Chapter 156 Who Wants to Sleep with Catherine!

Juniper watched Evander walk away and made a funny face. "Catherine, don't mind him. Come on, let's go for a walk."

Tranquil County was just the right size. Right outside the research base was the old town, where researchers usually hung out.

Catherine grabbed Juniper's arm. "I'm tired and want to rest. Will you stay with me?"

Juniper was thrilled, thinking, 'Catherine wants me to stay with her!'

Blinded by Catherine's gentle and warm smile, Juniper didn't think twice and led Catherine towards the Windsor family's old mansion in Tranquil County. "I usually stay in the dorms, but it's small, so I won't take you there. Let's stay at the old mansion for the next couple of days, okay?"

"Okay." Catherine noticed the dark circles under Juniper's eyes but pretended not to see them.

The old Windsor Mansion was cleaned daily, and the whole place looked clean and quaint, full of charm. The warm lighting inside made it clear that the house was from the last century and would be quite valuable if sold.

Juniper led Catherine to the room door, apologetically and excitedly saying, "Catherine, since the old mansion isn't often occupied, I'm worried about safety hazards. So, how about we share a room?"

Juniper nervously rubbed her hands, looking both expectant and afraid of being found out.

Fortunately, Catherine was kind and innocent, completely unaware of Juniper's little schemes. "Okay, I'll go freshen up. You rest first."

Juniper happily agreed as she thought, 'Catherine is going to sleep with me in the same room, in the same bed!'

Juniper rolled on the bed with restrained excitement, hugged the pillow, and giggled. She then notified the Windsor family group.

Juniper: [Guess who's sleeping with Catherine? It's me. Don't be too jealous.]

The Windsor family members claimed they weren't jealous at all, not one bit, just a little heartbroken, a bit envious, and kind of wanting to punch Juniper!

By the time Catherine finished freshening up and came out, Juniper was already asleep, hugging her pillow.

Her phone screen was still lit, showing a family photo Richard had sent her.

Juniper's sleeping face was peaceful, clearly exhausted.

Catherine didn't disturb her, gently closed the door, and went outside to sit in the yard, connecting to the dark web.

Jared: [Miss, there's a pinned message on the dark web. Someone wants to buy a ticket to Ironclad Jail, offering fifty million dollars.]

Catherine: [Target?]

Jared: [Not sure, it's an anonymous IP. We traced it only to Tranquilwave Ocean before losing the signal. There's also some gossip that Anthony from the Hughes family seems to want Michael to be the heir.]

This not-so-secret gossip had spread throughout the circle! Everyone was discussing whether Anthony had lost his mind!

Jared: [There is another piece of news that the Hughes family gallery is opening across from your gallery, and the person in charge is Esme Hughes.]

Jared was tired of all the gossip as he thought, 'Esme suddenly becomes part of the Hughes family, and Michael is now the designated heir. I want to ask if the Hughes family is preparing for bankruptcy. What kind of judgment is that?'

Catherine: [Keep an eye on Anthony's mental state. Once you find something, provide the information to other Hughes family members and get paid.]

Jared: [Got it! That'll definitely fetch a high price!]

Anthony's behavior was beyond abnormal, resembling the kind of disoriented actions seen under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs.

After closing the dark web, Catherine casually checked her phone messages and selectively replied to a few.

She had just replied to Alexander when his call came through.

"I sent you so many messages. Why are you only replying now?" he asked.

"I didn't check my phone."

'He called me just half an hour ago. How long has it been? I never realized he could be so clingy!' Catherine thought.

"When are you coming back? I miss you," he said.

"A few days."

"Do you miss me?"

Catherine sighed softly, "Alexander, we just saw each other yesterday."

Alexander's voice sounded a bit down and somewhat aggrieved. "So what? You promised to have a late-night snack with me!"

'Forgetting to have dinner with him is my fault, but isn't he being a bit too clingy now?' she wondered.

"I miss you," Catherine said.

This made Alexander feel a lot better. He smiled and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt with one hand. "I miss you too. Seems there's a problem at Phoenix Lab, but Uncle Evander will handle it. Don't worry, he has always admired Juniper and is grooming her as the heir."

Catherine frowned. "An heir who suffers? Then it's not worth it."

'Hasn't Juniper suffered enough at Phoenix Lab? Juniper is indeed a genius, but her brilliant mind can be found anywhere! Phoenix Lab is lucky to have Juniper,' Catherine thought.

'This is the first time I've heard her actively defend someone, so it seems Catherine and Juniper are getting along quite well! Her family will be treated as my family too,' Alexander thought before he explained, "Uncle Evander has a strange temper. It was because of some issues in the Howard family that he resolutely went into scientific research."

"What issues?" she asked.

Alexander paused for a moment, unsure if he was hesitating or thinking. When he spoke again, his voice was filled with infinite sorrow. "If it weren't for that incident, my mother might still be alive, and Uncle Evander should have settled down by now."

Catherine was silent for a while. "I'm sorry."

Alexander tried to calm himself down, looking at a photo of Catherine on the table, his eyes gentle. "When you get curious about those things, feel free to come to me and exchange stories."

'The stories he wants to know are nothing more than my past with the Galactic Aurora Collective! Can those memories filled with dark abysses really be brought to light? The darkness I have experienced is something I don't want to revisit! It isn't just my scar but also the pain that all members of the Galactic Aurora Collective don't want to mention again,' she thought.

Catherine pursed her lips and said coldly, "No need. I'm not interested for now."

Alexander wasn't surprised by the rejection.

Every time those things were mentioned, Catherine would become cold and distant.

His voice was low and gentle. "I don't mean to press you, but I look forward to the day that you can trust me and share your past with me. The arrangement for Ironclad Jail is the day after tomorrow. Can you come back tomorrow?"

The situation at Ironclad Jail was complex, and changing the date wasn't easy.

Catherine nodded. "I can."

At the mass grave, Oliver limped to his broken wheelchair, his whole body aching! He couldn't figure out what had happened, wondering how Catherine changed so drastically all of a sudden.

Oliver endured the pain and found a place to sit. Just as he sat down to rest, he heard Celeste's earth-shattering scream! "Honey!"

"What's all the fuss about? You scared me to death," Oliver grumbled and turned around, only to find himself sitting on a pile of bones!

There was another scream!

Oliver fell to the ground, completely terrified, his legs feeling like they were filled with lead and aching! "What kind of place is this!"

'What kind of sin have I committed?' Oliver wondered.

Celeste remembered Catherine's last words and looked at Oliver with scrutiny, thinking, 'If Oliver really has another child out there, what will happen to the Smith family's assets and Clara's share?'

"Oliver, I saw that the bracelet Catherine was wearing looked like the one Elodie had before she died. That bracelet looked very expensive," Celeste said.

The Smith family had been wealthy for years, and Celeste was used to seeing good things. She could tell at a glance that the bracelet wasn't cheap!

"Are you saying that the bracelet Elodie claimed to have lost, the one she refused to give me, was stolen by Catherine? So that is why she didn't give it to me back then!" Oliver said.
Both Princess and Queen
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