Chapter 126 The Darkness Behind Catherine
'Expect me to like him? After the Brown family tricked me out of my village with their fake 'affection', I stopped believing in that stuff. But for some reason, this statement is hitting me differently,' Catherine thought, staying quiet while Alexander waited.
'Winning Catherine over is gonna take time. But seeing her in that white lab coat with the Galactic Aurora Collective makes me feel like I'm running out of it! Her cold, distant look, just like the people around her, makes me wonder if she'll ever really like me. What if she goes back to them? I might never see her again!' Alexander thought.
That night in the village, Catherine slept under a starry sky, while Alexander leaned against the window, staring at the moonlit mountains. They were close to the border and near the Galactic Aurora Collective Lab.
'I've seen Catherine surprise me a lot, but I know a girl, no matter her past, doesn't just turn into an assassin. I've been through the fire myself and I get it. I don't want to dig into her past, I just want to protect her,' Alexander thought.
Despite years of ruling the business world and landing big deals, Alexander, the head of the Howard family, felt clueless when it came to the girl who stole his heart.
Alexander drove to the biggest mall owned by the Howard Group, opened the car door, and helped Catherine out. "Can you tell me what you did with the Galactic Aurora Collective?"
"If you're asking, you probably already have an idea."
'Cloudscape Villa is too close to the border. With Alexander's resources, he must know the Galactic Aurora Collective's lab and the Faceless Ones' base are nearby. My role in the Collective? Kids taken by them went through hell to boost their intelligence. The chosen ones are geniuses, but even that's not enough for the Collective,' Catherine thought, smiling bitterly. 'The founder is a madman! I've moved past that dark time and don't want to talk about it.'
Seeing she didn't want to continue, Alexander didn't push. 'Catherine's right; I've already guessed her past. For others to follow her, she must've been a leader in the Collective! She must've gone through so much,' he thought.
Alexander held her hand and walked into the mall.
The mall was grand and luxurious, with red carpets leading everywhere. Employees stood on either side, each holding a bouquet of roses, with the latest luxury items behind them.
In the lobby, a sculpture of a girl made entirely of roses and sparkling gems stood tall—it was Catherine! Under the tree, a band in fancy suits played a waltz. Tickets for this world-famous orchestra were crazy expensive, but the Howard Group had them play for Alexander and Catherine's first date.
The mall manager, all respectful, said, "Mr. Howard, Ms. Windsor, your afternoon tea is ready at the restaurant, and we've got all the latest items in Ms. Windsor's size for you to choose from!"
Having worked at the Howard Group forever, the manager saw Alexander so into a girl for the first time! When he got the call, his hands shook, thinking something was wrong with the mall. But no, Alexander wanted the place decked out for a first date, just the way the girl would like it!
Everyone knew about Alexander and Catherine's engagement. On Catherine's birthday, all the celebrity posters in the mall were swapped out for birthday posters of her. The manager knew then that Catherine was special!
After hanging up, the manager quickly set the scene. The rose sculpture was modeled after Catherine's first dance at her birthday party.
Catherine looked at the three-story-high rose sculpture. "Who made this?"
"I did," the manager said, patting his chest. "Honestly, gardening is my hobby. Time was tight, so I couldn't fully capture your elegance. My bad."
Alexander's eyes fell on the rose sculpture. "Preserve it, make it into an eternal flower, and send it to the Howard Mansion."
'Keep it at home? Won't it take up too much space?' she wondered.
Alexander said seriously, "It's really well done. When we get married, we'll make a bigger one, of both of us."
The manager almost bit his fist in excitement, thinking, 'Is Mr. Howard already planning his life with Ms. Windsor after marriage? Looks like the wedding might be soon.'
The manager quickly said, "For Mr. Howard and Ms. Windsor's wedding, our mall will gift the best eternal flower sculpture as a wedding present!"
Alexander's eyes sparkled with a smile as he led Catherine towards the luxury items. "Do you think we should give eternal flower souvenirs to our wedding guests?"
"I think you're overthinking it," Catherine said, thinking, 'Have I ever agreed to marry him?'
"Not overthinking. I think I'm not thinking enough," Alexander said. If given more chances, he'd pour all his thoughts and efforts into giving her the grandest wedding ever!
Catherine casually picked a few gifts. "Wrap these up and send them to Juniper, this one to Mr. Charles Windsor, this one to Mr. George Windsor..."
She chose items perfect for the Windsor family, not missing anyone, even thinking of Grace in the lab and Felix.
Alexander held Catherine's hand. "What about me? You picked gifts for everyone, but not for me?"
Catherine gave him a helpless look, thinking picking a gift for him in his own mall was like pulling wool from a sheep and giving it back to the sheep.
Alexander led Catherine towards the elevator. "No worries, you didn't get me a gift, but I got one for you. Giving it to you makes me just as happy as you giving one to me."
'Giving me a gift makes him happy? What kind of logic is that?' Catherine wondered.
"Do you like spending money?" she asked.
"I like spending money on you." Alexander's reflection in the elevator mirror showed him in a perfectly tailored suit, not a wrinkle on his tie or shirt, his gaze tender enough to melt.
"You know," Alexander's voice was filled with affection, "preparing gifts for the girl you like is a very happy thing."
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