Ch. 781..790
Chapter 781 Free Lunch
The private room’s door was opened, and the waiter led several people into it. Not only was Ronin there, but even Withal and Zobber were invited.
Ronin froze for a moment when he entered and saw Catherine. He turned his head to look at the nearby Zobber. ” You even invited Catherine?”
Zobber was also a bit surprised when she saw Catherine. She had originally joked with Ronin that she would treat him to a meal, but she wasn’t the one who was actually going to treat him.
“Paxton didn’t tell me it was Mr. Duncan who treated us to lunch. I thought it was him who would treat us to lunch!” said Zobber.
Hearing this, Ronin and Withal simultaneously rolled their eyes toward Zobber.
They thought Zobber was stupid. They didn’t want to pay attention to her.
Paxton was Branden’s most loyal lackey. How could he suddenly treat everyone to a meal? Ronin and Withal felt there was something fishy about it as soon as they heard it.
They thought only a brainless woman like Zobber would believe that people like Paxton would suddenly treat her to a meal.
Seeing several people standing and discussing, Catherine put down the fork and looked at the crowd.
“Are you guys going to eat by standing there? Have a seat!” Catherine gave an order, and the crowd pulled out their chairs and sat down obediently.
Paxton beckoned the waiter to serve the dishes. Looking at the table full of delicacies, the crowd felt something was not quite right.
Withal and Ronin exchanged glances, then focused their eyes on Catherine.
Catherine was as calm as ever, completely unaffected.
Ronin knew it was useless to ask Catherine about this, so he reached out and nudged Zobber aside, leaving her in charge of inquiring about the ultimate purpose of the meal.
Zobber originally hated doing this kind of thing, but it was she who brought Ronin and the others there this time. If she didn’t make a sound, she would be blamed by them when they went back.
There was no way around it. Zobber could only grit her teeth and speak. ” Mr. Duncan, these dishes are all delicious and expensive. But as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world. You’re suddenly treating us to such a good meal here. What’s your purpose?”
Branden raised his eyes at Zobber with interest, the corners of his mouth rising slightly. “I’m having a special feast for you guys. It’s sort of a thank- you meal!”
Although Branden was saying these words with a smile, Zobber felt uneasy in her heart, and a cold sweat broke out behind her back. “A thank you meal? We didn’t do anything. Why are you thanking us?”
Zobber thought to herself, “This isn’t a thank-you meal. It’s just a meal with bad intentions!”
“Casier Real Estate!” Branden prompted only three words, and Zobber shut up.
It wasn’t hard for Branden to find out that information. Zobber didn’t need to lie, and if she kept making things up, she would eventually make them become those who made fools of themselves.
Zobber shut up and glanced toward Ronin and Withal.
Then they turned their gaze to Catherine, waiting for Catherine to make up her mind.
“Since we all think the food is good, let’s eat.” After Catherine finished speaking, Ronin and the others immediately picked up their forks and ate quietly as if nothing had happened.
When Branden was almost full, he put down the cutlery in his hand. He propped his elbows on the tabletop and looked at everyone with cold eyes.
Although he didn’t say anything, the oppression he exuded affected everyone present.
Ronin couldn’t help but say, “Mr. Duncan, even though we did it without your consent, it’s still a favor to the Duncan Corporation.”
Branden nodded approvingly. “You’re right, so I arranged this meal to express my gratitude.”
Ronin laughed awkwardly. “There’s no need to do it. Given your relationship with Catherine, we should do this!”
“Is that so?” Branden purposely drawled. His bright eyes stared straight at Catherine.
Chapter 782 I Have Something to Report
Faced with Branden’s dominance, Catherine shrugged and looked indifferent.
She said, “We weren’t doing you a favor by stepping in to help Casier Real Estate, and we had no intention of meddling with the Duncan Corporation. We simply don’t like Shane and want to target him, can’t we?
Catherine said it lightly. If someone else had said such words, everyone would have thought that person was talking big.
But these words were said by Catherine. No one dared to question her. After all, Catherine had the ability. She could do whatever she said she would do.
Branden looked at Catherine with eyes full of dominance and deep fascination. “Of course you can. I was hoping to win by relying on my girlfriend, but I didn’t realize that you had no intention of helping me. You did that just because you don’t like Shane!”
Catherine crossed her hands around her chest and looked at Branden with raised eyebrows. “How about you give me the position of the Duncan Corporation’s president? In this way, you can wait to win by relying on me for the rest of your life.”
Branden rubbed his chin back and forth with his slender fingers. It seemed he was thinking seriously about the suggestion Catherine had made. He then gave his reply. “What you say makes some sense. Why don’t we just set it up that way?”
Everyone listened to Branden and Catherine teasing each other. After learning they wouldn’t argue, everyone ate with peace of mind.
If Catherine and Branden hadn’t fought, everyone would have had a good day.
After finishing the meal, seeing Catherine leaning to the side, Ronin approached her. “Catherine, why didn’t you let me hide my tracks?”
Although Ronin obeyed Catherine, he didn’t understand the reason for Catherine’s actions this time. He thought about it and decided to ask clearly.
Catherine could have made this matter very covert, making it impossible for Shane to find out, and could have even blamed it on Branden, but she did not do that.
She even specifically instructed Ronin to expose his whereabouts without covering up the surveillance footage.
In the face of Ronin’s inquiry, Catherine said nonchalantly, “Shane found out about it, so what? Wouldn’t he target me if he didn’t find out about it?”
Shane’s real purpose was Catherine, and the reason he put his hands on the Duncan Corporation in the first place was also because of Catherine.
Even if Catherine hadn’t been involved this time, Shane wouldn’t have given up targeting Catherine.
Since that was the case, it didn’t make much difference whether she made Shane find out about it or not.
Ronin looked at Catherine with some concern.
He was afraid of being heard, so he lowered his voice. “Catherine, I’m worried that if Shane is really annoyed, he will release information that is unfavorable to you.”
Shane still had something about them in his hands, which made Ronin very worried.
Upon hearing Ronin’s words, Catherine’s eyes instantly darkened. She whispered in a deep voice, “Don’t worry. Shane would rather kill me than expose that information.”
Although that was the case, Ronin was still a bit worried. “Catherine, are we going to take any next steps?”
Seeing Ronin so worried about her, Catherine reached out and gently patted Ronin’s head. “Trust me!”
Ronin nodded without hesitation, his eyes filled with determination. “I absolutely trust you!”
The assistant had followed Shane for many years and knew Shane very well.
He understood that Shane had always wanted Catherine to inherit his position. If Catherine were willing to inherit, he wouldn’t have a problem with it.
But now Catherine had changed. She had started to help outsiders deal with the Breens.
The assistant thought to himself, ‘We can’t keep such a person.’ He hesitated for a long time before finally making a decision and dialed the phone number he had not contacted for a long time.
“Sir, I have something to report!”
Chapter 783 Returning to Loxton
Because of Catherine’s intervention, Shane’s scheme for Casier Real Estate was quickly broken.
Initially, everyone was prepared to be retaliated by Shane, waiting for her counterattack. However, after a few days, Shane did not do anything at all.
Ronin gave the latest intercepted information to Catherine. “Catherine, Shane took a plane back to Loxton yesterday. He’s not in Casier.”
Catherine had a Rubik’s Cube in her hand. She turned it rapidly with her index finger.
