Ch. 151..160

Chapter 151 She’s Awesome

At noon, the final bell rang. It was like Catherine’s alarm clock. When the bell stopped ringing, Catherine awoke. When Ronin saw her wake up, he reacted immediately and handed her the coffee he prepared.

“Boss. Coffee.”

Catherine reached out to take it. Gulping down a big mouthful, she felt refreshed. “Ronin, you’re even more thoughtful now.

The temperature of the coffee was neither too hot nor too cold. Catherine was satisfied. Bryan was jealous. He disdained Ronin’s licking Catherine’s boots. Meanwhile, he was jealous of Ronin.

Ronin knew Catherine’s preferences way better than Bryan did. Bryan could not accept that. He decided to pay more attention to everything about Catherine and marked down what she liked and did not.

After she downed the coffee, Catherine was wide awake. She stood up. Ronin followed her and suggested, ” Boss, let’s grab lunch.”

The three did not go to the school cafeteria. Instead, they went to a restaurant near the school. Catherine loved spicy food. She did not like sweet food, but she could not resist anything spicy.

Ronin and Bryan were not picky about food, so they had no objection to Catherine’s choice. After leaving the restaurant, Bryan realized that Catherine was not heading to school, which was strange.

“Boss, where are we going?” Catherine walked non-stop but turned her gaze slightly at Bryan. She answered, “To rehearse.”

Her answer did not help Bryan out of his confusion but deepened it. Shouldn’t they rehearse in the practice room in school?

Why were they heading away from it? Seeing Catherine had no intention of answering him, Bryan stopped asking further. He was worried if he kept asking, Catherine would think he was stupid.

They arrived at an open field not far from the school. Bryan noticed that a rare large truck was parked there. Their school was one of the top fancy schools in Casier. It owned the land where the school buildings were built. Some open fields and roads nearby also belonged to it.

Such a large truck carrying a large container would not be allowed to enter the field without permission. While Bryan was thinking, Ronin took a remote from his bag, pointed it at the truck, and pressed it.

The side of the container rose instantly like an overhead door. Bryan was pleasantly surprised to see a small stage when the inner space was revealed. It was not only a truck.

His eyes were ablaze when he stared at the specially decorated stage. Bryan exclaimed, “Boss, did you arrange for all this?”

“Yeah,” Catherine replied muffledly. Ronin added, “We don’t have time to waste on fighting with others for the lousy practice rooms in school. We should use our equipment. The stage is only a container big, but all things here are made of the best materials imported abroad. Isn’t that cool?”

Bryan did not need Ronin to tell him that. He was not a fool. He could tell at a glance. It was just that he did not expect Catherine to be so awesome. He had decided to steal a practice room from other people, but now it seemed unnecessary to worry.

Catherine had planned everything. With a leap, Catherine got onto the container stage. Up there, she cast a piercing glance at Bryan and Ronin.

“What are you waiting for? Come on Rehearse.”

Chapter 152 Bryan Is Amazed

Bryan had practiced a lot and showed Catherine, and he also witnessed Ronin practice occasionally. However, Catherine had never sung in front of them.

Bryan was perplexed, but he had unreciprocated trust toward Catherine, so he asked Catherine nothing. They were finally about to rehearse together, and Bryan wanted to see Catherine’s prowess.

But Catherine let him down. After getting on the stage, Catherine only asked Bryan to rehearse with Ronin while she was busy with her laptop. Bryan wanted to ask, but he did not dare. He could only do as Catherine commanded.

Several times of rehearsals later, he and Ronin lined up the rhythms. Ronin was experienced. He even drummed harder at some point to cover Bryan’s weakness.

“Take a break.”

Hearing Catherine’s words, Bryan and Ronin stopped.

“Boss, I’ll get some water.” Bryan saw the bottled water in the front of the truck, so he jumped down from the stage to get some. The moment he left, Ronin leaned closer to Catherine.

“Boss, have you done setting?” Catherine nodded slightly and replied, ” Um-hum.” She looked unapproachable, but it matched her aura.

Someone else with an unapproachable expression would give off a feeling that they were pretending to be haughty. The same expression on Catherine seemed just right. It was as if Catherine was born distant and distinct.

Ronin stood beside her, quietly watching her fingers typing quickly on the keyboard, elegant as performing ballet. Massive amounts of data scrolled on the laptop screen, and Ronin was surprised by every line.

He had always considered himself a computer expert. In recent years, he successfully challenged countless hackers and ranked on the top 10 list of global hackers.

Watching Catherine operate the computer and set up the apps, he finally realized how far he was from being a top. If Ronin was seen as a top hacker and a computer expert, then Catherine was a wizard with computers.

It had been too long for Ronin to see Catherine operate the computer. He nearly forgot how incredible Catherine was. As long as she made a move, there was nothing her foes could do to resist.

Ronin stared at Catherine’s moves with amazement and awe. He was thrilled and had to express his admiration orally. “Boss, you’re amazing. You’re the only person I admire in my life.”

Catherine’s expression did not change after hearing such a high praise. She had heard too many praises since childhood and felt nothing of them.

She did not stop until she had done setting up. “It’ll be done in a second. I only need to add something more in their firewall.”

An evil smile was seen on Ronin’s face as he heard what she said. He thought, “How dare those people challenge us?

“Don’t they know who my boss is?

“This time, they will not end up well.” Several days ago, a mysterious organization sent the best hackers in the world to attack the network of their base. The enemy’s goal was clear. The organization wanted to provoke them.

The organization arranged for a grand number of skillful hackers to attack. Even Ronin became tired of dealing with those hackers. At last, the organization threw down the gauntlet to them.

Ronin did not want to lose. Besides, he wanted to punish the enemy, letting them know there was always someone better, so he begged Catherine to handle it.

The original deal was to compete the night before. Catherine was unavailable that night, so the competition was rescheduled for this day.

The enemy was aggressive and arrogant. They did not decline Ronin’s request for rescheduling. They even made the immodest statement that Ronin could have one more day to pray. No one dared to talk to Ronin like that after he had followed Catherine.

He almost smashed the computer in anger after reading the irritating message. Without delay, he asked Catherine to deal with the enemy. Catherine upgraded the firewall and installed some necessary applications calmly during the lunch break.

She also added something else to massacre their enemy. She would tell the enemy what it felt like to be in hell. After pressing enter, Catherine pushed the laptop with two fingers and turned it to Ronin.

“Alright. Now it’s over to you.” Sinisterness and decisiveness that did not match his age broke on Ronin’s young baby face. He had a smug smile on his lips.

“Boss, trust me. I’ll let them enjoy their abject failure this time.” When Bryan returned, Ronin and Catherine were still chatting. He leaned toward them curiously.

“Boss, what are you talking about?”

Catherine glanced at him and took the bottled water he handed to her.

“How’s your practice?”

