Ch. 41..50
Chapter 41
Chapter 41 Can We Be Friends?
In the afternoon, after Catherine returned to her class. The class quieted down immediately. It was even quieter than when the homeroom teacher arrived.
Everyone had their eyes fixed on Catherine. Some of them looked surprised, some disdainful, and some were once again mesmerized by Catherine’s beauty.
Despite being the focus of everyone’s attention, Catherine acted as if nothing was wrong and went back to her seat. As she sat down, the discussions around her started again.
“How is she still here? Didn’t Bryan teach her a lesson? I heard that no girl could live to see tomorrow in the classroom after approaching Bryan. Even though it has only been a morning, isn’t it more than enough for Bryan to make her disappear already?”
“Who knows? Maybe she is skillful in her own way. I heard that she carries a curse and is a jinx herself. Her own family abandoned her since she was just a child.”
“Shut up! Don’t let Catherine hear you. I heard she’s tough and a great fighter for growing up in the countryside. She joined Class 8 even though she was never in school. Can you really afford to offend her?”
At this reminder, the two girls immediately lowered their voices to continue their discussion. However, the news that Catherine was never in school and came from the countryside had already spread in the class.
After walking into the classroom, Liana was shocked to see Catherine in her seat, looking unscathed. Liana’s face paled immediately. How could she be here? Wasn’t she…
Before Liana could understand what was going on, Catherine raised her head and looked in her direction. Her eyes were cold and sharp!
Liana dared not look her in the eye and subconsciously lowered her head to avoid Catherine’s gaze.
Her heart was hammering. As she returned to her seat, she took out her phone immediately to contact the gang.
She was desperate to know why Catherine was still here, safe and sound. Didn’t she arrange for a gang to attack Catherine so that she would be so intimidated to quit school? What was going on?
However, Liana received no reply to her texts. Catherine’s eyes fell lightly on Liana. She had seen every change in emotion on Liana’s face, from being shocked at first to being helpless later. Catherine couldn’t help but find it somewhat interesting. She hadn’t done anything to her, yet Liana was already scared out of her wits!
She was such a paper tiger. At the ring of the bell, Bryan led David and the others into the classroom. Everyone in Class 8 was used to seeing Bryan entering the classroom only at the last minute.
In fact, it would be strange to see Bryan here before the bell rang. Bryan was the star of attention no matter where he went in Loyalty Academy.
Now, everyone turned their attention to Bryan as they knew that Bryan did not like to be around girls, especially those wanting to approach him.
Catherine must have used some trick to be arranged to sit next to Bryan. Bryan would surely give a girl like her hell.
Therefore, everyone was waiting to see what Bryan would do to Catherine, who thought too highly of herself.
Even Liana was aware of Bryan’s bad temper. She was also curious to see what Bryan would do
to Catherine.
Bryan walked up to Catherine as expected.
His group of friends, including David, didn’t return to their seats but accompanied Bryan to the last row of the classroom.
He made such a presence!
Some students were already covering their faces with their books. They were afraid of being involved in the fight that was indeed brewing.
As everyone watched Bryan move, they also kept a close eye on Catherine’s reaction.
However, they saw that Catherine’s face remained cold and indifferent from the beginning. It was as if everything that was going on around her had nothing to do with her.
Some even thought that Catherine must be stupid for not fleeing in the face of trouble.
A boy commented in a whisper, “She is definitely pretty, but it’s a pity that she’s stupid. How can she not run away?”
Liana heard this and couldn’t help but smile. She was waiting to see Bryan teaching Catherine
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a lesson.
Bryan walked up next to Catherine and studied her at a glance.
Even though he had only taken a glance at her, he felt his blood boiling as though something was going to burst out of his body.
He spoke with difficulty in a slightly hoarse voice, “Catherine!”
At first, Catherine didn’t plan to respond to him. She only turned to look at him slowly after Bryan called her name,
Her cold but somewhat creepy eyes fell slowly on Bryan. With a brow raised, she asked him with a look as though saying, “What is it?”
She was stunningly beautiful with such cold eyes. Bryan was immediately mesmerized and forgot to say what was on the tip of his tongue.
He only snapped out of his daze when David, who was behind him, gave him a nudge.
Then, Bryan did something that left the whole class in shock!
He bowed to Catherine. As he did so, David and the others bowed to Catherine too.
Holy shit!
This was definitely the most breaking news of Loyalty Academy this year!
The famous Bryan actually bowed to a new student.
Everyone was stunned. Their eyes widened as if they would pop out any second now.
Catherine, on the other hand, looked at Bryan calmly. It was as if what he did was nothing to
her.
Bryan looked up at Catherine with a serious expression.
“Catherine, can we be friends?”
A series of gasps and whispers rang in the classroom immediately.
“Oh, my god. Did Bryan bow to Catherine proactively, only to be her friend?”
“Has Bryan gone mad?”
What was so special about Catherine that made Bryan treat her like this?
It was magical!
Everyone, including Bryan, was waiting for Catherine’s reaction.
Nobody imagined that Bryan would do something like this to Catherine. However, Catherine
continued to look cold and arrogant.
Catherine remained calm after knowing what Bryan wanted. She was not influenced by him at all.
Not to mention being flustered because Bryan wanted to be her friend.
She only looked coldly at Bryan, then spoke calmly, “I’m not in the habit of making friends!”
The whole class thought that Catherine must be mad!
Nobody knew what was wrong with Bryan today to ask Catherine to be his friend proactively and so openly. It was almost as if he was buttering her up.
However, they found Catherine’s attitude even more unbelievable. One had to know that Bryan was so famous in Loyalty Academy because he had good grades, was good-looking, and came from a top family. Most importantly, he was a great fighter. It could be said that he was the best fighter in the Academy.
In the past, some hooligans came to bully a student from Loyalty Academy. Bryan stepped in and fought the five hooligans all at once. They were all sent to the hospital, while Bryan, alone, was unscathed.
Now, Catherine didn’t know better than to publicly refuse Bryan like this. Everyone believed that it was the end of her.
Even David, one of Bryan’s most loyal sidekicks, couldn’t help but worry for Catherine. She was doomed, as it was so scary when Bryan got mad.
Chapter 42
Chapter 42 Losing Her Temper
Just as everyone thought Bryan would get mad at Catherine and was praying silently for Catherine, Bryan’s attitude left everyone in shock again.
Bryan’s serious expression broke into a faint smile suddenly, which made him seem more relaxed and less stern.
He pulled his chair out, sat down, leaned towards Catherine, and looked at her in a friendly manner. “It’s okay. We are now classmates and deskmates already. We’ll become somewhat like friends when we are more familiar with one another, won’t we?”
Everyone was speechless. Was this the Bryan they knew?
Why did he look like a playful hooligan flirting with girls?
Catherine took another rare glance at Bryan, who had changed his attitude so suddenly.
She suddenly felt that Bryan looked somewhat like Ronin.
But he wasn’t as cute as Ronin was. Besides, she already had Ronin and did not need another boy like him.
If Bryan knew what Catherine was thinking about right now, he would surely go mad.
After all, he was the boss that everyone respected in Sincere High School. It was outrageous for him not even to have a chance to make friends with Catherine and even be considered to be not cute enough.
The mathematics teacher entered the classroom and saw that David and the others were still
gathered around Bryan.
She slammed her books on the desk and roared, “What time is it? Why are you not back in your seats? Go back to your seats, all of you. Are you trying to challenge me?”
The mathematics teacher was known to have a bad temper and a loud voice.
The
group scattered and returned to their seats, all a bit afraid of her.
Then, the mathematics teacher finally flipped the book open and was ready to start the lesson.
Catherine also adjusted herself and leaned against the table again as she did in the morning, getting ready to sleep.
However, the mathematics teacher got mad when she saw someone sleeping in her class.
