Ch. 601..610

Chapter 601 Mighty and Domineering Catherine

The crowd was discussing very intensely. But they just could not find a common solution. Everyone had their own opinions and felt that their ideas were more reasonable.

In the end, the decision returned to Catherine.

“Miss Swann, what is your opinion?”

Catherine handed the documents she brought to Linda at the side and instructed, “Show them!”

After everyone received the documents, Catherine began the formal notification.

“I’ve decided to continue with the Grelin Group’s project, but I don’t intend to cooperate with the Grelin Group. I’ve already made a deal with the Facers in Loxton, and I’ll choose them as the partners for this project. As for the funding issue, I’ll solve it!”

Catherine’s domineering remarks carry an irresistible majesty. She was not telling them her opinion at all but announcing her decision to these high- level officials.

Those who could sit there and have a meeting with Catherine were all smart.

The moment Catherine said those words, everyone knew what she meant.

Linda was the first to applaud. “Miss Swann, thank you for giving us such a great plan and project and bringing the Swann Corporation to prosperity!”

The rest of the executives immediately responded and followed in agreement.

Catherine did not like long meetings. After she finished saying what she needed, she stood up and left with her cell phone.

Linda then ended the meeting and left after Catherine.

When the two of them ultimately walked away, the conference room was immediately filled with the voices of discussion.

However, the object of their discussion was Catherine.

“Did you guys feel it? Miss Swann’s aura is too strong. Didn’t she just turn 20?”

“Yes, I felt it. She has already developed such a strong aura at the age of 20. I will never reach her level in my lifetime!

“Grelin Group pulled out, and she immediately found the new partners. There aren’t many people in the entire business world with this kind of boldness and means like her, right?”

“Miss Swann is really young, beautiful, and capable. I heard that she is engaged to the young heir of the Duncans. The Swann Corporation has a great future ahead of it.”

Their discussions were naturally inaudible to Catherine, but Catherine did not care what they said.

Vicente handed over the Swann Corporation to Catherine. Catherine made a deal with Vicente, so she had to ensure the interests and longevity of the Swann Corporation.

Catherine returned to the chairperson’s office, accompanied by Linda. Seeing that she seemed a bit tired, Linda immediately served the prepared chocolates and desserts.

“Miss Swann, I heard that you have a bit of low blood sugar. Have some chocolate!”

The familiar wrapper made Catherine raise her head and look at Linda once more.

Her gaze made Linda, who had been working in the business world for a long time, feel a bit palpitated.

Linda immediately understood Catherine’s meaning and hurriedly explained, “I learned it from Leonel. I heard Mr. Duncan specially arranged this chocolate for you, so I have these in stock at the company.”

As the general secretary, Linda would specifically memorize her boss’s preferences in case of emergencies.

Although Catherine came to the company less frequently, Linda did it just in case. She did a great job.

Hearing Linda’s response, Catherine pursed her lips and smiled softly. She said softly, “I finally understand why Vicente would keep you for so many years.”

Vicente was an eccentric person by nature. He did not even trust his own son, but he was convinced of Leonel and Linda.

This was also because of his unique way of judging people.

Linda guffawed and joked. “Can I take this as a compliment from you?”

“Of course!” Catherine replied very casually.

The interlude made the atmosphere in the office a little more pleasant. Linda hurriedly reported what she had to say while Catherine was still in a good mood.

“Miss Swann, I have something here that might need your attention!”

Chapter 602 The Purpose of the Breens

Catherine tore open the wrapper of a piece of chocolate. She took the chocolate into her mouth and then waved her slender fingers twice.

Linda immediately understood what she meant and then reported what she found.

“Miss Swann, we inadvertently discovered that an overseas company was acquiring the fractional shares of the Swann Corporation. It’s not a large amount, but there hasn’t been much good news circulating in the market for the Swann Corporation lately, so it seems a bit out of the ordinary.”

Catherine took the chocolate wrapper and started to fold it deftly as she asked without lifting her head. “Did you check the company?”

“Yes!” Linda went to investigate the situation as soon as she received the news. “The other party’s background information is clean, and it seems they often do things like this to make money through luck.”

Such behavior, somewhat of a gambler, was collecting the fractional shares of some companies on the market that seemed to be growing well and then waiting for the appreciation to sell them off to make a profit.

If the recent news about the Swann Corporation in the market was good news, then this matter seemed normal.

However, the Swann Corporation’s recent actions were notably low-key. After learning about the situation, Linda paid more attention to it.

She had not paid much attention to it initially, but at that moment, she discovered something was wrong.

“Miss Swann, just the day before yesterday, we found that another similar company has made the same behavior. It looks like a coincidence if we put the two together!”

“Hehe!”

Catherine smiled faintly. There were not that many coincidences in the world.

The vast majority of coincidences were merely intentional.

“The result of your investigation is still that the other party’s background is very clean, and the two companies aren’t connected at all, right?”

Linda nodded. She was somewhat surprised by Catherine’s keen intuition.

“Yes, you’re right, Miss Swann.”

As Linda said those words, the chocolate wrapper in Catherine’s hand was folded into a delicate rose. Linda could not help but compliment Catherine heartily when she saw it. ” That’s exquisite!”

Catherine graciously handed over the rose. “It’s for you!”

Linda reached out and took it without hesitation. “Thanks, Miss Swann!”

Catherine then said carelessly, “Send Ronin the information on those two companies. He can find out what you can’t find out!”

“Okay!”

Linda walked out of the office after she finished reporting her work. With her back to the door, she stood at the door of the chairperson’s office. She let out a deep sigh.

She knew that, at this moment, her back must be covered in sweat.

She had not felt such a powerful sense of oppression even after following Vicente for so long.

But it was different when she was in front of Catherine. Catherine’s seemingly careless posture carried a powerful, oppressive aura.

It made people tread with caution and always tense up to handle everything.

Linda glanced down at the delicate paper rose in her hand, and a smile surfaced at the corner of her mouth.

She did not expect someone as cold as Catherine to have such a handy side.

Half an hour after Linda sent the information to Ronin, Catherine received a call from Ronin. She came to the company in a hurry this time, and Ronin did not even follow her.

“Catherine, check it out!”

“Mmm!” Catherine grunted lightly.

The reason Ronin could track down the news that Swann Corporation could not track down for a few days within half an hour was not because Ronin was much stronger than the Swann Corporation but because Ronin was very familiar with it.

“They’re both small companies owned by the Breens. The Breens supposedly manipulated them!”

Ronin’s voice sounded a little sad.

“Catherine, they don’t seem to be hiding anything from us. They didn’t even change the encryption channel!”

Catherine curled her lips and slightly raised the corners of her mouth. There was a seeming smile on her face.

