Chapter 143 Manipulative
Aidan, who thought Triston was inexperienced and easily surprised, was proven wrong. He stared wide-eyed, his face filled with astonishment as he looked at everyone. “Oh my god, what kind of barbecue is this? It’s so delicious! The sauce is so good, and the meat is so tasty!”
His mouth was already swollen from the spiciness, but he continued to enjoy the barbecue without any intention of stopping.
Ronin snorted in disdain. He didn’t need anybody to praise him. The barbecue sauce he made was award- winning. Besides, it was Catherine’s favorite.
He had spent over a month learning from a cuisine master, working hard just to obtain this secret recipe. Then, he carefully modified it according to Catherine’s taste, resulting in the amazing flavor they were enjoying today.
The aroma of the barbecue filled the air, and the surroundings were permeated with its scent. The more Triston ate, the more comfortable he became. He looked at Catherine with admiration in his eyes.
“Catherine, if you had told us earlier you would treat us to barbecue after you won, I would have just lost to you! It tastes amazing!”
Aidan chimed in, “Mr. Lambert’s words make perfect sense!” Losing a few hundred thousand in a poker game was nothing for them. But finding something they loved to eat was not easy.
Especially for Triston, his favorite was barbecue. He even spent millions buying an entire barbecue restaurant to satisfy his craving. Catherine looked coldly at the two foodies in front of her. They couldn’t even stop talking while eating.
Ronin listened to their conversation and frowned. Catherine had secrets that he didn’t know about, and he couldn’t accept that.
“Boss, what kind of game were you playing?” Before Catherine could respond, Triston answered, “Poker! Ronin, we can play together next time!”
Triston was very shrewd. In his view, pleasing Ronin and building a good relationship with him would make it easier for them to have barbecue gatherings in the future. However, Triston wasn’t aware of Ronin’s temper and disgust towards him.
To Ronin, anyone who tried to compete with him for Catherine’s favor was a bastard, his major enemy. He glanced disdainfully at Triston and mocked, Stay away from me. I don’t want to play poker with you. It’s disgusting!”
Triston had always had an easy life and had never been treated like this in front of Branden. But today, he was being looked down upon by a little brat. He wanted to teach Ronin a lesson, but Ronin turned and left before he could speak.
Ronin turned his head and looked at Catherine. The disdainful expression on his face underwent a complete transformation upon seeing her. His gaze towards Catherine conveyed admiration as if he was revering a deity.
“When did you learn it, Boss? Do you like it?”
Catherine responded calmly, speaking softly and with simplicity. “I learned tonight, and I played quite well.”
Upon receiving her response, Ronin was as happy as a child who had just received a candy reward. “I knew it! Boss is the best. No matter what you learn, you excel at it. You can win any game right after you learn how to play it. You’re amazing, Boss. I’ll learn it too, and next time, I’ll play poker with you.”
Seeing Ronin’s eager appearance, Triston and Aidan instinctively looked toward Branden.
After all, he was the absolute master here. Branden’s face was cold, his eyebrows furrowed tightly. His eyes flickered with a domineering aura, making it intimidating to meet his gaze directly.
Branden was somewhat disapproving of Ronin’s attitude towards Catherine. He could tell Ronin admired her, but his admiration was too intimate.
As an ordinary man, it was difficult for him to accept having an attention- seeking admirer by his woman’s side.
“Kathy, do we have any soda?” Branden suddenly spoke, his deep and attractive voice affectionately calling out to Catherine.
Hearing this, Catherine was momentarily stunned. She turned her head and realized that Branden had finished his cup of water. Since they had already been drinking alcohol earlier, they had only been drinking water since they arrived here.
Catherine instinctively wanted Ronin to fetch some soda, but then she thought of Ronin’s attitude toward Branden. She had become accustomed to Ronin harboring hostility towards everyone except her, but she didn’t think anything was wrong with it.
“I’ll get it!” Catherine said and stood up, walking into the kitchen. Ronin stared in shock at Catherine’s behavior. Once he realized what was happening, he glared at Branden, his face filled with indignation. He shouted, “How dare you order Boss around? You’ve got some nerve, dude!”
Ronin had always been the one to prepare everything and present it to Catherine. But this man dared to order her around, which was unacceptable.
Ronin was furious and was about to teach Branden a lesson when Catherine walked out and happened to witness the scene. She looked up and caught a glimpse of the ruthlessness in Branden’s eyes. Her expression changed, and she sternly reprimanded, “Ronin!”
With just one simple word, Ronin fell silent. He felt extremely wronged and reluctantly turned to Catherine, murmuring in a pitiful tone, “Boss…”
Catherine’s face darkened slightly. Her expression became more serious as she coldly said, “Come inside and help me find some soda.”
Catherine was unfamiliar with Ronin’s kitchen because he had never allowed her inside. Catherine’s orders were never to be disobeyed by Ronin, even if he was unwilling. No one noticed that the moment Ronin stood up, the coldness in Branden’s eyes gradually dissipated.
Once Catherine and Ronin turned around, Triston and Aidan gave Branden a thumbs-up, saying, ” Impressive, truly impressive!”
Branden’s move to use Ronin as a pawn left them dumbfounded. Branden was much more scheming than they had imagined. It was no wonder that all the businessmen in Casier would rather go bankrupt than offend him. This man was ruthless and could kill without leaving a trace. Offending him was worse than death.
Branden lazily leaned back in his chair, his deep eyes slightly narrowing as he stared at the glass before him. In his calm and indifferent eyes, there was a sense of casualness.
Was it because Branden was manipulative? Or was it because Catherine was vigilant? Who could tell?