She pounded on the table hard, making everyone jump, and roared in the direction of Catherine, “Who is that? How can you sleep in my class? If you don’t want to study, then get out of here!”
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Soon, the mathematics teacher got even angrier when she saw that Catherine didn’t even move after her roar.
She grabbed a book and was about to throw it at Catherine hard. Her eyes flashed with a trace of fierceness as she thought to herself, “Are you that sleepy? I’d love to see how much of this you can take!”
Everyone was holding their breaths and didn’t dare to make a sound. Seeing that the book was about to hit Catherine on the head, Bryan, who was beside her, blocked it.
The ears of Catherine, who was still asleep, twitched and stopped moving again.
Bryan reached out quickly to catch the book that came flying towards Catherine in a tight grip.
Bryan often played basketball and could even catch a basketball spinning at high speed, not to mention a book.
Seeing Bryan in action, the few girls in the class almost exclaimed in admiration.
“Oh, Bryan is so cool!”
The mathematics teacher’s expression turned very nasty after the book had been intercepted.
At first, she had a good impression of Bryan, as he was from an influential family and had good grades, despite being wild.
However, she was highly annoyed by Bryan’s behavior today. With a frown, she looked at Bryan warningly. “Bryan, what are you doing?”
Bryan looked up at the mathematics teacher with a serious expression.
“Miss, don’t you know you can’t hit a student?”
Maybe she didn’t imagine Bryan would tell her off, the mathematics teacher was stunned and only recovered herself a moment later. Her eyes were filled with rage as she looked at Bryan.
“It is my class now. She is sleeping in my class. Is that right then?”
Bryan didn’t know why he was so irritated to see the mathematics teacher attacking Catherine. That was why he talked back to her.
Besides, he didn’t like how the mathematics teacher treated her students differently. She was particularly tolerant towards those from powerful families and looked down upon the students from less powerful families, even if they had good grades.
Even though the students of Class 8 generally had good grades and came from influential families, they were not all the same. Each of them had their own strengths and weaknesses.
In the face of the mathematics teacher’s response, Bryan talked back to her again without thinking, “It is true that she shouldn’t sleep in class, but since she is a new student and probably doesn’t know the rules, shouldn’t you at least try to talk to her about it first?”
The mathematics teacher was so angry that she was about to explode. After hearing Bryan’s words, she smiled particularly mockingly suddenly. Her eyes were full of disdain as she looked at Catherine again.
“Here I was, wondering who she was. So she is the new student in Class 8, the girl rumored to have never been to school. No wonder she sleeps in class!”
The whole class was stunned. They had only heard about it from the rumors.
The mathematics teacher’s words seemed to have confirmed everyone’s guesses.
As such, was Catherine so uneducated that she was even illiterate?
The mathematics teacher felt even angrier seeing Catherine was still sound asleep and continued, “Let me tell you. By letting someone so worthless into our class, the school is. trying to remind you that she is the classic bad example. If you don’t study hard, you’ll become like her too. She’s like a pig waiting to be slaughtered, as all she does is sleep and eat all day.”
Her words were so nasty. Catherine only didn’t know the rules as she had never been to school before and was new to the school.
Besides, what could she do if she couldn’t understand the things taught in class?
It was so humiliating for the mathematics teacher to describe her as a pig waiting to be slaughtered.
“Let me tell you this…” The mathematics teacher was about to continue.
Bang!
Bryan pounded on the table hard and stood up, staring furiously at the mathematics teacher.
“Is this what a teacher should be like?”
In the face of Bryan’s questioning, the mathematics teacher couldn’t take it anymore and retorted sternly, “Bryan, don’t think that you can get away from not respecting your teacher because you have good grades and come from a powerful family.”
“Not respecting you?” A mocking sneer appeared on Bryan’s handsome face. “How dare call yourself our teacher? You attacked a student and called a student a pig. You do whatever you want here because you’re on good terms with the daughter-in-law of a school board member. Do you really think it’s because of you that Class 8 has good grades?”
you
The mathematics teacher indeed came to Class 8 not long ago. She had been boasting about how good the mathematics grades of the class were ever since.
In fact, the mathematics grades of Class 8 were even better before she had come to the class.
The mathematics teacher didn’t expect Bryan to call her out like that. She was so mad that she
was shaking as she glared at Bryan and pointed a finger at him.
“Get out of here now! I wouldn’t allow scum like you to be in my class. Leave now!”
Bryan stayed rooted on the spot. He wanted to know what the mathematics teacher could do to him!
Suddenly, everyone turned their eyes to someone next to Bryan.
Even Bryan noticed something off and turned to take a look.
Catherine was awake and leaning against the back of the chair as she looked lazily at Bryan.
A look at her left Bryan in a daze!
all Her Secrets By Chestnut Chapter 43
Chapter 43 What a Nag
Bryan was so agitated that he forgot Catherine was still sleeping next to him. Now that she was awake, she looked cold with her brows furrowed.
For no reason at all, Bryan couldn’t help but be slightly scared seeing her like this. He spoke nervously, “Catherine, L…”
“It’s so noisy!” With her brows knitted, Catherine said this unhappily, which made Bryan shut up immediately. When the mathematics teacher saw Catherine looking so casual, she grew even more disdainful towards her.
As Bryan stopped talking at just a light comment from Catherine, the mathematics teacher couldn’t help but grow even angrier.
Bryan talked back to her all he wanted, even when she was the teacher.
However, Catherine made Bryan shut up with three simple words. The mathematics teacher felt that she had been humiliated. It was as if she was not intimidating at all.
The mathematics teacher rolled her eyes and looked at Catherine, speaking in a weird tone, What is it? Is the pig awake and ready to save the world?”
The homeroom teacher hurried over as soon as she heard about this incident and happened to hear what the mathematics teacher was saying. She didn’t like what she heard at all and looked at the mathematics teacher with her face darkened.
“Miss Adler, it isn’t right for you to call a student that, is it?” The mathematics teacher turned and saw that it was the homeroom teacher.
She wasn’t afraid at all. Her father-in-law was a member of the school board. Even if Stella DeFore was the homeroom teacher of Class 8, the mathematics teacher was not scared of her.
She looked at the homeroom teacher with a fierce look, then said coldly, “Miss DeFore, as the homeroom teacher of Class 8, you didn’t discipline your students at all. You don’t have to thank me for doing it for you. You see, this girl that had just woken up, Catherine, sleeps like a pig every lesson. By taking her in Class 8, are you trying to drag the average scores down and make way for Class 7?”
The grades of Class 7 were worse than that of Class 8, coming in second of the year. The homeroom teacher of Class 7 had considered overtaking Class 8 as his life-long ambition, as nobody would like to come in second forever.
Class 8 was disdainful of what Class 7 did in the hope of overtaking them. After all, the average score of Class 8 was significantly better than that of Class 7. It wouldn’t be easy for them to
overtake Class 8.
However, that was based on the fact that every student in Class 8 had good grades. Even if a few of them scored a few marks lower, it wouldn’t affect the average score too much.
Nonetheless, if a student scored zero marks in every exam, no matter how excellent the grades. of the rest of the class were, they would undoubtedly be dragged down. By then, Class 8 would surely become the joke of the school.
They would be mocked ten times harder than how they laughed at Class 7 before.
None of the students had thought about it at first and were still immersed in how beautiful Catherine was and how Bryan treated her.
Now that the mathematics teacher had reminded the class, everyone understood immediately.
Some of the students started to panic. One of them grabbed her deskmate’s hand and grumbled in a low voice, “What should we do? If we lose to Class 7, we’ll become a joke!”
“Don’t you think I’m scared too? My sworn enemy is in Class 7. She has been doing everything possible to join Class 8 but never succeeded. If Class 8 loses to Class 7, I’ll be so humiliated in
front of her.”
The whispers soon grew louder. The mathematics teacher smiled gleefully.
