Ch. 251..260

Chapter 251 Under a Spell

In a concealed corner on the right side of the alley, Paxton, accompanied by a group of his men, hid themselves right after receiving intelligence that someone intended to harm Catherine.

“Mr. Duncan, do you think Miss Swann has discovered us?” one of Paxton’s men asked.

“Of course she has! It’s so obvious!” Paxton replied, rolling his eyes at his subordinate. Why bother guessing when it was so obvious?

As soon as they arrived, they noticed that Catherine was surrounded. However, Paxton didn’t act right away. He observed Catherine’s demeanor and realized things were not as simple as they seemed. Sure enough, those fools fell into Catherine’s trap.

Seeing that Catherine was confident and to avoid alerting her, Paxton refrained from taking action immediately. Paxton sought permission from Branden at once. Branden instructed him not to interfere with Catherine as long as she was not in danger.

Paxton understood the situation. After all, he and his men were just pawns. They would strike when Catherine had had enough fun.

Bryan, along with Catherine and the others, arrived at the newest barbecue restaurant in Casier. As they reached the entrance, a staff member approached them.

“Excuse me, are you Miss Catherine Swann?” the staff member asked. Bryan turned around in surprise to look at Catherine. Catherine approached the staff member, standing before him with a cold gaze, carefully assessing him. The staff member had sharp eyes and immediately realized Catherine’s identity.

“Miss Swann, my boss knows you’re coming to dine and has already prepared a private room for you. Just follow me upstairs. Everything has been arranged for you!”

Catherine glanced around at the decor, which was in her preferred style. Even the utensils on the surrounding tables were the ones she would instinctively choose on any regular day. She stopped the staff member and asked, “Is your boss named Duncan?”

The staff member smiled, bowed, and replied with utmost respect, “Yes, my boss has instructed us to let you enjoy your meal. Once everything is ready, he will come to pick you up!”

Upon hearing this, Catherine knew what was going on. She confidently followed the staff member towards the private room.

Lagging behind, Yesenia caught up with Bryan and asked, “What does this mean? Did Uncle Branden open this barbecue restaurant?”

Bryan impatiently shot her a glare, his voice filled with resentment as he said, “How would I know? If you want to know, go ask yourself!”

Yesenia was speechless. She didn’t have the guts to do that, of course. After finally finding a newly opened barbecue restaurant to surprise Catherine, Bryan didn’t expect Branden, his uncle, to actually open this restaurant!

But then again, Branden had to take care of such a large family business, so how could he have time to open a barbecue restaurant to make such little money?

Bryan immediately realized who this barbecue restaurant was for! It seemed that Branden was willing to do anything just to please Catherine!

Catherine followed the staff member to the entrance of the specially reserved private room, which was simply but beautifully decorated.

The staff member attentively stood by, assisting Catherine. “Miss Swann, this room is specifically reserved for you. It’s not open to the public, so you can enjoy your meal with your friends here. After speaking, the staff member handed over a pre-selected menu.

“Miss Swann, these are the dishes that have already been ordered. Is there anything you would like to add or change?”

All the staff members had been instructed that the fixed dishes she always ordered should be included in the menu whenever Catherine came to save her time from ordering.

Knowing that Catherine didn’t like dealing with these things, Branden went above and beyond to do everything possible. Catherine glanced at the menu and saw that it included all the dishes she usually ordered. She didn’t expect that Branden had remembered all of them.

It was the slightest detail that could touch people the most. Even Catherine had to admit that she was a little moved right now.

“Add some mild-spicy sauce, but everything else can stay the same!”

The staff member immediately responded, “Okay, I’ll prepare it for immediately!” you When Yesenia heard “mild-spicy sauce, ‘her eyes instantly lit up. If it weren’t for Catherine’s cold aura, she would have already thrown herself into Catherine’s arms, hugged and kissed Catherine passionately.

Catherine’s presence was too intimidating, so even though Yesenia was excited, she could only quietly revel in her excitement on the side.

Yesenia stared at Catherine as if worshipping a deity, wishing she could get close to Catherine, saying, “Oh, Super Catherine, how can you be so good to me? You know I can’t handle spicy food, so you specially accommodated me by ordering some mild-spicy sauce for me. You’re such a nice person!”

Although Yesenia couldn’t handle spicy food, she understood that for someone who loved spicy food, ordering mild- spicy sauce was an insult to barbecue.

However, Catherine was so considerate that she ordered it specifically for Yesenia, which could be viewed as the greatest act of love towards Yesenia. Yesenia stared at Catherine with an adoring gaze. But in fact, she was overthinking things.

Catherine wasn’t accommodating her. She just felt that they should enjoy themselves since they were all out together for a barbecue.

If Yesenia had to sit on the side and watch because she couldn’t handle spicy food, it would definitely affect everybody’s mood, So why not order some mild-spicy sauce so that everyone can enjoy themselves?

Catherine wasn’t an unjust person. She couldn’t make everyone do things according to her preferences. Upon hearing Yesenia’s flattery towards Catherine, the others present tried their best not to burst out laughing.

David cautiously tugged on Bryan’s sleeve and asked with a pensive tone, ” Bryan, did Boss cast a spell on the Duncans? Otherwise, why would all of you be following her like crazy?”

Bryan tilted his head, glancing at him with a sneer, and spat out two words through gritted teeth. “Get lost!”

In fact, Bryan wanted to ask David if he was also a Lambert. Otherwise, why would he ask the same question as Triston?

This barbecue restaurant put a lot of effort into its operation. All the food in the restaurant was very fresh, and it seemed like all the ingredients were flown in.

The most important thing was that the food was cooked on-site, with a strong aroma and a perfect balance of saltiness and spiciness, especially suitable for people who loved barbecue.

The spicy food tasted great, and the vegetable soup here was also delicious. Even Catherine, who usually didn’t like this kind of light flavor, ordered a bowl of vegetable soup.

David and the others exclaimed in admiration, “This barbecue restaurant is really good. No wonder there are so many people lining up. It’s only because we came with Boss that we could enter without waiting. It’s truly enviable!”

Bryan clenched the number card in his pocket, pressing his fingers hard. He had bought it from a scalper, thinking he had done it meticulously. But he was left feeling like a loser under his uncle’s power. Indeed, money could make one do whatever they wanted!

Bryan called over a waiter, ready to pay the bill, but was told it wasn’t necessary. He looked up at Catherine and didn’t immediately make a decision. Catherine nodded casually. “Sure!”

Since Branden personally arranged this meal, it would be disrespectful to insist on paying the bill. This restaurant was open for her! The cost of this meal was not important at all.

There was no need to pay the bill!

Chapter 252 Clear Estimation of Yourself

After settling the bill, the waiter returned with a few VIP cards and distributed them to everyone present.

“Dear customers, check out our VIP card! You can have your own private room and avoid those long lines. These exclusive rooms are reserved just for our VIP guests. So, I hope you enjoyed your meal!”

The waiter was highly respectful, and the service was thoughtful, giving people a feeling of being in a warm spring breeze.

The people present were so excited that even David couldn’t help but cheer out loud. “Oh my goodness, this service is truly impeccable! Following our boss has its perks. The treatment we receive is truly exceptional.”

Catherine remained composed and did not appear smug despite David’s flattery. Given their prestigious backgrounds, it was improbable that just a membership card could easily sway people like David.

There were two reasons for this. Firstly, the service of this restaurant was indeed quite good. Secondly, they were showing respect toward her.

Catherine was brilliant and knew these people were pretty cool. They didn’t have many ulterior motives, so she was willing to befriend them.

After finishing the meal, everyone prepared to leave. Catherine did not ask the waiter when Branden would come to pick her up.

“Anyway, what will come will come. Why bother worrying so much about it? said she inwardly. The group of people walked out of the barbecue restaurant together. Bryan said affectionately to Catherine, “Boss, let me take you home!”

As Yesenia listened on the side, her gaze was fixed firmly on Bryan with a hint of unusual attention in her eyes. Catherine was not only the top candidate for her future sister-in-law but also the only choice in her heart.

