Chapter 242 The Perverted Leader of the Galactic Aurora Collective
Tiberius could tell Catherine was being cautious. He adjusted his smile and gave her an apologetic look. "Hey, I think you got the wrong idea. I didn't mean anything by it. You're Juniper's sister, right? I didn't get to say hi at the hospital last time. I'm not a bad guy. Maybe I freaked you out, and showing up like this might not be the smartest move. Sorry about that."
Catherine shot him a cold glance. "Doesn't concern me. You're in my way. Move."
Tiberius rolled his wheelchair aside, watching Catherine walk away down the tree-lined path without looking back. His smile faded as he muttered, "She's tough. But to lead the Faceless Ones, she can't be just anyone."
A tall, limping man stepped out from the shadows behind Tiberius, sneering. "You think Blackfire's gonna care about you after that? She's a real demoness, way more ruthless than you think! She's with Alexander because of the Howard Family's status. The Harrison Family isn't bad either."
Ethan was quiet for a moment, not getting Tiberius's confidence. "Should I remind you that neither the Windsor Family nor the Faceless Ones are short on cash? Blackfire's loaded. Maybe she's into Nightfall's looks?"
"Looks? If she's that shallow, then it's a walk in the park. I'm just as good-looking as Alexander," Tiberius said.
Ethan glanced at Tiberius, his mouth twitching, wondering if everyone from Stellara was this confident.
"I've already done the paperwork. Ms. Windsor will see I'm better than her fiancé eventually," Tiberius said, thinking, 'Family engagements don't mean squat. Once Catherine spends more time with me, she'll see my worth.'
Ethan shrugged. "Do what you want, but don't mess with my work."
Catherine walked into the grand hall, and Alkaid jumped out to greet her. "Miss, did you just run into Tiberius? What's he up to?"
When Catherine met Tiberius, her earpiece was still on, and Alkaid heard the whole thing.
"Doesn't matter what he wants. Where's Vincent?" Catherine asked.
Alkaid pointed to the stage in the grand hall. "He got invited to perform at next week's opening ceremony, and we're here to help him out."
"Who invited him?"
Vincent hadn't performed on stage in years; the last time was at a state banquet.
Whoever got Vincent to agree to perform must be someone special.
"Of course, it was the legendary former leader of the Galactic Aurora Collective, Franklin! But when Vincent met him, he didn't let me see. It was all hush-hush. Afterward, he just said he'd perform to liven things up."
"To get Vincent to liven things up, Franklin must be something else," she said.
Alkaid sounded a bit disappointed. She hadn't been able to use any of the eavesdropping tricks she had prepared and had even been warned!
Catherine nodded slightly.
The last photo of Franklin and Elodie was also left to her by Oscar, showing that the older generation of the Galactic Aurora Collective did have ties with Franklin. Vincent's return to the country this time was probably related to Franklin.
Catherine's eyes landed on the man standing next to Vincent.
The long-haired man in a suit had grey hair and an aged but vigorous look. Despite the years, his features hadn't changed, matching the man in the photo Oscar had given her.
Feeling Catherine's gaze, Franklin looked up and locked eyes with her from just below the stage.
As the music ended, Vincent grumbled, "What are you staring at? It's not like you haven't seen her before!"
Vincent didn't buy that Franklin had been clueless about Elodie all these years. When Catherine joined the Galactic Aurora Collective, there was no way Franklin hadn't heard about it.
Franklin didn't get mad. He looked at Catherine with admiration, like she was a rare piece of art. "You're right, I haven't seen her. What a shame. If I'd known about her earlier, I would've taken her under my wing. The Galactic Aurora Collective didn't see her potential. If I'd guided her, she'd be way better off now."
"Your twisted experiments are worthless!" Vincent snapped.
"You have no right to criticize my experiments. Haven't all the members of the Galactic Aurora Collective shone brightly? Your current achievements are all because of my experiments!" Franklin shot back.
Members of the Galactic Aurora Collective excelled in various fields, pioneering new paths and becoming industry benchmarks, admired by many. But their hearts were forever trapped in darkness!
Franklin's original goal in creating the Galactic Aurora Collective was to gather geniuses and push humanity's future to the extreme, and he had succeeded!
Vincent glared at Franklin. "One day you'll realize that your experiments are all garbage! I don't want to argue with you. By the way, don't forget what you promised me."
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. After all, she's Elodie's granddaughter. Looking at her reminds me of Elodie. Since she chose to come to this school, it's our fate."
Vincent put away his violin. "Certain things are destined, but human intervention often brings deceit and trickery."
Franklin just smiled without saying a word.
Leaving the grand hall, Vincent stayed silent. After a moment, he frowned at Catherine, his words filled with concern. "Catherine, why don't you change schools? Or come back to the island with us? Let all the Galactic Aurora Collective members return; at least we can keep you safe."
On the island, the Galactic Aurora Collective made all the decisions. Keeping Catherine in Imperia City, under Franklin's watchful eye, made Vincent uneasy. That look Franklin gave Catherine was one Vincent knew all too well!
In Franklin's eyes, Catherine wasn't a person but a perfect test subject, a flawless piece of data!
Catherine was a bit surprised, wondering if Franklin was really that terrifying to Vincent. "My family is still in Imperia City. Besides, running away isn't my style."
"Why not bring the Windsor Family to the island too? If it doesn't work, we can kidnap them all and throw them on the island!" Vincent suggested.
Catherine rubbed her forehead helplessly. "This is Imperia City, not the frontier."
Getting the Windsor Family to follow Catherine to the island was unrealistic. Marcus and Juniper had special statuses and generally couldn't leave the country. The Windsor Family members all had their own jobs and roots in Imperia City. They couldn't all lead an isolated life just for her.
From the conversation between Vincent and Franklin, it was clear they had made some sort of deal.
Vincent sighed. "Forget it. As long as you know the drill. After all, Franklin is aged now. He should understand that the current Galactic Aurora Collective is no longer under his control!"
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