She looked at the homeroom teacher and said, “Miss DeFore, it’s not that I have anything against the new student. You can see it too. I only said what everyone is worried about out loud. How can we let an illiterate bumpkin affect Class 8’s glory?”
Even though the homeroom teacher thought that the mathematics teacher had gone too far, she had to admit the mathematics teacher had a point.
Stella didn’t want to be mocked by the homeroom teacher of Class 7 too. She was struggling to come up with a come-back.
Seeing that the homeroom teacher had gone silent, the mathematics teacher looked gleeful and grinned broadly. She held her head high and looked in Catherine’s direction.
“For the sake of our class, I suggest the new student join Class 7 and bring them hell instead.”
After hearing the mathematics teacher’s words, Liana, who was sitting nearby, couldn’t help but smile with a hand over her mouth.
She was the student helper in the mathematics lessons and the favorite of the mathematics teacher. She was overjoyed by how the mathematics teacher humiliated Catherine.
It was too much. Bryan almost couldn’t stop himself from wanting to speak up for Catherine again.
It was as if Catherine knew what he was thinking as she glanced at him lightly.
This time, Catherine shut Bryan up with just a look. It was truly amazing.
One had to know that Bryan didn’t care about anyone when he got mad. It was unbelievable how he would stop with just a look from Catherine.
After shooting Bryan a warning look, Catherine looked up at the mathematics teacher lazily and casually.
Despite being the subject of all the discussions, Catherine sat in her seat calmly. Her face remained cold and expressionless.
If it weren’t for the fact that the mathematics teacher was talking about her, Catherine wouldn’t even bother to deal with this.
Seeing Catherine had turned to look at her with cold eyes, the mathematics teacher couldn’t help but be flustered.
However, when she remembered what Liana had told her about, she collected herself. The Swanns did not favor Catherine. She was the jinx kicked off to the countryside when she was young. What was so scary about her?
After calming down, the mathematics teacher met Catherine’s eyes and asked coldly, “New student, why are you looking at me like this? Do you beg to differ?”
She didn’t even call Catherine by her name. She was doing this to let Catherine know how much she despised her.
The mathematics teacher wanted to see how embarrassed Catherine would be.
With a careless smile, Catherine looked at the mathematics teacher and said coldly, “What a nag!”
Bryan couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Catherine retorted in such a special way.
As Bryan laughed, a few students couldn’t refrain from laughing out loud too.
The mathematics teacher’s face became pale and flustered then. It was such a funny scene.
She stared angrily at Catherine and pointed a finger at her. “You….”
Before she could finish speaking, a cold look from Catherine made her choke on her own words.
“Since you care so much about grades here. We’ll do it your way, then. If I come top in the year, does that mean I won’t have to listen to you quacking like a duck anymore?”
Even though the mathematics teacher was quite good-looking, her voice was indeed quite hoarse. Most of the time, she would talk at a higher pitch. However, now that she was so mad, she had forgotten to speak at a higher pitch. She indeed talked like a duck quacking.
Now, more students couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Even the homeroom teacher was
struggling to keep a straight face.
The mathematics teacher was so angry that she was almost crackling as if she was on fire. She stared angrily at Catherine and said through gritted teeth, “With a bumpkin like you that had never received proper education? You’re dreaming to think that you can come top in the year!”
Catherine hated others being all talk. The mathematics teacher, in particular, was full of talk. Catherine only looked coldly at her with a brow raised.
“Just tell me, what would you do if I could?”
Chapter 44
Chapter 44 Top of the Class
It was not only the mathematics teacher, but nobody believed Catherine could come top in the class.
After all, Sincere High School was the most famous high school in the city, and Class 8 was the best in the school. A top university would admit half of the students who graduated from such a class.
In fact, to admit more students from a class like this, there was even news that top universities fought at the school’s gate One could see how great the students of Class 8 were.
The mathematics teacher didn’t believe a student like Catherine, who was probably illiterate, could be top in the class. Being top in Class 8 would mean being the top of the year. That was for sure.
In the face of Catherine’s taunts, the mathematics teacher smiled mockingly “Since you dare to make such a promise, I’ll see how you do. If you come top in the class on the test next week, I’ll apologize to you in front of the entire school.”
As she was finished, Catherine added, “And admit you’re the pig!”
She had heard everything the mathematics teacher had just said.
With that, the expression on the mathematics teacher’s face turned so ugly and twisted.
Before she could speak, Bryan spoke up in a hurry to back Catherine up, “Miss, I think Catherine has a point If she manages to come top in the class, it would mean that you were wrong Shouldn’t you take back what you called her then?”
The mathematics teacher was so angry, but there was nothing she could say about that.
However, she wasn’t worried at all. In her eyes, someone like Catherine couldn’t come up top
in the class.
top the
She shot Catherine an angry and fierce glare. “Sure, that’s a deal then. If you don’t class, you’ll leave Class 8 immediately and be banned from my class for life!”
Catherine nodded casually at the mathematics teacher. She looked so casual that it was as if this matter was unimportant to her.
Her attitude stung the mathematics teacher so hard that she threw her books on the desk hard. “You’ll study by yourselves today!”
With that, she turned and left the classroom. The homeroom teacher couldn’t do anything
about it too After encouraging the class to study harder, she left too.
Bryan settled himself back in his seat when the teachers were all gone.
Catherine had sat down long ago. She had a foot on the bar of the desk and a hand around the back of the chair she was sitting on, looking intimidating.
Everyone was wearing the school uniform except Catherine. It was her first day at school, and she hadn’t gotten her uniform yet. This made her stand out from her classmates.
However, this also made her the most eye-catching student in her class.
After sitting down, Bryan leaned closer to Catherine.
He flipped his book open, then flipped Catherine’s book open.
Catherine had just gotten her book today, and it was the first time she had opened it. As Catherine was leaning on her desk to sleep, all of her books were on Bryan’s desk in a stack.
Bryan pushed the new and old books in front of Catherine. “Come on. Look here!”
”
Catherine looked at him somewhat in surprise. Her delicate eyes were full of questions, “Why?
“I’ll act as your tutor. We still have a few days until the test next week. I’ll do my best to help you out so that you can at least know something. It’ll be easier for me to help you then.”
Bryan looked at Catherine seriously.
He had become a fan of Catherine’s ever since he saw her fight.
He admired Catherine’s look and presence when she fought. He wanted to become friends with her.
For them to be friends, he had to help her out.
He had it all figured out. He would first help Catherine to learn something and then try to see if he could also help her out of this after the test.
Even though it was really hard, he would try his best.
Catherine glanced lightly at him, looking cold. Then, she pushed the two books on her desk away and said coldly, “I’m busy!”
After that, Catherine leaned back against the desk and got back to sleep.
Seeing her like this, Bryan hesitated for a while and dared not speak.
He felt that bothering Catherine in her sleep was a sin that could not be forgiven. He didn’t know where he had gotten such an impression.
Even though Catherine had fallen asleep peacefully, the whispers in the class had gotten louder.
As she stared in Catherine’s direction angrily, Liana’s cold eyes flashed with a trace of mockery.
She didn’t expect Catherine to give up on herself even before Liana acted.
It was true that the jinx was still a jinx, no matter where she was. She only brought trouble to those around her. Liana only had to wait for the show to begin.
Liana put the exercise in her hands away deliberately and sighed. “What should we do? Now that the teacher is not here, I don’t have anyone to ask about this question I can’t solve. Poor me! What will happen to me in the test next week?”
With that, Liana’s deskmate leaned over, took a look at her exercise, and frowned. “Liana, yout are only having trouble with the final and hardest question. I, on the other hand, can’t even. solve the ones on the first page. I was hoping for the teacher to teach me about it in class. Who knew that things would become like they are now?”
Others around them soon echoed her complaints. The students grumbled one after another.
