Chapter 405 A Parent?
In the face of Catherineâs explanation, Rachael couldnât hear a word. She scolded Catherine with fury, asserting her authority as Korbinâs wife.
âCatherine, how dare you try to explain yourself? The servants have already made it clear that itâs your fault your father fell ill!â
Catherine looked at her askance, adopting an air of superiority as if she couldnât care less about her.
âIf you donât believe me, why bother explaining further?â
Rachael was on the verge of exasperation, facing Catherineâs arrogance. She felt helpless, unable to hurt Catherine no matter what she did.
This feeling of powerlessness was what angered her the most. Knowing that Catherine cared about Audrey, Rachael decided to hit Catherine where it would hurt the most through Audrey.
âCatherine, calling you a jinx is spot on. Your influence on your sister has brought nothing but misfortune. A daughter like this isnât worth having!
âRemember this!â Rachael pointed her finger menacingly at Catherine. She had dropped the facade of a high and mighty lady. âItâs because of you that Audrey was kicked out of this house by her parents. Do you understand?â
Rachaelâs threats made Catherine quietly chuckle. With a sly twinkle in her eyes, Catherine watched Rachael with an amused smile.
âIs that so? Do you plan to pin this accusation on me forcibly? But I have a different perspective from the norm. In my eyes, some people, despite having children, donât deserve to be parentsâ¦
âJust left home? Hmph, Rachael, have you forgotten whose name the properties youâre living in are registered under now?â
All of the Swannsâ assets now belonged to Catherine. Originally, the Swannsâ had been in her fatherâs name. After his passing, he had left all the assets to Catherine, including this house.
Rachael tried to remain composed, but her eyes burned with hatred as she glared at Catherine. Her face turned pale, and her breathing became heavy.â
You insolent wretch, do you intend to kick me out of the Swannsâ?â
âIf you continue to harass me, itâs not entirely impossible for such a thing to happen!â
With a sly smile in her eyes, Catherine added, âAfter all, in your eyes, Iâm just a star-crossed disaster who disregards family ties, right?â
Rachael had intended to scold Catherine further, but she quickly changed her mind. She had come unprepared, and she knew she would lose in a direct confrontation.
Catherine, that insolent brat, wouldnât yield to any pressure, and nobody could predict her next move. Even Korbin had been hospitalized due to her, which showed how capable she was.
In the end, Rachael issued a final warning to Catherine and reluctantly left, clutching her purse. Catherine pushed the door open and walked inside, comfortably sinking into a sofa.
These people were all so annoying, wasting so much of her precious rest time. Audrey followed, her curiosity piqued, and came over to Catherine.
âKathy, did you really make Dad ill?â
Catherine made a lazy sound, giving off an air of indifference.
âWhether heâs sick or not, one thing is certain, heâs definitely angry.â
Audrey was jaw-dropped when she heard Catherineâs response. It seemed that among the four siblings, only Catherine had the power to make their father ill.
The others, even Johnathan, were always respectful in their fatherâs presence. Their father had a cold demeanor and seldom showed leniency toward his children.
Audrey asked, âKathy, what did you do to make Dad so angry?â
Catherine couldnât be bothered to answer and simply replied, âAsk him yourself.â
With that, Catherine closed her eyes to rest. Seeing her fatigue, Audrey refrained from further questions and quietly retreated to her room to rest.
Catherine had initially intended to recline on the sofa for a brief respite, but she unexpectedly drifted into slumber.
Had it not been for the ringing of her cell phone, she might have continued to sleep. Catherine reached for her phone, pressed the answer button, and brought it to her ear, inquiring, âWhoâs this?â
Just one cold question from her made the person on the other end almost tremble in fear. Disturbing Catherine during her sleep was practically asking for trouble!
However, the call had already been made, so it couldnât be disconnected now. If it were, Catherine might issue an order to hunt him down for the interruption.
In a trembling voice, he said, ââ
Catherine, Scorpion Island is offering a high price for you to act as an instructor and train for a month.â
âNo,â came Catherineâs prompt and resolute response. Still not giving up, he muttered softly, â Theyâre offering 100 million dollars for just a month.â
Without any response, Catherine promptly ended the call. After all, when had she become someone who could be bought with money?
With the call done, Catherine initially thought of resting a bit more but realized her stomach was growling.
Holding her phone, she considered ordering takeout, but it seemed more reliable to depend on the delivery person than on Audrey.
Seeing an unread message, Catherine decided to check it.
âCome to eat when you wake up. Iâm waiting for you!â
Seeing the message from the man, Catherineâs lips curved into a somewhat self-satisfied smile. Now, she didnât need to open a food delivery app. She rose from the sofa and headed to the apartment next door.
Upon entering, she was greeted by the delightful aroma of a well-prepared meal filling the room. It wasnât greasy but rather a scent of dishes she was familiar with and loved.
Catherine felt that her stomach was slowly being tamed by Branden. Witnessing her enter, the man emerged from the kitchen with some cheese. Just like every time, the final course was cheese.
Catherine enjoyed strong cheese, preferably blue cheese. If it was mildly flavored, she would furrow her brows. Though she never voiced it, the man seemed to have noticed. Every time he prepared cheese, it was always at that perfect, pungent, earthy aroma.
As she gazed at the simple yet delicious dishes on the table, Catherine squinted with a faint smile on her face. The man took her hand and led her to the seat.
âSit and eat!â
Catherine thought she hadnât asked for any assistance. With no objections, she picked up a fork and started to savor the meal with a contented heart.
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. Perhaps continuing to live like this wouldnât be so bad. Rachael returned to the Swannsâ; a vast mansion with not a single Swann family member present except for the servants.
Korbin was in the hospital, and Liana had been acting oddly recently, leaving early and returning late each day, claiming that she wanted to surpass Catherine in her studies to prove herself.
As for Johnathan, that poor child had been sent to a full-time boarding school overseas to endure his own hardships.
Staring at the empty mansion without a hint of sound, Rachael couldnât help but feel aggrieved.
Catherine was far too arrogant, daring to speak such words to her. If she just sat back and did nothing, she would certainly be underestimated by Catherine.
She needed to do something about it!
The Swanns were devoid of family now, and Rachael decided to consult her parents. She couldnât allow Catherine to continue living in such comfort.