Chapter 817: Chapter 817 by Chestnut

Chapter 817 The Orphanage

Although Catherine knew no one was following her, for safety’s sake, she circled the house a few more times before finally entering Connie’s place. As she rhythmically tapped the door, Zobber received the signal and rushed to open it.

“Catherine, you’re finally here!” Before the door was fully open, Zobber’s excited voice came through.

The seemingly ordinary wooden door had a special system installed that required a specific rhythm of knocks to ring the doorbell inside the house. It was a small trick they developed to protect the occupants. That’s why Zobber knew it was Catherine even before opening the door. Apart from her, only Connie knew the rhythm. Since Connie had a key and wouldn’t knock, the visitor had to be Catherine.

Withal, who sprawled on the couch listlessly, saw Zobber pull Catherine inside and couldn’t help but tease, ” Can’t you stop clinging to Catherine like a koala to a eucalyptus tree all the time?”

“Mind your own business!” Zobber snapped.

Seeing the two about to bicker again, Catherine coldly asked, “Did you call me here just to watch you two squabble? “Zobber had informed her last night to come by when she had time.

At Catherine’s command, they immediately stopped. They might love to joke around, but they’d rather endure each other than anger Catherine. Nothing was scarier than provoking her.

Zobber took the initiative to apologize, “Catherine, I’ll stop messing around. Let’s get to business.” After helping Catherine sit, Zobber playfully kicked Withal’s thigh. “Get moving!”

“Hey, easy there!” Withal winced in pain and rubbed where he was kicked. Then he got up to fetch Zobber a laptop.

Once the equipment was set up, Zobber compiled the information they’d gathered into a slideshow and presented it to Catherine. “Catherine, this is what we’ve found. Take a look!”

Ever since they captured the individuals, they, along with Carlo, had been interrogating them together. Though these people were tough and fearless, in their hands, even the toughest mouths loosened. However, these low-level individuals had limited information, resulting in fewer leads.

“Catherine, following our previous plan, we dug into immigration records. These people all hail from the city where the Breens reside. They’re likely the Breens’ bodyguards!”

Every major family nurtured its own forces, not just in the market but in shadowy realms as well. By various means, they recruited and trained individuals like these as bodyguards. These bodyguards were willing to sacrifice themselves when the family’s interests demanded.

“Anything else?” Catherine asked. Considering the short timeframe, what they’d uncovered was already quite challenging. But she sensed things weren’t that simple. She knew Shane was involved, but this time, it likely wasn’t just him.

“Nothing more.” Zobber shook her head somewhat sheepishly. That was all she could dig up.

Withal, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke up. He said, “Catherine, I’ve got some more findings here.”

Catherine glanced at him and signaled him to continue.

“Catherine, as I delved into these records, I found something interesting. Among those we captured, three of them had records of staying at the orphanage in Loewe when they were young.”

Loewe was a country, and since these people were collected from all corners by the Breens, having some from Loewe wasn’t surprising. However, among the six or seven they apprehended, having three from the orphanage in Loewe seemed more than a coincidence.

Withal never believed in coincidences, so he reported this matter to Catherine. Catherine lightly stroked her chin, seemingly contemplating the new lead Withal had provided.

Withal had hoped Catherine might offer a new direction based on this information, but she steered away from the topic. “Have you notified Wantel? Has he started investigating?”

“Wantel has begun, but there aren’t any leads yet,” Zobber replied. She was the one in contact with Wantel.

The Hacker Alliance had expanded rapidly in recent years, and with many joining the organization, investigations weren’t easy tasks.

Withal noticed Catherine’s silence and found it somewhat odd, but he didn’t press further.

Once Catherine had gathered the information she needed, she left Connie’s place.

Zobber was lost in thought and gazed in the direction Catherine had departed. She took a while to snap out of it.

With a smack, Withal slapped Zobber on the back of her head. He finally avenged the earlier kick.

Zobber angrily turned and wanted to hit Withal. “What’s wrong with you, hitting my head for no reason?”

“Your deep thoughts got you into this mess. Serves you right!”

The two fought each other for a while until Zobber was exhausted and slumped down. “Seriously, do you ever get a feeling?”

“What feeling? A liking for you?” Withal blurted out.

His words hung in the air, and even Zobber was taken aback.

“Ding-dong! It’s time for the hourly chime!” The clock on the wall chimed pleasantly, snapping Zobber out of her reverie. She grabbed a nearby tissue box and hurled it at Withal. “You bastard! I’m discussing serious matters here. Why do you blurt out nonsense?”

Withal laughed, masking his embarrassment at the slip-up. “Okay. Spill it. What feeling?”

Zobber sat up straight and looked earnestly at Withal. “Do you think Catherine seems less concerned about this matter? In the past, she’d have been right in the thick of it. But this time, she’s almost passive, less agitated than even us. Doesn’t seem right, does it? It’s Ronin who’s been captured. Catherine raised Ronin herself.”

Withal gave a wry smile. He had noticed this issue long before. Since the incident, Catherine’s attitude had indeed shown some laxity, not as urgent as it used to be. If he hadn’t always unquestionably trusted Catherine, he would have started suspecting earlier. Withal replied, “As you said, it’s Ronin. How could Catherine not be anxious? Maybe it’s because of the experiments on hand. I heard they’re nearing completion.”

“Makes sense!” Zobber nodded in agreement.

Seeing her dispel doubts, Withal inwardly sighed in relief. Zobber seemed clever, but sometimes, she was incredibly stubborn. He worried she might sense something amiss and dive headfirst into investigating. If things went wrong, it wouldn’t just disrupt Catherine’s plans but would also entangle herself. For now, all Withal could do was hope this matter would end soon so that they could return to their carefree days.