Each side of the cube was still in chaotic colors, but in the next second, each side was turned into one color by Catherine, and she made it with only one hand.
After restoring all the colors on the cube, Catherine messed up its colors and restored them once again.
She was so focused on turning the cube that she didn’t seem to be listening to Ronin at all.
Ronin didn’t mind. He picked up the extra Rubik’s Cube that was thrown on the floor. He tried to turn to make each side of the cube a different color in the same way as Catherine. Although he tried his best, he was far from being able to keep up with Catherine’s pace in terms of speed.
“Catherine, if you go to the cube competition, you’ll definitely win the championship!”
Catherine had no interest in being a world champion. She just didn’t like one-way thinking, which meant that when she was thinking, she must be doing something else at the same time.
After restoring the cube once again, Catherine threw it away and got up from her chair to leave.
Seeing her walk away, Ronin immediately chased after her. ”
Catherine, what are you going to do?”
Catherine replied, “Packing up and going back to Loxton!”
Since Shane wasn’t in Casier, there was no point in her staying, so she might as well go back to Loxton now.
Marshall was still waiting for her to go back and attend classes!
Knowing that Catherine was going back to Loxton, Ronin immediately notified everyone.
Everyone was willing to follow Catherine back to Loxton. They came to Casier to follow Catherine. Now that Catherine was leaving, they naturally needed to follow her back.
After Catherine packed her things, she came downstairs to see Zobber, and the others also finished packing their things. She frowned slightly. “Do you still plan to rest?”
Zobber smiled and said, “Catherine, you plan to rest too. As it happens, I’ll take another break for myself and go to Loxton with you guys. I like staying with everyone!”
Zobber didn’t want to take missions. Catherine didn’t care and let her.
The Hacker Alliance did not require each member to take on a certain amount of missions every month. Usually, when a mission came in, there would be a specialized person who would distribute it to the right member to take it on.
However, the prerequisite was that the members themselves were willing to take on the mission. As long as the price was reasonable and the members were willing to accept it, this mission was considered a successful undertaking.
Over the years, the Hacker Alliance had never failed a mission.
Zobber wanted to take some time off, and Withal didn’t want to work either. Ronin wanted to continue to finish his studies, and all of them had the same goal, so they went back to Loxton with Catherine.
In Casier, the Duncan Corporation still had some troublesome follow-up work that required Branden to handle personally. Originally, Branden was planning to send Catherine back to Loxton and then return to Casier to handle the work.
But Catherine said to him, “No, I’ll go back with everyone. You don’t have to go back and forth. Don’t make things complicated.”
Catherine wasn’t an unreasonable person. She understood Branden. She knew that the Duncan Corporation was big, and there were many things that Branden had to deal with personally every day.
Moreover, because Branden went to Florona this time, there was no one to guard the Duncan Corporation, causing the Duncan Corporation’s subsidiary in Casier to suffer quite a bit of repercussions. This was a critical time.
Branden staying there could recover most of the losses, so naturally, Catherine thought that Branden didn’t need to send her to Loxton and then come back.
It wouldn’t be too late for Branden to go to Loxton after the matter in Casier was settled.
Seeing Catherine’s persistent attitude, Branden agreed with her decision.
He leaned over slightly and kissed her on the forehead, his eyes filled with tenderness. “Call me as soon as you get off the plane. You’ll stay at the school dormitory for the next few days while I’m gone. I’ll pick you up when I get back!”
Catherine nodded and responded obediently, “Okay!”
Branden only allowed her to leave after seeing her so obedient.
The happiest person when Catherine returned to Loxton was Marshall.
He went to the airport to pick up Catherine in person. Catherine was picked up by Marshall and taken to the laboratory before she even had a chance to say goodbye to the others.
On the way to the laboratory, Marshall didn’t forget to complain to Catherine. “You bad girl, you almost killed me.”
Catherine frowned at him, clearly puzzled by his words.
Marshall sighed. He still had lingering fear when he talked about it now. “It’s about you sneaking out last time. You didn’t even know how intimidating your fiancé’s behavior was. I’m old and I can’t stand being scared like that. Don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation next time. I’m afraid your fiancé will really kill me in a fit of rage.”
Although Marshall exaggerated a bit, he was more worried about Catherine.
No matter how strong and angry Branden was, he would let Marshall off the hook for the sake of Marshall’s mentor-student relationship with Catherine.
Marshall was more worried about Catherine and didn’t want Catherine to risk her life. Catherine didn’t make a sound in response. Seeing her nod, Marshall felt much more comfortable.
After that, he was ready to give Catherine a task next. “Now that you’re back, can you focus on experimenting now? I’ve helped you take on all those socializing tasks these days. They almost killed me!”
Catherine couldn’t help but laugh out loud at Marshall’s look. “Professor Hartley, isn’t it nice to have someone treat you to delicious food every day? Why did you still think they almost killed you?”
Marshall despised Catherine when he saw she didn’t understand him. He grumbled, “If you like to have delicious food every day, then go participate in those social activities yourself!”
Their team winning the award shocked the entire circle.
Not only did people from all walks of life compete to invite them to attend various activities, gatherings, and meals, but even the higher-ups had arranged quite a few events and gatherings for them.
Marshall would rather stay in the laboratory every day than go out to socialize.
If it were just a matter of asking their laboratory researchers to go out occasionally to make some contacts, Marshall would be willing to pave the way for his students.
It was just that the frequency of such incidents should not be too high. Because of Catherine’s departure, Marshall had to take on Catherine’s social engagements, too, which was the kind he couldn’t put off.
All of his previous social engagements combined didn’t add up to the number of social engagements he’d had this month.
Fortunately, Catherine returned in time. He was able to announce to his higher-ups that the experiment was restarting, that he needed to devote himself to it, and that he could no longer go to socialize.
Facing Marshall with a sad face, Catherine smiled and stood up. ” Professor Hartley, I’m going to the laboratory!”
Marshall waved his hand impatiently.” Hurry up. I leave them all to you!”
He knew Catherine’s abilities and was very confident in handing everything over to her.
On the way out of Marshall’s office and walking to the laboratory, the cell phone inside Catherine’s pocket suddenly rang.
She pulled out her cell phone. The moment she saw the caller ID, her eyebrows immediately furrowed, and her face unconsciously became more serious.
Chapter 784 He’s Back
Catherine came out of the laboratory and then went to where the other party prompted her as promised. But when she arrived at the place, she didn’t see the familiar person appear.
Catherine believed she wouldn’t find the wrong place, but the person who had made the appointment with her wasn’t there.
Just as Catherine hesitated whether to search for the person, a little girl of only four or five years old with two beautiful braids came to Catherine. ” Miss, are you Kathy?”
Kathy?
Catherine frowned slightly. Although Kathy was a nickname for her given name, Catherine, she didn’t know the girl in front of her and assumed she wasn’t the one the little girl was looking for.
She shook her head in denial.
However, the little girl didn’t seem to see her shaking her head. She shoved a small bouquet directly into Catherine’s hands and said, “Kathy, a handsome man asked me to give this to you. He asked you to wait for him for a while. He said he’d be right there!”
It was a beautiful palm-size bouquet made from dried flowers.
Catherine wanted to remind the little girl that she had the wrong person, but as she was about to hand the card and bouquet back, she saw the message on the card.
She recognized the handwriting. The person who had written those words was the very person she was waiting for.
