Chapter 307 Pleasing Your Stomach
After Catherine Swann, accompanied by Branden Duncan, had completely disappeared from the Swanns, Korbin slowly came to his senses.
At this moment, what echoed in Korbin’s mind was the sentence Branden had said before leaving and the terrifying look in his eyes.
He held his hand up in mid-air, looking somewhat awkward to maintain his balance. The Swanns’ butler, Ezra Noah, rushed forward to assist him and helped him sit down slowly.
“Mr. Swann, are you alright?” Ezra asked with concern. Korbin’s gaze wandered, and he shook his head slowly.
He hadn’t expected that Catherine would find such a formidable ally to support her. His attitude and demeanor just now had been truly startling.
He couldn’t help muttering to himself, “How did she manage to find such a powerful person to back her up?”
Ezra shook his head silently and felt somewhat helpless as he watched Korbin’s attitude. He had worked for the Swanns for the majority of his life, and his relationship with Korbin was extraordinary. In fact, he was a few years older than Korbin.
He genuinely didn’t want to see the Swanns divided. From his observations during this period, he realized that Catherine wasn’t an ordinary person.
Sometimes, the person directly involved might not see things as clearly as an outsider, which was clearly Korbin’s situation.
“Mr. Swann, this might not necessarily be a bad thing. After all, Miss Catherine is your daughter. Which daughter wouldn’t help her father? In fact, the Duncans are one of the most powerful families in Casier, with immense influence and immeasurable strength!
“Which family wouldn’t want to establish such a marriage alliance? Miss Catherine has this opportunity now. Shouldn’t you be happy?” said Ezra.
If the Swanns used the marriage alliance with the Duncans wisely, they could undoubtedly elevate their status. Korbin squinted his eyes and felt somewhat irritated when he thought of Catherine’s attitude just now.
“That troublesome girl, she hasn’t infuriated me enough already, and now she’s helping me? How is that even possible?” said Korbin. Ezra cautiously said, “Mr. Swann, if you’ll permit me to speak freely. Please don’t take offense.”
Korbin naturally wouldn’t mind. Ezra was one of his trusted confidants, someone who usually appeared to be his wife but ultimately followed his lead.
“Go ahead, don’t hesitate. You’ve been with the Swanns for many years,” said Korbin. Ezra nodded knowingly. It was precisely because of his long service in the Swanns that he dared to voice his thoughts.
He continued, “Mr. Swann, blood is thicker than water. It’s natural for Miss Catherine to have some grievances in her heart, especially since she suffered a lot while growing up. If you could lower your stance a bit and accept her, how could she refuse?
“I feel that Miss Catherine might not be as ruthless as you imagine, or else she wouldn’t have let the young master off the hook today,” said Ezra.
Korbin fell into deep thought in response to Ezra’s words. He didn’t care about Catherine’s opinion of him. Catherine was just a daughter to him, even who was with a notorious reputation for being a harbinger of misfortune. It didn’t matter to him.
He was a shrewd businessman who prioritized profit above all else. Regardless, Ezra had a point. The Duncans were a powerful and influential family in Casier.
Thus, if his daughter could establish a connection with Branden and make him vouch for her, then he should indeed utilize this relationship for the benefit of the Swanns.
In the face of significant benefits, sacrificing a bit of pride seemed reasonable. After coming to this realization, Korbin’s expression changed, and a sinister smile crept onto his face.
“In a few days, when that girl has cooled off a bit, I’ll give her the opportunity to move back in!” said Korbin.
His tone sounded condescending, and Ezra couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. “Was Mr. Swann really sure that Miss Catherine wanted to return?” thought Ezra.
Back from the Swanns, Catherine found her eldest sister, Audrey Swann, already at home. The sound of the door opening caught Audrey’s attention, and she greeted Catherine with a playful smile.
“Kathy, did you go out to have fun with Mr. Duncan? You’re so mean, leaving your sister all alone,” said Audrey.
Catherine didn’t feel like explaining too much in response to her sister’s teasing. Catherine felt that certain things were better left unsaid as she felt Audrey didn’t need to know.
As Audrey saw Catherine remained silent, she didn’t pay much attention. Audrey was well aware of her personality as she didn’t know her for the first time.
“Kathy, I bet you and Mr. Duncan enjoyed some delicious food outside, right? Poor me, I had a lonely cup of instant noodles for dinner,” said Audrey.
If Audrey hadn’t mentioned it, Catherine would have forgotten that she hadn’t had dinner yet. Images of the homely dishes Branden had prepared for her over the past few days flashed by in her mind.
Suddenly, the takeaway from Chuddle’s downstairs didn’t seem as appealing. Audrey chattered on to Catherine for a while, but Catherine remained silent.
Eventually, Audrey couldn’t help but say, “Kathy, I’ve been talking for so long. Can you at least say something?”
Catherine turned her head slightly and looked at Audrey with calm eyes.
“I remember you said yesterday that last night’s dinner was your last one. You vowed not to have dinner for a month. That’s your commitment,” said Catherine. Yesterday, Audrey had indulged in a delicious and exceptionally fresh seafood feast.
Audrey even made a solemn promise to her gym buddy, Kim Morris, that she would abstain from having dinner for a month to control her weight.
This commitment was particularly important because Audrey had just accepted a role. She needed to maintain a slim figure for her character, a delicate young lady in a traditional costume.
“Whoever has seen a petite lady who is as round as a ball, that’s definitely not acceptable!” thought Audrey.
Catherine had discovered Audrey’s secret and revealed it. Audrey couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly. “Kathy, don’t be like this. We’re good sisters, after all!” said Audrey.
Catherine rolled her eyes at her sister and didn’t want to bother with her. Suddenly, she pulled out her phone to check as her phone rang and vibrated.
[Come over for dinner!]
The message was concise and clear. Without even checking the sender’s number, Catherine knew it was from Branden.
If Audrey were paying close attention to Catherine’s expression at this moment, she would have noticed in Catherine’s eyes the slight upturn at the corners of her eyes and her whole demeanor glowing with beauty.
After reading the message, Catherine put her phone away and headed towards the door.
Audrey had wanted to ask where Catherine was going before. However, seeing that she hadn’t even changed her shoes, she closed her mouth in silence.
Without asking, she knew that her sister was definitely going to the neighboring room where Branden was. Audrey shook her head helplessly and said, “When girls grow up, they will then become independent.”
The distance between the two rooms was just a step away. Catherine walked up to the door and was ready to knock. As if there were some telepathy, the person inside the room automatically opened the door.
A handsome and charming face greeted Catherine’s eyes, and with it came the aromatic scent of food wafting through the air.
Branden took Catherine’s hand and pulled her inside without saying a word. Catherine stared at their intertwined hands, and a faint smile played at the corner of her mouth. This man had become so natural at holding her hand and not even bothering with a greeting!
The delicious aroma of the food filled the room, making Catherine feel relaxed all over, and her mood was exceptionally good.
Suddenly, a phrase popped into her mind.
“The way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. “Indeed, this man was a master at slowly winning her over,” thought Catherine.