“If Bryan…

“This is going to be a great inconvenience!” said she inwardly. Catherine did not respond, for she saw the black Bentley slowly approaching them as she looked up. Noticing her gaze, Bryan followed it and also saw the black Bentley. He was instantly deflated.

Paxton got out of the car and respectfully opened the door. A man dressed in a long black windcoat slowly stepped out of the vehicle. His tall, straight posture appeared even more dazzling in the dark night, exuding a sense of nobility. Branden strode confidently toward Catherine, his long legs moving steadily, step by step.

Finally, he came to a halt less than 20 inches from Catherine. His handsome face shone with a mesmerizing aura while his deep and radiant black eyes glimmered with the moon’s light. He gazed at Catherine with tenderness in his eyes.

“Do you like it?” he asked. Those eavesdropping with pricked-up ears were all stunned, not understanding the meaning behind the big shot’s words.

Only Catherine understood it without any need for guessing. She raised an eyebrow, gazing at Branden with contentment, and provided the most pertinent evaluation.

“The taste and the environment are both nice!”

“Your satisfaction is all that matters!” answered Branden. From the way the man spoke and the expression on his face, it was evident that Catherine’s response did indeed satisfy him.

However, Catherine was more curious about something else. Her gaze swept back and forth on Branden’s body as if searching for something.

“Why did you open this restaurant suddenly?”

Branden gently looked at her, pursed his thin lips, and revealed a slight smile. “It’s windy outside. Let’s talk in the car!”

Ever since he found out that Catherine enjoyed having a barbecue, he immediately ordered someone to make arrangements for it.

He had been involved in everything from site selection to product selection and then to interior design. The only purpose was to ensure that the outcome of each process met her preferences. Whatever the cost, he would give it to her if she liked it.

After Catherine left, Bryan turned around and got ready to go back. Yesenia quickly caught up and sat in the passenger seat.

Bryan side glanced at her with a disapproving look. Yesenia leaned back indifferently on the leather seat, observing Bryan with ease.

“I would like to visit Grandpa at the Duncans’ tonight. Don’t you want to give me a ride?” she asked. Bryan was left at a loss for words. Since Yesenia had said that she would go to the Duncans’, it wouldn’t be right if he didn’t take her with him. Therefore, he agreed to bring her along. With a tone of disdain, he said, “Put on your seatbelt!”

Yesenia was looking pretty pleased with herself for her successful scheming. As Bryan started the car, Yesenia suddenly approached and pressed the parking brake. Bryan was slightly angry. He turned and glared at Yesenia disapprovingly.

“Miss, what are you up to again? If you don’t want to take my car, you may get out and arrange for someone to pick you up or take a taxi yourself!”

With a serious expression, Yesenia fixed her gaze on Bryan, scrutinizing him from head to toe with eyes as focused as a searchlight. Being stared at by such a gaze, Bryan felt particularly uncomfortable. He looked at Yesenia displeasingly.

“What are you trying to do?”

With an intense and unwavering gaze, Yesenia said in a serious and cold tone, “You’re so harsh toward me, yet you treat Super Catherine with respect and friendliness. Bryan, this is not right!”

Upon hearing her words, Bryan couldn’t help but laugh coldly in anger. He sneered twice and said, “Humph, Yesenia, you also said she is Super Catherine. Are you worthy enough to be compared to her?”

If it were a comparison with others, Yesenia would have lost her cool long ago. After all, she was the only daughter of the Duncans, and many people were accommodating and flattering toward her. How was she not worth it?

But if the person in comparison was Catherine, then she could only silently accept defeat. “I am simply not worthy, so what?” said Yesenia with an air of righteous indignation.

Her bright, threatening, and warning eyes closely stared at Bryan. “I admit that I am not worthy of being compared to Catherine, but what about you, Bryan? Do you admit that your gaze toward Super Catherine is improper and your attitude toward her is unusual?”

After hearing Yesenia’s question, Bryan was stunned momentarily before he silently closed his eyes and furrowed his brows. A few seconds later, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Yesenia with a severe expression.

That look made Yesenia a bit scared. She instinctively backed away and looked at Bryan with caution. “What are you looking at? Stop staring at me like that. It’s freaking me out!” said she.

“I just want to tell you that I admire Catherine just like you. There’s so much about her that I’ve always tried to attain but couldn’t. She’s the object of my envy and admiration, that’s it. As for her and Uncle Branden, I believe she’s more than capable! She definitely deserves to be the wife of Branden.”

Upon hearing Bryan’s words, Yesenia let out a sigh of relief silently.

She reached out and patted Bryan’s shoulder. “You scared me. I thought the Duncans was about to fall apart or something!”

Bryan gave her a disdainful look and coldly retorted. “Do you think I have a chance of winning against Uncle Branden?”

“If the opponent is Uncle Branden, I would only be beaten up. “Let alone me. You can hardly find someone in the whole town of Casier who can compete with Branden.

“Catherine is my idol, and the only one who may be a match for her is probably Uncle Branden,” said he inwardly. Yesenia totally agreed and nodded her head. “That’s right, looks like you have a clear estimation of yourself after all!”

Bryan couldn’t be bothered with this overly anxious cousin and revved his car to leave in the middle of the night..

Chapter 253 Overheard

Having lost twice in a row, Baldy felt ashamed in front of Korbin.

“Mr. Swann, the mission has failed!” Compared to last time, Korbin was not as angry this time. His expression was calm, and his gaze was slightly lowered. It seemed like he already knew how it was going to end. Even his voice sounded relatively calm.

“Tell me, who did the Duncans send out this time?”

Baldy’s already low head almost drooped to the ground when he heard this. He never expected that a group of students would defeat his elite subordinates.

“Mr. Swann, it’s not the work of the Duncans!” As he heard this response, Korbin’s interest was piqued. “Not the members of the Duncans?”

“We checked and found out that those people were all students. There was one student named Bryan Duncan who had good fighting skills!”

Korbin angrily picked up the ashtray on the table and smashed it toward Baldy’s head, cursing loudly, “Idiot, is that what I want to hear?”

“What does it have to do with me whether he has good fighting skills or not?” thought he. He wanted to know what Branden meant to do with Catherine and whether or not he would lend her a helping hand.

Baldy did not dodge the attack and face the consequences of his mistake, as he knew it was the only way to appease his boss’s anger. He endured such a hard blow that his head was smashed open, yet not a single cry escaped his lips.

Fresh blood flowed slowly down his face as a nauseating odor filled the air. However, Korbin’s appeased a little. anger wasn’t His face turned pale, and he glared at Baldy with cold eyes. “How dare you say it? Can’t you even handle a few students? You call yourself a top-level killer, but I think you better chop off your limbs and beg on the streets!”

Baldy listened silently as Korbin scolded him and took out the list from his pocket.

“Mr. Swann, I checked up on all the students who are helping out Catherine. You may take a look at the information.”

Korbin took a deep breath and paced back and forth a few times before returning to his desk. He lowered his head and looked at the list and documents on his desk. Those students’ names were unfamiliar to him, but he was acquainted with almost all of their parents.

All of them were important figures in Casier, which was quite normal. If they didn’t have power, how could they have possibly sent their children to the best class at Loyalty Academy?

“Are those students okay?” he asked.

“They are okay. Our men have suffered minor injuries. Those students are probably all skilled in martial arts and often get into fights, plus they had the advantage of numbers, so they weren’t at a disadvantage!” replied Baldy.

“Good thing no one got hurt. Apart from Bryan Duncan, all these students come from families that are not as wealthy as the Swanns.

“However, if they team up to deal with the Swanns, it would also be a disaster, thought Korbin. He did not expect that dealing with Catherine would involve so many families. “It seems that my second daughter is truly remarkable.

“After studying in Class 8 for so long, Liana hasn’t made many friends. “But Catherine has only been in the class for half a semester and already has so many people backing her up. That’s impressive!” thought he. Seeing Baldy’s hesitant expression, Korbin impatiently urged him to speak.

“Is there anything that cannot be said even now?”