Bryan dared not boast about himself in front of Catherine. Every time Catherine looked at him, Bryan felt inexplicable pressure, even when Catherine’s gazes were serene. Such pressure forced Bryan to be respectful to Catherine. He automatically replied to Catherine with his back straight.

The only two people Bryan was in inexplicable awe of were Catherine and his uncle, Branden. “Boss, I think I’m proficient enough after the practice. The audition will not be a problem.”

Bryan’s words were quite humble for him. If it were not Catherine he was answering, he would probably have said that he would be the champion. Catherine was satisfied with his answer.

She looked up at the time. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She said softly,” 11 Let’s do this together. We’ll go to the audition if there’s no problem.”

Bryan suddenly tensed up a bit. His heart was beating fast. He had been looking forward to hearing Catherine sing. Now that he finally had the chance, he got nervous.

The song Catherine chose was a lively one. She put the in-ear monitor with one hand and walked to the microphone. She squinted and stood relaxedly.

As the first few notes sounded, Ronin beat the drum, followed by Bryan’s guitar. Catherine started singing, and Bryan was amazed by her voice. He plucked the strings in subconsciousness, relying on his muscle memory.

Bryan’s mind went blank. He did not know how to describe the astonishment Catherine brought him. He could not believe his ears. Catherine did not finish the whole song but stopped after the chorus. With her arms folded, she looked at Bryan with questions.

“What’s wrong?”

Her tone was not harsh or reproachful, but Bryan lowered his head in guilt.

“Boss, I’m sorry. I…”

The always firm and resolute Bryan was suddenly flustered at that moment. Bryan not only stammered, but he also seemed to lose his ability to express himself.

Ronin could not suppress his laughter. He said with his eyes full of sarcasm and teasing, “Boss, I know what’s wrong with him.”

Bryan jerked his head back and glared at Ronin, warning him to stop talking.

Chapter 153 Ignoring the Rules

Ronin did not fear Bryan. They were like implacable enemies and argued with each other all the time. “What? Do you think you can stop me with your eyes?”

Ronin turned to Catherine and told her what happened to Bryan.

“Boss, don’t blame him. He’s a booby that has never seen the world. He must be shocked by your incredible voice and forgot what he needed to do.”

Bryan was embarrassed and ashamed because what Ronin said was true. He dared not look at Catherine. He could only pounce at Ronin, trying to beat him.

“Brat, you don’t know how to mind your words, do you? Let me give you a lesson. You’ll see what I can do.”

Seeing them wrestle with one another, Catherine said nothing. She stood still and observed quietly. Bryan’s actions were prompt, thanks to his training. Ronin’s moves were tricky, which he learned from the street gangs.

The two were nip and tuck. Catherine let them blow off steam and did not interfere with them. Later, their moves slowed out of tiredness. Catherine checked the time and finally spoke to stop them.

“We should go before it’s too late.” The two fighting hard instantly let go of each other upon hearing Catherine’s order. Their actions were surprisingly the same.

Ronin looked briefly at Bryan and said, “Pack the things, and I’ll park the truck. Bryan wanted to say why he should listen to Ronin. When he turned around, he only saw Catherine. Ronin had already left.

He could not leave the work to Catherine, so Bryan began to pack. Bryan got waited on hand and foot at home, but he was willing to be the one to serve Catherine.

The only thing Bryan was glad about was that Catherine rehearsed with them once. Without the rehearsal, he would have made a fool of himself in front of the whole school. He did not expect Catherine to be so excellent. She had a voice like an angel.

Bryan never fancied any stars. He thought the fans were nuts for being crazy about a stranger, wasting their money and time. Now he seemed to understand why the fans were like that.

If Catherine started in the entertainment business, Bryan would be her top fan and do anything for her. Catherine sang beautifully. There was no doubt.

Judging from Catherine’s short performance just now, Bryan knew their team would nail it. The game was on when they arrived at the venue.

The teams would take turns to audition following an order of classes. There were 12 classes, so Catherine’s team still had to wait for some time. Ronin felt unaccountably mad to see Elena and Liana at the judges’ table. He snorted disdainfully, “Why are those two bitches at the judges’ table?”

Bryan looked in the direction Ronin pointed and was disgusted as well.

“They are both from the Student Union and ranked in the top three at last year’s celebration gala. It’s a rule that the top three from last year can enter the final directly.”

Ronin yelled, “What a stupid rule! Which fool in this lame school made such rules?” Bryan narrowed his eyes and stared at Ronin with displease. He highly disagreed with what Ronin said. Ronin realized what he had said wrong. After all, they all went to this school..

As a student in this school, Ronin’s curses were offensive to even himself. “Boss, do you think we should do something to change the rule?” Ronin whispered with a flattering smile.

Bryan was shocked to hear this. One should know that this was a fancy school. In Casier, a lot of students were born. into noble families. With different powers, none of them could run the show alone.

Even Bryan, as one of the Duncans, thought it hard to do so. Ronin spoke firmly about changing the rule, and his tone was relaxed. Bryan turned to him in shock. What was even more surprising was that Catherine answered Ronin calmly.

“No rush now.”

Catherine did not want to bother. But to Ronin, it meant that Catherine made light of the rule. He said to Catherine smilingly, “Boss, you’re right. It’s fine if the rule is not on our side. We will have the last laugh.

The rule meant nothing to him. Ronin He did not give a shit about it. Bryan could not help but shake his head at Ronin.

“What an idiot,” Bryan thought.

While the three were squabbling and having fun, Liana, sitting at the judges’ table, fixed her eyes on them. She saw Catherine’s superior expression and wished she could rush over, tear Catherine apart, and feed her to dogs.

Liana’s life had turned into a mess since Catherine’s appearance. The astrologer was right about Catherine. She was indeed a jinx. People around Catherine would be in trouble and unlucky.

Yet, the jinx was quite capable of seducing men. Many men were willing to help her and protect her. Liana would not give Catherine her wish. She would not allow Catherine to make it to the final.

During the break, Elena winked at Liana. Liana understood immediately and followed Elena out. Elena led Liana to walk forward quickly. She noticed someone ahead, but she still rushed to him regardless. They bumped into each other, and Liana cried, “Ouch!”

The one they ran into looked at her apologetically.

“Liana, are you all right?”

Nash Wale reached out to support her and looked at her with concern. Elena apologized sincerely, “Nash, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have dragged Liana and run so fast. Are you okay?”

Nash knew it was an accident, so he did not mind. “Don’t worry. Take your time, and don’t run into someone else.”

“Nash, I need to go to the bathroom. Liana seemed to hurt her feet. Can you help her to sit down there?”

Nash agreed readily and held Liana’s elbow gingerly. Liana did not decline. Nash’s face was a little red. Nash, the president of the Student Union, came from a wealthy family and excelled in school.

