughts or ideas are wee.¡± With these words, discussions erupted below. Some advocated for continuing the coboration, while others believed the required capital was too vast, posing a threat to the Swann Corporation¡¯s stability. After all, with the Swann Corporation flourishing, there was no need to take such a risky gamble. Since the Grelin Group had yielded and was willing to bear all the consequences by withdrawing, it might be better to drop this project. Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Mighty and Domineering Catherine The crowd was discussing very intensely. But they just could not find amon solution. Everyone had their own opinions and felt that their ideas were more reasonable. In the end, the decision returned to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, what is your opinion?¡± Catherine handed the documents she brought to Linda at the side and instructed, ¡°Show them!¡± After everyone received the documents, Catherine began the formal notification. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to continue with the Grelin Group¡¯s project, but I don¡¯t intend to cooperate with the Grelin Group. I¡¯ve already made a deal with the Facers in Loxton, and I¡¯ll choose them as the partners for this project. As for the funding issue, I¡¯ll solve it!¡± Catherine¡¯s domineering remarks carry an irresistible majesty. She was not telling them her opinion at all but announcing her decision to these high- level officials. Those who could sit there and have a meeting with Catherine were all smart. The moment Catherine said those words, everyone knew what she meant. Linda was the first to apud. ¡°Miss Swann, thank you for giving us such a great n and project and bringing the Swann Corporation to prosperity!¡± The rest of the executives immediately responded and followed in agreement. Catherine did not like long meetings. After she finished saying what she needed, she stood up and left with her cell phone. Linda then ended the meeting and left after Catherine. When the two of them ultimately walked away, the conference room was immediately filled with the voices of discussion. However, the object of their discussion was Catherine. ¡°Did you guys feel it? Miss Swann¡¯s aura is too strong. Didn¡¯t she just turn 20?¡± ¡°Yes, I felt it. She has already developed such a strong aura at the age of 20. I will never reach her level in my lifetime! ¡°Grelin Group pulled out, and she immediately found the new partners. There aren¡¯t many people in the entire business world with this kind of boldness and means like her, right?¡± ¡°Miss Swann is really young, beautiful, and capable. I heard that she is engaged to the young heir of the Duncans. The Swann Corporation has a great future ahead of it.¡± Their discussions were naturally inaudible to Catherine, but Catherine did not care what they said. Vicente handed over the Swann Corporation to Catherine. Catherine made a deal with Vicente, so she had to ensure the interests and longevity of the Swann Corporation. Catherine returned to the chairperson¡¯s office, apanied by Linda. Seeing that she seemed a bit tired, Linda immediately served the prepared choctes and desserts. ¡°Miss Swann, I heard that you have a bit of low blood sugar. Have some chocte!¡± The familiar wrapper made Catherine raise her head and look at Linda once more. Her gaze made Linda, who had been working in the business world for a long time, feel a bit palpitated. Linda immediately understood Catherine¡¯s meaning and hurriedly exined, ¡°I learned it from Leonel. I heard Mr. Duncan specially arranged this chocte for you, so I have these in stock at thepany.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. As the general secretary, Linda would specifically memorize her boss¡¯s preferences in case of emergencies. Although Catherine came to thepany less frequently, Linda did it just in case. She did a great job. Hearing Linda¡¯s response, Catherine pursed her lips and smiled softly. She said softly, ¡°I finally understand why Vicente would keep you for so many years.¡± Vicente was an entric person by nature. He did not even trust his own son, but he was convinced of Leonel and Linda. This was also because of his unique way of judging people. Linda guffawed and joked. ¡°Can I take this as apliment from you?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Catherine replied very casually. The interlude made the atmosphere in the office a little more pleasant. Linda hurriedly reported what she had to say while Catherine was still in a good mood. ¡°Miss Swann, I have something here that might need your attention!¡± Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Chapter 602 The Purpose of the Breens Catherine tore open the wrapper of a piece of chocte. She took the chocte into her mouth and then waved her slender fingers twice. Linda immediately understood what she meant and then reported what she found. ¡°Miss Swann, we inadvertently discovered that an overseaspany was acquiring the fractional shares of the Swann Corporation. It¡¯s not arge amount, but there hasn¡¯t been much good news circting in the market for the Swann Corporationtely, so it seems a bit out of the ordinary.¡± Catherine took the chocte wrapper and started to fold it deftly as she asked without lifting her head. ¡°Did you check thepany?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Linda went to investigate the situation as soon as she received the news. ¡°The other party¡¯s background information is clean, and it seems they often do things like this to make money through luck.¡± Such behavior, somewhat of a gambler, was collecting the fractional shares of somepanies on the market that seemed to be growing well and then waiting for the appreciation to sell them off to make a profit. If the recent news about the Swann Corporation in the market was good news, then this matter seemed normal. However, the Swann Corporation¡¯s recent actions were notably low-key. After learning about the situation, Linda paid more attention to it. She had not paid much attention to it initially, but at that moment, she discovered something was wrong. ¡°Miss Swann, just the day before yesterday, we found that another simrpany has made the same behavior. It looks like a coincidence if we put the two together!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Catherine smiled faintly. There were not that many coincidences in the world. The vast majority of coincidences were merely intentional. ¡°The result of your investigation is still that the other party¡¯s background is very clean, and the two companies aren¡¯t connected at all, right?¡± Linda nodded. She was somewhat surprised by Catherine¡¯s keen intuition. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Miss Swann.¡± As Linda said those words, the chocte wrapper in Catherine¡¯s hand was folded into a delicate rose. Linda could not help butpliment Catherine heartily when she saw it. ¡± That¡¯s exquisite!¡± Catherine graciously handed over the rose. ¡°It¡¯s for you!¡± Linda reached out and took it without hesitation. ¡°Thanks, Miss Swann!¡± Catherine then said carelessly, ¡°Send Ronin the information on those twopanies. He can find out what you can¡¯t find out!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Linda walked out of the office after she finished reporting her work. With her back to the door, she stood at the door of the chairperson¡¯s office. She let out a deep sigh. She knew that, at this moment, her back must be covered in sweat. She had not felt such a powerful sense of oppression even after following Vicente for so long. But it was different when she was in front of Catherine. Catherine¡¯s seemingly careless posture carried a powerful, oppressive aura. It made people tread with caution and always tense up to handle everything. Linda nced down at the delicate paper rose in her hand, and a smile surfaced at the corner of her mouth. She did not expect someone as cold as Catherine to have such a handy side. Half an hour after Linda sent the information to Ronin, Catherine received a call from Ronin. She came to thepany in a hurry this time, and Ronin did not even follow her. ¡°Catherine, check it out!¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Catherine grunted lightly. The reason Ronin could track down the news that Swann Corporation could not track down for a few days within half an hour was not because Ronin was much stronger than the Swann Corporation but because Ronin was very familiar with it. ¡°They¡¯re both smallpanies owned by the Breens. The Breens supposedly manipted them!¡± Ronin¡¯s voice sounded a little sad. ¡°Catherine, they don¡¯t seem to be hiding anything from us. They didn¡¯t even change the encryption channel!¡± Catherine curled her lips and slightly raised the corners of her mouth. There was a seeming smile on her face. ¡°They not only have no intention of hiding anything from us but also put their hands on the Swann Corporation. They are warning me!¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s reply, all Ronin¡¯s nerves tensed up. He knew better than anyone how scary the Breens were. He and Catherine both escape from the Breens. When they first escaped, they both almost died. Now that Shane was looking for them. Could they be able to escape again? Even Ronin was not sure. ¡°Catherine, should we deploy in advance? We¡¯ve umted so much capital over the years, so we can still fight back at an appropriate time.¡± Ronin¡¯s voice carried determination in it. As long as Catherine gave an order, he would do everything possible to make it. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Let¡¯s wait a little longer!¡± After saying that, Catherine hung up directly without waiting for Ronin¡¯s response. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. In Casier, since Branden¡¯s return to Loxton, the president¡¯s office at the Duncan Corporation headquarters had been vacant for some time. It was rare for it to be so lively today. Triston and the others had alle. Triston had finished reporting Casier¡¯s situation to Branden, but Branden had no response. Triston was anxious. ¡°Branden, could you please just say something? Could you just give me a simple response? Now, the Breens are eager to make a move, and during your absence, they have already put their hands on Casier. We can¡¯t just sit idly by, can we?¡± As members of one of the Four Noble Families in Casier, Triston, and his family absolutely would not allow the Breens to stir up trouble in Casier. Although the Breens were indeed powerful, the Four Noble Families in Casier were not useless, especially the Duncans. The Duncans now were as strong as ever, even better than back then. As long as the Four Noble Families worked together, it was not easy for the Breens to gain an advantage in Casier. Branden raised his head slightly, his cold gaze mockingly scanning Triston. In that instant, Triston felt the pressure. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Seeing that Triston still did not understand Branden¡¯s meaning, Paxton could not help but remind him. ¡°Mr. Lambert, take it easy. Mr. Duncan feels that it¡¯s not yet time to take action.¡± Triston was truly admiring Branden¡¯s calmness. Branden could still sit calmly even when his enemies were making a scene in front of him. Among all Triston¡¯s friends, Branden was the only one with this calmness. He grumbled angrily, ¡°Whatever. When the Lamberts are really in trouble, you all have to give a hand!¡± ¡°Did anyone say they were directed at your Lamberts?¡± Branden raised his eyebrows, his deep eyes looking straight toward Triston. Triston reacted at once and took a step forward joyfully. ¡°Branden, do you know something? The Breense to Casier this time with such a big action. What exactly are they here for?¡± Triston was particrly curious. He wanted to get the answer from Branden. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Branden¡¯s cold words disappointed Triston. He knew that Branden could not have lied. There was absolutely no need for that. Even Branden did not know the reason, so it was obvious how tricky this matter was. Paxton noticed the alerting from his cell phone. After he tapped on it to check the situation, he immediately reported it to Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann is driving toward thepany!¡± Catherine had driven Branden¡¯s car to the Swann Corporation. His car had a positioning system, and his phone could provide him with updates at any time. After hearing the report, Branden immediately stood up and walked out of the office. Triston called after him, ¡°Where are you going? Our conversation isn¡¯t even over yet!¡± Paxton tugged on his arm. ¡°Mr. Lambert, Mr. Duncan is going to pick up someone. You¡¯d better not follow as the extra person!¡± Paxton¡¯s words made Triston¡¯s face turn green with anger. Triston could not help butin in a low voice, ¡± He¡¯s the only one who has a girlfriend? I have one, too. I¡¯m going to pick up my girlfriend from work, too. I don¡¯t envy him at all!¡± Paxton, who had just taken two steps, heard these words. He turned back with a faint smile, raising his eyebrows, and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Audrey not yet agreed? Or Mr. Lambert, have you changed your woman again?¡± Upon hearing that, Triston¡¯s face turned from green to ck. He was so angry that the veins on his neck bulged out. ¡°Bastard, you¡¯re talking nonsense. I¡¯ve always been dedicated to Audrey. She will be my girlfriend sooner orter. Just wait and see.¡± Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Chapter 603 He¡¯s Poisoned Catherine had just parked her car when she saw Branden standing in a spot not far ahead. She pushed open the car door and slowly got out. Branden had alreadye to her side after she got out of the car. He looked at her gently with his deep eyes. ¡°Are we going upstairs or going back?¡± Catherine originally wanted toe and return the car to Branden, but she did not expect Branden to come downstairs to find her. It looked like he should have finished his official business and could leave. ¡°If you¡¯re free, let¡¯s go back.¡± They rarely made a trip back to Casier these days, and Karl looked forward to them returning to the old house every day. It just so happened that they were done with their business, so Catherine thought of going back early to apany Karl. ¡°Okay!¡± Branden responded gently. Taking the key from Catherine¡¯s hand, he pulled open the car door and let her sit in the passenger seat. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back!¡± Not long after the car had set off, the cell phone inside Catherine¡¯s pocket rang. She answered the call and immediately instructed Branden to turn around. ¡°To the hospital!¡± Branden immediately turned on the turn signals. He changed the car¡¯s direction before asking about the situation. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Something happened to Korbin!¡± Catherine said in a cold voice before Branden mmed his foot on the gas. The car traveled down the road at a breakneck speed. The two got to the hospital as fast as they could. Audrey was guarding outside the hospital room. At this moment, her eyes were already red, and her hands were involuntarily trembling. Seeing Catherine appear, she rushed toward Catherine as if she had found her support. ¡°Kathy, you finally came. Dad¡­ he is dying!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Catherine inquired with a frown. On the phone, she had only heard that Korbin was dying. She didn¡¯t know exactly what was going on. Thomas had previously clearly stated that Korbin¡¯s illness had recovered to the best possible oue. How could something suddenly happen to him? Audrey shook her head with her eyes red. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Dad was fine in the morning. Mr. Theo checked on Dad in the morning and said that Dad would probably wake up today or tomorrow at thetest. But then, in the afternoon, Dad suddenly stopped breathing. Mr. Parry said he was dying. Mr. Theo is here and is trying to save him!¡± Korbin was on the verge of waking up, and suddenly this happened. It was too much of a coincidence. Was it someone intentionally not wanting Korbin to wake up, or was he really so unlucky that even Thomas couldn¡¯t save him? Compared to Audrey, who was at a loss for words and panicked, Catherine was much calmer. She kept her eyes on the emergency room. Only after the lights in the emergency room went out and the door opened did Catherine pace up to Thomas. ¡°He has been rescued but is not out of danger yet. Whether he can get through it or not depends on tonight.¡± Hearing that, Audrey¡¯s newly relieved nerves tensed up again. Thomas¡¯ body swayed, and Catherine immediately stepped forward to support him. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to rest!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Seeing that Thomas had exhausted himself in order to save Korbin, everyone dared not say anything and watched as Catherine helped him leave. After the two entered the lounge, Catherine immediately released Thomas¡¯s hand. She walked gracefully to the nearby chair and sat down. Thomas, who was weak earlier, was now as energetic as a young man. He grunted at Catherine in dissatisfaction. ¡°How could you do that to me? It¡¯s only one step away from the chair, but you took the seat before helping me take it! Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at Thomas with a light smile. ¡± Stop pretending. Tell me now. What exactly is going on?¡± Thomas knew that the matter was urgent, so he stopped joking and returned to the topic. ¡°He was rescued. Thanks to your sister¡¯s timely discovery, otherwise, no one could have been able to save him. But it wasn¡¯t because of the postoperativeplications!¡± Without waiting for Thomas to finish, Catherine suddenly opened her mouth and coldly uttered two words. ¡°He¡¯s poisoned!¡± Thomas was shocked and looked at Catherine dumbfounded. ¡°How do you know?¡± Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Chapter 604 She¡¯s My Fianc¨¦e Facing Thomas¡¯ surprise, Catherine said calmly, ¡°I believe in your medical skills!¡± Catherine¡¯s words made Thomas ecstatic. Thomas was instantly filled with smiles as if he had heard some good news. ¡°I know. You¡¯re smart. My medical skills are absolutely great. As long as they are the people I want to save, even if they are dead, I can bring them back to life.¡¯ Catherine leaned back on the chair gracefully. She stretched out her hand, and her slender fingers waved a few times at Thomas gently. Thomas immediately understood what she meant and got close to her. Catherine whispered a few words, and the smile on Thomas¡¯ face grew brighter and brighter. After hearing Catherine¡¯s words, his eyes glowed with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s fun. So interesting. Cassie, ying games is still your specialty. This game is fun. I¡¯ll cooperate with you!¡± The two returned to the crowd after their discussion. Thomas instructed Audrey, ¡°Your father needs someone to take care of him at all times during this period. You need to find someone to arrange it, and it¡¯s best if someone takes turns taking care of him with you. If you take care of him alone, you will soon be overwhelmed.¡± Audrey nodded and memorized all the notes that Thomas exined. ¡°Okay, gotcha!¡± Audrey felt uneasy if she left the job of taking care of her father to someone else. She thought to herself, ¡°After all, others are all rted to interests, and they have no substantial blood rtionship with Dad. They¡¯re not reliable enough. Catherine and Dad severed their rtionship a long time ago. Dad never even raised her for a day, but she has already done enough for Dad. If I ask Catherine to take care of Dad, it¡¯s not right.¡± After making a decision, Audrey turned her gaze to Liana, who was on the side. After their father¡¯s ident, the first person Audrey notified was Catherine, and the second was Liana. It was just that Liana came and sat there without making a sound the entire time. Audrey was so flustered just now that she didn¡¯t pay attention to Liana. Audrey walked to Liana and said to her in a low voice, ¡°Liana, you are also Dad¡¯s daughter. Dad has loved you the most since we were children, and now that Dad needs us, you take turns with me to take care of him together. You can choose whether you want to take care of Dad during the day or at night.¡± Liana put her hands together tightly and looked up at Audrey slowly. She seemed a little hesitant, but she nodded in the next second. ¡°Okay!¡± Audrey was relieved to see her agree. She went back to Catherine and said, ¡± Kathy, we¡¯ll be here to take care of Dad. You can go back first!¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Catherine stifled a grunt and turned to leave. What surprised Audrey was that Liana did not get angry this time. Catherine had left, and Liana did not say anything. Could it really be that their father¡¯s critical illness made Liana realize the preciousness of family affection and stop fighting with Catherine? Catherine got a call from Rodge right after she left the hospital. ¡°Chief, our project team has hit a bottleneck. I heard that you are in Casier. Can you provide us with a little help?¡± Catherine nced at the time. It was still early. ¡°Okay. Send me the information. I¡¯ll find a ce to study it and let you know! She didn¡¯t avoid Branden when she answered the phone call. Although the voice on the other end of the line was low, Branden had already heard the main content of their conversation. ¡°There is a Red Starboratory in Casier. Do you want ¡®me to send you there?¡± Catherine was worried that she might be unable to find a professional ce to conduct experiments for a while, but Branden brought this surprise. ¡°Yes!¡± Outsiders thought that the core of Red Star was in Loxton, but ever since Branden took over Red Star, he had done a lot of reforms. He distributed Red Star¡¯s bases in different ces, focusing on the same proportion. This prevented any idents from happening at any of the bases without affecting the operation of the entire Red Star. When Branden appeared at the base, the group of researchers, whose minds were filled with experimental program data, were shocked for the first time. They didn¡¯t expect their boss to make a sudden visit, and even more so, they didn¡¯t expect their boss to bring a beautiful woman to make the visit. This was something that had never happened before. After Catherine arrived at the experimental base, she raised her hand and pointed directly ahead after looking around. ¡°I want to that room!¡± Branden nodded without any hesitation. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll unlock it for you! After Catherine entered theboratory, she turned around and closed the door. Branden was mercilessly blocked outside the door. Those around them who noticed this scene froze on the spot in shock. They couldn¡¯t believe the scene in front of their eyes. Surprisingly, someone dared to treat their boss like this and openly reject him. Most importantly, their boss did not get angry, and the corners of his mouth still seemed to smile. It appeared that he was in a good mood. This was really too bizarre, right? After Catherine entered theboratory, she started doing the simplest deduction with the data Rodge sent her. She wanted to find out the reason why the experiment kept getting stuck in an infinite loop and could not yield results. Catherine did not know that thisboratory was connected to severalboratories outside. The data she studied inside theboratory were visible outside. At first, those researchers were gossiping about Catherine¡¯s identity and appearance, but now they werepletely overwhelmed by Catherine¡¯s experimental data. One by one, their eyes widened as they looked at the screen. They were somewhat unable to believe what they were seeing. The head of theboratory came to Branden¡¯s side in amazement and eximed excitedly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, where did you poach this professional? She is working on the most important project for our base this year. Her progress is much faster than ours. It¡¯s really amazing!¡± The head of theboratory, who had always been arrogant and only submissive to Branden, actually praised someone other than Branden in public. This was truly strange. This made the crowd admire Catherine, who was doing experiments inside theboratory, more and more. The head of theboratory looked at the data jumping on the screen and was so excited that his heart was about to jump out of his throat. ¡°Mr. Duncan, she¡¯s such a talent. Please keep her in ourboratory. I guarantee that I will be able to take ourboratory to new heights, and it¡¯s not impossible to make ourboratory the number one in the world!¡± Branden tilted his head and said calmly, ¡°We still need to respect her opinion regarding this matter.¡± It was the first time the head of theboratory had heard Branden say such words. He had known Branden for so many years, and the thing he admired most about Branden was his superb ability. Many impossible things would be possible in front of Branden. The head of theboratory got more and more curious about Catherine¡¯s identity. ¡°Mr. Duncan, who is she?¡± Finally, he asked to the point. Branden calmly said, ¡°She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e!¡± This statement shocked everyone present. It turned out that this beautiful girl was Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦. After hearing this shocking gossip, the researchers on the side discussed it in low voices. ¡°Why do I feel that when our boss said that girl¡¯s identity, there was a bit of smugness in his words?¡± Another researcher rolled his eyes at the one who spoke and said in a low voice, ¡°If I have such a fianc¨¦e, I¡¯ll also be smug!¡± Anyone who had such a super capable fianc¨¦e would be smug.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 605 Chapter 605 Chapter 605 The Show Started The entire experimental project could not bepleted overnight. There was no way that Catherine alone couldplete the entire experimental project. The problem Rodge encountered was a tiny part of the whole project. After Catherine verified it again, she figured out what was wrong with the data. She made modifications to the data and ran the entire program twice again. After confirming there was no problem, she sent the data to Rodge. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡¯ve made changes to the experimental data. You can continue the project!¡± Rodge breathed a deep sigh of relief. In order to find out the error, he worked hard for three consecutive days and nights without finding any results. After sending the data to Catherine, it only took half a day for her to sort out the problem. ¡°Catherine, if you cane back and focus on this experiment with me, the process of our experiment will definitely be able to go twice as fast!¡± Rodge even felt that as long as Catherine came back, this experiment could bepleted without a doubt. Hearing Rodge¡¯s sigh, Catherine smiled lightly. ¡°I¡¯m different from you. I may not be able to do what you can do!¡± Rodge was a born scientist. His concentration and patience could allow him to sink his teeth into a focused experiment. Catherine was different. She had too many things to deal with. There was no way she could focus on one thing. Keeping her in theboratory would just be a waste of her time. Rodge understood this, too. He simply wanted to sigh. ¡°Catherine, I won¡¯t bother you. I¡¯ll get back to work!¡± After ending the call, Catherine pushed open the door and came out of theboratory. The researchers of the Red Star experimental base were all in front of the door of thisboratory at the moment. The moment Catherine pushed open the door, they consciously stood in two rows, their eyes staring straight at Catherine. Their gaze at Catherine could be described as devout. Catherine swept a nce and walked up to Branden¡¯s side calmly. The head of theboratory immediately ran up with a ttering smile when he saw that Catherine didn¡¯t react. He said respectfully to Catherine, ¡°My name is Patrick. I am the head of thisboratory. I would like to ask if you are interested in joining us.¡± He originally wanted to say that he could offer any payment Catherine wanted, no matter how generous it was. But then he thought about the fact that Catherine was Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and Branden could already give her anything she wanted. She might not even be interested in the payment in theboratory! Patrick looked at Catherine with a face of embarrassment. He carefully said, ¡± Miss Swann, although ourboratory may not be able to offer you the most generous payment, as long as you are willing to join us, no matter what requirements you make, I will do my best to meet you!¡± Catherine tilted her head and nced at Branden. She raised her eyebrows with a rather smug look in her eyes. ¡°Looks like your man is interested in me.¡± Patrick, who was on the side, was startled by her words. Catherine¡¯s words were really easily to be misunderstood. Patrick didn¡¯t have the guts to steal someone from Branden. He quickly exined. ¡°Miss Swann, don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m hoping that you wille to ourboratory to help us. We admire your ability greatly.¡± Catherine suddenly became interested. She turned her head and looked back at Patrick. ¡°So, you¡¯re not interested in me?¡± Patrick was usually in theboratory. He had never seen a girl like Catherine, who was so beautiful that people would forget to breathe when seeing her. Patrick was stunned by Catherine¡¯s teasing, unable to speak! Seeing Patrick¡¯s face filled with embarrassment, Branden looked at Catherine with a doting expression on his face. He tightened his grip on holding her hand. ¡°Alright,e on. I¡¯ll take you to get something to eat!¡± Catherine had rushed toe to theboratory earlier and didn¡¯t even have time for lunch. Catherine didn¡¯t refuse. The two left hand in hand. Catherine suddenly turned back as they were about to walk out the door. Her gazended on Patrick. She curled her lips and smiled lightly, saying, ¡°Right, I forgot to tell you. I also have aboratory. It¡¯s called Arbotte Laboratory!¡± Patrick was instantly petrified and staggered in ce. It was a long time after Catherine¡¯s back had disappeared that he slowly came back to his senses. Patrick asked inwardly, ¡°What kind of stupid thing have I done? How could someone who could be Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e be an ordinary person? What¡¯s more, she is also the person that Mr. Duncan dotes. I should have thought of her unusual status when she was doing the experiment.¡± Only a fewboratories internationally could conduct this experiment, very few. The most famous of them was the neck -and-neckboratory with them, the Arbotte Laboratory. However, Patrick had never thought that the boss behind thisboratory was such a beautiful young girl. Who exactly was this girl? How could she have such abilities? Thinking of this, Patrick suddenly realized something. Why did he somehow feel that Branden was a bit unworthy of Catherine? Branden brought Catherine to Yuni Restaurant for dinner. This was a newly opened restaurant in Casier, and many dignitaries came there. The current reservations had been scheduled for one year later. But the Duncans were different. As the family behind the restaurant, the members of the Duncans coulde there to eat at any time. The spicy dishes there were to the extreme. Catherine had a good appetite and ate quite a bit before putting down her cutlery. Seeing her eat a lot, Branden was happy. ¡°If you like the dishes here, how about I get the cook here to Loxton?¡± When ordinary people took their girlfriends to a meal, and if they saw that their girlfriends liked the dishes, they would at most say they woulde back to have meals there next time. But Branden was a bit different. He was thinking of taking the cook away directly. And he was really capable of doing so. Catherine silently rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine casually threw the used paper towel into the trash can before standing up. She was ready to make a trip to the hospital. The good show was about to start. She had to check it out! Branden, who transformed into a driver, obediently followed Catherine behind. He took the initiative to pick up Catherine¡¯s coat. He looked like a perfect boyfriend. The waitress on the side saw this scene and was so envious that she almost burst into tears. Branden was a handsome, wealthy, and powerful man, and most importantly, he doted on his woman. This kind of man was so likable. All women could not help but look at such a man more. Branden drove Catherine to the hospital. Just as they got out of the car, a rush of footsteps came from behind them. Catherine turned around automatically and saw Audrey stumbling in. Catherine grabbed her and asked, ¡± What happened?¡± Audrey¡¯s eyes were red, and she was so anxious that she couldn¡¯t even speak. Triston, who was beside her, exined the situation. ¡°The hospital informed us that Mr. Swann will not make it. You guys hurry up and check it out!¡± As soon as Catherine let go of Audrey¡¯s hand, Audrey immediately rushed toward the stairs. Catherine was calm. She went up the stairs calmly. Seeing Catherine so calm, Triston felt strange. But thinking of Catherine¡¯s special growth environment, he didn¡¯t say anything and chased after Audrey. Branden stepped forward and grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand, whispering, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to take a look!¡± Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Chapter 606 The Truth Outside the hospital room, Liana was bawling her eyes out. Rhys had just broken the news of Korbin¡¯s passing. Audrey slumped to the floor and looked utterly lost. Hearing the news, Rachael rushed over. After she learned of her husband¡¯s passing, she couldn¡¯t contain her sorrow and broke down in tears. But soon after, she stormed toward Catherine and was ready to hit her as if she¡¯d lost her mind. If not for someone holding her back, she would have already hit Catherine. Rachael waspletely disregarding decorum at this point. She shouted furiously, ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re a jinx! You¡¯ve caused this. You killed your father. It¡¯s all because of you. You¡¯re nothing but trouble!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Hearing Rachael¡¯s harsh words, Branden reached out to cover Catherine¡¯s ears. However, Catherine gently pushed his hand away. Branden realized that she had her own n and ceased his interference. Catherine took a slow step forward and stood in front of Rachael. She looked at Rachael coldly. Her intense gaze and the chilling presence made Rachael apprehensive. With a signal from Catherine, Paxton released Rachael. Even unrestrained, Rachael dared not harm Catherine. She was fully aware of Catherine¡¯s cunning and power. Rachael shouted, ¡°Catherine, what? Feeling bothered by touching a nerve? Let me tell you. You¡¯re a complete jinx. You bring bad luck to your parents. Anyone who¡¯s with you ends up cursed to death by your presence!¡± Catherine chuckled coldly and then replied, ¡°Anyone who¡¯s with me ends up cursed to death? What about you?¡± Catherine lowered her gaze. With an eerie look in her cold eyes, she uttered cutting words, ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you dead?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Rachael faltered with anger and was unable to retort. Liana couldn¡¯t stand any longer. After rushing over, she embraced Rachael and shot a furious re at Catherine. She shouted, ¡°How could you speak to Mom like that? Dad¡¯s just gone, and you¡¯re acting this way. You¡¯ve crossed the line, Catherine.¡± Catherine coldly assessed her and didn¡¯t want to have further conversation. She said, ¡°Speak out your terms!¡± Liana looked at Catherine with surprise. She was puzzled by Catherine¡¯s ability to anticipate their intentions. After her father¡¯s incident, she contacted her mother immediately, while Audrey reached out to Catherine. After a silent exchange with her mother, Liana understood her intentions and spoke up. She said, ¡°Catherine, now that Dad¡¯s gone and we¡¯re left alone, I believe you should give what belonged to Dad and Mom¡¯s share to Mom. Regardless, Dad was Grandpa¡¯s only child. He should inherit the Swanns¡¯ assets.¡± Catherine nodded and crossed her arms. She raised her head and looked down at them. ¡°I get it now. You want money.¡± Her disdainful gaze made Liana feel defeated. Enraged, she eximed, ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s your point? Aren¡¯t you nning to give the money? You are so unfilial!¡± ¡°Unfilial?¡± Catherineughed as if hearing a joke. Then she turned to gaze at Liana with interest. ¡°Compared to you, I couldn¡¯t possibly carry thatbel! 11 This attitude pushed Liana over the edge. ¡°Catherine, what do you mean? Spit it out! What¡¯s with this cryptic behavior?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t like keeping things under wraps either. Since Liana asked her to spit it out, she decided to reveal the truth. She replied, ¡°Liana, you even dared to kill your own father. You¡¯ve got some nerve!¡± Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Chapter 607 The Video The crowd was shocked. Everyone was stunned and stared at Catherine. Audrey pulled herself out of the sadness. Slowly, she looked toward Catherine with a somewhat dull expression as if having trouble epting what she had just heard. ¡°Kathy, what do you mean by this?¡± Catherine nced at her faintly and replied in a low voice, ¡°Just the literal meaning.¡± Liana became anxious. She couldn¡¯t even dare to look directly at Catherine. After carefully recalling everything she had done, Liana couldn¡¯t find any wrongdoing. Her attitude suddenly became firm, and she straightened her posture. Then she asked, ¡°Catherine, are you falsely using me to escape the charges? Doesn¡¯t your conscience hurt? Or is it that you¡¯re doing this for money? You don¡¯t want to split Dad¡¯s property, so you intentionally found such an excuse?¡± As Liana finished speaking, Rachael caught on. She pointed at Catherine and cursed loudly, ¡°Jinx! You¡¯re a jinx! Your dad has just died, and you¡¯re bullying us like this. You¡¯re truly wicked to the core. Even though everyone believed Catherine, what she said was just too unbelievable. She said Liana killed her own father, Korbin. They thought that could not be possible. Just as the situation reached a deadlock, Scott suddenly rushed over. He shouted, ¡°Catherine, didn¡¯t lie!¡± This abrupt voice took everyone¡¯s attention, and all eyes focused on Scott. Scott walked confidently to Liana and stared at her. Despite his young age, his gaze was sharp. Being stared at like this made Liana ufortable, and she couldn¡¯t help but lower her head. Scott teased, ¡°Liana, are you feeling guilty? Can¡¯t even look me in the eye?¡± Liana nced at him with anger. ¡± What nonsense are you spouting? Everyone knows you¡¯re in cahoots with Catherine. Are you teaming up against me now? Is that fun for you?¡± ¡°Fun? Of course, it¡¯s fun!¡± Scott carefully examined Liana. In terms of appearance, she indeed resembled Catherine even more than Audrey did. But he didn¡¯t know why their personalities were so different. Scott curled his mouth and disdainfully evaluated Liana. He asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you have even half the intelligence of Catherine? Don¡¯t you know the wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Liana couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. She exploded in anger. Scott held up his portableputer and waved it in front of Liana. ¡°I¡¯ve got evidence here. I¡¯ve recorded everything wrong you¡¯ve done. How about that? Didn¡¯t expect cameras in the hospital room, did you?¡± Liana was so shocked that she took a step back involuntarily, and her face turned pale instantly. She never imagined someone would install cameras in the hospital room. She thought inwardly, ¡°Does Catherine target me from the start?¡± Audrey observed Liana¡¯s reaction and thought she became increasingly suspicious. She marched up to Liana and red at her, not allowing any evasion. ¡°Liana, tell me. What did you do to Dad?¡± Liana was speechless and trembled all over. Rachael, who stood nearby, was unable to bear it. She pushed Audrey away and angrily reprimanded her. She shouted, ¡°I think you¡¯ve gone mad! You actually believe this kid¡¯s words. He¡¯s in cahoots with Catherine. Can¡¯t you see that?¡± Audrey looked at her mother in shock and, unbelievably, asked, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you hear? Scott has evidence.¡± As the others argued, Scott had already opened the video. In it, a figure with a mask sneakily entered Korbin¡¯s hospital room and injected an unknown substance into his IV bag. Even though the person wore a mask, from the figure¡¯s back, everyone could clearly see it was Liana. Audrey stared at the clear footage with red eyes, and then she looked at Liana in disbelief. ¡°Why? Why would you do this?¡± Rachael frowned and still didn¡¯t believe everything she was seeing. She stubbornly defended Liana and replied, ¡°Who knows? This jinx is quite capable. Anything can be faked nowadays. What if she faked this video? Audrey, after all these years together, you don¡¯t trust your sister but believe this jinx?¡± Faced with her mother¡¯s absurd words, Audrey couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Mom, have you said enough?¡± Rachael was stunned by Audrey¡¯s outburst. Audrey didn¡¯t care about any of that. She red furiously at Liana. ¡°Speak up! Why did you do it?¡± Liana still stubbornly held on and refused to admit anything. ¡°Why? There¡¯s no reason. It¡¯s just like Mom said! Catherine framed me. She¡¯s capable of anything to set me up!¡± ¡°Frame you?¡± Catherine sneered, ¡± What makes you think you¡¯re worth my trouble to frame? Are you even worthy? ¡°Exactly. Look at yourself. You¡¯re nothing. Catherine could deal with you easily,¡± Scott replied, echoing Catherine. In his view, anyone who dared to bully Catherine should be crushed. Their coordinated mockerypletely enraged Liana. She couldn¡¯t contain herself any longer and yelled frantically at Catherine, ¡°It¡¯s you who framed me! Just to satisfy your superiorityplex and show off your skills. Because I¡¯ve always been unhappy with you, you want me to be like you, the one everyone hates!¡± Facing Liana¡¯s irrationality, the crowd felt that she had truly lost her mind. Even if Catherine hadn¡¯t done anything, they wouldn¡¯t find Catherine detestable. Instead, they thought Liana was maniptive and didn¡¯t like her. Scott couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He suggested to Catherine, ¡°Catherine, this girl¡¯s just bluffing. I think we shouldn¡¯t be polite anymore. Let¡¯s just take action!¡± Catherine nced at Liana, and her scornful gaze stunned Liana. Liana felt something was wrong. And indeed, the next moment, Catherine dropped another bomb. ¡°Since you refuse to admit it, let your father tell you himself!¡± The crowd thought inwardly, ¡°Her father? But isn¡¯t Korbin dead?¡± Everyone was bewildered. They couldn¡¯t understand Catherine¡¯s words. They wondered whether she had some resurrection power. Just as everyone was in a daze, the tightly closed door of the room suddenly swung open. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Korbin, who should be lying in the hospital bed, was pushed out. He was actually alive. After Liana saw her father, as their eyes met, she copsed to the ground. She knew it was over, completely over. Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Catherine¡¯s Kindness Korbin was not only alive but also doing much better. When he emerged, Audrey asked, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± Korbin pointed toward Liana and softly replied, ¡°She¡­ harmed¡­ me.¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t hold back and rushed forward to confront Liana. She grabbed Liana by the cor and asked, ¡°Why? He¡¯s your own father!¡± Hearing that, Liana stayed silent. Audrey, unable to contain her emotions, relentlessly pped Liana¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re insane! You even hurt your own father!¡± Triston couldn¡¯t stand it. He wasn¡¯t against Audrey punishing Liana. But he feared Audrey¡¯s agitation might hurt herself. He stepped in and pulled Audrey away. He gestured for her to calm down. Liana, previously quiet, suddenly raised her gaze. She stared at Catherine with an eerie look. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯ve got quite the schemes. You even use Dad to frame me. What other tricks do you have? Just show me all your tricks!¡± At this point, even Catherine was somewhat impressed by Liana¡¯s rebuttal. ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn!¡± ¡°I¡¯m stating facts!¡± Liana retorted with a displeased expression. Then she continued, ¡°Just like you all said, he¡¯s my biological father. Why would I harm him? What benefit is there for me if he dies?¡± Indeed, it was the issue that baffled everyone. As Liana said, Korbin cherished her the most. If he dies, it would also be her misfortune. Catherine didn¡¯t want to waste more time. Sheid the truth out inly. She replied, ¡°Because you feared people knowing that Korbin¡¯s stroke was because of you.¡± Liana copsed inwardly. She hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to know this. ¡°How did you know?¡± Catherine retorted. ¡°You did it yourself, yet afraid of others finding out?¡± When Korbin fell ill, Catherine sensed something fishy and then had someone investigate. Liana had some internal conflict after causing Korbin¡¯s condition. While taking care of Korbin, she inadvertently revealed her feelings, which were overheard by a caregiver. Later, the caregiver informed Catherine that. In reality, Catherine had no intention of dealing with Liana. As Liana herself admitted, it wasn¡¯t intentional. Catherine wasn¡¯t a saint and preferred not to meddle in the family matters between Korbin and his daughter. But Liana had crossed a line this time. She even intended to kill Korbin. Given this, Catherine decided to expose everything and ensure that Liana faced the deserved consequences. As the truth was revealed, Liana knew arguing was futile. She chose to give up. She red at Catherine with resentment and was still unrepentant. She said stubbornly, ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s all your fault. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t be in this mess today.¡± After she said to Catherine, Liana turned to ask Rachael, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just kill her back then? You let this jinx linger. Now, she is harming our entire family.¡± In Liana¡¯s eyes, without Catherine, she¡¯d still be the esteemed heiress of the Swanns, a prominent socialite in Casier. Facing Liana¡¯s usations toward Catherine, Branden, who previously remained silent, suddenly intervened. He said, ¡°You just me others incessantly. Why don¡¯t you look at yourself? You bothe from the same family background, so why should you have everything from the start? Was Catherine meant to be cast aside just because you were born into privilege, or is it your excessive sense of superiority? Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If I were Catherine, from the moment I stepped into the Swanns¡¯, I¡¯d wipe you all out! Catherine never struck at you. If you had shown gratitude and treated her better, would you have turned out like this?¡± Branden¡¯s words acted like a wake-up call, which made everyone present realize the situation. In the past, they all felt Catherine had been too ruthless toward her own family. They forgot that everyone present from the Swanns had wronged Catherine from the beginning. They unjustly used and harmed her during her childhood. Being born into the Swanns wasn¡¯t her choice. But her parents abandoned her. She returned to the Swanns¡¯ because Vicente forced her to. However, the ones who had abandoned her repeatedly harmed her upon her return. If anyone else were in her ce, they might have acted even more ruthlessly than Catherine. Catherine stood quietly to the side and gently stared at Branden. The crowd thought Branden made sense. After all, Catherine was so capable that many people wished they had the chance to align themselves with her. Unfortunately, the Swanns failed to appreciate this. Based on their blood ties alone, if only the Swanns could have treated Catherine a bit better, they might have had the opportunity to gain her favor. To the outside world, the Swann Corporation might seem significant, but to Catherine, it was nothing more than a mere toy. If Catherine was in a good mood, she would willingly give it away with open hands. These people from the Swanns were extremely foolish. A few minutester, the police arrived on the scene. Liana, who remained silent, finally reacted. She stared in disbelief at Catherine. ¡°You had the police come to arrest me?¡± Catherine ignored her. If she¡¯d made a mistake, she should face the consequences. Seeing that the police were going to take Liana away, Rachael panicked. ¡± What are you doing? Let go of my daughter!¡± To everyone¡¯s surprise, the police handcuffed Rachael. ¡°Mrs. Swann, we suspect you in a case of embezzlement. Pleasee with us.¡± Over the years, Rachael had installed several people in the Swann Corporation. After Catherine took control of the Swanns, Rachael found it challenging to have significant financial resources. So, she tampered withpany funds. She thought she was unnoticed, but Linda saw through her actions. Linda reported everything to Catherine. Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with these individuals. Now that she had the opportunity, she resolved to handle them all at once. Audrey stood aside and remained silent. She knew she shouldn¡¯t intervene now. She had lost all hope in her mother and sister. Just as Branden had said, he might have massacred everyone who had harmed Catherine upon his return if it were him. They all thought Catherine was ruthless, but in reality, Catherine had been kind enough. Thinking this, Audrey felt even more ashamed. She looked up at Catherine and said sorrowfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kathy. We were all wrong!¡± Catherine shrugged and replied indifferently, ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± With those who needed to be removed taken care of, Catherine didn¡¯t want to stay. Korbin was not her concern. Audrey could handle herself, and Catherine was sure she wouldn¡¯t interfere again. She took Branden¡¯s hand and said, ¡± 11 Let¡¯s go.¡± Branden gently tightened his grip and led Catherine away. Chapter 609 Chapter 609 Chapter 609 The Agricultural Sciences Institute After wrapping things up in Casier, Catherine tagged along with Branden back to Loxton. Catherine couldn¡¯t stay away from Styre University too long. There was schoolwork waiting for her. Unlike the others, Catherine went straight to theb upon her return. She just needed to check back in at theb. At Styre University, only Catherine could do this. After all, not everyone could get pulled into theb during their freshman year like Catherine. As Catherine stepped into theb, everyone looked at her. Marshall¡¯s assistant and his proudest student, Zac Pearce, was the first to greet her. He asked, ¡°Catherine, got everything sorted back home?¡± With a gentle smile, he was polite and warm. Catherine replied politely, ¡°All sorted. I¡¯m here today to sort out my leave.¡± Zac nodded and then said, ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll take you to the professor¡¯s office. I¡¯ll help you out.¡± As the two left, conversations bubbled among those in theb. Someone clueless about the situation asked, ¡°Why does Zac, usually so indifferent, seem different toward Catherine?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Another one immediately replied, ¡°Do you have any idea how precious Catherine is? Ever since she showed her skillsst time, theputer science professor from the next department has been eyeing ourb, waiting to snatch her away. Professor Hartley even said it¡¯s on the wholeb if she gets taken!¡± Hearing that, the first one replied, ¡°No one¡¯s taking our people!¡± At that moment, one belief echoed throughout theb. That was to protect Catherine and prevent the other professor from taking her. Marshall had worked hard to bring Catherine into theb. They couldn¡¯t let theputer science professor easily sway her. They believed that a precious gem like her needed protection. As for Catherine, she wasn¡¯t aware of the shift in attitudes among herb mates. She just felt that after two days away, everyone in theb seemed oddly eager when looking at her. During lunchtime, Catherine was engrossed in her data and hadn¡¯t gone to get food. Zac asked, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m heading to the cafeteria. Want me to bring you something?¡± ncing at her work, Catherine realized she might need more time if she went out. She was about to agree when a senior colleague chimed in, ¡± Zac, cafeteria? I¡¯ve got something cooking here. I¡¯ll make extra for Catherine!¡± This senior colleague was a good cook. It was a skill honed from years of cooking for herself. Lazy as she was, sheined about cooking for just herself. Only Marshall had the honor of tasting her cooking once or twice. Others never had that privilege. Unexpectedly, she invited Catherine today, which spoke volumes about Catherine¡¯s standing in theb. ¡°Catherine, forget about the cafeteria today. I made some beef cutlets. Let me get you a serving!¡± Catherine nodded gratefully and said, Thank you!¡± 11 Half an hourter, the senior colleague had prepared the meal and personally ced it in front of Catherine¡¯s stool. Just as Catherine was about to express her thanks, another senior colleague brought over some fruit. ¡°This is a new breed from our Agricultural Sciences Institute. You can¡¯t find these outside. I used my charm to get these from the institute. Give it a try, Catherine!¡± The fruits developed by Styre University¡¯s Agricultural Sciences Institute were typically reserved forb experiments. Even when a slightlyrger harvest could be sold, those were top-tier fruits auctioned off. They were so exclusive that they were hard toe by, even with money. Now, arge bowl was ced in front of Catherine. It was a testament to these senior colleagues¡¯ fondness for her. From the moment Catherine stepped into theb until she finished her work and left, in just a few short hours, she lost count of how many delicious treats the senior colleagues had pampered her with. And it wasn¡¯t just food. They even offered her some to take away. Before leaving, the colleague with ties to the Agricultural Sciences Institute handed Catherine more items. ¡°Catherine, these are all products developed by our Agricultural Sciences Institute. Try them out, and if you like them, let me know, and I¡¯ll sort you out. With his overwhelming generosity, Catherine left with a pile of goodies for her dorm. Catherine rushed back to theb right after arriving at the school. Until this time, she finally stepped into the dorm. Seeing Catherine carrying all these things, Amelia quickly pitched in. ¡± Catherine, why do you bring back so much stuff from your trip?¡± In college, when someone returned from home, it was almost customary to bring back some local treats. Seeing Catherine with all these items, Amelia and Isabe weren¡¯t surprised. After Catherine put the items down, she calmly exined, ¡°These were given by a seniorb mate.¡± Amelia hadn¡¯t been in theb that day, and she didn¡¯t know what happened. She got excited upon hearing that it was from a senior colleague. ¡°Let me take a look!¡± Catherine casually nodded. ¡°Feel free.¡± Given permission, Amelia hurried over to check and then eximed, ¡°Wow! Catherine, we hit the jackpot!¡± Startled by her sudden outburst, Catherine furrowed her brow. Isabe, who had been studying at her desk, also came over and then asked, ¡°What jackpot?¡± Amelia handed what she held to Isabe and said, ¡°Be, look at this. All these products are from our Agricultural Sciences Institute. Look! This is zero-calorie, zero-fat fruit cereal, and this is super low-fat roasted chicken, and this¡­¡± Catherine didn¡¯t recognize these items, but Amelia knew each one like the back of her hand. She enthusiastically disyed them all. Seeing this, Catherine quietly asked, ¡± Are these famous?¡± Amelia might have jokingly scolded them if anyone else had asked that question. But this was Catherine, so she let it slide. After all, legends didn¡¯t keep up with everyday things like these goodies. Noticing Catherine¡¯s confusion, Amelia decided to exin things clearly to her. She said, ¡°These aren¡¯t just famous. They¡¯re incredibly precious. They¡¯ve been selling out online. Take this cereal, for instance. It¡¯s like finding a needle in a haystack! You¡¯ve got all these things here and quite a lot of them. Aren¡¯t you making us all jealous? Amelia was a foodie and had no resistance to anything tasty. Catherine knew that. Seeing Amelia¡¯s enthusiasm, she generously said, ¡± Since these are good stuff, let¡¯s share them. You and Isabe can split them together.¡± ¡°Catherine, you are so great!¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t contain her excitement. She realized that she could benefit a lot from being around Catherine. ¡°You two go ahead and divide them. I¡¯ve got a few things to attend to,¡± Catherine said. Then she opened herptop and headed up to the second- floor bunk. When she worked, she preferred no interruptions. Both Amelia and Isabe understood and respected Catherine¡¯s habits. Just as Catherine drew her curtain shut, Ronin¡¯s call came in immediately. Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Edson¡¯s Target Catherine casually picked up the phone and slipped on her headphones. ¡°Catherine, I got some fresh intel. You free to listen?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine grunted in response. Ronin hadn¡¯t been hanging around Catherine muchtely. Because Catherine had assigned him a task, and he went off to handle it. Ever since they found out that the Breens had meddled with the Swann Corporation, they knew that trouble was on the horizon. So Ronin took it upon himself to snoop around the Breens, and he finally unearthed some confidential stuff. ¡°Catherine, fire up yourputer!¡± Hearing Ronin¡¯s words, Catherine powered up herptop. Soon, she received a file from Ronin. It was a medical diagnosis. ¡°Catherine, they¡¯re saying this diagnosis belongs to Shane. Seems like he¡¯s sick.¡± Catherine scrutinized the report. Shane, that old fox, wouldn¡¯t just let his health report fall into anyone¡¯s hands. Even with Ronin¡¯s intel, Catherine wasn¡¯t jumping to conclusions. She scanned through and found nothing fishy, but she still felt suspicious and refrained from an immediate confirmation. Unable to pinpoint any issues at the moment, Catherine ordered Ronin, Keep going.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Ronin¡¯s tone grew serious. ¡± Catherine, I heard that the Breens know you¡¯re in Loxton. They¡¯re sending folks your way soon. We gotta be extra cautious!¡± Catherine remainedposed. She replied with a chilly expression, ¡°Let theme.¡± They coulde if they wanted, but leaving wouldn¡¯t be their call. Ronin understood Catherine¡¯s message. There was Loxton in Eskana, not the Breens¡¯ ce in Alton. The Breens wouldn¡¯t dare act recklessly here. After years of developing in Eskana, they¡¯d amassed enough finance and power to counter the Breens in this territory. But this wasn¡¯t a long-term solution. They needed something to bnce out the Breens. ¡°Catherine, any results from Rodge¡¯s side yet?¡± ¡°Just wrapped up phase one.¡± Catherine wasn¡¯t thrilled with the oue. However, in this experiment, they were the only ones globally to havepleted the first testing phase. They had already achieved the fastest pace worldwide. After Ronin heard this, his mood immediately sank. ¡°Only at phase one? That¡¯s slow! Even the Hacker Allianceb hasn¡¯t cracked theirtest chip tech. Without these two crucial tools, how do we take on Shane?¡± To hold sway, they needed powerful weapons in their arsenal. With both hoped-for weapons still unperfected, Ronin felt disheartened. While Ronin was anxious, Catherine remainedposed as the key yer. ¡°No rush. What¡¯s meant toe wille. Keep a close eye on Loxton and the Swann Corporation. Let me know the minute anything pops up.¡± She had her hands full with theb projects for now, leaving the Breens¡¯ moves to Ronin to monitor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I¡¯ll keep a tight watch,¡± Ronin replied. The Breens¡¯ business sprawled globally, with quite a fewpanies in Eskana. Usually, their visits to inspectpany affairs were part of the routine, buttely, theirings and goings had been too frequent. Despite their discreet movements, they couldn¡¯t evade the Duncans¡¯ intelligencework. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. After Paxton received the news, he had some covert probing. Then he passed the intel to Branden. He said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, the Breens¡¯ folks seem unsettledtely.¡± Aidan, who didn¡¯t appear for a long time, was now present at the Duncans¡¯. Since Branden apanied Catherine to Loxton, Aidan returned overseas. Now, he relocated all the Lanes¡¯ assets back to Casier. His visit to Loxton aimed at coborating with Branden. Having returned to the country, he wanted to develop in Loxton. Upon hearing Paxton¡¯s report, Aidan was intrigued. ¡°The Breens? What¡¯s going on?¡± After Paxton nced at Branden and saw no objection, he continued, ¡°The Breens often send people periodically to work in Eskana, but this time it¡¯s different. Shane¡¯s nephew, Edson, was sent. He spent a week in Casier and arrived in Loxton by nest night. They opted for amercial flight to keep things low-key.¡± Aidan chuckled softly and then said, ¡± Interesting! The most notorious yboy from the Breens took a commercial flight?¡± It wasn¡¯t the airline that was the issue, but because Aidan knew Edson quite well. During his time abroad, he had heard quite a bit about Edson¡¯s extravagant and shocking exploits. Branden was unconcerned about the yboy¡¯svish lifestyle. He wanted to know Edson¡¯s purpose in Eskana. Shane had no biological sons, only a daughter. Unfortunately, the daughter wasn¡¯t business-inclined. Rumors mentioned that he had an adopted daughter, who was shrouded in mystery. Nobody knew who she was except that Shane showered her with affection. He even nned to betroth her to his nephew, Edson. There were rumors in the outside world that Edson was set to seed Shane and be the next heir of the Breens. Branden cast a slow nce at Paxton. Paxton immediately adopted a serious demeanor and refrained from asking Aidan about Edson¡¯s outrageous activities overseas. ¡°Mr. Duncan, previously Edson was quite active in Casier. We found that he used a subsidiary to acquire a significant portion of scattered shares of the Swann Corporation held.¡± Hearing that, Aidan thought inwardly, ¡± The Swann Corporation?¡± Aidan knew it was Catherine¡¯s inheritance. He discreetly nced at Branden and gauged his reaction. Catherine was currently someone very dear to Branden. Anyone meddling with her would be in for a rough time. Aidan wasn¡¯t sure which family held more power between the Duncans and the Breens when they were to confront each other. ¡°Does Catherine know?¡± Branden inquired. ¡°She should,¡± Paxton said. Actually, he wasn¡¯t entirely certain. Catherine was too mysterious. The information they could get, she probably could ess as well. But the Swann Corporation waspletely silent as if they weren¡¯t aware. That was why Paxton was uncertain. ¡°Mr. Duncan, it seems like Edson¡¯s target in Loxton might also be Miss Swann!¡± Aidan¡¯s eyes lit up suddenly, and his voice involuntarily rose as he asked, ¡± What?¡± Paxton rolled his eyes at Aidan. He thought inwardly, ¡°Mr. Duncan isn¡¯t so anxious yet. Why is Aidan so frantic?¡± Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Edson¡¯s Arrival Aidan caught Paxton¡¯s re and instinctively shrunk his neck. ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird how it¡¯s all aimed at Catherine?¡± Aidan asked. He didn¡¯t notice that Branden¡¯s eyes darkened suddenly after he spoke. Branden¡¯s eyes darkened with a gloomy look. Then he said, ¡°Keep eyes on him. Notify me pronto if anythinges up! His chilling tone sent shivers down Paxton¡¯s spine. He knew Edson had crossed a line with Branden. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll add more men to tail Edson,¡± Paxton replied. The best of the Duncans¡¯ Shadow Guards were already keeping tabs on Edson. After all, the Breens weren¡¯t to be underestimated. After Branden¡¯s instructions, Paxton immediately deployed personnel to the highest level to ensure everything was foolproof. Amid their conversation, Aidan suddenly remembered something and blurted it out. He said, ¡°By the way, remember when Catherine shed with the Facers? The Breens sent a formal notice to the Facers and let Mr. Facer back down.¡± As Aidan finished, he noticed both men¡¯s focus shift to him, especially Branden, whose gaze made him nervously gulp. Then he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not suggesting anything. I just thought maybe Catherine might know the Breens or have some connection. Shouldn¡¯t we be cautious before we act?¡± Paxton felt Aidan had a point. He turned to Branden and awaited further instructions. Paxton¡¯s implication was to have Branden ask Catherine about it. This sort of thing could be resolved with just a single sentence. However, Branden never meddled in Catherine¡¯s affairs. They maintained a sense of mystery about each other and guessed each other¡¯s moves. The two of them happily yed this trick, which exhausted people around them. After a few moments of silence, Branden¡¯s answer remained unchanged. ¡°Keep watching.¡± Catherine stepped out of theb slowly. As she lifted her gaze, she spotted Ronin, who had been waiting at theb entrance. The moment Catherine noticed Ronin, he, too, caught sight of her. ¡°Catherine¡­¡± Ronin hadn¡¯t seen Catherine for days and missed her very much. After rushing to Catherine in a few steps, he said, ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s grab a bite, and then I¡¯ll fill you in on everything!¡± For Ronin, Catherine¡¯s well-being came above all else. No matter the size of the task, it wouldn¡¯t stop him from getting her to eat. Catherine had no objections. It was lunchtime anyway, so they decided to have lunch together. The two had barely taken a few steps when suddenly, a ck sedan blocked their path. Ronin frowned and squinted at the car. The car windows were dark, and he could not see who was inside. He whispered to Catherine, ¡°Who¡¯s this? He is so arrogant and rolls up in a shy car to the campus.¡± Styre University was known for strict management and top achievements, maintaining strict control over ess and entry. It maintained tight control and restrictions even on teachers¡¯ vehicles, let alone outsiders entering the lab area. This person¡¯s car barging into the restricted zone indicated a significant status. Before Catherine could respond, the car doors automatically opened. A man in a ck suit stepped out. Catherine¡¯s eyes tightened instantly. She squinted ahead and quietly uttered a name, ¡°Edson!¡± Edson removed his sunsses and revealed a handsome face that captivated all. ¡°Long time no see, Cassie.¡± Edson had a strikingly handsome appearance. He was the epitome of the Euphosean ethnicity. He had well- defined features and captivating blue eyes, which added a touch of subtle allure to his handsome face. Ronin¡¯s sunny expression turned stormy as he saw Edson. He swiftly positioned himself in front of Catherine and directly faced Edson with a grim gaze. ¡°What¡¯s your business here? Stay away from Catherine!¡± Edson smirked coldly with mockery and disdain in his blue eyes. He replied, ¡°Since when did Catherine¡¯sckey get the guts to talk to me like this?¡± As Edson finished speaking, he casually twisted the ring on his little finger. After Ronin saw this, his face turned pale with fear. Sensing it, Catherine pulled Ronin behind her and warned Edson, ¡°Don¡¯t want a fight? Then stop provoking me!¡± After speaking, Catherine grabbed Ronin¡¯s hand and prepared to leave. Suddenly, Edson lunged forward. He reached out to grab Catherine¡¯s shoulder and wanted to hold her. In the next moment, Catherine executed a beautiful shoulder throw. Edson was thrown forcefully to the ground, but his movements were remarkably agile. He swiftly rolled and got back on his feet. Catherine acted fast, and her moves were precise and deadly. The bodyguards in the car saw the situation turning sour and immediately rushed out. Catherine had already subdued Edson at this point. Catherine shot them a cold nce, and the security guards, who had been about to intervene, stopped in their tracks. They eyed Catherine cautiously but dared not approach. With a firm grip on Edson¡¯s arm, Catherine lifted it higher, which caused Edson to have a pained expression. He was clearly trying hard to endure the difort. Catherine raised her hand slightly, and her voice carried a cold tone that sent chills down their spines. ¡°Feel free to move if you don¡¯t want your hand to go.¡± Edson didn¡¯t dare challenge Catherine¡¯s words. He knew better than anyone how ruthless she could be. ¡°Cassie, I just wanted to invite you to dinner. Why do you treat me so harshly? ¡°No need. Dining with you ruins my appetite.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t want a confrontation at Styre University with Edson, but it wouldn¡¯t be her fault if Edson pushed it. With a forceful push, Catherine sent Edson crashing to the ground. ¡°Get lost! After that, Edson sat on the ground and still stared at Catherine with a smirk. The nearby bodyguards were stunned. It was the first time they¡¯d seen Edson get beat up and still manage to smile. Only Edson¡¯s driver, who had been by his side since Edson¡¯s childhood, knew that Edson had never won against Catherine. From childhood till now, Edson had taken numerous beatings. He¡¯d gotten used to it and could still manage a smile. Catherine ignored Edson and directly left with Ronin. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As Catherine departed, Edson gazed after her with a mischievous smile. He murmured, ¡°Cassie, I¡¯ll be waiting for your return.¡± Chapter 612 Chapter 612 Chapter 612 sh of Two Men Inside a restaurant, Catherine was calmly eating, while Ronin seemed quite restless. After wrestling with the thought for a while, he finally spoke up to Catherine. He asked, ¡°Catherine, what do you think Edson¡¯s deal is,ing to you so openly without any reservations?¡± Catherine slowly lifted her gaze. She nced at him and asked, ¡°Has he ever been discreet before?¡± Ronin thought Catherine had a point. Edson was always unruly. Every time he saw Catherine, he was persistent and always got Ronin riled up. Ronin asked, ¡°Catherine, have you figured out how to handle Edson? Should we make some early arrangements? Just say the word, and I¡¯ll set it up.¡± Ronin wore an eager expression and awaited Catherine¡¯s words. He was ready to take action. However, Catherine looked at him coldly with disdain in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the point of all that? Do you get nothing better to do?¡± ¡°Catherine, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Catherine lowered her eyes, and her voice turned colder. ¡°Eat!¡± This word made Ronin immediately shut his mouth. After lunch, with nob work or sses to attend, Ronin wanted Catherine to apany him somewhere. ¡°Where to?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°The mall!¡± Ronin suggested. Catherine thought it was fine and agreed. Then, the two headed to Loxton¡¯s biggest mall for some shopping. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As soon as they entered, a dessert shop caught Ronin¡¯s attention. Unlike Catherine, who wasn¡¯t fond of sweets, Ronin had a sweet tooth. Withal had said before that Ronin¡¯s love for sweets was all because of Catherine. Catherine wasn¡¯t interested in sweets, so Ronin wanted to taste all the delicious sweets and select the best ones for Catherine. In his eyes, Catherine only deserved the very best. ¡°Catherine, this dessert here is amazing. One of them isn¡¯t too sweet. I think it¡¯s your kind of vor. Do you want to try it?¡± Ronin suggested. Catherine didn¡¯t object. She didn¡¯t say anything against it, which Ronin understood as an agreement. Ronin found a suitable spot for Catherine to sit while he took charge of lining up to get the dessert. Ronin¡¯s boyish face was particrly reminiscent of the most popr boy band members nowadays. His appearance attracted quite a bit of attention as soon as he showed up. Despite hiding her face under a baseball cap, Catherine seemed even more intriguing while with Ronin. This air of mystery drew more attention from the people around them. Everyone spected about the face hiding beneath that hat. Despite the intense curiosity from the onlookers, Ronin paid no attention. After buying the cake, he was about to head back. Just as he turned, he sensed amotion in the shop, apanied by several gasps. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°So handsome!¡± ¡°His eyes are so beautiful!¡± ¡°Look at that box he¡¯s carrying. It¡¯s very expensive. I heard anything from that brand could easily be traded for a luxury car!¡± ¡°Is he nning to propose?¡± Ronin followed the crowd¡¯s gaze, and when he saw Edson, his face darkenedpletely. Through gritted teeth, he muttered, ¡± This persistent creep!¡± Edson winked at Ronin before heading toward Catherine¡¯s spot. Ronin had chosen a corner table. He was much farther from Catherine than Edson was, so hegged a distance behind. Catherine was engrossed in her phone game. When Edson reached her, she didn¡¯t even nce up. Unperturbed, Edson smoothly pulled out a chair and sat opposite Catherine. ¡°Cassie, what a coincidence. I run into you again!¡± Edson said. Catherine didn¡¯t react at all. She didn¡¯t bother to spare Edson a nce. Unfazed, Edson rested his chin on his hand. With a gentle smile on his face, he quietly gazed at her. The onlookers were surprised that this new handsome foreigner had alsoe to Catherine, while Ronin looked furious. They thought it should be interesting, so they took out their phones to capture the scene. The former was sweet and handsome, while thetter was charming and wealthy. The crowd wondered who the cap-wearingdy would choose as these two styles of attractive men shed. Ronin hurried over to Edson and didn¡¯t want to create a scene in public. Suppressing his anger, he gritted his teeth and shouted, ¡°Get up! It¡¯s my seat!¡± Edson slowly raised his head and nced at Ronin with a smile as he asked, ¡°Did you write your name on it? Or do you own this ce?¡± Ronin was infuriated and retorted.¡± Then I¡¯ll buy this ce right now!¡± His expression showed no hint of jest, leaving everyone stunned. They hadn¡¯t expected the young, charming boy to be a big spender. Now, everyone looked at Catherine and waited for her reaction. They wanted to see which man Catherine would choose. Some even started live streaming the scene on short video tforms, as if a grand event was about to unfold. Aidan, who was idly scrolling through videos, stumbled upon this scene. While others might not have recognized her, he immediately identified the woman with the baseball cap as Catherine. pping his thigh, he eximed, ¡± Wow! What the heck!¡± The woman beside him was startled and turned pale. She cautiously asked, ¡± Mr. Lane, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Pushing her aside, Aidan disdainfully said, ¡°I have something to attend to. You stay put!¡± He quickly screenshot the video and sent it to Branden. Initially, he considered adding a cuckolded expression, but since it was Branden, he silently refrained. With so many beautiful women outside, Aidan wanted to live a couple more years. Branden was in a meeting when his phone rang suddenly. After grabbing his phone and ncing at the screen, he recognized the figure in the screenshot. He immediately stood up and strode out of the conference room. Seeing this, the executive, who was in the midst of a quarterly report, looked around with a perplexed expression. He thought inwardly, ¡°Did I make a mistake? Why did Mr. Duncan leave before the meeting ended?¡± Paxton knew Branden had something urgent, so he swiftly took charge. He announced, ¡°Mr. Duncan has some urgent matters to attend to. Today¡¯s meeting ends here. Meeting adjourned! After his announcement, he hurriedly left, leaving the people in the conference room bewildered. No one knew what had made Branden, this unshakable figure, suddenly leave like this. Last time, when their subsidiary in Northern Euphosean was attacked in an air raid, the meeting proceeded as scheduled. The analysis among the executives was that something major must have urred internationally. Otherwise, Branden wouldn¡¯t have reacted this way. Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Chapter 613 The Jealous Branden In the dessert shop, Catherine was still seated on the side, engrossed in ying the game. Ronin and Edson sat across from her. Seeing Edson not leaving, Ronin decided to join him. He divided the cake and ced it in front of Catherine. ¡°Catherine, try it when you have time. It tastes really good!¡± Not to be outdone, Edson presented his gift and affectionately said, ¡°Cassie, this is a bracelet. From the moment I saw it, I felt it was perfect for you!¡± Without responding to either of them, Catherine skillfully manipted the buttons on her phone. In a moment of leisure, she picked up a fork, scooped a spoonful of cake, and tasted it. Observing Catherine enjoying the cake, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. He nced at Edson with a smug expression. ¡°Ronin, you¡¯re still as childish as ever!¡± Edson said nonchntly. This remark almost broke Ronin¡¯sposure. Angry but managing to suppress his emotions, Ronin retorted to Edson, ¡°Compared to your pestering, my immaturity is at least appreciated, isn¡¯t it?¡± They had known each other for many years, and Catherine had always favored Ronin over Edson. In Ronin¡¯s eyes, Edson¡¯s jealousy stemmed from this. He was envious of Ronin because he was not as favored. The next moment, Edson¡¯s expression changed. Even though it was subtle and probably unnoticeable to the others, Ronin noticed it. Ronin had dealt with Edson for so many years; every time Edson got angry, the blue color of his eyes deepened slightly. Ronin knew it very well. Seeing Edson upset, Ronin felt as if he had won a victory. As the game ended, Catherine casually tossed her phone aside. Everyone eagerly watched as Catherine prepared to speak. Edson seemed a bit nervous, unsure of how Catherine would react. Usually proud, he felt uncertain in Catherine¡¯s presence. ¡°Kathy!¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice caught Catherine¡¯s attention. She instinctively turned her head, and those around her followed suit. At that moment, many held their breaths, awestruck. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s so handsome!¡± they eximed in their mind. They thought today truly was a feast for the eyes. They saw three incredibly handsome guys, each outshining the other. Branden walked confidently toward Catherine, stopping in front of her without sparing a nce at Edson. ¡± Ready to go?¡± He gazed at Catherine¡¯s beautiful face, and his tone was gentle. ¡°Yes,¡± Catherine replied, standing up. Branden took her hand without hesitation. Catherine didn¡¯t resist, allowing Branden to lead her away. Ronin watched as Branden, with Catherine in tow, left. The sight of Edson¡¯s gloomy face cheered him up, and he even couldn¡¯t help but hum a tune. Edson¡¯s face darkenedpletely as he threw the gift box toward Ronin. ¡°It¡¯s yours!¡± Ronin epted it dly. After all, only a fool would refuse a gift for nothing. He then shouted after Edson¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Thanks! Take care. I won¡¯t see you off.¡± After Branden led Catherine out of the restaurant, they got into the car. As they got in, Paxton handed over a delicate bag. ¡°Sir.¡± Branden took the bag and opened it on the small table in the car, revealing a beautifully crafted chocte mousse cake. It was the signature product from the dessert shop they were at earlier. ¡°Do you want some now?¡± Branden asked gently. Catherine nced and realized it was the same cake Ronin had ordered for her. Ronin ordered three different kinds, but she only chose this one. However, she only took a bite before Edson interrupted, and she lost her appetite for it. It tasted good, but she didn¡¯t eat anymore. Surprisingly, Branden noticed it. Catherine picked up a fork and took a small bite. The taste was the same, but her mood had changed, making the cake even more delicious. Branden had found the livestream ount after receiving Aidan¡¯s message. He watched the livestream on the way, not missing any of Catherine¡¯s expressions. ¡°Edson Breen, you¡¯ve got some nerve. Toe all the way back from abroad to hit on my woman, do you have a death wish?¡± he said inwardly. Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Paxton felt the atmosphere in the car tense suddenly, and his hands on the steering wheel couldn¡¯t stop trembling. Like Branden, he kept an eye on the livestream. The difference was that he did this because he was afraid of something unexpected and was always prepared. From his observation, he could tell that Catherine was not interested in Edson and was even a bit bored.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡®I didn¡¯t realize Mr. Duncan would be jealous over something like that. As expected, a man in love had no emotional intelligence,¡¯ he thought. The car smoothly stopped in front of the apartment. Catherine had just finished thest bite of cake as she deftly opened the car door. Branden followed closely, and once they were back in the apartment, Catheriney down on the single sofa as usual. Coming inter, Branden asked in a usual tone, ¡°Are you hungry? Want something to eat?¡± ¡°No, I just had cake. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Though the chocte cake wasn¡¯trge, it tended to be a little too sweet, and Catherine felt a bit full after having a piece. She did not want to eat anything yet. The man approached, pulling off his tie as he walked. Havinge directly from a meeting, he was still in formal wear. The next moment, just as Catherine felt something strange and turned her head, he had unbuttoned his shirt and leaned in. He propped his powerful hands on both sides of the sofa, and his deep eyes squinted, fixed on Catherine with intense heat. Due to the unbuttoning, the shirt casually draped over his shoulders, revealing a strong, bronzed chest, charming and enchanting. Catherine wasn¡¯t rmed. Her bright eyes turned slightly, and the upturned ends of her eyes hinted at a trace of charm. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± she asked with a deliberately prolonged tone that could captivate and bewitch. ¡°Heehee.¡± The man chuckled lowly, his maic voice pleasing. ¡°You¡¯ve eaten your fill, and now it should be my turn, right?¡± ¡°You want me?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow slightly. Branden nodded without hesitation. Catherine extended a finger, gently gesturing toward him. Given permission, Branden no longer hesitated. A ze of anger erupted at this moment. When Catherine woke up the next day, she realized just how jealous Branden was yesterday. Despite her sturdy physique, she felt like she couldn¡¯t get out of bed the next day. Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Disguise In the shadows, the assistant knocked on Edson¡¯s door and entered upon receiving permission. The room was in chaos, filled with champagne and swirling smoke. Two gracefully shaped, provocatively dressed blondes were currently entwined around Edson, who sat calmly in the center, holding a cigar. Amidst the smoke, his already somber face appeared even colder, making it impossible to discern his current mood. The blondes obediently stepped aside when the assistant entered. The assistant approached and handed over the collected information. ¡°Boss, here are the things you wanted.¡± Edson nced around. Then, the two blonde women wiggled their hips and gracefully left the room. To the outside world, Edson seemed like a debauched, extravagant yboy. Only his assistant, who had been with him since childhood and considered his right-hand man, knew Edson¡¯s true nature. Beneath the facade of recklessness, Edson was extremely cold, cunning, and intelligent. Within the Breens, aside from the current head, Shane, no one was more formidable than Edson. His yful appearance was just a disguise. Hidden behind thisyer of disguise, Edson demonstrated his genius tactics, gradually bringing the Breens under his control. His ruthlessness terrified others, but few people knew this because those who witnessed his methods were almost all silenced. The only exception was Shane¡¯s adopted daughter and, at the same time, Edson¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Edson looked at the documents, somewhat surprised by the information on the man presented. He had heard that the current heir of the Duncans was a rare business genius and was outstanding, but Edson didn¡¯t expect him to be this exceptional. The Duncans were not only wealthy but also held unparalleled power in Eskana. The assistant exined in a hushed tone, ¡°Boss, this is the information we could find now. I believe there is much more hidden. The Duncans¡¯ strength is much greater than we imagined.¡± Moreover, they were in Eskana, the Duncans¡¯ territory. Trying to understand the Duncans¡¯ influence was unimaginably difficult. ¡°Boss, Mr. Shane instructed us to avoid conflicts with the Duncans as much as possible,¡± added the assistant. Edson took a deep breath, squinting at the photo in the documents. ¡°Did Catherine think she could escape me by dating the heir of the Duncans? No way! As long as I¡¯m alive, Catherine has to be my fianc¨¦e,¡± he said inwardly. He believed he and Catherine were destined to be together, and only he was worthy of her. ¡°Where is Cassie now? Styre University? ¡°he asked. When Edson asked, the assistant lowered his head slightly and exined the situation. ¡°Boss, ording to our intelligence, Miss Swann is not at school but in an apartment near the university, and the owner of that apartment is Branden.¡± Edson frowned, and his gaze instantly became sharp. ¡°Living together?¡± he thought and smashed the ss in his hand against the wall. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Bang!¡± With a resounding crash, the ss shattered into pieces. The assistant stood silently on the side, not daring to breathe too loudly. Edson gritted his teeth and murmured in a cold voice, ¡°Cassie, you¡¯re getting bolder.¡± The atmosphere in the room tensed suddenly, and nobody dared to provoke Edson now. After a long silence, Edson finally spoke. He instructed his assistant on the side, ¡°Have someone send a gift to Cassie.¡± Chapter 615 Chapter 615 Chapter 615 A Business War Although it was the weekend, Catherine had initially nned to go to theb. However, Branden¡¯s arrival disrupted her ns. Branden stayed with her the whole time, from day to night, working from home. While she yed games, Branden worked on hisputer. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Branden set aside hisputer and stood up. ¡°It might be Paxton delivering something; I¡¯ll go open the door.¡± Catherine did not react, thinking that opening the door didn¡¯t require both of them. ¡°Sir, is Miss Swann here? We have a delivery for her. Could you please have her sign for it?¡± Hearing the unfamiliar voice outside, Catherine voluntarily stood up. ¡± Looking for me?¡± Branden stepped aside slightly, making room. Catherine could sense that his mood wasn¡¯t good. His face was stern. Catherine nced at the unfamiliar man standing in front. ¡°I¡¯m Catherine Swann. Are you looking for me?¡± The man immediately shed a signature smile, lifting tworge boxes beside him. ¡°Miss Swann, this is your delivery. Please sign for it.¡± Besides a massive bouquet of flowers, there was also arge box that looked quite exquisite. Catherine took a quick nce, removed the card from the bouquet, and immediately knew who it was from, seeing the special symbols in the card¡¯s message. Her expression turned a bit unpleasant. The poor delivery guy. Facing the icy atmosphere from both sides, he still had to maintain a professional smile and resist the urge to tremble toplete the service. ¡°Miss Swann, the gift is a bitrge. Should I help you bring it inside?¡± Catherine¡¯s gaze turned colder; she tossed the card onto the flowers like throwing away trash and said coldly to the delivery guy, ¡°Take it back.¡± The delivery guy who had just managed to maintain a smile now felt like crying. ¡°Miss Swann, is there something wrong with my service? We aremitted to delivering the items to you. Regardless of the reason, the customer won¡¯t ept the deliveries being returned.¡± Catherine had no intention of making things difficult for these people-they were just doing their job. She replied straightforwardly, ¡°There¡¯s a trash can on the basement first floor. Help me throw it away. You can consider it epted and help me throw out the garbage.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. After saying that, she didn¡¯t give the delivery guy a chance to continue and directly closed the door. The rejected delivery guy, somewhat helpless, hid in the stairwell, dialed his supervisor¡¯s number, and reported the situation. The supervisor wasn¡¯t surprised by the situation. After all, if gifts personally sent by their boss could be sent back, their deliveries stood no chance. Catherine rejecting them was a normal thing. Anyway, their goal had been achieved, hadn¡¯t it? Inside the room, after refusing the gift, Catherine continued to return to the sofa to y games. The usually calm man seemed a bit uneasy at the moment. He didn¡¯t need to guess to know who the gift had juste from. He turned into the room and dialed Paxton¡¯s number. After arranging everything, he came out of the room and asked Catherine on the sofa, ¡°Hungry? Shall I cook some oatmeal for you?¡±. Since waking up in the afternoon until now, Catherine hadn¡¯t eaten anything and was indeed a bit hungry. She casually nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± After that, the man went into the kitchen. The atmosphere indoors remained as if nothing had happened. However, Catherine could still feel that the man was angry. The game continued, but Catherine had lost interest. She threw the phone aside and went to the kitchen. The man was cutting something, his focused expression making him incredibly handsome. Catherine folded her arms in front of her chest and leaned against the door frame, quietly watching him. Just as the man turned around after preparing the food, their eyes met. His in face instantly softened a bit. ¡± Hungry?¡± ¡°No.¡± Catherine shook her head, denying it, but didn¡¯t leave. She just silently watched Branden. No one mentioned the incident just now, as if nothing had happened. Branden didn¡¯t want to question Catherine about it. Even though Edson had angered him, Catherine had nothing to do with it, and she had immediately rejected the other party. Only useless men would vent their anger on their own women. As for Catherine, she never liked to exin too much. But if Branden asked, she would exin everything. After washing his hands, Branden took a step forward and gently embraced her. Leaning his chin on her head, he sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Just wait a little longer. It¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With a decisive pull, Catherine brought him closer and lightly kissed his cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± The resentment Branden felt a moment agopletely disappeared. Even the oatmeal boiling in the pot, with bubbles rising, now seemed cute. Edson, who had been feeling triumphant, unexpectedly received an urgent report from his assistant. The assistant hurriedly approached Edson and conveyed thetest intelligence. ¡°Boss, the stock prices of several subsidiaries in Loxton plummeted overnight. The losses can¡¯t be estimated for now.¡± Edson¡¯s triumphant expression vanished instantly, and his gaze now was full of malice. ¡°The Duncans did this?¡± The assistant nodded nervously. ¡± Although we don¡¯t have concrete evidence, it should be the Duncans¡¯ doing. No other family has the power besides them.¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Edson sneered coldly. Branden was impressive. He only sent a small gift, yet Branden directly eradicated several of his bases. Edson¡¯s eyes grew colder as he looked at the data reported by his assistant. The assistant, increasingly anxious, hesitated momentarily before asking, ¡± Boss, should we temporarily withdraw the heads of the bases? Once this matter blows over, we can regroup and quickly have them return to their original positions.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Edson disdainfully snorted, and the deep blue color of his eyes gradually darkened, exuding a chilling aura. ¡°No need. We¡¯ll sh sooner orter and might as well start directly.¡± The scared assistant broke out in a cold sweat and asked, ¡°Boss, what about Mr. Shane then?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Edson coldly interrupted, saying, ¡± Shane is getting old. The future of the Breens ultimately needs me to inherit. If I say this is how we¡¯re handling it, then that¡¯s how we¡¯re handling it.¡± The assistant dared not defy Edson and immediately nodded in agreement. Boss, I¡¯ll take care of it right away.¡± Arge-scale business war was about to begin. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Revealed Identity Loxton, seemingly calm, appeared to have hidden turmoiltely. Not only did Aidane, but Triston also rushed to Loxton from Casier. During this period, Audrey had been dealing with Korbin¡¯s mess, hiring a caregiver to take care of him. As for Rachael and Liana, she didn¡¯t want to get involved anymore. Following Liana¡¯s suggestion, she let them face the legal consequences. Thanks to Marshall¡¯s special arrangements with the school, Catherine immersed herself in the laboratory every day and rarely attended sses other than a few main courses. Now, not only Marshall but even the school¡¯s principal favored this genius student. Marshall arrived at theb and was somewhat surprised to find Catherine already there. In his perception, Catherine was a rare genius researcher. Unfortunately, shecked some of the noble qualities of a researcher. Relying on her exceptional talent, she never worked hard, living a carefree life. However, she was capable enough to bezy, as if she needed to do nothing, yet everything belonged to her. Among everyone in theb, she was the most casual, but her grades were the best, unmatched by anyone. Recently, Marshall noticed that Catherine¡¯s diligence was somewhat unusual. Sensing something amiss, Marshall, who usually didn¡¯t gossip, decided to find out this time. He lightly knocked on the door, and Catherine responded without raising her head, ¡°Come in.¡± Marshall originally intended to inquire about her recent situation. No matter what, she was his student, and it was only right to be more concerned about the student¡¯s life. But after approaching, Marshall¡¯s attention was captivated by Catherine¡¯sputer. Catherine was deducing thetest calcted data on theputer. After carefully examining it, Marshall pushed his sses and was almost fascinated. Looking at the data generated on theputer, he widened his mouth in astonishment. ¡°This¡­¡± Catherine ignored him and, fully focused, continued deducing her data. Marshall, internally shocked, did not dare to disturb her and couldn¡¯t find words to describe his amazement. After Catherine finished deducing and stood up, she turned around to see Marshall dumbfounded beside her. ¡°Professor Hartley, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°Catherine, did you deduce this yourself?¡± Marshall¡¯s voice was somewhat cold, and if one knew him well, they could sense his suppressed emotions. How he wished everything before his eyes was just a learning video created by Catherine. But he knew that was impossible. Catherine didn¡¯t deny it. She nodded. Marshall¡¯s gaze immediately darkened, and his expression was solemn as he stared intensely at Catherine. ¡°Who are you, and what is your purpose in theb?¡± Once, Marshall thought Catherine was a genius student with strong learning abilities. But now, he didn¡¯t think so. The data Catherine had just deduced was not something ordinary. Even he, perhaps, didn¡¯t have that capability. The entire Eskana couldn¡¯t have a second person like this. He did not know why Catherine could do this. He was now certain that Catherine had been exposed to this project before, perhaps even understanding the entire experiment better than they did. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did Catherinee to Styre University for college, and what is her purpose in theb? Is all this a conspiracy?¡± he thought. Marshall looked at her with a pained expression; he didn¡¯t want to give up on such a talented individual like Catherine. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s not toote to confess now. Do you understand?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Bring the Duncans Down Catherine, seeing Marshall¡¯s serious and stern attitude, couldn¡¯t help but find it somewhat amusing. ¡°Professor Hartley, what do you want me to confess?¡± she asked. Seeing her somewhat indifferent attitude, looking casual and carefree, Marshall couldn¡¯t help but feel angry. Confess. Who are you, and what is your purpose at Styre University? Or, why are you in the lab?¡± Catherine raised her eyes slightly and looked at him, saying seriously without any ambiguity, ¡°I¡¯m only going to say something once. I¡¯m Catherine Swann, and I came to Styre University for only one purpose-to study! As for theb, you brought me here.¡± After saying this, Catherine bypassed Marshall and left theb. Her data had been checked, and she could take a temporary break. During this time, she had been working overtime on experiments. Shane had already arranged for Edson toe to Eskana, so she had to speed up the process to have a chance to outpace Shane. Marshall watched Catherine¡¯s retreating figure, his brows tightly knitted. Although Catherine¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem like a lie, the matter was significant, and there couldn¡¯t be any mistakes. He believed Catherine but had to report for theb¡¯s safety. Marshall took out his phone and dialed the principal¡¯s number. ¡°Sir, I have something to report. I think there¡¯s something off about Catherine.¡± On the other end of the phone, the principal instructed Marshall. ¡°Come to my office.¡± Ten minutester, Marshall appeared in the principal¡¯s office. After a brief report on Catherine¡¯s suspicious situation, he immediately defended her. ¡°Sir, I think Catherine might have been unintentionally misled. She has extraordinary talent and is a once-in-a -century genius¡­¡± The principal raised his hand to interrupt Marshall¡¯s lengthy exnation. ¡°Marshall, you seem to care a lot about this student.¡± The principal was not only Marshall¡¯s superior but also a colleague and friend for many years. Marshall was usually immersed in his experiments and data and rarely showed such concern, even for his son. Marshall smiled awkwardly and said, ¡± I¡¯m mainly impressed by her excellence. I¡¯m not exaggerating; she¡¯s genuinely talented!¡± The principal nodded in agreement. ¡± You¡¯re right; Catherine is indeed exceptionally gifted.¡± Seeing an opportunity, Marshall continued, ¡°Sir, I feel there might be a misunderstanding. We need to investigate a bit more.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± The principalughed. ¡± Marshall, do you not understand how crucial your project is?¡± Marshall looked at the principal suspiciously. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The principal smiled mysteriously and kept silent, and Marshall became anxious and said, ¡°Just be straight with me. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not as sharp as you are. I can¡¯t guess.¡± The principal red at him in dissatisfaction. ¡°Yourck of emotional intelligence is astounding. Can¡¯t you see? For your project, can just anyone be involved? Forget about Catherine; even your background is thoroughly checked. Focus on your project. Catherine¡¯s identity is fine; she¡¯s just a talented person with a unique background.¡± The principal then winked at him suddenly and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s what the higher-ups said, and I don¡¯t even know the details. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with her identity.¡± A huge weight lifted off Marshall¡¯s heart, but the mystery surrounding Catherine¡¯s identity increased. Since the principal could say that, it meant that Catherine¡¯s identity was indeed fine. But even the principal didn¡¯t know the details, so it could be seen how mysterious Catherine¡¯s identity was. Aware of Marshall¡¯s dilemma, the principal patted his shoulder and said, ¡± You¡¯re a researcher, so just focus on your research. We don¡¯t need to get involved in those matters. As long as you know that she¡¯s a good person and poses no harm.¡± With these words, Marshall suddenly reacted and understood. His previously furrowed brows rxed at this moment, and he became much calmer. ¡°Yeah, what you said makes sense. I¡¯ll focus on my experiments. As long as there are no problems with my students, I¡¯m fine! I¡¯ll take my leave now. Let¡¯s have coffee next time.¡± With that, Marshall left happily. Watching his departing figure, the principal shook his head helplessly. ¡®It¡¯s uncertain who is the student of whom,¡¯ he thought. If Catherine hadn¡¯te to experience university life on a whim, it would probably have been challenging for the school to invite such a talent to a guest lecture. After leaving theboratory, Catherine ran into Ronin. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence. Ronin had deliberately waited for her here. He didn¡¯t know when Catherine would finish her experiments ande out; Catherine hated interruptions when she was concentrating on something. Knowing Catherine¡¯s habits, he never went into theb to disturb her. He waited at theb¡¯s door, thinking that he would always manage to catch Catherine when she came out. Sure enough, after waiting for a good while, she appeared. Seeing Catherineing out, Ronin quickly caught up. ¡°Catherine, I need to talk to you. Let¡¯s go to that pavilion over there, out of the sun.¡± Catherine nodded, walked to the nearby pavilion, and casually sat down. Seeing Ronin still standing, she nced at an empty seat nearby. ¡°Sit down and speak. Your standing makes me have to look up at you all the time.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ronin had recently experienced a growth spurt. Although he still had a boyish face, his height had already surpassed 5.9 feet. If he kept growing, he might reach 6.2 feet. Although Catherine was tall, there was still a difference between their heights. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Ronin immediately sat down. ¡°Catherine, I need to talk to you about Edson. He¡¯s been quite activetely, and it seems he¡¯s targeting the Duncan Corporation. His sessive attacks on several subsidiaries have caused considerable damage to the Duncan Corporation.¡± After saying that, Ronin stole a nce at Catherine. Seeing her indifferent expression, he continued, ¡°Catherine, it seems the Duncan Corporation is in trouble. Shouldn¡¯t we lend a hand?¡± Regardless of Edson¡¯s reasons for targeting the Duncan Corporation because of Catherine or the rtionship between Branden and Catherine, they should offer some support. To Ronin¡¯s surprise, Catherine¡¯s response to this suggestion almost choked him with his own saliva. Catherine casually replied, ¡°No need to bother. Let them be. If Edson can bring down the Duncans, I have a chance to support him.¡± Ronin had finally managed to swallow the saliva he almost choked on. He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to have such a thought. She seemed to be hoping for the Duncans¡¯ bankruptcy, allowing her to support Branden. Thinking about it, Ronin felt that Branden was also pitiable. He probably never would have guessed that Catherine had this n hidden in her thoughts. Although he felt Branden was not wrong, Ronin knew he had to be unconditionally loyal to Catherine. After hesitating for a while, he could only apologize to Branden in his heart. He raised his head decisively and looked at Catherine with determination. ¡°Catherine, what if we add some fuel and directly bring the Duncans down?¡± Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Chapter 618 A Significant Loss At the Duncan Corporation, a high- level meeting was in progress, and Branden, who had maintained a constant expression throughout in the head seat, suddenly furrowed his brow. The executives below were scared out of their wits and shivered, especially the manager who was reporting the situation. He was already nervous. Seeing the change in Branden¡¯s expression, he was now trembling in fear as if seized by an epileptic fit, unsure which part of his report had angered the big boss. In that split second, Branden felt a chill down his spine, suspecting someone was cursing him behind his back. He could not help but furrow his brows. Sensing the change in the atmosphere of the meeting room, the manager, who was reporting, paused in his narration. Branden waved his hand, gesturing for the other party to continue. When the manager saw that Branden had no inclination to burst into anger, he carefully continued, ¡°Based on thetest data summary fromst week, as of the end ofst week, our group has incurred a huge loss in the projects we arepeting with the subsidiaries of the Breen Group.¡± Hearing the financial report, everyone present turned ashen-faced. Since Branden took charge of the Duncans, this was the first time they had suffered such a significant loss. However, facing the globally renowned Breens and entering into a battle with them, such losses were somewhat expected. The manager stopped reporting after presenting the situation, waiting for Branden to speak. Paxton handed thetest data to Branden. Branden nced at it indifferently and said expressionlessly, ¡°Continue.¡± The high-level executives exchanged puzzled nces and thought, ¡°Are we going to continue with such heavy losses? Is Mr. Duncan nning topete head-on with the Breens to the end?¡± This clearly wasn¡¯t a wise decision. Regardless of whether they won or lost in this business battle, it wouldn¡¯t bode well for the Duncans. After all, Eskana was the Duncans¡¯ stronghold. As long as they resisted, the Duncans had a good chance of winning. However, the Breens were formidable opponents. This business battle would undoubtedly severely damage the Duncans. If the Breens lost, they could temporarily withdraw from Eskana or even just leave Loxton. After two years of recuperation, they could return, which was a routine strategy for the powerful Breens. But it was different for the Duncans. Although the Duncans had vast influence and steadily developed year by year, Loxton had numerous powerful families, with several eyeing the Duncans. Once the Duncans fell, these local forces would not hesitate toe forward to target them. At that time, even if the Duncans defeated the Breens and returned to deal with these native forces, given the losses they had suffered previously, they might find themselves overwhelmed. It might potentially cause severe consequences and drag down the entire Duncan Corporation. But Branden¡¯s words were not up for discussion. He was directly informing these people of his decision. ¡°Scatter!¡± Branden ordered, then stood up and left. The high-level executives looked at each other, but no one dared to say anything publicly. Finally, all eyes turned to Paxton. As Branden¡¯s special assistant, he was the person who understood Branden¡¯s thoughts the most. Everyone ced their hopes on him, and someone couldn¡¯t help but boldly ask, ¡°Mr. Paxton, what does Mr. Duncan mean?¡± Paxton smiled faintly and said softly, ¡± You¡¯ve all been at the Duncan Corporation for quite a while. Following Mr. Duncan for so many years, you¡¯ve witnessed numerous storms, big and small. When has Mr. Duncan ever made a wrong decision? If you still have doubts, feel free to seek other jobster.¡± With this simple statement, everyone immediately kept silent. Despite Paxton¡¯s current smiling demeanor, the icy coldness in his eyes was terrifying. Scared, everyone quickly apologized and made excuses. ¡°Mr. Paxton, there¡¯s a misunderstanding. We were just asking. ¡°Yes, just asking.¡± Paxton had no intention of chatting with these hindrances; he had a lot of things to do. After collecting his things, he ignored the discussions in the room and followed Branden¡¯s footsteps to leave. Back in the president¡¯s office, Paxton promptly handed over the collected intelligence to Branden. ¡°Sir, this is Edson¡¯s recent movements. He has been to Styre University three times but hasn¡¯t seen Miss Swann. Miss Swann has been in theb all this time, rarely leaving the campus.¡± Engrossed in reading documents, Branden furrowed his brow upon hearing this. ¡°In theb all the time?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Paxton nodded slightly. Knowing that Branden cared about Catherine, he quickly added, ¡°We regrly arrange for food and desserts to be delivered to Styre University. Miss Swann epts it as long as it¡¯s sent in your name.¡± A faint smile curved Branden¡¯s lips when he heard that Catherine would ept it as long as it was sent in his name. Those days, he had been busy with the deployment and hadn¡¯t had time to go to Styre University. A surge of longing welled up within him at the mention of Catherine. Branden then stood up and grabbed his coat. Seeing this, Paxton guessed that Branden was going to find Catherine. Only Catherine could make him, the workaholic, put aside work. Paxton immediately informed his subordinates and arranged the car. Half an hourter, a low-key ck Bentley slowly stopped at the entrance of Styre University. Sitting in the front seat, Paxton asked in a low voice, ¡°Sir, should we inform the school to open the gate?¡± While other people¡¯s cars couldn¡¯t get into Styre University, it wasn¡¯t hard for them. ¡°No need.¡± After Branden briefly replied, he pushed open the car door and got out. Catherine didn¡¯t like being too high-profile, so he chose to walk in to find her. Below the dormitory for girls, Catherine had just finished ss with Amelia and came back. Amelia, exhausted, had drooping shoulders, looking utterly drained. ¡°Super Catherine, how can you not react at all? Don¡¯t you find what the professor said in ss just now as iprehensible as a foreignnguage?¡± She had almost fallen asleep, barely holding on until the end of ss. Catherine, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. Today¡¯s main course was indeed a bit challenging, but for Catherine, it was like elementary school-level questions. She didn¡¯t bother to listen, so naturally, she wouldn¡¯t be tired. Seeing Catherine not responding, Amelia didn¡¯t mind; she was already used to Catherine¡¯s personality. Anything that made Super Catherinement had to be a significant event. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Boredly walking forward, Amelia suddenly heard whispers around her. She looked toward the voices and excitedly tugged at Catherine¡¯s sleeve. ¡± Super Catherine, look quickly, a handsome foreign guy!¡± Catherine, disturbed by her sudden exim, couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brows. She followed where Amelia was pointing. Then, her brows furrowed even more intensely. Indeed, the man was as annoying as a fly, impossible to get rid of. Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Treat a Meal When Catherine caught sight of Edson, she felt a moment of annoyance and turned around, preparing to leave. At this point, Edson had already spotted Catherine. Seeing Catherine about to leave, he hurriedly caught up. Cassie!¡± Amelia was puzzled by Catherine¡¯s sudden change of direction and did not know what had happened. Then she witnessed the handsome foreign guy suddenly chasing after Catherine and shouting her name. Amelia was dumbfounded, muttering to herself, ¡°Oh my goodness, Super Catherine is truly different. Even such a top-notch foreign guy is chasing after her.¡± Hearing footsteps behind her, Catherine halted, hands in her pockets. She then adopted a cool demeanor and stared at Edson. Disying a domineering attitude, she said with an icy tone devoid of emotion, ¡°If you think a beating isn¡¯t enough, feel free to try.¡± Catherine assumed a ready-to-fight posture, scaring Edson pale. He had never suffered such humiliation in his life. Among all the women globally, only Catherine dared toy a hand on him. What was worse was that hisbat strength was lower than Catherine¡¯s, so he couldn¡¯t win in a physical confrontation. Edson raised his hand in a gesture for a pause and looked at Catherine with deep affection. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Cassie, we¡¯re friends after all. I came to Eskana for business, and is this the attitude I get when I meet an old friend like you? Shouldn¡¯t you invite me for a meal and catch up?¡± Catherine wasn¡¯t buying the tactics that usually worked on ordinary people. She gave Edson a cold look and was full of disdain. ¡°An old friend? Who said we¡¯re friends?¡± She knew what Edson was thinking. Her eyes lowered, and within the cold gaze, there was a strong warning. ¡°I advise you not to bother me. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to handle the consequences.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t show Edson any respect, making his expression extremely unpleasant. He squinted his eyes and stared at Catherine with a threatening look, questioning, ¡°Am I that undesirable to you?¡± Before Catherine could respond, a sudden voice interrupted the tension. ¡± Don¡¯t you even know whether you¡¯re desirable or not? Do youck that basic self-awareness?¡± The deep voice attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Branden, with an imposing stride, walked toward them. His tall figure and perfect facial features made him look like a walking magazine cover. He went straight to Catherine and wrapped his strong arms around her slender waist, boldly asserting his dominance. Catherine stood quietly on the side and tacitly approved his actions,pletely agreeing with him. Edson¡¯s smile disappeared when he saw Branden¡¯s arrival. Despite seemingly having a better chance of winning against the Duncan Corporation in their recent war, theirpany had suffered significant losses as well. If not for the Breens¡¯ deep pockets, they might not have been able to hold on. The fresh grievances mingled with old resentments. Seeing Branden now, he restrained himself forcefully and managed to suppress the fury within him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, this is between Cassie and me. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not your turn to intervene, is it?¡± said Edson. ¡°Cassie? Well, the address is quite affectionate. Hopefully, you¡¯ll stay as firmter,¡± Branden said inwardly. ¡°Mr. Edson, don¡¯t forget, Catherine is now my fianc¨¦e. As long as it concerns her, I have the right to get involved,¡± replied Branden. Watching the two of them quarrel like kids, Catherine stood aside, rolling her eyes silently. The word ¡°fianc¨¦e¡±pletely stimted Edson; his face instantly cooled, and the deep blue color of his eyes darkened as he stared fixedly at Catherine. ¡°Fianc¨¦e? Cassie, are you serious? Could it be¡­¡± Before Edson could finish, Catherine interrupted him, saying, ¡°Go ahead if you dare.¡± Her simple threat silenced Edson. Even though Catherine disliked him, Edson understood her well enough. He knew Catherine was already angry, and if he truly provoked her, she wouldn¡¯t show respect to anyone. She would silence him even if she chased him to the ends of the earth. He didn¡¯t dare challenge Catherine and could only choose to remain silent. However, Branden¡¯s expression not only did not rx but became even more serious when he saw Catherine stop Edson. The infamous and rebellious socialite Edson, known for deviating from the norm, closed his mouth because of Catherine¡¯s words. Was he too afraid of Catherine, or did he have other intentions? Suppressing his anger, Branden gently said to Catherine, ¡°A guest is a guest. No matter what, Mr. Edson hase from afar. Shouldn¡¯t we extend some hospitality and invite Mr. Edson to dinner?¡± Catherine shrugged indifferently and casually said, ¡°As long as it makes you happy.¡± Branden smiled gently at her, and they looked very much in love. His gaze then fell on Edson. ¡°Mr. Edson, would you do us the honor?¡± Edson, with a forced smile, responded, ¡°With pleasure.¡± He wanted to see just how affectionate Branden and Catherine really were. After the two settled things, Catherine turned to the bewildered Amelia on the side and asked, ¡°Do you want to head back to the dormitory for now?¡± Amelia was grateful for Catherine¡¯s consideration and nced at her with admiration. She couldn¡¯t handle such a situation; she might not survive the tense atmosphere. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll go first. See you allter,¡± Amelia hurriedly replied and left. For her, witnessing such an impressive show was already more than enough. Delving further into gossip might be too much for her to handle. Half an hourter, the group appeared at Loxton¡¯s finest restaurant. Branden had the waiter hand the menu to Edson. ¡°As our guest, please go ahead and order first.¡± Edson smiled coldly. ¡°Guests should abide by the host¡¯s preferences. Mr. Duncan, you order first.¡± Branden graciously epted the menu and started to order. He teased and said, ¡°It seems Mr. Edson is quite familiar with Eskana. You know many of the customs.¡± ¡°My fianc¨¦e is Eskanese, and I love her deeply. For her, I¡¯m willing to understand Eskana¡¯s culture,¡± Edson replied and nced in Catherine¡¯s direction with a particrly ambiguous look in his eyes. Branden naturally noticed this scene. The atmosphere around him instantly tensed up, making it seemingly hard to breathe. Edson wore a triumphant expression when he saw Branden was angry. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I assume you understand that feeling of loving someone and being willing to tolerate everything for them. ¡°Of course,¡± Branden calmly replied and continued to order. The tension of this smokeless war in the air briefly subsided. Quickly, the dishes arrived. It was the season for plump crabs. Branden ordered some, and when they were served, he picked up the first one and ced it in front of Catherine. The next moment, Edson eximed in surprise, ¡°Wait!¡±. He then frowned, pointing at the crab in front of Catherine, questioning Branden, ¡°Mr. Duncan, don¡¯t you know Catherine is allergic to crabs? Why would you let her eat this?¡± The air seemed to freeze in an instant, and the entire room fell silent. Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Chapter 620 No Weaknesses Edson looked proudly at the scene. Even though danger might be looming ahead, he had no regrets. Witnessing Branden¡¯s anger was not something an ordinary person could achieve. He provocatively looked straight at Branden. He was fully aware of what a man could not tolerate and was challenging Branden¡¯s limits. The situation reached a stalemate, and a fight was about to erupt. Suddenly, Catherine, who had been silent on the side, picked up a crab, snapped off a leg, and casually brought it to her mouth. Seeing her nonchnt demeanor, Edson was taken aback, eximing, ¡± Cassie¡­¡± Catherine disdainfully nced at him and retorted, her tone cold and sharp, ¡± Stay out of my business if you don¡¯t understand me. Shut up and mind your meal.¡± She casually ced a crab on Branden¡¯s te in front of him. ¡°Crack open it for me.¡± Branden said nothing, dly taking the crab and expertly extracting the meat. Edson, puzzled and angered, questioned Branden. ¡°She¡¯s allergic, and you¡¯re cracking open it for her?¡± Without Catherine exining, Branden raised his eyes and stared at Edson coldly. ¡°You think what you know would be true?¡± Who was Catherine? She had undergone countless hours of training. Branden used to train with her on the same ind. Even though many things were unknown to others, Branden knew them very well. People like them couldn¡¯t afford to have vulnerabilities. If the enemy knew, it would be the most dangerous thing. He was in the same category as Catherine. If he had such a weakness, he would either guard the secret tightly or eliminate the weakness entirely. He was sure Catherine felt the same way. If anyone knew about this weakness, Catherine would make that person disappear for good. Branden¡¯s hands moved swiftly, and the sharp knife expertly navigated the crab. Soon, the crab meat was perfectly separated. He ced the dish full of crab meat in front of Catherine, drizzling it with the restaurant¡¯s special sauce. The aroma of crab wafted, and Catherine scooped a spoonful into her mouth. ¡°Not bad!¡± She gave a casualment. Branden¡¯s lips curled up slightly when he saw her enjoyment, his eyes revealing affection. ¡°Have more if you like it.¡± Edson, observing Catherine¡¯s actions, realized Branden wasn¡¯t lying. Their deliberate disy of affection further fueled his anger. He squinted his eyes, unable to conceal his frustration, and glowered at Catherine. ¡°You lied to me?¡± Catherine coldly chuckled, lifting her gaze to Edson with a scornful look. ¡± You just don¡¯t understand me.¡± The simple sentence was like a massive p in Edson¡¯s face. Catherine was right; it wasn¡¯t her problem, but Edson simply didn¡¯t understand her. Once, she did have a slight allergy to crabs. Eating crab roe would make her itch all over, extremely ufortable. But when she discovered this weakness, she locked herself in her room and crazily consumed crab roe. A person like her couldn¡¯t afford to have weaknesses. After enduring for three days and nights, she forcibly got through it. With Thomas¡¯s treatment, as long as she didn¡¯t eatrge amounts of crab roe, her body wouldn¡¯t react. Edson didn¡¯t understand her, but Branden did. She absolutely couldn¡¯t allow others to know her weakness. If Edson knew, then that weakness would cease to exist. Observing the dumbfounded and unpleasant Edson, Branden chuckled lightly. ¡°Mr. Edson, the crab tastes good today. Would you like some more? ¡°Hmph!¡± Edson threw down the napkin and angrily left. If he stayed any longer, he would only be aughingstock. As Edson left, Branden nced at Paxton. Paxton had long been holding back his anger. ¡°How dare this red-haired guy challenge Mr. Duncan? Does he think the Duncans are that easy to bully?¡± he thought. He nodded silently and followed suit. Catherine saw this scene but remained silent. Edson had nothing to do with her. He overestimated himself and sought his own demise. Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. Edson, fuming, left the restaurant and headed to the VIP parking lot on the basement second floor. His departure today was unexpected, ast-minute invitation from Branden. So, he only brought one driver with him. The driver was waiting for him in the underground parking lot. Edson furiously descended and was ready to let off some steam. His exclusive car was parked at the elevator entrance, and Edson saw it as soon as he came downstairs. But to his surprise, the driver didn¡¯t immediately notice him and didn¡¯t get up to open the car door for him. Anyone who could be his driver was exclusively trained and could not possibly make such a mistake. Edson paused, looking toward the driver¡¯s seat. The driver was still there, seemingly asleep. For others, this might seem inconsequential, but not for Edson. He immediately sensed something was wrong and prepared to go back upstairs. But just as he turned around, everything went ck in front of him. He was agile enough to try and dodge to the right, but the other party had seen what he was trying to do and moved a little faster than he did. Edson¡¯s head remained covered, and he was unable to discern anything. Then, a rain of fists descended, brutally pummeling him. At first, Edson endured in silence and fought back. But those people were like crazy. Seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything, they hit him even more fiercely. As the beating intensified, Edson finally couldn¡¯t hold on and shouted for help. Unfortunately, this was a top-notch VIP parking lot, usually deserted. Now, there was no one to hear Edson¡¯s cries. No matter how desperate Edson¡¯s pleas were, no one came to his rescue. In the end, Edson was beaten to the ground,pletely unconscious, and only then did the attackers stop. Once Edson copsed, Paxton, the one leading the assault, slowly walked out. He raised his foot and kicked Edson a couple of times. Then, he instructed his subordinates, Strip him naked and tie him up. Then take him to Whispering Joy Street.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The subordinates did not dare to hesitate and immediately followed orders. Whispering Joy Street was a ce hidden in the depths of Loxton, a red- light district for those without means. The women there were far from morous, and anyone with some capital wouldn¡¯te here. Since Edson was such a libertine, then this was a good ce for him. Watching Edson being dragged away, Paxton took the cigarette from between his lips and ruthlessly extinguished it in the nearby ashtray. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He said inwardly, ¡°Don¡¯t me us for being too ruthless if you¡¯ve got the nerve to disrespect Mr. Duncan.¡± Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Convention When Edson woke up, he was almost scared to death. He had been tied up on the bed by someone, and the person tying the ropes was obviously very professional. No matter how hard Edson struggled, he couldn¡¯t break free from the restraints. What was even more terrifying was the group of grotesque figures around him, greedily sticking out their tongues. Seeing this, Edson almost vomited on the spot. At the critical moment, his men arrived in time and rescued him. Although Edson was saved, he had also suffered a lot of torture. The group of grotesque figures had stripped him of his clothes. He had many bruises on his body. Sitting in the car, now safe, Edson couldn¡¯t help but explode with rage. He kicked the back of the front seat and angrily shouted, ¡°Find out who did this. When we catch the culprit, I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± His subordinate sitting in the front seat responded meekly, ¡°Boss, the surveince in the parking lot has been tampered with, and we can¡¯t find any clues.¡± This only fueled Edson¡¯s anger. Unable to ept the fact that they couldn¡¯t find any clues, he shouted furiously, ¡°I don¡¯t care how much it costs, find it for me. Do whatever you can to find the clues! Tell them I will reward whoever provides useful information with ten million dors. That¡¯s arge sum of money, and if they wanna get it, find the culprit for me!¡± Edson had already made up his mind. Once he found the mastermind, he would ruthlessly punish them and make them suffer tenfold for what he had endured. Paxton, who had just returned from a mission, sneezed twice the moment he walked through the door. His subordinate immediately said, Paxton, is someone secretly cursing you?¡± ¡± Paxton coldly smiled. ¡°Who knows?¡± It wasn¡¯t just a curse. Perhaps that person even wanted to skin him alive. ¡°Did you get it back?¡± Paxton asked. His subordinate immediately presented the items to him. ¡°Yes, here it is!¡± Paxton opened the video and couldn¡¯t help butugh at the exciting footage. ¡± Well done!¡± Watching the video made Paxton feel somewhat satisfied. ¡°How dare that audacious foreigner challenge Boss?¡± he murmured inwardly. ¡°He¡¯s getting on our nerves. This time, it was just a small lesson. If he dares to provoke us again, we¡¯ll blow that motherfucker¡¯s head!¡± ¡°Arrange some people to keep an eye on Edson,¡± Paxton ordered. The group responded in unison, ¡°Yes!¡± After finishing dinner with Branden, Catherine returned to her dormitory. She had experiments to conduct in the following days, and Branden was busy withpany matters, so they didn¡¯t live together in the apartment. When Amelia saw Catherine, she seemed surprised. ¡°Catherine, why are you back today?¡± She then felt something was wrong and asked softly, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Catherine gave her a faint nce and replied, ¡°What could possibly be wrong? ¡°She then sat down at her desk and turned on herptop. Seeing her open theptop, Amelia knew she was going to work. Nobody dared to disturb Catherine when she was conducting experiments. Just as Catherine was about to start working, her phone started ringing. She nced at it and saw that it was Marshall calling. Marshall rarely contacted her, so it must be something important. Therefore, she reached for the phone. ¡°Hello,¡± Catherine answered. As soon as she picked up the phone, Marshall¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s me, Marshall. You¡¯re not resting yet, are you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Catherine replied indifferently. ¡°Good. There¡¯s something I want to tell you. Tomorrow, there will be a convention, and the experimental project they will be discussing is the one you are working on. I want you to go with me. The people coming are all world-renowned experts, and it¡¯s a rare opportunity. You should go.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t really care about the experts; she was always casual about her experiments and didn¡¯t need to exchange ideas with others. But out of respect for Marshall, she agreed. ¡°I will attend tomorrow as scheduled, Professor Hartley.¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s agreement, Marshall became a little excited. He knew that all his students would be willing to go if they were given the chance, but Catherine was an exception. He always felt he couldn¡¯t figure out her thoughts. If she really refused, he would probably have to give up. ¡°Okay, get some rest. See you tomorrow.¡± The next day, Catherine woke up on time. As she walked downstairs, she bumped into Marshall. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. ¡°Professor Hartley, are you worried that I might run away, or are you worried that I might bete?¡± Marshall smiled awkwardly. ¡°Neither, I just happened to be passing by. I¡¯m afraid you might not find the ce, so I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± Catherine walked alongside Marshall as he briefly introduced the situation of today¡¯s convention. ¡°All the experts who areing are world-renowned, and because of their special status, the confidentiality work has been done exceptionally well. I only received the news yesterday,¡± he said. ¡± After the school leadership discussion, we decided to bring you along.¡± Others might not understand Catherine¡¯s achievements, but Marshall did. He had a vague feeling that Catherine¡¯s abilities were definitely more than what he had known. She was one hundred percent qualified to attend the convention. As the representative of Styre University, Catherine, under Marshall¡¯s leadership, arrived at the convention venue. Just as Marshall had said, all the top experts in this field hade, and everyone knew each other. Many people greeted Marshall and, at the same time, curiously looked at Catherine. Many of them were already in their fifties or sixties, and Catherine, being so young, instantly attracted their attention. Someone with a good rtionship with Marshall couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡± Marshall, who is this young lady?¡± Marshall proudly smiled. ¡°My student, with abilities surpassing mine!¡± ¡°Abilities surpassing Marshall¡¯s?¡± they wondered. ¡°How could that be?¡± Everyone thought Marshall was just exaggerating to show his affection for his students. After all, no one believed that such a young girl could be more capable than Marshall, a heavyweight in the field. However, there was one exception. When he saw Catherine, he was stunned, as if he hadn¡¯t expected to see her here. Catherine also noticed Patrick Phillips and nodded slightly at him. Not knowing Catherine¡¯s current situation, Patrick didn¡¯t dare to greet her rashly and just nodded subtly before retreating to the side. The convention officially began, and as experts in the same field, afterplimenting each other, they began to share their current research progress and achievements. Marshall¡¯s progress was the fastest, which sparked jealousy among many. After all, if this project seeded, it would be a world-renowned achievement. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Who wouldn¡¯t want to leave a brilliant mark in history? Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Be Your Teacher The convention officially began, and Catherine sat on the left of Marshall, with a representative from Ellinos Academy sitting on his right. This university ranked far above Styre University in the world. Unfortunately, their research and development in this experimental project were far behind that of Styre University¡¯sboratory. The Ellinos Academy representatives were very dissatisfied with this. Seeing Marshall bringing a student here, the representative of Ellinos Academy, Atticus Sterling, sarcastically remarked, ¡°It looks like Styre University¡¯s research has made breakthrough progress, huh?¡± This sudden remark attracted everyone¡¯s attention. No one knew what was going on with Atticus. Curiously, someone asked him, ¡°Mr. Sterling, have you received some secret information?¡± Atticus sneered. ¡°No, but it¡¯s just obvious, isn¡¯t it? Look, Professor Hartley is bringing his student to this convention, allowing a freshman tomunicate with us. If there hadn¡¯t been significant achievements, how could he do this?¡± His implication was that Marshall looked down on them by sending a student tomunicate to talk with them. This statement made everyone¡¯s expression turn sour. All eyes shifted back and forth between Marshall and Atticus. Marshall looked embarrassed, not knowing how to exin. He struggled to say, ¡°Please, don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t mean that. The reason I brought Catherine here is because I believe in her outstanding abilities. She has great insight into the experimental project and is much more capable than I am.¡± Atticus coldly scrutinized Marshall and said, ¡°Professor Hartley, why bother? You don¡¯t have to belittle yourself like this, do you? If you¡¯re less capable than her, why don¡¯t you let her be your teacher? I heard she¡¯s just a freshman!¡± Marshall¡¯s face became extremely embarrassed, not knowing how to exin himself. Catherine snapped out of her daze and looked at Atticus. His heart skipped a beat when her cold and indifferent gaze swept over him. He didn¡¯t expect a young girl to have such an intimidating look in her eyes. He was stunned for a moment before slowly regaining hisposure. ¡°You¡¯re Professor Hartley¡¯s student, right? Do you have a problem with what I said?¡± Atticus asked. Catherine coldly stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Seemingly surprised by Catherine¡¯s response, Atticus then smiled triumphantly and looked at Marshall with a smug expression. ¡°Professor Hartley, your student seems to agree with my statement. Why don¡¯t you tell us how your project has progressed and why you seem to look down on us?¡± Marshall¡¯s face darkened in an instant. He didn¡¯t know what Catherine was thinking. He always knew that Catherine wasn¡¯t that kind of person, but what did she mean by this? Before Marshall could figure it out, he heard Catherine coldly say to Atticus, ¡± You¡¯re right. Not only can I be Professor Hartley¡¯s teacher, but I can also be yours.¡± She then raised her eyebrows and looked at Atticus mockingly. ¡°Come on, be my student, and maybe I¡¯ll kindly teach you something.¡± Atticus¡¯s face immediately darkened, and he mmed his hand on the table, angrily shouting at Catherine, ¡°How dare you? Who do you think you are to speak to me like that? Don¡¯t underestimate Ellinos Academy.¡± Catherine looked at him disdainfully and said loudly, ¡°So what if I look down on you?¡± She didn¡¯t understand why such a small fry dared to speak so arrogantly in front of her. Maybe she had been so friendly recently that these people, who didn¡¯t know their ce, began to act arrogantly. The atmosphere became tense, and everyone watched the battle between Styre University and Ellinos Academy with great interest. Suddenly, a burst ofughter caught everyone¡¯s attention. Seeing others look at him, Patrick raised his hand and said, ¡°Sorry, I just couldn¡¯t help it. Please continue.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Seeing that it was Patrick whoughed, Atticus immediately said to him, ¡± Professor Phillips, you¡¯re laughing because Styre University has be too arrogant, right?¡± Patrick had a higher status in the field than Marshall. Among the people present, his research results were the most impressive. In the academic world, it was all about the results. Whoever had the most impressive achievement had the final say. Patrick didn¡¯t want to get involved in the first ce, but since Atticus had mentioned him, he had to say something. ¡°Mr. Sterling, in this field, abilities speak louder than words. If you really want me to say something, then I will tell you something. In this field, Catherine is my teacher as well.¡± Atticus widened his eyes in disbelief as he looked at Patrick. ¡°Professor Phillips, are you sure you¡¯re not joking?¡± Patrick looked at him seriously and said, ¡°Mr. Sterling, you know I never joke around.¡± Everyone present was shocked. First, Marshall said that Catherine was even more talented than him, and now Patrick said that Catherine was his teacher. If Marshall was biased toward his student, what about Patrick? Why would he do that? Facing the curious looks of everyone, Patrick decided to pass the difficult question to Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, why don¡¯t you tell us about your research results? Since this is a convention, we might as well learn from you!¡± Catherine stood up with the microphone in her hand. The people sitting in front of her were all big shots in the field. Standing in front of them, she remained calm andposed. She casually held the microphone and exined the more straightforward parts of her research results. At first, the big shots in front of her were just listening out of curiosity. But as they listened, they became increasingly serious. When Atticus noticed that the professors sitting next to him had all started taking notes, he looked increasingly embarrassed. At this moment, they did look like a bunch of students. Catherine didn¡¯t like to talk much, and her speech was concise, even at a convention like this. Yet, her words were all essential. After speaking for five minutes, she stopped and said, That¡¯s all I have to say.¡±. As she finished speaking, many people were still immersed in it. Someone proactively suggested, ¡°It¡¯s over? Please continue, Miss Swann. We want to hear more.¡± One person stared at Catherine for a long time and eximed, ¡°Miss Swann, have I seen you before? Weren¡¯t you at the Mistel Institute of Technology for an academic exchange five years ago?¡± Catherine nodded slightly, admitting it. The Mistel Institute of Technology was the top-ranked school in the field globally. Other universities weren¡¯t its match. Yet now, a professor at this university said that Catherine had been to the Mistel Institute of Technology for an academic exchange five years ago. But how old was she five years ago? Once again, everyone looked at Catherine in disbelief, wondering who this extraordinary person was. Now, they finally understood why Patrick had seen her as his teacher. It made sense. When Catherine¡¯s identity was confirmed, Atticus realized how naive he had been. He now felt like a clown standing in the middle of everyone, extremely embarrassed. Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Chapter 623 I¡¯m from Eskana! The people who came to the scene were all authoritative figures in the academic field. After Catherine had finished expressing her views, she handed over the floor to others. With someone as influential as Catherine setting a good example, the convention went very smoothly. During the two-hour convention, Catherine, apart from listening to their discussion for a little while at the beginning, yed games on her phone the whole time without any restraint. Although she behaved so casually. However, not a single person dared toin. With her formidable abilities, who would dare to speak against her? After the convention ended, Catherine stood up, ready to leave, but someone stopped her. She lowered her eyes and looked at the person with a faint gaze. ¡± What¡¯s the matter?¡± Atticus rubbed his hands, looking a bit embarrassed. It was evident that he was indeed nervous. ¡°Miss Swann, I really admire your talent and your research in the professional field¡­¡± Catherine didn¡¯t have time to listen to Atticus¡¯s long-winded praise. She bluntly interrupted his rambling. ¡°Get to the point!¡± The four seemingly casual words instantly changed Atticus¡¯s attitude. He stopped his long-winded speech and whispered to Catherine, ¡°Miss Swann, are you interested ining to ourboratory? Our laboratory has not only the most professional team in the world but also substantial sponsorship funds. Most importantly, ourboratory is located in Mistel.¡± As the most prosperous country globally, Mistel dominated the world with its immenseprehensive strength. If this kind of leading project were conducted in Mistel, there would be no worries about issues with core research and development. If it were in other countries, however, once developed, it could potentially be a disaster. Mistel absolutely did not allow other countries to take the lead in the research and development of this project, thus threatening its status. Based on this, many of the world¡¯s top scientists set up theirboratories in Mistel, not just because of Mistel¡¯s top- notch technology but also to protect themselves. After listening to Atticus¡¯s persuasion, Catherine sneered and gave a response. ¡°Remember, I am from Eskana! I will never be ackey for Mistel. My research and my achievements can only be handed over to my country.¡± Marshall was extremely anxious when he saw Catherine stopped by Atticus. He knew Atticus¡¯s intentions well. After all, he had been tempted by Atticus before and knew how powerful Atticus¡¯s methods were. In order to recruit people, he could double and redouble his offers. Catherine was still so young, and the temptation might have been too much for her to handle. Marshall had just been about to make a move when Patrick pulled him back. ¡°Professor Hartley, you have to believe in your students,¡± Patrick said, stopping Marshall¡¯s actions with a simple sentence. Marshall didn¡¯t rush forward. He stood in ce, watching Catherine¡¯s every move, afraid that she might identally agree to Atticus¡¯s offer. Finally, when Catherine said she was from Eskana, Marshall felt the weight lifted from his heart. He clenched his fists tightly and waved them in excitement, saying, ¡°Well done! If all young people love our country like Catherine does, our country will be even stronger!¡± After hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Patrick felt a surge of excitement. He had stopped Marshall because of Branden. He knew how patriotic and upright his boss was. Catherine, as Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e, must be a patriot as well. Moreover, the Duncans were not short of money, and theboratory of Red Star was no less inferior to Mistel¡¯sboratories. If Catherine really wanted to enter a world-ssboratory, wouldn¡¯t Red Star be better than Ellinos Academy? He also knew a secret-Catherine was the head of the Arbotte Laboratory, one of the world¡¯s three majorboratories. How could she possibly be interested in Ellinos Academy¡¯sboratory? Even though Patrick already knew the answer, he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited after hearing Catherine¡¯s words. It was truly exhrating! Atticus still wanted to persuade Catherine. He had seen too many young people like her who hadn¡¯t endured life¡¯s hardships and hadn¡¯t experienced suffering. They didn¡¯t know the allure of money or the pleasure of power. The moment Atticus reached out, Catherine red at him, which forced him to withdraw his hand. Her gaze was too intimidating, which scared him into immobility. Seeing that he fell silent, Catherine stepped away. After leaving the convention, Catherine immediately spotted the familiar car. She walked straight toward the car as Branden was just about to get out of it, but she stopped him, opened the door for herself, and got in. Once inside, she immediatelyy back,fortably resting on the man¡¯sp. Branden took her hand and gently massaged it, asking, ¡°Are you so tired? ¡°His gentle tone was filled with concern, as he knew Catherine had been busy with her experimentstely. This experiment was not easy at all. If it seeded, it would be a groundbreaking development that shocked the entire world. He understood the hardships she was oveing and couldn¡¯t stop her pursuit of her dreams, so he could only silently support her. Knowing that Styre University was attending the convention, he arranged for Patrick to be there. Even though Catherine might not need someone to protect her, Branden would feel more at ease with someone looking out for her. Catherine shook her head slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯m just sofortable like this!¡± She would rather lie down than sit. Branden smiled indulgently, his voice filled with infinite tenderness as he said, ¡°Alright, then just lie down like this!¡± Atticus happened to walk out and witnessed Catherine getting into the car. He nced at the car emblem and smirked maliciously. ¡°So she¡¯s rich. No wonder she¡¯s not interested in money. She is just an ignorant freshman who doesn¡¯t know her ce.¡± Patrick overheard this and couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Mr. Sterling, it seems like you¡¯re the ignorant one. I advise you not to meddle in things you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Atticus could tell that Patrick and Catherine must be acquainted, and Patrick must know something. ¡°Professor Phillips, what do you mean by this?¡± Atticus curiously asked, ¡± What is Catherine¡¯s background?¡± Patrick recognized the car as Branden¡¯s and knew that his boss personally came to pick Catherine up, feeling a hint of envy. Seeing Atticus still trying to cause trouble, he couldn¡¯t help but warn him, ¡°As we¡¯re acquainted, I¡¯ll give you a warning. Some people are not for you to scheme against. I advise you to give up on your tricks.¡± After saying that, Patrick left without even sparing a nce for Atticus. Watching Patrick¡¯s retreating figure, Atticus became even more interested in Catherine. This mysterious woman was a talent. It would be great if she could be his student. It would be a shame not to win her over. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Atticus made up his mind to figure out Catherine¡¯s background. Even if they were in Eskana, it wouldn¡¯t stop him from investigating her. Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Not So Serious Catheriney bored next to Branden, ying with her phone. Suddenly, a buzzing sound caught her attention, and she looked up to see Branden answering the phone that was ringing next to him. Catherine was close enough to hear the voice on the other end of the phone. It was Aidan. ¡°Mr. Duncan, where are you? Let¡¯s have dinner together!¡± Branden nced down at Catherine, who wasfortably resting on hisp. He heard herzily reply, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out to eat.¡± Just as Branden was about to refuse, Aidan heard Catherine¡¯s voice and immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner at home. I¡¯ll cook. I¡¯m really good at it. Catherine, long time no see. Let¡¯s eat together!¡± His tone was urgent as if he was afraid that Catherine and the others had forgotten him. Catherine felt it was a good idea and didn¡¯t hesitate to give instructions. ¡± Tell him we¡¯ll meet at the supermarket! She would like to choose the dishes if they were going to have dinner. Without Branden needing to ry the message, Aidan, on the other end of the phone, had already heard Catherine¡¯s instructions. He quickly responded, Alright, I¡¯ll follow your orders!¡± Aidan¡¯s serious tone of voice made Catherineugh. Seeing her in a good mood, Branden agreed. ¡°Go to the Bestsellmart!¡± Hearing this, the driver immediately changed direction and drove toward the supermarket. When Catherine and Branden arrived at the supermarket, Aidan was already there. He wasn¡¯t alone. Triston was with him. Recently, Triston had received a message and heard that the Duncan Corporation had shed with the Breens, and he rushed to Loxton as soon as he could. When Aidan called to invite Branden to dinner, Triston was right there and naturally wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. Seeing Catherine and Branden getting out of the car, Triston rushed forward. ¡± Cassie, we¡¯re in for a treat today. Aidan is going to cook for us, and we can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°Is he a good cook?¡± Catherine asked, turning her head to look at Branden beside her. It was clear she was asking him. Branden remained silent momentarily and then provocatively replied, ¡°Far from it!¡± With just three simple words, he sparked a war of words between the men. Aidan stepped forward aggressively, ring at Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ll admit it if you say I¡¯m not as good as you at doing business. But if you say my cooking is not as good as yours¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve been single for eighteen years, and I¡¯ve been honing my cooking skills!¡± Triston overheard Aidan¡¯s joking tone and burst outughing. ¡°Kid, didn¡¯t you wake up in someone else¡¯s bedst night? You¡¯re single? What a joke!¡± Then, he added, ¡°But then again, Aidan is indeed a good cook.¡± After speaking with Branden, Aidan approached Catherine. ¡°Cassie, get ready to be amazed by my culinary skillster!¡± Once inside the supermarket, Aidan generously asked Catherine what she wanted for dinner. ¡°Catherine, feel free to order whatever you want. After all, your fianc¨¦ is footing the bill!¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯sck of response, Aidan was somewhat surprised. ¡°You do know that this supermarket is Mr. Duncan¡¯s private property, right?¡± Apart from the Duncan Corporation, Branden had numerous investments and assets. He was the largest shareholder behind the nationally renowned chain supermarket, Bestsellmart. Catherine turned around, stared at Branden for a few seconds, and looked at him with a sly smile. ¡°Yeah, he has quite a lot of private property!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She knew Branden had a lot of private property, not just the shares in the Duncan Corporation. With so much wealth, not even Branden himself could remember exactly how much he had. Branden smiled faintly, his face exuding a carefree air. ¡°Yeah, want to audit my ounts?¡± His yful tone was quite charming. Catherine coldly nced at him and said, ¡°Be serious.¡± Branden took a step forward and embraced Catherine¡¯s waist, resting her head against his chest. His deliberately lowered voice carried a hint of yfulness as he said, ¡°If I¡¯m too serious, you won¡¯t like me.¡± Catherine remained silent. Watching this scene from the side, Aidan couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Triston, who was standing nearby, nudged him and shrugged, saying smugly, ¡°I told you! Branden is an experienced lover. He¡¯s got his ways. Kathy might not necessarily be his match.¡± Just now, Aidan was worried that he might say something wrong and cause a fight between the two. If his words really led to an argument between them, given Branden¡¯s scheming nature, he would definitely teach Aidan a lesson. It turned out that Branden, who usually looked cold and unfeeling, was the most flirtatious among this group of people, and he was quite good at it! This was unbelievable! Aidan hurried to buy groceries, and Branden was busy buying snacks for Catherine. It seemed as if they were spoiling their daughters. As long as Catherine gave a nce at a snack, Branden would definitely throw it into the shopping cart. After leaving the supermarket, the four headed straight to Branden¡¯s apartment near Styre University. The apartment was not bigpared to the Duncans¡¯ vis. This one, less than 2000 square feet, was considered small. But as soon as one entered, one could feel a sense of home. It was like a newlywed couple¡¯s home. Although the decoration style was as cold as their personalities, it was still proof of their happy life. At the entrance, there was a figurine holding a gold te. On the gold te were Catherine¡¯s favorite choctes. Branden ced them there so that she could eat them whenever she entered or left home. In the living room, there was no longer a tough-designed sofa. Now, there was a veryfortable sofa that made people feel rxed lying on it. Obviously, it must have been prepared for Catherine. After entering, Catherine went straight to her exclusive sofa. Then, she threw herself on the sofa, lying comfortably with her long legs hanging on the coffee table in front. She didn¡¯t act formal at all. It was clear that she didn¡¯t treat everyone as outsiders. She could just do as she pleased. Branden took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, resembling a husband preparing to cook for his family after a long day at work. Unfortunately, Aidan guessed wrong. Branden was only doing this for Catherine. Branden¡¯s gaze was fixed on Catherine as he softly asked, ¡°Do you want some fruit?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine mumbled in response. Branden then turned and walked into the kitchen. Triston walked over to Catherine and sat down on the sofa to her right. ¡± Cassie, want to y a game? Can we y it together?¡± ying games with Catherine was a pleasure, and Triston finally seized the opportunity. Catherine nonchntly nodded. She was about to y a game, and having Triston around wouldn¡¯t affect her performance. Seeing Catherine willing to y with him, Triston quickly took out his phone and logged in. Seeing this, Aidan was dumbfounded. ¡°Mr. Lambert, you¡¯re going to y games? But who will help me?¡± Without looking back, Triston replied, ¡± You¡¯re the chef. I believe in you!¡± Aidan was helpless. At this moment, he suddenly realized how unreliable Triston was. Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Let It Be! Aidan was indeed good at cooking. The Lanes had moved overseas many years ago. Despite Aidan¡¯s usual carefree appearance, resembling a yboy, he was patriotic. Most importantly, he had a strong love for Eskanese cuisine. To preserve the authenticity of his taste buds, Aidan had sought out many chefs to learn how to cook. What started as a fun activity became his proficiency, and his culinary skills were now ready to be showcased. Aidan was busy cooking while Branden emerged from the kitchen after cutting the fruit. Catherine was ying games with Triston. Totally different from Catherine, who remained calm, Triston was visibly excited, veins bulging on his neck. When Catherine scored a direct hit on the opponent in the game, Triston cheered, ¡°Wow, Cassie, that was awesome! Now, those wimps on the other side won¡¯t be able to act tough! You beat the shit out of them! Anyway, I¡¯ll use a frying pan to knock them out.¡± Seeing their excitement, Branden sat down next to Catherine and offered her the cut fruit. She ate it without even looking at it. Seeing Branden do this, Triston couldn¡¯t help but-turn his head away, unable to stand such a show-off. As the round of the game ended, Bryan and Ronin could be heard protesting over the headset. Triston¡¯s sudden appearance had prevented them from teaming up with Catherine. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s my turn now,¡± Ronin said in a pitiful tone. Ronin and Bryan had been waiting for Catherine online for a long time, and Triston suddenly appeared out of nowhere, taking their ce to team up with her. Then, Triston was forcibly kicked out of the team. Despite his disappointment, he had enjoyed the previous round of the game. Seeing the drinks on the cab next to Branden, Triston took the initiative and asked, ¡°Mr. Duncan, care for a drink?¡± Branden released Catherine¡¯s hand and went to the cab to take the whisky that Triston had offered. Triston casually remarked, ¡°I heard Catherine attended a convention this morning!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Branden responded generously. He didn¡¯t look up, so he didn¡¯t notice Triston¡¯s furrowed brow at that moment. ¡°I heard that this convention was on a world-ss level, and many of the world¡¯s top scientists came, including Atticus from the Ellinos Laboratory in Mistel. This person has a new identity now, and I just received the news.¡± Triston paused momentarily but ultimately decided to share the information with Branden. After all, they had been friends for so many years. ¡°Atticus has entered the Xenion Laboratory and is now in charge of theboratory. I heard he has set his sights on a female student from Styre University at the convention.¡± The Xenion Laboratory had a notorious reputation worldwide. The true backer of thisboratory was Mistel¡¯s military, so their actions were very arrogant. Although their experiments were very sessful and significant, they still had a bad reputation, mainly because they were too despicable. They stopped at nothing to achieve their goals. Seeing Branden indifferent, Triston hesitated momentarily but still decided to speak up. ¡°I heard that Atticus has set his sights on a female student from Styre University at this convention. But you know, Atticus is not easy to deal with!¡± Who else but Catherine could attend the convention? Triston understood that it was not Atticus who was difficult to deal with but the Xenion Laboratory. This laboratory, backed by Mistel¡¯s military, had always been bold in its actions and reckless in its deeds. If they targeted Catherine, it would be troublesome. Triston informed Branden as soon as he received the news, knowing that preparing in advance could reduce some trouble. Branden casually picked up the ss of whisky, swaying it slightly. Then, he tilted his head back and took a sip. The high-proof liquor gradually slid down his throat, and his expression did not change at all. After putting down the ss, he slowly raised his eyes and looked at Triston. The seemingly in and cold gaze carried endless arrogance and dominance. ¡°Let it be!¡± Even if the Xenion Laboratory had the backing of the Mistel military, Branden would make anyone who dared to hurt Catherine pay for it. Upon hearing this, Triston no longer felt worried. He had known Branden for so many years and naturally knew that Branden was confident and domineering at this moment. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s true. This is our country. If people from Mistel dare to act recklessly here, we¡¯ll make them regret it.¡± Branden raised his ss and lightly tilted it. The two of them clinked sses and drank together. For Branden, Catherine was his bottom line. Anyone who dared to mess with her would meet their demise. Whether it was Edson or Atticus, if they dared to hurt her, they would soon be sent to Hell. After discussing Catherine, Triston brought up another matter. ¡°I heard from Aidan that you¡¯ve started a head- on confrontation with that foreign guy, right?¡± Rumors were circting outside that the Duncans would suffer a great loss in their confrontation with the Breens. On the surface, the Duncans had been dragged to the point of exhaustion, and bankruptcy seemed imminent. Many people were ready to take advantage of their misfortune. Only Triston knew that Branden, who was invincible and powerful, couldn¡¯t possibly lose so easily. After talking to Aidan for a while, Triston finally understood some of the inside story. He was now at ease and wanted to get a piece of the action, too. ¡°Mr. Duncan, this is like a grand banquet, and I wouldn¡¯t mind joining for fun,¡± Triston said. Triston¡¯s concern for Catherine prompted Branden to bring him along. They would teach that foreign guy a lesson and make a good profit. ¡°Your family has never been involved in business in Northeville. I think the Easeville project is a better choice. You should give it a try,¡± Branden said. Triston, as an insider, knew what Branden meant. The Easeville project required arge amount of capital, and a misstep could easily drag the family into it. But Branden¡¯s willingness to rmend this project to him must mean Branden knew something. This project was likely to be a surefire sess. Triston raised his ss, smiling contentedly. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Duncan!¡± Then, he gulped it down in one go. Triston knew Branden¡¯s willingness to share the profits was likely due to Catherine. They were friends, and behind them were two huge families. They had to consider both their friendship and the interests of their families. Meanwhile, Catherine had ended a round of the game, and Aidan emerged from the kitchen with the final dish. ¡°Come on. The meal is ready!¡± Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Her Background Aidan was indeed a good cook. Most importantly, he knew how to cater to Catherine¡¯s appetite. The four of them polished off all six dishes. Aidan watched Catherine put down her fork and prop up her chin, looking at her expectantly. ¡°Catherine, tell me, how¡¯s my cooking? Is it much better than Mr. Duncan¡¯s?¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as he had said earlier, he might not be able topete with Branden in other ways, but he was confident he wouldn¡¯t lose in terms of cooking. Just as Aidan thought he would hear praise, Catherine calmly said, ¡°I like Branden¡¯s cooking!¡± Branden quietly leaned back in his chair, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. He knew that she liked everything he cooked. Aidan immediately retorted. ¡°How is that possible? Can Mr. Duncan¡¯s cooking be better than mine?¡± Triston, who was listening on the side, rolled his eyes and pushed Aidan. ¡°Aidan, have you been single for too long, so you¡¯re going dumb? What you¡¯re cooking with is your skills, so you¡¯re just a skilled cook. What Mr. Duncan is cooking with is his love! Love! Do you understand?¡± Triston couldn¡¯t stand it and even scolded Aidan forcking emotional intelligence. Under Triston¡¯s preaching, Aidan gradually came to his senses. He shrugged helplessly and said, ¡°Fine, it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°Humph, you guys are just bullying me for being single now!¡± Aidan snorted inwardly. ¡°The power of love? Who cares?¡± ¡°You only have yourself to me, man! ¡°Triston stared at him with disdain. ¡± Finish eating and get out of here. We¡¯re both third wheels here!¡± Triston didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer. After watching Branden¡¯s public disy of affection for such a long time, he also wanted to find a girlfriend and make others envious. It was no fun being a third wheel here, but it seemed Aidan hadn¡¯t noticed this at all. Triston missed Audrey so much, and at this time, he¡¯d rather video chat with Audrey. Under Triston¡¯s urging, Aidan reluctantly left with him. The room quieted down again. Catherine got up and walked back to the sofa, lying down and ying with her phone. She had been busy in the laboratory these days, and she rarely had time to rx herself. She wanted to take a break and clear her mind. Branden sat down beside her. He held Catherine with one hand and used the other to work on his computer. The two of them quietly did their own things, not disturbing each other, getting along like a couple who had been married for years. This seemingly dull way of getting along was so peaceful andfortable. The Peakview Hotel, located in Loxton, was the new benchmark in the city, an ultra-luxurious seven- star hotel where wealthy foreigners usually stayed. Atticus, backed by the Xenion Laboratory, now regrly stayed at this hotel. An assistant brought some new information to Atticus. ¡°Professor Sterling, here are the documents you requested!¡± Atticus eagerly set aside what he was doing and reached for the documents. He opened them and, before he could even start reading, couldn¡¯t help but frown andin, ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Uneasy, the assistant cautiously replied, ¡°Professor Sterling, this is the most information we could gather using our intelligence resources!¡± They hadn¡¯t expected the person Atticus was investigating to be so mysterious. Atticus was surprised to hear this. He couldn¡¯t believe that investigating Catherine required the use of intelligence resources, and they had found nothing useful. ¡°Could it be that Eskana intentionally sealed Catherine¡¯s information?¡± he pondered, thinking it was very likely to happen. After all, she was a student of Marshall at Styre University and a researcher in this experimental project, so she could be considered a key figure. Full of curiosity, Atticus opened the documents. Then, he saw several titles, such as ¡°the heir of the Swanns in Casier,¡± ¡°the fianc¨¦e of the head of the Duncans in Casier,¡± and ¡°the top scorer of the SAT in Eskana this year.¡± Seeing the limited information in the documents, Atticus was shocked. He hadn¡¯t imagined that Catherine was much more formidable than he thought. No wonder his offer didn¡¯t tempt her. As the heir of a financial conglomerate, money might just be a number to her. To manage the Swann Corporation¡¯s business while also working on a research project showed that her abilities were even more impressive than he had imagined. If she could be part of their laboratory, it would be the bestboratory in the world! The assistant watched as Atticus looked at the documents in silence. After a moment of hesitation, the assistant handed over another piece of intelligence. ¡°Professor Sterling, you can take a look at this!¡± Atticus took the phone and opened the video. He was immediately drawn to the foreign man in the video. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Edson?¡± His surprise was evident in his tone. The assistant nodded and exined the source of the video. ¡°Professor Sterling, this video was widely circted on social media in Eskana some time ago. The person in the video is Catherine. Besides Catherine and Edson, Branden, the head of the Duncans, was also there. There were rumors of a romantic entanglement between them.¡± The incident at the cake shop was captured in a video and shared online by many people. Although Branden quickly took action to control the situation and remove all the videos circting on the inte, for someone like Atticus, it wasn¡¯t difficult to obtain the information he wanted. Atticus hadn¡¯t expected Edson to be involved in this. Even though Atticus wasn¡¯t part of the Breens, his family was rted to Edson¡¯s mother¡¯s family, so he knew Edson. He was well aware of Edson¡¯s position within the family. Hearing about the romantic entanglement between Edson, Branden, and Catherine, he was shocked. Edson, despite being a womanizer, rarely set foot in Eskana. How could he have a rtionship with Catherine? ncing at the calendar, Atticus turned to his assistant and said, ¡°This incident happened not long ago. Edson should still be in Eskana. Get in touch with him. I want to find out the truth.¡± When Atticus thought about Catherine¡¯s talent, his heart was filled with desire. He wanted to make her work for theirboratory. ¡°Yes, Professor Sterling, I¡¯ll do it right away!¡± The assistant received the order and immediately left. Edson held a significant position within the Breens, so contacting him was no easy task. After the assistant left, Atticus stared at the documents on the table. Looking at Catherine¡¯s photo and the electronic photo on her SAT certificate, he found her to be a mysterious and fascinating girl. He believed that, by any means necessary, he had to take Catherine away. Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Try It on the Couch Catherine had been ying games for an hour when the sound of the game ending was suddenly interrupted by someone snatching her phone away. As she looked up, she met the man¡¯s gaze with deep, captivating eyes. Many people had praised Edson¡¯s beautiful blue eyes, iming they were a creation of God. However, Catherine felt that those people had never seen Branden¡¯s eyes. The man in front of her had the most beautiful eyes. His clear eyes seemed to possess the vastness and brilliance of stars. Branden initially intended to advise Catherine to spend less time on games. He was concerned about her eyes. However, when he noticed Catherine¡¯s gaze fixed on him for a long time, all his eagerness to preach dissipated. He knew he had fallen for Catherine, willingly and wholeheartedly. In his gentle and deep voice, he concealed endless love. ¡°How about taking a break? You can y tomorrow, okay?¡± Branden, a man who was always firm and decisive, would only use a questioning tone in her presence. Catherine raised her eyebrows and gazed at him. ¡°The night is so long. Why would you want me to rest so early?¡± For a moment, Branden was stunned, and then Catherine heard him excitedly suggest, ¡°How about trying it on the couch tonight? Then we can move to the bed. It should help pass the time!¡± ¡°Try it on the couch?¡± Catherine murmured inwardly. After a brief pause, she finally understood what Branden meant. Without giving Catherine a chance to refuse, Branden wrapped his hands around her waist, and with a sudden force, he pulled her onto hisp. Then, Catherine saw a wicked smile on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s try!¡± After a long time, Catherine finally left her beloved couch. Her hair waspletely drenched in sweat, and her cheeks were as red as if she had juste out of the shower, looking extremely cute. Shey weakly in Branden¡¯s arms, not even wanting to move her fingers. With one hand, Branden lifted Catherine and then walked towards the room. His entire back was covered with various sizes of red scratching marks. Branden quickly walked to the room but gently and slowly ced Catherine on the bed. Catherine was too tired to move. While Branden was covering her with a nket, she wearily raised her eyes and muttered irritably, ¡°You¡¯re like a beast! Her weak voice made the words sound less like an insult and more like a coquettishint. Branden¡¯s heart instantly softened, and he took her delicate hand, gently kissing it. ¡°You¡¯re right. I am a beast.¡± Seeing the man acting shamelessly, Catherine rolled her eyes at him in disdain. ¡°This is not a compliment!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Reveling in his triumph, Branden was in a particrly good mood, almost humming a tune to express his happiness. He wore a faint smile as he responded yfully to Catherine¡¯sints. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment!¡± He took out a tissue and gently wiped the sweat from Catherine¡¯s body. It was just a little sweat, something Catherine would normally leave to dry on its own. Why bother wiping it? However, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to stop him. She just shifted slightly to avoid his hand. Branden was somewhat helpless. Unable to preach, he patiently coaxed her, ¡°Be good. It¡¯ll be more comfortable when you¡¯re dry. With so much sweat on your body, you may catch a cold.¡± Catherine gradually realized that this man had the potential to be a preacher. However, this situation only urred when they were alone together. Otherwise, this man was still strict and reserved. Knowing that her resistance was futile, Catherine leaned into Branden¡¯s arms and let him fuss over her. He gently wiped the sweat from her body, flipping her over. As time passed, the temperature in the room seemed to be rising. Branden looked at Catherine¡¯s eyes, his eyes full of desire. He was clearly trying to restrain himself. However, as Catherine let out a soft moan, he suddenly lowered his eyes, leaned down, and gently kissed Catherine¡¯s forehead and earlobe. In a particrly serious tone, he said, ¡± We¡¯ve tried it on the couch. It¡¯s time to try it on the bed.¡± Catherine furrowed her brow, speechless. ¡°Is he out of his mind?¡± she wondered. Even if she had extraordinary stamina, she couldn¡¯t withstand doing it again within such a short time. The moment Atticus found Edson, Paxton received the news immediately. As it involved Catherine, he immediately called Branden. When the screen of the phone lit up, Branden became aware. §¯§Ö immediately reached out to silence the phone, preventing the ring from disturbing the deeply sleeping Catherine, exhausted from two rounds of sex. Branden carefully withdrew his hand, but Catherine, trained since childhood, still noticed it even when tired. Sleeping next to Branden, however, she had let down her guard. She just let out a tired hum. Branden kissed her forehead and reassured her in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll take a call and be right back.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine agreed. Only after receiving her consent did Branden get up from the bed and walk to the bathroom to answer the phone. ¡°Speak!¡± Unlike the gentle tone a minute ago, Branden¡¯s cold voice scared Paxton out of his wits. Knowing he had angered his boss, Paxton quickly reported the situation. ¡± Boss, Atticus just contacted Edson, and they¡¯ve arranged to meet tomorrow morning. Our investigation revealed that Atticus is actually Edson¡¯s mother¡¯s cousin, so they are rtives.¡± After receiving instructions to monitor Atticus, Paxton arranged elite forces to keep an eye on him, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t miss any information. Atticus¡¯s whereabouts in Casier were all under their surveince. Although Atticus¡¯s movements were mysterious, it was hard for him to escape their monitoring. His every move was under their watchful eyes. Atticus and Edson getting together could only mean trouble. It was definitely not just a simple visit between rtives. Branden spected that their target was Catherine. ¡°Keep a close eye on them. I want to know everything they talk about, not a single word missed,¡± he ordered. Upon receiving themand, Paxton responded with exceptional seriousness, ¡°Yes, Boss. I¡¯m on it!¡± Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Long Time No See Catherine slept until noon the next day. Seeing her sleep for so long, Branden didn¡¯t dare to make greasy dishes for her. He made some soup and a few light side dishes. Although they were light, they were very delicious. After Catherine got up and sat at the dining table, Branden brought the hot soup to her. She picked up the bowl of soup and began to enjoy it. Ever since she met Branden, her stomach problems have improved a lot. The soup Branden made tasted more and more delicious. It smelled so good! As Catherine ate it, Branden wore a bright smile on his face. For him, watching Catherine eat the food he cooked was more satisfying than making a business deal worth tens of billions of dors. When Catherine put down her bowl, Branden reached out to take it, but Catherine stopped him. ¡°Enough!¡± Brariden couldn¡¯t stand to see her bowl empty and wanted to refill it at any time. She actually ate a lot. Compared to most girls, she did have a bigger appetite. The reason she didn¡¯t gain weight was that she was still rtively young with a fast metabolism and high -intensity exercise all year round, making it impossible for her to gain weight. But staying with Branden, she had gained several pounds, an effect that Ronin had been working on for many years without achieving. Seeing that she was unwilling, Branden did not insist. Instead, he gazed at her with one hand supporting his face. ¡°Are you going to theb today?¡± Catherine thought for a moment. Theboratory¡¯s calction data was still running, and the speed of mathematical modeling was not that fast. She didn¡¯t have a reason to go back to theboratory now. ¡°I don¡¯t have to.¡± These four words meant that she didn¡¯t have to go back if he needed her to stay, but she would rather stay in theboratory if there was nothing to do. She believed that with Branden¡¯s understanding of her, he would make the most appropriate judgment. Branden smiled gently. ¡°Well then, apany me to a banquet tonight.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t ask anything and agreed directly, ¡°Okay!¡± She knew that Branden, like her, did not like noisy ces. There must be a reason since he asked her to go with him. Besides, with Branden there, she didn¡¯t have to overthink. ¡°Did you need me to arrange a stylist for you?¡± Branden asked. Catherine wearily waved her hand. ¡± There¡¯s no need.¡± Each styling session took hours, and Catherine didn¡¯t want to waste time on these meaningless things. In the evening, she would just put on any clothes and apply light makeup. She thought that was enough. ¡°Okay.¡± Branden¡¯s voice was incredibly gentle, filled with indulgence. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He was sure that his woman would still be the center of attention throughout the event, even without makeup. At night, the stars shone brightly. An estate on the outskirts of Loxton was radiant and brightly lit. Luxury cars filled the entrance. Men and women, dressed in high-end and morous attire with an air of nobility, got out of their cars and walked slowly on the red carpet towards the main entrance. Any one of them was a well-known entrepreneur in Loxton. Those invited to this banquet were not ordinary people. As the crowd walked up the hill, a ck Bentley slowly passed by, heading towards the main entrance. The tires rolled over the red carpet, drawing sidelong nces. ¡°Whose car is this? Why can this person drive straight to the main entrance?¡± ¡°Just look at the license te!¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± The whispers were continuous, and people only dared to discuss quietly. No one dared to use loudly. Everyone present was shrewd. This person could drive so tantly despite the strict control of the host. The host must have approved this. But then again, how many people in Loxton had such power? Nobody dared to offend someone with such power. After the Bentley stopped, the head of the ytons stepped forward and personally opened the door for the person inside. ¡°Mr. Duncan, wee!¡± Branden nced at the other party and walked around to the other side of the car, opening the door. Jaxton naturally knew who could get Branden to open the door for them personally. He stood still, waiting for the person in the car toe out. Everyone was focused on this scene. The ytons were the host of today¡¯s banquet. Since the decline of the Facers, led by Conor, the branch of the ytons, led by Jaxton, had risen. It was said that their family had received mysterious investments. Not only did they sessfully take on several profitable projects, but they also obtained a lot of insider information. The Facers, once the center of attention in Loxton, was no longer the focus. The ytons, led by Jaxton had taken their ce. It was a mystery as to who could be so important that both the head of the ytons and Branden personally greeted them. Catherine sat in the chair, resting. The moment the car door opened, she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing her tired face, Branden felt a twinge of pity. Perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have brought her along. ¡°You can sleep a little longer. I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± he said. Facing the attention of the crowd, Branden was indifferent. All he could see was Catherine, and all he wanted to care about was Catherine. Since everyone was there, Catherine didn¡¯t want to be too affected. Besides, she wasn¡¯t even tired. She was just resting with her eyes closed. ¡°No need, let¡¯s go,¡± she said, handing her hand to Branden and slowly getting out of the car. All eyes were fixed on this scene as the girl was gracefully led out of the car. Unlike the grand attire of others, the girl was wearing only a in white dress, her beautiful straight hair loose, and her makeup very light. This kind of attire, coupled with the ethereal aura she exuded, made her look stunning, almost unreal. Everyone gazed in awe at this scene, and even Jaxton was momentarily stunned to see Catherine again. This assertive girl fromst time looked like a fairy today. Since Catherine had mentioned wanting to coborate with himst time, Jaxton hadn¡¯t seen her again. Catherine¡¯s manager handled the coboration. He admired Catherine¡¯sposure in entrusting such arge project to an outsider. Finally returning to his senses, Jaxton stepped forward, extending his hand politely. ¡°Miss Swann, long time no see, ¡°he said. Catherine stared at him for a second, recognizing him. Out of politeness, she responded, ¡°Hello, Mr. yton.¡± Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Chapter 629 An Unpleasant Encounter Jaxton personally weed Branden and Catherine into the venue. Once inside, Catherine finally understood why Branden had brought her to the banquet. When Edson saw Catherine, his eyes lit up instantly, and he walked straight towards her with a raised ss. ¡°Cassie, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days. I missed you so much!¡± Edson¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t quiet, and the people around clearly heard him. They were initially surprised that Catherine could apany Branden to the event. But they didn¡¯t expect Catherine to know Edson as well. It was well known that the Breens and the Duncan Corporation have been at odds in recent days. Now, however, the girl who apanied Branden to the event had such a close rtionship with Edson. Theplex rtionship between them immediately stirred up gossip among the crowd. Everyone wanted to know what Catherine¡¯s background was and what the rtionship between them actually was. When Branden saw Edsoning over, his eyes instantly darkened, exuding a strong sense of hostility. An intimidating aura surrounded him. The atmosphere was thick with tension, as if a powerful cold front had swept in. Catherine nced at Edson expressionlessly and then walked past him without even giving him a second nce,pletely ignoring him. Edson stood still for a moment, seemingly not expecting Catherine to treat him this way. Branden followed behind Catherine, and as he passed Edson, he snorted in disdain and looked him up and down.¡± Looks like you haven¡¯t learned your lesson yet!¡± Edson frowned as he watched Branden leave, not understanding the meaning behind his words. However, a few minutester, he figured it out. The assistant hurriedly found Edson, who was talking to someone else. ¡± Boss, something big is happening!¡± Edson red at him disapprovingly, warning, ¡°You better have a good reason for this, or else I¡¯ll kick your ass! The assistant tremblingly handed over his phone. After looking at it, Edson suspiciously took it and was utterly shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected that the incident of him being abducted and brought to that hellhole a while back had been recorded, and the most frightening thing was that these photos had now been posted online. Seeing the photos of his disheveled self, Edson couldn¡¯t control himself and threw the phone to the ground. Instantly, the phone shattered into pieces. All eyes once again focused on Edson. The photos had already gone viral on social media, and many people had received Edson¡¯s photos. Now, when they looked at him, there was a mocking gleam in their eyes. The look in their eyes made Edson unable to stay at the event any longer. He immediately left the venue, followed by his assistant. His assistant ran after him, reporting, ¡± Boss, I¡¯m arranging for people to investigate. We¡¯ll definitely find out who¡¯s behind this!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Edson stopped in his tracks, turned around, and angrily scolded his assistant, ¡°You fool, there¡¯s no need to investigate! Besides Branden Duncan, who else could be the mastermind behind this?¡± At that moment, Edson finally understood why Branden had issued that warning earlier. It turned out Branden was waiting for him here. Branden was tantly retaliating against him! No wonder he still couldn¡¯t find any information even if he had arranged for so many men to investigate it. It was Branden pulling the strings behind the scenes. Loxton was Branden¡¯s territory, and he covered up this matter so that no one could find out. Thinking about everything he had endured, Edson couldn¡¯t take it anymore. The rage inside him was overwhelming. Now, he had no other thought except to take down Branden. Edson stared at his assistant with a fierce and predatory look in his eyes. ¡± Issue themand. We¡¯re launching a full-scale attack. I want the Duncan Corporation destroyed within three days!¡± Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Do I Need a Reason? Catherine was ying games with Branden in the lounge when Paxton knocked on the door. ¡°Boss, the guests have arrived,¡± Paxton said. Branden nced at Catherine, who was still ying the game and casually dismissed Paxton. ¡°We¡¯ll go outter.¡± Paxton understood his boss¡¯s intention and obediently stepped aside to wait. Catherine reclined on thefortable sofa the whole time, only putting down her phone after finishing a round of the game. Even though she had been ying the game, she had still heard Paxton¡¯s report earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Branden didn¡¯t move immediately. Instead, he patiently asked Catherine, ¡± Not interested in your game anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored of always winning,¡± she replied, her words carrying extreme arrogance. If someone else had said that, they would have been despised. However, it was Catherine who said those words, and that made all the difference. After all, everyone knew what a legendary figure she was in the gaming world. She didn¡¯t just y games; she also developed them. Several of the world¡¯s most popr games only existed because of Catherine¡¯s participation and design. The copyright ie from these games alone enabled Catherine to make a fortune every day. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s absolute control over Arbotte Laboratory, a world-ssboratory she single- handedly supported, she wouldn¡¯t need toin about being short of money all the time. She made money faster than a money-printing machine, but unfortunately, Arbotte Laboratory was just a money shredder. The two of them left the lounge with Paxton, and they soon saw Atticus chatting and mingling with the crowd. Catherine immediately recognized the man with a goatee and mischievous eyes. One could tell at a nce from his shifty face that he was a bad guy. The moment Atticus noticed Catherine, his eyes lit up with excitement. It seemed he wasn¡¯t surprised to see Catherine at this kind of event, considering he had already investigated her background and knew she came from a wealthy family, had a high worth, and, most importantly, was engaged to a billionaire. With such a background, seeing her at this high-society gathering wasn¡¯t surprising. Atticus walked straight towards Catherine, his face beaming with excitement. ¡°Miss Swann, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. It seems that what the Eskanese say about fate bringing people together is true, right?¡± Catherine gave him a cold nce and sarcastically said, ¡°The culture of Eskana is profound and extensive. It¡¯s normal for you to have a shallow understanding of it, Professor Sterling. In Eskana, there¡¯s indeed a saying that goes, ¡®Enemies are bound to meet!''¡± Atticus¡¯s smile froze momentarily, but then he quickly regained his eerie grin. ¡°Miss Swann, I truly admire and respect you. It¡¯s truly remarkable for someone of your age to achieve such sess in your field. You don¡¯t need to be hostile towards me. If we can¡¯t work together, we can still be friends!¡± Catherine lowered her eyes, and her deep gaze seemed like an endless abyss of darkness. ¡°Hostile? That¡¯s not the case, Professor Sterling. Not everyone has the right to be my enemy.¡± Her bold words felt like a resounding p across Atticus¡¯s face, leaving him utterly humiliated. ¡°You¡­¡± Atticus trembled with anger, his cheeks turning red. Seeing the situation escting, Branden stepped forward, wrapping his arm around Catherine¡¯s waist. Like Catherine, he looked at Atticus with disdain and mockery in his eyes. His sharp gaze. The bloodthirsty aura he exuded sent shivers down Atticus¡¯s spine. ¡°Professor Sterling, I advise you to have some self-awareness. Stay away from people you shouldn¡¯t get close to.¡± He wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to have ill intentions towards Catherine. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Atticus recognized Branden and had heard some rumors about this young genius. Decisive, ruthless, and extremely cruel, Branden was a rare and talented businessman. Suppressing his anger, Atticus forced a smile. ¡°Mr. Duncan, your words make me feel like there might be a misunderstanding between us!¡± Branden was not polite, his icy voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡± Misunderstanding? That¡¯s not the case, Professor Sterling. Not everyone has the right to misunderstand me.¡± His tone and phrasing were exactly what Catherine had used to retort Atticus! They were indeed a perfect match, publicly disying their affection. After being confronted twice in a short period, Atticus was on the verge of losing hisposure. He almost threw a fit but managed to hold it in. Eventually, he found an excuse and left with a friend of his. As soon as Atticus left, Paxton immediately approached and whispered, ¡°Boss, Professor Vulture really has some patience. The nickname ¡®Vulture¡¯ suits him well. If he doesn¡¯t get angry, do we still need to make a move?¡± Initially, they nned to provoke Atticus, and then they would have a good reason to deal with him. Even if Mistel were to investigateter, it would be ¡°Professor Vulture¡± who caused the trouble, and their retaliation would be justified. However, who would have known that ¡°Professor Vulture¡± endured all the humiliation without getting angry? Branden sneered and looked in the direction Atticus had left, his eyes filled with a hint of hostility. ¡°Do I need a reason to make a move?¡± Catherine stood to the side, listening to the conversation between the two men. She understood Branden¡¯s intentions. Although there was no need to fear Atticus, the fact that he had now sided with Mistel was a concern. After all, Mistel was still the world¡¯srgest powerhouse. It could potentially cause some trouble. Just because they wanted to teach Atticus a lesson didn¡¯t mean they had to anger Mistel. Catherine raised an eyebrow, her smile yful and eerie. ¡°I have an idea!¡± Although Branden didn¡¯t know what idea she had, he was intrigued by her yful mood and decided to go along with her. His eyes were filled with indulgence, and he was brimming with joy as he said, ¡°Be mindful of your promise to me!¡± Catherine knew what he was going to say. It must be about staying safe and not taking unnecessary risks. She leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. In a low voice, she said, ¡± Have I ever told you that you¡¯re starting to resemble a preachy old man more and more?¡± The next moment, she bit him fiercely. Branden stood still, allowing her to act as she pleased, not even furrowing his brows. The pain in his neck brought back memories of the previous night, and an indescribable heat surged through his mind, causing his body to tense involuntarily. If it weren¡¯t for the inappropriate setting, he would have banged this little troublemaker on the spot. After biting him, Catherine released Branden and gazed at him with a mischievous smile, even poking his chest with her finger. Deliberately lowering her voice, she teased, ¡°Wait until I deal with the bad guys, then I¡¯lle and deal with you!¡± Branden¡¯s expression softened, and a bright smile appeared on his face. ¡± Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Beating Atticus Atticus had been humiliated inside the banquet hall, and since he did not fight back, he was so angry and had nowhere to vent his anger. He could only walk out of the banquet hall to calm himself down. The assistant came to Atticus¡¯ side cautiously and lowered his voice. ¡± Professor Sterling, I think they did it intentionally to make you angry!¡± Atticus nced at his assistant coldly. He moved his beard disdainfully. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know?¡± It was precisely because Atticus knew they were doing it intentionally that he tried his best to suppress his anger. He wanted to see what Branden and the others could do to him without a good reason. Edson had agreed to cooperate with him. He would report to his superiors about the cooperation with the Breens. When they reached an agreement, he would have his way to remove Catherine. ¡°At that time, not to mention Branden, even if the entire Duncans took action, what could they do?¡± he thought. Atticus was filled with pride in his heart. Just then, he heard a familiar voiceing from behind. ¡°Professor Sterling!¡± Atticus subconsciously turned around and saw Catherine standing not far away. Seeing that Catherine had chased after him, Atticus thought Catherine changed her mind and was secretly happy. ¡°Miss Swann, it seems you¡¯ve figured it out, right?¡± Catherine walked straight toward Atticus. She had a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, and her face was calm andposed. ¡°Professor Sterling, I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been ying tricks behind the scenes these days!¡± Atticus was not afraid of Catherine knowing what he had done. He was even a bit smug about it. ¡°Miss Swann, as I said, I appreciate your talent. Your talent and ability are worth my hard work!¡± ¡°Hard work?¡± Catherine murmured lightly before punching Atticus in the face in an instant. Although Catherine only used a little strength in this punch, she knocked Atticus down to the ground immediately. Atticus¡¯ assistant was dumbfounded on the spot. He did not seem to expect Catherine, a thin and beautiful girl, to throw punches suddenly. Furthermore, he did not expect Catherine to have such a powerful strength to knock Atticus off his feet. It took some time before the assistant came back to his senses. He went forward to help Atticus, but Catherine moved before he did. Catherine stepped forward and stomped on Atticus¡¯ chest. ¡°Remember, you shouldn¡¯t put your fingers on things that do not belong to you!¡± Atticus could no longer suppress the anger within him. He had never been humiliated like this in his life. He struggled hard, wanting to break away from Catherine to get up and fight back. But no matter how hard he tried, there was no way he could break free from Catherine. Catherine¡¯s strength was beyond his imagination. With no other choice, Atticus could only say harsh words to Catherine in his humiliating position. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t you forget my status. How dare you treat me like this? Aren¡¯t you worried about creating a diplomatic crisis?¡± Seeing that Atticus did not repent, Catherine squatted down and beat him up again. The assistant reacted and wanted to help Atticus, but he was punched by Catherine. The assistant fell to the ground and struggled hard to get up. He wanted to help Atticus, but no matter how he moved, he couldn¡¯t stand up. He could only watch Atticus take the beating helplessly. Catherine did not like to hit people in the face and focused on hitting the parts of their body that others couldn¡¯t see. It hurt so much that Atticus grimaced and couldn¡¯t help but start crying. It so happened that their current location was so quiet and isted that no one passed by. There was not a single soul to look at Atticus. After a while, Catherine stopped and stared coldly at Atticus. ¡°Diplomatic crisis? You can try!¡± Atticus was in research, and he had seen others ying shady tricks behind the scenes. He was good at ying such tricks himself. But he had never been beaten up like what Catherine did to him. He was screaming as he took the hits and was in so much pain that he could only breathe shallowly now to avoid moving his body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong. I was wrong. Just let me go, and I promise I won¡¯t say a word!¡± Catherine had no intention of dealing with Atticus initially. After all, she did not even take him seriously. But Atticus had been inquired about her endlessly since the exchange meeting. He wished he could find out all her information, find a way to threaten and use her for his own. His actions were undoubtedly testing Branden¡¯s bottom line. If he was digging for information on the Duncan Corporation, Branden might not bother to pay attention to him. But his investigation target was Catherine, and Branden naturally could not let him do whatever he wanted. Catherine thought anyone who gave her man a hard time deserved to be beaten! Catherine had always disdained shady tricks. Did she not know how to use those tricks? No, it was not like that. It was simply because she did not bother to use them at all! Why would she need to use such tricks when she could use her fists to solve issues? Catherine stared coldly at Atticus, seemingly dissatisfied with his words. There was only one oue to Catherine¡¯s dissatisfaction, and that was to continue what she had been doing! The miserable cries rang out again, and Catherine gave Atticus a good beating again. This time, Atticus was beaten so much that he could barely make a sound. He did not have the strength to struggle anymore. He was on the ground, looking at Catherine with red eyes, and begged for mercy in a low voice. ¡°Please, stop it. I can¡¯t take it anymore! I promise you everything you ask for!¡± Since she has vented her anger, Catherine stood up straight and looked down at Atticus. ¡°You deserve a beating. Remember, I¡¯ll beat you every time I see you from now on! You should pray hard that you¡¯ll never meet me again!¡± After Catherine finished speaking, she patted the dust on her hands away disdainfully and turned to leave. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Looking at Catherine¡¯s back as she left, Atticus gritted his teeth in anger. He vowed to make Catherine pay. Atticus¡¯s assistant stepped forward timidly to help him only after confirming that Catherine had gone far away. ¡°Professor Sterling, let¡¯s go back and contact our superiors. We must make her pay the price!¡± In the eyes of the assistant, Catherine was a witch who knew witchcraft in this country. Not only so, she was cruel and violent. She looked thin and weak, but her punches were stronger than an adult male¡¯s. Atticus¡¯ assistant felt that Catherine¡¯s punch could knock down a COW. Atticus was in so much pain that he could not even make a sound. After hearing the assistant¡¯s advice, he could only nod silently in agreement. All he wanted to do now was to go back and get some rest before contacting his superiors. He must give Catherine a serious punishment. Those who dared to treat him like this must pay. Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Scolded Branden had followed Catherine out of the banquet hall. When Catherine was done with Atticus, she came back to the banquet hall and saw Branden leaning against the corridor at the entrance of the banquet hall. The lights stretched his shadow behind him endlessly, making him look thinner and more upright. However, this was only what one would see on the surface. Only Catherine knew what kind of robust body Branden had under his slim suit. Some people just looked thin in clothes. Catherine was about to step up the stairs when a figure rushing out from the side disrupted her. ¡°Catherine!¡± Although the other party tried to conceal it, the excitement in his voice was evident. Upon hearing the voice, Catherine turned her head to look at Drake beside her. The party organizer was Jaxton, and Drake was his only son. As such, it was not at all surprising that Drake was there. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Catherine nced at him faintly and inquired in a low voice. Drake¡¯s gaze at Catherine was filled with an indescribable excitement. ¡± Nothing. It¡¯s just that I think it¡¯s hard to meet you, so I want to say hello to you!¡± Seeing that Catherine remained silent, he worried that Catherine would misunderstand and exin. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you at the esports club for a long time, so I¡¯m surprised to see you here!¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, Drake began to feel frustrated again. He felt his exnation was somewhat redundant and did not know if Catherine would misunderstand. Recently, the esports club at the school had be his most frequented ce besides his dormitory. However, he had not met Catherine once. He found out from Amelia, a female ssmate in the same dormitory as Catherine, that she was staying in theboratory. When Drake found out that Catherine was able to join the school¡¯s topboratory in her freshman year, he was once again shocked. He felt that Catherine was terrifyingly powerful. No wonder his father advised him not to have any thoughts he shouldn¡¯t have after knowing what was on his mind. He did not have improper thoughts toward Catherine. He just wanted to be friends with Catherine, and that was all. When Catherine looked up, all she saw was Drake with his head down. Faced with an inquiry, she responded politely. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with research projects in theboratorytely, and I don¡¯t have time to go to the esports club. I¡¯ll go there when I¡¯m free. Ley¡¯s y games together then!¡± Drake didn¡¯t expect Catherine to take the initiative to invite him to y games together. He suddenly looked up, his eyes full of surprise. He looked at Catherine as if he was making sure that what he heard was not an illusion. Catherine¡¯s expression was calm, and her gaze was as cold and indifferent as usual. But that was enough for Drake to feel a surge of excitement in his heart. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s y games together when you¡¯re free!¡± Catherine waited for him to finish speaking, nodded, and turned to leave. Drake, however, remained standing still. His gaze watched her go up the stairs reverently. Feeling as if someone was staring at him ahead, Drake instinctively looked. up. When Drake saw the man looking at him, his heart jolted. The man¡¯s gaze was terrifying; it was as if he wanted to kill Drake with his gaze. At that moment, Drake understood very well why his father had advised him not to touch things nor have thoughts he shouldn¡¯t have. With a man as powerful as Branden behind Catherine, Drake would be better off not having improper thoughts about Catherine. Only a man as powerful as Branden was qualified enough to stand by Catherine¡¯s side. Drake nodded in Branden¡¯s direction before turning to leave. The only thing he had to be thankful for now was that he did not have anything more than friendship in mind for Catherine, or he would not even have the chance to leave safely. Branden retracted his gaze after Drake disappeared. His gaze thennded on Catherine, who was walking toward him. In an instant, his sharp gaze became gentle and doting. ¡°All settled?¡± Catherine knew he was asking about Atticus and responded casually. ¡°Yes!¡± Branden understood her. Since she said yes, everything should be settled. After scrutinizing her, he found that her clothes were intact, and her hair wasn¡¯t messed up. He took her hand with peace of mind. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Catherine grunted and allowed him to lead her away by the hand. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. On the other hand, Atticus¡¯ assistant held on to hisst breath to call an ambnce to take him and Atticus to the hospital. He arranged a series ofprehensive inspections for Atticus. He was going to take the injury report to punish Catherine. When the inspections werepleted, the injury report gave him a shock. ¡°Minor injuries?¡± The assistant yelled out as he stared at the injury report, looking at the doctor with an incredulous look on his face. ¡°Doctor, are you sure this examination report is for Professor Sterling? He was beaten so badly that he couldn¡¯t even make a sound, but it was considered as minor injury?¡± The doctor pushed the wide sses on his face and said helplessly, ¡°We examined Professor Sterling multiple times. He is indeed only slightly injured. The person who beat him should have a good understanding of the human body structure. Although Professor Sterling felt immense pain, he didn¡¯t suffer serious injuries!¡± After the assistant double-checked, he was sure the doctor hadn¡¯t lied. He could only go to Atticus with the injury report. Atticus was also dumbfounded the moment he saw the results of the report. He tore the document in anger after listening to his assistant¡¯s exnation. ¡°Damn woman, I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s no way to deal with her. I¡¯m a representative of the military, and she dared to hit me. She is provoking Mistel, and we must make her pay for it! Contact the superiors immediately!¡± Seeing his anger, the assistant didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately phoned their superiors. He handed the phone to Atticus. Atticus reported the details to his superior and deliberately embellished Catherine¡¯s arrogance andck of cooperation. ¡°Sir, Catherine is too rebellious. Such a person would be a danger to our country. I suggest we kill her immediately.¡± Atticus was now determined to kill Catherine. Since he could not control Catherine for his use, he would not allow others to do so. So he decided to kill Catherine. What was more, Catherine dared to humiliate him like that today. He must get back at her. Atticus waited eagerly for his superior to announce the punishment for Catherine, but he didn¡¯t expect thetter to ask, ¡°Did anyone die?¡± Atticus froze before assuming that his superior wanted to make a big deal out of it. But Atticus was in Eskana, where thews were strict and could not be messed with. So, Atticus could only answer honestly. ¡°No, but my assistant and I were beaten up!¡± ¡°Do you have the results of your injury report?¡± the superior asked on the other end of the phone. Atticus was angry that his superior mentioned this, but he gave the truth. As soon as he was done, he heard his superior speak impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t bother me with such minor injuries in the future and don¡¯t me me for not reminding you. Do not mess with Catherine easily.¡± The phone call ended after Atticus received a thorough scolding from his superior. Atticus sat dumbfounded on the hospital bed for a long time. He was the one who was beaten up, but why did it sound like he was the one at fault? He was scolded instead. Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Chapter 633 The Renowned Hacker In a daze, Catherine heard her phone ringing. She reached out from under the covers and found her phone with precision. Then she pressed the answer button and ced it by her ear. On the other end, Zobber said excitedly, ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s me. Are you up?¡± Catherine squinted at the time and saw it was noon. It¡¯s no wonder Zobber was calling her. She grunted in response, ¡°Well.¡± After Zobber heard Catherine¡¯s soft and slightly hoarse voice, her heart skipped a beat. She knew she had disturbed Catherine in her sleep, but she couldn¡¯t resist such an alluring voice. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s noon already. Want to grab some food? Withal and I are back. Let¡¯s eat together!¡± If it were someone else, Catherine would have likely refused. She prefers to sleep in during the weekend and eatter in the apartment. However, since Zobber and the others had just returned from a mission, Catherine reluctantly agreed and replied, ¡°Alright. You guys pick the spot. I¡¯lle over.¡± Suppressing her excitement, Zobber was considerate and asked, ¡°Catherine, where are you? Should I pick you up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the apartment. There¡¯s no need for you to pick me up,¡± Catherine replied. She declined Zobber¡¯s offer. Apart from Branden, she never let anyone else pick her up. Knowing Catherine was at the apartment, Zobber guessed she was at Branden¡¯s ce and suggested, ¡°Mr. Duncan must be home. Catherine, why don¡¯t you bring Mr. Duncan along? The more, the merrier!¡± Catherine stayed silent for a moment before responding, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask himter.¡± With that, Catherine ended the call. As she was about to get up, she spotted Branden leaning against the door frame. He must have just arrived, as Catherine wouldn¡¯t have missed his presence otherwise. Catherine shook her phone she held in her hand and said to him, ¡°Zobber and the others are back. They¡¯ve nned lunch. Want toe along?¡± This meant she was going and, in passing, asking for Branden¡¯s opinion. Branden had never opposed Catherine¡¯s decisions. If she was willing, he wouldn¡¯t object. Half an hourter, Branden arrived with Catherine at the Golden Spoon. It was a new restaurant in Loxton that catered exclusively to a select group of high-end users. It was private dining but boasted excellent dining ambiance and, most importantly, delectable dishes. As they reached the private room¡¯s entrance, Catherine pushed the door open. Inside were Withal and Zobber, alongside a familiar face. Drake seemed quite surprised to see Catherine, not expecting her presence here. ¡°Catherine!¡± Drake eximed. Hearing him call Catherine¡¯s name, Zobber was taken aback. ¡°Drake, you know Catherine?¡± Zobber had organized this gathering and intended for Drake to meet Catherine, but she didn¡¯t anticipate him knowing Catherine. Drake nodded and replied, ¡°Catherine and I study in the same school. We¡¯re both part of the esports club. I didn¡¯t realize Catherine¡¯s your boss.¡± He hade today with Zobber to meet his idol. He knew Zobber¡¯s boss, Sugar, as the youngest and most renowned hacker on the hacker leaderboard. She was not just Zobber¡¯s idol but his as well. Being aputer science student, he had someone he admired in the realm ofputers. He helped Zobber a few times, and Zobber promised to introduce him to her boss. But he never imagined Catherine to be Zobber¡¯s boss. It was incredibly shocking. Branden considerately pulled out a chair for Catherine. After Catherine casually sat down and crossed her legs, she directed her gaze at Zobber and Withal, silently asking for an exnation. Withal shrugged nonchntly, indicating it was Zobber¡¯s responsibility since she brought Drake here. After hearing Drake¡¯s exnation, Zobber realized he and Catherine were schoolmates. She eximed about their connection. Zobber introduced Drake to Catherine as she pointed at him in excitement. She said, ¡°Catherine, he is theputer talent I mentioned, mytest discovery. He¡¯s not only good at games but also a whiz with computers. He¡¯s been a huge help on this mission!¡± Catherine had secluded herself in theb, and Zobber knew her situation. Despite encountering difficulties on the mission, Zobber hadn¡¯t dared to seek Catherine¡¯s help. However, while browsing the dark web for the mission, Zobber stumbled upon Drake. After some conversation, Zobber recognized Drake¡¯s superior skills in the field ofputers. Zobber decided to recruit him. However, she was unaware of their mutual acquaintances. Catherine nced at Drake, who appeared somewhat excited when their eyes met. He had always admired Catherine¡¯s gaming skills and had never seen a female gamer as excellent as her. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. However, now he knew of an even more impressive secret. Catherine was the rumored hacking genius, Sugar. Drake gazed at Catherine deeply. His lips moved a few times before he could speak. He asked, ¡°Are you Sugar?¡± Zobber immediately apologized to Catherine as soon as Drake asked his question. She said, ¡°Catherine, sorry. I had exposed your identity without your permission.¡± Branden knew Catherine was a hacker so he wasn¡¯t surprised at this revtion. However, he didn¡¯t appreciate the way Drake looked at Catherine. Gently, he reached out and pulled Catherine closer, subtly steering her toward himself. Catherine leaned in and cooperated with his movement. As for the disclosure of her identity by Zobber, Catherine was ok with it. She believed Zobber had observed before revealing the truth to Drake. Several people knew her identity as Sugar, so it wasn¡¯t significant to add Drake to the list. She tilted her chin toward Drake and nodded graciously. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s admission, Drake couldn¡¯t contain his excitement any longer and eximed, ¡°This is amazing! I finally met you. It¡¯s such a surprise!¡± Others didn¡¯t find Drake¡¯s surprise strange after he learned Catherine¡¯s identity. After all, they had simr reactions when they found out. Seeing the pleasant atmosphere in the room, Zobber cheered up and patted Drake on the shoulder. ¡°Since we¡¯re happy, let¡¯s have a drink and chat!¡± Seeing no objections from anyone, Zobber had the staff bring some alcohol. Being young and acquainted, the people in the room were rxed. Zobber poured drinks for everyone and cheerfully invited them to join. ¡°Let¡¯s do a toast first before chatting!¡± she eximed. Zobber had a good tolerance for alcohol and didn¡¯t fall shortpared to Catherine. Catherine indulged in a few drinks with them since it was rare for them to gather together. After a few rounds, Catherine suddenly looked at Zobber and casually asked, ¡± How did the mission go?¡± Zobber assumed Catherine wouldn¡¯t discuss business with Drake around. But to her surprise, Catherine brought it up. Sensing Zobber¡¯s hesitation, Drake quickly caught on and proactively said, ¡°I¡¯ll step out for a smoke.¡± Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Chapter 634 The Organization Catherine set down her utensils and casually remarked, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do that if you merely want to give us space.¡± Drake was stunned for a while. Zobber beside him rudely kicked his chair. ¡± Kid, stay put. Next time, if you want to make an excuse, make it believable.¡± Drake sat down slowly with a faint smirk ying on his lips. He was clearly in good spirits. Though he tried to control it, his ears betrayed him by turning red. He genuinely didn¡¯t smoke. He thought Catherine wanted to discuss something privately with Zobber, so he found an excuse to leave. For a professional esports yer like him, smoking could be detrimental because it could lead to a range of health issues, with the most severe potentially affecting reaction time. Therefore, smoking and drinking were prohibited for professional esports yers. Since Catherine let Drake stay, Zobber knew Catherine¡¯s intention. As such, she reported the situation to Catherine without hesitation before Drake. She said, ¡°Catherine, we have cracked the files and handed them to the higher authorities. Moreover, we have uncovered two Rexinheim¡¯s contact stations in Loxton, all of which have been shut down.¡± The reason Zobber and Withal took so long on this mission was primarily because they took on another task right after epting one, which caused a dy in their progress. Though their organization wasn¡¯t tied to any specific nation, its members were all Eskana citizens. Whenever Eskana needed help, they¡¯d offer resources without hesitation. When Catherine instructed them to proceed, Zobber and Withal were made aware that the mission came with risks and no reward. However, they epted it without conditions. Even Drake stumbled upon this task online and volunteered after knowing they needed help. Certain things could lead to a diplomatic incident if Eskana were to intervene directly. However, if it were them, any issues would be attributed to a personal mission by a mysterious organization and would create a lesser impact. After listening to the conversation, Drake gazed earnestly at Catherine. ¡± Can I join your organization? I want to contribute my skills.¡± Neither the Spencers nor the Facers would allow him to have a military or political career. His futurey in the business sector. He had no goals or direction, and his life seemed predetermined. It¡¯s the same with the gaming team. He had a pact with his father to return to a conventional path in three years. He longed to do something meaningful, and joining Catherine¡¯s organization might be a new start. Upon hearing Drake¡¯s request, Catherine¡¯s, Zobber¡¯s, and Withal¡¯s reactions were the same. They narrowed their eyes and assessed Drake. ¡°Want to join us?¡± Catherine asked. She was confident of Drake¡¯s abilities based on the recent mission. But joining their organization wasn¡¯t a walk in the park. Drake nodded firmly. ¡°Yes. I wish to join and I¡¯m ready for any test!¡± ¡°Good,¡± Catherine replied. Then she turned to Withal and said, ¡°You handle this.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Withal smirked and nced at Drake. He nodded with a meaningful look. ¡± Catherine, I¡¯ll make sure he learns the ropes.¡± The look Drake received sent a chill down his spine, making his pores stand on end. Despite knowing the road ahead wouldn¡¯t be easy, he had no intention of giving up. If joining the organization meant doing more meaningful things and enhancing his life¡¯s value, he was all in. While they continued to discuss Drake¡¯s potential membership, Catherine¡¯s phone on the table rang. When she nced at the phone, Catherine realized it was a call from Marshall. She reached out and answered it. ¡°Catherine, where are you? I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± The urgency in Marshall¡¯s voice prompted Catherine to inquire, Professor Hartley, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I ran into an issue while brainstorming with Patrick. We¡¯re stuck in a loop. I think you might have a fresh perspective on it. Would you be able toe over?¡± Marshall exined. Having interacted with Catherine for a while, Marshall found her increasingly impressive. Catherine often provided novel insights in many research areas. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She had expected a major incident to have happened, not just a hup in Marshall¡¯s brainstorming session. However, since it was Marshall, it made sense as well. He was a natural schr, one who was willing to sacrifice everything for his research. In his eyes, nothing was more valuable than his projects. He was uninterested in power or wealth. Despite being a top research professor at Styre University, he remained humble and learned from others when faced with someone more knowledgeable. That was the quality and demeanor befitting of a research expert. Catherine hung up and stood up. She was prepared to leave. Seeing that, Branden instinctively grabbed her hand. Before he could speak, Catherine said, ¡± There¡¯s a situation in theb, and I need to go back. Can you drop me off?¡± Branden draped his coat over her shoulders as he stood up. ¡°Will you be back tonight?¡± Catherine couldn¡¯t provide an answer to the situation at hand. She wasn¡¯t sure which stage of the research was causing the problem. Once experiments start, it could potentially run for the entire day. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. If it¡¯s resolved, I¡¯ll give you a call. You can pick me up then, ¡± she said inly. That simple request brought a flicker of joy to Branden, and he instinctively smiled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll pick you up when you¡¯re done.¡± After saying goodbye to Zobber and the others, Catherine left. As soon as they were gone, Zobber let out a loud sigh. Then she said, ¡°I envy Catherine. She has incredible abilities and was with a top-quality guy.¡± Branden was outstanding, be it his family background, looks, or capabilities. He was a top-tier man, and to top it off, he had a penchant for doting on his girlfriend. Upon hearing Zobber¡¯s sigh, Withal casually responded. ¡°There are always some folks who are so conceited and would groan at the slightest matter.¡± Zobber flew into a rage at Withal¡¯s words. With anger, she tried to attack him. Withal skillfully dodged, and the two engaged in a lively chase. Drake rested his chin in his hand and casually ate his dishes. He was amused by the spectacle happening before him. He was startled by their fight at first but soon realized that they were in a love-hate rtionship. Brawling was their version of fun. It was not serious. Drake enjoyed this atmosphere. It was free-spirited without many rules. Thinking about it strengthened his resolve to join the organization. No matter how tough it gets, he was going to give it a shot. Chapter 635 Chapter 635 Chapter 635 The Machine Branden escorted Catherine to theboratory door. On their way, Marshall messaged Catherine. He was relieved when he was sure Catherine had set off and was almost at theb. As the car eased in, Catherine caught sight of Marshall standing by the stairs and smiled. ¡°Professor Hartley¡¯s got an interesting character.¡± Branden was always attentive to Catherine. He nced out the window after hearing her words. ¡°Some people are just born for research!¡± Branden said. Only ones like Marshall, who could endure, weren¡¯t bothered by fame, and devoted themselves entirely to their experiments, could scale the heights of science. Catherine raised an eyebrow in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Branden gently ruffled her hair, and his voice softened as he replied, ¡°My girl is too.¡± Catherine¡¯s dedicated nature and genius mind destined her for an extraordinary life. As the car halted, Catherine lightly pushed away Branden¡¯s hand and was ready to exit. She knew if she dawdled any longer, Marshall might rush up to tug the car door open himself. Once Catherine got out, Branden gently grasped her arm and reminded her. ¡± Let me know when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After receiving Catherine¡¯s response, Branden reluctantly let go and watched her depart with Marshall. Marshall hurried Catherine toward theb without pause. The moment they stepped inside, without a nod to Patrick, Marshall guided her to the front of theb bench. Patrick, who had raised his hand in greeting, let it drop with a resigned smile. Thankfully, he knew Marshall¡¯s temperament. Otherwise, he might have thought Marshall had an issue with him. He had a wry smile before following along to assess the situation. Marshall handed his calctions over to Catherine and asked her to find the possible glitches. After Catherine nced at the data, she didn¡¯t spot any glitches. However, the oue was undoubtedly incorrect. ¡°Power up the machine. Let¡¯s redo this, ¡°Catherine said. Hearing hermand, Marshall immediately activated the machine and started the calctions anew. Halfway through, Catherine spoke up. Stop!¡± Though unsure of Catherine¡¯s intent, Marshallplied and halted the machine. After it stopped, Catherine circled the machine and examined it closely. Eventually, she concluded. ¡°The machine¡¯s malfunctioning.¡± ¡°The machine¡¯s malfunctioning?¡± Marshall and Patrick almost simultaneously eximed, and their tones were filled with surprise. Even Marshall found it hard to believe, let alone Patrick. ¡°How could that be? Catherine, are you sure?¡± Marshall asked with disbelief. Catherine nodded confidently. ¡°It¡¯s a fault with the machine.¡± With Catherine¡¯s assurance, Marshall and Patrick promptly called the technical room after exchanging a nce. Marshall personally made the call, and the technician arrived quickly. After a series of checks, it was confirmed that the machine had an issue. There was a module malfunctioned, and it required a month for repairs. Upon hearing this news, instead of his usual concern for the machine, Marshall hurried to Catherine¡¯s side and looked at her with admiration. ¡°Catherine, how did you figure out the machine had a problem?¡± Marshall asked. Both Marshall and Patrick looked at Catherine with awe. Catherine presented the data they¡¯d calcted in front of them. ¡°Your calctions were correct, and so was the approach. The only possible reason for the incorrect results is external interference. Based on the deviation in the results, it had to be the machine. Professor Hartley, when I asked you to restart the machine earlier, it was to confirm if the problemy with it.¡± Both Marshall and Patrick were slightly bewildered by Catherine¡¯s exnation, but it reaffirmed in their minds that Catherine was an exceptional genius. After returning their research report, Catherine said, ¡°The issue is with the machine. Your calctions were right, and you should eventually arrive at the correct conclusion.¡± Seeing them nodding in agreement and looking at her with admiration, Catherine chuckled wryly. It wasn¡¯t that she was exceedingly capable. It was that these two professors were incredibly meticulous in their work. As researchers, they were always thorough. When they found discrepancies, they¡¯d repeatedly recalibrate, reevaluate, and search for errors within their methods. If the initial direction was wrong, it naturally led to misconceptions. Marshall and Patrick held the report and marveled at Catherine¡¯s abilities. They hadn¡¯t expected, after researching for so long, to miss an issue with the machine. With the problem¡¯s root cause identified, Marshall felt considerably relieved. Although the machine was broken and the repair would take a while, they found the root cause. That meant the issue would be resolved eventually so there was no need for him to worry about it. ¡°Catherine, I heard Professor Sterling was causing you trouble,¡± Marshall said with concern. Putting down the documents in her hand, Catherine nced at him and replied with conviction. ¡°Not anymore. Her assured tone surprised Marshall. ¡± How can you be so sure?¡± He had contemted seeking support from his superiors to ensure Catherine¡¯s research remained undisturbed and protected her from interference. But Catherine¡¯s words seemed to imply the matter had been resolved. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Catherine responded calmly. ¡°I gave him a beating. He¡¯s still in the hospital and won¡¯t daree back.¡± If he dared to return, the consequences wouldn¡¯t just involve a beating the next time. She would arrange for a helicopter to drop him on Snake Ind, where temperatures consistently soared above 104¡ãF. It was a haven for venomous snakes. With tens of thousands of venomous snakes forpany, Atticus would likely be happy. ¡°A beating?¡± Marshall was stunned. He looked at Catherine in disbelief. ¡± Really?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine grunted. Then she added with a hint of sarcasm, ¡± Professor Hartley, perhaps you may want to visit him in the hospital as a good host?¡± Marshall¡¯s eyes lit up, and he pped with delight. Then he said, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Anyway, in Eskana, we uphold etiquette. When a friend visiting our country faces an ident, it¡¯s only proper to pay a visit. Tell me which hospital he was in. I¡¯ll buy a basket of chrysanthemums¡­¡± Realizing his mistake, Marshall hastily corrected himself with augh. He said, ¡°I mean, a basket of fruits!¡± Watching Marshall¡¯s excited reaction, Catherine found it amusing. Despite his serious demeanor in theb, he had a humorous and affable side. Moreover, he was protective of his students. Catherine was his student. Atticus¡¯ attempt to harass and poach her wasn¡¯t something Marshall would tolerate. Knowing Catherine had given Atticus a beating, Marshall ostensibly showed concern for Atticus. However, he was secretly overjoyed about it. Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Chapter 636 His Arrangement Things at theb wrapped up quicker than expected. Remembering Branden¡¯s instructions before they parted ways, Catherine messaged him for him to pick her up. It took about half an hour to get here from the apartment. Shortly after sending the message, Catherine got a reply from Branden, which read, [I¡¯m waiting at the door.] Putting aside what she was working on, Catherine grabbed her coat and headed out. Just as she stepped out, she spotted a man standing in the chilly wind. She thought she might have to wait a while, but she didn¡¯t expect that he had never left. Catherine walked right up to him. Seeing that, Branden began to take off his coat. ¡°No!¡± Catherine refused him outright. Seeing Branden frown, she exined, ¡± I¡¯m not cold. We can get in the car right away.¡± Seeing her insist, Branden didn¡¯t push further. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. He opened the car door for Catherine and guided her carefully. He was afraid that she might bump into something. Once inside the car, Catherine felt bored and struck up a conversation with Branden. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you head back? Aren¡¯t you worried I¡¯ll be busy until midnight?¡± Catherine smiled faintly and cast a meaningful look at him. When an experiment encounters problems, there¡¯s no telling how much time it could take to fix the problem. Before Catherine found the problem in the experiment, she didn¡¯t know how long it would take, let alone Branden. Surprised by her rare initiative in asking, Branden looked at her confidently and said, ¡°If an hour¡¯s not enough, then two. If two aren¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll wait till dawn. Eventually, you¡¯ll crack it, right?¡± Catherine pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. ¡°Makes sense!¡± They exchanged a smile and looked at each other. When Patrick came out with Marshall, they caught sight of the car driving away. ¡°These young folks nowadays are way wilder than we were back then!¡± Marshall noticed the car from the start and saw it hadn¡¯t moved, indicating Branden hadn¡¯t left. Compared to Marshall¡¯s calmness, Patrick was much more surprised. He knew Branden and Catherine were close. Moreover, he understood that when young people were in love, they were glued together and would want to spend 24 hours together. But he hadn¡¯t expected Branden, who was always busy, to waste time here for Catherine willingly. It showed just how highly Catherine was regarded in Branden¡¯s heart. After Catherine got into the car, Branden took her arm and gently massaged it. ¡°Are you tired? Do you want to nap a little?¡± Catherine shook her head and replied, Not sleepy. I want to y a game for a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Branden reached to switch on the backseat lights. ying games in a dark environment wasn¡¯t good for the eyes. Catherine had intended to y a game to pass the time while they drove home, but as soon as she opened her phone, she received an email from Rodge. She opened the email and found Rodge¡¯s plea for help. Rodge¡¯s experiment hit a rough patch, and he hoped Catherine could spend a few days in Oceanvile to assist him. Catherine can address the problems more effectively if she was present in theb and checking the experiment data firsthand, as it would provide a direct understanding of the process. After reading the email, Catherine handed her phone to Branden without hiding anything. She let him read it himself because she couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin the contents. Seeing she was open about it, Branden readily took the phone to check her email. After going through it, he understood Catherine¡¯s intent and gave an immediate response. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange your flight for tomorrow. You¡¯ll go to Oceanvile for three days. I¡¯ll handle your absence from school. As for theb¡­¡± Before he could finish, Catherine smiled and said, ¡°As for theb, I¡¯ll talk to Professor Hartley myself and request time off.¡± Branden calmly replied, ¡°Alright.¡± Catherine showed him the emails to seek his advice and have him organize everything. And indeed, Branden understood her. After returning to her apartment, Catherine slept soundly until dawn the next day. She noticed that her insomnia symptoms had been getting lightertely. In the past, she relied on sleeping pills to fall asleep. Ever since she¡¯s been with Branden, she hardly took any medication. Each time she attempted, Branden would toss it away and coax her into bed. If she couldn¡¯t sleep, he would resort to force. He would use his strong physicality to drain her excess energy and force her to sleep. Gradually, her insomnia symptoms lessened. Sometimes, she¡¯d fall asleep in the car on their way back, and Branden would carry her upstairs. After getting up from bed, Catherine stepped into the bathroom. After a while, she went into the living room. Catherine found a warm meal and a note from Branden waiting for her. [I have somepany matters to attend to. Carlo is waiting downstairs for you.] After reading the note, Catherine casually pushed it aside. She lifted the insted covers on the tes and bowls. They were all her favorite foods, which means Branden must have prepared them in person. Despite his workmitments, he ensured she had something to eat before leaving. Branden was quite a good boyfriend. Catherine felt reassured and sat down to indulge in the lunch Branden prepared. When she stood up to pack her bags, she found that Branden had arranged her luggage neatly on the sofa. There was just a simple backpack, which was just the way she liked. Branden covered all the bases. He was incredibly attentive and detail- oriented. With everything taken care of, Catherine didn¡¯t need to worry. She grabbed her bag and headed downstairs. Carlo was waiting downstairs as said. He came out of the car as soon as Catherine descended. Then he respectfully stepped forward and reached to take the bag from her shoulder. ¡°Miss Swann, Mr. Branden asked me to escort you to the airport. Your flight is all set.¡± Catherine lowered her cap slightly, nodded casually, and got into the car. The airport was some distance away from the apartment. Catherine felt drowsy after the satisfying meal and she closed her eyes to rest. Carlo had been keeping an eye on Catherine¡¯s movements. Seeing her intent on resting, he carefully raised the partition. Following Branden¡¯s earlier instructions, Carlo adjusted the temperature inside the car, slowed down, and drove steadily. Despite it being the same car and routine, Catherine woke up the moment it came to a halt. Maybe it was due to the absence of someone beside her. After Catherine stepped out of the car, Carlo escorted her to the ne. Branden had arranged a first-ss seat for Catherine. After settling into her seat, Catherine activated the ¡°Do Not Disturb¡± sign. She lowered her hat to block the outside world from sight and prepared to sleep through the two-hour flight. Suddenly, she heard a sound beside her. Catherine frowned and lifted the brim of her hat. She was about to signal the person not to disturb her. When she saw the face of the intruder, her eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Branden replied with a gentle smile. ¡± Fortunately, I made it in time to apany you!¡± He had rushed to thepany early in the morning to handle everything. This would free him up to apany Catherine to Oceanvile and take care of her. Catherine couldn¡¯t be without him, and he couldn¡¯t be without her. Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Chapter 637 The Experiment At quarter past three, the nended on time at Oceanvile Airport. Catherine finally woke up. She barely lifted the brim of her hat off her face when a cup of hot coffee appeared in front of her. Branden¡¯s gentle voice sounded above her. He said, ¡°Have a sip.¡± Catherine drank half of the cup from his hand. Warmth spread through her entire stomach. Ever since she¡¯d been with Branden, her stomach troubles vanished. Just as she finished the coffee and got ready to rise, Branden had their luggage and was holding her hand to lead her off the ne. They took the VIPne to the parking lot, where the car Branden arranged awaited them. Once inside the car, Branden turned to Catherine and asked, ¡°Rushing to theb? Do you want to rest or grab a bite?¡± The Duncans owned many properties in Oceanvile. Branden knew Catherine didn¡¯t like staying in hotels. Before their arrival, he had arranged for a property closest to theb and had it cleaned. After ncing at her phone for the time, Catherine replied, ¡°Let¡¯s head to theb first. We can go back later.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Branden replied and then instructed the driver. After a while, Catherine was dropped off at the lab. Just as Catherine was about to enter, she heard Brandenugh resignedly behind her. He said, ¡°Just let me know when you¡¯re done. Don¡¯t spend three full days locked up there.¡± Branden condensed three days of work into one. He handled them at lightning speed and didn¡¯t even waste time to take a sip of water. He didn¡¯t want to bring Catherine to Oceanvile without even having the chance to see her face-to-face. Catherine paused and raised an eyebrow as she looked back at him meaningfully. ¡°What¡¯s this? Filing aint?¡± Branden chuckled in resignation. ¡± Let¡¯s call it a request instead. How about that, Miss Swann?¡± Catherine lifted her chin and struck a noble pose with sophistication. ¡± Approved. I¡¯ll get in touchter.¡± After saying that arrogantly, Catherine turned and walked away without further exnation to Branden. Branden stood there and watched her until she disappearedpletely. Then he slowly turned to leave. Rodge had been waiting eagerly for Catherine, and finally, she arrived. ¡°Chief, you¡¯re finally here!¡± His excitement was hard to contain. Catherine looked at him calmly. What¡¯s the rush? I didn¡¯t force you to hand over the experiment results immediately. Can¡¯t you take a couple more days to rest?¡± Rodge felt incredibly fortunate to have met Catherine in his lifetime. Not only did she maximize his value and allow him to pursue his favorite work, but her management style in theb was also highly appreciated. Catherine never made demands on them. Everything proceeded at the pace they set, and she never pushed them for results. Rodge timidly smiled. He focused solely on experiments and seldom expressed other emotions. It was only before Catherine that he would disy any other emotions. He said, ¡°Chief, I know you didn¡¯t pressure me. If this experiment doesn¡¯t move to the second phase quickly, our funding will continue to be wasted in this stage!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Hearing the mention of money, Catherine furrowed her brow slightly. She¡¯d spent most of her time in theb on experiments recently. She seldom took on assignments and did not allocate money to Arbotte Laboratory on time. Improving the sess rate of experiments and reducing financial waste seemed like a good idea. ¡°Take me to see it,¡± Catherine said. When Rodge heard Catherine¡¯smand, his worried face immediately lit up. ¡°Chief, follow me!¡± Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Chapter 638 The One She Loved The Arbotte Laboratory was researching the most cutting-edge chip globally, and if this chip hit the market, it could change the entire era. Not only the Arbotte Laboratory, but all topbs worldwide were in on this. Everyone was racing to develop this chip and aimed for the quickest production to maximize development and profits. Once this chip hit the market, it would bring numerous profits. Money was not the main thing here. It was the possibility of monopolizing the technology of this chip that drove innovation across the board, which would push forward the whole tech scene. ording to the information they held, so far, among all thesebs worldwide, the Arbotte Laboratory made the fastest progress. Rodge led Catherine to the core of theb and saw thetest results of his research. It was theb¡¯s most secretive ce that only Rodge and Catherine could ess. ¡°Chief, take a look!¡± Rodge said. Catherine sat at the console, opened the mathematical model, and reran the experiment from scratch to search for the root cause. The first run didn¡¯t show any issues yet. Catherine ran it again and finally spotted an odd data point. She pointed at it and said, ¡°Maybe the problem is here. Let me tweak the data and rerun it.¡± Rodge felt odd. This data came from numerous calctions, so it shouldn¡¯t be wrong. He didn¡¯t want to doubt his calctions, but he trusted Catherine even more. He stood at the side and watched Catherine silently. He was deeply impressed by her incredible computational abilities. Catherine stayed in theb since they touched down, and it was almost 6 PM. The machine finally printed the results of the first run. Catherine nced at it and handed the data to Rodge, who was eagerly waiting. Seeing that, Rodge widened his eyes and eximed, ¡°Wow! Chief, you¡¯re amazing!¡± It turned out to be a problem with the data. However, the issue remained resolved as they were unsure if there may be other problematic data. However, Catherine found the crux of the problem with just one move. It was something an ordinary person couldn¡¯t possibly do. Despite being amazed countless times, Rodge had to praise Catherine once again. Phones weren¡¯t allowed here. Catherine looked at Rodge and asked, ¡°What time is it?¡± Rodge checked his watch and replied, ¡± Chief, it¡¯s almost six.¡± Catherine headed straight out after putting down the equipment. As she passed Rodge, she said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Rodge hurried to catch up. ¡°Chief, are you taking a break? How about I treat you to dinner?¡± Catherine stopped, turned back, and declined his offer. She replied, ¡°No need for that. Someone¡¯s waiting for me.¡± Rodge knew exactly who Catherine referred to. As he watched Catherine walk away swiftly, Rodge couldn¡¯t help but smirk. Ever since Catherine started dating, he could sense a more human side to her. She wasn¡¯t the distant, unapproachable legend anymore. She was once so cold and didn¡¯t have any preferences. With a powerful brain and a stunning face, she seemed to look down on everyone. That kind of Catherine was too unreal. It made people love and fear her at the same time. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The current Catherine seemed better. Rodge was pleased with the change in her since she started dating. Perhaps Branden was just the one she loved. Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Chapter 639 An Acquaintance Catherine immediately got in touch with Branden after leaving theb. Branden drove to pick up Catherine and took her to Oceanvile¡¯s most famous restaurant. It was a rare outing for them. Catherine was tied up with work, so he decided to help her unwind a bit during her free time. Catherine didn¡¯t mind. She knew everything would be taken care of with Branden around. However, Branden didn¡¯t know that the restaurant he carefully picked out would lead Catherine to run into an acquaintance. Erick was stunned when he saw Catherine, but he quickly realized the situation. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re in Oceanvile!¡± he greeted in delight. After looking up, Catherine caught sight of Erick. Her expression softened as she replied, ¡°Just came over for something urgent.¡± ¡°Great! I didn¡¯t expect to bump into you here. What a coincidence! Let¡¯s have dinner together, Catherine,¡± Erick said with excitement. The restaurant owner, who was standing next to Erick, was astonished at Erick¡¯s behavior. He had known Erick for some time and was used to Erick¡¯s distant demeanor. This was the first time he had seen Erick initiate a conversation with a girl, especially with such enthusiasm. Moreover, this girl not only had a beautiful appearance, she also exuded a powerful aura. Even someone like Erick, a top figure in the new era, appeared humble in her presence. Taking note of Erick¡¯s excitement, the owner said, ¡°Mr. Olsen, shall I open the top-floor VIP room for you?¡± Erick knew the top-floor VIP room was usually reserved and understood the owner¡¯s gesture was meant to please him. However, the owner¡¯s assessment was spot on this time. Erick looked at Catherine and waited for her opinion. Catherine was not bothered. She considered Erick a friend, and it was nice to grab a meal together when they bumped into each other. Seeing Erick¡¯s inquisitive look, she generously said, ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± Branden had no reason to refuse since Catherine agreed. He casually wrapped an arm around Catherine¡¯s waist and guided her toward him. Then he nced at Erick and said, ¡°Mr. Olsen, you know Oceanvile quite well. Just lead the way, Mr. Olsen.¡± Erick made rapid progress after taking over the reins of the Winfreds family. Catherine had supported and helped him significantly behind the scenes. She even arranged manpower for him. Of course, Erick had never betrayed Catherine. He despised the Winfreds and the wealth they had. From the start, he had aimed to ruin the Winfred Group and make Xavier see how easily he could destroy what Xavier had built. However, when he found out Catherine needed money and the Winfred Group could generate profits, he managed it well to provide funds for Catherine. Half of the profits from the Winfred Group went straight into the Arbotte Laboratory. He wanted to give everything to Catherine, but Catherine refused. So, he held onto it for her, and he was ready to offer it all whenever she needed it. Looking at Branden, Erick smiled. However, Erick¡¯s smile faded as he noticed Branden¡¯s hand nted firmly around Catherine¡¯s waist. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t catch up to Branden. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. That was why Branden could stand beside Catherine while he could only look up at her. Suppressing his emotions, Erick politely extended his hand. ¡°Mr. Duncan, this way.¡± This time, Branden emerged as the clear winner without much effort. Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Chapter 640 The Call The food in the restaurant was pretty good. Catherine had quite a meal that night. Erick saw Catherine setting down her fork to take a drink, and he seized the chance to strike up a conversation. ¡°Catherine, what brings you to Oceanvile?¡± he asked. Catherine didn¡¯t hold back. She told him Rodge needed help, hence her rush to Oceanvile. After Erick heard that, he said with disappointment, ¡°Catherine, I thought I might have a chance to show you around Oceanvile for a couple of days, but it looks like you don¡¯t have the time. Catherine nodded in agreement and replied calmly, ¡°Indeed. There¡¯s hardly any time. I need to get back to Loxton soon.¡± Erick then brought up some internalpany matters to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I stumbled upon something. Some old factions within thepany have been in contact with the Breens. They seem to have intentions to support the old associates of the Winfreds, but their exact motives are still unclear,¡± he said. During Xavier¡¯s tenure, several key positions at the Winfred Group were held by members of the Winfreds family. Since Erick took over, there have been significant changes in personnel through recements or reassignments at important positions. However, people from the Winfreds family were spread throughout the Winfred Group in various departments. Removing them wouldn¡¯t be easy unless the Winfred Group was overturned. Those people seemed calm andpliant on the surface as if they were aligning themselves with Erick. But they were constantly scheming behind the scenes, intending to pull Erick from the top position and reim the Winfreds¡¯ assets. Catherine had been immersed in thebtely. She didn¡¯t intervene much apart from dealing with Atticus once. As for Edson, she hadn¡¯t paid attention to him during this period. It was surprising to hear that the Breens had their fingers in the Winfred Group. Erick had been channeling funds from the Winfred Group to the Arbotte Laboratory for research purposes. The Breens wouldn¡¯t assist the Winfreds without reason. It was most likely that they had traced the movement of funds from the Winfred Group to the Arbotte Laboratory, and that sparked their interest in the Winfred Group. Catherine scoffed disdainfully. She remarked with a domineering aura. They just don¡¯t give up.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Erick sensed something amiss. He asked, Catherine, what do you mean?¡± ¡°The Breens are after me,¡± Catherine replied directly. Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Erick frowned. He had thought the Winfreds were seeking help to regain their assets, so he wasn¡¯t particrly concerned about it. Money wasn¡¯t a big deal to him. His purpose in earning money was to repay Catherine. However, the situation changed significantly since their target was Catherine. If they dared to touch Catherine, they¡¯d be Erick¡¯s greatest enemies. Initially, Erick hadn¡¯t nned to act against these people, but now he decided to clear these obstacles for Catherine¡¯s sake. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. The Winfred Group won¡¯t fall into chaos with me around.¡± Catherine nced appreciatively at Erick. During this period, she had seen Erick¡¯s rapid growth, which was beyond what she had expected. The Breens were getting quite active, and it seemed Shane couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. As they discussed back and forth, Branden, who sat silently nearby, finally spoke up. Branden looked at Catherine gently and said softly, ¡°You¡¯vee straight from the ne to theb. You¡¯ve had a tiring day. How about going back to rest?¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Catherine agreed with Branden¡¯s suggestion. She indeed felt a bit tired. Seeing Catherine getting drowsy, Erick felt quite sorry for her. He stood up and personally escorted the two of them out. At the restaurant¡¯s entrance, Branden stopped with his arm around Catherine. He was exceptionally handsome and nced at Erick with a faint smile. ¡°Thanks for the hospitality, Mr. Olsen. There¡¯s no need to see us off,¡± Branden said with a smug expression. Despite feeling uneasy, Erick maintained his smile and watched Branden and Catherine leave. After a while, they got into the car. Catherine was exhausted. Branden urged her to rest against him, and obediently, she leaned into his embrace and closed her eyes. As she drifted to sleep, Branden adjusted the car¡¯s temperature. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as he was about to silence his phone so avoid disturbing Catherine, the screen lit up. Branden swiftly declined the call before it even had a chance to ring. He promptly turned off his phone and slipped it into his pocket. Meanwhile, Carlo noticed Paxton picking up and swiftly putting down his phone with a peculiar expression. It raised Carlo¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Paxton, what¡¯s up? Did Mr. Branden not take the call?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Paxton nodded slightly. Not only did Branden not take the call, he also turned off his phone. Carlo looked at Paxton and asked with a mischievous smile, ¡°You didn¡¯t happen to disturb Mr. Branden and Miss Swann having a good time, did you?¡± They knew Branden had gone with Catherine to Oceanvile. Since there were matters to handle in Loxton, Paxton had been left behind. Paxton red displeasingly at Carlo and replied, ¡°Watch what you say, or I¡¯ll have your hide.¡± After being reprimanded by Paxton, Carlo dared not speak out of turn again. He asked, ¡°Paxton, what do we do now that Mr. Branden didn¡¯t answer the call?¡± Earlier, Edsonunched a fierce attack. He rallied several families to short-sell and corner the Duncan Corporation. He changed his previous methods and wanted to defeat the Duncan Corporation swiftly. It posed the greatest danger to the Duncan Corporation and held no benefits for the Breens either. The magnates Edson brought in were ruthless capitalists. Edson must make significant concessions for their involvement. Edson might end up not just fruitless but incurring huge losses. Based on this, Edson¡¯s aim was crystal clear. He wanted to dismantle the Duncans at any cost. Given the urgency of the situation and thebined forces of the families, Paxton tried contacting Branden immediately upon receiving the news. However, the call didn¡¯t go through. Paxton remained calm and looked at Carlo coldly. He had been by Branden¡¯s side for years and had faced numerous challenges. This current crisis wasn¡¯t enough to intimidate him. Then Paxton replied, ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Stick to the arrangements as Mr. Branden instructed previously. After all these years under Mr. Branden¡¯s care, do we still run to him for every small thing?¡± Paxton¡¯s scolding invigorated everyone present. All of them rallied their spirits and focused on the task at hand. As one of Paxton¡¯s loyal followers, Carlo promptly chimed in. ¡°Paxton is right. This is our test. If these foreign devils want trouble, we¡¯ll make sure they leave empty-handed and get a good lesson.¡± Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Chapter 641 More Effort is Needed Catherine noticed that her recent sleep quality had indeed improved. Since she returned yesterday, she has been in a deep sleep state. It wasn¡¯t until this morning that she slowly woke up. Perhaps due to having enough sleep, Catherine felt exceptionally energetic, and her mood was quite pleasant. Just as she was about to get up to find Branden, her phone, ced nearby, rang. Catherine nced at it and saw it was Ronin calling. She swiped the button and answered the phone. Ronin¡¯s voice sounded urgent. ¡± Catherine, we¡¯re in trouble!¡± Catherine calmly walked to the side, poured herself a ss of water to drink, and only then asked unhurriedly, ¡± What¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°Catherine, I just received a message. Edson is going after Branden, and it¡¯s the kind of situation where he¡¯s willing to do anything.¡± Ronin detailed the information he had gathered to Catherine. When he received the message, he was also shocked. The way the Breens were striking this time didn¡¯t seem like they were simply trying to bring down a businesspetitor. It felt more like they were willing to sacrifice themselves to take down the other party. After all, if things continued this way, the Breens themselves would suffer greatly. After exining everything, Ronin, seeing Catherine¡¯sck of response, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Catherine, Mr. Duncan is still with you in Oceanvile, right? Isn¡¯t he worried at all?¡± ¡°Worried?¡± Catherine sneered. ¡± Perhaps he doesn¡¯t even know yet.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ronin couldn¡¯t help but exim in surprise, ¡°Not know yet? What¡¯s going on?¡± This happenedst night, and she had spent the entire night with Branden. How could he possibly know the news if he didn¡¯t even answer a phone call? Ignoring Ronin¡¯s confusion, Catherine ordered, ¡°Arrange Hacker Alliance to keep an eye on Edson. Report immediately if anything happens.¡± ¡°Catherine, shouldn¡¯t we lend a hand?¡± Ronin didn¡¯t quite understand. Edson using the Breens¡¯ power against the Duncan Corporation was, to a significant extent, because of them. The Duncan Corporation could be said to be implicated by them, so shouldn¡¯t they help a bit? ¡°No need.¡± Catherine decisively rejected Ronin¡¯s suggestion. Between her and Branden, everything was always clear. She would only intervene when the other person¡¯s safety was at stake. Seeing Catherine¡¯s firm attitude, Ronin could only follow her orders. ¡± Catherine, will you guyse the day after tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Catherine replied with just one word. Ronin couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly. Although Catherine said she wouldn¡¯t interfere, she was still very concerned. An originally three-day trip was shortened to two days, but returning early was not just to help the Duncans. Catherine hung up Ronin¡¯s call and walked out of the room. In the living room, she saw Branden in sportswear, a towel around his neck. It seemed he had just finished exercising, and there was still a hint of warmth on his body. When Branden¡¯s ice-cold eyes saw Catherine, they involuntarily softened. ¡°Why are you up so early? You can rest a little longer,¡± he said. Catherine looked at him gently, a slight upward curve appearing at the corner of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough sleep.¡± Branden put down the towel around his neck and approached, embracing her waist. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Initially, he just wanted to lead her to the sofa to sit, but as his hands wrapped around her slender waist, he couldn¡¯t help but gently stroke it a few times. Nowadays, women want to have slimmer waists, but Catherine not only had a slender waist, but her skin was also remarkably smooth and firm. Branden felt with his hands and couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°How is it possible that, after all this time, you haven¡¯t gained any weight?¡± He always felt that Catherine was too thin and wanted to help her gain some weight. She had been fed quite a lot during this period, but Catherine still didn¡¯t gain weight. Faced with the man¡¯s helplessness, Catherine smiled somewhat smugly. ¡°It seems like you still need to work hard.¡± On her exquisite and stunning face, that faint smile deeply attracted the man¡¯s gaze. In his eyes, there was a hint of fiery passion, as if two mes were burning fiercely. Branden slightly opened his thin lips, his voice low and maic. ¡°Indeed, more effort is needed.¡± Branden¡¯s hand applied a little force, and Catherine was gently pulled back, the two falling onto the sofa together. Catherine propped herself up with her elbow to spread the distance between the two and squinted her eyes, and her beautiful eyes were full of threatening signals. ¡°Public indecency?¡± The man stared at Catherine¡¯s exquisite face and gently leaned down. His thin lips brushed past Catherine¡¯s earlobe, bringing a tingling sensation. ¡± Since you¡¯ve had enough sleep, a little exercise is good for body and mind.¡± Catherine nced at him with a side- eye, staring at him. ¡°In this aspect, your statements are quite varied.¡± The man, who usually spoke sparingly, could only say more at times like these. Facing her teasing, Branden looked at her triumphantly and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. To be more urate, I look like this only in front of you.¡± His ability tomunicate with others in his lifetime was devoted to only Catherine, and the only person he wanted to please was her. Catherine turned to leave, but Branden¡¯s movements were even faster. While he would usually give way to Catherine, on this matter, Branden stood firm. With nimble and gentle movements, he pulled her back and pressed down. Finally, Catherine thoroughly sumbed. The golden sunlight shone through the thin curtains, gently illuminating the two as if ayer of golden light had been added. The room was filled with romance, apanied by a hint of ambiguity. When Catherine woke up again, it was already afternoon. She had initially nned to go to theb early, help Rodge with things, and then return to Loxton with Branden. However, she didn¡¯t expect the hormone-overloaded man to disrupt her ns. Catherine turned over and got out of bed. The soreness in her legs made her fall to the ground. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Catherine cursed softly, propping herself up on the edge of the bed. Branden heard the movement and came in. By the time he entered, Catherine was already soaking in the bathtub. Seeing her in the bath, Branden averted his gaze. Even a girl as physically strong as her couldn¡¯t withstand another round of activities. ¡°Just soak in the bath for a while; dinner is almost ready. After eating, I¡¯ll take you to theb.¡± Branden knew he had dyed Catherine¡¯s work and was currently making amends. Seeing that he had arranged everything, Catherine responded with a hum, continuing to soak in the hot water to ease the soreness in her body. Half an hourter, when Branden saw Catherine still hadn¡¯te out of the bathroom, he entered and lifted her out of the bathtub. After drying her body and changing her into clean clothes, he carried her to the dining table. Holding a fork, Catherine tasted the dishes Branden had cooked while she chatted with him. ¡°Rodge should be finishing tomorrow morning, and we¡¯ll return to Loxton tomorrow afternoon.¡± Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Chapter 642 A Good Match for Catherine Branden heard Catherine suddenly change her mind, and his bright eyes lifted, staring straight at her. ¡°Because of me?¡± he asked. Catherine didn¡¯t deny it. It was a fact that she returned to Loxton early because of Branden, and there was no need to deny it. Branden received the news in the morning that Edson hadunched an attack on the Duncan Corporation. On Paxton¡¯s side, everything was proceeding smoothly ording to the previous deployment, and he had nothing to worry about. But he was pleased knowing that Catherine was worried for him and had even changed her ns. It indicated a steady rise in his position in Catherine¡¯s heart. Branden looked at Catherine in a good mood. ¡°If it¡¯s for me, there¡¯s really no need. You focus on your matters and don¡¯t need to worry on my end.¡± Although the Breens were powerful, Branden didn¡¯t regard them highly. If they really moved against the Duncans, even if the Breens put their best foot forward, they might be unable to bring down the Duncanspletely. Seeing his confidence, Catherine didn¡¯t continue. After dinner, she asked Branden to take her to the laboratory. Rodge anxiously waited at theboratory¡¯s door, worried that Catherine might not show up. His heart finally settled when he saw her. ¡°Catherine, yesterday¡¯s test results are out. It¡¯s indeed as you said-the experiment data had a deviation, causing the infinite loop failure of the experiment.¡± Catherine nodded toward him and then turned to Branden behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you after I finish the experiment.¡± After getting a response, Branden left feeling reassured. The experiment calctions continued until the next morning, which was quite normal for the laboratory. Experiments were long and tedious, often causing researchers to stay awake for days and nights, fully immersed in theboratory. After a sleepless night, both Catherine and Rodge were still energetic. They had be ustomed to these days without a sense of time. Rodge¡¯s mood was evidently high. The problem that had tormented him for a week was easily solved after Catherine appeared. ¡°Catherine, do you have to leave so soon? I still want to consult you on a few more questions, or maybe you could stay another day.¡± Every time Catherine had to leave, he felt exceptionally reluctant. Catherine was his guiding light. When he encountered problems, only Catherine could easily help him out of trouble. Catherine didn¡¯t hesitate and directly rejected Rodge¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I have other matters. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Rodge could only bid farewell reluctantly. At theboratory¡¯s entrance, Branden¡¯s car had been waiting. When Catherine appeared, he immediately got out of the car, took off his trench coat, and draped it over her. The morning breeze carried a slight chill, but the trench coat, just taken off from the man, carried the man¡¯s body heat and instantly warmed Catherine¡¯s heart. After getting into the car, Catherine made a request. ¡°To the airport, back to Loxton,¡± she said. Branden¡¯s face was stern, and he frowned. ¡°In such a hurry? We can go today, but you should rest for a while before heading back.¡± Catherine hadn¡¯t slept all night and now had to go to the airport to catch a flight. Such a schedule would be too harmful to her body, and Branden wouldn¡¯t allow her to harm herself like that. Catherine knew what Branden was thinking and casually said, ¡°It¡¯s just one night without sleep.¡± When they trained in the wilderness, they often went for days and nights without closing their eyes. What was worse was that they had to carry heavy loads through deste ces. They hade through just fine. This was nothingpared to that. ¡°I want to rest in the apartment.¡± No matter how good Oceanvile was, the residence wasn¡¯t an apartment personally arranged by Branden. She was used to the apartment, and nowhere else felt as comfortable. Catherine insisted, and Branden had to go along with her, arranging for the car to go to the airport directly to fly back to Loxton. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The driver changed direction and headed straight to the airport. ¡°Everything¡¯s arranged. Lie down and rest for a while.¡± Branden embraced Catherine, letting her rest on his thigh. Catherine obedientlyy down, closed her eyes, and rested for a while. From the airport to boarding the ne, Branden held Catherine the entire way. He even demanded a special passage to board the aircraft as quickly as possible to let Catherine sleep peacefully. When Catherine opened her eyes again, she was already on therge bed in the apartment. It was somewhat unbelievable for someone who usually had shallow sleep to remain asleep throughout the journey from the ne to the apartment. She lifted the covers and got out of bed. Branden was not at home. There was a note on the table left by him. He had gone to the office, and food was arranged on the table for her. While eating the meal Branden prepared for her, Catherine yed with her phone. Soon, Ronin sent a message asking when she would return to Loxton. Catherine directly called him and said, ¡± Come to the apartment.¡± And without waiting for Ronin¡¯s reply, Catherine hung up the phone without hesitation. Half an hourter, the doorbell of the apartment rang. Catherine got up to open the door, and there stood Ronin. He looked at Catherine in surprise, excitement evident in his tone. ¡± Catherine, you came back early. I thought you would be dyed.¡± Rodge sent numerous messages seeking help. He thought things were serious, but Catherine returned so quickly. He wasn¡¯t sure if Rodge was making a big deal out of nothing or if Catherine was just too powerful. ¡°Come in.¡± Catherine returned to the room, sat at the dining table, and leisurely finished the remaining food. Ronin¡¯s appetite was stimted when he looked at the table full of delicious food. ¡°Catherine, I haven¡¯t had lunch yet.¡± Catherine nced in the direction of the kitchen. ¡°Forks are in there. Help yourself.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ronin got up happily to take a fork and returned quickly. The dishes on the table looked not only appetizing, but Ronin tried them and found that they tasted even better. ¡°Catherine, which restaurant did you order this food from? It tastes really good. I want to go there next time.¡± Catherine casually said, ¡°Branden cooked it.¡± Ronin paused, unconsciously swallowing therge piece of meat. He almost choked on it. He took a big gulp of water, struggled to swallow, and then looked at Catherine with an incredulous face. ¡°Catherine, Mr. Duncan¡¯s cooking skills are unexpectedly good!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine replied casually. She then exined, ¡°Practice makes perfect.¡± In her words, there was a hint of pride. Ronin noticed it, and thinking that Branden practiced cooking for Catherine, he became happier. ¡°This man is quite reliable, a good match for Catherine,¡± he said inwardly. Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Sarcastic Remarks Ronin had a hearty meal before remembering the reason he had gone to talk to Catherine. Benefiting from Catherine and enjoying a meal prepared by Branden, Ronin felt it was worth it. ¡°Catherine, I haven¡¯t discussed the matter with you yet.¡± Catherine, nearly done with her meal, put down her fork, leaned backfortably in her chair, and gazed at Ronin. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to talk now.¡± ¡°Catherine, the Breens¡¯ people have contacted the head of the Skybow Group. They want the Skybow Group to invest and coborate in dealing with the Duncan Corporation.¡± After Ronin finished speaking, even he couldn¡¯t help butugh. It was hard to decide whether the Breens were bing more foolish or that they were truly powerful. The big boss behind Skybow Group was none other than Catherine herself. Letting Catherine provide funds to the Breens to deal with Branden was indeed a joke. Hearing this news, Catherine wasn¡¯t surprised. Her cooperation with Skybow Group had always been kept secret, and only a few within Skybow Group were aware she controlled the entire organization. The Breens were recruiting and seeking capital everywhere to minimize the losses within their organization caused by their confrontation with the Duncan Corporation. The best way to do this was to bring in more capital, using other people¡¯s money to do their bidding. Their n was cunning, but they overlooked Branden¡¯s considerable strength. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s almost ridiculous. They actually want us to go after the Duncan Corporation. Their minds must be quite muddled.¡± Catherinezily leaned on the chair, her rxed expression showing some post-meal weariness. ¡°No need to rush to refuse. Let¡¯s see what they¡¯re up to.¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She wouldn¡¯t actively help Branden, but if the Breens foolishly approached her, she would clean up the mess, not seeing it as assistance. Ronin immediately understood Catherine¡¯s meaning and grinned triumphantly. ¡°Catherine, rest assured. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± After a satisfying meal, Ronin prepared to leave. Catherine picked up her coat and put on a duckbill hat. Observing her demeanor, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Catherine, where are you going?¡± Catherine, in constant motion, casually replied, ¡°School.¡± She had been on leave from school due tob matters recently, and with theb quiet these days, she decided to take a break from school. Marshall had been handling her leave with other professors, but some teachers in other subjects had some objections. Marshall sent a message in the morning, asking her to attend ss when she had time. Bored at home, she decided to go to school. Besides Marshall¡¯s specialized courses, she had to attend other sses. Ronin¡¯s face was happy when he heard that Catherine was going to school. ¡± Perfect, let¡¯s go together. I get to go to school with you.¡± In the afternoon ss, Catherine appeared on time. Her presence attracted many nces. Beautiful, with a cold personality, high intelligence, being a freshman arranged into the top professors¡¯ lab, and reportedly having a big shot backing her, any of these tags were enough to draw attention and make people focus on Catherine. Catherine, expressionless, walked to sit beside Amelia. Amelia, seeing Catherine after a few days of absence, was a bit excited. ¡°Super Catherine, is everything resolved?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine politely responded. She was never one to speak much. Knowing her personality, Amelia didn¡¯t feel anything wrong. However, a student sitting nearby couldn¡¯t help butment sarcastically, saying, ¡°Stop making a fool of yourself. Why is there the need to be so humble in front of her? You get nothing!¡± Amelia was a bit displeased, knowing Catherine wasn¡¯t being intentionally aloof. Some people just had this kind of personality, and in her eyes, Catherine was a genius. Geniuses were often solitary, with minds too brilliant for ordinary people to understand, makingmunication difficult. She thought it was perfectly normal. Amelia turned and gave a stern look to the talkative student. She disdainfully said, ¡°Mind your own business if you have time.¡± The student felt that her well- intentioned advice wasn¡¯t appreciated and thought Amelia was hopeless, so she stopped bothering with Amelia. Catherine didn¡¯t take it seriously. As the bell rang, the subject teacher walked in carrying books. When the subject teacher saw Catherine, there was a momentary pause and a deliberate nce at Catherine. ¡°Oh, a rare guest. I never thought I¡¯d see Professor Hartley¡¯s proud student in my ssroom.¡± Everyone knew whom the teacher was teasing. No one would have thought that the teacher would hate Catherine so much and even satirize her openly. Catherine sat quietly, her expression slightly changing, showing no indication of responding. Receiving no response to the initial confrontation, the teacher felt no interest in the situation and decided to proceed with the lesson. While exining the textbook content, the teacher presented two challenging questions during the ss. ¡°These two questions are something I recently came across online. They¡¯re a bit tricky. I¡¯ve taken the time to figure out the solutions, and I¡¯m wondering if any of you would like toe up and give them a try.¡± Instantly, a cacophony of discussions erupted within the ssroom. Everyone in the room overcame countless challenges, proving themselves as elites among elites. Several students had already started writing. The difficult problems seemed to bring out their instinctive competitiveness. Everyone aimed to find the best approach to take the lead. A good while passed, yet not a single person dared to give their answer. With a raised voice, the teacher said, ¡± It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t have the answers. You can also share your thought process. This question is challenging, so don¡¯t be discouraged, everyone.¡± Still, the ssroom remained as silent as a graveyard. Sensing ack of response from the students, the teacher started to feel a bit displeased. She turned around, only to catch sight of Catherine slumped over the desk, fast asleep. Instantly, a surge of anger erupted within her. ¡°Catherine, Catherine¡­¡± After hearing the teacher calling her, Catherine slowly lifted her head from the desk and gazed up at the teacher. Observing her nonchnt demeanor, the teacher didn¡¯t hold back, adopting a somewhat sarcastic tone. ¡°Professor Hartley¡¯s top student, right? Both Professor Hartley and the principal praise your intelligence and high IQ. Since that¡¯s the case,e up and show us. Solve this problem for us.¡± Catherine nced at the question on the ckboard, realizing the teacher was deliberately making things difficult for her. She responded, ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± The teacher seemed surprised that Catherine wasn¡¯t even willing to pretend to attempt the problem. She had expected Catherine toe up and make up an answer. Catherine¡¯s attitudepletely infuriated the teacher, who began to make sarcastic remarks. ¡°Heh, it¡¯s just so-so. Not as high IQ as they say.¡± Seeing Catherine embarrassed, many people secretlyughed. Some brainless individuals would revel in the humiliation of a genius. Compared to Catherine¡¯s calmness, Amelia, as an outsider, appeared more nervous. She subtly pulled Catherine¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°I found the thought process to this problem in the evening. Although it¡¯s just the approach without the answer, you can at least go up and pretend to show something. After all, the teacher said the problem is difficult, and you thinking of an approach so quickly will stop her from targeting you.¡± Amelia believed that the most important thing was to give the teacher a way out so that she wouldn¡¯t continue targeting Catherine. Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Chapter 644 An Honor Catherine did not embrace Amelia¡¯s good intentions. This approach was too foolish. If she could find the thought process online, so could any other student. Getting caught would be the real humiliation, and Catherine would be theughingstock. As long as Catherine didn¡¯t want to, no one could force her to do anything. It was not that she disrespected the teacher by noting up to solve the problem; it was just that even if she did, this teacher already held a grudge against her and would not let her go. The ssmates, sensing the tense atmosphere in the ssroom, couldn¡¯t help but discuss in hushed tones. ¡°I heard that this teacher went to the principal. She strongly insisted that if Catherine doesn¡¯t attend ss, even if the school doesn¡¯t expel her, she will give Catherine a failing grade for the final exams, ensuring she never graduates.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s all because of the fear of expulsion. I thought Catherine was so amazing, but it seems not.¡± ¡°The weak cannot ovee the strong, right? After all, she is a teacher, and Catherine is just a student.¡± ¡°Her arrogant attitude won¡¯t change anything, even if shees to ss. The teacher will still be upset. If she¡¯s so capable, why not solve the problem.¡± The surrounding discussions continued, and Catherine, hearing them, paid no attention and read her book with an expressionless face. However, the teacher at the podium had no intention of letting Catherine off so easily. She wrote another problem on the ckboard and then stared directly at Catherine. ¡°This problem is simple enough, right? Come up and write down the solution steps.¡± It was indeed a straightforward problem; many had already figured out the solution, but they also understood the teacher was intentionally making it difficult for Catherine. If Catherine said she couldn¡¯t do it now, it would genuinely be on purpose. Openly defying the teacher was not a minor offense. With an expressionless face, Catherine stood up, walked to the front, and politely took the chalk from the teacher¡¯s hand. She didn¡¯t seem angry with the teacher who intended to give her a hard time. She heard a disdainful snort from the teacher behind her as she turned around. ¡°Humph.¡± Without saying anything, Catherine quickly wrote down the steps of the solution on the ckboard. As she was about to leave, Catherine suddenly stopped. She casually wrote down the solution for the so-called difficult problem beneath it. Seeing Catherine returning to her seat, the teacher turned around and was ready to mock Catherine. However, she paused upon seeing the answer. Catherine not only solved the simple problem but also tackled the challenging one, providing a straightforward solution that was not only correct but also far simpler than the teacher¡¯splex process. ¡°Hold on!¡± the teacher suddenly shouted sternly. Catherine stopped in her tracks, turning to face the teacher expressionlessly. The teacher questioned her with a deep frown, ¡°You clearly knew the solution, so why didn¡¯t youe up earlier?¡± Calm andposed, Catherine responded in a cold, clear voice, ¡°I just thought of it.¡± They said the problem wasplex, so it was expected to take some extra time to think about it. However, Catherine¡¯s answer still shocked the teacher. It took her three days toe up with the solution, and hers was an unusuallyplicated process, unlike Catherine¡¯s concise rity. In the teacher¡¯s silent moment, Catherine said again, ¡°There are three more ways to solve it.¡± The teacher looked up sharply, watching Catherine with shining eyes. She was a problem enthusiast, always fascinated by various problem-solving methods. This was why she gave up a well- paying job in a foreignpany and stayed to teach at the university. Here, she could pursue research and learn more purely while earning a considerable sry. ¡°Are you sure there are three more ways to solve it?¡± asked the teacher. Catherine returned to the podium, and the teacher handed her the chalk again. This time, there was no mockery. Catherine wrote down the other three solution methods on the nk space on the ckboard. The entire ss was stunned. After thinking for so long, they hadn¡¯t even figured out the thought process. Catherine, however, had written out four ways to answer the question in a short time. ¡°Is this the difference between an ordinary person and a genius?¡± they thought. Those who had been gossiping about Catherine were now silent, and even the teacher on the podium saw Catherine differently. Unable to bear it any longer, the teacher asked, ¡°Catherine, have you been working on experiments with Professor Hartley all this time?¡± The rumors outside suggested Catherine had connections, especially with the principal. The principal and Marshall were like brothers, and it was said Catherine¡¯s entry into theb was due to these connections and was only for experiences. This teacher loved to studyplex problems in her daily life, and she was most displeased with this kind of student who pulled strings. Coupled with the fact that Catherine had been on leave and hadn¡¯te to ss, the teacher became increasingly dissatisfied with Catherine and couldn¡¯t help but want to give her a hard time. Catherine nodded without intending to exin further. Amelia, beneath, couldn¡¯t stand to see Catherine being bullied and quickly raised her hand, exining to the teacher, ¡°Ms. Bourn, I¡¯m also in Professor Hartley¡¯sb, but I¡¯m just doing odd jobs. Catherine is indeed working diligently in theb every day, single-handedly managing an entire project. Other seniors can¡¯t help, and even Professor Hartley asionallyes to her for advice onb-rted matters. I can vouch for her; she didn¡¯t skip ss on purpose. She is genuinely working on experiments.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. All those present were taken aback by this statement. Initially, they thought Catherine was just fooling around in theb to add some experience to her resume for future job hunting. After all, after graduation, having experience in Marshall¡¯sb would make anyone a target for major corporations. However, Catherine not only went to theb but also specifically managed a research project. What was even more terrifying was that even Marshall had to consult her onb matters asionally. How did that sound so incredible? Yet, that was the truth; Super Catherine was indeed that formidable. The way everyone looked at Catherine had changed. Catherine, however, remained expressionless. She seemed utterly unperturbed and showed no signs of being affected. ¡°Ms. Bourn, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll return to my seat,¡± said Catherine. The teacher paused momentarily, then subconsciously waved her hand, letting Catherine go back. After Catherine sat down, some curious ssmates approached her. ¡± Catherine, did Professor Hartley really consult you?¡± Catherine responded indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not consulting; it¡¯s just discussing problems with each other.¡± Originally, bing Marshall¡¯s student was already a glorious thing. However, among their ssmates, there was such a powerhouse. Now, all ssmates looked at Catherine with admiration. With such strength, Catherine¡¯s future achievements were undoubtedly immeasurable. To be ssmates with such a person was an honor. In the blink of an eye, it was time for the ss to end. Thetter half of this ss felt like a dream. Catherine pulled her hat from her drawer and put it on with a calm expression. She was about to leave when the teacher on the podium suddenly said again, ¡°Catherine, wait!¡± Those who were about to leave stopped in their tracks, wondering what the teacher was up to. ¡°Is she nning to cause trouble for Super Catherine again?¡± they thought. Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Qualified to Be a Teacher Catherine halted, turning around to see the teacher hastily approaching her. The teacher held out her tablet to Catherine, a smile on her face. ¡± Catherine, I¡¯ve got two problems here. What¡¯s your email? I¡¯ll send them to you. Take a look and see if you can figure them out.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t even take the tablet and nced at the screen. Then, she asked Amelia beside her, ¡°Do you have a pen?¡± Amelia quickly pulled out her idol¡¯s cherished pen and notebook. She was usually reluctant to touch them but handed them over to Catherine without hesitation. ¡°Super Catherine, feel free to use them.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Catherine said politely. After taking the notebook and pen, she began answering on it. The teacher, standing by, waspletely dumbfounded. She had only intended for Catherine to think about the solution steps when she had some free timeter. If Catherine could solve them, they could discuss them together. Little did she know, Catherine started writing immediately. She was swift, and to an unknowing observer, it might seem like she had memorized the answers. The teacher was well aware that Catherine hadn¡¯t memorized them, as no one had solved these problems yet. The person who set the questions posted them on a forum, promising a generous reward for anyone who could solve them. A few minutester, Catherine handed the solved steps to the teacher. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± The teacher took it, carefully examined it, and was dumbfounded. The steps were super concise, and the final answer matched exactly with what the problem setter provided. The teacher looked up, staring at Catherine with shock. ¡°Catherine, did you work on these problems before?¡± ¡°No,¡± Catherine replied straightforwardly. When she was a professor abroad, she often assigned such problems as homework to her students. With her expertise, how could she casually search for such problems online? The teacher¡¯s eyes were filled with admiration for Catherine. ¡°She¡¯s really a genius,¡± the teacher thought. She had been dealing with these problems for several days, but Catherine just nced at the questions and effortlessly provided the steps to a solution. It was truly amazing. Did a math genius like her need to attend sses? Of course not. The teacher even felt that Catherine was qualified to be a teacher. ¡°Catherine, if I encounter problems I can¡¯t solve in the future, I¡¯lle to you for help. Don¡¯t refuse me then,¡± said the teacher. Catherine readily agreed, saying, ¡°Ms. Bourn, let¡¯s study together when you have time.¡± Satisfied with the response, the teacher, afraid of wasting Catherine¡¯s time, quickly let her go. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s settled. Go do your experiments; don¡¯t let me dy your time.¡± The ssmates, seeing the change in the teacher¡¯s attitude, couldn¡¯t help but admire Catherine. For a student to reach such a level was already at the pinnacle. Though Catherine didn¡¯t intend to head to theb immediately, she didn¡¯t want to linger in the ssroom. After saying goodbye to the teacher, she quickly left. After leaving the ssroom, the subject teacher received a call from the principal, who summoned her to the office. In the office, the principal scrutinized the subject teacher with a frown before emphasizing, ¡°Ms. Bourn, I know you have objections to Catherine frequently taking leave. I understand your concern for the students, but special circumstances require special treatment.¡± Earlier in the morning, the director hade to him, reporting that they witnessed the subject teacher publicly embarrassing Catherine during the morning patrol. He was advised to pay more attention to conflicts between teachers and students. The goal was to avoid escting conflicts and affecting the learning of all students. Marshall kept emphasizing Catherine¡¯s importance and granted her leave continuously, causing many teachers toin. Among them, Amber Bourn was the most straightforward andined the most, even threatening that Catherine would never graduate. Sensing the severity of the situation, the principal called Amber, wanting to have a good talk. ¡°Ms. Bourn, Catherine is a bit special. Please be understanding,¡± said the principal. Amber immediately nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. Students like Catherine should indeed be treated differently. From now on, whether she attends my ss or not, I have noints.¡± Thinking Amber might be speaking in frustration, the principal tried to persuade her again. ¡°Ms. Bourn, I know you care about the students, but¡­¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Seeing the principal¡¯s misunderstanding, Amber quickly exined, ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I didn¡¯t mean that. I didn¡¯t understand Catherine before. But now, I¡¯ve seen her capabilities. A genius like her deserves special treatment. She might even change the course of scientific history in the future.¡± The principal, suspicious, gave Amber a look. Seeing her genuine smile, he sighed in relief. ¡°Ms. Bourn, you changed your mindset quickly.¡± Amber smiled proudly. ¡°Well, after witnessing Catherine¡¯s prowess, how could I not? With her level, she might even be my teacher. Since I can¡¯t teach her, there¡¯s no point in wasting her valuable time listening to my lectures. If she¡¯s willing to attend, I¡¯ll be happy, and after ss, I can consult her on some challenging problems.¡± The principal, puzzled by Amber¡¯s response, didn¡¯t know how to reply. ¡°Is Catherine really that amazing?¡± he wondered. Marshall often told him about Catherine¡¯s high intelligence, stating that even in their specialized research projects, Catherine surpassed him. Recently, Winston from theputer science department also asked if he could make an exception so that Catherine could studyputer science. Winston would have epted her if Marshall hadn¡¯t insisted on keeping her. Now, the youngest math professor in the department, Amber, kept praising Catherine, even suggesting that Catherine could be her teacher. The principal could not help but wonder how strong Catherine was to make the teachers in their school, who usually held themselves in high regard, admire her so much. After Amber left, the principal felt something was off. He immediately called Marshall. ¡°Professor Hartley, let me tell you, keep a close eye on Catherine. Don¡¯te asking me for help if she gets snatched away.¡± Marshall, bewildered, took down his phone and checked. It was indeed the principal¡¯s number. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± The principal sounded a bit impatient. ¡± Never mind me. Just remember, keep an eye on your student.¡± With a student like Catherine in high demand, professors from theirputer science and mathematics departments were already eyeing her. But that was not a big problem. After all, they were all in the same school. But not long ago, Professor Sterling of Mistel also had his sights set on Catherine, and losing such a gifted student would be a significant loss for their school. To prevent any uncertainties in the future, it was better to protect Catherine now and avoid her getting snatched away. Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Old Acquaintances Catherine came out of the ssroom and returned to the dormitory, lying on the bed ying games out of boredom. She thought Branden would be busy with work today and wouldn¡¯t have time to find her. However, just as shey down, she received a message from him. [Did you go to school today?] Her slender fingers quickly tapped on the phone screen, and she promptly replied: [Just finished ss and got back to the dorm.] Shortly after sending the message, Catherine received Branden¡¯s reply. She closed the game she had just opened, jumped off the bed, took her coat, and pulled a duckbill hat down over her head. The entire sequence of actions was smooth and impressive, exuding a handsome demeanor. Amelia, who was watching beside her, was stunned and only reacted when Catherine was about to leave. ¡°Super Catherine, are you going out?¡± asked Amelia. ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine grunted and raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Anything you need? Amelia quickly waved her hands, afraid of dying Catherine¡¯s important matters. ¡°I was just wondering if you wanted to order takeout together. Since you¡¯re going out, forget about it then.¡± Catherine hadn¡¯t expected Branden toe to her school, but he was already downstairs. ¡°Next time,¡± she said.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Amelia had just mentioned it casually, but Catherine responded so seriously that it instantly brought joy to Amelia. With a face full of smiles, she happily watched Catherine leave. Branden¡¯s car was still parked in its usual spot, and he was leaning against the car door,pletely focused on his phone. Only when Catherine appeared did he seem to sense it and look up. ¡°Is thepany¡¯s business done?¡± Catherine asked. Branden nodded calmly. ¡°Almost. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to dinner.¡± Catherine had no objections. She had returned to the dormitory after ss, and it wasn¡¯t too early to go out for dinner. Paxton wasn¡¯t home, so Branden drove and brought Catherine to a restaurant in Northeville. Branden led Catherine into a private room, and upon entering, Catherine found the others were already there. Not only Triston and Aidan but also Withal and Zobber were present. Catherine raised an eyebrow at Withal, who pushed Zobber beside him to let her exin. Zobber shrugged. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s not my fault. me Aidan; he brought me here.¡± Aidan immediately panicked. It was Zobber who insisted oning. Upon hearing that Catherine was alsoing for dinner, she rushed over. Now Zobber was ming him. It was too much, and Aidan immediately retorted with displeasure, ¡°Why me me? Didn¡¯t youe on your own ord?¡± Branden understood what Catherine wanted to ask. Seeing these two not making it clear while arguing, he exined to Catherine, ¡°Their families have a long-standing friendship.¡± After Branden spoke, Triston, enjoying the show, added, ¡°Childhood sweethearts, betrothed since they were kids.¡± Zobber immediately exploded and, grabbing a te, threw it at Triston. ¡± Stop talking nonsense, or I¡¯ll teach you a good lesson!¡± Catherine only knew that Zobber had lived abroad since she was a child and didn¡¯t expect her family to have connections with the Lanes. Truly, the world was small, even connecting in such a way. Zobber was afraid that Catherine would misunderstand and quickly exined, ¡± Don¡¯t get it wrong. Aidan and I just know each other. It¡¯s not as Triston said.¡± When she came to Loxton this time, she identally ran into Aidan. Since joining the Hacker Alliance, she hadn¡¯t seen Aidan again. Who would have thought it would be such a coincidence? They met in Loxton and almost fought. At a critical moment, Aidan recognized her. Aidan curiously nced back and forth between Zobber and Catherine. He knew more about Zobber than anyone else. She had a bad temper and didn¡¯t listen to anyone. But now, she was so meek and humble in front of Catherine. If Aidan hadn¡¯t witnessed it himself, he wouldn¡¯t believe there was anyone in the world Zobber was afraid of. Aidan was genuinely curious about Zobber¡¯s submissive appearance, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Catherine, has this troublemaker been with you during her years away from home?¡± The fact that Zobber joined the Hacker Alliance was unknown to her family, let alone Aidan, her childhood sweetheart. All members of the Hacker Alliance maintained dual identities. Usually, they were busy with their daily lives and regr jobs, and only when a mission came in did they receive a summons from the chief. Zobber hadn¡¯t expected Aidan to inquire about her privacy suddenly. She shot him an annoyed look and swiftly changed the subject. ¡°My affairs are none of your business. Hurry up and check on that order. Why hasn¡¯t the food arrived yet? I¡¯m about to pass out from hunger.¡± Catherine shrugged at Aidan, indicating it wasn¡¯t her fault. Zobber didn¡¯t want to disclose more as the person involved, so Catherine didn¡¯t say anything. Aidan, a bitte in standing up, was scolded by Zobber. She shouted in displeasure, ¡°You go quickly. You¡¯re not hungry, but we are!¡± Aidan was quite speechless. ¡°This girl hasn¡¯t changed her temper after so many years,¡± he said inwardly. ¡°With your temper, you¡¯ll never get married in your life!¡± he retorted, but his actions were obedient. He stood up and, per Zobber¡¯s instructions, expedited the food order. With Aidan¡¯s urging, the serving speed increased. Branden put the peeled shrimp onto Catherine¡¯s te. Observing that Catherine was eating a lot during this meal, he felt delighted. ¡°Eat more. If you like it, we¡¯lle again next time,¡± said Branden. Catherine remained silent and ate Branden¡¯s arranged food quietly. Throughout the meal, she barely extended her fork toward the table. Branden, seemingly able to understand what she was thinking, had already ced the dishes she liked on her te in advance, prepared and handled them ahead of time. Zobber, resting her chin on one hand, looked at them with envy. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to eat. I¡¯m satisfied with just looking at you two.¡± Everyone burst intoughter. For Triston and the others, seeing this wasn¡¯t something new. After dinner, they began discussing business. Triston arranged today¡¯s dinner. He and Aidan had been staying in Loxton recently and thought about coming out for dinner to discuss the ongoing war between the Duncan Corporation and the Breens. Triston invited Branden out, and Aidan brought Zobber and the others. Branden, in turn, brought Catherine. Now that they knew that everyone was on the same side, they could freely discuss some business topics. Triston, seeing the scene of Branden and Catherine interacting intimately, couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Branden is so close to his girlfriend, but I still haven¡¯t won over my girlfriend,¡± he said inwardly. Audrey always said he was unreliable and refused to acknowledge their rtionship. But there was nothing he could do about it. After all, everyone knew he was a yboy, and prejudice was hard to change. Triston sighed deeply and said, ¡°s, stop being so intimate. Let¡¯s get back to business. Mr. Duncan, I heard Edson, that foreigner, has been constantly contacting various capitals to besiege the Duncan Corporation, but none of his attempts seeded. What happened?¡± Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Chapter 647 I Don¡¯t Have Money Recently, the business world in Loxton has been tumultuous, mysterious, and unpredictable. The Breens¡¯ representative in Eskana, Edson, had joined forces with several major families to besiege the Duncan Corporation, aiming to destroy itpletely. Everyone was specting on how long the Duncan Corporation could resist in the face of the fierce attack from powerful external capital. The Breens even arrogantly dered that they would destroy the Duncan Corporation within three days. The reason they dared to make such bold statements was that they had the capital to back it up. After all, hical actions like this were not new for the Breens. As a formidable top-tier capital force, the Breens were infamous overseas, showcasing the sinister nature of capitalists to the fullest. Unfortunately, even the usually unbeatable Breens seemed to be facing a Waterloo this time. They had been besieging the Duncan Corporation for two days straight, with no sessful attacks and a significant capital loss. This turn of events restored confidence in the Duncan Corporation among those who initially doubted it. Triston was particrly curious about how Branden achieved this. Having known Branden for years, he was well aware of Branden¡¯s prowess, but he hadn¡¯t expected Branden to be this formidable. Waiting until Catherine finished her meal, Branden leisurely wiped his hands with a napkin and tossed it aside. He then responded to Triston¡¯s question. ¡°Because this is Eskana.¡± Attempting to kill local businesses on Eskanese soil, disrupting the Eskanese market to serve their capital interests- while this might be possible in other countries, it was strictly prohibited in Eskana. This simple statement stirred Triston¡¯s passion. ¡°Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re right. These damn foreigners want to meddle everywhere. We can¡¯t care about other ces, but we can¡¯t let them get away with bullying us at our doorstep.¡± Branden looked up at Triston, a faint smile in his deep eyes, a subtle hint of cunning discernible if one looked closely. ¡°Mr. Lambert, since you¡¯re so passionate, why not lend me some capital to get things moving?¡± ¡°Borrow money from me?¡± Triston hesitated. Then, it dawned on him that he was being teased when he saw the amused expressions around him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯m just concerned. Don¡¯t tease me like that.¡± Branden¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡± I¡¯m not joking. I really need to borrow money.¡± This time, even Aidan couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Other things might be true, but being short of money is impossible for you, Mr. Duncan. How could you be short of money?¡± Aidan knew Branden still had a 50 percent stake in the Skyline Fund, holding absolute control. Skyline Fund was a substantial financial reservoir; being short on funds was out of the question. Branden nced at the two, a cold look passing over them. Triston, who knew him well, couldn¡¯t help but express his confusion. ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Branden grunted. Triston and Aidan exchanged nces, both skeptical about Branden being short on funds. They guessed this was part of Branden¡¯s strategy. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t use his capital at the moment. After discussing it, they responded generously, with Triston speaking on behalf of both. ¡°How much do you need? Give us a figure, and we¡¯ll do our best to gather it. They knew Branden would require a substantial amount, and though the Lamberts and the Lanes were prominent families, they might not meet Branden¡¯s needs. They were prepared to assist wholeheartedly. The true test of friendshipy in times of need. The three of them had a really deep friendship. Branden calmly said, ¡°Thanks.¡± Aidan couldn¡¯t resist a yfulment, saying, ¡°Well, I never thought I¡¯d hear Mr. Duncan say ¡® thanks¡¯ in my lifetime. It¡¯s rare. This meal was worth it.¡± Instantly, the atmosphere at the table lightened. Everyoneughed, and even the usually aloof Catherine had a smile on her face. Zobber, however, didn¡¯t quite understand. She could see the strong bond between Catherine and Branden, and she wondered why the wealthy Catherine didn¡¯t help Branden. As the chief consultant behind Skybow Group, Catherine¡¯s call for funds to help the Duncans would be more direct than that of the Lanes or the Lamberts. Zobber was just about to say something when Withal, who was on the sidelines, saw through her intentions. Withal subtly kicked her under the table. Zobber turned to look at him and swallowed the words that were initially on her lips. She suppressed her curiosity and decided not to ask. With everyone full and discussions concluded, they prepared to leave. ¡°She has ss tomorrow, so we¡¯ll head out first,¡± Branden said, standing up and pulling Catherine along. Watching the couple¡¯s graceful departure, Aidan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Love makes people fall. Look at Mr. Duncan. He¡¯s a perfect boyfriend. It¡¯s truly enviable.¡± In the past, they would have gone for a second round of fun after dinner. sses the next day? Absurd! Hearing Aidan¡¯s words, Zobber couldn¡¯t resist retorting, ¡°Of course. No wonder Mr. Duncan is so outstanding. Unlike some people, well, forget it.¡± Seeing the two about to start another argument, Triston and Withal exchanged nces, discreetly stood up, and generously gave up their seats. They would let these two argue to their heart¡¯s content. Catherine followed Branden into the car. Most of the others had some alcohol, but not Branden. As long as Catherine was with him, he wouldn¡¯t drink outside. Branden drove, stopping at a red light. In the silent car, his deep voice slowly sounded. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why I didn¡¯t borrow money from you?¡± The yful tone carried a hint of teasing, sounding more like a joke between lovers. Branden sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and Catherine took the front passenger seat. She propped one hand on the car window and tilted her head to gaze at Branden. With delicate features and a hint of ambiguity in her exquisite eyes, she revealed a dazzling smile. ¡°Well, if you mention it now, I¡¯ll listen.¡± Branden followed her lead, asking, ¡± Lend me some?¡± Catherine turned her gaze away, somewhat triumphant. ¡°I don¡¯t have money. I¡¯m not lending it to you,¡± she jokingly said and directly rejected Branden. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. A trace of a smile passed under Branden¡¯s eyes. He knew Catherine understood him and his intentions. The Breens wanted to unite the power of capital to besiege the Duncan Corporation within three days. Since that was the case, he wanted to see, after three days, who would be the one defeated. Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Chapter 648 What About Mr. Duncan¡¯s Side? The assistant rushed into the quiet study, holding thetest intelligence. Since Edson was abducted and humiliated, the once mboyant yboy seemed to have nted the seeds of shadow. During this time, he hadn¡¯t been seen enjoying himself. Finding him became increasingly easy; they just had to enter the study. Edson was reviewing documents, and his eyebrows furrowed when he saw the assistant hurriedly enter. Seeing the situation, the assistant quickly knelt, cautiously saying, ¡°Boss, I have thetest information to report.¡± Edson suppressed his anger; he knew the assistant wouldn¡¯t act so recklessly unless there were an urgent situation. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± His deep voice carried a thick sense of dissatisfaction. The assistant lowered his head and said cautiously, ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve just received the news. The Lamberts and the Lanes are mobilizing arge amount of funds. Moreover, we found out that it was Triston and Aidan who issued the order. 11 ¡°Good,¡± Edson replied in a low voice, his mood instantly improving. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. During this time, he had been besieging the Duncan Corporation. However, it was as if the Duncan Corporation had countless printing presses; no matter how they attacked, there was no end in sight. Now, he finally had the opportunity. The rtionship between Triston, Aidan, and Branden was extraordinary. If Branden had an issue, they wouldn¡¯t stand idly by. Behind them were the two prominent families, the Lamberts and the Lanes. This sudden mobilization of funds meant that Branden¡¯s finances were thoroughly depleted. He knew that with the Duncans alone,peting with such a powerful force was impossible for this long. The Duncans¡¯ subsequent funds were insufficient, while he still had the powerful backing of the Breens. Edson¡¯s face showed a triumphant look. He had long set up the trap, and now he could finally proceed to the final stage. ¡°Arrange it. Action can be taken against the Lanes and the Lamberts now,¡± said Edson. He had already arranged spies inpanies under the Lanes and the Lamberts. Now, he would use these two spies to prevent Branden from essing the funds of the Lanes and the Lamberts. This way, with one more push, he could ultimately defeat the Duncans. The assistant received Edson¡¯s orders and immediately went to arrange things. ¡°Boss, rest assured. I will make sure everything is arranged properly.¡± Edson leaned back in his leather chair, and his face, which had been continuously gloomy for many days, finally lit up at that moment. He had said before that Branden was no match for him. This time, he would make Branden failpletely. After the Duncans were defeated, Branden would be nothing more than a vagabond, and then he would make Branden experience the pain he had inflicted on him, doubled in intensity. After receiving the notification, Triston immediately called Aidan. ¡°Mr. Lane, how are the preparations on your end?¡± A short whileter, a weary voice came through the receiver. ¡°Hard to put into words. I¡¯m facing significant resistance here. Someone has alreadye up with responses in advance; I can¡¯t free up funds to support Mr. Duncan.¡± He had genuinely tried his best, exploring every possible solution. He hadn¡¯t expected someone to extend their influence to his family¡¯spany. If not for this incident, he wouldn¡¯t have known that the Breens had infiltrated so many people into their company, even tampering with critical projects. After hearing Aidan¡¯sints, Triston felt somewhat powerless. ¡°My situation is the same as yours; I can¡¯t free up funds.¡± Aidan was shocked; it turned out it wasn¡¯t just the Lanes facing trouble. Now, the situation of both the Lanes and the Lamberts was still manageable. His biggest concern was still the Duncans. ¡°What about Mr. Duncan¡¯s side?¡± he asked. Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Chapter 649 One Condition Triston and Aidan, upon learning that their efforts to mobilize funds had been intercepted, tried everything but didn¡¯t achieve much. They hadn¡¯t expected the Breens to infiltrate so thoroughly,pletely cutting off their retreat and leaving them with no chance to prepare. After receiving the news, Brandenforted them, telling them not to worry. This only deepened their sense of guilt. They had hoped for a chance to help Branden, but now their once- prosperous family seemed so vulnerable. Soon, news circted within their circle that the Lamberts and the Lanes were facing financial problems, unable to support the Duncans. That afternoon, the rising stock prices of the Duncan Corporation plummeted, significantly affecting its business. Rumors spread that this time, the Duncan Corporation was against the notorious Breens, destined for failure. Edson sat in front of hisputer, watching the brilliant scene he had set up. A satisfied expression appeared on his chiseled face when he saw the Duncan Corporation¡¯s stock price plummeting. He had said it before-opposing him meant a dead end. Branden dared to offend him, so he shouldn¡¯t be surprised if Edson struck mercilessly. Edson stood up in triumph, whistling as he left the office. He needed to savor this spectacr moment. When Catherine emerged from the school building, she spotted Edson in front of her in a fancy outfit. Her eyebrows immediately furrowed, a hint of displeasure evident in her eyes. Amelia noticed her change in mood and recognized Edson. She whispered a suggestion to Catherine, ¡°Super Catherine, there¡¯s another door at the other end of the ssroom. Shall we go that way to avoid him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not worth it.¡± Catherine walked straight ahead. She was ustomed to others avoiding her and had never avoided anyone. Amelia watched Catherine¡¯s cool back and couldn¡¯t help apuding. ¡°She is truly extraordinary. Her aura is so powerful and impressive,¡± she eximed inwardly. Edson noticed Catherineing out and imm¨¦diately stopped charming the nearby female students, heading straight toward Catherine. ¡°Hey, Cassie!¡± Catherine acted as if she hadn¡¯t heard and walked forward without ncing at him. Her face was cold and indifferent. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Edson was ustomed to being rejected by Catherine and did not give up. He increased his pace, blocking Catherine¡¯s path. Catherine narrowed her eyes, her low voice carrying a strong warning. ¡°Get out of my way. Understand?¡± Edson suppressed his anger, maintaining hisst smile in an attempt to please Catherine. ¡°Cassie, don¡¯t be like this; we¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we? Since we have time today, let¡¯s have a meal together.¡± Catherine had no intention of entangling with Edson and tried to walk around him to leave. After being rejected multiple times, Edson was a bit furious. His eyes now held a thick anger. ¡°Catherine, stop!¡± Catherine continued walking without turning her head. Edson could only y his trump card. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about Branden? Do you want to witness the bankruptcy of the Duncan Corporation? Edson¡¯s inner anger intensified when he saw Catherine stop. This was the jealousy of a man. He could not figure out where he had lost to that loser, Branden. Catherine turned around, disdainful eyes locking onto Edson. ¡°Speak if you have something to say.¡± Catherine¡¯s indifferent attitudepletely angered Edson. No longer feigning affection, he revealed his true, sinister face. ¡°Cassie, the Duncan Corporation is finished. If you agree to marry me and return to the Breens, I can promise you one condition. For example, spare the Duncan Corporation.¡± Edson¡¯s eyes exuded confidence; he was confident Catherine would agree. Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Chapter 650 The Fainted Edson Edson watched as Catherine turned and approached him step by step, a confident smile on his face. He had already assumed a stance, ready to face Catherine. ¡°Cassie¡­¡± Just as he uttered the first word of the next sentence, Catherine acted with lightning speed. She threw a punch,nding it squarely on Edson¡¯s jaw. The force was too strong, causing Edson to tilt backward. Catherine followed up with another punch to Edson¡¯s abdomen, then delivered a fierce kick. Edson fell to the ground like a kite with a broken string,pletely unable to get up. After dealing with him, Catherine brushed off the dust from her hands, wearing a disdainful expression as she prepared to leave. She had warned others not to bother her, yet some people just didn¡¯t learn. As she turned around, Catherine saw Branden standing not far away. She stopped in her tracks, standing still and watching Branden approach step by step. Branden reached Catherine, took her hand, and gently held it in his. ¡°Going to eat?¡± Catherine neither refused nor showed impatience, and Branden knew she had agreed. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Hand in hand, they left. When exiting, Branden deliberately chose the spot where Edson had fallen. He walked proudly with Catherine. As they passed by the fallen Edson, Branden nonchntly stepped over him. ¡°Ah¡­¡± the already agonized Edson couldn¡¯t help but let out a startling scream. Branden frowned, cast an impatient nce backward, and quietly asked Catherine, ¡°Did you hear a pig squeal?¡± Catherine nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah. That pig is really annoying.¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s not bother with the annoyance. Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Branden led Catherine away, leaving Edson writhing in pain on the ground. Edson woke up in the hospital, having just undergone orthopedic surgery. His palm had fractures that needed repairing, and Catherine¡¯s punch had dislocated his jaw, knocking out two teeth in the process. The doctor informed him that, for the sake of his health, he needed to stay in the hospital for another week. Edson, of course, couldn¡¯t afford to stay in the hospital for a week. This was the opportune moment for him to attack Branden and bankrupt the Duncan Corporation; he couldn¡¯t miss it. Edson called his assistant, demanding to be discharged. He knew Catherine wouldn¡¯t be persuaded now. The only thing he could do was make Catherine willinglye back with him. Although Catherine was stubborn, she valued rtionships. Edson believed that, in the end, he would be the one to win. Seeing Edson¡¯s battered appearance, the assistant, somewhat distressed, said, ¡°Boss, rest well. Leave the rest to me; I¡¯ll take down the Duncans and avenge you.¡± Their n was already in motion. Without financial backing, the Duncan Corporation couldn¡¯tpete with them. Both families werepeting for the same project, and now the Duncan Corporation¡¯s reputation was worse than theirs. The crucial point was that Branden¡¯s funding had issues, making it impossible for the Duncan Corporation to secure such a significant project. Edson understood all of this when the assistant said so. Edson¡¯s phone suddenly rang as they discussed how to make Branden suffer. The caller was the head of the Breen Group in Eskana. Edson initially thought it was a work update, but after listening to the call, he fainted. He never expected to lose. ¡°How could this be? What went wrong in the process?¡± he thought. Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Chapter 655 We Need a Heir The next day, Catherine walked out of the school gate. A low-key ck Bentley was parked not far away, with the head butler of the Breens, Jay, standing next to the car. It was clear who was sitting in the car. Catherine didn¡¯t avoid him and walked straight toward the car. Jay smiled and opened the door for her, and Catherine bent down to get in. Shane had been waiting in the car, and when he saw Catherine, a rare smile appeared on his usually serious face. ¡± Cassie, long time no see!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Catherine looked politely at him, her eyes filled with indifference. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Shane¡¯s enthusiasm evidently did not fade due to Catherine¡¯s coldness. ¡°It¡¯s been almost ten years since Ist came to Loxton. You¡¯ve been studying here, so you should be familiar with the city. How about taking me to lunch?¡± Catherine did not refuse and then told the driver an address. Ten minutester, the car stopped at the entrance of the Golden Spoon. With her hands in her pockets, Catherine followed behind Shane and entered the private room. They didn¡¯t notice that a few people were watching them curiously on the side. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Catherine Swann from the electronic information engineering department?¡± The speaker was a student from Styre University, Isadora Wale. Standing next to her was Emma Wale, who had been keeping a low profile since losing to Catherine in the National Literary and Art League. She had finally managed to get into Loxton and unexpectedly ran into Catherine. It really was a small world! ¡°Isadora, do you know her?¡± Emma asked. Isadora said disdainfully, ¡°She¡¯s quite famous on campus. Everybody knows her.¡± Catherine¡¯s poprity at school was too high, and Isadora looked down on such people the most. She said sarcastically, ¡°Why does shee to a ce like this with an old man? And they¡¯ve even chosen a private room! There must be something fishy going on. Look at that old man. He¡¯s worth a fortune. Maybe she is that old man¡¯s kept woman!¡± Emma didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be still so high-profile in a new school, and she felt a surge of anger. She and Isadora were cousins, but Isadora had grown up in Loxton with a much better family background than hers. ¡°Isadora, I think you¡¯re absolutely right. It¡¯s a shame your ssmates are still in the dark, admiring her just for her looks!¡± This hit Isadora right in the heart. The man she admired the most was Drake. She had a crush on him for his outstanding performance in the gaming arena, thinking he had great charm. However, she recently found out that Drake was actually interested in Catherine. There was even a photo of Catherine on the table in their dorm. When she heard about this, her hatred toward Catherine intensified. ¡°Emma, you¡¯re right. We can¡¯t let such a disgusting and despicable woman be so arrogant. We must expose her shameless behavior,¡± Isadora said to her cousin, Emma, her eyes filled with rage. Watching the angry look on Isadora¡¯s face, Emma felt quite satisfied. This time, she was going to ruin Catherine¡¯s reputation. In the private room, Catherine ate her food quietly. She had been to this restaurant several times with Branden, and the food was decent. Feeling her stomach full, she put down her fork. Shane was still enjoying his meal, clearly satisfied with Catherine¡¯s choice of venue. ¡°The Eskanese cuisine is truly remarkable. No wonder you refused to eat the food the chef made when you were in Euphosean,¡± Shane said. Catherine had a taste for Eskanese cuisine, and the bread and steak lifestyle in Euphosean was bearable for her asionally, but she couldn¡¯t handle it every day. After satisfying their hunger, Shane¡¯s conversation turned to business. ¡± Cassie, I¡¯m getting old. We need an heir, and I hope that person is you.¡± He knew Catherine¡¯s capabilities better than anyone, and only she could be his proudest sessor. In his opinion, Catherine was the one who could lead the Breens to a more powerful and glorious future. He had known Catherine since she was 12 years old. At that young age, she was exceptionally thin and weak but had beautiful eyes. He initially thought Catherine was from a poor family in distress, but he didn¡¯t expect that everything about her, from her clothes to her living expenses, was not cheap. Later, he was impressed by Catherine¡¯s talent. He had never seen such a smart child. Although Catherine was intelligent at that time, she was no match for Shane. He brought Catherine back to the family and trained her to be his top assistant. Unexpectedly, she leftter on. Catherine¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Clearly, she had no interest in Shane¡¯s offer. She looked coldly at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡± Catherine never liked to repeat herself, and Shane knew her character well. Knowing that Catherine¡¯s rejection was genuine disinterest, he felt regretful. However, he had no intention of giving up just yet. Since he had taken the initiative and she was unwilling to ept it, he nned to find a way to make here to him on her own. Many years ago, he was able to make Catherine follow his orders, and he believed he could still do so now. After finishing their meal, Catherine suggested leaving, and Shane did not refuse. As they got up to go, they were informed that Mr. Duncan had already paid the bill. Shane raised an eyebrow and looked at Catherine with a meaningful smile. ¡± Cassie, it seems your boyfriend doesn¡¯t trust you,¡± he said, implying that if he trusted her, why would he have someone keep an eye on her? ¡°Humph.¡± Catherine chuckled lightly, showing some disdain for Shane¡¯s attempt to sow discord. She hadn¡¯t expected that the usually high and mighty Shane would one day y such childish tricks. Seeing her in such a good mood, Shane was a little confused. He carefully scrutinized her. Soon, Catherine gave him the answer.¡± By the way, I forgot to tell you, my boyfriend knows I like the food here and has already bought this restaurant! Catherine chose toe to this restaurant without hiding it from Branden. After their first visit, Branden immediately bought the restaurant, making it convenient for Catherine to dine here next time. Almost all the waiters had been reced, and their first rule at work was to recognize who Catherine, the boss of the restaurant, was. The moment Catherine appeared, the manager informed Branden. Shane¡¯s face immediately darkened, as he didn¡¯t like this kind of joke. Clearly, he had be a laughingstock. Before leaving, Catherine didn¡¯t forget to taunt him. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. My boyfriend will worry about me, so I¡¯ll be off!¡± Shane was so angry that he didn¡¯t even say goodbye to Catherine. Jay, who had been by his side for many years, hadn¡¯t seen his boss lose face like this for a long time. He found it amusing. It seemed that only when Catherine was around did Shane seem more lively. Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Her Smile The crisis had almoste to an end, but Triston and Aidan still didn¡¯t understand what was going on, which made Catherine shake her head helplessly. At first, Catherine didn¡¯t understand either. She knew better than anyone else how strong Branden¡¯s capital was. He didn¡¯t need any financial support. Even though the Duncan Corporation¡¯s capital was restricted, Branden had the powerful Skyline Fund behind him, so there was no need for him to borrow money from others. That was why when Branden asked for a loan jokingly, she refused at once. She knew he didn¡¯t actually need it. Catherine raised her eyes slightly, casting a cold nce at Triston and Aidan, her icy tone carrying an unmistakable disdain. ¡°This is a good opportunity for you to teach those parasites a lesson.¡± Upon hearing this, Triston was momentarily stunned. He then exchanged a nce with Aidan. Although they had their own thoughts, they both understood what Catherine meant. Triston secretly congratted himself for agreeing without hesitation to Branden¡¯s request. Branden wasn¡¯t actually borrowing money from him or Aidan; he was giving them an opportunity. If it weren¡¯t for this incident, they wouldn¡¯t have known how deeply external forces had infiltrated theirpany. If the Breens had targeted them instead of the Duncan Corporation, theirpanies would have changed hands in no time. It was precisely because of their help to Branden that Edson, in order to prevent them from essing the funds, exposed the hidden dangers hiding in theirpany. Now, dealing with these parasites would be much easier. Therefore, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t them helping Branden, but Branden helping them. Triston and Aidan soon understood Catherine¡¯s words, making them increasingly admire Branden. Triston asked the waiter to serve more dishes, saying he wanted to thank Branden properly, but he knew he didn¡¯t do anything to prove their real friendship. Triston teased Aidan for being stingy, saying that Aidan only ordered a few more dishes after Branden did him such a big favor. Amid the banter, the atmosphere in the private room became quite lively. Catherine leaned back in her chair, watching everyone¡¯s happy faces. The smile on her face showed that she was in a good mood. As she watched everyoneugh, she didn¡¯t know that Branden¡¯s eyes were only on her. Her smile was like a spring flowing into the depths of his heart, nourishing his soul. Edson woke up again in his hospital bed. The moment he saw the person standing beside the bed, his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Uncle Shane!¡± he eximed. Shane sat by his side, leaning on a cane, his face etched with displeasure. His deep, cold voice revealed his current state of mind was far from good. ¡± Edson, I¡¯m so disappointed in you!¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. With just a few words, Edson¡¯s face turned pale instantly. He frantically tried to exin, ¡°Uncle Shane, Branden Duncan is just too cunning¡­¡± Shane didn¡¯t want to hear his excuses. To him, the business world was like a battlefield. Being cunning was an essential skill. Edson¡¯s inability and foolishness were the only reason he failed. Shane was now increasingly admiring the current heir of the Duncans. It seemed that he indeed needed to have a good talk with Branden, who could effortlessly outmaneuver his nephew. Shane gave Edson one final nce before delivering the ultimate verdict. ¡± Starting tomorrow, you don¡¯t need to go to thepany any more!¡± Edson¡¯s mistake this time was so significant that he would have to pay the price. Instead of killing him, he only kicked him out of thepany, possibly giving him some leeway. Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Kidnapping After dinner, Triston and Aidan consciously refrained from inviting Branden to have a drink. They both knew that he was now a devoted boyfriend. Catherine had to go to school the next day, so when she finished her food, Branden left the private room with her. ¡°Do you have ss tomorrow morning? ¡± he asked. Catherine shook her head. Upon getting the answer, Branden told the driver, ¡°To the apartment!¡± With no morning ss tomorrow, Catherine could sleep in. Recently, Catherine had been rushing toplete the experiment. Breaking through the final stage of research and development was not easy. Previously, even after working intensively for a month, she wouldn¡¯t get tired. But after Branden started taking care of her, she seemed to feel drowsy easily after eating. Seeing her eyelids drooping, Branden put his hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her into his arms. ¡°Rest for a while. I¡¯ll wake you when we arrive,¡± he said. Catherine nodded, adjusting herself to a comfortable position, and closed her eyes. Sitting in the passenger seat, Paxton knew Catherine was resting and didn¡¯t dare to speak. He sent the latest information to Branden on his phone, saying, [Boss, Shane just came out of the hospital!] At 3 PM today, the stock price of the Duncan Corporation closed at 1243, an increase of nearly a thousand percentage points. This meant that the Breen Group, which had beenpeting with the Duncan Corporation, had lost over 100 billion dors. Besides the Breens¡¯ capital, over half of the funds they lost were raised by Edson. Now, with such heavy losses, these people wouldn¡¯t forgive Edson, let alone the Breens behind him. Edson had caused such a huge disaster this time, it was normal for Shane toe to clean up the mess immediately. ¡°Double the manpower at the school!¡± Branden ordered. When Paxton heard his boss¡¯s instructions, he hesitated for a moment. Branden had been making preparations for the Breens¡¯ aggressive arrival. Shane¡¯s personal visit to Eskana would definitely lead to a battle. At a time like this, they didn¡¯t have enough manpower, but now they had to send their elites to protect Catherine in secret, which sure was a bold act. After a moment, however, Paxton replied, ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± He had always been by Branden¡¯s side and understood Catherine¡¯s importance to Branden. Only when Catherine was safe could Branden fully concentrate. When Catherine arrived at the school in the afternoon, she received a message from Ronin reading, [Boss, help!] Catherine frowned and immediately called back. After a few beeps, a voice came from the other end of the line, but it didn¡¯t belong to Ronin. ¡°Ms. Swann, long time no see!¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Catherine immediately understood what was going on. She smiled and responded softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you. Where¡¯s Ronin?¡± The call abruptly ended, and shortly after, Catherine received a text message from the other party with an address. Catherine called Amelia and asked her to help take a leave of absence. Once everything was arranged, Catherine went directly to the address she had received. It wasn¡¯t far, just near the school. Ten minutester, Catherine saw the person who had been talking to her over Ronin¡¯s phone. It was the head butler of the Breens, Shane¡¯s most trusted subordinate, Jay Hoffman. He had lived in the Breens for a lifetime. Jay¡¯s eyes lit up with joy the moment he saw Catherine, and he greeted her with a bright smile on his face, ¡°Ms. Swann, you look greattely. It seems like you¡¯ve been having a good time in Eskana!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t have time to chat with Jay. She only said coldly, ¡°Where is he? Take him out.¡± Jay naturally knew who she was referring to, but he was clearly unhappy with Catherine¡¯s cold attitude, and his face immediately darkened. ¡°Ms. Swann, please rest assured. He is unharmed. We haven¡¯t seen each other for so long. We should sit down and have a cup of coffee, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± The moment Jay finished speaking, Catherine frowned, and her icy voice echoed throughout the room. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been away for too long, and you¡¯ve forgotten my rules!¡± She never liked to say things twice. At this moment, however, Jay was tantly defying her. Jay¡¯s face darkened, and his eyes showed a hint of nervousness. But what Catherine said next completely panicked him. Her sharp eyes had a cold look, giving off a strong sense of oppression. ¡± Killing Shane might be a bit troublesome, but I can kill you easily, anytime, anywhere!¡± Jay knew Catherine was not just talking. If she really wanted to kill him, he wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to escape. Jay hesitated. He knew how formidable Catherine was. But the task was given by his boss. If he couldn¡¯tplete it, there would be no way to exin it to his boss. Catherine noticed his hesitation and generously offered him a solution. ¡± Tell your boss that I will go to meet him. But before that, give my person back to me!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Jay breathed a sigh of relief. The purpose of kidnapping Ronin was to make Catherine appear, and now that she had agreed, Ronin was no longer important. Jay nced at his subordinate standing beside him, and the subordinate immediately stepped back. Not long after, Ronin was brought out. When Ronin saw Catherine, he was very excited. He knew that she woulde to rescue him. He had never doubted it from beginning to end. ¡°Catherine!¡± he called out and quickly rushed to her side. The bodyguards wanted to stop him but were stopped by Jay. They were no match for Catherine. Jay didn¡¯t want to see any useless casualties. Catherine nced at Ronin beside her. ¡± Is everything ready?¡± Ronin nodded. He knew what Catherine was concerned about. ¡°Catherine, everything is on me. They didn¡¯t give me a hard time!¡± ¡°Good.¡± Catherine nodded slightly and walked away, with Ronin following closely behind. The bodyguards watched Catherine leave, feeling anxious. Their task today was to bring Catherine back, so they couldn¡¯t just let her leave like that. As the bodyguards were about to take action, Jay stopped them. ¡°You are no match for her!¡± They knew they were no match for Catherine, but they still intended to try toplete the task. Jay calmly said, ¡± Stop. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Upon hearing that Jay was willing to take responsibility, the bodyguards stopped their intention to take action. Jay knew that they couldn¡¯t stop Catherine. He also knew that his boss was aware of this. Now that Catherine had agreed, he could report it to his boss, which was enough. After leaving the estate, Ronin finally spoke up. ¡°Catherine, did you negotiate any conditions with them?¡± Ronin felt regretful. He had thought he was strong enough, but he was so vulnerable in front of the Breens. They knew him all too well, even better than he knew himself. They easily subdued him and made him a bargaining chip. If Catherine had reallypromised on any conditions to save him, he would be ready to die. Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Chapter 654 You Know Me the Best Catherine cast a cold nce at Ronin next to her. ¡°You should practice yourbat skills more and stop daydreaming too much.¡± The disdain in her tone was too obvious, leaving Ronin feeling somewhat embarrassed. He lowered his head and quietly assured her, ¡± Catherine, I see. I¡¯ll practice diligently from now on.¡± Ronin¡¯sputer skills were second only to Catherine¡¯s, but he was far behind inbat skills. To those unfamiliar with him, his youthful appearance might be deceiving. Jay was very familiar with Ronin. He knew Ronin was smart and wouldn¡¯t beat around the bush but would confront issues head-on. Therefore, he caught Ronin off guard and captured him without giving him a chance to escape. After thinking for a while, Ronin felt he couldn¡¯t let Jay get away with it so easily. ¡°Catherine, I want to teach that sly dog a lesson. He¡¯s too cunning!¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine had no objections. She shrugged casually, showing an indifferent attitude. As they reached a fork in the road, Catherine told Ronin, ¡°I¡¯m going to theb,¡± and headed in that direction. She should have been in the ssroom at that time, but Ronin¡¯s incident disrupted her schedule. Returning to the ssroom now would disrupt the ongoing ss, so she decided to go to the laboratory. When Catherine emerged from theboratory, it was already 10 o¡¯clock at night. As she walked out of theboratory building, she saw Branden sitting on a bench not far away. His perfect profile was exceptionally handsome, leaving asting impression. He had aptop on his knees, and his fingers swiftly tapped the keyboard with a focused expression on his face, captivating everyone¡¯s attention. Catherine walked straight toward him. Sensing her approach, he looked up. Their eyes met, and Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡± Branden closed theptop, stood up, and smiled. ¡°No, I just got here. I ran into Ronin just now, and he told me you were in theb, so I came over,¡± he exined. Branden had initially nned to have dinner with Catherine, but she went to theboratory instead. Entering theboratory wasn¡¯t difficult, but he didn¡¯t want to disturb her work, so he waited outside. He chose the bench closest to theboratory door, ensuring she would see him as soon as she came out. Catherine approached with documents in her arms, one hand in her pocket. She looked at him, asking, ¡°Have you had dinner yet?¡± ¡°No, I was waiting for you!¡± Branden didn¡¯t hide the fact that he had been waiting hungry, thinking that the other person should know. Catherine chuckled and said with a wave of her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Branden gently took the documents from her hand and pulled her other hand out of her pocket, holding it tightly in his palm. The car stopped in an alley not far from the school gate. To adhere to Catherine¡¯s low-key principle, Branden never drove the car onto the campus. Branden opened the car door, and Catherine bent down to get in. Although it was Catherine¡¯s idea to have dinner, Branden was still the one cooking. Except for gatherings with friends, Catherine was increasingly reluctant to go out to eat. Of course, it was also because Branden¡¯s cooking skills were getting better. After they entered the house, Branden handed Catherine a te of snacks. ¡± y the game for a while, and then dinner will be ready!¡± At thiste hour, he had no intention of cooking a full meal. He just wanted to make some macaroni to fill their stomachs. Catherine didn¡¯t follow his arrangement to y games on her cell phone. She held the te of snacks and leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching Branden¡¯s every move. His movements were very skillful, and he was very familiar with the cement of items. It was clear that he was an experienced hand in the kitchen. Under his skillful knife work, therge pieces of beef were cut into evenly sized, equally thick strips. When Branden looked up, he met Catherine¡¯s eyes. Her beautiful eyes, shining like stars, gazed quietly at him. He chuckled. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t a focused man the most charming?¡± Upon hearing this, Catherine looked away, picked up a peanut from the te, and tossed it high, catching it effortlessly in her mouth. Her attitude clearly showed that she had no intention of paying attention to the man¡¯s remarks. Branden had originally wanted to tease her. Seeing her heartless look, however, he swallowed his words. She was his girl, and he couldn¡¯t bear to do it. The ingredients were ready, and it was time to start cooking. Before putting the food in the pan, Branden stopped and turned to look at Catherine beside him. ¡°The smoke is bad for your health. Wait outside!¡± Catherine thought momentarily, finding it somewhat reasonable, and then stuffed a peanut into his mouth. ¡± Hurry up!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± he replied with a smile. Catherine sauntered away, leaving the kitchen to Branden. Before long, he ced two steaming tes of beef macaroni on the table. The aroma filled the air, and without Branden having to urge her, she appeared at once and sat down at the dining table. The special sauce, paired with chewy macaroni garnished with some greens, looked perfect. Just looking at the te of macaroni made one hungry. Catherine took the fork handed to her by Branden and first tasted the sauce, unable to help but praise, ¡°The taste is really good!¡± With a look as cute as that of a hungry kitten, she waspletely different from her usual cold and frosty demeanor. Branden found it amusing and couldn¡¯t help teasing her, ¡°It seems that the ancients were right. To capture someone¡¯s heart, you have to capture their stomach. Miss Swann, does my cooking still suit your taste?¡± Catherine was speechless. Lately, Branden¡¯s way of speaking had be so unpredictable. If it weren¡¯t for his handsome face, his words would have sounded as histrionic as Amelia¡¯s. Branden put down his fork and gazed at Catherine as if he wouldn¡¯t give up until she answered. Catherine didn¡¯t bother to conceal her perfunctory response and casually said, ¡°Not bad. Not bad. It suits my taste!¡± Satisfied with the response, Branden smiled. They chatted while eating, like a couple married for many years. ¡°I received news this afternoon that Edson has been sent back to Mistel!¡± Catherine¡¯s movement of picking up the macaroni slowed for a moment. She wasn¡¯t surprised by this oue. Shane hadn¡¯t punished his nephew despite causing such big trouble, which showed his favoritism toward Edson. ¡°Good riddance. It¡¯s better without him bothering us!