Ch. 851..860

Chapter 851 He Doesn’t Have the Ability

Finn was ready to take action. Eliminating a traitor in the organization was only a piece of cake for him.

Just as he was about to make a move, the man in black suddenly spoke up. Hold on.”

Upon the command, Finn immediately stopped his action and followed the order obediently.

Although he didn’t do anything to Ronin, he didn’t understand his boss’s order. So, he turned around and asked the man in the black robe, “Sir, Ronin has betrayed us. Why don’t you order to kill him?”

The man in the black robe spoke slowly, his voice low and icy. “Не doesn’t have the ability for that.”

Ronin raised his hand and saluted the man in black, then smiled and complimented, “Sir, you truly live up to your reputation. Impressive!”

The man in the black robe ignored Ronin and said to Finn, “Take him away!”

After dragging Ronin away, Finn went back to the side of the man in the black robe. “Sir, why do you think Ronin didn’t betray us?”

“He’s not that capable!” the man in the black robe responded.

He knew how difficult the experiment was, and Ronin definitely didn’t have the ability to tamper with data, so it shouldn’t be him who did it.

He not only knew Ronin’s abilities but also understood Catherine’s abilities and her style of doing things.

Catherine was meticulous in her work. He knew better than anyone that it was totally possible for her to arrange two sets of data on the computer.

Ronin could only steal one copy. The other one was Catherine’s last resort to save her life. That was just how Catherine rolled.

He knew that Catherine wouldn’t trust anyone in this world.

Finn didn’t like Ronin. In his eyes, if it weren’t for Ronin, Grayson would not have betrayed them. Although he was a spy assigned to Grayson, over the years, Grayson’s kindness toward him had always been remembered by him.

He couldn’t betray the boss, but he could sure as hell hate Ronin. “Sir, since Ronin is of no use to us now, why don’t we just get rid of him and save ourselves the trouble.”

The man in the black robe turned his head slightly, shooting a cold look at Finn.

Scared the heck out of him, Finn immediately dropped to his knees and obediently apologized.

His little schemes couldn’t fool the man in the black, but the man in the black wasn’t planning to execute him yet for now. “Leave me alone.”

Like he was pardoned, Finn lowered his head and stepped back to leave.

The bus went straight to the dorm building where Catherine lived. As soon as the bus stopped, Catherine opened her eyes.

Marshall wanted to wake her up, but Catherine didn’t give him a chance at all. “Are we arrived yet?”

“Yeah, Catherine, you’ve been working hard these days. Go back and rest. Get a good night’s sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow. “Marshall felt sorry for her and didn’t want to put too much pressure on her.

Catherine turned and looked out the window, only to realize their car was parked at the entrance of the dorm building.

She politely thanked Ultan. Without his permission, the security guard at Styre University wouldn’t have let the car in. “Thanks, Mr. Farrell!”

“It’s okay. Just go back and rest as you were told by Marshall,” replied Ultan.

Catherine nodded and said goodbye to the two of them before getting out of the car.

She had just gotten out of the car when she saw Branden standing not far away and waiting for her.

Originally planning to go upstairs, Catherine turned around and walked toward Branden.

“Why are you waiting for me here?” asked Catherine.

“I was expecting to pick you up at the certification meeting, but when I got there, I heard that you had already left, “said Branden.

Because of the accident, they didn’t really go through the verification process, so they did get out a lot earlier than expected.

Catherine didn’t let Branden know she went to take a break the last time.

After getting the news, Branden guessed that Catherine would come back to the campus, so he went straight to the campus.

His car was naturally much faster than a bus, so he arrived at the campus ahead of Catherine.

Catherine didn’t tell Branden about the leaked experiment report, knowing Branden must have known it.

Branden didn’t even ask Catherine what was going on. He just grabbed her hand and took her back to the apartment. “Let’s go. Let’s head back and take a rest.”

Catherine had slept on the bus, and now she was feeling pretty good. ” Okay. I’ll go find Zobber later in the afternoon.”

“Alright!” Branden readily agreed.

Soon, news of Catherine’s certification issue spread within their circle.

Upon hearing this news, Zobber instantly exploded with anger, wanting to fight with the enemies. “Bastards! How dare they steal the experiment from Catherine? Are they asking for trouble? If I don’t find this thief today, I will not be Zobber.”

Seeing her trying to leave, Withal and Paxton immediately got up to stop her.

Paxton came to Zobber to discuss something and happened to hear this news. “Stay calm.”

Zobber pushed Paxton away and glared at him angrily. “How can I stay calm? Those guys are bullying Catherine. How can I stay calm?”

She was so mad that Paxton couldn’t even stand to look at her.

He stopped Zobber and asked her a question that she couldn’t answer, Have you ever thought about who could easily steal data from Miss Swann’s computer without getting caught?”

Zobber was completely stunned. They all knew how strong Catherine was in terms of computer skills.

Hacking into Catherine’s computer was harder than climbing Mount Everest, not to mention taking out information without being caught.

“Could it be that Professor Winston Warner figured out Catherine’s security settings?” Zobber asked.

“Nah!” Withal immediately shut down Zobber’s guess. “Professor Winston Warner is indeed very skilled in the field of computers, but stealing data from Catherine’s computer without getting caught, he can’t do it.”

“If it weren’t for Winston, who else could do it? I can’t think of anyone else who could pull it off,” said Zobber.

“Is it possible that the culprit is someone Catherine knows?” Paxton suddenly chimed in with his opinion.

Only people who were familiar with Catherine knew about her habits, and then, based on those habits, they could crack the security locks she set.

This person not only needed to understand Catherine but also needed to have very high talent in computers and must be a top-notch hacker.

Thanks to Paxton’s reminder, the scope of their search was instantly narrowed down. Withal and Zobber couldn’t help but picture a person’s face in their heads.

Zobber shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off the figure in her mind. “No way! It couldn’t be him.”

Withal furrowed his brows and had an unusually embarrassed expression.

Paxton was different from them. He was almost certain of the suspect’s identity now. Seeing that Zobber was still not convinced, he straight up questioned her, “Why do you think it can’t be Ronin?”

“He would never betray Catherine.

Ronin is raised by Catherine herself. He’s like Catherine’s younger brother.” No matter what, Zobber didn’t believe that Ronin would betray Catherine.

“If in a normal situation, Ronin probably wouldn’t, but have you thought about how long he’s been captured? What kind of torture and harsh interrogation is he going to face during this time?” Paxton understood human nature so well. Even the toughest guys had to obediently follow his orders under his gentle persuasion combined with iron methods.

Nobody could guarantee that Ronin could withstand the severe torture.

Chapter 852 Missed

Paxton’s words totally shut the other people up. What he said was correct. Ronin was detained for too long. No one could guarantee what would happen during this period.

Zobber didn’t know what to say. If it was really Ronin who did it, she didn’t know if she should blame him or not.

After all, he was held hostage by the other party for so long. If Ronin didn’t really suffer inhuman treatment, she wouldn’t believe that Ronin would betray Catherine.

The room was filled with silence, and no one said a word.

“Ding dong!” The sound of the doorbell ringing caused them to be alert.