“That’s right. I’m having trouble with it too. Say, would the teacher be so mad that she would leave us to study on ourselves from now on!”
“What should we do? I was already bad at mathematics before! I’m done for. It is all the new student’s fault. Why does she have to drag us down to her level?”
“She has gone too far!”
It went on and on.
The complaints grew louder and louder until even Bryan couldn’t take it anymore.
He stood up and glared at those that kept grumbling around him.
When they met Bryan’s cold gaze, the students knew Bryan was angry and lowered their voices gradually.
Even though they didn’t dare to discuss it anymore, they were still unhappy about it.
At first, they were only mad at Catherine, not Bryan.
Someone even started complaining, “God knows what the new student has done to Bryan to make him protect her like this. Is he blind?”
The expression on Bryan’s face turned even uglier. He was about to lose his temper.
Just then, David leaned over and whispered to him, “Bryan, you can’t afford to offend
everyone.”
Bryan glared at him, only to see David pointing at something behind him in horror.
Bryan turned to look behind him and found that Catherine had gotten up again.
This time, Catherine’s eyes were still out of focus. It was as if she was still in a daze.
Catherine looked less cold and fierce, which made her look particularly cute in Bryan’s eyes.
In fact, Bryan didn’t dare to look at Catherine now and felt his cheek redden slightly.
In a daze, Catherine grabbed the exercise on the desk and took a glance at the questions on it.
The seemingly complicated questions were even easier than the sum of one plus one in Catherine’s eyes.
She threw the exercise at Bryan and called out to him coldly, “Bryan!”
Bryan responded reflexively in a loud voice as though he was in a trance, “I’m here!”
Stunned by Bryan’s reaction, David couldn’t help but think that he was indeed under a spell to listen to everything Catherine said.
Bryan had responded without thinking. Even Bryan was somewhat surprised at himself.
However, he didn’t have time to think about this now. Bryan turned to look at Catherine and asked respectfully, “Is there anything you need me for?”
Chapter 45
Chapter 45 Treat You to Dinner
Catherine pointed at the exercise she had just thrown at Bryan, then said to him, “You. Go and teach the class.”
When Bryan opened his exercise just now, she glanced at his answers. They were basically all correct and were all solved clearly and logically. She could tell that he was pretty smart.
Stunned, Bryan couldn’t believe Catherine was asking him to teach the entire class. Was he hallucinating?
Who would believe something so outrageous? However, it was really happening. Seeing that Bryan didn’t move, Catherine looked at him with a brow raised. Her eyes grew colder as she said, “Do you not want to?”
Bryan replied without thinking, “I do!”
Then, Bryan picked up the exercise, got to the front, and faced the class. “The multiple-choice questions in the front are too easy. I will skip those. Let’s start with the long questions…”
Bryan was the best in mathematics in the class. Many students begged him to teach them, but he never agreed.
Now, he was actually teaching the class at Catherine’s order. One could tell that Catherine really had a great influence over Bryan.
Class 8 was originally pretty good at mathematics already. Most of the time, the teacher didn’t bother to teach much in class but simply gave them the answers to the questions.
Bryan’s explanations were even clearer than that of the mathematics teacher.
The students, that were disdainful and grumpy at first, became increasingly fascinated by
Bryan’s teaching.
Even David, who had little interest in mathematics, was enjoying himself. As Bryan stopped between questions, David clapped and cheered. “Bryan, you’re amazing. If I knew before you’re so good at teaching others, why did I bother paying attention in mathematics lessons? I’d simply listen to you. I can understand everything you say. I feel like I can surely pass the upcoming exam!”
Bryan looked up at Catherine subconsciously, only to find she was still fast asleep. It seemed as though nothing could affect her, which made him feel somehow at a loss.
Meanwhile, David was still cheering non-stop. Bryan picked up the chalk on the table and threw it at David, glared at him fiercely, and warned, “Shut up and listen. Stop talking
nonsense!”
David was so scared that he didn’t dare to say another word. He listened to Bryan quietly. Seeing Bryan like this, the others dared not discuss anything anymore.
Seeing how everyone was listening to Bryan attentively, Liana felt that they had already forgotten that Catherine was the one that made the mathematics teacher leave.
Liana was so angry that she clenched her fists so hard that her
pen almost broke.
The jinx was lucky to have someone help her like this. Damn her!
Apart from the mathematics teacher, all the other teachers teaching in the afternoon seemed to have heard about Catherine before. None of them gave the class a hard time because Catherine was sleeping, and the class finished their lessons smoothly.
As the bell rang, indicating the end of the day, Catherine woke up slowly like she did at lunchtime, grabbed her school bag, and left. She moved so smoothly and left briskly.
Even David, who was on the side, approached Bryan in silence and sighed. “Bryan, I feel that the new student is so cool and intimidating.” Bryan turned around to roll his eyes at him. What nonsense was he spouting?
After all, she was someone he wanted to befriend. Of course, she was cool and intimidating.
Then, Bryan grabbed his bag and ran after Catherine. He wanted to catch up with her, give her a ride home, and thus grow closer to her. After leaving the school gate, Catherine was planning to take her motorcycle home.
However, when she saw the Maybach parked by the school gate, Catherine knew she did not. have a chance to ride her motorcycle again today.
Who else but him would drive a car with such a flashy license plate? Catherine’s eyes darkened as she took a turn and walked towards the car.
Paxton, sitting in the driver’s seat, recognized her at once and informed the man in the backseat timely. “Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann is here!”
The man, who was focused on his work in the backseat, raised his head slowly at Paxton’s words. He squinted his eyes slightly.
Instead of the cool black shirt he wore in the morning, the man had changed into an iron blue and more formal shirt. He had already loosened the tie on it and unbuttoned the top two buttons of the shirt, revealing his delicate collarbones, looking casual and flashy.
Paxton had already left the car and opened the door for Branden. From where Catherine stood, she saw a pair of strong slender legs emerge from the car with her eyes lowered.
The fitted pants showed the shape of his legs perfectly. At this moment, Catherine. remembered something she had only heard of before, “to fall for a man,” and finally understood what it meant!
Clearly, some men could be as tempting and dangerous as women.
After leaving the car, Branden fixed his eyes on Catherine immediately. He looked straight at her, deliberately telling Catherine he was there for her.
Standing rooted, Catherine looked indifferent. It was as if nothing could interest or affect her.
Seeing Branden walk towards Catherine proactively, Paxton, who was waiting by the car, realized that it was the first time he saw his boss approaching a woman without being pressed.
After the afternoon international meeting, Branden rushed home in a hurry. Paxton had thought he was on some critical mission but never expected that he only did so in order to pick Catherine up from school.
The whole thing seemed surreal. Catherine watched Branden approach, strolling towards her with his back to the setting sun.
The sunray fell on his back. It was as if he was shining. His well-defined and handsome features seemed even more perfect than usual under the soft light.
Finally, Branden stopped around 20 inches away in front of her. It was close enough for Catherine to see every tiny emotion on his face and not be repulsed by his approach. The man seemed to have thought of everything.
Catherine looked up at him coldly, looking and even sounding casual and lazy. “What do you want?”
“To treat you to dinner!” Branden said simply and bluntly. His bright brown eyes were openly fixed on Catherine’s beautiful face.
Hearing his answer, Catherine frowned slightly. She didn’t want to become too involved with him. She had investigated Branden before and found little about him.
There were only a few people in this world that she could learn so little about. She could see how powerful he was from this!
It wasn’t that Catherine was afraid of the Duncans. She just didn’t want to be involved with Branden.
Even though Vicente had arranged this marriage before he died, Catherine was only willing to follow through with it as long as she controlled everything.
Catherine looked up at him with a trace of arrogance in her lazy temperament.
In the face of an in-person invitation from the well-respected Mr. Duncan in Casier, Catherine replied lightly with a simple two-word answer, “I’m busy!”