Baldy hesitated and spoke in a low voice, with his head bowed down. “Mr. Swann, Catherine left you a message before she left.”

“What did she say?” Korbin asked. Baldy reported the news from his subordinates to Korbin honestly. After hearing the message, Korbin slammed his hand on the table, creating a loud noise.

On his darkened face, his eyes were wide open, as big as cowbells, and filled with bloodshot veins due to anger. It seemed like they were about to pop out of his eye sockets. He gritted his teeth and cursed angrily.

“Very well, since she let me wait, I will just wait to see how much uproar she can cause! “Baldy, keep a close eye on her and report any news to me immediately.”

Having failed twice in a row, Baldy had become more restrained. He humbly bowed and said, “Sure, I will definitely complete the mission this time!”

He and Korbin were well aware that if he failed again next time, he would be completely abandoned by Korbin. Because Korbin didn’t tolerate useless people, those who made constant mistakes were destined to be disposed of.

The discussion inside the study continued, but nobody noticed that a pair of ears outside the study had been listening to the conversation. As the discussion in the study came to an end, Liana tiptoed downstairs carefully and silently.

“Liana…”

A loud noise came from behind, causing Liana to freeze in fear. Her heart was pounding heavily at this moment, and she cautiously turned her head to look behind her. Rachael walked down slowly in exquisite pajamas and frowned upon seeing Liana still holding a food box.

“Didn’t I ask you to bring veggie soup to your father? Why do you still have it in your hand? And why are you so pale and sweating on your forehead?”

Hearing these words, Liana secretly breathed a sigh of relief and forced herself to stay calm, trying to maintain a composed look as she gazed steadily at Rachael.

“Mommy, I noticed that the study room door was tightly shut, and I didn’t dare to go in and disturb Father, so I didn’t bring it in.”

Korbin never liked being disturbed when handling official matters. Rachael understood this more than anyone else.

Upon seeing Rachael’s gaze still evaluating her, Liana thought she had been suspected and quickly explained, I went up and down a few times just now, and I could always see that the study door was closed from afar. After a few trips back and forth, I got tired and broke a sweat.”

“Exercise more when you have free time in the future. You have only walked a few more steps and are so tired. Being weak like this won’t do. It’s not trendy now to be a sickly beauty, so think carefully!”

Rachael had always been very explicit about her demands for Liana. Johnathan had enabled her to establish a stable position in the Swanns. At the same time, Liana was her most outstanding achievement, destined to join the flourishing aristocratic family and become the family’s mistress in the future.

She looked down upon those average families. Only the top-tier noble families could catch her attention. Therefore, she had been guiding Liana toward this path when Liana was young. Whatever requirements a mistress should possess, Liana needed to have them.

Liana didn’t dare to argue with Rachael, as no one knew better than herself just how ruthless Rachael could be. She knew her mother best. Rachael was willing to do anything to achieve her goals, no matter the cost.

Seeing Liana with her head down and not saying anything, Rachael felt slightly annoyed. She said with a hint of disdain, “If you have nothing to do, go back to your room. Put the veggie soup on the table. I’ll tell your father to have it later.”

“Okay.”

Liana responded with a grunt and silently went upstairs. As Rachel watched Liana’s departing figure, she couldn’t help but feel a bit unpleasant.

“Since Catherine appeared, the once excellent Liana seems to have been outshined by her.

“My side carefully raised Liana since she was young. How could she lose to Catherine, that jinx?

“I don’t buy it, and there’s no way I will go along with it. “If I lend Liana a hand, she will definitely beat Catherine. No doubt about it!” she said inwardly.

Chapter 254 Korbin’s Secret

Branden brought Catherine back to the apartment. Catherine’s pocket started vibrating as soon as they stepped out of the elevator.

It was a ubiquitous vibrating sound, but if one listened carefully, one could notice that the vibration frequency was slightly different.

Only people who received professional training could distinguish it. Catherine knew right away that it was Ronin looking for her, so something urgent must be going on. No sooner had Catherine opened her mouth than Branden proactively asked, “Did you have the key with you?”

Catherine nodded. Branden raised his gaze and looked at her. His cold gaze softened considerably when it fell upon Catherine.

“Sleep early, as you have to wake up early for classes tomorrow.”

Both of them knew in their hearts that Branden would have probably led her to the apartment next door if it weren’t for that vibration sound just now. He was pretty smart. He knew Catherine was up to something but remained calm and showed no sign of it.

Catherine took out the key and opened the door. A slight smile escaped her stunning face. She waved at Branden and turned to go inside the room. Branden also chuckled, feeling quite pleased.

“Not bad. She didn’t even say hello before. At least she waved goodbye now. Isn’t this a kind of progress?” said he inwardly.

As soon as the door was closed, the smile on Catherine’s face disappeared, and it returned to her usual expressionless and indifferent face.

She whipped out her phone from her pocket and placed it next to her ear. Her voice was grim. “Ronin. What’s the matter?”

After watching Catherine leave from outside the door, Branden didn’t return to his apartment according to the plan. Instead, he pressed the button and walked inside the elevator.

As the elevator door closed, Branden’s perfectly chiseled smile disappeared instantly, revealing a cold and ruthless expression on his frigid countenance. He took out his phone from his pants pocket and placed it against his ear.

“It’s me!” His cold and deep voice echoed inside the elevator. Paxton’s cold voice came slowly through the receiver. “Sir, we have intercepted intelligence regarding Korbin. I am waiting for you downstairs.”

Branden knew that this intelligence was not ordinary. Otherwise, Paxton wouldn’t have contacted him right away.

“Okay, I will be there immediately!”

At Audrey’s apartment. After Catherine returned, she locked herself inside her room. She lay crookedly on the bed. It was clear that she had positioned herself to achieve maximum comfort.

Her phone was right next to her pillow. It was still lit up with the screen displaying an ongoing call, and she was talking to none other than Ronin.

“Boss, this is all the information I can currently gather. That old rascal Korbin Swann is quite tough. From what I can tell, he is not a good person at all.”

After Ronin had a fit of venting, he suddenly remembered the relationship between his boss and Korbin. No matter what, Korbin was still his boss’s father, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to say anything disrespectful about her father.

Ronin realized he had said something wrong, so he tried to make some remedy. “Boss, that’s not what I meant. I mean, I don’t even know how to put it…”

Without him saying it, Catherine already knew what Ronin wanted to express. In the eyes of outsiders, the clever and talented young computer genius Ronin may appear to be a simple and unpretentious younger brother in front of her.

Ronin spoke to her without any guard, saying whatever he wanted without hesitation. Catherine’s voice was calm, devoid of emotion, as if she was assessing a stranger.

“You are correct. Korbin is definitely not a good person!”

Upon hearing these words, Ronin couldn’t help but feel relieved. However, for some unknown reason, he felt a tinge of sadness within his heart, which was quite discomforting.

He couldn’t figure out why Korbin was so lucky to have been blessed with such an exceptional daughter as his boss.

“Unfortunately, this foolish old man lacks intelligence. He doesn’t appreciate having such an excellent daughter and has engaged in so much stupid things.

“Seriously, he’s helplessly stupid!” thought he. After hesitating for a moment, Ronin decided to give Catherine a heads-up.

“Boss, even though we might not need to make a move right now, we should still be prepared. If this old guy gets desperate and starts acting out, it could cause trouble.”

Catherine knew what Ronin meant. She stared at the information transmitted by Ronin on the projection in front of her.

She didn’t expect Korbin to embezzle such a large sum of money from the Swann Corporation and invest it in foreign exchange trading.

The foreign exchange market was especially unfavorable this year. Many people had lost a lot of money in speculation. Even big investors like Korbin suffered significant losses. To plug the gap, Korbin used the company’s funds.

Now, the management authority was still in the hands of Korbin, and since Vicente had passed away, it was hard for outsiders to find out about this embezzlement.

However, if Catherine were to win the gambling agreement and ultimately gain control of the company, this matter would be dug up again.

When the time came, either Korbin would have to dig into his own pocket to make up for the loss, or he would face impeachment by the majority shareholders and endure the pains of imprisonment.