Paxton took a look at the two and took the initiative to speak. “I’ll open the door.”

The other people exchanged glances and agreed with Paxton’s approach.

Paxton was originally cautious when opening the door, but when he saw who it was, he instantly dropped his guard and became very respectful. “Sir, Miss Swann, how did you guys get here?”

Catherine didn’t expect Paxton to show up here. She gave him a once-over and was a bit surprised.

Seeing the situation, Paxton quickly explained himself, “Miss Swann, I’m here to pick up something.”

“Let’s go in to talk,” Branden said from behind Catherine.

Paxton stepped back and made way for Catherine and Branden to enter.

When she heard that Catherine was here, Zobber couldn’t sit still anymore, so she just rushed over toward Catherine.

If Branden weren’t there, she would have just thrown herself onto Catherine. “Catherine, you finally made it.”

Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at Zobber, chuckling softly. “Did you miss me?”

Seeing that her condition was not too bad, Zobber felt a little bit relieved. ” Catherine, what’s up with the leaked experiment this time?”

“What else could it be? Someone hacked into my computer and stole my data,” Catherine said nonchalantly, as if she didn’t care that her data was stolen.

Zobber bit her lip, looking hesitant. She didn’t know if she should say it, but she felt bad if she didn’t.

With a sigh, Withal crossed his arms in front of his chest and said, “Just say what you want to say. Things have happened, and there has to be a result, right?”

With Withal’s encouragement, Zobber finally spoke out. “Catherine, there are not many hackers around the world who are as awesome as you. Especially since they were able to steal data directly without you even realizing it, right?”

Catherine gave her a sidelong glance and muttered, “You suspect Ronin?”

Her cold voice struck a chord in everyone’s heart.

Although Zobber didn’t say it directly, that was really what she thought in her heart.

After thinking about it, she realized that only Ronin could get it done.

“Catherine, I… ” Zobber looked at Catherine with a troubled expression.

She understood the relationship between Ronin and Catherine. She was worried it would hurt Catherine.

“No need to guess. It’s probably Ronin who did it,” said Catherine.

Although Zobber was skeptical, when it came out of Catherine’s mouth, it was a whole different story.

In her eyes, Catherine was like an authority figure. Catherine never spoke in ambiguity.

When she said that, she was basically confirming it.

“Catherine, are you really sure that’s Ronin?” asked Zobber.

“Yeah.” Catherine nodded. “Since you’re all here, I’ll give you an address. Bring him back, and I’ll ask him myself.

With that, Zobber received a message on her phone. She looked hesitant and asked Catherine, “Catherine, aren’t you coming with us?”

The other party must be pretty strong. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been searching for so long and still found nothing.

Catherine responded with a poker face, “The lab still needs me.”

Zobber knew that Catherine promised the other party that the experiment report would be modified within three days to lower the similarity rate.

There was no way it could be done in three days, but Catherine agreed to do it anyway.

“Alright, Catherine, focus on your work. We’ll go find Ronin,” said Zobber.

After hearing Catherine’s arrangement, Branden turned to look at Paxton.

Paxton immediately realized and followed Zobber to leave.

After everyone left, Branden walked up and gently patted Catherine’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Ronin will be brought back soon.”

Catherine nodded calmly without much emotion.

This made Branden, who had always known her, somewhat puzzled.

Catherine was way too chill about Ronin’s disappearance, like she didn’t even care about him.

Although he had doubts in his heart, Branden didn’t continue to explore further. He believed that Catherine must have her own plans.

In the dim room, Ronin was sleeping soundly.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open, startling him and causing him to tumble out of bed. “Damn, who the hell doesn’t even know how to knock on the door?”

Finn brought some people with him and stood at the door with a fierce look, yelling at Ronin, “Hurry up and come with us.”

Facing the eager Finn, Ronin seemed much more laid-back, slowly getting up from the bed. “Are we switching up the places again?”

Finn didn’t answer but urged impatiently, “Hurry up. Don’t make me use force on you.”

“So urgent. Did Zobber’s people come for us?” Even though he was still joking around, Ronin’s actions were fast.

In no time, they walked out from downstairs.

There was a sound of fighting outside. Ronin’s face tightened. He looked at Finn in a panic. “Did Zobber come here?

Seeing his nervous expression, Finn couldn’t help but angrily retort, “So what if she did? If you want to escape, I’ll be the first to kill you.”

Ronin didn’t respond to Finn but asked him another question, “Where’s the car?”

“Why are you asking about this? Are you trying to run away?” Finn frowned as he sized him up.

“Quit the nonsense. Just tell me already. “Ronin was getting impatient, and his attitude was very forceful, which intimidated Finn.

After Finn told him the specific location, Ronin immediately ran away.

Finn chased after him, afraid that Ronin might run away.

After getting in the car, Ronin didn’t drive off immediately but waited for Finn to get in. Then he drove away, which just left Finn dumbfounded. He sat next to Ronin like a fool.

“Damn! We missed them again.”

Zobber was so damn pissed after not finding Ronin’s whereabouts.

Paxton found the surveillance here. Ronin and Finn left in such a hurry that they didn’t even have time to destroy it.

He handed over the surveillance to Zobber and gestured for her to check it out.

Zobber was still puzzled. “Why are you asking me to look at this?”

“I just saw a figure that looks a lot like Ronin leaving, so I checked the surveillance footage. Take a look for yourself,” replied Paxton.

Hearing what Paxton said, Zobber felt a little weird, so she opened the monitor and checked it carefully.

After she saw the footage of Ronin running crazily on the surveillance camera, she couldn’t help but curse, ” This bastard. He runs faster than a car. We came to save him, and he actually ran away. Is he feeling guilty for something? Otherwise, why would he run?”

Zobber became increasingly angry, originally thinking that Ronin had been subjected to inhuman treatment to betray them. But from what happened right now, Ronin’s movements were still agile, and there were no visible wounds on his body. He even looked like he had gained some weight. There were no signs of him being abused.

If Ronin betrayed Catherine for money, Zobber would definitely be the first one to finish him.

Chapter 853 Why Didn’t You Ran Away

With Finn’s lead, Ronin followed him to the new base. After getting out of the car, Ronin raised his hand voluntarily and requested Finn to put the handcuffs on him.

But Finn didn’t do anything, just coldly looking at Ronin, his eyes searching him up and down.

Ronin sneered and stared straight at Finn. “What, you’re not going to lock me up? Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away?”

Finn rolled his eyes at him and said, You had countless chances to escape just now. You could even have killed me, but you didn’t. Now you’re leaving from the base? Are you treating me like a fool, or are you treating yourself like a fool?”

Ronin couldn’t argue with that, so he just gestured toward Finn.

Finn pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Ronin.

Ronin took a puff and was choked by the cigarette.

Seeing him like this, Finn couldn’t help but sarcastically say, “If you don’t smoke, then don’t try to imitate others and end up suffering for it.”

Ronin didn’t retort as he usually would. He just stared in the direction of the incoming and said casually, “It’s not that I can’t smoke. It’s been too long since I last smoked. The last time was probably ten years ago. I was still young and dumb then. I used to sneak in a smoke every day. Then Catherine caught me. Do you know how she dealt with me?”