Chapter 46
Chapter 46 I Do What I Want
This was probably the first time Branden had ever been rejected in his life.
It was also the first time he had taken the initiative and been rejected.
However, Branden wasn’t upset at all. Instead, a faint, mischievous smile played on his thin lips as he spoke.
“Give me a reason!”
Just like last time with Catherine at the Charm Bar, he wanted an explanation.
He would let Catherine go if she could convince him.
Catherine raised an eyebrow, her attitude indifferent, her eyes carrying a hint of coldness and rebelliousness. At this moment, she exuded a wild and arrogant aura.
“I do what I want!”
She never needed to justify her actions, no matter who she was with.
A sense of rebellion and untamed spirit emanated from her entire being, which was remarkable to witness.
After a few seconds of silence, Branden chuckled.
“Let me take you back home!” he said.
Catherine knew that this man was up to something.
Perhaps he knew from the beginning that she wouldn’t agree to have dinner with him, so he intended to give her a ride back home.
Catherine glanced at him and then walked straight toward his car.
Paxton saw her approaching and instinctively bent down respectfully to open the car door for her.
As he opened the car door, Paxton realized he had done so subconsciously.
For some reason, Catherine had an aura that commanded respect from people, making them. treat her with reverence instinctively.
Bryan didn’t even catch a glimpse of Catherine as he rushed out of school.
All he saw was a top-of-the-line Maybach driving past him. Glancing at the back of the car, wished he could be the owner.
Sincere High School was a renowned private school for the wealthy in Casier, so it was not uncommon to see several luxury cars like the Maybach there.
he
What caught Bryan’s attention wasn’t the luxury car itself but the high-level license plate on the vehicle.
Bryan stared at the car for a few seconds, unable to comprehend why someone who could afford such a luxury vehicle would be there.
On the other hand, Catherine was in the car with Branden.
After getting into the car, Catherine remained motionless, lazily gazing out of the window.
Branden, too, remained silent. He had his laptop with him and worked throughout the journey. He didn’t even spare a glance at Catherine, as if he had come to the school solely to pick her up and take her home.
Even Paxton couldn’t understand such behavior.
He thought his boss had come a long way to say something to Catherine. He didn’t expect it to be a ride back home.
Paxton didn’t know what was happening, and he didn’t dare to ask.
After finishing his work, Brandon closed his laptop and turned to look at Catherine beside him.
Catherine leaned against the window and closed her eyes, seemingly at rest.
Her fair complexion made her stand out in a crowd, and her skin had a radiant and flawless quality.
The slanting sunlight cast a gentle halo on her body, revealing her long and thick eyelashes as her eyes remained shut. Her delicate facial features made her look almost too beautiful to be
real.
After Brandon looked at her for a few seconds, Catherine opened her eyes. Perhaps she turned her head because Branden’s gaze was too focused, and their eyes met instantly.
Perhaps due to exhaustion, Catherine’s eyes looked tired. At this moment, she didn’t seem that fierce but relaxed and gentle, which made her appear even more adorable.
After a few seconds of observing her, Branden couldn’t help but curl his lips into a faint smile.
He had the desire to touch her smooth, rosy, and soft cheeks.
As this thought crossed his mind, he extended his hand.
Catherine didn’t react immediately when his hand touched her face.
His slender fingers gently glided over her cheeks, sending a shiver down her spine.
She never liked it when people got too close to her. When Branden made the move, she could have easily slapped his hand away. However, for some reason, she hesitated for a moment and didn’t act. Even she couldn’t understand why.
Could it be that she judged others solely based on their appearance?
Noticing that she didn’t resist, Branden spoke slowly with a deep, magnetic voice that carried a seductive allure and drew her in.
“Are you tired?”
Hearing his voice, Catherine felt as if she was being hypnotized and instinctively nodded.
Although she had slept all day, she still felt drained.
She could go for days and nights without sleep and then sleep for days and nights.
Not sleeping felt like wasting her youthful prime during idle moments like this, didn’t it?
At this moment, she appeared sweet and gentle, a rare sight. A faint smile appeared in Branden’s bright and deep eyes. He reached out and opened a drawer on the side, taking out a blanket and placing it in front of Catherine.
“Just rest. You can use the blanket.”
Catherine glanced at the blanket but didn’t make a move. As if reading her mind, Branden added, “It’s brand new, never been used!”
Only then did Catherine reach out and cover herself with the blanket before closing her eyes once again.
It was rush hour, and the traffic was heavy.
There was still some time left before they reached Catherine’s home, allowing her to rest for a while.
Looking through the rearview mirror, Paxton once again found himself shocked. A flicker of surprise flashed in his typically cold eyes.
Could it be that his boss was genuinely interested in this girl?
Paxton knew his boss well and had never seen him voluntarily offer a blanket to someone. At this point, he found it hard to believe what he was witnessing in the car.
Even if Triston was critically ill and collapsed right in front of his boss, the most he would do was call an ambulance. There was no way he would extend a helping hand.
Since Catherine had entered the picture, Paxton had been more astonished than he had been in the past twenty years.
As the car passed by a street bustling with food trucks, Catherine suddenly opened her eyes and reached out to lower the window.
The rich aroma of various cuisines wafted in, including fried chicken, Indian curry, tacos, and other delectable dishes.
The scent of barbecue was particularly enticing to Catherine, tantalizing her taste buds and making her mouth water.
“Would you like to have some?”
A seductive voice came from behind Catherine, but she remained unmoved, leaning quietly.
However, the person behind her seemed persistent. Even though Catherine didn’t respond, he continued speaking. “I’ve heard there’s an incredibly authentic international barbecue restaurant on this street. All the ingredients are sourced from different countries, and there isn’t a single negative review online!”
Catherine gazed at the lively and vibrant scene of the street, adorned with colorful lights. She clenched her teeth quietly and couldn’t help feeling a tinge of disdain, as this man knew how to charm people.
She hadn’t been hungry, but his words suddenly triggered a craving for food within her.
She abruptly turned around, locking eyes with the handsome man who wore a smirk on his face. “How do you know there isn’t a single negative review online?” she asked, somewhat displeased.
Chapter 47
Chapter 47 Unbellevable
Hearing Catherine’s question, Branden surprisingly didn’t get upset as he usually would. Instead, he responded with a faint smile.
“It belongs to Triston,” he explained to Catherine. With those words, Catherine instantly understood. The Lamberts were not lacking in money, so if Triston opened a barbecue restaurant, it would likely satisfy her appetite.
It meant the restaurant wouldn’t cut corners with low-quality ingredients, so everything here must be decent. Catherine pondered this and suddenly felt her appetite whetted.
Once she had the thought, she was determined to try the international barbecue restaurant. Catherine instructed Paxton, who was in the driver’s seat, “Pull over to the side!”
Paxton obediently followed her order and pulled over to the side. After all, his boss hadn’t uttered a word throughout, which meant he should listen to Miss Swann.
After the car came to a stop, Catherine instinctively opened the door and got out, following the scent of barbecue.
Her sense of smell was particularly keen, allowing her to locate the barbecue restaurant simply by following the aroma.
Upon reaching the entrance and seeing the long queue, Catherine furrowed her brow.
She enjoyed eating, but she didn’t like waiting in line. If she had to wait in line, she would
rather not eat.
Turning around, she noticed Branden following behind.
Observing her slightly furrowed brow, Branden calmly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Catherine didn’t respond, but her eyes focused on the long queue.
In the next second, Branden immediately understood what was on her mind.
Paxton, who was standing behind them, quickly approached and rejoined Branden’s side within a few seconds.
Growing impatient, Catherine was about to leave. As she turned around, Branden suddenly grabbed her hand.
Before Catherine could react, Branden pulled her towards the upper
floor.
The waitress led the way, so they didn’t have to walt in line and could go straight to the second floor.