That was why he strongly opposed Catherine taking over and refused to let go of his current position as the General Manager of the Swann Corporation. Catherine stared at the number on the document. “It’s a pretty significant amount of money.

“Korbin himself was absolutely unable to plug the gap. “He did not allow me to take over the Swann Corporation because he thought I was unworthy and concerned about my superficial relationship with the Swanns. He feared losing control and ultimately endangering himself if I were to take over the company.

“It’s no wonder that he was so alarmed when he found out about the success of the first phase of our project in collaboration with Mr. David.

“He even sent out his men to silence Leonel.

“After his attempts to silence Leonel failed, he began to probe the extent of my power.

“Regardless of how much he does, it is all in vain.

“The Swann Corporation couldn’t fall into his hands. Considering he is my biological father, I can choose not to pursue criminal charges against him.

“But there’s no way he can keep control of the Swann Corporation for himself, no matter how hard he tries. “I promised Grandpa I would take over the Swann Corporation and not let it fall. So I will keep my promise.

“Anyway, this intelligence has informed me of his determination to acquire the Swann Corporation. I can also make better arrangements accordingly,” said Catherine inwardly.

“Ronin, please contact Joseph and ask him to keep Audrey safe during this period.”

Leonel had just had an incident. To prevent Korbin from becoming desperate and shifting his focus onto the people around Catherine. Catherine needed to be fully prepared for anything.

Ronin knew very well the importance of Audrey to his boss. Audrey was the kindest person besides his boss in the entire Swanns. Moreover, she had a great relationship with his boss. As for her men, Catherine had always been protective. Ronin was well aware of this.

“Boss, rest assured. I will tell Joseph and ensure that Audrey will be safe!”

Chapter 255 Different Sisters

Catherine lay lazily on the bed, staring straight at the white ceiling above. Her bright eyes were distinctly black and white. Looking closely, one would notice a trace of coldness mixed within the bright black pupils. It was chilling to the bone.

“If Korbin didn’t provoke me and let the matter pass, considering Grandpa and the blood relation between me and Korbin. I wouldn’t let him suffer and allow him to live with dignity. “But If he continues to cause trouble, don’t blame me for being merciless.

“Don’t mess with me!

“No matter who he is!

“Seriously, if they’re going to annoy me, even if he’s my father, I’ll show no mercy. “He had never taken care of me even for a day. Why should I care about family relationships?” thought Catherine.

Ronin hung up the phone quietly as he noticed the prolonged silence from Catherine’s end, wanting her to have a good rest. He had been following Catherine since he was a child and had grown up alongside Catherine.

It was Catherine who rescued him from the evil hell. Catherine was everything to him. He would make whoever dared to harm her pay a painful price, even if it would cost his life. The following day.

Catherine arrived at the classroom at the very last second. If it weren’t for Branden knocking on her door in the morning, she would’ve overslept.

“Looks like that candy Branden gave me has more than a glucose-boosting effect. “There must be other benefits, too. I’ll have to find time to get these candies tested!” thought Catherine.

The class was buzzing with non-stop discussion and chatter. As soon as Catherine sat down, Ronin approached her.

“Boss, wanna grab breakfast?”

It was the same sentence every day. Catherine felt that Ronin never tired of asking it, but she was tired of hearing it. Before Catherine could respond to Ronin, Bryan joined the conversation.

“Boss, the school announced something important today. The top three winners in the school’s celebration gala will get to represent our school in the national league. If we win the league, we’ll have priority for admission to top universities and get some awesome prizes. Nowadays, it’s not just about grades. They’re looking for all-around talents.”

Bryan heard this news from David in the morning and immediately reported it to Catherine. David was well-known for being a big gossip. There was not a single piece of news at school that he wasn’t aware of.

Since he dared to confirm this news, the news must be true. Hearing the new information relayed by Bryan, Catherine coldly rejected, ” I’m not interested!”

After speaking, she lazily slumped back onto the table and sprawled like a soft- bodied creature. All other body parts were in standby mode except for her brain working. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people.

“My boss is truly different from the average people.

“A great opportunity that ordinary people envy seems less important than the evening news and is easily dismissed by her,” thought Bryan.

However, Bryan could understand her. After all, Catherine had good grades.

“As long as the boss is willing, she can get into any university. “Why compete with other schools for this opportunity?” said Bryan inwardly. Except for them, every team that showed outstanding performance got bonuses after the last celebration gala.

Some groups had even been noticed by entertainment companies and signed contracts. As soon as this semester ended, they could go straight to art school and make their debut after training. Only Catherine’s group remained utterly silent after the celebration gala.

There were many speculations about them from the outside. Some people even mocked them for lacking business savvy and not knowing how to fight for success.

“These brainless fools. Ronin’s email is flooded with collaboration requests. How could nobody want us?

“It’s simply that we have no interest in it at all!” said Bryan inwardly. Catherine couldn’t care less about any college league. Her mind was filled with blueprints of chip architectures, with no attention to spare for such matters.

Therefore, despite the lively discussion between Bryan and David, Catherine remained expressionless and uninvolved throughout the process.

“Do not bother me with such trivial matters!” thought she. The classmates around noticed this and whispered to each other.

Classmate A said, “Catherine doesn’t even care about this stuff. I heard from David that there are plenty of people trying to get in touch with her since she got famous. I even heard Terry promise to write a recommendation letter for her to Ealsmen Conservatory!”

Student B replied, “Is it true? Ealsmen Conservatory! That’s like a music dreamland for so many people. Wasn’t Liana always aiming for that school? She didn’t even have a chance, and now Catherine has the opportunity? Aren’t the two sisters quite different?”

Classmate A added, “Who knows? But the two sisters are really different. I originally thought that Catherine wouldn’t know anything because she grew up in the countryside, but now it doesn’t seem to be the case!”

Classmate B answered, “Exactly!”

Even though the conversation between the two was not loud, Liana could hear it clearly as she had been paying attention to them.

The pencil that she had in her grasp was snapped in two by her during the conversation. The sharp pencil tip stabbed into her soft palm fiercely, but there was no sign of pain on her face. Her eyes were burning with intense fury as if she wanted to incinerate everything around her to ashes.

Her life had been smooth sailing, and she had never experienced such great humiliation. She was staring closely in the direction where Catherine was, her pitch-black eyes filled with endless hatred.

Everyone now knew that she was not as good as Catherine, and Catherine was way better than her. “Catherine must be feeling so smug right now.

“Why could she get Terry’s recommendation?

“I have been tirelessly striving to gain admission to Ealsmen Conservatory. Why did Catherine get the chance to attend it so easily?

“That jinx should stay in the countryside and struggle with poverty for the rest of her life.

“It is destined that she is ill-fated. She is doomed to be unlucky in her life.

“Why did Grandpa have to bring back this jinx?

“She destroyed everything! “Why did my parents not drown her in the toilet when she was born but instead abandoned her in the countryside?

“If it weren’t for the presence of Catherine, this unfortunate series of events would not have occurred. “Outside of school, I will still be Miss Liana Swann of the esteemed Swanns, commanding the admiration of others.

“At school, I will be the model student and the campus belle everyone loved.

“Because of Catherine’s appearance, everything went to shit.

“It’s all because of that jinx, Catherine!

“It can’t keep going like this. I have to kick Catherine out of Casier for good,” said Liana inwardly. Her mind was occupied by the conversation she had heard at the study room door that night.

She knew that her father was already wary of Catherine. As long as Catherine misbehaved, her father wouldn’t tolerate her.

All she had to do now was give it a bit of a push to get things going faster. She would never have a peaceful day if she couldn’t get rid of Catherine.

“Catherine Swann! She’s a total disaster and must disappear!” thought she.

Chapter 256 Audrey Had an Accident

Catherine received a call from Kim during lunch break. Kim didn’t explain what was going on over the phone. He just told Catherine to go to the hospital ASAP.

Without hesitation, Catherine hung up the phone and rode her motorcycle to the hospital, where Kim had given her the location at the fastest speed possible.