Knowing who Catherine in Ronin’s mouth was, Finn became curious about what he said. “How did she deal with you?”

“She forced me to smoke a whole pack of cigarettes at once, and that directly gave me pharyngitis. My throat was swollen for three days. Catherine even set up hot and spicy barbecues for me every day. I can remember that pain for the rest of my life. I haven’t smoked since then,” replied Ronin.

Finn could tell that Ronin really missed Catherine because his eyes lit up whenever her name was mentioned.

‘He must really miss Catherine, but I don’t understand why Ronin didn’t just leave earlier,’ wondered Finn. “So why did you follow me when Zobber came looking for you?”

Finn’s question left Ronin speechless.

A few seconds later, Ronin let out a sigh and muttered quietly, “Maybe it’s because I feel guilty. I never thought about betraying Catherine, but I did it to survive. For someone who crawled out of hell, they deeply understand that nothing is more important than life.”

After Ronin finished speaking, he stood up and went back to the prison cell alone. Although life had gotten better after he surrendered to the man in the black robe, he was still not free.

Looking at Ronin’s lonely figure, Finn’s thoughts about him started to change.

He originally thought Ronin was just pretending to surrender, and on top of that, because of Ronin, Grayson got into trouble, so he really hated Ronin.

But he didn’t expect Ronin was actually for real. If that were the case, his hatred toward Ronin would no longer exist.

If Ronin was showing so much hatred toward Catherine just now, then he must have been faking it. But his longing for her didn’t seem fake at all.

His eyes were too sincere.

Besides, he believed what Ronin said that people who climbed out of hell knew better than anyone else how important life was because he was one of them.

After Paxton searched the base, they not only caught a few people but also gathered up all the things the other party didn’t have time to take away.

Zobber brought the surveillance video and rushed to Catherine. She handed the surveillance video to Catherine. ” Catherine, hurry up and take a look.”

Zobber’s voice sounded really angry like she had been betrayed by a guy or something.

Seeing her so anxious, Catherine opened the video to take a look.

Even though it was the second time watching the surveillance video, Zobber still couldn’t control her anger. “Catherine, you gotta look at this bastard Ronin on the surveillance. He’s really pissing me off.”

After reading it, Catherine gives the phone back to Zobber.

Zobber was expecting Catherine to be angry, but when she saw Catherine’s expressionless face and no reaction at all, she just couldn’t handle it.

She knew Catherine was pretty chill and didn’t really care about a lot of things. But Catherine’s reaction really threw her off. Even if she was chill, she should definitely be more affected when being betrayed like this.

“Catherine, aren’t you angry?”

Zobber’s voice sounded angry.

Catherine gave her an icy look and asked, “Why would I?”

Zobber was totally baffled. “Because he betrayed you, Catherine. You hate being betrayed the most, right? Why aren’t you angry even though he betrayed you? Shouldn’t we be grabbing this traitor and giving him a good lesson now?”

“Emm,” Catherine just responded with a single word. And then she just left, leaving Zobber standing there dumbfounded.

Zobber was so angry that she stomped her foot. ‘What’s that reaction? Just walking away like that?’ After waiting for a while and not seeing Catherine back, Zobber had to leave by herself..

When she walked out of the lab, she ran into Rylan at the door.

Rylan took the initiative to say hi, ” Hello, Zobber!”

Zobber heard someone call her name, turned around, and saw Rylan. “What are you doing here? Are you here for Catherine?”

Rylan nodded and said, “I’ll wait for Catherine to finish her experiment tonight, then I’ll have dinner with her.”

Zobber could see right through Rylan’s feelings for Catherine.

After all, who wouldn’t want to pursue someone as amazing as Catherine? It was totally normal to have several suitors for her.

“Okay, but Catherine might not be free. I try to find her, but she is always busy, “said Zobber.

Upon hearing this, Rylan chuckled. “So you’re all angry just because Catherine doesn’t have time to see you?”

Zobber was super pissed off because of Ronin just now, so there was no hiding the anger on her face. It was no surprise Rylan could totally see that.

“It’s all because of Ronin. Never thought he’d turn out to be a complete traitor. He’s breaking Catherine’s heart. “In Zobber’s opinion, Catherine was just angry and didn’t want to talk because she felt betrayed by someone she trusted too much.

“Did Ronin betray Catherine?” Rylan frowned and looked at Zobber, his face full of doubt.

If it weren’t for being so angry, Zobber wouldn’t even say something like that.

Even though she knew Rylan, it was not like they were tight or anything. She only met him because of Catherine, and their relationship was not that close.

After realizing it, Zobber immediately shut up. “Nothing. I still have stuff to do, so I’m out of here.”

Even if they had problems, Zobber thought she shouldn’t tell outsiders. Zobber found an excuse and left in a hurry.

Rylan stood there, looking toward the lab, with a really creepy expression.’ Ronin betrayed Catherine? This is interesting,’ he thought.

Chapter 854 Being Convinced

Amelia walked into the lab and saw Catherine standing on the side organizing documents, so she immediately went over to help. “Super Catherine, let me handle these things!”

Seeing her eager to do it, Catherine didn’t stop her, so she handed Amelia the documents and turned to get water.

It was lunchtime now. Only Catherine and Amelia were in the lab.

Amelia immediately started chatting with Catherine, “Hey, Super Catherine, I saw Zobber when I came in just now. She seemed a little angry and stomped off. Did you guys have a fight?”

Amelia didn’t think it was very likely, but when Zobber left, her face was indeed very angry.

After hearing what Amelia said, Catherine couldn’t help but smile wryly. “That girl is on her period these days. I scolded her a bit, but it’s no big deal.”

“Period? No wonder she’s in a bad mood. So am I. Every time I’m on my period, I just want to tear everything within a 30 feet radius to shreds,” replied Amelia.

Catherine put down her empty cup and said to Amelia, “I’m gonna go take a break.”

Amelia knew she had been working overtime on her experiments these days and must be exhausted. “Super Catherine, you go ahead. Leave it to me. I promise to help you get everything in order.”

“Yeah.” Catherine nodded and then turned toward her office.

She was the first one in the lab to have her own office during her student days, and that was a privilege that Marshall Hartley arranged for her.

She was always stuck in the lab. It was really inconvenient not having an office to take a break in sometimes.

As soon as she entered the lab, Catherine’s phone in her pocket buzzed. She glanced at the incoming number, then swiped to answer and put the phone to her ear.

“Chief, I’ve finished modifying the data for the lab report. When should I send it to you?” said Rodge.

It was a day earlier than Rodge had promised her.

It was no surprise to Catherine that Rodge finished the task early. After all, she knew how capable he was. “No rush. Keep it for now. Rodge, I have another task for you.”

When Rodge heard Catherine’s response, he couldn’t help but feel a little confused.

He heard about the certification committee. To prevent the information from leaking again, Catherine gave him all the experimental data and let him make the modifications.

When he saw the information, he was once again shocked by Catherine’s ability. Catherine was actually able to come up with all the modification ideas in such a short period of time.