¡± shemented. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s disdain for Edson, Branden agreed, ¡°Indeed, he was quite a bother!¡± This brat actually dared topete with him for Catherine by fawning over her, which was really annoying. If Shane hadn¡¯t taken action to send Edson away, Branden would have done it himself. But when Branden did it, Edson, this notorious yboy, might live in pain for the rest of his life. After dinner, Catherine sat on the nearby recliner, continuing to look through the data she brought back from theboratory. Branden heated some milk and ced it next to her, then casually sat beside her. As soon as he sat down, his strong arms skillfully wrapped around Catherine¡¯s slender waist, and he rested his head on her neck. Catherine paused momentarily and raised an eyebrow, asking, ¡°Again? Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Branden chuckled and pinned Catherine down, his deep eyes looking down at her. His voice was deep and seductive as he said, ¡°You know me the best!¡± Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Chapter 655 We Need a Heir T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The next day, Catherine walked out of the school gate. A low-key ck Bentley was parked not far away, with the head butler of the Breens, Jay, standing next to the car. It was clear who was sitting in the car. Catherine didn¡¯t avoid him and walked straight toward the car. Jay smiled and opened the door for her, and Catherine bent down to get in. Shane had been waiting in the car, and when he saw Catherine, a rare smile appeared on his usually serious face. ¡± Cassie, long time no see!¡± Catherine looked politely at him, her eyes filled with indifference. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Shane¡¯s enthusiasm evidently did not fade due to Catherine¡¯s coldness. ¡°It¡¯s been almost ten years since Ist came to Loxton. You¡¯ve been studying here, so you should be familiar with the city. How about taking me to lunch?¡± Catherine did not refuse and then told the driver an address. Ten minutester, the car stopped at the entrance of the Golden Spoon. With her hands in her pockets, Catherine followed behind Shane and entered the private room. They didn¡¯t notice that a few people were watching them curiously on the side. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Catherine Swann from the electronic information engineering department?¡± The speaker was a student from Styre University, Isadora Wale. Standing next to her was Emma Wale, who had been keeping a low profile since losing to Catherine in the National Literary and Art League. She had finally managed to get into Loxton and unexpectedly ran into Catherine. It really was a small world! ¡°Isadora, do you know her?¡± Emma asked. Isadora said disdainfully, ¡°She¡¯s quite famous on campus. Everybody knows her.¡± Catherine¡¯s poprity at school was too high, and Isadora looked down on such people the most. She said sarcastically, ¡°Why does shee to a ce like this with an old man? And they¡¯ve even chosen a private room! There must be something fishy going on. Look at that old man. He¡¯s worth a fortune. Maybe she is that old man¡¯s kept woman!¡± Emma didn¡¯t expect Catherine to be still so high-profile in a new school, and she felt a surge of anger. She and Isadora were cousins, but Isadora had grown up in Loxton with a much better family background than hers. ¡°Isadora, I think you¡¯re absolutely right. It¡¯s a shame your ssmates are still in the dark, admiring her just for her looks!¡± This hit Isadora right in the heart. The man she admired the most was Drake. She had a crush on him for his outstanding performance in the gaming arena, thinking he had great charm. However, she recently found out that Drake was actually interested in Catherine. There was even a photo of Catherine on the table in their dorm. When she heard about this, her hatred toward Catherine intensified. ¡°Emma, you¡¯re right. We can¡¯t let such a disgusting and despicable woman be so arrogant. We must expose her shameless behavior,¡± Isadora said to her cousin, Emma, her eyes filled with rage. Watching the angry look on Isadora¡¯s face, Emma felt quite satisfied. This time, she was going to ruin Catherine¡¯s reputation. In the private room, Catherine ate her food quietly. She had been to this restaurant several times with Branden, and the food was decent. Feeling her stomach full, she put down her fork. Shane was still enjoying his meal, clearly satisfied with Catherine¡¯s choice of venue. ¡°The Eskanese cuisine is truly remarkable. No wonder you refused to eat the food the chef made when you were in Euphosean,¡± Shane said. Catherine had a taste for Eskanese cuisine, and the bread and steak lifestyle in Euphosean was bearable for her asionally, but she couldn¡¯t handle it every day. After satisfying their hunger, Shane¡¯s conversation turned to business. ¡± Cassie, I¡¯m getting old. We need an heir, and I hope that person is you.¡± He knew Catherine¡¯s capabilities better than anyone, and only she could be his proudest sessor. In his opinion, Catherine was the one who could lead the Breens to a more powerful and glorious future. He had known Catherine since she was 12 years old. At that young age, she was exceptionally thin and weak but had beautiful eyes. He initially thought Catherine was from a poor family in distress, but he didn¡¯t expect that everything about her, from her clothes to her living expenses, was not cheap. Later, he was impressed by Catherine¡¯s talent. He had never seen such a smart child. Although Catherine was intelligent at that time, she was no match for Shane. He brought Catherine back to the family and trained her to be his top assistant. Unexpectedly, she leftter on. Catherine¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Clearly, she had no interest in Shane¡¯s offer. She looked coldly at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡± Catherine never liked to repeat herself, and Shane knew her character well. Knowing that Catherine¡¯s rejection was genuine disinterest, he felt regretful. However, he had no intention of giving up just yet. Since he had taken the initiative and she was unwilling to ept it, he nned to find a way to make here to him on her own. Many years ago, he was able to make Catherine follow his orders, and he believed he could still do so now. After finishing their meal, Catherine suggested leaving, and Shane did not refuse. As they got up to go, they were informed that Mr. Duncan had already paid the bill. Shane raised an eyebrow and looked at Catherine with a meaningful smile. ¡± Cassie, it seems your boyfriend doesn¡¯t trust you,¡± he said, implying that if he trusted her, why would he have someone keep an eye on her? ¡°Humph.¡± Catherine chuckled lightly, showing some disdain for Shane¡¯s attempt to sow discord. She hadn¡¯t expected that the usually high and mighty Shane would one day y such childish tricks. Seeing her in such a good mood, Shane was a little confused. He carefully scrutinized her. Soon, Catherine gave him the answer.¡± By the way, I forgot to tell you, my boyfriend knows I like the food here and has already bought this restaurant! Catherine chose toe to this restaurant without hiding it from Branden. After their first visit, Branden immediately bought the restaurant, making it convenient for Catherine to dine here next time. Almost all the waiters had been reced, and their first rule at work was to recognize who Catherine, the boss of the restaurant, was. The moment Catherine appeared, the manager informed Branden. Shane¡¯s face immediately darkened, as he didn¡¯t like this kind of joke. Clearly, he had be a laughingstock. Before leaving, Catherine didn¡¯t forget to taunt him. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. My boyfriend will worry about me, so I¡¯ll be off!¡± Shane was so angry that he didn¡¯t even say goodbye to Catherine. Jay, who had been by his side for many years, hadn¡¯t seen his boss lose face like this for a long time. He found it amusing. It seemed that only when Catherine was around did Shane seem more lively. Chapter 656 Chapter 656 The Post Catherine returned from theboratory at noon and saw Amelia and Isabe huddled in front of the computer, whispering to each other. When Amelia heard the sound, she turned and eagerly invited Catherine to join them. ¡°Catherine, did you know? An old man has kept a girl at our school, and the old man¡¯s family has caused a scene at the school. The post is now on the school forum! The whistleblower hasn¡¯t exposed the girl¡¯s name yet. There¡¯s only a photo of a car. The whistleblower says that if this girl doesn¡¯t voluntarily drop out of school within 24 hours, all her information will be exposed!¡± Amelia said. Catherine was not initially interested in this kind of gossip, but she couldn¡¯t resist Amelia¡¯s excitement and enthusiasm. Amelia was always so outgoing and friendly, making it hard for Catherine to refuse her. ¡°Catherine, take a look, please!¡± Amelia pleaded. Catherine took a nce. When she saw the photo on the homepage, she narrowed her eyes, took the mouse from Amelia, and scrolled through it. Amelia thought Catherine was being polite by pretending to be reading the news. ¡°Catherine, if you don¡¯t like it, just take a quick look. You don¡¯t have to be so careful!¡± Amelia said. Catherine looked away, put down the mouse, andy on her bed. Amelia didn¡¯t mind. She knew that Catherine was always like this. Catherine was easy to get along with, but she didn¡¯t talk much, probably because all geniuses were like that. Isadora had been watching the post all day, and she was delighted to see the increasing number of comments and the rising poprity of the post. When she returned after lunch, she saw that the post had been deleted, and she immediately contacted the forum administrator. When she found out that a hacker was responsible for the deletion, she didn¡¯t get angry but instead showed a pleased expression. Only the person involved would care enough to go to great lengths to delete the post. Isadora was sure that the person who deleted the post was Catherine, who was feeling guilty and afraid of exposure. Isadora was convinced that someone had kept Catherine because if Catherine hadn¡¯t been a kept woman, she would havee out to clear things up instead of acting so sneaky. Isadora uploaded the photo and once again posted it on the forum, this time not hiding anything. She knew the post would quickly gain attention, and the person who deserved punishment would receive it. After lunch, Ronin went to find Catherine. With his boyish appearance, he was very familiar with the dormitory manager. Usually, other boys couldn¡¯t go upstairs, but he always had no trouble getting through, and the dormitory manager would even send him upstairs with a smile. When he arrived at Catherine¡¯s dorm, Ronin immediately handed thettes to Isabe and Amelia, which instantly piqued their interest. Amelia took thette, a little surprised. ¡°Ronin, why didn¡¯t you give it to Catherine?¡± she asked. Ronin only brought twottes. He gave one to her and the other to Isabe, which meant Catherine couldn¡¯t get it. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Catherine doesn¡¯t likette. I brought her something else,¡± he said, raising the thermos in his hand, containing rose liqueur, which was Catherine¡¯s favorite drink. While the two were talking, Catherine happened to enter from the door. Ronin immediately turned around and warmly approached her. ¡°Catherine!¡± Amelia was not surprised by his behavior. She even felt a little sorry for Ronin¡¯s future girlfriend. With his dependence on Catherine, even though it wasn¡¯t a romantic rtionship, most girls would probably not ept it. When Catherine saw Ronin, her expression remained unchanged. She reached for the documents on the table, but Ronin¡¯s hand was faster. ¡± Catherine, let me do it!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t stop him. ¡°I¡¯m going to theb. Let¡¯s chat as we walk!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ronin agreed and obediently followed behind Catherine as they walked downstairs. ¡°Catherine, did Shane say anything yesterday?¡± Ronin was most concerned about this. Shane¡¯s arrival was intimidating and aggressive, and he was a bit afraid. As they walked, Catherine replied, ¡°We just had dinner.¡± ¡°Just dinner?¡± Ronin was surprised. Shane¡¯s arrival was quite aggressive this time, mobilizing his forces and even resorting to kidnapping Ronin to threaten Catherine. But when the two met, they just had a meal, which was unbelievable. Ronin pondered for a long time and still felt that something was wrong. ¡± Catherine, I think Shane must be plotting something!¡± he said with certainty. It was very likely that Shane was plotting something, but Ronin wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure about it. Seeing that Ronin still didn¡¯t understand, Catherine exined the situation to him. ¡°Edson has caused such a mess this time, so the most important thing for Shane¡¯s visit to Eskana is to clean it up. He will cause trouble for me. That¡¯s for sure. But it won¡¯t be now. He¡¯ll make a move when he¡¯s done dealing with it!¡± But when Shane would be done dealing with it remained to be seen. If Branden could set a trap for Edson, then he could certainly set a trap for Shane. This was Eskana, and if Shane wanted to cause trouble for Catherine, Branden would intervene. Ronin listened to Catherine¡¯s words and felt a little more rxed. ¡°That¡¯s good. Then we¡¯ll have more time to prepare!¡± Ronin¡¯s phone, which he had in his pocket, had been vibrating constantly. Seeing that Catherine wasn¡¯t saying anything, he took out his phone to check. It was a series of WhatsApp messages from his roommate. [Ronin, hurry up and go to the forum!] [Catherine is in trouble!] Ronin frowned as he read the messages. He immediately switched pages and logged onto the school forum. As soon as he got there, he saw a trending post at the top. The eye-catching headline and thousands ofments made Ronin frown and click on it. When he saw the photo in the post, he exploded with rage. After reading the content, he couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°Damn it! Catherine, someone is ndering you, saying you¡¯re being kept!¡± Ronin quickly handed the phone to Catherine, who took a look. The person who had exposed the photo in the previous post had done it again, and the content was even more explosive. This time, Catherine¡¯s name was directly exposed, along with her personal information. As for the photo, it was a picture of Catherine and Shane dining at a restaurant, taken from behind. There was also a picture taken at the school gate, showing Catherine getting into a Bentley car. Although the two didn¡¯t have any intimate gestures and even maintained a distance of two steps while walking, the exaggerated descriptions by the person who exposed them made their rtionship seem unusual. After Ronin finished reading, he was so angry he felt like he was about to have a heart attack. He could tell at a nce that the old man was Shane. ¡°How could anyone suspect that Catherine is being kept by Shane?¡± he asked inwardly. ¡°Is this guy out of his goddamn mind?¡± Catherine handed the phone back to Ronin, calmly saying, ¡°Check the ID address and see who posted it.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ronin promised that if he found the troublemaker behind the scenes, he would definitely not let them off lightly. He wanted to beat them up!Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 657 Chapter 657 A Joint Boycott Although the other party had been very discreet, even choosing a public ce like the school¡¯s computer room to post, Ronin effortlessly captured the IP address. Not only that, Ronin also hacked into the school¡¯s surveince system, directly pulling up the footage of theputer room and making a copy of the video of the person posting. ¡°Catherine, I found the person. Her name is Isadora Wale!¡± Catherine took a look at the video handed to her by Ronin. The girl in the video was young, beautiful, stylishly dressed, and wearing internationally renowned designer clothes. ¡°Do I know her?¡± Catherine handed Ronin¡¯s phone back to him. Ronin looked bewildered and then shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± After all, Catherine had an extraordinary memory. Even if she had only seen someone once, she would remember them. So, if Catherine said she didn¡¯t know the girl, then Catherine definitely hadn¡¯t seen her before. This made Ronin feel strange. If there were a grudge, it would make sense that she was defaming Catherine. But if she and Catherine didn¡¯t even know each other, why would she do this to Catherine? The post¡¯s poprity continued to escte, and Ronin felt increasingly anxious as he watched more and more peoplement. He couldn¡¯t bear to see anyone speak ill of Catherine. After all, she was such a nice person. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Catherine, should I delete the post now?¡± he asked. Catherine signaled him to pause and calmly said, ¡°No rush. Go and find out what Isadora really wants to do.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ronin responded. Then, he saw Catherine pick up the documents and head out. ¡°Catherine, where are you going?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t even look back as she said, ¡°To theb!¡± At this point, Ronin truly admired Catherine. Even though she was at the center of the turbulence, she remained soposed. He was so anxious, but she didn¡¯t seem to worry about anything at all. Having be ustomed to her ways, Ronin knew that guessing was useless. All he could do now was to quickly find out who Isadora really was and what her purpose was in defaming Catherine. Once he had figured them out, he would teach Isadora a lesson. The poprity of the post continued to escte. Upon receiving the news, Paxton rushed into the conference hall. He knew very well that Catherine¡¯s situation was the most important matter to Branden. When Branden saw him enter, he said to the executives, ¡°Take a break!¡± Then, everyone respectfully stood up and left the conference hall. After they left, Paxton respectfully approached Branden to report the situation. ¡°Boss, someone is defaming Miss Swann at Styre University!¡± Branden¡¯s deep eyes immediately darkened, emitting a terrifying aura. ¡± What happened?!¡± Paxton carefully presented the post to Branden. ¡°Boss, take a look at this.¡± While Branden was reading the post, Paxton quickly reported the information they had found out. His team didn¡¯t dare to dy in handling matters rted to Catherine. Immediately after the incident, they began investigating the background of the person posting and managed to identify several suspects. ¡°The person who made the post has been identified. It¡¯s Isadora Wale from the Wale Corporation!¡± Paxton not only found the person who made the post but also located her position at Golden Spoon. He pulled up the surveince footage from Golden Spoon and showed it to Branden. ¡°Boss, Isadora also has a cousin named Emma Wale. At the National Literary and Art League in Oceanvile, she was once the top contender for the championship but lost to Miss Swann!¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Branden asked. Judging from Branden¡¯s gentle tone, Paxton inferred that his boss was asking about Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann is currently in theb. It seems she has asked Ronin to investigate this matter,¡± Paxton responded. Branden, knowing that Catherine was unaffected, felt slightly rxed. ¡°Send the information to Ronin. Have someone to keep an eye on it, but don¡¯t disturb Catherine!¡± Catherine had been holed up in theb recently. Branden didn¡¯t want to bother her with such trivial matters. ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Paxton replied, taking the order and immediately setting off to make the arrangements. The poprity of the ¡°expos¨¦ post¡± was unprecedentedly high, with people all talking about and condemning Catherine. Isadora was delighted to see all of this and shared it with Emma. ¡°Emma, look. She brings it upon herself!¡± Emma was also in a very good mood. Since thest time, she had been unable to shake off the shadow Catherine had cast over her. This time, she felt like she had finally gotten her revenge. However, she didn¡¯t n to stop there. Just a few insults were not enough to teach Catherine a lesson. ¡°Isadora, I think you can organize a joint boycott. How can someone like Catherine be worthy of being at your school?¡± Isadora was currently in high spirits, reveling in the joy of tarnishing Catherine¡¯s reputation. She found Emma¡¯s proposal very appealing and felt it made much sense. ¡°Emma, you¡¯re right. We should definitely kick people like her out of the school!¡± After discussing with Emma, Isadora decided to put the n into action. As for Catherine, she waspletely immersed in theboratory and had no idea that she was being talked about outside. The seniors inside theboratory had heard the rumors, but those selected to enter Marshall¡¯s laboratory were all elites, and they didn¡¯t like gossip. Moreover, they didn¡¯t believe it was true. After all, Catherine was immersed in experiments every day, so why would she have the time to be with an old man? Besides, with Catherine¡¯s current achievements, she didn¡¯t need an old man to keep her. Publishing more papers would easily bring in substantial bonuses. There was no need to go out of her way to be with an old man. After all, no matter how good he was, an old man wasn¡¯t as reliable as herself. Inside theboratory, everything seemed calm, but outside, people were gossiping like crazy. Catherine could ignore it, but her friends couldn¡¯t ept her being defamed. Amelia was furious after seeing the post. She tried to request the forum moderator to delete the post, but the moderator ignored her. She could only join Isabe in fighting against those ndering Catherine, trying to prove her innocence. Both of them had seen Catherine¡¯s boyfriend, who was handsome and wealthy. Only a fool would give up such a great boyfriend to be with some old man. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered, and their efforts to fight back were particrly feeble. Amelia was so angry that she couldn¡¯t eat, and Isabe took her downstairs for a walk. Unexpectedly, they ran into a joint boycott against Catherine, demanding her expulsion from the school. Even worse, the event was organized by the Student Union. Amelia was furious when she saw it. Despite Isabe¡¯s attempts to stop her, she rushed over, tore down the banner, and threw it on the ground. ¡°You guys know nothing about the situation, yet you¡¯re causing a ruckus. Believe it or not. I¡¯ll sue you!¡± Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Injured Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Faced with the aggressive Amelia, everyone else was taken aback. Isadora, who had been standing at the back, immediately rushed forward upon hearing themotion. ¡°You¡¯re not Catherine Swann, so why bother yelling at us?¡± Isadora scrutinized Amelia from head to toe and then sneered. ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re just like her, being kept by someone. You can¡¯t stand her being exposed because you¡¯re afraid your own scandal will be revealed, too?¡± Amelia hadn¡¯t expected the other party to twist the truth like this, leaving her speechless with anger. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Isadora crossed her arms and said with a triumphant smile on her face, ¡°You do know if it¡¯s nonsense or not!¡± As the surrounding people saw Amelia being silent, they stood up for Isadora. ¡°Exactly. If she wasn¡¯t guilty, why would she be so agitated?¡± ¡°I know her. She¡¯s Catherine¡¯s roommate, probably cut from the same cloth!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like a well-behaved person. Who knows what she¡¯s hiding behind closed doors!¡± Standing high and mighty, the crowd seemed to look down on Amelia, using her. Undeterred, Amelia took out her phone and took clear pictures of everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°Remember what you¡¯ve said. When Catherine clears her name, you¡¯ll all be guilty of defamation. Will you still have the audacity to use others, then? Are you the parties involved? Do you know what happened? Have you seen anything with your own eyes?¡± A series of questions left the people speechless. They looked at Amelia, not knowing what to say. Seeing their confidence wane, Amelia seized the opportunity to strike back. ¡± You nder others without even knowing what was going on. What makes you think you have the right to do that?¡± The people who had used Amelia earlier were now hesitant, realizing they had no concrete evidence. If Catherine were to pursue legal action against them, they might indeed face awsuit. If they were sued, their academic pursuits would likely be affected. These people hesitated, but Isadora did not. She forcefully pushed Amelia, sending her tumbling to the ground, and then looked down at Amelia with an air of dominance. ¡°Sue me? Who the hell do you think you are?¡± Although Amelia wasn¡¯t from a wealthy, top-tier family, she had never suffered such humiliation. Anger surged through her, and she stood up to push back. ¡°How dare you push me?¡± Showing no restraint, Isadora pped Amelia in the face and arrogantly shouted, ¡°For this!¡± Amelia was momentarily stunned. Then, she quickly retaliated, grappling with Isadora. Isadora had practiced taekwondo for self-defense since she was young. Although Amelia was tall, she was no match for Isadora. Upon discovering that Amelia was Catherine¡¯s roommate, Isadora was determined to teach her a lesson. She imagined Amelia as Catherine, and without hesitation, she threw Amelia over her shoulder, causing Amelia to fall heavily to the ground. Uponnding, Amelia hit her head on the corner of a desk, causing blood to flow immediately. The others were shocked, but Isadora remained indifferent. To her, provoking her meant facing severe consequences. Isabe, who was watching, was also taken aback. She hadn¡¯t expected that before she could intervene, Amelia was already on the ground, bleeding. After realizing what happened, Isabe immediately rushed forward to help Amelia and shouted at the dumbfounded male students standing nearby, ¡°What are you guys standing there for? Come and help me take her to the hospital!¡± Several people rushed forward to assist Isabe in taking Amelia to the hospital. Catherine returned from theboratory only to find the dormitory empty. She furrowed her brow, as usually, at this time, both Amelia and Isabe would be watching a variety show in the dorm. Today, however, they were all absent. Catherine was puzzled but didn¡¯t think much of it. Just as she was about to enter the dorm, a female student passing by from the next room looked surprised to see her. ¡°Catherine, why are you still here?¡± Confused, Catherine nced at her, not entirely understanding the meaning behind her words. Seeing that Catherine seemed unaware of the situation, the girl immediately exined, ¡°Amelia was injured and taken to the hospital by Isabe¡­¡± She paused for a moment before continuing with an embarrassed look on her face, ¡± I heard it¡¯s rted to you.¡± Though the girl¡¯s words were ambiguous, Catherine immediately understood what was happening. ¡°Thank you,¡± Catherine said politely before closing the dorm door and leaving. The girlmented to her roommate, I think Catherine is quite polite. She¡¯s usually quiet and aloof, unlike what the post says!¡± 11 Now, not only did the whole school know about the incident, but even students from other schools were hearing rumors and gossip. Catherine came out of the dormitory and went straight to the school¡¯s medical office. The medical office at Styre University was like a small hospital, equipped with all the necessary facilities donated by previous outstanding students. The doctors there were as skilled as those in top- tier hospitals. No matter the illness, the school¡¯s medical office could handle it. When Catherine arrived at the medical office, Isabe was waiting outside the examination room. ¡°How is she?¡± Catherine¡¯s cold voice brought Isabe¡¯s attention back. Isabe immediately turned around and saw Catherine, tears welling up in her eyes. It was the first time Isabe had encountered such a situation, and she was utterly bewildered. ¡°Amelia is still inside. The doctor suspects a certain degree of concussion, but we don¡¯t know the extent of the injury yet. They need to take scans to confirm,¡± Isabe said before the examination room¡¯s door opened. Amelia was lying on a mobile bed, being wheeled out of the room. The first look she gave Catherine was not reproachful but rather filled with anger. ¡°Catherine, you better teach me how to fight. I¡¯ll take back my dignity one day!¡± she said, breaking the solemn atmosphere with her words. Isabe couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, ring at Amelia with disdain. ¡°You¡¯ve got a head injury. Are you still in the mood for jokes?¡± Upon mentioning the wound on the back of her head, Amelia became anxious. ¡°Yeah, exactly! It¡¯s a big cut. I hope it won¡¯t scar. Scars are so ugly!¡± The doctor standing nearby found the patient¡¯s behavior endearing. He couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s at the back of the head. Even if it scars, it won¡¯t be visible once your hair grows back.¡± Just as he finished speaking, Catherine, with a solemn expression, assured, ¡± Don¡¯t worry. There won¡¯t be any scars. I¡¯ll get Professor Keane to handle it!¡± The doctor looked at Catherine with surprise, clearly not fully believing her words. Professor Fletcher Keane was renowned in their department for his expertise in cosmetic surgery, and any wounds he handled were guaranteed not to leave scars. However, Fletcher had a peculiar temper. Even the university president found it difficult to ask him for help. ¡°This student is a bit too confident, isn¡¯t she?¡± the doctor said inwardly. Chapter 659 Chapter 659 To Isadora¡¯s Dorm Room Ten minutester, Fletcher appeared in a rush as the doctor was preparing to advise Amelia not to wait for Catherine so that he could stitch the wound directly. His hair, now gray and tousled, flew in the wind as he ran, indicating the urgency of his arrival. The sight of Fletcher, usually calm andposed, in such haste, shocked everyone. Once inside, Fletcher looked around and finally spotted Catherine in a distant corner. He hurried over, and his stern face broke into a smile. ¡°Miss Swann!¡± he eximed. Catherine turned around and greeted him politely. ¡°Hello, Professor Keane.¡± Fletcher immediately waved off her formality. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. My teacher called and told me you needed help, and I rushed over. My car broke down on the way and dyed me a bit. Hope it didn¡¯t dy you!¡± Unlike the other professors, Fletcher was known for riding a bicycle around the campus. No one expected his bicycle to fail him at such a crucial moment. Now, he was anxious, fearing he might have dyed Catherine¡¯s matter. If he did, his teacher would be furious. ¡°It didn¡¯t dy me. Could you help me with a wound?¡± Catherine asked, leading Fletcher to Amelia, who was thrilled that Catherine had managed to bring such a renowned doctor. Pointing to the wound on the back of Amelia¡¯s head, Catherine asked, ¡± Professor Keane, can you guarantee that this wound won¡¯t scar?¡± Fletcher nced at the wound and immediately turned to the attending doctor with a stern expression. ¡°You can¡¯t even handle this?¡± The doctor looked embarrassed. ¡± Professor Keane, I¡¯m not at your level!¡± The attending doctor, also a student of Fletcher, was stunned to see his teacher¡¯s hurried arrival. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Concerned for Catherine¡¯s friend, Fletcher didn¡¯t waste any time, reprimanding his student, ¡°Watch closely. Don¡¯t tarnish my reputation again!¡± With Fletcher¡¯s assurance, Catherine handed over the scene to Isabe. ¡± Please stay with Amelia,¡± she requested. Catherine¡¯s eyes were cold, which made Isabe a bit worried. ¡°Catherine, be careful,¡± she said. Catherine nodded slightly, pulled down her cap, and walked out. As soon as she stepped outside, she bumped into Branden, who stopped in his tracks when he saw her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. Catherine shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s Amelia who¡¯s in trouble.¡± Upon receiving the news, Branden rushed over, followed by Paxton and Ronin. Ronin immediately approached Catherine, asking, ¡°Catherine, how¡¯s Amelia?¡± With a stern face, Catherine said, ¡°You stay here and take care of Amelia.¡± Ronin had heard about Amelia getting injured for Catherine and being taken to the hospital. Catherine owed a big favor to Amelia, and now it was time to repay it. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s well taken care of,¡± he assured. ¡°By the way, Isadora is Emma¡¯s cousin. They are birds of a feather,¡± he added. Hearing this, Catherine finally understood the origin of the grudge. After Ronin finished speaking, Paxton, who was standing behind Branden, immediately provided new information. ¡°Emma Wale is currently staying at the Wales¡¯ residence in Loxton, which is Isadora¡¯s home!¡± ¡°Isadora is in the dorms!¡± Ronin added. They didn¡¯t rush over immediately because they had already found out the whereabouts of the two women in this short period. After learning about the two women¡¯s situation, Catherine left, and Branden immediately followed. The car stopped at the entrance of the female students¡¯ dormitory. It was the first time Branden¡¯s car had entered the residential area of this university. ¡°Wait for me in the car!¡± Catherine said. The female students¡¯ dormitory wasn¡¯t suitable for both of them to go up. Paxton watched Catherine¡¯s determined departure and then nced back at Branden. Branden calmly said, ¡°No worries. She¡¯s Catherine.¡± Indeed, she was Catherine, the devilish instructor with extraordinarybat skills. Even two men as skilled as Paxton wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against her, let alone Isadora. Thinking about this, Paxton calmed down. He shouldn¡¯t have doubted Catherine. He should pray for Isadora. Provoking Catherine was like messing with a demon. Bang! The noisy dormitory was suddenly interrupted by a loud noise, causing everyone to immediately stop what they were doing and look in the direction of the sound. Isadora was engrossed in watching a variety show when the loud bang startled her. Irritated, she turned around and cursed, ¡°Who the heck is it? What¡¯s the big idea, making such a ruckus for no reason!¡± As Isadora turned around, she was met with Catherine¡¯s cold and fierce gaze, which startled her, causing her to choke on her saliva and cough violently. After catching her breath, Isadora arrogantly started berating Catherine, ¡°What are you doing in our dorm? Not content with making a fool of yourself, do you want to let everyone know?¡± Catherine believed she had been maintaining a good temper since she came here. However, some people always seemed to enjoy challenging her limits, and she didn¡¯t mind teaching them a lesson. Catherine took two steps forward and stood below Isadora¡¯s bed. The other students were intimidated by Catherine¡¯s imposing presence and moved aside. Isadora was usually very arrogant in the dorm, relying on her family background to look down on everyone. Now that someone was picking a fight with her, they wouldn¡¯t sacrifice themselves for someone like Isadora! As Catherine drew closer, Isadora¡¯s anxiety grew. She nervously spoke, her voice trembling. ¡°What do you want?¡± Without saying a word, Catherine reached out and grabbed Isadora¡¯s cor. Then, with a strong pull, she yanked Isadora down from the top bunk and threw her to the ground. The onlookers were stunned. Catherine¡¯s strength was so astonishing that their mouths hung open in disbelief. Isadora being thrown to the ground was reminiscent of how she had thrown Amelia over her shoulder. Back then, Isadora had used her entire body¡¯s strength to execute the move on Amelia. On the other hand, Catherine effortlessly threw Isadora to the ground with just one hand. Before Isadora came to her senses, Catherine lifted her with one hand and dragged her out of the dormitory, leaving Isadora¡¯s ssmates in shock and at a loss for what to do. They all had a hunch that Isadora had definitely crossed someone she shouldn¡¯t have this time. Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Punishment Isadora was dragged into a car by Catherine and taken to the Wales, bound and gagged. The servants were stunned when they saw Isadora taken to the front door in a disheveled state. ¡°Open the door!¡± Catherin? snorted coldly. The servants obediently opened the door, intimidated by her imposing demeanor and the fact that she had Isadora in her grasp. Catherine dragged Isadora into the house and threw her into the living room. Themotion drew the attention of the Wales, who immediately rushed downstairs. When they saw Isadora gagged and bound on the floor, they were shocked. Ruth Wale rushed forward, trying to help Isadora. However, Catherine kicked Isadora in front of everyone, causing Isadora to grimace in pain with no chance even to cry out. Enraged, Ruth shouted at Catherine, ¡± Who are you? How dare you beat my daughter! I¡¯ll make sure you pay for this!¡± Emma, who had juste down from upstairs, recognized Catherine and was furious to see her cousin being brought to the Wales in such a manner. ¡°Catherine, you are too audacious. This is the Wales¡¯ residence. How dare you treat my cousin this way? Do you have any respect for our family?¡± Seeing his daughter humiliated, the head of the Wales, Elton, ordered the servants, ¡°Beat this woman up!¡± However, a cold and deep voice interrupted them before they could do anything. ¡°Mr. Wale, that¡¯s quite a bold statement.¡± Elton looked up and was surprised to see the unexpected visitor. He hurriedly came down the stairs to meet Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, what brings you here?¡± Branden nced at him and then walked over to Catherine, wrapping his arm around her shoulder in a supportive gesture. ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡± With those three words, Branden gave Catherine the greatest authority. She had his backing no matter what she did tonight, including destroying the Wales. Elton was considered a sessful businessman in Loxton. Sensing something amiss, he approached Branden, asking, ¡°Mr. Duncan, Isadora is my daughter. I would like to know exactly what she did wrong to deserve this treatment from you?¡± Catherine nced disdainfully at Elton and sarcastically remarked, ¡°She¡¯s your daughter. Go ask her.¡± Elton, facing Catherine¡¯s tough attitude and Branden¡¯s support, felt powerless despite his urge to explode in anger. To uncover the truth, he had no choice but to approach his daughter, Isadora. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me, and I¡¯ll handle it!¡± he demanded. As Elton approached to release Isadora, Paxton shot him a stern look, stopping Elton in his tracks. Paxton took matters into his own hards, removing the cloth gag from Isadora¡¯s mouth but not untying her. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Freed to speak, Isadora wasted no time in expressing her grievances. ¡°Dad, I had a dispute with Catherine¡¯s roommate. I identally pushed her over. In retaliation, Catherine beat me up.¡± When Elton heard his daughter¡¯s exnation, his face darkened. He turned to Branden and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, the Wales may not be as powerful as the Duncans, but that doesn¡¯t justify being bullied into silence. If ites to a showdown, the Duncans won¡¯te out unscathed either!¡± These words sounded somewhat unconvincing, as the true extent of the Duncans¡¯ power had be apparent recently. The Duncans had managed to escape from the Breens¡¯ siege and even managed to trap the Breens in the process. Throughout the country, few enterprises possessed such capabilities. Rumors had it that the Duncans¡¯ power was unfathomable. If it weren¡¯t for Branden¡¯s unexpected visit, Elton wouldn¡¯t have spoken in such a manner. Catherine¡¯s patience had worn thin, and she didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush with these people any longer. ¡°Paxton!¡± she ordered, and Paxton immediately handed over some documents to Elton. ¡°Mr. Wale, this is a post written by Miss Wale, targeting Miss Swann,¡± Paxton said. Elton looked at the contents of the post and was dumbfounded. Catherine was Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e. How could someone keep her? Or worse, by an old man? This was ridiculous! Elton threw the documents before Isadora and sternly questioned, ¡°Is this your doing?¡± The severity of his voice made Isadora tremble, unable to lift her head. Elton eximed in distress, ¡°How could you be so foolish?¡± Isadora still imed that she had done nothing wrong. She even shouted, ¡± Since she dared to do it, I do have the right to expose it!¡± Elton was no longer patient and pped Isadora. ¡°You¡¯re so foolish! She is Mr. Duncan¡¯s fianc¨¦e, do you understand?¡± Isadora instinctively nced at Branden. She had only just noticed how exceptionally handsome and imposing he looked. This was the first time she had seen her father speak so subserviently to someone, which showed just how powerful the Duncans were. If Catherine was his fianc¨¦e, then how could she be kept by an old man? Despite the truth being right in front of her, Isadora still refused to admit her mistake. She lifted her head arrogantly and said, ¡°Just because of this, you hit me? If it¡¯s a misunderstanding, I can apologize!¡± Catherine stepped forward and approached Isadora. ¡°What? You hit Amelia, so why can¡¯t I hit you? Tell me. How formidable is the power of the Wales that you look down on everyone like this?¡± From the conversation between the few individuals, Elton understood the whole situation. He knew his daughter was in the wrong, and now Catherine had caught her in the act. Catherine was being so arrogant because she had Branden backing her up. In his mind, Elton cursed his daughter for being foolish. There were other ways to deal with Catherine. Why would she use such a stupid method as spreading rumors about Catherine being kept by an old man? Wasn¡¯t that just tarnishing Branden¡¯s reputation? Of course, Branden would back her up! Elton took the initiative to approach Branden and apologized, ¡°Mr. Duncan, please forgive my daughter¡¯s foolishness. I will make sure she apologizes to you properly, no matter how you want to punish her. Will that be eptable to you?¡± Branden remained silent and nced at Catherine. Elton immediately understood and said to Catherine, ¡°Miss Swann, we will personally visit your injured roommate and cover all her medical and nutritional expenses.¡± Catherine was not concerned about these things. She was focused on Elton¡¯s previous statement. ¡°Are you sure I can punish her however I like?¡± Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Isadora Was Beaten Up Elton did not know what Catherine would do exactly, but he could already see something wrong in Catherine¡¯s eyes. There was a dangerous look in Catherine¡¯s icy-cold eyes. This look made Fletcher subconsciously panic, and he did not dare to agree. But Branden behind Catherine did not let him go. The threat was right in front of him. After hesitating for a while, Elton nodded. Without further ado, Catherine made a move quickly. She yanked Isadora up and flung her hard. The crowd gasped out in shock, and Isadora¡¯s mother even screamed. Isadora was knocked unconscious directly. Elton was so angry that his face turned dark, but he could do nothing about Catherine. Catherine had Branden behind her back! After handling Isadora, Catherine looked toward Emma. Since Emma saw her uncle¡¯s attitude change, she was smart enough to know that she could not afford to offend Catherine. She then hid at the side and did not make a sound. Her silence was not enough to make Catherine let her go. Catherine did not take action against Emma herself. She looked at Emma and smiled softly. That smile made Emma¡¯s heart feel creepy somehow. Just when Emma thought Catherine would beat her, Catherine turned her head to the side. ¡°Your niece is really cunning. She even wants to use someone else¡¯s hands to do evil!¡± Elton instantly froze at Catherine¡¯sment. Emma¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She did not expect Catherine to be even more ruthless than she imagined. Catherine actually used such a way to deal with her. She was now boarding at her uncle Elton¡¯s house. She had to rely on Elton¡¯s family to help her with many things while she was studying in Loxton. So she could not offend Elton and his family. After reacting, Emma immediately opened her mouth to defend herself. ¡°Uncle Elton, don¡¯t listen to her. She¡¯s stirring up discord and deliberately setting me up!¡± Catherineughed disdainfully and turned to leave the Wales¡¯. Elton, however, did not believe Emma¡¯s defense. From Emma¡¯s panicked look, he could guess the rough situation. Moreover, although he was unfamiliar with Catherine, he could tell from her way of doing things that she was direct and did not like to beat around the bush. If Catherine really wanted to deal with Emma, she could have done it directly. There was no need to sow discord. He looked coldly at Emma and said mercilessly, ¡°You get the hell out of here now!¡± Emma begged Elton not to treat her like this, but Elton did not give her a chance. Elton directly had the servant throw her things out. Catherine left the Wales¡¯ and came to the hospital. Amelia had already woken up, and her wound was not a big deal. For safety reasons, the doctor asked her to stay in the hospital for two days. Seeing Catherine appear and the murderous look in her eyes notpletely dissipating, Amelia was a bit panicked. ¡°Super Catherine, you didn¡¯t go to Isadora¡¯s to settle the score, did you?¡± Catherine did not hide it from Amelia. ¡± Yes, I took her back to the Wales¡¯ and beat her up! She¡¯ll find a chance to apologize to you tomorrow when she wakes up.¡± Amelia was shocked and looked at Catherine with wide eyes. She thought in shock, ¡°Did I hear right? Super Catherine actually brought Isadora back to her home and beat her up?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. She gulped silently. Although Isadora getting beaten up made her happy, she was worried that something would happen to Catherine. She had heard before that the Wales had quite a powerful background, and because of this, Isadora dared to be so arrogant at school. Amelia asked with concern, ¡°Will the Walese after you?¡± ¡°No!¡± Catherine answered decisively. Catherine muttered in her mind sarcastically, ¡°Hmph! The Wales don¡¯t have time toe after me now. They¡¯re about to go bankrupt, so how can they have time to bother me?¡± Chapter 662 Chapter 662 The Retribution of Bad People The next day, the post on the school forum that ndered Catherine disappeared. The top post was a post from Isadora¡¯s ount. The post¡¯s content was Isadora apologizing to Catherine solemnly and stating the true situation. Isadora just happened to see Catherine eating with someone. Out of jealousy, she took a photo and posted it on the forum to nder Catherine. After the top post was posted, it became even more hotter than the post that ndered Catherine. Both Isadora and Catherine were well- known figures in the school. No one would have thought that these two seemingly unrted people to bump into each other and that Isadora would frame Catherine because she was jealous of her fame. In schools like Styre University, where top-notch students gathered, there were actually bad students like Isadora. There was a big uproar among the students. Many people began to boycott Isadora spontaneously on the forum without anyone organizing, demanding the school expel Isadora. Quickly, in the afternoon of that day, the school issued a notice on how to deal with Isadora. In addition to ndering Catherine, Isadora was also suspected of intentionally harming others. After discussion, the school had decided to expel Isadora. Many students expressed great satisfaction when this topic was brought up. As for Isadora¡¯s roommates and ssmates who had been bullied by Isadora before, they all came out toin when they saw her finally fall. They made all of Isadora¡¯s malignant behavior public. The events about to be quelled were pushed to a climax once again due to their revtions. Due to these students¡¯ revtions, everyone¡¯s resentment toward Isadora reached its peak, and some people took the opportunity to post Isadora¡¯s incidents on the inte. Everyone thought Isadora¡¯s arrogance was due to the wealth of the Wales, which hit everyone¡¯s nerves even more. Manyizens followed this clue to dig deeper and indeed found that Isadora¡¯s family¡¯spany was suspected of tax evasion. On the same day, the Administration for Industry and Commerce intervened in the investigation. The netizens provided arge amount of evidence. The Wales had more than tax evasion problems. Such a problematic enterprise would definitely face severe crackdowns and bans. If the situation continued, it would only be a matter of time before the Wales went bankrupt. Overnight, the once glorious Wales suddenly faced bankruptcy. This was probably something that the people of the Wales never imagined. Ronin rushed to the hospital as soon as he received the news. ¡°Amelia, your revenge has already been taken!¡± Amelia was lying on the bed eating delicious fruits and looked at Ronin with a dumbfounded face. ¡°Ronin, what do you mean?¡± Amelia had always addressed Ronin in the tone of a big sister calling her little brother ever since she learned that Ronin was still three years younger than her. Ronin did not allow her to call him in that tone before. Seeing that Amelia was injured due to Catherine, Ronin did not argue about it with her this time. ¡°Isadora is expelled from school, and the Wales goes bankrupt. Don¡¯t you think your revenge has already been taken?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hearing this news so suddenly, Amelia was so shocked that she dropped the fruit in her hand. She looked at everyone in the ward incredulously. ¡°What? Is the Wales so miserable? Or am I really that powerful that the Wales suffered such a severe bacsh after beating me?¡± Isabe was also in the hospital room. Looking at Amelia with an innocent expression on her face, she did not even know what to say. She was different from Amelia. She saw things more thoroughly. When Amelia was beaten up, she thought of helping her to sue the Wales. But after investigating the background of the Wales, she felt that she could not do it with her own strength. The Wales had a strong background and was a new force rooted in Loxton, so it was not someone that a small fry like her could go against. This was also the reason why Isadora could be so arrogant in the school. Seriously, Isadora¡¯s victoryy in having an amazing father. Now that the Wales had fallen so quickly, Amelia did not understand why and was still guessing. But Isabe knew the power of the Wales, and she understood the reason. It was not some enthusiasticizen who could provideplete evidence to bring down the Wales in one fell swoop like this. It should be Catherine. Catherine could instantly make Wales bankrupt, and her strength was so terrifying that people dared not even imagine. The only thing Isabe was thankful for now was that she did not listen to another roommate¡¯s compulsion to fight against Catherine together. Otherwise, she would have ended up in a miserable situation. As long as others did not provoke Catherine, she would never take the initiative to attack others. She was actually a very easy-going type of person. They were still chatting when Catherine walked in from outside. Seeing that Catherine was carrying another basket of fresh fruits in her hands, Amelia could not help but gulp. ¡°Super Catherine, I have a lot of fruits here. You don¡¯t need to take fruits to me anymore. I haven¡¯t even finished the ones you brought yesterday. It will be wasteful if such expensive fruits are left to go bad!¡± At first, she only felt that the fruits Catherine brought were particrly delicious, and after checking, she realized that they were all very expensive. She was so shocked by the price of the fruits that she almost swallowed her tongue. The price of those fruits she ate in the morning was equivalent to half a year of her living expenses. Catherine ced the fruits on the table and said indifferently, ¡°You can eat as much as you can.¡± She implied that Amelia should not feel it was wasteful and that Amelia could eat as many fruits as she wanted. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Amelia rarely heard Catherine speak so much proactively. She suddenly felt that her injury was worth it. ¡°Much better. I don¡¯t feel any pain from my wound. You know what? There have been many doctors coming to my ward. They all wanted to check my wound and even felt it was a pity that they weren¡¯t on duty after finishing their work. They felt sad because they weren¡¯t able to see Professor Keane treat me in person with their own eyes! Those doctors had taken many of Fletcher¡¯s theoretical sses, but they rarely had the opportunity to take Fletcher¡¯s practical sses. Their group of medical students all cherished such an opportunity, and everyone felt it was a pity that they missed it. After all, no one expected Catherine to actually be able to invite Fletcher. Catherine frowned slightly when she heard that. ¡°How about I talk to the doctors and tell them not to come to bother you?¡± Catherine really didn¡¯t expect Amelia to be so valued by the doctors there. Amelia immediately rejected Catherine¡¯s offer after hearing it. ¡°No!¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at her. She did not understand what Amelia meant. Amelia was a little embarrassed, saying, ¡°I like to make friends with different people. I rarely get the chance to interact with so many people, so I¡¯ll just consider it as making more friends. I think it¡¯s great!¡± Students at Styre Medical College were usually very condescending. If someone tried to speak to them more than a couple of times, this person would be suspected of being premeditated and wanting free medical treatment. They rarely approached others actively, and Amelia naturally wanted to cherish this chance. Seeing Amelia enjoying such an asion, Catherine agreed to her request. ¡°Super Catherine, you don¡¯t have to stay here with me. Haven¡¯t you been busy with theboratory recently? I¡¯ll let you go!¡± Catherine did have something to do in theboratory. Seeing that Amelia was in a good situation, she stood up and prepared to leave. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Call me if anything happens!¡± Looking at Catherine¡¯s back as she left, Amelia began to envy Ronin again. ¡°Catherine is just so cool. She can give me a sense of security that even handsome guys can¡¯t give me. I like her so much!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Ronin nced at her in disgust. ¡°You can¡¯t have unrealistic fantasies about Catherine. You don¡¯t deserve her!¡± Chapter 663 Chapter 663 Reasons for Choosing Him At that moment, the Wales was in a mess. Elton had called all morning, but no one answered his phone calls. No one was willing to help the Wales at this time. Everyone knew that the Wales had offended someone they shouldn¡¯t have, so no one was willing to get involved. Elton made another phone call to an old friend, but before the phone call was connected, it was immediately hung up. He was so angry that he threw his phone directly on the floor and cursed loudly, ¡°These bastards. I haven¡¯t gone bankrupt yet. Do they need to be so afraid?¡± The butler entered the door with trepidation, just in time to see this scene. He fell to his knees in fear. Elton turned back to the butler kneeling on the floor and asked in a cold voice, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± The butler said carefully, ¡°Miss Emma is here again. She¡¯s still kneeling at the door!¡± Elton was about to get angry when his wife said suddenly, ¡°Honey, isn¡¯t Kamren from Northeville also a support?¡± Kamren Arroyo from Northeville was always doing illegal and shady business deals. Once, the Wales¡¯pany was short of funds due to special circumstances, and Elton borrowed money from him, so the two of them got to know each other. Although Kamren had a lot of money, he did not take the right path. If it were not for thest resort, Elton would not have any further interaction with him. At present, this was indeed a solution. Elton frowned slightly and said with some worry, ¡°But now that everyone knows about the situation of our Wales. It¡¯s impossible for Kamren not to know. He will definitely make fun of us!¡± Ruth said calmly, ¡°So what? As long as he¡¯s willing to help us, he can make fun of us as much as he wants! I¡¯ve heard Kamren has a hobby. He likes spirited young girls. Many of the girls apanying him are students who graduated from art schools!¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Kamren was already over sixty years old, but he worked out all year round and was strong. He loved young girls who were skilled in singing and dancing, with charming figures and educational backgrounds. He enjoyed this kind of girl the most. Elton immediately realized his wife¡¯s intentions. ¡°You mean Emma? But she is my brother¡¯s daughter!¡± Elton resented Emma in his heart, but she was his niece, after all. He still felt a bit reluctant to push his niece into the abyss. Ruth said with a face full of disdain, Don¡¯t forget who caused all of this!¡± In Ruth¡¯s opinion, if it weren¡¯t for Emma¡¯s instigation, her daughter Isadora would not mess with Catherine. Now, not only had Isadora lost her reputation and suffered a beating, but she had also implicated the Wales in the current situation. Emma caused all of this. She should take responsibility. Seeing her husband looking gloomy, Ruth softly said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do right now. Emma isn¡¯t a little girl anymore, and she should also know how to share the burden for the Wales. When the situation improves in the future, we can just give her a little morepensation!¡± A slight change appeared in Elton¡¯s eyes, and Ruth, who caught this change, immediately instructed the butler, ¡°Let Emmae in!¡± Elton did not stop her. It could be considered that he had acquiesced to all this. Catherine returned to theboratory. The rumors outside did not affect theboratory. Those senior brothers and sisters who were focused on theboratory still greeted Catherine warmly when they saw her return. ¡°Catherine, you look happy today. I heard that your roommate was injured. Is she alright?¡± Catherine responded politely. ¡°Thanks for your concern. My roommate¡¯s injury isn¡¯t serious!¡± During this period, everyone learned about Catherine¡¯s nature. She was cold, but she was not pretentious or ostentatious and was easy to get along with. For Catherine, their highly skilled junior sister, everyone admired and loved her from the bottom of their hearts. ¡°That¡¯s good. Just let us know if you need any help!¡± Catherine nodded slightly. When Marshall entered, he saw Catherine holding herputer and heading back to theputer room. He stopped her in a hurry. ¡°Catherine, I heard your roommate was injured?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Catherine responded. Marshall smiled at her and gossiped. ¡± And I heard you even got Fletcher, that old man, to treat her!¡± Marshall¡¯s image had changed quite a bit since Catherine had shown up. He no longer had a stern face all day long. He used to have a stern face because he was annoyed that he could not solve his problems. Now, he had Catherine to help him with his problems. He did not need to worry about anything anymore. Even their principal said that Marshall had been smiling a lot moretely. Hearing Marshall mention Fletcher, the rest of his disciples immediately gathered around. ¡°What? Catherine, you actually invited Professor Keane!¡± ¡°Was it really Professor Keane himself who came to treat your roommate?¡± ¡°Catherine, you are amazing!¡± Marshall¡¯s eldest disciple said bluntly, ¡± Even if Professor Hartley personally invites Professor Keane to treat him, Professor Keane may note!¡± Marshall and Fletcher were not only colleagues but also friends who often yed chess together for many years. The two of them had been friends for many years with a good rtionship. But as Marshall¡¯s eldest disciple said, Fletcher was entric. Even if Marshall personally asked him to treat him, he might note, However, those words made Marshall unhappy. Marshall turned his head and angrily rebuked his most experienced disciple, ¡°Nonsense. Are you cursing me?¡± Seeing that Marshall was angry, Marshall¡¯s eldest disciple immediately admitted his mistake. ¡°Professor Hartley, I was just joking. I just wanted to express my curiosity about this matter!¡± Everyoneughed in unison, and the happy atmosphere also put Catherine in a good mood. Being with a group of pure people, she even had pure smiles. She was enjoying herself there. ¡°An elder I know used to teach Professor Keane, sort of Professor Keane¡¯s teacher. He was the one who made the call for me to invite Professor Keane!¡± Years ago, Fletcher wanted to be a disciple of Thomas. Unfortunately, Thomas thought Fletcher was neither qualified nor intelligent enough to meet his requirements. So, he did not ept Fletcher as his disciple. Fletcher was not discouraged and studied at Thomas¡¯ side for three years. During these three years, although Thomas did not ept him as his disciple, he still gave him a lot of guidance in his medical skills. This was also the reason why Fletcher had always regarded Thomas as his mentor. Although he was entric and did not listen to others, it was impossible that he did not listen to his mentor! After listening to Catherine¡¯s exnation, the surrounding senior brothers and sisters all looked at Catherine with envious looks on their faces. ¡°Catherine, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so amazing, and the people around you are even better!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The only one who can be Fletcher¡¯s teacher is Dr. Miracle!¡± Catherine smiled faintly and did not respond. The senior brothers and sisters were also smiling. When they saw that Catherine had no desire to continue the conversation, they dispersed. Catherine took theputer and turned toward theputer room. Marshall stood in the same ce, looking at her back. He began to have some self-doubt. He asked himself in his heart, ¡°What kind of charisma do I possess that makes Catherine willing to choose me as her mentor? A genius like Catherine is even qualified to be my mentor! Is it really like what Winston from theputer science department said, that she chose me to be her mentor just because I am older and she respects the old?¡± Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Kiss of Death At this moment, Triston was at the Lamberts¡¯. Branden had a business deal with Triston, so he let his driver drop him off at the Lamberts¡¯. The day before yesterday, Triston got injured, and now he was lying at home. Branden came by to check on him. After stepping into the house, Branden spotted Triston lounging in the living room on a chaise longue, and his foot was dramatically swathed in bandages. If one didn¡¯t know better, he would think the injury was severe. Aidan was also there. He slouched across from Triston with a casual demeanor. His phone was in hand, and his fingers darted across the screen as he yed a game. As soon as Branden entered, Aidan dropped the phone and ignored his in- game teammates. Triston had the same reaction. If not for his limited mobility, he would have rushed over to Branden already. As Branden settled down, he nced at Triston¡¯s heavily bandaged leg. ¡°That bad of an injury?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Before Triston could say a word, Aidan preemptively exposed his charade. Aidan said, ¡°He¡¯s just putting on a show! I was with him at the hospital. The doctor said it was just a tiny fracture. Mr. Lambert exaggerated it all for sympathy!¡± Audrey had a film shoot in Loxton these past few days. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Triston went to visit the set. However, during the shoot, Audrey¡¯s wire rigging malfunctioned. Triston quickly rushed to the scene and sessfully rescued her. He did save her, but in the process, he got a minor leg fracture. Initially, the doctor thought Triston was young and strong and didn¡¯t need a cast. But Triston was full of cunning ns and wanted Audrey to appreciate his heroics more. He not only convinced the doctor to cast his leg but also exaggerated the bandaging to the extreme. He almost had them carry him out on a stretcher. Triston felt irked by the interference. He gave Aidan a swift kick with his uninjured foot. ¡°My leg¡¯s hurt, not my mouth. Got something useful to say?¡± Aidan nced at him with disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t even care to bother with you!¡± Then Aidan turned to Branden and said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I heard the folks from the Wales offended Catherine, and you took care of them. Is that true? 11 Today, the inte buzzed with news about the Wales, from the daughter of the Wales to the entire household. The once-prominent family seemed to be on the brink of copse overnight. Outsiders didn¡¯t know the situation and spected wildly, but insiders whispered that the Wales¡¯ sudden downfall was due to crossing paths with the Duncans. During recent business wars, both domestic and international, the Duncans¡¯ strength had astonished everyone in the industry. In such a situation, the fact that the Duncans managed to defeat the Breens ande out unscathed spoke volumes about their power. While the Wales had been riding high, how long their streak wouldst remained a mystery. For the Wales, facing off against the Duncans seemed like taking on a titan. Seeing Aidan gossiping, Triston chimed in. ¡°I heard it was the daughter of the Wales who hit one of Catherine¡¯s friends.¡± As soon as Triston got wind that the copse of the Wales was rted to the Duncans, he reached out to Paxton. After persistent persuasion, he managed to extract some information from Paxton. Paxton had a poker face and was tight- lipped. Getting anything out of him was no easy feat. There was no need for Branden to keep secrets from his two friends. He said, Kathy did it herself. She hacked into the Wales¡¯puter and got all that info out.¡± Not only did she hack the Wales¡¯puter, but she also orchestrated the downfall. The world believed the Duncans were behind the Wales¡¯ copse, but in reality, the Duncans hadn¡¯t lifted a finger. Triston and the others believed Branden. They knew that Catherine¡¯s prowess was unfathomable and par with Branden¡¯s. The Wales reallycked foresight. They dared to offend Catherine¡¯s friend. That was just asking for trouble. Aidan shared thetest news. He said, I heard that the head of the Wales is in a panic now. He tries to cozy up to Kamren from Northeville. He even sent his niece over!¡± In their circle, secrets didn¡¯t stay secret, especially with someone as shy and loud as Kamren. As soon as he received the kind gesture of the Wales, he boasted about it everywhere. Rumor had it that the niece of the Wales became a joke in her art school. Within hours, word spread within their circle. Triston knew of Kamren. Despite being known as a yboy, Triston believed in mutual consent and never forced anyone. But Kamren didn¡¯t have such standards. The niece of the Wales even could be treated as his granddaughter. He really had no scruples. However, the Wales had offended Catherine. As Catherine¡¯s friends, they couldn¡¯t easily let the Wales rise from their mess. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Kamren may not have much else, but he¡¯s wealthy. If we don¡¯t intervene, the Wales might get through this crisis. Why don¡¯t we team up and give the Wales a bit of a setback?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Branden replied coldly. Catherine¡¯s actions merely prevented the Wales from being as overbearing as before. But the Wales¡¯ current decision was digging their own grave. Kamren operated in shady ways. The Wales¡¯ association with him would lead to their downfall. As for the niece of the Wales, being troubled by her own uncle was perhaps her just deserts. Watching them teeter on the edge of ruin, there was no reason for Branden to y the hero and pull them back from the brink. Seeing Branden¡¯s smile, Triston gulped nervously. He whispered to Aidan cautiously, ¡°Don¡¯t you find Mr. Duncan¡¯s smile a bit terrifying?¡± After seeing that, Aidan shuddered, too. He inwardly swore never to cross paths with Branden. ¡°We¡¯ll stay out of the Wales¡¯ affairs. With what Mr. Duncan said, the Wales won¡¯t have a good oue. Let¡¯s just wait and watch,¡± Aidan said. Triston believed every word. Just by Branden¡¯s smile, he knew the Wales were in for a rough ride. It was almost 10 PM. Catherine walked out of theb slowly. She had exined the situation to Branden before, so he was afraid of disturbing her and didn¡¯t call during this period. Gazing at the stars in the night sky, Catherine began walking toward her dorm. She needed to return to theb tomorrow, so she decided to spend the night in her dorm. Midway, her phone suddenly rang in her pocket. Catherine took out her phone and checked the caller ID. It was Kim, someone she hadn¡¯t heard from in a while. She frowned and answered the call. She asked, ¡°Kim?¡± The moment the call was connected, an urgent voice echoed through the receiver. ¡°Catherine, hurry to Serenity General Hospital. Audrey is injured!¡± Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Audrey¡¯s Injury When Catherine rushed out of the school gate, she met Branden, who was there to pick her up. Branden took a chance to see if Catherine was free because he knew she had been busy in the laboratory these days. Seeing Catherine walking fast, Branden hurriedly stepped forward and asked, ¡± What¡¯s the hurry? What happened?¡± Catherine got into the car before she could answer him. ¡°Go to Serenity General Hospital,¡± said Catherine to Paxton. Without asking any questions, Paxton started the car and quickly drove away. Catherine caught Branden up with what had happened before they met. ¡± Kim called and said that Audrey had an ident while filming. She¡¯s at the Serenity General Hospital now.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Branden held her hand gently andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. she will be okay.¡± Hearing what happened, Paxton had already driven the car to the fastest speed without being instructed. The car stopped at the entrance of Serenity General Hospital in the shortest possible time. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Catherine opened the door and jumped off, followed closely by Branden. Outside the operating room, Kim paced back and forth anxiously, not knowing what to do. Upon hearing the chaotic footsteps, Kim turned around and immediately rushed forward when he saw it was Catherine coming. All kinds of emotions mixing made him even want to hug Catherine. Because now, Catherine was like a life-saving straw for him. After catching a glimpse of Branden behind Catherine, Kim forced himself to stop and said, ¡°Catherine, fortunately, you¡¯re here. Your sister hasn¡¯te out yet.¡± Catherine nodded, and Paxton had brought the head of the hospital here as soon as possible. ¡°Mr. Ducan,¡± Rhys Parry said. He and the two chief doctors came directly to Branden. Catherineforted Kim and turned around to ask Rhys about Audrey¡¯s situation. ¡°How is Audrey now?¡± When Catherine spoke, Branden listened motionlessly. Rhys knew that Catherine was in the lead. At first, he thought Audrey was just an ordinary female celebrity who was injured. He arranged a chief doctor for her, and that was it. Unexpectedly, she turned out to be close to Branden. Branden came to the hospital in person for her. Rhys didn¡¯t even know her situation when asked. Fortunately, he had received many high-ranking big shots daily and was very experienced. He quickly shifted the question to Morrison Rayes. ¡°Dr. Rayes will give you the details.¡± Morrison stepped forward and calmed everyone down with his first sentence. He said, ¡°Miss Swann¡¯s injury was not life-threatening. When she fell, she covered her head with both hands. Her head remained unhurt. It¡¯s the upper half of the right arm that¡¯s severely injured. There are also many cuts on the right forearm, one of which was as long as four inches! ¡°Most of the wounds can be cured without leaving a scar, but it¡¯s probably difficult not to leave a scar on this one. ¡°Knowing Audrey¡¯s profession, Morrison truthfully ssified all the risks. These people were difficult to deal with. Even Rhys could not afford to offend them, let alone him. After Morrison finished speaking, Kim became worried. He said, ¡°But Audrey is going to Paris to attend the Fashion Week next month. She worked hard for half a year to gain this opportunity. How could she still go with a big ugly scar on her arm?¡± Audrey had been climbing up the careerdder recently, and this was the opportunity she chased for so long. They even hid the ident from the public in order not to affect her future. Footsteps echoed throughout the corridor. Subconsciously, everyone turned around and saw Triston rushing over with crutches and gauze wrapped around his legs. ¡°How¡¯s it going? How is Audrey doing? ¡°Triston asked eagerly. Seeing another big shoting in, Rhys was so nervous that he couldn¡¯t even catch his breath. Triston grabbed Rhys¡¯s sleeve and took a quick step towards him. ¡°Rhys, the woman lying inside is my future wife, the future hostess of the Lamberts. My whole family is now in your hands! ¡± Rhys almost broke down when he heard this. His face turning pale, he quickly repeated what Morrison had just said to Triston. Knowing Audrey¡¯s life was not in danger, Triston also calmed down a bit, but he had the same attitude as Kim on the scar issue. ¡°She can¡¯t have scars. Audrey cares about her appearance so much, and she is an actress. You have to get rid of the scar.¡± Morrison was embarrassed. Removing scar¡¯s has always been a challenging problem in the medical community. Serenity General Hospital represented the highest level of medicine in Loxton. However, Audrey¡¯s scar was long and deep. They were not confident about getting rid of the scar. Morrison said, ¡± Mr. Lamberts, there¡¯s nothing we could do about it.¡± ¡°A bunch of good-for-nothing!¡± Triston cursed. Faced with Triston¡¯s anger, everyone present lowered their heads. Rhys, who had been silent for a while, suddenly suggested, ¡°Professor Keane from Styre University is a special-invited doctor of our hospital. If he is willing toe, there may be a way.¡± Upon hearing this, Catherine went to the hallway with her phone. Triston immediately noticed Catherine walking away and asked Branden, ¡°Where is she going?¡± Branden nced at him impatiently and said, ¡°To call someone. ¡°The contempt for Triston was shown starkly. And Triston could not say anything about it. Audrey needed help from Fletcher, and Catherine had ess to him. He would do anything for Audrey, including being despised by Branden. Catherine called and invited Fletcher over. Amelia had Fletcher¡¯s number from Thomas. This time, Catherine didn¡¯t seek help from Thomas. With just one phone call, Fletcher came in person. Fletcher came with an orthopedic expert from Styre University. ¡°Miss Swann, let me introduce him to you. This is my friend Julius Ghett. We usually y chess together. He is also a professor at Styre University. He sucks at chess, but he is quite an expert in orthopedics. I heard your sister was injured, so I asked him toe with me,¡± said Fletcher. Catherine knew Julius must be extraordinary in his field. That¡¯s why Fletcher would invite him. She was very grateful for Fletcher¡¯s kindness. ¡°Thank you very much, Fletcher,¡± said Catherine. Fletcher waved and replied, ¡± My pleasure.¡± Julius looked at Catherine, full of joy. ¡°I met Marshall before I left. He told me that if I couldn¡¯t cure your sister, he wouldn¡¯t y chess with me in the future. What a threat,¡± he joked. Julius¡¯s wit lightened the atmosphere instantly. Catherine was about to say something, but Morrison stepped forward and asked, ¡°Dr. Ghett, why are you here?¡± Chapter 666 Chapter 666 The Surgery Morrison, standing silently on the side, suddenly talked to Julius. He said in a humble and respectful tone. Julius took a look at him with a strict expression. He asked, ¡°Are you in charge of this surgery?¡± Morrison nodded and responded. ¡°Yes, professor, I¡¯m in charge of orthopedics and wound suturing.¡± Julius generously offered, ¡°Fine, you can assist Fletcher and me today. Consider it a lesson out of school.¡± Morrison was flooded with joy. He nodded quickly and kept saying, ¡± Thanks.¡± Rhys was filled with a surge of astonishment by what he saw. He thought, ¡®Dr. Rayes is an expert in orthopedics at Serenity General Hospital. Professor Ghett must be an authority in orthopedics to gain Dr. Rayes¡¯ respect. Not to mention that Professor Keane hardly epts any invitations from hospitals. Catherine made a phone call, and both of them were here in person. How powerful is she.¡¯ Catherine stepped forward and shook their hands. ¡°Thanks, professors. I owe you one.¡± Fletcher approached Catherine with a shy smile and said, ¡°Miss Swann, could you do me a favor? Let me know the next time Mr. Theo is in Loxton. It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw him. I miss him a lot.¡± Thomas¡¯s whereabouts were always mysterious. Many people wanted to look for him. Even Fletcher, as Thomas¡¯s student, barely had the chance to see him without being called. Only Catherine was able to make Thomas avable on call. So, this was also a request by Fletcher out of selfishness. Catherine agreed without hesitation, ¡± Okay!¡±She thought, ¡®It happens to be Scott¡¯s birthday next month. Thomas loved his grandson very much. He wille to Loxton. Just notify Fletcher when the timees.¡¯ Seeing that Catherine agreed, Fletcher couldn¡¯t stop smiling. He pulled Julius towards the operating room and said, Hurry! Don¡¯t waste time here.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The surgery, originally scheduled for two hours, ended in over an hour. Two professors walked out wearing green surgical uniforms, followed by Morrison. Before the two professors could speak, Morrison eagerly promoted, ¡°The professors are extraordinary. This surgery is so sessful. It was not a major surgery and can be performed in any big hospital. It¡¯s just that Audrey was an actress. To avoid leaving scars increased the difficulty of the surgery. So Catherine specifically invited them to perform the surgery. Catherine didn¡¯t need to ask for the result. Fletcher had guaranteed that it wouldn¡¯t leave a scar. Catherine trusted him. Kim excitedly moved forward and weed Audrey, who was pushed out of the operating room. The surgery was performed under semi-anesthesia, and when Audrey came out, she was conscious but unable to move her body. When she saw Catherine standing on the side, tears of excitement almost came to her eyes. Kim thought she was worried about her condition and quickly exined it to her, ¡°Audrey, don¡¯t worry. Catherine has hired the best doctors for you, ensuring no scars will be left and your fashion show in Paris next month won¡¯t be affected.¡± Audrey was annoyed by Kim¡¯s nagging and impatiently closed her eyes. Triston took the opportunity to step forward and pulled Kim away. ¡°Step aside, didn¡¯t you see that she needs to rest? Let me tell you, she¡¯s not allowed to work for the next month, and I¡¯ll cover all the losses,¡± said Triston. ¡®If I can¡¯t even protect my women, what else can I do?¡± Triston thought. Triston dropped his words and ended the discussion. He apanied Audrey into the ward to rest. Kim stood on the side and muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what went wrong with Audreytely. She has been unlucky for a long time. So far, it is the third time.¡± What Kim said alerted Catherine. Catherine knew Triston took a hit for Audreyst time. Triston posted on his social media and boasted about it, iming to be the Medal of Love. There was no such thing as a coincidence in the world. If it happened several times in a row, there was a problem. ¡°Kim, how often did you say Audrey had been in trouble by now?¡± Catherine asked. Seeing that Catherine was interested, Kim couldn¡¯t helpining, ¡°Yeah, she has been unlucky for a while. When she was recording a variety show before, bad things kept happening to her. Recently, she has been filming with a crew, and the props always went wrong, which could be dangerous for actors and actresses. My heart has been beating fasttely. I feel like something else is going to happen. Catherine, do you think I should go to the church to pray for good luck?¡± Catherine was an atheist. She believed someone was behind all these idents. She gave a hint to Paxton beside her, and he nodded slightly at her before turning and leaving. Catherine and Branden were pretty close. What Catherine said was equivalent to what Banden said. So Paxton knew what to do without Catherine¡¯s order. Triston apanied Audrey closely in the ward, and Audrey¡¯s condition also stabilized. As long as she stayed in the hospital and rested well, she would get well soon. Branden decided to take Catherine back home to take a break first. He said to Catherine, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯lle with you tomorrow!¡± Catherine did not refuse and followed Branden into the car. Paxton was not there, so Branden drove. A low-key ck car slowly drove through the noisy neighborhood, and Catherine looked through the window at the lively scene under the night lights, unable to help but keep looking. The car slowed down, and Branden pulled it over by the road. Catherine turned to look at him and saw that his eyes were bright. He smiled at her and casually said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of the car and grab a bite.¡± There were many small restaurants along the road. The most attractive one was a fried chicken shop, releasing waves of food smell that stimted the taste buds of passersby. Branden and Catherine walked into the small fried chicken shop and sat down. The moment they sat down, they caught everyone¡¯s attention. The way they dressed and their faces showed they were not ordinary people. Such figures often sat in high-end restaurants, not casually in small roadside shops. The fried chicken shop was not far from the hospital, and not long after the two of them drove out, they came across this street, providing small snacks. Thinking of Kim being busy at the hospital all day, Catherine sent a message in their chat room on WhatsApp and left the address, inviting Kim to grab a bite together. Kim was awkward about staying with Audrey and Triston. So he replied right away, [Be there in a minute. Order me a cheeseburger.] Ronin initiated the chat room. They were all good friends who enjoyed spending time together. Knowing Branden and Catherine were having dinner with a third one, they all wanted toe. Ronin texted, [I¡¯m there.] Zobber sent a message, saying, [I¡¯m in.] Aidan responded, [What¡¯s the address?] Chapter 667 Chapter 667 The Silvas The small, shabby fried chicken shop was now crowded with good-looking people casually sitting around the table, talking andughing. Their sports cars formed a line parking by the road. The fried chicken shop was taken over. Not only did Ronin and Kime, but Drake and Withal rushed in as soon as they saw the message. Ronin handed the fries to Catherine and asked, ¡°Catherine, is Audrey okay?¡± Catherine exined, ¡°The surgery was sessful. She still needs to rest for a while.¡± Everyone knew that Audrey was Catherine¡¯s elder sister, and Triston dreamed of marrying Audrey and followed her everywhere. They all cared about Audrey¡¯s injury. The shop owner was d to see so many people eating there. He served another tray of fried chicken to their table. The chicken was taken by someone on the way. Judging by how he dressed, the shop owner knew he was one of them. So he said, ¡°Are you one of them? Here¡¯s your fried chicken.¡± The food in the roadside shop didn¡¯te with rules and services. But Aidan didn¡¯t care and took the fried chicken tray to his friend¡¯s table. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you toe out. When I saw the message, I drove over a hundred miles to get here,¡± said Aidan. Upon hearing his ramble, Zobber could not help but tease him, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that street food could attract the attention of the noble Mr. Lane. I thought you only eat in those top Michelin restaurants.¡± Aidan was not offended by her teasing. Instead, he was in such a good mood. He responded, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s not about where or what you eat. It¡¯s about whom you eat with. I¡¯m happy to squat on the roadside and chew on lollipops with friends!¡± After hearing his words, Zobber did not tease him again. She said, ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± If it were in the past, they would have bickered with each other until the end of this gathering. Aidan felt bored when Zobber stopped talking back. He turned to Catherine and said, ¡°Triston said we were heartless to have this gathering while he apanied Audrey at the hospital.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. If not for Audrey¡¯s injury, Triston would have grabbed a seat and sat here by now. Catherine grinned and raised her cup to clink Aidan¡¯s. They both drank up. After drinking some beer, Aidan became talkative. He said, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m unsure if I should tell you this.¡± Ronin was most annoyed by this and couldn¡¯t help but argue with him. ¡± Either say it straightly or do not mention it. Are you afraid we pass out for your explosive news?¡± Aidan thought for a moment and felt that Ronin made some sense. So he continued, ¡°I feel that Audrey has been particrly unluckytely. Didn¡¯t Triston take a hit for Audreyst time?¡± Catherine had just heard Kimin about this. She had already arranged for someone to investigate. Now, Aidan brought it up again. Aidan was different from Kim. Hisst name was Lane, which made him essible to all kinds of people and information. He knew way more than Kim did. Catherine felt that he had something else to say. She asked, ¡± What do you mean?¡± There was no turning back. Aidan had to spit it out. Let alone Catherine was his good friend. ¡°A few days ago, the Lamberts arranged a marriage for Triston with a girl from the Silvas in Loxton. It is said that the Silvas approached them first, hoping to strengthen their power through the alliance!¡± The Lamberts had always been a wealthy and influential family in Casier. Recently, the Duncans had moved to Loxton, transferring arge portion of their business here. The Lamberts also determined that the prospects in Casier were limited, and they intended to follow the Duncans to Loxton. The Silvas were prominent ns in Loxton. Unlike the rising Lamberts, the Silvers had been constantly declining over the past decade, only looking good on the outside. To maintain their status, the Silvas wanted to ally with the Lamberts through a marriage between the two families. A broke rich man was still wealthier than the poor. Although the Silvas were in dire straits, as a prominent family in Loxton, they still had rtions and connections. These were what the Lamberts urgently needed. The Silvas took the initiative to propose a marriage with the Lamberts. The elders of the Lamberts were not aware of Triston¡¯s personal life. Seeing him hanging around all day long, they decided on the marriage without Triston¡¯s consensus after meeting with the Silvas¡¯ daughter. Triston had be ustomed to being unchained, and it was not the first time his elders had made decisions for him. He didn¡¯t even take it to heart. As soon as Audrey consented, he would go public with their rtionship. No one can say anything then. Catherine¡¯s patience wore off because Aidan kept beating about the bush. She got to the point and asked, ¡°Are you saying Audrey¡¯s injury is rted to the Silvas?¡± Aidan nodded, ¡°To be precise, I think it¡¯s rted to Andrea Silva, the daughter of the Silvas. I¡¯ve met her before. She is good-looking and smart. An intelligent woman with a clear target can be difficult to deal with.¡± The eldest son of the Lamberts, Michael, was already engaged. He and his fianc¨¦e were a loving couple widely known in Casier. So Andrea could not be aiming at Michael. It could only be Triston. Triston¡¯s high-profile pursuit of Audrey is notable for everyone in their social circle. A woman like Andrea could not allow others to sabotage her ns. The Silvas were involved in many cultural industries. Picking on an actress with no background and not getting caught should be easy for them. Triston was deeply trapped in the situation. Aidan, on the other hand, saw through as a bystander. In addition, the rtionshipwork of the Lanes in Loxton was much deeper than that of the Lamberts, and Aidan had also met Andrea several times and knew how smart she was. He didn¡¯t have concrete evidence to prove Andea was behind the scenes, but he felt she had something to do with it. Catherine nodded slightly, lifted the cup in her hand, and drank it all in one gulp as a gesture of gratitude. She thought inwardly, ¡°It seems like I have to meet with Andrea. It¡¯s best if Audrey¡¯s idents have nothing to do with her. Then I¡¯ll leave her to Triston. If Andrea is behind the scenes, I won¡¯t go easy on her.¡± Chapter 668 Chapter 668 An Economics Seminar Even after ate-night street barbecue session, Catherine couldn¡¯t resist getting up early to head to the lab. If she hadn¡¯t received an unexpected message about Audrey¡¯s mishap, she would¡¯ve arrived even earlier, straight from the dorm to theb. Once inside theb, Catherine immediately delved into her work. To ensure she had a quiet work environment, Marshall cleared out his own exclusiveb space for Catherine. In the research building, this was a treatment usually reserved for esteemed professors. When professors from other departments got wind of this, they sought out Marshall and imed he was breaking the rules. Once a precedent was set, it made things difficult for everyone else. However, Marshall just chuckled and even teased them, saying, ¡°If you had a gem like mine, you¡¯d offer not just ab but even yourst penny.¡± Those folks thought it was against the rules, but their arguments fell t against Marshall¡¯s words because Catherine¡¯s capabilities spoke volumes. It left them envious and resigned. After working all morning, Catherine finally emerged from theb. Right at mealtime, Branden messaged her and reminded her to eat on time. If she didn¡¯t respond or eat as scheduled, Branden would probably show up at theb with a food container in hand. As soon as she stepped out of theb, Catherine spotted Ciaran rushing toward her. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be out at mealtime!¡± ¡°Ciaran, did you need me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡± Ciaran pointed behind him and looked flustered. ¡°Mr. Farrell is here and has been waiting for you for a long time!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me then, Ciaran?¡± Ciaran looked embarrassed. ¡°You know the instruction of the professor.¡± Marshall had made it clear that no one was to disturb Catherine during her experiments, or they¡¯d face consequences for vitingb rules. Given the severity of the offense, no one dared to cross that line. Hearing this, Catherine didn¡¯t know how to argue back. She didn¡¯t like being disturbed while working, but if there was a genuine reason, it was understandable. She wasn¡¯t unreasonable and she could understand the situation. Marshall had just gone above and beyond to protect her. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Mr. Farrell,¡± Catherine replied. Ultan had been sipping coffee for two to three hours before finally meeting Catherine. ¡°Catherine, seeing you is harder than catching Professor Hartley! ¡°Sorry, Mr. Farrell. I was in theb, engrossed in some experiments,¡± Catherine politely exined. Seeing her friendly attitude, Ultan didn¡¯t dwell on it. He was more worried that if he counted things up too much, Marshall mighte to him about it. Then he said, ¡°The school is inviting an economics expert for a seminar this afternoon. I hope you can attend.¡± As a student from the EIE department, she was asked to attend an economics seminar. Catherine looked at Ultan skeptically and wondered if one of her secret identities had been inadvertently revealed. ¡°We¡¯ve invited Mr. Shane, a financial bigwig from Euphosean,¡± Ultan added. After Ultan said that, Catherine understood the situation. ¡°Okay. Got it, ¡± she replied and turned to leave. Watching Catherine depart, Ultan couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. It was the first time he¡¯d felt so stifled in front of a student. He realized that Catherine was definitely someone extraordinary. At 2 PM sharp, Catherine appeared in the meeting room of the economics department, which caused a small stir among those present. Whispers buzzed around discreetly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Catherine from the EIE department?¡± ¡°Yeah. Her face is stunning. You won¡¯t find another like hers.¡± ¡°She¡¯s from the EIE department, right? What¡¯s she doing in the forum of our economics department?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe she¡¯s got some hidden connection to the big shots.¡± ¡°Keep it down. I heard she¡¯s got some powerful backing.¡± Many recognized Catherine. Isadora¡¯s incident had caused a sensation not just at Styre University but across the entire academic circle in Loxton. As the other main character in that event, Catherine naturally attracted much attention. Combined with the previous rumors about her and Shane, even though Isadorater rified it was all false, the fact that they were seen together in a restaurant was undeniable. This led people to specte about their rtionship. Catherine strode forward with a cool demeanor and ignored the gazes of those around her. She had intended to find a corner to sit in, but Ultan noticed themotion, turned his head, and spotted her. He waved at Catherine enthusiastically and called out, ¡°Come! With Ultan¡¯s gesture, Catherine, who was already the center of attention, instantly drew the eyes of the entire room. Under the gaze of everyone, Catherine walked to the front row and sat beside Ultan. Once seated, the president began quietly conversing with Catherine. He said, ¡°Having Mr. Shane here at our school for this exchange is a rare opportunity!¡± Catherine agreed with this. In the business world, Shane was an absolute titan. He had years of experience in the business world, so securing him to lecture at a forum for students was an honor for everyone present. Moreover, over the years, as his age advanced, Shane gradually faded from public view. He even declined invitations to several economic forums, let alone school lectures. The doors of the meeting room closed, and the stage lights brightened. The entire venue fell silent. In this enthusiastic yet serious atmosphere, Shane slowly appeared on stage. His opening words were humorous, infused with Theisian theatrical ir, instantly elevating the energy of the room. At that moment, in the eyes of everyone present, he ceased to be just a financial giant. He became a sophisticated gentleman. Shane mentioned his dislike for lengthy academic presentations and expressed a preference for conversation. He skipped the preliminary parts and directly dove into the discussion and research segment. Many students eagerly raised their questions, and Shane did his best to answer each one earnestly. Someone asked, ¡°Sir, how do you view the recent economic crisis forecasted by the authoritative economic journal of Alton for the next six months?¡± Shane chuckled lightly and then spoke into the microphone. He replied, ¡°I¡¯d like a student to answer that first, and I¡¯ll supplement.¡± It was a normal process, but when Shane looked at Catherine, the atmosphere suddenly felt tense. Just as everyone spected on Shane¡¯s next move, he unexpectedly called out Catherine¡¯s name. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Cassie, would you like to answer this question?¡± The statement shocked everyone, especially Shane¡¯s intimate way of addressing Catherine. He addressed her with such familiarity and without any reservations. Chapter 669 Chapter 669 The Ward With Shane¡¯s prompting, someone eagerly passed the microphone to Catherine. Without hesitation, Catherine confidently reached for the microphone and shared her thoughts on the earlier question. Her viewpoint was fresh. She offered unique insights peppered with professional jargon, which left the students from the economics department in the audience wide-eyed and impressed. As a student from the EIE department, she responded to an economics query more astutely than those who had been studying in the economics department for years. Those who had initially anticipated amusement found themselves deeply impressed by Catherine. They thought Catherine was a genius who could excel outside her field with remarkable achievements. Catherine sinctly finished speaking and set the microphone down. On the stage, Shane voluntarily apuded Catherine. Soon after, thunderous apuse erupted from the audience. It was a testament to their admiration for Catherine. Her insights garnered such appreciation. As the apuse gradually died down, Shane raised the microphone once more. ¡°From the apuse I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s clear we all resonate with Catherine¡¯s insights. Like you, I agree with her. In my entire teaching career, there¡¯s only been one student. She is so outstanding that it made me very proud. And that student is right here among us today. She is Catherine Swann.¡± The room erupted into a buzz. Everyone understood Shane¡¯s significance. To be his sole student was an incredible honor, and it was evident that Catherine was destined to be a leading figure in the field of economics. Nobody expected this person to be Catherine, nor did they anticipate her belonging to Styre University¡¯s EIE department instead of the economics department. Even Ultan, who sat beside Catherine, was surprised. He wondered what kind of prodigy their institution had acquired. Catherine seemed to have connections with many prominent figures. As the meeting adjourned, Catherine¡¯s name once again dominated the school forum¡¯s hot topics, and she was widely discussed. However, Catherine herself appeared unfazed, as if nothing extraordinary had urred during the meeting. As soon as it concluded, she rose from her seat and exited the room. As she stepped out of the elevator, she encountered Shaneing down the stairs. He looked at her with a gentle smile. ¡°Care for a cup of coffee?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t refuse and apanied Shane to the nearby campus caf¨¦. Shane took a sip of the coffee Catherine had ordered for him. Then he furrowed his brow and put it down. The instant coffee here didn¡¯t suit the finance bigwig. However, Catherine didn¡¯t mind and continued sipping away. She had drunk water straight from rivers in the primordial rainforests. This was nothingpared to that. ¡°Why help me?¡± Catherine asked. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Initially, Catherine hadn¡¯t been clear about Shane¡¯s intentions. But when the microphone came her way, she understood. Shane was preparing to clear the air for her. Rumors are the hardest to dispel. She hadn¡¯t cared initially. They couldn¡¯t harm her. But Shane went out of his way to participate in Styre University¡¯s activities just to set the record straight most directly and effectively. When Catherine questioned him, Shane raised an eyebrow with a smile. His reason was simple. He replied, ¡°Some things I can do that others can¡¯t!¡± Catherine was his protege whom he had personally mentored. He couldn¡¯t allow others to defame her. Shane continued, ¡°Cassie,e back with me. If you don¡¯t want to marry my nephew, you can choose someone you like, and I¡¯ll still let you inherit the fortune of the Breens.¡± Catherine looked up and nced at Shane with a meaningful look. This was the first time she¡¯d seen Shanepromise. For someone who always emerged victorious in the business arena like him, compromise had never been in his vocabry. Shane understood Catherine¡¯s gaze and her meaning. He replied, ¡°Only you!¡± His special treatment was reserved solely for Catherine, whom he regarded as his daughter. Catherine¡¯s capabilities warranted such treatment. However, Catherine didn¡¯t give Shane the answer he desired. She said, ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t need it.¡± With that, she stood up and left. If she inherited the fortune of the Breens, her life would be confined. What others saw as treasures were worthless to her. Shane looked at the coffee left on the table by Catherine with a cold smirk. Since that was how it was, he would have to kick off the war. In his view, he had never lost in his life, and this time wouldn¡¯t be any different. After parting ways with Shane, Catherine didn¡¯t head to theb. Instead, she took some time off with Marshall. ¡°Go ahead. Give my regards to your sister!¡± Marshall said. ¡°Thank you, Professor!¡± Just as Catherine was about to hang up, Marshall¡¯s hesitant voice chimed in. He asked, ¡°Catherine, is Shane really your mentor?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t hide it from Marshall. She replied, ¡°I studied by Shane¡¯s side for five years.¡± During those five years, Shane personally guided her through the business world. In some way, Shane, indeed, was her mentor. Marshall muttered to himself, ¡°Why are you so incredible in all aspects?¡± Suddenly, he felt a bit anxious. He wondered whether being Catherine¡¯s teacher might bring her shame. ¡°Professor Hartley, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± Catherine politely ended the call and headed to the hospital. Inside the ward, Audrey sat on the bed with a gloomy expression. It was evident that she was not happy. Triston sat beside her and held a bowl. He tried hard to cheer her up. Both of them were a bit excited when they saw Catherine arrive, and Triston spoke first. He said, ¡°Catherine, you¡¯vee at the right time. Try persuading your sister. She¡¯s lost a lot of blood this time, but she refuses to eat pig¡¯s liver or even her meals!¡± Facing Triston¡¯sint, Audrey retorted, ¡°I¡¯ve eaten twice as much as usual today. He wants me to eat pig¡¯s liver! Isn¡¯t he the one with a brain injury?¡± Being in the entertainment industry, Audrey was conscious of her appearance and had always kept her weight below 90 pounds. She didn¡¯t want to leave the hospital only to have the media capture pictures of her looking overweight. Everyone had their say, and Catherine shrugged indifferently. ¡°You guys continue.¡± Then she turned and walked out of the ward. In the corridor, Catherine sat on a bench ying games on her phone and waited for the situation inside to settle. Suddenly, a crisp sound echoed. The sound of high heels hitting the floor caught Catherine¡¯s attention. She nced up to see a tall, elegant girl in a khaki trench coat making her way toward the ward. Catherine observed her, and the girl cast a nce at Catherine. The girl spoke first as they looked at each other for a while. She asked, ¡± Where¡¯s Ward 9?¡± Catherine nced at her. Ward 9 had only one bed, and it was upied by Audrey. Though the girl appeared polite, Catherine sensed a hint of hostility in her eyes. It was clear she wasn¡¯t here for a friendly visit to Audrey. Catherine gestured with her hand toward the left. The girl smiled slightly and politely said, ¡°Thanks!¡± As the girl entered the ward, Catherine stood up, moved to the doorway, and watched from outside. Once the girl entered the room, she stared at Triston. The atmosphere in the ward instantly changed. Triston sensed someone behind him. As he looked back, he was scared and almost dropped the bowl in his hand. Chapter 670 Chapter 670 Andrea¡¯s n The atmosphere in the ward suddenly turned eerie. Audrey noticed Triston¡¯s odd expression. She nced at him and then looked at the woman in front. ¡± Who are you looking for?¡± Andrea looked at Audrey with a graceful smile. ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯m Triston¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Since you and my fianc¨¦ are friends, and I heard about your injury while filming in Loxton, I came to check on you. Though it may seem sudden, it¡¯s just out of concern. Please don¡¯t mind!¡± Audrey thought inwardly, ¡°What a bitch! She is here to make a scene and even asked me not to mind.¡± Audrey crossed her arms and fixed her eyes back on Triston. Her face turned grim, and she said coldly in a sardonic tone, ¡°Mr. Lambert, I didn¡¯t expect that my minor injury would prompt such a personal visit from you and your fianc¨¦e. Quite an effort!¡± Triston felt a chill down his spine from Audrey¡¯s re. And he became upset. Though Triston used to be a yboy, those women never dared to say a word against him. He used the money to deal with everything. But he didn¡¯t expect that Andrea was different. Seeing Audrey¡¯s anger, Triston got anxious and turned tosh out at Andrea without hesitation. He shouted. ¡°Have some shame, will you? Who¡¯s your fianc¨¦? If you¡¯re in need, I don¡¯t mind tossing some money to help you find several men to make you happy. Stop acting up, and get out of here.¡± Facing Triston¡¯s harsh words, Andrea stoodposed, and her expression was unchanged. Triston¡¯s insults didn¡¯t seem to faze her. ¡°Triston, your father isn¡¯t well these days. Since I have free time, let me apany you to Casier to visit him!¡± Triston looked at her coldly and replied sarcastically, ¡°Andrea, I¡¯m not interested in you. The Lamberts and the Silvas aren¡¯t that close. If you¡¯re looking to bind the Lamberts, you¡¯d better figure out how to win over my father. If you¡¯re capable, I wouldn¡¯t mind having you as my stepmother.¡± Since Triston¡¯s father acted unfairly, he shouldn¡¯t expect fairness in return. After Andrea heard that, her expression changed, and she looked embarrassed. Audrey felt exhausted from the drama and frowned impatiently. She shouted, ¡°Everyone out! I have a headache. Let me rest!¡± Triston wanted to check on her, but Audrey¡¯s piercing gaze made him freeze on the spot. Triston said, ¡°Okay. Calm down. I¡¯ll go out and stay in the corridor. If you need anything, just call me.¡± This was the first time Andrea had seen Triston like this. She had done her research and knew of Triston¡¯s reputation as a carefree yboy. Despite his easygoing nature, he had a good character and was not as frivolous as he appeared. In Andrea¡¯s view, Triston might be a good choice if she had to bind herself to someone. His disgust and sarcasm toward her were never hidden. After all, Triston could afford to look down upon everything. He was the most beloved heir of the Lamberts. Unlike other wealthy families, the two brothers of the Lamberts didn¡¯t squabble over inheritance. The two brothers were always close. However, when Triston faced Audrey, he disyed such humility. Even a mere nce from Audrey could provoke such a change in him. Triston stepped toward the door and noticed Andrea didn¡¯t move. He nced back at her and said coldly, ¡°Out of respect for the Silvas, I won¡¯t call security. Don¡¯t push me!¡± Andrea clenched her lips. This was her first meeting with Audrey today, and her purpose had been solely to meet her. Now that her objective was met, she could leave. As Triston and Andrea exited the ward, they spotted Catherine. With hands in her pockets, she looked rxed and elegant. ¡°Catherine, let me exin¡­¡± Catherine raised a hand and halted what Triston wanted to say. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about Audrey¡¯s affairs.¡± Her simple statement shut down Triston¡¯s flood of words. Pausing for a moment, she added, ¡°Unless someone harms Audrey. Whoever touches her will pay!¡± Though her gaze toward Andrea was calm and emotionless, it sent shivers down Andrea¡¯s spine as if someone was choking her. Instinctively, Andrea looked away. She was startled by Catherine¡¯s overwhelming presence, and she didn¡¯t dare to look at Catherine. However, Andrea was certain Catherine knew nothing. She had been cautious in her actions, which was seamless to the point where even Triston, let alone Catherine, couldn¡¯t detect it. Andrea knew Catherine. Once she decided to marry Triston, she conducted an investigation not only on him but also on the people around him. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She knew Triston was now pursuing Audrey, and since the passing of Vicente, the Swanns had faced decline. After Korbin¡¯s imprisonment, the Swanns were controlled by Catherine. While Catherine was studying in Loxton, the Swanns were managed by professional executives. The Swanns, which were once formidable, had lost their core and were barely holding on. If Catherine hadn¡¯t allied herself with the Duncans, which was influential, the Swanns might have been completely wiped out by now. In Andrea¡¯s view, it was Vicente¡¯s shrewdest move. He arranged the marriage between Catherine and Branden to strengthen the Swanns. The Silvas chose to ally with the Lamberts for the same reason. Andrea believed she could rejuvenate the Silvas with her intelligence. As for the Duncans behind Catherine, Andrea wasn¡¯t afraid. Triston was Branden¡¯s best friend. If Triston epted her as his fianc¨¦e, Branden wouldn¡¯t touch her. A single nce from Catherine made Andrea think a lot. Though Triston found Catherine¡¯s words odd, he didn¡¯t suspect Andrea. He assured Catherine firmly and said, ¡± Rest assured. I won¡¯t let anything happen to Audrey! I¡¯ll sort everything out with my family.¡± Uninterested in Triston¡¯s lengthy assurances, Catherine walked toward the doctor¡¯s office. She wanted to check on Audrey¡¯s recovery. That was her purpose for being at the hospital. Chapter 671 Chapter 671 The Person Behind the Scene Ten minutester, Catherine emerged from the doctor¡¯s office. Audrey¡¯s surgical oue was even more perfect than she had anticipated. The wound had already begun to heal well, showing positive progress. Having learned the information, Catherine didn¡¯t bother to greet Audrey in the ward; instead, she walked straight out of the hospital. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Just as she exited, she spotted Paxton waiting by the car door. Sensing her presence, Paxton immediately approached and bowed respectfully just a step away. ¡°Miss Swann, Mr. Duncan had to return to Casier today due to urgent matters.¡± Knowing Paxton wouldn¡¯te without a reason, Catherine inquired, ¡± Did you get any updates on the investigation you were assignedst night?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Paxton nodded. He was here for that very reason. He had rushed to the hospital entrance upon learning of Catherine¡¯s arrival. ¡°Get in the car,¡± Catherine said, bending down and entering the vehicle. Paxton swiftly took the driver¡¯s seat. ¡± Miss Swann, our people visited the filming locations of Miss Audrey¡¯s recent shoots. There was no trace indicating it was man-made. The incident seems genuinely caused by the aging of props within the production crew.¡± Catherine wasn¡¯t surprised by this news. It would have been discovered long ago if it were that easy to uncover, given Triston¡¯s concern for Audrey. Paxton also knew that such reasons wouldn¡¯t convince Catherine, so he brought something else with him. ¡± Miss Swann, take a look at this.¡± He handed over all the avable surveince footage from the days of the incident. He arranged for an overnight team to examine the footage and selected several crucial video clips. Although the footage showed nothing unusual, Paxton couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off. He copied the videos and handed them to Catherine. Catherine instructed Paxton to drive her back to the university. During the journey, she thoroughly reviewed the surveince footage provided by Paxton. Subsequently, she noticed something unusual. The car came to a halt at the entrance of Styre University, and at that moment, Catherine handed the tablet to Paxton, indicating a person circled on the screen. ¡°Investigate this person, ¡± she said. Paxton was a bit puzzled. He had scrutinized these videos countless times and failed to identify any issues. But it took Catherine only a short while to find a crucial point. ¡°Miss Swann¡­¡± Paxton hesitated. Seeing that he hadn¡¯t grasped it yet, Catherine exined, ¡°This person appeared in all three scenes.¡± Paxton rewound the footage for another look. Without Catherine¡¯s prompt, he might not have noticed. The person changed his appearance each time, adopting inconspicuous outfits with specially altered facial features, presenting a significantly different look on each asion. It would be challenging for an ordinary person to recognize him even face to face, let alone in surveince footage. However, Catherine spotted this detail at a nce. She was indeed extraordinary. ¡°Miss Swann, rest assured. I¡¯ll investigate and identify this person,¡± said Paxton. ¡°Thank you!¡± Catherine politely expressed her gratitude, then got out of the car and headed toward the laboratory. After leaving the hospital, Andrea returned to the Silvas¡¯. Upon seeing her, Tasha immediately approached, her face smiling as she said, ¡°Andrea, I heard Mr. Lambert has been in Loxtontely. If you have time, invite him over for a meal at our ce. We¡¯d like to meet him and get acquainted.¡± Andrea, looking fatigued, politely declined and said, ¡°Mom, Triston is indeed in Loxton, but he¡¯s busy with thepany¡¯s affairs and doesn¡¯t have time toe.¡± Tasha¡¯s expression changed immediately. Her once gentle and smiling face turned dark. ¡°Andrea, no matter what you think, I¡¯m telling you, you must marry into the Lamberts. If you can¡¯t even hold onto Triston, then there¡¯s no point in staying in this family. You are more aware of our family¡¯s current situation than anyone else. With that bitch outside watching, if you don¡¯t marry into the Lamberts, how will your brother inherit the Silvas? Andrea¡¯s father had an illegitimate child outside, only one year younger than Andrea. In recent years, her father had shown increasing favoritism toward the child outside the family, causing Tasha to panic, fearing someone might snatch away her son¡¯s inheritance. Tired of hearing the same arguments, Andrea knew arguing with her mother was pointless. ¡°Mom, I just separated from Triston. He¡¯s currently working on a project with Mr. Duncan and is genuinely busy. Give it some time, and I¡¯ll talk to himter.¡± Tasha¡¯s expression changed again when she heard that Andrea had just separated from Triston. ¡°Mr. Duncan is currently the most prominent figure in the entire Loxton. Mr. Lambert is friends with him, and his future is limitless. Andrea, I won¡¯t harm you; you must hold on to Mr. Lambert.¡± Andrea nodded earnestly, though her heart felt bitter. This time, it wasn¡¯t her choice, but her mother was right-Triston must be hers. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m a bit tired. I want to rest upstairs.¡± Andrea found an excuse and escaped upstairs to avoid another round of nagging. Andrea¡¯s phone rang as soon as she reached her room. ncing at the caller ID, she picked up the phone and casually threw it aside. ¡°Why bother calling me now?¡± she asked indifferently. ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to marry Triston? ¡°Emma asked tentatively. Andrea sneered silently. ¡°You¡¯re quite well-informed. We haven¡¯t announced it publicly, and you already know.¡± Emma then suggested meeting, but Andrea didn¡¯t want much interaction with her. Once, out of consideration for her being the daughter of the Wales, Andrea was willing to associate with her. But now, with the Wales¡¯ defeat, they had be theughingstock of the entire Loxton overnight. In order to save the family from crisis, Emma was treated as a ything and given to Kamren. This kind of person was no longer worthy of being her friend. However, Emma seemed to sense Andrea¡¯s thoughts and said mysteriously, ¡°If you really want to marry into the Lamberts, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be that easy. After all, I heard that Mr. Lambert is enamored with the Swanns¡¯ eldest daughter.¡± She referred to Catherine¡¯s sister, Audrey. Emma regarded Catherine as an enemy, and she paid more attention to Catherine than others. Hearing the implied meaning in Emma¡¯s words, Andrea asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emma chuckled lightly, ¡°Oh, nothing in particr. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve known Catherine and her sister for a long time and have learned some things. If you really want to marry Triston, I might be able to help you.¡± After a moment of consideration, Andrea decided to meet Emma. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know once I¡¯ve set the time and ce.¡± After hanging up, Andrea looked out of the window with narrowed eyes. Since she couldn¡¯t escape, she would ept it. ¡°Triston must be mine, and no one could take him away,¡± she said inwardly. Chapter 672 Chapter 672 He¡¯s Inside In the afternoon, Catherine received a call from Paxton. On the phone, Paxton informed her that they had found the person. With nothing else to do that afternoon, Catherine decided to go and see for herself. ¡°Wait, I¡¯lle myself.¡± After hanging up, Catherine grabbed her coat and prepared to leave the dorm. Suddenly, Amelia popped her head up from the bed and looked at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, are you leaving? Catherine nodded slightly. ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Amelia thought for a moment but decided it wasn¡¯t a big deal, so she didn¡¯t borate. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Go ahead. If youe back, let me know and bring me some snacks.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Catherine agreed and left the dorm. She saw a familiar vehicle parked by the roadside outside the school gate. She initially thought it was Paxton who came to pick her up, but to her surprise, when she got into the car, she saw Branden sitting in the back seat. ¡°Why are you back?¡± asked Catherine. Karl had been unwell these days, and the Duncans¡¯ business in Casier faced some problems, prompting Branden to make a trip back to Casier. Catherine had expected him to be away for at least two or three days, but he had returned today. Seeing the surprise in her eyes, Branden¡¯s mood improved considerably. The exhaustion from the journey disappeared in an instant. ¡°I missed you,¡± said Branden. Because he missed her, he couldn¡¯t wait to show up. Because he missed her, he wasn¡¯t willing to wait even a moment longer. Catherine was momentarily stunned, not expecting him to say something like that. Then her lips involuntarily curled up into a smile, and her mood inexplicably improved. ¡°Yeah, quite good,¡± said she. She felt Branden¡¯s thoughts of her were truly heartwarming. Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Paxton never expected that he would one day hear Branden utter words of endearment. This scene excited him greatly. To avoid affecting his driving, he silently turned a deaf ear and focused on driving. After reaching the destination, Paxton handed the information to Catherine just before getting out of the car. ¡°Miss Swann, this is the information about that person. You can take a look when you have time.¡± The information was condensed into just a page. Catherine scanned through it, quickly grasping the content. The person¡¯s name was Roderick Kirk, working as an assistant special effects makeup artist on the film crew. During off-work hours, he also did odd jobs on the set. ¡°Miss Swann, he¡¯s inside.¡± Paxton pointed to a small room not far ahead. ¡°Open the door.¡± With Catherine¡¯smand, Paxton immediately opened the small room door. Inside the room, Roderick stood up immediately upon hearing the sound. When he saw Catherine entering the room, he was momentarily stunned. Despite working in the entertainment industry surrounded by good-looking individuals, he was still astonished by Catherine¡¯s appearance. He thought Catherine would definitely thrive if she entered the entertainment industry. However, Roderick knew it wasn¡¯t the time to discuss this. He stared at Catherine with caution and questioned coldly. ¡°Who are you? Why did you bring me here? What exactly do you want to do?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t immediately answer Roderick¡¯s questions. Instead, she reached out, pulled out the chair opposite him, and sat down with a somewhat overbearing posture. Her long legs casually crossed on the table. There were several lunch boxes on the table, the contents untouched, not even the lids opened. ¡°Worried about poisoning?¡± The sarcasm in her tone was undisguised. Roderick continued to scrutinize Catherine; he couldn¡¯t fathom her thoughts, and he didn¡¯t even know why she was after him. Catherine reached for the lunch box on the table and began eating casually. Paxton and the others didn¡¯t mistreat Roderick; the lunch they provided had a decent taste. The aroma of the food wafted through the air. Roderick had been hungry the entire day and dared not even drink water, and at this moment, he could only alleviate his hunger by constantly swallowing saliva. Catherine took a few bites and then lost interest. She casually tossed the lunch box aside and looked at Roderick across from her. ¡°Your special effects makeup is quite well done,¡± said she. Regarding his profession, Roderick¡¯s eyes showed a hint of pride. ¡°Want me to do your makeup? You¡¯ll have to wait in line.¡± With each word of praise, his pride swelled. Catherine couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Is it so hard to find a makeup assistant nowadays?¡± The word ¡°assistant¡± struck a nerve with Roderick, and his face instantly twisted. He red at Catherine and roared angrily, ¡°What do you want? Kill me if you dare, or else be prepared for me to call the police to arrest you!¡± ¡°Call the police? Go ahead.¡± Catherine tossed her phone onto the table. ¡°You don¡¯t need to unlock it for a police call. Go ahead and make the call.¡± Roderick was bewildered by Catherine¡¯s unconventional approach. He couldn¡¯t read Catherine¡¯s mind at all, and he didn¡¯t know what exactly she was up to. After hesitating for a moment, Roderick still picked up Catherine¡¯s cell phone. Just as he did, Catherine spoke again. ¡°While you¡¯re at it, report my situation too.¡± With that, Catherine ced three screenshots of the video in front of Roderick. These screenshots featured Roderick himself. Roderick¡¯s eyes showed a sh of shock. He thenposed himself and calmly looked at Catherine. ¡°Taking pictures of me while I work, are you secretly in love with me?¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Catherine sneered and looked at him sarcastically. ¡°Take a good look at yourself. These pictures are meant to give you a bit of self- awareness. I¡¯ll give you a chance. Exin who asked you to harm Audrey. Roderick remained defiant. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Receiving no answer, Catherine didn¡¯t get angry, nor did she deal with Roderick ferociously. Instead, she asked with a smile on her face, ¡°How about making a deal?¡± ¡°What kind of deal?¡± Roderick came to be interested. Seeing that he took the bait, Catherine continued, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to answer me, I¡¯ll tell you why I can recognize you and where your ws are.¡± A flicker of wavering appeared in Roderick¡¯s eyes. Catherine saw right through him and knew what he cared about most. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. He wasn¡¯t worried about being tortured or forced to confess, but he couldn¡¯t stand it when his profession was questioned. Catherine¡¯s words rattled him. It was so unbearable that he was going crazy. In a way, it was worse for Roderick than a few punches to him. He wanted to say it, but he couldn¡¯t. Catherine, sensing Roderick¡¯s internal struggle, could see through everything from his subtle expressions. She didn¡¯t know what Roderick was afraid of, but as Catherine pondered, the door to the small room was pushed open. Branden walked in, emitting a powerful aura that made it impossible to ignore him. But people didn¡¯t dare to meet his gaze directly either. He threw a stack of documents on the table and nodded toward Roderick, signaling for him to take a look. Roderick nced at the documents and widened his eyes in shock, freezing in ce. The next moment, he raised his head and angrily stared at Branden. He even stood up uncontrobly and was about to rush forward. ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t touch her!¡± he shouted. Chapter 673 Chapter 673 You Made Your Own Bed Roderick¡¯s emotions spiraled out of control, and he resembled a frenzied beast. Disying a threatening demeanor, he seemed almost eager to devour Branden on the spot. However, Paxton swiftly subdued him with a single hand before he coulde forward, delivering a punch to his abdomen. Roderick crumpled in pain, curling into a ball. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you trouble Mr. Duncan? It was practically seeking death,¡± thought Paxton. Feeling offended, he struck another blow to Roderick¡¯s stomach. This time, Roderick couldn¡¯t maintain his stance and copsed to the ground, clutching his abdomen in agony. Branden approached slowly and looked down on Roderick with disdain. With lips slightly parted, he said in a cold, mocking tone, ¡°This¡¯s what I gave you back.¡± This simple sentence instantly changed Roderick¡¯splexion. He dared not contemte what this dignified man might do to his sister. Even though he had a firm and somewhat disdainful attitude just moments ago, he gave in now. Raising his head, his eyes filled with plea, he said, ¡°I did it all. Come after me if you want. But don¡¯t harm my sister.¡± Branden discovered Roderick had a sister, suffering from an illness and residing in the hospital. Due to their mom¡¯s remarriage, his sister even changed herst name, and no one knew they were siblings. Roderick worked tirelessly as a makeup assistant just to earn more for his sister¡¯s treatment. Exploiting this vulnerability to make him talk was an easy task. ¡°Don¡¯t harm your sister?¡± Catherine responded coldly, her wordsced with mockery. ¡°When you went after my sister, why didn¡¯t you think of dealing with me only?¡± Roderick finally understood why this beautiful woman seemed so familiar. She was the sister of Audrey, the renowned star. Now, heprehended why she came to him. He had no issues with Audrey; in fact, he admired her. Audrey had a very good personality and would not be like some celebrities who started to make a fuss when they became a bit famous, and she would not find fault with some minor roles like assistants in the crew. Audrey always treated them well and even shared good things with assistants like him. After some internal struggle, Roderick chose to confess everything. He provided a name. It was the manager of thepany that developed that movie town. Usually, those working on set had to interact with him. The manager transferred a sum of money to Roderick, asking him to create a secret incident involving Audrey. The amount was substantial, and for the sake of his sister¡¯s treatment, Roderick agreed. Catherine released Roderick after he revealed the entire process. She didn¡¯t subject him to further punishment but instructed him to turn himself in to the police and exin everything. He made his living on set, but now, he actually hurt an actor for money. When word of this got out, who would dare to offer him this job again? For someone like him, physical punishment wasn¡¯t the most painful consequence. Taking the price for what he had done was the most painful thing for him. Before leaving, Roderick turned back, eyes filled with anticipation as he looked at Catherine. ¡°Can you tell me how you spotted the ws?¡± He couldn¡¯tprehend how even his colleagues failed to notice, but Catherine discovered his disguises just through the videos. ¡°No.¡± Catherine decisively rejected Roderick¡¯s request and added, making it clear, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy.¡± For someone who had harmed her family, entertaining such thoughts was a sheer delusion. Seeing Catherine displeased, Paxton immediately arranged for people to drive Roderick out. Later, Paxton organized some people to investigate further based on the name Roderick had provided, and soon they had results. Paxton presented the findings to Catherine, who nced at them and told Branden beside her, ¡°Go to the hospital.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Branden took her hand and got into the car together with her. Later, they arrived at Serenity General Hospital. Outside the ward, Triston stood looking troubled. Since the day Andrea visited, Audrey refused to meet him, even denying him entry to the ward. Triston¡¯s face lit up with a smile when he saw the group. He quickly walked to Catherine¡¯s side. ¡°Catherine, your timing is perfect. Take a moment to advise your sister.¡± Catherine nced coldly at him, said nothing, and walked past him into the room. Seeing Catherine ignore him, Triston was puzzled and looked at Branden. ¡± What¡¯s going on?¡± Branden ignored him, walking to an empty chair and sitting down. Frustrated, Triston pounded the wall. He had no idea how things got this way. And he could not understand why everyone was treating him this way. Inside the ward, Catherine handed all the information to Audrey. Upon learning that her injury wasn¡¯t idental, Audrey was surprised. She had always kept a low profile in the industry. She never fought for anything, thinking it would secure her peace. Yet, it seemed she couldn¡¯t escape trouble. ¡°Kathy, I want to handle this on my own,¡± said Audrey. As the elder sister, she hadn¡¯t taken care of Catherine. Instead, Catherine had been helping her. The more Audrey thought about it, the more guilty she felt. This time, she decided to resolve the matter herself. She wouldn¡¯t hold back since the other party came for her and had already harmed her. Catherine wasn¡¯t one to meddle much, and since Audrey said she could handle it, there was no need for Catherine to intervene. ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself hurt.¡± ¡°Rest assured.¡± Audrey smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been working for so many years. Maybe I don¡¯t have your cleverness, but I¡¯m not a delicate flower in a greenhouse. If Miss Silva wants to harm me, let¡¯s see if she¡¯s capable of doing so. She wanted to marry into the Lamberts by doing so, right? I won¡¯t let her have her way.¡± Although Catherine didn¡¯t help Audrey to take revenge, she provided Audrey with a lot of information about the Silvas. With this in hand, it was much easier for Audrey to deal with Andrea. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re busy with your studies. Go back. When you leave, call Triston in,¡± said Audrey. Audrey knew Catherine had been busy withboratory worktely, and she heard that even Branden had put down his work to apany her. Thinking of her sister having suchpanionship, Audrey felt genuinely happy for her. Outside the ward, Triston sat beside Branden, eagerly looking at him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, when will you be ready? My once happy days are about to be ruined by you.¡± Branden nced at him indifferently and said coldly, ¡°You made your own bed.¡± It was Triston¡¯s own fault, and he couldn¡¯t me anyone. 1 Feeling the re, Triston timidly touched his nose. ¡°Resolve your matters as soon as possible so I can go back and confess to my parents.¡± ¡°Soon,¡± Branden replied indifferently. Triston¡¯s eyes, which were filled with despair a moment ago, now regained their brightness. Having known Branden for so long, he had never heard Branden speak falsehoods. If Branden said it would be soon, then it would be close to being over. They were finally going to reach the day of victory, and Triston couldn¡¯t help but get a little excited just thinking about it. Catherine emerged from the ward, and Branden stood up, seeing her ready to leave. Catherine looked at Triston and gestured toward the room. Triston immediately became excited, thanking her profusely with a smiling face. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Thanks, my future sister-inw!¡± With that, he joyfully walked toward the ward. Watching his cheerful figure, Catherine chuckled softly. ¡°Silly.¡± Seeing her in a good mood, Branden reached for her waist, pulling her into an embrace. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab a meal. Don¡¯t mind him.¡± Chapter 674 Chapter 674 The Lab Might Be Haunted Catherine woke up and stood in front of the mirror, sighing as she looked at the red marks on her neck. Even though Branden had shown restraint, the red marks were still visible. Last night, she returned to the apartment with Branden. Knowing that she had been busy with laboratory worktely, Branden made her a cup of warm milk, intending for her to rest. However, she, for some reason, decided to seduce him. But how could Branden resist her teasing? He pounced on her immediately, and the two shared a night of passion. She ended up sleeping in today. Branden entered the bathroom and found Catherine standing in front of the mirror in a daze. He walked up slowly, embraced her from behind, and rested his head on her shoulder. ¡± Feeling ufortable?¡± he softly asked. Catherine returned to her senses, her wandering thoughts brought back. She gazed gently through the mirror at the man. Half-closing her eyes, shezily responded to Branden¡¯s question, ¡°No. Just sleepy.¡± Despite Branden¡¯s suggestion for her to sleep a bit more, Catherine declined. Branden anticipated her response. He knew Catherine¡¯s nature. Once she decided on something, her ns wouldn¡¯t easily change. While Catherine was washing up, Branden attentively unbuttoned her sleepwear from behind and changed the clothes she would wear today. Catherine remained like a puppet throughout, letting Branden take care of everything. In the apartment, there was a room transformed into Catherine¡¯s dressing room. Branden regrly added various essories and clothes, but Catherine rarely went in. Whenever she needed to dress, Branden would choose and present the clothes to her. Her clothing requirements were simple, emphasizingfort and warmth. Apart from these, it was up to Branden¡¯s mood to decide. Today, with the sunlight being nice and warm, Branden chose a white T-shirt for Catherine, paired with a light yellow coat. Unlike the usual ck and white, the bright colorsplemented Catherine¡¯s naturally perfect skin, making her look more vibrant and exuding a youthful vigor. Catherine sat at the table and leisurely ate her breakfast. Branden, on the other hand, held a cup of hot coffee and observed her. The sunlight streamed through the ss window, casting a radiant glow on Catherine. The intense gaze made Catherine, who initially wanted to ignore it, unable to disregard it. She raised her eyes and met Branden¡¯s gaze with a warning, signaling him to restrain himself. Branden snorted lightly and tilted his head to conceal his gaze. Catherine would never understand how much effort it took for him to suppress his possessiveness. He understood that Catherine loved freedom and disliked being restrained. Yet, she was too splendid, too beautiful pelling enough to make one want to hide her away in a ce outsiders could never reach. He just wanted to have her all to himself. After finishing thest sip of milk, Catherine put down the cup and stood up. Branden naturally took the cup and turned to walk into the kitchen, and when he came out, Catherine had already packed up. Branden grabbed his coat and looked at her tenderly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll drive you to school.¡± The two walked out of the apartment like an ordinary couple, heading in different directions but with the same destination in mind-home. The car stopped at the school gate, and Catherine didn¡¯t let Branden open the car door for her. She had been quite conspicuous at school recently, and though she wasn¡¯t afraid of the curious nces, she preferred to keep a low profile whenever possible. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Branden¡¯s face was distinctive enough that if captured, it could stir up a buzz on the school forum for a few days. Catherine didn¡¯t head directly to theboratory but went back to the dormitory first. Hearing the door opening, Amelia peered out. ¡°Be¡­¡± Mid-sentence, she swallowed her words. She had expected Isabe to return, not Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, why are you back? I thought you would go straight to theb.¡± ¡°I returned for some document.¡± Catherine walked directly to her bed after speaking. Once she got what she needed, she was ready to leave. Turning around, she noticed Amelia standing behind her. Seeing Amelia avoiding eye contact, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated, Catherine ced the documents down and pulled out a chair to sit. ¡°If you have something to say, just go ahead.¡± Deep down, Amelia admired Catherine once again. ¡°Super Catherine indeed lived up to her title. She could always effortlessly grasp what was on my mind,¡± thought she. ¡°Super Catherine, there¡¯s something I¡¯m not sure if I should mention,¡± said Amelia. ¡°When you hesitate, it already implies you want to say something, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Catherine analyzed calmly. After careful consideration, Amelia found some sense in Catherine¡¯s words and continued, ¡°Super Catherine, there¡¯s a strange incident I witnessed while cleaning theb a couple of days ago. I can¡¯t help but feel ourb might be haunted.¡± Amelia then exined the specific details, genuinely suspecting she had met a ghost. However, since theboratory was a ce that believed in science, she feared beingbeled as superstitious or irrational if she shared this with others. With no other choice, she turned to Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, please be cautious and pay attention. It¡¯s better to believe in the possibility of such things and respect them. Don¡¯t stay toote in theb,¡± added Amelia. She felt that Catherine, who often immersed herself in theb and conducted experimentste into the night, was in particr danger. For Catherine¡¯s security, Amelia thought it over for a while and decided to share her concerns. After Amelia finished, she anxiously nced at Catherine to gauge her reaction. Seeing Catherine¡¯s calm expression, unchanged from before, and no disdain in her eyes, Amelia finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Super Catherine, I just thought I¡¯d mention it. Be careful, anyway,¡± added she. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine softly replied. ¡± Thanks.¡± In high spirits, Amelia smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Having held these worries for so many years, she was always afraid of being mocked or belittled if she spoke out. Unexpectedly, Catherine expressed gratitude. ¡°Hurry back to theb,¡± said Amelia. Catherine took the documents and stood up. Before leaving, she assured Amelia, ¡°I¡¯ll try toe back early.¡± Seeing Catherine take her advice seriously, Amelia was overjoyed, her eyes smiling. ¡°Early to leave, early to return.¡± Catherine held the documents and went downstairs. She didn¡¯t believe in ghosts and spirits, but she understood that Amelia wouldn¡¯t lie and certainly wouldn¡¯t joke about such matters. If it wasn¡¯t the supernatural, the most probable exnation was that someone deliberately caused these disturbances. Catherine descended the stairs slowly, preparing to check theboratory. Unexpectedly, near the dormitory building¡¯s entrance, she spotted a familiar figure. Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Branden¡¯s Secret Zobber saw Catherineing down and quickly walked up. ¡°Catherine¡­¡± Catherine nodded, and the two walked to a small garden on the side. This was the usual ce for students to rx.on campus. Since it was ss time, there weren¡¯t many people in the leisure area. Catherine led Zobber to sit here. Zobber carefully examined Catherine. She rarely saw Catherine wearing anything other than ck and white. Today, she suddenly noticed Catherine in a light yellow coat, holding some documents. It gave off a bit of a college- student vibe, youthful and beautiful. Catherine turned her head to Zobber. ¡± Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°Catherine, you look really good like this, with a fresh and tender feeling.¡± After saying this, Zobber looked down at her own outfit and sighed. ¡°I feel like a delinquent girl in front of you.¡± With purple hair, she wore skinny jeans on the lower half and a tight camisole on the upper half. It was indeed a bit out of sync in this artistic university setting. Catherine didn¡¯t think much of her own appearance. Branden picked out her clothes and even helped her put them on. She didn¡¯t bother with these things now. ¡°You came all the way to find me just to belittle yourself and boost me up, huh?¡± Zobber immediately denied it. She wouldn¡¯t do something so shallow. ¡± Not really. I came to find you for something else. Catherine, we found out that Branden has been secretly investigating the Hacker Alliance. Does he know it¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t,¡± replied Catherine. Branden might suspect some connection between her and the Hacker Alliance and might even know she was part of it, but he probably didn¡¯t know she was the founder. Hacker Alliance had been publicly iming Kemp Chavez, a renowned hacking professor in Eskana, as the founder, but Kemp had passed away five years ago. Only Catherine knew this, and the outside world was still under the misconception that Kemp was the chief, not knowing Catherine¡¯s true identity. The reason for the misunderstanding in the outside world was that Hacker Alliance once took on a job that no organization dared to touch worldwide. At that time, Kemp was the point of contact. Later on, even though the Hacker Alliance concealed a lot of information, a few individuals still knew about Kemp. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Zobber was speechless and thought, ¡± This couple is quite intriguing. Are they ying a game of concealment? They¡¯re even sharing a bed, yet they don¡¯t n to let each other know their identities. That¡¯s really amusing. They sure know how to make things interesting.¡± ¡°Did you find out what he wants from the Hacker Alliance?¡± asked Catherine. ¡°No.¡± Zobber shook her head. She wanted to know Branden¡¯s purpose, but his movements were too mysterious. As the head of the Duncan Corporation, he had significant power behind him. Trying to dig up his information was very difficult. Even with the resources of the Hacker Alliance, they could only inquire a little. ¡°Catherine, from what I¡¯ve gathered, it seems Branden is looking for someone, possibly a woman. Besides that, we really can¡¯t find out much else. How about youe clean with Branden? If he knows you¡¯re the chief of Hacker Alliance, he won¡¯t have to spend a fortune finding someone; he can just come directly to you,¡± continued Zobber. Upon learning that Branden wanted to contact Hacker Alliance to find a woman, Zobber kept the information to herself. She dared not call Catherine, especially since Catherine was always with Branden. To avoid misunderstanding, she came to the school in person and told Catherine about the situation. Upon hearing the news, Catherine remained calm, but Zobber seemed more anxious than the person directly involved. ¡°Hacker Alliance will still take on jobs from the Duncans. There¡¯s no need to worry about me. Follow the rules of Hacker Alliance,¡± said Catherine. As long as the Duncans could afford it, there was nothing wrong with Hacker Alliance epting their job. Although she was the chief of the Hacker Alliance, the organization consisted of more than just her. Since they were in business, as long as the other party respected Hacker Alliance¡¯s way of doing business, there was no reason not to take on the job. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to tell Branden your identity?¡± asked Zobber. ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered without hesitation. The one dating Branden was her, not the Hacker Alliance. If Branden didn¡¯te asking, she had no reason to reveal it. Seeing her determination, Zobber could only let her be. ¡°Catherine, are you nning to go to theb?¡± ¡°Yes, and you? Going back or staying?¡± asked Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s a rare chance to be at Styre University; I want to experience the cultural atmosphere of a top domestic institution. I¡¯ll contact Roninter. You go to theb. We can have dinner together tonight,¡± said Zobber. ¡°Sure.¡± Catherine agreed with Zobber¡¯s suggestion, then got up and left. After resting in the hospital for three days, Audrey nned to return to recuperate. When Catherine came to study at Loxton, she had Kim buy her an apartment in Loxton. Catherine studied in Loxton, and Audrey often visited Loxton for filming and various activities. Staying in a hotel for a long time wasn¡¯t suitable, so Audrey bought an apartment. Upon hearing that she wanted to return, Triston initially intended to take her to his estate, which had a better environment and more people. But Audrey tly refused; she only wanted to stay in her own home. Triston felt helpless. These days, due to Andrea¡¯s situation, his already humble position in front of Audrey had be increasingly precarious. Unable to do much, he had toply with Audrey¡¯s request to take her back to the apartment. After helping Audrey pack her things, Triston walked over to her, sat down slowly, and asked in a hushed tone, ¡± You¡¯re leaving the hospital. Why didn¡¯t you tell Catherine and have here over?¡± Audrey looked at him in confusion. ¡± Why should I tell her? Catherine is busy studying and doing experiments with professors. It¡¯s exhausting for her toe over. Do you have something going on? If you have something to do, just go. I have Kim here. You don¡¯t need to bother.¡± Triston was speechless. He just felt Audrey had been unusually quiettely. She didn¡¯t say much all morning. Triston wanted to find a topic to chat with her. He did not expect himself to be retorted like this. Triston quickly apologized, not daring to dy a second. He said, ¡°Audrey, I was wrong, okay? I have nothing to do today. I¡¯ll apany you. I¡¯m not saying anything now. Let¡¯s just get going.¡± His business in Loxton mainly involved projects with the Duncan Corporation and other projects rted to the Lanes. Audrey¡¯s injury was known to his friends. During this time, he instructed them not to disturb him unless it was something significant. He focused on taking care of Audrey, and indeed, there was nothing urgent. His apology amused Audrey, but she didn¡¯t smile. She just no longer wore a long face. Seeing her tightly furrowed brow finally rxing, Triston released a sigh of relief. He really wondered if he had provoked too many girls in the past, leading to this retribution now. The two went downstairs and arrived at the underground parking lot. Triston raised his eyes and saw Andrea walking toward them. He was shocked. Sensing that Audrey hadn¡¯t noticed, he immediately led her in the other direction. Puzzled, Audrey asked, ¡°Going this way would be faster, right? Why go around? Triston pretended to be calm and said, ¡± You¡¯re mistaken. This way is faster.¡± Although he disguised it well, Audrey was a professional actress and still noticed a hint of suspicion. She turned her head and happened to see Andrea. Her face immediately darkened, and Triston, covering his chest, felt troubleing. ¡°This time, it¡¯s going to be troublesome,¡± he said inwardly. Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Are You Still Unaware Audrey turned back to nce at Triston, who bowed his head and remained silent. He honestly had no idea what Andrea had given his mother. No matter how he tried to persuade his mother these days, she showed no intention of breaking off the engagement. He didn¡¯t care about the opinions of his family. In the past, he would let it be if they didn¡¯t want to break off the engagement. After all, it was no use in upholding a false reputation. Anyway, they couldn¡¯t force him into a marriage. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. However, things were different now; he might not care, but Audrey did. Anything Audrey cared about, he had to take seriously. Audrey¡¯s gaze fell casually on Andrea, who was walking toward her. ¡°Miss Silva, what a coincidence. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here,¡± she said in a calm tone. Andrea smiled faintly and gracefully replied, ¡°Not really a coincidence. Miss Swann, I came specifically to visit you but didn¡¯t expect to run into you in the parking lot. Judging by your appearance, are you about to be discharged?¡± Andrea always maintained a high posture and was full of smiles, leaving Audrey no choice but to reciprocate. Otherwise, she would have lost and ended up looking bad. Audrey smiled warmly and said, ¡°Yes. I prepare to go home and recuperate. What a pity. Miss Silva, you won¡¯t be able to visit your fianc¨¦ in my ward anymore.¡± Triston stood behind Audrey. When he heard the term ¡°fianc¨¦,¡± beads of cold sweat dripped directly from his forehead. Without thinking, he stepped forward and eximed, ¡°I don¡¯t know who Miss Silva¡¯s fianc¨¦ is, but it¡¯s not me. I can¡¯t afford a girl like Miss Silva. Please don¡¯t put that kind ofbel on me.¡± His disdainful expression, as if a gue tainted him, made Andrea¡¯s hand clench tightly at her side. She forced herself to swallow the anger and turned to Audrey with a smile. ¡°Miss Swann, since you¡¯re leaving the hospital, how about we find a ce for coffee?¡± Audrey stood with one hand in her pocket, casting a sidelong nce at Andrea. ¡°Miss Silva, we can¡¯t really be considered friends, can we? If that is the case, why should I give you the face to agree to you?¡± Even though Audrey was no big shot, she was a somewhat famous actress, the Swanns¡¯ youngdy. Who did Andrea think she was? Why did Audrey have to go just because Andrea invited her? The smile on Andrea¡¯s face froze at this moment, cracking inch by inch, disappearing. Andrea didn¡¯t want things to turn awkward, but Audrey wasn¡¯t showing her any respect. ¡°Miss Swann, you aren¡¯t interested in me. But what about Ms. Rachael?¡± she asked. Audrey¡¯s gaze turned gloomy as she sharply looked straight at Andrea. ¡± What do you mean?¡± ¡°No hidden meanings. I just want to invite you for a cup of coffee,¡± Andrea replied. Audrey didn¡¯t understand why Andrea suddenly brought up her mother, Rachael, but she was sure it wasn¡¯t for anything good. After a brief hesitation, Audrey agreed. ¡°There¡¯s a ce right at the entrance. Let¡¯s go,¡± she said. Although Audrey agreed, Andrea didn¡¯t immediately move. She nced in the direction behind Audrey. Audrey sensed Andrea¡¯s concern about Triston and turned back to him, saying, ¡°Wait for me in the car.¡± Triston initially wanted to refuse but was silenced by a look from Audrey. He shrugged and swallowed back the words that came to his lips. Andrea stood aside and observed Triston¡¯s actions. Every time they met before, Triston presented himself as a carefree, domineering figure. Given his background and talent, she always thought that was his true nature. However, she never expected him to be like this in front of Audrey. He was like a man madly in love. He tenderly cared for Audrey, his every action careful. Triston knew he could not dissuade Audrey, so he looked at Andrea. However, when his gaze shifted toward Andrea, the warmth turned into a sharpness, like two swords thrusting sharply at Andrea, full of a strong warning. Andrea silentlyughed. Her heart was stung, and she even forgot how to breathe. This was the first time she was satisfied with the future husband her family had arranged, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it. Triston, not trusting Audrey to walk alone, personally escorted her to the nearby coffee shop before leaving under Audrey¡¯s threatening gaze. The injury on Audrey¡¯s hand hadn¡¯t healed yet, preventing her from having coffee. She ordered hot water instead. After taking a sip, she calmly said, ¡°He has left. Speak your mind.¡± Andrea had tried to contact Triston these days, but she couldn¡¯t reach him no matter how she tried. Triston not only avoided meeting her but also blocked her calls. He even warned his friends that whoever told her about his whereabouts would be cut off. Triston rarely spoke so sternly within their circle. His casual and good- tempered personality seldom turned this serious. This sudden deration made everyone silent. After all, no one would dare offend him. Andrea was forced to turn to Audrey as ast resort. She knew that finding Audrey increased the chances of finding Triston. ¡°Miss Swann, the marriage between Triston and me is beneficial to both our families. It¡¯s inevitable. I advise you to withdraw sooner rather thanter.¡± Audrey coldlyughed and looked out the window. ¡°Withdraw? Don¡¯t you find it ridiculous?¡± She opened her purse, took out a card, and handed it to Andrea. ¡°I¡¯ve acted in plenty of romantic dramas. Today, I¡¯m applying what I¡¯ve learned in reality. I heard the Silvas aren¡¯t doing well economically.¡± Andrea¡¯s face immediately darkened, and her words became harsher. ¡°Miss Swann, what do you mean? Are you trying to buy me off?¡± Audrey lightlyughed, confidence shining on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I wouldn¡¯t stoop so low. There¡¯s ten million dors in this card. Take it. I¡¯m entrusting you with a task. As long as you can get Triston away and stop him from bothering me, this money is yours.¡± It was a ruthless move, causing Andrea¡¯s heart to copse. Seeing Andrea forcefully suppressing her anger, Audrey was amused and thought, ¡°How dare you say something so offensive to me? You shouldn¡¯t know who my sister is, right?¡± Andrea had always considered herself a noble member of Loxton. She looked down on Audrey, thinking she was a parvenu from the countryside. But how could Audrey, the daughter from the Swanns of Casier, be belittled by someone like Andrea? If the Silvas were short on money, desperate enough to send their daughter to marry into the Lamberts, then Audrey would use money to strike at Andrea¡¯s pride. Andrea tried hard to swallow her anger. She initially thought Audrey was weak but never expected her to have such a strong side. ¡°Miss Swann, with so much money, why do you allow your mother to swagger around using Triston¡¯s name for deception?¡± asked Andrea. Audrey¡¯s expression froze, her brows furrowed into a tight knot. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Miss Swann, are you still unaware?¡± Andrea felt triumphant but looked at Audrey calmly. She then proceeded to reveal everything Rachel had been doing in Casier during this time. Chapter 677 Chapter 677 It¡¯s Destiny Triston noticed that Audrey¡¯s expression became very unpleasant after she came out of the coffee shop. Initially, he was extremely cautious, afraid Audrey might erupt in anger and tear him apart with her fury. Now, he wished Audrey would just let it out. Audrey¡¯s silent demeanor left him anxious and unsure. No woman had ever stirred his emotions like this. Parking the car on the side, he reached out, grabbing Audrey¡¯s hand and holding it tightly in his palm. ¡°Audrey, what¡¯s wrong? Did Andrea say something to you? You don¡¯t have to listen to her; she¡¯s just not in her right mind.¡± Audrey weakly lifted her head and looked at Triston briefly before whispering, ¡°I¡¯m tired. Just take me home.¡± After that, she turned her head away, unwilling to give Triston even a nce. Triston was getting frustrated, but Audrey remained calm, not raising her voice or causing a scene. Reluctantly, Triston had no choice but to respect Audrey¡¯s wishes and take her home. After all, if he pissed her off, then she would hide and disappear, and he would be the one in trouble. Catherine stayed in theboratory until 7 p.m. Ciaran, noticing she was still focused on the experiments, asked, Catherine, shall we go for dinner? Do you want me to bring you something?¡± Catherine, the professor¡¯s favorite student and the youngest among them, usually received special attention. ¡± Thank you, Ciaran, but I¡¯ll leave in a while.¡± She politely declined the offer. Ciaran found it curious. ¡°Rare for you to leave theb so early today.¡± Ciaran admired Catherine¡¯s concentration during experiments. Once in theb, she disyed an intense focus, not even ncing at her phone during breaks. Perhaps it was because she had such focus that she was so sessful that even the professor looked at her differently. In response to Ciaran¡¯s teasing, Catherine smiled faintly and replied, Just happened to have something to attend to.¡± ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll go for dinner first,¡± said Ciaran. After waving goodbye, Catherine resumed her work. As the experiments concluded, she closed theb door. And before leaving, she paused at Marshall¡¯s office. She stood quietly, and there was no sound from within. The supposedly haunted ce Amelia had mentioned was Marshall¡¯s office, but now it seemed completely quiet. After a few minutes, Catherine turned away and left theb. She originally intended to return to her dorm. However, she received a message from Branden when she got to the bottom of the dormitory building and changed direction toward the school gate. In the distance, Branden, sitting in his car, spotted her slender figure. Alone, she walked slowly toward where he¡¯d parked. He got out of the car and approached her. Seeing Catherine about to arrive, he took off his coat and draped it over her. ¡°You came so quickly. Didn¡¯t you go to theb today?¡± It was just a trial for Branden. He knew Catherine wouldn¡¯t bring her phone into theb, and he couldn¡¯t reach her. But despite that, he came. ¡°Coincidentally, I just finished the experiment.¡± Catherine¡¯s simple words brought a smile to Branden¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s destiny,¡± said Branden. Catherine looked up and caught Branden¡¯s amused eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but tease him, ¡°Stop being such a narcissist. Shall we go for dinner?¡± ¡°Do you want us to cook our own food, or shall we go to Golden Spoon?¡± Branden asked. Catherine thought for a moment, then got into the car. Only when she was seated did Branden bend down into the car. Before Catherine could speak, Branden¡¯s phone rang. Initially thinking of declining, Branden answered when he saw it was Triston calling. With one hand holding the phone, Branden used the other to grab some snacks from the car. They were all Catherine¡¯s usual favorites. He ced them in front of Catherine, suggesting she fill her stomach first. Catherine unwrapped the snacks just in time to hear Triston¡¯s whining on the other end. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± she asked. Branden nced at her and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s crazy.¡± Triston, overhearing their conversation, roared in frustration, Branden, you bastard! How can you abandon your friends for a woman? I just want to ask you toe out for a drink. Why is it so difficult?¡± Knowing Catherine was with Branden, Triston diverted his attention toward her. ¡°Cassie, please. Join me for a meal. If you don¡¯te, this bastard won¡¯t either.¡± Branden looked at Catherine and whispered, ¡°Do you want to go?¡± If she shook her head now, he would hang up immediately. He did not care what had happened to Triston. Considering Triston¡¯s pitiful state, Catherine decided to be generous with her sympathy. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go.¡± Without waiting for Triston¡¯s cheers, Branden ended the call. Triston then sent the address to Branden with a copy to Paxton. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Half an hourter, the two appeared at the music bar where Triston was. Aidan was also present. The two of them had consumed quite a few bottles by the look of the empty ones on the table. Triston motioned for them to sit after they arrived and poured drinks for them, but Branden removed the ss in front of Catherine. ncing at the dishes on the table, he ordered a few light dishes and ced them in front of Catherine. ¡°Eat first.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t protest and naturally epted the fork Branden handed her, starting to eat. Aidan, watching their interactions, felt like he was starving himself. Seeing the two seamlessly engaged, Triston felt a pang of heartache andined, ¡°Howe others in love are sweet, but when ites to me, it¡¯s so bumpy? It¡¯s unfair,pletely unfair!¡± Watching him, Catherine knew he must have suffered at Audrey¡¯s hands. ¡°What did you do to Audrey?¡± she asked. Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Aidan chimed in, ¡°Yes, quickly tell us. What wrongdoing have you committed against Audrey? Tell us. Let¡¯s see how far you¡¯ve gone.¡± Triston red disapprovingly at Aidan and angrily said, ¡°Go away. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± He dared to argue with Aidan but wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke Catherine. Firstly, he couldn¡¯t win against her, and secondly, if he angered Catherine, he would not only face Catherine¡¯s beating but also Branden¡¯s. With the threat of the two, he didn¡¯t dare to be reckless. ¡°Catherine, this really isn¡¯t my fault. I don¡¯t know what happened. Audrey just got angry and kicked me out.¡± Triston then recounted the events of the afternoon. Catherine silently ate her food, saying nothing. Aidan, on the other hand, yed the role of a life advisor and exined to Triston. He said, ¡°Women need a sense of security. Now, with this Andrea showing up, you¡¯ve made Audrey feel insecure. Mr. Lambert, not to criticize, but you handled this poorly.¡± Triston didn¡¯t know how to respond, so he just drank silently. Suddenly, Catherine, who had been quiet throughout the meal, put down her fork and looked at Triston. ¡°You should go talk to Andrea, not us.¡± Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Let¡¯s See How Things Unfold Catherine could tell that Triston calling her out for dinner was not a coincidence but a deliberate act. He was well aware that there was a high probability Branden would be with her at this hour. The person he truly wanted to invite wasn¡¯t Branden but her. After all, Audrey was her sister, and her words could influence Audrey. Triston knew that Catherine had seen through his thoughts, so he looked at her helplessly. ¡°I had no other choice,¡± he said. He had tried everything to persuade Audrey earlier. However, this time, Audrey didn¡¯t react at all. She simply threw him out without a word. Frustrated and helpless, Triston had no option but to seek Catherine¡¯s help. Later, he briefly exined what happened in the afternoon. Before Catherine could speak, Aidan said, ¡°Mr. Lambert, did your brain turn into mush? Clearly, it¡¯s Andrea causing trouble behind the scenes. Just go find Andrea.¡± ¡°Do you think you know what to do? Don¡¯t forget you don¡¯t even have a girlfriend yourself,¡± said Triston. Aidan was speechless and thought, ¡± My single status deprives me of the right to speak, huh? Alright, I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡± Triston naturally knew the problemy with Andrea, but now Audrey cared so much that he dared not have any contact with Andrea. He was doing everything he could to avoid her. He had never encountered a woman as persistent as Andrea. Even when he treated her coldly and degraded her mercilessly, she would shamelesslye up to him, even causing Audrey to misunderstand again. He was truly afraid of this woman. She was more troublesome than any woman ever. Catherine had promised Audrey not to interfere in her affairs and let her solve it on her own. Since she had said so, Catherine naturally couldn¡¯t go back on her word. ¡°If the Silvas are determined to marry their daughter to you and establish a rtionship with the Lamberts, you might as well give up your identity as the Lamberts¡¯ heir. The Silvas will naturally give up when you¡¯re no longer of any use to them,¡± said Catherine. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s suggestion, Aidan, sitting beside them, couldn¡¯t help but apud. ¡°What a ruthless move! Brilliant! This will definitely work!¡± Aidan secretly nced at Branden, silently worrying about him. Catherine¡¯s strategy seemed like advising Triston, but in reality, it punished both the Lamberts and the Silvas, as well as Triston. She clearly stood up for Audrey. This intelligence was admirable. The Silvas wouldn¡¯t appreciate not forming a connection with the Lamberts. If this news got out, revealing that Triston abandoned the Lamberts in order not to marry Andrea, Andrea would lose any chance to enter prestigious families in Loxton. As for the Lamberts, if Triston announced his departure, it would hurt both parties. Catherine¡¯s words made Triston ponder deeply. The atmosphere at the scene fell silent. Catherine quietly ate her dinner, and Branden calmly served her throughout. One moment, he was peeling shrimp, and the next, he was removing fish bones, not allowing Catherine to bother herself. After Catherine finished eating, she put down her fork without saying a word and got up. She had said what she needed to, and now it was Triston¡¯s business to handle. Aidan, supporting his chin with one hand, looked at the backs of the two leaving. He muttered to Triston, ¡± You¡¯re not seriously considering following Catherine¡¯s advice, are you?¡± Triston¡¯s eyes turned red. He picked up the wine ss on the table and drank the wine down in one gulp. Outside the music bar, Branden took off his coat and ced it over Catherine¡¯s shoulders. Catherine was about to refuse but was stopped by his hand. ¡°It¡¯s windy. Put it on,¡± said he. His gentle voice, tinged with indulgence, had more of a coaxing tone than amand. Paxton arrived swiftly, and Catherine didn¡¯t hesitate to get into the car. Once seated, Branden instructed Paxton in the front seat to raise the car¡¯s temperature. With a full stomach, Catherine leanedfortably on Branden¡¯s shoulder, sending a message to Ronin on her phone. [Check Casier¡¯s recent situation for me.] Audrey¡¯s unusual state was likely rted to Andrea. After experiencing rtionship setbacks once, Audrey wouldn¡¯t willingly put herself in such a situation again. If it were just about Triston, Audrey wouldn¡¯t be reacting this way. Someone might have guided Andrea behind the scenes to cause Audrey to react so abnormally. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Audrey cared most about her family, and Catherine wanted Ronin to check if anything inappropriate happened with the Swanns in Casier while they were away. For Branden, regardless of what Catherine did, he would fully support her. As for people outside, as long as it didn¡¯t involve Catherine, he had no interest. Seeing Catherine put away her phone, he reached over to embrace her waist, making her more comfortable. ¡°Lie down and rest for a while. I¡¯ll wake you up when we arrive,¡± he said. ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine quietlyy down, closing her eyes to rest. After returning from the music barst night, Catherine slept in the apartment and didn¡¯t go back to the dorm. Branden personally drove her to school when she woke up in the morning. Coming back early, Catherine made a trip to the dorm. Amelia was already awake and, seeing Catherine return, excitedly shared her newly acquired breakfast with her. The two were talking when suddenly their phones rang simultaneously. Amelia held her phone and waved it in front of Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine,b notification. I need to go there as soon as possible. Are you going to theb? Let¡¯s go together.¡± Catherine also showed her own phone. Amelia looked and found that Catherine had received the same message. The content was identical, suggesting an important announcement from theb that required everyone¡¯s presence. The two of them set off together for theb. When they arrived, many people were already there. Not onlyb members but also Marshall and the principal, Ultan, were present, along with a few unfamiliar figures who seemed to be school authorities. Everyone gathered in the meeting room, and Ultan, standing on the tform, was the first to speak. ¡°Dear students, the sudden meeting today is about a rather important matter that I need to inform you all,¡± said Ultan. Whispers spread as everyone sensed Ultan¡¯s grim expression, and his serious tone added to the atmosphere of suspicion. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the big deal was that had happened. ¡°Let¡¯s quiet down and listen to me.¡± With Ultan¡¯smand, the meeting room fell silent. Ultan cleared his throat before continuing, ¡°This morning, our school¡¯s top team participated in the Interster Championship. However, just before entering thepetition, we discovered that our experimental results were identical, down to the data, to another team¡¯s results from Rexinheim. Helpless, we had to suspend thepetition temporarily.¡± A murmur erupted in the room at Ultan¡¯s words. The identical results and matching data could mean that Rexinheim giarized their experimental results. ¡°Is there a traitor in theb?¡± they thought. The group spected and discussed fervently. Ultan announced that allb personnel were temporarily forbidden from leaving theb building until the situation was investigated thoroughly. Amelia listened nervously, grabbing onto Catherine¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Super Catherine, is Mr. Farrell trying to lock us up? What should we do?¡± Catherine frowned slightly but remained calm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s see how things unfold.¡± Chapter 679 Chapter 679 The Prime Suspect Theboratory¡¯srge door was closed, and tension filled the air inside theb. This incident was really significant. Not to mention the prestige of the Interster Championship trophy, just the data leakage from this experiment alone would be enough to shock the scientificmunity. The project, which Eskana had always led, had its results stolen, and what was more, the country responsible for the theft was Rexinheim, a nation with a longstanding feud with Eskana. If this news leaked, Styre University would surely be thrust into the spotlight, bing the focus of the entire nation and possiblybeled as traitors coborating with the enemy. Everyone present understood the severity of the situation. Though there were murmurs of discontent, no one dared to voice objections. Among all the people in theboratory, Catherine and Amelia, the two youngest, disyed entirely different reactions. While Amelia¡¯s hands trembled with nervousness, Catherine sat calmly on the side, sketching with paper and pen. Although they had their phones with them, the school not only closed the main entrance to theb but also blocked signals throughout the building. Their phones were rendered useless inside. Without a phone to distract her and unable to be asposed as Catherine, Amelia reluctantly started a conversation with Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, how can you still be so calm and drawing with such a big thing happening?¡± asked Amelia. Catherine paused her pen, turned her head with an unwavering gaze, and said, ¡°Since we can¡¯t leave, we might as well do something. Don¡¯t waste time.¡± Amelia, unable to hold back, asked, ¡± Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Catherine calmly responded, ¡°It¡¯s not like I did it. Why should I worry?¡± After pondering for a moment, Amelia found it reasonable. Not doing anything wrong meant having nothing to worry about. Just as she considered finding something to do calmly like Catherine, Ciaran from their research group suddenly stood up. ¡°Dear professors, our project initially established an inte-connected anti-theft system. In theory, it would be impossible for someone to steal our experimental data through thework.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Then he added, ¡°Unless someone infiltrated ourb and copied the data from the professor¡¯sputer using a USB drive.¡± Ultan immediately realized the implications and instructed technicians to check the surveince. Marshall¡¯s office fell under technical protection,cking internal surveince. However, every corridor and outer wall of theb hadprehensive monitoring. If someone entered Marshall¡¯s office to take the data, traces would undoubtedly be left behind. Soon, the technicians identified an issue. Ultan personally examined the surveince footage, and his face darkened instantly. One of the school authorities standing nearby recognized the person in the surveince footage, and his expression turned grim. However, he cautiously sought Ultan¡¯s opinion. ¡°Do we need to hand her over to the National Security Bureau directly?¡± Ultan furrowed his brow in hesitation for a long time. ¡°How could it be her? Now, this is trouble,¡± he thought. ¡°Go and get Catherine and Marshall here,¡± said Ultan. ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine was earnestly working on her drawing when suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. She paused, looked up, and saw Ultan¡¯s secretary, apanied by several security personnel, standing before her. ¡°Catherine, Mr. Farrell wants you toe over.¡± In an instant, the entireboratory¡¯s attention focused on Catherine. No one knew what had happened, and whispers started to fill the room. Some even directly pointed fingers at Catherine. ¡°Could it be her who leaked the information?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. She¡¯s Professor Hartley¡¯s favorite student. What benefit would she get from doing such a thing?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe she was a spy from the beginning. With such abilities, she could have be a researcher at a topboratory abroad, but she chose toe to our school as a freshman. Isn¡¯t that lowering herself?¡± The discussions grew louder, and the atmosphere around Catherine became more tense. Amelia looked at Catherine with concern, then turned to plead with Ultan¡¯s assistant. ¡°Sir, is there a misunderstanding?¡± she said. At this critical moment, Ultan¡¯s assistant couldn¡¯t reveal too much. He looked sternly at Amelia and said, ¡± Don¡¯t ask what shouldn¡¯t be asked.¡± Catherine tidied up her sketches and handed them to Amelia. ¡°Hold onto these for me.¡± After saying that, she followed Ultan¡¯s assistant away from her seat, remaining calm and showing no signs of panic. Later, Catherine was brought into a small room. Besides her, there were several people: Ultan, Marshall, and a few imposing men in uniforms. They were tall and strong, exuding a terrifying aura. Catherine casually pulled out a chair and sat down, seeming entirely indifferent to the people across from her. The men in uniforms didn¡¯t understand, finding Catherine¡¯s attitude too arrogant andposed, not befitting a freshman. They began to suspect that Catherine was the problem. From the beginning, Marshall didn¡¯t believe Ultan¡¯s suspicions. In his eyes, Catherine was not that kind of person. In front of everyone, Ultan turned on the screen and directed it toward Catherine. ¡°Is this person in the footage you?¡± He was asking a question he already knew the answer to. Modern surveince was clear enough not to require confirmation. Understanding that Ultan was following protocol, Catherine respected him and responded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, right outside Professor Hartley¡¯s office.¡± After Catherine spoke, everyone else remained calm, but Marshall erupted. ¡± Myputer is heavily encrypted, and Catherine doesn¡¯t know the password,¡± he said. Seeing how Marshall couldn¡¯t wait to defend Catherine made Ultan super pissed off. ¡°This old fool didn¡¯t even realize the situation,¡± he said inwardly. If Catherine were really the culprit, Marshall¡¯s defense would be a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment, posing a fatal crisis to himself. He was risking his future. As a long- time friend, Ultan couldn¡¯t bear to see Marshall jeopardize his own future like this. He stared at Marshall and sternly questioned, ¡°Have you forgotten Catherine¡¯s talent in computers?¡± During the previousputer crisis, it was Catherine who cracked it. Even Winston¡¯sputer team couldn¡¯t solve the problem at that time, but Catherine worked it out. Ultan¡¯s harsh words made Marshall unable to retort. He suddenly felt that Catherine shouldn¡¯t have been so excellent. Now, he didn¡¯t even have a chance to excuse her. Catherine was a bit moved when she saw Marshall and Ultan argue because of her. Afterward, the uniformed personnel asked questions, and Catherine patiently answered all of them in consideration of Marshall¡¯s protection. However, her answers provided no valuable clues. Catherine exined that she only lingered for a moment before leaving. However, after her departure, the surveince system malfunctioned. As the only person captured on surveince near Marshall¡¯s office, she became the prime suspect. Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Catherine Has Been Taken Away Although no one wanted to believe it, Catherine was still listed as the prime suspect because, in the surveince video, she was shown appearing at the door of Marshall¡¯s office. At that time, everyone had gone to eat. Catherine, however, suddenly appeared and lingered at the office door for quite a while, her actions strangely mysterious. The investigation team had arrived, and despite Ultan¡¯s desire to speak up for Catherine, he had to hand her over. Marshall simply did not believe Catherine could be the leaker. He bet his future that she would never do such a thing. To quell Marshall¡¯s anger, the investigation team decided not to take Catherine away and opted to conduct an inquiry at the school. This was the best result Marshall could fight for, and he came to Catherine feeling guilty. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry too much. I will find a way to clear your suspicion.¡± Catherine looked at Marshall, whose face was filled with wrinkles of anxiety, and calmly asked, ¡°Is it worth it?¡± Marshall hesitated for a moment, seemingly not understanding Catherine¡¯s meaning. Catherine asked casually, ¡°Is it worth risking your future for a student?¡± The calm tone angered Marshall unusually. He red at Catherine, saying solemnly, ¡°You are my student. As long as you are my student for a day, it¡¯s worth any cost.¡± She was his student, so he believed in Catherine¡¯s character. He was a teacher, and students were like his children. Protecting his child at any cost was something he should do. Catherine nced at Marshall, her demeanorposed, and followed the investigation team away without any signs of being flustered. The people in the investigation team were not Ultan¡¯s group. In their eyes, Catherine was the prime suspect, and they naturally did not have a favorable attitude toward her. Displeased with Catherine¡¯s demeanor, the leading female investigator coldly rebuked her, ¡°Hurry up! What are you dilly-dallying for?¡± Catherine raised her gaze and cast a cold, intimidating re, creating a powerful and frightening aura. The female investigator was instantly frightened, frozen in ce as if immobilized by the cold. The atmosphere in the corridor dropped to freezing point. Just when the situation seemed to be spiraling out of control, a man¡¯s appearance broke the deadlock. ¡± Catherine, right? Please follow me.¡± Branden received the news while still in Casier. Paxton hastily pushed open the study door and rushed directly to Branden. Karl¡¯s face immediately darkened. In his view, no matter how significant the matter, such a rash intrusion was entirely inappropriate. ¡°Paxton, have you forgotten the rules of the Duncans? Is it because you¡¯ve been around Branden for too long?¡± Paxton bowed immediately, but instead of admitting fault, he first reported the situation to Branden. ¡°Sir, the investigation team has taken Miss Swann away.¡± Branden¡¯s expression instantly turned grim. His menacing eyes were bloodthirsty, and his voicecked any warmth. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°Styre University¡¯s experimental project data was stolen and taken by people from Rexinheim. They suspect Miss Swann is the leaker,¡± said Paxton. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Upon hearing the general overview, Branden stood up directly and walked toward the door. Karl also realized the situation, his face looking extremely unpleasant. He couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°Why do some people always have an issue with Cassie? Are they all out of their minds?¡± He turned around to see Paxton still bowing and angrily shouted, ¡°Why are you still there? Hurry, make sure Catherine suffers no injustice. Otherwise, don¡¯t bothering back!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Paxton realized and immediately straightened up, rushing after Branden. Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Arrogant Catherine sat in the quiet and cramped office with an imposing posture, ying games on her phone. Across from her sat the man assigned as the leader of the investigation team at Styre University, Lorcan Fitzpatrick. As the youngest investigator in the entire procuratorate, Lorcan¡¯s abilities were not to be underestimated. Returning from studying in Alton, he was a top talent with dual degrees, specially recruited into the procuratorate. Despite his young age, he had an impressive track record and was hailed as a walking lie detector by the procuratorate. His exceptional psychological talent left no room for deception in his presence. For over half an hour, Lorcan had been sitting face to face with Catherine, but this time, the usually unbeatable Lorcan was failing. He couldn¡¯t read Catherine¡¯s mind at all. In fact, in his opinion, Catherine seemed more like a psychological expert than he did. Lorcan sighed deeply, hesitated for a long time, and decided to take the initiative, a first in his professional career. ¡°Miss Swann, don¡¯t you want to talk to me about the leak? Or perhaps you want me to help clear your name?¡± he asked. Catherine raised her head leisurely, her eyes cold and devoid of warmth as she replied, ¡°Not interested.¡± Her face seemed to bear the word ¡°arrogant¡± at this moment, exuding an overwhelming air of superiority. Lorcan was furious, not someone who easily lost his temper. But the sense of powerlessness in front of Catherine made him feel extremely frustrated. It seemed that negotiation was futile. Taking a deep breath, he chose to persuade her. ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯ve heard you are Professor Hartley¡¯s favorite student. You should be aware of his authority and reputation in the industry. Being his student and entering theb at such a young age guarantee you a promising future. Don¡¯t let this incident ruin your prospects.¡± As Catherine¡¯s game reached its final stage, the persistent annoyance buzzing in her ear tightened her furrowed brow even further. She was getting impatient, wondering why things were moving so slowly. ¡°Do I have to do everything myself, even such a simple investigation?¡± she asked inwardly. Tossing her phone aside, Catherine looked up at Lorcan. When their eyes met, a sense of unease arose within Lorcan. He had never encountered someone with such a powerful aura before, leaving him momentarily speechless and forgetting the words he was about to say. Catherine chuckled. ¡°Humph!¡± Her low voice brought Lorcan¡¯s drifting thoughts back. Realizing his loss ofposure, he felt a tinge of annoyance. He hadn¡¯t intended to treat Catherine this way, but her attitude had affected him. Lorcan snapped his fingers and slowly began his most powerful hypnosis technique. During his pursuit of a PhD in psychology in Alton, he delved deeply into hypnosis with his mentor. After returning to his home country and joining the procuratorate, he hadn¡¯t encountered a case worthy of employing his hypnosis skills. Catherine was the first. With little time given from his immediate superior and driven by an inexplicable sense of defeat, Lorcan decided to use hypnosis to control Catherine¡¯s consciousness, aiming to make her reveal the truth in a subconscious state. ¡°Name, age, ce of birth,¡± he asked. Once everything was ready, Lorcan joyfully watched Catherine enter the state of hypnosis. He knew he had sessfully hypnotized her and could now formally question her about the leaked experimental data, confident that she would speak the truth in this state. ¡°Catherine, did you leak the experimental data?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Upon hearing the affirmative answer, Lorcan felt a sense of triumph. He had ultimately seeded. To quickly uncover the truth, he moved on to the next question. ¡°Catherine, who instructed you to steal the data?¡± he asked. After a second of silence, Catherine gave an unexpected answer. ¡°Lorcan Fitzpatrick!¡± Upon hearing this, Lorcan was taken aback. It was Catherine¡¯s subconscious response, and she couldn¡¯t be lying, but how could she give an answer like this? ¡°Am I the mastermind behind all this?¡± he began to wonder. ¡°Am I not?¡± Both questions raged in his mind, leaving him unable to distinguish which was true. Bang! A loud noise rang out, and Lorcan suddenly looked up. He was awake! When he saw Catherine¡¯s deep gaze, he realized that everything he had just experienced was an illusion created by Catherine. Not only did he not hypnotize her, but she also hypnotized him. ¡°How did this happen?¡± he murmured in his mind. ¡°How did she do it?¡± Lorcan looked at the man who had kicked the door open and stormed in, and his strong presence made Lorcan furrow his brow slightly. ¡°Who are you, and how did you get in?¡± Branden turned his head to look at Lorcan, and his mocking and cold eyes swept over him. At that moment, Lorcan felt frozen, and an icy feeling spread through his limbs, rendering him motionless. He had never seen someone with such an intimidating presence before. ¡°No,¡± Lorcan said inwardly, ¡°Catherine also has a very domineering presence, and there is a resemnce to this man. Branden didn¡¯t pay any attention to Lorcan. He went straight to Catherine and looked at her with concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. The moment Catherine raised her eyes, the coldness in her gaze gradually melted. She could tell Branden must have hurried here, and he had a somewhat disheveled appearance. She reached out and gently patted the hair that had fallen on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡± Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Branden was always meticulous. He would not appear in public this way unless they were in a hurry. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Branden bent down and sat beside Catherine, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± After receiving the message, he immediately arranged for a helicopter to fly from Casier to Loxton. The moment he got off the ne, without even a moment¡¯s pause, he rushed straight to Styre University. On Branden¡¯s way here, he made several phone calls. At this moment, it seemed quite peaceful at Styre University, but outside the Loxton area, many things were going on. Although he knew that Catherine wouldn¡¯t be hurt, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffer even a little bit, and he just wanted toe as quickly as possible to stand up for her. And now, seeing that Catherine was safe and sound, Branden finally felt relieved. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going home!¡± he suggested. Branden took Catherine¡¯s hand, ready to take her away. Lorcan was shocked. ¡°This man¡¯s tone is too arrogant!¡± he thought. Even if the mayor of Loxton came, they couldn¡¯t leave without the approval of the procuratorate. Lorcan immediately stood with his subordinates at the door and sternly rebuked, ¡°The matter hasn¡¯t been investigated yet. You can¡¯t leave!¡± Paxton, who hade with Branden, immediately stepped forward, and the atmosphere at the scene became tense. Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Finding It Out The tension between the two sides was escting, and it seemed like the situation was about to get out of control. Suddenly, a cell phone rang, and Lorcan answered the call. Whatever the person on the other end said immediately changed Lorcan¡¯s expression. His subordinates noticed something was off and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sir, what¡¯s going on?¡± Lorcan didn¡¯t respond but instead fixed his sharp gaze on Catherine. ¡°You can leave Styre University, but you need to cooperate with our investigation. You can¡¯t leave Loxton for the time being. Understand?¡± The Duncans didn¡¯t pay any attention to Lorcan¡¯s words. They wouldn¡¯t let anybody get the chance to bully Catherine. Catherine tilted her chin and stared at Lorcan. She didn¡¯t seem to be affected by his words at all. Marshall, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, immediately approached Catherine. ¡°Catherine, are you okay?¡± Lorcan could tell that Marshall valued Catherine very much. He instantly understood the current situation and realized that only Marshall could persuade Catherine. He repeated what he had just said to Marshall. Marshall looked at Catherine and said, ¡± I think it works. We need to investigate the matter thoroughly. It wasn¡¯t us who did it, and no one has the right to nder us.¡± Out of respect for Marshall, Catherine nodded slightly. Her agreement made Lorcan breathe a sigh of relief. He was genuinely worried just now. If Catherine hadn¡¯t agreed, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything, and the situation would have once again fallen into a deadlock. Lorcan stepped aside, making way. Branden wrapped his arm around Catherine¡¯s waist and swaggered out. Watching their departing figures, Lorcan¡¯s subordinates appeared very annoyed. ¡°Sir, Catherine is the prime suspect. How can we just let her go?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that guy¡¯s background? He seems quite powerful!¡± Listening to the chatter of his subordinates, Lorcan¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim. ¡°The man just now is surnamed Duncan. Got it?¡± ¡°Duncan?¡± His subordinates couldn¡¯t help but murmur. In Loxton, who else but Branden Duncan, who recently had a confrontation with the Breens, could have such a brazen attitude? Their faces turned pale, their eyes full of surprise. As members of the procuratorate, they surely knew the Duncans¡¯ power. No wonder that man could easily take Catherine away. In Loxton, perhaps no one could afford to offend the Duncans. Lorcan¡¯s expression was exceptionally grim. He knew Branden¡¯s identity, and he understood that when the Duncans wanted someone, no one could stop them. However, Lorcan could tell that his immediate superior wasn¡¯t sumbing to the pressure of power, but simply did not believe that Catherine could leak the data. ¡°But why is he so certain?¡± Lorcan wondered. At the apartment, Catherine turned on her phone only to find numerous missed calls. Despite the suppression of the news, many people still knew about the situation. They were worried about her. Catherine nced at the phone and casually tossed it onto the bed. Branden emerged from the bathroom and saw her sprawling on the sofa. He approached her slowly, his voice gentle and soothing as he asked, ¡°Feeling tired?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t even want to open her eyes, responding to Branden with a weak voice, ¡°Nah, just thinking about the data.¡± Seeing her spending all her time in theboratory and the little weight she had managed to gain being worn away, Branden felt a surge of anxiety. He bent down, lifted her from the sofa, and headed toward the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ve run a bath for you. Take your time and think. I¡¯ve also made some soup for you. I¡¯ll go tend to the fire. Call me when you¡¯re done soaking!¡± Catherine remained silent, her mind still preupied with the data. She allowed Branden to ce her by the edge of the bathtub. There was no sign of her being affected in her response. Branden secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Catherine would be upset about being framed, but now it seemed that she didn¡¯t care at all. Soaked in the warm water, Catherine closed her eyes, feeling rxed. In the kitchen, Branden stirred the soup in the pot with one hand while listening to Carlo¡¯s reports on the phone. ¡°Boss, we can¡¯t find any clues from Styre University! We¡¯ve checked all the surveince, and there¡¯s nothing suspicious. We also found that Miss Swann¡¯s bank ount received five million dors from an overseas ount!¡± Upon hearing this, Branden immediately furrowed his brow, his eyes narrowing with a chilling sense of unease. ¡°Five million dors?¡± he repeated. ¡°Who do they think they¡¯re dealing with?¡± To think that someone would spend five million dors to frame his beloved, Branden was furious. It seemed that these people didn¡¯t even take him seriously. Carlo hadn¡¯t initially seen any issue with this, considering that five million dors was indeed a substantial sum for a student. However, upon hearing his boss¡¯s question, he realized something. Branden spent over 100 thousand dors every month just on buying fruit for Catherine, and now these people were spending only five million dors to frame her. It was outrageous. ¡°Boss, Francis has gone to investigate the team in Rexinheim. There are no leads from Styre University, but we can probably find something by starting there!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Branden nced at the time, set down the spoon, and turned off the stove. ¡°Let me know if there¡¯s any news!¡± Branden hung up the phone, knowing the other party hade prepared this time, fully intending to put Catherine in a difficult position. If that were the case, he wouldn¡¯t show them any mercy. Suppressing the murderous intent in his eyes, Branden walked to the bathroom door and gently knocked. Catherine slowly opened her eyes. Okay, I¡¯ming.¡± Her casual tone carried a hint of hoarseness, tinged with weariness. Immersed in the bathtub, feeling the soothing flow of water, she had unknowingly dozed off. As the bathroom door opened, Branden approached Catherine and covered her damp hair with a towel. Catherine never liked to dry her hair with a hairdryer, always allowing it to air dry naturally. Since being with Branden, whenever she finished bathing, he would be there with a towel ready for her, drying her hair with a hairdryer after absorbing the water droplets with the towel. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°The soup is ready. Would you like to have some and then rest?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Since he had spent so long preparing the soup, Catherine didn¡¯t want to disappoint him. Catherine sat at the dining table, sipping the soup and scrolling through her phone, while Branden worked in his study. Just as she picked up her phone, a call came in. ncing at the caller ID, she answered and put it to her ear. A strange man¡¯s voice came through on the other end of the line. ¡°Rest assured. We will definitely give you an exnation for this matter. We won¡¯t let you suffer unjustly.¡± The man went on at length, but Catherine responded coldly with just one sentence. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± The man hesitated momentarily and then replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done.¡± Without hesitation, Catherine hung up the phone. She wasn¡¯t a three-year-old child who needed comfort. She just needed results. Her patience was limited, and if this matter weren¡¯t resolved by tomorrow, she would investigate it herself. Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Piaras¡¯s Protection Late at night, Lorcan returned to the procuratorate building once again. After much hesitation, he finally knocked on the door of the office. ¡°Come in!¡± A steady male voice came from inside. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Lorcan pressed the door handle and entered the office. The man sitting in the chair nced up at Lorcan and then lowered his head to continue working on the task at hand. ¡°Coming back sote, do you need something from me?¡± The man before Lorcan, Piaras Fitzpatrick, was not only the highest authority in the procuratorate but also Lorcan¡¯s uncle. Without their familial connection, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for Lorcan to see him without their familial connection, given his current position. Today, Lorcan had received a task to investigate the leaked data from theboratory at Styre University. However, he ended up receiving a call from his uncle. Piaras, with his higher- ranking status, ordered him to release Catherine. This left Lorcan greatly puzzled, and after much contemtion, Lorcan decided toe and seek rification. ¡°Why do we have to release Catherine? Who exactly is she?¡± Lorcan asked with a tone of deep skepticism, clearly not believing Piaras¡¯s statement. Without lifting his head, Piaras calmly responded, ¡°Who else could she be? Branden personally went to pick her up, so naturally, she¡¯s his woman.¡± ¡°Is it just because of Branden?¡± Lorcan¡¯s voice was filled with doubt, indicating that he didn¡¯t believe Piaras¡¯s exnation at all. He knew better than anyone that Piaras¡¯s current position was earned through genuine capabilities. Piaras was known for his integrity, and regardless of who it was, he didn¡¯t let anyone off lightly for their mistakes. He was a man who could even take action against his own son if his son made a mistake. So how could he possibly let go of a suspected leaker just because of power and authority? Lorcan didn¡¯t believe it, and that was why he came here. After a long silence, he was still waiting for an answer. Piaras finished reviewing the documents, set aside his work and then looked up to gaze at his most cherished nephew. Lorcan was very clever and shared some of his traits. His affection for Lorcan even surpassed that for his son. ¡°Just remember one thing. Put in the effort to do what you need to, and find the real culprit behind the leak. As for Catherine, you don¡¯t need to investigate her!¡± Upon hearing this, Lorcan was somewhat angry. He couldn¡¯t understand it at all. He loudly questioned, ¡°Why? The person with the most suspicion right now is Catherine. Why can¡¯t we investigate her?¡± Piaras¡¯s eyes darkened instantly, and he stared at Lorcan with a serious expression. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve been here for too long, and you¡¯ve forgotten the most basic principles of the procuratorate. Is this something you should be asking?¡± Absolute obedience was the most fundamental rule of the procuratorate. Things that shouldn¡¯t be asked should absolutely not be questioned. Lorcan was taken aback. Realizing his rashness, he chose to apologize obediently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I overstepped.¡± Piaras, with a stern face, waved him off. ¡°Go back.¡± Lorcan slowly retreated. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Piaras¡¯s parting words from behind. ¡°Catherine cannot be the leaker. Just keep that in mind and do your job.¡± After leaving Piaras¡¯s office, Lorcan¡¯s inner turmoil remained unsettled. This trip hadn¡¯t been without any gains. What he had previously only spected about could now be considered confirmed. The reason Piaras released Catherine was not solely due to the influence of the Duncans. The main reasony with Catherine. He couldn¡¯t fathom Catherine¡¯s true identity, but if Piaras was so certain she wasn¡¯t the leaker, there had to be a reason. Lorcan was now even more intrigued by Catherine. He nned to investigate her privately and uncover her true background to understand what kind of person she was that warranted Piaras¡¯s protection. Chapter 684 Chapter 684 A Junior Member Styre University instructed the students in theboratory to keep quiet and suppressed the news by forbidding anyone from discussing it. However, the truth couldn¡¯t be hidden for long. No one dared to discuss it on the forum, but the students had already been privately arguing about it. Many people had witnessed Catherine being taken away in public, which only added to the already controversial topic and put Catherine in the spotlight. Rumors even spread that Catherine was not Eskanese but a spy from Rexinheim. The gossip continued to escte, and even Isabe was feeling uneasy. When Amelia returned, Isabe immediately stood up, closed the dorm room door, and pulled Amelia aside to sit down. ¡°Amelia, tell me the truth. Is Catherine really from Rexinheim?¡± Isabe asked. Amelia had been asked about it all day. All kinds of people had been pestering her to find out about Catherine. She was getting really annoyed by all the attention. Little did she expect that when she returned to the dormitory, Isabe would also question her. Amelia rolled her eyes impatiently, saying, ¡°Be, how can you believe such rumors? How could Catherine possibly be from Rexinheim? This whole thing ispletely fabricated. I even suspect that the school couldn¡¯t find the real culprit behind all this, so they just shifted the me to Catherine!¡± Seeing Amelia was getting angry, Isabe didn¡¯t dare to continue asking. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. The rumors outside were getting out of hand. They were so detailed and convincing that it seemed like those people had actually experienced it themselves. Gradually, everyone¡¯s suspicions grew stronger. ¡°I¡¯m just asking. Don¡¯t be mad!¡± Isabe said. Right after that, the dormitory door suddenly swung open, startling Isabe. They turned around and saw Catherine confidently walking in with her backpack in hand. When Amelia saw Catherine, her eyes lit up with both joy and surprise. ¡°Catherine, why do youe back?¡± she asked. Since Catherine was taken away yesterday, the news had beenpletely sealed off, and even Amelia didn¡¯t know Catherine¡¯s situation. Catherine nced at Amelia and calmly said, ¡°I was bored at home, so I came back to theb to work.¡± Amelia was stunned for a moment after hearing this. She then looked at Catherine with a surprised expression. ¡± Catherine, are you going back to theb?¡± Catherine turned her head and raised an eyebrow, looking at Amelia with a questioning expression. Amelia thought she had misunderstood and quickly exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to doubt you. I think it might be troublesome for you to return to theb at this sensitive time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not troublesome at all,¡± Catherine responded calmly. ¡°A clear conscience fears no usation.¡± With that, she grabbed the materials on the table and walked towards theboratory. Along the way, many people recognized Catherine. They had all heard of her reputation, and no one dared to provoke her directly. Instead, they whispered behind her back. Catherine made her way back to theboratory, striding towards the experimental room. Several members, all Marshall¡¯s students and part of his research group were in theboratory. Upon seeing her, they stopped their work. Catherine greeted them with a calm look in her eyes before sitting down at her desk. Her demeanor was precisely the same as before as if nothing had urred. Ciaran Johnston, the eldest among them, nced at Catherine, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He then looked up at everyone and said, ¡°You guys better get busy with your work. Professor Hartley will be here soon, and if he catches you cking off, watch out for his fiery wrath!¡± Everyoneughed and began to focus on their tasks. During Catherine¡¯s time in theb, they had been in close contact with her. They knew her abilities and trusted her. Regardless of what the outside world said, in their eyes, Catherine was just a junior member of theboratory. Chapter 685 Chapter 685 In Cahoots The news of Catherine¡¯s return to theboratory quickly spread throughout the entire building. No one had expected her toe back. However, just because the members of Marshall¡¯s research group had no objections didn¡¯t mean that members from other research groups wouldn¡¯t cause trouble. In about half an hour, several people from differentboratories joined forces and gathered at Marshall¡¯s research group¡¯sboratory entrance. Leading these people was Paddy McLaughlin, a senior from the neighboring biology department. Their research project had always been one of the hottest projects at the school, second only to Marshall¡¯s project, which they had long been dissatisfied with. However, due to Marshall¡¯s reputation and the fact that their professor wasn¡¯t one to seek fame, they had refrained from causing a scene. But this time, they couldn¡¯t hold back. They incited several members from otherboratories to unite and confront Marshall¡¯s research group. Themotion outside caught the attention of the members of Marshall¡¯s research group. Upon hearing the news, Ciaran went out to check what was going on, and the rest of the group followed suit. However, Catherine remained calm, sitting at her desk and working on her experimental data. As Ciaran stepped outside, he saw the crowd blocking the doorway, their expressions particrly grim. To avoid a conflict, he suppressed his anger and calmly addressed the group. ¡°Why is everyone gathered here? Aren¡¯t you guys busy?¡± Paddy stepped forward, ring at Ciaran. ¡°I heard that your group¡¯s traitor has returned to the laboratory. Is she nning to steal data again? Hand her over right now!¡± The manner in which Paddy spoke was quite rude, and the expressions of Ciaran and the others turned particrly sour. Ronan Flynn, the second youngest member of Marshall¡¯s research group, usually liked to work on experiments with Catherine and had a very good impression of her. Despite Catherine¡¯s young age, she was talented, generous, and willing to teach others. Ronan was the least likely in the entire laboratory to believe she would do such a thing. Now, hearing Paddy¡¯s nder of Catherine, Ronan exploded with rage and seemed ready to charge forward. ¡± Paddy, shut the hell up! You are just spouting nonsense!¡± Faced with Ronan¡¯s rebuttal, Paddy had a smug and mocking expression on his face. ¡°Oh, are you getting worked up now? So you also think she is a traitor, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ve always wondered how Catherine managed to steal data from theboratory alone. Could it be that you¡¯re all in cahoots with her?¡± The four words ¡°in cahoots with her¡± immediately stirred up Ronan. ¡°You fucking asshole!¡± he eximed, charging forward. Ciaran quickly restrained Ronan. While on the other side, Paddy seemed eager for a fight, shouting, ¡°Come on! Come over here if you dare!¡± Ciaran, after pulling Ronan away, red at Paddy. Although he also wanted to teach Paddy a lesson, he knew that fighting wouldn¡¯t solve the problem. It would only escte the conflict. ¡°What do you mean, Paddy?¡± Ciaran asked, his face stern. ¡°The school is still investigating the leak. Without evidence, it¡¯s inappropriate for you to pin the me on Catherine like this, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Inappropriate?¡± Paddy sneered, saying to Ciaran in a sarcastic tone, She was taken away publicly by Mr. Farrell. Why do you have to ask me for evidence? Are you out of your mind? Or is it true, as I said, that you all are in cahoots?¡± ¡°Then tell me, if Catherine really leaked the information, how could she be allowed toe to theb today? Wouldn¡¯t the school hold her ountable?¡± Ciaran questioned. ¡°And if she really leaked the data, how could she leave unscathed?¡± he added. These two simple questions left everyone stunned. As Ciaran had said, if Catherine were indeed the leaker, the school would be the first to punish her. Moreover, this matter was too significant, and the school might not even have the final say. The research project was led by higher authorities and involved several very important national resources. Otherwise, how could Marshall¡¯s research group be so popr? After a few seconds, Paddy came back to his senses. Seeing the people around calming down, he began to incite them again. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his one-sided words. Everyone knows she¡¯s Marshall¡¯s favorite student, always under his protection. After she was taken away yesterday, Marshall rushed out immediately. Who knows what¡¯s really going on?¡± He paused momentarily before continuing, ¡°And haven¡¯t you heard from the economics department? Catherine is also Shane Breen¡¯s student. So, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for her to be released on bail, right?¡± Paddy¡¯s words caused quite a stir among the crowd. Those who had been wavering were now firm in their beliefs, thinking that Catherine had leaked the data. Themotion started up again. Ciaran watched the situation unfold, feeling overwhelmed. He was an academic specialist, so solving mathematical problems wasn¡¯t an issue for him. However, dealing with this kind of scheming and plotting was not his forte. He could only secretly send someone to seek advice from the professor, but Marshall had gone to the procuratorate today and was not at the school. It seemed unlikely he would return anytime soon. Seeing Ciaran¡¯s distress, Paddy felt somewhat smug and continued to incite the situation, escting the tension. He raised his arm and shouted, demanding that Catherine show herself. ¡°Where is the leaker?¡± Those who hade with Paddy also shouted. A sudden interruption urred as the situation seemed to get out of control. ¡± Did you call for me?¡± Amidst the noisy chaos, the clear, deep voice sounded particrly abrupt. Someone noticed it, but no one paid attention. The shouting was too loud for anyone to notice such a low voice. Bang! Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the room, causing everyone to look over. They saw a chair smashed against the wall, shattering into pieces. Themotion gradually subsided as everyone followed the direction where the chair had been thrown. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Catherine stood with her arms crossed, her expression still as cold as usual. As she noticed everyone looking at her, she slowly raised her eyes, her gaze sharp, sweeping over the crowd like a de. The scene fell silent, and her intimidating presence left everyone speechless. In the quiet environment, Catherine¡¯s cold voice sounded particrly clear. ¡± Sorry, I didn¡¯t speak loud enough. I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t hear me. Ciaran, the cost of the damaged chair will be deducted from my allowance this month.¡± Ciaran paused momentarily before realizing his name had been mentioned, nodding in a daze. After addressing the matter, Catherine turned her gaze to Paddy. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Her calm, indifferent gaze made Paddy tense up, rendering him unable to speak, feeling a tightening in his throat. Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Who Is He? The absence of any further action from Catherine finally made Paddy find his voice. He looked at Catherine with a gaze filled with anger. The feeling of being overwhelmed by her presence made him feel extremely frustrated. He didn¡¯t even understand why he felt subconsciously fearful of this girl. ¡°Catherine, you leaked the data. What right do you have to stay in theb?¡± he used. ¡°Can¡¯t believe you¡¯re shameless enough toe back. You¡¯re nning to steal more data from theb, aren¡¯t you?¡± Catherine turned her head to look at Ciaran, lightly pointing in Paddy¡¯s direction. ¡°Who is he?¡± she asked. Paddy was surprised that Catherine didn¡¯t even recognize him. Although not top-notch, he was quite aprominent figure among the students at Styre University. ¡°How could she not know me?¡± he asked inwardly. ¡°This must be a deliberate attempt to humiliate me!¡± Feeling embarrassed and angry, Paddy introduced himself before Ciaran had a chance to speak. ¡°I¡¯m Paddy McLaughlin from the biology department, five years ahead of you. Even if you don¡¯t see me as your teacher, I¡¯m still senior to you.¡± He had outstanding academic performance and stayed at Styre University after obtaining his doctoral degree. He was the same year as Ciaran and five years senior to Catherine. However, Catherine remained indifferent, not bothering to respond to Paddy. Seeing this, Paddy felt like a clown, filled with indignant anger. ¡°Catherine Swann, don¡¯t be so arrogant. If you confess and make amends for your leak, we might consider showing you some leniency. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Catherine coldly snorted, her mocking gaze sweeping over Paddy. ¡± What makes you think you have the right to show me leniency?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Paddy was so angry with her that he just burst out cursing, ¡°You shameless traitor, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Before Paddy could finish his sentence, a swift gust of wind passed by his ear. Then, he was suddenly thrown over someone¡¯s shoulder and mmed to the ground. ¡°AH!¡± A scream rang out, and the crowd finally came to their senses. Theyhadn¡¯t even seen how Catherine made her move before she knocked Paddy to the ground. Catherine¡¯s foot arrogantly pressed down on Paddy¡¯s chest, her cold eyes looking down at him with disdain. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to speak properly, then shut up,¡± she said in amanding and powerful tone, sending shivers down Paddy¡¯s spine. Despite her seemingly petite figure, her step on his chest not only immobilized him but also deprived him of the chance to catch his breath. Ciaran and the others were dumbfounded, never expecting Catherine, who was usually quiet, to be so ruthless when provoked. Under Catherine¡¯s intimidating presence, no one dared to speak. Suddenly, rapid footsteps approached, and everyone turned around to see Marshall, apanied by severalschool superintendents, walking sternly toward them. The crowd willingly stepped aside to make way. Marshall immediately asked Catherine, ¡°Catherine, are you alright?¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Marshall said, then turned to his students. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine, Professor Hartley,¡± Ciaran answered for the group. He then gestured to Marshall to look at Catherine¡¯s foot, under which Paddy was still pinned down. With so many school superintendents present, her behavior appeared unseemly. However, Marshall seemed oblivious to Ciaran¡¯s hint and didn¡¯t even nce at Paddy. The students from the biology department, seeing the arrival of the president of the university, Ultan Farrell, beganining. ¡°Mr. Farrell, Catherine is bullying Paddy.¡± ¡°She¡¯s too arrogant, Mr. Farrell.¡± ¡°Exactly. How could she be so brazen in front of you, Mr. Farrell? She¡¯s utterly disrespectful.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Despite the students¡¯ints, Catherine¡¯s foot remained firmly nted on Paddy¡¯s chest, her face showing no signs of emotion. Every time Paddy struggled, she increased the pressure, ensuring he had no chance to speak.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Ultan, facing the students¡¯ints, seemed at a loss. He had witnessed how Catherine easily walked away from the procuratorate the day before. It was evident to him that not only he, as the president, but the entire Styre University couldn¡¯t afford to offend her. Ultan wanted to speak, but he silently closed his mouth after Catherine nced at him. Unable to handle the situation, he had to turn to Marshall, the pleading look in his eyes seeming to say, ¡°Your student, your responsibility. 11 ¡°Hmph!¡± Marshall snorted, clearly not wanting to get involved. Ultan suddenly pulled at his sleeve, almost tearing his clothes. The surrounding students all saw it, but none dared to speak. After a brief exchange of nces between Marshall and Ultan, Marshall finally relented, considering Ultan¡¯s usual care for him. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s discuss it in a nicer way, but first release him. It¡¯s not proper for a youngdy to act this way, ¡°Marshall said. Catherine, upon hearing this, released her foot. Paddy seemed toe back tolife the moment she let go, sitting up and suddenly coughing violently. Paddy¡¯s ssmates from the biology department rushed forward to help him up. As soon as Paddy steadied himself, he immediately voiced out aint. ¡°Mr. Farrell, Catherine openly vited school regtions by assaulting me. You can¡¯t just let her off this time, can you?¡± Ultan nced at Marshall, indicating that he should handle it himself. After all, Catherine was his student. Marshall stepped forward and approached Paddy. His cold gaze made Paddy feel uneasy, causing him to instinctively take a step back and respectfully address him, ¡°Professor Hartley¡­¡± ¡°Biology department, so you are Finbar¡¯s student, right?¡± The professor in the biology department was FinbarKavanagh, and Paddy was his student. Seeing Paddy nod, Marshall immediately scolded him. ¡°Finbar¡¯s teaching is average, and his students are no better. How dare you cause trouble in myb? Do you think my students need your guidance?¡± Paddy never expected Marshall to say such things in public, making him feel like his heart was bleeding. However, Marshall was the most renowned professor in the entire school, and Paddy couldn¡¯t do anything against him. ¡°Professor Hartley, there seems to be a misunderstanding!¡± ¡± Misunderstanding?¡± Marshall pointed at the students behind Paddy. ¡°Then why did you bring them to myb? Are you here to steal the data?¡± Paddy¡¯s face turned ashen. He immediately exined, ¡°No, how could we do that?¡± Marshall interjected, ¡°So you must be here to cause trouble!¡± His tone was firm, leaving no room for exnation. Chapter 687 Chapter 687 New Evidence The situation between the two sides became chaotic, and Ultan finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Enough!¡± he roared, and the scene immediately quieted down. After the atmosphere calmed down a little, Ultan finally found the chance to intervene. He first red at Marshall and reprimanded him in a cold voice. ¡± As a professor, you should set an example for your students. Why are you arguing with a student?¡± Marshall retorted, ¡°A student? It¡¯s been two years since he graduated, but he still has no official title or formal employment, just lingering at the school. What¡¯s wrong with me scolding him?¡± At these words, Ultan¡¯s face turned grim. Paddy felt extremely embarrassed and wished he could just disappear. Ultan seemed to realize something. To Marshall, Catherine was just as important as his research projects. Any unjustified usation of her would touch a nerve. Ultan turned to Paddy and sternly reprimanded him. ¡°The school¡¯s higher authorities will investigate any leakage of data. Before the real leaker is revealed, no one should be randomly used as a suspect. Do you know thating here to cause a scene will result in disciplinary action?¡± The threat of disciplinary action instantly made the students causing trouble panic. They had worked hard to get where they were today. What would be of their future careers if they were disciplined because of this incident? Some of them mustered the courage to plead with Ultan to let them off the hook. ¡°Alright, everybody stop. Considering that you all have the school¡¯s best interests at heart, I won¡¯t pursue this matter further this time. But if it happens again, I will not forgive anyone.¡± With Ultan¡¯smand, everyone scattered immediately, leaving the scene in a hurry. Although Paddy was unwilling, he dared not challenge Ultan¡¯s authority, so he left with his head down. Marshall reluctantly sent his students back to theboratory at Ultan¡¯s signal. After these students left, Ultan turned his gaze to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s go to the office and have a chat.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine replied and followed, with Marshall trailing behind. The three of them entered Ultan¡¯s office, where he looked disdainfully at Marshall, saying, ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to Catherine. What are you doing here?¡± Marshall retorted directly. ¡°You¡¯re talking to my student. Can I note in?¡± Catherine sat casually to the side, watching the two middle-aged men arguing, finding it quite amusing. Unlike the students who were always afraid of Ultan, she seemedpletely at ease in his presence. Ultan argued with Marshall but didn¡¯t win the argument. ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t want to talk to you!¡± Ultan said, then turned his attention to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, why did you return to theboratory today? Did the procuratorate tell you anything?¡± Not even Ultan could get any information after Catherine was taken away by the procuratorate yesterday. He had to wait for the higher-ups to give him any news. But to his surprise, Catherine was released shortly after being taken away. The video evidence they found made her the prime suspect, even though he believed she wasn¡¯t the one leaking the data. Ultan was cautious in his questioning, trying not to offend Catherine. However, she seemed unconcerned about the issue. She looked at him and said casually, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, and they have no evidence. How can they use me?¡± Ultan was about to speak when his phone suddenly rang. He gestured for Catherine and Marshall to wait before answering the call. Although Marshall and Catherine couldn¡¯t hear what was being said on the other end, both of them noticed that Ultan¡¯s expression visibly darkened. It seemed that the call brought bad news. After Ultan hung up the phone, he looked at Catherine with a very unpleasant expression. ¡°Ultan, why are you looking at Catherine like that? Who called you just now, and why?¡± Marshall anxiously inquired. Faced with Marshall¡¯s urgent questioning, Ultan remained silent. His gaze turned cold as he spoke seriously, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll ask you again. Are you involved in the leak of data?¡± ¡°No!¡± Catherine replied firmly without a second thought since she wouldn¡¯t admit to something she didn¡¯t do. Hearing Catherine¡¯s resolute answer, Ultan breathed a sigh of relief, but the weight on his mind still hadn¡¯t lifted.¡± Catherine, you¡¯re in trouble this time. I just received news that there are suddenly five million dors in an ount under your name.¡± Upon hearing this, Marshall snorted.¡± That¡¯s ridiculous! Do you think Catherine will be bribed by someone with five million dors? The Swanns don¡¯tck money, and neither does ourboratory!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Marshall had the confidence to say this for a reason-most of theirboratory¡¯s projects were worth several hundred million dors. Their annual sries were over a million dors, so they certainly didn¡¯t lack five million dors. Besides, given Catherine¡¯s family background, she had no reason to do such a thing. The Swann Corporation itself was worth several billion dors. As the sole heir to the Swann Corporation, why would Catherine be interested in a mere five million dors? It was ridiculous. Ultan also thought Marshall¡¯s reasoning made sense, but he added another piece of news. ¡°The procuratorate has apprehended a spy from Rexinheim. ording to the spy¡¯s confession, our academy indeed has their aplices, who were secretly trained in Rexinheim many years ago and were only sent back to Eskana a year ago.¡± The procuratorate had looked into Catherine¡¯s background and discovered that the Swanns had abandoned her in the countryside at a young age. She mysteriously disappeared at seven and only returned to Eskana a little over a year ago. All of this aligned with the information provided by the spy. One piece of news after another came out, leaving Marshall speechless. However, he firmly believed that Catherine could not possibly be a spy. In contrast to Ultan and Marshall¡¯s troubled expressions, Catherine remained much calmer. There was even a hint of a smile on her face. ¡°Catherine, why aren¡¯t you the least bit nervous? You¡¯re in big trouble, you know?¡± Marshall couldn¡¯t help but ask her. ¡°Professor Hartley, don¡¯t you find it interesting?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow and looked at Marshall. ¡°Interesting?¡± Marshall was somewhat perplexed. Catherine nodded. ¡°If the opponent is too weak, the whole thing bes boring. Obviously, the people lurking in the shadows are quite smart.¡± When Marshall saw Catherine¡¯s yful demeanor, his previous worried expression disappeared in an instant. He pped his thigh, saying, ¡°That¡¯s my student! You are so brave! I like it!¡± The scene of the two bantering left Ultan speechless. The students were unruly, while the professors were equally unreliable. ¡°Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave. Leave me alone,¡± Ultan said. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Farrell!¡± After politely bidding farewell, Catherine left the office. As she stepped out, she encountered the hurried arrival of Lorcan. Catherine cast a smiling nce at Lorcan and asked in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Fitzpatrick, are you here to arrest me again?¡± Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Swann the Legendary Detective Lorcan was very displeased with Catherine¡¯s attitude, but the moment he thought of his uncle¡¯s advice to avoid provoking her, he suppressed his anger. ¡°Catherine, we suspect you are involved in the recent data leak at the Styre Laboratory. Pleasee with us to assist in the investigation,¡± he said. Catherine had already heard the news from Ultan and knew Lorcan¡¯s purpose this time. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Catherine said, walking ahead confidently without a hint of fear. As Lorcan watched her walk away, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit shaken. ¡°Is she just extremely confident and unafraid, or does she feel her connections are strong enough to protect her?¡± he wondered. This was the first time he had seen someone like her, who would be taken to the procuratorate for questioning but remained soposed. Regardless of the type of vehicle, it had to stop at the gate of the procuratorate, and one had to get into the building on foot. After the driver parked the car, Lorcan got out first and then opened the door for Catherine, who got out easily without being handcuffed, given her special status. If she had been handcuffed, Marshall probably wouldn¡¯t have let them out of the gates of Styre University. As they passed the security office, the security guard greeted Catherine when he saw her. ¡°Oh, hello, Miss. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for a visit!¡± Catherine cheerfully replied. The security guard was momentarily stunned, and the subordinates apanying Lorcan looked at each other in shock. One of them asked, ¡°Mr. Fitzpatrick, this is unbelievable. Did the Cold-faced Demon just greet Catherine? Are they familiar?¡± Lorcan looked at his subordinate, equally puzzled. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who could see things.¡± The security guard was nicknamed the Cold-faced Demon because of his peculiar and upromising personality. He had never shown friendliness to anyone during the years he had worked at the procuratorate. It was said that he was a veteran who had been to war. He refused to be idle at home, so he was assigned the job of guarding the gate of the procuratorate. Due to his peculiar temperament, he had been given the nickname Cold- faced Demon. Lorcan had been at the procuratorate for three years and had never seen him greet anyone. Today, the Cold-faced Demon greeted Catherine, which was really strange. Watching Catherine confidently striding ahead, the subordinate who had just spoken couldn¡¯t help but start discussing again. ¡°Sir, why does this feel a bit weird? We don¡¯t seem to be arresting a suspect but rather trailing behind her like herckeys, aren¡¯t we?¡± And it wasn¡¯t just oneckey. It was a whole group of them. The subordinate¡¯s observation caught Lorcan off guard. As he thought about it, it did seem to be the case. Catherine exuded an intimidating presence, not at all like someone being brought in for questioning, but more like a leader walking in front. After settling Catherine in the office, Lorcan instructed his subordinate to inform several superintendents from within the procuratorate. Given the seriousness of the recent data leak, it was more appropriate to have them conduct the investigation. Lorcan had his subordinate bring in Rian Healy, who was known as an expert in polygraph testing. Rian had been at the procuratorate for twice as long as Lorcan, handling numerous cases and never encountering a suspect who didn¡¯t tell the truth under his interrogation. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Last time, Catherine was taken away by Branden. This time, Lorcan intended to have Rian go head-to- head with Catherine and see if she could remain asposed under Rian¡¯s questioning. Rian arrived at Lorcan¡¯s office soon after. ¡°Lorcan, where is she? Take me to her!¡± he demanded. On his way, Rian had already heard from Lorcan¡¯s subordinate about the deeds of this leaker and was itching to meet this formidable opponent personally. ¡°Mr. Healy,e with me,¡± Lorcan responded. Having learned much from Rian, he always saw Rian as his teacher. Lorcan led Rian into the interrogation room and pointed ahead. ¡°Mr. Healy, she¡¯s right there!¡± The moment Rian looked ahead and saw the ¡°leaker,¡± a hint of surprise shed in his eyes, and he stood frozen in ce. Noticing the change in Rian¡¯s expression, Lorcan immediately furrowed his brow. ¡°Mr. Healy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Pointing to the imposing figure sitting in front, Rian asked, ¡°The leaker you mentioned is her?¡± Lorcan nodded, not understanding why Rian was so surprised. Before Rian could respond, a cold voice rang out. ¡°Rian, long time no see!¡± Rian snapped out of his daze and stepped forward, shaking hands with Catherine. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s been a while. I never thought that I would see you again here.¡± Lorcan watched as the two familiarly exchanged pleasantries, and his suspicions continued to grow. ¡°Mr. Healy, what¡¯s going on here?¡± he asked, perplexed by the apparent familiarity between Rian and Catherine, as well as the security guard at the door, who also seemed to know Catherine well. Rian looked at him with a smile. ¡± Lorcan, you¡¯ve always wanted to meet Swann, the Legendary Detective, haven¡¯t you? Now that she¡¯s here, why do you suddenly not recognize her?¡± ¡°Swann the Legendary Detective?¡± Lorcan repeated inwardly, instantly stunned, unable to process the information in front of him. There had always been a mysterious figure within the procuratorate, someone with an enigmatic background and elusive whereabouts but with incredibly astute investigative methods. Particrly, her analysis of suspects¡¯ psychology was remarkable, often deducing the characteristics and mental state of the perpetrator directly from the crime scene. No case she handled was left unsolved; she always brought swift closure. However, when Lorcan joined the procuratorate, this detective mysteriously left for a more secretive department. Despite her departure, her legend persisted. There were no records of this detective within the institution, and information about her was ssified at the highest level of confidentiality. Lorcan could only gather information about her from the work notes she left behind and from Rian, who had worked with her. They were the only sources of information about her. Lorcan had admired this detective for a long time, always hoping for a chance to witness her brilliance. But he never imagined that this detective would be Catherine. ¡°So how could she be the leaker?¡± Lorcan asked himself in his mind. Rian couldn¡¯t help butugh at Lorcan¡¯s dumbfounded expression. ¡± Hah, Catherine, look at how clueless this guy is. He actually brought you in as a suspect. Why didn¡¯t Piaras tell him? Oh, I forgot to tell you, this guy is not only a member of the procuratorate but also Piaras¡¯s nephew.¡± Piaras, the current head of the procuratorate, had previously been Catherine¡¯s immediate superior and had been in constant contact with her. Lorcan had been skeptical, but upon hearing this, he suddenly understood what was going on. Piaras had warned him, but he had been stubborn, trusting only his own judgment and ignoring Piaras¡¯s advice, wasting all this time. Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Real Purpose The interrogation room was so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard. Lorcan, with a bewildered expression, gazed in Catherine¡¯s direction. When Catherine looked up and noticed him, he immediately lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with her. Rian, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter upon noticing this. It was the first time he had seen Lorcan behave in such a manner. He never expected Lorcan, who was always fearless, to be so cautious. ¡°Hey, Lorcan, why didn¡¯t you say hello to your idol? Weren¡¯t you always talking about meeting your idol and wanting to learn from her? Why the hesitation now?¡± Rian teased. Lorcan red at Rian, clearly displeased with his mocking words. ¡°If you have nothing useful to say, can¡¯t you just keep quiet for a moment?¡± Seeing Lorcan blushing with embarrassment, Rian felt a sense of satisfaction and didn¡¯t argue with h¨¬m. Rian made a cup of coffee for Catherine. ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s going on? You graduated with a Ph.D. years ago, so why did you return to study at Styre University?¡± If he remembered correctly, when he worked with Catherine, she was already pursuing her Ph.D. So why would she return to undergraduate studies now? Catherine just smiled faintly. ¡°Just for fun.¡± Rian lowered his head and fell silent momentarily, understanding the meaning behind Catherine¡¯s words. A genius like her had experiences vastly different from those of ordinary people. The hard work and studying normal children had to go through was nothing difficult for her. Having gotten a Ph.D. at the age of fourteen and evenpleting her studies at the university in just three months, she. had never experienced the typical college life. Having finished her studies in the shortest time possible, she had missed out on some of the experiences that others took over a decade toplete. Now, she was retracing her steps to appreciate what she had missed. After all, the affairs of a genius were of little concern to ordinary people. ¡°So, what¡¯s with the leak case?¡± Rian asked. Catherine nced at Rian, who immediately put on a friendly smile. After beating around the bush for a long time, he finally got back to the point. While Rian had been casually chatting with Catherine, he hadn¡¯t forgotten his duty. He was well aware that he was no match for Catherine. There was no way he could get her to talk if she didn¡¯t want to. That was why he had chosen this indirect approach. First, he would y nice, let Catherine¡¯s guard down, and then move on to the real business. Actually, there was no need to beat around the bush. As long as Rian went straight to the point, Catherine would tell the truth. Since it had happened, she had no intention of avoiding it. She didn¡¯t trust Lorcan, so she wouldn¡¯t tell him the situation. But Rian was different. They had worked together before, and she trusted him a lot. ¡°I thought it was about Styre University, but I didn¡¯t expect it was aimed at me!¡± Catherine casually responded, shocking Rian. The information contained in Catherine¡¯s statement was significant. Rian absolutely believed that Catherine couldn¡¯t be the leaker based on her skills and abilities. Besides, he knew that even though she hadn¡¯t stayed at the procuratorate in recent years, she had contributed to many cases. If she really were a spy for Rexinheim, how could Rexinheim afford to abandon such a crucial figure? He believed that everything Catherine said was true. If the other party wasn¡¯t targeting Styre University but rather Catherine, then the trouble was probably more severe than just what was apparent. ¡°Catherine, do you mean you found something?¡± Rian asked. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Catherine shook her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. I¡¯m waiting for the results of your investigation. With you guys around, why would I need to investigate?¡± ¡°Not really! We can¡¯tpare to you,¡± Rian said with an embarrassed expression on his face. He wouldn¡¯t be so humble if it were in front of others. But faced with Catherine, he knew that arguing was useless. He was no match for her. Not only did Rian admit that he couldn¡¯t measure up, but he also took the opportunity to belittle Lorcan. ¡°You see, can someone like Lorcan handle it? Regardless, Rian wouldn¡¯t show Lorcan any respect in front of Catherine. Upon hearing this, Lorcan was about to defend himself, but when he looked up and saw Catherine, he silently lowered his head. He didn¡¯t need to y tough in front of a genius like her. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t beat around the bush, please. Just tell us how to handle this. Don¡¯t let it dy your time experiencing your college life,¡± Rian urged. ¡°You¡¯re Lorcan, right?¡± Catherine fixed her gaze on Lorcan. As soon as he heard her voice, he sat up straight and eximed, ¡°Yes!¡± His posture indicated that he had been influenced by the military, which Catherine found rtively satisfying. ¡°Show Rian the information you¡¯ve found so far,¡± she ordered. ¡°Yes!¡± Without hesitation, Lorcan gathered all the information and handed it to Rian. After reviewing it, Rian finally understood why Catherine had mentioned that the leak case was targeting her. It was a series of interconnected traps, all pointing to Catherine. It couldn¡¯t have been arranged so perfectly without careful nning from the beginning. However, Rian still had a lingering question. ¡°Catherine, what is their purpose? Have you offended anybody recently?¡± Catherine narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of intimidation in her gaze. She then casually tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s to dy my research at Styre University.¡± ¡°What research?¡± Rian asked. Catherine didn¡¯t answer but instead took out her phone and tossed it to Rian. He checked the phone and instantly widened his eyes, immediately understanding the severity of the situation. This experiment was much more important than the leak case Catherine was involved in. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Catherine, this is huge. I need to report to Mr. Fitzpatrick and have him take charge personally!¡± Rian took out his phone to make the call, but Catherine stopped him. ¡°No need. He already knows,¡± she said. ¡°He knows?¡± Rian¡¯s hand holding the phone paused for a moment. ¡°Yes.¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Next, I will investigate and expose the mastermind behind this. I¡¯ll keep you updated.¡± It would be a significant achievement if Catherine could uncover the mastermind behind this. Rian was ted and gave Lorcan, who was in a daze, a p on the back. ¡°Silly boy, snap out of it. Get to work and follow Catherine¡¯s orders. Do whatever she tells you to, understand?¡± Lorcan realized that the situation was not simple. No wonder Piaras had advised him not to ask, as it involved higher-level secrets. ¡°Yes, Sir, I will obey her orders,¡± Lorcan affirmed. Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Evil Spirits The ringing of the phone woke Ronin from his deep sleep. He reached for his phone with an impatient expression on his face and nced at the caller ID. After seeing who was calling, he immediately sat up and answered the phone. ¡°Catherine, you finally decided to call me!¡± Ronin was well aware of the recent events at Styre University and was very angry. Those fools dared to nder Catherine, which was simply absurd. But without Catherine¡¯s orders, he couldn¡¯t act on his own. He had been waiting for her call. ¡°Ronin, help me with something,¡± Catherine said coldly. Ronin was excited. ¡°Catherine, pleasemand me!¡± He had been waiting for this opportunity for so long, so how could he miss it? ¡°Theb is haunted. Find out which evil spirit is causing trouble.¡± Catherine¡¯s words made Ronin feel confused. Although he had abilities, they could only be used on humans, not evil spirits. How could he handle a hauntingboratory? But he couldn¡¯t disobey Catherine¡¯s orders, and he couldn¡¯t fail to aplish them. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of it. I¡¯ll find the best exorcist in the world to deal with the haunting in theb!¡± ¡°Who told you to hire an exorcist? There are no evil spirits in the world. They only lie in those evildoers.¡± Upon hearing this, Ronin understood what Catherine meant. ¡°Catherine, are you saying someone is ying tricks and causing trouble in theb?¡± ¡°Go and find out,¡± Catherine said before hanging up the phone. After hearing the beeps from the other end of the line, Ronin hung up the phone and got out of bed to change his clothes. Whether the other party was a person or an evil spirit, as long as Catherine had given the order, he was determined to expose them. Catherine hung up the phone, ready to leave the procuratorate. Seeing she was about to leave, Lorcan decided to see her off. Catherine nced at him and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Lorcan¡¯s steps halted, and he watched Catherine leave with a furrowed brow. He had offended his idol; it was his fault for being so foolish as to suspect his idol of leaking the data, and he deserved it. Rian walked over and patted his shoulder, seeming tofort him. ¡°Well, looks like I¡¯vepletely offended her,¡± Lorcan said helplessly. Rian hesitated momentarily before smacking Lorcan¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡± Silly boy, what are you thinking? She is protecting you!¡± ¡°Protecting me?¡± Lorcan repeated in his mind, clearly not understanding what Rian meant, and he looked at Rian with a puzzled expression. Rian had to exin it once again. ¡± You¡¯ve just brought her here from the school in broad daylight, and now you¡¯re seeing her off with a respected look on your face. If someone is really watching you, Catherine¡¯s identity will be exposed!¡± Before leaving, Rian couldn¡¯t resist teasing Lorcan, ¡°Look at you. With that shy look on your face, anyone would think you have a crush on Catherine, even though she¡¯s not interested in you. ¡°Why not?¡± Lorcan retorted inwardly, furrowing his brow. He walked towards the restroom with a displeased look on his face. After seeing his own appearance in the mirror, he thought of Branden. ¡°Yeah, she won¡¯t be interested in me¡­¡± he said to himself. Catherine walked out of the procuratorate. She was nning to chat with the security guard for a moment when she heard the sound of screeching brakes. She and the security guard both looked up outside. A ck Hummer, imposingly parked at the entrance of the procuratorate. The security guard raised his eyebrows at Catherine and casually asked, ¡°Your friend?¡± Catherine strolled out of the security office, waved her hand without turning back to the security guard, and said, See you next time!¡± The security guard nced over and saw a man getting out of the car and walking straight towards Catherine. He took a careful look at the man. The man was good-looking and quite suitable for Catherine. After seeing the man¡¯s appearance, the security guard turned back to his seat, preparing to rest, only to catch sight of a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of wine on his desk. They weren¡¯t very expensive brands, but they were indeed his favorite. The cigarettes had been discontinued for years, but Catherine still remembered his favorite. Catherine knew that Branden woulde to pick her up. When Lorcan took her away, Professor Hartley was definitely the most worried. He would find a way to help her, and the first person he would notify was Branden. She just hadn¡¯t expected Branden toe so quickly. The moment Branden approached, Catherine said slowly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to Casier? Why did youe so quickly?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Branden¡¯s first concern was Catherine¡¯s well-being. His eyes were like a CT scanner, continuously checking her all over. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied. Having confirmed that Catherine was indeed fine, Branden finally rxed and pulled her into the car. Catherine knew Branden cared about her, so she immediately exined the situation to him. ¡°I know the procuratorate. I worked with them a few years ago,¡± she said. This statement relieved Branden, as he understood the meaning behind Catherine¡¯s words. The procuratorate was on their side, so there was no need to worry about her safety. Branden¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, a profound look in his eyes. Without Catherine¡¯s exnation, the person who forcibly took her away from Styre University would have to disappear from Loxton tomorrow. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± he asked. ¡°Ronin will fix it,¡± Catherine replied. After that, she casually leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest. With the time left for the experimental project getting shorter and her daily workload increasing by an hour, her body was bing overloaded, and she needed more rest. Branden stopped dwelling on these matters. Since she wanted to handle it herself, he would just assist her by handing the information he found to Ronin. Seeing her exhausted expression, Branden reached out and pulled her over, allowing her to rest her head on his thighfortably. ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep wellst night?¡± he asked. Catherine murmured with her eyes closed, ¡°Got up too early!¡± As Branden looked at the dark circles under her eyes, a worried expression appeared on his face. If he could act faster, she would be more at ease and wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard for the experiment. ¡°Rest for a while, and I¡¯ll tell you when we get to the apartment.¡± His gentle hand massaged Catherine¡¯s sore arms, making her even more drowsy. Catherine nodded with her eyes closed. When she woke up, she was already in the apartment¡¯s bed, with her phone buzzing by her side. Catherine answered the phone and put it to her ear. Zobber¡¯s excited voice came from the other end. ¡°Catherine, I have something to report to you!¡± Chapter 691 Chapter 691 His Sore Point Zobber had heard about what was going on at Styre University, but she shrugged it off as nothing much. She thought a tiny matter like that wouldn¡¯t bother Catherine. So, she ignored it. She just focused on the tasks Catherine had assigned her. ¡°Catherine, Branden just put in an order for Hacker Alliance again. This time, he jacks up the price by tenfold! He is so generous!¡± For a regr order, even double themission would¡¯ve been a big deal. The Duncans were loaded, but no one expected them to jack up the price by tenfold. Even the seasoned members of the Hacker Alliance were taken aback by the Duncans¡¯ extravagance. Hearing that, Catherine was unfazed as ever. Branden had always been like this- anything he set his mind to could be aplished. Money was just a number for the Duncans. She simply replied, ¡°I told you to take the order. Any issues?¡± Zobber wouldn¡¯t have bothered making this call if it were a regr order. The demands were so high that Zobber couldn¡¯t make the decision herself. So, she turned to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, the Duncans specifically want the chief of the Hacker Alliance to take the order. They won¡¯t ept anyone else.¡± Hearing that, Catherine frowned.¡± They want me to take it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Specifically, you!¡± The Duncans upped the reward tenfold precisely because they demanded the chief of the Hacker Alliance to handle it. It was something unheard of in the industry. Zobber hesitated for a moment before voicing her thoughts. She asked, ¡± Catherine, what if the Duncans just want to confirm your identity? Maybe Branden¡¯s bluffing, and they¡¯re actually looking for you!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Catherine decisively dismissed Zobber¡¯s spection. She and Branden had kept plenty of their identities hidden from each other. It wasn¡¯t that they deliberately avoided sharing. Rather, they felt it unnecessary. They believed what needed to be known would surface naturally without explicitly stating it. It was an unspoken understanding between the two of them. If Branden truly believed she was the chief of the Hacker Alliance, he¡¯d ask directly, not beat around the bush like this. ¡°Zobber, tell them that if they want the Hacker Alliance to take the order, they¡¯ll have to abide by the Hacker Alliance¡¯s rules.¡± The Hacker Alliance had been around for a while. Although they didn¡¯t take many orders, every one of them was significant. Despite this, they upheld their rules strictly. Once an order was with the Hacker Alliance, the employers had no right to interfere until the result was out. They had to trust the Hacker Alliance unconditionally. The Duncans¡¯ attempt to specify the person taking the order was meddling with the Hacker Alliance¡¯s internal rules. It was something Catherine wouldn¡¯t allow, even if it involved her boyfriend. Zobber understood Catherine¡¯s stance. Catherine was the chief and respected the rules of the Hacker Alliance more than anyone else. Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t lead the Hacker Alliance. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Okay, Catherine. I¡¯ll turn down the Duncanster. Anything at theb needing my help?¡± ¡°Not necessary. Ronin¡¯s on it,¡± Catherine replied before ending the call. Paxton knocked on the study door with thetest news. ¡°Come in.¡± Inside the room, Branden sat at his desk and was engrossed in his work. Paxton hesitated, wearing a troubled expression. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Hearing the cold tone, Paxton looked up and saw Branden still working away without even ncing up. He was a bit surprised. ¡°Mr. Duncan, how did you know I wasn¡¯t bringing good news?¡± Branden paused and set down his papers. He looked up and stared at Paxton. Without dy, Paxton ryed the rules from Hacker Alliance that hade through. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the Hacker Alliance says for them to take the job, we must abide by their rules. They don¡¯t have a tradition of assigning tasks and won¡¯t set a precedent for us.¡± They had offered a staggering one billion dors, yet the Hacker Alliance still refused. Paxton wondered what was going on in their minds. He wondered if they really did not need the money that badly. Hearing the bad news, Branden didn¡¯t even furrow his brow. He calmly said, ¡± Increase it.¡± Paxton thought inwardly, ¡°Increase it? ¡°They had already offered an astronomical sum. It was beyond anything the industry had seen. ¡°Mr. Duncan, should we consider reaching out to Catherine¡­¡± Before Paxton could finish, Branden suddenly looked up with his cold eyes. It sent shivers down Paxton¡¯s spine and left him breathless. Realizing his mistake, Paxton immediately knelt before Branden. ¡± Mr. Duncan, I¡¯ve erred!¡± He knew Catherine was a sore point for Branden. Proposing involving her was self-destructive. No wonder Branden was angry. Even if it was just seeking Catherine¡¯s help, in Branden¡¯s eyes, it was using Catherine. Branden couldn¡¯t agree. ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Withmand, Paxton didn¡¯t hesitate. He stood up and swiftly left. He feared any dy might result in severe punishment. Outside the study, Paxton breathed a long sigh of relief. He felt as if he had narrowly escaped a disaster. He might not have walked out of that room if he had uttered a few more words just now. The next day, Catherine got up as usual and headed to the school¡¯sboratory. When she appeared, Marshall looked surprised. ¡°You¡¯re diligent. Why not take a half-day break at home?¡± Although Marshall was teasing Catherine, deep down, he was genuinely shocked by her presence. With so much evidence emerging, he thought Catherine might face some constraints and not show up at the procuratorate so quickly. However, she was back in theboratory the next day. She was seemingly unaffected by whatever had happened. It appeared he had underestimated Catherine. She was much more formidable than he had imagined. ¡°The second phase of the experimental project is almost done. I came to make the final adjustments. If everything goes well, I¡¯ll send the data to your emailter.¡± After Marshall heard Catherine¡¯s words, his eyes lit up. ¡°Really? Don¡¯t use this to joke with me!¡± ¡°I never joke.¡± Catherine¡¯s expression was somewhat serious. Ciaran, who was nearby, couldn¡¯t help but approach. ¡°Professor Hartley, what did you say to Catherine? Why are you so happy?¡± Marshall looked at him excitedly and said proudly, ¡°Catherine said her experimental project¡¯s second phase is almostplete. She¡¯ll be able to send me the data tonight.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ciaran was excited, too. ¡± Well done, Catherine! You¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go work on the experiment. You guys chat,¡± Catherine said. Then, she turned away and headed toward theboratory. As Catherine left, Marshall watched her with excitement in his eyes. Ciaran had a happy expression on his face. However, there was a hint of loss in his eyes. It made his expression somewhat peculiar and difficult to decipher. Chapter 692 Chapter 692 The Leaker ¡°Phew¡­¡± Ronin breathed out softly and finally shifted his position. He¡¯d been lying on the ceiling for two days without a stir below. Ronin moved slightly and turned to give his numb thighs a break. A growl from his stomach prompted him to carefully retrieve an energy bar from his pocket to replenish his energy. After that, he settled back into position quietly. Under Catherine¡¯s orders, he wouldn¡¯t stop until he unearthed who was causing the disturbances. However, after he stayed there for two days, the office remained eerily quiet. Ronin wondered whether he had misjudged the direction. Just as Ronin contemted revising his n, the office door lock made a slight sound. A soft click caught Ronin¡¯s attention. He adjusted and barely breathing. He feared detection. When he spotted the person entering, he rolled his eyes silently. It was Ciaran, Marshall¡¯s earliest student, who had been working with Marshall. He often frequented Marshall¡¯s office. His entrance was nothing out of the ordinary. Ronin stifled a yawn and nned to rest a bit. But he noticed Ciaran moving stealthily toward Marshall¡¯s desk. Then Ciaran sat down at the desk and turned on Marshall¡¯sputer. If it weren¡¯t for Ronin taking a second nce, he wouldn¡¯t detect anything unusual. He noticed that Ciaran¡¯s expressions and gaze were off. Ciaran asionally nced around and looked incredibly uneasy. It was a far cry from his usual rxed demeanor when helping Marshall. This was seriously problematic. Sensing something wrong, Ronin immediately opened hisptop. His miniputer was already linked to Marshall¡¯s. It mirrored every move made on the other machine. Ciaran probably didn¡¯t anticipate someone monitoring his every move from such close quarters. As Ronin watched the files open on theputer, he held onto ast shred of hope. While not a student of Marshall, he was well acquainted with Marshall¡¯s team through his connection with Catherine. Usually, Ciaran was the most amiable and caring. He was akin to a dependable older brother to them all. Deep down, Ronin hoped it wasn¡¯t Ciaran. However, when Ronin witnessed Ciaran copying files onto his storage card, he realized the matter had been settled. Ciaran might not be able to clear his name. As Ciaran saw the files finish copying, his face lit up with a smile of satisfaction. He removed the card and meticulously wiped any fingerprints from theputer. Only then did Ciaran stand up and prepare to leave the office. Just as Ciaran was about to touch the doorknob, a loud bang echoed behind him. It was followed by a cold voice. ¡± Ciaran, where are you going?¡± Ciaran felt a chill down his spine and slowly turned around. As he spotted Ronin, he eased a bit. Then he frowned and stared at Ronin in displeasure. ¡± Ronin, what are you doing sneaking around Professor Hartley¡¯s office? You shouldn¡¯t be here. Get out and stop causing trouble.¡± Ronin sneered and looked disdainfully at him. ¡°Ciaran, that¡¯s an interesting statement. If I¡¯m not supposed to be here, then what about you?¡± Unflinchingly, Ciaran began weaving a lie. He replied, ¡°Professor Hartley asked me to get something. Can¡¯t Ie in and help him?¡± If Ronin hadn¡¯t seen it firsthand, he almost believed Ciaran¡¯s words when he saw Ciaran¡¯s wless acting. ¡°Ciaran, you don¡¯t need to keep pretending. Didn¡¯t Professor Hartley inform you hisputer was being monitored? Every move you just made has been recorded.¡± These words drained the color from Ciaran¡¯s face. He struggled to deny the fact. He shouted, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! What moves? I just came to deliver something to Professor Hartley. Are you going to investigate that?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Ronin thought inwardly, ¡°Deliver something? As if anyone will buy that story.¡± Seeing Ciaran¡¯s stubborn attitude without a trace of remorse, Ronin decided not to indulge him anymore. ¡°Ciaran, if you insist you came to deliver something to Professor Hartley, let¡¯s call him now and have hime over.¡± Ciaran felt a pang of fear at Ronin¡¯s words. If Marshall arrived, it would mean certain doom for him. ¡°Enough, Ronin. You¡¯re not one of us, yet here you are, hiding in Professor Hartley¡¯s office. Out of respect for Catherine, I haven¡¯te at you. Don¡¯t push your luck.¡± Soft approaches failed, so Ciaran opted for a harder stance. Ronin hadn¡¯t expected this from Ciaran. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to dwell on their rtionship. Right in front of Ciaran, Ronin pulled out his phone and prepared to call Catherine. Unexpectedly, Ciaran lunged for Ronin¡¯s phone and aimed to snatch it away. The sudden move caught Ronin off guard, but his agility saved him. He swiftly deflected Ciaran with a sidekick, which made Ciaran stumble back. Taking advantage of the moment, Ciaran turned to leave. Before he reached the door, it swung open from outside. Catherine and Marshall appeared simultaneously. Ciaran gave up resistance and slumped to the floor with a paled face. He knew he had no chance and was awaiting judgment. Catherine nced at Ronin and noticed the stubble on his chin. She found it somewhat amusing and sympathetic. ¡± You go rest. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Rest wasn¡¯t an option for Ronin until he settled this matter. He wanted to clear Catherine¡¯s name. He¡¯d make sure everyone knew she couldn¡¯t possibly be the leak. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll stand guard at the door while you question.¡± With Ronin there, no one would get in. Catherine was unable to persuade him otherwise and let him be. ¡°Fine. Then, guard the door.¡± After Ronin left, the office was left with just the three of them. Marshall was so angry that he clutched his chest and sat silent. Catherine didn¡¯t immediately confront Ciaran. She politely invited him to sit and talk. She said, ¡°Take a seat. There¡¯s no one else here. Let¡¯s chat.¡± Ciaran didn¡¯t grasp Catherine¡¯s intent. Despite being the youngest in their experimental team, Catherine exuded the most powerful aura among them. He even found her more intimidating than Marshall. After being discovered, hecked the courage to meet Catherine¡¯s eyes. Ciaran slumped on the couch and stared ahead in dismay. ¡°What do you want to ask? Go ahead and ask.¡± Chapter 693 Chapter 693 The Sender After a few minutes, Marshall finally caught his breath. He stared at his student, Ciaran, with a mix of sadness and frustration. Ciaran had been in hisb the longest, almost like a son to him. However, Marshall didn¡¯t expect that Ciaran was the one stealingb data. He wouldn¡¯t have believed this if it hadn¡¯t been for Marshall catching it on the spot. ¡°Why, Ciaran? Tell me.¡± Marshall¡¯s voice choked as he struggled to get the words out. Ciaran kept his head low and remained silent. It wasn¡¯t until pushed that he responded. He said, ¡°Professor Hartley, please don¡¯t ask anymore. Just hand me over to the procuratorate.¡± Marshall was furious and mmed his favorite coffee mug on the table. ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me your troubles? I¡¯m your teacher. I can help you. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± As the standoff lingered, Catherine, who sat nearby, said casually yet assertively, ¡°It¡¯s not about trust. It¡¯s about the hidden agenda from the start. Her words instantly drew their attention. Marshall looked at Catherine in confusion while Ciaran was shocked. He couldn¡¯t believe it, let alone confront it. He wondered how Catherine knew. Then he thought he must be overthinking things. But Catherine¡¯s following words plunged him into despair before Ciaran could fathom it. ¡°Ciaran, you were born in Bateny, Rexinheim. You moved to Eskana at three. You are Rexinish, right?¡± Catherine looked up and stared at Ciaran with her sharp gaze, leaving no room for evasion. The silent Ciaran was now utterly rattled. After hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Marshall finally grasped the truth. He looked at Ciaran in disbelief. His lips trembled as he struggled to speak. He asked, ¡°So, were you approaching me with an ulterior motive from the start?¡± Marshall dared not think further. ¡°My God! All these years¡­ It¡¯s terrifying.¡± Catherine sneered in disdain. Ciaran hid his identity for so long. Human nature was truly terrifying. ¡°Ciaran, you¡¯ve endured for years. Why expose yourself now? Are you willing to sacrifice as a pawn?¡± Catherine asked. If this data were stolen again, Catherine¡¯s name would easily be cleared. She held the data and could transfer it discreetly without the need for such effort. After a long silence, Ciaran finally lifted his head after hearing Catherine¡¯s words. His eyes were filled with resignation, and he said depressedly, This project is too significant. Everyone around the world wants it.¡± Otherwise, the organization wouldn¡¯t put Ciaran at risk. After all, Ciaran had been undercover by Marshall¡¯s side for so many years. His position was irreceable. Marshall pondered for a while before finally asking the burning question. He asked, ¡°Previously, it was also your doing, and you framed Catherine, right? Ciaran shook his head. ¡°I stole the data, but I never intended to frame Catherine. Someone manipted the surveince to incriminate Catherine. It¡¯s not my doing!¡± Ciaran admitted to the theft, but their original n was to use a hacker¡¯s identity. Unexpectedly, someone took advantage and pinned it on Catherine. Ciaran¡¯s organization exploited it and made everyone believe Catherine was the leaker. Marshall looked up at Catherine and sought her opinion. He wasn¡¯t sure if his once-favorite student was lying, so he turned to Catherine for help. ¡°He¡¯s not lying,¡± Catherine said firmly. Ciaran indeed stole the data, but he wasn¡¯t the one responsible for framing her. Someone else took the advantage and stirred the trouble. Marshall looked worriedly at Catherine and was surprised by theplexity of the situation. ¡°Catherine, should we keep investigating?¡± He couldn¡¯t rest until he found the person behind Catherine¡¯s false usation. ¡°No need. Professor Hartley, hand him over to Lorcan. I¡¯ll handle the rest,¡± Catherine replied. Catherine made such arrangements because she knew who was stirring the pot behind the scenes. His aim wasn¡¯t the research data but to ruin Catherine¡¯s reputation at Styre University. With the matter settled, Catherine left Marshall¡¯s office. Ronin, who had been waiting and listening from the wall, stood up promptly to meet her. ¡°Catherine, where are we heading next?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± With Catherine¡¯smand, Ronin didn¡¯t hesitate and trailed behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll drive. You rest. I¡¯ll wake you when we¡¯re there,¡± Catherine said. Concerned that Ronin hadn¡¯t rested for days, Catherine decided to let him take a break. Even just 15 minutes of quality sleep could greatly relieve his exhaustion. They had all been professionally trained to control their bodies for rapid entry into quality sleep efficiently. Ronin didn¡¯t know what wasing next, but he obeyed Catherine¡¯s order. He prepared himself for whatevery ahead in his best mental state. Half an hourter, Catherine parked the car steadily beneath a business building. ¡°Get out!¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it jolted Ronin awake in the backseat. He swiftly followed Catherine out of the car and toward the building. At the entrance, the building¡¯s security guards sternly intercepted them. ¡°Who are you? You can¡¯t go upstairs without invitations.¡± Ignoring the guards, Catherine nced at Ronin beside her. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only With lightning speed, Ronin swiftly subdued the two guards with precise strikes. He didn¡¯t harm them, but he incapacitated them temporarily. Then, Catherine and Ronin swaggered into the elevator. With no outsiders in sight, Ronin couldn¡¯t help but ask Catherine, ¡°Catherine, how do you know Ciaran is Rexinish?¡± ¡°Check your inbox,¡± Catherine replied. Hearing that, Ronin looked puzzled. He pulled out his phone and opened his inbox. In the inbox, there was a new email. It contained detailed information about Ciaran, even his life before he was three years old, and his parents¡¯ backgrounds. No wonder Catherine wasn¡¯t surprised when they caught the leaker. She had known all along. ¡°Catherine, who sent this? It¡¯s incredible!¡± Ronin had been searching for Rexinheim¡¯s confidential information for so long without sess, and the sender was so skilled. He provided such detailed information. Catherine smirked and didn¡¯t answer Ronin¡¯s query. Chapter 694 Chapter 694 Threat Catherine led Ronin to the topmost office area. As soon as the door opened, several ck-clothed security guards rushed straight out. Catherine nced at them expressionlessly. She turned back toward Ronin behind her and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll leave them to you!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Ronin confidently patted his chest. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep upter!¡± Several ck-clothed bodyguards rushed forward and wanted to surround Catherine, but Ronin blocked them before they could reach Catherine. Ronin gave a handsome kick. After kicking down one of the ck-clothed bodyguards, he scanned around with an intense look of disdain in his eyes. ¡°What are you waiting for? Juste together!¡± He did not put these people in his eyes at all. He was not worried even if there were ten more security guards. He thought to himself, ¡°Anyone who dares to stop Catherine must die!¡± Seeing that these bodyguards could not even stop Ronin alone, the higher-ups arranged new helpers. These new helpers were all skilled, burly men. They were not only very strong, but more importantly, they were also very good at fighting. With the sudden addition of such a new group of burly men, Ronin was a bit flustered. The group of ck-clothed security guards was easy for him to deal with just now, but now, with the addition of these new men, Ronin was afraid that he would not be able to handle them. However, the target of these new big guys did not seem to be Ronin. They rushed directly toward Catherine. Their goal was very clear, and that was to stop Catherine. Hearing the sound of footstepsing from behind her, Catherine unhurriedly stopped her steps and turned back to look at them. She calmly took out the chocte from inside her pocket. Branden had prepared this for her, and she happened to be hungry. She could eat it. The battle was about to start. There were more and more people on the other side, and Catherine was alone, but she was not afraid at all. A few of the big guys tried to attack Catherine, but she knocked them over before they could touch her. Her movements were fast and sharp, without any hesitation. Seeing that they could not stop Catherine by attacking her separately, they decided to join forces and completely defeat her. Before they could do it, an old voice suddenly interrupted them. ¡°Okay, stop it!¡± Shane slowly appeared in front of the crowd. His sharp eyes were fixed on Catherine. ¡°You all back off. You are no match for her.¡± Shane knew clearly that even if there were twice as many people, none of them would be a match for Catherine. He knew Catherine¡¯s power better than anyone. ¡°Catherine,e with me!¡± Shane raised his hand in a gesture, and Catherine walked into the office right after him. Ronin was about to follow but was stopped by a few bodyguards in ck. Ronin¡¯s face immediately sank, staring menacingly at those bodyguards. ¡°What? You guys still want to fight me? A ck-clothed security guard looked at Ronin and said coldly, ¡°Mr. Shane didn¡¯t let you in!¡± Ronin raised his eyebrows and looked at the other party with disdain. ¡°What if I want to break in?¡± There was no ce he could not enter in his life. He was going in to keep Catherine safe. There was nothing anyone could do to stop him. ¡°Ronin!¡± Catherine shouted. Ronin immediately looked up. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Wait for me at the door!¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s order, Ronin turned around to sit beside the door without hesitation. He could ignore anyone¡¯s words, but he would not ignore Catherine¡¯s words. With that, Catherine turned around and walked into the office. The building was a subsidiary of the Breens. Although Shane seldom came there, all the decorations there were decorated ording to Shane¡¯s favorite style, which showed that Shane¡¯s status was not ordinary. He asked Catherine to have a seat warmly. His kind appearance resembled that of an elder who doted on his younger generation with no hint of hostility at all. Catherine didn¡¯t make any pretense and sat down graciously. Only after she was seated did Shane ask slowly and leisurely, ¡°What¡¯s the reason you came here so aggressively?¡± Catherine turned her head to look at him. Her disdainful gaze was filled with mockery. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who knows best in your heart about the reason? Or do you have a bad memory in your old age and have even forgotten what you have done?¡± Anyone else could not walk out of this door after saying such impolite words in front of Shane. But Catherine was different. She was born that way. Even when she came to the Breens, down and out, she had never once ttered Shane to please him. This was what Shane appreciated most about her. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Shane burst outughing nonchntly. Apparently, he didn¡¯t feel bad about everything he did. ¡°Catherine, I just got you a small stumbling block, and you¡¯re so tired of dealing with it? How long do you think you can withstand if I really take action?¡± Although the video was just an ident, Shane was the one who seized this opportunity to cause the situation.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only He used a little trick to shift the me for the leak onto Catherine. His fundamental goal was to make Catherine unable to stay at Styre University. He wanted to drive Catherine out of Styre University so that she would return to him obediently, inherit the Breens¡¯ property, and keep working for the Breens for the rest of her life. For so long, no one had ever been able to refuse the offer of the Breens. Whether through natural cooperation or means, as long as the Breens wanted someone, no one could refuse them, which was the survivalw of the Breens. This time, Shane still felt the same way. After his negotiations with Catherine broke down, he began to look for the right moment. He looked at Catherine smugly and raised his eyebrows. ¡°You should know very well that this is merely an appetizer. If I really want to make a move on you, I¡¯m afraid the consequences will be more than that!¡± Catherine sat calmly. The expression on her face remained rebellious and disdainful. From beginning to end, she did not take this top-notch tycoon seriously. Shane was in no hurry. He believed there was always something that could subdue Catherine. ¡°Have you ever thought it? You can escape alone, but what about people from the Swanns and the Duncans? Right, do you know that? Branden¡¯s Duncan Corporation is now in trouble. Don¡¯t you want to save it?¡± Shane¡¯s threat was now very clear. Catherine chuckled softly. She felt it was better to confront her directly in public than to use covert tactics against her in private. ¡°Do you think I would be afraid? The bankruptcy of the Duncans is the business of Branden. What does it have to do with me? As for the Swanns, you know my childhood experience best. Do you think I would sacrifice myself for them?¡± Chapter 695 Chapter 695 The Game Catherine escaped from the Breens that year on her own. She was also the first person who managed to escape from Shane even after he inherited the Breens. After these few years of biding his time, Shane himself knew that it would be very difficult for him to trap Catherine. If it were in the past, he really couldn¡¯t do anything to Catherine. It was different this time. After Shane came to Eskana, he did not directly attack Catherine but investigated all the people and situations around Catherine. He knew the weaknesses of human nature too well. He knew that Catherine¡¯s seemingly cold exterior hid a warm heart. If once Catherine was invulnerable, now Catherine was full of weaknesses. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Audrey and the Duncans were the people she cared about and her weaknesses. As long as one had weaknesses, one would be easily controlled. ¡°Catherine, if everything is as you said, congrattions! And yes, it was me who did it. I ept your challenge.¡± Shane looked at Catherine with a smirk on his face. It was a silent game, and Catherine smiled calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s start the game!¡± With that, Catherine stood straight up and turned to walk out of the office. Hearing footstepsing, Ronin immediately stood up. ¡°Catherine, are we going to fight?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave!¡± Ronin was a bit puzzled. He gave Catherine a surprised look and reconfirmed the answer. He mentally asked himself, ¡°Leave? Did I hear her right? I thought we wereing to fight. Are we just going to let Shane go so easily?¡± ¡°Fighting won¡¯t solve the problem! We should beat his weak part.¡± If Shane could be beaten up just by their fists, then Shane would not have reached his position today. After the two of them got in the car, Ronin thought carefully about what Catherine had said just now and finally understood. ¡°Catherine,e on. I can¡¯t wait to take the assignment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll message you at night. Drive me back to my apartment first.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ronin nodded excitedly. He stepped on the gas pedal, and the car sped out at full speed. In front of the ss window on the top floor, the old butler stood beside Shane and spoke respectfully, ¡°Mr. Shane, are we just going to let Miss Swann leave like this?¡± Staring at the distant car in front of him, Shane¡¯s expression was very calm. ¡°Let her go. No matter how high a kite flies, there will be a moment when it is retrieved!¡± ¡°You are right. Miss Swann is the kite in your hands!¡± Shane did not say a word in the face of his servant¡¯s agreement. His eyes narrowed slightly into a line as he stared into the distance, with a hint of coldness in his eyes. In Kamren¡¯s vi, there was singing and dancing, and the music was deafening. Kamren was having another party within his vi, with men and women gathered in a circle. Despite Kamren¡¯s age, his life was much more exciting than that of young people. Emma slowly entered the door, holding fruit. Looking at the chaotic and lewd scene around her, she felt disgusted and even felt extremely nauseous. She put down the fruit and turned around, ready to leave. ¡°Mr. Arroyo, is this your new wife?¡± The person who said this was Chaim Bartlett. He had recently been following Kamren in business. He was also a man who only knew enjoying life but did nothing serious. Watching Emma¡¯s graceful figure, he felt an itch in his heart. Upon hearing Chaim¡¯s question, Kamren nced at him with a disdainful expression on his face. ¡°Bullshit. She¡¯s not my wife. I¡¯m still a bachelor. This woman is, at best, my mistress. If you like her, I can give her to you.¡± Emma¡¯s hand tightly gripped the fruit te. She had the urge to crush it. It was not the first time Kamren had disrespected her in public like this. When she first came to Kamren¡¯s house, Kamren still favored her. But now, Kamren no longer liked her. Once Kamren was slightly unhappy, he would either scold or beat her. She was currently living a miserable life. When Chaim heard Kamren say this, he knew that Emma did not matter at all in Kamren¡¯s heart, and he suddenly became bold. ¡°Mr. Arroyo, I¡¯ve heard that Emma is from an art academy and is very good at dancing. How about asking her to dance for us?¡± Kamren agreed generously. He reached out to point at Emma and ordered, ¡± Come on, dance for us.¡± Emma was a bit reluctant, biting her lip, and did not move. Kamren instantly felt embarrassed. He picked up the wine ss and mmed it toward Emma. ¡°I asked you to dance for us. What are you waiting for? Why are you putting on a long face?¡± The ss smashed heavily at Emma, hitting her knee directly. If it weren¡¯t for her bracing herself against the wall with her hands, she would have already fallen on the ground in embarrassment. She knew that if she did not do what Kamren said, she would only end up worse off. She dared not resist and slowly stepped forward to wriggle. Tears welled up in her eyes as she swallowed all the humiliation. She had never suffered such humiliation in her life. She had initially thought that her obediently bowing down would bring her peace, but she did not expect that Kamren was simply a scumbag. Kamren looked dissatisfied as Emma danced. He cursed with a ck face and said, ¡°Why are you wearing so many clothes? How can you dance with so many clothes on? Take off all your clothes!¡± Emma did not move, and Kamren directly stepped forward to make his move. He tore up Emma¡¯s outer skirt and made her dance on the coffee table wearing underwear. ¡°Keep dancing, or I¡¯ll whip you to death!¡± Emma knew that Kamren would do what he said. She had been sold to Kamren by the Wales. She did not even have the most basic human rights in front of Kamren. Even if Kamren beat her to death, the Wales would not help her. At most, they would use her as a bargaining chip to make another profit. She would never benefit the Wales again. She now wished to kill all the people of the Wales. Her uncle actually sold her to a scumbag. Thinking of this, Emma swallowed all her humiliation. She made up her mind secretly. ¡°It¡¯s all caused by the Wales and Catherine. If it wasn¡¯t Catherine, how could I have be like this? I must live. I must live until the day I see Catherine get her comeuppance. Even if I go to hell, I will take Catherine with me.¡± With humiliation, Emma danced quickly. Looking at the faces with lewd smiles, her gaze became more determined, and her expression became even colder. Kamren recognized Emma¡¯s endurance. He stood up to pick up some cash from the table and shoved it into Emma¡¯s chest. ¡°You¡¯re such a good girl. Here¡¯s your reward!¡± Emma clenched her teeth and forced herself to part her lips. ¡°Mr. Arroyo, thank you!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Kamren burst outughing. He then pushed Emma into Chaim¡¯s arms as he did so. ¡°Chaim, we¡¯re good brothers. Let¡¯s y together!¡± Chapter 696 The Hacker Alliance Chapter 696 The Hacker Alliance ¡°Mr. Duncan, the Hacker Alliance has replied,¡± Paxton reported to Banden. Hearing what Paxton said, Branden stopped to look up at him, waiting for him to continue. Paxton received the signal from Branden¡¯s stare and continued, ¡°The Hacker Alliance replied and made it clear that they wouldn¡¯t ept the mission no matter how high the price was unless we agreed to their rules.¡± Aidan happened to be at Branden¡¯s office for a business meeting. He knew Branden was seeking cooperation with the Hacker Alliance recently. The surprisingly high price offered by the Duncans had created quite a stir in the ck market. Aidan naturally knew about it. He asked Branden, ¡°The Hacker Alliance refused to cooperate with you despite the high price. Had the Duncans ever offended them?¡± It was said a golden key could open any door. With the money the Duncans offered, they could hire anyone they wanted. But the Hacker Alliance was not swayed, making Aidan deeply doubt they had a history with the Duncans. Branden narrowed his eyes and nced at Aidan. His gaze was aloof and emotionless. The Duncans had offended so many people these years. But Branden was unaware of the history between them and the Hacker Alliance. He turned to Paxton and ordered, ¡± Check on it.¡± Paxton nodded and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll be right on it.¡± They had just finished talking before Branden¡¯s phone rang. He picked up his phone and nced at the caller ID. With that, he grabbed his coat and walked out. Seeing him leave so quickly, Aidan chased after Branden and asked, ¡± Where are you going, Branden? Didn¡¯t we say to grab lunch together?¡± ¡°Home.¡± Branden left him one word and strode away without saying goodbye. Aidan nced at Paxton beside him and frowned, asking, ¡°Why is he in a hurry? Is his house on fire?¡± Paxton gave him a cold gaze and answered, ¡°You won¡¯t understand. You are single and alone.¡± Aidan was momentarily stunned before he finally realized he was mocked by Paxton. So he cursed loudly toward Paxton,who was leaving. ¡°Who are you calling ¡® alone¡¯? I¡¯m single but not alone. I havpany every night. It¡¯s you that¡¯ssingle and alone.¡± After cursing for awhile, Aidan finally calmed down andleft. He thought, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to Branden today. Or else Iwouldn¡¯t have been stood up by him and mocked by Paxton. Why did I askfor trouble?¡¯ After Catherine returned to the apartment, she turned on herptop and made a video call to Withal on Skype. When Withal received the call, he was slightly surprised and asked, ¡± Catherine, are you calling me on Skype? Catherine rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°Who else would it be?¡± Withal realized his question wasstupid, grinning and saying, ¡°I just find it strange. You¡¯ve always emailed me, and suddenly, a video popped up. I¡¯m not used to it!¡± ¡°Get up, youzy dog. Get to work.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t exin much and woke up Withal from his bed. If she sent an email, he probably wouldn¡¯t read it till he woke up in the morning. Withal slept with his phone shut down. But he kept hisputer on. So, a video call on Skype would be the best way to wake him up. Withal took a closer look at the document sent by Catherine and frowned slightly. He instantly realized things were not simple and immediately followed Catherine¡¯s instructions. ¡°I¡¯m on it, Catherine.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you,¡± Catherine answered. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening and knowing that Branden had returned, Catherine hung up and walked out of the room. As soon as she was out of the room, she looked up at Branden in his eyes. Branden¡¯s cold eyes instantly became warm. ¡°Have you been resting?¡± Branden asked. ¡°No,¡± answered Catherine. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Branden asked again. ¡°A little bit,¡± said Catherine. Branden lifted the grocery bag in his hand to show her. ¡°I went to the grocery store on the way home. How about I make a sandwich for you?¡± ¡°Terrific!¡± Catherine agreed. Her t and faint voice, with almost no ups and downs, flowed slowly intoBranden¡¯s heart like a clear spring and instantly nourished him. ¡°You sit and rest. I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s ready,¡± said Branden. ¡°Alright,¡± answered Catherine. Seeing him walking into the kitchen, Catherine turned around and sat on the sofa. She was not helpful in the kitchen. And even if she wanted to help, Branden wouldn¡¯t allow it. Branden washed some strawberries for her before dinner was ready. Catherine sat back on the sofa with the TV on. It was not ying any famous movie but a ssic anime. The breeze blew gently outside the window. This moment was more precious to Branden than anything. ording to thews of Eskana, there was still one year, six months, and eight days left. At that time, the worldand thews would know she belonged to him! Sensing someone behind her, Catherine turned around and looked. Branden handed her a strawberry. Catherine bit the upper half of it as usual. And Branden ate the left half. Branden left the fruit tray within her reach. He heard her voice from behind when he was about to return to the kitchen. ¡°Is the Duncan Corporation doing well recently?¡± she asked. Branden paused. He turned around to gently pinch her cheek with his hand, giving it a gentle caress. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything¡¯s fine,¡± he said. Upon hearing this, Catherine had no intention of continuing. She changed the topic. ¡°When will the sandwich be ready? I¡¯m starving.¡± It¡¯s rare to hear her urge. Branden¡¯s face lit up with a smile, and he looked at her tenderly. ¡°Just a second.¡± As soon as Branden entered the kitchen, Catherine¡¯s phone buzzed in her hand. She nced at it. Ronin sent a message, reading, [Catherine, the investigation is done. The files have been sent to your email.] The instant Catherine finished reading, she deleted the message with just one click. She switched to her email box and read the email from Ronin. There were a lot of files in the email, and Catherine quickly browsed through it.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. This was the basic information of the Duncans. It showed that although the Duncans won the business war with the Breens, it had already caused damage to the foundation of the Duncans. To defeat the Breens, who were the world¡¯s top financial conglomerates, the Duncans and Branden almost devoted all their strength. In addition, with the recent failures of several projects, the situation ofpanies under the Duncans was not optimistic. If Shane Breen were to attack the Duncans again at this time, it would undoubtedly be a catastrophic disaster for them. Shane was a cunning person. He was undoubtedly one of the top in the world of capital. He intended to get his way by hook or by crook. Catherine turned around and nced at the busy figure in the kitchen, pondered for a moment, then lowered her head and deleted the email in her hand. Since her man said it was okay, then it was okay. Chapter 697 Chapter 697 The Cartridge Case The news of Ciaran being taken away was blocked by the university. But one person down in the laboratory raised a storm of conjecture. Let alone Ciaran was the most popr one in theb. People inquired privately, and gossip always found its way to people. The news was leaked, more or less. However, the university had already ordered that discussions on this matter be strictly prohibited. No one dared to mention this ident in public. To avoid this situation, the school coborated with the Procuratorate to conduct a detailed investigation into the family situation of theboratory members and students enrolled. Not only did they investigate the backgrounds of the members, students themselves, and their parents, but they even investigated their grandparents to eradicate the urrence of this situation. When Catherine arrived at theboratory, most of the members of their group were present. Seeing Catherine walking towards her seat calmly, a nosy senior immediately approached. Afraid of punishment, he could only ask Catherine about the situation in a low voice, ¡°Catherine, could they have the wrong person? How could Ciaran be a snitch?¡± Catherine turned her head to look at him and spoke calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s leave this to the professor and focus on experiments.¡± With that, Catherine sat down in her cube without looking back and started working. Others would scold anyone in theb who said so, but not Catherine. They all know Catherine very well, and nothing was more important to her than experiments. Even when things happened to her, she remained calm and focused entirely on her work. She only answered the question because they were in the same group. What more could they ask for? The senior, who got nothing from Catherine, could only sigh helplessly and leave. Catherine was about to start the experiment. She took out her phone to turn it off when Zobber called. Catherine turned off herputer and left theb to answer the phone. ¡°Catherine, thank god you answered the phone. I thought you had shut down your phone in theb,¡± said Zobber on the phone. ¡°Almost,¡± answered Catherine. ¡°What?¡± Zobber was confused. But then she realized what Catherine meant. She said, ¡°That means we have a strong connection. I called just in time!¡± Hearing the silence on the phone, Zobber dared not hesitate and quickly stated the purpose of the call. ¡± Catherine, I have something to tell you. Let¡¯s meet somewhere!¡± Catherine took a look at her watch and answered, ¡°Meet me at Styre University in half an hour.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Zobber agreed. After half an hour, they met at the student center in Styre University. This was the busiest ce in this area on weekdays, but now it was ss time, so it seemed a bit lonely. Catherine found the coffee shop mentioned by Zobber and walked in. ¡°Catherine, here!¡± Zobber kept waving at Catherine from the second floor. Catherine nodded and walked up the stairs. She pulled a chair and sat across Zobber. ¡°Catherine, the Hacker Alliance recently took on a mission to find someone,¡± said Zobber. Hearing what Zobber said, Catherine lifted her eyes and squinted at her. Catherine never intervened in their missions as long as the other party yed under the rules of the Hacker Alliance. Catherine¡¯s stare gave Zobber goosebumps and made her tremble with coldness. ¡°Catherine, this situation isplicated. The other party offered a high enough price and followed our rules, so we naturally had no reason to push them away, right? However, it was difficult to find the person with so few clues they provided. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Since Catherine rejected the exorbitantly-priced task ced by the Duncans, there had been many voices within the Alliance. If she did not take on the order now, the discussion would be uncontroble, and it would not benefit anyone. Zobber took out a photo and ced it in front of Catherine. ¡°The picture is the only clue they provided.¡± This photo was highly blurry. Obviously, it was taken secretly from a distance. The photo was taken from the side, and the woman¡¯s face was covered with a veil, revealing only a pair of eyes. ¡°Do you know where the photo was taken?¡± asked Catherine. ¡°I found out about the location, but this is a photo taken ten years ago, and it¡¯s difficult to find her,¡± answered Zobber. They had no choice but toe to Catherine. Catherine ordered, ¡°Carefully investigate. If you fail, give the customer a double refund.¡± This was the rule of the Hacker Alliance. The customer would receive a double refund if the request was not fulfilled. However, this never happened even since the Hacker Alliance was established. Catherine finished speaking expressionlessly, ready to get up and leave. If she was free, she might take the order and help find the woman in the photo. But she hadn¡¯t been avable recently, and the laboratory project was already quite promising. She nned to continue until the experiment was sessfully done. In addition, with Shane¡¯s eyes on her side, she had to pay constant attention. She had no ns to assign tasks to herself at the moment, let alone leave Loxton. Seeing Catherine was about to leave, Zobber quickly stopped her, saying, ¡± Catherine, wait a minute, I haven¡¯t finished speaking yet.¡± Catherine turned to look at Zobber and said, ¡°Speak up!¡± Zobber took out a cartridge case from her pocket and handed it to Catherine. ¡± The person who posted the task also gave this to me. That was the person who saved us when we encountered an ambush in the central region.¡± Catherine naturally recognized that special bullet. A few years ago, she sent Zobber and the others to complete a mission in the war-torn central region. Unexpectedly, the buyer suddenly backed out, causing them to be ambushed. Catherine was unable to participate in this mission for some unexpected reasons. To rescue Zobber and the others, Catherine used her power to connect with the leader of the local armed organization, asking them to find a way to save them. But they could not rescue them in the military¡¯s name. So, the leader hired a group of mercenaries to help Zobber and the others. Zobber specially made this bullet. Catherine asked her to hand it over to the mercenaries, considered a favor owed. After that, she rushed to the central region and taught the buyers a lesson, ensuring they were scared to death every time they heard of Hacker Alliance. She didn¡¯t expect to see this cartridge case here today. Catherine was originally going to refuse but immediately changed her mind. She picked up the photo from the table and stuffed it into her pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll take on the task. You can go back now.¡± Hearing this, Zobber breathed a sigh of relief and cheered loudly, ¡°Hooray!¡± Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Audrey¡¯s Scandal After taking on the task, Catherine went back to theboratory. But Ronin insisted on meeting and said they hadn¡¯t seen each other for too long and needed a gathering after he knew Zobber met with Catherine. ¡°Catherine, please!¡± Ronin begged. Ronin tried his best to beg. Catherine thought there was still some time for a meal, so she agreed. Unexpectedly, when Withal learned that Ronin was having a meal with Zobber and, more importantly, Catherine was also there, he rushed over regardless. Three became four. Zobber carefully nced at Ronin and pursed her lips,ughing and teasing him. ¡°Ronin, you¡¯re the star in the Hacker Alliance. It seems that Catherine has given you quite a few tasks recently. Indeed, Catherine is partial to you.¡± Ronin raised his eyebrows and looked disdainfully at Zobber. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Ronin thought, ¡®Catherine did have a preference for me. After all, I am the most capable person in Hacker Alliance. The others, whether they are jealous or not, have to shut up about it.¡¯ Ronin¡¯s tone made Zobber want to punch him in the face. ¡°Hurry up and tell me what you¡¯re up to. What tasks did Catherine give you?¡± The Hacker Alliance assigned many tasks to them. But they liked to work for Catherine. Not only could they act recklessly without being bound, but they also had someone to protect them. Ronin remained silent. Zobber began making various spections. ¡°Could it be that old Shane Breen?¡± Ronin¡¯s gaze immediately darkened when it came to Shane. Zobber knew she hade close. What Ronin had been up to was rted to the Breens. ¡°Catherine, we don¡¯t have as much money as the Breens, but that doesn¡¯t mean we should be afraid of them. How about Withal and I carry two boxes of TNT to the building where Shane is located, and we blow it down? It would be best if he were to die from the explosion, but even if he didn¡¯t die, that could teach him a lesson!¡± Just listening to what Zobber said relieved Ronin¡¯s anger toward the Breens. He gave her a thumbs up. ¡± When ites to crazy revenge, Zobber is the one you look for. Nice job! Withal sat on the side, listening to the two of them talking incoherently, looking up at Catherine. He asked, Catherine, what do you think of this?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t answer but ate slowly. Withal had long been ustomed to herposure, and he admired that genuinely. ¡°Catherine, You are not alone in this. Since Shane Breen wants to go against you, he is against the entire Hacker Alliance. It¡¯s said that the Breens are invincible. But they are devastated by the Duncans. The Hacker Alliance is not inferior to the Duncans. Let¡¯s smash the Breens,¡± said Withal. If Hacker Alliance could not handle the Breens, what if the Duncans looked down on them in the future? It¡¯s a battle they could not afford to lose. ¡°Withal made a point,¡± said Zobber. ¡± How about we give the Breens a big surprise? Milo is in Europe now. Since Shane is in Eskana, why not ask Milo to create chaos in the Breens¡¯ base camp?¡± When Zobber spoke, her eyes were filled with excitement, almost rmending herself to be the troublemaker in Euphosean. Seeing Zobber was so into this, Catherine did not reject her suggestion. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave it to you then.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Zobber took on the task quickly. She thought, ¡®I was worried that Catherine might disagree. Now that she has given me the chance, I will take it and have fun. Let¡¯s set the cat among the pigeons.¡¯ While they were talking andughing, Ronin received a message. He instantly showed it to Catherine after reading the message. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, Catherine. There¡¯s a hot topic on Twitter.¡± Catherine took his phone and nced, her cold eyes immediately darkening. [Famous actress Catherine, who intervened in the marriage of a famous director, was caught on the spot by his current wife and fled in embarrassment.] The title was very eye-catching, and the content was incredibly stunning. In the picture, Audrey ran in panic, wrapped in bed sheets. Although the photo was very blurry, one could still tell it was Audrey from her appearance. Moreover, theizens were very capable of seeking truth through blurry pictures. Twitter almost broke down because of the news. Thements were adding up. Quite a few anti-fans intentionally fueled the mes, while rational fans were eager to know the truth. Catherine returned Ronin¡¯s phone and said to Zobber, ¡°Locate Audrey.¡± It was impossible to reach Audrey by phone now. To find her as quickly as possible, they must rely on themselves. ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± answered Zobber. She was aware of the enormity of the matter and immediately began working. Catherine turned to Ronin and said, ¡± Find out who was behind the scene.¡± She thought inwardly, ¡®If it was the Breens, I might blow up the Breens¡¯ building, and that old dog Shane like Zobber said!¡¯ Zobber acted quickly and immediately gave Catherine Audrey¡¯s current address. ¡°She¡¯s here, Catherine. It is a vi under Triston¡¯s name. Audrey¡¯s apartment is now upied by her agent to confuse the journalists.¡± Without Catherine saying, Withal got on his feet and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get the car.¡± Ten minutester, Catherine and Zobber arrived at a vi in Loxton owned by Triston. Zobber rang the doorbell. Seeing two strangers, the servant who opened the door refused to let them in. Zobber said, ¡°Tell Triston toe out and see us.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. The servant was shocked. More importantly, they knew the owner of the vi. So she politely asked them to wait and went in to ask for instructions. Triston was not surprised to see Catherine from the surveince camera. Audrey¡¯s scandal caused a great mor. She would look for Audrey the second she found out about it. And it would only be too easy for her to locate Audrey. He went downstairs to let them in. He said to Catherine, ¡°Audrey is upstairs. Go check on her.¡± He said that with a stern expression and a particrly fierce gaze. Zobber nced at him and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Lambert, you don¡¯t believe all the nonsense in the news, do you?¡± She knew Audrey¡¯s personality. That director was ugly. Even if he paid Audrey to be his mistress, Audrey would not agree. Not to mentione between him and his wife as a third person. She must have been framed. If Triston were stupid enough to believe the news, Zobber would stab him to death without Catherine asking. Triston didn¡¯t answer Zobber¡¯s question. He felt upset and only wanted to be left alone. Seeing Catherine had already entered the door, Zobber red fiercely at Triston and chased after her. ¡°Wait for me, Catherine,¡± Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Handle It as You Wish The second-floor master bedroom door was tightly closed, and several untouched meals were ced at the entrance. The maid knocked on the door cautiously, signaling the person inside to open it. ¡°Do you have a spare key?¡± Catherine asked. The maid nodded. ¡°Yes, on the first floor. I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡± Zobber, who was behind them, heard it and briskly approached. ¡°Catherine, using a spare key is troublesome. Let me handle it.¡± Catherine nced at her and agreed. Zobber removed a hairpin from her head, and in just three seconds, she opened the door. The maid on the side was left stunned; she didn¡¯t even have a chance to fetch the key before the door opened. ¡°Get out!¡± A woman¡¯s angry shout came from inside, unmistakably Audrey¡¯s voice. Catherine walked in slowly, catching the pillow that smashed into her. ¡± What¡¯s going on?¡± The cold voice brought Audrey back to her senses. She looked up and saw Catherine, instantly flustered. ¡°Kathy, I thought it was Triston. Did you get hurt?¡± Audrey hastily got out of bed and approached Catherine. Catherine casually threw the pillow in her hand and walked toward a single sofa, sitting down without any courtesy. Zobber, following closely behind, smiled and greeted Audrey, ¡°Audrey, long time no see!¡± Facing Catherine¡¯s friend, Audrey forced a smile. ¡°Have a seat.¡± After everyone sat down, Audrey remained silent, lowering her head like a child who had done something wrong. With little time to spare, Catherine directly addressed the key point of the issue. She asked, ¡°Do you know who did that?¡± Audrey hesitated, biting her lip and shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. When I woke up, I was lying there with a terrible headache.¡± Then, a series of events unfolded. The wicked woman barged in and violently attacked her, leaving Audrey no choice but to flee in fear. Catherine¡¯s initially calm eyes darkened at Audrey¡¯s response. Zobber, sitting on the side, sensed it and scrunched her neck in fear. ¡°Whoever dared to offend Catherine was like seeking death,¡± she thought. Seeing Catherine¡¯s stern and silent expression, Audrey, full of guilt, looked at her. ¡°Kathy, I¡¯m sorry, I was useless. I¡¯ll handle this myself. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Catherine nced at her, and Audrey immediately stopped speaking. Zobber, arrange for Connie to come over,¡± said Catherine. ¡°Yes, Catherine, I¡¯ll contact her right away,¡± replied Zobber. Half an hourter, a young woman in sportswear appeared in Triston¡¯s mansion, carrying arge box. ¡°Zobber, I¡¯m here. Is Catherine really here?¡± Zobber, who received the call, quickly came downstairs and then led Connie upstairs. Connie finally spotted Catherine in the room. She was also a member of the Hacker Alliance, renowned as the skilled medic among them. On regr days, whenever a Hacker Alliance member had a broken arm or leg, they would seek Connie¡¯s help. After all, some situations weren¡¯t suitable for a hospital visit-it was too troublesome. For someone like Thomas, unless it was a matter of life and death, nobody would bother him. However, it didn¡¯t mean Connie¡¯s medical skills werecking. Unlike Thomas, who specialized in traditional medicine, Connie excelled in modern medicine diagnostics and treatment. Seeing Catherine, Connie was so excited she didn¡¯t know how to contain herself. While she had encountered Catherine before, it was a rare asion. When she heard Catherine was in Loxton, she had wanted to visit. But without Catherine¡¯s summon, she couldn¡¯te on her own. Now that she finally saw Catherine, her inner excitement was almost uncontroble. ¡°Catherine!¡± Zobber knew Catherine was currently bothered. Fearing that Connie might upset her, she quickly stopped Connie. ¡± Focus on the task first.¡± Zobber quietly briefed Connie on Audrey¡¯s situation and asked her to examine Audrey. Connie was brought to Audrey. She carefully studied Audrey. Though not on par with Catherine¡¯s beauty, Audrey was a pretty woman, and most importantly, she was Catherine¡¯s sister. Due to this, Connie immediately took a liking to Audrey. ¡°Audrey, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a routine check. As long as you cooperate, we¡¯ll finish in ten minutes,¡± said Connie. Audrey nodded reluctantly. It was ufortable, but she knew that Catherine was doing it for her good. ¡± Let¡¯s begin,¡± she said. In the hall on the first floor, Catherine and Zobber stayed in the living room, leaving the second floor for Connie to examine Audrey. Knowing Audrey was feeling uneasy, Catherine deliberately cleared the area, providing Audrey with a quiet environment. After about ten minutes, Connie came downstairs. Triston, who had been anxiously waiting, immediately reacted. However, Connie ignored him and went straight to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Speak!¡± said Catherine. ¡°Audrey is fine, but I detected an overdose of barbiturates in her system, ¡°said Connie. Although Catherine wasn¡¯t a medical professional, she knew the chemical was a majorponent of sleeping pills. It seemed someone drugged Audrey, but fortunately, they didn¡¯t do anything to her. Triston visibly rxed. It was not that he minded such things. He was just worried that Audrey would be psychologically affected. After understanding the situation, Catherine stood up. Her pure brown eyes emitted a chilling light, piercing Triston. Even someone like Triston, ustomed to big scenes, couldn¡¯t help but tremble under that gaze. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Catherine, if you have something to say, say it. Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± said he. ¡°Audrey is your responsibility. Handle the media side of things. I¡¯ll investigate the person,¡± said Catherine. ¡°Okay!¡± Triston agreed without hesitation. Audrey was his girlfriend. These fools dared toy hands on her; he wouldn¡¯t let them off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll give you a satisfactory exnation,¡± Triston added. Catherine raised an eyebrow, her gaze carrying a menacing intent, and her low voice sent a bone- chilling coldness. ¡°If not, I¡¯ll castrate you.¡± Zobber, standing behind Catherine, pulled out a dagger and deliberately waved it in front of Triston. It was as if Catherine just needed to give an order, and she would immediately take action. Triston¡¯s body involuntarily trembled. He could be sure Catherine wasn¡¯t joking. If he didn¡¯t satisfy her, he might indeed suffer from Catherine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If not satisfied, you can handle it as you wish,¡± said Triston. Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Preparing for Pregnancy Catherine left with Zobber and the others. Connie gave Audrey some medicine, and Audrey had already fallen asleep peacefully. She was now in Triston¡¯s mansion. Even if the media found out, they would hesitate due to Triston¡¯s reputation and not easily enter. Audrey was safest here. Zobber owned a bar in Loxton, satisfying her asional desire for drinks. ¡°Come on, Catherine, Connie, order whatever you want. It¡¯s on me.¡± Connie took the drink menu from Zobber and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Wow, so generous. Then get me ten of your most expensive ones.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Zobber was very generous. Just ten drinks wouldn¡¯t be too extravagant for her. ¡°Catherine, what about you?¡± she asked. ¡°A cup of hot water,¡± Catherine said. Zobber was shocked, looking at Catherine in disbelief. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s hot water and not the elixir of life?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond, but her eyes carried an attitude that brooked no refusal. Understanding her, Zobber called the waiter as instructed. After arranging the drinks, Zobber couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°I thought you were preparing for pregnancy,ing to a bar to order hot water.¡± Upon hearing this, Connie, sitting nearby, suddenly spewed the wine in her mouth. ¡°Preparing for pregnancy?¡± Connie seriously doubted she misheard. ¡°Isn¡¯t Catherine studying?¡± Catherine gave Zobber a cold nce, frightening her almost to her knees. ¡± Catherine, my bad. I just spoke without thinking. Forgive me. I promise not to say such things next time.¡± As they chatted, the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open. Ronin walked in with Withal. Seeing the odd expressions on the faces of the three inside the room, and Zobber looked terrified, he found it strange. ¡°What are you guys talking about? Why does everyone¡¯s expression seem off?¡± he asked. Zobber nced cautiously at Catherine. Seeing her remain silent, Zobber didn¡¯t dare to rx and could only vent her emotions toward Ronin. ¡°Why do you need to know? When we girls are doing something, what business is it of yours? Facing Zobber¡¯s retorting, Ronin was quite displeased. ¡°Are you serious? I don¡¯t agree with what you said. You¡¯re a witch, a bad woman¡­¡± Listening to their childish conversation, the others shook their heads. Withal, the oldest among them, couldn¡¯t help but intervene. He said, ¡± Alright, can you guys stop messing around and get to the point?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Seeing Catherine¡¯s stern face, Ronin immediately restrained himself and reported the results he found. ¡± Catherine, it wasn¡¯t Shane who did it, but he tried to stop us from pressing the news,¡± he said. If it weren¡¯t for Shane¡¯s constant interference, the gossip would have been under control by now, and it wouldn¡¯t have escted to this extent. Since Audrey¡¯s incidents, Ronin had set up entries on several portals. He would detect any negative news rted to Audrey. Even if he weren¡¯t around, the system would suppress it in the first ce, reducing the chances of it spreading and preventing the news from bing uncontroble. This time, the gossip quickly spread not only because of the topic itself but also due to Shane¡¯s behind- the-scenes actions. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have developed into the current situation. Thinking about this, Ronin became angry. ¡°This old man always knew how to provoke Catherine. Damn!¡± he thought. ¡°Catherine, my people caught the director couple. Do you want to go over? ¡°Zobber reported thetest information from her subordinates to Catherine. After hearing it, Ronin was quite dissatisfied and red at Zobber. ¡°Does Catherine need to go over it personally? Can¡¯t you bring them here?¡± Zobber was about to refute Ronin but felt that he made some sense, so she swallowed back her words. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it now.¡± She was efficient. About half an hourter, tworge sacks were thrown into the private room. Zobber opened the sacks, revealing the famous director couple in the entertainment industry in front of everyone. Originally from an art film background, Davy Morales used to be a poor boy doing odd jobs on set. Later, he met his current wife. His wife was really something. She came from a family in the entertainment industry, with strong connections within the circle. After many struggles, Davy had never seen the light of day. Later, he learned of his current wife¡¯s affection for him. He then abandoned his legally married wife and married his current wife. Through her family¡¯s connections, he made several movies and won numerous awards, instantly bing a name in the industry. After gaining fame, he sumbed to the industry¡¯s harmful practices, liking to flirt with actresses. Due to his wife¡¯s powerful family, he kept his head low. This time, being caught in the act was enough to terrify him. If he lost his wife and were suppressed by her family, his career would undoubtedly return to square one. The couple looked around in fear as the blindfolds were lifted from their eyes. ¡± What are you doing? Why did you capture us?¡± Compared to his wife, Davy was evidently more fearful. ¡°What have we done to offend you guys? We beg you to spare us!¡± Zobber nced at Catherine and, after receiving her approval, began interrogating the couple. She preferred to get straight to the point and didn¡¯t like beating around the bush. Grabbing Davy by the cor, she started questioning. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. Confess your involvement with Audrey. Say it nicely, and I¡¯ll spare your lives. Otherwise, I¡¯ll feed you to the crocodiles. Got it?¡± said Zobber. Davy trembled in fear and nodded vigorously. ¡°I understand. I promise to confess honestly.¡± ¡°Enough nonsense. Get to it!¡± Zobber impatiently yelled. Seeing her fierceness, Davy obediently began to confess. He said, ¡°In the entertainment industry, people are more open-minded. Audrey saw me as a director and wanted to star in my movie to win awards. She tried to seduce me, but I didn¡¯t agree. Please don¡¯t misunderstand; it was all Audrey¡¯s doing.¡± Chapter 701 Chapter 701 The Arroyos Catherine didn¡¯t lose her temper, but Zobber was getting impatient. She directly pped Davy in the face, saying, ¡°What are you saying? How dare you lie here? Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Smack!¡± The loud p echoed throughout the private room. Davy covered his face and cried in pain. Then he coughed violently, spitting out blood with a white tooth mixed in it. The surrounding people watched this scene coldly. For them, it wasn¡¯t entertaining at all. Zobber had already restrained the force of the p. If she had used full strength, Davy might have already passed out. ¡°Here¡¯s another chance. If you don¡¯t talk, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless! ¡°Zobber threatened. ¡°Miss, spare me!¡± Davy knelt on the ground, continuously bowing. ¡°I really didn¡¯t lie. Please spare my life.¡± Zobber took out a fruit knife from the side and waved it in her hand. Davy was frightened and seemed on the verge of fainting at any moment. But he remained silent, no matter how Zobber threatened him. Suddenly, Catherine, who had been sitting aside, stood up, making everyone tense. It had been a long time since they had seen Catherine take action, and they didn¡¯t know what fate awaited Davy this time. Catherine approached Davy step by step with a powerful aura that almost suffocated him. He looked up, and fear filled his eyes. The unexpected happened the next moment. Catherine did strike, but her target wasn¡¯t Davy. It was Davy¡¯s wife lying on the side. With great force, a single strike from Catherine knocked Davy¡¯s wife unconscious. After dealing with Davy¡¯s wife, Catherine shifted her icy gaze back to Davy. Davy trembled in fear. ¡°Miss, spare me. I¡¯ll confess everything!¡± Catherine lifted her chin and pointed to the woman lying on the side. She said, ¡± She¡¯s out. I don¡¯t have to teach you what to say, right?¡± Davy looked at his unconscious wife and nervously swallowed. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to reveal the truth. With his fierce wife unconscious and unable to hear, he felt bold. ¡°Miss, it really wasn¡¯t me this time. Someone sent me a room number, saying Audrey was waiting for me inside. When I arrived, Audrey was already unconscious in bed. I didn¡¯t touch her.¡± Trying to clear his name, Davy hurriedly added, ¡°I just lifted the quilt, and then my wife came in. The media has reported the rest. I don¡¯t need to say more.¡± ¡°Phone,¡± Catherine said in a low voice, and Zobber immediately approached, taking Davy¡¯s phone from his pocket. Catherine didn¡¯t let Davy off there. She lifted Davy¡¯s chin with the toe of her shoe. ¡°Your methods are quite skilled. You¡¯ve done this a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡± Davy grinned at Catherine, his face full of ttery. His sycophantic demeanor was highly disgusting. People like him could sacrifice anything for their own interests. ¡°Miss, not really. Most of the time, those women climb into my bed for fame and fortune. I have some status in the industry, and they¡¯ll do anything to make a name for themselves.¡± The woman on the floor moved her fingers; Catherine lightly stepped on her, and she quieted down. Davy, eager to please Catherine, didn¡¯t notice the movement on the side. ¡°What about your wife? I heard you climbed up using her family¡¯s connections. You¡¯re cheating on her outside so openly. Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll find out?¡± asked Catherine. Of course, he was afraid. Davy was only daring to confess because his wife was unconscious and couldn¡¯t hear. However, faced with Catherine¡¯s inquiry, he arrogantly said, ¡°How could the fool woman find out? She¡¯s stupid. If it weren¡¯t for her family being somewhat useful, I would have divorced her long ago. She doesn¡¯t realize what kind of person she is. How can someone like her match up to me?¡± Davy got more excited as he spoke, revealing all his vulgar thoughts. Unbeknownst to him, as he spoke, his wife, who had been lying on the side, had opened her eyes. Her not-so- beautiful eyes were now filled with rage, like a volcano ready to erupt. Except for Davy, everyone else noticed this scene and eagerly anticipated the drama. As Davy continued his vulgar tirade, his wife, unable to endure it any longer, exploded and shouted. ¡°Davy, you scumbag!¡± Davy¡¯s face instantly turned pale at this roar. Stiffening, he turned to face his wife¡¯s furious expression, and his heart felt like it was about to stop. ¡°Darling, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡­¡± He wanted to exin. ¡°Misunderstood? Haha¡­¡± His wife, no longer deceived, went straight into action. The two struggled, but throughout, it was Davy who took the beating. Although his wife¡¯s appearance was average, her fighting skills were not bad, and she had Davy fleeing with his head in his hands. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Catherine, with her people, left the private room, leaving the couple to settle their disputes. Zobber was efficient in her work. She restored Davy¡¯s phone using technology, recovering all the deleted messages. ¡°Catherine, Davy wasn¡¯t lying. He did receive a message.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the sender?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°A strange number, only active for a week.¡± Zobber had already investigated the number as soon as the data was restored, but there were no useful clues. Catherine handed the number to Ronin. ¡°Check it.¡± Ronin confidently took the number. ¡± Rest assured, Catherine.¡± Zobber was curious about Ronin¡¯s investigative methods, so she looked over at hisputer. She was surprised to find that Ronin could control the entire video surveince system, urately locating the store that sold the phone card. Although the phone card wasn¡¯t registered with real names, themunication service provider had records of purchase and activation times. By matching the times, they could find the buyer. When the surveince footage was pulled up, everyone saw the person who bought the card-a face that looked unfamiliar, in, and unmemorable. Zobber felt somewhat disappointed, but Ronin wasn¡¯t disheartened. This was just the first step; there was no rush. He took a screenshot of the face, fed it into the facial recognition database, and soon got results. He immediately reported to Catherine, saying, ¡°Catherine, I found it! The person who bought the card has been working at the Arroyos, serving as a driver.¡± Catherine squinted at Ronin. ¡°The Arroyos?¡± Ronin supplied additional information. ¡°Kamren¡¯s home, the ce Emma was sent to by her own uncle not long ago.¡± ¡°Humph.¡± Catherine sneered, a glint of coldness shing in her sharp eyes, causing a chill to run down the spines of everyone present. Gathering courage, Ronin asked in a low voice, ¡°Catherine, do you want me to bring the person over?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Catherine stood up and said, ¡°We¡¯ll personally pay them a visit. Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Is This Woman Crazy Kamren was still indulging in his sweet dreams when the Arroyos¡¯ gate was kicked open. Upon hearing the servant¡¯s report, Kamren abruptly woke up and red angrily at the servant. ¡°Who dares to kick open the Arroyos¡¯ gate? Had enough of living, huh?¡± Trembling, the servant looked at Kamren and said, ¡°Mr. Arroyo, you better go and see. The people who came are really fierce.¡± Kamren kicked away the alluring woman lying beside him and hastily put on his clothes before he headed toward the gate. He wanted to see who had the guts. Reaching the gate, Kamren was shocked by the scene before him. His bodyguards, the ones who usually served as his henchmen, were all sprawled on the ground. Their expressions twisted in agony, limbs contorted in peculiar ways. Kamren initially thought there must be dozens of skilled individuals to create such a scene, but to his surprise, there were only five people when he counted. Three men and two women, all seemingly young. This group had defeated his formidable bodyguard team. Kamren advanced furiously, shouting, ¡± Are you the guys who dared to attack my people?¡± Ronin was about to step forward when Zobber beat him to it. She briskly walked up to Kamren, scrutinizing him with a disdainful sneer. ¡°Humph, old man, you¡¯re quite advanced in age. Shouting so loudly, aren¡¯t you afraid of having a stroke?¡± Kamren was about to get angry but took a closer look at Zobber. She had an exquisite oval face, big eyes, a delicate waist, and a fierce attitude- everything he loved. Instantly, an itching sensation overwhelmed him. Such a girl was a top -notch kind. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re so loud. Do you know who I am? It¡¯s not toote to apologize. As long as you serve me well tonight, I¡¯ll forgive you for today¡¯s incident,¡± said Kamren. He stared at Zobber¡¯s body with lustful eyes and even dared to reach for her face. However, Zobber was quicker. She grabbed it before Kamren¡¯s hand could reach her face. With a swift motion, Zobber twisted Kamren¡¯s hand into a crescent shape. The speed was so fast that Kamren was momentarily stunned. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A miserable yell echoed through the air as he reacted. Impatiently, Zobber cleaned her ear, grabbed Kamren¡¯s hand, and forcefully shoved it into his mouth, denying him the chance to speak. Kamren wanted to resist, but his feeble attempts were futile against Zobber¡¯s overwhelming strength. Others tried to intervene, but a slight move from Ronin and Withal had them pinned to the ground. In just ten minutes, Kamren found himself subdued by Zobber, with no chance to move. ¡°Catherine, this old man is now obedient,¡± said Zobber. Could he be anything but obedient? In just a dozen minutes, Kamren had been tormented enough. If he still resisted, it seemed like he really had a death wish. ¡°If you want to live, tell me where Emma is.¡± Kamren hadn¡¯t expected this group of menacing figures to onlye for Emma. If he had known earlier, he would have willingly handed her over without enduring such torture. ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me. I¡¯ll spill everything!¡± Emma held her phone and watched the continuous flood of negativements. A smirk grew on her face. Kamren had sent her to someone elsest night, and she was tortured again, but seeing the news of Audrey¡¯s misery today washed away all her pain. She wasn¡¯t yet capable of dealing with Catherine, but that was okay. Audrey¡¯s suffering was satisfying enough for now. When she became a little stronger, she would be able to make even Catherine suffer. Holding her phone, she sent a message and then immediately deleted it. Just as she was about to rest, a tremendous force struck, and the tightly closed wooden door was kicked open. She was startled, and her heart almost stopped. However, when she saw the intruder, anger burned in her chest. ¡± Catherine, how dare you barge in here?¡± Catherine did not reply and strode into the room,pletely ignoring her presence. Emma stood up in rage and red at Catherine, her teeth gritted. ¡± Catherine, this is the Arroyos¡¯. Have you heard of Kamren? Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll kill you for barging in here?¡± Kamren was a well-known figure in the underworld. Emma believed Catherine must know him. Branden was supposed to deal with her, but since she was with Kamren, not even Branden dared to touch her. She believed that Catherine would be afraid of Kamren as well. Catherine nced behind her, and a sudden, cold, girlish voice rang out. ¡°Is it him the Kamren you mentioned?¡± ¡°Thud!¡± With a muffled sound, a big figure fell in front of Emma. If it weren¡¯t for the familiar gold robe, Emma wouldn¡¯t have believed that the person being beaten beyond recognition was Kamren. Emma stared up at Catherine in disbelief and shouted in shock, ¡°You dared toy a hand on Kamren. Catherine, you¡¯re finished this time. Do you know who Kamren is?¡± Emma became more excited as she spoke, her eyes even showing a hint of satisfaction, as if she could already see Catherine¡¯s impending doom. Zobber tilted her head toward Catherine and muttered, ¡°Catherine, is this woman crazy? Or is her brain not functioning properly? This old man got beaten like this in his own home, yet she¡¯s still thinking he¡¯ll protect her. If he¡¯s really that capable, does he have to endure a beating?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Catherine scrutinized Emma and sneered. ¡°If she had a brain, would she do something so foolish?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zobber agreed with a nod. Emma would know who she could and couldn¡¯t provoke if she had a brain. Kamren, lying on the side, gasped for breath. Seeing Emma, the foolish woman, didn¡¯t repent and was trying to implicate him even in the face of death, he truly wished he could tear her apart. He summoned thest bit of strength and wanted to disassociate himself from this foolish woman. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I have absolutely no connection with her. She¡¯s just apanion at my ce, and I have nothing to do with her, let alone assist her. Please believe me. If you want to settle scores, go find her.¡± Kamren urgently distanced himself, making everyone in the room nauseous. Emma was supposed to be his woman. To give her out like this just for self- preservation was utterly disgusting. Catherine approached, pulling Emma up by her cor and tossing her directly in front of Kamren. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. As long as he¡¯s willing to take responsibility for you, your debts will be on him.¡± Chapter 703 Chapter 703 One More Person to Meet Kamren¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he heard Catherine¡¯s words. ¡°How is this possible?¡± He immediately objected, disagreeing with Catherine¡¯s proposal. However, as soon as he finished his sentence, Zobber pped him hard. She red at him fiercely, exuding a menacing aura. ¡°When is it your turn to object to Catherine¡¯s words?¡± Terrified, Kamren begged, ¡°Madam, I was wrong. It¡¯s all my fault. Can you forgive me? I shouldn¡¯t have objected. Please spare me!¡± Seeing his timely apology, Zobber chose not to pursue the matter further. Kamren nced at Emma, his eyes filled with warning and threat. He couldn¡¯t handle these people, but dealing with Emma was well within his capabilities. Emma was frightened by the way he looked at her. She had been with Kamren for a while and understood his character. She knew what his gaze meant. She hadn¡¯t expected Kamren, someone even the Duncans feared, to end up like this because of Catherine. Emma looked at Catherine with an incredulous and fearful gaze. Besides, there was still a hint of hatred in her eyes. ¡°Catherine, even the Duncans are afraid of Kamren. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± asked Emma. ¡°What?¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes as she looked at Emma. ¡°Who told you the Duncans are afraid?¡± Emma was unsure how to answer Catherine¡¯s question. If the Duncans weren¡¯t afraid, why didn¡¯t they pursue her before? Observing Emma¡¯s changing expressions, Catherine guessed everything. She lifted Emma¡¯s chin with the toe of her shoe, forcing Emma to meet her eyes. ¡°ording to you, the Duncans didn¡¯t act against you because they feared Kamren, huh?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± Emma thought. She wanted to say, but seeing Zobber¡¯s fierce face, she swallowed her words, not daring to speak. Even if she didn¡¯t say it, Catherine could see through her. ¡°Humph!¡± Catherine chuckled coldly, a mocking tone in herughter, and her words were full of disdain for Emma. That smile made Emma anxious. She felt she had no dignity in front of Catherine. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked. ¡°What do I mean?¡± Catherine leaned in, her scornful gaze moving over Emma. ¡°Back then, if you didn¡¯t run away, at most, you would have faced some disciplinary action and been advised to leave the school. Think for yourself. Compared to the Arroyos, which one is more bearable?¡± Sending her to the Arroyos and making her Kamren¡¯s lover was an idea her uncle had to save the Wales. After arriving at the Arroyos, she truly understood what a living hell was- every moment in there was torture. Kamren didn¡¯t see her as a person, torturing her daily and treating her as amodity for transactions. Now, Emma understood. The Duncans didn¡¯t act, not out of fear of the Arroyos, but because they knew what kind of person Kamren was and what sort of situation she would face after being thrown into the Arroyos. The Duncans did not even need to take action. The Arroyos were the real hell. Once Emma understood this, her red eyes red at Catherine with anger, and she couldn¡¯t contain the fury within her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save me back then? Since you knew what situation I would face being with Kamren, why didn¡¯t you help me, Catherine? You¡¯re truly heartless.¡± Facing Emma¡¯s usations, Catherine couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. I¡¯m not a saint, and I didn¡¯t intentionally harm you. Your predicament was caused by your uncle, and it has nothing to do with me. Furthermore, you provoked someone close to me and offended me. Why should I save you?¡± This merciless sarcasm left Emma sitting on the ground. She realized that she had walked into this pit herself, not pushed by Catherine. Red-eyed, she stared at Catherine. ¡°I admit I nned Audrey¡¯s situation. I bribed a makeup assistant to put something in her drink during the event. Are you satisfied now? Do whatever you want to me.¡± Emma casuallyy on the side, not struggling,pletely appearing as if a hopeless person. Catherine nced around and saw a crystal hairpin on the table. She picked it up and examined it before tossing it in front of Emma. Emma stared at her beloved hairpin for a while, then tremblingly picked it up, using its sharpest end to cut her own cheek. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She screamed in pain. Then, enduring the intense agony, she looked at Catherine. ¡°Is this satisfying for you?¡± She had ruined her once-prized appearance. She thought that was enough for Catherine. Catherine lowered her head, contemptuously gazing at Emma¡¯s face. The blood flowing down seemed to bring her no emotions. ¡°I just thought the hairpin was nice. Why did you ruin your face? It¡¯s a pity. Originally, you could have fetched a decent price, but now, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll only attract the lowest bidders.¡± Like a sharp de, Catherine¡¯s words left nothing of Emma¡¯s shattered self- esteem. Emma had hated Catherine so much and had once looked down on her, but now, she found herself in such a miserable state in front of Catherine. This was what Emma couldn¡¯t ept the most. And Catherine¡¯s previous words were undoubtedly the greatest intimidation to Emma. Now, with her face ruined, Emma didn¡¯t know what her future would be. Thinking about all this, Emma began to cry out loud. Catherine nced at her and left the Arroyos with the others. She didn¡¯t have time to listen to Emma¡¯s miserable screams here. Zobber had already gathered evidence. She handed it to Ronin and instructed him to give it to the police. As long as Emma was arrested, she could be charged with intentionally framing someone, and Audrey¡¯s case would be settled. ¡°No need!¡± Catherine interrupted Ronin¡¯s actions. Ronin looked up at Catherine in surprise. ¡°Catherine, what do you mean?¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯s firm expression, Ronin had no choice but to follow her orders. Sometimes, online violencecks a sense of justice. Although mostizens were rational, there were always a few stubborn ones who couldn¡¯t be convinced, no matter how much evidence was presented. Rumors stopped with the wise, but there would always be a few idiots. Even if they made all the evidence public, Audrey would still be pointed fingers at. Catherine didn¡¯t n to help Audrey in this way. Zobber guessed Catherine¡¯s thoughts. She didn¡¯t care about those things. As long as it was what Catherine ordered, she would do it. ¡°Catherine, Audrey¡¯s matter is settled. Where do we go next?¡± she asked. Catherine gazed ahead with cold, unfeeling eyes and said in a chilling voice, ¡°There¡¯s one more person to meet.¡± Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Crash Looking at the closed gates of the Silvas ¡®, Zobber suggested to Catherine. ¡± Catherine, should I climb over the wall, beat up the person in charge, and have them open the gates?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Catherine coldly rejected Zobber¡¯s suggestion. She took out her phone and dialed Withal¡¯s number. ¡± Come over.¡± Sitting in the car, Ronin and Zobber were unsure of Catherine¡¯s n. When they left the Arroyos¡¯ earlier, Withal had separated from them, and they thought he had some matters to attend to. Now, they understood that Catherine had assigned a new task to Withal. A few minutester, a modified top-of- the-line Hummer slowly approached them. Ronin immediately recognized it as Withal¡¯s new ride, the one he had shown off to Roninst time. ¡°Catherine, how did you get Withal to drive this car out?¡± Ronin asked. Catherine didn¡¯t respond; instead, she backed up the car, making way for the Hummer. The heavily modified Hummer, which had been moving like a tortoise, suddenly elerated and charged at the gates of the Silvas¡¯. ¡°Bang!¡± A loud noise echoed through the sky. Zobber rubbed her ears before she excitedly apuded and shouted, ¡± Well done, Withal!¡± Little did Zobber expect that Catherine¡¯s move was so domineering. She had Withal drive straight into the Silvas¡¯ gates. Withal¡¯s car was reinforced with super- strong materials. It was bulletproof and capable of easily crashing through the gates of the Silvas¡¯. Inside the mansion, everyone was startled by the loud noise, thinking a war had broken out. They rushed out to see what was happening. When they reached the entrance, they realized it was not an explosion but that their gates had been rammed. Looking at therge Hummer parked in the yard, the Silvas felt like they were in a dream. They couldn¡¯t fathom how this car had seemingly fallen from the sky. Withal had just bottomed out the gas. Although the car was not severely damaged, the recoil had hit him in the chest, causing him some pain. Holding his chest, he jumped out of the car and shook off the dust from his head. The car, unwashed for two weeks, was now quite dirty. Seeing the person from the driver¡¯s seat, the family members of the Silvas approached angrily. ¡°You brat, don¡¯t you have eyes when you drive? Do you know where this is? How dare you crash here? You¡¯re simply courting death!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The person cursing was about to grab Withal¡¯s cor when Withal waved his hand, knocking him aside. Withal gave the person a disdainful look, climbed back into the car, and forcefully reversed. The gate, already hit, was pulled out by Withal¡¯s car, leaving the Silvas¡¯ without a gate. After driving his car out, Withal made way for the road. Catherine drove her car and boldly entered the Silvas¡¯. The ck car, whose license te could not be read, was arrogantly parked in the center of the Silvas¡¯ courtyard.. Following the opening of the four car doors, four pretty men and women got out. The head of the Silvas arrived, and his expression immediately darkened when he saw the chaos. He was terrifyingly angry. ¡°Who are you, and how dare you cause trouble at our Silvas ¡®ce!¡± Catherine crossed her arms, looked up at the old man, and sized him up. ¡°You must be Erasmus Silva, right?¡± Erasmus sneered and observed Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s been many years since someone dared to address me directly by my name. Now that you¡¯re here, speak up about who you are.¡± Catherine¡¯s face was slightly smiling, but her gaze was as cold as a bottomless ice cer. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What matters is that today, I¡¯vee here to demand someone from you.¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Erasmus. ¡°Andrea!¡± said Catherine. Erasmus squinted, his gaze dangerously fixed on Catherine. ¡°You crash our gates and demand someone. You¡¯ve got guts. What if I refuse? What will you do?¡± he said in a cold, threatening tone. Catherine was unafraid and replied, ¡°If you refuse, I¡¯ll demolish the Silvas¡¯!¡± She was sure toe back in one piece if she dared toe today. Since she had already smashed the gate, she didn¡¯t mind expending a little more effort to destroy the courtyard. Erasmus¡¯s face turned green with anger when he heard this, his eyes widening in shock. ¡°Such audacity!¡± he said. The family members of the Silvas behind Erasmus were increasingly furious. They had never seen anyone so audacious at the Silvas¡¯. They prepared to gather people to deal with Catherine, but at this moment, Andrea returned. Seeing the chaos in front of the entrance, she was dumbfounded. She hurriedly got out of the car and ran toward the courtyard. Then, she saw the yard filled with people. ¡°Grandfather, what¡¯s going on? ¡°Andrea rushed toward Erasmus, who was at the forefront. Erasmus gestured toward the front. ¡± She said she was here to find you and crashed the gates open with her car.¡± Andrea felt as if she had heard a fantasy. She could not believe someone dared to crash the gates of the Silvas¡¯ with a car. She turned around in disbelief and saw Catherine standing at the forefront. ¡± It¡¯s you!¡± Andrea eximed in surprise. Seeing that Andrea knew the person, Erasmus quickly inquired, ¡°Andrea, who is this? She is so arrogant.¡± Andrea revealed Catherine¡¯s identity to Erasmus, informing him that Catherine was the head of the Swanns in Casier and also the acknowledged fianc¨¦e of Branden. Erasmus hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to have such a background. But Erasmus¡¯s anger did not dissipate after he learned about Catherine¡¯s identity. Instead, he looked at Catherine with disdain. ¡°Even if you are the future daughter-in w of the Duncans, so what? You haven¡¯t even set foot inside, yet you dare act so arrogantly. I¡¯ve known Karl for a long time. I wonder if Karl is aware of your audacious side,¡± said Erasmus. Catherine knew Erasmus was trying to threaten her. ¡°Who told you I rely on the Duncans? If I wanted to, even if Karl were here, I could still demolish your ce today.