Catherine reached out and stroked the little girl’s head, her cold eyes showing a rare tenderness. “Girl, do you know the name of that handsome man?”
The little girl nodded seriously. “Yes, I know. The handsome man said his name is Rylan.”
Catherine then confirmed that the little girl didn’t have the wrong person. Seeing that the little girl was so little, Catherine planned to return her to her parents first.
Just as Catherine stood up, she saw a gentle-looking young woman who looked somewhat similar to the little girl walking toward them. “Tori, why are you here?”
Hearing the voice, the little girl immediately left Catherine behind and turned back. “Mommy, I’m helping a handsome man pass a message to Kathy!”
The little girl was little, but she was eloquent and looked pleasing. Catherine liked her very much.
The little girl’s mother looked at Catherine with a confused look. It was a look that made Catherine unsure of how to explain.
“Tori!” A magnetic and pleasant sound instantly caught everyone’s attention.
As everyone turned around, they saw Rylan Melton, who was tall and dressed in black casual clothes, slowly walking toward them.
Tori was particularly happy when she saw Rylan, and her small face instantly
burst into smiles. “Rylan…”
After explaining to Tori’s mother, Rylan walked straight toward Catherine.
Catherine just sat quietly on the bench and waited for him to come over.
Rylan walked up to Catherine and didn’t sit down right away. Instead, he stood still with a pair of beautiful eyes scrutinizing her up and down.
Although his gaze was very oppressive, Catherine didn’t feel any discomfort at all.
After a moment, Rylan’s warm and handsome face showed a hint of a smile, and the corners of his mouth instantly widened, revealing an exceptionally bright and dazzling handsome smile. “Catherine, it’s been years since I’ve seen you. You’ve become much more beautiful.”
Catherine’s lips curved lightly. She was seemingly smiling, and her expression was not as cold as the moment before. ” Why did you suddenly go from Loewe to Loxton?”
Catherine had heard that Rylan had been entrenched in Loewe for business all these years. When she suddenly received Rylan’s call, she thought something had happened to him.
Suddenly receiving the news that he appeared in Loxton and even asked her to meet him surprised her.
Catherine then came out from the laboratory and came there immediately.
Rylan didn’t seem to want to answer Catherine’s question. He looked at Catherine apologetically and said, “I haven’t apologized to you yet. There was an accident just now, and I was a little late.”
Catherine said with a disinterested look on her face, “Didn’t you already let that little girl tell me that?”
Catherine’s calm eyes lit up slightly at the mention of Tori. She reached out and raised the card Tori had stuffed into her hand.
She liked that cute little girl, Tori.
Noticing that Catherine was in a good mood, the smile on Rylan’s face became bigger. “Tori is a real cutie because she even made you forgive me. I know you hate it when people are late.
But he didn’t expect Catherine’s gaze to fall on his arm the next second. “Is your arm okay?”
Her simple words made Rylan smile helplessly and bitterly. Slightly decadent, he sat down next to Catherine. He revealed his disappointment deliberately in his words. “You found it.”
Catherine glanced at the logo mark on his chest and laughed lightly. “It’s not a brand you often wear. You’re not used to it, are you?”
Rylan was born into a luxurious family, and it was inevitable that he had some habits of being a wealthy nobleman.
The clothes he wore all year round were all customized by one brand, and he rarely wore other brands, let alone the fact that he was now wearing the kind of brand that could be bought at the mall.
Another thing Catherine noticed was the smell of blood coming from Rylan.
Catherine was different from ordinary people. She was someone who came from the killing field, and she was more familiar with the stench of human blood than anyone else.
Rylan looked at Catherine with a doting smile in his eyes. “You’ve discovered all of this. You’re worth being my Catherine.”
In fact, Rylan had arrived there and waited for a long time at the appointed place.
But unexpectedly, there was an accident inside the mall.
A careless mother pushed her baby stroller up the escalator, and it tumbled down halfway because of her lack of strength.
When the stroller was in critical condition, Rylan, who had been waiting at the side, noticed the situation. He immediately stepped forward to save the baby.
At the same time, Rylan suffered some injuries.
A sharp-object cut his arm, and blood stained the sleeve of his white shirt, attracting a lot of stares.
Rylan, who always valued manners, would not allow such a thing to happen.
At that time, he met Tori, who was playing in a playground. He took an instant liking to the little girl and asked her to tell Catherine that he would be late.
After that, he quickly went to the mall to buy a new set of clothes. Rylan hurriedly came to Catherine after he changed his clothes.
He didn’t expect Catherine to see through all of this. Although he felt surprised, he somewhat felt it was reasonable.
It seemed like nothing could be hidden from her, and Rylan had long been accustomed to this.
Rylan’s gaze at Catherine was somewhat complicated, but there seemed to be an imperceptible emotion behind the emotion he showed. ” Catherine, I haven’t seen you for many years, but you are still the same as you were back then.”
Catherine curled her lips lightly without any other response.
Rylan had long been used to Catherine’s cold attitude. He knew she was cold, and it seemed she cared for nothing.
However, his encounter with Catherine this time made him feel that Catherine had undergone some changes, but the changes were minimal and hard to notice.
Seeing Catherine start to remain silent again, Rylan put forward a new proposal. “It seems to be dinner time. Would you like to have dinner with me?
Catherine nodded slightly and did not refuse.
Chapter 785 You’ve Changed
Ronin asked Catherine to have dinner with him but was turned down. He looked back at his friends and asked, “Did any of you ask Catherine to dinner? Why didn’t you tell me? I was refused.”
“We can’t compete with you regarding the task of making the appointment with Catherine,” Zobber said discontentedly.
Ronin turned his gaze to Withal. Upon realizing it, Withal immediately shrugged, indicating that it had nothing to do with him.
This made Ronin feel a little strange. Could it be that Mr. Duncan is here?”
Hearing Ronin’s doubt, Zobber came back to her senses. “No way. We just got back to Loxton. If Mr. Duncan could have finished his business in Casier that quickly, he would have come back with us in the morning. How could he possibly want to part with Catherine?”
Although Zobber’s usual words were somewhat unreliable, Ronin felt that her words now made perfect sense. So, who did Catherine go to eat with?”
“Maybe her roommates? Amelia or the others?” Zobber answered nonchalantly.
She thought Ronin was just so worried about Catherine that he even wanted to know who Catherine had dinner with.
If it weren’t for Catherine having Branden by her side now, Ronin would still insist on being her 24-hour full- time nanny.
Ronin quickly refuted Zobber’s words. ” No way. I asked Amelia. She’s not with Catherine. And Amelia also said that Catherine had just gone back to the laboratory and went out again. She seemed to have made an appointment with someone.”
Catherine didn’t have many friends in Loxton. Usually, she only made appointments with them and stayed with them.
If they didn’t ask her out, she would immerse herself in the laboratory, thinking about her experimental projects.
Zobber stopped her game and looked at Ronin with serious eyes. “So, who can Catherine go to dinner with?”
Ronin couldn’t help but roll his eyes at her. He asked in his heart, “If I knew it, why would I be here to ask you?”
“Didn’t you place a tracking device on her? Why don’t you check it?” Zobber suggested.
Ronin wanted to strangle Zobber, the useless woman. He placed a tracking device on Catherine, but it was used to confirm her location in times of crisis, not to track her whereabouts.
If Catherine discovered that Ronin had installed a tracking device on her, he would be finished.