“They not only have no intention of hiding anything from us but also put their hands on the Swann Corporation. They are warning me!”

Hearing Catherine’s reply, all Ronin’s nerves tensed up.

He knew better than anyone how scary the Breens were.

He and Catherine both escape from the Breens. When they first escaped, they both almost died. Now that Shane was looking for them.

Could they be able to escape again?

Even Ronin was not sure.

“Catherine, should we deploy in advance? We’ve accumulated so much capital over the years, so we can still fight back at an appropriate time.”

Ronin’s voice carried determination in it. As long as Catherine gave an order, he would do everything possible to make it.

“There’s no rush. Let’s wait a little longer!”

After saying that, Catherine hung up directly without waiting for Ronin’s response.

In Casier, since Branden’s return to Loxton, the president’s office at the Duncan Corporation headquarters had been vacant for some time.

It was rare for it to be so lively today. Triston and the others had all come.

Triston had finished reporting Casier’s situation to Branden, but Branden had no response. Triston was anxious.

“Branden, could you please just say something? Could you just give me a simple response? Now, the Breens are eager to make a move, and during your absence, they have already put their hands on Casier. We can’t just sit idly by, can we?”

As members of one of the Four Noble Families in Casier, Triston, and his family absolutely would not allow the Breens to stir up trouble in Casier.

Although the Breens were indeed powerful, the Four Noble Families in Casier were not useless, especially the Duncans.

The Duncans now were as strong as ever, even better than back then. As long as the Four Noble Families worked together, it was not easy for the Breens to gain an advantage in Casier.

Branden raised his head slightly, his cold gaze mockingly scanning Triston.

In that instant, Triston felt the pressure.

“What do you mean by that?”

Seeing that Triston still did not understand Branden’s meaning, Paxton could not help but remind him.

“Mr. Lambert, take it easy. Mr. Duncan feels that it’s not yet time to take action.”

Triston was truly admiring Branden’s calmness. Branden could still sit calmly even when his enemies were making a scene in front of him.

Among all Triston’s friends, Branden was the only one with this calmness.

He grumbled angrily, “Whatever. When the Lamberts are really in trouble, you all have to give a hand!”

“Did anyone say they were directed at your Lamberts?”

Branden raised his eyebrows, his deep eyes looking straight toward Triston.

Triston reacted at once and took a step forward joyfully.

“Branden, do you know something? The Breens come to Casier this time with such a big action. What exactly are they here for?”

Triston was particularly curious. He wanted to get the answer from Branden.

“I don’t know!”

Branden’s cold words disappointed Triston.

He knew that Branden could not have lied. There was absolutely no need for that. Even Branden did not know the reason, so it was obvious how tricky this matter was.

Paxton noticed the alert coming from his cell phone. After he tapped on it to check the situation, he immediately reported it to Branden.

“Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann is driving toward the company!”

Catherine had driven Branden’s car to the Swann Corporation. His car had a positioning system, and his phone could provide him with updates at any time.

After hearing the report, Branden immediately stood up and walked out of the office.

Triston called after him, “Where are you going? Our conversation isn’t even over yet!”

Paxton tugged on his arm. “Mr. Lambert, Mr. Duncan is going to pick up someone. You’d better not follow as the extra person!”

Paxton’s words made Triston’s face turn green with anger. Triston could not help but complain in a low voice, ” He’s the only one who has a girlfriend? I have one, too. I’m going to pick up my girlfriend from work, too. I don’t envy him at all!”

Paxton, who had just taken two steps, heard these words. He turned back with a faint smile, raising his eyebrows, and asked, “Isn’t Miss Audrey not yet agreed? Or Mr. Lambert, have you changed your woman again?”

Upon hearing that, Triston’s face turned from green to black. He was so angry that the veins on his neck bulged out.

“Bastard, you’re talking nonsense. I’ve always been dedicated to Audrey. She will be my girlfriend sooner or later. Just wait and see.”

Chapter 603 He’s Poisoned

Catherine had just parked her car when she saw Branden standing in a spot not far ahead. She pushed open the car door and slowly got out.

Branden had already come to her side after she got out of the car. He looked at her gently with his deep eyes.

“Are we going upstairs or going back?”

Catherine originally wanted to come and return the car to Branden, but she did not expect Branden to come downstairs to find her.

It looked like he should have finished his official business and could leave.

“If you’re free, let’s go back.”

They rarely made a trip back to Casier these days, and Karl looked forward to them returning to the old house every day.

It just so happened that they were done with their business, so Catherine thought of going back early to accompany Karl.

“Okay!”

Branden responded gently. Taking the key from Catherine’s hand, he pulled open the car door and let her sit in the passenger seat.

“Come on, let’s go back!”

Not long after the car had set off, the cell phone inside Catherine’s pocket rang. She answered the call and immediately instructed Branden to turn around.

“To the hospital!”

Branden immediately turned on the turn signals. He changed the car’s direction before asking about the situation.

“What happened?”

“Something happened to Korbin!”

Catherine said in a cold voice before Branden slammed his foot on the gas. The car traveled down the road at a breakneck speed.

The two got to the hospital as fast as they could.

Audrey was guarding outside the hospital room. At this moment, her eyes were already red, and her hands were involuntarily trembling.

Seeing Catherine appear, she rushed toward Catherine as if she had found her support.

“Kathy, you finally came. Dad… he is dying!”

“What’s going on?” Catherine inquired with a frown.

On the phone, she had only heard that Korbin was dying. She didn’t know exactly what was going on.

Thomas had previously clearly stated that Korbin’s illness had recovered to the best possible outcome. How could something suddenly happen to him?

Audrey shook her head with her eyes red.

She said, “I don’t know. Dad was fine in the morning. Mr. Theo checked on Dad in the morning and said that Dad would probably wake up today or tomorrow at the latest. But then, in the afternoon, Dad suddenly stopped breathing. Mr. Parry said he was dying. Mr. Theo is here and is trying to save him!”

Korbin was on the verge of waking up, and suddenly this happened.

It was too much of a coincidence.

Was it someone intentionally not wanting Korbin to wake up, or was he really so unlucky that even Thomas couldn’t save him?

Compared to Audrey, who was at a loss for words and panicked, Catherine was much calmer.

She kept her eyes on the emergency room. Only after the lights in the emergency room went out and the door opened did Catherine pace up to Thomas.

“He has been rescued but is not out of danger yet. Whether he can get through it or not depends on tonight.”

Hearing that, Audrey’s newly relieved nerves tensed up again. Thomas’ body swayed, and Catherine immediately stepped forward to support him.

“I’ll take you to rest!”

Seeing that Thomas had exhausted himself in order to save Korbin, everyone dared not say anything and watched as Catherine helped him leave.