¡± Before Erasmus could respond, a servant of the Silvas rushed over with a phone, handing it to Erasmus. After Erasmus took the call, he listened to the information with a serious expression. Just as he hung up, another call came in. With consecutive blows, Erasmus could not hold back his initial shock and revealed fear on his face. He pointed a trembling finger at Catherine. ¡°Who are you?¡± Catherine sneered disdainfully and said slowly, ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that from today onwards, the Silvas will bepletely expelled from Loxton.¡± Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Give Me a Reason Erasmus was infuriated by Catherine¡¯s domineering deration, almost triggering a heart attack. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that those ipetent people among the Silvas of this generation needed him to oversee things, he wouldn¡¯t have to endure it. He had just received calls from several business partners, all announcing the cancetion of their cooperation with the Silvas. Also, the influential figure within the Silvas, Erasmus¡¯s brother-inw, the current leader of a particr district, had also called. He was now under investigation for corruption. In one night, the Silvas fell like a house of cards. Erasmus genuinely could not ignore Catherine¡¯s bold words now because he wasn¡¯t sure if Catherine¡¯s warnings woulde true. He lifted his head and stared fixedly at Catherine with a slight tremor. ¡± Whether it¡¯s the Duncans or the Swanns, the Silvas have never had any dealings with them, let alone conflicts. Why must you push us to our doom?¡± Catherine directed her gaze at Andrea, who was standing beside her. The intensity in her eyes was so powerful that Andrea involuntarily stepped back, not daring to make eye contact with Catherine. Sensing Andrea¡¯s change in look, Erasmus questioned his granddaughter with a stern face. ¡°What have you done? It was the first time Andrea had seen her grandfather so angry. She didn¡¯t understand what Catherine had done to cause such a change in her grandfather. After receiving the phone call earlier, her grandfather¡¯s momentum had weakened instantly. Catherine made bold threats, yet her grandfather suddenly showed weakness. This indicated that Catherine had caught hold of something, and Andrea¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She believed her grandfather must have other ways to handle this. With a face full of grievances, she looked at Erasmus. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. I¡¯m not even friends with her. We met once just because of Triston. I¡¯ve never offended her.¡± Trying to argue at this point was pointless. But since Andrea wanted to, Catherine might as well cooperate with her. Catherine tilted her chin and nced at her. ¡°You¡¯re not familiar with me, but what about Audrey? You¡¯re not familiar with her either?¡± Andrea¡¯s face immediately showed a disdainful expression when she heard Audrey¡¯s name. ¡°So, this is why you¡¯re here. Grandpa, Audrey is just a celebrity that Triston is keeping outside. She tried to give me money to make me leave Triston.¡± Andrea keptining to Erasmus about Audrey, portraying Audrey as a home-wrecker in her eyes. Hearing her granddaughter¡¯s words, Erasmus was naturally furious. He looked at Catherine with anger. ¡°Did youe for this?¡± Catherine said, ¡°Mr. Silva, the affairs of the heart aremon among people. I never interfere in Audrey¡¯s love matters. Besides, the right and wrong of the situation haven¡¯t been determined. Audrey and Triston were in a rtionship before, and the Silvas approached the Lamberts for marriage afterward. Now, Triston is entangled with Audrey. ¡°He would rather sever ties with the Lamberts to avoid marrying Miss Silva. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Miss Silva that Mr. Lambert doesn¡¯t like. He would rather give up the ties of blood rtionship than marry her.¡± This statement made the faces of the Silvas particrly gloomy. Andrea, in particr, disyed embarrassment and anger and red at Catherine. Not long ago, Triston publicly announced his separation from the Lamberts. Others didn¡¯t know the inside story, but the Silvas were well aware. Triston wanted to sever ties with the Lamberts because he didn¡¯t like Andrea. Erasmus ordered everyone not to discuss this matter. Such embarrassing matters were only gossiped about within the Silvas. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t bring it out into the open. Now, Catherine had publicly exposed this shame, making it even more embarrassing. Erasmus was puzzled and looked at Catherine. ¡°If it¡¯s not a romantic dispute, why are you targeting the Silvas and demanding Andrea from us?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Catherine directed her gaze at Andrea and observed her unrepentant demeanor. Andrea still thought she could escape the consequences. What a joke. ¡°Do you think you can get away with it just because Emma won¡¯t expose you? Do you really believe that your actions are wless?¡± asked Catherine. Andrea¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment when she heard this. She looked at Catherine in disbelief and muttered under her breath. ¡°How is that even possible? I have¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve erased all the evidence and even used a new phone and a newwork to contact Emma, so howe I can still trace you, right?¡± Catherine retorted. As Andrea heard Catherine¡¯s words, a sense of terror washed over her. It seemed to Andrea that Catherine could read minds. Whatever she wanted to say, Catherine seemed to already know. ¡°No need to guess. With your intelligence, there¡¯s no way you could figure it out.¡± Catherine¡¯s words were full of mockery. Andrea hated Catherine the most for this. Unfortunately, she had no way to change it. Seeing Andrea acting foolishly, Catherine stopped circling around the issue and directly told her the truth. ¡± I¡¯ve known Shane for many years. He¡¯s got my people around him.¡± Andrea immediately woke up when she heard this. To thoroughly ruin Audrey, she had conspired with Shane, Catherine¡¯s mortal enemy. Shane wanted to deal with Catherine, so he was willing to fan the mes as long as it harmed Catherine. Otherwise, with their abilities alone, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to escte public opinion to such an extent. Realizing that Catherine had discovered everything she had done, Andrea was unsure of what to do, and her face turned ashen. Observing his granddaughter¡¯s performance, Erasmus understood the truth. In the business world, deceitful tactics were used to handle people, and he didn¡¯t consider it a big deal. If his granddaughter could use such methods to marry into the Lamberts and be Triston¡¯s wife, he would be happy for her. But Andrea was useless. Not only did she fail, but she also brought trouble to their doorstep. Erasmus¡¯s face darkened, and he gave the ultimatum. ¡°Andrea, I don¡¯t care what you¡¯ve done. But as long as you damage the reputation of the Silvas, you will no longer be a part of the Silvas. Andrea forced a bitter smile. She understood her grandfather¡¯s meaning. She looked up at Erasmus, a touch of sadness in her eyes. ¡°Grandpa, rest assured. I¡¯ll bear the consequences of my actions.¡± After saying this, she turned to face Catherine. ¡°I admit it was me who contacted Shane. I orchestrated the entire n to frame Audrey. If you want revenge, juste to me. But this has nothing to do with the Silvas. Please let them go.¡± Catherine assessed the situation. Despite Andrea¡¯s arrogant posture, she preferred Andrea over Emma. She didn¡¯t deny Andrea¡¯s intelligence butmented that Andrea had used it in the wrong ce. ¡°Give me a reason to spare the Silvas,¡± said Catherine. Chapter 706 Chapter 706 Sacrifices Andrea seemed to have prepared a countermeasure long before Catherine¡¯s question, and she immediately provided an answer after Catherine finished speaking. ¡°I orchestrated this whole thing, so I¡¯ll be the one to end it. Even if you expose all the evidence, some haters will still cling to this, and Audrey will be criticized for the rest of her life because of this.¡± ¡°Go on,¡± Catherine said with interest, looking at Andrea. Andrea took a deep breath and revealed herst trump card. ¡°As long as you let the Silvas go, I have a way to ensure that Audrey escapes this situation sessfully.¡± She knew that just having this wouldn¡¯t be enough. Catherine wouldn¡¯t easily let her off. She also had to impose punishment on herself to quell Catherine¡¯s anger. ¡°After everything is settled, I¡¯ll leave the country. I¡¯ll never set foot in Eskana again unless absolutely necessary.¡± Catherine hade to the Silvas¡¯ today with such a firm stance, crashing their gates in front of everyone, indicating she wasn¡¯t afraid of the Silvas. For the sake of the Silvas, Andrea was willing to make sacrifices. Catherine gave Andrea an approving look. There was no doubt Andrea was smart because she understood what Catherine wanted. Catherine imed not to interfere in Audrey¡¯s love matters, but she wanted to protect Audrey. While issues of the heart were left to individual capabilities, Andrea shouldn¡¯t use malicious intentions to ruin Audrey¡¯s reputation. This touched Catherine¡¯s bottom line, or else Catherine wouldn¡¯t have personally come to the Silvas¡¯ today. Catherine looked at her carefully and said slowly, ¡°As long as you satisfy me, I¡¯ll consider today as if I never came to the Silvas¡¯.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied, you can do whatever you want to the Silvas,¡± Andrea said. Hearing this, Catherine turned and left without any hesitation. Ronin still felt dissatisfied and caught up with Catherine. ¡°Catherine, are we just letting her go?¡± Catherine looked at him and said, ¡°So, what¡¯s your n? The gates are broken, and she¡¯s gone. Besides, didn¡¯t she promise to resolve the matter?¡± After Catherine said this, Ronin couldn¡¯t find any words to argue. He really didn¡¯t know what to do. Anyway, they could not really drive the Silvas out of Loxton. It seemed a bit too much. Seeing him still contemting, Zobber pped the back of his head. ¡°Do what Catherine says. Why bother getting entangled in these things!¡± After a moment of thought, Ronin found it reasonable. Since they were following Catherine, they should just listen to her. Catherine got into the car, and the group drove away. Erasmus stood in the deste courtyard of the Silvas and looked at the mess on the ground. In the dust raised by the departing car, he eximed silently, ¡°I¡¯m truly getting old.¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± Andrea stepped forward to help, but he red at her. ¡°I can walk by myself!¡± he said. Erasmus left in anger, leaving Andrea standing in ce, facing the disdainful looks of the other members of the Silvas. ¡°How dare a loser like you to plot against others? Now, trouble hase knocking. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± ¡°Why are you stirring up trouble for no reason? Are you bored with nothing to do all day?¡± ¡°How did her father educate her? How did he raise her like this?¡± They were gossiping and pointing fingers, but Andrea didn¡¯t care. She had long seen through the true nature of the Silvas. She cast her hopeful gaze on her parents, who were standing bent over beside her. Her father sighed deeply and left with a hunched back. When everyone was gone entirely, Tasha cast a sharp gaze at Andrea. ¡°You jinx!¡± Andrea stood still without arguing, wearing a bitter smile on her face. The deep sense of desperation in her heart magnified. She would rather be born into an ordinary family than walk down this path if she could.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 707 Chapter 707 No Reneging Audrey¡¯s situation was still brewing in the entertainment circle. The online chatter was growing louder, with manyizens leaving messages on Audrey¡¯s social media ounts, hoping she¡¯de out and rify things to give everyone an exnation. Just this afternoon, a reputable media outlet in the entertainment industry suddenly released a message. They released the first half of the original video, showing the faces of the male and female leads. The male lead was indeed the well- known director Davy in the industry, but the female lead was not Audrey. It was just a woman who bore a striking resemnce to Audrey, reportedly a popr inte celebrity engaged incertain business activities. Differences could be seen from the front, but the simrity between the inte celebrity and Audrey was evident from the side. The video was somewhat blurry, making it almost indistinguishable. Following this, Audrey¡¯s agency reposted this on Twitter, informing the public that the person in the video was not Audrey and urging people to stop spreading false usations against her. If anyone continued to attack Audrey over this, the agency would take legal action to defend Audrey¡¯s rights. Once thewyer¡¯s letter was out, the online haters fell silent immediately, afraid toment on Audrey¡¯s social media ounts. Later, Audrey¡¯s fans discovered the inte celebrity¡¯s video ount, where she had posted numerous videosimitating Audrey. From certain angles, it was indeed difficult to distinguish between them. With this news, the rumors were instantly dispelled. Audrey¡¯s poprity continued to rise, firmly securing a spot on the trending topics list. The male lead, Davy, also faced a tough time after the newspletely unfolded. His social media ounts were flooded with criticism. Many actresses who had suffered from his harassment came forward collectively, denouncing him. Some even took legal measures to defend their dignity. Davy¡¯s wife issued a divorce statement on her social media ount, iming to have signed the divorce agreement with Davy yesterday. She used Davy of being irresponsible to the family andbeled him as a scumbag inrtionships. Suddenly, the once-promising Davy found himself infamous, and those who were once mistreated by him now took the opportunity to use him, preventing him from making aeback. Catherine finished reading all the news and casually tossed her phone aside. Branden sat nearby and, noticing her action, reached out to pick her up, embracing her in his arms. ¡°There have been quite a few rumors about youtely.¡± The man buried his face in her neck, and his deep voice sounded slowly. ¡°Guessed it,¡± Catherine responded very casually. This matter didn¡¯t trouble her. Yesterday, she had made a high-profile scene by crashing the Silvas¡¯ gate, publicly humiliating Erasmus, andeventually forcing Andrea to promise to leave Loxton forever. Such significant news must have spread among the upper circles in Loxton.But so what? She did not care. She looked up and met the man¡¯s profound eyes, squinting with a hint of curiosity. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Her voice was cold, without warmth or emotion. But this tone unexpectedly brought a light smile to the man¡¯s lips. ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t like it,¡± said Branden. Catherine frowned slightly, thinking her actions had negatively affected him. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Branden say domineeringly, The Prado in my garage has been gathering dust. It¡¯s more powerful than a Hummer. If you use that car to crash, not only the gate but even the wallscould be destroyed.¡± Hearing this, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile and nod in approval. It turned out he thought she didn¡¯t crash with enough dominance. ¡°Okay, next time I¡¯ll use yours!¡± said Catherine. Branden furrowed his brows slightly. He could not help but give a piece of advice, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t drive yourself. Let Ronin or Withal do it.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine readily agreed. Mentioning the Silvas reminded Catherine of something. ¡°I heard Erasmus and Karl seem to have a good rtionship.¡± ¡°Grandpa called me this morning.¡± Branden looked at her with aining expression. Catherine¡¯s expression became a bit more serious when she heard this. She wasn¡¯t worried that Karl would me her. It was just that Karl had always treated her well, and she didn¡¯t want him to be angry and affect his health because of such things. ¡°How did Karl react?¡± she asked. ¡°s!¡± Branden sighed deeply, then slowly said, ¡°When Grandpa knew it wasn¡¯t me driving, and I didn¡¯t even apany you, he scolded me over the phone for a good ten minutes. And he said that next time I return to Casier, I have to stay home for a whole day to reflect.¡± Catherine was confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t Karl on good terms with Erasmus?¡± If they had a good rtionship, why was the situation like this? Later, Branden provided the final exnation. He said, ¡°They indeed hada good rtionship and even pursued a girl together in the past. However, when the girl was about to confirm the rtionship with Grandpa, Erasmus used some means to send the girl abroad, and that rtionship naturally fell apart.¡± Catherine knew Karl was a yboy in his youth, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so romantic and have so many old stories. Branden imitated Karl¡¯s tone and said to Catherine, ¡°You brat! You¡¯re not as good as Cassie. I¡¯ve been displeased with that old man from the Silvas for a long time. If it weren¡¯t for him behaving well in Loxton in recent years, I would have personally driven to demolish his house, leaving him with nowhere to live for the rest of his life! Good rtionship? I have no connection with the old man from the Silvas.¡± It was rare to see Branden¡¯s lively side. Catherine burst intoughter and fell into Branden¡¯s arms,ughing incessantly. ¡°Karl is quite something.¡± When he saw that Catherine was in a good mood, Branden¡¯s tongue touched his upper pte, and his eyes were full of joy. Since she was so happy, it wasn¡¯t in vain that he had worked hard. ¡°You¡¯re happy now. What about me then?¡± he asked.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Catherine looked up at him in confusion. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Grandpa say I have to stay home for a whole day to reflect next time I go back to Casier?¡± added Branden. In a contest of wits, even a fleeting nce could be easily captured. Catherine didn¡¯t miss the slyness in Branden¡¯s eyes. She deliberately saidseriously, ¡°How can I interfere with your family matters? You¡¯re the old man¡¯s favorite grandson. Nothing will happen to you!¡± She generously reassured Branden. Knowing she was joking, Branden was annoyed and bit her lips lightly in punishment. ¡°I¡¯ve been coaxing you for so long. Can¡¯t you say something nice to coax me?¡± Catherine blinked those gem-like eyes and proudly said, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll apany you back next time. I hope Karl will spare you for my sake.¡± Branden tightly hugged her, his face filled with satisfaction. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve promised. No reneging!¡± Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Coffee Beans When Catherine came out of theb, she received a call from Audrey. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ming right away!¡± At the school gate, Catherine saw Audrey. In just a few days, Audrey had lost weight. ¡°Do you need something from me?¡± Despite facing her sister, Catherine¡¯s attitude was still chilly, and she spoke without warmth. Audrey had long been ustomed to her sister, who seemed cold on the outside but actually valued the people she cared about more than anything. ¡°Kathy, are you getting used to being at Styre University?¡± Audrey looked at Catherine, feeling she was not doing a responsible job as an older sister. Instead of taking care of her sister, she often caused trouble for Catherine. Without Catherine stepping in this time, she wouldn¡¯t have made it through unscathed. Catherine not only helped her restore her reputation but also increased her poprity. Now, calls for business were flooding in from Kim, and her external quotes kept rising. However, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to work. She could never earn enough money and wanted to take a break. ¡°Kathy, I n to go on a trip for a while. I¡¯ve been busytely, working non-stop. I want to take advantage of this reason to rx and unwind on a trip,¡± said Audrey. ¡°Sure.¡± Catherine nodded slightly, agreeing with Audrey¡¯s decision. Audrey reached out to touch her but suddenly remembered that Catherine didn¡¯t like being touched, so she lowered her raised hand. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything specific to discuss; I just wanted to see you before heading out. Take care of yourself at school. I¡¯lle back once I¡¯ve had my fun.¡± Unusually, Catherine didn¡¯t show impatience. ¡°Okay.¡± In her view, it was good that Audrey wanted to take a break. With Shane keeping watch in Loxton recently, the people around her wouldn¡¯t be too peaceful. Audrey¡¯s leaving would reduce her concerns. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb your studies. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Audrey turned and left gracefully. Catherine stood in ce, watching her leave. She didn¡¯t ask about Audrey¡¯s development with Triston. She had made it clear earlier. She wouldn¡¯t interfere in Audrey¡¯s love matters. Once Audreypletely disappeared, Catherine prepared to return to school. The buzzing sound of her phone came from her pocket. Catherine took out her phone, looked at it, and silently sneered. She thought she had been quite busy today. A few minutester, Catherine knocked on Marshall¡¯s office door. ¡°Come in!¡± said Marshall. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Seeing Catherine enter, Marshall got up and poured her a cup of coffee. ¡°This is something good from Mr. Farrell. Try it. He used the coffee beans he hadn¡¯t been willing to drink himself and made a cup for Catherine as soon as she came. He always valued his students more than his own children, especially this newest one. Catherine took a sip. The coffee tasted good, and she took another sip. Seeing that Catherine liked it, Marshall felt pleased. ¡°If you like it, you can take the whole canter.¡± If Winston passed by at this time, he would definitely stand at the door and curse at Marshall. Marshall hadn¡¯t agreed to give him a cup of this coffee when he asked for it. Now, he generously gave all the coffee beans to Catherine. This old schr was really biased. ¡°No need, Professor Hartley. If you like coffee, I¡¯ll have Branden bring some,¡± said Catherine. Karl also liked coffee, and the Duncans had many good coffee beans. Sometimes, Branden would proactively buy some high-quality coffee, and there were quite a few of this quality in their apartment. Upon hearing this, Marshall suddenly smiled. ¡°No need. It¡¯s enough that you have this intention.¡± With her usually cold temperament, Catherine found it redundant even to nce at strangers. The fact that she thought of bringing him coffee showed that she sincerely regarded him as a teacher and a mentor. Marshall felt happy in his heart. This student of his cared about him. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. I called you here to discuss something.¡± Marshall knew Catherine¡¯s nature of not liking to stand out. He wouldn¡¯t have asked if anyone else had that opportunity, but Catherine was different. Chapter 709 Chapter 709 Team-Building Excursion N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Catherine nced expressionlessly at Marshall. ¡°Professor Hartley, just tell me what you need.¡± Marshall turned and handed a document to Catherine. ¡°The Bide Cup, held every four years in Alton, is about to begin. As the highest institution in Eskana, Styre University naturally needs to participate. Due to thest project leak, our reputation was damaged. Thispetition is important for the school, and the higher-ups also attach great importance to it. Mr. Farrell is under a lot of pressure.¡± Originally, Marshall wasn¡¯t one to care aboutpetition rankings. He valued experimental research projects. However, thispetition held considerable weight in the industry. If the ranking in the competition is too low, it could affect Styre University¡¯s global standing. Ultan approached him toe up with a solution. As a teacher at Styre University, he didn¡¯t want the school to lose face. And it was a fact that their team¡¯s leak incident had brought a lot of negative publicity to Styre University. Catherine understood Marshall¡¯s meaning. She was not fond of participating in suchpetitions. For her,petitions were just a group of people ying a boring game. However, since Marshall rarely made such requests, Catherine chose to agree. Joining apetition wasn¡¯t too difficult; it would just take some effort. Catherine stood up expressionlessly. Let me know when it¡¯s time to depart.¡± Sensing Catherine¡¯s agreement, Marshall smiled. As Catherine was about to leave, he quickly stopped her. ¡± Wait!¡± Catherine continued walking without turning her head. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°I have thepetition details here. Take a look. If you have time, I¡¯ll go through the key points and analyze them with you,¡± said Marshall. ¡°No need,¡± Catherine said assertively, disappearing from Marshall¡¯s office. Looking at the empty office door, Marshall chuckled silently. This student of his indeed had personality and talent, and for some reason, he was particrly fond of her temper. She was so likable. Branden noticed that Catherine had a consistently displeased expression after getting into the car. Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Paxton also sensed the oppressive atmosphere and silently raised the partition between the front and back seats. Branden held her hand and gently rubbed it in his palm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who made you upset?¡± ¡°Not upset,¡± Catherine said indifferently. Branden believed she wasn¡¯t upset, but the lingering hostility in her demeanor indicated some impatience. ¡°Then what¡¯s bothering you?¡± he asked. ¡°The professor wants me to participate in the Bide Cup in Alton,¡± said Catherine. In the past, Catherine never used to share her unhappiness with anyone, even if something bothered her deep inside. Anything that made her upset, she preferred to ruin it. But ever since she returned to the Swanns, she noticed herself bing more considerate in her actions. Now, she even started sharing her inner thoughts and emotions with Branden. Catherine dropped a hint, and Branden quickly pieced together the whole story. Thest leak incident not only became known within Eskana¡¯s internal researchmunity but also spread worldwide, reaching several major research institutions and schools. For a while, all the research studios began self-inspections, scrutinizing the backgrounds of their research personnel from parents¡¯ generation to grandparents¡¯ generation. It was almost as if they were about to trace their ancestors. Although Branden wasn¡¯t in the research circle, he knew about the prestigious Bide Cup. Styre University¡¯s previous loss in thepetition was due to the leak incident, and this time, the higher-ups wouldn¡¯t let the opportunity pass. To secure a solid victory in thepetition, they were bound to exert pressure on Styre University. Marshall¡¯s research team was at the forefront of research projects throughout Styre University. Though Marshall¡¯s team waspetitive, there was no certainty of winning without Catherine. For them, Catherine was undoubtedly the ultimate cheat code. To ensure a stable victory, Catherine had to participate. ¡°Don¡¯t want to go? Then reject it.¡± Branden was indifferent. As long as Catherine disliked something, he advised rejecting it all. No one could make Catherine do something she disliked, and no one could force her. ¡°No need. I just don¡¯t feel like making a trip to Alton. It¡¯s boring over there,¡± said Catherine. Understanding the source of Catherine¡¯s irritation, Branden gently pinched her cheek. ¡°Consider it a vacation, okay? How about I apany you? After thepetition, there should be a two-day break. Despite Alton¡¯s notorious reputation, some ces there have decent scenery. I¡¯ll take you for a two-day visit!¡± Catherine knew that Branden attended college in Alton, andter on, he even pursued his Ph.D. there. He spent five years in Alton and was very familiar with the environment. Branden¡¯s suggestion made her hesitate. She had been struggling to find a breakthrough in her experimental projects. Although her experiments were progressing at an almost unimaginable pace, everything still seemed too slow for Catherine. She wanted to quickly break through the experimental bottleneck and move on to the next stage. However, her impatience made her more prone to failure. When Audrey mentioned going on a vacation to rx this morning, a fleeting thought crossed Catherine¡¯s mind. It seemed like a long time since she had taken a break. Seeing her silence, Branden gently reached out and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t think about those things. Consider it a vacation, okay?¡± He wasn¡¯t worried about Catherine¡¯spetition results. He believed she had the strength, Besides, even if she didn¡¯t win, so what? No one had the right to dictate what she did. ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine¡¯s slightly furrowed brows finally rxed. The next day, the news of Catherine going to Alton for the Bide Cup spread like wildfire in their group chat. Ronin heard it from Amelia and was the first to start the conversation. [ Catherine, are you going to Alton for the Bide Cup?] Catherine was about to respond to Ronin when a flood of messages erupted. Zobber asked, [What? Catherine, are you going to Alton?] Withal sent, [Catherine is participating in the Bide Cup, huh?) Connie replied, [Catherine is nning to make Alton¡¯s cuties cry again. I want to go, too.] She also added a crying emoji. [Wanna go, too!] Zobber sent. [Me too!] Withal added. [I don¡¯t care. Anyway, I¡¯m Catherine¡¯s people. I¡¯m definitely going!] Ronin sent. Looking at the screen full of messages and various pleas, Catherine deleted the two words she had just typed, closed WhatsApp, and ignored their chat. Little did she expect that what she initially thought would be a solitary trip to Alton for thepetition would turn into arge team-building excursion. Some took leave, some skipped work, and a few even abandoned their families. Anyway, in the end, they all boarded Branden¡¯s private ne. Upon arriving at the airport and seeing the diverse group of people with various dress styles, Catherine furrowed her brow. Chapter 710 Chapter 710 His Favorite Student Zobber and the others were very excited to see Catherine, who frowned as she looked at them, asking, ¡°Are you all going?¡± Zobber smiled brightly and slowly approached Catherine. She originally nned to hug Catherine to brush off the matter. But as she was about to reach out, she lifted her head and met Branden¡¯s calm yet icy cold gaze that sent shivers down her spine. Zobber, who was never afraid of anything, suddenly felt timid at this moment and quietly withdrew her outstretched hand. ¡°Catherine, we also want to go. Please!¡± Even though everyone had packed their bags, at a single nce from Catherine, they would immediately have to leave, as no one dared to oppose her orders. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Seeing their earnest and hopeful gazes, Catherine finally relented. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Professor Hartley. You can take the ne yourselves.¡± Hearing that Catherine had finally agreed, the group of people, who had acted without permission, suppressed their joy and nodded at Catherine. 11 Ronin stepped up to assure, ¡± Catherine, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure they behave. They won¡¯t cause any trouble for you!¡± The group of people rolled their eyes at Ronin. He was just an immature young student, yet he dared to say such bold words. However, as Catherine was still there, the group did not dare toin in case it might provoke her. Catherine could tell at a nce what they were thinking, but she just didn¡¯t want to bother with them. Seeing that Catherine had got prepared, Branden decided to apany her to another boarding gate. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to Professor Hartley.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine followed him empty -handed. Because they were heading to the same destination, Catherine only brought along the necessary documents and her phone. As for her luggage, it was all with Branden now, and he was responsible for sending it to Alton. When they arrived at the boarding gate, little time was left before the flight. Catherine asked Branden to go back first, as the team this time was quiterge, consisting not only of teachers and students from the school but also of the leaders arranged by the higher- ups. With so many people, Branden¡¯s appearance would undoubtedly attract a lot of attention. Catherine didn¡¯t want to cause herself any trouble, and Branden understood her intentions. He gazed intently at Catherine. ¡°Take care!¡± Catherine nodded slightly, and Branden smiled. She didn¡¯t show any reluctance at all. He felt a little helpless, but he was the one who spoiled her, so he only had himself to me. He could only continue to indulge her until she couldn¡¯t bear to leave him anymore. Branden left, and Catherine turned and walked toward the meeting ce. This time, besides Marshall¡¯s experimental group from Styre University, the school secured an extra spot for apetition, giving it to the research group of the biology department, second only to Marshall¡¯s experimental group. Paddy was also part of this participation. Although he wasn¡¯t the most outstanding student in the biology department, he had been following the professor in the biology department for many years and was thus allowed to participate. Upon seeing Catherine, Paddy disyed great displeasure. Even though thest leak incident had nothing to do with Catherine, Paddy had long been unable to tolerate her, the youngest student in the Styre Laboratory. In Paddy¡¯s opinion, someone like Catherine would have no qualifications to enter theboratory if it weren¡¯t for Marshall¡¯s biased favoritism. The fact that she could participate in thispetition made him wonder what methods she had used. Catching a glimpse of Catherine¡¯s beautiful face, Paddy felt increasingly disdainful. ¡°Who knows how she managed to rise to her position?¡± heined inwardly. Sensing the attention, Catherine looked coldly in the direction of the gaze, which made Paddy feel a suffocating sensation as if his throat was being squeezed, making it difficult even to breathe. Catherine nced at Paddy and then looked away. In her view, unimportant people didn¡¯t need much attention. The moment Catherine¡¯s gaze shifted, Paddy felt the joy of breathing again. He didn¡¯t understand why Catherine¡¯s nce could be so powerful. Perhaps it was because he was too excited and hadn¡¯t slept wellst night. For Paddy, being able to go to Alton to participate in the Bide Cup was a rare opportunity. If he could achieve a good result in thispetition, he would undoubtedly be one of the brightest stars in the scientific research field. Initially impatiently listening to the leaders boasting, Marshall smiled when he saw Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you finally showed up!¡± Originally, Marshall had been worried that Catherine might note. He could make decisions for other students, but when it came to Catherine, he had no assurance at all. Seeing Catherine, Marshall felt much more at ease. The leaders who came with the group had never seen Catherine before. Seeing Marshall, who usually appeared aloof, show such a friendly expression towards a student, one of them couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Professor Hartley, who is she?¡± Before Marshall could respond, the other professors by his side teased, ¡± Oh, Mr. Ferguson, she is Professor Hartley¡¯s favorite student, highly esteemed by him.¡± Upon hearing this, the man called Can Ferguson couldn¡¯t help but give Catherine a second look. At first, he thought this exceptionally beautiful girl was some rtive of Marshall, perhaps Marshall¡¯s daughter. Can never expected her to be a member of Marshall¡¯sboratory and, even more surprisingly, Marshall¡¯s most prized student. ¡°But she looks so young!¡± Can couldn¡¯t help but comment in his mind. As the crowd¡¯s attention turned back to Catherine, Paddy felt extremely jealous. His anger filled his mind, causing him to blurt out some words he couldn¡¯t control. ¡°Favorite student? Who knows what their rtionship is?¡± His voice was not loud, but it caught the attention of a nearby professor from the biology department, Fergus Lynch, who immediately furrowed his brow. Paddy¡¯sment carried too much sarcasm, and if it got out, it would cause much trouble. Fergus immediately red at Paddy and scolded him, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? If you don¡¯t want to participate, get out of here!¡± Upon hearing the threat, Paddy immediately apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor Lynch. Please forgive me. Give me another chance, please!¡± Fergus nced at Paddy and swallowed his anger. ¡°Behave yourself!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Paddy turned away. He appeared obedient, but his heart was filled with great dissatisfaction. In his view, Fergus was just too humble, not like Marshall, who was good at putting on a show. Otherwise, Fergus would have been in a higher position long ago. Fergus watched Paddy¡¯s departing figure with a hint of malice in his eyes behind his dark-framed sses. Marshall was currently the most esteemed professor at school, and if Fergus shed with Marshall now, Fergus would be the one to suffer. ¡°You nearly ruined everything, you idiot!¡± Fergus cursed inwardly as he watched Paddy¡¯s back. Chapter 711 Chapter 711 Break Your Legs The ne flew for a whole 12 hours and safelynded early the next morning. Although the school authorities had arranged the best business ss for this trip, the long hours of sitting had left them with severe backaches and sore waists. Catherine descended from the ne with an air of elegance, her hands empty and tucked into her pockets. Marshall teased, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve already minimized my luggage to a single box. Howe you brought nothing with you? The hotel doesn¡¯t have everything you need, you know.¡± Fergus chuckled and interjected, ¡± Young people are different from us old folks who have to bring everything. They can solve everything with money. Why burden themselves with a heap of luggage?¡± Marshall shook his head, unyielding. ¡± This is Alton, not our home. There are things that money can¡¯t buy, aren¡¯t there?¡± Amelia, who hade along with the group, raised her suitcase in front of Marshall. ¡°Professor Hartley, I share a dorm with Catherine, and all her essentials are with me!¡± ¡°Good, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re off to the hotel,¡± Marshall said, nodding in agreement. ¡± It¡¯s a good thing that Catherine can focus on thepetition,¡± he thought. Amelia served as Catherine¡¯s assistant in theboratory. Catherine had specifically arranged for her to join them. When Amelia found out she could go with them, she was so ecstatic. Shortly after, she packed her things and cheerfully set off with Catherine. Marshall¡¯s research team members didn¡¯t seem to mind, as Amelia had always been with them. Despite her limited knowledge and qualifications not reaching the level of a researcher, Amelia¡¯s cheerful and helpful nature made everyone like her. They all agreed that she was more of an assistant to the whole research team than to Catherine. However, the agreement of Marshall¡¯s team did not mean that other groups were without objections. Bringing along a freshman like Catherine was barely eptable, given that she was Marshall¡¯s acknowledged favorite student. But now, Catherine brought her roommate here, which they thought was inappropriate. Paddy stood to the side, rolling his eyes. He couldn¡¯t stand such nepotism. It was bad enough that she used connections, but she seemed to want everybody to know that she had used a backdoor way to bring her roommate with her. The professors and the leaders walked ahead while Paddy nced at Amelia, who was walking alone at the back. Seizing the opportunity while she was not paying attention, he stuck out his foot and tripped her. Amelia didn¡¯t notice and fell to the ground, her chest hitting the luggage, making it difficult for her to stand up due to the pain. Just as Catherine heard the noise, she turned back to help Amelia up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Amelia, with teary eyes, endured the intense pain and told Catherine, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just identally tripped.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Catherine nced at Paddy, her icy stare making him feel uneasy despite his previous confidence. ¡°Why are you staring at me? It¡¯s her fault for not watching where she¡¯s going. What¡¯s it got to do with me?¡± Paddy said, subconsciously taking a step back. He both resented and feared Catherine. After helping Amelia up, Catherine took a step forward. Seeing that Catherine was about to confront Paddy, Amelia quickly stopped her. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s my fault. I tripped carelessly. Let¡¯s just forget about it.¡± Paddy thought that since Amelia admitted it was her fault, Catherine wouldn¡¯t dare to reprimand him. ¡°See, she admitted it herself. It¡¯s not my fault.¡± Catherine nced at Paddy¡¯s legs and sternly reprimanded him, ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll break your legs!¡± Paddy turned pale with fear but also wanted to argue against Catherine¡¯s arrogance. However, she shut him down with a single phrase. ¡°Open your goddamn eyes and look up!¡± Paddy, confused, subconsciously looked up and then felt incredibly embarrassed. He had been secretly happy about theck of evidence for Catherine¡¯s threats, but he had forgotten they were at the airport, where surveince cameras were everywhere. There was one right above their heads, facing their direction. If things escted and Catherine demanded to see the footage, he would definitely be in big trouble. Thinking of Fergus¡¯s warning, Paddy slinked away. Participating in the Bide Cup was a rare opportunity, and he wouldn¡¯t give up the chance just because he disliked Catherine. Catherine took Amelia¡¯s luggage and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hotel.¡± Amelia, who had intended to take the luggage herself, was refused by Catherine, ¡°Catherine, did I cause you trouble?¡± Amelia asked. ¡°No,¡± Catherine said coldly, not even looking back as she walked away. Watching Catherine¡¯s departing figure, Amelia couldn¡¯t put into words how highly she regarded Catherine at that moment. The whole team arrived at the hotel, and after the team leader gathered everyone in the lobby, he made an important announcement. ¡°Dear students, we are here in Alton to participate in the competition, and all expenses during thepetition are provided by the Duncan Corporation. Let¡¯s express our gratitude for the sponsorship of the Duncan Corporation. At the same time¡­¡± Some official announcements followed, but thankfully, the leader¡¯s speech was rtively brief. After just five minutes, everyone was allowed to return to their rooms to rest. Amelia couldn¡¯t help but ask Catherine, ¡°Catherine, was the person in charge of the Duncan Corporation mentioned by the leader just now, Mr. Duncan?¡± Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Focus on the Competition Catherine had just finished her meal when she received a call from Marshall, asking them to gather in the hotel¡¯s second-floor meeting room in ten minutes to discuss the details of the uing competition. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Catherine looked up at Amelia. After taking thest bite of the pizza, Amelia mumbled, ¡°Sure,ing right up!¡± She was too full from eating but could not waste the delicious food. Having such perks while sharing a dorm with Catherine was fantastic. After getting ready, Catherine and Amelia headed towards the meeting room. The third floor of the hotel was a conference hall with various meeting rooms. This hotel was the closest to thepetition venue. Since thepetition hadn¡¯t started yet, the early- arriving teams had to rest in nearby hotels. Several teams from seven or eight countries were staying in this hotel. Catherine and Amelia made their way through the crowd towards their meeting room. Catherine¡¯s beautiful face immediately drew the attention of many. Unlike the reserved nature of Eskana, people from Ocraolia were more direct in expressing their emotions. Seeing the beautiful girls pass by, a few men couldn¡¯t help but whistle and tease in a foreign language. Catherine remained indifferent, not even bothering to look at them. The members of Marshall¡¯s experimental team felt extremely embarrassed seeing Catherine being teased. Paddy scorned. ¡°She¡¯s always acting wanton anywhere to attract attention. This kind of behavior is really embarrassing.¡± ¡°Paddy McLaughlin, you stupid asshole!¡± said Eamon, ring at Paddy disapprovingly. ¡°What the hell did you say?¡± When Catherine¡¯s seniors overheard Paddy¡¯sment, they immediately confronted Paddy. Paddy backed down and stopped talking, but he felt very aggrieved. In his view, these people were bullying him because there were more of them. After Catherine and Amelia approached, their seniors surrounded them, using their bodies to shield the two from the intense gazes of those men. There were few female students in theboratory. Before Catherine arrived, there had been only one female student. Now that two good-looking juniors hade, their seniors were determined to protect them. Marshall had said that sess or failure in the experiment wasmon, but it was a sign of ipetence if they couldn¡¯t protect their teammates. Amelia felt a little nervous when she first went abroad and saw so many foreigners. Facing different races always made her feel a little uneasy. But being protected by her seniors made her feel a little moved, and she couldn¡¯t help but chat with Catherine. ¡± Catherine, I feel so safe with them. I was so nervous, but now I feel rxed!¡± she said. Before Catherine could respond, amotion nearby drew everyone¡¯s attention. Someone gave an exmation of surprise, and all eyes followed that direction. A group of people in uniform appeared, exuding a powerful aura. With their heads held high, they looked like top- notch elites. ¡°Who are they? They don¡¯t look like ordinary people,¡± Amelia said, curious. Catherine remained calm, not even bothering to take a look, as she didn¡¯t care. Upon hearing Amelia¡¯s question, Eamon calmly responded, ¡°It¡¯s the Johnville Optical Team from Theisia.¡± Amelia looked even more shocked.¡± The team that has won numerous international awards and three consecutive Nobel Prizes?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Eamon said. This team was well-known internationally, and even Amelia, a freshman, was aware of their strength, not to mention other long-termpetition participants. This team was a strong contender for the championship in thispetition, with their poprity second only to Alton¡¯s team. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As the host country¡¯s team, Alton¡¯s team had a dedicated trainingboratory and didn¡¯t need to stay in a hotel. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to work harder!¡± Marshall¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Professor Hartley!¡± they all said in unison with great admiration in their eyes. Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Double Standards The Bide Cup was famous for its strict rules during thepetition. During the Bide Cup, participants were not allowed to get involved in negative news, and in serious cases, their qualifications would be directly revoked. If the conflict were to escte today, it would likely result in themittee kicking them out of the competition. The professors understood the seriousness of the situation and did their best to restrain the impulsive young researchers. Eamon grabbed Marshall¡¯s sleeve, his voice filled with anger as he said, ¡± Professor Hartley, they are deliberately humiliating us.¡± Marshall, with a stern face, looked extremely displeased. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m deaf?¡± After being scolded by Marshall, Eamon fell silent. Then, Marshall said earnestly, ¡°I know you¡¯re feeling angry, but if you really resort to violence, you¡¯ll be falling into their trap! These foreigners look like a bunch of fools, but in fact, they are quite cunning. They are deliberately provoking you!¡± Eamon found Marshall¡¯s words quite reasonable, gradually calming down. He was unwilling to fall for the other party¡¯s tricks. ¡± Professor Hartley is right. We should calm down!¡± Although things had calmed down on Styre University¡¯s side, the team from Johnville had no intention of stopping there. Their noise and insults from their side only grew louder and more offensive. Eamon, the researchers, and even Marshall and the other mentors were struggling to contain their urge to explode with rage. Several mentors kept a close watch on these impulsive students, but they missed Catherine. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Catherine sat there ying on her phone as the surrounding noise grew louder. The voice of the researcher named Edson was particrly grating, giving her a headache. Suddenly, Catherine stood up. Amelia was startled, thinking Catherine was about to confront someone. However, Catherine turned and entered the nearby restroom, causing Amelia to breathe a sigh of relief. Unexpectedly, Catherine emerged from the restroom the next moment, holding a toilet plunger in her hand. No one present knew what Catherine was up to, but they saw her walk directly toward Edson with the plunger in hand. Seeing a beautiful woman approaching, Edson was about to strike up a conversation, as he was quite fond of Catherine¡¯s appearance. But before he could say anything, a dark shadow suddenly descended upon his face, apanied by a foul stench, as a massive toilet plunger was firmly jammed into his mouth. To ensure it was secure, Catherine pressed down the plunger several times, making it adhere tightly to Edson¡¯s face. ¡°Your mouth stinks so much, and it needs to be sealed!¡± With a strong push, Catherine knocked Edson to the ground. The people around were dumbfounded. Catherine¡¯s actions were so fast and domineering that they couldn¡¯t even process what was happening. Although people from Styre University were shocked by Catherine¡¯s actions, they felt a deep sense of satisfaction. After all, what she said was true- Edson¡¯s mouth really stank and deserved to be shut up like that. Edson was still trying to remove the plunger from his mouth, but it was stuck to his face as if it were embedded in his head. No matter how he struggled, it was useless. Finally, Edson¡¯s teammates came to their senses and rushed forward, demanding an exnation from Styre University. The situation escted, and themotion spread throughout the entire hotel. Catherine, however, sat quietly as if nothing had happened. After dealing with Edson, she continued ying games,pletely ignoring themotion around her. As the argument between the two sides escted, Paddy seemed extremely angry about Catherine¡¯s reaction and couldn¡¯t help but startining again, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she clean up the mess she¡¯s caused? The incident started because of her, and not only does she not feel the slightest bit of guilt, but she also makes it worse. I really don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s thinking about!¡± Fergus noticed Marshall¡¯s displeased expression and quickly rebuked Paddy, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Is this the time for our own people to start a fight?¡± Faced with Fergus¡¯s reprimand, Paddy was very dissatisfied. ¡°Professor Lynch, this is a big deal. What if it ends up affecting our entire team, and we have to withdraw from thepetition?¡± Paddy¡¯s concerns made the people around him look very grim, as this was also their biggest worry at the moment. Many of them joined Paddy inining, eximing that Catherine¡¯s actions were too impulsive. Although Marshall and the others were angry, they currently had no way to deal with the situation. The commotion was too serious, even alerting the organizingmittee of the Bide Cup. The Theisian people demanded that the organizingmittee give them an exnation. Several members of the judgingmittee were from Theisia, so they would naturally speak from their perspective. After learning that Catherine was the one causing trouble, several staff members of the organizing committee approached her. ¡°Pleasee with us.¡± Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Connections Inside the office were the judges of the organizingmittee and the chairman of themittee, Richard Goodman. Everyone held their breath as they watched Richard, known for his sternness, slowly emerge. It was well known that he didn¡¯t like any trouble, especially duringpetitions. Styre University had vited Richard¡¯s taboos this time, and people didn¡¯t know what kind of punishment Styre University would face. Some secretly gloated at the thought of Styre University being expelled from thepetition, while others felt sorry for them. Missing out on such a majorpetition would be a huge loss for Styre University. ¡°Who¡¯s causing trouble?¡± Richard asked in a cold voice. His deep voice echoed throughout the meeting room, making everyone tense and hold their breath. Members of the Johnville Team couldn¡¯t wait to speak up as soon as Richard appeared. Although Richard was from Alton, he had Theisian heritage, and they were confident he would support the Theisian team. ¡°Mr. Goodman, the troublemaker is this student from Styre University. I heard she¡¯s just a freshman at Styre University. Such a person shouldn¡¯t be appearing in ourpetition. Styre University is intentionally humiliating us. They have no intention of participating; they just want to cause trouble. Please believe me, Mr. Goodman,¡± someone said. Hearing the other party¡¯s ount, Richard frowned. He looked in the direction indicated by the man who spoke just now, and after seeing the petite figure sitting to the side, his eyes widened. ¡°Am I having a hallucination or something?¡± he wondered. ¡± Otherwise, how could I see her here?¡± He asked, ¡°Are you¡­ Catherine?¡± At that moment, Marshall and the others were anxiously waiting at the door. Half an hour had passed, yet there was still no news. Unable to bear it any longer, he forcefully pushed aside a few friends who were trying to stop him, ready to rush in. ¡°Marshall, wait a little longer!¡± Marshall suddenly shook off their hands and rushed towards the meeting room. ¡°Wait for what? Who knows what those foreigners inside might do to Catherine? I have to protect her!¡± Just as Marshall reached for the door handle, the previously tightly closed door was opened from the inside. Richard, apanied by severalmittee members, emerged from the room, with Catherine standing beside him. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Marshall immediately rushed to Catherine¡¯s side, asking, ¡°Catherine, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Catherine responded calmly. Having confirmed that Catherine was indeed unharmed, Marshall breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°d to hear it.¡± ¡°Catherine, who is this gentleman?¡± Richard¡¯s words drew the attention of many. Catherine calmly introduced Marshall to them. ¡°My mentor, Professor Marshall Hartley!¡± Having heard of Marshall before, Richard smiled and greeted him with a somewhat awkward ent, ¡°Oh, Professor Hartley, nice to meet you!¡± Having participated in the previous Bide Cuppetition, Marshall knew that Richard was the chairman of thepetition, so he warmly responded, ¡± Mr. Goodman, nice to meet you too!¡± After the greetings, Marshall intended to exin the situation to Richard regarding Catherine. In Marshall¡¯s view, the situation was not Catherine¡¯s fault, and she should not be med for it. ¡°Professor Hartley, I already know the ins and outs of the situation. I will request the Johnville Team to provide a reasonable exnation and publicly apologize to you. Otherwise, I will demand their withdrawal from thepetition.¡± Richard¡¯s response left Marshall somewhat bewildered. Marshall hadn¡¯t even exined yet, and the situation had already turned around. Originally, Styre University was supposed to be expelled from thepetition, but now it seemed the other team would be expelled if they didn¡¯t apologize. Richard¡¯s assistant arrived and whispered a few words in Richard¡¯s ear. After that, Richard looked apologetically at Catherine, saying, Catherine, I have some urgent matters to attend to. We¡¯ll talkter!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine replied, and Richard hurriedly left with his assistant. Once the others had left, Marshall finally came to his senses. He looked at Catherine, asking, ¡°Do you know Mr. Goodman?¡± Upon hearing this, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°They must know each other. How else could they be on such familiar terms? Catherine, you¡¯re amazing. Can¡¯t believe that you have connections on an international level!¡± Catherine and Richard were old friends, but she hadn¡¯t expected to run into him here. It seemed that she would be meeting quite a few old acquaintances in the near future. Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Very Well Said ¡°No.¡± Hearing this, Richard called over a server and ordered an Americano with no milk or sugar. It was a vor he remembered Catherine liked. Despite her sweet looks, she enjoyed such a bitter taste, Due to its uniqueness, Richard remembered her taste all at once and had done so for many years. ¡°Catherine, the conference room was crowded just now, and I didn¡¯t have the chance to talk to you. Luckily, you haven¡¯t forgotten our code, or else I would have had toe find you personally.¡± When the two of them left the conference room earlier, Richard used a particrnguage to hint at Catherine, asking her to meet at the coffee bar on the second floor. They had once worked in the same laboratory on the same project. A few members used a special tapping method to create anguage in their leisure time. Thisnguage was simr to Morse code and could trante some short texts. In the world, only a few people from theirboratory knew thisnguage. Compared to Catherine¡¯sposure, Richard seemed much more excited. ¡± Catherine, are you leading the Styre University to participate in thepetition this time?¡± Richard knew Catherine was from Eskana and thought she had devoted herself to the rtively weak Styre Team for the sake of her homnd. In response to Richard¡¯s inquiry, Catherine shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± Richard was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just standing up for the Styre Team earlier?¡± The server brought the coffee that Richard had ordered for Catherine. She took a sip, furrowed her brow, and then set the cup down. Due to her low blood sugar, Branden often added a suitable amount of sugar to her drinks. As a result, she had be less ustomed to such bitter coffee. ¡°I am a participant, not the team leader. ¡± ¡°Participant?¡± Richard looked at Catherine in disbelief. He scrutinized her repeatedly, trying to confirm that she was not joking. It was pretty surprising that Catherine was a participant. After all, when they worked together, she had been one of the youngest and most outstanding researchers in their group. With her background and talent, she could have easily led a project in one of the most renowned laboratories in Alton, so how could she possibly be a participant in a team that couldn¡¯t even make it to the top three in thepetition? ¡°Catherine, even though your expression tells me this is true, I still find it hard to believe.¡± Richard looked at her with a wry smile, stating a fact. ¡± After all, the Styre Team is not the strongest in thispetition, and we both know that!¡± ¡°Just because it wasn¡¯t the strongest before doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t be this time!¡± Catherine said in a nonchnt tone, yet it sounded quite assertive. If anyone else had said those words, Richard would have sneered and perhaps even ridiculed them harshly. But when he heard Catherine say so, he understood that this time, it wouldn¡¯t be as predictable as in previous years for Alton to win the Bide Cup. Catherine was the biggest variable, and her presence was destined to change the result of thepetition. The next day, an apology letter from the Johnville Team was posted on the official Bide Cup forum. Many participating teams had heard about the conflict between the Johnville and Styre teams. No one had expected that the once arrogant Johnville Team would be the one to issue an apology. Johnville Team¡¯s arrogance was even greater than its reputation, and many teams had suffered at their hands without any means of seeking justice. It was the first time they had seen this team apologize so sincerely. Amelia immediately forwarded the apology letter to the group chat, saying, [Catherine, you are so amazing! ] Ronin and the others had heard the news the day before. They had initially nned to teach Edson a lesson. However, after hearing about Catherine¡¯s retaliation, they couldn¡¯t help butugh at the punishment he received. Roninmented, [How dare that guy disrespect Catherine? He deserved it! He¡¯s lucky he didn¡¯t get dung thrown at him. It¡¯s a light punishment.] Zobber had obtained first-hand information, adding, [I heard that because his mouth was so big, the plunger couldn¡¯t be removed. He was sent to the hospital to get it out finally, and his whole jaw was dislocated!] Upon hearing Zobber¡¯s intelligence, everyone in the group chat burst intoughter. Having finished reading their messages, Withal couldn¡¯t help but mention Catherine. [Catherine, next time, try a different way to punish him. It¡¯ll save the doctors from unnecessary trouble!] The incessant buzzing of her phone slowly roused Catherine from her slumber. She opened her eyes and stretched forward. She had been resting in the dorm room with Amelia the night before. Around ten o¡¯clock, Branden suddenly knocked on the door and carried her upstairs. Seeing Branden focused on his phone, Catherine muttered, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Branden turned around, wrapped an arm around Catherine¡¯s waist, and pulled her close while showing her the phone. ¡°Take a look for yourself!¡± Bemused, Catherine lowered her head to look at the phone. She scrolled through the messages and stopped at the one where Withal had mentioned her. She replied to him, [Got it. Will keep that in mind.]Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. After Catherine sent it, the previously lively group chat suddenly fell silent. A bit puzzled, she carefully reviewed her message and found nothing amiss. The signal on the phone was strong. She tried to inject some humor, yet it seemed to have startled everyone. What¡¯s going on?¡± she wondered. Just as Catherine pondered this, a soft voice came from above her. ¡°You are using my phone!¡± Catherine was momentarily stunned. After scrutinizing the profile picture for a while, she realized she had made a mistake. Her phone was the same make and model as Branden¡¯s. Even the profile picture he used was quite simr to hers, which showed a ray of sunlight piercing through the darkness. She had just woken up and was a bit groggy, so it was normal for her to use the wrong phone to reply to messages. Still receiving no response, Catherine casually tossed the phone aside and calmly said, ¡°We¡¯re all adults. What¡¯s with the fuss?¡± Branden was amused by her haughty demeanor. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. ¡°Very well said!¡± Chapter 716 Chapter 716 The Draw Result After staying at the hotel for three days, the Bide Cup officially began. Styre University sent out two teams, led by Marshall for the EIE Team and Fergus for the Biology Team. Having two teams at once already made Styre University a strong contender among the nations. Thepetition started, and the opponents for the first round were decided through a draw. Fergus¡¯s team was the first to go up for the draw, and they ended up drawing the Isaranian Team. The Isaranian Team wasn¡¯t considered very strong, so winning against it in the first round wasn¡¯t too difficult. The university leaders immediately sought Fergus¡¯s opinion, asking about his team¡¯s chance of winning. He gave a modest smile and gestured a number- sixty percent. It was well known that Fergus was always cautious and liked to keep a card up his sleeve. When he said sixty percent, it probably meant at least eighty percent. Upon hearing this result, the university leaders felt reassured. If there was an eighty percent chance of winning, then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Furthermore, this was the first round, the one with the lowest difficulty level. The university leaders were quite happy about the result of the draw. They said to Marshall, ¡°Marshall, it¡¯s your turn now. Hopefully, you¡¯ll be as lucky as Fergus.¡± Marshall smiled and remained silent, looking very calm. However, his calm demeanor vanished instantly when he saw the result. No one knew what had happened to make Marshall, who was standing on the tform, suddenly freeze in ce. Although Marshall¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much, his colleagues who had worked with him for over a decade knew him well. They knew that Marshall¡¯s expression meant there was a problem. When the draw result was finally shown on the projection screen, everyone finally understood why Marshall was so shocked. No one had expected that Marshall¡¯s team wouldpete with the Johnville Team from Theisia, which had recently had a dispute with Styre University. The previous controversy had not yet subsided, and now they were confronting each other again. It seemed that enemies were destined to meet. The Johnville Team¡¯s strength was remarkable, and in the previous Bide Cup, its ranking was only surpassed by the Altonian Team. Compared to the young and inexperienced Styre Team, the Johnville Team seemed like a ferocious wolf, ready to pounce and annihte its opponents. When the draw result was announced, cheers erupted from the Johnville Team¡¯s side. They had long been displeased with Styre Team and if it weren¡¯t for Richard¡¯s restraint, they would never have stooped to apologizing to a trashy team like Styre University. Now, with the draw result granting them an opportunity, they were determined to take revenge and vent their frustration. Marshall descended from the tform with a grim look, and several university leaders surrounded him as soon as he sat down. ¡°How could it be? Didn¡¯t themittee make pre-match adjustments for the sake of continuity of the match? The teams should have been divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers. So logically, a middle-tier team like us shouldn¡¯t have drawn a top ¨C tier team like Johnville,¡± one of the leaders eximed. Marshall solemnly dered, ¡°No need to guess. It must be Johnville Team¡¯s doing!¡± Due to the previous dispute, the Johnville Team was forced to apologize on the official forum, causing them to lose face. What was initially thought to be a private quarrel among students had unexpectedly escted into a battle between two teams. The Johnville Team had even covertly altered the format of thepetition. While the division of teams into upper, middle, and lower tiers was an unspoken rule, it had been followed for several years without anyone breaking it. The tactics employed by the Johnville Team from Theisia were truly despicable. The members of Styre University were all outraged, but the result had already been announced, and no one could change it. Marshall could only suppress his anger and console everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t lose heart. We¡¯re here to compete. We can¡¯t just give up before thepetition even begins, can we? The Theisian Team is strong, and even if we don¡¯t face them in the first round, we¡¯ll encounter them eventually. Are we going to surrender every time we face a tough opponent?¡± Marshall¡¯s words of encouragement instantly stirred up a sense of determination and boosted morale among the group. Paddy sat on the sidelines, watching Marshall¡¯s team with a cold, mocking gaze. He had warned them against offending the Johnville Team from Theisia, but Catherine had a penchant for causing trouble. Now, their team was destined to be eliminated in the first round, and he relished the thought of how embarrassing it would be for Marshall¡¯s team to return home. Catherine sat to the side, wearing headphones and ying games. She didn¡¯t want toe in the first ce, as the draw wasn¡¯t part of thepetition itself, and she felt it was a waste of her time. However, Marshall had insisted, so she had reluctantlyplied. Eamon gently pushed Catherine, and she removed her headphones, looking up at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked. ¡°Are you not nervous at all, Catherine? ¡°Eamon inquired. ¡°Nervous about what?¡± Catherine looked at him with a puzzled expression. Seeing her demeanor, Eamon was slightly surprised. ¡°Catherine, you didn¡¯t happen to notice the result of the draw, did you?¡± Observing her expression, Eamon immediately informed her that their opponent would be the Theisian Team. ¡°Catherine, what do you think we should do next?¡± he asked. Catherine casually pocketed her phone, calmly nced at Eamon, and nonchntly replied, ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Just do it!¡± ¡°How confident she is!¡± Eamon silently praised her in his mind. He finally understood why Marshall favored her so much. He knew he was unable to emte herposure. Even though he knew there was a ny percent chance of losing, they shouldn¡¯t lose their fighting spirit. ¡± Catherine is right,¡± he thought. ¡± Nervousness is pointless; we just have to do it!¡± Influenced by Catherine, Eamon¡¯s morale soared, and he couldn¡¯t wait topete against the Johnville Team right then and there. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After the draw, everyone left the venue. Catherine strolled out of the venue with the group, heading back to the hotel. They had already moved to the designated hotel arranged for thepetition. They didn¡¯t know what connections Branden had used, but he and the others had also been amodated in the same hotel. After getting off the bus, Catherine received a message from Zobber. Paddy saw Catherine walking towards him from a distance. He took a few steps forward, preparing to mock her and make her aware of the consequences of offending the Johnville Team, but she walked past him as if she hadn¡¯t seen him at all. Paddy¡¯s hand froze in mid-air, unable to move an inch. When she moved further away, Paddy finally came to his senses. He stamped his foot in anger. In his opinion, Catherine¡¯s behavior was simply outrageous, acting as if she were superior to everyone else. He secretly vowed to make her aware of the consequences of offending others. He would remember this grudge and seek revenge when the opportunity arose. Chapter 717 Chapter 717 What a Clown! Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Catherine found Zobber at a corner of the top floor. Zobber always liked to stay in secluded ces like this, so it was easy for Catherine to find her in less crowded areas. When Zobber heard a noise and turned around to see Catherine approaching, her eyes instantly lit up. Her originally cold face was now adorned with a radiant smile. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re here!¡± Zobber eximed. Only in Catherine¡¯s presence could Zobber show her more youthful side. Catherine walked over to Zobber and sat down beside her. The hotel had over fifty floors, and they were on the top floor. In front of them was a vast floor- to-ceiling window offering a breathtaking view of the scenery below. ¡°Catherine, the view is really nice from up here,¡± Zobber remarked. Catherine silently watched the scenery without responding. Zobber took a cigarette out of her pocket, about to put it in her mouth. Remembering Catherine¡¯s habits, however, she flicked the cigarette into the trash can. ¡°Catherine, the bet has started! The first round is quite exciting. I didn¡¯t expect this dull research project to attract so much attention,¡± Zobber said. Catherine smirked, showing no surprise at all. Where there was apetition, there was winning and losing, and where there was winning and losing, there was gambling. ¡°What are the odds?¡± Catherine inquired. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s question, Zobber gave a mysterious smile. ¡± Catherine, the team you¡¯re on has the highest odds in the first round, which is 1 to 16.¡± ¡°Humph.¡± Catherine chuckled coldly. ¡± Everyone¡¯s betting on me to lose, huh?¡± ¡°Those people are ignorant. They don¡¯t know your strength. Don¡¯t be angry!¡± Zobber replied. Catherine wasn¡¯t angry at all-not even a bit. A hint of cunning shed in her eyes. The mischievous glint in Catherine¡¯s eyes made Zobber feel a flutter in her heart. Whenever she saw Catherine with that smile, she knew someone was in for trouble. Catherine motioned to Zobber with a crooked finger and shed a charming smile. ¡°Catherine, whatever youmand, I¡¯ll do it. Just don¡¯t smile at me like that!¡± Zobber leaned in, and Catherine whispered something in her ear. Zobber¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, and she became excited. ¡°Catherine, can I get in on this?¡± Zobber asked. Catherine patted her on the shoulder. ¡± Go ahead.¡± ¡°Thanks, Catherine. I¡¯ll get right on it! ¡°Zobber said eagerly. Thinking about the opportunity to make a fortune, Zobber paid no attention to the beautiful scenery before her and immediately got up to finish her task. The next day, there were suddenly a lot of rumors about the Styre Team. Paddy was ecstatic, gossiping like crazy, using his imagination to fabricate stories. ¡± Have you all heard? Our Styre University¡¯s reputation is going to bepletely ruined this time!¡± When people heard Paddy¡¯s words, they curiously gathered around him. ¡± Paddy, what gossip have you heard this time?¡± someone asked. Paddy frowned at the person speaking. ¡°This is not just some gossip. It¡¯s the truth! They say that there is a freshman from Styre University who is just there for show, making our defeat certain. The odds were 1 to 16st night, and today they¡¯ve risen to 1 to 20. Can you believe it? It tarnished the reputation of Styre University!¡± Paddy¡¯s serious tone left the surrounding students stunned, and it was only after he finished speaking that they began to discuss the matter. Styre University¡¯s EIE Team was already in a precarious situation. Many assumed that Styre University was bound to lose to the Johnville Team from Theisia. It made sense that they would not back down without a fight, but before the match even began, they were already criticized like this, which was truly embarrassing. Hearing the murmurs around him, Paddy believed he could incite the crowd, aiming to teach Catherine a lesson. ¡°Everyone, the match won¡¯t start until tomorrow. Each team has a substitute member, and I think we should unite and advise the school to rece Catherine! At the very least, if we lose, we should lose with dignity without beingughed at. Do you all agree?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Surprisingly, some people supported Paddy, thinking that he had a point. Hearing this, Paddy became more determined. He felt he could use this opportunity to bring Catherine down. He thought that without the chance topete, Catherine would have nothing to show off. In that case, if the Biology Team achieved a good ranking, Marshall¡¯s team would never be able to be arrogant again. The more Paddy thought about it, the more excited he became. He was sure that this was a great opportunity. Eamon watched as Paddy incited the crowd, feeling anxious and worried that something might happen. Taking advantage of their distraction, he stepped back to the side and then found Catherine, who was still ying games. ¡°Catherine, why are you still ying games here?¡± Eamon urgently asked. Facing Eamon¡¯s urgency, Catherine set down her phone and looked up at him. ¡± What¡¯s the matter?¡± Eamon immediately told her about Paddy¡¯s words. Catherine coldlymented. ¡°What a clown!¡± Eamon wholeheartedly agreed with Catherine, as Paddy was nothing but a clown. ¡°Catherine, even though that guy is a clown, we can¡¯t just watch him nder you and do nothing. What if he really incites a group of people to go to the school authorities toin? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be in big trouble!¡± Catherine calmly thanked Eamon.¡± Thanks for the reminder, Eamon. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Hearing this, Eamon felt more worried for her, but there was nothing he could do, so he had to let her be. ¡°Catherine, just be more careful, okay?¡± Unable to persuade Catherine, he had to leave. He nned to go to Marshall and exin the situation to him. Feeling bored, Catherine got up, ready to return to the hotel. Just as she walked out of the elevator, she saw Branden approaching. Catherine ran her tongue along her upper gum, a faint smile appearing on her face. ¡°Are you waiting for me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Branden admitted generously, taking a few steps forward and holding her hand. Catherine, who had just stepped out of the elevator, followed Branden into the elevator and arrived at the top-floor presidential suite. To ess the top floor, a special room card was required because the elevator was connected to the room. The entire top floor was a super luxurious t, exclusively for some special customers to use. As soon as Catherine entered, she saw the familiar armchair in the living room. She really liked it. There was one in the house in Casier and the apartment in Loxton. And now, here it was. ¡°How did this armchair get moved here?¡± ¡°It just arrived this morning,¡± Branden replied, not directly answering Catherine¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t tell her that he had specially ordered ten of the same armchairs from Itasca, Italy. It took some time to ship them here. Otherwise, they should have arrived yesterday. In her leisure time, Catherine liked to lie on the armchair and y games. Branden remembered every single detail of her habits. Catherinefortably leaned back on the armchair, and Branden snuggled up to her. ¡°You¡¯ve been getting a lot of attentiontely. Do you want toy low for a bit?¡± He asked, worried that it would affect Catherine¡¯spetition. ¡°No need,¡± Catherine said, looking somewhat smug. ¡°If you have free time, you can just help me gain more attention!¡± Hearing this, Branden immediately understood what Catherine meant. Her expression clearly indicated that she was up to something again. It was fine for her to do whatever she wanted as long as she was happy. He would support her no matter what. Chapter 718 Chapter 718 Always in Second ce The next day, thepetition officially began. Due to the spread of various rumors, many people were pessimistic about Marshall¡¯s team, believing that they were bound to lose. Before thepetition started, the odds for betting on the oue had already soared to 1 to 30, with almost no one believing that Marshall¡¯s team would win. In order to earn more money, some unscrupulous haters spread rumors about Catherine, even going as far as to say that she only became a researcher in theboratory through personal connections. Marshall led his team to the entrance of the sealedboratory. He personally ushered each of his students into theboratory. When he saw Catherine, who was walking at the back, he gently patted her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just believe that you are the best,¡± he said earnestly. Faced with Marshall¡¯s sincere advice, Catherine remained indifferent. Used to her temperament, Marshall didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Remember, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Just follow your heart, ¡± he said. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine responded. Her rare response brought a noticeable smile to Marshall¡¯s face. For him, his team¡¯s rankings were unimportant as long as his students did their best. Thepetition¡¯s task was a specific experimental project, requiring the students to design a set of chips within three hours. The chips¡¯ functionality had toply fully with thepetition¡¯s regtions. The task was only revealed after the two teams entered the sealedboratory. Many people were dumbfounded when they saw it. Several professors from Styre University were also shocked. ¡°Why is the task so difficult?¡± they eximed. Marshall furrowed his brow and unconsciously pushed the frame of his sses. ¡°They¡¯re giving us such a Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. difficult task in the first round?¡± The Johnville Team appeared quite confident upon seeing the announced task. Outsiders thought it was because they believed in their team¡¯s strength, but the truth was that the difficulty was due to the Johnville Team¡¯s mentor pulling strings behind the scenes. The Johnville Team looked down on Styre University but wouldn¡¯t use any underhanded means to win. The strictness of the Bide Cup wouldn¡¯t give them that opportunity. Their goal was simple-to make Styre Team¡¯s defeat as embarrassing as possible. To prevent cheating, theboratories were surrounded by tempered ss, allowing everyone to see the experimenters inside clearly. The Johnville Team, as expected from a top-three-ranked team, had an incredibly strong ability to work together. Although the experimental project for thispetition was quite challenging, they had already started operating at a rapid pace, looking very confident. On the other hand, the researchers of the Styre Team were still discussing thepetition project. The apanying mentors standing outside theboratory were extremely anxious. ¡°Marshall, what¡¯s going on with your students? Why haven¡¯t they started yet? ¡± one of the mentors asked urgently. Marshall had a serious expression on his face, and he seemed a bit nervous. This task wouldn¡¯t have been too difficult if he had guided them. However, the mentors couldn¡¯t interfere, and their students had to rely on themselves. Moreover, it seemed like this task was specifically targeted at the Styre Team, hitting their weak points. Facing the inquiries, Marshall remained silent, staring straight ahead. Paddy and his team were watching as well. Seeing that the Styre Team hadn¡¯t started yet, he couldn¡¯t help but make sarcastic remarks again. Fergus didn¡¯t stop Paddy, so Paddy became even more arrogant, even going as far as to taunt Marshall directly. ¡°Professor Hartley, you said Catherine is your favorite student, right? But why does she seem to know nothing, just sitting there daydreaming?¡± His words drew everyone¡¯s attention to Catherine. Unlike her teammates, who were actively discussing, Catherine sat quietly on the side, resting her chin on her hand with a vacant look in her eyes, seemingly lost in thought. Instantly, discussions started spreading rapidly. The situation became so serious that several school leaders came to Marshall. ¡°Marshall, what¡¯s going on with that student of yours?¡± one of the school leaders asked. Marshall stared at Catherine with a fixed gaze, not knowing what she was nning to do. Seeing Marshall¡¯sck of response, the professors didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him. After discussing, they prepared to rece Catherine with a substitute. This suggestion had been made before, but at that time, Marshall strongly opposed it and used his position as a guarantee, firmly rmending Catherine to stay in theboratory. Now, Catherine tantly neglected thepetition, showing no regard for it. Even if she didn¡¯t know how toplete the task, she should have joined their discussion, at the very least. The professors prepared to leave, but Marshall quickly stopped them. The leading professor looked at Marshall, looking somewhat agitated. ¡°Marshall, what¡¯s gotten into you? Why are you still protecting her?¡± His attitude seemed resolute, indicating that he was determined to rece Catherine. Marshall¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, and he red at them. ¡°I am the mentor of this team. No one is allowed to go into thatb without mymand!¡± Faced with Marshall¡¯s stubbornness, the professors felt somewhat helpless. They had no choice but to let him be, especially since Marshall said he would take responsibility if anything went wrong. The mentor from the Johnville Team, upon seeing themotion from the Styre Team, began to mock them. ¡°Humph, look at them! It¡¯s so funny! Losers always like toe up with various excuses to cover up their ipetence! And we, as winners, naturally don¡¯t need toin about anything because we always stand on the stage of victory!¡± The merciless mockery left the members of the Styre Team with no dignity. However, they couldn¡¯t even find a reason to refute the taunts. Deep down, they had subconsciously epted that they were going to lose. Ronin was present as well. Seeing the arrogant attitude of the Johnville Team, he exploded with rage. After all, he was now a member of Styre University. How could he allow these outsiders to disparage his team like this? As Catherine had said, there was no need to endure when one couldn¡¯t endure anymore. Ronin stood up and pointed at the Johnville Team¡¯s mentor, mocking loudly, ¡°Oh, stage of victory, huh? But why are you always in second ce? How dare you act so high and mighty here. Who was the one who cried after losing thepetition? And now you think you always stand on the stage of victory? Do you think we all forgot you cried like a babyst time?¡± During the previous Bide Cup, the Johnville Team suffered a devastating defeat, losing three times in a row to the Altonian Team. The mentor of the Johnville Team had to take full responsibility and publicly apologize in front of the nation, shedding tears and expressing regret. The mentor¡¯s shame was exposed on the spot, but he couldn¡¯t find a better reason to argue back, so he could only sit down in frustration. Seeing him quiet down, Ronin didn¡¯t want to cause any more disturbance, mainly to avoid affecting Catherine. He decided to argue with that mentor. He would teach that old man a lesson after the competition ended. Chapter 719 Chapter 719 This Is Impossible! Themotion outside was chaotic, and the situation inside theboratory wasn¡¯t any better. Ever since Ciaran got caught due to the leak incident, the team was represented by the most experienced member, Eamon. The team members hesitated to tackle this challenging problem. This wasn¡¯t like their usual experiments in theboratory where they could afford to make mistakes and start over. In the competition, there was no room for error. Half an hour had passed, and the Johnville Team had already started working in an orderly manner. However, the Styre Team hadn¡¯t even begun. It seemed like they were giving up. The rest of the team was getting anxious, and someone suggested asking Catherine for help. While Catherine usually worked alone in experiments and never coborated with other senior members, Marshall had always believed in her abilities. Eamon agreed with his teammate¡¯s suggestion and approached Catherine, who was sitting idle. ¡°Catherine, why are you still sitting here nkly? Thepetition has been going on for half an hour, and we haven¡¯t even figured out the first step!¡± he eximed. Catherine nced at the organized Johnville Team as Jason looked over. Seeing the chaotic scene of the Styre Team, he arrogantly raised his middle finger, trying to provoke Catherine. Unfazed by such childish behavior, Catherine ignored him. ¡°It¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s begin!¡± Catherine said as she stood up and walked to the experiment table. She quickly wrote and sketched on a piece of paper and handed it to Eamon a few minutester. Eamon¡¯s eyes lit up instantly as the jumble of thoughts in his mind cleared at that moment. It was as if Marshall was standing next to him, guiding him through the experiment step by step. He quickly passed Catherine¡¯s n to his teammates and called for immediate action. ¡°From now on, everyone needs to follow Catherine¡¯s instructions. Is that okay?¡± he asked. Catherine¡¯s n was simple yet precise, making everyone understand how to tackle the problem, which made them willing to follow Catherine¡¯s lead. In unison, they eximed, ¡°No problem!¡± Catherine began giving instructions and assigning tasks. Watching from the stands, Marshall felt relieved as Catherine and her teammates finally sprang into action. However, he only felt half the relief because he knew time was running out. Due to the dy, they only had about two hours left. Even if Marshall did the experiment himself, it would take at least two and a half hours. Moreover, they were just a group of students, and they couldn¡¯t possiblyplete the task in such a short time. Marshall could sense the problem, and so could everyone else. The smug look on the face of the Johnville Team¡¯s mentor was evident, as he knew from the start that the victory in this round of competition would ultimately be his. To support his own team, he had put all his assets into the bet. He firmly believed that his team would win by arge margin. As time passed, the initially trailing Styre Team was now conducting the experiment in an orderly manner under the leadership of Catherine. Catherine took charge of the core part herself, splitting the remaining segments and assigning them to Eamon for distribution. Initially clueless, Eamon, upon receiving Catherine¡¯s execution n, instantly cleared his mind and felt confident that he couldplete the tasks assigned by her. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. At the same time, Eamon¡¯s expression was filled with worry. In his view, Catherine alone couldn¡¯t possiblyplete the task. He dared not disturb her and could only do his best to quicklyplete the tasks she assigned before finding a way to help her. Time passed quickly, and everyone¡¯s hearts were racing. Only half an hour left, and the Johnville Team had already started wrapping up their work. Their mentor even boasted that they could finish the competition if given another ten minutes. But just as he finished speaking, a bell suddenly rang. Everyone was shocked. The bell signified that a team had announced thepletion of the task ahead of schedule. No one had expected the Johnville Team to finish so quickly. Their mentor had just finished boasting, and they had already finished the experiment, which was quite impressive. As everyone looked up at the projection screen to see the result, they were dumbfounded. It wasn¡¯t the expected Johnville Team, but the Styre Team that had finished early. They had started half an hour later than the Johnville Team but had managed to finish the experiment ahead of them, which was unbelievable. ¡°How could they have finished so early?¡± everyone present wondered. Not only were the spectators outside theboratories surprised, but even Eamon and his teammates were in a state of confusion. No one had expected such speed. They had simply handed the materials to Catherine, and then, just two minutester, they heard Catherine press thepletion button. It was too fast for them even to react. It was simply impossible! Ten minutester, the Johnville Team finally pressed the button. The mentor of the Johnville Team couldn¡¯t help but snort disdainfully. Can¡¯t believe they would do something so stupid just to get ahead. Even if they press the button first, it¡¯ll be useless. If the experiment isn¡¯tpleted or done well, it¡¯s still a loss, isn¡¯t it?¡± His words were a thinly veiled jab at Marshall¡¯s team, insinuating that they had intentionally pressed thepletion button despite not finishing their experiment. After thepetition ended, all the participants left theboratories, which were immediately sealed off and guarded by specialized personnel. Thepetition result would be publicly announced in the afternoon after final deliberation by a professional judging panel. Even though the result of thepetition had not been announced, more people were inclined to believe the mentor of the Johnville Team. In their eyes, it was inconceivable for Styre University to have completed the experiment in such a short time, and they might not even havepleted the experiment at all. Marshall watched as his students left theboratory and immediately rushed backstage to greet them. After exchanging greetings with a few students, he approached Catherine, uncertainly asking, ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll win?¡± It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe in his students, but in his opinion, it was a task that was fundamentally impossible toplete. He stared at Catherine intently, afraid to miss any of her expressions. Catherine¡¯s eyes remained calm and unruffled, devoid of any hint of emotion. Her voice was as cold and aloof as ever. ¡°Professor Hartley, prepare yourself mentally!¡± Her words were like an rm, causing a sudden jolt in Marshall¡¯s heart. ¡°Does this mean I need to brace myself for the uing defeat?¡± he wondered. Losing thepetition would surely lead to criticism and even the loss of his position. Marshall could only shake his head with a helpless smile, silently repeating to himself, ¡°Well, I chose her, so I¡¯ll have to bear the consequences.¡± Chapter 720 Chapter 720 A Sissy Marshall led the students to lunch after thepetition ended. They couldn¡¯t return yet, as the result of thepetition would be announced in the afternoon. After discussing it, they all went to the designated cafeteria for the participants to have their meal. As they sat down after ordering their food, they watched the Johnville Team, who appeared arrogant and insolent, swagger into the cafeteria. Marshall, not wanting any trouble, advised his students, ¡°After eating, let¡¯s go to the rest area and rest for a while. Once thepetition resultes out in the afternoon, we can go back to the hotel and take a good rest.¡± Jason overheard these words as he passed by. ¡°Why wait for the afternoon? In apetition that¡¯s certain to be lost, waiting for the result is meaningless. I advise you guys not to waste time. Go buy a ticket back home early and focus on your coursework. Hah! You¡¯re going to lose anyway!¡± Jason¡¯s disdainfulughter infuriated the students of Styre University. They wanted to retort, but they couldn¡¯t find any reason to support their argument. They didn¡¯t even believe in their own team¡¯s potential sess, so who else would believe in them? Ultimately, they were not confident enough. Eamon was worried that Jason¡¯s words would affect Catherine¡¯s mood, so he kindly came over to comfort her. ¡± Catherine, don¡¯t be sad and don¡¯t be upset. You don¡¯t need to listen to that idiot¡¯s nonsense. You¡¯re amazing, and we all admire you!¡± Although it took some time for Catherine to execute the n, resulting in a rushedpletion of the experiment, her strategy was amazing. Even with a day¡¯s time, Eamon might not have been able to Catherine remained silent. ¡°Why would I be sad?¡± she wondered. The members who participated in thepetition were well aware of Catherine¡¯s capabilities. They had noints. Several of them tried tofort Catherine. Catherine swallowed her words back down. ¡°Forget it,¡± she thought. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the result in the afternoon before wasting time on exnations.¡± Those led by Paddy, after hearing these sarcastic remarks, all turned their criticism towards Catherine. In their eyes, it wouldn¡¯t have escted to the current situation if it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s aggressive approach against the Johnville Team that made them issue a public apology. Paddy couldn¡¯t contain his frustration as he watched Catherine eating calmly. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s too stupid to understand what¡¯s going on,¡± he eximed. ¡°She caused so much trouble and tarnished the reputation of Styre University, yet she can still sit there and eat as if nothing¡¯s happened. It¡¯s truly amazing!¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. His sarcastic remarks were not directly targeting anyone, but everyone knew well who he was referring to. Amelia, a staunch supporter of Catherine, couldn¡¯t hold back her anger anymore. ¡°Paddy, what nonsense are you talking about? Aren¡¯t you from Styre University? Why are you joining in with a bunch of outsiders to mock us? What are you up to?¡± Being criticized, Paddy was furious. He red at Amelia, saying, ¡°Did I say anything about you? Why are you so worked up? And tell me, am I wrong? Isn¡¯t Styre University¡¯s reputation being tarnished by her?¡± Paddy might have been average in studies, but he was quite the smooth talker. Unable to out-argue him, Amelia stomped her foot in frustration. ¡°You¡­¡± Seeing Amelia¡¯s frustration, Paddy felt a sense of triumph and taunted, ¡°If you can¡¯t speak, then sit the hell down!¡± Amelia was seething, and seeing Catherine sitting calmly and elegantly eating, she was confused. ¡°Catherine, why are you soposed? Paddy is ndering you. Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± Catherine calmly put down her fork and looked at Amelia, asking her, ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry with a sissy like him?¡± Amelia, who was initially fuming, suddenly burst intoughter upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true!¡± Despite Paddy¡¯s tall stature, his habit of gesturing and talking incessantly made him seem effeminate. After Catherine¡¯sment, everyone present thought of Paddy¡¯s behavior and realized she had a point. Paddy noticed the strange gazes everyone was giving him and became agitated. ¡°What are you looking at? Is there something wrong with your eyes? Don¡¯t stare at me!¡± His voice rose and cracked, which became a more high- pitched and effeminate tone. The onlookers, unable to contain themselves, burst intoughter. Unable to bear it any longer, Paddy mmed down his fork and prepared to leave. Before he departed, he issued a final barb at Catherine. ¡°Wait and see how you¡¯ll embarrass yourself this afternoon!¡± Fergus shook his head in the direction Paddy had left and then walked over to apologize to Marshall. ¡°Marshall, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t teach my student well.¡± Marshall quickly waved his hand, telling Fergus not to worry. There were plenty of people with thoughts simr to Paddy¡¯s. It was just that Paddy was too eager to show his inner feelings, which made sense. Furthermore, Fergus had publicly apologized. If Marshall were to hold a grudge, it would just make him aughingstock. After epting Fergus¡¯s apology, Marshall lost his appetite. He looked at the students sitting beside him and thought about Paddy¡¯s words before leaving. He was considering leaving with the students now rather than staying here and subjecting them to ridicule. He¡¯d rather bear the brunt of the insults alone! While everyone else was busy watching the drama unfold, Catherine had already finished her meal. Then, she took out her phone and sent a photo. Almost immediately, she received a reply. [Good girl!] These two simple words contained endless indulgence. Meanwhile, Branden had been busy as well. He took the opportunity to inspect the business in Alton. He indulged Catherine in many ways, but he also had his bottom line. If she didn¡¯t eat on time, he would put aside his official duties ande to watch her finish her meal before leaving. After receiving the reply, Catherine put away her phone and stood up. Before leaving, she lightly pressed her hand on Marshall¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Professor Hartley, desertion is not something a man should do!¡± Marshall was stunned, his eyes fixed on Catherine¡¯s graceful figure as she left. ¡± How did she seem to read my mind?¡± he wondered. She guessed his thoughts as soon as they urred to him, which was truly amazing! Chapter 721 Chapter 721 Results In the lounge. It was almost time for the afternoon entrance, and the Johnville Team next door in the lounge had already started a party to celebrate in advance, the lively noise forming a stark contrast to the lifeless atmosphere of the Styre Team. Marshall¡¯s team members all looked dejected, with none of the vitality and spirit they had when they first arrived. They appeared as deted as a punctured ball, slumping on the side. When it was time to enter the venue, Catherine was the first to stand up, and she walked straight toward the direction of the conference hall. Seeing Catherine leave, Eamon, who was initially sitting dejectedly on the side, also stood up. ¡°Everyone, rally yourselves, and let¡¯s head to the venue together to wait for the results!¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Eamon¡¯s voice caught some attention, and most of the eyes looking at him were filled with a sense of despair. These looks made Eamon start to waver in his heart, but thinking of Catherine¡¯s unwavering determination when she got up, his inner belief suddenly became firm. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with that kind of eyes. You are worrying about beingughed at and looked down upon, and so am I. But have you ever thought about who isughed at the most and who is mocked the most? Catherine is not afraid. What are we afraid of? On the battlefield, the most ipetent are not the defeated, but the deserters who don¡¯t even have the courage to face the oue!¡± Eamon¡¯s words were like a heavy hammer, pounding in the hearts of the people. ¡°Eamon is right. Even if we lose, we need to lose gracefully and not be like a shrinking turtle!¡± one person said. Seeing Catherine appear alone, many people at the scene couldn¡¯t help butugh. Some even went as far as to say that the Styre Team was nothing but a bunch of cowardscking the courage to face reality. However, the next moment, they were proven wrong. Eamon led the entire team to enter with high spirits, giving no indication of any sense of discouragement. Immediately, reporters with cameras surrounded him, not because they didn¡¯t want to interview Catherine but because Catherine¡¯s aura was too strong with a kind of don¡¯te-near -me vibe. Just her gaze alone could suffocate people. They didn¡¯t have the guts to ask her questions. It was no different than courting death. Now Eamon appeared, and naturally, they had to seize hold of this team representative and wouldn¡¯t let go. 11 Mr. Doyle, weren¡¯t you not interested in attending? Why did youe to thepetition venue now?¡± Eamon smiled faintly, looking confidently at the journalist who was asking him a question. ¡°Who told you that we don¡¯t want to attend? Aren¡¯t they supposed to announce the results of ourpetition this afternoon? As participants, how can we note?¡± Upon hearing Eamon¡¯s response, the journalist¡¯s expression changed slightly, and then he threw out an even sharper question. ¡°Why did you alle sote when the entrance was about to close while Catherine arrived much earlier than you?¡± Facing the question, Eamon had long ago thought of a countermeasure. He lifted his hand from behind his back and disyed the coffee he was holding in his hand in front of everyone. ¡± Sorry, buying coffee dyed us a bit. Catherine is quitezy and doesn¡¯t like to move around. We all spoil her and run errands for her, and the vor she likes is hard to find. We went to a lot of shops before we found it.¡± After Eamon finished speaking, several of the group members behind him, in order to justify his words, raised the coffee bags they were holding in their hands. The reporters were all dumbfounded. They thought the Styre Team would be divided because of the internal conflict with Catherine. They didn¡¯t expect them to be so united. From their expressions, it could be seen that the affection for Catherine was not just a matter of lip service. They truly liked Catherine. ¡°Alright, dear journalists. Thepetition results will be announced shortly. We would like to enter now, and after thepetition results are announced, there will be plenty of time for interviews,¡± Eamon answered without giving anything away, leaving the reporters with no angle to pursue. They could only watch as everyone left. Marshall stood on the stage and gave a thumbs-up to Eamon, expressing hisplete satisfaction with Eamon¡¯s performance. He thought, ¡®I didn¡¯t expect the usually silent person to handle it wlessly.¡¯ Eamon smiled awkwardly, thinking, All this is thanks to Catherine.¡¯ Just before they were about to do so, Ronin stopped them, handed them a batch of coffee, and informed them of the press conference¡¯s questions in advance. That was why he was able to respond so quickly and handle it with ease. When it came to being powerful, the mighty one was Catherine. It was not an exaggeration to say that she had a keen insight into things. The mentor of the Johnville Team looked at the calm andposed manner of the Styre Team members, feeling somewhat strange. ¡°How do theye back to life?¡± Jason sneered. ¡°Ha, professor, you¡¯re using the wrong words. This isn¡¯t callede back to life. This is called ast gasp! They are never going to win. If they do win, I¡¯ll twist my head off and use it as a ser ball!¡± The countdown bell tolled, and the host slowly walked onto the stage. Thepetition adopted an elimination system, with a total of three rounds. The previous champions¡¯ team was exempt from the first and second rounds of thepetition and directly entered the third-round finals. The champion team in every session was almost predetermined, and all participating teams had no objections to thispetition format. In their eyes, the Altonian Team was like a rugged mountain peak to climb. It was difficult to keep up with them, let alone surpass them. They naturally had the right only to ept challenges from the teams that had advanced to the final rounds. The first round would eliminate half of the teams, and the winning teams would proceed to the next round of thepetition. The host excitedly began announcing the results, and he announced the list of the winning teams with almost no suspense, simr to what everyone had spected before. When the host only had one card left, he suddenly paused. Therge screen clearly recorded the host¡¯s facial expressions. The audience looked at the host¡¯s silly expression, puzzled as various spections surfaced one after another. No one knew why the host showed such a surprised expression, and the whole venue became noisy. ¡°Hurry up and announce. It¡¯s already the final group of winners. What are you hesitating for! ¡°Simply recite the name of the Johnville Team!¡± ¡°Hurry up, you moron. Don¡¯t waste our time!¡± Amidst the cursing, the host slowly approached the microphone and tremblingly announced the name of the victorious team. ¡°Congrattions to the Styre Team!¡± In an instant, the world seemed to be in a state of vacuum, and the scene suddenly fell silent. Everyone was stunned for a moment before they reacted. Soon after, the deafening roar filled the entire stadium. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What a joke! There¡¯s no way the Styre Team could win!¡± When Jason¡¯s men heard this result, they even doubted their ears were having issues. Not only them but even the Styre side were stunned; they couldn¡¯t believe they had won. Only Catherine, who had been constantly questioned, sat calmly in the seat of the stands. She just picked up the coffee on the side with graceful movements, took a slow sip, and gently put it down. Her expression didn¡¯t change at all from start to finish. Eamon finally snapped out of the huge shock and mechanically turned his head, casting an incredulous look at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, are you a goddess?¡± Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Cheating Upon hearing the results announced by the host, the Johnville Team couldn¡¯t sit still. Jason stood up and shouted loudly, ¡± This is absolutely impossible. Someone must be cheating.¡± The students of the Johnville Team also cheered along with Jason. They simply did not believe they would lose. Faced with the audience¡¯s uproar, the Styre Team¡¯s representative could not say anything either. Forget about the Johnville Team. Even they found it unbelievable when they heard the result. Upon seeing the expression of the delegation from the Styre Team, Jason seemed to have realized something, and he pointed at them, shouting loudly, ¡°I see, so you must have bribed the judges in order to win. Is that right? You guys are really shameful, resorting to such hical means just to win.¡± The actual situation was not yet known. Jason was cursing indiscriminately. This had really angered the members of the Styre Team, especially Eamon. The two sides argued fiercely, and Ronin couldn¡¯t stand it when the group from Johnville kept ndering Catherine, so he stood up as well. He never followed the familiar path in his actions. He directly jumped onto the stage, took the host¡¯s microphone, and pointed seriously at the judges in the judges¡¯ seats. ¡°Have you guysmitted treason and colluded with the enemy?¡± The sound of the microphone reverberated throughout the venue. Coupled with Ronin¡¯s provocative topic, it instantly captured everyone¡¯s attention. The several judges being pointed at looked at Ronin in confusion, not knowing what he meant by his words. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? How could we possiblymit treason and collude with the enemy!¡± ¡°Absolutely ridiculous!¡± Ronin sneered. ¡°You are all citizens of Theisia. Without your support, how did the Styre Team win? Isn¡¯t it because you betrayed your country and sold it out for your own benefit?¡± Three of the judges on the judging panel were from Theisia, which constituted a significant portion of the total. The judges from Alton ounted for half of the total. In recent years, Eskana had risen and was considered the number one rival by Alton, so it was impossible for the team of Eskana to receive any help. If the Styre Team wanted to bribe the judges, then the difficulty was even higher than winning the championship. The people who just thought that what Jason said made sense and suspected that the Styre Team had bribed the judges suddenly didn¡¯t know how toe to a conclusion after hearing what Ronin said. Finally, the chairman of the judging panel, Richard, couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer, and he stood up voluntarily. ¡°I solemnly dere that the Bide Cup is an international scientificpetition with authoritative status in the researchmunity and will absolutely not tolerate any cheating. Since everyone has doubts about this matter, the panel will publicly disy the experimental results of the two teams to demonstrate fairness.¡± The experimental results needed to be sealed. But it had now sparked controversy. As the chairman of the judging panel, Richard had the authority and obligation to investigate the results to ensure the fairness and rigor of thepetition. If this matter was not handled, both the officials of the Bide Cup and the Styre Team would be questioned. ¡°Representatives from the Styre Team and the Johnville Team, do you have any objections?¡± asked Richard. Upon hearing Richard¡¯s inquiry, the representatives of the Styre Team responded promptly. ¡°Chairman, we have no objections. Please publicly demonstrate the experimental results to prove our innocence.¡± Although Johnville¡¯s mentor was somewhat reluctant and unwilling, in order to find the truth, he eventually agreed. In order to avoid subjective bias, the organizers would showcase the experimental products from both parties anonymously. The theme of this time was to design a chip. Because specific requirements had been provided, as long as thepleted chip could carry out the designated instructions, it could be considered okay. The first chip was disyed in front of everyone. After the demonstration, the chip was perfect in terms of both speed and smoothness of operation, with a high level ofmand. If anyone were to pay attention to the Johnville Team at this moment, he would see the pride that they were currently trying to conceal on their faces. Their mentor ordered them not to show any sign of their skills, just to take this opportunity to embarrass the Styre Team in public. Now that their work was being showcased, they were just waiting to humiliate the Styre Team. The first experimental work had been exhibited, and now the exhibition of the second experimental work would begin. When the second piece of work was disyed, the doubts in everyone¡¯s mind continued to increase. From the final performance of the work, it was evident that the smoothness of the second prototype was significantly superior to that of the first work. ¡®Is the second work the real result of the Johnville Team?¡¯ the onlookers thought. However, even so, the strength of the Styre Team was still quite astonishing. With such a short time, they were able to achieve such experimental results. They definitely showed great potential and could easily rank in the top five. It was a pity to see it get eliminated like this. After all the experimental works were presented, Richard stepped back to the center of the stage. ¡°Both works have been reviewed by everyone. You are all professionals in the industry. I believe you can judge the quality very objectively. Now, please loudly tell me which work should win, the first one or the second one!¡± Almost without hesitation, the crowd announced loudly, ¡°The second work!¡± ¡°Very well. Now let¡¯s announce the creative team behind the winning work! ¡°Richard said. On therge screen, the sealed paper in front of theboratory equipment was removed. The words ¡°Styre Team¡± appeared prominently in front of everyone. At this moment, the air seemed to freeze as everyone present couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing. The whole scene was in an uproar, yet only the beautiful Eskana girl sitting in the corner remained calm and unaffected, casually ying with her phone. ¡°Are you dead? Hurry up and finish him!¡± Sitting beside Catherine, Marshall originally thought she was finally going to explode when he saw her frown. However, after hearing what she said, Marshall¡¯s heart almost turned cold. The Bide Cuppetition, eagerly anticipated by many, seemed insignificant in the eyes of Catherine. The result of thispetition was not as important as a game for Catherine. She did not give the Bide Cup, an internationalpetition, any face. But this was understandable. Catherine was not a normal person, after all. Just now, Marshall also saw the results disyed by that chip. Honestly, even if he were to go on stage personally, he probably couldn¡¯t achieve those results in such a short time. ¡®Catherine actually did it. She¡¯s simply crazy!¡¯ thought Marshall. ¡°How¡­ how is this possible?¡± Jason stared in disbelief at the big screen, totally at a loss for words. The first piece was definitely their team¡¯s experimental result. He could recognize it. He also admitted that the second work was better than the first one. ¡®But how could such excellent worke from the Styre Team?¡¯ he thought. As for cheating¡­ This was the Bide Cup, the most famous researchpetition in the world. It was almost impossible to cheat in thispetition. ¡®Even the Altonian Team, who was the host, wouldn¡¯t be able to cheat easily. Let alone Eskana¡¯s Styre Team. Are they really cheating?¡¯ thought Jason. Chapter 723 Chapter 723 The Second ce Although it had been verified publicly through the judging panel, many people were still unwilling to believe that the Styre Team could win. There was amotion on the scene. The strength disyed by the Styre Team was far beyond normal perception, leaving people momentarily unable to ept it. The members of the Johnville Team, regardless of the circumstances, firmly believed that they had not lost and were still fighting desperately. ¡°This group of people really are shameless. They were the ones moring for validation, but now that they are not as skilled as others, they still stubbornly make trouble,¡± Zobber was so pissed off and totally annoyed by the behavior of the Johnville Team. ¡± With this kind of attitude, no wonder they¡¯re always at the second ce!¡± Ronin chuckled as he looked at her, quite agreeing with her evaluation. ¡± You said that they were always at the second ce. How do you think they haven¡¯t moved up in so many years?¡± Zobber got what Ronin was saying. Sheughed and pointed at him. Originally in a fury, Jason got even angrier when he heard Ronin and hispanions sitting in the Styre Team¡¯s viewing seatsughing so loudly. He took a big leap and jumped over the fence, rushing to the front of Ronin, ring at him fiercely. ¡°Stinky brat, what are youughing at? Believe it or not, if youugh again, I¡¯ll knock out your front teeth.¡± Ronin looked at him with a respectful and cautious expression and said carefully, ¡°Sir, we didn¡¯t mean tough on purpose. We were just so happy to receive a precious treasure that weughed for a while.¡± Perhaps it was Ronin¡¯s innocent- looking, childlike face that was too deceiving. Jason, who had just wanted to beat him up, felt a little bit of his anger subside after hearing this remark. Zobber and some other men, who were sitting on the side, couldn¡¯t help butugh when they saw this scene. No one understood Ronin¡¯s dark side better than them. ¡®This kid must be up to something bad, waiting for the right moment,¡¯ they thought. As expected, not long after, they saw Jason¡¯s expression change, which really cracked them up. Jason was puzzled by Ronin¡¯s cheerful smile, so he asked him about it, ¡°What treasure?¡± With a suppressed smile, Ronin continued to maintain a cautious demeanor. ¡°Ser, we are having a new ser soon!¡± Jason still hadn¡¯t reacted, and Zobber had already burst intoughter. Theughter that kept sweeping in on Jason¡¯s ear made him a little puzzled, and Ronin reached out and gently touched Jason¡¯s head, thenmented on it in a proper manner, ¡°You¡¯re indeed a bit ugly, but we can also y it. This ser is not bad!¡± Jason finally realized. His earlier boast of taking his head off and using it as a ser ball if he lost had been overheard by Ronin. He red with anger, his face turning red with frustration. He gritted his teeth as he looked at Ronin. ¡°Are you fooling me?¡± Ronin put away the fearful expression he had before, raised his head, looked arrogantly at Jason, and smiled cynically. ¡°White-skinned pig, so what if I fooled you? You should be grateful when being fooled by me, do you understand?¡± In a fit of anger and embarrassment, Jason disregarded the circumstances and directly resorted to physical violence. He originally thought that Ronin was a little guy and that he could easily crush Ronin to death. He didn¡¯t expect that Ronin was a martial arts expert. When they fought, Jason was no match for him. Ronin easily subdued him and even ended up sitting on top of him like a stool. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Finally, themittee members stepped in and managed to diffuse the situation. The Johnville Team had thoroughly embarrassed themselves this time. In the face of the continuous questioning from the audience, Richard looked calm andposed as he gazed at Catherine. When thepetition results were announced, Richard saw the results and was not surprised. No one knew how amazing Catherine¡¯s ability was better than him. The only adjective he could think of was ¡± freakish.¡± He didn¡¯t understand how the Styre Team could obtain support from someone like Catherine, and at the same time, he was aware of Catherine¡¯s character and knew that she would definitely have a way to resolve this crisis. Richard held the microphone and looked in Catherine¡¯s direction.¡± Participants of the Styre Team, the audience still has doubts about your experimental results. Can you prove it?¡± The statement left the participating members of the Styre Team at a loss for how to respond. Not to mention the audience, even they themselves were shocked at the quality of their work. More precisely, they only worked on the peripheral parts, while Catherinepleted the core area alone, and they didn¡¯t have time to touch it. Marshallpletely believed in Catherine and even more so in her abilities. He gently touched Catherine. Catherine took off her headphones, turned her head to look at Marshall, and asked him with a questioning look what he wanted. Marshall smiled ingratiatingly and asked in a low voice, ¡°Is the game finished?¡± ¡°Speak your mind!¡± Catherine didn¡¯t like fake polite behavior. For this junior apprentice, Marshall¡¯s approach had been more about pleasing than reprimanding. ¡°The boss wants you to exin your outstanding achievements.¡± Catherine impatiently nced at the top, then stood up and casuallyined, ¡°Troublesome!¡± Later, everyone saw the beautiful girl from Eskana walking gracefully onto the stage and standing in the center. Richard introduced Catherine in a grand manner in front of everyone. ¡± Since the representative of the Styre Team has taken the stage, let her demonstrate their experimental results to prove everything for us.¡± Catherine took the microphone and stood in front of the camera. She then picked up thepetition question given to them by thepetition organizers and turned it over. Her cold gaze looked directly at the entire audience, exuding a powerful presence. ¡°Pay attention and look carefully!¡± It turned out that there was an additional bonus option on the back of thepetition question. At that time, time was limited, and no one noticed the back. The Johnville Team decided not to choose the extra credit topic because they believed that it was impossible for the Styre Team to produce any great results from this experiment. If facing the Altonian Team, perhaps they would choose to go for extra points, but unfortunately, they underestimated their enemies. After Catherine finished presenting the rules, she began demonstrating her experimental results. No one expected that Catherine would not onlyplete the experimental design within an impossible time but also incorporate the requirements proposed by the bonus question. After Catherine¡¯s presentation ended, everyone in the audience who understood everything fell silent. When facing a talented and high-level yer, they tried not to raise too many questions and ended up getting humiliated. It must be acknowledged that the Styre Team¡¯s strength was indeed very high. Perhaps the only team that could trulypete with the Styre Team throughout the entirepetition was the versatile Altonian Team. Richard took the microphone that Catherine had ced on the table and then turned his gaze towards the mentor of the Johnville Team. ¡°Are you satisfied with this result?¡± The usually proud mentor of the Johnville Team suddenly appeared to have aged several years in an instant. He nodded slightly, though very unwillingly. However, he must admit that the superbbat power disyed by Catherine was such that even if they went all out, there was no absolute certainty that they could win. Thispetition gave them a painful lesson. After the other party nodded, Richard immediately announced the result, ¡± Congrattions to the Styre Team for their victory and securing a spot in the next round!¡± Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Celebration The recent performance of the Styre Team was impressive and showcased the team¡¯s true strength to everyone. The Bide Cup this year had been particrly exciting due to the emergence of the dark horse Styre Team, which had brought thepetition to a climax. The gambling outside the stadium was even more intense as Catherine¡¯seback led the Styre Team to victory. Many of those who bet against Styre Team ended up losing everything. Looking at the constantly rising numbers in front of theputer, Zobber couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡± Catherine, look, we¡¯ve struck gold this time!¡± Due to too many people losing money on betting against Styre Team, the peripheral market was not open for trading in theter stage. How could Zobber miss such a good money-making opportunity? She directly invested 100 million dors to build a new market. Regardless of how much they bet Styre Team would lose, she would still receive the payment. Those crazy gamblers who couldn¡¯t find a ce to bet against Styre Team had all ced their chips on the big market of Zobber. Zobber really made a fortune this time, but she didn¡¯t keep the money all to herself. Instead, she immediately informed Catherine about the money. ¡± Catherine, look quickly. This money can be enough for us to squander for a while!¡± Zobber finished speaking and found that Ronin and hispanions were not excited at all. ¡°What are these expressions on your faces?¡± Ronin smirked proudly at Zobber and took out his phone to show Zobber his ount. When Zobber saw a string of numbers on the ount, her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Where did you scam so much money from, kid?¡± ¡°I won it with my own abilities!¡± said Ronin. Not only did Ronin, but Withal and Connie all bet on Catherine to win, and they also made a huge profit. However, everyone collectively transferred the money to Zobber¡¯s ount, preparing to hand it to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, yourboratory is essentially a money-burning machine. Let¡¯s just allocate all the funds to theboratory.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t refuse. For them, money was just numbers. As long as this money could be used in a meaningful way, it was worth it. ¡°Zobber, donate one-third to the charity for the relief of children and transfer the rest to Rodge!¡± said Catherine. ¡°Understood, Catherine!¡± Everyone was very supportive of Catherine¡¯s proposal. Even if Catherine threw the money into the water, they would not have any objections, let alone the money was used for good deeds. After all, this money was originally earned by Catherine. After resting for a short while, Catherine received a call from Marshall asking her toe over. After exining to everyone, Catherine left the room. Watching Catherine¡¯s departure, Zobber couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Is Catherine being too kind to Marshall?¡± With Catherine¡¯s strength, she was even qualified to be addressed as ¡± master¡± by Marshall. However, Catherine spared no effort and carefully nned everything for Marshall. Upon hearing these words, Withal chuckled lightly. Zobber was somewhat displeased by thisughter and red at Withal threateningly. ¡°Why are you laughing for no reason? Be careful. I¡¯ll make you lose your voice!¡± Seeing her threatening to hit him, Withal hurriedly begged for mercy. ¡°Madam, I am notughing at you. Don¡¯t you know what kind of a person Catherine is? Professor Hartley genuinely cares for Catherine, and when has Catherine ever mistreated anyone who has genuinely cared for her?¡± Everyone present knew what Withal meant when he said that. The reason why they respected Catherine so much was not only because of her strong abilities, which deserved their obedience. It was also because of Catherine¡¯s kindness toward them. As long as someone was taken under Catherine¡¯s protection, she would do everything to protect them. Catherine had too many advantages, the greatest of which was protecting her subordinates. Despite her cold and ruthless appearance, once she considered someone a part of her inner circle, she would fiercely protect him without hesitation. Withal¡¯s words left Zobber somewhat speechless. After a while, she slowly uttered a sentence, ¡°Marshall is really lucky to have met Catherine!¡± Ronin joked with her, ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky too!¡± Zobber was not at all angry but rather fully agreed, ¡°Yes, it is my greatest fortune to have met Catherine!¡± It was a simple sentence, yet it deeply resonated in the hearts of those present. In their hearts, they all felt that meeting Catherine was their greatest blessing. Catherine arrived at the conference room, where the team members of theboratory had already assembled. At the moment the big door opened, a loud ¡°Bang¡± sounded. Champagne and fireworks filled the air as everyone watched Catherine with smiles on their faces. Eamon walked out with flowers and respectfully presented them to Catherine. ¡°Let your apuse fill the room as we wee our Catherine to the stage!¡± Catherine calmly took the bouquet and looked at the crowd with a calm expression. Then she turned her gaze to Marshall, using her eyes to ask him what exactly was going on. Marshall casually shrugged, showing a nonchnt attitude. ¡°Do not look at me. This is the love and care from your senior brothers and sisters for you!¡± Eamon immediately jumped out and eximed exaggeratedly, ¡°That¡¯s right, Catherine, this is our respect for you. Catherine, your ability is too strong!¡± If there were any doubts the team had about Catherine before, they seemed to havepletely disappeared after this experiment. Catherine was so powerful that even Marshall, who was her mentor, couldn¡¯t help but feel inadequate. Let alone the others. For Catherine, they only had a sense of admiration. ¡°Catherine, pleasee to the stage and say a few words for us!¡± Catherine was pushed onto the stage by someone, hands in her pockets, looking rxed and casual. Regardless of the size of the asion, it seemed that Catherine didn¡¯t take it seriously. Perhaps this was the true mark of a strong person. ¡°This time, we have only achieved victory in the first round. The road ahead is long. Let¡¯s work hard together! ¡°Catherine¡¯s words were particrly brief. For the onlookers, it could be considered the first time they had heard their cold and withdrawn junior sister say such a long sentence. Everyone was very satisfied in their hearts, and they no longer made things difficult for Catherine. Shortly after, Marshall spoke a few more words and then opened the meeting room to everyone, allowing everyone to enjoy the celebration to the fullest. Catherine felt indifferent towards such lively asions. She originally thought that Marshall asked her toe for a meeting, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be a celebration for the senior brothers and sisters. She sat for a while and then got up to leave. Just as she walked out of the meeting room, she ran into Fergus Lynch and his team. Like them, Professor Lynch¡¯s team also smoothly advanced to the next round of thepetition in the first round of matches. Upon seeing Catherine, Fergus took the initiative to greet her. ¡°Oh, Catherine. I haven¡¯t congratted you yet. You guys have advanced!¡± Catherine quietly said, ¡°Thank you,¡± when she saw Fergus. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. After finishing speaking, she just walked away directly. Standing next to Fergus, Paddy saw this scene and immediately shouted in dissatisfaction, ¡°What¡¯s with the arrogance? Winning one game and acting like you¡¯re on top of the world?¡± ¡°Paddy, you are not allowed to speak like that. We are all from the same school, and it wouldn¡¯t look good if this got out, would it?¡± said Fergus. Hearing Fergus¡¯s criticism, Paddy was extremely displeased. ¡°Professor, I can¡¯t stand her attitude towards you. She is really disrespectful!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Fergus said lightly, but the smile at the corner of his eyes gradually disappeared. Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Pink Beach After the first round of power struggles by the Johnville Team, no other team dared to engage in reckless behavior. Losing the game was a small matter. Tarnishing the reputation of the entire school was the real issue. No one knew if other teams would have hidden talents like the Styre Team, secretly harboring cheat- type yers like Catherine. Without any shenanigans, the Styre Team had also drawn a strong opponent and was prepared to begin the second round of thepetition. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Marshall knew that Catherine was extremely talented, but they could not rely solely on her to participate in thepetition. Last time, it was because the Johnville Team yed tricks, and this time, since they drew a team of equal strength, they must show their true level and not just rely on Catherine. Marshall had discussed this with Catherine and advised her not to rush to take action but instead wait until team members were truly incapable before stepping in to turn the tide. Catherine understood Marshall¡¯s good intentions. He hoped to give every member of the team a chance to shine. Taking advantage of the time when team members were preparing, Catherine took time off from Marshall. Everyone came on this trip, but because she had apetition, her friends stayed inside the hotel and didn¡¯t even go out the hotel doors. The nned vacation turned into sleep in the hotel. She wanted to go on a trip with her good friend. With only two days left until the start of the second round ofpetition, all team members were preparing for battle, except for Catherine, who was casually preparing for a vacation. This made all of the team members extremely envious. However, they could only envy it in their hearts because the gap between their abilities and Catherine¡¯s was just too far. Catherine was able to defeat the Johnville Team on her own easily. They would not be able to reach this level even if they tried their best. This was the source of Catherine¡¯s arrogance. Members of the group chat were ecstatic when they found out that Catherine could take two days off to apany them on an outing. The whole group immediately boiled up after earning a lot of money through Catherine¡¯s strong power in the peripheralpetition. They changed the name of the group to ¡°Get Rich Quick¡± to express their joy. There was a globally famous beach nearby. The sand on the beach was pink, so it had been evaluated by geographical magazines as the most romantic beach in the world. Coincidentally, Branden had a yacht on a nearby ind, so everyone decided to spend a romantic two- day, one-night getaway on the pink sand beach. Zobber had packed her luggage early and was waiting for Catherine in the parking lot. Catherine apanied Amelia back to the dormitory. They happened to run into Marshall and a few others as they wereing down from the elevator on the first floor after finishing breakfast. Marshall¡¯s originally extremely serious face suddenly lit up with a big smile upon seeing Catherine. ¡°Are you getting ready to go out?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine responded lightly. Like an elder, Marshall reminded her with a word of advice. ¡°Be careful ande back early.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine obediently did not argue, then bid farewell to Marshall and walked out of the hall. As soon as Catherine left, a few school leaders who were eating with Marshall couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°Is Catherine going to y? Isn¡¯t there apetition in two days?¡± ¡°Marshall, why did you still let her go out?¡± Marshall remained calm, showing no signs of urgency or agitation. ¡°Yes, thepetition ising up soon, so there¡¯s a lot of pressure. Let her rx and wait until thepetition to really perform well.¡± Everyone looked at the calm Marshall, even though they didn¡¯t know whether he was truly confident or just bold, but they didn¡¯t continue to speak. Anyway, as the mentor, Marshall was not in a hurry. What were they in a hurry for? Besides, they had already witnessed Catherine¡¯s abilities. Even though the opponent was so dangerousst time, they still won. Not to mention that this time, the opponent¡¯s strength was far inferior to that of the Johnville Team. The rest of the people began to chat andugh again, but no one noticed Fergus¡¯s gloomy face on the side. Looking at the blue sea and sky, everyone¡¯s mood unconsciously improves. Zobber held the red wine ss and gently swirled it, and the disdainful expression on her face never disappeared. ¡°This ce is really nice. The sunshine is good. The beach is good, and even the seafood is good!¡± Withal turned his head to look at her and couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Yeah, look at that belly of yours. It¡¯s so big that you look like a pregnant woman about to enter the delivery room.¡± The seafood on the table was all freshly caught by Withal. The taste was extremely fresh and sweet. Even the pickiest eater, Zobber, couldn¡¯t help but praise it and ate a lot, filling up the entire stomach. Upon hearing this, Zobber immediately darkened her face, picked up the dining knife from the table, and shot it toward Withal. The shiny sharp knife, fierce and steady, was just a tiny distance away from poking Withal¡¯s eyes. Thanks to the long-term cooperation between Withal and Zobber, Withal was familiar with her approach, which enabled him to escape this disaster. Nevertheless, that sharp knife was drawn dangerously close to Withal¡¯s temple. After dodging the attack of the dagger, Withal excitedly patted his chest and looked at Zobber with a terrified expression of narrowly escaping death. ¡°Old friend, with our so many years of friendship, why are you trying to kill me!¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Zobber coldly snorted, disdainfully saying, ¡°Who gave you the right to speak out of turn? If it happens again, I¡¯ll send you to beg for mercy in front of the King of Hell.¡± Withal quickly apologized, ¡°Madam, is it not enough that I admit my mistake?¡± Zobber did not argue with him. In order to avoid ruining the atmosphere, she took the initiative to change the topic. ¡± Unfortunately, such good wine, such good food, and such good scenery are all wasted as the suppliers are not present.¡± The supplier was referring to none other than the owner of the yacht, Branden. It was said that he did note together because he had official business to attend to. At the mention of this, everyone turned their gazes toward the bow of the ship. Catherine was sitting at the railing of the bow with a huge visor hat on her head, pressed down very low, covering almost all of her face. There was a fishing rod in front of her, patiently waiting for a fish to take the bait. ¡°You guys keep drinking. I will go bring some seafood to Catherine.¡± After Zobber finished speaking, she walked toward Catherine¡¯s direction. She ced the grilled prawns beside Catherine and said, ¡°Catherine, have a bite.¡± Hearing the voice, Catherine slowly sat up and raised the brim of her hat slightly, revealing her stunningly beautiful face. Catherine didn¡¯t like noisy ces, but she never stopped her friends from having fun around her. She enjoyed sitting quietly on the side, admiring their joyful smiles. She reached for therge prawn that Zobber handed her, deftly picked up a piece of it, and slowly chewed on it. Watching her actions, Zobber couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard. ¡®Was Catherine still human? She was so beautiful even when eating.¡¯ Catherine finished her prawn and looked up at Zobber again. Zobber understood that Catherine was waiting for her to speak. Sure enough, no matter how she tried to hide, she couldn¡¯t escape Catherine¡¯s scrutiny. Chapter 726 Chapter 726 Withdrawing Zobber had a secret hidden within her; she had just boarded the ship when she received a piece of news involving ssified information, something she hadn¡¯t mentioned to anyone. She was waiting for the right moment to brief Catherine in private. Little did Zobber expect that Catherine knew her so well that she almost didn¡¯t need to say anything. Catherine already knew Zobber had something to share. ¡°Catherine, I don¡¯t think Branden is on this trip for business,¡± Zobber said. Hearing this, Catherine raised an eyebrow. Zobber knew she had piqued Catherine¡¯s interest. The look Catherine gave almost made Zobber feel a shiver run down her spine. ¡°Why does the conflict between these two big shots have to involve me?¡± Zobber wondered. ¡°Living between these two big shots was pure torture!¡± Zobber then reported, ¡°Catherine, the Duncan Corporation ced an order with the Hacker Alliance, specifying that they want you to handle it. After being refused, they ced an order with Wantel, requesting a meeting scheduled for today.¡± Wantel was one of the four captains of the Hacker Alliance, and his position within the alliance was second only to Catherine, simr to Zobber and Withal. However, he was not keen on meeting people, spending his days secluded in his research facility, unlike Zobber and Withal, who took on tasks for the Hacker Alliance all over the world. Zobber couldn¡¯t understand why Branden wanted to meet Wantel. But then again, it was probably for the best. If he met her or Withal, things would getplicated. ¡°Wantel?¡± Catherine¡¯s brow furrowed upon hearing this news. She never inquired about Branden¡¯s work matters unless he brought it up himself. This sudden request from Branden to engage the Hacker Alliance, specifically asking for the presence of the alliance leader, caught her off guard. She hadn¡¯t yet figured out Branden¡¯s true intentions. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Branden probably didn¡¯t know Catherine¡¯s identity within the Hacker Alliance yet. Still, he might have sensed her connection to the alliance, hence trying to avoid her and directly contacting the Hacker Alliance as if he didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for her. The fishing pod nearby trembled slightly, and Catherine swiftly grabbed it. She didn¡¯t rush to pull the fish up; instead, she engaged in a tug-of-war with the fish, loosening and tightening the line until the fish in the sea had no more strength left. She then calmly pulled up the fishing rod. The fish she had just caught was now exhausted, almost giving up struggling. It was a beautiful grouper. Zobber couldn¡¯t help but swallow at the sight of the fish, but she was left dumbfounded the next moment. After Catherine caught the fish, she removed the hook from its mouth and tossed it back into the sea. With a crisp ssh, the grouper, which was about to be cooked, regained its freedom. ¡°Notify Wantel. Cancel the deal,¡± Catherine ordered abruptly, catching Zobber off guard. However, as one of the four captains of the Hacker Alliance, Zobber was smart. She quickly grasped the situation and looked at Catherine with surprise. ¡± Catherine, are you worried that the Duncan Corporation will go after Wantel?¡± she asked. Catherine didn¡¯t respond, but her expression made it clear to Zobber what the answer was. ¡°Catherine, Wantel is a core member of our Hacker Alliance. If the Duncan Corporation targets him, aren¡¯t they afraid of offending the Hacker Alliance? ¡°Zobber asked. ¡°Humph!¡± Catherine scoffed, her cold gazending on Zobber. ¡°Do you think Branden is afraid of anyone?¡± Zobber was left speechless by this statement. She couldn¡¯t recall ever hearing about Branden being afraid of anyone. Moreover, Catherine had always been insightful. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± she murmured inwardly. She didn¡¯t dare to specte further and immediately took action. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll go and give Wantel the order!¡± After Zobber left, Catherine¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the azure sea, her thoughts as deep as the ocean, impossible to fathom. Wantel had just disembarked from the helicopter and was about to light a cigarette when he received a secret message from Zobber. As soon as he saw the message, his brow furrowed. ¡± Withdraw?¡± he murmured in his mind. ¡°What does she mean by this?¡± To ensure Wantelplied, Zobber added a line in the secret order, saying, [It¡¯s Catherine¡¯s command.] Wantel wanted to refuse. After all, he had already arrived, so how could he not meet the legendary head of the Duncans? However, upon receiving the second secret order from Zobber, Wantel immediately turned back and boarded the helicopter. ¡°Let¡¯s go back! ¡°hemanded. The pilot was somewhat puzzled. He knew these big shots were all wealthy, but this flight incurred considerable expenses. ¡°Does this big shot intend to take a helicopter sightseeing tour or something?¡± he wondered. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Wantel urged, and the pilot immediately took off. When Francis and his men arrived at the airport, they didn¡¯t even see Wantel¡¯s helicopter. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Wantel¡¯s ne supposed tond at 10 o¡¯clock?¡± one of his men asked, and after checking the airport¡¯s information, they discovered that a helicopter hadnded at 9:55, but it took off immediately after landing. This intelligence caught Francis off guard. They had arranged to meet Wantel at the designated location at 10: 30, so they arrived at the airport half an hour early to avoid Wantel¡¯s retreat. Little did they know that the situation had changed. Wantel had left in advance. Francis quickly contacted Paxton, asking him to find Wantel. ¡°Could it be a leak of our intelligence?¡± Paxton asked as he pondered, finding the situation rather peculiar. Francis rolled his eyes in silence. ¡°So, do you think you leaked it, or did I?¡± Apart from Branden, the only ones who knew about the n were the two of them. No one else could have leaked it. Paxton hung up the phone in frustration, then repeatedly called Wantel but received no response. The messages seemed to vanish into thin air with no sign of a reply. Paxton immediately reported the intelligence to Branden, kneeling in the dimly lit study, his back covered in cold sweat. He had never expected that after so much preparation, the n would still fail to materialize. Moreover, Branden had personally taken action to capture Wantel, even turning down the opportunity to apany Catherine for a leisurely outing. With things having escted to this point, he feared that even if Branden didn¡¯t kill him, he would be in big trouble. ¡°Anything wrong with the n?¡± Branden¡¯s chilling voice, like a cold wind, made Paxton tremble all over. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve checked. There¡¯s nothing wrong,¡± Paxton replied. In the dim light, Branden¡¯s handsome face appeared even more stern and resolute, like a sculpture. At this moment, no one could see into the heart of this big shot. Paxton trembled slightly. ¡°Boss, after Wantel arrived, he immediately asked the pilot to leave. Could it be their alliance leader? It¡¯s said that the leader of the Hacker Alliance is exceptionally intelligent and has never made a mistake in all these years.¡± Paxton secretly admired the leader of the Hacker Alliance. If it were indeed this leader¡¯s decision, they would be the second person Paxton admired, the first one being Branden. Branden narrowed his eyes, and a dangerous glint shone in their depths. ¡± Find an opportunity to meet with him.¡± Chapter 727 Chapter 727 She¡¯s Always Right The yacht was slowly moving forward in the azure sea, following the waves of the current. Withal and Ronin were ying a game on their cellphones when Withal suddenly noticed something ahead. He immediately put his phone away. Seeing that something was wrong with Withal¡¯s expression, Ronin looked in the direction Withal was staring at. Then, Ronin saw a speedboat racing in the sea not far ahead. He could tell at a nce that it was moving toward their yacht. From a distance, however, he couldn¡¯t see the people on the speedboat clearly. Ronin noticed that Withal¡¯s chilling aura was intensifying, so he also put down his phone and stood up. When the speedboat got close, everyone except Catherine, who was resting in the cabin, stood up. ¡°We¡¯re here, Boss!¡± said Paxton as he stood up from the driver¡¯s seat and prepared to connect to the opposite yacht. It turned out to be Branden who had arrived. Withal pursed his lips and sat back. He had thought it was someone looking for trouble, but it turned out to be Catherine¡¯s man, so he lost interest. Branden, agile and elegant, stepped onto the yacht. Ronin was a little surprised to see Branden. ¡°Branden, aren¡¯t you supposed to be busy with your work? Why do youe here?¡± he asked. Amelia, sitting on the side, rolled her eyes at Ronin with a look of disdain. ¡± Can¡¯t you tell that Mr. Duncan is here to see Catherine? He won¡¯te to see you, anyway.¡± Then, she added, ¡°To meet Catherine, Mr. Duncan finished his work at the fastest speed possible. That¡¯s what an excellent man should do!¡± Facing Amelia¡¯s angry retort, Ronin disdainfully refuted, and the two began to argue. After learning that Catherine was resting in the cabin, Branden headed towards the cabin. No one noticed that Zobber, who usually liked to join in the fun, was sitting silently on the side like an outsider. She didn¡¯t know if Branden¡¯s rushed arrival was because he really missed Catherine or if he had discovered something. She had just received a message from Wantel that he had already retreated. At the same time, the people they had left at the airport sent thetest surveince footage, showing that five minutes after Wantel left, arge group of the Duncans¡¯ people rushed to the airport, making quite a scene. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. If there were no hidden agenda, Zobber would be the first not to believe it. She just hadn¡¯t expected that Catherine could predict it so urately, knowing that Wantel would be in trouble and immediately getting him to evacuate. Now, Branden had appeared. Zobber was genuinely worried that Branden might have noticed something. After thinking it over, Zobber couldn¡¯te up with an answer. Annoyed, she downed the drink in her hand in one gulp. Anyway, Catherine was more capable than her. If it were something even Catherine couldn¡¯t solve, she definitely wouldn¡¯t find the solution. Instead of overthinking, it was better to leave everything to Catherine to take care of. Inside the cabin, Catherine, who had been resting, instantly woke up upon hearing the faint sound of the door opening. The familiar scent made her let down her guard and close her eyes peacefully. Branden took off his coat andy down next to Catherine. He embraced her with one arm, and Catherine didn¡¯t resist. The small bed seemed somewhat spacious, with the two of them embracing. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep for a while, shall we?¡± Branden knew that Catherine was already awake. Catherine didn¡¯t mind. If it weren¡¯t for Branden¡¯s sudden appearance, she could have rested a while longer. Since that was the case, they could rest together. It wasn¡¯t untilte afternoon that the two slowly woke up and came out of the cabin, walking to the deck. Withal was steering the yacht in the control room, while the others were passing the time ying cards on the deck. Seeing Catherine and Brandening out, Zobber immediately discarded the cards in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not ying anymore. You guys go ahead. I got something to discuss with Catherine!¡± Zobber went straight to Catherine, about to pounce on her, but then a sidelong nce made Zobber freeze in her tracks. Zobber then stopped a few steps away from Catherine, saying, ¡± Catherine, I have something to ask you about.¡± Catherine let go of Branden¡¯s hand and walked towards the stern. Zobber quickly followed, and the two stood facing the sea breeze, quietly discussing the situation. ¡°Catherine, Wantel has safely returned to the base. He originally wanted you to give him an exnation. And when I showed him the airport footage, that kid admitted defeat, saying that, fortunately, he had unwavering faith in your wise decisions.¡± When Zobber heard Wantel¡¯s words, she almost burst outughing. She didn¡¯t know what Wantel¡¯s reaction would be if he knew that the big shot from the Duncan Corporation was Catherine¡¯s man. It would surely be quite funny. ¡°Catherine, how did you figure out that Mr. Duncan was going after Wantel?¡± Zobber asked. Catherine gazed ahead, expressionless. There was no particr reason why she knew it because if it were her, she would use this method to lure out the chief of the Hacker Alliance. Branden spared no expense to find Wantel, which meant there had to be something fishy going on. Seeing Catherine¡¯s silence, Zobber changed the subject. ¡°Catherine, what should we do next? You taught the Duncan Corporation a lesson this time, and they definitely won¡¯t take it lying down!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m waiting for!¡± Catherine dered confidently without a hint of hesitation. Zobber stood in ce, watching Catherine¡¯s slender figure, her confusion only intensifying. ¡°What are these two big shots up to?¡± she wondered. ¡°I just don¡¯t quite understand¡­¡± But then again, Catherine had never been easily understood in her actions, yet the final results always proved her right, and that was enough. The sea breeze was pleasant, while on the other side, the atmosphere at the hotel was tense. Since learning that Catherine had gone on vacation, Paddy had be so angry that he smashed almost everything in the hotel room. In front of his teammates, he criticized Catherine and Marshall harshly. ¡± We¡¯re restricted even to the convenience store at the entrance, yet they can go on vacation as they please. It¡¯s not fair!¡± It was indeed unfair. Their team had been working day and night to prepare for thepetition, with Fergus personally supervising, leaving everyone exhausted. But they all knew it was for the What was originally a normal situation now seemed quite irritating when Paddy brought it up this way. Seeing no reaction from the others, he felt even more resentful. ¡°Are you all just going to take this? Do you really think this is fair? Did you guys see the shop over there? It¡¯s the world¡¯srgest duty-free shop, a shopping paradise within reach, but we don¡¯t even have the chance to go and take a look!¡± These words seemed to strike a chord with some, triggering their inner restlessness. They had heard about this ¡°shopping paradise¡± and had nned to visit, but the school¡¯s strict regtions didn¡¯t even allow them to step out of the hotel. Finally, someone couldn¡¯t hold back and looked at Paddy, asking, ¡± Catherine has good grades, and her professor favors her. What can we do about it?¡± Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Paddy¡¯s Apology Paddy couldn¡¯t stand hearing this. Now, everyone was praising Catherine¡¯s talent and saying that her sess had elevated the entire Styre University in the academic field. He had no idea how Catherine managed to win against the Johnville Team. Speaking of which, he thought the Johnville Team was nothing but a bunch of losers. They always boasted about themselves, but when it came to a major competition, they actually lost to a team like Catherine¡¯s. It was simply embarrassing. Hearing some of his teammates whispering nearby, Paddy scoffed in disdain. ¡°Catherine has a close rtionship with the chairman of thepetition as well.¡± Hearing this, a junior student nearby couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I really envy Catherine. She¡¯s so young, yet she knows such influential people. Mr. Goodman was someone I could only see on TV and in magazines. I never thought Catherine would know him.¡± ¡°Exactly, I¡¯m both envious and jealous! ¡°someone chimed in. Paddy¡¯s original intention was to make people doubt the purity of Catherine¡¯s rtionship with Richard and then suspect that Catherine¡¯s sess in thepetition was achieved through cheating. But he never expected that these people not only didn¡¯t doubt it but also started to envy Catherine. Inadvertently, he ended up promoting Catherine¡¯s power again. Thinking about this, Paddy stomped in frustration. Unable to bear people¡¯s envy towards Catherine, Paddy stood up and left the room, unwilling to associate with such foolish people. As Paddy stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air, he finally felt alive again. He couldn¡¯t understand what those people were thinking, actually envying and being jealous of Catherine, an opportunist. ¡°What¡¯s there to envy or be jealous of?¡± he thought. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for her somewhat good- looking face, how would she have gotten the chance to seed?¡± The more Paddy thought about it, the angrier he became. Just as he was worrying about not finding an outlet for his frustration, he received a text message on his phone. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Opening the message, Paddy was a bit puzzled. But after he read it carefully several times, a smile finally appeared on his face. He knew that the truth always belonged to a few. He was not the only one who hated Catherine, who was so ostentatious. The person who sent the message must also strongly dislike Catherine. Paddy replied to the sender and then contentedly put away his phone. After the vacation ended, Catherine returned to the hotel with the others. The next day was the second round of thepetition, and Marshall messaged her to join the team in the hotel dining area for a meal and discussion before resting. Marshall had given Catherine enough freedom, so she was willing to respect some of his decisions. She arrived at the dining area on time. It was dinner time, and there were still a lot of people. Upon seeing Catherine, Eamon quickly raised his hand and greeted her, ¡°Catherine, over here!¡± The name ¡°Catherine¡± was like a thunderp, instantly capturing everyone¡¯s attention. Many people looked towards the entrance, but Catherine remainedposed, her expression unchanged despite their scrutiny. Catherine walked towards them, and Eamon had already arranged the seating. As she approached, he pulled out a chair for her to sit. ¡°Catherine, I heard you went out to sea for fun. Was it enjoyable?¡± Eamon inquired. ¡°Not bad,¡± Catherine replied nonchntly. To outsiders, she seemed cold and unfeeling, but Eamon and the others knew she was already showing them respect. If it were someone else, Catherine wouldn¡¯t even bother looking at them, let alone answering questions. Catherine hadn¡¯t eaten dinner yet, so Marshall prepared a meal for her. ¡± Let¡¯s eat. After we finish, we¡¯ll return to the meeting room to discuss tomorrow¡¯s arrangements.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± the group replied in unison. ¡°Catherine!¡± A sudden voice caught the attention of many. Eamon and the others turned to see Paddy approaching Catherine with a ss in hand. Eamon looked at Paddy with disdain. ¡± Paddy, you always despise Catherine. And now you¡¯re acting so affectionately. What are you up to?¡± Paddy nced at Eamon with contempt and angrily retorted, ¡°Get lost! I¡¯m here to apologize to Catherine. Professor Lynch taught me a lesson, and I¡¯vee to make amends. I genuinely apologize to you, Catherine. You have apetition tomorrow, so I won¡¯t offer you alcohol. Let this drink serve as a substitute, and I hope you can forgive me.¡± Catherine casually ate the food on her te, showing she didn¡¯t take Paddy¡¯s presence seriously. Paddy stood with his drink in hand, the atmosphere bing increasingly awkward and his expression turning darker by the moment. The surrounding atmosphere instantly froze, the air pressure dropping to an icy point. Many felt embarrassed for Paddy, while Eamon and the others thought that Paddy deserved it. If it were them being treated the same way by Paddy, they wouldn¡¯t bother with him either. They all supported Catherine¡¯s attitude toward him. After all, it was Paddy who provoked her in the first ce. The awkward atmosphere prompted Marshall, who usually didn¡¯t want to get involved, to intervene. ¡°Catherine, we¡¯re all from the same school. Just show Professor Lynch some respect.¡± Marshall wasn¡¯t afraid of Paddy or his mentor, Fergus. With Marshall¡¯s age and experience, he had already weathered many setbacks. He didn¡¯t insist that Catherine should yield, but he didn¡¯t want her to make too many enemies. Even if she was impressive enough, encountering too many bad people would be detrimental to her. Due to Marshall¡¯s persuasion, Catherine turned her head, finished the drink in one go, and then ced the ss on the table without saying a word. Seeing this, Paddy didn¡¯t ask for anything else. He just respectfully said, ¡°Thank you, Professor Hartley,¡± before leaving. The moment Paddy turned around, his face revealed a strange smile. After Catherine finished eating, Marshall suggested going to the meeting room. Just as they were about to leave, Catherine suddenly stopped in her tracks. ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll go to the restroom and be right back.¡± Upon hearing that Catherine was going to the restroom, Marshall and the others didn¡¯t think much of it and left her to it. Catherine felt a sudden difort in her abdomen and then headed towards the restroom. As soon as she entered the restroom and closed the door, the previously bright restroom suddenly lost power, plunging into darkness. Even more frightening, a dizzy spell hit her, making it almost impossible for her to stand. Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Neurotoxins With their night vision goggles, the two men in ck could see clearly in the pitch-ck environment. Their boss had warned them that the woman not only had goodbat skills but was also very clever, so they had to be extra cautious. Quietly, they pried open the door of the restroom. In the pitch- ck interior, their targety motionless next to the toilet. One of the men gestured for hispanion to drag Catherine, who had been rendered unconscious by drugs, out of the restroom. However, as hispanion bent down to pull her up, he suddenly froze in ce. ¡°Alpha, what¡¯s going on? Pull her up!¡± The man found it strange and called out several times, but his companion remained unresponsive. In frustration, he reached out to pull hispanion, trying to figure out if he had suddenly gone deaf or something unusual had urred. To his surprise, when he gently pushed hispanion, thetter suddenly copsed. The unexpected turn of events shocked the man. He didn¡¯t have time to assess hispanion¡¯s condition and instinctively looked up to check on Catherine. In that instant, their eyes met. The chilling coldness in her icy gaze sent a shiver down his spine. Before he could react, he felt a gust of wind, and in an instant, everything went ck as he copsed to the ground. Watching the two men on the ground, Catherine slowly stood up, leaning against the wall. Her head was still spinning, and she didn¡¯t know what kind of drug they had used on her to produce such a strong effect. These two were not to be underestimated. If they had attacked her simultaneously just now, given her current condition, she might not have been able to escape unscathed. That was why she had pretended to be unconscious, deliberately letting down their guard, and only then had she been able to subdue them both. When Ronin and the others arrived, Catherine was still standing there, leaning against the wall for support. Seeing this, Branden rushed forward and embraced her. ¡°How are you?¡± Catherine tried to speak but found her throat constricting, rendering her unable to produce any sound. Sensing her distress, Branden immediately scooped her up and carried her away from the scene. ring at the two men on the ground, Ronin rushed forward to deliver a few kicks. ¡°Damn bastards! How dare you ambush Catherine? I¡¯m gonna skin you alive!¡± Withal quickly intervened to stop Ronin from causing further harm. Ronin struggled furiously, almost coming to blows with Withal. ¡°Withal, why are you stopping me? These bastards dared to attack Catherine. I gotta kill them!¡± Withal held Ronin back. ¡°I know you¡¯re angry. You can do whatever you want to them, but we need to keep them alive, understand? This situation is not that simple; we must find the mastermind behind this!¡± Withal could tell that these two men were skilled inbat. However, no matter how strong they were, they were no match for Catherine. They couldn¡¯t hurt Catherine; there had to be a reason for the unusual situation, and there must be something fishy going §à§á. Withal¡¯s words gradually restored Ronin¡¯s lostposure. ¡°Zobber, you stay here with Ronin and take them away. Connie and I will go to the hospital!¡± Withal instructed. Zobber nodded; she was also worried about Catherine¡¯s condition, but she understood that the most important thing at the moment was to find the mastermind. ¡°Ronin, let¡¯s go!¡± she said. Zobber and Ronin were about to leave with the two men in ck when they were intercepted by a group of people led by Francis. ¡°What do you want?¡± Ronin looked disdainfully at Francis. He was in an extremely bad mood right now, and if these people wanted to cause trouble, he would make them regret it. After all, Catherine was the most important one to him. Ronin¡¯s attitude was not friendly, and Francis didn¡¯t back down either. It seemed like a confrontation was about to happen, but fortunately, Paxton arrived just in time. Paxton stood between the two men, patting Francis¡¯s shoulder. After Francis took a step back, Paxton slowly said to Ronin, ¡°Calm down. Boss has ordered us to take care of these two guys. Trust me. I will give you a satisfactory answerter! Maybe your friends at the hospital need your help. You two are among Miss Swann¡¯s most trusted people. You can help them!¡± Although Zobber was also on the verge of throwing a fit, she understood that Paxton was right. They were angry, and Branden was even angrier. They wanted to find the mastermind, and Branden would also take action to catch them. The Hacker Alliance¡¯s influence in Alton was not suitable for exposure at the moment. Zobber murmured a few words to Ronin. Ronin, feeling somewhat resentful, threw the men to the ground and provocatively looked at Paxton. ¡°You¡¯d better do your best, or don¡¯t me me for looking down on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Paxton assured with a serious expression on his face, and Ronin reluctantly left with Zobber. As soon as they left, Paxton handed the men over to Francis. The situation at the hospital was still unclear; he had to go and help Branden. Catherine was very important to Branden. Right now, all Paxton could do was pray that nothing would happen to her, or else the world would be in chaos¡­ The hospital was suddenly flooded with a group of important figures, which frightened the director into personally leading the medical team to provide support. ¡°Mr. Duncan, why have youe in person?¡± The director nodded and smiled obsequiously, but Branden didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. Paxton stepped forward and kept the director a few steps away. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Duncan¡¯s fianc¨¦e who¡¯s injured. We hope you will cooperate with us.¡± ¡°No problem, we will do everything we can to save her. Please rest assured,¡± the director assured. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Then, the door of the treatment room was pushed open. Leading the way was Connie, dressed in a white coat, and behind her were the experts from various departments of the hospital. Branden furrowed his brow and took a step forward, his sharp eyes locked onto Connie. The terrifying gaze sent shivers down her spine. ¡°Catherine¡¯s fianc¨¦ is a tough man,¡± she thought. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Branden¡¯s cold voice brought Connie¡¯s wandering thoughts back. She furrowed her brow and shook her head despondently at him, saying, ¡°I can only confirm that Catherine was poisoned with a neurotoxin, but I¡¯ve never seen it before. It will take some time to detoxify her.¡± This response was undoubtedly uneptable to Branden. His brooding face went darker, and the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became oppressive. The people present were so frightened that no one dared to take a deep breath. Marshall, who had just arrived, overheard Connie¡¯s words and quickly spoke up. ¡°Neurotoxin? Should we ask Professor Lynch for help? Many of his research projects are rted to neurotoxins.¡± Connie was sure that Marshall wouldn¡¯t harm Catherine, so she said, ¡± Perhaps it¡¯s worth a try.¡± Branden nced at Paxton, who immediately received the signal. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll bring Professor Lynch here right away.¡± Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Catherine¡¯s Safety Fergus immediately rushed to the hospital when he received the message. He had conducted extensive research on neurotoxins, but upon examining the virus sample extracted from Catherine¡¯s body, he said he had never seen this type of virus before. ¡°Even a slight change in any value can affect the toxin. To wake Catherine up and neutralize the poison inside her, it is crucial to study its structure andponents, and then we can find a way to counteract it,¡± he exined. ¡°How long will that take?¡± Marshall appeared impatient, extremely concerned about Catherine¡¯s safety. Fergus pondered for a moment before providing an answer. ¡°Three days, at least!¡± ¡°Three days!¡± Marshall furrowed his brow, his eyes reflecting worry. Eamon, who had rushed to the hospital with Marshall, muttered, ¡°What about tomorrow¡¯s match? Catherine¡¯s going to miss it.¡± To Eamon, the Bide Cup was a dream for many, and it would be regrettable if Catherine couldn¡¯t participate due to this unexpected situation. ¡°s¡­¡± Marshall sighed helplessly. There¡¯s nothing more important right now than her health. Let¡¯s focus on waking her up first!!¡± Marshall looked ahead, his intense gaze fixed on Fergus. ¡°Fergus, she¡¯s my best student. You have to do your best this time. Consider this a debt I owe you. If you need any help from me in the future, feel free to ask.¡± Marshall had never asked for anything in his life, but he was willing to do anything for Catherine. ¡°Marshall, we¡¯ve been friends for so many years. There¡¯s no need to say something like that. Besides, Catherine is also my student. Don¡¯t worry. I will do my best!¡± After their conversation, Marshall wanted to visit Catherine in the ward but was stopped by several men in ck. Although they blocked his way, their attitude was very polite. ¡°Sorry, Professor Hartley, Mr. Duncan has given orders. No one is allowed to enter the ward while Miss Swann is unconscious,¡± one of them said. Eamon became furious upon hearing this, wanting to argue with the other party, but Marshall stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s not the time for this. Let Catherine take a good rest. Go back and train with your teammates. No distractions, understood?¡± Although Eamon felt angry, he didn¡¯t disobey Marshall¡¯smand. He just nodded obediently. ¡°Yes, Professor Hartley!¡± Marshall sighed deeply and turned away. He knew that Catherine¡¯s being poisoned was suspicious. It happened at the critical moment of thepetition as if it was deliberately aimed at thepetition. Initially, it was Marshall who persuaded Catherine to participate in thepetition, though she was unwilling to. Now, seeing Catherine in such a state, he felt distressed. If Catherine suffered any harm because of this, how was he supposed to face her in the future? With his hands behind his back, Marshall walked forward slowly, his hunched posture making him appear as if he had aged several years in an instant, evoking a sense of heartache in those who saw him. In the hospital room, Branden gently stroked Catherine¡¯s forehead, smoothing out her hair. Catherine lay peacefully on the hospital bed, her face unusually rosy and adorable, showing no signs of being poisoned. Yet she remained unresponsive no matter how many times he called out to her. When Paxton entered the room, he saw Branden looking at Catherine with nothing but affection in his eyes. This sight made Paxton feel a pang of sadness. Branden, the man who had endured to the point of bleeding dry without making a sound, was now on the verge of tears. Paxton struggled to contain his emotions and cautiously reported the situation. ¡°Boss, we have received some news.¡± Paxton¡¯s abrupt sound finally elicited a reaction from Branden, who turned towards Paxton. His once gentle eyes now turned fiercely menacing. ¡°She needs to rest. Take this outside!¡± The two of them left the room, and the surrounding people were all cleared out. All the wards on this floor were empty except for Catherine¡¯s room. ¡°Boss, Ronin has caught Paddy McLaughlin. He admitted to poisoning Miss Swann, but someone else provided the toxin. The other party used a text message to transfer it to Paddy, instructing him to make Catherine drink it!¡± Paddy had been made a scapegoat and didn¡¯t even know it. He was truly foolish. ¡°The two assassins confessed that they had been paid to do this, and the mastermind who hired them warned them that Miss Swann was highly skilled and they must be careful!¡± All signs indicated that the person who targeted Catherine was very familiar with her, possibly someone close to her. Otherwise, they couldn¡¯t have known that Paddy held a grudge against Catherine and that ordinary poison would not work on her, necessitating the use of a neurotoxin. As a precaution, after poisoning her, they even arranged for assassins to ensure a doubleyer of security. This n was genuinely malicious, as they were only willing to stop once Catherine died. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Branden swallowed his anger, ordering, ¡°Find that guy!¡± Despite the simple statement, Paxton could tell how much pain Branden was enduring at that moment. The surrounding atmosphere turned thick with tension. Despite Paxton¡¯s efforts to hold back, his feet couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡± Boss, rest assured. We will definitely find the culprit who harmed Miss Swann!¡± Connie emerged from theboratory and walked into the corridor outside the ward, where she saw Branden speaking with Paxton. Sensing the intimidating hostility emanating from him, she couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯vee to deliver medicine to Catherine. We haven¡¯t developed a drug that can counteract the neurotoxin in Catherine¡¯s body yet, but we can use some medication to prevent its further damage!¡± After hearing Connie¡¯s exnation, Branden nodded slightly. Paxton then stepped forward and opened the door to let her in. Aftering out of the ward, Connie returned to theboratory. Fergus was still busy at the workbench. Seeing her return, he set down what he was working on. ¡°Has the medicine been delivered?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already loaded into the syringe. Professor Lynch, can we speed up our research progress?¡± Connie asked. Fergus shook his head helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s difficult. The experiment needs some time to show a reaction. Three days is the limit I can give. It¡¯s really hard to shorten it any further.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Connie sighed helplessly, understanding what Fergus¡¯s words meant. ¡°Professor Lynch, thank you!¡± Fergus gave a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as Catherine can get better!¡± Chapter 731 Chapter 731 How Could They Win? The second round of thepetition officially began, and only three teams could emerge victorious in this round. The winning teams would secure a spot in the final round,peting for the ultimate victory against the previous champions. Throughout thepetition, the Styre Team was undoubtedly the most popr and prominent. Although they only sent two teams topete, both advanced to the second round, showcasing unquestionable strength. As thepetition was about tomence, members of the Styre Team were making their final preparations in the backstage lounge. Eamon looked towards the entrance of the lounge, asking, ¡°Professor Hartley, Catherine can¡¯te, right?¡± ¡°s!¡± Marshall sighed deeply. ¡°She¡¯s still in the hospital. From now on, you all need topete seriously. Don¡¯t bring shame to her.¡± Eamon¡¯s eyes showed some disappointment. Catherine had always worked miracles for them. He thought she would do the same this time, but the miracle did not happen. Due to Fergus being busy researching antidotes in theboratory, he couldn¡¯t lead the team. Marshall had to take on multiple roles. Just like Marshall¡¯s team, Fergus¡¯s team was now short of one member as well, as the police had taken away Paddy. However, Paddy wasn¡¯t a core member of their team. As long as they used substitutes, they still had a good chance to win. Although Catherine¡¯s situation hadn¡¯t been exposed, there were no secrets in this world, especially since Paddy was taken away for no reason. Many people spected that Paddy had something to do with Catherine¡¯s hospitalization, causing her to lose the opportunity to participate in thepetition. Therefore, although Paddy¡¯s teammates knew Fergus had gone to treat Catherine, none of them had anyints. After all, Paddy was Fergus¡¯s student, and if he were genuinely responsible, Fergus would also be held ountable for it. When the time came, the bell at the venue officially rang. Marshall led the students toward the laboratories, but the miracle still did not ur. Catherine was still lying in the hospital bed, awaiting the development of the antidote. Fergus¡¯s students sent updates of thepetition to him via their phones. Fergus paid special attention to Marshall¡¯s team and discovered they had substituted Catherine with a backup. A smug smile appeared on his face as he turned to enter theboratory. ¡°Connie, I¡¯ve developed another batch of antidote. Although it may not immediately clear the neurotoxins in Catherine¡¯s body, it might help her wake up quickly. Let¡¯s send it over for a trial!¡± Connie looked at Fergus, her eyes full of excitement. ¡°That¡¯s great, Professor Lynch. I¡¯ll take it to Catherine as soon as possible!¡± Fergus handed the prepared reagent to Connie and asked her to take it to the hospital room. Watching her departing figure, he smiled faintly. Thepetition was already halfway through, and even if Catherine had woken up now, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it to thepetition. But then again, the show would truly begin only after Catherine woke up. An hourter, Fergus finished tidying up the equipment in theboratory and nned to go to the hospital room to check on Catherine¡¯s condition. Upon reaching the hospital room, he found it empty, with even the guard at the door missing. He quickly stopped a nearby nurse and inquired about the situation. ¡°Where is the patient in this room?¡± ¡°The patient experienced an adverse reaction after taking the medication, and her vital signs kept declining. She¡¯s in critical condition and has been taken to the emergency room!¡± the nurse replied. Upon hearing this, Fergus was somewhat astonished, finding it hard to believe what he had just heard. The medicine he provided was supposed to wake Catherine up, so how could it have led to a critical condition? ¡°Could there be an issue with the dosage in the reagent?¡± he wondered. ¡°Or was it administered in excessive amounts?¡± With a mind full of doubt, Fergus hurried to the entrance of the emergency room. By this time, several people had gathered there, all wearing solemn expressions. Upon seeing Fergus, Ronin rushed forward, grabbing him by the cor and ring at him. ¡°What kind of medicine did you give Catherine? What the hell did you do?¡± Everyone could tell from Ronin¡¯s aggressive stance that he was ready to beat Fergus up. Several people rushed forward to restrain Ronin. Fergus finally managed to break free from Ronin¡¯s grip and crouched to the side, coughing violently. Ronin was really ruthless; he had almost strangled him to death just now. Paxton brought a bottle of water and handed it to Fergus. ¡°Professor Lynch, are you okay?¡± Fergus took a sip of water and then shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. How is Catherine? I need to see her.¡± Hearing this, Ronin instantly became furious. ¡°See her? I won¡¯t let you harm Catherine again, you bastard! If you want to go in, step over my dead body!¡± Ronin was furious, and Paxton quickly intervened to calm Fergus. ¡°Professor Lynch, Ronin is really worked up right now. We all know this isn¡¯t your fault, but he¡¯s being stubborn and won¡¯t listen to us. Please, just ignore him for now. I¡¯ll let you know when there¡¯s news about Catherine.¡± Fergus was red at by Ronin, who looked like he was about to kill him, leaving him terrified. He then chose to heed Paxton¡¯s advice, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back to the lounge for now. Let me know if there¡¯s any newster.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll walk you there,¡± Paxton said, escorting Fergus to the lounge before leaving. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Back in the lounge, Fergusyfortably in bed. He just wanted to rest and put what happened just now aside. However, the nagging pain in his neck made him feel like he wanted to kill Ronin. ¡°You really went all out, Ronin,¡± he murmured inwardly. ¡°I gotta teach you a lesson, you brat!¡± At the Bide Cup scene, many spectators noticed that Catherine didn¡¯t make an appearance. They had been looking forward to seeing her prove her strength again, but her absence left many feeling disappointed and even worrying about the Styre Team¡¯s performance. Although the opponents the Styre Team faced this time weren¡¯t as strong as the Johnville Team from the previous round, they were a world- ss team arranged by the topboratories. Without Catherine, how could the Styre Team win? Watching the progress of the two teams, many began to worry about the Styre Team because it was indeed falling behind. Some even predicted that at this rate, the Styre Team would undoubtedly lose! Chapter 732 Chapter 732 You¡¯re the First One Thepetition was extremely intense, with the first half dominated by impressive teams. However, in the second half, there was aplete turnaround. For instance, Fergus¡¯s team had been quick in solvingplex problems in the first half, far surpassing the neighboring team. But their speed noticeably slowed down in the second half, and the opposing teams caught them up. Seeing themselves in a disadvantaged position, Fergus¡¯s team was visibly disturbed, their mistakes increasing. As for Marshall¡¯s team, they had not been favored from the start because their speed was simply too slow. The opposing teams hadpleted two- thirds of the tasks while they had onlypleted one- third. However, at thest moment, with the help of the substitute, their teamwork was extremely coordinated, allowing them to reverse the speed and be the first to finish the game. As long as their completion rate did not fall behind the opposing teams and achieved a lower error rate, they would win. At the hospital, Fergus had just woken up when he received a call from his student. He had thought it was a call with good news and answered the phone with a bright smile. ¡°How did it go? Did we win?¡± he asked. ¡°We did,¡± the student replied. Fergus couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°You silly, why do you sound so frustrated if we won? Shouldn¡¯t you be happy?¡± ¡°Professor Lynch, it¡¯s not our team that won; Professor Hartley¡¯s team did. ¡°What?¡± Fergus found it hard to believe. He asked, trembling slightly, How is that possible? Catherine didn¡¯t evenpete. How could Marshall¡¯s team win?¡± ¡°The substitute in Marshall¡¯s team is as formidable as Catherine. They were initially behind the opposing teams butter caught up and won,¡± the student replied. Upon hearing this, Fergus felt a ringing in his head and a sharp pain in his heart. ¡°Professor Lynch, are you there?¡± the student asked, concerned. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Fergus sat in the chair, dazed, clutching his chest. His face was filled with pain, and he was unable to speak. After a while, he finally came to his senses and picked up the phone from the floor. He needed to find out what had happened. As Fergus stepped out of the lounge, he ran into Paxton. Paxton said, ¡°Professor Lynch, perfect timing. I thought you were still sleeping!¡± Fergus looked at Paxton with a puzzled expression. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Paxton replied, ¡°I have good news for you. Miss Swann has woken up. She just came out of the operating room and is now in her room. You¡¯re in a hurry to see her, right?¡± Fergus originally intended to rush back to the hotel to check on thepetition¡¯s situation, but he hadn¡¯t expected Paxton to ask him this question. Fergus had to nod in agreement. ¡°Yeah, I was so worried about Catherine that I couldn¡¯t sleep well. I woke up after a short rest, and I will see her now!¡± Paxton suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Fergus gave a faint smile and followed behind Paxton as they made their way to the hospital room. The room was crowded with people, and Catheriney weakly on the hospital bed, looking pale. When Catherine looked up and saw Fergus standing nearby, she greeted him, ¡°Professor Lynch!¡± Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to Fergus, who approached Catherine with a smile on his face. ¡°Are you feeling better, Catherine?¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you for developing the antidote for me, Professor Lynch.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes were filled with sincerity. Before, Fergus had always felt that Catherine was extremely arrogant and aloof, not even giving him a second nce. It was rare for her to speak to him in this manner. ¡°You are Marshall¡¯s best student. I have to do my best to save you, both professionally and personally. No need to thank me, as long as you get better!¡± Seeing Catherine awake, Fergus couldn¡¯t wait to verify the antidote¡¯s effectiveness. ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, it means my antidote worked. I¡¯ll have a nurse draw a blood sample for testing to develop a complete solution to neutralize the neurotoxin in your body as soon as possible.¡± Catherine nodded faintly in agreement. After calling for a nurse to draw blood, Fergus soon received the blood sample, and he seemed excited. He made an effort to contain his emotions, not wanting to appear too happy. ¡± Catherine, Marshall is particrly concerned about you. I can¡¯t let him down. Rest well. I¡¯m going to the laboratory!¡± he said. ¡°Sure! Thank you, Professor Lynch!¡± Catherine watched as Fergus left. As soon as he left the hospital room, her previously calm eyes immediately turned icy. Sitting beside Catherine the whole time, Branden stroked her pale face and tenderly said, ¡°Let me handle this, okay?¡± Catherine nced at him, and Branden understood what she meant with just one look. In his entire lifetime, only Catherine could make him swallow his pride. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave it to you. But you must promise me that you will never hurt yourself again. or else I will do something crazy.¡± Branden lowered his head, his cold lips tightly pressed against Catherine¡¯s warm hand. He couldn¡¯t tell anyone how nervous he felt when Catherine copsed in his arms. His brain completely shut down, leaving his mind nk. No one could understand his feelings at that moment. He felt as if his blood instantly ran cold. He didn¡¯t want Catherine to take any more risks. He wished it had happened to him, not Catherine. Catherine knew well that Branden was an extraordinary man. It seemed that he was able to do anything. This was the first time she had seen him so humble, and she felt a pang of heartache. She gently stroked his hair, which felt very tough and a bit prickly, but she still liked it very much. ¡°I see. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Catherine promised. Branden slowly raised his head, and his previously low spirits vanished, reced by a yful and ambiguous expression as he looked at her. ¡°Have you heard that you shouldn¡¯t touch a man¡¯s head, or it¡¯ll bring bad luck?¡± Catherine was taken aback, seemingly not expecting him to say such words. Before she could answer, Branden continued, ¡°But if you¡¯re willing to support me, you can touch it as much as you want!¡± With that, he leaned his head toward her. Seeing his nonchnt appearance, Catherine chuckled. ¡°Branden, has anyone told you that you are thick- skinned?¡± ¡°Humph¡­¡± Branden chuckled as he hugged her. ¡°No, you¡¯re the first one!¡± ¡°And the only one,¡± he murmured in his heart. Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Terrible Jealousy Eamon was in a bit of disbelief after seeing the advancement list. ¡°They actually won!¡± Unlikest time, after the doubts fromst time, no one questioned the strength of the Styre Team this time. The match progressed smoothly. The Styre Team won the advancement card and would stand at the top of the third-round final to challenge the champion team. Seeing Marshall appear, Eamon immediately came forward. ¡°Professor Hartley, did you see Marlon?¡± Marshall gave him a suspicious look. ¡± Why are you looking for him?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since the match was over.¡± Eamon¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of his junior brother, Marlon Pratt. ¡°Professor Hartley, our team is really amazing. We have all kinds of talents. Originally, I thought that Catherine was already very powerful, but I didn¡¯t realize that Marlon was also so powerful. He really surpassed us. Marshall smiled coldly and said expressionlessly, ¡°Marlon is too tired. He overachieved today and asked to go rest as soon as the match was over. I¡¯ve already asked him to go back to the hotel to rest. You guys don¡¯te to bother him, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, I got it. Marlon did have a long day today. We should let him rest more. I won¡¯t go bother him!¡± ¡°You keep an eye here. I¡¯ll go to the hospital to check on Catherine!¡± Marshall rushed toward the hospital after exining. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. He still did not know what was going on over at the hospital. This matter was getting more and more complicated, and his heart was always filled with worries. In theboratory, Fergus took the blood sample he got from Catherine and put it into theboratory equipment for testing. When he got the data results, the smile on his face could no longer be concealed. Connie happened to see this scene when she entered the door. She asked casually, ¡°Professor Lynch, what is it that makes you so happy? I can tell that you¡¯re happy!¡± Fergus¡¯s eyes flickered for a second. Then he resumed a calm face. ¡°I¡¯m checking the data of Catherine¡¯s blood sample. The neurotoxin is well controlled in her body, which means the antidote I developed earlier is working well. I¡¯m so happy about it.¡± ¡°Professor Lynch, you are truly a great mentor. Catherine is not your student, but you are so dedicated and hardworking to help her. You¡¯re so admirable!¡± Fergus proudly raised his eyebrows. He said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s also a student of Styre University. That¡¯s what I should do. Thank you for your praise! You can leave and do your things. I¡¯ll send these data to some authorities in the industry to discuss it again.¡± When Fergus left theboratory, Connie immediately went up and imported the data inside the computer. Although the data had been deleted artificially, Fergus did not know that they had long ago tampered inside theputer in advance. Fergus had deleted the data, but after deleting it, the data would be automatically transferred to a memory card that had been set up in advance. Connie only needed to retrieve the memory card and replicate the data inside. After getting the data, Connie restored theboratory to its original state. Looking at Fergus¡¯ desk, a sinister smile appeared on Connie¡¯s face. Connie thought to herself, ¡°You want to fight our boss? You¡¯re still too weak. Catherine has always been very cautious in her actions. You¡¯re just a small fry. You don¡¯t even deserve her attention.¡± Aftering out from theboratory, Fergus did not let the car that the school had prepared for him to pick him up. Instead, he took a taxi by himself and set off. When he arrived at the appointed ce, he met the man who was in contact with him. After sitting down, Fergus could no longer control his emotions and revealed a ferocious face. ¡°Professor Sterling, didn¡¯t we have a deal that you would let my team advance and let Marshall¡¯s team fail? I even poisoned Catherine, as you requested. Why did you betray me?¡± Atticus looked very calm in the face of Fergus¡¯ anger. He slowly put down the newspaper in his hand and stared fiercely at Fergus. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the agreement between you and me is that only one team from the Styre University could be advanced. Fergus, it was you who didn¡¯t do your job well enough to let Marshall¡¯s team advance, and you still dare to yell at me? Fergus was calm in the face of the questioning. He did not feel guilty at all. He retorted forcefully, ¡°It¡¯s because the people you¡¯ve arranged for are so bad. Catherine didn¡¯t evenpete, but you guys still couldn¡¯t win Marshall¡¯s team. You guys are losers!¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Atticus sneered. His eyes looked up and down at Fergus with disdain. ¡°We are losers? Are you sure it¡¯s not you and your team who are the losers? You all got the exam questions in advance, yet you still failed. You guys are just utter losers!¡± Fergus could not lift his head at Atticus¡¯s rebuttal. Fergus originally intended to make a name for himself by advancing so that he would not be overshadowed by Marshall at Styre University. However, he never expected that his dream would ultimately fail. Over the years, Marshall¡¯s reputation in the university had always overshadowed his. Marshall was more valued by their leaders, and he even got promoted faster than Fergus. Whenever there was a big event in the university, Marshall would be the one to attend, and it was not Fergus¡¯s turn at all. But in Fergus¡¯ eyes, he was the professor who contributed the most to the university, while Marshall was just relying on his research project. Fergus originally wanted to take advantage of the sess of the Bide Cup to win back his defeat, but he did not expect the people from his team who participated in thepetition to be so unimpressive. After thinking for a long time, Fergus finally epted the fact that they had failed. ¡°Professor Sterling, I did everything you asked me to do. Marshall¡¯s team was able to advance because they were too strong. Since I did what you asked, shouldn¡¯t you honor the payment you promised me?¡± ¡°Fergus, we¡¯re old friends. I know exactly what you want, and you should understand what I want as well,¡± said Atticus. Fergus hesitated for a moment but still handed over the data. ¡°This is the data I just got. The blood sample is from Catherine.¡± Hearing this, Atticus immediately became interested. He reached out to take the data in one hand and checked it carefully. After checking the data, a strange smile appeared at the corner of Atticus¡¯ mouth. ¡°Fergus, you did a great job. The payment I promised you will be credited to your ount on time.¡± Knowing that his conditions could be met, Fergus could no longer conceal his excitement and happily shook hands with Atticus. ¡°Professor Sterling, don¡¯t worry. As long as I can receive the payment on time, I will definitely cooperate with you properly!¡± Atticus raised his eyebrows, with an intriguing strangeness and eerie look in his eyes. ¡°Hope we can have a nice cooperation!¡± Fergus left happily after receiving a satisfactory reply. Atticus was left alone. Looking at the information Fergus brought in his hand, the smile on his face became more and more obvious. Atticus thought triumphantly in his heart, ¡°Fergus, you¡¯re an idiot. You don¡¯t understand the importance of Catherine at all. Hahaha, with just a little money, I can easily solve Catherine. This is really enjoyable. Next, I¡¯ll watch Catherine lose little by little. Catherine, even though you¡¯re a genius and you have a backer like Branden behind you, so what? This is not Eskana. It¡¯s Alton, my ce. Since you dare to come, I can make you enjoy yourself here.¡± Chapter 734 Chapter 734 The Food Branden Cooked Personally The second round of thepetition hade to an end. There were two days of rest. Knowing that Catherine had awakened, as a representative, Eamon brought two members to the hospital with Marshall to visit her. ¡°Catherine, you heard about our team advancing, right?¡± Catherine nodded slightly with a particrly calm expression on her face. Eamon excitedly introduced their junior brother, Marlon, to Catherine. He kept praising Marlon as a rare genius with exceptional abilities, just like Catherine. Catherine just nodded lightly and did not respond much. Eamon chattered a lot more, making Marshall on the side a little impatient.¡± Eamon, Catherine just woke up. We should let her rest more!¡± After being reminded, Eamon finally realized. ¡°Okay. Catherine, you rest more then. We will take our leave first. You take care. We will participate in the advancementpetition together when you get better.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks foring to see me!¡± After Catherine finished speaking, Eamon happily left the ward with the two apanying juniors. Just after they walked out of the ward, the apanying junior sister muttered with a face full of disgust, Women are just petty. Obviously, it was her reason that almost dyed our team, and now she¡¯s actually jealous of others!¡± The junior brother, standing at the side who was on good terms with her, hurriedly stopped her from going on. Eamon was a straight man. He was only obsessed with research projects in his daily life, so he rarely paid attention to these things. So when he suddenly heard his junior sister¡¯s remarks, he felt a bit puzzled. ¡± Who are you talking about?¡± The junior brother tried to stop the junior sister but could not stop her. ¡°Eamon, you have a straight character and can¡¯t see through people¡¯s hearts. I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ve been tricked by Catherine. She¡¯s a very bad girl. There is something wrong with her illness. She couldn¡¯tpete. We had Marlon participate in thepetition, and he did well. But did you see her grim face just now? She didn¡¯t answer even when you asked her. She almost showed jealousy on her face!¡± Eamon frowned slightly. He asked with some confusion, ¡°Really? Catherine doesn¡¯t seem like that kind of person. She¡¯s just cold and unassuming.¡± His junior sister clearly saw Eamon¡¯s defense of Catherine as a kind of defense after being deceived by Catherine. Thinking about this, the junior sister¡¯s mood grew increasingly unpleasant. She directly began to comin. ¡°In the past, I could ept her arrogant appearance when I saw she was capable. I didn¡¯t expect that Marlon could make her jealous like this. She¡¯s terrifying!¡± The crowd did not notice that while they were discussing, a beautiful figure happened to pass by them. Zobber originally did not intend to pay attention to these people, but she did not expect that the one they were discussing was actually Catherine. Zobber could not help herself when she saw the ugly woman mocking and ndering Catherine. She immediately stopped her footsteps and put her hands across her chest to size up the other party. ¡°You said that others are jealous. I think you are the one who easily gets jealous! Besides talking nonsense, you don¡¯t know much, do you? You really deserve your ugly appearance. It seems that the saying, ugly people like causing trouble, is true!¡± The junior sister, who Zobber retorted, did not even have a chance to retaliate. In front of Zobber, she suddenly lost her words. She could only stare angrily at Zobber, out of breath. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you? Who do you think you are to talk nonsense in front of me?¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m talking nonsense?¡± Zobber sneered disdainfully. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the mirror and look closer at your appearance? Do you think you¡¯re worthy of me talking nonsense to you?¡± Zobber¡¯s words were insulting, making Eamon¡¯s junior sister unable to say anything at all. Zobber even said harshly and warned Eamon¡¯s junior sister, ¡°What? You¡¯re not convinced? Come and compete with me!¡± Seeing themotion over there, Ronin and the others immediately rushed over. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ronin asked Zobber. Zobber did not hide it. She pointed at Eamon¡¯s junior sister and grunted, ¡°I heard this girl bad-mouthing Catherine. Who does she think she is? How dare she insult Catherine?¡± Ronin instantly became angry when he heard that the other party actually dared to insult Catherine. His originally handsome and cute face immediately showed an expression that a devil would have. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Seeing that the situation had escted, Eamon quickly asked his junior brother to pull his junior sister away. He stayed to apologize in person. He talked for a long time before making everyone satisfied. Ronin and the others decided not to continue their quarrel for Eamon¡¯s sake. Such an unknown fry was not worth their time. Eamon left in gratitude. When they were far away, Ronin told Zobber and the others, ¡°Catherine has a lot to dotely, so there¡¯s no need to tell her about this annoying thing.¡± Zobber raised her eyebrows in approval. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know that. Come on. Let¡¯s go see her in the ward!¡± When they entered the ward, it happened to be lunchtime. A strong aroma of food wafted out from the ward, causing everyone to gulp silently. Catherine was sitting against her hospital bed with a special table in front of her, filled with a variety of food. Zobber peered closer with curiosity; there were many delicious foods, all of which she loved to eat. ¡°Catherine, Your nutritious meal is too rich!¡± As she spoke, she was about to make a move to take Catherine¡¯s food, but Ronin pped her hand away. Zobber looked at Ronin with a furious face and gritted her teeth. ¡°Brat, are you crazy? You dare to make a move on me. You¡¯re seeking death!¡± Ronin nced at her in disgust. ¡°You dare to grab Catherine¡¯s food. You don¡¯t even ask who made it?¡± Zobber thought that Ronin¡¯s words sounded a bit inexplicable. She thought to herself, ¡°Who else could have made such delicious food? Branden must have hired a chef to cook it for Catherine. But if that were true, Ronin would not have had to say that.¡± Zobber thought for a moment and seemed to react. Branden sat on the side. He focused on feeding Catherine as if no one was around. Zobber took another look at the tes that held the food. She realized the food did not look like something from a restaurant but instead had a bit of a home-cooking style. She pointed to the exquisite food Catherine was eating and asked hesitantly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that Mr. Duncan cooked this in person.¡± Ronin gave her a disgusted look and ignored her. Catherine did not think as much as Ronin did. Seeing Zobber¡¯s craving, she took a fork and handed it over. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together!¡± Zobber carefully scrutinized Branden but did not reach out to take the fork. After a long time, she eximed in amazement, ¡°We really should not judge people by their appearances. I¡¯m surprised that Mr. Duncan¡¯s cooking skills are so superb!¡± ¡°Have some?¡± Catherine asked again. Zobber reacted and immediately waved her hand to decline. ¡°No, thanks!¡± Zobber dared not eat the hearty meal that Branden personally cooked for Catherine. She did not deserve such good treatment. When Catherine was almost done eating, Zobber handed over the newly obtained information. ¡°Catherine, this is the information of all the members of the Altonian Team. Take a look.¡± Chapter 735 Chapter 735 Fergus¡¯ Conspiracy Catherine reached for the information Zobber handed her. She went through the information of the members of the Altonian Team. She had to admit that there was indeed something great about the Altonian Team for them to be able to stand on the championship stage for so many years. Their team members were all the top yers in this field at the moment. Catherineughed softly when she turned to thest page of the lead mentors. She threw the information at Branden, signaling him to take a look. Atticus, the former doctoral mentor of Ellinos Academy, was now serving as the Altonian Team¡¯s lead mentor. Branden did not look surprised when he saw the information. He took out his cell phone and handed it to Catherine. A video was ying on the phone screen. The main character in the video was none other than their old friend, Atticus. Catherine gave Branden a suspicious look. ¡°You already knew it?¡± Branden raised his eyebrows lightly at Catherine, and a hint of amusement showed in his eyes. ¡°Yes, I knew that a little earlier than you!¡± Zobber stood at the side. Seeing Catherine and Branden eyeballing each other, she could not help but ask, ¡± What are you doing? What¡¯s the good news? Share with us!¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Branden and Catherine almost spoke in unison. Seeing that the two were so taciturn, Zobber couldn¡¯t help but grunt coldly, ¡± Having a partner is so great!¡± Branden, who had always been a man of few words, took the initiative to respond to Zobber. As a result, his words were still full of unt. ¡°It¡¯s indeed great. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Zobber was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect the high and mighty Branden actually to have such a side. She thought to herself somewhat helplessly, ¡°I have no partner, but you can¡¯t hurt me like this, can you?¡± Branden and Catherine were both big shots. Zobber couldn¡¯t afford to offend them, so she could only endure! ¡°Yes, I think so. You guys continue showing off!¡± Catherine had initially nned to have Ronin and the others keep an eye on Atticus. But from the expression on Branden¡¯s face, she could tell that Branden should have arranged for someone to do that. This way, she wouldn¡¯t have to make any more arrangements. Branden saw Catherine¡¯s weariness and directly ordered everyone out of the ward to let Catherine rest in peace. Facing the deep darkness of the night, Marshall knocked on the door of Fergus ¡®room. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Fergus was a little surprised to see him arrive. He froze for a moment before an awkward smile appeared on his face. ¡± Marshall, it¡¯s sote. What brings you here? Could it be that you couldn¡¯t sleep from the excitement of your team advancing and came to find me for a drink?¡± Marshall looked at him with a frown on his face. ¡°Come on. Stop saying those words. I¡¯m all worried to death. Let¡¯s have a chat. You help me analyze it!¡± ¡°Come in!¡± Fergus sidestepped and let Marshall into the room. When Marshall sat down, Fergus poured Marshall a cup of coffee. Then he took the initiative to ask, ¡± What¡¯s the situation? Why are you still looking so glum? Didn¡¯t your team just advance? Why don¡¯t you look happy with such great news?¡± ¡°Do you want to be the champion?¡± Marshall looked at Fergus with a serious face. Fergus was confused by his pressing look and sudden question. He cautiously sized Marshall up as various thoughts shed through his mind. He didn¡¯t understand why Marshall was suddenly asking this question. He thought to himself, ¡°Is he onto something? Or is it¡­¡± After a few moments of silence, Fergus finally calmed down. He smiled awkwardly, with envy in his words. ¡± Who wouldn¡¯t want to win the championship? It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have the chance now.¡± Marshall didn¡¯t seem to see Fergus¡¯s embarrassment. He pped his hand and nodded in agreement. He said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Even people like you who don¡¯t likepetition want to win championships, not to mention me. Fergus, I won¡¯t hide anything from you since we¡¯ve been colleagues for so many years. You want to win the championship, and so do I. This isn¡¯t just apetition but also a scientific one. This is not an ordinarypetition, but the Bide Cup, the pinnacle of scientific research! If I could win the championship, that would be great!¡± Marshall¡¯s vehement reaction was a secret relief to Fergus¡¯ insides. He had been specting whether Marshall had found something, but now it seemed he had made the right bet. ¡°Didn¡¯t your team advance? You¡¯re going to be involved in the championship fight next. What are you still worried about?¡± ¡°We both know how strong the Altonian Team is. Now that Catherine is sick, how can I not worry?¡± Marshall sighed deeply and had a worried look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you still have Marlon? I¡¯ve heard that this normally unimpressive kid on your team is as talented as Catherine,¡± Fergus said. Although Fergus didn¡¯t have the chance to go to the match that day, he had heard a lottely about this new character on Marshall¡¯s team. He thought that Marshall was really lucky. Marshall¡¯s team just got Catherine, and then the talented young man Marlon also joined. Hearing Fergus mention Marlon, the expression on Marshall¡¯s face grew more and more solemn. ¡°He isn¡¯t that good. He¡¯s not even close to Catherine. If Catherine can attend, perhaps our team can compete with the Altonian Team, but if it¡¯s Marlon, we will definitely lose.¡± Watching Marshall¡¯s extremely distressed expression, Fergus had a sudden idea. ¡°Marshall¡­¡± Fergus¡¯s hesitant demeanor made Marshall anxious. ¡°Fergus, we¡¯ve been colleagues for so many years. If you have something to say, just say it. Or if you have any difficulties, say it too. I¡¯ll definitely help you.¡± Fergus felt a surge of self-satisfaction in his heart. His opportunity had finallye. But he remained calm on his face and told Marshall, ¡°Marshall, it¡¯s not that I have difficulties. It¡¯s that I want to help you!¡± Marshall asked suspiciously, ¡°Help me? ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Fergus nodded, then spoke his mind out. ¡°I have a way to make Catherine attend. Would you like to try it?¡± As soon as he said this, Marshall immediately looked at him with a shocked expression on his face. ¡°You have a way? You¡¯ve developed the antidote?¡± ¡°Sort of!¡± Fergus replied. ¡°What do you mean sort of?¡± Marshall instantly became anxious when he heard the ambiguous answer. He looked at Fergus with excitement on his face. Fergus signaled him to take it easy and then exined the situation to him clearly. ¡°I have developed this antidote, but ites with a little side effect.¡± Seeing that Marshall was about to get anxious again, Fergus took the lead and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The side effect is minimal. It has no side effects other than making Catherine sleep a few more days after the match. I didn¡¯t dare to give it to Catherine, and I think you know the reason¡­ Catherine has Mr. Duncan with her, and Mr. Duncan won¡¯t let Catherine take that risk. You are Catherine¡¯s mentor. You should know how important it would be for Catherine if she could win this time and how brilliant her future would be after that!¡± Looking at Marshall, who was deep in thought after hearing his words, Fergus understood that Marshall was in favor of his proposal. He urged, ¡± Marshall, it¡¯s not toote!¡± Marshall stared at Fergus and reconfirmed, ¡°Does its side effect really just make her sleep for a few more days? ¡°I¡¯ll bet my life on it!¡± On the surface, Fergus replied decisively, but on the inside, he was filled with joy. He could guarantee Marshall would take the bait. Not to mention Marshall, even if it were him, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to choose such a good opportunity in front of him. After all, it was human nature to chase after fame and fortune. ¡°Marshall, if you really don¡¯t feel okay to make Catherine suffer the little side effect, why don¡¯t you whisper this news to Catherine and let her make her own decision? But you must ask Catherine to keep it a secret and not tell anyone!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Marshall agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Catherine and then give you an answer. Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Sleeping Beside Her Late at night, the lights of the ward were turned off, leaving everything dim and the pathways barely visible. An agile figure stealthily emerged within the ward and crept toward the bed. Before the intruder extended a hand, the person on the bed acted swiftly. The intruder was subduedpletely with a gust of wind and a swift maneuver. As the intruder attempted to resist, Catherine acted decisively and swiftly incapacitated the intruder¡¯s hand with a forceful strike. The intruder was in so much pain that he grimaced and pleaded loudly, ¡°Catherine, I swear I won¡¯t do it again!¡± With a firm grip, Catherine hoisted the intruder up and forcefully pushed him aside. The collision with the ceiling light switch instantly flooded the room with brightness from the previously dim space. The intruder sat on the floor and clutched his sore arm. He stared intently at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you sick? With your current condition, even a special forces soldier won¡¯t stand a chance against you.¡± Catherine was expressionless as she stared at the intruder with her cold eyes. It sent shivers down the intruder¡¯s spine. The intruder asked, ¡°Catherine, my arm¡¯s busted. Isn¡¯t this punishment enough?¡± Catherine looked at him coldly and gestured dismissively. If it weren¡¯t for the intruder¡¯s years of allegiance, she would have taken him out. This intruder was Wantells, one of the core members of the Hacker Alliance, akin to Withal and Zobber. Wantells hade to Alton for a mission, but he was intercepted midway by Catherine. Later, he learned from Zobber that Catherine was in Alton. Usually distant and uninterested in dealing with people, Wantells relentlessly badgered Zobber until he finally got information about Catherine. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Tonight, he evaded the guards arranged by Branden at the hospital. He seized the opportunity while Branden was away and sneaked in undetected. Summoned by Catherine, Wantells dragged his disabled arm and hesitantly approached her. With a firm press, Catherine forcefully restored the dislocated arm she had previously manipted. Wantells, who had trained extensively since childhood, remainedposed and merely furrowed his brows at the difort. ¡°Alright!¡± Catherine abruptly pushed him again. This time, Wantells was prepared and didn¡¯t fall. He gracefullynded in a seated position on the nearby sofa. During their scuffle, Wantells had already sized up Catherine¡¯s situation. Initially, he was concerned when he heard about Catherine entering the hospital. It seemed Wantells¡¯ worry was unnecessary. Catherine¡¯s demeanor indicated no issues whatsoever. ¡°So, what brings you to me?¡± Catherine cut to the chase, unwilling to beat around the bush. Only upon arriving at the hospital did Wantells realize that Catherine was currently involved with Branden. The famous scion of the Duncans had be Catherine¡¯s man. Wantells thought it was interesting. ¡°Catherine, is your man really Branden? ¡°Wantells asked. Catherine didn¡¯t deny it. She essentially admitted to everything by not refuting it. After knowing the answer directly from Catherine, Wantells found it somewhat unbelievable. His face contorted in an odd expression as he looked at Catherine and asked in disbelief, ¡°If we¡¯re on the same side now, why did he try to eliminate me?¡± Branden¡¯s men had pursued him since he stood up Branden. Moreover, the Duncans had specifically requested the leader of the Hacker Alliance for a task, and that was none other than Catherine. Wantells wondered whether this was a new way of public disy of affection for a boyfriend to solicit work from his girlfriend by setting a high price. Catherine calmly responded, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m the leader of the Hacker Alliance.¡± This revtion shocked Wantells. He widened his eyes and stared at Catherine. He repeatedly verified that this wasn¡¯t a joke. ¡°Young people these days really know how to y! Catherine, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she exuded a domineering aura. ¡°You came here just to ask about this?¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯s potential explosion, Wantells immediately backed down. He abandoned the jokes and steered the conversation toward serious matters. ¡± Catherine, I¡¯ve been investigating that task given by the Duncans. That woman has vanished without a trace. Strange, right?¡± ¡°Missing in action?¡± Catherine inquired. ¡°Yes,¡± Wantells replied. Regardless of whether someone was alive or dead, they always left traces. Whether it was to meet the living or see the remains, the Hacker Alliance could always make it. They boasted the world¡¯srgest intelligencework. Even if someone had been dead for years, they could unearth the bones if they got involved. But the person the Duncans were looking for seemed to have vanished into thin air with no traces at all. This was giving Wantells quite a headache. ¡°Catherine, the only possibility is that ce,¡± Wantells said. Hearing that, Catherine immediately furrowed her brow tightly. She knew precisely where Wantells was referring to. No wonder Branden required the leader of the Hacker Alliance. That ce was somewhere only she had sessfully escaped from. ¡°Keep investigating. Once I¡¯m done with my current tasks, I¡¯ll get in touch, ¡°Catherine said. Realizing Catherine was about to dismiss him, Wantells was about to say a few more words when he caught faint footsteps nearby. Reacting swiftly, he pushed open the window. The window only opened halfway, which was not big enough for an ordinary adult to pass through. However, this didn¡¯t stump Wantells. During his time in Southeast Acineian streets, he had once trained under a master adept in bone maniption and practiced for years. With ease, he condensed his bones to their utmost limit and pressed them together. He jumped through the window and vanished into the dark night. Just as Wantells left, the door to the ward swung open. Branden, who had just finished handling company matters, hurried in. The moment he saw Catherine, his usually cold gaze softened. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you resting?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond. Her expression turned slightly displeased as she noticed the air of dust and chill clinging to him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You didn¡¯t need to rush over.¡± Hearing this, Branden chuckled and looked at her with excitement in his dark eyes. ¡°nning to discard people once you¡¯re done using them, Miss Swann?¡± Catherine nced at him coldly. ¡± People?¡± With his coat off, after shedding the chill, Branden approached and embraced Catherine. He ensured she remained untouched by the dust from outside. ¡°I didn¡¯te to keep youpany. I need you. I can¡¯t sleep without you. Is that all right?¡± Catherine allowed him to pull her into his embrace. She looked at his somewhat shameless demeanor with a hint of resignation. ¡°Does the world outside know theposed and arrogant Mr. Duncan has this shameless side in private?¡± Branden gave a roguish smile. He had a demeanor entirely different from his usual cold and ruthless aura. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the world thinks. As long as you like it.¡± As he leaned closer, Catherine reached out to push him away, but Branden tightened his hold on her. In the long night, Branden slept beside Catherine. Chapter 737 Chapter 737 The Fruits When the job was finally done, Fergus was thrilled. He couldn¡¯t contain his excitement and immediately dialed Atticus¡¯s number. ¡°Professor Sterling, I¡¯ve finished everything you asked for. Can you arrange my payment now?¡± Fergus asked. Hearing Fergus¡¯s words, Atticus replied with disdain in his eyes, ¡°Professor Lynch, I trust you, but it¡¯s not just up to us. I need something to convince my boss before I can arrange your payment, right? How about you wait a couple of days? Once everything¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll wire the money to you right away!¡± Fergus had long seen through Atticus¡¯s scheming. He knew it was not easy to take out money from Atticus. Fergus was well-prepared and confidently replied, ¡°Professor Sterling, check your inbox. Maybe this can help you convince your boss.¡± Sensing Fergus¡¯s implication, Atticus immediately opened his email. It contained a video and a blood report. The footage was covertly recorded. It showcased Catherine taking the medication provided by Marshall, and the report disyed Catherine¡¯s blood test after taking the medication. Seeing the data in the report, Atticus smirked. He finally achieved what he wanted. This was the result he desired. ¡°Professor Sterling, does the content of this email suffice for your boss?¡± Fergus¡¯s voice came through the phone, conveying a hint of threat. Atticus understood Fergus¡¯s intent and knew Fergus only sought money. Money was the least of Atticus¡¯ concerns, especially as this expense wasn¡¯ting from his pocket. ¡°Professor Lynch, rest assured. Your reward will be in your ount soon,¡± Atticus said. With his request met, Fergus joyfully hung up the phone. Yet, his inner turmoil persisted. He had avoided confrontation for years. He aimed to rise unexpectedly. But Marshall unexpectedly stole all his thunder. If that was the case, he had to secure something for himself. Since he couldn¡¯t gain fame, he decided to pursue money. Fergus med it on Marshall¡¯s greed. He thought Marshall solely wanted the championship. Otherwise, Marshall couldn¡¯t have been deceived. Besides, Fergus never believed Catherine alone could lead Marshall¡¯s team to beat the Altonian Team. Everyone knew how strong the Altonian Team was worldwide. Fergus believed they couldn¡¯t win by depending only on Catherine. It was just their wishful thinking. Fergus executed the task smoothly, and Atticus promptly met his request. Fergus felt exhrated upon receiving the transfer notification on his phone. However, Atticus added a new request. He wanted Fergus to keep a close eye on Marshall¡¯s team. He asked Fergus to report promptly and intervene if necessary. Reading this, Fergus wore a contemptuous smirk. To him, Atticus was a timid person whocked courage and acted in fear. Even Catherine, the strongest in Marshall¡¯s team, fell into a trap. With the rest of the team, Fergus believed any random team could outss them. He found Atticus worrying about not securing the championship downrightughable. Nevertheless, considering Atticus¡¯s generosity with money, Fergus decided to help inquire. He phoned one of his team members and asked about Eamon¡¯s and the others¡¯ situation. Though finding Fergus¡¯s sudden call odd, the teammate brushed it off and assumed it was a school-rted concern, just like Fergus said. ¡°Professor Lynch, Eamon, and the others are training as usual. It¡¯s just that the junior student, Marlon, seems sick. He struggles with some illness, lying in the dorm, unwilling to move,¡± the teammate replied. Fergus immediately perked up and asked eagerly, ¡°Have you visited him?¡± ¡°We did. He¡¯s truly ill and weak. For him, even standing up is a challenge, let alone the match.¡± Suppressing his excitement, Fergus made a few perfunctory remarks before hanging up. Once off the phone, he promptly informed Atticus. If even thest backup was out ofmission, Fergus was curious to see how Marshall would turn the tables this time. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. In the hospital room, Catherine nced at the report while casually enjoying the fruits prepared by Branden. She feltfortable and content. However, her ease didn¡¯t rub off on Marshall sitting beside her. Marshall felt upset now. He couldn¡¯t emte Catherine¡¯sposure. In her presence, he didn¡¯t seem like a professor, feeling more like an inexperienced kid. Sometimes, he even felt ashamed of himself. ¡°Catherine¡­¡± Marshall called out. Catherine paused. Then, she picked up a piece of fruit and offered it to him. ¡± Professor Hartley, have some fruit. It¡¯ll cool you down.¡± Marshall took a bite and was surprised by how good the seemingly ordinary fruit tasted. It momentarily distracted him and almost made him forget what he wanted to ask Catherine. Before he could remember, Catherine already had news to share. She said, ¡± Professor Hartley, it¡¯s settled.¡± Catherine had everything under control regarding Fergus¡¯ situation. Everything was set for the match tomorrow. Once the match ended, all of this would be over, too. When someone else reported in that tone, Marshall would have been furious. But with Catherine, it was different.. After Marshall heard Catherine¡¯s response, his tense heart immediately eased. He understood Catherine¡¯s character. If she said it was okay, then it was. ¡°Well. I¡¯m going back for a hot shower. I need to rest up. Keep going through the materials. I¡¯m off.¡± Marshall waved as he left. Seeing his fondness for the fruit from earlier, Catherine instructed him to take some along. Branden arranged for these fruits to be delivered daily. Catherine couldn¡¯t finish them all, so if Marshall liked them, he might as well take them. They were just fruits, nothing significant, and Marshall didn¡¯t overthink it. He grabbed them as he was pleased with the taste. Back at the hotel, Marshall encountered some experts from the Agricultural Sciences Institute. They eyed the fruits he was carrying, which struck Marshall as odd. After all, the Agricultural Sciences Institute wasn¡¯t keen on such things, yet today, they were curious about his fruits. After inquiring, Marshall learned these fruits were thetest varieties developed in Janikon, which were priced astonishingly high. Just the grapes he had devoured earlier were sold individually in Janikon, each costing more than one hundred dors. Understanding the situation, Marshall nearly bit his tongue in shock. Reflecting on his voracious consumption earlier, he realized it was equal to his entire month¡¯s sry. Knowing the truth, Marshall couldn¡¯t help but think inwardly, ¡°Damn capitalists! Envy-inducing bunch, aren¡¯t they?¡± Chapter 738 Chapter 738 The Finals The highly anticipated Bide Cup finals finally kicked off, and the reigning champion for several consecutive seasons, Ace Team from Alton, arrived at the hotel for the event. This time, Atticus led the team. He had recently gained fame in Alton for several groundbreaking research projects. Despite being a guiding professor at Ellinos Academy, he was surprisingly expelled from the institution some time ago. Just when everyone thought Atticus might be down for the count, he rose back up with a few genius- level research projects that caused a sensation in the industry. He caught the attention of the backers behind the Ace Team and swiftly transitioned to be the mentor of the Ace Team. The industry held high hopes for this new mentor. Their confidence in him mirrored their confidence in today¡¯spetition. Whether it was the expert judges or the spectators watching the matches, everyone unanimously believed that the Ace Team would continue their championship streak. Despite the impressive showings of the Styre Team in the past two rounds, they were merelypared to regr teams. Those teams didn¡¯t stand a chance against the Ace Team. Everyone knew the Ace Team¡¯s prowess, and there was hardly any doubt about their potential victory. The Styre Team might have had luck on their side in the previous two rounds, but they wouldn¡¯t have the same fortune this time. As the chair of thepetition, Richard went through his routine of visiting each team¡¯s resting area before the final match. As he entered the Styre Team¡¯s lounge, he unexpectedly came across Catherine. Unlike others nervously reviewing, Catherine sat quietly in a corner. Her small face was covered by a peaked cap, making it impossible to discern her features. Even though the news was kept under wraps, as the chair, Richard still got wind of what happened within thepetition grounds. He knew Catherine had been poisoned by a student from Styre University, which led to her absence during the second round. He had presumed Catherine would continue to be absent from the finals. After all, he heard she had been staying in the hospital and only woke up two days ago. However, she was back at the venue now. Indeed, anything seemed possible when it came to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, how are you feeling now?¡± At the sound of these words, Catherine opened her eyes and lifted the brim of her cap to look up. Seeing her silence, Richard, who was seemingly ustomed to it, took a seat on a nearby stool. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ve fully recovered yet?¡± ¡°Just a bit tired,¡± Catherine replied faintly. Richard sighed lightly. He utterly despised the act of poisoning someone behind their back, but in the industry, this wasn¡¯t the first instance. Higher- ups exerted their influence, which left him powerless. Seeing Catherine in this weakened state tugged at his heartstrings. ¡± Catherine, the Ace Team¡¯s strength is formidable. Their consistent championship wins aren¡¯t solely due to Alton¡¯s power but also their own remarkable abilities.¡± The members of the Ace Team were elites selected on a global scale. Even a substitute from their team could lead another team. It was this intimidating strength that upheld their repeated victories. Catherine remainedposed. Her eyes darkened as she looked at Richard coldly. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Richard hesitated and then voiced his thoughts. He said, ¡°Catherine, perhaps you should withdraw.¡± Richard wondered why Catherine attempted the impossible. If Catherine were in good health and at her peak, he would wholeheartedly support her. Even if they were to lose, they would lose with honor. However, based on Catherine¡¯s current situation, it felt like she was pushing herself. And it seemed that she hadn¡¯t fully recovered from a serious illness. Richard didn¡¯t want her risking her body for an impossible task. It simply wasn¡¯t worth it. Upon hearing Richard¡¯s suggestion, Catherine sneered and replied with sarcasm. ¡°You think I¡¯m destined to lose?¡± Richard didn¡¯t want to divulge the truth to Catherine. But in his eyes, the odds of winning this battle were slim for Catherine. From his gaze, Catherine saw it all. She didn¡¯t argue. She lowered her cap and retreated into her own world to continue resting. Seeing this, Richard had no choice but to leave. He had his own tasks to tend to, and deep down, he knew he couldn¡¯t persuade Catherine. Once she made a decision, no one could change her mind. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After Richard left, Marshall came over and briefed everyone on thepetition details. Catherine stood up after listening and headed toward the restroom. At the restroom¡¯s entrance, Catherine encountered an old acquaintance. Atticus, who was impably dressed in a suit, had reverted to his former pompous self. He sported a smug grin and seemed to have been waiting there for a while. He nced at Catherine with a meaningful look and then scrutinized her carefully. ¡°Catherine, long time no see!¡± Catherine stared coldly at him and replied, ¡°This greeting is more fitting for friends. And you¡¯re not qualified for that.¡± Catherine mockingly implied that he didn¡¯t even have the qualifications to be her friend. Atticus was livid. He swallowed his rage as he thought Catherine¡¯s behavior was just bravado. ¡°Catherine, you can say whatever you want now. Your tongue might still be sharp, but you¡¯ll only have tears after thispetition ends. However, if you don¡¯t want to lose too miserably, there¡¯s a way out,¡± Atticus said. He lifted one leg and ced it in front of Catherine. He stared at Catherine with his scornful eyes and said mockingly, ¡°Come on. Kneel and beg at my feet here. Then I might persuade my team to go easy on you and give you a chance.¡± Catherine stepped forward with a cold expression. Just when Atticus thought Catherine was about to kneel, she abruptly lifted her foot and forcefully struck his groin with her knee. Leaning in close to his ear, she cursed, ¡°Fuck off¡­¡± A moment of eerie silence ensued. Then, it was shattered by Atticus¡¯s screams that echoed through the restroom, which started everyone inside. Catherine patted her knee, cast a cold re at the writhing Atticus on the floor, and then left the scene. Catherine emitted an aura of coldness and had a fierce expression. She thought inwardly, ¡°Damn it! What the hell are these people thinking? Why do they all assume I will lose? Since they are all so eager for me to lose, I¡¯ll win just to prove them wrong.¡± Chapter 739 Chapter 739 Interests Came First Before the match began, Branden went backstage and found Catherine. No pep talk. No worries or anxiety. He was calm, as if he was only visiting his girlfriend before ss with a box full of food. The box contained everything that Catherine loved to eat, including bread, fruits, and small snacks. Just a few minutes before the match began, Catherine picked some small snacks and stuffed them into her mouth, eating them slowly. Branden apanied her so quietly, as if someone would support her no matter what she did. The phone buzzed. The caller ID showed it was a call from Marshall. Catherine knew he called to urge her to go back. She did not pick it up. She nced at her watch. It was about time. She was ready to go to the match. Before she stood up, she asked Branden, ¡°Are you approaching the Hacker Alliance?¡± Branden looked at her gently and nodded slightly. He had made it clear long ago that he had no secrets with Catherine. As long as she wanted to know, he would tell her everything. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He reached out to touch her hair, rubbing it gently. ¡°Focus on yourpetition. I¡¯ll tell you about it when the match is over.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Catherine turned and left the restroom. After she returned to the team, everyone officially stepped onto the stage for the final. In fact, the team had some objections to Catherine¡¯s participation in the finals. Since thest time, Vi Vence and another senior boy had an argument with Zobber in the hospital, she had been bearing a grudge against Catherine. After she returned to the team, sheined to the team members and even added fuel to the mes to smear Catherine in various ways. They felt that Marshall was partial to Catherine and wanted her to stand out. Words spread quickly. But neither did Catherine or Marshall put a stop to it. Since no one was stopping her, Vi became more unbridled. Before, Catherine¡¯s expertise was enough to convince them. There was no one better than her in the entire team, and it was understandable for Marshall to favor her. Ability spoke for itself. But now, there was Marlon, who everyone on the team also recognized after leading them to win with a comeback in the second round of the match. Although Marlon had neverpeted with Catherine, no one could say for sure that Catherine was better than him. Things were different when there was a backup. After the senior fanned up the mes, the vibe in the team changed. Before the match, someone came to Marshall and asked, ¡°Professor Hartley, I don¡¯t think Catherine is actively participating in thepetition. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because she hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. Why don¡¯t we rece her with Marlon? Would it be better?¡± Hearing what his team member said before the match, Marshall¡¯s heart sank instantly. He realized that the team spirit he was so proud of was gone. Finally, someone spoke up, and the others joined him and gave the same advice. Vi stepped up when others had foreshadowed. She pointed at Catherine and said, ¡°Professor Hartley, we think it would be better if you put Marlon up for the game, for the glory and those who worked hard. Don¡¯t you want us to win?¡± The words ¡°win¡± made people lose their heads. Under such an atmosphere, many people began to waver. Marshall pursed his lip and remained silent. Eamon, standing aside, was quite mad. He wanted to step up for Catherine but got held back by others. Catherine stood there silently with a sneer on her face. She looked aloof and distant. In the face of interests, rtions were insignificant. Finally, Amelia could not bear to watch anymore. She was responsible for backing up the team. She stepped out and faced Vi, pointing at her and shouting in her face. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just put you up for the game? Why don¡¯t you win the trophy for us? We will all apud you.¡± Vi knew Amelia and Catherine were close. She sneered. ¡°Everybody knows you are Catherine¡¯s henchman.¡± Saying that to Amelia¡¯s face was insulting. Many people looked stunned when hearing this. Amelia paused out of shock. Then she sneered. She finally figured out that interests came first. Since they did not care about the fig leaf, she might as well make it clear. She was not qualified to be in theb anyway. If they wanted to kick her out, that was fair. But she had to spit out what was on her mind. She could not bear it anymore. So, Amelia grabbed Catherine¡¯s hand. Her eyes swept over everyone with disdain and pride. Some people avoided eye contact with her because of a guilty conscience. Then, Amelia pointed at the crowd and cursed, ¡°Look at you, top students of the world. You are no better than parasites. You¡¯re just a bunch of leeches cadging off others! Theboratory once we were so proud of is now rotting.¡± Many people were dissatisfied with being pointed at and scolded by Amelia. In their eyes, Amelia got into theb through the back door. So, she should be quiet and obedient. How did she dare curse everyone? But Amelia did not care about what they thought of her. She fixed her eyes on Vi and continued, ¡°You are right about one thing. I¡¯m Catherine¡¯s henchman because she deserves it. Are you as capable as her?¡± Amelia interrupted her while Vi tried to answer her question. ¡°Shut up if you are not. Or you are just humiliating yourself.¡± After that, Amelia turned to the crow and said, And which one of you is capable of leading the team to win even one round of the match? Wordless? Guess I¡¯m right to call you leeches. ¡°Think about the oath wall you saw before stepping into theboratory. Science is experiences summarized through repeated failures. But what about you? You have the best resources, but instead of working hard, you count on others. Even if you win, does this championship have anything to do with you? Do you win it by yourself? Rely on others to get fame and fortune. How respectable is that!¡± Everyone was speechless after hearing what Amelia said. They lowered their heads and remained silent. They only wanted to win the championship and make a name for themselves, but they never thought that it would be impossible for them to achieve this championship on their own. Marshall, who had been silent for a long time, stood up. At this moment, he seemed to be a few years older. He stood before everyone, his face turning blue, his expression somewhat listless, and he even felt a slight tremble when speaking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell everyone that I was wrong. My education was a failure.¡± Chapter 740 Chapter 740 The Final Stage The public confession of Marshall made everyone tremble. No one expected him to say this. After all, he was always proud. They looked at each other, not knowing what to do. This was the first time Eamon saw Marshall being so angry for all these years. ¡°Professor Hartley,¡± said Eamon. Marshall waved his hand at him to stop him. ¡°Since you¡¯re not interested in ying, there¡¯s no need topete in this final. We¡¯re losing anyway, so why bother ying? Am I right?¡± How ironic was that? The most shameful thing was not to be a loser but a deserter! Hearing what Marshall said, everyone looked at him with disbelief and eximed in surprise. ¡°Professor!¡± Marshall squared his shoulders and looked at the crowd firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. I will face the consequences by myself. I won¡¯t stop you if you still want topete by yourselves.¡± Topete by themselves? Was it a joke? Vi did not expect things to go this far. She only wanted Catherine out. The staff came over and over again to urge them to get on the stage, but Marshall had no intention of going up. Finally, Catherine, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up. ¡°Those who still want to finish thepetition, please stand up.¡± They did not know what Catherine meant and looked up at her. Catherine¡¯s gaze fell on Eamon. She asked, ¡°Eamon, do you still want topete in the game?¡± Eamon hesitated for a moment and then stood up firmly. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, I worked hard for several years to gain the chance to be here. Even if I lose the game, I want to lose it with dignity. I may lose because I¡¯m not good enough, not because I¡¯m a coward. 11 With what Eamon said, more teammates stood up. ¡°We are in!¡± Catherine looked at them and counted. There were eight people, including her. That would do. She waved at them and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Eamon was dumbfounded, not knowing what she meant. ¡°Catherine, what do you mean?¡± Catherine knew Eamon very well. He was a nice person, but he could be garrulous. ¡°No more words. Just follow me,¡± answered Catherine. Marshall sighed and said to Eamon, ¡± Eamon, listen to Catherine.¡± With what Marshall said, Eamon had no hesitation and followed Catherine all the way. Led by Catherine, the eight people stood on the stage for the final. Vi looked at Catherine with disbelief. Things had developed so fast. ¡°Is Catherine crazy? If she wants to bring disgrace and shame upon herself, go ahead. Why did she involve others in this?¡± Hearing this, Amelia sneered. ¡°Is she crazy? Or is she putting up a desperate fight? I believe we all have the answer. Of course,pared to Catherine¡¯s recklessness, I admire your weakness. You are so much more respectable than Catherine toe all the way here and chicken out at thest minute.¡± What Amelia said was like a hammer banging on everyone. Those who had stayed struggled for a while. But this was a game impossible to win. They did not dare to stand on the stage and be mocked by everyone. Amelia did not want to waste her time with a bunch of cowards. She went out to watch Catherine¡¯s game. Everyone was stunned when Catherine and the Styre Team were on the stage. A livementator was arranged for the final, and thementator immediately brought the camera to the front of the team for the final interview. ¡°Styre Team, where is the other half of your team? With less than one minute, the match will begin. If they can not make it on the stage, they will be disqualified,¡± said thementator. Eamon hesitated and stood up. ¡°This is all of us.¡± Thementator looked at the Styre Team shockingly and even counted himself. ¡°There are only eight of you. Are you sure this is all?¡± No one answered him. But the expressions on the Styre Team member¡¯s faces told him he was right about the number. ¡°You are facing the defending champion, the Ace Team. Are you sure you have enough people?¡± thementator joked. The tease in thementator¡¯s words was obvious. The Styre Team stood no chance of defeating the Ace Team, even with a whole crew. Not to mention only eight people now. They might as well give up. And Catherine answered his question with only one word, ¡°Positive.¡± Hearing what Catherine said, thementator¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. This was impossible. He knew Catherine was outstanding in her team, but the odds of the Styre Team winning over the Ace Team were zero. So, thementator joked about the Styre Team on the stage. ¡°Catherine, what makes you so confident? Do you have any advanced strategies? Why don¡¯t you share with us and do a bit of trash talk to your opponents?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The original intention of thementator was to make fun of Catherine and mock the ipetence of the Styre Team, elevating the atmosphere to a climax. But he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to take it seriously. Catherine took the microphone from his hand, her cold gaze locked on the members of the Ace Team. With only three words, she made everyone present feel her determination. ¡°You are doomed.¡± With that, she passed the microphone to thementator and walked into a ss chamber with other teammates, ready for the game. Thementator was intimidated by Catherine just now, and now he hade to his senses. To adjust the awkward atmosphere, thementator sneered and joked. ¡°The Styre Team was humorous. Let¡¯s see how the Ace Team is doomed.¡± The audience burst into thunderousughs. Because no one believed the Ace Team would lose. There could only be one champion, and that would be the Ace Team. Thepetition officially started. Eamon and the others were all dumbfounded when they received the experiment topic. They had predicted the topic in the final might be trickier. But they did not expect it to be so hard. Only the Ace Team could solve a problem like this. Catherine nced at the topic, which was indeed quite challenging. However, this was not a big deal for her. ¡°Don¡¯t stand there. Let¡¯s start. I¡¯ll assign tasks. Everyone takes action.¡± Eamon found that Catherine was not talkative usually, but when she spoke up, she sounded convincing. She was born to be a leader. What she said was like an order, making others do as she said. Atticus was found in the bathroom and pushed out in a wheelchair. He was supposed to be sent to the hospital. But he insisted on staying. He wanted to witness Catherine¡¯s loss, to see her defeated by his team on the stage for the final. When he saw Catherine appearing on the stage with only seven people, he couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. He thought, ¡®I thought Catherine had secret weapons. But she did not even have enough people. It¡¯s ridiculous. How is she going to defeat my team with an iplete team? She is going to lose. I may rest quietly and wait for the victory bell to ring.¡¯ Chapter 741 Chapter 741 After the Game Halfway through the game, the Ace Team was leading all the way, while the Styre Team was still struggling to study the experiment steps in the early stages. There was no miracle. At this pace, the Styre Team was going to lose for sure. However, under the leadership of Catherine, the Styre Team seemed to have not seen the iing failure and was still proceeding with the game in order, utterly unaffected by the external. Many audiences lost the desire to watch the game. A game without a cliffhanger was not worth watching. As the mentor of the Ace Team, Atticus even began to doze off in front of the global camera, showing his contempt and disdain for his opponent in this final. The members of the Ace Team also showed great disdain for the Styre Team upon seeing this. However, they were not as careless as the Johnville Team. They would not rx on such a significant asion. They never thought of the Styre Team as their opponent. The only one they wanted to defeat was themselves. So they were focused through the whole game. As the game drew to an end, the Ace Team took the lead inpleting the experimental project. They rang the bell. Surprisingly, the Styre Team also rang the bell. The powerful sound impressed everyone. They almost focused all their attention on the Ace Team¡¯s superb skills, which was more like a performance than an experiment. They didn¡¯t even look at the Styre Team. And no one noticed when theypleted the experiment. Both sides had announced thepletion of the experiments, and the judges required team members from both sides to submit their results before exiting theboratory. The result would soon be out on site. The Ace Team had started celebrating in advance that they had once again won the Bide Cup championship. And in everyone¡¯s eyes, this match was already over. Atticus hugged the team members while provocatively looking at Catherine. ¡°Catherine, when I met you at Styre University, I appreciated your abilities. If you had been willing to follow me before, now you would have be a member of the Ace Team, sessfully standing on the Bide Cup championship and receiving the highest honor. Unfortunately, you are too stubborn and disobedient. And you are going to pay for that.¡± Catherine sat calmly on the bench, looking at Atticus, who was arrogant and constantly provoking. She didn¡¯t even want to speak a single word to him. Unfortunately, Atticus was not quite observant. He kept provoking when Catherine ignored him. ¡°Catherine, you used to be arrogant. Why are you speechless now? Let me tell you, if you¡¯re willing to obediently admit your mistake to me now and reflect deeply on what you¡¯ve done before, I might show mercy and write a rmendation letter for you and make you a substitute member of the Ace Team.¡± When people heard Atticus¡¯s words, they began to envy Catherine. It was known that countless students in the scientific researchmunity had set their life goals as entering the Ace Team, the beat team of Alton. As long as one could enter the Ace Team, one could ess the world¡¯s top projects, the most advanced experimental equipment, and the most advanced experimental topics. It could be said that the students of the Ace Team were a group of people standing at the top of the science pyramid. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Vi, who proposed to rece Catherine with Marlon, was outraged after hearing what Atticus said. She could not understand why so many people appreciated Catherine. She thought Catherine did not deserve it. Thinking of this, she was so jealous of everything Catherine had. She turned to the people next to her and said, ¡°No wonder Catherine insisted on finishing the game, knowing she would lose, so that the mentor of the Ace Team would see her and invite her to his team. What a heartless woman to sacrifice the whole team for her benefit. The Styre Team was humiliated because of her.¡± Hearing what she said, many people changed their attitude toward Catherine from jealousy to hatred. They did not understand why Catherine was invited to the Ace Team even after she lost the game. But they seemed to find the answer in Vi¡¯s words. There were increasing voices of dissatisfaction and questioning towards Catherine. Catherine, the subject of discussion, seemed to have shielded herself from the external and sat expressionless. Vi became even more excessive when she saw Catherine remain silent. She pointed at Catherine and asked, ¡± Are you wordless because you feel guilty? Where¡¯s your pride?¡± Amelia could not bear to watch her shouting anymore. She was about to stand up and talk back when a voice from behind distracted her. ¡°I thought I heard a cow mooing at the door. So it was you yelling,¡± said Ronin, walking forward slowly with his arms crossed. Branden was walking in front of him expressionlessly, identical to Catherine. Hearing Ronin¡¯s words, Vi blushed scarlet. Calling her a cow in public was insulting. Vi suppressed her anger and retorted, ¡°You are on the same boat with Catherine. You only want to save her from embarrassment by teasing me. That¡¯s immoral.¡± Ronin did not retort her. He put his arm on Amelia¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡± Amelia, do you know what ¡®have a cow¡¯ means?¡± Amelia paused, not knowing Ronin¡¯s intention. Ronin pointed at Vi and said, ¡°She¡¯s exining it to you vividly. 11 Amelia figured out Ronin¡¯s wordy. She could not help butugh out loud. Vi¡¯s face darkened, pointing at Ronin angrily. ¡°How dare you!¡± Seeing that she was not taking any advantage, she turned to Marshall. ¡°Do you see that, Professor Hartley? Ronin is so filthy that he doesn¡¯t deserve to be in Styre University.¡± Marshall didn¡¯t even nce at her, making his attitude very obvious. Vi wanted to continue, but Branden did not give her a chance. ¡°You have the nerves to shout here after you sold your teammates for benefits.¡± What he said puzzled everyone. They focused on Branden, not knowing why he suddenly said such words. Vi fidgeted about out of guilty conscience while Branden had not even said anything explosive. She asked, ¡± What do you mean?¡± Branden did not even bother to answer her question. Paxton stepped up and said, ¡°Mr. Duncan didn¡¯t say anything yet. Why are you so eager to admit?¡± Chapter 742 Chapter 742 The Champion Vi trembled furiously, using Catherine of joining forces with others to bully her. But even Paxton did not take her seriously, let alone Branden and Catherine. Paxton sneered and looked at Vi, who was constantly condemning Catherine. ¡°Why are you barking like a dog? Are you in such a hurry to get rid of suspicion? We haven¡¯t mentioned that you sold your team to get the offer from ab.¡± ¡°You are slinging mud on me. That¡¯s a dirty lie!¡± shouted Vi, trembling with anger. But the next second, Paxton pped her in the face by showing everyone the most direct evidence. He threw the evidence in the air, which fell like snowkes. They werete to get that evidence. Facing the indisputable truth, Vi swallowed her arrogance. She yelled terrifiedly, ¡°It¡¯s a trap. You must have framed me!¡± People were not fools. They knew very well whether she had been framed or not. Paxton looked at those who were angry because of what Vi did. He could not help but continue, ¡°Look at you guys. You im to be geniuses. But you are easily manipted by a woman.¡± Paxton¡¯s words were like ice water poured on those who were incited to make a fuss by Vi just now. Now, they red at Vi with hatred, wanting to rip her off. The voice of asking Professor Hartley to punish Vi was constant. Marshall was heartbroken already and tried to ignore the chaos. But he could not bear to be asked again and again. He looked at Vi disappointedly. Vi opened her mouth and nervously yelled, ¡± Professor Hartley, please!¡± Marshall sighed deeply. ¡°Since you are not willing to stay in ourb. It¡¯s only right to let you go.¡± When mocked by everyone and expelled by Marshall, Vi finally stopped pretending. ¡°Fine. There¡¯s no need to fake anymore. I¡¯m leaving now. ¡°With that, Vi turned around and left. Seeing her leaving, Ronin wanted to stop her. But he was held back by Paxton. Ronin looked at Paxton with confusion. ¡°Are you going to let her go so easily?¡± Paxton looked calmly. He asked in reply. ¡°Do you think Mr. Duncan will let go of those who ndered Miss Swann? Ronin thought carefully, ¡®He did make a sense. Branden was capable and extremely protective of Catherine. Vi will be miserable after smearing Catherine like that. But why is Catherine so quiet today?¡¯ Catherine sat still for a long time. And Branden remained by her side, silently guarding her. All of a sudden, Catherine raised her head. Her originally dim eyes glittered. ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± ¡°Got what?¡± asked Branden. Catherine turned to look at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the key point that caused our experiments to fail. I know how to break through technically.¡± Branden knew Catherine had been spending a lot of time in theb for an experiment on microchips. But she had not made it yet. Many topboratories around the world were rushing to carry out this experiment. But currently, no one has sessfully done it. She must have made a significant breakthrough to be so excited. Branden reached out to stroke her soft hair and looked at her affectionately. ¡± Congrattions!¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows at him proudly and said, ¡°Not bad. I was inspired when carrying out the experiment in thepetition.¡± ¡°Well done!¡± answered Branden. People thought Catherine was sad about losing the game, so she sat there motionlessly for a long time aftering off the stage. Only Branden knew Catherine must have been attracted by something, making her ignore the distractions and focus on her own. Marshall was freshened up when he heard what Catherine said. He was going to ask in detail about her breakthrough. But suddenly, noises came from the stage. The host was there to announce the result of the game. ¡°Congrattions to the Styre Team for winning the championship of the Bide Cup Challenge!¡± Marshall widened his eyes and looked at the students around him with disbelief. He asked shockingly, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that wrong, did I? We won the championship?¡± Incredible as it was, everyone heard that. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°I heard it, Professor Hartley! He said the Styre Team!¡± one student yelled excitedly. Another student echoed, ¡°Yes, I heard that, too!¡± Many students were shouting, ¡°Yes, the Styre Team won!¡± After the announcement, the audience went wild. Instead of cheering and congrattions, an overwhelming wave of questioning swept over instantly. No one would believe the Styre Team would defeat the Ace Team and win the championship. Everyone thought it was impossible. Hearing the announcement, Atticus stood up and mmed his hat furiously on the ground. He cursed in great anger, ¡°How is that possible? The Styre Team is trash. There¡¯s no chance they can win. There must have been covert deals.¡± Everyone was in disbelief and subconsciously thought of covert deals. But it would be impossible to y dirty on them in a country as powerful as Alton, where the Ace Team was the host team. Given the doubts about the results of thepetition, Richard Goodman, as the chairman of the competitionmittee, stepped forward. He invited the captain of the Ace Team toe on stage and show him the experiment result of the Styre Team. After a moment, the captain of the Ace Team reappeared. He stood in the center of the stage embarrassedly, holding a microphone and saying to the crowd, ¡°Although I don¡¯t want to admit it, we did lose.¡± The result of the Styre Team experiment made the captain of the Ace Team admit that they had lost, indicating how capable the Styre Team was, or more urately, how capable Catherine was. She alone supported the whole team. Atticus still couldn¡¯t ept the result and even rushed onto the stage, ignoring his image. He grabbed the captain¡¯s cor, raised his eyes, gritted his teeth, and red at him. ¡°Bastard! Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Howe we lost?¡± The Ace Team, especially the captain, had been putting up with their new mentor for a long time. Now that Atticus was so rude to him, he felt no need to treat Atticus politely. He pushed him to the ground and red at him. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. If you have a problem with that, you can experiment yourself.¡± Now, Atticus was like a clown, looking fierce in a frenzy of rage. ¡°No, this is impossible.¡± Regardless of what Atticus said, thepetitionmittee had already announced the results of the competition. As one of the participating teams, the Ace Team had also confirmed the result, and there was no doubt that the champion was the Styre Team. After seeing the result confirmed, Eamon was still in a trance. He stared nkly at Catherine¡¯s direction and muttered, ¡°Catherine, are you a God?¡± Chapter 743 Chapter 743 The Appalling Truth Catherine was not a God. But she did create a miracle. No one had ever thought that the Styre Team, ill- matched with the Ace Team and undermanned, would win the championship. Those who were deceived by Vi and withdrew from the game were regretful. They gave up a chance to be famous. Marshall¡¯s eyes were filled with tears of excitement. He was sorrowful of his inability to educate at first. But to his surprise, Catherine gave him such a delight. He wanted to thank Catherine for enlightening the dawn in his darkest night. Marshall came to his senses from the surprise of winning the championship and was about to thank Catherine. He turned around only to find Catherine was leaving. ¡°Catherine, Where are you going? You should be on the stage to receive the awardter,¡± asked Marshall. ¡°To theb,¡± replied Catherine without turning around. Looking at Catherine from behind in silhouette, Marshall expressed his amazement. ¡°Catherine does not care about rewards or glory. All she has in mind is experiment. This is the quality that a researcher should possess. Do you understand?¡± Hearing Marshall¡¯s words, many students bowed out of shame because they had misjudged Catherine. They were not aware of their foolishness and ignorance until this moment. Eamon looked at Catherine from far behind, feeling she was even greater now. ¡°Are we the champion?¡± The excited voice caught everyone¡¯s attention. Seeing Marlon was here, Eamon took the initiative tofort him for not being able to attend the finals. ¡± Marlon, don¡¯t feel down. Although you didn¡¯t have the chance to stand on the stage for the finals, you are young and capable of achieving your goal in the future. I have faith in you.¡± Eamon was so focused on Marlon that he did not notice Marshall¡¯s expression had changed. Marlon looked at Eamon merrily and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Eamon. I¡¯m not frustrated at all. I¡¯m aware of my ability. I feel so happy and proud that our team won the championship.¡± Eamon looked closely at Marlon. He talked so innocently and smiled genuinely. Eamon sang praises for him inwardly. He thought, ¡®Marlon and Catherine are alike. Both are capable and unimpressed by fame.¡¯ With the development of the situation, Marshall could not keep the secret anymore. ¡°Listen, I think there¡¯s one thing you need to know.¡± A few team members gathered around Marshall upon his words. Marshall coughed and asked them to keep the secret. Then he said, ¡°That Marlon you saw in the second round of the match was Catherine in disguise.¡± Everyone was shocked. This sounded unreal. Who would think that Catherine would disguise herself as Marlon to attend the game? It did not make any sense. Why would she do that? Those team members wanted to ask for a reason, but Marshall stopped them. ¡± This is not for you to ask. After so many years in theb, don¡¯t you know what top secret is? Don¡¯t ask about the arrangements made by the superiors.¡± The others could only hold back their curiosity. It turned out that the best in theb was still Catherine. When Fergus saw the news in the hotel, he was so stunned that he dropped the ss on the floor. He even thought it was an illusion that Catherine was on the stage for the finals and won the championship. How was it possible? The phone rang before he came to his senses from the astonishment. He reached for his phone subconsciously and answered it. ¡°Fergus, how dare you lie to me? You are dead.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Atticus¡¯ furious voice came through the phone, making him realize what was happening. Thinking of Atticus¡¯ dirty moves and the boss behind him, he eagerly exined, ¡°Professor Sterling, please listen to me. I did give Catherine the medicine. I swear with my life. How dare I lie to you?¡± ¡°Then exin to me. How did she make it to the finals?¡± asked Atticus. Fergus messed up with Catherine¡¯s medicine to make sure she could attend the match but fell into a coma and became vegetative in the middle. He didn¡¯t know why things turned outpletely different from what he had expected while everything was going ording to his n. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, Professor Sterling. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± said Fergus, trembling as he held the phone in his hand. ¡°You are fooling me around, Fergus. And I will make you pay for this. Just wait and see.¡± Atticus threatened and hung up. Fergus stared at the unlit screen of his phone, not knowing what to do. It seemed Atticus would not let him walk off so easily. The only thing he could do was to run away. He could find a safe ce to hide, lying low until the wind blew over. Anyway, there was still arge amount of money in his ount now, enough for him to livefortably without work for the rest of his life. On the thought of this, Fergus began to pack up. Before he was done, the doorbell rang. ¡°Room services. Professor Lynch, your meal is here.¡± Fergus thought he still had time for a meal, so he opened the door. He was ready to get his meal when a couple of men in ck suits rushed in and pinned him down to the ground. Fergus was appalled and struggled violently. ¡°What are you doing? Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°Fergus, you disappointed me.¡± A familiar voice caught Fergus¡¯s attention. He stopped struggling and looked up. Marshall stood in the front, apanied by a few leaders who came with the team for the Bide Cup challenges. Marshall knew Fergus was utterly hopeless as he continued to argue. ¡°Fergus, you don¡¯t have to struggle anymore. I gave you a chance. It was your greed that harmed you. Catherine knew from the beginning what you had done. You weaved the for yourself,¡± exined Marshall. Now, Fergus finally understood. No wonder Catherine was fine. She had found out the truth from the beginning. But she took advantage of the situation and tricked him into it. Fergus looked at Marshall with confusion. ¡°So you and Catherine put on a show to trick me? Is it also a lie that you said you would do anything to win the championship?¡± ¡°No one tricked or lied to you. You are tasting the medicine of your evil deeds. If you hadn¡¯t conspired with outsiders to poison Catherine, you would not end up like this,¡± replied Marshall. Fergus was wordless and epted his fate silently. Chapter 744 Chapter 744 Young and Powerful Branden knocked on the door of theb right at six pm. Catherine stopped the experiment when she heard the knocking. She knew who was there without looking. Only one man dared to interrupt her at this time. There was no one as principled and persistent as him. After Catherine saved the experimental data, she turned off theputer. The experiment was not in a hurry. She found inspiration from thepetition just now and made a breakthrough. She transferred all the subsequent data to Rodge and asked him to continue studying with Scott. She put away everything and turned around to look at the man leaning against the door frame. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Branden grabbed her slim waist and whispered in her ear, ¡°Do you want to eat outside or go home?¡± With many things to handle, Catherine did not want to spend too much time on supper. ¡°Let¡¯s grab a bite outside.¡± Seeing her frosty face, Branden knew what she was going to do. He asked Paxton to arrange a restaurant that Catherine liked and ordered in advance. They drove thereter. Tonight was not a good time to enjoy delicate food. They finished their meal quickly and got back to the car. Paxton reported thetest information to them. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Atticus is located. Are we going now?¡± Branden nced at Catherine, who showed no emotions on her face and nodded. Paxton immediately asked the driver to drive. He already had men guarded outside Atticus¡¯s room in the hotel. Atticus did not stand a chance to escape. Atticus was still immersed in the failure of the match. He had just be the mentor of the Ace Team. And they faced the Styre Team in the finals, which had barely made the top three before. And they lost. Now, everyone med him for his inability and used him of leading the team to failure. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The university ended his contract mercilessly and demanded hugepensation from him. Atticus thought, ¡®I lost the game and failed to kill Catherine. How can I afford thepensation? I used to be proud. Now I¡¯m broke and hated by everyone. I me Catherine. If it were not for her, I would not end up like this.¡¯ He got more and more outraged when he thought of this. He smashed the wine bottle on the wall. He swore to make Catherine pay for what she did and settle the ounts with her. Atticus stared ahead viciously, imagining Catherine standing in front of him. He roared fiercely, ¡°Catherine, you wait and see!¡± The next second, a loud bang interrupted his thought. The closed door was kicked open from outside. The person Atticus had just imagined stood right there casually. Catherine looked up and smiled weirdly. Her chilly gaze fell on him. ¡°Professor Sterling, Are you looking for me?¡± Atticus shook his head hard to ensure she was not an illusion of wine. She really was here. After he became sober, Atticus was scared to death. He fell to the ground and stared at Catherine shockingly. ¡± Why, why are you here?¡± Catherine sneered. She raised her eyebrows and looked up and down at Atticus teasingly. ¡°Maybe because you are thinking about me?¡± Atticus almost wetted his pants. His face turned pale, and his body shrank back uncontrobly. The more he retreated, the more Catherine advanced. He was cornered. Catherine squatted down to grab his cor. Before she raised her fist, Atticus, who was still boasting not long ago, had already shouted out regardless of his image. ¡°What are you going to do, Catherine? You are in Alton. You are going to jail for murder.¡± Catherine looked at him, amused. She asked, ¡°What do you think I¡¯m going to do? Murder you? You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Death is only too easy for you. And I don¡¯t want to get my hands dirty for you.¡± The disdain and pride in herughs let Atticus know she was not bluffing. Atticus knew that he had no dignity in front of Catherine. She thought nothing of him. But he didn¡¯t care about it because all he wanted was to live. Catherine grabbed his cor and mmed it. Atticus was thrown onto the wall and fell to the ground again. He painfully covered his chest and struggled to look up at Catherine. He asked, ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Catherine looked around casually and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Atticus could not wait to ask his biggest questions. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you poisoned? How did you I was behind the scenes?¡± He knew it was impossible to strike back without knowing the scheme from the beginning. He just could not figure out how she saw through everything. Catherine sneered at Atticus and said, I didn¡¯t expect you to ask such a foolish question, but I¡¯m in a good mood today. So you can get an answer. 11 ¡°When Professor Lynch induced Paddy to poison me, I found out he was behind the scenes and then found out about you.¡± She was poisoned and fell into aa because of Paddy¡¯s poison. But it was nothing in front of Connie. Connie was not only a skilled doctor but also an expert in neuropathy. She was more capable than Fergus. Catherine came around after Connie¡¯s treatment. After she sobered up, she asked Connie to cooperate with her and found out Fergus was behind the scenes. And then she found out about Atticus. Atticus opened his eyes widely in shock. He could not believe what he heard. He thought he had a perfect n that could defeat Catherine. It turned out he was the one that was caught in a spider¡¯s web. Heughed crazily. Catherine stood there with no expressions, letting himugh out loud as if she was watching a clown show that was not funny at all. Atticusughed for a while and stopped to re at Catherine. ¡°You think you¡¯ve won? You can never win, Catherine. Never.¡± Catherine did not even bother to drag him up. She stepped on him with one foot, looking down at him from a height like a king. ¡°You go back and tell that old guy I¡¯m at daggers drawn with the Breens.¡± Catherine¡¯s words gave him goosebumps instantly. He thought of the Breens as his trump card. But she already saw through it. Atticus looked at Catherine in shock and thought, ¡® Howe she is so young yet powerful, as if everything was in control of her? Shane is my life-saving straw. Now that she knew about it. What would happen to me?¡¯ He dared not imagine. Atticus stared at Catherine frightenedly and trembled. ¡°What will you do to me? ¡°he asked. Chapter 745 Chapter 745 A Hairdresser Catherine threw Atticus in front of Paxton, who grabbed the limp and helpless Atticus and directly attacked him, leaving Atticus¡¯s hands disabled. In Paxton¡¯s opinion, Catherine shouldn¡¯t do such vulgar work, so he would take care of it. ¡°AHHH!¡± Atticus fell to the ground, crying out in pain. Paxton coldly snorted, looking down at Atticus, who was lying on the ground. ¡± Is that all?¡± he thought. His speed of attack was fast enough, yet Atticus was still screaming like that. ¡°You¡¯re truly weaker than a woman,¡± Paxtonmented in his mind. Faced with Paxton¡¯s disdain and scorn, Atticus had no ability to fight back. He had no idea what to do now. He didn¡¯t even know what his future would be. The sessive defeats were discouraging enough, and now his hands had been disabled. How could he conduct experiments? Without his hands, he was worthless and would be mercilessly abandoned. Catherine couldn¡¯t even be bothered to spare Atticus a nce, simply turning and walking away. Paxton followed and caught up with Catherine. ¡°Miss Swann, are you just going to let him go like that?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°His backers won¡¯t let him off, so why dirty our hands?¡± Catherine replied casually. Paxton thought Catherine¡¯s response made sense. Someone else would teach Atticus a lesson. Back at the hotel, Catheriney wearily on the armchair. ¡°Feeling tired, huh?¡± asked Branden. Catherine was silent momentarily, then said weakly, ¡°A little.¡± She hadpeted in the morning and spent the whole afternoon in theb, which was indeed exhausting. Branden looked at her gently. ¡°Take a rest. I¡¯ll prepare some fruit for you!¡± ¡°I want to wash my hair!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Branden agreed and then went to the bathroom. Catherine didn¡¯t understand why Branden went to the bathroom after she said she wanted to wash her hair. A few minutester, Branden emerged from the bathroom. The legs of his expensive tailored suit were rolled up to his knees, and the sleeves of his white shirt were also rolled up to his elbows. Catherine had never seen Branden in such a style before. He looked like a fallen nobleman, which was quite interesting. ¡°What¡¯s with this style of yours?¡± she asked. Seeing Catherine in a good mood, Branden was pleased. ¡°It just fits my current identity!¡± he replied. ¡°What identity?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°A hairdresser!¡± Branden answered seriously. Catherine was stunned for a moment, and Branden made an inviting gesture to her, indicating for her to enter the bathroom. Curious, Catherine walked towards the bathroom, wanting to see what Branden was up to. As soon as she entered, she was shocked by the scene before her. Branden had transformed the bathtub into a hair-washing chair with a towelid on top. ¡°Please!¡± Branden, like a dedicated hairdresser, warmly invited her. Catherine walked over to the homemade hair-washing chair andy down, and Branden turned on the shower, letting warm water gently pour onto her scalp. As Branden massaged Catherine¡¯s scalp with his fingertips, waves of rxation swept over her, soothing her scalp and gradually rxing her nerves. She closed her eyesfortably, slowly enjoying it all. ¡°Not bad, keep going!¡± she said. Branden looked at her, enjoying herself, a gentle smile on his face. She was spoiled, but what else could he do? He could only continue to spoil her. Chapter 746 Chapter 746 My Mother Didn¡¯t Die Upon waking up, Catherine felt aches all over her body, even more intense than the soreness from carrying a 100- pound load for six miles. What was supposed to be a simple hair wash turned into something ambiguous as the water temperature rose, and their desire escted, leading to a natural sex. Catherine rested for a while. She was about to get up when Branden pushed the door open, carrying food in his hands. Seeing the array of food, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile in resignation. Since she had known Branden, her stomach troubles seemed to have miraculously disappeared, never bothering her again. Branden was always there, never forgetting to satisfy her stomach. Branden set down what he was carrying and looked at Catherine with a gentle smile, his voice so indulgent as he said, ¡°Freshen up and have something to eat. Then, you can do whatever you like. Catherine nodded in agreement with Branden¡¯s proposal. Thepetition ended, and the Styre Team won the championship. Marshall said the school had promised them a three-day holiday in Alton, where they could go wherever they wanted before returning together. Catherine had no interest in the victory banquet, and knowing her personality, Marshall helped her avoid it. Over the next three days, Catherine could finally take a good rest. Branden also put his work on hold, ready to apany Catherine for the next three days. She was held in his arms, savoring the food he had prepared for her. Given more time, Catherine decided to attend to her affairs. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me your purpose in contacting the Hacker Alliance?¡± she asked. She hadn¡¯t forgotten the agreement she made with Branden before thepetition. He had promised to tell her once thepetition was over. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Branden tightened his grip on her waist slightly. He had promised not to hide anything from her if she wanted to know. And he would keep that promise forever. ¡°Do you know my mother?¡± he asked. Catherine nodded slightly. In Casier, everybody knew there was such a big shot from the Duncans. Branden¡¯s mother also came from a prestigious family, with a backgroundparable to the Duncans, and she was incredibly beautiful, earning the title of Casier¡¯s number one beauty. This fact was evident in Branden¡¯s features. He didn¡¯t resemble his father much. Instead, he inherited his mother¡¯s beautiful and captivating appearance. However, Branden¡¯s parents were not together out of love. Their union was mainly due to the commercial needs of their families. This led to a strained rtionship between Branden¡¯s mother and father, causing her to be mncholic at a young age. Catherine knew that Branden wouldn¡¯t bring up his mother without a reason. ¡± I heard your mother was very beautiful, ¡± she said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Branden replied lightly, and in his expression, Catherine saw a rare hint of vulnerability and tenderness. In Branden¡¯s memory, his mother was indeed very beautiful. Despite the frequent arguments between his parents in front of Branden, his mother was always gentle and soft-spoken. ¡°My mother didn¡¯t die,¡± Branden said. Hearing this, Catherine was somewhat shocked. ¡°Are you seeking information about your mother through the Hacker Alliance?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Branden¡¯s eyes showed a hint of pain as he gradually recalled the past. When his father had an affair and was caught by his mother, his mother fell into extreme distress. A few yearster, his mother passed away from illness. This was the story the Duncans and Branden¡¯s grandfather had agreed to tell the public, but in reality, his mother had died by suicide. For many years, Branden had believed this was true, until a few years ago when he identally discovered letters left by his grandfather, revealing that his mother had not actually died. Her death was just a facade, all part of a scheme. Before marrying into the Duncans, his mother had a first love who had given up on her due to the strong opposition from his family. Many yearster, they unexpectedly met again, and upon learning about his mother¡¯s situation, that man orchestrated a y, allowing her to escape her troubles. In Branden¡¯s arms, Catherine could feel his emotional turmoil. ¡°Do you want to see her again?¡± Perhaps Branden wouldn¡¯t disrupt his mother¡¯s life. Just seeing her again and confirming her safety would be enough for him. Branden knew Catherine would understand, and indeed, his spection was correct. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated, and the people who took my mother were seen in Florona,¡± he said. Branden¡¯s words made Catherine understand why he insisted on having the chief of the Hacker Alliance personally involved. Florona was a ce that couldn¡¯t be found on the world map, a small country that caused headaches for many major countries. It was a haven for criminals and a ce for people to hide from their enemies. Once inside, one would be protected, but the conditions were strict. One had to be a citizen, and one could never leave without permission. Viting this rule would result in being hunted down and killed, no matter where in the world one might be. It was extremely difficult for other countries to intervene. Due to its unique geographical location, the outside world had no way of entering Florona without the chief¡¯s consent, let alone leaving alive. Over the years, only one person had sessfully gotten into Florona and left unscathed, and that person hadn¡¯t even joined Florona. That person was the chief of the Hacker Alliance, Catherine, and she remained the only one to achieve this feat. Catherine set down her spoon and leaned gently into Branden¡¯s arms. ¡± Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get what you want,¡± she assured him. She had no intention of revealing her identity as the chief of the Hacker Alliance to Branden. If he knew, he would never allow her to take such risks. The ce was dangerous, but since she had managed to go there once and return safely, she was certain she could find a way to do it again. She just couldn¡¯t let him know about it. In the afternoon, Branden went out to handle some business while Catherine went downstairs to join her group of friends to y games. When Wantel, who was talking to Zobber over the phone, found out that they were all with Catherine, he became jealous and startedining. ¡°Why do all of you get to be with Catherine while I have to be alone at home? I¡¯m also in Alton! This is unfair!¡± Zobber engaged in a heated argument with Wantel. Upon hearing Wantel¡¯sint, Catherine told Zobber, ¡°Let hime over. I need to discuss something with him.¡± In fact, there was no need for Zobber to ry the message. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s voice, Wantel eagerly prepared himself and said, ¡°No problem, Catherine. I¡¯ll be right there!¡± In just twenty minutes, Wantel had traveled from the west side of a city to the east, arriving at the hotel where Catherine and the others were staying. ¡°Guys, here I am!¡± Wantel arrived with arge amount of food in an attempt to please everyone. As long as Catherine was around, Wantel behaved like a normal person. However, when Catherine was not present, Wantel turned into a cold, unapproachable person who suffered from agoraphobia, refusing to leave his house. Seeing him set down the food, Catherine beckoned to him. ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Wantel said, scurrying off under the disdainful gazes of the others. Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Hiding It from Branden Catherine leaned against the railing, her face devoid of much emotion. Her icy eyes were vacant as if nothing could capture her attention. When Wantel entered the room, he walked slowly to Catherine and stopped in front of her. ¡°Catherine, do you have any orders? Just tell me,¡± he said. ¡°Do you have the information about the Duncan Corporation¡¯s order?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Wantel nodded. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Tell the Duncan Corporation that the Hacker Alliance has epted their order and demands,¡± Catherine instructed. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯smand, Wantel looked at her in surprise. ¡± Catherine, are you nning to reveal your identity?¡± Before, Wantel didn¡¯t understand the rtionship between Catherine and Branden, but now that Wantel knew it, he thought maybe in the future, the Duncan Corporation and the Hacker Alliance would be handled by the same person. If that was the case, it was normal to know some of the Hacker Alliance¡¯s secrets. After all, Catherine and Branden might be a family in the future, so there was no need for them to keep secrets from each other. Catherine nced expressionlessly at Wantel. ¡°No need to reveal my identity. Just ept the order in the name of the Hacker Alliance.¡± ¡°Not reveal it?¡± Wantel was somewhat shocked, seemingly not expecting Catherine to make this decision. He wanted to ask for rification but was silenced by a nce from Catherine, swallowing back the words that had almoste out of his mouth. Her presence was so intimidating that just a single nce was enough to make him feel scared. ¡°Okay, Catherine, I see,¡± Wantel said. ¡°Go out,¡± Catherine said. Wantel knew that Catherine wanted to rest, so he opened the door and walked out. Catherine¡¯spetition ended, and they could officially begin their free journey in Alton. Zobber was the most excited, having been bored for the past few days. Now, Catherine¡¯spetition finally came to an end. Zobber immediately organized a trip and called everyone in. Branden and the others arrivedte, appearing after dark. After everyone gathered, Zobber stood up excitedly to announce, ¡°To celebrate Catherine¡¯s victory, how about we have a three-day trip before returning?¡± Instead of immediately agreeing, everyone looked at Catherine, who seemed to be deep in thought. There was a moment¡¯s dy before she responded to Zobber. ¡°I agree!¡± With that, cheers erupted. Ronin raised his hands and shouted, ¡± Awesome, Catherine!¡± When Catherine saw everyone in good spirits, her face showed a faint smile. Zobber arranged for a boat overnight. Catherine stood on the deck, her hair tousled by the sea breeze. Suddenly, a warm sensation enveloped her as her body was surrounded by a soft towel. She turned her head to see Branden approaching, his long arms enveloping her tightly. ¡°Feeling cold?¡± he asked in a gentle voice. Catherine instinctively leaned her head back, pressing it against his broad chest. ¡°No. Are they still drinking?¡± she asked. Zobber and the others were drinking wildly in the cabin. Catherine had a few drinks and felt her cheeks flush, so she came out to get some fresh air. ¡°Yeah,¡± Branden hummed, resting his head on Catherine¡¯s shoulder, apanying her to enjoy the refreshing sea breeze. ¡°Professor Hartley wants me to apany him to an academic seminar before I return to the country because of the championship,¡± Catherine said. Hearing this, Branden furrowed his brows. ¡°Where to? For how long?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to Theisia for about three days,¡± Catherine said. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you,¡± he offered. ¡°No need.¡± Catherine decisively rejected Branden¡¯s proposal. ¡°You¡¯ve been in Alton for a while. Loxton needs you. I¡¯ll only be gone for three days.¡± She looked into his eyes with determination. Three days wasn¡¯t too long. Sensing Catherine¡¯s firm attitude, Branden decided toply with her arrangement. ¡°Alright, promise me, don¡¯t do anything risky,¡± he said. Catherine leaned a bit closer to Branden, wearing a warm smile on her face, but she didn¡¯t speak. Branden took her silence as consent. Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Trust The three days of revelry passed in the blink of an eye. Catherine, however, didn¡¯t return with the others. At the airport, as the group dispersed, she followed Marshall toward the boarding gate for another flight. Branden carried her luggage, following alongside. As they reached the boarding gate, Branden showed no intention of leaving. Seeing this, Marshall smiled helplessly and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s good to be young. It makes one so affectionate. My wife doesn¡¯t even help me pack when I leave. That¡¯s quite unfair. I¡¯ll go in and give her a piece of my mind. You guys take your time.¡± Everyone in the Styre University knew Marshall and his wife had been deeply in love for decades. Marshall¡¯s love for his wife was famous throughout the school. When he had free time, he would ride his old bicycle around the campus with his wife. Countless students envied their rtionship. Seeing Marshall leave, Catherine also prepared to enter the boarding gate. She reached out to Branden, saying, ¡°I should go now.¡± Branden handed her the luggage, wearing a somewhat helpless smile. ¡± The weather there has been quite gloomytely. I put a cashmere sweater in the suitcase. Wear it if it gets cold.¡± Branden knew Catherine well. Even in the coldest weather, she wore thin clothes. It didn¡¯t matter before when he wasn¡¯t around, but now it did. Catherine, unusuallypliant, responded, ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing that she was somewhat obedient, Branden reluctantly let her go, reminding her before she left, ¡± Three days, right? If you¡¯rete, I¡¯lle to pick you up.¡± Three days apart was his limit. Catherine nodded and walked away with her luggage. Branden stood in ce, watching her leave. When she didn¡¯t even look back, he felt a sense of helplessness. ¡°You ungrateful little girl, ¡°he teased inwardly. Catherine passed through the boarding gate and happened to meet Marshall, who had just finished his phone call. She handed him her ticket and politely said, ¡°Thank you, Professor Hartley.¡± Marshall took the ticket, sighed deeply, and with a worried look in his aged eyes, said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do, but as a man who hasn¡¯t argued with his wife in decades, I want you to know that the most important thing in a rtionship is trust. With enough trust, you can ovee any crisis.¡± Catherine remained silent for a while before responding to Marshall, ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Marshall couldn¡¯t persuade her, so he had to give up. Catherine was good at everything, and he excelled in everything, except for herck of insight into emotions. Perhaps this was the tragedy of geniuses. Their inner world was inessible to outsiders. People only saw their genius side, knowing that they stood at the pinnacle of the world no matter what they did, but they forgot that geniuses, just like all ordinary people, also had to experience the ups and downs of life. ¡°I¡¯m off!¡± Catherine said. Marshall carried his luggage and boarded the ne with his and Catherine¡¯s tickets. Two days ago, Catherine found Marshall and asked for a favor, wanting him to apany her to Theisia for an academic conference. On the surface, they were going together, but in reality, only he was truly departing. Although he didn¡¯t know Catherine¡¯s true purpose, he believed that she must have her reasons for doing this, so he kept it a secret from everyone and agreed to her request. After seeing Marshall off, Catherine turned and walked towards the boarding gate of the private airport. Wantel breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Catherine appear. He had done this behind everyone¡¯s back, and if the others found out, he would be in big trouble. After all, just dealing with Zobber alone would give him a headache. ¡°Catherine, are you really sure about this?¡± Wantel asked. Catherine nced at him, and he immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word. She then quickly climbed into the helicopter. After seeing Catherine off, Branden returned to Eskana with the others. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s news from the Hacker Alliance. The chief of the Hacker Alliance has agreed to take the order, but the payment has doubled.¡± Francis reported thetest news to Branden. Upon hearing this, Paxton couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Humph, didn¡¯t they say they would never compromise on principles?¡± Francis shrugged disdainfully. ¡°Money talks. I heard that the Hacker Alliance hasn¡¯t taken any orders recently. Maybe they need money.¡± Lately, for some reason, the Hacker Alliance had almost stopped taking orders. They released a statement saying that the members were on vacation, but who would leave money on the table? It was also possible that there was some internal crisis going on. ¡°Give it to them!¡± Branden gave the order. As long as the Hacker Alliance was willing to take the order, Branden could pay as much as he needed to. Receiving the order, Francis immediately responded, ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± Meanwhile, Branden and the others were discussing matters in the inner room while Ronin and Zobber sat outside chatting. With Catherine absent, Ronin appeared somewhat listless,cking his usual vigor. ¡°Those old folks at Styre University are really annoying. Thepetition is over, yet they¡¯re still bothering Catherine,¡± he comined. Hearing this, Withal interjected, ¡± That¡¯s the Bide Cup, man. Catherine single-handedly led a second- rate team to victory. Do you understand what that means?¡± Zobber chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s almost like a genius yer who leads the Eskanese national football team to win the World Cup.¡± This description immediately conjured vivid images in everyone¡¯s minds. It was more than just a loser¡¯s comeback; it was practically the creation of the ninth wonder of the world. Withal gave Zobber a thumbs-up, praising her for her urate description. ¡°With such great honor, the external invitations are almost overwhelming Styre University¡¯s inbox. Professor Hartley probably couldn¡¯t refuse them all, so he¡¯s taking Catherine to attend a few events just to go through the motions,¡± Withal remarked. ¡°If not for that, given Catherine¡¯s personality, how could she agree to go?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Ronin pondered, finding Withal¡¯s point reasonable. Catherine detested these serious academic conferences the most. If she wanted fame, she would have been at those seminars and academic conferences ten years ago. There was no way she would wait until now. She just wanted to show Marshall some respect. ¡°Thank goodness it¡¯s only for three days; otherwise, it would be torture!¡± Roninmented. Zobber mysteriously smiled, ncing towards the inner room, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine won¡¯t be gone for too long. If she were, we wouldn¡¯t need to be in such a rush; the big shot inside would have gone to fetch her first.¡± Zobber¡¯s tone carried a hidden message, causing everyone to burst intoughter. The most anxious person now was not them, but the big shot sitting in the inner room. Chapter 749 Chapter 749 The Mysterious Ind Catherine followed Wantel from Alton to Snake Ind on a private ne. Upon disembarking from the ne and faced with all kinds of poisonous snakes in the dense bushes, Wantel couldn¡¯t help but shudder all over, but Catherine didn¡¯t even frown. ¡°Catherine, let me apany you,¡± Wantel said, concerned. He was worried sick about Catherine. This time, she was going to Florona alone, and he found it terrifying to even think about it. Florona was an eerie ce, and once outsiders entered, they would never have a chance to leave. Last time, Catherine managed toe out of Florona solely relying on her strong physique and extraordinary intelligence. Even so, it was a close call. This time, he wondered if she coulde out safely. ¡°No need!¡± Catherine refused Wantel¡¯s proposal without hesitation. That ce was too dangerous, and she could handle it alone. She didn¡¯t want to get Wantel in trouble. Wantel knew that once Catherine made a decision, no one could change her mind. He knew he couldn¡¯t persuade her, so he could only do his best to help her. ¡°Catherine, since I can¡¯t apany you, I¡¯ll stay on Snake Ind and wait for you.¡± Catherine scanned the restless, poisonous snakes nearby and chuckled. ¡°What? Are you not afraid of snakes anymore?¡± Just mentioning the word ¡°snake¡± made Wantel shudder. He was scared, but he was willing to sacrifice everything for Catherine. He looked at Catherine with a serious expression and said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of them, Catherine, really. I¡¯ll wait for you here until youe back.¡± He was very serious without a hint of joking in his tone. Although he couldn¡¯t go to Florona with Catherine, being closer to her was enough to comfort him. Florona was a mysterious ce in West Patrific. Very few people knew its true location, and Catherine was one of them. To reach Florona, one had to pass through Snake Ind which was full of poisonous snakes. For those unfamiliar with the ind, it was a death sentence to set foot there. They had been to Snake Ind before and had studied the poisonous snakes there. Connie developed a universal serum capable of neutralizing the venom of the snakes. She also created a special ointment with a peculiar smell that, although unpleasant, could keep the snakes at bay, even preventing venomous creatures froming near. Between Snake Ind and Florona, there was a stretch of sea with a peculiar feature. Regardless of whether it was a ship or a ne passing through here, the radar automatically failed. The sea was rough with numerous whirlpools. For foreign ships and nes entering this area, the chances of survival were slim. Only the ships from Florona knew how to avoid the whirlpools and safely navigate this sea area. This was also the reason why even if the outside world knew the coordinates of Florona, they couldn¡¯t enter. At the same time, this was also the reason why people couldn¡¯t leave Florona. For so many years, only Catherine was an exception. As the sun was about to set, Catherine didn¡¯t have much time to waste here. She had only asked Branden for three days. If she couldn¡¯t return within three days, ording to Branden¡¯s personality, he would definitely investigate the matter thoroughly. Once he knew she hade to Florona, he would definitely rush over, and that would be the real trouble. Right now, Catherine could only act quickly and decisively, striving toplete the mission within three days, so that even if Branden found out after she returned, the matter would already be settled, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much about it. ¡°Catherine, please be careful. If anything happens, contact me, and I will bring people to find you,¡± Wantel said as he repeatedly reminded Catherine while seeing her off on the boat. Catherine waved to him and left. The strong maic force in the sea area rendered even thepass useless, let alone the navigation system. Arge ship would be too conspicuous and easily noticed by the people from Florona, which might cause trouble for her. Therefore, Catherine decided to enter Florona on a small boat. She had crossed this sea area once before, and with her fantastic memory, doing it again wasn¡¯t difficult. The dangers of this journey were obvious to Catherine. The seemingly calm sea surface could turn ferocious in the next second, and a huge wave could easily tear the small boat to shreds. Fortunately, Catherine¡¯s luck on this trip was not too bad, and she didn¡¯t encounter extreme weather. Relying almost entirely on her memory of the route, she made her way to the vicinity of Florona. It was monitored from all sides, and to enter, one could only go through the northernmost cliff. Catherine had to climb the hundred- yard cliff with her bare hands to reach Florona. This was almost an impossible task, but in order to avoid alerting the guards, she still chose the most difficult path. She arrived at the northern cliff and, after hiding the boat, took out the climbing equipment to prepare for the ascent. Unlike regr outdoor rock climbing, the cliff here had be extremely smooth after years of being washed by the sea. Even if the earth were turned upside down, it would be easy to slip on it, let alone climb it with bare hands. Even for a climbing expert like Catherine, such a decision required exceptional care and caution. Luckily, before setting off, Catherine had brought the suction cup gloves developed by Wantel. These gloves simted the palm of a frog, allowing her hands to easily adhere to the smooth surface. With the help of these gloves, Catherine slowly climbed the hundred-yard cliff and sessfully entered the territory of Florona. Catherine had only just entered this territory, but finding Branden¡¯s mother within it would be even more challenging thannding on Mars. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Catherine crept forward, taking advantage of the gradually darkening sky, which provided her with excellent camouge. As the sky gradually darkened, she quietly arrived at an uninhabited area and changed into the unique clothing of Florona. In this ce, most women covered their faces with veils to hide their features. So, Catherine swapped her usual attire for a dress and put a veil on her face as a disguise. Catherine¡¯s priority now was to solve the amodation problem for tonight. There were no hotels on the ind of Florona. Everyone had a house here. As long as one became a citizen, each household could receive a house. In the economically developed Florona, citizens relied on the organization¡¯s distribution of necessities. They could live peacefully here without even contributing too much. No one knew the economic source of Florona. They seemed to receive a continuous ie without doing anything. Some had spected that Florona¡¯s economic source mainly relied on donations because every citizen admitted to Florona had to offer all their property. However, the number of citizens admitted to Florona each year was pitifully small, and even if those people were all extremely wealthy, their assets were not enough to provide for the lives of all the people on the ind. Florona¡¯s assets, like the mysterious ind itself, werepletely inscrutable to the outside world. Chapter 750 Chapter 750 Catherine¡¯s Servant The night had grownte, and Catherine had not entered the city. If she had appeared in the city at that moment, it would have easily attracted the attention of the guards. If she had been caught and questioned, her trip might have ended up being trapped in Florona. Catherine found a patch of woods and took shelter in the trees, using the dense foliage as cover. This was a mandatory exercise for those undergoing wilderness training, allowing them to sleep anytime to provide their bodies with the essential rest. Catherine was exceptionally skilled in this, ensuring her body remained steady even on a branch. In the quiet of the deep night, Catherine could asionally hear the sounds of insects and birds in the peaceful woods. Catherine took out a satellite phone. There was nowork signal, and this satellite phone was the only way tomunicate with the outside world. Suddenly, Catherine found herself missing Branden for a moment. And perhaps it was a sense of connection, as Branden, who had just finished work in Eskana, also took out his phone. At this time, Catherine should have arrived at the hotel. He made a video call, feeling a flood of longing despite only a few hours of separation. As the screen lit up, his eyes sparkled with anticipation. The phone rang for a long time, but the video call was never answered. Thinking that Catherine might have justnded and hurried off to theb, Branden ended the video call request. [Remember to eat on time!] After sending the message, Branden put away his phone. Knock, knock, knock¡­N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The abrupt knocking interrupted Branden¡¯s thoughts. He looked towards the entrance and said coldly, ¡°Come in! Paxton entered, standing respectfully three steps away from Branden. ¡°Boss, the car is ready. Are you ready to leave?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be down in a moment.¡± Branden put away his things and then stood up. With Catherine away from Loxton for a few days, he had the opportunity to tie up the remaining loose ends. The Bide Cup had ended, but the events during the cup were not over. Since the other party dared toy hands on those around him and crossed his bottom line, they should be prepared to pay the price. With this in mind, Branden¡¯s expression gradually turned cold. After all, his tenderness was reserved only for Catherine. As the sky gradually lightened, Catherine, who had rested for the night, suddenly felt full of energy. Setting off from Snake Ind, she had endured strong wind and cold rain and climbed a hundred-yard cliff before finally reaching Florona. Even though she had strong physical endurance, she felt a little tired, and this night of rest was the best way for her to regain her strength. With a skillful turn, Catherine jumped from the tree andnded steadily on the ground. After adjusting her veil and picking up her belongings, she disguised herself as a citizen of Florona and headed toward the city. ording to the clues found by Wantel, the man who took away Branden¡¯s mother had indeed entered Florona. If Branden¡¯s mother were still alive, she would likely be with this man, her first love. Florona was an incredibly eerie ce. Its inhabitants were highly obedient to be allowed to live there, never going against the directives issued by the Florona Committee. Catherine dared not inquire with them, as she could be reported and ousted in the blink of an eye. With her head down, Catherine made her way into the ancient city, relying on her strong memory to guide her to a secluded stone house. Knock, knock, knock¡­ Catherine gently rapped on the wooden door of the stone house. The noise caught the attention of someone inside, and a tall man with a stern face slowly emerged from the house. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± His tone made it clear that he was not pleased to be disturbed. After he opened the door, Catherine looked up at him with a calm expression and said casually, ¡°Long time no see.¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment when he recognized Catherine. ¡°Won¡¯t you invite me in?¡± she asked. Her words snapped the man out of his shock, and he quickly stepped aside, respectfully inviting Catherine inside. Sitting in the man¡¯s warm stone house, Catherine sipped the hot coffee he had prepared for her while he sat beside her, nervously rubbing his hands back and forth. After hesitating for a while, the man finally spoke up. ¡°Miss Swann, howe you came to the ind?¡± Catherine nced at him and whispered, ¡°I came to see you. Do you believe that?¡± The man was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Catherine to joke with him. In his memory, she had always been a serious person, strong and unyielding, like a goddess, cold and emotionless. But at this moment, Catherine seemed to exude a down-to- earth air of vitality. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Catherine asked. The man chuckled softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to change so much after a few years, Miss Swann.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Catherine looked into the distance with a casual reply. The man¡¯s name was Amos Buck, whom Catherine had encountered in Floronast time. He owed Catherine his life; if not for her, he would have perished long ago. At the time, he had vowed to repay her by bing her servant for life. Although he hadn¡¯t stayed by Catherine¡¯s side in recent years, he had never forgotten his promise. Catherine knew that since Amos hade to Florona, it meant he didn¡¯t want to have any contact with the outside world. Therefore, when Catherine decided to leave the ind, she didn¡¯t take him with her. After finishing her coffee, Catherine ced the cup on the table and then told Amos the purpose of her visit. When Amos heard her intentions, his expression became deeply troubled. ¡± Miss Swann, you know that everyone whoes to the ind must abandon their past and ept the new identity given by the Committee to live here. It won¡¯t be easy for you to find someone here.¡± In response to Amos¡¯s persuasion, Catherine nonchntly replied, ¡°None of the things I have to do are easy.¡± Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Safe Loxton, calm for several months, suddenly became turbulent again. Several foreign enterprises had either announced bankruptcy and reorganization due to the breakdown of their capital chains or had been exposed to various fatal problems. The ordinary people could only look at the daily green stock market with a sigh. The true big shots who knew the truth were already in a state of anxiety. The top leaders were fighting, and those small fry were also getting caught in the crossfire. The financial channel was excitedly broadcasting news. Zobber walked out, picked up the remote control on the table, and turned off the TV. ¡°Withal, howe you¡¯re even listening to such rubbish news?¡± Catherine would return to Loxton in two days. They chose to stay in Loxton and wait for Catherine to return so they could have a good time together. Hearing Zobber¡¯s sarcasm, Withal casually leaned back,fortably settled on the couch, and nonchntly said, ¡°Just killing time. Besides, he¡¯s not wrong. It really is like gods fighting. The Duncans¡¯ big shot is taking advantage of Catherine not being here to deal with that old guy who doesn¡¯t know his ce.¡± Even if Branden didn¡¯t take action, the Hacker Alliance would still make a move to give the Breens a lesson and let these stubborn old folks know that they couldn¡¯t be easily provoked. Zobber usually paid no attention to financial news at all. Even though she knew that the business world in Loxton had been uneasytely, she had no idea what was really going on behind the scenes. Upon hearing Withal¡¯s whimsical remarks, she immediately became interested and rushed to Withal¡¯s side the next second. ¡°What does that mean? Who did Mr. Duncan deal with?¡± Withal looked at her disdainfully. ¡°Do you love listening to this kind of gossip? Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Zobber knew Withal was teasing her, but now she needed something from him, so she naturally tried to please him. ¡°I do. Won¡¯t you please forgive me for my previous mistake?¡± Withal informed Zobber of Branden¡¯s retaliatory actions against the Breens¡¯ subsidiaries in Eskana after Branden returned to Loxton. Initially, the Breens relied on the widespread presence of their parentpany in Euphosean and Bothor and were highly arrogant. However, they did not know that during Branden¡¯s absence from the country, he did many things. He dealt a severe blow to the Breens, causing unprecedented crises in several key Breenspanies in Alton. The backyard fire kept the Breens busy putting out the mes everywhere. For them, the subsidiaries of Eskana were undoubtedly important, but they couldn¡¯tpare to their large group in Alton because that was where their foundationy. While the Breens were busy covering for thepany in Alton, Branden¡¯s Duncan Corporation in Eskanaunched a furious attack against the Breens. When encountering apany that could be acquired, he directly acquired it. Their financial chain was severed for those that couldn¡¯t be acquired, forcing them to dere bankruptcy on their own. Somepanies had been strutting around in Eskana, relying on foreign capital, but they had been directly exposed to scandals and were now facing the crisis of closure. Thebination of these measures took Shane¡¯spany by surprise and won the appreciation of many otherpanies. Because thosepanies had relied on the protection of significant capital to do many bad things in the past, they had used shady tactics against some small businesses in Eskana, monopolized specific industries, and taken arge portion of the profits. Branden meant real this time. He was really trying to kick the Breens¡¯pany out of Eskana for good so they couldn¡¯t make any more money there. After listening to Withal¡¯s ount, Zobber excitedly danced and waved her hands. ¡°Mr. Duncan is too handsome. That old man Shane probably didn¡¯t expect to kick the iron te this time. Catherine is concerned with the previous favors and does not have time to deal with him. Does he think he can live in peace without any worries? It¡¯s simply a ridiculous dream! Mr. Duncan is so powerful. With such a big drama, I must also join in the fun.¡± Having said that, Zobber stood up and brought out theputer. She was preparing to contact Wantel, who was far away in Alton, to encourage him to stir up some trouble in Alton and irritate the old man, Shane Breen, hopefully even causing him to die from anger. After a while, Zobber angrily mmed theputer. ¡°What is this hermit Wells up to? I messaged him and waited for half a day, but he didn¡¯t reply to me.¡± After hearing this, Ronin, who was sitting quietly ying on his phone, casually remarked, ¡°I looked for himst night, but he still hasn¡¯t replied to me.¡± After the voice fell, the originally noisy room suddenly quieted down. A few secondster, Zobber was the first to react, her expression turning solemn as she looked at the two people. ¡°I¡¯ll immediately contact the members of the Hacker Alliance in Alton to find out the whereabouts of Wantel.¡± Withal agreed, saying, ¡°Yes, I will go find some friends to check out a few amodations of Wantel.¡± Ronin also opened the hacker system to check thetest developments on it. After speaking, they took action simultaneously. They had known Wantel for many years and were well aware of his character. Although Wantel was a big homebody and usually did not like tomunicate with others, he had the highest degree of cooperation with the tasks arranged by the organization. Zobber just sent a message to him. He might be busy and did not see it. But he hadn¡¯t replied to the message Ronin sent himst night until now, which was very wrong. Their sharp intuition made them realize that something might be about to happen. At present, their top priority was to find Wantel and ensure his safety. On the remote Snake Ind, Wantel was not yet aware that he had been listed as a missing person, and he was also unaware that his friends were frantically searching for him. He didn¡¯t expect that after several months of nobody contacting him, just on the day they separated, a few of his buddies woulde looking for him. Looking at the venomous snakes around him, Wantel felt a shiver down his spine. He had a strong aversion to these cold-blooded animals and found them highly disgusting. Fortunately, the snake-repellent Connie gave him worked pretty well. The snakes stood 30 feet away, ring at him and not approaching. Despite feeling intense fear, he still resolutely stayed on Snake Ind. This was the closest ce to Florona. If something came up to Catherine, he could get there as soon as possible. He vowed that even if it meant paying the price of his life, he would still protect Catherine. ¡°Ding!¡± After guarding for a whole day and night, Wantel finally heard the sound of the iing message. He excitedly opened the satellite receiver to check the message he had received. There was only one word, but enough to calm his anxious heart. [Safe!] This was Catherine giving him an update, telling him that she was safe and sound at the moment. There were two more days left. Hopefully, Catherine could find the person soon ande back safely. Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Paper Couldn¡¯t Hold Fire Catherine went on a tour and didn¡¯t return until it was getting dark in the evening. Although she did not find Branden¡¯s mother¡¯s whereabouts, she uncovered an essential piece of information. ¡°What?¡± Amos looked at her in shock. ¡± Miss, this is absolutely not eptable. Those invited to the flower appreciation event are the most elite citizens of Florona. If you were to go, you would surely be recognized, and it would be difficult for you to leave the ind afterward.¡± Today, Catherine went out and unexpectedly obtained some information. Themunitymittee of Florona would be holding its annual flower appreciation event tomorrow night, exhibiting precious varieties of flowers. Only the elite citizens of Florona had been invited to attend. Relying on the identity of Branden¡¯s mother and the wealth and power possessed by her first love at that time, Branden¡¯s mother could inevitably be upgraded to a citizen of the upper ss in Florona. Restricting the search scope was necessary in order to maximize the possibility of finding the person. Although this was a good idea, Amos felt it was too risky. He was still unwilling to let Catherine take the risk. He didn¡¯t know what kind of rtionship the person Catherine was looking for had with her, but he understood that this person must be very important to Catherine. ¡°Miss, let me go!¡± Catherine looked at him with suspicion. Amos then exined, ¡°Miss, I have a way to infiltrate the chefs. The annual flower appreciation event involves appreciating various rare flowers and tasting and evaluating the exquisite dishes made from edible flowers.¡± Amos had been spending a lot of time in Florona. Although he was rtively unsociable and had few visitors, he still had a few friends, one of whom was a well-known vegetarian chef. Catherine disagreed with Amos¡¯s decision. ¡°Since you have this channel, then it¡¯s perfect.¡± Amos couldn¡¯t persuade her, so he could only go along with her. Finally, the two of them unanimously decided to set off together the next day. Amos would take Catherine and slip into the ranks of the chefs, acting as a helper in the kitchen. Although there had been no progress on Catherine¡¯s side, the situation was still rtively safe overall. However, things had already be chaotic in Loxton. Zobber contacted members of the Hacker Alliance in Alton, but they were also unable to reach Wantel. Withal asked his friend to check several ces where Wantel could possibly appear, but they did not find any trace of Wantel. The message they sent out was as if it had fallen on deaf ears, with no response whatsoever. This had made Zobber anxious. She already arranged her ne ticket and was ready to depart for Alton. Not only could they not contact Wantel, they couldn¡¯t even contact Catherine. At this moment, if she still hadn¡¯t gone and seen for herself, how could she justify the many years of friendship with them? Zobber was preparing to pack up when suddenly, Ronin burst in. ¡°We have some news!¡± Upon hearing these words, several people immediately surrounded Ronin. ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡± ¡°Look for yourself!¡± Ronin handed his tablet to everyone and opened a video. ¡± In order to find Wantel, I started searching from the surveince footage after we left the airport. However, I found that Wantel never actually left the airport and had even boarded a private ne before we even got on our flight. You couldn¡¯t imagine the people traveling with him.¡± When Zobber saw the end of the video, she finally understood why Ronin had said that they couldn¡¯t imagine. She was shocked when she saw the familiar figure appear in the video. ¡± Catherine! It turns out to be Catherine! What did she and Wantel actually hide from us?¡± Ronin also found it strange. When he discovered this video, without wasting time on further thoughts, he immediately brought the video to show others. No wonder they couldn¡¯t get in touch with Wantel, or with Catherine. It turned out that the two left at the same time. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Zobber was furious. ¡°How can this be? Abandoning us to act alone¡­ This is outrageous.¡± After speaking, Zobber was about to rush out. Withal grabbed her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Zobber forcefully shook off his hand. ¡°I need to go find Mr. Duncan. I have to ask him where Catherine is.¡± Withal seemed to have already guessed Zobber¡¯s thought. Upon hearing Zobber¡¯s words, he quietly rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Do you think that Catherine will not tell us but Mr. Duncan? Don¡¯t forget. Just like us, Mr. Duncan believes that Catherine is currently attending a seminar in Theisia. Or perhaps you should think again: Catherine is keeping us in the dark to prevent Mr. Duncan from finding out?¡± This statement immediately let Zobbere to a realization. She had always been clever and already understood the deeper meaning behind Withal¡¯s words. ¡°You make a good point, but why do you think Catherine would go on a mission with Wantel and not bring us along?¡± After some contemtion, Withal asked Zobber, ¡°Have you carefully considered if there have been any recent tasks that only Wantel has been in contact with and that none of us have taken on?¡± Zobber was now responsible for receiving and allocating orders for Hacker Alliance. Basically, any large order needed to be allocated through her. However, there was one exception, and that was Catherine herself. She was the chief of the Hacker Alliance and had the authority to take orders independently of Zobber and then distribute them secretly. After careful consideration, Zobber finally reacted. ¡°I recall that this matter may indeed be rted to Mr. Duncan. The Duncans had previously approached the Hacker Alliance, requesting the chief of the Hacker Alliance to take on the job personally, and even offered a sky-high price. At that time, Catherine refused the job on the grounds that it did notply with the rules. Later, they wanted to switch to Wantel, but Catherine found out that going to Wantel was actually a trap set by the Duncans.¡± After listening to Zobber¡¯s narration, Withal couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Catherine and Mr. Duncan are really something. They¡¯re obviously a couple. Why are they still ying coy? Zobber shrugged silently and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. This is the only recent task in which Wantel has had contact with Catherine.¡± After a discussion, they decided first to go and explore what the Duncan Corporation¡¯s mission was. Because Catherine was doing it secretly, they didn¡¯t want Branden to know about it either. They were afraid of ruining it, and Catherine woulde back to punish them severely. To their utter surprise, before they could even attempt to investigate, Branden had already noticed something amiss. He had been trying to contact Catherine since yesterday, but there had been no answer to his calls. Finally, he called Marshall¡¯s mobile phone. Marshall answered and said that Catherine was in the laboratory and couldn¡¯t answer the phone. It sounded wless, but Branden always felt like something was off. Paxton rushed into the office with the intelligence from Theisia. ¡°Sir, there is news!¡± Branden spoke in a cold tone and uttered a single word, ¡°Read!¡± Paxton bravely reported the information, ¡°Sir, the people from Theisia havee to report that only Professor Marshall Hartley participated in the seminar from start to finish. They have never seen Miss Swann, and her name was not on the invited list.¡± As soon as the words were spoken, Paxton felt the air pressure within the office suddenly drop, engulfing him in an eerie atmosphere. Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Surprise After discussing, they decided that they would go to Alton together. They had juste out of the vi, and the door behind them hadn¡¯t even closed when several ck cars suddenly surged and rushed in front of them. The atmosphere on the scene suddenly changed. The few people¡¯s faces darkened, and their eyes became much more sharp in an instant. Soon afterward, they quickly reacted and took on a defensive stance, ready for battle at any moment. The front passenger door of the lead vehicle was opened, and Paxton quickly got out of the car, approaching the group of people. Upon seeing the visitor was Paxton, they inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it might have been the enemiesing to their door. Ronin nced at Zobber, and Zobber took the initiative to step forward, raising her eyebrows and appraising Paxton. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Are you ready to spar with us?¡± Paxton gave a faint smile, but the smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. We are all on the same side. Mr. Branden Duncan has some questions he would like to understand.¡± Everyone was well aware, whether it was to understand the issue or a subtle maniption. By taking such a stance, Branden didn¡¯t intend to let them leave. Zobber had no intention of resisting. This was Loxton, the power base of the Duncans. Even if they resisted, it would be futile, not to mention that Branden would noty a hand on them. Zobber followed Paxton to see Branden. Branden¡¯s face was extremely grim, emitting a terrifying aura. Even Zobber, who was never afraid of anything, couldn¡¯t help but feel a palpitation. Branden sat in the armchair, his long arms hanging over the armrest, fingers fidgeting with a lighter. He was a man who usually didn¡¯t show his emotions on his face. However, anyone could see his impatience at a nce right now. Zobber originally nned to negotiate a bit, but unexpectedly, Branden didn¡¯t give them the opportunity at all. He even directly challenged. ¡°You tell me, or should I make the move?¡± With his posture set up, even Zobber must concede. ¡°Mr. Duncan, it¡¯s not a matter of whether we want to say it or not, but rather that we also don¡¯t know the situation. We are nning to do some thorough investigation to see if we can find any information.¡± Zobber gave in, and Ronin followed closely behind. ¡°Yes, even I wasn¡¯t informed by Catherine this time. It¡¯s truly outrageous.¡± After repeated questioning, Zobber and her team spent a lot of effort convincing Branden that they were not lying. They were also anxious, as they really didn¡¯t know where Catherine had gone. After a lot of searching, there was no clue at all. Everyone found that the atmosphere in the room instantly dropped to a freezing point, making them shiver from the cold. The silent Withal finally couldn¡¯t help but stand up and say, ¡°Mr. Duncan, there is something I would like to ask you.¡± Ronin had been with Withal for many years and instantly guessed what Withal was thinking. He wanted to stop Withal but was instantly pinned down by Paxton. Withal turned his head and smiled at Ronin. ¡°We¡¯re all family. After all, the truth will ultimatelye to light.¡± Ronin was unwaveringly loyal to Catherine, and in his world, there was no right or wrong in her decisions. He would unconditionally obey anything Catherine did. Paxton¡¯s threat didn¡¯t scare Ronin, but he didn¡¯t attempt to stop Ronin again because he felt that Withal¡¯s words were not wrong. Withal had been by Catherine¡¯s side the longest, and Branden¡¯s feelings toward Catherine were clear to him. Withal used to think that there was no man in this world who could match up to Catherine until the appearance of Branden made him change his mind. ¡± Mr. Duncan, what is the task for which you have ced an exorbitant order with the Hacker Alliance?¡± Branden understood that Withal would not have said this without reason. He did not conceal it and directly told everyone the purpose of finding the Hacker Alliance. ¡°Find someone in Florona.¡± ¡°Florona!¡± eximed Ronin. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the high price they paid when Catherine came out of Florona. Paxton was a bit puzzled about Ronin¡¯s surprise. ¡°Why are you all so surprised? Ronin was so angry that he rolled his eyes at Paxton and said, ¡°You specifically requested the chief of the Hacker Alliance to take the job. Do you even know who the chief of the Hacker Alliance is?¡± Hearing Ronin¡¯s angry tone, Paxton felt a sudden sense of unease. ¡°Could it be Miss Swann?¡± The silence of the crowd spoke volumes. Paxton felt as though his heart was about to stop beating. ¡®Who would have thought that Miss Swann is actually the chief of the Hacker Alliance? I sincerely feel like kneeling for her. How many identities does Catherine have that we don¡¯t know about? She is truly powerful.¡¯ After hearing the news, Branden stood up immediately. Upon seeing Branden leave, Paxton hurriedly caught up with him. Ronin turned to look at the others and asked, ¡°They left. What should we do?¡± ¡°What else can we do? Let¡¯s go together!¡± Withal said, then chased after the others. Half an hourter, everyone boarded Branden¡¯s private ne. Branden was aware of Catherine¡¯s association with the Hacker Alliance, but he did not expect her to be the chief of the Hacker Alliance. If he knew, under no circumstances would he allow Catherine to take this risk. At this moment, he really wished to grab that disobedient girl and bring her back to educate her in bed properly. Zobber saw that the atmosphere inside the airne was too gloomy, so she decided to find some topics to lighten the mood. ¡°Mr. Duncan, we are not aware of Florona¡¯s specific coordinates. Only Catherine knows that. However, from what we understand, one must first make a trip to Snake Ind in order to reach Florona.¡± Originally, Catherine asked Connie to develop serums and snake repellent in order to survive on Snake Ind. They only then realized that they needed to pass through Snake Ind to get to Florona. Branden nced at Paxton, and Paxton immediately responded, ¡°Sir, I will make the arrangements.¡± On Snake Ind, Wantel held apressed biscuit, nibbling on it while observing the surrounding restless, poisonous snakes. He felt that these venomous snakes were bing increasingly drawn to him, with several even lingering in one ce for a long time, just waiting for the right opportunity to strike. This made him feel extremely uneasy for a while. Perhaps he was too nervous, to the point of even experiencing hallucinations, as he actually heard the roar of an airne. ¡°This sound is too real!¡± Wantel couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The sound continued to grow louder as if the distance was getting closer and closer. He instinctively felt that something was wrong. ¡°Could there really be someoneing to the ind?¡± he wondered. After putting on the protective clothing and taking the snake-repelling stick, Wantel prepared to go out and take a look. Following the direction of the sound, he actually saw a helicopter. The situation was unclear. Wantel dared not make any moves. He was hiding in the bushes, waiting for the right moment. The nended steadily, and the cabin door was also opened by some burly men who then came down from the ne. Wantel didn¡¯t know how this group came to Snake Ind or their purpose foring here. He dared not act rashly. Just as he was full of doubt, he suddenly saw a few familiar figures, which almost made him exim in surprise. ¡® How did theye?¡¯ Without hesitation, Wantel rushed out immediately when he saw his good friends. He greeted them with a look of surprise on his face and eximed, ¡°Oh my, howe you guys are here?¡± Unexpectedly, what he got in return was a beating, causing him to scream in pain. Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Her Trouble Had Arrived Just because Wantel had impressivebat strength didn¡¯t mean he could withstand so many people¡¯s attacks. Moreover, those attacking Wantel were his training partners whose strength was not inferior to his. Wantel could only surrender and allow himself to be beaten by them. After enduring the assault, hey on the ground, exhausted. ¡°Is that enough? Or should we throw a few more punches?¡± Ronin was about to attack again when Wantel immediately grabbed his fist. ¡°Hey, man, we are good friends, right? You shouldn¡¯t do this.¡± Ronin rolled his eyes at him. ¡°You took Catherine away without telling us. Did you treat us as your friends?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Zobber chimed in. Wantel protested loudly, looking at everyone with a pleading expression. ¡± It¡¯s not my fault! It¡¯s Catherine¡¯s order. Who dares to defy her? Come on. Tell me. Who dares to disobey her orders?¡± These questions made Ronin, who was the most arrogant among them, calm down. After all, any one of them would unquestionably obey Catherine¡¯smands. Seeing that they no longer intended to attack him, Wantel finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to take a rest, a shadow suddenly loomed over him. Looking up, he saw the grim- faced Branden standing in front of him. He knew Branden, but he hadn¡¯t expected Branden¡¯s aura to be so intimidating in a confrontation, causing his heart to race. Branden didn¡¯t intend to waste time on Wantel. ¡°Give me Florona¡¯s coordinates,¡± he demanded. Wantel was about to protest, but a gun was suddenly pressed against his forehead. Everyone was shocked, sensing the murderous intent in Branden¡¯s eyes. If Wantel said another word, Branden might actually pull the trigger and end his life with a single shot. The atmosphere instantly turned thick with tension. Zobber had thought she was ustomed to it, but when Branden got serious, she realized how terrifying he truly was. She didn¡¯t dare to persuade him and certainly didn¡¯t want to witness anything happen to Wantel. ¡°Wantel, stop the nonsense and spit it out. Mr. Duncan is doing this for the good of Catherine. It¡¯s too dangerous for her to go to Florona alone,¡± she urged. Wantel had no choice. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death, but he understood the reasoning behind Zobber¡¯s words. ¡°I can provide the coordinates of Florona, but even with the coordinates, getting there is not an easy task. For so many years, only Catherine has been there,¡± he said. Hearing Wantel¡¯s bbering, Paxton, who knew Branden well, knew that Branden¡¯s patience had reached its limit. He quickly persuaded, ¡°Just say it. You don¡¯t have to bear the danger anyway.¡± Wantel thought he was being seen as a coward, so he quickly expressed his loyalty and then provided the coordinates. ¡°I have already decided that if Catherine doesn¡¯te back tomorrow, I will go to the ind myself. Even if it means death, I choose to die with Catherine,¡± he dered. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. With the coordinates, Branden was ready to take action. However, Zobber had another piece of information, and she nervously stopped Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, just hear me out,¡± she said. Branden nced at her, indicating for her to speak. That nce made Zobber¡¯s heart skip a beat, and her legs couldn¡¯t help but tremble. ¡°Mr. Duncan, Wantel has a device that canmunicate with Catherine. Shouldn¡¯t we try to contact her before taking action?¡± she suggested. ¡°Instead of continuously trying to contact her, it¡¯s better for Catherine to provide a shortcut so that we can find her in the shortest time,¡± she added. Even though they were willing to sacrifice themselves for Catherine, it was better to take a more efficient approach rather than make unnecessary sacrifices. Paxton also felt that Zobber¡¯s words made sense. He could tell that Branden, who was usually rational, was getting a bit impulsive at this moment. After all, it was difficult for Branden to remain calm when it came to Catherine. ¡°Boss, I think Zobber has a point,¡± Paxton said. Seeing Zobber signaling to him, Wantel immediately understood what she meant. ¡°I¡¯ll contact Catherine now. If she doesn¡¯t respond within half an hour, we¡¯ll go find her ourselves. It doesn¡¯t matter if we wait for another half an hour, right?¡± he proposed. After a series of persuasions, Branden finally halted his steps. He decided to wait for another half an hour. If Catherine didn¡¯t respond after half an hour, even if she were in Hell, he would go and bring her back. In Florona, preparations were underway for the annual flower appreciation event, attended only by the ind¡¯s prominent figures. Catherine was among the kitchen staff, helping Amos prepare the floral arrangements. Seeing that everyone in the kitchen was busy and not paying attention, Catherine whispered to Amos, ¡°I just heard that the head chef has the list of attendees. I¡¯m going to borrow it and take a look.¡± Amos initially nned to do it for Catherine, afraid that she would expose herself, but knowing her personality, he abandoned the idea. ¡°Miss Swann, you must be careful,¡± he warned. ¡°Alright,¡± Catherine replied, carrying the prepared ingredients towards the head chef. ¡°Chef, here are the ingredients you requested,¡± she said. The head chef, without even looking at Catherine, coldly replied, ¡°Just put them there.¡± As Catherine approached, she paused for a second, swiftly snatching the list from the head chef¡¯s pocket with a quick flick of her finger, using the slightest force she could. She then discreetly left, and as she headed towards the hallway, everyone assumed she was going to move some goods, paying her no mind. Once out of sight, Catherine opened the list. A total of 40 guests were invited to the event. After memorizing the list at a nce, she stealthily returned it to its ce. There were no familiar names, but only two female guests with the surname ¡± Bradley.¡± Typically, citizens living on Florona would change their names, but most would retain their original surnames. She made a mental note to pay attention to these two Bradley- named female guestster, hoping for some discovery. After packing up the things she needed, Catherine was preparing to initiate the next phase of her n when her electronic wristwatch emitted a faint light. She essed the hidden system and read the message from Wantel. Upon learning its contents, Catherine furrowed her brow. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to hide this from Branden for long, but she hadn¡¯t expected him to personallye looking for her. This time, he probably wouldn¡¯t let her off easily. The image of Branden¡¯s handsome face shed in her mind, and for the first time, Catherine smiled helplessly. Her trouble had arrived. Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Same Eyes ¡°Catherine replied! Catherine replied!¡± Wantel¡¯s shout drew everyone¡¯s attention. Branden was the first to rush to Wantel¡¯s side. If it were anyone else, Wantel might not have shared the message, but Branden¡¯s imposing presence made him tremble. He barely had time to turn on the device before handing it over to Branden. After Branden read the message, his expression turned extremely peculiar. Those around him noticed his unusual demeanor, feeling a sense of unease, but no one dared to inquire about the situation. All their gazes turned to Wantel, pressing him for answers. ¡°Wantel, what did Catherine say?¡± Ronin asked. Facing Ronin¡¯s probing, Wantel felt like rolling his eyes. These people didn¡¯t have the guts to approach Branden, so they began pressuring him. They sure knew how to pick on the easy target. Luckily, his laptop could also ess the message, albeit not as conveniently as the device. Wantel turned on hisptop, opened the message sent by Catherine, and read its contents aloud. ¡°Catherine sent a message with the instructions on how to reach Florona Ind, but she told us not to go immediately. She said that if she hasn¡¯t sent another message within two hours, then we should proceed to the ind.¡± After hearing Wantel¡¯s words, the group fell into silence once again. They had always followed Catherine¡¯s orders, but now there was an unexpected factor-they weren¡¯t the only ones present. Branden was here as well. This time, all eyes turned to Branden, waiting for hismand. Paxton hesitated for a moment and then suggested to Branden, ¡°Boss, why don¡¯t we just follow Miss Swann¡¯s orders?¡± Branden didn¡¯t respond, nor did he request to take action. Instead, he sat in the nearby rest area, closing his eyes to rest. Seeing this, the group of people understood that Branden intended to respect Catherine¡¯s decision. In order to be in the best possible condition when they reached the ind, they decided to prepare the equipment they needed for the journey to Florona. In Florona, the flower appreciation event had already begun. As a chef assistant, Catherine wasn¡¯t qualified to enter the banquet hall. However, in order to get into the hall and find her target, she bribed a waitress, exchanging identities with her and voluntarily taking on the task of serving dishes. Each guest¡¯s name was set at their respective table, allowing them to quickly find their seats. Catherine had already located the positions of the two female guests with the surname Bradley¡± and was now waiting for them to enter the hall. Ten minutester, the flower appreciation event ended, and the tasting event officially began. The first female guest with the surname ¡± Bradley¡± had already entered the hall. However, she bore no resemnce to Branden¡¯s mother, and Catherine immediately dismissed her based on this guest¡¯s appearance. The second female guest with the surname ¡°Bradley¡± hadn¡¯t yet arrived, but the banquet management had already begun notifying the servers to clear the area. Standing beside Catherine, a waitress noticed herck of movement and assumed she hadn¡¯t received the order, so she reached out and pulled Catherine¡¯s sleeve. At that moment, Catherine¡¯s hand was already on the de at her waist, ready to unsheathe it at any time. Fortunately, the waitress¡¯s timely words prevented an assassination. ¡°We should leave, or we¡¯ll face punishment. ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine nodded and followed the waitress, preparing to retreat. Just as they were about to leave the banquet hall, the final female guest entered with a malepanion. In a fleeting nce, Catherine saw that the woman¡¯s face was veiled, but she managed to catch a glimpse of her eyes. With just one nce, Catherine recognized her. This woman¡¯s eyes were identical to Branden¡¯s. Catherine had always thought Branden¡¯s eyes were remarkably beautiful, shining like the sparkling stars in the sky. The eyes of this female guest were the same as if they held all the dazzling stars of the gxy, exuding exceptional charm. Amos, seeing Catherine¡¯s prolonged absence, grew anxious and hurriedly went to find her. He had been prepared to barge into the banquet hall, but halfway there, he encountered Catherineing out with other people, which greatly relieved him. He quickly approached Catherine, lowered his voice, and inquired about her situation. ¡°Miss Swann, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Catherine exined the situation to Amos in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ve found the person. Cover me for a while. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± ¡°Alright, be careful, Miss Swann,¡± Amos reminded her. Catherine nodded and disappeared into the darkness. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom,¡± Regan Bradley said to the person beside her, then got up and headed towards the restroom. As she entered, a lithe figure shed past the entrance to the restroom. Then, a temporary maintenance sign had been put up there. Just as Regan entered the restroom, she felt that something was off behind her. She sensed that someone was following her, but the other party didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of harming her. She turned around, only to find a young woman dressed as a waitress standing behind her. Regan immediately recognized that the woman was not just an ordinary waitress. ¡°Who are you? Are you here to find me?¡± Catherine carefully observed the woman, whose cold and aristocratic demeanor indicated her inner strength, even in such a critical situation. ¡°Ms. Cynthia Bradley,¡± Catherine said. A hint of surprise shed through Regan¡¯s beautiful eyes. She had forgotten how long it had been since shest heard that form of address. She never expected to hear it again in her lifetime. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked again. From Regan¡¯s reaction, Catherine knew she had found the right person. She stared intently at Regan¡¯s face and uttered a name. ¡°Do you remember Branden?¡± The name astonished Regan even more than hearing her own name. She seemed lost in thought as if she were trapped in her memories, murmuring, ¡± Branden¡­ Are you one of Branden¡¯s people?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t answer her, as she had heard amotion outside. She knew someone wasing this way. Given her current situation, she could easily escape a confrontation. However, it would inevitably get others, especially Amos, in big trouble. She couldn¡¯t risk being discovered. Judging from Regan¡¯s expression, Catherine sensed that she still held some feelings for Branden. Catherine decided to take a chance. ¡°If you still remember Branden, I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the back garden gateter. Someone¡¯sing. I have to go,¡± Catherine said and then leaped out of the window. The building had 24 floors, yet Catherine jumped out as if it were nothing. Regan was so shocked her mouth widened. But before she could fully process the shock, the restroom door was kicked open from the outside. Leading the charge was her malepanion, her first love, now named Jotham Johnson. Seeing Regan standing there safe and sound, Jotham rushed forward and embraced her. ¡°Are you okay, Regan?¡± Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Come with Me Regan looked at Jotham with a puzzled expression, seemingly very surprised by his sudden appearance. ¡°Jotham, why did youe all of a sudden? Did something happen outside?¡± Seeing her uninjured, Jotham felt relieved. ¡± It¡¯s nothing. I just saw a maintenance sign hanging on the restroom door, and I was worried that something might have happened to you, so I came to check on you,¡± he replied. Ever since Jotham took Regan away from the Duncans, he had been taking good care of her, never leaving her side. Even when they attended events, his gaze always followed her. When he saw the maintenance sign on the restroom door shortly after Regan entered, he found it strange. He rushed over immediately, concerned that something might have happened to her. Regan smiled gently at Jotham. ¡± Jotham, you¡¯re always so nervous. Look, I¡¯m perfectly fine, and there¡¯s nothing unusual in the restroom. Maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence that they need to do some repairs.¡± To avoid further questioning from Jotham, Regan suggested leaving. Always obedient to Regan¡¯s requests, Jotham left the restroom with her. Regan proposed taking a walk in the back garden, and she politely declined Jotham¡¯s offer to apany her. ¡± Don¡¯t you have something to discuss with the Alliance Leaderter?¡± The full name of Florona was the Republic Alliance of Florona, and the highestmander here was known as the Alliance Leader. The Alliance Leader and Jotham had been good friends for many years, and Jotham hade to the flower appreciation event today to discuss matters with him. Jotham hesitated. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No worries,¡± Regan gently interrupted. ¡°Jotham, don¡¯t forget that this is Florona. With my status on the ind, no one dares to touch me. I won¡¯t go far, just taking a breather in the back garden. You know I don¡¯t like these kinds of asions.¡± Regan was born into a top-tier aristocratic family, surrounded by various daily social events. Her life was nevercking in such banquets, and whenever she appeared, she would be the center of attention. Perhaps due to her extensive participation in such events during the first half of her life, she now found them quite irritating. If it weren¡¯t for Jotham¡¯s business with the Alliance Leader today, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to attend the event at all. Hearing this, Jotham looked at her apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have made youe with me.¡± ¡°Silly, don¡¯t say that. You go take care of your business. We¡¯ll go back togetherter,¡± Regan responded. Seeing her smile, Jotham felt deeply satisfied. He tenderly replied, ¡°Alright.¡± Catherine and Amos finished their discussion before arriving at the back garden. There was still half an hour left, and if she didn¡¯t leave in that time, she was sure that Branden would rush here regardless of everything. She patiently sat on the tree, waiting until that slender figure finally appeared. Regan shook off her entourage and came to the back garden entrance, waiting for quite some time without seeing the waitress from earlier. Her brows furrowed, a hint of displeasure on her face. ¡°Has the waitress left?¡± she asked inwardly. Just as she wondered, a cold voice suddenly came from above. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± With that, a figure dropped from the tree. Regan then saw a veiled woman standing in front of her. Though half of her face was covered, it couldn¡¯t hide her beautiful features and the air of elegance that radiated from her. ¡°Who are you, and what¡¯s your rtionship with the Duncans?¡± Regan questioned. ¡°I am Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± Catherine openly admitted her identity. ¡°Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± Regan clearly doubted Catherine¡¯s identity, carefully scrutinizing her, trying to discern something. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Knowing that Regan wasn¡¯t convinced, Catherine took out her phone and disyed it before Regan. The phone¡¯s screensaver showed a photo of her and Branden, which he had changed when she wasn¡¯t paying attention. After Branden set it as the screensaver, she was toozy to alter it and has used it ever since. Regan looked at the handsome figure on the screen, momentarily losing herposure. Although she had left Branden when he was still very young, as his mother, she immediately recognized her son. Branden had inherited all the best features of her and her ex-husband, making him their most perfect union. Regan looked at Catherine with a hint of excitement, her lips trembling uncontrobly. ¡°Are you really Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e? How did you end up here?¡± ¡°Do you want to see Branden?¡± Catherine asked. This question left Regan at a loss. She parted her lips, but in the end, she remained silent. Over the years, she had thought about seeing her son, but she had always believed that she would never have the chance in her lifetime. Now, suddenly, a girl iming to be her son¡¯s fianc¨¦e appeared before Regan, saying she wanted to let Regan see her son. Regan honestly didn¡¯t know how to respond. Catherine, seeing her hesitation, decided toy it all out. ¡°I came here for Branden¡¯s sake. He found out you were in Florona, and he wants to see you one time. If you¡¯re willing, I can take you away.¡± Regan found it somewhat unbelievable. When she came to Florona, she knew there was no way she could leave this ce. This girl, looking not so young, was boldly iming to take her away, which seemed like a pipe dream. Regan scrutinized Catherine and then said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got here, but if you really are Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e, I will find a way to ensure your safe departure.¡± She thought that with the rtionship between Jotham and the Alliance Leader, perhaps there was a chance for this girl to leave the ind. As for Regan, she could only stay on the ind for the rest of her life, as that was the agreement she made when she first arrived here. Catherine grew impatient. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about all that. Just tell me, do you want to see Branden?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Regan didn¡¯t know how to respond. Catherine couldn¡¯t afford to give her more time. She suddenly reached out and grabbed Regan¡¯s arm. ¡°Come with me!¡± With that, she forcefully pulled Regan into the car. Regan didn¡¯t resist, and when she tilted her head, she saw Jotham and his men chasing after them. As the car got further away, Jotham¡¯s figure became increasingly blurry until it disappeared. Regan anxiously leaned against the window and said to Catherine, ¡°Stop the car and let me go back. I will exin to Jotham. I won¡¯t cause you any trouble. Trust me.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Catherine sneered. The truth was, no one could cause Catherine any trouble. Since she hade here, she couldn¡¯t leave empty- handed. Branden had already arrived at Snake Ind, and she was taking Regan to see him, leaving the rest for them to decide. Chapter 757 Chapter 757 Let Go of My Wife Jotham had been discussing matters with the Alliance Leader. After the discussion was over, the Alliance Leader had wanted to keep him for a drink. However, thinking that Regan was still in the back garden, Jotham declined his invitation. Upon leaving the hall, Jotham hurried to the back garden to find Regan. Along the way, he encountered the attendant who should be apanying her. Learning that Regan was alone in the back garden, Jotham began to feel uneasy. Jotham immediately rushed to the back garden with his men, only to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure getting into a car. The car swiftly departed, prompting Jotham to instruct his men to prepare a vehicle urgently. He then leaped into the car. The car quickly set off, closely following the ck vehicle ahead. Concerned, Jotham¡¯s subordinate tried to reassure him. ¡°Mr. Johnson, please don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think Ms. Regan is being abducted. Perhaps she had to leave for something urgent. Why not try calling her?¡± Although they could not stop Regan, they all saw that she had willingly entered the car, not being forced by anyone. Despite the reassurance, Jotham¡¯s stern expression remained unchanged. However, he heeded the advice and dialed Regan¡¯s number. At that moment, Regan was sitting in a car driven by Catherine, looking conflicted. Her phone rang repeatedly, but she was unsure whether to answer. With a cold expression, Catherine nced at Regan through the rearview mirror, observing her inner turmoil. Understanding Regan¡¯s emotions, she offered a reasonable suggestion. ¡°If you want to answer, then answer. You have to rify things, don¡¯t you?¡± Regan fell silent for a few seconds and then brought the phone to her ear. Jotham, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± It was unclear what Jotham said on the other end, but Regan looked at Catherine before awkwardly responding, ¡°I¡¯m just going to see an old friend. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Without waiting for a reply, Regan hung up the phone. Jotham¡¯s face was terrifyingly grim when he faced the disconnected call, the veins in his neck bulging. This was Florona. Not just anyone coulde here. He had been with Regan here for so many years, living in peace, with no contact with the outside world. ¡°How could Regan possibly have an old friend?¡± he murmured inwardly. ¡°Could it be that¡­¡± The thought shed a hint of murderous intent in Jotham¡¯s scheming eyes. If it were indeed someone from the Duncansing to take Regan away, he wouldn¡¯t let a single one of them get away. Jotham attempted to contact Regan again, but she had shut off her phone. Unable to ept this oue, Jotham was consumed by fury. ¡°Regan is mine, ¡°he eximed in his mind. ¡°No one can take her away from me!¡± Anger shattered Jotham¡¯s rationality, leaving only vengeance in his mind. He dialed the Alliance Leader¡¯s number, a cruel smile creeping onto his lips. ¡± What does it matter if the Duncans are powerful?¡± he thought. ¡°This is Florona. Once theye here, they will never be able to leave.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Jotham ordered the driver to speed up, guessing that they must be on their way to the pier at this moment. There was only one pier on the ind, so it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to intercept them. Catherine was indeed driving towards the pier. If she wanted to take Regan away at the fastest speed, she had to make use of the pier. The cliff was too dangerous. She could endure it, but a socialite like Regan definitely couldn¡¯t. Catherine¡¯s car was speeding along, turning a journey of over half an hour into a mere ten-minute one. Amos had long been prepared with a small boat at the pier, waiting for her. After parking the car, Catherine pulled Regan out of it. Regan stopped in her tracks, carefully examining Catherine. ¡°What do you want?¡± Catherine looked at her, expressionless. She didn¡¯t try to please Regan just because Regan was Branden¡¯s mother. ¡°What do I want? Come with me to meet Branden. The rest is up to you. If you want to go back, I¡¯ll take you back.¡± ¡°Just to meet him once?¡± Regan confirmed again. Catherine nodded without hesitation. ¡± He just wants to see if you¡¯re really dead. As for your choice, he won¡¯t interfere.¡± If Regan wanted to stay on the ind, Catherine assumed Branden wouldn¡¯t stop her. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Regan made a decision. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Amos had hidden the boat in a very secluded ce to avoid inspection, just in case. Regan¡¯s cooperation had reduced a lot of trouble, and Catherine brought her to a remote corner near the pier to find Amos. Arriving at the pre- arranged location, they urately found the small boat hidden by Amos. Catherine¡¯s expression suddenly darkened as they were preparing to board, and the atmosphere became tense. Though not familiar with Catherine, Regan sensed her change in emotion. ¡± What¡¯s wrong?¡± Catherine pulled her behind her with one hand, guarding her, and stared ahead with a vignt expression. ¡± Show yourselves!¡± The people who had been hiding around the small boat immediately appeared, seemingly surprised to have been discovered. But when they saw that Catherine had found them, it seemed as though they all understood why. There weren¡¯t many people in Florona, and each of them was elite. The members of their security team were all retired special forces with exceptionalbat skills. This was also why leaving the ind was harder thaning in. If one wanted to enter, one had to be prepared to never leave this ce for the rest of one¡¯s life. However, over the years, there had been one exception-Catherine. She was the only one who had sessfully left the ind. Many of the people present had participated in the siege of Catherine back then. The scene from that time was too bloody, like a nightmare, and it had tormented them for many years. No one had expected that the person who had left the ind years ago had returned. Catherine coldly surveyed the group of security team soldiers and asked a simple question. ¡°Where are my people?¡± It was a brief question, devoid of emotion, yet her intimidating gaze made everyone present feel a shiver down their spine. No one dared to answer Catherine¡¯s question. No one wanted to be the first casualty. The screeching sound of brakes came from behind, and Catherine turned around to see Jotham leaping out of the car with a murderous expression on his face. He was moving very quickly, indicating his extreme urgency. As their eyes met, Jotham¡¯s gaze toward Catherine seemed like he wanted to tear her apart on the spot. ¡°I don¡¯t know who sent you here, but as long as you¡¯re willing to let go of my wife, I¡¯ll leave you with a whole body.¡± Chapter 758 Chapter 758 Catherine Was So Bold Faced with Jotham¡¯s threat, Catherine looked at him disdainfully and extended her finger to her head. ¡°If you really have that ability,e on.¡± Jotham was exasperated by Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude. It was the first time he had encountered such an arrogant person. The expression on his face grew sinister, and the murderous look in his eyes became more and more obvious. Just as he was about to give orders to the men around him to kill Catherine, a convoy of Hummers suddenly drove from afar, and at the head of the convoy was a gold-colored extended Hummer. It was the standard car of the alliance leader. No one on Florona didn¡¯t recognize this car. The guards on the ship immediately stopped moving and saluted devoutly. Jotham also stopped his men from moving. Although he had a good rtionship with the alliance leader, this was Florona, and he must still listen to the decision of the alliance leader in everything. The golden Hummer stopped between Jotham and Catherine. The attendant on the passenger side quickly got out of the car and pulled open the door respectfully to invite the people in the car to get off. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Long slender legs crossed the car door, and the elongated figure then appeared in front of everyone¡¯s eyes. Seeing that the alliance leader had appeared, Regan instantly tensed up. Although she couldn¡¯tpletely trust Catherine now, if Catherine was really Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she wouldn¡¯t let Catherine get hurt no matter what. Originally, she was sure she could persuade Jotham, but now the alliance leader was there as well. She got scared, worrying that something would happen to Catherine. She took a slight step back and lowered her voice to Catherine. ¡°You find a way to leaveter. I¡¯ll stall them. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. With Jotham here, nothing will happen to me.¡± Obviously, Regan didn¡¯t know Catherine¡¯s identity, let alone the fact that the reason why the alliance leader would personallye out was not because of her at all but because of Catherine behind her. Catherine ignored Regan¡¯s persuasion and set her eyes on the alliance leader. When their eyes met each other, the alliance leader, who had always been unsmiling and had a cold face, actually took the initiative tough out loud. ¡± Haha, Catherine, long time no see.¡± Catherine looked at him coldly without speaking. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t speak, the alliance leader didn¡¯t get angry. He only looked at Catherine with an increasingly cold and gloomy gaze. Catherine, do you remember what I said back then? If you dare to step into this ce again, I guarantee that I¡¯ll lock you for the rest of your life.¡± The alliance leader was in his early fifties this year, but because of good maintenance, he looked like he was in his forties. With a handsome appearance and a properly managed body, he was as handsome as a middle-aged man. Back then, after knowing that Catherine was on the ind, he was impressed by her abilities. Originally, he was nning to break the century-old rules of Florona for Catherine to let her stay on the ind, but Catherine refused. Although the alliance leader loved talents, he couldn¡¯t break the bottom line of Florona. Therefore, he immediately ordered the maintenance team to kill Catherine. Unexpectedly, Catherine was much tougher than they had imagined, and those members of the maintenance team were no match for Catherine at all. At that time, they ended in a disastrous defeat, and Catherine escaped smoothly. At that time, the alliance leader swore that if he met Catherine again, he would definitely arrest her and lock her up on the ind. He would lock her forever. Over the years, he never gave up looking for news of Catherine. However, Catherine¡¯s whereabouts were mysterious. Coupled with the Hacker Alliance¡¯s protection, it was hard to find her whereabouts. To the alliance leader¡¯s surprise, the person he had searched for for so long had actually walked up to him on her own. The words of the alliance leader contained a strong threat, but Catherine didn¡¯t take it seriously at all. She gave the alliance leader a provocative look and said disdainfully, ¡°I could get out of here back then. Do you think you can trap me now?¡± Catherine¡¯s words made the alliance leader¡¯s heart filled with anger. Over the years, Catherine was like a bone stuck across the alliance leader¡¯s throat, making him very ufortable. Today, he finally had a chance to resolve this heartfelt hatred. How could he easily let Catherine go? The alliance leader looked at Catherine with a proud expression in his eyes. Look behind you.¡± Catherine turned back. Amos was escorted out by two members of the maintenance team, and there were still quite a few bruises on his face. It seemed that he had been tortured. ¡°Catherine, this man is one of your men, isn¡¯t he?¡± Facing the alliance leader¡¯s inquiry, Catherine still did not answer. The alliance leader didn¡¯t seem to have the intention of asking her to answer either, so he continued on his own, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t admit it. In fact, from thest time you came to Florona, I knew that Amos was the traitor of Florona. I didn¡¯t execute him at that time. I was just waiting for today. You have such a loyal servant. It¡¯s so enviable.¡± The alliance leader was certain that Catherine would not put Amos in danger of death just for her own escape. Only someone who was hard-hearted would be able to win in the end. Obviously, Catherine was not that kind of person. She was righteous and concerned about the people around her, and that doomed her to not be able to leave this time. After listening to what the alliance leader said, Amos realized that what he had always thought of as his luck was the alliance leader¡¯s conspiracy against them. Amos was able to survive and stay alive not because he was lucky but because the alliance leader intended to use him as a bargaining chip to threaten Catherine. Thinking about this, Amos was in agony. He originally nned to sacrifice himself to repay Catherine, but he didn¡¯t expect this. He struggled desperately, trying to break free from the constraints of the guards around him. But he was constantly punched in the stomach, causing him to barely straighten up in pain. ¡°Miss Catherine, run. Please leave me alone. Leave here quickly.¡± Catherine nced back at the guard who had just hit Amos with his fist. Her cold eyes made the guard panicked for a moment, but the guard didn¡¯t want to be seen through his mind. He looked at Catherine with a fierce expression. He even rudely punched Amos again in front of Catherine and then waved at Catherine. He seemed to be smug because he thought Catherine could do nothing to him. Catherine looked calm. At the moment the guard waved his hand, she pulled out the gun from her waist and pulled the trigger directly in the direction of the guard. After the gunshot sounded, screams rang out. The guard covered his bleeding wrist in pain. His palm had been urately shot by Catherine, and blood was constantly seeping out of his palm. This scene stunned everyone. No one expected Catherine to have such guts. She even dared to shoot in such a situation. Was she really not afraid of death? Jotham noticed that there was already a hint of killing intent in the eyes of the alliance leader standing on the side. He didn¡¯t care about Catherine¡¯s life or death. He just didn¡¯t want this matter to involve Regan. He was ready to take Regan away once the situation was not right. As for Catherine, if the alliance leader didn¡¯t kill her, he would kill her. Jotham thought in his heart, ¡°Anyone who dares to snatch Regan from me will die!¡± Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Catherine, We¡¯re Here No one at the scene seemed to have expected Catherine to be so arrogant in such a situation. She even shot someone in front of the alliance leader. Was she really not afraid of death? The alliance leader¡¯s already gloomy face had darkened to the extreme at that moment. He thought to himself, ¡°Catherine, not only did you challenge my majesty, but you also provoked me in public. If I don¡¯t punish you, how am I going to manage the entire Florona in the future?¡± The alliance leader gave orders to everyone with a cold face. He reached out and pointed in Catherine¡¯s direction, his eyes filled with anger. ¡± Kill them all.¡± With that, the attendants present shouted in response, ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Even if Catherine had strong abilities and could fight, it would be difficult for her to escape in the face of hundreds of guns aimed at her. Not to mention the fact that she still had to take Regan with her, and Amos was in the alliance leader¡¯s hands. Just as Catherine was preparing to use her l?st chip to negotiate with the alliance leader, the situation suddenly changed. More than ten ships crossed the border defense line and headed straight for the dock. The man standing at the bow of the ship had a ck training uniform and sharp eyes. His handsome face looked more and more cold and resolute under the illumination of the light. Regan panicked when she saw the man standing at the bow of the boat. For her, it seemed like a dream. She couldn¡¯t even believe everything she saw in front of her. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. She thought inwardly, ¡°He¡¯s here! He reallyes.¡± Jotham also noticed that the handsome face of the man standing at the bow was simr to the man¡¯s face in his memory. His heart tightened. He knew that this matter was troublesome. The alliance leader did not expect that besides Catherine, there would be someone who could break into Florona with so many people without his permission. He thought to himself, ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to have to redeploy our borderline defense.¡± The alliance leader¡¯s gaze fell on Catherine, and his fierce gaze scrutinized her up and down. ¡°Did you bring the people behind you?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond, her expression bing increasingly calm and indifferent. ¡°Hmph!¡± The alliance leader snorted disdainfully as if he did not take this group of people seriously. He even shouted arrogantly at Catherine, ¡± Come on. The more people you bring, the better. There hasn¡¯t been a war on Florona for some years. You guys havee at the right time today. I will let all of you die on this ind.¡± Catherine listened to his threat as if she was listening to a joke. ¡°If you can do that, just give it a try.¡± Her calm but firm tone made the alliance leader somewhat indecisive. He didn¡¯t know what allowed Catherine to say such words in such a calm and self-assured manner. He even suspected that Catherine¡¯s power was much more than what he saw in front of him. The moment Branden saw Catherine, he finally felt a lot more at ease. Before the ship docked, he couldn¡¯t wait to jump down from the ship and run to Catherine¡¯s side. Along the way, only Catherine was in his eyes. He didn¡¯t pay attention to anyone else except her. When the members of the maintenance team saw Branden rushing toward Catherine, they subconsciously wanted to arrest him. However, Branden¡¯s aura was too strong. It was so strong that they didn¡¯t even dare to make any extra movements when Branden passed by their side. They could only watch as he walked over to Catherine. Branden had a lot to say inside, and he even had a lot of anger to vent, but the moment he reached her and saw her, all the words in his heart ended up turning into concern for her. ¡°How are you?¡± Catherine took the initiative to hold his hand and tightly grasped it in the palm of her hand. Because she saw his hand shaking. Branden, who had always been calm, was so nervous that his hands trembled because of her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Catherine¡¯s calm tone brought peace to Branden¡¯s restless heart. Only after confirming that Catherine was truly fine did Branden shift his gaze to Regan, who was off to the side. He didn¡¯t say a word, just gave her a quiet nce. His cold and unfamiliar eyes caused Regan to have a heart palpitation. She even felt some difficulty breathing. She had thought that she would never have the chance to see her son in her life, but to her surprise, her son was now right in front of her. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly. Crystal tears unconsciously fell from her eyes. Regan parted and closed her lips several times before she could call out the name that she had called out countless times in her dreams.¡± Branden¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Branden nodded slightly. His gaze was still cold, and his voice was also cold. ¡°How are you doing?¡± His cold tone made Regan have a heartache. She couldn¡¯t ept that her son was so cold to her, even colder than to a stranger. But she knew she wasn¡¯t in a position to me Branden. Because everything about today was her choice. If she hadn¡¯t abandoned Branden since childhood, there was no way Branden would have treated her this way. Regan forced herself to hold back the sharp pain in her heart. With great difficulty, she curved her lips into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine!¡± Branden really had no other purpose. He just wanted to know if his mother was still alive in this world and if she was living well. Once, before he met Catherine, perhaps he would resent his mother. But now, he had gradually epted and let go of all this. The things that one could gain in their lifetime were limited. Branden¡¯s mother abandoned him to pursue her own happiness, but God¡¯s favor made him have Catherine. It all bnced out. And he had let it all go with time. Zobber and the others walked behind Branden. They hurriedly disembarked from the ship. Seeing the confrontation between the two sides, they were all on alert and instantly entered a state of readiness. ¡± Catherine, we¡¯re here!¡± The alliance leader sized them up. He felt that these people were not simple. The attendant beside him passed the information to him immediately. ¡± Lord, that man is Branden. The people behind him are all from the Hacker Alliance, and there are quite a few soldiers from the Duncans.¡± This might not be good news for the alliance leader. This group of people was the elite of the elite. Although the alliance leader now had the geographical advantage, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that he would be able to win in a big way. And even if he was victorious, it was likely that he would have to pay a terrible price. Branden nced toward Amos behind him and inquired to Catherine at the side, ¡°He¡¯s your man?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it!¡± As soon as she finished saying that, the expression on Branden¡¯s face changed. His voice also became serious. ¡°I¡¯ll have the final say this time.¡± Catherine knew Branden was still angry at her for the deception. Looking at Branden¡¯s stubble and dark circles under his eyes, Catherine felt a little distressed. She went along with it. Catherine thought to herself, ¡°Since he wants to solve it himself, let him. If the alliance leader dares to hurt my man, don¡¯t me me for going on a killing spree. I¡¯ll simply overturn the entire Florona and kill everyone on this ind. After Branden finished his exnation, he walked straight toward where the alliance leader was. Chapter 760 Chapter 760 A Happy Cooperation Watching Branden approach, the people in the maintenance team instantly became more vignt. In the next second, they entered a highly alert state. They collectively aimed the guns they were holding at Branden as if they were going to shoot in the next second. If they fired at the same time, Branden would immediately be shot and die. In the face of such a threat, Branden¡¯s face remained calm. He kept walking non-stop, and even his walking speed did not change. His eyes were zing with cold eyes, staring straight at the alliance leader ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it.¡± The guards behind the alliance leader wanted to say something but were stopped by the alliance leader himself. The alliance leader thought in his heart, ¡°This is my territory, surrounded by my people. Branden offered to talk in public, and if I refused, what would my people think of me? Florona doesn¡¯t need a cowardly alliance leader. I need to be not only confident but strong.¡± ¡°Come here!¡± After the alliance leader¡¯s order, Branden got into the car along with the alliance leader. Even though the other party was the alliance leader of Florona, the supreme existence of Florona, Branden did not look inferior to him. Including those people around Branden, each of them was an existence that could defeat a hundred people alone. The atmosphere was temporarily eased because of the discussion between the two big shots, but it was still tense. As long as the situation was not right, both sides might start a war at any time. Regan¡¯s heart was in her throat as she watched Branden get into the alliance leader¡¯s car. She turned her head to look at Catherine beside her. Catherine remained calm, even with a somewhat indifferent expression as if she hadpletely ignored all of this. Regan couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡± Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Upon hearing this, Catherine turned her head sideways and looked at Regan with some confusion. ¡°Do I need to worry?¡± Catherine¡¯s firm yet calm tone made Regan freeze. She could tell that Catherine was very confident in Branden. It was the kind of confidence that could only be built up between two people based on the long time they had known each other and even shared life and experiences together. Such a tone made Regan envious. All those years of separation had left her knowing nothing about her son. Seeing that the situation there had calmed down, Jotham immediately hinted to Regan. Regan didn¡¯t react after receiving his hint. This was a bit uneptable to Jotham. He couldn¡¯t help but shout out, ¡°Regan, let¡¯s go home before it¡¯s toote.¡± Regan, who had always obeyed him, did notply with his decision this time. ¡°I still have some things I need to take care of. I¡¯ll meet you when I¡¯m done, okay?¡± Looking at Jotham¡¯s eyes full of sadness and supplication, Regan hoped Jotham could understand her. It was obvious that all of this was just her own thoughts. The moment she refused Jotham, Jotham changed the expression on his face. Jotham thought in his mind, ¡°As soon as the members of the Duncans appeared and did nothing, Regan changed her mind. I¡¯ve been so good to her over the years, but can¡¯t she see it?¡± Thinking about this, Jotham was extremely sad but even more angry. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. He continued to mutter in his mind, ¡°I won¡¯t let Regan leave Florona, let alone the people from the Duncans. No one can take Regan from me.¡± Jotham began to deploy. He called his most trusted cronies and exined everything he was going to do. Zobber and the others surrounded Catherine slowly. Amos was still in the hands of the alliance leader¡¯s men. However, after Catherine just fired that shot, the maintenance team members were all intimidated. Without orders, they didn¡¯t dare to hit Amos easily, nor would they seek death to provoke Catherine. None of them dared to anger Catherine. Zobber was a little bored. She had always been fearless, even in such an environment, she was still rxed and casual. ¡°What do you guys think Branden and the alliance leader are going to talk about?¡± Upon hearing Zober¡¯s question, everyone turned their gaze to Paxton. They didn¡¯t dare ask Catherine about that. The only person they could ask was Paxton, who was around Branden. Among these people, Paxton was the one who knew Branden the best. Faced with everyone¡¯s gaze, Paxton silently felt a little nervous. ¡°Could you guys stop looking at me like that? Hasn¡¯t anyone ever told you guys that your gazes are quite scary?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Zobber snorted disdainfully. ¡± Do you also have moments of fear?¡± Paxton admitted. ¡°If it were you, being stared at by a group of people with simr strength to you, wouldn¡¯t you be afraid?¡± A random person from Zobber and the others could fight Paxton for a few rounds. If they joined forces together to fight Paxton at the same time, Paxton would basically have no chance to fight back. He might as well just choose to surrender and admit defeat. In a situation like this, he would have to admit defeat even if he didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s useless to talk to you about this. You just need to believe that there is nothing Mr. Duncan can¡¯t solve. ¡°Paxton spoke with iparable confidence. He was quite an admirer of Branden. Zobber originally wanted to retort, but once she thought of all the things Branden had done, she silently shut her mouth. Branden was indeed strong, and it was still widely recognized. Paxton¡¯s statement was based on evidence, and Zobber had no reason to refute it. After more than ten minutes, there was still no movement in the car. Ronin, who was impatient, couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He muttered to Catherine in a low voice. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s not a solution to wait any longer. Why don¡¯t we kill our way out?¡± Although the other side had arge number of people, they were not vulnerable. If they started a war, they still had a chance to win. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer!¡± Catherine trusted Branden. He had never let her down. After a few more minutes, there was finally movement inside the golden Hummer. Branden and the alliance leader got out of the car at the same time. Branden¡¯s face was still cold and expressionless but the alliance leader¡¯s expression had obviously changed from gloomy to full of smiles. It could be seen that the result of the negotiation between Branden and the alliance leader was good and that the conditions provided by Branden were very satisfactory to the alliance leader. They walked to Catherine. The alliance leader took the initiative to extend his hand to shake Catherine¡¯s hand. ¡°You and Mr. Duncan are our most honored partners from now on. I wish us a happy partnership.¡± Catherine wasn¡¯t sure what Branden had promised the alliance leader yet. But she knew leaving there safely with everyone was the most important thing right now. Before she could reach out, Branden held her hand while his other hand held the hand of the alliance leader. ¡± Hope we have a happy cooperation.¡± The alliance leader could tell Branden didn¡¯t like other men having physical contact with Catherine, so heughed. ¡± Mr. Duncan, you are so petty.¡± Branden nced at Catherine with a smile in his eyes andughed softly. ¡± My pettiness is only limited to certain aspects.¡± He could be generous, but when it came to Catherine, he was more petty than anyone else. Catherine was his bottom line, and no one could break it. Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Jotham¡¯s Private Force The leader sorted things out on their end and agreed for Branden and the others to leave Florona. He even released Amos to Catherine. After promising Branden that anyone he wanted to take could leave, the leader, with their troop of guards, left the dock. But as the guard team departed, a bunch of mysterious figures in ck encircled Branden and his group. Their sinister eyes made their intentions clear. Zobber and the others were puzzled. They thought inwardly, ¡°Aren¡¯t the leader¡¯s people gone? Why this new group?¡± ¡°Catherine, did the leader of Florona change his mind? This is way too quick, ¡°Zobber questioned. Catherine shook her head and denied Zobber¡¯s spection. Catherine wasn¡¯t aware of the exact terms Branden had agreed upon, but she knew that making the leader break his rules and ept their conditions to leave Florona meant those conditions must have been enticing. The leader wouldn¡¯t easily ruin the deal. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g The only possibility was that these individuals weren¡¯t the leader¡¯s guards. They must have another agenda. They possibly targeted Regan, who was with Catherine now. Branden strolled and held Catherine¡¯s hand. He was seemingly carefree despite the menacing circle around them. Paxton stood by and coldly eyed the surrounding ominous figures in ck. He was well aware they were here for them. ¡°Mr. Duncan, this leader is so dirty. We just got our deal, and now they¡¯re bothering us?¡± Branden¡¯s face darkened, and he scanned the area with his cold eyes. His deal with the leader was for Catherine¡¯s group to leave Florona safely without shing with the guards. The leader had agreed and kept this promise. However, the leader wouldn¡¯t intervene if others on Florona tried to harm them. In fact, the leader might be watching and testing their strength from a distance. For Florona, this looming conflict had benefits and no drawbacks. They wouldn¡¯t bother to stop it. If it were Branden, he¡¯d make the same choice to be a bystander. Regan recognized the ck-d figures and realized they were Jotham¡¯s private force hidden on the ind. It was a reward for his loyalty to the leader. Seeing the menacing demeanor of these individuals, Regan worried they might target her son, Branden. Regan shielded Branden and red fiercely at the ck-d figures. ¡°What do you want? I want to see Jotham! Tell him toe out.¡± Branden nced down at Regan, who was shielding him. With his deep eyes, his inner thoughts were complex and hard to decipher. When Catherine noticed the change in Branden¡¯s eyes, she tightened her grip on his hand. As Branden turned to nce at Catherine, their eyes met, and an unspoken understanding passed between them. The ck-d figures, faced with Regan¡¯s inquiry, remained cold and adamant. ¡°Mrs. Regan, forgive our impertinence. Mr. Johnson has a request. Pleasee with us, and we¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®handle¡¯? What are you nning?¡± Regan asked, and she was agitated. Without answering her, the ck-d figures gestured and moved to use force to take Regan away, but before they could touch her, Paxton swiftly incapacitated them. ¡°Ah!¡± A cry echoed as Paxton threw one of the ck-d figures over his shoulder and made him fall to the ground. Chapter 762 Chapter 762 The Weapons ¡°Paxton¡¯s move isn¡¯t cutting it. If he goes up just an inch more, that guy¡¯s done for.¡± Zobber stood aside andmented with a smile. Withal chimed in, ¡°Makes sense. Look at that guy. His footing¡¯s all off. Paxton¡¯s targeting is slightly off.¡± As they fervently discussed, Paxton was entangled in a scuffle with a dozen burly figures dressed in ck. Despite Paxton¡¯s formidable strength, he struggled against their relentless rotation, all the while trying to listen to his friends¡¯ banter. After delivering a swift kick to a charging figure in ck, Paxton finally found a moment. He turned back toward Zobber and the others. Then he yelled in frustration, ¡°Are you guys so capable? Why don¡¯t you join in?¡± Zobber shrugged casually and replied, We¡¯re not cut out for this physical stuff. That¡¯s all you.¡± Paxton, who was exasperated, had no way with Zobber. Now, he couldn¡¯t spare a moment to deal with her either. While they argued with each other, he continued grappling with the figures in ck. Zobber, who had been observing for a while, suddenly acted. With a swift step, she charged forward, kicked one of the ck-d men, and sent him flying. She looked coldly at the fallen man with a killing intent. ¡°Come at me face to face. Dare to sneak? I¡¯ll finish you off.¡± The ck-d man had tried to ambush Paxton while he was distracted chatting with them earlier. As Paxton found himself overwhelmed from multiple sides, Zobber caught sight of it. As much as she enjoyed spectating, Zobber wouldn¡¯t stand for troublemaking. Her fiery temper red, especially with such underhanded tactics. Paxton nced at the fallen ck-d man and managed a thumbs-up toward Zobber in between. Zobber shot him a haughty nce and waved her hand to signal him to carry on with his solo act. Midway through, for some reason, all the ck-d men suddenly retreated. Sensing trouble, Paxton immediately withdrew toward Branden¡¯s side. A strange sound echoed, and everyone¡¯s expressions turned serious. They all knew the sudden retreat of the ck-d men signified something significant. Sure enough, the next moment, they understood. After being absent for a while, Jotham drove slowly toward them in arge pickup truck with two massive weapons positioned by his side. Within such close range, the armaments he brought were more than enough to overpower everyone present. Faced with such overwhelming armaments, even the toughest fighters stood powerless. No wonder the ck- d men were pulled out. They were preparing for a major offensive. The faces of those present grew increasingly grim. They realized that the real crisis was underway. Ronin and the others immediately stood in front of Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you go aheadter. We¡¯ve got this covered.¡± Catherine nced at them with a faint smile. She thought inwardly, ¡°With heavy weaponry aimed their way, how can they possibly fend it off? Use their bodies as shields? Abandoning my teammates isn¡¯t something I can bring myself to do.¡± Regan¡¯s face turned pale as she saw the weapons Jotham brought out. She dropped her usual demeanor and shouted loudly toward Jotham. She hoped he¡¯d heed her words. Regan didn¡¯t intend to leave or betray Jotham. It had been years since she¡¯d seen her son. Branden risked his life to find her and wanted just a glimpse to confirm she was alive. Regan thought it was not wrong. But Jotham was entirely deaf to her pleas. Right now, he only wanted to wipe out every member of the Duncans present. The fire burning within him for over a decade finally had a chance to vent. He couldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity. ¡°Regan, if you listen to me, stand by my side. I promise to release a group of people!¡± He pointed toward Zobber and the others as he said, ¡°I have no grudge against you all. Since the leader agrees for you to leave, as long as you don¡¯t meddle, leave quietly. I won¡¯t take your lives.¡± Facing Jotham¡¯s terms for safe passage, Zobber and the others were indifferent. They had been following Catherine for years, and as long as she stayed, they¡¯d follow her, even to hell. Their indifference thoroughly infuriated Jotham. He knew just how despicable human nature could be. Today, in front of everyone, he was determined to reveal their hypocritical faces. With Jotham¡¯s gesture, his men loaded their weapons and aimed at Branden and the others. Catherine turned to nce at Branden nearby, and Branden instantly understood Catherine¡¯s intention. Just as Jotham was about to give the final order, Branden and Catherine simultaneously acted. Witnessing this, the crowd erupted in cheers. Zobber eximed in amazement, ¡°It¡¯s rare to see Catherine make a move, but I never expected her and Mr. Duncan to act together! This scene is unreal! Who do you think is tougher, Catherine or Mr. Duncan?¡± Ronin, being Catherine¡¯s biggest fan, was the first to step up. ¡°There is no doubt that it¡¯s Catherine. Mr. Duncan is always under her thumb. That¡¯s solid evidence.¡± Hearing Ronin¡¯s words, Paxton felt extremely aggrieved. Ronin was mocking him just a while ago while Paxton was fighting. Holding back his frustration, Paxton immediately retorted, ¡°No matter how tough Catherine is, she¡¯s still under Mr. Duncan!¡± His words silenced the crowd. Ronin¡¯s face turned crimson. He couldn¡¯t find a rebuttal for a moment. The others silently gave Paxton a thumbs-up. They thought Paxton didn¡¯t treat them as outsiders and dared to say anything. Paxton decided to stop there. After all, he had witnessed Catherine¡¯s might and was afraid of her prowess. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. On the other side, Branden and Catherine joined forces. They were both formidable powerhouses with astounding speed. The team of dozens stood no chance against them. Branden took the lead while Catherineunched surprise attacks. In the blink of an eye, they reached Jotham. It was too close for therge weapons to aim properly. The ck-d men struggled to create distance, but under the overwhelming force of Branden and Catherine, they couldn¡¯t withstand their advance. As they got increasingly close, Jotham witnessed the astonishing power of Branden and Catherine, and his anger peaked. He didn¡¯t expect an exceptional talent from the Duncans. Unable to handle the two, he decided to target their friends first. Jotham stepped in front of the weapons and aimed directly at Zobber and the others. He prepared to wipe them out. Using their lives as leverage, he aimed to inflict pain on Branden and Catherine. Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Sacrifice As Jotham aimed his weapon in Zobber¡¯s direction and was ready to pull the trigger, a blur shot past him. Instinctively, he let go and dodged. Before Jotham set foot on Florona, he had once been a reigning force and treaded a dark path. He was fierce inbat, every move lethal. After the blur passed, Jotham regainedposure and faced the situation calmly. But Branden¡¯s prowess was overwhelming. Despite Jotham¡¯s experience, he was no match. After a few exchanges, Jotham found himself overpowered by Branden, who had a firm grip on his throat. A little more pressure, and Jotham would be meeting his maker. Jotham was defeated, and his crew fell incapacitated by thebined force of Catherine and Zobber. All of them fell to the ground. Branden exerted a bit more force, and it caused even a tough man like Jotham to wince in pain. Enduring the agony, Jotham red back at Branden. ¡°Your grandfather took me down back then, and today, it¡¯s your turn. I thought the Duncans with your good-for-nothing dad would eventually fall. I didn¡¯t expect you to be quite impressive. Come on. Enough talk. Let¡¯s finish this. After saying that, Jotham closed his eyes and was prepared for Branden to end it. The winner took all. That was the rule he knew in this life. Since he confronted Branden and lost, he had to ept it. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Seeing Branden subdue Jotham, Regan breathed a sigh of relief. But when Jotham conceded, and Branden prepared to strike, her heart raced up. Her rtionship with Jotham all these years was genuine. She knew Jotham¡¯s feelings for her very well. She was grateful to have encountered Jotham again. Without him, she might not have been in this world. Years ago, during her husband¡¯s infidelity, Regan had spiraled into severe mental distress and contemted ending it all. Then Jotham received word and returned. He proposed taking her away from Casier to Florona, where no one could find them, under the condition of never leaving. Without a second thought, Regan agreed, and Jotham abandoned his career to be with her. Regan knew she could never repay this debt. Despite feeling ashamed in front of her son, she decided to try once more for Jotham¡¯s sake. If Branden refused, she was willing to leave this world with Jotham. Just as Regan was about to speak up, the leader, who had initially departed, returned. Catherine looked at the scheming leader coldly. When two parties fought with each other, he stood aside. With one party defeated and his interests at stake, the leader eagerly returned. His intentions were transparent on his face. Despite the leader¡¯s persuasion, Branden remained stoic and was seemingly unconcerned with his presence. This attitude made the leader ufortable. He had intended to be more forceful. However, after witnessing Branden¡¯s capabilities, he quickly dismissed that idea. Some powerful individuals were best left unprovoked. As the situation reached a stalemate, Regan stepped forward. She looked at Branden with her red eyes, and she hesitated before finally speaking. She said, ¡°Branden¡­¡± Branden stared at her expressionlessly and offered no response. Regan, though hesitant, continued, Branden, I know I have no right, but please spare Jotham. I¡¯ll make amends for his wrongdoings. If you release him now, I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself, even to die.¡± Jotham was astonished. He¡¯d always believed Regan didn¡¯t care about him. He didn¡¯t expect that she was willing to sacrifice herself for him. Jotham looked at Regan excitedly with his red eyes and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Regan¡­¡± Branden sneered at the emotional interaction between the two, and his expression grew darker. Those familiar with him started trembling. They recognized it as a sign of Branden losing his temper. Seeing the situation on the verge of spiraling out of control, Catherine, who had been silent, suddenly said, ¡°Tide¡¯s about to turn. Let¡¯s go.¡± Leaving Florona required precise knowledge of the tidal shift. Safetyy in departing just before the tide turned. Once the tide began rising, leaving became nearly impossible. Branden, who was about to act, suddenly halted. He realized that the past held no significance. It was the present, the people in front of him, that he needed to cherish. Branden pushed Jotham away, leaped off the pickup truck, and walked over to Catherine. Then he took her hand. Witnessing the two prepare to leave, everyone promptly followed suit and was prepared to depart. Regan rushed forward and helped Jotham up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Despite his injuries, Jotham felt surprisingly good at that moment. He looked at Regan happily. ¡°Regan, I never expected¡­¡± Before he could finish, Regan interjected, ¡°Jotham, wait for me.¡± Assured that Jotham was rtively unharmed, Regan intended to catch up with Branden. Jotham gripped her wrist with fear in his eyes. ¡°Jotham, trust me!¡± Regan reassured him firmly. She just wanted to have a private conversation with Branden, not to leave. Initially, Jotham worried that Regan wanted to leave due to his belief that she didn¡¯t care about him enough. But now he realized her willingness to sacrifice herself for him. He was touched and believed he held a ce in Regan¡¯s heart. Jotham slowly released her hand and managed a faint smile. ¡± Regan, go ahead. I¡¯ll be here waiting for you!¡± Regan nodded and hurried toward Branden. She finally caught up just as Branden was about to board the ship. She called out, ¡°Branden!¡± As the voice sounded, everyone halted, but Branden didn¡¯t turn back and kept moving. However, the next moment, Catherine pulled him back. With one hand in her pocket, Catherine gazed coldly at Branden¡¯s handsome face. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through a lot to arrive here with you. It can¡¯t be for nothing.¡± Catherine had endured the trials of reaching Florona and the ensuing turmoil. Now, if Branden acted stubbornly, her efforts would be in vain. Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Branden frowned. Catherine saw his reluctance and urged once more, ¡°Go on. I¡¯ll be waiting for you on the ship.¡± In his lifetime, Branden seldom heeded others¡¯ advice, yet he followed Catherine¡¯smand. This time was no exception. He had just harbored intentions of killing, but he heard Catherine¡¯s words and spared Jotham. After settling Catherine, Branden turned away and left the ship. He stood before Regan and waited for her to speak. Chapter 764 Chapter 764 The Answer Regan looked at Branden, who was much taller than her, feelingplicated. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for years, Branden. I¡¯m so relieved you¡¯ve grown up to be a decent man.¡± Branden stood there calmly and looked at her without expression. ¡°Why did you leave Father and me?¡± Finally, he asked the question that had haunted him for years. He wanted an answer. Regan sighed after she heard his question. She knew this day woulde. There was no way to escape. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She was born into a family of privilege and wealth and treasured ever since she was born. Her childhood and her teen years were in sailing. But her tragedy began when she was arranged to marry Howard Duncan, the first son of the Duncan family. The marriage was forced on Howard, too. Neither of them had liked it from the beginning. Regan foresighted the union ever since she was young. Unlike her, Howard had a beloved girlfriend who was a celebrity in the entertainment industry. Karl felt that her motivation to approach Howard was impure, so he forced them to break up. After they got married, Howard lived a life with Regan. After all, Regan was one of Casier¡¯s most beautiful and educated women. But even since Regan was pregnant, Howard began to spend nights outside constantly. Later, Regan finds out that Howard¡¯s ex-girlfriend has returned. The two of them, who were originally unwilling to break up, got back together soon. Things got out of control. Regan had quarreled with Howard about this. But she was born into a noble family. Instead of making a scene she kept it to herself. As time went by, Howard¡¯s mistress became more and more arrogant. She even came home to show off. This was unbearable for a woman as proud as Regan. She suffered from her miserable marriage and thought ofmitting suicide several times. Her emotional breakdown had made her depression more severe and her suicide more frequent. Fortunately, Jotham showed up and faked her death. He took her away and gave her a new life. ¡°Branden, no matter what, I owe you too much,¡± said Regan. Branden¡¯s cold eyes were unobtrusively foggy. ¡°Do you want to leave here?¡± If she said yes, Branden would take her away. What was done was done for thest generation. He only wanted an answer, and he got one. The rest was not so important. ¡°What?¡± Regan paused in confusion for a second. Then she realized what he was talking about and shook her head. She had been ustomed to living on Florona Ind and did not want to leave there. She smiled faintly and whispered, ¡± Let¡¯s just pretend I¡¯m dead.¡± Branden slowly answered, ¡°Fine.¡± He only came here to see if she was still alive. He would risk anything to get her out if she were forced to live here. But since she lived here willingly, he had no reason to interfere in her life. ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± said Branden. ¡°Be careful on the way back.¡± Regan was so reluctant to let him go. She dared not to blink her eyes, afraid of missing this wonderful moment. She wanted to memorize Branden¡¯s face. Seeing Branden was boarding the ship, Regan said with hopes, ¡°Come and see me when you have a chance, will you?¡± Branden paused. He turned around and nodded at Regan, agreeing to her request. Regan¡¯s smile was bigger. She was most satisfied when Branden agreed to her request. Jotham limped and chased after Regan to the shore, his heart hanging from the moment he stood up. He was worried she might leave with Branden. But when he saw the familiar figure at the shore, he could finally be rest assured. He did not approach to interrupt her. Instead, he stayed where he was and stared at her. Regan¡¯s gaze was fixed on the direction in which the ship was leaving while Josham Johnson stood not far away, staring at her. Until it gradually darkened and ships could no longer be seen on the sea, Jotham slowly approached and wrapped his arm around Regan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s windy. Let¡¯s head back and rest.¡± Regan nodded silently and followed him. Perhaps she would never have the chance to see her son again in this life and could only silently pray for his safety in her heart every day. The ship was still swaying back and forth in the rough waves as if it was about to tilt at any moment. The few young people standing at the deck with a smile did not care about the waves, chatting and laughing. The sessful departure put everyone in a good mood. Zobber smiled at Paxton and joked, ¡°I was hoping to see you guys put up a fight. Who knows? Things were settled before we had a chance to y. Wasn¡¯t this Florona known as the Hidden World? Why did wee and go so easily?¡± Paxton sneered. ¡°Because Mr. Duncan had nned and arranged everything in advance.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Branden, who could offer the conditions to negotiate with the leader, how could they have left so easily without any sacrifices? Speaking of this, Zobber was curious. ¡± Paxton, What conditions did Mr. Duncan offer to the leader to break the century-old tradition of Florona and let us leave?¡± Paxton did not know the details. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I bet it took a lot.¡± That leader seemed to be shrewd. He would not agree to let them go without enough interest. Paxton smiled evilly and said, ¡°Since you are so curious, why don¡¯t you go in and ask him?¡± He pointed at the cabin. ¡°Are you trying to frame me? I¡¯m no fool!¡± Zobber rolled her eyes at Paxton. To ask Branden about this was nothing different from suicide. She was not that dumb. ¡°What took Catherine and Mr. Duncan so long? Amos was not badly injured. Why are they still in there?¡± asked Zobber. Just now, Catherine and Branden went to the cabin to check on Amos. Connie was treating him. They went there for a while but didn¡¯te out. Paxton got dizzy with winning Zobber. ¡°Maybe they go back to their room for a rest.¡± As soon as Paxton finished speaking, he felt their expressions were weird. He looked at everyone in confusion. ¡± What¡¯s the matter? Did I say something wrong?¡± Their eyes were fixed on behind him. Paxton looked back instinctively. The next second, he was so frightened that he almost got down on his knees. Chapter 765 Chapter 765 Back to Loxton Catherine was standing behind him. And she must have heard what he said about her and Branden. Paxton wanted to cry when he made eye contact with Catherine. His heart pounded fast. ¡± Miss Swann.¡± Catherine looked at him with a fake smile, her sharp eyes piercing Paxton¡¯s heart like two sharp des. What she said next was even more frightening to Paxton. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been talking about metely, Paxton.¡± Paxton smiled at Catherine bitterly and said, ¡°Miss Swann, please don¡¯t get me wrong. I only think you and Mr. Duncan have a good rtionship.¡± Everyone couldn¡¯t help but want tough when they saw Paxton¡¯s embarrassed face. Ronin also took the opportunity to reveal what Paxton had previously said about Catherine being pushed down. Paxton¡¯s face turned deathly gray in an instant, and he almost begged for merciful death at that moment. He gave up hopelessly, lowered his head, and begged with frustration. ¡°Miss Swann, It¡¯s all my fault.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Catherine gave him a cold gaze and pointed at the rough sea. ¡°Either you jump yourself, or I¡¯ll kick you.¡± Paxton peeked at the deep, dark sea by his side and swallowed nervously. He would be dead and gone if he fell into the sea. Survival was not an option. He looked at Branden pleadingly, hoping Branden would help him out. But Branden flinched. He shrugged at Paxton, meaning there was nothing he could do. Damian and Kurt also looked away, refusing his request. As was widely known, pissing off Branden was near death, but pissing off Catherine was death by a thousand cuts. Catherine dropped a hint at Ronin, who was excited. ¡°Trust me, Catherine. I¡¯ll make him suffer.¡± Ronin gestured and joined forces with Withal and others, approaching Paxton. Paxton stepped backward in fright. ¡± What are you going to do?¡± The others rushed forward and pinned him down. Seeing them messing around, Branden wrapped his arm around Catherine¡¯s shoulders and pulled her closer. ¡°After you are done with Paxton, do you have the time to talk about us?¡± Catherine felt a chill in her neck and panicked. ¡°Was he going to settle ounts with me?¡± thought Catherine. When Branden was not paying attention, she ran away quickly. Before she ran, she said, ¡°I have something else to do. See youter!¡± Branden was not anxious. He stood there and looked at her run away from behind. This ship was small. And outside the shipy the rough sea. Where could she go? Was she too panicked to think straight? That was cute of her. Half an hourter, Branden found Catherine, who was already sleeping in bed, in the deepest room of the cabin. Perhaps due to being too tired during this period, Catherine slept soundly and didn¡¯t even notice him opening the door. Looking at her sleeping face, Branden¡¯s original anger dissipated. When he learned that she had deceived him and came alone without telling him, he was furious. After his arrival at Florona, his anger had long dissipated, leaving only constant prayers for her safety. He, who had never believed in God, silently prayed in his heart, hoping that she could return safely. Branden wanted to reach out and touch her soft cheeks but was worried about waking her up from her slumber, so he could only let go. He gently lifted the corner of the nket and crawled into the warm bed, lying beside her, apanying her to sleep. Over the past few days, Branden had hardly closed his eyes. All he could think about was Catherine. Unaware of her situation on Florona Ind, he worried about her safety. While actively preparing everything, he did not have proper sleep for days. Now, he finally felt at ease. Lying next to Catherine made him even morefortable. He fell into deep sleep before long. Branden breathed evenly in his tight sleep. Little did he notice how sweet Catherine¡¯s smile was. After half a day on the sea, everyone returned to Snake Ind and left in a helicopter arranged by Branden, heading to Loxton. Halfway through, Branden received a message from Loxton. Several subsidiaries of the Duncan Corporation, located far away in Casier, had been jointly besieged by foreignpanies and were now facing bankruptcy. Although the Duncan Corporation had relocated its headquarters to Loxton, it had also developed in Casier for so long. Those subsidiaries held a significant position in the Duncan Corporation. If they faced bankruptcy, the Duncan Corporation would also be affected significantly. Branden¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, his expression eerie and iprehensible. Before he left, he made a lot of arrangements. He knew that once he left Loxton, the people who had been tightly suppressed by him wouldunch a crazy counterattack. But he did not expect they were not targeting the headquarters in Loxton but rather subsidiaries located far away in Casier. It seemed that the interior of the Duncans was not peaceful. Shane Breen tried to seize his lifeline from the rear and erode his headquarters strength in Loxton. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do we need to change the route now?¡± asked Paxton. He felt that after such an incident in Casier, Branden must personally take charge. The helicopter had not yet arrived in Loxton, so it was better to take advantage of this time to turn around and go directly to Casier. The faster they were, the earlier they could take things under control. Paxton was nning for the best. But Branden did not think so. ¡°Keep going!¡± He instructed the helicopter to continue its original flight, first to Loxton, and after safely transporting Catherine and the others back, he rushed to Casier. Catherine, resting on the side, suddenly opened her eyes. She did not ask too much and spoke lightly. ¡°Head to Casier.¡± Branden looked down at her with a hint of disagreement. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to Loxton first. Then, I¡¯ll rush to Casier in time. It won¡¯t dy my work.¡± Catherine, however, did not ept his suggestion and said to herself, ¡°I haven¡¯t returned to Casier for a while. Let¡¯s take a look, by the way. Change the route.¡± After listening to Catherine¡¯s proposal, everybody agreed. Zobber excitedly said, ¡°Casier is a great ce. I also want to go to Casier and have a good time.¡± Withal casually waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m free anyway. Anywhere suits me. It¡¯s up to you.¡± As everyone suggested changing the route, Branden nced at Paxton and gestured for him to follow everyone¡¯s advice. ¡°I¡¯m on it, Mr. Duncan.¡± Paxton stood up excitedly, limping and running towards the cockpit. Chapter 766 Chapter 766 Misunderstanding When Branden¡¯s private nended at Casier, Shane received the news. The assistant knocked on the door of Shane¡¯s office with thetest intelligence and said, ¡°Mr. Breen, five minutes ago, Branden¡¯s private nended at the Duncan airport in Casier, apanied by Miss Swann and her crew.¡± Shane was not surprised by this result. He admitted that Branden was an intelligent businessman with impressive business acumen and a mind for handling affairs. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Now, he could see Casier¡¯s criticality, and it was reasonable for him to rush to Casier to handle the business as soon as possible. ¡°Did you find out what they were doing when they left Loxton this time?¡± Shane was more concerned about this. The news he received earlier was that Catherine had disappeared from London and did not attend academic seminars. After learning about it, Branden immediately flew to London to investigate the situation. Then he disappeared in London, too, along with Ronin and the others. Shane knew something must have happened. Otherwise, they would not have disappeared together. He arranged for a lot of people to investigate as soon as possible. But he did not find the whereabouts of Branden and others. It was as if they disappeared on Earth, leaving no trace. However, not long ago, intelligence agents in Casier received news that Branden and his team would land in Casier. ¡°Mr. Breen, we have found out Miss Swann did not attend the academic seminar but secretly went to Florona alone. Later, Branden and his team rushed to Florona to rescue her,¡± said the assistant. ¡°Leaving safely?¡± Shane frowned and looked at her assistant. Seeing that his face darkened, the assistant nodded with a pale expression of fear. ¡°Yes, there has been no news of casualties.¡± No wonder they could not track them down. They went to Florona. Shane knew a lot about Florona. What surprised him even more was that these people were able to break the century-old rules of Florona, leaving without any casualties, which showed how powerful they were. They refused to work for him, so they must be eliminated. Otherwise, they would only be a stumbling block to the development of the Breens. ¡°Mr. Breen, will our n proceed?¡± asked the assistant. The original order given to them by Shane was to severely damage several subsidiaries of the Duncan Corporation located in Casier. After Branden returned to Casier, they would turn their guns towards the headquarters of the Duncan Corporation in Loxton, leaving no opportunity for Branden to resist. The assistant had been with Shane for many years. And he was well aware of Shane¡¯s habits. From his expression, he knew that Shane had changed his mind. The next second, Shane answered, ¡°No need. Perhaps switching the battlefield to Casier would be good. It would be even more enjoyable to capture these people in the shortest possible time, leaving thempletely unable to resist. Tell them to elerate the progress of the n.¡± The assistant originally intended to persuade Shane to y safe. But Shane had never listened to anyone¡¯s advice in all these years, and his decisions had never proved wrong. This time, he also chose to believe Shane. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it now, Mr. Breen.¡± A few people got off the ne, and the cold wind instantly attacked everyone. Florona was located near the equator, and the ind was hot year-round. People wore short sleeves in Florona this season. But in Casier, it waste autumn. The whipping cold wind instantly swept away their tiredness. Branden checked the weather in Casier beforending and had already prepared a coat for Catherine. After helping her fasten the buttons, Branden finally dropped his hands with satisfaction. Zobber, who stood by and saw this scene, silently shed tears of a single girl. She was not only wearing short sleeves but also a short skirt. Now, when the wind blew, she trembled with coldness. Seeing everyone still dawdling, she was about to go berserk. Unexpectedly, a warm feeling came from behind. Her arms, which were already numb with cold, were instantly wrapped by the warmth, and she could not help but instinctively move back. Looking back, it turned out that Paxton was standing behind her. Paxton put on a ck coat on her. Zobber chuckled lightly and joked, ¡± Dude, I didn¡¯t expect you to be quite a gentleman!¡± Paxton rolled his eyes at Zobber after she teased him for his kindness. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Mr. Duncan prepared it. Everyone has one. Only you were too dumb to take it on the helicopter.¡± Zobber looked around and found everyone was wearing a coat except for her, who stood trembling in the cold wind like a fool. They all came with Branden, and they were all friends of Catherine. Branden naturally would treat them well, as he had had the ground temperature broadcasted before the helicopter was about tond. However, at that time, Zobber was sleeping soundly. Naturally, she did not hear this broadcast and missed the time to pick up her coat. Upon hearing what Paxton said, Zobber looked at him with disdain. ¡°I knew it! You couldn¡¯t be so thoughtful. I withdraw my thanks to you. Thank Mr. Duncan for me for his thoughtfulness, will you?¡± With that, Zobber left. Watching her bouncy figure from behind and thinking about the words she had just said, Paxton became angry. His kindness was not well- repaid. It was true Mr. Duncan ordered him to prepare coats. But he went to pick up the coat and brought it to Zobber. She even withdrew her thanks. What an unreasonable woman! Branden and Catherine sat in the first car. When Zobber saw they had already got in the car, she randomly opened a car door and crawled in. Unexpectedly, someone was already inside the vehicle, with Ronin in the passenger seat and Withal in the back seat. Zobber did not hesitate and pushed Withal aside. ¡°Move aside and make room for me.¡± The flight was too tiring all the way. After Zobber got in the car, she leaned against Withal. Ronin, sitting in the passenger seat, could not help but shake his head when he saw this scene. ¡°For those who don¡¯t know, they would think you two were an old married couple.¡± Upon hearing this, Zobber kicked the back of the passenger seat. ¡°What are you talking about? Withal and I are the best partners.¡± To Zobber, Withal was like a big brother. They had been through life and death for many years. Ronin sneered disdainfully, and through the rearview mirror, he saw Withal, who had always been Introverted, with a helpless smile. Ronin silently lowered his head, not intending to get involved in their private matters. Chapter 767 Chapter 766 Misunderstanding When Branden¡¯s private nended at Casier, Shane received the news. The assistant knocked on the door of Shane¡¯s office with thetest intelligence and said, ¡°Mr. Breen, five minutes ago, Branden¡¯s private nended at the Duncan airport in Casier, apanied by Miss Swann and her crew.¡± Shane was not surprised by this result. He admitted that Branden was an intelligent businessman with impressive business acumen and a mind for handling affairs. Now, he could see Casier¡¯s criticality, and it was reasonable for him to rush to Casier to handle the business as soon as possible. ¡°Did you find out what they were doing when they left Loxton this time?¡± Shane was more concerned about this. The news he received earlier was that Catherine had disappeared from London and did not attend academic seminars. After learning about it, Branden immediately flew to London to investigate the situation. Then he disappeared in London, too, along with Ronin and the others. Shane knew something must have happened. Otherwise, they would not have disappeared together. He arranged for a lot of people to investigate as soon as possible. But he did not find the whereabouts of Branden and others. It was as if they disappeared on Earth, leaving no trace. However, not long ago, intelligence agents in Casier received news that Branden and his team wouldnd in Casier. ¡°Mr. Breen, we have found out Miss Swann did not attend the academic seminar but secretly went to Florona alone. Later, Branden and his team rushed to Florona to rescue her,¡± said the assistant. ¡°Leaving safely?¡± Shane frowned and looked at her assistant. Seeing that his face darkened, the assistant nodded with a pale expression of fear. ¡°Yes, there has been no news of casualties.¡± No wonder they could not track them down. They went to Florona. Shane knew a lot about Florona. What surprised him even more was that these people were able to break the century-old rules of Florona, leaving without any casualties, which showed how powerful they were. They refused to work for him, so they must be eliminated. Otherwise, they would only be a stumbling block to the development of the Breens. ¡°Mr. Breen, will our n proceed?¡± asked the assistant. The original order given to them by Shane was to severely damage several subsidiaries of the Duncan Corporation located in Casier. After Branden returned to Casier, they would turn their guns towards the headquarters of the Duncan Corporation in Loxton, leaving no opportunity for Branden to resist. The assistant had been with Shane for many years. And he was well aware of Shane¡¯s habits. From his expression, he knew that Shane had changed his mind. The next second, Shane answered, ¡°No need. Perhaps switching the battlefield to Casier would be good. It would be even more enjoyable to capture these people in the shortest possible time, leaving thempletely unable to resist. Tell them to elerate the progress of the n.¡± The assistant originally intended to persuade Shane to y safe. But Shane had never listened to anyone¡¯s advice in all these years, and his decisions had never proved wrong. This time, he also chose to believe Shane. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it now, Mr. Breen.¡± A few people got off the ne, and the cold wind instantly attacked everyone. Florona was located near the equator, and the ind was hot year- round. People wore short sleeves in Florona this season. But in Casier, it waste autumn. The whipping cold wind instantly swept away their tiredness. Branden checked the weather in Casier before landing and had already prepared a coat for Catherine. After helping her fasten the buttons, Branden finally dropped his hands with satisfaction. Zobber, who stood by and saw this scene, silently shed tears of a single girl. She was not only wearing short sleeves but also a short skirt. Now, when the wind blew, she trembled with coldness. Seeing everyone still dawdling, she was about to go berserk. Unexpectedly, a warm feeling came from behind. Her arms, which were already numb with cold, were instantly wrapped by the warmth, and she could not help but instinctively move back. Looking back, it turned out that Paxton was standing behind her. Paxton put on a ck coat on her. Zobber chuckled lightly and joked, ¡± Dude, I didn¡¯t expect you to be quite a gentleman!¡± Paxton rolled his eyes at Zobber after she teased him for his kindness. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Mr. Duncan prepared it. Everyone has one. Only you were too dumb to take it on the helicopter.¡± Zobber looked around and found everyone was wearing a coat except for her, who stood trembling in the cold wind like a fool. They all came with Branden, and they were all friends of Catherine. Branden naturally would treat them well, as he had had the ground temperature broadcasted before the helicopter was about tond. However, at that time, Zobber was sleeping soundly. Naturally, she did not hear this broadcast and missed the time to pick up her coat. Upon hearing what Paxton said, Zobber looked at him with disdain. ¡°I knew it! You couldn¡¯t be so thoughtful. I withdraw my thanks to you. Thank Mr. Duncan for me for his thoughtfulness, will you?¡± With that, Zobber left. Watching her bouncy figure from behind and thinking about the words she had just said, Paxton became angry. His kindness was not well- repaid. It was true Mr. Duncan ordered him to prepare coats. But he went to pick up the coat and brought it to Zobber. She even withdrew her thanks. What an unreasonable woman! Branden and Catherine sat in the first car. When Zobber saw they had already got in the car, she randomly opened a car door and crawled in. Unexpectedly, someone was already inside the vehicle, with Ronin in the passenger seat and Withal in the back seat. Zobber did not hesitate and pushed Withal aside. ¡°Move aside and make room for me.¡± The flight was too tiring all the way. After Zobber got in the car, she leaned against Withal. Ronin, sitting in the passenger seat, could not help but shake his head when he saw this scene. ¡°For those who don¡¯t know, they would think you two were an old married couple.¡± Upon hearing this, Zobber kicked the back of the passenger seat. ¡°What are you talking about? Withal and I are the best partners.¡± To Zobber, Withal was like a big brother. They had been through life and death for many years. Ronin sneered disdainfully, and through the rearview mirror, he saw Withal, who had always been Introverted, with a helpless smile. Ronin silently lowered his head, not intending to get involved in their private matters.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 768 Chapter 768 The Heir of the Duncans The silent old vi of the Duncans suddenly became noisy due to the return of Branden and the others. Karl was so d and greeted them with a smile all along. And he was extra enthusiastic when he learned the others were all friends of Catherine¡¯s. ¡± Don¡¯t be shy, kids. Since you¡¯re Catherine¡¯s friends, make yourselves at home.¡± His warm wee to Catherine¡¯s friends made people think Catherine was a spoiled granddaughter of the Duncans. Zobber whispered to Catherine, ¡°Way to go, Catherine! So, my worries of you being stuck in a rich family drama are unnecessary.¡± Catherine looked at Zobber as if telling her that she suspected Zobber had brain damage. Sitting not far from Catherine, Karl joined their conversation when he heard what Zobber said. ¡°No drama is allowed in the Duncans. Whoever bullies Catherine will be kicked out of the family.¡± Since Karl had been kind and humorous, Zobber joked, ¡°What if Branden bullies Catherine?¡± Her words attracted the attention of others who were chattering. Ronin secretly thumbed up at Zobber and thought, ¡°What a crazy girl! What a crazy question!¡± But he was curious, too. Everyone fixed their eyes on Karl, wondering what he would say. Branden was his grandson and the heir of the Duncans. It was unlikely he would kick Branden out for an outsider. Branden sat calmly on the side, slowly peeling the grapefruits. His slender fingers gently removed the skin and fascia from the grapefruit and put the rest into the bowl before Catherine. He was calm and quiet, like an outsider. Karl naturally felt their gaze. He was old but not thick. He turned to Zobber with sharpness in his eyes. ¡°The heir of the Duncans does not have to be a Duncan.¡± His words blew everyone¡¯s mind like a dynamic. In Eskana¡¯s tradition, lineage was taken very seriously. Some wealthy families and ns still had the tradition from ancient times that the heir should be the eldest son or grandson. It appalled everyone that Karl trusted Catherine enough to consider her an heir. He would give her the whole Duncans¡¯ business if necessary. After the shock, they turned to Branden, wondering how he would react to Karl¡¯s words. He was the legitimate heir of the Duncans. Branden finished peeling thest piece of grapefruit and slowly wiped his fingers clean with a tissue before responding to everyone¡¯s expecting gaze. He said one word. ¡°Agreed.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. If he was in debt with Catherine one day, offering her the Duncans would be his atonement. But that day would nevere. He was confident about this. Chapter 769 Chapter 769 Shame on Branden They all thumbed up at Branden, who chose Catherine over wealth. Catherine was also calm when she heard what Karl and Branden said. She tilted her head to look at Branden with a smile. Branden passed her the bowl of grapefruit and smiled back at her. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Zobber suddenly realized she had been worrying about the wrong person. What if Catherine fell in love with another man? What would Branden do? It was creepy to even think about it. To wee Catherine and her friends, Karl ordered the cooks to prepare a feast for them. To rush to Florona in the shortest possible time and search for Catherine Swann, they had fed on military-dried food for days, which was dry and hard, only keeping them full and energetic. It was iparable to the feast. Their eyes glittered when they saw all the food on the table. Zobber smiled at Karl and said to him, ¡°Mr. Duncan, thanks for your hospitality. We are going to devour.¡± ¡°You are Catherine¡¯s friends and my guests. Make yourself at home. Feel free to eat while the food is still hot,¡± said Karl. He paid extra attention to Catherine, supervising her to eat more. ¡°Eat more, Catherine. You look skinny. Does the food in Loxton suit your pte? Do you want me to arrange a cook to Loxton for you?¡± Catherine waved to refuse. She had to swallow the food before she could answer. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Branden can cook. I usually eat a lot.¡± After hearing Catherine¡¯s natural response, the people who were eating happily stopped chewing and instantly listened up. Nevertheless, Branden was the heir of the Duncans. Catherine addressed him as her cook in front of Karl. It was inappropriate. They secretly gazed at Karl, expecting him to lose his temper at Catherine. But Karl failed them. He was not offended at all. Instead, he looked relieved and nodded. ¡°Try these dishes. See which one you like. I¡¯ll ask Branden to learn to cook.¡± Everyone was speechless. It was clear that Catherine was superior to Branden in the Duncans. During their conversation, they talked about the purpose of returning to Casier this time. Karl¡¯s face immediately darkened when he learned why Catherine returned to Casier. His old but handsome face was filled with a strong displeasure, with furrowed eyebrows and a stern voice. ¡± Branden, shame on you for counting on your future wife to handle things for you.¡± However, Branden was not angry after being scolded. He said, ¡°You are right, Grandpa.¡± Catherine knew Branden was looking at her. He smiled proudly with his eyes fixed on her. She could not help but curse inwardly. ¡± Jerk!¡± Chapter 770 Chapter 770 The Attack After eating, everyone stayed in the living room to rest. Although they were in the Duncans¡¯ vi, Karl went upstairs for a nap after the meal, leaving the whole living room to the young. Without Karl, everyone felt at ease andy on the sofa, holding their phones and ying games together. They did not have to turn on the microphones. They could shout at each other. They were all high-ranking yers in God of War with excellent techniques and strategies. Ronin was too aggressive to make a kill, exposing his position to the other party. Just as he was about to be beaten up, Ronin shouted anxiously, ¡°Help! Catherine!¡± Catherine was focused on taking down the sniper on the other side, who waspetent and hid very well. ¡°Give him a hand, Zobber.¡± Zobber was circling with the opponents leisurely. Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, she instantly went to rescue Ronin. ¡± Copy that! Ronin, big sister to the rescue!¡± Ronin wanted to talk back, but his lifey with Zobber now. He dared not offend her and swallowed the teasing. When the crisis was gone, Ronin was all himself again. Catherine and her team focused on the game, while Branden had gathered several executives from the Duncan Corporation in Casier to discuss the current situation. During the meeting, Carlo, stationed in Casier, hurried to the Duncans¡¯ vi with information. ¡± Mr. Duncan, bad news!¡± At Branden¡¯s signal, Paxton paused the meeting, and everyone turned their attention to Carlo. With Branden¡¯s permission, Carlo immediately informed them of the current situation. ¡°Mr. Duncan, severalworkpanies under the Duncan Corporation have been subjected torge- scale hacking attacks. They seem to havee prepared, with powerful hacking technology and an unprecedented number of hackers. ¡°At present, our technical department has started to resist vigorously, but we are outnumbered. We can only temporarily protect thepany¡¯s core information from leakage and cannot guarantee the company¡¯s safety. More importantly, our people won¡¯t be able to hold on for long. If the attack continues for another two hours, all our subsidiaries will be conquered.¡± If not for an emergency, Carlo would not have rushed to the vi with his people. The other party came fiercely. Most importantly, there were many people, all of whom were experts, deliberate and organized. Although theirwork forces were also very powerful, they were overwhelmed quickly by such a powerful attack. After a few rounds of firing, Catherine had located the sniper. She adjusted the magnifying ss, checked thetitude and longitude, and pulled the trigger. ¡°Click!¡± The unique sound of a sniper rifle rang out, and on the screen, it showed the sniper on the other side had been in. Catherine took another shot quickly to end that sniper¡¯s life before his teammates could cast a smoke bomb and save him. Catherine logged out of the game after taking down the most potent sniper. Everyone saw that Catherine was no longer ying and quickly solved their opponents. After winning the championship, they logged out and put aside their phones. Catherine nced at the crowd and asked, ¡°Had a fun time?¡± Ronin smiled and answered, ¡°Yeah. Enough of games.¡± Catherine grabbed an apple and threw it at Ronin¡¯s hood. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡± The applended precisely into Ronin¡¯s hood. Withal took it out and had a bite. ¡°Thanks, Catherine. Work!¡± They got up and walked to Carlo. Seeing them approaching, Carlo was confused. He looked at Branden and waited for his instruction. Carlo had been stationed in Casier to handle business for Branden. He did not know that Catherine was the leader of the Hacker Alliance, nor was he aware that the group of people in front of him were among the top hackers of the Hacker Alliance. No one dared say they were better than the Hacker Alliance in the hackermunity. Branden was not surprised when Catherine offered to help. He did not refuse. He directly instructed Carlo, ¡°Let the network department coordinate with them and follow their instructions.¡± Although Carlo found it strange, he dared not disobey Branden¡¯s orders and immediately did as he said. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll arrange.¡± Paxton handed outptops to each of them, and everyone turned on theptops and started working. In terms ofputer skills, Ronin¡¯s abilities in the entire Hacker Alliance were second only to those of Catherine. He arranged all the coordination and immediately notified Catherine. ¡°Catherine, everything¡¯s ready. What next?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Catherine slowly finished the food Branden had prepared for her and calmly said, ¡°Post on the forum. Whoeveres will die!¡± Hearing what Catherine said, Paxton stood aside and swallowed nervously. Although he knew she was not aimed at him, he could not help but feel nervous when he heard Catherine¡¯s deration of war. Ronin was quite clear about Catherine¡¯s style. He raised his hand and saluted Catherine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I promise to fulfill the task.¡± Subsequently, Ronin logged into thergest hacker forum using the Hacker Alliance ount, announcing that they had taken over the task of maintainingwork security for the subsidiaries under the Duncan Corporation and disclosing Catherine¡¯s deration. The post created quite a stir on the forum. 80% of the hackers on the list were recruited to participate in this cyber attack on the Duncan Corporation. But no one expected the Duncan Corporation would have such a powerful ally as the Hacker Alliance. Many hackers had witnessed the power of the Hacker Alliance and deeply respected it. Now, the leader of the Hacker Alliance personally posted. They knew the Hacker Alliance had taken over for sure. Knowing it was a dead end, no one wanted to die for nothing. When the post was posted, one-third of the hackers voluntarily dropped out. The one behind the scenes, seeing all his effort was to be wasted, immediately adjusted their strategy and raised the chips. A golden key could open any door. The rest, two-thirds of the hackers, united again. Although the power of the Hacker Alliance was intimidating, they still outnumbered the Hacker Alliance. More importantly, if they could win this online war, their fame would spread worldwide. No one wanted to miss this opportunity. Ronin could not help but mock the hackers who had made aeback and even challenged them, saying, ¡°Moth to the me!¡± Zobber looked at the challenge post on the screen andughed angrily. How dared they? ¡°Ronin, it¡¯s your showtime. Chapter 771 Chapter 771 Dealing With the Small Fry Although the opposing hacker team was exceptionally powerful, Hacker Alliance had been able to stand tall in the hacking world for many years, indicating its formidable strength. The opposition came with great hostility, but Ronin dealt with it effortlessly. He initially thought that the Duncans'' cyber department was very weak. After all, in his view, the Duncans were good at making money, but they needed professionals like him when it came to technical matters. However, he didn''t expect the Duncans ''cyber department to be reasonablypetent. Ronin organized his team, assigning them specific tasks, and the work proceeded smoothly. The sudden attack left the entire cyber department disoriented, and the Duncan Corporation''s technical staff were all confused by the massive onught from the hackers. But once Ronin took charge, the situation changed. He seemed familiar with such attacks. In the beginning, the Duncan Corporation''s technical staff were chasing and encircling the opponent. Whenever the opponent attacked one department, they would rush to rescue, resulting in exhaustion without significant effectiveness. But when Ronin joined, the situation changed. He always managed to anticipate the opponent''s moves and make preparations before the opponent could act.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. As soon as the attack wasunched, they could track down the hackers, find their IP addresses, and neutralize them. When the situation was under control, Ronin decided to leave the current battle to the Duncans'' cyber department. He needed to free up his hands and set up a new strategy; being constantly on the defensive was not their style. They had always been the ones initiating attacks. When had they ever been constantly attacked by others? Ronin turned the brim of his baseball cap to the back, rolled up his sleeves, and waved to Zobber. "Come on, lend a hand." Zobber shrugged off her clothes and confidently approached Ronin. "Step aside. Let me handle them." After Zobber took over, Ronin grabbed the keyboard, moved to the side, and swiftly typed lines of code on theputer screen. After the recent counterattack, Ronin had gained a good understanding of the attackers. Now, all he needed was some time to write a program to deal with them. As time passed, the battle between the two sides became intense, almost reaching a stalemate. Though neither side emerged victorious, the fact that they stood on par with the Hacker Alliance was a significant morale boost for the attackers. After all, the Hacker Alliance was previously considered an insurmountable obstacle. This newfound confidence fueled their preparation for arge-scale attack. Sensing trouble, Zobber shouted impatiently in Ronin''s direction, "Are you done yet? Why are you so slow? I can be faster than you." Ronin''s hands sped up as he retorted, "You''re the slow one. You''re slower than anyone!" This remark earned Ronin a quick thump on the head from Zobber, causing him to wince in pain. Fortunately, his hands didn''t slow down, and he quicklypleted a set of programs. After finishing the program, Ronin immediately imnted it into theputer. He called back all the defensive staff he had deployed earlier. Now, it was time for them to strike back. Ronin''s program was a trap designed to lure the attackers into exposing themselves. Watching the excited group of attackers in front of the screen, Ronin couldn''t help butugh. "Come on, let''s see how long you can keep smiling. Ronin pressed the start button, and all theputers instantly crashed. Some savvy hackers had already sensed the danger and tried to escape. Ronin quickly tightened the, and in a matter of minutes, the original bnce of power had reversed. The once arrogant hackers were now in disarray, retreating in defeat. Watching the characters on the screen indicating victory, Ronin felt somewhat displeased. "Disappointing. We didn''t manage to catch all of those arrogant brats. A few slipped through the cracks; what bad luck!" Actually, Ronin''s achievements in such a short time were remarkable. After all, there were still many experts within the attackers, and the attack had been sudden. The opponents were organized and nned, while they had only joined the battle midway. To be able to turn the situation around and drive away the hackers was already an incredible feat. Seeing Ronin''s displeased face, Paxton was about to console him, but before he could speak, Catherine said in her usual leisurely manner, "Don''t worry. None of them got away." Ronin immediately perked up, turning to look at her. "Catherine, what do you mean?" Catherine quickly tapped a few times on the keyboard, sending a link to Ronin. "See for yourself." Knowing that Catherine never fooled him, Ronin opened the link on hisputer. "Wow... Catherine, you''re amazing!" Hearing Ronin''s exmation, Zobber immediately leaned over. Seeing the content on the screen, she couldn''t help but give Catherine a thumbs-up. 11 Catherine, you''re truly incredible. Ronin, you see it? You should learn from her." Ronin couldn''t argue with Zobber''s statement. After all, in his view, Catherine was indeed the most formidable presence in the world, surpassing everyone. Seeing everyone excited but not revealing the reason, Paxton grew anxious. He turned his head to Branden and saw his calm expression as if indifferent. He could only gather the courage to ask, "What are you all marveling at? Share some joy with me." Ronin was in a good mood and didn''t hesitate to boast about Catherine''s feat. "Just a moment ago, a few small fries slipped through, but they were intercepted halfway by Catherine." After Ronin finished, Zobber added, Not only that, Catherine also hacked m e into the bank ounts of these! hackers. Upon hearing this, Paxton couldn''t help butugh. "I didn''t expect this bunch of brats to be taught a hard lesson by you and even have to cough up their hard- earned money." Ronin looked proud. "Of course. Don''t they know who''s backing the Duncan Corporation, huh? With Catherine on our side, these people are asking for trouble." With that, Ronin felt that the surroundings had quieted down a bit, and the atmosphere seemed a bit off. He recalled what he had said and realized he misspoke again. He turned to look at Branden and cautiously said, "Mr. Duncan, please don''t misunderstand. I was just joking." Branden didn''t mind, just gazing at Catherine with a hint of yfulness in his eyes, and his low voice sounded slowly: "Catherine, I''ll rely on you to take care of things in the future." Catherine was proud and raised an with a eyebrow, looking at Branden with a triumphant expression in her eyes. O She readily agreed, "No problem. You''ll definitely have good days ahead following me." Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Count Us In Shane, upon receiving the news, was so furious that he directly smashed the office. The assistant had been with him for many years, and he witnessed Shane losing his temper so much for the first time. The assistant cautiously handed over freshly ground coffee, patiently advising, "Sir, please calm down." Shane, engulfed in rage, forgot all about gentlemanly behavior. He turned to the assistant with a fierce re, his wide-opened eyes resembling fiery orbs. "Calm down? Those idiots spent so much money and failed to handle such a trivial matter. How dare theye back to me and ask for more money? Have they gone mad?" To bring down the Duncan Corporation''s several branches in Casier, Shane exerted great effort to gather this group of hackers and offered them a substantial task reward. However, these ipetents not only failed to defeat the Duncan Corporation but also got caught in a counterattack, losing even their reward. Now, they demandedpensation. Shane thought they must be insane. The n had failed, and the Breens had been embarrassed. Shane refraining from punishing them and allowing them not to return the reward was already a generous move. They wantedpensation, huh? It was a daydream. Shane angrily instructed the assistant, "Tell those trash that thepensation is out of the question. If they insist, they can try fighting with the Breens. I dare them." Although these hackers formed a powerful alliance, after this battle, they became scattered. With their strength, how could they challenge the financial giant, the Breens? "Sir, rest assured, I''ll handle this matter. You don''t need to worry," said the assistant. "Have you found out the rtionship between the Duncan Corporation and Hacker Alliance?" Shane inquired. The assistant shook his head. "Sir, still investigating." If it weren''t for the full support of a few big shots from Hacker Alliance, the Duncan Corporation would have had a hard time escaping unscathed. Given its financial resources, it was not difficult for the Duncan Corporation to hire Hacker Alliance. However, mobilizing so many big shots from Hacker Alliance in such a short time indicated a more profound connection. "Sir, do you think Hacker Alliance might have cooperated with the Duncan Corporation from the beginning, deliberately working against us?" If it hadn''t been for preparing in advance, there would have been no way they could have arranged a response strategy so quickly. Shane, after careful consideration, dismissed this notion. "It''s unlikely. This operation was a sudden decision on my part. They can''t have prepared countermeasures in advance. There must be some hidden connection between the Hacker Alliance and the Duncan Corporation. Investigate thoroughly and report to me as soon as possible." "Yes!" The assistant nodded. Recalling Shane''s earlier inquiry about Catherine, he briefed Shane on Catherine''s situation after returning to the Duncans''. After hearing the report, Shane furrowed his brows. "She stayed at the old mansion ying games and didn''t join Branden to deal with the Duncan Corporation crisis, huh?"Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. "Yeah," the assistant responded confidently. Shane found this situation peculiar. " Could it be that Branden is not that important in Catherine''s heart, and that''s why she didn''t lend a hand?" he wondered. Shane instructed the assistant, " Continue to keep an eye on her. Report any updates promptly." "Yes, sir!" The mood among the Duncans'' members was good at the Duncans'' old mansion, having just won a victory in awork maintenance battle. Carlo, who had been under immense pressure for the past few days, finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a rare smile appeared on his face. "Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann''s people are all outstanding. Fortunately, they helped us resolve the big trouble." Despite his usual banter with Zobber and the others, Paxton agreed with this point. He had to admit that Zobber and the others were truly powerful. "Mr. Duncan, is it our turn to attack next?" Paxton inquired. In front of Branden were three massive screens disying red and green line graphs representing stock market fluctuations. He calmly scrutinized the movements and listened to reports from his subordinates. Upon hearing the question, Branden looked up and instructed him in a low voice, "Wait a bit longer. Since they want to witness the downfall of the Duncan Corporation, let''s fulfill their wish." Carlo was a bit puzzled. He did not understand why Branden was considering the feelings of their opponents. "Mr. Duncan, won''t we incur considerable losses this way?" Carlo asked, not fully understanding Branden''s intentions. Paxton, however, grasped Branden''s thoughts. Seeing the cold smirk on Branden''s face, he felt a chill running down his spine, and a sense of fear surrounded him. To avoid being overwhelmed by Branden''s powerful aura, Paxton shifted his gaze to Carlo and said with a hint of disdain, "You''ve been by Mr. Duncan''s side for so many years, yet you haven''t learned a bit of his kindness." Carlo was confused by this statement. " Mr. Duncan is kind, huh?" he thought. About to retort, he heard Paxton firmly state, "Don''t you know that before a death row inmate is executed, they are granted a small wish?" Carlo was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Paxton''s implied meaning. He grinned. "Right, Mr. Duncan is kind, allowing them to have a good time before their demise." Branden finished his work, and when he noticed the two still bantering, he immediately lowered his voice. "Why? Do you guys also want to enjoy a good time?" Startled, the two hastily bowed their heads. "Mr. Duncan, we were wrong." After Paxton apologized, he immediately found an excuse and slipped away. Carlo followed closely, running away together. As the group departed, Branden also emerged from the study and headed towards the living room, where Catherine should be now. Indeed, Catherine was in the living room, and Ronin and the others were there too. Upon hearing Catherine''s decision, Ronin was the first to step forward in opposition. "Catherine Since you''ve decided to assist the Duncan Corporation, it naturally can''t be a solo effort on your part. We''re in this together." Earlier, Catherine had informed everyone that she was ready to e support the Duncan Corporation and bring down the Breens once and for all. However, she didn''t want the Hacker Alliance to be implicated again. Catherine understood Ronin''s intention but didn''t want to involve everyone in her personal matters. The reason the Duncan Corporation behind Branden was targeted so quickly by the Breens had partly been because of her. "Shane''s target is me," Catherine calmly stated her reason. Ronin, seemingly indifferent, replied, " Catherine, I know Shane is after you. I''ve tolerated that old guy for a long time I still remember the past few years of enmity. This time, it''s not him not letting me go. It''s me not letting him go." After Ronin rified his stance, Zobber and Withal also expressed their determination. "Catherine, count us in! We''re joining too!" Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Dating After the discussion, Branden descended from upstairs and walked straight toward the living room. It was clear to everyone that he hade for Catherine. Standing with her back to the stairs, Catherine didn''t notice Branden''s arrival. Noticing her unawareness, Zobber raised her eyebrows at Catherine in a suggestive manner. Upon realizing Zobber''s unusual expression, Catherine turned to look behind her. "Is everything resolved?" Branden''s previously icy face instantly softened with tenderness and a smile when he saw Catherine''s nce. "How about taking a walk outside?" Hearing his suggestion, Catherine furrowed her brows slightly. Since early this morning, there had been a continuous stream of peopleing to the old mansion to report to Branden. Given the recent events at the Duncan Corporation and Branden''s busy schedule, why would he suddenly propose going out? "Is there something wrong?" Catherine inquired, puzzled. Branden, about to exin with a smile, was interjected by Zobber. She looked at them smilingly and teased Catherine. "Catherine, today is Valentine''s Day. Mr. Duncan is here to take you on a date. Hurry up. Go upstairs, change into something nice, and go out for a stroll with Mr. Duncan. "Valentine''s Day?" thought Catherine. Growing up alone abroad and rarely celebrating even Christmas, she didn''t remember such a holiday. Seeing Catherine''s hesitation, Branden was aware of her reluctance to celebrate such a day and said, "If you don''t feel like going out, you can stay home and rest. I''ll stay with you." Seeing Branden change his mind, Zobber immediately chimed in, " Catherine has been staying at home for two days. Today is Valentine''s Day, a rare opportunity. No matter what, you two should go out. I''ll go out on a date, too. If everyone leaves, it''ll be boring with just the two of you at home." After she finished speaking, she didn''t forget to hint at Catherine, urging her to agree quickly. Catherine didn''t mind. She had spent the past two days at the Duncans'' old mansion without venturing outside. Since Branden suggested going out, she agreed without hesitation. "Wait for me for two minutes. I''ll change my clothes." "Sure," Branden replied gently, looking at Catherine with an indulgent gaze. Seeing Catherine head upstairs, Zobber immediately followed. "Catherine, wait for me. I''ll help you pick out clothes." They arrived at a guest room on the third floor adjacent to Branden''s master bedroom. It had been vacant until Catherine''s arrival, and now, it became her exclusive room. Zobber opened the wardrobe and was stunned by the exquisite clothes, all with intact tags. "Catherine, Mr. Duncan is really thoughtful. You won''t stay here for many days a year, but look at these clothes-all top-notch and from thetest collections." Catherine smiled faintly, not offering much of a response. She knew Branden''s attentiveness to her affairs. Reaching into the closet, Catherine selected a ck hoodie. As she was about to put it on, Zobber grabbed her arm. "Catherine, tell me you''re not nning to wear this for your date with Mr. Duncan." Catherine held the hoodie and looked at it. It was brand new, with a good fit and no issues. "Is there a problem?" she asked, tilting her head. Zobber looked at Catherine''s exquisite face and thought, "With her looks, she would be beautiful in anything. Indeed, beauty is thew, and she can wear as she wants." "No problem, but don''t you think wearing ck, white, and gray every day is a bit dull? How about a change in style today? This light green dress looks good. Your perfect skin will make it stunning," Zobber suggested. Seeing Catherine hesitate, Zobber, emboldened, reached for the clothes." Catherine, trust me this once. I won''t harm you. Come on." The two remained upstairs, and Branden sat calmly in the living room. However, Ronin seemed a bit anxious. "Why hasn''t Catherinee down yet? Didn''t she say two minutes?" Hearing this, Withal replied casually, "What''s so strange about it? Women take their time changing. Even an hour or two is normal, and it''s only been a few minutes." If it were his mother going out, they might be able to catch some more shut-eye.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. However, Ronin wasn''t satisfied with Withal''s response. He coldly retorted, " Is Catherine an ordinary woman?" Catherine was usually the most punctual. If she stated a specific duration, she would stick to it diligently. Ronin''sment didn''t bother Withal. After all, it wasn''t just Catherine who had gone up the stairs; Zobber, the mischievous one, was also there. Without guessing, he knew Zobber must have done something unconventional. As they conversed, they heard the sound of footsteps on the floor above. Everyone looked up, and Zobber was the first to descend, followed by Catherine. The sight of her in a light green dress captivated everyone''s attention. Though they had known Catherine for many years, they were not used to seeing her dressed so elegantly. After all, Catherine''s usual attire was centered aroundfort. She rarely found herself in dresses unless attending special asions that called for formal wear. Zobber looked at the group of men below, all stunned. Even though she wasn''t the focus, her inner pride remained. She had known this would be the effect, especially since even she, as a woman, had her heart race when she saw Catherine appear just now. The light green dress extended to the mid-calf, with a cinched waist design. highlighting Catherine''s perfect m curves. Catherine''s already wless skin appeared even more delicate against the backdrop of the light green dress. Her usually tied-up hair was let down, and Zobber had used a curling iron to give it a slight natural wave, adding a particrly soft touch. Her powerful aura,plemented by the gentledylike dress, was greatly softened. At this moment, Catherine resembled a fairy descending from heaven. Seeing Branden standing in a daze, Zobber couldn''t help but chuckle quietly. "Mr. Duncan, isn''t Catherine exceptionally beautiful?" Initially just teasing, Zobber didn''t expect Branden to respond. "Yes, very beautiful," he said sincerely. Upon hearing Branden''s reply, Zobber was momentarily stunned. Branden quickly regained his senses, took a few steps forward, and took Catherine''s hand. With his broad figure, he shielded Catherine from everyone''s gaze. "Shall we go?" Branden asked. Catherine nodded slightly, and Branden led her away, disappearing from the others'' sight. Chapter 774 Chapter 774 Watching a Movie Branden bought two movie tickets. He had checked online and knew that the mostmon way young people date nowadays was by watching movies and going shopping. Knowing Catherine''s temperament and her dislike for shopping, he bought two tickets for the hottest movie. Looking at the towering movie theater ahead, Catherine turned her head to the handsome man beside her. "Watch a movie?" "Yeah." Branden nodded. "Is that okay? Seeing the bright smile on his face, Catherine didn''t object. Whether it was the Duncans'' old mansion or the apartment, they both had top- notch home theaters. The equipment, costing up to seven figures, wasn''t inferior to those in the movie theaters. Catherine just didn''t expect Branden to give up the private space and choose a public cinema. Taking the elevator, they went directly to the fifth-floor cinema. Perhaps due to the holiday, the theater was crowded with people, mostly young. When Branden led Catherine in, it attracted many eyes. Branden, dressed rtively casually today, wore a casual white shirt on the upper body and particrly casual dark blue pants below. He exuded more of a recently graduated handsome senior vibe than a domineering president. Catherine wore a long, light green dress, pure and beautiful. The two standing together looked incredibly matching. The girls, who were initially attracted by Branden''s handsome face, quietly gave up the idea of approaching for his WhatsApp number when they saw Catherine standing beside him. Catherine noticed the curious nces around her but was ustomed to such attention. Branden, however, wasn''t as magnanimous. When he noticed several well- dressed, handsome college boys staring at Catherine, he subconsciously tightened the hand around her waist. He closed the distance between them again as if asserting dominance, scanning those around with a cold light in his eyes. Catherine noticed a long line ahead, wondering what people were buying. Catching Catherine''s gaze, Branden led her to a nearby seat. "Wait for me here. Before Catherine could understand what he was going to do, he had already stepped forward into the line. This was the cinema''s snack counter. The cinema didn''t allow outside food, so everything had to be purchased there. Therefore, the line was quite long. The moment Branden joined the line, he caught the attention of many. Some bold girls approached him when they saw him alone. "Hey, handsome, are you here to watch a movie alone?" Branden nced down. The question came from two young girls, even younger than Catherine. Feeling somewhat helpless, he looked in Catherine''s direction and replied, "With my girlfriend." The two girls followed his loving gaze, and when they saw Catherine, they silently gave up. "Indeed, a handsome man should be together with a beautiful woman," they thought. Although the line was long, the pace of the business was not slow. Branden quickly reached the sales window, and the female attendant, upon seeing his handsome face, instantly wore a much brighter smile. "Hey, handsome, what would you like to buy?" Branden nced carefully at the sales window and then looked around at the people nearby. Suddenly, he felt a bit undecided. Being rtively enthusiastic toward good-looking boys, the female attendant proactively suggested, "If you''re alone, go for the single meal. If you''re with your girlfriend, our best-selling Valentine''s Day exclusive set is the best deal. It evenes with a little bear, very cost-effective." After hearing the suggestion, Branden made a decisive decision. "One Valentine''s Day exclusive set, thank you." His deep and maic voice was enchanting. Due to this, the female attendant gave him a slightlyrger portion than others. Carrying the Valentine''s Day exclusive set, Branden was about to return when he looked up and saw a child in front of Catherine. He quickened his pace toward Catherine. When he approached, he lowered his voice and gently asked, "What happened?" Hearing this, Catherine lifted her head and smiled at him with a hint of helplessness. The little girl in front turned around and, upon seeing Branden, froze. She had never seen such a handsome guy before, and he looked really good. The little girl was very young, only seven or eight years old. She had a round face and looked extremely cute. Seeing her staring, Branden softened his attitude a bit. "Little girl, what are you doing?" The little girl didn''t dare to lie and exined the situation obediently. She said, "A sir bought a bunch of flowers from me to give to the prettydy. He said if the prettydy is willing to add him on WhatsApp, he''ll buy another bunch of flowers." Branden felt inexplicably upset. He had only been gone for a few minutes, and there were already men trying to get Catherine''s attention. He was pretty annoyed because of the high poprity of his fianc¨¦e. Due to the little girl''s innocence, Catherine was reluctant to refuse her and epted the flowers. Branden, however, directly took them and threw them into the nearby trash can. When the little girl saw the flowers being thrown away, her two faint eyebrows wrinkled together, and she looked a bit sad. Just as she was about to cry, she suddenly heard Branden saying something beside her. "Little girl, how much are all these flowersbined?" asked Branden.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. "All of them?" The little girl looked up, a bit surprised. Branden nodded, and the little girl seriously began to count. Because she was small, the bouquets in her hands weren''t many, and the total value wasn''t much. Branden handed her a round number, bought all the flowers in her hands, and handed them to Catherine. Then, he gently stroked the little girl''s head and, with rare " "Thank you, sir!" The little girl''s face was filled with a sweet smile. When she left, she even turned backton praise Branden. She said, "Sir, I think E you are much more handsome than the guy who bought flowers before. You and the prettydy are more matching." Hearing the child''s sweet words, Branden showed a faint smile. When he turned around again, he found Catherine looking at him with a strange expression. With a bouquet in her hands, she sat on the bench and looked up at him with eyes filled with a smile. Bending down slightly, Branden used his finger to lift Catherine''s chin and with their eyes locked, his eyes were full of affection. "Why are you looking at me like this?" Catherine pointed to the bouquet in her arms and chuckled. "I didn''t expect you to do such things." Branden chuckled lightly, his gentle and melodious voice pleasant to the ear. "I can do more than just this." He took out the little bear from his pocket and handed it to Catherine. " Like it? A Valentine''s Day exclusive gift. The cute little bear had a heart symbol drawn on its belly. Although the craftsmanship was a bit rough, the shape was cute enough. Thinking that a man his age would still do such things, Catherine found it amusing. "I like it! I like it all as long as it''s from you." Chapter 775 Chapter 775 Taking You for a Ride Halfway through the movie, Catherine felt a strong urge to doze off. She had no interest in this kind of romanticedy. Catherine might have fallen asleep long ago if it weren''t for two bold girls approaching Branden for his WhatsApp number in the middle. Seeing her drowsy, Branden reached out and rested her head on his shoulder. "Twenty more minutes, then I''ll take you back." "Hmm." Catherine made a muffled sound, leaning quietly on Branden''s shoulder with closed eyes. The movie was like a luby, increasing the desire to fall asleep. In no time, Catherine closed her eyes and drifted off. A few minutester, as Catherine slept, some girls approached. When Branden noticed someone getting closer, his calm face immediately darkened, and he shot an icy nce straight ahead. Startled, the approaching girl was disoriented. If it weren''t for the urging from the people around because she blocked the screen, she might have frozen in ce. It was mainly because Branden''s aura was too powerful, and she was scared out of her wits. Now that she had regained herposure, she fled immediately, not daring to linger. With the steady rhythm of Catherine''s breathing in his ears, Branden felt some concern, worried that she might be ufortable sleeping in this position. Packing up, he lifted Catherine''s bag, carried her in his arms, and walked out of the theater. When Catherine was lifted, she was aware but was already ustomed to Branden''s embrace. Knowing Branden was holding her, she felt a strong sense of security and continued sleeping peacefully. Thebination of a handsome man and a beautiful woman was always eye- catching. Since Catherine and Branden appeared in the cinema, they had be the center of attention. When Branden carried Catherine out of the theater, they still attracted everyone''s focus. Branden''s actions were so cool that someone couldn''t help but discreetly take out her phone to record and share it online. The person just logged into the social tform and posted the photo, but before she could check the sending status, her ount was directly blocked. After that, the person received a warning from the system, telling her not to send sensitive photos and texts. The social tform''s response was so fast that the person was startled. Realizing she had taken something she shouldn''t have, the person immediately deleted all the photos and videos from her phone. Upon reaching the parking lot, Branden received a message from Paxton. [Mr. Duncan, the photos online have been taken care of.] Branden didn''t bring bodyguards on this trip, but due to the sensitive period, any news rted to him could potentially affect the Duncan Corporation''s stock prices. For safety reasons, the entire public rtions department of the Duncan Corporation was on high alert. As soon as any photos or news rted to the Duncan Corporation appeared online, they were dealt with immediately. Paxton knew that Branden and Catherine were out on a date. Although these two didn''t have a deep understanding of their appearance, Paxton understood how stunning they looked.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Going out like this without any disguise would indeed cause trouble, so he had people keep an eye on the inte. Unexpectedly, someone actually uploaded a photo. Branden looked at the sneakily taken photo. The angles were cleverly designed. It captured both his and Catherine''s profiles. Sleeping Catherine resembled Sleeping Beauty, nestled in his arms, peaceful and beautiful like an oil painting. He tapped the screen lightly and saved the photo. After packing up everything, Branden started the car, ready to depart. The moment the engine started, Catherine woke up slowly. Because she had just woken up, her voice sounded a bit low and hoarse but exceptionally pleasant. "Where to?" "Back to the old mansion for some rest? "Branden inquired about her opinion. He felt Catherine was a bit drowsy and wanted to take her back to rest. Catherine shook her head, rejecting Branden''s proposal. "Tired." She had spent two days straight at the old mansion and was getting bored. "Okay," replied Branden. Since Catherine didn''t want to go back for now, they continued their date. As Branden was about to start the car, Catherine nced at him. With that look, Branden immediately understood her intention. He opened the car door and got out, and Catherine directly stepped over the center console and sat in the driver''s seat.. Since being with Branden, Catherine hadn''t driven for a long time. When Branden fastened his seatbelt, she immediately stepped on the gas, speeding the car out forcefully. Under the neon lights, the silver-gray sports car looked like a silver dragon roaring on the vast road. Catherine''s driving skills were exceptionally excellent. She often participated in racingpetitions when she was in the ck market. Every race had a sky-high prize, but no one had ever beaten her. She was fast, skilled, and, most importantly, unafraid of death. As long as she could let go and fight, she could easily win. Catherine drove up to 320 mph on the deserted mountain road. The winding road didn''t slow her down; she continued to speed along. Branden sat calmly on the side, enjoying the exhration from the speed. In a convenience store halfway up the mountain, Catherine stopped the car. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Branden on the passenger side, gesturing with her exes for him to wait in the car. When Catherine came back, she was carrying tworge bags of alcohol. After throwing the alcohol into the back seat, she sat back in the driver''s seat and sped the car to the mountaintop. Under the slightly cool breeze, the two sat at the mountaintop and overlooked the dazzling neon lights of the entire city. "Cheers!" Catherine raised the bottle, squinting at Branden. Initially, Branden didn''t want Catherine to drink, but seeing her so happy, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. Both of them had good alcohol tolerance, and today, with Catherine''s good mood it didn''t take long for the two bags of alcohol to be emptied. She swayed as she stood up. "I''ll buy more." "Enough drinking." Branden was somewhat helpless, reaching out and pulling her arm, bringing her back with a tug. Catherine stumbled and fell directly onto Branden''sp. Branden flipped over and instantly pressed her to the ground. Their eyes met, and Catherine moved first. She raised her head and precisely kissed Branden''s lips. Branden smiled somewhat helplessly. Only in front of her could he be repeatedly led by the nose. As the body temperature continued to rise, the two, who were somewhat tipsy from the alcohol, became uncontroble. Under the moonlight, they immersed themselves in this boundless romantic night. Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Bear the Consequences When Catherine woke up the next day, she found herself in a soft,rge bed. Looking around at the familiar furniture, she reached out to touch her throbbing head and slowly sat up. This was the Duncans'' old mansion, and she had slept in Branden''s bed. The wild night left Catherine exhausted. She lifted the covers and slowly moved off the bed. Her legs felt extremely heavy, and as she stood up, a sharp pain shot through her, causing her to curse inwardly. As she cursed, Branden entered the room. "Oh, you''re awake?" he asked. Seeing him, Catherine fell back onto the bed, shooting him a resentful look. Sensing her displeasure, Branden smiled apologetically, set down the food he was carrying, and walked straight over to her. He bent down and lifted her, carrying her to the bathroom. "Wash your face. Then let''s have breakfast," he said. Catherine tilted her head to look at him, her eyes showing a hint of disdain, her hands unmoving. Branden knew she was angry, so he patiently cated her. "You can scold or beat me if you want, but eat something first to get your strength back." "Are you sure?" Catherine stared at him intently. Branden nodded confidently. "Yes, one hundred percent sure. Go wash up."Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. With Branden''s assurance, Catherine went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. After that, he carried her to the couch outside, where she slowly ate the breakfast he had prepared. At the same time, he meticulously applied Catherine''s skincare products to her face. Although Catherine had plenty of skincare products, she had never bothered to use them. She usually just washed her face with water. For her, keeping clean was enough. Only Branden would patiently apply them to her skin. Catherine nibbled on the sulent steak, chatting casually with Branden. "Aren''t you supposed to be very busy today? Why didn''t you go to the office?" Branden had indeed been very busytely. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have let Catherine sleep alone. He went to the office early in the morning, handled some matters, and then rushed back home. He knew Catherine well and was sure she wouldn''t have breakfast. He didn''t want her to undo all the progress made in nursing her stomach back to health. Perhaps because Catherine was too tired yesterday, her appetite was good today. She finished her breakfast in no time. Seeing her stand up, Branden took the initiative to clear the leftovers. "You should go downstairs for a walk. It''s good to get some exercise," he suggested. Catherine nodded in agreement, a hint of coldness in her eyes. "It''s good to get some exercise, but I don''t necessarily have to go downstairs." e Branden suddenly felt a chill down his spine, giving him a creepy sensation. Subconsciously, he turned around and met Catherine''s coldn gaze. The chilling look in her eyes was eerie, causing his nerves to tense up instantly. He subconsciously stepped back, his eyes alert as he watched Catherine. "You''re not really nning to do something to me, are you?" he asked. Catherine looked at him with a smirk. " You said it yourself, whether it''s scolding or beating, it''s all fine. Now that I''ve finished breakfast, you need to fulfill your promise, don''t you?" Branden felt somewhat helpless as Catherine approached him step by step, leaving him no chance to escape. He had brought this upon himself by spoiling her daily, and now he had to bear the consequences. Chapter 777 Chapter 777 You Better Be Upon hearing movement upstairs, Zobber, who had been somewhat bored in the living room, looked up. Then, she saw Branden holding Catherine as they descended the stairs. Catherine''s cheeks were rosy, exuding a sweet aura. Zobber couldn''t help but tease her, Catherine, did you two just finish exercising? Indeed, young people are full of energy." Catherine gave a cold smile and looked her up and down. "What? You want to exercise too? Come on. Let''s do this." Zobber was puzzled, looking at Catherine in amazement. "Catherine, are you into both men and women?" Without a word, Catherine dashed forward. Zobber couldn''t dodge in time and was swiftly thrown over her shoulder. Seeing the two of them fighting, Branden walked over, feeling pleased. Paxton brought him a ss of water, saying, "Boss, have some water, please. Branden took the ss of water and brushed the dust off his shoulder, instructing Paxton, "Arrange for a massage therapist; she needs it." Since Zobber had taken the brunt of it for him, he had to do something to make her feel better. Paxton, upon hearing this, felt somewhat gleeful. "Boss, I''ll go right away!" Zobber dodged Catherine''s attack and took the opportunity to catch her breath. She knew she wasn''t a match for Catherine. Being a sparring partner only meant getting beaten. She immediately raised her hands and begged for mercy from Catherine. " Catherine, I was wrong. I promise not to talk back next time. You should find Ronin to spar with. He''s been regressingtely. You should train with him more." Ronin, who had been watching the scene, suddenly shouted, "Catherine, don''t listen to this conniving woman! She''s been gossiping about you and Mr. Duncan all morning. She even started a betting pool on whether you two would returnst night and made millions of dors off it." Ronin looked at Zobber with resentment and spilled all her secrets. Zobber turned pale with fear, wishing she could strangle Ronin for bbing, but there was a bigger problem at hand, making it impossible for her to escape easily. She tried to appease Catherine. " Catherine, it''s all a misunderstanding. I was just..." "Hmph!" Catherine let out a coldugh and looked at Zobber coldly. "You want to exin? Fine, but not before I teach you a lesson!" Sensing the sudden chill in Catherine''s eyes, Zobber realized she''d be in big trouble. She wanted to run, but it was toote. After a round of "training" by Catherine, Zobber finally copsed, lying motionless on the ground, calling out to Paxton using herst breath. Paxton waved his hand to reassure her, "The doctor will be here soon; just hang in there!" Catherine hadpleted two rounds of "training" and was drenched in sweat. Her previously sore muscles regained strength, and she felt refreshed. Seeing Catherine sit down, Branden handed her a ss of freshly squeezed fruit juice. "Would you like to take a shower?" Catherine drank the juice in one gulp, feeling satisfied despite it not being chilled.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. After finishing the juice, she handed the ss back to Branden and stood up. "Wait for me. I''ll take a shower and then apany you to thepany." "Okay!" She rarely agreed to apany Branden to thepany, so how could he refuse her invitation? The Duncan Corporation''s several oldpanies had recently encountered numerous crises, causing widespread unease. Just the day before, the president of the Duncan Corporation appeared in the meeting room of the subsidiarypany, which instantly boosted the employees'' morale. Despite the president''s youth, since he took charge of the Duncan Corporation, thepany''s profits rose steadily, with the number of employees and subsidiaries increasing rapidly. To the Duncan Corporation''s employees, their president was like a stabilizing force. As long as he was there, the Duncan Corporation wouldn''t falter. In their opinion, this young, handsome, and wealthy president had always been quite mysterious. Surprisingly, many employees saw him entering thepany through the main entrance on the ground floor. Since it was already past the time for clocking in, quite a few employees caught sight of him. It wasn''t unusual for the president to visit thepany, but what was truly surprising was that the president was apanied by a beautiful youngdy. This piece of news instantly spread throughout the Duncan Corporation''s internalwork, and everyone knew that he had brought his girlfriend. Catherine followed alongside Branden, allowing him to hold her hand as they made a high-profile appearance in front of the Duncan Corporation''s employees. Initially, he had intended to go straight up from the underground floor, but unexpectedly, Catherine insisted on entering through the main entrance on the ground floor. The driver, although not understanding Catherine''s intentions, was sure about one thing-Branden''s orders were not to be disobeyed, and Catherine''smands were not to be disobeyed by Branden. Catherine followed alongside Branden, making a high-profile entrance into the office with him. Branden''s secretary promptly followed them into the room. ¡°Mr. Duncan, would you like some coffee today?" Seeing the secretary not entirely aware of the situation, Paxton quickly gestured, and she immediately inquired of Catherine, "Miss Swann, the fruit today looks good. Would you like a ss of freshly squeezed juice?" Catherine nodded slightly and then turned her gaze to Branden. "Two sses." The secretary, cautiously ncing at Branden, who was known not to have a sweet tooth and preferred freshly ground ck coffee, quickly realized that Catherine wanted two sses of juice. She feared the consequences if Branden became displeased. Sensing the secretary''s confusion, Paxton hinted again. "Hurry and prepare." The secretary, grateful for Paxton''s guidance, gave a thankful nce to Paxton and then left. As soon as she left, she was surrounded by a group of people. The secretary said in a mysterious tone, "Thedy inside is Mr. Duncan''s girlfriend. Behave yourselves!" The crowd''s expressions varied, but they allmitted the secretary''s words to memory Afterall the chief secretary was always cautious with her words. Now that she warned them to behave themselves, they had to be careful. Catherineyfortably in the armchair, enjoying the snacks prepared by the secretary, feeling incredibly content. "You can deal with the troubles that Shane caused you. Don''t mind me." Branden raised an eyebrow as he assessed her. "So you''re not here to help me?" Catherine looked at him with a smile. "Who told you I was here to help? I was just bored at home, so I came to thepany with you to find a different ce to rx. Is that not allowed?" "You better be!" Branden''s gentle tone carried a hint of warning. Seeing Catherine put on her headphones e and start ying games, asionally spouting some gaming jargon, he felt slightly perplexed. "Is she really here to rx?" he wondered. Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Crisis Branden was dealing with business from Bothor when a message popped up on the screen. Because Catherine was ying games in the office, Paxton dared not knock on the door when he had something to report. He could onlymunicate with Branden through online software. He sent, [Boss, something has happened. You need to take a look at this.] Squinting, Branden opened the message sent by Paxton. Casier Real Estate was a subsidiary of the Duncan Corporation, specializing in the real estate business in Casier. It was considered a leadingpany in the local real estate industry, known for its good reputation and ethical practices. It had gained significant poprity in Casier and was one of the most profitable subsidiaries under the Duncan Corporation. Just three hours ago, news broke on the inte about an incident at a newly delivered property of Casier Real Estate. During the renovation, a floor copse resulted in injuries to the workers, causing them to be rushed to the hospital. The news rapidly spread across the inte, reaching the top of the trending hashtags. It sparked intense discussions amongizens, many of whom criticized and condemned Casier Real Estate. Numerous prominent bloggers and individuals in the real estate industry publicly used Casier Real Estate. The reports flooded the media, indicating that this was not a simple case of public opinion ferment but rather a manipted scheme, possibly orchestrated by people with powerful backgrounds aiming to discredit Casier Real Estate. There were even implications of an attempt to drag down the parentpany, the Duncan Corporation. When Paxton learned of the news, he immediately mobilized the public rtions department. However, the other party had nned and executed their strategy well, making it difficult to contain the situation even with the public rtions department''s efforts. After understanding the full extent of the situation, Paxton promptly informed Branden and sought his advice. Having reviewed all the news, Branden called Paxton through a secure line." Notify all the managers and above from Casier Real Estate toe to my office for a meeting." "Yes, Boss!" Paxton replied. Half an hourter, a group of executives assembled in Branden''s office. To everyone''s surprise, the president was not alone. There was a very attractive youngdy apanying him. It had been rumored that Branden had a girlfriend who had met Karl, and it seemed she was thedy present. The fact that she could stay in the office at such a critical time indicated Branden''s affection for her. Although curious about Catherine, the attendees dared not pay too much attention to her, only stealing nces when they could.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Catherine, however, seemed at ease, sitting rxed in the armchair, engrossed in the game. Seeing the group of people enter, she whispered to Branden, who was offering her snacks, "You guys have your meeting. I''ll have my headphones on, so don''t worry. I won''t be disturbed.'' Branden gently touched her head, murmuring, "Alright, we''ll keep our voices down so as not to disturb your game." Their private conversation left everyone present dumbfounded. What was supposed to be a regr meeting turned into a serious one, with everyone involuntarily lowering their voices. Although the situation was urgent, the presence of Branden helped ease the tension among the participants. People began offering suggestions, but Branden didn''t find any suitable. He looked at everyone with a cold gaze and asked, ¡°Are these the best solutions you can offer?" Though his tone was mild, his attitude was serious, causing everyone to be nervous. Chapter 779 Chapter 779 The Mysterious Whistleblower Casier Real Estate was thrust into the limelight due to the scandal surrounding the quality of their properties. Several high-ranking individuals associated with Casier Real Estate were gathered in Branden''s office for a meeting. However, their proposed solutions were too conventional and couldn''t directly address the pressing issues at hand. Branden erupted in fury, leaving everyone trembling in fear. Only Paxton secretly felt relieved, grateful that Catherine was present. Otherwise, given Branden''s temper, they might have all been dismissed by now. Branden scanned the room with a cold gaze, and no one dared to meet his eyes. He angrily demanded, "Do we have any new proposals?"Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Silence filled the room, and everyone''s hearts raced, but no one dared to speak up. Suddenly, Paxton received a new message, which he promptly presented to Branden. "Mr. Duncan, you need to see thetest tweet." Upon hearing Paxton''s words, many people took out their phones to check thetest news, which had reced the trending post on Twitter. [The truth behind the dangerous properties of Casier Real Estate: Is it an unscrupulous developer or the victim of intentional persecution of local conscientious developers?] This headline immediately attracted attention, especially with major media outlets sharing the news. It quickly went viral on the inte. Its content was equally shocking. Earlier reports had imed that during renovations, a floor copse at a Casier Real Estate property led to workers being injured and hospitalized. Now, insiders revealed that the copse was due to a homeowner tampering with load- bearing columns and weakening the floor. Combined with the workers'' non-pliant actions, it led to the ident. In an attempt to evade responsibility, the homeowner and the renovationpany deliberately staged the incident, trying to bring down Casier Real Estate. The whistleblower provided evidence at the end of the post, indicating that the situation was not straightforward, suggesting that unscrupulouspanies were intentionally trying to discredit local conscientious developers. The whole inte was in an uproar. Homebuyers who had a favorable view of Casier Real Estate came forward to support thepany. In an instant, the public opinion online reversed, and Casier Real Estate''s stock price began to recover. Paxton held up his phone and quietly asked Branden, "Boss, this doesn''t seem to be the work of our public rtions department. Could it be..." Their public rtions department had not yete up with an effective n. The incident had happened suddenly, leaving no time to prepare such solid evidence. Paxton instinctively locked his gaze on the nearby armchair, but in the next second, he dismissed his thought. "It shouldn''t be Miss Swann. Miss Swann was gaming the whole time today. I never saw her put down her phone. Besides, we have just received the news about this incident, and even if Miss Swann wanted to help, she wouldn''t have been able to act so quickly," analyzed Paxton. After hearing Paxton''s analysis, Branden nodded slightly, finding some merit in his words "Arrange for the public rtions department to follow this line of thinking, and while at it, find out the people behind this. Don''t let a single one slip through!" Identifying the perpetrators behind the scenes wasn''t difficult. At the At the moment, the most crucial task was the most to resolve the crisis. "Yes, Mr. Duncan, I''ll arrange it right away," Paxton replied. Catherine, who was lounging in the nearby armchair fully engrossed in her game, suddenly gave a mysterious smile upon hearing the conversation between the two men. Chapter 780 Chapter 780 Something''s Off Through the post and the efforts of the Duncan Corporation''s public rtions team, public opinion was instantly reversed. Casier Real Estate, which had been in crisis, cleared the obstacles ahead and saw its stock price continuously rise due to this crisis. Hearing the report, Shane was livid. He mmed the documents on the table and red at one of the senior executives in front of him. "Is this the result you''re showing me? I''ve spent so much money on you, painstakinglyid out ns, and this is how you repay me? I warned you not to let anyone get hold of evidence. How could you mess it up?" If it hadn''t been for the Duncan Corporation obtaining a recorded confession from the construction workers, turning the tables so quickly wouldn''t have been possible. Dragging Casier Real Estate into trouble was equivalent to finding a breakthrough to take on the Duncan Corporation. Then, Shane would slowly drag the Duncan Corporation into the mire, just as he would deal with any other opponent andpletely crush it. Who would have known that his ipetent subordinates would be so useless, caught red-handed by the other party so quickly? Not only did his n fail to destroy the Duncan Corporation, but it also helped Casier Real Estate to gain fame. His attempt to steal a march had backfired! Faced with the furious Shane, the group of executives trembled, and the General Manager slowly stepped forward to report the situation. "Mr. Breen, I suspect we have a spy within our ranks. The Duncan Corporation''s response was too quick. Our nning was so meticulous this time; they couldn''t have prepared countermeasures in advance." The General Manager''s words plunged those present into deep thought. Although the Duncan Corporation was extremely powerful in Casier, the speed of their countermeasures was so fast that it made them suspect something fishy was going on behind the scenes. However, Shane quickly vetoed this spection. "That''s not possible!" He knew Branden was formidable, but these people around him had worked for him for decades. He was absolutely certain that they had nothing to do with it. Knock, knock, knock... The sound of knocks on the door echoed, and then Shane''s assistant entered the room.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Shane did find it strange, but he trusted his people. He suspected there was another reason he didn''t know about, so he sent someone out to investigate. Seeing his assistant hurry into the room, he knew there must be some news. "What''s the situation?" In response to Shane''s inquiry, the assistant handed over a stack of documents. "Sir, please take a look at these." Shane nced through the documents, and the surveince footage captured a scene of someone looking for the family members of construction workers. Shane recognized the person -Ronin Oconnor. He tapped the image on the paper and whispered to the assistant, "He''s deliberately showing his face to me!" Shane knew Ronin''s capabilities. If Ronin didn''t want to be seen, how could the surveince footage capture his face? This was a provocation. Ronin had always followed Catherine''s instructions, and it seemed she was now wholly siding with Branden, joining forces to oppose Shane. Thinking of this, Shane felt a surge of anger. Seeing Shane''s dark expression, the assistant cautiously suggested, "Sir, should we take action?" Shane had always treated Catherine as his daughter and had not been willing to act against her. But this time, he knew she hadpletely aligned herself with Branden. He would not allow this to happen. Since there was no hope for Catherine''s return, he nned to destroy her. Receiving Shane''s hint, the assistant silently nodded. "Sir, rest assured. We will handle it." The originally lengthy meeting was abruptly paused due to the unexpected turn of events. The executives, who had just been scolded and dejected, were now excited and eager to retaliate. Paxton noticed Catherine was still in the office, so he left with the other executives, leaving the space for Branden and her. Once everyone had left, the previously noisy office returned to silence. However, Catherine was still ying games in the armchair. Seeing her still, Branden got up from the conference table and sat down beside her. As it was almost lunchtime, he caressed her abdomen and asked, "Are you hungry? Do you want to go for lunch?" Catherine nced at the clock on the wall-it was only eleven o''clock. For someone who finished work at twelve, this seemed too early. Her gazended on the tes of snacks not far ahead, expressing her disdain. "Have you ever seen me stop eating?" Ever since Catherine entered Branden''s office, he had constantly arranged various snacks and fruits for her, all of which were her favorites. While ying games and directing Ronin''s actions, she had not stopped eating. She wasn''t hungry at all. Seeing the nearly empty fruit te, Branden looked at her with a doting smile. "Alright, if you''re not hungry now, we''ll wait a bit longer." With that, he reached out and lifted her. "I''m in the middle of a game!" Catherine frowned, attempting to refuse him. Branden, however, didn''t mind. "It''s okay. Just focus on your game. I''ll watch." Catherine paused and turned to him. "Aren''t you busy? Don''t you need to work?" Branden raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smile. "Someone else has taken care of the crisis for me. of Why should I work? If I have to handle those trivial matters myself, what''s the point of keeping these people around?" Catherine could tell that Branden''s smile held some sinister intent, so m she scrutinized him Brandeno M howeveNgazed at at her with an extremely gentle smile. "Why are you looking at me like that? Aren''t you ying the game anymore?" Catherine remained silent and continued ying the game. As for Branden, he seemed to be just watching her y the game. The feeling of being watched while ying the game made Catherine ufortable. After ying for a while, she threw her phone aside. Branden picked up her phone from the floor and sat down, holding her. "Not ying anymore?" "Nah, my eyes need a rest," she replied. "Alright, it''s time for dinner." When Branden suggested going out for dinner this time, Catherine didn''t refuse. She just followed his arrangement. Branden chose a restaurant, and when they arrived, the waiter led them to a private room. As they m room. entered the room, Catherine furrowed her brow because she saw a round table for ten people. "Why such arge private room for just the two of us?" she asked. Branden didn''t answer her directly but instead pulled her to sit down. "Just sit for now. Someone will join uster." With a heart full of suspicion, Catherine took her seat. Not long after, there were footsteps outside the private room. Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Free Lunch The private room¡¯s door was opened, and the waiter led several people into it.Not only was Ronin there, but even Withal and Zobber were invited. Ronin froze for a moment when he entered and saw Catherine. He turned his head to look at the nearby Zobber. ¡± You even invited Catherine?¡± Zobber was also a bit surprised when she saw Catherine. She had originally joked with Ronin that she would treat him to a meal, but she wasn¡¯t the one who was actually going to treat him. ¡°Paxton didn¡¯t tell me it was Mr. Duncan who treated us to lunch. I thought it was him who would treat us to lunch!¡± said Zobber. Hearing this, Ronin and Withal simultaneously rolled their eyes toward Zobber. They thought Zobber was stupid. They didn¡¯t want to pay attention to her. Paxton was Branden¡¯s most loyalckey. How could he suddenly treat everyone to a meal? Ronin and Withal felt there was something fishy about it as soon as they heard it.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. They thought only a brainless woman like Zobber would believe that people like Paxton would suddenly treat her to a meal. Seeing several people standing and discussing, Catherine put down the fork and looked at the crowd. ¡°Are you guys going to eat by standing there? Have a seat!¡± Catherine gave an order, and the crowd pulled out their chairs and sat down obediently. Paxton beckoned the waiter to serve the dishes. Looking at the table full of delicacies, the crowd felt something was not quite right. Withal and Ronin exchanged nces, then focused their eyes on Catherine. Catherine was as calm as ever,pletely unaffected. Ronin knew it was useless to ask Catherine about this, so he reached out and nudged Zobber aside, leaving her in charge of inquiring about the ultimate purpose of the meal. Zobber originally hated doing this kind of thing, but it was she who brought Ronin and the others there this time. If she didn¡¯t make a sound, she would be med by them when they went back. There was no way around it. Zobber could only grit her teeth and speak. ¡± Mr. Duncan, these dishes are all delicious and expensive. But as the saying goes, there¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in the world. You¡¯re suddenly treating us to such a good meal here. What¡¯s your purpose?¡± Branden raised his eyes at Zobber with interest, the corners of his mouth rising slightly. ¡°I¡¯m having a special feast for you guys. It¡¯s sort of a thank- you meal!¡± Although Branden was saying these words with a smile, Zobber felt uneasy in her heart, and a cold sweat broke out behind her back. ¡°A thank you meal? We didn¡¯t do anything. Why are you thanking us?¡± Zobber thought to herself, ¡°This isn¡¯t a thank-you meal. It¡¯s just a meal with bad intentions!¡± ¡°Casier Real Estate!¡± Branden prompted only three words, and Zobber shut up. It wasn¡¯t hard for Branden to find out that information. Zobber didn¡¯t need to lie, and if she kept making things up, she would eventually make them be those who made fools of themselves. Zobber shut up and nced toward Ronin and Withal. Then they turned their gaze to Catherine, waiting for Catherine to make up her mind. ¡°Since we all think the food is good, let¡¯s eat.¡± After Catherine finished speaking, Ronin and the others immediately picked up their forks and ate quietly as if nothing had happened. When Branden was almost full, he put down the cutlery in his hand. He propped his elbows on the tabletop and looked at everyone with cold eyes. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, the oppression he exuded affected everyone present. Ronin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mr. Duncan, even though we did it without your consent, it¡¯s still a favor to the Duncan Corporation.¡± Branden nodded approvingly. ¡°You¡¯re right, so I arranged this meal to express my gratitude.¡± Roninughed awkwardly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to do it. Given your rtionship with Catherine, we should do this!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Branden purposely drawled. His bright eyes stared straight at Catherine. Chapter 782 Chapter 782 I Have Something to Report Faced with Branden''s dominance, Catherine shrugged and looked indifferent. She said, "We weren''t doing you a favor by stepping in to help Casier Real Estate, and we had no intention of meddling with the Duncan Corporation. We simply don''t like Shane and want to target him, can''t we? Catherine said it lightly. If someone else had said such words, everyone would have thought that person was talking big. But these words were said by Catherine. No one dared to question her. After all, Catherine had the ability. She could do whatever she said she would do. Branden looked at Catherine with eyes full of dominance and deep fascination. "Of course you can. I was hoping to win by relying on my girlfriend, but I didn''t realize that you had no intention of helping me. You did that just because you don''t like Shane!" Catherine crossed her hands around her chest and looked at Branden with raised eyebrows. "How about you give me the position of the Duncan Corporation''s president? In this way, you can wait to win by relying on me for the rest of your life." Branden rubbed his chin back and forth with his slender fingers. It seemed he was thinking seriously about the suggestion Catherine had made. He then gave his reply. "What you say makes some sense. Why don''t we just set it up that way?" Everyone listened to Branden and Catherine teasing each other. After learning they wouldn''t argue, everyone ate with peace of mind. If Catherine and Branden hadn''t fought, everyone would have had a good day. After finishing the meal, seeing Catherine leaning to the side, Ronin approached her. "Catherine, why didn''t you let me hide my tracks?" Although Ronin obeyed Catherine, he didn''t understand the reason for Catherine''s actions this time. He thought about it and decided to ask clearly. Catherine could have made this matter very covert, making it impossible for Shane to find out, and could have even med it on Branden, but she did not do that. She even specifically instructed Ronin to expose his whereabouts without covering up the surveince footage. In the face of Ronin''s inquiry, Catherine said nonchntly, "Shane found out about it, so what? Wouldn''t he target me if he didn''t find out about it?"Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Shane''s real purpose was Catherine, and the reason he put his hands on the Duncan Corporation in the first ce was also because of Catherine. Even if Catherine hadn''t been involved this time, Shane wouldn''t have given up targeting Catherine. Since that was the case, it didn''t make much difference whether she made Shane find out about it or not. Ronin looked at Catherine with some concern. He was afraid of being heard, so he lowered his voice. "Catherine, I''m worried that if Shane is really annoyed, he will release information that is unfavorable to you." Shane still had something about them in his hands, which made Ronin very worried. Upon hearing Ronin''s words, Catherine''s eyes instantly darkened. She whispered in a deep voice, "Don''t worry. Shane would rather kill me than expose that information." Although that was the case, Ronin was still a bit worried. "Gatherine, are ve we going to take any next steps?" Seeing Ronin so worried about her, Catherine reached out and gently patted Ronin''s head. "Trust me!" Ronin nodded without hesitation, his eyes filled with determination. "I absolutely trust you!" The assistant had followed Shane for many years and knew Shane very well. He understood that Shane had always wanted Catherine to inherit his position, If Catherine were willing to inherit, he wouldn''t have a problem with it. But now Catherine had changed. She had started to help outsiders deal with the Breens. The assistant thought to himself, ''We can''t keep such a person.'' He om hesitated for a long time before finally making a decision and dialed the phone number he had not contacted for a long time. "Sir, I have something to report!" Chapter 783 Chapter 783 Returning to Loxton Because of Catherine''s intervention, Shane''s scheme for Casier Real Estate was quickly broken. Initially, everyone was prepared to be retaliated by Shane, waiting for her counterattack. However, after a few days, Shane did not do anything at all. Ronin gave thetest intercepted information to Catherine. "Catherine, Shane took a ne back to Loxton yesterday. He''s not in Casier." Catherine had a Rubik''s Cube in her hand. She turned it rapidly with her index finger. Each side of the cube was still in chaotic colors, but in the next second, each side was turned into one color by Catherine, and she made it with only one hand. After restoring all the colors on the cube, Catherine messed up its colors and restored them once again. She was so focused on turning the cube that she didn''t seem to be listening to Ronin at all. Ronin didn''t mind. He picked up the extra Rubik''s Cube that was thrown on the floor. He tried to turn to make each side of the cube a different color in the same way as Catherine. Although he tried his best, he was far from being able to keep up with Catherine''s pace in terms of speed. "Catherine, if you go to the cubepetition, you''ll definitely win the championship!" Catherine had no interest in being a world champion. She just didn''t like one-way thinking, which meant that when she was thinking, she must be doing something else at the same time. After restoring the cube once again, Catherine threw it away and got up from her chair to leave. Seeing her walk away, Ronin immediately chased after her." Catherine, what are you going to do?" Catherine replied, "Packing up and going back to Loxton!" Since Shane wasn''t in Casier, there was no point in her staying, so she might as well go back to Loxton now. Marshall was still waiting for her to go back and attend sses!N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Knowing that Catherine was going back to Loxton, Ronin immediately notified everyone. Everyone was willing to follow Catherine back to Loxton. They came to Casier to follow Catherine. Now that Catherine was leaving, they naturally needed to follow her back. After Catherine packed her things, she came downstairs to see Zobber, and the others also finished packing their things. She frowned slightly. "Do you still n to rest?" Zobber smiled and said, "Catherine, you n to rest too. As it happens, I''ll take another break for myself and go to Loxton with you guys. I like staying with everyone!" Zobber didn''t want to take missions. Catherine didn''t care and let her. The Hacker Alliance did not require each member to take on a certain amount of missions every month. Usually, when a mission came in, there would be a specialized person who would distribute it to the right member to take it on. However, the prerequisite was that the members themselves were willing to take on the mission. As long as the price was reasonable and the members were willing to ept it, this mission was considered a sessful undertaking. Over the years, the Hacker Alliance had never failed a mission. Zobber wanted to take some time off, and Withal didn''t want to work either. Ronin wanted to continue to finish his studies, and all of them had the same goal, so they went back to Loxton with Catherine. In Casier, the Duncan Corporation still had some troublesome follow-up work that required Branden to handle personally. Originally, Branden was nning to send Catherine back to Loxton and then return to Casier to handle the work. But Catherine said to him, "No, I''ll go back with everyone. You don''t have to go back and forth. Don''t make thingsplicated." Catherine wasn''t an unreasonable person. She understood Branden. She knew that the Duncan Corporation was big, and there were many things that Branden had to deal with personally every day. Moreover, because Branden went to Florona this time, there was no one to guard the Duncan Corporation, causing the Duncan Corporation''s subsidiary in Casier to suffer quite a bit of repercussions. This was a critical time. Branden staying there could recover most of the losses, so naturally, Catherine thought that Branden didn''t need to send her to Loxton and thene back. It wouldn''t be toote for Branden to go to Loxton after the matter in Casier was settled. Seeing Catherine''s persistent attitude, Branden agreed with her decision. He leaned over slightly and kissed her on the forehead, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Call me as soon as you get off the ne. You''ll stay at the school dormitory for the next few days while I''m gone. I''ll pick you up when I get back!" Catherine nodded and responded obediently, "Okay!" Branden only allowed her to leave after seeing her so obedient. The happiest person when Catherine returned to Loxton was Marshall. He went to the airport to pick up Catherine in person. Catherine was picked up by Marshall and taken to theboratory before she even had a chance to say goodbye to the others. On the way to theboratory, Marshall didn''t forget toin to Catherine. "You bad girl, you almost killed me." Catherine frowned at him, clearly puzzled by his words. Marshall sighed. He still had lingering fear when he talked about it now. "It''s about you sneaking outst time. You didn''t even know how intimidating your fianc¨¦''s behavior was. I''m old and I can''t stand being scared like that. Don''t put yourself in a dangerous situation next time. I''m afraid your fianc¨¦ will really kill me in a fit of rage." Although Marshall exaggerated a bit, he was more worried about Catherine. No matter how strong and angry Branden was, he would let Marshall off the hook for the sake of Marshall''s mentor-student rtionship with Catherine. Marshall was more worried about Catherine and didn''t want Catherine to risk her life. Catherine didn''t make a sound in response. Seeing her nod, Marshall felt much morefortable. After that, he was ready to give Catherine a task next. "Now that you''re back, can you focus on experimenting now? I''ve helped you take on all those socializing tasks these days. Catherine couldn''t help butugh out loud at Marshall''s look. ¡°Professor Hartley, isn''t it nice to have someone treat you to delicious food every day? Why did you still think they almost killed you?" Marshall despised Catherine when he saw she didn''t understand him. He grumbled, "If you like to have delicious food every day, then go participate in those social activities yourself!" Their team winning the award shocked the entire circle. Not only did people from all walks of lifepete to invite them to attend various activities, gatherings, and meals, but even the higher-ups had arranged quite a few events and gatherings for them. Marshall would rather stay in theboratory every day than go out to socialize. If it were just a matter of asking theirboratory researchers to go out asionally to make some contacts, Marshall would be willing to pave the way for his students. It was just that the frequency of such incidents should not be too high. Because of Catherine''s departure, Marshall had to take on Catherine''s social engagements, too, which was the kind he couldn''t put off. All of his previous social engagementsbined didn''t add up to the number of social engagements he''d had this month. Fortunately, Catherine returned in time. He was able to announce to his higher- ups that the experiment was restarting, that he needed to devote himself to it, and that he could no longer go to socialize. Facing Marshall with a sad face, Catherine smiled and stood up." Professor Hartley, I''m going to theboratory!" Marshall waved his hand impatiently." Hurry up. I leave them all to you!" He knew Catherine''s abilities and was very confident in handing everything over to her. On the way out of Marshall''s office and walking to theboratory, the cell phone inside Catherine''s pocket suddenly rang. She pulled out her cell phone. The moment she saw the caller ID, her eyebrows immediately furrowed, and her face unconsciously became more serious. Chapter 784 Chapter 784 He''s Back Catherine came out of theboratory and then went to where the other party prompted her as promised. But when she arrived at the ce, she didn''t see the familiar person appear. Catherine believed she wouldn''t find the wrong ce, but the person who had made the appointment with her wasn''t there. Just as Catherine hesitated whether to search for the person, a little girl of only four or five years old with two beautiful braids came to Catherine." Miss, are you Kathy?" Kathy? Catherine frowned slightly. Although Kathy was a nickname for her given name, Catherine, she didn''t know the girl in front of her and assumed she wasn''t the one the little girl was looking for. She shook her head in denial. However, the little girl didn''t seem to see her shaking her head. She shoved a small bouquet directly into Catherine''s hands and said, "Kathy, a handsome man asked me to give this to you. He asked you to wait for him for a while. He said he''d be right there!" It was a beautiful palm-size bouquet made from dried flowers. Catherine wanted to remind the little girl that she had the wrong person, but as she was about to hand the card and bouquet back, she saw the message on the card. She recognized the handwriting. The person who had written those words was the very person she was waiting for. Catherine reached out and stroked the little girl''s head, her cold eyes showing a rare tenderness. "Girl, do you know the name of that handsome man?" The little girl nodded seriously. "Yes, I know. The handsome man said his name is Rn." Catherine then confirmed that the little girl didn''t have the wrong person. Seeing that the little girl was so little, Catherine nned to return her to her parents first. Just as Catherine stood up, she saw a gentle-looking young woman who looked somewhat simr to the little girl walking toward them. "Tori, why are you here?" Hearing the voice, the little girl immediately left Catherine behind and turned back. "Mommy, I''m helping a handsome man pass a message to Kathy!" The little girl was little, but she was eloquent and looked pleasing. Catherine liked her very much. The little girl''s mother looked at Catherine with a confused look. It was a look that made Catherine unsure of how to exin. "Tori!" A maic and pleasant sound instantly caught everyone''s attention. As everyone turned around, they saw Rn Melton, who was tall and dressed in ck casual clothes, slowly walking toward them. Tori was particrly happy when she saw Rn, and her small face instantly burst into smiles. "Rn..." After exining to Tori''s mother, Rn walked straight toward Catherine. Catherine just sat quietly on the bench and waited for him toe over. Rn walked up to Catherine and didn''t sit down right away. Instead, he stood still with a pair of beautiful eyes scrutinizing her up and down. Although his gaze was very oppressive, Catherine didn''t feel any difort at all. After a moment, Rn''s warm and handsome face showed a hint of a smile, and the corners of his mouth instantly widened, revealing an exceptionally bright and dazzling handsome smile. "Catherine, it''s been years since I''ve seen you. You''ve be much more beautiful." Catherine''s lips curved lightly. She was seemingly smiling, and her expression was not as cold as the moment before." Why did you suddenly go from Loewe to Loxton?" Catherine had heard that Rn had been entrenched in Loewe for business all these years. When she suddenly received Rn''s call, she thought something had happened to him. Suddenly receiving the news that he appeared in Loxton and even asked her to meet him surprised her. Catherine then came out from theboratory and came there immediately. Rn didn''t seem to want to answer Catherine''s question. He looked at Catherine apologetically and said, "I haven''t apologized to you yet. There was an ident just now, and I was a littlete." Catherine said with a disinterested look on her face, "Didn''t you already let that little girl tell me that?" Catherine''s calm eyes lit up slightly at the mention of Tori. She reached out and raised the card Tori had stuffed into her hand. She liked that cute little girl, Tori. Noticing that Catherine was in a good mood, the smile on Rn''s face became bigger. "Tori is a real cutie because she even made you forgive me. I know you hate it when people arete. But he didn''t expect Catherine''s gaze to fall on his arm the next second. "Is your arm okay?" Her simple words made Rn smile helplessly and bitterly. Slightly decadent, he sat down next to Catherine. He revealed his disappointment deliberately in his words. "You found it." Catherine nced at the logo mark on his chest andughed lightly. "It''s not a brand you often wear. You''re not used to it, are you?" Rn was born into a luxurious family, and it was inevitable that he had some habits of being a wealthy nobleman. The clothes he wore all year round were all customized by one brand, and he rarely wore other brands, let alone the fact that he was now wearing the kind of brand that could be bought at the mall. Another thing Catherine noticed was the smell of blooding from Rn.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Catherine was different from ordinary people. She was someone who came from the killing field, and she was more familiar with the stench of human blood than anyone else. Rn looked at Catherine with a doting smile in his eyes. "You''ve discovered all of this. You''re worth being my Catherine." In fact, Rn had arrived there and waited for a long time at the appointed ce. But unexpectedly, there was an ident inside the mall. A careless mother pushed her baby stroller up the esctor, and it tumbled down halfway because of herck of strength. When the stroller was in critical condition, Rn, who had been m waiting at the side, noticed the situation. He immediately stepped forward to save the baby. At the same time, Rn suffered some injuries. A sharp-object cut his arm, and blood stained the sleeve of his white shirt, attracting a lot of stares. Rn, who always valued manners, would not allow such a thing to happen. At that time, he met Tori, who was ying in a yground. He took an instant liking to the little girl and asked her to tell Catherine that he would bete. After that, he quickly went to the mall to buy a new set of clothes. Rn hurriedly came to Catherine after he changed his clothes. He didn''t expect Catherine to see through all of this. Although he felt surprised, he somewhat felt it was reasonable. It seemed like nothing could be hidden from her, and Rn had long been ustomed to this. Rn''s gaze at Catherine was somewhatplicated, but there seemed to be an imperceptible M emotion behind the emotion he showed." Catherine, I haven''t seen you for many years, but you are still the same as you were back then." Catherine curled her lips lightly without any other response. Rn had long been used to Catherine''s cold attitude. He knew she was cold, and it seemed she cared for nothing. However, his encounter with Catherine this time made him feel that Catherine had undergone some changes, but the changes were minimal and hard to notice. Seeing Catherine start to remain silent again, Rn put forward a new proposal. "It seems to be dinner time. Would you like to have dinner with me? Catherine nodded slightly and did not refuse. Chapter 785 Chapter 785 You''ve Changed Ronin asked Catherine to have dinner with him but was turned down. He looked back at his friends and asked, "Did any of you ask Catherine to dinner? Why didn''t you tell me? I was refused." "We can''tpete with you regarding the task of making the appointment with Catherine," Zobber said discontentedly. Ronin turned his gaze to Withal. Upon realizing it, Withal immediately shrugged, indicating that it had nothing to do with him. This made Ronin feel a little strange. Could it be that Mr. Duncan is here?" Hearing Ronin''s doubt, Zobber came back to her senses. "No way. We just got back to Loxton. If Mr. Duncan could have finished his business in Casier that quickly, he would havee back with us in the morning. How could he possibly want to part with Catherine?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Although Zobber''s usual words were somewhat unreliable, Ronin felt that her words now made perfect sense. So, who did Catherine go to eat with?" "Maybe her roommates? Amelia or the others?" Zobber answered nonchntly. She thought Ronin was just so worried about Catherine that he even wanted to know who Catherine had dinner with. If it weren''t for Catherine having Branden by her side now, Ronin would still insist on being her 24-hour full-time nanny. Ronin quickly refuted Zobber''s words. " No way. I asked Amelia. She''s not with Catherine. And Amelia also said that Catherine had just gone back to theboratory and went out again. She seemed to have made an appointment with someone." Catherine didn''t have many friends in Loxton. Usually, she only made appointments with them and stayed with them. If they didn''t ask her out, she would immerse herself in theboratory, thinking about her experimental projects. Zobber stopped her game and looked at Ronin with serious eyes. "So, who can Catherine go to dinner with?" Ronin couldn''t help but roll his eyes at her. He asked in his heart, "If I knew it, why would I be here to ask you?" "Didn''t you ce a tracking device on her? Why don''t you check it?" Zobber suggested. Ronin wanted to strangle Zobber, the useless woman. He ced a tracking device on Catherine, but it was used to confirm her location in times of crisis, not to track her whereabouts. If Catherine discovered that Ronin had installed a tracking device on her, he would be finished. Withal, who was standing on the sidelines, stood up impatiently when he saw that the two were still grinding away at their discussion. "Are you guys so bored? Catherine is an adult. Can''t she have a little privacy? Hurry up, and let''s go for dinner. I''m starving." Ronin couldn''t find Catherine''s whereabouts for the time being, so he agreed with Withal''s suggestion. The three of them got into the car. Withal was about to start the vehicle when Ronin''s cell phone rang. He thought it was a reply from Catherine and was about to check it. Two more rings came from Withal''s and Zobber''s cell phones. Ronin bared his teeth and smiled. "What a coincidence!" But when Ronin took out his cell phone and checked the message, his face instantly became serious. He said with his eyes filled with coldness." Something''s wrong!" Withal and Zobber''s faces were just as serious. This was because the messages the three of them received were the same content, all of which were rescue messages sent from their organization. There were actually people who dared to cause trouble in their territory. Those people were simply seeking death. Ronin turned his head and asked the two, "What should we do? Should we notify Catherine?" Zobber made an instant decision. " Didn''t Catherine go out for something? Then there''s no need to notify her. Besides, all three of us are here. What are you afraid of?" Usually, when something happened, even if they reported it to Catherine, Catherine would just assign one of them to check it out. Only as ast resort would Catherine personally take action. After all, those small matters couldn''t rm her. Just after Zobber said those words, Withal stepped on the elerator and whizzed out in his car. With all three of them making moves at the same time, there was nothing that couldn''t be solved. Rn booked the restaurant, and Catherine sat leisurely in the restaurant. In the high-ss restaurant, Catherine was different from those dressed in fancy clothes with elegant demeanors and even excessive limitations. Catherine was dressed in casual clothes, with a casual and carefree posture. If not for her stunningly beautiful face, she probably wouldn''t even have had the chance to sit at the table at the moment. Unlike her, Rn''s mannerisms showed the unique aura of a nobleman. Their excellent looks attracted many people. Although Rn was very low profile, the people who could sit in this restaurant were wise people of wise people. They could see Rn''s wealth at a nce. The watch Rn wore on his wrist was worth hundreds of thousands of dors, and his wealthy demeanor emanating from the inside out instantly made him the focus of attention among thedies present. Catherine became the target of envy of many people. After Rn ordered the dishes, he handed the menu to the waiter. Catherine didn''t even look at the menu. With Rn by her side, she never had to worry about that. Sure enough, when the waiter served the dishes, every single dish was to Catherine''s liking. Rn looked at her with expectant eyes. "Are they all your favorite?" Catherine knew he was referring to the dishes on the table, and she nodded slightly in response. This response made Rn momentarily freeze. He had clearly ordered the food ording to Catherine''s tastes.m Although Catherine nodded her head, it was clear to Rn that Catherine did not like them very much. He had known Catherine for many years. They were friends who had shared life and death, and he understood Catherine''s every move. He didn''t know that since Catherine had been with Branden, under Branden''s subconscious influence, Catherine had slowly given up her addiction to spicy food. Her stomach condition did not allow her to eat such stimting food. Although Branden did not ask Catherine to stop having spicy food directly, he secretly helped Catherine not to eat spicy food. Under Rn''s gaze, Catherine picked up her cutlery. Perhaps it had been too long since Catherine had eaten such a spicy dish. She suddenly felt ufortable to have spicy food. She almost choked on the spicy food. Seeing her coughing, Rn immediately brought warm water and handed it to her. "Is it too spicy?" Rn''s words were filled with concern. Catherine didn''t hide it. "I haven''t eaten so spicy for a while. I can''t stand it now." Hearing this, on Rn''s warm face, his eyebrows slightly frowned. With a puzzled expression he asked, "You used to love spicy dishes. You don''t like them now?" "My stomach is in a bad condition, so I stopped having spicy food!" Catherine''s words made the sparkle in Rn''s eyes disappear instantly. He knew Catherine very well. He knew how hard it was to make Catherine break a habit. He thought Catherine would be like that for the rest of her life, but he didn''t expect her to change one day. The seemingly insignificant small change brought a massive shock to Rn. He thought to himself, " haven''t contacted Catherine for the past few years. She has changed quite a bit." Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Catherine Can''t Reach Them After they left the restaurant, Rn suggested taking a walk, but Catherine did not refuse. After realizing Catherine couldn''t eat spicy food, Rn changed the dishes. The food at that restaurant was very delicious, and Catherine ate a lot. She didn''t refuse the proposal to take a walk because she felt it could help digestion. "Catherine, what made you suddenly think of returning to school?" Rn asked. Catherine turned her head to look at him. Under the neon lights, her face flickered, and her gaze was somewhat ambiguous. "You investigated quite carefully." At that, Rn''s expression changed slightly, and his tone became anxious momentarily. "No, I didn''t. I didn''t mean that!" "It''s fine!" Catherine interrupted him. She didn''t really care about that. As much as Rn knew her, she knew Rn. Rn, who had always been strategic and in control of everything, would never allow any unexpected situations to ur. He naturally investigated her beforehand since he came to Loxton to contact Catherine. Otherwise, he could not have contacted her directly. "There''s actually no reason. Someone wants me to go to school, so I retrace the path I didn''t take." "Is it your sister from the Swanns?" Rn asked. He knew that Catherine still had rtives in the Swanns. It was just that a lot had changed since Catherine went back to the Swanns. Even though Rn hadn''t been around Catherine in the past few years, he knew a little about what was happening around Catherine, including her return to the Swanns. "Yes!" Catherine nodded slightly. She had been out for a while, so she decided to go back. "I still have something to do in theboratory." Rn didn''t retain her andplied with her wishes. "Okay, I''ll take you back." Rn drove Catherine to the school entrance. He pulled open the door and helped her out of the car. Catherine waved her hand at him. As she was about to leave, she suddenly he?rd Rn say, "I''m here in Loxton this time because there''s a multinational project I need to follow up on personally." Catherine stopped and turned back to look at him. Rn thought she didn''t believe him and went on to exin, "I''m nning to set up a branch in Eskana." "Go for it!" Catherine said and left. Looking at her departing back, Rn''s eyes flickered with light. Establishing a branch in Eskana was very important, but more importantly, there was someone there who he cared about. Catherine went straight to theboratory after returning to school. When she entered, Amelia came out just in time. "Catherine, you''re back!" "Yes!" Catherine nodded slightly. After returning from thepetition in Alton, Amelia immersed herself in theboratory every day. Seeing that she was so highly motivated, the senior brothers around her were willing to help her. She was even busier than Catherine every day now. "Catherine, did Ronin contact you? He was looking for you and asked me about your whereabouts. I told him you weren''t in theboratory, and you went out for something," said Amelia. Upon hearing this, Catherine didn''t pay much attention. "I''ll contact himter. Ronin always wanted to contact Catherine throughout the day, but he was worried that Catherine would find it annoying. So, he liked asking people around Catherine about her news. Ronin knew the limit and wouldn''t vite Catherine''s privacy, so Catherine didn''t mind when he did so. "I''ll go ahead and have dinner then. You should go back and rest early, too," Amelia said. After seeing Catherine nod her head, Amelia then turned to leave. After Catherine returned to theboratory, she called Ronin. The phone call was not connected. Although Catherine felt strange, she didn''t pay much attention. She hadn''t returned to theboratory for a while, so she needed to organize the materials in theboratory carefully. Unlike thergeboratories of her senior brothers and sisters, Catherine''sboratory was specially approved by Marshall and was separate. She didn''t allow anyone toe in and clean herboratory. Everyone had different habits of cing things, and she had her own habits. She didn''t want anyone to break them. A few hours had passed since she had finished organizing the things that had been umting in theboratory for some time. Catherine then realized that Ronin had not yet replied to her message. Ronin would usually call her back within three minutes after she sent him a message. Catherine thought Ronin might be with Withal and the others, so she called Withal. She then realized that both Withal''s and Zobber''s phones were working, but there was no answer. After sensing something was wrong, Catherine used an app she had developed to send a message to the Hacker Alliance''s liaison asking him to find Ronin and the other two''s location. The Hacker Alliance''s liaison replied with a message, [Miss Catherine, something''s happened to the organization. We contacted Mr. Withal first. He should be over there now.] Hearing that there was a situation, Catherine guessed that the three should have gone there together. However, the three of them didn''t answer the phone at the same time, which made her feel abnormal. [Send me the location.] After sending the message, Catherine exited the app. Several organizations were under the Hacker Alliance, and four leaders had always managed them. Catherine herself wasn''t sure exactly which ones there were. She had just exited the app when the Hacker Alliance liaison sent the location to her phone. Catherine put her phone away. Pulling open a drawer, she took a key out of it and then left theboratory. The organization was located on the outskirts of Loxton. Catherine rode her motorcycle, which took her half an hour to get there. The factory ahead was silent in the darkness of thete night. This was a Hacker Alliance organization in Loxton. During the days, it was an ordinary factory, and nothing was peculiar. At night, it became a meeting ce for some Hacker Alliance members. Just a few hours ago, the factory was attacked by a group of unknown people. Some Hacker Alliance members were injured. The members immediately sent a message to the headquarters for help. The headquarters then sent orders to the nearest members to go for support. It just so happened that Ronin, Zobber, and Withal were in Loxton. They received the message and came there to help. Catherine didn''te in first. After observing the situation, she went around to the factory''s back door and entered the factory through the small door. The factory looked silent, but the air was still filled with the smell of disinfectant and blood.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Catherine''s face instantly became quite grave. She frowned as she groped her way forward, her eyes increasingly solemn. Her right hand was tightly pressed against her thigh, which held the weapon that could keep her alive. Such a stance would allow her to draw her weapon at the first opportunity to confront the enemy. Catherine wasn''t sure about their organization, but she knew every organization had a secret room. She recognized the clues her people hadid out inside the factory and followed them to the secret room. Sure enough, there was movement inside the secret room. Catherine didn''t know if the people inside the secret room were friends or foes, so she didn''t take action. In one agile leap, she opened her arms and braced herself against the sides of the wall with her powerful arms She used her arms to support her entire body silently against the ceiling. Following the gap in the door above her, she looked toward the secret room. After taking in the situation of the secret room, Catherine instantly frowned. Her originally cold eyes immediately darkened and sank, releasing infinite killing intent. Chapter 787 Chapter 787 Inside the Secret Room "Knock, knock, knock." The sound of knocking on the door came, startling several people interrogating someone in the secret room. Everyone''s nerves immediately tensed up, and the atmosphere inside the room immediately became quite solemn. The leading man looked at the short man next to him. The shorter man pondered momentarily and then said in a suppressed voice, "Keyon went out just now. Could it be that he''s back?" The leading man signaled the shorter man to open the door along with the other two men in ck. The three of them held their weapons and walked toward the door cautiously. The short man was responsible for opening the door, while the other two were responsible for guarding his side. Once there was a situation, they would immediately attack. After opening the door, they found that there was no one outside. The short man found it strange. He walked out to check the situation. " Keyon..." After waiting a few seconds, the short man disappeared without sound. The two men in ck felt something was wrong and immediately rushed out to check the situation. Subsequently, the two men in ck also disappeared without a sound. Looking at the dark doorway with no sound, the leading man finally realized something was wrong. He stared vigntly at the doorway, holding his weapon aimed at Withal''s vital point. Although Withal was bound and had many marks of execution on his body, his attitude remained calm and dashing. He caught a familiar scent in the air, which made him more and more calm. Hearing Withal''s silentughter, the leading man''s expression instantly turned sinister. "What are youughing at? What''s so funny?" He took his weapon and poked it toward the wound on Withal''s thigh. Blood sttered instantly, and Withal gritted his teeth in pain, but he struggled to endure it without making any sound. After taking a breath, Withal looked at the leading man with a face full of mockery. He said coldly, "I told you that this factory is haunted and gets even worse at night. You don''t believe me. Do you believe it now?" The leading man naturally didn''t believe Withal''s flimm. He had always lived in danger, so how could he believe these kinds of words? After hearing Withal''s nonsense, heughed out coldly. "Even if this ce is haunted, so what? I''m not afraid." "You''re so bold!" Withal shrugged his shoulders casually,pletely ignoring the leading man''s threat. They waited a while longer, and there was still no movement outside. The leading man and his men decided to go out together and take a look. Just as several of them walked to the door, a ck shadow suddenly whizzed past. The people present were all men with exceptional skills. They instantly shed with the ck shadow. Although several people were super strong in terms of force, they still lost in front of the powerful Catherine. Seeing that the situation was not right, the leading man immediately turned around and rushed toward Withal''s position. He put Withal in a chokehold, then shouted at Catherine viciously. "Do you not care if he lives or dies?" Hearing the voice, Catherine stopped slowly. The crowd then surrounded her. It was just that Catherine''s aura was too strong for them to step forward. "Catherine, you have to be careful. My life is in their hands." Withal could still shout to Catherine cheerfully. Catherine nced at him, and her expression went cold. The leading man choked Withal''s neck, and there was quite a bit of smugness in his eyes. "The God of War of the Hacker Alliance is just so-so. I thought you''re really a God of War." When Withal heard this, he became a bit dissatisfied. "Don''t be so arrogant. Since God brought us together, I''ll kindly give you a heads-up. The boy who threatened Catherinest time has been dead for a long time." The seemingly teasing words caused the leading man''s men present to tense up. After all, they all knew very well that Withal''s words were not a threat to them. The person standing opposite them was someone who was known as the God of War. They had also learned about Catherine''s strength just now. So many of them were no match for her, so it was obvious that Catherine''s strength was terrifying. Catherine looked at the crowd with cold eyes, her voice cold. "I''m in a good mood today. If you release him, I''ll let you all go!" Hearing Catherine''s words, the leading man responded savagely, "He''s in my hands. There''s no way to make me release him unless youe with us." Withal shook his head silently. Hemented in his heart secretly, "There are always people who are stubborn." Catherine narrowed her eyes. She immediately made a move.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. After sensing Catherine''s movements, the people present also rushed forward andunched an attack. The leading man did not expect Catherine to disregard Withal''s life and actually dare to make a move. In anger, he wanted to kill Withal on the spot. Unexpectedly, a gust of wind suddenly whistled as soon as he made his move. Then, a wooden stick was inserted into his palm. The wooden stick prated his palm, and blood instantly spurted out. He didn''t expect Catherine to be able to attack him while she was fighting a group of his men. She had injured his palm with a single wooden stick. He endured the pain and pulled the stick out. After that, he prepared to pounce on Catherine. The moment he turned around, he was dumbfounded. Catherine was already standing before him, and the men he had brought with him were all on the floor. He gulped nervously and silently. He swore that if given another chance, he would never mess with Catherine. "We don''t know anything. You can kill us if you want." Just as he finished those words, Catherine knocked him out with her palm. The leading man fell to the side. Catherine stepped forward and unshackled Withal. Withal stared at the leading man on the floor and humorouslymented, This brat talks a lot. No wonder he''s so vulnerable!" Catherine nced at him with a look of disgust. "He''s vulnerable, but you fell into his hands. Aren''t you vulnerable?" Withal pouted nonchntly. "I didn''t realize these people knew my moves as well as they did growing up with me." Withal''s words made Catherine frown." Tell me, what''s the situation? Where are Ronin and Zobber?" At the mention of Ronin, Withal''s face became quite solemn. "Things are troublesome this time. They might be targeting us. Not only do they know the three of us very well, but they even understand our Hacker Alliance''s code words. Ronin was captured, and so was I after I sent Zobber out. They kept me here for interrogation. Ronin was moved somewhere else. Catherine, I suspect there is a traitor within us." "Don''t jump to conclusions yet." Catherine helped Withal stand up. Although Withal acted like he was fine, Catherine knew he was hurt badly. "I''ll walk you to Connie. Leave the rest to me." She would find Ronin. As for whether there was a traitor, she would investigate it. Since this group wasing for them, she wouldn''t condone it, let alone be soft. They were already making moves against her. What would they think of her if she didn''t fight back properly? Noticing Catherine''s anger, Withal''s heart settled down quite a bit. As long as Catherine was there, he believed there was nothing that couldn''t be solved. Their Catherine was really powerful. Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Don''t Worry, I''m Here Connie drove to the scene immediately after receiving Catherine''s message. She was in disbelief when she saw Withal''s condition. In her heart, she sighed, "He is the head of the Hacker Alliance. Who dares toy such a cruel hand on him?" After that, she asked, "Catherine, what happened?" Catherine looked at her with a faint expression and shook her head slightly. "It''s not clear yet. You take Withal to get treated for his injuries first. Don''t contact anyone but me, and don''t spread the news of Withal''s injury." Withal said there was a traitor within the Hacker Alliance, but Catherine wasn''t sure of the specifics yet. So she decided not to tell anyone else about the situation until she found out the truth. The Hacker Alliance has taken on a lot of missions over the years and has always presented a solid image for everyone. If the news of Withal and the others'' idents spread, someone might be taking advantage of it to cause trouble. At that time, Catherine and the others would need to face multiple troubles, which would in turn, be even more tricky. Connie looked at Catherine with some concern. "Catherine, what about you?" "I''m going to find Zobber!" Catherine said and then strode onto her motorcycle, ready to leave. Connie looked at Catherine worriedly as she left. She felt a little uneasy in her heart. "Kind doctor, stop looking at her. There''s no way anything can happen to Catherine. Why don''t you care about me if you have time? I''m bleeding to death here!" Hearing Withal''s words, Connie nced back. ncing at the blood that kept flowing down Withal''s thighs, she was not anxious at all. She even said in a disgusted tone, " You''re so strong. Bleeding more is beneficial for your health!" Withal was speechless yet unable to retort. He muttered in his heart, "Connie isn''t a man, so how can she be so devoted to Catherine? Never mind. My life is in her hands now. I''d better say less so as not to provoke her." Withal didn''t dare to be reckless and allowed Connie to help him into the car and take him away with a cold face. Catherine turned on the satellite locator to find Zobber''s whereabouts. All three had their cell phones taken away. If Withal hadn''t fought tooth and nail to protect Zobber, there was no way Zobber could have escaped. Catherine thought she needed to find Zobber''s whereabouts first and then find a way to save Ronin. She didn''t know what the group''s purpose was. Judging from the fact that they didn''t kill the three on the spot, Catherine thought that Ronin would not be killed for the time being. Branden''s handsome face came to her mind the moment she pulled out her cell phone. She gave a quick nce at the time. It showed that it was early morning. She kept looking for Zobber without dialing the familiar phone number. Turning on the satellite location, Catherine locked onto Zobber''s location. Just as she suspected, Zobber hadn''t fled too far and was in a nearby mountainous location. Catherine guessed that Zobber was nning toe back to rescue Ronin and Withal. Catherine followed the location of the locator and searched. At deep night, the dew there was heavy, and it was very cold there. Catherine had gone out with an outdoor, windproof, and waterproof jacket. She was in a good situation. She was worried about Zobber. Zobber had fled there hastily, and something terrible might happen to her. Finally, she arrived at the locator''s designated spot but didn''t see Zobber there. The only thing in the grass was the locator mixed with blood. The blood stains on it had turned ck. It seemed that Zobber had been digging it out of her arm for a while. Catherine pondered in her mind," Withal guessed that there was a traitor within the Hacker Alliance, then Zobber''s judgment should be the same. That''s why she dug the locator out of her arm at the first opportunity after escaping. She should just be afraid of being tracked down by the traitor." After thinking, she carefully observed on the side. She was sure that Zobber would definitely leave her a clue. Sure enough, it didn''t take her long to see the clue on a tree trunk off to the side. It was a special symbol known only to a few of them. It was a simple string of written expressions Catherine invented, and thankfully, Zobber hadn''t forgotten. Following the clues left by Zobber, Catherine searched her way.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Finally, she found the unconscious Zobber at the bottom of a low slope. Zobber was injured, with visible blood stains on her abdomen. Combined with the cold temperature in the mountain and the loss of blood, she copsed from exhaustion. Catherine jumped down the low slope and prepared to pick her up. Zobber suddenly woke up from her slumber, ready to fight to the death. Fortunately, Catherine knew each of them very well and was prepared. She immediately said, "Zobber, it''s me!" The familiar voice made Zobber immediately remove her defenses. " Catherine, you''re finally here!" She copsed helplessly into Catherine''s arms. Catherine took off her jacket and wrapped Zobber tightly. She then carried Zobber on her back. "Don''t worry. I''m here." Zobber held on to herst breath and said to Catherine, "I knew I wouldn''t die so easily. Catherine, you''re finally here!" As long as Catherine was there, they weren''t afraid of anything. Because the condition of Zobber''s injury was unknown, Catherine had to put aside the idea of finding Ronin for the time being. She sent Zobber to Connie''s clinic for emergency treatment. When Catherine arrived at Connie''s clinic, Withal''s injuries were treated. Except for the severe wound on his thigh, all the injuries on his body were skin injuries. Connie was taken aback as she watched Catherine carry Zobber through the door. She hadn''t encountered such a situation in many years. In her mind, she asked "How dangerous was it to get two of their three best experts injured and one captured?" "Connie, you check Zobber first. She suffered a severe abdominal injury," Catherine said. "Okay, I''ll be right there. You put her on the bed!" After Catherine put Zobber on the bed, Connie gave Zobber a full body check. The injuries on Zobber were heavier than Withal''s. Her most serious injury was the knife wound in her abdomen, as well as the damage caused by excessive blood loss in a low- temperature environment. These injuries weren''t too much of a problem for Connie, though. She had experience in treating serious injuries like these all the time. All she needed was just enough time. Connie was still concerned about Catherine''s condition while she was treating Zobber. "Catherine, are you okay?" Catherine nodded. During the fight, she had some abrasions on her elbow, but they were minor issues and didn''t need treatment. Nothing would happen to Withal or Zobber now that Connie was around. Catherine had to find Ronin first now. She tried to use the satellite positioning system to find out where Ronin was. The satellite signal on Ronin had disappeared. It should be that the locator on his body had been removed. She had alerted the other party when she was searching for Zobber just now. If she had gone directly to search for Ronin''s whereabouts then, she might have been able to find some clues. However, Zobber''s situation was 5.m more critical than Ronin''s, and Catherine could only save one first. Ronin was not in danger for the time being, so Catherine could only choose to look for Zobber first. Now that Zobber had been rescued, all that was left was to search for Ronin. Catherine tried to activate the separatemunication device between her and Ronin, but there was no response. After several attempts, she still got no response. For now, she could only wait for Zobber to wake up and see if she could find some useful information from her to find Ronin. Chapter 789 Chapter 789 I''m Coming to You Just after three in the morning, Zobber, who had been unconscious for two hours, slowly woke up. She opened her eyes for a split second and closed them again. Shey quietly. Her breathing was adjusted to evenly. "Get up if you''re awake!" Catherine said. The familiar sound of her voice made Zobber immediately sit up from the hospital bed with a roll. Catherine couldn''t help but remind her on the side, "Slow down. Connie just sewed up the wound on your abdomen. Don''t break it!" "Catherine, it''s not a problem. This little wound is nothing." When Zobber had just woken up, she had not fully reacted and instinctively activated an emergency state of alert. She wanted to continue pretending to be unconscious and then observe the surroundings before making a judgment. However, no matter how well she hid it, she couldn''t hide from Catherine''s sensitive ears. Catherine then took the initiative to speak. After hearing Catherine''s voice, Zobber confirmed that she had been safely saved. She then didn''t need to disguise herself any longer. "Catherine, Ronin was captured, and Withal was captured as well. I''m the only one who escaped. They''re all in danger now." Catherine nodded slightly, indicating that she was aware of what Zobber had said. "I went to rescue Withal before I went to find you!" Zobber''s heart tightened when she realized that Catherine hadn''t mentioned Ronin, and she couldn''t help but ask, "What about Ronin?" Catherine told her the truth. "I haven''t got any news yet. I''ve checked through several channels for news of Ronin, but all to no avail." Zobber guessed the key point at once and thought in her mind. "Catherine must have missed the best time to rescue Ronin because she wanted to save me." She lowered her head, somewhat dejected. "Catherine, it''s my fault. I''m useless. I couldn''t beat that group, and I got myself hurt." Zobber continued to me herself in her heart, "I wouldn''t have gotten myself hurt if I hadn''t hesitated when Withal protected me escape and hadn''t recklessly tried to turn back to save others. If I hadn''t gotten hurt, I could have escaped back to inform Catherine, and she wouldn''t have had to waste her time rescuing me. That way, Catherine wouldn''t miss the best time to save Ronin. With Catherine''s ability, tracking Ronin''s whereabouts wouldn''t be a problem now." Seeing her ming herself, Catherine reached out and gently patted her shoulder tofort her. "It has nothing to do with you. You don''t have to me yourself. Tell me what you know, and I''ll bring Ronin back safely." Zobber carefully recalled what happened then. The three of them had received a call for help from headquarters at the same time. The incident was in Loxton, and they were the closest personnel to this base. So, the three of them decided to go together as soon as they could. They thought it was just a small problem that could usually be solved by any of them and thought the three of them going together could solve it quickly. Therefore, the three of them let their guard down a bit. They thought that with their abilities, they would be able to deal with all sorts of unexpected situations. But when they arrived at the factory, an ident happened. The enemy ambushed them. Their enemy knew them very well, and not only that, but they also carried very advanced weapons. These weapons simply could not be found in the tightly controlled country of Eskana, which was why the three of them lost the battle. The three realized that this group of people was definitely not simple. To be able to deliver the message to Catherine, the three decided to arrange for one of them to run out desperately. In the end, Ronin and Withal teamed up to protect Zobber and let her escape. "Catherine, could it be someone from the Breens?" Zobber thought about it, and of all the people they had offended recently, the most powerful were the Breens. Catherine thought for a moment and dismissed Zobber''s answer. "Shane doesn''t know about my rtionship with the Hacker Alliance yet!" "We''ve been exposed when we went back to Florona this time. Maybe that was when he found out!" said Zobber. The Breens didn''t start with a legitimate business. It was initially developed by selling weapons through war andter engaged in illegal business to consolidate its power. Even now, the Breens still had many illegal forces. And this was the fundamental reason why the powerful Breens could make people afraid. Catherine thought that Zobber had a point. Based on Shane''s ability, it was indeed possible for him to find out about it." You rest here and take care. I''ll go check again." Zobber was a bit uneasy. Although she knew that Catherine was powerful, it was dangerous this time. The enemy seemed to know them well. Zobber felt like there was an invisible pair of big hands pinching them in the darkness. "Catherine, how about you contact Mr. Duncan? He still has men here, and you can use them!" Zobber shared Withal''s suspicion that there was a traitor within them. She dared not suggest Catherine use the power of the Hacker Alliance. Before the matter was thoroughly investigated, every member of the Hacker Alliance might be a traitor. "I''ll contact himter," Catherine replied.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. It would be dawn in a little while. Catherine thought it wouldn''t be toote to tell Branden about it when he got to work during the day. Seeing that Catherine had her own ideas, Zobber said nothing more. Unable to enlist help, Catherine went looking for clues herself. After getting out of Connie''s clinic, Catherine returned to the abandoned factory once more. There was still quite a bit of blood on the ground from the fight, but the area around it seemed to have been O cleaned up. Catherine inspected around and couldn''t find any valuable clues. She came out of the factory when a ringing tone came from her pocket. Catherine pulled out her cell phone and saw that it was Branden calling. She picked the phone up and put it to her ear. "Where are you?" There was undisguised anxiety in Branden''s voice. Catherine didn''t respond and asked instead, "What about you?" A rustling could be heard on the other end of the line, followed by Branden''s voice responding. "I am about to set off to find you." It looked like he should have just received the news. Catherine had always had someone arranged by N Branden to protect her when she was in Loxton, so it was not surprising that Branden knew the news. "No, you don''t need to do that. I''m fine! "Catherine didn''t want Branden toe at this time. She had her own way. "You don''t have toe. Just arrange two men for me!" Branden attempted to persuade Catherine, but she was adamant. She wanted Branden to finish the business in Casier before returning to Loxton. Her situation there was not urgent attitude for Catherine''s enough to require Branden toe n personally. Catherine''s persistent attitude forced Branden to abandon his n to go to Loxton. "I''ll send Carlo and Francis to you. All my men in Loxton are at your disposal." Although Catherine felt that Branden was exaggerating, she didn''t refuse him. In a rtionship, mutual respect is the key to getting along well with each other. "Okay!" Catherine hung up the phone and sent her location to Branden, asking him to notify Francis and Carlo toe and help. All Catherine had to do now was wait. She was sure someone would contact her. She knew the other party''s ultimate goal wasn''t Ronin but her! Chapter 790 Chapter 790 Carlo and Francis Came Half an hourter, Carlo and Francis arrived at the factory. "Miss Swann!" The two stood respectfully in front of Catherine, waiting for her orders. Catherine nced at the two and whispered, "This is the scene of the incident. I''ve checked. It was cleaned up again after we left, and no traces can be found. They took away Ronin. The important thing now is to get Ronin back." After Catherine gave a brief overview of the situation, Carlo and Francis started their arrangement. Francis was the first to step forward. " Miss Swann, I''m going to arrange for someone to check the surveince video. The surveince systems in this neighborhood are all newly installed this year. We might be able to find useful clues." "I''ll get someone to check and see if there''s any outside forces involved in Loxton recently," Carlo said. Catherine had no objections to the arrangement of the two, so she let them take action. As Catherine was about to leave, she sensed Francis'' desire to speak. She then stopped moving and raised her eyes toward Francis. "If you have something to say, just say it!" Francis lowered his head and whispered, "Miss Swann, Mr. Duncan would prefer you not take risks. We''ll do everything we can to rescue Ronin, and Mr. Duncan will be here as soon as he''s finished his business in Casier." Both Carlo and Francis were well aware of how much Branden valued Catherine. If Catherine hadn''t strongly urged Branden not toe this time, he''d probably be on the ne to Loxton right now. They knew that Branden would only be okay as long as Catherine was okay. Catherine said, "I''m returning to theboratory, so keep me posted!" They were delighted and immediately said respectfully to Catherine, "Okay!" After Catherine returned from the factory, she came straight to theboratory. Marshall was a bit surprised to see Catherine in theboratory early in the morning, so he went up to her and started to joke with her. "Hey, what a surprise. You actually came to theboratory so early." Hearing this, Catherine stopped what she was doing and looked toward Marshall. Although she hadn''t rested the whole night, she was still in high spirits, and others couldn''t tell she hadn''t slept all night. Catherine pursed her lips lightly and signaled, then lowered her head and continued working: Seeing that she was working hard, Marshall only thought she was there so early to make up for the progress she had missed in the previous period. He didn''t bother her anymore and turned around to his own office. Catherine concentrated on her experiment. She was utterly unaffected by external influences, and nothing seemed to have happened. Under her state of concentration, time passed especially fast. In the blink of an eye, it was already §áoon.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Amelia passed by Catherine''sboratory. Seeing that Catherine was still staring at the machine, Amelia knocked on the door and reminded her, "Super Catherine, it''s past noon. Are youing with me to the canteen for dinner, or should I bring the lunch back to you?" Amelia used to find it difficult to understand Catherine''s state of neglecting sleep and food for experiments. It wasn''t until she was immersed in theboratory and even wished to live there that she fully understood Catherine. Catherine rejected Amelia''s proposal. " I''ll go out when the experiments are done here. You go ahead and have lunch." Hearing that Catherine had her own arrangements, Amelia left on her own. Amelia saw a particrly handsome- looking man right after leaving theboratory. That man was the kind of handsome man who would catch people''s attention at a nce in any group of people. Amelia felt that this man was as handsome as Branden. The most attractive thing about him was his aura, just like a princeing out of a fairy tale. Perhaps because Amelia''s gaze was too hot, the handsome man noticed her and walked straight toward her. This startled Amelia. Her heart almost stopped beating, and she froze in ce, forgetting to move. Rn came straight to her. His lips curved slightly upward, and his smile was kind and polite. "Hi, may I ask if Catherine is in thisboratory?" Amelia froze at his question. She looked at Rn with surprise and some uncertainty. "You know Catherine?" Rn nodded. "Yes, I''m here to see her. I heard she was inside theboratory, but I couldn''t get in. Can you let her know I''m here for her?" Amelia scrutinized Rn''s appearance silently and sighed inwardly, "Sure enough, good-looking people make friends with good-looking people. All Super Catherine''s friends, regardless of gender, are outstanding in appearances. "Miss..." Rn shouted again before Amelia reacted. She looked at him with an embarrassed face. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something. Just wait a minute. I''ll go in and get Catherine for you. She doesn''t even answer her phone when she''s doing experiments, so you won''t be able to find her." "Thanks a lot!" said Rn. Amelia was very impressed by Rn''s politeness. Her cheeks blushed slightly as she turned and ran into theboratory. "Super Catherine, there''s a handsome guy outside looking for you!" Catherine froze for a moment and looked at Amelia with a puzzled look in her eyes. Amelia then realized she had just run so fast that she had forgotten to ask the handsome man''s name. She scratched her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I was so dazzled by that handsome guy. I forgot to ask him his name. Anyway, he''s a very handsome guy. You go out and take a look yourself. Upon hearing this, Catherine put down the work in her hands and slowly walked toward the door. She had also been ready to leave, so she decided to take a look. "Catherine!" Rn walked straight up when he saw Catherine appear. Catherine didn''t expect Rn to actuallye to the school to find her, which was a bit of a surprise to her. " Anything happened?" Facing Catherine''s inquiry, Rn shook her head. "No. I just happened to finish handling the matters.I Want toe to your school to take a look and learn about your studying environment. Now that it''s noon, I n toe find you for lunch. "As I imagined, Catherine, you are very eye-catching wherever you go. I was told where you were just by mentioning your name, and someone even took the initiative to bring me here." Due to thepetition in Alton, Catherine became famous in the school, and it could be said that she was well-known to everyone. However, those people willing to take the initiative to guide Rn might not be because of Catherine''s fame but because of Rn''s handsome appearance. Since Rn had alreadye, Catherine naturally wouldn''t turn him away. Since he wanted to have lunch with her, and it just so happened that she hadn''t had lunch, they came to have lunch together. Catherine brought Rn to the school''s canteen, The food there was good, at least clean and hygienic,pared to the restaurants outside. Lunchtime had already passed, so there weren''t many people in the school canteen. Sensing Rn''s gaze, Catherine looked at him indifferently and asked, "Don''t like the food here?" Seeing that Catherine had already Yes the food started eating, Rn immediately nodded. "Yes, the food here is good. I just feel that there''s something different about you. You wouldn''t have eaten in such a public ce before." "People always change!" Catherine responded coldly. Upon hearing this, Rn gave a faint smile, nodding in agreement. "That''s right. People change!" Seeing that the atmosphere wasn''t right, Rn changed the topic. "By the way, what abouXRonin?I heard ay, what ab that he''s in the same school as you. I haven''t seen him for years. It''s not bad to see him." Chapter 791 Chapter 791 The Situation Was Truly Troublesome Catherine paused with the fork in her hand, not expecting Rn to bring up Ronin suddenly. Subsequently, Catherine said expressionlessly, " Ronin is not here." "Not here?" Rn frowned slightly. "His friend came to see him, and they went out to have fun for a couple of days," said Catherine. "Young people love to have fun. It''s in their nature." Rn chuckled lightly. Ronin is still young. It''s normal." Catherine didn''t respond to him and silently ate the food on her te. She didn''t eat much. When dining out, she only ate to fill her stomach. After finishing their meal, Rn nned to invite Catherine for a walk, but she declined. "I need to go back to theb," she said. "Catherine, what kind of experiment are you doing that captivates you so much?" Rn looked at Catherine with some confusion. In his impression, Catherine seemed indifferent to almost everything, rarely showing such dedication to something. "I''m leaving." Catherine didn''t respond to Rn''s question and left without looking back. Rn had long been ustomed to Catherine''s personality. Wearing a helpless expression, he could only watch Catherine leave. After returning to theb, Catherine immediately took out her phone and dialed Carlo''s number. At that moment, Carlo was reviewing surveince footage, hoping to find some useful clues. When he saw Catherine''s call, his body involuntarily tensed. "Miss Swann, what''s up?" On the phone, Catherine''s tone was cold and calm. "Carlo, help me check someone." "Sure, send me the details," Carlo said and hung up. Seeing his tense expression, Carlo''s colleague couldn''t help but find it amusing. "Carlo, why are you nervous? Miss Swann just asked you to check someone, not yourself. You look like something big is happening."Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Even though it was meant as a jest, those colleagues rarely saw Carlo with such an expression. His demeanor had inadvertently heightened the tension in the entire surveince room. Hearing his colleague''s banter, Carlo nced at him, snorted, and said, "You understand nothing. She is even more formidable than Mr. Duncan." The shock on everyone''s faces was evident. Those who had worked with Branden for many years were well aware of his capabilities. Now Carlo was iming that Catherine, a girl, was more formidable than Branden. They found it was hard to believe that. After informing Carlo, Catherine finished her work in theb and left. She took her motorcycle and hadn''t driven for long when she sensed someone following her. Not panicking upon realizing she was being tracked, Catherine continued to drive at a steady speed. Her beautiful and ethereal face remained calm, with a faint smile in her bright eyes. The two cars tracking her switched back and forth to avoid detection. Just as they were about to switch again, suddenly, with just a momentary distraction, the motorcycle they had been following disappeared without a trace. The people in the two trailing cars were dumbfounded as if they had experienced a supernatural event. They had been watching the vehicle in front the entire time. How could it suddenly vanish? "Click!" With a light sound, the previously pitch -ck car interior was illuminated. Francis stepped forward, intending to help Catherine down. "Miss Swann, are you okay?" "Yeah, I''m fine." Catherine performed a graceful spin and dismounted from the motorcycle, Now, she and Francis were in the rear cargopartment of arge truck. When Catherine noticed being followed, she immediately informed Francis to arrange for that. Seeing Catherine unharmed, Francis finally heaved a sigh of relief. "Miss Swann, rest assured. We have sent people to investigate those two cars." "No hurry; take your time." Catherine appeared indifferent. Originally, she could have shaken off those two pursuers without Francis''s help. However, considering Branden''s advice not to engage in risky behavior, she promptly notified Francis to handle it. Catherine asked Francis to drop her off by the roadside. She intended to go to Connie. Francis hesitated whether to follow, but Catherine saw through his thoughts and said, "You don''t need to follow me. I''ll let you know if anythinges up." Francis could only give up. "Miss Swann, take it slow. Contact me if anything." Catherine responded with the revving sound of the motorcycle. Like a ck dragon, the Harley-Davidson swiftly moved through the city''s neon lights and gradually disappeared from sight. After a day of rest, Zobber and Withal had recovered quite a bit. Even though their wounds were still healing, both were in high spirits, exchanging jokes. "Withal, if I could get up now, I''d definitely beat you, you old rascal!" "Mutual feelings. If my leg were working, I''d knock you down." Hearing their banter, Catherine rolled her eyes silently. Theirbined age met Eskana''s retirement Eskana''s retirement standards, yet these two could argue so childishly. Catherine was speechless. Catherine knocked on the wooden door at the entrance, drawing the attention of the two inside. Zobber''s eyes lit up when she saw Catherine. "Catherine, you finally came. I''ve been looking forward to your arrival." Witnessing Zobber''s overly affectionate disy toward Catherine, Withal got goosebumps all over. The usually arrogant girl only showed some girlish charm when facing Catherine. If he didn''t know Zobber''s sexual orientation, he would suspect Zobber had developed a crush on Catherine. Seeing Zobber''s excited mood, Catherine couldn''t help but remind her, "Be mindful of your wounds. Connie won''t take care of you if you mess them up." Although Connie was their designated doctor, she had a temper. While she went all out to save lives, if people caused themselves secondary injuries due to their own actions, she would not care about their well-being. Zobber, warned by Catherine, became more cautious, restraining her behavior. "Catherine, I won''t be troublesome anymore. Let''s get to business. Any news from Ronin?" Zobber''s primary concern was Ronin. She couldy here safely and joke with them because Catherine chose to save her sacrificing Ronin in the process. Catherine came for this matter. "Not yet. We haven''t even identified the person who made the move." Upon hearing this, the other two immediately furrowed their brows. With Catherine''s abilities and Branden''s influence, they couldn''t expose the mastermind. That could only mean that the situation was truly troublesome. Chapter 792 Chapter 792 A Bothersome Pursuer After discussing the current situation with the two, Catherine left Connie''s ce.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. It was gettingte, and returning to the dorm at this hour would disturb Amelia and others. Therefore, Catherine rode her motorcycle directly to the apartment building. She didn''t feel the spacious house was empty before, but now, with only one person, it seemed a bit deste. Suddenly, the doorbell ringing caught Catherine''s attention. She stood up and checked the situation outside through the interior monitor. Seeing a delivery guy at the door, she promptly opened it. With a friendly smile, the delivery guy said, "Miss Swann, here''s your delivery. Please sign for it." There was arge bouquet of roses and an exquisite gift box. When Catherine saw the roses, she knew they weren''t from Branden, as he didn''t like them. Instead of epting the gift, Catherine took the card from the bouquet. Seeing the familiar handwriting, she immediately knew who the sender was. She inserted the card back and gazed coldly at the delivery guy. "Take these things back." The delivery guy''s face instantly paled when he heard this. This order had a highmission, and he had worked hard to secure it. He didn''t expect Catherine to refuse. "Miss Swann, I ran dozens of miles just to deliver this order. Please ept it." Not wanting to make things difficult for him, Catherine said, "Consider it as if I''ve epted it. There''s a trash bin by the main entrance. Could you please take them down there for me?" With that, Catherine turned and went back inside, closing the door without ncing at it. The delivery guy was dumbfounded. These items looked expensive, and a handsome guy sent them. He could not understand why Catherine refused to ept. Helplessly, he contacted the customer who ced the order. Unexpectedly, the customer asked him to follow Catherine''s instructions. Not daring to defy the customer''s wishes, the delivery guy threw the items into the trash bin at the front door. Not long after Catherine returned to her room, she received a message from Rn. [Don''t like roses? How about I change them to tulips?] Although the card was unsigned, Catherine immediately recognized Rn''s handwriting. She dialed his number directly; she had no interest in texting, especially not with Rn. Rn wasn''t surprised by Catherine''s call, as if he already knew she would call. "What do you mean?" Catherine''s words carried a hint of impatience, but she didn''t lose her temper. If she were truly angry, she would have already dealt with Rn in person, not talking on the phone. Rn directly expressed his intentions and said, "Catherine, I''ve been thinking for years. We are the most suitable for each other; no one can rece you in my life. You like Eskana, so I''ll set up a branch in Eskana." After a moment of silence, Rn said solemnly, "Catherine, I like you, and I believe we should be together." If Rn were in front of Catherine now, he could see the ironic smile on her face. "Do I have to ept just because you say you like me? What kind of logic is this?" Catherine thought. Catherine wasn''t bothering with Rn''s ego and coldly interrupted him, "Since you were able to find my address, I refuse to believe you''re unaware that I already have a fianc¨¦." Silence lingered on the other end of the call. It seemed Rn didn''t expect Catherine to admit Branden''s identity and addressed him as her fianc¨¦. After a while, Rn seemed to react, attempting to change his approach. " Catherine, I...¡± Without hesitation, Catherine interrupted him again, "Considering our past friendship, I''ll let it go this time. If there''s a next time, you know my temper..." Without waiting for a response, Catherine hung up the phone. Her rtionship with Rn wasplicated and couldn''t be exined in just a few words. Late at night, the apartment in Loxton was brightly lit, and in Casier, the Duncans'' old mansion was no different. Paxton knew that Branden was waiting for news from Loxton, so he knocked on the door of the study as soon as he received the message. "Come in." A low, authoritative voice came from inside, not loud but carrying a hint of dominance. Paxton pressed down the door handle and entered. "Mr. Duncan, news has arrived from Loxton." "Hmm." Branden immediately put down the work he was dealing with. "Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann stayed overnight in the apartment tonight and didn''t return to school. She came back quitete, probably to avoid disturbing her dormmates," said Paxton. Catherine projected an aloof exterior, but beneath it all, she harbored a remarkably soft side. Once she deemed someone trustworthy, she treated them unconditionally well, exining the loyal following she garnered. When Branden learned that Catherine had returned to the apartment, his heart warmed. The agitation he had felt earlier subsided considerably. Observing Paxton standing there, looking conflicted and hesitant, Branden knew he had something to report. "Spit it out. Don''t beat around the bush." Paxton turned pale at Branden''s words. He handed a picture to Branden. "Mr. Duncan, this is the evening surveince image. As per your order, we didn''t disturb Miss Swann. We dared not intervene." The content of the photo made Branden''s face instantly darkened. His narrowed eyes emitted a dangerous light, sharp as a sword. He remembered that Catherine wasn''t fond of roses, so he never taking bought them.Noxton vantage of his absence in Loxton, someone sent flowers and gifts to his fianc¨¦e, evening up to the apartment. He felt this was nothing short of a tant provoke to him. Branden asked Paxton, his voice cold, "Did you arrange for an investigation?" "Mr. Duncan, our people inquired with the delivery guy and found the contact information of the person who sent the gifts." Paxton handed over Rn''s information. "It''s this person, Mr. Duncan." It showed he was the heir of the Meltons, Loewe''s most prominent family, Rn. The Meltons'' status in Loewe was like the Duncans'' in Casier. They were considered rulers of their respective territories. Paxton found a lot of information but couldn''t figure out how Rn knew Catherine. He learned that Rn had recentlye to Loxton and seemed to be nning to establish a branch in Eskana. He had just arrived in Loxton and already tried to win over Catherine, so these two must be old acquaintances. Rn was not inferior to Branden in terms of family background and looks. Paxton couldn''t help but worry for Branden. After Branden finished reading Rn''s information, he ced it aside. Seeing that he didn''t speak and had a serious face, Paxton summoned his courage and said, "Mr Buncan, in my opinion Rn''s just wishful thinking. Miss Swann didn''t ept these gifts and directly had the delivery guy throw them into the trash bin downstairs." Branden was satisfied with Catherine''s actions. He wasn''t worried that Catherine would ben attracted to someone else. He was just annoyed by those bothersome pursuers. It seemed he had to expedite his return to Loxton to prevent these nuisances from bothering Catherine. Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Why Suffer Like This? "Ring, ring, ring..." The ringing disrupted Catherine''s thoughts. She reached over to grab her phone and held it to her ear. "It''s me! Miss Swann, we discreetly tracked those following youst night and found out they entered the Golden Summit Tower. The property of that building is under the ownership of the Breens. It belongs to them." "Do you suspect the Breens send them? "Catherine directly concluded. Francis paused for a moment, then affirmed. He said, "It''s not a suspicion. They indeede from the Breens." Catherine believed in Francis''s judgment. He wouldn''t make such a statement if he hadn''t found anything. "Alright, I got it," said she. "Miss Swann, there''s still no news from Ronin''s side. We are intensifying our efforts to trace him. We''ll inform you immediately if we receive any updates." "Okay. If there''s nothing else, I''m hanging up." After confirming that Francis had nothing urgent to report, Catherine hung up the phone and returned to her experiments. Her experiments were in the final stages, and she couldn''t afford to rx even though they were nearingpletion. A mistake in any detail could lead to the failure of the entire experiment. In these days, Catherine seemed as if nothing had happened, immersed in theb day after day. What Catherine didn''t know was that every move she made at school was being closely monitored. Although these people couldn''t reach Catherine''sb and interfere with her experiments, they could keep track of her basic movements and report to higher- ups. The assistant ryed thetest information from the school to Shane. " Sir, Miss Swann has been staying in theb these past few days. Apart from the night of the rescue, she seems to have no other moves." Upon hearing this, Shane furrowed his brow. Ronin was missing, and Catherine should not be entirely unaffected. "Have you investigated thoroughly?" Shane asked. "Yeah, sir." The assistant nodded affirmatively. "Our people can''t enter Miss Swann''sb, but we can always see her movements. Indeed, Miss Swann has been in herb these past few days. Sir, I heard Miss Swann''s experiments have been progressing rapidly. Maybe it''s because theb work is upying her." Shane obviously disagreed with the assistant''s exnation. He knew Catherine. He admired Catherine not only for her outstanding abilities but also for her character. She was the kind of person who would never abandon a friend, especially considering Ronin had been by her side since childhood, growing up together. Even if it cost her life, Catherine wouldn''t abandon Ronin. Shane had no doubt about that. "Keep an eye on her. Report any updates to me," said Shane. "Yes, sir." As Catherine left theb, she saw Rn standing not far away. It seemed like he had been waiting for a while. Instead of avoiding him, Catherine walked straight toward him. Seeing her, Rn was happy. The tension on his face instantly eased, reced by a genuine smile. "Is work over?" he asked. Unlike Rn, Catherine''s mood was not elevated when she saw him. Her initially icy gaze now held no emotion. "Is there something?" Facing Catherine''s icy attitude, Rn didn''t feel repulsed. Instead, he sincerely apologized, saying, " Catherine, don''t be angry. I was too impulsive yesterday. I apologize, and I hope you''re not mad." Rn closed his eyes, and pain was evident on his face. "I won''t bring up things I shouldn''t mention in the future." Catherine didn''t understand his intentions but couldn''t harbor resentment toward Rn. After all, he once had been like an older brother, caring for her for many years. "Don''t mention the past. If you want to apologize, I''ve received it. I''m leaving if there''s nothing else," said Catherine. Watching Catherine leave, Rn immediately caught up. "You should be going to have lunch now, right? How about we go together?" Catherine was about to refuse, but Rn, with a slightly pleading tone, said, "You wouldn''t refuse to have lunch with me, right?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Catherine nced at him, recalling the scene when he risked his life to save her years ago. In the end, she didn''t refuse. In the dark and damp dungeon, Ronin huddled in a corner. He was injured, and due tock of timely treatment, the wound had be infected. The infection caused a persistent high fever and intense overall pain. Hearing footsteps approaching, Ronin propped himself up, raising his head to focus on the ck-clothed man walking toward him. The man wore a mask, hiding his face, and even his voice was disguised. Clearly, he was a professional. From top to bottom, the masked man looked down arrogantly at Ronin, taking in his miserable state. "Why suffer like this? Speak, and I''ll let you go." "Ha!" Roninughed sarcastically, full of disdain in his words. He disdainfully assessed the man m essed ther showing he didn''t take the threat seriously. "If you have the guts, go ahead and kill me. But you should think it through; taking me outes with a price tag." He believed that since these people understood him so well, they must have thoroughly investigated his background and naturally knew he was Catherine''s people. Catherine had always valued loyalty and repaid every slight. Since these people dared to target him, they would have to endure Catherine''s retaliation. He knew that for him, Catherine would go to the ends of the earth to deal with these people. Ronin''s arrogant attitude infuriated the masked man. Stepping forward, he raised his foot and ruthlessly stomped on Ronin''s face. "Do you still expect Catherine toe to your rescue? To be honest with you, in these days you''ve been missing, Catherine has been diligently staying in theboratory. She hasn''t even bothered to look for you. Do you think she would go against such a formidable force as us for your sake? Ronin, don''t be naive. Only by cooperating with us is your way out." Seeing Ronin''s expression of disbelief, the masked man knew he wasn''t buying it. Then, the masked man provided surveince footage and Catherine''s clock-in records. The evidence was right before him, and a hint of surprise flickered in Ronin''s eyes. Although he quickly masked his unexpected emotions, the masked man sessfully captured the moment. "Ronin, the evidence is undeniable. Now, you should be clear about your standing in honest. You''re just heart, Let''s be a pawn. When you''re useful, they treat you with kindness, considering you as family, but they''ll kick you aside when you''re no longer of use. That''s the harsh reality." Ronin remained silent, and the masked man continued to persuade. He added, " Why sacrifice your life for someone like this? You have the ability, you''re young, and you still have a promising future. It''s not worth wasting it like this." The masked man slowly broke through Ronin''s mental defenses. He intentionally tormented Ronin for so long just for this moment. Finally, Ronin couldn''t take it anymore. He suddenly raised his head, eyes zing red, a face full of unwillingness as he stared at the masked man. "What the hell do you want?" Chapter 794 Chapter 794 The Software Ronin''s mental defenses crumbled, and the masked man gloated over his handiwork. He''d tormented Ronin for two days. He withheld food and drink and kept Ronin trapped in a dank, gloomy space. He knew well that Ronin was different from Catherine. Although Ronin had faced hardships since childhood, he hadn''t undergone the excruciating training Catherine had endured. He couldn''t endure such inhumane torture. Breaking through his mental defenses wasn''t too challenging. The masked man pulled out some medication from his pocket and tended to Ronin''s wounds. Watching Ronin''s expression change, he felt immensely satisfied. "You don''t have any grudges against me. There''s no need for it toe to this. It''s Catherine we''re after, and she is the one we''re dealing with. If you help us out, not only will I release you to recover, but I''ll also ensure you receive a substantial fortune and let you go away." Ronin''s gaze wavered, and his resolve weakened. Rather than pressuring Ronin, the masked man kindly instructed someone to bring food for Ronin. "My kindness isn''t unconditional. Think it over if you want to ept this meal." After Ronin hesitated momentarily, he reached out and epted the food. Then he murmured, "Bring me paper and pen. I''ll give you a way to contact Catherine privately." "Alright!" The masked man left cheerfully with the information provided by Ronin. Ronin devoured the meal voraciously. He remembered Catherine''s instructions that no matter what happened, he shouldn''t let himself be mistreated. He followed Catherine''s advice to the letter and didn''t dare to forget it. It had been three days, and there was still no word from Francis and Carlo. Ronin seemed to vanish into thin air. Over at the school, Catherine personally arranged for Ronin''s leave. Ronin''s mentor treasured Ronin like a gem. Considering Ronin frequently took days off, he didn''t find anything amiss. After ss, Catherine rushed over to Connie''s ce. Since their failed attempt at tailing Catherinest time, that group of people didn''t dare to follow her anymore. After all, sneaking around behind her was highly challenging. Zobber and Withal were having a meal when Catherine arrived. Zobber immediately put down her fork and greeted her, "Catherine, have you eaten? Want to join us? Withal might be unreliable, but his cooking is good. You came at the right time!" Withal overheard this and retorted, "It''s all because you''re so picky! You won''t eat this, won''t eat that, and won''t even let me order takeout. If I don''t cook, are we going to starve together?" Catherine noticed the bandages still on their bodies, yet they seemed more spirited than usual and still had time for banter. It made her want tough." The two of you have an interesting dynami?, a bit like..." Before Catherine could finish, Zobber eagerly interjected, "Like what?" Catherine nced at her and calmly said, "Like a newlywed couple." Zobber paused for a moment, and Withal was also stunned. Then Zobber vehemently denied. She said, " Catherine, you''re kidding. We clearly look like siblings, those kind who don''t get along, born in the same house but constantly at odds." Hearing Zobber''s denial, Withal slowly caught on. He looked at Zobber disdainfully. "What karma did I have in my past life? Why should I be your sibling?" "Cut it out. Don''t try to cozy up to me for no reason!" Zobber replied. Catherine saw through Withal''s change in mood, but she didn''t expose it. Maintaining that final boundary among friends was essential for asting rtionship. After the banter, they finally quieted down. Catherine had barely settled down to eat when her phone buzzed in her pocket with a unique vibration pattern she''d set. She immediately set down her fork and left. Seeing that, Zobber felt curious." Catherine, where are you off to?"N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Catherine didn''t respond. She headed toward the adjacentputer room. After that, she swiftly turned on theputer and logged into the specific software she used to contact Ronin. She sent, [Ronin?] Once she sent the message, a reply came promptly, which read, [Miss Swann, d to be in touch with you.] Catherine asked, [Ronin is in your hands?] The other person responded, [Yes, Miss Swann. Seeing me contact you through this software, you should already suspect something.] He seemed proud, as if he had already turned Ronin. Catherine remainedposed and typed swiftly on the keyboard. She asked, [What are your terms for releasing him?] The masked man at theputer smirked upon receiving Catherine''s message. He was confident Catherine wouldpromise. Ronin''s life was the key. Then he sent, [Miss Swann, I''ve heard your experiment is in its final stage. If you''re willing to hand over the experiment''s results to us, we''ll send Ronin back to you unharmed. Catherine chuckled lightly. She was surprised they revealed their intentions so quickly. She thought they''d hold out for a bit longer. She replied, [Ronin has betrayed me by asking you to contact me through this software. Why should I sacrifice my experiment for a traitor?] Catherine''s reply didn''t deter the masked man. He knew it was just a stalling tactic. Catherine attempted to trace his IP address through this. He wasn''t that foolish to be tricked. He sent, [Miss Swann, Ronin''s fate lies in your hands!] After sending this, he immediately went offline and ignored any further attempts at contact from Catherine. Zobber and Withal noticed Catherine''s unusual behavior and followed her into the room. Seeing Catherine''s chat window, Zobber quickly took over theputer and worked frantically. The next moment, she mmed the table in frustration. "Damn it! What a sly fox! I was about to catch up, and he vanished. Catherine found this normal. If they were too easy to track, she''d start considering if it was a trap set by the other side. Withal stared at the chat window and frowned. He felt something was off. ¡± Catherine, wasn''t this software created by you for exclusive use with Ronin? How did they get hold of it?" This software was originally developed by Catherine for internal use among their group. After Catherine and Ronin experimented with it, Ronin ended up monopolizing it. Ronin had pleaded with Catherine to create another one and make the first one exclusively for both of them. Unable to resist Ronin''s persistence, Catherine agreed. For her, creating another software meant modifying the existing code. It was not a troublesome task. Now that the software was in enemy hands, Withal knew this was a terrible sign. There were only two possible reasons for this situation: Firstly, fortk Ronin might have sumbed to pressure and revealed it himself. Alternatively, Ronin might have turned traitor. Whichever it was, both possibilities were dire. Chapter 795 Chapter 795 Their Hideout Compared to the worried Withal, Catherine seemed much moreposed. Although Withal was unaware of Catherine''s thoughts, he was used to her calm demeanor after years of being by her side. "What''s the n, Catherine?" Withal asked. Catherine nced casually at them and then focused on their wounds. "You two don''t need to worry. Focus on healing those injuries first." Zobber pursed her lips. She disagreed with Catherine''s decision. She wanted to help and not be idle. As Zobber attempted to speak, Withal intervened. He said, "We''ll follow Catherine''s orders. Whatever she says, goes." Facing Withal''s persuasion, Zobber crossed her arms in frustration but dared not defy Catherine. Withal always obeyed Catherine''smands, and if Zobber persisted, he might step in. "Rest up, both of you. Don''t worry about me. The Duncans'' forces in Loxton are now under mymand," Catherine said. Zobber''s expression eased after she heard Catherine''s words. Though she wanted to assist, considering the injuries they were carrying and the adversary''s intimate knowledge of their situation, she realized they might inadvertentlyplicate matters for Catherine. Knowing Branden had redirected his forces to Catherine, Zobber felt more relieved. Although she had often criticized Paxton and his crew, their skills weremendable and were on par with Withal''s. Having them around would be a great help. "Catherine, call on us anytime. We might not fight directly, but we can handle online tracking and other digital tasks," Zobber said. Seeing her eagerness to take on tasks, Catherine sensed Zobber''s pent-up frustration. Catherine thought if it were her being manipted like that, she''d be eager to expose the mastermind behind it and give him a good reckoning. "Understood. There''ll be tasks for you when the timees. No rush!" Catherine finished briefing them and emerged from Connie''s ce. She intended to reach out to Francis to arrange their tasks. Unexpectedly, before she could dial, Francis called her. Francis asked, "Miss Swann, we''ve been attacked. Is everything alright on your end?" Catherine''s face instantly turned serious. She emitted a strong, unmasked aura of danger. "Where are you?" Francis provided an address. After half an hour, Catherine rode her motorcycle there. A man she didn''t recognize approached her and looked at her respectfully. "Miss Swann, I''m affiliated with Branden and work under Francis. Francis instructed me to wait here for you. Pleasee with me." Following him, Catherine entered a residentialplex and ascended a flight of stairs. After they opened the door, a strong stench of blood hit Catherine. Francisy bandaged on the bed, with Carlo nearby, who was also seemingly injured. "Are you both alright?" Catherine asked with concern. Carlo rose immediately. "Miss Swann, don''t worry. We''re fine." Francis nodded, and his face was pallid from blood loss. The man who had led Catherine in brought a chair for her to sit. Sheplied without hesitation. After sitting down, she scanned everyone with her cold gaze. "What happened? Exin."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Francis nced at Carlo and let him speak. Seeing Francis''s severe injuries, Carlo disregarded any animosity and briefed Catherine. Carlo had traced some leads from the surveince footage. He contacted Francis, and they decided to investigate. However, their opponents were more formidable than anticipated. However, they were underprepared and outnumbered. Their years of coordination saved them from dire consequences. Francis suffered two deep cuts to his back, causing substantial blood loss. Carlo only received a minor cut on his arm. "Miss Swann, it seems we found their hideout. We''ve informed Mr. Branden, and he''ll handle it. He asks you not to worry. He''ll give you updates," Carlo said. Listening to Carlo''s rushed words, Catherine almost chuckled. She hadn''t mentioned going to see for herself, yet he was anxious ahead of her. Since Branden had taken charge, Catherine felt relieved to leave it in his hands. Carlo had worried earlier about what they''d do if Catherine insisted on going. Surprisingly, Catherine showed no intention, instead inquiring about Branden''s whereabouts. She asked, "When will he arrive?" Carlo was unsure of how to respond. He turned to look at Francis and exchanged a nce with him. Francis had more insight than Carlo. He realized that Catherine was undeniably their future mistress. For them, it was better to offend Branden than Catherine. Francis said, "Miss Swann, Mr. Branden should arrive tomorrow." Catherine had anticipated it. After such an incident, Branden would undoubtedly worry about her safety and set aside his tasks to rush to Loxton. "Is the situation in Casier settled?" Catherine asked. No one dared to respond to Catherine''s question. Carlo signaled Francis to continue since he had started speaking, but Francis ignored him and remained silent. Although Catherine hadn''t uttered a word or altered her expression, her presence was domineering and stifled their breaths. Finally, Carlo reluctantly spoke up and detailed the situation. He said, "The Breens have been causing m trouble everywhere. The situation in Casier is grim. There''s much to handle. Mr. Branden intends to pass the matter to Paxton. "Understood." Catherine stood and left after her reply. Francis desperately gestured at Carlo, who coldly stared back. Carlo asked, " What do you want now?" "Why don''t you go check on her?" Francis pointed toward the direction Catherine had left. "Why don''t you?" Carlo retorted and rolled his eyes. Francis gestured at his wounded back, shamelessly saying, "If not for me taking this hit for you, I''d go myself." "You''re dreaming!" Carlo cursed under his breath. Despite his words, Carlo stood up and obeyed Francis''smand. He owed Francis this time. Francis had taken a hit from protecting him, so he had toply. Catherine walked to the end of the corridor after leaving. She pulled out her phone and casually sat down. Soon after dialing, someone picked up and called out, "Kathy." As Branden pronounced her name, he elongated the second syble with a softness that was particrly pleasant to hear. "Are you nning toe to Loxton tomorrow?" Catherine asked. Branden furrowed his brow. He knew Carlo and Francis must have leaked the information. He was considering how to reprimand them when he heard Catherine say casually, "I forced them. With those words, Branden quietly dismissed the thought of revenge that had just appeared in his mind. Chapter 796 Chapter 796 A Simr Feeling Catherine hung up the phone and returned. She found Carlo and Francis looking incredibly odd. They stole nces at her andmunicated only through eye contact. They didn''t dare to speak. Catherine scanned the two of them with a cold eye before seating herself nearby. "Don''t worry. I straightened things out with Branden. It''s not on you." As soon as she said that, their tense expressions rxed. Carlo let out a long sigh of relief. He looked at Catherine with gratitude. "Miss Swann, thank you." "No need," Catherine said coldly and shut down further conversation. She was about to leave when Francis''s phone rang. She paused and nned to wait until Francis''s call ended to inquire about the situation before leaving. "Damn it! They''re so cunning!" Francis cursed after ending the call. Seeing his disturbed state, Carlo signaled to remind Francis that Catherine was still there. Francis realized this and quickly apologized to Catherine, "Sorry, Miss Swann. I lost my cool earlier." Catherine shrugged it off. She''d seen worse from Zobber and the others while they were with her. Profanity was nothing new. What concerned her more was who called and what was said during the conversation. "Was it about the investigation?" Francis didn''t deny it. Catherine''s status exempted her from secrets. " Miss Swann, it''s an update from the field. Our team arrived at the scene per Mr. Branden''s orders but found it empty. It''s been cleaned outpletely without a trace left." They were incredibly swift. The reason for Francis''s anger was evident. Both he and Carlo had gotten injured from investigating this, and now the other side not only evaded confrontation but also cleaned up everything and left no leads. Without valuable leads, their injuries were for nothing. "Give me the coordinates," Catherine said. "Miss Swann, are you nning to go yourself?" Carlo asked with surprise. Catherine didn''t respond, but her silence spoke volumes. Carlo and Francis exchanged nces and finally came to a decision. Carlo offered to apany Catherine. "Miss Swann, I''ve been there before. I''m more familiar. It''s better if I go with you." Catherine nced at the injury on Carlo''s hand. Carlo caught on and said, "Miss Swann, it''s fine. This won''t slow me down." Catherine wasn''t worried about him hindering the mission. Catherine wasn''t fussy, and Carlo''s injury wasn''t a big deal in her eyes. Since he seemed okay with it, Catherine agreed and said, "Let''s go together and see what''s there. Carlo led Catherine to a hideout they had discovered earlier. After Carlo and Francis had escaped, the ce had been thoroughly cleaned out, leaving no traces. Their team had arrived promptly, yet the other party acted faster. Catherine inspected the site and found it impably clean, just likest time. The other party''s efficiency indicated a professional and experienced team in this kind of operation. Carlo checked himself, but he looked disappointed. His findings were as fruitless as their team''s. There was no progress. "Miss Swann, why do you think these people fear us finding clues? If they''re powerful, why not confront us directly instead of hiding?" Carlo voiced his perplexity. In normal circumstances, if the other party had substantial power, it wouldn''t make sense for them to swiftly abandon such a valuable hideout and flee in panic. "You''ve hit the mark!" Catherine focused on Carlo. "Perhaps they''re hiding a secret they don''t want us to uncover, which is why they avoid facing us directly. Wait here. I''ll check upstairs," Catherine said and turned to head upstairs. The second floor consisted of a few empty rooms. Nobody knew their previous use, but Catherine sensed there was more to these seemingly ordinary rooms. As she ventured in amidst the strong smell of disinfectant, she caught a whiff of the pungent smell of blood. Catherine trailed her fingers along the walls and moved from room to room. When she reached thest one, she halted. In a corner, she noticed a discreetly carved, peculiar symbol. Though it was small and seemingly ordinary, Catherine smiled slightly. After swiftly turning, she gestured for Carlo to follow and left. The sudden departure left Carlo momentarily bewildered. He trailed behind Catherine with confusion and hurried to catch up. "Miss Swann, are we just leaving like this?" Catherine turned to nce at him. "No leads, right?" Since staying wouldn''t serve any purpose, they didn''t need to linger. It was better to leave and get some rest than to remain in a futile situation. Carlo nodded and found Catherine''s words sensible. Then he left the scene with her. "Miss Swann, where to?" Carlo sat in the driver''s seat and nced through the rearview mirror to ask Catherine behind him. "To the school," Catherine replied. Then she leaned back in the rear seat and closed her eyes. Seeing her resting, Carlo drove cautiously. He adjusted the rear seat''s air conditioning per Branden''s instructions for Catherine''sfort. Paxton had emphasized that Catherine was Branden''s favorite and no one should upset her. Carlo was extra careful. He drove at a significantly reduced speed, dying their arrival at the school. After parking the car, Carlo hesitated to wake Catherine in the back seat. The next moment, Catherine opened her eyes Carl¨® immediately got out of the car and headed toward the back door, but before he could say anything, Catherine pushed the door open and got out of the car herself. "I''m going back to school. You can leave now," Catherine said before striding away. Carlo only breathed a sigh of relief once she was out of sight. It wasn''t that Catherine was difficult to deal with. Though Catherine was reserved and carried an imposing aura, she hardly made any demands and wasn''t unreasonably harsh.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Standing beside Catherine, Carlo always felt an indescribable pressure, which urged him to be extremely cautious and made him afraid of offending her. He had experienced a simr feeling when he first worked under Branden. Over time, the weight of that pressure had diminished, but it surged instantly if Branden was displeased. Now, Carlo began to understand why Branden, who he thought would remain single forever, had chosen Gatherine. Perhaps it was their simr auras. Chapter 797 Chapter 797 More Rumors Catherine had just entered the dormitory when her phone started to ring. She slid the button on the screen, and Branden''s handsome face appeared. "Have you arrived at the dormitory?" Branden''s voice came through the earpiece. She wasn''t surprised at all by his precise control over her whereabouts. Carlo must have informed him of her return to school. Judging by her pace, this time was enough for her to reach theboratory or the dormitory building. His control over time had always been urate. That was why she had just stepped into the dormitory when he called her. "I''ve just arrived," she replied. "I''m almost done with things on my end. I should be able to return to Loxton the day after tomorrow," Branden said, his eyes fixed on Catherine''s face through the screen, his words carrying a hint of probing. Catherine knew exactly what was on his mind. Leaning to one side, she looked at him with a smile in her eyes. So, are you applying to return to Loxton?" she asked. At her words, Branden immediately dropped his smile and saluted Catherine with his phone held up. Chief, permission to go to Loxton," he said. Catherine was taken aback for a moment. Branden''s reaction exceeded her expectations; he was bing more and more unpredictable. "Alright, if you''ve got everything sorted, thene back," she finally agreed. Branden breathed a sigh of relief. With his pace already quickened, he just needed a little more time to wrap up things in Casier. "Alright, I''ll hang up. I want to rest in the dorm for a while and then go to theb," Catherine said. Branden was reluctant to chat further upon hearing that she needed rest. " Take good rest. Contact me if you need anything," he added before she hung up. Then, Catherine returned to the dormitory. Amelia approached Catherine as Catherine entered. "I heard your voice just now. Why did it take you so long toe in?" "I received a call!" Catherine replied, sitting in a chair to rest. Amelia leaned in closer. "By the way, I have a question. What''s your rtionship with that handsome guy?" she asked. Catherine frowned slightly. Amelia wasn''t one to gossip for no reason, so her continuous questioning was unusual. Noticing Catherine''s expression, Amelia exined, "Don''t me me for being curious. That handsome guy has been around these days. He''ll be downstairs waiting for you if you''re not in theb, rain or shine. You know how handsome he looks, right? The girls at school have been going crazy over himtely." Pausing, Amelia looked at Catherine''s face, which seemed okay, before she continued, "You took him to the cafeteria the other day, and someone recognized you. Now rumors are spreading about you and that handsome guy, and they''re not very ttering." Amelia had an embarrassed expression as she looked at Catherine. She didn''t want to gossip, but she didn''t want Catherine to get ndered, either. She knew Catherine''s personality well. Catherine was not only cool in temperament but also indifferent to most things. For minor matters like this, Catherine wouldn''t bother to exin, letting those people talk behind her back. Amelia wanted to exin, but she wasn''t sure about Catherine''s rtionship with the handsome guy, so she hesitated. That was why she wanted to rify with Catherine to make those people shut up. Hearing Amelia''s words, Catherine roughly understood the situation. She replied calmly, "It''s okay. We''re just friends." If it weren''t for Amelia''s sake, she wouldn''t have even bothered to say that much. She didn''t care what people said about her. If they had the guts, they could talk face-to-face with her. Seeing Catherine''s indifferent attitude, Amelia had a general idea. It seemed that the handsome guy wouldn''t catch Catherine''s attention. That made sense. With a boyfriend like Branden, Catherine wouldn''t be interested in anyone else. "Okay, I won''t disturb you. If they gossip again, I''ll help you shut them down," Amelia said. Catherine didn''t respond, agreeing to Amelia''s words. After resting in the dorm for a while, Catherine went to theboratory. Along the way, many people stopped and whispered as they saw her. She noticed but didn''t care. If it weren''t for Amelia''s reminder, she might have been curious about what was going on. But now that Catherine knew why these people were paying attention to her, she had lost interest. Catherine made her way to theboratory under people''s curious gazes fixed on her. In the distance, she spotted a familiar figure. Initially, she had intended to continue forward, but Amelia''s words echoed in her mind. Catherine didn''t want to cause trouble for those around her, so she turned and took a detour through a side path, preparing to enter theboratory through the back entrance. As Catherine reached the back entrance, she encountered Marshall, who was humming a tune. Sincen winning thepetition, Marshall''s status and influence at the school had been growing. However, he paid little attention to that. He was pleased with his increased authority and autonomy in his experiments. Seeing Catherine entering through the back entrance, Marshall looked at her with a sly smile. "Why did you end up sneaking in through the back entrance, girl? Are you feeling guilty or something?" he wondered. Marshall''s dormitory was not far from theboratory''s back entrance, and he preferred to enter through there. The back entrance was strictly guarded, requiring registration for entry. Aside from Marshall''s asional use, it was less frequented by others. Catherine nced at Marshall with a look of disdain. "Why do you use the back entrance every day, Professor Hartley? Guilty conscience, huh?" "Hey, watch your mouth, girl!" Marshall chuckled at her remark. The two exchanged a smile and entered theboratory together As they m passed through the lobby, Marshall caught sight of a familiar figure at the entrance. He looked at Catherine and teased, "So, you are avoiding the handsome guy, huh? Being good- looking can be troublesome. Seeing Catherine ignore him, Marshall approached her and persisted, "I''ve seen that guy. He''s good-looking, not any worse than Branden. Why don''t you give it a try..." Catherine halted, her cold gazending on Marshall. Then, she smiled faintly, which made Marshall inexplicably uneasy, and he was about to speak up when Catherine, in a cold tone, said, " Branden ising back tomorrow. Why don''t you talk to him for me and make him give up?" "Hey, you..." Marshall was taken aback by her words. He stood there, dumbfounded, as Catherine left gracefully. Marshall was left fuming, thinking, "If I talk to Branden about this, he''ll kill me! You ungrateful little girl!"N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Making a Deal Rn waited long, but Catherine didn''t show up. One of his men informed him that she had returned to the school. Based on Catherine''s personality, she was unlikely to be in theboratory. "Could she still be in the dormitory?" Rn wondered, not wanting to wait. He decided to go and check the situation in the dormitory. Before he could leave, his phone buzzed. He took out his phone, stepped aside, and answered the call. "Speak," he said, his tone devoid of any emotion. The person on the other end said something to Rn, and his eyes instantly darkened, his previously gentle demeanor totally gone. "Wait for me. I''ll be there soon," he said before hanging up. The sparsely decorated room contained only a bed and a chair. Ronin sat in the chair, enjoying a delicious meal specially prepared for him. Ever since he shared the special means of contact with Catherine, his life here had been much better. What Catherine said was indeed true-one should learn to look after oneself. Although he had lost his freedom, he lived quitefortably here. Ronin wasn''t originally supposed to stay here. He had been transferred to this ce the day before. With his keen intuition, he was certain that something had happened. As Ronin heard footsteps approaching, a cold glint shed in his eyes. Then, he continued to eat his food, lookingpletely at ease. When the man in the mask entered the room and saw what Ronin was doing, he suppressed his anger, walked towards Ronin, and looked at the food on the table. "I''ve fulfilled what I owe you. Now it''s time for you to pay something back to me," the man in the mask said. "Or perhaps you want to return to your previous life. But I assure you, it will only be more painful." His voice was menacing, each word a threat. Ronin''s expression remained rxed, as if he didn''t take the threats seriously. He lifted his head and pointed his chin at the man in the mask. "Stop with the tough talk. I''m not easily scared. If you''ve got the guts, just kill me," he said, causing the man in the mask to feel somewhat at a loss. He currently had no way to kill Ronin, and there were orders from his immediate superior-under no circumstances could Ronin be killed unless absolutely necessary.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Ronin Oconnor, just because I spared your life doesn''t mean you can do whatever you want. I can make your life a living hell. Do you believe me? "Humph!" Ronin sneered. "I surely believe you. But you don''t have to keep threatening me. Just tell me what you want, and I''ll do my best. I will keep my promise. And you, state your purpose. You keep beating around the bush like an old woman. How do you even get anything done?" The man in the mask hadn''t expected Ronin to scold him. It irritated him to no end, but he had no way to deal with Ronin. Their original n was for Ronin toe begging for them to let him go. But Ronin seemed unconcerned about his freedom, willingly cooperating with them, which seemed very strange. "Do you know what experiments Catherine Swann is conducting?" he finally asked. Ronin looked up at the man in the mask with disdain. "I''m just a cybercafe manager who barely finished a few years of schooling. I know a bit aboutputers, but that doesn''t mean I understand suchplex experiments! Ronin had once worked as a cybercafe manager just to use theputers. He always addressed himself as a cybercafe manager. However, his story might deceive the ignorant but not the man in the mask. He was well aware of Ronin''s abilities, knowing that Ronin''sputer skills were second only to Catherine''s. "Ronin, you don''t need to beat around the bush with us. We know your capabilities better than you do. Our condition is simple. We want the results of Catherine''s experiments. If you can make it happen, we''ll meet any of your demands," the man said. His words piqued Ronin''s interest. He looked eagerly at the man in the mask andughed out loud. "Hah, I want you dead. How about that?" The man in the mask froze, his eyes zing with anger. Ronin noticed his expression. He knew how furious the man was. "You said you''ll meet any of my demands, didn''t you? Well, don''t make empty promises, "Ronin said disdainfully. The eyes of the man in the mask darkened. Just as Ronin thought the man was about to lose his temper, the man said coldly, "Fine, I promise you!" Ronin was shocked, looking at him with a look of disbelief on his face. The man in the mask thought that Ronin didn''t believe him and emphasized once again, "As long as you can get the experimental results, you can take my life at any time!" Realizing the man wasn''t joking, Ronin couldn''t help but apud. "Wow, you''re really a tough guy! Can''t believe you''ll agree to such conditions. Well, I admire you! But then again, I was just kidding earlier. Even if you give me your life, I don''t want it." "You..." Upon hearing Ronin''s words, the man in the mask couldn''t control himself any longer. Just as the man was about to lose his temper, Ronin quickly patted his shoulder, signaling for him to calm down. "Don''t get so worked up. Can you just listen to my exnation?" Under Ronin''s soothing words, the man in the mask''s emotions calmed down a bit. Ronin looked at him helplessly and said, "Since you know enough about us, then you should know Catherine hasn''t yetpleted her experiment. In that case, how can I get the results for you? Even if you gave me a second life, I still couldn''t give you the experimental results." The man in the mask remained silent, gesturing for Ronin to continue speaking. "You only want the experimental results, right?" Ronin asked. Faced with Ronin''s question, the man in the mask silently nodded. Ronin then proposed a rtively feasible suggestion to him. "If the experiment could easily seed, the whole world wouldn''t be focusing on Catherine. I can''t guarantee that I can get the experimental results for you, but I can promise that I will do everything I can to get the experimental data. Is that okay?" Before the man in the mask could respond, Ronin issued a warning. "This is my biggest concession. Don''t push your luck, okay?" Hearing this, the man in the mask voiced his doubts. "Then tell me, theboratory is heavily guarded And Catherine''s data is top-secret. How will you get it?" They had considered breaking into theboratory to steal the data, but it was simply impossible on a technical level. Ronin looked arrogantly at the man. Don''t forget what my specialty is. Besides, Catherine can''t guard against me. I know her too well. I''ll agree to your condition if you''rem willing to set me free. This is the only condition I''ll ept. Nothing else." Ronin''s attitude was firm, not at all like someone being coerced. It was more like they were the ones seeking Ronin''s help. The man in the mask knew that they couldn''t currently negotiate a new oue and could only proceed ording to Ronin''s demand for the time being. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Happy Forever When Catherine emerged from theboratory building, the sky outside had already turned dark. If it weren''t for Marshall urging her to leave, she would have nned to finish her work from the previous night. ncing at the time on her phone, Catherine realized it was already past dinner time, and the curfew was approaching. Considering Isabe usually went to bed early, she decided to leave the campus to grab something to eat before returning to her apartment. If she had time, she nned to make a trip to see Connie. With Withal and Zobber likely recovered by now, Catherine could have them do some work to keep them from getting bored. Just as Catherine stepped out of the gate, she spotted the familiar ck Bentley. It had been a while since she had seen it, and she felt a twinge of longing. She walked straight toward the car. Paxton had been keeping an eye on the gate. When he noticed Catherine''s appearance, he promptly informed the person in the back seat. "Boss, Miss Swann is here." The words "Miss Swann" caused Branden, who had been dozing, to immediately open his bloodshot eyes, which tugged at Paxton''s heart. In order to return to see Catherine as soon as possible, Branden hadn''t slept for three days. Initially, they had nned to return tomorrow, but after finishing his business, Branden immediately took a special ne back to Loxton. Branden didn''t disturb her after arriving at the school and learning that Catherine was still in theboratory. Instead, he chose to wait for her in the car. When Branden saw Catherine, his tired eyes immediately lit up with joy. He concealed his fatigue, showing no signs of weariness. He straightened his clothes, opened the car door, and got out. Just as he steadied himself, Catherine approached him. Catherine stood with her arms crossed, staring at Branden with an indiscernible look in her eyes. 31 Shouldn''t you be back the day after tomorrow? Howe you''re here today?" Upon hearing Catherine''s question, Branden curled lips into a tender and indulgent smile. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards himself. Then, he said, "I''m just like a Superman when I work. What takes an ordinary person three days to finish, I can handle it in a few hours." Branden''s words made sense. But his workload probably exceeded more than just three days for an ordinary person. After helping Catherine into the car, Branden followed suit, staying close to her as if unwilling to be apart for even a moment. "Are we heading back to the apartment? "Catherine asked. "Not yet. Let''s grab something to eat before going back," he replied. Catherine knew that if they went back to the apartment now, Branden would definitely personally cook for her, regardless of whether she had eaten dinner or not. Although he concealed it very well, she could still see the weariness in his eyes. When Catherine suggested going out to eat, Branden immediately agreed, saying, "Sure." Paxton started the car, and the ck Bentley slowly moved through the night. It was gettingte, and Catherine didn''t want to eat too much for dinner, so she chose a small restaurant. The food there, cooked in a traditional way, had a fragrant aroma. It seemed light, but the vor was rich. Since Catherine hadn''t had dinner and the food was delicious, she ate a lot. Seeing her enjoyment, Branden proactively suggested, "Maybe we shoulde here again."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Yeah." Catherine nodded, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "I''m full now. Let''s head back." "Okay." Branden stood up, paid the bill, and then led Catherine out. After getting into the car, Catherine instructed Paxton to recline the back seat a bit. "I want to take a nap," she said, then snuggled up to Branden, resting her head on his chest. The familiar scent acted as a sedative, calming Branden''s previously restless and unsettled mind. Several days of continuous work had pushed him to the brink. Catherine''s embrace gradually rxed his tense body, and he couldn''t resist falling asleep. Unlike Branden, Catherine had been sleeping well these past few days. She hadn''t nned to rest. She was doing this for Branden''s sake. Sensing that he had fallen asleep, she gently adjusted her position to make him morefortable. "Has he been very tired recently?" she suddenly asked. The sudden, icy voice startled Paxton, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, instantly bringing him to full alertness. He hesitated momentarily before answering in a low voice, "Miss Swann, the matter in Casier isn''t really a big problem for Boss. It just requires some time." Having worked for Branden for so many years, Paxton had weathered many storms with him. The matter in Casier wasn''t really a thorny issue. " Miss Swann, Boss missed you too much. He wanted to return as soon as possible, so he''s always been rushing. And it makes him a bit exhausted," Paxton confessed in a subdued voice. "For how many days?" Catherine asked, her eyes revealing that she could tell something was being concealed. "Three days!" Paxton replied. After getting the answer, Catherine couldn''t help but tilted her head to look at Branden. He would have tried to endure longer if she hadn''t insisted on resting. Her heart softened as she held his hand, allowing his head to restfortably on her shoulder. Branden wasn''t sure how long he had been asleep when he gradually opened his eyes in a daze. Sensing someone beside him, he instinctively turned his head to look. Upon seeing the familiar face, he revealed a rxed expression. " How long have I been asleep? Why didn''t you wake me?¡± he asked. Catherine shook therge brick-like mobile phone in her hand, which she had transformed into a mini-omputer. was working, and since E you were asleep, I didn''t want to disturb you. Now that I''m done working, and you''re awake, let''s go home!" she said. They both knew it was a white lie. After a brief nap, Branden felt refreshed and filled with energy. "Alright, let''s go home!" Paxton, who had been waiting outside the car, emerged from the shadows as soon as he heard their conversation. " Boss, you''re awake!" he eximed. Branden, unusually amiable, nodded at Paxton and said in a more approachable tone, "You''ve been tired these days. Rest for a couple of days. I''ll call you if I need anything." Having worked for Branden for so many years, Paxton had never been treated like this before and felt a surge of emotion. "Thank you Boss!" Although Branden had always been kind to him, Branden''s naturally cold demeanor meant that he would protect them at all costs but wouldn''t show it. This was the first time Paxton had experienced this kind of treatment, and it was impossible not to be moved by it. Watching Branden and Catherine leave hand in hand, Paxton only hoped they would be happy forever. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 800 Chapter 800 Rn''s Visit Rn had been unable to find Catherine for two consecutive days. Finally, after investigating with her roommate, Amelia, he learned that Catherine hadn''t returned to the dorm or theb during these two days. With no other choice, Rn decided to visit Catherine''s apartment. "Ding-dong!" When the doorbell rang, Catherine was still lounging on the sofa, eating fruit, and watching a variety show. Thinking it might be her food delivery, she was about to put down the fruit bowl to answer the door. Branden, however, was one step ahead. He had already set aside hisptop, stood up proactively, and confidently dered, "Wait here. I''ll get it for you." With someone taking care of it, Catherine didn''t need to exert any effort. She continued watching the variety show, her gaze fixed on the amusing scenes. As the door opened, both men were momentarily stunned. Branden stared at the cold-eyed man outside, assessing him from head to toe. "You''ve got some nerve. I haven''t evene to settle the score with you, and here you are, boldly showing up at my doorstep. Seems like you''re not afraid of trouble, huh?" said Branden inwardly. Seeing Branden, Rn was also taken aback. He finally understood the reason behind Catherine''s two-day disappearance. So, she was hiding out in the apartment with this man. The thought fueled a nameless anger within Rn. His eyes involuntarily narrowed as he emanated a chilling aura. His imposing presence shed with Branden''s equally strong aura. Branden showed no signs of weakness. After all, this was his territory. Seeing Branden take quite some time to fetch the takeout and not return, Catherine paused the variety show and went to check. As she reached the doorway, she witnessed two tall men facing off, ring at each other with an air of mutual displeasure. Catherine thought that if she had arrived a bitter, these two men might have ended up in a physical confrontation at the doorstep. Standing beside Branden, she furrowed her brows, her gaze fixed on Rn." Why are you here?" Rn''s initially furious eyes instantly softened at the sight of Catherine. " Catherine, I tried calling you, but you didn''t answer. I went to the school and found out you hadn''t been back to the dorm for two days. I was worried something happened, so I came to check on you." Before Catherine could respond, Branden, at her side, interjected, "Thanks for your concern for my fianc¨¦e, but she''s fine. I just returned from a business trip, and Kathy wanted to spend time with me, so she paused her work and stayed at the apartment." While speaking, Branden reached out and tightly embraced Catherine, holding her close to his side. Catherine, ncing downward at the hand wrapped around her waist, couldn''t help but mutter to herself, "What a jealous man." Although she found Branden''s behavior a bit exaggerated, she didn''t stop him. Seeing the intimate gestures between the two and Branden''s deliberate disy of affection, Rn, consumed by jealousy, felt like he was going mad. He knew Branden was intentionally provoking him, but he couldn''t control his emotions. "Catherine, I need to talk to you about something. Can youe downstairs with me?" Rn''s words immediately darkened Branden''s face. "This man is truly difficult to deal with, shameless to the core!" cursed Branden inwardly. Branden quickly took action as he sensed Catherine''s changing mood. He found an excuse. "Kathy, I''m exhausted. I haven''t rested much in the past few days. I''m feeling a bit lightheaded from fatigue right now. How about you apany me to rest?" With a pitiful look, Branden gazed at Catherine, pleading, "Without you by my side, I can''t fall asleep." His expression had no trace of a domineering president but an immature boy who couldn''t get enough attention. Witnessing Branden''s performance, Rn wished he could charge forward and punch him to wake him up. Branden''s shamelessness was beyond his expectations. Catherine knew Branden was pretending, and she couldn''t help but admire hisck of concern for saving face. She turned to nce at Rn, her expression calm and her voice icy. "I''m going to rest with my boyfriend. If you have anything, send me a message. If a meeting is necessary, I''ll contact you then." Then, Branden immediately embraced Catherine and stepped back, looking triumphant as he nced at Rn and waved casually. "Sorry, Mr. Melton. We''re going to take a break now. We''ll invite you over next time." After that, Branden''s face turned cold, and he mercilessly closed the door. A smug smile escaped Branden''s lips when he remembered the grim expression on Rn''s face. Catherine nced sideways and caught the lingering smile at the corner of Branden''s mouth. Unable to resist, she teased, "Feeling quite pleased with yourself, aren''t you?" "Of course," he replied, his satisfaction evident. He embraced Catherine and sat down. "What TV show is so interesting? I want to watch it, too." Catherine knew he was just making an excuse, but she didn''t stop him. She allowed him to hold her as they squeezed onto a single-seat sofa together. Outside the closed door, Rn gazed at it, his typicallyposed face turning a grim shade, his eyes instantly darkening. In his entire life, he had never suffered such humiliation. "Branden dared to treat me like this; then he shouldn''t me me for being ruthless," he said inwardly. He wanted to see how powerful the rumored head of the Duncans truly was. Watching the running characters on TV, Branden couldn''t understand why om Catherine liked this show. Even though it was boring, having Catherine by his side somehow made it more interesting. The doorbell rang again, just a few minutes after thest time. Branden''s expression immediately turned serious. Heforted Catherine, asking her to sit down, and then stood up to open the door. He had already made up his mind. If he saw Rn standing outside again, he wouldn''t be polite. He hoped that the bothersome Rn was prepared for a beating. "Hello, sir, here''s your delivery." The delivery guhanded over the food. It was the first time he had encountered a man with such a powerful aura, and those intense eyes were truly intimidating. Seeing it wasn''t Rn outside, Branden rxed his expression a bit. He took the food, closed the door, and turned back into the room. Bringing over a small coffee table, he ced the delivery on it. He was a cleanliness freak, but to him, everything seemed insignificant Ohim,pared with Catherine. He took the food out of the box and arranged it in front of Catherine. "Have a try." Looking at the uniquely presented food, Catherine had her appetite piqued. Holding a fork, she ate quite a bit. Branden wasn''t interested in the food, but seeing Catherine enjoy it, he took a few bites as well. After finishing his food in his mouth, Branden looked at Catherine and asked, "Are you nning to go to schoolter?N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Catherine shook her head. "I''m going to Connie''s ce to see Zobber and Withal." "I''ll go with you!" Branden almost blurted out. Seeing his eagerness, Catherine agreed. "Sure, let''s go together." The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 801 Chapter 801 Zobber''s Disguise Zobber was bored in the room, so she found her way to Withal''s room and promptly shut down hisputer. Engrossed in a game and on the verge of winning, Withal exploded in anger. He threw down his game controller, red at Zobber, and snapped, ¡°What''s your problem again? Can''t you see that I''m ying a game right now? Don''t bother me!" "You''re the one with the problem!" Although Withal was still furious, Zobber did not care and stuck close to him. "Withal, let''s go out. I feel like staying here any longer, and I might end up with some illness." Withal shot her a disdainful look. "I''d go out if I could, but have you forgotten Catherine''s orders?" He also thought the whole situation was boring. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be ying games here. Catherine instructed them to rest at Connie''s house and not go out for a while. Otherwise, Withal would have already gone out. Although he had some injuries, they were nothing he couldn''t handle. Withal''s response left Zobber helpless. She feared that if they stayed any longer, she''d go crazy. "Withal, Catherine doesn''t want us to go out mainly because she''s worried about the danger of revealing our whereabouts. But how many people do you think will recognize us if we disguise ourselves?" Zobber excelled in disguise even more than Catherine. Her suggestion shook Withal, who was well aware of Zobber''s abilities. Sensing Withal''s change in mood, Zobber seized the opportunity. ¡°Let''s just go out for a short while. We''ll take a stroll and thene back. Nothing will happen." Withal was sessfully tempted, agreeing to Zobber''s proposal. Before heading out, Zobber disguised both of them. Zobber''s disguising skills were remarkable. When Withal stood in front of the mirror, he couldn''t recognize himself. Seeing his expression, Zobber smirked. "Let''s go. Early out, early back." Giving a break to Paxton, Branden personally drove Catherine to Connie''s house. When they passed arge supermarket, Catherine signaled Branden to stop the car. "Buy something for Zobber and Withal. They''ve been cooped up at Connie''s house for days, probably going crazy." Branden never opposed Catherine''s decisions. Whatever she said, he did. They parked the car in the supermarket''s garage. Branden fetched a cart, and they went shopping together. Wearing a duckbill hat that hid her face, Catherine didn''t attract much attention. Branden, on the other hand, was different. Standing in the crowd, he immediately caught people''s eyes. His handsome face was enough to drive women crazy. Coupled with that unique charm he exuded, he instantly drew many admiring nces. Branden was unconcerned about the attention. His eyes were solely on Catherine. When Catherine headed to the snacks section, Branden maneuvered the cart in that direction. Two bold young girls approached him. The road ahead was blocked, and Branden furrowed his brow, casting a displeased nce at the two girls. Their intense desire overcame the inner fear, and the girls boldly approached Branden. "Hey, handsome, can I get your WhatsApp number?" After speaking, the girl shifted her gaze to Catherine. "Thisdy is your sister, right? I don''t think she''d mind if you give me your WhatsApp number." Their speech, immature and irritating, didn''t sit well with Branden. But since he had been with Catherine the whole day, he was in a good mood and didn''t want to confront the two. He intended to warn them and make them leave. However, unexpectedly, Catherine walked straight past them without looking back. The snack area wasn''t in that direction, and this sudden move caught Branden off guard. Seeing Catherine leave, the two girls got more excited and thought she deliberately gave them an opportunity. "Handsome, since thatdy avoided us, just give us your WhatsApp number." "Asking a stranger for a contact number in broad daylight? Did your parents not teach you any manners?" Branden coldly eyed the two, his attitude not the least bit friendly. His intense aura left the two girls stunned. Branden didn''t want to waste time here. He swiftly pushed the cart in Catherine''s direction. "I wanted to go to the snack area. Why bring me here?" "Quit the chatter and follow my lead." Not far ahead, an elderly couple argued at a crossroads about where to go next. People found it amusing that they were squabbling over snacks, even at their age. Catherine, with a serious face, walked toward them. She lightly rested her hand on the man''s shoulder when she passed by. "Who''s that?" The man, annoyed by the interruption, spoke harshly. But when he turned his head, his initially angry eyes turned vacant, mixed with a hint of fear. The woman, witnessing the man''s sudden loss of words, found it strange. When she turned around, she was taken aback. "Ca..." Before she could finish her sentence, Catherine silenced her with a nce. The two people were none other than Zobber and Withal in disguise. They had never expected that Catherine would catch their disguised appearance. Branden rushed over. He was initially puzzled, not understanding why Catherine was angrily leaving. But now, he realized Catherine was trying to catch the two in the act. Seated in the car, Zobber looked guilty and cautiously nudged Withal, silently asking him. "What should we do?" Withal rolled his eyes, deciding to take whatever punishment came om their way. It was the fault for not listening and going out without permission. If Catherine wanted to punish them, they''d have to ept it. Seeing Withal''s indifference, Zobber had to figure out a solution herself. She put on a ttering smile, approached Catherine, and asked, "Catherine, what brings you here?" Catherine remained calm, her eyes cold and indifferent, showing no emotion in her face or voice. "If I didn''te, how would I witness such a poorly done disguise?" Zobber was willing to ept punishment, but she couldn''t allow Catherine to question her disguising skills. Unhappy, she started to defend herself. "Catherine, where was my disguise poorly done? It was impable. Withal couldn''t even recognize himself." Seeing that she was unconvinced, Catherine reached out and gently rubbed Zobber''s forehead. "The glue on the headgear is so transparent it reflects light. And you dare say your disguise is impable?" Zobber''s disguise skills were indeed impressive, but this seemingly wless masquerade was full of loopholes. Upon closer examination, the ws became apparent. After Catherine pointed out the ws, Zobberpletely lost her temper. She was trapped at Connie''s ce with limited resources, and pulling off such a disguise was already a formidable challenge. She never thought she''d encounter the keen-eyed Catherine, who saw through it all at a nce.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "Catherine, I conceded. Punish me as you see fit." The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 802 Chapter 802 How About You Skip ss? Branden dropped everyone off at Connie''s house. After changing clothes, Zobber and Withal obediently sat in the living room, awaiting Catherine''s punishment. They had vited Catherine''s orders by going out without permission, so punishment was inevitable. Zobber took the chance to signal Branden, hoping he''d speak up on her behalf. Branden pretended not to notice. He was surprised by Zobber''s decent disguising skills. Without Catherine, he might not have recognized her at all. Facing Branden''s indifference, Zobber felt utterly hopeless. She decided to take the initiative and admit her mistake. "Catherine, I know I was wrong. You can punish me, but can you spare Withal? I forced him toe, and I did his makeup. He had nothing to do with it." Withal looked at Zobber in astonishment, never expecting her to take the me for him. Well, he had to admit, it softened him a bit. Catherine coldly observed Zobber''s performance. "Really admitting your mistake? Ready to face the consequences?" Zobber raised her hand, looking solemn. "Catherine, I sincerely admit my mistake. You can punish me however you see fit." "Alright." Catherine nodded in agreement. "Since you''ve disobeyed orders and gone out on your own, let''s go with chopping off your legs as punishment." "What?" Zobber couldn''t believe what she was hearing from Catherine. "Was she joking?" she thought. Catherine stared at Zobber without a hint of humor. Panicking, Zobber asked, "Catherine, you''re not serious, right?" Catherine remained silent. Zobber pouted, unsure of what to do. She had always listened to Catherine. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Standing up decisively, she prepared to leave. Catherine pulled her back, seated her, and ced a pack of snacks in front of her. "Alright, I was just joking. Sit down and enjoy." Zobber instantly cheered up, hugging Catherine''s arm with joy. "Catherine, I know you are the best." Witnessing this, Branden pulled Catherine over and casually pushed Zobber away. His actions annoyed Zobber, who was about to explode. However, when she met Branden''s eyes, she lost her momentum. Well, she couldn''t provoke him, so she had bettery low. After the yful moment, Withal brought up a serious matter." Catherine, Ronin has been missing for days. Aren''t you worried at all?" These days, besides instructing Branden''s subordinates to gather information constantly, Catherine remained inactive. They were injured, and allowing them time to recover was the right decision. However, Catherine appeared nonchnt, going about her daily routine of attending sses and conducting experiments as if nothing had changed, showing no signs of her former self. In the past, if any of them were in trouble, Catherine would have immediately devoted all her efforts to bringing them back safely. Ronin, who had been by her side for so long, was like a younger brother to her. Withal could not believe that she did not care about Ronin''s well-being. Catherine casually nced at Withal and said with a rxed smile, "Why the rush? Maybe he wasn''t ready toe back yet." This remark left Withal somewhat puzzled. He carefully observed Catherine, trying to discern any hidden meanings. In contrast to Withal''s persistent probing, Zobber was much more carefree. Seeing Withal still looking perplexed, she reached out and patted Withal''s shoulder, reassuring him, "Why worry? With Catherine in charge, I believe Ronin will be fine, Let''s just follow Catherine''s orders and do as we''re told. Zobber''s words woke Withal up, and he silently closed his mouth, refraining from further questioning. "Both of you,e with me. Since you''re idle, let''s get to work." Zobber''s eyes lit up when she heard that Catherine had tasks for them. The reason she disobeyed Catherine''s orders and sneaked out was that staying at home all day was just too dull. Now that there was work to be done, she wouldn''t be bored anymore. She could finally get herself busy. After assigning tasks to Zobber and Withal, Catherine decided to leave. Branden followed her as she descended the stairs. Once in the car, Catherine asked Branden to take her to the school. The experiments at theboratory were not finished, and she needed to go there.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She knew that Branden must have a lot of things to take care of upon returning to Loxton. Having rested from yesterday until today was enough for him to recover. If she didn''t go to theboratory, Branden would linger by her side and refuse to go to work. Branden stopped the car at the school''s entrance but hesitated to open the door. Reluctantly looking at Catherine, he suggested with a serious expression, "How about I skip work, and you skip ss?" After being apart for nearly half a month, he still wanted to spend some more time together. Catherine chuckled, pinching his arm. " I''ve never seen someone like you. How can you tempt someone to skip ss? And if you sneak away from work, how can you set an example for your employees and make them follow thepany''s rules?" "They get their sries from me, so they are bound by work rules. But I''m different. I pay myself my sry. So, if I want to get sorhe rules, they''re my own. In my opinion, spending time with my girlfriend is more important than going to work," Branden said with a serious face, showing no embarrassment. "He''s getting more and more shameless," said Catherine inwardly. After chatting in the car for a few minutes, Catherine, fearing the om conversation would continue and he might drive away with her, took the initiative to push open the car door and left. Seeing Branden''s pitiful expression, she knew he was pretending. However, she still felt a bit touched and added, "I''ll try to finish work early." Branden''s expression immediately changed from gloomy to bright. He earnestly reminded her, "Contact me when you finish your work. I''lle pick you up." "Okay." After Catherine agreed, she turned and walked toward the campus. Watching her enter the campus, Branden drove away. Just as Catherine reached the bottom of theboratory building, she saw Rn standing there like a statue. This time, Catherine didn''t avoid him and walked straight toward him. Rn quickly noticed Catherine''s presence, and a slight smile appeared on his calm face. "Catherine, you''re here!" "Let''s talk over there," Catherine proposed, and Rn naturally agreed. The two of them walked to a nearby bench on the pedestrian path. Under the shade of the trees, with a gentle breeze, it was quite pleasant. Once seated, Catherine went straight to the point without any padding. "Weren''t you supposed to open a branch in Loxton? Why are you so free,ing here every day?" Rn paused momentarily, then e realized that this was just Catherine''s straightforward nature. He smiled faintly, looking at Catherine with deep affection. "Compared to some people, work is simply not worth mentioning." On the same day, two different men said simr things to her, but Catherine''s feelings toward them werepletely different. Rn''s confession made her feel repulsed. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 803 Chapter 803 He is a Big Liar "Rn, I thought I made myself clear." Catherine stared at Rn with an expressionless face, a hint of impatience in her eyebrows. Faced with Catherine''s repeated rejections, Rn finally lost his temper. "Catherine, we are the mostpatible. You don''t understand what kind of person Branden is. You''re not suitable for him!" Rn''s anger only intensified Catherine''s emotions. She no longer concealed her feelings, her icy gaze fixed on Rn. "Whether we''repatible or not is my own judgment, Rn. We''re just friends. My affairs don''t need your interference." "And as for what kind of person Branden is, I know very well. If you continue to defame him, don''t me me for not cherishing our past!" Catherine''s voice grew colder, and her warning tone was thick. The phrase "not cherishing our past"pletely infuriated Rn. After so many years of a rtionship with Catherine, Rn couldn''t believe she would say such things to him for Branden. He couldn''t bear it anymore. "Catherine, you''repletely deceived by that man. I don''t want you to be fooled. Branden is nothing but a big liar. He approached you with a purpose. "Rn angrily presented evidence." See for yourself if you don''t believe me. He handed his phone to Catherine, letting her examine the evidence. He had painstakingly collected these things, and today, he had to expose Branden''s true colors. Catherine took Rn''s phone and carefully examined the information. As she scrolled down, her eyes darkened. "Catherine, he deliberately approached you. His goal is your experiment project. Don''t you understand how important that experiment project is? Many people are watching it," said Rn. As long as Catherine''s experiment project seeded, it would be a giant money- making machine in the capital market. It could bring in considerable wealth and even drive the development of several key industries. Rn''s face was filled with anger, but his fury wasn''t directed at Catherine but at Branden, who wanted to deceive her. "Do you remember the spy incident at your school? You lost a file back then, right?" Catherine turned to him, her eyes filled with confusion. "How do you know?" "That person was indeed a spy from Rexinheim, but why would he steal an irrelevant file? It''s because someone was manipting him from behind. His true purpose was not the academic report but that file. They did everything to divert attention and cover up the truth because Branden was the real mastermind behind it. He coborated with the spy to steal that file." Catherine listened to Rn''s words in a daze. She never expected that the spy from back then was connected to Branden. Without the photos of the two together and the recorded conversations, she might find it hard to believe this fact. When the leakage incident happened in theirb, everyone focused on the academic report, and no one noticed her missing file. She mentioned it to Marshall when she found out, and he told her it wasn''t just one file missing. Other research projects had lost files as well. After the case was solved, no one paid attention to this matter. Now, Rn told her that the real goal was the file missing from her experiment project, and the mastermind behind it all was Branden. "Catherine, wake up. Branden is using you." Rn''s angry usation gradually brought Catherine back to reality. She looked at Rn, her eyes indifferent. "I got it. Send me this information. I''ll investigate it myself." Rn wanted to say more, but Catherine left without giving him a chance. A hint of amusement shed in Rn''s eyes before disappearing when he watched Catherine disappearpletely.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Back in theb, Catherine couldn''t calm her mind. She didn''t fully believe Rn''s words, but she knew Branden must have hidden something from her. Not all the data here was fake. At least the person in the photos was Branden, and the pictures weren''t doctored. Rn knew her capabilities, so he wouldn''t use fake photos to deceive her. It could only mean that the data was a mix of truth and lies. Staring at the photos on her desk, Catherine fell into deep thought. "What''s Branden hiding, and what''s Rn''s motive?" she thought. After thinking for a while without finding answers, Catherine picked up her phone and dialed a number. " Zobber, it''s me. Help me check some information." During this period, Branden had been in Casier dealing with the troubles left by the project there. He hadn''t returned to thepany''s headquarters for a while. Today, as soon as he returned to the Duncan Corporation, he convened a meeting of the top executives. Everyone could tell that Branden was in a good mood today. Even when the finance manager read the numbers NOV wrong a moment ago, Branden merely asked him to repeat them without any punishment. The meeting was short and efficient. Branden never liked lengthy sessions and hated unnecessary chatter. Paxton, having rested for a day, was full of energy. As soon as the meeting ended, he followed Branden. "Mr. Duncan, are you going to the office or the apartment?" "Mr. Duncan had been in Casier for a while, spending less time with Miss Swann. Now that he was back, he naturally wanted to spend more time with her," Paxton thought. "Go to the office," Branden said and walked straight toward the office. Catherine was in theb and would contact him when she finished. He did not have to go early. He could handle the immediate tasks first. "Any news of Ronin?" Having just sat down, Branden couldn''t wait to ask Paxton about the situation. Paxton shook his head. "We''ve arranged to have it checked out, but there''s no information Francis''s ve injuries are almost healed. I''ll continue to have him and Carlo investigate. We should have a response soon." It was strange. They found out that Ronin hadn''t left Loxton, so he should be held captive somewhere in the city. But despite the best efforts, deploying numerous agents to search, they couldn''t find any information about Ronin. It was as if he had vanished into thin air, and even those who captured Ronin seemed to have never existed. Branden''s eyes gradually darkened. If Ronin couldn''t be found, the person behind it couldn''t be exposed, and it would be like cing a time bomb at Catherine''s side. "Tell them to increase manpower. Even if we have to turn Loxton upside down, we must find Ronin!" said Branden. Paxton immediately took the order without a moment''s hesitation. "Yes!" The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Catherine''s Family Branden nced at his phone. It was already 6 PM, and there was no sign of any message on his personal phone. He didn''t want to wait any longer and decided to head to the school directly. Half an hourter, Branden arrived at Catherine''s school in his car. "Mr. Duncan, should I drive in?" Paxton asked. "No need." Branden opened the car door, got out, and asked Paxton to stop the car on the side of the road. He walked into the school alone. As he reached the bottom of theboratory building, he coincidentally encountered Marshalling out. Branden greeted him, considering Marshall was Catherine''s mentor. "Looking for Catherine?" Marshall smiled kindly. Branden nodded, and Marshall gestured to him. "Come on, I''ll take you in. When I left theb, her lights were still on. She should be inside." Marshall knew Catherine always left her phone in a drawer when she was in theb. Unless she checked her phone, it was not easy for others to find her. Marshall admired Catherine''s dedication to her work. He believed such qualities were essential for someone in research. Guided by Marshall, Branden entered the building. As they passed the security office, Marshall waved at the security personnel when they were about to stand up. "No need to bother. This is Catherine''s family. I''ll take him up." With Marshall''s guarantee, the security didn''t approach, letting them in. "Catherine''s family," Branden thought and epted the new title calmly, and his expression suggested he was quite satisfied. "She''s inside. You can knock and enter on your own. I won''t bother," Marshall said and turned away, leaving Branden at the door. The young ones had their dates, and old folks like him also wanted to go back to have a meal with their families. He didn''t want to dy here. After respectfully seeing off Marshall, Branden knocked on theb door. "Knock, knock, knock!" The sound of knocking brought Catherine''s attention back. She looked at the clock on the wall, realizing dinner time had passed without her noticing. Assuming it was Marshall inviting her for dinner, she was about to decline when she opened the door and found Branden. "Why are you here?" she asked. Seeing her expression somewhat odd, Branden thought it was because of his abrupt intrusion. He quickly exined, "It''s almost dinner time, and since I didn''t hear from you, I thought ofing to the entrance of theb building to check. It just happened that I ran into Professor Hartley. Being treated as your family, I was allowed in. "Uh-huh," Catherine replied indifferently, her face calm, not revealing her emotions. Seeing her like this was rare for Branden, and he couldn''t help but worry. "What''s wrong? Upset?" "Nothing. Just thinking about some data." Catherine gave a simple response and pulled Branden away. 11 Come on, let''s go eat. I''m a bit hungry."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Branden, hearing that she was hungry, led her toward the school gate without further dy. They came to the oatmeal shop Catherine had chosenst time. While she checked her phone, Branden had already ced their orders, following Catherine''s taste. When the dishes arrived, Branden noticed Catherine wasn''t eating much. He tasted the dishes, and it wasn''t an issue with the food. "You eat so little. Feeling unwell?" asked Branden. Despite saying she was hungry earlier, she only took a couple of bites. Catherine shook her head, and Branden''s concerned look left her unsure how to respond. In her mind, Zobber''s findings kept reying. [Catherine, I found something. It''s indeed rted to Mr. Duncan. Strange. How does Mr. Duncan know them?] Catherine didn''t disclose the reason to Zobber. After taking the documents, she instructed Zobber to keep this matter confidential for now. "Kathy..." The gentle voice of the man brought Catherine''s drifting thoughts back. Aftering to her senses, she picked up her fork and quickly started eating. Nothing. Just thinking. Now, let''s eat!" Branden had been watching Catherine''s every move. Although she was eating a decent amount now, and her expression was normal, he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. It was as if something was about to happen. After Catherine finished the bowl of oatmeal Branden had filled for her, she put down her utensils. "I''m done eating." Seeing her not in the best condition, Branden felt a bit distressed. "Is the experiment not going well?" Knowing how sharp Branden''s eyes were, Catherine came up with an excuse to avoid detection. "Not really. I''m just a bit tired." When he saw her droopy eyelids and exhausted look, Branden''s heart ached as if someone had stabbed it with a needle. Originally nning for an evening date, he now only wanted to take her home and let her rest. "Shall we go back and rest?" he asked. "Yeah," Catherine replied and stood up quickly. Thinking she was genuinely tired, Branden hastened his movements to take her back. In a suburban residence in Loxton, Ronin feltpletely at ease in the unfamiliar environment. He had lost count of how many times he had been moved in the past few days. These people seemed to have a lot of strongholds. No wonder their tracks were hard to trace. For Ronin, however, it didn''t bother him much. Though the masked man kept him confined, he didn''t mistreat Ronin and even granted Ronin a certain level of freedom within the room. As long as he stayed inside, he wouldn''t be harmed that was what the masked man had told him. When the door opened, Ronin put down the game controller and turned to look. To alleviate his boredom, the masked man had arranged a gaming console for him. It didn''t have inte ess, but ying some single-yer games was still possible. Seeing the masked man, Ronin seemed excited. He dropped the game controller and rushed toward the masked man. "Hey, you''re here! Did you bring me anything good? Any tasty treats?" The masked man was consistently puzzled by Ronin''s reactions. Ronin''s behavior didn''t match that of a m person held captive. He seemed to be on vacation, incredibly rxed. For those who had once tormented and even kidnapped him, he also behaved very friendly. "Ronin, I advise you to behave and not y any tricks!" The masked man gritted his teeth. Ronin, looking puzzled, stared at him. "What tricks? Haven''t I been obedient? It''s not my fault. You guys haven''t told me to do anything or provided tools. How can you me me? It''s too unfair." "Do you really want to act?" The masked man''s voice was full of doubt. Clearly, he did not believe Ronin. Ronin extended his hand. "Then provide the tools. As long as you ask, I''ll do it." With hesitation, the masked man decided to get the tools for Ronin. He swore that if he caught Ronin doing anything suspicious, he would kill Ronin. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 805 Chapter 805 What''s Going On? The masked man provided tools for Ronin and supervised the entire process. Ronin did indeed start working diligently, showcasing his expertise inputer skills. Although the masked man''s abilities in the field couldn''t match Ronin''s, he wasn''t aplete novice. He closely monitored Ronin, ensuring that he was genuinely working without any suspicious behavior. "Click, click, click..." The room echoed with the sound of keyboard strokes as Ronin''s fingers danced swiftly over the keys. He quickly entered codes into theputer, sessfully infiltrating Catherine''s system. A spark of excitement shed in the masked man''s eyes at the moment of the screen transition. However, Ronin, who had been working rapidly, suddenly stopped after infiltrating Catherine''sputer, freezing in ce. This puzzled the masked man, and suspicion arose. "Ronin, what are you doing? Why did you stop?" Seeing Ronin''sck of response, the masked man decided to take action. As he reached out to touch Ronin''s shoulder, Ronin forcefully pushed him away. Ronin tossed the keyboard aside, stood up indignantly, and red at the masked man. "Didn''t I tell you not to touch me? Seriously, do you not understand humannguage?" Ronin''s fury left the masked man somewhat dumbfounded. He stared at Ronin in shock, seemingly unable toprehend the source of Ronin''s anger. "What are you looking at? Why the stare? Can''t you understand what I''m saying? I asked you, why disturb me for no reason?" shouted Ronin. Perhaps due to Ronin''s overwhelming presence, the masked man was momentarily startled. Subsequently, even his tone softened. "Why did you stay on the page without moving? I thought you were up to something." After hearing the masked man''s words, Ronin rolled his eyes. "Sir, this is Catherine''sputer. Don''t you know Catherine''s proficiency in theputer field? Have you no sense of urgency?" Ronin continued his rant. "Do you think this is child''s y? I almost got caught just now. You are not afraid of death, but have you ever thought about me?" The masked man was baffled by Ronin''s scolding, and Ronin, in his anger, smashed theputer. After venting his frustration, Ronin gradually calmed down, and the menacing, bloodthirsty look in his eyes toward the masked man faded. "I''m telling you, don''t disturb me when I''m seriously working next time.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. I paused the screen because I detected a tracking system installed on Catherine''sputer. Once an intrusion is detected, the system will immediately sound an rm. I was being so cautious just now, but you almost exposed me." Ronin''s usation made the masked man feel a bit embarrassed. He knew well that if Catherine discovered Ronin as a traitor, Ronin would face dire consequences. Concerned, he asked, " So, what''s the situation now?" "No big deal." Ronin rolled his eyes at the masked man, then turned andy silently on the nearby bed, not saying another word. Seeing this, the masked man didn''t press him further. He arranged for someone toe in and clean up theputer debris on the floor. Then, he left. He wasn''t creating a clean environment for Ronin. He understood Ronin''s abilities. Even though these seemed like just a pile of scrap metal, leaving them behind could potentially be tools in Ronin''s hands. Ronin might not be strong inbat, but he was indeed a genius when it came toputers. However, the masked man didn''t notice that just a moment ago, when Ronin was furiously about to smash theputer, he secretly pulled something out from the mainframe and discreetly hid it in his palm. "Rest well. We''ll continue tomorrow." The masked man left after saying this. As the sound of the closing door echoed, Ronin, who had been sulking on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a mysterious and inscrutable smile on his lips. Seeing Catherine sleeping for a long time without any response, Branden couldn''t help but want to enter the room and wake her up. As soon as he entered, he saw Catherine sitting on the bed, pale-faced, with a vacant look in her eyes, still emanating a chilling aura that hadn''t faded. Shest had this kind of aura at Vicente''s funeral. "What''s going on?" Branden thought. He quickened his pace to reach Catherine, nervously embracing her. " What''s going on? Why is your body so cold?" "Nothing." Catherine gently pushed away Branden''s hands and struggled out of his embrace. Confused, Branden watched her, finding it challenging toprehend her reactions. Catherine, sensing her excessive response, reached to her forehead andy back down. "Just had a nightmare. My head isn''t clear yet. Let me rest for a while." When he saw the fine sweat on her forehead and a rare emotional exposure on her face, Branden''s heart twisted painfully. He realized that Catherine seemed to reject his concern, preferring an independent space. "Rest well then. I''ll be in the study next door. Call me if you need anything." "Okay." Catherine nodded slowly. Branden got up and left, but before closing the door, he turned back several times, casting a worried and caring gaze behind him. As the door closed, Catherine let out a deep sigh. Her heart pounded om fiercely a clear reaction to the recent nightmare. It had been years since she had a nightmare, and now it had returned. Catherine didn''t want to dwell on it. Frowning, she closed her eyes, and her usuallyposed face showed a rare expression of emotion. Branden returned to the study and immediately contacted Paxton. "Check if Catherine has encountered any issues at school these past few days." Paxton hesitated momentarily and thought, "Mr. Duncan never allowed us to investigate Miss Swann privately. What''s going on?" Though curious, Paxton didn''t dare to ask more questions. He agreed to the request. Late at night, Catherine woke to a buzzing sound. She picked up her vibrating phone and held it to her ear. " Hello." "Catherine, are you busy?" Zobber''s gentle voice came through the receiver. Only Catherine could elicit such an attitude from Zobber. Having called Catherine earlier and receiving no response, Zobber tried again. She assumed she had disturbed Catherine, hence her unusually obedient demeanor. "Not really. What''s up?" Catherine''s voice was somewhat hoarse, sounding like she had just woken up. Not daring to waste time, Zobber quickly exined the situation. She said, "Catherine, we found something. Do you want toe take a look?" "Okay, I''ll be right there." As Catherine was about to end the call, she heard Zobber''s somewhat guilty voice "Catherine, Withal and I are already on our way. I''ll send you the coordinates." This wasn''t the first time Zobber acted without consulting Catherine. Catherine had grown ustomed to it and didn''t dwell on it too much. Once she received the coordinates, Catherine lifted the covers, got out of bed, and prepared to leave. Passing by the study, she nced at the light seeping through the door, then lightened her footsteps and left. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 806 Chapter 806 You Go First Catherine drove to the location provided by Zobber, but upon getting out of the car, she didn''t spot any familiar figures. She dialed Zobber''s phone, but it went unanswered. To avoid causing trouble for Zobber, Catherine decided not to call again. Thest time she had contacted Zobber was just over ten minutes ago when Zobber messaged her, informing her that she had reached the designated location. Originally, Zobber had suggested waiting for her to arrive and act together. However, it seemed that something unexpected had urred, prompting Zobber to take action ahead of time. It had only been over ten minutes, so Catherine wasn''t overly concerned. She pocketed her phone and headed toward the coordinates ahead. It waste at night, and the entire building was in darkness. The darker the environment, the more Catherine''s enhanced vision came into y. Casually passing through the dark space, she sensed movement ahead and immediately concealed herself in a nearby corner. Faint breathing reached her ears, and Catherine could discern that the person approaching had considerablebat skills. As the individual came close to her side, Catherine swiftly struck. The person took a hit, staggering backward in pain. Catherine prepared for another attack, intending to subdue the personpletely. "Catherine, it''s me!" Recognizing the familiar voice, Catherine stopped her assault in time. Zobber might have already been on the ground if she had hesitated a moment longer. With Catherine ceasing her actions, Zobber silently sighed in relief, lying on the ground and catching her breath. In the previous second, she had almost met her maker. Fortunately, Catherine''s agility saved the day. "Catherine, you got here really fast," said Zobber. Noticing only Zobber, Catherine asked worriedly, "Where''s Withal?" "Catherine, when we arrived, we saw someone leaving. Withal was worried about losing the trail, so he followed the person''s car, leaving me here to assist you." Knowing that Withal was safe from Zobber, Catherine felt reassured. Zobber then briefed Catherine on the basic situation. They suspected this might be the new base of the mysterious group that attacked them. Upon obtaining specific coordinates, they informed Catherine toe to this location. It was a rare setback for the Hacker Alliance in all these years. Both Zobber and Withal were determined to settle this score. "Catherine, I''ve investigated. The top floor is locked, and there are guards. Something must be hidden there." Catherine didn''t object to Zobber''s findings. She lowered her voice and asked, "Is there a way up?" "Yeah." Zobber nodded slightly. Beforeing there, she had hacked into the building''s management system and stolen theyout. After studying it, she found a way to bypass the guards and reach the top floor. It was just a bit more challenging. The entire building''s venttion system was interconnected. Climbing up along the venttion duct from the floor just below the top would get them to their destination. As long as they moved quietly, they could remain undetected. Catherine listened attentively to Zobber''s n and immediately took action. "Let''s go. We''re heading up. Let''s follow your n and use the venttion duct." The two quickly reached the second-tost floor, and Zobber used a coin to loosen the screws locking the venttion duct.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. The entire building was without power, and the fans in the venttion duct had ceased operation, making their movements easier. Zobber knelt down on one knee and tapped her thigh, signaling Catherine to step on it. "Catherine, you go first." "No, you go first." Catherine refused Zobber''s proposal. She positioned her hands in front of her abdomen, indicating Zobber to step on them. Time was of the essence, and Zobber didn''t waste time. She stepped on Catherine''s hands, utilizing her assistance to easily climb into the venttion opening. Once Zobber was up, she quickly turned around, lying on the opening, ready to help Catherine. "Catherine, find a chair to stand on. I''ll pull you up." Ignoring Zobber''s suggestion, Catherine stepped back a few steps, then swiftly rushed forward. With a kick from her left foot followed by her right, she soared upward. She quickly grabbed Zobber''s hand, effortlessly reaching the venttion opening. In the blink of an eye, Catherine was by Zobber''s side. Zobber was momentarily stunned, astonished by Catherine''s swift movements. "Awesome, Catherine!" she eximed inwardly. Pulling herself up, Catherine moved forward rapidly, leading the way and avoiding obstacles for Zobber. To remain undetected, they chose a more distant venttion duct. There was still some distance to cover from here to the top-floor room. Besides, crawling through the venttion duct posed a different challenge than moving on the ground. Despite both being agile, the speed was noticeably reduced, and reaching the top floor would take some time. Two hours passed, and there was no sign of activity in the bedroom. Branden was uncertain whether Catherine was still sleeping or had awakened. Getting up from the study, he gently knocked on the bedroom door, but there was no response from inside. Even if Catherine were asleep, it couldn''t be such a deep slumber. Sensing something amiss, he opened the bedroom door with a furrowed brow. The empty room weighed heavily on his emotions. He couldn''t believe someone could silently take Catherine away from under his nose. Moreover, Catherine''sbat skills surpassed his own, making it impossible for someone to abduct her without a sound. So, there was only one possibility-she left on her own and deliberately concealed her departure. Branden left the bedroom and dialed Paxton''s number in the living room. Upon learning the situation, Paxton and Carlo hurried to the apartment. After Branden purchased this apartment, he also bought a house in the adjacent building. Paxton and Garlo were resting in that house. Upon receiving the news, they arrived in front of Branden within five minutes. During their journey, Paxton had already arranged for someone to ess the surveince footage. He handed the surveince footage to Branden. "Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann left on her own." Carlo also received thetest information and reported the situation to Branden. He said, "Mr. Duncan, Withal, and Zobber are also missing." The three of them mobilized simultaneously. Branden and the others knew very well the reason for their actions. It was likely that Zobber''s team had received some leads and informed Catherine, and they had acted ordingly. The air pressure inside the room was exceptionally low, creating a feeling of breathlessness. Carlo''s nerves were stretched to the extreme, and he subtly signaled Paxton, not understanding why Branden''s face was so dark. Paxton didn''t bother with the inexperienced fool. Branden and Catherine had spent the night together under the same roof. Waking up in the middle of the night to find the person next to him gone and receiving no notification, any man would likely explode. Branden''s current state was probably expected. "Mr. Duncan, we''ll investigate right away." This was Loxton, their territory. Moreover, Catherine didn''t conceal her movements when she left; otherwise, how could the surveince capture these images? Seeing no objection from Branden, Paxton swiftly took action. It was crucial to ascertain Catherine''s whereabouts quickly; otherwise, they would all suffer. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 807 Chapter 807 Are They Arguing? "Catherine, we''re here," Zobber reminded Catherine in a hushed tone, fearing it might attract the attention of the guards below. Catherine waved her hand to signal Zobber, then peered down through the venttion shaft''s exhaust fan. Below them were two guards in the front and another by the main door. Taking down these three silently and entering the room ahead was nearly impossible. Catherine decided to move forward, cross the obstacles, and check the situation inside the room. However, the venttion shaft was too narrow, only allowing one person at a time. Catherine instructed Zobber to stay in ce while she entered to assess the situation. Understanding that her abilities weren''t as formidable as Catherine''s, Zobber agreed to Catherine''s decision. After crossing the venttion shaft, Catherine reached the above of the inner room. Through the vent, she could hear muffled conversations below, making it difficult to understand. To get a clearer understanding, Catherine decided to twist her body, pressing her face against the venttion hole to maximize her hearing. "How did the task I assigned you go?" "Sir, I believe Ronin genuinely intends to betray Catherine for his freedom. I''ve been with him for a few days, and he has shown no unusual behavior. Through observation, I''ve noticed he is more eager than us to obtain the experimental data." The man in the shadows sneered. " Humph!" Perplexed, the masked man asked, " Sir, don''t you believe this?" "You don''t understand Ronin''s feelings for Catherine." Hearing the response from the other party, the masked man felt a bit disgruntled. He didn''tprehend the rtionship between Ronin and Catherine, but he believed human nature was selfish when faced with interests and survival. He felt that nobody would sacrifice themselves for someone else. Although he disagreed, the masked man didn''t dare to argue. A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The masked man instantly went into a state of alert. He approached, asked for the password, and then opened the door. Two figures in ck slowly entered, respectfully standing before the man hidden in the shadows. "Sir, the car is ready." "Okay, let''s go." Catherine kept a close eye on the shadows, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man''s face. However, these individuals were too cautious. The man hidden in the shadows not only wore a mask but also arge ck robe thatpletely concealed his figure. Seeing that these people were about to leave, Catherine decided to take immediate action. If she missed this opportunity, it would be challenging to find new leads. She signaled Zobber to follow her instructions, and Zobber immediately understood. Both of them descended swiftly. The noise from above immediately caught the attention of those below. After Catherine descended, she quickly charged toward the man in arge ck robe, attempting to unveil his disguise and reveal his true identity. However, the man seemed to predict Catherine''s movements and surprisingly evaded in advance. This was the first time Catherine had missed, and even she was momentarily stunned. Regaining herposure, Catherine charged again, but the man seemed unwilling to engage, turning to escape. The bodyguards rushed to his side, forming a protective shield and escorting him away. Catherine increased her pace, attempting to shake off these obstacles. However, they were unfazed, not afraid of her. Even when she kicked one of them to the ground, he clung to her thigh, hindering her movements and buying time for the man to escape. Seeing that the man was about to disappear right before her eyes, Catherine shouted, "Zobber!" Zobber leaped into action, swiftly incapacitating one of the guards and rushing to assist. "Catherine, leave this to me. You go after him." Catherine nodded, kicking away one of the guards and chasing after the fleeing ck-robed man. Just as she was about to catch up with the ck-robed man, the masked man rushed forward. Ignoring his own safety, he lunged and tightly embraced Catherine. The ck-robed man had a smug look on his face, ready to disappear. Suddenly, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. Branden, apanied by Carlo and the others, rushed in. Seeing the reinforcements arriving, Zobber excitedly apuded. "Well, betterte than never. Let''s see how these bastards escape this time." The ck-robed man''s expression changed when he saw Branden. He hadn''t expected Branden to arrive so quickly. He had originally nned to slip away casually, but now it seemed troublesome. Everyone thought the ck-robed man wouldn''t get away this time, but to their surprise, he turned and ran toward the edge, then leaped, directly jumping down.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. From a dozen floors high, jumping down would undoubtedly be fatal. Everyone was shocked, rushing forward to check the situation. The ck-robed man had already jumped onto the rooftop of the opposite building. Then, using powerful arm strength, he climbed onto the roof, disappearing into the moonlit night. Zobber looked utterly astonished, her mouth almost unable to close. " Catherine, is this guy even human?" Catherine''s face was tense, her eyes cold. She, too, was shocked by the opponent''s formidable burst of power. It seemed this person''sbat strength was definitely not low, at least surpassing Zobber''s. "A foreign professional parkour athlete set a simr recordst month. The distance should beparable to what we just witnessed," said Catherine. Faced with these superhuman stunts, Zobber could only sigh in admiration. Catherine noticed the probing look from Zobber. Before she could speak, Catherine had already provided the answer! That parkour athlete died in an ident during an extreme sports eventst month." The glimmer of hope that had just ignited in Zobber was instantly shattered when she heard Catherine''s words. Taking advantage of the distraction, the masked man lying on the ground swiftly got up and leaped down from the nearby stairs. By the time Catherine and the others regained their senses, the masked man had already reached ground level. His agility didn''t match the ck-robed man''s; he ran away with a limp due to his injured leg. Seeing him seize the opportunity to escape, Zobber was furious, stomping her foot and gritting her teeth. " Catherine, I''ll go chase him back right away!" "No need." Catherine stopped Zobber. Zobber looked at her with confusion in her eyes. If it weren''t for Catherine''s distraction just now, the masked man wouldn''t have stood a chance of escaping. Now, Catherine was preventing her from chasing after him -what could this possibly mean? Though puzzled, Zobber didn''t express it outwardly. She trusted that Catherine had her reasons for doing so, even if she couldn''t reveal them now. The ck-d guards lying on the ground were all taken away by Carlo and the others, and Paxton signaled Zobber. Unsure of the situation, Zobber walked toward him. Seeing her approach, Paxton grabbed her and swiftly pulled her away. Confused, Zobber struggled, attempting to kick Paxton. Paxton, agile as ever, evaded her and gave her a disdainful look. "Why don''t you know how to appreciate goodwill? I tried to help you, and you want to hit me?" "Help me?" Zobber stared at him with a puzzled expression. Paxton gestured toward the couple not far away. Zobber looked over-an attractive pair but with a visibly tense atmosphere. "Are they arguing?" Zobber asked. Paxton didn''t want to answer too many questions. "Stay or leave? If you stay, you might end up as cannon fodder. Don''te begging for help." Understanding Paxton''s good intentions, Zobber didn''t want to stay any longer, afraid of being involved in unnecessary troubles. She quickly followed Paxton. "Wait for me. I''ming!" The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Quarrel Catherine sensed the anger hidden in Branden''s eyes, and she knew he was upset. "I was just next door, and you couldn''t even bother to inform me?" said Branden. Catherine didn''t know how to respond. If she wanted to make excuses, she coulde up with a wless one, leaving no room for criticism. However, she didn''t want to lie to Branden. Looking at Catherine, who remained silent, Branden felt a mixture of disappointment and deep concern. He thought that after all this time, he had sessfully entered Catherine''s heart. But once again, he was disappointed. Initially, he nned to turn and leave, leaving her alone to reflect. However, unable to make that decision, he approached and pulled her into his arms. The moment he embraced Catherine, warmth instantly enveloped her. Her cold heart gradually thawed, and her icy gaze softened. But the next moment, she heard him whispering in her ear, gritting his teeth. "Catherine, do you even have a heart? Even if your heart is made of stone, it should have warmed up by now. Why are you still unwilling to open up?" His sharp words caused Catherine''s recently warmed heart to plunge back into an icy abyss. Catherine pushed Branden away and turned to leave directly. Branden wanted to catch up but couldn''t match Catherine''s speed. Catherine disappeared without a trace. Seeing Brandening out alone with a gloomy face, Paxton and the others understood that things had taken a serious turn. They were scared stiff, even slowing down their breathing. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Zobber risked danger and said, "Mr. Duncan, actually, it''s not Catherine''s fault. When I notified her, we were already on the move. You know Catherine. On the surface, she seems cold, but she values rtionships a lot. She was just worried about us, so she didn''t have time to notify you beforeing out. If you want to me someone, me me. Don''t be angry with Catherine." After hearing Zobber''s words, Paxton silently apuded her in his mind." She''s really bold and daring," he thought. Branden sneered after hearing, then sat back with his eyes closed, choosing not to speak further. His anger wasn''t directed at Catherine for leaving without notice. He knew Catherine could have informed him in time. She just didn''t want to say anything, or perhaps, from the beginning, she never took him seriously. Zobber was right. Catherine, seemingly cold on the outside, was extremely caring toward those around her, except him. Seeing his displeasure, Zobber wanted to say a few words to console him but was stopped by Paxton. Couples in love often had zero intelligence. Now, Branden was in a bad mood, and many things were unclear to him. No matter how others tried to persuade, it wouldn''t work. Paxton was also worried that if Zobber continued to persuade, she might provoke Branden''s anger, causing troubleter. Although he thought Zobber was a little annoying, it was no big deal. Paxton intervened, causing Zobber to swallow the words she was about to say. Just at that moment, a ringing sound interrupted her thoughts. "Withal, how''s it going on your end?" she asked. "Lost them. Are you okay?" Withal replied. Zobber reported the current situation, and Withal breathed a sigh of relief. "Where are you? I''lle to find you," said Zobber. After hanging up the phone, Zobber got Withal''s address. She signaled Paxton to pull over and let her get out, but Paxton disagreed. Where are you going? We''ll take you. It''s alreadyte at night. Aren''t you afraid?" These words startled both Carlo and Zobber. Paxton noticed their strange expressions and realized he might have cared too much. He was about to exin when Zobber beat him to it. She said, "With my capabilities, onees, one goes down. I''m not afraid of anything." After saying this to Paxton, Zobber informed the driver ahead to stop by the roadside and swiftly exited the car. Watching Zobber''s figure gradually disappear, Paxton withdrew his gaze. Turning his head, he met Carlo''s probing gaze. "Why are you staring at me like that?" "Paxton, what do you mean? Why are you suddenly so concerned about Zobber?" Carlo''s question carried a hint of ambiguity. Paxton didn''t want to make eye contact; he avoided Carlo''s gaze and pretended to be tough, saying, "Anyway, we''re sort of friends. Besides, considering her rtionship with Miss Swann, I just care a bit more. If something really happens, we''ll also be in trouble." "Humph!" Carlo didn''t believe his excuses. Now that Branden was in the car, he couldn''t use harsh methods to force Paxton to confess. He would team up with Francis when he returned and make Paxton spill the beans. Seeing Carlo not saying anything more, Paxton secretly sighed in relief. He was stunned for a moment when Carlo asked those questions. He didn''t know what was going on with him. He was just subconsciously caring, perhaps as he mentioned, because of Zobber''s connection with Catherine. She was Catherine''s person, so there was an added level of concern. If something happened to her, they would inevitably have to help, which would be troublesome for them. That night, Catherine did not return to the apartment. She went straight back to school and had the people keeping an eye on things report the situation to Branden. Knowing that she was safe, Branden didn''t go looking for Catherine. Perhaps both of them needed some space to calm down. When Amelia woke up and saw Catherine in the dorm the following day, she was momentarily surprised. Seeing Catherine resting, she didn''t dare to ask and just tugged Isabe''s sleeve, asking in a low voice, "Did Super Catherinee backst night?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Isabe silently nodded. She studiedte and happened to witness Catherine returning with a chilly demeanor. Although she knew Catherine''s cold attitude wasn''t directed at her, she still felt uneasy mainly buy for long time. It was mainly because Catherine''s presence was too intimidating, making her shiver. with "Keep it down. I noticed Super Catherine was not in a good moodst night. She probably fought her boyfriend." Under Amelia''s influence, Isabe also changed her way of addressing Catherine. However, the main reason was Catherine''s stunning performance during thepetition. She was truly deserving of the title. Knowing that Catherine had an argument with Branden, Amelia didn''t take it too o.seriously. After a who didn''t argue in a rtionship? When she was with herst boyfriend, they could argue countless times a day. "Let''s be careful. She must be in a bad mood after quarreling with her boyfriend." They discussed and decided to give Catherine space in the dorm. Isabe chose to go to the library, and Amelia went to theb. As soon as they went downstairs, Isabe saw a handsome guy not far away and pulled Amelia to take a look. Amelia''s brows furrowed as soon as she saw Rn. She muttered, "Why is he here?" "Super Catherine is in a bad mood now. Isn''t this just adding fuel to the fire?" she thought. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 809 Chapter 809 New Boyfriend Amelia was nning to drag Isabe away when Rn first spotted the two and walked directly toward Amelia. "Amelia, please wait!" Isabe turned her head to look at Amelia, her eyes filled with questions. " Well, he knew Amelia''s name in such a short time," she thought. Amelia looked innocent. She didn''t want any of this. It had nothing to do with her. All she could say was that Rn was really something. Now, neither walking away nor standing still seemed appropriate, so the two of them awkwardly stood there. Rn approached and stood in front of Amelia, blocking her way. "Amelia, is Catherine in the dormitory? Or is she in theb?" Amelia originally wanted to say she didn''t know, but Rn''s eyes and the warm smile on his face... She really couldn''t lie to such a handsome guy, so she had to tell the truth. "Mr. Melton, Catherine is upstairs. But she seemed to have returned verytest night, so she slept quite soundly and probably won''t get up so soon." Amelia couldn''t specte about Catherine''s situation. After all, she didn''t know what had happened between Catherine and Branden. It was Catherine''s business, and she couldn''t casually tell others.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. The reason she said this was to hope Rn would back off and not bother Catherine for the time being. Having obtained the information he wanted, Rn no longer stopped Amelia. "Thanks, Amelia." "You''re wee." Seeing the release, Amelia immediately pulled Isabe away. She was afraid she might say something wrong if she stayed any longer. Rn watched Amelia leave. He didn''t have any ulterior motives toward Amelia. He was just in a pretty good mood because Amelia brought him good news. Catherine didn''t stay at Branden''s apartmentst night and returned to the school in the middle of the night. It indicated a rift or an argument between her and Branden. He would wait here until Catherine appeared. At noon, the sun shone into the dormitory beds. Feeling the warmth, Catherine opened her eyes in her sleep and woke up slowly. ncing at the time, she had actually slept through lunch. Catherine immediately got out of bed. Since no one was in the dormitory, she didn''t need to be discreet. With a handsome flip, she stood firmly on the floor. After a quick wash, Catherine came down from the dormitory, ready to have lunch at the cafeteria before heading to theb. As she descended the stairs, she saw Rn standing in front. With an expressionless face, Catherine walked past him,pletely ignoring him. However, Rn wasn''t willing to let Catherine go so easily. When Catherine walked past, he immediately followed, wearing a full smile, seemingly unafraid of rejection. "Catherine, it''s lunchtime already. How about you take me to your cafeteria?" Catherine stopped and turned her head toward him, her eyes cold, face expressionless. "Can''t you go by yourself? Why should I take you?" Rn, acting as if it was perfectly reasonable, said, "Catherine, I think the food in your cafeteria is excellent. But I''m not a student here and can''t buy the food. I only know you here, so naturally, you''ll take me. Anyway, we''ve known each other for so long. Are you really unwilling to treat me to a meal at the cafeteria?" "Yeah, I''m unwilling." Catherine bluntly refused and pointed to the side of the road. "Rn, if you really want to eat, just stand there and shout. With your looks, I guarantee someone will take you to the cafeteria or even treat you." Catherine wasn''t exaggerating; Rn could indeed get a meal based on his appearance. He could easily deceive quite a few naive girls with his handsome looks. Otherwise, the school wouldn''t have been filled with rumors and gossip about Catherine because of Rn during this time. After hearing Catherine''s sarcasm, Rn didn''t get angry. Instead, the smile on his face became more apparent. "Catherine, I like the way you speak. I didn''t expect you to appreciate my appearance as well." Rn knew very well that his face was attractive to girls, but he never cared about these things. But if Catherine liked it, it would be a different story. He didn''t mind using his looks to his advantage. Seeing that she couldn''t shake off Rn, Catherine could only let him follow. The two entered the cafeteria one after the other, attracting quite a bit of attention. Even though it wasn''t peak hours, there were still quite a few people inside the cafeteria. The crowd discreetly observed Catherine and Rn, whispering and gossiping. "Isn''t that Catherine? I remember the handsome guy who used to be by her side wasn''t this one, right?" "Who knows, maybe he''s her new boyfriend." A female student gazed at Catherine with envy. "Why is she so amazing? Every boyfriend she has is so handsome. Our campus heartthrob is nothingpared to this guy!" "Haven''t you seen how capable Catherine is? If we had half of her abilities, we wouldn''t be single until now." Endless rumors and gossip surrounded them, but Catherine was ustomed to these discussions, expressionlessly walking toward the food counter. After ordering her meal, she was about to leave, but she heard Rn talking to the cafeteriady behind her. "Ma''am, please get me the same as her." Catherine frowned and turned around." Did I say I would treat you to a meal?" Before Rn could reply, the cafeteriady interrupted, "Dear, don''t be so harsh on your boyfriend. It''s just a meal, and you can pay for your boyfriend." Catherine rolled her eyes in silence and didn''t want to argue. She knew she could not outdo the cafeteriady in an argument. Having no other choice, she had to help Rn cover the meal expenses. epting the te from the cafeteriady, Rn thanked her with a smile. Catherine found a ce to sit, and Rn immediately followed suit. ncing at the tes in front of them, Catherinepared her own portion with Rn''s. Indeed, some people could receive preferential treatment just based on their appearance. The portion of meat the cafeteriady gave Rn was clearly twice as much as hers. Rn noticed Catherine''s gaze. He picked up a piece of meat from his te and tried to put it onto Catherine''s te. But before it couldnd, Catherine spoke up. "Enjoy your meal. Don''t push me to the point where I have to hit you. Aware of Catherine''s temper, Rn dared not provoke her at this moment and silently retracted the offered fork. Suddenly, a sh quickly passed by. e and s Catherine subconsciously looked to the side and saw a group of students taking pictures of the flowers in front of the cafeteria. She didn''t think much of it. Focusing on her meal, Catherine quickly finished her food. Seeing she was about to finish om eating, Rn hurriedly asked, "Catherine, what will you do next? How about I take you somewhere fun? I''ve been in Loxton for a while but haven''t had a good time." Without even looking at him, Catherine packed up her utensils and left. Rn acted as if he hadn''t seen Catherine''s disgust and persistently followed her. Seeing Catherine about to enter theb Building, he raised his voice and shouted, "Don''t you believe me yet? Do you still not think Branden deliberately got close to you?" The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 810 Chapter 810 Mysterious Photos "Crack!" A loud sound echoed as the wooden chair, originally ced nearby, instantly shattered under a powerful kick. Paxton stood on the side, his heart pounding with fear. He had no idea which lunatic, with a death wish, sent such photos to Branden. Branden''s dark, gleaming eyes shed a hint of cold, murderous intent as he stared fixedly at the photos on the table. Just half an hour ago, an envelope had been delivered to the Duncan Corporation building, specifying Branden as the recipient. After the security team confirmed no danger, they presented the photos to Branden. When Paxton opened the envelope, he was stunned. He had thought about hiding the photos, but it was already toote. Branden had noticed the people in the photos, and he reached out to Paxton. Helpless, Paxton handed the photos to Branden, and the scene of kicking the chair into pieces ensued. The man and woman in the photos looked exceptionally harmonious and well- matched. The guy was attentively cing food onto the girl''s te. If the female lead in the photo wasn''t Catherine, Paxton might have thought it was a nice photography shot. The atmosphere indoors grew increasingly gloomy, and the air pressure dropped. Not daring to lift his head, Paxton asked, "Mr. Duncan, should we go find Miss Swann now?" He had it all nned out. When he located Catherine and the bastard, he would deal with the bastard immediately, sparing Branden from getting involved. "How dare you vie for Mr. Duncan''s woman? You''re seeking death," thought Paxton. "No need." Branden''s cold voice resounded. Paxton doubted his ears and looked up in astonishment. Seeing Branden''s stern expression, Paxton knew he wasn''t joking. Sensing Branden''s gaze, Paxton was frightened and refrained from further questions. Branden continued to look at the photos on the table, and the darkness in his eyes deepened. "Catherine!" Hearing someone call her, Catherine abruptly turned around, meeting Marshall''s concerned gaze. Marshall looked at her with a face full ofpassion. "What''s going on? Are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so pale?" Catherine subconsciously shook her head. "Professor Hartley, did you need something?" Marshall carefully observed Catherine, trying to discern any clues from her expression. Before, she would immediately notice him approaching. Even without a reaction, her calm face would reveal that she had already seen through everything. But just now, he approached her and called her twice before she reacted. That was unusual. "Catherine, you seem oblivious to the concept of rest. While experiments are crucial, a bit of rest is necessary. Stop staying in theb now; go and take a break," said Marshall. While other students needed constant reminders to study, Catherine was different. Not only was she talented and capable, but she also worked diligently in her studies. Every day in school, Marshall saw her immersed in theb and never neglected other courses. For the projects Catherine was working on, Marshall, as a professor, could only provide guidance and limited assistance. Sometimes, he felt he was not fulfilling his role as a professor properly. "Professor Hartley, I''m fine." Catherine''s mind was still reying Marshall''s words, and her attention was diverted. She wasn''t tired and didn''t need a break. , Seeing her disobedience, Marshall adopted a serious expression. " Catherine, if you take me as your mentor, you should follow my advice." Bringing out the authority of a professor, Marshallpelled Catherine to yield out of respect. To ensure Catherine left theb and took a proper break, Marshall even locked theb and took away the keys. " Don''t think about entering theb again today. Rest well, ande find me tomorrow for the keys." Seeing Marshall''s triumphant look, Catherine smiled somewhat helplessly. "Alright," Catherine replied and left theb. Looking at her empty dorm, Catherine initially nned to take a short nap. However, having slept a long time the previous night, she wasn''t sleepy at all. After contemting for a moment, Catherine decided to visit Zobber and Withal to learn about the events from the previous day. As she was about to leave her dorm, theputer on her desk suddenly emitted a strange sound. "Ding-dong, you have a new message. Please check." Catherine turned to herputer and saw the desktop pet Ronin designed and installed to keep herpany. She lightly clicked on the desktop pet''s belly with the mouse, and a message popped up. The message was specially encrypted, requiring a password to open. However, all these couldn''t stump Catherine. Her fingers danced swiftly across the keyboard, and in no time, spe gracked the code. Soon, a message popped up-a string of numbers, seemingly random and disorderly. Catherine knew these numbers wouldn''t appear on herputer without a reason. The other party eason. @thecparty! deliberately made her see this. There must be something behind it. She memorized the numbers, intending to study themter carefully. After erasing any traces of her viewing, Catherine left her dorm, driving directly to Connie''s residence. Upon hearing the doorbell, Zobberzily got up to open the door. She and Withal had investigated all night, basically pulling an all-nighter. They only went to bed at around seven in the morning. Now, they were very sleepy. "Who is it?" Zobber asked as she opened the door. When she saw Catherine standing outside, her drowsiness was instantly chased away, and she was revitalized. "Catherine, you''re here!" Seeing Zobber''s somewhat tired appearance, Catherine frowned slightly. "Did I disturb your sleep?" "Not at all!" Zobber exined hastily," I should have been up already. I just lingered in bed a bit. Catherine,e in." After Catherine entered and sat down, Zobber rushed to Withal''s room, forcefully dragging him out of bed. Despite appearing amiable on regr days, Withal could be quite grumpy when woken up. Whenever someone disturbed his sleep, he would lose his temper. However, Zobber was never afraid of Withal, and ironically, Withal couldn''t do anything to her and had to endure her disturbance. After Withal got up, he came out and was momentarily stunned to see Catherine on the sofa. "Catherine, what brings you here?" Zobber, standing behind him, delivered a swift kick to his backside don and sternly rebuked. "All you think about is sleeping. You didn''t even notice when Catherine arrived. I kindly woke you up, and you still wanted to pick a fight with me. Sure,e on, fight me in front of Catherine." Withal gritted his teeth and red at Zobber''s arrogant expression. Fiercely, he said, "You better not cross the line. Otherwise, don''t cry when I deal with youter." Sitting on the side, Catherine watched the two bicker with great amusement. The content is on noveldrama.org! Read thetest chapter there!Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Secret Investigation After a heated argument with Zobbler, Whitall took the initiative to stop it. He had always known what he should and shouldn''t do. He gestured for Zobbler to be quiet, then focused his gaze on Catherine. "Catherine, what brought you here today?" Whitall heard from Zobbler that Catherine seemed to have fought with Brandonst night. When he took this quarrel lightly, their ordinary people, couldn''t persuade them to stop. They could only be sensible and avoid being involved in it. Catherine leaned on the armrest of the sofa with one hand, supporting her chin, and her other hand leisurely hung on her side. She said with a poker face, "Tell me about yesterday''s situation." Zobbler gestured to Whitall to exin the situation. Whitall was very sure that he wanted to stabilize Zobbler. If there were good things, Zobbler would be the first to take them, and if there was danger, he would also give them to them. Though helpless, Whitall still began to exin the situation to Catherine, "When I arrived with Zobbler yesterday, I noticed that the shops seemed to be transformed from houses as well as Ronin, so I followed up immediately. Honestly, this group of people was very good at doing things in such a reasonable attitude. I followed them for not long before I was discovered. They were even willing to greet us with red eyes, full of wit." If those boys had not been of big significance, they might have fought with them. They all felt very ashamed to tell Catherine about this. After Whitall finished speaking, Catherine didn¡¯t react at all and sat expressionless.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Zobbler was a little worried that Whitall would follow their knowing what was going on if Catherine was angry. After hearing about that moment, Zobbler continued, "Catherine, I double-checked carefully with Whitallter. I found that none of them had anything to do with Elkansea. Although the Elkansea is very suspicious, we have already grasped their situation. Margot is among that group of people. If they are really those who lived in a peaceful life, it is difficult to identify the scope of people, and the superiors will pursue their responsibilities before what they found." Whitall stared at Catherine and Zobbler, and his voice was from that day''s own position. No matter what those people y, this was for Catherine to decide. After a few seconds of silence, Catherine slowly said, "Zobbler, I''ll leave this matter to you. Be careful when you do it and don''t leave any ws." Zobbler put two of her fingers together and waved them at the position of her temple. "Okay!" After hearing what he had with Zobbler''s ability, she could do it easily. She turned her head to look at Whitall, and with a nce, Whitall had already been standing in a first-ss ce. Catherine, if you have something to say, just say it. Don''t look at me like that. I''m panicking!" "Oh?" Catherine raised her eyebrows and her eyes suddenly fell into Catherine''s eyes. Zobbler immediately teased him: "Tell us after you get married to be afraid of her look" After the Whitall could not retort, Zobbler fully stopped teasing him. "Whitall, contact Wink and ask him toe to London." Hearing Catherine''smand, Whitall immediately understood her intention: "Catherine, are you nning to have Wintelle here to help you observe the Hacker Alliance?" Among the entire Hacker Alliance, the only one who could make them trust now was Wintell. "No, Zobbler and I have asked him several times. If it''s really him, we wouldn''t be easily expelled under any circumstances." Catherine didn''t say much, but onlymanded in a low voice, "Go arrange it!" "Okay!" Whitall immediately took the order. After arranging what they were going to do, Catherine idly wandered around Connie''s house in boredom. Although this house was under Connie''s name, it was purchased by the Hacker Alliance. It could be considered a ce for them to live in London. After Catherine came to London, everything was arranged by Brandon, so she didn''t considering to live there. Ronin, on the contrary, asionally came there to grab some food. Catherine opened Ronin''s room and found his room full of treasures he had collected. Although she knew Ronin was not in danger now, she still wanted to rescue him as soon as possible and give him freedom. After looking around, Catherine nned to leave. As she was walking, she happened to see the Sudoku board hanging behind the door. After the disorganized numbers were gradually filled into the right ce, it presented the same result no matter whether the numbers were added horizontally or vertically, this was the charm of Sudoku. Suddenly, Catherine had an inspiration. She put the string of numbers she had collected earlier into the Sudoku board. When thest number was filled in its position, Catherine finally understood the meaning of that string of numbers. Her lips curved slightly upward, casting a charming smile. She praised in her heart, "Ronin deserves to be raised by me. He''s indeed smart." Everyone knew that Brandon and Catherine had a real fight. Catherine stayed in the dormitory for the past two days, while Brandon was engrossed in his work, and never came to see Catherine. Ryan inexplicably watched Catherine more often. Catherine could see him almost every day downstairs in the girls'' dormitory or in front of theb building. The rumors about Catherine changing her boyfriend were spreading more and more fiercely, and even Marshal, a professor, who was dedicated to research, had heard the rumors. Catherine was doing experiments in theb when she realized that there was a figure in front of theb door that kept swaying back and forth every day. She stood in the shadows and quietly looked over. She saw Marshall in the doorway. As they locked eyes with each other, Marshall was a little embarrassed and could only break the awkwardness with augh, "Hi, are you tired? Want to take a break?" "Ahaha!" Catherineughed softly. Professor Hartley, all the mentors are chasing after the students every day, forcing them to catch up on their progress. But you''re chasing here. Are you counting on us?" Marshall had a good temper and was not angry. He was very polite and said a few words of encouragement before he could only leave. Speaking of which, Marshall was a little proud. "That''s because they don''t have such diligent students as I have. If those students are half as hardworking as you, I wouldn''t even have no object to y chess with." The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Catherine showed a helpless smile as she watched Marshall praising her in a serious manner. "Alright, Professor Harltey. Don''t wander from the subject. If you have anything to say, just say it directly." Mentioning this, Marshall, who had just straightened his waist, suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "Nothing much, I just want to ask how you and Brandon are doing these days." Catherine pursed her lips and didn''t say anything. She knew what Marshall meant. Marshall''s heart sank when he saw Catherine''s silence. He knew something must be wrong. But he could only deal with some academic issues. He really did not know how to handle the emotional issues of his students. He let out a long sigh. After thinking for a long time, he said in a low voice, "I don''t understand the things you young people do nowadays, so I''ll take the example of what happened between me and my wife. We didn''t have a free love affair (from the beginning). We met on a blind date arranged by our unit. My teacher thought she was suitable for me, but I was so focused on my research that I didn¡¯t even think about having a blind date with her. In the end, I couldn''t resist my mother¡¯s urge and agreed to go on the blind date, and I got married to her in a daze. In the blink of an eye, decades have passed. Ourb can have the present thanks to my wife¡¯s thoughtfulness and trust. As you know, I¡¯ve been concentrating on research all my life, and I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today if it weren¡¯t for her support of my career." The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Marshall and his wife were known as a loving couple inside the school and had always been regarded as a model couple. The reason why he persuaded Catherine so was that he thought Catherine''s argument with Brandon was due to Brandon''s career. Everyone know that it was not easy to manage the huge Duncan Corporation. Catherineughed silently at Marshall''s words. She knew what Marshall wanted to express was that he wanted her and Brandon to trust each other. "Professor Hartley, don''t worry. We''re fine. We''re just a bit busytely and don''t have time to meet each other. Don''t pay attention to the rumors out there," said Catherine. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Upon hearing Catherine''s words, Marshall gradually rxed. "That''s good. Hope Brandon''s career goes smoothly, and your experiment also progresses smoothly." "Uh-huh!" Catherine nodded respectfully. She was once again grateful for Marshall''s care in her heart. Since her grandfather passed away, no elders around her had cared about her like this. Chapter 812 Chapter 812 Don¡¯t You Hate Me ¡°Mr. Duncan, there¡¯s nothing much to do today. Why don¡¯t we leave work early?¡± Paxton suggested in a low voice from the side. Hearing this, Branden raised his head toward Paxton. ¡°Why? Do you have anything to do?¡± Seeing his misunderstanding, Paxton quickly shook his head. ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t have anything to do.¡± Paxton thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯m just a single guy with no family and not even a girlfriend. I don¡¯t have anything to do. Branden used to be eager to finish work early to spend time with Catherine. But due to his argument with Catherine, he had been working overtime at thepany every day until the end of the day these days. It caused no one on the entire floor to dare to leave work early, and everyone was suffering unbearably. There were a lot ofints. Since that morning, every employee who entered the office to report had gone out with a mournful face. The secretaries in the secretariat office could hardly bear it anymore and wereing to Paxton for help. However, there was nothing Paxton could do. He was suffering every day, too. He almost prayed to God to make Branden and Catherine reconcile quickly. Seeing that Branden did not move, Paxton once again risked his life to suggest, ¡°Mr. Duncan, today is the 14th. Aren¡¯t you going to apany Miss Swann?¡± Branden paused for a moment, and his eyes fell on the main road outside the huge ss window. The road was bustling with cars. There seemed to be an unusuallyrge number of vehicles there today. ¡°Arrange the car!¡± Branden ordered. Paxton instantly smiled and went to arrange the car excitedly. Paxton thought he could do anything as long as Branden and Catherine reconciled. The ck Bentley made its way to the front of the school slowly. Paxton had parked the car and was ready to turn around to ask Branden if he should drive in. Just then, Paxton saw a familiar figure appear in front of him. His eyes lit up for a moment, and then he saw the man following Catherine. Paxton almost screamed in shock. Paxton mentally eximed, ¡°It¡¯s ove.¡± He wanted to turn around and avoid letting Branden see this scene, but it was toote. ¡°Stop!¡± Branden¡¯s cold voice contained hidden anger, frightening Paxton so much that he shivered and braked instantly. After the car stopped, Branden pushed the door and got out of the car directly. Paxton followed closely behind, his heartbeat instantly elerating. Perhaps Branden¡¯s aura was too powerful, Catherine and Rn subconsciously looked toward the direction Branden wasing from. They then saw Branden walking straight toward them. Seeing Branden¡¯s angry face, Rn did not feel any fear in his heart. His seemingly calm eyes were filled with provocation. He was waiting for now, so he would not let go of such a good opportunity. Catherine was a bit surprised when she saw Branden walk straight to her. ¡°What bring you here?¡± Catherine took the initiative to ask. Her cold tone made Branden couldn¡¯t help but want to get mad, but he held back. ¡°Let¡¯s go back together, shall we?¡± Catherine hadn¡¯t been back to the apartment in two days. Branden wanted to take her back tonight.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Branden¡¯s offer made Catherine frown slightly. She already had an appointment with Marshall tonight to talk about the experiment, and even if she agreed to go back to the apartment, she would have to go back veryte. She was just about to exin when she heard Branden ask unhappily. ¡°No?¡± ¡°I have things to do. I can¡¯t go back now. You go back first,¡± Catherine said calmly. Branden already had anger in his heart, but now that he heard Catherine¡¯s words, his anger grew even more intense. ¡°Fine.¡± he said coldly and turned around to leave. Seeing this, Paxton nced at Catherine in embarrassment. Catherine had an expressionless look on her face. Paxton felt a bit dissatisfied with Catherine when he saw she had no intention of making peace with Branden. He knew Branden¡¯s dedication to Catherine and Branden¡¯s dedication to her was obvious to everyone. Paxton was touched by Branden¡¯s dedication to Catherine and he thought that even an outsider should be touched by it. But now Catherine was not even willing to take the initiative to do something for Branden, which made Paxton a little disappointed. With his disappointment in Catherine, Paxton followed Branden away. Rn witnessed all of this and felt a wave of triumphing in his heart. He said, ¡°Catherine, you should realize by now, right? Branden is just using you. You have to be careful. Maybe he¡¯s ying a game with you now. As long as this experiment is ongoing, he won¡¯t let you go!¡± Rn was giving Catherine a heads-up. He knew Branden would never give up on her so easily. Catherine turned her head and her cold gaze fell on him. There was a harshness in her cold voice. ¡°Have you finished your words?¡± Rn froze for a moment. ¡°Catherine¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve finished your words, get the hell out of here. Or else, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± After Catherine finished speaking, she turned around and left, not even giving Rn an extra look. Looking at Catherine¡¯s back, thinking that Branden was now more ufortable than him made him happy. He hummed and left without hesitation anymore. Catherine returned to school and went straight to theb. Then she immersed herself in the experiment,pletely ignoring what was happening outside. The masked man hid for two days. After making sure that no one was following him, he carefully returned to thetest secret base. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m back!¡± The man in a ck robe sitting on the main seat saw the masked man looking disheveled so he didn¡¯t arrange for someone to kill him. He had been arranging for someone to monitor the masked man these days secretly. After finding the whereabouts of the masked man, he didn¡¯t pick him up immediately but secretly monitored his every move. Only after confirming that the masked man had notmitted any acts of betrayal did the man in the ck robe tell him the location of theirtest base and allow him to return. ¡°Since you¡¯re back, rest for some days. Come back to me for your mission when you refresh.¡± The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the masked man replied respectfully. The masked man first cleaned up properly and then found Ronin, who had been transferred and detained. If it weren¡¯t for the man in the ck robe suddenly proposing to transfer Ronin that day, Ronin would probably have been saved now. The masked man had thought about whether Ronin took the opportunity to expose the position of their new base, but he couldn¡¯t find any evidence. The man in the ck robe also investigated and found that it was Withal and Zobber who had inadvertently investigated their base, and it had nothing to do with Ronin at all. Ronin sat in the ck, ying games seriously with the gamepad in his hand. He tossed the masked man a watch and said, ¡°Use it. Why are you just guarding me? Are you afraid I¡¯ll run?¡± The masked man didn¡¯t say anything. He stood at the door watching Ronin¡¯s every move, but there was no change in his expression. Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, Ronin continued, ¡°To be honest, I was worried about you. I don¡¯t want you to die. People who did your job are very likely to be killed, right? You¡¯re all taking your lives to make a living.¡± The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Hearing Ronin¡¯s words, the masked manughed out coldly. ¡°You were worried about me? Ronin, It¡¯s too fake for you to say that.¡± Ronin¡¯s game was over. He put down the gamepad in his hand and looked at the masked man with a serious look in his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal that I worry about you? You offer me food and drink, and I rely entirely on you here. If I don¡¯t worry about you, who should I worry about?¡± The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! The masked man stared at Ronin in confusion, his voice mixed with uncertainty. ¡°Ronin, don¡¯t you hate me?¡± Chapter 813 Chapter 813 Ronin''s Betrayal Ronin burst outughing. "Why should I hate you?" The masked man choked off by Ronin''s question. Ronin''s reaction waspletely beyond his expectations. After reacting, he looked at Ronin with a shocked expression. "I kidnapped you, imprisoned you, and then tortured you to make you confess. Shouldn''t you hate me? You should be eager to kill me right away, shouldn''t you?" Ronin looked up and his cold gaze fell on the masked man. He said in a voice neither low nor loud, and no emotions could be seen from him, "Do you have any grudges against me?" The masked man didn''t know why Ronin suddenly asked that but he shook his head subconsciously. He suddenly felt for a moment that Ronin''s gaze was the same as when Catherine looked at him on the rooftop that day. Perhaps it was because Ronin grew up with Catherine, and they had some simrities in some aspects. "So that''s it?" Roninughed softly. You have no grudges against me. The only reason you''re doing this to me is because you have to do what your higher-ups ask you to do. I don''t know if you''re doing it for money or what, but your ultimate goal is to stay alive right?" The masked man couldn''t refute that. He did kidnap Ronin because of orders from his high-ups. He was chosen to be a man of sacrifice to serve the man in the ck robe. As long as he betrayed the man in the ck robe, all that awaited him was death. He had no choice but to follow orders. Though the masked man didn''t want to admit it, he still nodded. Ronin sighed. "So if, I want to hate someone, I should hate the people behind you. Why should I hate you? No one can exin clearly who is good and who is bad. I once did too many things against my will to stay alive too. My experience makes me not hate you." Ronin''s expression was a bit sentimental. He recalled his early childhood, which was a dark time in his life. What he was going through now was nothingpared to what he had suffered before. "It can see that without Catherine, I wouldn''t be what I am today."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Hearing Ronin''s gratitude toward Catherine, the masked man only found it ironic. Although he knew he shouldn''t be sarcastic to Ronin at this time, he still couldn''t help but taunt, "Since you''re so grateful to Catherine, why are you betraying her now? Aren''t you contradicting yourself?" "Am I?" Ronin looked up and asked the masked man, "If I don''t cooperate with you, you will kill me, won''t you?" The masked man didn''t answer Ronin, but the look in his eyes already gave Ronin the answer. If they really couldn''t find value in Ronin, they would kill Ronin at the first opportunity. "Haha!" Ronin sneered coldly, with a particrly disdainful expression. "I survived with great difficulty. For me, my life is the most precious. After Catherine saved me, she only told me one thing. She told me to just keep my life whenever and wherever I am. Am I not following Catherine''s advice and listening to her?" These words were both satirical and true. It was the most authentic human nature. This was why the masked man believed Ronin would betray Catherine. The masked man knew how dark human nature could be. He didn''t want to say anything more and just turned away. Ronin didn''t mind. As soon as the masked man left, Ronin leaned back to sit where he was and continued to lie down and rest. He took it as a vacation to get some rest for a few days. It had been a long time since he had been able to just rest and do nothing. He didn''t think much of it. He just continued to get some rest. Catherine had been living in the dormitory for the past few days. Amelia and the others initially only spected that Catherine and Branden had a fight, but now they could basically confirm that they did have a fight. Catherine didn''t show any abnormality. She went to theb every day when she was supposed to, had meals when she was supposed to, and there was no change in her mood. But Amelia and Isabe were still a bit worried. Isabe asked Amelia to inquire about Catherine''s situation. Amelia searched for Ronin for a long time without getting in touch with him and couldn''t help but feel a little strange. "Super Catherine, is Ronin busy with somethingtely?" Catherine put down the literature in her hand and looked sideways toward Amelia. "Are you looking for him?" Amelia nodded slightly. "He promised to do me a favor earlier. But I haven''t been able to find him for the past few days, and I don''t know what''s going on with him." "He''s got something going on and has left Loxton for a few days. He''ll be back after a while." After listening to Catherine''s exnation, Amelia finally understood why she couldn''t contact Ronin. Ronin hadn''t been around since Catherine and Branden had their fight. He was usually the one who cared about Catherine the most, so Amelia had always found it strange. It turned out that he had something to do and left Loxton. No wonder he didn''t show up. Amelia was disappointed that she couldn''t find out anything from Ronin. With no way to find out the reason for their fight, Amelia thought about making Catherine happy. "Super Catherine, why don''t we gather together tonight?" Catherine rarely attended gatherings. She never loved to participate in all kinds of parties. Amelia was well aware of that, so they usually didn''t ask Catherine to participate with them when there were parties. Since Catherine didn''t answer, Amelia started to convince her, "Super Catherine, this is not a normal party. You can also think of it as an academic seminar. It''s a party between ourb building and the next university''sb building. Let''s just make friends with them. Let''s go together!" Catherine was about to refuse when Isabe, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said, "Catherine, let''s go together!" When Catherine was still somewhat surprised at how Isabe could say this, she saw Isabe reach out and push the ck sses on her face. Isabe said a bit shyly, "I''ll go too, but I''m a bit scared. Could you please participate with us?" Isabe, like Catherine, usually spent her free time in the library and never participated in social gatherings like this. With Amelia''s persuasion and Isabe''s expectant gaze, Catherine finally agreed. "Seeing Catherine agree, Amelia jumped up and down with joy. "That''s great. Super Catherine is willing to participate. She will absolutely amaze the whole audience." The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Looking at Amelia who was full of joy, Catherine smiled lightly and continued to read the literature. The party was at five o''clock in the evening, and Amelia and Isabe had been preparing since three o''clock. Originally, they were going to dress Catherine up as well, but Catherine declined. It was already good enough that she agreed to attend, so Amelia didn''t dare to ask too much. She started to dress Isabe up. An hourter... Thud, thud, thud, Amelia suddenly shouted, "Super Catherine, look." Isabe, who usually dressed inly, was currently wearing a pink dress, and the ck-framed sses on her face had been removed and reced with clear contact lenses. The light makeup made her look even more charming, shedding her nerdiness and adding more of a girlish, youthful vor to her face. She was very eye-catching. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! "You look so beautiful!" Catherineplimented. Hearing Catherine''spliment, Amelia raised her eyebrows proudly at Isabe. "See? Am I right? You look beautiful when you dress up like this." Isabe was a bit shy, but she couldn''t help but look toward the mirror. Amelia helped Isabe put on her makeup just now and was now prepared to dress herself up. "You guys wait for me. I''ll be quick. We''ll be leaving soon." The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 814 Chapter 84 A Gathering ¡°Were here. Let¡¯s get out!¡± After Amelia called out, Catherine and Isabe followed her out of the ride-sharing car. ¡°Amelia, how did we end up here?¡± Isabe looked at the brightly lit signs of the club, feeling a bit bashful. Catherine stood calmly on the side, almost like an outsider. But she could tell this club was quite upscale. Just having money wasn¡¯t enough to get in. Hearing Isabe¡¯s confusion, Amelia exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A senior¡¯s dad owns this ce, and tonight¡¯s get-together was arranged by him. It¡¯s safe. ¡°Be, If you don¡¯t like itter, we¡¯ll leave early!¡± Amelia said. After that, she turned to Catherine, asking, ¡°Super Catherine, is it okay?¡± Catherine nodded quietly. Since she promised toe out, the location didn¡¯t matter much. As Amelia said, if they didn¡¯t like it, they could leave. ¡°Amelia, over here!¡± As they approached the main entrance, someone loudly called out Amelia¡¯s name. After exchanging greetings, Amelia led Catherine and Isabe over. She was outgoing and had a great rapport with her ssmates. The one calling her was a senior from their department. Seeing him nce around, Amelia quickly introduced everyone. She said, ¡°Alfie, let me introduce my roommates. This is Isabe, and this is Catherine.¡± Alfie Dixon¡¯s eyes lit up as he heard Catherine¡¯s name. In her school and the whole university town, everyone knew Catherine. She was low-key, rarely seen around the lecture halls. She spent most of her time in theb. Despite her absence in ss, she aced everything, leaving no room for criticism from the teachers. Knowing that Amelia and Catherine were roommates, Alfie suggested they alle together. He hadn¡¯t expected to actually invite the revered Catherine. ¡±Super Catherine, it¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡± Catherine politely smiled without saying much. Alfie didn¡¯t mind, thinking she might be a bit shy. Having her here was already a huge surprise. What astonished him further was Catherine¡¯s appearance. He had seen her during live broadcasts of matches and found her stunning, but seeing her in person exceeded the television¡¯s portrayal. She was extremely beautiful. ¡°Let¡¯s not stand around. Let¡¯s head into the private room to chat. Many ssmates are waiting inside. Let¡¯s go! ¡°Alfie ushered everyone into the room. Once Catherine entered, she greeted everyone and found a corner to sit in. Then she enjoyed the fruit te Amelia had arranged for her. Though Catherine seemed aloof, the others didn¡¯t pay much heed. Her reserved nature was already a topic of various rumors. Her presence at this gathering was a pleasant surprise. Unlike other social events centered around drinking and boasting, this group consisted of academic achievers who discussed schrly topics while enjoying their meal and conversation. Overall, the atmosphere was pretty decent. Isabe soon joined in and got involved in the discussions. As the discussion heated up around an academic question, someone suggested asking Catherine for the answer. Everyone stared at Amelia and silently urged her forward. Amelia had initially called Catherine out to lighten the atmosphere and make Catherine feel morefortable. As she approached Catherine, she intended to ask her to answer. However, before Amelia could speak, Catherine offered an answer. Everyone paused, momentarily taken aback by Catherine¡¯s unexpected response. Her answer didn¡¯t align with the two debated options. It was beyond everyone¡¯s understanding. Sensing the confusion, Catherine grabbed a nearby pen, and Amelia quickly fetched paper. ¡°Super Catherine, here!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Catherine swiftly wrote down the solution steps on the paper, wasting no time. After finishing, she handed the paper to the crowd. ¡°This is one of my approaches. You can take a look.¡± Alfie took it and studied it carefully. After a while, he eximed, ¡°So there¡¯s this method too. That¡¯s incredible!¡± They had all been considering conventional methods for solving the problem, but Catherine used a simpler, more powerful approach. Everyone was amazed, and they thought Catherine was impressive. Seeing Catherine willing to speak up, people gathered the courage to approach her. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Catherine responded politely to those who asked, nearly entertaining every question. As more people saw her willingness to engage, the questions kept pouring in. Catherine¡¯s insights were exceptional. Even outside her current research, she offered innovative solutions, which elevated the admiration for her even more. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom!¡± Catherine announced her departure, and everyone quickly stepped aside to let her pass. As Catherine left, whispers filled the room. One of them said, ¡°I thought Catherine would be aloof, but she¡¯s so approachable. I asked her a question twice, and she wasn¡¯t annoyed. I felt bad.¡± Someone replied, ¡°Exactly. She is beautiful and intelligent. She¡¯s like the pinnacle of humanity!¡± Paxton stepped out of the private room, aiming to get some fresh air to clear his head after the drinks. Normally, Branden disliked attending social gatherings and rarely found himself in such situations. But due to a recent argument with Catherine, Branden, in a foul mood, had agreed to dine with business partners. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! As Branden sat there, he had a stern, brooding expression and exuded an intimidating aura. No one dared to approach him for toasts. Approaching him seemed like asking for trouble. So, everyone turned to Paxton. After a few rounds of drinks, even with his high tolerance, Paxton couldn¡¯t handle this much alcohol. He excused himself to the restroom for some air. After taking a breath of fresh air, Paxton felt slightly morefortable. As he nned to return to the private room where Branden was still present, while exiting the men¡¯s restroom, he caught sight of a familiar figure entering the women¡¯s restroom across the hall. He thought inwardly, ¡°What is she doing here?¡± Paxton shook his head vigorously and doubted if the alcohol had triggered hallucinations. There was no spinning sensation, and he hadn¡¯t drunk excessively. He thought inwardly, Could it really be her?¡± With the thought lingering, Paxton hastened his steps back to the private room. He needed to report this to Branden. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Going Home Catherine had just stepped out from the restroom when a sudden dark figure pounced on her. With lightning speed and force, the figure yanked her into an adjacent room. With a click, the sound of the lock echoed, plunging the entire restroom into darkness as if the power had been cut off. "Not scared?" A deep, husky voice pierced the darkness, which was all too familiar to Catherine. Catherine scoffed with a smirk ying on her lips. "Impressive moves! Seems like you¡¯ve done this before." Even though Branden altered his voice intentionally, Catherine recognized him. Branden smiled helplessly. "Don''t use me wrongly. You''re the only one I¡¯ve done this to." He wasn''t one to waste time on such affairs with others. Catherine stayed silent. Despite the changed voice, as Branden drew closer, she had already identified him. No one could easily abduct her, not even Branden. The restroom was tight, and they were pressed together. They even could hear each other''s heartbeats. "With whom did youe? "Branden asked. Just now, he didn''t believe Paxton''s story of meeting Catherine here. She''d been either in the dorm or thebtely. He didn¡¯t believe she could be here. After confirming Paxton''s eyes weren''t ying tricks, Branden hurriedly made his way over. Then Branden realized that it truly was Catherine. "Amelia and Isabe dragged me to some academic conference," Catherine exined. Branden chuckled softly, and his voice was attractive. "An academic gathering in a ce like this?" Catherine didn''t respond, leaning in slightly to smell a faint trace of tobo on his chest. "Is this yours?" "No!" Branden protested immediately. Despite feeling downtely, he had sworn off smoking in front of Catherine. And he would stick to it. There was a business dinner tonight. Everyone else smoked except me. But somehow, their smoketched onto me!" Catherine didn¡¯t mind him smoking, It was just that Branden noticed she couldn''t stand the smell of smoke and mentioned wanting to quit. Not smoking wasmendable, and Catherine approved. After they understood each other''s reasons for being there, Catherine moved to leave and softly instructed, "Have your men turn on the lights. I''m heading back." This was a high-end club, so it was unlikely for a sudden power outage to ur without anyone addressing it. It was pretty obvious who might be behind this. For the first time, Branden didn''tply with Catherine''s request. He encircled her waist with one arm and prevented her from leaving, "You''ve been absent from the apartmenttely. Are you really nning to ignore me?" "Busy!" Catherine retorted coldly. Branden sneered and then replied, " Busy? Busy enough to attend whatever discussion thing this is, but not to spare a moment for me?" "I''ll exinter," Catherine replied. Hearing his somewhat childish tone, Catherine felt a bit helpless. "Your subordinates aware of your behavior like this?" she teased. "What''s it to them?" Branden snorted in disdain. He didn''t care about those matters at all. Catherine was the most important person to him. With Catherine''s resistance growing apparent, Branden grew irate. He lifted her by the waist suddenly and then leaned down to steal a kiss. Catherine initially intended to resist, but she eventually sumbed to his fervor. After over half an hour, Catherine finally emerged from the restroom, trailed by the reluctant Branden. Watching her walk away without a nce back, Branden smiled bitterly. It was his own doing, and he had to bear it. As Catherine reached the room¡¯s entrance, she bumped into Amelia, who was looking for her. "Super Catherine, where have you been for so long?" Amelia inquired. Catherine nced back at the corridor behind her and casually replied, "Just got some fresh air there." Amelia noticed Catherine''s disheveled hair and said, "The wind is quite strong. It messed up your hair!" Catherine blushed a bit in embarrassment. She was relieved that Amelia didn''t seem to notice. "Come on. Let''s go in. Everyone''s still waiting." Amelia insisted and led Catherine toward the room. Catherine was absent-minded. When Amelia pulled her along inside, she didn''t resist. After sitting in the room for a while longer, Catherine decided it was time to leave. "Professor Hartley is waiting for me to organize some documents. You guys enjoy it. I''m heading out!" she said. Seeing Catherine leaving, Amelia suggested they depart together as they were almost done too. "Wait for me. I''ll use the restroom quickly. Then we''ll leave together." As Isabe got up, Amelia followed her out. They left Catherine behind to wait. "Be, today has been good, right?" Amelia asked. "Yeah, Amelia, all the seniors are so nice!" Isabe replied.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. "Of course. I don''t just pull you guys into any fraternity events. I''m quite selective. I noticed Alfie seems to have a thing for you. What do you think?" Amelia asked with a teasing smile. Isabe shyly looked down. "You''re kidding. Alfie''s clearly focused on Catherine." Amelia shrugged off the notion. She was convinced that Alfie''s interest in Catherine was simply admiration. At the same time, Branden finished Catherine was supposed to be. He nned to pick her up and leave together. Unexpectedly, on his way, he bumped into Catherine''s roommates and overheard their conversation. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Branden''s handsome face turned gloomy in an instant. His deep eyes darkened, and his demeanor grew noticeably colder. He murmured in anger, "It''s a social gathering! She lied to me about an academic conference. Well done!" Catherine noticed it was gettingte, so she stepped out with Amelia''s and Isabe''s bags to find them. As she exited, she spotted the two with strange expressions. They didn''t dare to look at her. "What''s going on?" Catherine found it odd. Isabe nudged Amelia, signaling her to speak up. Isabe struggled to articte herself, and she was unsure how to exin to Catherine. Amelia was also unable to find words. She promptly snatched the bags from Catherine''s hands. Then she looked at Catherine solemnly. "Super Catherine, Be and I need to leave now. We¡¯ll contact you at the dorm." With that, she grabbed Isabe and dashed off. She shot Catherine a look of sympathy before leaving. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Catherine found their behavior odd. However, her confusion cleared as she noticed Branden standing behind them with a grim expression. She sighed and then smiled lightly at Branden. "You scared them, didn''t you?" "The social gathering turned into an academic conference?" Branden asked. Catherine sensed the bitterness in his words. She couldn''t help but find him adorable in that moment. She approached him and took his hand. Seeing him unaffected, almost petnt, she found it amusing and showed an unusual patience. Then she said, "Maybe it''s a social gathering to them, but to me, it''s an academic conference. These perspectives aren''t contradictory. It''s just different ways of seeing things. Don''t you think so?" The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Branden red at her coldly. "Impressive talk." "Let''s debate this at home then. Let''s go!" Catherine said. As Branden heard Catherine mention going home, his initially dark expression softened. In a better mood, he held Catherine''s waist and left. Chapter 816 Chapter 816 A Bright Day Last night¡¯s gathering had quite a turnout, and many of the school¡¯s movers and shakers were there. The next day, news of Catherine attending the gathering spread across the campus like wildfire. Thankfully, the buzz about her was positive. Even the senior students had nothing but high praise for Catherine. They mentioned she might seem reserved, but it wasn¡¯t snobbishness. She was approachable and always willing to help. Catherine¡¯s reputation at school had been under a cloud due to rumors about her changing boyfriends. Some gossip suggested she only hung out with wealthy and influential people, even when it came to rtionships. They said she would dump her boyfriend when she met a more wealthy man. But with this recent positive talk, it seemed like a rification for Catherine¡¯s name. When Rn arrived at school, he overheard these rumors. He immediately sought out Amelia, who could provide the information he sought better than Catherine. Amelia caught sight of Rn and wanted to evade him. Rn was too handsome. She was afraid of drawing trouble if she looked at him a moment longer. She knew Rn¡¯s reason for getting close to her was solely because she was Catherine¡¯s roommate. Catherine had helped Amelia a lot, and Amelia wouldn¡¯t betray her. So, she tried her best to dodge him. But Amelia¡¯s hopes of avoiding Rn were futile. He never gave her the chance. Apart from Catherine, there was no one Rn couldn¡¯t handle. In just a few words, Amelia was left dizzy and ended up spilling the details about the previous night. ¡°So, Catherine went there?¡± Rn asked. Amelia nodded. ¡°Yeah. Not only did she go, but she was incredibly friendly. Everyone really liked her.¡± ¡°Is Catherine in the dorms? I went to theb earlier, and the security guard said she hadn¡¯t been there.¡± Upon hearing Rn¡¯s question, Amelia secretly admired this man¡¯s capability. The security guard at their school¡¯sb was notoriously difficult to deal with, and he was impossible to bribe. Yet, Rn somehow managed to deal with him and get Catherine¡¯s whereabouts. It was too eerie. ¡°Seems like Catherine hasn¡¯t woken up yet. She stayed upte organizing some materials. When I left, she was still asleep, and I didn¡¯t want to disturb her.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t want to reveal Catherine¡¯s whereabouts and came up with an excuse. Besides, Rn wouldn¡¯t enter the female dorms, so there was no worry of being found out. After getting the information he needed from Amelia, Rn let her go. When Amelia reached a secluded spot, she immediately dialed Catherine¡¯s number on her phone. After a few rings, Catherine picked up. Amelia swiftly briefed her on the situation. She said, ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it. I told him you¡¯re still in the dormitory. It¡¯s up to you now.¡± The ringing phone not only woke up Catherine but also Branden, whoy beside her. The feeling of being able to reach out and hug his beloved one close made him exceptionally content. In the past few days when Catherine hadn¡¯t returned to the apartment, he¡¯d spent almost every night sleepless. With a strong arm, Branden effortlessly pulled Catherine toward him. ¡°Whose call is it?¡± Perhaps due to just waking up, Branden¡¯s voice was unusually deep and attractive. It was so pleasant that lifted the mood. ¡°Amelia. She had something to tell me.¡± Catherine tried to shift a bit forward, but Branden held her too tightly. His high body temperature made her slightly sweaty. Catherine attempted to escape, but Branden didn¡¯t give her the chance. Instead, he pulled her even closer.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s nine now. Aren¡¯t you going to work today?¡± Catherine asked and frowned. Considering Branden¡¯s usually terrifying discipline, waking up at six every day, preparing her breakfast, dropping her at school, and then going to the office himself, it was unusual for him toze around until 9 am. Facing Catherine¡¯s slightly scornful tone, Branden didn¡¯t mind at all. Instead, he rubbed his forehead against her neck. ¡°I finished my work ahead of time a few days ago, so I¡¯m taking today off.¡± Catherine was surprised to hear about someonepleting tasks ahead of time for the first time. She thought Branden was shameless to make such a statement. As Catherine sensed the warmth behind her, her legs, which had just rxed, seemed to ache again as if influenced by it. After returning from the clubst night, Branden was so insatiable that he had tirelessly kept her up all night. If she didn¡¯t stay up until the early morning, she wouldn¡¯t still be asleep at this hour. If Amelia hadn¡¯t called, she might have slept until sunset. Despite her decent stamina,pared to the man behind her, she fell short, especially in a certain aspect where this man seemed tireless. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Catherine stared expressionlessly at the ceiling. Branden certainly could see through Catherine¡¯s thoughts. He did push quite a bitst night. Catherine might still be sore now. Even if Catherine didn¡¯t say anything, he couldn¡¯t continue bothering her. He threw off the nket and got out of bed. ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll get you something.¡± With her elbows propped on the bed, Catherine squinted and admired Branden¡¯s muscr figure and perfect shape. He noticed Catherine¡¯s gaze and purposely flexed, tightening his core to reveal his perfect abs. Seeing Branden showing off, Catherineughed and copsed back on the bed. She grabbed a pillow and hit him. ¡°Get out of here!¡± Amid theughter and yfulness, a cheerful atmosphere filled the entire apartment. Branden prepared a bowl of soup and some light dishes. Then he ced the prepared breakfast in front of Catherine. ¡°After eating, I¡¯ll take you to school.¡± ¡°No need!¡± Catherine bluntly refused, making Branden furrow his brows. He asked, ¡°Are you still upset?¡± ¡°No. I have something to take care of,¡± Catherine exined. As if anticipating Branden¡¯s next words, Catherine added, ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± Seeing her insistence, Branden couldn¡¯t help but nce at her a bit more. Catherine remainedposed and calmly sipped her soup, allowing him to look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to school?¡± Branden asked. Catherine nodded. She had something to attend to. In the end, Branden didn¡¯t escort Catherine out. She left on her own and rode a motorcycle from the underground garage. The moment Paxton saw Catherine leaving the garage, he became upset again. He wondered if they had another argument. He had been looking forward to a good day. He was afraid it would be ruined again. Upon seeing Branden, Paxton immediately straightened up. He was afraid of causing any trouble inadvertently. Once Branden got into the car, he directly instructed Paxton to head to thepany. Paxton immediately started the car and maintainedplete silence throughout the journey. He even breathed cautiously. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Upon arrival at thepany, Paxton parked the car and swiftly moved to the backseat to open the door for Branden. After Branden got out of the car, he handed a package to Paxton. Paxton respectfully received it, his heart racing. ¡°Mr. Duncan, what¡¯s this?¡± The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! ¡°I made extra breakfast. Kathy said to share it with you.¡± Branden made too many sandwiches in the morning. Catherine said the freshly made ones shouldn¡¯t go to waste, and they needed to be shared. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! It took Paxton a while toe back to reality from his daze. He was filled with surprise and happiness. Branden personally shared breakfast with him. It seemed like today was going to be a bright day. Chapter 817 Chapter 817 The Orphanage Although Catherine knew no one was following her, for safety¡¯s sake, she circled the house a few more times before finally entering Connie¡¯s ce. As she rhythmically tapped the door, Zobber received the signal and rushed to open it. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Before the door was fully open, Zobber¡¯s excited voice came through. The seemingly ordinary wooden door had a special system installed that required a specific rhythm of knocks to ring the doorbell inside the house. It was a small trick they developed to protect the upants. That¡¯s why Zobber knew it was Catherine even before opening the door. Apart from her, only Connie knew the rhythm. Since Connie had a key and wouldn¡¯t knock, the visitor had to be Catherine. Withal, who sprawled on the couch listlessly, saw Zobber pull Catherine inside and couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Can¡¯t you stop clinging to Catherine like a ko to a eucalyptus tree all the time?¡± ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Zobber snapped. Seeing the two about to bicker again, Catherine coldly asked, ¡°Did you call me here just to watch you two squabble?¡± Zobber had informed herst night toe by when she had time. At Catherine¡¯smand, they immediately stopped. They might love to joke around, but they¡¯d rather endure each other than anger Catherine. Nothing was scarier than provoking her. Zobber took the initiative to apologize, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll stop messing around. Let¡¯s get to business.¡± After helping Catherine sit, Zobber yfully kicked Withal¡¯s thigh. ¡°Get moving!¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Hey, easy there!¡± Withal winced in pain and rubbed where he was kicked. Then he got up to fetch Zobber aptop. Once the equipment was set up, Zobberpiled the information they¡¯d gathered into a slideshow and presented it to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, this is what we¡¯ve found. Take a look!¡± Ever since they captured the individuals, they, along with Carlo, had been interrogating them together. Though these people were tough and fearless, in their hands, even the toughest mouths loosened. However, these low-level individuals had limited information, resulting in fewer leads. ¡°Catherine, following our previous n, we dug into immigration records. These people all hail from the city where the Breons reside. They¡¯re likely the Breons¡¯ bodyguards.¡± Every major family nurtured its own forces, not just in the market but in shadowy realms as well. By various means, they recruited and trained individuals like these as bodyguards. These bodyguards were willing to sacrifice themselves when the family¡¯s interests demanded. ¡°Any ships?¡± Catherine asked. Considering the short time frame, what they¡¯d uncovered was already quite thorough. But in the grand scheme of things, whether it was the information gathered or the time it took, it likely wasn¡¯t just them. ¡°Yes, but not the right kind. As you can see here, it¡¯s a different type of ship,¡± Zobber replied, pointing to the screen. Withal, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke up. He said, ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve got some more findings here.¡± Catherine nced at him and signaled him to continue. ¡°Catherine, as I delved into those records, I found something interesting. Among those we captured, three of them had records of staying at the orphanage in Loew when they were young.¡± Loew was a country, and since those people were collected from all corners by the Breons, having some from Loew wasn¡¯t surprising. However, among the six or seven they apprehended, having three from the orphanage in Loew seemed more than a coincidence. Withal never believed in coincidences, so he reported this matter to Catherine. Catherine lightly stroked her chin, seemingly contemting the new lead Withal had provided. Withal had hoped Catherine might offer a new direction based on this information, but she steered away from the topic. ¡°Have you notified Wantel? Has he started investigating?¡± ¡°Wantel has begun, but there aren¡¯t any leads yet,¡± Zobber replied. She was the one in contact with Wantel. The Hacker Alliance had expanded rapidly in recent years, with many joining the organization, investigations weren¡¯t easy tasks. Withal noticed Catherine¡¯s silence and found it somewhat odd, but he didn¡¯t press further. Once Catherine had gathered the information she needed, she left Connie¡¯s ce. Zobber was lost in thought and gazed in the direction Catherine had departed. She took a while to snap out of it. With a smack, Withal pped Zobber on the back of her head. He finally avenged the earlier kick. Zobber angrily turned and wanted to hit Withal. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, hitting my head for no reason?¡± ¡°Your deep thoughts got you into this mess. Serves you right!¡± The two fought each other for a while until Zobber was exhausted and slumped down. ¡°Seriously, do you ever get a feeling?¡± ¡°What feeling? A liking for you?¡± Withal blurted out. His words hung in the air, and even Zobber was taken aback. ¡°Ding-dong!¡± It¡¯s time for the hourly chime!¡± The clock on the wall chimed pleasantly, snapping Zobber out of her reverie. She grabbed a nearby tissue box and hurled it at Withal. ¡°You bastard! I¡¯m discussing serious matters here. Why do you blurt out nonsense?¡± Withalughed, masking his embarrassment at the slip-up. ¡°Okay. Spill it. What feeling?¡± Zobber sat up straight and looked earnestly at Withal. ¡°Do you think Catherine seems less concerned about this matter? In the past, she¡¯d have been right in the thick of it. But this time, she¡¯s almost passive, less agitated than even us. Doesn¡¯t it seem right, does it? It¡¯s Ronin who¡¯s been captured. Catherine raised Ronin herself.¡± The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Withal gave a wry smile. He had noticed this issue long before. Since the incident, Catherine¡¯s attitude had indeed shown somexity, not as urgent as it used to be. If he hadn¡¯t always unquestionably trusted Catherine, he would have started suspecting earlier. Withal replied, ¡°As you said, it¡¯s Ronin. How could Catherine not be anxious? Maybe it¡¯s because of the experiments on hand. I heard they¡¯re nearingpletion.¡± The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! ¡°Makes sense!¡± Zobber nodded in agreement. Seeing her dispel doubts, Withal inwardly sighed in relief. Zobber seemed clever, but sometimes, she was incredibly stubborn. He worried she might sense something amiss and dive headfirst into investigating. If things went wrong, it wouldn''t just disrupt Catherine''s ns but would also entangle herself. For now, all Withal could do was hope this matter would soon end so that they could return to their carefree days. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Chapter 818 Chapter 818 The Final Round ¡°Sir, it seems like our folks have been traced by Zobber and her crew!¡± The masked man knelt on one knee and respectfully reported the situation to the figure cloaked in ck. ¡°Well, that was quick. Seems I¡¯ve underestimated these people¡¯s abilities,¡± the man in ck said coldly. An aura of chill emanated from him, which sent shivers down spines. Then he continued, ¡°Get it arranged. Have everyone under yourmand leave Loxton, and bring in another group!¡± They had plenty of folks, so unraveling their details wasn¡¯t going to be an easy task. By sending in a fresh team, he aimed to exhaust Zobber and her crew. Even if it took time, he¡¯d wear them down. The masked man trembled on his knees, and he knew the truth. Sending these people back was just a polished way of saying. The man in charge wouldn¡¯t keep anyone without utility. To the masked man, the future these people faced was frightening. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll get right on it!¡± He dared not defy the orders, fearing he¡¯d be the next sacrifice. Seeing the masked manpliant enough, the figure in ck didn¡¯t press further. Hemanded coldly, ¡°Step up the pace with Ronin!¡± The threatening tone sent shivers through the masked man. ¡°Sir, you can count on me. I¡¯ll give it my all.¡± ¡°Dismissed!¡± The masked man left the room. As he stepped out of the gate, a sudden chill shot through his spine. He broke out in a cold sweat. With the constant pressure from the higher-ups to hasten the mission, the masked man dared not dy and rushed straight to where Ronin was being held. Ronin was as usual. He immersed himself in his solo gaming session and enjoyed the specially delivered food as if in total bliss. After the masked man entered the room, he got a mere nce from Ronin, who then resumed his game as if unperturbed. The masked man said, ¡°Ronin, I brought you here to work for me. If you¡¯re of no use, do you really want me to spell out your fate?¡± Hearing the threat, Roninzily put down his game controller and gave the man azy look. ¡°You¡¯re like someone who can¡¯t understand innguage.¡± Being scolded by Ronin, the masked man burst into a fury. His eyes widened, and he threatened to act. Ronin scolded and added, ¡°If you¡¯re capable, why not just make your move? We¡¯ve been through this before. Do you think I¡¯m scared? Listen. Threats won¡¯t work, and I¡¯ve said I¡¯ll cooperate.¡± Hearing that, the masked man became upset. Ronin always used a friendly tone to deceive him, and he had enough of these lies. ¡°You promised cooperation. Is there any progress?¡± Facing the interrogation, Ronin didn¡¯t oblige, showing no signs of being captive. ¡°What¡¯s the deal? You talk tough, but where are the results?¡± The questioning silenced the masked man. If they had what they needed, why not bother with Ronin? Frustrated, the masked man took a step back and shouted, ¡°Are you still willing to work with me now? Is Catherine¡¯sputer at your yground? Do you think you can tamper and do as you want? Do you even know Catherine¡¯s capabilities? Is it you or your superiors who are clueless? Want me to educate you?¡± The masked man was left speechless and was unable to argue back. Helplessly, he ceased arguing with Ronin. ¡°Alright. Then tell me. How long will it take you to sort this out? Give me a timeframe. Can you manage that?¡± ¡°No time for deadlines!¡± Ronin said arrogantly and then extended his hand to the masked man. ¡°Give me theputer now. I¡¯ll try at this moment.¡± The masked man had to arrange theputer for Ronin and brought it to him. As soon as Ronin had theputer, he got to work. Despite being monitored throughout, Ronin remained unfazed. He worked on theputer. He constantly typed codes and attacked the defense systems set up on Catherine¡¯sputer. The masked man thought Ronin was ying tricks again. He didn¡¯t hold much hope. Surprisingly, half an hourter, Ronin notified him and said, ¡°It¡¯s done. Have a look for yourself.¡± The masked man didn¡¯t react initially and maintained his posture. ¡°Move it!¡± Ronin kicked him. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Infuriated by Ronin¡¯s insolence, the masked man wanted to teach him a lesson. However, Ronin said arrogantly, ¡°Come on. Try it! If you don¡¯t want the data, then go ahead and try something. ¡°Wait and see!¡± The masked man gritted his teeth and pointed at Ronin. Then he obediently followed Ronin¡¯s instructions and opened the files on theputer to check. ¡°This is all I could find. Whether it¡¯s useful, see for yourself,¡± Ronin said.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. The masked man carefully examined the stolen data by Ronin and grew more excited by the moment. These were all ssified research documents by Catherine. While these were not the core material, with this information, he could temporarily prove that Ronin wasn¡¯t just putting on an act. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! ¡°Good job!¡± After the masked man praised Ronin, he added new conditions. He said, ¡°However, these files aren¡¯t enough. We need more critical information.¡± His words irked Ronin. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. It¡¯s not that easy. Getting these was already difficult. If you¡¯re not happy, even if you kill me, you won¡¯t get what you want!¡± The masked man understood Ronin¡¯s words and knew he wasn¡¯t lying. If it were that easy to obtain, there had to be a catch. The masked man had theputer taken away. As Ronin provided new information, he arranged a sumptuous dinner for him. Ronin began eating contentedly and paid no attention to the masked man. Seeing Roninpliant enough, the masked man left with the data. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! For the past few days, Catherine had been working tirelessly in theboratory. Marshall was so busy helping her with the experiments and preparing the necessary materials. ¡°Catherine, is this the final round of experiments?¡± Catherine was engrossed in her work, but upon hearing Marshall¡¯s words, she stopped and looked at him. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the final round. Once this round of experiments passes, we can take the data report for certification.¡± A research project, from inception to obtaining results, took a considerable amount of time. To safeguard a project from infringement,pleted experiment results would be taken to authoritative institutions for certification. Upon sessful certification, the project in theboratory was protected. Even in cases of idental theft or leakage, the results of the experiment couldn¡¯t be giarized because internationally, only the first certifiedboratory was acknowledged. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Marshall smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be this quick. Catherine, among the students I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re the most talented. Have you decided when to go for certification? Pick a good day. I¡¯ll apany you.¡± ¡°Next Friday,¡± Catherine responded. With seven to eight days until next Friday, Marshall believed that Catherine¡¯s confidence in this timeline was justified. ¡°Great. That works!¡± Chapter 819 Chapter 819 The Lab Over the next while, Catherine dove into the tense and busy final stage. It seemed like everyone knew about Catherine''s situation. No one dared to disturb her. Rn asionally showed up, but he never crossed paths with Catherine. He didn''t think much of it, because Branden did the same. Branden woulde back once in a while, yet he wouldn''t catch Catherine either. Catherine practically lived in theb. She put in all her time to smoothly finish thest phase of the experiment. One noon, Branden showed up again. As he arrived at theb building, he spotted Rn waiting at the entrance. Branden nced at him with a sharp hostility in his eyes. Surprisingly, Rn stepped forward and greeted him, "Mr. Duncan, quite persistent, huh? Sacrificing business for a student. Is it worth it?" Hearing the teasing tone, Branden let out a coldugh and replied, "Mr. Melton, if it is not worth it, why are you lurking around here day in, day out like a faithfulpdog?" Rnughed and then replied, "Who is the realpdog? That''s up for debate. But I see myself as the one who''ll win her affection." "Enough. Mr. Melton, quit showing off," Branden replied. They mocked each other with no niceties. Rn attempted to say more but, Branden interjected, "The soup won¡¯t taste good if it gets cold. I''ll be going, Mr. Melton." With that, Branden strode straight toward theb building. At the entrance, the security guard stopped Branden. Rn wanted to mock, but Branden intentionally raised his voice toward the guard and said, "Family of Catherine here. Need to register? Or should I ask her toe down and escort me up?" Marshall specifically instructed the security guard to allow Branden''s entry due to his special status. He was not just Catherine''s family but also the biggest investor in theb. "Mr. Duncan, please proceed," the security guard replied.Original from N?velDrama.Org. "Thanks." Branden was polite, yet as he entered, he nced back at Rn with a look filled with provocation. He was seemingly mocking Rn''s incapability. This really irked Rn waiting at the entrance. He had worked hard to befriend the security guard over these days. But Branden just strolled in and made Rn embarrassed. Rn grew increasingly agitated and immediately dialed his assistant. He said, "I don¡¯t care how. Just make me the Stlye Laboratory''s top sponsor!" Once Rn sessfully edged out Branden, he would promptly have the security guard remove Branden. Within a 100-yard radius of theb, he didn''t want to see even a trace of Branden¡¯s presence. In the face of Rn''s frustration, Branden strolled happily toward Catherine''sb. On the way, he met Marshall, who was workingte in theb. Branden politely greeted him, "Professor Hartley!" Upon seeing Branden, Marshall smiled warmly. Despite the hard days, the experiment had progressed smoothly, which made him pleased. "Visiting Catherine?" he asked. Branden nodded and lifted the lunch box in his hand. "Kathy''s not been well, missing meals. Thought I''d bring her something." Seeing Catherine''s hardship, Marshall was touched. Seeing Branden''s concern, he felt Branden might be reliable. Even though Branden was excessively wealthy, as long as he was willing to treat Catherine well, Marshall could overlook the rest. After all, not all capitalists were bad people. " Right. Go ahead and give it to her. Take good care of her. She''s been through a lot these days!" Marshall said. "Sure thing!" Branden unusually responded obediently. After approaching theb, he glimpsed Catherine deeply engrossed in her work through the ss window. She skillfully operated the machinery, and her beautiful face shone even more in the professional setting. Perhaps sensing something, Catherine finished her task and subconsciously nced back. Through the ss, she spotted Branden standing outside. After adjusting all the equipment to work autonomously, she removed herb coat and stepped out. "You''re here. Why didn''t you call for me?" Branden''s eyes softened considerably as he saw her. He walked up and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You were focused. I didn''t want to disturb you." Catherine indeed didn''t like interruptions while working, and Branden understood that about her. He knew her preferences well. After leading him to a nearby break room, Catherine looked at the lunch box he carried with a resigned expression. "I''ve already had lunch." Branden didn''t mind Catherine''s refusal. "Miss Swann, dedicated work is good, but asional breaks are necessary. Inside, besides the main meal, there are some snacks and fruits. Think of it as an afternoon coffee break." Catherine looked at him with a hint of amusement in her beautiful eyes. "Do your employees know you give such advice, Mr. Duncan?" Branden raised his brow and looked at Catherine in confusion. She quickly exined, "Don''t they say capitalists are evil, treatingbor as machines to exploit? Do your employees know about your work-life bnce'' ideas?" Hearing that, Branden shrugged at Catherine''s exnation. "Capitalists might be evil, but that evil isn''t directed at their lovers." Teasingly, Catherine remarked, "Capitalists not only have evil methods but also silver tongues!" Branden opened the lunch box and set aside the main meal since Catherine imed to have eaten. He took out some light snacks and fruit and ced them in front of her. Since there was no table, he held them in his hands and made it easier for Catherine to eat. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Catherine nibbled on the snacks as she engaged in a somewhat aimless conversation. "Is the experiment almost done?" Branden asked. "Should be. It''s due for certification next Friday," Catherine replied. Though Catherine''s face didn''t betray any signs, Branden could tell she was weary. She endured such hardships. Branden felt for her, yet he knew he couldn''t halt her progress. This path was her own choice, and it was one he couldn¡¯t take over. He could only apany her through. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! "When the experiment''s over, I''ll take you somewhere to unwind!" Branden said. "Okay. Once things are settled, we''ll go for a break." Handing back the empty box to Branden, Catherine said, "You should go back to work. I might be stuck in theb for a while." The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! "Alright. Let me know when you are done. I''lle pick you up," Branden replied. Chapter 820 Chapter 820 You and Me Catherine finished the first round of experiments and walked out of theb at 10 pm. That was when she saw Rn waiting by the door. Rn came back very often, like before. But she barely talked with him. And he did not disturb her either by watching in silence. But Rn was somehow different today. His face twisted with anger. He was covered in a frenzy of rage. The minute he saw Catherine, he walked over and said, ¡°Catherine, we need to talk." Catherine did not refuse and sat on a bench with him. She did not want to waste time with Rn, so she got to the point directly. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Catherine, you know Branden is using you. Why do you still fall for him?¡± asked Rn angrily. Catherine was expressionless, her eyes fixed on him like two sharp knives. ¡° Rn, that is not your business. You are in no ce to judge.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you be deceived,¡± said Rn, looking at Catherine affectionately with aplex expression, painful and sympathetic.¡± Catherine, you are the one I care about the most. I see your hard work in the experiment. Thest thing I want is for you to be someone''s stepping stone.¡± Catherine still looked at him as if she had magically seen through him with her dark, shiny eyes. That gave Rn a chill. ¡°What about you? What is your purpose?¡± she asked. Rn dared not look Catherine in the eyes. ¡°Catherine, I care for you because you are my only friend and the one I want to protect." Touching, but worthless. ¡°Rn, I don¡¯t care what your purpose is. Let me tell you one more time. Stay out of my business. Whether Branden is using me or he loves me has nothing to do with you. I can handle my own business without you telling me what to do. This is thest time I warn you.¡± With that, Catherine left. Rn looked at Catherine from behind, his eyes turning cold. He thought, ¡° Catherine, this is your decision. You will pay for it.¡± ¡°Damn it! They are all gone!¡± Zobber¡¯s rant caught Withal¡¯s attention. He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Hearing Withal¡¯s voice, Zobber could not help butin. ¡°My effort is wasted. These people are gone. They have all disappeared unexpectedly, How weird is that?¡± A few days ago, they arrested a few hostile people and interrogated them. Although they did not gain much information, they still got some clues, including the whereabouts of some of the hostile members. Zobber and Withal decided to track them down secretly, monitor their actions, and find their basement. Then, they would be able to rescue Ronin, figure out who was behind the scenes, and kick their asses. So, Zobber spent two days developing a secret weapon that could remain undetected while tracking people down. Unexpectedly, when she was about to put this secret weapon into use, those people were already gone. She could not even find any traces of them. Withal frowned. He inspected it closely. Those people were gone without traces like Zobber said. Looking at Withal¡¯s solemn face, Zobber was a little worried. ¡°Why¡¯s the long face? It is not a big deal. We will find them again.¡± She meant tofort him because Zobber barely saw Withal as solemn as now. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is not that simple,¡± said Withal in a low voice. That made Zobber nervous. ¡°What do you mean, Withal?¡± ¡°We have been tracking them for so long. There¡¯s no way they disappear like that unless they are all....¡± Withal made a gesture. Even Zobber was startled. ¡°You mean they are killed?¡± asked Zobber. Withal nodded slightly, frowning unconsciously. They had known very little about their enemies. The enemies were more terrible and ruthless than they expected. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Zobber also felt the seriousness of the situation and could not help but feel a bit worried.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Dead or alive, we have to find out ourselves,¡± said Withal. He was preparing already. Seeing his action, Zobber also kept up. ¡° We will go together. I¡¯ll inform Catherine.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Withal refused. Zobber stopped and looked at him in confusion. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid Catherine is busy with experiments. I heard that it is a critical point now. So, it will be only you and me. Tell Wantells to back us up. And also inform Connie in case we die,¡± said Withal. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! He seemed to be joking, but it showed how dangerous it was. Or else he would not involve Connie in this. Zobber shrugged and rxed a little, smiling at Withal. ¡°All right, as you said, only you and me.¡± Withal patted her head from behind and said, ¡°You and me!¡± Zobber pped his hand off and said, ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like a three-year-old. Stopping patting my head. Go away!¡± The two of them yed around again, and the tension instantly eased. Catherine got a message from Zobber when she woke up. They did not ask her toe together, knowing she was busy with her experiments. Zobber only informed her of their action. Zobber exined Withal¡¯s arrangement in the message. With Connie together and Wantells backing them up, their safety could be assured to the greatest extent. The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! But Catherine was still worried about them. She knew how cruel their enemy was. She had to think of other ways to help them. She took out her phone and called Paxton. ¡°Paxton, bring Zobber and Withal back safely.¡± She could use Branden¡¯s people without his instructions now. Paxton acted right away. Catherine¡¯s order equaled Branden¡¯s order. Branden had told him so many times. ¡°Okay, Miss Swann. Don¡¯t worry, Loxton is our ce. They will be fine.¡± The content is on NovelDrama.Org Read thetest chapter there! Paxton hung up and made some arrangements. Chapter 821 Chapter 821 The Ambush ¡°It looks like this is the end of us.¡± Zobber covered her bleeding belly and leaned against Withal, smiling painfully. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Withal nced at her injured belly. ¡°Still alive.¡± Zobber nodded. The enemy was much more powerful than they thought. They were trapped. Although Withal had made arrangements in advance, they still got ambushed. And they were outnumbered. The connection with Wantells was cut off. Without him, they were like two blind people. Hearing the rapid footsteps ahead, Withal cursed, ¡°A bunch of flies!¡± ¡°There are a lot of them.¡± Zobber listened to the footsteps carefully,trying to distinguish the enemy¡¯s position. Even at a critical moment like this, Withal was not scared. He should have been dead ten years ago. If it were not for Catherine, he would not be alive now. He stole ten years from death. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Withal fixed his eyes on Zobber, looking passionate. ¡°Am I ever scared?¡± Zobber sneered. She was not scared. Unlike Withal and Ronin, who had a miserable childhood, she was born into a wealthy family. But she was happy to join the Hacker Alliance and make so many friends. They had been through so much together, supporting each other. ¡°Together!¡± Withal gave her one hand. ¡°Okay.¡± Zobber shook his hand, looking firm. ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun.¡± They stood up firmly, ready to face their enemies. Since there was no way to escape, they decided to fight. Although they had made up their mind, Zobber swallowed nervously when she saw so many enemies. ¡°Whoever is behind the scenes thinks high of us.¡± Withalughed. ¡°I¡¯m d he did not underestimate us. Let¡¯s go.¡± They decided to die. They would rather die than be captured. The warehouse was locked. With so many people surrounding them, it would be impossible for them to escape. They had to fight. ¡°Ahh¡­.¡± Zobber roared, ready to run to their enemies. Crash! Suddenly, a loud sound came. The door of the warehouse was crashed open from outside. Intense lightinstantly shined into the dark warehouse, making the originally pitch -ck warehouse feel like daylight in an instant. Themotion shocked everyone inside. In an instant, everyone forgot their movements and instinctively looked towards the door. Zobber and Withal stood back to back. Their eyes fixed on the door, but their hands did not rx at all. They did not know if they were friends or enemies, and if they rxed at this time, it was like handing a knife to the enemy. Several Jeeps drove into the warehouse fast and stopped at the center. All the car doors opened at the next second. Dozens of men in ck got out of the car, each well-trained. The car lights were too bright, and Zobber could not see who wasing for a moment. She only felt a figuregradually approaching them and instinctively put on a gesture of attack. As soon as the man was close, she would immediatelyunch an attack. ¡°I came to rescue you. This is what I get for repayment? Bad girl.¡± The familiar voice made Zobber stop moving. ¡°Paxton?¡± Paxton took off his hat and stood in front of Zobber, smiling. ¡°Yeah. At least you recognize my voice.¡± Knowing that the personing was Paxton, Zobber immediately became excited. If it were not for her injury, she would have rushed forward and picked up Paxton now. ¡°Why did youe?¡± asked Zobber. ¡°Miss Swann asked me toe. Are you okay?¡± Paxton saw that Zobber was covered in blood, but he was not sure ifthis blood belonged to Zobber or enemies. Knowing that it was Catherine who brought him here, Zobber was deeply moved. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s kick some asses now. They daredy their hands on me,¡± said Zobber. ¡°Okay,¡± answered Paxton. Withal felt bitter inside, but he did not show it. ¡°I¡¯ll leave them to you guys. I¡¯m too tired.¡± Paxton noticed the wound on his arm, which was still bleeding. He immediately nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this. You have a rest.¡± Zobber wanted to join the battle but was stopped by Paxton. She was somewhat dissatisfied and red at Paxton, ¡°Looking down on women?¡± ¡°How dare I?¡± Paxtonquickly exined, ¡°You have been tired, too. Leave the rest to me. I promise to beat the shit out of them!¡± Zobers was tired. They had been fighting for so long just now, and she was also injured. She always wanted to be tough and never let anyone act on her behalf. Upon hearing what Paxton said, Zobber was calmed and obediently sat beside Withal. Withal was surprised. He had a deep friendship with Zobber for many years and naturally knew her straightforwardness. Once she decided on something, there was no way to change her mind easily. Paxton changed her mind in just a few words. It was impressive. It seemed that he underestimated Paxton¡¯s understanding of Zobber. The enemies were strong. But Paxton¡¯s people were also well-trained. After the fierce battle, it ended in a disastrous defeat for the enemies. After the fight, Paxton called Branden for further instruction on the captured enemies. ¡°Give them to the police,¡± said Branden. Paxton was stunned for a moment, not expecting Branden to give such an order. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Illegal entry.¡± The enemy illegally transferred these people to Loxton from abroad to prevent them from being tracked. It would be easy to get them arrested. ¡± Okay. I¡¯m on it.¡± Paxton hung up and sneered at the enemies lying on the ground. They were lucky that Branden had turnedsoft after he met Catherine. They would have been dead if it was before. Sending them to the police now was not only to punish them through legal means but also to save their lives. After all, if they went back, the only thing waiting for them was death. The enemy was not as kind as they were. They killed useless people. After settling down everything, Paxton walked up to Zobber and Withal. Looking at the two of them leaning against each other and resting, he joked, ¡°How about arranging an ambnce to deliver a stretcher for you?¡± Zobber gave him a disdainful nce and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± With that, she stood up. Paxton quickly drove the car to her side so she did not have to walk so long. Withal sat on the side, watching the scene before him, his eyes gradually fading.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 822 Chapter 822 Secret Investigations Branden hung up the phone and walked out of the study. He saw Catherine walking out of the bathroom. He stepped forward quickly and dragged her down on the sofa, gently rubbing her hair with the towel he prepared earlier. ¡°Do you want me to dry your hair now? ¡°asked Branden. ¡°Yeah.¡± Catherine nodded. Branden soaked the water out of her hair with a soft towel and blew her hair with a hairdryer. ¡°Was it Paxton on the phone?¡± Catherine heard him talking on the phone when she was out of the bathroom. She knew Paxton called for further instructions. ¡°Yeah.¡± Branden did not hide from her. Knowing she cared about Zobber and Withal, he also told her their situation. ¡°Paxton had sent them to Connie¡¯s. They seem to be slightly injured.¡± Injuries weremon to them. So, Catherine did not worry about that. More importantly, they had been rescued and sent to Connie¡¯s. Connie was professional. She could cure them easily. Catherine nced at the clock on the wall and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go over Connie¡¯s when my hair is done.¡¯ ¡°Okay.¡± Branden could not help but feel a little excited when Catherine proactively mentioned it to him and invited him to go with her. She was cold to him a few days ago and only became normal these days. Carefully blowing her hair dry, Branden went out with Catherine. Seeing thecoat in his hand, she could not help but frown. ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± ¡°Later you will be. It¡¯s cold and windy outside,¡± said Branden. They drove straight from the underground parking lot to the underground parking lot of Connie¡¯s apartment building. There would be no chance of feeling the wind outside with her staying in the car all the way. But she did not say anymore because she knew he would not change his mind easily. He could take the coat as he wished, as long as she was not the one to carry it. Branden drove the car. It took them a few minutes to get to Connie¡¯s. After knocking on the door, Catherine was surprised Paxton opened the door. Paxton exined quickly, ¡°Connie is binding them up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine followed Branden into the house. Connie had a big house with a dedicated medical room on one floor. Withal and Zobber were now lying on the beds in the medical room, waiting for Connie to treat their wounds one by one. Withal¡¯s injury was more severe, with some injuries to his legs in addition to arge incision in his arm. Zobber¡¯s injury was slightly lighter, but it was on her belly. Seeing Catherine, Zobber got excited. ¡± Catherine, thank you! If it were not for you, I would have died this time.¡± Standing aside, Paxton was speechless. He thought, ¡®Thank Miss Swann? For real? I¡¯m the one who arrived on time with enough people and rescued them. Without me, they would not be lying here.¡¯ Zobber nced at Paxton and sensed his dissatisfaction. She said disdainfully, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m thanking Catherine, without whose order you would not havee to rescue me.¡± Paxton could not argue with that. So he kept quiet. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Connie pped Zobber¡¯s arm to make her stay still. Connie was mad when she saw the blood oozing out. ¡°Zobber, will you please stay calm every time you see Catherine? I just took care of your wound, and it¡¯s broken now. I might as well stab you to death. It¡¯ll save me some time.¡± Zobber dared not move anymore. She knew what Connie was like. She appeared to be a sweet, harmless girl outside but skilled at using knives. Scalpels, though, but equally horrible. When they were training together, there were some bloody scenes. Even Catherine felt nauseous after watching them, and Zobber vomited ceaselessly. Only Connie was expressionless. The bloodier, the more excited she was. Zobber was worried Connie might do what she said, so she did not move anymore. But Connie still thought Catherine would affect Zobber. ¡± Catherine, why don¡¯t you wait outside? They¡¯ll be good in a minute.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine and Branden walked out of the medical room, and so did Paxton. When the two of them were seated, Paxton hurriedly reported the situation to them. ¡°Miss Swann, we searched several suspicious ces, but there was still no trace of Ronin.¡± He felt frustrated when he said this. Loxton was their ce, but they were trickedlike a monkey in the circus by the foreign force. These people had kidnapped Ronin here for so long, and they could not find any clues yet. This was humiliating. He thought Catherine would be mad because everybody knew how close she was with Ronin. Unexpectedly, she only said, ¡°Okay.¡± Connie was fast. Zobber came out very soon. Catherine supported her and said, ¡°Let me help you back to your room.¡± The two girls went into the room. Branden did not say anything. After the door closed behind them,Zobber¡¯s gaze fell on Catherine. ¡± Catherine, do you have something to say?¡± Zobber spected that Catherine was in a hurry to help her into the room because Catherine had a secret matter to discuss with her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about what I had you investigated,¡± said Catherine. ¡°No problem.¡± Zobber would not say anything without Catherine saying. Catherine asked her to investigate privately. It must be top secret. There was no way she would tell anyone. Zobber was the only one who knew about this investigation. She looked at Catherine worriedly. ¡°Catherine, is there anything wrong with Mr. Duncan? ¡°Her tone was full of uncertainty. Branden treated Catherine like so well. She could not believe he would betray Catherine. But who knew? Nothing was for sure. Catherine looked calm and emotionless. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± There was not much Zobber could do. After all, it was betweenCatherine and Branden. Besides, Catherine was powerful. She would be fine. ¡°Take good care of yourself. You¡¯ve done well this time. I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± said Catherine. Zobber and Withal found the enemy¡¯s new basement and took them by surprise. Many files in the basement had not been transferred yet. Paxton packed the files up and brought them back, hoping to find valuable information. Paxton was reporting to Branden secretly outside the room. ¡°Mr. Duncan, we found this. Check.¡± Branden took the document from Paxton. After flipping through it, his expression instantly became solemn. The enemies were able to get this document. It seemed he underestimated their abilities. ¡°Did Catherine know about this?¡± he asked. Paxton shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t told her yet. Zobber did not know, either.¡± Branden¡¯s face darkened. He said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t tell her before you find out the truth.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Yes, Mr. Duncan.¡± Chapter 823 Chapter 823 The n FailedN?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°What did you say?¡± the masked man raised his voice. He hurriedly walked out of the room with his phone, leaving Ronin in the room. Looking at him leaving from behind, Ronin had a faint smile. A few minutester, the masked man was back in the room. One of his phones was left there and remained untouched when he was back. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call for help?¡± The masked man looked at Ronin in confusion. Although he was masked, Ronin could feel his rage. It seemed they had been through quite a crisis. Ronin looked up and down at him with interest and casually said, ¡°The room is under surveince from every angle. Even if I pick up the phone, do you think I have a chance to dial? Or do you think of me as a fool?¡± This room might seem ordinary, but it had many hidden mechanisms and cameras. Ronin¡¯s every move in the room was under surveince. Hearing his words, the masked man said coldly, ¡°You better bear that in mind. It¡¯ll keep you alive.¡± Ronin sneered disdainfully. When the masked man was about to leave, he stopped him. ¡°Now that we know each other, why don¡¯t you tell me your name? I can¡¯t always call you the masked man.¡± The masked man remained silent for a moment and gave a name when Ronin thought he would not tell him. ¡°sh.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronin was absent-minded. He did not quite catch him. sh left without exnation. After he left, Ronin whispered. ¡°sh, good name. Too bad he¡¯s a fool.¡± sh contacted his superior, the man in the ck robe after he walked out of the room. ¡°Sir, things went wrong in the basement. We thought Catherine woulde and set a trap for her. But she did note. Branden¡¯s people came. They were much stronger than we thought. Our people were all captured.¡± sh knelt on the ground, his arms trembling with fear. He did not expect his well-designed trap to fail. They spent a lot of time and effort on it. But they did not capture Catherine, and Zobber and Withal ran away. Their people were captured. The man¡¯s face darkened, his rage uncovered. ¡°Useless!¡± He knew Catherine might note. Her experiment hade to a critical point, which gave her no time for anything else. Only she and Marshallwere able to carry out this experiment. Marshall was not as talented and capable as her in developing and breaking through, but he could help stabilize the foundation. They were in close cooperation. She could not give up on the experiment and Marshall to save Zobber and Withal. His target was not Catherine from the beginning. He aimed at Zobber and Withal, two of Catherine¡¯s best assistants. With them and Ronin, he had enough stakes. He would trade the three assistants with Catherine for a sessful experiment. He trusted Catherine to make the right choice. He did not expect Branden to ruin his n. ¡°Bloody Branden.¡± His curse made sh lower his head even more. ¡°What about those captured people? Have you dealt with them?¡± Those people were his elites. He did not expect them to be taken down by Branden so quickly. Now, he wanted these people to shut up before they said anything against him. Hearing his question, sh answered with a guilty conscience. ¡°Sir, We haven¡¯t got the chance to eliminate them yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± The man in the ck robe roared angrily. His rage made sh copse. To save his life, sh eagerly exined. ¡°Sir, Branden gave all those people to the police. We can¡¯t walk into the police station and kill them. Not in Eskana.¡± ¡°Branden Duncan!¡± The man in the ck shouted his name and gritted his teeth. He did not expect Branden to save their lives by handing them to the police. Unlike other countries, Eskana had a well-developed legal system, which could not be controlled with capital. Any provocation against the rule ofw would be severely punished. Powerful as they were, they did not want to challenge the legal system of Eskana. The man in the ck tried every effort to suppress his anger. He said, ¡°Do whatever you can to shut them up. Or the next time, I¡¯ll be talking to your dead body.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± sh dared not hesitate. He knew the man in the ck robe spared his life because he was still useful. Or else he would not be alive now. ¡°Get out of my face,¡± said the man in the ck robe. sh left quickly. After visiting Zobber and Withal, Catherine and Branden returned to their apartment. ¡°Have a rest.¡± Branden poured a ss of water for Catherine. Catherine sat on the sofa and asked, ¡± Zobber said they found some documents. Does Paxton have them?¡± Branden¡¯s hand paused when he heard Catherine¡¯s words. But he realized what she meant quickly and went back to normal. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll have Paxton email you a copy.¡± ¡°Get myptop.¡± Catherine wanted to read those files as soon as possible. Branden frowned. ¡°It¡¯s toote, and you have to get up early in the morning. How about reading them tomorrow?¡± Catherine¡¯s physical strength was good, and her continuous high- intensity work had not caused any fatigue on her face. But Branden did not want her to overwork. She was human, not a machine. She needed to rest. It waste at night, and she had to get up early. She would break down if this continued. Seeing her hesitation, Branden said patiently, ¡°You have to listen to me this time.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Catherine gave in to him. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Branden reached out and gently felt her hair. Chapter 824 Chapter 824 In the Lab It waste at night. It was so quiet in the room that even the breathing could be heard. Branden sat up against the bedhead with Catherine sleeping beside him. The continuous high-intensity work in recent days had made Catherine sleep deeper. After Catherine fell asleep, Branden opened his eyes and carefully scrutinized her sleeping face through the moonlight shining through the window. Only when Catherine was by his side could he gradually calm his restless heart. Some bloody scenes came to his mind. Her young body had no fear when facing the powerful enemy. Her toughness made his heartache. Her wolf -like, bloodthirsty eyes were shocking to him. But the past could not be reversed, and he would always be by her side in the future. He had been preparing for several months. Things were almost settled down in Casier. And what happened in Loxton woulde to an end quickly. He would create afortable environment that would relieve Catherine of any worries. Catherine woke up in the sunshine. A good night¡¯s sleep gave her energy. She instinctively reached out beside her. That part of the bed was cold already. It seemed he had been up for a while. She lifted the quilt and got up. After washing up, she walked out of the bedroom. A smell of food came from the living room. When they were together, Branden always cooked for her. He knew she did not like strangers. Branden walked out of the kitchen carrying breakfast and gazed into Catherine¡¯s adorable, sleepy eyes. Catherine, who had just got up, was not as sharp as usual. Thenguor in her naturally made her beautiful.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°You are early. Do you have enough sleep?¡± asked Branden. Maybe it was the energy she got from her sleep. She was in a good mood, generously showing her smile. ¡°I had the best sleep. Thanks for your advice.¡± Branden was happy to see her happy. That¡¯s nice. Come have your breakfast.¡± Catherine sat by the table. There was not much to eat, but they were all her favorite foods, all made by Branden. ¡± Not bad!¡± Catherine raised her eyebrow at Branden, showing her praises. Branden was proud. ¡°Of course. After all, I¡¯m your boyfriend.¡± Catherine was stunned for a moment and thought, ¡®Is he ever shy?¡¯ When Catherine started to eat, Branden gave her the iPad. ¡°The documents are in it. You can check on them now.¡± Catherine did not expect Branden to prepare this for her. She was surprised. The smile was back on her face again. Thanks.¡± Branden only did this because he knew Catherine too well. When she got to theb, she would be busy with experiments. But since she had decided to read the documents, she would read them no matter what. Then, she would read them at lunchtime. He might as well arrange everything. She could read the documents during breakfast and have a nice lunch. Branden drove into the university and parked down theboratory building so that Catherine did not have to walk so long. ¡°End early in the evening and call me to pick you up,¡± said Branden. ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine waved goodbye to Branden and walked to theb. She saw Marshall in theb. ¡°Morning. Did Mr. Duncan drive you here?¡± Marshall hade early to theb for a few days and stayed longer than Catherine. Catherine did not deny it. She pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I suppose you had breakfast already. I don¡¯t have to share mine with you.¡± Marshall showed his food box to her. Catherine knew what he meant. She smiled and said, ¡°You can have it all byyourself. I¡¯ve had breakfast.¡± Marshall could not stop smiling. He pretended to be calm and said, ¡°My wife has been making breakfast for me these days. She thinks I work too hard in theb.¡± His pride was written on his face. ¡°You go to theb first. I¡¯ll be there after I finish my breakfast,¡± said Marshall. ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine went to theb, and Marshall did note until he finished his breakfast in his office. ¡°Catherine, have you saved all the experiment data? Try not to store the data in one ce. Many people have their eyes on this experiment,¡± asked Marshall. Ever since thest leak, he felt a sword hanging above his head, ready to end his life any minute. Thest leak was solved perfectly because the experiment was not that important. This time was different. Once the experiment was carried out, the world would be stunned. He had to be careful. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Professor Hartley. I set up ayer of encryption myself and also asked Professor Warner from the Computer Science Department to help me encrypt ayer of firewall,¡± answered Catherine. Winston from the Computer Science Department was Ronin¡¯s mentor, an authority in the domesticputer field, and a friend of Marshall. Marshall nodded after hearing what she said. He knew his old friend very well. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Winston sucks at chess. But he does know how to y theputer. I trust him.¡± Catherine could not help but joke. ¡± Does he know he sucks at chess?¡± Marshall said, ¡°It¡¯s a simple fact. If he denies it, I will let everyone in the building know how bad he is at chess.¡± Then he whispered to Catherine, ¡°I¡¯m much better than Winston in chess.¡± Catherine was amused by him. The serious vibe in theboratory seemed to ease a lot due to Marshall. ¡°So you must be the best chess yer in the university.¡± Marshall pretended to be mad and threatened. ¡°Catherine, feel free to mock me. I¡¯ll get back to you when the experiment is done.¡± Catherine knew he was only joking and did not mind. After ying, they should get to business. Next Friday was the certification day, chosen by Catherine. The urgency of time could stimte her motivation without reducing her effectiveness. The sess of the experiment would be determined next week. Chapter 825 Chapter 825 Recognized Beauty ¡°Is what you¡¯re saying true?¡± Shane was a bit incredulous when he heard the news from his assistant.He didn¡¯t expect Catherine to actually seed, let alone in such a short time. The assistant nodded affirmatively. Yes, Mr. Edson. The news is reliable, and we also know that Catherine will send the report paper on her experimental results to the authority for certification next Friday.¡± ¡°Next Friday?¡± Shane¡¯s eyes were filled with incredible suspicion. ¡°Yes. Catherine¡¯s experiment has reached its final stage. If it goes well, it can be sent for certification in time for next Friday.¡± Although this might sound unbelievable, it was already the result of the assistant¡¯s repeated verification. They were truly shocked by Catherine¡¯s ability. They knew Catherine was very efficient, but they didn¡¯t expect her to be so efficient. After Shane knew all of this, he was more than a little shocked inside. He underestimated Catherine, the genius he had nurtured firsthand. It seemed that Catherine¡¯s talent far exceeded his perceptions, or rather she had had some reservations with him from the beginning. It wasn¡¯t entirely out of the question that Catherine was so smart that she could do this. ¡°Can there be a way to get the experiment information?¡± Shane knew that stealing the results of the experiment outright wasn¡¯t possible. He wanted to get the experiment information and some core stuff. The team members he had were all top-notch talents from around the world. Although they couldn¡¯tplete the experiment, it was possible for them to produce a paper based on the information and obtain certification from authoritative institutions through his operation. After they obtained certification, Catherine would have toe to negotiate with him in person. At that time, it wouldn¡¯t be Catherine who had the final say. He believed that with Catherine¡¯s intelligence, she would be able to tell which one was more important. What she cared about was the experiment. There was no way she would give up the experiment for the sake of immediate benefits and choose to start all over again in another direction. Shane was different. What he cared about was profit. If the results of this experiment fell into Shane¡¯s hands, with this lucrative experiment, the Breens would thrive forever. The assistant looked embarrassed after hearing Shane¡¯s order. ¡°Mr. Edson, this might be difficult!¡± Shane, however, said without much concern, ¡°Oh, we have never been afraid of difficulties. If there were no difficulties, would you be needed? Remember, I don¡¯t keepme ducks!¡± The assistant nodded silently. ¡°Mr. Edson, please don¡¯t worry. I will go and arrange it now.¡± After the assistant left, Shane took out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a mysterious number. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to continue our cooperation. You didn¡¯t even tell me that Catherine will be sending the experimental paper for certification next Friday.¡± Shane¡¯s deep voice was filled with anger, but he tried his best to suppress it. Then, someone¡¯s cold voice came from the receiver. ¡°Mr. Shane, I believe the people under yourmand will report this little matter to you. And what I need to do for you is an important event. Do you think I¡¯m right?¡± Shane didn¡¯t want to negotiate with the other party and made a direct request. ¡± I need the information in Catherine¡¯sb, or¡­¡± Without waiting for Shane to finish, the other party agreed readily. ¡°Okay!¡± With that, the call ended. Shane held his phone, with a proud expression in his old eyes. The two talents he had raised were both the most ferocious characters. But no matter how powerful these two people were, the victory would alwaysgo to him, who stood on the hill with a hunting rifle in hand watching. Amelia cautiously walked through the door. Just as she hesitated to knock, Catherine reacted and looked toward her. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Amelia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Super Catherine, do I have loud footsteps? How did you know I wasing?¡± She didn¡¯t believe in coincidences. Catherine¡¯s gaze clearly told Amelia that she knew her appearance. ¡°Your footsteps weren¡¯t loud. It¡¯s just that I have sharp ears,¡± Catherine said ndly. Even though her tone was extremely t, it still shocked Amelia a bit. Amelia inwardly eximed, ¡°Geniuses not only have smart brains, but even their sensory organs are sharper than ordinary people.¡± In front of Catherine, Amelia seemed like a muggle who came to the world to make up the numbers. Amelia smiled bitterly and brought the food boxes in her hand to Catherine. ¡± They¡¯re from Mr. Duncan¡¯s assistant. He said that you should not forget to eat your lunch.¡± Catherine nced at the time. It was lunchtime in the blink of an eye. Branden was quite punctual. Knowing that Catherine might forget her lunch, Branden simply asked Amelia to deliver it. Looking at therge food boxes, Catherine guessed that there should be quite a lot of food inside, so she took the initiative to ask Amelia to eat with her together. ¡°Have some with me together?¡± Amelia knew that Catherine was genuinely inviting her to lunch, so she readily agreed. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s from Mr. Duncan. It must be delicious. It¡¯s a rare asion, so I¡¯ll make myself at home.¡± As soon as the food boxes were opened, Amelia was amazed to see that it was filled with exquisite dishes. ¡°This is too sumptuous!¡± Originally, she just wanted to have a bite to try it out, but she didn¡¯t expect to be amazed by the food inside. And she could see that the food was plentiful, Catherine couldn¡¯t finish it alone, so she started eating with peace of mind. Looking at Amelia¡¯s enjoyable appearance, Catherine¡¯s mood for eating also changed for the better. She felt that the food was also quite a bit more ptable. The food waspletely enough for two people. Perhaps Branden had arranged Amelia¡¯s portion in advance so that Catherine would not be too lonely if she had someone to dine with. Thinking of Branden¡¯s thoughtfulness, a smile involuntarily appeared on Catherine¡¯s face. Catherine, who usually had a cold face that could almost be described as expressionless, suddenly smiled. Amelia was stunned directly. Amelia praised her. ¡°Gosh, Super Catherine, you look so beautiful when you smile. You¡¯re even more beautiful than a fairy in a fairy tale!¡± Catherine was a recognized beauty. There was no doubt about it. Although she didn¡¯t participate in the school¡¯s beauty contest,pared to the school beauty queen elected by the highest number of votes in the school,everyone still thought that Catherine, the invisible school beauty queen, was the most deserving. Looking at Amelia¡¯s exaggerated movements and expressions, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but interrupt her. ¡°Be serious. Don¡¯t be so exaggerated.¡± Regarding this point, Amelia, who had always obeyed Catherine, immediately disapproved. ¡°I¡¯m not exaggerating. I¡¯m telling the truth. You¡¯re really beautiful. No wonder there are so many outstanding boys chasing after you. Mr. Melton, who recently threatened the status of the most handsome boy in our school and caused a stir in the school, is still standing downstairs right now.¡± ¡°He¡¯s here again?¡± Catherine frowned slightly. Amelia nodded. ¡°Yeah. I ran into him when I came in just now. He asked me if you were in theb. But I told him that I couldn¡¯t help him because I couldn¡¯tget into yourb. Is it okay for me to say that?¡± Amelia inquired carefully. She could see that Catherine had no other thoughts about Rn. Catherine¡¯s reaction when Amelia mentioned Rn waspletely different than when Branden was mentioned. When Branden was mentioned, there was a light inside Catherine¡¯s eyes, whereas when Rn was mentioned, her eyebrows involuntarily furrowed.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Although Amelia wasn¡¯t as smart as them, she could observe all these subtleties. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Catherine responded easily, ¡°Just tell him the truth if you find it difficult in the future. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Although Amelia didn¡¯t know why Catherine had instructed her to do so, she was sure that Catherine must have had her reasons for that. Amelia thought to herself, ¡°Since Catherine has made it possible for me to tell Rn the truth, there is no need for me to lie to him.¡± Every time Amelia needed to dodge Rn¡¯s gaze and lie, she felt exhausted as if she had experienced severe torture. Now it was great, she didn¡¯t have to have that kind of experience anymore. Chapter 826 Chapter 826 Terrible Dream The sickening smell of blood was everywhere in the dim and humid environment. The t floor was sticky with liquid, but the liquid wasn¡¯t water. It was fresh blood.The floor was always wet as the blood would be covered with new blood before it dried and solidified. ¡°Kill him and victory is yours!¡± A group of children heard a cold voice, which was like a devil¡¯s call. Hearing the order, the group of children immediately swarmed.They were all little children, but there were no innocent looks on their faces that children of the same age should have. Their eyes were like those of a bloodthirsty wolf. They looked like they were ready to annihte the enemy at any time. ¡°Kill as soon as possible. If you want to survive, kill the others. If you want to be free, hold on until the end.¡± The devil¡¯s voice sounded again, forcing those children to kill each other. The only way for this group of kids to survive was to kill the others and hold on until the end. Only the one who won in the end would have freedom as a reward. They killed each other. Blood covered their faces, but they didn¡¯t have any fear. Because they only had one belief in their hearts, that was to win! Looking at the children killing each other, the man standing at the top had a pleased smile on his face. He liked this bloody scene. What he wanted was this bloody scene. The killing gradually came to an end, and the physically exhausted children fell down one by one. Out of all those kids, only three ended up standing there, two boys and one girl. Both boys were tall, but no one dared to underestimate the ability of this skinny girl. The two boys exchanged a nce and their eyes instantly became firm. They had already reached an agreement to join forces and defeat the girl together before putting up a fight. The girl sensed their intentions. She was not afraid, and her murderous gaze carried a ferocity that she shouldn¡¯t carry at her age. When the two boys joined forces, she reacted quickly. She was too strong andeven if those two boys joined forces, they couldn¡¯t knock her down instantly. Both boys made a desperate move, determined to kill the girl. But they still underestimated the girl. A kick from the girl sent both of them to the floor and they couldn¡¯t get up.The girl quickly reacted by cing her knee against the neck of one of the boys. She had enough strength. As long as she exerted force, that boy could be killed by her in an instant. That boy had terror in his eyes. He looked at the girl with tears streaming down his face and cried out, ¡°Please, I admit defeat. Please let me go. I don¡¯t want to die. Please¡­¡± The boy¡¯s agonizing pleas caused the killing intent in the girl¡¯s eyes to gradually fade away. She slowly let go of the boy and stood up. The moment she turned her back, the boy on the floor stopped pleading and a sinister smile emerged on his face. He pulled out the dagger hidden inside his short boots quickly and used it to stab the girl directly. ¡°Watch out!¡± The skinny figure that had originally fallen to the floor suddenly pounced up quickly, pushing the girl away and taking the fatal stab for her. The girl reacted. Looking at her friend covered in blood, she could no longer conceal her inner anger. Her kindness had almost gotten her friend killed, and she showed no more mercy. She went straight to kill the boy who wanted to kill her. She picked up the skinny figure that fell on the floor. As she watched the continuous gushing of blood, her heart gradually froze and her arms trembled unconsciously.Original from N?velDrama.Org. This was the first time she had the feeling of fear. She could only tremble and shout, ¡°No. You must not die¡­¡± Catherine suddenly opened her eyes and sat up abruptly, her face full of tense emotions, and her forehead covered in cold sweat. It was a dream! She had just had another nightmare. This nightmare had tormented her for many years and then disappeared, but recently it appeared again. She was dreaming again about all the painful memories she once had. Catherine got out of bed and poured herself a ss of cold water to calm down. She¡¯d been having these dreams more and more oftentely. She could not even take a nap now without dreamingof that former nightmare again. It was as if the danger had returned. After drinking a ss of cold water, Catherine¡¯s mood gradually returned to its normal state. She became the cold Catherine again. ¡°Buzz¡­¡± The ringing of the phone interrupted Catherine¡¯s thoughts. She pressed the connect button and put the phone to her ear. ¡°Catherine, see you at the usual ce!¡± Zobber¡¯s low voice came from the receiver. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine answered simply and hung up. The cold sweat that covered her body made her feel a little sticky. She got up and took a shower, changing into a loose outfit she didn¡¯t usually wear. Then she casually took a t cap and lowered the brim until it covered her entire face. Coming out of the back door of theb, Catherine evaded the surveince skillfully and arrived at an abandoned teaching building behind the school. Because it was a dangerous building, it had been out ofmission for several years. Aside from a few feral cats, it was rare to see any living animals there. Catherine made her way through the dpidated staircase to a location on the basement floor. There was a Harley ¨C Davidson motorcycle parked there, which was her designated vehicle. She handsomely got on the motorcycle and started it, the sound of the engine instantly resonating throughout the ruined building. Without hesitation, she simply released the brakes and the motorcycle immediately sped off. Half an hourter, Catherine appeared underneath an inte cafe. The noisyinte cafe was filled with the mor of game enthusiasts. Catherine asked the staff to turn on aputer for her and walked to her seat. Just as she sat down, she heard a middle -aged man beside her slowly say, ¡± Catherine, how do you think I look in this disguise?¡± Catherine curled her lips. She chuckled lightly and gave a review. ¡°Not bad!¡± This middle-aged man was Zobber in disguise. Hearing Catherine¡¯s critique, she was a bit happy, but she didn¡¯t dare to act too ostentatiously. If she was too ostentatious and attracted attention, then her efforts of disguising herself for so long would be in vain. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll send the information to you. You can read it first. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine answered. Not long after, Catherine received the information that Zobber sent to her. She checked it and looked at it for a few moments, then deleted it. Zobber stood aside andmunicated with Catherine with her headset. She reported thetest situation in a whisper. ¡°Catherine, I just found out all this information. I didn¡¯t realize Mr. Duncan was hiding so many forces behind him. Do you know all of this?¡± After waiting for a while without getting a response, Zobber turned back. Seeing Catherine¡¯s cold face and scary gaze, Zobber was shocked to find that she had said the wrong thing and silently shut up. She felt like she had caused trouble. She stuck out her tongue mischievously. She dared not to make a sound and silently huddled aside, waiting for Catherine¡¯s reaction. Chapter 827 Chapter 827 He Only Wants Money Catherine¡¯s mind was now full of the information she had just checked. She knew Branden was hiding some forces, but she had never arranged for anyone to check it out. When she once hid her multiple identities from Branden, Branden hadn¡¯t arranged for anyone to check it out either. But she didn¡¯t realize Branden actually had so many forces. It turned out she and Branden had even stood opposite before. Zobber found out another important piece of information. Just as she was struggling with whether or not to report it to Catherine, Catherine had taken the initiative to ask, ¡°What else did you find out?¡± Catherine¡¯s expression made Zobber speak cautiously. ¡°Catherine, I suspect that Mr. Duncan has reconciled with the Breens and that they have a new coboration.¡± Some time ago, the Breens went crazy against the Duncan Corporation. The two consortiums had fought several times in Casier and Loxton, and the entire business world knew that the two consortiums had fallen out. The foreign powerful consortiumpeted against the local consortium, and no one gained an advantage. The fact that the consortiums, which were originally going to fight fiercely, were now working together sounded very puzzling. But nothing was impossible in the business world. In a world that only cared about profits, any enemy could be the nextobject of cooperation.Zobber handed Catherine the evidence she had found out. If it weren¡¯t for these pieces of evidence in front of Zobber, which showed that many subsidiaries of the Duncan Corporation had already reached cooperation agreements with the Breens¡¯ branch in Eskana, Zobber wouldn¡¯t have believed this to be true. After all, she couldn¡¯t believe that Branden didn¡¯t know how bad Catherine¡¯s rtionship with the Breens was. ¡°Catherine, maybe there¡¯s some kind of misunderstanding here. Why don¡¯t you arrange for Wantel to check it out again?¡± Zobber said with some concern. She didn¡¯t want this incident to affect Catherine¡¯s feelings toward Branden. She used to think that no man in this world could match the excellent Catherine, a woman who was like a perfect person. Branden¡¯s presence gave Zobber hope. He and Catherine were equal in strength. They were simply a perfect match. Most importantly, Branden¡¯s kindness to.Catherine was obvious to everyone. He was so devoted to her even if he was in such a high position, which was rare in the world. ¡°I will arrange it!¡± Catherine¡¯s cold words interrupted what Zobber wanted to say next. Seeing that Catherine had her own arrangements, Zobber was not in a position to intervene more. She just assured Catherine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I will definitely keep this matter a secret.¡± Catherine nodded slightly. She turned off herputer and stood up to leave. ¡°Take care of yourself, and contact me at any time if you¡¯re in danger.¡± Coming out of the inte cafe, Catherine went straight back to theb building without any stops in between. This made Marshall, who had been staying inside theb building, unaware that Catherine had left. Seeing Catherine change her clothes ande out of the office, Marshall looked at her with a smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve had a long enough lunch break today, but why do you look more tired than if you don¡¯t rest?¡± Catherine had been sticking to theb and refusing to leave, and Marshall was worried that this was not good for her health, so he persuaded her to take lunch breaks at noons. ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Catherine shook her head rxed. ¡°I had a terrible dream during my nap. It makes me a little tired, so I slept a little longer.¡± When she said this, Marshall felt even more distress for her. ¡°You must have been overtired. People only dream when they¡¯re under a lot of pressure. If you rx, the terrible dreams won¡¯t haunt you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have terrible dreams if I rx? ¡°Catherine frowned and looked at Marshall with a serious face. Hearing this, Marshall guessed that she was really disturbed by her dreams and tried to help her. Catherine was excellent in both talent and ability, but shecked some knowledge in life. Perhaps this was something geniuses should bear. Geniuses would put most of their energy on the things they focused on,but instead overlooked the details of life. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve been under a lot of pressuretely and your nerves are too tense. Let me teach you a rxation exercise now. It¡¯s very simple. You practice with me for ten minutes or so now. You¡¯ll sleep better at night.¡± Marshall tried to persuade Catherine to learn the rxation exercise from him and she agreed. The two of them started to do the rxation exercise in the open space inside theb building. Catherine had done simr rxation exercises before, but she did it in a different way from Marshall. Marshall did it in a very standard way. He did it gently without exerting too much force. Catherine, on the other hand, was full of killing intentions in everymovement. Seeing her stiff movements, Marshall acted like a strict teacher. He corrected Catherine¡¯s stance hand by hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s too stiff here. You need to do it softly. I¡¯m making you rx, not making you use so much strength. Are you going to hit someone¡­ Yeah, yeah, that¡¯s right. You need to do it gently.¡± It took almost twenty minutes to do the rxation exercises. Marshall was drenched in sweat while Catherine didn¡¯t feel anything. Marshall sighed, ¡°You young people have good physical strength. You need to practice it every morning and night, okay? When you get tired from practicing the rxation exercises, you will have a good sleep at night. Don¡¯t have any other thoughts while practicing, just empty your mind.¡± ¡°Okay, Professor Hartley!¡± responded Catherine politely. Marshall patted her on the shoulder and signaled her to go rest. ¡°Alright, go take a break and then get on the experiment.¡± Catherine nodded and left while Marshall sighed in ce. Although Catherine didn¡¯t say anything and didn¡¯t look any different on the surface, the look in her eyes showed everything. Marshall could see that Catherine had been a bit preupiedtely. He only hoped that Catherine could get out of the predicament as soon as possible and return to her former state. sh followed his superior¡¯s instructions and sent the information Ronin stole to his superior¡¯s mailbox. Then he received a new order from his superior and found Ronin. Seeing sh appear with his personalputer still in his hand, Ronin instantly understood sh¡¯s intentions. Ronin narrowed his eyes and sized him up and down with a carefree expression. ¡°You¡¯re really annoying. You don¡¯t even give me a break. I gave you the information just two days ago, but you¡¯re here again.¡± sh didn¡¯t threaten Ronin this time. He just told him the truth. ¡°Catherine will send theb paper report for certification next Friday.¡± At this statement, the expression on Ronin¡¯s face immediately changed. He knew why sh was so anxious. If the experiment was sessfullycertified by Catherine, it would bring endless trouble to sh and his superior. Ronin cooperated and said, ¡°Alright, bring theputer.¡± Seeing how cooperative he was, sh was still a bit surprised. He froze for a second before handing over theputer. At the same time, Ronin made a new request. ¡°I can help you with the information, but I want money.¡± sh thought Ronin would take the opportunity to request to let him leave, but he didn¡¯t realize that Ronin actually only asked for money. He asked suspiciously, ¡°You only want money?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ronin knew what sh was thinking. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid because I didn¡¯t ask you to let me go?¡± Roninughed out coldly, a sneer appearing on his thin lips. ¡°Humph. Even if I requested that, would you guys let me go?¡± Chapter 828 Chapter 828 A More Powerful Hacker Ronin¡¯s question made sh not know how to answer him.sh once promised Ronin that as long as he could cooperate with them to steal useful information from Catherine, they would give him arge sum of money to let him go, but those were all lies. After spending some time with Ronin, sh felt a bit sympathetic toward him. His growth experience was actually simr to Ronin¡¯s, but he was not as lucky as Ronin to meet Catherine. Looking at Ronin¡¯s eyes, sh couldn¡¯t tell a lie no matter what. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Roninughed out loud. He pointed at sh andy down to the side. ¡°sh, you¡¯re done. You¡¯re actually starting to sympathize withme and can¡¯t bear to lie to me.¡± Having been seen through by Ronin, sh¡¯s guilt was hard to hide. He tried desperately to hide his guilt, but he looked more and moreical. ¡± Ronin, don¡¯t y tricks. Behave yourself. It¡¯s not your turn to talk here.¡± Facing the threat of sh, Ronin was not afraid at all. He got up and slowly lowered his head toward sh. He stared at sh directly as if his beautiful big eyes seemed to be able to discern the secrets in his heart. sh tried to avoid his eyes. But in the next second, he heard Ronin scoff in a tone full of sarcasm, ¡°sh, have you ever thought that if you dare not lie to me now, your superior will kill you the next second?¡± ¡°What superior? What are you babbling about?¡± sh had never mentioned hissuperior to Ronin. He didn¡¯t know how Ronin knew that, but he already had a feeling that things were not going well. Ronin didn¡¯t want to say much andy back down again. He put away the creepy look on his face and returned to his once carefree expression. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, I won¡¯t force you. But remember, you want the information, and I want the money. As for how I¡¯ll spend the money and whether I have the chance to spend it, it¡¯s all my business. I know you can¡¯t make the decision. Go ask your superior to give me a price worthy of me or don¡¯t me me for refusing to get the information for you.¡± sh knew he couldn¡¯t conceal that he had a superior from him anymore. Ronin¡¯s attitude made him stop concealing it and turn to leave. Half an hourter, sh came back. This time, he asked Ronin for an overseas bank ount number. After Ronin provided the ount number, he emphasized, ¡°Transfer the money with peace of mind. This is my private ount. Catherine doesn¡¯t even know about it yet.¡± sh paused for a moment and turned his head to look at Ronin again. Ronin immediately red back nonchntly. ¡°Get a move on and hurry up. Do you want the information or not? Don¡¯t waste my time. I don¡¯t have that much time to waste with you. If I fall asleep, don¡¯t me me for not being helpful.¡± sh couldn¡¯t understand what Ronin was thinking. He thought in his heart, ¡°Obviously, Ronin is the prisoner, but he doesn¡¯t act like a prisoner at all. Instead, he is ordering me as if he were my leader.¡± Although sh was a bit dissatisfied in his heart, he still quickly operated theputer. ording to Ronin¡¯s request, he arranged the transfer of money to Ronin. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± sh red at Ronin angrily. Ronin immediately came forward. Seeing the numbers on theputer, he tapped on the keyboard. ¡°What are you doing?¡± sh snarled and tried to push Ronin away. Ronin moved theputer to make sh check the screen. ¡°I¡¯m just checking the bnce inside my ount. I want to see if you¡¯ve transferred money to me or not. Why are you so agitated?¡± With that said, Ronin returned control of theputer to sh. After retrieving theputer, sh checked the screen of theputer at first. Indeed, as Ronin said, he only checked his bank ount and did nothing more. sh then put theputer back into Ronin¡¯s hands. ¡°Get started and mark my words¡­¡± Before he could finish, Ronin said sarcastically and coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t y tricks or cause trouble. Aren¡¯t you tired of saying that? I¡¯m sick of hearing about it.¡± ¡°Just so you know.¡± After sh said that, Ronin ignored him and was fully focused on manipting theputer. After hisst attempt, Ronin felt a little easier this time.He noticed a problem while stealing the files though, and he immediately exited. Seeing his exit, sh got anxious. ¡± What are you doing? Isn¡¯t this logging in? Why don¡¯t you continue?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°That¡¯s all we could get!¡± Ronin then gave him an exnation. ¡°Catherine encrypted it. There¡¯s not only a firewall she set up, there¡¯s a firewall set up by someone else. It¡¯s double-encrypted. If I don¡¯t exit it, this location will be tracked by them immediately.¡± Ronin¡¯s taut look and serious tonepelled sh to believe what he was saying. Confused, sh asked, ¡°Who is it? Could there be a better hacker than Catherine?¡± ¡°Catherine is really good in the realm ofputers, but she¡¯s good at attacking, the realm of hacking. She¡¯s also good at building firewalls, but she¡¯s not the best at it. This person is no less capable than Catherine and hasmore experience than Catherine.¡± Ronin went on to exin. ¡°Who should it be?¡± sh immediately asked. Ronin thought for a moment and gave his answer. ¡°As far as I know, the only one who can achieve this and gain Catherine¡¯s trust at this time is my mentor, Winston Warner, a professor in theputer science department of Styre University.¡± sh naturally knew who Winston was. It was just that he now wasn¡¯t 100% certain of Ronin¡¯s words yet. He hesitantly looked at Ronin and said tentatively, ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°Give me more time or get him. It¡¯s your choice!¡± Ronin looked at sh expressionlessly. Seeing that sh didn¡¯t understand his words, Ronin had no choice but toexin, ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no way to crack it. I¡¯m a student of Professor Warner. I know some of his research and design habits. If you give me some time, I can crack it. But do you guys have enough time to wait?¡± Ronin¡¯s words made sh¡¯s face suddenly darken. sh¡¯s superior had not given him much time, and he really didn¡¯t have enough time to wait. Seeing his expression, Ronin didn¡¯t care and continued, ¡°If time doesn¡¯t allow it, we can only crack it from the root. You can start with Professor Warner. But he and I are not the same. I¡¯m just a nameless junior, while he is a highly respected professor. Do you guys dare to make a move on him?¡± Ronin looked at sh with provocative eyes as if he were mocking sh¡¯s ipetence. sh copied the information Ronin had just stolen and prepared to leave with hisputer. ¡°Whether we can do it or not is up to us. All you have to do is do what we ask.¡± What sh wanted now was to report this to his superior as soon as possible. With the new information Ronin had given him, he¡¯d be able to get some more time. He would check out whether Ronin said was true. It would not be toote for him to think of a new approach at that time. ¡°Humph¡­¡± Ronin let out a coldugh and shrugged with a rxed expression. After sh left, Ronin returned to his original posture. Hey on the simple wooden bed, but his hand hidden in his pocket never stopped its moving. Chapter 829 Chapter 829 Appetite Just as Catherine emerged from theboratory, she ran into Marshall. He had been smiling for the past few days but suddenly had a gloomy face, which was really strange. ¡°Professor, what¡¯s the matter with you? ¡°Catherine spoke up and stopped Marshall, who was about to go downstairs. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s voice, Marshall¡¯s body trembled slightly, feeling somewhat startled. He turned around and looked at Catherine with a somewhat evasive gaze. Although he hid it well, he couldn¡¯t escape Catherine¡¯s keen eyes. ¡°Catherine, are you nning to go back and rest?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Catherine stared at Marshall, carefully inquiring, ¡°Professor, have you encountered something?¡± ¡°No!¡± Marshall immediately denied it. ¡± There¡¯s nothing going on. Don¡¯t overthink it. Since work is finished, you should go back and rest early! Don¡¯t y on your phone at night. Just go home, have dinner, and go to sleep, okay?¡± Catherine always felt that Marshall was acting strange, but since he was unwilling to talk about it, she did not push the issue. ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing that Catherine did not pursue further questions, Marshall turned and left directly. However, his figurecked the vitality and confidence he had just a few days ago, giving the impression that he had something on his mind. Catherine immediately dialed Zobber¡¯s phone number and said, ¡°Help me look into something!¡± After hearing about the purpose of Catherine¡¯s call, Zobber guessed thereason even before checking. ¡± Catherine, you should open your phone and take a look at the most popr portal website. Or you can visit your school¡¯swork to find the answer. I guess Marshall is troubled by these things.¡± Recently, Catherine had beenpletely focused on her work in theboratory, and she was not someone who enjoyed gossip, so naturally, she would not pay attention to such gossip news. Unlike others, Zobber cared more about Catherine¡¯s every move. She noticed this matter. Before she had the chance to inform Catherine, she received a call from Catherine. Marshall was not aware of how strong Catherine truly was. These minor issues could not disturb Catherine¡¯s strong inner spirit. After hanging up the phone, Catherine followed Zobber¡¯s instructions and opened the campus forum on her phone. This was urged to be downloaded by Amelia before, supposedly toplete a mission. Not even for looking, the top three headlines were all rted to her. Although her name was not mentioned explicitly, the insinuation was quite obvious. The most popr post was the one about corruption in campus. Catherine opened the post and saw several photos. She immediately recognized the vehicle in the photo as Branden¡¯s car.The ck Bentley, which Branden usually drove most often in Loxton, was a prominent feature. The scene in the photo was right in front of theboratory building on the campus. The post was about Branden using donations and sponsorships as an excuse to exercise his power, openly driving cars into the campus. It also imed that Branden was the intrusion of capital, disrupting the normal self- proimed campus. The post listed dozens of charges, and each one didn¡¯t seem too serious at first nce. However, when so many charges were put together, the nature of the matter changed. At the end of the post, the whistleblower also imed that he was fighting for justice and that he was willing to risk his life to stand up for justice and oppose the influence ofcapital. He believed that the campus was sacred and should not be contaminated by capital. Although the statement seemed just and reasonable, only the whistleblower himself knew what intentions were hidden behind it. Below the post, many onlookers followed withments. Most of them were angry youth who hated the rich, in a frenzy of leading the public opinion. They didn¡¯t even understand what was going on, yet they were shouting slogans to drive Branden out of Styre University and reject his capital intervention. Catherine expressionlessly finished reading the post and did not take the content to heart. She finished reading and then forwarded the post to Paxton¡¯s phone. If Paxton couldn¡¯t handle such small matters, he didn¡¯t deserve to stand by Branden¡¯s side. What she was now more worried about was Marshall. Instead of heading back as nned, she turned and walked toward the family building. Halfway there, she happened to meet Winston. Winston also lived in the family building above Marshall. When he saw Catherine, Marshall¡¯s disciple, he took the initiative to greet her. ¡°Catherine, you came for Marshall!¡± Catherine nodded politely, ¡°Could you please open the door?¡± Entering the family building required the ess card, and Catherine had originally nned to have Marshalle down but happened to run into Professor Winston Warner. Winston smiled and said, ¡°No trouble at all. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony. I¡¯ll take you up. If Marshall¡¯s wife didn¡¯t cook today, you cane to my house for a meal. My wife is an excellent cook. He deliberately lowered his voice and whispered to Catherine, ¡°Better than Marshall¡¯s wife, but don¡¯t tell him. He¡¯s very stingy and will give you a hard time!¡± With a slight smile, Catherine felt a greater sense of warmth toward Winston. She admired the two professors very much, both of whom were role models in educating. They devoted their lives to research and teaching without any ulterior motives. They were especially kind. There was no scheming or plotting between them, only academic research and their beloved students. Before parting ways, Winston suddenly called out to Catherine. ¡°By the way, Ronin took some time off. Do you know what he¡¯s up to?¡± Winston had genuine feelings of both love and frustration toward this beloved disciple. It was natural for young people to be unruly, but Ronin was simply too willful. ¡°Professor Warner, rest assured that he had to attend to some family matters and should be back soon. When he returns, please do not give him the weekend off. Instead, make sure he attends ss every day to catch up on what he missed,¡± said Catherine. Winston understood the rtionship between Catherine and Ronin. Although he did not know what these people had been up to recently, knowing that Ronin was safe, he also felt relieved. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for thekid toe back so I can teach him a lesson!¡± After Catherine watched Winston leave, she continued to walk up another floor. When the door was opened, Marshall was surprised to see Catherine standing at the door. ¡°Catherine, how did youe here? Marshall was wearing an apron and holding a spat in his hand.Catherine was about to speak when Marshall pulled her into the room. ¡± Come in and take a seat before we talk, ¡± he said. Upon entering the door, Marshall immediately took off the apron around his waist and called his wife out. Upon seeing a studente to the door, his wife did not hesitate and immediately took over the spat. ¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. You guys chat. Leave dinner to me. Marshall, ask Catherine to stay for dinner, and I¡¯ll make an extra dish.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Marshall led Catherine to sit on the sofa. This was Catherine¡¯s first time at his house, and she hade on her own. He was worried that something had happened. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Rest assured. I¡¯ll help you with any situation!¡± Looking at his anxious face, Catherine felt a stir in her heart. Marshall unconditionally supported her in everything. He was more like a father figure than just a mentor. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve already read the post. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to eat dinner, so I came to visit, ¡°said Catherine jokingly. Marshall knew that the matter could not be kept secret, but he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to find out so quickly. He red at her and said sternly, ¡°I amProfessor Hartley. Such trivial matters will not affect my appetite. It¡¯s impossible.¡± The originally serious topic seemed much lighter due to the yful tone of their conversation. ¡°Professor, is there any reaction from the campus side?¡± As soon as Catherine asked the question, Marshall¡¯s expression changed. Chapter 830 Chapter 830 News Catherine was concerned about this. She understood that if something were to happen, the university would immediately contact Marshall. Now was a critical stage of the experiment, and Marshall would definitely not let her know. He would quietly bear all of this directly. Marshall fell silent for a moment, then chuckled softly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about these things. I will handle it with the university. I have been a professor for so many years, and now I am one of the most famous professors at Styre University. Everyone will give me some face, and this matter will not cause any trouble. Furthermore, we both know the real situation. One who is upright is not afraid of the shady person. Let theme and investigate as much as they want.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Catherine nodded and first agreed with Marshall¡¯s remarks, ¡± Professor, can you please exin specifically how the university has arranged this?¡± Since she had asked, Marshall didn¡¯t want to hide it from her. ¡°The university mentioned that this matter has had a very negative social impact. They are concerned that it may affect the university¡¯s reputation, so they are preparing to form a joint investigation team with higher-level leaders to look into this matter specifically. It¡¯s not a big deal. Once they investigate and rify everything, this matter will pass. As Marshall said, Branden was simply providing financial support for the university¡¯s various experimental expenses, and there was no need to worry about any illegal or unruly behavior being investigated. Catherine persuaded Marshall not to worry, reassuring him that Branden would handle the matter. Marshall then felt relieved. ¡°Have you finished your conversation? The food is best enjoyed while still hot! ¡± said Mrs. Hartley. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to eat!¡± said Marshall. Catherine wanted to refuse, but she was forcibly dragged over by Marshall. ¡± Don¡¯t be polite at my house. Sit down and eat. There¡¯s more if it¡¯s not enough.Catherine was not being polite. She just wasn¡¯t ustomed to eating at other people¡¯s houses. Overwhelmed by the hospitality, she could only sit down. The dishes on the table were particrly simple. Perhaps because of her arrival, there was an extra meat dish, and a simple meal of three dishes and one soup was the daily life of this well-known professor couple in Loxton. The meal was quite ordinary, and the fried green beans had a slightly burnt taste. It was evident that Mrs. Hartley rarely cooked. However, such simple meals could still bring a heartwarming taste to people¡¯s pte. Under Marshall¡¯s warm hospitality, Catherine finally left the family building with a full stomach. Just as she stepped out, she saw the familiar car parked at the door. She did not hesitate and walked straight toward the car.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. As soon as she approached, Branden pushed open the car door and stepped out with a smile on his face to greet her. ¡°Have you gone to Marshall¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Ah, I also had a meal while I was at it!¡± replied Catherine. This dide as a surprise to Branden. He was well aware of Catherine¡¯s character and knew that she was not the type to dine in someone else¡¯s home easily. It was clear that she held great respect for Marshall. ¡°Are you full?¡± Branden helped Catherine into the car while chatting with her. ¡°I¡¯m so full. I just finished the food in the bowl. But Mrs. Hartley brought another bowl for me so fast that Ididn¡¯t have time to refuse.¡± Catherine looked at Branden with a wry smile. She really didn¡¯t react. It was like Mrs. Hartley was staring at her bowl.As soon as her bowl was empty, Mrs. Hartley promptly took adle and got her another bowl of food. If it were not the case, Catherine would not have overeaten to this extent. Seeing her smile somewhat helplessly, Branden was in a great mood. ¡°It seems that in the future, I¡¯ll have to hand over some food expenses to Professor Marshall!¡± Catherine nced at him, tilting her head with a puzzled look in her eyes. ¡°You see. I always try different ways to cook for you, but you still refuse to eat more, and now you are still so thin!¡± Branden sighed as he circled herslender waist. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you could eat two bowls at Marshall¡¯s house. It seems that Mrs. Hartley is really amazing. I¡¯m thinking that in the future, I should send you there more often. If you eat too much, we should at least arrange some food expenses.¡± After understanding his meaning, Catherine jokingly refused him. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯d rather not go to Marshall¡¯s house to save the trouble for Mrs. Hartley. Normally, it¡¯s Marshall who cooks, but when I visited today, it was Mrs. Hartley who cooked!¡± Branden immediately realized. ¡°So Professor Hartley holds a simr status at home.¡± ¡°Your words seem to carry a deeper meaning. Are youining?¡± Catherine¡¯s clear eyes stared at her intently. ¡°No, absolutely not!¡± Branden exaggeratedly raised his hand, indicating surrender. After a burst ofughter between the two, the atmosphere in the car rxed a bit. Catherine also told him about the situation at university. Branden held her hand tightly, indicating for her to calm down. ¡°Just focus on the experiment. I will take care of the rest and ensure that Professor Hartley is not implicated in any way.¡± Catherine believed that he could fulfill his promise. She was very reassured by giving him this task to handle. ¡°I am feeling a bit drowsy after eating a full meal!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go ahead and sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up when we arrive!¡± repliedBranden. Upon hearing the conversation in the back seat, Paxton silently slowed down and drove the car more steadily, allowing Catherine to sleep morefortably. ¡°Sir, I have found out that this post was written by someone who was paid. They also spent a lot of money to increase the traffic and stir up the poprity.¡± Paxton lowered his voice and reported the situation to Branden. Although the study was some distance away from the bedroom, when Catherine was resting, he didn¡¯t dare make too much noise in case it would wake her up. If that happened, Branden would definitely give him a hard time. Before they received the message from Catherine, they had already knownabout the existence of the post. After reporting to Branden, Paxton immediately arranged for people to investigate and also initiated a public rtions n to reduce the intensity of the post. However, the other party¡¯s influence was not to be underestimated, constantly causing interference and slowing down their progress. Branden looked at the documents on the desk, his expression cold. ¡°Have you found out the other party¡¯s intentions?¡± Paxton shook his head. ¡°Although we cannot yet determine the specific purpose of the other party, we have found a new piece of information. There is an overseas capital that wants to invest in Styre University¡¯s experimental project and provide them with sufficient funds. Although theregistration point is overseas, the controlling stake is held by Chinese individuals, so they are qualified to receive the investment. Here is the information for thispany!¡± Branden looked through it and immediately realized who was behind the scenes. ¡®Going through such a big circle just topete with me, it¡¯s really extravagant. But the other party has found the wrong person. My territory is not something that others can invest in.¡¯ ¡°Help me open a personal ount,¡± said Branden. Paxton was somewhat bewildered, unable to understand why Branden suddenly wanted to open a personal ount. However, Branden had always been unconventional in his approach to things. Paxton had to do what he wasinstructed. Catherine originally just wanted to take a nap but unexpectedly fell into a deep sleep. If it hadn¡¯t been for the ringing of the phone, she might have slept even longer. ¡°Catherine, have you received the news?¡± asked Zobber. Upon hearing Zobber¡¯s excited tone, Catherine did not react immediately and hoarsely whispered, ¡°What news?¡± Zobber knew as soon as she heard Catherine¡¯s voice that Catherine must have just woken up. ¡°I¡¯ll send it to you. Just check your phone!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After hanging up the phone, Catherine received a message from Zobber. Opening the interface, she discovered it was the personal homepage of Branden. She scrolled down, and her attention was caught by thetest update. Chapter 831 Chapter 831 Crisis Resolved Branden¡¯s ount looked like it had just recently been registered, as the level had not even been disyed yet. There was only one post on his ount. Below this post, there were actually thousands ofments. ording to the usual practice, if pany was involved in a scandal, thpany¡¯s public rtions team wouldimmediatelye out to suppress thenegative public opinion, lower the heat,and then slowly manage the publicrtions. However, this time, Brandenbucked the trend by opening an ount and posting updates on socialmedia despite rarely making publicappearances or speaking in public. The post was very simple, just one sentence. ¡°The investor is me. I dote on her.¡± The simple sentence seemed to confirm the spections in the post. Branden financed the Styre Laboratory for Catherine, providing financial support to Styre University. After Branden¡¯s update, the followingments went crazy. The official ount of the Duncan Corporation immediately retweeted this post and listed the schools and charitable organizations sponsored by the Duncan Corporation over the years. One of the most detailed was Styre University. Almost every investment was publicly disclosed. Seeing a series of numbers, manyizens who were about to type curses on the keyboard were stunned. ¡® Goodness, so much money.¡¯ Later, the post of the president of the Duncan Corporation throwing a fortune for his girlfriend went viral on the inte. The heat just kepting in waves. Branden¡¯s post¡¯s heat hadn¡¯t even died down yet, and there was already someone reposting it. The ount of the forwarder had official professional certification and was a contracted professor at Styre University. ¡°That¡¯s great. If there are parents of students willing to provide such support to promote the development of the entire research institute, I fully support it.¡± Then, another ount of a professor from Styre University made ament. ¡°The research in the field of science requires not only arge amount of manpower but also substantial funds for support. Although I am not acquainted with the Duncan Corporation, I am aware that their investment this time is the most generous and least intrusive. I hope there will be morepanies like this in the future.¡± As soon as the twoments were released, self-proimed students of Styre University immediately came forward to im their own professors. So many authoritative figures had expressed favorable opinions on the donation from the Duncan Corporation, which instantly reversed the public opinion of the event. Many femaleizens had been enamored by Branden¡¯s domineering deration. Branden was not only wealthy and handsome, but the key was that he spoiled his girlfriend. He was the ideal partner in the dreams of many women. The original trending topic was instantly changed byizens to ¡°How many Earths must be saved in order to win a boyfriend like Branden?¡± Public opinion had been led to stray, and the pressure of public opinion suddenly diminished. The public rtions team of the Duncan Corporation seized the opportunity to turn the originally malicious defamation storm around and also brought about a wave of momentum, allowing the Duncan Corporation to be at the forefront of the list of ethical enterprises. Some even said that this was a wild celebration of women, and some males couldn¡¯t help but jeer at it from below. [ Even if this boss really only donated so much because he spoils his girlfriend, I still think we should give him a round of apuse. After all, it¡¯s better than some people who only talk and don¡¯t take action. Some things can be faked, but money cannot be faked.] The Duncan Corporation not only sponsored research projects in theboratory but also donated to many underprivileged students. They had established a public welfare schrship for Styre University, where as long as students had outstanding academic and moral qualities, they could receive the schrship. At the same time, the Duncan Corporation also partnered with Styre University to provide a substantial number of job opportunities. Those students who had benefited from the Duncan Corporation came forward amidst wave after wave of heightened enthusiasm, speaking out for the Duncan Corporation and advocating for the administration of Styre University. The public opinion had reversed, and the Duncan Corporation emerged victorious in this controversy, allthanks to a single post by Branden. Catherine finished reading all the rted posts, a slight smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. The seemingly simple gesture actually demonstrated the man¡¯s remarkable abilities. He truly understood the hearts of people. The reason why the outside world was interested in those fictional posts was because of people¡¯s curiosity. They wanted to know what was happening behind the scenes. The more the public rtions team suppressed and kept people in the dark, the more curious they became. This,bined with the deliberate involvement of certain individuals, would only make the situation uncontroble. The strategy used by Brandenpletely exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. He went against thenorm, and while everyone was trying to cover up, he decided just toe clean. Not only did he personally take action, but he also made all donation funds public,pletely shutting people¡¯s mouths. He turned a crisis into an opportunity in this way. The sound of the door being pushed open, Catherine turned around to look. Branden had changed into his home clothes and slowly entered from the doorway. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep a little longer?¡± He saw that Catherine was sleeping very tired and thought she could sleep until dawn, but he didn¡¯t expect her to wake up so early. Catherine picked up her phone and waved it at Branden. The screen on the phone showed thetest post on Branden¡¯s ount. ¡°You saw it?¡± asked Branden. Catherine nodded slightly and praised, ¡°Very clever!¡± He stepped forward and embraced Catherine, pulling her into his arms. ¡± As long as you like it, that¡¯s all that matters!¡± Originally, this matter could have been entrusted to the public rtions team to be slowly resolved, and he could have avoided appearing in public. With the capabilities of the Duncan Corporation¡¯s PR team, this could hardly be considered a major crisis. The PR team could easily handle it. They just needed to put in a little effort. However, he did not. He chose the fastest and most direct method topletely suppress public opinion so that the other party did not even have the chance to fight back. It was becausehe didn¡¯t want Catherine to be disturbed by this matter and could focus on conducting experiments in peace. Branden put his arm around her shoulder, making them face each other. His eyes, sparkling like a gxy, were shining brightly as he looked at her. ¡± Since I have performed so excellently, shouldn¡¯t I be rewarded?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. The intense gaze let Catherine instantly understand his intentions. Perhaps only this matter could make this man so tireless. She did not refuse the man¡¯s invitation and instead followed his lead as shey down. As Marshall mentioned, rxing and getting some moderate exercise could help with falling asleep. Rn was so angry when he saw the online praise for the Duncan Corporation that he smashed his phone. He spent so much manpower and money, originally intended to squeeze out the Duncan Corporation and sessfully enter Styre University. Who would have thought that the situation would be turned around by Branden¡¯s few words? Not only did the money invested go down the drain, but he also lost face. Thinking of this, Rn¡¯s whole body was consumed in anger. ¡®I¡¯ll have to get revenge on Branden to dispel my resentment.¡¯ He immediately called for his assistant and instructed, ¡°Arrange for those people to act in advance. No matter the cost, I want Branden to be in unbearable pain, do you understand?¡± The assistant was scared by his terrifying look and dared not resist at all, obediently nodding. ¡°Mr. Melton, rest assured. I will make the arrangements right now!¡± Chapter 832 Chapter 832 What Do You Want? ¡°Exercising¡± before going to bed really helped with sleep. Catherine had a good night¡¯s sleep, sleeping straight through until morning without any dreams. If it weren¡¯t for Branden waking her up in the morning, she would have beente. As soon as Catherine entered theboratory building, she ran into Marshall. Unlike yesterday, he seemed lively and energetic today. ¡°Professor Hartley,¡± Catherine greeted him. Marshall warmly responded, ¡°Hey,e on. Let¡¯s go upstairs together.¡± Just as they got to his office, they heard a student delivering a message. ¡± Professor Hartley, Mr. Farrell wants to see you in his office!¡± Marshall had intended to chat with Catherine, but he hadn¡¯t expected Ultan to summon him so early. Guessing it might be about a donation, Marshall had no choice but to go. ¡°You go to theb first, and find me at noon. We¡¯ll talk then,¡± he told Catherine. As Marshall was about to leave, the student delivering the message awkwardly scratched the back of his head and said, ¡°Professor Hartley, Mr. Farrell instructed that if Miss Swann is with you, she shoulde along too.¡± Hearing this, Marshall frowned. Not only did he have to go, but he also had to bring Catherine along. He nced at Catherine, who promptly agreed to apany him. They then walked together to Ultan¡¯s office, where they found not only him but also several well -dressed men. As soon as Marshall and Catherine entered, Ultan stood up and introduced them, ¡°This is our school¡¯s renowned professor, Marshall Hartley, and this is his best student, Catherine Swann. If you are familiar with our school, you¡¯ve probably heard her name!¡± The two men stood up simultaneously and greeted Marshall and Catherine. ¡± Professor Hartley, Miss Swann, nice to meet you!¡± Marshall looked puzzled at Ultan, not understanding what was going on. Catherine, showing no interest in shaking hands, kept her hands in her pockets without any intention of taking them out. She was willing to sacrifice her pride for the sake of others. The atmosphere instantly became awkward. Marshall, who knew Catherine well, stepped in to defuse the situation. Even though he didn¡¯t thinkCatherine needed to greet them, considering they were brought by Ultan, he felt obliged to show Ultan some respect. ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s been focused on her research projects and isn¡¯t ustomed to socializing. She is quite introverted, so please don¡¯t mind,¡± Marshall said, trying to smooth things over. The other party didn¡¯t show any discontent, ¡°Professor Hartley, no need to apologize. We¡¯ve heard of Miss Swann¡¯s reputation. It¡¯s quite normal for someone as talented as her to be entirely focused on her experiments.¡± With the awkwardness dissipating, Marshall repeatedly signaled to Ultan, urging him to exin the current situation. Ultan then introduced the identities of the two visitors. ¡± Marshall, these two gentlemen are the General Manager and the FinanceManager of Reelyne Technologies. They are here today to discuss donating to ourboratory,¡± Ultan exined. Marshall¡¯s face immediately darkened, and he had a foreboding feeling. The General Manager of Reelyne Technologies quickly approached Marshall with a warm smile. ¡°Professor Hartley, we have great respect for a distinguished professor like you. Ourpany has always beenmitted to promoting the development of experimental projects in various universities. We have long admired Styre University, and if there is an opportunity to contribute, we would be very willing to do so.¡± The General Manager of Reelyne Technologies appeared humble on the surface, but there was an underlying sense of arrogance in his demeanor. When it came to sponsoring schools, itwas usually the schools seeking sponsors. Although Styre University had a good reputation, he felt that theirpany was in a superior position by taking the initiative to offer support. Learning the purpose of their visit, Catherine stood up. ¡°Mr. Farrell, Professor Hartley, it¡¯s time for theboratory. I¡¯m leaving now!¡± With those words, Catherine left without looking at anyone, maintaining a haughty demeanor. Not only did she leave the two representatives from Reelyne Technologies dumbfounded, but even Ultan was left bewildered. Marshall immediately spoke up, his gaze fixed on Ultan. ¡°Mr. Farrell, Catherine¡¯s experiment is crucial and cannot afford any dys!¡± Understanding the importance of the experiment, Ultan had no choice but tolet Catherine go. Once Catherine left, Marshall had no desire to stay any longer. Instead of putting on a show for the capitalists, he preferred to stay in theboratory and review reports. ¡°Sir, I sincerely support yourpany¡¯s dedication to public welfare. However, we have sufficient sponsorship, so you should sponsor another research group. Our group doesn¡¯t need it.¡± The representatives from Reelyne Technologies were taken aback. They had expected a warm reception but were now directly rejected. It was no wonder that their president had arranged the task with such seriousness, insisting that they must aplish it. It seemed to be quite a challenge. The General Manager of Reelyne Technologies, who had just nned todisy a high-handed attitude, immediately softened his tone. ¡± Professor Hartley, we both know that experimental projects require a substantial amount of funding. It¡¯s better to seek support from a more capablepany for long-term sponsorship. In this regard, Reelyne Technologies will be the best choice.¡± ¡°Are you trying to threaten me with money?¡± Marshall thought to himself. ¡± Not a chance.¡± He casually remarked, ¡± If you¡¯ve been keeping up with online news, you should be well aware of thepany sponsoring us. If it¡¯s not the best choice, it¡¯s unlikely that we¡¯ll find a more capablepany domestically!¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°How dare you im that you¡¯re better than the Duncan Corporation?¡± Marshall murmured inwardly. ¡°Are you guys asking for trouble?¡± The response left the other party unable to reply, and the atmosphere became awkward again. Ultan had to step in to smooth things over, allowing Marshall to find an excuse to leave. At such a critical time for the experiment, having so many people offering sponsorship wasn¡¯t a good sign. Nothing came without a price. If these people were only here for their gain, that would be manageable. If their intentions went beyond that, that would be troublesome. After returning to theboratory, Catherine immediately turned on herputer and had Wantel investigate Reelyne Technologies¡¯ background. Before long, Wantel had gathered all the information and sent it to Catherine¡¯sputer. ¡°Catherine, thispany appears to be controlled by Eskanese on the surface, but in reality,they were acquired by a family from Loewe six months ago. Currently, the Meltons from Loewe hold the controlling stake behind the scenes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Catherine promptly hung up the phone. ¡°The Meltons from Loewe, huh?¡± She murmured inwardly, dialing a number she hadn¡¯t contacted in a long time. ¡°Tell me what exactly you want to do?¡± Chapter 833 Chapter 833 Give Me a Reason Rn was quite happy when Catherine called him, but his expression turned dark as soon as he answered the phone. Despite her generally cold demeanor, he could tell that this time, her coldness was different. While she was typically aloof, her current tone wasced with hostility, which he found uneptable. ¡°What do you mean, Catherine? What have I done to make you so angry?¡± he asked. Catherine responded in a cold tone, You know what you¡¯ve done. I don¡¯t care about your intentions, but if you interfere with my experiment, you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± Upon hearing this, Rn realized that Catherine must have found out about his connection to Reelyne Technologies, which prompted her call. He cursed inwardly the two people he had sent to handle the matter, ming their ipetence. Since Catherine had known, he understood that denying it wouldn¡¯t change anything. She could see through his lie easily. ¡°You don¡¯t know how envious I am of Branden,¡± Rn said. ¡°I see how he sponsored your school and easily gained ess to yourb to spend time with you. I also wanted to get closer to you in the same way. I didn¡¯t mean to make you angry.¡± ¡°Is that your only intention?¡± Catherine asked. Rn responded confidently, ¡°What else would I do? And what else can I do? Catherine, can¡¯t you understand my feelings for you?¡± After a few seconds of silence, the call ended. Rn put down his phone, his gloomy expression reced with a hintof satisfaction. Catherine hung up the phone and stepped out of theb, where she ran into Marshall. Seeing her upset expression, Marshall immediately began to reassure her, ¡± You don¡¯t need to worry about the sponsorship. I¡¯ve already turned down the offer from Ultan. We have the Duncan Corporation as our major sponsor now. So we don¡¯t need another patron. I¡¯m not that foolish.¡± Catherine¡¯s influence yed a part in securing the Duncan Corporation¡¯s sponsorship for theb. Since the Duncan Corporation¡¯s funding came in, they no longer had to worry about financial constraints. The Duncan Corporation was generous, and most importantly, it didn¡¯t interfere with their work, allowing them to carry outexperiments as they pleased. In Marshall¡¯s opinion, the Duncan Corporation¡¯s sponsorship was the most satisfying he had received in years. He had no desire to terminate it for anything else. Catherine nodded. However, inwardly, she remained on edge. No one understood Rn better than she did. She knew he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. She hadn¡¯t seen an issue with his methods before, given their shared history of oveing adversity. She didn¡¯t agree with his actions but chose not to intervene. Her life experiences had taught her that observing from a distance reduced trouble. However, at some point, she found herself increasingly unable to ept Rn¡¯s way of doing things. Now, she could only work behind the scenes to prevent him from getting involved in this mess. sh pushed open the door of the confinement room. Because of the information provided by Roninst time, sh was rewarded with a meal. As the door swung open, the fragrant aroma of barbecue greeted sh. Ronin sat at the center of the hall, enjoying the barbecue. ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself,¡± remarked sh, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Ronin, seemingly oblivious, looked up at sh and gestured for sh to join him. ¡°Hurry. Sit down and eat with me. Barbecue is best enjoyed withpany. I used to have it with Catherine every day, but not anymore¡­¡± Ronin rambled on for a while before falling silent. sh eyed him and coldly questioned, ¡± Go ahead.¡± Ronin shrugged nonchntly, appearing somewhat resigned. ¡± There¡¯s no point in talking about it. There¡¯s no chance in the future.¡± After a pause, he picked up a pepper, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it expressionlessly. ¡°Is it because you betrayed Catherine, so you can¡¯t face her anymore?¡± sh guessed. Ronin gave him a thumbs-up in appreciation. ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re not as foolish as you look. Catherine despises betrayal the most. Since I¡¯ve betrayed her, I know better than anyone how dire the consequences would be if I were to show my face again.¡± His icy voice was filled with bitterness and resignation. sh, who had originally intended to lecture him, changed the subject. ¡± When will you continue to retrieve the data? There are only three days left,¡±he asked. Ronin red at sh. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, it¡¯s double-encrypted and takes time. I can¡¯t do it right now. If you want me dead, you might as well kill me right now.¡± sh observed Ronin, not missing any of the changes in Ronin¡¯s expressions. sh had reported the situation to his superiors, and after their investigation, they found that Ronin wasn¡¯t lying to them. Catherine had enlisted Winston to implement multipleyers of encryption. Even if her encryption system were cracked, it would be futile. Only under a double decryption scenario could one ess the core area and obtain the experimental data. ¡°What if Professor Warner is right in front of you?¡± sh said expressionlessly. Ronin, who was having a barbecue, paused in an instant. He squinted at sh. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Exactly what I said,¡± sh responded coldly. Ronin went furious and mmed his fist on the table, bellowing, ¡°I warn you. Don¡¯t touch Professor Warner, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Humph.¡± shughed coldly, not taking Ronin¡¯s threat seriously. ¡°What? Is your attachment to Professor Warner deeper than your loyalty to Catherine? You betrayed Catherine, yet you¡¯re afraid of us capturing Professor Warner. Don¡¯t you find that ridiculous? Catherine not only saved Ronin¡¯s life but also supported him for many years. Their bond was closer than that of siblings. While Winston was just Ronin¡¯s mentor. sh didn¡¯t believethat Winston was more important to Ronin. However, Ronin¡¯s disy of anger seemed almost instinctual, which couldn¡¯t be faked. sh was curious about the reason behind it. He fixed his gaze on Ronin -and questioned him, ¡°Give me a reason why we can¡¯t touch Professor Warner.¡± Chapter 834 Chapter 834 Winston¡¯s Biggest Weakness Ronin grabbed sh¡¯s cor, ring at him angrily. ¡°I said, don¡¯t touch Professor Warner, and I mean it!¡± The atmosphere in the room became tense in an instant. Despite Ronin¡¯s anger, sh, remainedposed, pressing on, ¡°Give me a reason!¡± This was sh¡¯s territory; Ronin was merely a prisoner in captivity. The only reason sh hadn¡¯tid hands on Ronin was because Ronin had some use left. But that didn¡¯t mean Ronin could do as he pleased. Once sh found Ronin¡¯s value insufficient, he would get rid of Ronin. Ronin gritted his teeth and red at sh, but he didn¡¯t voice his reason. sh didn¡¯t press him further. Instead, he stood up, preparing to leave. ¡± Ronin, you may have been enjoying yourself these days, but don¡¯t forget your current situation. Who we target is not for you to decide!¡± Faced with sh¡¯s threat, Ronin retorted, ¡°Even if you capture Professor Warner, you won¡¯t be able to ess the core data if I don¡¯t cooperate. Winston was an expert, but he couldn¡¯t crack Catherine¡¯s security system. The only person in the world who could do that was Ronin, because he was personally trained by Catherine. sh coldly stared at Ronin, his gaze conveying a silent challenge. Ronin chose to give in. He had to submit for the sake of Winston. ¡°You want to know the reason? Fine, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he said, causing sh to give up on leaving. sh sat back down, looking at Ronin expressionlessly,waiting for the exnation. ¡°Professor Warner is my mentor; he has been very good to me,¡± Ronin stated. ¡°Catherine treats you even better,¡± sh retorted, thinking it was a pure excuse. Ronin lifted his head angrily. ¡°You¡¯re right. No one is more important to me than Catherine. My betrayal only caused her to lose an experimental project. Even if it¡¯s important, it¡¯s just an experiment after all. You don¡¯t understand how amazing she is. I believe she will soon solve the problem. But Professor Warner is different. If you capture him, he will die! He¡¯s the ¡®kind of person who would rather die than submit. That¡¯s my reason,¡± Ronin said with utmost seriousness, looking at sh. After a few seconds of silence, sh got up and left. This time, Ronin didn¡¯t stop him, waiting until sh waspletely gone before returning to his previous state and continuing to have a barbecue. Night fell. Winston, who was sound asleep, was suddenly awakened by a phone call. He nced at the caller ID, got up to answer the phone, then tiptoed out of bed and opened the front door. He frowned when he saw the person outside. ¡°Why did you call me in the middle of the night? Do you have something important to tell me?¡± he asked with a grave expression. The next moment, a shadow fell over him. Winston immediately went limp and passed out. A few secondster, the door of the Wales residence was closed, andeverything seemed to return to its previous calm state. Everything remained silent as if nothing had ever happened. Catherine got up early the next day and headed to theb. The certification deadline was approaching. If it hadn¡¯t been for Branden¡¯s insistence, she would have slept in theboratory recently. Seeing Marshall furrowing his brow and busy with work, Catherine stepped forward to offer her help. ¡°Is it a busy day today?¡± she asked. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s question, Marshall turned around and frowned at her. ¡°It¡¯s all because of Winston. I told him to exercise more regrly, but he wouldn¡¯t listen. He fell illst night and took a few days off. Now, all his work has been given to me.¡± Despite the seeminglyining tone, there was also a hint of concern in Marshall¡¯s voice. He knew Winston¡¯s personality well. If Winston hadn¡¯t been seriously ill, he wouldn¡¯t have left his work to Marshall. Marshall behaved as if he wasining, but in fact, he was just doing this to console himself. ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Catherine offered. Marshall refused her. ¡°No need. I¡¯ve got this. I¡¯ve organized the work, and I¡¯ll call a few students to help. You can just go do your thing.¡± Marshall¡¯s attitude was firm. Catherine didn¡¯t insist, returning to theb alone. As soon as she arrived, she received a call from Zobber.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ve received some news. The Duncan Corporation intends to coborate with the Breens to develop a project. Today is the signing ceremony, and it¡¯s happening in Casier! Catherine listened expressionlessly and coldly replied, ¡°Got it,¡± before hanging up and continuing with her experiments,pletely focused as if nothing could affect her. Soon, the person responsible for monitoring Catherine reported the situation to sh. sh had nted his spy in Catherine¡¯sb. While they couldn¡¯t ess her exclusiveboratory, they could track her movements within theboratory building. sh immediately reported it to his immediate superior. ¡°Are you sure Catherine had no reaction after receiving the news from ¡®Zobber?¡± the superior asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m one hundred percent sure,¡± sh affirmed. The superior¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed. He didn¡¯t believe Catherine would act recklessly due to emotions. Her calm demeanor only indicated the seriousness of the situation. Perhaps they could intensify the situation by turning her against Branden. After all, the worst thing between lovers was suspicion. Once it appeared, it wouldn¡¯t go so easily. ¡°Keep an eye on her. And how is Professor Warner?¡± ¡°We have Professor Warner under control, but he¡¯s stubborn. Even when we threatened him with his wife, he didn¡¯t budge,¡± sh reported with frustration. Winston was proving more difficult to intimidate than he had anticipated. The superior, upon hearing sh¡¯s report, showed no anger. He looked at sh with a mocking gaze. ¡°If usinghis wife to threaten him didn¡¯t work, you can try someone else. Do I have to teach you that?¡± Seeing the sinister look in his superior¡¯s eyes, sh understood something. ¡°Sir, are you referring to Ronin Oconnor?¡± The man in ck waved sh off, not answering the question. People like Winston valued their experiments more than their lives. They were proud and resilient, and these tactics wouldn¡¯t work on them. They disregarded their own lives because they thought their ideals and beliefs were more important. However, they were not without weaknesses- their responsibilities as teachers. Ronin, Winston¡¯s favorite student, was Winston¡¯s biggest weakness. Utilized correctly, Ronin¡¯s identity could serve as a mutual restraint, because Ronin cared about Winston just as Winston cared about him. Chapter 835 Chapter 835 Make Your Choice ¡°Professor Warner, have you made your decision?¡± Upon hearing the voice, Winston silently raised his head, his face filled with disdain. ¡°You might as well stop wasting your time. I¡¯ve said it before. I will not cooperate with you, never.¡± Winston would rather die than betray the school or his friends. He would never go against his conscience and morals. As a professor, he conducted experimental projects with students and knew well the amount of manpower and resources required for a project toe to fruition. Marshall once said it was the result of his life¡¯s work. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine, the experiment would never seed. Now, these scoundrels wanted to reap benefits without effort, and Winston would never let that happen. He stiffened his neck and red at sh. ¡± If you have the guts, just kill me. Since you call me Professor Warner, then you should know my identity. Just because you capture me doesn¡¯t mean you can get what you want from me. My school and my superiors won¡¯t let you off!¡± Facing the bound yet unyielding Winston, sh couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of admiration. He knew that Winston was different from Ronin. Winston was a renowned professor, and the experimental project he was carrying out was receiving close attention from relevant authorities. They wouldn¡¯t allow Winston to meet his end, so they wouldn¡¯t pressure him too tightly. Since coercion and temptation wouldn¡¯t work on Winston, sh could only choose to try the method provided by his superiors. sh turned and left. Seeing this, Winston felt somewhat strange. He didn¡¯t believe these people would be so kind as to easily let him go. There must be something fishy going on. Just as he was contemting, however, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, and then he fell into a deep slumber. Half an hourter, sh reappeared in front of Winston. Seeing Winston bowing his head in silence, sh thought that Winston was using this silent protest to express his disapproval.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. sh eximed, ¡°Professor Warner, look who¡¯s here!¡± Winston slowly raised his head, and when he saw Ronin being dragged by sh, his eyes widened in shock. ¡± What do you want with me? Let go of him!¡± Ronin was initially puzzled as to why sh had suddenly brought him here. When he saw Winston, he instantly understood everything. sh was nning to use him to coerce Winston. Unable to contain his anger any longer, Ronin rushed forward and punched sh. ¡°You jerk!¡± However, sh dodged the punch. His strength surpassed Ronin¡¯s, and he quickly pinned Ronin to the ground. Ronin struggled with all his might to break free. ¡°sh, you jerk, how dare you kidnap Professor Warner? I¡¯ll kill you, you asshole!¡± sh watched the expressions of Ronin and Winston, feeling a hint of envy at the genuine emotions they disyed. Ronin was lucky, first encountering Catherine, andter, bing Winston¡¯s student. The more these two cared for each other, the more advantageous the situation was for sh. Drawing a long knife from his waist, sh pressed it against Ronin¡¯s neck, ring at Winston. ¡°Professor Warner, I know you are strong-willed and not easily threatened. But what about your student? Don¡¯t you care about him?¡± He lifted Ronin¡¯s head, presenting his face more clearly to Winston. ¡°I heard he¡¯s your favorite student. As his teacher, do you not even care about the life of your student?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so despicable!¡± Winstonshouted in anger. Ronin struggled and said to Winston, ¡± Professor Warner, don¡¯t worry about me. This guy won¡¯t really kill me. He just wants to use me. Don¡¯t agree to him.¡± sh showed no mercy to Ronin¡¯s desperate struggle. He kicked Ronin hard, causing Ronin to vomit blood, leaving Winston pale with fear. Staring at Ronin lying on the ground, sh said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re right, I do want to use you. But you have to be useful. If you have no value to me, why should I keep you?¡± After speaking, sh ordered his men to drag Ronin to the next room. Winston, watching Ronin being taken away, became extremely tense. ¡°You bastards, what are you going to do to my student?¡± sh looked at him expressionlessly and said in a chilling tone, ¡°Professor Warner, the decision is in your hands. Your pride or your student¡¯s life, make your choice.¡± To avoid the dilemma, Winston bowed his head in agony. sh signaled his men, and soon, the agonizing screams of Ronin could be heard, indicating that he was being tortured. sh carefully observed Winston¡¯s every move. Noticing Winston¡¯s growing panic, he could tell that Winston was on the verge of giving in. sh admired his superior¡¯s insight into human nature and ability to see through people. After a long time, the screams from the next room ceased. Winston, who had been trying to remainposed, was nowpletely distressed. He looked up at sh with a pale face. ¡°What haveyou done to Ronin?¡± A man in ck suddenly entered and respectfully bowed before sh. Winston noticed that the man¡¯s hands were covered in blood, which made him even more anxious. sh signaled the man to speak. The man reported, ¡°Cap, we were a bit heavy-handed just now. That brat is bleeding profusely. If we don¡¯t treat him in time, he might bleed to death.¡± Upon hearing this, sh didn¡¯t immediately give orders. Instead, he walked straight up to Winston, sat down in front of him, and looked at him with a smile in his eyes. ¡°Professor Warner, should I save him or not?¡± Winston stared at sh, his eyes full of fury. ¡°How can you disregard a person¡¯s life like this? Hurry and save Ronin! Don¡¯t dy any longer. I¡¯m begging you, please!¡± sh said slowly, raising his chin, ¡°I can do that, but you¡¯ll have to pay something for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay! I¡¯ll give you whatever you want!¡± Winston responded anxiously. sh shook his head with a cold smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want money. You know what I want, Professor Warner. As long as you can give me what I desire, I¡¯ll not only treat Ronin but also release both of you. Professor Warner, the choice is in your hands now,¡± he added. Winston was still struggling, but sh could see that the determination in Winston¡¯s eyes had faded. This was the oue sh wanted, and he believed that Winston would soon make a decision. ¡°Professor Warner, take your time to think. We¡¯re not in a rush. But I can¡¯t say the same for Ronin,¡± sh said with a hint of threat. Chapter 836 Chapter 836 I Dare Not Move sh calmly engaged in psychological warfare with Winston. The moreposed he appeared, the more flustered Winston would be. Seeing Winston¡¯s psychological defenses starting to crumble, sh continued, ¡± Professor Warner, you¡¯re a professor in theputer science department. Do you know medicine? When a person¡¯s major artery is damaged, how long does it take for that person to die?¡± sh¡¯s sinisterugh caused Winston¡¯s face to turn ashen. He began to plead with sh, asking him to spare Ronin and to treat Ronin. Leaning forward with his hands on the table, sh fixed his eyes on Winston. ¡± Professor Warner, I¡¯m not the one who can save him; you are. Do you want to save him? Tell me,¡± sh said. ¡°He¡¯s not even 19 years old. It¡¯s a youngman¡¯s life, right? I remember him telling me that you are his most respected teacher, just like his father. Are you going to watch him die?¡± Winston broke down, pounding the table with his hands and shouting madly, ¡°I agree to your demands!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± shughed triumphantly, not hiding his satisfaction. He gleefully told Winston, ¡°Very good! Congrattions on making the right choice.¡± ¡°Save Ronin! Now! Do you hear me?¡± Winston yelled at sh. sh casually spread out his hands, nodding in agreement. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll save Ronin. But don¡¯t try anything funny. If I can torture him once, I can do it a second time.¡± Winston fell silent, sitting there with a helpless expression. Seeing the nk look on Winston¡¯s face, sh finally felt assured of his sess. Now, all he needed to do was let Winston rest for a while and then have him and Ronin work together to steal the data. ¡°Our victory is imminent,¡± sh thought.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Boss, the car is ready. Are you ready to leave now?¡± Paxton asked. Branden put down the documents in his hand and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he ordered, and Paxton immediately followed at his side. They were on their way to Styre University to pick up Catherine. As their Bentley was about to leave the underground garage, a ck car suddenly cut across, blocking their path. The moment the driver saw the road blocked, his face immediately darkened. This was the Duncan Corporation¡¯s building. How could someone be so careless as to obstruct the president¡¯s car? The driver was about to get out of the car when Paxton quickly stopped him. ¡± You stay in the car; I¡¯ll go down and check it out,¡± Paxton said. Paxton got out of the car and walked around to the front of the ck vehicle to investigate. It was a blind spot, and the people inside the car couldn¡¯t see what was happening in front. A short time passed, but Paxton hadn¡¯t returned. Tension filled the car, and the driver cautiously turned to seek permission from Branden, who was sitting straight in the car with his eyes closed, exuding an air of calm. ¡°Boss, should I go down and take a look?¡± the driver asked. Branden remainedposed. ¡°No rush. 11 The driver immediately sat up straight, refraining from opening the door. However, his expression remained grim as he focused intently on his surroundings. Branden slightly furrowed his brow as he heard a lot of noise outside. The unexpectedmotion brought a sardonic smile to his lips. ¡°Tom, be careful,¡± he instructed. The driver nodded respectfully. He had also heard themotion outside. He instinctively ced his hand on his waist, saying, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Boss. I vow to protect your safety at all costs.¡± ¡°At all costs? Humph!¡± Branden sneered. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary to go to such extremes,¡± he murmured inwardly. A group of figures closed in on the car from all sides, their movements swift and coordinated, all targeting the Bentley ahead. As the sticks in their hands approached the car, Branden calmly pushed open the car door and stepped out, a sharp contrast between the two sides. Despite the numerical advantage of the opposing group, Branden¡¯s presence was intimidating. As he stepped out of the car, he instantly stunned them. The leader of the group came to his senses and gave themand. The group of dark-d men swarmed toward Branden. Branden unbuttoned his suit, allowing for greater freedom of movement. Hecarefully removed the tie from around his neck and ced it in his pocket. It was bought by Catherine, and he didn¡¯t want to soil it. The assants charged forward, but Branden swiftly retaliated. Despite their numerical advantage, they couldn¡¯t even get within three feet of him. More and more attackers fell to the ground, and it became evident that they were no match for Branden. The leader of these men became anxious and signaled for everyone to retreat. However, it seemed toote. Francis and his men arrived just in time. When Francis saw Branden standing unharmed in a rxed posture without even a speck of dust on him, he felt relieved. ¡°Charge!¡± he thenmanded. The situation quickly turned, and the once aggressive assants were now allpinned to the ground, unable to lift their heads. After dealing with these men, Francis ran up to Branden, feeling excited. ¡± Boss, are you okay?¡± he asked eagerly. Branden gave Francis a cold nce that immediately made Francis bow his head and apologize, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s my fault. Please punish me!¡± It seemed that Branden could always see through their tricks. In fact, Francis could have arrived earlier, but Carlo said it had been too long since Branden had shown hisbat skills. Carlo and Francis then made a bet. Francis deliberately arrived a minutete to catch a glimpse of Branden in a fight on the surveince footage. It looked amazing. Branden¡¯s movements were so smooth and precise. Although Francis knew he would be punished, he thought witnessing such a scene madeit worth it. ¡°Boss¡­¡± Meanwhile, Paxton was brought out. He had been ambushed. The attackers had used considerable force to subdue him. In order to protect himself and to wait for more attackers to appear, he deliberately chose to surrender. Carlo had been secretly protecting Paxton and managed to save him just as the attackers were about to take him away. After Branden assessed Paxton and saw his minor injuries, he softened his expression and ordered Paxton to get into the car. As Paxton was about toply, he noticed Francis still standing in ce and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± Francis nced at Branden¡¯s back with a look of helplessness and whispered, ¡± I dare not move.¡± Knowing Francis must have done something wrong, Paxton smacked him on the head. ¡°You rascal, keep standing here!¡± As the others got into the car, Francis became anxious, inwardly screaming, ¡± Don¡¯t leave me behind!¡± However, all that was left for him was the lingering smell of exhaust gas in the air. Chapter 837 Chapter 837 I Pay Sebastian Johnson, the head of the police station escorted Branden to the entrance and said in an exceptionally respectful and amiable manner, ¡°Mr. Duncan, rest assured. We will thoroughly interrogate this group of thugs. They dared to attack you and disturb the public order in our city. It is a vile and egregious example of such behavior.¡± After hearing this, Branden gave a polite nce at him and softly said, ¡± Thank you, Mr. Johnson.¡± Sebastian¡¯s heart bloomed with joy. He was worried about not meeting performance targets, but he hadn¡¯t expected Branden to deliver such a significant case to him. It was a perfect opportunity to get his subordinates to start a serious investigation. Sebastian was preparing to personally escort Branden to his car when suddenly Branden stopped and looked back. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve heard that recently a group of individuals illegally entered from abroad and were brought to the police station. I wonder how they are being handled?¡± When Sebastian heard this, his face immediately darkened. Although Branden did not explicitly state it, the rumors from higher-ups when the orders were given made it clear to Sebastian that those people were sent here by Branden. However, with the suspects released, Sebastian was at a loss regarding how to reply to it. Sensing Sebastian¡¯s difort, Branden didn¡¯t press further. He just simply got into his car and drove off without looking back. Inside the car, Paxton reported thetest investigation results to Branden. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve discovered that all those individuals have been let go.¡± Hearing this, Branden narrowed his eyes, a hint of danger flickering within. ¡°He¡¯s got some nerve!¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s my ipetence!¡± Paxton admitted his fault immediately. Paxton had thought that he could rest easy after bringing those overseas guys in. But he hadn¡¯t anticipated the power and reach of the person behind the scenes. After only a few days in custody, the suspects had been fast-tracked and deported back to their home country. It was only upon visiting the police station today that they learned of this development. However, now that they were aware, it would be much harder for their adversaries to meddle from the shadows again. Then Branden said, ¡°Paxton, I¡¯ll leave you to handle it. Now, send me to Styre University.¡± Branden delegated this matter to Paxton. His trip to Styre University had already been dyed due to this incident, and he didn¡¯t want it to dy his meeting with Catherine. Upon receiving Branden¡¯s instructions, the driver pressed the elerator deeper, and the high-performance car instantly gained speed, racing off like a bolt of lightning. Marshall was snarking about their university with righteous indignation, but when he turned to see Catherine, he found that her face showed no hint of surprise. Seeing this, Marshall couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled, and said, ¡°Catherine, here I am, so exasperated. Don¡¯t you care at all?¡± This morning, Farrell got in touch with Marshall and was told that after careful consideration, the school had decided to ept sponsorship from Reelyne Technologies. Learning the news, Marshall was speechless with rage, and he immediately stormed into Farrell¡¯s office to have a fierce argument with him. However, Ultan also felt quite helpless about this decision. Although he was in charge, he had no final say in anything. Because He had to consider the entire school, not to mention that superiors were putting on the pressure. Marshall knew the difficulties that Ultan faced, and since this talk madelittle progress, he could only ry the news to Catherine. Nevertheless, faced with Marshall¡¯s questioning, Catherine looked at him with a nk expression, and said, ¡± Care? What¡¯s there to care about?¡± Marshall couldn¡¯tprehend her reaction. ¡°They¡¯re trying to push Branden out. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± ¡°People are offering you money to spend, and you think it¡¯s too little?¡± Catherine said, giving him a sidelong nce, sizing him up. Marshall paused for a moment as if pondering Catherine¡¯s words. Then Catherine patted the equipment next to her and said quite seriously, ¡± These devices have been used for two or three years. It¡¯s about time to rece them.¡± Upon hearing these words, Marshall realized something at once and his gloomy expression finally cleared. ¡°You¡¯re right, Catherine. Now that we have a new, generous sponsor-or should I say benefactor-we don¡¯t have to live so frugally anymore. It¡¯s high time to rece all this outdated equipment.¡± Marshall thought, ¡®Although these devices have been used for two or three years, they are still rtively new thanks to our meticulous maintenance. But machinery gets outdated quickly, and now with new sponsorship, there is no reason not to take advantage of it.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll go to find Mr. Farrell right away!¡± Marshall excitedly said to Catherine and hurriedly rushed towards Ultan¡¯s office. Marshall¡¯s urgency now was as great as his disdain had been before; he fearedthat the new wealthy sponsor might slip away. Catherine nced at the surrounding equipment and a cold smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. ¡®If there is money to be spent on sponsorship, I would like to help,¡¯ she thought. ¡®We¡¯ll see who has thestugh there.¡¯ By this time, Amelia happened to be passing by and was ready to bring a meal for Catherine. She stood at the doorway, peeking in at Catherine. ¡± Super Catherine, will you be having dinner in theb tonight?¡± It was then that Catherine realized it was already time for dinner. The day was drawing to a close. Thinking that someone might already be waiting at the door, Catherine declined Amelia¡¯s kind offer. ¡°Thanks,but I¡¯m heading back to my apartment. Hearing this, Amelia then left on her own. After all, everyone knew that Catherine was Branden¡¯s concern. After Amelia left, Catherine packed up her things and stepped out of theb. Sure enough, as soon as she exited the school gates, she saw the familiar car parked at the entrance. When Branden saw Catherine, the car drove straight towards her and came to a steady stop by her side. Then Branden himself opened the door, helping her into the car. ¡°How did the experiments go today?¡± he asked, passing the carefully prepared fruit slices to Catherine and cing them in front of her. At that moment, Catherine, in a posture ofnguid ease, leaned back in her chair in a particrly rxedmanner, nibbling on the fruit that Branden had meticulously cut for her while they chatted idly. Seeing aptop set up in front of her, Catherine knew that Branden must have nned to work in the car. So in this case, Catherine told him to carry on with his work and that she could take the time to rest. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll take a break while you work.¡± ¡°Sounds great.¡± His voice unconsciously carried a hint of doting as he fetched a small nket to cover her. After settling everything, he then returned to hisptop to continue with his work. Just then, Catherine nced over and saw the saved names of the files on hisputer. She remembered the name of the document that Zobber hadmentioned to her before-it was the contract for the coborative project between the Duncan Corporation and the Breens. Catherine never inquired about Branden¡¯s business affairs, and he, in turn, never put up defenses around her. Staring at that document, Catherine felt a surge of emotion well up. She couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡®Could it be that Branden was going to enter into an in- depth partnership with the Breens?¡¯ Chapter 838 Chapter 838 What Is His Purpose Rn was busy with official business when his secretary walked in. ¡°Mr. Melton, here is the list from Styre University.¡± Without looking up, he replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t I put you in charge of the funding for Styre University? Just allocate the funds. There¡¯s no need to consult me.¡± The secretary had indeed received such orders before, but this time, the amount was so substantial that she didn¡¯t dare to decide on her own. ¡°Mr. Melton, the amount involved exceeds our expectations. I think it¡¯s best if you review it yourself.¡± Rn knew that the secretary had worked for him for many years and wouldn¡¯t disturb him unless it was something unusual. So he reached out to take the list from her. However, being a person who was ustomed todealing withrge figures, Rn was still taken aback when he saw the numbers on the list. Rn had thought thisb¡¯s request would amount to a few tens of millions at most, but the number in front of him now was several hundred million dors. Noticing Rn¡¯s expression, the secretary cautiously added, ¡°Mr. Melton, we¡¯ve checked. All these are essential equipment that Marshall¡¯sb needs to function, and they n to rece a batch of outdated ones.¡± Rn¡¯s grip on the list tightened. He thought, ¡®Why hasn¡¯t Branden updated the outdated equipment before? It seems like I am expected to y the fool and foot the bill. What a cunning guy Marshall is! It is clear Marshall has great admiration for Branden, to the point of risking offending me. What a base move!! ¡°Any news from Catherine?¡± Rn inquired. Trembling with apprehension, the secretary told Rn, ¡°Mr. Melton, half of the list was provided by Miss Swann. 11 Upon hearing this, Rn felt a surge of irritation. Then he said with his teeth clenching, ¡°Fine, very well. If that¡¯s so, arrange for the funds to be allocated. And from now on, I want to personally review every single expense from theb!¡± ¡°Got it. Mr. Melton.¡± Then the secretary left, taking with her the list confirmed by Rn. Once the secretary was gone, Rn kicked his desk in frustration and was determined to recoup the money spent, with interest. He thought to himself, ¡®I will never be the one to lose out.¡¯ Inside the holding cell, Roniny on the ground, exhausted. He had just endured a severe beating for his disobedience, ordered by sh, who had his men give Ronin a thrashing. A littleter, a sound of boots striking the floor approached, and Ronin looked up with difficulty. It was sh, holding a syringe, trying to lift Ronin¡¯s sleeve and prepare to inject it into his arm. Instinctively, Ronin tried to evade, but sh grabbed him firmly. ¡°Rx Ronin, it¡¯s not poison, but just a painkiller!¡± Ronin scoffed and turned his head, knowing resistance was futile; hey still. ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. Come on, what¡¯s your scheme this time?¡± As sh slowly pushed the contents of the syringe into Ronin¡¯s body, sh then pulled out the needle, not bothering to stop the blood that began to bead and roll down Ronin¡¯s arm. ¡°Winston has agreed,¡± sh said calmly, eliciting an immediate reaction from Ronin. Suddenly Ronin propped himself up, and seized sh by the cor, ring at him furiously. ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you to leave Winston alone?¡± In an instant, Ronin¡¯s eyes filled with murderous intent. sh was certain that if Ronin had a knife at that moment, he would not hesitate to kill him. At that moment, shughed heartily. ¡°Oh, my god. Ronin, you are amusing to watch.¡± sh was used to seeing Ronin¡¯s carefree demeanor and now all he wanted to see was his miserable situation. Finally, he seeded in stripping away Ronin¡¯s mask and destroying what Ronin held dear, reveling in his pain. Ronin¡¯s gaze turned icy as he watched sh¡¯s unrestrainedughter. ¡°sh,aren¡¯t you worried that I don¡¯t cooperate, leaving you with nothing?¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± sh replied with unwavering confidence. ¡°Ronin, we¡¯ve both suffered. So the saying, ¡®It¡¯s every man for himself,¡¯ is seared into our hearts. You understand that you betrayed Catherine, and now, how could you possibly sacrifice your own life for Winston?¡± sh knew exactly that as long as Ronin wished to live, he would obey. Therefore, shwas confident in his control over Ronin. ¡°Ronin, you only have half a day. Don¡¯t let me down.¡± After saying this, sh dropped a pack of food and left. Ronin propped himself up on his elbows and, watching sh¡¯s retreating figure, bellowed bitterly, ¡± You¡¯d better hope you never fall into my hands.¡± After hearing this warning, sh paused, then turned back to look at him. ¡°That day will nevere.¡± sh admired Ronin indeed, but he knew that once the core data was in his hands, Ronin would be dead. Even if he didn¡¯t kill Ronin, the boss would show Ronin no mercy. ¡°Did you find out anything?¡± Catherine asked, sitting on the bay window with her hands holding the phone, looking outside coldly. Then, Zobber¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. ¡°Here we are. It seems Branden did coborate with the Breens. The project¡¯s amount is in the tens of billions of dors, and if the Duncan Corporation breaches the contract, that sum could bankrupt them. It doesn¡¯t seem like a bluff!¡± Hearing the news, Zobber didn¡¯t know what else to say. She had hoped it wasall fake, but the proof was there. She couldn¡¯t deceive herself. Suddenly, Zobber added, ¡°Catherine, there¡¯s something else I found out.¡± ¡± Say it now!¡± Catherine eximed. ¡°Did you look at the data that Withal risked his life to retrievest time?¡± Zobber¡¯s question was abrupt, making Catherine sense something was wrong.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± said Catherine. ¡°I¡¯ve sent you the data and take a look for yourself,¡± Zobber responded. Zobber always had a habit of keeping multiple copies. Although Paxton and his crew had copied her data, she hadn¡¯t disclosed to anyone that she still had a backup. While reviewing the information, Zobber stumbled upon something she surmised Catherine was unaware of. After consulting withWithal, Zobber decided to inform her so that Catherine could handle it herself. After hanging up the phone, Catherine checked the attachment sent by Zobber, expressionless. That information in it could not be clearer for her. But what puzzled her was why Branden had kept her in the dark. The data Branden had provided differed from what Zobber had uncovered. That meant Branden had only shared a portion with her. All this made Catherine wonder, ¡®What exactly is Branden¡¯s purpose?¡¯ Chapter 839 Chapter 839 I Know Who You Are Branden left the apartment early in the morning and went to thepany. Catherine supposed that If Zobber¡¯s information was urate, Branden should be en route to signing a coboration with the Breens. Zobber offered to intervene, but Catherine declined. After all, she knew quite well that one couldn¡¯t keep people who wanted to leave. Packing up her things, Catherine headed straight to theb as if nothing had happened. And upon entering, she found Marshall looking distraught, clearly waiting for her. Catherine sat beside him and asked, ¡°Marshall, were you here waiting for me?¡± ¡°Goodness, Catherine. What¡¯s caused your dy today?¡± Marshall replied with a rare look of distress, arisingCatherine¡¯s interest. ¡°Look at you. What¡¯s troubling you so much?¡± she inquired. Finally finding someone to confide in, Marshall seized the opportunity. ¡°Do you remember the list you asked me to submit?¡± ¡°Yes, did it get approved?¡± Catherine responded. ¡°It did,¡± he said with a mix of relief and worry. Catherine found this curious, then added, ¡°If it¡¯s approved, why are you upset? That¡¯s good news, isn¡¯t it? If they¡¯re willing to fund it, just enjoy it.¡± However, Marshall didn¡¯t seem to think so. He had deliberately inted the request, seeking to rece equipment that was still functional, aiming to deter Reelyne Technologies. Unexpectedly, they approved it withouthesitation, leaving him feeling guilty for the extravagance. Having been frugal all his life, Marshall now found spending this money unsettling and couldn¡¯t voice his concerns to others, so he turned to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s Reelyne Technologies up to? I don¡¯t know what their real intention is.¡± ¡°Marshall, just rx. As long as it benefits theb, you have nothing to worry about. Their motives don¡¯t matter. With me here, they won¡¯t seed,¡± Catherine assured him, calming Marshall¡¯s nerves. ¡°Really?¡± he said, reassured. Catherine then added, ¡°Just focus on our research, someone else will handle the rest.¡± ¡®Reelyne Technologies had the resources, and I would like to help them spend it-it was like doing a good deed, she said to herself. sh arrived at the holding cell with theptop, having secured Winston¡¯s cooperation, on the condition that Ronin join the effort to ess Catherine¡¯s system. Both were essential for sess. Meanwhile, Ronin was sprawling on the floor, slowly picking himself up. sh saw this scene, admiring his quick recovery after administering just a little medicine. He said to Ronin, ¡± Look at you. You¡¯re recovering so fast!¡± ¡°Well.¡± Ronin scoffed. ¡°It must be because I¡¯m as hard to kill as you.¡± Understanding the insult, sh refrained from retaliating but helped Ronin to his feet and said, ¡°Theptop is ready. When will you start?¡± Despite being imprisoned and whipped, Ronin remainedposed. He stated, ¡± I¡¯ll cooperate, but I have a condition.¡± sh was unsurprised by his demand, as Ronin was always assertive. ¡°What¡¯s your condition?¡± he asked. Ronin said each word slowly. ¡°I want to see your boss.¡± Hearing that, sh frowned, pausing to scrutinize Ronin, seeking his motives. Ronin, seemingly reading his mind, rified, ¡°I want to survive, to escape, but you get no authority out there. I must turn to someone who has it.¡± sh knew it was wishful thinking. Even if he was under orders, he couldn¡¯tmand his boss. Yet he couldn¡¯t shatter Ronin¡¯s hope. Without it, God knows what Ronin would do next.Original from N?velDrama.Org. After hesitating, sh agreed, ¡± Alright, I¡¯ll do what I can, but I can¡¯t make any promises.¡±¡±Go ahead andask. I trust they won¡¯t let me down,¡± Ronin said with unwavering confidence. sh wondered where this assurance came from. Years by his boss¡¯s side hadn¡¯t afforded him such certainty, so on what grounds was Ronin so confident? With doubts in tow, sh sought permission from his higher- ups. Soon, he returned to the cell, summoning Ronin. ¡°Get up. Come with me!¡± Ronin stood, smirking at sh. ¡± Curious how I knew?¡± sh waited for his answer. Ronin, smugly, teased, ¡°Do you really want to know? Well, Guess it for yourself!¡± Hearing those words, sh was infuriated and on the brink of violence, reluctantly escorted Ronin out. A whileter, Ronin met with sh¡¯s boss, a man in ck who exuded a very powerful vibe. Ronin had no doubtsabout the man¡¯s identity as he found sh be cautious, with a fear impossible to feign. After looking over the boss, Ronin nonchntly said, ¡°I know who you are!¡± The im stunned everyone, especially sh. Silence fell before the man in ck ordered, ¡°Ronin, is that really all you¡¯ve got? Tell me who I am, or I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Roninughed awkwardly. ¡°Lighten up. Come on, it was a joke.¡± The man¡¯s voice lowered, a warningced within. ¡°I never joke.¡± His eyes conveyed a clear threat. Now, Ronin needed a usible answer or his life would end there. Chapter 840 Chapter 840 Are You Kidding Me In the dim interior, tension spiked in an instant. sh would bet that his boss wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill Ronin if he didn¡¯t provide a satisfactory answer. He dreaded this oue but was powerless to stop it. In any event, Ronin is on his own. After a moment of silence, Ronin chuckled. ¡°Of course I¡¯m certain you¡¯re the big boss behind him. I had no idea if sh might send someone to fool me, but after seeing you, I knew you couldn¡¯t be an imposter!¡± However, his firm tone did nothing to diminish the menacing aura of the man, who now fixed a cold stare on Ronin, demanding, ¡°How did you discern I¡¯m sh¡¯s boss?¡± ¡°Quality!¡± Ronin dered with unwavering confidence. ¡°Posture and clothes can be imitated, but one¡¯squality is innate. It is clear at a nce that you have a much higher status than sh.¡± The room fell silent again. Even sh, who stood by quietly, held his breath, not daring to guess his boss¡¯s thoughts, aware of the consequences of a wrong guess. The man chuckled appreciatively. ¡°Not bad!¡± With the tension easing, Ronin managed a smile, relieved. He had bluffed, and fortunately, he got away with it. Ronin supposed that perhaps the man had never intended to kill him and was merely toying with him. The man scrutinized sh and softly inquired, ¡°Well, I heard you want to speak with me first. Do you think you¡¯re qualified?¡± Unfazed, Ronin calmly replied, ¡°I may not be, but I¡¯m the only one who can retrieve the data you need fromCatherine¡¯sptop. Is that enough?¡± The man approached Ronin, and after a pause, replied, ¡°Good!¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Ronin, seeing his proposal epted, set a new condition. ¡°We can talk, but he needs to leave,¡± he said, pointing at sh with a provocative look as if sh didn¡¯t deserve to be in the same room. At the same time, sh, understanding the challenge in Ronin¡¯s gaze, felt a surge of indignation but dared not show it before his boss. At the boss¡¯smand, ¡°Get out!¡± sh left without hesitation, throwing a re at Ronin, who returned it with defiance. sh couldn¡¯t predict what Ronin would discuss with his boss but was sure Ronin¡¯s provocation was intentional. On the other end of the line, Zobber sounded anxious, ¡°Catherine, Branden will sign the contract with the Breen Group soon. Are you sure you won¡¯tstop him?¡± Zobber couldn¡¯t wait to rush into the Duncan Cooperation and she could easily set the building aze if ordered. Catherine, in white coats, just out from theb, listened to Zobber and decisively said, ¡°No need.¡± Zobers didn¡¯t get to finish her plea as Catherine hung up. Soon, Catherine continued her work in theb, unaware of a sneaky figure watching her from the corridor¡¯s end. Frustrated by the abrupt call drop, Zobber fumed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Catherine? Isn¡¯t she worried at all?¡± Withal, nonchntly yed with a lighter. ¡°If Catherine isn¡¯t worried, why are you? She said no need, so let¡¯s head back,¡± he remarked. Seeing Zobber still puzzled, Withal gently nudged her, prompting her to think. Zobber quickly came around, realizing Withal¡¯s point, and agreed toreturn home. Meanwhile, Paxton, watching two familiar figures on the video feed, headed toward the president¡¯s office. ¡± Branden, we found Zobber and Withal nearby,¡± Paxton reported seriously. Learning the news, Branden remained calm. With his nce, he motioned for Paxton to keep going. Paxton reported Zobber and Withal¡¯s brief appearance nearby before they left without any further action. Paxton found this odd, for it just wasn¡¯t Zobber¡¯s normal behavior or attitude. So he didn¡¯t believe they did nothing but kept rambling here. ¡°Where is Catherine?¡± Branden inquired. ¡°In theb, she hasn¡¯te out,¡± Paxton replied. Paxton was relieved he had verified Catherine¡¯s location beforehand. Had she been elsewhere, he wouldn¡¯t know how to answer Branden, which could have spelled trouble for him. Branden acknowledged the report and continued with his paperwork, indicating he wasn¡¯t concerned with the matter. Taking the cue, Paxton left the office to call off the tail on Zobber. Just as Zobber and Withal were about to return to Connie¡¯s apartment, they realized someone was following them. Eyeing each other, they prepared to confront these trackers, who unexpectedly withdrew. Confounded, Zobber still chased after them but lost track, frustrating her. Turning to Withal, she expressed her confusion about the trackers¡¯ behavior. Withal casually shrugged, suggesting, Maybe they got scared of you. After all, your reputation precedes you.¡± It took Zobber a moment to catch his implication, and once she did, her anger red. She gave Withal a fierce look. ¡°Are you calling me a tigress?¡± Withal, struggling to contain hisughter, said, ¡°How dare I?¡± Realizing his joke, Zobber intentionally drove onto a bumpy buffer strip, much to Withal¡¯s difort. Withal realized he had upset Zobber and quickly begged for mercy. ¡°My dear, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± After some cajoling, Zobers finally relented and they continued on their way. Once Zobber¡¯s car was back on track, Withal regained hisposure. He nced in the direction the car had departed, his eyes flickering with an indistinct, ominous intensity. Chapter 841 Chapter 841 Winston Disappeared ¡°Sir, did you really promise to release Ronin after the deed is done?¡± sh somewhat could not believe what he heard, but he thought to himself, ¡± From Ronin¡¯s reaction, it¡¯s the case. If my boss hadn¡¯t promised him, how could he have left with a happy expression?¡± The more sh thought about it, the more wrong he felt, which was why he risked his life toe to his boss to inquire about the situation. The ck-robed man looked down at sh kneeling at his feet, and a sh of viciousness crossed his eyes. The look in the ck-robed man¡¯s eyes made sh panic, and sh was so scared that he quickly apologized, ¡°Sir, please forgive me for overstepping my bounds.¡± ¡°Since you know that you have overstepped your bounds, why don¡¯t you get out yet?¡± The ck-robed man¡¯s stern voice carried a great majesty within it, scaring sh into leaving. sh knew that if he dared to challenge the authority of his boss at this moment, his boss would immediately kill him the next moment. Although he was curious, he dared not risk his own life. Seeing sh obediently leave, the murderous emotion in the ck-robed man¡¯s eyes eased a bit. The ck-robed man really didn¡¯t expect Ronin to betray Catherine. There was no way for Ronin to lie in front of him because he could see through Ronin¡¯s lies with a single nce. He could conclude that what Ronin said just now was true. The ck-robed man thought to himself, ¡°It seems Ronin doesn¡¯t really take Catherine seriously. He betrayed Catherine for his own life.¡± sh wasn¡¯t smart enough, but he was still right about one thing, which was that human nature could not withstand any test, and in this world, no one could believe except oneself. sh headed straight toward the holding cell after getting out of the ck-robed man¡¯s ce. He couldn¡¯t get answers from his boss and had toe to Ronin. Ronin, who had been sent back to solitary confinement, leaned back and sat in a corner seat with his eyes closed and a nd look on his face. After what happened to Winston, Ronin was no longer in the same dashingly smug state as before. His face carried agrim aura. Hearing a movement in front of him, he slowly opened his eyes to check. When they met eye to eye, Ronin let out a coldugh. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. Is a new round of severe torture ready to begin again? Haha, but what do you want to ask this time? I¡¯ve exined everything I know. What else do you want to know?¡± Seeing Ronin¡¯s misunderstanding, sh whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not here to interrogate you this time. I have a few questions to ask you.¡± Without waiting for sh to speak, Ronin simply said to him, ¡°Scram! Since you¡¯re not here to interrogate me, why should I answer you?¡± Ronin¡¯s strong attitude made sh very angry, and he deliberately sank his face to threaten Ronin. ¡°Ronin, you are still a prisoner now. Do you believe that I will arrest you and beat you up rightnow?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Roninughed out loud, looking at sh with mockery inside his eyes. Such an attitude made sh very puzzled. He stared at Ronin and inquired in a cold voice, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Ronin slowly got up and stood right in front of sh. Ronin was slightly shorter than sh. He tilted his head slightly and looked directly into sh¡¯s eyes. Although Ronin couldn¡¯t tell what the face under sh¡¯s mask actually looked like, it seemed from sh¡¯s eyes that sh should be good-looking. Ronin looked straight into sh¡¯s eyes, and mockery filled his grim voice, ¡°Do you believe I¡¯ll have your boss kill you after you have me arrested?¡± The confident words silenced sh, and the atmosphere in the room instantly became a little more awkward. Seeing sh¡¯s silence, Ronin continued to say, ¡°I know what your purpose is foring to me. You just want to know what kind of deal I made with your boss. Since you want to know it so much, I¡¯m not going to tell you. But I warn you, you¡¯d better not put your hands on me, and don¡¯t hurt Professor Warner. Your life and death are in my hands.¡± Ronin stared at sh¡¯s mask and let out a coldugh. ¡°After all, you are nothing more than a dog with a more painful bite in the eyes of your boss, aren¡¯t you? You can be reced at any time as long as the benefits given are enough.¡± sh looked gloomy, his eyes were full of anger, but he had nowhere to vent it out. Ronin¡¯s intelligence was far beyond his imagination. Ronin was able to guess sh¡¯s mind, was able to utilize the conditions to negotiate with sh¡¯s boss and keep sh from guessing the content of the negotiation. This showed how powerful Ronin was. sh believed what Ronin said. As long as Ronin offered enticing conditions, sh¡¯s boss would not hesitate to kill him. sh was extremely angry andughed. ¡°You¡¯re great. Let¡¯s see how long you can still be arrogant.¡± With that, sh left. After sh left, Ronin went back to his original position and continued to sit in a daze. In fact, at first, Ronin felt that sh was also a pitiful person, and did not want to make things too difficult for him, nor did he want to kill him. Ronin thought inwardly, ¡°It¡¯s just that sh is too stubborn, so don¡¯t me me.¡± Friday was two days away, and the experiment wasing to an end. Catherine was going to stay in theb for the next few days and work through the night to finish the project. Marshall stayed with her. While the two were taking a break for dinner, Marshall and Catherine chatted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with Winston. I haven¡¯t heard from him in the past few days. I asked my wife to ask his wife about him. His wife said that he was fine. I¡¯ll go check when Friday is over,¡± said Marshall. He had been good friends with Winston for decades, and he knew Winston well. He thought that if it weren¡¯t for a serious illness that prevented Winstonfrom getting up, he wouldn¡¯t have disappeared for so many days at once. As the experiment was nearing the end, Marshall couldn¡¯t leave and had no way to visit, so he could only ask his wife to help him inquire about the situation. Upon hearing this, Catherine stopped her hands from eating and said faintly, ¡°Professor Warner will be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Marshall only thought that she was trying to console himself, and he didn¡¯t want to affect Catherine because of this matter, so he decided to stop the topic there. ¡°Well, don¡¯t think too much about it. Let¡¯s concentrate on our research. As soon as the experiment is sessful, I will tell Winston the good news. He¡¯ll be happy and he will be cured.¡± ¡°Professor Hartley, Miss Swann, are you only eating now?¡± An abrupt voice interrupted the conversation betweenCatherine and Marshall. They raised their heads together to look toward the direction of the speaker, only to see the president of Styre University, Ultan, appearing in theb together with several people. Standing beside Ultan, was none other than Rn, who had been staring at Catherine from the moment he appeared and hadn¡¯t moved away for a moment. Although Marshall was a bit strange in his heart as to how Ultan could have suddenly brought someone there at this point, he didn¡¯t express it directly on the surface and immediately stood up to greet Ultan. ¡°Mr. Farrell, what brings you here?¡± Ultan knew Marshall¡¯s dissatisfaction by the stoicism in Marshall¡¯s eyes, but he was very helpless. He could only say awkwardly, ¡°This is the president of Reelyne Technologies,Mr. Melton. He knows that you guys are busy doing experiments, and has been wanting toe visit theb. He was worried about disturbing you, so he specially chose a break time toe.¡± Marshall froze when he looked up at Rn. He was surprised and asked in his mind secretly, ¡°Isn¡¯t he¡­¡± Chapter 842 Chapter 842 Rn Was Their Sponsor After realizing that Rn was the president of Reelyne Technologies, the lingering doubts in Marshall¡¯s heart were finally resolved. He looked toward Catherine. Seeing Catherine¡¯s calm and unaffected expression, he couldn¡¯t help butugh silently. He thought in his heart, ¡°Catherine is really calm. It¡¯s so rare. She can even be so calm when the situation is like this right now. I¡¯ve always thought that Rn is not a simple person. I didn¡¯t realize that he¡¯s actually a big boss of a multinational corporation. He¡¯s so young to be in such a position. His future is unlimited. Catherine is not only smart and capable but also very beautiful. No wonder these boys are crazy about her.¡± Marshall originally wondered why Catherine, who wasn¡¯t a wasteful person, would suddenlye up with the idea of recing the equipment. It turned out that Catherine knew from the beginning that Rn was behind the sponsorship. The reason why Rn grabbed the sponsorship for theirb, perhaps it was not the experimental program of theirb that he was interested in, but someone in theirb. Thinking about this, Marshall understood everything.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Reelyne Technologies was currently the biggest sponsor of theb. Rn sponsored them with so much money, so it was understandable that he wanted toe and have a visit. If Ultan blocked Rn, and if others knew that Styre University didn¡¯t even wee their sponsors, no one would dare to sponsor Styre University in thefuture. Marshall understood Ultan¡¯s plight and felt much better in his heart. He took the initiative to go forward and shake hands with Rn. ¡°Mr. Melton, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so young and talented. Thank you for your donation to ourb.¡± Rn smiled lightly and courteously. ¡± Professor Hartley, you are wee. I have brought some refreshments with me, and hope that you and Miss Swann will like them.¡± The assistant carried out the exquisite box of food and handed it to Catherine. Rn had inquired clearly before he arrived. He knew Catherine hadn¡¯t even eaten dinner yet, and he hade at this point specifically. Branden¡¯s men waited at the door while Rn strutted after Ultan into theb building to visit Catherine in person. This made Rn feel happy. He¡¯d gotten all the anger he¡¯d takenst time out of his system. Marshall naturally understood what Rn¡¯s purpose was in sending the food at that moment. He didn¡¯t dare to squeak and left it all to Catherine to deal with. Catherine expressionlessly reached out to take the food box and faintly said, ¡± Thanks.¡± After saying that, Catherine sat back down again.Seeing Catherine with such an attitude, the atmosphere around them became a bit awkward. After all, Rn was someone that even the president had to be careful with, but Catherine seemed to not show any respect to him. Rn nced at the president, who immediately understood. ¡°Mr. Melton, Catherine is the one leading this experiment. She is very specialized in this area. You can always talk to her if there is anything you want to know.¡± After the president finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Marshall. ¡± Marshall, I have something to tell you. Youe out with me for a moment.¡± Marshall knew very well in his heart what the president had in mind. However, he couldn¡¯t pretend that he didn¡¯t understand the hints from the president¡¯s eyes and could only leave with the president. Once the two left, the rest of the people also followed, leaving Catherine and Rn alone in theb. Rn was not angry when he saw that Catherine was still eating the dinnerthat Marshall had arranged for her and did not open the food box he had given her. After all, he had no temper when he was in front of Catherine. He took the initiative to walk up to Catherine and sit down, helping her open the food box. He took out the food inside and ced it in front of her. ¡± Give it a try. I specifically had people queue up to buy it.¡± The food all looked exceptionally tasty and exquisitely arranged, and it was obvious at first nce that it was the result of careful consideration. Catherine didn¡¯t refuse the food Ryan offered her. Rn¡¯s food was so much better than the food Marshall had prepared. It didn¡¯t make sense for Catherine to follow through with refusing better food, did it? Seeing that Catherine was willing to eat the food he offered, Rn was very happy. Catherine turned her head to look at him, her dazzling eyes carrying a hint of confusion. ¡°You spent billions of dors donating to the experimental building just to deliver food to me?¡± She guaranteed that if Rn nodded his head at that time, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to smash the food in her hand directly toward his head. ¡°Not really. Why not make a profit while being able to deliver food to you? Catherine, I¡¯m a businessman, right? Mypany has just moved into Loxton, and this donation has already helped me make a name for myself and saved me public rtions and promotional expenses. It¡¯s a good deal.¡± Catherine sneered. In her mind, she thought, ¡°If this is really a good deal,you would have nned it from the beginning and not waited until now. All of this does seem profitable on the surface, but it¡¯s all based on the sess of my experiment. What if my experiment fails? Wouldn¡¯t everything you¡¯re paid for then be in vain?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say this because she knew what Rn was thinking.She finished the food in her hand and then stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to continue my experiment.¡± Rn stayed where he was and looked at Catherine¡¯s departing back with a faint smile. He mentally thought to himself, ¡°Like I said, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t get if it¡¯s something I want.¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan, Rn is really tricky,¡± Paxton reported the news to Brandenwith unusual exasperation.He had arranged for someone to go to theb today to deliver food to Catherine for Branden. Catherine didn¡¯te out, they had someone waiting at the door. But unexpectedly, it didn¡¯t take long before they saw Rning in a big way. Rn¡¯s men even carried the food box to provoke them, saying that Rn would take good care of Catherine and threatening that they should just go back. Paxton didn¡¯t realize that Rn was so despicable that he provoked Branden even when delivering food. He asked in his heart, ¡°Isn¡¯t this openly against Branden? Can this be tolerated? Paxton originally thought that Branden would be angry, but he was surprised tosee that Brandon had no reaction at all, and there was still a faint smile on Branden¡¯s face, which made Paxton very puzzled. ¡°Mr. Duncan, are you not angry?¡± ¡°Why would I be angry?¡± Branden raised his eyes to him. Branden thought inwardly, ¡°Rn spent so much money just to deliver a meal to my woman. Not only did he help Catherine improve herb equipment for me, he incidentally helped me feed her. He¡¯s such a nice guy. It¡¯s not too much for me to thank him in person. Why should I be angry?¡± Branden took a closer look at the surveince video andmented on it, ¡°The food at this restaurant is not bad. Catherine likes it.¡± Hearing Branden¡¯sment, Paxton was truly shocked. It seemed Branden really wasn¡¯t angry at all. Paxton calmed down and was relieved when he thought it over, ¡°Miss Swann is not that kind of shallow woman. She is not the kind of woman that can be obtained with money, otherwise, Mr. Duncan wouldn¡¯t have chased her so hard in the first ce. Rn did all this, except for taking care of Miss Swann a little bit more for Mr. Duncan, there is no other benefit. So it seems that Mr. Duncan really doesn¡¯t need to be angry.¡± Chapter 843 Chapter 843 Catherine Was Angry Rn stayed in theb for as long as Catherine stayed in theb.It was alreadyte at night and Catherine didn¡¯t intend to spend the night inside theb. After packing up her things, she walked out of theb. Just as she went out, she bumped into Rn who was guarding the door. Seeing her appear, Rn immediately greeted her, a smile appearing on her face, ¡°You have such a long day. You¡¯ve exerted a lot of physical strength, right? How about let me take you to have a supper to replenish?¡± His seemingly thoughtful suggestion was not taken up by Catherine. Catherine nced at him and walked around him to leave. Rn bowed his head in silence for a moment before catching up again. ¡°It¡¯s sote. Are you nning on going to your apartment or back to your dorm? I can give you a ride to your dorm. The management personnel of your dorm¡­ Without waiting for him to finish his words, Catherine stopped and turned back to re at him, her cold eyes gleaming with ferocity. Even a man like Rn couldn¡¯t help but palpitate after seeing Catherine¡¯s eyes. ¡°Rn, you¡¯re meddling broadly enough. You want to meddle in my experiments, and now you even want to meddle in my dorm. Believe it or not, I¡¯ll chop your hands off right now,¡± Catherine said angrily. Rn never dared to question what Catherine said, and he was well aware of Catherine¡¯s ability. He knew shecould definitely do anything she wanted to do. Catherine was already an unbelievable terror when she was only a teenager, let alone now.Rn held up his hands in surrender. ¡± Catherine, don¡¯t get me wrong. I just want to care about you. I¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Catherine¡¯s cold words immediately shut Rn up. Rn obediently followed behind Catherine, not daring to question too much. The two of them walked one behind the other. Rn tried to walk side by side with Catherine, but as soon as he increased his speed, Catherine would always elerate before him. After Rn tried to catch up with Catherine a few times, he realized that Catherine was intentionally avoidinghim and could only give up his original idea. ¡°Catherine, is your experiment almost finished?¡± Hearing the query, Catherine turned back to look at him. Her seemingly smiling eyes looked frightening. Her cold, mocking voice was more than enough for Rn to sense her unhappiness. ¡°What? Mr. Melton, do I need to give you a report on the progress of the experiment now?¡± Rn waved his hand in a hurry. ¡± Catherine, that¡¯s not what I meant. You know me¡­¡± ¡°Enough. The experiment didn¡¯t yield any results. It¡¯s not sessful yet, and you¡¯re happy to hear that?¡± Catherine increased her volume like a child frantically venting her grievances. The chagrin on her face was undisguised, and a strong hostile auraradiated around her. Rn guessed that Catherine was in a bad mood because the experiment had not been sessful and it was close to ? the point of time when she was going to be certified. He dared not talk about the topic of experiments anymore, for fear of stimting Catherine. ¡°Catherine, since you don¡¯t want to talk about the experiment, then we won¡¯t talk about it. By the way, I¡¯ve been here in Loxton for so long, howe I haven¡¯t seen Ronin?¡± Rn stared carefully at Catherine¡¯s expression to check. He found that when he mentioned Ronin, an unnatural look shed across Catherine¡¯s face. Although she hid it quickly, Rn still noticed it.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ronin has been assigned to do something by me and won¡¯t be at school for a while. If you miss him, contact him yourself, but it¡¯s hard to say if you can get in touch,¡± said Catherine. ¡°Is that so? Well then, I¡¯d better wait for Ronin toe back. Nothing is going on anyway. It¡¯s just that we haven¡¯t seen each other for too long, and it just so happens that we¡¯re both in the same city now, so it¡¯s best if we can meet.¡± Rn noticed the expression on Catherine¡¯s face intensify a bit when he mentioned Ronin again.He didn¡¯t try to probe any further and continued to walk with Catherine on the green path of the campus. Watching Catherine step out of the campus gate, Rn, who was still calm, finally couldn¡¯t help himself. He directly reached out and stopped Catherine. ¡°Are you nning to go back to Branden¡¯s apartment again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Catherine said nonchntly. She thought inwardly, ¡°When is it his turn to meddle in my affairs?¡± ¡°Catherine, haven¡¯t you heard the rumors that Branden is now working with the Breens? They are going to be the strongest strategic partners. If he is sincere with you, do you think he will work with your enemies?¡± Rn had a bitter look on his face. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine¡¯s ability, he¡¯d just go ahead, knock her out, and take her away right now. ¡°What about you?¡± Catherine asked suddenly, causing Rn to freeze. She stepped forward and stood in front of Rn, staring into his eyes. ¡°What about you?¡± Catherine¡¯s sudden question confused Rn. Rn looked at Catherine in surprise, his eyes somewhat evasive, afraid to look directly at her. ¡°Catherine, what do you mean by that?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t answer him and left in big strides without even looking back. Rn stood still, looking at Catherine¡¯s departing back, with mixed emotions in his heart. He wondered if Catherine had found out something. Maybe things were starting to get tricky. Catherine returned to the apartment building and was about to go upstairs when she saw Branden waiting in ce. When Branden saw her appear, he walked straight toward her. He reachedout and took the document she was holding. ¡°Feeling tired?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Catherine responded indifferently, and the two of them walked side by side toward the upstairs. Just as they entered the apartment, Catherine smelled a faint scent ofvender. Noticing the change in her expression, Branden immediately exined the situation. ¡°The essential oil ofvender helps relieve fatigue, so I bought it and gave it a try.¡± Catherine took a light sniff and gave herment. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Upon hearing this, Branden¡¯s face immediately revealed a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it.¡± After that, Catherine realized that there was still quite a lot of food on the table. ¡°Have you not had dinner yet?¡± Catherine looked sideways at Branden. ¡°Yes, I did. They are all for you. If you want to eat, we¡¯ll have some together. If you¡¯re tired and don¡¯t want to eat, ? we¡¯ll rest.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t believe Branden would be unaware of Rn bringing her meal, but since he didn¡¯t mention it at all, she wouldn¡¯t deliberately bring it up. ¡°Let¡¯s eat a little.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Branden said and his gaze at her was full of indulgence. ¡°You sit there and rest for a bit. I¡¯ll heat them up.¡± Catherine then realized that a massage chair had been ced inside the living room. She hadn¡¯t seen it when she left the apartment this morning, so it should be a new item Branden had just bought. She walked straight to the massage chair and sat down. The moment she sat down, the chair began to work with just the right force to relieve her of the fatigue from standing all day. A few minutester, Branden brought hot food out of the kitchen. The moment he looked up was the moment his eyes filled with distress. Catheriney quietly in the massage chair, breathing evenly as she slept. Branden didn¡¯t dare to wake her up, nor did he dare toe forward and cover her with a nket, afraid of disturbing her. He could only turn up the temperature in the room to prevent her from getting cold. Looking at her sleeping face, Branden¡¯s expression gradually softened. He thought to himself, ¡°Give me a little more time, and soon everything will be over.¡± Chapter 844 Chapter 844 A Shocking Reversal ¡°Are you sure you can produce the results of the experiment today?¡± Marshall asked cautiously, fearing to put pressure on Catherine. But watching Catherine calmly enter and exit theb every day, he was really curious. The final key steps were all manipted by Catherine. Although Marshall participated in the entire experiment, he did not know about the final progress of the experiment. ¡°The results of the phase one experiment are out. It¡¯s not ideal, but it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem to take it for certification,¡± Catherine replied. Hearing this, Marshall¡¯s face immediately showed a delightedexpression. ¡°That¡¯s great. You¡¯re right to think like that. Certify it first and then slowly experiment with the next step. Then I¡¯ll take my leave first. I¡¯ll let you focus.¡± After getting the good news, Marshall left theb and left Catherine to focus on the experiment. Catherine stretchedzily and continued to busy herself with the work at hand.She sorted out all the information and inputted it into theputer for archiving. Amelia walked in. She came to bring Catherine the information. ¡°Super Catherine, I see Professor Hartley walk out with a smile on his face just now. Did the experiment seed?¡± Everyone saw Marshall enter theb with a sad face, and then walk out witha smile on his face. There was nothing other than Catherine¡¯s experimental results that could make Marshall, who was always serious in speech and manner, so happy. Amelia was genuinely happy for Catherine. Although she hadn¡¯t spent much time with Catherine, she could see that Catherine had put a lot of time and effort into this experiment. ¡°Sort of,¡± Catherine responded to Amelia faintly. Hearing her ambiguous answer, Amelia felt a bit strange. She rarely heard Catherine say something so uncertain. Seeing her curiosity, Catherine gave her the answer. ¡°There are still small problems. It can¡¯t be considered a sess at the moment, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to take this result forcertification.¡± It was very normal for such a big experiment to have various small problems.For Catherine to make it this far was already something many people wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about. Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t seem to be happy, Amelia hastened tofort her. ¡°This is already impressive. Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. Everything will have a solution, just take your time. You¡¯re Super Catherine. You¡¯ll definitely seed, and the result will be absolutely perfect.¡± Amelia¡¯s expression was unusually serious, and the admiration in her eyes was undisguised. Catherine was infected by her happiness, and a little more smile appeared on her face as well. ¡°Thankyou.¡± Amelia didn¡¯t dare to dy Catherine more for fear of disturbing her, so she left theb. Shortly after Amelia came out, everyone in theb knew the progress of Catherine¡¯s research. Although everyone had already guessed the result from Marshall¡¯s expression, but then after Amelia¡¯s confirmation, they instantly affirmed the news. Everyone knew the importance of the experiment though. Until Catherine herself made a public announcement, the news would be spread only in theb and would not be disseminated externally. After sh received the information, his cold eyes immediately tinged with a smile. He wasn¡¯t worried about the experiment not seeding, nor was he worried about Catherine not being able toplete the experiment. As long as he could get enough certified information, they would have the leverage to negotiate with Catherine. sh first found Ronin. He gave him an exnation of the situation and then brought him to Winston. ¡°There¡¯s aputer here. Can you two get started? Winston looked at Ronin with a distressed face and said in a sad tone, Ronin, don¡¯t have too much mental burden. I¡¯ll bear everything.¡± Hearing this, sh sneered and looked at Ronin. ¡°Ronin, I really envy you for having such a good teacher. You need to cherish it.¡± The warning in his words was clear to Ronin. Ronin knew that sh wasgiving him a precautionary warning and that sh was worrying that he wouldn¡¯t listen to him. Ronin red at him expressionlessly, then sat down in front of theputer. He was ready to get things started.¡± Professor Warner, let¡¯s get started.¡± Winston nodded with a helpless look on his face. ¡°Okay.¡± Ronin set up the program, and with his previous experience, he quickly hacked into Catherine¡¯sputer. After the firstyer firewall was breached, the next was a defense system set by Winston himself. Although the defense system was set up by Winston, it was set up on Catherine¡¯sputer after all, and it would take a bit of a cracking process to get in through an externalputer. ¡°How long will it take approximately?¡± sh inquired anxiously. Winston estimated and gave the time. ¡± If it¡¯s fast, it¡¯ll take an hour, but if it¡¯s slow, it¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± Hearing this, sh¡¯s brows immediately furrowed. Thinking Winston was ying a trick, he reached out and yanked Winston to his feet with a fierce hand. Winston was a veritable bookworm, the kind who was powerless. He was easily yanked up by sh in an instant. Seeing this, Ronin was instantly enraged. ¡°Brat, you put him down!¡± He directly rushed up and wrestled with sh. sh flung Winston away to deal with Ronin at full strength. The two immediately got into a fight. It didn¡¯t take long for sh¡¯s men to arrive. But before they could do anything, sh had already overpowered Ronin and pressed him to the floor. If sh didn¡¯t have absolute confidence in his ability to subdue Ronin, he wouldn¡¯t have been alone with Ronin and Winston. Although Ronin was pressed to the floor, he did not stop struggling. He frantically twisted his body to break free from the grip of sh.Original from N?velDrama.Org. The men who rushed in used the electric baton to directly electrocute Ronin to the floor, making him unable to struggle. Seeing the situation in front of him, Winston became anxious. ¡°What are you doing? Stop it. Don¡¯t hurt Ronin.¡± Ronin struggled to raise his head. He stared angrily at sh and shouted fiercely, ¡°If you have the guts, you can kill me.¡± sh yanked Ronin up by his hair and scowled at him with cold eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, but believe it or not, I have a hundred ways to make your life worse than death.¡± Ronin was fearless in the face of the threat. Although he was restricted from moving, his attitude was still strong. Fine, you do it. I¡¯d like to see who will die before me.¡± 11 Tomorrow would be the time for certification. If sh and his men still couldn¡¯t get the information today, his boss would definitely not let him off. sh¡¯s gloomy face became unusually gloomy. He gritted his teeth and pulled Ronin angrily. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Ronin looked at him without showing any weakness. ¡°As I said, if you want me to cooperate with you, be polite to me and don¡¯t hurt my teacher. Otherwise, I guarantee that you will die before me, and all of your men will be killed at the same time as you are killed. Ronin¡¯s words shocked everyone present. They were able to get Ronin killed easily, but once something happened to Ronin, they wouldn¡¯t end up any better. To get Ronin to cooperate, sh could only take the lead and bow his head. He reached out to help Ronin up and personally patted the dust off of him. And then he signaled with his eyes for Ronin to ask him to go back and continue. Ronin sneered. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s it?¡± Chapter 845 Chapter 845 sh¡¯s Mutiny sh looked at Ronin with a cold smile on his face, and the killing intent in his heart gradually rose. He stared coldly at Ronin, his gaze as fierce as it could be. ¡°What else do you want?¡± His eyes were cold, and Ronin¡¯s eyes were even colder. ¡°sh, you can do anything you want to me. Don¡¯t put your hands on my teacher. Apologize to him or all bets are off.¡± Ronin¡¯s attitude was very resolute. As long as sh didn¡¯t give Winston an apology, there was no way this was going to work. His reaction left sh a little stunned. sh didn¡¯t realize that Ronin cared so much about Winston. Despite his reluctance, sh agreed to Ronin¡¯s terms so as not to jeopardize the big picture. He turned his gaze to Winston and said sincerely to him, ¡°Winston, I was the one who took offense just now. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Winston did not want Ronin to get into another conflict with sh, so he took the initiative to go up and persuade Ronin. ¡°Ronin, he apologized. I think he was just too anxious. He didn¡¯t mean it. Let¡¯s just forget about it.¡¯ ¡°Professor Warner, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Ronin took it in stride and had no intention of continuing the trouble. The two sat back down in front of theputer and proceeded to start cracking the firewall set up within Catherine¡¯sputer. After all this mess, sh didn¡¯t dare togive Winston a hard time. Worried that he might attract Ronin¡¯s resentment, and fearful that Ronin might resist, sh didn¡¯t even watch him as closely as he had before. Winston could still interact with Ronin during the opportunity formunication. After the two of them exchanged nces, a cold smile shed across Ronin¡¯s face and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly with pride. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did myputer suddenly ckout?¡± An abrupt voice startled the people inside theb. ¡°Myputer isn¡¯t working either.¡± ¡°Mine¡¯s cked out too.¡± Various discussions ensued, and Marshall happened to be in his office. After hearing the sound, he walked out to check. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s all the noise about?¡± Someone immediately reported the situation to him, ¡°Professor Hartley, all of ourputers cked out. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s like they¡¯ve been hacked collectively by someone.¡± Although Marshall¡¯s students were not in the field ofputer science, they were all talented and very impressive in all aspects. They could solve somemon small troubles on their own. Hearing this, Marshall¡¯s expression immediately tightened. He pointed at his students and said solemnly, ¡°Hurry up and notifyWinston of theputer science department. Ask him toe over to take a look personally.¡± ¡°Professor Hartley, Professor Warner took sick leave and hasn¡¯te for a few days. Have you forgotten about it?¡± Marshall pped his head and reacted. ¡°Oh, right. You guys contact someone from theputer science department. I¡¯ll check elsewhere.¡± With that, Marshall rushed to the experimental room where Catherine was as soon as possible.He knocked on the door of the experimental room, and Catherine immediately walked out.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Catherine, have you uploaded the experiment data to theputer yet?¡± Marshall asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Catherine had been working on it all morning and it was now takencare of. Seeing Marshall look anxious made Catherine feel weird. ¡°Professor Hartley, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°All theputers in theb aren¡¯t working. I suspect they¡¯ve been hacked. I¡¯m worried that there¡¯s something wrong with yourputer too. You should be careful.¡± Marshall always had the feeling that things weren¡¯t that simple. He asked in his heart, ¡°How is it such a coincidence that all theputers in theb were hacked shortly after Catherine just uploaded the data?¡± This batch ofputers was all newly reced, so it was impossible that they all broke down at the same time. The only possibility was that someone was attempting to attack theirputers to achieve an ulteriorpurpose. This happened suddenly at this time, and Marshall was worried that the other party was aiming at Catherine¡¯s experiment. Hearing this, Catherine¡¯s attitude remained calm, and she even turned around tofort Marshall. ¡°Professor Hartley, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Theputer in myb is notworked with the outside, and the firewall was just recently upgraded by Winston. I also encrypted it myself. There won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Marshall¡¯s worried expression gradually dissipated, and a hint of a smile appeared between his eyebrows and eyes. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s great. How did I forget about this? While Winston isn¡¯t much of a chess yer, he¡¯s really good atputers. It¡¯s all right then. You go back and continue. I¡¯m going to take alook outside. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a mess out there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine watched Marshall leave. Marshall didn¡¯t notice the gloomy viciousness that shed in Catherine¡¯s eyes. Half an hourter, everyone¡¯sputers gradually recovered. After the technical department¡¯s investigation, no foreign IP intrusion was found. Everyone in theb had checked their ownputers and no files were found to be lost or broken. Since there was no damage caused, they treated the incident as an ident and left it at that.Ronin¡¯s fingers were trembling the moment he hit the enter key. As soon as his movements stopped, sh¡¯s urging came from behind him. ¡± How¡¯s it going? Have you received the information?¡± Ronin didn¡¯t respond. He sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the screen. Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, sh rushed forward. He pushed Ronin away and sat in his seat. Winston, who was sitting on the side, stood up and patted Ronin¡¯s shoulder. He signaled Ronin not to be impulsive. Ronin nodded calmly and nced at sh with a strange expression in his eyes. There was no unnecessary expression in his eyes. sh became excited when he saw the information on theputer. With this information, he could make a condition to his boss to quit the organization and leave this ce to livea stable life. sh took advantage of everyone¡¯sck of attention and secretly inserted a memory card into theputer, preparing to transfer the information away through the memory card. But when he was about to do it, the back of his head was pressed against a hard object.Years of experience allowed him to instantly judge how deadly the object against the back of his head was. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Turn your head with your hands up.¡± The familiar voice made sh¡¯s body stiffen. Knowing that his resistance was useless, sh decided to obey the person behind him and turned his head to look with his hands up. sh still could not believe his eyes when he saw that the person behindhim holding a gun against him was his most trusted brother. He didn¡¯t expect his most valued brother to betray him. ¡± Finn, you ¡­¡± sh looked at Finn puzzled, with a murderous expression in his eyes. Finn said, ¡°sh, have you forgotten that we have to be loyal to our boss forever?¡± sh didn¡¯t exin. He had no way of exining it. On their first day joining the organization, they knew that they had only one choice if they wanted to survive, which was to always be loyal to the organization and follow the orders of their superiors. But sh didn¡¯t want to be controlled as a puppet for his whole life, as he could lose his life at any moment due to a small matter. Having had enough of these days, he wanted to change and escape from there. But he didn¡¯t expect his n to fail so quickly. It turned out that Finn was a spy that his boss had ced beside him, and it seemed that his boss had never trusted him. At that moment, sh was defeated.Ronin stood on the side and coldly watched the show of viins killing each other without any inner turmoil. He didn¡¯t know how many times he had seen such a scene. Chapter 846 Chapter 846 Marshall Was Nervous Inside the dark, damp confinement chamber, a body covered in bruises was curled up in a nearby corner, covered in blood. ¡°Jangle¡­¡± The eerie sound came from the rusty old iron door. The person lying on the floor remained motionless. He was seemingly unaffected by external disturbances until someone said, ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± The familiar voice caused sh, who was originally lying on the floor, to instantly turn over and get up. The stimtion of the voice made him forget the serious injuries on his body. He turned over and got up too quickly, instantly pulling on his wounds and causing him to sit back in embarrassment. ¡°What? Has the previously majestic sh captain lost the ability to even stand up now?¡± Ronin¡¯s sarcastic words made sh¡¯s wounds painful even more. Since sh was discovered wanting to steal information, he had been imprisoned in the confinement chamber. To prevent him from escaping, his former group of henchmen had tortured him. What was even more ironic was that all those means of torture that sh had suffered were means that he had invented specifically to use against those prisoners he once captured. He originally thought that the personing was one of his men or his boss who came to punish him, but he never expected that it to be Ronin. sh looked up at Ronin with difficulty, and Ronin was also looking at him, with a strong sense of mockery in his cold eyes. It seemed that Ronin was mocking him for his ipetence. Seeing sh looking at him with a puzzled face, Ronin simply squatted down. He used his hand to pull up sh¡¯s cor, closing the distance between them. ¡°sh, I told you to be careful and not to fall into my hands. Why don¡¯t you take my words seriously? Ronin then patted sh¡¯s cheek provocatively. If it was before, sh would have already taught Ronin a lesson. But now, his and Ronin¡¯s identities hadpletely swapped. He was now the captive. Ronin¡¯s unrestricted arrival there had enabled sh to guess the truth of thematter. He inquired in a cold voice, ¡°So, I¡¯m the bargaining chip you¡¯re trading with my boss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ronin admitted generously. ¡°I promised your boss to cooperate with him to make sure that he can get the information he wants from Catherine without any problems. But my condition is that I want you to be a ything in my hands when it¡¯s done.¡± sh was still struggling. He didn¡¯t want to believe what he heard. ¡°No way. My boss¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to say he can¡¯t agree to my terms, right?¡± Before sh could finish his words, Ronin interrupted him. ¡°If I say that he never believed you at all, that he arranged spies to monitor you from the very beginning, and that he knew all the things you did in private, do you believe it?¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Ronin¡¯s words silenced sh. Although he didn¡¯t want to ept this fact, he knew that what Ronin said might be true. Because the fact that Ronin could stand there was the best proof. After the silence, sh became angry. He didn¡¯t want to see Ronin being this arrogant. He raised his head and stared angrily at Ronin. ¡°Do you think that you can be liberated now that I have be a captive? Will you be able to survive? Ronin, you have overestimated yourself. Believe it or not, you will die before I do.¡± sh knew his boss too well. There was no way his boss would let Ronin go and Ronin would die for sure. Hearing his words, Roninughed coldly. His voice was both sarcastic and cold. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± sh asked. ¡°You think I would be as stupid as you? You think the person taking over your position is your man Finn?¡± said Ronin, scowling at sh with a smirk. Such gaze scared sh. Perhaps he had thought about Ronin too simply from the beginning. Ronin was able to follow Catherine for so many years and was nurtured by her from a young age, his ability was absolutely top-notch. ¡°My boss asked you to take over my position?¡± sh looked at Ronin in shock, with a look of disbelief in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ronin patted sh¡¯s cheek with a smile on his face. ¡°You and I both know that he¡¯s only using us as pawns. And if I want to survive, I must make myself valuable. Who do you think is a little more valuable, me or you?¡± sh thought to himself, ¡°Ronin is the closest person to Catherine, and my boss¡¯s goal is Catherine, so naturally, Ronin is more valuable than I am.¡± sh asked, ¡°Ronin, wouldn¡¯t your conscience prick if you betrayed Catherine like this?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Ronin arrogantlyughed out loud. ¡°Conscience? You actually mention conscience to me. You are really funny. Conscience is something important? Besides, so what if my conscience prick? Don¡¯t forget, it was Catherine who abandoned me first. With her ability, rescuing me is an easy task. But she only cares about her experiment. She has no intention of rescuing me at all. And she even got Zobber and Withal hurt a few times. I don¡¯t want a boss like that.¡± sh saw a strong hatred in Ronin¡¯s eyes. It looked like Ronin really hated Catherine. Under such dark imprisonment, Ronin had changed. He had expected Catherine to save him, but Catherine was so focused on her experiments that she didn¡¯t care about his life at all. Ronin had changed. He hated Catherine, hated her for not caring about him. Looking at such Ronin, sh was silent. Originally, this was the result he wanted, but he never expected that when Ronin really became what he expected, he was the first one to be retaliated against. sh had nothing to say, with despair in its eyes. Ronin slowly stood up and looked at him with cold eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to keep you alive. In the future, I¡¯ll give you back ten times what you did to me before.¡± After Ronin finished speaking, he left sh imprisoned there. sh leaned against the wall, enduring the excruciating pain all over, struggling to survive. Catherine finished organizing the data and came out from theb. Marshall was waiting at the door. When he saw her appear, he immediately greeted her, ¡°Catherine, is everything ready?¡± ¡°Professor Hartley, are you nervous?¡± Catherine looked at him with a calm expression: ¡°Who¡­ Who¡¯s nervous? How could I be nervous? I¡¯ve experienced many things. How could I be nervous?¡± Marshall tried his best to defend himself and keep himself calm. He didn¡¯t want to embarrass himself in front of his students, especially not in front ofCatherine. Catherine was really too calm. Marshall felt as if nothing could make her frown. ¡°If you¡¯re not nervous, why did your hands get so red from rubbing?¡± Catherine set her gaze on Marshall¡¯s hands. Marshall looked down. His wrists were more than red, they were bruised from rubbing. He hastily hid his hands behind his back and smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous and you don¡¯t need to be nervous either, okay?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t want to expose him. She pulled out a small porcin bottle from her pocket and handed it to him. ¡± Take one when you get back at night and one tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Marshall asked. Catherine had already walked forward. Upon hearing Marshall¡¯s question, she replied without looking back, ¡°Calming pills.¡± Marshall¡¯s face instantly darkened and he shook his head as he whispered, ¡± What?¡± Chapter 847 Chapter 847 The Crystal Spherical House ¡°Catherine!¡± Catherine had just stepped out of theb building when she heard someone call out to her. Just by the sound of the voice, she knew who it was that was calling out to her.She looked back and saw Rn standing below themppost not far away. The light fell on top of his head, pulling his shadow long. Seeing her stop and turn back, Rn walked in her direction. ¡°Catherine, tomorrow is the time for the certification of your experiment. Judging from your expression, the experiment should have been sessful, right? Why don¡¯t we celebrate together?¡± Catherine looked at him with cold eyes and said softly, ¡°You know quite a lot about my experiment.¡± These words caused Rn¡¯s expression to freeze for a moment. He then reacted and immediately exined, ¡± Catherine, you know me. The reason I asked Mr. Farrell about you was purely because I wanted to learn more about you.¡± ¡°Mr. Farrell?¡± asked Catherine, raising her eyebrows, with a eerie smile at the end of her eyes as she surveyed Rn. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rn forced himself topose and looked at Catherine to meet her gaze. ¡°Nothing,¡± Catherine responded calmly. She didn¡¯t tell Rn that the president had no idea of the progress of her experiment. Even though Ultan was the president of Styre University, he never interferedwith theb and gave all the power of theb to Marshall. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s celebrate together,¡± Rn suggested again. ¡°No.¡± Catherine refused outright. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going back to rest.¡± After Catherine said that, she walked straight toward the dorm. Seeing that she entered the dorm building and didn¡¯t go back to the apartment, Rn reluctantly left. Catherine went up the stairs to the dorm entrance. Just as she stood in front of the dorm door, she saw a sticky note stuck on the door. She reached out and tore it off. The writing was lively and vigorous, and she could tell at a nce who wrote it. Catherine raised her eyebrows and a hint of yfulness appeared in her eyes. She followed the instructions onthe note and followed the clues step by step. When she walked out of the school gate, she saw Carlo instead of the man she was expecting. Seeing her appear, Carlo bent respectfully. ¡°Miss Swann, please.¡± Catherine bent down and got into the car without thinking too much about it. Carlo got in as well. The car started slowly. Catherine leaned back in the back seat. Seeing this, Carlo said cautiously, ¡± Miss Swann, there is still some distance to our destination. If you are tired, you can rest first. I will wake you up when we arrive.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine responded lightly and then closed her eyes to rest. After organizing the information for the whole day, she was tired. After an unknown amount of time, in a daze, Catherine felt a fragrant aroma hitting her face. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Branden guarding beside her. ncing around, she realized that the car had stopped long ago. She turned her head to look at Branden again. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Branden looked at her with a smile. ¡± We¡¯re not in a hurry. You can still go on if you want to sleep more.¡± ¡°No.¡± Catherine rejected his proposal. ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of the car. I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯ve got for you. Let¡¯s see if you like it.¡± Branden hung his hand in mid-air, making an invitation gesture. Catherine ced her hand over his and slowly got out of the car. As soon as she got out of the car, she was attracted by a flower field in front of her. No wonder she felt awakened by an aroma just now. It turned out to be the aroma from this field of tulips in front of her. Although it was night, the surroundings of the flower field were covered with light strips, making the entire flower field dreamy and beautiful. Even someone as calm as Catherine was shocked by the image in front of her. ¡°You prepared this?¡± Catherine turned her head to Branden and asked. Branden didn¡¯t deny it and then nodded. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Catherine took a closer look at the field of flowers in front of her, feeling an indescribable joy in her heart. ¡°Nice.¡± Observing the sparkle in her eyes, Branden was very happy. He thought that everything was worth it as long as it could make her happy. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry. There¡¯s more.¡± Branden led Catherine slowly through the flower field. A burst of fragrance hit Catherine¡¯s face, refreshing her heart. Catherine followed him quietly. After crossing out of the field of flowers, she saw a giant spherical object ahead of her.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Due to the dim vision at night, she didn¡¯t see exactly what the thing in front of her was for the time being. She only felt it was like a small spherical house. ¡°Snap.¡± Branden snapped his fingers, and with that, a sh instantly lit up inside the spherical object. Within the dim surroundings, it existed ahead like the moon. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Branden said. Catherine approached and realized that it was actually a small house in the shape of a crystal ball. There was also a dining table inside, with enough space for two people to move around. The table was filled with all kinds of dishes, and the aroma of the food hit her, enticing her. Catherine didn¡¯t feel hungry at first, but after seeing such delicious food, she couldn¡¯t help but want to taste it. Branden led her to a seat, then came around and sat opposite her. He picked up the ss and gestured for her. ¡°Miss Swann, congrattions on your sessful experiment.¡± Catherine picked up the ss and gently clinked it with Branden¡¯s ss. The collision of the crystal sses made a pleasantly clear sound, which was heartwarming. Catherine was just about to put down the ss in her hand, but suddenly¡­ ¡°Bang!¡± A loud sound pierced the sky, and Catherine subconsciously looked up. She saw brilliant fireworks blooming in the sky, illuminating the originally dark sky. ¡°Beautiful!¡± Catherine rarely took the initiative to give a review. It turned out that she liked the fragrant tulips, liked the beautiful crystal ball house, and also liked the bright fireworks in the sky. At this moment, her face was less cold and indifferent than usual, and her eyes were full of smiles. Branden specially put off a day¡¯s work and personally arranged everything for the evening to surprise Catherine and celebrate the sessfulpletion of her experiment. Catherine¡¯s elbows were propped up on the table, her palms cupping her delicate face as she enjoyed everything in front of her. The dazzling fireworks reflected on her bright eyes, like beautiful flowers, so beautiful that they could captivate others¡¯ hearts and souls. Seeing her like this, Branden could no longer control the impulse in his heart. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and kissed her seductive lips. Catherine hadn¡¯t expected Branden to celebrate her sess. Everything about tonight had surprised her. He made the originally calm and uneventful evening romantic and surprisingly heartwarming. She responded generously to Branden¡¯s kisses, sinking into the romance he had personally created. The man who had originally disdained all of this, even loathed it with extreme disgust was willing to change all of his perceptions for her, taking the initiative to set it all up with his own hands. Wasn¡¯t this the best gift? Compared to morous diamonds and expensive jewelry, she valued his concern for her more. Chapter 848 Chapter 848 Questioning from the Authorities The morning sunshine shone gently in the room. The beauty sleeping on the bed was awakened by the sunlight. Catherine slowly opened her eyes. Looking at the familiar decorations, she realized that she was now sleeping on the bed in Branden¡¯s apartment. She remembered thatst night she and Branden had indulged in a night of indulgence within the crystal spherical house until she finally ran out of energy and fell asleep. She didn¡¯t remember how Branden brought her back to the apartment from outside and made her sleep peacefully in bed. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Branden¡¯s gentle voice came. Catherine looked up and saw Branden standing at the door wearing an apron. Standing against the light, he seemed to be covered in ayer of golden light, shining brightly. ¡°Get up and have some breakfast. I¡¯ll take you to schoolter. Marshall should be up early and waiting for you in theb. Today is certification day.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At the mention of Marshall, Catherine smiled a little helplessly. Marshall was really funny. After changing into the clothes Branden had prepared, Catherine finished washing up and walked out of the bedroom. The table in the dining room was set with light dishes, but they were all the perfect foods for breakfast. ¡°Do you need me to apany you today?¡± Branden took the initiative to propose. Catherine refused without eventhinking about it. ¡°It¡¯s just a certification. I¡¯ll just go by myself.¡± She had always been independent. Having someone apany her would make her ufortable instead. Branden respected her choice. After having breakfast, she was sent to school. It was Paxton who drove. After Catherine left, Paxton didn¡¯t immediately start the car and leave. ¡± Mr. Duncan, we checked. Rn didn¡¯t show up.¡± After hearing the news, Branden sneered and a sharp cold light appeared in his eyes. ¡°Hmph, there¡¯s no rush. Keep watching the show.¡± His sneer made Paxton shiver. Paxton thought to himself, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Rn? Is he an idiot? How couldanyone be stupid enough to mess with Mr. Duncan? Isn¡¯t he seeking death?¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan, shall we return to the office?¡± Paxton asked as he finished his thought. ¡°Okay,¡± Branden grunted, and Paxton immediately started the car and drove in the direction of the Duncan Corporation. Marshall waited for a long time, sticking his neck out in anticipation. He finally saw Catherine¡¯s figure appear. After seeing Catherine appear, he immediately greeted her, ¡°Catherine, you came quite early today.¡± Catherine pursed her lips and smiled lightly. ¡°You came earlier than me.¡± Marshall¡¯s face stiffened as he awkwardly thought to himself, ¡±Catherine isughing at me again.¡± After much considerationst night when he returned, he finally took out the calming pills given by Catherine and took one. The pill was effective. Not only did it relieve his nervousness, but it also allowed him to sleepfortably. ¡°Catherine, I have everything ready on my end. Mr. Farrell personally arranged for the car. He¡¯ll go with us. It¡¯s still early. Do you want to check the information again?¡± Marshall asked. Checking was not a habit Catherine had. Her preparations were foolproof every time, and there was no need to check at all. ¡°No need,¡± Catherine responded arrogantly. If other students were to say such words, Marshall would have alreadyknocked them on the heads, but he wouldn¡¯t do that to Catherine. Because he trusted Catherine¡¯s ability. He knew that since she said it, she would make it. ¡°Then you¡­¡± Without waiting for Marshall to finish, Catherine stated her arrangement. ¡°I¡¯ll go to myb.¡± Marshall nodded in satisfaction. That was what he liked about Catherine. He never had to worry about Catherine and she would arrange everything reasonably. In the blink of an eye, it was 10 o¡¯clock in the morning. Marshall went to theb door and notified Catherine to depart. Catherine walked out the door, casually took a hat, and put it on. She followed Marshall to Ultan, who was waitingdownstairs. Seeing Catherine appear, Ultan frowned slightly and questioned Marshall in a whisper, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell Catherine what kind of asion we¡¯re going to today?¡± Marshall nonchntly rolled his eyes at Ultan. ¡°You think she doesn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s dressed like this¡­¡± It was clear that Ultan wasn¡¯t very satisfied with Catherine¡¯s outfit today. Catherine was wearing a casual outfit today. Although it made her veryfortable, it was not suitable for formal asions. Ultan and Marshall were both dressed in suits and ties, looking very formal, and Catherine did look a little out of ce standing next to them. Fortunately, Marshall didn¡¯t care about this. After hearing Ultan¡¯s words, hesaid nonchntly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with dressing like that? She has talent.¡± He thought it was a virtue that his students liked to keep a low profile. Seeing Marshall¡¯s arrogant appearance, Ultan knew that he couldn¡¯t persuade him, so he simply gave up. ¡°Okay, fine. You have a point. Get in the car. Let¡¯s go.¡± After saying that, the three got into the car together and set off for the certification organization. Theb had sent out its application a month ago. This time, the certification would be held at the most famous certification organization in Eskana. Because of the special nature of the experimental project, the certification organization also invited several well- known organizations with international authority to participatetogether. This was done for fairness and also for the sake of being able to get international certification in the future, which was a necessary process. The reason why Catherine rushed to certify on this day was that it was not easy to invite the authoritative experts of these certification organizations to Eskana together. If she missed this time, the next time might be a long way off. After arriving at their destination, Ultan took Catherine and Marshall to the certification hall. They needed to submit all of Catherine¡¯s reports, and then submit them to the internationalb¡¯s form set of tests after the site confirmed and gave a preliminary certification. ¡°Ready?¡± Marshall asked Catherine. Catherine nodded slightly. Marshall¡¯s fingers trembled slightly as he gently patted Catherine¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go if you¡¯re ready.¡± Before Catherine left, she advised, ¡± Professor Hartley, take another one of those pills I gave you.¡± Marshall frowned and was about to refute Catherine. Seeing her resolute expression, he could only follow her advice and took out a pill from the small porcin bottle to take. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not nervous.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine wasn¡¯t afraid that Marshall would be nervous. She was worried that Marshall wouldn¡¯t be able to ept the next scene. Catherine stood on the stage. There were thirty certifiers arranged from each of the world¡¯s top tenorganizations sitting below. Even though most of them were foreigners, Catherine stood without fear, a faint domineering aura lingering around her. She made the information public, but this information was not the core part. However, when she disyed the information, there was amotion in the originally quiet venue. Whispers and various voices came. But they weren¡¯t voices of amazement, they were voices of questioning. Both Ultan and Marshall realized that something was wrong, and the two of them nced at each other. Ultan gestured for Marshall to calm down, and he immediately went to inquire about the situation. Just then, the president of the certification organization looked at Catherine with a microphone. His expression was very serious and his voice was unusually sharp. ¡°Miss Swann, are you sure this is your experimental certification information?Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 849 Chapter 849 Being Preempted The scene was a mess. At the certification table, after the president stood up, the judges followed suit. Ultan hastily stopped them as soon as he could and asked them about the situation. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± The president of the certification organization was on good terms with Ultan, the president of Styre University, so he spoke out in front of everyone about what he shouldn¡¯t have said. ¡°Mr. Farrell, instead ofing to ask me what¡¯s going on, why don¡¯t you ask your student what she did?¡± Hearing this, Ultan¡¯s face was unusually gloomy. He looked at the president of the certification organization with a serious expression and said bluntly, ¡°You might as well be straightforward if something is wrongand save us from guessing. If it¡¯s really our problem, I will definitely admit our fault.¡± Since the president of the top-tier academy had spoken like this, the president of the certification organization had to tell the truth. ¡°Mr. Farrell, actually, we don¡¯t want to hide anything from you. We held an emergency certification meeting yesterday and certified a document that is exactly the same as yours. You should be clear about what I mean by saying this.¡± This meant that one party must have giarized, but this was not something that the certification organization needed to investigate. They only cared about the time. Whoever delivered the information to them first would be recognized as the first to authenticate it. As for who giarized, it was not the scope of their responsibility. As soon as this statement was made, the way those present looked at the members of Styre University all changed. Ultan looked shocked and extremely incredulous. Marshall looked at Catherine behind him, covering his chest in shock.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. If he hadn¡¯t taken the pills beforehand as Catherine had arranged, everyone would probably be in chaos at this moment and arranging an ambnce to take him to the hospital. He absolutely trusted Catherine. He knew that Catherine would never do anything to betray theb. It was just that the situation now made him didn¡¯t know what had gone wrong in the middle. Everyone focused their attention on Catherine and waited for her to give a response. Catherine didn¡¯t look well, but her expression remained calm. After a few seconds of silence, she looked at the crowd with a microphone in her hand. Her body was shrouded in a domineering aura that made people unable to ignore her existence. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are assuming that our experiment is the same as someone else¡¯s after reading two pages of information. As certification specialists from the top ten certification organizations in the world, don¡¯t you even have the patience to read an experimental report?¡± Catherine¡¯s resounding and powerful voice made the certification specialists present look unpleasant. Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. They were usually authorities sought after by others, but now they were pointed at and scolded by a witless young girl, which was the greatest disrespect to them. The atmosphere of the scene immediately became awkward, but no one stood out to speak out. The crowd shifted all their eyes to the certification president again, waiting for his instructions. The certification president¡¯s sharp eyes looked Catherine up and down. He then nodded and said with iparable seriousness, ¡°You¡¯re right. I was too anxious.¡± With that, he returned to his seat. Facing Catherine as an equal, he said, Miss Swann, what I want to tell you isthat we have read more than two pages, but ten pages. These ten pages of information are exactly the same as what we certified yesterday, without even a single punctuation change. If you want us to continue reading it, please make a reasonable exnation.¡± The certification president¡¯s words made many people feel agreeable, and the scene was once again abuzz with chatter. ¡°That¡¯s right. You have to make a reasonable exnation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Otherwise, who wants to waste time with her?¡± Catherine held the microphone. Faced with the questioning gaze of the crowd, she showed no fear. ¡°I can assure you that our experiment was not giarized, but quite a fewbs areconducting this experiment. The fact that everyone is going in the same direction can easily result in some of the same experimental data or experimental equipment. This could also be a simrity in the experimental report.¡± Catherine¡¯s words instantly furrowed the brow of the certification president. ¡°You mean, you are just the simr, but not the same one?¡± ¡°Yes. I suggest you read it all before you speak.¡± Catherine¡¯s arrogant attitude displeased many people in the venue. Some of them even raised their voices in question, but Catherine¡¯s attitude remained firm. She was betting. The scene was in disarray, and the current situation was chaotic. The certification president took the initiative to maintain order on site. ¡°Ipersonally decide that I and everyone present need to thoroughly read this experimental report andplete all the procedures before we can proceed. After all, this is our job, and only when we conscientiouslyplete our own work can we be qualified to deny others ¡®achievements.¡± After mediation by the certification president, everyone ultimately decided to continue the certification. The certification needed to take some time and Catherine and the group were ced in a small lounge within the venue to wait. At the first moment of the incident, Ultan approached Marshall to understand the situation.Marshall didn¡¯t even think about it and directly guaranteed that Catherinewouldn¡¯t betray theirb. The three of them sat quietly in the lounge. Unlike Ultan and Marshall, who were both anxious, Catherine seemed like an outsider. She was still able to lean back on the chair and rest. Marshall was covering his chest. He didn¡¯t look well. Ultan was worried about him. Ultan couldn¡¯t help but ask him how he was. ¡± Marshall, are you okay? Should I take you to the hospital?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Marshall waved his hand. Seeing Ultan¡¯s uneasiness, he could only exin seriously, ¡°Last night, Catherine was afraid that I would be nervous, so she gave me a bottle of calming pills. I thought the pills worked well, so I took one beforeing. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen to me.¡± Ultan carefully examined and found that Marshall¡¯s condition was indeed quite good. He finally felt relieved and took the initiative to reach out to Marshall. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me one too? I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to hold out much longer.¡± Marshall quickly took out the pill and handed Ultan a bottle of water along with it. Ultan recovered after resting for a few minutes. He finally had the strength to question Catherine. ¡°Catherine, are you sure your information hasn¡¯t been leaked?¡± Marshall strongly defended Catherine, and Ultan also believed in her. Ultan had read the two experimental reports and they were indeed strikingly simr. Since there was no giarism, the only possibility was leakage. Without waiting for Catherine¡¯s response, Marshall eagerly defended her. ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking her? The information is all on theb¡¯sputer. There are twoyers of encryption. Not only does she set the security password herself, but there¡¯s also an anti-theft link that Winston designed. Do you doubt Winston?¡± Winston, like Marshall, had been at the school for decades, and he had a great reputation.Nheless, Ultan was still uneasy. He took his cell phone and walked out the door. A few minutester, he returned, his face unusually grave. Seeing this, Marshall couldn¡¯t sit still and stood up directly to question him. ¡± Mr. Farrell, why do you have such a grave face? What the hell is going on? Tell us!¡± Chapter 850 Chapter 850 We May Not Necessarily Lose Ultan sighed silently and said in a low voice, ¡°I originally thought that Winston was sick. His wife personally asked me for leave for him, but I only realized that something had happened to Winston when I arranged for someone to check. His wife is the only one left in the house.¡± Hearing this, Marshall couldn¡¯t sit still. He immediately stood up and stared at Ultan with wide eyes. ¡°Are you saying something happened to Winston?¡± Ultan nodded silently. ¡°Something should have happened to him. His wife wouldn¡¯t say anything. We¡¯ve been friends for so many years, and I dare not force her, I¡¯ve arranged for someone to check it out. I hope nothing serious happens.¡± Ultan¡¯s face was grave, and the atmosphere of the scene tensed up.Winston¡¯s sudden ident must have something to do with theb. After thinking about these things, Marshall focused his attention on Catherine. ¡°Catherine, what should we do now? Yesterday, when theputers in theb went ck for half an hour for no reason, I felt something was wrong. But I didn¡¯t think much after I thought we had you and Winston as double insurance. I was really not expecting anything to happen to Winston.¡± Now he was not only worried about the certification in front of him, and the leakage of the experimental data, but also the safety of his best friend, Winston. Catherine didn¡¯t show too much surprise when she heard the news of Winston¡¯s ident, and the look on her face didn¡¯t change too much. Ultan and Marshall had long since gotten used to her calmness and had seen how calm she was when faced with severe tests, so they didn¡¯t think there was any problem. Catherine said, ¡°Professor Hartley, don¡¯t worry too much. Although theb information was leaked, we may not necessarily lose.¡± ¡°We may not necessarily lose?¡± Marshall was very puzzled after hearing this. He looked Catherine up and down, trying to see something from her expression. ¡°Catherine, what do you mean by that?¡± Before Catherine could answer, there was a knock at the door. Ultan went to open the door. Theer was a staff member of the certification organization, who came to notify them. ¡°Mr. Farrell, I¡¯m here to inform you that it¡¯s time to go to the venue.¡± Upon hearing that, Catherine stood up. ¡°Professor Hartley, let¡¯s go to the venue first.¡± It looked like the result wasing out. Marshall realized that it was useless to talk more at this time, so he decided to go to the venue to wait for the result. Except for Catherine whose expression remained the same, the other two showed great frustration, not as spirited as when they came. After they walked into the main venue, they found that the atmosphere there was very solemn. The certification president took theb report submitted by Catherine and exined the basic situation, ¡°Miss Swann, we have now finished examining the experiment report you provided. While there is nothing wrong with the report, it is too simr to thest report we received for us to endorse this report of yours.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°What about the core part?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°While the core is indeed different, we discussed it and there is still no way we can certify your report. However, we discussed and decided to give your experimental group some more time. Because the experimental projects are the same, there are indeed simrities in the experimental reports. If you can give a new report that oveps with this report by less than thirty percent within three days, we can give you the certified results.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine replied without hesitation as if she had already known that this would be the result. Ultan and Marshall took a while to react. They had originally thought that today was doomed to failure, but they never thought that there would actually be such a reversal. Coming out of the venue, the two still didn¡¯t react. After they got on the bus arranged by the school, Ultan couldn¡¯t help but ask Catherine, ¡°What the hell is going on? Wasn¡¯t our information leaked? Could it be that what the other party took wasn¡¯t ourb¡¯s information?¡± Marshall wasn¡¯t sure. This answer was only known to Catherine. Facing their concerned eyes, Catherine responded calmly, ¡°The leakage of information is true. It¡¯s just I realized that there was an issue with the data and made some minor changes before I submitted it.¡± Catherine¡¯s exquisitely beautiful face exuded a faint smile. She was like the most eye-catching weapon in the world, sparkling and captivating. Marshall and Ultan now looked at Catherine as if they were seeing light in the dark. The minor changes Catherine made not only saved theb but more importantly, preserved the century-old reputation of Styre University. If they were used of giarism, the reputation of Styre University would be over. Although the suspicion of giarism was gone, Marshall was still not happy. His face was full of frustration, and his voice was low. ¡°It¡¯s just a fantasy to reduce the ovep rate of experimental reports to below 30% within three days. 11 He wasn¡¯t afraid if the experiment failed, and he wasn¡¯t afraid if the experiment didn¡¯t seed. He just felt so frustrated, and at the same time, he felt sorry for Catherine. He saw how hard Catherine worked. Ultan patted Marshall¡¯s shoulder andforted him. ¡°Marshall, although we have suffered a big setback this time, at least we haven¡¯t reached the worst result at the moment. Don¡¯t worry too much. Don¡¯t put pressure on Catherine, We¡¯ll just take our time and try harder.¡± Ultan¡¯s words woke Marshall up and he didn¡¯t dare to say more for fear of Catherine¡¯s worry. Silence had been restored inside the bus, and Catherine leaned wearily to rest. Marshall and Ultan tacitly refrained from further discussion, creating a quiet environment for Catherine to rest. The ck-robed man sat in front of the screen, and it was the surveince video from the certification organization that was being broadcast on the screen. He didn¡¯t expect that the original situation where Catherine was bound to lose would be reversed back by her in the end. Finn, who was standing beside him, reacted instantly. He jumped down thesteps and rushed to Ronin, holding a sharp object against Ronin¡¯s neck. He was about to kill Ronin. ¡°Did you y any tricks?¡± Facing the questioning, Ronin was very calm. He justughed coldly and lightly without any extra expression on his face. Such an attitude enraged Finn, who angrily roared, ¡°Bastard, how dare youugh? Believe it or not, I¡¯ll kill you right now?¡± ¡°Haha,e on. Do it.¡± Ronin was not nervous at all, with a disdainful expression and a very arrogant attitude. Such an attitude attracted the ck- robed man¡¯s attention. ¡°Ronin, are you really not at all afraid that Finn will kill you?¡± Hearing the ck-robed man¡¯s words, Ronin¡¯s attitude changed a bit. ¡°Sir, it¡¯snot that I¡¯m not afraid of death. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t do anything to betray you, so why would I be killed?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do it?¡± Finn was instantly displeased and directly jumped out to angrily confront Ronin. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Catherine would have lost long ago. How could the core information have been changed? It must have been you who secretly changed the contents when you took the information to us.¡± Finn¡¯s questioning made Ronin furious. ¡°Are you brainless, or are you crazy? Do you think that was some random experiment that was set up easily for fun? You think I can freely modify the data and ensure that the experimental data is correct? You think it is easy to ensure the smoothpletion of the experiment after modifying the data? Do you think I¡¯m a genius? You know what kind of person Catherine is?¡± Ronin¡¯s roar made Finn very angry. He felt insulted by Ronin and intended to kill him directly. He wanted Ronin to die. Chapter 851 Chapter 851 He Doesn¡¯t Have the Ability Finn was ready to take action. Eliminating a traitor in the organization was only a piece of cake for him. Just as he was about to make a move, the man in ck suddenly spoke up. Hold on.¡± Upon themand, Finn immediately stopped his action and followed the order obediently. Although he didn¡¯t do anything to Ronin, he didn¡¯t understand his boss¡¯s order. So, he turned around and asked the man in the ck robe, ¡°Sir, Ronin has betrayed us. Why don¡¯t you order to kill him?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The man in the ck robe spoke slowly, his voice low and icy. ¡°§¯§Ö doesn¡¯t have the ability for that.¡± Ronin raised his hand and saluted the man in ck, then smiled andplimented, ¡°Sir, you truly live up to your reputation. Impressive!¡± The man in the ck robe ignored Ronin and said to Finn, ¡°Take him away!¡± After dragging Ronin away, Finn went back to the side of the man in the ck robe. ¡°Sir, why do you think Ronin didn¡¯t betray us?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not that capable!¡± the man in the ck robe responded. He knew how difficult the experiment was, and Ronin definitely didn¡¯t have the ability to tamper with data, so it shouldn¡¯t be him who did it. He not only knew Ronin¡¯s abilities but also understood Catherine¡¯s abilities and her style of doing things. Catherine was meticulous in her work. He knew better than anyone that it wastotally possible for her to arrange two sets of data on theputer. Ronin could only steal one copy. The other one was Catherine¡¯sst resort to save her life. That was just how Catherine rolled. He knew that Catherine wouldn¡¯t trust anyone in this world. Finn didn¡¯t like Ronin. In his eyes, if it weren¡¯t for Ronin, Grayson would not have betrayed them. Although he was a spy assigned to Grayson, over the years, Grayson¡¯s kindness toward him had always been remembered by him. He couldn¡¯t betray the boss, but he could sure as hell hate Ronin. ¡°Sir, since Ronin is of no use to us now, why don¡¯t we just get rid of him and save ourselves the trouble.¡± The man in the ck robe turned his head slightly, shooting a cold look at Finn. Scared the heck out of him, Finn immediately dropped to his knees and obediently apologized. His little schemes couldn¡¯t fool the man in the ck, but the man in the ck wasn¡¯t nning to execute him yet for now. ¡°Leave me alone.¡± Like he was pardoned, Finn lowered his head and stepped back to leave. The bus went straight to the dorm building where Catherine lived. As soon as the bus stopped, Catherine opened her eyes. Marshall wanted to wake her up, but Catherine didn¡¯t give him a chance at all. ¡°Are we arrived yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, Catherine, you¡¯ve been working hard these days. Go back and rest. Get a good night¡¯s sleep. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow. ¡°Marshall felt sorry for her and didn¡¯t want to put too much pressure on her. Catherine turned and looked out the window, only to realize their car was parked at the entrance of the dorm building. She politely thanked Ultan. Without his permission, the security guard at Styre University wouldn¡¯t have let the car in. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Farrell!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just go back and rest as you were told by Marshall,¡± replied Ultan. Catherine nodded and said goodbye to the two of them before getting out of the car. She had just gotten out of the car when she saw Branden standing not far away and waiting for her. Originally nning to go upstairs, Catherine turned around and walked toward Branden. ¡°Why are you waiting for me here?¡± asked Catherine. ¡°I was expecting to pick you up at the certification meeting, but when I got there, I heard that you had already left, ¡°said Branden. Because of the ident, they didn¡¯t really go through the verification process, so they did get out a lot earlier than expected. Catherine didn¡¯t let Branden know she went to take a break thest time. After getting the news, Branden guessed that Catherine woulde back to the campus, so he went straight to the campus. His car was naturally much faster than a bus, so he arrived at the campus ahead of Catherine. Catherine didn¡¯t tell Branden about the leaked experiment report, knowing Branden must have known it. Branden didn¡¯t even ask Catherine what was going on. He just grabbed herhand and took her back to the apartment. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s head back and take a rest.¡± Catherine had slept on the bus, and now she was feeling pretty good. ¡± Okay. I¡¯ll go find Zobberter in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Branden readily agreed. Soon, news of Catherine¡¯s certification issue spread within their circle. Upon hearing this news, Zobber instantly exploded with anger, wanting to fight with the enemies. ¡°Bastards! How dare they steal the experiment from Catherine? Are they asking for trouble? If I don¡¯t find this thief today, I will not be Zobber.¡± Seeing her trying to leave, Withal and Paxton immediately got up to stop her. Paxton came to Zobber to discuss something and happened to hear thisnews. ¡°Stay calm.¡± Zobber pushed Paxton away and red at him angrily. ¡°How can I stay calm? Those guys are bullying Catherine. How can I stay calm?¡± She was so mad that Paxton couldn¡¯t even stand to look at her. He stopped Zobber and asked her a question that she couldn¡¯t answer, Have you ever thought about who could easily steal data from Miss Swann¡¯sputer without getting caught?¡± Zobber waspletely stunned. They all knew how strong Catherine was in terms ofputer skills. Hacking into Catherine¡¯sputer was harder than climbing Mount Everest, not to mention taking out information without being caught. ¡°Could it be that Professor Winston Warner figured out Catherine¡¯s security settings?¡± Zobber asked. ¡°Nah!¡± Withal immediately shut down Zobber¡¯s guess. ¡°Professor Winston Warner is indeed very skilled in the field ofputers, but stealing data from Catherine¡¯sputer without getting caught, he can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Winston, who else could do it? I can¡¯t think of anyone else who could pull it off,¡± said Zobber. ¡°Is it possible that the culprit is someone Catherine knows?¡± Paxton suddenly chimed in with his opinion. Only people who were familiar with Catherine knew about her habits, and then, based on those habits, they could crack the security locks she set. This person not only needed to understand Catherine but also needed to have very high talent inputers and must be a top-notch hacker. Thanks to Paxton¡¯s reminder, the scope of their search was instantlynarrowed down.Withal and Zobber couldn¡¯t help but picture a person¡¯s face in their heads. Zobber shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off the figure in her mind. ¡°No way! It couldn¡¯t be him.¡± Withal furrowed his brows and had an unusually embarrassed expression. Paxton was different from them. He was almost certain of the suspect¡¯s identity now. Seeing that Zobber was still not convinced, he straight up questioned her, ¡°Why do you think it can¡¯t be Ronin?¡± ¡°He would never betray Catherine. Ronin is raised by Catherine herself. He¡¯s like Catherine¡¯s younger brother.¡± No matter what, Zobber didn¡¯t believe that Ronin would betray Catherine. ¡°If in a normal situation, Ronin probably wouldn¡¯t, but have you thought about how long he¡¯s beencaptured? What kind of torture and harsh interrogation is he going to face during this time?¡± Paxton understood human nature so well. Even the toughest guys had to obediently follow his orders under his gentle persuasionbined with iron methods. Nobody could guarantee that Ronin could withstand the severe torture. Chapter 852 Chapter 852 Missed Paxton¡¯s words totally shut the other people up.What he said was correct. Ronin was detained for too long.No one could guarantee what would happen during this period. Zobber didn¡¯t know what to say. If it was really Ronin who did it, she didn¡¯t know if she should me him or not. After all, he was held hostage by the other party for so long. If Ronin didn¡¯t really suffer inhuman treatment, she wouldn¡¯t believe that Ronin would betray Catherine. The room was filled with silence, and no one said a word. ¡°Ding dong!¡± The sound of the doorbell ringing caused them to be alert. Paxton took a look at the two and took the initiative to speak. ¡°I¡¯ll open the door.¡± The other people exchanged nces and agreed with Paxton¡¯s approach. Paxton was originally cautious when opening the door, but when he saw who it was, he instantly dropped his guard and became very respectful. ¡°Sir, Miss Swann, how did you guys get here?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t expect Paxton to show up here. She gave him a once-over and was a bit surprised. Seeing the situation, Paxton quickly exined himself, ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯m here to pick up something.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in to talk,¡± Branden said from behind Catherine. Paxton stepped back and made way for Catherine and Branden to enter. When she heard that Catherine was here, Zobber couldn¡¯t sit still anymore, so she just rushed over toward Catherine. If Branden weren¡¯t there, she would have just thrown herself onto Catherine. ¡°Catherine, you finally made it.¡± Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at Zobber, chuckling softly. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Seeing that her condition was not too bad, Zobber felt a little bit relieved. ¡± Catherine, what¡¯s up with the leaked experiment this time?¡± ¡°What else could it be? Someone hacked into myputer and stole my data,¡± Catherine said nonchntly, as if she didn¡¯t care that her data was stolen. Zobber bit her lip, looking hesitant. She didn¡¯t know if she should say it, but she felt bad if she didn¡¯t. With a sigh, Withal crossed his arms in front of his chest and said, ¡°Just say what you want to say. Things have happened, and there has to be a result, right?¡± With Withal¡¯s encouragement, Zobber finally spoke out. ¡°Catherine, there are not many hackers around the world who are as awesome as you. Especially since they were able to steal data directly without you even realizing it, right?¡± Catherine gave her a sidelong nce and muttered, ¡°You suspect Ronin?¡± Her cold voice struck a chord in everyone¡¯s heart. Although Zobber didn¡¯t say it directly, that was really what she thought in her heart. After thinking about it, she realized that only Ronin could get it done. ¡°Catherine, I¡­ ¡± Zobber looked at Catherine with a troubled expression. She understood the rtionship between Ronin and Catherine. She was worried it would hurt Catherine. ¡°No need to guess. It¡¯s probably Ronin who did it,¡± said Catherine. Although Zobber was skeptical, when it came out of Catherine¡¯s mouth, it was a whole different story. In her eyes, Catherine was like an authority figure. Catherine never spoke in ambiguity. When she said that, she was basically confirming it. ¡°Catherine, are you really sure that¡¯s Ronin?¡± asked Zobber. ¡°Yeah.¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Since you¡¯re all here, I¡¯ll give you an address. Bring him back, and I¡¯ll ask him myself. With that, Zobber received a message on her phone. She looked hesitant and asked Catherine, ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t youing with us?¡± The other party must be pretty strong. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been searching for so long and still found nothing. Catherine responded with a poker face, ¡°Theb still needs me.¡± Zobber knew that Catherine promised the other party that the experiment report would be modified within three days to lower the simrity rate. There was no way it could be done in three days, but Catherine agreed to do it anyway. ¡°Alright, Catherine, focus on your work. We¡¯ll go find Ronin,¡± said Zobber. After hearing Catherine¡¯s arrangement, Branden turned to look at Paxton. Paxton immediately realized and followed Zobber to leave. After everyone left, Branden walked up and gently patted Catherine¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ronin will be brought back soon.¡± Catherine nodded calmly without much emotion. This made Branden, who had always known her, somewhat puzzled. Catherine was way too chill about Ronin¡¯s disappearance, like she didn¡¯t even care about him. Although he had doubts in his heart, Branden didn¡¯t continue to explore further. He believed that Catherine must have her own ns. In the dim room, Ronin was sleeping soundly. Suddenly, the door was kicked open, startling him and causing him to tumble out of bed. ¡°Damn, who the hell doesn¡¯t even know how to knock on the door?¡± Finn brought some people with him and stood at the door with a fierce look, yelling at Ronin, ¡°Hurry up ande with us.¡± Facing the eager Finn, Ronin seemed much moreid-back, slowly getting up from the bed. ¡°Are we switching up the ces again?¡± Finn didn¡¯t answer but urged impatiently, ¡°Hurry up. Don¡¯t make me use force on you.¡± ¡°So urgent. Did Zobber¡¯s peoplee for us?¡± Even though he was still joking around, Ronin¡¯s actions were fast. In no time, they walked out from downstairs. There was a sound of fighting outside. Ronin¡¯s face tightened. He looked at Finn in a panic. ¡°Did Zobbere here? Seeing his nervous expression, Finn couldn¡¯t help but angrily retort, ¡°So what if she did? If you want to escape, I¡¯ll be the first to kill you.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Ronin didn¡¯t respond to Finn but asked him another question, ¡°Where¡¯s the car?¡± ¡°Why are you asking about this? Are you trying to run away?¡± Finn frowned as he sized him up. ¡°Quit the nonsense. Just tell me already. ¡°Ronin was getting impatient, and his attitude was very forceful, which intimidated Finn. After Finn told him the specific location, Ronin immediately ran away. Finn chased after him, afraid that Ronin might run away. After getting in the car, Ronin didn¡¯t drive off immediately but waited for Finn to get in. Then he drove away, which just left Finn dumbfounded. He sat next to Ronin like a fool. ¡°Damn! We missed them again.¡± Zobber was so damn pissed after not finding Ronin¡¯s whereabouts. Paxton found the surveince here. Ronin and Finn left in such a hurry that they didn¡¯t even have time to destroy it. He handed over the surveince to Zobber and gestured for her to check it out. Zobber was still puzzled. ¡°Why are you asking me to look at this?¡± ¡°I just saw a figure that looks a lot like Ronin leaving, so I checked the surveince footage. Take a look for yourself,¡± replied Paxton. Hearing what Paxton said, Zobber felt a little weird, so she opened the monitor and checked it carefully. After she saw the footage of Ronin running crazily on the surveince camera, she couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡± This bastard. He runs faster than a car. We came to save him, and he actually ran away. Is he feeling guilty for something? Otherwise, why would he run?¡± Zobber became increasingly angry, originally thinking that Ronin had been subjected to inhuman treatment to betray them. But from what happened right now, Ronin¡¯s movements were still agile, and there were no visible wounds on his body. He even looked like he had gained some weight. There were no signs of him being abused. If Ronin betrayed Catherine for money, Zobber would definitely be the first one to finish him. Chapter 853 Chapter 853 Why Didn¡¯t You Ran Away With Finn¡¯s lead, Ronin followed him to the new base.After getting out of the car, Ronin raised his hand voluntarily and requested Finn to put the handcuffs on him. But Finn didn¡¯t do anything, just coldly looking at Ronin, his eyes searching him up and down. Ronin sneered and stared straight at Finn. ¡°What, you¡¯re not going to lock me up? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll run away?¡± Finn rolled his eyes at him and said, You had countless chances to escape just now. You could even have killed me, but you didn¡¯t. Now you¡¯re leaving from the base? Are you treating me like a fool, or are you treating yourself like a fool?¡± Ronin couldn¡¯t argue with that, so he just gestured toward Finn. Finn pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Ronin. Ronin took a puff and was choked by the cigarette. Seeing him like this, Finn couldn¡¯t help but sarcastically say, ¡°If you don¡¯t smoke, then don¡¯t try to imitate others and end up suffering for it.¡± Ronin didn¡¯t retort as he usually would. He just stared in the direction of the iing and said casually, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t smoke. It¡¯s been too long since Ist smoked. Thest time was probably ten years ago. I was still young and dumb then. I used to sneak in a smoke every day. Then Catherine caught me. Do you know how she dealt with me?¡± Knowing who Catherine in Ronin¡¯s mouth was, Finn became curious about what he said. ¡°How did she deal withyou?¡± ¡°She forced me to smoke a whole pack of cigarettes at once, and that directly gave me pharyngitis. My throat was swollen for three days. Catherine even set up hot and spicy barbecues for me every day. I can remember that pain for the rest of my life. I haven¡¯t smoked since then,¡± replied Ronin. Finn could tell that Ronin really missed Catherine because his eyes lit up whenever her name was mentioned. ¡®He must really miss Catherine, but I don¡¯t understand why Ronin didn¡¯t just leave earlier,¡¯ wondered Finn. ¡°So why did you follow me when Zobber came looking for you?¡± Finn¡¯s question left Ronin speechless. A few secondster, Ronin let out a sigh and muttered quietly, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I feel guilty. I never thought about betraying Catherine, but I did it to survive. For someone who crawledout of hell, they deeply understand that nothing is more important than life.¡± After Ronin finished speaking, he stood up and went back to the prison cell alone.Although life had gotten better after he surrendered to the man in the ck robe, he was still not free. Looking at Ronin¡¯s lonely figure, Finn¡¯s thoughts about him started to change. He originally thought Ronin was just pretending to surrender, and on top of that, because of Ronin, Grayson got into trouble, so he really hated Ronin. But he didn¡¯t expect Ronin was actually for real. If that were the case, his hatred toward Ronin would no longer exist. If Ronin was showing so much hatred toward Catherine just now, then he must have been faking it. But hislonging for her didn¡¯t seem fake at all. His eyes were too sincere. Besides, he believed what Ronin said that people who climbed out of hell knew better than anyone else how important life was because he was one of them. After Paxton searched the base, they not only caught a few people but also gathered up all the things the other party didn¡¯t have time to take away. Zobber brought the surveince video and rushed to Catherine. She handed the surveince video to Catherine. ¡± Catherine, hurry up and take a look.¡± Zobber¡¯s voice sounded really angry like she had been betrayed by a guy or something. Seeing her so anxious, Catherine opened the video to take a look. Even though it was the second time watching the surveince video, Zobber still couldn¡¯t control her anger. ¡°Catherine, you gotta look at this bastard Ronin on the surveince. He¡¯s really pissing me off.¡± After reading it, Catherine gives the phone back to Zobber. Zobber was expecting Catherine to be angry, but when she saw Catherine¡¯s expressionless face and no reaction at all, she just couldn¡¯t handle it. She knew Catherine was pretty chill and didn¡¯t really care about a lot of things. But Catherine¡¯s reaction really threw her off. Even if she was chill, she should definitely be more affected when being betrayed like this. ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you angry?¡± Zobber¡¯s voice sounded angry. Catherine gave her an icy look and asked, ¡°Why would I?¡± Zobber was totally baffled. ¡°Because he betrayed you, Catherine. You hate being betrayed the most, right? Why aren¡¯t you angry even though he betrayed you? Shouldn¡¯t we be grabbing this traitor and giving him a good lesson now?¡± ¡°Emm,¡± Catherine just responded with a single word. And then she just left, leaving Zobber standing there dumbfounded. Zobber was so angry that she stomped her foot. ¡®What¡¯s that reaction? Just walking away like that?¡¯ After waiting for a while and not seeing Catherine back, Zobber had to leave by herself.. When she walked out of theb, she ran into Rn at the door. Rn took the initiative to say hi, ¡± Hello, Zobber!¡± Zobber heard someone call her name, turned around, and saw Rn. ¡°What are you doing here? Are you here for Catherine?¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Rn nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Catherine to finish her experiment tonight, then I¡¯ll have dinner with her.¡± Zobber could see right through Rn¡¯s feelings for Catherine. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to pursue someone as amazing as Catherine? It was totally normal to have several suitors for her. ¡°Okay, but Catherine might not be free. I try to find her, but she is always busy, ¡°said Zobber. Upon hearing this, Rn chuckled. ¡°So you¡¯re all angry just because Catherine doesn¡¯t have time to see you?¡± Zobber was super pissed off because of Ronin just now, so there was no hiding the anger on her face. It was no surprise Rn could totally see that. ¡°It¡¯s all because of Ronin. Never thought he¡¯d turn out to be aplete traitor. He¡¯s breaking Catherine¡¯s heart. ¡°In Zobber¡¯s opinion, Catherine was just angry and didn¡¯t want to talk because she felt betrayed by someone she trusted too much. ¡°Did Ronin betray Catherine?¡± Rn frowned and looked at Zobber, his face full of doubt. If it weren¡¯t for being so angry, Zobber wouldn¡¯t even say something like that. Even though she knew Rn, it was not like they were tight or anything. She only met him because of Catherine, and their rtionship was not that close. After realizing it, Zobber immediately shut up. ¡°Nothing. I still have stuff to do, so I¡¯m out of here.¡± Even if they had problems, Zobber thought she shouldn¡¯t tell outsiders. Zobber found an excuse and left in a hurry. Rn stood there, looking toward theb, with a really creepy expression.¡¯ Ronin betrayed Catherine? This is interesting,¡¯ he thought. Chapter 854 Chapter 854 Being Convinced Amelia walked into theb and saw Catherine standing on the side organizing documents, so she immediately went over to help. ¡°Super Catherine, let me handle these things!¡± Seeing her eager to do it, Catherine didn¡¯t stop her, so she handed Amelia the documents and turned to get water. It was lunchtime now. Only Catherine and Amelia were in theb. Amelia immediately started chatting with Catherine, ¡°Hey, Super Catherine, I saw Zobber when I came in just now. She seemed a little angry and stomped off. Did you guys have a fight?¡± Amelia didn¡¯t think it was very likely, but when Zobber left, her face was indeed very angry. After hearing what Amelia said, Catherine couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. ¡°That girl is on her period these days. I scolded her a bit, but it¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°Period? No wonder she¡¯s in a bad mood. So am I. Every time I¡¯m on my period, I just want to tear everything within a 30 feet radius to shreds,¡± replied Amelia. Catherine put down her empty cup and said to Amelia, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go take a break.¡± Amelia knew she had been working overtime on her experiments these days and must be exhausted. ¡°Super Catherine, you go ahead. Leave it to me. I promise to help you get everything in order.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Catherine nodded and then turned toward her office. She was the first one in theb to have her own office during her student days, and that was a privilege that Marshall Hartley arranged for her. She was always stuck in theb. It was really inconvenient not having an office to take a break in sometimes. As soon as she entered theb, Catherine¡¯s phone in her pocket buzzed. She nced at the iing number, then swiped to answer and put the phone to her ear. ¡°Chief, I¡¯ve finished modifying the data for theb report. When should I send it to you?¡± said Rodge. It was a day earlier than Rodge had promised her. It was no surprise to Catherine that Rodge finished the task early. After all, she knew how capable he was. ¡°No rush. Keep it for now. Rodge, I haveanother task for you.¡± When Rodge heard Catherine¡¯s response, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little confused. He heard about the certificationmittee. To prevent the information from leaking again, Catherine gave him all the experimental data and let him make the modifications. When he saw the information, he was once again shocked by Catherine¡¯s ability.Catherine was actually able toe up with all the modification ideas in such a short period of time. If it were him, it would be hard to finish it in less than a year or so. But Catherine did it in less than a day as if she had already anticipated and prepared for it. Catherine gave him the direction for the changes, and he just needed to follow her lead to do the next process. Basically, he was just a ghostwriter. He thought that Catherine would submit the information to the certificationmittee right away toplete the certification, but it looked like she was not in a hurry. But he believed that Catherine must have her reasons for doing so. He had been by Catherine¡¯s side for so many years and had never seen her make any wrong decisions. ¡°Chief, go ahead, please!¡± After Catherine finished exining the task to Rodge, she tossed the phone aside and rxed. After leaving Styre University angrily, Zobber went back to Connie¡¯s house. Withal was bored, ying a game. Seeing Zobber appear all angry, Withal couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. ¡°Who did you get shut out by again? Why are youing back with such a sour face? 11 It would be fine if Withal didn¡¯t mention it. As soon as he brought it up, Zobber got even angrier. ¡°Withal, I went to see Catherine today. I showed her Ronin¡¯s video. Guess what happened?¡± asked Zobber. Withal casually tossed the game controller aside and continued, ¡± Alright, spill it. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Can you believe it? Catherine didn¡¯t react at all. That¡¯s bad enough, but even worse, when I said I wanted to settle things with Ronin, she said itwasn¡¯t necessary. Do you think that¡¯s reasonable? Catherine hates it when people betray her. We both know that, right?¡± replied Zobber.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Seeing the furious Zobber, Withal gestured for her to calm down. ¡°Please have a seat first, and don¡¯t be so worked up.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to calm down?¡± Zobber was so angry right now and just wanted to let it all out. Seeing the situation, Withal didn¡¯t try to persuade her but rather voiced his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m asking you. Don¡¯t you understand the rtionship between Ronin and Catherine? Ronin has betrayed Catherine now. It¡¯s like her own blood brother betraying her. Even though Ronin isn¡¯t rted to Catherine by blood, he¡¯s closer to her in her heart than her actual blood brother. If it were you being betrayed by the closestperson to you, what would you do? Would you just kill them, or what?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Zobber was just about to say something, but then she swallowed her words. She couldn¡¯t believe how she would handle it if her parents ever betrayed her one day. For Catherine, Ronin was like a family. Anyone who was betrayed by a family member would have a hard time making a calm decision. Zobber, who was usually very articte, suddenly went silent. Withal knew that he had finally convinced her. He reached out and gently patted Zobber on the shoulder. ¡°The thing has already happened, and we just gotta trust the wisdom of Catherine. She might not have a solution right now, but I believe she¡¯lle up with adecision soon. We just gotta wait for the update. Don¡¯t get too mad. We just need to do whatever Catherine says.¡± The anger in Zobber¡¯s heart was gradually calmed down by Withal. She lost her previous anger and gradually regained a calm rationality. ¡± Alright, then we¡¯ll just wait for Catherine to give us the task.¡± Zobber stared fiercely at the phone on the table and said menacingly, ¡°As long as Catherine orders me to finish Ronin, I will definitely go all out and kill this bastard without mercy.¡± The most annoying thing for Zobber was being betrayed by someone. She had thought about it before. If Ronin chose to betray them because he couldn¡¯t handle the torture and abuse, she would definitely forgive Ronin and personally rescue him, then ughter that group of assholes. But the situation she saw in the surveince footage waspletely different from what she had in mind. Ronin did not look like he was being tortured at all. It was obvious that he was in cahoots with them. She even suspected that Ronin had been bought long ago, and being caught was all Ronin¡¯s choice. Her initial guilt had turned into hatred toward Ronin. She swore that if she got her hands on that little bastard Ronin, she would make him understand what the hell on earth felt like. Chapter 855 Chapter 855 I¡¯ll Go with You The room was dimly lit with only a faint yellow light. Finn didn¡¯t understand why his boss liked darkness so much, but he never dared to ask, only obeying orders. ¡°Sir, the Hacker Alliance has issued a warrant for Ronin,¡± reported Finn. The man in a ck robe looked at the surveince screen, sneering. The sudden arrival of the Zobber caught them off guard. The new base was destroyed, but it didn¡¯t matter; he had anticipated this. After all, he knew just how powerful Catherine was. He had filled the base with cameras, monitoring every corner. Zobber had copied the route of the internal surveince, but they didn¡¯t know about the hidden camera, which was capturing their every move. ¡°Where is Ronin?¡± The deep, chilling voice echoed, making Finn tremble. ¡°Sir, Ronin is being held in the detention room. He¡¯s calm, not causing a scene or even requesting to have the ban lifted.¡± Finn cautiously responded, fearing the consequences of a misstep. Normally, anyone who had surrendered would make demands. However, Ronin, just like a loyal dog, epted whatever fate awaited him. Seeing the man in a ck robe remain silent, Finn continued, ¡°Sir, Styre University has begun searching for Professor Warner¡¯s whereabouts. Should we finish him in advance?¡± The man in a ck robe chuckled coldly, ncing at Finn. His icy and mocking gaze terrified Finn to the core, causing Finn to drop to his knees. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Seeing Finn¡¯s obedient attitude, the man in a ck robe didn¡¯t punish him, only coldly stating, ¡°Do you know Professor Warner¡¯s status in the academic world? This is Eskana. If we kill him, we¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡± He didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for himself, and nor did he want to offend the powerful Eskana. It would be easy to deal with Winston, but there would be endless trouble. ¡°Please tell me what I should do, Sir,¡± Finn said, keeping his body close to the ground, showing extreme submission. Finn¡¯s attitude satisfied the man in a ck robe. Even though Finn was not as capable as sh, and nor was Finn as intelligent, as long as Finn was loyal, that was enough. The man in a ck robe didn¡¯t need someone too clever by his side; he needed a loyal subordinate who would wholeheartedly carry out his tasks. In this regard, Finn would always surpass sh because sh was too arrogant ¡°Send Ronin to persuade Professor Warner. If he seeds, he will take sh¡¯s position,¡± the man in a ck robe instructed. Upon hearing this, Finn, who was kneeling on the ground, furrowed his brow momentarily before regaining hisposure. ¡°I¡¯m on it, Sir!¡± ¡°Boss, Zobber went to report Ronin¡¯s situation to Miss Swann, but Miss Swann didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t even allow Zobber to deal with Ronin,¡± Paxton reported to Branden after receiving the message from Zobber. Over the phone, Zobber was furious, almost joining Paxton in dealing with Ronin. Branden, who was handling work, slowly set down the documents and looked up at Paxton. ¡°What do you think?¡± Paxton hesitated for a moment before realizing what Branden was asking. After careful consideration, he responded, ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t know if Ronin betrayed Miss Swann from the beginning. But I do know that human nature cannot withstand any test, and sometimes reality is crueler than imagination.¡± Branden looked at him expressionlessly and asked coldly, ¡°So you think Ronin really betrayed Catherine?¡± Paxton didn¡¯t answer; he didn¡¯t know what to say, but not speaking was equivalent to him epting that answer. Theplexity of human nature far exceeded anyone¡¯s understanding. ¡°What about you?¡± Branden suddenly asked. These three simple words caused Paxton to kneel. ¡°Boss, I am absolutely loyal. Cross my heart and hope to die. ¡± Branden chuckled lightly. ¡°Hmm, you just said human nature cannot withstand any test, didn¡¯t you?¡± These words sent a chill down Paxton¡¯s spine, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. ¡°Get up. I didn¡¯t doubt your loyalty,¡± said Branden Branden¡¯s words relieved Paxton¡¯s lingering anxiety. He had feared that Branden no longer trusted him, but thankfully, that was not the case. It seemed that ever since Branden was with Catherine, there had been a significant increase in his vocabry. In the past, he might have just told Paxton to get lost. As Paxton was about to leave, he received good news through his earpiece. Excitedly, he looked at Branden and said, ¡°Boss, Miss Swann has arrived. Shall I go down to bring her here?¡± Upon hearing that Catherine had arrived, Branden seemed momentarily stunned. Then, his usually stern face softened. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go down myself, ¡± he said, already rising from his seat and heading towards the door. Paxton hurried to catch up. He couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved that Catherine¡¯s arrival had improved Branden¡¯s mood. As Branden arrived at the lobby, all eyes turned to him. Catherine was waiting in the lounge, with dedicated staff attending to her. Although she could have gone up directly, she had chosen to have Paxton informed of her arrival instead. Upon seeing Catherine, Branden walked straight towards her. The receptionist was about to serve Catherine orange juice when Branden stopped her, asking for a cup of coffee instead. He knew well that Catherine didn¡¯t like acidic juices. The receptionist rarely saw Branden up so close and was startled when Branden suddenly called out, feeling a rush of envy towards Catherine. Branden¡¯s meticulous attention to detail for Catherine made everyone envious. ¡°Why did youe all of a sudden?¡± Branden asked with a smile. ¡°Do you have time now?¡± Catherine inquired. ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± Branden nodded without hesitation.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Paxton, who was following behind, quietly rubbed his nose, wanting to remind Branden that there was a meeting scheduled half an hourter. However, he remained silent. ¡°Well, Audrey is back, and I think we can go to pick her up from the airport,¡± Catherine exined. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Branden Duncan quickly agreed, pulling Catherine along and heading out. Paxton didn¡¯t follow them. With Branden leaving, someone had to stay here to handle the mess and apany the senior executives to the meeting. Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Audrey¡¯s Husband Branden drove Catherine to the airport.Audrey had been away from Loxton for a while, and Triston, feeling down, returned to Casier. Upon Audrey¡¯s return, she immediately contacted Catherine. As Catherine arrived at the airport, Audrey emerged from a special passageway. Despite Audrey being fully disguised with a hat, mask, and sunsses, Catherine recognized her at once. The long-awaited reunion left Audrey extremely excited, and she immediately embraced Catherine, eximing how much she missed her. Observing Audrey¡¯s embrace, Branden furrowed his brow. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Audrey was Catherine¡¯s sister,he would have had her taken to a psychiatric hospital. Audrey, sensing Branden¡¯s intimidating presence, quickly released Catherine, suggesting they leave the crowded airport to talk privately. Instead of immediately returning home, Branden suggested having a meal together and took them to a restaurant. Audrey got out of the car, nced around, and gave a thumbs-up to Branden. ¡°Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re not only attentive but also with good taste. This ce is great.¡± The restaurant had an elegant ambiance and, most importantly, was very private, allowing Audrey to rx without worrying about the paparazzi. In response to Audrey¡¯s praise, Branden gave a faint smile and ledthem into the restaurant. ¡°Mr. Duncan, wee. Your table is ready. Please follow me,¡± said the restaurant manager, personally escorting them to a private room.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. The manager brought the menu and, after a nce from Branden, astutely handed two menus to Catherine and Audrey. Catherine nced at the menu and was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the dishes were her favorites. Looking up at Branden, she asked, ¡°Is this restaurant yours?¡± Branden raised an eyebrow and replied, ¡°You¡¯re as smart as ever! The chef here is quite skilled at making these dishes. I had them once and decided to buy this restaurant, and I¡¯ve made some adjustments to the menu.¡± Audrey teased, ¡°I don¡¯t need to eat lunch now. Your sweet talk has filled me up.¡± Catherine smiled wryly, feeling a sense of joy. The dishes arrived promptly, but just as Audrey was about to eat, her phone rang. After a nce, she furrowed her brow and then turned it off as the call persisted. Catherine, noticing Audrey¡¯s unease, asked, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Audrey hesitated, looking flustered, and exined it was just a boring sales call that she hung up on. Catherine didn¡¯t keep asking. If it were just a sales call, Audrey couldn¡¯t have been so nervous. ¡°Catherine, I heard you¡¯ve been busy with experimentstely. How¡¯s it going?¡± Audrey had been away fromLoxton for some time, so she wasn¡¯t aware of recent events. She asionally contacted Catherine and heard about Catherine¡¯s busy work in theboratory. ¡°It¡¯s going smoothly,¡± Catherine responded calmly. After the meal, Branden escorted Audrey back to her apartment. Audrey had initially wanted Catherine to stay and keep herpany, but Catherine refused, saying, ¡°I need to go back to theb. If I have time tonight, I¡¯lle to see you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Audrey bid Catherine farewell reluctantly. As Catherine and Branden went downstairs, they noticed a man suspiciously using binocrs to look in the direction of the apartment. Following his gaze, Catherine noticed that he was observing Audrey¡¯sapartment, which could be told from theyout of the apartment building. Branden noticed it too, and they both approached the man. The man seemed surprised when he saw Catherine. Catherine, sensing the man¡¯s surprise, became more certain that he was spying on Audrey. She ced her hand on his shoulder, asking, ¡°What are you up to?¡± The man didn¡¯t immediately respond to Catherine¡¯s question but instead asked her, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Audrey Swann?¡± Branden didn¡¯t like his woman being questioned and decided to teach him a lesson. To his surprise, the man reacted swiftly, evading Branden¡¯s restraint and engaging in a scuffle. Catherine didn¡¯t immediately intervene, silently watching the two fight. The man¡¯s speed indicated he was skilled inbat, but he was ultimately no match for Branden. ¡°Three, two, one,¡± Catherine counted, and in an instant, the man was pinned to the ground by Branden. The man, lying on the ground, angrily questioned Branden, ¡°Who are you, and why did you attack me for no reason?¡± Catherine approached and squatted in front of the man, her sharp eyes locking onto his. ¡°I should be the one asking you. Why were you using binocrs to look at Audrey¡¯s apartment? What¡¯s your motive?¡± she questioned. The man realized that Catherine and Branden were not to be trifled with. When he heard Audrey¡¯s name, hisexpression changed from anger to surprise, and he became more polite as he looked at Catherine. ¡°You¡¯re Audrey¡¯s sister, aren¡¯t you?¡± Catherine knew there must be some connection between the man and Audrey, and she gestured for Branden to release him. The man stood up and stretched. He didn¡¯t run, as he knew that leaving under Branden¡¯s nose was not a wise option. The man seemed quite curious aboutCatherine. ¡°You don¡¯t need to deny it. You¡¯re definitely Audrey¡¯s sister. Youtwo look so alike, especially thosebeautiful eyes.¡± Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Threat Catherine scrutinized the man. Despite his peculiar behavior, his well-made, custom-tailored clothes suggested his affluence. As Catherine observed him, the man smiled warmly and extended his hand. ¡°Hello, Catherine, I¡¯m Audrey¡¯shusband, Brian, White.¡± Shocked, Catherine looked at him coldly and furrowed her brow. ¡± Audrey¡¯s boyfriend?¡± ¡°Humph¡± Branden sneered. Branden¡¯s sneer made Brian angry. He red at Branden and said, ¡°What are youughing at? Did I talk to you?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Branden sneered. ¡°Audrey¡¯s husband? Did you give yourself that title? If you¡¯re Audrey¡¯s boyfriend, why do you need a telescope to spy on her?¡± Branden¡¯s direct remark exposed Brian¡¯s secret, making him furious. ¡± This is just temporary. I will soon be Audrey¡¯s husband. Just wait and see,¡± Brian retorted firmly. Catherine, feeling hostile towards this sudden self-proimed ¡°Audrey¡¯s husband,¡± approached Brian with an icy gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, but if you dare to harass Audrey, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson. Leave now, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡± Knowing that he was no match for Branden, Brian silently epted Catherine¡¯s harsh words. ¡°Catherine, tell Audrey I won¡¯t give up. She must wait for me,¡± he said before reluctantly leaving. Seeing this, Branden and Catherine left. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone investigate him when we get back. You don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Branden reassured Catherine. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine agreed, feeling somewhat reassured by the idea of an investigation. She suspected that Brian was the person who had been calling Audrey but had been rejected. As long as he posed no threat and it was just a simple pursuit between a man and a woman, Catherine had no intention of intervening, as she didn¡¯t have the time for such matters. Branden dropped Catherine off at theboratory, and as she got out of the car, he looked at her with reluctance in his eyes. ¡°Shall I pick you up tonight?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to Audrey¡¯s ce,¡± Catherine replied. Audrey had just returned, and there were things she wanted to discuss with Catherine, so Catherine had agreed to visit her in the evening. Knowing that she was going to Audrey¡¯s apartment, Branden felt a bitstifled but didn¡¯t express it. Audrey had been away for a long time and now that she was back, it was understandable that she wanted to chat with Catherine. Without blocking her, he could only say, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up when you¡¯re done. Catherine nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll contact you when it¡¯s over,¡± she said before heading back to theboratory. As soon as she logged onto herputer, she received a call from Zobber. ¡°Boss, check the message I sent you on theputer!¡± Zobber eximed. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine replied before hanging up and opening the chat box. Zobber had sent a message containing an email that had been sent to the official mailbox of Hacker Alliance, specifically addressed to the chief. The email was password-protected,making it difficult for an ordinary person to read it. Catherine quickly cracked the password and opened the email. After scanning its contents, she smirked. The long- awaited message had finally arrived. The sender was the person who had stolen the experimental data andpleted the authentication process in advance. The sender had left a phone number for Catherine to call. Without hesitation, she took out her phone and dialed the number. The call was quickly answered by a deep, disguised voice. ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± ¡°Cut the small talk. Just tell me what you want,¡± Catherine replied, showing no interest in engaging with such a person. ¡°Alright, I like straightforward people. Our request is simple. We are willing toreturn the authentication qualifications to yourboratory, under the condition that you cooperate with ourpany on the experimental results. We don¡¯t ask for much, just a fair fifty-fifty split,¡± the voice exined. Catherine scoffed silently and muttered, ¡°You do have some guts, using my research to threaten me.¡± The other personughed upon hearing her words. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak like that, Miss Swann. We just want to gain some benefits. As long as you agree, we won¡¯t let you lose out,¡± the voice said.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡± Catherine countered. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, you might have to spend another year or more researching and modifying the data. Who knows if your experiment will still be ahead by then,¡± they threatened. The tant threat made Catherine sneer. Seeing herck of willingness to agree, the other person softened their tone. ¡°Miss Swann, you don¡¯t have to answer right away. I¡¯ll give you three days to think it over. I hope you can give me a surprise,¡± they said before hanging up. Catherine looked at the dark screen with a calm expression. Shortly after the mysterious person¡¯s call, Zobber immediately called to inquire about the situation. ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s going on? Who sent the message?¡± Catherine ryed the conversation to Zobber. Upon hearing this, Zobber became furious. ¡°This guy is too arrogant. He stole the report from us and is now trying to threaten us. Does he know who he¡¯s dealing with? He¡¯s really pushing his luck this time.¡± Catherine, initially unfazed, couldn¡¯t help butugh when she heard Zobber¡¯s furious remark. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Just wait for my message,¡± she assured Zobber. Zobber agreed, ¡°Okay, Catherine, I¡¯ll wait for your message.¡± She waited for Catherine to assign her the task. When the time was right, she nned to deal with these ignorant troublemakers. After ending the call with Zobber, Catherine focused on her experiments. The other party had given her three days, so she decided to address the situation after that time. Chapter 858 Chapter 858 A Romantic yboy Branden received the news soon. Paxton intercepted the information and immediately reported it to Catherine.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Boss, they¡¯ve contacted Miss Swann,¡± Paxton said. ¡°What did they say?¡± Branden looked at Paxton.Paxton then showed Branden the email screenshot. ¡°Please take a look at this, Boss.¡± Branden coldly remarked, ¡°Quite audacious.¡± ¡°These people want to take away half of Miss Swann¡¯s research results with just one research report. Are they too confident?¡± Paxton was deeply puzzled, unable to understand the current situation. If he were one ofthem, he wouldn¡¯t have been so confident with just a research report. After all, Catherine wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. Branden smirked after reading. ¡°They have more than just this.¡± Paxton wanted to ask more, but sensing Branden¡¯s reluctance, he remained silent. ¡°Head to Styre University!¡± Branden stood up and instructed. Catherine should be finishing up soon. He would go pick her up and then take her to Audrey¡¯s apartment. Marshall found it strange that Catherine left on time. He had been worried sick these past few days. There was no news from Winston, and Catherine wasn¡¯t saying anything about the results of the experiment. Hehad expected Catherine to work overtime, but she seemed even more rxed than usual. Unable to stay calm, he went out and stopped Catherine. ¡°Are you nning to leave, Catherine?¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Why so early?¡± Marshall asked, frowning. Seeing his worried expression, Catherine exined, ¡°Professor Hartley, leave theb matters to me. The school will do its best to find Professor Warner. You don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡± With that, Catherine left. Marshall couldn¡¯t shake off his worries. How could he not be concerned? He was so troubled that he couldn¡¯t even eat. At his age, he felt lessposed than a young girl, which made him quitefrustrated. When Branden arrived, he messaged Catherine, who then walked straight to the ck Bentley waiting outside the school. After she got into the car, Paxton handed her the investigation data. ¡°Miss Swann, this is the investigation file on Brian White. Please take a look.¡± Catherine took the file, quickly perused it, and then handed it to Branden, sneering. ¡°Turns out he¡¯s a rich second generation.¡± Brian, born in Loewe, was from a well- known local business family. As the only son, he had been spoiled since childhood, destined to inherit the family fortune, leading to his reckless behavior. He fell in love with Audrey during her studies abroad and pursued her relentlessly, even following her back to the country. However, Audreyseemed uninterested and avoided him, which led to the scene at the airport andter at the apartment. After reading the file, Branden remarked sarcastically, ¡°A romantic yboy? Hah¡­¡± They exchanged a knowing smile and fell silent. Soon, the car arrived at the apartment building. Paxton, sitting in the front passenger seat, spotted a figure from a distance and alerted Catherine and Branden in the back. ¡°Miss Swann, look,¡± he said. Catherine looked up and saw Brian sitting on the curb, looking somewhat lonely despite his affluent appearance. Paxton asked if they should enter through the main entrance, but Catherine dismissed the idea. ¡°Let¡¯s go through the underground parking,¡± she said, having no patience for unfamiliar people like Brian. Audrey was resting in her room when the doorbell rang. She didn¡¯t answer it immediately. A few secondster, her phone rang. Seeing it was from Catherine, Audrey eagerly picked it up and then went to open the door. ¡± Kathy, didn¡¯t I give you a key? Why are you still knocking?¡± Catherine, apanied by Branden, responded casually, ¡°The key is in the apartment. I didn¡¯t feel like going back to get it.¡± Audrey had given Catherine the key, which Catherine had left in the apartment. If Audrey wasn¡¯t there, Catherine wouldn¡¯t havee without a reason. If something happened, she wouldn¡¯t need the key to enter. Audrey let Catherine in and then politely asked Branden if he wanted toe in as well. He declined, saying, ¡± I¡¯ll leave you to a chat. Contact me if you need anything.¡± With that, he left. Audrey closed the door and asked Catherine to sit down. ¡°Kathy, have you had dinner? If not, I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s order takeout,¡± Catherine said calmly. Audrey¡¯s cooking skills were known to no one better than her. Audrey had casually suggested it. There wasn¡¯t much in the fridge, but thankfully Catherine didn¡¯t agree. Audrey immediately took out her phone to order takeout, choosing the foods Catherine liked. After cing the order, Audrey rummaged through the kitchen and found two bottles of wine. She opened one, poured two sses, and handed one to Catherine. ¡°Long time no see,¡± she said. Catherine took the ss, took a sip, and then slowly began, ¡°I ran into a man downstairs who imed to be your husband. He said his name is Brian White.¡± Audrey¡¯s brow immediately furrowed. She said with disdain, ¡°This guy is so annoying. Kathy, you don¡¯t need to listen to his nonsense. I have absolutely no rtionship with him. He helped me out when I was at Loewe, so I thanked him by inviting him for a meal. But then he started pestering me. I couldn¡¯t shake him off, and now he evenes here.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the unbearable situation at Loewe, Audrey wouldn¡¯t have returned to the country early. What she didn¡¯t expect was that Brian had followed her here, causing her a major headache. Chapter 859 Chapter 859 Another Task After listening to Audrey¡¯s ount, Catherine summed it up with a question. She raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°So, you don¡¯t like Brian?¡± Without hesitation, Audrey nodded in affirmation. ¡°Not only that, his behavior has started to disrupt my life. I don¡¯t even want to be friends with him anymore.¡± Catherine arched an eyebrow. Then she shifted away from the topic of this troublesome person and moved on to another question. ¡°What about Triston? Hearing that, Audrey paused for a moment. It had been so long since Audrey left Loxton that she hadn¡¯t heard that name in ages. She silently stared at her ss, unsure how to respond to Catherine¡¯s inquiry. Silence was the best answer. If Audrey truly didn¡¯t care, maybe she would have said something from the beginning. It was precisely because she cared too much that she couldn¡¯t bring it up. Seeing through the hidden sadness behind Audrey¡¯s facade, Catherine didn¡¯t press further. She lightly clinked her ss against Audrey¡¯s. ¡°Cheers!¡± Audrey tilted her head back and finished the drink in one gulp. They exchanged a smile and then fell into another round of silence. Catherine could tell that Audrey hadn¡¯t let go yet, so she smoothly changed the topic. ¡°What¡¯s your n from here on?¡± Upon hearing this, Audrey sighed deeply. ¡°As soon as Kim found out I was back, he immediately arranged the agenda for me. After this week, I haveto shoot an ad and then meet with a director. So much to do.¡± ¡°Not bad!¡± Catherine remarked. * Seeing Catherine supporting her efforts, Audreyughed helplessly. Well, it looks like I have to work hard.¡± The two sisters enjoyed takeout and talked throughout the evening. Whether Audrey was in an exceptionally good or bad mood, she drank with gusto and became increasingly intoxicated toward the end. After settling Audrey in, Catherine left the apartment. She had never nned to spend the night there from the beginning. As she descended the stairs, she spotted Brian at the entrance. Because Branden had specifically informed the property management, Brian didn¡¯t even have a chance toenter themunity. He could only wait at themunity entrance. When Catherine saw him as she descended the stairs, she walked straight toward him. The sound of footsteps caught Brian¡¯s attention. He looked up. Upon seeing that it was Catherine, he immediately stood up with excitement. ¡°Can you take me in to see your sister?¡± ¡°No!¡± Catherine rejected him mercilessly and said with a cold warning, ¡°I advise you not toe again. Audrey won¡¯t see you.¡± Faced with Catherine¡¯s advice, Brian didn¡¯t take it to heart. He asked angrily, ¡°Why do you all deny my feelings for Audrey? I really like her. Is that wrong?¡± ¡°Wishful thinking is just wrong!¡± Catherine said without mercy. After that, leaving Brian alone to wait, shewalked away on her own. There was no need to wake up someone pretending to be asleep. Brian watched Catherine¡¯s departing figure with a smile on his handsome face. Though the smile seemed charming, upon closer observation, one could detect a hint of intriguing and mysterious nuance, making it difficult to fathom. Ronin sat quietly in the confinement room, waiting for the person he was expecting. After half an hour, Finn arrived. Finn brought the keys and unlocked the shackles on Ronin. ¡°Why do I feel like you seem very calm, as if all of this was already expected by you?¡± Finn scrutinized Ronin with confusion. He couldn¡¯t quite figure outRonin. He had always thought of Ronin as an impulsive young man, but now it seemed that things were not so straightforward. Ronin remained calm and wise, making it difficult for people to read his thoughts. Finn carefully examined Ronin, but Ronin didn¡¯t give him much opportunity. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Aren¡¯t you supposed to take me out?¡± Ronin asked. Finn nced at him, walked ahead, and let Ronin follow. The two arrived in front of the man in a ck robe. Ronin stood silently on the side, waiting for the instructions of the man in the ck robe. ¡°Ronin, do you want to work for me?¡± The man in the ck robe raised an eyebrow and appraised Ronin. Ronin shook his head immediately and disyed an unusual honesty. ¡°If I can avoid it, I don¡¯t want to.¡± The man in the ck robe burst intoughter. Although Ronin rejected him, he wasn¡¯t angry. ¡°Good. You¡¯re honest. Ronin smirked contemptuously and remained silent. ¡°Are you not afraid that I¡¯ll kill you? After all, now that I have the information, you have no more value,¡± the man in the ck robe asked. Ronin calmly replied, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t afraid, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here obediently. You said it yourself, with the information in hand, yet you haven¡¯t killed me. Doesn¡¯t that just prove you still find me useful?¡± ¡°Fair enough. You¡¯re quite clever!¡± The man in the ck robe noddedapprovingly. ¡°No need for more words. Let¡¯s make a deal. What do you want to do that would make you willing to let me go? I¡¯ve already be a traitor to Catherine, and I can¡¯t go back to the Hacker Alliance. Instead of beating around the bush, why not just state your terms?¡± Ronin replied. As Ronin finished speaking, Finn handed him a stack of documents and aputer. ¡°As long as you behave, your requests will be considered.¡± Ronin took them suspiciously and began examining the documents. After a few minutes, Ronin finished reviewing all the documents. He looked up with a surprised expression at the man in the ck robe. ¡°Are you nning to use me to steal information from the Duncan Corporation?¡± The man in the ck robe sneered. ¡± What¡¯s the matter? Are you scared or unwilling? You can betray Catherine, but are you hesitant to betray Branden?N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Ronin spoke calmly and red at the man in the ck robe. ¡°I¡¯ve already offended Catherine. If I offend the Duncan Corporation as well, will I have any way out?¡± ¡°With Catherine¡¯s rtionship with Branden, does it really make a difference whom you offend?¡± the man in the ck robe responded. Then he added, ¡°Ronin, as long as you¡¯re willing to take on this task, you¡¯ll be free in the future.¡± Ronin didn¡¯t believe him. He sneered and then replied, ¡°You said the same thing when you threatened me to steal Catherine¡¯s experimental reports. How can I trust you?¡± ¡°Do you have any other choice?¡± The man in the ck robe looked at Ronin with a mocking gaze. ¡°Your only option is to cooperate with me.¡± Now Ronin was just in his hands. Ronin didn¡¯t have any right to negotiate conditions. After hesitating for a while, Ronin couldn¡¯t let go of his hope and asked, ¡± Will you really set me free?¡± ¡°As long as you behave,¡± the man in the ck robe said sincerely. After a short pause, Ronin replied, ¡± Fine. I agree.¡± The man in the ck robe was very satisfied with Ronin¡¯s response. Everything was under his control. He knew Ronin was a smart person and would make the right choice. Immediately, the man in the ck robe granted Ronin benefits and allowed him to roam freely within the base. After gaining his freedom, Ronin went straight to the ce where sh was being held. Standing at the entrance, he looked at sh in the cage with his cold eyes. sh noticed Ronin¡¯s presence and struggled to raise his head. He sneered and then asked, ¡°Have youe to witness my misery again?¡± Chapter 860 Chapter 860 A Text Message Ronin opened the door to the confinement room with the key he had obtained from Finn. It was his reward after agreeing to do a favor for the man in the ck robe. Once the door opened, Ronin descended slowly. He approached sh and squatted down in front of him. He lowered his head to scrutinize sh. sh was still lying on the ground, his injuries not yet healed. Although spared from death by the man in the ck robe, sh hadn¡¯t received any kind treatment. No one knew why sh was spared, but one thing was certain. sh wouldn¡¯t have a favorable oue. Those who betrayed the organization never had a good fate. ¡°Ronin, I used to envy you. Never thought you¡¯d end up worse off than me,¡± sh said. Ronin chuckled coldly and stared down at sh. ¡°Worse off than you? sh, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s free now. What gives a prisoner like you the right to say such things?¡± sh scoffed in response, showing no fear despite Ronin standing over him. ¡± Ronin, do you know why I used to envy you?¡± Ronin remained silent, waiting for sh to continue. ¡°Ronin, your freedom came at a cost. You sacrificed yourself to the organization. He set some conditions for you to betray your own people, didn¡¯t he?¡± Although sh¡¯s words were spective, Ronin did not refute them. He wanted to hear what sh would say next. ¡°Ronin, what¡¯s the difference between you now and the way I used to be? We¡¯re both tools of the organization, ves driven by others. Our lives are in someone else¡¯s hands. Do you really think you¡¯re better off than me?¡± As sh finished speaking, Ronin suddenly acted. He grabbed sh¡¯s throat. The current sh was no match for Ronin. Despite sh¡¯s desperate struggles, it was futile. Ronin observed the changing expressions on sh¡¯s face as it turned from red to pale. sh¡¯s breath became increasingly difficult. Just as sh was on the verge of suffocation, Ronin released him like he was discarding trash. Gasping for air, shy on the ground. He resembled a fish tossed ashore, desperately trying to breathe. Ronin stood up and coldly pressed his foot against sh¡¯s face, delivering the ultimate insult. ¡°sh, I didn¡¯t want it toe to this. You forced my hand. Everything today is because of you. If you had just taken the research data and let me go from the start, without involving Professor Warner, it wouldn¡¯t havee to this end. Remember that you owe me!¡± Ronin ruthlessly kicked sh away, letting him cough up blood on the floor. Then he left the room with a cold demeanor. sh, lying on the ground, watched Ronin¡¯s retreating figure and sighed silently. Ronin¡¯s words made him no longer harbor hatred. He knew he had no right.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Late at night, a cool breeze rustled through the leaves, creating a gentlesound. Catherine,ing out of Audrey¡¯s apartment, headed straight back to her own. She hadn¡¯t informed Branden, unsure if he had already gone to bed. Standing below the apartment, gazing at the warm light filtering through the window, Catherine silently chuckled. Catherine ascended slowly and unlocked the door with her fingerprint. The sudden movement disturbed Branden, who stood by the windowsill lost in thought. Branden turned around with pleasant surprise, his cold eyes instantly filled with a smile. Other than Catherine, no one else would open the door at this hour. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me pick you up?¡± he asked. Catherine smiled. ¡°Not far. Just came back on my own. Haven¡¯t you slept yet? Branden approached. He embraced her waist and rested his head on her neck. ¡± Couldn¡¯t sleep without you.¡± His deep, hoarse voice was incredibly charming, sending shivers down Catherine¡¯s spine. She thought he was bing increasingly flirtatious and revealed his true nature without reservation. Branden rubbed his face against her tender neck, making Catherine ticklish. Unable to bear it, she pushed him away. ¡°Be good. I want to rest.¡± Branden caught a whiff of alcohol on her, frowned, and asked, ¡°Drinking?¡± ¡°Yeah. I had a bit with Audrey.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t deny it. Perhaps due to the effects of alcohol, she felt tired now. Seeing her exhausted, Branden looked concerned and simply lifted her off her feet. Catherine yfully hit his shoulder. ¡°I told you¡­¡± Before she could finish, Branden interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m not that beastly. I¡¯ll carry you to freshen up and then tuck you into bed.¡± Catherine was getting used to resting by Branden¡¯s side. To help her sleep better, he always gave her a massage before bedtime, rxing her body. With this routine, Catherine could fall asleep within half an hour. In about ten minutes, Catherine was already asleep. Branden, watching her peaceful face, gently kissed her forehead with tenderness and care. The phone on the side rang again. Branden quickly silenced it to avoid disturbing Catherine. He picked up the phone and frowned at the disturbance at this hour. After checking, he noticed a text message from an unknown number, with a peculiar content, which read, [ Do you know what kind of devil is lying beside you?] The person lying beside Branden was none other than Catherine. With this thought, Branden asked, [Who are you? ] A quick response came, including a photo that needed to be erged for clear visibility. When the image appeared, Branden¡¯s eyes widened in utter shock. At a nce, Branden recognized the blood-covered little girl in the photo holding a weapon as Catherine. Surrounding her were people drenched in blood, and in fronty a boy of simr age, who was also covered in blood, helplessly lying on the ground. In the photo, Catherine¡¯s eyes resembled those of a predatory beast, which were cold and intimidating. She appeared to be around ten years old. It was hard to believe that such a murderous gaze could exist in a girl of such a young age. The gruesome scene shocked Branden, and he felt a deep concern for Catherine. He couldn¡¯t fathom what experiences she had gone through to possess such eyes. If only he had encountered her earlier, maybe she could have been spared from enduring these horrors at such a tender age. Chapter 861 Chapter 861 Hidden Schemers Branden sent, [What do you want?] However, he didn¡¯t receive any response. Branden believed that the person sending the photos had a moreplex agenda, and they would surely reach out again. It was likely just a tactic to keep Branden on edge and foster various suspicions. Since that was the case, there was no need to bother with the person hiding in the shadows. Branden decided to wait patiently for the next move. Branden turned off his phone and pulled Catherine into his embrace. With her right there in front of him, there was no need to pay attention to those hidden schemers. After a restful night, Catherine woke up feeling refreshed. When Catherine entered the living room, Branden didn¡¯t even notice her. ¡± What¡¯s for breakfast?¡± she asked. Hearing that, Branden turned around with a frying pan in hand. ¡°You¡¯re up so early. Don¡¯t you want more sleep?¡± As she smelled the aroma of bacon emanating from the frying pan, Catherine¡¯s appetite was instantly triggered. ¡°I slept wellst night. Now I can¡¯t sleep anymore.¡± Seeing through her intentions, Branden quickly increased the heat and ushered her out of the kitchen. ¡°Wait for me outside. It won¡¯t take long!¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go freshen up,¡± Catherine replied. Catherine thought that Branden¡¯s culinary skills seemed to be improving. Although breakfast options were not extensive, they were all dishes she loved, and the taste exceeded that of takeout. ¡°After breakfast, shall I take you to school?¡± Branden asked. ¡°No need. Head directly to Audrey¡¯s apartment. She drank a bit too muchst night, and I want to check on her,¡± Catherine said. Hearing that, Branden frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you still need to revise the experimental report?¡± Branden couldn¡¯tprehend Catherine¡¯s attitude. He thought time was already tight, yet she appeared calm and unhurried. ¡°No rush. I still have some time. I don¡¯t have any ideas now, so forcing it won¡¯t help. Let me rx a bit,¡± Catherine replied. This reasoning made sense. The pressure in theb was immense. Feeling irritable was normal, and Catherine thought it might be better to take a break. Perhaps it would help her gain more inspiration. ¡°Okay. After we finish eating, I¡¯ll drop you off at the apartment and then head to thepany,¡± Branden said. Initially, Catherine wanted to suggest that he shouldn¡¯t bother and go straight to thepany. However, she gave up on the idea, realizing he wouldn¡¯t agree even if she said it. Then she replied, ¡°Alright. Just do as you say. After breakfast, Catherine packed some food for Audrey and set off for Audrey¡¯s apartment. This time, she didn¡¯t see Brian downstairs. He likely returned after enduring a sleepless night. Unexpectedly, in the hallway in front of Audrey¡¯s apartment, Catherine ran into Triston. Judging from his disappointed expression, he seemed to have faced setbacks. Catherine was indifferent to the matters between Triston and Audrey. She looked at him coldly and said, ¡± Branden¡¯s car is still downstairs. If you go down now, maybe you can catch a ride.¡± Catherine was Audrey¡¯s sister, and Triston had initially thought about asking Catherine to speak positively on his behalf in front of Audrey. However, knowing Catherine¡¯s temperament, Triston silently gave up on that idea. Getting Catherine to speak for him was impossible. Seeing Catherine carrying a lunchbox, Triston sighed and muttered, ¡°Take care of her. If possible, persuade her togive me a chance. At least, we need to talk face to face. Avoiding each other won¡¯t solve anything.¡± On this point, Catherine agreed. Evading the problem wouldn¡¯t help. If there were issues, addressing them directly would be better. She nced at Triston, took out the key she found in the apartment, and opened the door right in front of him. Triston took a step forward, seemingly ready to enter, but Catherine calmly nced at him and said in a cold tone, ¡± Want to fight with me?¡± Triston, knowing he wasn¡¯t a match for Catherine, silently chose to back off.Seeing him retreat, Catherine nced at him coldly and promptly closed the door. Once inside, Catherine ced the food on the table and called out towardAudrey¡¯s room, ¡°Come out. Those who shouldn¡¯t have entered haven¡¯t.¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s hint, Audrey slowly opened the door and walked out. She nced around, ensuring she didn¡¯t spot anyone she didn¡¯t want to see. Then she finally rxed her tense nerves. Seeing Audrey¡¯s reaction, Catherine mockingly asked, ¡°You don¡¯t trust me now?¡± Audrey shivered at the remark. She hurriedly ran over, hugged Catherine¡¯s arm, and exined, ¡°Kathy, don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t mean that. I was just afraid that some persistent person might follow you in. If I didn¡¯t believe you, I wouldn¡¯t havee out of the room, right?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t dwell on the topic. She turned her head to nce at the food on the table. ¡°Made by Branden. Tastespretty good. Give it a try.¡± Audrey smelled the aroma as soon as she came out. She had been vomiting continuously since being abruptly awakened early in the morning after drinking too much the night before. She had considered ordering takeout. But she abandoned the idea. She feared that Triston might take the opportunity to enter. Fortunately, Catherine arrived in time and brought her some delicious food. Audrey rushed over and opened the lunchbox. As she saw the food, her mouth watered. ¡°Kathy, thanks to you. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to taste the delicacies personally made by Mr. Duncan.¡± After taking a bite, Audrey couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Mr. Duncan¡¯s cooking skills are amazing,parable to a five -star hotel chef. It¡¯s so delicious.¡± Catherine sat on the side, flipping through a magazine. Her main purpose ining was to check on Audrey¡¯s condition. As long as Audrey was fine, she could head to theboratory with peace of mind. After Audrey finished breakfast, Catherine prepared to leave. ¡°Kathy, wait for me. I¡¯ll go out with you,¡± Audrey said. Catherine raised an eyebrow and sized her up. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you have the day off today?¡± Audrey mentioned that she would take a few days off before starting work. That was why they ended up drinking so muchst night. Audrey couldn¡¯t help but wail, ¡°Kim called early in the morning for help. I¡¯ve been away for so long, and Kim has been carrying the load alone. Can Irefuse him? I can¡¯t!¡± Seeing Audrey¡¯s helpless look, Catherine smiled quietly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you.¡± After dropping Audrey off at her destination, Catherine drove Audrey¡¯s car to the school. Since Audrey¡¯s car couldn¡¯t enter the campus, she parked it in the outdoor parking lot near the entrance and walked in. As soon as Catherine reached the school gate, she bumped into Rn. Rn¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Catherine. ¡°Catherine, it seems we¡¯re destined to meet like this.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t say anything. She nced at him and walked straight into the campus. Rn followed closely behind, and Catherine was annoyed by his persistent pursuit. Turning around, shetook direct action. Her movements were too fast for Rn to avoid, and he was mmed to the ground with a powerful suplex from Catherine. Looking down at him, Catherine coldly said, ¡°Stop following me, or next time, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t get out of bed for three months.¡± Her warning was no joke. If Rn dared not to listen, she was ready to follow through on her words at any time.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 862 Chapter 862 The Client Rn stood up. As he watched Catherine walk away, he smiled. He didn¡¯t mind being publicly embarrassed by Catherine. The more she did that, the more it showed she was anxious and not calm inside. Despite her disgust, he could still reach theb. After all, he was theb¡¯s major sponsor now. Catherine had just returned to theb when she heard that Ultan had arrived. She hadn¡¯t nned to go out, but Marshall saw her in the office and called her out. As they walked into the lobby of theb building, Catherine saw Rn standing next to Ultan. The moment Rn saw Catherine, his eyes lit up. However, Catherine¡¯s face clearly disyed disgust. Obviously, she wasgetting tired of Rn¡¯s persistent pursuit. ¡°Mr. Melton, it¡¯s rare for you to take the time to visit. How about saying a few words?¡± Ultan warmly invited Rn. His attitude toward Rn had changed quite a bit now. The failure of theb certification had made him less arrogant. If the sponsor withdrew at this moment, he couldn¡¯t guarantee to find a more suitable or powerful sponsor. Rn humbly smiled, nodded, and said, ¡°Mr. Farrell, since you are so gracious, I¡¯ll say a few words. What I want to say is simple. The road to sess in experiments is always paved with failures. I know the recent setbacks have been discouraging for all the researchers, but these are inevitable challenges on the path to sess. I hope everyone won¡¯t be disheartened and will persevere. Mpany and I will continue to support and witness your efforts. Thank you all. As Rn finished speaking, apuse resounded. It seemed that everyone had a favorable impression of Rn¡¯s speech. But then again, it was not easy to find a deep-pocketed sponsor who didn¡¯t care about the results. Ultan noticed Rn¡¯s concern for Catherine and took the initiative to suggest that Catherine apany Rn on a tour of theboratory. Showing respect to Ultan, Catherine didn¡¯t refuse the proposal. She led Rn and introduced theboratory coldly. ¡°That¡¯s the general situation. If there¡¯s anything else you want to know, just ask,¡± Catherine said. Rn was not interested in theboratory equipment or detailed usage of the donated funds. He was concerned about Catherine. He asked, ¡°Catherine, I heard something happened to Ronin. Is it serious? Do you need my help? Although I just arrived in Loxton, allocating some manpower is not difficult.¡± ¡°Thanks, but you don¡¯t need to mention him to me again,¡± Catherine replied and coldly rejected Rn¡¯s offer. Seeing Catherine in a bad mood, Rn couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Ronin make you angry?¡± Catherine remained silent for a moment. This increased Rn¡¯s certainty, and he cautiously continued, ¡°I heard Ronin betrayed you, but when I heard the news, I couldn¡¯t be sure. Is it true?¡± ¡°Have you said enough?¡± Catherine looked up at him with anger in her eyes. ¡°I¡­¡± Rn muttered. Before Rn could continue, Catherine interrupted him directly. She said, ¡± Theb tour is over. If you have any other needs, find Professor Hartley. I have to go finish my experiment report! ¡°With that, Catherine left, leaving Rn somewhat caught off guard. He watched her departure helplessly. Meanwhile, Audrey arrived at the destination given by Kim. After asking around, she finally located Kim. Kim was busy discussing details with a photographer,pletely engrossed. ¡°Kim,¡± Audrey called out.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Hearing someone call his name, Kim impatiently said, ¡°Wait on the side. I¡¯llfind you in a bit.¡± Audrey chuckled. ¡°Since you¡¯re so busy, I won¡¯t disturb you for now.¡± Kim paused for a moment, and then he recognized the familiar voice. §¯§Ö turned around. Upon seeing Audrey, he immediately abandoned the photographer and rushed toward her. ¡± You brat, you actuallye back. I said if you dare show up, I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡± ¡°Should I leave then?¡± Audrey raised an eyebrow and looked at him. Kim pped her shoulder. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear I miss you too much?¡± ¡°Miss me to the point of asking me to work for you?¡± Audrey teased. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. I need your help,¡± Kim replied. Audrey exposed Kim¡¯s ulterior motives, but since they were close, Kim didn¡¯thide it. He said, ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, hurry up and change. After shooting this ad, it has to be approved by the client. If we secure this deal, I¡¯ll be set for the year.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Audrey was here to help out. After listening to Kim¡¯s instructions, she immediately began changing clothes. Despite her time away from the entertainment industry, Audrey hadn¡¯t lost her skills. Themercial shoot went smoothly, concluding in a short time. Audrey then apanied Kim with the samples to meet the client. Along the way, Kim kept advising Audrey. He said, ¡°Remember. This client is quite influential. If they act too high and mighty, take it easy. The sess of thepany¡¯s performance assessment in the second half of the year depends on this deal.¡± Although Audrey had gained some fame in the entertainment industry and held a certain position, she understood the importance of not offending key yers. ¡°Kim, don¡¯t worry. I know how to handle it when the timees.¡± Just as Audrey assured him, Kim pushed open the door to the meeting room. However, upon seeing the person sitting inside, Audrey was instantly stunned. She quickly renounced her assurance, and her face darkened. ¡°How could it be him?¡± Kim noticed Audrey¡¯s unusual reaction and quickly tugged at her sleeve, whispering, ¡°Be careful. That¡¯s our bread and butter, you know?¡± Audrey couldn¡¯t be unaware. She just couldn¡¯t ept that the bread and butter was Brian. Looking at his smugface, she felt the urge to explode. Showing respect to Kim, Audrey reluctantly stepped into the meeting room. Kim handed the ad samples to Brian with a fawning smile, and the secretary on the side promptly took them. ¡°Mr. White, please take a look.¡± Brian stared at Audrey, giving the impression that he was assessing the endorser. He said, ¡°Not bad. The shots are good. Just a few minor issues that might need some adjustments¡­¡± Audrey had been holding back her anger, but hearing Brian deliberately nitpick, she erupted. Smack! A loud sound echoed as Audrey mmed her palm on the table. She red angrily at Brian. ¡°Have you had enough?¡± The sudden outburst stunned everyone in the room. Kim was so shocked thathe stared nkly at the scene. Although Audrey wasn¡¯t one to tolerate everything, no one had ever seen her so furious, especially at their potential major sponsor. Now, trouble brewed, and even Kim, who usually knew how to handle situations, was at a loss for what to do. Chapter 863 Chapter 863 Is That What You Want? Audrey¡¯s insolent words ticked everyone off in the meeting room. The secretary quickly snapped at Audrey, ring at her without a hint of courtesy. ¡°What the hell you got attitude about? We¡¯re calling the shots here, and you¡¯re supposed to provide the service. With this kind of arrogance, how do you expect to survive in the entertainment industry?¡± The secretary had seen haughty celebrities, but none as tantly dismissive as Audrey. ¡®Just one word from our head honcho, the little celeb like you will be riding the pine permanently,¡¯ he thought bitterly. Audrey only had eyes for Brian, showing disregard for anyone else. Although the secretary was quite stern, Audrey bore no ill will. After all, there was a reason for his behavior. Kim, sensing the threat of a ban, quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. ¡°Excuse me, everyone. This is all just one big misunderstanding!¡± While Kim was busy apologizing, the relentless secretary wasn¡¯t letting it go. Brian, also involved, simply stood by with a detached air. Brian¡¯s dismissive stance was thest straw for Audrey, her temper ring uncontrobly as she sted Brian, ¡°Is that what you want? Satisfied now?¡± The secretary was dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t believe that one would act like a diva to this kind of level. But then he thought, ¡®Audrey seems to have a thing with Mr. White. They are more like young lovers.¡¯ Audrey¡¯s fierce outburst redirected everyone¡¯s attention to Brian. Brian rose slowly, approached Audrey, and leaned on the table before her, fixing her with an intense stare. ¡°Don¡¯tbe mad. I am forced to y this card to see you. But believe me, when I say I want you for the endorsement, I mean it. You¡¯re the only one who can embody ourpany¡¯s muse.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Audrey shot back. Brian looked at her tenderly. ¡°Yes, I am. Lovesick, that is.¡± Realizing the conversation was going nowhere, Audrey got up to leave and informed Kim, ¡°Forget the ad, find someone else.¡± Watching Audrey exit with grace, Kim gave the secretary an embarrassed smile. ¡°My apologies, this is beyond my pay grade. I¡¯ll sort it out and touch baseter.¡± The secretary had pegged Audrey as a prima donna, but now it looked more like a love tangle with Brian. He didn¡¯t press further, instead bidding Kim afriendly farewell.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Left alone in the meeting room, Brian smiled as he looked at Audrey¡¯s promo on the table. Brian¡¯s phone rang, disrupting his thoughts. He scowled at the screen disying an unknown number. Though itcked any identification, he knew exactly who was calling. The persistent ringing suggested the caller wouldn¡¯t relent until being answered. With a stone-cold look, Brian picked up the call. ¡°Look who finally decided to pick up the phone.¡± Came a man¡¯s deep voice. ¡°Just get to the point,¡± Brian replied, his voiceced with annoyance. ¡°That woman still giving you trouble? Come on, Brian. You¡¯re slipping,¡± the caller taunted. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. If you called just to mock me, save it,¡± Brian retorted. Whatever the caller said next, Brian didn¡¯t let it linger, hanging up the phone before hurling it to the ground. A dark, menacing aura now overshadowed his face. Kim finally caught up with Audrey, panting. ¡°Audrey, wait! I¡¯m almost out of breath.¡± Audrey, still fuming, questioned him snappily. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°You took off out of nowhere. Of course, I¡¯d follow. Am I wrong to be concerned about my talent? You¡¯re so ungrateful!¡± Kimined, catching his breath. ¡°Come on, spill the beans. What went down back there?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the car,¡± Audrey suggested, motioning for Kim to bring the vehicle around. Once they were both in the car, away from prying eyes, Audrey ryed the entire story of her unexpected meeting with Brian overseas. Listening to the tale, Kim couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Look at you, Audrey. Your love life is in full bloom, huh? Brian seems nice-great family, good looks, and he¡¯s determined. Why not give it a shot? You should keep your options open, right?¡± To which Audrey rolled her eyes. ¡± Thanks for the advice. If you like him so much, go for it.¡± Kim winked at her. ¡°You got me. Brian is my type, but my partner wouldn¡¯t be too pleased. It¡¯s a no-go for me.¡± After the teasing, Audrey grew serious. ¡°Kim, I can¡¯t do this job. Please, just drop it.¡± Kim exhaled heavily. ¡°You drive a hard bargain, Audrey. It¡¯s tough to pass up a deal this good. But what choice do I have with a star like you calling the shots?¡± Kim could be a chatterbox, but his care for Audrey was genuine. Knowing she was costing Kim a big deal, Audrey tried to smooth things over. ¡°Look, for the next six months, I¡¯ll work my tail off to make up for what we lost, okay?¡± Kim looked at her with a feigned scowl. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take you back.¡± ¡°No, actually, take me to Styre University. I¡¯m going to see Catherine,¡± said Audrey. Catherine was in theb when Audrey¡¯s call came in. Worried that Audrey¡¯s high profile could cause a stir, she asked for leave and headed to the university¡¯s entrance. Audrey, despite being well-disguised, was drawing a lot of stares at the university gate. When Catherine retrieved the car, she drove straight up to Audrey. ¡°Get in!¡± Catherine beckoned. Feeling a bit awkward amidst the attention, Audrey was relieved to see Catherine and quickly hopped into the car. ¡°Kathy, you¡¯re always right on time. I owe you big time.¡± Amused by Audrey¡¯s predicament, Catherine asked, ¡°Back to your ce?¡± Audrey was primarily there to see Catherine and was up for whatever she had nned. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯m allears.¡± With Audrey agreeable, Catherine started the engine and drove towards the apartment. Chapter 864 Chapter 864 What Do You Mean? Catherine and Audrey arrived back at the apartment to find Triston waiting at the door, evidently exhausted. Audrey instinctively wanted to bolt, but then she realized Catherine was by her side, and suddenly Audrey found her backbone. Instead of running away, she followed Catherine into the building. As they approached, Triston lit up. ¡± Audrey, you¡¯re back,¡± he said hopefully. Audrey nced at him, then quickly turned to follow Catherine inside. Triston hurried after them, but Audrey shot him a warning look. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Kathy is right here, and she¡¯ll knock you out if you try anything. Triston looked at Audrey with pleading eyes. Catherine couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Audreyr¡¯s bravado. She turned to Audrey and said coolly, ¡± Escape is not an option. Better to talk things out.¡± With that, Catherine walked inside, deliberately leaving the door ajar for Audrey to make a choice. Silenced by Catherine¡¯s words, Audrey stood there, conflicted. Triston made a move to reach for her hand, but she reflexively snapped it away, throwing him into confusion and hurt. ¡°I messed up. Punish me if you want, but please don¡¯t avoid me. I¡¯ll take any punishment if it¡¯ll make you feel better, ¡°Triston pleaded, his voice filled with remorse. Audrey sighed deeply. Once inside, Catherine received a call from Branden. Audrey¡¯s arrival hadbeen so sudden that Catherine forgot to tell him she didn¡¯t need a ride. ¡°I¡¯m at Audrey¡¯s,¡± she informed him. Branden¡¯s voice came through the phone, tinged with resignation. ¡°Again? ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Catherine teased. ¡°Not at all.¡± Branden quickly surrendered. He couldn¡¯t very well object to Catherine visiting Audrey, though, he felt a bit lonely without her. ¡°Triston is here too, chatting with Audrey at the door.¡± Catherine shared. Hearing that, Branden snorted. ¡°The lovesick fool is at it again?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Catherine¡¯s voice was icy with sarcasm. ¡°Well, I might as welle along for the ride. If Triston is willing to leave, I¡¯ll see him out,¡± said Branden. ¡°Whatever,¡± Catherine replied nonchntly before ending the call. Catherine didn¡¯t need to guess Branden¡¯s little scheme. She knew he was just looking for an excuse to drop by Audrey¡¯s and see her. ¡®What a cheek, ¡® she said inwardly. Audrey came inside before Branden could arrive. As she entered, her eyes reddened. Without being asked, Audrey quickly exined, ¡°Got something in my eye.¡± Catherine leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, silently observing Audrey. She understood Audrey¡¯s pain as they were two very different people. To Catherine, if one likes someone, stay together; if not, split up. If she were in Audrey¡¯s shoes, there¡¯d be no chance with Triston. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t Audrey and couldn¡¯t make decisions in her love life. After a long struggle, Audrey finally turned to Catherine. ¡°Kathy, do you think I should forgive Triston?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you,¡± Catherine responded, her words not offering guidance, but Audrey was ustomed to her straightforward nature and wasn¡¯t expecting any surprises.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest!¡± Audrey said, dragging her weary body back to the room. The moment the bedroom door closed, Catherine¡¯s phone buzzed with a message from Branden-he had arrived. At this point, Triston was still at the door, so Catherine updated him on Audrey¡¯s situation. Then Catherine received a message from Branden, reading, [Babe, can I take Triston out for a drink?] Catherine couldn¡¯t help butugh at Branden¡¯s antics. She quickly typed a response, which read, [Granted.] Back in her room, Audrey received a call from an unfamiliar number. Since only Catherine and Kim knew her new number, she answered without hesitation, expecting Kim. ¡°Kim?¡± Audreyhe inquired. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± The voice of Brian came through the receiver, instantly causing Audrey to bristle with fury. ¡°Brian, when are you gonna give it up? Wasn¡¯t I clear enough before? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s crossing the line to get my number like this?¡± Audrey snapped. ¡°Aud, don¡¯t be mad. I just want to show you something. Not in a weird way.¡± Brian tried to soothe. ¡°Not interested!¡± Audrey angrily hung up. Right after the call ended, a text notification chimed. Audrey had no intention of epting his advances, but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Brian had sent her. After some hesitation, she opened the message. Her eyes widened in shock at the image before her. It was an unbelievable photo of Catherine. Audrey immediately called back, but Brian didn¡¯t answer. It was as if Brian was deliberately ignoring her. Out of options, she dialed again. This time the call connected, and Audrey couldn¡¯t contain her fury any longer. ¡°Brian, are you insane? Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡± Brian¡¯s voice was unnervingly calm. ¡± Sorry, I thought you¡¯d never call again. I was wallowing in sorrow and didn¡¯thear the ring.¡± Even if Audrey wasn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed, she saw through Brian¡¯s malice. But she had more pressing matters to address. ¡°Where did you get these photos? What are you after?¡± Audrey demanded. ¡°Audrey, why would you talk to me like that? I have no ulterior motives. I just admire you,¡± Brian imed with hypocritical generosity, which made Audrey feel sick. Audrey didn¡¯t buy his words for a second. If Brian had managed to get these photos to her, he must have had a reason. Brian¡¯s silence on the other end fueled her anger. ¡°Enough, Brian. Suck away the tender part and spill your real intentions,¡± Audrey pressed. ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience,¡± Audrey warned fiercely. ¡°Spit it out!¡± Chapter 865 Chapter 865 This Is My Boyfriend Excitedly clutching thetest magazine, Amelia hurried to the office door of Catherine and knocked. ¡°Super Catherine, are you busy now? Can Ie in?¡± Catherine, engrossed in ab report, looked up at the sound of Amelia¡¯s voice. ¡°Not at all,e in!¡± With Catherine¡¯s permission, Amelia scurried inside. ¡°Super Catherine, check this out. Audrey¡¯s official announcement, is she back? The new ad is stunning-she looks gorgeous!¡± Ameliaid the magazine before Catherine, its cover graced by Audrey. Audrey and Catherine both got good looks from Racheal. So, Audrey¡¯s beauty, even among stars in the entertainment industry, was a force to reckon with. Audrey¡¯s return was quite secretive, with no news disclosed to the public, so it was normal for Amelia to be unaware. Catherine smiled faintly at the cover. She knew Audrey had stepped in to help Kim just yesterday and was surprised to see her gracing the magazine so soon. ¡°Audrey has only been back for two days,¡± Catherine informed Amelia. Amelia, with raised eyebrows, expressed her surprise. ¡°Wow, she has secured this endorsement within two days of her return? Could the rumors be true?¡± ¡°What rumors?¡± Catherine inquired. Amelia spilled, her eyes cautiously on Catherine. ¡°There¡¯s gossip that Audreynded the endorsement with the newly -established Loewepany in Eskana, because she¡¯s dating the boss. They supposedly met abroad and arerumored to be tying the knot soon.¡± Although Amelia¡¯s source was the gossip magazines, the insider ounts were usually urate and thus rtively reliable. A frown creased Catherine¡¯s brow. She stayed out of Audrey¡¯s personal life, but if the boss behind thepany was Brian as Amelia suggested, Audrey would¡¯ve rejected the project outright rather than breach a contract. Deciding to get to the bottom of it, Catherine nned to visit Audrey that evening. ¡°I¡¯m not clued in on her work matters, ¡°Catherine replied. Amelia knew Catherine¡¯s stance, never meddling in others¡¯ private affairs, not even when it came to her sister. ¡°Just sharing some gossip. Carry on with your work. I won¡¯t bug youanymore!¡± said Amelia. That evening, Catherine wrapped up in theb and received a call from Branden. Assuming he was picking her up, she was about to decline when he informed her of histe return. ¡°Got ns to paint the town red?¡± Catherine teased. Branden chuckled. ¡°Do I dare?¡± ¡°I¡¯m grabbing a drink with Triston tonight,¡± he added. Catherine frowned slightly at his exnation. ¡°Again?¡± Branden sighed silently. ¡°It seems that the news about Audrey having a boyfriend has hit Triston hard.¡± Despite Branden¡¯s reluctance to get involved, his bond with Triston was strong. He wouldn¡¯t leave Catherineunless Triston was truly struggling. ¡°A boyfriend? Did he get it wrong?¡± Catherine stared at him, uprehending. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so,¡± Branden replied. ¡± ording to Triston, it¡¯s confirmed.¡± With so much news flying around, Catherine couldn¡¯t tell fact from fiction. She said, ¡°You go. I was nning to drop by Audrey¡¯s apartment anyway.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pick you up when I¡¯m finished,¡± responded Branden. After their brief call, Catherine left the university. Although Branden wasn¡¯t there, the driver from the Duncans was punctual, waiting at the entrance. Seeing her, the driver promptly opened the car door. ¡°Please get in the car, Miss Swann.¡± After settling in the car, Catherine directed the driver to Audrey¡¯s apartment. Before long, they arrived at Audrey¡¯s apartment. Finding the door shut tight with no response to her knocks, she guessed Audrey wasn¡¯t in. As Catherine was about to turn away, the elevator doors opened behind her. Turning around, she saw Audrey stepping out of the elevator with Brian. Audrey seemed startled to see Catherine and quickly lowered her head, looking guilty. Brian greeted her with a cheerful smile, ¡°Cassie, what a coincidence to find you here!¡± Catherine responded coolly to his over- familiarity, ¡°We aren¡¯t close enough for such intimacy. Please, call me Miss Swann or Catherine.¡± Brian¡¯s smile froze, and he stood awkwardly, not knowing how to react. Catherine eyed Audrey silently. Feeling the pressure of Catherine¡¯s gaze, Audrey finally raised her head, forcing a smile. ¡°Kathy, what brings you here?¡± Instead of replying, Catherine kept scrutinizing her. Brian, perhaps to assert his presence, wrapped an arm around Audrey¡¯s waist. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to Catherine?¡± he suggested. Catherine didn¡¯t miss the flicker of difort on Audrey¡¯s face. After a brief silence, Audrey smiled and said, ¡± Kathy, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Brian.¡± Brian then added with a smile, ¡± Fianc¨¦, to be more precise.¡± ¡°Miss Swann, do you still find my form of address too intimate?¡± Though Brian¡¯s smile was suave, Catherine couldn¡¯t shake off a profound sense of repulsion. ¡°So, you¡¯re Audrey¡¯s fianc¨¦, how does that concern me?¡± Catherine retorted, ¡± If you¡¯re unfamiliar with my disposition, I suggest you do some homework.¡± Brian¡¯s practiced smile could not withstand Catherine¡¯s frosty tone, and his eyes swiftly cooled to a cial stare. Sensing the mounting tension, Audrey stepped in to prevent any conflict. ¡°Mr. White,¡± she said. Before Audrey could continue, Brian interjected, ¡°Why so formal?¡± Audrey, looking extremely ufortable, said, ¡°Brain, Kathy is rather reserved. Why don¡¯t you head back, and I¡¯ll chat with herter tonight.¡± Brian didn¡¯t trouble Audrey further. He tenderly stroked her hair, softly saying, ¡°Alright, but remember, we are to be married. I do hope for your family¡¯s blessing.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. With that, Brian departed the apartment, and Audrey trailed Catherine into the room. The time now came for a sisterly heart-to-heart. Chapter 866 Chapter 866 Fishing for Information? In the living room, Catherine sprawled on the sofa, her long legs casually resting on the coffee table. Across from her, Audrey sat straight-backed, hands on her knees, appearing like a schoolgirl ready to be lectured. To any outsider, it would be hard to believe that themanding Catherine was the younger sister while the attentive Audrey, seemingly awaiting instruction, was the elder. After Catherine¡¯s silent entrance, Audrey, unsure of Catherine¡¯s thoughts, bit her lip nervously. After much deliberation, she decided to speak up, tentatively asking, ¡± Catherine, do you disapprove of medating Brian?¡± Catherine slowly turned her head towards Audrey, replying leisurely, ¡°I don¡¯t meddle in your affairs.¡± Audrey trusted Catherine¡¯s word; unless she sought help, Catherine never interfered. With a sigh of resignation, Audrey cautiously admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say this, but I¡¯m dating Brian now.¡± Catherine gave her an extra nce at the serious promation. ¡°nning to get married?¡± Audrey was taken aback and quickly dismissed the idea. ¡°No! Brian just blurted it out. We¡¯ve only just made it official. Marriage is still a long way off. I¡¯m not rushing into it and currently have no thoughts on it.¡± Due to her family history, Audrey had always been uncertain if she could be a good wife or mother. She didn¡¯t look forward to marriage and even considered staying single forever. Catherine nodded nomittally. ¡± Well, it¡¯s your life. I¡¯m going to rest.¡± Not wanting to intrude further, Audrey returned to her room, the smile on her face copsing as she closed the door. Catherine¡¯s well-being is paramount to me, even at life¡¯s cost,¡¯ Audrey thought. Back in the living room, Catherine stayed on the sofa, flipping through her phone. She was looking at Brian¡¯s details sent by Zobber, finding nothing unusual. Brian seemed like the perfect heir with an impable background, yet his perfection made Catherine wary. Unaware of when she drifted off, Catherine awoke to Branden¡¯s call. She checked that Audrey¡¯s door was closed before agreeing to be picked up. Descending the stairs, her phone buzzed with an unknown number. ¡± Miss Swann, tomorrow is the deadline. Have you made your decision?¡± came the voice. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? You said tomorrow,¡± Catherine said, her eyes shimmering in the dense night. After a pause, the voice replied, ¡± Alright, let¡¯s go with what you said. I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me tomorrow.¡± Tomorrow held not only the deadline but also the date Catherine promised to submit a new report to the reditation council. Putting away her phone, Catherine was greeted by Branden¡¯s soothing voice from behind. Noticing her cold hands, Branden wrapped her in his coat with concern, his movements seamless. ¡°It was just from washing my hands, not the cold,¡± Catherine exined as Branden helped her into the warm car. Once inside, Branden said, ¡°Next time, wash your hands with warm water, not cold.¡± He held her close, their proximity allowing Catherine to catch his faint scent of alcohol. ¡°Didn¡¯t drink much tonight?¡± Catherine asked. With a chuckle, Branden replied, ¡°Why would I drown my sorrows when I¡¯m not the one who got dumped?¡± His voice was filled with a mix of scorn and mockery for Triston. To Branden, if not for Triston, he wouldn¡¯t have indulged in even a sip. ¡°Is Triston okay?¡± Catherine asked, her tone seemingly concerned, yet her expression remained cool and detached. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t kick the bucket, ¡°Branden answered, mocking the well- known yboy of Casier. ¡°His mess is of his own making.¡± The conversation turned to Audrey and Brian, with Catherine teasingly asking, ¡°So, are you here fishing for information?¡± Branden smirked. ¡°Spot on. I can y the seducer if need be. Are you game, Miss Swann?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine retorted with a yful wink, ¡°It all hinges on how much charm Mr. Duncan is prepared to part with in this game of seduction.¡± As the privacy screen in the rear of the car suddenly lifted, Branden¡¯s lips found their way to Catherine¡¯s flushed cheek, imprinting a tender kiss that held the promise of more. Chapter 867 Chapter 867 The Report Marshall entered theboratory and found Catherine seated in her office. He was confused. ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you going to the authentication conference? Catherine looked up at him, puzzled. ¡± Yeah. Why?¡± ¡°Then you should be preparing,¡± said Marshall. Catherine seemed to be carefree as a person who was going toattend a authentication conference. Catherine grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Someone will do it for me.¡± ¡°Look at you guys! What are you talking about?¡± Someone interrupted them. Marshall turned around and saw Ultan and Rn standing behind them. It was Rn speaking. Marshall looked at Ultan, wondering why they were there. Ultan exined, ¡± I invite Mr. Melton to the authentication conference.¡± Rn was the patron who founded the entire experiment. Although Marshall found it inappropriate, he didn¡¯t want to upset their sponsor. ¡°Dr. Hartley, what have you been talking with Catherine? You seemed to have fun,¡± asked Rn. He knew Catherine would not answer his question, so he turned to Marshall.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°I was worried about her preparation for the authentication conference,¡± answered Marshall. Ultan¡¯s face became serious at the mention of the conference. But Rn¡¯s gaze fell on Catherine, who was behind Marshall. ¡°Catherine has been reliable all the time. I believe she is well- prepared today. Am I right?¡± He did not expect her to reply. But she did. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tter me. I can afford to fail.¡± Hearing what she said, everyone was looking at each other in dismay and at a loss for words. They had known Catherine was frosty, but she was rarely so aggressive. Ultan was too shocked to speak. Luckily, Rn only sneered at her. He had been used to her harshness. Marshall changed the topic timely before things got nastier. ¡°It¡¯s about time. Shall we set out now?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine nodded. Marshall breathed a sigh of relief without her noticing. He had been worried that she would lose her temper. Together, they reched at the conference venue. ¡°Excuse me. I need to use the bathroom,¡± said Catherine. As soon as she walked into the bathroom, she received a call from the unknown man. ¡°Miss Swann, it has been three days. Have you made up your mind? I know you are at the authentication conference now. If you agree, I will ensure you are authenticated today,¡± said the man on the phone. Catherine¡¯s lips curled into a charming smile. ¡°Some powerful man, huh?¡± The man burst intoughter. ¡°I¡¯m ttered, Miss Swann. You know I can save you and Styre University from a ruined reputation. That would be enough.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no.¡± With that, Catherine hung up. She hated to be threatened. She would have cooperated if he asked politely, but yielding to force was not an option. When Catherine returned from the bathroom, Marshall noticed she was feeling low. He thought that she was stressed out because of the authentication and tried to cheer her up. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be anxious. We can alwayse back in a few years.¡± All brilliant scientific achievements were based on numerous failures and a significant amount of time. Honest researchers would not care about what it took as long as it ended well. Catherine didn¡¯t have time to reply. It was time for her to get on stage. The number of judges at the authentication conference was one- third less than expected since many didn¡¯t anticipate Catherine¡¯s sess. It would be a waste of time to attend themeeting. Catherine strode onto the stage confidently, unafraid of any challenges ahead. ¡°Excuse me. I just finished improvising my report. Do you mind if I print it now? ¡°asked Catherine. Rodge sent her the files via email just before she went on stage. People were booing from the audience, which clearly showed that they had no expectations for her. But Catherine couldn¡¯t care less. She stood there peacefully, gazing at the chairman and waiting for his approval. The chairman slowly replied, ¡°Since we are here already, a little waiting won¡¯t hurt. Print it now, please.¡± Rn couldn¡¯t stop staring at Catherine. The way she remained so calm had an impact on him that hecouldn¡¯t quite exin. Catherine began her speech after the files were printed and handed out to judges. This was the best way to demonstrate the difference between the current and previous reports. The speechsted for thirty minutes, and Catherine delivered it without stopping. She stood elegantly on stage,manding the attention of all. After finishing her speech, Catherine switched off her microphone. The audience remained silent for a long time. Marshall was the first one toe to his senses. Although he was Catherine¡¯s mentor, he was shocked by her talents. Who would have thought she couldplete such a perfect report in three days? The thunderous apuse shattered the silence. Catherine¡¯s talents charmed everyone. As people walked out of the venue, they still couldn¡¯t believe what had happened. Ultan had never been more uncertain. ¡°Will we be able to make it this time?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Marshall firmly. ¡°If we fail this time, those judges might as well quit their jobs.¡± He was not overly confident. As a professional, he knew clearly how incredible Catherine¡¯s report was. She was a genius, one of a kind. ¡°Congrats!¡± Rn reached out. Catherine nced at him faintly and ignored his hand. ¡°Thanks,¡± she answered. When she was leaving, she heard him asking from behind. ¡®You must have prepared for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Catherine sneered and left. Chapter 868 Chapter 868 The Mysterious Man ¡°Mr. Duncan, the authentication conference went very well,¡± said Paxton excitedly. He had predicted Catherine¡¯s sess based on her abilities but was still surprised by the news. Even Branden was joyful. ¡°Book a restaurant for me.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on it,¡± answered Paxton. He knew Branden would celebrate with Catherine tonight, so he hurried to arrange dinner and felt happy for her. Branden¡¯s phone buzzed loudly just as Paxton was leaving. It was a message from the mysterious man. He sent a message asking Branden for a project after being missing for two days. Branden didn¡¯t want to waste his time to text to useless people. He dialed thenumber. Soon, a woman answered his call. ¡°Mr. Branden, can¡¯t wait to reach me, huh?¡± Branden lowered his eyes and said arbitrarily, ¡°Cut the crap. I¡¯m sick of your voice. What do you want?¡± Branden could tell the person was using voice modification software to disguise himself. He could be a woman, or a man, or anything. The person burst intoughter. ¡°You are very blunt, Mr. Duncan. You are aware that if these photos were exposed, it could have a destructive impact on Miss Swann, right?¡± Branden¡¯s cold gaze became fierce. He asked, ¡°What else do you have apart from the pictures?¡± ¡°Nothing. And I know I can¡¯t incriminate her. But those pictures and videos are real, enough to ruin her life. I¡¯m afraid she will live like a rat, hiding in the darkness,¡± said the person. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Branden was provoked and warned him. Regardless of his warning, that person was still arrogant. Heughed and smiled, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I¡¯m fully aware of your strength and love for your fianc¨¦e. So, I believe you will give me thend I want, right?¡± ¡°Fine. You can have what you want. But how do I know if you have other copies of the pictures?¡± asked Branden. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mr. Duncan. If you give me thend, I will ensure you get what you want.¡± That person hung up. Branden stared at his phone coldly and wondered, ¡®How dare he threaten me with Catherine? Let¡¯s if he can bear my anger.¡¯ ¡°Congrats! How about we celebrate together tonight?¡± Ultan suggested. He was full of joy right now. Marshall also echoed, ¡°That sounds good. We should celebrate it. I¡¯ll book a restaurant.¡± He was not much of a party person, but he felt like a celebration today. Everyone looked at Catherine and waited for her response. ¡°Catherine,e with us!¡± said Rn gently. But Catherine refused immediately. ¡°I can¡¯t go. I have an appointment tonight.¡± Rn¡¯s face darkened instantly. He couldn¡¯t stand being rejected again and again. Marshal noticed Rn¡¯s darkened face and tried to lighten the mood. He asked, ¡°Are you going to have dinnerwith Mr. Duncan?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Catherine admitted. She just got a message from Branden asking for dinner together. Marshallughed. ¡°That¡¯s why you turn us down. Well, since you have a date with your boyfriend tonight, there¡¯s no reason not to let you go.¡± While Marshall was talking, Rn¡¯s face was overcast with gloom. Ultan could not bear to watch anymore. He covered his eyes, lost in words. Marshall saw Catherine off and then turned to Ultan and Rn. ¡°So, just us now. What¡¯s the n?¡± Rn rejected him without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m going back to thepany. I¡¯ll see you around.¡± Marshall shrugged when Ultan rolled his eyes at him. ¡°You know that love can¡¯t be forced. Forget about them. Let¡¯s have a drink and celebrate.¡± The two of them had been colleagues and friends for years. Although they were in different positions, Ultan still felt happy for Marshall. So he said, ¡°The drinks on you.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°What did you say? Catherine made it?¡± Finn¡¯s eyes widened at the news. Ronin, who was sitting beside him, was not surprised at all. Finn looked at him in confusion. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you surprised? Have you been aware of this all the time?¡± Ronin sneered at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know her at all. You have no idea how talented she is.¡± Ronin couldn¡¯t help but feel proud when he talked about Catherine. Finn had never seen him like this before. Even since Ronin surrendered, he had been totally different from before. Finn had little suspicion of him because he frankly showed his admiration for Catherine. If he ever tried to deny it, Finn would immediately suspect him. ¡°Really? If she is so great, why does she never try to rescue you?¡± Finn deliberately provoked him. If this were before, Ronin would have fought with Finn for what he said. But he only smiled bitterly. His silence failed Finn. He couldn¡¯t help but provoke him again. ¡°You little shithead! Have you finished what you¡¯ve been asked to do? I¡¯m gonna beat the shit out of you!¡± Ronin threw the mouse away after hearing what he said. ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Ronin. But there was nothing Finn could do to him. ¡°Very well. Just wait and see what would happen to you when you are totally useless to the boss.¡± With that, he left the room angrily. Ronin picked up the mouse and sneered, staring nkly at theputer. Chapter 869 Chapter 869 In the Club ¡°Congrattions, Miss Swann!¡± Branden was all smiles when he looked at the breathtakingly beautiful girl. Luckily, she belonged to him. Catherine met Branden, who had been waiting for her for a while, at the entrance. She was stunned when he called her ¡°Miss Swann.¡± But then, she smiled gracefully at him. ¡± Congrattions to you too, my dear boyfriend,¡± she said.Branden was more than happy to hear that. He proudly held her hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s celebrate!¡± Branden intended to have some alone time with Catherine over dinner and let her rx. But Zobber called on their way to the restaurant and asked to join them for the celebration. After discussion, they decided to have dinner first and then have a gatheringin a club with everybody. Zobber and others were all in favor of this n. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Branden stepped on the gas at Catherine¡¯s words. They quickly finished their dinner so they could go to the club earlier. But still, they were thest to arrive. Zobber invited Audrey. The atmosphere in the box was high with them gathered together. Only one was missing. Zobber raised her ss for a toast. She stood on the chair and yelled. ¡°To Catherine!¡± Catherine smiled and raised her ss. She took a picture of them clinking sses. Zobber was the first one to notice. She eximed, ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s rare to see you taking a picture! Are you going to post it on your Facebook?¡± Catherine was not a social person. She barely talked to others if it was not forher job or tasks. All of her social media profiles were a white picture, which revealed nothing about her. So Zobber was quite surprised to see Catherine take a picture. Catherine only grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna post it anywhere. Just for memory.¡± She then swiftly sent the picture to someone and deleted the history. No one knew who it was. Zobber could only stop asking. She quickly immersed herself in the lively atmosphere.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Compared to Zobber, Catherine was much quieter. Audrey approached Catherine when Catherine sat back. ¡°Cassie, congrattions! I don¡¯t know about science, but I heard your experiment is tough. It¡¯s so amazing that you could make it.¡± Audrey felt happy and proud of Catherine. Catherine grinned. She only showed her tenderness and smiles to her family and friends. ¡°It¡¯s not done yet. The experiment has only been certified now. Although Audrey didn¡¯t understand what Catherine meant, she felt happy for her. ¡°I¡¯m so happy today. I have to use the bathroom. I¡¯ve drunk too much. Zobber returned from the bathroom. She looked around and did not find Audrey in the room. She could not help but say, ¡°Guess who I ran into in the hallway?¡± ¡°Spider man?¡± Withal joked. Zobber grabbed an orange and threw it at him. ¡°Screw you! I saw Triston in the next room.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? He has been in Loxtontely. And there are only two famous clubs in Loxton. It¡¯s onlynormal to see him here.¡± Although Withal was not close to Triston, he heard about his reputation. He heard that Triston only restrained himself during the rtionship with Audrey. So it was not a big deal to see him in a club. Zobber red at him. ¡°Will you hear me out? I was going to tell you guys what I saw in his box. There were all pretty girls in short skirts, apart from several men. He has be his old self. Zobber couldn¡¯t help but quiver at the mention of what she saw, which was uneptable to her. ¡°I thought Triston is pursuing Audrey? Why does he linger in the clubs? He¡¯s going to wreck himself within three years if he doesn¡¯t stop,¡± said Zobber. Then she realized everyone was giving her a weird gaze, and no one responded to her. She was confused. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Following their gaze, Zobber turned around and found Audrey standing there. Zobber was so embarrassed that she didn¡¯t know where to look. All she knew was she was in big trouble. She was too excited to notice Audrey¡¯s return. No wonder Withal tipped her a wink. Too bad she didn¡¯t get it. ¡± Audrey, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡­.¡± Audrey stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to tell me anything unrted to me in the future,¡± she said. Zobber felt so frustrated. She thought she must have upset Audrey. However, Catherine observed the sorrow in Audrey¡¯s eyes even though she tried to look frosty. ¡®Audrey is a faithful lover. If she is in a rtionship with Brian, she would not be so sad atmentioning another man. Something must be wrong, thought Catherine. But she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she wanted to discover the truth before talking to Audrey. Zobber made an excuse and got out. She felt bad for what she said. Paxton followed her out and found her standing in the hallway, looking frustrated. He handed her gums. Ever since Branden quit smoking, he did, too. He kept some gums in his pocket just in case. Zobber did not take it. She was in a bad mood. ¡°What if they break up because of me? They are already in a bad rtionship now.¡± This was her biggest concern. She didn¡¯t want to be the reason why they couldn¡¯t get back together. Chapter 870 Chapter 870 Audrey¡¯s Secret ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if they don¡¯t get back together, it¡¯s not because of you,¡± said Paxton. The certainty in his tone confused Zobber. She tilted her head to study him, trying to get a clue from his expression. ¡°What does that supposed to mean?¡± asked Zobber. ¡°You act like you know something about them.¡± Seeing that Zobber was still bemused, Paxton decided to tell her the truth. ¡± Audrey has a boyfriend now.¡± Zobber was stunned by the sudden news. Then she came to her senses. She looked at Paxton in shock and asked, ¡± For real? Like a new boyfriend?¡± ¡°For what I can tell, yes.¡± Paxton also found it fishy, so he cautiously chose his words. ¡°Well, Audrey said so to Miss Swann. I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Zobber knew Paxton very well. Although he put on a poker face daily, he was reliable. If he said so, it would very likely be the truth. However, Zobber still felt sorry for Audrey and Triston. They were once a lovely couple, but unfortunately, they had separated. To think how awkward it would be for them to meet in the future. Anyway, what Paxton said did unburden her. She was afraid that she might be the reason they broke up. But when it came to love, it was a matter that concerned only the two of them. She took the gun from Paxton¡¯s hand and raised one eyebrow at him with a smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± Then she swiftly left. Paxton looked at her from behind, his lips curled at the corners, with a helpless expression. It was kind of awkward in the box. Audrey sat there for a while and couldn¡¯t help but feel ufortable. She told Catherine she wanted to leave early. Immediately, Catherine stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡± But they only gathered here to celebrate for Catherine. How could she ask Catherine to send her home? ¡± Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯ll call an Uber. It¡¯ll be quick. You stay here and have some fun. I don¡¯t want to be the party pooper. I would love to stay, but my work has exhausted me.¡± Catherine was well aware of why she wanted to leave, but she did not say anything. ¡°My driver will send you home.¡± Branden proposed. Catherine asked to send Audrey home mainly to ensure her safety. Audrey was a celebrity usually stalked by fans. But Branden¡¯s drivers were all well- trained. They would do it just fine. So she agreed to Branden. Audrey agreed as it would reassure Catherine. ¡°That would be great. You guys can have fun here.¡± Branden walked her out while Catherine was sitting in the corner and looking at the party people. Withal slowly moved to her. Sensing his movement, Catherine turned to him. ¡± You got something to say?¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Withal slightly nodded. ¡°Yep. I have been out of touch with Wantells for a long time. I¡¯m worried about him.¡± ¡°For how long exactly?¡± asked Catherine. ¡°At least for a week.¡± Withal frowned in concern. But Catherine was not entirely surprised by this news. She was so calm, as if everything was in control. ¡± It¡¯s just typical Wantells. He loves to disconnect from the world. There was a time when I could not reach him for half a year. But he came to me atst.¡± Withal was going to argue that this time was different. But he shut up anyway when he sensed Catherine had no intention of continuing on this topic. He wouldn¡¯t have even noticed if Wantells had been gone for half a month before. If there was one thing inmon among the members of the Hacker Alliance, it was their dislike of being tied down. It wasmon for them to vanish for months and cut off contact with everyone. But once they were on a mission, they would notdisappear for no reason. The Hacker Alliance was experiencing turbulent times, and Wantells knew the situation. It would be odd if he disappeared at this point. What was even odder was Catherine¡¯s attitude. Withal thought, ¡®If I can see through this, so can she. But she doesn¡¯t look worried about Wantells at all. Does she know where he is?¡¯ Despite her young age, Catherine had a deep thought. Or else, she wouldn¡¯t have be the leader of the Hacker Alliance at a young age and won everyone¡¯s trust. Withal decided to believe in her. Branden¡¯s driver drove Audrey to her apartment building. She wanted him to go back directly, but the driver refused. ¡°No offense, Miss Swann, but Mr. Duncan had made it clear that I must send you home.¡± Audrey grinned. She knew they could not disobey Branden. And Branden ced the order because he was worried about her safety. Audrey didn¡¯t argue anymore and went upstairs with the driver. When the elevator door was about to open, the driver stepped forward, blocking her behind with one hand on his waist. ¡± Miss Swann, if anything happens, run straight to the car. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± The cars of the Duncans were all well- equipped. It would be a perfect ce to hide. Audrey nodded silently. She knew the driver must have sensed something. Otherwise, he would not be on guard. It got tenser as the door opened slowly. The driver was ready to attack when the door was fully open. ¡°Aud, you are home.¡± The driver cautiously looked at the man standing by the door, studying him with his eyes. Seeing Brian at the door, Audrey exined to the driver. ¡°It¡¯s okay, he¡¯s my boyfriend.¡± The driver rxed a little at her words. Brian looked up and down at the driver and pulled Audrey into his arms. Audrey was instinctively reluctant. But shepromised when she looked into his gaze.Sensing Audrey¡¯s abnormality, the driver did not leave right away. Brian was provoked. He frowned and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± The driver didn¡¯t move at all. He was waiting for Audrey¡¯s instruction. It got awkward. So Audrey said, ¡°I¡¯m home already. You can go back now. I¡¯ll text Catherer.¡± With that, the driver left. Audrey¡¯s smile wore off after the driver left. Her face turned frosty. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you not toe anymore?¡± Her frosty attitude made Brian¡¯s face darken. ¡°Audrey, don¡¯t forget who you are.¡± Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Catherine¡¯s Strange Reaction Catherine received a text from Audrey when the driver who had arranged to drop Audrey off returned. ¡°Miss Swann, Miss Audrey has returned to her apartment, but we met a man at the door that Miss Audrey says is her boyfriend.¡± The driver dutifully reported and Catherine listened in silence. She knew there had to be something the driver hadn¡¯t said. If they had just met Audrey¡¯s boyfriend, the driver wouldn¡¯t have made such a point of emphasizing it all over again. Catherine said, ¡°Just say what you want to say.¡± The driver nodded. ¡°I felt that Miss Audrey¡¯s expression at that time seemed a bit strange. She looked a little disgusted or even intimidated.¡± In the driver¡¯s opinion, under normal circumstances, when girls met their boyfriends at their doors, they would be surprised and happy, but Audrey¡¯s expression at that time was indeed a bit strange. Although it was Audrey who let him go, he was still a bit uneasy in his heart and reported this matter to Catherine after he came back. ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± Catherine responded. After that, the driver silently left. Branden, who was sitting on the side, inquired in a low voice, ¡°Should we look into it?¡± He also felt that this matter was strange. He thought Audrey didn¡¯t look like someone who would immediately ept a new rtionship. ¡°No need.¡± Catherine directly rejected Branden¡¯s proposal. ¡°I¡¯ve alreadyarranged for someone to look into it.¡± Hearing that she had already started to investigate, Branden stayed out of the way.The next day, a heavyweight news shocked the entire Loxton financial circle. A while ago, the two big groups that were still fighting fiercely, suddenly announced their cooperation. The outside world was in an uproar as a result. The stock prices of the two groups had been rising all the way.Although both groups made profits, the Duncan Corporation lost in terms of reputation. The Duncan Corporation was called a traitor byizens. When the DuncanCorporation fought against foreign monopolies with its own strength back then, the crowd apuded, but it was only a short timeter that it coborated with a foreignpany, which made everyone start to dislike it. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the delegation from Breen Group is here. Should we let them in?¡± Paxton inquired cautiously. He could tell Branden wasn¡¯t in a good mood right now. The delegation from Breen Group came just in time to let Branden vent his anger. Branden said, ¡°Let them in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Paxton slowly retreated. Shortly thereafter, the office door that had just been closed was opened again. Paxton walked into Branden¡¯s office with the representative members of the Breen Group. They were the general manager and the deputy director of Breen Group. Both of them had high positions in the Breen Group, and they only took orders from Shane. As soon as the general manager entered the office, he looked at Branden with a smile on his face and said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, congrattions. The Duncan Corporation¡¯s stock price has risen quite a bit today.¡± Branden was expressionless. He looked at that general manager with cold eyes. ¡°Who gave you permission to publicize our coboration?¡± The oppressive feeling made the general manager of Breen Group feel a bit creepy. He only felt this sense of oppression in front of Shane before. He didn¡¯t expect that he would actually feel it today in front of a youth who was even youngerthan him by about ten years. After freezing for a moment, the general manager reacted. He looked at Branden with a smile on his face and coughed lightly. ¡°Mr. Duncan, regardless of the process, the current result is good, isn¡¯t it? I believe that with your wisdom and intelligence, you wouldn¡¯t be the one to hold on to the details. You value the result more, right?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Branden snorted coldly, his cold and disdainful gaze sweeping back and forth on the general manager. His fierce and hostile eyes intimidated the general manager of Breen Group and made him swallow back what he wanted to say next. Branden¡¯s attitude made it difficult for him to understand. He secretly thought in his heart, ¡°This is clearly a mutually beneficial situation. Why is Brandenunwilling to make it public?¡± Paxton took out the contract signed by both parties and ced it in front of everyone. ¡°This is the agreement we signed. One of the uses clearly states that this project cannot be made public. Otherwise, we have the right to terminate the contract at any time.¡± The general manager of Breen Group was a bit flustered when he saw the Duncan Corporation¡¯s resolute attitude and the appearance that they were going to make a big deal out of it. ¡°Mr. Duncan, what are you¡­¡± Without waiting for him to finish his words, the deputy manager beside him took out a check from among his pockets and handed it over. ¡°Mr. Duncan, you are right. It was us who breached the contract first. However, our purpose is also for the benefit of both parties. The contract stiptesthat you have the right to cancel the contract, but at the same time, the supplementary use also says that as long as we give the appropriatepensation, the project cooperation can still be continued, right?¡± The general manager of Breen Group looked at the deputy director beside him in surprise and instantly understood why their chairman suddenly requested the deputy director to attend with him. It turned out that their chairman had long anticipated the current situation and arranged such a move. Branden¡¯s face darkened, and his expression could tell everyone his dissatisfaction at the moment. No one would have a good attitude after being fooled by someone. ¡°Walk them out.¡± The simple words showed Branden¡¯s mood at thismoment. Paxton thought in his heart as he coldly gestured the members of the Breen Group to leave, ¡°Hmph, you guys dare to negotiate with Mr. Duncan. You¡¯re seeking death, aren¡¯t you? We¡¯re kind enough not to use force to drive you out. 11 The deputy director smiled mysteriously. He put down the check before turning to leave. When the members of Breen Group were gone, Paxton returned to the office. He cautiously asked Branden, ¡°Mr. Duncan, we¡¯re being fooled.¡± Branden¡¯s eyes lowered and his cold gaze fell on the check on the table. ¡± Take it and donate it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Although Paxton was a little reluctant to part with this money in hisheart, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything on the surface. He muttered inwardly, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s such arge amount of money. He¡¯s worthy of being Mr. Duncan. He can donate such arge amount of money without even blinking his eyes.¡± ¡°Super Catherine, Super Catherine¡­¡¯ Amelia rushed into Catherine¡¯s office and ced her cell phone in front of her. ¡°Look!¡± Catherine nced over seeing the phone¡¯s screen all covered with thetest financial news.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯re a student from the electronic information engineering department. Why are you so concerned about the financial world?¡± Amelia thought Catherine hadn¡¯t seen the news yet, so she quickly exined, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m concerned about the financial world, but today¡¯s trend is rted to the Duncan Corporation. Super Catherine, look. The Duncan Corporation actually cooperates with the Breens.¡± Although Amelia didn¡¯t know what kind of grudge Catherine had against the Breens, she knew that the Breens didn¡¯t get along with Catherine and that the current owner of the Duncan Corporation was Branden. In Amelia¡¯s opinion, no matter what, Branden, who was Catherine¡¯s boyfriend, should not cooperate with the Breens. Catherine naturally noticed the news. She just didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°Well, I saw it, but it has nothing to do with me.¡± After saying that, Catherine continued to deal with her work. Her attitude made Amelia a little puzzled. She asked inwardly, ¡°Isn¡¯t Catherine even angry?¡± She hesitantly looked at Catherine. Seeing that Catherine was concentrating on her work, although she felt strange, she didn¡¯t want to bother her any further, so she quietly left. Chapter 872 Chapter 872 He Betrayed You Not long after Amelia left, Zobber urgently called Catherine.Catherine nced at her cell phone. She didn¡¯t want to connect it, but eventually picked the call up. Zobber said, ¡°Catherine, have you seen the news? Mr. Duncan¡¯s coboration with the Breens was actually officially announced.¡± Although they had received the news before, Zobber was still shocked when it was announced. In her mind, she asked, ¡°What kind of business is it to make Mr. Duncan willing to pay such a high price? He¡¯s made the Duncan Corporation a target of criticism this time.¡± ¡°Amelia just showed me the news. You called just for that?¡± Noticing some impatience in Catherine¡¯s voice, Zobber immediately hung up. ¡°Catherine, now that you know it, I¡¯ll let you do your things. You continue working. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Hearing the beep sound of the phone hanging up from the other end of the line, Catherine¡¯s brows furrowed as she thought in her mind, ¡°Looks like they¡¯re pretty idle. It¡¯s time to get them some work.¡± Catherine spent a peaceful afternoon in theb as she dropped her cell phone in her office. By the end of the afternoon, she had just stepped out of the door of theb when she was stopped in her tracks. ¡± Catherine, why don¡¯t you answer my calls? I was trying to contact you.¡± Catherine gave Rn a cold nce and pointed to herself, asking, ¡°Do you see me having a ce to put my cell phone? Catherine was wearing specialb coveralls. There were no pockets and there really wasn¡¯t a ce to put her cell phone. She was in theb and Rn couldn¡¯t reach her, so he personally came to theb. Theb room that Catherine was in was the key of the key, and it was hard for outsiders to get in. Even if Rn had sponsorship status, he could only wait outside theb room. Catherine didn¡¯t want to exin too much to him because she felt it was unnecessary. ¡°What do you want? Why don¡¯t you just tell me directly?¡± Rn said, ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to talk.¡± Catherine walked toward theb room with Rn following close behind. Just as they went in, Rn couldn¡¯t wait but say, ¡°Catherine, didn¡¯t you see what Branden did? He betrayed you. He¡¯s an evil capitalist.¡± Catherineughed softly. Rn looked at her in disbelief. He didn¡¯t understand why Catherine wasughing. In his mind, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s so funny about what I said? Wasn¡¯t what I said the truth?¡± After that, he asked, ¡°Catherine, why are youughing like that?¡± Catherine red coldly at him. ¡°You have the nerve to call Branden an evil capitalist. What about you? You¡¯re funny!¡± Rn¡¯s face became incredibly embarrassed as a result, and he didn¡¯t expect Catherine to still trust Brandenat this point. ¡°No matter what, now Branden¡¯s cooperation with the Breens is an irond fact. Catherine, do you still want to continue the rtionship with him? Didn¡¯t you say that you hate being betrayed?¡± Catherine tapped on her cell phone and the printer on the side started working. Rn was enraged by Catherine¡¯s attitude. He looked at Catherine with an incredulous face. ¡°Are you even in the mood to work right now?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at my printout before you say anything?¡± Catherine replied.Rn nced at her suspiciously, then turned to pick up the printout on the printer and checked it. The moment he read the contents, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but widen a bit. He turned his head to Catherine, his face full of undisguised surprise. ¡± Catherine, what¡­¡± Catherine¡¯s expression became cold and she looked at him with cold eyes. Rn, did you ever think about what you did when you said Branden was an evil capitalist? Has your family worked with the Breens any less? Isn¡¯t this considered a betrayal?¡± Facing Catherine¡¯s questioning, Rn tried his best to exin. ¡°Catherine, this is the family¡¯s cooperation. It has nothing to do with me. I have no¡­¡± Catherine raised her hand to stop his incessant chatter. That wasn¡¯t what she wanted to hear. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t bother me here. Go away!¡± Rn originally wanted to make Catherine see Branden¡¯s true colors through this incident, but to his surprise, Catherine had actually foundout about his family¡¯s cooperation with the Breens. ¡°Catherine, I know I should feel ashamed about that, but you have to believe me. It¡¯s done by my family. It has nothing to do with me.¡± Rn walked out of theb full of chagrin, but when he got in the car, he changed his expression immediately. Seeing this, his assistant couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Melton, is it okay for Miss Swann to find out about these?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Rn sneered. ¡°It was not me who did it. Why is it not okay?¡± He thought to himself, ¡°These have nothing to do with me at all. It¡¯s all my family¡¯s cooperation. Why should I be med for these? Besides, if Catherine can even forgive the Duncan Corporation for partnering with the Breens, then why can¡¯t she forgive me? The assistant was secretly relieved. He was really worried that Catherine would get angry with their boss, and every time Catherine got angry, the ones who would end up suffering would be them. He didn¡¯t want to work with trepidation, so he wanted his boss to stay in a pleasant mood. ¡°Mr. Melton, in that case, should we deal with the Duncan Corporation?¡± Rn, who was originally resting with his eyes closed, immediately opened his eyes when he heard this. He scared the assistant to shut his mouth immediately. Rn then said in a deep voice, ¡°Arrange it!¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Melton.¡± ¡°Catherine, aren¡¯t you going back to rest yet?¡± Marshall passed byCatherine¡¯s office and saw that the lights were still on. He poked his head in to take a look, but to his surprise, Catherine was still working hard. Upon hearing Marshall¡¯s voice, Catherine slowly looked up. ¡°Professor Hartley, I still have some literature to cross-reference. I¡¯ll go back when I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stay up toote. Don¡¯t stay upte just because you¡¯re young. I¡¯m apanying my wife on a trip to Winston¡¯s. Don¡¯t make me worry,¡± Marshall reminded. There was still no news about Winston. They had been close friends for years and Marshall had to be there to visit Winston and see if there was anything he could do to help and take care of. Catherine nodded andforted him. ¡± Well, okay. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about Professor Warner. He¡¯ll befine.¡± It was rare to hearforting words from Catherine, and Marshall inexplicably felt some sense of relief. ¡± Alright, I know it. Remember to go back early.¡± Speaking of this, Marshall felt it was funny. As a teacher, he often asked his students to work hard, but in front of Catherine, he constantly reminded her to pay attention to her health and work less overtime. It wasn¡¯t long after Marshall left that Catherine packed up and left work. She knew Marshall would be backter if she didn¡¯t leave. ¡°Kathy.¡± A familiar voice stopped Catherine in her tracks as she had just walked out of theb building. She looked up to see Branden standing in a position not far ahead of her with one hand in his pocket.On his handsome face, there was a hint of bitterness in his smile, and his gaze was not as firm as before.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. He wanted to go forward, but when he saw Catherine frowning, he hesitated and then stopped. Seeing that, Catherine took the initiative to walk toward him. Chapter 873 Chapter 873 Regaining Freedom ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send me a message when you got here?¡± Catherine stared Branden up and down. Her eyes were cold. Her seemingly unchanged expression had changed. Such a gaze made Branden somewhat unsure of what Catherine was thinking at the moment. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°I was afraid that you didn¡¯t want to see me. I didn¡¯t dare to contact you, so I waited here.¡± As he spoke, his Adam¡¯s apple kept rolling up and down due to his mood swings, carrying a fatal attraction. After thinking about it, Branden decided to wait there without contacting Catherine. It was the only way he could infallibly meet her. After hearing this, Catherine said expressionlessly, ¡°What if I work all night tonight?¡± Branden replied firmly without hesitation, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait until dawn.¡± ¡°Why do you think I don¡¯t want to see you?¡± Catherine asked. Branden tugged at the corner of his mouth and smiled bitterly. ¡°My coboration with Breen Group has been exposed. You should have already seen the news.¡± Catherine stepped forward as soon as she could, instantly shortening the distance between the two. She reached out and yanked Branden¡¯s cor as soon as she could, pulling his entire body violently in her direction. ¡°Since you know about my grudge against Shane, you¡¯re still coborating with him. You¡¯re so brave.¡± ¡°Kathy, I can¡¯t exin it to you right now, but I promise I will never do anything to disappoint you.¡± Branden looked firmly at Catherine. Catherine smiled faintly, but soon the smile on her face disappeared, followed by a cold look as she pushed Branden away. ¡°Enough. As I said, what I hate the most is betrayal. By daring to work with the Breens, you are betraying me.¡± Branden¡¯s face was full of pain. He tried to exin, but his hand was pushed away by Catherine before he could touch her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you traitor,¡± Catherine said and quickly left. Branden wanted to chase after her, but when he thought of the determination on Catherine¡¯s face just now, all he could do was stand in ce holding his head in pain. He stood downstairs alone for a long time until Catherine¡¯s figurepletely disappeared, then he slowly left. As soon as he left, the person standing upstairs immediately sent the video that had been captured just now. The man then dialed the mysterious phone number. ¡°Sir, Branden had a fight with Catherine. Branden has left now.¡± After reporting the situation, the man hung up the phone and disappeared into theb building. Inside the apartment, it was quiet and dark. Branden pushed the door open and slowly walked in. Suddenly, a st of wind whistled. Out of instinct, Branden subconsciously dodged. In the darkness, someone attacked Branden quickly and frantically with fast punches. After a few punches, Branden suddenly stopped dodging. He was punched in the stomach by Catherine. ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep dodging?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Branden¡¯s low, softughter rang out in the dimly lit room. ¡°How can I dodge when my woman hits me? How about a couple more punches if you¡¯re still angry?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not funny.¡± Catherine got bored and walked to the couch to lie down. Branden then turned the lights on. Catherine was huddling up on the couch. Branden walked up and picked her up in a hug. ¡°If you¡¯re so bored, you can treat me as the sandbag and practice.¡± Catherine tilted her head and looked at him seriously. ¡°How many punches from me do you think you can take?¡± Branden was a little helpless. He had a boxing champion girlfriend, which had both advantages and disadvantages. Branden smiled brightly and chose to avoid the subject. ¡°How about I cook some food for you? You¡¯ve been workingte. You must be hungry, right?¡± Catherine red at him with a disgusted face. ¡°It¡¯s useless to please me, you traitor.¡± She reached up and pinched Branden¡¯s nose, tormenting it back and forth. If it had been any other person who dared to treat Branden like this, that person might have been killed by Branden a long time ago. Only Catherine could treat him like this. Branden backhanded her hand in his own arms, restricting her movement, and then put his reddened nose close to her delicate neck and rubbed it back and forth as if in retaliation. ¡°Am I a traitor? Don¡¯t you know that my heart and body all belong to you?¡± Catherine turned around and bit down directly on his shoulder with all the force she could muster. Branden only frowned, not even grunting.But he, who had been nning to go to cook something suddenly changed his mind. He was aroused. He needed to release before he had the strength to make Catherine¡¯s food. Turning over, Branden immediately pressed Catherine under his body¡­ ¡°Got it!¡± Ronin said softly, and Finn, who had been groggy, immediately woke up. He rushed forward in front of Ronin with a thud. His movements were too fast, almost squeezing Ronin away. When he saw the information on the screen, a delighted smile appeared on his face.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. He patted Ronin¡¯s shoulder lightly andplimented, ¡°Good job. You cracked it so quickly. No wonder our boss said that you have talent inputers.¡± Ronin tugged at the corner of his lips, and a very mocking smile showed on his face. He couldn¡¯t help but mutter in his heart, ¡°You captured me after seeing my talent. Is that considered good for me? I¡¯m an innocent man, but I get into trouble because of my talent.¡± Finn looked at the information he had and copied it directly to a USB sh drive. ¡°I¡¯ll take the information to the boss. Let¡¯s see what he says.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ronin didn¡¯t stop Finn and didn¡¯t even have the intention to negotiate conditions. This made Finn a little confused. He curiously asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that after I leave with the information, you won¡¯t have the bargaining chip to negotiate with our boss?¡± Ronin slowly looked up, his cold gaze falling on him. ¡°What can I do if I¡¯m afraid?¡± If he was able to negotiate with the other party, how could he be imprisoned there now? Right now, he was like a bird in a cage. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn¡¯t get free. Finn was silent for a moment. He thought Ronin had a point. He took the information and slowly walked out. Ronin, on the other hand,y back on the bed to rest. He thought to himself, ¡± I stole the information just now. I can¡¯t negotiate but I can at least rest, right?¡± After an unknown time, Ronin felt someone open the door in a daze. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Finn standing in his doorway. Then he fell back down to continue resting. ¡°Ronin, get up!¡± Finn¡¯s shout made Ronin somewhat dissatisfied. Heturned over and sat up, frowning and ring angrily at Finn. ¡°What the hell is it that you have to wake me up?¡± ¡°Go,¡± Finn said tersely. Ronin didn¡¯t seem to hear and froze for a moment before responding. He looked up and stared at Finn with wide eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Finn pursed his lips. ¡°Congrattions. You regain your freedom.¡± Chapter 874 Chapter 874 The Price of Freedom Ronin thought in his mind with some shock, ¡°I¡¯m free?¡± Although he confirmed it again, he still couldn¡¯t believe what he heard. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll walk you out.¡± Finn waved at Ronin, signaling him to stand up. Ronin stood up with a bewildered look on his face and followed Finn. When he was about to walk out the door, he came back to his senses. He stopped in his tracks while calling Finn to a halt. ¡°Wait, I have one more thing to do.¡± Finn turned around to look at him, his mocking eyes filled with curiosity. ¡± What? Do you want to stay? Don¡¯t be greedy. Since you have the chance to leave, leave as fast as you can. If ourboss changes his mindter, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°No!¡± Ronin shook his head and then said firmly, ¡°I want to see sh.¡± He wanted to see sh again before leaving. Hearing his request, Finn was a little surprised. He had originally thought that Ronin was going to request money or something like that, but he didn¡¯t expect that he actually wanted to see their captain. In these days, sh¡¯s situation had been getting worse and worse. In the beginning, sh was indeed very good to Finn. Finn was very worried about sh in his heart, but with their boss watching him, he couldn¡¯t do anything. After hesitating for a moment, Finn made the decision. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you there. But you only have three minutes. When the time is up, you must go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ronin agreed. Three minutes was enough time for him. He followed Finn to the detention room on the third floor below. He saw sh there. Finn opened the door and Ronin slowly walked in. Ronin was very punctual and appeared at the door in just three minutes. Finn didn¡¯t know exactly what Ronin and sh had talked about. Due to the time constraints, he couldn¡¯t think too much and could only take Ronin out first. The dazzling sunlight lightly sprinkled on Ronin. He forgot how long it had been since he had seen sunlight likethis. He lifted his head and closed his eyes, enjoying the baptism of sunlight. Finn threw him a car key. ¡°There¡¯s a car ahead. Go! This is thest gift from the boss to you.¡± Ronin, however, remembered something else. ¡°Where¡¯s Professor Warner?¡± He hadn¡¯t seen Winston in a few days and wondered what his current situation was. Upon hearing his question, Finn showed a very eerie smile. ¡°I thought you only cared about your freedom. I didn¡¯t expect you to remember your mentor. But it doesn¡¯t help that you remember him. Ronin, you need to know that your freedom is hard won, so don¡¯t you think about others.¡± Hearing him out, Ronin¡¯s face immediately sank. He wanted toeforward and ask in detail, but Finn had already left, not even giving him the chance to continue asking. Ronin instantly understood. It turned out that the reason why they let him go so easily was because they still had something in their hands that could continue to threaten him. They knew that he valued Winston, so to make him willing to do things for them, they released him, leaving Winston as a bargaining chip. Ronin cursed in his mind, ¡°You guys think you can hold me like that? It¡¯s ridiculous!¡± He knew that staying wouldn¡¯t change anything now, so he could only leave first.In the quiet conference room of the Duncan Corporation, the departmentmanagers were reporting on the situation. Suddenly, the door of the conference room was pushed open from outside. Afterward, Paxton walked in through the door with a serious face. He came to Branden and whispered about something. Branden then stood up and said to the secretary at the side, ¡°The meeting is suspended. I will notify you of the new meeting time.¡± The secretary immediately responded, ¡± Okay, Mr. Duncan.¡± After that, Branden strode away with Paxton, leaving behind a group of executives to face each other and discuss. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Why is Mr. Duncan gone?¡± ¡°He left so suddenly. Something big must have happened.¡± ¡°I think so. Did you notice how serious Mr. Paxton¡¯s face was when he walked in?¡± ¡°Yes, I noticed it too.¡± Branden hurried back to the office with Paxton. As soon as he sat down, he reached out and unbuttoned the cor, looking obviously a little impatient. ¡± Tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan, our database has been stolen. A very important batch of data is missing. If this batch of data leaks out, our cooperation with Breen Group will be ruined, and it will be dered in the name of our breach of contract,¡± said Paxton. In that case, not only would the Duncan Corporation lose its business, but it would also pay out lots of money for breach of contract, and the entire Duncan Corporation would be plunged into a crisis. Branden looked at Paxton with a cold expression and asked, ¡°Have you found out who the thief is?¡± ¡°The security department has fully verified and they have a suspicious target.¡± Paxton looked at Branden with an embarrassed expression and didn¡¯t dare to say anything further. Upon seeing this, Branden¡¯s voice immediately became cold. ¡°Who is it? Just tell me directly.¡± The cold voice made Paxton tremble all over. He told Branden the suspicious target. ¡°They suspect it¡¯s Ronin. We were also attacked by Ronin once before. There was no loss that time, but the security department recorded Ronin¡¯s attack way and dynamics. The attack way this time is very simr to thest time, and it is very likely to be the same person.¡± The security department of the Duncan Corporation wasn¡¯t just a facade, it was full of top technical experts. It was natural that they could be so sure because they had evidence in this regard. The person who stole their data should be Ronin. That wasn¡¯t wrong. After Branden heard the news, his eyes immediately darkened. ¡°Make the news public.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Paxton knew that Branden was not trying to avoid Catherine by doing this. As long as the news went public, Catherine would soon know it. The two were discussing their strategy when there was a sudden knock on the door, followed by the secretary pushing her way in. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the delegation from the Breen Group is here. They want to see you. They said they have something very important.¡± ¡°Take them to the reception room. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Branden instructed and the secretary slowly walked out the door. As soon as the secretary left, Paxton¡¯s expression then tensed. ¡°Mr. Duncan, they definitely got the news and deliberately came to the door to pick a fight.¡± ¡°If this was not done by them, how could they receive the news so quickly? ¡°This thought made Paxton angry. They¡¯re simply cheap.¡± Even Paxton could see through this, Branden naturally knew it in his heart, too. He made up his mind in his heart, ¡± Since they dare toe, I¡¯d like to see what they can do.¡± ¡°Go. Let¡¯s meet them.¡± Branden walked toward the reception room, with Paxton following closely behind. The people sent by Breen Group this time were the same asst time. It was still the same general manager and the deputy director. Unlikest time, they had clearly be more arrogant this time. Seeing Branden enter the door, the general manager immediately stood up and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Duncan, we¡¯re here again. I hope we¡¯re not disturbing you.¡± Paxton didn¡¯t hold back and said with disgust, ¡°Since you know you¡¯redisturbing Mr. Duncan, why are you still here? Don¡¯t you know Mr. Duncan is too busy to receive you?¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. His rude words made the smile on the general manager¡¯s face instantly freeze. The general manager looked a bit embarrassed. The atmosphere of the scene suddenly became a bit awkward. Chapter 875 Chapter 875 Information Leakage ¡°Paxton,¡± Branden shouted, and Paxton immediately bowed his head and apologized. ¡°Mr. Duncan, I was wrong. Sorry, I was rude.¡± Breen Group¡¯s general manager did not pursue the matter and said perfunctorily, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mr. Paxton was concerned about Mr. Duncan. It¡¯s our fault foring a little too often.¡± The reason why he did not lose his temper with Paxton was because of Paxton¡¯s special status. Everyone knew that Paxton was like Branden¡¯s shadow. If the general manager didn¡¯t show respect to Paxton, it was like he didn¡¯t take Branden seriously. The atmosphere eased a lot. Branden sat on the side, holding the coffee thathis secretary had just brought in. He was waiting for the other party to speak. The general manager of Breen Group discussed with the deputy director and decided to have the deputy director speak up to discuss the matter. He was the one who brought out the checkst time, and it was clear that he was Shane¡¯s real spokesman. ¡°Mr. Duncan, we¡¯ve received the news. We¡¯ve heard that a part of the core information of our cooperative project has been leaked. This part of the core information involves the ultimate interests of our project. May I ask if there is such a thing?¡± Branden put down the coffee cup in his hand. Then he raised his eyes to look at the deputy director coldly and said calmly, ¡°Yes!¡± This response made the deputy director freeze for a moment. He originally thought that if Branden strongly denied it, he wouldy out the evidence and fiercely attack Branden. And when the news spread, he wanted to see how Branden would face everyone. But he didn¡¯t expect Branden to admit it directly, which caught him off guard. He could only implement the alternative solution to continue responding. ¡°Mr. Duncan, this is the core information that concerns the interests of the project. Wouldn¡¯t the Duncan Corporation be too careless? This makes me seriously question the ability of the Duncan Corporation.¡± ¡°You question our ability, and so what? ¡°Branden raised his eyebrows and looked at the deputy director. ¡°Are you nning to break the contract? Paxton,get the breach of contract and get the finance manager here as well.¡± Branden gave the order, and Paxton immediately took action. The two people sitting opposite were dumbfounded, especially the deputy director. He thought to himself, ¡°We do want to mention the breach of contract, but how does it seem that we have be the defaulting party and the Duncan Corporation has be the victim?¡± After thinking about this, he said directly, ¡°Mr. Duncan, this isn¡¯t right. The information was leaked by yourpany, and it was you who caused a loss of interest in ourpany and posed significant risks to the project. If we propose to end the contract under such circumstances, you will have to pay us the full amount of liquidated damages, right?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Branden curled his lips andughed coldly, his disdainful eyes falling coldly on the deputy director. ¡± Who told you that cooperating with the Duncan Corporation would cause losses to yourpany?¡± These words made the deputy director very puzzled. He looked at Branden with a face full of confusion. ¡°Mr. Duncan, didn¡¯t you admit just now that the core information was leaked? Wouldn¡¯t that cause damage?¡± ¡°The information was indeed leaked, but the leaked information is not real, it¡¯s just a blindfold used by our Duncan Corporation.¡± Branden smiled mysteriously, and he looked very calm. ¡°There is no doubt about the ability of the Duncan Corporation. It¡¯s not an easy task to steal the core information of the Duncan Corporation.¡± ¡°You mean the information you were stolen is fake?¡± The deputy director hurriedly pursued the question. Branden nodded perfunctorily. ¡°I don¡¯t like to repeat what I¡¯ve said. If you were an employee of my Duncan Corporation, you would be in the personnel department at this moment going through dismissal procedures.¡± Branden¡¯s calmness shook the deputy director of Breen Group. The deputy director clearly knew that the core information of the Duncan Corporation had indeed been leaked, but now that Branden didn¡¯t admit it and insisted that the information was fake, there was nothing he could do. He couldn¡¯t do anything about it, but that didn¡¯t mean he was being fooled by Branden. Because the stolen information was already in their hands,and in a while, it would be the delivery time of the second phase of the project cooperation. ¡°If the information the Duncan Corporation provides at that time is the same as what we have in our hands, the Duncan Corporation will have no way to deny it. Branden is just stalling for time,¡± the deputy director thought inwardly. He was very reluctant to let Branden go now but there was no way to break down Branden¡¯s lies. He could only smile and apologize to Branden. ¡°In that case, it seems that we were overly concerned. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s cooperate as usual and look forward to our project aplishing its goal soon. After apologizing, he had to carefully check whether Branden was willing to ept it. ¡°Are you not terminating the contract? ¡°asked Branden. Facing Branden¡¯s cold eyes, the deputy director smiled brightly and said cautiously, ¡°We were victimized by those rumors. The Duncan Corporation is so powerful. I believe you, Mr. Duncan.¡± The deputy director was trying to terminate the contract at thest second, but now he immediately changed his expression and started to praise Branden. He was truly admirable for his ability to be tactful. Branden didn¡¯t continue to pay attention to him and directly got up to leave, leaving the rest of the matter to Paxton. Since Shane was able to arrange for two people toe and talk as representatives, he could of course letPaxton represent him to receive the representatives sent by Shane. Seeing Branden leave, Paxton bent down and bowed. ¡°Mr. Duncan is so powerful. He intimidates these two clowns so easily. They¡¯re really ridiculous. They actually dare to act recklessly in front of Mr. Duncan,¡± Paxton thought to himself. In the secret base, Finn reported thetest news to their boss. ¡°Sir, we have been arranging for people to follow Ronin since we released him. He didn¡¯t go to Catherine right away, but stayed at a remote hotel.¡± Although they let Ronin go, Ronin¡¯s whereabouts were still in their hands. Even the car they gave to Ronin was also covered with surveince, and it could be said that Ronin¡¯s every word and action was under their watch.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Well, keep watching him. As soon as he contacts Catherine, notify me immediately.¡± The ck-robed man wanted to see when exactly Ronin would contact Catherine and what he would do after contacting Catherine. Finn knew that his boss probably had never trusted Ronin from the beginning to the end and that his boss¡¯ agreeing to let Ronin go was just for their next n. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. We¡¯ll keep a close eye on Ronin.¡± Finn promised with conviction. He had already arranged for a whole squad of people to keep an eye on Ronin, not daring to ck off at all. After arriving at the hotel, Ronin took a shower. He was now lying in a cheap chain hotel, closing his eyes andresting well. ¡°Ding!¡± The alert of the text message sound made the tired Ronin slowly open his eyes. He picked up his cell phone beside him and nced at it, with a faint smile rising from the corner of his mouth. It was a text message from the bank that someone had transferred three million dors to him. He put the car Finn had given him for sale at a second-hand car dealership in the afternoon. The car was a limited edition sports car with a current market value of at least eight million dors. But Ronin only asked for three million dors and his only requirement was that the full amount be paid immediately. The dealership didn¡¯t hesitate to agree because the price was so affordable. The money for the car was now on Ronin¡¯s bank card. Looking at the bnce in his bank card, Ronin¡¯s expression grew more and more pleasant. ¡°Do you guys really think that I don¡¯t know about the little tricks you guys are ying behind my back? Since you guys like this game so much, I¡¯ll y it with you,¡± thought Ronin inwardly. Chapter 876 Chapter 876 Not the Right Time ¡°What did you say?¡± Zobber was so shocked after receiving the news. She jumped straight up from the sofa. If it weren¡¯t for Withal¡¯s quick avoidance, she would have already bumped into Withal at the moment. Withal narrowly dodged and then reached out to pat himself on the chest lightly to show how scared he was. 11 Will you calm down? I almost got killed by you.¡± Despite Withal¡¯s strong dissuasion, Zobber was agitated at the moment. She was unable to calm down at all and directly shouted angrily at Withal, ¡± How can I be calm? Ronin has started working for that bastard scum. He even attacked the Duncan Corporation. This traitor, he better not be caught by me. As long as he falls into my hands, I¡¯ll definitely make him suffer.¡± Watching her grit her teeth, Withal felt a bit flustered. ¡°If I were the one who angered her, would I end up in the same miserable state?¡± thought Withal in panic. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t the one who made the mistake now. Zobber was so angry that she was about to explode. Seeing no response from Withal, she was extremely angry. She stepped aside to pick up her jacket and headed for the door. Seeing her going out the door, Withal reacted. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to Catherine,¡± Zobber saidwithout looking back.She was in a rage right now, and things could easily go wrong when people weren¡¯t being rational. Worried that something might happen to Zobber, Withal rushed to follow after her. He couldn¡¯t stop her, but he could follow her to prevent her from doing anything impulsive. Halfway through, Zobber contacted Catherine. Knowing that Catherine was not at the school, but at her apartment, Zobber and Withal immediately drove to her apartment. After ringing the doorbell, Catherine soon came and opened the door. ¡°Why is the rush?¡± Seeing that she still looked like she was in the dark, Zobber was going crazy with anxiety. ¡°Catherine, something big has happened.¡± In the face of Zobber¡¯s anxiety, Catherine calmly walked to the side and sat down. ¡°Let¡¯s have a seat and talk about it. As long as it¡¯s not the end of the world, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Zobber admired Catherine¡¯s calmness. She might not be able to learn Catherine¡¯s calmness in her lifetime. Catherine, do you know what Ronin has done?¡± Zobber then told the story of Ronin¡¯s theft of information from the Duncan Corporation. The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and she lifted her foot to kick hard on a side chair. The loud noise made Catherine nce at the side coffee table and then say coldly, ¡°That was bought for over two hundred thousand dors. I¡¯ll deduct it from your next month¡¯s sry.¡± The Hacker Alliance paid monthly sries to its members, which were their rewards and honorariums for doing missions. Zobber repeated in her mind, ¡°Over two hundred thousand dors?¡± ncing at the ordinary, broken coffee table,she couldn¡¯t really see how it could be worth that much. She was about toin when it urred to her that this was Branden¡¯s apartment. Branden did have money, and it wasn¡¯t umon in his ce even if he used gold to build a door. What Zobber didn¡¯t know was that she had been distracted by Catherine.Zobber was not aware of this, but Withal on the side knew it better than anyone else. He silently gave Catherine a thumbs- up in his mind. Only Catherine could suppress Zobber¡¯s anger without a trace. Zobber pondered for a while before she reacted and turned back to Catherine. ¡± Catherine, let¡¯s continue with the previous topic. Now that Ronin isopenly against us and attacked the Duncan Corporation, what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Have you checked thoroughly? Are you sure it¡¯s him?¡± asked Catherine. Zobber nodded without hesitation. ¡°I personally verified it.¡± When Zobber first heard the news, she didn¡¯t believe it, and only after she personally verified it, she was sure that it was Ronin who did it. Catherine was silent for a moment and then said slowly, ¡°Find him. I want to ask him myself.¡± Zobber was about to speak but was cut off by Withal. ¡°Catherine is right. No matter how wrong he is, we have to give him a chance to confess and defend himself. We¡¯ve known each other for so many years, can you really put your hands on him?¡± These words froze Zobber. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could be as tough as she just said if Ronin really fell into her hands. Although she was not forgiving on the surface, she was angry only because she had been let down. Catherine wasn¡¯t the only one who treated Ronin as her younger brother. Zobber had known Ronin for years, and they had gone through life and death several times. In her heart, Ronin, who was two years younger, was no different from her younger brother. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you then. Let¡¯s find him first. I must ask for an exnation. ¡°Zobber said viciously, ¡°If he dares to lie, I¡¯ll punish him personally.¡± The topic about Ronin came to an end, and Withal remembered another thing. ¡°Catherine, did Wantel contact you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Catherine responded with one simple word. Withal thought to himself, ¡°That¡¯s strange. It¡¯s been so long and Wantel hasn¡¯t responded at all. And Catherine isn¡¯t in a hurry even after hearing the news. Is there something else going on there that I don¡¯t know about?¡± Withal quietly surveyed Catherine. The expression on her face hadn¡¯t changed from the beginning to the end, leaving him unable to find any clues.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Catherine had always been mysterious, and there was no way anyone could get her to talk about anything she didn¡¯t want to. On this point, Withal knew it very well, so he did not continue to think about it. He silently gave up the idea. Catherine was a bit tired. She was supposed to rest at home today, but shedidn¡¯t expect Zobber toe suddenly. She was ready to drive them out. ¡± Alright, you guys go and get on your business. Let me know the first time you hear from Ronin.¡± ¡°Catherine, you look a bit tired. Are you okay?¡± Zobber couldn¡¯t help but ask when she saw Catherine¡¯s pale face. Catherine nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been catching up on experiments for the past few days and didn¡¯t rest enough. I¡¯ll just take a napter.¡± They all knew that Catherine had hypoglycemia and had once been injured and never recovered. She had been rushing her experiments in the recent period, relying on her perseverance to hold on. No wonder she looked so pale. Seeing her like this, Zobber was a little distressed. She became a littlechagrined in her heart because of her impulsiveness. She felt that she shouldn¡¯t disturb Catherine with these things. She frowned and looked at Catherine, her eyes full of care. ¡°Catherine, if you can get Rodge and Scott to experiment, leave it to them. Don¡¯t make yourself so tired.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Catherine nodded faintly and sent the two away. The moment the door closed, Catherine curled up her lips. She rested her hand gently on her belly and let out a sigh. ¡± You¡¯vee at a bit of a bad time. Are youing to go against me? Hope everything will be fine.¡± Chapter 877 Chapter 877 I Have a Way ¡°ording to reliable sources, the Duncan Corporation is about to face a huge financial crisis because of the leakage of its core information¡­¡± Audrey, who had never cared much about the financial world, would not have watched a financial program if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that this news station had predicted in advance that it was going to report a big secret about the Duncan Corporation. A huge financial crisis? Hearing this news, Audrey¡¯s brows instantly furrowed. Although the Duncan Corporation had nothing to do with her, Branden was now dating Catherine after all. If something happened to Branden, Catherine would be sad. Catherine was her sister, and she naturally didn¡¯twant anything bad to happen to the Duncan Corporation. Although thepany behind this news media was a foreignpany, thepany was very powerful and their news had always been reliable. Daring to report the news like this without worrying about the Duncan Corporation sending awyer¡¯s letter meant that they must have gotten hold of some clues. It was highly likely that this matter was true. Audrey¡¯s heart suddenly tightened, and she didn¡¯t even notice Brian walking to her and sitting down. Seeing Audrey¡¯s restless expression, Brian directly reached out and hugged her.The sudden hug startled Audrey. She jumped up with a startled look. Her reaction made Brian very dissatisfied. He looked at Audrey with furrowed brows and a grim face. ¡± Audrey, what are you thinking about? It can¡¯t be that you are thinking aboutN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. your ex, right? Why are you so scared when I touch you?¡± Audrey was heartily disgusted with Brian, and when she heard him say that, she found him even more unreasonable. She gave him a disdainful nce and said bluntly, ¡°What are you talking about? There is no such thing. I was just thinking about something. Don¡¯t you know how scary it is for you to suddenlye and hug me?¡± ¡°You were thinking about something? What kind of things can you think about when you watch a financial news program?¡± Brian¡¯s words were full of questioning. Obviously, he didn¡¯tbelieve Audrey¡¯s words. However, his appearance made Audrey react. She was wondering who could answer her questions, and Brian came. She could just ask Brian. ¡°Brian, let me ask you something.¡± Seeing the rare seriousness in her expression, Brian found it somewhat interesting. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯d like to see what you want to ask me.¡± Audrey pointed at the program on the TV and asked, ¡°This news said just now that the Duncan Corporation is about to face an economic crisis, supposedly because of some core information being leaked. Is it true?¡± Brian looked at her carefully, with a smile in his eyes. ¡°It seems that you lost your mind just now still because you were thinking about a man in your mind. It¡¯s just this man is not your ex, but your future brother-inwBranden.¡± He had an immodest look on his face, whichpletely angered Audrey. 11 Nevermind. Forget it if you don¡¯t want to tell me. I¡¯ll go and ask someone else.¡± Seeing Audrey about to leave, Brian yanked her back. ¡°Alright, I stop it. You just want to know about the Duncan Corporation, right? You got the right person. Others may not necessarily know it better than me.¡± His words sounded like they had a deeper meaning. Audrey looked Brian up and down. Audrey was too simple. She didn¡¯t hide the expression in her eyes and Brian immediately saw through what she was thinking. He smiled and said, ¡°What? Are you worried that I am the one stealing the information of the Duncan Corporation?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Audrey coldly snorted in disdain. ¡°You¡¯re capable of doing that?¡± Brian¡¯s eyes sank slightly, and a hint of malice shed in his eyes, but he didn¡¯t continue to say anything else. Seeing his silence, Audrey became anxious again. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me? Why don¡¯t you continue?¡± Brian¡¯s expression became serious when he mentioned the matter in the business world. Only at this moment did Audrey feel that he looked like a serious heir of a conglomerate rather than azy rich heir. Brian said seriously, ¡°It should be true that the Duncan Corporation¡¯s information was leaked. Do you remember the cooperation between the Duncan Corporation and the Breen Group some time ago? If my information is reliable, it should be thecore information of this project that was leaked.¡± ¡°What consequences will that lead to? Will it be serious?¡± Audrey asked eagerly. Her anxious attitude annoyed Brian immensely. Even though he knew they couldn¡¯t be together forever, it still irked him to see Audrey so concerned about another man. He was thinking of punishing her a bit, but he couldn¡¯t bear to do it. After all, he genuinely liked Audrey. ¡°Largepanies will usually stipte in contracts when coborating on projects that if the loss of benefits is due to one of the parties, the other party will have the right to propose the termination of the contract and ask for correspondingpensation from the other party. The project they are working on is veryrge and theamount involved is huge. If the Duncan Corporation were to unterallypensate, it would indeed cause a huge crisis for the Duncan Corporation. If the situation gets any worse, the Duncan Corporation may go bankrupt,¡± said he. Brian¡¯s answer caused Audrey¡¯s rxed brows topletely furrow again. She originally thought it was nothing big, but now it seemed that things were moreplicated and troublesome than she imagined. ¡°Will the Breen Group sue the Duncan Corporation?¡± Audrey asked with a worried look on her face. Brian rubbed his chin and slowly said, ¡± If I were the owner of the Breen Group, I would!¡± The twopanies were now in a cooperative rtionship, and they could be on opposite sides at the nextmoment. Since there was such a good opportunity to defeat the opponent, who would miss it? Audrey could no longer be calm. Thinking that Catherine had already gone through so much over the years, that it was not easy for her to have a peaceful life, and that the Duncan Corporation was about to face another crisis, Audrey was too anxious to sit still. ¡°No! I have to go and take a look.¡± Seeing that she was about to do something impetuous again, Brian immediately stopped her. ¡°Are you going to go to Catherine, or run to question Branden? Have you ever thought that maybe thest thing they need right now is concern? Your appearance will only add to their troubles. Duncan Corporation is so big. It has stood firm for so many years, and with a solid foundation, it will not easily copse. More importantly, itscurrent heir Branden is a formidable figure. Do you think you can outshine him?¡± Brian¡¯s words silenced Audrey as she reflected that even if she went, she wouldn¡¯t be able to help. Although Brian¡¯s words might be hurtful, what he said was true. How could she outshine Branden? If even Branden couldn¡¯t solve the problem, she would only be adding to the trouble.After thinking it through, Audrey sat back down on the couch with a frustrated face and sighed silently. Seeing her like this, Brian said slowly, ¡± If you really want to help them, I have a way.¡± Hearing that, Audrey¡¯s eyes immediately lit up and she raised her eyes toward Brian. ¡°What do you mean by this? You have a good solution?¡± Chapter 878 Chapter 878 You Don¡¯t Know Her Enough Brian moved closer to Audrey. Audrey didn¡¯t dodge this time because all her attention was on the Duncan Corporation crisis. Brianughed bitterly in his heart. He never thought that one day he would need to rely on means to get close to a woman. Maybe this was the retribution he should get. He said, ¡°It¡¯s simple. The reason why the Duncan Corporation is facing a crisis now is because they unterally caused the crisis, resulting in the interests of their partner being damaged. If their partner also had a crisis that caused damage to them, wouldn¡¯t the problem be solved?¡± Audrey pondered Brian¡¯s words carefully. Although his words soundeda bit unreliable, they seemed to make sense. There was no way to solve the Duncan Corporation¡¯s crisis at the moment, but they could create a crisis for the Breen Group so that both sides would return to a fair position in their cooperation. By then, Breen Group would be too busy dealing with its own crisis to deal with the Duncan Corporation. This method sounded a little bit underhanded, but it should be useful. Audrey thought carefully and agreed with Brian¡¯s proposal. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad way. You go and take action.¡± Audrey looked at Brian with excited eyes, waiting for his answer. Brian was a little taken aback. After reacting, he looked at Audrey with a bitter smile on his face. ¡°Should I be happy that you think so highly of me? Or should I be sad that you wouldn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice me when your future brother-inw encounters a crisis?¡± ¡°So you can¡¯t do it?¡± Audrey¡¯s originally anticipated gaze immediately became very disdainful. ¡°Since you can¡¯t make it, you shouldn¡¯t tell me,¡± she grumbled inwardly. ¡°Aud, perhaps you don¡¯t know much about the Breen Group, but the family behind it is really very powerful. It¡¯s only one of their subsidiaries that¡¯s fighting against the Duncan Corporation right now, not the actual head office. The so-called richest man in the world that you can see now is actually not the richest man in the world. The wealth of the world is in the hands of only a handful of families, and the Breens are one of those topconsortium families with far more power than you can imagine.¡± Audrey understood everything Brian said, but it wasn¡¯t what she wanted to know. What she wanted to know washow she could help the DuncanCorporation. ¡°Since you¡¯re so worried, I¡¯ll give you a few more guidance, but it¡¯s something that can only be known to you and me,¡± Brian said with a face full of embarrassment. Seeing his appearance, Audrey nodded silently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll never tell anyone else.¡± Brian continued, ¡°Since the Duncan Corporation¡¯s information can be leaked, so can the Breen Group¡¯s information. As long as the hacker you hire is professional enough, you can achieve the desired goal.¡± ¡°How much does it cost to hire a high- level hacker?¡± Audrey asked simply. ¡°That kind of hacker isn¡¯t something you can hire just because you have money. To get information from the Breen Group, one must have one of the world¡¯s top hackers, and you happen to have one around you.¡± Brian looked at Audrey tenderly with a doting look in his eyes. His words sent Audrey into deep thought, ¡°I have such a talent on my side?¡± ¡°You mean Catherine?¡± Audrey looked at Brian. As she thought about it, she realized that the only person around her who could have that ability was her omnipotent sister.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t know enough about your sister.¡± Brian took out his cell phone, and after some simpleoperations, he raised his eyes to Audrey. ¡°I sent an email to your mailbox. You can forward this email to Catherine. It¡¯s the introduction of some of Breen Group¡¯s core information. As long as she can get her hands on this information, it will be enough to have an impact on Breen Group. By then, Breen Group may not have the strength to find trouble with the Duncan Corporation.¡± After Brian left, Audrey studied that email for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t even open it. It was as if the email was corrupted, and she had no chance of reading it. Audrey believed that since Brian was willing to send her it, there was no way he would give a useless corrupted email. The only exnation she couldn¡¯t open this email was that the file in the email might have been encrypted and onlythe person who could crack it would have a chance to see it. Audrey hesitated for a moment and finally dialed Catherine¡¯s phone. She exined the solution and told Catherine that she had a file that could help her.Catherine had just woken up from sleep when she received Audrey¡¯s call. After hearing what Audrey said, Catherine smiled faintly and said in a soft voice, ¡°The solution is from Brian, right?¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I have thought of it myself?¡± Audrey was reluctant to admit it. ¡°Your talent is limited to acting; you don¡¯t know anything about the business world.¡± Catherine knew Audrey well. Although Audrey grew up in the Swanns and was often taken by Vicente to participate in business activities, she did not learn anything about business. She waspletely clueless about things in the business world. Seeing the lie exposed, Audrey could only admit it. ¡°Kathy, although Brian is annoying, I think he has a point this time, and it seems to be the way to go.¡± ¡°If you think he¡¯s annoying, why are you with him?¡± Catherine¡¯s question left Audrey speechless. She didn¡¯t know how to answer Catherine. Seeing her silence, Catherine changed the subject. ¡°Got it. You forward the email to me. I¡¯ll take a look.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Thinking that she could help Catherine, even if it was just a little bit, Audrey was exceptionally happy. After Catherine hung up the phone, she soon received an email from Audrey. The file was indeed encrypted, and it would take some effort to ess the information within the file. It might be difficult for ordinary hackers, but these were not considered troublesome in front of her. After a few minutes, Catherine easily cracked it and then clicked on the file to view it. It was indeed a catalog of Breen Group¡¯s important projects over the years, with some core areas recorded. This file was like a map that could clearly show her the direction. As long as she could steal the information from the Breen Group, she could use it to threaten the Breen Group. ¡°But is it really that simple? Although Brian is a rich heir, his family is at most a little famous in Loewe. How could he obtain such information about the Breens? It seems he is moreplicated than I thought,¡± Catherine thought in her mind. After reading all the information in the file, she turned off theputer. Branden would take care of the Duncan Corporation issue and she didn¡¯t need to worry about it. Audrey messaged Brian after hanging up the phone. Looking at the text message on his cell phone screen, Brianughed out loud with pleasure. Catherine used to be powerful because she was carefree. Others could not see her weaknesses and could not attack her. But now Catherine was no longer invincible. She had concerns and people she cared about, so she had many fatal weaknesses. Chapter 879 Chapter 879 Ronin Disappeared Ronin was sleeping soundly when he overheard a ringtone in his sleep.The ringtone was specially made by him and connected to his heart. Not only would it have a sound alert, but it would also vibrate the inside of his arm for stimtion. The moment the ringtone rang, Ronin instantly popped into a sitting position. He reached for his cell phone at the side and took it out to check. He received a text message from a strange phone number. The content was with only one word, which was particrly concise. ¡± Go!¡± Ronin frowned as he read it, and then quickly got up. He didn¡¯t have many things with him. He picked up a coat and pushed open the window. He climbed over throughthe protruding windowsill on the side. He was agile, and these were not difficult tasks for him. Easily climbing over the guardrail, he arrived at a nearby room.Not long after he entered the nearby room, there was an immediatemotion in the room where he had been just now. Ronin hid in the corner, afraid to make any noise. He observed every move in the neighboring room through the surveince camera. Two people wereing with masks on their faces. Ronin was unable to see their faces clearly. He recognized them instantly, though, as Zobber and Withal. The two left the room after searching around and not seeing Ronin.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Looking at the scene of them leaving, Ronin felt a bit reluctant. His former friends were right in front of him but he didn¡¯t even qualify to say hello to them. Zobber and Withal had only left when a group of men in ck came. These people were all masked. Ronin didn¡¯t know them. They rummaged through the room for a while. Only after making sure that Ronin really wasn¡¯t in the room did they leave in a hurry. Ronin watched the surveince video on the screen and immediately left through the safe passage after making sure they were gone. He didn¡¯t dare to stay for a moment. If he did, he was very likely to be caught back. ¡°Sir, Ronin is gone.¡± The people ordered to search lowered their heads and bent down in front of the ck-robed man with their faces full of regret. At that moment, they were already trembling with nervousness. Losing the target person after them was their greatest ipetence and they had to be severely punished by the organization. The ck-robed man didn¡¯t say anything just sighed softly. The people lowering their heads and bending down were then scared out of their wits. Finn was on the side and didn¡¯t even dare to take a breath. He had originally promised that he would not lose Ronin, but unexpectedly, he lost him so quickly. ¡°Sir, before we went there, Zobber and her team went to check Ronin¡¯stest address. Shortly before we took action, they went looking for Ronin too. But I¡¯m pretty sure Ronin wasn¡¯t taken by them. It seemed heknew in advance that we¡¯d go to him.¡± They received a message stating that Zobber and her team were investigating Ronin¡¯s whereabouts and had already obtained a rough direction. To prevent Ronin from falling into Zobber¡¯s hands and saying things he shouldn¡¯t, they then made the first arrangement to grab Ronin. Unexpectedly, Ronin had actually run away. ¡°He can¡¯t run away!¡± the ck-robed man said calmly. He took out his cell phone and threw it to Finn at the side. The video ying on the cell phone was exactly the scene of Ronining out from inside the hotel. It turned out that the ck-robed man had not only arranged for someone to watch Ronin but also set up many surveince cameras in the neighborhood tomonitor Ronin¡¯s whereabouts. There was a red dot on the screen that kept shing. Finn could tell at a nce that it was a location tracker. He looked up at the ck-robed man in surprise. Sir, did you imnt a chip in Ronin¡¯s body to locate him?¡± The ck-robed man didn¡¯t deny it, but just instructed Finn, ¡°Arrange for someone to watch on him. Be more secretive this time.¡± He had long known that Ronin was cunning. Ronin was someone trained by Catherine herself, so how could he be bad? So the ck-robed man took advantage of Ronin¡¯s unconsciousness and imnted a subcutaneous localization in the back of his neck, making it easier to monitor Ronin¡¯s movements in theter stage. ¡°Okay,¡± Finn replied loudly, not daring to hesitate at all. He knew they were lucky enough not to be punished this time. If they fail toplete the task again, they might have to kill themselves to apologize without the need for the ck-robed man to ask for it. After leaving the hotel, Ronin found a dpidated small room to stay in. The rent there was cheap. It was very crowded, and there were also all kinds of people there. Finding someone there was not an easy task, so it was a good ce for him to hide. After Ronin settled down, he took out his cell phone and replied with a text message to the phone number that had just sent him the message. [Safe.] It was one simple word but it was enough to express everything. He sat by the bedside, recalling the things that happened recently, his expression bing increasingly eerie. Things were much more fun than he thought they would be, and he was getting excited. Ronin received a reply shortly after lying down. [Go back.] After receiving the message, Ronin¡¯s face showed a faint smile. He thought in his heart, ¡°That¡¯s really a good way. The most dangerous ce is the safest ce.¡± Although he already had a decision in his mind, he didn¡¯t think of taking immediate action because he wanted to sleep now. Late in the night, Branden returned to his apartment after taking care of thepany¡¯s business. He carefully pushed open the door. The room wasn¡¯t all dark because Catherine didn¡¯t turn off all the lights in the room. There was a smallmp on, which should be specifically kept for him by Catherine. The warm yellow light was not bright enough, but it warmed Branden¡¯s heart. When he entered the room, he saw Catherine sleeping on the sofa soundly. Branden¡¯s fatigue instantly dissipated at that moment.Taking off his jacket, he slowly went forward and gently squatted beside Catherine. Catherine opened her eyes in a daze, and her muffled voice carried a rare softness that was pleasant andmelodious. ¡°Youe back?¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Branden answered, then pressed his whole head against her face. ¡°Why are you sleeping on the sofa? It¡¯s too soft. It¡¯s not good for your back to sleep here.¡± ¡°I fell asleep when I spent time with my phone. I was too tired to get up and go to bed,¡± Catherine muttered. Perhaps due to being too tired, her eyes didn¡¯t fully open. Branden loved herzy look and gently reached out to pick her up. ¡°Let me take you to bed.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if she waszy because she had him around. Catherine¡¯s body was instantly picked up by him. Shey softly in his arms and allowed him to carry her into the room and ce her on the bed. The two of them were close together, and Catherine¡¯s scent rushed straight into Branden¡¯s nose. Obviously, they were using the same body wash, but the scent of Catherine¡¯s body would just make him feel a little more fragrant andfortable. After cing her on the bed, Branden originally thought of getting up and leaving, but after smelling the scent of her, he couldn¡¯t help but lean down and sniff again. His nose rubbed back and forth on her neck. He didn¡¯t want to stop it. Upon noticing his abnormality, Catherine reached out and pushed him away with one hand. ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m tired and want to rest.¡± Her words made Branden feel a bit disappointed. Instead of continuing though, he got up and left, so Catherine could get some rest. ¡°I¡¯ll let you sleep. I¡¯m going to take a shower. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Surrounded by Reporters Early in the morning, Branden made breakfast and put it on the dining table. Although he came backtest night and sleptte, he still insisted on waking up early and making breakfast for Catherine. Catherine came out just then and wandered over to the table to sit down. ¡°Come here. Do you want to have breakfast now?¡± Branden asked.Catherine nced at the food on the table and frowned slightly. When Branden saw her frown, he immediately inquired, ¡°You don¡¯t like them? What would you like to eat? I can cook for you again.¡± The food he made today was a few of Catherine¡¯s usual favorites. When he made them a few times ago, Catherine ate very happily. This was the first time he had seen Catherine show such an expression, so he assumed that she was already tired of eating these foods. ¡°No, I just woke up. I¡¯m feeling a bit like throwing up. Maybe the food I ate yesterday was bad,¡± Catherine replied. Branden was busy with the Duncan Corporation these days and rarely cooked for Catherine. She usually ate in the school canteen. Although the food in the school canteen was a bit healthier than the food in outside restaurants, it was ultimately not as good as homemade food. Catherine had been suffering from stomach problems before. During the time Branden was cooking for her, her stomach problems finally eased a bit. Branden thought she might be suffering from stomach problems again. He poured a ss of warm water and handed it over. ¡°Have some warm water to ease your stomach. How about I cook soup for you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll just have some water.¡± Catherine took the warm water he handed and sipped it, the pressure in her stomach gradually easing. Branden¡¯s cooking skills were still very good. Catherine, who originally had no appetite, became appetizing after taking a few bites of the food he made. Branden was relieved to see that she had eaten a lot. After Catherine had eaten her fill, she saw that Branden had no intention of leaving, so she made small talk with him. ¡°I heard that the DuncanCorporation is in a crisis.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Branden didn¡¯t hide it from her. ¡°A batch of important information was leaked.¡± ¡°Was it Ronin who did it?¡± Catherine asked. ¡°As far as the evidence goes, it should be him.¡± Branden didn¡¯t hide it from Catherine just because of her rtionship with Ronin. He was sure Catherine had her reasons for asking and he thought honesty was the best answer. Catherine lightly responded, ¡°Okay, I will find Ronin and give the Duncan Corporation an exnation.¡± She was talking about the Duncan Corporation, not Branden alone. In private, she and Ronin were as close as siblings; in public, she was the headof the Hacker Alliance and Ronin was a member of the Hacker Alliance. In any case, she was partly responsible for this matter. ¡°Okay, do whatever you want. You don¡¯t have to worry about the Duncan Corporation. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Branden didn¡¯t want Catherine to do too much for him. Wouldn¡¯t he be a disgrace to the world if he needed his woman¡¯s help to handle his affairs? He felt it was enough for Catherine to focus on her research and do what she loved. ¡°I¡¯m done eating. Let¡¯s go!¡± Catherine said. ¡°Okay!¡± Branden followed her up and prepared to take her to school. As soon as the two of them walked downstairs, they were surrounded by a whole group of reporters as theywalked out of the neighborhood. These reporters were all there targeting the Duncan Corporation. They aimed their cameras at Branden. ¡± Mr. Duncan, I heard that the Duncan Corporation is in a leak crisis and this crisis will bring a huge economic crisis to the Duncan Corporation. May I ask if it is true?¡± ¡°I heard that this leaked project has something to do with Breen Group cooperation. Is that right?¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan, are you worried about the future of the Duncan Corporation?¡± ¡°Mr. Duncan, please answer our questions!¡± The questions were overwhelming, and these questions were all very tricky and sharp. Any discerning person could tell at a nce that they were targeting Branden. These reporters would normally have to be wary of interviewing Branden even if they wanted to, but now they were just alling to Branden¡¯s door with microphones and cameras without fear. They were definitely instructed by someone. Paxton and the others quickly got the news and rushed out, blocking the reporters¡¯ way for Branden. Branden held Catherine in his arms the entire time. He didn¡¯t want any exposure for Catherine, let alone any harm. Paxton and his team had strong tactics and soon led Branden out of the press. However, Branden didn¡¯t leave right away. He stopped and turned back to the group of reporters behind him, coldly ncing at the crowd and giving histest order. ¡°Record all of their looks. I don¡¯t want to see them in the media circle again.¡± The reporters present were stunned. They had originally thought that even if Branden was angry, he would merely just send awyer¡¯s letter to theirpany to warn them. They had all thought about how to handle the uingwyer¡¯s letter, but they never expected that Branden would actually directly make them disappear from the media circle. If they offended Branden, they wouldn¡¯t be able to work in this profession. Many people panicked and rushed up to try to exin, but Branden didn¡¯t give anyone a chance and directly tookCatherine to the car and left the scene with a cold face. He thought in his heart, ¡°Since you guys dare to provoke me, you¡¯ll have to bear the price of provoking me.¡± After getting into the car, Branden turned his head to care about Catherine on his side. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Catherine smiled faintly and thought in her heart, ¡°I was just protected by you in your arms. Those reporters probably didn¡¯t even take a picture of what I look like. What could happen to me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine,¡± Catherine replied. After confirming that she was fine, Branden¡¯s gloomy face gradually improved a bit. The car had just driven away not long ago, and Paxton had alreadye up with the results of the investigation. He reported his findings to Branden, Mr. Duncan, the persons in charge of these media outlets have all received a considerable amount of money from this ount in the past few days. The remittance ount is a newpany registered in a foreign country, and they have not been found to have any dealings with the Breen Group.¡± After discovering that the reporters were surrounding Branden, Paxton¡¯s first thought was that it was the people of Breen Group who were messing around. He thought that they must intend to deliberately frame the Duncan Corporation and take the opportunity to lower its stock price to achieve their desired goals. But after searching, he couldn¡¯t find any intersection between the paymentpany and Breen Group. The Duncan Corporation had offended a lot of people over the years. It was so powerful that no one dared to confront it head-on, but no one could guarantee whether anyone would take advantage of the situation to mess up behind the scenes and create chaos. It was very troublesome to search without a clear hostile target. This was like fishing for a needle in the ocean. Paxton and his team were searching for targets on a global scale. Seeing that Branden did not respond, Paxton stiffly inquired in a low voice, ¡± Mr. Duncan, what should we do next?¡± ¡°Sue all these media outlets,¡± Branden instructed in a cold tone. Sueing those media outlets was inevitable, but what Paxton wanted to ask was what they should do to thepany behind the scenes. Without Paxton asking again, Branden knew exactly what he was thinking. ¡± Don¡¯t need to worry about thatpany, just leave it. There will be some loopholes one day.¡± Branden thought inwardly, ¡°If we were to divert our energy to investigate thispany now, wouldn¡¯t it be like us being misled? Thepany behind the scenes is just waiting for us to investigate. Since they want us to investigate, I¡¯d prefer not to do so and wait for them to send themselves to the door. Let¡¯s see who will be the first to be unable to sit still.¡± Chapter 881 Chapter 881 Feeling Guilty At the moment Finn saw Ronin appear, his eyes widened.In his mind, he asked, ¡°Could it be he discovered our tracking and came to us in a fit of rage?¡± Although Finn¡¯s heart was full of doubts, he remained calm on his face. He stared coldly at Ronin and questioned, ¡°Hey, what are you doing back here? Weren¡¯t you trying so hard to leave here?¡± Hearing this, Ronin said to Finn with a cold smile, ¡°I want to see the boss.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Finn sized up Ronin with a disdainful face. ¡°Is our boss someone you can see just because you want to? Who do you think you are?¡± Faced with Finn¡¯s mockery, Ronin wasn¡¯t angry at all. He didn¡¯t even takeFinn seriously. ¡°You don¡¯t have the final say. Or do you think you¡¯re the boss here now?¡± Ronin¡¯s words made Finn¡¯s face turn a little pale. Finn was the person who knew their boss the best. If Ronin¡¯s words reached their boss¡¯s ears, it would not be a good thing. Finn nced at Ronin disdainfully and said, ¡°Wait here.¡± He arranged for someone to watch Ronin before he left. It wasn¡¯t long before Finn returned to Ronin. He looked Ronin up and down. Seeing that Ronin was filled with a sense of calmness, he could not help but be a little curious. ¡°Why are you so certain that our boss will definitely agree to meet you?¡± From Ronin¡¯s face, Finn saw certainty. It seemed Ronin was very sure of the oue. Ronin said confidently, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t sure, I wouldn¡¯t be here at all. With your stupid brain, you won¡¯t be able toe up with an answer. Forget it, you take me in to see the boss first.¡± Although Finn disagreed with Ronin¡¯s words that he was stupid, considering that their boss was still waiting, he didn¡¯t dare to dy. He led Ronin through the door. After the two arrived in front of the ck-robed man, the ck-robed man waved his hand toward Finn, signaling him to retreat. Finn was a bit surprised but didn¡¯t dare to question. He obediently retreated.The ck-robed man looked up and down at Ronin with sharp eyes, as iftrying to see him through. Ronin tensed his body and stood in ce, letting the ck-robed man look at him. He didn¡¯t even blink his eyes. After a long period of silence, the ck- robed man finally spoke. ¡°You still dare toe back?¡± Ronin replied calmly and confidently, ¡± Why wouldn¡¯t I dare? I didn¡¯t betray you, nor did I do anything wrong to the organization, and I didn¡¯t go back to Catherine. Why should I be afraid to appear in front of you?¡± The ck-robed man softlyughed when he heard Ronin¡¯s unbridled remarks. ¡°You have guts. You actually dare to talk to me like this. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll lock you up again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to let me go than to lock me up. Which do you think is more favorable to you? Sir, you are extremelyintelligent. I believe you won¡¯t make the wrong choice in such a multiple- choice question.¡± The ck-robed man slowly stood up. He walked straight toward Ronin and stood in front of him, sizing him up at close range. Although the ck-robed man still wore a mask on his face, such a close distance made it easy for him to reveal his identity. He seemed not afraid of Ronin seeing through his identity and continued to survey Ronin in his own way. Ronin didn¡¯t let him down either. Ronin immediately closed his eyes the moment the ck-robed man approached. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open your eyes?¡± The ck-robed man questioned as he looked at Ronin whose eyes weretightly closed. Ronin said calmly, ¡°Because I know what I should and shouldn¡¯t know. People should be self-awareness, and only by not crossing the boundary can we go further.¡± Hearing Ronin¡¯s answer, the ck- robed man nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It seems that Catherine has also taught you many principles of being a good person.¡± At the mention of Catherine, Ronin¡¯s body subconsciously tensed up. This was a physiological reaction, a manifestation that would onlye from his heart when he extremely admired a person. It couldn¡¯t be faked. ¡± Yes, Catherine is not only my benefactor but also like my family.¡± ¡°Why did you still betray her then?¡± the ck-robed man asked. ¡°I betrayed her, but I did what she told me to do. She once told me that no matter what the circumstances or the difficulties I face, as long as I can live, I should not give up. Coming out of the predicament, we crave to live more than anyone else.¡± Ronin spoke very candidly, with no signs of lying. It seemed all of this was a voice spoken from his heart. The ck-robed man believed Ronin¡¯s sincere words. He knew that Ronin was not lying. In Ronin¡¯s heart, Catherine was a god- like existence. The ck-robed man said, ¡°Okay, in that case, I will ept you. From now on, you can work for me. You can tell me what you want.¡± Ronin opened her eyes slowly, and the ck-robed man had gone back to hisoriginal position. ¡°I want money and protection of the organization.¡± Ronin made his demands. He had offended the Duncan Corporation, which was the same as cutting off all of his ways of survival. The only way for him to survive now was to find a strong organization. He didn¡¯t want it to be permanent though. He hoped to be truly free within a short one or two years. He made all his demands, and the ck -robed man also agreed to his request. The ck-robed man actually knew that Ronin woulde to him; after all, he was the one who had personally pushed Ronin to his doom, step by step. He knew Ronin¡¯s future best. He knew that Ronin was smart. Ronin¡¯s only chance to live was toe back to him. Ronin bent down and bowed, showing great respect. ¡°Sir, please arrange a task for me.¡± The ck-robed man replied, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Go ahead and rest. I¡¯ll have Finn notify you when there is a task for you.¡± After Ronin heard this, he didn¡¯t hesitate and directly retreated. Obeying orders was the most basic rule. After leaving, Ronin didn¡¯t go to rest immediately but went to the holding cell. sh was imprisoned there and he was getting worse and worse. Although he wasn¡¯t tortured anymore, the injuries on his body had deteriorated without timely treatment. Ronin entered and forced sh¡¯s mouth open, shoving a few pills into it and forcing him to swallow them. sh opened his eyes feebly and surveyed Ronin. He was obviously exhausted, but he didn¡¯t want to close his eyes to rest. He just surveyed Ronin. ¡°Why did you save me?¡± Roninughed softly and whispered, ¡± Why don¡¯t you think I¡¯m poisoning you? ¡°Is it necessary? Haha¡­¡± sh burst into a bitterugh. He was in more pain than death right now. If Ronin had really given him the poison, he¡¯d be grateful. That way, he could be relieved of his pain andpletely free from pain. But he knew that those were not poison, that Ronin must have given him healing pills, and that Ronin wouldn¡¯t just watch him die like this. Because Ronin wanted him to live in pain forever. ¡°You save me because you want to constantly torture me, right?¡± sh asked. ¡°You¡¯re right. Wouldn¡¯t it be more fun to nurse you back to health and then torture you?¡± Ronin¡¯s face was filled with evil smiles. He looked at sh with only resentment in his eyes. If it weren¡¯t for sh, Ronin wouldn¡¯t be so miserable. sh closed his eyes slowly, but this aroused Ronin¡¯s dissatisfaction. ¡°Open your eyes and look at me. Why don¡¯t you dare to look at me? What are you avoiding, or are you feeling guilty?¡± To force sh to open his eyes, Ronin pinched his wound hard with his hand. The pain forced sh to open his eyes and look at Ronin with a face full of pain. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling guilty, but I¡¯m happy. Isn¡¯t your current appearance the result I most want? Ronin, you lost. You¡¯vepletely fallen. From the moment you came back, you weren¡¯t the Ronin you once were.¡± Ronin froze for a moment, and his hand that was pinching sh paused. Seeing this, shughed more and more happily. He muttered happily in his mind, ¡°I seeded, didn¡¯t I?¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Just as he was feeling proud, Ronin leaned over and whispered something in his ear at a volume that only the two of them could hear. sh¡¯s eyes widened instantly. Ronin gestured to him and then left with an evil smile on his face. Looking at his departing back, sh was very confused. He asked inwardly, ¡± Isn¡¯t he afraid I¡¯ll spill the beans?¡± Chapter 882 Chapter 882 Let Her Decide Ronin rested for one day. Finn found him the next day and told him what the ck-robed man had ordered. Ronin waited for Finn with his legs crossed. Seeing his posture, Finn wanted to go up to him and hit him, but the ck-robed man had given Ronin a mission and he couldn¡¯t hit him now. Until the mission waspleted, if Finn hit Ronin, it would be the same as him not putting the ck-robed man in his eyes. ¡°Ronin, the boss has asked you to go back to school and stay by Catherine¡¯s side to watch her.¡± Upon hearing the content of the mission, the originally calm Ronin immediately sat up straight and looked at Finn with surprised eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡± His instantly raised volume made Finn a little impatient. Finn reached up and scratched his ears, looking at him in disgust. ¡°Are you deaf? Do I need to repeat myself? Don¡¯t you understand what the boss means? Since you want to surrender, you have to be ready to do so. This is what our boss asked me to give you. Don¡¯t be too greedy. Disloyal people will make us look down.¡± Finn left after saying that and threw the document the ck-robed man prepared to Ronin. ¡°My job is to convey the boss¡¯s orders, and it¡¯s none of my business what Ronin thinks. If he doesn¡¯t want to follow our boss, I¡¯ll just watch the show,¡± thought Finn. Ronin checked the document after Finn left. When he saw the contents, he couldn¡¯t help but snicker. ¡°The ck-robed man is amazing. He actually cleared me of stealing information from the Duncan Corporation in one go. Since the mission is here, I¡¯ll do as I¡¯m told,¡± thought Ronin as he changed his clothes. He picked a car that was the same color as the clothes he was wearing. He drove toward his destination. ¡°Knock, knock, knock¡­¡± A knock on the door interrupted the three who were ying a game.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Catherine was bored alone and came to Zobber and Withal to y a game. They hadn¡¯t been ying for long when they heard the knock at the door. The three of them stopped what they were doing at the same time. This was their secret base, and it was rare for anyone toe knocking on the door. ¡°Catherine, is Mr. Duncan here to pick you up?¡± asked Zobber. Catherine shook her head, thinking that it couldn¡¯t have been Branden. Half an hour ago, Branden had messaged her and said that he was in a meeting, so he shouldn¡¯t havee there to pick her up so soon. And Branden would have told her before he came. ¡°Open the door and check,¡± Catherine ordered. Since Withal was the only boy in the room, he helplessly stood up to open the door. Zobber was a little surprised to find Withal standing still after opening the door. ¡°Who¡¯s it? Why are you still standing there?¡± When she walked up to the door and saw the visitor, she froze for a moment,too.After reacting, Zobber instantly became angry. She directly swung her fist over. ¡°Traitor, how dare you still show up?¡± Her fist came down head-on, and Ronin didn¡¯t even dodge. He took the punch without blinking his eyes. Zobber used all her strength in this punch and Ronin was instantly knocked back and fell to the ground. Zobber was still trying to step forward but was stopped by Withal. ¡°Catherine is inside. Let her decide.¡± ¡°Okay, it just so happens that Catherine is in. We¡¯ll let Catherine decide.¡± Zobber looked at Ronin angrily, her eyes staring viciously at him as if she wanted to get him killed at any time. Seeing that Ronin couldn¡¯t stand up, Withal went up to help him. Zobber wasn¡¯t that kind, and she entered the door with her arms crossed around her chest, breathing heavily and angrily. Catherine was sitting on the couch ying games when she saw theme in. She turned her head to look at them. She wasn¡¯t surprised to see Ronin appear. Her brows couldn¡¯t help but furrow after her gazended on his red, swollen cheek. She then turned her head to look at Zobber next to her, her eyes bing increasingly sharp. ¡°Why are you still so impulsive? You haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± When Catherine usually scolded Zobber, Zobber would listen obediently, but she was different this time. She felt that she hadn¡¯t doneanything wrong. She looked at Catherine with some dissatisfaction. ¡± Catherine, why has your attitude toward traitors changed?¡± ¡°Did I say he was a traitor?¡± Catherine questioned Zobber in a cold voice. These words made Zobber not know how to respond. She froze in ce and looked around at the two. Ronin¡¯s eyes involuntarily went red when he saw Catherine. He tried to step forward, his foot stopping the moment he took a step. ¡°Catherine¡­¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Catherine nodded calmly, her face remaining the same. She wasn¡¯t excited or didn¡¯t show any disgust. ¡°Are you going to exin now, or do you want to take a break first?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin now,¡± Ronin responded. ¡°Okay, then Zobber asks and you answer.¡± With that, Catherine leanedaside. She handed over the initiative to them, allowing them to make their own judgments. The one who was most hostile to Ronin right now was Zobber. As long as Ronin could convince Zobber, the others present were not a problem. Zobber stared into Ronin¡¯s eyes and asked coldly, ¡°Have you betrayed our organization, betrayed Catherine?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ronin answered without hesitation. Nheless, Zobber didn¡¯t believe him, and she questioned him on two points. ¡°Why did you follow the enemy instead of leaving when we were rescuing you? Also, was the Duncan Corporation incident what you did?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave.¡± Ronin looked at Zobber with a face full of pain. ¡± Professor Warner is in their hands. If Ileave, what will happen to him? We can only promise to cooperate with them in exchange for my and Professor Warner¡¯s safety. I didn¡¯t steal the information from the Duncan Corporation. They did it just to make you suspect me.¡± After saying that, Ronin handed Zobber the information that Finn had given him. ¡°You can check this. There is something in here that will prove my innocence.¡± The ck-robed man had prepared a document and it showed it was the ck-robed man who had arranged for someone to imitate Ronin¡¯s behavior to steal the information from the Duncan Corporation. The person who really stole the information was not Ronin. Despite this, Zobber still felt that she was somewhat suspicious of Ronin. It was all too usibly organized, and it always made her feel like things weren¡¯t that simple. She turned her head to Catherine on the side. ¡°Catherine, I have no more questions. I still maintain my point of view. I still think there¡¯s something wrong.¡± Catherine¡¯s cold gaze fell on Zobber. She didn¡¯t speak up for Ronin, nor did she directly state her attitude. She only asked Zobber back, ¡°If you were captured because of the organization and came back from the dead, your most trusted and close friends inside the organization constantly suspected you. No matter what evidence you provided, they didn¡¯t believe you. What should you do? What could you do to make those untrusted friends trust you again?¡± Catherine¡¯s question left Zobber dumbfounded. Zobber silently thought it over. If she were in the same situation as Ronin, she could guarantee that she would never betray the organization, but how was she going to make her friends believe her? Catherine¡¯s words instantly sobered Zobber who was still skeptical of Ronin. The way she looked at Ronin was no longer hateful, though it wasn¡¯t as warm as before. ¡°Since you can even make sense of it, then I¡¯ll believe you. But if you really betrayed the organization, you¡¯d better hide those things from me or I¡¯ll be the first to kill you. I always do what I say, and you know it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ronin nodded vigorously, his face filled with delight. Chapter 883 Chapter 883 A Funeral for Them The next day, Ronin returned to school. The school had been publicly stating that Winston was on sick leave, so no one knew about Ronin¡¯s connection to his disappearance. However, the police did inquire about Winston when Ronin returned. It was unclear how Ronin responded, but he was released. By the time Ronin got back to school, it was already noon. He went straight to theboratory building to wait for Catherine. To his surprise, he saw someone unexpected there. ¡°Rn, what are you doing here?¡± Ronin asked in surprise. ¡°Ronin, you¡¯ve been gone for quite a while. Why the sudden appearance today?¡± Rn inquired. Ronin smiled shyly. ¡°I had some things to take care of recently, so I took a long leave from school. Are you waiting for Catherine?¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah,¡± Rn replied, looking Ronin up and down as if searching for something. Just then, Catherine emerged from theb, interrupting their conversation. ¡°Catherine, why didn¡¯t you tell me Ronin was back?¡± Rn asked. ¡°Catherine, why didn¡¯t you tell me Rn came to Loxton?¡± Ronin inquired at the same time. Catherine nced at both of them and said, ¡°Since when did I have to pass on messages to you?¡± Ronin immediately approached her with a smile, trying to make things seem just like they used to. ¡°Catherine,that¡¯s not what I meant. Please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± After a brief conversation, Ronin suggested they all go out for a meal. Although Catherine increasingly disliked Rn, she agreed to his proposal out of consideration for Ronin. After Ronin¡¯s return, everything seemed to go back to the way it was. He considered Catherine¡¯s preferences, found a good restaurant, and they all set off together. Ronin seemed very interested in Rn, and Rn was unusually friendly to Ronin. The two of them excitedly conversed while Catherine sat quietly, eating without speaking. The harmonious scene prompted Rn to exim, ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve gone back to the time when we first met. It¡¯s wonderful!¡± The next moment, Catherine¡¯s phone rang. After taking the call, she told them, ¡°You guys keep eating. I have to go.¡± ¡°Catherine¡­¡± Ronin put down his fork and stood up, but Catherine had already left. He could only sit back down and quietlyin, ¡°Ever since Catherine got together with Branden, I¡¯ve lost my ce.¡± Hearing this, Rn patted Ronin¡¯s shoulder andforted him, ¡°She¡¯s your leader. The only thing that matters is her happiness, right?¡± Ronin gazed longingly in the direction Catherine had left, saying sadly, ¡°So am I destined to be the sacrifice for her happiness? I want her to be happy, but I don¡¯t want her to ignore me.¡± With that, he looked at Rn and asked, ¡°If it were you, would you do the same to me?¡± Rn didn¡¯t answer, but his smile deepened. Catherine received a call from Branden. He knew Ronin had returned and that she had lunch with him today. He waited until they were almost done eating before calling to say he wasing to pick her up. Seeing here out alone, he was curious, ¡°Where¡¯s Ronin? Didn¡¯t hee with you?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s with him,¡± Catherine exined briefly. Branden helped Catherine into the car. Once inside, she felt a bit bored and leaned on his chest, engaging in casual conversation with him. ¡°Ronin should have sent you the evidence, right? What do you think?¡± she asked. Branden nced at her and nted a tender kiss on her forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t have any thoughts. But since you believe in him, I will too,¡± he replied. If she didn¡¯t believe in Ronin, she wouldn¡¯t have allowed him back by her side. In that case, he didn¡¯t need to think too much. Catherine hadn¡¯t expected this response from him. She thought he would analyze the situation rationally and then give his answer. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I might make the wrong judgment?¡± she asked. ¡°Humph.¡± Branden chuckled lightly. So what? It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± After all, he would be there to support her decision. He wanted her to do whatever she wanted. Catherine gave a meaningful smile. ¡± Fine!¡± Suddenly, their phones buzzed. After answering the calls, they exchanged a nce. ¡°Triston is in trouble,¡± Branden said. ¡°Audrey wants to see me,¡± Catherine told him. Catherine shook her head helplessly, and Branden instructed the driver to change the route, knowing that Triston and Audrey should be in the same ce. Soon, Catherine and Branden arrived. Audrey was in tears. When she saw Catherine, she threw herself into her arms, pleading, ¡°Kathy, please stop them. I can¡¯t do it! Make them stop!¡± Audrey tried to move forward but was blocked by two bodyguards. In front of them, there was a tform where Triston and Brian were engaged in a fight, which seemed to have been goingon for a while. Triston had been beaten up, his face ck and blue. Brian had also taken some hits, but he seemed to be terribly injured. Audrey, seeing Catherine¡¯sck of action, grew anxious. ¡°Kathy, why aren¡¯t you doing anything?¡± Catherine snorted and shouted toward the tform, ¡°Two grown-ups act like kids. I don¡¯t think I can stop them. Let them fight, then I¡¯ll organize a funeral for them.¡± Audrey was stunned by Catherine¡¯s words when Branden chimed in, ¡± That¡¯s right. You organize it, and I¡¯llfund it. We¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s a grand one. The onlookers were dumbfounded, wondering if they were really here to help. Chapter 884 Chapter 884 You Deserve It On the stage, Triston and Brian were locked in a fierce battle. Suddenly, Brian, noticing Triston¡¯s distraction, threw a punch, aiming to knock him down. Branden witnessed Brian¡¯s move. Acting swiftly, he pulled Triston back and steadied him, preventing a potential fall. He then helped Triston up, wiped away some blood from Triston¡¯s face with a towel, and teased, ¡°You should have protected your face, Mr. Lambert.¡± Understanding that Branden had intervened to help him, Triston nodded in gratitude. As Branden walked away, he quietly advised Triston to ¡°attack his legs.¡±. With this hint, Triston climbed back onto the stage, eximing fiercely to Brian, ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s continue!¡± Brian simply jumped off the stage, approaching the crying Audrey. With a determined expression, he asked her, ¡± If I stop now, will you leave with me?¡± Audrey¡¯s greatest fear was that Brian would not leave. She didn¡¯t want to see either of them end up in the hospital from further fighting. Now that Brian proposed to leave, she agreed, though it was a decision she made willingly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes.¡± Audrey nodded. Brian took her hand and led her away. As he left, he nced back at Triston with a challenging look in his eyes. Triston watched Audrey leave with Brian, the look on his face turning from fury into sadness. Branden helplessly patted his shoulder, while Catherine sarcastically remarked, ¡°You deserve it.¡± She believed that those who didn¡¯t understand the essence of a rtionship were the oneswho remained single. Brian, perceptive as ever, immediately changed his strategy upon Branden¡¯s discreet reminder to Triston. No man wanted to suffer a humiliating defeat in front of the woman he loved, as it went against his pride. Brian took advantage of Audrey¡¯s emotions and made a request at the right time. He showed Audrey enough respect and gained the chance to take her away, which was a win-win situation. Thinking Catherine was criticizing his impulsive behavior, Triston retorted, ¡°I saw that bastard forcing Audrey. She dislikes him, yet she still chose to go with him. There must be something fishy going on!¡± Hearing this, Catherine sneered at him, who, confused, asked why she wasughing. She replied, ¡°Laughing at your foolishness.¡± Triston, infuriated, remained silent, knowing he couldn¡¯t afford to confront Catherine due to her close rtionship with Branden and her formidable strength. Provoking her could lead to his defeat. Catherine, however, had no intention of letting Triston off easily. She stared at him, her eyes full of mockery. ¡°What does it mean when Audrey would rather be with someone she dislikes than be with you?¡± Her words hit Triston like a blow, leaving him embarrassed and suddenly enlightened. Only then did he realize that his beloved would rather be with a man she despised than give him a chance. Since Audrey was fine, Catherine didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. She ignoredTriston¡¯s dazed expression and said, ¡± Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Branden left with Catherine without any hesitation, leaving Triston alone to taste his sorrow. Branden suddenly asked Catherine, ¡± Did you investigate Brian White?¡± Brian shouldn¡¯t have heard his whisper to Triston just now. The only possibility was that Brian knew lip-reading and couldprehend what was being said. Brian was not as easy as he seemed. ¡°Yes, I did. He genuinely likes Audrey. He has done a lot for her without her knowledge.¡± Catherine personally arranged for someone to investigate Brian and found that he had done a lot of things to make Audrey happy, both when she was abroad and now in the country. Branden raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. ¡°And what about Audrey?¡± ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s avoiding something.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t borate. She suspected that Audrey had been threatened by Brian, which was why she agreed to date him. Audrey¡¯s agent, Kim, had recently been reced by Brian¡¯s assistant. It was publicly stated that Kim was too busy with new talents. However, Catherine knew that things weren¡¯t so simple. Audrey and Kim had been working together for years, and they had a good rtionship. Half of Audrey¡¯s sess today was down to him. Even if he was busy, Audrey would try to make time for him. Besides, Kim wouldn¡¯t just abandon Audrey for neers. Catherine¡¯s pale face made Branden feel sorry for her. ¡°Never mind. Youhaven¡¯t been resting welltely, and you don¡¯t look so well. Let me take you to the hospital for a check-up.¡± ¡°No need!¡± Catherine refused at once. Branden looked at her, somewhat puzzled. Catherine exined, ¡°Mr. Theo has been regrly checking on me. If he found out I spent money on a hospital check-up, he mighte straight to Loxton. Well, let¡¯s just forget it. When Mr. Theoes to Loxton next time, I¡¯ll have him examine me.¡± Although this exnation sounded reasonable, Branden still found it strange. Perhaps it was because Catherine had said so much all at once, which was unusual. Branden respected her decision. ¡°Well, get in touch with Mr. Theo when you have time.¡± Chapter 885 Chapter 885 There¡¯s No Chance for Us! ¡°Is this the new film you¡¯ve arranged for me?¡± Audrey stormed into Brian¡¯s office, holding the new contract. Brian¡¯s secretary followed closely, trying to intervene but felt helpless, given Audrey¡¯s special status. ¡°Mr. Johnson, Miss Swann¡­¡± Brian understood the secretary¡¯s dilemma and gestured for him to leave. The secretary left relieved, realizing Brian¡¯s new girlfriend was not to be trifled with. Not able to contain her anger any longer, Audrey threw the contract at Brian, ring at him. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done!¡± Brian remained unmoving. Then, with a smirk, he stood up. ¡°Are you satisfiednow? There are plenty more contracts on my desk. Feel free to throw them at me, as long as it makes you happy.¡± Brian¡¯s nonchnt attitude made Audrey furious, leaving her no way to vent her anger. She crossed her arms and sat on the nearby sofa, ring at Brian. ¡°I need an exnation, or I won¡¯t let you off easily.¡± ¡°Give me a minute. I need to know which contract it is,¡± Brian exined, not showing any impatience despite Audrey¡¯s outburst. Audrey remained silent, waiting for Brian¡¯s exnation. After a few seconds, Brian put down the contract and looked at Audrey. ¡°Is there a problem with this contract?¡± Since Brian started dating Audrey, he had used various means to gain control of her agency contract and reced heragent with his assistant. He couldn¡¯t ept Audrey being beyond his control. Kim was a good agent, but he only considered Audrey¡¯s perspective, which Brian couldn¡¯t ept as it meant losing control over her. Upon hearing Brian¡¯s response, Audrey looked at him in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean? What kind of role have you arranged for me? How can I act in this kind of film?¡± she asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this film will definitely be a hit?¡± Brian retorted. Audrey had read the script, and it was quite remarkable. However, as a rising star, she was used to morous roles in advertisements and films. Brian had unexpectedly arranged for her to y a role in abat-themed film as an antagonist. Once she took on such a role, she might be typecast as a viin for the rest of her career. Many actors who excelled in antagonistic roles were forever associated with such characters, never able to shift to lead roles. Regardless of how memorable the antagonist role might be, she couldn¡¯t ept being stereotyped as a viin. She could sacrifice for art and her career, but not at the price of her entire life. Brian reassured her, ¡°I promise you, even if everyone sees your character as unforgettable, I can still find better lead roles for you, guaranteeing your position as a lead actress. Audrey, don¡¯t you want to be a versatile actress rather than relying solely on your looks for fame? Are you unwilling to make the sacrifice?¡± Brian¡¯s persuasion left Audrey in contemtion. In the past, Kim would have rejected anything that wasn¡¯t advantageous for her career. He would never have epted a role like this. However, she found herself somewhat persuaded by Brian¡¯s words. She wanted to break through. ¡°Aud, if you don¡¯t want to take this role, I won¡¯t force you. The penalty for breaching the contract means nothing to me. But I still hope you¡¯ll reconsider. Trust me. I have your best interests at heart. I have some work to do. I¡¯ll have the driver take you back. Take a couple of days to think it over before giving me your answer.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Brian¡¯s concession relieved Audrey. She had expected him to push her to the brink, but hispromise came unexpectedly quickly. She nodded in agreement to his proposal. Then, Brian arranged for the driver to take herhome. After Audrey left, Brian received a call. ¡± I heard Audrey doesn¡¯t want to take the role.¡± Brian¡¯s face darkened. ¡°It seems you have a lot of informants around me.¡± Just as Audrey had left, the call came in, a tant provocation to Brian.Faced with the inquiry, the other party chuckled and offered no exnation. Brian knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to offend this person right now, so he promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a way to make Audrey agree.¡± ¡°Looking forward to your good news!¡± Hearing the click of the phone being hung up, Brian mmed his phone against the wall. Bang! The phone hit the wall and fell to the ground, shattered. It was clear how furious Brian was at that moment. He silently vowed that once this matter was over, he would make the other party regret it and show them that he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. Audrey had the driver drop her off at the underground parking lot before heading up alone. The driver, having witnessed her bad temper, left as soon as he could. As the elevator doors opened, Audrey was hit with a strong smell of smoke. Frowning, she looked up to see Triston standing not far away. The usually dashing second son of the Lamberts now appeared disheveled with a scruffy beard. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Audrey asked. Triston¡¯s initially dull eyes lit up at the sight of Audrey. ¡°Audrey!¡± Despite his legs cramping from standing too long, he limped toward her. Audrey frowned, feeling ufortable. Although she had ended things with Triston, she didn¡¯t want to see him in such a state. ¡± Triston, can¡¯t you understand? There¡¯s no chance for us!¡± Chapter 886 Chapter 886 Lies When Catherine arrived, she saw Audrey squatting at the door, like an ostrich, shutting herself off. She walked toward Audrey. Crouching on the ground, Audrey heard the footsteps. She buried her head and said in pain, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave? Why are you still here?¡± Without getting a response, Audrey slowly raised her head. When she saw that the person was Catherine, she was stunned for a moment. Her eyes unconsciously widened, obviously scared by Catherine¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°How did you, like, get here?¡± Catherine looked at her and asked coldly, ¡°Has Triston been here?¡± Audrey wanted to deny it, but when she looked into Catherine¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to lie. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Get up. We¡¯ll talk inside.¡± With amand from Catherine, Audrey immediately got up and opened the door behind her, bringing Catherine in. After they walked in, Audrey realized that Catherine didn¡¯t flop onto the couch as she usually did. Catherine¡¯s posture today looked unusually upright, which was rather weird. ¡°Are you leaving soon?¡± Audrey asked. ¡°No, why?¡± Catherine looked at her with some confusion. Audrey shook her head and quietly exined, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I saw how careful you are and thought you were leaving soon!¡± When she was talking, she wasn¡¯t looking at Catherine, so she didn¡¯t notice the obvious change in Catherine¡¯s expression when she said those words. ¡°I¡¯ve been standing in theb for too long recently. My back is getting tired. Leaning against something makes it easier to get injured.¡± Catherine fobbed off with a random excuse. Audrey felt sorry for her and advised her to take care of her health. Knowing that it was difficult for her to listen to others¡¯ opinions because of her personality, so Audrey didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°Catherine, why did you suddenlye over today?¡± Catherine would usually let her know in advance if she wasing to visit, but today, there was no word at all. Catherine turned to look at Audrey. Her eyes seemed able to see right throughpeople, making Audrey feel like there was no hidden ce in front of her. What did Brian White threaten you with to make you date him?¡± The abrupt words made Audrey pause for a moment.Her heart started to race in an instant, and her gaze toward Catherine became hesitant. She didn¡¯t know if Catherine had found something or if someone had threatened Catherine, and she didn¡¯tdare to speak out about it. After some hesitation, Audrey decided to stick with it. She kept her head down and avoided eye contact with Catherine, trying to stay away from Catherine¡¯s influence on her. ¡°What else can he threaten me with? That guy threatened me that he wouldbother me every day if I didn¡¯t go out with him. I was just so fed up with him bothering me that I agreed. He seems like the type to get excited about something for a while, but once you agree to it, he¡¯ll get bored of it.¡± Audrey¡¯s half-truths and half-lies were so convincing that she even believed them herself. Catherine squinted at Audrey, knowing Audrey was lying. Audrey rarely lied, so she acted extremely unnaturally. Although she had been trying really hard to control herself, Catherine could still tell at a nce. ¡°Really? He didn¡¯t ckmail you with anything?¡± Audrey deliberately raised her voice to cover up her guilt and avoid being suspected by Catherine. ¡°Of course not, no way! Don¡¯t forget who I am, even though my status in the entertainmentindustry is just okay. But I still have you, right? It¡¯s no big deal if you curse at me sometimes. But if someone tries to threaten me to date him, do you think I will hide it from you?¡± ¡®You certainly will,¡¯ined Catherine inwardly. Catherine was actually quite curious. ¡®What did Brian threaten Audrey with that made Audrey, who had always listened to me, suddenly start lying? There¡¯s definitely somethingplicated going on.¡± Since Audrey didn¡¯t want to talk, Catherine didn¡¯t force her. ¡°If it¡¯s really no big deal, just forget it!¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Now that Catherine had stopped questioning, Audrey seemed to be somewhat uneasy. She hesitated for a long time before finally asking Catherine, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking me this?¡± Catherine originally didn¡¯t want to respond to her, but seeing her look of hesitation and lingering worries, she sighed and nced at Audrey, asking coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that every time you stand next to Brian, your face is basically screaming ¡®I¡¯m annoyed¡¯? Not just me. Everyone thinks there¡¯s something wrong with your rtionship.¡± Catherine gave Audrey a quick rundown of the situation that Branden¡¯s driver reportedst time. ¡°This is so awkward!¡± Audrey looked at Catherine helplessly, forcing a smile. ¡®It turns out if you really don¡¯t like the other person, even if you pretend, it would be really hard. I¡¯m an actress, and even I can¡¯t do it, so it¡¯s probably even harder for regr people,¡¯ Audrey wondered. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m getting going.¡± With that, Catherine got up and left. Audrey asked her to stay for dinner, but she didn¡¯t agree. Just as she walked out of the neighborhood, the phone in her pocket started ringing. She looked around. Seeing no one around, she walked to the side and picked up the phone. ¡°Catherine, I found it. When the Whites were in Loewe, they almost got acquired by the Breen Group. It was Brian White who came back to rescue the entire family at the critical moment. No one knew how he did it, but after Brian showed up, not only did the situation reverse, but Breen Group also automatically withdrew from the entire project.¡± The outside world only knew that Whites held off the Breen Group¡¯s attack, but they didn¡¯t know that it was actually Brian who turned the tide. This information seemed deliberately hidden by the Whites and Breen Group. If it weren¡¯t for Catherine wanting to investigate this time, they wouldn¡¯t even know about this news. ¡°Catherine, this is all we could find. Brian White looks just like an ordinary rich kid but is actually quite impressive. He¡¯s not simple at all.¡± The more ordinary someone looked, the more likely they were actually not simple. After all, it was not easy to make everyone think he was a useless rich heir. ¡°Okay, I got it. Keep me noted,¡± replied Catherine,Branden had been super busy with the Duncan Corporation recently. Catherine originally thought he could easily solve the crisis of information leakage, but she didn¡¯t expect that he still hadn¡¯t sessfully solved it after so many days. Hearing that he would work overtime again tonight, Catherine decided to see Zobber during this time. Chapter 887 Chapter 887 Ronin Didn¡¯t Show Up As Branden saw the message from Catherine in the office, the icy solemnity on his face gradually faded, and his lips curved into a smile. If it weren¡¯t for the work still unfinished, he should be at home resting with Catherine instead of facing this mountain of files. Paxton noticed Branden was in a good mood, so he bravely reported the situation, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s been some news from outside that ournd in the western suburb didn¡¯t sell. Now, more and more people are starting to question it, and that¡¯s not good for us.¡± Paxton didn¡¯t understand why Branden would hand over thend in the western suburbs to others. It was obviously a profitable deal, but now they were letting someone elsetake it.They had been keeping this news under wraps and had no idea who had leaked it. The situation was getting more and moreplicated, and it was very likely to bring a huge crisis to the Duncan Corporation. The information leakage issue hadn¡¯t been resolved yet, even though Branden used strong tactics to suppress the mediast time. Suppressing the media might work, but the voices from below were hard to suppress. The news of the unsessful sale ofthe western suburbnd had leakedagain. It was safe to say that it hadcaused quite a stir in the city. Paxton looked at Branden with some concern and said, ¡°Sir, there are rumors going around that we have tpensate Breen Group because of a data breach, so we don¡¯t have enough funds to support the western suburb project, which is why it fell through.¡± After listening to Paxton¡¯s report, Branden had apletely nonchnt expression. He never understood why, when he suggested that they could exchange under any conditions, the other party chose the plot ofnd in the western suburb. It turned out their real intention was this all along. If there hadn¡¯t been a leak of information, the failure to sell thend in the western suburbs wouldn¡¯t have had any impact on the Duncan Corporation at all. Now, with two big projects failing back to back, if this news were confirmed, the outside world would definitely question the Duncan Corporation¡¯sability. Once investors lost confidence in their stocks, there was a risk of everyone selling off together, which could easily crush the Duncan Corporation. Branden grabbed a few documents from the table and threw them to Paxton. At first, Paxton didn¡¯t understand Branden¡¯s purpose, asking, ¡°Sir, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Get it arranged and tell the media about these projects. Just say they all fell through,¡± answered Branden. Paxton looked up at Branden again, making sure he wasn¡¯t joking. Although he couldn¡¯t understand the deeper meaning, Paxton didn¡¯t hesitate to carry out the order. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get it done right now.¡± When Catherine went to Zobber¡¯s ce, Zobber and Withal had just ordered takeout food. When they saw Catherineing, they immediately called out to her to sit down. ¡°Catherine,e join us. Ronin should be on his way already.¡± Although Zobber still had doubts about Ronin, the old friendship was still there, and they could still have a great time together. Looking at the table full of delicious dishes smothered in chili oil, Catherine picked up a bite and put it in her mouth. But then she suddenly felt nauseous, so she quickly grabbed a nearby tissue and spit the food out. Noticing her unusual behavior, Zobber quickly went over to ask how she was doing. ¡°Hey Catherine, what¡¯s the matter with you? Is there something wrong with the food?¡± Seeing this on the side, Withal also picked up some food to put in his mouth. ¡°No problem at all. It tastes great. Catherine, didn¡¯t you used to love eating spicy food like this before?¡± Catherine rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°You said ¡®used to.¡¯ My stomach was not good, so I rarely eat these things now.¡± ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t you see how light the food Mr. Duncan cooked for Catherine normally is? It¡¯s not surprising that she¡¯s not used to it after not eating this stuff for so long.¡± As Zobber was chatting away, she moved the two vegetable dishes over to Catherine. ¡± Catherine, these are light-favored vegetables. Have a try.¡± Catherine nodded and ate a few mouthfuls of vegetables. It was true that vegetables reduced that feeling of nausea. After they started eating for a while, Zobber suddenly realized something.¡± Didn¡¯t Ronin say he was on his way? Why hasn¡¯t he shown up yet?¡± She nudged Withal on the side with her hand, saying, ¡°Give him a call.¡± Despite feeling a bit disgusted with her, Withal obediently took out his phone and called Ronin. Ronin hurriedly rushed to Zobber¡¯s house with the takeout he had bought. He just got a message saying that Catherine also arrived. He purposely went around several blocks to buy her favorite snacks. Just as he walked out of the dessert shop, he felt someone following him. He especially turned into a side alley, getting ready to shake off the personfollowing him. To his surprise, as soon as he entered the alley, he saw Finn crouching in front of him. Ronin¡¯s face immediately darkened, and he red at Finn with a hostile look in his eyes. ¡°Do you really need to do this to see me?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Finn scoffed and looked disdainfully at Ronin. ¡°If I want to see you, I¡¯ll have someone beat you up and drag you to me on your knees.¡± Roninpletely ignored Finn¡¯s provocation. ¡®This kid can talk the talk, but he¡¯s got no real skills,¡¯ said Ronin inwardly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Seeing Ronin wasn¡¯t moving and didn¡¯t want to argue with him, Finn said frankly, ¡°Boss wants to see you. Come with me!¡± After knowing the truth, Ronin immediately furrowed his brows.¡¯ Damn, why did they choose this timing? ¡®he cursed inwardly. Seeing that Ronin did not move even when he mentioned the boss, Finn was somewhat furious. ¡°Ronin, don¡¯t get too cocky, kid. Boss wants to see you. If you don¡¯t show up, you know the consequences, right?¡± Ronin certainly knew it, but he had other stuff going on right now. ¡°I have something else to do. I¡¯ll tell the bosster.¡± With that, Ronin turned around to leave. Seeing this, Finn waved toward the dark corner. A few dudes rushed out and quickly subdued Ronin. With so many enemies, Ronin didn¡¯t stand a chance against them. To stop him from running away, Finn injected some medicine into Ronin¡¯sneck.Ronin felt his eyes go dark, and then he just cked out,pletely losing consciousness. Withal called Ronin three times, but Ronin didn¡¯t answer. He couldn¡¯t help but worry about Ronin, saying, ¡°What if something happens? I just messaged Ronin that Catherine is also here, and he happily replied that he¡¯ll be here soon. Why isn¡¯t he even answering the phone now? Withal¡¯s words left the atmosphere in the room suddenly a bit serious. Twice of the time as long to get here from where Ronin came from had passed. ¡®If it¡¯s just a regr ident, there¡¯s no way Ronin wouldn¡¯t pick up Withal¡¯s call. It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s been attacked and can¡¯t even answer the phone,¡¯ thought Catherine. She calmly ordered, ¡°Check it out.¡± ¡°Will do!¡± Zobber immediately jumped up and rushed to theputer without even bothering to tidy up the table. After Ronin returned, Catherine immediately put a locator on him. The first thing they wanted to do now was to figure out where Ronin was. Soon, there was newsing from Zobber. ¡°Catherine, I got something. Come quick.¡± Chapter 888 Chapter 888 Ronin Was Freed Hearing Zobber calling out, Catherine immediately put down what she was doing and walked in her direction. Zobber pulled up the location track and turned it into a route map, showing it to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, Ronin left Styre University an hour ago and passed these points but disappeared here.¡± Zobber immediately checked out the surroundings, and Catherine noticed the well-known dessert shop at first nce. ¡°Should be here.¡± She pointed to the bottom left corner of the screen. Zobber suddenly understood what Catherine meant. ¡°Damn! Catherine, Ronin must have disappeared right after buying dessert for you.¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Catherine nodded. It seemed this was the current situation. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look!¡± Catherine got up and left. Zobber quickly caught up. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Withal wanted to move forward but was held back by Zobber. ¡°You stay at home. Wantells is not here. We need someone to help us operate theputer and keep in touch at all times,¡± said Zobber. Hearing this, Withal stopped what he was doing. He understood what Zobber was saying. They indeed need someone to sit at theputer, control the satellite, do surveince, and track. ¡°Alright, take care, and contact me anytime if you need anything,¡± answered Withal. Zobber was responsible for driving while Catherine was sitting in the passenger seat. A few minutester, the two arrived at the dessert shop. It was not far from here to where Zobber lived. Even if they walked, it would take, at most, half an hour for Ronin to get to Zobber¡¯s ce. Zobber originally wanted to go into the shop to check the surveince footage, but then she noticed that Catherine was staring at the alley in front. She was a bit confused and walked up to Catherine. ¡°Catherine, what are you looking at?¡± Catherine looked ahead with a cold gaze and muttered, ¡°If I were Ronin, when I noticed someone was following me, I would definitely choose this ce to wait for the opportunity to find the person.¡± Zobber was analyzing what Catherine said, but then she realized that Catherine already walked straight ahead. She quickly caught up, and they kept moving forward toward the back alley. The back alley was kind of remote and dark. The further you went, the worse the environment got, and there was a strong, sour smell lingering in the air. Zobber couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit nauseous. She turned her head to observe Catherine, only to see that Catherine wasposed, with no reaction at all. Zobber admired her even more. She originally wanted to persuade Catherine to give up and go back directly. But when she saw Catherine¡¯s behavior, she silently swallowed back the words that were about toe out of her mouth. Catherine had been paying attention to the surroundings. Suddenly, she spotted something unusual in the pile of misceneous items. She quickly rushed forward and soon found the unconscious Lu Fei. Originally, she had nned to take him back directly, but then it seemed like she had thought of something. She stopped and called out to Zobber behind her, ¡°Come over here. Give me a hand.¡± Zobber quickly responded. They worked together to drag Ronin out from the pile of debris and move him to the empty space on the side. ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s going on with Ronin?¡± asked Zobber. She was just pulling on Ronin like that, but he didn¡¯t even react. If it weren¡¯t for his heart still beating and his body warm, Zobber would have thought he was dead. Catherine turned Ronin¡¯s neck and pointed to the barely visible small needle mark. ¡°Looks like someone gave him a shot. Let¡¯s get him back first and have Connie take a check.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± answered Zobber. Finishing, they helped Ronin into the car. There had been someone watching all this in the dark, waiting for Catherine and them to leave for good. Only then did Finn dare toe out from the corner with his people, and his subordinates all felt puzzled. Only then did Finn dare toe out from the corner with his people, and his subordinates all felt puzzled. ¡°Finn, we finally managed to subdue this little punk Ronin. Are we just letting him go like this? They are just two women. Is it necessary?¡± Finn turned back and shot an angry look at theckey, who never knew when to shut up. He sneered in disdain and said, ¡°Just two women? Do you think they¡¯re insignificant? Even without the tall one, Catherine, just Zobber alone is enough to kill you on the spot. If Catherine makes a move, even the boss will have to be careful.¡± Hearing Finn¡¯s exnation, a few of theckeys were scared white. Their boss was already a terrifyingly invincible presence in their eyes. They didn¡¯t expect this woman to make the boss so afraid. ¡®If we offend her, wouldn¡¯t we¡­¡¯ they wondered in fear. Finn didn¡¯t want to waste time here with theckeys, so he reported the situation to the boss. After receiving the instructions, they quickly cleaned up the scene and disappeared without a trace. Withal had been waiting at the apartment building for ages. As soon as the car appeared, he went straight up to it. He was so strong that he easily lifted Ronin and carried him upstairs. They went back into the room, and Connie took over Ronin. The others couldn¡¯t help, so they were just waiting in the living room outside. Half an hourter, Connie came out, and behind her was a not-so-well Ronin. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Zobber asked with concern. Ronin¡¯s lips twitched awkwardly, and he forced a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay. The drugs haven¡¯tpletely worn off yet. I¡¯m still feeling a bit dizzy.¡± Catherine stared at him. Seeing that he was still in good shape, the fierceness in her eyes gradually faded away.¡¯ What¡¯s going on?¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s question, Ronin shook his head helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but when I realized someone was following me, I just wanted to hide in the alley. If the strength is not much different, I¡¯ll kill them, but if the strength gap is too big, I can hide in the alley. However, they seemed to have guessed my thoughts. They were already lurking in the alley, and after I went in, a needle stabbed my neck. I cked out and woke up here.¡± Listening to Ronin¡¯s bizarre remarks, Zobber couldn¡¯t help but look him up and down. ¡°So they didn¡¯t do anything else other than just giving you a shot and knocking you out?¡± Ronin gave her a stare. ¡°What else do you want them to do to me? Plus, I passed out. How would I know anything?¡± Seeing him getting angry, Zobber smiled brightly and apologized. Actually, Ronin was also confused.¡¯ Finn clearly said it was the boss¡¯s order to take me back. Howe they suddenly let me go again?¡¯ ¡°Come with me!¡± With that, Catherine got up and walked toward the small room, with Ronin obediently following behind. Seeing this, Zobber curiously leaned toward Withal, who was standing aside. ¡°Is Catherine trying to help Ronin secretly? What¡¯s the secret that they¡¯re keeping from us? And why won¡¯t they let us know?¡± Withal rolled his eyes and said bluntly, ¡°If you want to be interrogated by Catherine alone, then knock on her door yourself! It seems you¡¯ve been living it up too carefreetely and are asking for trouble.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Zobber had seen Catherine interrogate people before, and her methods were no joke. There were no bloody scenes, and she didn¡¯t beat on them like everyone else did. But her methods could make people feel scared to the point of being powerless. They could hit you right in the soul, leaving a shadow that wouldst a lifetime. Thinking about it gave Zobber the heebie-jeebies, making her hair stand on end. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just hold back my curiosity.¡± Chapter 889 Chapter 889 A Big Trap In the room, Catherine had just walked in, and Ronin quickly grabbed a chair for her. However, Catherine didn¡¯t sit down. Instead, she pushed Ronin into the chair, saying, ¡°Have a seat. Your head is still spinning, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯s concern, Ronin shed a wide grin, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. ¡°Catherine, ask whatever you want. I¡¯m afraid if we dy going out, Zobber will be upset outside.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s clueless. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to what she says,¡± Catherine replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ve known Zobber for so long. I understand her personality. Besides, she cares about me, in her own way,¡± Ronin said. Ronin harbored no resentment toward Zobber. Despite her words of disbelief, she had never mistreated him in practical actions. Whenever there was something good, she would call him first, and when he was in trouble, Zobber was the first to help. Seeing Ronin¡¯s carefree attitude, Catherine felt somewhat relieved. ¡± Who sent people to get you?¡± ¡°Finn. He said the head wanted me back, but after they knocked me out, they didn¡¯t take me back. It¡¯s been about ten minutes since they left until you guys arrived,¡± Ronin replied. He exined the situation in detail, and that was all he knew. Catherine pondered silently, and Ronin didn¡¯t dare to disturb her. Catherine didn¡¯t appreciate interruptions when she was deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this matter. You rest here for today.¡± Catherine said. This was their base, and whoever wanted to mess with Ronin should think twice. Despite Catherine¡¯s suggestion, Ronin disagreed. He said, ¡°Catherine, I want to go back tonight.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes darkened, and she stared at him coldly. Though she didn¡¯t speak, her expression clearly conveyed her disapproval. ¡°Catherine, they won¡¯t harm me. They still need to use me. You don¡¯t need to worry about my safety,¡± Ronin said. Though Ronin might not lose his life, he could endure some physical pain. Catherine didn¡¯t want Ronin to be in trouble again. Ronin unusually insisted, ¡°Catherine, I understand your concern, but I still want to go.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Seeing she couldn¡¯t stop him, Catherine decided to let go and allowed Ronin to take his chances. ¡°Fine, but be safe. Contact me if there¡¯s any problem. ¡°Yeah!¡± Ronin nodded happily. Protected by Catherine for so many years, now he wanted to make something happen through his own efforts. However, there was something that Ronin found quite puzzling. ¡± Catherine, since you already have evidence to expose him, why continue to y along with him?¡± Catherine squinted her eyes and looked ahead with a sharp, cold gaze. ¡°If he wants to y, then let¡¯s y along. I want to see how this big act of his will end. There are still some things I haven¡¯t figured out. Once I do, his good days will be over.¡± Hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Ronin felt excited. He looked forward to the day when all the humiliation he suffered would be repaid. Without him having to lift a finger, Catherine would naturally settle the score for him. ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s go out,¡± Ronin said. ¡°Alright,¡± Catherine replied. Zobber perked up when she heard the sound of the door opening. ¡°You two are out. What did you talk about?¡± Ronin looked downhearted and nced at Zobber. ¡°How about you go in and endure a round of Catherine¡¯s interrogation?¡± Zobber silently stepped back. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll go back and rest first. Catherine, are youing?¡± Ronin asked. Catherine nodded and took the lead. ¡°They just left like that?¡± Zobber looked at Withal beside her with confusion. You care too much!¡± Withal said with disdain, ncing at her before turning away and ignoring her. Seeing that no one paid attention to her, Zobber ceased her curiosity. Ronin returned to the base and encountered Finn, who was guarding the entrance. Finn wasn¡¯t surprised to see him and greeted, ¡°Come on. The head is waiting for you inside.¡± His calm demeanor caught Ronin off guard. ¡°You knew I woulde to see the head early in the morning?¡± Ronin asked with surprise. Finn nced at him and said coldly, It¡¯s not that I knew. The head knew.¡± Seeing that Ronin still wanted to ask, Finn warned with a gloomy face, ¡± Ronin, don¡¯t think about challenging the head. Do you need me to tell you how miserable the death would be?¡± Ronin held back what he wanted to say, chuckled, and silently followed Finn. He had initially wanted to ask Finn why he had subdued him and then suddenly let go. However, it seemed that Finn had likely been warned in advance. Ronin knew that asking wouldn¡¯t produce any results, so he didn¡¯t want to waste his efforts. Soon, Ronin saw the man in the ck robe. Finn left the room, leaving them alone. As soon as they met, the man in the ck robe slowly raised his head andlooked at Ronin, saying, ¡°Ronin, are you curious why I had Finn bring you back and then suddenly dumped you on the roadside?¡± Ronin felt uneasy, not understanding the purpose behind the man bringing up this matter. After a moment of contemtion, Ronin decided to be honest. ¡°I don¡¯t know. When I woke up, I only saw Catherine. I thought it was just a coincidence that they came, so Finn didn¡¯t take me away to avoid conflict.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason.¡± The man in the ck robe nodded in agreement. When Catherine and Zobber came out of the apartment building, they received the message. While Ronin was still pondering the meaning behind the man¡¯s words, he suddenly returned to his high seat and said something inexplicable. He added,¡°Most importantly, these pastries taste good!¡± Ronin looked up and saw that the man was holding the pastries he had bought for Catherine. He didn¡¯t see them when he woke up, thinking they had been left at the scene, but he didn¡¯t expect Finn to bring them back. Unable to understand the man¡¯s purpose, Ronin remained silent. ¡°Ronin, now that you¡¯ve returned to Catherine and are slowly being epted back by them, shouldn¡¯t you fulfill the promise you made to me initially?¡± the man asked. The inevitable hade, and Ronin had known that the man wouldn¡¯t let him go so easily. ¡°Sir, please instruct.¡± Ronin¡¯s respectful attitude pleased the man. He looked at Ronin, who was bowing his head, and asked slowly, ¡± Within the Hacker Alliance, there is aconfidential customer database. You should know about it, right?¡± Ronin¡¯s heart trembled fiercely. He didn¡¯t expect this to be the man¡¯s objective. It was a big trap, waiting for them to fall into it. Carefully, he answered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it, sir. Are you asking for¡­?¡± Chapter 890 Chapter 890 The List ¡°I want that list!¡± The man in the ck robe stated his purpose bluntly, without any concealment. He wanted to see if Ronin truly dared to steal the list. Despite Ronin¡¯s recent betrayals against the Hacker Alliance, the man still didn¡¯t trust Ronin. Ronin had followed Catherine for too many years, and their bond was profound. This list of key personnel was the final test for Ronin. Over the years, the Hacker Alliance had taken on numerous tasks, many of which involved confidential figures. To protect the organization, Catherine kept a cklist, and its exposure would have dire consequences. If it fell into the wrong hands, it could be a weapon to control the fate of the Hacker Alliance. Very few people outside were aware of the existence of this list, and even Ronin had stumbled upon it identally. He verified its presence by asking Catherine. If he really stole this list and handed it over to the man in the ck robe, it would spell disaster for the Hacker Alliance.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Seeing Ronin silent for a while, the man in the ck robe squinted his eyes, looking at him with a cold expression. ¡°What? Are you unwilling?¡± Ronin hesitated for a moment. Then he slowly raised his head. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling. I have only a limited knowledge of this list, as I overheard it from Catherine. I have absolutely no clue about the whereabouts of this list. Since you are aware of the existence of this list, you must have some leads. As long as you can provide me with clues, I will do my best.¡± The man in the ck robe stood tall, staring at Ronin coldly. He wanted to know how much truth was in Ronin¡¯s words. Ronin knelt down on one knee, motionless, portraying sincerity. Finally, the man in the ck robe said, ¡°I have only heard of this list, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be true. Since you know of its existence, there¡¯s no need to fear not finding it. I¡¯ll give you a week to investigate. I¡¯ll also arrange for people to investigate, and I¡¯ll inform you as soon as we have any information. Ronin bowed his head low, silently cursing the man in the ck robe as a cunning fox who didn¡¯t really believe him. The man surely knew some insider information but was unwilling to easily reveal it to him. Then Ronin replied, ¡°Rest assured, sir. I will do my best!¡± Exiting the base, Ronin¡¯s heart was still pounding intensely. Every time he encountered the man in the ck robe, he felt unusually nervous, though he couldn¡¯t pinpoint why exactly. Once in a safe ce, Ronin immediately shared the news with Catherine. ¡°Catherine, I feel like he knows more about us than we thought.¡± Catherine, upon receiving the message, wasn¡¯t too surprised. If the other party hadn¡¯te prepared, that would have been unusual. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll handle this, and I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s sorted.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ronin replied. After confirming that Ronin was fine, Catherine hung up his call. Just as she turned around, she bumped into Branden, who was entering through the door. ¡°Is it over?¡± Branden asked gently. Catherine raised her phone in her hand. ¡°Ronin called, wanting to invite me out for ate-night snack. I didn¡¯t agree.¡± Branden approached slowly, extending his hand to embrace her. ¡°Hungry? If you don¡¯t want to go out, I can make something for you at home.¡± Catherine¡¯s stomach rumbled silently, and she nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure. Make something light.¡± Hearing that, Branden immediately went to prepare. Before leaving, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡± Recently, you seem to be eating a bit lightly. Is your stomach not feeling well?¡± Catherine hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Chapter 891 Chapter 891 Strike Back Seeing Branden assessing her, Catherine chuckled lightly. ¡°Is there anything wrong with eating lightly? Didn¡¯t you always advise me to eat less heavy food? Have you changed your mind now?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Branden wrapped his arm around her waist, his eyes filled with indulgence. He raised his eyebrows, giving Catherine a wink. ¡± Rest well. I¡¯ll prepare a light supper for you.¡± Hearing the sizzling sound of cooking through the phone, Paxton knew that Branden must be preparing a supper for Catherine again. It was truly enviable. There was only one person in the world who could make Branden personally cook and prepare a meal, and that was Catherine.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. As Paxton admired Catherine, he quietly reported the situation. He said, ¡± Mr. Duncan, you¡¯re truly amazing! After we released the information as you instructed, all sorts of mixed messages flooded the market. Initially, the situation looked unfavorable for us, but unexpectedly, there was a direct reversal. The negative news only fueled the confidence of those shareholders.¡± Paxton had originally thought that releasing both true and false information detrimental to the Duncan Corporation would not only be manipted by some malicious individuals but would also lead to the loss of trust from the shareholders, causing them to sell off their shares. If it came to that, the Duncan Corporation would be in trouble. Although filled with worries, Paxton still chose to trust Branden¡¯s strategy. The oue brought him joy, onceagain proving how formidable Branden was. With a sudden surge of too much negative news in the market, it confused everyone, and many suspected that these were intentionally fabricated rumors to frame the Duncan Corporation. Combined with the Duncan Corporation¡¯s resilience over the years, it showed that the foundation of the Duncan Corporation was exceptionally strong. Everyone had great confidence in the future of the Duncan Corporation. Small shareholders who had previously sold off Duncan Corporation¡¯s shares began buying them back. By the end of the afternoon trading session, the previously declining stock prices were almost back to their previous values, and the market had great confidence in the future of the Duncan Corporation. ¡°Mr. Duncan, what should we do next? ¡°Paxton asked. After being attacked for so long, it was finally time for them to strike back. Paxton couldn¡¯t hold back his eagerness any longer. As soon as Branden gave themand, he would be the first to charge forward. Branden skillfully stir-fried the vegetables in the pan, ensuring the right level of heat to avoid overcooking them. Catherine didn¡¯t like her vegetables overcooked. ¡°The backers behind them are the Breens. Since they want to cause trouble in our territory, let¡¯s amodate their wishes,¡± Branden said. Branden¡¯s cold tone sent shivers down Paxton¡¯s spine, even though he wasn¡¯t physically present with Branden. The tension made him involuntarilystraighten his back a bit. ¡°Mr. Duncan, do you intend to¡­¡± Paxton didn¡¯t dare to directly ask, but he tried to test the waters. Branden, understanding his close associate very well, said, ¡°Exactly as you¡¯re thinking. Set it up.¡± Hearing Branden¡¯s decision, Paxton grinned with delight. Finally, he had the chance to vent his frustration. ¡°Mr. Duncan, rest assured. I¡¯ll handle this matter perfectly for you. Take care of Miss Swann, and leave the rest to me.¡± Branden hung up the phone. He felt that Paxton¡¯s talkativeness had increased since he started spending more time with Zobber. It seemed that Zobber had quite an influence. Chapter 892 Chapter 892 One Thing After Another Audrey had just finished filming when she found herself surrounded by a swarm of reporters. Luckily, her experienced assistants who apanied her were well-versed in handling such situations. They skillfully positioned Audrey in the middle, preventing a direct onught from the reporters. Given the overwhelming number of reporters, it was necessary to pause for interviews. Otherwise, the media could report something negative.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. At the gesture from her agent, Audrey halted her steps, smiling at the crowd of reporters. ¡°Hey, everyone. I apologize. I¡¯ve been rushing with the shooting, and there¡¯s a night scer tonight, so my time is quitelimited. I¡¯ll briefly answer a few questions, and next time, we can chat more, okay?¡± Audrey, well-regarded in the industry for her positive reputation and demeanor, received nods of agreement from the reporters. ¡°Alright!¡± Not wanting to waste any time, Audrey suggested starting the interview right away. ¡°Ms. Swann, can you share the reasons behind taking on this role in the film?¡± one of the reporters asked. This question was particrly friendly and rted to the movie, so Audrey decided to answer. ¡°The main reason I took on this film is because I genuinely love the subject matter. After going through the script, I found the story to be exceptionally captivating. The creative team behind this film is also incredibly strong, making it a movieworth looking forward to.¡± Suddenly, a reporter at the back of the crowd pushed through and walked to the front, cing the microphone directly in front of Audrey. ¡°Ms. Swann, you mentioned you took on this film because you love the story. Are you sure it has nothing to do with your sister? Because the storyline resembles your sister¡¯s experiences. Is that why you like it?¡± Audrey looked at the reporter in astonishment, her eyes filled with confusion. ¡°My sister? Catherine? What does she have to do with this?¡± The reporter sneered and said in disdain, ¡°Ms. Swann, do you really know nothing about what your sister has been up to?¡± Facing the reporter¡¯s pressing, Audrey was momentarily unsure how to respond. She nced at her assistantstanding nearby, who had already started checking online news during the reporter¡¯s inquiry. The assistant approached Audrey and quietly briefed her on the situation. She said, ¡°Audrey, someone has posted a video online, and the protagonist in the video seems to be your sister, Catherine. 11 Audrey took the phone. After watching the contents, she was shocked. Seeing something was off, the agent made an excuse to lead Audrey away. However, the reporters were not willing to let Audrey go. The agent had no choice but to call security to escort Audrey away, creating an awkward scene. Finally, under the protection of a robust security team, Audrey managed to board the RV. After that, Audrey immediately asked her assistant for thephone. The assistant looked at the agent with a distressed expression, hesitant to hand the phone to Audrey. ¡°Audrey, it¡¯s not good news. Maybe you shouldn¡¯t read it, ¡°the assistant suggested. Audrey coldly stared at the assistant with anger. ¡°Give it to me. Don¡¯t make me say it a second time.¡± The assistant had been working for Audrey for a while, experiencing her friendly demeanor. Audrey had never shown them any displeasure before. This was the first time the assistant had seen Audrey so angry, and she immediately handed over the phone in fear. Holding the phone, Audrey logged into various news portals and browsed through the contents. The information was shocking, causing Audrey¡¯s hand holding the phone to tremble. She forced herself to stayposed and stared coldly at her new agent. ¡± Where is Brian White? I need to see him! ¡°Mr. White? He¡­¡± Before the agent could finish, Audrey erupted in anger, shouting, ¡°I don¡¯t care what he¡¯s doing right now. I must see him!¡± It was the first time the agent had seen Audrey so enraged. The agent quivered and stuttered, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll arrange it right away.¡± The news reached not only Audrey but also the public rtions department of the Duncan Corporation, which promptly detected the shifts in public opinion online. They immediately began to mitigate the situation, hoping to quell the brewing storm. However, the opposing party seemed well-prepared and thoroughly organized. Despite the Duncan Corporation¡¯s robust capabilities and their efforts to control the situation, the events continued to escte. Upon receiving the information, Paxton rushed into the conference room, interrupting Branden¡¯s ongoing meeting. He said, ¡°Mr. Duncan, I have important matters to report.¡± Branden halted the meeting. After everyone left the room, Paxton presented thetest updates. ¡°Mr. Duncan, take a look.¡± Branden¡¯s face darkened immediately after he saw the news. The overwhelming aura emanating from him instilled fear. Paxton was too intimidated to speak. He could only stand silently, awaiting Branden¡¯s instructions. ¡°Where is Kathy?¡± Branden tried to stayposed. Paxton quickly replied, ¡°Miss Swann is currently in theboratory. I heard she entered the experimental room in the morning and hasn¡¯te out yet. She probably doesn¡¯t know about the news. Branden swiftly stood up, his steps unwavering. ¡°Go to Styre University.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll prepare the car right away,¡± Paxton replied. The rapid development of events exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. While Catherine was still unaware of the situation, the school quickly responded. Ultan turned to Marshall and briefed him on the situation. Marshall was taken aback upon learning about it. He quickly dered his stance. He said, ¡°Mr. Farrell, I believe someone with ill intentions is framing Catherine. How could she possibly do such a thing? She¡¯s so kind- hearted.¡± Ultan looked sternly at Marshall and asked seriously, ¡°But what if it¡¯s true?¡± The question left Marshall at a loss for words. Marshall mumbled to himself with a sorrowful look, ¡°If it¡¯s true, she is truly unfortunate.¡± Knowing that Catherine came from the Swanns in Casier, Marshall had always assumed her family background was quitefortable. Seeing Marshall¡¯s emotional state, Ultan didn¡¯t dare to say much. ¡± Marshall, this is a grave issue, and the school is taking it very seriously. You need to be mentally prepared. For now,inform Catherine to take a few days off at home. Once the investigation isplete, we can bring her back. There¡¯s still no news from Winston. It¡¯s just one thing after another.¡± Marshall knew that the situation wasplicated, and the decision made by Ultan was a reluctant one. He nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Catherine.¡± Ultan added worriedly, ¡°Have a good conversation. Don¡¯t be too harsh.¡± Without turning back, Marshall walked away. He was preupied with the situation and not in the mood to respond. Chapter 893 Chapter 893 Paid Leave Catherine stepped out of theb to find Marshall standing at the door with a worried frown. ¡°What has got Professor Hartley frowning like it¡¯s the end of the world? Why don¡¯t you share the news and brighten my day too.¡± Seeing her in a yful mood only deepened Marshall¡¯s gloom. ¡± Catherine, I have something to tell you, but try not to freak out.¡± Catherine remained calm, but her voice turned cooler. ¡°Professor, out with it. I can take the pressure.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Seeing her steady demeanor, Marshall bravely handed her his phone. ¡°I¡¯m at a loss for words. Have a look yourself.¡± Catherine took the phone, and her expression tensed as she nced at thescreen. Marshall couldn¡¯t quite read her, given her subtle reaction. Before he could ask, Catherine got straight to the point. ¡°What¡¯s the school¡¯s move on this?¡± Caught off guard by herposure, Marshall was visibly shaken. After all, people wouldn¡¯t be as calm as Catherine in such a situation. Marshall was silent, which prompted Catherine to ask, ¡°You¡¯re here to announce the school¡¯s decision, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Marshall reluctantly admitted. ¡± The school is giving you a few days off.¡± ¡°Not bad. They are still granting me paid leave.¡± Catherineughed at herself. And she knew that the school had been quite forgiving towards her. With leaders above her, Catherine was aware that not all would favor her. ¡°I respect the school¡¯s decision,¡± she stated. ¡°Theb¡¯s yours. I¡¯m taking two days off.¡± ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t worry too much about this mess. If you¡¯re innocent, the school will clear your name. Let me know immediately if you need anything, okay?¡± Marshall said. ¡°Take a chill pill. Everything will be ok. ¡°Catherine assured him. Afterforting Marshall, Catherine slipped off herb coat and walked out, nning to collect her things from the office since she would be away from theb for a while. Just as she finished packing, her phone rang with an unknown number. A chill passed through her eyes as she answered to a cold male voice. ¡°Miss Swann, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Get to the point, or I¡¯ll hang up,¡± Catherine snapped back, short on patience. ¡°Miss Swann, why so hasty? Last time, I conceded. This time, how confident are you about getting out of this tight spot? How desperately must Styre University need your talent to keep you, despite the risk of harboring an alleged murderer? If you work with me, I can clear your name with ease.¡± The man¡¯s voice was firm. Catherine let out a coldugh. ¡°The same terms?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Share your research findings with us, and I¡¯ll help you escape this predicament,¡± the voice confidently proposed. ¡°Give me a day to think it over,¡± Catherine replied. The caller agreed to her request. ¡°As you say, Miss Swann.¡± After hanging up, Catherine turned to find Branden standing behind her, his sharp gaze fixed on her. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± she greeted him with a subtle smile. Noticing his look, Catherine surmised he had overheard her call. She casually waved her phone, ¡°Some coboration offer, but I didn¡¯t bite.¡± Branden didn¡¯t push for more information, respecting her choice. ¡°Get ready to head out?¡± Branden asked. ¡°Yes, the school has given me a short break. Not sure how long, so I¡¯m seizing the chance to rest,¡± she replied. Catherine was confident Branden knew about the situation, his presence confirming his awareness. ¡°Perfect!¡± Branden smiled, pinching her cheek yfully. ¡°You¡¯ve been working too hard. Time to rest and fatten you up a bit.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll follow your lead,¡± said Catherine happily. Branden swept her into his arms. ¡°Such apliant one,¡± purred Branden adoringly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head home. Leave the rest to me.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine gave a gentle smile and nodded in agreement. As Branden¡¯s gaze shifted from Catherine, it turned icy. He was ready to make those who dared to touch his woman pay the price. Chapter 894 Chapter 894 I Am Sorry Ignoring the secretary¡¯s attempts to stop her, Audrey stormed into Brian¡¯s office. The secretary, terrified by Audrey¡¯s murderous intention, was about to call security but was stopped by Brian¡¯smand. ¡°You can leave us,¡± Brian said, and the secretary hesitated beforeplying. Before the secretary could exit, Audrey charged at Brian, gripping his cor fiercely, her re seething with a desire to end him right then and there. The secretary was taken aback by the sudden outburst. It was hard to believe the gentle superstar could exhibit such brutality behind closed doors. Rumors had been swirling about her being a sugar baby, but no one had everseen such a sugar baby storm into her sugar daddy¡¯s office and grab him by the cor with such audacity. This was not sugar-baby behavior-it was like dealing with a deity. Seeing Audrey so worked up, Brian quickly tried to calm her down. ¡°Aud, you can say whatever you want. Just calm down, okay? You¡¯re going to hurt yourself. Can we talk about this?¡± Gradually regaining herposure, Audrey threw Brian¡¯s hand off. ¡± Alright, it¡¯s time we had a real talk.¡± She hurled her phone at him. ¡°Exin this to me, Brian. I consented to all your conditions and every single threat you made. But have you been true to your word?¡± Brian gazed at her with a look of heartfelt sorrow. ¡°So, all that¡¯shappened between us, in your eyes, it¡¯s just a barter, something I coerced you into?¡± Audrey¡¯s eyes were filled with loathing. ¡°Brian, if you hadn¡¯t used that video of Catherine as leverage, do you think I¡¯d be with you? Now the video¡¯s leaked, causing an uproar. What the hell are you after?¡± Brian felt a pang of pain. He hadn¡¯t realized she saw their rtionship as merely a deal. ¡°I love you. Why would I leak the video and ruin everything between us?¡± he responded. Despite Brian¡¯s firm tone, Audrey didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°The video was in your hands, Brian. If not you, then who?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t behind the video¡¯s creation. Just because I could obtain it doesn¡¯t mean others couldn¡¯t. You underestimate Catherine and those she has angered. Their reach goes farbeyond what you can imagine,¡± Brian replied. Sickened by his glib defense, Audrey retorted with venom, ¡°Stop exining, Brian. First, you ckmail me with the video, then coerce me into this film. I¡¯ve read the entire script, so what¡¯s left for you to conceal?¡± A flicker of panic crossed Brian¡¯s face, quickly masked, but Audrey noticed. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Brian. If any harmes to Catherine, I swear you¡¯ll regret it for your entire life.¡± With those final words, Audrey stormed off the office to find Catherine. She was concerned Catherine might not be able to handle the scandal.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The apartment doorbell echoed. ¡°Answer the door!¡± Catherine shouted over her shoulder to Branden withouttaking her eyes off her intense game. He rose promptly and made his way to the door. Branden wasn¡¯t surprised to see Audrey there. Knowing the limited number of people aware of the apartment¡¯s location, and the buzz surrounding Catherine online, it was logical that Audrey would have been alerted immediately. ¡°Where¡¯s Catherine?¡± Audrey¡¯s voice trembled with concern. Branden stepped aside, gesturing for Audrey to enter. Inside, Audrey found Catherine engrossed in her game, seemingly unaffected by the scandal. Audrey pulled Branden aside. ¡°Mr. Duncan, does Catherine know about the video?¡± Given the widespread online discussion, Audrey doubted Branden would be oblivious, Considering hisevident concern for Catherine, he must be aware. ¡®Branden may have shielded Catherine from the news, leaving her in blissful ignorance,¡¯ she thought. Branden couldn¡¯t help but smile atAudrey¡¯s expressive face. ¡°She knows.¡± Audrey was stunned. ¡°She knows? Then why is she¡­¡± Before she could finish, Catherine looked over. Audrey rushed to her side. ¡°Kathy, about the videos online¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Catherine admitted without hesitation. Coming to her senses, Audrey embraced her sister tightly. Haunted by the video, she had suffered nightmares, waking up in tears each time. The thought of Catherine enduring such trauma at a young age was more painful than a knife to Audrey¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kathy,¡± Audrey apologized, her voice heavy with guilt for not being there for Catherine when she faced such trials. Catherine soothed Audrey¡¯s hand. ¡± Loosen up, or you¡¯ll suffocate me.¡± At those words, Audrey instantly rxed her grip. Catherine inhaled deeply, having nearly been smothered by Audrey¡¯s tight embrace. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You didn¡¯t throw me in there,¡± added Catherine. To Catherine, she held no resentment toward anyone. After all, her life and destiny were in her own hands. Chapter 895 Chapter 895 Secrets Revealed Audrey was eager to know what had happened back then. She always believed that Catherine was sent to the countryside by her grandfather. But now, it seemed the truth was not that simple. Afraid of touching on Catherine¡¯s sensitive topic, Audrey didn¡¯t press for details and instead asked Catherine about her ns. Catherine calmly looked at her and said, ¡°What else can I do? Just face the challenges as theye.¡± She didn¡¯t care about public opinion. ¡± If you guys have the guts toe after me, then bring it on,¡± she thought. Audrey gave Catherine a thumbs-up for herposure and calmness. This was something she would never get the hang of. Branden ced the cut fruits on the nearby coffee table. He was initially in the kitchen but turned to open the door when the doorbell rang. ¡°Go ahead, you guys. I¡¯ll be in the study. ¡°He left the space for the two sisters to talk. Catherine having someone keeping herpany put him more at ease. He came back all of a sudden, and there was a bunch of stuff waiting for him at thepany. Seeing how gentle and caring Branden was toward Catherine, Audrey sighed. Deep down, she envied Catherine and pitied herself. ¡°Never thought Branden would be like this at home. Out there, everyone fears him, but at home, he¡¯s so gentle toward you,¡± said Audrey. Sensing Audrey¡¯s emotional change, Catherine tilted her head and asked, ¡± Had a fight with Brian?¡± Seemingly caught off guard by Catherine¡¯s sudden question, Audrey hesitated for a moment before looking away, whispering, ¡°No, just envying you. We didn¡¯t have a fight.¡± Catherine lowered her gaze and sneered. ¡°Still trying to hide it from me?¡± Audrey was at a loss for words. She didn¡¯t know what Catherine meant by that. It felt like Catherine might know something. Trying to appearposed, Audrey looked at Catherine. ¡°Hide it from you? No, I have nothing to hide from you. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Although she spoke firmly, her eyes betrayed her. In front of Catherine, she found it hard to conceal. Catherine¡¯s eyes kept her from fibbing. Just as she was trying to find an excuse, Catherine¡¯s words exposed her. ¡°Brian has my video. Do you want me to spill on what you¡¯ve traded with him?¡± Audrey, shocked, looked at Catherine with disbelief. ¡°How¡­ how do you know?¡± She had never told anyone about it, not even a hint to Kim. It led to a fallout with Kim, who used her of being love -struck and heartless. But for Catherine, she endured it all. She didn¡¯t understand how Catherine could know about this. Catherine looked at her, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°I found out not long ago.¡± She always knew Audrey must have made some deal with Brian or was coerced by him to agree to the rtionship. She tried talking toAudrey a few times, but Audrey avoided the topic. So, she had to investigate secretly. If she had known that Audrey was coerced by Brian because of her, she would have dealt with that scum long ago. Seeing that Catherine already knew everything, Audrey couldn¡¯t hold back the sadness welling up inside. She looked at Catherine with red eyes. Kathy, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. If not for me, Brian wouldn¡¯t target you.¡± Deep inside, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt toward Catherine, thinking she hadn¡¯t protected Catherine well since childhood, and now Catherine was suffering because of her. Catherine gave her a tissue, signaling her to wipe away the tears. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡±Catherine¡¯sforting words only intensified Audrey¡¯s guilt. ¡°Kathy, you don¡¯t need tofort me. If not for me, how could Brian harm you?¡± said Audrey. ¡°The video wasn¡¯t sent out by Brian.¡± Audrey was momentarily stunned by Catherine¡¯s words. Then she reacted and looked at Catherine. ¡°What do you mean by that? Did Brian have nothing to do with this?¡± Catherine nodded. Audrey was still puzzled. ¡°But he had the video.¡± ¡°Yeah, but others do too. He only used the video to threaten you, not release it, ¡± said Catherine. She had people watch over Brian¡¯s every move. While his methods were despicable, he hadn¡¯t spread the video. Audrey furrowed her brows. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Brian, could there really be an unseen hand manipting things as he said?¡± she thought. She looked worriedly at Catherine and asked, ¡± Kathy, do you know who¡¯s behind all this?¡± To avoid involving Audrey, Catherine shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have too many enemies; it¡¯s hard to pinpoint who it might be.¡± This vague response heightened Audrey¡¯s concern. ¡°What should we do? ¡± she asked. Enemies lurking in the shadows were the most frightening. Audrey feared something might happen to Catherine again. Seeing Audrey¡¯s concern, Catherine found an excuse to ease her worries. ¡± It¡¯s okay. Branden will handle it.¡± Audrey¡¯s worried heart calmed down a bit when she heard this. After all, with Branden¡¯s capabilities, if he said he could handle it, then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s good. With Mr. Duncan around, I believe we¡¯ll have results soon,¡± said Audrey. Catherine didn¡¯t want the conversation to focus on her. Changing the topic, she asked, ¡°What are your ns regarding Brian now?¡± Chapter 896 Chapter 896 Branden¡¯s Caring Audrey kept her head down, unsure how to respond to Catherine¡¯s question. Although Brian didn¡¯t expose the video, their rtionship had been built on threats from the start. Despite Brian being good to hertely, one-sided efforts couldn¡¯t be the reason for them to be together. Seeing Audrey¡¯s dilemma, Catherine had a bad feeling. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for him now, have you?¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. This question startled Audrey. She quickly shook her head, denying Catherine¡¯s spection. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible.¡± She was sure she had no feelings for Brian. ¡°I have no feelings for him; it¡¯s all in his imagination,¡± she added. Audrey¡¯s almost certain response relieved Catherine. She had worried that Audrey might have fallen for Brianduring this time. It would make the situation more challenging. ¡°Leave this matter to me. Take a break from your current work for now, and contact me if anythinges up,¡± said Catherine. Audrey managed a bitter smile. She came tofort Catherine, but it turned into Catherine helping her clean up the mess. She originally nned to refuse, but she knew Catherine¡¯s temperament. Once Catherine decided, it was final. So, she had to relent and said, ¡°Kathy, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about my situation. Actually, there¡¯s no need to handle it. I can just ignore him.¡± Catherine nodded without saying much. She just needed to know Audrey¡¯s stance. Seeing Catherine in better shape than her, Audrey gradually rxed. ¡°Sinceyou¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll head back now.¡± She needed to think about how to get rid of Brian. She knew how persistent he was; he wouldn¡¯t give up easily. Catherine didn¡¯t stop her but just told Branden, and Branden arranged for a driver to escort Audrey back. Audrey hade in a hurry, driving herself without even bringing an assistant. Given her public status and the current situation, it was better to be cautious. Once Audrey left, Catherine packed up the game console and headed to the bathroom. Branden approached slowly. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and buried his head in her neck, gently smelling her fragrance. ¡°Ready for bed?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, just gonna take a shower and hit the hay,¡± Catherine gently replied. She walked forward while Branden stillembraced her from behind. ¡°Come on, let me help you,¡± Branden said, his hands already at her cor. He gently undid her buttons and helped her out of her clothes. His slender fingertips softly traced over her tender skin, creating a delightful tingling sensation, as if a gentle current of electricity passed through. The temperature in the bathroom kept rising. Branden¡¯s heavy breaths filled Catherine¡¯s ears. Just as things were heating up, Catherine stopped his eager hands in time. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Branden abruptly stopped. He nted a firm kiss on Catherine¡¯s neck before slowly letting her go. ¡°Wait for me,¡± he said and walked to the showerhead, letting cold water wash over him. He was trying hard to control his desires. Catherine crossed her arms, silently watching him shower at the side. The smile in her eyes deepened. Soon, Branden finished showering and walked out of the shower room. When he saw Catherine smiling at him, her eyes shining, his heart was once again touched. He approached slowly and gently pinched Catherine¡¯s nose, affectionately shaking it. ¡°You heartless little thing, I¡¯ve set the water to a good temperature. Go on and shower. The floor might be a bit slippery. Be careful.¡± Despite the difort of suppressing his desires, he still cared deeply for Catherine. ¡°Okay, got it. You go out first, and I¡¯lle out after I¡¯m done,¡± said Catherine. A mischievous smile appeared on Branden¡¯s handsome face. He raised aneyebrow. ¡°Do I need to leave? You are entirely mine.¡± Catherine rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You pervert, go away,¡± sheined with a smile. Afraid that she might catch a cold without her clothes, Branden didn¡¯t tease her further, obediently leaving the bathroom. Catherine gently touched her abdomen. Watching Branden¡¯s departing figure, she smiled sweetly. Chapter 897 Chapter 897 His Biggest Win The efforts to control the situation didn¡¯t ease things for Catherine; it just became worse. Paxton updated Branden on the recent developments. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the tactics they¡¯re using are just like the ones from the previous rumors about ourpany. It¡¯s likely the same group. The public opinion is strongly against Miss Swann right now. I had a fake video made; it¡¯s convincing enough. Should we release it to at least create some confusion?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Branden immediately rejected Paxton¡¯s proposal. ¡°Those people are waiting for that.¡± If they dared to release the video, they must have other tricks up their sleeves. The fake video would only get Catherine into even more trouble. Paxton thought Branden made sense, but at the moment, he couldn¡¯t think of a way to help Catherine. ¡°Mr. Duncan, what should we do then?¡± Branden remained calm andposed. ¡°No rush. If they¡¯re willing to spend money to hype things up, let them be.¡± For some reason, Paxton felt that Branden was unusually calm this time. Though it was his typical style, he always took Catherine¡¯s problems seriously. There was no reason for Branden to let things escte like this. ¡°Could Mr. Duncan have another strategy?¡± Paxton wondered. ¡°Mr. Duncan, what about thend in Weseville?¡± Paxton asked. Branden waved his hand generously. ¡± Let it be.¡± Paxton was dumbfounded. He knew the whole story. Back when Branden agreed to give up thend in Weseville,it was mainly because the other party used Catherine¡¯s video as a threat. Now that the video was out, even if Branden tried to take back thend, it made sense. Paxton could not understand why Branden would let them have thend. ¡°This piece ofnd is worth billions of dors. Is Mr. Duncan serious?¡± he thought. However, Branden didn¡¯t exin anything and just assigned Paxton a new task. ¡°Hold a press conference tomorrow and spread the news of the sessful development of the seventh- generation chip in theb.¡± Joy filled Paxton¡¯s face when he heard this. This was a huge piece of good news. They had been working on the seventh- generation chip for several years. Despite continuous investment in manpower and resources, sess had been elusive. Now that they finally seeded, Paxton couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare for it right away.¡± After dealing with business matters, Branden returned to the bedroom with lighter steps. The room was very quiet, with only Catherine¡¯s soft and steady breathing echoing. Looking at the soundly sleeping Catherine on the bed, Branden revealed a faint smile. ¡°She must be genuinely exhausted. But why does she manage to look so captivating even in her sleep?¡± thought Branden. He quietly climbed onto the bed. But just as he lifted the covers, a murmur reached his ears. Branden abruptly halted and froze in ce.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. No one would have thought that the usually assertive and arrogant Branden would be startled by a murmur. Branden¡¯s stiffness only eased when Catherine unconsciously wrapped her arm around his waist. He slowlyy down, embracing the sleeping Catherine. Seeing Catherine still asleep, Branden smiled. Catherine was usually super vignt, but now she was sleeping soundly in his arms. Branden thought it was his biggest win. Chapter 898 Chapter 898 What if I Refuse Ronin, upon seeing those online messages, was downright furious. The once most painful memories surged back again. He thought about hacking all the online posts and shutting them up, but when the time came to act, reason won over impulse. Silencing voices on the inte could only temporarily halt everything; it couldn¡¯t solve the issue from the root. If the mastermind behind this made another move, it could have dragged Catherine into even more problems. Netizens were just blindly hostile toward the wealthy. If those scheming folks intentionally spread the idea that Catherine manipted public opinion with her influence, it would trigger a widespread resistance mindset. It would only make the situation worse. After realizing this, Ronin decided not to argue with those idiots. He aimed to expose the mastermind behind the scenes and resolve the matter once and for all. Having made up his mind, Ronin quickly went out. Soon, he arrived at the entrance of the secret base. Seeing him, Finn immediately stepped forward to block him.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Ronin, without hesitation, threw a punch at Finn¡¯s face. ¡°Get lost, or I won¡¯t be polite.¡± Finn did not hold back and fought back. During this time, Ronin had been practicing his fighting skills, and he got a lot better atbat.Finn, who used to have the upper hand, could now only fight him on equal terms. In addition to Ronin¡¯s intense anger, Finn was no match for him and was quickly knocked down. Ronin stepped over Finn¡¯s body and headed straight into the house. Soon, he reached the door of the office and pushed it open. A man in a ck robe sitting in front of the desk slowly raised his head to look at Ronin. Their eyes met, and the man¡¯s aura was noticeably stronger than Ronin¡¯s. However, Ronin, in his current angry state, was not intimidated by this. He stared sharply at the man, and a burning rage brewed deep within him.¡± Was it you who exposed the video?¡± he asked. The man in the ck robe didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Yes. I arranged for it to be released. ¡°He nodded. His indifferent and arrogant attitudepletely infuriated Ronin. Roninlunged forward, mming his hands onto the chair in front of the man, and asked, ¡°Why? Why would you do this?¡± The man calmly looked at Ronin, his cold gaze containing a fierce glint. ¡± Don¡¯t forget your identity. You are one of us now, and Catherine is our enemy. Ronin, do you think questioning me for Catherine is the right move? How should I handle you?¡± Ronin¡¯s expression remained angry, and a fierce light glinted in his eyes. Do you think I¡¯m angry about this? Did you not know I was in the video when you exposed it? If I were exposed, what would I do? Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re cooperating; I¡¯m not here to serve you.¡± Ronin had anticipated the man¡¯s reaction, so he had prepared counterarguments in advance. The man didn¡¯t find Ronin¡¯s retort surprising, considering Ronin¡¯s personality. ¡°The video is out; what doyou want me to do?¡± ¡°I want you to delete the video, minimize its impact on the inte, and ensure I am unaffected.¡± To avoid arousing suspicion, Ronin had to ask for things from his point of view. Upon hearing Ronin¡¯s request, the man sneered. ¡°And what if I refuse?¡± Chapter 899 Chapter 899 A Face-to-Face Meeting The man¡¯s words carried a hint of threat, but Ronin remained calm. ¡°If you refuse, then our cooperation ends here.¡± Without waiting for a response, Ronin added, ¡°Even if you want to expose our coboration, I don¡¯t care.¡± As if anticipating Ronin¡¯s rebellion, the manughed out loud. ¡°Haha, is that all you¡¯ve got? Rest assured. I won¡¯t expose our coboration or retaliate against you. You can leave.¡± Ronin couldn¡¯t quite grasp the man¡¯s intentions, but he was certain that the man wouldn¡¯t let him off so easily. He said, ¡°Why hide it? Just state what you want; don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± The man shrugged nonchntly, signaling Ronin. ¡°I won¡¯t see you out.¡± Ronin looked at him suspiciously, feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed. And just as he turned to leave, the man in the ck robe spoke slowly from behind. ¡°Ronin, I keep my word. I won¡¯t trouble you. However, you know Winston, right? I haven¡¯t decided how to deal with him yet. Should I bury him alive or beat him to death?¡± ¡°I knew it! He¡¯s definitely not going to let me off easy. But I didn¡¯t expect him to be so despicable!¡± Ronin thought. He couldn¡¯t hold back his anger and charged forward. The man reacted swiftly, and despite Ronin¡¯s recent improvement inbat skills, he was still not a match. After a few moves, Ronin was pinned down. The man grabbed his throat, and he couldn¡¯t resist. The man looked down at Ronin with disdain. ¡°Ronin, who do you think you are to act so recklessly here? You¡¯re nothing without Catherin.¡± Ronin struggled to speak; in the face of absolute power, even talking was difficult. ¡°You¡¯re right. I rely on Catherine. Without her, I wouldn¡¯t have a chance to survive. Fighting to live is the best way to repay Catherine, isn¡¯t it? ¡°So, just live your life. I¡¯ll give you a chance. Get lost!¡± The man threw Ronin away harshly. Ronin immediately stood up and charged toward the man again, shouting, ¡°Release Winston!¡± The atmosphere in the room was really tense. It felt like another fight was about to break out. Unlike Ronin, the man in the ck robe remained calm throughout. ¡°Why should I listen to you? Given the help you¡¯ve provided before, letting you go is already generous. Don¡¯t think about pushing your luck.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Ronin finally understood why they took the risk and refused to let Winston leave. They just wanted to use Winston as a hostage. He closed his eyes in pain, knowing there was no way to escape this devil¡¯s control. He then said, ¡°Speak up. What do I need to do for you to agree to release Winston?¡± Receiving no answer, Ronin couldn¡¯t contain his rage. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be considerate; just get to the point. Keeping Winston is just to threaten me, right?¡± The man carefully observed Ronin, looking genuinely puzzled. ¡°Catherine treated you so well, but you could betray her without hesitation, and now, you want to save Winston at any cost, huh?¡± Ronin red at him, full of arrogance. ¡± It¡¯s none of your business. Tell me what to do, and that¡¯s it. Stop talking nonsense.¡± Not wanting to push Ronin to the brink, the man stopped probing and stated his purpose. He said, ¡°The list. As long as you can find the list, I¡¯ll release Winston. You have a week. If you mess up, you¡¯ll only find his dead body next time.¡± Public opinion on the inte continued to spread. Catherine was told to stay home and rest. During the lunch break, Branden woulde back early from work tocook for her. She always slept until she woke naturally and would finish the dishes Branden prepared. In the evening, Branden would cook fresh meals. Her life was morefortable than ever. After finishing lunch, Catherine stood up to put the dishes in the kitchen. Suddenly, her phone in her pocket buzzed. After cleaning her hands, she leisurely took out her phone to answer the call. She thought it might be Branden checking on her lunch. However, her exquisite eyes suddenly darkened when she saw the caller ID. She swiped to answer the call and ced the phone to her ear. ¡°Miss Swann, delighted to call you again.¡± Catherine pulled a chair nearby and casually sat down, waiting for the person on the other end to speak. ¡± Speak up. What¡¯s the matter this time.¡± ¡°Miss Swann, I bet you¡¯ve caught wind of those online rumors. The public¡¯s not exactly singing your praises. Word is your experimental projects are on hold, and the school¡¯s granted you some time off. Hands tied on any projects, huh?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°You¡¯re quite well-informed, but what does it have to do with you?¡± Despite Catherine¡¯s unfriendly tone, the other party stayed calm. ¡°It concerns me, of course. Miss Swann, if you¡¯re willing to work together, our terms haven¡¯t changed. And, in many ways, I can help you.¡± ¡°So, you admit that you released the video,¡± said Catherine. The other party sounded arrogant.¡± Yes. Miss Swann, now you should know that we hold the cards here. We can either boost you to fame or bring you down hard.¡± Catherine had enough of backing down. ¡°I can work with you, but I need to meet your top dog.¡± There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. The other party seemed surprised by Catherine¡¯s quick agreement. ¡°Miss Swann, why bother negotiating with others when I can decide everything?¡± ¡°Enough with the nonsense. I want aface-to-face meeting. Next time youcall, tell me the time and address. I¡¯mnot afraid of anything, so what are youafraid of?¡± After saying this, Catherinehung up, not giving the other party achance to object. Just then, Withal¡¯s call came in. ¡± Catherine, why was your phone busy when I called just now?¡± ¡°Took a call. Something¡¯s up.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t want to tell everyone about her n to negotiate with the other party. ¡°Withal, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Catherine, I still couldn¡¯t reach Wantel. I¡¯m really worried he¡¯s in trouble. Should we arrange for someone to look for him together?¡± Withal asked, concern evident in his voice. ¡°No need.¡± Catherine decisively rejected Withal¡¯s proposal. Withal couldn¡¯t help asking, Catherine, did you give Wantel some task?¡± Chapter 900 Chapter 900 You¡¯ll Be Okay Catherine did not deny it. ¡°Yeah, I arranged for him to go out, but the specific task is temporarily confidential. Don¡¯t worry about his safety; if there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll let you all know.¡± Withal felt relieved when he heard Catherine¡¯s answer. ¡°That¡¯s good, as long as he¡¯s safe.¡± But deep down, Withal felt something was off. He thought Catherine was keeping something from themtely. If he hadn¡¯t known Catherine for so long and trusted her, he might have started looking into things. ¡°Catherine, if there¡¯s something, you¡¯ve got to let us know,¡± Withal added. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± Catherine hung up after saying this. Seeing the message popping up in the ss group, Catherine changed her clothes and headed to the school. Today was the day for the ss meeting. Although Catherine didn¡¯t attend all the sses on time during regr days, she would participate in important activities or meetings within the ss, aiming to blend in. The formal start time was 2:30 in the afternoon, and Catherine arrived at the ssroom five minutes early. The moment she appeared, all eyes were on her. The once lively ssroom suddenly hushed, and the looks directed at her were mixed, not as friendly as before. Amelia saw Catherine and quickly waved at her. ¡°Super Catherine,esit over here.¡± Seeing a seat next to Amelia, Catherine walked straight toward her. Amelia sat in the corner, and Catherine had to cross the ssroom to reach her. As she approached, Catherine heard a girl next to Amelia whispering, ¡± Amelia, why did you get involved with her? Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°Afraid what?¡± Amelia looked puzzled. The girl replied softly, ¡°Did you not see those videos online? Catherine is terrifying. She just wanted to get that person killed.¡± While speaking, the girl acted extremely frightened, as if she were the victim. Amelia red at the girl. ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Super Catherine has been at this school for so long. Has she harmed anyone? Why believe a video with no proof? Besides, withtechnology so advanced now, the video could be fake. They¡¯re just trying to smear Super Catherine. Come on, we¡¯ve all seen how amazing Super Catherine is.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Faced with Amelia¡¯s retort, the girl had nothing to say. Catherine had reached Amelia¡¯s side, and the girl closed her mouth, not saying anything more. Amelia acted as if nothing had happened and happily smiled at Catherine. ¡°Super Catherine, it¡¯s been a few days. I figured you might show up at the meeting, so I kept a seat for you. Looks like I guessed right.¡± Catherine smiled faintly and casually said, ¡°Had some free time, so thought I¡¯d drop by.¡± Amelia was in the sameb as Catherine, so she naturally heard aboutCatherine being temporarily driven out of theb because of the online rumors. ¡°Super Catherine, you¡¯ll be okay. Just ignore those online rumors. The school will sort out yourb ess soon. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Amelia wanted tofort her, not wanting this incident to affect her. Catherine calmly looked at Amelia, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Do you really trust me that much?¡± Chapter 901 by Chestnut Chapter 901 Don¡¯t Trust Me Amelia nodded without hesitation, looking at Catherine with admiration in her eyes. ¡°Super Catherine, I call you ¡®super¡¯ for a reason. You should understand how much I believe in you,¡± she said. Faced with Amelia¡¯s unconditional trust, Catherine gave a faint, wry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t trust me too much. I¡¯m not exactly a soft-hearted person,¡± she replied. In her life, kindness and weakness would only lead her into trouble. Catherine¡¯s response caught Amelia off guard. When Catherine thought she had startled Amelia, she heard Amelia say in a serious tone, ¡°I believe you would never harm anyone, let alone kill. If you do anything, it must be under extreme circumstances. Kindness isn¡¯t just about doing good deeds. If someone loves life, takes care of themselves, and looks after their friends, they are kind people.¡± Hearing this, Catherine nced at Amelia with admiration. Amelia blushed at the look. ¡°Super Catherine, why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°No wonder you got into Styre University. You are quite mature,¡± Catherine praised. Amelia felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°Super Catherine, I wouldn¡¯t dare call myself a top student in front of you. You¡¯re ttering me,¡± she said. Their conversation was interrupted when the teacher entered the room. The meeting officially began, and both of them focused on the proceedings. The lengthy meeting ended with intermittent speeches from the teacher, which sounded almost hypnotic. After the meeting, Sophia suggested going for a meal. Amelia invited Catherine to join them, but Catherine, knowing her ssmates were nervous about her presence, politely declined the offer.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Not long after leaving the ssroom, Catherine¡¯s phone rang. It was the annoying mysterious person, sending yet another urgent text. Catherine decided to call back directly. ¡°Have you made a decision?¡± the mysterious person asked, seemingly expecting her call. Without waiting for her response, he said, ¡°Miss Swann, tomorrow at three, at the agreed location.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine replied before hanging up. She put away her phone and headed towards the school gate, where she saw Branden waiting for her. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± she asked. He gently looked at her, his eyes as indulgent as ever. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you at home, so I asked around and found out you were at school. I came here to pick you up. Is everything settled?¡± he asked. Catherine nodded slightly. Branden took her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± They walked hand in hand, like most couples around them. When they arrived home, Catherine took off her shoes and walked in. Before she could sit down, Branden suddenly said, ¡± There¡¯s an important press conference tomorrow afternoon, and I want you to apany me.¡± He rarely made such requests, so there must be a reason. Catherine didn¡¯t immediately refuse, just inquiring, ¡± What time do I need to be there?¡± ¡°The press conference is at five. Do you have anything scheduled?¡± There was a two-hour gap between three and five, which should be enough for her to handle things. After thinking it over, she agreed, ¡°No, I¡¯ll be there on time.¡± Branden¡¯s face lit up with a gentle smile. ¡°If you¡¯re at the apartment, I¡¯lle back to pick you up.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Catherine declined Branden¡¯s offer. ¡°I have something in the afternoon, but I¡¯lle over after it¡¯s done.¡± She didn¡¯t specify what it was, and Branden didn¡¯t press for more details. Chapter 902 by Chestnut Chapter 902 Dietary Restrictions At three in the afternoon, Catherine arrived at the agreed location on time. The other party, however, notified her of the address at two thirty. Upon receiving the address, Catherine promptly set off and arrived punctually. Just as she finished parking, a boy appeared beside her. ¡°Are you Catherine?¡± he asked. Catherine nodded, and the boy handed her a note. ¡°Someone asked me to give this to you,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you,¡± Catherine replied, taking the note and opening it. It was a Sudoku puzzle, not too difficult. Catherine quickly solved it, revealing a simple set of coordinates. Following the coordinates, she soon reached her destination-a stylish restaurant that stood out amidst the surrounding skyscrapers with its industrial decor, exuding a distinct charm. Upon entering, a waiter guided her inside, leading her through a corridor to the basement. It was there that she discovered a totally different ce. ¡°Miss Swann, your reserved private room is right here. Your guest is already waiting inside,¡± the waiter informed her. ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine grunted, pressing the door handle and entering the room. The spacious room contained only one person, quietly perusing the menu at the dining table. After she entered, the person didn¡¯t even look up, but softly said, ¡°Miss Swann, please have a seat.¡± Catherine pulled out a chair and sat across from the man. ¡°Miss Swann, any dietary restrictions? ¡°he politely inquired. Catherine looked at him and sneered. ¡± Don¡¯t you even know my dietary restrictions?¡± The man seemed taken aback, apparently not expecting Catherine to say that. ¡°Miss Swann, what do you mean? It¡¯s our first meeting. How could I possibly know if you have any dietary restrictions?¡± he asked. ¡°You seem to understand me so well, yet you don¡¯t even know about my dietary restrictions?¡± Catherine replied. Hearing this, the man chuckled. ¡°It seems we haven¡¯t done our job well enough.¡± He was initially worried that Catherine might have sensed something amiss, and he was now reassured. As he assessed Catherine, she was also sizing him up. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, care to introduce yourself?¡± she asked. ¡°You know about me, but I don¡¯t know about you!¡± The man¡¯s appearance was unremarkable, with no distinctive features that would make him stand out in a crowd. Yet Catherine saw through his facade. This man must have been disguised, and the face she saw was not his real one. ¡°What¡¯s behind that mask?¡± she wondered. Perhaps sensing Catherine¡¯s scrutiny, the man proceeded to introduce himself. ¡°Miss Swann, you can call me Cloude! I¡¯ve always admired your talent and would like to be friends with you. If you¡¯re willing, Miss Swann, we can not only be business partners but also good friends!¡± Catherine observed him with narrowed eyes. ¡°Being friends with youes at a high price!¡± she remarked. Cloude, also known as ck Robe, was revealing his identity for the first time, deeming Catherine¡¯s unique nature worthy of sharing his name. ¡°Miss Swann, I assure you that being friends with me will not leave you at a loss. Although it may seem like you¡¯re losing out on some benefits, you should know that even if I don¡¯t get them, they won¡¯t end up in your pocket. Remember. This project belongs to Styre University and is under the jurisdiction of Eskana.¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Cloude, I think it¡¯s necessary to emphasize that I am Eskanese,¡± Catherine said in a serious tone. Chapter 903 by Chestnut Chapter 903 ConditionsMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org. Cloude was momentarily taken aback by her response, then chuckled. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so patriotic, Miss Swann. It seems I really didn¡¯t do my job well and almost misunderstood you.¡± Catherine nced at the time. It was almost four o¡¯clock, and if she didn¡¯t act quickly, it could disrupt the schedule for the press conference. ¡°Mr. Cloude, if there¡¯s nothing else to discuss, let¡¯s get straight to the point.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Cloude immediately consented to Catherine¡¯s proposal. His terms remained unchanged-he still demanded a fifty percent stake, with the rest open for negotiation. Catherine agreed, but also presented her conditions. ¡°First, help me find Professor Warner and bring him back. Second, remove all online impacts on me. Third, regardless of how theb operates, you must not intervene. You need to understand. I don¡¯t need anyone meddling in my affairs.¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s conditions, Cloude showed no surprise as if he had anticipated her requests. After assessing Catherine, he said seriously, ¡± I fully agree with thest two conditions. However, the first one may need some adjustment.¡± Catherine raised an eyebrow and gave him a cold nce. ¡°Adjust what?¡± Cloude¡¯s expression darkened slightly as he picked up his fork. ¡°Not so fast. Let¡¯s eat first and discusster.¡± Seeing that Catherine didn¡¯t seem inclined to eat, Cloude exined, ¡°Miss Swann, I¡¯ve been waiting for you and haven¡¯t eaten a thing. Can¡¯t you even allow me a moment to eat?¡± Catherine nced at the time and gestured for Cloude to continue. Cloude¡¯s upbringing must have been exceptional, evident from his dining etiquette. His manner was particrly elegant, with a deliberate pace and a touch of grace. Cloude noticed that Catherine hadn¡¯t even touched her food and paused to look at her. ¡°Miss Swann, aren¡¯t you going to eat anything? Or do you have something urgent to attend to?¡± he asked. Catherine seemed displeased, sensing that Cloude was intentionally stalling. ¡± You¡¯re right. I do have something to attend to. If we can discuss it now, let¡¯s do so. If not, we can do it another day.¡± Cloude¡¯s smile faltered, and he stopped eating. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s talk about your first condition.¡± Seeing the seriousness in his demeanor, Catherine ceased her objections and entered negotiation mode. ¡°What do you propose for my first condition?¡± ¡°We can only ensure Professor Warner¡¯s safety. I can facilitatemunication between you and him, but I don¡¯t have the power to release him,¡± Cloude replied with a serious expression, his deep, inquisitive eyes fixed on Catherine. From his gaze, Catherine could tell there was no room for negotiation. Not one to enjoy haggling, she felt it was enough and decided to leave. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go with that condition. I have nothing else to discuss. I¡¯m leaving!¡± She stood up and exited the private room. Cloude made no attempt to stop her as if letting her depart was part of his n. As Catherine took a few steps, a waitress rushed up and identally spilled food all over her. Her entire outfit was stained with sauce. The waitress, visibly frightened, continuously apologized to Catherine, who remained cold-faced, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it. I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll cover the dry-cleaning expenses. Is that okay with you, Miss?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t take it to heart in the first ce, assuming it was an ident. However, when she glimpsed the waitress¡¯s hands, any remaining sympathy vanished. Her hands were even softer than Catherine¡¯s. How could a waitress have such delicate hands from regr work? Catherine seized the waitress¡¯s hand and coldly stared at her. ¡°No need. You don¡¯t have topensate. Please step aside.¡± The waitress seemed surprised by Catherine¡¯s leniency and smiled, saying, ¡°I know you¡¯re kind-hearted, but please allow me to pay for your dry cleaning. Even though I¡¯m just a waitress, I understand the responsibility of making amends. Please give me this chance.¡± Ignoring her, Catherine continued walking. But the waitress audaciously blocked her path. ¡°Miss, please give me this chance,¡± the waitress insisted. Catherine halted and gave her a piercing look. The waitress, intimidated by her sharp gaze, took a step back. ¡°If I let you go, cherish the chance. Don¡¯t provoke me,¡± Catherine warned. The waitress attempted to speak, but Catherine cut her off, ¡°Next time you pretend, make it more convincing. Soak your hands in water for a few days might help.¡± The waitress instinctively tried to hide her hands, but it was futile. Catherine pushed her aside and left. As the waitress watched Catherine depart, a hint of malice crossed her face. She wanted to use violence to stop Catherine, but a man¡¯s deep voice intervened, ¡°Don¡¯t do that. You can¡¯t stop her.¡± The waitress felt reluctant but dared not defy him. ¡°Just wait, Cloude. Next time, I¡¯ll bring Catherine to you.¡± After leaving the hotel, Catherine didn¡¯t have time to change her clothes. She drove as fast as she could, realizing she only had twenty minutes left before her scheduled meeting with Branden at five o¡¯clock. It would take over twenty minutes to get from here to the Duncan Corporation, and the time was incredibly tight, even without a traffic jam. With little time to spare, Catherine had to constantly step on the gas, maneuvering her car through the congested traffic. Meanwhile, the press conference was about to start, but Catherine still hadn¡¯t arrived. Paxton was extremely anxious. However, he couldn¡¯t muster the courage to approach Branden, who remained remarkablyposed. He had no choice but to wait until the time was almost up before finally gathering the courage to inquire Branden, ¡°Boss, Miss Swann hasn¡¯t shown up yet. Should we give her a call? Branden remained calm, responding with just one word, ¡°Wait.¡± Paxton had to keep quiet, soothing the journalists and patiently waiting for Catherine to appear. Chapter 904 by Chestnut Chapter 904 Being LateMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org. As the scheduled start time of the press conference approached, there was no sign of activity from the Duncan Corporation. This made the journalists present anxious, sparking a stream of discussions about what was going on. Some even started causing trouble. Someone asked, ¡°By now, the lights should be dimmed, and we should be getting ready for the start. Could it be that the Duncan Corporation¡¯s press conference is just a sham, a ploy to drive up their stock prices?¡± Though these thoughts were not openly expressed, they all thought it made sense, especially since the announcement of the press conference had indeed caused a spike in the Duncan Corporation¡¯s stock prices. Paxton wanted to address these rumors but found that any exnation seemed to only make things worse. He looked turned towards Branden for guidance, but Branden remained unfazed, checking his phone briefly without finding any updates before returning to his previous calm demeanor. Meanwhile, Catherine rushed to the Duncan Corporation building, looking disheveled. Without hesitation, she took off her jacket, revealing a utility vest and casual pants underneath, her perfectly toned midriff on disy. Her appearance momentarily mesmerized the security guards, who were too slow to react when they realized they should stop her. ¡°Miss, do you have an invitation?¡± they called after her, but it was toote; they couldn¡¯t catch up. In a panic, they called for backup. Carlo, overseeing security, noticed the swift figure on the surveince cameras and immediately instructed the security team to stand down. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Swann, no need for rm!¡± After informing the security, Carlo immediately informed Paxton, ¡± Paxton, Miss Swann is here. She should be in the elevator by now.¡± Upon hearing that Catherine had arrived, Paxton finally felt rxed. After some hesitation, Carlo decided to notify Paxton. ¡°Paxton, you might need to prepare some clothes for Miss Swann,¡± Carlo said. Paxton was puzzled by this request. What do you mean?¡± Carlo didn¡¯t know how to exin and simply said, ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± As they spoke, Paxton had already arrived at the elevator. As the elevator doors opened, he finally understood why Carlo had asked him to prepare clothes for Catherine. After a nce, Paxton immediately lowered his head, not daring to look further. Luckily, he reacted quickly, and in that split second of lowering his head, Branden appeared behind him. Upon seeing Catherine¡¯s attire, Branden couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow. Catherine was about to exin when she heard him ask in a displeased tone, ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Catherine hesitated for a moment. The air conditioning in the Duncan Corporation building was a bit strong, so she instinctively nodded. Branden took off his suit jacket and draped it over her. ¡°Put it on. Don¡¯t catch a cold!¡± he said. ¡°Okay!¡± Catherine then appeared at the highly anticipated press conference wearing Branden¡¯s suit jacket. When Branden appeared with Catherine, all eyes were on them. Some people recognized Catherine as Branden¡¯s fianc¨¦e. The murmurs below started again, this time focusing on Catherine. ¡°So the reason the president of the Duncan Corporation hasn¡¯t held a press conference is because he was waiting for his fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°How romantic! He was making so many of us wait for his fianc¨¦e!¡± The sarcastic remarks left the reporters irritated. Chapter 905 Chapter 905 His Answer The atmosphere at the press conference became increasingly tense. Paxton, unable to calm the reporters down, approached Branden for advice. ¡± Should we ask some reporters to leave first?¡± he suggested. They had identified several troublemakers, and removing them might calm things down. ¡°No need!¡± Branden rejected Paxton¡¯s proposal. He knew that trying to cover it up would only make things worse. Looking at Catherine, he noticed a stain on her neck and gently wiped it off with a handkerchief. ¡°What did you have for lunch? How did it end up on your neck? ¡°he asked. Catherine, unsure of what to do, was surprised when he reached out toward her chest in public only to help her remove the stain. Catherine smiled helplessly. ¡°I bumped into a waitress in a rush, and the food spilled on me,¡± she exined.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change your clothes after getting stained?¡± Branden frowned, knowing Catherine well. Though she was unconventional, she had a sense of propriety and wouldn¡¯t act recklessly. While her outfit today wasn¡¯t problematic, it wasn¡¯t suitable for the press conference. Catherine didn¡¯t expect Branden to piece everything together so quickly. She nodded slightly, confirming his suspicions. Branden¡¯s eyes were full of concern. ¡± Did you get hurt? Let me see.¡± Catherine was surprised that Branden wanted to lift her clothes in public to check. She knew he was anxious, but it wasn¡¯t that urgent. She stopped his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, just some sauce. The press conference is runningte. You should go up.¡± As the president of the Duncan Corporation, Branden was supposed to take the stage as the first speaker. Catherine didn¡¯t want to affect him because of her mishap. Branden decided to address the press conference first before dealing with Catherine¡¯s ident. He stood up, holding Catherine¡¯s hand, and before she could react, he had already pulled her onto the stage. Catherine nced at Branden. Despite just wearing a gray shirt, he looked quite charming. Standing beside him, she smiled. Then, Branden took the microphone and said something that shocked everyone. ¡°Today is a very important research presentation for the Duncan Corporation. I want my fianc¨¦e to witness this crucial moment with me.¡± Many of the reporters present had been invited to important meetings by the Duncan Corporation before, but it was the first time they had heard the usually reserved president say so much. People erupted into cheers. Those who had been criticizing and gossiping were now moved by Branden¡¯s words. Everyone wanted to share life¡¯s most important moments with the person they loved. A few minutes¡¯ dy didn¡¯t matter; the key was that everyone who needed to be there was present. Just a moment ago, everyone seemed to think that Branden was disrespectful and that the Duncan Corporation didn¡¯t value them. Suddenly, everyone changed their attitude and started praising Branden. The subsequent press conference followed its normal course. The Duncan Corporation, as one of Eskana¡¯s most renowned enterprises, had always been closely watched for its business and project research and development. There had been rumors circting that the Duncan Corporation had long been investing heavily in chip technology research and development. However, the corporation had not made any public announcements, so there was only spection without any evidence. The public rtions department of the Duncan Corporation announced that they would hold a research presentation on the development of the seventh-generation chip, which immediately shocked the world. Not only that, the Duncan Corporation made a high-profile invitation to a multitude of reporters to attend the event. What no one expected was that before the conference even began, they were treated to Branden¡¯s public disy of affection. After Branden¡¯s speech, the professional research and development team took the stage, giving a brief introduction to the seventh-generation chip and demonstrating it live. Everyone present was deeply impressed by thetest cutting-edge technology. At that moment, the Duncan Corporation seemed poised to lead globally, with its business footprint spanning all industries in the future. The research and development team provided only a preliminary introduction. In cases involving cutting -edge technology, they would only present some visual results and not reveal too much. The reporters wanted to know more. One of them made a request. ¡°Today is a thrilling moment for us to witness such high-end technology. We are honored, but we wonder if yourpany could provide some time for free questioning, allowing us to learn more.¡± This proposal received unanimous approval, as not everyone could witness such a prosperous era. Faced with everyone¡¯s eager anticipation, Paxton had to seek guidance from Branden. ¡°Boss, what do you think?¡± Branden took the microphone and stood on the stage with the research and development team, while Catherine remained at his left side. ¡± Ten minutes!¡± he dered. Hearing this, all the reporters erupted. It was rare for the president of the Duncan Corporation to be so generous, and everyone eagerly began asking questions, not wasting a single second. The research and development team answered a lot of questions. The journalists present were all satisfied. Finally, someone handed the microphone to Branden, and to the surprise of everyone, he took it. A bold female journalist began her question, ¡°This will be thest question. I¡¯d like to ask Mr. Duncan. The answers provided by the research and development team were excellent, but this question is unrted to the chip. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against me.¡± Paxton suddenly felt a pang of unease, but it was toote to stop what wasing. The female journalist raised her voice, asking, ¡°Mr. Duncan, what is your response to the recent uproar online about a video showing your fianc¨¦emitting murder when she was younger? Are you worried that your partner is a killer?¡± The next moment, the entire room fell silent. No one had expected the journalist to be so audacious. Despite knowing the sensitivity of the question and the potential repercussions from the Duncan Corporation, they couldn¡¯t suppress their curiosity. Everyone remained silent, waiting for Branden¡¯s response. They wanted to know whether the president of the Duncan Corporation would defend his fianc¨¦e or prioritize his reputation. Catherine, standing quietly on the side, also waited for Branden¡¯s answer, curious to see what it would be. Chapter 906 ?Chapter 906 Calling the Police Branden held Catherine''s hand high and disyed the image of them holding hands. He held a microphone and looked firmly at everyone, finally fixing his gaze on the female journalist who had just asked a question. "Murder is a serious crime, and whoevermits it will naturally face legal consequences. If you have evidence or clues, please submit them to the relevant authorities as soon as possible. I believe you will get a satisfactory answer. Spreading rumors carries legal responsibility. My fianc¨¦e and I reserve the right to hold you ountable," he added. The warned journalist turned pale with fear. She had only wanted to pressure Branden to answer the question while everyone was present. It was a potential breaking story, not only increasing newspaper sales but also potentially propelling her career to new heights. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have taken the risk. However, she never expected Branden not only to boldly respond to her question but also to issue a warning. The journalist was so scared that she had intended to give up, but then she received a new message on his phone. After seeing the content, her eyes immediately lit up. Her chance to turn the tables had arrived. Even though Branden had already answered thest question, the female journalist boldly inquired, "Mr. Duncan, does this mean you unconditionally trust your fianc¨¦e?" Branden turned and led Catherine away without intending to respond. When the journalist caught up, Paxton intercepted her. "Miss, Mr. Duncan said there would be only ten minutes for questions. We have already exceeded that time. Please show some respect." Despite Paxton''s attempt to stop her, the female journalist showed no signs of giving up and continued to shout in the direction Branden had left. "Mr. Duncan, as an anonymous journalist, I''m not afraid of being targeted. Can''t you respond to my question? Are you worried about making a mistake if you say too much?" Branden stopped, turned around, and approached the journalist. The onlookers felt uneasy, fearing that something was about to happen, but no one dared to intervene.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Paxton knew the journalist was in trouble. Even he was angry just by looking at the journalist, let alone Branden. However, it wasn''t the time to reprimand the journalist, especially in public. Paxton wanted to stop it, but he didn''t dare to do so. He could only hope that Catherine would step in. Catherine remained calm, almost like an outsider. Paxton kept signaling to her, hoping she would intervene. The female journalist, seeing Branden approaching step by step, was so scared that she kept swallowing hard. She was extremely nervous right now, considering Branden''s ruthless personality. No one dared to offend him. Her actions today were definitely asking for trouble. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the dangerous scene to unfold. As Branden was about to take action, Catherine, who was standing beside him, rushed forward and grabbed the journalist''s cor. The onlookers were shocked by the scene, never expecting Catherine to be the one to take action. Catherine grabbed the journalist''s cor and coldly scrutinized her. "I''m right here. If you have questions, ask me. Today is the Duncan Corporation''s press conference, yet you keep asking unrted questions. What are your intentions?" Catherine directly countered the journalist, leaving her momentarily speechless. "Miss Swann, you made a high-profile appearance at the press conference. As Mr. Duncan''s future wife, your reputation is being tarnished online. Don''t you think you should rify things? As a journalist, I have the right to help the public know the truth," the journalist said. Catherine sneered, her eyes filled with sarcasm. "Oh, really? What a good reason. iming to help the public know the truth, huh? I think you''re a spy! The release of the seventh-generation chip is so important, and everyone wants to know more about it. But here you are, asking irrelevant questions. You''re surely a spy!" People''s attitude toward the female journalist changed. The attendees invited today were all professionals in the chip industry, and upon learning about the new chip, they were excited to gain more information about it. Getting a chance to ask questions was extremely valuable. The journalist''s continuous pursuit of gossip seemed quite out of ce. Seeing her credibility being questioned, the female journalist became agitated, continuously mentioning the online video, attempting to tarnish Catherine''s reputation. Catherine''s response was unexpectedly firm. She took out her phone and dialed a number in front of everyone. "Hello, I need to report something. I saw a video online..." No one expected Catherine to publicly call the police. This provided strong evidence, and proved her innocence. After all, if she hadmitted a crime, wouldn''t this be like walking into a trap? Catherine''s cold gaze locked onto the journalist. "I''m reporting myself. Would you dare to do the same? I have the National Security Bureau''s number. I can give it to you, and you can call them now." The journalist fell silent. Although she was confident she wasn''t a spy, her phone held too many secrets. If he were taken away by the National Security Bureau, her life would be ruined. Seeing this, Catherine took Branden''s hand, saying, "Let''s go." Branden held her hand and left. As for the female journalist, she was destined for a bad ending. Catherine dared to rify herself, but she didn''t, which indicated that she was suspicious. Even if she didn''t make the call herself, someone would find out about her. Paxton followed the two of them out, noticing Branden''s bright smile, but he couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. He thought that perhaps the reason Branden held such a high-profile press conference was to clear Catherine''s name. Chapter 907 ?Chapter 907 Do as I Say In the lounge, Catherine sat bored on the sofa, undisturbed by themotion outside. Paxton found the journalist''s information. Although she wasn''t a spy, her reputation was bad, known for exploiting others. She had even driven a poor student to suicide for the sake of publicity. After reviewing the information, Branden ordered, "Send this to the public rtions department and release it all." Upon hearing themand, Paxton hesitated. "Shouldn''t we just leak the information to some other journalists?" The female journalist was insignificant, yet involving the public rtions department would make it a big deal. Paxton worried about the public perception of bullying a journalist. Despite Paxton''s persuasion, Branden insisted, "Do as I say." Paxton, obedient to Branden''s unwavering attitude, promptly carried out the order. Catherine was Branden''s Achilles''s heel, and anyone who messed with her would face dire consequences. "Alright, I''ll see to it," Paxton said after arranging his subordinates. He then turned his attention to Catherine. "Miss Swann, do we need to handle the matter of you calling the police?" Catherine smirked. "No need. Someone else will take care of it. There''s no need to trouble the Duncan Corporation." If the other party wanted to cooperate with her, they would have to show sincerity. Catherine gazed at the clear blue sky outside, recalling unforgettable scenes from years ago. It was a rainy day when she was forced to duel with a group of bloodthirsty older teens. Only thest one standing had a chance to survive. She didn''t want to fight; she didn''t want to kill. She had a way to keep herself alive. But in the end, she had to take action. Ronin was there with her. When she saw Ronin being attacked, she acted swiftly and fiercely. However, those attackers didn''t die. She didn''t intend to kill them. The rules were set, but she wasn''t bound to follow them. In the end, both she and Ronin walked out of that hellish training camp alive, and Ronin became her sidekick from then on. As Catherine was holding her phone, it buzzed, catching her attention. She nced down, her eyes turning cold. Branden noticed the change in her expression and gently asked, "What''s wrong?" "Nothing, just a spam," she replied, deleted the text, and then snuggled up to Branden. "I''m a bit hungry. Let''s go eat something!" It was rare for her to say such things, and Branden couldn''t help but smile. "I heard about a new restaurant that''s supposed to be good. I''ll take you there." "Okay!" Zobber and Withal were furious when they heard about the press conference. "That woman is asking for trouble. How dare she treat Catherine like this? I won''t let her get away with it!"This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Withal said pitifully, "Come on. Before you teach her a lesson, can you stop doing this to me?" Zobber was caught off guard and realized that she had been angrily gripping Withal''s shoulder, nearly causing it to bleed. She quickly released her grip, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I was just so angry. I didn''t realize." Withal, ustomed to her impulsiveness, simply rubbed his shoulder and rolled his eyes at her. "You should find a boyfriend to vent your frustrations on, instead of targeting me all the time." Initially wanting to retaliate, Zobber relented upon noticing his swollen shoulder. "Fine, let''s focus on that despicable journalist first. She''s clearly taunting Catherine, and in public, Catherine can''t retaliate. We can''t just stand by and do nothing," "Do we really need to get involved?" Withal asked disdainfully before pushing hisptop towards her. "See for yourself." As Zobber browsed through the web pages on Withal''sptop, she found an outpouring of public outrage against the hical journalist. Eventually, Zobber traced it back to its source. To her surprise, the original post was from the Duncan Corporation''s public rtions department, detailing the journalist''s transgressions over the years. Many of her evil deeds had been uncovered. Initially, some thought the Duncan Corporation was overreacting and seeking revenge. However, as more and more victims appeared, it became clear how much harm the despicable journalist had caused. There was the impoverished student he had driven to suicide, leaving behind a shattered family-his mother went insane, his father sumbed to depression and took his own life, leaving only the elderly grandmother to care for the mentally ill mother. The neighbors, upon seeing the journalist''s atrocities, shared the family''s plight, shedding light on the severity of the journalist''s deeds. Those who had initially criticized the Duncan Corporation deleted theirments. Many inte users apuded the corporation, realizing that if the despicable journalist had not targeted the corporation and angered Branden, they wouldn''t know who the next victim might be. As Zobber read on, she grew increasingly furious at the journalist''s actions. "This despicable bitch! She deserves the death penalty, "she huffed. Withal coldlymented, "Even if you''re angry, you can''t punish her. He said words that he shouldn''t, but it''s not against thew. || "Should we let her get away with this?" Zobber protested. "This despicable woman definitely has a shady background. Dig a little deeper, and there might be surprises," Withal hinted at Zobber with a sly look. Zobber eagerly agreed, "I''m an expert at digging up people''s backgrounds. If I don''t make her pay the price, I''ll change myst name to hers." Withal reminded her, "Unfortunately, herst name is the same as yours." "What?" Zobber was furious. Her family name had been tarnished by this scoundrel. Chapter 908 ?Chapter 908 Intuition Zobber has been repeatedly watching the video from that evening. Catherine''s cruelty was truly impressive, even for someone like Zobber, who was ustomed to dealing with tough situations. Just thinking about Catherine''s gaze in the video made her feel uneasy. Back then, Catherine was just a child, and if she was that formidable then, it was hard to imagine her strength now. Zobber wasn''t watching the video to marvel at Catherine''s capabilities, but to uncover the mastermind behind it and help Catherine resolve the situation. Seeing Withal casually scrolling through his phone, Zobber became annoyed and kicked him in frustration. "Can''t you do something useful? Why are you acting like it''s no big deal?" Withal slowly raised his head, as if moving in slow motion. "Even Catherine can''t figure it out. Why do you think I can? You''re overestimating me." Zobber retorted, "Just because you can''t find anything doesn''t mean you won''t do anything! When did you be so useless?" Withal, patient as ever, let her vent her anger on him without saying a word. Zobber pondered for a while and boldly spected, "Withal, do you think this might have something to do with Ronin? He''s betrayed us before. Maybe he will do it again." While others might not have recognized it, those familiar with Ronin could tell that the little boy cowering in the corner, almost passing out, was Ronin. These videos were highly secretive and unlikely to have been released by the organization, as they weren''t at the point of exposing their secrets. If the investigation were to continue, it would likely be most detrimental to the organization, considering the lives they''ve taken. The only remaining individuals who knew the truth were Catherine and Ronin, and Ronin was most likely to have obtained the video footage. "No way!" Withal immediately denied Zobber''s spection, leaving her somewhat skeptical. She scrutinized him keenly, trying to discern anything wrong. "Why are you so sure that Ronin wouldn''t do it?" she asked. With a mysterious smile, Withal looked at Zobber and whispered, "Intuition!" Zobber felt like knocking some sense into him, and seeing her anger, Withal exined, "It''s simple logic. Ronin is involved. If we investigate, he can''t escape. If Catherine can''t get away, Ronin would be the next to be caught. Even if he''s foolish, he wouldn''t put himself in that position." After considering this, Zobber found it reasonable. "So, who could be behind this? They not only have to be skilled but also have an in-depth understanding of Catherine. The scope is narrow, and it''s frustrating that we still can''t figure it out!" Withalforted her, "Don''t rush. We''ll take our time to figure it out." Frustrated by Withal''s nonchnt attitude, Zobber stormed off, venting in her room. Shortly after returning to her apartment, Catherine received a call from Cloude. "Miss Swann, are you nning to break your promise?" Catherine chuckled and casually asked, "Have I broken it, Mr. Cloude? Did I refuse to cooperate with you or change the profit sharing ratio, making you feel like I broke my promise?" Catherine indeed hadn''t vited their cooperation and hadn''t altered any terms. She had simply spoken a bit more at the Duncan Corporation''s press conference, prompting Cloude to handle the aftermath, which didn''t constitute a breach of promise. Cloude was furious when he realized he had been fooled, but he had no way to deal with Catherine. "Miss Swann, the Duncan Corporation has already announced the release of the seventh-generation chip. Do you think our cooperation still makes sense?" Cloude asked. "If you want to cancel our cooperation, I agree anytime," Catherine replied nonchntly. Seeing her indifferent attitude, Cloude couldn''t help but specte. He even suspected that Branden and Catherine had conspired to trap him, as Catherine had transferred her research results to the Duncan Corporation, allowing them to develop the chip so quickly. As if she had read his mind, Catherine said, "Do you think I teamed up with the Duncan Corporation to deceive you? Well, the Duncan Corporation has nothing to do with me. Although our researches are simr, we work in differentbs." If someone else had said this, Cloude wouldn''t have believed it, but Catherine was different. He knew she never lied. "Are you not worried that once the Duncan Corporation''s chip hits the market, your research will be worthless?" CloudeText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. asked. "Will it?" Catherine replied coldly. "That depends on their sessful development." Cloude quickly asked, "What do you mean by that?" "Figure it out for yourself," Catherine said before hanging up. As for what Cloude could uncover, that was up to his abilities. After hanging up the phone, Catherine emerged from the bedroom and found two people sitting in the living room. The atmosphere was particrly strange. Branden was seated on one end, and Ronin was across from him, but they didn''t exchange a word. Seeing Catherine, Ronin immediately stood up with joy. "Catherine, are you done with your tasks?" he asked. Catherine inquired, "Why are you here?" In Catherine''s presence, Ronin instinctively softened his demeanor, transforming into an adorable little boy. "I happened to be passing by and realized I hadn''t seen you in a while, so I came up to check on you," he exined. In reality, Ronin had seen the news and was worried about Catherine, so he rushed over, even though he knew she would be fine. Knowing that Ronin had something to discuss with Catherine, Branden stood up. "You two talk. I''ll go to the study to handle some work," he said. Once Branden left, Ronin felt more rxed. He approached Catherine and lowered his voice, saying, "Boss, I think the journalist was definitely arranged by those people. They pretend to talk about cooperation with you, but they also want to set you up. It''s too devious." Catherine responded, "Devious? That''s not something surprising," Ronin nodded in agreement. "Catherine, what should we do next? We can''t keep being chased by them forever. We have to do something," he suggested. Ronin had been feeling quite frustrated recently, waiting for the right moment to retaliate. Catherine blinked and said, "When have you ever seen me bullied?" Understanding Catherine''s meaning instantly, Ronin eximed, "Catherine, I''ll be waiting for your good news!" Chapter 909 ?Chapter 909 What a Coincidence! The next day, a rifying video appeared online, causing a stir. The person who posted it imed that the video circting on major websites was a fake, created using AI face-swapping technology to frame Catherine. He admitted to his wrongdoing and voluntarily surrendered to the authorities. Localw enforcement reposted the video and issued a statement to rify the situation. Catherine, tired of being repeatedly woken up by phone calls, reluctantly answered, throwing the phone aside after putting it on speaker. "Hello?" she said in a hoarse voice, instantly calming down Ronin''s excited mood. Carefully, he asked, "Catherine, were you sleeping?" Catherine, irritated by the sudden disturbance, replied, "Do you really want me to tell you?" Ronin could sense the underlying anger in her words, and he became extremely cautious. "Catherine, it''s really important. I''ve sent you the news. You can check your phone. If you''re tired, you can check itter." Ronin quickly hung up, seemingly afraid of being reprimanded by Catherine for any dy. After the call, Catherine was wide awake. She nced at her phone, noticing seven or eight missed calls, including from Ronin and Marshall. It was clear that something had happened. Catherine immediately opened the message from Ronin and watched the rifying video. She remained expressionless, uninterested in the content. Below the video, there was a wave of condemnation, with people cursing the video''s creator for using such means to frame a college student. Many of Audrey''s fans, skilled in online confrontations, swarmed the uploader''s ount, hurling insults. Catherine knew the video wasn''t fabricated, but she didn''t sympathize with the uploader, who was merely a scapegoat. After watching the video, Catherine exited and was about to reply to Ronin when Cloude''s call came in. She answered, hearing the man''s low voice asking, "Miss Swann, are you satisfied with the gift we prepared?" Catherine sarcastically chuckled. "A gift? Isn''t it a condition for exchange?" She refused to y along with the pretense. Hearing Catherine''s change in tone, Cloudeughed, seemingly in good spirits. "Miss Swann, you''re right. It''s indeed a condition for exchange. I hope for a pleasant cooperation ahead." "We surely will," Catherine replied before promptly hanging up, showing no courtesy. If they wanted her cooperation, they had to prove they were worth it. Catherine messaged Ronin, arranging to visit the school together. It had been a few days since she visited theboratory, and she needed to check on her experiments. She feared that Marshall would go bald if she didn''t show up soon. Ronin had been waiting at the school gate for a while, and as soon as Catherine appeared, he happily greeted her, "Catherine, shall we go to theb now?" Catherine replied, "Not in a rush. It''s almost noon; let''s grab something to eat." Ronin readily agreed to her suggestion. "Alright, Catherine, let''s go to the fifth cafeteria. I heard they have new dishes today," he proposed. Catherine didn''t mind; the cafeteria food all tasted simr, and any new dishes were just a temporary novelty. The main advantage of the cafeteria was its rtive cleanliness and safetypared to takeaway options. As they walked, Ronin noticed a familiar figure up ahead and immediately alerted Catherine. When she looked up, Rn happened to nce their way. Upon making eye contact, Rn''s face lit up with a smile. "What a coincidence! I rarely visit Styre University, and yet I run into both of you," he remarked. Ronin winked and looked at him with a suggestive expression. "Is it really a coincidence, Rn, or did you deliberatelye here hoping for an encounter?" In response to Ronin''s teasing, Catherine remained unresponsive, but Rn''s cheeks showed a hint of shyness. "I can''t find Catherine''s whereabouts. She''s just too mysterious," he joked.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. "That''s right. Catherine isn''t just anyone, and her whereabouts aren''t for everyone to know," Ronin replied. Their banter left Catherine speechless. Ronin noticed Catherine''s change in expression and steered the conversation. "Rn, have you eaten yet?" Rn shook his head. "Not yet. Have you two eaten? How about I treat you?" "No need, we were just nning to go to the cafeteria. If you don''t mind, join us!" Ronin said, avoiding looking at Catherine. Rn dly epted Ronin''s invitation. "I''ve heard that Styre University''s cafeteria food is excellent. It''s a rare opportunity, so why would I refuse? I''m so d you invited me." Rn and Ronin walked on together, and at this point, it didn''t seem appropriate for Catherine to stop Rn from joining them. Chapter 910 ?Chapter 910 How Could This Be Possible? When the three of them arrived at the fifth cafeteria, they immediately attracted people''s attention. People discreetly focused on Catherine, being cautious not to disturb her. Catherine, unfazed by the surrounding gazes, took a seat at the spot Ronin found. Ronin and Rn were in charge of buying food, while Catherine held the table. In reality, she didn''t need to do this-with a single nce, she made sure no one dared to upy the seats she had her eyes on. Ronin soon returned with the food, purposefully sitting across from Catherine and leaving the seat next to her for Rn. "Catherine, the fish today is particrly fresh. Have a taste," Ronin said. Catherine nced at the fish, her brow furrowing instantly. Sensing her difort, Ronin moved the te away. "It''s okay if you don''t like it; there''s some chicken here," he said, trying to offer an alternative. However, Catherine continued to frown. After a few more attempts, even Catherine felt she was being too picky and stopped Ronin. "Alright, I''ll have some vegetables," she said. Rn, who had been observing the two the whole time, directed his scrutinizing gaze toward Catherine. "Catherine, have you lost your appetite recently? There are a few dishes that used to be your favorites, aren''t they?" he asked, his eyes repeatedly ncing at her stomach. Catherine straightened up and gave him a cold look. "Who says my tastes have to remain the same? Just because two people used to be friends doesn''t mean they''ll be friends for life." Rn''s expression froze, making the atmosphere quite awkward. It was obvious what Catherine''s words implied. Sensing the awkward situation, Ronin stepped in to ease the tension. "Catherine, don''t say that! Misunderstandings happen asionally. Our friendship is not just about fate but also about suitability. I sincerely hope that the three of us can remain good friends," Ronin said, then turned to Rn, "Right, Rn?" Surprisingly, Rn, who usually managed his expressions well, didn''t dare to meet Ronin''s gaze at that moment. His reaction instantly dampened Ronin''s spirits. Throughout the meal, nobody talked, and Rn''s thoughts drifted away from Catherine. When they finished eating, Catherine stood up. "You guys eat, I''m off to theb." Ronin wanted to stop her, but Rn held him back. "Let her go!" After Catherine left, Ronin showed a hint of disappointment. Rn, in turn,forted him, "Ronin, thank you." Ronin looked puzzled until Rn exined, "Thank you for always standing by my side." Hearing this, Ronin smiled faintly. "Rn, we''ve been good friends for many years, haven''t we? Well, I just remembered I haven''t prepared the fruit for Catherine. I gotta go now!" Everyone knew how much Ronin cared about Catherine, so Rn didn''t think much of it and waved him off. "Go ahead!" Ronin stood up, and in that instant of turning around, his smile vanished. All he could think about was the scene of Catherine having dinner just now. He couldn''t help but wonder if Catherine''s sudden change in taste meant she was sick. With this in mind, he couldn''t help but quicken his pace. ---Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Marshall heard from the students that Catherine had appeared in the Styre University cafeteria today, having dinner with Ronin. He had been waiting at theboratory''s door early on. Before long, he heard Catherine''s voice and immediately stood up to greet her. "Just as I expected, you alwayse to theb when you''re at school," he said with a confident look. Facing Marshall, Catherine chuckled and said, "Professor Hartley, the experiment is still ongoing. Where else would I go?" This was why Marshall admired Catherine-they both regarded the experiment as their life. "Is everything okay now?" Marshall asked. "Let''s talk inside." Some things were not suitable for discussion in public. Marshall immediately understood Catherine''s intention and followed her into the office. Once they were seated, he eagerly inquired about her situation. Catherine didn''t hide anything from him. "Thebel that was hanging over my head has been removed for now, but I''ve agreed to their conditions." "Those bastards!" Marshall mmed his hand on the table, unable to conceal his anger. He knew Catherine must have been threatened, but he hadn''t expected these people to be so malicious. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He didn''t me Catherine; in such a situation, swallowing one''s pride was simply a matter of helplessness. Catherine took the initiative tofort him, "Professor Hartley, don''t worry. I agreed to their conditions. But it''s not certain whether they will be able to obtain it smoothly." Marshall''s eyes lit up. "How did you do it, Catherine?" Catherine smiled mysteriously and said, "I can''t talk about t now. When the time is right, I will tell you!" "So, you''re keeping secrets from me?" Marshall said, pretending to be disdainful. "Well, since you have your n, I won''t interfere." Now that Catherine had returned, Marshall immediately handed over all the experimental projects to her, even skipping the reporting procedures. After much hardship, Zobber finally found some clues. She had traced the original IP address of the video, and if they could lock onto this clue, they might be able to identify the uploader. Excited by this discovery, Zobber shared the good news with Withal. Seeing her exhausted, Withal felt sorry for her. "Go and rest. I''ll take care of the remaining work." Zobber had been working for over 20 hours straight, and Withal''s offer was a rare opportunity she couldn''t pass up. She stood up andforted him with a pat on the shoulder. "I''m counting on you. Good luck!" Withal wanted to say something to her, but seeing how tired she was, he remained silent. He sat at theputer and immediately took over Zobber''s previous work. Their years of working with each other made it easy for Withal to get started. Zobber had already done most of the work, and he only needed to tie up some loose ends. Despite this, it still took Withal quite some time. When the results finally appeared, Withal was dumbfounded. He double checked the results, finding it hard to believe what he was seeing. "How could this be possible?" he eximed inwardly. Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Drop the Act Zobber woke up and saw Withal sitting alone on the couch, ying games on his cellphone. Seeing his expressionless face, Zobber couldn''t help but furrow her brow. "What''s wrong with you?" Knowing Withal well, Zobber sensed that something was bothering him. Withal nced at theptop in front of him and coldly said, "The results are out. Take a look for yourself." Zobber couldn''t help but wonder if there was something unexpected about the results. Filled with suspicion, she pressed a key. As the screen lit up, it disyed the results of Withal''s investigation. The moment Zobber saw the results, she was furious. "Damn it! It''s him! I''m going to grab him. If I don''t give this traitor a good beating today, I won''t be able to calm down." Zobber stormed off in anger, about to leave the apartment, but Withal grabbed her. She red at Withal. "The evidence is clear, and you still want to stop me?" "I''m not trying to stop you. I''m going with you!" Although reluctant to believe it, Withal verified the results several times, and they stayed the same. Zobber was impulsive, and he was worried she might get into trouble. Regardless of the oue, he nned to apany Zobber to find out the truth. "That''s more like it. Let''s go together!" Zobber happily put her arm around him, her smile returning to her face. Ronin spent the entire afternoon in theb with Catherine. It wasn''t until dinner time that he came out, nning to prepare dinner. Shortly after leaving theb, he received a call from Withal. "You''re at the school gate, nning to pick me up for dinner? Why? Catherine didn''t mention it to me." Ronin was puzzled, unsure about Withal''s sudden visit. Withal said there was something important to discuss and asked Ronin toe to the gate. Without much thought, Ronin hurried to the school gate without even telling Catherine. Upon reaching the gate, he saw Withal and Zobber leaning against a car. Hurrying over, he greeted them before stopping in front of Zobber, who was smiling strangely with an eerie look in her eyes. Hesitating, Ronin looked at Zobber. "What''s with that look? I have a bad feeling about this..." Before he could finish, Zobber swiftly struck him with a chop to the neck, leaving him unconscious. Before losing consciousness, all Ronin could think of was Catherine''s warning-never fully trust anyone. How could he forget that a woman''s heart could be the most treacherous? After knocking out Ronin, Zobber quickly dragged him into the car. "Withal, drive. Let''s find a secluded ce to interrogate this punk," she ordered. Withal nodded and stepped on the gas, speeding away. Meanwhile, Marshall passed by Catherine''sb and noticed the lights were still on. Ile entered and asked, "Why are you still here, Catherine?"Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine, upon seeing Marshall, replied nonchntly, "There are still some things to take care of." Scanning the emptyboratory, Marshall frowned. "You haven''t had dinner yet, have you?" Catherine was about to mention that Ronin had taken care of it, but she held back. She then realized it was already past 8 p.m. and understood why Marshall was concerned about her not having dinner. To relieve Marshall, she said that she would leave soon. Once Marshall left, Catherine immediately tried to contact Ronin, only to hear Zobber''s voice on the other end. "Why is it you? Where''s Ronin?" Catherine asked. "Catherine, I needed to talk to Ronin about something urgent. He''s busy right now. Do you need anything?" Zobber replied. "No," Catherine said, but before she could say more, Zobber hastily hung up the phone. With the call abruptly ended, Catherine furrowed her brow, feeling that something was off about the situation. She decided to quickly finish her work and then go check on things. Ronin woke up groggily in a secret room, confused to see Zobber and Withal in front of him. "Have you both gone crazy? Why did you capture me for no reason?" he asked. "Why did we capture you?" Zobber, visibly angry, retorted, "Ronin, you''re still trying to y dumb, huh? I have solid evidence. Just drop the act!" Confused, Ronin asked, "What do you mean? What act? Zobber, is there some misunderstanding?" To make him give up, Zobber presented the evidence in front of him. "Take a good look at this." After seeing the evidence, Ronin was stunned. "How is this possible?" he eximed, denying, "It''s not me!" Zobber didn''t believe his denial. "Ronin, I investigated you. Are you telling me you didn''t do it? Not only did you betray the alliance, but you also betrayed Catherine. You own the video. What do you have to say for yourself?" Ronin was at a loss for words. There was no way to exin how the video leaked from his database. His database was the most important to him, and very few people could crack its password, let alone imnt a video without being detected. Now, with the solid evidence, he couldn''t exin the situation. "No matter how I exin, Zobber, I know you won''t believe me. I have no idea, but I didn''t do it, really!" Ronin said. However, Zobber saw his exnations as mere excuses. "As a member of the Hacker Alliance, you should know the interrogation methods we use. If you confess, I won''t hurt you," she said, looking at Ronin with a pained expression. Reluctant but determined to root out the traitor, she had to resort to force. Sensing Zobber''s unwavering determination, Ronin nced at Withal behind her. "Are you going along with this, Withal? Do you believe I''m a traitor?" Withal remained silent, torn between his trust in Ronin and his responsibility to the alliance. He couldn''t afford to spare any suspicious individuals, regardless of their friendship. Chapter 912 Chapter 912 How Dare You! Withal turned away, unable to bring himself to hurt his good friend. He delegated the task of extracting a confession to Zobber, cautioning her to be gentle. Zobber nodded. But then again, she used to be Ronin''s close friend as well. How could she bring herself to harm him? Zobber slowly approached Ronin. She decided to try her best not to hurt him and urged him to tell the truth. Looking at the interrogation tools, Ronin realized they were serious about this, and he resigned himself to his fate. Just as Zobber was about to take action, the door to the secret room was forcefully knocked open. Before the three of them realized what was going on, they saw a motorcycle crash through the door andnd smoothly on the ground. Catherine parked the heavy bike, stepped off, and gazed coldly at the three individuals. At the sight of Catherine, Zobber panicked instinctively. "Catherine, why are you here?" Catherine red at her and said, "I''ll teach you a lessonter." Then, she walked over to Ronin. Drawing a knife from behind her waist, she freed Ronin from the ropes. After putting away the knife, she smacked Ronin on the head. Ronin looked bewildered, gazing up at Catherine with a puzzled expression. She red at him and rebuked, "I taught you how to deal with this kind of situation back then. And now you''re tied up like this, staring at me like a fool?" Hearing Catherine''s words, Ronin lowered his head and muttered, "I never expected these two to be the ones to attack me." Though his voice was low, everyone present heard it. Withal and Zobberughed awkwardly, knowing that Catherine was angry. Seeing Catherine untie Ronin, Zobber took the initiative to exin to Catherine. "Catherine, Ronin is a traitor, I have evidence!" "What evidence?" Catherine asked. Zobber then presented the information she had found to Catherine. After ncing at the documents, Catherine threw them at Zobber. "Is this your so-called evidence?" Zobber looked at Catherine in disbelief. "Catherine, isn''t it enough?" She had worked hard for two days to dig up the information, only to have it dismissed by Catherine. Catherine retorted, "Evidence? I could produce two copies of these in an hour." Zobber couldn''t ept these harsh words and red at Catherine. "You are covering for Ronin, Catherine! You have a good rtionship with him, so you refuse to believe he betrayed you. Even when the fact is right in front of you, you refuse to ept it!" Catherine bellowed, "How dare you!" Sensing the tension, Withal reached out to try to stop Zobber, but to no avail. "I used to respect you because you are fair and capable. But now, you''ve turned a blind eye to Ronin. I won''t listen to you anymore, "Zobber said defiantly before storming off in anger. Withal nced at Catherine and urgently followed her out. Ronin looked worriedly in the direction they left, then turned to Catherine. "Catherine, Zobber will be okay, right?" Catherine, expressionless, replied, "Withal is with her. Nothing will happen." "It wasn''t me, Catherine!" Ronin knew Catherine believed him, but he couldn''t help but exin again. Catherine nodded slightly. "I know." Despite this, Ronin felt very upset. His two best friends didn''t trust him now. "Catherine, give me some time. I will find evidence and clear my name." Catherine didn''t say much. After saving Ronin, she left directly. She was tired and needed to rest. Ronin came out of the secret room, feeling dejected. Not long after, he ran into Finn, who looked at him and gestured towards a nearby car. Although Ronin was feeling frustrated, he still got into the car. He couldn''t let his emotions disrupt Catherine''s n. Before long, the car stopped, and Ronin was brought in front of ck Robe. Then, Finn left. Ronin was still pondering why he was brought here, so he didn''t speak immediately. ck Robe slowly said, "Have you suffered?"Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Ronin suddenly realized something and red at the man in front of him. "So, it was you who nted those pieces of evidence. Do you know I almost got killed by Zobber?" His agitated demeanor, to ck Robe, seemed like the anger of someone who had suffered inhumane treatment, which made him aware of the sess of his n, bringing him inner joy. "Don''t get so worked up. You''re still standing in front of me now, aren''t you? This time, I''ll give you credit," said ck Robe. "I don''t care!" Ronin couldn''t hide his anger. "You take all the credit. I almost lost my life." The more agitated Ronin became, the more ck Robe thought he was sessful. In the end, Ronin left safely with arge check as a reward. He kept the money, even though it was ill-gotten gains. He would rather donate it to charity than tear it up on the spot. Branden came home from work and saw Catherine peacefully asleep on the couch. Seeing this softened his heart a bit. He approached slowly, ready to pick her up. However, his phone started buzzing, so he chose to answer the phone first to avoid waking Catherine. Catherine woke up slowly and felt a presence nearby. It seemed like Branden was approaching. But when she opened her eyes, the living room was empty. Seeing the shoes by the door, Catherine knew it wasn''t her imagination. She got up slowly and headed in the direction of the study. If he wasn''t in the living room, he was most likely in the study. As she approached the study, Catherine stopped in her tracks. She heard voices inside, and they mentioned her. Chapter 913 Chapter 913 Drown Her Sorrows "Keep it from Catherine for now. I''ll tell her once everything is settled." With that, Branden hung up the phone, feeling exhausted from the intense work in recent days. He pinched the bridge of his nose and stood up immediately when he remembered Catherine was still outside on the couch.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. As he opened the door, he saw Catherine walking towards the study, which caught him off guard. "When did you wake up?" he asked. Catherine noticed the fleeting anxiety in Branden''s eyes, but she pretended not to have seen anything. "I thought I saw a figure in my dreams and thought it was youing back, so I woke up," she replied. Branden looked at her tired eyes and the appearance of someone not fully awake, reached out, and pulled Catherine into his arms, holding her tightly. "Do you want to sleep a little longer?" he asked. Catherine nestled against his chest and shook her head. "Have you not eaten yet? I can keep youpany." Catherine guessed correctly. Branden had worked without eating just toe back to the apartment as soon as possible. Styre University was located on the outskirts of the city, while the Duncan Corporation''s office building was in the downtown financial district. Despite the nearly one- hour drive from the office to the apartment, Branden had chosen to stay here so that Catherine could be closer to her school. Although Catherine offered to apany Branden for a meal, he was the one who ended up cooking. It was gettingte, so Branden only cooked some pasta and two side dishes. He was bing more adept in the kitchen and quickly prepared the food, setting it on the table. When Catherine reached out to help, he bypassed her." It''s hot. I''ve got this," he said." Looking at the exquisite dishes, Catherine chuckled. "Don''t think of me as so fragile. I''ve done something much more difficult than this." There was a moment of silence. Catherine sensed something was wrong and looked up at Branden, asking softly, "What''s wrong?" Branden put the te on the table, reached out, and embraced Catherine. He rested his head on her shoulder and said in a very low voice. "I won''t let you do that again." When they were young, they had never met. Despite his helplessness, there was nothing he could do. But in the future, he would always be by Catherine''s side. He wouldn''t let his woman suffer again. Catherine was surprised by how much the man cared about her past. She smiled lightly and hugged his waist. "Okay, from now on, I''ll leave the hardships to you." After finishing the meal, Branden took care of the cleanup, while Catherine rxed leisurely. When Branden wasn''t paying attention, she called Rodge. ''Find out what experiments Branden''sb has been working on recently." "Okay, I''ll get back to you as soon as possible," Rodge replied, not asking further, knowing that Catherine wouldn''t call without reason. Then, Catherine hung up the phone. She wasn''t sure what Branden was hiding from her, and although she believed he wouldn''t hurt her, the current situation was different. Forplete safety, she needed to be in control of all the circumstances. On the other side, after falling out with Catherine, Zobber went to the bar alone to drown her sorrows. She felt that Catherine''s actions were extremely unreasonable. She wasn''t angry at Catherine for being mad at her but was frustrated that Catherine was blinded by emotions and couldn''t judge right from wrong. In her view, Ronin was definitely a traitor. The fact that Catherine still trusted him left her very puzzled. The bartender was taken aback when the beautiful woman asked for another round of strong liquor, knowing that it was 95% alcohol. Typically, even men who can handle their drink would feel the effects after two shots, but this woman had already downed a whole round and wanted more. The bartender, being kind-hearted, advised Zobber, "You''ve had quite a bit to drink. How about I make you a ss of juice instead?" But Zobber cut him off and mmed money on the table, insisting on more alcohol. Reluctantly, the bartender served her another round of strong liquor. Zobber continued to drink, showing no signs of stopping, with her elegant face, great figure, and confident drinking manner catching the attention of onlookers. It was clear to regrs at the bar that something was troubling thisdy, as she seemed to be drinking to drown her sorrows. Some were beginning to consider approaching her. Finally, someone approached her. However, before he could even touch her shoulder, she forcefully threw him away, causing him to crash to the floor and scream in pain. Zobber turned to look at the man writhing in agony and mocked, "Stay far away from me, you loser!" The man, trembling in fear, hadn''t even seen how Zobber had managed to attack him. It was no wonder that this woman had been so brazen in drinking at the bar. It turned out she had impressivebat skills. Realizing he had picked on the wrong person, the man fled in fear. The other men who had been eyeing Zobber also abandoned their ns. Zobber finished herst drink, left a hundred-dor bill on the counter, and gave the bartender a sly smile. "Thanks, your drinks are good!" she said before leaving without a second nce at the mesmerized bartender. As soon as Zobber stepped out of the bar, a group of people blocked her path. Despite having had quite a few drinks, she had always been good with alcohol and wasn''t anywhere close to being drunk. She quickly assessed that the people in front of her were not ordinary people, and if they attacked her together, her chances of getting away weren''t high. Intentionally acting drunk, she squinted at them. "What''s the deal? Are you guys in cahoots with that loser?'' Finn shook his head, denying Zobber''s assumption. "Miss Zobber, our boss would like a word with you." "So, I should go with you just because your boss wants to talk? Who does your boss think he is?" Despite Zobber''s arrogant attitude, Finn remained calm. He had already known about Zobber''s background beforeing. "Miss Zobber, you''re smart. You should know that we came prepared today. Trust me. We don''t mean to harm you. Our boss just wants to have a conversation with you." "Humph." Zobber sneered, appearing rxed. "Alright, let''s go. I''d love to meet this boss of yours and see how impressive he really is!" Chapter 914 ?Chapter 914 Join Us Finn drove Zobber to a mysterious location, with Zobber blindfolded the entire time. After reaching the destination, he removed the blindfold from her eyes. The dim light made it difficult for her to see, but her excellent hearing allowed her to discem some things in the surroundings. They were now inside a shipping container in a fast-movingrge truck, with the sound of honking and faint signals when passing through tunnels. Despite the good sound instion of the container, Zobber''s trained hearing allowed her to distinguish these sounds. Zobber was surprised by the cunning of the group of people. Meeting inside the container not only made tracking and locating difficult but also made it hard to leave useful clues. Zobber forced herself to calm down and turned her icy gaze toward Finn. "Hey, wasn''t your boss supposed to meet me? Where is he? Could it be that he''s a coward and doesn''t dare to show himself?" Zobber''s brazenughter made Finn scowl. If he hadn''t been instructed otherwise, he would have wanted to attack Zobber. Just as Finn was about to confront Zobber, the lights in front suddenly turned on. Zobber quickly tumed around and saw a tall figure in a ck robe standing ahead. The figure wore a mask, with only two visible pupils. Zobber couldn''t discern the figure''s appearance or gender. With a sidelong nce at Finn, she said, "So this is your boss, huh?" Finn nodded respectfully and wamed Zobber to be polite to his boss, or else he would take action. Zobber, however, coldly snorted in response, expressing confidence that Finn was no match for her. Finn was so angry that his face turned red. Just as the two were about to sh, ck Robe slowly spoke up. Zobber, the head of the Hacker Alliance''s Zobers, indeed quite impressive," he said in a casual tone, capturing Zobber''s attention. Zobber squinted and scrutinized the man. "It seems you know quite a bit about me. Why don''t you introduce yourself? Who are you?'' "Humph." ck Robe sneered. "You''re just like her" Perplexed, Zobber asked, "What do you mean? Who?''Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ck Robe seemed indifferent to Zobber''s anger and calmly replied to her question. The things you just said, Catherine also said them." At the mention of Catherine, Zobber''s face immediately turned cold, and she angrily shouted at ck Robe, "Stop mentioning Catherine to me. I''m sick of her!" "You''ve always been loyal to Catherine, haven''t you?" the man asked. Zobber looked at him coldly and said, "You know better than I do. She is being fooled around, thinking that Ronin is the same as before. Why would I admire someone with no discernment like that?" ck Robe was pleased with Zobber''s attitude, feeling that he had achieved his goal. However, being naturally suspicious, he needed to continue probing. ''Since you hate Catherine so much, why not join us? I guarantee you the highest treatment, fairness, and unique rewards." "Get lost!" Zobber snapped back without hesitation. Her arrogant attitude didn''t seem to anger ck Robe. "Since you''re so insistent, I won''t force it," ck Robe said, gesturing for Finn to release Zobber. Finn, although puzzled, dared not disobey the orders and let Zobber leave. ck Robe watched her departure with a cold smirk, confident that he would get what he wanted. He didn''t believe for a moment that Zobber would join their organization, and her resistance only reassured him because he had ways to make her join them. Not long after leaving the container, Zobber met Withal. "Are you okay?" he asked. Zobber shrugged and replied, "I''m perfectly fine." Seeing her dismissive attitude, Withal quickly softened his tone, saying, "I was just concerned for her safety." Zobber, however, remained nonchnt, saying, "They may be strong, but I''m no pushover. Nothing will happen. Let''s just wait and see what happens!" Shortly after arriving at theb, Catherine received a call from Rodge. "Chief, I''m sending you some data. I''m not sure if it''s what you asked me to look into, but I think you should see it," he said. After hanging up, she received the files from Milton. It contained research data from Branden''sboratory, revealing that their seventh-generation chip had not been sessfully developed and was at risk of catastrophic failure during the final stage. Branden intentionally held a press conferencest time to divert attention to himself and alleviate pressure on her side. Catherine made a decision upon seeing this. ''Rodge, I need you to do something for me!" Catherine decided to have lunch alone in the cafeteria today because Ronin wasn''t around. To avoid too many people there, she went at a particrlyte time. The shady path was nearly deserted as she walked with her head down. Suddenly, a figure blocked her path. Catherine slowly raised her head, her cold eyes sizing up the unremarkable-looking man ahead, who seemed to be a student at Styre University based on his attire. Perhaps intimidated by Catherine''s intimidating presence and gaze, the man hesitated and subconsciously took a step back. Only after Catherine''s reminder did the man remember his purpose. "Miss Swann, Mr. Cloude asked me to tell you that since it''s a coboration, he wants to see somemitment from you. They hope you take action quickly!" Catherine scoffed and maintained her aloof expression. "Tell him to wait. Since I''ve agreed to coborate, I''ll satisfy him. If he''s impatient, tell him to find someone else!" With an arrogant attitude, Catherine walked straight ahead without giving him a second thought. The man, overwhelmed by her intimidating aura, silently stepped aside and watched Catherine leave. Chapter 915 ? Chapter 915 I''m Off! These people''s influence had spread throughout Styre University. She could meet them even on her way to the cafeteria, which was a terrifying situation. After shaking off the person, Catherine continued toward the cafeteria. Once there, she quietly sat down to eat. She knew she was being watched, but she acted freely, not feeling like someone under surveince. After finishing her lunch, she left the cafeteria. Back at theboratory, Catherine messaged Cloude. [Let''s meet up!] Soon, Cloude replied, [Sure, you pick the time and ce!]Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Seeing the message, Catherine was a bit surprised that he would make her pick the time and ce Was it because he was generous, or he wasn''t worried she might set a trap? Looking at the text on her phone screen, Catherine absentmindedly tapped her desk. After a moment, she had an idea. She replied, arranging to meet at a cybercafe at 7 p.m. Once she dealt with everything, Catherine tossed her phone into a drawer and began a new round of work. At the Red Star Laboratory, all the researchers were working overtime. Their biggest project at the moment was the development of the seventh-generation chip. However, they had been unable to ovee the crucial technical hurdle, failing toplete the final step of the experiment. Just now, they had failed again. If they continued like this, it wouldn''t be long before the outside world discovered that they hadn''t seeded in the experiment. With only three months left, if they couldn''t demonstrate at the uing conference, all their previous work would be in vain. People were superficial. They wouldn''t see how many patent barriers they had ovee; they only cared about the results. Upon hearing the report from the team, the head of the research group sighed helplessly. Well, experiments always involve failure before sess. If you seeded right away, you might have worried about making a mistake! Come on, guys. You can do it! After some encouragement, everyone felt better. At that moment, Cory walked in. He had received an email from the Arbotte Laboratory, a renowned research facility, specifically regarding the seventh-generation chip experiment. The team leader, Lance Broadman, immediately put aside his work and took the material from Cory. The Arbotte Laboratory, like the Red Star Laboratory, was among the world''s top facilities, and their research directions had been simr in recent years. The sudden message from the Arbotte Laboratory''s head was definitely significant. Without hesitating, Lance opened the email in front of Cory, afraid of any suspicion. However, Cory didn''t mind at all, knowing it was from the Arbotte Laboratory. He hadn''t even checked it before handing it to Lance. After all, the person behind the Arbotte Laboratory was so important to Branden. If she made a request, he would give the entireboratory to her. After opening the email, Lance carefully read the material inside and became increasingly excited. Cory noticed his change in mood and asked what was going on. Lance, excitedly holding the email, handed it to Cory, saying, "Take a look, Arbotte Laboratory has sent us something good." For days, he had been unable to break through a certain question in his mind. However, upon seeing the analysis material from Arbotte Laboratory, he suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment. "Cory, Arbotte Laboratory has reallye to our aid. They have provided us with new solutions to the problems we are currently facing! This is of great help to us, it''s like a godsend! With the assistance of this material, we have a good chance of oveing the current bottleneck." After expressing his excitement, Lance suddenly realized something was amiss. He looked at Cory, his eyes filled with concern. "Do you think this might be a scam?" This surprise was almost unbelievable, like winning the lottery. As aboratory, although they had not directlypeted, they were technicallypetitors. The core information provided by Arbotte Laboratory was too valuable. How could they easily share it? Perhaps this was a trap. With these thoughts in mind, Lance remained very worried. Cory, seeing this, reached out and patted his shoulder. "Don''t worry. Arbotte Laboratory won''t deceive us. You can use this material with confidence!" Seeing Cory''s confident demeanor, Lance couldn''t help but feel curious. "So, is Arbotte Laboratory also under Branden''s control?" He was surprised. If his guess was correct, it would be quite a frightening thing for a young and world-renowned president like Branden to have control over Arbotte Laboratory. "Not exactly," Cory said slowly. Lance breathed a sigh of relief, but then Cory added, "Only half, because in the future, my family will be connected to Catherine''s family through marriage. At that time, Arbotte Laboratory will be considered half of the Duncan family''s assets. "Really?" Lance was astonished. Cory patted his shoulder and said, "Don''t worry. The information is one hundred percent real. I''ll go report the situation to Branden." "Catherine, are you going to meet that person again?" Ronin became agitated upon learning that Catherine had made an appointment with Cloude. Catherine remainedposed. ''It''s just a meeting, not a showdown. Why are you getting worked up?" Ronin frowned, looking very conflicted. "Catherine, that person is so cunning. I''m afraid he''ll deceive you. Maybe we shouldn''t go. I''m worried..." Facing Ronin''s concerns, Catherine looked down at him with amanding gaze. "Throughout our lives, we have encountered numerous deceitful people!" Ronin thought about it and found some truth in her words, but before he could say anything, Catherine had already made a decision. She hopped onto her motorcycle and waved casually at Ronin. "I''m off!" Chapter 916 Chapter 916 ying Games with Cloude At 7 p.m., Catherine arrived promptly at the entrance of the inte cafe. The current inte cafe was vastly different from the one she frequented with Ronin. The equipment was more advanced, and the decor was more luxurious. Catherine chose a VIP private room and headed straight for it. Upon reaching the door, she found it already open. The person she was meeting had arrived before her and was waiting inside. *Early as always!" Catherine''s voice echoed in the room. The man turned around slowly, his face unremarkable. "Miss Swann, right on time," Cloude remarked. Catherine smirked subtly, her eyes carrying a hint of sarcasm. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Up for a game?" Cloude seemed momentarily surprised by her suggestion. He chuckled. "I can y a bit, but I''m sure I can''t match your skills." Catherine pulled out a chair and sat down gracefully. "No worries. I don''t mind. Come on, y a few rounds with me. I''ll show you how it''s done." Catherine was confident in her gaming abilities. When it came to gaming, she could outy the best. She was second to none. As she started her favorite game, she noticed Cloude hesitating. "Not interested?" she asked. Cloude smiled gently. "It''s not that. I don''t have an ount for this game. I''m not sure how to register." Catherine saw through his attempt to conceal his thoughts. "Here, let me help you register a new ount." In no time, Catherine set up a new ount for Cloude, and they entered the game. Together, they breezed through the game and effortlessly secured the championship in their first match. Cloudeplimented Catherine, "You''re really good at gaming, much better than me!" "ying games is all about having fun!" Catherine looked at him disapprovingly. "Let''s not talk about this anymore. Let''s continue ying." Due to Catherine''s high rank, they were matched with top-tier gamers. The game terrain was unfavorable for Catherine''s team, and they were at a disadvantage. To make matters worse, many opponents from the previous match seemed to deliberately wait for Catherine''s team to join the game, and then they all ganged up on her. Several teams joined forces to attack Catherine, who not only had to protect Cloude but also contend with the skilled yers, making it quite challenging. Overwhelmed, Catherine was soon defeated. She protected Cloudle by hiding him in a safe ce and then diverted the enemies'' attention. Three or four teams surrounded Catherine, but she took refuge on high ground, making it difficult for them to attack her. Due to her strongbat abilities, they could only throw bombs and Molotov cocktails at her from a distance until she ran out of ammunition, allowing them to move in for the attack. As another bomb approached, Catherine had nowhere to retreat, and her health was down to half. Hearing the chaotic footsteps below, Catherine knew they were preparing to attack. If they united, she would surely lose this round. As the footsteps drew closer, a sudden gunshot rang out, and the person at the forefront fell from a long-distance shot. On the screen, Cloude''s gaming name shed, and Catherine smirked without saying a word. Finally, he took action. After the warning shot, everyone knew there were skilled yers around and refrained from acting recklessly. This gave Catherine the opportunity she needed. She took out one opponent, looted their gear, andunched a fierce attack. Soon, she routed the impromptu team of opponents and emerged as the ultimate victor. After the game, Catherine took off her headphones and tumed to Cloude. Her beautiful eyes held a mysterious smile. "You yed well," she said, with a look that made Cloude both infatuated and fearful to the extreme. "It was just luck. d I could help you," he replied. Catherine tossed the mouse and crossed her arms, staring at him. "Let''s stop ying and talk business," she said. "That was my intention, Cloude admitted, relieved that Catherine had called a halt to everything. Catherine was always direct and didn''t beat around the bush. "I received the message you had someone send me. I''ll show you the sincerity you want, but can you give me what I want?'' She presented the materials she had brought. Cloude carefully examined the contents and looked up at Catherine with disbelief. "You''re really giving me these?" "Do I look like I''m joking?'' she replied, her eyes holding a hint of a smile. Cloude carefully observed Catherine and was surprised by her immediate trust. It was as if she had been a trusted friend for decades. After inspecting the materials, Cloude looked at Catherine with solemnity. "Since you''re so generous and trustworthy, we won''t let you down. Wait for our good news, please," he said earnestly. "I hope you''ll keep your word," Catherine retorted disdainfully before leaving. As soon as she left the inte cafe, she received a mysterious phone call. "Cassie, I''m here!" Thomas''s heartyughter came through the phone. Catherine''s mood was instantly lifted, and her face lit up with joy. "Have you arrived in Loxton? Where are you? I''lle pick you up!" Thomas had been summoned by Catherine to Loxton, as she was worried about potential danger. Having Thomas in Loxton as a guest would provide an extrayer of security in case of an emergency. After receiving Thomas''s address and message, Catherine quickly got into her car. The ck motorcycle sped like lightning, leaving a brilliant trail in the dark night before disappearing.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 917 Chapter 917 Taking the me Upon receiving a message from Cory, Paxton immediately knocked on Branden''s office door. "Boss, there''s good news from theb," he said. Branden lifted his head slowly, his calm gaze coldly scanning Paxton. Although Paxton was excited, he couldn''t affect Branden, who remainedposed. "What''s the matter?'' Branden asked. "The Arbotte Laboratory sent us a set of data," Paxton exined. "Lance said it''s crucial for oveing our experimental obstacles and will y a key role in our project.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Paxton''s excitement was palpable as he spoke. After so much effort, the prospect ofpletion filled him with intense excitement. Seeing Branden''s impassive expression, Paxton couldn''t help but feel puzzled. "Boss, aren''t you pleased?" he asked. Branden came to his senses, a faint, enigmatic smile appearing on his cold face. Indeed," he said lightly. Paxton understood that Branden must be very pleased at this moment. Branden''s mind was filled with thoughts of Catherine. It turned out she had overheard his conversation that night. With that in his mind, his smile involuntarily widened, and his gaze softened. "Find out where Catherine is right now," Branden instructed. Paxton guessed that Branden intended to thank Catherine properly, so he hurried off to make preparations. Before long, Paxton discovered Catherine''s whereabouts. ''Boss, Miss Swann hasn''t returned to her apartment. Our investigation shows she''s headed towards the airport, seemingly to pick someone up." Branden, despite knowing Catherine''s whereabouts, did not interfere with her life. He kept track of her purely for her safety. Upon hearing the news, Branden furrowed his brow and then called Catherine. "Are you at the airport?'' he asked. Catherine was not surprised that Branden knew where she was. "Mr. Theo has arrived, and I''m here to pick him up," she replied. At the same time, Paxton showed Branden Catherine''stest location. Catherine hadn''t reached the airport yet, she was still some distance away. After seeing her location, Branden made a quick decision. "I''ll meet you at the airport,'' he said. Catherine hadn''t expected him toe, but since he said he would, she didn''t stop him. "Okay, I''ll wait for you at the airport," she said before hanging up. Branden then stood up, took the coat Paxton handed to him, and prepared to leave. "Boss, the car is downstairs. You can leave immediately," Paxton informed him. The moment Branden decided to leave, Paxton had already made all the arrangements. Branden admired his efficiency and headed towards the elevator, not wanting Catherine to wait too long. Catherine didn''t have many rtives around, especially not many elders. Thomas was one of her few elders. With an elder arriving, it was only natural for Branden to meet him personally. Catherine didn''t drive too fast because she knew Branden wasing. As soon as she arrived at the airport, she received a call from Branden. His deep, gentle voice sounded. "I''m here. Where are you?" "So fast!" Catherine was somewhat surprised. She had expected to wait at the airport for a while, but Thomas''s ne wasn''t due to arrive so soon, so there was no need to worry. Tim at Terminal 1, Gate 3. Come over!" Catherine said before hanging up the phone. Within two minutes, she saw Branden. He walked withrge strides and great speed, with Paxton following closely behind. His exceptional appearance and demeanor attracted the attention of passersby, but he paid no heed. His gaze constantly scanned the surroundings, as if searching for someone. Intentionally, Catherine refrained from giving any hints. She wanted to know how long it would take Branden to find her. Her test didn''tst long. Just as she was about to start timing, Branden looked in her direction. Their eyes met, and his previously slightly anxious and searching eyes instantly found direction. He strode decisively towards her. Branden''s speed was remarkable, and in almost a second, he was in front of Catherine. Only in her presence did he drop his cold demeanor. His friends had teased him in the past, saying that he must have owed Catherine a lot in their past lives, so he had a cold and distant attitude toward everyone except her. But Branden wasn''t interested in past lives. He only wanted to cherish the present and Catherine. In his view, Catherine was already aloof enough. If he didn''t show some love, she might grow tired of his icy facade. Simr things are more likely to breed contempt, and there were too many simrities between them in various aspects. He didn''t want to change Catherine, nor would he try. The only thing he could change was himself. He tried his best to be the person most suitable for her, hoping to cherish her forever. "Waited long, huh?" The gentle voice slowly filled Catherine''s ears, warming her heart. "I just got here!" She intentionally slowed down on the way, but Branden arrived much faster than she had anticipated. She raised an eyebrow, sizing up Branden, and mockingly said, "Looks like you turned the car into a ne, huh?" Branden, usually fearless, now felt a sudden thumping in his heart. He quickly exined with a smile, "No, I didn''t drive. It was Paxton!" In reality, it wasn''t as exaggerated as flying a ne; he just sped up a bit, gave a heads-up to the DMV, and hit 200 miles per hour. But already sensing Catherine''s anger, Branden naturally wouldn''t admit to any of this. Paxton, standing nearby, saw Branden trying to pass the me to him and immediately stepped forward. "Miss Swann, I''ll drive slower next time, I promise." For the happiness of Branden, he was willing to sacrifice. Catherine could easily see through their scheme. Paxton always followed Branden''s orders. If it weren''t for Branden''smand, he wouldn''t dare to drive so fast. However, since they had arrived safely, Catherine didn''t want to dwell on it. "Don''t drive so fast for no reason!" "Yes!" Paxton replied, not even daring to lift his head. Seeing Catherine calm down, Branden gave Paxton a meaningful look, indicating a pay raise for him. Paxton breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Catherine wasn''t angry. Life was getting tougher; not only did he have to work hard for his boss, but he also had to take the me for him. Chapter 918 ?Chapter 918 I''ve Seen Him Before Upon hearing the alert on the radio, Catherine knew that Thomas had likely disembarked. She gestured to Branden, who promptly took her hand and said, "Let''s go. I''ll apany you to meet Mr. Theo!" As they walked, Catherine felt as if she were being led to meet her partner''s parents, a sensation that even surprised herself. Thomas easily met up with them, as he was using the VIP channel. Not only did Thomas arrive, but his grandson, Scott, also apanied him to Loxton. When Catherine and Branden stood together, they looked so well-matched that even Thomas, usually serious, couldn''t help but smile. Seeing this, Scott couldn''t resist teasing Thomas, "Grandpa, pay attention to your smile!'' Thomas shot him an angry look. "Stop bbering nonsense. I don''t expect you to be like Cassie, but at least you should learn a thing or two from her." Scott, usually mischievous, had no retort upon hearing this. Catherine''s strength was something even he admired. Before Catherine could speak, Branden respectfully called out, "Mr. Theo!" Thomas, after ncing at Branden, once again showed his admiration. Only someone as outstanding as Branden could be worthy of Catherine. Branden appeared respectful in front of Thomas. Meanwhile, Scott went straight to Catherine, eximing, "Catherine, long time no see! I''ve missed you so much!" Just as he was about to embrace Catherine, Thomas, agile despite his age, swiftly pulled him back. Thomas might be a little older, but he was not blind. He could see the instant change in Branden''s expression. If his grandson really hugged Catherine today, he didn''t know how Branden would handle him. Although Scott was a bit mischievous, he was his most beloved grandson, so he couldn''t bear to see him suffer. Scott was grabbed by Thomas and didn''t get a chance to touch Catherine, which made him very unhappy. "Grandpa, why are you stopping me?" Thomas was so angry that he kicked Scott''s leg. "You got a problem with that?" Scott was beaten for no reason, and it was his grandfather who beat him. He couldn''t even re back, let alone fight back. He had to endure it.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine was worried that Thomas and Scott would continue to make trouble, and they wouldn''t be able to return to their amodation until morning, so she took the initiative to intervene. "Let''s go. The amodation is arranged." Once she spoke, everyone obediently followed her. Branden found it interesting to watch. Indeed, his woman was amazing, effortlessly subduing the stubborn Thomas and Scott. Catherine had originally arranged a hotel near Styre University for Thomas and Scott to stay. However, Branden made a different arrangement. "There''s a vacant suite in the apartment. I''ve had it cleaned on the way here. Why not let Mr. Theo and Scott stay there? It''s closer!" Scott immediately agreed upon hearing that he could live in the same neighborhood as Catherine. "Catherine, there''s no ce like home in a hotel." He even asked Thomas. ''Grandpa, am I right?" Thomas nced disapprovingly at Scott, but he also wanted to be closer to Catherine. "Let''s stay in the apartment. Hotels are too noisy, and I can''t rest well.'' Everyone agreed, and Catherine had no objections. Instead of immediately arranging for everyone to rest in the apartment, Branden first took them to ate-night restaurant. When they arrived, Catherine realized her oversight. Thomas had traveled a long way from Snd, and hadn''t eaten much on the ne due to the poor food. Branden had chosen a light meal, considering Thomas''s age and thete hour. As they entered the restaurant, the scent immediately captivated Scott. "This ce must have great food, I can smell it as soon as I walk in!" Thomas retorted to Scott, and they bantered back and forth. As theyughed and made their way inside, a figure lunged at them. The crowded street made it hard to react quickly, and Catherine had to grab the person. Branden tried to intervene, but Catherine realized that the maning towards her was Rn. After steadying himself, Rn squinted, struggling to see the person in front of him." Catherine, am I dreaming? You''re really here?" His breath smelled of alcohol. Branden, seeing Rn tightly holding Catherine''s hand, stared at his hand with disdain, wishing to chop it off with a knife. Paxton noticed a change in Branden''s demeanor and felt infuriated. He couldn''t belleve that Rn dared to take advantage of Catherine while intoxicated. Could he tolerate such tant interference? Absolutely not! Without waiting for Branden to speak, Paxton took the initiative. "Miss Swann, let me help. A drunk person is unconscious and heavy!" Without hesitation, Catherine pushed Rn away. She didn''t want to assist a drunk person, as the smell of alcohol made her feel nauseous. Rn, holding Catherine''s hand, showed no intention of letting go. Seeing this, Paxton directly pinched Rn''s lower back, causing Rn to release his grip immediately. After Rn let go, Paxton smiled at Catherine. "Miss Swann, why don''t you go inside and have your meal? Leave Mr. Melton to me, I''ll make sure he''s taken care of." Paxton then escorted Rn away, while Branden stepped forward to guide Catherine away. Once seated, Thomas finally recognized the man. "Wasn''t that Rn Melton?" Catherine nodded, confirming it was him. Thomas had met Rn once before, so he had some recollection of him. ''Come to think of it, thest time I saw him was a year ago." Intrigued, Catherine couldn''t help but inquire, "You saw him a year ago?" Chapter 919 Chapter 919 He¡¯s Paxton! Thomas noticed Branden¡¯s cold expression, but he understood it because he was a man too. Rn¡¯s goal was Catherine. No one liked their woman being coveted by someone else. Back in his younger days, Thomas didn¡¯t care if the other party was drunk; he would just drag him out and settle it with a fight. To avoid an argument between the young couple, Thomas decided not to bring up Rn¡¯s matter for now. ¡°That was all a year ago. Let¡¯s talk about it when we have time. The food¡¯s here. I¡¯ll take a few bites first.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t want to ruin Thomas¡¯s appetite, so she dismissed the idea of asking further. Paxton got Rn out, ready to put him in the car. Suddenly, a few men in ck emerged, surrounding the two. Paxton scanned the group of men with cold eyes, showing no fear on his face. ¡± What? nning to fight me?¡± The group had no intention of confronting Paxton, so they didn¡¯t argue with him. ¡°Mr. Duncan, we are Mr. Melton¡¯s people. Please hand him over to us!¡± Paxton had originally nned to take Rn to a secluded spot and leave him there, but he hadn¡¯t expected Rn to be prepared. Rn had people with him, yet he deliberately bumped into Catherine¡¯s arms, causing trouble. Paxton became increasingly annoyed. His boss wasn¡¯t someone anyone could just be trifled with. Seeing he had no intention of letting go, Rn¡¯s men became agitated. They stared at Paxton, warning, ¡°Mr. Duncan, don¡¯t force us to use violence!!! ¡°Humph.¡± Paxton sneered. ¡°I was just thinking I haven¡¯t had a chance to fight. Why don¡¯t you all be my sparring partners?¡± It seemed they wouldn¡¯t get Rn back without a physical confrontation. The group of men prepared themselves for a fight. Paxton¡¯s phone suddenly rang in his pocket. Without any nervousness, he took it out and answered it in front of everyone. ¡°Paxton, Boss wants you to hold back!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± After saying that, Paxton forcefully pushed Rn away. The group of men reacted quickly and caught him. Paxton looked at everyone with a sneer. ¡°My boss is asking for me. I won¡¯t y with you today. I¡¯ll find you for a match when I¡¯m free!¡± With that, Paxton arrogantly left. Once he disappeared, Rn, who had been leaning on his subordinates, suddenly stood up straight, and his clouded eyes cleared. The subordinates immediately put away their aggressive demeanor and respectfully bowed. ¡°Sir, do you want us to find an opportunity to teach that kid a lesson?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Rn snorted. ¡°He¡¯s Paxton! Paxton¡¯s abilities and intelligence were top-notch. He had been faithfully serving Branden for many years. If it weren¡¯t for Branden, he could have easily made a name for himself in the morous upper-ss society. Everyone¡¯s choices were different, and Paxton chose to stand faithfully by Branden¡¯s side and assist him. In the eyes of outsiders, Paxton might just be one of Branden¡¯s subordinates, at most an assistant to the president. But those who truly knew Paxton understood how formidable he was. His abilities were second only to Branden, and he was the strongest among the four top talents of the Duncan family. Rn had finally found Catherine¡¯s whereabouts, hoping to take advantage of the situation, only to have it disrupted. He was furious, wishing he could kill Paxton on the spot. But he wouldn¡¯t take action now. Killing Paxton would be easy, but it might ruin his n, which wouldn¡¯t be worth it. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Rn ordered, leading everyone away. After dinner, Branden took Catherine and the others back to the apartment.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org They first visited the house arranged for Thomas and Scott. Catherine was surprised as soon as she entered. The decor was almost identical to where they were currently living. She turned to Branden with a puzzled look. ¡°How many apartments like this have you decorated?¡± Branden smiled lightly. ¡°As many as you¡¯ve seen!¡± ¡°And what about the ones I haven¡¯t seen?¡± Catherine asked. Branden didn¡¯t answer, so Catherine turned to Paxton and gestured towards him. ¡°You tell me!¡± Paxton, caught off guard by being suddenly called upon, had to respond, ¡± Miss Swann, there aren¡¯t many apartments decorated in this style yet. However, this entire building in theplex is now under your name!¡± If it weren¡¯t for the concern that the renovation noise might disturb Catherine¡¯s rest, those vacant apartments would have already been decorated to her liking. Catherine was impressed; she almost forgot that her partner was always generous. Branden stood by with a nervous smile, worried Catherine might be upset. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t mind. Branden had already arranged everything in the apartment, and Thomas and the others could rest as soon as they put down their luggage. Mr. Theo, you¡¯ve had a long day. You should rest early!¡± Catherine said. 11 Thomas nodded in agreement. Being older, he couldn¡¯t handle too much travel. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll rest now and contact you in the morning. Or you can call me when you wake up, and I¡¯ll go to school with you.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Exiting Thomas¡¯s apartment, Catherine took the elevator up a few floors to reach her own ce. Upon entering, she copsed onto the couch, exhausted. Branden quickly came to her side, picking up the clothes and bags she had carelessly thrown on the floor. ¡°Are you very tired?¡± he asked gently. Catherine nodded wearily, her eyelids drooping. ¡°A bit, theb has been busy, and I¡¯m feeling worn out,¡± she replied. Not only that, she had been experiencing some physical changestely-difficulty standing for long periods and frequent swelling. Seeing her genuine fatigue, Branden knelt down to massage and rx her, applying just the right pressure until Catherine closed her eyes infort. The two rarely had such leisurely time alone, behaving like an ordinary couple. ¡°Is Mr. Theo here to visit you? Any ns on how long he¡¯ll stay?¡± Branden inquired, wanting to ensure Thomas¡¯s arrangements were in order. Catherine, with half-closed eyes, responded, ¡°He¡¯s here partly to see me and partly for some academic exchange at Styre University. The school has called upon his expertise for some schrly discussions. He might need to stay for a while, maybe three to five days, or perhaps as long as half a month.¡± Branden was willing to have Thomas stay longer, wanting Catherine to have morepany. Audrey was not only busy with work but also dealing with some personal troubles, making it difficult for her to stay in touch with Catherine. He worried about Catherine feeling lonely and hoped someone who felt like family could be there for her. ¡°Since he¡¯s here and already settled, let him stay a bit longer,¡± he suggested. Catherine mumbled, clearly worn out, ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll talk to him about it tomorrow. Chapter 920 Chapter 920 Serious Disease The next morning, Catherine woke up early, which made Branden feel somewhat uneasy. ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± he asked, as Catherine usually slept in. Catherine weakly replied that she had slept enough. After checking to ensure she wasfortable, Branden gently asked, ¡± Do you want to have breakfast at home or go see Mr. Theo?¡± Catherine nced at the time and decided, ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast at home. Mr. Theo should be up by now.¡± Thomas, being old, had a routine. No matter the circumstances, he always woke up at five in the morning like clockwork. ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll make breakfast for you, ¡°Branden said before leaving. Catherine leaned against the headboard, watching him with a slight smile. After breakfast at the apartment, Branden drove Catherine to Thomas¡¯s ce. ¡°You go to work. I¡¯ll go to the school with Mr. Theo.¡± Catherine gestured to Branden. Once he left, Catherine knocked on Thomas¡¯s apartment door. Seeing Catherine, Thomas smiled. ¡°You¡¯re up quite early,¡± he remarked. ¡°Shall we go to the school?¡± Catherine asked. Thomas nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Thomas didn¡¯t like to ride in cars, and it was still early. Catherine apanied him on foot to Styre University, chatting and admiring the scenery along the way. The walk from the apartment to the university was only about ten minutes. They encountered several teachers and schrs, all of whom greeted Catherine, prompting Thomas to joke, ¡± It seems you¡¯re quite famous at your school. Everyone knows you!¡± He knew Catherine well-her personality wouldn¡¯t allow her to make friends easily. Since everyone knew her, the reason must be simple-Catherine was just well-known at the school. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Catherine modestly smiled. Suddenly, a voice caught her attention. Looking up, she saw Marshall and Ultan, who seemed to have just finished their morning run. ¡°Good morning, Professor Hartley, Mr. Farrell,¡± Catherine greeted politely. Marshall, recognizing Thomas, introduced him to the curious Ultan. ¡± Mr. Farrell, this is the renowned traditional medicine expert, Mr. Theo.!¡± The medical department had recently invited a prominent figure for an exchange, sparking excitement among the faculty. Ultan hadn¡¯t expected to encounter the elusive figure during his morning jog. ¡°Mr. Theo, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you,¡± he said, extending his hand, to which Thomas gave a slight nod. Despite his arrogant attitude, Thomas was known for his exceptional skills, capable of curing all kinds of diseases. Observing Catherine by Thomas¡¯s side, Ultan couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡± Catherine, why are you with Mr. Theo?¡± Before Catherine could respond, Thomas spoke up. ¡°She is my student. Although I¡¯ve forced her to study medicine with me, she hasn¡¯t agreed. Nevertheless, I¡¯ve epted her as my student and treated her as my granddaughter. She¡¯s currently studying at Styre University, and I appreciate your care for her, Mr. Farrell. 11 When Catherine was mentioned, Thomas¡¯s attitude suddenly became a bit more friendly. Ultan, being astute, immediately understood the situation. It turned out Catherine had a strong background, with powerful backers behind her. For years, they had been trying to invite this medical expert, but Thomas never agreed. This time, Thomas personally came over. It seemed Catherine¡¯s influence yed a crucial role in this. They didn¡¯t just recruit a student; they practically invited a big shot. Fortunately, Ultan had listened to Marshall¡¯s advice and had done his best to support Catherine. At first, he thought Marshall was getting old and had finally taken in a student, so Marshall showed extra favoritism. He also worried that Marshall¡¯s reputation would be ruined by this troublesome student. Now it seemed Marshall¡¯s judgment was right. Marshall could tell that Catherine and Thomas were busy, he took Ultan aside and excused himself. ¡°Catherine, take Mr. Theo around the school. I¡¯ll go with Mr. Farrell. We¡¯ve sweated a lot. We need to go back and freshen up.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Professor Hartley!¡± Catherine politely replied and then left with Thomas. On the way, Thomas couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°This professor seems to be treating you well.¡± Catherine smiled faintly and responded, ¡°Just like you do!¡± Thomas, feeling indignant, said while stroking his beard, ¡°I¡¯m different from him. I can do everything for you!¡± Now, if anyone dared to bully Catherine, Thomas would be the first to disagree. ¡°Exactly,¡± Catherine agreed with him. The truth was just as Thomas had described. He treated her better than his own grandson. ¡°Mr. Theo, you mentioned seeing Rn a year ago. What¡¯s the story behind that?¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Thomas, who usually lived in seclusion, wouldn¡¯t randomly encounter Rn, who had settled in Loewe. There had to be something behind it. Seeing Catherine¡¯s interest, Thomas exined what had happened a year ago. ¡°A year ago, some mysterious people found me. They pressured me to treat someone, and I initially refused. Later, that person directly came to see me; and I realized it was Rn. I don¡¯t know how that kid got hold of my information, but the payment he brought was just what I needed. Plus, since he knows you, I decided to help him! He was seriously ill, and I treated him for half a month. I managed to suppress the tumor in his body, extending his life from one year to five. Impressive, right?¡± Thomas said somewhat proudly, winking at Catherine. ¡°We¡¯ll see what happens after five years!¡± Catherine was surprised to learn that Rn was already seriously ill. If his condition wasn¡¯t severe, he wouldn¡¯t have gone to such lengths to find Thomas and pressured him to help. Moreover, the fact that Thomas couldn¡¯t cure his illness indicated its severity. Could his illness be rted to his visit to Loxton? Thomas looked at Catherine suspiciously. ¡°Cassie, what are you thinking?¡± His voice brought Catherine back to the present, and she turned to Thomas with a faint smile. ¡°Nothing.¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t want to borate, Thomas didn¡¯t press further. ¡°By the way, you haven¡¯t told me why you brought me here this time and what you want me to do.¡± Chapter 921 Chapter 921 Don¡¯t Scare Me For many years, Thomas has taken care of Catherine like a doting grandfather. When something was bothering Catherine, she didn¡¯t want to keep it from him. She extended her wrist towards Thomas. His expression darkened drastically. He thought that Catherine was unwell. He couldn¡¯t imagine any other reason for her to summon him from afar, using the excuse of a seminar at Styre University, unless she was seriously ill and didn¡¯t want anyone to know. ¡°Catherine, don¡¯t scare me. I¡¯m old and can¡¯t handle this kind of stress!¡± Thomas exaggerated, earning a smile from Catherine, who felt moved. Healing was Thomas¡¯s area of expertise, and he had never shied away from it. His panicked reaction to the misunderstanding showed just how deep his love for her ran. ¡°Thomas, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a minor ailment, nothing incurable!¡± Catherine reassured him. Thomas skeptically ced his hand on Catherine¡¯s, carefully checking her pulse. After a moment, he released her hand, eyeing her with suspicion. A slight shake of her head conveyed her message to him. Furrowing his brow, Thomas said coldly, indicating his frustration. ¡°That rascal, if he treated you poorly, I¡¯d skin him alive right now!¡± Catherine stood quietly by, smiling. It felt good to have someone supporting her. After venting a bit more, Thomas looked at Catherine with a hint of reproach. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me earlier? You¡¯re just a young girl. Could you handle this on your own? And does Branden know?¡± Catherine honestly replied, fearing that Thomas might really get upset, ¡°No, you¡¯re the only one who knows for now. I just found out. I didn¡¯t even get checked, and immediately contacted you!¡± Thomas felt relieved after hearing this. ¡°At least you¡¯ve got a conscience, girl. It¡¯s good that you told me right away after all the care I¡¯ve given you. I¡¯m here now, so don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t leave. I¡¯ll stay by your side and keep you safe!¡± Catherine now thought Branden¡¯s habit ofvish spending wasn¡¯t so bad after all. It seemed like Thomas might have to stay in Loxton for a while. Staying in a hotel for a long time wasn¡¯tfortable. The house Branden bought would provide a morefortable living situation for him and Scott. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow your lead, but for now, only you know about this. You have to keep it a secret for me until all this mess is sorted out,¡± Catherine said. Although Thomas wasn¡¯t directly involved in the situation in Loxton, he had heard some things from Scott. He knew Catherine¡¯s current situation wasn¡¯t easy. They used to handle things effortlessly when they were in the shadows and the enemies were in the light. Now that the situation was reversed, things had be much moreplicated. He could understand Catherine¡¯s cautiousness and thorough consideration.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Cassie, remember not to shoulder everything on your own. Branden is reliable, and the Duncans are powerful. You don¡¯t need to suffer,¡± Thomas advised. ¡°Got it.¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll continue showing you around Styre University.¡± Thomas slowed his pace to match Catherine¡¯s. Ronin had been trying to reach Zobber for some time, but even when he managed to contact her, she ignored him and even threatened to eliminate him if she saw him. Seeing Zobber¡¯s response, Ronin smiled somewhat helplessly. ¡°This woman has quite the temper! It¡¯s been days, and she¡¯s still not over it.¡± He got into the car, nning to have another chat with Withal. However, before he could set off, he received a mysterious phone call, prompting him to change direction. As he was two miles away from his destination, he received another call, this time demanding that he get out of the car. ¡°Pull over ande in!¡± the voice on the other endmanded. Irritated, Ronin retorted, ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Finn coldly stated, ¡°You can choose not to obey the orders,¡± before arrogantly hanging up the phone. Angrily, Ronin pounded the steering wheel, causing the car to emit a piercing honk. Reluctantly, Ronin obeyed and then got out of the car. It took him about ten minutes to cover the remaining two miles and reach his destination. Upon Ronin¡¯s arrival, Finn emerged from a corner and handed him a key. ¡± The boss is waiting for you,¡± he said. Ronin took the key and headed towards the bathhouse. After finding the corresponding room, Ronin opened the door. A strong herbal scent filled the room as ck Robey on a nearby massage bed, undergoing a steaming treatment. ¡°It¡¯s getting hot. This is good for your health. Ronin, would you like to join?¡± Despite the man not even lifting his head, he knew it was Ronin. ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t need to,¡± Ronin declined the offer, concerned that his life might be in danger. He respectfully sat down in front of the man and asked, ¡°What do you need, Sir? ck Robe said slowly, ¡°I heard that Zobber had a falling out with you.¡± Ronin got angry when he mentioned this, and he didn¡¯t hide his inner rage. ¡± It¡¯s more than just a falling out. She almost killed me! I risked my life for you, and yet you framed me like this. Is that fair?¡± Ronin asked. ck Robe casually asked Ronin, ¡°Are you injured now? Or have you suffered any inhuman treatment?¡± Ronin hadn¡¯t, because before Zobber could harm him, Catherine arrived and stopped everything. ¡°You work for me. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. Everything is under my control, so rest assured!¡± The rxed and confident tone reminded Ronin of something. He frowned in surprise and looked at ck Robe. ¡°So, you provided Catherine with my location that day?¡± Catherine came too timely, and Ronin always thought it was because Catherine knew everything about Zobber. He hadn¡¯t thought much about it at the time. Now, hearing ck Robe¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Upon hearing Ronin¡¯s question, ck Robe chuckled. ¡°I told you that you¡¯re smart. Just as I said, you guessed right. I gave the location to Catherine. Now you understand, right? Nothing will happen to you.¡± Ronin was secretly surprised. He had been followed for so long, and he hadn¡¯t noticed at all. It was a total failure. He knew that ck Robe must have other purposes for finding him today. He decided to ask proactively, ¡± Sir, what is the reason for finding me today?¡± Chapter 922 Chapter 922 I Want sh ck Robe, seeing Ronin pressing for answers, directly told him the real reason. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Since Zobber is so dissatisfied with your alliance and Catherine, you should find a way to persuade her to join us.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. After understanding the reason, Ronin was shocked. He even doubted if his ears were ying tricks on him. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re not joking with me, are you? Just beforeing here, I received a message from Zobber. She threatened to kill me and issued a pursuit order against me. And now you want me to persuade her toe here? Isn¡¯t that sending me to my death?¡± Faced with Ronin¡¯s emotional outburst, ck Robe remained incredibly calm. ¡± Ronin, why get so worked up? Haven¡¯t you forgotten what I just said? If you work for me, I¡¯ll protect you!¡± Ronin feared that once he was no longer useful, they would kill him without hesitation. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. Such a difficult task should be given to your elite subordinates.¡± ¡°Ronin, you are my elite now. Are you nning to betray me?¡± The man¡¯s icy voice carried a clear warning. Ronin knew that if he didn¡¯t agree, he might not leave this ce today. ¡°Sir, if I remember correctly, we are in a partnership, right?¡± ck Robe suddenly understood Ronin¡¯s meaning. ¡°Just say what conditions you want.¡± Seeing this, Ronin didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°I want sh.¡± Worried ck Robe might misunderstand, Ronin added, ¡°sh tortured me so miserably before. It¡¯s time for me to pay him back.¡± ck Robe had heard many times that Ronin took advantage of the opportunity to mistreat sh, a matter that Finn had talked to him about repeatedly. Finn respected sh and hated to see his former leader suffer such humiliation. But to ck Robe, sh was already useless. If Ronin liked, he could do anything he wanted to sh. Trading sh for Zobber was a good deal. ¡°Alright, I agree,¡± he said. ¡°As long as you can bring Zobber in, I¡¯ll give you sh.¡± Ronin nodded contentedly and left the room. Once he was gone, Finn emerged from the shadows. He had been keeping watch in case Ronin did anything harmful. When Ronin made a move, it would be time to kill him. ¡°Sir, are you sure you want to agree to Ronin¡¯s terms?¡± Finn asked. ck Robe knew Finn¡¯s concern, but he didn¡¯t care. Even though Finn had sympathy for sh, he didn¡¯t dare to betray him. ck Robe turned and squinted at Finn. ¡°Do you think Zobber is more important than a useless person?¡± This statement left Finn unable to argue. sh had once harbored thoughts of betrayal, which meant he would never be trusted again. But Finn would rather see sh locked up for life than suffer humiliation at the hands of Ronin. ¡°Sir, are you sure Ronin won¡¯t betray us?¡± ¡°As long as Professor Warner is around, Ronin is like a puppet!¡± ck Robe said confidently. He wasn¡¯t worried at all; he had the means to control Ronin. Finn could only watch helplessly as the matter was settled. After Ronin left, he immediately rushed back to school and inquired about Catherine¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m here!¡± Ronin eximed as he burst through the door, causing Thomas¡¯s face to darken. ¡°You rascal, why are you so restless? You¡¯re not a kid anymore!¡± scolded Thomas. Ronin had heard that Thomas had arrived yesterday, but it was toote to visit him. Now, being reprimanded by Thomas, he immediately became more obedient. ¡°Mr. Theo, I know I was wrong. I won¡¯t run off next time,¡± Ronin promised. Thomas not only took care of Catherine, but also treated Ronin, who was like a brother to Catherine, with great affection, almost as if Ronin were his grandson. Ronin deeply respected the care Thomas showed him. Being alone in the world, apart from Catherine and this group of friends, Ronin didn¡¯t have family. Thomas was like his grandfather. Although Ronin had apologized, Thomas was still not satisfied and red at him. ¡°Next time? If there¡¯s a next time, old man here will break your legs!¡± Thomas threatened, visibly angry. Ronin, not daring to argue, turned to Catherine for help, but she paid no attention, enjoying the spectacle. Rarely seeing Ronin being scolded, she had no reason to intervene. Thomas grew even angrier, worrying that Ronin, unaware of Catherine¡¯s situation, would identally collide with Catherine. After being scolded by Thomas for about ten minutes, Ronin was finally let off the hook. As soon as Thomas left, he immediately approached Catherine. ¡°What¡¯s up with Mr. Theo? Why did he have to make such a fuss?¡± Ronin asked. Catherine promptly tapped his head. ¡± You brat, stop talking nonsense. Just listen to Mr. Theo¡¯s advice!¡± Feeling aggrieved, Ronin could only hold back his emotions. Only Catherine knew that Thomas¡¯s actions were mainly to take care of her and ensure her safety. ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Catherine asked. It was then that Ronin realized, thanks to Catherine¡¯s reminder, that he had almost forgotten an important matter due to Thomas¡¯s intervention. ¡°Yeah, Catherine, I need to talk to you about something,¡± Ronin said, recounting his day¡¯s experiences to Catherine. After listening, Catherine sneered. ¡± Well, he¡¯s got his ns all figured out, hasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Catherine, what should we do next? Should we really try to persuade Zobber?¡± Ronin inquired. Catherine gave him a sidelong nce. ¡± You already promised, didn¡¯t you? Since you¡¯ve promised, then you have to follow through!¡± Ronin was very puzzled by this response. As he looked at Catherine, who kept smiling at him, his confusion grew. ¡°Boss, what do you mean by that? ¡°he asked. Catherine stood up and lightly tapped his head. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out on your own, you little rascal!¡± Chapter 923 Chapter 923 Everything Belongs to Her After receiving the data from Arbotte Laboratory, Lance immediately led his team into a frenzy of overtime work. The information provided by Arbotte Laboratory gave them a breakthrough and set them on the right path. After several days of research, the team overcame a technical barrier. Excitedly, Lance found Cory and said, ¡± I have good news for you! Our experiment has reached the third stage! Upon hearing this, Cory was also delighted and said, ¡°This is indeed good news. Lance, congrattions. By the way, Boss is here. Let¡¯s go and share this piece of good news with him. When Lance heard that Branden was present, his eyes lit up. Previously, he had been impressed by Branden¡¯s charm and believed that Branden was not just a profit-driven businessman but also had a great love for the country. This was why Lance was willing to join Red Star Laboratory for research. After Lance¡¯s arrival and careful observation, it became clear that Branden was intelligent and highly capable, and he was not a mere money- minded merchant. Cory then took Lance to meet Branden. ¡°Boss, Mr. Broadman is here!¡± Branden put down the documents, stood up, and walked towards Lance. ¡°I heard the experiment has broken through the third stage. Congrattions!¡± Lance, in an unusually good mood, expressed his gratitude. ¡°Mr. Duncan, the smooth breakthrough andpletion of the third stage of the experiment wouldn¡¯t have been possible without the data provided by Arbotte Laboratory. I didn¡¯t expect you to have a stake in Arbotte Laboratory as well. I¡¯m truly impressed!¡± Branden nced at Cory, who quietly exined, ¡°Boss, you and Miss Swann are destined to be family. Arbotte Laboratory is essentially half yours, and half of ourb belongs to Miss Swann.¡± Branden nced at him with almost no change in his expression. Even such a light and fleeting look made Cory¡¯s heart race, leaving him pale. ¡°Boss, It¡¯s my fault! I shouldn¡¯t have said something like that!¡± ¡°Yeah, you shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Branden replied coldly. ¡°If she likes it, it¡¯s all hers!¡± Cory was left speechless, Branden¡¯s public disy of affection hitting him like a blow. Lance hadn¡¯t quite grasped the situation yet but found their conversation quite intriguing and couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Mr. Duncan, what¡¯s your rtionship with Arbotte Laboratory?¡± Branden gave Lance a casual look and said, ¡°The head of Arbotte Laboratory is my fianc¨¦e, and she will also be in charge of Red Star Laboratory in the future. Everything of mine, including myself, belongs to Catherine, as long as she needs it.¡± Lance was momentarily stunned before it finally sunk in. He hadn¡¯t realized that the woman Branden had chosen was even more impressive. And he was shocked to see Branden¡¯s smile. He didn¡¯t understand young couples¡¯ love, so he decided to focus on arranging theb¡¯s research work. Today, Branden came to theboratory mainly to check the progress of the research. He was eager for the experiment to seed quickly. Cory followed him and found it strange that Branden seemed more anxious than usual about this project, which was crucial for the Duncan Corporation. ¡°Boss, I feel like you¡¯re cing a lot more importance on this project than ever before,¡± Cory said. Branden, standing on the steps, gave him a scrutinizing look. ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Cory didn¡¯t dare to argue. ¡°Then get to work.¡± After dismissing Cory, Branden looked at the progress chart alone. His experiment was about to bepleted, and the gifts he had prepared would soon beplete. How could he not take this seriously? After leaving theboratory, Catherine went to the campus to find Thomas. She spotted Thomas and Branden ying chess in the small park on campus. She noticed that when Thomas was around, Branden¡¯s intimidating demeanor seemed to subconsciously soften, showing a humble and respectful side of a young man. ¡°Good game!¡± Thomas eximed, then noticed Catherine and waved at her. ¡± Cassie, why didn¡¯t youe over?¡± ¡°You were so engrossed in your game. Who won?¡± Catherine asked. As she approached, Branden took her hand in his, gently massaging it. ¡°It¡¯s a draw,¡± he said. Thomas shook his head in disagreement. ¡°It can¡¯t be a draw. Your skill is definitely superior to mine. You¡¯re just going easy on me because of my age, right? I may be old, but I can still tell!¡± Branden smiled faintly and didn¡¯t respond. Catherine looked at the chess pieces on the table, each one smooth, round, and translucent, clearly of high quality. Thomas noticed Catherine¡¯s gaze and quickly showed off his new treasure.¡± Cassie, these chess pieces are made of emerald, which feels especiallyfortable in hand. It¡¯s a gift from Branden,¡± he said proudly. Catherine nced at Branden, and they exchanged a meaningful look. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so good at pleasing people. Thomas was usually quite reclusive and had a peculiar personality, but he had a hobby-ying chess. The emerald chess pieces were undoubtedly valuable, but what mattered more was that some things couldn¡¯t be bought with money. Catherine took a look of appreciation at Branden and then said with a smile, ¡± Thomas, you should keep such a precious treasure safe. Don¡¯t let your mischievous grandson use it as a toy.¡± Upon hearing this, Thomas immediately protected the chess pieces as if his troublemaking grandson would appear at any moment. Thomas used to have a set of emerald chess pieces, which he cherished as a collectible. Unfortunately, Scott used them as marbles, damaging half of them. Thomas fell ill and was bedridden for three days after discovering the damage. Scott received a stern punishment from his father, and the incident became a running joke, often brought up to tease Scott.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Then, Branden suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner.¡± Chapter 924 Chapter 924 Put On a Show Since thest time Ronin saw Catherine, he had been pondering what she really meant. Determined to figure it out, he decided to personally visit Zobber. Before meeting Zobber, he sought out Withal, hoping for a heart-to-heart conversation. They agreed to meet at an inte caf¨¦, but as soon as Withal entered, he punched Ronin in the face. Stunned, Ronin clutched his swelling cheek and red at Withal. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± he eximed. Withal grabbed Ronin by the cor, seething, ¡°You little punk, how dare you show your face in front of me again? I¡¯ll ask you one more time. Are you a traitor?¡± As Withal questioned Ronin, he made a gesture, a secret code within their alliance known to only a few. It was originally invented by Wantel, and everyone found it amusing, so they all learned it. Understanding Withal¡¯s meaning, Ronin feigned a look of distress and pleaded, ¡°Withal, I¡¯ve always treated you like a brother. I¡¯ve been an orphan since I was young. Are you really going to treat me like this too?¡± ¡°Brother¡­¡± Ronin¡¯s plea almost brought tears to Withal¡¯s eyes. He pulled Ronin up, pressed him into a chair, and sternly gazed at him. ¡°Tell me the truth, did you betray the Hacker Alliance?¡± Looking pitiful, Ronin hesitated for a while before speaking. ¡°Withal, I had no choice. Do you really want to see me dead?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. With a furious roar, Withal punched Ronin in the chest. ¡°Considering our past friendship, I¡¯ll let you off this time. But I won¡¯t show mercy next time. With that, Withal left in a rage. Ronin slowly stood up, holding his aching chest, his brow furrowed in frustration. ¡°Damn it! Did he have to hit so hard? My ribs are broken!¡± With that, he picked up his backpack and prepared to leave. Before he departed, he nced disdainfully at a nearby surveince camera. ¡°Captain, here¡¯s the video copy you wanted,¡± Finn received the video data from his subordinate and then went to ck Robe. ¡°Sir, Ronin contacted Withal, hoping to use him as a breakthrough, but it didn¡¯t work. He even got beaten up by Withal and is currently hospitalized. Withal beat him up,¡± Finn reported. They not only monitored the inte caf¨¦ but also secretly tracked Ronin. After leaving the inte caf¨¦, Ronin went to the hospital. The results showed that he had indeed broken two ribs. Finn reported this after seeing the CT scan report. He initially didn¡¯t believe Ronin, but witnessing the private meeting and the subsequent beating by Withal made him believe that Ronin had truly betrayed Catherine and the others. No wonder his boss was willing to exchange sh for Zobber. If it were him, he might have agreed as well. After all, a useless person couldn¡¯tpare to Zobber in terms of importance. ck Robe looked at the video of the two men in an angry confrontation with a hint of a smile in his eyes. ¡± Ronin, you¡¯re quite the asset to me.¡± Recently, good news kepting in. He arranged for a professional research team to study the data given by Catherine. Based on her information, they replicated an experiment in just three days. Catherine had spent nearly a year on this experiment. Even a genius like her needed a year to ovee various obstacles and technical barriers to achieve the current results. All of this relied on the core data provided by Catherine, allowing them to sessfully get the answers and quickly establish the experiment. Those in higher positions didn¡¯t understand why he had spent a fortune to set up aboratory despite already controlling Catherine and working with herb. Only he understood that no one in this world was always trustworthy; friends could turn into enemies. People¡¯s hearts were unpredictable, and he only wanted to trust himself. Catherine was temporarily in his hands, but he knew she wasn¡¯t someone who could be easily controlled. If she were to strike back one day, he realized that he wouldn¡¯t even know how he¡¯d meet his end unless he was fully prepared. He needed to ensure he had everything firmly in his control to guarantee asting victory. Branden found a quaint restaurant in Loxton and brought Catherine and Thomas there for a meal. The chef was particrly special, an elderly man simr in age to Thomas. He was short and had a peculiar personality, not fond of meeting guests. The restaurant only opened for dining once a day, and if the old man was in a bad mood, it wouldn¡¯t open for days. This rule, despite being customer- unfriendly, led to a three-year waiting list. Thomas was pleased with the authentic feel of the restaurant. ¡°You can tell the owner of this ce has quite the taste. It¡¯s a marvelous restaurant,¡± he remarked. Seeing Thomas¡¯s delight, Catherine lightly tugged on Branden¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Good job!¡± Branden responded in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Theo is your elder and a guest at our future wedding. I must treat him well.¡± Catherine was taken aback and gave Branden a puzzled look. ¡°Is he getting bolder?¡± she thought. ¡°Future wedding? Have I agreed to marry him? Why is he talking about the wedding already?¡± ¡°What are you two whispering about? Mind your manners in public.¡± Thomas¡¯s stern voice interrupted their conversation. He had just finished touring the restaurant when he saw Catherine and Branden whispering closely, and his expression soured. Although the two were in a normal boyfriend-girlfriend rtionship, she hadn¡¯t married him yet, and Thomas needed to keep a close eye on her; her reputation must not be tarnished. Branden, the usually ruthless president of the Duncan Corporation, who had even disregarded Karl¡¯s orders, immediately straightened up and didn¡¯t even attempt to argue back when Thomas called out. If it weren¡¯t for the young servanting out, the awkward atmosphere wouldn¡¯t have been easily broken. ¡± Everyone, pleasee inside and take your seats!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to eat!¡± Thomas gave the order, and they followed him into the private room. As soon as they entered, they were drawn in by the delightful aroma filling the room. Thomas looked at the table full of delicious dishes and said to the young servant nearby, ¡°Your chef is really talented. When can we meet him?¡± The young servant, ustomed to such questions, respectfully replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir. Our chef doesn¡¯t meet with guests. Please understand.¡± Paxton knew that Branden was trying to please Thomas, so when he heard about Thomas¡¯s desire to meet the chef, he intended to make it happen. However, Thomas noticed and quickly stopped him. ¡°No need. Everyone has their own rules, and we should respect that.¡± Thomas had his own rules when it came to medical treatment, and anyone who broke them would face his wrath. He expected respect from others, and in turn, he respected them. ¡°If the dishes get cold, they be less tasty. Please enjoy your meal, everyone!¡± Not only was the ce decorated in an old-fashioned style, but even the servants here were dressed in a refined manner. Thomas loved this, and Branden was also pleased with it. After a few dishes, everyone felt satisfied with the food. It was no wonder that despite the many rules, the business was still thriving. The chef¡¯s skills were truly remarkable. As Thomas savored the food, he introduced Catherine and the others, ¡± Don¡¯t be fooled by the simplicity of this soup. It may only have a few ingredients, but it¡¯s a true test of skill. And the most important thing is the soup itself. Its freshness depends entirely on the chef¡¯s skills.¡± Thomas spoke with authority, and Catherine and the others listened with great interest as if they were hearing a captivating story. ¡°Exactly!¡± An abrupt voice, apanied by enthusiastic apuse, drew everyone¡¯s attention. Upon seeing the neer, Paxton quietly reminded Branden on the side. ¡°Boss, that¡¯s the owner of the restaurant.¡± Branden nodded, and Thomas, who was sitting nearby, also heard and stood up to greet the neer. ¡± Hello, my name is Thomas Theo.¡± The old chef, puffing on a pipe, nced at Thomas and bluntly said, ¡°My name is Aaron, Aaron Melton. Seems like you¡¯re quite the foodie, and you know a lot about cooking. Interesting.¡± Aaron, whose ancestors were imperial chefs, has always adhered to traditional recipes, making the vors very authentic, but also maintaining many rules. Aaron was a bit arrogant, but Thomas wasn¡¯t offended. He smiled and said, ¡± Aaron, considering we¡¯re about the same age, here¡¯s a piece of advice for you. When you¡¯re chopping vegetables, wrap the handle of the knife with a cloth as much as possible. As you get older, your joints won¡¯t be as nimble.¡± Aaron, who was about to light his pipe, paused and carefully examined Thomas. Although he was a cook, he had seen too many people over the years, and his eyes were sharper than anyone else. He had long noticed that the guests at this table were not ordinary, but he didn¡¯t care. However, this old man called Thomas was not as easy as he seemed. ¡°Are you a doctor, Mr. Theo?¡± Aaron asked. Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Torture You Thomas smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m just a makeshift doctor. I see patients when I have free time.¡± This statement was not entirely wrong-he only saw patients when he had free time, and whether he would see them depended on his mood.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Feeling a connection with the chef, Aaron, Thomas was willing to take a look at his condition. ¡°Aaron, I¡¯ll give you a prescription. If you follow it, your condition should improve a bit.¡± Upon hearing this, Aaron couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re quite the peculiar doctor, not as skilled as other physicians!¡± This remark piqued Thomas¡¯s curiosity, and he looked at Aaron with a puzzled expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Other doctors have always told me that if I follow their advice, they can cure my disease. But you can only guarantee that my condition will improve. Are you not skilled in medicine?¡± Aaron said. Hearing this exnation, Thomas burst outughing. ¡°Interesting. If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m truly not skilled in medicine. I¡¯m ashamed!¡± Scott, who had been listening to their conversation, couldn¡¯t sit still when someone belittled Thomas. Despite their usual banter, he wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone speaking ill of his grandfather. ¡°Hey, do you even know who my grandfather is?¡± Seeing Scott getting serious, Thomas immediately calmed him down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My grandson is young and impulsive. He doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s saying. Apologize to Mr. Melton right now, do you hear me?¡± Reluctant but obedient, Scott apologized to Aaron. After he finished, Aaron said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. My grandson was just as stubborn at his age.¡± During the conversation, Thomas sensed Aaron¡¯s loneliness and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Aaron, my prescription can only make your condition improve, but it won¡¯t hinder you from working. A craftsman for a day is a craftsman for life. As long as the passion remains, one must continue their craft.¡± Aaron immediately realized something. The doctors who imed they could cure him always demanded that he give up his kitchen knife. He had been a chef all his life. He could let go of anything, except for that kitchen knife. Letting it go would be like giving up his life. Aaron realized that Thomas not only treated diseases but also healed the heart, addressing the root cause of the patient¡¯s illness. This, to Aaron, was the mark of a truly skilled doctor. ¡°Mr. Theo, I¡¯ve learned a lot from you!¡± Thomas waved his hand, and seeing this, Catherine handed him a notebook and pen from her bag. Thomas¡¯s face lit up with joy upon receiving them. ¡°Cassie, you know me the best!¡± Observing Thomas surrounded by his grandchildren, Aaron felt a tinge of envy. He had heard his youngest grandson hade to Loxton, but he hadn¡¯t visited. Aaron wondered if the boy still held a grudge over past events. Catherine felt that Aaron looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn¡¯t ce where she had seen him before. She just had a vague feeling of familiarity, an impression not deeply etched in her memory. Due to Thomas¡¯s prescription, Aaron waived the cost of the meal. Despite their insistence, Aaron insisted on this, and in the end, they had to respect his decision. They considered it as helping Thomas make a friend and saving the cost of a meal. After dinner, Thomas strolled around the restaurant for a while before they all left together. As soon as Catherine got in the car, she received a call from Rn. ¡°Can we meet sometime? I need to talk to you about something,¡± Rn asked. Catherine responded coldly, ¡°It¡¯s toote today. I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow.¡± Seeing Catherine¡¯s non-rejection, Rn felt somewhat pleased. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for your call tomorrow.¡± Branden noticed Catherine remained still after hanging up the phone and turned to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. Catherine smiled faintly. ¡°Nothing.¡± Rn¡¯s call reminded her of where she had seen Aaron before-in a photo in Rn¡¯s house. If it weren¡¯t for her excellent memory, she might not have remembered. It seemed that Aaron had some connection with Rn. Aaron¡¯s appearance at such a sensitive time seemed too coincidental. Catherine felt she needed to be a bit more cautious and arrange to investigate the rtionship between Rn and Aaron. Meanwhile, Ronin had been constantly followed by Finn¡¯s men, who seemed determined to achieve their goal. This disrupted his ns to have dinner with Catherine tonight. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, feeling the urge to confront Finn and give him a beating. Ronin intentionally hid in a dark corner and then disappeared. Finn immediately rushed forward when he realized he had lost track of him. He knew he couldn¡¯t afford to fail the task given by his boss. In his boss¡¯s eyes, a failed pawn was of no use and would be eliminated. The alley was pitch ck, and Finn had to rely on his keen senses to move forward. After taking a few steps, he sensed something unusual at his side. When he turned, his opponent had alreadyunched an attack. Finn was struck and began to fight back fiercely, but he soon found himself at a disadvantage. Ronin sessfully subdued Finn with a swift kick. Finn red at Ronin, feeling extremely angry to be pinned down by a loser like Ronin. ¡°If you¡¯ve got the guts, just kill me!¡± Finn eximed. Ronin chuckled coldly. ¡°Hmph, why would I kill you? I¡¯m not in the mood right now. It¡¯s more fun to torture you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 926 ?Chapter 926 Is It Okay? Finn believed that Ronin wouldn''t actually harm him, but he also believed that Ronin would torture him. Thinking about Ronin''s ways of tormenting people, Finn felt a chill down his spine as Ronin''s cold eyes stared at him intently. What do you want from me?" Finn asked. Ronin smirked as he casually patted Finn''s cheek and suggested ying a game of car racing. Hearing Ronin''s intentions, Finn raised his voice. "Ronin, don''t mess around. Boss has arranged for me to follow you. Do you dare to defy him?" "Humph." Ronin sneered arrogantly. "Do you really think I''m his underling? I merely have a business rtionship with him. Do you think you are more important to him than his current ns and overall strategy?" Finn understood that in his boss''s eyes, he was just a tool. If Ronin were to harm him, his boss wouldn''t punish Ronin, because Ronin was much more important. "What do you want, Ronin?'' Finn asked cautiously. "I don''t want anything," Ronin said indifferently. "If you really want me to let you go, you just have to help me with one thing. "What is it?'' Finn asked. Ronin whispered a few words in Finn''s ear, then stepped back, looking pleased. "So, what do you say? It''s a simple matter. You shouldn''t refuse, right?" After careful consideration, Finn realized that the task wouldn''t betray his boss, and would benefit him. "Okay, I agree." Branden printed out the report sent by Lance and brought it directly to Catherine. "Do you want to take a look?" he asked. Catherine took the report, nced at it, and knew its contents. She was surprised that such a confidential document was handed to her so casually. However, she wasn''t interested in the information and simply put it aside. Branden had thought that she would be interested, especially given her specialization in the field. Her reaction caught him off guard. She slouched on the sofa, seemingly exhausted. Leaning in, he buried his head in her neck and took a deep breath. "Are you feeling tired?'' he asked. Catherine shook her head, not bothering to respond. She wasn''t tired; she just didn''t want to look at the report. After spending the whole day in theb, she just wanted to lie down and rx. Unconsciously, Branden moved closer to her. She always had a faint, pleasant scent that was captivating. His hand gently lifted her clothing, tracing her smooth skin upwards. Just as things seemed to be getting out of control, Catherine suddenly reached out and stopped him.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Branden paused and slowly looked up, his eyes filled with an ambiguous glint. His voice became even huskier. ''Is it okay?" Chapter 927 ? Chapter 927 A Breakup? Everything was going smoothly until Catherine suddenly called a halt. "I''m a bit tired today," she said. Branden paused, reluctantly withdrew his hand, and buried his head deeply in Catherine''s neck. After a while, there was no movement. Concerned, Catherine gently patted his shoulder. "Are you okay?" "I''m fine," he replied hoarsely, showing restraint in his voice. Heposed himself, then got up and headed to the bathroom. Lying on the bed, Catherine listened to the sound of water from the bathroom, feeling both amused and sympathetic. She gently stroked her t abdomen, a wide smile on her face. In the bathroom, Branden stared at himself in the mirror, for the first time feeling helpless. Was it he who had changed, or had Catherine lost interest in him? As Catherine waited, Branden finally emerged from the bathroom. When he came out, she felt as if he had just walked out of the cold storage, exuding a chill. "Aren''t you afraid of catching a cold?" she asked. Shrugging off her concern, Branden said, "I''m strong and healthy. It''s fine." Hey on the bed, not bothering to lift the nket, and held Catherine tightly against the nket. "Rest well. I''ll massage your hand so you can sleep peacefully." Due to her long-term use of weapons, Catherine''s hands had always been prone to tendon inmmation. Unless she rested, the muscle damage and pain persisted. Branden knew about her physical issues and would massage her hands whenever he had the chance, which effectively relieved her difort. Within three minutes, Catherine, who usually had trouble falling asleep, had drifted into a deep slumber. The next day, after dropping off Catherine at school, Branden headed to thepany for a meeting. Paxton noticed Branden''s low spirits during the car ride, evident from Branden''s furrowed brows. After much hesitation, he couldn''t help but ask, "Boss, is something bothering you today? You seem a bit off." Branden nced at him, a simple look that still managed to startle Paxton, causing him to shrink back. "Imagine a couple, and the girl suddenly bes very distant and rejects intimatemunication with the guy. What does that usually mean?" he asked. The abrupt question left Paxton momentarily stunned. "What could it mean?" he asked himself. It seemed like an issue rted to romantic rtionships, but was quite profound. Having never been in a rtionship, Paxton was at a loss. After a long pause, he couldn''te up with a reasonable response. As the car pulled up to the Duncan Corporation building, the driver, in a cold tone, remarked," In most cases, it means the girl''s lost interest. The guy needs to be careful; he might soon be reced.'' Branden''s expression immediately darkened at the driver''s words, his eyes turning much colder. The driver''s words brought a sudden realization to Paxton, who promptly nodded in agreement. "That actually makes a lot of sense. I didn''t realize you knew so much." The driver gave a wry smile. "Myst girlfriend broke up with me that way. I''ve had some experience." Engrossed in their conversation, neither of them noticed Branden''s increasingly dark expression. As Paxton became more convinced of the driver''s words, he was about to tilt his head to report to Branden. But at that moment, he felt a chill run down his spine. "Boss, you..." Before Paxton could finish, Branden pushed open the car door and left. Witnessing this, Paxton quickly got out of the car. Before his feet evennded on the ground, Branden gave a coldmand, "You don''t need to go upstairs. There''s no one supervising the construction site in Weseville. You need to go there." With the temperature soaring to at least 104 degrees Fahrenheit today, the ground was scorching hot. Sending him to the construction site in this kind of zing weather could literally be torture. "Boss..." Paxton pleaded desperately, almost kneeling on the spot.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Branden, however, didn''t even look back and went straight into the elevator. Paxton looked at the driver beside him, who seemed resigned. "Paxton, do you think the person Boss mentioned just now could be himself?" Paxton immediately realized that Branden''s anger might be because the person mentioned was actually himself. "Did Miss Swann cheat on Boss?'' he wondered. He felt like he was about to hear something astonishing. Now, being sent to work at a scorching construction site didn''t seem too unjust. Alone in his office, Branden reyed the conversation between the driver and Paxton in his mind. He didn''t believe Catherine would betray him. However, her recent behavior had been strange. Their contact had decreased, and she seemed uninterested in the food he made. Could Catherine really be growing tired of him? Realizing the possibility, Branden became restless. He opened the most popr Q&A website and entered keywords in the search bar to find answers to his concems about a rtionship growing distant. After sifting through numerous unsatisfactory answers, he shut down theputer and made a phone call. "Are you busy?" Catherine replied, "Not really, what''s up?" Her cold response left Branden feeling even more disheartened. "Nothing, I just miss you." he said. "Okay, I''ll hang up," Catherine replied before ending the call, resuming her work without knowing that Branden had been staring at his phone in disbelief for a full five minutes after the call ended. Branden noticed that Catherine''s current behavior almost perfectly matched the reactions listed in the Q&A for when a girlfriend wanted to break up. Feeling increasingly uneasy, he immediately searched for a few more keywords, such as, "How to mend a rtionship."* How to change a girlfriend''s mind about breaking up," and so on. Someone replied, "Focusing on romance, paying attention to details, reminiscing about sweet memories." After reading the answer, Branden slowly came to a realization. Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Ambitious When Catherine received the message, she was a bit confused. Branden suddenly said he wanted to take her out for dinner tonight, just the two of them. ¡°Is he nning something on his own?¡± she wondered. Not sure of the answer, Catherine decided to temporarily ignore Branden¡¯s invitation. She still had a few hours before she met with him, so she wasn¡¯t in a rush. After finishing her work, Catherine sent a message and summoned Ronin. Within about ten minutes, Ronin arrived promptly, impressing Catherine with his efficiency. ¡°You came really quickly!¡± Catherine eximed. Ronin grinned. ¡°It¡¯s because the person called me is you, Catherine. I happened to be at the school, so I rushed over as soon as I could! Tell me what you need, Catherine. As long as youmand, I¡¯ll get it done right away!¡± Rolling her book into a stick and tapped Ronin¡¯s head with it. ¡°You little rascal, focus on the point. Did you finish the task I gave you earlier?¡± ¡°I did it!¡± Ronin was always proactive in carrying out Catherine¡¯s orders. ¡± I¡¯ve already instructed Finn to do as I said. I believe there will soon be news from Zobber. When that happens, don¡¯t forget to inform Zobber, Catherine,¡± Ronin reported. ¡°Okay.¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Go find Withal and discuss with him first.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± After Catherine gave her instructions, Ronin turned to leave, but she stopped him by grabbing his cor. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished speaking! Why the rush?¡± Catherine said. Ronin smiled cautiously. ¡°Catherine, do you have more orders for me?¡± ¡°Go and investigate the background of Aaron, the chef at the Northville Courtyard Restaurant.¡± ¡°Investigate a chef?¡± Ronin hadn¡¯t anticipated what Catherine had in mind, but he knew there was a reason for her request. ¡°After I talk to Withal, I¡¯ll look into this chef,¡± Ronin assured. ¡°Good.¡± With the tasks assigned, Catherine finally let Ronin go. Just as Ronin left, Catherine received a call from Cloude. ¡°Miss Swann, I have something to ask you,¡± Cloude said. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Catherine responded coldly.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Despite Catherine¡¯s indifferent attitude, Cloude wasn¡¯t bothered; he knew exactly who Catherine was. If he didn¡¯t have something that could threaten her, she would have retaliated long ago. One misstep and he would be finished. Cloude forwarded some information to Catherine, hoping for her help. After receiving and ncing at the data, Catherine got to know Cloude¡¯s intentions. He had taken her research results, formed his own research team, and effortlessly replicated her long-term work. Now, facing a problem his team couldn¡¯t solve, he had the audacity toe to her for help. ¡°Does he think I¡¯m an easy target to manipte? What a joke!¡± she thought. Catherine knew she couldn¡¯t let him off so easily. She picked up the phone and called back. ¡°I can provide the research data, but the terms are simple-I get 60 %, and you get 40%.¡± Originally, they had agreed on a 50-50 split, but now that Cloude had new demands, Catherine naturally wanted to renegotiate. If he disagreed, she would maintain the original terms and not provide any new assistance. Cloude hesitated. He knew Catherine would negotiate, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to propose this. The cost of this term was tremendous, especially considering that Catherine would only be solving one problem for them and yet still wanted 60% of the share. She seemed to be too greedy. ¡°Miss Swann, how about reconsidering the terms? You seemed to be a little too ambitious!¡± Cloude teased. ¡°Humph,¡± Catherine responded coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve always been so ambitious. You seem to know me well, don¡¯t you? You may not be an expert in this area, but you should know that if this issue isn¡¯t resolved, it will be difficult for your team to continue their work, right?¡± Cloude definitely knew that. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t havee to Catherine in the first ce. Once the data reached her, she could easily see through everything. After much thought, Cloude made a decision. ¡°Miss Swann, I agree to your proposal!¡± Catherine smirked, a look of triumph in her eyes. ¡°Good, you¡¯ll have your answer in a day.¡± With that, she hung up the phone. In reality, the problem wasn¡¯t difficult to solve. If Cloude was willing to spend time on it, he would likely find someone suitable to handle the issue. However, he was impatient and reluctant to disclose the information. He had likely secretly formed the research team, hence his eager eptance of her request. For Catherine, it was a win-win situation. By simply solving a problem, she could reim a 60% share of the profits. Only a fool like Cloude would agree to such a deal. Catherine went to theboratory. In truth, she could easily solve the problem in an hour. Deliberately dragging out the process made it seem more troublesome, and it was necessary. Cory was temporarily brought to the president¡¯s office to serve as an assistant to Branden. It was said that Paxton had said something he shouldn¡¯t have and was punished by being sent to work as aborer at a construction site, prompting the urgent transfer of Cory. Cory was initially worried that Branden¡¯s bad mood would soon affect him. Upon arrival, he was extremely cautious, fearing to make any mistakes. However, after observing for a while, he noticed that Branden¡¯s demeanor was mostly the same as usual, cold- faced but not much else. ¡°Are you in a hurry to leave, Boss?¡± Cory asked softly, noticing Branden checking the time several times, seemingly particrly concerned about it. ncing at his watch, Branden realized there was still an hour left before the end of the workday. Today seemed to be dragging on. ¡°Is the restaurant reserved?¡± he inquired. ¡°It¡¯s all reserved ording to Miss Swann¡¯s preferences!¡± Cory replied. It seemed that Branden was eager to date Catherine, hence his constant concern about the time. Cory couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge Branden¡¯s deep affection for her. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s nothing important this afternoon. Why don¡¯t we go to Miss Swann¡¯s school and wait? If she finishes early, you can see her sooner,¡± Cory suggested. Cory knew that Branden must be thinking about Catherine. It seemed better to go and wait for her early, as there was nothing requiring Branden¡¯s attention at thepany today. Branden pondered for a moment and found Cory¡¯s proposal to be a good one. ¡°Prepare the car!¡± Chapter 929 Chapter 929 Is It for Me? Catherine saw the message from Branden half an hourter. She never brought her phone into theboratory, and today was no exception. Although it wasn¡¯t time to leave yet, she often left early. Branden¡¯s urgent message made her decide to set aside her current work and go see what was going on. Arriving at the school gate, Catherine noticed a car parked not far away. This time, Branden wasn¡¯t waiting in the car as he usually did. His tall figure leaning against the car attracted quite a bit of attention. Despite the admiring nces from many girls, no one dared to approach, knowing about their rtionship. Branden, focused on his phone, seemed to be waiting for an important call or message. Catherine quickened her pace and approached. When Branden looked up and saw her, his cold expression lit up as he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to my message?¡± He had been waiting for her message, nning to wait for her in theboratory building. Catherine didn¡¯t like him using his privilege, knowing he wouldn¡¯t drive onto the campus without a special reason. ¡°Why the rush to find me? Is something wrong?¡± she asked. Branden had been acting strangely today, repeatedly contacting her and evening to pick her up early. She was worried something was amiss.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Get in the car.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Catherine followed him into the car, and as soon as she got in, Branden took out a beautiful sapphire blue box and ced it in front of her. ¡°Is this for me?¡± Catherine looked at Branden with surprise. Branden¡¯s gentle smile deepened. ¡± Open it and see if you like it!¡± Receiving an unexpected gift without any special asion made Catherine feel a bit strange. However, her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the box in front of Branden. As the box opened, her eyes lit up. Inside was a beautiful ne made of a string of diamonds, each likely over a carat, with small diamond tassels around them, making the diamonds even more dazzling. The centerpiece was arge sapphire, clear and wless, with a perfect cut that showcased its extraordinary charm. It was undoubtedly a priceless ne. ¡°For me?¡± Catherine looked at Branden with a puzzled expression. Branden nodded and chuckled. ¡°Who else would I give it to?¡± After getting a definite answer, Catherine became even more puzzled. ¡± Why suddenly give me such a valuable gift?¡± ¡°Do you not like it?¡± Branden frowned, his expression somewhat indescribable. ¡°Perhaps no girl would refuse such a gift!¡± Catherine smiled wryly. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s so expensive.¡± Although she wasn¡¯tcking in money, she never indulged in luxury or pursued designer brands or jewelry. ¡°If you like it, keep it.¡± Branden took the ne from the box and gently ced it around Catherine¡¯s neck. Today, Catherine happened to be wearing a top with a wide neckline, showcasing her perfect neck. The sparkling ne, against her wless skin, looked even more beautiful. Some people needed fancy jewelry to enhance their beauty, while some could make the already dazzling jewelry even more beautiful. Catherine was thetter. When she wore this priceless ne, it looked even more attractive. Branden also realized that despite being with Catherine for so long, he seemed to have not given her many gifts. Catherine was so special that he thought nothing in this world seemed worthy of her. ¡°I haven¡¯t given you gifts before, but when I saw this ne today, I felt it suited you, so I bought it,¡± Branden exined. He hadn¡¯t given her anything because he took care of everything for her, from clothes and shoes to jewelry and bags. He wondered if there was a need to give her separate gifts. Catherine looked at Branden with a sweet smile and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll keep it. It¡¯s a beautiful ne, and I love it!¡± Seeing her sweet smile, he felt relieved. Although in his eyes, these jewelry pieces didn¡¯t match her, he realized that no girl would be unhappy to receive a gift, and Catherine was no exception. He decided he needed to collect more beautiful gifts to keep the freshness of their love. After a while, they arrived at a luxurious hotel. As the car stopped, a waiter respectfully opened the door. The hotel manager immediately weed them. ¡°Mr. Duncan, your reservation is ready. Shall I take you and Miss Swann there now?¡± Branden nodded slightly and then linked arms with Catherine. Although the hotel was one of the old luxury hotels in Loxton, it had recently beenpletely renovated. It was said that this restaurant was currently the most popr and luxurious one in Loxton, highly sought after for dates and proposals. With only three tables avable each day, reservations were booked a year in advance. Today, the entire restaurant was booked by Branden. Upon arrival, the manager greeted them and carefully introduced the restaurant¡¯s features. The owner had personally called to emphasize the importance of not offending the VIP guests. Upon arrival, the manager greeted them and carefully introduced the restaurant¡¯s features. The owner had personally called to emphasize the importance of not offending the VIP guests. Branden paid little attention to the manager¡¯s introduction, his gaze fixed on Catherine. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked. Catherine looked out through the enormous windows, feeling as if she were floating in the sky. ¡°It looks amazing,¡± she replied, and Branden breathed a sigh of relief. After observing Branden discreetly for a while, the manager felt much more at ease. ¡°This is the menu, Mr. Duncan.¡± Branden signaled for the menu, which the manager promptly handed to Catherine. After ordering, Branden asked Catherine to sit while he excused himself. Not long after Branden left, the sound of a melodious piano filled the air. Catherine instinctively turned to look and was pleasantly surprised. There he was, dressed in a gray suit, resembling a prince, seated at the magnificent piano. His skilled fingers danced across the keys, producing a beautiful, enchanting melody. Catherine rested her chin on her hand, her eyes filled with joy. She admitted that at that moment, she truly felt the romance and surprise. Chapter 930 Chapter 930 Pregnancy Catherine had never known that Branden was so talented in music. The melodious sound of the piano had a mesmerizing effect on her. Even after the music stopped, she remained immersed in its beauty for quite some time beforeing back to reality. Branden approached Catherine, his handsome face always managing to tug at her heartstrings. She raised an eyebrow at him, her beautiful eyes shimmering like stars. ¡°Not bad!¡± she remarked. Branden chuckled, only revealing his emotions in her presence. ¡°As long as you like it,¡± he replied, taking his seat and gesturing for the waiter to bring the food. Catherine could tell that not only had the restaurant been arranged to her liking, but every dish had been selected ording to her taste. She wondered about his intentions-gifting, piano ying, arranging a grand meal-what was he up to? She discreetly observed him, trying to figure out his motives. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± she began, but Branden interrupted, ¡°The fish is excellent. Give it a try!¡± He carefully removed the bones from the fish and ced the meat on a clean te, presenting it to Catherine. As the te approached, a strong fishy smell hit Catherine. Suppressing the urge to vomit, she covered her mouth and nose. Seeing her difort, Branden quickly moved the te aside and looked at her with concern. ¡°Are you okay? Have some water!¡± He offered her warm water, but instead, Catherine grabbed the nearby lemonade and took a big gulp. Branden furrowed his brow. He knew the fish didn¡¯t taste fishy. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have offered it to Catherine. Besides, she usually didn¡¯t like sour things, yet today she refused the warm water and opted for arge ss of lemonade. The refreshing scent of lemon, apanied by its tangy taste, finally quelled the nausea rising in Catherine¡¯s stomach. Sensing Branden¡¯s puzzled gaze, she set down her ss and casually remarked, ¡°My stomach has been feeling a bit offtely.¡± ¡°Stomach? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Branden asked, looking concerned. Not knowing about her stomach issues indicated his recent neglect, which exined Catherine¡¯s dissatisfaction with him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just an old ailment from spending too much time in theb and not eating on time. Mr. Theo gave me some advice yesterday and prescribed medicine. A few days of that and I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Catherine exined. Despite her exnation, Branden still had a worried expression on his face. ¡± It¡¯s my fault!¡± he said. Just as Catherine was about to tell him not to worry, she heard him promise, ¡± From now on, I¡¯ll deliver meals to you at regr times, arranging three meals a day for you. If you refuse, I¡¯ll move the kitchen to the first floor of yourboratory building and cook for you. You can¡¯t refuse, understand?¡± Catherine could only smile wryly, squinting at Branden. ¡°Why would I refuse? If I refuse, the Duncan Corporation would lose an excellent president, and Styre University would gain an unexpectedly handsome chef, right?¡± Catherine teased. Branden felt proud. ¡°Correction, your personal chef!¡± he added.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org After some banter, the atmosphere became pleasant, although Catherine didn¡¯t eat much due to her stomach. Concerned about her difort, Branden didn¡¯t pay much attention to his other ns. He had other arrangements, but Catherine was too tired to leave the restaurant. Her eyes were already half-closed. Seeing this, Branden canceled his uing ns and took Catherine back to rest. Cory nearly cried when he found out their ns were canceled. He had been trying so hard to surprise Catherine that evening, hoping to earn some praise from his boss, but all his hopes were dashed. Catherine was genuinely exhausted. Without waiting for Branden to say anything, she had already closed her eyes and leaned against him in the car. When they arrived at the apartment building, she was still fast asleep. Seeing her tired and withered face, Branden felt heartbroken. The little weight she had recently gained had disappeared again. He wanted her to stop everything and let him take care of it all, but he knew her well. If he suggested that, she might leave and only return after handling everything herself. He couldn¡¯t take that risk and didn¡¯t want her to leave. After carrying her upstairs and gently cing her on the bed, he tucked her in before quietly leaving the room. In the living room, he found Cory, who was holding a briefcase with a frown. ¡°Speak up!¡± Branden demanded, knowing that Cory had something to say but was hesitant. After getting permission, Cory said, ¡± Boss, I can¡¯t help but feel that Miss Swann¡¯s reaction doesn¡¯t seem like a stomachache, but more like morning sickness!¡± ¡°Morning sickness?¡± Upon hearing that, Branden paused for a moment. His mind went blind before a word appeared in his head-pregnancy. He suddenly looked up and turned in the direction of the bedroom. It waspletely silent around him. His head was filled with a cacophony of thoughts that prevented him from calming down. Cory had never seen Branden look so bewildered before, and he found it quite amusing. He wanted to capture the moment and share it with his friends, but he didn¡¯t want to rush into danger. After what felt like an eternity, Branden¡¯s brain finally seemed to start working again, and his sharp gaze focused on Cory. His stare made Cory nervous, and he began to swallow, saying, ¡°Boss, please don¡¯t look at me like that¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on Mr. Theo and report any news immediately,¡± Branden instructed. Cory was puzzled. If there were suspicions about Catherine¡¯s pregnancy, why should they keep an eye on Thomas? ¡°What about Miss Swann?¡± Cory asked. ¡°Keep this to yourself. Don¡¯t tell anyone. Got it?¡± Branden¡¯s cold tone and the warning in his eyes made Cory shiver. He had nned to share the news with his friends that evening, but now he knew he couldn¡¯t say a word about it. ¡°Boss, you can trust me. I¡¯ll keep it to myself,¡± Cory assured, and Branden waved him away to leave. He needed some quiet time to adjust his ns for the future. If Catherine was indeed pregnant, all his ns would need to be reworked. Nobody understood her intelligence better than he did. If she was pregnant and hadn¡¯t intended to tell him, she would notice the slightest change in his behavior. Branden ordered Cory to keep the matter to himself until he could investigate further. Despite the uncertainty, the possibility of Catherine¡¯s pregnancy softened his expression. Chapter 931 ? Chapter 931 The Full Breakfast Catherine woke up and was shocked by the breakfast on the table. There were various desserts, catmeal, and even Itascan ham on the table. What a full breakfast. Are you preparing all the food at home and abroad?" Catherine looked up, her eyes full of surprise at Branden who was still busy at one side. Branden elegantly drew a tissue and wiped his hands clean beforeing up to embrace Catherine. "If that''s the case, I would have to make at least 108 dishes. This is not even worthy of being called a full breakfast. It''s just a bit more varied, so you can choose from a variety of options. Didn''t you say you have a stomach problem? Breakfast is the most important of the three meals. Since you don''t have a good stomach, our first step is to improve your breakfast." Seeing Catherine frown, Branden guessed what she was going to say and immediately gave an exnation. "Don''t worry. We''re not going to waste the food. Just pick your favorite food and I''ll finish the restter with Cory and the others. Catherine smiled a little helplessly. "You''ve arranged it so well, I could only do as you say." "Branden is so crazy. I just said that I have a stomach problem and he ended up doing all these over breakfast. If something does go wrong with me, he might destroy the world," Catherine sighed inwardly. She then turned and said, "I''m going to get a ss of water." Branden, however, preceded her by picking up a ss of water and handing it over. "I prepared the water. It''s warm water at 130 degrees, your favorite temperature." Catherine liked to drink water with a slight heat, which could help her drink more. She didn''t realize Branden even noticed that. He really did have the details down so well. She reached for the ss of water. It was indeed a temperature she would enjoy, and she drank the entire ss in one gulp. There are enough dishes. Let''s eat together. Eating alone is boring." Catherine''s suggestion made Branden, who was still about to cook one more dish, stop and sit down with her. As he ate his breakfast, he observed Catherine''s diet. Catherine barely touched greasy foods and she had no hesitation in choosing milk between fruit juice and milk. Branden memorized all these details silently. When Catherine put down her cup of milk and yawned, Branden said immediately, "You can sleep a little longer if you haven''t gotten enough." His tone was so urgent that Catherine was a bit surprised. Branden sensed Catherine''s surprise. However, he still had a look of distress on his face and reached out to touch Catherine''s face gently. "Look at the shadow under your eyes. The situation in theb is not urgent at the moment. You can sleep a little longer if you''re sleepy." "Do I have a shadow under my eyes?" Catherine asked mentally. She got up hurriedly and walked over to the mirror for a closer look. Although she did have a shadow under her eyes, it wasn''t noticeable. She didn''t think it was as exaggerated as Branden had made it out to be. "It''s not noticeable. Don''t exaggerate it." The gentle smile in Branden''s clear eyes grew stronger and his face was filled with doting. Okay, I was exaggerating. It''s not noticeable. So, are you going to rest for a while?" "No, I''m full, I''m going to school. Catherine slept wellst night. She had fallen asleep on the way back to the apartment, and by this point, she had gotten plenty of sleep. She wasn''t sleepy at all. Her yawning just now was nothing more than a habitual behavior. Seeing her insistence, Branden personally sent her to the school. Before getting out of the car, he didn''t forget to remind Catherine, "I''ll have someone bring you lunchter. You must remember to eat it." Catherine nodded in agreement. She was pretty sure Branden would move the kitchen downstairs in herb if she refused. Branden only got into the car after watching Catherine enter the school. Cory sat in the passenger seat. Through the rearview mirror, he quietly gauged Brander''s expression behind him. Seeing that Branden was full of joy today, and there was even a faint smile on his lips, Cory thought of Paxton''s bitter plea. He then spoke up for Paxton bravely and slowly, "Mr. Duncan, I have a shortage of manpower here... Could you please..." Cory and the others had been following Branden since they were young. How could Branden not understand what they were thinking? He was in a good mood today, so he didn''t n to punish Paxton anymore. "Notify Paxton toe back." Hearing this, Cory was so overjoyed and almost bowed to Branden. "Thank you, Mr. Duncan. I''ll inform Paxton toe backter."Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Finn found Ronin with injuries all over his body. "I''m done what you asked me to do." The smell of blood was strong everywhere in the small room. Finn was badly injured. Ronin stood up with a smile and gave him heavy pats on the shoulder. "Awesome." Finn endured the pain. Looking at his twisted face, Ronin''s eyes were filled with a smug smile. "Finally, you end up like this," he thought happily in his heart. Finn knew that Ronin was purposely trying to get back at him, but he couldn''t let Ronin look down on him. He kept bracing himself and didn''t say anything. The more he endured the pain, the more Ronin tried to make him feel the pain. Ronin increased the force of his hand to pat Finn''s shoulder. After a while, he let go. "Come on. It''s boring. Your mission is over. Leave the rest to me and I''ll make sure you and the boss are satisfied.'' Finn looked at him fiercely, his cold tone full of warning. "You''d better keep your word, or else, don''t me me for being rude to you." Ronin took the key from Finn. With an evil smile, he stepped onto the motorcycle and left. Looking at his distant back, Finn''s eyes were filled with hatred. He took out his cell phone and dialed his boss''s number. "Sir, it''s been arranged as you ordered. Ronin should be heading to the secret room now. Zobber is being held there." After a few words from his boss, he replied, "Yes, sir. Don''t worry. I''ll make the arrangements. Chapter 932 ? Chapter 932 Saving Zobber In order to catch Zobber, Finn not only lost many of his brothers, but he also got himself seriously injured. If Ronin couldn''t pull it off this time, he would really kill Ronin. Ronin rushed out of the secret room after getting the key. There were obstacles set up at the entrance by Finn, all of which were arranged by Finn in advance to make Ronin look injured. Ronin''s serious and exaggerated injuries were actually just superficial injuries. Ronin kicked open the closed door with a cool kick, and inside the room, Zobber, who was tied to an iron frame struggling, slowly raised her head. When she saw Ronin appear, a glimmer of hope immediately appeared in her eyes. "Ronin, why is it you?" Ronin covered his bleeding chest and gave her a re pretending to be angry. "Withal is so injured that he can''t even stand up, and Catherine devotes herself wholeheartedly to theb. If I didn''te, who else woulde to save you?" "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have done that to you before." Zobber apologized sincerely, her eyes full of sincerity. "Alright, time is running out. Cut the crap. I''ll get you out. Cooperate with me." Ronin knocked the shackles off Zobber''s hands with his weapon and carried Zobber on his back step by step out of the room. Finn and the ck-robed man were sitting in the surveince room together. They saw all the scenes clearly, not even missing the emotional changes in Zobber''s eyes. Seeing that the two were about to leave, Finn took the initiative to inquire, "Sir, should we arrange for someone to block them?" ck Robe nodded. "Take action." Finn immediately ordered and had the people under his hand start moving. Ronin had just walked out of the secret room with Zobber on his back when he noticed rapid footstepsing from around. The well-trained two immediately realized there was something wrong and instantly went into a state of alert. Their expressions were unusually serious. When they saw the visitors, Zobber''s eyes turned cold. "These people really look up to me. To deal with me alone, they actually deployed so many people," thought Zobber. "Ronin, run. I''ll stay and deal with them, or neither of us will be able to escape." Zobber made the desicion. Their target was her. Ronin came there to save her, so she naturally couldn''t let anything happen to Ronin.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. If she put up a fight, she might be able to make Ronin escape. Ronin sneered. "We''ve known each other for so many years, and I have never left you behind. I didn''t do it before, nor will I do it now. It''s not a big deal. At worst, we''ll just die together. Don''t worry. I''m fine with that." Seeing that he was still in the mood to joke, Zobber was infected. She smiled, looking beautiful and valiant. "Alright, let''s fight together." Under their injured situation, facing twenty to thirty thugs really made them exhausted. In less than half an hour, the two were defeated. The injuries on their bodies made them powerless and they could not hold on any longer. "Beep, beep..." Just as the two of them were about to surrender to keep their lives in humiliation, a sudden horn sound came and a green off-road vehicle rushed out. The car door had long been opened in advance. The car headed straight toward them without any intention of braking. The thugs around instinctively dispersed. Zobber and Ronin did not dodge after seeing the person in the driver''s seat clearly. In the nick of time, the two jumped into the camiage with all their might. Withal in the driver''s seat yelled, "Hang on. "He then stepped on the gas pedal all the way. As Ronin watched the figures chasing them behind grow further and further away, he copsed weakly onto his seat and shouted with hisst breath of strength, "You came just in time." "Exactly." Zobber agreed with a grin. They had to give Withal credit today. "Withal, did Catherine arrange for you toe? As Zobber asked that, the atmosphere in the car suddenly changed. Both Withal and Ronin looked gloomy. Noticing that something was wrong, Zobber looked at the two in confusion. "What''s wrong? Did I ask something I shouldn''t have?" Chapter 933 Chapter 933 You Look Handsome ¡°What?¡± Zobber¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and her voice unconsciously became louder. Seeing Withal and Ronin nod in unison, Zobber felt disappointed instantly. ¡°Isn¡¯t Catherine going too far? For her research, for her experiments, shepletely disregards our safety? I almost died.¡± Zobber¡¯s tone contained an indescribable anger. Ronin said, ¡°You know why I betrayed Catherine now? I followed Catherine for so many years. I didn¡¯t want to do it. But when I was imprisoned and constantly tortured, I was desperate. No one came to save me, and I had no choice but to be killed. Obviously, Catherine had the power to save me, but she didn¡¯te, did she?¡± Ronin¡¯s voice grew sadder and sadder, and the expression on his face grew more and more desperate. Zobber reached out and patted Ronin on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I misunderstood you before. I only understand the despair now.¡± Seeing that it was almost time, Ronin got straight to the point. ¡°Zobber, join with us.¡± Zobber looked down. She didn¡¯t say anything, in a state of confusion. ¡°Think about it.¡± Ronin didn¡¯t push it too hard. They were all injured and needed to rest. ¡°Just think about it. I¡¯ll take a nap. My back hurts.¡± Catherine received a mysterious text message just after she got out of theb. ¡°What are you looking at? You look so happy.¡± The familiar voice caught Catherine¡¯s attention. As she looked up, she saw Thomas walking toward her with a smile. ¡°Thomas, did youe to see me?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± Thomas nodded slightly. ¡°I happened to have a conversation with a few professors from your school. I was thinking ofing by to see you, but I happened to bump into you.¡± Catherine suggested, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°Okay, call Branden too. We¡¯ll go to the courtyard we went tost time to have the meal with Aaron.¡± Hearing his words, Catherine immediately took out her cell phone. ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll ask Branden to make a reservation.¡± Aaron¡¯s courtyard required a reservation. She had to get Branden to make the reservation so they could have dinner there in the evening. Hearing that she was going to ask Branden to make a reservation, Thomas immediately stopped her. ¡°No need to make the reservation. I talked to Aaron. He asked me to just go over directly.¡± Catherine immediately understood and joked with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s great. We¡¯ll just go with you.¡± Thomas patted her on the shoulder and waved his hand smartly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Once Catherine informed Branden, Branden arranged for a car to take them to Aaron¡¯s yard, and he left directly from the office so that there would be no dy.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Catherine and Thomas arrived at the yard first. The servant came to meet them directly at the door this time, and he was quite a bit more cordial thanst time. ¡°Mr. Theo, Mr. Melton is waiting for you in the yard. He said it¡¯s still early for dinner, so he asked you to go y chess with him.¡± Aaron also enjoyed ying chess, just like Thomas. The two elderly people immediately became friends and even started to cherish each other. Thomas said to Catherine, ¡°Let¡¯s go y chess.¡± Catherine had nothing to do, so she agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± Thomas left a prescription before he leftst time, and Aaron¡¯s hand got better after using the medicine in the prescription. And to thank Thomas, Aaron arranged this meal. Seeing them appear, Aaron, who was ying chess alone immediately stood up. ¡°Mr. Theo,e on. I want to y chess. Youe at the right time. Let¡¯s y first.¡± Thomas didn¡¯t refuse. After taking his seat, they began to y chess. At the end of the game, Thomas stood up slowly and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the restroom. We go onter.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Aaron gathered his chess pieces and sized up Catherine. Catherine knew he was sizing her up. She said generously, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡± Aaron bursts outughing. ¡°Miss Swann, you¡¯re pretty smart. I don¡¯t know why I always feel a sense of familiarity with you. Have I seen you before but forgotten because I¡¯m old and forgetful? If that¡¯s really the case, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Catherine smiled faintly and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sure we haven¡¯t met before.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Aaron nodded with a smirk, but from his eyes, Catherine could tell he had something he didn¡¯t say. Catherine followed his lead. ¡°Or have you seen me somewhere without my knowledge?¡± Aaron pretended to ponder for a moment. ¡°I remember now. I seem to have seen your photos before. I have a grandson named Rn. Do you know him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t hide the truth. She knew that it should be because she had people checking on Aaron and Rn during this period, and was known by Aaron. Aaron was testing her. Since Aaron had already found out, she would admit it openly and didn¡¯t need to hide it. ording to the information she received, Aaron and Rn were not rted. There seemed to be a lot of conflicts between them, which didn¡¯t match what she knew back then. There was silence for a while before Aaron asked quietly, ¡°How¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Catherine¡¯s voice was icy cold. She didn¡¯t really like to talk about other people¡¯s situations. Aaron didn¡¯t keep asking questions about Rn, and after a deep sigh, he said slowly, ¡°If you run into him, please help me to ask him toe back and see me. I¡¯m getting old, I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll live.¡± In sympathy for Aaron, Catherine agreed. ¡°What are you chatting so happily about?¡± Thomas saw the two of them chatting from a distance, feeling a bit curious. Catherine looked up at him and put on a mysterious smile. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s something secret.¡± Thomas pretended to be angry. ¡°You bad girl.¡± The scene of Catherine and Thomas joking looked like a granddaughter and grandfather joking around. This scene reminded Aaron of Rn again. ¡°You guys rest here for a while. I¡¯m going to go make the arrangement. Dinner will be readyter.¡± Looking at Aaron¡¯s distant and lonely back, Catherine took out her cell phone from her pocket and sent a message. Footsteps approached and Catherine subconsciously turned around. Branden walked in slowly from the arched courtyard entrance with the light at his back. The sunlight was right behind him, and the golden light surrounded his entire body. Catherine couldn¡¯t see his face, but she could feel his powerful aura and extraordinary temperament. This oil painting-like scene was beautiful. ¡°What are you looking at so seriously?¡± The maic and pleasant voice pulled Catherine¡¯s drifting thoughts back. She tilted her head back to reveal her delicate face. There was a smile in her beautiful big eyes. ¡°What else can I look at? I¡¯m looking at you. You look so handsome.¡± Chapter 934 Chapter 934 She Can¡¯t Eat Crabs Branden¡¯s lips curved seductively. ¡°You look beautiful.¡± Their eyes met, and the atmosphere around them became ambiguous. Thomas nced around. Seeing that Branden and Catherine only had each other in their eyes and paid no attention to him, he patted his forehead andughed bitterly. ¡°Oh, my eyes. What did I do wrong to make myself suffer like this here? You guys stop it.¡± The chess chair was rtively short and it was not easy to stand up, so Catherine pulled Branden¡¯s hand to stand up. She then turned around to help Thomas. ¡°Okay, we stop it. Let¡¯s go to Aaron for dinner.¡± ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go see what Aaron prepared today. I can already smell the aroma.¡± Thomas led them to the private room. It was a private room specially prepared by Aaron to entertain them. Exquisite dishes were being served one after another, and the aroma filled the entire room, enticing everyone. ¡°They look so amazing.¡± Hearing Thomas¡¯ment, Aaron, who had entered the room with thest of the soup, smiled and joked, ¡°Thank you. Come on. Take your seats.¡± There weren¡¯t many dishes, but each one looked like a carefully crafted delicacy. ¡°Let¡¯s get started. The crabs are good this year. These were all just fished up from theke this morning. They¡¯re very fresh. Help yourself.¡± Aaron warmly greeted everyone and asked the servant to distribute food on tes to each guest. Branden nced at the crab and then peeled it for Catherine. He had just ced a piece of crab meat on the te in front of Catherine when Thomas took it. Aaron mocked Thomas. ¡°Why are you grabbing her food?¡± Thomas gave him a sidelong re. ¡°I didn¡¯t grab it from her. She hasn¡¯t healed from a previous injury and she has a stomach problem. She can¡¯t eat crabs.¡± Aaron didn¡¯t know anything about medicine and he knew that not everyone could eat crabs. But he thought it should be okay to eat a little bit. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t matter if she only eats a little, right?¡± Thomas didn¡¯t answer him. He turned his head to Branden with a serious expression. ¡°She has a bad stomach. Don¡¯t give her these.¡± Branden nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Noted.¡± No one noticed the fleeting pride in his eyes. Crabs were not only not allowed to be eaten by those who were injured or had stomach problems, but they were also a taboo food for pregnant women. Everyone had a very happy dinner today.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Before they left, Aaron walked them out. He felt happy to eat with them. He no longer had many rtives and friends around him, his friends were getting older, and he was seeing a lot less of them. Getting in the car, Thomas looked at Aaron standing in the doorway to say goodbye, feeling a bit sad. ¡°When people get older, they tend to get lonely. All they want is to have their family around. Aaron is a poor man.¡± Hearing this, Catherine looked toward Aaron¡¯s lonely figure and faintly said, ¡± He¡¯ll be with his family.¡± Thomas snapped his head up to look at Catherine. ¡°Cassie, what do you mean by that?¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond. She just took out her phone and nced at it.She had asked Rn to stop by sometime to see an old friend, and he had replied briefly. His message was just one word. It read, [Okay.] Chapter 935 Chapter 935 Put Me Down! Late at night, Aaron sat alone under a tree in the courtyard, feeling the gentle breeze. Despite the chirping of birds and insects around him, he felt lonely. Gazing at the bright moon in the sky, he let out a long sigh. Suddenly, he heard light footsteps behind him. Looking up at the sky, he slowly said, ¡°Put the coffee there. There¡¯s no rush to drink it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Drinking coffee is bad for your sleep!¡± The voice was low and indifferent. Aaron felt a chill run through him as if he were in a dream. He couldn¡¯t believe the voice he had just heard. Not hearing any sound behind him, he anxiously turned around, only to see Rn standing behind him. At that moment, Aaron couldn¡¯t even blink. Rn carefully examined him, observing his gray hair, and finally said, ¡°Grandpa!¡± It wasn¡¯t a dream. Aaron quicklyposed himself, recing his surprised expression with a stern look. ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t we cut off contact? Who allowed you toe in?¡± Rn knew his grandfather well. Despite his old age, he had a stubborn and harsh temperament. Rn knew that even though Aaron wanted him here, he would say the harshest words. ¡°If you¡¯re so unwilling to have me here, why let Catherine know about our rtionship?¡± Rn asked. Aaron was left speechless by this simple statement. The atmosphere became thick with tension, with Aaron wearing a stern expression and remaining silent. Knowing Aaron¡¯s stubborn nature, Rn had to speak up. Otherwise, today would end in disappointment. ¡± I¡¯m a little hungry.¡± Aaron, who had been somewhat irritated, immediately said, ¡°Have meals on time. Aren¡¯t you afraid of having a stomachache? Wait for me here,¡± After scolding him, Aaron stood up and hurried off to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Catherine felt so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. As she prepared to get out of the car, Branden leaned down and, with powerful arms, lifted her up. Despite being lifted, Catherine felt puzzled. ¡°Put me down. We¡¯re not home yet. Stop messing around!¡± Branden held her tightly, careful not to exert any force in case she got hurt. ¡± I¡¯m not messing around. If you¡¯re tired, I¡¯ll carry you upstairs.¡± Despite his concern for her fatigue, Catherine insisted, ¡°No need. I can walk. I¡¯m not that tired yet.¡± Despite her protests, Branden showed no intention of putting her down. He carried her to the living room sofa, where he carefully put her down and helped her change into slippers, tidying up her belongings. ¡°Are you going to bed directly? Should I get you some water?¡± he asked. Faced with his attentive care, Catherine couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°If you¡¯ve really done something wrong, why not just say it? With such attentive service, I might forgive you.¡± Branden paused for a moment, surprised by her misunderstanding. He reached out and lightly pinched her nose. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. If you don¡¯t want to rest, lie down and y games. If you get tired, call me. I¡¯ll be in the study.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine responded, thinking that Branden finally left her alone. However, he turned towards the kitchen and brought out a te of assorted fruits, cing it in front of her. He looked at her furrowed brow and said, ¡°Pick what you like. I¡¯ll finish the rest.¡± Catherine thought about reprimanding him for wasting food, but now that he had offered a solution, she fell silent. Branden finally went to the study. Catherine looked at the assortment of fruits and snacks on the table and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Sometimes she wondered if he was treating her as his daughter. The game was too boring, and Catherine had no interest in ying. She received a call from Withal and walked to her room. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked. ¡°Catherine, we staged a big show today, and they should have fallen for it. They imnted a listening chip in Ronin, so they can hear everything we say.¡± ¡°Got it. Keep going,¡± Catherine replied coldly. ¡°Catherine, we need to ask for Wantel¡¯s help. How should we contact him?¡± Withal wasn¡¯t inquiring about Wantel¡¯s whereabouts, knowing that Catherine had sent him on a mission. However, each of them had different abilities, and he needed Wantel¡¯s help. ¡°Contact Ronin.¡± Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s response, Withal was somewhat surprised. ¡°Does Ronin know?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Catherine replied softly and then let out a yawn. Her tendency to feel drowsy had been getting worsetely. Thomas said it was due to her previous serious injury, making her easily fatigued. Upon hearing her yawn, Withal felt a pang of concern. He had heard that Catherine had been pushing herself, handling their affairs while conducting experiments, which took a toll on her health. ¡°Catherine, if you¡¯re too tired, rest. Leave the rest to me and Ronin.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Catherine replied before hanging up the phone and heading toward the bathroom. As she entered, she was stunned. It had beenpletely transformed. The floor was covered with non-slip mats, and various shelves were filled with all sorts of items. ¡°What¡¯s he up to?¡± Catherine wondered, turning to see Branden approaching the bathroom. Catherine raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to exin the room¡¯s decorations. Branden rolled up his sleeve, showing his bruised elbow to Catherine. ¡°I slipped this morning. I was worried you might slip as well, so I got these non- slip mats.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Catherine appeared a little surprised. Branden blinked and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like them? Should I change them?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Catherine said before heading back into the bathroom. Branden stood at the door. As he looked at the bruise on his elbow, a smile spread across his face. Paxton¡¯s punch hadn¡¯t been in vain. Chapter 936 ? Chapter 936 Don''t Let Catherine Know A simple te of pasta turned out to be the most delicious meal Rn had in recent times. He finished thest bite and then set the fork down. Aaron sat beside him. When the te was empty, he reached out to take it, but Rn had already covered it with his hand. "I''m full," Rn said calmly. Hearing this, Aaron couldn''t help butin, "You should eat more." "It''s enough," Rn calmly replied, a faint smile appearing on his face. He didn''t eat much on a regr basis, and if it weren''t for his grandfather cooking today, he wouldn''t have eaten at all, especially since he had already eaten beforeing over. His im of being hungry was solely to ease the escting tension between them. Aaron was known for his stubbornness, and this was the only way to keep him from getting too angry. "It''s gettingte. I have to leave. See you next time, Grandpa!" Rn said. When Aaron heard that Rn was leaving, his face darkened. Rn had only been here for a short while, and now he was nning to leave. Rn felt increasingly ufortable. He wanted to spend more time with his grandfather, but he was worried that if he didn''t leave soon, there might be trouble. Despite his reluctance to leave, he stood up. As he was about to leave the yard, Aaron called out, "Rn!" Rn stopped, turned to look at Aaron, and gestured for him to go back and rest. As he turned away, a sharp pain struck his chest. He tried to endure it, hoping to make it out of the gate, but the pain overwhelmed him, and he copsed on the ground. Aaron had noticed something was wrong when he saw Rn stumbling. The moment he saw him about to copse, he immediately shouted and rushed over. "Rn!" In his final moments of consciousness, Rn managed to utter a sentence. ''Don''t let Catherine know!" At the base, Ronin walked in with snacks he had just bought and tossed them onto Withal''sp. "Withal, don''t you think something''s strange?" Withal, engrossed in hisputer, nced up at him upon hearing the question. "What''s so strange?" "ck Robe hasn''t contacted me for days. I just rescued Zobber, and they should be eager to contact me and recruit Zobber. It''s really strange that there''s been no news at all!" Ronin was deeply puzzled. Withal pondered carefully, unable to understand ck Robe''s intentions. Ronin was right, but in times like this, they couldn''t afford to specte recklessly. "Let''s hold our ground and wait. I''m worried this might be a deliberate test from them. If we make too many moves, they''ll be suspicious." After some careful thought, Ronin agreed, "You''re right. I''ll take your advice." "Stay put. I''ll go find Catherine. It''s been two days since I''ve seen her, and I miss her a lot!" Withal couldn''t stand Ronin''s infatuated look when he met Catherine, truly a loyal supporter of Catherine. "Sure, hurry up and go!" After bidding farewell to Withal, Ronin rode his motorcycle to the school. Finding Catherine was much easier now. All he had to do was visit the schoolboratory, and he''d definitely find her there. Catherine had just finished handling some tasks when she came out and saw Ronin waiting in the living room. "Looking for me?" she asked. Upon seeing Catherine, Ronin''s face lit up with a radiant smile. "Catherine, I brought your favorite pastries!" Catherine nced at the packaging, confirming that it was indeed her favorite brand. She happened to be a bit hungry, and the pastries arrived just in time. She didn''t know what had gotten into her recently, she would frequently feel hungry. Previously, she would feel nauseous at the sight of food. But now, things were different. After eating the lunch arranged by Branden, she would feel hungry again around three or four in the afternoon. If she didn''t eat something, she''d feel temble. "Come in!" she said. Ronin followed Catherine into her office, cing the pastries on the table and pouring some rose liqueur for Catherine. "Catherine, it''s ready to eat!" Catherine nodded slightly, finding the pastries on the table cute and appetizing. A few minutester, Ronin was surprised to see that Catherine hadn''t even stopped. Catherine, you..." Seeing Ronin staring at her in astonishment, Catherine was a bit puzzled. "What''s wrong?" "Catherine, you like the pastries today, don''t you? You ate quite a lot!" He had gotten used to buying pastries for Catherine because she often missed regr meals due to work. Additionally, she had low blood sugar, and pastries quickly provided her with sugar while filling her up. However, she never ate too much. She preferred spicy New Orleans chicken wings over sweet food. Thanks to Ronin''s reminder, Catherine realized she had overindulged. She had eaten more than usual, far exceeding her typical intake, and she hadn''t even noticed it. "I didn''t eat much in the afternoon, and now I''m a bit hungry. I didn''t realize I had eaten so much all at once!" she exined.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Hearing Catherine say she hadn''t eaten much in the afternoon, Ronin began to feel concerned. "Catherine, your health is more important than work; you need to eat on time!" "Okay." Catherine nodded, temporarily keeping Ronin in the dark. Based on Ronin''s nature, once he found out, he would tell everyone around him. What did youe to see me about today?" Catherine asked. Ronin expressed his confusion to Catherine. She happened to have something to tell him. "I received information that a group of highly skilled assassins has recently arrived in Loxton. We don''t know their target yet, so be extra cautious during this time. Keep an eye on that end. But remember, safety is the priority." Ronin frowned. He understood that these people wouldn''t havee to Loxton for no reason; they must havee for a specific task. If they were targeting him, it would be troublesome. "Alright, Catherine, I''ll be careful. You also need to be cautious. Catherine wasn''t worried about herself. Although Branden hadn''t mentioned it, she had noticed several people around her recently. They bore no ill will towards her and were likely arranged by Branden to protect her. Given her current situation, she needed to prioritize safety above all else. Chapter 937 ? Chapter 937 Crisis Little did Catherine know that she would encounter a group of skilled intruders on her way back from theboratory that evening. As she left the school gate, she sensed someone following her discreetly. Intentionally taking a detour through a side path, Catherine wanted to ascertain the identity and motives of the people following her. Reaching the corner, she paused and turned around to find no one behind her. "No need to hide, guys. Come out she called out. The next moment, four men dressed in ck with masks emerged from the shadows. Though they hadn''t engaged inbat yet, Catherine could tell they were formidable. The leader of the group, with a sharp and piercing gaze, locked eyes with Catherine. "Since you''ve spotted us, why not juste with us and save us the trouble?" he said. With a coldugh, Catherine replied in a nonchnt tone, "Are you sure you can take me with you?" Her calm demeanor unsettled the leader, who had been aware of Catherine''s formidable abilities before their encounter. They wouldn''t have taken this assignment if they weren''t confident. "Catherine, you''re impressive. But can you really take on all four of us at once?" the leader challenged. In a one-on-one scenario, they wouldn''t stand a chance. With four against one, however, Catherine wasn''t guaranteed a victory. Catherine understood their confidence they were all armed. The four men were exceedingly arrogant. "Miss Swann, I advise you toe with us willingly, or else you''ll regret it," the leader warned. Narrowing her eyes and giving them an intimidating look, Catherine had no intention of attacking them, especially with the presence of lethal weapons. Her current situation didn''t allow for it. "Are you guys not going to show yourselves?" Catherine eximed. The four men in ck looked around warily. In the next moment, Carlo and a few of his men emerged from the shadows. "Miss Swann, rest assured, we''ve got this. Boss is waiting for you at home for dinner. I''ll have someone escort you," Carlo said. Catherine didn''t leave immediately, she wanted to assess the situation first. Carlo nced at the four men opposite them and remarked, "Weapons, huh? You think we''re defenseless? Show ''em!" Carlo''s men took out their weapons. These were all elites trained by the Duncans, specifically chosen by Branden to protect Catherine. The four men in ck had been tracking Catherine for two to three days, noticing her solitary movements without any protection except for asional encounters with Branden. They took the bold move when Branden was absent, not expecting Catherine to have so many skilled individuals by her side. Despite the increased risk, they were not nning to give up. Catherine was their target, and they had toplete the mission. Carlo understood their motives, and both sides engaged in a fight. Despite the opponents'' strength, Carlo''s team, with their numbers, managed to hold their own in the scuffle. "Take her!" the leader of the four men shouted and lunged towards Catherine. Just as his hand was about to touch her, a knife pierced his palm, causing him to let out a painful scream and withdraw his hand. Catherine turned around to see Branden and Paxton approaching them swiftly. With the arrival of more help for Catherine, the four men realized that their n was futile and decided to flee. Carlo immediately approached Branden, offering to send people to pursue the fleeing individuals. Branden, fixating his gaze on Catherine, asked if she was okay. Catherine shrugged. "I''m perfectly fine," she said, noticing his cold aura and quickly exining, "I didn''t do anything. When I found them, I just called for Carlo!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Branden had to hold back his words. He suppressed his anger and gently pinched Catherine''s cheek. "Come on, let''s go back for dinner!" Catherine had known that he had someone following her, but she chose not to reveal it. She had avoided putting herself in danger directly, which was a significant improvement, and she felt she deserved praise. Branden didn''t dwell on it and led her back home. When they arrived, the table was already set with the meal he had prepared. If he hadn''t needed to cook, he would have gone to pick her up himself. Branden had thought it was just a short distance, but it turned out to be an opportunity for those attackers to take action. He silently vowed that he wouldn''t let Catherine have any more chances to be alone in the future. After dinner, there was a knock at the door. Carlo stood outside, looking dejected. It seemed he had lost track of those four men. Catherine wasn''t surprised, after all, they were quite strong. If Branden hadn''t arranged for Carlo and his men to secretly protect her today, the situation could have turned out differently. These people clearly nned everything meticulously, daring to act so boldly. It was very likely that they had nned their escape route as well. Catherine yawned. "You guys chat. I''m going in to sleep!" With that, she headed to her room. Little did she expect that as soon as she entered the room, she saw Branden standing behind her. Looking at him with a puzzled expression, she asked, "What are you doing here?" Branden helped her sit down. "Go to sleep. I''ll leave once you fall asleep!" After closing the curtains, tucking her in, and waiting for her to close her eyes, Branden quietly left the room. Catherine thought to herself, "Is he really treating me like a daughter?" However, she was too tired to dwell on it, and she soon fell asleep. Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Provoking Ronin Upon receiving the message, Finn immediately reported the situation to ck Robe, who sneered and sarcastically remarked, ¡°Those fools tried to capture Catherine? It¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Finn also thought that the four men hadn¡¯t fully grasped Catherine¡¯s abilities. Although he had never faced off against Catherine, he knew her capabilities well. ¡°Do you need to find out the whereabouts of those four people, Boss? ¡°Finn inquired. ¡°No need!¡± ck Robe coldly rejected Finn¡¯s suggestion, not believing that Branden would sit by in such a significant matter. Knowing Branden must have already arranged for someone to investigate, ck Robe decided to wait. If things went awry, it would implicate his people. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± ck Robe said. ¡°I take my leave.¡± Finn left the secret room, still troubled by his doubts. For ¨C some reason, he felt that his boss had been acting strangelytely, appearing quite frail. He didn¡¯t dare to ask, not wanting to vite the rules. Not long after leaving the secret room, Finn ran into Ronin. It seemed that Ronin had sought him out specifically. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Finn raised an eyebrow, eyeing Ronin. Ronin, with a serious and cautious expression, replied, ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯ve already persuaded Zobber. When will Boss see us?¡± Even now, Ronin needed Finn¡¯s assistance to meet ck Robe. He knew it was because ck Robe still didn¡¯t fully trust him. ck Robe was so suspicious, distrusting everyone. ¡°I¡¯ll inform Boss. Just wait for his summons,¡± Finn assured. Finn¡¯s indifferent attitude infuriated. Ronin. He initiated a fight, and to Finn¡¯s surprise, he found himself overpowered by Ronin. He looked at Ronin in disbelief. ¡°How could this happen?¡± Ronin smirked, his satisfaction evident in his smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to be subdued by me so easily, did you? Brat, I warn you. Don¡¯t act so arrogantly in front of me. I only made a few moves in front of Catherine, and she could easily spot my weaknesses, allowing me to effortlessly defeat you.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Furious and shocked, Finn realized Catherine¡¯s prowess was greater than he had imagined. She hadn¡¯t even witnessed his confrontation with Ronin, yet she could detect his vulnerabilities from Ronin¡¯s moves. How could she possess such extraordinary abilities?¡± The thought was chilling. ¡°Report this to Boss as soon as possible. You know Zobber¡¯s temper. I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll be able to control her if she changes her mind. ¡± After issuing his ultimatum, Ronin prepared to leave. His arrogant demeanor left Finn seething. In his eyes, Ronin was merely relying on Catherine¡¯s strength. ¡°You¡¯re despicable, Ronin. Catherine has been good to you. While she¡¯s being hunted, all you can think about is using her teachings against her and her allies. Is betrayal so urgent for you?¡± Finn scoffed. Finn¡¯s words made Ronin pause and turn back to face him. ¡°Hunted? What do you mean?¡± His intense gaze fixed on Finn, eager not to miss any expression on his face. ¡°Why should I tell you? Besides, haven¡¯t you already betrayed her? Why the sudden concern?¡± Finn¡¯s sarcastic remark only fueled Ronin¡¯s anger. He stormed up to Finn, grabbed his cor, and lifted him up. ¡°I may have betrayed Catherine, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can badmouth her. Tell me what happened, or I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Upon realizing that Ronin was serious, Finn felt apprehensive and decided to inform him about the events of the evening. Ronin pushed him out of the way and left in a hurry. Catherine was roused from her sleep by the incessant buzzing of her phone. Before she could reach for it, Branden took it away. Hisrge hand gently caressed her back as he soothingly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Catherine grunted and turned back to sleep. Seeing her sound asleep, Branden left the room with her phone and returned the missed call. ¡°Catherine, I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± When Ronin heard Branden¡¯s voice, his heart skipped a beat, and his nerves tensed. ¡°Where¡¯s Catherine? Is she okay?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Branden replied coldly. This was his demeanor with everyone, even with familiar faces like Ronin. Only in Catherine¡¯s presence would his emotions fluctuate and his expression soften. ¡°She¡¯s already asleep. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll have her contact you tomorrow.¡± Branden¡¯sposed tone eased some of Ronin¡¯s anxiety. He knew how deeply Branden cared for her. If something were truly wrong, Branden wouldn¡¯t be so calm. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t disturb her,¡± Ronin said. Branden had intended to end the call, but Ronin urgently insisted, ¡°I need to talk to you!¡± ¡°Speak,¡± Branden coldly responded. Ronin was frustrated that despite Catherine¡¯s warning earlier that day, those people still targeted her. ¡°Take care of yourself and don¡¯t let her worry. Leave the rest to me.¡± With that, Branden ended the call. Catherine had been sleeping restlesslytely, and he needed to apany her. Ronin was taken aback when his call was abruptly ended. He was furious and couldn¡¯t understand why Branden would hang up on him like that. When had he ever let Catherine worry about him? Despite Branden¡¯s instructions not to get involved, Ronin grew angrier. He decided to seek out Withal and the others to devise a n. Not only had those four mene after Catherine, but they had also dared to attack her. Ronin was determined to teach them a lesson. Chapter 939 Chapter 939 Must Be a Misunderstanding Ronin and Withal arrived at the destination almost at the same time as Carlo. Luckily, they weren¡¯t in disguise or wearing masks, which could have led to a confrontation. Carlo frowned when he saw Ronin. ¡± What are you doing here?¡± Ronin smiled. ¡°I was about to ask you the same thing.¡± Withal, standing nearby, grew frustrated and puzzled. ¡°Since our goals are the same, why bother with the details? Let¡¯s work together and capture those four guys.¡± Carlo¡¯s appearance here was clearly at the behest of Branden, while Ronin hade for Catherine. Withal was right- they did share amon goal. Ronin was about to retort but was stopped by Withal. ¡°The bigger picture matters.¡± After negotiations, both sides decided to act together. The four men who had attacked Catherine were already injured during their escape. They had underestimated- Carlo, and they didn¡¯t expect Ronin and Withal to join forces. Despite their skills, the four men were quickly captured. However, a disagreement arose over the disposal of these four individuals. ¡°I must take them,¡± Carlo said sternly, his eyes cold and unwavering. ¡°In your dreams,¡± Ronin replied, showing no intention of letting go. These four had dared to attack Catherine, and he would let them off the hook. Since they dared to target Catherine, they had to be prepared for retaliation. He had already nned how to deal with them, and he didn¡¯t allow Carlo to take them away. Carlo, annoyed by Ronin¡¯s arrogance, took the initiative to start the fight. Withal, witnessing the scuffle, felt a headacheing on. He didn¡¯t intervene immediately because he knew Ronin hadpromised earlier only because their goals aligned. Now, however, Ronin¡¯s deep-seated hatred for these four individuals made it impossible for him to back down. Approaching Carlo¡¯s men, Withal said, ¡°We¡¯re on the same side. No need for violence. Carlo is hot-headed now. Why don¡¯t you contact your boss and exin the situation?¡± One of Carlo¡¯s men nced at Withal as if questioning why Withal hadn¡¯t made the call. Withal casually took out his phone, saying, ¡°If you want me to contact him, fine. But you know, Catherine should be asleep right now. If she¡¯s disturbed, someone will be in trouble.¡± Realizing the consequences of disturbing Catherine, one of them went aside, likely to make the call. Withal,posed, continued to observe while subtly guiding Ronin. Ronin had been his friend for years, so he felt obligated to help Ronin, especially considering Catherine hadn¡¯t yet married Branden. Withal¡¯s years of understanding with Ronin allowed him to convey crucial instructions with just a few words. Ronin, who had been at a disadvantage, quickly gained the upper hand. Carlo, infuriated, turned to re at Withal. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join in? It would make things easier!¡± Withal, maintaining a wry smile, responded, ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be appropriate. We¡¯re acquainted. It wouldn¡¯t look good if Catherine- thought we were ganging up on someone.¡± Carlo was livid. The instructions Withal gave Ronin were no different from ganging up on him. It seemed these two were taking advantage of the situation. Carlo and Ronin were still locked in a fierce battle when a few of Carlo¡¯s men, having contacted Paxton, rushed over. ¡°Paxton says to hand the people over to Ronin,¡± one of Carlo¡¯s men announced. Carlo, taken aback, looked at his men in disbelief. Even though he was reluctant, he ultimately yielded to Paxton¡¯s authority, allowing his men to hand the four individuals over to Ronin. When Ronin attempted to provoke further, Withal restrained him and cautioned in a low voice, ¡°Take the win. Ronin relented and gestured towards Carlo, a gesture of cooperation. Despite Carlo¡¯s initial reluctance, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to hold a grudge, considering their prior rtionship. ¡°Teach these four bastards a lesson,¡± Carlo reminded. Ronin rolled his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me what to do.¡± The next day, four notorious international criminals voluntarily surrendered themselves at the police station, each looking worse than the other. They scrambled to enter the station as if their lives depended on it. Not far away, there was a dark green SUV. Ronin sat in the front passenger seat, expressionless as he watched the four men enter the police station. ¡± Let¡¯s go,¡± he said, and Withal stepped on the gas.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Ronin and Withal were nning to return to their base for rest, but Withal mentioned that he was hungry. ¡°Ronin, I¡¯ve been helping you for a day, you should treat me to a meal,¡± he said. Ronin said generously, ¡°Order whatever you want.¡± With a triumphant smile, Withal drove to a high-end restaurant in Loxton. Ronin, despite being quite wealthy, usually didn¡¯t like to spend money, so Withal decided to do him a ¡°favor.¡± Withal called the restaurant manager, secured the best table, and ordered a variety of dishes. Just as he put down the menu, he noticed a familiar figure sitting not far away. He even wondered if he was seeing things. Sensing Withal¡¯s unease, Ronin teased, ¡°Do you feel guilty for making me spend too much?¡± His words brought Withal back to reality, and Withal awkwardly prepared to change the subject. Noticing that Withal had been staring behind him, Ronin tried to turn around. Withal eximed, ¡°Ronin, here¡¯s the menu. You should order some dishes as well.¡± Despite Withal¡¯s attempt to stop him, Ronin insisted on looking back. Knowing his efforts were in vain, Withal immediately sat next to him and firmly held him back, saying, ¡°Ronin, calm down. It might be a misunderstanding.¡± Chapter 940 Chapter 940 Who Wouldn¡¯t Like Me? Ronin shook off Withal¡¯s hand and was about to rush forward. Not far ahead, a man was chatting with a woman. Ronin didn¡¯t recognize the woman, but even with just a glimpse of the man¡¯s profile, he could tell it was Branden! Catherine was working hard in theboratory, and here was Branden flirting with a woman. Ronin couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. Withal held on tightly, not daring to loosen his grip. Branden wasn¡¯t just anyone. If Ronin charged forward, it could lead to trouble. He had to stop Ronin. ¡°Ronin, don¡¯t be impulsive. What if it¡¯s a misunderstanding? Do you want Catherine to clean up the mess for you? She¡¯s been busytely. Plus, you know how much Branden loves Catherine, right?¡± Thest sentence gradually calmed Ronin down. If Branden hadn¡¯t treated Catherine well, Ronin would have confronted him right now. In his eyes, any man who had feelings for Catherine was bad. But if Branden had truly been faithful, that would be a different story. Frowning, Ronin looked at Withal. ¡°So, what do you suggest?¡± Withal picked up Ronin¡¯s phone from the table and took a few pictures of Branden and the woman. ¡°You take these photos to Catherine, and I¡¯ll investigate the woman privately. Catherine needs to handle this herself, unless you think she can¡¯t handle such a small matter.¡± ¡°Of course she can handle that,¡± Ronin said without hesitation. ¡°Yeah, Catherine is much more capable than us. She¡¯ll sort it out. Besides, if Branden is really cheating, who do you think will be the first to hold him ountable?¡± Withal smiled mysteriously at Ronin. If Branden had truly crossed the line, the Duncans might not get off lightly. Ronin nodded in agreement and said, ¡± You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll leave this to you and go find Catherine.¡± He got up and left immediately. Withal wanted to call after him to pay the bill but hesitated and ended up watching Ronin slip away. When Catherine received Ronin¡¯s message, she was still in theboratory. Seeing him urgently calling out to her, she stopped her work and approached him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org On the way there, Ronin had thought of various exnations, but when he saw Catherine, he hesitated. Despite having cursed Branden in his heart countless times, now he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Catherine noticed his hesitation and found it amusing. ¡°What¡¯s troubling you? Tell me, and I¡¯ll help you analyze. it.¡± Ronin hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Catherine, try not to get too upset when you find out.¡± Catherine, with her arms crossed, looked at him intently. Ronin slowly took out his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. Catherine casually took it and, upon seeing the photos, she narrowed her eyes. ¡°Did you take these?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ronin exined the situation to Catherine. ¡°Withal is investigating the woman. We should have news soon.¡± Catherine nodded calmly and returned the phone to Ronin. ¡°Let me know when there¡¯s an update,¡± she said before leaving abruptly, leaving Ronin bewildered. ¡°What does Catherine mean by this?¡± he wondered. After returning to theboratory, Catherine intended to continue working. However, she couldn¡¯t get the image out of her head. Expressions could be faked, but the eyes never lied. She had always thought that Branden would maintain a cold attitude towards everyone except her, because she was unique. However, she was mistaken. In the photo, Branden¡¯s gaze, though calm,cked his usual indifference. ¡°Catherine, Catherine¡­¡± Marshall called her twice, but she didn¡¯t respond until he approached and tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Professor Hartley, what brings you here?¡± she asked. ¡°I called you twice. Didn¡¯t you hear me? ¡°Marshall frowned, feeling somewhat concerned. Catherine, who was usually alert, hadn¡¯t even noticed him approaching. Catherine shrugged. ¡°I was thinking about something just now and didn¡¯t notice. Do you need something?¡± ¡°No, I was just passing by and happened to see you lost in thought,¡± Marshall replied. ¡°You¡¯re too focused on your work. While the projects are important, so is your well-being. You need to take care of yourself.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t really catch what Marshall said; her mind was preupied with something else. She turned to Marshall and asked, ¡± Professor Hartley, can I take a leave?¡± Upon hearing her request, Marshall felt quite happy. ¡°Of course, take today off, and tomorrow too. Just make sure you get some rest!¡± ¡°Thank you, Professor Hartley!¡± Catherine said, then packed up and left. Watching her depart, Marshall felt quite relieved. ¡°She¡¯s finallying around and knows she needs a rest.¡± He often got so absorbed in his experiments that he neglected sleep and food, earning him a scolding from his wife. But Catherine¡¯s dedication made him feel inadequate. She was a born scientist. After leaving theboratory, Catherine went back to her apartment. As she arrived at the building, she ran into Thomas. ¡°I thought you¡¯d still be in theb at this time,¡± he said. ¡°I felt a bit tired, so I came back to rest, ¡°Catherine replied casually. Thomas felt sorry seeing her like this; he treated Catherine as his granddaughter. ¡°You should go back and rest soon. Resting more will benefit you.¡± ¡°Mr. Theo, where are you heading?¡± Catherine asked, noticing his casual attire, indicating he was about to go out. ¡°I¡¯m going to y chess with Aaron and grab a meal,¡± Thomas replied. Catherine always thought highly of Aaron¡¯s cooking. Feeling a bit bored at the thought of going home alone, she decided to go with Thomas. She didn¡¯t have a special reason for taking leave; she was just feeling bothered and didn¡¯t feel like working. When Thomas heard that she wanted to go, he readily agreed. ¡°That¡¯s great, Aaron also likes you,¡± he said. Catherine joked, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t like me?¡± Thomas chuckled at her remark. ¡± Don¡¯t be too confident, girl!¡± Chapter 941 Chapter 941 We Are Friends Catherine followed Thomas to Aaron¡¯s courtyard, where they found Aaron and Rn ying chess. Thomas recognized Rn and nced at Catherine. ¡°What is he doing here?¡± Catherine casually replied, ¡°He¡¯s the ungrateful grandson Aaron mentioned. Thomas frowned, surprised by this unexpected connection. Upon hearing Catherine¡¯s words, Aaronughed. ¡°Miss Swann is right; this is my ungrateful grandson.¡± He then urged Rn to give up his seat to Thomas. ¡°Please have a seat, Mr. Theo,¡± said Rn as he stood up. Thomas sat down and nced at Catherine, who said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a stroll. Aaron¡¯s courtyard is lovely.¡± The courtyard, meticulously tended for generations, exuded charm in every detail, which Catherine appreciated. ¡°Do you like this courtyard?¡± A deep, gentle voice came from behind her, quite pleasant. Catherine turned to Rn. ¡°It feels veryfortable to be here,¡± she replied.¡± Rn agreed, ¡°I like it too.¡± As Catherine quietly strolled and admired the scenery, Rn stood nearby, silently watching her. After a while, Catherine grew tired and sat down. A servant brought her a cup of coffee and some snacks. The fragrant coffee and delightful snacks provided a pleasant break. ¡°Care to join me for a cup of coffee?¡± she asked. Catherine¡¯s invitation caught Rn off guard. A faint smile graced his face as he took a seat opposite her. Catherine raised an eyebrow, asking, ¡± Why do you look so surprised?¡± Rn honestly admitted, ¡°I thought you¡¯d despise me. I didn¡¯t expect you to invite me for coffee.¡± Catherine chuckled. ¡°We are friends, and you haven¡¯t done anything wrong. Why should I despise you?¡± Her simple words left Rn speechless. It was only after a long while that Rn finally broke the silence. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m perfectly fine,¡± she replied. Rn¡¯s voice was barely audible as he murmured, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Catherine didn¡¯t respond, quietly enjoying her coffee and the beautiful scenery. Later, while having dinner with Thomas, Catherine received a call from Withal. ¡°Catherine, Ronin has filled you in, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Catherine replied calmly, showing no change in expression. ¡°Any updates?¡± Withal replied, ¡°Yes, I found something. Do you want to take a look? Catherine then ordered him to email the information and promptly ended the call.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Thomas, noticing the abrupt ending of the call, remarked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you n to rest for half a day? Now you¡¯re back to work?¡± Catherine nodded, remaining silent. Thomasined to Aaron, ¡°Young people don¡¯t take care of themselves. I told her to rest for half a day, but here she is, thinking about work again!¡± Aaron¡¯s eyes darkened as he sighed. It¡¯s true. They never take care of themselves.¡± Rn¡¯s eyes darkened at these words. Chapter 942 Chapter 942 Find Something Amusing? When Branden arrived, Rn had just left. Hearing footsteps behind her, Catherine turned to see Branden walking towards her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked. His cold eyes softened. ¡°I wanted to take you to dinner. I Heard you and Mr. Theo were here, so I came to take you back,¡± he exined. Catherine, unfazed by his knowledge of their whereabouts, asked if he had eaten. After confirming, they left with Thomas. During the car ride, Thomas noticed Catherine¡¯sck of intention to rest and chatted with her. ¡°Are you taking the day off tomorrow?¡± he asked. Catherine jokingly replied, ¡°Are you nning to make me y chess with you?¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, that would be great. You¡¯re always cooped up in theb, so it would do you good toe here and get some fresh air,¡± Thomas said. Catherine, unable to refuse, agreed to- consider it. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll see how it goes tomorrow,¡± she said, ncing at Branden, who appeared quite content. ¡°Find something amusing?¡± she asked, her eyes narrowing. Branden quickly raised his hands in surrender. ¡°I wasn¡¯tughing at you. I was just happy,¡± he rified. Catherine gave him a look. ¡°So, what¡¯s got you so happy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy that you followed Mr. Theo¡¯s advice. I¡¯ve advised you countless times to rest more and not spend all your time in theb, but you never listened,¡± he said. ¡°Mr. Theo just casually mentioned it, and you agreed to consider it. Though I feel a little envious, I¡¯m quite happy.¡± After saying this, he looked at her with a smug expression. Catherine smiled, surprised that Branden could be so delighted over such a small matter. ¡°Mr. Theo, if you¡¯re not busy, stay in Loxton a little longer. We need you here!¡± Branden said. Thomas saw through his intentions and readily agreed to stay longer. ¡± Well, I¡¯ll stay longer, if you don¡¯t mind. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Branden quickly responded, fearing Thomas might change his mind. Having a skilled doctor like Thomas to care for Catherine was invaluable, and he was determined to make Thomas stay longer to look after her. Upon returning to the apartment, Catherine headed straight to the bathroom. Exhausted, she just wanted to freshen up and rest. After a quick tidy, she emerged from the bathroom.. Unintentionally, her exceptional hearing allowed her to hear the conversation in the study from the hallway. ¡°Don¡¯t call me again. I can only get you so far.¡± Branden¡¯s usually decisive and cold tone now carried a hint of helplessness. He was known for his confidence in the business world, so who could make him speak in such a manner? Chapter 943 Chapter 943 She¡¯s Quite Impressive Branden hung up the phone and stepped out of the study, only to find Catherine standing nkly in front of the bathroom, with water droplets still clinging to her hair. Without her usual aloofness, she exuded a touch of homey charm. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call for me earlier?¡± His voice brought Catherine back from her reverie. She turned with a vacant look, a hint of impatience in her expression and tone. ¡°I just came out!¡± she said. Her cold demeanor didn¡¯t faze Branden. After spending so much time together, he could read her expressions well. He knew she was tired and a bit impatient. Grabbing a towel, Branden lifted Catherine and carried her to the bedroom with steady steps. Gently cing her on the bed, he used the towel as a cushion behind her head.¡± Take a rest. I¡¯ll blow-dry your hair,¡± he offered. Catherine was truly exhausted, and Branden¡¯s caring behavior wasn¡¯t anything new. She epted it without a second thought. Her hair wasn¡¯t very long, so within less than ten minutes, it waspletely dry. Branden skillfully dispensed two pumps of serum, warmed it in his palms, and evenly applied it to Catherine¡¯s hair. After finishing all this, Branden tidied himself before lying next to Catherine, keeping herpany as she rested. His hand rested on her t stomach. Her years of exercise gave her a rare set of abs for a girl. Beneath her t stomach, however, a new life was taking shape. He gently caressed her belly, afraid of identally hurting her. The lonely and unbearable night became so beautiful with Catherine by his side. When Catherine woke up, Branden was nowhere to be found in the room. Only a table full of breakfast greeted her, with a wide variety of small portions, perfectly catering to her appetite. She sat down, enjoying the lovely morning and the meal. Soon, her phone rang. It was Withal calling. She swiped to answer and put it on speaker, toozy to lift the phone. ¡°Hey, Catherine, did you forget to check the message I sent you?¡± Catherine had indeed forgotten, and if it weren¡¯t for Withal¡¯s reminder, she wouldn¡¯t have remembered at all. ¡°I¡¯ll check it now,¡± she replied. Withal was surprised by Catherine¡¯s recent forgetfulness but didn¡¯t say much, agreeing to call back in a few minutes. Catherine opened her email and found the message from Withal. It was quite detailed, but luckily, she was a fast reader. In just a few minutes, she went through the ten or so pages of the document. After finishing her oatmeal, she casually called Withal back. As soon as the call connected, she heard Withal¡¯s voice on the other end. ¡°Catherine, did you go through the documents?¡± Catherine nodded slightly. ¡°She¡¯s quite impressive.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Withal was shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected Catherine to make such ament. ¡°Catherine, are you sure you read the documents I sent?¡± ¡°I did, and she¡¯s indeed impressive. Did I say something wrong?¡± The girl¡¯s name was Selene Miller, just returned from Alton afterpleting her doctorate in artificial intelligence. Her father used to be the driver for the Duncans, specifically responsible for Branden¡¯s travel. ¡°In that case, she could be considered Branden¡¯s childhood sweetheart,¡± shemented. Even though Selene was just a servant, she grew up alongside Branden. Regardless of her social status, she could be seen as his childhood sweetheart. Withal was speechless. He wondered whether it was a blessing or a curse for Branden to have a girlfriend like Catherine who didn¡¯t seem to get jealous. If his beloved woman had reacted so calmly to such a situation, he might have had to seriously consider whether she truly loved him. ¡°Should I keep an eye on her, Catherine?¡± Withal inquired. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± Catherine said coldly. She didn¡¯t like to fret over uncertainties. If this woman really had something going on with Branden, she could easily find another man. Finishing her breakfast, Catherine headed to theboratory. Even though Marshall had told her not to go to theboratory yesterday, she had nothing else to do at home, so she might as well get some work done there. To Catherine¡¯s surprise, Selene came to her. ¡°Are you Catherine?¡± Selene asked, her pretty eyes scanning Catherine from. head to toe, taking in her appearance.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Selene was indeed a beautiful girl, but not quite as arrogant as Catherine had imagined. Instead, she exuded a cold aura. Catherine gave her a cold look and said in a detached tone, ¡°What do you want? Selene smiled faintly. ¡°Nothing much. I just heard about a talented student named Catherine at Styre University and wanted to meet her.¡± She reached out her hand, smiling brightly, but there was a hint of disdain in her eyes, revealing her true feelings despite her outward appearance. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Selene Miller, a Ph.D. in artificial technology and biology from Avon University. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you!¡± Avon University was one of the world¡¯s. most renowned universities. The students who graduated from there were among the best and brightest, especially a double major Ph.D., a level of achievement reached by only a few geniuses. Every time Selene mentioned her qualifications, she would receive countless admiring and envious looks. She had heard about Catherine¡¯s impressive abilities, and she believed in her own capabilities as well. Her credentials were the best proof of that. However, she was disappointed this time. She didn¡¯t see any change in Catherine¡¯s expression as if Catherine hadn¡¯t heard her words at all, which was so frustrating. ¡°Miss Swann, it seems you¡¯re not interested in me,¡± Selene remarked. ¡°Hmph.¡± Catherine sneered. ¡°Do I know you? Why should I be interested in you?¡± This response immediately darkened Selene¡¯s expression, but she didn¡¯t show it, maintaining her inner pride. ¡± In that case, I won¡¯t disturb you, Miss Swann,¡± Selene said, turning to walk away. However, as she took a few steps, she heard Catherine¡¯s voice behind her. ¡°Since you¡¯re from Avon University¡¯s biology department, you should know Professor Bieber, right?¡± Selene stopped in her tracks, turning to look at Catherine with a smug expression. ¡°Professor Bieber is one of my mentors. Did you want to meet him, Miss Swann?¡± Chapter 944 Chapter 944 Are You Kidding?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Selene had initially assumed that Catherine was like everyone else, seeking to use her connections to meet renowned professors. However, Catherine¡¯s next words made her wish she could disappear. ¡°Not really. Six months ago, Professor Bieber emailed me, inviting me to be a visiting professor at Avon University. I was busy at the time and declined. Since you are Professor Bieber¡¯s student, I thought you could pass on my regards.¡± Selene¡¯s expression froze. She believed Catherine wasn¡¯t lying. If Catherine was indeed lying about knowing Professor Bieber, it would easily be exposed and embarrassing. Catherine¡¯s confident statement indicated she truly. knew Professor Bieber and had been invited to be a visiting professor. Selene, proud of her achievements as a Ph.D. graduate from Avon University, was surprised by Catherine¡¯s greater aplishments. ¡°I have to go,¡± Catherine said, turning away. Selene watched her leave, filled with jealousy. It seemed that Catherine not- only had Branden¡¯s love but also excelled in such a remarkable way, which was unfair. Meanwhile, Finn, tasked with the threat from Ronin, approached ck Robe. ¡°Boss, Zobber wishes to see you.¡± ¡°Let here,¡± came the cold response. Finn promptly carried out ck Robe¡¯s order. Soon, Zobber received word and was brought before ck Robe. They stood at a distance, with Finn blocking Zobber from approaching. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Zobber snorted. ¡°What a coward. I came alone, yet you don¡¯t even dare to face me!¡± Her boldness irritated Finn, who stood nearby, his brows furrowed. ck Robe, however, remained unfazed. Zobber had always been arrogant. If she were too submissive, he¡¯d doubt if she were truly Zobber. ¡°Miss Zobber, maintaining distance is a sign of mutual respect. If you truly wish to approach me, feel free toe and see my face!¡± ck Robe said. Despite the seemingly calm tone, there was a strong warning in her words. Zobber could sense it. If she truly saw his face, she might not make it out of that door today. She pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just chat with you here.¡± ¡°Humph.¡± ck Robe chuckled, the pleasant sound echoing in the empty room, seemingly mocking Zobber¡¯s timidity, making her ufortable. If not for her ongoing mission, she would have given him a good p to show her strength. ¡°Quit the theatrics and state your terms!¡± Zobber huffed. ¡°Miss Zobber, I never expected you to betray Catherine.¡± Zobber remainedposed, her cold eyes carrying a mocking smile as she looked upward. ¡°This is a world where self-interest reigns supreme. You¡¯ve done so much. But what is it for? Let¡¯s be honest. It¡¯s all about money. You don¡¯tck money, yet you¡¯re still struggling. Since we¡¯re the same, why do you have to mock me?¡± ck Robe apuded and praised, Well said. We both prioritize self- interest. With aligned goals, everything else can be negotiated.¡± ¡°Enough talk, state your purpose!¡± Zobber was growing impatient. She despised the man¡¯s fussiness. Seeing Zobber so straightforward, ck Robe didn¡¯t hide his intentions.¡± I¡¯ll give you what you want, as long as you can get what I want.¡± ¡°What do you want? Catherine¡¯s life?¡± Zobber boldly guessed, considering it the most likely possibility. However, ck Robe shook his head and denied her guess. ¡°You¡¯re right about the killing, but the target isn¡¯t Catherine.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± Zobber pressed on. ck Robe slowly uttered a name. ¡± Branden Duncan.¡± Hearing this name, Zobber widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Branden? Don¡¯t you know who he is?¡± ck Robe chuckled, his masked face showing only his teeth, giving off a chilling vibe. ¡°You even betrayed Catherine, didn¡¯t you? So what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Zobber sneered. She was brave, but not foolish. ¡°I love money, but I don¡¯t want to get myself killed. Branden is the head of the Duncans. Apart from his terrifying abilities, just his guards could easily take me down. I can¡¯t help you. You¡¯d better find someone else,¡± she said, standing up to leave. As she took a step, however, Finn stepped forward, blocking her path. Zobber raised her eyes, her icy gaze piercing Finn¡¯s body. ¡°What? Do you wanna fight me?¡± Finn, looking coldly at her, said, ¡°Boss hasn¡¯t allowed you to leave!¡± Zobber knew she had no chance of winning if she fought here. She returned to her seat and sat down quietly. Once she sat down, ck Robe said in a rxed manner, ¡°Others might not be able to handle this, but you can! As Catherine¡¯s close friend, you can easily kill Branden without anyone noticing.¡± Zobber felt a wave of disdain. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it himself?¡± sheined inwardly. ¡°No way. I would never agree to such a risky thing,¡± she stated firmly. ck Robe smirked mysteriously. ¡± Don¡¯t be hasty. After hearing my terms, you¡¯ll agree.¡± ¡°What terms?¡± Zobber inquired. ¡°Half of the Duncan Corporation. How about that?¡± ck Robe said calmly. Seeing Zobber¡¯s shocked reaction, he felt a sense of satisfaction. ¡°Is this generous enough?¡± Zobber looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just kidding me?¡± Chapter 945 Chapter 945 Attitude After Zobber came back from ck Robe, she told Withal the news she had learned. Seeing the two of them wide-eyed in shock, Zobber felt somewhat satisfied inside; at least, it showed that this matter did sound shocking, and not just her was shocked. ¡°What do you think? Don¡¯t you guys think it¡¯s unbelievable too? When I heard it, I even doubted my ears.¡± Ronin looked up dazedly at Zobber, asking, ¡°Did you agree to it?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Zobber rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I said it¡¯s a big deal. I need to go back and think about it. That ck robe man gave me a day to consider.¡± Ronin nodded dumbly, thinking, ¡®Not too bad; at least Zobber didn¡¯t immediately agree; we can still think of a solution.¡¯ Seeing that Withal kept quiet the whole time, Zobber nudged him with her elbow. ¡°Are you crazy or what?¡± That was quite a strong hit. It hurt so. much that Withal was about to lose his temper. He red up at Zobber angrily. ¡°Are you still ady? My ribs are almost broken from that hit!¡± Zobber disdainfully snorted. ¡°If it were Catherine, your ribs would have been broken already. Do you still think Catherine is ady?¡± Faced with Zobber¡¯s unreasonable persistence and twisting of words, Withal decided to give up. ¡®Since I can¡¯t win over her, I¡¯ll just quit!¡¯ Zobber once again had to force Withal to speak. ¡°Hurry up and tell me what you think. Don¡¯t tell me you have nothing to say, or else I¡¯ll beat you up!¡± Feeling so angry that Withal wanted to strangle her, wondering, ¡®Howe staying silent makes me appear guilty?¡¯ ¡°Alright, I¡¯m just thinking,¡± he replied. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Zobber prodded. ¡°I am thinking about what position ck Robe will be ced within the Duncan Corporation to sessfully capture thepany after the loss of Branden.¡± Withal¡¯s words got everyone present deep in thought. The Duncan Corporation had been under the rule of Branden for so many years. That dude was super capable. The whole Duncan Corporation was constantly reaching new heights under his control. He was not only good at doing business but also very good at reading people. Everyone under hismand was loyal to him, devoted to him. If Branden really got into trouble, the Duncan Corporation wouldn¡¯t be changing hands quickly and definitely. wouldn¡¯t be going under anytime soon. But ck Robe said it so confidently. There must be some trickery going on here. ¡°Could it be like the general manager of the Duncan Corporation?¡± Zobber guessed boldly.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Withal shook his head, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that easy!¡± Zobber agreed with what he said. ¡± Should we spill the tea to Branden? If he knows, he might be able to check it out real quick.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Ronin immediately shot down Zobber¡¯s suggestion. ck Robe¡¯s guys were definitely keeping a close eye on them now. Any little movement would be reported right away. The enemies were hiding in the shadows while they were out in the open. If Branden got caught investigating the situation from the inside, then they would all be in trouble. All their ns would go to waste after all this time. ¡°What should we do?¡± Zobber was feeling a bit annoyed, saying inwardly, ¡® This won¡¯t work, that won¡¯t work. Might as well just tell me to surrender.¡¯ Knowing her personality, Withal took the initiative tofort her. ¡°Just do whatever you want to do now. If you really betray Catherine, then just do what you think is right. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. Leave it all to us.¡± Only by doing this could they be convincing enough to deceive ck Robe. Zobber couldn¡¯t think of any other good way for now, so she could just agree with Withal¡¯s suggestion. ¡± Alright, let¡¯s just go with this for now!¡±. Catherine came out of theb after getting Marshall¡¯s message. ¡°Professor Hartley, you looking for me?¡± Marshall was grinning as he looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll introduce you to a beauty! From now on, Miss Selene will be responsible for coordinating all sponsorship funds from Melton Group with us.¡± Catherine paused for a moment, then smiled gently. Selene was standing on the side with a slight smile on her face, but her eyes were ice-cold. ¡°Miss Swann, I just returned from abroad and just joined Melton Group. I¡¯m still learning a lot of things, so if I make any mistakes in the future, please excuse me.¡± Catherine looked at her with a deadpan expression, no emotions whatsoever, and her voice was ice cold. ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, put in a little more effort. Don¡¯t let it hold up your work. Otherwise, it won¡¯t work no matter who talks!¡± Catherine¡¯s tant attitude left Selene frozen in ce, her face bing incredibly unpleasant. She was humiliated in front of everyone. How could she stand it? Selene put on a forced smile and asked, ¡°Miss Swann, do you have a problem with me? Is that why you¡¯re targeting me like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going in if you don¡¯t mind.¡± With that, Catherine was ready to leave. Selene just couldn¡¯t stand this disrespectful attitude. She red at Catherine¡¯s back and shouted, ¡°Stop right there, Miss Swann! Do you not care that your attitude could affect the wholeboratory because you¡¯re deliberately targeting me? Are you not bothered at all that you will ruin Styre University¡¯s reputation?¡± ¡®This woman is too arrogant. She needs to be taught a lesson,¡¯ said Selene inwardly. Catherine stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at Selene. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m targeting you?¡± ¡°Are you not?¡± Selene was so mad, thinking Catherine must know that she knew Branden and got jealous. ¡®This woman is so two-faced, scary and jealous.¡¯ Catherine sneered twice, then looked around at everyone. ¡°What do you think?¡± Selene had no idea what Catherine meant. She just felt that Catherine was too arrogant. With so many people around, Catherine still dared to show off so openly. But what surprised her was, after Catherine asked, Marshall actually took the initiative to speak up. ¡°Miss Miller, you¡¯ve misunderstood. That¡¯s just who Catherine was. As a researcher, her mind is full of scientific experiments. She doesn¡¯t have any other intentions, especially not targeting you!¡± After Marshall finished speaking, Ultan held his head, feeling speechless. ¡°Last time Mr. Melton visited, the treatment he received was even worse. Miss Miller, you should consider yourself lucky with the treatment you¡¯re getting!¡± added Marshall. The underlying meaning was, ¡°Even. your boss would get scolded here; why are you making a scene here?¡± Selene was shocked; her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked around. ¡®Are these people all crazy or what? Why are they all so protective of Catherine?¡¯ Catherine couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to her. She just told Marshall, ¡± Professor, I¡¯m heading to theb!¡± Marshall waved his hand, motioning for her to leave and leave it to him. Selene was still not convinced. She had never seen sponsors treated so badly before, and she looked at Styre University President Ultan with surprise. ¡°Is this really the style of Styre University?¡± Ultan had a big smile on his face, but the wordsing out of his mouth were as tough as nails. ¡°Miss Miller, if you think there¡¯s a problem, go back and figure it out beforeing back!¡± ¡®Is he asking me to leave? And I¡¯m the one at fault?¡¯ Selene couldn¡¯t understand, feeling angry inside, but everyone was on Catherine¡¯s side. She had no choice but to leave in frustration. Chapter 946 ?Chapter 946 The President''s Fiancee Selene stormed back to thepany, and the first thing she did was find Rn and demand that he withdraw the investment in theb. Catherine was so arrogant that she needed to be taught a lesson. But all she got was a round of mockery from Rn. She gave Rn a puzzled look, asking, "What''s with thatugh? Are you also nning to stand for Catherine?" "Stand for Catherine? Rn raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "Do you know that Duncan Corporation is waiting for us to withdraw our investment? Guess how much we paid to qualify for this sponsorship? Do you really think that Catherine''sb is begging for sponsorship? As long as we withdraw our funding, even if the Duncan Corporation doesn''t step in, there will be plenty of bigpanies waiting to throw money at them to sponsor theirb!" Rare things were precious. Marshall''sb was not only a symbol of Styre University but also a hotmodity in many people''s eyes. So many people were lining up with money in hand. ''Selene asked me to withdraw sponsorship. Isn''t it a joke?'' thought Rn. Selene looked at Rn with confusion, finding it hard to understand what he was saying. When she was overseas, even the topboratories had to pull out all the stops to please the sponsors. She never encountered someone as arrogant and overbearing as Catherine. Seeing her look of disbelief, Rn sneered disdainfully and said, "I suggest you take the time to get to know exactly what kind of person Catherine is. Once you understand how formidable she is, you''ll realize that everything makes perfect sense." Rn was already the third person today who called her to understand the situation. Selene couldn''t believe that she had just encountered such a big humiliation by starting her job.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org She red at Rn dissatisfiedly and asked sternly, "Is being arrogant and overbearing considered reasonable?" Failing to convince her, Rn couldn''t be bothered to talk to her more. "Do your job, don''t forget the goal that your boss set for you. Alright, now get out of here!" Having never been treated like this before, Selene was so angry that she felt like her lungs were about to explode. She left Rn''s office in a bad mood, feeling more and more hatred toward Catherine. She used just to hate this woman, thinking she didn''t deserve to stand by Branden''s side. But now, it was pretty clear that hating her was a must. She had never experienced such humiliation in her career. It was all because of Catherine. She must get that revenge back. Selene was getting more and more pissed off as she thought about it. She hadpletely lost interest in dealing with work now and was ready to kick off her revenge n. She walked back to the office, grabbed her small purse, and left thepany. Half an hourter, Selene showed up outside the Duncan Corporation building. She passed the business card to the receptionist but was told by the receptionist that she couldn''t meet their president without an appointment. Selene looked at the receptionist expressionlessly and said, "Then tell Paxton that I care! Her arrogant attitude made the front deskdy feel that she was not to be neglected, and she immediately made a phone call. When Paxton received the news, he happened to run into Brandening out of the meeting room, so he reported the situation to him. Branden had a deadpan expression and spoke without any emotion. "Sent her in." "Yes, sir!" replied Paxton. A few minutester, the front desk got a message. The front deskdy immediately said to Selene respectfully, "Miss Miller, the president asked you to go up. Please follow me!" As Selene walked away, a few people at the front desk started whispering to each other. This is the first time a woman has seen our president without an appointment." "No, besides the president''s fiancee, she is the first one." "Is this the president''s new girlfriend or what?" Selene had pretty good listening. She wasn''t walking particrly fast and caught every word of the conversation going on. A confident smile escaped her face. They were right. She was gonna be the new Mrs. Duncan real soon. She had the confidence and the ability. There was a knock on the office door. Branden didn''t even bother to lift his head before calling out. After receiving the message, Paxton pushed open the door to invite Selene in. "Miss Miller,e in, please!" Selene gave a polite smile and elegantly walked through the door. Branden was still working; he didn''t stop just because there were guests there. They said a man who was focused was the most charming, and I totally agree with that," said Selene. Branden was attracted by the soft voice, and he looked up at her. His cold gaze showed no extra emotions. "Do you need something?" Wanna grab a meal together?" Selene tentatively asked and noticed a slight change in Branden''s expression. She immediately stopped smiling and changed the subject. "Just kidding. I know workes first for you. I''m here to discuss business with you don''t get me wrong! After hearing the exnation, Branden''s expression improved a bit. They finally got down to business and had a long discussion. After the work discussion ended, Selene smoothly suggested that she and Branden grab dinner together. This was just standard procedure, nothing out of the ordinary. Normally, no one would refuse. But Branden didn''t let her have her way, refusing tly, "No, it''s a good time to go back and make dinner now." After listening, Selene was so scared that her mouth was wide open. "You cooking dinner? Branden, are you sure you''re not just joking around with me?" She was starting to doubt if she was hearing things. Branden looked at her with a serious face. "You know I''m not the kind of person who likes to joke around. "Can''t find a chef that suits your taste? Do you want..." Selene knew how picky Branden was, and she was thinking about introducing him to a suitable chef. But before she could finish speaking, Branden just debunked her guess. "My fianc¨¦e''s stomach isn''t good; the food I cook is better for her." Selene''s smile froze on her face as soon as she heard the casual tone. She had never seen such a gentle look in Branden''s eyes. But when he mentioned his fianc¨¦e just now, the look in his eyes was so rare and gentle. Selene was pissed off and madly jealous. ''Why does everyone treat Catherine so well? For what?'' Despite feeling a lot of dissatisfaction inside, Selene still managed to keep it in and didn''t show it on her face. "Since that''s the case, I won''t bother you then. Let''s hang out next time when you''re free!" Coming out of the office, Selene still couldn''t calm down her anger. She was supposed to leave directly, but she didn''t. Instead, she turned around and found Paxton. "I didn''t drive today, and it''s hard to catch a cab to where I need to go. Can you arrange for a ride for me?" Anyway, Selene was the representative of the business partner. The requests she made were within a reasonable range, so Paxton had no reason to refuse. "Of course, Miss Miller, please hold on a sec!" Looking at the back of Paxton as he turned around to make a phone call, a victorious smile appeared on Selene''s face. Chapter 947 ?Chapter 947 Trending Catherine came out of theb after finishing work, feeling like everyone around was giving her weird looks. It seemed like all of her senior brothers and sisters were intentionally avoiding her, even though they didn''t interact with her much. But when they saw her, their looks were not like that. It was like they were purposely hiding something from her. Every time she looked over, they quickly averted their eyes, too scared to make eye contact with her. They didn''t want to talk, and Catherine didn''t really care either. She just walked to the office with a cold expression. When she passed by Marshall''s office, she happened to make eye contact with him. As soon as Marshall saw her, he quickly covered his phone on the desk. The most important thing was Marshall''s look at her, which had a hint of guilt for no reason. So, instead of going straight to her own office like she nned, she turned around and walked into Marshalls office. "Professor, what are you so focused on? What are you looking at so seriously?" Marshall was holding his phone, smiling awkwardly. "Nothing. Just some news, not your cup of tea. Finished with work?" This whole changing the subject tactic was some. He couldn''t just pull a fast one on Catherine like that. "Oh really? What''s thetest political news? Share it with me, too; I''m also interested in learning a thing or two," said Catherine. Although Marshall was a professor and Catherine''s mentor, he listened to Catherine. Catherine insisted on looking. Although he didn''t want to, Marshall still handed over the phone without even daring to hesitate too much. "You asked to look. So, don''t smash my phone after looking!" After reading it, Catherine finally understood why Marshall told her not to smash his phone. The headline in this gossip news was really infuriating and disgusting. "Billionaire president finds new love, new girlfriend steps into the scene, will the dream of being a high-ss wife soon shatter? "The assistant of the president personally picking up the new girlfriend. The position of Mrs. Duncan is about to change hands!" The headlines were getting more and more explosive, and the audience below was just watching the drama unfold. In just a few hours, the post reached over a hundred million views, with tens of thousands ofments below.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Not only did the gossip media report this, but even the financial newspapers joined in the fun. With the protagonist of the news being so well-known, theizens instantly became excited, and the top three trends were all upied by the relevant news. Catherine clicked on the news, checking out the content inside. There were some pictures that looked like they were taken in the basement of the Duncan Corporation building. The woman''s face wasn''t captured. Only her back view was captured. Catherine immediately recognized who she was. The journalist also got a side shot of Paxton, who was one of the spokespersons for the Duncan Corporation. Basically, when he spoke out, it represented what the big boss, Branden, wanted. He was the special assistant to the president of the Duncan Corporation. Then, there was a special car for the president of the Duncan Corporation. With just a few vague photos, the media reporters could make up a whole bunch of stories. Now, everyone on the inte was digging into the background of this new girlfriend of the newly crowned billionaire president, wondering who this lucky girl was. After reading them coldly, Catherine casually ced the cell phone on Marshall''s desk and smirked at him. "Don''t worry, Professor. There''s just a little bit of pocket money in your pocket. It''s not even enough to buy a new phone if it''s broken. I''m not that careless. Here you go! Marshall took it with a big grin and was about to let out a sigh of relief when he heard Catherine''s icy, sarcastic voiceing from above. "Professor, this gossip news usually hurts your brain; you better not read them too much. If you read too much, I''m worried it will affect your intelligence." After Catherine finished speaking, she just walked out of Marshall''s office and headed straight to her own office. It took a while for Marshall to know that Catherine had scolded him in a roundabout way, which made himugh angrily. Only this girl dared to treat him like this. If it were someone else, they would have been dragged over for a beating. As soon as Catherine sat down in the office, she received a call from Ronin. The moment she picked up the phone, she took the initiative to speak without waiting for the other person. I saw the news. I''m still in theb!" Ronin was full of anger but suddenly became speechless and couldn''t even say a word. After holding it in for a long time, he finally spoke up shamefully and asked, "Catherine, how about we find someone to beat up Branden, and then we go grab that woman and throw her to the sharks in the Patrific Ocean, okay? Originally feeling a bit irritated, Catherine couldn''t help but burst outughing after hearing that. "Ronin,e on. It''s a civilized society now. Plus, are you sure you can give him a good beat down?'' asked Catherine. After thinking about it carefully, Ronin silently gave up on the idea. He really couldn''t be sure. Hisbat power was not even half of Catherine''s. It was said that Branden was better than Catherine. It was very likely that he would be beaten and thrown to feed the sharks, and Catherine would have to take the trouble of fishing out his corpse. Just imagine it gave him chills. ''Forget it! Catherine is right. This is a rule ofw society. We have to abide by thew,'' thought Ronin. "Catherine, what''s your n for dealing with this?" he asked. "I have my own ns. I gotta go now!" With that, Catherine hung up the phone without any hesitation. She was holding her phone, looking at the photos on it. In one of the pictures, the woman''s dazzling face with those rosy lips slightly smiling; the half-smile was super attractive. ''The clown dare to perform her tricks in front of me? said Catherine inwardly. At the same time, Selene also saw the news. She smugly looked at her masterpiece, took out her phone, and made a mysterious call." Just keep buying fake ounts for me. We''ll make a big fuss out of this." The voice on the phone sounded old and raspy. "Aren''t you worried Branden will hold a grudge against you when he finds out?" Selene was beaming with pride. "I didn''t take those photos. I didn''t write those spections either. It''s not my fault at all. It''s all on theizens. Why should I be the one to me?" "Alright, as you wish." After the other party agreed, Selene hung up the phone. With her phone in hand, she had a big smile of victory on her face. She was dying to know what Catherine''s reaction would be when she saw this news. Will she be freaking out, or will she be furious?'' wondered Selena. She would be happy with eithe ''Just because she''s the nc¨¦e of Branden, she dares to be so arrogant. I''ll have to put a damper on her spirit,'' thought Selene. When Paxton got the message, Branden was still at an international conference. This meeting was super important. Some chiefs from certain areas were even participating. He wouldn''t dare just barge in. After the meeting ended, he quickly blocked Branden and reported the situation, "Sir, you''re trending again!" Branden''s eyebrows were furrowed, and he had a slightly serious look. What''s up?" Paxton shakily pulled out his phone from his pocket and handed it to Branden. "Sir, when Miss Miller left today, I arranged for a car to take her. I didn''t expect that the journalists who were lying in wait would take photos, causing all this trouble." After looking over at it, Branden had a really dark expression. He had no interest in this boring gossip news at all. But the bottom line was Catherine couldn''t be bothered. "Get someone to take down the news. Send awyer''s letter to the media that published the article, ordered Branden. Paxton knew Branden was about to clean up this group of clowns, so he quickly got into action. ''Alright, I''ll take care of it now!" Chapter 948 Are You Tired Today? ? Chapter 948 Are You Tired Today? The situation had taken a turn that nobody expected. Even though the Duncan Corporation''s public rtions department acted quickly with its crisis management n, the news was just too viral to contain. These kinds of things were nothing new for the Duncan Corporation''s public rtions department. The most important thing was to cool things down. As long as they didn''t respond, ignored it, and diverted attention by arranging other hot topics, the public would quickly forget about it. But this time was different. After receiving awyer''s letter from the Duncan Corporation, the media that first exposed this issue not only did not back off but instead became even more aggressive. The entertainment studio that caught the photo not only released thewyer''s letter from the Duncan Corporation but also posted a somewhat dubious statement online, instantly making the situation even more intense. "Although the capitalist is powerful, we still persist. Even ants can shake big trees with courage!" After the entertainment studio released this piece of news, it immediately caught the attention of manyizens. Thements were overwhelmingly supportive. In the eyes of those keyboard warriors, capitalists were all evil, and being weak was the real justice. They were blinded by the appearance before them, only seeing the truth they wanted to see. The online drama was still brewing. It started off as just a simple piece of gossip, and no one expected the heat to keep going. After Branden finished the meeting, he handed these over to Paxton to take care of. With all this free time, he might as well go back and spend more time with Catherine. [See you at the door] he sent Catherine a text. After reading the text, Catherine put away her phone and went back to focusing on her work. Marshall passed by and saw that she wasn''t nning on leaving yet, so he stopped and asked, ''Not going back yet? Work overtime again?" Catherine stopped what she was doing and turned to him. "Professor, isn''t it rare for a supervisor like you to always refuse students to work overtime?" Marshall replied with a proud look, "Working overtime is not a sign of hard work. Efficiency shoulde first, and it''s important to bnce work and rest. If your body is worn out, there is no way to make up for it." Seeing that Catherine was unmoved, he added, "You better leave now. Otherwise, Mr. Theo wille knocking on the door again, and I won''t be able to handle it!" Mr. Theo was now working as a guest professor at Styre University, always rushing to theb to scold because of Catherine''s overtime work. He never scolded Catherine and didn''t know those young researchers. In the end, this fire could only fall on Marshall. Marshall was so miserable right now, but he didn''t even have a ce to vent his frustrations. Ultan made it crystal clear. Whoever pissed off Mr. Theo would be soaking up some sun in the physical training next semester. Catherine was nning to work for a while longer to finish up her tasks, but after Marshall''s chattering, she quickly tidied up and stood up. "Professor, I''m going to head back first." Marshall immediately lit up with a smile. He was only one step away from having someone carry Catherine out. "Hurry up, mydy." As soon as Catherine left, Marshall immediately whipped out his phone and reported the situation to Ultan. "Mission aplished, goal has been set." Ultan breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the message, thinking, ''Looks like that ck Bentley downstairs should be able to drive off soon." A Bentley was no big deal, but that sequential license te sure did catch one''s eye. Styre University was used to being low-key. He definitely didn''t want to end up trending online. ***** Catherine had barely stepped out of the school gate when she saw that familiar car parked not far ahead. She walked straight toward it. It was like they had a telepathy or something. When Branden saw Catherine''s figure, he instinctively raised his head and saw a familiar figure entering his sight. He then pushed the car door open and walked quickly toward her. Skillfully taking the bag from Catherine''s hands, he casually wrapped his arms around her." Are you tired today?" Catherine helplessly forced a smile. ''Marshall didn''t even let me work over time. How can I be tired?" Compared to Catherine''s pity, Branden was actually quite pleased to hear this news. He was worried that too much supervision would upset Catherine, but now it was all good. Not only did Mr. Theo take care of her at school, but Professor Hartley was also keeping an eye on her. He could rx a little now. The camera sh went off in a sh. Though it was quick and from quite a distance, Branden and Catherine still managed to capture it real quickly. But they both pretended not to see it tacitly. Catherine didn''t mention anything about the online drama. Branden was in charge of cooking dinner while Catherine was reading the literature she hadn''t finished in theb. Both of them were just acting like it was no big deal, like any other day. With a good appetite, Catherine finished all the food. "Are you full yet?" asked Branden. Catherine nced at the empty te and looked up at him with a surprised expression. "Are you seriously treating me like a pig?" Branden was amused by her, and then he went up to her and hugged her. After carefully measuring her with his hands, he frowned and said, "I want to feed you like feeding pigs. At least they gain weight after eating. You are so thin. Where is the flesh?" Catherine did have a very slim waist. But she had always been thin. With a good metabolism, she couldn''t gain weight at all. Every day, she was barely getting by without enough calories. If it weren''t for Branden insisting on feeding her, she would be slimmer now. "Go take a break, and I''ll cut some fruit for you!" The man''s low voice was smooth, like a violin, very pleasing to the ears. Leaning against his strong chest, Catherine shook her head silently. "Don''t feel like eating. I''m a bit tired. Once I finish reading the remaining documents, I just wanna sleep!" Branden gingerly helped her stand up. "Alright, you go. I''ll clean up here! Catherine wasn''t a fan of strangers in her house, except for the fact that they got cleanersing in after they left every day. Other than that, everything was taken care of by Branden. The President of the Duncan Corporation was now not only a chef but also a dishwasher. Those hands that used to sign several hundred million dor contracts were now used for washing vegetables and dishes. If the employees of the Duncan Corporation saw it, they would definitely be shocked. There wasn''t a lot of information, and it was enough for Catherine to read through it in about half an hour. Buttely, her back had been a little sore, and she couldn''t sit for long. After finishing reading the documents, she immediately stood up and moved around. Originally, she wanted to ask Branden to apany her downstairs for a walk, but when she reached the study, she heard Branden''s cold voiceing from inside. It looked like he was on the phone. "Can''t even handle such a small matter? I''ll give you another hour. I want to see the entireyoutpletely cleaned up." Catherine finally knocked on the door of the study only after there was no more noise inside. In the next second, Branden immediately opened the door, his brow furrowed, looking a bit nervous. "What''s up?" Catherine rarely came to him on her own. He was worried that she was not feeling well. He heard that the first few months could be very tiring. "Nothing much. I have eaten quite a lot. Shall we go downstairs for a walk?" repliedContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Catherine. Branden paused for a moment, then he suddenly realized. He looked at her apologetically with his handsome face. ''Come on. I''ll go downstairs with you now." "Alright!" Catherine replied. As the two were about to leave, Branden suddenly stopped and said, "Hey, wait for me!" Catherine was puzzled as Branden quickly returned to the house to get a coat. "It''s super windy and chilly outside at night." Catherine wanted to say that it waspletely unnecessary. Sensing the determination in his eyes, she silently gave up. ''Forget it. I''ll just listen to him,'' she thought. Chapter 949 Sweet Declaration ? Chapter 949 Sweet Deration At night, another entertainment news made it to the trend. "The dream of being Mrs. Duncan shattering? The billionaire president is going on a sweet date with his ex, breaking the rumors.'' As soon as the post came out, it instantly caught the attention of countlessizens. Thements were diversified, some good, some bad. Some said that Catherine''s methods were too superb, trying to win back the main sponsor through public opinion. Others said that Catherine intentionally leaked this, wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to dere sovereignty. The previous news had already made uninformedizens hostile toward Catherine. Regardless of right or wrong, they just started mocking. Catherine didn''t see the news and was basically in seclusion mode now. After a walk with Branden, she went home to chill. She had to go to school tomorrow. Staying up toote wasn''t good for her health. Hearing the steady breathing beside him, Branden''s face showed a rare calmness and contentment. He took out his phone, opened Twitter, which he hadn''t visited for a long time, and reposted the hottest trend. Then he turned off his phone and happily fell asleep with Catherine in his arms. ***** The next day, Catherine was woken up by her phone blowing up with messages. When she was sleeping, she always put her phone on the lowest volume, but no matter how subtle the sound was, her sharp senses still picked up on it immediately. She opened her phone and saw dozens of unread messages lighting up the screen. The first message that popped up was from Zobber because she sent the most messages, and the most recent one was also sent by her. [Catherine, awesome! I''m teaming up with Mr. Duncan this time.] Catherine waspletely puzzled. She originally wanted to see exactly what Zobber had sent, but after seeing all those voice messages, she quietly closed the chat window, The bigger the situation, the calmer Zobber became, and she spoke sinctly to the point Only boring gossip could excite her interest and make her talk endlessly like this. Catherine didn''t even have to think about it to know that it definitely wasn''t a big deal, so she just ignored it. After she closed the chat, she saw messages from Mr. Theo, Professor Hartley, Ronin... and many other people. Mr. Theo said, [Cassie, that boy is a keeper!] Marshall sent, [Tell that brat to behave himself a bit. My wife scolded me again this morning: she hadn''t given me a good face all day.] Ronin sent, [Emergency! Catherine, you''re trending again.] Catherine guessed the trend must have sparked quite a buzz to make these people message her so frantically. After washing up and sitting at the dining table, she casually picked up her phone and started browsing the trending topics. She didn''t even have to search for it to see that most prominent trending topic. The billionaire president confessed his feelings in the middle of the night, leaving countlessizens envious. Catherine clicked the trending topic and saw the news, which made everyone text her like crazy. Branden reposted the hottest news and even tagged her, saying, "The only choice for my wife is and will always be her, Catherine." Seeing the message, Catherine just smiled softly, put her phone aside, and continued to eat breakfast. These pig shaped desserts on the table seemed to be more adorable. When Selene saw the news, she was about to explode from anger. She thought Duncan Corporation would handle the public rtions, so she was ready with a n. But she didn''t expect that Branden himself woulde out to handle it personally. She had known Branden since she was little; she knew his personality very well and knew he wouldn''t even care about these things.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. But Branden''s approach really caught her off guard this time. After reading a fewments fromizens, all she saw were blessings for Catherine. Selene couldn''t hold back her anger anymore. She angrily threw her phone to the side. With a loud bang, the cell phonended on the ground. Not long after, the phone on the table started ringing again. This was the direct line in the office. Selene must answer it. She picked up the phone and put it to her ear with a serious expression. "Boss, you looking for me?" On the other end of the phone came an old man''s voice. "Is this how you repay me?" The cold voice sent shivers down Selene''s spine and made her body uncontrobly tremble. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly said, ''Boss, I didn''t do enough preparations this time. I have learned my lesson, and I promise that I won''t disappoint you again next time. Please give me another chance." "Alright, I''ll give you one more chance. You''ll be gone forever if you still can''t make it." Hearing the threat from the other side, Sellene''s face turned extremely gloomy. Regardless, she still reluctantly agreed to do it. "Don''t worry, boss." After hanging up the phone, Selene''s originally fearful expression gradually turned icy. She thought things would go smoothly this time, but it turned out it had been a real struggle. It looked like those people were right. Catherine was definitely much more difficult to deal with than she imagined. A woman who could easily change Branden was definitely not just a simple woman. But she wasn''t about to give up just yet. It was still uncertain who was going to win next. Selene gazed down at the photo on the table with a strange and chilling smile. She quickly picked up the letter opener next to her and fiercely stabbed it into the photo, instantly piercing through Catherine in the photo. Her gruff voice slowly sounded, which was extremely cold. "We''ll see about that!" After Paxton got the message, he reported to Catherine right away, "Miss Swann, I heard Mr. Karl Duncan ising. He''s on the ne now." Catherine was taken aback for a moment. She hadn''t expected Paxton to tell her this news. Does Branden know this?" "Boss is still in a meeting. The butler said that Mr. Karl decided toe at thest minute, so he didn''t have time to notify us." "Oh," Catherine responded calmly, without showing much emotion. Listening to these lukewarm words from Catherine, Paxton felt a bit restless. ''Miss Swann, do you need me to send a car to take you to the airport? "No need!" Gatherine didn''t hesitate to refuse Paxton''s proposal. Karl was an adult, and he had his own freedom. ''Since he didn''t even say it beforeing, maybe he''s here to visit or for some other reason. We shouldn''t just rush in to meet him without consent; it''s not a good idea, and I don''t want to do that either; Catherine thought. "I gotta go if nothing else," she said. Paxton was kind of helpless, but he still had to go along with Catherine''s decision and hung up the phone. Word got around real quick that Catherine wasn''t heading to the airport. Selene was just worrying about missing her chance. Now it was right there in front of her. She knew Karl was not easy to get along with, but that was not the case for her. ''My dad was Mr. Duncan''s driver, and he''s always been trusted by the Duncans. How can Catherinepare to me? I''ll just take this opportunity to crush Catherine a bit so that girl doesn''t get too arrogant,'' she said inwardly. "Get the car ready. To the airport!" Chapter 950 Grand Opening ? Chapter 950 Grand Opening Catherine got a message from Branden saying he had somest-minute stuff to do in the neighboring city and wouldn''t be back until tomorrow morning. Actually, he didn''t need to rush back, but he insisted, so Catherine went with him. As she had no need to go back for dinner, Catherine didn''t leave theb building and worked overtime peacefully. "Catherine!" someone called her. Hearing the sound, Catherine turned around and saw her senior from the sameboratory standing at her door, calling out to her. ''What''s the matter?" The senior pointed outside. "Someone''s looking for you outside and let me pass along a message. "Got it." After Catherine responded, she paused her work and walked out of the workroom. When she arrived at the lobby, she saw Rn standing in the center of the lobby. Rn urately captured her faint footsteps. He looked up and caught sight of Catherine''s beautiful eyes. A smile instantly appeared on his face. "Are you nning to work overtime?" "Don''t you know?" Catherine looked at him coldly. Rn should know her schedule like the back of his hand. Rn was momentarily stunned by her cold tone. Then he finally smiled awkwardly. ''Branden didn''t pick me up for a day, so Rn came instead. If he hadn''t received the message in advance, how could he have been so punctual? There aren''t that many coincidences in the world. I don''t believe in coincidences, thought Catherine. After a brief moment of silence, Rn finally spilled the beans on why he was here today." Have you eaten yet? A new restaurant just opened tonight. If you haven''t eaten, let''s go together." ''He came all the way here just to treat me to a meal? Catherine definitely didn''t buy it. Seeing Catherine remain silent. Rn continued persuading, "It''s just a meal; we are friends. What''s wrong with having a meal together?" He was not wrong, though. Catherine just didn''t want to be bothered. If it was just about eating, it didn''t matter who she ate with. "Give me a sec, I''ll clean up a bit." "Okay!" Rn gently answered. As long as Catherine could agree, he would wait no matter how long. The restaurant wasn''t too far from Catherine''sb, so Rn drove them there himself while Catherine sat in the back seat. It took them about half an hour to reach their destination. The car stopped steadily in front of the restaurant, and the waiter came forward to open the door. There were a lot of luxury cars parked outside the restaurant, and there were also a lot of decorations. Maybe because they had just opened, the whole restaurant was really bustling. After they got out of the car, the restaurant''s manager came out to greet them. "Mr. Melton, we''ve reserved a spot for you. Please follow me." Rn nced back at Catherine. Catherine replied nonchntly, ''Let''s go!" The whole restaurant was decorated in an extremely luxurious way. One could tell it was a restaurant that specifically catered to rich people. Once they reached the second floor, Catherine immediately noticed something was wrong. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked ahead, coldly saying, "Just a simple meal, right?" Before Rn could even exin, the manager ahead immediately stopped in his tracks and responded to Catherine''s question, "Miss, there''s a small party being held by our boss on the second floor tonight. The guests are all our boss''s close friends. Your and Mr. Melton''s VIP room is up ahead." The exnation made sense. Today was the grand opening of the restaurant, so the boss was inviting friends to help liven things up. It was all pretty normal. Catherine said nothing. The manager just kept leading them forward. Just as she took a couple of steps, Catherine heard a familiar voice ahead. She pretended not to hear it and kept walking forward. When Selene saw Catherine, her whole face lit up. The person she had been waiting for had finally arrived. Seeing Catherine trying to avoid her, Selene felt really pleased. She was nning to teach Catherine a lesson. "Miss Swann, what a coincidence! Howe I run into you here, too?" Her voice drew the attention of the people around. Catherine totally acted like she didn''t see it and kept on walking straight ahead. As soon as Selene saw the situation, she immediately stepped forward and stood directly in front of Catherine, smiling at her. "Miss Swann, why aren''t you answering me? Isn''t that a bit rude? Catherine stopped in her tracks and looked up at her. "Who are you?" Three simple words made Selene stiffen, and her face turned incredibly unpleasant. Catherine didn''t even bother with her, which was just straight up provocation. Selene forced a smile to hide her anger. "Miss Swann, do you really not know me, or are you just intentionally ignoring me?" Catherine gave the coldest stare, showing no interest in her at all. "Why should I get to know you? Are you someone important or something?" If Catherine''s first response was a challenge, then she was justpletely ignoring Selene the second time. Selene was finally pissed off with Catherine''s attitude. She wasn''t fake smiling anymore, looking dead serious in Catherine''s direction. "Miss Swann, we may not be super close, but we do know each other. Are you really still upset with me because of that gossip from the other day? If so, Miss Swann, I''m afraid you''re being a bit..." Petty.'' Selene deliberately left the rest unsaid, knowing that Catherine must have understood the implication. This was exactly the effect she wanted to achieve. After hearing what Selene said, everyone around shot curious nces at them. The gossip from the other day had caused quite a stir, with many people now aware of the rtionship between Catherine and Selene. Now, these two rumored women meeting in public, it looked like another drama was about to unfold. Everyone''s curious eyes were on them, ready to watch the show. Catherine knew that Selene was deliberately provoking her. She really had no intention of paying attention to Selene. Seeing what was happening, Rn was ready to grab Catherine and leave. "Let''s go. It''s not good for your stomach to have dinner sote." Selene couldn''t help but feel terribly jealous deep down inside as she watched Rn care for Catherine. ''This woman always has men caring for her no matter when. Is she really that desperate for men?'' wondered Selene. "Miss Swann, you''re really lucky. Branden is all over the inte making a big deration, and Mr. Melton is taking such good care of you over here. I wonder how Branden would feel if he knew how enthusiastic Mr. Melton is about you." She was convinced that Catherine was secretly following Rn behind Branden''s back, so she was unusually loud in order to see Catherine feel guilty. To her surprise, Catherine retorted with a cold response in the next second, "Miss Miller, if I remember correctly, Rn is your boss, right? How can you be so outspoken about his personal matters in front of him? Are you just taking advantage of your strong background to act recklessly? Or are you just naturally outspoken andcking in manners?" A simpleeback almost made Selene unable to hold it together. She originally thought Catherine would be embarrassed and angry, but it turned out that in the end, it was actually herself who became embarrassed and angry. Damn woman. How dare she actually look down on me.'' Her current position might not be as high as Rn''s, but that didn''t mean she was beneath anyone Selene was about to lose it when a few people appeared in front of her, and her eyes lit up instantly. She knew her chance had arrived.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 951 Just A Friend ? Chapter 951 Just A Friend Originally acting all high and mighty toward Catherine, Selene suddenly changed her expression and lookedpletely innocent. Miss Swann, if you have any issues with me, juste for me. I can tell you straight up. There''s nothing between me and Branden. We have no other feelings at all. You really don''t need to put on a show here on purpose with Mr. Melton. It will only hurt Branden''s feelings, you know?" Watching her enthusiastic acting, Catherine wanted to give her a round of apuse. ''Her acting is not bad. Compared to the previous few, Selene''s acting can be considered pretty decent,'' she said inwardly. "What''s going on?" Came the old and steady voice, instantly capturing everyone''s attention. Selene immediately looked up, her eyes showing a mixture of excitement and frustration as if she was feeling really suppressed. "Mr. Karl... If Catherine hadn''t seen the smug smile at the corner of Selene''s mouth, she really would have been fooled. Karl slowly approached, and instinctively, the crowd separated into two paths, making way for him. Before Karl could even get closer, Selene took the initiative to greet him and stood by his side, speaking with much humility. "Karl, this is Catherine. You should know her, right?" This might sound simple, but actually, it was quite tricky Branden had long announced that Catherine was his fianc¨¦e. Selene was just trying to make people think that she was closer to Karl and Karl didin''t even know Catherine. Anyone who didn''t know better might think Selene was the one Karl chose to be Brander''s future wife. Karl nced over and happened to see Rn standing next to Catherine, his brow furrowing instantly. This scene was seen by Selene. She knew how strict the rules were in the Duncans. How could such an influential family allow her to embarrass herself in public? Especially when Catherine was openly seen with another man while Branden was away. There was no way Karl would ever agree to something that embarrassed the Duncans like this. She wanted to see how Catherine would get out of this dilemma. "Mr. Karl, beside Miss Swann is Mr. Rn, a young talent with considerable assets. It is said that he has a close rtionship with Miss Swann." When Karl heard Selene''s words, he looked even more unpleasant. He spoke up before Selene could continue to stir things up. "Catherine, are you close with this dude?" Karl actually asked personally, which meant he was really angry. Selene couldn''t wait to see what would happen next. She wanted to see how Catherine would end up. If Catherine dared to lie, she would definitely be the first to expose Catherine. To everyone''s disappointment, Catherine said, "Friends." Even though she stood before Karl, Catherine wasn''t very weing. Instead, she was even somewhat indifferent. Selene was over the moon; she figured Catherine hadn''t won over Karl''s heart and just stopped trying to please him. ''Doesn''t she know that doing this will just make Karl hate her more and more? Who does she think she is? It''s really ridiculous,'' said Selene inwardly. After hearing Catherine''s response, Karl looked toward Rn with disgust in his eyes. Rn naturally noticed it. He didn''t want Catherine to get hurt. He reached out to grab Catherine, but before his hand even touched her arm, a ck figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere to whack him away. Karl was swinging his cane fast; then he straight-up smacked Rn''s arm. "Kid, even if you''re friends, you gotta know when to draw the line. There are some people you just can''t mess with!" This cold, hard truth was definitely the biggest wake-up call for Rn. Karl used to be a big shot in Eskana. Even Rn''s grandfather would show him respect when seeing him. After getting a whack, Rn could only grit his teeth and bear it. After Karl issued a warning to Rn, everyone thought that he would then turn his attention to Catherine. However, Karl surprised everyone by changing his attitudepletely. He looked at Catherine with love written all over his face and a rare smile in his eyes. Catherine, he''s just a friend, probably just a regr friend, right?" Catherine didn''t know what Karl meant, so she just nodded honestly. Karl was over the moon, saying, "Since he''s just an ordinary friend, then this dinner is not necessary. How about you have a meal with me instead? I''m getting old and hardly ever get to visit Loxton. The brat isn''t home. If you''re not keeping mepany, I''ll be all alone..."Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ''Is that still the imposing and famous Mr. Karl from the Duncans, with a pout and a tilted head? He''s totally just an old man who''s past his prime but still likes to act cute! thought Selene. Standing on the side, Selene was dumbfounded because she had never seen Karl like this before. Rn was calm as a cucumber, not surprised at all. In his opinion, as long as one knew Catherine, one would know how awesome she was. If Karl really knew Catherine, there was no reason he wouldn''t like her. Some people just thought too highly of themselves and refused to understand the truth of the matter. Catherine tumed her head to take a nce at Rn when she heard the words. Rn decided to back off when he saw that Catherine had already agreed to have dinner with Karl. Catherine just turned to look at him as a formality. He didn''t have to embarrass himself and might as well be more generous about it." Catherine, Mr. Karl is right. He rarelyes to Loxton. Let''s make ns to meet up again." When Karl heard Rn''s words, his face showed a hint of happiness, and he thought Rn was somewhat decent. "Catherine, since your friend has made the decision. Let''s go. This ce just opened today. The boss has some connection with me. Let''s go try it out." With that, Karl personally led Catherine away He didn''t even look at Selene the whole time. Not until they left did she realize what was going on. All the people around her were looking at her with mocking looks, even tinged with pity and sympathy. Rn stared at her coldly, his smile filled with sarcasm. Selene was so pissed. She never expected Karl to be this good to Catherine, even seeming to suck up to her. ''That Rn guy not only did not help butughed at me. How despicable!" she cursed inwardly. Selene looked up with a cold gaze. Chapter 952 Branden Came Back ?Chapter 952 Branden Came Back In the private room, the waiter carefully served the exquisite dishes to the table. Their boss had ordered that such customers were all top-level VIPs and needed to be treated with extreme care. Whenever a new dish came out, Karl would turn it to Catherine. "Catherine, hurry up and eat! I can see you''ve lost weight. It must be that little brat Branden who didn''t take good care of you. Now that I am here, I need to take care of you." Catherine frowned tightly. She was sensitive to numbers; once she saw them, she wouldn''t forget. If she didn''t remember wrong, she was much heavier now than thest time she saw Karl. How could she be thinner? In the eyes of the elders, maybe anyone who hadn''t gotten fat to the point of being round and plump was considered thin. Catherine didn''t bother to exin herself, quietly eating the food that Karl had ced in front of her. Seeing her eat a lot, Karl couldn''t stop smiling. "Keep eating. Being able to eat is a blessing." Catherine paused for a moment in between bites and nced up at Karl. "Mr. Karl, howe you suddenly decided to visit Loxton?" "An old friend of mine got sick, so I came to check on him and also to see you. It''s been a while since west met. I really miss you guys. In front of Catherine, Karl didn''t have his usual air at all. He was just a kind old grandpa. Simon was watching Karl talk happily on the side, with a big smile in his eyes as well. "Miss Swann, Mr. Karl is always missing you. He mentions you more times than Mr. Branden, and he thinks abouting to see you every day." When Karl heard that, he angrily lifted his head, red at Simon, and said disdainfully, "You''re talking nonsense! I only talked about Catherine. Why would I bother thinking about that brat?" After scolding Simon, he turned around and smiled at Catherine. "Catherine, you gotta believe me. I root for you." Karl could switch between two different attitudes easily. Catherine gave a faint smile without much reaction. She originally thought someone was intentionally doing it behind her back, but now it seemed like it might really just be a coincidence.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. It was just that Karl came at the right time, so others took advantage of him. Catherine had eaten quite a bit and was starting to feel full, but Karl was still enthusiastically promoting the food, afraid that she hadn''t had enough. Fortunately, the butler standing by the side was observant and stopped Karl from feeding her in time. "Mr. Karl, please spare her. Eating too much at once, Miss Swann''s stomach may not be able to handle it at night." After hearing Simon''s advice, Karl finally backed off. "Don''t worry, Catherine, I''ll still be in Loxton for a few more days, so plenty of time to treat you to something nice." Catherine smiled on the surface, but inside, she was feeling pretty miserable. This kind of love was better not toe too fiercely. After finishing their meal, Catherine politely asked Karl where he was nning on staying for the night. Simon politely responded to her question, "Miss Swann, Mr. Karl has a vi in Loxton. He has already instructed someone to clean it before our arrival, so we will be staying there tonight." The Duncans had a huge business empire with assets all over the world. It was totally normal for Karl to have a few mansions up in Loxton. "Catherine, you going back to the apartment alone? Karl knew that Branden had bought an apartment near the school for Catherine''s convenience. He felt that Branden couldn''t get things done, thinking, If he wants to buy a house, then buy at vi. A small apartment wouldn''t be a match for Catherine.'' Branden''s not here. Are you safe by yourself? Karl asked. ''In my home, the one who should feel unsafe would be someone else, right?'' Catherine thought so in her heart, but she didn''t say anything. She knew that Karl was just concerned about her. "It''s okay. I don''t live alone. Mr. Theo and his grandson recently came to Loxton and are staying in our apartment building. Paxton and others are also around in the dormitory, so safety is not an issue." Catherine just wanted to exin to Karl that she was very safe, butto her surprise, Karl did not agree after she finished speaking. Do they all live in your apartment?" asked Karl. Hearing his misunderstanding, Catherine exined again. "It''s not that they live in my apartment, but rather in the same neighborhood as me." Branden was generous in buying the whole building, openly stating that it was for her safety, but in reality, it was just for peace. Karl frowned tightly, his expression strange as he looked at Catherine. "Are there any vacant rooms avable?" Staring nkly, Catherine thought for a moment. "There should still be a few empty rooms avable." Upon hearing these words, Karl was delighted. He turned to Simon beside him and ordered in amanding tone, "Make arrangements. I won''t go to the manor. I want to go to Catherine''s house to live with her." Catherine was stunned, thinking, Karl ising too? The apartment is going to bust now." The apartment was purchased by Branden and could be considered an asset of the Duncans. Catherine couldn''t really say no. Since Karl desired to go, then let it be so. Seeing that Catherine didn''t object, Karl smiled and looked at her. "Catherine, I can go back with you now." Just as they walked up to the restaurant door, they saw a familiar car parked in front. The man who was originally supposed toe back tomorrow morning not only came back early but also showed up in front of her right away. Seeing Catherine and Karl, Branden immediately pushed the door open and got out of the car, walking straight toward them. When Karl saw Branden, whom he hadn''t seen for a long time, his face became so unpleasant, as if he had met a huge creditor. "You brat! Ie all this way, and you just ran off on a business trip. Leaving me with your future wife. Are you so busy?" Hearing criticism from Karl, even Branden could only obediently listen."Grandpa, how can you me me? When you arrived, you didn''t even inform me in advance. I happened to have something urgent to attend to, so I had to leave temporarily. Now I have rushed back as quickly as possible." "Hmph!" Karl raised his eyebrows disdainfully and coldly snorted. "Who doesn''t know you are rushing over to pick up your future wife instead of visiting an old man like me." Finishing, he turned gently to Catherine. "Catherine, it''s windy at night. You should get in the car first!" Like grandfather like grandchild. Their lines even sounded the same. Catherine realized that the two had something to discuss, so she got directly into the car, leaving space for the two of them. As soon as Catherine left, Karl''s expression immediately changed. He looked at Branden with eyes full of disdain. "You brat, why are there so many troubles every day? Would the Duncan Corporation be doomed without you? You don''t even pay attention to your future wife. If it weren''t for me happening to be there, you wouldn''t even know that your wife was taken away by someone. If you lose such a good wife, I''ll kick you out of the Duncans." Karl said thest sentence with a serious tone. There was no hint of joking. Karl might really kick him out of the Duncans if he lost Catherine. Branden naturally understood the meaning behind Karl''s words. He gave a faint smile, his eyes filled with confidence. ''Rest assured, Grandpa. No one can take away my wife." Seeing the confident look on his face, Karl decided not to dwell on it. Just be careful." Chapter 953 Thank You for Today ? Chapter 953 Thank You for Today "Mr. Melton, our subsidiarypanies have been reported by someone, resulting in over one hundred million losses." Rn''s assistant, in a panic, rushed into his house with the documents. Rn was about to rest at this time, but he got a call, so he was talking on the phone. He didn''t expect that as soon as he heard that Branden had returned, his subsidiarypanies were reported, causing him a huge financial loss. Branden not only had amazing tactics, but he was also quick to get revenge. He moved so damn fast when he threw a punch. ''I was just trying to have dinner with Catherine, but in the end, we didn''t even get to finish dinner because of all the interference from the Duncans. Branden actually caused me to lose the revenue of my two subsidiaries for a whole year. This dinner is really sky-high priced, costing a hundred million,'' said Rn inwardly. The assistant saw Rn sitting there with a cold smile and not moving, feeling a bit anxious inside. After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke up to urge him. "Mr. Melton, what''s the n moving forward?" Rn turned to look at him with a wry smile. ''What else can we do? Just tell everyone in each department to be careful and minimize the damage as much as possible." Hearing that, the assistant was totally confused. "Mr. Melton, don''t we fight back? Or maybee up with another n to recover the loss?" The assistant had followed Rn for so many years and had never seen Rn being taken advantage of like this. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have said such things after Rn gave the order. "Just do as I say. If Branden dared to make a move, they must be fully prepared. If we fight back, we will fall into the opponent''s trap. By then, I''m afraid I''ll have to pay more than just this!" said Rn. Even though the assistant couldn''t understand what Rn was saying, he knew that Branden was something. He had been following Rn for years and hardly ever seen him make a wrong decision. Okay, Mr. Melton. I''ll get right on it.'' After the assistant left, Rn looked up at the painting hanging in the middle of the study. That was a foreign character his teacher gave him back in the day, meaning "Endure." Everything was possible as long as one had enough determination and endurance to withstand it until the end. Branden took it away from him today, but he would surely retrieve it with interest someday. Upon hearing that Karl had arrived, Mr. Theo immediately paid a visit. The house he was staying in was right above Catherine''s, so there was no need to take the elevator. Walking up one floor would reach Branden''s home. "Karl, where are you?" Before entering the room, Mr. Theo raised his voice and shouted loudly and clearly, full of energy. Upon hearing the voice, Karl stood up from a distance to wee him. "Mr. Theo, you surely know how to take care of yourself to maintain such strength at your age. Your shout resonated throughout the entire building."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Mr. Theo and Karl always got along like cats and dogs. Every time they saw each other, they started squabbling. Simon and Scott were watching from the side while Branden hugged Catherine to go rest. The war between the two old men excited little interest in them. When the people watching the y left, the two old men argued for a while and felt it was meaningless. They then went to the living room and sat down with Catherine. Fortunately, the living room of the apartment was spacious, so even with so many people sitting, it did not feel cramped. Just as they had barely taken a seat, Mr. Theo, who had just lost the verbal battle, was feeling dissatisfied and put on a friendly face as he nced at Catherine. ''Cassie, Aaron introduced me to a new dish today. It is a dish of his own invention. The taste is truly exceptional. I will take you to try it tomorrow. How about that?" Karl naturally knew that Mr. Theo was intentionally provoking him. He snorted contemptuously and muttered softly, "It''s just a dish. Nothing special. Catherine, I know there is a Michelin-starred chef in Loxton who is a cooking master. I will take you there to dine. How does that sound?" "What Michelin chef canpare to Aaron? His ancestors were royal chefs in the pce, and his cooking skills have been passed down for generations. Average nouveau riche had no chance to have such an experience. Money is not the answer." Mr. Theo was very confident. He knew that Catherine liked Aaron''s cooking just like him, and he believed that he was winning. Karl got a bit upset when he found out he was not chosen. ''I''ve never lost in my life. It''s just a royal chef! Money still talks. I don''t believe I can''t find a good chef with money,'' thought Karl. Catherine turned her head toward Branden, who weakly shrugged his shoulders. These two old men were truly beyond his control. Seeing the two about to argue again, Catherine could only step in herself to prevent the impending dispute. "Gentlemen, listen to me!" The two who had been about to argue quieted down instantly and collectively turned to look toward Catherine. "Say it, girl." "My future granddaughter-inw, what''s the matter?" Catherine then tumed her attention to Karl and said, ''Mr. Karl, have you not yet experienced the culinary of Mr. Aaron Melton? The taste is truly exceptional. Why don''t we go together tomorrow as a way to wee you?" She personally extended the invitation. Karl naturally couldn''t refuse. "Catherine, I''ll go for your sake. You know, I have eaten all kinds of cuisines. It''s all for your sake." With a smile, Ca rine nodded and said, "Mr. Karl, I understand your thoughts!" Having dealt with one, Catherine continued to persuade the next one. "Mr. Theo, do you have any objections? You are more familiar with Mr. Aaron. Why don''t you be responsible for arranging the dinner?" After Catherine coaxed Mr. Theo to be happy. Mr. Theo felt rxed and naturally agreed to whatever she asked. "No problem. Leave it to me! Whenever you wish to eat, I will make arrangements for you at any time." Under Catherine''s persuasion, the heated argument finally calmed down. The two returned to their own apartments under their respective arrangements, resting peacefully. After sending off everyone, the spacious apartment was left with only Catherine and Branden. Seeing Catherine standing at the window, quietly looking outside, Branden approached and reached out to close the window for her, then reached out to embrace her waist. "Thank you for today!" Catherine turned her head slightly to look at him. Branden''s eyes shone brightly like the stars in the night sky. "For what?" she asked. "Thank you for making Karl so happy," said Branden. His grandmother passed away early, and Karl had always been busy with work. The Duncans did not have many descendants, so Karl had been lonely for many years. Over the years, he had always been very lonely. Branden could tell Karl was happy to see Catherine. Karl was also very pleased with Catherine''s arrangements. Catherine originally thought Branden was going to talk aboutb stuff. To her surprise, he thanks her for this. She gave a little smirk and said proudly, "I''ll treat people the way they treat me." She was basically telling Branden that she knew Karl had been good to her. Branden pinched her nose affectionately. "That''s right.'' But I think there''s one more thing. You better thank me properly for it," added Catherine. Seeing her smile so brightly, Branden suddenly became interested. "What is it?" "I gave a big gift for theb. Shouldn''t you at least thank me properly?" Catherine looked at him with a smug look. She didn''t smile much, but it was captivating as hell when she did. That was why Branden loved seeing her smile. Captivated, at first sight, he couldn''t even bear to blink. He squeezed Catherine''s hand with a big smile of happiness on his face. "Yeah, you''re right. I really should thank you properly." But the biggest thank-you gift Catherine gave him wasn''t about theb stuff. It was another even bigger surprise. ''Just keep your hopes up and wait patiently,'' she said inwardly. Chapter 954 Selenes Background ?Chapter 954 Selene''s Background The next day, when Catherine arrived at theboratory, she ran into Selene again. This time, Selene was already in theb, looking like she was waiting for Catherine. Catherine nced at her sitting in the lounge and walked toward the studio silently. Seeing that, Selene was furious. She clenched her hands under the table to maintain a calm appearance. "Miss Swann, the coffee today is excellent. Care to join me for a cup?" Catherine turned back upon hearing this and sat across from Selene. "Had a big breakfast at home. I can''t handle coffee right now. Enjoy it yourself." Catherine returned because she knew Selene wouldn''t give up easily. Since Selene hade today, she wouldn''t leave until the matter was settled. Catherine wasn''t afraid of Selene. She just disliked trouble. After some investigation, Selene found out how infatuated Branden was with Catherine. Not only did he shower Catherine with affection, but he even personally cooked meals for her every day. Selene thought it was absurd. In her view, Catherine''s words were a tant disy of Branden''s skills, unting how willingly the president of the Duncan Corporation was to do things for her. Although Selene was angered, she pretended to remain calm and ignored Catherine''s words. Selene thought a lot, not knowing that Catherine didn''t drink coffee simply because she didn''t feel like it now. There were no borate reasons Catherine''s posture was assertive, unlike Selene, who enjoyed a more refined pose. Selene had put in a lot of effort to integrate into high society, excelling not only in education and work but also in etiquette. Seeing Catherine''s sitting posture, Selene kept smirking. She said, "Sorry, Miss Swann. I usually maintain a refined demeanor. Those wealthydies around me are all very elegant. Your interesting posture was just tooughable. Though Selene imed it was interesting, she was actually mocking Catherine''sck of manners, suggesting she wasn''t fit for the role of the Duncan Corporation''s mistress. It was left unsaid but Catherine clearly understood it. Facing Selene''s provocation, Catherine chuckled coldly. "Miss Miller, my posture may not be as elegant as yours." Selene arrogantly nced at her and smirked. She leisurely lifted her coffee cup, took a delicate sip, and put it down with an exaggerated disy of elegance. She seemed to show off her refined demeanor in front of Catherine. However, she picked the wrong target. Catherine wasn''t just intellectually superior and physically strong. She was also versatile. In terms of verbal sparring, even Zobber wasn''t her match. Catherine simply chuckled. Selene frowned, staring sharply at Catherine. "Miss Swann, what does thisughter mean?" "Just appreciating your efforts, Miss Miller. You changed your destiny through hard work and diligence. Despite being bom into an ordinary family, you exude the elegance of a nobledy. Miss Miller, you are so hardworking." As the daughter of a regr driver, Selene insisted on portraying herself as a high-borndy. She could learn some things superficially, but shecked the genuine grace that came from within. Catherine had no intention to pick on her, but since Selene provoked her, she shouldn''t me Catherine for being sharp. Selene''s least favorite topic in her whole life was her background. Now, not only was it brought up in public, but it was Catherine who pointed it out. Selene couldn''t bear it. She stood up abruptly and red at Catherine. "What do you mean by that? Are you mocking my background?" Catherine sneered and coldly assessed her. Selene was quite interesting. Despite wearing top-notch brands from head to toe, she managed to downy herbels to subtly showcase her considerable wealth. Selene seemed to enjoy being hypocritical. Miss Miller, is your family not an ordinary one? Or perhaps youe from a noble lineage? If so, my apologies for the misunderstanding," Catherine replied. Selene was furious. Usually, others would think she had a privileged upbringing ording to her demeanor. Facing Catherine''s words, Selene had no chance to justify herself. At this moment, she felt embarrassed and humiliated. Catherine deliberately mentioned Selene''s background to hit her where it hurt. Selene grew angrier. She initially nned to mention Catherine''s rural roots, but she soon realized it wouldn''t work. Regardless of where Catherine lived, she was the legitimate heiress of the Swanns, designated by Vicente himself. In this aspect, Catherine was far superior. However, Selene couldn''t swallow her pride. She red at Catherine and clenched her teeth." Are you satisfied now, mocking my background? Does it give you a thrill?" Catherine''s expression didn''t waver throughout. While Selene was upset, Catherine remained calm. Miss Miller, is admitting your heritage that difficult for you? We don''t choose where we''re born, but we can choose how to live our lives. Your achievements speak for themselves. You''ve seeded," Catherine said. In Selene''s eyes, Catherine''s words weren''t praise but a tant insult. Furious, she mmed the table and red at Catherine. "Enough! Is mocking me not sufficient for you? Must you also bring my parents into this to ridicule?''Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Catherine casually shrugged. "I didn''t mean that. If you misunderstood, I apologize." Her attitudepletely imitated Selene. She stormed out, not even bothering to look back. Catherine stared at her departing figure and added, "Miss Miller, don''t leave. Let''s continue our chat!" Selene, consumed by anger, hadpletely forgotten the purpose of her visit and left the scene without a word. Catherine raised her eyebrows yfully and smirked. With this level of sophistication, Selene was nowhere near Catherine''s league. She couldn''t even engage in a simple conversation, yet she dared to act pretentious in front of Catherine. Catherine thought Selene was audacious Chapter 955 Zobbers Conditions ? Chapter 955 Zobber''s Conditions Selene stormed off in a huff, and Catherine leisurely poured herself a ss of water. After drinking it up, she finally left. Back in theb, Catherine was ready to dive into work when she discovered someone had tampered with her office. She habitually left a few strands of hair in specific ces on her desk. They would fall off with the slightest touch. Upon inspection, Catherine noticed traces of fallen hair in several spots. Even though the intruder had been careful to restore everything to its original state, Catherine could still spot the irregrities. Catherine''s office was even more secure than Marshalls, and although she hadn''t paid much attention, Marshall had made it clear to the entireb that no one could enter her office without permission. It couldn''t have been any of theb researchers. Thinking back to the morning when she wasn''t there but Selene was, Catherine wondered if it could be her. Without hesitation, Catherine turned on herputer. She had installed the surveince in her office herself, and all the footage was on herputer. From the video records, everything seemed normal with no signs of intrusion. This puzzled Catherine greatly. She was convinced someone had entered her office.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Uncertain about the methods used to erase the video records, Catherine couldn''t help but admire the intruder''s skill. If it was indeed Selene, she had some serious skills. Catherine picked up her phone and dialed a number. Then she said, ''I''m sending you a few videos. Help me figure out what went wrong." "Sure thing, Catherine." After receiving a response, Catherine promptly hung up, ensuring efficiency and the other person''s safety. Busy withb work, she decided to delegate the investigation to someone else, especially when they were conveniently idle. Upon thorough inspection, there were no losses in theb. The intruder likely didn''t get anything, as Catherine never stored important data in theb, let alone in the expensive equipment boxes. Perhaps digging through her cluttered desk would yield more value. It was a foolish act for someone to break in without understanding her situation. Nonchntly, Catherine walked out of her office and headed toward the experimental room, as if the incident had never urred. ***** This time, Zobber contacted Finn and was subsequently brought to their secret base. After guiding her to a small room, Finn gestured for Zobber to sit and wait. Waiting was something Zobber couldn''t stand. During her SAT exams, if it weren''t for the rule against submitting the test early, she wouldn''t have just walked out. Otherwise, she could have scored the highest that year. "Don''t waste time. I want to see your head. Take me to him, the guy in the ck robe fromst time," Zobber said. Her blunt attitude irked Finn. He thought Zobber was too arrogant and contemted teaching her a lesson with his fists. Unfortunately, in terms of physical strength, Zobber had never been defeated. Finn relied on brute force, using his fists to settle matters. Zobber, on the other hand, learned street-fighting techniques from a young age, employing cunning and unpredictable moves. After a few rounds, Finn was considerably injured, and the injuries were in sensitive areas. Zobber provocatively raised an eyebrow at Finn. She said with a smirk, "You little brat,e again if you dare. This time, I won''t hold back. If your happiness for the rest of your life is ruined, don''t cry!" Zobber''sughter irritated Finn. Despite knowing he might not beat Zobber with underhanded tactics, he decided to fight back. He thought as long as his fists were fast enough, he could teach Zobber a lesson and make her understand her situation. Then she will not dare to act recklessly. With a burning rage, Finn was about to charge forward when a hand rested on his shoulder. A cold breath apanied by a strange medicinal scent reached him. Finn immediately knew who it was. He stiffened and then slowly turned around. Instantly, all the hostility in him receded. He said humbly, "Sir, you''re here." ck Robe nced at Finn and waved him off. Finn tactfully stepped aside. Seeing his appearance, Zobber became cautious and restrained her posture a bit. She could mock Finn because she was still useful to these people, and they wouldn''t kill her. However, ck Robe was not someone she could easily offend. He was unpredictable, much like a madman. She might be bold, but she wasn''t foolish. At the signal from ck Robe, Zobber moved to the side and took a seat. Once settled, she said, "Sir, I''ve agreed to your terms, but I need to upgrade mine." ck Robe didn''t show any joy at Zobber''s agreement. He looked at her with a dark expression. With mockery in his eyes, he said, "You''re as impatient as the rumors say." Zobber openly admitted and showed no hint of embarrassment. "It''s just how I am. If you''re willing to ept, we can cooperate long-term. If you have any issues, once this job is done, we''ll never cross paths again." That was her approach. She didn''t care about others'' attitude at all. Hearing Zobber''s bold statement, ck Robe chuckled. "Well, in some ways, you''re quite simr to Catherine." ''Sir, you''re familiar with Catherine?" Zobber''s abrupt question caused a sudden shift in the room''s atmosphere. The room fell into silence instantly. Finn''s face darkened, and he went on high alert. Zobber calmly assessed ck Robe, trying to probe for information. However, ck Robe was much more challenging to deal with than she had imagined. He just chuckled and easily addressed Zobber''s question. He replied, "Of course, I need to know who I''m dealing with. I understand Catherine much more than you might think." His words carried a strong waming undertone. Zobber quickly caught on. He was clever. He seemingly admitted something while actually revealing nothing, making it difficult for anyone to grasp. After observation, Zobber realized the man was unfathomable, and she toned down her curiosity. "You are right, sir. Which aspects do you want to know? How about I tell you? Since we''re cooperating, I should show some sincerity, right? ck Robe didn''t respond. He didn''t care if Zobber genuinely surrendered or pretended to He only sought victory in the end. He said, "State your conditions." Seeing him shift the topic so bluntly, Zobber understood he didn''t want to dwell on it, so she abandoned her probing. "My request is simple. I''ll help you deal with Branden, and in return, I get half of the Duncan Corporation, plus ess to Catherine''s research results." Chapter 956 A Gathering ? Chapter 956 A Gathering After hearing Zobber''s request, ck Robe burst intoughter, as if he had heard a particrly amusing joke. "Zobber, you may be small, but your appetite is certainly not!" Mocked by ck Robe, Zobber immediately jumped up to refute. She said, "I''m 5.5 feet. Are you making fun of me for being short?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. This unexpected remark left ck Robe momentarily speechless. As Catherine had mentioned, Zobber was unpredictable and hard to control. Turning serious, ck Robe decided not to joke with Zobber any longer to avoid dying matters. "Zobber, I can tell you clearly. Getting Catherine''s research results is absolutely impossible. If you''re not willing, I can find someone else. With the Duncan Corporation, I believe many people would be willing to serve me. As for you, if you don''t cooperate with me, I''m sure you know what awaits you. No need for me to say more, right?" Indeed, Zobber knew what awaited her. She would be constantly hunted, face continuous troubles, and have a life of hiding and evading. Just thinking about it. Zobber couldn''t help but shudder. She smiled pleasingly at ck Robe. "Let''s discuss it again. I don''t need it all. Half is enough." ck Robe remained silent, and Zobber continued, "If half won''t work, then one-third." With Zobber still in a bargaining mood, ck Robe spoke again, his tone much more serious this time. "Zobber, this isn''t a market. There''s no need for you to haggle here. If I say no, it''s no. The conditions are set. You make your choice." After much contemtion, Zobber finally made a decision. "Alright. I''ll take a loss. Let''s go with what you said." Then she added, "Hurry and give orders. What should I do next?" Zobber looked eagerly at the man, appearing quite anxious. I''ll finish it as soon as possible and settle this matter." ck Robe narrowed his eyes and looked at her coldly. "Go back for now. I''ll inform you if needed. Since there was no intention to act now, she didn''t need to be in a hurry. Zobber promptly stood up and left the scene. Once she was far away, Finn dared to speak, whispering, "Sir, Zobber daring to make such requests, is there something influencing her from behind?" ck Robe coldly smiled. ''She''s just testing my limits today, trying to see how much I can give her. She wants to gain as much as possible. Zobber had quite an appetite, daring to request ess to Catherine''s research results. "What do we do then?" Finn asked. ck Robe squinted his eyes and stared in the direction Zobber had left. He said coldly," Keep an eye on her." "Yes, sirl ***** Catherine agreed to have dinner with Karl and Thomas at Aaron''s ce today. She finished work early. Thomas was waiting for her downstairs in theb building. As Catherine descended to the ground floor, she saw him. He asked, "Cassie, are you done with work?" "Yes," Catherine replied. Even with just one word, it brought joy to Thomas. He looked excitedly at her. "That''s good! While work is essential, life is also important. Let''s go together to Aaron''s ce. We can share the location with Karl once we arrive. It seemed Thomas''s main purpose for waiting for her was hisst sentence. Catherine saw through it but didn''t reveal it. She nodded with a smile, agreeing to his decision. She didn''t mind going earlier orter. It wouldn''t make a difference. Unexpectedly, before they even left the school gate, they encountered Karl''s car head-on. The car stopped steadily in front of Catherine. Without waiting for the butler to assist him, Karl impatiently pushed open the car door, quickly got out, and walked toward Catherine with a smile. Karl said, "Catherine, I''m here to pick you up for dinner. Are you happy?" Thomas became annoyed as soon as he saw Karl. He stood aside and red at Karl. He hade up with this n with great difficulty, only to have it disrupted by Karl. So he was extremely angry. Facing Karl''s enthusiasm, Catherine remained indifferent. That was her typical style. For unfamiliar people, regardless of their identity, she wouldn''t bother acknowledging them. "Mr. Karl, Mr. Theo and I were nning to go to Mr. Aaron''s ce. Since you''re here, why not join us? We can chat on the way," Catherine suggested. Hearing Catherine''s proposal, Karl, who was initially reluctant, agreed. He said, ''Sure. I''ll follow your advice." The group boarded Karl''s car together, heading to Aaron''s ce. Thomas had informed Aaron in advance, so today''s dinner was exclusively for them. Aaron was already waiting at the door. Thomas, you bringing so many friends here. Quite lively!" Aaron said. "Aaron, if not for your love of peace, Ide here every day. Catherine loves your cooking, and I''m willing to apany her, Thomas replied. While the two chatted, Karl was left aside. He felt very ufortable, and his face darkened. Catherine sighed inwardly, finding it amusing. Karl used to be a powerful figure in his younger days, but now he behaved so childishly. Catherine sent a message to Branden, who was on his way. Seeing Karl looking downcast, Catherine took the initiative to approach and engage in conversation with him. Meanwhile, Thomas noticed that Catherine was talking with Karl. He realized his n foiled again and felt unhappy. He pulled Aaron over and said, "This is Karl, the grandfather of Branden you met before." Aware of Branden''s identity, Aaron immediately recognized Karl. "I didn''t expect you to visit here," Aaron remarked. Karl, pleased with the friendly attitude, engaged in conversation, and the atmosphere gradually lightened. As they chatted, they decided to y chess. Observing this, Catherine excused herself and went to the backyard to rest. "You''re here!" A sudden voice interrupted Catherine''s thoughts. She looked up to see Rn standing at the courtyard gate. Rn was Aaron''s grandson. It wasn''t surprising to see him here. Without waiting for her to say anything, Rn exined, "I''ve been here with Grandfather these days. Didn''t expect you toe here." Catherine smiled faintly and remained silent. Since it wasn''t intentional, there was no need for exnations. Chapter 957 Mutual Affection Chapter 957 Mutual Affection Suddenly, an attendant approached with some medicine and a ss of water. ''Mr. Melton, Mr. Aaron has prepared your medicine. He said it will help if you take it as soon as possible," the attendant said. Upon hearing this, Rn changed his expression. He looked unpleasant and wary. The sudden change in atmosphere left the attendant bewildered. The water in the ss was hot, causing his hand to strain, yet he dared not speak up. Catherine nced at him and said to Rn, "Your grandfather is right. The medicine should be taken as soon as possible." Rn paused for a moment. Then he took the ss from the attendant. He was expressionless as he waved the attendant away. Relieved, the attendant immediately retreated. Rn unpacked the medicine, and the pungent medicinal aroma hit Catherine''s nose. Without tasting, she could tell it must be very bitter. However, Rn took it without wrinkling his brow. Mr. Theo is here as well. If you''re not feeling well, you might want to see him," Catherine advised. Upon hearing this, Rn lifted his head and gazed at Catherine with a tender expression." Catherine, are you showing concern for me? Catherine looked at him expressionlessly and said coldly, "Do we have a feud?" Rn was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond. After a while, he slowly shook his head. Catherine continued, "Since we have no feud, why would I wish for you to fall ill?* Rn realized, and he was relieved. As he looked at Catherine, her eyes seemed even gentler. He replied with a smile, "You''re right. When I have time, I''ll pay a visit to Mr. Theo and see if he''s willing to help." Thomas wasn''t an easily essible doctor. Whether he treated someone depended entirely on his mood. A buzzing sound came from Catherine''s pocket. Without checking it, she knew who was calling As she prepared to leave, passing by Rn, Catherine suddenly stopped and casually looked at him. "Don''t avoid medical treatment. You know that, right?" Even a child understood this principle, so if Rn didn''t get it himself, there was nothing she could do. As adults, everyone was responsible for their choices, and Rn was no exception. He understood Catherine''s meaning. He replied with a somewhat bitter smile, "I know. If you have something to do, go ahead." Hearing that, Catherine left without looking back. Although she didn''t say anything. Rn could easily guess who was looking for her. The changes in Catherine''s expression revealed everything. As her phone vibrated, amusement glimmered in her eyes. It indicated the truth. Because she cared about that person, her emotions could be changed simply by a phone call. Unfortunately, this didn''t belong to Rn. He envied that person madly but was helpless. ****** Catherine emerged from the backyard and spotted Branden leaning casually by the door. Judging by his posture, he must have been standing there for a while. "Why didn''t you call me when you arrived?" she asked. Branden nced beyond Catherine to the direction behind her. "Seeing you two engrossed in conversation, I didn''t want to interrupt." Catherine squinted and assessed Branden with a yful smile. He was spouting nonsense so seriously. Intentionally moving closer, Catherine reached him and tilted her head to stare at his beautiful eyes. "Are you really not disturbing or are you feeling jealous and sulking?" she teased. Branden disdainfully turned his head away, not wanting Catherine to see his awkwardness. Jealous? Is that necessary?" Catherine thought he was really arrogant. She couldn''t pass up this opportunity for banter, and she looked at Branden with a smug expression. "So, you''re saying even if I''m flirting with other men, you wouldn''t be jealous?" "Of course not," Branden replied without hesitation. Catherine frowned, preparing to deal with this stubborn man. But then Branden confidently dered, There wouldn''t be any other men to begin with. Anyone who dares to covet you would end up shark food in the western Patrific." Any man daring to have designs on Catherine would pay the price. Branden wasn''t jealous because Rn wasn''t worthy of being his opponent. Catherine was momentarily stunned, and then she yfully inquired, "What if I fall in love with someone else or develop feelings for another person?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Branden suddenly sneered. On his handsome face, his once gentle eyes instantly darkened, and his entire aura became incredibly intimidating. In a cold and terrifying voice, he stated," I''m capable of forcibly taking you away." Even if Catherine liked someone else, Branden wouldn''t hesitate to keep her by his side and ensure that man never appeared again. Branden admitted to being domineering, acknowledged his authoritarian nature, and was willing to ept criticism for forcibly seizing what he wanted. That didn''t matter. Once he fell in love, he didn''t want to let go. Branden gently caressed Catherine''s cheek and stared at her affectionately. ''My love is too possessive. I hope it hasn''t scared you away." He was always cautious while loving Catherine. He had never dared to fully reveal his feelings, fearing that his excessively domineering love would frighten Catherine. Now, he showed his true self. Even if Catherine wanted to leave, he wouldn''t allow it. Catherine was momentarily stunned by Branden''s words. This reaction left Branden internally conflicted. ustomed to a smooth life, he was always confident. But he only treated Catherine carefully. After a while, Catherine came back to her senses. She smiled and looked at Branden with her bright eyes. She wrapped her arm around Branden''s, leaning gently against his side. She said gently, "What a coincidence! I happen to be the same kind of person. It seems we''re the most suitable, a one-of-a-kind pairing." She was just as domineering, selfish, and assertive as he was. If she set her sights on something, even if it meant taking it forcefully, she would find a way to keep it by her side. Branden''s tense expression gradually rxed. He felt happy that everything turned out so luckily, and the girl he liked happened to like him. There was nothing more joyful than mutual affection. Chapter 958 Fate Is Unfair ?Chapter 958 Fate Is Unfair Catherine and Branden walked hand in hand out of the courtyard. Thomas noticed them first. He nudged Karl and said with contentment, "Karl, you might not be much, but your grandson is quite nice. He matches well with Cassie." Karl felt a bit displeased. He was about to retort. But upon careful consideration, he thought Thomas''s words, though not pleasant, were somewhat urate. Uncharacteristically, he didn''t argue and instead nodded in agreement. "Catherine is exceptional. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have agreed to Vicente''s proposal so readily and made the betrothal for Branden early on," Karl said. Karl''s words imitated Thomas. He knew Karl''s business acumen was sharp, never engaging in unprofitable deals. Unexpectedly, Karl was just as discerning in judging people. When Catherine was still very young, Karl had already set his sights on her and chosen her for Branden. Reflecting on it now, Thomas became even more unwilling and retorted, "You old rascal, at that time, Cassie was just a few years old, and you were already thinking of her bing your granddaughter-inw. You are so cunning." Karl coldly snorted and replied, "You''re just jealous!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org. As Catherine and Branden entered, they heard the two old men bickering. Catherine shook her head helplessly. Branden lightly patted her hand to ease her. He asked, "Has dinner started?" Thomas''s attention was immediately redirected. He smiled at Catherine. "Cassie, are you hungry? Catherine, in cooperation with Branden''s hint, nodded. "A bit." Thomas promptly stood up. "I''ll go to the kitchen and urge Aaron. I''ll also lend him a hand." And so, Thomas left. With no one to y chess with and no one to banter with, Karl found it boring. He could only focus his attention on Catherine and Branden. Branden pulled out a chair for Catherine and poured her a cup of coffee. Watching Branden''s attentive behavior and the proficiency with which he served, Karl couldn''t bear to look. He found it hard to believe this was his proud grandson. Thankfully, the one being served was Catherine. Otherwise, he might feel frustrated. NAAN After dinner, they sat in the courtyard to rest. Due to Aaron''s presence, Rn remained silent throughout, not drawing much attention. Karl, having not seen his grandson for a long time, began chatting with Branden. He asked," What have you been busy withtely? I see you leave early and returnte. Don''t neglect Catherine. Otherwise, I''ll be cross with you." After saying this, he cast a nce in Rn''s direction. It was only after arriving here that Karl learned Branden''s love rival was Aaron''s grandson. He thought it was truly a coincidence. Branden stared at Catherine affectionately. He grasped his grandfather''s meaning and replied, "''I''ve been busy with the affairs of the institute recently. The results of the experiments will be out next month. Once that''s done, I can bepletely free to spend time with Catherine. With the vast Duncan Corporation relying solely on Branden now, Karl could understand his hardships. "As long as you have ns for yourself." Unnoticed by everyone, when Branden mentioned the experimental results, Rn''s expression changed. Rn suddenly spoke up and drew the attention of everyone. "You have no time for your fianc¨¦e, but plenty of time to meet other women." As the words fell, the gazes of the three elders shifted between Branden and Rn. Thomas looked somewhat unpleasant, while Karl''s expression was even more grim. Karl would never allow Branden to betray Catherine. If such a thing happened, Karl would be the first to drive Branden out and cut ties with him. Karl tumed to Branden with a stern expression. "Branden, exin yourself. What''s going on?" Branden sneered, and his eyes darkened as he stared at Rn. "There''s nothing to exin. It''s just regr business dealings." Rn wanted to say something, but he was stopped by Aaron. Aaron said, "Rn, matters between the couple are none of your concem. The words ''couple'' pricked Rn''s heart. He wanted to say something more but swallowed his words back. Even though Rn didn''t press further, Karl didn''t intend to let his grandson off easily. He thought Branden''s exnation was not enough. Karl turned to Catherine and asked, Catherine, what do you say?" Catherine remainedposed and said calmly, "Most of the news on the inte is exaggerated. Mr. Karl, you know her. It''s Miss Miller whom we met the day before yesterday." ''Miss Miller?" Karl pondered for a moment before realizing who Catherine was talking about. After grasping the situation, he chuckled and continued, "So, it''s the youngdy from the Millers. This matter is absolutely baseless. I know that girl, and there''s nothing between her and Branden." Back in her childhood, Selene used to follow Branden around, but he paid her no attention and even scared her to tears a few times. If there was something between them, Catherine would have no chance to be with Branden. The topic deliberately brought up by Rn was treated as a joke by everyone, and the conversation quickly moved on. Rn felt uneasy and couldn''t shake the belief that there was something more between Branden and Selene. From Selene''s attitude, it was clear that she was hiding some secrets. After some time, Catherine began to feel drowsy. Seeing her squinting, Branden stood up and pulled her along, preparing to take her back to rest. As they were about to leave, Thomas and Karl naturally couldn''t stay behind for more idle chatter. Besides, considering their age, staying upte wasn''t an option. Once they left, Rn''s face darkened. Observing this, Aaron sighed silently and consoled him, "Rn, some things cannot be forced. If it''s not meant to be yours, let it go." Rn tightly pressed his lips, remaining silent. He never believed in fate, and he was unwilling to ept the course of destiny. All fate brought him was pain. He couldn''t ept what he desired to be destined to belong to someone else. Since fate was unfair, he would strive for it on his own terms. Inside the apartment, Zobber, who had just yed a few games, was drifting off to sleep. She nned to doze off in that position. Suddenly, a ringing sound echoed. It startled her and caused her to sit up abruptly. She instantly opened her eyes and became alert. ncing at the unfamiliar number on the screen, she instinctively knew it probably wasn''t some telemarketing ad. She answered the call, bringing the phone to her ear. A deep, ominous voice came from the other end. "In a month, the Duncan Corporation''s showcase is your time to strike. Wait for my signal!" Before Zobber could fully grasp the situation, the caller hung up. Zobber was perplexed. Withal lightly nudged her. "What''s going on? Chapter 959 Bring Catherine Down ? Chapter 959 Bring Catherine Down Zobber turned around and briefed Withal on the situation with a puzzled expression. She said, "It seems like I got a call from ck Robe just now. He told me to take down Mr. Duncan at the Duncan Corporation''s showcase in a month." Withal frowned and then turned to make a call to Catherine. Two minutester, Withal turned back to Zobber with the update. "The information is confirmed. Catherine says the Duncan Corporation''s showcase is indeed next month, not publicly announced yet, and only a few people internally are aware of it." Zobber eximed in excitement, ''Wow! These people are too formidable. Information like this should only be known by the top executives of the Duncan Corporation. They must have deep connections to get this intel so quickly.'' Withal sneered with disdain. He replied, "If they weren''t nted in the higher-ups, how could he boldly promise you half of the Duncan Corporation?" Zobber found it made sense. It seemed that ck Robe had more than one operative within the Duncan Corporation. She asked, "Withal, what should we do now?" Withal shrugged nonchntly. "What else can we do? Just do as he says." Zobber was surprised and thought inwardly, "Does he really think I''m a member of the ck Robe organization? Expects me to take orders unquestioningly?" Withal quickly sensed Zobber''s thoughts. "Don''t forget what we told you before. If you can''t do it, you have to step back from this mission. Remember that you''ve already betrayed the Hacker Alliance, and you and Catherine are not on good terms. Understand?" They all knew the prowess of ck Robe. For Zobber to gain his trust, she should change her attitude. If she showed reluctance in betraying Catherine, she wouldn''t be able to fulfill the task. After some contemtion, Zobber understood his words. "I got it. Don''t worry. I won''t jeopardize the mission." Withal wasn''t concerned about the mission failing. He cared more about Zobber''s safety. He didn''t want anything to happen to any of his friends. In thete night, the office was still illuminated. Selene stared at the photos she had just received on her desk, her eyes reddened with anger. Not long ago, her father had called. He warned her to stay away from Branden to avoid unnecessary media attention. He also advised her not to harbor unrealistic thoughts, emphasizing that Branden was beyond her reach. Selene thought inwardly, "Why? I''m educated and good-looking. Besides a slightly lower social status, how am I any worse than Catherine? Why does everyone tell me not to fantasize about Branden? Am I that undeserving?" Selene refused to give up. She red at Catherine''s photo with resentment. She was sure her father wouldn''t call without reason. Only Karl could influence him. Without a doubt, Catherine must have schemed behind the scenes, prompting Karl''s sudden concern. Selene became angrier as she thought about it. This matter couldn''t be left as it was. She had to make Catherine pay.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. When Rn returned to the office, he noticed the lights still on in Selene''s office. Slowly entering, he saw Selene holding Catherine''s files with hatred in her eyes. He knew she was plotting revenge against Catherine. Sensing someone approaching, Selene looked up. Upon seeing Rn, she said with a cold smile, "Mr. Melton, don''t tell me you''re here to visit me." Rn walked up to her and took Catherine''s files from her hands coldly. Scanning her with mocking and cold eyes, he warned, "Don''t forget your mission. Your target is Branden, not Catherine." Seleneughed and then replied, "Worried, huh? I haven''t even made a move yet. Rn, our goals are the same. My target is Branden. However, nobody said I couldn''t mess with Catherine. I''m doing it. What are you going to do about it?" Suddenly, Rn gripped Selene''s delicate neck. "Don''t take my warning lightly. If you want to challenge me, go ahead. I''d like to see how long you can survive!" He looked at Selene with his cold eyes. There was no hint of joking in his words. Selene realized that if she didn''t agree, Rn would kill her. She remained silent and refrained from provoking him further. The standoff continued, and the atmosphere became tense. After a while, a ringtone shattered the silence. Rn answered the call. His cold face gradually darkened. After the call, Rn reluctantly released Selene and warned, ''Remember my words. Don''t test my patience." Selene stared at him coldly. She maintained a defiant attitude outwardly but felt immensely uneasy inside. It was a fear of death she couldn''t suppress because she knew Rn was serious. After saying that, Rn turned and left the office without giving Selene another nce. Once he was gone, Selene was relieved and copsed to the floor. Her legs felt shaky. If not for the timely call, she might not have survived tonight. Rn''s sudden return to the office wasn''t for work. He was here to warn Selene for Catherine. Selene detested Catherine. In her view, Catherine was slutty and always hooked up with men. She turned the Duncans into her pawns and even made Rn stand by her. However, Selene gained something this night. She was originally unsure of how to deal with Catherine, but Rn''s appearance provided her with an opportunity to bring Catherine down. Since everyone seemed to be on Catherine''s side, Selene was determined to make them realize what kind of person Catherine truly was. Selene wanted to witness her downfall when no men supported Catherine. Chapter 960 A Leakage ? Chapter 960 A Leakage ''Miss Swann, it''s been a while since you provided our organization with any updates. Is our coboration still on?" Hearing the slightly threatening voice on the phone, Catherine responded with an aloof attitude, "Just wait." After delivering her words, Catherine promptly hung up the phone. She waspletely unconcerned about the other party''s reaction. On the other end, ck Robe was somewhat angered, feeling that Catherine had shown him a great deal of disrespect. In the next moment, an email automatically popped up on hisputer. Frowning, he opened the email and examined its contents. Not many could stealthily breach hisputer''s firewall and pop up a message. Catherine happened to be one of those few. After reading the email, ck Robe smirked. He finally understood why Catherine could decisively hang up on him without fear. It was simply because she could afford to offend him. As he gazed at the experimental data on hisputer, ck Robe''s smile became brighter. He immediately sent this experimental data to his subordinates. If they acted swiftly, perhaps they could make it before the release of experiment results at Branden''sboratory. If so, they could achieve a great victory. ''Urgent notice! Professor Hartley''s team members, pleasee to the conference room for a meeting!" Upon hearing the broadcast, everyone paused their work and headed to the conference room. Passing by Catherine''s office, a few senior students noticed her buried in literature and called out to her. Catherine lifted her head, looking dazed but adorable. "Do I need to go too?" The senior students were ustomed to Catherine''s demeanor. They knew that she was seemingly aloof, but careless and adorable in daily life. One of them said, "You should go. Professor Hartley would emphasize if you needn''t go. This meeting is probably mandatory." Hearing that, Catherine put down her literature, grabbed her phone, and joined the others. She didn''t want any special treatment. Since there was no such instruction this time, she would attend like everyone else. Arriving at the conference room, they felt that the atmosphere was unusual. Several high-ranking officials from the university were present. Not only that, the room exuded a tense atmosphere, as if something significant was about to unfold. Everyone tensed up and became cautious. Catherine followed two senior students to sit down, awaiting themencement of the meeting. Once Ultan confirmed everyone''s presence, he instructed the security to lock the conference room doors. With a serious expression, he took the microphone and said, "Everyone, the reason for gathering you here today is due to a significant incident in ourboratory. We''ve experienced a major leakage of experimental data, more severe than any previous urrence. This is extremely serious, concerning the entireboratory''s glory." Ultan was stem, and the topic was undeniably weighty. Tension filled the conference room, as everyone sensed that something substantial had happened. Whispering conversations circted, and anxiety gripped the room. Finally, someone couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Farrell, what exactly leaked? We have no idea about the situation, and it seems extremely difficult to uncover the mastermind behind this." Another one said, "Yeah. What kind of data leaked?" Then, a third one asked, ''Is it rted to Professor Hartley''s team? Otherwise, why only summon members from our experimental group?" The room buzzed with voices, and everyone felt incredibly upset. Marshall oversaw more than one experiment, and the experimental group had multiple projects. Now, everyone wanted to know which project had encountered a problem. Ultan sighed heavily. Then he raised the microphone and answered, "It''s the experiment on the development of the seventh-generation chip." After that, silence enveloped the room, and everyone was stunned. No one had anticipated that such a crucial experiment, exclusively handled by Catherine, would have a leakage. Besides her and Marshall, no one else had ess. Yet, no one suspected Catherine or Marshall of betraying the experimental group. Marshall''s integrity was well- known, having sessfullypleted numerous significant experiments over the years without any leaks. As for Catherine, it was even less usible. She was the lead researcher. The public revtion of this experiment would bring her tremendous recognition. Catherine couldn''t pass up such an opportunity. Each researcher had their aspirations. Nobody believed Catherine wouldmit such an act. People began specting about the mastermind behind the leak, but subconsciously, Marshall and Catherine were excluded from suspicion. Catherine, originally resting with closed eyes, perked up upon hearing Ultan''s announcement. Marshall, who had been closely observing her, felt an ominous premonition upon seeing her sudden attention. He hoped it was just a baseless spection. "Mr. Farrell, did you say the data from the project under my supervision was leaked?" Catherine suddenly spoke, capturing everyone''s attention. Ultan looked at her and nodded. "Today, I received an email report iming that the data from your experimental project was leaked, and the leaker received a substantial bribery payment." After a moment of silence, Catherine spoke again, shocking everyone present. ''The experimental data was shared by me, but there was no substantial bribery involved." Her words created an instant explosion in the conference room. Just earlier, everyone had instinctively ruled out Catherine. Yet, no one expected that she had leaked the experimental data herself. They wondered what her motive could be. She was the lead researcher, and leaking data offered her no advantages. They thought Catherine was out of her mind.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Everyone stared at Catherine with shock and disbelief. She stood there,posed as ever, and no one knew what she was thinking about. Chapter 961 The Investigation ?Chapter 961 The Investigation Despite Catherine''s admission of her involvement in theboratory project data leak, Ultan still couldn''t believe that. He looked at Catherine with astonishment. Then he turned to Marshall, who stood beside him. Marshall also wore a bewildered expression, clearly not understanding the current situation. Seeing Ultan''s gaze, Marshall, in a public setting, gestured for Ultan to continue. After a brief exchange between them, Ultan proceeded with questioning Catherine. He asked, "Catherine, since you''ve admitted that the project data was leaked by you, I think you need to exin the matter of the substantial bribery payment. What do you think?" Catherine remained cold. "I''ve said it before. There was no substantial bribery payment." "So, you mean you didn''t take any money? Then tell me, if not for money, why did you leak the experimental data? There must be a reason. As the lead on the project, don''t you understand its significance to you?" Ultan''s tone gradually became stern. He couldn''tprehend Catherine''s actions. *Nothing special. I just share the data for betterpletion of experiments." Catherine''s exnation seemed pale, and no one at the scene believed her reasons. The senior students of the experimental group initially believed in Catherine. After spending so much time together, they trusted Catherine, thinking she wouldn''t do such a thing. However, Catherine''s response disappointed thempletely. The atmosphere grew tense, and everyone changed their view about Catherine. Many became angry, eager to question Catherine and uncover the truth. Because this wasn''t just a project Catherine was responsible for. It involved everyone''s honor and was closely rted to the interests of those present. They couldn''t ept that Catherine would do such a thing. They felt deceived and became furious. With discussions escting. Ultan had to take action to appease the anger. He decided to undergo an investigation regarding Catherine. "Catherine, given your unique circumstances and the broad implications of this matter, I have decided to suspend all yourboratory experiments, restrict your ess to theboratory building, and require your full cooperation in our investigation until we uncover the truth of this situation." Catherine remained expressionless. Obviously, the oue was a bit lighter than she had imagined. She was about to agree when the conference room door was forcefully opened from the outside. Rn entered with his assistant, exuding a formidable aura. Seeing him, both Ultan and the leaders of the institution wore displeased expressions. After all, this was an internal matter for the school, and they had convened only the research personnel of theboratory project to handle it. Now that Rn had appeared, there was a possibility of the issue escting. They didn''t want that to happen. Ultan remained calm and looked at Rn with his sharp eyes. "Mr. Melton, what brings you here today?" Rn nced at Catherine with a gentle expression. Then he turned to Ultan with a serious demeanor. "Mr. Farrell, with such a significant data leak in the experiment sponsored by ourpany, shouldn''t you have informed me?" Ultan looked embarrassed. They were originally in a leading role in the rtionship with Rn''spany. Because their experiments didn''tck sponsorship. But now, the situation was different. They were in the wrong, and most importantly, they had been caught red-handed, leaving Ultan unnerving. Ultan replied, "Mr. Melton, the details of this leak are still uncertain. We are currently investigating, and once we have results, we will contact yourpany." Rn said with a cold smile, "Mr. Farrell, I understand your meaning, but since I''ve received the information, why not let me get involved directly? Wouldn''t that be more effective?" Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Initially, Rn was negotiating, but suddenly, he became more resolute. "Mr. Farrell, ourpany has invested a significant amount of money in this project. Any incident may affect ourpany''s reputation. I think you can understand that, right?" Ultan detected a warning tone in the words, and he understood that Rn wouldn''t relent today. After some consideration, he replied, "Alright, Mr. Melton. Please wait." Rn nodded and sat quietly on the side. *Catherine, stay. The rest of you, return to your positions and continue working," Ultan said. Those who had hoped to know the truth now had to reluctantly exit the scene. With everyone gone, Catherine remained calmly seated in her position. She casually yed with her phone, as if unaffected by the situation. Ultan was aware of the connection between Rn and Catherine. He decided to disclose the details of the project leak to see Rn''s reaction. "Mr. Melton, Catherine just admitted that she was responsible for the project data leak. What are your thoughts?" Rn turned to look at Catherine, seemingly seeking confirmation. Catherine looked at him and replied calmly, "Yes, It was me." She seemed somewhat arrogant, but those familiar with Catherine knew that this was just her personality. Rn looked a bit unpleasant. After receiving the news, he rushed here, and his greatest concern was Catherine. He knew she would adopt this nonchnt attitude. She didn''t care about others'' opinions and was disdainful of lying.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ''Mr. Farrell, I believe in Catherine''s character. I''m sure there must be some unavoidable reason for her actions," Rn said. Ultan inwardly sighed in relief. While he had already anticipated the oue, Rn''s words carried a different weight. With the affirmation from the sponsoring party, they could handle the situation more easily. Ultan also believed that Catherine must have her reasons, but her actions were always unpredictable, and even Marshall was unaware, let alone Ultan. Despite Rn''s trust, the incident had already urred. The most important thing was to investigate thoroughly and provide a clear oue to everyone. As Ultan hesitated on how to proceed, Catherine suddenly stood up. "I''llply with all the school''s arrangements and decisions." After that, Catherine left the conference room. She couldn''t freely ess theboratory now and needed to leave as soon as possible. Seeing this, Rn left the others behind and chased after her. Chapter 962 Rylans Bottom Line ? Chapter 962 Rn''s Bottom Line "Catherine, hold on!" Rn caught up with Catherine at the entrance of her office. Catherine halted and turned to face him. She said coldly, "You can''t juste and go as you please here, understand?" Rn paused and retreated his foot. The assistant by his side was stunned. It was the first time he witnessed someone treat Rn like this, and oddly enough, Rn didn''t seem angry at all. Catherine began packing up things she needed to take from her office. There weren''t many things, and she quickly finished. Throughout this time, Rn stood by the office door. He just waited quietly until Catherine came out. Rn caught up with her and said, "Catherine, I don''t think you shouldpromise so easily. Not exining things clearly may affect your reputation." "It''s my business, and you shouldn''t interfere," Catherine replied coldly and then left the research building with her belongings. Rn followed her out. Even the assistant found him a bit too passionate, especially when Catherine didn''t respond. However, Rn persisted, trailing her until they reached the school gate. There, they coincidentally encountered Branden. Branden had rushed to the school upon receiving the news. He remained silent and took the items from Catherine''s hands. "Go home and rest!"Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Catherine nodded slightly and walked alongside Branden toward the car. Witnessing this, Rn felt a sharp pang in his heart. He thoughting quickly would be enough to win Catherine''s favor, but she remained cold. As Catherine was about to get into the car, Rn couldn''t hold back any longer. ''Catherine, you don''t care about what others think. What about Professor Hartley? Aren''t you concerned about him anymore?" Catherine paused for a moment. It was clear that Rn''s words had affected her. Branden, with his arm around Catherine, sensed her change. Before Catherine could respond, he turned back to Rn and warned coldly, "Mr. Melton, as Catherine''s fianc¨¦, I will consider her affairs. No need for you to be here. If you have spare time, you should manage your own businesses, so they don''t go bankrupt one day without you knowing.'' Last time Rn lost a project worth several hundred million dors after provoking Branden. Now he dared to provoke again. Branden wondered if Rn had too much money or if he was out of his mind. Rn understood the warning in Branden''s words, and his expression darkened. He wanted to approach, but his assistant discreetly held him back. Remaining calm was crucial at this moment. The assistant didn''t want him to act impulsively. Branden got into the car with Catherine, and then the car drove away. After that, the assistant cautiously asked, Mr. Melton, what should we do next?" Rn''s face turned grim, and he replied coldly, "Back to thepany." He needed to settle scores with someone. ***** Bang! The loud sound of the huge doors mming open startled Selene, who was happily sipping her drink with a raised goblet. The red liquid in her cup sttered all over her expensive newly worn clothes. ncing at her ruined attire, Selene instantly exploded with anger. She raised her head to re angrily at the intruder. "Mr. Melton, even if you''re angry, can''t you maintain some decorum? Bursting into my office abruptly, where are your basic manners?" Rn stared at Selene with a grim expression. Before Selene could speak again, Rn grabbed her by the neck. He looked at her with his sharp eyes, exuding a chilling aura. "Did you forget my warnings?"Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. He exerted considerable force, causing Selene''s face to contort in pain and turn bright red. She struggled to ask," Have you gone mad?" Rn ignored Selene''s suffering. He continued to tighten his grip and red at her. "I told you not to touch Catherine, Did you hear me?'' Selene felt that Rn had lost his mind. He genuinely seemed intent on killing her. Selene started to panic, but she refused to surrender. She remained defiant, hoping to make Rnpromise. Selene said, "Rn, don''t forget your position. Consider who we''re working for. The head didn''t say not to touch Catherine. As long as the final result benefits our entire project, you have to cooperate with me. If you dare harm me, the head will not let you off!" Rn no longer cared about much. Selene repeatedly challenged his authority. Now she dared to touch Catherine. They should know that Catherine was crucial to Rn. Today, Rn decided to teach Selene a lesson, making those who attempted to touch Catherine aware of his bottom line. Selene was being choked nearly to the point of suffocation. Her entire face turned extremely red, and she couldn''t hold on muchnger. She struggled frantically. Disregarding her image, she attempted to plead. In the face of death, she finally felt fear. However, Rn showed no intention of letting her go. The assistant, extremely anxious, tried to persuade Rn, but it was useless. Rn seemed determined to kill Selene. Just when Selene was on the brink, the assistant contemted knocking Rn unconscious with a stick to save him. At the critical moment, someone suddenly shouted, "Rn, stop it!" The angry voice brought Rn back to his senses. He turned to see Aaron standing at the office door, ring at him. "You brat, let go of her. Aren''t you afraid of causing a death with your actions?" Although Rn didn''t release his grip, he didn''t exert force anymore. Aaron rushed forward, forcefully pulling Rn away with a stem expression. "No matter how angry you are now, you need to understand what you should do. Take it easy. Do you intend to sacrifice yourself to it, or do you believe you can control everything?" Rn finally came to his senses. At this moment, the assistant rushed forward and pulled Selene out. Selene copsed on the ground in a wretched state. She breathed heavily, struggling to inhale air. For a moment, she thought she was going to die. Rn was truly terrifying. He was just like a devil. Chapter 963 Vacation ? Chapter 963 Vacation In the Melton Group, Aaron had Selene sent to the hospital. If it were not for Aaron to show up timely and stop Rn, she would have been strangled to death. Selene was so intimidated by Rn that she left the office with his assistant without saying anything. Only Rn and Aaron were in the office. Aaron looked at Rn. His stomach sank. If Rn''s assistant hadn''t informed him beforehand, Rn would have done something terrible. "Do you know what you just did?" asked Aaron. Rn didn''t answer him. Aaron raised his voice and continued, "You almost killed her!" He coughed violently. He was old and in bad health. The fluctuation of emotion made him out of breath. Rn, who had been frosty, poured a ss of water and handed it to Aaron. "Grandpa, I don''t deserve your concern." Aaron took the water, his hand shaking and his eyes filled with tears. He regretted sending Rn back to the Meltons in Loewe when he was still a child. Or else Rn would not turned out to be broken. "Rn, stop before it''s toote," said Aaron. Rn sneered, feeling sad inside. It was toote, so he could only stick to his path. He was destined to be miserable when he was born into the Meltons. He once believed he could have everything, but nothing was ultimately his. He sighed heavily inside. Considering Aaron''s age, he didn''t want Aaron to be involved. "Grandpa, why don''t you go home first? I know what to do. I promise to act rationally," said Rn. Hearing this, Aaron''s brows finally stretched. When Rn suggested that someone should send him home, he refused. He had been on his own for his whole life. "I can go home by myself. You get back to your business. Don''t exhaust yourself," said Aaron. Rn arranged for someone to take Aaron home for safety. Rn had many things to do. What he did to Selene was impetuous, but he didn''t regret it. She should be taught a lesson to understand the consequences of messing with the wrong person. **AWA Branden left the conference room for Catherine after hearing only a vague idea of what happened at the university. Branden hadn''t figured out what was going on. After they were home, Catherine threw herself cozily on the sofa, her long legs casually crossed on the side table. She didn''t look like ady from a noble family at all. Coziness was all she wanted. But that was what Branden loved about her:nguor and casualness. Branden, standing behind her, massaged her shoulders to help her rx. They talked leisurely like families. ''The leak of theb''s data, is that you?" asked Branden. "Yep!" She admitted it immediately. She didn''t want to lie to him, and there was no need to lie. "Did you trade it for something?" Branden kept asking. Catherine nodded. Branden was smart. She was not surprised at him figuring out her n. Branden raised one eyebrow. "Did it benefit you?" Catherine thought for a while. ''A little, I guess."Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Branden gently pinched her cheek when he heard her answer. "Good. You''re a proper businesswoman, then." That was something new. Everyone thought she was crazy when they discovered she traded the experimental data. Only Branden cared about whether she benefited from the trade. And she loved that about him. ''I''ll y games here. You can work in the study. I''m officially on vacation for the next few days," said Catherine. Branden looked at her, pretending to be jealous. "How great is that!" Catherine looked up at him, her neck long and gorgeous. "Do you want a vacation, too?" "Absolutely!" Branden said with a bitter smile. "Would you mind covering my shift for a few days so I can enjoy my vacation?" Catherine groaned disdainfully, "That''s quite a fantasy!" After joking around, Branden was forced to work in the study while Catherine stayed in the living room and enjoyed her vacation, watching movies and ying games. A call came in when she was in the middle of a game. She put on headphones and continued the game while talking on the phone. "Who is this?" asked Catherine distantly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ''It''s me, Miss Swann." The modified voice revealed the caller''s identity immediately. Catherine fixed her eyes on the screen and focused on her game, waiting for the man to speak. A few secondster, ck Robe''sughter broke the silence. "It''s impressive to stay calm under this situation, Miss Swann. I can see why you can be the chief of the Hacker Alliance. Don''t you want to know if I''m behind this?" Catherine rolled her eyes disdainfully. "You already called me. Why bother asking? You are going to talk about it anyway." The reason he called so eagerly was to exin about it. She didn''t have to ask. ck Robe remained silent for a few seconds and slowly said, ''Miss Swann, what if I say I have nothing to do with this? Would you believe me?" "Yeah," answered Catherine without any hesitation. ck Robe was stunned. "Why do you trust me so much, Miss Swann?" ''Cause it''s all about benefits. You wouldn''t do anything that doesn''t benefit you," exined Catherine miserably. ck Robe burst intoughter. "Anyway, thank you for your trust. I''ll deal with it. And I hope our cooperation remains pleasant." Catherine hung up and kept on ying the game. She didn''t like to waste her time on meaningless talk. Chapter 964 Selenes Plan Failed ? Chapter 964 Selene''s n Failed Selene was in the hospital. She could barely speak. And her neck was in colossal pain due to the strangling. Even drinking water was painful to her. Selene stopped the doctor who was leaving and asked, "Doctor, how long does it take to recover?" The doctor pushed his sses hesitantly and said in a severe voice, "The swelling can be relieved within three days, but it will take another week to recover fully." "Can you at least ease the pain?" That was what she was concerned about. She could try to eat as little as possible but still had to eat. The thing was, the pain was unbearable, even though she was only lying there and doing nothing. The doctor could only say, ''Miss Miller, it takes time for the medicine to work. We''ve given you painkillers. Your pain will be eased soon enough." But he never mentioned exactly how soon. Selene was furious to see the doctor leave. She spent extra money to shift into a single ward, and this was what she got. What a jerk! She identally moved her neck and grimaced because of the pain. She swore to herself with her fists clenched that she would make Rn pay for this. They both worked for the same boss, but Rn was superior to her and trampled on her at will just because he was a Melton. Catherine must die, so did he! She would make them pay. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Her throat was on fire. But no one came to pour her some water, no matter how many times she pressed the service button. So, she could only go by herself. When she passed the service station and overheard some nurses talking, she found out this hospital was under the Duncan Corporation. After drinking some water, she went back to her ward. The pain in her throat was still unbearable, but the surprising news lightened her mood. She could not wait to text Branden. This was her chance. They were startled when Ronin and the others found out about what Catherine had done. Zobber suddenly realized something. "So, Catherine had made a trade with ck Robe long ago. It seems Ronin was not the first one to betray the Hacker Alliance. Catherine was." Two fierce gazes darted at her when she finished speaking. Zobber shrunk a little and smiled awkwardly. "I''m only telling the truth." Withal and Ronin rolled their eyes at Zobber. They were used to Zobber''s reckless words and didn''t want to argue with her. However, seriously speaking, she had a point. From the beginning, Catherine made trades with ck Robe with specific purposes they didn''t know about. *Since Catherine has admitted the trade, will the university be harsh on her?" asked Zobber. She was worried about Catherine. It was said that everyone in theb thought Catherine sold her experiment and theb for her benefit. Ronin instinctively raised his voice after hearing what Zobber said. "I dare them!"Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Withal dragged him back to his seat and told him to calm down. "Will you two please stay out of this? Catherine must have done this for a good reason. You know the consequences of messing up her n." Ronin finally calmed down after being warned by Withal. When it came to Catherine, he would be rationless. Withal knew that very well. So, he changed the topic before things got worse. "Anything from your side, Zobber?" "Nope!" Zobber shrugged, looking casual. "No further notice. Just told me to wait." They couldn''t figure out what was on ck Robe''s mind or his next move. He was intelligent and mysterious. Withal sighed. "Then we''ll wait. Stay out of Catherine''s business. Wait for her order." They decided to follow Withal''s advice. Cause he was the most rational one among them. ***** After lying in the ward for two hours, Selene finally got excited when she heard noises from the hallway.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She quickly checked her appearance in a small mirror, ensuring she looked fragile and beautiful simultaneously. She wanted Branden to feel sorry for her. Then she hid the mirror andy on the bed quietly as the footsteps went closer. "Miss Miller." Selene slowly opened her eyes, pretending to be tired, only to find Carlo standing there. She looked around but didn''t see Branden at all. She couldn''t help but frown unhappily. A hint of disappointment escaped her lips. "Why are you here?" It would be impossible for Carlo to miss her expression. He didn''t want toe in the first ce if it was not Branden''s order. No one wanted toe. *Miss Miller, Mr. Duncan sent me. Your ward has been transferred to the VIP room on the 7th floor. Do you want to move there now?" said Carlo. "What about Branden? Is he busy at thepany or something?" Selene tried to hold on to thest straw. But Carlo''s answer was like cold water pouring on her. "Miss Swann is staying at home for a few days. Mr. Duncan is busy taking care of her. I believe you''ll excuse him." Carlos deliberately said that to her face because he loathed women who threw themselves at Branden while Branden only cared about Catherine. Selene''s face was all colors. There was no way to release her anger. Branden chose Catherine over her when she was lying in the hospital so miserably. ''It must be Catherine! She stops Branden from seeing me. What a bitch!'' thought Selene. Seeing Selene was not answering, Carlo urged her. "Miss Miller, do you want to move or not?" Selene red at him and answered, ''Why not? With Branden backing her up, the people in the hospital would have to treat her better. She stood up and walked in front of Carlo, who couldn''t help but show his disdain for her arrogance. He couldn''t determine why Branden would respond to a woman much worse than Catherine. Chapter 965 Meeting with Ultan ?Chapter 965 Meeting with Ultan A phone call from Marshall woke Catherine. "Catherine,e to the university. Ultan has something to talk about with you.'' Hearing Marshall''s voice, Catherine slowly came to her senses. "Professor Hartley? What''s going on? Why do you call?" Her voice was less distant and more attractive. Marshall knew she was sleeping without thinking. He was flooded with resentment at having to work overnight." Hurry up. I won''t cover you up if you''rete." He hung up resentfully. Catherine leisurely got up. How naive was she to think she could have a vacation? They wanted her back just one day after they threw her out. She dressed up and headed out for school. Her arrival at theb building attracted a lot of attention. Although she was not officially expelled, it was an open secret in theb building. Catherine ignored all the gazes and swiped her badge, trying to enter the building. But the machine rmed." Trespassing! Please step back." This only caused more attention to her. People stopped and observed her closely, whispering to each other. Some were jealous of her talent and uniqueness for a long time. Now, they were more than happy to see her down and out. One of them was even bold enough to mock Catherine. ''Miss Swann, you had been forbidden to enter theb building by Mr. Farrell yesterday, remember? Many critical projects are going on in this building other than yours. We can''t afford to let you leak everything, can we? So, why don''t you walk away and save us from worrying?" Her sarcastic tone was more terrifying than cursing or yelling. People around her couldn''t help butugh. Catherine stood beside the machine expressionlessly, ignoring what was happening around her. A few minutester, Marshall rushed to her after hearing what happened. He swiped Catherine''s badge on the machine without saying anything. The machine rmed again. "What the hell is going on?" But now was not the time to talk about this. He would report to Ultan after Ultan talked with Catherine. He looked back at Catherine. "Come with me." Seeing Marshall taking Catherine into the building, the student who mocked Catherine was unpleasant." Professor Hartley, you are a widely respected professor. But Catherine had been forbidden to enter this building by Mr. Farell himself, and even her badge is on the block list. Are you going to disobey Mr. Farell publicly?" The bystanders secretly thumbed up at this student for confronting Marshall. They all agreed with her. Marshall had been a man of free will for years. He didn''t bother to exin. He looked at that student and sneered. "You know, you can always report me." Well, he had her there. It was simple but effective. The student was lost for words. As mad as she was, she was no match for a professor. Marshall dragged Catherine toward the door, but Catherine had no intention of going in. Marshall turned around and looked at her in confusion, eye-questioning her. Catherine walked away and sat down with her arms crossed, coldly saying, "Why doesn''t Ultane to me himself? He''s the one that wants to talk." A vertical line appeared between Marshall''s two brows. What was that supposed to mean? A lot of people heard and sniffed at what Catherine said. They thought she was bluffing, acting like a big shot, and asking Ultan toe here in person. She didn''t receive such treatment in her prime, let alone now. Marshall looked at her for a while and left alone. He knew Catherine had made up her mind. To the bystanders, it was like Marshall totally ignored Catherine. The student who mocked Catherine before spoke up again. "Someone really should know when to stop. The only person who pities her is now pissed off. What can she do? I feel so sorry for her." Catherine slowly looked up at her, measuring her with the eye. White shirt, ck pants, ordinary face. As a researcher in theb, that was okay. But the way she mocked people made her look ugly. Catherine looked at the name on her badge and searched it in her memory. And she sneered, which instantly attracted that student''s attention. "What''s so funny? Am I wrong?" she asked.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Catherine''s eyes were so clean and clear, like a mirror that could reflect all the ugliness in the world. Her voice was distant. "You got into theb after three attempts, right? As a person who ranks thest every year, I think you have better things to do with your time than teasing me here. No wonder your experiment has no result after three years. Maybe spend more time in theb?"Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. That student clearly didn''t see iting. She fixed her eyes on Catherine furiously, lost for words. ''You... Try as she might, she couldn''t argue with the facts. So, she stamped her foot and said, "We''ll see. You are going to sit here forever." She turned around and was about to leave when she saw Ultaning this way. She greeted him, but he passed her without even looking. Ultan stopped at where Catherine was. And everyone dropped their jaws. Catherine was not bluffing. Ultan was here to invite her in person. Chapter 966 The Experiment ? Chapter 966 The Experiment After Marshall med him for blocking Catherine, Ultan went downstairs to look for Catherine. However, Ultan never ordered Catherine to be put on the block list. He had no idea who did this. "Catherine, I heard you want me to invite you in personally. Is that true?" asked Ultan. What Ultan said made the crowd more and more curious. Their gazes darted between Ultan and Catherine. Some thought Ultan was here to scold Catherine instead of picking her up and that Catherine had asked for it with her arrogance. They were eager to witness the scene where Ultan harshly scolded Catherine. When asked by Ultan, Catherine slowly looked up, neither humble nar pushy. Then she said casually, ''Mr. Farell, you want to talk to me in theb building, right? Now that my badge is blocked, I need you here to prove I''m invited. I don''t want innocent people to be punished for letting me in." Only then did Marshall realize Catherine wanted Ultan to be here in person for his reputation, not for herself. He didn''t give a damn about his reputation, but Catherine did. Knowing what Catherine wanted, Ultan''s expression becameplicated. He had no intention to offend her. To be honest, he liked this talented student quite a lot. Besides, Catherine was a student the university wouldn''t want to lose, with Branden and Thomas behind her, both of whom were beneficial resources. However, the data leakage incident was massive. He had to handle it with principles strictly. He turned around to look at the crowd, eyes sweeping them. ''She''s right. I invited her. The university needs Catherine to cooperate with the investigation. As for the badge, there will be a deration about it when we find out the truth." His words had made everything clear, but the crowd was not leaving. Ultan''s voice became harsher. "Don''t you have work to do?" And that worked. The crowd fled in every direction like startled birds. Now that Ultan had invited her publicly, Catherine didn''t say anything and followed Ultan into theb building. They went to the conference room. Apart from Ultan and Marshall, a few university leaders were also there, like thest time. This whole incident shook the university.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Catherine sat in the front row fearlessly, facing the magisterial leaders. She looked casual andfortable. And Marshall realized his worries for her were unnecessary. She was calmer than him. Ultan looked around and decided to let the best psychology professor of his faculty question Catherine. This professor was famous and respected at Styre University and in the criminal investigationmunity. He had assisted the police in many cases.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. With a hint from Ultan, the professor spoke up first. ''Miss Swann, I was informed that you admitted to leaking the experiment data on your initiative and that you denied being threatened or bribed. Is that correct?" "Yes," answered Catherine without any hesitation. The professor continued, "There has to be a reason. You can''t just do it for fun, can you?" "Noments." Brief and provocative. Her attitude riled some leaders, and one of them smacked the table and stood up, ring at Catherine. "How arrogant! We are giving you a chance by handling this at the university. Ultan and Marshall try to help you, for you are a talented student. But if you are still like this, I will have the National Security Bureau involved. And you will lose your chance to exin and yourfortable seat." He threatened Catherine with an upromising attitude. Marshall fidgeted about, but Ultan held him back. It wouldn''t do any good to Catherine or himself if Marshall stood up for Catherine. Catherine yawned. She was tired of the same old questions. She narrowed her eyes, looking at the leader who threatened her contemptuously, saying, "Go ahead. I''ll wait." Some leaders had heard about Catherine''s attitude issue before. But they had never met her or known how bad her attitude was. Now, her arrogance was appalling to them. More leaders were provoked. The one who threatened Catherine insisted that Ultan call the National Security Bureau immediately, leaving Ultan with no choice but to make the call. Before he called, he tried to talk some senses into Catherine for thest time. "Miss Swann, it would be much better if you cooperate with the university." He waited for a while, but Catherine ignored him. He sighed and took out his phone. Some people gloated over this. They had been dissatisfied with the privilege given to Catherine for a long time. After this, they could get rid of Catherine and shut out Marshall. Two birds at one stone. Before Ultan dialed, Catherine slowly said, "Mr. Farell, what are you using me of?" Ultan was stunned, not sure why she asked, like leaking the university''s project data was not enough. Seeing his confusion, Catherine continued, "Although I have been conducting experiments in ourb, the project was signed by myself. Besides, all the patronage was acquired in my name. I think I have the right to give MY experiment data to anybody." Her words, once again, appalled everyone. Ultan looked at Marshall in shock. From the look on Marshall''s face, he could tell that Marshall, like everyone else, had no idea of this. Catherine was in no hurry. She reminded Ultan, "Believe it or not. You can always check the contract." When she heard Catherine''s words, the secretary went to look for the contract. Ultan, standing aside, measured Catherine with the eye. Her calm shook him a little. He couldn''t help but think, ''Is it really like what she said? Have we been conducting an experiment that doesn''t even belong to the university?" Chapter 967 The Truth ?Chapter 967 The Truth After checking the contract, they found that Catherine was the derer and the experiment''s leader and that Marshall was only assisting. Who would have thought Catherine could experiment all by herself? So, Styre University had nothing to do with this experiment. On the contrary, Styre University benefited from Catherine''s status as a titr student. Everyone was dumbfounded. Ultan turned around and looked at Marshall in disbelief. "Is this true?" Marshall spread his arms and shrugged. "It''s all written in the contract." Ultan''s mind was blown away. The reverse was entirely out of his expectations. Marshall only cared about experiments. He didn''t mind giving up authorship if the experiment was meaningful. That''s why he didn''t stop Catherine from being the derer. He almost forgot about it. It appeared that Catherine had everything nned and organized. These old fes stood no chance against a person so thoughtful as Catherine. However, it was funny to see them being fooled around. Marshall let out a sigh of relief. Now that he was free from worries, he sat down and watched silently. Ultan was mad at him. He red at Marshall. "And you knew about it? You gave away the university''s project!" Marshall couldn''t agree with him on this. He argued, "It''s not something you can give away. As we all know, Catherine experimented all by herself. The experiment would be just as well without me." Right. Catherine, his best student, was that brilliant. And he got Ultan speechless. Ultan, of course, knew how talented Catherine was. But still, her excellence shocked him. And he could understand why Marshall was always so protective of Catherine.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Their argument made Catherine drowsy. She narrowed her eyes and looked ahead. Her gaze fell on Ultan. "Mr. Farell, are you going to call the NSB or not? Cause if you are, I need to prepare for the trial." Ultan''s face was as dark as the sky before a storm. Why bother calling the NSB? Everything was settled. He got angrier at Catherine, not sure what her intention was.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. After a while, Ultan was still silent. Catherine decided to leave on her own. So, she stood up and greeted Marshall. Seeing Catherine strutting out was like a p in the face for the leaders. They turned to Ultan. "That''s it? Are you going to let her walk off like that?" Ultan red at them. "It was her experiment. How she traded it is none of our business. I did my best. You can try to stop her, though." The room quieted down. Catherine walked out with their curious gazes. When she left the building, she met Ronin, who rushed here after hearing theb blocked Catherine. "Catherine, are you okay?" Ronin ran out of breath and even gasped for breath when speaking. Catherine looked at him peacefully. "Why wouldn''t I be?" Although Catherine was safe and sound, Ronin was still full of anger. ''That''s great. Now, you wait here. I''m going inside to ask those old guys why they blocked you. You are literally the best thing that could ever happen at this university.'' Ronin was going in furiously before Catherine dragged him back. "Calm down, Ronin,'' she said. "I can''t!" Ronin was so anxious. The thought of Catherine being treated rudely almost blew his head off. Catherine looked at him expressionlessly. "Maybe a bath in the cold river could help." "You don''t really mean it, do you?'' Ronin nced at her awkwardly. Catherine was a woman of her word. If she nodded, he would have to jump in the river. Catherine gave him a cold nce. "Follow me if you don''t want to end up in the river. I''m so gonna kick you into the river if you do this again!" Ronin hurriedly answered, "Never! I promise!" Ronin was young and reckless. He would do anything for Catherine at any cost, which could be a hidden trouble. Ronin confronting the university would only worsen the situation and put her in a dilemma. She was not afraid of confrontation. But thest thing she wanted was to affect others. After being scolded by Catherine, Ronin calmed down. He couldn''t control himself sometimes. He wanted to blow up Styre University when he knew Catherine was bullied. "What do we do next, Catherine?" asked Ronin. Catherine patted his shoulder. "Next, we will eat. And then, go home and rest. "We... Wait a second. That''s your n?" Ronin was disappointed. He was ready to fight or something. But he followed Catherine to eat anyway. "What did you say?" Selene held her phone and shouted. Thankfully, she lived in a single VIP ward, and the scream didn''t escape the room. After a moment, she asked again, "Are you sure about this?" *I was there in the conference room, Miss Miller. One hundred percent positive." Selene angrily hung up after hearing the reply. It was beyond her expectation that her perfect n failed. She couldn''t believe a young girl fooled around Styre University. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. So, she smashed everything in the ward. The nurse standing outside wanted to stop her but was held back by another nurse. "She''s with Mr. Duncan. We better stay out of this. Selene smiled proudly when she heard what they said. She would not let Catherine get away so easily next time. Chapter 968 The Vote ? Chapter 968 The Vote After Catherine left, the conference room raged. Some smacked the table and asked Ultan for an exnation. Ultan grew impatient and stood up, ring at them. "I''m willing to give up my position to whoever can find a substitute for Catherine. Go ahead and take it." Everyone went silent at once. How could they find a substitute for a genius like Catherine in this country or even the world? Even Marshall had to admit Catherine''s dominance in this experiment. As much as they wanted to, they couldn''t argue with what Ultan said. The silence was long and awkward until someone couldn''t bear it anymore and asked, "So we just let it be? What about the reputation of Styre University? She''s gonna ruin us!" And another professor immediately echoed. "Mr. Farell, this is moreplicated than it looks. We all know who Catherine''s fiance is. Theb under the Duncan Corporation has the same experiment project, which has gone unnoticed for ages, but announces that it will disy the results next month. Doesn''t it say something?" What he said was like a seed of suspicion. It sprouted in everyone''s head, waiting to grow into a tree. And all of a sudden, there were all kinds of conjectures. The atmosphere was tense again. Some even suspected Catherine had shared the data with the Duncan Corporation to upgrade her fiance''s career, given that she had done it before. The discussion became nasty. Ultan realized he had to put an end to this. So he proposed. "I think we should expel Catherine to save the university''s reputation. Let''s vote for this. Those in favor, raise your hands." And someone raised his hand immediately. "I agree. His loud voice caught everyone''s attention. To their surprise, it was Marshall. Catherine was his best and most cherished student. Yet he was the first one to agree to expel her. No one knew what he was thinking. Even Ultan looked at Marshall in disbelief. "Marshall, I said those in favor." Marshall answered thoughtfully, "I''m not deaf yet. I heard you well. What Catherine had done to the university was irresponsible. It hurt Styre''s reputation badly. As a professor at Styre, I have to vote to expel her." Ultan skeptically measured him with the eye, clearly not convinced. But Marshall''s high-raised hand showed his attitude, leaving Ultan confused. The others all voted yes. The proposal to expel Catherine was confirmed. *Since everything is settled, I''m heading back to myb," said Marshall. He left the conference room, ignoring their curious gazes. When he ensured no one was around, he texted Catherine, reading, [Everything is in control.] ***** "Mr. Duncan, I''ve something for you." Paxton came to Branden with thetest news. Branden stopped his work to look up at him. *Rn was the one who attacked Miss Miller. He went to her office in person and did it." Paxton was shocked by the fact that Rn went berserk and attacked someone.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Branden looked frosty, feeling no sympathy for Selene. His cold gaze darted at Paxton and gave him goosebumps. "That''s what you have for me?" "Sorry, Mr. Duncan," said Paxton. Branden thought it was something about Catherine. But it turned out to be someone irrelevant. "Get out!" Paxtong rushed out without hesitation. Once he was out, he got a call from Selene. His face darkened. This woman was literally haunting him. He answered the phone in a grumpy voice. "Hi, Miss Miller, I''m busy now. Please make it short.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Paxton was Branden''s right hand. Selene might not like his attitude, but she had to kiss his ass. ''Hey, Mr. Paxton. Have you told Branden about my situation? When will he be avable to visit me at the hospital?" She wouldn''t call Paxton if she could reach Branden. Paxton rolled his eyes inside repeatedly but remained expressionless on his face. "Miss Miller, I''m sorry, but Mr. Duncan is busy recently." And he hung up immediately, partly because she was the reason Branden scolded him. Selene was pissed off, staring at the screen of her phone. Did an assistant just bully her? First, Rn, now Paxton. Did they think she had no one to back her up? Well, they would know about it soon. After half an hour, Rn showed up at her door. Selene remained motionless and silent for a few seconds before Rn was going to leave. "Where are you going?" She hurriedly stopped him. Rn turned around and sneered. "I thought I might need the help of a lip reader since you are dumb." Selene''s face darkened. She had to ball her fists hard to suppress her rage. "This is how you apologize?" Yep. She told on him to their superior and forced him to apologize. She wanted everyone to know who was behind her and what she was capable of. Rn snorted and looked at her in contempt. "Who said anything about apologizing? I''m only here to pick you up. And if you are not leaving, I am!" Then he left without her reply. Selene did not chase after him. Instead, she took a picture of him leaving from behind and smiled. After a while, Rn was back with a dark and frosty face. And Selene was all smiles. Chapter 969 The Consequences ?Chapter 969 The Consequences Rn''s face darkened. He didn''t even bother to hide the contempt and disdain in his eyes when he coldly looked at her, disgusted by her bitchy ways. "What do you want?" Selene sneered. She still remembered vividly how arrogant he was just a few minutes ago. And now he was there. She felt the pleasure of winning and intentionally put on a haughty posture. However, Rn had no patience for her. He gritted his teeth and said, "Don''t dance on my nerves. Get up now, or NEVER. You know what I mean." The threat worked well. His cold gaze reminded Selene of that day and made her stomach sink. She dared not to rechallenge him cause she knew he was a maniac. He might kill her. Honestly, if it were not for his grandpa, people would be attending her funeral now. She had goosebumps at the thought of this, got up from the bed, and packed her things. Rn picked her up at the hospital and sent her to thepany in front of the staff. It created quite a stir in thepany. Everyone thought Selene was going to be kicked out after messing with Rn. But somehow, she was not kicked out. Instead, she was escorted to thepany by Rn himself a few days after their brawl. People couldn''t help but make conjectures about who was backing her up. Selene straightened up and walked into her office like a proud peacock, enjoying people''s attention. This was precisely what she wanted. She wanted them to witness her remarkableeback like they witnessed how Rn threw her out. Rn instantly wanted to leave after they set foot in her office. "Wait!" eximed Selene, trying to stop him from leaving. Rn paused and then left anyway. He once again pissed off Selene. She swore to revenge him for the humiliation. The assistant knocked on the door. *Coming in!"Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. The assistant came in and quickly closed the door behind her. Selene immediately frowned upon her. "Why do you close the door? Am I embarrassing you?" Sensing her anger, the assistant answered carefully, "No, Miss Miller. I have something important to tell you." Then she whispered something to Selene''s ear, which shocked her thoroughly. She looked at the assistant in disbelief and confirmed with her repeatedly. "Are you sure you got the right information?" The assistant hesitated for a while. "Miss Miller, you know how it is. We can only be sure that Catherine went to take an ob-gyn examination at that hospital. It took us a great effort to know this. And that''s all we have." Selene felt like she was going to explode with the rage surging inside her chest. The jealousy of Catherine drove her crazy. Why was Catherine always the lucky one? Then she gave an order to her assistant, which surprised the assistant. "Are you sure about this, Miss Miller? She is Catherine Swann. We stand little chance against her."Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Selene had learned a lesson from the previous failures against Catherine. She did her investigation on Catherine and was confident to say that she knew her well. She understood her assistant''s concerns, but things were different now. Catherine was doomed this time. ''Just follow my lead. Schedule it on the same day as the Duncan Corporation''s press briefing. Now, get to your own business," said Selene. Knowing her resolve, the assistant could only do as she was told. Zobber got a message from ck Robe but couldn''t decide what to do. After thinking, she secretly texted Catherine to seek her opinions in anguage only they could understand. Catherine texted back with two words and cut off their connection to protect Zobber. After all, they lived with so many eyes on them. After that, Catherine found that theb chatting room on WhatsApp was boiling. The host released an announcement saying that Catherine had been expelled from Styre University and would have nothing to do with the university and Marshall in the future. A tossed stone raised a thousand ripples. Those researchers immersed in the academy left their work behind and had a heated discussion. Some said it was too much and that theb needed Catherine. Others thought it served her right. The chatting room had never been more active. Catherine swiped her screen and read theirments. She felt bored after a while and exited the chatting room since she no longer belonged to Styre or theb. After she exited, her phone never stopped ringing. People were calling her like crazy. Some were close friends, but some she barely knew. She didn''t answer any of them. Before she could turn her phone off, she got another call and picked up as soon as she saw the number. "It''s me." Cold voice. But Catherine was even colder. "Yes?" "We will make Styre pay for what they did to you for our cooperation." Catherine snorted coldly. "Do you want me to thank you? Maybe a Best-Partner-Ever mug?" The person on the phone was lost for words. Catherine hung up after two seconds. She never was an ass-kisser. She took a nap as the doctor had advised her to rest. Her hectic work schedule had taken a toll on her health. Three peaceful hours of napping gave Catherine total energy. Well, peaceful for her, at least. But Styre experienced an earthquake during the three hours. Ultan was not surprised when he got a call from the Melton Group. He had seen iting. The Melton Group only agree to sponsor them because of Catherine and her project. Now that Catherine was expelled and the project didn''t belong to Styre anymore, they would want to withdraw their money. But to Ultan''s surprise, several sponsors came in a row after the Melton Company and asked for their money back. Ultan couldn''t sit and wait for his doom. He called an emergency meeting. The fund chain would break if more sponsors left, and many experiments would be affected. Ultan certainly didn''t want to be the one who put Styre to an end. Chapter 970 Two Birds at One Stone ? Chapter 970 Two Birds at One Stone It was tense in Ultan''s office. Professors were called here to discuss the withdrawal of investment. Ultan listed all the possible situations for them and sat aside. A professor looked at the contract and frowned unpleasantly. "Five of our sponsors have decided to withdraw their investments. We''ll be in big trouble if they all leave. People would think Styre is doomed." He had a point. It would be catastrophic if a chain reaction were set into motion. Styre would be in trouble if sponsors followed each other and withdrew investment. Who would have thought it was all because they expelled Catherine? As the principal of Styre, Ultan had thought about this, of course. He looked up at that professor. "What''s your advice then?" That professor paused and then bitterly said, "Should we consider enrolling Catherine again? She definitely didn''t want to be expelled. We can say she apologizes for the mistake and has a great attitude." Someone objected immediately. "Styre is a century-old university. We would notpromise for a student." Then, the argument began again. Ultan looked at Marshall, who was so calm, and finally figured out why Marshall had voted to expel Catherine. Marshall had expected this from the beginning. He protected himself and wonpliments by voting yes. Many would say Marshall was a man of science and knew nothing apart from science. They thought he was as innocent as a three-year-old. Well, bullshit. Marshall was as sly as an old fox. "Marshall, Catherine is your student. You must have something to say," said Ultan. He would not allow Marshall to stay out of this while the rest of them were concerned.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Marshall hurriedly waved his hands, trying to dodge the bullet. "WAS. She WAS my student. I thought we had agreed she had no longer been my student since she was expelled. I won''t take the nder now. I have nothing to do with her!" Unfortunately, Ultan didn''t believe a single word he said. He coldly nced at Marshall and thought, ''There''s no way you leave this mess to me alone. Sensing the warning in Ultan''s eyes, Marshall smiled awkwardly. "However, even though I have nothing to do with Catherine, I''m still a professor of Styre. So, I have a proposal, and we can vote for this." Ultan raised one brow and looked at him. "Proceed." "We can''t eat our words and take Catherine back. It''ll make Styre a joke. But we can''t afford to lose any sponsors, either. It''ll affect all the experiments," said Marshall. People rolled their eyes at him. Cause he was basically repeating everything they had said. Marshall continued with a smile, "Don''t rush me. What I''m saying is, since we can''t take Cahtrine back as a student, how about we employ her as a specially engaged professor? We sign a contract with her. As soon as she returns, the sponsors will return as well. The rtionship between Styre University and Catherine has turned into an employment agreement. We do not hold any responsibility. More importantly, we save Styre''s reputation." Everyone was nodding after hearing Marshall''s proposal. Ultan sat aside, smiling. He found it funny to see them fooled around by Marshall. Marshall''s proposal seemed to solve the biggest problem for the university. But it also cleared the rumors for Catherine and upgraded her. There was a vast difference between a student and a specially engaged professor-two birds at one stone. But he didn''t say anything because this was the only avable solution. Besides, he trusted Catherine as much as Marshall did. After voting, Marshall''s proposal was approved. When the result came out, Marshall said, ''I voted no. You guys approved this proposal. Don''t ever me me if things go south." Some had realized what Marshall was ying there. But to save Styre from trouble, they didn''t argue anymore. Then, Marshall strutted out. ***** Marshall couldn''t wait to share this exciting news with Catherine. "Catherine, congrattions! You are now a specially engaged professor at Styre. Are you happy?" Catherine could only smile on the phone. She wanted Marshall to stay out of this to save his reputation. But Marshall was too protective of her. It seemed like science was no longer the only thing he cared about. *Professor Hartley, you shouldn''t get involved," said Catherine. Marshallughed. "I have many students, but you are the only one that may make a difference in the world. I''m doing this for science. Catherine was silent. Her eyes were filled with mixed feelings. She had caused more trouble than benefit to Marshall ever since she got Styre. But Marshall had always taken good care of her like a father. After a long while, Catherine said, gently and slowly, "Tnahks, Marshall." "You are wee. I told my wife about what I did, and she said I deserved a good meal. So I''m heading home. I''ll see you around," said Marshall. Catherine looked at her broader and broader smile on the dark screen, feeling good for having somebody to defend her.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 971 A Slap in the Face ?Chapter 971 A p in the Face Although the university didn''t officially release the announcement about expelling Catherine, someone put it on the inte and caused a great mor. Netizens made various conjectures about what she did that got her expelled. One user left ament, saying, [Isn''t she a badass? I heard Styre fancies her a lot. Howe she got expelled?] Another user replied, reading. [The truth is she lived off Styre while secretly selling data to others. She deserves it.] Thisment caused a lot of attention. People entered her homepage and found she was also from Styre University, like Catherine. And then, many Styre students liked herment as if verifying her words. Everyone believed what she said. Soon, Catherine became a target. Some evenmented on Audrey''s ount, cursing Catherine. It became a hot topic on the inte andsted for a long time, which Catherine found confusing cause she was not a celebrity. But she became a hot topic on the inte now and then. Branden called, asking if she needed any help from the public rtions apartment in hispany. It would be easy to save Catherine''s reputation. But this was not only about Catherine. Styre University and Marshall were also involved. He had to ask for her opinion. "No. I think I''m okay," said Catherine faintly. Branden was confused. "What? Just let it be?" He couldn''t bear the idea of others ming Catherine. *Professor Hartley had settled everything. The university will handle it soon. Catherine could tell he wanted to do something for her, but it was all sorted out by then. So, Branden could only give up. "When do I get a chance to show you my power? I''m like your invisible boyfriend." "Then you better rush next time," said Catherine. Branden echoed, "No one''s gonna beat me the next time!" They joked around and then hung up.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. The hot topic had a surprising twist in the afternoon. Marshall rushed to Ultan''s office, demanding he release an official announcement. Ultan looked at him thoughtfully. ''The university has no precedent of announcing a guest professor." Marshall couldn''t care less about the university''s precedents. "Then make one for Catherine. She will be the precedent. And there will be another announcement for the next somebody. Then, we will get used to it." "You..." Ultan was pissed off. But he couldn''t do anything to Marshall. Finally, Ultan was forced by Marshall to release an announcement. "You will ruin my reputation," said Ultan angrily. Marshall smiled and answered, "Don''t worry about that. It''s only getting better." "It better be." He snorted and informed his secretary of the announcement. The announcement created quite a stir on the inte. It said Styre University only expelled Catherine to hire her as a guest professor. Those who had been cursing Catherine suddenly disappeared. People argued inments. Some thought it was a p in the face for those who smeared Catherine. Some thought Styre was unbelievable to hire a barely twenty-year-old girl as a guest professor. The heated discussion made Catherine and Styre the hottest topic again. Ultan had ordered everyone to stay out of this. No one posted anything on the inte. They had done everything they could. If Catherine were good enough, she would make everyone shut up. Catherine noticed the trend very soon. She posted several pictures on her ount with a question, saying. [I can''t decide which one to go. Vote one for me?] She shared some screenshots of her emails, sent by the top universities and research institutions worldwide, inviting her over. Some would even pay a high price for a lecture from her. And there could be more simr emails in her mailbox. It is another p in the face of those keyboard warriors. Ronin left ament, saying, [If Catherine weren''t a patriot, she wouldn''t stay at Styre. But it seems it''s time to go.] The girl they hated was also the girl the top universities wanted. It showed how arrogant and ignorant some people were. Soon, someone initiated a vote. No one could question her cause they voted to make Catherine stay at Styre. Marshall called her immediately. "Catherine, it seems you have been hiding from me." Catherine didn''t exin to him. She said faintly, "Professor Hartley, just remember I will never disgrace you." Marshall smiled. "Hopefully, we don''t disgrace Ultan." He didn''t care about his reputation.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherineughed at his words. "Right." Chapter 972 Troubles Coming ?Chapter 972 Troubles Coming The Duncan Corporation''s big day arrived. Branden had sent out invites well in advance, including to notable figures like Marshall, Thomas, and Aaron. Though Karl and Thomas were meant to depart together, their ongoing rivalry meant Thomas opted to wait for Scott, instead. Karl, respecting their wishes, left for the venue alone. As Karl left, the observers in the shadows quickly ryed the change to their superiors. "Change of ns. Mr. Theo is alone, and Mr. Duncan is not with him. Shall we proceed?" After a brief pause, themand was clear. "Proceed. Target Thomas." "Got it!" came the immediate response. ***** Half an hourter, Thomas and Scott finally left, bickering yfully. "Dressed to the nines for what? It''s not even your big day." Thomas chided. "Well, you wouldn''t go with Karl, and now you''re giving me grief for being slow. I have to look sharp. I''m representing our side at my future brother-inw''s event." Scott shot back. Their banter continued until they were suddenly surrounded by ck vans, the tension skyrocketing. Scott, cool as ever, prepared for the worst, hiding a dagger and telling Thomas to run if things went south. Thomas, however, was unfazed. His focus is solely on Scott''s safety. "Look after yourself. Our family''s future is in your hands," he said. *****Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Catherine received a disturbing call about Thomas''s kidnapping right as she was heading to the exhibition. "Mr. Theo is with us. Want him alive? Come find us." The call ended abruptly, giving Catherine no chance to trace it. Soon after, she got a text with an address. It was from the kidnapper. With only half an hour to the exhibition, Catherine paused for a second before making up her mind.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Catherine quickly informed Branden and turned around, determined to ensure Thomas''s safety over attending the event. ''Nobody is going to clip Thomas''s wing while I''m around.'' Catherine thought determinedly. At the exhibition, Branden became anxious as Catherine failed to appear. After learning from her message that she had left her apartment, he realized something was off. Karl, noticing Branden''s unease, couldn''t help but chide him. "Haven''t I always taught you to keep your cool? Cassie might just be downstairs by now. Don''t worry. She''ll be back soon. Karl''s words somewhat calmed Branden down. As the exhibition was about to start, and all ns were in motion, Branden considered dying the start to wait for Catherine. Karl reassured him that Carlo was on the case and advised Branden to start without dy. "Cassie said she would bete because of an urgent matter. You have to trust her," he counseled. Despite his concems, Branden knew the show must go on. The event kicked off with the room plunged into darkness. Zobber, poised backstage with a champagne cart, received a nod from Paxton. Removing her mask, Zobber looked towards Paxton. "Paxton, Catherine sent me. Can I go up now?" Seeing it was Zobber, Paxton''s expression softened. "Wait here on the side." Unaware that Catherine hadn''t arrived yet, the crowd was filled with anticipation for Branden''s speech. Then, suddenly, Carlo rushed in through the main entrance, urgency etched on his face. Instead of approaching Branden on stage, he went straight to Karl. "Sir, there''s trouble," he said, tension in his voice. He handed Karl two videos; one captured Thomas and Scott in captivity, and the other showed Catherine executing a swift U-turn on the road. Karl, with a stern expression, issued orders without hesitation. "Carlo, assemble a team and reinforce Catherine. Once you''re in touch, follow her orders. Given her skills, she''ll manage with our support." Karl had immense confidence in Catherine''s abilities, considering her just aspetent as Branden. Yet, Carlo hesitated, burdened with sensitive information Branden had swom him to secrecy. Reluctantly, he whispered to Karl, causing the elder Duncan''sposure to shatter instantly. "Is that so?" Karl exploded, his gaze piercing through Carlo. Carlo nodded, uneasy. "Branden wanted it kept under wraps, but Miss Swann is in danger,'' he confessed. Karl, seething with fury, contemted storming the stage to confront Branden, thinking, ''Branden dared hide such grave news? After I ensure Catherine''s safety, that boy will face the consequences. "I''ll deal with Catherine''s situation myself," Karl decreed, his anger palpable as he stormed off, leaving Carlo behind. Simon, quickly followed, struggling to keep up with Karl. It had been ages since he had seen Karl this incensed. What on earth could have provoked him this time?'' he mused, worry creeping in. Sighing, Simon said, "Looks like the skies over Loxton are about to change." Chapter 973 Kill You All ?Chapter 973 Kill You All Catherine arrived at the agreed location, an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Loxton. She scoffed internally at the clich¨¦ setting. ''Really? An abandoned factory? Feels like someone''s ying too much into the movie tropes. "Got guts,ing alone," a mechanical voice echoed, gender indiscernible. Catherine looked up, her gaze sharp and intimidating. "I''ve got the guts toe alone. Do you have the guts to show yourself?" The mysterious person, watching her every move from behind aputer screen, aimed to negotiate. "No need to provoke me, Catherine. Just hand over the list, and I''ll let your person go." If I can secure that list, I''d be in the boss''s good graces. Then taking down ck Robe would be a piece of cake, the captor thought. Catherine remained silent, her chilling stare felt through the monitor, putting the captor on edge. "Want the ledger? Show me the hostage first," Catherine demanded coldly, uninterested in ying games. The captor attempted a threat, but Catherine cut through the nonsense. "No show, no deal," she stated firmly, turning towards the door. Catherine''s boldness took the captor by surprise. "Catherine, you''re not scared I''ll kill them?" the captor shouted. Catherine stopped. She responded coldly, "Go ahead. But remember, I''ll hunt you down, no matter where you hide. I''ve got no morals when ites to protecting mine. You hurt my people. I take down yours." Despite holding hostages, the captor felt outmatched. As Catherine turned to leave, the guards grew anxious. "Boss, are we just going to let her walk out?" one of them asked. "Stop!" the captor finally yelled, beaten.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Catherine paused, her voice cool. "Thought it over?" With frustration, the captor had no choice but to bring out Thomas and Scott Theo, both bound and with explosives strapped to them. "There, you''ve seen them. Now, the list?'' the captor asked, trying to regain control. Catherine ignored the demand, her focus solely on assessing Thomas and Scott''s conditions.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Thomas struggled upon seeing Catherine, urging, "What the hell are you doing here? Forget about us. Just go!" The captor quickly silenced Thomas, attempting to bargain further with Catherine. Chapter 974 Bad Guys ? Chapter 974 Bad Guys "You''ve seen them. Now, what about my end of the deal?" the captor urged, their worry about Catherine''s potential backup increasing the tension. But Catherine didn''t budge or utter a word, her silence and powerful aura ensuring no one dared toy a finger on Thomas and ot under her watchful eyes. Time ticked away, and with Catherine still making no move, the captor, driven by impatience, activated the timers on Thomas and Scott''s chests. "You have five minutes, Catherine. Give me the list, and I''ll let them go," the captor dered with a smug look, watching Catherine intently. But Thomas and Scott, far from pleading, seemed prepared to face death rather thanpromise Catherine''s safety. In a dramatic turn, Thomas feigned a seizure, spitting blood, causing immediate chaos among the guards who quickly removed his gag, desperate not to let him die before the list was secured. Once free to speak, Scott pleaded with urgency, "Release my grandfather! He has a heart condition. Your bomb has terrified him. Without immediate medical attention, he''ll die." The guards, thrown into a dilemma, sought instructions from their leader. The captor, scrutinizing Catherine, saw genuine concern behind her icy facade, though doubt lingered. "But Thomas is a renowned doctor. How could he not know of his own condition?" the captor questioned. Scott retorted with disdain, "Ever heard ''He that is fallen cannot help him that is down.''? Plus, do you think being a skilled doctor makes one immortal?" Despite Scott''s bitingeback, the captor remained unmoved, putting Catherine in a tight spot. "It''s your call, Catherine. Ambnce or watch Thomas die. He''s been nothing but kind to you. Can you really let the Parkers suffer over a list and outsiders?" Catherine demanded, "Give me aptop." The captor, silently gloating over her perceived victory, thought, "Once I have the list, Catherine, the Parkers, and even the child she''s carrying will all be history." "Bring her aptop," the order was given, and soon Catherine was provided with one. The captor then warned, ''Don''t get clever. We''re watching your every move on thisptop. Try anything, and the Parkers meet their maker." Catherine shot her a look of utter disdain. "Save your dumb threats for someone else." The captor, mocked and infuriated, was at a loss. Without the list in hand, they couldn''t do much against Catherine. Catherine''s fingers flew over the keyboard, lines of code scrolling rapidly on the screen. The speed was so fast it left the overseer behind her unable to make out what she was typing.Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. In no time, Catherine breached the highest security level of the Hacker Alliance''s database and retrieved the concealed list the captor was so desperate to guard. ''Here''s your list. Now let them go," Catherine firmly stated. "Deal!" The captor chuckled, thinking the real show was just beginning. The bombs on Thomas and Scott were quickly defused, and their restraints were removed. They both rushed to Catherine''s side, visibly relieved. "Are you okay?" Catherine asked, checking on Thomas with genuine concern. "A bit weak, but we need to move," Thomas replied, his voice low but filled with resolve. As they headed towards the exit, the once-open door mmed shut, enveloping them in an ominous atmosphere. Thomas, gripping Catherine''s hand, urged, ''Make sure you''re safe above all. If need be, forget about me or Scott, just protect yourself and the baby." Scott, standing by, firmly added, "Exactly, Catherine. If things go south, focus on your safety. Don''t worry about me.'' Catherine, gripping their hands tightly, reassured them with confidence. "Rx, I''m getting us out. No one is getting left behind here." Their entire exchange was overheard by the captor, who couldn''t help but mockinglyugh. "Really think you can walk out today? No one is leaving, not even the child you''re carrying." At this, Thomas''s anxiety peaked. He urged Catherine. "With your skills, you might find a way out of this trap. We''ll only slow you down." Ignoring Thomas''s suggestion, Catherine looked up defiantly. "Selene, is that all you''ve got?" Selene, caught off guard by Catherine, stood frozen for a moment. Despite Catherine''s prowess, Selene believed her victory was assured. "Goodbye, Catherine." Selene arrogantly announced, convinced of her imminent victory as she summoned fifty of her best fighters. Facing the onught, Catherine and Scott positioned Thomas safely to one side. Internally, Scott thought, ''If I had known about the pregnancy earlier, I''d have rather died than be a liability.'' "I''ll cover you. Find a way out," Scott said, positioning himself protectively in front of Catherine. Gently tapping his shoulder, Catherine reassured Scott with a smile. "No rush. We''ll leave together." With a mocking tone, Catherine proimed to these killers. "Think you can hold me? Not a chance!" The battle was imminent. Dozens of skilled fighters surged towards Catherine and Scott, with every intention of taking them down. Catherine''s pregnancy made her an apparent weak spot. The attackers converged on her, aiming for her belly. Scott couldn''t contain his fury at this sight, exploding with rage at the assants. "What kind of men are you, attacking a pregnant woman? Come at me if you dare!" Yet, their assault continued unabated, showing no regard for Scott''s challenge. Despite being outnumbered, Catherine was unmatched. She deftly countered their attacks, her face betraying no sign of panic. Meanwhile, Miller watched from a screen, smugly observing Catherine''s struggle. She leisurely cleaned her weapon, reflecting on her rigorous training abroad. Like a seasoned hunter who toys with their prey before the kill, Selene was in no rush to finish Catherine. She nned to wait until Catherine was utterly defeated before making her move. At the press conference, Branden seemed distracted despite his calm exterior. His speech, intended tost three minutes, was rushed and concluded in two. After Paxton approved, Zobber brought the champagne cart onstage. Recognizing Zobber, Branden let his guard down. Zobber, concealing her nervousness, handed Branden a ss of champagne. "Congrattions, Mr. Duncan. This is from Catherine. You have to ept it."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. As Branden took the ss, Zobber''s ring, equipped with a hidden device, scratched him, drawing blood. After a quick apology from Zobber, Branden brushed it off as nothing. Zobber then excused herself and immediately informed ck Robe backstage. "I''ve done as you asked. Now it''s time for you to keep your promise." ck Robe, who had been monitoring the entire event, nodded in satisfaction. The ring contained a deadly neurotoxin, capable of killing without a trace, not even Thomas could save Branden now. We''ve won this,'' ck Robe thought, assuring Zobber of her reward. "Now, let''s witness the miracle." At that moment, the watch on ck Robe''s wrist stopped, and Branden copsed on stage. Paxton was the first to rush to Branden''s side as chaos erupted in the venue, with no one understanding what had just happened. Chapter 975 Danger Is Coming ? Chapter 975 Danger Is Coming The chaos enveloped the entire venue, leaving everyone clueless about the unfolding events. Onstage, amidst the confusion, Paxton noticed Branden was out cold and didn''t waste a moment to call for medical help. "Let''s get him to the hospital, now," he ordered. Meanwhile, the Duncan Corporation''s PR team swiftly took over the situation, ensuring order amidst the chaos. Zobber, in her haste to escape, kept dialing ck Robe, anxietycing her voice. ''Did it work? Is Branden dead?" ck Robe responded at a leisurely pace, "Seems like you''re quite concerned about whether Branden lives or dies. "Isn''t that obvious?" Zobber snapped back, her patience wom thin. "I''m the one who did it, in front of everyone. If Branden survives, what is left for me?" ''No one is more concerned about his fate than I am right now,'' she fumed, her anger not drawing any rebuke from ck Robe, who found her frustration more genuine and fitting to her character. Easing his tone, ck Robe informed, "Calm down. We don''t have the full picture from the Duncans yet. Paxton has pulled in the best doctors from Loxton and is searching everywhere for Thomas. It''s not easy getting information from the Duncans now. I''ve got a ce you can hide out for a bit. I''ll keep you updated." Left with no other option, Zobber reluctantly agreed, "Alright, send me the address. I''m on my way." ***** At the warehouse, Catherine and Scott were battling fiercely, taking down many opponents. Despite their injuries, with Scott''s being more serious, they remained undeterred. Scott was determined, thinking, "Even if it ends for me today, I have to ensure Catherine gets out safely. Catherine, once an unstoppable force, now grappled with fear, not for herself, but for the sake of protecting her child and herpanions, Thomas and Scott. Selene, watching Catherine struggle, was running out of patience, eager to see Catherine in despair. She ordered her henchmen through the walkie-talkie. "Attack Thomas now, finish him off."Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. She wanted Catherine to witness the people who loved and protected her disappear right before her eyes, aiming to strike at her heart. Thomas, positioned above the chaos, remained untouched. Yet, when the attackers unexpectedly targeted him, neither Scott nor Catherine could reach Thomas in time. Just when danger seemed imminent, the attackers who had reached Thomas suddenly stiffened and copsed to the ground, lifeless as corpses. This unexpected turn of events shocked everyone. Thomas, with a cold smirk, mocked them, "Thought you could mess with me? I was navigating the underworld before you were even born." No one had expected Thomas, though not known for his physical prowess, to be such a formidable master in his own right. As a legendary healer, his knowledge extended beyond saving lives; he was also an expert in the lethal use of poisons. Scott, seizing the moment, shed a thumbs-up to Thomas. "Looking sharp, grandpa." Thomas, full of pride, responded, "Never mind me. Take care of Cassie." Selene, witnessing this scene, was fuming with rage. Time was running out, and she was desperate to see Catherine in utter despair. Her assistant, cautiously reminding her, said, ''Miss Selene, we only have ten minutes left. We should act now." ''Do you think you''re in charge?" Selene snapped back, intimidating the assistant into submission. ''Miss Selene, you misunderstand me," the assistant hurriedly replied, bowing his head in fear. Despite knowing time was against her, Selene couldn''t help but admire Catherine''s resilience, fighting fiercely even while heavily pregnant. It was a determination Selene could rte to, having fought her way up from the bottom herself. With a dark expression and a gaze filled with murderous intent, Selene ordered, ''Prepare for retreat. Release the poison gas in five minutes." "Understood, Miss Selene." the assistant responded before quickly leaving. Selene, weapon in hand, stepped out of the secret room and onto a high tform. Looking down at Catherine still fighting valiantly, she murmured, "Farewell, Catherine," before aiming her weapon at her. The trigger was pulled with a loud bang. ''Cassie, danger!" Thomas shouted from above, having heard the threat a moment earlier. Catherine had already sensed something was off and skillfully dodged the iing attack. Selene was shocked, never having seen someone evade her attack like that. ''Is Catherine even human? she wondered, astounded. After regaining herposure, Selene saw Catherine''s defiant gaze and mocking expression as ifughing at Selene''s ipetence. Furious, Selene clenched her fist and mmed it against the wall, swearing, "Bitch, you''ll meet your end soon enough." Catherine found Selene''s attempts foolish. Already on high alert from the first failed attempt, she easily dodged the subsequent shots. Enraged, Selene fired repeatedly, but Catherine''s agility allowed her to dodge while fighting off her attackers, appearing almost supernatural.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. The assistant, witnessing Selene''s frustration, sweated profusely, understanding her desire to finish off Catherine but also knowing the importance of time. "Miss Selene, the timing is off," he mentioned. Selene, picking up the walkie-talkie,manded, "Everyone, retreat." She had arranged for a group of bodyguards ready to sacrifice their lives to block Catherine and her team''s escape, ensuring they had no way out. With a cold stare, Selene thought bitterly, ''Catherine, you''re getting off easy with such a swift death. Chapter 976 What Are You? ? Chapter 976 What Are You? Just as Selene was about to turn and leave, she felt the cold press of a gun against the back of her head. A shiver of danger ran down her spine. "Who''s there? Can''t we talk it out?" she said, her tone sharp but cautious. An aged yet firm voicemanded from behind, "Hands up and turn around." Realizing this was noughing matter, Seleneplied, her hands rising slowly as she turned to face the source of themand. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when Selene saw who it was. ''Si-Simon? What are you doing here?" she stuttered. Simon looked at her with cold eyes, his voice stem. ''After all the Duncans have done for you, you repay them by harming Miss Catherine. How could you?" Selene, caught in the act, found herself without a defense. Desperately, she argued, "But Simon, with Branden being such a catch, the Duncans have plenty of better matches. Why settle on Catherine? She''s not right for Branden; she''ll only drag him down." Hearing her stubbornness, Simon couldn''t help but feel regret. He had watched Selene grow up, never expecting her to be so narrow-minded and vicious.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Suddenly, amanding voice cut through the air. "What do you think you are?" At the sound, Selene''s heart skipped a beat. Looking up to see Karl approaching, she immediately knelt, ovee with fear. "Mr. Karl," she whimpered. Karl snorted disdainfully. "Don''t pretend we''re that close." Selene didn''t dare to look up. Everyone who had lived with the Duncans feared Karl. They had never seen him angry in all these years. Now, with Karl making his entrance, Selene knew precisely the gravity of her situation, and her heart sank further. Karl fixed Selene with a cold re and said seriously, "Get her out of here." Refusing to be taken down without a fight, Selene prepared to make onest stand. After all, she had brought a significant force with her, and this was her turf. But before Selene could make a move, Simon, reading her intentions, delivered a swift kick that sent her sprawling at Karl''s feet. "How dare you defy Mr. Duncan!" Simon chided. He hadn''t physically engaged with anyone for over a decade, only stepping in now because of Catherine. Coughing up blood, Seleney before Karl, who stared at her solemnly. "Your struggle is futile. I''ve dealt with your men. Now, just wait for your punishment." he said. Selene''s eyes bulged in disbelief. No way. I brought my elite team. How could they vanish without a trace? And with the Duncan forces tied up with ck Robe, how could Karl have a backup?'' Karl saw right through her, dismissing her thoughts with a scoff. "Girl, you''re too young. Being old doesn''t mean I''m helpless. The loyalists from my days are still around."Update first atN?velDr¨¢ma. Org. With a gesture from Simon, a group of sturdy men stepped forward and restrained Selene effectively. As the front door opened, Karl immediately stood up, his demeanor shifting. When Simon attempted to assist him, Karl brushed him off. "Why help me? Check on Catherine. Is everything ready for her?" Karl barked. Simon nodded earnestly. "The ambnce is right outside. I''ll see to it." The tension was palpable as everyone awaited news on the trio''s condition. Momentster, Catherine emerged slowly from the door, her white clothing soaked in red, followed by Scott carrying Thomas. As Karl saw this, his eyes reddened withpassion. "Don''t be afraid, Catherine. I''m here." He reached out instinctively but stopped midway, remembering Catherine''s preference not to be touched. Catherine grabbed Karl''s hand for support, reassuring him. "Mr. Karl, it''s not my blood. I''m okay." Relieved, Karl sighed. "Thank goodness. You''re safe." Simon quickly arranged for a stretcher, urging Catherine to lie down. "Let''s get you to the hospital. Don''t worry. I''m here for you." Karl assured her. Catherine nodded, her strength fading from the severe exhaustion and the slight poisoning despite Thomas''s medicinal protection. Clinging to Karl''s hand, Catherine urged, "Mr. Karl, don''t tell Branden." Karl hesitated, knowing full well Branden''s temperament. Keeping this from him could turn the world upside down. "Promise me," Catherine implored weakly. Moved by her plea, Karlforted her. "Don''t worry, I know what to do. I promise." With Karl''s words, Catherine finally rxed, allowing herself to be taken to the ambnce. Catherine couldn''t risk Branden knowing about this. His love for her was so fierce he would overturn heaven and earth for her sake. Just as things were being settled for Catherine and Thomas, Simon approached Karl with a grave expression. Karl felt a weight in his heart. "What''s wrong? I''m old, not fragile." Simon hesitated, then murmured, "Sir, there''s been an incident with Mr. Branden." Chapter 977 At Deaths Door ? Chapter 977 At Death''s Door In less than half a day, news that Branden copsed at a press conference and was fighting for his life had spread like wildfire, causing thepany''s stock to plummet and sending waves of panic throughout the organization. At this moment, the VIP treatment area at Casier Hospital was crowded with high-profile figures, rendering it nearly inessible. Upon seeing Will Brown, the hospital director, emerge from the consultation room, Karl immediately asked," How''s the situation?" Will, usually assertive, became cautious under Karl''s imposing inquiry. He carefully replied, "Mr. Duncan, the situation is dire. We still can''t pinpoint the cause of Branden''sa, and we''re only able to slow the decline of his bodily functions with machines. As for Miss Swann... Seeing Will hesitate, Karl impatiently snapped, "Spit it out! You''re not holding up the sky. What''s there to be afraid of?" Will, who had once treated a younger Karl and held a deep respect for him, replied, "Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann isn''t in life-threatening danger. However, the amount of toxic gas she inhaled,bined with the physical struggle, means we''re likely unable to save the baby." Karl had anticipated this. In light of the events, it seemed nearly impossible to save the unborn child. He thought the mey with Branden for not informing him earlier andmented the absence of protection from God. *Ensure Catherine''s well-being above all." Karl Duncan sighed. "If the child can''t be saved, so be it. Her health is what matters."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Will was somewhat shocked by Karl''s emphasis on Catherine''s health over lineage, a rarity among elite families that often viewed women merely as bearers of heirs. Will assured, "Rest assured, Mr. Duncan. We''ll do everything we can. As for Branden..." Before Will could discuss Branden''s condition further, a weak yet determined voice intervened. "Just make sure Cassie is taken care of. Leave the Duncan boy to me."C¨®ntent belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Turning around, Will looked at the neer with awe. It was Thomas, the renowned miracle doctor who had once mentored him. Aware of Thomas''s poor health, Will expressed concern. ''Mr. Theo, you''re not in good shape. Maybe you should rest.'' Thomas nced at Will and gently dismissed his concerns, "I''m aware of my limits. Today, I''m willing to risk it all, even if it means fighting the Grim Reaper for him." ****** The hospital was in an uproar, and Zobber was far from safe herself. After being relentlessly pursued and enduring countless hardships, she finally arrived at the address ck Robe had given her, battered and bruised. Despite her efforts to disguise herself, Zobber''s entrance caught the immediate attention of the casino''s enforcers. A few of them approached her quietly. Realizing they were onto her, Zobber didn''t try to hide. She was too tired and ready to face whatever came next. Seeing her not making a move to escape, one of the enforcers coldly said, ''This isn''t a ce fordies. Better leave before things get ugly, and don''t expect us to clean up the mess." Zobber looked up, thinking to herself, ''This roach dares to talk to me?'' Her piercing gaze made the guy pause. Seizing the moment, Zobber demanded, "Bring me your boss." Hermanding presence left no room for objection, and the guy nodded almost reflexively. He only realizedter that he''d been yed by her. Soon after, the person in charge appeared. Sensing something extraordinary about Zobber, he invited her upstairs. Once in the office on the second floor, Zobber revealed her identity with arrogance. ''I''m Zobber. Look it up if you don''t know." The head, already knowing who she was, smiled faintly and said, ''The boss has instructed us to take good care of you. Please, follow me." Zobber was then escorted to a secluded vi on the outskirts, an ideal hideout easily defended against any intrusion. Deciding it was the perfect spot toy low, she settled in. The person who brought her also arranged for an underground doctor to treat her wounds. Once everything was in ce, Zobber prepared to sleep, seemingly without any concern for her safety. Finn reported the situation to ck Robe. "Sir, it seems Zobber has truly sided with us." ck Robe responded indifferently, "She has got nowhere else to turn. With Branden''s fate uncertain, who else could she rely on?'' The fact was such. Zobber''s allegiance was not by choice. She was left with no alternative. That''s why ck Robe wanted her to take action herself. ck Robe then inquired, "How are things at the hospital?" Thinking he was asking about Branden, Finn quickly briefed him on Duncan''s condition. But ck Robe was more interested in Catherine. ''And Catherine?" Without dy, Finn ryed the news. "Word is, Catherine''s life isn''t in danger, but the baby... the baby is at death''s door." ck Robe''s demeanor chilled. "That''s for the best. And keep an eye on Selene too. Find someone to take her out. ck Robe hadn''t expected Selene to be bold enough to make a move on her own. With so many losses this time, the higher-ups wouldn''t protect her any longer. Since she is so determined to find trouble, I''ll personally see to her end,'' ck Robe thought darkly. Chapter 978 Rylan, Am I Right? ? Chapter 978 Rn, Am I Right? Rn rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard the news. Everyone was there. Seeing him appear, Ronin immediately stood up. "Hey, Rn. What brings you here?" Rn grabbed his hand anxiously. "Ronin, how is Catherine?" At the mention of Catherine, Ronin instantly became uneasy. He was furious. He wanted to kill everyone who hurt Catherine. "It was all Selene''s fault. If it weren''t for her hurting Catherine, Catherine wouldn''t be like this now. She''s still in the operating room." After hearing about Catherine''s recent situation, Rn''s face immediately tumed a bit pale, and his footsteps were a bit unsteady. "She''s still undergoing surgery?" Ronin shook his head, his eyes turning red. "It''s been over three hours already." Rn tightly grabbed Ronin''s hand and asked, "Do you know why Selene repeatedly targets Catherine?" "It''s because of Branden. Selene is jealous that Catherine is too excellent. She has always had a crush on Branden and she thought she could get Branden if she kills Catherine. She doesn''t know herself at all. She doesn''t deserve Branden." Ronin became increasingly angry as he spoke, and he was raging with anger. Rn''s expression was unreadable. No one knew what he was thinking at the moment, only that he looked very gloomy. Seeing this, Ronin reached out and gently pushed him. "Rn, are you alright?" Rn reacted and said in a cold voice, "I''m fine. I was just wondering how I could find Selene. She dared to hurt Catherine. She must be made to pay for it." Although Ronin was very angry, he knew in his heart that this matter was not that simple. "You don''t need to look for her. We''ve arranged for many people to look for her, but none of them have found her. We still don''t know where she is hiding. She must know that we are all looking for her. It''s difficult to catch her now. It was said that the Duncans didn''t find Selene after they rushed to the scene to get Catherine out with Thomas and the others. Selene disappeared as if she was nowhere to be found and no one had any information about her whereabouts at the moment. Rn narrowed his eyes and looked ahead with a threatening gaze. ''I''m going to find her out even if it''s hard." The news of the end of the surgery instantly caught the attention of both Rn and Ronin. Ronin turned around and ran toward the operating room, with Rn following closely behind. The operating room was surrounded by people, and if it weren''t for Branden''s intimidation, there would only be more people. Not long after, the door to the operating room opened. Catherine was lying on the hospital bed, her delicate face was bloodless. It was the first time everyone had seen her so weak. The nurse asked everyone to leave and said that Catherine needed to be moved to a special ward and that she could not be visited by anyone yet. Thomas held hisst breath and was helped out by the medical staff. The crowd originally wanted to ask him about the condition, but seeing his weak appearance, they couldn''t bear to ask any further and could only let him rest first. Carlo, who was standing by, suddenly received a call. "You found Zobber? Okay, I''ll be right there." He hung up the phone and left without even telling Branden. No one knew what was going on. Everyone could only look in the direction he left in confusion.C¨®ntent belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Rn looked at Ronin with a confused look on his face. "What happened? Why did he mention Zobber?" Ronin pulled Rn aside and whispered, "I''m not sure exactly. Not long after Zobber arranged for a champagne tower, Mr. Duncan was poisoned and was almost killed. Now everyone in the Duncans suspects that it was Zobber who did the poisoning. They''ve been searching for Zobber''s whereabouts. It looks like they found her." Rn''s eyebrows furrowed and his face looked very gloomy. "Since we can''t visit Catherine just yet, I''ll go and arrange thepany. Keep me informed if you have any news. Rn wasn''t a doctor and couldn''t help, and it didn''t matter if he stayed or left, so Ronin didn''t stop him. "Okay." In the small vi in the suburbs, Zobber woke up refreshed after a full sleep. She was about to go downstairs when she saw Finn rushing up in a hurry. She frowned and stared at him. "What the hell. Why are you looking at me that way?" Finn immediately attacked without saying a word. He attacked hard and desperately as if he wanted to kill Zobber. Zobber dodged while asking about the situation, "Are you crazy?" Facing Zobber''s chatter, Finn finally didn''t hold back and said, "I advise you to shut up. No one can save you." Zobber cursed ck Robe angrily for not keeping his word and being ungrateful. She had been chased by the Duncans and was already exhausted. It didn''t take long for her to be unable to dodge Finn''s attack. As she was about to be put to death by Finn, Withal rushed out in a teasing tone and shouted, "Zobber, don''t panic. I''ll help you." Hearing his teasing tone, Zobber kicked him in anger. "You''reing so slowly. You want to see me die in front of you.'' Watching the two of them joking, Finn''s smile grew stronger and stronger, with a triumphant grin on his lips. "You came just in time, saving me from having to look for you one by one." He waved his hand in a gesture, and then dozens of thugs came out from the dark. Withal''s gaze scanned contemptuously around before finallynding on Finn. "Do you think you can stop us?" Before Finn could say anything, a cold voice came out abruptly. "If he can''t, what about me?" ck Robe then appeared in front of the crowd. Zobber and Withal nced at each other, a hint of a smileing from both of their eyes. Withal turned around and looked ck Robe up and down. "Indeed, I can''t beat you, but I have a helper," ck Robe assumed the helper Withal was talking about was Zobber and sneered dismissively. "Her?" Zobber quickly waved her hand. "Not me. I''m tired. I can''t fight anymore." Before ck Robe realized what Zobber meant, the closed door was instantly mmed open.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Subconsciously, everyone saw Paxton and the othersing. ck Robe stared at Zobber andughed coldly. "Do you think they are here for you or me?" "We''re naturally here for you." The one who answered him was not Zobber, but a voice that ck Robe was very familiar with. His body stiffened instantly, and he turned back to look at the person who just spoke. After seeing the person clearly, he widened his eyes in disbelief. "Catherine, aren''t you..." Catherine smiled coldly, her face no longer as pale and weak as it was just now when she was in the hospital. "I should be lying dying in a hospital bed. Am I right, Rn?" Chapter 979 Black Robes True Identity ?Chapter 979 ck Robe''s True Identity Although the vi was filled with people, the surroundings were surprisingly quiet at this moment. ck Robe slowly unbuttoned his robe and took off his voice changer, revealing his true face. ck Robe was Rn, the mastermind who had been hiding behind the scenes. Rn looked up at Catherine with a cold expression of doubt. "Catherine, when did you find out my true identity?" He wanted to know the truth, but Zobber became impatient and wanted Catherine to end it as soon as possible. But Catherine didn''t end it quickly. Considering they were once friends, Catherine gave Rn the answer. "From the day you came back home to me." Rn was still thinking about when he revealed a w that made Catherine discover it, but he never expected that he had already been exposed in front of Catherine from the very beginning. Catherine never believed in any coincidences. She secretly investigated Rn''s situation abroad and kept her eye on him. She kept investigating and ultimately confirmed Rn''s purpose. Rn was nothing more than the mastermind who had been hiding behind the scenes, and the boss behind him was the Breens. The Breens not only wanted to annex the Duncan Corporation but also wanted to get the experimental results from Catherine. Originally, Shane nned to pass on the Breens to Catherine to manage, and this way, his other goal would be achieved directly. Even if Catherine was reluctant to annex the Duncan Corporation in the end, the Breens and the Duncan Corporation would be connected by Catherine and Branden''s marriage, which would be a strong alliance. It could be considered a win-win situation. Shane didn''t expect Catherine to refuse, let alone her tough attitude and Catherine actually concealed the immense power she had umted in the Hacker Alliance. Shane was worried that Catherine''s power would affect his family''s economy, so he approached Rn and tried everything to annex the Duncan Corporation, wanting to take down Catherine. Rn stared at Catherine and smiled coldly. He thought he had a clear chance of winning, but he didn''t expect to end up being fooled around. "Catherine, do you think I lost?" He stared at Catherine with an infatuated gaze. When he found out that Catherine knew everything from the beginning and kept him in the dark, he was not angry but rather a little excited. Only Catherine could do such a wise thing. That was also why he liked Catherine. He felt that only Catherine was a good match for him, but unfortunately... Hearing his question, Catherine looked at him expressionlessly. "You want to make thest stand?" Rn smiled with a hint of pride in his eyes. "I don''t think I''ve been defeated. Even if you''re not injured, do you know how many of my people are around here? With just you, do you think you can leave here safely today?" As soon as he said that, Ronin jumped down from a high ce. He looked at Rn with a cynical expression and said, "Rn, we meet again." Rn nced at him and didn''t take him seriously, but what Ronin said next made him dumbfounded. "Rn, are you still wondering why the people you ambushed in the dark haven''te out to save you yet?" Rn suddenly turned his head and stared at Ronin with a sinister gaze. "What have you done?" Ronin pped his hands and sh walked out from the dark. "Sir, long time no see." At this moment, Rn waspletely desperate. No one knew Rn''s manpoweryout better than sh. If Ronin had the help of sh, Rn''s manpower in the dark might have been defeated. Rn never expected that Ronin could persuade sh to help him. After following Catherine for so many years, Ronin had indeed grown a lot. Rn tried to make a final struggle. ''Ronin, don''t you care about Professor Warner?" Hearing his question, Roninughed. "Professor Warner? Rn, are you sure it''s Professor Warner?"Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Rn froze for a moment. Ronin said as he looked to the crowd not far away, "Professor Warner, why are you still hiding? Hurry up ande out so Rn can see you."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. After that, a hunchbacked middle-aged man came out from among the crowd. Everyone was stunned for a moment, even Withal and the others didn''t know the truth. The fake Winston in disguise was finally revealed for who he really was. It turned out that Catherine knew about their n from the beginning. She had Wantel, who was good at disguises, pretend to be Winston and move the real Winston to a safe ce. Otherwise, Marshall and the others wouldn''t have been able to work without worries after their best friend''s disappearance. They all knew the truth, but they were just purposely putting on a show to hide the truth from the people behind the scenes. Wantel waved his hand in greeting to Rn. He''d been bored to death in captivity all these days, and now that he could finallye out and see the sunlight, he took some pleasure in it. Withal punched Wantel''s chest and shouted, "Brat, you did a good job. I can''t believe you hid it from us for so long. I was wondering why you disappeared. It turns out that you''re hiding to have a good time." "Have a good time? You can take this boring mission the next time. You''ll see if you can have a good time," Wantel replied. How happy they were, how angry Rn was inside. He originally thought that everything was within his grasp, but he didn''t realize that he had been fooled the whole time. He raised his eyes and closed them, sighing deeply. "Catherine, I don''t regret losing to you." Catherine had always been the girl he admired the most. She was charming, and there was no doubt about that. Rn never doubted Catherine''s ability. Catherine was indeed powerful. Finn stood by, somewhat in disbelief at what he was hearing. "Sir, are we just going to give up?" Rn narrowed his eyes at him. "Since Catherine can stand here in peace, what do you think is the situation on Branden''s side? His words left Finn speechless. Catherine was already powerful. If she joined forces with Branden, they would be invincible indeed. They had been exposed from the beginning, and now they were doing nothing more than a useless struggle. Catherine stood silent. It would be best if Rn would surrender because it would save Catherine a lot of trouble and reduce unnecessary injuries. Actually, Rn was wrong about one thing. Branden was not safe and sound, he was not out of danger yet. To make Rn believe that Branden was poisoned, Branden did take poison. Although he did not take arge dose of poison, it still caused some harm to his body. Catherine only found out about this when she arrived at the hospital. Worried that she might stop, Branden didn''t tell her beforehand. But no one expected that Selene would actually put her hands on Thomas, causing an unexpected incident. "Can I make onest request?" Rn asked. Catherine raised her eyebrows and gestured for him to make his request. Rn looked at Finn beside him. "I''lle with you. Please let Finn go. He did everything ording to my instructions and didn''t do anything wrong." Before Finn, almost everything was handled by sh, so Finn was not at fault. Finn widened his eyes and looked incredulous. He didn''t expect his boss to beg others for him at thest moment. Chapter 980 It Would Be Someone Else ? Chapter 980 It Would Be Someone Else Rn surrendered voluntarily, saving Catherine a lot of trouble. Since this was a big issue, there was a special department to coordinate with Catherine, and even the security service came. Rn requested to speak to Catherine before being taken away, and Catherine agreed. Seeing Rn standing in front of her, Catherine was somewhat emotional. They used to be very good friends. She didn''t expect that one day she would personally send him to prison. Narrowing her eyes slightly, there wasn''t much emotion on her face, but Rn seemed to understand her expression. She spoke slowly, her voice cold and deep. "Why?" Rn nced at her and then looked up at the sky. It might be difficult for him to have the opportunity to see the sky again in the future.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. It was a long time before he gave his answer. "If it wasn''t me, it would have been someone else." Catherine froze. She didn''t say anything after that. If it hadn''t been him to do this, it could have been someone else, and that person would only be more cruel. Rn nced back at Catherine onest time. "I''m leaving. Take care of yourself and the baby." This was the first time he had ever been this verbose in front of Catherine because this could be thest time they saw each other. Looking at Rn''s departing back, Catherine couldn''t resist in the end. She stopped the chief in charge of Rn''s case and handed him the bottle of medicine she had prepared inside her pocket, saying, "Please give him one if he''s suffering. He''s sick and this is medicine." Catherine''s status was special, and that chief nodded his head in agreement when he saw Catherine''s prudent instructions. "Okay, I''ll make a note of it." After that, Catherine rushed back to the hospital. At the entrance of the ward, Catherine saw the waiting Karl. Seeing her appear, Karl immediately went forward and stretched out to support her with his hands. Startled, Catherine stumbled and took a few steps back. "Mr. Karl, thanks, but you don''t need to help me. I can walk by myself." Karl was old and didn''t have the strength to support others with his hands. Karl, however, had a calm and natural expression on his face. "You''re different now. You''re not alone. You should be more careful. Hurry, take a seat here." ''I''ll go into the ward and take a look," Catherine said.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Seeing that she was eager to enter, knowing that she was worried about Branden, Karl didn''t stop her. It was just that he kept urging Catherine to be careful. His cautious expression was funny. Catherine pushed open the ward slowly and walked in. In the quiet ward, only the sound of machines operating could be heard. The man on the hospital bed had his eyes tightly closed, his pale handsome face made Catherine feel distressed. Catherine looked at him closely and said slowly, "I really want to beat you up, you bad boy." Seeing that he was not properly covered, Catherine bent down to help him. As soon as she covered the quilt on Branden''s chest, she noticed that the man seemed to react. Just as she was about to stand up and check, she was held in his arms. "You look so angry. Why don''t you beat me up first to relieve your anger?" "Hmph." Catherine grunted coldly in dissatisfaction, "Beating you up won''t relieve my anger. I''ll teach you a lesson when you''re better." Hearing this, Branden''s handsome face revealed a hint of a smile. He gently stroked Catherine''s belly. Her belly was not yet bulging, but he seemed to be able to feel the power of life, and his heartbeat inexplicably faster. "Has he been good today?" That made Catherine want tough. "Why are you being silly now? He''s only been three months and he''s the size of a finger. What do you think he knows?" The baby in her belly was at best an embryo now, not even fully developed and not yet knowing anything. She found Branden''s remark hrious. Chapter 981 Thomas and Karls Persistence ? Chapter 981 Thomas and Karl''s Persistence Branden recovered quickly. He only took a small amount of poison and it did not cause much damage to his body. And with Thomas''s full treatment, his condition was now quite good. Thomas not only saved Branden, but he even saved the baby in Catherine''s belly. Catherine thought she could finally be happier in the days ahead, but to her surprise, Thomas ordered her to stay in bed for a month. "Cassie, you are in a special situation. It was a fluke that you were able to get out of danger so easily this time. You behave yourself next and rest at home for a month." When Catherine was just about to retort, Karl came in. The elder, who was usually majestic in all aspects, had a hunched back today with tears in his eyes. "Catherine, can you do me a favor?" Seeing his appearance, Catherine couldn''t refuse him. "Mr. Karl, just tell me. I''ll help you." "I''m getting old, and all I want is everyone in my family is healthy. I may not have many days left. I just hope you can rest for a month for my sake. I know you''re in good health, but I''m not. I can no longer withstand any stimtion." Branden sat on the side, holding back hisughter. Sure enough, only his grandfather could persuade Catherine. He was worried that there was no way to persuade Catherine, but now he didn''t even need to do anything. His grandfather alone could take care of everything. Catherine knew that Karl was pretending, even the tears in his eyes were fake. But she knew that Karl''s worry about her was real. Both elders, Thomas and Karl, had asked her to rest for a month. If she couldn''t take care of herself, both Thomas and Karl would suffer from insomnia. Thinking about this, Catherine decided to agree. Anyway, the matter was handled quite well at the moment. The overall situation had been decided, and the rest could be handed over to others for handling. Catherine nodded, "Okay, I promise."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Upon hearing her promise, Karl immediately changed his expression. "Good, good. You''re my good granddaughter- inw." After speaking to Catherine, Karl immediately ordered the old butler, "Go and arrange for twopetent servants. Catherine and Branden are both young, and they don''t know how to take care of themselves. You need to arrange for experienced old maids." The old butler could understand Karl, and he was also happy for Branden. "Mr. Karl, don''t worry, I''ll go and arrange it right now. I''ll personally select the right ones." Hearing the conversation between the two, Catherine was a bit helpless. "Mr. Karl, thank you. But we''re fine...". Before she could finish her words, Thomas interrupted her, "I''m in favor of Karl on this matter. There are a lot of things to avoid when a woman is pregnant. As smart as you guys are, you don''t understand all those old traditions, and there are still some things you have to follow." Catherine looked toward Branden, hoping he would say something. To her surprise, Branden turned his head to the ceiling andpletely ignored her. Before she could say anything more, the two old men were already chatting, not caring about her feelings at all. As they chatted, they got more and more excited. Worried that their chatting in the room would affect Catherine''s rest, they decided to go out and go on the chatting. After they left, Catherine''s cold eyes slowly fell on Branden. "Why didn''t you stop them just now?" Branden shrugged his shoulders with a rather innocent expression. "Do you think I could stop the things you can''t stop?" After Catherine thought carefully about it, she thought he was right. Even she couldn''t stop Karl''s arrangement, let alone Branden. Branden smiled inwardly when he saw the changes she had in her expression. He thought that pregnant women would really get stupid after pregnancy, and Catherine was bing more and more gullible now Chapter 982 Its Hard to Go Out ?Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 982 It''s Hard to Go Out Catherine thought that everyone was just joking about supervising her to rest at home, but she didn''t expect them to be very serious about it. Ronin and the others were more diligent in supervising her to rest properly than inpleting the tasks they had taken on. After breakfast, Catherine had thought of going to theb for a walk but was stopped by Karl. "Catherine, why don''t you stay home today? Branden will be backter. I asked him toe back and take a walk with you." Catherine smiled helplessly. Branden was at least the president of a listed group, but in Karl''s eyes, he was just like a tool who had to go back from time to time to apany her to take a walk or something else. "Mr. Karl, Branden still has a lot of things to do in thepany." In front of Catherine, Karl could be amiable, but he was only amiable in front of Catherine alone. At the mention of Branden, Karl''s face immediately darkened a bit. "Hmph, how busy can he be? What can be more important than you? I think he''s just doing nothing serious. Can''t those people he hired do anything? Can''t thepany run without him?" Facing Karl''s rising anger, Catherine chose to avoid it. She silently shut up and didn''t continue. It didn''t take long for Ronin to arrive. "Ronin, think of a way to get me out of here." Ronin looked at Catherine with an embarrassed look on his face. "Catherine, why don''t you just stay home? Mr. Theo said it''s best if you stay in your bed for the week. Don''t mess around." Ronin was now Thomas'' biggest fan. He did everything Thomas asked. Catherine gave him a cold nce, which frightened Ronin and made him tremble. She begged Catherine with a mournful expression. ''Catherine, don''t make things difficult for me." "Okay, go away. I''ll figure it out myself." Upon hearing Catherine''s words, Ronin''s blood froze. Although Karl was outside, he couldn''t stop Catherine if she wanted to go out. No matter how Catherine went out, there was danger. Catherine was very agile and there was a high probability that idents would not ur, but no one could guarantee it. Ronin had no choice but to agree. Instead of letting Catherine go out an unusual way, it would be better for him to step in and help her. "Don''t be in a hurry. I''ll help you distract Karl." Catherine narrowed her eyes and smiled, with a hint of triumph crossed her face. "Go ahead." Ronin pouted helplessly. In the end, he was the one who had to bear all of this. Karl now trusted Ronin very much because he thought Ronin was on the same side as him. Easily, Ronin tricked Karl into leaving, and Catherine swaggered out of the apartment. The guards of the Duncan noticed it from the moment Catherine stepped out of the elevator. They whispered and pushed each other, but no one dared to go forward. ''None of you are going to persuade Miss Swann? What if something happenster?" ''Nonsense. What could happen? You just know how to me us. Why don''t you go?" "I think we''d better inform Mr. Duncan."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Karl said Catherine''s safety was now the priority of the Duncans and nothing was as important as Catherine. Inside the meeting room of the Duncan Corporation, a serious international meeting was underway. All those who were able to attend were among the business elites, and they were all listening intently to the report. Suddenly, a clear ringtone broke the seriousness of the room. The person who was speaking was startled. No one expected that someone could be so bold as to dare to leave their cell phones on in such an important meeting. Just as the crowd was still wondering who would dare tomit such a heinous crime, Branden pulled out his cell phone from his pocket. His originally serious and cold expression instantly softened after he answered the phone. "You guys keep an eye on her. Don''t disturb her. I''ll be right back." After hanging up the phone, he stood up and said to the crowd, "You guys continue, and make the minutes for me. After that, Branden swaggered and left the meeting room, leaving all the senior executives behind. The people left behind looked at each other in disbelief, not knowing what had happened to make Branden leave so quickly. Paxton, who was silently taking the minutes of the meeting, was sighing. Judging from Branden''s appearance, he knew without even thinking that it must be something about Catherine. Only Catherine could make Branden care so much. Paxton understood the special situation now. The Duncans were about to have a new member. Karl was happy, and everyone in the Duncans was also excited. So, it was okay for such a big event to dy some work. After thinking it through, Paxton was instantly energized. "Continue the meeting. I''ll do the minutes." Catherine made it out of the apartment without incident and headed straight toward the school. The air outside was fresh, and everything was so fresh. She rushed downstairs to the experimental building only to find that her work permit couldn''t open the gate of the building. The security guard standing on the side immediately notified Marshall when he saw her. In just two minutes, Marshall hurriedly arrived. When he saw Catherine, his face immediately sank. ''Why are you here? Didn''t I tell you not toe to theb building?" Catherine froze for a moment. It was the first time she had seen Marshall speak to her in such a tone. ''Professor Hartley, did someone hack me again?" Catherine asked and then thought in her mind, "Thest time someone hacked me, the school blocked my work permit. Could the situation be the same this time?" Marshall didn''t even let Catherine into theb building. He led her outside. "There''s a lot of radiation from some of the big machines in here. Don''t you know that?'' In normal times, for the sake of experiments, for the sake of scientific research, they had to endure the damage caused by these radiations, but Catherine was in a special situation now. Even if she didn''t think about herself, she had to think about the baby in her belly. The more Marshall spoke, the angrier he got. "Why don''t you listen to me? Luckily, I had the foresight to have Ultan blocked your work permit." Catherine then realized it wasn''t because she had been hacked, but because Marshall had blocked her work permit. She was helpless. "Professor Hartley, I''m pregnant not dying. I don''t need to be so cautious, do I?" Leaving aside her already better health than the average person, even if an ordinary woman became pregnant, most of them work as usual. If all the women in the world stopped working after getting pregnant, wouldn''t this society be in chaos? Marshall persuaded her, "It''s not that I don''t let youe to theb. Just don''te this month. Wait until your physical condition stabilizes a bit." Catherine thought she was fine now, but the people around her didn''t believe her. In the end, she was driven out of school by Marshall. She let out a long sigh and walked in the direction of the school entrance. She might have to be so bored for the next month. Just as she reached the school entrance, she saw a familiar figure waiting there. Catherine''s heart was filled with anger. Those were all elders, and she had to respect them, but Branden wasn''t. She felt that he came just in time and could serve as a punching bag for her. So Catherine walked toward Branden in a rage. She didn''t even get to Branden before Branden sensed her anger. He didn''t hide or dodge, he just waited for her toe. In his mind, all that mattered was that Catherine was happy. Chapter 983 The Fitting Room ?Chapter 983 The Fitting Room Catherine came over to Branden in a rage, staring at him with cold eyes. "Who tipped you off? Are you here to take me back into resting, too?" Having not seen Catherine''s cold face for a long time, Branden was a bit surprised. He reached out and gently touched the bridge of Catherine''s nose with his fingers. "Who told you that I''m here to take you back? Can''t I take you out to y?" His doting voice made Catherine instantly light up. Still a little suspicious in her mind, she surveyed Branden with cold eyes. "You''re really going to take me out to y?" Branden looked at her with deliberate seriousness and said cooperatively, "Never break a promise." Catherine was pleased. A smile crossed her cold face. "Then we have a deal, if Mr. Karl and the others me, you take the me." "Okay, I''ll take the me," Branden said in an unbelievably spoiled manner. With that, Catherine immediately got into the car. Branden didn''t lie to Catherine. He brought her to the biggest mall in Casier.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "Has it been a while since you''ve been shopping?" Branden asked. Catherine thought about it, and it was true. She had been too busy with herb to go out and shop. Now that she was free, she could take a look around. Branden held Catherine''s hand and carefully guarded her. Due to their outstanding appearance, they instantly attracted a lot of attention. Catherine was used to such gazes, but when she saw the gazes of the girls around her staring at Branden, she realized that his outfit today seemed unsuitable for shopping. He had a suit and tie, and shoes clean to shiny. Catherine thought about it and looked over at him with a smile. "Why don''t I take you shopping for some clothes and we''ll go shopping in a different dress?" Branden raised his eyebrows, not understanding what novel idea she had now. However, the most important thing now was to make her happy. "Okay, let''s go." After obtaining approval, Catherine took Branden into a brand chain store. The clothes there weren''t a top luxury, nor were they like the customized suits Branden usually wore, but they were all made for young people, and their workmanship was good.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. The two entered and were immediately greeted by the shop assistants. "Sir, Miss, what can I do for you?" Catherine pointed to Branden beside her. "Rmend an outfit for him." One of the shop assistants immediately froze the moment she looked at Branden up close. She even doubted if Branden was some kind of popr celebrity, mainly because Branden''s face was too handsome. Compared to those popr celebrities of today, he was more handsome. Seeing the shop assistant''s appearance, Catherine was calm. It wasn''t the first time she had encountered such a scene. After she coughed lightly, the shop assistant immediately came back to her senses. She then lowered her head apologetically. "Miss, it seems your boyfriend has a very standard figure. We have a lot of clothes that fit him. Do you have any requests? Do you want clothes that make him look younger and vibrant or look mature and stable?" The clothes in their store could all make people look younger and vibrant, but the shop assistant didn''t know what Catherine and Branden''s request was after seeing him dressed as an elite, so she asked Catherine''s opinion in the first ce. Catherine thought Branden''s outfit made him look too old-fashioned, so she brought him there to buy clothes." The ones make him look younger and more vibrant." "Okay, wait a moment." After getting the answer, the shop assistant immediately went to prepare. The service attitude of the shop assistant in this store was quite good. Catherine only waited for a minute or two before they brought over a few sets of clothes. With just a nce, Catherine chose two of them. She put them both in front of Branden andpared them." Could you try them on?" For Branden, the experience was quite new. His clothes had always been custom-made privately, and a fixed designer came to the Duncans'' every month to measure his size. He had never gone shopping to buy clothes, let alone anyone taking him to buy clothes. He never turned down a request from Catherine. "Okay." Branden took the clothes and headed toward the fitting room. After a short while, the shop assistant suddenly realized Branden had missed the sweater jacket. She picked it up and said to Catherine, "Miss, your boyfriend missed this. Shall I bring it to him, or do you want to bring it to him yourself?" Seeing that the two customers were a couple, the shop assistant was afraid that Catherine would be angry if she went to deliver it, so she asked in advance. Catherine was well aware that Branden didn''t like contact with strangers. Most of the reason he was willing toe out today was because of her. "Oh, thanks. I''ll take it to him by myself." The shop assistant handed Catherine the sweater jacket hurriedly. Catherine walked over to the fitting room and knocked gently on the door. "It''s me." Her voice had an inexplicable appeal. The next second, Branden opened the door. He had only changed into his pants, and his upper body was naked. His beautiful abdominal muscles captivated Catherine at a nce. Seeing her frozen for a moment, Branden reached out and tugged her into the fitting room. He held her down against the wall and began to gently press his cold lips against her delicate ones. Catherine''s hands unconsciously wrapped around his strong waist. Branden reluctantly let go of her until she was almost suffocated by the kiss. Branden lowered his head to put his lips on her neck, breathing slowly. Catherine was pregnant and there was no way Branden was going to be impulsive in a ce like this. He gently pinched her waist and stroked it back and forth. "Be a good girl. Wait for me outside. I''lle get youter." Although Catherine didn''t think there was anything wrong with having sex with Branden while she was pregnant, Thomas''s words were like a spell lingering around her head. But it was indeed not the right ce for it. She hastily exited the fitting room to let Branden try the clothes on himself. "Okay," It was ten minutes before Branden emerged from the fitting room. Catherine was a bit hesitant to look at his face, but the shop assistant beside her remained enthusiastic. "Miss, your boyfriend looks great in this outfit. He''s even more handsome than the current top celebrity. Do you want to take it?" Branden indeed looked good in anything he wore. This seemingly ordinary outfit became extraordinary on his body. And he did look much more vibrant in this than he did in the suit. Somewhat, he looked like he was the most handsome male student at some college. The shop assistant had been busy for a while for them just now, and Catherine would feel a little guilty if she did not buy it, so she agreed to buy it. "Okay, I''ll take it. Pack the other set too. He''ll leave with this set on." The shop assistant immediately went to pack happily, while Branden took the initiative to pay the bill. After Branden changed into a younger outfit, Catherine suddenly thought he looked more handsome. He was usually dressed in a suit and always made people feel he was unapproachable. Catherine suggested, "Why don''t you wear this kind of clothes when you''re not at the office?" Branden was not particr about what he wore and had always had someone to arrange what he wore. Since Catherine liked it, he would listen to her arrangement. "Alright, you''re the boss." Catherine was in a happy mood and took his hand to continue wandering around the mall. "Come on. Let''s continue shopping." Chapter 984 Theyre Really Enviable ?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 984 They''re Really Enviable Catherine had never spent such a long time shopping. They wandered from the men''s clothing area on the second floor of the mall to the maternal and child products area on the fourth floor. Seeing the wide array of maternal and child products, Catherine was somewhat intrigued. "Let''s go in and take a look," Branden suggested gently. Catherine hesitated for a while and then walked in. The baby shoes in the store were extremely cute. They were even smaller than palms, but they were irresistible. The shop assistant came forward. After seeing Catherine and Branden''s appearances, she froze for a moment and quietly nced at Catherine''s belly. Seeing Catherine''s t belly, the shop assistant guessed that Catherine hadn''t been pregnant for too long. She said to Catherine, "Miss, if you don''t know the gender of the baby, we suggest these. This blue color is suitable for both male and female babies. You can take a look." Catherine was immediately attracted by the products introduced by the shop assistant. It was unknown if the shop assistant was too professional or the products there were really good, she found them particrly cute and charming. Before she could decide what products to order, Branden handed his bank card to the shop assistant. "We''ll take all of these.'' The shop assistant froze for a moment before reacting. She then took the bank card from Branden hurriedly and respectfully. "Sir, please wait a moment. I''ll arrange it for you right away." Catherine thought it was exaggerating to buy these all. She had heard that babies grew especially fast when they were little and they didn''t need many clothes and shoes at all.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. If they bought all of these, it might be a waste. Catherine frowned slightly, her expression looked somewhat hesitant. "Do we need to buy so many?" Branden raised his eyebrows confidently. "We''ll give him a new set every day. It won''t be a waste." His words made Catherine unable to refute. The shop assistant had arranged everything, so there was no point in Catherine saying anything else. The two left their address and came out of the store. As soon as they left, the shop assistants began to discuss. "They''re indeed a perfect match. Judging from their appearances, their children will definitely look amazing in the future." "That''s right. Not only were they good-looking, but they were also born into a wealthy family. The way of that gentleman who took the card to pay just now was too handsome." "They''re really enviable." Coming out of the mall, Catherine herself found it hard to believe that she would actually shop for so long one day. ''It''s almost time. Why don''t we go back?" Branden had never opposed her decision. "Okay, let''s go back now. If you don''t want to stay home, we''lle out again tonight." His arrangement satisfied Catherine. Catherine was a little worried that Karl would be angry because she ran out privately. Just when they arrived home, she saw Karl with a stern face. When she was about to say something tofort Karl, Branden made a move faster. He handed over the bag of baby clothes he was carrying. Karl nced at it suspiciously and opened it at Branden''s signal. He had originally decided not to forgive Branden and Catherine no matter what they said or did. He wanted to make them remember the lesson, but when he opened the packaging bag, his angerpletely disappeared. He touched the little clothes lovingly, carefully cing them in his hands. When he looked up at Catherine, a gentle smile filled his eyes. "You went shopping?" Catherine nodded slightly. "We just happened to be passing by the mall and went shopping." Karlmented happily, "Not bad. We''ll go out shopping together when you''re feeling better. I''m going to give these clothes to the butler to clean. None of you know anything about that, leave it to me." Catherine was secretly relieved and gave Branden an approving look, which made Branden a little smug. Karl thoughtfully asked Catherine to go rest, and Catherine hurried toward her room. She was used to being alone, and it was rare for her to get so much attention from so many people. She knew they were all caring about her, she just wasn''t used to it. Branden followed her in. He couldn''t help butugh out loud when he saw her lying on the bed with a dashing posture. "Is it that hard? Shall I send Grandpa back to Casier?" Thomas was in Loxton, and once he recovered from his injury, he coulde and take care of Catherine. Thomas had excellent medical skills, and Branden would not be at ease without him in Loxton. As for Karl, he was originally there to spend some time. If his presence would stress Catherine out, then Branden could send him back to Casier at any time. Branden had heard it long ago that even if a daughter-inw had a good rtionship with her inws, they couldn''t live together. Because after a long time, even the most irond rtionship would have conflicts. Hearing Branden''s suggestion, Catherine was obviously a bit shocked. She didn''t expect him to say that. She quickly waved her hand and rejected Branden''s proposal. Karl was already old. He was willing toe to Loxton to apany them because he loved them. Otherwise, with Karl''s reputation, they would have no chance to meet him. Many people wanted to meet him and build a rtionship with him but they had no chance. ''It''s fine that Mr. Karl stays here. Why do you want to let him go? After I recover a bit, he won''t be as nervous as he is now." At Karl''s age, he only hoped that the younger generation in his family would do well, and Catherine understood it. She felt a bit embarrassed not because she couldn''t ept it, but because she wasn''t used to it. Seeing her resolute attitude, Branden decided to follow her arrangements. He asked Catherine to lie down and rest, while he went to prepare dinner. It was best for Catherine not to dine at restaurants now. Cooking with fresh ingredients at home could maximize the health of food. After Branden left, Catherine continued to rest on thefortable chaise longue. Just as she was about to close her eyes to rest, the sound of the phone ringing came to her ears. Struggling to open her eyes, she fumbled for the cell phone and put it to her ear. ''Catherine, it''s me." Catherine silently rolled her eyes. "I know it''s you even if you don''t say so." No one but Zobber had that loud voice. On the other end of the line, Zobberughed awkwardly. "Come on. Don''t talk about me like that. I''m here to report something to you, something very serious." Catherine had experience that even the most serious thing would appear very funny if it was told by Zobber. "Go ahead. Let me see how serious it is." Zobber thought to herself, "Catherine is in a special situation right now, if Mr. Duncan finds out that I told Catherine about this, I''m afraid I''ll be killed outright. But they said Rn would never cooperate if he didn''t see Catherine." Zobber and the others had no way but had to decide to ask Catherine toe to meet Rn. After hesitating for a while, Zobber still decided to tell Catherine. She said seriously, "Rn asked to meet you once." After hearing this, Catherine did not change the expression on her face and said coldly, "Got it." She was not surprised that Rn would make this request. ''Since you want to see me, then I''ll go," Catherine thought to herself. Chapter 985 A Sudden Visit ?Chapter 985 A Sudden Visit Catherine was aware that with her current situation, openly meeting Rn would likely be met with resistance. She decided to keep it a secret from everyone. She went alone to the heavily guarded prison to meet Rn. The circumstances surrounding Rn were quite serious, and he was kept in solitary confinement. Without the guidance of the supervisor, Arvid Mckay, it would have been quite challenging for Catherine to see Rn. Arvid was particrly curious about Catherine. Despite his years of experience and numerous encounters with prisoners, he had never seen someone with such strong mental resilience as Rn, making it difficult for him to handle. Rn, who had been in for a while, had only one request. He wanted to see Catherine. He agreed to confess after seeing her. The fact that capturing Rn was credited to Catherine intrigued Arvid even more. After various arrangements, Catherine was finally brought in. Upon seeing Catherine, Arvid was momentarily stunned, not expecting her to be so beautiful. Her cold demeanor and unique aura were unforgettable. Her powerful presence was truly remarkable. "Miss Swann, do you need me to bring in a few more people?" Arvid asked, concerned about Catherine''s safety. Rn was considered highly dangerous, and if anything happened to Catherine, he would be held responsible. "No need," Catherine replied. She believed Rn wouldn''t try to escape in this situation, and even if he did, she was confident to track him down. She also trusted that Rn wouldn''t harm her. Arvid quicklypleted the procedures, and then Catherine saw Rn. His condition was poor. Just after a few days, his cheeks were sunken in. He looked desperate and worn out. Upon seeing Catherine, Rn instinctively stared at her t abdomen. He frowned and asked, "How many months? Catherine''s expression softened when he mentioned the baby inside her. "Not even four months yet, not obvious. It''ll start showing after five months, Catherine replied calmly.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Rn''s tense expression gradually eased. "Take a seat. Standing is too tiring," he said gently. Arvid was surprised. He had always thought of Rn as cold, ruthless, and taciturn. But now Rn disyed a gentle and passionate attitude toward Catherine. It seemed that even Rn couldn''t resist a beautiful woman. Catherine sat down and observed Rn carefully. "You didn''t take the medicine I gave you?" Rn guessed that Catherine already knew everything, so there was no need for him to hide. "It''s hopeless. No need to waste efforts." Catherine looked at him coldly as usual. "At least it can alleviate some pain. Mr. Theo also mentioned that, as long as you cooperate, there''s hope for you." Many incurable medical conditions had seen remarkable oues when patients maintained a healthy mindset and actively cooperated with their treatment. Rn looked up at Catherine seriously. "Are you concerned about me?" Catherine nodded without hesitation. "Of course. We are friends." Rn gave a bitter smile, not expecting Catherine to still consider him a friend. He knew she wasn''t speaking falsely, as Catherine was not one to lie. Rn asked, "Why? I thought you would hate me to the core." Catherine coldly stared at him. "When we became friends back then, did you approach me with an ulterior motive? "Absolutely not!" Rn answered quickly. During the days when he first met Catherine at Loewe, he was genuinely happy to have her as a friend. Catherine shrugged and said casually, "We genuinely consider each other as friends. Even though our positions are different now, putting us on opposing sides." Rn felt a sense of relief from Catherine''s words. He smiled and looked at her. "You''re right. We are friends, forever friends. I''m d you came today, and I''ll cooperate. As long as it benefits you, I''ll do whatever it takes." After some time, Catherine decided to leave. She stood up and said, "I''m leaving. I''ll have the medication delivered regrly. I need to rest now." Rn didn''t stop her, even though he wished to see Catherine a bit longer. However, he understood her special circumstances and knew she needed proper rest. Instead of going back to her apartment, Catherine headed straight to the Duncan Corporation building. It was the perfect time to have afternoon coffee with Branden. She arrived there without notifying anyone. The front desk immediately recognized her. After all, Catherine had attended many important meetings of the Duncan Corporation. They all knew Branden''s fiancee. Recently, the Duncan Corporation faced a major crisis due to rumors about the sudden illness of Branden. However, Branden appeared at a globally renowned financial summit, dispelling all the rumors. The stock prices soared, restoring confidence among shareholders. The front desk approached Catherine respectfully. "Miss Swann, I''ll immediately inform the president''s office to send someone down to escort you." "No need!" Catherine interrupted, "I''ll go up by myself." She was there just to have coffee with Branden, and there was no need to disrupt everyone''s work. The front desk dared not say more. Having worked at front desks for manyrge corporations, she knew some presidents'' wives would visit unannounced to catch their affairs. She wondered if Branden was involved in such a case. The front desk hesitated, watching Catherine''s departing figure. She was unsure whether to inform her superiors or not. Offending Catherine would bring trouble, but not informing them could also lead to problems. ***** Unaware of the spections, Catherine reached the top-floor office. She coincidentally ran into Paxton, who wasing out to get some files. Paxton froze for a moment when he saw her. Then he quickly approached, ready to assist her. Seeing his awkward actions, Catherine couldn''t help butugh. "I''m not at the point where I can''t walk." Paxton scratched his head with a wry smile. Catherine was now a high-priority-protected individual, and he couldn''t afford any mistakes. Otherwise, Karl would be the first toe after him. Catherine rarelyes to the Duncan Corporation. Being cautious, Paxton quickly asked, "Is there something you need from Mr. Duncan?"Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 986 His Lover ? Chapter 986 His Lover Catherine nodded. "Just happened to pass by. Is he busy?" Knowing it wasn''t an urgent matter, Paxton secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Not busy at all, not a bit!" Branden was always busy, except when it came to Catherine. "Miss Swann, let me take you to Mr. Duncan''s office," Paxton said. Afraid Catherine might grow impatient, he signaled the secretary to inform Branden. Branden was still in a meeting in the conference room. When the secretary entered, his face instantly darkened. The secretary was terrified by this expression. If Paxton hadn''t personally instructed her, she probably wouldn''t have the courage to speak now. She said, "Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann is here. Paxton has already taken her to your office. He wants you toe over for a moment." Branden closed hisputer expressionlessly and then coldly surveyed the room. "Meeting paused." With that, he stood up and left, leaving the executives discussing animatedly. When Branden returned to the office, Catherine had just sat down. Seeing him rush in, Catherine turned her head to look. They looked at each other, and Branden smiled. ''Feeling bored at home?" Catherine nodded slightly. "Just taking a stroll. If you''re not busy, we can have afternoon coffee together." Branden replied without hesitation, "Sure. Wait. I''ll grab a coat." As he spoke, Paxton hurried off to make the reservation. "No need." Catherine promptly stopped him.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Branden looked puzzled. Catherine gestured to the fruits and snacks on the table and said, "No need to go out. We can have it here. You work, and I''ll sit." She didn''t want to go out, and more importantly, she didn''t want to interfere with Branden''s work. Branden agreed and instructed the secretary to prepare. The secretary hesitated for a moment. She realized that it was the first time she had seen Branden so amiable, even with a smile on his face.It seemed the rumors were true. Branden indeed doted on Catherine wholeheartedly. She thought Catherine must be the mistress of the Duncans in the future. Not daring to be negligent, the secretary quickly went to prepare the pastries. When the pastries arrived, Catherine was somewhat shocked. She looked at Branden and said, ''Does yourpany always have such a rich variety of desserts?'' Not only were there many options, but there was even a dessert table, rivaling that of a five-star hotel. Most importantly, these desserts looked delicious and perfectly matched her taste. Before Branden could respond, the secretary said, "Miss Swann, these were all specially prepared for you. They are all vors you''ve tried before and liked. We keep them in stock so that whenever youe, you can enjoy your favorites." Catherine smiled faintly. "Thank you." Luckily, Catherine didn''t visit often, and she ate very little each time, so they didn''t have to prepare too much. Otherwise, given how much Branden liked her, they might have to empty the entire mall to satisfy her. Seeing the approving gaze from Branden, the secretary felt satisfaction and treated Catherine with even more respect. "Miss Swann, enjoy your meal, and if you need anything, just let me know." After the secretary left, only Catherine and Branden were in the spacious office. Branden paused his work and apanied Catherine. She used to be indifferent to sweets, but after bing pregnant, she seemed different, preferring some desserts that weren''t too sweet. As Branden saw her enjoy the food, his mood improved. "If you like it, I''ll have Paxton bring the pastry chef here, and you can have these desserts every day." Catherine directly rejected his proposal and replied, "Mr. Theo says eating too many sweets is not good, and it might affect the health check." Branden didn''t know about this, but since Thomas had said so, he would follow his advice. Branden picked up a juice, ready to hand it to Catherine, but he noticed that the juice was cold, and he frowned. "This juice is too cold. I''ll have someone heat it for you."Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Catherine thought, "Heating juice?" She was stunned. "It''s orange juice, no ice inside. It''s not cold. Besides, can you even drink heated juice?" Branden still had some concerns. Catherine took the juice and drank it in one gulp. The sweet taste made her feelfortable. "It''s fine, just a little orange juice." Branden smiled helplessly. "Take care of yourself." "Don''t worry." Catherine shrugged. "Is everything arranged with the school?" Branden asked. He originally wanted to arrange things for Catherine, but she refused. She intended to handle school matters herself. Catherine took a bite of cake, squinted her eyes, and smiled at Branden. "No need to handle it. I''m no longer a student at Styre University. I don''t even need to go through the procedures for absence." Previously, due to a special circumstance, Catherine had been expelled from Styre University. Now, she was a visiting professor at Styre University, asionally visiting theb to check reports. If she didn''t want to go, she just had to tell Marshall, and she wouldn''t even need to request time off. With her words, Branden felt reassured. It seemed being expelled earlier wasn''t a bad thing. At least now, it saved her a lot of trouble. Recently, Catherine had been particrly prone to drowsiness. After eating, she wanted to sleep. Seeing her yawn, Branden immediately helped her up. "Go rest in my lounge. Once I finish my work, I''ll take you home." He wanted to take Catherine directly home, but he knew her personality. She didn''t want her personal matters to interfere with his work. Catherine would never agree to that. Catherine tiredly nodded. Then Branden settled her on the bed. Looking at her beautiful sleeping face, Branden felt an unprecedented tranquility in his heart. He had not only his lover but also their precious child, which was the best proof of their love. He gently kissed Catherine''s forehead and reluctantly left. "Rest well. I''ll take you hometer." Chapter 987 Rich Lady ? Chapter 987 Rich Lady After Catherine woke up, she found the sun almost setting outside. Though the lounge of Branden wasn''t spacious, it was incrediblyfortable to sleep in. Catherine got out of bed. As she opened the door, she overheard conversations outside. She cautiously opened the door just a crack and saw several people in a meeting. Branden sat at his desk, with several executives of the Duncan Corporation seated in front of him. They were reporting on their work, while Branden listened quietly, asionally offering some insights. Catherine couldn''t help but appreciate the sight. A man focused on his work was indeed attractive. Paxton noticed that Branden suddenly elerated the process, skipping through pages that needed analysis. Seeing senior executives sweating over the speed, Paxton couldn''t help but feel sorry for them. Even he, who understood Branden the most, found it challenging to keep up. As Paxton was puzzled, he suddenly noticed the crack of the door. He instantly realized the situation and urged the others to report as fast as possible. What was supposed to be a meetingsting half an hour was ultimatelypleted in less than ten minutes. As soon as the meeting ended, Paxton hurriedly ushered everyone out. Once everyone left the office, Branden finally stood up. As he reached the door of the lounge, it opened from inside. Catherine leaned against the doorframe with a smile. "Worried I overheard some confidential information and came to arrest me?" Branden tilted his head, smiling helplessly, and pulled her into his arms. "The entire Duncan Corporation is yours. If you want anything, just let me know, and I''ll fetch them for you."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Amused, Catherine replied, "Don''t say that. When I really set my eyes on your Duncan Corporation one day, you better not be stingy." ''The Duncan Corporation is the Duncans'' legacy. I''d need Karl''s approval if I give it to you. But I can give you something else." Branden led her back to his desk, making her sit on hispfortably. Then he handed her a file. Catherine was confused. Jokingly, she asked, "nning to show me some confidential information?" Branden gestured for her to open it. Following his suggestion, Catherine opened the file. Shocked by its contents, she eximed, "Are you transferring all these properties to me?" Branden nodded seriously. Apart from the Duncans'' assets, he handed over all his personal wealth to Catherine. Catherine asked with surprise, "Aren''t you afraid I''ll run away?" Though it was Branden''s personal wealth, the amount of money was staggering. Branden''s expression became tense. "Where would you go? Without taking me along?" Catherine chuckled and said, "Since I''ll run away with the money, I can''t possibly take you." Branden said seriously, "I can still make money. It''s more profitable with me around." Amused, Catherine nodded repeatedly. "Alright. I''ll take you along." "Let''s go. Before taking me, treat me to a meal," Branden said. Catherine frowned and asked, "I''ve only taken your assets. You can''t afford a meal now, and you want me to treat? Branden nodded seriously. "Yeah. Since I officially joined the Duncan Corporation at 18, I''ve only taken a dor each year. Now that I''ve given you all my wealth, I''m indeed broke. Richdy, can you support me?'' Catherine lifted his chin with her hand, earnestly scrutinizing his face. "Considering your handsome face, I''ll allow it. Follow me, and I promise you to eat nice meals." Hearing this, Branden yfully blinked and replied, "Okay, richdy." ANAWA When they left the Duncan Corporation, Karl was already at home waiting for them. During this period, they had been having meals together. Due to Rn''s incident, Thomas worried about Aaron and called him over. The atmosphere here was pleasant, and Aaron enjoyed it. In gratitude for Thomas''s kindness, Aaron decided to showcase his culinary skills and made the dinner. Seeing Branden bringing Catherine back, Thomas immediately went to the kitchen to announce dinner. Catherine had been experiencing some difort. She felt much better after tasting the food cooked by Aaron. This relieved Branden, who had been insisting on cooking nutritious meals for Catherine himself. He acknowledged that his cooking skills couldn''t match Aaron''s.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. With Catherine''s pregnancy progressing, her appetite increased. Hungry moments prompted cravings, but overeating made her ufortable. Even with her robust physique, Catherine felt the challenges of pregnancy. "Take a walk with me," Catherine said to Branden. Upon hearing this, Karl urged Brande, "Boy, get up quickly. Be careful downstairs, and avoid dark areas." Branden had already stood, but he was pushed back down by Karl. He replied helplessly, "Grandpa, I got it." Then Branden assisted Catherine out of the door. The university staff dormitory was close by. Catherine hadn''t visited Winston after he came back. She wanted to see him and proposed the idea to Branden. Branden nodded. ''Since we''re idle, let''s go see. I''ll grab a gift for him." There were several gift boxes in the car''s trunk. Branden casually picked one up. Then the two headed toward Winston''s ce. The old-style apartment building had an iron gate, and the soundproofing was not great. As they reached the door, they heard the noisy conversations inside. Recognizing Marshall''s voice, Catherine lightly tapped the gate. The noise inside instantly quieted down, and Marshall cautiously turned to look outside. "Who could it be at this hour? Is it your son, Winston?" Winston shook his head and said, "He is on an Arctic expedition. He won''t be back for three months. It''s definitely not him. You guys stay put. I''ll go check." Winston approached the door, opened it, and saw Catherine and Branden standing outside. His eyes lit up instantly. "It''s you! Why have you twoe? Come in quickly." Chapter 988 A Surprise ? Chapter 988 A Surprise Seeing Catherine and Branden enter the room, everyone inside breathed a sigh of relief. Marshall chuckled and teased, "I thought someone wasing to nab Winston again." The crowd paused for a moment and then burst intoughter. Winston and his wife stood up and approached Catherine. Then Winston expressed his gratitude to Catherine. Catherine replied, "Professor Warner, it''s nothing." Winston looked at her and said sincerely, "Miss Swann, without you this time, I might have suffered a lot." His wife chimed in tearfully, "Yeah. It''s all thanks to you, Miss Swann." Winston, like Marshall, held academics dearly. If Catherine didn''t save him timely. Winston, with his stubborn nature, might not have survived the ardeal. Therefore, Winston and his wife were deeply grateful to Catherine. Due to Catherine''s unique status, they couldn''t visit her to thank her. Unexpectedly, she came today. Catherine smiled faintly. "Professor Warner, don''t mention it. It''s my pleasure." Despite Catherine''s significant capabilities in the field ofputers, Winston knew she was humble. At this time, Branden said, "Alright. Let''s chat sitting down."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Then they all nodded in agreement and took their seats. As they chatted, Winston stared at Catherine and asked, " I heard your experiment is almost done. Is that right?" Catherine nodded, "It''s in the final stages." It should have been done by now if Marshall and others hadn''t forbade her to enter theb. Winston nced at Catherine''s belly with a smile. "With your current condition, let me and Marshall handle the rest. Do you agree? I promise all credit will go to you." In the world of experiments, apart from the experiment itself, the most significant was the results. No one was generous enough to ept that their hard work could be imed by someone else.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Catherine replied calmly, "Professor Warner, I don''t mind about credit. But you just returned. Shouldn''t you take a break?" Winston shook his head and replied, "Nothing serious. I don''t feel tired when working in theb." Since that was the case, Catherine replied, "Professor Warner, rest assured about credit. I''ve decided to dedicate this experiment to the country, contributing to the development of our national chips. Anyone can take the credit." Hearing that, everyone stared at her with shock. Winston looked at Catherine for a while and then nced at Marshall, who seemed equally unaware. He realized that this was all Catherine''s idea. Marshall asked, ''Catherine, is this really your n?" Catherine nodded. "Yeah. I had this thought from the beginning." She wasn''tcking money or seeking fame. She just wanted to do what she loved. As an Eskanese, she opposed any attempt to stifle her country''s development. With her power, she wanted to contribute to her nation. Marshall instantly understood Catherine''s intentions. He replied with excitement, "Well done! It''s truly admirable. Let me and Winston handle the final stage. Then he looked at Winston. "Winston, is that okay?" Winston said with a smile, ''Of course. These young people are willing to contribute, and we old folks can''t fall behind." He was d to make contributions to their country. After the discussion, Catherine nned to leave. Aware of her condition, they didn''t insist and let her go home to rest. Branden assisted Catherine in walking. With his hands around her waist, he cautiously supported her. Seeing his careful demeanor, Catherine couldn''t help but smile. ''It''s okay. I''m originally stronger than the average person. You don''t need to be so careful." Branden didn''t loosen his grip. He chuckled and then said, "Consider it giving me a chance to experience it." Finally, Catherine could only go along with him helplessly. ANAWA With the school matters handed over to the two professors, Catherine found herselfpletely idle. The Hacker Alliance affairs were also not her concern anymore, as Withal and Ronin teamed up to expose the traitors within the alliance. Worried about disturbing her, they didn''t even bother to report to her. Ronin, however, was proactive. Every afternoon, he woulde to Catherine''s apartment to give updates, asionally bringing some tasty snacks or interesting little gadgets. This day, he said, "Catherine, let''s go out." Catherine looked at him suspiciously. Normally, he would be the first to oppose whenever she mentioned going out. She wondered why the change today. "Go out? Are you sure?" Seeing the doubt in Catherine''s eyes, Ronin quickly exined, "Catherine, it''s Mr. Theo''s idea. He said your current condition is good, and taking a stroll would be beneficial for your health. You haven''t been out for a few days, and I have some free time today, so I thought I''d apany you." After a moment of consideration, Catherine didn''t see any issues. She said, "Alright. Let''s go." Given her current situation, Ronin insisted she shouldn''t drive. Catherine didn''t mind, and if Ronin wanted to drive, she would let him. But to her surprise, Ronin didn''t take her to the mall. Instead, he brought her to the nearby pier. She asked, "Why are we here?" Ronin stared at Catherine with a meaningful look. ''Catherine, since you''re pregnant now, I''ve prepared a surprise for you. Just follow me, and you''ll find out soon." Catherine smirked. ''Surprise? Not a scare, I hope." "How is that possible?" Ronin replied, "Catherine, how many things in this world can actually scare you?" Catherine thought about it and realized there weren''t many. From her expression, Ronin guessed the answer. "That''s it. I couldn''t manage to scare you. So, it must be a surprise. Catherine, just wait and see." Chapter 989 Marry Me ?Chapter 989 Marry Me Ronin carefully helped Catherine out of the car, and the two of them made their way to the dock to board the ship. "Catherine, look at this!"Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Catherine raised her head to the night sky as Ronin pointed. Numerous winks suddenly appeared. She realized there were rows of drones, creating various shapes through backstage control. Catherine was captivated by the disy and took a closer look. When she saw her name, she was surprised." Ronin, you did this?'' Ronin smirked. "Of course not. Catherine, let''s get on the ship. There''s a surprise waiting for you." With Ronin''s assistance, Catherine slowly boarded the massive ship. As soon as she stepped on the deck, she noticed several familiar faces. Zobber, dressed provocatively, waved at her. "Catherine, I''m over here." Catherine nced at her with a smile. "Weren''t you off having fun? Why are you back?" Zobber smiled and winked yfully. "Catherine, there are times I can''t miss. Today is one of them." Not only Zobber but also Audrey and Karl were on the deck, all smiling at her. Catherine had a premonition, but curiosity prevailed. With the blessings and smiles of the crowd, Catherine approached. Thomas personally supported her to move forward. A melodious tune echoed, and Catherine looked up. On the front deck, Branden sat straight at an exquisite ck piano. Bright spotlights enveloped the piano, resembling a huge moon at sea. Branden yed the piano, creating a beautiful melody that felt dreamlike and enchanting. He leaned toward the microphone and slowly turned his head. His sharp eyes softened as he saw Catherine. Then his deep, attractive voice came. "I thought I would be alone forever, but fate allowed me to meet you. You''re like sunshine, illuminating my once dark and cold world. I hope my future will always be with you." As the music concluded, Branden stood up and walked to Catherine slowly. He felt nervous for the first time, sweat forming on his palms. Then he reached Catherine, and they were just a step away. He knelt down on one knee with a ring in his hand. In the next moment, a dazzling disy lit up the distant sea. Bang! Fireworks bloomed in the sky, followed by drones forming a sentence, reading, [Catherine, marry me!] Catherine stared in surprise at the spectacr scene, her mind momentarily nk. Branden knelt before her and stared at her sincerely. "Catherine, will you marry me? I promise I will love you forever." As Catherine was still processing, Zobber and others began to cheer with excitement. They eximed, "Catherine, say yes!" One of them shouted, "Marry him!" Another one said, "Catherine, Branden is nice. Just agree." Catherine''s silence made Branden a bit nervous. He realized he might have been too hasty. Considering her young age, it was normal for her not to want the constraints of marriage. He thought he shouldn''t have done this. As Branden was putting away the ring, ready to let Catherine rest, she suddenly looked at him with a serious expression. Branden was captivated and stared at her beautiful eyes. "Do you really want to marry me?" Her voice was cool andposed as always. Branden, however, was stunned and instinctively nodded. Catherine smiled and said, "I''m willing." Branden was utterly bewildered. He even doubted if he had been too eager, leading to this hallucination. The onlookers couldn''t help butugh at the dumbfounded Branden. Zobberughed. "Who would''ve thought we''d see Mr. Duncan in such a funny scene? Seems like today''s trip was worth it. Absolutely, totally worth it." Theughter brought Branden back to reality from his daze. He didn''t care about the mocking. He just stared at Catherine. "Say it again." Catherine wished to capture this silly moment of his. He seldom behaved like this. She replied, "I said yes. You don''t want to?" Branden became anxious. For the first time, everyone present saw him in such a fluster. He said, "How could I not want to?" Seeing Catherine''s smile, Branden realized he had been yed. But he wasn''t angry at all, and he smiled warmly." Marry me.'' He slowly took out the ring from the exquisite box and then gently put it on Catherine''s ring finger. The diamond wasn''trge, but it was exceptionally delicate and cute, exactly to Catherine''s liking. Catherine knew Branden must have put thought into choosing this ring, and it struck a chord in her heart. Branden stood up and stared at Catherine''s finger. Thunderous apuse erupted around them, all in celebration of their happiness. "Kiss!" ''Give her a kiss!" With the crowd cheering, Branden embraced Catherine''s waist and lowered his head to kiss her lips. As the banquet came to a close, Branden still felt like he was in a dream. The entire time, not only Catherine but also others noticed his grin. Zobber teased, "Do you think Mr. Duncan will wake up smiling tomorrow?" Ronin nodded approvingly. "I think he will." Karl said helplessly, "How did the Duncans end up with such a character?" Hearing this, everyone burst intoughter. They never expected that the once-unapproachable Branden would be so excited after his sessful proposal. It showed that when one loved the right person, anything was possible. Chapter 990 Wedding Arrangements ? Chapter 990 Wedding Arrangements With the sessful proposal, the next step was to n the wedding. However, Catherine''s situation was unique. Branden, besides being busy with hispany, now had to take care of Catherine every day. Karl wanted to take charge of all the wedding arrangements. He shared his thoughts with Branden, but to Karl''s surprise, Branden tly rejected the offer. He said, ''It''s not up to me." Seeing his grandson acting like a henpecked husband, Karl wished he could smack him on the head with a cane. He thought Branden disgraced the name of the Duncans. But when Karl raised his hand, he suddenly thought that Branden had chosen Catherine as his partner. Since Catherine was outstanding, it was somewhat normal for Branden to act this way. He finally said, ''I''ll talk to Catherine.'' Branden didn''t stop him. If Karl wanted to do something, hardly anyone could stop him, so Branden just let him go. It wasn''t a bad thing, after all. Soon, Karl reached Catherine. "Catherine, I know both of you dislike troubles. But marriage is a big deal. Whether it''s the Duncans or the Swanns, we''re not ordinary families. I think you should have a proper wedding." Seeing Catherine silent, Karl felt a bit uneasy. He worried that Catherine might disagree, and that would be embarrassing for him. He would face Branden''s ridiculeter. He continued, "Catherine, don''t worry. I''ll take care of everything. I promise the wedding will be ording to your preferences. We''ll adopt whatever you like.'' Catherine couldn''t help but smile at Karl''s cautious demeanor. "Mr. Karl, I didn''t say I disagree. You don''t need to be nervous." She wasn''t particrly concerned about the wedding. She just didn''t want it to be troublesome. But since Karl cared so much, she would follow his advice. Karl only rxed after a moment, realizing that Catherine had agreed. "So, you''re letting me take care of it for you? Catherine nodded. "Don''t tire yourself too much. Just keep it simple." In Karl''s mind, the union between the Duncans and the Swanns wasn''t something that could be casually arranged. However, Catherine didn''t need to know about that. He would take care of it. "Leave everything to me. Just tell me what you like." *Rest assured, I''ll handle everything for you," Catherine replied. After seeing off Karl, Catherine was visited by Thomas, who had a worried expression. She asked, "What''s going on with you? You don''t look well." Thomas sighed deeply and then took a seat. "Nothing. I just feel uneasy." "Uneasy about what?'' Catherine asked curiously.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Thomas whispered, "Your grandfather and I were good friends. Now that he''s gone, seeing you getting married without others'' help makes me feel uneasy." Catherine instantly understood. No wonder Thomas arrived right after Karl left. They came for the same matter. Catherine smiled lightly and said, "Mr. Theo, if you''re willing, please help me take care of the matters regarding my marriage." Thomas had been waiting for this, and upon hearing it, he beamed with joy. "Great! Leave everything to me. I promise to make you have a wonderful wedding." "Okay." Catherine nodded. After Thomas left happily, Catherine could finally take a break. ***** nning a wedding was no simple task, especially when it involved the union of the Duncans and the Swanns. Karl and Thomas tirelessly prepared various details, ensuring a grand wedding while not exhausting the couple. Throughout the process, Catherine hardly had to worry about anything. She enjoyed a carefree time, leaving everything in the hands of the two old gentlemen. She just awaited the day of the wedding. Aaron was also on the guest list. Thomas invited him to help n the menu for the banquet. Reflecting on Catherine''s uing marriage, Aaron couldn''t help but think about his wayward grandson. He thought it was about time he visited him. Through some connections, he went to the prison and met Rn. Seeing his grandfather, Rn was surprised, "Grandpa, you are willing toe see me?" Aaron red at him and said indignantly, "I came to see if you''re dead!" Rn chuckled, not getting upset by the words. ''Grandpa, not this time. Maybe next time." Seeing him still capable of joking, Aaron felt somewhat reassured about his time inside. After a long silence, Rn suddenly asked, "How is she doing?" Aaron knew that he asked about Catherine. Despite being born into wealth, Rn''s upbringing was harsh. He likely cherished only Catherine in his heart. Regrettably, loving her didn''t guarantee her reciprocation.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Aaron sighed deeply and then said, "The wedding date is set. Rn paused for a moment before realizing what his grandfather meant. He then smiled wryly and said, ''I won''t be able to see her in a wedding dress. Perhaps that will be a regret. Grandpa, help me fulfill onest wish." *Just say it." Aaron nodded. With a smile, Rn looked ahead and softly said, "When you attend the wedding, take a picture of her in her wedding dress for me. That day, she must be as beautiful as I dreamt." Aaron felt a pang of bitterness. He knew Rn was suffering, but this was what it was. If Rn were in good condition now, even if Branden were outstanding, Aaron would encourage Rn to pursue her. However, given Rn''s past actions and current circumstances, pursuing Catherine would only cause more trouble for both parties. It was better to gracefully let go and wish each other happiness. Aaron said, ''Rest assured. I''ll take care of it." Rn felt relieved. Although he couldn''t be by Catherine''s side, knowing she was happy would be enough. "Have you been taking your medicely?" Aaron asked. Rn nodded. "Catherine arranged for someone to deliver it to me, and I''ve been taking it on time." "That''s good." Aaron nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. Thomas mentioned that as long as Rn took his medicine on time, he could live for a while longer. Aaron didn''t want to see Rn pass away before him. Every additional day for Rn meant a glimmer of hope. Chapter 991 Torturing ? Chapter 991 Torturing At the Duncans'' dungeon, Zobber finally got Karl''s permission to enter here safely after sucking up to him for days. Zobber was totally impressed by the dungeon, which looked like it was made of iron. She thought Hacker Alliance was mysterious enough, but it turned out Karl was even more badass. Everyone thought that the Duncans'' roots were in Casier, so they wouldn''t have much influence when they first arrived in Loxton. But to everyone''s surprise, Karl had such an influential background here in Loxton. Zobber wasn''t in a rush to meet Selene. She looked around carefully and studied for a while. ''Paxton, Karl is quite something. That was truly impressive to have such a huge dungeon hidden in the bustling Loxton." Paxton gave a somewhat arrogant smile and said, ''Have you ever thought about how distinguished Karl was back in the day? This is nothing. Do you want to meet her or not? If not, I have other work to attend to." These days, the Duncans were busy preparing for Branden''s uing wedding. As the assistant to the Duncans, he was so busy that he didn''t even have time to sleep. It was such a joyous asion that he naturally had to make every effort. He had even fought hard to seize many opportunities. If it weren''t for Karl''s orders and Zobber specifically requested his presence, he wouldn''t be wasting time here. Zobber suddenly lost all interest and gave Paxton a displeased look. "Hmph. What''s so great about it? I''lle with Catherine next time." Paxton was so angry that he wanted to grab Zobber, hang her upside down, and spank her. ''This girl was really infuriating,'' he thought. They walked to the bottom floor of the dungeon, where the most heinous criminals were held. However, there was someone special. Through the small window, Zobber saw a figure curled up in the corner inside. For just a few days, she hadpletely lost her charm from before. Paxton asked Zobber for her opinion, then opened the cage. Hearing somemotion, Selene slowly lifted her head from the ground. Yep, the person detained here was Selene. Everyone thought she had run away and disappeared, but no one knew Karl had already taken her away. Karl locked her up in the dungeon of the Duncans, waiting for Catherine to finish up and then decide her fate. At first, Selene was wilding out. She was causing a ruckus practically every second. But this was the prison personally arranged by Karl. Many bad guys had been held here. They didn''t even need to do much and just gave Selene a little bit of food every day to make sure she didn''t starve. After just one week, Selene had already grown up and be obedient. She stopped messing around, stopped crying and being loud, and just behaved.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. The guard increased her portion to two meals a day, and she instantly stoppedining because she had learned her lesson. When she heard some noise, she thought it was the guardsing to bring her dinner. But to her surprise, she saw Zobber and Paxton standing there. Her eyes instantly darkened, and her entire expression became incredibly cold. ''Are you all here to see me off?" Paxton didn''t say anything. Zobber walked straight up to Selene.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. She squatted down, giving Selene a cold stare with a strange smile. "You''re pretty clever, huh? You can even guess why we''re here. Since you already know what''s going on in your heart, we won''t make things difficult for you. Do it yourself." Zobber threw a medicine bottle in front of Selene and stared at her with a nk face. "I''m giving you a chance. Take action quickly. This medicine won''t have any side effects. It won''t make you feel ufortable." This made Selene''s body shake uncontrobly. She thought she didn''t care about living or dying, but when she really knew that someone was going to send her off, she still trembled in fear. Seeing her in this state, Zobber wanted to y a little prank. ''She actually dared to harm Catherine. She''s going to have to pay the price for it." Zobber gave a look to Paxton, who immediately understood what Zobber was getting at. Despite feeling helpless, Paxton didn''t stop Zobber from taking action. He quickly walked up to Selene and restrained her. But he didn''t tighten his grip too much, leaving some room for her to struggle. Selene started to go crazy, screaming loudly regardless of her demeanor. "What are you trying to do? Do you know that killing is illegal?" Zobber squatted down in front of Selene, squinting and examining her with a yful smile. "Yo, just a moment ago, you were acting all tough; why are you backing down now?" Selene valued reputation more than her life. When she heard Zobber''s words, she felt more miserable than being killed. Zobber firmly grabbed her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. "When you started messing with Catherine back in the day, you should have known there would be consequences like this." She actually dared to harm Catherine and even nned to harm the baby in Catherine''s belly.'' This was enough to make Zobber explode with anger just by talking about it, let alone the fact that the perpetrator was standing in front of her right now. If she didn''t give Selene a good lesson, she would not be Zobber. Selene was scared pale. After watching her struggle for a while, Zobber said to Paxton, "Grab her tight. Let''s send her on her way now." Now, no matter how much Selene struggled, it was in vain. Zobber quickly pried open her mouth and shoved all the white pills into her mouth. Without giving her a chance to hesitate, Zobber directly forced her to swallow it. After she swallowed it, Zobber gestured for Paxton to release her. After Selene was released, she immediately shrunk to the side, frantically digging at her throat, trying to dig out the pills. Her disheveled appearance was trulyical. Zobber wasughing her ass off on the side, feeling pretty damn proud as she recorded every bit of Selene''s miserable state. Selene threw up some of the pills, but Zobber gave her too much. She couldn''t guarantee she threw up all of it. When she saw Zobber was still filming her, she got so mad and let out a loud roar. "Do you want me to die so bad? Do you think you can get away with it? If I die, none of you can escape." Upon hearing this, Zobber burst outughing. ''Scaredy-cat, I was just pranking; I didn''t expect you to be such a coward." Upon hearing this, Selene was immediately stunned. She stared at Zobber with wide eyes filled with anger. Seeing her smile getting bigger and bigger, Selene realized she was being tricked and was so angry that she wanted to p Zobber. Before she could even get close to Zobber, Zobber kicked her away. Zobber looked down at Selene, who was lying on the ground, and said with a cold tone, ''You''ve got a chance toe clean. I''ll let you off today, but if you keep being stubborn, I''lle to take care of you 24/7. Just you wait!" Chapter 992 Grand Wedding ? Chapter 992 Grand Wedding Selene was lying on the ground without even the strength to prop herself up. She shot a furious look toward Zobber, her eyes filled with deadly hatred. "What do you want exactly?" Zobber had been through all kinds of situations. Even though she acted all carefree and goofy most of the time, she was still one of the four leaders of the Hacker Alliance. If she couldn''t even handle a small situation like this, how could she get to where she was today? Zobber grabbed Selene''s head and forced her to make eye contact. "I said I''ll let you off for now. Are you nning to dig your own grave?" Her icy and fierce eyes gave Selene an eerie feeling. She was so flustered looking at Zobber. Her speech was stuttering and nervous. "What do you want exactly?" Zobber''s tone was icy as she said, ''Spill everything you know. I''ll give you a fair trial." Selene knew deep down that she had done too much. There was no way Zobber would let her off easily. The best oue for her would be to escape from here and face thew''s judgment. She still had a chance as long as her boss was willing to keep her. The terms offered by Zobber really got Selene excited. "You''re really gonna let me go?" Zobber nodded without hesitation, looking very serious. "I swear, on my honor, I will never deceive you." This totally cracked Selene''s hesitation. It was not that she really believed in Zobber, but she had no other choice right now. She was counting on Branden to show up and help her out with her plea. But she had been here for so many days and hadn''t even heard Branden''s voice, let alone seen him in person. She waspletely desperate now, the only one who could save her was herself. "Give me some time to sort things out, and I''ll give you a satisfactory answer. A little smirk escaped Zobber''s face. She felt a bit smug inside. This trip turned out to be a lot easier than she had imagined. "Just take your time to think about it. Once you''ve figured it out, I''ll be here." With that, she left with Paxton. After the two of them walked out of the dungeon, Zobber demanded, "I''m gonna take her away." "No way!" Paxton answered without hesitation. "Hmph!" Zobber sneered coldly. "Says you." Paxton looked at her coldly and sternly, saying, "It is not a matter of whether I agree or not. It is simply not a rule of the Duncans."" Zobber showed somewhat disdain, saying, "So what if the Duncans don''t have this rule? I don''t care. I''ll talk to Catherine and see if Mr. Duncan will agree or not." With that, she just left straight away. Watching her walk away, Paxton''s expression looked somewhat bad. ''Is this girl acting like she''s the boss now? However, if Catherine were to speak to Branden about this matter, it would be easily resolved with just a few words. Paxton sighed, thinking, ''Love makes people blind.'' **AWA Soon, it was the day of the wedding. The wedding was held in Casier. Even though the Duncans were now developing up in Loxton, both the Duncans'' and the Swanns'' roots were in Casier. The whole street was filled with fancy cars. The ones leading the way were two helicopters, each carrying a banner with blessings for the newlyweds. Such a big deal, of course, was personally arranged by Karl. This wedding was unprecedented and caught everyone''s attention in the whole city. At the arranged time, a convoy of top-notch luxury cars set off from the Duncans'' to the Swanns''. "Why are we still going around in circles?" Paxton noticed the anxious look on Branden''s face and immediately asked the driver about the situation. The driver looked really nervous and anxious. He said, ''Paxton, it was arranged by Mr. Karl himself, saying it''s to coordinate with Mrs. Catherine''s time. Going around the city once, we''ll arrive right on time." Once Paxton learned of the situation, he immediately reported it to Branden, "Sir, this is specially arranged by Mr. Karl to wish you and the bride a lifetime of happiness together." On such a joyful asion, everyone talked about auspicious things. Branden''s originally cold expression suddenly softened quite a bit. "Then just do what Grandpa told you to do." Actually, Karl just wanted the whole city to see that Branden was getting married. His grandson finally got married and even married someone as good as Catherine. He was so happy. He was definitely making a big deal out of it. After driving around for some time, they finally arrived at the Swanns'' house. It was the old house of the Swanns. The yard was all set up by Vicente. As the oldest sister, Audrey decorated the entire yard very festively with the help of Mr. Theo.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. The wedding convoy hadn''t evene to a stop yet. Ronin, one of the representatives from the bride''s family, immediately grabbed a bunch of firecrackers and headed out. The firecrackers were cracking loudly. Everyone in the bride''s room knew that it meant the groom had arrived. Zobber and Amelia were serving as bridesmaids with Catherine for the first time, and they were all a bit nervous. Although Zobber usually had a carefree attitude, acting tough and fearless, she still got nervous about this situation. She originally thought that no one in the world could match Catherine and even believed that Catherine might very well get marriedte because she couldn''t find a good enough partner. But she never expected that Catherine would be the first one among them to get married. It was precisely because Mr. Duncan was so good that he had the chance to marry Catherine. *Catherine, are you nervous?" Zobber asked. Catherine was wearing traditional clothing as her first outfit of the day. It was a long gown with flowers embroidered with golden threads all over it, super exquisite and eye-catching. This gown alone took ten top-notch Swann Corporation craftsmen three months of overtime. If it weren''t for Karl personally stepping in, it wouldn''t have been done this quickly. In order to give his grandson and Catherine a grand wedding, Karl really went all out. Hearing Zobber''s question, Catherine turned around and gave her a calm look. "Pass me the pastry beside you." When Zobber heard this, she immediately brought the pastries over. Catherine was in the middle stage of pregnancy. The baby in her belly was growing really fast, and she was hungry all the time. These desserts were prepared specifically for her. Zobber watched as she ate with such focus, and she already knew the answer. ''Of course, Catherine is the boss. She isn''t going to be fazed by these small situations.'' The noisy sound from downstairs made the bridesmaids inside the house curious. They couldn''t help but want to go out to take a look. Catherine could tell what they were thinking and generously said, "Just go have fun. Don''t worry about keeping mepany." Everyone knew Catherine''s personality, and it was clear she was not faking polite. Zobber was about to leave when she suddenly noticed something big going down. "Oh no! I haven''t had a chance to hide the wedding shoes yet. Where should I hide them?" With the groom''s men''s intelligence, skills, and abilities, no matter where the shoes were hidden, they would probably be found very easily. Zobber pondered for a while, which ended up dying the matter of hiding shoes. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to ask Catherine for help. ''Catherine, help me brainstorm, will you?" Catherine looked over at the dressing table and said nonchntly, "Just put it there!" Zobber was shocked. "Just leave it out in the open like that?" ''Isn''t it a bit too perfunctory? I know that hiding the wedding shoes is just for fun. It''s not like the groom has to carry the bride home. But we should add some more interactive fun to it, Zobber thought. She hesitated and gave a quick nce at Catherine, seeing that Catherine was serious about it. She followed Catherine''s orders and put the wedding shoes on the dressing table openly. Chapter 993 Wedding Shoes ?Chapter 993 Wedding Shoes Branden''s groomsmen were rather helpful. They either bribed the bridesmaids with their beautiful looks or with money. When the heir of the Duncans got married, every gift they prepared was worth over ten thousand dors. The bridesmaids yelled out, "Where''s the gift?" Paxton pulled open his backpack and stuffed a stack of money into each bridesmaid''s hands. The bridesmaids had them do a few small interactive games to liven things up, and the groomsmen were super cooperative and nailed it. Everyone looked at Zobber, asking her what to do next. Zobber shrugged,ughing helplessly. "The enemy is too strong. We can''t hold them off. Let''s just them through. Everyone thought that it made sense. After all, they had received so much money, so of course, they had to speed things up a bit and let the handsome groom sweep his bride off her feet sooner. Branden was walking at the forefront and smoothly arrived at the door of the bride''s room. The bridesmaids announced that they had reached the final checkpoint of the day. "As long as you can find the wedding shoes, our handsome groom can walk away with our beautiful bride." Catherine was sitting on the bed in a gorgeous gown, looking dignified and imposing, with a face that could charm all living beings. Everyone who walked in was stunned by her beautiful face. From the moment Branden walked into the room, his originally uneasy eyes instantly became sturdy and didn''t move away from Catherine for a split second. After being reminded by the bridesmaids, everyone finally started to look for the wedding shoes. They didn''t even need to look for them. As soon as they walked in, everyone saw it at a nce on the dressing table. It was a pair of sparkling crystal shoes. These shoes were designed by Mr. Duncan himself and custom-made by skilled craftsmen. But who else but Catherine would dare to leave the wedding shoes on the dressing table boldly? No one dared to vite Catherine''s arrangements.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. All the groomsmen started searching frantically, like a bunch of blind people, ignoring the shoes on the dressing table. At first, Zobber was slightly confused but soon realized that this group was bowing to Catherine''s tyranny. She held back for a long time before finally holding back herughter. "You guys can do it. Keep going!" Paxton gave Zobber a resentful re. ''When will this end? Everyone sees it right in front of them, but no one dares to say it?'' he wondered. He had no choice but to seek help from Branden. Branden kept a straight face and let them keep searching. As long as his wife was happy, nothing else mattered. Today was his big wedding day, and the only thing to consider was Catherine''s feelings. Everything else didn''t matter at all. After they searched for about half an hour, Catherine started to feel a bit tired and spoke up. "Still haven''t found it? Triston quickly caught on and said, "How about the bridesmaid giving us a hint?" When business came knocking, Zobber naturally couldn''t miss out. "I can give a hint. Fifty thousand dors for each bridesmaid." The groomsmen took a sharp breath, thinking this was simply an exorbitant demand. Paxton nced at Branden. Seeing that Branden had no reaction, he immediately opened his backpack and stuffed the money into Zobber''s hands. Not only must money be given, but he must also give it with a smiling face. ''Please give me some tips. As a small gesture of respect, please ept it graciously." Zobber gave a generous hint. "Go take a look at the dressing table." Everyone wiped their sweat in silence and coordinated the acting.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Triston held the wedding shoes and respectfully presented them to Branden. "Mr. Duncan, the wedding shoes have been found. Hurry and take the beauty home." Branden approached Catherine carrying the wedding shoes and knelt on one knee. His beautiful eyes gazed at her with deep affection. "Catherine, I havee to marry you." Chapter 994 I Do ? Chapter 994 IDo The wedding was held at the most luxurious Camilton Hotel in Casier, which was originally owned by the Duncans. To hold a grand wedding for Branden, Karl directly instructed the Camilton Hotel to close for a whole month, specifically for the preparation of this grand wedding. Starting from the main entrance, the entire hotel was decorated like a luxurious pce with exquisite beauty. The beautiful setup stunned every guest who came to participate in the wedding. "This is so amazing! It looks like the Duncans really value this new bride and are willing to spend a fortune on her." Upon hearing someone discussing, an insider immediately responded, "It''s the Duncans'' sole heir''s marriage. Naturally, the standard cannot be low. But you did say one thing right: the Duncans value this new bride very much. You know, Mr. Karl himself personally organized this wedding." When these words were spoken, everyone around was shocked. Usually, the weddings of wealthy families were all taken care of by professional agencies as a ce for socializing. Even the newlyweds rarely personally handle things. But this wedding was organized personally by Mr. Karl, the heavyweight figure in the Duncans, showcasing the extent of his affection for his future daughter-inw. The venue''s decoration was not only luxurious but every detail at the wedding was carefully nned. The wedding began with Thomas himself escorting Catherine down the aisle. Catherine was wearing this gigantic, gorgeous wedding dress with a 30-foot trail and a fancy crown on her head. She appeared stunningly beautiful in front of everyone.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. She hooked her arm with Thomas and slowly walked toward Branden. *Branden, even though I am not Catherine''s family. I value her more than my own granddaughter. You must take good care of her, understand?" When Thomas said that, his eyes were already red, and he reluctantly ced Catherine''s hand into the hands of Branden. Branden took her hands seriously, his eyes filled with respect. "You can rest assured. I swear with my life, I will protect her for a lifetime." Taking Catherine''s hands from Thomas, Branden walked with an incredibly heavy step. Because he meant to marry Catherine and take care of her for the rest of her life. He was going to spend the second half of his life fulfilling this promise.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. When the two of them reached the center of the main stage, Branden reminded the emcee repeatedly to simplify the process and not tire out the bride. The emcee immediately picked up the microphone and moved on to the next step. "Groom, please put on the wedding ring for the bride. I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness. The usher led a young flower girl onto the stage. Branden slowly took the ring from the flower girl and ced it on Catherine''s ring finger. ''Groom, do you agree to take Catherine as your wife, to love and cherish her for all your days, whether in poverty or wealth?" asked the emcee. Branden nodded without hesitation and said, "I do." The emcee asked Catherine the same question again. Catherine did not immediately respond like Branden. Everything quieted down in an instant, so quiet as if the entire world had been drained of life. The guests looked nervously in Catherine''s direction. Everyone who knew her knew she didn''t like to follow the usual path. Now, no one knew what she would say next. Let alone the audience below the stage. Even Branden was nervously swallowing. He was terrified that Catherine would say she needed to think twice about it the next moment. He had always respected Catherine''s opinions, but he was not sure if he would actually agree if she really said that. Chapter 995 Ive Got Your Back ?Chapter 995 I''ve Got Your Back Just as Branden was about to speak up, no longer wanting to put Catherine on the spot, Catherine smiled and spoke first. ''I do! I used to think I would be lonely for the rest of my life, but you gave me the courage to enter into marriage. I have no regrets marrying you." Always being serious and stiff in front of others, Branden suddenly broke into a big, heartyugh at this moment. He was so happy that the girl he liked had finally be his wife. The heartwarming scene touched many people into tears. Most of the people here were friends of Catherine. They all knew how powerful she was. But they also knew what Catherine had been through to get to where she was today.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. The emcee standing on the side was all teary-eyed, holding the microphone and announcing the next process in a choked voice, "Now let''s give them wonderful apuse as a blessing. Congrattions to this loving couple. Wishing them a lifetime of happiness together." There was thunderous apuse from the audience. Zobber and the others were pping with tears in their eyes, shouting loudly and cheering, "Kiss the bride!" Catherine was just standing there when Branden gently lifted her veil. With all the blessings from the crowd, he kissed his most beautiful bride on the lips. The wedding process was really short. There wasn''t even a moment for either side''s parents to say a few words. Some people were guessing that maybe it was because Karl didn''t like Catherine, so he didn''t even want to go up on stage. But when the camera switched to Karl''s face, the usually stern old man smiled so much that his eyes practically disappeared, raising the ss to toast with everyone generously. Simon usually kept a tight rein on his diet but didn''t even try to stop him today. When others asked, Simon just smiled and exined, ''It''s been a long time since Mr. Karl has been this happy. Today is a big celebration, so let''s not dampen his spirits and let him enjoy himself." What was more important was that Mr. Theo himself was on the scene. With this miracle doctor around, Simon didn''t have to worry about Karl''s health. He couldn''t even sleep all night out of excitement on such a happy day, not to mention Mr. Karl, who had been looking forward to this for decades. "Who''s going to go up and try to persuade now? That''s just asking for trouble!'' thought Simon. Catherine had just got off the stage when Karl immediately went up and personally pulled out the chair beside him for her. "Tired? Sit down and take a break!" Catherine waved her hand and rejected Karl. "Grandpa, let me go upstairs to change first."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The dress with a long hem made it impossible for Catherine to sit down. When Karl heard this, he quickly ordered someone to take Catherine up. As soon as everyone left, Karl pulled Branden over. "We''ll take of this. Let Catherine rest upstairster, no need toe down." Branden also didn''t want Catherine to be too tired, so he nodded and said, "Got it, Grandpa." Karl even had the cook prepare a small table of food specifically for Catherine and had Branden personally deliver it. Everyone around saw the Duncans''s love for Catherine with jealousy in their eyes. This was the top-tier rich family; they were truly showered with immense favor. Even though he just gotten married, Branden had zero interest in socializing. ''Grandpa, thank you." Karl took one look at Branden and knew exactly what he was thinking. He chuckled and said, "Go on. I''ve got your back." "Thanks, Grandpa!" Branden turned around and left. ''There was no point in drinking with these people here. I might as well go upstairs and cuddle with my wife.'' Since it was a wedding, the groom should, of course, be with the bride. Branden just ditched all the guests and left in a big way. Chapter 996 Audrey and Triston ? Chapter 996 Audrey and Triston Audrey had been out of the entertainment industry for a while now, but she had sessfully made it into the A- list with a few killer hits. She didn''t need to keep churning out works to maintain her impression in the audience. It was enough that she released just one work in a year. A couple of days ago, she was busy hustling in her acting career, leaving herself physically and mentally exhausted. Now, she was nning to rest well and travel around. If it weren''t for Catherine''s wedding this time, she wouldn''t have returned from overseas. As the wedding reception was winding down, Audrey was ready to leave. Finally seeing her little sister getting married, she was so happy today. Nothing could make her happier than this. Branden was a real catch, and Catherine could definitely trust him. Saying goodbye to all her friends, Audrey was getting ready to drive away. Just as the car was pulling out of the driveway, it suddenly got hit by a caring from the side. A loud bang scared Audrey out of her wits.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Luckily, the other party kept things under control and didn''t cause any serious consequences. Audrey got out of the car, ready to negotiatepensation with the person standing there, only to find out it was Triston. Triston propped up on the car door, gazed gently in Audrey''s direction, and casually said, "Sorry for hitting your car.'' Audrey deliberately avoided him at the wedding, and now she still didn''t want to talk much with him. She took a nce at the car and saw that the back had been dented, but it wasn''t too serious. ''I''ll have someone fix the car. When it''s done, I''ll have my assistant get in touch with your secretary." With that, Audrey was ready to get in her car. Before she could leave, Triston grabbed her hand. She turned around calmly, her eyes staring coldly at him. "What else do you want? Mr. Lambert, you are of high status. Please don''t cause a scene for me. It would not be good." Everyone attending the wedding tonight was a big shot. Even though the Duncans had already said they wouldn''t do any media interviews, many reporters were still around, not wanting to miss out on the big event. Even if they couldn''t capture the bride and groom, the guests present were enough to make the front page news tomorrow. Audrey was a popr A-list actress, while Triston was an infamous yboy in the industry. No matter which one they shot, it could be tomorrow''s front-page headline. After Audrey finished speaking, Triston let go of her hand. Audrey thought he wouldn''t cause trouble anymore, so she turned around, opened the car door, and got in. She was just about to close the door, but another door closing sounded next to her in the next second. Audrey looked sideways and saw that Triston had already taken the passenger seat next to her. She gave him a frown with a clear expression of unhappiness. "What the heck do you want?" Triston raised an eyebrow at her, speaking with a serious tone and showing no sign of nervousness or blushing." My car broke down, so give me a ride." Audrey naturally didn''t believe him. She was originally nning to refute him, but Triston shamelessly stayed in the car and refused to get out. "Aren''t you worried about being paparazzied? If we stay for another two minutes, we might appear on the front page tomorrow." Audrey was furious with his shameless words. But there were just too many reporters around. The longer they stayed, the greater the risk of being photographed. Triston didn''t want to leave the car, so she just had to go first and then figure out how to deal with it. Audrey angrily stomped on the gas pedal and drove the car out of the underground parking lot. After they were far away from the hotel, Audrey nonchntly spoke up. "Mr. Lambert, where are you going?" She was nning to drop Triston off at his destination and leave. Everything would be fine if they didn''tmunicate with each other.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After waiting for a long time, Audrey still had not received a response from Triston. She turned her head and saw that he was sleeping in the passenger seat. Originally, she wanted to wake him up, but she couldn''t bring herself to do it when she saw the dark circles under his eyes. She knew that Triston was used to staying in hotels and had reserved suites in many top luxury hotels throughout the year. She found a hotel that she was familiar with and went in from the VIP entrance to find two security guards. The security guard arrived in front of Triston; before even touching him, he got scared and backed away. Audrey almost forgot that Triston hated being touched by strangers the most. She walked over to see that Triston was already awake. She didn''t waste time talking to him but just asked him to get out of the car. "Since you''re awake, you''ve gotta handle the rest by yourself." Originally, she thought there would be a big fuss, but Triston was so cooperative that he got out of the car by himself and walked toward the hotel without even looking back. Audrey was actually quite surprised by it. Anyway, I have sent him here. My duty is done. Just treat it as being a chauffeur for him,'' she thought. Audrey drove off, getting ready to head back to rest. It hadn''t been ten minutes when she got a call from an unknown number. She picked up the phone and put it next to her ear, hearing the familiar voice on the other end. "I left my phone in your car. There''s some really important stuff on it. Bring it to me." Audrey took a nce back and realized his phone was actually in her car. She impatiently responded, "Got it." With that, she hung up the phone. Audrey sighed deeply, thinking, ''What have I done to be ordered around like this? She drove the car back to the hotel. She was nning on handing her phone to the front desk and then having them bring it up to Triston. However, the receptionist looked at her puzzled, saying, "Miss Swann, Mr. Lambert insisted that only you deliver such an important personal item like a phone. He doesn''t trust anyone else." "What''s wrong with him?" Audrey cursed angrily. The receptionistdy looked really embarrassed, saying, ''Miss Swann, please help me out! I''m just a nobody. If I offend Mr. Lambert, I''ll lose my job tomorrow." What she said was true, though. Triston could easily get her fired with just a few words. Audrey didn''t want to make things difficult for her, so she had no choice but to take the phone up herself. Just a few more minutes at most,'' she thought. She went up to the top floor of the presidential suite. Triston didn''t even bother to close the door. There was only one room on this floor. One needed a special room key or the staff''s help to ess it. Living alone, Triston was not worried about anyoneing over. Audrey walked up and heard the sound of running watering from the bathroom, guessing that Triston was probably taking a shower. She yelled out twice but didn''t get a response. She nned to put her phone on the table and left. As soon as she turned around, she saw Tristoning out of the bathroom with only a white towel wrapped around his body. The water droplets on his hair kept sliding down. Being in the entertainment circle, Audrey was used to handsome male models. But when she saw Triston, her heart inexplicably started to beat faster. This guy indeed has a perfect face,'' she thought. Chapter 997 He Just Wont Stay Gone ?Chapter 997 He Just Won''t Stay Gone After a moment, Audrey snapped out of it and pointed to the phone on the table. "Here''s your phone." With that, she was about to leave. A familiar smell hit her as she passed by Triston. It was still that shower gel with the unique scent of lc. He got bored of women quickly but was more loyal to other things, such as the body wash he had used for many years. Audrey was about to walk out the door when Triston grabbed her. Before she could react, everything started spinning, and Triston had already pressed her down on the bed. They stared at each other, and there was hardly any space between them. Audrey could feel the warm breath directly spraying on her face, causing her heart to race. She tried to keep calm, frowning and staring at the man in front of her. "Mr. Lambert, please let go." Triston was squinting at her. Everyone said he was heartless and cold. But he knew his indifference was nothingpared to the woman before him. She was the real heartless one. When she got determined, she could just leave and not even give him any updates. God knew how much he wanted to strangle her, but he couldn''t bring himself to do it. "What are you gonna do about it if I don''t?" asked Triston. Audrey was irritated by his shameless words. "That''s your own business. Let go of me, or else don''t me me for being rude to you." Hearing Audrey''s warning, Triston not only didn''t let go but held her even tighter. "I won''t let go. Even if you beat me to death today, I still won''t let go. Aud,e back." Triston didn''t drink alcohol, but holding Audrey in his arms made him feel as if he were totally drunk, his brain all foggy and not thinking clearly. He just didn''t want to let go.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. He couldn''t bear to see Audrey leave and didn''t want to deal with the consequences of losing her. When Triston spoke, Audrey froze in ce, forgetting to move. His cold, thin lips gently kissed her cheek, not daring to make too much of a move. He was super careful with every move, like holding some rare treasure. The kissing started to get more intense. Audrey, who was still lost in a hazy world, suddenly felt a coldness. In an instant, she snapped out of it. When she came to her senses, she pushed Triston away and ran out of the room. As Triston watched her walk away, his eyes were filled with disappointment. ***** After leaving the hotel, Audrey drove back to her apartment like a maniac. She had made quite a bit of money over the years. Moreover, Catherine gave her annual dividends from the Swann Corporation. She was totally a richdy. But she never thought about moving. The Swanns'' old house was empty, and she never thought about moving back there. As nice as it was outside, it was still not as cozy as her little apartment. No matter how tough things got, she could just sleep it off in her little apartment. But tonight, Audrey couldn''t fall asleep. Aftering back from the hotel, she tossed and turned in bed for hours without being able to fall asleep. She forced herself to wear the eye mask and closed her eyes. But even though the eyes were closed, her brain kept on working. When the doorbell rang the next day, Audrey instantly jumped up from the bed and walked to the front door. Kim looked at her in surprise, saying, "You opened the door quickly today. I thought you were up all night!" Audrey didn''t want to answer him because she did stay up all night. When Kim walked in and saw her lying on the sofa looking exhausted, he couldn''t help but exim, "Don''t tell me I guessed right; you partied too hardst night and didn''t sleep? My goodness, don''t you remember we have amercial shoot today?" Kim had already figured out that if Catherine got married. Audrey would definitely have a crazy celebration. Staying up all night wouldn''t be enough. After all, it was normal to celebrate for your younger sister to be getting married. He had got it all sorted out and arranged some time off for Audrey. To his surprise, Audrey insisted she could work the next day, guaranteeing it wouldn''t affect the work. Under her rare enthusiasm, Kim arranged the schedule for her. He didn''t expect that the reliable person could also stand him up. "I do!" Audrey''s voice was weak. Kim angrily looked at her, shouting, "What did you promise?" Audrey shed a sweet smile. She never expected Triston to go crazyst night. "Kim, don''t be mad. I''m gonna go drink coffee and do a face mask to get back in top shape," she said. After two cups of espresso, plus aplete set of caviar face masks for emergency rescue, Audrey''s swollen face and dark circles had finally improved a bit. She had recovered about seventy to eighty percent of her original beauty. Kim took her to the set and handed her over to the makeup artist. "Ms. Swann, you''ve been exhausted these days, right? Your skin doesn''t look too good," said the makeup artist. The moment the makeup artist finished talking, Kim shot Audrey a fierce look, totally freaking her out and making her neck shrink back. She chuckled and said, "Been pretty busy these days. I didn''t get much rest!" The makeup artist nodded in understanding and said, "Your younger sister is getting married; as her sister, you naturally have to work a bit harder. We can understand it. Don''t worry about this small issue. Leave it to me. I''ll help you look better. Audrey nodded guiltily and said, "Thanks." With this assurance, Kim''splexion finally looked a bit better. Audrey breathed a sigh of relief in secret, thinking she had managed to dodge a bullet by leaning on her little sister. Make-up was done; now, onto the filming process. Audrey was a pro now; plus, she was super popr, so the shooting was going really smoothly. As soon as the director announced a half-time break, the project leader of the sponsorship came knocking on the door. "Ms. Swann, our boss is here, and he wants to watch the filming. Go over and say hi to him." Such a thing happened way too often on set. When the sponsor came, Audrey still had to show some respect even if she was the main character. Along with Kim, she followed the project leader to meet the sponsor. "Mr. Lambert, Ms. Swann is here."Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Audrey subconsciously looked up and saw the man standing across from her, instantly furrowing her brows. ''He just won''t stay gone,'' she thought. Audrey had a really shitty expression. She nned on just turning around and leaving, but Kim grabbed her. Kim knew about the rtionship between Audrey and Triston, but at the end of the day, this was about being professional at work. The project leader saw that Audrey''s face didn''t look good, and beads of sweat as big as beans were falling from his forehead. He used to think Audrey was easygoing, but how did she drop the ball at a crucial moment? He approached Audrey with a ttering smile and said, "Ms. Swann, this is Mr. Lambert. Say hi and introduce yourself, please." Audrey gave an annoyed nce. "Why bother greeting him? I''m right in front of him. Can''t he see?" Her rudeness left everyone who didn''t know the truthpletely shocked. ''She''s too arrogant. Audrey is done for this time. There won''t be any benefits in offending this guy,'' the onlookers thought. Chapter 998 You Did Owe Me Money ? Chapter 998 You Did Owe Me Money The project leader was so scared that he almost passed out when he saw the situation. He couldn''t care about Audrey''s poprity in the industry and immediately jumped out to defend his own boss." Ms. Swann, Mr. Lambert is here to pay a visit because he admires you. But isn''t it a bit too much for you to act all high and mighty like this?" ''He admires me?'' thought Audrey. She didn''t believe a word of that. She knew her attitude was not good. She definitely wouldn''t have this attitude if it were someone else today. But it happened to be Triston. When Audrey still had a stony face and didn''t say anything, the project leader started to get impatient and was about to speak but was stopped by Triston. He looked around with a cool attitude, making everyone think he was about to get mad. But then he said to the project leader, "All of you can go. I''ll have a chat with Ms. Swann alone." The project leader was stunned for a moment but then quickly reacted and immediately left the meeting room. Kim nced at Audrey. After getting her signal, he went out.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Audrey''s goal was simple: she just wanted to take this opportunity to clear things up to avoid any further confusion between them. ***** Kim had just walked out of the meeting room when he was stopped by the project leader. The project leader was not quick to react just now. When he got kicked out, he formed an idea. He stared at Kim curiously, trying to gather some intel. "Kim, do you know if Ms. Swann is acquainted with Mr. Lambert?" Kim gave him a disdainful look, feeling very unimpressed deep down. These two are more than just acquaintances. They''re practically sworn enemies,'' he said inwardly. However, he was not interested in telling the project leader about this past gossip and didn''t want him to misunderstand Audrey for being arrogant. So, he hinted at something indirectly. "Who do you think is Mr. Lambert''s closest and most influential brother? You should have a pretty good idea as his employee, right?" The project leader immediately nodded proudly. "Of course, Mr. Lambert''s best bro is definitely the president of the Duncan Corporation." Everyone in Casier knew about the Duncan Corporation, not to mention now the Duncan Corporation''s business was bing more globalized. "That''s right," Kim agreed with a nod. "You know Catherine Swann, the president''s wife? That''s Audrey''s sister. Do you think Audrey and Mr. Lambert are not close? There shouldn''t be so many formalities when friends meet, right? The project leader was stunned for a moment, then quickly came to his senses. He was all smiles as he dragged Kim along, inviting him to grab a bite. "Oh, I see; in that case, let them talk, and we can go eat." In the conference room, Triston sat back in his chair, his good-looking eyes full of interest as he gazed at Audrey in front of him.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Seeing her angry face, he found it really amusing. "You''re so unhappy to see me? You smile at everyone but give me a nasty look. I''d think I owe you money if I didn''t know any better." Audrey nced at him and said impatiently. "Don''t even talk about it. You did owe me money." She was so pissed off seeing Triston acting all casual like this. If it weren''t for him going crazyst night, she wouldn''t have to chug iced coffee to reduce the swelling early in the morning. Thanks to this guy, her next month''s period was about to be all messed up again. Triston was a bit stunned. He admitted that he owed Audrey quite a bit. But he definitely didn''t owe her money. Even if he were broke, he wouldn''t owe money to a woman. But he actually became interested when Audrey said that. "Then go ahead and tell me what money I owe you," he said. Chapter 999 Free of Charge ?Chapter 999 Free of Charge! Audrey took out her phone and presented the payment records fromst night to Triston. "Take a look, Mr. Lambert. I paid for your roomst night," she said. "You''re going to repay me, right?" Triston nced at the records and nodded. He smiled at Audrey. "Of course I''ll repay you. I never owe women any money," he said. Raising an eyebrow, he leaned in and asked in a low, seductive voice, ''Ms. Swann, can I repay you in another way?" Audrey was shaken by his words. She stared at Triston in disbelief, and he suddenly leaned in closer, causing her to instinctively step back until she was pressed against the table. Triston ced his hands on either side of the table, enclosing Audrey within his reach. His eyes locked onto hers. "Will that do?" he asked. Audrey came to her senses and pushed him away, calling him a ''pervert" before swiftly leaving the meeting room. Triston didn''t chase after her, fearing she might run away again. He couldn''t let Audrey escape this time, no matter what. After leaving the meeting room, Audrey couldn''t find Kim, so she called him. She found out that he had gone to dinner with the investment team''s head, leaving her alone and frustrated.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. It seemed that Kim was bing increasingly unreliable, much to Audrey''s dismay. The assistant stood to the side and noticed Audrey''s unpleasant expression, feeling a bit flustered. *Audrey, Kim is not here. Shall I call thepany''s car to take you back?" the assistant offered. ''No need." Audrey rejected the assistant''s suggestion. With the current transportation being so convenient, she could just call an Uber. Waiting for thepany''s car would take too long, especially with the sun already setting. Audrey walked out of the set with the assistant and stood by the roadside, preparing to call an Uber. Not far ahead, a Maybach slowly came to a stop. The driver nced at the people ahead and respectfully said to the back seat, "Mr. Lambert, it seems to be Miss Audrey. What do you think?" Triston, who was dealing with work, immediately looked up upon hearing about Audrey. "Drive the car over," he instructed. "Okay." The driverplied and slowly moved forward. The assistant held an umbre for Audrey and, seeing her still engrossed in operating her phone, couldn''t help but suggest, ''Audrey, should we call thepany instead?" Audrey hadn''t expected this ce to be so remote. She had been standing in the sun for five minutes, and if she stayed longer, her skin would be damaged. She couldn''t afford to ruin her face now when she had an ad shoot the next day. "Audrey, look! It seems like they''vee for us," the assistant said.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Hearing this, Audrey looked up and saw the car window slowly rolling down, revealing Triston''s face. "Beauty, need a ride? Free of charge!" he teased. Audrey''s expression darkened when she saw Triston. Without hesitation, she refused, "No, thanks." Unfortunately, Triston was thick-skinned. Despite her reluctance, Audrey reluctantly took the assistant and got into the car. If she didn''t, she would get sunburnt. As soon as she got in, Triston kindly offered her some water. ''It''s so hot. Want some water? I''ll arrange dinner for tonight," he said. Audrey immediately frowned, and her tone became noticeably stern. "I''m not having dinner with you, Triston. Don''t push your luck," she warned. Chapter 1000 A Difficult Decision ? Chapter 1000 A Difficult Decision Audrey''s arrogant attitude surprised both the driver and the assistant. The driver, familiar with Triston, knew that no woman dared to be so bold in his presence. Despite Audrey''s significance to Triston, her behavior might just get her kicked out of the car. However, Triston''s next move stunned the driver. He didn''t scold Audrey; instead, he said to her in a pleasing tone, "You''re quite slim. You don''t need to worry about your figure. Let''s go to Unic vors for dinner. They serve very healthy food, which suits your taste.'' Audrey was speechless. She wasn''t worried about her figure; she simply didn''t want to be around Triston. If it weren''t for the fear of getting sunburnt, she wouldn''t have even considered getting into his car. Unable to tolerate Triston''s incessant chatter, Audrey reluctantly agreed to have dinner with him. The driver took them to the restaurant''s basement, and Triston led them through the VIP entrance. As the dishes were served, Audrey realized that many of them were her favorites. She hadn''t expected Triston to remember all of them. She ate silently, while Triston, who barely ate, focused on serving her. The prawns in front of Audrey were peeled, the fish deboned, and the soup was served in a separate bowl, cooled to her liking. Eventually, she couldn''t take it anymore. She turned to him with a sharp gaze. "Can you please eat quietly? If you''re full, just sit aside and have some coffee. If you continue to disturb me, I''ll leave."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Triston immediately surrendered, saying, "Alright, I won''t disturb you. Take your time to eat." True to his word, Triston stopped fussing over Audrey. Once Audrey finished eating quietly, she and her assistant prepared to leave. Triston offered to drive them back, but Audrey refused, stating, "We''re in the city center. We can easily catch a taxi anytime. You don''t need to bother, Mr. Lambert." "Okay." Triston responded casually. This surprised Audrey. She expected Triston to persist, but he agreed so easily. Just as she found this strange, Triston exined, "This is a popr restaurant in the city center. Although it''s easy to catch a taxi here, I think it''ll be a little difficult for you to leave here."C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Audrey immediately furrowed her brow, and her assistant turned pale. They both knew how crazy Audrey''s fans could be. It was risky for just the two of them to leave right now. The assistant looked at Audrey with concern, asking, "Audrey, do we really need to take a taxi?" Audrey realized they would need Tristan''s help to leave. His car was parked in the VIP area, allowing them to avoid unnecessary trouble. However, Audrey had just rejected Triston, and now she found herself in a position where she might have to ask for his help. It was a difficult decision for her. Chapter 1001 Try to Be Nice ?Chapter 1001 Try to Be Nice Triston sensed Audrey''s reluctance and sighed silently to himself. "Whose fault is it? Mine, of course. I''ve always been spoiling her, and there''s no turning back now," he thought. Approaching her with a pleasing smile, he said, "Ms. Swann, give me a chance to take you home, okay?" Though reluctant, Audrey knew that Triston''s offer was the most practical in the current situation. If she didn''t take this opportunity, she''d regret itter. "Okay, let''s go," she said. Triston''s n worked. He happily drove Audrey to her apartment. However, he didn''t continue to pester her. He was concerned that pushing too hard might backfire. As Triston drove away, Audrey felt relieved. She didn''t know what she would have done if he had continued to pester her. Exhausted, shey on the sofa in her apartment. Before she could rest, her phone rang insistently. It was Kim''s special ringtone, designed to ensure she never missed his calls, even if her phone was on silent mode. Sighing in resignation, she answered the call.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "Why did it take you so long? Dating a man in secret, perhaps?" Kim teased. Rolling her eyes, Audrey retorted, "You can ask the assistant. How would you not know if I had a date? Spit it out, or I''ll hang up." She had barely arrived home when Kim called, which meant her assistant had informed him. Otherwise, Kim couldn''t have known this. Kim, undeterred by the failed jest, teased, "I just wanted to know you better! As for Mr. Lambert.." Audrey interrupted, "Don''t mention him, or I''ll hang up." "Alright, no talk about him. Let''s talk business. There''s a dinner tomorrow night. Will you apany me?" Given Audrey''s status in the industry, she rarely needed to socialize. Moreover, Kim would help her decline as many invitations as possible. Since he brought it up, it meant pressure from higher-ups, leaving him with no choice but to ask her for help. Not wanting to put Kim in a difficult position, Audrey agreed, "Okay,e pick me up tomorrow." Upon her swift agreement, Kim promptly hung up, urging her to rest well. The next evening, precisely at 8 o''clock, Kim arrived at Audrey''s apartment building in his car. Ten minutester, Audrey emerged in a light green dress. Her makeup skills surpassed those of an average makeup artist, often doing her own makeup for such events. Seeing her, Kim couldn''t help butpliment, "You look stunning."All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Audrey gave him a yful nce and joked, "You just realized that today?" Having known Audrey for many years, Kim was well aware of her extraordinary beauty. While the entertainment industry had no shortage of beautiful women, fewbined a striking appearance with exceptional grace. Audrey was one of them, exuding an innate air of elegance due to her aristocratic upbringing. Assisting Audrey into the car, Kim reminded her, ''Tonight''s attendees are all big shots. Try to be nice." Audrey nodded and replied, "I''ll do my best." Chapter 1002 Someones Arrogance ? Chapter 1002 Someone''s Arrogance Audrey didn''t expect herself to break her promise shortly after entering the venue. Once inside, Kim led Audrey to the crowd and introduced her. Normally, such events would feature celebrities to elevate their status. The more powerful the guests were, the more famous the celebrities who would attend. Today, a big-name celebrity like Audrey indicated the distinguished nature of the evening''s attendees. Kim, trying to maintain a smile, was taken aback when a middle-aged man suddenly spoke out. "Miss Swann, long time no see." Audrey instinctively turned to the speaker and, upon seeing his face, her expression darkened. "It''s you!" Kim was surprised to learn that Audrey knew one of their boss''s esteemed guests for the evening. However, seeing her expression, he felt uneasy, sensing that something was amiss. The middle-aged man gazed at Audrey with a sinister smile. "Can''t believe that you still remember me, Miss Swann. What a coincidence!" The host immediately put on a smile. "I didn''t you to have such a connection with Miss Swann. Miss Swann, pleasee and sit next to Mr. ck." Audrey was unwilling to do that, as she didn''t want to get involved with Liam ck. Sensing her displeasure, Kim silently pleaded with her. Out of respect for Kim, she took a seat next to Liam. As Audrey sat down, Liam''s smile became even more menacing. The crowd urged Audrey to raise a toast to Liam, a customary gesture at such events, and she drank a little.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Audrey and Liam had met while Audrey was out and about. Liam took an interest in her, but Audrey did not reciprocate, leading to some unpleasantness between them. Audrey tried to move away, but Liam kept getting close to her and even touched her. Audrey couldn''t tolerate it. She stood up and red at him. "Stop touching me, will you?" Maintaining a good reputation was crucial in business. Being publicly humiliated by Audrey put him in a bad mood. He sneered at Audrey. "What''s the big deal? It''s an honor to be touched by me. You''re just a prostitute, after all. Why not just name your price?" Audrey was furious, and Kim was also angry. He hadn''t expected this situation. He was about to calm Audrey down, but she grabbed a ss of wine from the table and poured it onto Liam''s face. Everyone was shocked, including Liam, who wiped the wine off his face and red at Audrey. "Fine, you dare to pour wine on me, huh? If you don''t kneel down and lick the wine off my face, you won''t leave this ce today." Sensing trouble, Kim instinctively shielded Audrey. He wanted to apologize to Liam. However, Liam pped him and bellowed, "Who do you think you are? How dare you ask me for mercy?" Audrey, seeing Kim being hit, was trembling with anger. Kim stopped her and whispered, "Don''t cause more trouble. You poured a drink on him, I got pped. It evens out. Let''s go. I shouldn''t have brought you here in the first ce. After being persuaded, Audrey had no choice but to stay put. However, they soon realized Liam had no intention of letting them go. Liam said coldly, "Trying to leave, huh? Did I agree to that?" Immediately, several bodyguards rushed out and blocked the door. Kim looked at the host of the banquet, who shrugged, indicating his powerlessness. Kim had no choice but to quietly discuss with Audrey, "How about contacting Catherine? As long as Catherine or Branden help us, these people will have to let us go." However, Audrey disagreed, as Catherine was pregnant and newly married. She didn''t want to trouble Catherine. Audrey looked calmly at Liam and asked, "What do you want me to do, Mr. ck?" Liam snorted disdainfully. He had thought that Audrey was pretty and wanted to flirt with her. However, she didn''t show her respect in public, which angered him. "Listen," he said. "Lick my face clean, strip naked, and kneel. If you can do that, I''ll let you off the hook today." He couldn''t let her disrespect him in public and get away with it.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The demands were too harsh. Kim couldn''t bear it anymore. He red at Liam and warned, ''Mr. ck, we''re in Casier. If you make a scene here, you''ll be in big trouble. Audrey isn''t someone you can insult." Kim was warning Liam not to get too arrogant. However, it was clear that Liam didn''t take it seriously. Liam stood up and mmed a ss to the ground, saying. "You can''t scare me. Now, kneel. If you don''t obey, there''s no way you''ll leave here unscathed." Audrey was racking her brain, unsure of whom to turn to for help. With no other choice, she decided to call Catherine. As she hesitated, the door to the private room suddenly swung open. "Woah, whose party is this?" A sudden voice drew everyone''s attention. Looking ahead, they saw a handsome, tall young man. Although he didn''t know anyone there, his demeanor suggested he was no ordinary person. Liam didn''t recognize him, but the host immediately stood up respectfully. "Mr. Lambert, what brings you here?" Triston''s eyesnded on Audrey. "Someone''s arrogance," he said with a smile. Chapter 1003 For a Woman ? Chapter 1003 For a Woman Liam noticed Triston''s determined gaze towards Audrey. He introduced himself with a smile, "I''m Liam ck, new in Casier. If you don''t mind, let''s be friends. But this woman has offended me, so she must stay." In Liam''s view, he had shown Triston enough respect. But if Triston didn''t reciprocate, it would be his problem. Confidently, Liam awaited Triston''s response, believing he would handle the situation wisely. Triston nced at the host, Gabriel Williamson, and remarked in a cold tone, "Gabriel, you have invited a very interesting guest, haven''t you?" The chilling look made Gabriel shiver involuntarily. In Casier, everyone knew about the Lamberts and the Duncans. Though not as prominent as the Duncans, the Lamberts were not to be trifled with. Triston seemed friendly and talkative on the surface, unlike Branden, who was cold and ruthless. However, Triston was a wolf in sheep''s clothing. Crossing him was more disastrous than crossing Branden. Triston''s words sent a shiver down Gabriel''s spine. "Mr. Lambert, it''s a misunderstanding. Let''s forget about this, shall we?" Triston pulled out a chair and gestured for Audrey to sit. She didn''t refuse, as Triston''s arrival meant she no longer needed to disturb Catherine. Gabriel, noticing Triston''s attitude towards Audrey, regretted involving her in today''s event. He hadn''t anticipated her connection to Triston. As Gabriel was about to speak, Triston said coldly, "Who the hell do you think you are, Gabriel? Why should I listen to you?" This simple statementpletely stripped Gabriel of his dignity, leaving Gabriel to retreat in embarrassment. Liam''s eyes darkened as he said in an icy voice, "I only respected you because Mr. Williamson is here. Since you''re so arrogant, I guess I need to teach you a lesson."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Liam took out his phone to call for assistance. Triston, however, remained calm, casually asking Audrey if she''d like something to eat.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Audrey was momentarily perplexed by Triston''s demeanor, unsure of what he was thinking. After making several phone calls, Liam''s face gradually paled. He stared at Triston in disbelief, asking. "What have you done?'' Triston smiled faintly, and a cold glint in his eyes pierced through Liam like a sharp de. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I own this hotel. Finally understanding why his reinforcements couldn''t enter this hotel, Liam red at Triston and asked in a cold voice, "What do you want?" Triston pointed to the ss shards on the ground and said, "Do what you just said." Kim, standing nearby, almost burst outughing. Liam was about to continue his bravado when his phone suddenly rang. Answering the call, his expression paled as he looked at Triston. "What have you done to me?" If Triston hadn''t been worried about scaring Audrey, he would have dealt with Liam a long time ago. "Here''s your chance. Do what you just said, or from today, you won''t be leaving Casier," he said firmly, confident that he could follow through on his words. Liam hesitated for a moment, but his attitude had softened considerably, even to the point of pleading. "Mr. Lambert, I''m willing to give up a project. We don''t need to go to such lengths for a woman, right?" *For a woman?" Triston scoffed, picked up the tes on the table and smashed them on the floor, causing it to be littered with shards. ''Liam, the woman you''re talking about holds a special ce in my heart. But you insulted her. I''m not gonna let you get away with it." Liam had thought Triston was just infatuated with Audrey, thinking she was just a ything and that he could keep her around with some money. He hadn''t expected her to be Triston''s woman. This was going to be a real problem. Liam had just received news that the Lamberts had already taken action against hispany, and if he couldn''t resolve this matter tonight, he might face bankruptcy. After over a decade of hard work, he couldn''t let it all go to ruin. Reluctantly, Liam followed Tristan''s instructions and knelt in front of Audrey. His legsnded on the ss shards, and blood instantly seeped out, staining the floor. Triston was about to make him crawl over when Audrey suddenly spoke up. "That''s enough!" Triston nced at her, and Audrey grabbed her bag and left, ignoring Triston. "Wait for me. I''ll take you back!" Triston called out. As Triston and Audrey departed, the onlookers assumed the matter had concluded. However, a group of menacing figures dressed in ck stormed in, which frightened Gabriel and the other guests, who instinctively huddled and protected their heads. The ck-d group of men smashed the things in the room with sticks but didn''t harm anyone. Before leaving. they warned Liam, "Our boss said we''ll let you off today. Starting tomorrow, if we catch sight of you in Casier, we''ll beat the crap out of you." After delivering the warning, they swaggered out. Once they were gone, Gabriel got up from the ground. Liam red at him, huffing, "Are you not going to do something?" Someone whispered, "Mr. ck, what else can I do? I had someone check Miss Swann''s background. She''s not someone to be trifled with." The person then revealed Audrey''s background. Liam''s face turned ashen once more. He realized that he had offended someone he shouldn''t have. Chapter 1004 Be Yourself ?Chapter 1004 Be Yourself Triston followed Audrey all the way, just a few steps behind her. After a while, Audrey couldn''t help but turn around to look at him in confusion. "Why do you follow me?" she asked coldly. He ignored her indifference, smiling gently. "It''ste. I can''t risk letting a girl as pretty as you go home alone, can I? Audrey was amused by him. Triston was relieved to see her smile finally. He took off his coat and handed it to Audrey. "Put it on. It''s windy now. You wouldn''t want to catch a cold, sweetie." His voice was low and filled with endless tenderness. The wind was chilly at night. Audrey took his coat and put it on. It was still warm with a good smell. She looked back at him, handsome, glowing under the moonlight. "Let''s take a walk," she said. Triston immediately said yes to her invitation. They walked along the river in front of the hotel. Looking at the neon lights shining in this magnificent city, Audry felt lost. She halted suddenly and turned to Triston, her eyes not focusing, looking confused. "Am I just useless?" Her question made Triston''s heart sink. He didn''t want to see her like this. "Your fans will be heartbroken if they hear what you say, silly girl. You are the superstar. You are anything but useless." Audrey had established herself as apetent and popr superstar in the entertainment industry. But a celebrity was nothingpared with capitals. Otherwise, Liam wouldn''t treat her like a whore tonight. Born and raised in the Swanns, she had much more than Catherine. But she couldn''tpare with Catherine at all. Sometimes, she even felt guilty for sharing the same genes with her, wondering if she didn''t work hard enough or if she was born ordinary. She became tired from walking and sat by the river, regardless of her expensive gown. Triston sat next to her, staring at the peaceful river. ''Everyone was destined for something when born. Some people are destined to be mediocre, while others achieve great sess with great ambitions. What''s the fun of a world filled with brilliant people? You don''t have topete with anyone. Being yourself is the biggest sess."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. He seemed to be talking to himself. Or maybe he was talking to Audrey. His voice was faint and dismal, not quite like his pleasant self. ''Don''tpete with others. Be yourself, Audrey thought about it repeatedly inside. Maybe she had too much on her mind. Seeing her sigh, Triston reached out and stroked her head. "Don''tpare yourself with Catherine. She''s a monster." Audrey didn''t like the word he used on Catherine and red at him. Triston raised his hands to surrender. "Hey, don''t get me wrong. I couldn''t find a better word. She''s extraordinary. She is here to promote the progress of humanity. She is not one of us." Well, not just Audrey. He doubted if there was any woman better than Catherine in the world. He continued, "You are already on top of the pyramid. Don''t underestimate yourself." Audrey was still low but felt better after talking to Tristan. She was not quite used to him being so severe. She turned to look at his handsome face, saying, ''Thanks. For talking to me and showing up in time tonight." If it were not for Triston, she would have no choice but to call Branden. Triston didn''t reply to her thanks. He reminded her of the time. "You should get back to your apartment, sweetheart. You have work tomorrow, and staying upte makes you swell." Audrey frowned at him in confusion. "How do you know that?" Triston was stunned by her question and then smiled. "Kim told me before I chased after you. He''s back already. I''ll send you home." Typical Kim,'' thought Audrey. The chilly wind kept blowing. Audrey felt drowsy and yawned. Triston knew they had to go back. "Let''s head back." Triston parked the car under Audrey''s apartment building. Audrey opened the car door and got out of the car before Triston opened the door for her. "I''ll go up by myself. See you," said Audrey. Triston''s eyes darkened. He didn''t say anything, just nodded.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Audrey went up alone. After returning home, she went to the window and looked out. His car was there. He leaned against it, looking at her house. She carefully hid herself in the shadow and turned on the lights. He left after seeing the lights on. After he was gone, Audrey fell to the floor against the wall weakly. There was a huge gap between them, and she couldn''t pretend not to feel it. Yes, they were close, and she knew Triston still loved her. But they were not getting back. Right people, but wrong time. Audrey exhaled slowly. Her phone rang when she was about to wash up. She looked at the number and picked it up. "Hi, there, mother-to-be! Why are you calling sote? It''s not good for the baby," said Audrey. "Something happened tonight?" asked Catherine coldly. Audrey was shocked. "How do you know?" Catherine rolled her eyes. It was hard not to know it because Triston made a fuss and borrowed people from Branden. Chapter 1005 A Joke ?Chapter 1005 A Joke Audrey felt nervous when asked by Catherine, even on the phone. "Just an ident. It''s settled. Don''t worry."C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Of course, Catherine knew it was settled. Or else she would be there to fix it instead of talking to Audrey on the phone. But she was more curious about Audrey and Triston. They had been off and on repeatedly. "What about you and Triston?" Audrey didn''t know how to answer that. She coughed awkwardly. "There''s nothing between us. He happened to be there and helped me." Catherine could feel Audrey had no intention of talking about this. She didn''t push her. She was never a nosy girl and only made this call because she cared about Audrey. "Fine. I''ll rest, then. Feel free to call me whenever you need any help." said Catherine. Audrey let out a sigh of relief after Catherine hung up. She was worried Catherine might keep asking. Then she wouldn''t know what to say. Looking at the pale moonlight outside the window, she was lost in her thoughts. She forced herself to calm down and let go of whatever was on her mind. The only thing she needed to know was she and Triston were never getting back. A burst of rapid knocks on the door woke up Audrey. She got out of bed and opened the door with hazy eyes and a vague head. Kim stood there and red at Audrey. "Girl, I''ve been knocked for ten minutes!" Audrey asked muzzily, ''Really? Why didn''t you call?" Kim went ballistic. "I did!" He would literally strangle her if she didn''t have work today. He looked away and waved at her. "Now, hurry up! Wash up and get dressed." Audrey went back to her room and instantly knew why Kim was so pissed off after she checked her phone and saw a dozen of missed calls from Kim. Audrey took ten minutes to get ready before she came to Kim. "Let''s move." Kim''s anger was relieved since she was so quick. Audrey had to attend amercial event today where she would be provided clothing and jewelry by the brand. The arrival of the jewelry from the brand surprised everyone here. Audrey had advertised for jewelry before. The jewelry was usually apanied by the manager and a few bodyguards, but this time, there were too many bodyguards. All of them in ck suits looked fresh and expensive. Audrey looked at the gorgeous diamond when the manager opened the box and swallowed. The number of bodyguards seemed to be reasonable. It was beautiful and must be extremely expensive. The manager looked at Audrey and politely asked, "Shall I put it on you, Miss Swann?'' Audrey nodded and sat on the chair. A dazzling diamond ne and an eye-catching pair of diamond earrings. Anyone would be eclipsed with them on, but not Audrey. She was beautiful and noble. The jewelry was like adding flowers to the brocade. It made perfection even more perfect. The activity went very well. The brand was super happy with Audrey. It was weird because she had never dealt with such an undemanding brand before in her years in the industry.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. She whispered to Kim when they were alone in the restroom. "Hey, Kim, do you find the brand too nice?" It turned out Kim also found them over-cooperative. The assistant packing up heard what they said and smiled. "Isn''t it a good thing? I think it means you are a superstar now." Audrey was increasingly valued as a rising star in the industry. But not like this. They rested for a while, and then someone knocked on the door. The manager was here with a bunch of bodyguards. The assistant hurriedly invited them in. Audrey figured they were here to retrieve the jewelry. She removed them and put them back in the box they came with. As the poster woman, she wouldn''t take the jewelry since she had been paid. Let alone this set of jewelry was priceless. It happened before. Some actress refused to return the jewelry. But Audrey was too proud to do so. The manager didn''t take the box. Audrey was stunned, but then she thought of something. "Yeah, right. You guys may want to check on it first." They usually checked the jewelry carefully before they took it back. The manager smiled at Audrey. "Oh, no, Miss Swann, that''s not it. My boss is delighted with you. He thinks you will be a big upgrade to ourpany. The jewelry will be a gift for you from my boss. We hope you can take it." Audrey was dumbfounded. She knew some brands would send products to their poster men or women, but not the priceless ones! Kim also found it strange. He wanted to ask, but the manager left directly. Audrey held the box, looking at Kim, confused. ''Is this a joke or something?" It couldn''t be a joke. Kim was worried that they might want Audrey to trade her body. "Don''t worry. I need you to keep it well and wait till I find out who is behind thispany." Audrey couldn''t think of anyone and did as she was told. Chapter 1006 Misunderstanding ?Chapter 1006 Misunderstanding But nothing happened in the next few days. The brand didn''t even ask Audrey to dinner. Kim got some pros to look into it, but they found nothing. "Isn''t it weird, Audrey, how some rich folks just give away millions of dors worth of jewelry?" asked Kim. How it felt like being that rich was beyond his imagination, though. Audrey looked at Kim helplessly. "Well, I don''t know." Kim thought for a while and asked, "Could it be Triston? People capable of this can be counted with one hand in Casier." Audrey paused. For a moment, she almost thought it was Triston, too. But it was so not him, given he always kept a high profile. Although she had to admit he had changed a lot recently. So, it could be him. Kim poked her after moments of silence. ''No way! Is it really him?" Audrey shook her head. "I have no clues. But I''ll take care of this." Her head ached at the thought of this. Seeing her frowning pensively, Kim left her alone. All she could think about was the free jewelry, which she couldn''t allow herself to take without knowing the truth. She had to find out why. "Kim, I''m heading out." She put on her hat and a mask and left. Triston was surprised to get a call from Audrey. He went to the coffee shop Audrey said in a mall downtown. It took him a while to locate this ce. He walked directly to the booth and knocked, ignoring all the attention on him. Audrey put on the mask and said, "Come in." She only took off the mask after he closed the door. Triston couldn''t help but tease her. "It must feel awful to go out as a superstar, wrapping up like a mummy." Audrey just red at him. Triton tried to find something to say. "I was surprised you should ask me out." Audrey looked at him and asked, "Have you heard of a jewelry brand called Iris?" Triston thought for a moment and winced. "No. Why? Are you working with them?" Audrey could tell he was not lying from his reaction. Then, he had nothing to do with the jewelry cause he didn''t even know about it. Who else could it be? Audrey was out of guesses.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Triston noticed her unusual expression and asked, "Anything wrong? Do you need my help?" Audrey shook her head. "Nothing. I''m advertising for this brand. Thought you might know its background." "So you just want a coffee with me today?" Triston pointed at the hot Americano Audrey ordered for him before he got there. Triston liked cooled-off hot Americano and felt happy because Audrey still remembered that. Since Triston had nothing to do with the jewelry, Audrey didn''t want him to know about it. "Oh, yeah. I haven''t had time to thank you for helping me outst time till today." Triston was stunned, his eyes dimming instantly. Audrey quickly noticed it and tried to say something to save the vibe. But Tristan soon lifted his head and smiled at Audrey, looking perfectly normal. "Come on, babe, I saved your ass. A coffee is not enough. The dinner''s on you." Audrey snorted, feeling relieved. It felt less embarrassing now. "Fine, you smartass. You''ll pick the restaurant." They stayed at the coffee shop and talked until dinner time. Audrey put on her mask again, left the booth, and walked alongside Triston. Triston and a mysterious girl caught everyone''s attention at the coffee shop. Someone secretly took a picture of them without Tristan noticing. They drove to the restaurant they used to go to. It was members-only and had private booths. Audrey took off her hat and mask, feeling great to breathe freely. "This is the best ce. I don''t have to eat with everyone''s eyes on me." A woman came for a chat with Triston after they ordered their food. "Mr. Lambert, Hi! I haven''t seen you in a long time. What have you been up to?" Triston noticed Audrey''s darkened face and ended the conversation hastily. Another woman came right after the first one was gone. Triston felt highly awkward, considering his previous reputation. He absent-mindedly responded to that woman and secretly nced at Audrey, only to find her eating calmly. She didn''t seem bothered at all, which upset him a little. The delicious food became tasteless in Audrey''s mouth. She couldn''t bear to watch anymore and stood up when the third woman came. "I think I''m done eating. I should better be going." And she left,Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Triston chased after her immediately, leaving behind whoever he was talking to. He was fast and stopped her before she was gone, grabbing her wrist. "At least let me send you home, Audrey." "No need of that. You really should get back to yourdy friends in there." She looked at him coldly, her voice so frosty and firm, as if she had made up her mind. Triston didn''t want to make her angrier, so he let go of her. "Fine. You probably don''t want to see me now. But let my driver send you home, please?" God bless the two stubborn fools in love! Audrey had no choice but to nod. After she left, Triston kicked the tree aside painfully, leaves falling like rain. Chapter 1007 Mysterious Gift ?Chapter 1007 Mysterious Gift Audrey couldn''t stop herself from thinking about Triston after she returned home. She clearly didn''t love him anymore, but why did she care who flirted with him? She thought about it carefully andughed at her foolishness. ''Ding-dong,'' went the doorbell. Audrey frowned and thought, ''Is it Triston?'' She walked to the door unpleasantly and looked into the surveince, ready to tell Triston to go away, only to find the security standing outside. "What''s the matter?" asked Audrey, confused. The security was polite. "Miss Swann, there is a package for you. We have checked. It''s safe. Do you want to sign for it? The apartment manager and the security crew knew Audrey lived in this building. She never had packages delivered to her home as a precaution against overzealous fans. She was unsure what the package contained, but as security had cleemed it safe, she decided to sign for it. "Wait a second," said Audrey. She opened the door and took the package in. Thebel on it showed it was sent by the seller directly.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org She opened it with a knife, and there it was: a box of her favorite snacks.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. In show business, actresses had to have that perfect, skinny look on the screen. They would pretty much try anything to keep their bodies slender. Snacks were a luxury for them. Audrey would eat snacks only when she felt depressed. Who knew her so well and bought her every kind of her favorite snack? She couldn''t figure it out. But it reminded her of the jewelry. The only thing she could be sure of was that Tristan had nothing to do with it. Then who could it be? She had no idea. ***** Triston felt low after Audrey left. He had cut off contact with every woman he knew, but Audrey had no trust in him. He didn''t know how to exin. There was nothing to exin, to begin with. "Mr. Lambert, Miss Swann has returned home. I left after I saw her lights on,'' said the driver who sent Audrey home. Triston nodded, frustrated. He thought for a while and called his assistant. "Look into this jewelry brand called Iris. See if they are working with Audrey recently." "Yes, Mr. Lambert. I''m on it," answered his assistant. Triston was lost in thoughts after he hung up. Audrey had been avoiding him for some time. It was strange that she asked him out today and mentioned this brand. He could only hope to find some clues on this jewelrypany. Soon, the assistant called back. "Mr. Lambert, I have the information you requested." Chapter 1008 A Picture ?Chapter 1008 A Picture The assistant reported to Triston about Iris. "Mr. Lambert, there is something unusual going on. Iris is paying Miss Swann more money for advertising than they pay an international star." That was strange because popr as Audrey was as an actress, she was no match for an international star. So, it meant Iris was overpaying Audrey for no reason.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The assistant sent the picture of the jewelry to Triston. "This is what they gave to Miss Swann. I heard her manager is looking into this. They seem to have concerns about it, too." Bom in a wealthy family, Triston knew its value at the first sight of the picture. They gave her the jewelry set for free, which was worth more than her endorsement fee. They had to be after something. Triston inhaled a deep breath of the cigarette between his fingers and asked, "Have you found out who the boss is?" His voice was low and distant. "Not yet,'' answered the assistant guiltily. He had put quite a few men on this, but whatever or whoever behind Iris seemed to be buried very deep. Atst, he only learned that the boss was a big shot from abroad. Triston had thought of this, but he wouldn''t give up easily. "Ask Paxton for help. He''ll know what to do." The Duncans had the world''s best intelligencework.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "Yes, Mr. Lambert." ******* Kim''s call again woke up Audrey. She finally picked it up. "Yes, Kim?" Kim''s voice came eagerly from the phone. "Did you go out with Triston yesterday?" Audrey was stunned and came to her senses slowly. "Are you kidding? Did you have someone follow me? I did go out with Triston for dinner." It was not the first time she went out with Triston. Audrey didn''t think it was a big deal. She thought maybe her assistant had told Kim about this. But Kim''s cursing came to her ears the next second. "Stupid girl! I wish I had someone follow you yesterday. I really do. I made a big mistake to trust you on your own. Do you know someone took a picture of you with Triston and posted it online?" Audrey was dumbfounded. It took her a while to chew over what Kim had told her. "No way! Holy crap, Kim! I have no idea of that. How''s it going on the inte?" Kim wished to lose his temper on her for her carelessness but now was not the time. He had to discuss the emergency with the public rtions crew. "Check it on Twitter and then contact me. I''ll go make up some excuses for this with the crew now," said Kim helplessly. "Do notment before I tell you to!" he added. "Okay," answered Audrey. She logged in on Twitter and saw it in the hot trends immediately. She clicked on the tag and prayed not to see something nasty. Chapter 1009 An Emergency ?Chapter 1009 An Emergency A few pictures were taken from behind and aside, but no front views. Someone took them and posted them on her ount. She only took them because she thought Triston was handsome and notified several famous talent scouts. Those scouts had been in this industry for years and recognized Triston instantly. And the publicments went wild. Triston dating a new girlfriend became a heated topic. Triston was one the most discussed men in Casier as the heir of the Lamberts. In the picture, Audrey was covered by a hat and a mask, so her identity remained unknown. But many people still recognized her clothes and essories and suspected that it was her in the picture. So far, no one in the industry had confirmed this conjecture. But Audrey knew it was a trick. They had to spend some hush money. After she read the tweets, Kim called. ''Have you seen the pictures?" Audrey snorted. "Well, yeah. But it only says that Triston and I know each other. Big deal." The picture was taken from behind, and they didn''t even hold hands. Audrey''s optimism almost made Kimugh. "Don''t forget that you just signed an endorsement contract with Iris. There can''t be any scandals exposed within three years, or else it''s considered a breach of contract. The liquidated damages are ten times the endorsement fee, which is unbelievably high." Before they signed the contract, Kim asked for her opinion on this use, and she agreed to it without hesitation because she knew she would not be in a rtionship in the next few years.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Audrey couldn''t help but frown when she heard this. "What does the media want?" The mention of this gave Kim a headache. He then gave her a number. "Three million dors." Audrey was dumbfounded. "Who do they think I am? Some billionaire?"All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. "Well, you are a popr actress now." Kim smiled bitterly. While Audrey was worried, Triston called. She told Kim about his call and answered the phone. Triston''s teasing voice came from the other end. "I heard that the two of us are the hot trend on Twitter as a couple. That''s rare." When he was dating Audrey, he had put a lot of effort into hiding their rtionship for her career. He didn''t expect they would be discussed as a couple on Twitter after they broke up. Audrey was so mad at him. "Shut up. Howe you didn''t even notice that someone was taking pictures? It''s not like you.'' Knowing that Audrey was angry, Triston hurriedlyforted her. "Don''t be mad, sweetie. It''s not a big deal. I got this, trust me." Audrey still wanted to say something. She was afraid that Triston would make it worse, but he hung up quickly. Now, she could only count on him to take care of this. Or she would have to let Kim bargain with the media. Chapter 1010 The Biggest Winner ? Chapter 1010 The Biggest Winner Audrey waited for a while and didn''t hear from Triston. Worried that nothing good woulde of it, she contacted Kim. She was about to ask him to bargain with the media and bury the news. Then she heard Kim''s cheerful voice from the other end, sounding like he was in a good mood. Audrey was curious, and then she heard him say, "Aud, I did not expect Triston to be so reliable. We are lucky to have him today. Or else you will have to pay that three billion dors. Audrey was still confused and did not even understand what was going on. "Kim, what are you talking about? Did Triston do something?" Only then did Kim realize that Audrey didn''t know anything about it. He thought it was Audrey who had asked Triston to do it. "Sweetie, go check it online. Then he hung up. He knew she would find out by herself. There was not much for him to say. Audrey logged on to Twitter and saw the new trend immediately. Triston was still the key figure. She clicked into the entry and saw Triston''stest post, reading. [Tried to use my connections to get a discount from Miss Swann. I guess that was in the drain now. Who was to me?] And he notified her, which meant he confirmed it was Audrey in the picture. And he attached another photo of the four of them. All of Audrey''s fans knew her rtionship with Catherine. And the rtionship between the Lamberts and the Duncans was not a secret in Casier. The photo exined everything.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. Onemented, saying, [I was expecting to hear something juicy. It turned out to be fake. Shame on the media.] Another onemented, reading, [His life will be so difficult in Casier if he messes around with Audrey.] And Triston liked thisment. Everyone knew how Triston was. People used to joke that even a canned pineapple could outlive his girlfriend. He had tons of girlfriends and exes, but Audrey, as Branden''s sister-inw, couldn''t be one of them. His post and thement he liked proved that he and Audrey barely knew each other. Now,izens were convinced he was seeking cooperation with Audrey and that nothing was going on between them. It was hard to argue because they were not doing anything intimate in the picture. Not long after Triston posted, the table was turned, and the media apologized to Audrey. People were saying that they messed with the wrong people. Audrey became the biggest winner for being the center of the topic the whole day without spending a dime.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Triston''s post had caused more discussion about Audrey. People had been calling Kim like crazy for her endorsement. Chapter 1011 Truth or Dare Chapter 1011 Truth or Dare Audrey looked at Triston''s post on her cell phone, lost in thoughts. She didn''t expect Triston to actually do it when he said he would help her solve the problem. Although Triston only posted a few words and a picture on his Twitter, his PR team was behind it. That was why thements were so friendly. And the media would not likely apologize to her if they hadn''t been warned. After so many years in the entertainment industry, she knew that much, at least. She was now a little confused about the rtionship between Triston and her, and she didn''t know what he was thinking. The sudden ringing of the phone startled Audrey, who was in the middle of thinking. She thought it was Triston, but Amelia''s excited voice came from the other end only when the phone was connected. "Hey, Audrey! This is Amelia. Audrey smiled. "Yeah, I recognize your voice." "Audrey, I''vee to Casier and heard you''ve been around for a while. Come out for a gathering! We all miss you, " said Amelia. Audrey wanted to excuse herself, but Amelia insisted that everyone was waiting for her and that she rarely came to Casier. So Audrey agreed. Amelia told her she had arranged for someone to pick her up. She didn''t expect Triston to be the one to pick her up when she arrived downstairs and saw the familiar sports car. One thing that expired as quickly as Triston''s girlfriends was his cars. But he always loved this Ferrari. He bought this car when they were still dating. She picked it up and chose the license te number. Since they broke up, Audrey did not see this car again. She did not expect him to drive it today. Seeing her freeze, Triston smiled. "What''s wrong?" His low voice brought Audrey back to her senses. She looked at Triston and asked with a smile, "I didn''t expect Amelia to arrange for you to pick me up." Triston paused. His eyes darkened and became normal again. He still wore that smile, but it was slightly different now. "She didn''t arrange for me. I insisted oning." The smile on Audrey''s face froze for a moment, her expression a little awkward. They were silent for a while, and Audrey changed the topic. "Let''s go. Or Amelia will be calling." Audrey took the initiative to sit in the car without waiting for Triston to open the door. Triston sat on the driver''s seat, silently starting the car. They didn''t speak until they arrived at the party. And the moment they opened the door, they were warm- weed. Amelia pounced over and hugged Audrey. Audrey stumbled and took a step back. If not for Triston''s timely move to hold her back, Audrey and Amelia would have had to fall. Before Amelia could react, Triston''s face had darkened, and he said unhappily, "Hey, be careful, youngdy!" Amelia also didn''t expect Audrey to fall. She hadn''t seen Audrey for too long, so she got excited. She looked at Audrey with a guilty face and apologized. This, in turn, embarrassed Audrey, "Don''t fuss about it. Let me have one more hug, Amelia. I''ve missed you." Amelia said happily, "You are the best, Audrey! Triston is being overprotective." The atmosphere instantly changed. Audrey felt her cheeks burning and didn''t know how to respond. Triston didn''t want her to be too embarrassed, so he changed the topic in time. "Are you going to invite us inside or not?" They''ve been talking by the door.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Amelia red at him with dissatisfaction. She was acting as his wingman. Why couldn''t he y on? He fell short of his reputation as the biggest yboy in Casier. "Come on in!" She led Audrey through the door, leaving Triston behind. "Let''s have a drink and ignore him." Audrey smiled faintly and joined the joyful party. Catherine was in Casier recently, so Zobber and Ronin were here, too. This was also why Amelia couldn''t wait to rush to Casier. Without them, Loxton all seemed dull. They hadn''t gathered together for a long time, so they drank crazy and talked recklessly. Zobber held a ss and sat next to Triston. Triston had no intention of drinking. So he said, "Drink with Withal and leave me alone." Zobber would not let go of him so quickly. "Okay, no drinking. Just answer a question." She looked at him with a raised brow and an evil smile. Triston was helpless and smiled faintly. "Fine. Just ask." "I saw the picture on Twitter. What did you and Audrey do together?" asked Zobber. The noisy room instantly quieted down. The crowd focused their eyes on Triston, all waiting for him to answer. Although Audrey was a bit embarrassed, she remained silent. She also wanted to know what he would say. She wanted to know what he was thinking. Facing the curious gazes of the crowd, Triston picked up the ss on the table and clinked it violently against Zobber''s. "I might as well drink." The crowd was disappointed at how fast he surrendered. So was Audrey. Zobber coldly red at Triston and said, "Coward!" Triston smiled silently and continued to drink. He wanted to get back with Audrey more than anyone, but he didn''t want to scare her away because she would chicken out any minute. He was more than thankful that she didn''t run away from him now. He was in no rush. Withal took Tristan''s hint and stopped Zabber from saying more. Triston was not as cunning as Branden, but Withal knew he was more than a yboy. He''d better keep an eye on Zobber before she offended him. Besides, he noticed the way Triston looked at Audrey. He was determined to have her. What did Zobber and Amelia know about a man in love? Chapter 1012 To Be Friends Chapter 1012 To Be Friends Audrey came out of the bathroom and saw Triston leaning against the window. Just as she wanted to leave directly, Triston raised his eyes to look over. She then asked, "Why aren''t you at the party?" The dim light framed his handsome face. He narrowed his eyes slightly, smoke softly circling him. His voice was more hoarse than usual because of smoking. "I''m waiting for you." Audrey frowned slightly, avoiding eye contact. "Why? You think I would get lost on my way to the bathroom?" Tristonughed softly in a low voice, "Nah. I''m afraid you might vanish since it''s almost midnight." Audrey felt her cheeks burning, not knowing what to say. The breeze blew in through the open window and messed the hair on her forehead. Triston couldn''t help but stare. Then he said, "Let''s get back at the party." Audrey nced at him, didn''t say much, and turned toward the room. Seeing Audrey enter the room, Amelia and Zobber dragged her aside. Amelia seriously asked, ''Audrey, what is going on between you and Triston?" Zobber received Amelia''s hint and immediately echoed. "Yeah, what''s going on? Come on, tell us." Audrey didn''t have many friends. Amelia and Zobber were trustworthy. Besides, she had no one to tell it to. Audrey sighed heavily. "Nothing is going on. We are not getting back together. I guess we''ll be friends in the future." "Why?" Amelia eximed in disbelief. "You two are made for each other. Don''t be friends. It sucks." Although she had a limited number of ex-boyfriends, she could tell Audrey had feelings for Triston. Triston treated Audrey differently from other women. He didn''t talk about his love for her even when pushed by Zobber. Audrey pursed her lips and didn''t say anything. It was not easy to make them understand. Triston and she wouldn''t break up in the first ce if they were so perfect together. Triston''s mother had always disliked her, and Audey didn''t want Triston to fall out with his family for her. She was over him anyway and happy to be friends. Amelia still wanted to ask more questions but was stopped by Zobber. It was between Audrey and Triston. They knew better than them outsiders. She had already seen Audrey''s embarrassment and didn''t want Amelia to push any further, leaving it to themselves. Amelia only asked these questions out of concern, and since Audrey didn''t want to talk about it anymore, she stopped asking.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org So, they rejoined the party. And Audrey was delighted again. With these friends, she became self-indulgent in eating and drinking. It waste at night, and while thedies had no intention of wrapping up, the boys were sleepy and yawning. So, they wrapped up early. Each boy would send a girl home. Triston was to send Audrey home. Audrey was so drunk that she could barely stand. Triston smiled helplessly. "Do you need me to help you to the car?" Chapter 1013 The Hangover ?Chapter 1013 The Hangover Audrey quickly opened the door and got into the car. She leaned her head on the window and squinting at Triston. "No, thanks." Her cute face amused Triston. She could be so stubborn sometimes, just like Catherine. Maybe it was in their genes. "Fine. You seem perfectly sober," said Triston softly. But somehow, she got angry. She turned her head to the other side and leaned on the back of the chair, unwilling to meet Triston''s eyes. Triston was confused and didn''t know how tofort her.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Audrey closed her eyes and said, "Just drive. I want to go home and rest." The car started slowly and drove towards Audrey''s apartment. There was less traffic at night, and although Triston drove slowly, he arrived at the apartment building in just ten minutes or so. Triston pulled up the car and thought about waking Audrey when she had already woken up, opened the door, and exited. "Thanks for the ride. I''ll see you around." With that, she headed upstairs without looking back. Triston looked at her from behind, feeling helpless. It was like hitting on cotton with all his strength. Only when the lights in Audrey''s apartment were on did Triston drive away reluctantly. He didn''t know that when he was waiting for the lights, she was waiting for him to leave. Only after the car left did Audrey return to her room and copse on the bed powerlessly. The alcohol temporarily numbed her nerves, allowing her to sleepfortably and peacefully for a night.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org ****** Audrey woke up early in the morning with a dry mouth and a headache due to the hangover. She got up with her head all dizzy, and her burning stomach could really use some icy drinks. The doorbell rang suddenly. She thought it was Kim and opened the door without hesitation, only to find a strange man outside. Audrey was scared and was about to close the door when she heard him respectfully say, "Please don''t be scared, Miss Swann. I''m just here to deliver something. I''ll leave it here. Have a nice day." He seemed to know what Audrey was scared of and left. Audrey took the bag back inside. She opened the bag and found a thermos and a food box. Inside the thermos was veggie stew, and waffles from her favorite coffee shop were inside the food box. Audrey could tell that the person who sent her breakfast this time should be the one who sent her snacksst time. But how could the person know her tastes so well? She couldn''t figure out his purpose. Although she really could use some breakfast now, she decided not to eat it. After being in the entertainment industry for a long time, she knew what ardent fans could do. She was always on guard. The doorbell rang again, and Audrey looked at the peephole first, confirming that it was Kim before opening the door. Kim said excitedly, "I brought you breakfast for your hangover. Am I the best agent or what?" Jin was waiting for Audrey''s reply when he saw the food on the table. He was confused. "Someone brought you breakfast already? Who is it? It must be Triston." Chapter 1014 Be on Your Guard ?Chapter 1014 Be on Your Guard Although it was likely Triston, he would never send a stranger to her. Kim looked at the food and said, "Forget about it. Why don''t you eat? It looks yummy." Audrey shook her head and answered his previous question. "It''s not him." Kim was stunned and asked, "What do you mean? Who else could it be?" "I don''t know," said Audrey frankly. Kim knew she was not lying and couldn''t help but get a little worried. "Could it be the fans?" Audrey had no clue. She could only be sure that this person must be familiar with her to know her tastes. Kim stared at the food on the table. The more he thought about it, the more fearful he felt. He muttered, "Luckily. you didn''t have any. It''s better to be cautious with things from an unknown source." The food looked fine, but who knew? Some fans were crazy, and Audrey was in the prime of her stardom, so they could never be more careful. "I happen to know a guy from an institute. I''ll take these to hisb," said Kim. Audrey didn''t refuse. "I''ll leave it to you, then."All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Kim packed up the food and left Audrey to eat the breakfast. He went to the apartment manager''s office. He wanted to know if someone had been stalking Audrey by checking the surveince, hoping to catch this fanatical fan. By the time Audrey finished breakfast, Kim had also returned to the apartment. "Did you find anything?" asked Audrey.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org Kim shook his head, "No one suspicious. And the things sent to you were only sent up after the security double- checked that they were okay. Still, we can''t let our guard down. I''ll be more careful, and you should be on your guard, too." Audrey nodded and took his advice. "I''m done eating. Let''s head out." She had amercial show to attend at noon. Although now famous and popr, she still liked to be on time. Kim saw ck circles under her eyes and couldn''t help but feel sorry for her. "You sure you don''t need a nap?" Ever since that incident, Audrey was like a different person and began working incredibly hard. No matter how busy she was, Kim never heard herin. She immersed herself in endless work. Sometimes, even Kim wanted to tell her to rest. Audrey drank the coffee in one gulp and threw the disposable cup into the trash can. "No. Let''s go. I can have more time to read the script after makeup." Kim could only let her be. Audrey''s car arrived at the venue, surrounded by many fans who had received the news and waited a long time to wee her. The driver tried to force their way out but was stopped by Audrey. Audrey rolled down the window and greeted the fans, "Why are you guys here so early?" The fans were excited and screamed when Audrey talked to them. "You are early, too, Audrey," said one fan. "Yeah, we won''t run into you if we''rete," said another fan. These fans knew Audrey was punctual. That was why they were waiting for her. The car slowed to a stop, and Kim escorted Audrey out. Although the fans loved her, they were restrained, and everything was under control. However, someone suddenly shouted, "Watch out!" Audrey subconsciously turned around and saw a figure pouncing over. Chapter 1015 Who Were They ? Chapter 1015 Who Were TheyAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org. It was so abrupt that no one realized what was happening. Kim froze as the man was about to throw himself upon Audrey. And suddenly, out of nowhere, several well- trained bodyguards rushed forward and circled Audrey. And the man was soon controlled by them. It all happened so fast, and Audrey was overwhelmed. The bodyguard in the lead turned to her and respectfully asked her to rest inside. "Miss Swann, will you please follow us to the office inside? It''s an emergency. I''ll let your staff know what to do nextter." Audrey nodded with a pale face and arrived at the lounge escorted by the bodyguards. After Kim entered the room, the leading bodyguard looked at Audrey and respectfully said, ''Miss Swann, we will guard the door and patrol the hallway. Tell us if you have any need." "Thank you!" said Audrey. The bodyguards then exited the room. After they left, Kim slowly said, "God, it scared the hell out of me! I don''t know what to tell Catherine if anything happened to you just now." Audrey was startled at first, but now she had calmed down. "Thanks to those bodyguards. I want to give them a pay bump for an extra month. Cover it with my ount." She would be in real danger if they did not rush forward in time. Kim nodded in agreement, but then he realized something was wrong. "Wait. Thepany didn''t hire them." "What?" Audrey didn''t expect this. Kim said confidently, ''I''m pretty sure they''re not our bodyguards. Maybe the event nner hired them. I''ll ask about itter and thank them." They should totally thank the nner for treating Audrey seriously and hiring well- trained bodyguards for her. So Audrey left this all to Kim and put it behind her mind.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org ***** Audrey''s emotions stabilized after a short break, and she began putting on her makeup. Kim came back from outside and then invited the makeup artist out with a severe look on his face. Seeing his strange expression, Audrey couldn''t help but ask, "What''s wrong? Did you find out anything? Is it about the attacker?" Kim nodded. "Yeah, he''s a fanatic fan who has been pursuing you for many years, and at the police station, he quickly admitted everything. He was out of his mind, fantasizing about being with you, and imed not to intend to cause you harm." Audrey was not surprised. She had heard so much of this crap. "That''s not surprising. So why so serious?" Kim looked at her and whispered, "It is those bodyguards I''m thinking about." "Them? Why? Did the event nner ask for something?" Audrey asked naturally. She thought the nner had taken the opportunity to make some excessive requests and got Kim so serious. But Kim just shook his head. "I wouldn''t be so shocked if the nner hired them. The nner told me their bodyguards were in the venue. They are not their people." Audrey was dumbfounded. They were neither hired by thepany nor the nner. Who were they? Chapter 1016 The Mysterious Man ? Chapter 1016 The Mysterious Man What Kim said was so bizarre that Audrey couldn''t help but consider whether to look into it. It shouldn''t be too hard. All she needed to do was to make a call. In Casier, nothing could hide from the Duncans'' intelligencework. While Audrey hesitated, Kim asked, "Could it be Triston?" Audrey paused. Honestly, she couldn''t be sure if it was Triston. For what it looked like now, he was the most likely one. As they were talking about Triston, Audrey''s phone rang. She nced at the caller ID and picked it up. Triston''s concerned voice then came out of the receiver, asking, "I saw the news and heard that you were attacked. Are you alright?" There were so many fans on the scene, and Audrey being so famous, the news naturally spread nationwide. Triston was at work, and after receiving the message from his assistant, he immediately paused the meeting and called Audrey as quickly as he could. So, it meant Triston had nothing to do with what happened today. She gave a few quick words and hung up. Then, with the most severe look, she turned to Kim and said, "It''s not him, Kim. Try to find some clues, and if it doesn''t work, ask the Duncans for help. Kim knew what she meant. Everything happening recently was so weird. He had to look into it. He also knew Audrey wouldn''t ask for help unless necessary. So, he would try his best to find the truth before turning to the Duncans for help. "Don''t worry, Audrey. Leave it all to me," he said. Kim''s assurances soothed her. She always trusted him. ***** In the Lambert Group building, Triston had been standing there and lost in thoughts for a while. His assistant hesitated to interrupt. But with a lot of work ahead, he stepped forward discreetly with his head lowered and asked, "Mr. Lambert, shall we proceed with the meeting?" A group of executives were still waiting for him in the conference room. "Oh, yes," said Triston. The assistant nodded and was about to inform everyone at the meeting. But Tristan stopped him, saying, "Find out what was going on with the bodyguards at Audrey''smercial show." The assistant hurriedly acted on his order.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org Perhaps ordinary people could not see the difference, but Triston knew at a nce at the screen that those bodyguards were not regr ones. They were well-trained, and some of them were veterans. A security team like this shouldn''t be atmercial events. That was weird. Triston had to find out who was behind the scenes. When Triston exited the conference room after the meeting, he saw his assistant waiting at the side. Triston deduced from the assistant''s expression that he had found something. Or else he wouldn''t be waiting here. "Let''s talk in my office," said Triston. The assistant followed Triston into the office and then ced a report on the desk. "We got the info from the Duncans and did our investigation. After putting both pieces together, we''re pretty sure it''s him, Mr. Lambert, said the assistant. Triston flipped through the report, his face instantly grimacing, his cold eyes staring at the photos on the profile page. The atmosphere in the office became tense, and the assistant, breaking into a cold sweat, was too scared to speak. Triston suddenly stood up, prompting the assistant to inquire, "Where are you going, Mr. Lambert? Shall I prepare a car for you?'' "To Audrey''s apartment." With that, Triston headed out without looking back. ***** After themercial show, the sudden situation gave Kim an excuse not to attend the after-party. Therefore, Audrey got to return home early. She was exhausted yet couldn''t stop thinking about what had happened today. She had always thought Triston did all this, but his reaction suggested otherwise. She couldn''t think of anyone else. Just as Audrey was thinking, the doorbell suddenly rang, startling her. Audrey hadn''t dared to open the door rashly with the previous lesson. She looked at the monitor, saw Triston outside, and opened the door. "What are you doing here?" asked Audrey. Triston didn''t answer her question but said, "Can we talk inside?" After they entered the house, Audrey awkwardly asked Triston to sit down. This was Triston''s first time entering the apartment since she returned to Casier.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. "Water?" she asked. Triston saw her difort and casually waved his hand. ''No, I''m okay. I came to ask you a few questions. Did some weird things happen to youtely?" Hearing this, Audrey immediately looked up at him. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. Triston didn''t beat around the bush and spit it out. "The security team today, the event nner did not provide them, did they?" Audrey did not want Triston to meddle in this matter, but she couldn''t deny it. She knew that it was useless to lie in front of Triston. He was as sly as a fox. "What do you mean? You know who they are?" Audrey asked in reply. Triston nodded and handed Audrey the report his assistant gave him. He hated to do this, but Audrey had the right to know. Audrey shot a suspicious nce, picked up the report on the table, and flipped through it. When she saw the photo on the profile, Audrey smiled bitterly. She should have expected it. Who else but him would know her so well? The snacks, the breakfast, and the security team were all from Brian. She didn''t expect him to have the guts toe back. Triston looked at Audrey, who had been silent. He had never felt so insecure. He didn''t know what was on her mind now or would she be shaken by what Brian had clone for her. After a century-long hesitation, Triston couldn''t help but ask, "What are you gonna do then?" Chapter 1017 What Brians up To ? Chapter 1017 What Brian''s up To Audrey Swann was stunned by the fact that Brian White was involved in all she had gone through. The moment Audrey realized Brian was just using her, she left him at the first time. Then, owing to the exposure of Rn Melton, Brian was forced to leave Eskana and took refuge in Loewe. Audrey thought that there would be no chance of a return for Brian in his lifetime; but much to her surprise, Brian dide back, and found his ce in Casier. ''How dare he step into the territory of the Duncans?" In response to the inquiry of Triston Lambert, Audrey just shook her head and said, "Right now I haven''t got a clue." "Well, I''ll fix it." came the cold voice of Triston, his face darkening. Triston''s remark made Audrey shiver. She feared Triston would make trouble for Brian and something bad would happen. After all, the Lamberts, with its long history and good reputation, was a behemoth in Casier. At the present, Brian was no match for Triston. "You stay out of it!" said Audrey.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org At this time there was a very ugly look on Triston''s face. He stared at Audrey with cold eyes and a solemn face. "Are you still into Brian after all these years?'' Triston asked. His eyesight was so oppressive that Audrey could hardly stare back; then she turned her head slightly, trying to avoid direct eye-contact with Triston. However, this slight body movement revealed her heart and it really upset Triston. Triston had made great efforts to get her out of the control of Brian, but Audrey seemed to be ungrateful for what he had done. Triston thought, "She still cares about Brian, but she never casts a nce on me. "Should all my efforts end in vain?" Triston feared he could not resist the anger any longer if he stayed. He decided to leave in advance for fear of the breakout of a quarrel. "You''d better think it again; I''ll see you the other day," said Triston. Before leaving he added, "Call me whenever you want." Audrey''s eyes clouded with the nkness when Triston had gone. She knew she had let Triston down, but she was at aplete loss right now. The sudden appearance of Brian screwed up all her ns. Audrey was unsure of Brian''s intention. Was he trying to use her again or to take his revenge? Too many thoughts have blown up her mind. In the evening, Audrey was lost in thought when Kim Morris picked her up. Trying tofort her, Kim said, " Audrey, I say, don''t think so much. We can turn to the Duncans for help. They must have ways to find out who is behind this attack." Audrey interrupted him quickly. "I''ve already known," said Audrey. Kim looked at her with astonishment. Audrey then told Kim what Triston had found about Brian.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org "Thatd gets a lot of nerve showing up in Casier. He has no idea of what great challenges he will face here." Kim marveled. The Lamberts, the Duncans, and Catherine Swann alone made up "the Big Three" of Casier, and they could easily have Brian wrapped around their fingers. What Brian had done, however, was getting himself killed. Audrey was still at a loss; she could not figure out what Brian was up to now. At this time an unexpected guest knocked on the front door of Audrey''s green room. Chapter 1018 Have You Never Liked Me ?Chapter 1018 Have You Never Liked Me A sudden knack on the door startled Kim and Audrey who were talking in the lounge.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Kim exchanged a nce with Audrey before turning to open the door. Audrey thought it was a staff member who came to inform them to be ready. She didn''t expect to see Kim being stunned. "Kim, who''s it?" She walked up with doubt and froze when she saw the person standing in front of the door. Kim turned to Audrey and muttered in a soft voice, "Speaking of the devil." Audrey examined Brian, who was standing there, carefully. She had not seen him for a long time and he seemed to have lost weight. He had sunken cheeks and there was beard on his face that had always been clean. He carried a sense of decadence, no longer looking noble like how he always was. Audrey frowned as she looked at him. "What brought you here?" Brian stood in the doorway, looking at Audrey who stood across from him. He was emotional but he forcibly suppressed the feeling. The corners of his lips curled up as he smiled calmly. "Do you not want to see me?" Seeing them standing at the door, Kim was worried that they would be photographed by the passer-by. He asked Brian toe inside, which Audrey didn''t disagree. Brian followed Audrey into the room after she turned and walked in. Kim invited Brian to sit down passionately. Audrey nced at Kim and said to him, "Kim, help me check what time will the event start and what to expect next.'' The flow of the event had been checked several times and it was impossible that Audrey didn''t know. Kim understood that Audrey was trying to send him away. He hesitantly threw Audrey a nce and noticed how firm she was from her eyes. He could only leave the lounge first for them to have personal space. After Kim left, Audrey sized Brian up before asking slowly, "The jewelry is from you, right? And the bodyguard is one of your men too, isn''t it?'' "Ha!" Brian hooked his lips and smiled. The smile on his face was cold. "Did Triston tell you these?" Audrey answered in a low voice, "It doesn''t matter who told me. Are you going to admit it?" "Fine!" Brian nodded. "I admit it." ''But did it bother you? Or did I cause you trouble?" Audrey had to admit that Brian''s help did mean a lot to her during this period. She wouldn''t know what would happen if he didn''t lend her a helping hand the other day. However, she hated being manipted. It was because Tristan knew this that he never arranged someone to be by her side. Audrey said coldly. "Thanks. I''ll ask Kim to contact your assistantter to give you back the jewelry." Instead of giving her the right response, Brian asked, "Do you not like it?" When he saw the jewelry at the auction, he felt that it would look good on Audrey, and he auctioned it off without hesitation. The jewelry was beautiful and it was her favorite style. But she would get it herself if she liked it. She didn''t want others to buy it for her. "I don''t like it. Please take it back." Audrey answered without hesitation, making the smile on Brian''s face go stiff. He remained silent for a while before speaking again. "Do you hate me that much?" Audrey didn''t answer. She dared not to look into Brian''s eyes and could only say, "The event is about to start soon. I have to go get ready now." Just as she was about to walk out of the door, Brian suddenly called out to her. Audrey looked back and heard him ask seriously, "Have you never liked me before?" Chapter 1019 Remembered ?Chapter 1019 Remembered After Kim Morris entered the door, he saw Audrey Swann sitting there alone in a daze, and stepped forward curiously Mr. Johnson, didn''t do anything to you, did he? Hearing the voice, Audrey Swann slowly looked up at him, with indifference in her eyes. What did you think he can do to me? Kim Morris noticed that her mood wasn''t good. He quickly smiled and said, "I just want to check on you. The event will start in half an hour. How about I go talk to the organizers and see if we can dy it by another half hour?" For people in their high-profile positions, being a littlete is extremelymon, to the point where they don''t even need to inform the organizers. There''s no need! Audrey Swann directly rejected Kim Morris''s proposal. Work is work, and she doesn''t want personal matters to affect her job. Kim Morris, please get me a cup of hot Americano. Okay, I''ll go. After Kim Morris left, Audrey Swann sighed deeply In her mind, it was full of the words Brian White had said. The beginning of her rtionship with Brian White was originally a calction, Brian White asked her if she had ever liked him. Even she didn''t know that. She thought about it for a long time, but she still didn''t have an answer. She admitted that in the process of dating Brian White, Brian White took good care of her. But she wasn''t sure if she liked it, and she didn''t even understand it herself. This is also the reason why when Brian White asked her, she had no way to answer it, because she really didn''t know. Kim Morris quickly bought the coffee back, Audrey Swann adjusted her mood and prepared to go on stage Today, she was invited to attend the springunch of a major brand. Not only are there a lot of celebrities, but also a lot of business celebrities. When Audrey Swann appeared, many fans who cared about her were frantically waving their gs and shouting for her, which immediately attracted the attention of the audience. Seeing the enthusiasm of her fans, a number of media also stepped forward to interview her to seize the heat. The few people who were originally interviewed instantly lost their eyes and stomped their feet angrily. The leader is Huang Qianwen, a special guest of the brand this time. Although she is not a star in the entertainment industry, she was specially invited by the brand to participate due to her strong family background.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Looking at the attentive media in front of me just now, now that they are all gone, Huang Qianwen''s face suddenly became a little ugly. What the hell is going on here, what big guys areing? The actress standing next to her is called Lin Anna. Last time, there was originally a film that found her, but in the end, Audrey Swann was decided. This made Lin Annapletely hate Audrey Swann in her heart. If it weren''t for the fact that she was not as sessful as Audrey Swann, there was no way to confront Audrey Swann head-on; she would have attacked Audrey Swann a long time ago. Now that she''s finally waiting for her chance, how could she miss it? Taking advantage of this opportunity, she added all kinds of oil and vinegar to Audrey Swann by Huang Qianwen''s side. Miss Huang, you look at Audrey Swann too domineering. I don''t know how many fans she hired before appearing. It''s really for the sake of poprity, without any consideration for face. Huang Qianwen stared in the direction of Audrey Swann. Seeing Audrey Swann smiling brightly under the stars and moon, her heart was very unhappy. It''s just a drama that dares to steal the limelight from her. Although the Huang family''s influence is not in Casier, no actor dares to bask in her glory. It seems that if she doesn''t teach this Audrey Swann a lesson, she doesn''t know that the sky is high. Audrey Swann didn''t know that she had been targeted, and she was trying to smile and meet the media. Miss Swann, what would you like to say about the incident where ck fans openly attacked you a few days ago? Chapter 1020: Hidden at the Corner ? Chapter 1020: Hidden at the Corner After the reporter asked, the whole room was silent, seemingly waiting for Audrey Swann to answer. Everyone wanted to know about this issue, but after all, it was rather sensitive, and many people were worried about offending Audrey. Audrey had obviously expected that someone would ask her this question in public. Upon hearing the question, her attitude was very calm. "Regarding that Sir, since it involves my privacy and interactions with others, I''m not allowed to respond. Let''s wait for the official announcement." Audrey''s response was quite direct, it seems like she doesn''t want to talk too much about this issue in public. The reporter who asked was obviously wasn''t satisfied with her answer, and quickly followed up, asking, "So you don''t have anything to say about the fan who attacked you? Will you sue them?" Kim Morris, who was standing on the side, instantly frowned when he heard this question. Now it is very obvious, the reporter is obviously targeting Audrey with controversial questions. That question is too tricky. After all, when a celebrity sues a fan, no matter how justified the celebrity may be, it will certainly trigger some irrational reactions from fans. Fans are the foundation of a celebrity''s presence in the entertainment industry, and no celebrity would want to offend their fans. If Audrey were to say she''s suing this fan, it could potentially offend arge portion of her fan base. If she says she won''t sue, it sets a potential situation for future incidents where haters can act without restrictions and be free, potentially causing Audrey countless troubles. Mr. Morris hurried to step forward to intervene, but Audrey stopped him with a nce. Audrey locked eyes with the reporter who asked and said: "Why don''t you answer instead? If you were in my shoes, how would you handle it?" The reporter chuckled and replied: "Ms. Swann, I''m the one asking the questions here. Please answer mine." Audrey''s expression turned slightly serious as she responded: "For legal matters, you should ask the police. *And since today is the brand''sunch, please be respectful and ask questions about the brand only." Seeing Ms. Swann getting annoyed, the reporter stopped pestering her, and everyone else backed off as well. Audrey isn''t worried about the reporter misinterpreting things, she has been in the industry long enough to handle it. After briefly responding to a few questions, Audrey stepped down from the stage. As soon as she stepped down, Mr. Morris came up to her side. "The reporter who asked the question just now is on our opponent''s side. Don''t worry, if he dares to say nonsense that is out of the line, I''ll make sure to deal with him." Mr. Morris spoke confidently with an assurance, as if he had everything under control. No one wants to pick a fight for no reason, Audrey knew exactly what was going on when the reporter asked those controversial questions. It must have been someone from the opposition being sent to stir up trouble. These things aren''t umon in the entertainment industry, but Audrey is not afraid. "Come on, let''s go into the venue first."" Mr. Morris understood that the brand event was more important at the moment. He nodded and replied, "Okay!" Once they entered the venue, Mr. Morris suddenly couldn''t find Ms. Swann''s seat. Given Audrey Swann''s current status in the industry, attending the event would mean sitting prominently in the front row, if not right in the middle, at least in a prominent position where she could be seen easily. But Mr. Morris searched around for a while and couldn''t find Ms. Swann''s name tag anywhere, which made him feel quite puzzled. Audrey also noticed the issue and told Mr. Morris not to worry, asking someone to inquire about it first. After asking the on-site staff, they finally found Ms. Swann''s name tag tucked away in a hidden spot at the back corner of the venue. Seeing where the name tag was ced, Mr. Morris''s expression instantly turned serious. "What''s going on? Did they just change the seatsst-minute?"All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. "This is really unfair.'' "Even though they didn''t include about the seats into the contract, the seating arrangements were discussed beforehand. It''s rare for suchst-minute changes like this to happen." "They really dared to do this, it shows how much they look down on us." Chapter 1021 Mockery ?Chapter 1021 Mockery Kim decided he had to confront the organizers. He couldn''t stand the way they were treating Audrey. Seeing Kim so furious, Audrey quickly stopped him. "Forget it, Kim. The press conference is only an hour long. I can actually take a rest for a bit here." She found a corner where the cameras usually didn''t reach, so she didn''t have to worry about unttering photos being taken. She never cared much about seating arrangements; she was content whether she got a middle seat or not. Kim was exasperated by her attitude but had to let her have her way. "Fine." He shook his head. Audrey advised Kim not to get angry and then quietly yed on her phone. When Lina arrived and saw Audrey sitting in the corner, she felt a surge of superiority. She sauntered over to Audrey with a smug look. "Audrey, howe you''re seated here today? My seat is in the front row. Do you want me to talk to the organizers and move you up?" Audrey looked up, nced at her, and politely said, "No, thanks." Then, she turned her attention back to her phone, ignoring Lina.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Lina was irked by Audrey''s dismissive attitude and scoffed. "Stop being so arrogant. Everyone knows these events are all about poprity. You''re just a D-list celebrity. I don''t see why you''re acting all high and mighty." Kim, overhearing this, was furious and wanted tosh out at Lina. Once she left, he tumed to Audrey, criticizing her, "See? This is what happens when you don''t stand up for yourself. People start mocking you. How dare she say that to you?" Compared to Kim, Audrey was much moreposed. She looked up at him with a slight smile. "Like you said, she''s way below me in status. So why bother with what she says?"C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org Kim felt both relieved and frustrated by Audrey''s personality. He wasforted that Audrey managed to stay true to herself amidst the glitz and mour of the entertainment industry. However, herid-back demeanor wasn''t exactly cut out for the cutthroat world of showbiz, where a slight misstep could render someone a nobody. After Lina took her seat in the front row, she didn''t stop talking about Audrey, belittling her in every way possible. Led by Lina, several people joined in to taunt Audrey. They were of lower status than Audrey, yet it was clear that Audrey had somehow offended the organizers to be relegated to such a sidelined position. Kim was upset by the mocking nces directed at them. It had been a long time since he felt so humiliated, ready to confront them. But with Audrey not giving the go-ahead, he felt incredibly passive. He kept hinting at Audrey to say something, but she was engrossed in her phone. "Audrey." A sudden voice caught her attention. She looked up to see a friend standing not far ahead, followed by a crowd. William, what are you doing here?" Audrey eximed. William Rossen hurried over to Audrey, his previously cold face breaking into a warm smile." Audrey, can''t believe I can see you here. I thought I was mistaken!" Chapter 1022 A Big Shot ?Chapter 1022 A Big Shot Audrey struck up a conversation with William, and after a while, she introduced Kim to him.'' William, this is Kim, my agent and also a good friend; Kim, this is William. Recognizing William''s extraordinary aura and prestigious status, Kim eagerly extended a hand in greeting. William, out of respect for his friendship with Audrey, was very polite to Kim. As theunch event was about to start, Audrey suggested they sit down to avoid dying the event. William nced at Audrey''s seat and asked, "You''re sitting here?" Audrey nodded. "It''s fine. You should find your seat; the event is about to begin." Unexpectedly, William didn''t leave but chose to sit next to Audrey. "You''re sitting?" Audrey asked, surprised. William smiled. "Why? Can''t I sit here?" Audrey, who didn''t care much about seating, was fine with William''s choice. The staff following William, seeing him take a seat and unwilling to leave, turned pale with fear. No one dared to persuade him, not wanting to offend the newly appointed president. William nced back, signaling the staff to start the event. The brandunch event officially began. After the models showcased the new products, the host announced, "Please wee Mr. William Rossen, our Executive President for Asia, to the stage." As the host finished speaking, the spotlight instantly shifted to William. The audience was taken aback-the president was not sitting in the central position but at an inconspicuous side spot All cameras followed the spotlight to William. The next moment, his handsome face appeared on the big screen, along with Audrey next to him engrossed in her phone.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org Kim was momentarily stunned before it dawned on him that William was a big shot, but he hadn''t expected him to be the brand''s new President for Asia. With the previous president just transferred, many had been scrambling to curry favor with William, to no avail, though.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Kim had a feeling that not only had their misfortune turned into a blessing, but they had also hit the jackpot. Seeing Audrey still engrossed in her phone, oblivious to her surroundings, Kim was so annoyed that he kicked her leg hard under the seat, almost causing her to fall. Fortunately, William, sitting beside her, quickly steadied her. Audrey looked up, realizing everyone''s eyes were on her, her bewildered face disyed on the big screen. She tumed to William, finally understanding what was happening. She had thought sitting at the back would give her a chance to ck off. Little did she expect that sitting next to William would thrust her into the spotlight. Immediately adjusting her demeanor, Audrey started to p enthusiastically. William walked onto the stage. After delivering a few grandiose statements, he began fielding questions from the media. Many were curious about his unusual seating choice, with one reporter boldly asking. "Mr. Rossen, did you choose to sit there today because of the person sitting next to you?" Everyone knew the reporter was hinting at Audrey, which sparked a flurry of gossip among the audience. Chapter 1023 A Scapegoat ?Chapter 1023 A Scapegoat Facing the barrage of questions from reporters, William didn''t y coy. "Audrey and I are friends. It was a pleasant surprise to run into her here today. Besides, why do I have to sit in the middle? We can sit wherever we want, right?" In William''s view, there was no such thing as a ''middle seat"; he sat wherever he pleased. Knowing they couldn''t get more from William and not wanting to offend him, the reporter eventually backed off. However, they could question Audrey. Suddenly, Audrey, who had been sitting unnoticed in a corner, became the center of media attention. Just moments ago, Lina had led theughter at Audrey for being a nobody, but now those in the front rows truly became the overlooked ones. Lina stomped her foot in frustration. The harder she hadughed at Audrey, the more embarrassed she felt now. With so many reporters watching, she didn''t dare confront Audrey, but that didn''t mean she would let it go. Noticing Janice''s fierce gaze, Lina had an idea. She cozied up to Janice, saying, "Ms. Freeson, don''t you think Audrey is too despicable? She''s trying to attract everyone''s attention. And the media ignored a superstar like you to interview a nobody. It''s ridiculous!"All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Lina''s ulterior motives were clear to Janice, but she agreed that Audrey did seek too much attention. She had already managed to get the organizers to move Audrey''s seat, hoping to teach Audrey a lesson and make her tone it down. But unexpectedly, Audrey knew the president, stealing all the spotlight. Janice thought, ''Since she loves people''s attention, let her have all she wants." After finishing all the interviews, Audrey, exhausted, returned to the dressing room to change out of her outfit. Halfway through removing her makeup, she heard arguing outside. Recognizing Kim''s voice, she quickly asked her assistant to pause and went out to see what was happening.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org As soon as Audrey stepped out, she heard Kim scolding someone. "Are youing to apologize to us? Why bother moving us in the first ce if you were just going to shoot yourself in the foot?" Audrey nced at the female staff member standing in front of Kim. Her outfit suggested she was just an ordinary employee, certainly not someone with the authority to change seating arrangements. Clearly, this staff member was being made a scapegoat for someone else''s decisions. Seeing the staff member with her head down, too scared to speak, Audrey intervened. "Let it go. We haven''t really lost anything. Don''t make it hard for her." The staff member looked up at Audrey gratefully. Kim knew she was just being used to deflect me. But he also needed to vent his frustration. If he didn''t make a scene, such incidents might happen again. But with Audrey stepping in to mediate, and out of respect for her, he decided to let it slide. "Since Audrey doesn''t mind, I''ll let it go. Now go do your thing!" he said. The staff member quickly bowed in thanks to Audrey. "Thank you, Ms. Swann. "No worries," Audreyforted her. After sending her off, Audrey returned to the dressing room to remove her makeup. "Kim, I don''t want to attend the dinner downstairs. I''m tired and want to go back to rest," she said. Kim, knowing how hard she had been working recently, felt sorry for Audrey. Considering what the organizers had done, he knew no one would darement on their absence. He agreed to her request. "I''ll arrange for a car to take you back." Kim had to stay behind forworking, as he was responsible for not just Audrey but other artists as well, and needed to secure opportunities for them. After finishing up, Audrey left in a car. Little did she know, as soon as the car exited the underground parking lot, an ident urred. Chapter 1024 Weve Been Ambushed ? Chapter 1024 We''ve Been Ambushed The sudden screeching halt threw Audrey forward uncontrobly. Luckily, her habit of always buckling up prevented a serious injury. The seatbelt jerked her back into her seat, leaving her dazed for a few seconds before she could gather her senses. Audrey immediately asked the driver, "Brad, what''s going on?" Brad''s voice trembled as he replied, "Miss Swann, we''ve been ambushed. Turning her head to look out the window, Audrey saw several masked men with baseball bats standing outside the car. Instinctively reaching for her phone, one of the attackers smashed the windshield with his bat and threatened her with Brad''s safety. Concemed for Brad''s safety, Audrey opened the car door. "I assume you''re here for me. Let Brad go, and I''lle with you." The men didn''t respond to her offer but, seeing she wasn''t resisting, took both her and Brad into a van. They sped away from the underground parking lot too hastily to notice a figure in theer witnessing the entire scene.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Pauline Stoner, an assistant of an organizer, hade down to fetch something from a car and stumbled upon the scene. Worried for Audrey''s safety, she rushed back to find Kim. Audrey was the kindest and most respectful celebrity she had ever met. She had been made a scapegoat earlier, but Audrey refrained from ming her and even spoke up for her. Pauline didn''t want such a kind-hearted girl to get hurt.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org Quickly locating Kim, Pauline, ignoring the stares of those around, grabbed him urgently. "Mr. Morris, I need to speak with you." Kim initially wanted to ignore her, but taken aback by her strength, he found himself pulled aside. About to scold her for herck of manners, he was instead met with her frantic words. "Mr. Morris, something''s happened to Miss Swann Sensing the genuine panic in her eyes, Kim took her aside so they wouldn''t be overheard." What happened to Audrey?" Pauline recounted everything she had witnessed in the underground parking lot. Kim''s expression turned grave instantly. "Thank you for this. Take care of yourself and contact me if anythinges up." He handed her his business card. "And, can you keep this matter confidential? Pauline nodded vigorously. "Don''t worry. I won''t betray Miss Swann." She understood the importance of keeping Audrey''s situation out of the public eye to avoid further trouble. After sending Pauline on her way, Kim was frantic, not having anticipated such an incident. At his moment of desperation, he thought of Triston. Initially, he considered contacting Catherine, but realizing the sensitivity of her current situation and fearing the wrath of Branden, he quickly dismissed the idea. Triston arrived at the venue immediately after receiving the call. With his influence, they quickly gained ess to the surveince room, only to find the footage had been tampered with and was unviewable. Remembering the dashcam linked to his phone, Kim hurriedly opened his phone and handed it to Triston. After a nce, Triston noted down the license te number and sent it off. The response came quickly. "Mr. Lambert, it''s a cloned vehicle. We can only confirm that they headed towards the eastern suburbs." Triston''s face was stem as he issued his orders in a chilling voice. Turn the entire city upside down to find them!" Chapter 1025 She Is Bold ? Chapter 1025 She Is Bold The kidnappers didn''t knock Audrey out; instead, they lied her up with ropes. They also had a camera rolling the entire time, capturing every expression of fear and disarray on her face. They dragged her from the van to an abandoned construction site. Holding the camera on her, one of the kidnappers sneered. ''Hey, shawty, we''ve heard you''re quite the actress. Be a good girl and make this video look good, and you might suffer less." Calmly, Audrey looked up at them and said, "Given you know who I am, you must be aware of my family name, Swann, Haven''t you heard of the Swanns reputation in Casier?" These men had kidnapped numerous people, used to victims begging for mercy. However, Audrey''sposure and guts to intimidate them were quite surprising. They weren''t from Casier and were unaware of the local power dynamics. They only knew Audrey as a celebrity, and that having a nude video of her would meanpleting their mission. They weren''t worried about her causing trouble; after all, her career meant everything to her. A scandalous video leak would ruin her. No one would make a choice like that. "We don''t care about the Swanns. We''re paid to do this job. If you don''t do as we say, we''ll teach you a lesson," the man threatened.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Audrey scoffed mockingly. "Humph! Seems like you really have a death wish. If youy a finger on me, not only will you suffer, but your families will too, she warned them with such authority that they were all taken aback. Initially nning to take action immediately, they decided to investigate the Swanns further before making their next move. Triston was rushing anxiously towards the eastern suburbs of the city. On the way, he received a call from his assistant. "Mr. Lambert, we''ve found out who switched Miss Swann''s seat at the press conference tonight. It was Janice from the Freesons of Loxton." Tonight''s incident seemed too sudden to have been premeditated, more like a spur-of-the- moment decision. Triston spected that Audrey must have been offended by someone at theunch event, sparking the current crisis. He had immediately sent people to investigate and, surprisingly, they had unearthed some leads.C¨®ntent from N¨®velDr¨¢m¨¢!! After hanging up with his assistant, Triston messaged Branden. Since the Freesons dared to mess with Catherine''s sister, the Duncans should take care of it. When Branden received Triston''s message, he was on his way back to Casier from Loxton. Catherine Swann was resting in Casier, and he intended to return as soon as his business was concluded. After reading the message, he looked up and instructed his driver, "To the Freesons''!" The driver, though puzzled by Branden''s sudden change of ns, didn''t dare to ask questions and hurriedly tumed towards the Freesons''. The Freesons were astir upon hearing of Branden''s visit. The Duncans'' reputation in Loxton was well-known, and they couldn''t fathom why such an important figure would visit themte at night. If they knew the reason, they''d probably be too scared to even open the door. Chapter 1026 How Dare You Offend Her? ? Chapter 1026 How Dare You Offend Her? Janice was leisurely waiting in her vi for her arranged contacts to report back to her. Swirling a ss of red wine in her hand, she smirked. She was determined to teach whoever crossed her a lesson, The doorbell rang, and with impatience, Janice went to answer it, ready to scold whoever was disturbing her. But the sight that greeted her left her stunned. ''Uncle Sebastian, Dane, what brings you here?" Her uncle, Sebastian Freeson, gave Janice a cold look and said tersely, "Let''s talk inside." Confused, Janice followed them in, only to be kicked behind her knees the moment she stepped through the door. She fell to her knees in front of Sebastian. Turning angrily to her cousin who had kicked her, she snapped, "Are you crazy, Dane? Why did you kick me for no reason?" Dane''s eyes were filled with hostility as he retorted, "Consider this mercy. Be thankful I didn''t kill you as an apology." Janice retorted, "What could possibly be so serious as to warrant taking my life? Wait until Grandpa hears about this; he''ll beat the crap out of you!" Dane scoffed disdainfully. He had always been imitated by Janice''s troublemaking ways, and now she had caused a significant problem. "Grandpa is on his way here. He''s going to teach you a lesson and kick you out of the Freesons." Janice was shocked; she hadn''t expected the situation to be so grave. Her grandfather, who seldom left Loxton due to his age, wasing. "Uncle Sebastian, is what he''s saying true? Grandpa ising to punish me?" Janice asked, her face ashen. Sebastian nodded with a stem face. "Janice, you''ve caused a disaster this time." Dane added irritably, "You''re going to destroy the Freesons. We will pay for what you''ve done. Had only Dane said those words, Janice would have dismissed it. But seeing even her uncle share this sentiment, she truly began to panic.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Uncle Sebastian, what''s going on? I haven''t caused any troubletely, and I haven''t offended anyone!" Janice said. "Janice, be honest with me. Did you mess with someone named Audrey?" Sebastian inquired. Janice paused upon hearing Sebastian''s question. ''Audrey? She''s just an actress, what''s the big deal?" She didn''t understand why Audrey''s name was mentioned. Dane became anxious at her nonchnt tone. "You fool! Yes, Audrey is an actress, but don''t you know her family runs the well-known Swann Corporation in Casier? Their influence is no less than ours."C¨®ntent from N¨®velDr¨¢m¨¢!! Janice was aware of this, but her arrogance had always blinded her to the consequences. It''s just the Swann Corporation. Dane, you''re exaggerating to say they could bring down the Freesons." "You''re a goddamn idiot!" Dane couldn''t help but criticize Janice''s thoughtlessness. "Not only is Audrey the daughter of the Swanns, but she also has a sister, Catherine, whose husband is Branden Duncan. You might not know Catherine, but surely you''ve heard of Branden and the Duncans'' reputation, right? How dare you cross the Duncans? You''re digging your own grave!" Dane paused for a moment and continued, "Branden visited Grandpa tonight. Do you realize now how serious this matter is?" The mere involvement of Branden and Catherine was a nightmare for the Freesons, not to mention Audrey''s intricate connection with Triston. Janice was familiar with the Duncans'' reputation but had no idea Audrey had such powerful backing. No wonder her grandfather had toe to Casier. At this realization, Janice clung to Sebastian''s leg in panic. "Uncle Sebastian, what should I do now?" Chapter 1027 Are You In or Not? ? Chapter 1027 Are You In or Not? Sebastian knew that ensuring Audrey''s safety was the top priority. He urged Janice to reveal who had kidnapped Audrey so they could rescue her and negotiate with the Duncans. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Janice immediately contacted the kidnappers she had hired, but after dozens of calls went unanswered, she was terrified and sought Sebastian''s help. "Uncle Sebastian, what do we do now?" Without any contact from the kidnappers and unsure what had gone wrong, Sebastian decided to search for Audrey. If they could secure her safety, the Freesons might still have a chance. At the abandoned construction site, the kidnappers, having checked the Swanns'' local influence, realized Audrey was no ordinary person. This revtion made them hesitant. Sensing their uncertainty, Audrey seized the opportunity. "You must be aware of who I am. I''m an actress. Negative publicity could be devastating for me. If you release me, I assure you that I won''t pursue any charges, and you''ll still receive your payment." The kidnappers were incredulously hopeful at Audrey''s proposition, eyeing her skeptically. Despite the situation, Audrey maintained a strong presence, showing no fear. "My reputation is what matters to me; money is inconsequential. If negative news gets out, my losses will be far greater." Seeing them still hesitant, Audrey began to threaten them. "Of course, you can continue with your n. But you''re well aware of my family''s influence, aren''t you? Like I said, if you dare hurt me, you and all your families will be in big trouble." At Audrey''s threat, the kidnappers were visibly shaken. They knew they stood no chance against her wealth and influence. Despite their desperation and willingness to risk their lives, they couldn''t bear the thought of endangering their families. After a moment of hesitation, they decided to release Audrey. The leader stepped forward and cut the ropes binding her hands. "Miss Swann, we''ll do as you say, but we hope you''ll keep your word."Content from N¨®velDrama!!! Audrey nodded slightly. The ordeal had changed her, she was no longer the timid heiress of the Swann family.'' What about my driver? Is he okay?" she asked.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ''Don''t worry; your driver is fine. He''s knocked out and locked up in a cage at the back." "Good, release him and bring him to me," Audrey ordered, then asked, "How much did the person who hired you pay?" Hermanding presence made the kidnappers too afraid to lie. "She paid us one million dors to take some videos and photos of you to send to her." Audrey raised an eyebrow at the amount. The diamond ne she wore that evening was worth nearly as much. These kidnappers didn''t know its value, kidnapping her for such a paltry sum. After a moment''s thought, Audrey came up with a new n. ''I''ll give you two million dors to take her here." These men hesitated. They were kidnappers, but they still had their principles. Audrey delivered a final blow to their doubts by saying, "You have no other options but to work for me. Don''t worry. Once this is over, not only will you get your money, but I''ll also ensure your safety. Now, I need an answer. Are you in or not?" Chapter 1028 Tell Me Youre Okay ? Chapter 1028 Tell Me You''re Okay With a deafening boom, the silence within the construction site was shattered. The kidnappers were all startled by the sudden st, but the leader quickly shielded Audrey. "Ensure Miss Swann''s safety!" They knew Audrey''s identity meant her safety was their priority, as any harm to her would spell trouble for them. Triston rushed out of the car before it fully stopped, nearly stumbling in his haste. After learning Audrey''s exact location, he had driven straight through the gate. He knew he was rushing, but feared any dy could lead to disaster. Seeing Audrey surrounded, Triston was furious, a menacing aura enveloping him. "Release her, and I guarantee your safe exit." The kidnappers'' leader, sensing Triston''s formidable presence, felt a sense of foreboding. "Miss Swann, do you know these guys?" Audrey had noticed Triston the moment he got out of the car, not missing his panicked expression. It amused her to see the usually suave Triston in such a fluster. "Follow my instructions, and leave the rest to me. You''ll be safe, *she assured the kidnappers'' leader. At this point, the kidnappers had no choice but to trust Audrey. They began to take action on hermands, and as they did, Triston''s men prepared to move in. Before any confrontation could ensue, Audrey stepped forward from behind the kidnappers. "It''s me!" Ignoring his men''s attempts to hold him back, Triston rushed towards Audrey. He enveloped her in his arms, holding her tightly and refusing to let go. ''Tell me you''re okay,'' he pleaded. Leaning into his embrace, Audrey nodded gently. ''Don''t worry, I''m perfectly fine." Seeing Audrey safe, Triston''s men were ready to deal with the kidnappers. To them, the kidnappers were a disorganized bunch, easily handled, especially now that they had lost their bargaining chip.Content from N¨®velDrama!!! However, Audrey stopped them. ''Don''t move. I''ve promised them safety."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Her words puzzled everyone, but the kidnappers were grateful for her integrity and diligently carried out the tasks she had assigned. Triston, curious, pondered whether to persuade her not to be so kind. However, Audrey shared her entire ordeal with him, including her n. Hearing her strategy, Triston was impressed. ''Then we''ll do it your way." If Audrey wanted to y this game, he was all in. He was ready to support her,e what may. After all, some people deserved a lesson. Janice was frantically searching for Audrey with her family when she received a call from the kidnappers. They told her Audrey was in a special situation and needed Janice''s help. Without consulting her family and eager to find Audrey, Janice immediately agreed, "Wait for me. I''m on my way." Chapter 1029 Well Be Friends ?Chapter 1029 We''ll Be FriendsPlease check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Janice had a very arrogant attitude after arriving at the address given by the kidnappers. She angrily yelled at the leader of the kidnappers, "What''s wrong with you? Why don''t you answer the phone? Can you still get things done?" She had an arrogant attitude,pletely looking down on the other person. This attitude really irritated the leader of the kidnappers, but he remembered Audrey''s instructions and didn''t expose himself. "When you gave us the task, you only said it was a female celebrity but didn''t mention her identity. We were almost killed by her bodyguards, and two of our brothers got injured," he said. Hearing this, Janice immediately got nervous. "Is Audrey okay?" What she was most worried about right now was Audrey. If Audrey got hurt, the Freesons would be in big trouble. ''She''s got a little hurt and needs your help;e with me first." When Janice heard that Audrey was injured, she was anxious. Initially, she was still on guard, but now she didn''t care about anything and quickly followed the kidnappers inside.Content from N¨®velDrama!!! She would check on Audrey first, then inform her uncles immediately. With Audrey in their hands, they got the capital to negotiate with the Duncans, and her grandpa wouldn''t me her too much. Janice thought everything was going great but never expected that she would suddenly get tied up as soon as she walked in. When she finally realized what was happening, her hands were bound with ropes tightly. She was both anxious and mad, roaring, "Are you out of your mind? Why are you doing this? Don''t forget you still need money from me! I can make sure you don''t get a single dime." The kidnapper gave Janice a fierce look, thinking Audrey was, after all, better than her. He took the initiative to step aside and make way for others. Audrey slowly walked out among a group of bandits with Triston. Janice''s eyes widened involuntarily at Audrey''s appearance, and a look of disbelief shed through them. When she realized what was happening, she angrily shouted at the kidnapper, "How dare you betray me? Do you even know who I am?" Before the kidnapper could respond, Audrey spoke up first. She rolled her eyes and dismissed Janice with a disdainful re. "Alright, no need to shout. This is Casier, and it has nothing to do with the Freesons." Among the Casier''s Four Noble Families, the Swanns and the Duncans were connected, with Triston representing the Lamberts. When the three families stepped forward at the same time, even if the head of the Freesons came personally, they would have to listen obediently, especially since it was just a young girl like Janice. Janice closely observed Audrey, feeling angry but also knowing she was no match for Audrey at the moment, so she could only change her approach to negotiate. ''You''re fine anyway. How about I apologize to you, and we just let bygones be bygones? From now on, we''ll be friends." Her attitude was like she was doing Audrey a favor by being friends with her. Audrey couldn''t help butugh. She sarcastically turned her head to Triston and loudly asked, "Do you want a friend like Ms. Freeson?" "Humph!" Triston sneered and said arrogantly, "I don''t deserve such a friend!" Audrey turned around and looked at Janice, squinting with a teasing look. "You heard it too; even Mr. Lambert doesn''t dare to be friends with you. How could I dare?" Janice was not stupid and could sense the sarcasm in Audrey''s words. She red at Audrey, clenching her teeth. "So what do you want?" Audrey turned around and told the kidnappers'' leader, "Since she likes to y, then let her experience the tasks she assigned." Chapter 1030 They Can Come Themselves ? Chapter 1030 They Can Come Themselves Audrey let Janice suffer the consequences on purpose to teach her a lesson so that she wouldn''t dare to be so arrogant and bully others next time. But Audrey wasn''t as cruel as Janice; she just ordered those kidnappers to scratch a bit on Janice''s clothes and take a few pictures so Janice would know how terrifying and helpless it was for a girl to be in such a situation. She showed no sympathy at Janice''s heartbreaking scream, saying coldly. "You would only know how painful it is when the pain hits you." Triston heard this remark next to her and raised his eyebrows slightly. It looks like time really has changed a lot of things. Once innocent and simple, now she can even say something like that,'' he thought. "If you think it''s not enough, let them put in some more tricks." Triston knew these kidnappers; they were best at this kind of trick, and they could y it out. Audrey shook her head and declined Triston''s proposal, "No. It''s okay!" She was just not ruthless enough. If it were Catherine, Janice would probably regret being born into this world. As soon as the trick on Janice ended, Triston received a call from Sebastian, Janice''s second uncle. "Mr. Lambert, long time no see." Sebastian had been doing business in Casier for the past few years and had connections with several families in the area. Although unfamiliar with Triston, they did exchange nces at the banquet. After finding out what happened, Sebastian reckoned that Audrey was fine now, and Janice''s missing must have something to do with Triston, so he made this phone call. Although Triston looked like a yboy, he was actually a really cunning old fox and was good at faking prey to hunt the carnivores. He came up with some excuse and brushed off Sebastian. Then, he immediately contacted Audrey, "The Freesons know we have Janice and areing to get her. Any ideas?" Audrey looked surprised at Triston, who used to make all her decisions and never cared about her thoughts. It was taken for granted that she should follow the path he arranged.Content from N¨®velDrama!!! Now, he was suddenly asking for her opinion, which really caught Audrey off guard. Seeing Audrey sizing him up, Triston asked with a smile, "What? Is there something wrong with what I said?" "No!" Audrey looked away and said coldly. "If the Freesons want her, they cane themselves." Triston immediately understood what she meant. "Okay, I''ll arrange it." ***** The Freesons were freaking out when they found out that Janice went missing. Seeing everyone''s irritated expressions, Janice''s cousin said nonchntly, "Dad, why don''t we just stop worrying about Janice? If she didn''t cause trouble for herself, the Freesons wouldn''t be in this predicament now."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Hearing this, Sebastian gave him a stern look. "You punk, don''t forget that you also have the blood of the Freesons. She is your cousin." Sebastian''s older brother passed away early, and he only had one daughter, Janice, who was raised by her grandpa from a young age. Because she lost her parents, her grandpa spoiled her a lot, leading to her arrogance. In the past, the Freesons could always solve minor problems she caused, but this time, the issue was huge. As everyone was worrying, Sebastian suddenly got a call from Triston. He said on the phone with a serious look, "Alright, I''m on my way now!" Chapter 1031 I Was Just Kidding ? Chapter 1031 I Was Just Kidding Audrey couldn''t even be bothered to change the location and went straight to the factory arranged by the kidnappers. The Freesons sent Sebastian and his son, Dane. When they arrived at the location and saw the surrounding environment, they instantly turned unpleasant. Triston came out to greet them, and Dane immediately expressed his dissatisfaction. "I''ve heard of Mr. Lambert being suave, but meeting you in person is quite disappointing. I can''t believe you like to meet in this kind of ce." Triston gave a slight smile, but endless coldness was hidden beneath his seemingly smiling eyes. "Mr. Freeson, that''s not right. Your people clearly chose this ce for us. We''re waiting here for you, so why are you ming us now? Hearing it, the Freesons immediately understood what he meant. Dane suddenly shut up and backed away quietly. Seeing him acting like a coward, Triston sneered secretly with disdain. Sebastian knew that they were in the wrong and immediately stood up and asked politely, "Is Miss Swann okay? We mainly came here to confirm her safety, hoping she is safe and sound." As soon as he finished, Audrey slowly walked out from behind. "Thanks for asking. I had quite an experience this time, thanks to Ms. Freeson.'' The Freesons''s faces turned really unpleasant, but they couldn''t argue back because Audrey was the victim. Not to mention, Audrey had some big shots backing her up. Messing with even one of them would bring the Freesons cmity.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Rumor had it that Audrey''s little sister, who was said to be a top-notch big shot, had a terrible temper. If they were to piss her off, she could bring down the Freesons at any time. Even Sebastian had to talk respectfully in front of Audrey, "Miss Swann, we are very sorry for the misunderstanding this time. No matter what requests you make, we will definitely go all out to fulfill it." Audrey replied with a smirk, "What if I told you I want Janice to disappear?" Everyone was taken aback at her sentence, including Triston. He never expected Audrey to be so bossy now. After hesitating for a moment, Dane murmured to Sebastian, "Dad, if sacrificing one person could bring peace to the whole family, I think it''s worth it." Sebastian looked torn, furrowing his brows tightly, and one could tell he was struggling. After hesitating for a while, he finally said to Audrey, "Miss Swann, is there any other way we can discuss this?" Audrey heard what Dane said and even felt a little sorry for Janice. Indeed, when ites to family interests, anyone can be sacrificed. No matter how favored you are, it''s not even worth mentioning when ites to the family''s interests. They can even sacrifice personal values for the sake of the so-called reputation, said Audrey inwardly. In such a situation, she felt Catherine was a precious gem more than ever. If it hadn''t been for Catherine toe back to change everything, she would probably have ended up more tragic than Janice. Audrey chuckled softly. "I was just kidding. You don''t need to take it seriously. But Ms. Freeson is really sassy. She attacked me when I didn''t even provoke her. If it were someone else, their life would probably be ruined." Her words got Sebastian deep in thought. He also knew that the Freesons spoiled Janice a bit too much. After thinking it over carefully, he came up with a suggestion. "Miss Swann, we will definitely teach her a lesson this time. If you hand her over to us, I will send her to Theisia''s girls'' school overnight, cut off all her privileges, and not allow her to set foot in Eskana for five years. What do you think?" Chapter 1032 Compensation ?Chapter 1032 Compensation Noticing that Audrey was not speaking, Sebastian knew she was already considering his proposal.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. He had seen many people and could tell that Audrey was not mean. f it weren''t for his niece being so dumb and provoking Audrey on her own this time, they wouldn''t have retaliated in kind. He could tell that the most important thing right now wasn''t Audrey but the guy standing next to her, Triston. If he couldn''t deal with this guy, even if Audrey agreed, the Freesons might be in trouble. He then took out the prepared contract and handed it to Audrey. "This is just a little something from the Freesons to show our sincerity. Hope you won''t turn it down, Miss Swann." Audrey received and opened them. After scanning through the pages, she found that they were transfer contracts. Although she knew they had huge profits, she was unsure how much value they had or what use they would serve her. She turned her head and handed the materials to Triston. ''Take a look." Triston stood on the side, with his tongue touching his cheek, smiling contentedly. ''She''s taken it for granted now to boss me around,'' thought Triston. He reluctantly took the materials. Audrey couldn''t see what was going on, but he could see it at a nce. Audrey was in the entertainment industry; of course, she didn''t know the importance of these plots ofnd. This was basically the Freesons'' way of surrendering by handing over their business in Casier to the Swann Corporation as a form ofpensation to Audrey. It looked like Branden really scared the heck out of those old folks when he went to the Freesons''st night himself. Before they even did anything, the Freesons just willingly spent a lot of money. Triston casually waved the materials a few times with a smile as he looked at Audrey. "The apology gift from the Freesons is really handsome, so you should ept it if you like it. Audrey reached out to take the material, then stuffed it back into Sebastian''s hand. "I don''t want anything. As long as you can do what you said, you can take Janice away anytime. And one more thing, I just scared her earlier and didn''t actually do anything to her, so you can rx. Upon hearing what Audrey said, Sebastian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as nothing happened to Janice, he would find a way to exin things to his father, Mortimer Freeson. But he never expected that Audrey would actually return this gift. As a businessman, if it were him, he would be extremely excited. Sebastian frowned and said, "Miss Swann, this is just a little something from me. You gotta take it, okay?" Audrey still wanted to refuse, but Triston beside her grabbed her hand. "Take it. How can they leave in peace if you don''t ept it?" Sebastian nodded with a smile and said, "Mr. Lambert is absolutely right." After being persuaded by everyone, Audrey finally epted the gift and muttered quietly, "I don''t do business, so this is a waste for me. I''ll just give it to Catherine when I get back and let her decide." Sebastian finally felt at ease when he heard this. Triston was standing on the side, smirking. He didn''t know whether to praise Audrey for being silly or for being clever. What the Freesons were really afraid of was Catherine causing trouble afterward. After all, Catherine had a reputation, and once you messed with the Swanns, trying to get out unscathed was harder than getting the star. The Freesons were naturally a bit nervous when Audrey refused their gift. Now that she had epted it and said to pass it on to Catherine, it was like showing the world of the Freesons''s sincerity. They could now rest assured. This matter had finallye to an end. Audrey told the kidnappers to bring Janice out. After a few rough moments, Janice finally behaved. Sebastian kept stressing that he would definitely watch Janice and send her away. A hint of coldness shed in Triston''s eyes as he watched Janice walk away. ''Is it over once you leave? Not that easy. After messing with my people, do you think you can easily leave? No way! thought Triston. Chapter 1033 Lets Go for a Drink ?Chapter 1033 Let''s Go for a Drink The kidnapping hade to aplete end, and Triston proposed to send Audrey back. Afraid that she might take offense, Triston cautiously said, "If you don''t want to, I''ll have the driver take you instead. I won''t go." After Audrey had finished calling Kim, she heard Triston''s words. She put down her phone and smiled at Triston. "Let''s go for a drink. Triston was momentarily stunned at her words. His rtionship with Audrey had always been quite stiff. He wanted to approach Audrey but was afraid of scaring her away again, so he could only watch over her carefully each time. Seeing him stand speechless beside her, Audrey broke into a gentleugh. "Mr. Lambert quit drinking for real, as people are saying? If so, I''ll have to find someone else." Triston was afraid that she might change her mind and quickly said, "No, let''s go now. Do you have a suitable ce?" Audrey said casually, "No, you decide." "Okay." Triston chuckled and leaned over to open the car door, pressing one hand against the door frame to help Audrey get in. If he was really quitting drinking, it must be for her. Triston took Audrey to a ssy bar, listening to music and casually sipping drinks. It was very rxing. Audrey was feeling good and got a little tipsy from drinking. There were two adorable rosy blushes on her delicate face. She squinted her eyes, peering through the smoke at Triston. "It is probably the boldest thing I''ve ever done." After she was kidnapped, she wasn''t scared at all, not even a little bit panicked. Not only that, she also cleverly negotiated with the kidnappers and managed to turn the situation around. Back then, this was something she couldn''t even imagine. The experiences of these years had changed her a lot. She was not only more confident but also stronger. Triston could tell she was really happy. He raised his ss and gently clinked it with hers. "You''re awesome, for sure!'' Audrey happily finished her drink and thought it was time to call it a day. "Let''s go back!" "Alright, I''ll drive you home!" Triston stood up with her, willing to apany her wherever she wanted to go. The car pulled up to the apartment building. Before Triston could even get out, Audrey opened the car door herself. "Bye. You go back early, too." She waved goodbye and then turned around to leave. Upon hearing this, Triston suddenly quit the idea of getting out of the car. He didn''t want to piss off Audrey, so he just stood there and watched her leave. When Audrey went upstairs and opened the door, she immediately felt someone behind her. She was originally a little drunk but instantly sobered up. She acted calmly as if she didn''t notice; while opening the door, she took out her phone. Triston should still be downstairs. As soon as she gave him a call, he woulde upstairs immediately. "It''s me!" A familiar voice came through, causing Audrey to pause before dialing out. She turned around and saw Brian standing behind her.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Brian''s face looked worn out, but his eyes were fixed on her. Audrey sighed silently in her heart and pushed open the door. "Let''s talk inside." If she didn''t go in and turn on the light quickly, Triston was definitely going toe rushing up in less than five minutes. After they entered, Audrey brought Brian a ss of water, and they sat on the sofa in the living room. "What are you here for?" asked Audrey. Brian took a good look at her and found out she didn''t have any obvious injuries on her body and looked very rxed. Only then did he feel a bit relieved. He slowly raised his thin lips and asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you okay?" Chapter 1034 Hopeless ? Chapter 1034 Hopeless When Brian received the message, he quickly rushed to Casier. He was originally nning to go to the Freesons personally to get Audrey, but he received news halfway there that Branden had already arrived at the Freesons. He couldn''te face-to-face with Branden yet, as things between them weren''tpletely resolved. If he ran into Branden, all his nning would be for nothing. Since Branden had already gone for the Freesons, it would definitely be more effective than if Brian had done it. After all, Loxton was now under the control of the Duncans. After receiving the message, Brian rushed back to Casier to save Audrey immediately. When he arrived, Triston had just beat him to it. He quietly backed away, only after seeing that Audrey was safe and sound. After leaving, he camped out at Audrey''s apartment, waiting for her. Audrey knew he already knew what had happened and rushed here to check on her. "Don''t worry, I''m fine." Brian nodded slightly, picturing Audrey getting out of the car and turning to say goodbye to Triston. At that moment, Audrey had a smile on her face, and Brian''s heart slowly sank. The silence put the whole room into awkwardness. Audrey took the initiative to speak up. "You should leave now if there''s nothing else." Brian got up silently and nodded awkwardly. As he walked to the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Audrey with hopeful eyes. "Do we really not stand a chance?" Audrey said casually, "I''m sorry!" The simple words totally dashed Brian''s hopes. He forced a smile, then slowly left the apartment. "Take care. I''m leaving!" Looking at his lonely figure, Audrey was full of helplessness. She just couldn''t move past some things. She couldn''t forget that Brian approached her from the beginning for the sake of benefits and purposes. As long as she couldn''t get over this, she got no chance with him. ANAWA As Brian was about to leave downstairs, he looked back sharply. Not far away, Triston was leaning against the flower bed with a cigarette in his mouth. Amid the hazy smoke, the two locked eyes, and Triston slowly said, "Want a smoke?" Brian didn''t say no. Triston casually tossed the cigarette to him. It streaked across the dark night, thennded steadily in Brian''s hand. Brian never imagined he would actually stand side by side with Triston and smoke together. After Audrey went upstairs, Triston realized something was off. She turned on the light three minutester than usual. She drank a little today and was in a good mood, walking fast. It must not be dyed on the way. For Audrey''s safety, Tristan immediately went upstairs and saw Audrey open the door and invite Brian in.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. He walked downstairs dejectedly and decided to have a smoke in the garden downstairs to calm down. After smoking a cigarette, he saw Brian going downstairs. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke up. ''You shouldn''t havee back." Brian knew that the situation in Casier was dangerous. If Triston wanted to take him down, he might not even have a chance to escape this time. However, he still couldn''t resign himself to it. So he riskeding back for Audrey. If Audrey were willing, he would leave with her even if he would lose everything. Now that he was sure about Audrey''s feelings. He totally understood he stood no chance. He slowly spoke with a hoarse voice full of despair. "It''s time to go. I''m afraid I won''t have a chance toe back again." Chapter 1035 Pray ? Chapter 1035 Pray Kim said Audrey had been having bad luck recently and encountering troubles repeatedly. He wanted to take her to the church to pray to get rid of the bad luck. Audrey didn''t want to go at first but couldn''t resist Kim''s nagging and finally agreed. They dressed up and went to a church with a bustling atmosphere outside the city. Kimid out some ground rules for them to follow as soon as they arrived. "You guys gotta remember. Don''t talk nonsense in the sacred ce. Behave yourself."Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. People in the entertainment industry were kind of superstitious, mainly because luck yed such a significant role in this business. By encountering a good opportunity, one could instantly be famous all over the ce. Without luck, no matter how good your acting skills or how beautiful you were, you would still have to wait. Standing on the side, the assistant couldn''t help but ask Kim, who was looking so sincere, "Kim, isn''t this church famous for bringing good luck in marriage? Can we also pray for peace here?" When Kim heard this, he immediately red at the assistant. "You guys pray for peace, and I pray for a good marriage; it''s not conflicting. The gods are magnanimous. They will bless us all, got it?" The assistant looked confused as heck and nodded like he got it. Audrey couldn''t help butugh on the side, knowing Kim was taking this opportunity to feather his own nest. After being exposed by her, Kim felt a bit embarrassed and pulled her to the side, whispering, ''Audrey, I''m not lying to you. This ce is really effective. Inside the main hall, there is a book on marriage. Later, I will take you to make an offering, and you can write the name of your beloved one in the book. God will bless you to be together." Audrey had a look of not giving a damn. She believed that marriage shouldn''t be forced. She just hoped that everyone around her was safe; that was enough. Kim didn''t listen to her and dragged her into the main hall. He was all excited, wrote his name on the marriage book, handed the marriage book to Audrey, then went to donate. "Hurry up and write. I''ll go make some offerings." Audrey felt somewhat speechless. She casually flipped through it but didn''t expect actually to see her name. She originally thought it was just a coincidence, but she was shocked when she saw the name next to hers. Audrey Swann, Triston Lambert." If one person having the same name as you was a coincidence, then two people having the same name, plus this familiar handwriting. It should definitely be Triston''s doing. Looking at the side-by-side names, Audrey was kind of spaced out. She originally thought he would definitely not believe in those feudalistic words, but he turned out to be so serious about it. After finishing the offering, Kim returned and saw Audrey still standing there looking dumbfounded. He couldn''t help but tease her. "Still haven''t decided whose name to fill in? Are you having trouble choosing because there are too many options? Want me to help you out?" Seeing Kim reach out his hand, Audrey immediately pressed down on the marriage book. The speed of her movement caught Kim off guard. He looked at Audrey in surprise and asked, "Why are you so flustered? Are you guilty of something?" Audrey red at him kind of angrily. "You''re the one being shady here. Don''t talk nonsense in such a sacred ce; be careful you don''t get punished by the god." Kim was so scared that his face turned pale, so he quickly recited a few prayers to calm himself down. Coming out of the church, Kim invited everyone to eat out but was rejected by Audrey. "I''ve got things to do. You go ahead. I''ll treat.'' Kim looked at her, puzzled, and said, ''You don''t have work today, so what are you doing?" Audrey smirked mysteriously and said, "It''s private!" She needed to solve some things. There were some people she couldn''t wait to meet. Chapter 1036 Good Luck ? Chapter 1036 Good Luck Triston was in a meeting when suddenly his assistant barged in and instantly caught everyone''s attention. They knew an assistant wouldn''t interrupt the meeting without a good reason. Triston frowned and looked at his assistant. The assistant whispered nervously in his ear. A hint of surprise shed across Triston''s eyes, and then he stood up and said, "Today''s meeting is rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon." After exining the details, Triston left without looking back, leaving all the senior executives in a frenzy. No one knew what exactly happened to make Triston so anxious. Some busybody cautiously checked out the situation with the assistant, who smiled and said, "Probably something good." Originally, he was hesitant to report Triston''s private matters at the meeting, worried that it might make Triston angry. But now, he knew he made the right bet. It turned out nothing was more important than Triston''s lover. ***** Triston hurried out of the meeting room and headed to the office, walking so fast like he was running. The moment he pushed the door and saw the familiar figure sitting inside, his heart instantly calmed down. Even his voice sounded a lot more cheerful all of a sudden. "Hey, superstar. Howe you suddenly have time toe over?" Hearing it, Audrey turned her head and saw Triston strutting over to her. "Your assistant said the meeting is ending soon and asked me to wait for you for a bit. I hope I''m not disturbing you." Triston raised an eyebrow and grinned. "It''s almost noon. The meeting was supposed to end anyway." Although he said that, he was actually thinking about giving his assistant a month''s sry bonus. If the assistant said he was in a meeting, Audrey would definitely leave immediately and not disturb his work. "You haven''t told me why you suddenly showed up?" asked Triston again. Audrey was originally concerned that showing up unannounced would disrupt his work. Hearing what he said, she felt less worried. "I just happened to pass by, and it''s already noon, so I thought I''d try my luck and maybe get a free lunch from you." Audrey wouldn''t tell him that she spent one hour in the car all the way from out of town just for this lunch. Afraid of beingte, she rushed up as fast as possible when she arrived at the building. Triston picked up his coat and looked at her with a big smile. "Looks like I''m lucky today!" Audrey was taken aback by his words and didn''t quite catch on right away. Seeing her puzzled, Triston exined, "Isn''t it an honor to treat you to a meal?"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Audrey was a bit embarrassed when she heard that. Triston took Audrey to a newly opened creative cuisine restaurant. Although it was creative cuisine, it focused on in vors, which was perfect for Audrey. Triston knew Audrey''s taste very well. He ordered several dishes that Audrey liked without her even having to look at the menu. Looking at the table full of dishes she liked, Audrey couldn''t help but praise Triston, "Eating out with you is great; I don''t even need to worry about having indecision anymore." Seeing her big smile, Triston casually said, ''I''ll always have meals with you in the future since you like it." As soon as he said that, both of them were left stunned. Triston realized he said the wrong thing and was trying to figure out how to make up for it. To his surprise, Audrey said casually. "That''s not bad." Triston doubted his own hearing and looked at Audrey in astonishment, unable toe back to his senses for a long time. Chapter 1037 A Match Made in Heaven ? Chapter 1037 A Match Made in Heaven Since that dinner, Audrey had been in a special kind of rtionship with Triston. Although they didn''t make it clear, Triston could feel that Audrey had slowly epted him. The number of times they met increased, and most of Audrey''s work this year was in Casier. Whenever Triston had free time, he would stay alongside Audrey. Whether on set or during recording sessions, one could always catch a glimpse of Triston. Everyone kind of knew deep down that Triston was the man behind Audrey. But nobody ever exposed this whole thing, mainly because of Triston''s identity. Neither he nor Audrey wanted too much attention paid to their rtionship right now. If he didn''t spill the beans, who else would dare to report on it? Besides, the reason Audrey and Triston''s dating didn''t cause much jealousy was they were a good match. Among the Four Noble Families in Casier, the Lamberts and the Swanns each held a seat, and the Swanns'' power was not weaker than the Lamberts. Plus, now that Catherine was in charge of the Swanns, their power had already surpassed the Lamberts. Audrey had a good family and was a rare beauty. It was fair to say she and Triston were like a match made in heaven. There were plenty of people who envied her, but they could only regret not having her luck. Audrey finally finished work after filming an advertisement all afternoon. "Pete, nice job. If there are no issues, I''m gonna leave now." The director had known Audrey for many years and worked together many times. They talked to each other as if they were good friends. ''Get going quickly. If you don''t leave now, I''m afraid I''ll really be killed by his stare." As he was talking, Pete gestured toward the corner with a hint. While the two were chatting up close, Triston did not take his eyes off for a second. He saw in the newspaper that this new director, Pete Hester, had been interested in Audrey for a long time. Not only that, but Pete publicly imed that Audrey was his muse and wanted more opportunities to work with Audrey. Seeing the two of them chatting andughing, Triston became more and more serious. Pete felt a gust of cool wind blow by, making him shiver. He quickly realized it and took a few steps away from Audrey, looking at her timidly. "Leave quickly for the sake of my poor life." Audrey also felt the threatening vibeing from Triston, so she waved to Pete and walked toward Triston. As soon as he saw her approaching, Triston immediately stood up and took what she had in her hands. "Can we go now?" "Yeah!" Audrey nodded slightly. Triston breathed a sigh of relief in secret. He was originally worried about having to continue filming with Audrey. Watching her interact with Pete would make him go crazy. He knew this was necessary for work but just couldn''t stand it.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Audrey saw right through Triston''s intentions; she knew that a lot of people in their circle didn''t want significant others visiting. When actors were filming, they often bought in more realistic emotions for the story''s needs, which could easily lead to misunderstandings. She had already told Triston not toe, but he still insisted, which was just asking for trouble. As Audrey didn''t speak, Triston quickly tried to seek her opinion to win her over. "It''s gettingte. You must be hungry after filming all day. How about I take you out to eat?" Audrey rejected it without even thinking about it; just when Triston was feeling troubled, Audrey added, "Amelia and Ronin are here; we agreed to eat together; youing or not?" She raised her eyebrows, looking at Triston. Triston immediately answered, "Sure!* Chapter 1038 An Undisclosed Relationship ? Chapter 1038 An Undisclosed Rtionship They had an appointment at a recreational manor, a new property Zobber had just bought. Zobber had invited them toe along for the experience. Since Catherine''s pregnancy, the entire Hacker Alliance had had much leisure time. Even though there was less to do, they had earned no less money and were basically in a dominant position. Zobber enjoyed the current situation too much becasue there was still money to be made easily. They might only have one business per year, but the profit from this business was already enough for them to spend for a year.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. After wandering around with her friends, Zobber excitedly looked at everyone. "How about this ce? It''s not bad, right? I bought it at a high price!" This was Casier, and Triston was aware of any changes in the real estate industry. He had indeed received the news when Zobber auctioned off the manor, and he also knew that Zobber had given an above-market price to take thend. But he knew that Zobber had plenty of money. It was fine as long as she was willing. Audrey admired Zobber''s vision. Although Zobber was a bit reckless and even a bit crazy, she was still very smart when doing business. After wandering around, Audrey was full of envy and said, "This ce is really nice. It''ll be nice if I cane here for two days every month when I have some free time." Looking at Audrey''s envious face, Zobber said casually, "With your strength, you can buy a manor easily. How about you buy one, too?" Audrey shook her head with a light smile. "I don''t have that kind of energy to run such a big manor. Zobber, on the other hand, said generously, "Then you cane to my ce when you want to rx. You cane here whenever you want. Anyway, I bought this ce to provide everyone with another ce to enjoy yourselves. I''ll be very happy to have you here. Come here whenever you want, and I''ll cover all the expenses." Amelia raised the ss and shouted, "Come on. Come on. Let''s thank Zobber. The crowd wasughing and talking. Triston, sitting on the side, stared intently at the happy Audrey with a smile at the corner of his mouth the whole time. Audrey didn''t have many friends, and because she was in the showbiz, she could socialize with so few of them. It was rare to see her so rxed and smiling so brightly. Ronin, sitting on the side, observed Triston''s gaze fixed on Audrey and nudged Withal. Withal was confused. After taking a nce, he felt that Ronin was too bored. He whispered, "Are you blind or something? Can''t you see that?" Ronin was a bit confused. "Should I see something?" Withal rolled his eyes silently and thought to himself, "Ronin is usually pretty smart, but unfortunately, he''s stupid when ites to rtionships." He said with a resentful tone, "Can''t you see that there''s something fishy about these two''s rtionship? Maybe they made up a long time ago." Audrey and Triston didn''t publicize their rtionship, but Withal and the others, out of the sensitivity of their professional habits, had seen through everything long ago. Ronin was the only one who hadn''t seen it yet. Ronin tensed up when he heard this. He frowned and sat next to Triston, looking at him with a serious expression on his face. "Tell me, are you trying to seduce Audrey again?" Triston gave a faint smile, his deep eyes fixed on Ronin. "When did I ever give up on seducing her?" Ronin was just about to give a lecture when he suddenly reacted to what Triston had said. He looked at Triston with contempt. "You scum, you''re such a bad man. You''ve been thinking about Audrey." At his righteous indignation, Triston was a little puzzled. "If you were Catherine, I would understand your reaction. Why are you so concerned about Audrey too?" Chapter 1039 Her Happiness ?Chapter 1039 Her Happiness Faced with Triston''s questioning, Ronin looked arrogant. "Catherine and Audrey are sisters, so Audrey is my sister. You can bully anyone, but you can''t bully her. Or else, we can''t even be friends." Ronin''s words sounded childish, but there was seriousness inside his eyes when he said those words. He grew up with Catherine and regarded Catherine as his most important family member. To him, Catherine''s sister was his sister. After listening to Ronin''s words, Triston faintlyughed out. "I see." Ronin thought that Triston didn''t take his words to heart, and immediately felt a burning anger. "What do you mean? You don''t understand my warning, do you?" "Easy!" Triston gestured for him to calm down, then said calmly, "Even death row inmates have a chance to exin, right? You should at least hear me out." "Hmph!" Ronin snorted disdainfully. He secretly thought in his heart, "If Triston says any more asshole words, I''ll definitely not show him any respect.'' Triston put away that cynical expression, his eyes were serious, and his tone became much more serious. Believe me, there is no other man in this world who can give Audrey happiness other than me. Don''t you want her to be happy?" Triston, who had always been a yboy, suddenly became serious, which caused Ronin to be somewhat stunned. He froze for a moment before responding, and then asked with a bit of hesitation, "What do you mean? Of course, I want Audrey to be happy. But are you sure you can make her happy?" "Of course!" Triston nodded affirmatively. Audrey and the others ended theirughing and talking. When she saw that both Triston and Ronin were looking a little stone-faced, she came up to them. "What are you guys talking about?" Ronin subconsciously eximed, "Triston says he''s the only one who can make you happy!" As he said that, everyone present changed their expressions. Audrey froze on the spot. She didn''t know how to react for a moment. Ronin realized he had said something wrong. When he was about to be chagrined, he heard Triston''s rightful response. "Was what I said wrong?" His domineering deration caused the scene to instantly be buzzing with excitement. Amelia excitedly said, "Wow, Mr. Lambert, you''re so bold. I agree with that. I think you can bring happiness to Audrey." Audrey''s cheeks immediately flushed. Luckily, those present were her confidantes and friends, otherwise, she would have felt very embarrassed. She red fiercely at Triston, gesturing for him not to talk nonsense, but Triston pretended not to see her re. He even took the opportunity to make their rtionship public. He had enough of this underground romance and just wanted to force Audrey to publicly admit to her rtionship with him as soon as possible so that he could be her boyfriend in name only as well. At this point, Audrey could only acquiesce to Triston''s behavior and consoled herself in her heart, "Since I''ve epted him as my boyfriend, I''ll just admit this romance openly." The crowd had such a great time that they stayed directly at Zobber''s manor that night. There was everything there, and they didn''t need to worry about food and clothing at all. When Audrey woke up the next day, she saw Catherine''s number shing on her phone screen. She was a bit nervous and hesitated to connect the call. She was afraid to face Catherine, and even more afraid of her inquiries.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. At times, she felt that Catherine was more like her elder sister, letting her be in awe. Chapter 1040 You Still Have Me ? Chapter 1040 You Still Have Me Audrey hesitated for a moment but still answered the phone with a nervous heart. She believed that Catherine definitely had a way to get her to answer the phone, but things would be troublesome if she made Catherine take her actions. She put her phone to her ear and inquired in a low voice, "Morning, Kathy. What''s the matter?" Catherine''s voice remained as cold as ever, without any emotion. "Tell me, what is it that you haven''t told me?" Audrey had already figured out a strategy to deal with it and how to excuse herself, but as soon as she answered the phone, Catherine asked her so directly, which made her suddenly unable to react. Audrey had no choice but to tell Catherine the truth. After listening to her trembling narration, Catherine only asked coldly, "Are you sure you want him to be your boyfriend?" Audrey was a bit hesitant. Everyone blessed her and Triston after they found out they were together again, but Catherine was the only one who asked her to calm down and think it over. In just a few seconds, countless thoughts shed through Audrey''s mind, and her gaze also became firm. "Kathy, I''m sure." "Okay." After getting the answer, Catherine simply responded and hung up the phone. Audrey was still a bit confused after Catherine hung up the phone. But she knew Catherine, and this was indeed Catherine''s style. She was a little surprised that Catherine was taking an interest in her personal life. In the past, unless she was in danger, Catherine would hardly have contacted her. She was used to Catherine''s outward indifference. Catherine was born that way, but deep down she loved her family to the extreme. Audrey couldn''t help but smile at the thought of Catherine. This kind of feeling of being loved by her family all the time was too precious for her. Audrey put her phone down. Just as she was about to lie back and rest, there was a knock outside the door. She lifted the covers. Stepping out of bed, she opened the door only a little bit. It was Triston outside the door. He stood there with a sunny and handsome face, and the hair hanging down from his forehead was constantly dripping with sweat. It looked like he should have just returned from a workout, and that was why he was covered in sweat. "Good morning!" He greeted Audrey in a pleasant tone. Audrey looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Why are you up so early?" Triston lifted food in his hand and showed it to her. "I came to bring you breakfast." He was well aware that Audrey had been working in showbiz for the past two years, and the long period of irregr work and rest had led to problems with her stomach. What he was doing now was to help Audrey recover her health.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. The moment the food box approached, a fresh scent hit Audrey''s face and instantly made her feel hungry. Audrey pulled open the door to let Triston in. "I''ll go wash up." In front of outsiders, Audrey still needed to maintain her image. After all, she was an actress. But in front of Triston, she could be what she was. After simple cleaning with warm water, she walked briskly out of the bathroom. The small table was already filled with food by Triston. The amount of food per serving was small but there were surprisingly many varieties. "How am I going to eat all this?" Audrey said somewhat helplessly. Triston smiled and took her hand to make her sit down. "Don''t worry. You have me.'' He knew what Audrey was thinking. She couldn''t eat much but she was greedy for food. She always wanted to eat many kinds of food but she couldn''t much of each type. She didn''t want to waste food, so she could only choose one or two foods. She had trouble choosing every time she ate. With Triston helping her, Audrey instantly felt better. This was the advantage of having a boyfriend. She could enjoy more delicious food. Chapter 1041 Meeting with His Family ? Chapter 1041 Meeting with His Family Audrey never expected to be so suddenly arranged to meet Triston''s family. She couldn''t react when Triston talked to her about it. Looking at Triston with disbelief in her eyes, she said," Pardon me?" Triston''s handsome face carried a gentle smile. "I''ve inquired with Kim. You don''t have any work arrangements since this afternoon, and you can also take a day off tomorrow. It''s just right for us to have dinner together in the evening. Audrey frowned and asked inwardly, "Is that what I care about?" What she cared about was who Triston had just said she would have dinner with tonight. "Why are you suddenly asking your family to have dinner with me?" The Swanns and the Lamberts were both in Casier and they were also considered to be friends. For Triston''s family, although Audrey was not familiar with them, she had seen them at major parties. But in the past, they used to meet as ordinary friends. Now that she and Triston were in a rtionship, his sudden proposal to take her to dinner with his family inevitably made her feel a bit stressed. Triston knew Audrey''s concerns, but he had long seen through Audrey''s nature. Audrey was bold and courageous at work, but when it came to rtionships, she tended to back down to avoid problems. If he didn''t push Audrey, he didn''t know when he''d be able to put their marriage on the agenda.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Branden, who was once referred to as the least likely man to get married by them, was now about to be a father. However, the rtionship between Triston and Audrey had not yet been officially made public. Triston was naturally anxious and wanted to hurry up a bit. Seeing that Audrey still had concerns, he persuaded softly, ''Don''t worry. We''ll just have a simple meal. You know my parents and brother. You''ve all met so many times since you were little. Don''t be stressed." Audrey frowned. How could she not be stressed? Even if they had seen each other many times before, that was different. After all, she was now in the position of Triston''s girlfriend. The thought of meeting Triston''s family made Audrey unconsciously nervous. She looked at Triston with grievances. "Can I refuse?" Seeing this, Triston said with some hesitation, "If you don''t want to, then I''ll decline it with an excuse." Before Audrey could breathe a sigh of relief, Triston sighed and added, "I''ll call my dad first. He was supposed to have a party with his friends tonight but he declined it, and now I''ll let him go." Hearing this, Audrey hurriedly stopped Triston. "Have you already notified them?" "Yes!" Triston nodded without hesitation. "My mom declined her evening party too. And my brother, he put off a meeting. I''ll notify them one by one now." Hearing this, Audrey felt guilty inside. She hesitantly said, "I''ll go then. Everyone has dyed so much to have dinner with me. If I don''t go, it''s not good." Triston graciously said, "It''s fine, as long as you''re happy." Audrey felt even more guilty. "I''ll go tonight." Seeing her determined face, Triston inquired again, "You sure?" "Uh-huh!" Audrey nodded without hesitation. Although she felt that it was a bit early to meet with Triston''s family, sooner orter she was going to meet with them. She didn''t want to give the Lamberts a bad impression. "No matter what, it''s very rude to ask elders to dinner and I suddenly stand them up. Even if they weren''t Triston''s parents, I couldn''t do something like that," Audrey thought in her heart. Triston secretly snickered inwardly. He had not only ayed Audrey''s concerns with a few words, but he had also arranged the first step of his marriage, and he was naturally happy about that. Triston thought to himself, "I''ve got to hurry up. Audrey''s such a good girl. I can''t lose her." Chapter 1042 Audreys Trouble ? Chapter 1042 Audrey''s Trouble Although Audrey was born into a wealthy family, Triston''s mother, Wi Lambert, had always been prejudiced against showbiz and therefore did not approve of Triston''s pursuit of Audrey. In Wi''s opinion, female celebrities in the showbiz industry had always appeared in public, which was not like the demeanor of ady from a wealthy family. It was only after learning that Audrey and Triston might be together that she eagerly introduced Triston to girls in the first ce. She didn''t realize that after all this time, her son still hadn''t given up on Audrey, and this was the first time she''d seen her son so attached to a girl. If it weren''t for that, she wouldn''t agree to appear at today''s dinner party now. Triston led Audrey into the door, and everyone from the Lamberts had already arrived. The scene of everyone sitting in the private room made Audrey feel a bit guilty. She looked guiltily at the crowd and whispered, "I''m sorry. I''mte." Triston''s father, Egbert Lambert, had always had a good rtionship with the Swanns and had watched Audrey grow up, so he would be happy to ept it if she could get married to his youngest son. "It''s fine. Take a seat." After he said that, Triston''s elder brother immediately followed and chimed in, "Yes, it''s fine. We just arrived not long ago. Let''s all take our seats first." Wi wanted to say something to embarrass Audrey, but now that the two men in charge of the family had forgiven Audrey''s tardiness, she couldn''t say anything else. Audrey sat down next to Triston.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. At the table, Triston took good care of Audrey, which surprised his family a bit. Triston''s family knew Triston very well. They knew that he was usually a bit of a jerk, and it was rare to see him being so attentive to someone for the first time. Wi''s heart sank as she saw this. She guessed that Triston was really in love. Egbert, however, smiled and said, "It looks like it won''t be long before our Lamberts can have another happy event. Audrey was originally drinking soup, and when she heard Egbert''s words, she almost spit the soup out. She blushed from choking, without any image, which made her feel extremely embarrassed. She thought they were just having dinner and chatting casually tonight, she didn''t expect them to start talking about their marriage so soon. It took her a while to get over it, and she looked up at Egbert with a serious face. "Mr. Egbert, we''re still young. There''s no rush on this." Her response caught Egbert a bit off guard. He hadn''t realized that someone as good at flirting with girls as Triston had notpletely got Audrey''s heart yet. Before Egbert could say anything, Wi was in a hurry. She raised her eyes toward Audrey. "You''re not still trying to tell us that you''re going to focus on your career and continue to work in showbiz next, are you?" As soon as Wi started to speak, Audrey knew that her biggest trouble hade. She grew up in a luxurious family since she was a child, so she naturally knew how serious the prejudice of the noblewomen anddies of the luxurious family was toward showbiz. She knew that in those people''s eyes, actresses were a disgraceful profession. Although everyone was equal nowadays, in some low-profile big families, they still didn''t like actors and actresses who worked in showbiz. Since Wi mentioned this issue, Audrey didn''t want to escape anymore. She looked at Wi with calm eyes. Being an actress and making movies is my job, just like Triston running a business. I won''t give up my career because of romance. Even if I were to get married, I have no ns to be a full-time housewife in the future." Audrey knew that would offend Wi, but she had no choice. She had to make things clear. If Wi was really against it, then she could only think of another way. Chapter 1043 Leave Everything to Me ? Chapter 1043 Leave Everything to Me Sure enough, only after Audrey said those words, Wi''s facepletely darkened. Seeing that Wi was about to explode, suddenly... Triston apuded happily, which instantly attracted the crowd''s attention.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Triston calmly met everyone''s gaze and looked at Audrey gently. "Good. You''re worthy of being the woman I love. I''m most annoyed with those women who stay at home day in and day out and like to gossip when they have nothing else to do. You have your own career and I''m very supportive of that." Triston said this with a proud look on his face and raised his eyebrows at Audrey, full of smugness. Wi''s face instantly turned gloomy. Her son had demeaned her by calling her a gossipy woman just to please another woman, and it made her furious. Egbert kind of realized that his son was totally in love with Audrey. He thought it was good because Triston used to be a yboy and was always surrounded by messy women. At that time, he was really worried that Triston would marry an unworthy woman in the future. In his eyes, Audrey was pretty good. After all, they knew all about her. "Despite her profession, she''s a very nice girl. Whether or not they stay together is up to them," Egbert thought to himself. Over the years, Egbert had seen many unfortunate marriages in their circle. He knew that parents shouldn''t control too much and that they had to let the kids make their own decisions. "It''s good that you have your own ideas." Once Egbert said this, Wi didn''t know what to say. She was born into a famous family and learned the manners of wealthy families. From the moment she was born, she had already begun to prepare for being a richdy, so she knew best how to show her husband enough respect in front of everyone. Since Egbert had already said so, she had no way to refute it. Even though she was not happy in her heart, she could only agree with him on the surface. After hearing Egbert''s enlightened remarks, Audrey was secretly relieved. After that, no one caused her trouble and she finally finished the meal. After the meal, Triston drove Audrey home. In the car, seeing that Audrey still had a sad look on her face, he asked with a smile, "Did this meal make you unhappy?" Audrey naturally did not mean that. How could she dare to be unhappy? It was clear that it was she who made the Lamberts unhappy. "I didn''t mean that, I was just afraid that your mom would be upset." Audrey let out a long sigh. She didn''t want to alienate Triston from his mother because of herself. Triston however smiled. ''No worries. My mom will only be grateful to you in the future. She''ll surely be grateful that such a bastard as me was taken in by you. After you make me, a prodigal man good, there''s no way she''ll be dissatisfied with you." Audrey was instantly amused by him. "You''re just bullshitting me. How can anyone talk about themselves like that? No wonder they call you a prodigal man." Despite being spoken ill of, the smile on Triston''s face didn''t disappear. He could tell that Audrey wasn''t as nervous as just now. He understood Audrey''s concerns, but he wouldn''t give Audrey a chance to escape. Since he was determined, there was no way he would let himself lose her. Audrey could only stay by his side in the future. ''Don''t worry. You won''t have any problem with my mom. Regr women have problems with their mother-inw because of their men''s inaction. I''m different from them, so you won''t have that problem," Triston said. Audrey was really going to be amused by Triston''s confidence, but when she thought about it, she felt what he said was reasonable. If Triston hadn''t stood up for her today, she might have actually caused Wi''s displeasure. Chapter 1044 Interact with My Nephew ?Chapter 1044 Interact with My Nephew Since Triston brought Audrey to meet his family, he had worked non-stop to put their marriage on the agenda. Audrey was a popr actress, and to not affect her career, Triston chose to propose in a low-key manner. Triston arranged a party on Audrey''s birthday and invited many of Audrey''s friends. Audrey originally thought Triston was too high-profile, but Triston insisted. "I didn''t participate in so many of your past birthdays. I finally have a chance to participate this time." He persuaded Audrey repeatedly. Audrey couldn''t resist him and could only agree to let him arrange the party. Luckily, he only invited Audrey''s close friends and did not send out invitations widely, so she could take this opportunity to have a gathering of friends. Audrey was surprised to see Catherine when she arrived. Catherine was now eight months pregnant. Normally, she would be rejected by Branden if she wanted to visit Catherine.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Branden was now very careful with Catherine every day, and Audrey was surprised that Branden agreed to let Catherinee to her birthday party. Seeing her sister around, Audrey''s smile couldn''t be suppressed. "Kathy, it''s been a long time since I''ve seen you. How''s everything going?" Catherine nodded faintly. Seeing Audrey looking curiously at her belly, Catherine asked in a cold voice, "Do you want to touch it? It''s time for this brat to wake up." "Brat?" Audrey looked at Catherine with amusement, not realizing she''d given her child such an address. Catherine nced at Branden. Branden looked away silently, cursing inwardly, "That brat is going to upy Catherine for ten months. If it weren''t for the fact that he''s my kid, I would have kicked him away a long time ago. Being able to address him brat is already the biggest favor I can give him. How dare he ask for anything else?" Seeing Branden''s dark face, Audrey couldn''t help but smile. She only felt aggrieved for her little nephew. Looking at Catherine''s belly, she was a little curious and carefully reached out her hand to touch it, but she was too scared to reach out. Seeing her hesitation, Catherine simply pulled her hand and pressed it directly on her belly. Perhaps sensing someone''s touch, Catherine''s originally motionless belly suddenly moved. Audrey froze for a moment and looked up at Catherine in surprise. "Is my nephew responding to me?" "Yes." Catherine nodded lightly. "It seems that he really likes you." Even Branden couldn''t always receive a response from the baby when he touched Catherine''s belly. Audrey couldn''t stop smiling as she felt the magic of life, and the people around her came up to join in the fun. Zobber and the girls all wanted to touch Catherine''s belly. Catherine was the first of their group to get married and the first to get pregnant. None of them had ever experienced pregnancy before and they were all a little curious. Triston got ready and came out to find that the crowd that was supposed to be around the stage had all disappeared. He didn''t even see Audrey there. He walked in and realized that a few girls were gathering around. He nced toward Ronin who was there and asked, "What''s going on? What are they looking at?" Roninined, "They''re interacting with my nephew." If it weren''t for the fact that Branden was there, Ronin would have wanted to go up and touch his nephew. He was so angry, so jealous, so envious of them. Triston was getting antsy too. He''d had a hard time convincing Branden to bring Catherine to this birthday party, but he didn''t want Catherine to take away all the attention. He hoped that everything would go well tonight. Chapter 1045 Be My Woman ? Chapter 1045 Be My Woman In the end, Branden couldn''t stand it anymore. He took the initiative to snatch Catherine back, only then did the scenee under control. Now, no one dared to continue touching Catherine''s belly. Once he snatched Catherine back, he held her tightly in his arms and prevented anyone from touching her. He thought in his mind, "Since these people like this brat so much, I''ll just give the brat to them when Catherine gives birth. Saves one more person from sharing my wife with me." Triston smiled and watched the crowd as the birthday party began exactly as it should. The big screen began to show all the images of Audrey from her debut until now that were outstanding or worthy of recording. Some of the images weren''t even in Audrey''s possession, but Triston had found them and made a video of them. As the images shed by, Audrey''s tears couldn''t help but fall from her face. She cried not only because she remembered the hardships she had endured in showbiz for many years, but also because she was moved by everything Triston had carefully arranged. She saw Triston''s sincerity. The lights of the scene gradually dimmed, the huge curtain not far in front of them was pulled open, and the moment the curtain fell, everyone gasped out in shock. No one expected that behind the curtain would be arge amusement park, like a fairy tale paradise. A low, maic male voice echoed in the hall. "A girl told me that although she came from a wealthy family, she didn''t have a happy childhood, and she didn''t even go to an amusement park once. I can''t change the past but I hope I can apany you in the days ahead. If you want an amusement park, I''ll build one for you. For the rest of my life, I''ll spend all my time making you happy." Every word of Triston''s echoed inside Audrey''s mind. Looking at the spinning merry-go-round, Audrey felt that it was all like a dream. Although Audrey was born in the wealthy Swanns, she was not favored. The Swanns were able to give her the best education and the most favorable life because she was a child of the Swanns, but the Swanns couldn''t give her the love of family or a warm childhood. When she heard Triston''s words, Audrey cried out lound. She was very touched. Because there were too many tears, she couldn''t see anything clearly, and only Triston''s gentle voice echoed in her ears. After Triston''s heartfelt confession, he realized that he didn''t get a response. He turned his head to look at Audrey. He found that Audrey was already in tears and wasn''t in the mood to respond to him. He slowly got up and walked over to Audrey. He got down on one knee and affectionately took out the ring box from his pocket. The moment the ring box was opened, a brilliant diamond immediately shone in front of everyone. "I don''t care if you agree or not, I''ve decided you''re the one. This ring is customized ording to your finger size and cannot be given to anyone else." Before Audrey could react, Triston pulled out her hand to put the sparkling diamond ring on her ring finger. Seeing his beloved girl finally wearing the ring he had picked out, an excited smile appeared on Triston''s face as the people around him began to apud wildly.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Audrey then reacted. She stopped sobbing and looked at Triston with teary eyes. "Why did you put the ring on me without waiting for me to say yes?" Looking at her aggrieved look, Triston panicked. He looked at Audrey hesitantly and asked apprehensively, "You''re not going to reject me at this point, are you?" Audrey didn''t miss the nervousness on his face and couldn''t help but smile. "What if I say no?" Triston pounced and hugged her tightly, not allowing her to break free. He swore in her ear in a dominating voice," There''s no use in you saying no now. You''re mine now and you''ll always be mine in the future." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!