Chapter 333 Juniper Harasses Brad
"Is she crazy?"
Catherine raised an eyebrow as she read the two consecutive messages. Just as she opened the chat with Brad, a flood of accusatory texts from him popped up.
"She's crazy, absolutely crazy."
"She actually... actually said I look handsome!"
Brad, though a bit of an oddball, was a genuinely skilled and devout priest.
In all his years, he had never encountered a woman who treated him with such... disrespect!
Catherine could easily imagine the expression on Brad's face as he typed those messages. She quickly replied.
"She's probably just stressed out from all the research and is using teasing you as a way to blow off steam. Everyone goes a little nuts at work. Just bear with it."
"Consider it part of your spiritual training."
Training? Brad felt like crying. He had never experienced this kind of "training" before!
The worst part was that Juniper didn't just compliment his looks; she actually touched him!
Catherine continued eating as she typed her response.
"Look at your predecessors. They were always so calm around women. Brad, you still have a lot to learn."
Seeing Catherine's amused message, Brad slammed his phone shut in frustration. He knew he shouldn't have confided in her!
Alexander noticed Catherine's smile and asked, "What's going on?"
"Brad says Juniper is harassing him."
As she spoke, Catherine called Juniper to get the full story. Juniper, busy with her lab work, answered while observing her samples.
"Oh, that? I wasn't harassing him. I just said he has great skin and looks handsome. I asked what skincare products he uses. It was just to relieve stress. Complimenting other men is risky."
"You have no idea, Catherine. I once asked a guy about his research results, and he thought I had a crush on him! He even posted online, saying he felt insecure because of my high position!"
Recalling the incident, Juniper rolled her eyes.
"Luckily, Philip saw the post and figured out it was about me. It grossed me out!"
"Since then, I avoid talking to most men. But Brad is different. He wouldn't take it to heart. No risk there."
To Juniper, Brad wasn't even a typical man. She found a fitting term.
"A good friend! Brad is my good friend! I asked him for a reading to see if I'd ever meet my idol, and he said he couldn't do it!"
Catherine sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Brad's a priest, not a fortune teller. That's a different skill."
"I don't care. As a priest, he should have a way! By the way, there's a great dessert place near the lab. I'll bring you some after work!"
To Juniper, Catherine was like a little sister who needed pampering. She always made sure to bring Catherine a treat whenever she found something delicious.
Aurora had invited Emilia to dinner at the Windsor Villa and had informed the whole family, including Alexander. It was meant to be a family gathering.
They had been planning the menu for days, and Catherine worried that the grand setup might overwhelm Emilia.
After agreeing with Juniper, Catherine put away her phone and sent Brad a message to reassure him. Once she finished, she sighed.
Alexander chuckled. "Brad's pretty perceptive. He was probably just startled by Juniper. But I'm more curious about how you and Brad met."
"We met in the mountains. Brad ran into a bear, and I happened to drive by and saved him. A few years ago, there was an earthquake in the Galaxy District. Brad called me, and I went to help."
Over time, Brad and Catherine had developed a friendship.
"I remember the Galaxy District is quite far from the Eternal Light Cathedral."
"Yeah, he was passing through when the earthquake hit. He called me for help. By the time I arrived, his hands were almost useless."
Catherine recalled the scene vividly. Brad's hands were bloody, his face tear-streaked, clutching her sleeve, begging her to save the people trapped below.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he kept repeating, "I can't dig them out. I can't save them..."
Bare hands couldn't break through concrete and steel.
"Brad was young and couldn't accept death easily. The family had hosted him for a few days. The mother kept calling for help, but by the time we got them out, both she and her child had passed."
Catherine shook her head.
"The mother's phone had a note that read, 'Baby, Mommy loves you forever.' Brad meditated on the ruins for days, praying until he found peace."
After that incident, Brad's abilities had significantly improved.
After the rescue, they performed a ritual, and Brad left with Catherine.
"He stayed with me at the border for a while, teaching the kids. But every time he went, his wallet and phone got stolen."
The kids who survived at the border weren't ordinary. They grew up amidst poppies and crime, their eyes filled with bloodlust.
But Brad remained undeterred, saying that what he did was what he wanted to do, regardless of whether he saved anyone.
Preaching salvation didn't depend on the audience being believers. Even if it was just a rock, Brad could talk for days.
Even if the seed he planted never sprouted, there was always a chance it might.
Alexander now understood why Brad considered Catherine a friend. They were fundamentally the same—pure-hearted, with their own principles and kindness, steadfastly following their path.
"You two are alike. Brad's lucky to know you."
Catherine's eyes crinkled with a pleased smile at Alexander's words.
"And you are my companion on this journey. Don't underestimate yourself."
"My pleasure."
At the Starry Residence, the atmosphere was tense and awkward.
A woman in a wheelchair squinted at the people in the room.
Marcus glared at her. "You're not welcome here. Why are you here?"
Lila coughed and snapped, "I've spent my life with you! Since Juniper isn't part of the Windsor family, I demand she be kicked out!"
"She'll bring disaster to the Windsor family!"
At the door, Juniper stood frozen, holding a box of desserts. She dropped it in shock at Lila's words.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