After the two entered the lounge, Catherine immediately released Thomas’s hand. She walked gracefully to the nearby chair and sat down.

Thomas, who was weak earlier, was now as energetic as a young man. He grunted at Catherine in dissatisfaction.

“How could you do that to me? It’s only one step away from the chair, but you took the seat before helping me take it!

Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at Thomas with a light smile. ” Stop pretending. Tell me now. What exactly is going on?”

Thomas knew that the matter was urgent, so he stopped joking and returned to the topic.

“He was rescued. Thanks to your sister’s timely discovery, otherwise, no one could have been able to save him. But it wasn’t because of the postoperative complications!”

Without waiting for Thomas to finish, Catherine suddenly opened her mouth and coldly uttered two words.

“He’s poisoned!”

Thomas was shocked and looked at Catherine dumbfounded. “How do you know?”

Chapter 604 She’s My Fiancée

Facing Thomas’ surprise, Catherine said calmly, “I believe in your medical skills!”

Catherine’s words made Thomas ecstatic. Thomas was instantly filled with smiles as if he had heard some good news.

“I know. You’re smart. My medical skills are absolutely great. As long as they are the people I want to save, even if they are dead, I can bring them back to life.’

Catherine leaned back on the chair gracefully. She stretched out her hand, and her slender fingers waved a few times at Thomas gently.

Thomas immediately understood what she meant and got close to her.

Catherine whispered a few words, and the smile on Thomas’ face grew brighter and brighter. After hearing Catherine’s words, his eyes glowed with excitement.

“It’s fun. So interesting. Cassie, playing games is still your specialty. This game is fun. I’ll cooperate with you!”

The two returned to the crowd after their discussion.

Thomas instructed Audrey, “Your father needs someone to take care of him at all times during this period. You need to find someone to arrange it, and it’s best if someone takes turns taking care of him with you. If you take care of him alone, you will soon be overwhelmed.”

Audrey nodded and memorized all the notes that Thomas explained.

“Okay, gotcha!”

Audrey felt uneasy if she left the job of taking care of her father to someone else.

She thought to herself, “After all, others are all related to interests, and they have no substantial blood relationship with Dad. They’re not reliable enough. Catherine and Dad severed their relationship a long time ago. Dad never even raised her for a day, but she has already done enough for Dad. If I ask Catherine to take care of Dad, it’s not right.”

After making a decision, Audrey turned her gaze to Liana, who was on the side. After their father’s accident, the first person Audrey notified was Catherine, and the second was Liana.

It was just that Liana came and sat there without making a sound the entire time. Audrey was so flustered just now that she didn’t pay attention to Liana.

Audrey walked to Liana and said to her in a low voice, “Liana, you are also Dad’s daughter. Dad has loved you the most since we were children, and now that Dad needs us, you take turns with me to take care of him together. You can choose whether you want to take care of Dad during the day or at night.”

Liana put her hands together tightly and looked up at Audrey slowly.

She seemed a little hesitant, but she nodded in the next second.

“Okay!”

Audrey was relieved to see her agree.

She went back to Catherine and said, ” Kathy, we’ll be here to take care of Dad. You can go back first!”

“Uh-huh!” Catherine stifled a grunt and turned to leave.

What surprised Audrey was that Liana did not get angry this time.

Catherine had left, and Liana did not say anything. Could it really be that their father’s critical illness made Liana realize the preciousness of family affection and stop fighting with Catherine?

Catherine got a call from Rodge right after she left the hospital.

“Chief, our project team has hit a bottleneck. I heard that you are in Casier. Can you provide us with a little help?”

Catherine glanced at the time. It was still early.

“Okay. Send me the information. I’ll find a place to study it and let you know!

She didn’t avoid Branden when she answered the phone call.

Although the voice on the other end of the line was low, Branden had already heard the main content of their conversation.

“There is a Red Star laboratory in Casier. Do you want ‘me to send you there?”

Catherine was worried that she might be unable to find a professional place to conduct experiments for a while, but Branden brought this surprise.

“Yes!”

Outsiders thought that the core of Red Star was in Loxton, but ever since Branden took over Red Star, he had done a lot of reforms.

He distributed Red Star’s bases in different places, focusing on the same proportion. This prevented any accidents from happening at any of the bases without affecting the operation of the entire Red Star.

When Branden appeared at the base, the group of researchers, whose minds were filled with experimental program data, were shocked for the first time.

They didn’t expect their boss to make a sudden visit, and even more so, they didn’t expect their boss to bring a beautiful woman to make the visit.

This was something that had never happened before.

After Catherine arrived at the experimental base, she raised her hand and pointed directly ahead after looking around.

“I want to that room!”

Branden nodded without any hesitation. “Okay, I’ll unlock it for you!

After Catherine entered the laboratory, she turned around and closed the door.

Branden was mercilessly blocked outside the door.

Those around them who noticed this scene froze on the spot in shock. They couldn’t believe the scene in front of their eyes.

Surprisingly, someone dared to treat their boss like this and openly reject him.

Most importantly, their boss did not get angry, and the corners of his mouth still seemed to smile. It appeared that he was in a good mood.

This was really too bizarre, right?

After Catherine entered the laboratory, she started doing the simplest deduction with the data Rodge sent her.

She wanted to find out the reason why the experiment kept getting stuck in an infinite loop and could not yield results.

Catherine did not know that this laboratory was connected to several laboratories outside. The data she studied inside the laboratory were visible outside.

At first, those researchers were gossiping about Catherine’s identity and appearance, but now they were completely overwhelmed by Catherine’s experimental data.

One by one, their eyes widened as they looked at the screen. They were somewhat unable to believe what they were seeing.

The head of the laboratory came to Branden’s side in amazement and exclaimed excitedly, “Mr. Duncan, where did you poach this professional? She is working on the most important project for our base this year. Her progress is much faster than ours. It’s really amazing!”

The head of the laboratory, who had always been arrogant and only submissive to Branden, actually praised someone other than Branden in public. This was truly strange.

This made the crowd admire Catherine, who was doing experiments inside the laboratory, more and more.

The head of the laboratory looked at the data jumping on the screen and was so excited that his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

“Mr. Duncan, she’s such a talent. Please keep her in our laboratory. I guarantee that I will be able to take our laboratory to new heights, and it’s not impossible to make our laboratory the number one in the world!”

Branden tilted his head and said calmly, “We still need to respect her opinion regarding this matter.”

It was the first time the head of the laboratory had heard Branden say such words. He had known Branden for so many years, and the thing he admired most about Branden was his superb ability.

Many impossible things would become possible in front of Branden.

The head of the laboratory got more and more curious about Catherine’s identity. “Mr. Duncan, who is she?”

Finally, he asked to the point.