Withal, who was standing on the sidelines, stood up impatiently when he saw that the two were still grinding away at their discussion. “Are you guys so bored? Catherine is an adult. Can’t she have a little privacy? Hurry up, and let’s go for dinner. I’m starving.”
Ronin couldn’t find Catherine’s whereabouts for the time being, so he agreed with Withal’s suggestion.
The three of them got into the car. Withal was about to start the vehicle when Ronin’s cell phone rang.
He thought it was a reply from Catherine and was about to check it.
Two more rings came from Withal’s and Zobber’s cell phones.
Ronin bared his teeth and smiled. ” What a coincidence!”
But when Ronin took out his cell phone and checked the message, his face instantly became serious. He said with his eyes filled with coldness. ” Something’s wrong!”
Withal and Zobber’s faces were just as serious. This was because the messages the three of them received were the same content, all of which were rescue messages sent from their organization.
There were actually people who dared to cause trouble in their territory. Those people were simply seeking death.
Ronin turned his head and asked the two, “What should we do? Should we notify Catherine?”
Zobber made an instant decision. ”
Didn’t Catherine go out for something? Then there’s no need to notify her. Besides, all three of us are here. What are you afraid of?”
Usually, when something happened, even if they reported it to Catherine, Catherine would just assign one of them to check it out.
Only as a last resort would Catherine personally take action.
After all, those small matters couldn’t alarm her. Just after Zobber said those words, Withal stepped on the accelerator and whizzed out in his car.
With all three of them making moves at the same time, there was nothing that couldn’t be solved.
Rylan booked the restaurant, and Catherine sat leisurely in the restaurant. In the high-class restaurant, Catherine was different from those dressed in fancy clothes with elegant demeanors and even excessive limitations.
Catherine was dressed in casual clothes, with a casual and carefree posture. If not for her stunningly beautiful face, she probably wouldn’t even have had the chance to sit at the table at the moment.
Unlike her, Rylan’s mannerisms showed the unique aura of a nobleman.
Their excellent looks attracted many people.
Although Rylan was very low profile, the people who could sit in this restaurant were wise people of wise people. They could see Rylan’s wealth at a glance.
The watch Rylan wore on his wrist was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and his wealthy demeanor emanating from the inside out instantly made him the focus of attention among the ladies present. Catherine became the target of envy of many people.
After Rylan ordered the dishes, he handed the menu to the waiter.
Catherine didn’t even look at the menu.
With Rylan by her side, she never had to worry about that. Sure enough, when the waiter served the dishes, every single dish was to Catherine’s liking.
Rylan looked at her with expectant eyes. “Are they all your favorite?”
Catherine knew he was referring to the dishes on the table, and she nodded slightly in response.
This response made Rylan momentarily freeze.
He had clearly ordered the food according to Catherine’s tastes. Although Catherine nodded her head, it was clear to Rylan that Catherine did not like them very much.
He had known Catherine for many years. They were friends who had shared life and death, and he understood Catherine’s every move.
He didn’t know that since Catherine had been with Branden, under Branden’s subconscious influence, Catherine had slowly given up her addiction to spicy food.
Her stomach condition did not allow her to eat such stimulating food.
Although Branden did not ask Catherine to stop having spicy food directly, he secretly helped Catherine not to eat spicy food.
Under Rylan’s gaze, Catherine picked up her cutlery.
Perhaps it had been too long since Catherine had eaten such a spicy dish. She suddenly felt uncomfortable to have spicy food. She almost choked on the spicy food.
Seeing her coughing, Rylan immediately brought warm water and handed it to her.
“Is it too spicy?” Rylan’s words were filled with concern.
Catherine didn’t hide it. “I haven’t eaten so spicy for a while. I can’t stand it now.”
Hearing this, on Rylan’s warm face, his eyebrows slightly frowned. With a puzzled expression, he asked, “You used to love spicy dishes. You don’t like them now?”
“My stomach is in a bad condition, so I stopped having spicy food!” Catherine’s words made the sparkle in Rylan’s eyes disappear instantly.
He knew Catherine very well. He knew how hard it was to make Catherine break a habit.
He thought Catherine would be like that for the rest of her life, but he didn’t expect her to change one day.
The seemingly insignificant small change brought a massive shock to Rylan. He thought to himself, “I haven’t contacted Catherine for the past few years. She has changed quite a bit.”
Chapter 786 Catherine Can’t Reach Them
After they left the restaurant, Rylan suggested taking a walk, but Catherine did not refuse.
After realizing Catherine couldn’t eat spicy food, Rylan changed the dishes. The food at that restaurant was very delicious, and Catherine ate a lot. She didn’t refuse the proposal to take a walk because she felt it could help digestion.
“Catherine, what made you suddenly think of returning to school?” Rylan asked.
Catherine turned her head to look at him. Under the neon lights, her face flickered, and her gaze was somewhat ambiguous. “You investigated quite carefully.”
At that, Rylan’s expression changed slightly, and his tone became anxious momentarily. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t mean that!”
“It’s fine!” Catherine interrupted him. She didn’t really care about that.
As much as Rylan knew her, she knew Rylan. Rylan, who had always been strategic and in control of everything, would never allow any unexpected situations to occur.
He naturally investigated her beforehand since he came to Loxton to contact Catherine. Otherwise, he could not have contacted her directly.
“There’s actually no reason. Someone wants me to go to school, so I retrace the path I didn’t take.”
“Is it your sister from the Swanns?” Rylan asked.
He knew that Catherine still had relatives in the Swanns. It was just that a lot had changed since Catherine went back to the Swanns.
Even though Rylan hadn’t been around Catherine in the past few years, he knew a little about what was happening around Catherine, including her return to the Swanns.
“Yes!” Catherine nodded slightly.
She had been out for a while, so she decided to go back. “I still have something to do in the laboratory.”
Rylan didn’t retain her and complied with her wishes. “Okay, I’ll take you back.”
Rylan drove Catherine to the school entrance.
He pulled open the door and helped her out of the car. Catherine waved her hand at him. As she was about to leave, she suddenly heård Rylan say, “I’m here in Loxton this time because there’s a multinational project I need to follow up on personally.”
Catherine stopped and turned back to look at him.
Rylan thought she didn’t believe him and went on to explain, “I’m planning to set up a branch in Eskana.”
“Go for it!” Catherine said and left.
Looking at her departing back, Rylan’s eyes flickered with light.
Establishing a branch in Eskana was very important, but more importantly, there was someone there who he cared about.
Catherine went straight to the laboratory after returning to school.
When she entered, Amelia came out just in time. “Catherine, you’re back!”
“Yes!” Catherine nodded slightly.
After returning from the competition in Alton, Amelia immersed herself in the laboratory every day.
Seeing that she was so highly motivated, the senior brothers around her were willing to help her.
She was even busier than Catherine every day now.
“Catherine, did Ronin contact you? He was looking for you and asked me about your whereabouts. I told him you weren’t in the laboratory, and you went out for something,” said Amelia.
Upon hearing this, Catherine didn’t pay much attention. “I’ll contact him later.
Ronin always wanted to contact Catherine throughout the day, but he was worried that Catherine would find it annoying. So, he liked asking people around Catherine about her news.
Ronin knew the limit and wouldn’t violate Catherine’s privacy, so Catherine didn’t mind when he did so.