Rumors had it that Nash had a big crush on Liana. Such rumors had never ended since Liana’s performance at last year’s celebration gala. One knew the rumors were true when one saw Nash avoid looking into Liana’s eyes.

Chapter 154 A Stupid Trick

Catherine had been waiting behind the stage with Bryan and Ronin. The last team had just got on the stage. When they were done performing, it would be Catherine and her team’s turn.

The backstage area was packed with people. Some of them were born with stage fright. They had looked ghastly pale before they got on the stage, praying nervously. On the contrary, Catherine’s team was surprisingly calm.

Wearing an earphone, Catherine was sitting aside with her eyes closed. Her palm-size face was seamlessly covered by the black cap. Evidently, her face was really tiny.

As for Ronin, who was sitting next to her, he was dressed more or less like her. The two of them sat leisurely aside. Ronin was also wearing an earphone.

The only difference between them was that Catherine was resting while he was playing with his phone. And he was even playing an online game with Bryan.

This team didn’t look like they were there for a competition. Instead, they seemed to make up the numbers here. Finally, the previous team’s performance was over. It was time for Catherine’s team to get on the stage. However, before they got on the stage, the grip brought them a piece of unexpected news.

The grip looked at Catherine, and his forehead had beads of sweat. “I’m sorry to tell you that the audio equipment is broken. It may take a while to repair it. Can you sing without music?”

“Sing without music?” Before Catherine could give a response, Ronin shouted, “How can you ask our team to sing without music? Are you kidding me?”

The grip shivered in fright and then looked at Ronin uneasily. He carefully explained, “Ronin, it can’t be helped. I’m really sorry. I…”

Ronin grabbed the grip’s collar and wanted to beat him up, but Catherine just stopped Ronin. Ronin turned his head and stared at Catherine with a frown. “Boss…”

Catherine darted a glance at him. “Now you remember I’m your boss?”

Instantly, Ronin released the grip. He almost forgot what Catherine disliked. He just let his temper get the best of him.

The audio equipment was fine when the previous team performed, but now that it was Catherine’s turn, it was broken. How could there be such a coincidence?

Ronin thought it was very likely to be someone’s scheme. They wouldn’t constrain themselves unless they got a beating. Since Catherine had stepped in, Ronin would wait for her order. He believed that she would have a way to deal with it.

Catherine sized up the grip only to find that he had sweat all over his forehead and didn’t dare to look into her eyes. Then, she figured out the truth. She thought, “They don’t want me to get on the stage. Then, I must do it.

“They think I’ll flinch because of such a dirty trick?

“How absurd!”

Catherine turned her head to look at Bryan. Bryan was more familiar with the school than Ronin. Besides, Bryan’s identity was more useful, too. “Bryan, go and borrow the clip mics from teachers.”

Bryan gasped at Catherine in surprise. ” Boss, can that microphone work?” Catherine’s voice was plain and yet potently convincing. It gave a feeling that she wasn’t kidding at all.

“Just go!”

“Okay. I’m on it!”

After saying that, Bryan ran away as fast as possible. There wasn’t much time left for them. Everyone thought Catherine was crazy. They didn’t expect that she would think of using the teacher’s clip mic when the audio equipment was broken.

That would serve as a small audio equipment indeed, but it had poor audio quality and would create loud noises. It couldn’t compare with the professional audio equipment at all. If they used it on the stage, they were sure to lose.

People all waited for Catherine to humiliate herself. Catherine always showed a distant air at school. Others all thought that she was merely a good-for-nothing who took advantage of Bryan’s power to swagger around.

Faced with Bryan’s request, even the teachers had to cut him some slack. It was not only because Bryan was sort of famous at school but also due to the background of the Duncans.

Although Bryan was not a lineal descendent of the Duncans, his identity was enough for him to do whatever he wanted in Casier.

Bryan quickly came back with three clip mics that were usually used for teaching. He threw one to Ronin and passed one to Catherine.

“Boss, let me put it on you!”

Catherine didn’t object. Bryan went forward and tied the loudspeaker around her waist in a respectful manner. Other people were quite astonished to see Bryan’s attitude toward Catherine.

Bryan was sort of a big shot at school. Others all heard that Bryan, the arrogant and ruthless man, had changed since Catherine was transferred to Class 8.

Now, Bryan was just like Catherine’s true-blue subordinate, who only served her. They didn’t actually believe that before, but now they had to. This scene literally astonished everyone. He was way too respectful.

It seemed that Bryan had really changed. After the clip mic was put on, Catherine glanced at Ronin and Bryan. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, Boss!” Ronin and Bryan replied in one voice. Catherine nodded and walked forward, followed by the two of them. When the three of them were on the stage, they exuded an imposing momentum.

Catherine and Ronin were not well known at school, but Bryan was quite famous. Moreover, David and the others took the lead in cheering and shouting.

As soon as they appeared, there was an explosion of cheering among audience. the Liana was a bit confused to see them on the stage. She took a look at Elena, and then Elena made a gesture.

Following Elena’s gesture, Liana saw the loudspeaker at the waists of Catherine and the others. Then, she took a tumble.

She gave a complacent smile on her face and looked even more confident. Liana thought, “Some people are fated to fail, but they still insist on struggling. How absurd!” At the judges’ table, Nash looked at the three people on the stage, holding the microphone.

“You guys are using the clip mics. Are you gonna present your music in some special way?”

Ronin turned on the clip mic and said to Nash, “You’re one to talk! Your audio equipment is broken after a few performances. How can you call that crap the best equipment? A feast for the eyes and ears?”

His words were like a harsh slap on the Student Union. After all, the Student Union specially bigged the audio

equipment up in the leaflet, saying that this imported audio equipment could compare to the best concert equipment in Casier. No one expected that Ronin would diss Nash boldly in plain sight.

Now, all the members of the Student Union looked embarrassed. Nash felt awkward, too. He directly asked the person in charge of the stage equipment for this event about what had happened.

That person looked at Nash with embarrassment and replied, “I’ve just talked to the backstage staff. It was broken indeed, but it has just been repaired.”

“Okay!” Nash nodded, picked up the microphone, and looked at Catherine’s team. “Since the audio equipment has been repaired, why don’t you perform with it? We won’t mind if we wait a few more minutes.”

Nash was being quite a jerk. It was clearly the organizer’s fault, but he just made it sound like Catherine’s team was wasting everyone’s time.

Chapter 155 A Slap in the Face

Rather than making an instant decision, Ronin settled his gaze on Catherine, waiting for her to decide. Catherine knew what Ronin meant. She turned on the clip mic and said coldly, No need. Let’s get started!”

Everyone was shocked. Previously, the audio equipment was broken, and they had no other choice but to use the clip mics. However, it had been repaired. Why did Catherine still insist on using the clip mics?

How could she win then? Not only the audience but also the judges looked at Catherine in astonishment..