Branden calmly said, “She’s my fiancée!”

This statement shocked everyone present.

It turned out that this beautiful girl was Branden’s fiancé. After hearing this shocking gossip, the researchers on the side discussed it in low voices.

“Why do I feel that when our boss said that girl’s identity, there was a bit of smugness in his words?”

Another researcher rolled his eyes at the one who spoke and said in a low voice, “If I have such a fiancée, I’ll also be smug!”

Anyone who had such a super capable fiancée would be smug.

Chapter 605 The Show Started

The entire experimental project could not be completed overnight. There was no way that Catherine alone could complete the entire experimental project.

The problem Rodge encountered was a tiny part of the whole project. After Catherine verified it again, she figured out what was wrong with the data.

She made modifications to the data and ran the entire program twice again. After confirming there was no problem, she sent the data to Rodge.

“I’ve made changes to the experimental data. You can continue the project!”

Rodge breathed a deep sigh of relief. In order to find out the error, he worked hard for three consecutive days and nights without finding any results.

After sending the data to Catherine, it only took half a day for her to sort out the problem.

“Catherine, if you can come back and focus on this experiment with me, the process of our experiment will definitely be able to go twice as fast!”

Rodge even felt that as long as Catherine came back, this experiment could be completed without a doubt.

Hearing Rodge’s sigh, Catherine smiled lightly.

“I’m different from you. I may not be able to do what you can do!”

Rodge was a born scientist. His concentration and patience could allow him to sink his teeth into a focused experiment.

Catherine was different. She had too many things to deal with.

There was no way she could focus on one thing. Keeping her in the laboratory would just be a waste of her time.

Rodge understood this, too. He simply wanted to sigh.

“Catherine, I won’t bother you. I’ll get back to work!”

After ending the call, Catherine pushed open the door and came out of the laboratory.

The researchers of the Red Star experimental base were all in front of the door of this laboratory at the moment.

The moment Catherine pushed open the door, they consciously stood in two rows, their eyes staring straight at Catherine.

Their gaze at Catherine could be described as devout.

Catherine swept a glance and walked up to Branden’s side calmly.

The head of the laboratory immediately ran up with a flattering smile when he saw that Catherine didn’t react. He said respectfully to Catherine, “My name is Patrick. I am the head of this laboratory. I would like to ask if you are interested in joining us.”

He originally wanted to say that he could offer any payment Catherine wanted, no matter how generous it was.

But then he thought about the fact that Catherine was Branden’s fiancée, and Branden could already give her anything she wanted.

She might not even be interested in the payment in the laboratory!

Patrick looked at Catherine with a face of embarrassment. He carefully said, ” Miss Swann, although our laboratory may not be able to offer you the most generous payment, as long as you are willing to join us, no matter what requirements you make, I will do my best to meet you!”

Catherine tilted her head and glanced at Branden. She raised her eyebrows with a rather smug look in her eyes.

“Looks like your man is interested in me.”

Patrick, who was on the side, was startled by her words. Catherine’s words were really easily to be misunderstood.

Patrick didn’t have the guts to steal someone from Branden.

He quickly explained. “Miss Swann, don’t get me wrong. I’m hoping that you will come to our laboratory to help us. We admire your ability greatly.”

Catherine suddenly became interested. She turned her head and looked back at Patrick.

“So, you’re not interested in me?”

Patrick was usually in the laboratory. He had never seen a girl like Catherine, who was so beautiful that people would forget to breathe when seeing her. Patrick was stunned by Catherine’s teasing, unable to speak!

Seeing Patrick’s face filled with embarrassment, Branden looked at Catherine with a doting expression on his face.

He tightened his grip on holding her hand.

“Alright, come on. I’ll take you to get something to eat!”

Catherine had rushed to come to the laboratory earlier and didn’t even have time for lunch.

Catherine didn’t refuse. The two left hand in hand.

Catherine suddenly turned back as they were about to walk out the door. Her gaze landed on Patrick. She curled her lips and smiled lightly, saying, “Right, I forgot to tell you. I also have a laboratory. It’s called Arbotte Laboratory!”

Patrick was instantly petrified and staggered in place.

It was a long time after Catherine’s back had disappeared that he slowly came back to his senses.

Patrick asked inwardly, “What kind of stupid thing have I done? How could someone who could become Branden’s fiancée be an ordinary person? What’s more, she is also the person that Mr. Duncan dotes. I should have thought of her unusual status when she was doing the experiment.”

Only a few laboratories internationally could conduct this experiment, very few. The most famous of them was the neck -and-neck laboratory with them, the Arbotte Laboratory.

However, Patrick had never thought that the boss behind this laboratory was such a beautiful young girl.

Who exactly was this girl? How could she have such abilities?

Thinking of this, Patrick suddenly realized something.

Why did he somehow feel that Branden was a bit unworthy of Catherine?

Branden brought Catherine to Yuni Restaurant for dinner. This was a newly opened restaurant in Casier, and many dignitaries came there. The current reservations had been scheduled for one year later.

But the Duncans were different. As the family behind the restaurant, the members of the Duncans could come there to eat at any time.

The spicy dishes there were to the extreme.

Catherine had a good appetite and ate quite a bit before putting down her cutlery.

Seeing her eat a lot, Branden was happy.

“If you like the dishes here, how about I get the cook here to Loxton?”

When ordinary people took their girlfriends to a meal, and if they saw that their girlfriends liked the dishes, they would at most say they would come back to have meals there next time.

But Branden was a bit different. He was thinking of taking the cook away directly. And he was really capable of doing so.

Catherine silently rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t bother!”

“Let’s go!”

Catherine casually threw the used paper towel into the trash can before standing up. She was ready to make a trip to the hospital. The good show was about to start.

She had to check it out!

Branden, who transformed into a driver, obediently followed Catherine behind. He took the initiative to pick up Catherine’s coat. He looked like a perfect boyfriend.

The waitress on the side saw this scene and was so envious that she almost burst into tears.

Branden was a handsome, wealthy, and powerful man, and most importantly, he doted on his woman. This kind of man was so likable. All women could not help but look at such a man more.

Branden drove Catherine to the hospital. Just as they got out of the car, a rush of footsteps came from behind them.

Catherine turned around automatically and saw Audrey stumbling in.

Catherine grabbed her and asked, ” What happened?”

Audrey’s eyes were red, and she was so anxious that she couldn’t even speak. Triston, who was beside her, explained the situation.

“The hospital informed us that Mr. Swann will not make it. You guys hurry up and check it out!”

As soon as Catherine let go of Audrey’s hand, Audrey immediately rushed toward the stairs.

Catherine was calm. She went up the stairs calmly.