“I’ll go ahead and have dinner then. You should go back and rest early, too,” Amelia said. After seeing Catherine nod her head, Amelia then turned to leave.
After Catherine returned to the laboratory, she called Ronin. The phone call was not connected. Although Catherine felt strange, she didn’t pay much attention.
She hadn’t returned to the laboratory for a while, so she needed to organize the materials in the laboratory carefully.
Unlike the large laboratories of her senior brothers and sisters, Catherine’s laboratory was specially approved by Marshall and was separate.
She didn’t allow anyone to come in and clean her laboratory. Everyone had different habits of placing things, and she had her own habits. She didn’t want anyone to break them.
A few hours had passed since she had finished organizing the things that had been accumulating in the laboratory for some time.
Catherine then realized that Ronin had not yet replied to her message.
Ronin would usually call her back within three minutes after she sent him a message.
Catherine thought Ronin might be with Withal and the others, so she called Withal.
She then realized that both Withal’s and Zobber’s phones were working, but there was no answer.
After sensing something was wrong, Catherine used an app she had developed to send a message to the Hacker Alliance’s liaison asking him to find Ronin and the other two’s location.
The Hacker Alliance’s liaison replied with a message, [Miss Catherine, something’s happened to the organization. We contacted Mr. Withal first. He should be over there now.]
Hearing that there was a situation, Catherine guessed that the three should have gone there together.
However, the three of them didn’t answer the phone at the same time, which made her feel abnormal.
[Send me the location.] After sending the message, Catherine exited the app.
Several organizations were under the Hacker Alliance, and four leaders had always managed them. Catherine herself wasn’t sure exactly which ones there were.
She had just exited the app when the Hacker Alliance liaison sent the location to her phone.
Catherine put her phone away. Pulling open a drawer, she took a key out of it and then left the laboratory.
The organization was located on the outskirts of Loxton. Catherine rode her motorcycle, which took her half an hour to get there.
The factory ahead was silent in the darkness of the late night. This was a Hacker Alliance organization in Loxton. During the days, it was an ordinary factory, and nothing was peculiar.
At night, it became a meeting place for some Hacker Alliance members.
Just a few hours ago, the factory was attacked by a group of unknown people. Some Hacker Alliance members were injured.
The members immediately sent a message to the headquarters for help. The headquarters then sent orders to the nearest members to go for support.
It just so happened that Ronin, Zobber, and Withal were in Loxton. They received the message and came there to help.
Catherine didn’t come in first. After observing the situation, she went around to the factory’s back door and entered the factory through the small door.
The factory looked silent, but the air was still filled with the smell of disinfectant and blood.
Catherine’s face instantly became quite grave. She frowned as she groped her way forward, her eyes increasingly solemn.
Her right hand was tightly pressed against her thigh, which held the weapon that could keep her alive.
Such a stance would allow her to draw her weapon at the first opportunity to confront the enemy. Catherine wasn’t sure about their organization, but she knew every organization had a secret room.
She recognized the clues her people had laid out inside the factory and followed them to the secret room.
Sure enough, there was movement inside the secret room.
Catherine didn’t know if the people inside the secret room were friends or foes, so she didn’t take action.
In one agile leap, she opened her arms and braced herself against the sides of the wall with her powerful arms. She used her arms to support her entire body silently against the ceiling.
Following the gap in the door above her, she looked toward the secret room.
After taking in the situation of the secret room, Catherine instantly frowned. Her originally cold eyes immediately darkened and sank, releasing infinite killing intent.
Chapter 787 Inside the Secret Room
“Knock, knock, knock.” The sound of knocking on the door came, startling several people interrogating someone in the secret room.
Everyone’s nerves immediately tensed up, and the atmosphere inside the room immediately became quite solemn.
The leading man looked at the short man next to him. The shorter man pondered momentarily and then said in a suppressed voice, “Keyon went out just now. Could it be that he’s back?”
The leading man signaled the shorter man to open the door along with the other two men in black. The three of them held their weapons and walked toward the door cautiously.
The short man was responsible for opening the door, while the other two were responsible for guarding his side. Once there was a situation, they would immediately attack.
After opening the door, they found that there was no one outside.
The short man found it strange. He walked out to check the situation. ” Keyon…”
After waiting a few seconds, the short man disappeared without sound. The two men in black felt something was wrong and immediately rushed out to check the situation.
Subsequently, the two men in black also disappeared without a sound.
Looking at the dark doorway with no sound, the leading man finally realized something was wrong.
He stared vigilantly at the doorway, holding his weapon aimed at Withal’s vital point.
Although Withal was bound and had many marks of execution on his body, his attitude remained calm and dashing. He caught a familiar scent in the air, which made him more and more calm.
Hearing Withal’s silent laughter, the leading man’s expression instantly turned sinister. “What are you laughing at? What’s so funny?”
He took his weapon and poked it toward the wound on Withal’s thigh. Blood splattered instantly, and Withal gritted his teeth in pain, but he struggled to endure it without making any sound.
After taking a breath, Withal looked at the leading man with a face full of mockery. He said coldly, “I told you that this factory is haunted and gets even worse at night. You don’t believe me. Do you believe it now?”
The leading man naturally didn’t believe Withal’s flimflam. He had always lived in danger, so how could he believe these kinds of words?
After hearing Withal’s nonsense, he laughed out coldly. “Even if this place is haunted, so what? I’m not afraid.”
“You’re so bold!” Withal shrugged his shoulders casually, completely ignoring the leading man’s threat.
They waited a while longer, and there was still no movement outside.
The leading man and his men decided to go out together and take a look. Just as several of them walked to the door, a black shadow suddenly whizzed past.
The people present were all men with exceptional skills. They instantly clashed with the black shadow.
Although several people were super strong in terms of force, they still lost in front of the powerful Catherine.
Seeing that the situation was not right, the leading man immediately turned around and rushed toward Withal’s position.
He put Withal in a chokehold, then shouted at Catherine viciously. “Do you not care if he lives or dies?”
Hearing the voice, Catherine stopped slowly.
The crowd then surrounded her. It was just that Catherine’s aura was too strong for them to step forward.
“Catherine, you have to be careful. My life is in their hands.” Withal could still shout to Catherine cheerfully.
Catherine glanced at him, and her expression went cold.
The leading man choked Withal’s neck, and there was quite a bit of smugness in his eyes. “The God of War of the Hacker Alliance is just so-so. I thought you’re really a God of War.”
When Withal heard this, he became a bit dissatisfied. “Don’t be so arrogant. Since God brought us together, I’ll kindly give you a heads-up. The boy who threatened Catherine last time has been dead for a long time.”
The seemingly teasing words caused the leading man’s men present to tense up.
After all, they all knew very well that Withal’s words were not a threat to them. The person standing opposite them was someone who was known as the God of War.
They had also learned about Catherine’s strength just now. So many of them were no match for her, so it was obvious that Catherine’s strength was terrifying.
Catherine looked at the crowd with cold eyes, her voice cold. “I’m in a good mood today. If you release him, I’ll let you all go!”
Hearing Catherine’s words, the leading man responded savagely, “He’s in my hands. There’s no way to make me release him unless you come with us.”
Withal shook his head silently. He lamented in his heart secretly, “There are always people who are stubborn.”
Catherine narrowed her eyes. She ímmediately made a move.
After sensing Catherine’s movements, the people present also rushed forward and launched an attack.