Kim was waiting outside the corridor for Catherine while Joseph stood beside him with a chilling vibe. Both of them heard the sound of footsteps approaching and turned their heads in unison.

When Kim saw Catherine, hope sprang into his eyes. He hurriedly rushed toward Catherine. Just as he was about to reach Catherine, Joseph suddenly blocked his way.

Joseph stood expressionless in front of Catherine, blocking her from Kim and preventing Kim from approaching her. Kim was about to throw a tantrum but held back because of Joseph’s intimidating and icy aura. He quietly refrained from venting out his feelings.

He could only stay in place and watch Catherine from afar, saying anxiously, Oh, Catherine, you’ve finally arrived. Your sister had an accident today and is currently in the hospital.”

Shortly afterward, he pointed at Joseph and expressed his dissatisfaction. ” This hulking guy won’t let me go in to see her. I am your sister’s manager. Am I not allowed to go in?”

“I could understand it if Joseph were to block the journalists.

“However, I am Audrey’s manager.

Why is he even blocking me from visiting her?

“This is absolutely unacceptable!” said Kim inwardly. He did want to resist, but having been in the industry for so many years, he immediately recognized that Joseph was not an ordinary guard.

“It is quite strange for such a master to suddenly appear on the set and risk his life to save Audrey. “Based on the Swanns’ usual neglect of Audrey, it’s definitely not possible that someone from the Swanns would have done it,” thought Kim.

When they had a conflict with the Blatons last time, Joseph was there too, instantly reminding Kim of Catherine.

Therefore, he immediately contacted Catherine. From the current situation, it looked like Catherine indeed arranged the person who was protecting Audrey.

“Wow, how long has this big guy been around us? We didn’t even notice him!”

“The real pro is on another level!” thought Kim. Catherine was not concerned with Kim’s authority issue in the first place. She turned her head, and her cold gaze fell on Joseph with a hint of chilliness in her clear eyes.

Seeing her glance, Joseph lowered his head instinctively. Beads of cold sweat formed on his back, and his whole body froze. “Boss, it’s my fault for not protecting Miss Audrey Swann!”

Catherine did not care about these things. She only wanted to know how serious Audrey’s injuries were and why she was injured.

She walked over to the nearby bench and sat down with her legs crossed. Her exquisite face was expressionless and devoid of any warmth.

No one could fathom her thoughts at this moment. Seeing that she remained silent, Joseph could only continue to report the situation.

“Boss, Miss Audrey Swann fell from a height of over 9 feet while filming due to a broken wire on the set. Her arm is fractured, and she just finished surgery and has been admitted to the ward for rest!”

Catherine listened to Joseph’s report expressionlessly and took out her phone to check the time. “It is currently 1 PM. I need to be informed of all the details regarding this incident before 3 PM this afternoon,” ordered Catherine.

Two hours was sufficient to investigate the matter thoroughly. If Joseph couldn’t complete this task, there would be no necessity whatsoever for him to stay by Catherine’s side to accept any assignments she arranged.

Joseph also knew this was his last chance and dared not hesitate.

“Okay, I’m on my way!”

After saying that, he quickly turned around and disappeared down the hospital hallway. Catherine walked into the hospital room. Since it was just a simple arm surgery, Audrey did not receive general anesthesia but only local anesthesia. Audrey opened her tired eyes when they came in and looked toward the two.

With a poker face, Catherine stood by while Kim burned with inner turmoil, Upon seeing Audrey, Kim couldn’t help but express his sympathy, “Oh, poor Audrey, you must have had a rough time. Does your arm still hurt?”

Audrey raised the corner of her mouth, revealing a slight smile. “I’m okay. The anesthesia hasn’t completely worn off yet, so I don’t feel much pain.”

After briefly explaining the situation to Kim, Audrey focused on Catherine.

“Hey Kathy, did you put Joseph next to me?”

When the incident happened, she thought she was done for. Luckily, Joseph rushed out without hesitation at that time. Although he couldn’t save her in time, he used his body as a shield to reduce the harm to the minimum.

If it weren’t for Joseph, she would probably be dealing with more than just a broken arm right now. Catherine didn’t deny it because she indeed arranged for Joseph. Seeing Catherine nod, Audrey was delighted. While glad, she also worried a bit as she looked at Catherine.

“Kathy, isn’t it a hassle for your friends to protect me? Joseph looks pretty strong. He must be someone extraordinary, right?”

Audrey was mainly worried that Catherine would owe Joseph a favor for her sake, which would make her feel guilty, As Kim listened to Audrey’s theory, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

It was evident to those with discerning eyes that a clear hierarchical relationship existed between Joseph and Catherine, with Joseph even referring to Catherine as his boss.

“How could it be a hassle for him?

“However, it appears that Catherine is not as simple as Audrey said. “Perhaps only Audrey herself thinks that her younger sister Catherine has genuinely just returned from the countryside and is completely ignorant.

“Analyzing this situation, any normal person could tell that she’s a big shot who’s not to be underestimated, although they may not be able to guess her identity.

“If she’s an average person, how could she possibly have access to so many resources?” said Kim inwardly. When Audrey made a suggestion, Catherine didn’t respond. She just stared at Audrey’s wounded arm.

On her poker face, a pair of dark and shiny big eyes stared intensely at the pristine white gauze.

“Have they performed a surgery?” asked Catherine. Audrey’s arm had a little hairline fracture, so the doctor did a minimally invasive surgery to speed up the healing of the wound. Audrey nodded. “Yeah, but the wound is not big. It’s only about one inch.”

One inch was not a big wound in surgical operations.

But Kim panicked when he heard it.” Oh my god, such a big wound. Will it leave a scar? Did you tell the doctor to use the best suture and make sure not to leave a scar?”

Joseph was in charge of everything once Audrey was brought to the hospital. Kim didn’t even have a chance to get involved at all.

A one-inch wound might not be a big deal for average people, but it was a massive wound for an actor. If it left a scar, it was going to be troublesome. For male actors, scars might be a badge of honor, but it could be a fatal blow for actresses.

Actors had to be part of the fashion scene. If Catherine had a scar on her arm, it would inevitably affect her future work. Kim’s passionate words affected Audrey, leaving her at a loss.

She looked at Catherine bewildered, not knowing what to do.

Chapter 257 The Future Mrs. Duncan

Audrey also knew she couldn’t have a scar, but that was not something she could control. With her mind devoid of ideas, she didn’t know what to do and could only turn her gaze toward Catherine, hoping that Catherine would give her some advice.

However, Catherine didn’t say a single word but just took out her phone and dialed a number. “I’m at Mercy Hospital now. Audrey got injured and had a minor surgery. I’m worried she might get a scar.”

After briefly explaining the situation, Catherine hung up the phone and casually leaned back on the side like nothing had happened.

Audrey couldn’t figure out what she meant and didn’t know who Catherine was calling. She looked at Kim as if asking, “What’s going on?”

In return, Kim looked at her helplessly as he winked and gestured as if saying, “She’s your sister. Now you’re asking me? Audrey, you are a little ridiculous.”

In the end, the two could only glance at each other in silence and sneakily peek toward Catherine. When Catherine was not speaking, she exuded a natural, formidable aura that made people hesitate to disturb her. After five minutes, the rigid silence in the ward finally broke out.

A group of doctors wearing white gowns walked together into the ward. If one didn’t know any better, one would think it must be some severe or rare emergency that required so many experts to have a consultation.

In an instant, Audrey got flustered in bed. Catherine was still sitting calmly with the same indifferent expression on her face.

Standing at the front, the doctor in the white gown looked around, then asked with a big smile, “Excuse me, who is Miss Catherine Swann?”

Audrey and Kim pointed their fingers toward Catherine in unison but were too afraid to speak. The scene before them was indeed quite daunting. Catherine slowly stood up, raised her head, and directed her gaze toward the leading doctor.

Although he appeared authoritative, the doctor had a rather friendly attitude toward Catherine. He took the initiative to introduce himself.

