Chapter 191 Favor
This plot twist caught everyone off guard. After all, they tried every possible means to send Catherine, the jinx, to the army, not Johnathan, the precious little darling of the Swanns.
Everyone was freaking out, but Catherine remained calm as ever. She treated it as a hilarious comedy- drama to pass the time. Johnathan became agitated and immediately retorted loudly, âNo, I will not go!â
Adrien gave him a cold stare and said sternly, âIâm afraid you have no say in this!â Rachael knew her sonâs temperament well and quickly stopped Johnathan while asking for her motherâs help.
Donna loved her grandson too much to watch Johnathan suffer like that. She urgently told Adrien, âAdrien, letâs discuss this later. Johnathan is still young.â
The astute Donna had grasped the situation. There was a glimmer of intelligence in her eyes. âNo wonder my clever daughter came back to seek my help. It seems that the jinx thrown into the countryside by the Swanns was challenging to deal with.
âWith a few words, she turned everything upside down,â she said inwardly. She gave a fake smile and looked at everyone.
âEnough, letâs not talk about this now. Today is my birthday banquet, so everyone has to listen to me. The dishes are getting cold. Letâs start eating!â
Upon seeing Donna take charge of the situation, the crowd took the initiative to step back. Donna suddenly retreated without intending to target Catherine again because she realized that she had underestimated Catherine. âThis girl is much more shrewd than I had imagined,â she thought.
In the eyes of Donna, the reason why Catherine didnât speak up and perform well before must be because she was pretending to be a weakling but was secretly strong.
âIf we continue to persist, judging from the current situation, it is possible that we may end up as the losers. Might as well leave it as it is for now and make alternative plans later on,â she said inwardly.
Since Donna had made a decision, Rachael couldnât push her anymore. Although she was angry inside and felt like Catherine had escaped, she could only accept it temporarily to protect Johnathan.
Everyone spread out and took their seats. The birthday banquet officially began. Audrey was concerned about the impact on Catherine. In her view, if she were the one being targeted, she would probably hide away crying and not have the appetite to eat anything.
She comforted Catherine softly, saying, âKathy, I know youâve been wronged. Itâs all because of Johnathan being such a scoundrel. Luckily, you diffused the crisis smartly. Now, even Grandma knows it was Johnathan causing trouble. Look, Grandma didnât mention sending you to the army anymore.â
Catherine smiled slightly with a hint of mockery in her eerie expression.
âGrandmother saw through the truth, knowing I wasnât in the wrong. Or was it that she saw how smart I was and knew there was no way to get the upper hand?
âEveryone knows this very well, except for this silly girl, Audrey, who is still blinded by so-called family ties and canât clearly see the wickedness of this world,â she said inwardly. However, Catherine had no intention of telling the truth to Audrey.
âSince I have the ability, why not keep this innocence and beauty for her?â she thought. Without more drama caused by differing evil intentions, the birthday banquet went relatively smoothly, presenting a wonderful and heartwarming scene of a family reunion as Donna was showered with birthday wishes from all.
The banquet was almost over. Audrey didnât dare to stay any longer. As soon as the meal ended, she grabbed Catherine and wanted to leave.
Catherine was still staying at Audreyâs house, so she didnât have to wait for Korbin and the others to finish. She could leave with Audrey first. Then, the two of them went up to say goodbye to Enzo and Donna and got ready to leave.
Audrey knew that Catherine was not talkative, so she took the initiative to speak for her. âGrandpa, Grandma, I have a show to attend tomorrow. Catherine must also wake up early for class, so we will leave first.â
Donna nodded calmly and said, âYou two are thoughtful. Be careful on the road. Here are two gifts for each of you. Catherine glanced at the two shabby gift boxes and could tell they didnât contain many precious things without even opening them.
Their gifts were quite pathetic compared to the splendid gift box Johnathan just received. However, Audrey didnât refuse because it was a gesture from the elders. It wouldnât be polite to reject it. After Audrey received it, Donna didnât forget her identity as an elder and reminded her again before leaving.
âAudrey, youâre a lady of the Swanns. That job of yours isnât going to get you anywhere. If you like it, you can play for a bit. But once youâve had your fun, settle down and wait for your father to arrange a suitable marriage for you.â
Audreyâs face instantly turned ghastly pale, as if it had been drained of all color and resembled a sheet of white paper. The sight of her pale face made Catherine feel a twinge of pity.
Catherine was well aware that Audrey treated her work in the entertainment industry as her career and worked hard for it. However, Audrey did not expect that the outcome of her hard work would be considered shameful in her eldersâ eyes.
âThat job of yours isnât going to get you anywhere.
âIf you like it, you can play for a bit.
âThis old lady of the Langs really knows how to hit you where it hurts, not giving Audrey any face at all,â said Catherine inwardly.
âLetâs go!â
She suddenly spoke up, bringing Audreyâs scattered rationality back. Audrey struggled to say goodbye to the two elders and then followed Catherine to leave. Once they walked away, Donna couldnât help but complain to her husband.
âRachael was right. This Catherine is really a troublemaker. Just look at her attitude. Itâs infuriating.
âEven if sheâs a troublemaker herself, she has led Audrey astray. Such a girl should stay in the countryside for the rest of her life and never return.â
Enzo nodded approvingly as he watched the two walking away.
âItâs okay. It didnât work this time. Weâll think of another solution next time. Since we sent her away back then, we can still let her disappear now.â
Catherine and Audrey walked out of the Langsâ hall. When they reached the doorway, Audrey suddenly remembered something.
âKathy, I forgot to bring my handbag. Just wait here for me. Iâll go in and grab it real quick.â
After hearing what her grandmother said, Audrey was very upset. She left in a daze and even forgot to take her bag. Before she even finished her words, Audrey rushed into the house in a fluster.
Looking at her panicking figure, Catherine shook her head helplessly. â How on earth do I have such an older sister? Sheâs always losing things and being disorganized,â she said inwardly.
Catherine withdrew her gaze. As she turned around, she noticed a flash of scarlet in the shadows of the corner. She gazed intently at it for a couple of seconds before the person under scrutiny emerged gradually from the dark corner.
Adrien hated the noise inside, so he hid in this dark corner to smoke. Countless people have passed through here, but nobody noticed his presence except for this little girl in front of him. Adrien looked up at her and revealed a playful smile on his solemn face.
âGirl, your eyes are quite sharp and observant.â
Catherine didnât respond to him. She only gave him a cold glance with a hint of disdain. âDoes he seriously think heâs a Ninja Turtle who can make himself invisible?
âThe smoke odor is so obvious. Am I stupid enough not to notice it?
âWhatâs the point of him saying these things?â she said inwardly. Adrien could see the contempt in Catherineâs eyes, given that she was exposing her disdain blatantly.
Hurried footsteps approached as Adrien approached Catherineâs side and whispered, âNo matter what, youâre still my niece. Hereâs my contact information. Call me if you need anything!
Catherine lowered her head and glanced at the business card that had been given to her. She glanced at the name and looked up with a meaningful expression. She snorted contemptuously and casually put the business card in her pocket.
As Catherine turned around, Audrey happened to return and lifted the bag in her hand, looking at her happily. âKathy, I found it! Letâs hit the road!â