The leading man did not expect Catherine to disregard Withal’s life and actually dare to make a move.
In anger, he wanted to kill Withal on the spot.
Unexpectedly, a gust of wind suddenly whistled as soon as he made his move.
Then, a wooden stick was inserted into his palm. The wooden stick penetrated his palm, and blood instantly spurted out.
He didn’t expect Catherine to be able to attack him while she was fighting a group of his men.
She had injured his palm with a single wooden stick.
He endured the pain and pulled the stick out. After that, he prepared to pounce on Catherine.
The moment he turned around, he was dumbfounded. Catherine was already standing before him, and the men he had brought with him were all on the floor.
He gulped nervously and silently. He swore that if given another chance, he would never mess with Catherine. “We don’t know anything. You can kill us if you want.”
Just as he finished those words, Catherine knocked him out with her palm. The leading man fell to the side.
Catherine stepped forward and unshackled Withal.
Withal stared at the leading man on the floor and humorously commented, This brat talks a lot. No wonder he’s so vulnerable!”
Catherine glanced at him with a look of disgust. “He’s vulnerable, but you fell into his hands. Aren’t you vulnerable?”
Withal pouted nonchalantly. “I didn’t realize these people knew my moves as well as they did growing up with me.”
Withal’s words made Catherine frown.”
Tell me, what’s the situation? Where are Ronin and Zobber?”
At the mention of Ronin, Withal’s face became quite solemn.
“Things are troublesome this time.
They might be targeting us. Not only do they know the three of us very well, but they even understand our Hacker Alliance’s code words. Ronin was captured, and so was I after I sent Zobber out. They kept me here for interrogation. Ronin was moved somewhere else. Catherine, I suspect there is a traitor within us.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions yet.” Catherine helped Withal stand up.
Although Withal acted like he was fine, Catherine knew he was hurt badly. “I’ll walk you to Connie. Leave the rest to me.”
She would find Ronin. As for whether there was a traitor, she would investigate it.
Since this group was coming for them, she wouldn’t condone it, let alone be soft.
They were already making moves against her. What would they think of her if she didn’t fight back properly?
Noticing Catherine’s anger, Withal’s heart settled down quite a bit.
As long as Catherine was there, he believed there was nothing that couldn’t be solved. Their Catherine was really powerful.
Chapter 788 Don’t Worry, I’m Here
Connie drove to the scene immediately after receiving Catherine’s message.
She was in disbelief when she saw Withal’s condition. In her heart, she sighed, “He is the head of the Hacker Alliance. Who dares to lay such a cruel hand on him?”
After that, she asked, “Catherine, what happened?”
Catherine looked at her with a faint expression and shook her head slightly. “It’s not clear yet. You take Withal to get treated for his injuries first. Don’t contact anyone but me, and don’t spread the news of Withal’s injury.”
Withal said there was a traitor within the Hacker Alliance, but Catherine wasn’t sure of the specifics yet. So she decided not to tell anyone else about the situation until she found out the truth.
The Hacker Alliance has taken on a lot of missions over the years and has always presented a solid image for everyone.
If the news of Withal and the others’ accidents spread, someone might be taking advantage of it to cause trouble.
At that time, Catherine and the others would need to face multiple troubles, which would in turn, be even more tricky.
Connie looked at Catherine with some concern. “Catherine, what about you?”
“I’m going to find Zobber!” Catherine said and then strode onto her motorcycle, ready to leave. Connie looked at Catherine worriedly as she left. She felt a little uneasy in her heart.
“Kind doctor, stop looking at her. There’s no way anything can happen to Catherine. Why don’t you care about me if you have time? I’m bleeding to death here!”
Hearing Withal’s words, Connie glanced back.
Glancing at the blood that kept flowing down Withal’s thighs, she was not anxious at all.
She even said in a disgusted tone, ”
You’re so strong. Bleeding more is beneficial for your health!”
Withal was speechless yet unable to retort.
He muttered in his heart, “Connie isn’t a man, so how can she be so devoted to Catherine? Never mind. My life is in her hands now. I’d better say less so as not to provoke her.”
Withal didn’t dare to be reckless and allowed Connie to help him into the car and take him away with a cold face.
Catherine turned on the satellite locator to find Zobber’s whereabouts.
All three had their cell phones taken away. If Withal hadn’t fought tooth and nail to protect Zobber, there was no way Zobber could have escaped.
Catherine thought she needed to find Zobber’s whereabouts first and then find a way to save Ronin.
She didn’t know what the group’s purpose was. Judging from the fact that they didn’t kill the three on the spot, Catherine thought that Ronin would not be killed for the time being.
Branden’s handsome face came to her mind the moment she pulled out her cell phone.
She gave a quick glance at the time. It showed that it was early morning. She kept looking for Zobber without dialing the familiar phone number.
Turning on the satellite location, Catherine locked onto Zobber’s location.
Just as she suspected, Zobber hadn’t fled too far and was in a nearby mountainous location.
Catherine guessed that Zobber was planning to come back to rescue Ronin and Withal.
Catherine followed the location of the locator and searched. At deep night, the dew there was heavy, and it was very cold there.
Catherine had gone out with an outdoor, windproof, and waterproof jacket. She was in a good situation.
She was worried about Zobber. Zobber had fled there hastily, and something terrible might happen to her.
Finally, she arrived at the locator’s designated spot but didn’t see Zobber there.
The only thing in the grass was the locator mixed with blood. The blood stains on it had turned black. It seemed that Zobber had been digging it out of her arm for a while.
Catherine pondered in her mind, ” Withal guessed that there was a traitor within the Hacker Alliance, then Zobber’s judgment should be the same. That’s why she dug the locator out of her arm at the first opportunity after escaping. She should just be afraid of being tracked down by the traitor.”
After thinking, she carefully observed on the side. She was sure that Zobber would definitely leave her a clue.
Sure enough, it didn’t take her long to see the clue on a tree trunk off to the side.
It was a special symbol known only to a few of them. It was a simple string of written expressions Catherine invented, and thankfully, Zobber hadn’t forgotten.
Following the clues left by Zobber, Catherine searched her way.
Finally, she found the unconscious Zobber at the bottom of a low slope.
Zobber was injured, with visible blood stains on her abdomen. Combined with the cold temperature in the mountain and the loss of blood, she collapsed from exhaustion.
Catherine jumped down the low slope and prepared to pick her up.
Zobber suddenly woke up from her slumber, ready to fight to the death.
Fortunately, Catherine knew each of them very well and was prepared. She immediately said, “Zobber, it’s me!”
The familiar voice made Zobber immediately remove her defenses. ” Catherine, you’re finally here!”
She collapsed helplessly into Catherine’s arms. Catherine took off her jacket and wrapped Zobber tightly. She then carried Zobber on her back. ” Don’t worry. I’m here.”
Zobber held on to her last breath and said to Catherine, “I knew I wouldn’t die so easily. Catherine, you’re finally here!”
As long as Catherine was there, they weren’t afraid of anything.
Because the condition of Zobber’s injury was unknown, Catherine had to put aside the idea of finding Ronin for the time being. She sent Zobber to Connie’s clinic for emergency treatment.
When Catherine arrived at Connie’s clinic, Withal’s injuries were treated.
Except for the severe wound on his thigh, all the injuries on his body were skin injuries. Connie was taken aback as she watched Catherine carry Zobber through the door.
