Chapter 792 A Bothersome Pursuer
After discussing the current situation with the two, Catherine left Connieâs place.
It was getting late, and returning to the dorm at this hour would disturb Amelia and others. Therefore, Catherine rode her motorcycle directly to the apartment building.
She didnât feel the spacious house was empty before, but now, with only one person, it seemed a bit desolate.
Suddenly, the doorbell ringing caught Catherineâs attention. She stood up and checked the situation outside through the interior monitor. Seeing a delivery guy at the door, she promptly opened it.
With a friendly smile, the delivery guy said, âMiss Swann, hereâs your delivery. Please sign for it.â
There was a large bouquet of roses and an exquisite gift box.
When Catherine saw the roses, she knew they werenât from Branden, as he didnât like them.
Instead of accepting the gift, Catherine took the card from the bouquet. Seeing the familiar handwriting, she immediately knew who the sender was.
She inserted the card back and gazed coldly at the delivery guy. âTake these things back.â
The delivery guyâs face instantly paled when he heard this. This order had a high commission, and he had worked hard to secure it. He didnât expect Catherine to refuse.
âMiss Swann, I ran dozens of miles just to deliver this order. Please accept it.â
Not wanting to make things difficult for him, Catherine said, âConsider it as if Iâve accepted it. Thereâs a trash bin by the main entrance. Could you please take them down there for me?â
With that, Catherine turned and went back inside, closing the door without glancing at it.
The delivery guy was dumbfounded. These items looked expensive, and a handsome guy sent them. He could not understand why Catherine refused to accept.
Helplessly, he contacted the customer who placed the order.
Unexpectedly, the customer asked him to follow Catherineâs instructions. Not daring to defy the customerâs wishes, the delivery guy threw the items into the trash bin at the front door.
Not long after Catherine returned to her room, she received a message from Rylan. [Donât like roses? How about I change them to tulips?]
Although the card was unsigned, Catherine immediately recognized Rylanâs handwriting. She dialed his number directly; she had no interest in texting, especially not with Rylan.
Rylan wasnât surprised by Catherineâs call, as if he already knew she would call.
âWhat do you mean?â Catherineâs words carried a hint of impatience, but she didnât lose her temper.
If she were truly angry, she would have already dealt with Rylan in person, not talking on the phone.
Rylan directly expressed his intentions and said, âCatherine, Iâve been thinking for years. We are the most suitable for each other; no one can replace you in my life. You like Eskana, so Iâll set up a branch in Eskana.â
After a moment of silence, Rylan said solemnly, âCatherine, I like you, and I believe we should be together.â
If Rylan were in front of Catherine now, he could see the ironic smile on her face.
âDo I have to accept just because you say you like me? What kind of logic is this?â Catherine thought.
Catherine wasnât bothering with Rylanâs ego and coldly interrupted him, âSince you were able to find my address, I refuse to believe youâre unaware that I already have a fiancé.â
Silence lingered on the other end of the call. It seemed Rylan didnât expect Catherine to admit Brandenâs identity and addressed him as her fiancé.
After a while, Rylan seemed to react, attempting to change his approach. â Catherine, Iâ¦â
Without hesitation, Catherine interrupted him again, âConsidering our past friendship, Iâll let it go this time. If thereâs a next time, you know my temperâ¦â
Without waiting for a response, Catherine hung up the phone. Her relationship with Rylan was complicated and couldnât be explained in just a few words.
Late at night, the apartment in Loxton was brightly lit, and in Casier, the Duncansâ old mansion was no different.
Paxton knew that Branden was waiting for news from Loxton, so he knocked on the door of the study as soon as he received the message.
âCome in.â A low, authoritative voice came from inside, not loud but carrying a hint of dominance.
Paxton pressed down the door handle and entered. âMr. Duncan, news has arrived from Loxton.â
âHmm.â Branden immediately put down the work he was dealing with.
âMr. Duncan, Miss Swann stayed overnight in the apartment tonight and didnât return to school. She came back quite late, probably to avoid disturbing her dormmates,â said Paxton.
Catherine projected an aloof exterior, but beneath it all, she harbored a remarkably soft side. Once she deemed someone trustworthy, she treated them unconditionally well, explaining the loyal following she garnered.
When Branden learned that Catherine had returned to the apartment, his heart warmed. The agitation he had felt earlier subsided considerably.
Observing Paxton standing there, looking conflicted and hesitant, Branden knew he had something to report. âSpit it out. Donât beat around the bush.â
Paxton turned pale at Brandenâs words. He handed a picture to Branden. âMr. Duncan, this is the evening surveillance image. As per your order, we didnât disturb Miss Swann. We dared not intervene.â
The content of the photo made Brandenâs face instantly darkened. His narrowed eyes emitted a dangerous light, sharp as a sword.
He remembered that Catherine wasnât fond of roses, so he never bought them. Now, taking advantage of his absence in Loxton, someone sent flowers and gifts to his fiancée, even coming up to the apartment. He felt this was nothing short of a blatant provoke to him.
Branden asked Paxton, his voice cold, â Did you arrange for an investigation?â
âMr. Duncan, our people inquired with the delivery guy and found the contact information of the person who sent the gifts.â Paxton handed over Rylanâs information. âItâs this person, Mr. Duncan.â
It showed he was the heir of the Meltons, Loeweâs most prominent family, Rylan.
The Meltonsâ status in Loewe was like the Duncansâ in Casier. They were considered rulers of their respective territories.
Paxton found a lot of information but couldnât figure out how Rylan knew Catherine. He learned that Rylan had recently come to Loxton and seemed to be planning to establish a branch in Eskana.
He had just arrived in Loxton and already tried to win over Catherine, so these two must be old acquaintances.
Rylan was not inferior to Branden in terms of family background and looks. Paxton couldnât help but worry for Branden.
After Branden finished reading Rylanâs information, he placed it aside.
Seeing that he didnât speak and had a serious face, Paxton summoned his courage and said, âMr. Duncan, in my opinion, Rylanâs just wishful thinking. Miss Swann didnât accept these gifts and directly had the delivery guy throw them into the trash bin downstairs.â
Branden was satisfied with Catherineâs actions. He wasnât worried that Catherine would be attracted to someone else. He was just annoyed by those bothersome pursuers. It seemed he had to expedite his return to Loxton to prevent these nuisances from bothering Catherine.