“Hello, Miss Swann. I’m Rhys Parry, the director of Mercy Hospital. Allow me to have a brief introduction.”

After finishing, Rhys pulled out the doctor beside him, who appeared to be an expert with a head full of gray hair.

“Miss Swann, this is Virgil Badman, the director of our hospital’s plastic surgery department. He has extensive experience suturing wounds and considerable clinical expertise in wound healing and scar prevention in the later stages.”

Catherine understood that the person in front of her was the expert arranged to take care of Audrey’s wound.

She fixed her gaze on Virgil, her cold eyes tinged with distance and respect. “I just want to know one thing. Will the wound leave scars or not?”

Catherine’s presence was just too strong, leaving Rhys at a loss for words. When he received that phone call, he was so frightened that his legs became weak. This was the first time that big shot had called since he took over as the director of Mercy Hospital.

Upon receiving the urgent news, he immediately contacted the experts and initiated top-level measures. After thorough discussions, he rushed directly to the patient’s ward.

He secretly breathed when he saw that the big shot wasn’t there. At least he could take it easy for now. However, when Catherine appeared, his anxious heart leaped again.

“Seems like I let my guard down too early. Miss Catherine Swann doesn’t seem ordinary either. Her presence is enough to rival that big shot,” thought he. Virgil landed her gaze on Rhys, indicating for him to speak.

Earlier, Rhys gathered everyone quickly and said it was an emergency. Virgil was so flustered that he dared not to speak now. Rhys knew Virgil was struggling and could only grit his teeth and answer Catherine’s question.

“Miss Swann, rest assured that we will do our utmost to leave no scars.” Catherine was expecting this sentence. Now that the other party had given it, she wouldn’t make things difficult for them.

“Thanks, Mr. Parry. I’ll leave my sister to you.”

Rhys silently wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. When Catherine was staring at him earlier, he felt his blood pressure skyrocket and was experiencing a sense of imminent blood vessel bursting at any moment.

“Miss Swann, please do not stand on ceremony. We’ll definitely get it done as Mr. Duncan personally instructed.”

Without receiving a response from Catherine, Rhys took the initiative to share his own thoughts after a couple of seconds.

“If there are no other instructions, I’ll take Virgil and the others to discuss the treatment plan first because having too many people around will also disrupt the patient’s rest!”

Catherine nodded. After obtaining permission, Rhys led the doctors out of the ward. Just as they were walking down the hallway, Virgil stopped and blocked the path of Rhys.

“Rhys, what exactly is going on here? And who exactly is that person inside?”

As a doctor for many years, he had come across a fair share of individuals with influential connections. Still, he had never seen anyone who could be treated so respectfully by the hospital director.

Rhys gave a sideways glance at Virgil and looked at him strangely. “Virgil, you and I have been friends for so many years. I cannot hide it from you. I dare to make this pledge because the person who called me just now is Branden Duncan! You know it. Branden Duncan!

He emphasized the name of Branden Duncan especially. At this moment, Virgil finally realized what was going on. He widened his eyes and looked at Rhys in absolute astonishment. “Rhys, are you saying the young heir of the Duncan family?”

Rhys gave Virgil a chilling look and said, “Now you understand why I feel the situation is serious. Let me tell you a secret. Come closer.”

Virgil came closer. Rhys whispered, “I heard that the person inside is highly likely the future Mrs. Duncan. How could I afford to say no to her?”

Virgil could see the helplessness on Rhys’ mysterious face. Understanding his plight, Virgil nodded in agreement before gazing firmly at him.

“Rhys, rest assured. I now understand your intentions. Leave it to me. I will take on this arduous task. I will definitely not let Mr. Duncan’s sister-in -law be scarred. I give you my word!”

Rhys nodded with relief, thinking that he had finally convinced Virgil. He could finally relax a bit this time. The discussion outside the ward was lively, but the atmosphere inside the ward seemed somewhat strange.

Under the various prompts of Kim, Audrey finally spoke to Catherine.

“Kathy, did you ask for Branden’s help? Catherine nodded as Audrey expected. She did indeed ask Branden for help. They were in Casier. Who could be more powerful than the Duncans?

It would be more efficient to have the local big shot Branden arrange the treatment instead of Ronin doing it himself.

From the current situation, there didn’t seem to be any issues with her decision. Seeing her nod, Audrey felt a bit strange in her heart. “Kathy, won’t this trouble the Duncans?”

“Have you noticed any trouble?” Catherine questioned her. Audrey was left speechless by this question.

“Fine. I don’t get it. I’ll just keep quiet, “said she inwardly. Seeing that it was almost time for afternoon classes, Catherine realized that she had no more reason to stay there and decided to head back to school for class.

“I’m off to class, take good care and get well soon!”

Audrey didn’t want to hold up Catherine from her studies. Besides, Kim was here too, so she hurriedly urged. “Then you should hurry up!”

Chapter 258 A Large Group of People

After returning to the school, Ronin immediately came to Catherine. “Boss, where did you go at noon? Why did you disappear as soon as I turned around?”

Catherine had left hurriedly and didn’t say goodbye to Ronin, so neither Ronin nor Bryan knew where she had gone. “Audrey had an accident on set. I went to the hospital to see her.”

Ronin was shocked to hear that Audrey had an accident.

“What? Was she even taken to the hospital? Is she okay?” Catherine’s expression was faint. What mood she was in couldn’t be seen from her expression, and her voice was somewhat cold.

“She’s fine! She broke her arm and had a minor surgery!”

From her expression when she said. that, people who didn’t know her would think she had held a grudge against Audrey.

Only Ronin knew that this had been Catherine’s concern for Audrey. People like them were born with light emotions and lacked the rich emotions of ordinary people.

But as long as it was someone they cared about, they would go to great lengths and exert themselves to protect them.

The fact that Catherine rushed to the hospital as soon as she received the news was enough to show how important Audrey was in her heart. “Boss, could you please take me when you go to the hospital at night?”

Before Catherine responded to Ronin, Bryan said, “Boss, I want to go too. It also want to visit Audrey!”

Hearing Bryan’s words, Ronin couldn’t help but roll his eyes and retorted sarcastically. “You really like learning from others. Do you have to learn everything that I say and do?”

Could Bryan bear this? He could bear anyone but not Ronin. He retorted back, “Hmph, who do you think you are? Are you good? What aspects of you are worth learning from?

As the two argued, Catherine frowned impatiently and growled coldly. “Stop arguing. I’ll take both of you!”

Now, the two finally shut their mouths, neither daring to anger Catherine. Only after the two had quieted down did Catherine realize that the cell phone in her pocket was ringing.

She glanced at the two of them and signaled that they should be quiet. Afterward, she left the classroom and answered the phone outside the hallway.

Joseph’s respectful voice came from the other end of the phone. “Boss, today’s accident has been clearly investigated. It doesn’t have anything to do with the Swanns. It was an actress within the crew who was in conflict with Miss Audrey because of their resources, and she bribed the person in charge of the props to do something on the wires.”

Audrey parachuted into the upper position and was just nobody when she signed on. Later, because of her rising popularity, the director’s team kept changing her scenes to increase her scenes in the show.

And because of the female lead’s accident, the director directly made Audrey the female lead of the cast. The other actors who worked hard to get the resources naturally became jealous of Audrey and could not accept this fact.

They wanted to get rid of Audrey and replace her. Catherine’s cold eyes stared at the azure blue sky ahead, with a hint of terrifying coldness mixed in her bright eyes. She thought to herself, “I won’t attack unless I’m attacked!”

Since the other party made a move, wouldn’t it make the other party feel it was easy to bully them if they didn’t retaliate?

“Boss, do you need me to make a move?

Joseph asked.

“No need. I have my own arrangements! On Catherine’s stunningly beautiful face, a seeming smile flashed on her thin pink lips.

If Ronin were there and saw Catherine’s expression like this, he would feel panic in his heart. He clearly knew that someone would suffer when Catherine showed such a smile.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for school to end. Catherine carried her book bag and was followed by Ronin and Bryan. They walked out of the school together.