If it were him, it would be hard to finish it in less than a year or so. But Catherine did it in less than a day as if she had already anticipated and prepared for it.

Catherine gave him the direction for the changes, and he just needed to follow her lead to do the next process. Basically, he was just a ghostwriter.

He thought that Catherine would submit the information to the certification committee right away to complete the certification, but it looked like she was not in a hurry.

But he believed that Catherine must have her reasons for doing so.

He had been by Catherine’s side for so many years and had never seen her make any wrong decisions. “Chief, go ahead, please!”

After Catherine finished explaining the task to Rodge, she tossed the phone aside and relaxed.

After leaving Styre University angrily, Zobber went back to Connie’s house.

Withal was bored, playing a game. Seeing Zobber appear all angry, Withal couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Who did you get shut out by again? Why are you coming back with such a sour face? 11

It would be fine if Withal didn’t mention it. As soon as he brought it up, Zobber got even angrier.

“Withal, I went to see Catherine today. I showed her Ronin’s video. Guess what happened?” asked Zobber.

Withal casually tossed the game controller aside and continued, ” Alright, spill it. What’s going on?”

“Can you believe it? Catherine didn’t react at all. That’s bad enough, but even worse, when I said I wanted to settle things with Ronin, she said it wasn’t necessary. Do you think that’s reasonable? Catherine hates it when people betray her. We both know that, right?” replied Zobber.

Seeing the furious Zobber, Withal gestured for her to calm down. “Please have a seat first, and don’t be so worked up.”

“How am I supposed to calm down?” Zobber was so angry right now and just wanted to let it all out.

Seeing the situation, Withal didn’t try to persuade her but rather voiced his thoughts. “I’m asking you. Don’t you understand the relationship between Ronin and Catherine? Ronin has betrayed Catherine now. It’s like her own blood brother betraying her. Even though Ronin isn’t related to Catherine by blood, he’s closer to her in her heart than her actual blood brother. If it were you being betrayed by the closest person to you, what would you do? Would you just kill them, or what?”

“I…” Zobber was just about to say something, but then she swallowed her words.

She couldn’t believe how she would handle it if her parents ever betrayed her one day.

For Catherine, Ronin was like a family. Anyone who was betrayed by a family member would have a hard time making a calm decision.

Zobber, who was usually very articulate, suddenly went silent. Withal knew that he had finally convinced her.

He reached out and gently patted Zobber on the shoulder. “The thing has already happened, and we just gotta trust the wisdom of Catherine. She might not have a solution right now, but I believe she’ll come up with a decision soon. We just gotta wait for the update. Don’t get too mad. We just need to do whatever Catherine says.”

The anger in Zobber’s heart was gradually calmed down by Withal.

She lost her previous anger and gradually regained a calm rationality. ” Alright, then we’ll just wait for Catherine to give us the task.”

Zobber stared fiercely at the phone on the table and said menacingly, “As long as Catherine orders me to finish Ronin, I will definitely go all out and kill this bastard without mercy.”

The most annoying thing for Zobber was being betrayed by someone. She had thought about it before. If Ronin chose to betray them because he couldn’t handle the torture and abuse, she would definitely forgive Ronin and personally rescue him, then slaughter that group of assholes.

But the situation she saw in the surveillance footage was completely different from what she had in mind. Ronin did not look like he was being tortured at all. It was obvious that he was in cahoots with them.

She even suspected that Ronin had been bought long ago, and being caught was all Ronin’s choice. Her initial guilt had turned into hatred toward Ronin.

She swore that if she got her hands on that little bastard Ronin, she would make him understand what the hell on earth felt like.

Chapter 855 I’ll Go with You

The room was dimly lit with only a faint yellow light. Finn didn’t understand why his boss liked darkness so much, but he never dared to ask, only obeying orders.

“Sir, the Hacker Alliance has issued a warrant for Ronin,” reported Finn.

The man in a black robe looked at the surveillance screen, sneering. The sudden arrival of the Zobber caught them off guard. The new base was destroyed, but it didn’t matter; he had anticipated this. After all, he knew just how powerful Catherine was. He had filled the base with cameras, monitoring every corner. Zobber had copied the route of the internal surveillance, but they didn’t know about the hidden camera, which was capturing their every move.

“Where is Ronin?” The deep, chilling voice echoed, making Finn tremble.

“Sir, Ronin is being held in the detention room. He’s calm, not causing a scene or even requesting to have the ban lifted.” Finn cautiously responded, fearing the consequences of a misstep.

Normally, anyone who had surrendered would make demands. However, Ronin, just like a loyal dog, accepted whatever fate awaited him.

Seeing the man in a black robe remain silent, Finn continued, “Sir, Styre University has begun searching for Professor Warner’s whereabouts. Should we finish him in advance?”

The man in a black robe chuckled coldly, glancing at Finn. His icy and mocking gaze terrified Finn to the core, causing Finn to drop to his knees. “Sir, I’m sorry!”

Seeing Finn’s obedient attitude, the man in a black robe didn’t punish him, only coldly stating, “Do you know Professor Warner’s status in the academic world? This is Eskana. If we kill him, we’ll be in big trouble.” He didn’t want to cause trouble for himself, and nor did he want to offend the powerful Eskana. It would be easy to deal with Winston, but there would be endless trouble.

“Please tell me what I should do, Sir,” Finn said, keeping his body close to the ground, showing extreme submission.

Finn’s attitude satisfied the man in a black robe. Even though Finn was not as capable as Flash, and nor was Finn as intelligent, as long as Finn was loyal, that was enough. The man in a black robe didn’t need someone too clever by his side; he needed a loyal subordinate who would wholeheartedly carry out his tasks. In this regard, Finn would always surpass Flash because Flash was too arrogant

“Send Ronin to persuade Professor Warner. If he succeeds, he will take Flash’s position,” the man in a black robe instructed.

Upon hearing this, Finn, who was kneeling on the ground, furrowed his brow momentarily before regaining his composure. “I’m on it, Sir!”

“Boss, Zobber went to report Ronin’s situation to Miss Swann, but Miss Swann didn’t say anything. She didn’t even allow Zobber to deal with Ronin,” Paxton reported to Branden after receiving the message from Zobber. Over the phone, Zobber was furious, almost joining Paxton in dealing with Ronin.

Branden, who was handling work, slowly set down the documents and looked up at Paxton. “What do you think?”

Paxton hesitated for a moment before realizing what Branden was asking. After careful consideration, he responded, “Boss, I don’t know if Ronin betrayed Miss Swann from the beginning. But I do know that human nature cannot withstand any test, and sometimes reality is crueler than imagination.”

Branden looked at him expressionlessly and asked coldly, “So you think Ronin really betrayed Catherine?”

Paxton didn’t answer; he didn’t know what to say, but not speaking was equivalent to him accepting that answer. The complexity of human nature far exceeded anyone’s understanding.

“What about you?” Branden suddenly asked.

These three simple words caused Paxton to kneel. “Boss, I am absolutely loyal. Cross my heart and hope to die. ”

Branden chuckled lightly. “Hmm, you just said human nature cannot withstand any test, didn’t you?”