Some people in line noticed them, thought it was unfair, and approached the waitress to argue. “Why don’t they have to wait in line? We have to!” they shouted.
All the staff in the restaurant were professionals hired from five-star hotels. They smiled at the disgruntled customer, speaking gently and patiently, “Sorry, sir, these customers ahead of you are our top VIPS, so they can enjoy special services on the second floor and don’t need to wait in line!”
The customer expressed dissatisfaction and pouted, asking, “Is it all about money? How do I become a top VIP? Tell me! I want to be one too.”
The waitress remained polite and replied, “There are two ways. One is to become a restaurant shareholder, which automatically upgrades you to a top VIP. The other is to have an annual expenditure of ten million, and you can also be upgraded to a top VIP. Which option would you like to proceed with?”
Who in their right mind would become a restaurant shareholder just for a meal? Not to mention spending ten million! Was that a joke?
The waitress effectively halted the arrogant customer with her words, and the people behind also quieted down, as meeting those conditions wasn’t something an ordinary person could
Unlike the bustling noise on the first floor, the second floor of the barbecue restaurant had a serene atmosphere. It was filled with the rich and spicy aroma of barbecue, without a hint of greasiness.
Triston specially opened this place to host his friends, and it was usually empty.
After all, he opened this barbecue restaurant for pleasure but not to make
money.
After taking their seats, Paxton handed the menu to Branden, who then passed it to Catherine.
Catherine didn’t hesitate and quickly ordered whatever she liked on the menu.
She then passed it back to Branden, who didn’t add anything else since she had already ordered a variety of items.
Unlike others who opted for mild sauce, Catherine chose the extra spicy one.
She enjoyed strong flavors, believing that barbecue had to be spicy enough to make one sweat.
Paxton looked at the barbecue with the spicy sauce served on the table and swallowed silently, recalling that his boss seemed to…
He was about to remind Branden, but a single glance from Branden made him understand that he shouldn’t say a word.
The barbecue was brought to the table, and its enticing aroma filled the air. Catherine placed the meat, vegetables, and sauce on her plate.
The quality of the ingredients and sauce determined the authenticity of international barbecue.
The dishes at this barbecue restaurant looked impressive, resembling what Ronin had
prepared for her in the past.
After eating for a while, Catherine noticed Branden hadn’t touched anything, which surprised her.
She looked up at Branden, whose expression remained impassive. However, he started speaking a bit more than usual.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I am!”
Branden replied, putting a piece of meat with extra spicy sauce into his mouth. His expression remained calm, without any change.
Catherine glanced at him and quietly shook her head, thinking that someone like him probably wouldn’t show any different expression even when dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant. He seemed to know nothing about food.
After a while, more people started coming to the second floor.
Triston was also present in the barbecue restaurant with some friends. He wasn’t interested in Michelin-starred restaurants but loved barbecue, so he hired a chef and opened his own
restaurant.
They were all trust fund babies, and some of them had spotted Branden.
Seeing the table in the corner, someone patted Triston’s shoulder and said in a surprised tone, “Triston, isn’t that Mr. Duncan from the Duncans?”
Triston squinted and looked at his friend, giving a faint smile. “Don’t try to fool me! That’s impossible. Branden doesn’t eat barbecue at all. Stop talking nonsense.’
But another friend exclaimed with a serious expression, “Triston, it really is Mr. Duncan!”
“I’ll go and see. If it’s not him, I’ll come back and slap your ass!” Triston declared fiercely. However, when he turned around, he was instantly stunned.
He rubbed his eyes and realized that the person sitting in the corner was indeed Branden, and at the table next to him sat Paxton with a stoic expression.
It was Branden! This was unbelievable!
Triston quickly left his group of friends and approached Branden.
Branden was known for his aloof demeanor and was difficult to approach. While Triston’s friends desired to befriend him, they didn’t have the courage to do so. Offending him would make their lives miserable.
After approaching and getting a clear view, Triston discovered that it wasn’t just Branden alone, but a girl was sitting across from him.
The girl faced the other side, so he couldn’t see her face. Filled with curiosity, Triston noticed Branden calmly chewing on a piece of meat covered in spicy sauce.
Unable to contain his surprise any longer, he exclaimed, “Branden, I thought you couldn’t handle spicy food!”
Hearing the voice, Catherine looked up at Branden, who continued to calmly chew his food. She furrowed her brows slightly.
He couldn’t handle spicy food, but here he was eating barbecue covered in spicy sauce with her. What was this man up to?
Chapter 48
Chapter 48 Why Helping Me
Triston’s arrival at the restaurant had already caught Branden’s attention. To avoid alarming Catherine, he allowed Triston to approach, but he didn’t expect him to be so clueless.
When Catherine looked up, Triston realized that the girl sitting across from Branden was her.
His face instantly lit up with a smile as he addressed her, “Hey, Catherine, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to run into you in my restaurant!”
Catherine remained silent, maintaining her cold demeanor, not even glancing at Triston, and continuing to enjoy her barbecue.
Triston, despite coming from a wealthy family, didn’t act like the typical obnoxious rich kid.
Even if Catherine ignored him, he didn’t seem upset. Instead, his gaze shifted between Catherine and Branden.
“Oh, oh, oh, your table is ready. Maybe I should join you here? The more, the merrier! Am I right?”
After saying that, Triston immediately sat down, took a new set of utensils, and didn’t hesitate to start eating the food on the table.
As for his group of friends, he had already forgotten them. For him, there was nothing more enjoyable at the moment.
However, Triston’s moment of happiness didn’t last long. Catherine didn’t appreciate being watched while eating, especially with Branden sitting across from her. And to make matters. worse, Triston had invited himself to their table.
Sensing the change in Catherine’s gaze, Branden put down his fork and looked at Triston.
Triston was too focused on figuring out the relationship between Catherine and Branden to notice the change in Branden’s demeanor.
Recognizing Triston’s cluelessness, Branden glanced at Paxton, who was sitting beside him. Paxton understood his boss’ glance. The next second, he came over and forcibly pulled Triston away.
Before Triston could react, he was dragged far from Branden’s table. Moreover, Paxton kept a watchful eye on Triston, not giving him a chance to come back in.
Frustrated, Triston stomped his feet but couldn’t overpower Paxton. Eventually, he had to swallow his anger and give up.
After calming down, Triston approached Paxton with a smile and raised an eyebrow. “Paxton, is your boss truly interested in that girl? Something is going on between them, right?
Paxton remained expressionless, his face cold, not even glancing at Triston. Unable to get anything from Paxton, Triston had no choice but to give up.
Meanwhile, Catherine and Branden continued sitting at the table together.
Catherine was enjoying her barbecue alone, while Branden intermittently ate the meat and vegetables. Although he didn’t consume much, he kept her company by consistently eating.
Catherine had a preference for hot sauce. The spicier, the better. What she had ordered might be too much for most people, especially someone like Branden, who supposedly couldn’t handle spicy food.
However, after hearing what Triston had said, she specifically observed Branden. To her surprise, he calmly put the food coated in hot sauce into his mouth without any reaction or even a furrowed brow.
It was quite impressive for someone who was supposedly unable to handle spicy food. After a while, Catherine was almost full and put down her fork. Branden noticed her cessation and asked calmly, “Are you full?”
She nodded and got up. Responding with a nod was the utmost respect Catherine could offer.
Usually, she didn’t concern herself with social norms and would simply leave after her meal, even with Ronin and the others.
Observing her stand up, Branden also got up and left without being bothered by Catherine’s rebellious attitude.
Once in the car, Catherine resumed her previous position, leaning against the window. However, she seemed more energetic than before dinner. After a while, Branden asked, “I heard you made a three-month agreement with Korbin.”
“Mm!” Catherine replied.
Her attitude remained cold, but Branden didn’t mind. “It is possible to increase the stock price of the Swann Corporation in a short period. If the conditions are right, the stock price will rise.