Seeing Catherine so calm, Triston felt strange. But thinking of Catherine’s special growth environment, he didn’t say anything and chased after Audrey.

Branden stepped forward and grabbed Catherine’s hand, whispering, “I’ll accompany you to take a look!”

Chapter 606 The Truth

Outside the hospital room, Liana was bawling her eyes out. Rhys had just broken the news of Korbin’s passing. Audrey slumped to the floor and looked utterly lost.

Hearing the news, Rachael rushed over.

After she learned of her husband’s passing, she couldn’t contain her sorrow and broke down in tears. But soon after, she stormed toward Catherine and was ready to hit her as if she’d lost her mind.

If not for someone holding her back, she would have already hit Catherine.

Rachael was completely disregarding decorum at this point. She shouted furiously, “Catherine, you’re a jinx! You’ve caused this. You killed your father. It’s all because of you. You’re nothing but trouble!”

Hearing Rachael’s harsh words, Branden reached out to cover Catherine’s ears.

However, Catherine gently pushed his hand away. Branden realized that she had her own plan and ceased his interference.

Catherine took a slow step forward and stood in front of Rachael.

She looked at Rachael coldly. Her intense gaze and the chilling presence made Rachael apprehensive.

With a signal from Catherine, Paxton released Rachael.

Even unrestrained, Rachael dared not harm Catherine. She was fully aware of Catherine’s cunning and power.

Rachael shouted, “Catherine, what? Feeling bothered by touching a nerve? Let me tell you. You’re a complete jinx. You bring bad luck to your parents.

Anyone who’s with you ends up cursed to death by your presence!”

Catherine chuckled coldly and then replied, “Anyone who’s with me ends up cursed to death? What about you?”

Catherine lowered her gaze. With an eerie look in her cold eyes, she uttered cutting words, “Then why aren’t you dead?”

“You…” Rachael faltered with anger and was unable to retort.

Liana couldn’t stand any longer. After rushing over, she embraced Rachael and shot a furious glare at Catherine.

She shouted, “How could you speak to Mom like that? Dad’s just gone, and you’re acting this way. You’ve crossed the line, Catherine.”

Catherine coldly assessed her and didn’t want to have further conversation.

She said, “Speak out your terms!”

Liana looked at Catherine with surprise. She was puzzled by Catherine’s ability to anticipate their intentions.

After her father’s incident, she contacted her mother immediately, while Audrey reached out to Catherine.

After a silent exchange with her mother, Liana understood her intentions and spoke up.

She said, “Catherine, now that Dad’s gone and we’re left alone, I believe you should give what belonged to Dad and Mom’s share to Mom. Regardless, Dad was Grandpa’s only child. He should inherit the Swanns’ assets.”

Catherine nodded and crossed her arms. She raised her head and looked down at them. “I get it now. You want money.”

Her disdainful gaze made Liana feel defeated.

Enraged, she exclaimed, “Catherine, what’s your point? Aren’t you planning to give the money? You are so unfilial!”

“Unfilial?” Catherine laughed as if hearing a joke. Then she turned to gaze at Liana with interest. “Compared to you, I couldn’t possibly carry that label! 11

This attitude pushed Liana over the edge. “Catherine, what do you mean? Spit it out! What’s with this cryptic behavior?”

Catherine didn’t like keeping things under wraps either. Since Liana asked her to spit it out, she decided to reveal the truth.

She replied, “Liana, you even dared to kill your own father. You’ve got some nerve!”

Chapter 607 The Video

The crowd was shocked. Everyone was stunned and stared at Catherine. Audrey pulled herself out of the sadness. Slowly, she looked toward Catherine with a somewhat dull expression as if having trouble accepting what she had just heard.

“Kathy, what do you mean by this?”

Catherine glanced at her faintly and replied in a low voice, “Just the literal meaning.”

Liana became anxious. She couldn’t even dare to look directly at Catherine.

After carefully recalling everything she had done, Liana couldn’t find any wrongdoing. Her attitude suddenly became firm, and she straightened her posture.

Then she asked, “Catherine, are you falsely accusing me to escape the charges? Doesn’t your conscience hurt? Or is it that you’re doing this for money? You don’t want to split Dad’s property, so you intentionally found such an excuse?”

As Liana finished speaking, Rachael caught on.

She pointed at Catherine and cursed loudly, “Jinx! You’re a jinx! Your dad has just died, and you’re bullying us like this. You’re truly wicked to the core.

Even though everyone believed Catherine, what she said was just too unbelievable. She said Liana killed her own father, Korbin. They thought that could not be possible.

Just as the situation reached a deadlock, Scott suddenly rushed over.

He shouted, “Catherine, didn’t lie!”

This abrupt voice took everyone’s attention, and all eyes focused on Scott.

Scott walked confidently to Liana and stared at her. Despite his young age, his gaze was sharp.

Being stared at like this made Liana uncomfortable, and she couldn’t help but lower her head.

Scott teased, “Liana, are you feeling guilty? Can’t even look me in the eye?”

Liana glanced at him with anger. ”

What nonsense are you spouting?

Everyone knows you’re in cahoots with Catherine. Are you teaming up against me now? Is that fun for you?”

“Fun? Of course, it’s fun!” Scott

carefully examined Liana. In terms of appearance, she indeed resembled Catherine even more than Audrey did. But he didn’t know why their personalities were so different.

Scott curled his mouth and disdainfully evaluated Liana. He asked, “Why don’t you have even half the intelligence of Catherine? Don’t you know the wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine?”

“What are you talking about?” Liana couldn’t hold back any longer. She exploded in anger.

Scott held up his portable computer and waved it in front of Liana. “I’ve got evidence here. I’ve recorded everything wrong you’ve done. How about that? Didn’t expect cameras in the hospital room, did you?”

Liana was so shocked that she took a step back involuntarily, and her face turned pale instantly.

She never imagined someone would install cameras in the hospital room.

She thought inwardly, “Does Catherine target me from the start?”

Audrey observed Liana’s reaction and thought she became increasingly suspicious.

She marched up to Liana and glared at her, not allowing any evasion. “Liana, tell me. What did you do to Dad?”

Liana was speechless and trembled all over.

Rachael, who stood nearby, was unable to bear it. She pushed Audrey away and angrily reprimanded her.

She shouted, “I think you’ve gone mad! You actually believe this kid’s words. He’s in cahoots with Catherine. Can’t you see that?”

Audrey looked at her mother in shock and, unbelievably, asked, “Mom, didn’t you hear? Scott has evidence.”

As the others argued, Scott had already opened the video.

In it, a figure with a mask sneakily entered Korbin’s hospital room and injected an unknown substance into his IV bag.

Even though the person wore a mask, from the figure’s back, everyone could clearly see it was Liana.

