Chapter 79 Her Daughter is Simply Perfect!
From the moment Samuel first laid eyes on Catherine, he knew exactly how to kickstart his new book!
Samuel felt his long-lost passion for writing come roaring back, and his writer's block? Poof, gone!
Aurora was just as shocked and asked, "Samuel, how many years has it been since you last wrote a book? Didn't you say you were taking a break after winning that literary award?"
Samuel was buzzing with energy, not a hint of burnout in sight.
"After seeing Catherine, I feel like I could crank out ten more books! Catherine, I own this little music store, and it's yours now. Swing by whenever you want, pick out a violin you like. We'll start creating next week!" Samuel declared.
Aurora quickly jumped in, "There’s a ton of stuff to handle at the music store. Won't Catherine get worn out? If you care about her, just get her a violin directly."
Samuel's music store wasn't just any store; it was an art hub showcasing master violins. The regulars? Total violin aficionados.
"A girl should have her own gig. Catherine, the music store is yours now, along with the gallery next door. All the dough it rakes in each year is yours. If you get tired, let Charles pitch in. You take the cash, he does the grind."
Samuel said this like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He handed Catherine a bunch of businesses in one go and seemed ready to dish out more.
Charles thought Samuel's plan was solid, so he said, "Alright, I'll help Catherine manage them. The money earned will be hers, and if there's a loss, it's on me."
Samuel grinned, satisfied. "You get it."
Charles already had a packed schedule. Finding time for a family meal was tough, and he was always buried in financial reports, even in the car. Adding more companies to his plate would be a grind.
Catherine quickly chimed in, "I'll handle them myself. These are your hard-earned businesses, and I'll learn from Charles."
Samuel nodded. "That's cool. They're small companies anyway. It's good for you to learn the ropes. Even if they go belly up, no biggie."
Samuel's attitude made it clear he was grooming Catherine to be a laid-back heir.
Catherine knew Samuel felt he owed her, and it warmed her heart.
Love often felt like a debt. The Windsor family and the Martinez family felt they owed her because they loved her!
Grace looked at Catherine with love. Her graying hair didn't take away from her elegance; it added to her charm.
"Catherine, it's almost September. Have you picked a college yet? If not, wanna study biology with me?" Grace asked.
Catherine pulled out an offer from her bag and handed it to Grace, saying,
"I'm planning to go to Imperial University to study jewelry design."
She had decided on the school and major a while ago, partly because Imperial University was the closest to the Windsor family, and partly because she had promised Elodie she would design the best jewelry in the world.
As a kid, in that starry courtyard, Elodie held her and taught her to recognize the stars.
"One day, our Catherine will become a shining star."
"Then I'll study jewelry design and create the most beautiful jewelry for you!"
Elodie laughed heartily, hugging Catherine and kissing her several times. The courtyard was filled with their laughter.
Grace looked at Catherine's offer and couldn't stop smiling. "Our Catherine is so amazing! How smart you are, truly a child of our family!"
Aurora came over too, clutching Catherine's offer, and hugged and kissed her like a million times right there!
"My daughter is just perfect! Beautiful, sweet, and smart enough to ace her studies even in that hellhole of the Smith family. No wonder she's my daughter!" Aurora thought.
"Catherine, why didn't you tell us?" Brandon asked.
Catherine thought, 'The Windsor kids, from Charles to Juniper, all get into college without even taking exams. And Juniper's a genius. It is no big deal in this family.'
"I got it a few days ago," Catherine said.
Brandon was so pumped he started tearing up. "Our Windsor family has a few jewelry companies. They're all yours! Let Charles get them sorted, and you can dive right in after graduation!"
Aurora chimed in, "A girl should have her own career. Catherine, it's not that we don't want to support you. Look at me; I got pushed around because I stayed home and did nothing."
Brandon freaked out when Aurora brought this up again and said, "Aurora, how about we go abroad for a trip after Catherine starts school? Leave all the family stuff to Charles!"
"You're right. After we drop Catherine off at school, let's find a place to travel. When Catherine's on winter break, she can join us. Didn't we buy an island last time? Let's get one for Catherine too!" Aurora agreed.
Charles was silent, thinking, 'So, you're gonna dump all the family stuff on me while you go on vacation? Dealing with Lila's crazy tantrums is gonna be a nightmare!'
Thinking of Marcus's advice, Catherine glanced at the speechless Charles beside her and said, "Charles, Marcus said not to stress too much."
Charles's eyes lit up. They had long lost any love for Lila. Growing up, they watched her bully Aurora and treated them like dirt, even worse than Esme. When they were kids, only Esme got meat in her bowl, while his brothers and him couldn't even get eggs! Samuel thought the Windsor family was going too far and took the kids away. Lila sarcastically said the Martinez family looked down on the Windsors.
'If Lila wasn't an elder, we wouldn't want to deal with her at all! Now that Marcus has spoken, I'm not worried about anything else!'
"Alright, I get it," Charles said.
Samuel looked at Catherine's offer with pure joy, his eyes crinkling into crescents. "Catherine, can I keep this? I want to frame it and put it in my study!"
Samuel's study was packed with literary awards. Putting her seemingly worthless offer there made Catherine feel a bit shy.
But everyone else thought it was totally fitting.
Grace looked at Catherine with hopeful eyes and said, "Catherine, make a copy for me. I want to hang it in my lab. And let's take a family photo later. I want to carry a picture of my Catherine with me all the time!"
"But George, Richard, and Juniper aren't home," Catherine said.
Grace waved her hand dismissively. "I have tons of their photos, taken every year, a whole bunch! I just want yours!"
Grace and Samuel, though still active in their literary and scientific fields, were most concerned about Catherine.
It was a shame they missed out on Catherine's childhood. Damn the Smith family, they didn't even take many photos of her!
Meanwhile, Clara had countless photos taken.
Now, looking at Catherine, they wanted to hold her close, seeing her as perfect in every way.
"Alright, I'll take a photo with you later," Catherine said.
"Great! Let's go change clothes right away!" Grace said, beaming.
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