Seeing Branden assessing her, Catherine chuckled lightly. "Is there anything wrong with eating lightly? Didn't you always advise me to eat less heavy food? Have you changed your mind now?""Of course not." Branden wrapped his arm around her waist, his eyes filled with indulgence. He raised his eyebrows, giving Catherine a wink. "Rest well. I'll prepare a light supper for you."*****Hearing the sizzling sound of cooking through the phone, Paxton knew that Branden must be preparing a supper for Catherine again. It was truly enviable. There was only one person in the world who could make Branden personally cook and prepare a meal, and that was Catherine.As Paxton admired Catherine, he quietly reported the situation. He said, "Mr. Duncan, you're truly amazing! After we released the information as you instructed, all sorts of mixed messages flooded the market. Initially, the situation looked unfavorable for us, but unexpectedly, there was a direct reversal. The negative news only fuel

Catherine stepped out of the lab to find Marshall standing at the door with a worried frown."What has got Professor Hartley frowning like it's the end of the world? Why don't you share the news and brighten my day too."Seeing her in a playful mood only deepened Marshall's gloom. "Catherine, I have something to tell you, but try not to freak out."Catherine remained calm, but her voice turned cooler. "Professor, out with it. I can take the pressure."Seeing her steady demeanor, Marshall bravely handed her his phone. "I'm at a loss for words. Have a look yourself." Catherine took the phone, and her expression tensed as she glanced at the screen. Marshall couldn't quite read her, given her subtle reaction. Before he could ask, Catherine got straight to the point. "What's the school's move on this?"Caught off guard by her composure, Marshall was visibly shaken. After all, people wouldn't be as calm as Catherine in such a situation.Marshall was silent, which prompted Catherin

Audrey was eager to know what had happened back then. She always believed that Catherine was sent to the countryside by her grandfather. But now, it seemed the truth was not that simple.Afraid of touching on Catherine's sensitive topic, Audrey didn't press for details and instead asked Catherine about her plans.Catherine calmly looked at her and said, "What else can I do? Just face the challenges as they come."She didn't care about public opinion. "If you guys have the guts to come after me, then bring it on," she thought.Audrey gave Catherine a thumbs-up for her composure and calmness. This was something she would never get the hang of.Branden placed the cut fruits on the nearby coffee table. He was initially in the kitchen but turned to open the door when the doorbell rang."Go ahead, you guys. I'll be in the study." He left the space for the two sisters to talk. Catherine having someone keeping her company put him more at ease. He came back all of a sudden, and there was

The efforts to control the situation didn't ease things for Catherine; it just became worse.Paxton updated Branden on the recent developments. "Mr. Duncan, the tactics they're using are just like the ones from the previous rumors about our company. It's likely the same group. The public opinion is strongly against Miss Swann right now. I had a fake video made; it's convincing enough. Should we release it to at least create some confusion?""No way!" Branden immediately rejected Paxton's proposal. "Those people are waiting for that."If they dared to release the video, they must have other tricks up their sleeves. The fake video would only get Catherine into even more trouble.Paxton thought Branden made sense, but at the moment, he couldn't think of a way to help Catherine. "Mr. Duncan, what should we do then?"Branden remained calm and composed. "No rush. If they're willing to spend money to hype things up, let them be."For some reason, Paxton felt that Branden was unusually c

The man's words carried a hint of threat, but Ronin remained calm. "If you refuse, then our cooperation ends here." Without waiting for a response, Ronin added, "Even if you want to expose our collaboration, I don't care."As if anticipating Ronin's rebellion, the man laughed out loud. "Haha, is that all you've got? Rest assured. I won't expose our collaboration or retaliate against you. You can leave."Ronin couldn't quite grasp the man's intentions, but he was certain that the man wouldn't let him off so easily. He said, "Why hide it? Just state what you want; don't beat around the bush."The man shrugged nonchalantly, signaling Ronin. "I won't see you out."Ronin looked at him suspiciously, feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed. And just as he turned to leave, the man in the black robe spoke slowly from behind. "Ronin, I keep my word. I won't trouble you. However, you know Winston, right? I haven't decided how to deal with him yet. Should I bury him alive or beat