These words sent a chill down Paxton’s spine, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

“Get up. I didn’t doubt your loyalty,” said Branden

Branden’s words relieved Paxton’s lingering anxiety. He had feared that Branden no longer trusted him, but thankfully, that was not the case.

It seemed that ever since Branden was with Catherine, there had been a significant increase in his vocabulary. In the past, he might have just told Paxton to get lost.

As Paxton was about to leave, he received good news through his earpiece. Excitedly, he looked at Branden and said, “Boss, Miss Swann has arrived. Shall I go down to bring her here?”

Upon hearing that Catherine had arrived, Branden seemed momentarily stunned. Then, his usually stern face softened. “No need. I’ll go down myself, ” he said, already rising from his seat and heading towards the door.

Paxton hurried to catch up. He couldn’t help but feel relieved that Catherine’s arrival had improved Branden’s mood.

As Branden arrived at the lobby, all eyes turned to him. Catherine was waiting in the lounge, with dedicated staff attending to her. Although she could have gone up directly, she had chosen to have Paxton informed of her arrival instead.

Upon seeing Catherine, Branden walked straight towards her.

The receptionist was about to serve Catherine orange juice when Branden stopped her, asking for a cup of coffee instead. He knew well that Catherine didn’t like acidic juices.

The receptionist rarely saw Branden up so close and was startled when Branden suddenly called out, feeling a rush of envy towards Catherine. Branden’s meticulous attention to detail for Catherine made everyone envious.

“Why did you come all of a sudden?” Branden asked with a smile.

“Do you have time now?” Catherine inquired.

“Yeah, of course.” Branden nodded without hesitation.

Paxton, who was following behind, quietly rubbed his nose, wanting to remind Branden that there was a meeting scheduled half an hour later. However, he remained silent.

“Well, Audrey is back, and I think we can go to pick her up from the airport,” Catherine explained.

“Sure, I’ll go with you,” Branden Duncan quickly agreed, pulling Catherine along and heading out.

Paxton didn’t follow them. With Branden leaving, someone had to stay here to handle the mess and accompany the senior executives to the meeting.

Chapter 856 Audrey’s Husband

Branden drove Catherine to the airport. Audrey had been away from Loxton for a while, and Triston, feeling down, returned to Casier. Upon Audrey’s return, she immediately contacted Catherine.

As Catherine arrived at the airport, Audrey emerged from a special passageway. Despite Audrey being fully disguised with a hat, mask, and sunglasses, Catherine recognized her at once.

The long-awaited reunion left Audrey extremely excited, and she immediately embraced Catherine, exclaiming how much she missed her.

Observing Audrey’s embrace, Branden furrowed his brow. If it weren’t for the fact that Audrey was Catherine’s sister, he would have had her taken to a psychiatric hospital.

Audrey, sensing Branden’s intimidating presence, quickly released Catherine, suggesting they leave the crowded airport to talk privately.

Instead of immediately returning home, Branden suggested having a meal together and took them to a restaurant.

Audrey got out of the car, glanced around, and gave a thumbs-up to Branden. “Mr. Duncan, you’re not only attentive but also with good taste. This place is great.”

The restaurant had an elegant ambiance and, most importantly, was very private, allowing Audrey to relax without worrying about the paparazzi.

In response to Audrey’s praise, Branden gave a faint smile and led them into the restaurant.

“Mr. Duncan, welcome. Your table is ready. Please follow me,” said the restaurant manager, personally escorting them to a private room.

The manager brought the menu and, after a glance from Branden, astutely handed two menus to Catherine and Audrey.

Catherine glanced at the menu and was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the dishes were her favorites. Looking up at Branden, she asked, “Is this restaurant yours?”

Branden raised an eyebrow and replied, “You’re as smart as ever! The chef here is quite skilled at making these dishes. I had them once and decided to buy this restaurant, and I’ve made some adjustments to the menu.”

Audrey teased, “I don’t need to eat lunch now. Your sweet talk has filled me up.”

Catherine smiled wryly, feeling a sense of joy.

The dishes arrived promptly, but just as Audrey was about to eat, her phone rang. After a glance, she furrowed her brow and then turned it off as the call persisted.

Catherine, noticing Audrey’s unease, asked, “Is everything okay?”

Audrey hesitated, looking flustered, and explained it was just a boring sales call that she hung up on.

Catherine didn’t keep asking. If it were just a sales call, Audrey couldn’t have been so nervous.

“Catherine, I heard you’ve been busy with experiments lately. How’s it going?” Audrey had been away from Loxton for some time, so she wasn’t aware of recent events. She occasionally contacted Catherine and heard about Catherine’s busy work in the laboratory.

“It’s going smoothly,” Catherine responded calmly.

After the meal, Branden escorted Audrey back to her apartment. Audrey had initially wanted Catherine to stay and keep her company, but Catherine refused, saying, “I need to go back to the lab. If I have time tonight, I’ll come to see you.”

“Alright.” Audrey bid Catherine farewell reluctantly.

As Catherine and Branden went downstairs, they noticed a man suspiciously using binoculars to look in the direction of the apartment. Following his gaze, Catherine noticed that he was observing Audrey’s apartment, which could be told from the layout of the apartment building.

Branden noticed it too, and they both approached the man.

The man seemed surprised when he saw Catherine.

Catherine, sensing the man’s surprise, became more certain that he was spying on Audrey. She placed her hand on his shoulder, asking, “What are you up to?”

The man didn’t immediately respond to Catherine’s question but instead asked her, “What’s your relationship with Audrey Swann?”

Branden didn’t like his woman being questioned and decided to teach him a lesson. To his surprise, the man reacted swiftly, evading Branden’s restraint and engaging in a scuffle.

Catherine didn’t immediately intervene, silently watching the two fight. The man’s speed indicated he was skilled in combat, but he was ultimately no match for Branden.

“Three, two, one,” Catherine counted, and in an instant, the man was pinned to the ground by Branden.

The man, lying on the ground, angrily questioned Branden, “Who are you, and why did you attack me for no reason?”

Catherine approached and squatted in front of the man, her sharp eyes locking onto his. “I should be the one asking you. Why were you using binoculars to look at Audrey’s apartment? What’s your motive?” she questioned.

The man realized that Catherine and Branden were not to be trifled with. When he heard Audrey’s name, his expression changed from anger to surprise, and he became more polite as he looked at Catherine. “You’re Audrey’s sister, aren’t you?”

Catherine knew there must be some connection between the man and Audrey, and she gestured for Branden to release him.

The man stood up and stretched. He didn’t run, as he knew that leaving under Branden’s nose was not a wise option.

The man seemed quite curious about Catherine. “You don’t need to deny it.

You’re definitely Audrey’s sister. You two look so alike, especially those beautiful eyes.”

Chapter 857 Threat

Catherine scrutinized the man. Despite his peculiar behavior, his well-made, custom-tailored clothes suggested his affluence.

As Catherine observed him, the man smiled warmly and extended his hand. “Hello, Catherine, I’m Audrey’s husband, Brian, White.”