Audrey stared at the clear footage with red eyes, and then she looked at Liana in disbelief. “Why? Why would you do this?”

Rachael frowned and still didn’t believe everything she was seeing.

She stubbornly defended Liana and replied, “Who knows? This jinx is quite capable. Anything can be faked nowadays. What if she faked this video? Audrey, after all these years together, you don’t trust your sister but believe this jinx?”

Faced with her mother’s absurd words, Audrey couldn’t take it anymore. Mom, have you said enough?”

Rachael was stunned by Audrey’s outburst.

Audrey didn’t care about any of that. She glared furiously at Liana. “Speak up! Why did you do it?”

Liana still stubbornly held on and refused to admit anything. “Why? There’s no reason. It’s just like Mom said! Catherine framed me. She’s capable of anything to set me up!”

“Frame you?” Catherine sneered, ” What makes you think you’re worth my trouble to frame? Are you even worthy?

“Exactly. Look at yourself. You’re nothing. Catherine could deal with you easily,” Scott replied, echoing Catherine. In his view, anyone who dared to bully Catherine should be crushed.

Their coordinated mockery completely enraged Liana. She couldn’t contain herself any longer and yelled frantically at Catherine, “It’s you who framed me! Just to satisfy your superiority complex and show off your skills. Because I’ve always been unhappy with you, you want me to become like you, the one everyone hates!”

Facing Liana’s irrationality, the crowd felt that she had truly lost her mind. Even if Catherine hadn’t done anything, they wouldn’t find Catherine detestable.

Instead, they thought Liana was manipulative and didn’t like her.

Scott couldn’t take it anymore. He suggested to Catherine, “Catherine, this girl’s just bluffing. I think we shouldn’t be polite anymore. Let’s just take action!”

Catherine glanced at Liana, and her scornful gaze stunned Liana.

Liana felt something was wrong.

And indeed, the next moment, Catherine dropped another bomb.

“Since you refuse to admit it, let your father tell you himself!”

The crowd thought inwardly, “Her father? But isn’t Korbin dead?”

Everyone was bewildered. They couldn’t understand Catherine’s words. They wondered whether she had some resurrection power.

Just as everyone was in a daze, the tightly closed door of the room suddenly swung open.

Korbin, who should be lying in the hospital bed, was pushed out. He was actually alive.

After Liana saw her father, as their eyes met, she collapsed to the ground. She knew it was over, completely over.

Chapter 608 Catherine’s Kindness

Korbin was not only alive but also doing much better.

When he emerged, Audrey asked, “Dad, what’s going on?”

Korbin pointed toward Liana and softly replied, “She… harmed… me.”

Audrey couldn’t hold back and rushed forward to confront Liana. She grabbed Liana by the collar and asked, “Why? He’s your own father!”

Hearing that, Liana stayed silent.

Audrey, unable to contain her emotions, relentlessly slapped Liana’s face. “You’re insane! You even hurt your own father!”

Triston couldn’t stand it. He wasn’t against Audrey punishing Liana. But he feared Audrey’s agitation might hurt herself.

He stepped in and pulled Audrey away. He gestured for her to calm down.

Liana, previously quiet, suddenly raised her gaze. She stared at Catherine with an eerie look. “Catherine, you’ve got quite the schemes. You even use Dad to frame me. What other tricks do you have? Just show me all your tricks!”

At this point, even Catherine was somewhat impressed by Liana’s rebuttal. “You’re so stubborn!”

“I’m stating facts!” Liana retorted with a displeased expression.

Then she continued, “Just like you all said, he’s my biological father. Why would I harm him? What benefit is there for me if he dies?”

Indeed, it was the issue that baffled everyone. As Liana said, Korbin cherished her the most. If he dies, it would also be her misfortune.

Catherine didn’t want to waste more time. She laid the truth out plainly.

She replied, “Because you feared people knowing that Korbin’s stroke was because of you.”

Liana collapsed inwardly. She hadn’t expected Catherine to know this. “How did you know?”

Catherine retorted. “You did it yourself, yet afraid of others finding out?”

When Korbin fell ill, Catherine sensed something fishy and then had someone investigate.

Liana had some internal conflict after causing Korbin’s condition. While taking care of Korbin, she inadvertently revealed her feelings, which were overheard by a caregiver.

Later, the caregiver informed Catherine that. In reality, Catherine had no intention of dealing with Liana.

As Liana herself admitted, it wasn’t intentional.

Catherine wasn’t a saint and preferred not to meddle in the family matters between Korbin and his daughter.

But Liana had crossed a line this time. She even intended to kill Korbin.

Given this, Catherine decided to expose everything and ensure that Liana faced the deserved consequences.

As the truth was revealed, Liana knew arguing was futile. She chose to give up.

She glared at Catherine with resentment and was still unrepentant. She said stubbornly, “Catherine, it’s all your fault. Without you, I wouldn’t be in this mess today.”

After she said to Catherine, Liana turned to ask Rachael, “Why didn’t you just kill her back then? You let this jinx linger. Now, she is harming our entire family.”

In Liana’s eyes, without Catherine, she’d still be the esteemed heiress of the Swanns, a prominent socialite in Casier.

Facing Liana’s accusations toward Catherine, Branden, who previously remained silent, suddenly intervened.

He said, “You just blame others incessantly. Why don’t you look at yourself? You both come from the same family background, so why should you have everything from the start? Was Catherine meant to be cast aside just because you were born into privilege, or is it your excessive sense of superiority?

“If I were Catherine, from the moment I stepped into the Swanns’, I’d wipe you all out! Catherine never struck at you. If you had shown gratitude and treated her better, would you have turned out like this?”

Branden’s words acted like a wake-up call, which made everyone present realize the situation.

In the past, they all felt Catherine had been too ruthless toward her own family.

They forgot that everyone present from the Swanns had wronged Catherine from the beginning. They unjustly accused and harmed her during her childhood.

Being born into the Swanns wasn’t her choice. But her parents abandoned her. She returned to the Swanns’ because Vicente forced her to. However, the ones who had abandoned her repeatedly harmed her upon her return.

If anyone else were in her place, they might have acted even more ruthlessly than Catherine. Catherine stood quietly to the side and gently stared at Branden.

The crowd thought Branden made sense. After all, Catherine was so capable that many people wished they had the chance to align themselves with her. Unfortunately, the Swanns failed to appreciate this.

Based on their blood ties alone, if only the Swanns could have treated Catherine a bit better, they might have had the opportunity to gain her favor.

To the outside world, the Swann Corporation might seem significant, but to Catherine, it was nothing more than a mere toy. If Catherine was in a good mood, she would willingly give it away with open hands.

These people from the Swanns were extremely foolish.

A few minutes later, the police arrived on the scene.