Although Catherine didn’t respond to Branden, she listened carefully to every word he said and closely watched his every move.
After finishing his statement, Branden took a document from a drawer and handed it to Catherine.
“This might be helpful to you!”
Catherine accepted the document and opened it, realizing it was a merger contract.
She read it carefully, even though she didn’t fully understand the project. However, she was confident that with the capital of the Duncan Corporation, the Swann Corporation wouldn’t need to have a share in this project.
After reading the project contract, Catherine turned her head to Branden with a curious Why are you helping me?” she asked.
gaze.
Branden’s deep, dark eyes met Catherine’s, emitting a sharp gleam accompanied by a hint of amusement, making it difficult to decipher his intentions.
He didn’t impose any conditions on Catherine, ask her to do anything, or put on a pretentious show for her.
Squinting and looking at her, who was arrogant and reckless as usual, Branden’s lips curved faintly, revealing a hint of amusement. “Don’t you think it is more interesting to make impossible things possible?”
Only Branden could say such words, willing to spend billions to make things interesting. Catherine didn’t immediately refuse him. After all, why would she say no to a business deal that came her way?
Raising the stock price of the Swann Corporation wouldn’t be too difficult for her.
Since someone willingly offered an olive branch, it wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look. Catherine gave him a cold glance and said indifferently, “I’ll consider it.”
At that moment, the car arrived at the entrance of the Swanns’. Catherine pushed the car door open and got out without looking back. “Thanks,” she said coldly.
Branden sat in the car and watched her confidently walk away, silently chuckling. Sitting in the driver’s seat, Paxton thought he had never encountered anyone like Catherine in his life.
He knew what project his boss had offered to Catherine. It was very important for the Duncan. Corporation. Now, his boss handed this golden opportunity to Catherine, but she seemed unwilling to accept it.
He wondered if Catherine truly didn’t understand the significance of this offer or if she was simply too arrogant.
Paxton turned around and respectfully asked in a low voice, “Mr. Duncan, are we heading back to your place now?”
Branden remained composed, his thin lips slightly curved as he replied coldly, “Drive me to the hospital.”
Paxton was shocked, knowing that something had happened as he had expected. His boss had exceptional tolerance, only choosing to speak up now.
Without hesitation, Paxton put the pedal to the metal and sped away in the car. On the other hand, Catherine had no idea what awaited her at home.
Upon returning to the Swanns’, she discovered several people still sitting in the living room. Everyone was present except for Korbin.
As Catherine entered, Rachael shot her a glare with a severe expression, displaying her extreme upset. Catherine ignored Rachael as if she wasn’t there and turned around, walking towards her room.
Her reaction completely infuriated Rachael, who abruptly stood up, her gaze fixed on Catherine’s back.
“Stop right now!”
Chapter 49
Chapter 49 Jinx
Feeling the fury emanating from Rachael, Catherine halted and turned to face her. Despite Rachael’s demeanor, Catherine’s expression remained indifferent and cold, seemingly unaffected.
She stared at Rachael with cold eyes, silently questioning her intentions. In Rachael’s eyes, Catherine was an arrogant girl who thought highly of herself.
Rachael’s belief that Catherine was a troublemaker who could only cause distress only grew stronger, fueling her anger to the point where she couldn’t control her temper any longer. She madly shouted at Catherine, “Who do you think you are, Catherine Swann? Let me tell you, you’d better start behaving yourself. You have no manners at all. Where the hell did you go after school? What were you doing, huh? Do you even know what time it is now? You’re nothing but a wild savage!”
Witnessing Rachael shouting at Catherine, Liana and Johnathan couldn’t hide the joy in their hearts. The bright smiles on their faces revealed their discontent with Catherine.
Liana, in particular, had developed intense hatred towards her after being overshadowed by her in school. She would have loved nothing more than to berate Catherine and kick her out of the house.
Audrey looked at Catherine with concern, wanting to help her. However, she knew how Rachael might react.
Any attempt to intervene without Korbin present would only further enrage Rachael.
Audrey feared that getting involved would fail to protect Catherine and might even result in her own punishment by Rachael. Therefore, Audrey refrained from speaking.
As Rachael saw Catherine remain silent, her anger intensified. She raised her voice again and yelled at her, “Who do you think you are? I’m talking to you! Can’t you hear me?”
Catherine raised her gaze and looked at Rachael, her eyes cold and her tone devoid of emotion. Her response instantly changed Rachael’s expression.
“I walked back home.”
Rachael was momentarily stunned, realizing that Catherine must have walked pretty fast to cover the distance from school to the Swanns’.
Catherine instinctively glanced back at Liana and noticed the guilt in her eyes, providing her with a clear understanding.
Rachael had initially heard from Liana that Catherine hadn’t returned home from school until this late hour, assuming she had been idling around the streets and tarnishing the Swanns’
reputation.
Driven by anger, Rachael had planned to teach Catherine a lesson while Korbin was away, but she hadn’t anticipated the situation escalating to this point.
Catherine understood Liana well. As a mother, Rachael knew exactly what her daughter had done. Liana must have reassigned the driver who was supposed to take Catherine back home.
Only Audrey knew the truth, and Catherine was not worried about being betrayed by her sister.
At that moment, Audrey gave Catherine a thumbs-up to commend her wit.
In Audrey’s view, Catherine had explained the reason for her late return and revealed what Liana had done to her, hoping to see her face the consequences. It was a clever response, killing two birds with one stone.
However, Audrey underestimated Rachael’s dislike for Catherine. Even after learning about Liana’s behavior, Rachael didn’t blame her daughter. Instead, she continued to scold Catherine.
“As I said, you’d better start behaving yourself. Can’t you walk faster and get home earlier next time?”
Upon hearing her mother’s words, Liana wore a smug expression.
She knew her mom would never punish her for the sake of this jinx. After all, in Rachael’s eyes, this jinx might be considered less important than the household servants.
They wouldn’t have tolerated this jinx if it weren’t for her grandfather’s unfortunate decision before his passing.
Liana didn’t want Rachael to stop berating Catherine, so she kept fueling the fire and informed Rachael about her bet with the teacher at school that day.
“Mom, I think Catherine’s bet is a terrible idea. Don’t you agree? What if she doesn’t perform well in the exam? What will people think of our family if she fails?”
Catherine glanced at Liana and her smug expression, looking down at her.
No wonder her grandpa had not wanted to hand over the Swanns’ property to them. With these brainless and scheming heirs, it would be better for him to donate everything that belonged to him.
Rachael’s anger, which she had just suppressed, surged up again after hearing Liana’s words.
Rachael thought she knew very well about Catherine’s ability.
Catherine was just a dumbass who could never excel academically.
She heard that this jinx didn’t even attend school in the countryside and was expelled for misbehaving in elementary school. How come she dreamed about being the first with such a background? That was a ple in the sky!
It was mission impossible, yet Catherine still accepted the challenge.
Rachael couldn’t control the rage in her heart any longer and shouted in fury, her eyes.
gleaming with a desire to destroy Catherine.
“You’ve brought shame to the Swanns, Catherine. I warn you! It would be best to apologize to your teacher tomorrow and try to calm things down. Otherwise, I will ensure you regret returning to the Swanns.”
Catherine lifted her gaze and focused on Rachael.
Had Rachael just said that she would make her regret it? What a bold statement! Catherine couldn’t understand who gave Rachael the right to say such things.
Compared to Rachael’s frustrated and stomping demeanor, Catherine appeared calm, as if nothing had happened, causing Audrey to worry for her.
Finally, Catherine spoke and nearly made Rachael choke with anger.
“I look forward to seeing how you’ll make me regret coming home.”
After saying that, Catherine left without turning back.
Audrey heard the conversation and was stunned.
She had never imagined that someone could upset Rachael this effortlessly.