She hadn’t encountered such a situation in many years. In her mind, she asked, “How dangerous was it to get two of their three best experts injured and one captured?”
“Connie, you check Zobber first. She suffered a severe abdominal injury,” Catherine said.
“Okay, I’ll be right there. You put her on the bed!”
After Catherine put Zobber on the bed, Connie gave Zobber a full body check.
The injuries on Zobber were heavier than Withal’s. Her most serious injury was the knife wound in her abdomen, as well as the damage caused by excessive blood loss in a low- temperature environment.
These injuries weren’t too much of a problem for Connie, though.
She had experience in treating serious injuries like these all the time. All she needed was just enough time.
Connie was still concerned about Catherine’s condition while she was treating Zobber. “Catherine, are you okay?”
Catherine nodded. During the fight, she had some abrasions on her elbow, but they were minor issues and didn’t need treatment.
Nothing would happen to Withal or Zobber now that Connie was around.
Catherine had to find Ronin first now. She tried to use the satellite positioning system to find out where Ronin was.
The satellite signal on Ronin had disappeared. It should be that the locator on his body had been removed.
She had alerted the other party when she was searching for Zobber just now.
If she had gone directly to search for Ronin’s whereabouts then, she might have been able to find some clues.
However, Zobber’s situation was more critical than Ronin’s, and Catherine could only save one first. Ronin was not in danger for the time being, so Catherine could only choose to look for Zobber first.
Now that Zobber had been rescued, all that was left was to search for Ronin.
Catherine tried to activate the separate communication device between her and Ronin, but there was no response.
After several attempts, she still got no response.
For now, she could only wait for Zobber to wake up and see if she could find some useful information from her to find Ronin.
Chapter 789 I’m Coming to You
Just after three in the morning, Zobber, who had been unconscious for two hours, slowly woke up. She opened her eyes for a split second and closed them again. She lay quietly. Her breathing was adjusted to evenly.
“Get up if you’re awake!” Catherine said. The familiar sound of her voice made Zobber immediately sit up from the hospital bed with a roll.
Catherine couldn’t help but remind her on the side, “Slow down. Connie just sewed up the wound on your abdomen. Don’t break it!”
“Catherine, it’s not a problem. This little wound is nothing.”
When Zobber had just woken up, she had not fully reacted and instinctively activated an emergency state of alert. She wanted to continue pretending to be unconscious and then observe the surroundings before making a judgment.
However, no matter how well she hid it, she couldn’t hide from Catherine’s sensitive ears.
Catherine then took the initiative to speak. After hearing Catherine’s voice, Zobber confirmed that she had been safely saved. She then didn’t need to disguise herself any longer.
“Catherine, Ronin was captured, and Withal was captured as well. I’m the only one who escaped. They’re all in danger now.”
Catherine nodded slightly, indicating that she was aware of what Zobber had said. “I went to rescue Withal before I went to find you!”
Zobber’s heart tightened when she realized that Catherine hadn’t mentioned Ronin, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What about Ronin?”
Catherine told her the truth. “I haven’t got any news yet. I’ve checked through several channels for news of Ronin, but all to no avail.”
Zobber guessed the key point at once and thought in her mind. “Catherine must have missed the best time to rescue Ronin because she wanted to save me.”
She lowered her head, somewhat dejected. “Catherine, it’s my fault. I’m useless. I couldn’t beat that group, and I got myself hurt.”
Zobber continued to blame herself in her heart, “I wouldn’t have gotten myself hurt if I hadn’t hesitated when Withal protected me escape and hadn’t recklessly tried to turn back to save others. If I hadn’t gotten hurt, I could have escaped back to inform Catherine, and she wouldn’t have had to waste her time rescuing me. That way, Catherine wouldn’t miss the best time to save Ronin. With Catherine’s ability, tracking Ronin’s whereabouts wouldn’t be a problem now.”
Seeing her blaming herself, Catherine reached out and gently patted her shoulder to comfort her. “It has nothing to do with you. You don’t have to blame yourself. Tell me what you know, and I’ll bring Ronin back safely.”
Zobber carefully recalled what happened then. The three of them had received a call for help from headquarters at the same time.
The incident was in Loxton, and they were the closest personnel to this base.
So, the three of them decided to go together as soon as they could.
They thought it was just a small problem that could usually be solved by any of them and thought the three of them going together could solve it quickly.
Therefore, the three of them let their guard down a bit.
They thought that with their abilities, they would be able to deal with all sorts of unexpected situations.
But when they arrived at the factory, an accident happened.
The enemy ambushed them. Their enemy knew them very well, and not only that, but they also carried very advanced weapons.
These weapons simply could not be found in the tightly controlled country of Eskana, which was why the three of them lost the battle.
The three realized that this group of people was definitely not simple. To be able to deliver the message to Catherine, the three decided to arrange for one of them to run out desperately.
In the end, Ronin and Withal teamed up to protect Zobber and let her escape.
“Catherine, could it be someone from the Breens?” Zobber thought about it, and of all the people they had offended recently, the most powerful were the Breens.
Catherine thought for a moment and dismissed Zobber’s answer. “Shane doesn’t know about my relationship with the Hacker Alliance yet!”
“We’ve been exposed when we went back to Florona this time. Maybe that was when he found out!” said Zobber.
The Breens didn’t start with a legitimate business. It was initially developed by selling weapons through war and later engaged in illegal business to consolidate its power.
Even now, the Breens still had many illegal forces. And this was the fundamental reason why the powerful Breens could make people afraid.
Catherine thought that Zobber had a point.
Based on Shane’s ability, it was indeed possible for him to find out about it. ” You rest here and take care. I’ll go check again.”
Zobber was a bit uneasy. Although she knew that Catherine was powerful, it was dangerous this time.
The enemy seemed to know them well. Zobber felt like there was an invisible pair of big hands pinching them in the darkness.
“Catherine, how about you contact Mr. Duncan? He still has men here, and you can use them!” Zobber shared Withal’s suspicion that there was a traitor within them.
She dared not suggest Catherine use the power of the Hacker Alliance. Before the matter was thoroughly investigated, every member of the Hacker Alliance might be a traitor.
“I’ll contact him later,” Catherine replied.
It would be dawn in a little while. Catherine thought it wouldn’t be too late to tell Branden about it when he got to work during the day.
Seeing that Catherine had her own ideas, Zobber said nothing more.
Unable to enlist help, Catherine went looking for clues herself.
After getting out of Connie’s clinic, Catherine returned to the abandoned factory once more.
There was still quite a bit of blood on the ground from the fight, but the area around it seemed to have been cleaned up. Catherine inspected around and couldn’t find any valuable clues.
She came out of the factory when a ringing tone came from her pocket.
Catherine pulled out her cell phone and saw that it was Branden calling. She picked the phone up and put it to her ear.
“Where are you?” There was undisguised anxiety in Branden’s voice.
Catherine didn’t respond and asked instead, “What about you?”
A rustling could be heard on the other end of the line, followed by Branden’s voice responding. “I am about to set off to find you.”
It looked like he should have just received the news. Catherine had always had someone arranged by Branden to protect her when she was in Loxton, so it was not surprising that Branden knew the news.
“No, you don’t need to do that. I’m fine! “Catherine didn’t want Branden to come at this time. She had her own way. “You don’t have to come. Just arrange two men for me!”