Faced with others’ confusion, Nash picked up the microphone and said to Catherine, “The equipment has been fixed. If you insist on using the self- prepared audio equipment, we’ll still judge you with the fairest standard. Are you sure you still wanna continue?”

It was quite savvy of him to say so. Clearly, what he meant was that even if Catherine and her team used the clip mic, their performance would be judged with the standard of professional audio equipment.

While Nash was speaking, Catherine didn’t even take a look at him. With her head lowered, she just focused on fiddling with her loudspeaker as well as Bryan’s and Ronin’s.

Nash was infuriated by her attitude. Originally, he didn’t want to target her team, but he felt that they were so arrogant that he couldn’t help doing something against them.

“Catherine is fine with this. What about the other two? If you have any problems, you may just say it!”

Ronin arched his brows and looked at the one sitting in the middle with glasses, his face full of disgruntlement and disdain.

“Hey! What’s wrong with you? You just want trouble, right?” Nash looked at Ronin in confusion, not understanding why Ronin lashed out at him. Before he could speak, what Ronin was gonna say next was like a slap in his face.

Ronin snapped, “You know we’re a team. Do you know what team spirit means?”

He pointed at Catherine in an imposing manner. “This is our leader. She just represents the three of us. We’ll stick with the clip mics. Just cut it out and let’s get it over with!”

Bryan said nothing, but his facial expression showed his attitude clearly. That was, he was absolutely obedient to Catherine. Sitting next to Nash, Elena felt overjoyed.

She had felt how displeased Nash was. She knew that the more arrogant Ronin was, the more people would dislike him.

Elena leaned on Nash and whispered, ” Nash, we all know you have a good heart, but these people are not worth it. They’re too arrogant! This is so outrageous.”

Nash agreed with Elena tacitly, put away the microphone, and asked Catherine’s team to start performing. Catherine turned around, approached Bryan, and said to him in a low voice,” Tune it down by one step. Can you do it?

Normally, people couldn’t accept adjusting the tone of the song at the last minute. However, Bryan was not an ordinary person. He was a super-intelligent genius.

It was difficult to some degree, but he believed that he could make it for sure.

“No worries, Boss!”

The corners of Catherine’s mouth turned up. She gave him an approving look. She was never wrong about people.

The music came!

Ronin beat a key, followed by Bryan’s guitar sound. Although it sounded a bit weird with a key lowered, it was still fine on the whole. A highchair was placed on the stage. Catherine was sitting on it leisurely.

Now, she didn’t look like a performer on the stage. Instead, she was more like a lady sitting in the bar, swirling the wine in her glass and swinging her body to the music.

At times, Catherine was indifferent, cold, and bossy with a distant air. Meanwhile, she was also as noble and inviolably beautiful as a goddess.

Nevertheless, at that moment, Catherine was looking down at the audience loftily with her eyes slightly narrowed. Her eyes were unfocused, which were not fixed on anyone. She just glanced across the audience without hesitation.

An arrogant and headstrong temperament was discernible throughout her body. Besides, her drop-dead gorgeous face was really heart-stopping.

Before Catherine even started singing, the audience’s questioning and disdainful voices gradually faded away as she was brewing her emotions. Catherine covered her ear with one hand so that the clip mic could capture her voice accurately.

Her beautiful voice was clear and ethereal like the drizzling spring in the mountain. It sounded so nice that everyone got carried away. They were all astounded. Never did they expect Catherine’s voice to be so beautiful.

Those who meant to give a few negative comments were rendered speechless with reverence for Catherine as soon as she began singing.

Silence reigned on the place at once. Liana, sitting in the judge’s seat, gasped hard at Catherine. She didn’t expect Catherine to sing so well.

Catherine turned out to have such an amazing voice. She didn’t even have to use any techniques. The moment she started singing, her victory was half secured. The music went on, and the soft part was gone.

As the guitar sound sped up, the tempo became brisk. Sitting behind Catherine, Ronin also beat faster. Meanwhile, Catherine’s singing became cheerful as well. The hall was deadly quiet just now.

Now, it was like the torrential ocean. The audience’s passion was ignited at the moment. Everyone subconsciously waved the bars in their hands to beat the rhythm for Catherine’s team.

Catherine’s voice was quite brisk, which was totally different from how she seemed at times. Now, she was like a witch who enchanted everyone present with extremely infectious magic.

The song didn’t last long, but when Catherine stopped, the audience was still immersed in her beautiful singing. They were still subconsciously twisting their bodies. The audience didn’t come around until quite a while later.

Those who laughed at Catherine’s team and thought that they would definitely fail were all quiet now. Even some judges didn’t come to their senses until they heard Catherine’s reminder.

“Can you announce the result now?”

Her cold voice jolted Nash back to reality. He stared at Catherine in astonishment and never expected that she could sing so well.

Was this the so-called intellectual snobbery? Just because she was too talented, she stood above all? He disliked Catherine’s character, but anyway, Nash had to admit that she sang exceptionally well. He looked to both sides and then said, ” Guys, do you want to say anything?”

Elena seized the microphone at once. Amazed as she was, she just disliked Catherine and didn’t want to let the latter advance to the next round.

Chapter 156 Expose the Dirt

Elena looked at everyone with a serious expression and then shifted her gaze to Catherine sinisterly. She said coldly, You did sing well, but I think you’re too bad-mannered. You show no respect for the judges or audience. So, personally, I don’t suggest you advance to the next round.”

As soon as she finished speaking, someone immediately chimed in with her. People were all selfish. Catherine’s team was so competent. If they advanced to the next round of the contest, they would be a tough opponent.

The skeptical voice was getting more intense. The complacent smile on Elena’s face also became bigger. Just now, she received Liana’s hint. Liana suggested that she and Nash would cast an opposing vote for them. Coupled with the audience’s objections, she didn’t believe that Catherine’s team could qualify for the next round.

Hearing Elena’s sarcastic words, Bryan and Ronin both looked enraged. The two of them looked at Catherine simultaneously, waiting for her response.

Catherine looked quite composed, and a faint sneer crossed her pretty eyes. She stared at Elena as if seeing an idiot.

Maybe Catherine had sensed that Bryan and Ronin were waiting for her to make a decision, so she turned her head to take a glance at Ronin. Ronin alone could deal with this kind of situation easily. He had long been itching to do something.

Now that his chance finally came, he was ready to take action. He arched his brows at Catherine, gesturing with his eyes to her that he could handle this. Ronin turned on the microphone and gazed at Elena with disdain and contempt.

Elena was frightened by his eyes and couldn’t help saying, “Why are you staring at me like this? What’s wrong with me expressing my opinion?”

“You’re not wrong!” Ronin replied easily and gave a sinister snort. “Well, answer my question. On what ground can you sit there to judge us and look down at everyone haughtily?”