Liana, who remained silent, finally reacted. She stared in disbelief at Catherine. “You had the police come to arrest me?”

Catherine ignored her. If she’d made a mistake, she should face the consequences.

Seeing that the police were going to take Liana away, Rachael panicked. ” What are you doing? Let go of my daughter!”

To everyone’s surprise, the police handcuffed Rachael. “Mrs. Swann, we suspect you in a case of embezzlement. Please come with us.”

Over the years, Rachael had installed several people in the Swann Corporation.

After Catherine took control of the Swanns, Rachael found it challenging to have significant financial resources.

So, she tampered with company funds. She thought she was unnoticed, but Linda saw through her actions.

Linda reported everything to Catherine. Catherine couldn’t be bothered to deal with these individuals. Now that she had the opportunity, she resolved to handle them all at once.

Audrey stood aside and remained silent. She knew she shouldn’t intervene now. She had lost all hope in her mother and sister.

Just as Branden had said, he might have massacred everyone who had harmed Catherine upon his return if it were him.

They all thought Catherine was ruthless, but in reality, Catherine had been kind enough.

Thinking this, Audrey felt even more ashamed. She looked up at Catherine and said sorrowfully, “I’m sorry, Kathy. We were all wrong!”

Catherine shrugged and replied indifferently, “Take care of yourself.”

With those who needed to be removed taken care of, Catherine didn’t want to stay.

Korbin was not her concern. Audrey could handle herself, and Catherine was sure she wouldn’t interfere again.

She took Branden’s hand and said, ” 11 Let’s go.”

Branden gently tightened his grip and led Catherine away.

Chapter 609 The Agricultural Sciences Institute

After wrapping things up in Casier, Catherine tagged along with Branden back to Loxton. Catherine couldn’t stay away from Styre University too long. There was schoolwork waiting for her.

Unlike the others, Catherine went straight to the lab upon her return. She just needed to check back in at the lab.

At Styre University, only Catherine could do this. After all, not everyone could get pulled into the lab during their freshman year like Catherine.

As Catherine stepped into the lab, everyone looked at her.

Marshall’s assistant and his proudest student, Zac Pearce, was the first to greet her. He asked, “Catherine, got everything sorted back home?”

With a gentle smile, he was polite and warm.

Catherine replied politely, “All sorted. I’m here today to sort out my leave.”

Zac nodded and then said, “Come on. I’ll take you to the professor’s office. I’ll help you out.”

As the two left, conversations bubbled among those in the lab. Someone clueless about the situation asked, “Why does Zac, usually so indifferent, seem different toward Catherine?”

Another one immediately replied, “Do you have any idea how precious Catherine is? Ever since she showed her skills last time, the computer science professor from the next department has been eyeing our lab, waiting to snatch her away. Professor Hartley even said it’s on the whole lab if she gets taken!”

Hearing that, the first one replied, “No one’s taking our people!”

At that moment, one belief echoed throughout the lab. That was to protect Catherine and prevent the other professor from taking her.

Marshall had worked hard to bring Catherine into the lab. They couldn’t let the computer science professor easily sway her. They believed that a precious gem like her needed protection.

As for Catherine, she wasn’t aware of the shift in attitudes among her lab mates. She just felt that after two days away, everyone in the lab seemed oddly eager when looking at her.

During lunchtime, Catherine was engrossed in her data and hadn’t gone to get food.

Zac asked, “Catherine, I’m heading to the cafeteria. Want me to bring you something?”

Glancing at her work, Catherine realized she might need more time if she went out. She was about to agree when a senior colleague chimed in, ” Zac, cafeteria? I’ve got something cooking here. I’ll make extra for Catherine!”

This senior colleague was a good cook. It was a skill honed from years of cooking for herself.

Lazy as she was, she complained about cooking for just herself. Only Marshall had the honor of tasting her cooking once or twice. Others never had that privilege.

Unexpectedly, she invited Catherine today, which spoke volumes about Catherine’s standing in the lab.

“Catherine, forget about the cafeteria today. I made some beef cutlets. Let me get you a serving!”

Catherine nodded gratefully and said, Thank you!” 11

Half an hour later, the senior colleague had prepared the meal and personally placed it in front of Catherine’s stool.

Just as Catherine was about to express her thanks, another senior colleague brought over some fruit.

“This is a new breed from our Agricultural Sciences Institute. You can’t find these outside. I used my charm to get these from the institute. Give it a try, Catherine!”

The fruits developed by Styre University’s Agricultural Sciences Institute were typically reserved for lab experiments.

Even when a slightly larger harvest could be sold, those were top-tier fruits auctioned off. They were so exclusive that they were hard to come by, even with money.

Now, a large bowl was placed in front of Catherine. It was a testament to these senior colleagues’ fondness for her.

From the moment Catherine stepped into the lab until she finished her work and left, in just a few short hours, she lost count of how many delicious treats the senior colleagues had pampered her with.

And it wasn’t just food. They even offered her some to take away. Before leaving, the colleague with ties to the Agricultural Sciences Institute handed Catherine more items.

“Catherine, these are all products developed by our Agricultural Sciences Institute. Try them out, and if you like them, let me know, and I’ll sort you out.

With his overwhelming generosity, Catherine left with a pile of goodies for her dorm. Catherine rushed back to the lab right after arriving at the school. Until this time, she finally stepped into the dorm.

Seeing Catherine carrying all these things, Amelia quickly pitched in. ” Catherine, why do you bring back so much stuff from your trip?”

In college, when someone returned from home, it was almost customary to bring back some local treats.

Seeing Catherine with all these items, Amelia and Isabella weren’t surprised. After Catherine put the items down, she calmly explained, “These were given by a senior lab mate.”

Amelia hadn’t been in the lab that day, and she didn’t know what happened.

She got excited upon hearing that it was from a senior colleague. “Let me take a look!”

Catherine casually nodded. “Feel free.”

Given permission, Amelia hurried over to check and then exclaimed, “Wow! Catherine, we hit the jackpot!”

Startled by her sudden outburst, Catherine furrowed her brow. Isabella, who had been studying at her desk, also came over and then asked, “What jackpot?”

Amelia handed what she held to Isabella and said, “Bella, look at this. All these products are from our Agricultural Sciences Institute. Look! This is zero-calorie, zero-fat fruit cereal, and this is super low-fat roasted chicken, and this…”

Catherine didn’t recognize these items, but Amelia knew each one like the back of her hand. She enthusiastically displayed them all.

Seeing this, Catherine quietly asked, ” Are these famous?”

Amelia might have jokingly scolded them if anyone else had asked that question. But this was Catherine, so she let it slide. After all, legends didn’t keep up with everyday things like these goodies.

