Chapter 986 His Lover Catherine nodded. âJust happened to pass by. Is he busy?â
Knowing it wasnât an urgent matter, Paxton secretly breathed a sigh of relief. âNot busy at all, not a bit!â
Branden was always busy, except when it came to Catherine.
âMiss Swann, let me take you to Mr. Duncanâs office,â Paxton said. Afraid Catherine might grow impatient, he signaled the secretary to inform Branden.
Branden was still in a meeting in the conference room. When the secretary entered, his face instantly darkened.
The secretary was terrified by this expression. If Paxton hadnât personally instructed her, she probably wouldnât have the courage to speak now. She said, âMr. Duncan, Miss Swann is here. Paxton has already taken her to your office. He wants you to come over for a moment.â
Branden closed his computer expressionlessly and then coldly surveyed the room. âMeeting paused.â With that, he stood up and left, leaving the executives discussing animatedly.
When Branden returned to the office, Catherine had just sat down. Seeing him rush in, Catherine turned her head to look.
They looked at each other, and Branden smiled. âFeeling bored at home?â
Catherine nodded slightly. âJust taking a stroll. If youâre not busy, we can have afternoon coffee together.â
Branden replied without hesitation, â Sure. Wait. Iâll grab a coat.â
As he spoke, Paxton hurried off to make the reservation.
âNo need.â Catherine promptly stopped him.
Branden looked puzzled. Catherine gestured to the fruits and snacks on the table and said, âNo need to go out. We can have it here. You work, and Iâll sit.â She didnât want to go out, and more importantly, she didnât want to interfere with Brandenâs work.
Branden agreed and instructed the secretary to prepare.
The secretary hesitated for a moment. She realized that it was the first time she had seen Branden so amiable, even with a smile on his face. It seemed the rumors were true. Branden indeed doted on Catherine wholeheartedly. She thought Catherine must be the mistress of the Duncans in the future. Not daring to be negligent, the secretary quickly went to prepare the pastries.
When the pastries arrived, Catherine was somewhat shocked. She looked at Branden and said, âDoes your company always have such a rich variety of desserts?â
Not only were there many options, but there was even a dessert table, rivaling that of a five-star hotel. Most importantly, these desserts looked delicious and perfectly matched her taste.
Before Branden could respond, the secretary said, âMiss Swann, these were all specially prepared for you. They are all flavors youâve tried before and liked. We keep them in stock so that whenever you come, you can enjoy your favorites.â
Catherine smiled faintly. âThank you.â
Luckily, Catherine didnât visit often, and she ate very little each time, so they didnât have to prepare too much. Otherwise, given how much Branden liked her, they might have to empty the entire mall to satisfy her.
Seeing the approving gaze from Branden, the secretary felt satisfaction and treated Catherine with even more respect. âMiss Swann, enjoy your meal, and if you need anything, just let me know.â
After the secretary left, only Catherine and Branden were in the spacious office.
Branden paused his work and accompanied Catherine. She used to be indifferent to sweets, but after becoming pregnant, she seemed different, preferring some desserts that werenât too sweet.
As Branden saw her enjoy the food, his mood improved. âIf you like it, Iâll have Paxton bring the pastry chef here, and you can have these desserts every day.â
Catherine directly rejected his proposal and replied, âMr. Theo says eating too many sweets is not good, and it might affect the health check.â
Branden didnât know about this, but since Thomas had said so, he would follow his advice. Branden picked up a juice, ready to hand it to Catherine, but he noticed that the juice was cold, and he frowned. âThis juice is too cold. Iâll have someone heat it for you.â
Catherine thought, âHeating juice?â She was stunned. âItâs orange juice, no ice inside. Itâs not cold. Besides, can you even drink heated juice?â
Branden still had some concerns. Catherine took the juice and drank it in one gulp. The sweet taste made her feel comfortable.
âItâs fine, just a little orange juice.â
Branden smiled helplessly. âTake care of yourself.â
âDonât worry.â Catherine shrugged.
âIs everything arranged with the school?â Branden asked. He originally wanted to arrange things for Catherine, but she refused.
She intended to handle school matters herself.
Catherine took a bite of cake, squinted her eyes, and smiled at Branden. âNo need to handle it. Iâm no longer a student at Styre University. I donât even need to go through the procedures for absence.â
Previously, due to a special circumstance, Catherine had been expelled from Styre University. Now, she was a visiting professor at Styre University, occasionally visiting the lab to check reports. If she didnât want to go, she just had to tell Marshall, and she wouldnât even need to request time off.
With her words, Branden felt reassured. It seemed being expelled earlier wasnât a bad thing. At least now, it saved her a lot of trouble.
Recently, Catherine had been particularly prone to drowsiness. After eating, she wanted to sleep.
Seeing her yawn, Branden immediately helped her up. âGo rest in my lounge. Once I finish my work, Iâll take you home.â He wanted to take Catherine directly home, but he knew her personality. She didnât want her personal matters to interfere with his work. Catherine would never agree to that.
Catherine tiredly nodded. Then Branden settled her on the bed. Looking at her beautiful sleeping face, Branden felt an unprecedented tranquility in his heart.
He had not only his lover but also their precious child, which was the best proof of their love. He gently kissed Catherineâs forehead and reluctantly left. âRest well. Iâll take you home later.