“I…”

Before Elena could respond, Ronin interrupted her first, “You don’t know how to answer me, right? You’re not a graduate of a professional college or a top expert. How can you get to sit there and point fingers? I’ve already shown you enough respect by standing here. How can you have the cheek to say that we show no respect for others?”

Seeing that Elena grimaced in a fury, Ronin snorted. “Hmph! Don’t be mad. I’m merely telling the truth. If you don’t want to hear it, it’s fine. Come and compete with me. Whatever you want to do, I’m in. If I lose, I’ll apologize to you!”

If Ronin hadn’t given the performance, Elena might have had the guts to compete with him. Yet, as she had witnessed Ronin’s ability, she would only embarrass herself if she competed with him.

Besides, faced with Ronin’s censure in front of so many people, Elena felt gravely humiliated. She wanted to argue back, but she just couldn’t. Seeing that Elena was rendered awkwardly speechless, Liana hastened to take over the microphone.

She said, “Ronin, we understand you disagree with the judge’s opinion. But it’s the stipulation of the school that we act as the judges. It’s also the voting result of all teachers and students. Besides, whether you can advance to the next round still remains to be confirmed.

“If you slander the Student Union for your own interest, isn’t it too selfish?”

Unlike Elena’s explicit criticism, Liana’s words were like a soft weapon. With a few words, she described Ronin as a guy who deliberately dissed the judge because he was unsatisfied with the result.

If Ronin could be easily defeated by Liana, Catherine wouldn’t let him deal with this. After hearing Liana out, Ronin retorted ruthlessly, “Are you done?”

Liana’s face instantly darkened, but she didn’t snap at once. She knew that someone would make Ronin pay for his arrogance.

Shortly, he would arouse public wrath. All she needed to do was just wait and see. It was a pity that they had underestimated Ronin’s ability.

The reason why Ronin came to school was to keep Catherine company. He would feel bad about being away from Catherine for even one day.

Of course, he had been well prepared before coming to the school. He had investigated everything about the school well. No one expected that he would directly target the Student Union. Hearing Liana’s words, he felt like laughing a bit.

“A referendum in the Student Union? Who joined the vote? I didn’t, anyway. How many people here joined the vote?

He got no response but silence. Usually, these matters were all determined by a random internal vote among the seniors of the Student Union. They left out many procedures just to save trouble. As no one spoke, Ronin continued lashing out at Liana.

“Student Union? It’s merely a den of iniquity under the reign of you despicable people. You’ve done various shameful things. How can you have the cheek to talk about the Student Union. here?”

Instantly, the seniors of the Student Union all looked furious. In particular, Nash was really mad. After all, he was the leader of the Student Union. He couldn’t allow Ronin to sling mud at the Student Union like this.

He thumped the table and glared at Ronin. “Ronin, mind your language. If I ever hear you slander the Student Union again, I’ll teach you a lesson.”

“Hmph, slander? Teach me a lesson? Bring it on! I’m slandering the Student Union? Isn’t the Student Union a den of iniquity?

“No rush to get miffed. Just let me finish first. Do I need to tell you how much money the Organization Department has embezzled through the Student Union all these years? And how much money have you acquired from the sponsorship as kickbacks?”

His words just caused a sensation. Although some people also thought the Student Union was involved in several shady practices, no one had ever dared to question them, for they couldn’t afford to offend the Student Union at all. Now, Ronin just laid it bare boldly. He was so awesome!

Nash flushed in anger and yelled at Ronin, “If you continue talking nonsense, I’ll ask the school superintendent to punish you!”

“Punish me? Absurd! What if I say I have evidence? How can you scam money from other students in the name of the Student Union? Did you have a good time in the hotel last week? And how did you spend the kickbacks the Liaison Department obtained from the learning machine supplier? Should you give us an explanation?”

Everyone present was astonished to hear that. Ronin just offered several examples. The seniors of the Student Union were dumbstruck. None of them expected that Ronin would be aware of those things.

They looked at Nash with pale expressions, waiting for him to offer a solution.

Chapter 157 Bad Character

Nash was a lot calmer than others. He knew that some of the Student Union members were involved in some shady practices, but it was an unspoken rule anyway.

He looked at them gloomily and berated, “Ronin, I told you not to escalate the conflict due to your personal grudge. We’re talking about if you get to qualify for the next round. Don’t try to shift the focus, okay?”

Catherine raised her head and settled her cold gaze on Nash. To her surprise, this guy looked like a man of honor but turned out to be so vile. Ronin noticed that she intended to do something, so he just stopped talking and waited for her to speak. Catherine raised her head and looked at the judges.

“I have only one question. You question our qualification for the next round, believing that our character is bad. Then, do we have the right to suspect your qualification as the judges as you’ve been engaged in shady practices and embezzled public funds?”

Since they didn’t want to determine the victory in terms of ability but character, Catherine wouldn’t mind finding out whose character was better.

Catherine’s voice was not loud but powerful, which penetrated everyone’s ears and heart. None of them were fools. Catherine had made it quite clear.

It would be perfectly justifiable if Elena didn’t allow Catherine’s team to qualify for the next round due to their bad singing.

However, it was indisputable that Catherine’s team sang really well. Then, Elena pointed out that they had bad characters, so they couldn’t advance to the next round. In this case, what about the judges?

If the judges didn’t conduct themselves well, how could they make such a comment? The discussion gradually intensified. Nash looked even more saturnine. The several seniors of the Student Union were also rather embarrassed.

Some of them even started to accuse Elena, saying that she shouldn’t have caused such trouble for everyone. Elena was too incensed to speak. She really didn’t expect that Ronin would know so many things.

And worse still, he wasn’t afraid of offending the Student Union and just disclosed it in public. Now, she could only hope that Nash would turn the tables.

Nash was really in a plight. He never knew Catherine’s team could be so tough. Yet, for the sake of the Student Union’s interest, he had no other choice but to resolve the problem.

“Please stop slandering the Student Union. If you have any evidence, you may report this to the school. Now, you’re in a competition. Please don’t waste our time anymore. Many more performers are waiting to get on the stage! You’re slandering the Student Union with a fabricated excuse only to put off the competition and make us compromise. This is too despicable and also unfair for other students!”

After Nash finished speaking, Elena really wanted to clap her hands for him. She felt that he had made a great speech.

She hastened to chime in, “Exactly! You’re deliberately delaying the competition in this way only to make us compromise. Do you think we’re really afraid of you? Shame on you!”

“Shame on us? Hmph…” Catherine sneered with a hint of coldness flashing across her beautiful face. “If some unvirtuous people really seize the power, there will be a real disaster then!

Her voice was imposing and potent. “How about this? We’ll go to the leaders of the school and talk this through. We’ll provide evidence and let them judge. If they still think you’re qualified as the judges, we’ll be fine with losing then!”

That was quite a tough one!