Noticing Catherine’s confusion, Amelia decided to explain things clearly to her. She said, “These aren’t just famous. They’re incredibly precious. They’ve been selling out online. Take this cereal, for instance. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack! You’ve got all these things here and quite a lot of them. Aren’t you making us all jealous?

Amelia was a foodie and had no resistance to anything tasty.

Catherine knew that. Seeing Amelia’s enthusiasm, she generously said, ” Since these are good stuff, let’s share them. You and Isabella can split them together.”

“Catherine, you are so great!” Amelia couldn’t contain her excitement. She realized that she could benefit a lot from being around Catherine.

“You two go ahead and divide them. I’ve got a few things to attend to,” Catherine said. Then she opened her laptop and headed up to the second- floor bunk.

When she worked, she preferred no interruptions. Both Amelia and Isabella understood and respected Catherine’s habits.

Just as Catherine drew her curtain shut, Ronin’s call came in immediately.

Chapter 610 Edson’s Target

Catherine casually picked up the phone and slipped on her headphones.

“Catherine, I got some fresh intel. You free to listen?”

“Yeah,” Catherine grunted in response.

Ronin hadn’t been hanging around Catherine much lately. Because Catherine had assigned him a task, and he went off to handle it.

Ever since they found out that the Breens had meddled with the Swann Corporation, they knew that trouble was on the horizon.

So Ronin took it upon himself to snoop around the Breens, and he finally unearthed some confidential stuff.

“Catherine, fire up your computer!”

Hearing Ronin’s words, Catherine powered up her laptop.

Soon, she received a file from Ronin. It was a medical diagnosis.

“Catherine, they’re saying this diagnosis belongs to Shane. Seems like he’s sick.”

Catherine scrutinized the report. Shane, that old fox, wouldn’t just let his health report fall into anyone’s hands.

Even with Ronin’s intel, Catherine wasn’t jumping to conclusions. She scanned through and found nothing fishy, but she still felt suspicious and refrained from an immediate confirmation.

Unable to pinpoint any issues at the moment, Catherine ordered Ronin, Keep going.”

“Got it!” Ronin’s tone grew serious. ” Catherine, I heard that the Breens know you’re in Loxton. They’re sending folks your way soon. We gotta be extra cautious!”

Catherine remained composed. She replied with a chilly expression, “Let them come.”

They could come if they wanted, but leaving wouldn’t be their call.

Ronin understood Catherine’s message. There was Loxton in Eskana, not the Breens’ place in Alton. The Breens wouldn’t dare act recklessly here.

After years of developing in Eskana, they’d amassed enough finance and power to counter the Breens in this territory.

But this wasn’t a long-term solution. They needed something to balance out the Breens.

“Catherine, any results from Rodge’s side yet?”

“Just wrapped up phase one.”

Catherine wasn’t thrilled with the outcome. However, in this experiment, they were the only ones globally to have completed the first testing phase. They had already achieved the fastest pace worldwide.

After Ronin heard this, his mood immediately sank.

“Only at phase one? That’s slow! Even the Hacker Alliance lab hasn’t cracked their latest chip tech. Without these two crucial tools, how do we take on Shane?”

To hold sway, they needed powerful weapons in their arsenal.

With both hoped-for weapons still unperfected, Ronin felt disheartened.

While Ronin was anxious, Catherine remained composed as the key player.

“No rush. What’s meant to come will come. Keep a close eye on Loxton and the Swann Corporation. Let me know the minute anything pops up.”

She had her hands full with the lab projects for now, leaving the Breens’ moves to Ronin to monitor.

“Don’t worry, Catherine. I’ll keep a tight watch,” Ronin replied.

The Breens’ business sprawled globally, with quite a few companies in Eskana.

Usually, their visits to inspect company affairs were part of the routine, but lately, their comings and goings had been too frequent.

Despite their discreet movements, they couldn’t evade the Duncans’ intelligence network.

After Paxton received the news, he had some covert probing. Then he passed the intel to Branden.

He said, “Mr. Duncan, the Breens’ folks seem unsettled lately.”

Aidan, who didn’t appear for a long time, was now present at the Duncans’.

Since Branden accompanied Catherine to Loxton, Aidan returned overseas. Now, he relocated all the Lanes’ assets back to Casier.

His visit to Loxton aimed at collaborating with Branden. Having returned to the country, he wanted to develop in Loxton.

Upon hearing Paxton’s report, Aidan was intrigued. “The Breens? What’s going on?”

After Paxton glanced at Branden and saw no objection, he continued, “The Breens often send people periodically to work in Eskana, but this time it’s different. Shane’s nephew, Edson, was sent. He spent a week in Casier and arrived in Loxton by plane last night. They opted for a commercial flight to keep things low-key.”

Aidan chuckled softly and then said, ” Interesting! The most notorious playboy from the Breens took a commercial flight?”

It wasn’t the airline that was the issue, but because Aidan knew Edson quite well.

During his time abroad, he had heard quite a bit about Edson’s extravagant and shocking exploits.

Branden was unconcerned about the playboy’s lavish lifestyle. He wanted to know Edson’s purpose in Eskana.

Shane had no biological sons, only a daughter. Unfortunately, the daughter wasn’t business-inclined.

Rumors mentioned that he had an adopted daughter, who was shrouded in mystery. Nobody knew who she was except that Shane showered her with affection.

He even planned to betroth her to his nephew, Edson. There were rumors in the outside world that Edson was set to succeed Shane and become the next heir of the Breens.

Branden cast a slow glance at Paxton.

Paxton immediately adopted a serious demeanor and refrained from asking Aidan about Edson’s outrageous activities overseas.

“Mr. Duncan, previously Edson was quite active in Casier. We found that he used a subsidiary to acquire a significant portion of scattered shares of the Swann Corporation held.”

Hearing that, Aidan thought inwardly, ” The Swann Corporation?”

Aidan knew it was Catherine’s inheritance. He discreetly glanced at Branden and gauged his reaction.

Catherine was currently someone very dear to Branden. Anyone meddling with her would be in for a rough time.

Aidan wasn’t sure which family held more power between the Duncans and the Breens when they were to confront each other.

“Does Catherine know?” Branden inquired.

“She should,” Paxton said. Actually, he wasn’t entirely certain. Catherine was too mysterious. The information they could get, she probably could access as well.

But the Swann Corporation was completely silent as if they weren’t aware. That was why Paxton was uncertain.

“Mr. Duncan, it seems like Edson’s target in Loxton might also be Miss Swann!”

Aidan’s eyes lit up suddenly, and his voice involuntarily rose as he asked, ” What?”

Paxton rolled his eyes at Aidan. He thought inwardly, “Mr. Duncan isn’t so anxious yet. Why is Aidan so frantic?”