Just as they walked down the stairs, they bumped into Yesenia, who had followed Catherine like a little tail since she transferred to their school.

“Super Catherine, where are you going? Ronin came back from his last leave, knowing that Yesenia had transferred to their school specifically for Catherine.

He made a fuss for a few days, but in the end, he had no choice but to let Yesenia follow Catherine casually. Upon hearing Yesenia’s question, Ronin glanced at Bryan.

The two tacitly decided not to tell Yesenia where they were going so there would be one less follower. Catherine remained silent throughout. With her hands in her pockets, she walked forward at brisk, relaxed paces.

Just outside the school gate, Catherine saw the familiar vehicle parked there. The man got out of the car the moment he saw Catherine.

Stepping forward, Catherine walked to the man’s side and took the initiative to speak. “I have to go to Mercy Hospital!”

The man nodded and said, “Well, I’ll go with you.”

At the same time, the window of the black car was rolled down. Triston’s head popped out of the car, revealing his annoying face. He grinned at Catherine and said, “Catherine, I heard that Audrey was injured. I’ll go with Mr. Duncan and you to visit her.

“Anyway, we’re friends with Audrey. She’s in the hospital, and how can we not visit her?”

Catherine was a bit speechless. The group that visited Audrey today seemed to be large. These people all claimed to be Audrey’s friends. Audrey had not yet refused, and Catherine had no reason to refuse. In that case, they would just go together. Catherine followed Branden to get into the car.

After hearing Triston’s words, Yesenia, who was following behind, also knew where they were going, so she quickly climbed into Bryan’s car and refused to get out of it, no matter what Ronin said.

To avoid wasting time, Bryan had no choice but to drive. So, a large group of people arrived at the hospital.

Kim panicked when he saw so many people suddenly appearing, all handsome men and beautiful women with extraordinary temperaments.

He rushed back to the ward as soon as possible without even saying hello to them. He waved his hand at Audrey.

“Man, you’re still in the mood for apples? A large group of people came outside…”

Audrey held the apple Kim peeled for her in her hand, thrust it into her mouth, and bolted. “Weren’t you the one who asked me to eat it? Is something wrong outside?”

Looking at her cute but stupid look, Kim covered his face speechlessly. He was considered completely desperate. How did he meet such a cute but stupid actress?

“Check by yourself!”

Just as Kim finished saying that, Triston was the first to enter the ward. ‘ Audrey, I’m here to see you.”

Seeing Triston’s face, Audrey was instantly startled. The apple she swallowed stuck directly in her throat, making her out of breath and coughing fiercely.

Kim might not be very familiar with other people, but he still knew Triston, a famous nobleman from Casier. Watching Audrey act like this in front of such a top-notch wealthy gentleman, Kim was helpless.

He was so unlucky to meet Audrey!

Before she stopped coughing, Audrey saw several more people get into the ward after Triston. Audrey was so scared by the sudden arrival of so many people that she hiccupped.

“What brings you here?”

Chapter 259 Catherine’s Arrangement

“Why are you all here?”

Audrey asked in surprise before dropping her gaze on Catherine. Catherine looked at her with an expressionless look.

She softly said, “They heard that you were injured and hospitalized, so we come to see you together after school!”

Ronin politely approached Audrey and said, “Audrey, Boss is right. When we heard about your accident in the afternoon, we planned to visit you. But we didn’t expect our group to be so large!”

As he said that, he glared with dissatisfaction toward Yesenia, who was on the side. “Especially the one we don’t know very well. She insisted on following up.”

Because of Catherine, Ronin treated Audrey in a very respectful manner. After all, Audrey was his boss’ sister and could also be considered his sister. There was not much difference.

As for Yesenia, since she dared to treat his boss like that before, she could not blame him for being rude. Upon hearing that, Yesenia was angry, and she glared at Ronin with her eyes widened.

“What do you know? Audrey and I have known each other for a long time.”

Watching the two arguing, Audrey felt a bit confused about what was going on. She knew Ronin, the boy who followed Catherine around every day, and she heard that Ronin was a little younger than Catherine.

As for the pretty girl, she did feel a bit familiar, but she couldn’t recall at the moment who she was. On the contrary, Yesenia looked at Audrey as if she knew Audrey very well.

“Audrey, do you remember me? I’m Yesenia from the Duncans. You came to my birthday party on my sixteenth birthday.”

According to the custom of Casier, a grand party must be held on a girl’s sixteenth birthday, and it was necessary to invite many friends and relatives. The richer the family, the bigger the party.

Although Yesenia was not from the main branch of the Duncans, she was the only girl in the younger generation of the Duncans, and the elders of the Duncans loved her very much.

So, on her sixteenth birthday, the Duncans changed their usual low- profile style and invited a group of wealthy families from the Casier to organize a big party.

All the influential families in Casier attended Yesenia’s birthday party.

And that was why Yesenia was sure Audrey had attended her birthday party. She didn’t even know if Audrey had attended, but she couldn’t let herself lose to Ronin. She winked at Audrey, asking her to help her.

Audrey remembered, and she did attend. Vicente was still alive at the time, and he was the one who arranged for Audrey and Liana to go to the party.

However, at that time, Yesenia was the high and mighty lady from the Duncans, while Audrey was the unloved eldest lady of the young generation of the Swanns. So naturally, they didn’t have much contact. But unexpectedly, they had indeed met once.

“I remember. You’re Bryan’s cousin, Yesenia, right?”

“Right!” Yesenia breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, smiling incredibly sweetly. Yesenia was quite talkative. As long as she was willing to make friends with someone, she could quickly have a lively conversation with them.

Yesenia and Audrey soon had a lively conversation about skincare products. The boys were uninterested in their discussion and were doing their own things.

Catherine was uninterested in their conversation either. Ronin arranged all of her skincare products, and they were fully customized. She didn’t need to learn or worry about skincare products at all.

She looked toward Kim, standing at the side, with his face full of smiles. Perhaps due to Catherine’s strong aura, when she looked over, Kim noticed her gaze immediately. Catherine glanced at him and then walked out of the hospital room.

Kim followed hurriedly, not daring to show any signs of neglect. Sitting silently by the side, Branden immediately noticed their movements and gestured to Paxton not to follow Catherine.

Since Catherine was planning to handle it on her own, he would just let her handle it on her own and help when Catherine needed it.

After Audrey had an accident, Catherine immediately called him to arrange for a doctor, which was already a happy thing for him. He knew very well that Catherine was the same kind of person as him.

They wouldn’t actively seek help from the other party if they didn’t fully trust the other party. Outside the ward door, Kim stood respectfully in front of Catherine. He looked like a student waiting for his teacher to reprimand him.

On the contrary, Catherine had her hands in her pockets and was leaning to the side. She looked lazy.

Kim waited for a few seconds, but Catherine didn’t say anything. He was a bit anxious and inquired cautiously, Catherine, are you calling me out for your sister’s matter? I know I didn’t take care of your sister this time, but…”

Without waiting for him to finish, Catherine suddenly said, “Check your mailbox!”

“What?” Kim froze for a moment.

Catherine’s cold eyes glanced at him, and Kim immediately trembled and returned to his senses. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone shiveringly. Unexpectedly, there was a new email in his mailbox, and he hurriedly clicked on it.

When he saw the contents of the email, he was shocked. The more he checked it, the brighter his eyes became, as if they were glowing, and his smile grew. He looked up at Catherine in surprise, and his eyes filled with uncontrollable excitement.

“Catherine, how did you get so much gossip about that little bitch?” Unexpectedly, there were even close photos of that little bitch hooking up with her sponsor. If this news were exposed, this little bitch would be finished.

The little bitch was the female supporting role of the same crew as Audrey. Relying on the support behind her back, she caused trouble and hurt Audrey. Kim had been displeased with her for a long time and sought opportunities to target her.

However, it was said that she had a powerful backer, and Kim could not clearly determine the other party’s strength, so he dared not take action. casually. Now that he had this information, he could finish that little bitch with just a simple move of his fingers.