Catherine’s team was really tough!

If other people were unsatisfied with the outcome, they would diss the judges at worst. However, Catherine meant to drag all the judges down.

Catherine’s natural and graceful demeanor as well as her imposing temperament just convinced everyone that she had solid evidence.

Before Nash could react, the other seniors of the Student Union couldn’t restrain themselves anymore.

They were all part of the two things Ronin mentioned just now.

They didn’t know what else Ronin and Catherine had got. If Ronin and Catherine laid bare all the things, it would be hard to say how they would be punished by the school, let alone be the judges of this event.

Everyone was persuading Nash to make a concession.

Yet, they didn’t dare to make it too clear. After all, if they said too much, it would actually indicate that they were guilty.

As the situation entered into a stalemate, someone suddenly stood up. It was Terry Hanke, one of the judges. Everyone looked at him and wondered what he wanted to do. With a serious face, Terry fixed his eyes on Nash coldly.

He said sternly, “This is a serious competition of the celebration gala, but it’s become such a ridiculous drama! Good for you!”

Nash didn’t know how to respond. In his eyes, Terry was quite a geek. Terry was talented and yet never talked to others. As the top student in music, he was made one of the judges.

Yet, Terry was too difficult. Now, he suddenly stepped forward. No one knew what he was up to. Terry pointed at Catherine and her teammates on the stage with an approving look. His voice was powerful with a tone of admiration.

“I dare say this team is the best I’ve seen on this stage. This is a music competition. If the best team can’t qualify for the next round, what’s the point of this competition then?

“Just to clarify, if this team can’t advance to the next round, I won’t be the judge, then. A silly show isn’t for me!”

Terry was tough beyond words, causing an immediate sensation. The audience present felt that Catherine’s team performed really well, but they were not professional. They simply had a feeling that it sounded nice.

Now, the comments of Terry, a recognized professional, were undoubtedly a slap in the face of the judges who didn’t allow Catherine’s team to advance to the next round.

The other judges all looked awkward. It was no longer their call at this point. Elena was rather anxious at the moment. She knew that she would be in trouble if this went on. She hastily asked for Liana’s help. Liana was driven nuts by Elena’s pushing and started to curse her inwardly.

However, now, she and Elena were in the same boat. She had no other choice but to help Elena. She whispered to Nash, giving him a tip. Nash immediately made a decision.

“Everybody, listen up. Now, there is a division of opinion on the matter. So, I suggest having a pause. The competition will continue when we discuss this and work out a conclusion. Please be patient!”

Chapter 158 Isn’t It More Fun This Way?

Even a fool could recognize that Nash was trying to stall for time, but after all, Nash had been the president of the Student Union. He was somewhat formidable. Even though people were displeased, they wouldn’t dare to offend him.

As for Catherine’s team, Ronin and Bryan would listen to Catherine. If Catherine didn’t agree, they wouldn’t let go anyway. Catherine didn’t object. She took off the clip mic and walked to the backstage area.

Ronin and Bryan immediately followed her in unison. Seeing that they returned to the backstage area, the judges finally let out a sigh of relief.

Elena put on an arrogant air right away and then said sarcastically, “See? They still have to compromise. They merely want to make it to the next round. They acted as if they were so sanctimonious. Shame on them!”

The judges’ expressions all hardened. Even Nash also looked rather awkward. Liana really didn’t know how a fool like Elena could still live in this world!

It was bad enough that Elena couldn’t read the room. Worse still, all she did was be a drag on others. Apparently, Catherine and her teammates had gotten the goods on them. Yet, Elena still dared to talk tough. She was so unbelievably foolish.

Noticing Nash’s grave expression, Liana immediately made a reaction.

“Enough, Elena!”

Her voice was quite harsh. Elena was bluffed at once, and her face turned deathly pale. Meeting Liana’s eyes, Elena slowly shut her mouth.

Since Liana stopped Elena from talking further, Nash’s face finally softened. His impression of Liana just became better. He sighed and said, “Now that this has happened, I think I’d better go backstage and see if this issue can be resolved through mediation. Then, we’ll see what to do!”

Of course, others had no problems with that. It would be the best that Nash was willing to deal with the situation himself. Yet, when Nash was about to leave, Liana hastened to say, “I’ll go with you! The other seniors of the Student Union were all afraid of trouble.

They would be happy to share the good together, but when a problem came up, they would expect him to bear the consequence alone. Only Liana stepped forward at this moment.

Deeply touched by Liana, Nash stared at her with affection. Actually, Liana didn’t mean to help Nash. Instead, the Publicity Department of the Student Union had got the most funds. Since she became the head of this department, the money was all pocketed by her.

She felt that Catherine was confident and worried that Catherine really had evidence. After all, there had been so many astonishing things about Catherine.

Just in case, she could only strike first. If this matter was exposed, not only might she need to compensate for the money, but also her reputation would be ruined.

She was a lady of the Swanns. How could she allow her reputation to be ruined for this matter?

Absolutely not!

She must make Catherine shut up, whatever it took! Backstage, Catherine was leaning aside for a rest while Ronin and Bryan were sitting by her on both sides.

Bryan felt a bit confused. He didn’t know how much evidence Catherine had acquired on the embezzlement of the Student Union.

However, just now, even a fool could tell that the seniors of the Student Union had a guilty conscience. Actually, if Bryan joined the Student Union, Nash could never have been the chairman.

It was just that Bryan was too lazy and couldn’t bother to deal with those people. So, he directly refused to join any organization. This way, he could live a more casual life.

“Boss, why did we give those losers a chance instead of throwing the evidence in their faces?” Catherine looked at him with fatigued eyes. She replied in a lazy tone, “Isn’t it more fun this way?”

Ronin chimed in, “You’re right. A hunter must prefer to play with the prey before eating it.”

Bryan took a tumble. In the case when the prey was too much, there was no point in eating the prey directly. It was a lot more fun to watch the struggle on the verge of dying. prey Shortly, Nash took Liana backstage and found them.

When the two of them appeared, Catherine was still playing with her phone with her head lowered. She didn’t even take a look at them.

In this case, of course, Ronin and Bryan wouldn’t be nice to Nash and Liana. Nash stood there with an extremely embarrassed expression.

Liana hated Catherine to the core, but at the moment, she could only drop her attitude to make a concession. As Nash was unwilling to talk, Liana could only say, “Catherine, we’ve discussed this. It was Elena’s fault. She let her emotions get the best of her. There’s nothing wrong with your singing. You can totally advance to the next round.”

After she finished speaking, Catherine raised her head and looked at her indifferently.

“Are you done?”

Liana didn’t understand what Catherine meant. She just nodded subconsciously. Catherine turned her head to glance at Ronin. Then, she just stood up and walked forward.

She strode with a dashing demeanor.

Liana was dumbstruck to see Catherin leaving.