Shocked, Catherine looked at him coldly and furrowed her brow. ” Audrey’s boyfriend?”

“Humph” Branden sneered.

Branden’s sneer made Brian angry. He glared at Branden and said, “What are you laughing at? Did I talk to you?”

“Hmph!” Branden sneered. “Audrey’s husband? Did you give yourself that title? If you’re Audrey’s boyfriend, why do you need a telescope to spy on her?”

Branden’s direct remark exposed Brian’s secret, making him furious. ” This is just temporary. I will soon become Audrey’s husband. Just wait and see,” Brian retorted firmly.

Catherine, feeling hostile towards this sudden self-proclaimed “Audrey’s husband,” approached Brian with an icy gaze. “I don’t care who you are, but if you dare to harass Audrey, I’ll teach you a lesson. Leave now, or you’ll regret it.”

Knowing that he was no match for Branden, Brian silently accepted Catherine’s harsh words. “Catherine, tell Audrey I won’t give up. She must wait for me,” he said before reluctantly leaving.

Seeing this, Branden and Catherine left.

“I’ll have someone investigate him when we get back. You don’t need to worry,” Branden reassured Catherine.

“Okay,” Catherine agreed, feeling somewhat reassured by the idea of an investigation. She suspected that Brian was the person who had been calling Audrey but had been rejected. As long as he posed no threat and it was just a simple pursuit between a man and a woman, Catherine had no intention of intervening, as she didn’t have the time for such matters.

Branden dropped Catherine off at the laboratory, and as she got out of the car, he looked at her with reluctance in his eyes. “Shall I pick you up tonight?” he asked.

“I’m going to Audrey’s place,” Catherine replied.

Audrey had just returned, and there were things she wanted to discuss with Catherine, so Catherine had agreed to visit her in the evening.

Knowing that she was going to Audrey’s apartment, Branden felt a bit stifled but didn’t express it. Audrey had been away for a long time and now that she was back, it was understandable that she wanted to chat with Catherine.

Without blocking her, he could only say, “I’ll pick you up when you’re done.

Catherine nodded in agreement. “Okay, I’ll contact you when it’s over,” she said before heading back to the laboratory.

As soon as she logged onto her computer, she received a call from Zobber. “Boss, check the message I sent you on the computer!” Zobber exclaimed.

“Okay,” Catherine replied before hanging up and opening the chat box.

Zobber had sent a message containing an email that had been sent to the official mailbox of Hacker Alliance, specifically addressed to the chief. The email was password-protected, making it difficult for an ordinary person to read it.

Catherine quickly cracked the password and opened the email. After scanning its contents, she smirked. The long- awaited message had finally arrived. The sender was the person who had stolen the experimental data and completed the authentication process in advance.

The sender had left a phone number for Catherine to call. Without hesitation, she took out her phone and dialed the number.

The call was quickly answered by a deep, disguised voice. “Miss Swann, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Cut the small talk. Just tell me what you want,” Catherine replied, showing no interest in engaging with such a person.

“Alright, I like straightforward people. Our request is simple. We are willing to return the authentication qualifications to your laboratory, under the condition that you cooperate with our company on the experimental results. We don’t ask for much, just a fair fifty-fifty split,” the voice explained.

Catherine scoffed silently and muttered, “You do have some guts, using my research to threaten me.”

The other person laughed upon hearing her words. “You shouldn’t speak like that, Miss Swann. We just want to gain some benefits. As long as you agree, we won’t let you lose out,” the voice said.

“What if I don’t agree?” Catherine countered.

“If you don’t agree, you might have to spend another year or more researching and modifying the data. Who knows if your experiment will still be ahead by then,” they threatened.

The blatant threat made Catherine sneer. Seeing her lack of willingness to agree, the other person softened their tone. “Miss Swann, you don’t have to answer right away. I’ll give you three days to think it over. I hope you can give me a surprise,” they said before hanging up.

Catherine looked at the dark screen with a calm expression. Shortly after the mysterious person’s call, Zobber immediately called to inquire about the situation. “Catherine, what’s going on? Who sent the message?”

Catherine relayed the conversation to Zobber.

Upon hearing this, Zobber became furious. “This guy is too arrogant. He stole the report from us and is now trying to threaten us. Does he know who he’s dealing with? He’s really pushing his luck this time.”

Catherine, initially unfazed, couldn’t help but laugh when she heard Zobber’s furious remark. “I’ll handle it. Just wait for my message,” she assured Zobber.

Zobber agreed, “Okay, Catherine, I’ll wait for your message.” She waited for Catherine to assign her the task. When the time was right, she planned to deal with these ignorant troublemakers.

After ending the call with Zobber, Catherine focused on her experiments. The other party had given her three days, so she decided to address the situation after that time.

Chapter 858 A Romantic Playboy

Branden received the news soon. Paxton intercepted the information and immediately reported it to Catherine.

“Boss, they’ve contacted Miss Swann,” Paxton said.

“What did they say?” Branden looked at Paxton. Paxton then showed Branden the email screenshot. “Please take a look at this, Boss.”

Branden coldly remarked, “Quite audacious.”

“These people want to take away half of Miss Swann’s research results with just one research report. Are they too confident?” Paxton was deeply puzzled, unable to understand the current situation. If he were one of them, he wouldn’t have been so confident with just a research report. After all, Catherine wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Branden smirked after reading. “They have more than just this.”

Paxton wanted to ask more, but sensing Branden’s reluctance, he remained silent.

“Head to Styre University!” Branden stood up and instructed. Catherine should be finishing up soon. He would go pick her up and then take her to Audrey’s apartment.

Marshall found it strange that Catherine left on time. He had been worried sick these past few days. There was no news from Winston, and Catherine wasn’t saying anything about the results of the experiment. He had expected Catherine to work overtime, but she seemed even more relaxed than usual. Unable to stay calm, he went out and stopped Catherine. “Are you planning to leave, Catherine?”

Catherine nodded.

“Why so early?” Marshall asked, frowning.

Seeing his worried expression, Catherine explained, “Professor Hartley, leave the lab matters to me. The school will do its best to find Professor Warner. You don’t need to worry too much.”

With that, Catherine left.

Marshall couldn’t shake off his worries. How could he not be concerned? He was so troubled that he couldn’t even eat. At his age, he felt less composed than a young girl, which made him quite frustrated.

When Branden arrived, he messaged Catherine, who then walked straight to the black Bentley waiting outside the school. After she got into the car, Paxton handed her the investigation data. “Miss Swann, this is the investigation file on Brian White. Please take a look.”

Catherine took the file, quickly perused it, and then handed it to Branden, sneering. “Turns out he’s a rich second generation.”

Brian, born in Loewe, was from a well- known local business family. As the only son, he had been spoiled since childhood, destined to inherit the family fortune, leading to his reckless behavior. He fell in love with Audrey during her studies abroad and pursued her relentlessly, even following her back to the country. However, Audrey seemed uninterested and avoided him, which led to the scene at the airport and later at the apartment.

After reading the file, Branden remarked sarcastically, “A romantic playboy? Hah…” They exchanged a knowing smile and fell silent.