But he was curious about how Catherine could get this information. Could it be that Joseph had told Catherine about the usual bullying of Audrey?

Catherine looked at Kim with a cold face and explained to him. “Find a time to put out the news of Audrey’s injury on a small scale and send the second email to the director.”

At first, Kim only paid attention to the gossip of that little bitch, but didn’t see there was another email. After opening the other email, he finally figured out the reason for Catherine’s outburst.

He gritted his teeth and cursed, “I was curious why such an accident happened, so it was this little bitch who set up. Damn it. I must deal with this bitch. I won’t let her off the hook.

“Catherine, no worries. Leave the rest to me. I promise to give you a satisfactory result!”

With this information, it would be easy for him to bring down the little bitch.

“Mmmm!”

Catherine grunted, then turned around and returned to the ward. The reason why she didn’t take action personally but asked Kim to do it was purely because Kim was Audrey’s agent.

He was an insider in showbiz and knew better what to do. She believed Kim could get things right if she helped him get the other party’s information.

If Kim couldn’t even get this small matter right, there was no need for him to be Audrey’s agent in the future. Looking at Catherine’s distant back, Kim was filled with emotion.

The feeling of being doted on by an overbearing president was fucking fantastic!

Chapter 260 So You Saw That Inside the hospital room, Audrey and Yesenia were still chattering about skincare products while Bryan started playing games online with Ronin.

Branden sat with his eyes closed, not saying a word, but no one dared approach him to disturb him. Paxton stood like a statue at Branden’s side, motionless and imposing.

With Paxton standing by Branden like that, others were even more afraid to go near him. Triston was the only one who was idle in the huge ward.

He walked up and down the ward, looking around, but couldn’t find any fun. Seeing Catherine enter, he suddenly had a bright idea and asked the crowd, ” Since everyone is here, why don’t we have barbecues?”

Audrey was arranged in a high-end independent ward. There were only two wards on this entire floor, and they were separated, with direct elevator access. It would not affect other wards and routine medical work if they barbecued here.

But after Triston said that, everyone’s eyes attacked him. He glanced cautiously at Catherine. Being glanced at by Catherine’s cold gaze was as terrifying as being looked at directly by Branden, making him tremble all over.

“I’m just asking. If you don’t want it, then forget it.”

Triston smiled to ease his embarrassment. “Take it easy. No hard feelings!”

Yesenia tsked in disgust, and her words were full of contempt. “Uncle Triston, you don’t know what Audrey’s situation is now? She could only have light food now. She could only watch us eat if so many of us barbecue here. Do you think it’s good?

“Or you’re holding a grudge against her and deliberately taking revenge on her?

Triston didn’t think so much. Audrey was Catherine’s sister. It didn’t matter if he offended Audrey, but if he offended Catherine, he would be finished.

When Triston planned to explain, Audrey said reproachfully, “That’s right. Triston, you scumbag. Do you hold a grudge against me? Or else why do you plague me like this?”

Triston’s face was full of grievances. He looked like he had nowhere to complain about his grievances.

“I don’t!”

He turned his head toward Branden for help, but Branden ignored him. Now, he was in despair. He could only blame himself for being greedy and offering this suggestion without thinking twice. Although they didn’t want to have barbecues, it was still time to have dinner.

Seeing so many people in the ward, Audrey felt a bit awkward. After all, everyone was here to visit her. She said to Catherine, “Kathy, you take everyone to have dinner. The hospital has arranged healthy meals for me, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

Just as she finished speaking, she saw a girl wearing a sweatshirt and carrying a large school bag walk in. Seeing so many people in the ward, the comer seemed slightly surprised. Subconsciously, she opened her mouth and said, “Are you all Audrey’s fans?”

Seeing the comer misunderstand, Audrey explained quickly, “Kiri, they are all my friends. This is my sister Catherine.”

“Kathy, this is Kiri, the assistant you helped me find. She’s coming to the hospital to stay with me tonight, so you don’t need to stay here with me. You still have to get up early tomorrow to go to school.”

Catherine glanced toward Kiri and nodded slightly in greeting. Her attitude was neither cold nor enthusiastic.

Kiri, however, kept staring at Catherine, looking her up and down carefully. Then, with a face of surprise, she said, ” Miss Catherine, hello. Nice to meet you. I’m Kiri Herman.”

Kiri used to work as an assistant for Grayson for many years, but at that time, Grayson did not have the current status. She was just an assistant responsible for chores around Grayson.

She knew Grayson’s efforts and talent better than anyone else. She watched Grayson work hard and quickly ascend the peak that others would never reach, even if they worked hard for a lifetime.

She always thought people like Peerless Grayson were like gods, without any emotions and desires, because she had never heard rumors about him.

Later, she discovered something accidentally that shocked her. She found that every time Peerless Grayson received a mysterious phone call, he could be in a good mood for the whole day.

Moreover, a photo of someone’s back was inside Peerless Grayson’s wallet. Although she could not see the face of the person in the picture, she was sure it was a girl.

Whenever something major came up, Peerless Grayson would stare blankly at this back photo. She once boldly asked Peerless Grayson if the girl in the photo was the one he liked.

She clearly remembered that Peerless Grayson said to her with a serious face, “It’s someone that I admire and respect as much as a god!”

At that time, she was shocked. Later, when she saw the smile Peerless Grayson showed when he met Catherine in a variety show, she realized that this was the person who could make Peerless Grayson happy all day with every phone call.

After meeting Catherine in real life, she finally realized what stunning beauty meant. Catherine was just too beautiful and graceful.

Kiri had been observing Catherine consciously or unconsciously, and Catherine had also sized up Kiri. When Catherine saw that Kiri was quick and good at caring for people, she agreed that Kiri would stay and take care of Audrey. Catherine glanced at the crowd and said, “Let’s go!”

Branden was the first to respond. He put down his crossing long legs and walked over to Catherine’s side, actively taking her hand. His movements were both smooth and natural. He took Catherine’s hand and put it into his arm.

“Going to dinner?” The man’s deep eyes looked at her gently with questioning. Catherine didn’t answer him but directly pulled him away, and the rest of the people naturally followed. In a few moments, however, Kiri was the only one left in the ward to accompany Audrey.

Seeing no one was around, Kiri boldly asked Audrey, “Audrey, who was that handsome guy holding your sister just now? He was so imposing. I didn’t even dare to take a look at him.”

Audrey didn’t expect Kiri to ask this, but she could understand why Kiri asked that. After all, as long as Branden was present in a place, it was probably difficult for regular people not to notice him.

“He’s my sister’s boyfriend. Not to mention you, even I rarely look at him.”

Audrey showed a mysterious smile toward Kiri. Kiri, however, smiled a bit guilty. From how Branden looked at Catherine, Kiri knew their relationship wasn’t ordinary.

After learning about Branden’s relationship with Catherine, Kiri only felt a pang of heartache. She felt it for Peerless Grayson.

She didn’t know what Peerless Grayson would feel if he learned that his idol had a boyfriend. Catherine got in the car with Branden, and Triston followed to get in as well. When he reached out to pull the car door, he found it locked.

He subconsciously knocked on the glass, but the car was started and driven away. Triston almost fell because he didn’t react in time. He stomped his feet in anger.

Catherine couldn’t help but laugh at the image of Triston making a fool of himself. The man sitting next to her looked at her with his eyes filled with doting and asked softly, “Feel better?”

Catherine turned her head and looked back and forth at the man with cold eyes. Her voice was very light, but there was a sense of arrogance. “So you saw that!”

Although she didn’t know what exactly Triston had done to Audrey, Catherine knew that the one who suffered was Audrey.

Since Audrey didn’t pursue the matter, Catherine naturally wouldn’t take action, but that didn’t mean she forgave Triston for what he did. The man pursed his lips with a smile but didn’t respond.

However, Paxton, who was driving, felt a chill behind him and shivered. He knew now that he could offend anyone but never Catherine.

To make Catherine smile, Branden even fooled his friends. If Paxton offended Catherine, even if he wasn’t kicked out of the Duncans, he would be sent to an extremely impoverished place to mine.