Chapter 274 Therapeutic Companionship: Male Models as a Means of Treatment
Catherine was taken aback, not expecting Arabella to act so irrationally.
Franklin clearly couldn't swim; his shirt was bobbing on the water's surface, and it looked like he had swallowed a lot of water.
Evander quickly started shouting for help. "Help! Someone, help!"
In the chaos that followed, everyone scrambled around and finally managed to pull Franklin out of the water.
Luckily, the Howard Family's resort had lifeguards on standby, so Franklin just drank a few mouthfuls of water and passed out, but he was otherwise okay.
Evander wiped the sweat off his face. "Mom, what happened? Didn't you have an appointment with Franklin? Why did you kick him into the water?"
Arabella calmly sat down and adjusted the shawl on her shoulders. "His fishing spot was perfect. I wanted it. But just looking at him irritated me, and I didn't have an appointment with him."
While Evander was still in shock, he saw a van pull up, and several tall, handsome young men got out and obediently sat next to Arabella. "We're here."
"Keep it down, don't scare my fish away," Arabella said.
Seeing Arabella surrounded by five or six muscular men wearing thin shirts with red bow ties at the collar, Evander was dumbfounded!
One of the male models glanced at Evander and leaned on Arabella's shoulder. "Is this the model you chose? He's so old!"
"No, that's my son. Go away, don't be an eyesore," Arabella ordered.
With a head full of questions, Evander turned and walked away awkwardly. Hearing the laughter behind him, he suddenly understood why Arabella didn't want to go home.
Catherine looked at Uranus, who was driving the van, and twitched her mouth. "When did this service start?"
"It's always been there. You have no idea how profitable it is. Don't worry. It's just about chatting with lonely elderly people and providing emotional value, no selling of health products," Uranus explained.
Catherine then remembered that there was a time when the Galactic Aurora Collective lacked research funding, and Uranus thought of starting a companionship project for lonely elderly people.
It was mainly to care for empty-nesters, but Catherine didn't expect it to be in this way.
Catherine listened to Arabella's hearty laughter, which had become much more cheerful. "Keep it appropriate."
"Don't worry! Arabella was quite depressed, but after hiring our male companions, she's much better! At least she used to refuse medication, but now she's willing to take it," Uranus said.
Catherine could also feel from Arabella's pulse that she had a severe tendency towards depression, with even some scars on her wrists.
Since it was a service from the Galactic Aurora Collective, Catherine felt reassured.
Uranus winked at Catherine. "Miss, if you ever need this companionship service, you can choose any of our male models! They're all great! You can enjoy their pecs and abs! The service is excellent!"
Seeing Uranus's cheeky expression, Catherine turned around and indeed saw Alexander standing right behind her.
It was unclear how much he had overheard.
Judging by Alexander's expression, he had probably heard everything.
Alexander grabbed Catherine's wrist and silently walked forward.
"Where are Juniper and Evander?" she asked.
"They went to check on Franklin. I'll take you for a tour of the resort." His face showed no sign of emotion, and just as Catherine felt relieved, Alexander suddenly turned and lifted her, placing her on a flower bed.
The flower bed was a bit high, so Catherine, sitting on it, could look down at Alexander's face. "Put me down."
His hand was on Catherine's slender waist, with an indescribable emotion in his attractive eyes. One hand held Catherine's hand and placed it on his chest.
Catherine's hand felt hot, and she wanted to pull it back, but Alexander held it tightly, letting her feel the firm muscles and the faintly beating heart beneath.
"Do you like it? You can go a bit lower if you want." Alexander was wearing a shirt with the top two buttons undone, and as he moved, the tight shirt clung to his waist and abdomen, outlining the shape of his abs.
Catherine quickly withdrew her hand. "I didn't know that was a service of the Galactic Aurora Collective. I just found out they have this project, but you can rest assured that the Galactic Aurora Collective won't do anything inappropriate."
Alexander chuckled softly, brushed aside the hair on Catherine's forehead, and looked at her enchanting face.
Behind Catherine was a flower bed with lush roses. Alexander's heart couldn't help but race as he looked into her bright, sparkling eyes. "I know. Arabella does have severe depression and even had suicidal tendencies in the past. After being saved, she's been in a nursing home. We don't stop her from doing what she wants, and that's why."
As long as it made Arabella happy, the Howard Family was willing to accommodate her.
"What caused the depression?" Catherine asked.
"After my mother's incident and Juniper's mother's incident happened, Arabella fell ill," he said.
From the laughter not far away, Arabella was being amused by the male models, clearly in a much better mood.
Catherine looked in the direction of the laughter, but before her gaze could land on the muscular male models, Alexander turned her head back. "Look at me, not them."
Catherine finally understood what was bothering Alexander. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you think you're the same as them? Or do you want to join our company and take on this business?"
'Why is Alexander even jealous of a few male models responsible for companionship services? He must have heard Uranus's nonsense earlier and is worried I might actually seek out these male models, even going so far as to use his own body to keep my attention,' Catherine thought.
Alexander buried his head in Catherine's waist and said in a muffled voice, "I'm worried Arabella will scare you away."
"I said that I consider you a friend. I really haven't thought about marriage," she said.
Alexander's eyes brightened. Not thinking about marriage at least meant she wasn't thinking about breaking off the engagement!
Catherine looked at Alexander in front of her, her eyelashes fluttering like raven feathers, and mustered the courage to speak, "I don't know how to date, but I don't dislike you. Last time you asked for a chance, so let's start as friends."
This was the biggest concession Catherine could make.
Catherine had seen too much joy and sorrow since childhood. Whether it was couples like Oliver and Celeste or the various scenes she witnessed later at the Galactic Aurora Collective, it all made her have little faith in marriage and relationships.
Perhaps, returning to the Windsor Family had given Catherine new feelings about relationships. She should give Alexander a chance, and she should give herself a chance too!
"Okay! We'll start as friends!" Alexander readily agreed, thinking as long as Catherine didn't reject him, he still had a chance!
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