Branden attempted to persuade Catherine, but she was adamant. She wanted Branden to finish the business in Casier before returning to Loxton.
Her situation there was not urgent enough to require Branden to come personally. Catherine’s persistent attitude forced Branden to abandon his plan to go to Loxton. “I’ll send Carlo and Francis to you. All my men in Loxton are at your disposal.”
Although Catherine felt that Branden was exaggerating, she didn’t refuse him. In a relationship, mutual respect is the key to getting along well with each other.
“Okay!” Catherine hung up the phone and sent her location to Branden, asking him to notify Francis and Carlo to come and help.
All Catherine had to do now was wait. She was sure someone would contact her. She knew the other party’s ultimate goal wasn’t Ronin but her!
Chapter 790 Carlo and Francis Came
Half an hour later, Carlo and Francis arrived at the factory. “Miss Swann!”
The two stood respectfully in front of Catherine, waiting for her orders.
Catherine glanced at the two and whispered, “This is the scene of the incident. I’ve checked. It was cleaned up again after we left, and no traces can be found. They took away Ronin. The important thing now is to get Ronin back.”
After Catherine gave a brief overview of the situation, Carlo and Francis started their arrangement.
Francis was the first to step forward. ” Miss Swann, I’m going to arrange for someone to check the surveillance video. The surveillance systems in this neighborhood are all newly installed this year. We might be able to find useful clues.”
“I’ll get someone to check and see if there’s any outside forces involved in Loxton recently,” Carlo said.
Catherine had no objections to the arrangement of the two, so she let them take action.
As Catherine was about to leave, she sensed Francis’ desire to speak. She then stopped moving and raised her eyes toward Francis. “If you have something to say, just say it!”
Francis lowered his head and whispered, “Miss Swann, Mr. Duncan would prefer you not take risks. We’ll do everything we can to rescue Ronin, and Mr. Duncan will be here as soon as he’s finished his business in Casier.”
Both Carlo and Francis were well aware of how much Branden valued Catherine. If Catherine hadn’t strongly urged Branden not to come this time, he’d probably be on the plane to Loxton right now.
They knew that Branden would only be okay as long as Catherine was okay.
Catherine said, “I’m returning to the laboratory, so keep me posted!”
They were delighted and immediately said respectfully to Catherine, “Okay!”
After Catherine returned from the factory, she came straight to the laboratory.
Marshall was a bit surprised to see Catherine in the laboratory early in the morning, so he went up to her and started to joke with her. “Hey, what a surprise. You actually came to the laboratory so early.”
Hearing this, Catherine stopped what she was doing and looked toward Marshall.
Although she hadn’t rested the whole night, she was still in high spirits, and others couldn’t tell she hadn’t slept all night.
Catherine pursed her lips lightly and signaled, then lowered her head and continued working:
Seeing that she was working hard, Marshall only thought she was there so early to make up for the progress she had missed in the previous period. He didn’t bother her anymore and turned around to his own office.
Catherine concentrated on her experiment. She was utterly unaffected by external influences, and nothing seemed to have happened.
Under her state of concentration, time passed especially fast.
In the blink of an eye, it was already пооп.
Amelia passed by Catherine’s laboratory. Seeing that Catherine was still staring at the machine, Amelia knocked on the door and reminded her, “Super Catherine, it’s past noon. Are you coming with me to the canteen for dinner, or should I bring the lunch back to you?”
Amelia used to find it difficult to understand Catherine’s state of neglecting sleep and food for experiments. It wasn’t until she was immersed in the laboratory and even wished to live there that she fully understood Catherine.
Catherine rejected Amelia’s proposal. ” I’ll go out when the experiments are done here. You go ahead and have lunch.”
Hearing that Catherine had her own arrangements, Amelia left on her own. Amelia saw a particularly handsome- looking man right after leaving the laboratory.
That man was the kind of handsome man who would catch people’s attention at a glance in any group of people.
Amelia felt that this man was as handsome as Branden. The most attractive thing about him was his aura, just like a prince coming out of a fairy tale.
Perhaps because Amelia’s gaze was too hot, the handsome man noticed her and walked straight toward her.
This startled Amelia. Her heart almost stopped beating, and she froze in place, forgetting to move.
Rylan came straight to her. His lips curved slightly upward, and his smile was kind and polite. “Hi, may I ask if Catherine is in this laboratory?”
Amelia froze at his question. She looked at Rylan with surprise and some uncertainty. “You know Catherine?”
Rylan nodded. “Yes, I’m here to see her. I heard she was inside the laboratory, but I couldn’t get in. Can you let her know I’m here for her?”
Amelia scrutinized Rylan’s appearance silently and sighed inwardly, “Sure enough, good-looking people make friends with good-looking people. All Super Catherine’s friends, regardless of gender, are outstanding in appearances.
“Miss…” Rylan shouted again before Amelia reacted.
She looked at him with an embarrassed face. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something. Just wait a minute. I’ll go in and get Catherine for you. She doesn’t even answer her phone when she’s doing experiments, so you won’t be able to find her.”
“Thanks a lot!” said Rylan.
Amelia was very impressed by Rylan’s politeness. Her cheeks blushed slightly as she turned and ran into the laboratory. “Super Catherine, there’s a handsome guy outside looking for you!”
Catherine froze for a moment and looked at Amelia with a puzzled look in her eyes.
Amelia then realized she had just run so fast that she had forgotten to ask the handsome man’s name.
She scratched her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I was so dazzled by that handsome guy. I forgot to ask him his name. Anyway, he’s a very handsome guy. You go out and take a look yourself.
Upon hearing this, Catherine put down the work in her hands and slowly walked toward the door.
She had also been ready to leave, so she decided to take a look.
“Catherine!” Rylan walked straight up when he saw Catherine appear.
Catherine didn’t expect Rylan to actually come to the school to find her, which was a bit of a surprise to her. ” Anything happened?”
Facing Catherine’s inquiry, Rylan shook her head. “No. I just happened to finish handling the matters. I want to come to your school to take a look and learn about your studying environment. Now that it’s noon, I plan to come find you for lunch.
“As I imagined, Catherine, you are very eye-catching wherever you go. I was told where you were just by mentioning your name, and someone even took the initiative to bring me here.”
Due to the competition in Alton, Catherine became famous in the school, and it could be said that she was well-known to everyone.
However, those people willing to take the initiative to guide Rylan might not be because of Catherine’s fame but because of Rylan’s handsome appearance.
Since Rylan had already come, Catherine naturally wouldn’t turn him away.
Since he wanted to have lunch with her, and it just so happened that she hadn’t had lunch, they came to have lunch together.
Catherine brought Rylan to the school’s canteen, The food there was good, at least clean and hygienic, compared to the restaurants outside.
Lunchtime had already passed, so there weren’t many people in the school canteen. Sensing Rylan’s gaze, Catherine looked at him indifferently and asked, “Don’t like the food here?”
Seeing that Catherine had already started eating, Rylan immediately nodded. “Yes, the food here is good. I just feel that there’s something different about you. You wouldn’t have eaten in such a public place before.”
“People always change!” Catherine responded coldly.
Upon hearing this, Rylan gave a faint smile, nodding in agreement. “That’s right. People change!”
Seeing that the atmosphere wasn’t right, Rylan changed the topic. “By the way, what about Ronin? I heard that he’s in the same school as you. I haven’t seen him for years. It’s not bad to see him.”