She hastened to stop Catherine. “Wait…

Catherine paused and turned to look at her. Liana stood in situ with pursed lips, her pale face filled with embarrassment. She lowered her eyes, reluctant to face Catherine’s face. Only in this way she say what she was gonna say. could

“Catherine, since you’ve advanced to the next round, can you just stop pursuing the matter of the Student Union?”

Catherine arched her brows. A sneer crossed her pretty eyes.

“The Student Union? I’m not a member of the Student Union. I don’t know anything about the Student Union.”

Liana teetered with resentment in her lowered eyes. She felt that it was so insensible of Catherine to try to push her luck. Liana had no other choice but to threaten Catherine.

“Catherine, anyway, you’ve lost nothing. Why do you have to act against the Student Union for such a trifle?”

“Hmph!” Catherine snorted. She had never feared being against anyone all her life. It was merely the Student Union. Catherine stopped there because Liana was also one of the Swanns. Since Liana wanted to make a fool of herself, Catherine wouldn’t save face for her then.

This time, Catherine turned around and left without hesitation, not intending to turn her head at all. Liana was about to cry out of anxiety. With red eyes, she stared in fright at Nash.

“What should we do now? Given Liana’s attitude, she doesn’t seem to let us go!”

Nash was there when everything happened. Liana was such a poor girl while Catherine was so arrogant. Faced with Liana’s puppy dog eyes, Nash felt so sorry for her. He comforted Liana softly and decided to take all the responsibility.

“Liana, rest assured. Just leave this matter to me. Anyway, I’ll protect you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Liana lifted her eyes and looked at Nash sincerely and gratefully, “Nash, how nice of you!”

Immersed in Liana’s admiration for him, Nash didn’t notice the sinister smile at the corner of her eyes. For Liana, no matter what Catherine did, she had got a scapegoat for herself. She had nothing to fear then.

Chapter 159 The Wales Come

As the eldest son of the Wales and the only son of the family, he was deeply adored by the seniors in his family.

The Wales was not as powerful as the four big families, but they had developed rapidly in the north of Casier. They were sort of a powerful force.

That day, Nash returned to the Wales’ and told his family about what had happened. After hearing Nash out, Gary Wale, Nash’s father, flew into a rage.

“How foolish of you! I sent you to school for your future career and for you to make more friends. But you just ruined your reputation for this little interest!”

Nash just sat there quietly and didn’t talk back. He was aware that his father was bad- tempered. If he talked back to Gary, Gary would be more infuriated and even punish him more harshly.

He still needed his father to deal with this matter. So, at this point, he had to bow. He had learned that Catherine and her friends didn’t mean to let them go when he left school. They had handed the evidence to the school. The principal had known about this matter and felt quite mad.

He hurriedly took a leave of absence and went back home. The principal still needed some time to confirm if the evidence was true. And Nash had to deal with this matter before it was made public.

Bailey Wale, Nash’s mother, who couldn’t bear to see her son being scolded, asked Addison Wale, Nash’s grandfather, to come and stand up for Nash.

Addison hit the ground hard with his stick and glared at Gary. “How foolish of you! Don’t you know what kind of man your son is? How can he do such a thing? At worst, he merely connived with his subordinates and covered them up.”

The Wales didn’t lack money. As the only son of the Wales, Nash was surely not short of money. All the resources and wealth of the family were invested in him. How could such a proud man do that kind of thing?

Addison was clear about everything. He flew into a rage upon hearing that Gary was reproaching Nash.

“You idiot, you can’t even see this through!”

Scolded by Addison, Gary didn’t dare to argue back. After Addison finished speaking, he turned to look at Nash with an angry expression.

“Tell me. Who on earth are you covering up? Just say it. I’ll call your principal and deal with this matter right now!”

Nash pursed his lips and said nothing. He agreed with Liana to keep her safe, so he could never disclose her. Even if he didn’t mention Liana, once this matter was exposed, Liana would be found in the end. He could never let this happen.

In his eyes, Liana was a kindhearted and innocent girl. He must protect her well. Addison knew better about Nash’s temper than Gary. He was aware that given Nash’s attitude, Nash would never say it.

“Fine. If you don’t want to say it, just don’t.”

Hearing Addison’s words, Gary immediately shut up. None of the Wales dared to disobey Addison. As Gary shut up, Addison settled his gaze on Nash. “Tell me what’s going on. Who is targeting you?”

Addison knew well about Nash’s competence. If it weren’t because Nash couldn’t deal with the problem, he wouldn’t turn to his family for help. An obsessively proud man wouldn’t bow easily.

Nash was also aware that he must come clean now. Otherwise, Addison couldn’t help him. So, he told Addison what he had known. After hearing Nash out, Addison nodded. “Do you mean the Swanns and the Duncans?”

“Yes, Grandpa. But the main problem is Catherine Swann. Bryan always listens to her. As long as we deal with Catherine, this matter will be easily resolved!”

“Is Catherine the daughter of the Swanns who just came back?” Addison asked.

Nash nodded. “Yes, she is!”

“It’s fine then!” Addison thought Nash had offended the Duncans. Although Bryan wasn’t the direct line of the Duncans, he was raised by Karl as his own grandson.

The Wales had some forces but were not as powerful as the Duncans. If they offended the Duncans, they would be in big trouble.

The Swanns was also one of the four big families, but Korbin valued immediate interests. He would be fine with everything as long as he was given enough money.

The point was that Catherine was merely a daughter of the Swanns, who was just brought back from the countryside. She was not even a real lady of the Swanns. Korbin wouldn’t offend the Wales for her.

Catherine was an unfavored daughter of her family while Nash was the future heir of the Wales. It should be an easy choice for Korbin.

Addison directly said to Gary, “You’ll go to the Swanns’ with Nash and talk this through with Korbin. Let’s see how to deal with this!”

“Yes, Father.”

At the Swanns’.

The sudden visit of Gary and his son directly struck Korbin dumb. He barely dealt with the Wales. Even if the Wales wanted to seek cooperation, they couldn’t come to the Swanns’..

Korbin hastened to put aside his work and invited them in. Gary was quite straightforward. As soon as he entered the door, he directly told Korbin why he came here today.

Korbin initially thought something serious had happened. Unexpectedly, they were here for some conflict between Nash and Catherine. He found it quite hilarious.

“Mr. Wale, it turns out that you’re here for such a trifle. You shouldn’t have come yourself.” With a serious look, Gary said to Korbin, “Mr. Swann, if this thing happens to your son, a trifle?” will you think it’s

From where he and Korbin stood, a daughter was different from a son. They believed that their families should be inherited by a son. The reputation of the heir of the Wales wasn’t a trifle at all.

Thinking that Nash had done something wrong before, Gary made an offer first. “Mr. Swann, we’re wrong on this issue. You’re interested in the land project in the north of Casier, right? Would you like to join the project?”