Soon, the car arrived at the apartment building. Paxton, sitting in the front passenger seat, spotted a figure from a distance and alerted Catherine and Branden in the back. “Miss Swann, look,” he said.

Catherine looked up and saw Brian sitting on the curb, looking somewhat lonely despite his affluent appearance.

Paxton asked if they should enter through the main entrance, but Catherine dismissed the idea. “Let’s go through the underground parking,” she said, having no patience for unfamiliar people like Brian.

Audrey was resting in her room when the doorbell rang. She didn’t answer it immediately. A few seconds later, her phone rang. Seeing it was from Catherine, Audrey eagerly picked it up and then went to open the door. ”

Kathy, didn’t I give you a key? Why are you still knocking?”

Catherine, accompanied by Branden, responded casually, “The key is in the apartment. I didn’t feel like going back to get it.”

Audrey had given Catherine the key, which Catherine had left in the apartment. If Audrey wasn’t there, Catherine wouldn’t have come without a reason. If something happened, she wouldn’t need the key to enter.

Audrey let Catherine in and then politely asked Branden if he wanted to come in as well. He declined, saying, ” I’ll leave you to a chat. Contact me if you need anything.” With that, he left.

Audrey closed the door and asked Catherine to sit down. “Kathy, have you had dinner? If not, I’ll get you something to eat.”

“Let’s order takeout,” Catherine said calmly. Audrey’s cooking skills were known to no one better than her.

Audrey had casually suggested it. There wasn’t much in the fridge, but thankfully Catherine didn’t agree.

Audrey immediately took out her phone to order takeout, choosing the foods Catherine liked.

After placing the order, Audrey rummaged through the kitchen and found two bottles of wine. She opened one, poured two glasses, and handed one to Catherine. “Long time no see,” she said.

Catherine took the glass, took a sip, and then slowly began, “I ran into a

man downstairs who claimed to be your husband. He said his name is Brian White.”

Audrey’s brow immediately furrowed. She said with disdain, “This guy is so annoying. Kathy, you don’t need to listen to his nonsense. I have absolutely no relationship with him. He helped me out when I was at Loewe, so I thanked him by inviting him for a meal. But then he started pestering me. I couldn’t shake him off, and now he even comes here.”

If it weren’t for the unbearable situation at Loewe, Audrey wouldn’t have returned to the country early. What she didn’t expect was that Brian had followed her here, causing her a major headache.

Chapter 859 Another Task

After listening to Audrey’s account, Catherine summed it up with a question. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “So, you don’t like Brian?”

Without hesitation, Audrey nodded in affirmation. “Not only that, his behavior has started to disrupt my life. I don’t even want to be friends with him anymore.”

Catherine arched an eyebrow. Then she shifted away from the topic of this troublesome person and moved on to another question. “What about Triston?

Hearing that, Audrey paused for a moment. It had been so long since Audrey left Loxton that she hadn’t heard that name in ages. She silently stared at her glass, unsure how to respond to Catherine’s inquiry.

Silence was the best answer. If Audrey truly didn’t care, maybe she would have said something from the beginning. It was precisely because she cared too much that she couldn’t bring it up.

Seeing through the hidden sadness behind Audrey’s facade, Catherine didn’t press further. She lightly clinked her glass against Audrey’s. “Cheers!”

Audrey tilted her head back and finished the drink in one gulp. They exchanged a smile and then fell into another round of silence.

Catherine could tell that Audrey hadn’t let go yet, so she smoothly changed the topic. “What’s your plan from here on?”

Upon hearing this, Audrey sighed deeply. “As soon as Kim found out I was back, he immediately arranged the agenda for me. After this week, I have to shoot an ad and then meet with a director. So much to do.”

“Not bad!” Catherine remarked.

* Seeing Catherine supporting her efforts, Audrey laughed helplessly. Well, it looks like I have to work hard.”

The two sisters enjoyed takeout and talked throughout the evening. Whether Audrey was in an exceptionally good or bad mood, she drank with gusto and became increasingly intoxicated toward the end.

After settling Audrey in, Catherine left the apartment. She had never planned to spend the night there from the beginning. As she descended the stairs, she spotted Brian at the entrance.

Because Branden had specifically informed the property management, Brian didn’t even have a chance to enter the community. He could only wait at the community entrance.

When Catherine saw him as she descended the stairs, she walked straight toward him.

The sound of footsteps caught Brian’s attention. He looked up. Upon seeing that it was Catherine, he immediately stood up with excitement. “Can you take me in to see your sister?”

“No!” Catherine rejected him mercilessly and said with a cold warning, “I advise you not to come again. Audrey won’t see you.”

Faced with Catherine’s advice, Brian didn’t take it to heart. He asked angrily, “Why do you all deny my feelings for Audrey? I really like her. Is that wrong?”

“Wishful thinking is just wrong!” Catherine said without mercy. After that, leaving Brian alone to wait, she walked away on her own. There was no need to wake up someone pretending to be asleep.

Brian watched Catherine’s departing figure with a smile on his handsome face. Though the smile seemed charming, upon closer observation, one could detect a hint of intriguing and mysterious nuance, making it difficult to fathom.

Ronin sat quietly in the confinement room, waiting for the person he was expecting.

After half an hour, Finn arrived. Finn brought the keys and unlocked the shackles on Ronin.

“Why do I feel like you seem very calm, as if all of this was already expected by you?” Finn scrutinized Ronin with confusion. He couldn’t quite figure out Ronin. He had always thought of Ronin as an impulsive young man, but now it seemed that things were not so straightforward.

Ronin remained calm and wise, making it difficult for people to read his thoughts.

Finn carefully examined Ronin, but Ronin didn’t give him much opportunity. “Let’s go. Aren’t you supposed to take me out?” Ronin asked.

Finn glanced at him, walked ahead, and let Ronin follow.

The two arrived in front of the man in a black robe. Ronin stood silently on the side, waiting for the instructions of the man in the black robe.

“Ronin, do you want to work for me?” The man in the black robe raised an eyebrow and appraised Ronin.

Ronin shook his head immediately and displayed an unusual honesty. “If I can avoid it, I don’t want to.”

The man in the black robe burst into laughter. Although Ronin rejected him, he wasn’t angry. “Good. You’re honest.

Ronin smirked contemptuously and remained silent.

“Are you not afraid that I’ll kill you? After all, now that I have the information, you have no more value,” the man in the black robe asked.

Ronin calmly replied, “If I wasn’t afraid, I wouldn’t be standing here obediently. You said it yourself, with the information in hand, yet you haven’t killed me. Doesn’t that just prove you still find me useful?”

“Fair enough. You’re quite clever!” The man in the black robe nodded approvingly.

“No need for more words. Let’s make a deal. What do you want to do that would make you willing to let me go? I’ve already become a traitor to Catherine, and I can’t go back to the Hacker Alliance. Instead of beating around the bush, why not just state your terms?” Ronin replied.

As Ronin finished speaking, Finn handed him a stack of documents and a computer. “As long as you behave, your requests will be considered.”

Ronin took them suspiciously and began examining the documents.

