A Replacement Bride

Chapter 195

"Noah, think twice. Didn't I treat you way better once your mother and I got together?" Joaquin held Noah's hands in an attempt to guide her.

While Noah was confused, Katherine stared at the man as the corner of her lips twitched.

This shameless man. He's trying to change her mind.

At that moment, Noah's head was buzzing in haziness by his questions and she completely forgot to cry. She merely stood right there in blank with a confused expression.

Seeing how calm she was, he continued with his reasoning, "So, Noah, you don't have to worry about anything. Even if your mother gets married, she won't abandon you. Instead, you'll have another person to love you. Don't you want a father? Other kids have one. And your father will give you hugs and kisses as your mother does to you."

She was now completely dumbfounded as she zeroed in on him blankly without any other responses.

"It's that old woman that is unhappy with her own life. No one loves her, so she's jealous that you have someone to love you. She said those on purpose so that you'll get into a fight with us. Noah, you shouldn't trust others that easily. You should learn how to judge, okay?"

Kaatherine could not bear the sight of how the man was behaving at the moment. After confirming Noah was wearing a blank expression instead of an aggressive one, Katherine shook her head and left the room.

Standing by the doors were Keith and Jennifer, who gave Katherine a worried look when she came out.

She kneaded her temples and reassured them succinctly, "Noah's fine."

Almost instantly, the duo heaved a sigh of relief.

"It scared the hell out of me. Noah has been silent after that biddy blabbered nonsense. She wouldn't speak to me no matter what I said. Thank goodness she's fine." The last thing Jennifer wished for was to see a silent Noah. That little girl was a reticent one, and an addition to autism, she confined herself in her own world.

Not long ago, the knot between Katherine and Noah was untangled thanks to Joaquin. They seemed to have reconciled, but their relationship returned to its original state right after Emma spouted nonsense and no one expected it.

"Aren't you going to bed?" asked Katherine as she realized the two of them kept glancing at the room.

"Oh—Us, right. Good night," they replied while looking into the room.

Without a second thought, she closed the door at which Joaquin's voice could be scarcely heard. It was so gentle that it could relax one's mind automatically.

A gratified Jennifer took hold of Katherine's hand. "Johdy is a good man. Kathy, you gotta treat him well. Don't let him down. Do you hear me?"

The end of Katherine's lips twitched. "Grandma!"

Red perfused her cheeks and Jennifer stopped the teasing upon knowing how shy she was.

"Now, now. Keith, hurry and go to bed. Good night." Jennifer yawned and hushed Keith to leave.

"Grandma can go to sleep, but not you. Follow me to the study." Katherine grabbed his collar.

He turned his head to Jennifer with pleading eyes, but the old lady gazed at the ceiling as though she saw nothing.

"Kathy, Kathy. I was wrong. Please forgive me…" cried the man as Katherine dragged him to the study.

She pushed him into the room before crossing her arms. Her cold gaze fixated upon the pitiful man. "Spill it. Why are you here? Didn't I tell you not to return until you graduate?"

He took a glimpse at her furtively. Once he was certain that she was not genuinely angry, he breathed a sigh in relief and put in good words for himself. "My project happened to be making headway, Kathy. So, my professor gave me a holiday and I'm back to see you and Grandma."

"Hovington is not safe. Get back to Kyoland immediately. At least I know you'd be safe there. If you're here, I can't guarantee your safety." She sighed.

"Can I stay for a few days before leaving? I hadn't stepped out of the research institute for three months. I'll be a good boy." He put his hands together to her face.

It melted her heart to see him behaving this way. "Only for two days. I'll ask someone to send you back by then."

Jorge pampered Keith into a spoiled brat in the past until something happened to Elsie and Keith grew up into a matured man overnight. Although he still appeared to be the punk kid he had once been, he was actually a hard-working person. NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.

Katherine knew how hard life had been for him. Staring at the spare figure before her, she could not bring herself to be harsh to him.

Still, many people were rounding up in Hovington due to their grandmother's issue. Since they could not lay a finger on her, there was a chance they might shift their target on Keith and others.

Thus, Katherine could not allow him to stay in such a perilous place.

"Kathy, you're the best." His face brightened at the drop of the hat as he hugged and swayed her arm lightly.

"Stop acting like a big baby. You should go to bed now. You can stay in Hovington, but on the condition that you won't cause trouble out there. Just stay here and accompany Grandma." Katherine tapped his forehead.

Drawing a deep breath, he covered his forehead before grinning sheepishly.

She gave him an eye-roll in response to his silly behavior. "Ugh. How is someone like you the country's national talent and a member of the national research institute? Chop, chop, chop. Off to bed now."

He responded and left instantly.

She sighed after which she turned on her laptop to send Xavier a message. 'Keep an eye on those people in Hovington. Inform me if you find anything weird and look into who they're keeping in contact. I wanna know who they are.'

'Noted,' he responded.

Katherine then returned to her room since it was getting late. Joaquin was leaning against the headboard whereas Noah was already fast asleep with her head resting on his arm; it was a wholesome picture to relish in.

Katherine paused momentarily before approaching them. "Is she sleeping?"

"Hmm. Not long ago. She spoke a lot to me. She even told me to treat you well and mustn't bully you. Otherwise, she'll put up a dead fight with me," he cooed and gazed at Noah gently in the meantime.

Katherine smiled helplessly, for it was indeed something that Noah would say.

At the same time, there were a few silhouettes shrouded by the darkness in a manor located in the suburbs of Hovington. One of them sounded gruff. "According to our sources, the mysterious medical professor is indeed Katherine Cornell. Kidnap her father and brother, Keith. He has returned to Hovington recently. Bring them to me."