Rachael’s face turned ashen with anger, indicating that she was about to lose control. The next second, Audrey quickly left the living room to avoid further trouble.
Just as Catherine returned to her room, her phone in her pocket vibrated before she could event sit down.
She picked up the phone and saw that it was a call from Ronin.
There weren’t many people who could call her, and only a few who knew her number.
She answered the phone, and an excited voice came through from Ronin. “Boss…”
Catherine cut him off before he could finish his long and tedious speech.
“Stop it!”
Her words were like a wet blanket, immediately silencing Ronin. After a brief moment of composure, he regained his composure and formally reported the situation.
“Boss, I completed the investigation you requested on the project. I didn’t come across any major issues. Based on my assessment, it seems to be a safe and profitable venture. Should we be take action to acquire it from the Duncan Corporation? Although confronting them may challenging, with you, nothing is impossible!”
Ronin continued expressing his admiration for Catherine. In his eyes, she was like Wonder Woman, capable of achieving anything.
When Catherine received the document earlier, she had asked Ronin to investigate primarily to determine if Branden had ulterior motives.
After all, Branden had been looking into the Hacker Alliance and had grown suspicious of Catherine’s involvement.
“No need!” Catherine calmly rejected Ronin’s suggestion. “The Duncan Corporation has presented us with a gift. There’s no need to take action to wrest it away from them.”
“Send me the documents!”
After uttering those words, Catherine hung up the phone, knowing that Ronin wouldn’t stop talking if given the chance.
Not long after ending the call, Catherine received the documents sent by Ronin, along with an attached picture.
The picture displayed the back view of an attractive man standing outside the hospital, and Catherine immediately recognized him as Branden.
She stared at the picture for a moment, a slight smile forming on her delicate face as she sneered.
“Bitch!”
Chapter 50
Chapter 50 Go Back to School
The next day, Catherine didn’t rush to school upon waking up. Instead, she took a leave from school and accompanied her lawyer, Leonel Bolton, to the Swann Corporation’s office building.
Being considered a top-tier aristocratic family in Casier, the security at their office building was naturally stringent. Two tall security guards stood downstairs, scanning the area with sharp gazes.
The stern expressions on their faces were enough to intimidate even the most timid individuals, not to mention their well-trained and muscular physiques.
As a black Mercedes parked steadily at the entrance, Catherine, the first one to step out of the car, walked confidently forward. Her eyes focused straight ahead, and her cold and proud expression symbolized her noble status.
She strolled with confidence towards the building, causing the two towering security guards to subconsciously bend over and greet her, recognizing her as someone born to be respected.
Only after the group entered the gate did the two guards realize something was amiss. They exchanged glances, understood their mistake, and hastily shouted after Catherine, ” Miss, excuse us!”
Catherine didn’t look back, and her presence made the security guards anxious. They were about to rush towards her in the next moment.
However, Leonel, who was following Catherine, promptly stopped them and said, “Don’t worry. This is Miss Swann!”
Leonel, as the chief legal representative of the Swann Corporation, was recognized by the security guards. They were familiar with his identity. Hence, they dared not obstruct their passage.
With Leonel’s assistance, Catherine effortlessly made her way to the top floor of the Swann Corporation and walked directly into the meeting room where a meeting was in
The moment Korbin spotted Catherine’s arrival, his face turned ashen. With furrowed brows and a cold gaze, he stared disapprovingly at Catherine progress.
“What are you doing here? This is not where you should be. Go back to school and study. This is nonsense!”
Everyone in the room focused on Catherine, observing the beautiful young girl and curious about her relationship with Korbin.
Only a few influential shareholders had seen Catherine at the funeral, so they knew she was the heir who had just been brought back from the countryside.
They were ready for the drama.
Remaining calm and composed, Catherine disregarded Korbin’s scolding and instead glanced
at Leonel.
In response to Catherine, Leonel nodded at her and placed the documents he held in front of Korbin. “Mr. Swann, this is a letter of appointment left by your father. It explicitly states that your second daughter, Miss Catherine, will inherit the position of chairperson of the Swann Corporation. Please take a look.”
Korbin, who had always been the General Manager of the Swann Corporation while the position of Chairman was held by Vicente, now needed to complete the transition.
His face darkened, and he shot a fierce gaze toward Leonel like a sharp blade.
“What do you mean by that?”
His cold tone carried a severe threat, clearly warning Leonel.
“Haha, Mr. Swann, there’s no need to be anxious!” Leonel was older than Korbin, and he had not only been working for Vicente for decades but also had been his most trusted man. Otherwise, Vicente would not have entrusted such an important matter to him before his
passing.
This is what your father intended. I brought Catherine here today for a simple reason. I want her to get to know everyone while they’re present and facilitate her upcoming responsibilities.
”
“Ha!” Korbin sneered and looked up at everyone.
“Guys, let’s take a look. This young girl next to me is my second daughter. Now she is going to be the chairperson of the Swann Corporation. What do you all think? Do you remember the rights you held when we first established the company?”
He remembered that as long as more than two-thirds of the shareholders voted against it, even if Catherine held the shares, she wouldn’t be able to take the position of chairperson.
He didn’t believe that anyone would support her.
He had given her a three-month deadline, but that was only if he didn’t force her to sign the transfer agreement.
If she couldn’t even pass this initial hurdle and secure the position, then what was the point of discussing how to manage the business?
The shareholders present at the meeting agreed with Korbin, nodding in agreement. They
were all powerful figures, and the idea of having such a young girl lead them was considered a joke.
No one was in favor of it.
While Leonel understood Korbin’s perspective, he glanced at Catherine and nodded, confirming to her that this matter was indeed legitimate.
He had fulfilled his responsibilities, and the rest depended on this young girl.
Korbin had made his threatening statement, but nobody could discern Catherine’s thoughts.
They had made it clear that they wouldn’t accept her as their leader. However, she calmly pulled out a chair and sat down.
“She understands nothing! What an innocent kid!” they thought.
As Catherine took her seat, she glanced around, her lips curling slightly.
Her calm and poised expression exuded composure, and her aura was extraordinary.
“Gentlemen, what is your purpose in investing in the Swann Corporation? Isn’t it for the continuous growth of the company and your own profits? In simple terms, you are here for money, right?
“If I can bring benefits to the Swann Corporation and make the Swann Corporation stronger, why can’t I be the chairperson?”
Korbin looked at Catherine with a cold gaze, allowing her to speak freely.
Everyone present was experienced and shrewd. Even when Vicente was alive, there were times when he couldn’t handle them, let alone a young girl like Catherine.
Korbin doubted that anyone would support her.
Upon hearing Catherine’s words, the people around responded with ridicule and contempt.
One of the shareholders directly retorted at Catherine, mocking her, “What a nice speech, but what can you actually do? Haha, please don’t take this personally. I heard you recently returned from the countryside, and your education level is only elementary school. I assume you were able to attend Sincere High School because your father donated a library this time, right?”
After speaking, he looked around and gestured to everyone, saying, “That’s it. Do you honestly believe she can bring us profits and improve the Swann Corporation? It’s a joke, isn’t it? Do you believe her empty words?”
“Hahahaha…”
Laughter filled the room, and even Korbin had a wide smile on his face..
Only Leonel appeared somewhat frustrated, with a faint hint of worry between his eyebrows. His concern was not for Catherine but for everyone present.
These individuals had never witnessed the capabilities of this young lady, so they underestimated her due to her age.
Little did they know that, despite her youth, she was an absolute business tycoon. She could manipulate the top-tier power players in Casier with a mere flick of her finger.
She wouldn’t even need to take action herself. With just a single sentence from her, everyone’s business in the room would crumble.
He stood silently on the side, praying that these influential figures would make the right choice. After all, even he would be affected if the Swann Corporation were to collapse.
These ignorant old fools infuriated him!