After a few minutes, Ronin finished reviewing all the documents. He looked up with a surprised expression at the man in the black robe. “Are you planning to use me to steal information from the Duncan Corporation?”

The man in the black robe sneered. ” What’s the matter? Are you scared or unwilling? You can betray Catherine, but are you hesitant to betray Branden?

Ronin spoke calmly and glared at the man in the black robe. “I’ve already offended Catherine. If I offend the Duncan Corporation as well, will I have any way out?”

“With Catherine’s relationship with Branden, does it really make a difference whom you offend?” the man in the black robe responded. Then he added, “Ronin, as long as you’re willing to take on this task, you’ll be free in the future.”

Ronin didn’t believe him. He sneered and then replied, “You said the same thing when you threatened me to steal Catherine’s experimental reports. How can I trust you?”

“Do you have any other choice?” The man in the black robe looked at Ronin with a mocking gaze. “Your only option is to cooperate with me.” Now Ronin was just in his hands. Ronin didn’t have any right to negotiate conditions.

After hesitating for a while, Ronin couldn’t let go of his hope and asked, ” Will you really set me free?”

“As long as you behave,” the man in the black robe said sincerely.

After a short pause, Ronin replied, ” Fine. I agree.”

The man in the black robe was very satisfied with Ronin’s response. Everything was under his control. He knew Ronin was a smart person and would make the right choice.

Immediately, the man in the black robe granted Ronin benefits and allowed him to roam freely within the base.

After gaining his freedom, Ronin went straight to the place where Flash was being held. Standing at the entrance, he looked at Flash in the cage with his cold eyes.

Flash noticed Ronin’s presence and struggled to raise his head. He sneered and then asked, “Have you come to witness my misery again?”

Chapter 860 A Text Message

Ronin opened the door to the confinement room with the key he had obtained from Finn. It was his reward after agreeing to do a favor for the man in the black robe.

Once the door opened, Ronin descended slowly. He approached Flash and squatted down in front of him. He lowered his head to scrutinize Flash.

Flash was still lying on the ground, his injuries not yet healed. Although spared from death by the man in the black robe, Flash hadn’t received any kind treatment.

No one knew why Flash was spared, but one thing was certain. Flash wouldn’t have a favorable outcome. Those who betrayed the organization never had a good fate.

“Ronin, I used to envy you. Never thought you’d end up worse off than me,” Flash said.

Ronin chuckled coldly and stared down at Flash. “Worse off than you? Flash, I’m the one who’s free now. What gives a prisoner like you the right to say such things?”

Flash scoffed in response, showing no fear despite Ronin standing over him. ” Ronin, do you know why I used to envy you?”

Ronin remained silent, waiting for Flash to continue.

“Ronin, your freedom came at a cost. You sacrificed yourself to the organization. He set some conditions for you to betray your own people, didn’t he?” Although Flash’s words were speculative, Ronin did not refute them. He wanted to hear what Flash would say next.

“Ronin, what’s the difference between you now and the way I used to be? We’re both tools of the organization, slaves driven by others. Our lives are in someone else’s hands. Do you really think you’re better off than me?”

As Flash finished speaking, Ronin suddenly acted. He grabbed Flash’s throat. The current Flash was no match for Ronin. Despite Flash’s desperate struggles, it was futile.

Ronin observed the changing expressions on Flash’s face as it turned from red to pale. Flash’s breath became increasingly difficult. Just as Flash was on the verge of suffocation, Ronin released him like he was discarding trash.

Gasping for air, Flash lay on the ground. He resembled a fish tossed ashore, desperately trying to breathe.

Ronin stood up and coldly pressed his foot against Flash’s face, delivering the ultimate insult. “Flash, I didn’t want it to come to this. You forced my hand. Everything today is because of you. If you had just taken the research data and let me go from the start, without involving Professor Warner, it wouldn’t have come to this end. Remember that you owe me!”

Ronin ruthlessly kicked Flash away, letting him cough up blood on the floor. Then he left the room with a cold demeanor.

Flash, lying on the ground, watched Ronin’s retreating figure and sighed silently. Ronin’s words made him no longer harbor hatred. He knew he had no right.

Late at night, a cool breeze rustled through the leaves, creating a gentle sound. Catherine, coming out of Audrey’s apartment, headed straight back to her own.

She hadn’t informed Branden, unsure if he had already gone to bed. Standing below the apartment, gazing at the warm light filtering through the window, Catherine silently chuckled.

Catherine ascended slowly and unlocked the door with her fingerprint. The sudden movement disturbed Branden, who stood by the windowsill lost in thought.

Branden turned around with pleasant surprise, his cold eyes instantly filled with a smile. Other than Catherine, no one else would open the door at this hour. “Why didn’t you let me pick you up?” he asked.

Catherine smiled. “Not far. Just came back on my own. Haven’t you slept yet?

Branden approached. He embraced her waist and rested his head on her neck. ” Couldn’t sleep without you.”

His deep, hoarse voice was incredibly charming, sending shivers down Catherine’s spine. She thought he was becoming increasingly flirtatious and revealed his true nature without reservation.

Branden rubbed his face against her tender neck, making Catherine ticklish. Unable to bear it, she pushed him away. “Be good. I want to rest.”

Branden caught a whiff of alcohol on her, frowned, and asked, “Drinking?”

“Yeah. I had a bit with Audrey.” Catherine didn’t deny it. Perhaps due to the effects of alcohol, she felt tired now.

Seeing her exhausted, Branden looked concerned and simply lifted her off her feet.

Catherine playfully hit his shoulder. “I told you…”

Before she could finish, Branden interrupted, “I’m not that beastly. I’ll carry you to freshen up and then tuck you into bed.”

Catherine was getting used to resting by Branden’s side. To help her sleep better, he always gave her a massage before bedtime, relaxing her body. With this routine, Catherine could fall asleep within half an hour.

In about ten minutes, Catherine was already asleep. Branden, watching her peaceful face, gently kissed her forehead with tenderness and care.

The phone on the side rang again. Branden quickly silenced it to avoid disturbing Catherine. He picked up the phone and frowned at the disturbance at this hour.

After checking, he noticed a text message from an unknown number, with a peculiar content, which read, [ Do you know what kind of devil is lying beside you?]

The person lying beside Branden was none other than Catherine. With this thought, Branden asked, [Who are you? ]

A quick response came, including a photo that needed to be enlarged for clear visibility. When the image appeared, Branden’s eyes widened in utter shock.

At a glance, Branden recognized the blood-covered little girl in the photo holding a weapon as Catherine. Surrounding her were people drenched in blood, and in front lay a boy of similar age, who was also covered in blood, helplessly lying on the ground.

In the photo, Catherine’s eyes resembled those of a predatory beast, which were cold and intimidating. She appeared to be around ten years old. It was hard to believe that such a murderous gaze could exist in a girl of such a young age.

The gruesome scene shocked Branden, and he felt a deep concern for Catherine. He couldn’t fathom what experiences she had gone through to possess such eyes. If only he had encountered her earlier, maybe she could have been spared from enduring these horrors at such a tender age.