Korbin’s eyes lit up at once when he heard that. He had longed to join that project, but the Wales was powerful in the north of Casier. He needed to gain the Wales’ approval if he wanted to be part of it.

He had been unable to find a way. To his surprise, a chance came to him on its own. Korbin loved the bait offered by Gary. Instantly, he changed his attitude. Korbin immediately put on a stern look and criticized Catherine strictly.

“Mr. Wale, I’m really sorry. My daughter grew up in the countryside since she was little. She is unruly and insensible. This time, she was brought back because my dad passed away. And I’m too busy to discipline her, which ruins the friendship of the two families.

“She’s too insensible. I’ll discipline her well. No worries!”

Gary’s eyes glistened. He knew that Korbin had agreed. “Thank you then. I still have things to do. I’ll be going with my son now.”

Chapter 160 Don’t Be Afraid

As soon as the Wales left, Liana, who had eavesdropped upstairs, slowly walked downstairs. Her eyes were filled with delight. She didn’t expect that Nash could get his father to come here and deal with this matter personally.

Liana slowly walked to Korbin and said in a soft tone, “Dad, did Nash and his father just come?” Kobin nodded. Nash and Liana went to the same school and were about the same age. Korbin wasn’t surprised that the two of them knew each other.

The upper social circle was quite narrow. The Wales were in Casier, too. It was normal that Liana knew Nash.

“Dad, I know what they talked about just now. Catherine is gonna disclose Nash as well as Elena, the daughter of the Leighs, and…”

She listed a series of her classmates, who were all from illustrious families and played a role in the Student Union. Yet, she didn’t mention herself. Although Korbin was her father, he cared a lot more about Johnathan than her.

Hearing Liana’s words, Korbin looked increasingly gloomy. Out of rage, he thumped the table and snapped, “That wretched girl! She’s gonna destroy the Swanns!”

“Where is she?”

Faced with Korbin’s wrath, Liana felt rather complacent. The more Kobin disliked Catherine, the happier she felt. In her eyes, Catherine didn’t belong to this home and should return to the countryside.

“Dad, I heard from the maid that Catherine couldn’t bear the noise at home, so she moved into Audrey’s place. She’s been living in Audrey’s apartment these days.”

Korbin’s face immediately hardened. He was vexed and growled, “How dare she!

“Make a call to Audrey or Catherine right now. She has half an hour. If I can’t see Catherine at home in half an hour, she’ll never come back!”

“Okay, Dad!”

Liana agreed obediently. When she turned around, she had a beaming smile on her face. When Catherine received the call, before Liana finished speaking, she directly hung up the phone.

It was mainly because Liana was too arrogant. Catherine thought, “Who does she think she is? Why would I cut her some slack?”

She didn’t want to hear Liana talk nonsense, so she directly hung up on Liana. Shortly after she hung up the phone, someone knocked on the door.

Catherine stretched herself with fatigue, got off the bed, and opened the door. It was Audrey outside the door, who looked really anxious. “Kathy, Dad wants you to go back.

Hurry and get changed. I’ll drive you back!”

Unlike Audrey, who was panicked and flustered, Catherine seemed rather composed. She staggered lazily as if just waking up from a dream. “I’m not going!”

After expressing her opinion concisely, Catherine meant to go back and lie in bed. Now, she needed to take a rest. She still had things to do at night. However, Audrey reacted extremely fast and reached out to hold the door.

“Kathy, wait.”

Catherine stopped closing the door and arched her brows. She looked at Audrey aloofly, “Anything else?”

“Kathy, you must go.” Audrey stared at her with imploring eyes and emphasized carefully, “And you must go as soon as possible.”

Catherine really didn’t want to go, but Audrey kept pushing her. Audrey didn’t yell at Catherine. Instead, she just kept nagging like an annoying mosquito, which was really infuriating!

Annoyed as she was, Catherine wouldn’t hurt Audrey. Being entreated again and again by Audrey, Catherine could only agree.

“I’ll go. Happy?”

Hearing that Catherine finally agreed with her, Audrey instantly came around. Her imploring face was replaced with a beaming expression. “Okay, you’re so good. I’ll get the car now. Just get changed and come downstairs!”

As if she was afraid that Catherine would go back on her word, Audrey just ran away without hesitation. Catherine shook her head resignedly and went back to get changed.

It was not that she was in a hurry but that she never did things sloppily. Since she had agreed, she would deal with this matter as fast as possible. Audrey was really worried that Catherine would run away or not come downstairs.

So, she directly waited downstairs in her car. As soon as Catherine got downstairs, Audrey opened the door of the car and asked her to get into the car. Audrey’s car looked really cute.

It was a pink Beetle. Both its exterior and interior were pink. Lovely as it was, it was not aligned with Catherine’s vibe. “Kathy, I haven’t driven this car for a while. This is the first time you’ve got into my car, right? Is it very cute?”

The corner of Catherine’s lips twitched.

She nodded. Audrey had long been used to Catherine’s aloofness. If Catherine treated her warmly all of a sudden, Audrey might feel uncomfortable.

“Kathy, we’ll record the show again next weekend. If you do it, will your academic work be affected?”

“No!”

Catherine’s answer was concise and clear. Since she had agreed with Audrey to do the show, she would not break her promise. To ease the atmosphere in the car, Audrey tried to chat with Catherine.

“Kathy, do you know why Dad wants to meet you?”

“You don’t know?” Catherine replied coldly. Given Catherine’s attitude, Audrey couldn’t continue the talk with Catherine anymore. She could only give up. It was just as well that they arrived at the Swanns’ soon. The two of them came to Korbin’s study.

There was a bodyguard guarding the door. He saluted Catherine and Audrey respectfully and put his hand in front of Audrey. “Mr. Swann said only Catherine was allowed to go inside!”

Hearing the answer, Audrey knitted her brows with displeasure. She didn’t know what Korbin was up to, but somehow, she just had a bad feeling. Audrey stood in situ, and Catherine went inside alone.

“Wait…”

Hearing the voice from behind, Catherine stopped to look back and fixed her eyes on Audrey. Audrey bit her lower lip and hesitated a bit before saying, “Kathy, if anything comes up, just shout for help. I’m waiting for you at the door!”

At this moment, Catherine really paused for one second. Then, the corners of her mouth turned up. She finally replied, “Okay!”

The moment she turned around, she put on a cold look as usual. She was only nice to the people she cared about. The bodyguard opened the door for Catherine. When she entered the door of the study, two folders whooshed to her..

Other people would be hit for sure.

Yet, Catherine was not an ordinary person. Would she be struck by the folders?

Of course not!

Catherine slightly leaned to one side and dodged the folders with ease. After the folders fell to the ground, Catherine took one step forward and stepped on them casually.

She slowly raised her head to look at Korbin and wanted to find out why he was so mad.