Chapter 368 The Hazels
On that afternoon, the results of the competition were announced. Catherine’s team won the championship as expected. Their group had consistently received the highest scores from the judges.
Following this, there was a Twitter frenzy for the entire day. Grayson’s fans went crazy voting for Catherine’s team.
The casual observers misunderstood Catherine due to this incident. To show their remorse to Catherine, they cast all their votes for Catherine’s group.
Catherine’s team won by a landslide, with nearly double the votes of the second-place team. There was no doubt about their victory.
At the moment the results were revealed, Yesenia was the first to express her congratulations to the three of them in the group chat.
However, the three of them, being the ones directly involved, remained calm and composed.
For Catherine, the outcome wasn’t a surprise.
She had participated in the competition out of respect for their homeroom teacher. The homeroom teacher had always been supportive and kind to her. She was only returning the favor.
As for Ronin and Bryan, their sole reason for participating in the program was Catherine. The final rankings were of little importance to them. As long as they could be with Catherine, they were happy to do anything.
Winning the championship didn’t change much for them.
The only thing bothering them was the flood of calls from various talent agencies wanting to sign all three of them into the entertainment industry.
Catherine promptly shut her phone off and ignored the offers. Those who contacted Bryan, upon learning about Bryan’s background, wisely stopped bothering him.
After all, he is the young heir of the Duncans. If he wanted to enter the entertainment industry, he didn’t need these small agencies to recruit talent.
The Duncans could easily arrange for a company and help him debut.
With his exceptional family background and remarkable looks, Bryan would undoubtedly reach the pinnacle of stardom with ease.
As for Ronin, the people who called him were nearly driven to madness. Ronin was such a handful that after a series of bizarre interactions, no one dared to approach him.
Bryan and Ronin, along with the rest of the group, were getting ready to head back to Casier. However, Catherine had taken a week off and stayed behind in Oceanvile for some business.
Before leaving, Ronin stubbornly clung to Catherine.
“Catherine, I was only studying to accompany you. How about I take a week off as well and stay here with you?
Catherine turned her head and casually glanced at Ronin’s face. In an instant, Ronin calmed down and obediently compromised with Catherine.
“Alright, Catherine. I’ll go back to studying, and you can contact me anytime you need!”
Catherine nodded in response and waved him off. Ronin didn’t have a chance to stay, and neither did Bryan.
So, Bryan didn’t even bring up the idea and simply bid farewell to Catherine before boarding the plane. Once the two of them had left, Branden took Catherine’s hand and started leading her back.
“Where are you going?” He knew Catherine had some matters to attend to in Oceanvile, but he didn’t press for details. Catherine lazily swayed her body and replied, “Back to the hotel to sleep.”
Branden complied and guided her into the car. He instructed Paxton to drive them to the hotel. Catherine casually leaned back in the back seat and looked out at the bustling streets. Suddenly, she thought of something.
Without turning her head, she simply let her head droop and leaned against the car window. She looked incredibly relaxed.
She asked, “You didn’t go back to Oceanvile. Are you planning to stay here with me?”
Branden nodded and didn’t deny it.” It’s been a while since I visited our Oceanvile branch. This seemed like a good opportunity to come and check things out.”
Catherine didn’t want to be a hindrance to anyone.
Nor did she want to be accused of disrupting the Duncan Corporation. If Branden was willing to stay with her and even neglect his work, it might not be a good thing.
Hearing Branden’s words, Catherine felt a bit more at ease.
As she lay against the cold window, she didn’t move. Branden extended his hand to pull her into his embrace. He explained, “The window is too cold. You might catch a chill sticking to it.”
Catherine was so pliable, which allowed him to do as he pleased.
As long as he could handle everything and she didn’t have to think too much, she didn’t mind being arranged. Due to the situation involving Liana, Korbin reached out to the Hazels.
The Hazels had some connections with the Winfreds, but they didn’t have deep ties. After all, the Hazels were primarily known for their involvement in the world of art, with only limited ventures into the business sector.
When Korbin conveyed his intentions, the expressions on the faces of the Hazels members turned sour.
Korbin, who was always cunning, could easily be aware of the situation. Nevertheless, since the matter had escalated, someone had to take responsibility.
Korbin didn’t care who took the fall as long as it wasn’t the daughter of the Swanns. He explained Liana’s side of the story to Emma’s grandfather, Reece Hazel. After that, Reece frowned.
He had already heard about the incident to some extent. His nephew, who worked as a producer in the entertainment industry, had also been embroiled in it. It was all because Emma asked him to post a tweet.
But Reece was no fool. He understood the purpose behind Korbin’s visit.
With a smile, Reece looked at Korbin and said, “Mr. Swann, are you sure we can blame my granddaughter for this? After all, it was your younger daughter who took those pictures, and the evidence was quite clear on the internet.
Korbin chuckled. He wouldn’t have taken this step if he wasn’t confident.
“Mr. Hazel, you’re right. However, it’s important to know who fanned the flames and escalated the situation
behind the scenes. I’m sure you’re well aware of that. My daughter merely had a quarrel with her sister, which is a family matter. But Miss Hazel, for the sake of a performer in the entertainment industry, turned it into such a big issue. What do you think people will say?”
Reece’s face darkened. He pursed his lips and remained silent. He truly felt a mix of anger and love for his granddaughter.
He couldn’t help but love her because she was his granddaughter. But she was so headstrong. She had given up a promising future to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. It was all for the sake of a male celebrity.
Korbin noticed the change in Reece’s expression and had already made his calculations. He was certain that this matter couldn’t be blamed on Liana.
“Mr. Hazel, perhaps there’s one thing you’re not aware of. My second daughter has already been engaged to the young heir of the Duncans. It was a betrothal arranged by my late father and Mr. Karl.”
“The Duncans’ young heir, Branden?” Reece raised his head instantly with his eyes wide open. Korbin gave an ambiguous smile and nodded. “Exactly.”
Reece understood now. That’s why they couldn’t suppress the news, as the Duncans were interfering. The Duncans were not to be trifled with. Now, Reece wanted to know about the Swanns’ intentions.
Reece remained silent and waited for Korbin’s response. Korbin understood his meaning and straightforwardly revealed the purpose of his visit.
“It was all a misunderstanding. I will have my youngest daughter publicly clarify the situation. Mr. Hazel, I hope you can help us clear this up.”
The Swanns were coming to do business in Oceanvile and didn’t want to offend the local elite. While the Hazels weren’t directly involved in business, they held significant influence in Oceanvile.
Businesspeople preferred to have more friends than enemies. Moreover, the Hazels had a certain influence on the entertainment industry. If the Hazels were willing to intervene, the matter could be resolved satisfactorily.
The Swanns were already one of the Four Noble Families in Casier, and now, with their alliance with the Duncans, they had become even more influential.
Crossing them was something the Hazels couldn’t afford to do.
After contemplating for a moment, Reece agreed and replied, “Alright. We’ll handle it as you’ve suggested. In the future, our two families should continue to interact.”
Korbin, who was satisfied with the success of his plan, had a contented smile on his face.
“Exactly, Mr. Hazel. We should continue to engage with each other.”
