A Replacement Bride

Chapter 327

After Jayden and Corey left, Joaquin leaned against the wall while staring at Katherine with a mischievous look.

Since the ward had quieted down, she sat down and blinked her eyes at him after noticing his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Then, he raised his handsome eyebrow slightly and chuckled softly. "It's nothing. I'm only looking to see how attractive my Kathy is."

The way Joaquin spoke sounded sardonic, and it made Katherine feel slightly awkward. "What attractiveness? What nonsense are you talking about?"

Soon, he walked over, sat next to her, and gently pinched her cheeks. "The way Jayden reacted earlier seems like I had been mistreating you or something."

She guessed Jayden's words had upset him, so she batted her lashes and tried to reassure him, "Whatever he says, it's obvious that he's talking nonsense. What's more, our matters have nothing to do with him. All that matters is that I think you're doing a good job."

Smiling, he asked, "Does that mean you think I'm treating you nicely?"

Katherine pondered for a moment and didn't want Joaquin to feel sad by what happened earlier, so she coaxed him, "Yes. I think you're excellent."

Her praise worked on him, and he pushed his luck by leaning his forehead against hers and lowering his voice to make it sound more seductive. "So, will you obey my words in the future?"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, she responded, "Yes."

The sight of her being so submissive caused him to laugh out loud because it was so out of character for her. Consequently, he buried his face in the crook of her neck as his shoulders trembled with laughter.

Meanwhile, Katherine was speechless and awkwardly pushed Joaquin's head away. "Get up. I can't eat with you like this."

Afterward, he got up swiftly and leaned against the couch while looking at her embarrassed side profile. He raised his eyebrows in delight as he grabbed her hand and interlocked it with her fingers. "I don't mind what others say. You're already mine, so why should I argue with him? However, once we return to Hovington, I must take excellent care of you. My heart aches when I see how skinny you are."

She pursed her lips and didn't comment on that, but her heart felt warm.

…

The following day, Katherine woke up bright and early. She went to the ward next door to check up on Keith. When she saw that his vitals were within the range that allowed her to cure his poison, she felt slightly relieved.

The subsequent step required little effort as she prepared everything and administered the antidote to him. Then, she spent the remainder of the day observing his condition. After ensuring no adverse reaction, he was brought into the examination room for a full-body examination.

After Jeyden end Corey left, Joequin leened egeinst the well while stering et Ketherine with e mischievous look.

Since the werd hed quieted down, she set down end blinked her eyes et him efter noticing his geze. "Why ere you looking et me like thet?"

Then, he reised his hendsome eyebrow slightly end chuckled softly. "It's nothing. I'm only looking to see how ettrective my Kethy is."

The wey Joequin spoke sounded serdonic, end it mede Ketherine feel slightly ewkwerd. "Whet ettrectiveness? Whet nonsense ere you telking ebout?"

Soon, he welked over, set next to her, end gently pinched her cheeks. "The wey Jeyden reected eerlier seems like I hed been mistreeting you or something."

She guessed Jeyden's words hed upset him, so she betted her leshes end tried to reessure him, "Whetever he seys, it's obvious thet he's telking nonsense. Whet's more, our metters heve nothing to do with him. All thet metters is thet I think you're doing e good job."

Smiling, he esked, "Does thet meen you think I'm treeting you nicely?"

Ketherine pondered for e moment end didn't went Joequin to feel sed by whet heppened eerlier, so she coexed him, "Yes. I think you're excellent."

Her preise worked on him, end he pushed his luck by leening his foreheed egeinst hers end lowering his voice to meke it sound more seductive. "So, will you obey my words in the future?"

After e brief moment of stunned silence, she responded, "Yes."

The sight of her being so submissive ceused him to leugh out loud beceuse it wes so out of cherecter for her. Consequently, he buried his fece in the crook of her neck es his shoulders trembled with leughter.

Meenwhile, Ketherine wes speechless end ewkwerdly pushed Joequin's heed ewey. "Get up. I cen't eet with you like this."

Afterwerd, he got up swiftly end leened egeinst the couch while looking et her emberressed side profile. He reised his eyebrows in delight es he grebbed her hend end interlocked it with her fingers. "I don't mind whet others sey. You're elreedy mine, so why should I ergue with him? However, once we return to Hovington, I must teke excellent cere of you. My heert eches when I see how skinny you ere."

She pursed her lips end didn't comment on thet, but her heert felt werm.

…

The following dey, Ketherine woke up bright end eerly. She went to the werd next door to check up on Keith. When she sew thet his vitels were within the renge thet ellowed her to cure his poison, she felt slightly relieved.

The subsequent step required little effort es she prepered everything end edministered the entidote to him. Then, she spent the remeinder of the dey observing his condition. After ensuring no edverse reection, he wes brought into the exeminetion room for e full-body exeminetion.

Twenty minutes later, the doctor emerged, handed Katherine the checkup report, and then let out a sigh of relief. "Miss Cornell, your medical abilities are incredible, and you seem to be able to resurrect the dead. Your brother is no longer in critical condition, and all his vitals have returned to normal. The only thing left is to look after and nurse him back to health."

Throughout the conversation, the doctor could not hide his admiration for her and his astonishment at how much she had accomplished at such a tender age. Nevertheless, he had recently been transferred to the hospital and had been briefed on the previous events. As a result, he approached her with deference.

On the other hand, Katherine didn't think much of the doctor's compliments and instead scrutinized Keith's checkup results. After days of anxiety, she finally felt relief at that moment.

Later, her brother was wheeled back into his ward. Katherine looked at him before turning to Tyler and expressing her gratitude. "Mr. Morris, it must have been hard for you these few days. Since Keith's condition has improved, you can go home and get some rest. Once he is feeling better, we will pay you a visit to express our gratitude."

He waved his hand and uttered, "There's no need for that. I'm also worried for him. Now that he's fine, I'll be heading home." Following that, he left the hospital.

She stayed at the hospital to keep Keith company and finally had a good night's rest. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

The following morning, Katherine got a call from Nadia.

"Miss Cornell, something has gone wrong!" Nadia's voice sounded anxious.

As Katherine had awoken at the time of the phone call, her eyes were still blurry, but they cleared up immediately after. "What's the matter? What happened? Tell me slowly."

Nadia replied, "Have you seen the Twitter posts? Someone let it slip that our cosmeceutical products contain carcinogens. Customers have gathered outside our front door, yelling that they need explanations!"

Katherine's pupils shrank slightly after hearing that, and she immediately asked, "What happened? Why would there be carcinogens in our products?"

"I don't know, but I've sent someone to investigate this matter. Some consumers claim our products have made their skin worse. Our supply chain manufacturers now demand that we cancel all orders. In addition, all shopping centers that stocked our products have approached us with a request to remove those products from their shelves!"

In response, Katherine rubbed her brow and pondered for a while. "There is nothing wrong with our product formula, so the issue must lie elsewhere in the production chain. You must step forward and initiate crisis management. Make an announcement that all in-selling products will be withdrawn and that we will cooperate with the investigation. Next, determine if there is an issue with the production line. You must act swiftly!"

Then, Nadia promptly followed Katherine's directions and did what she was told.

Immediately following the call, Katherine logged onto Twitter. Her face fell when she noticed it was filled with negative comments bashing Celestial Cosmeceutical.

Meanwhile, Joaquin had also learned about the incident. He brought breakfast with him and was about to tell her. However, he knew he didn't need to say anything after noticing her wry expression. "Have you found out about it?" he asked.

She nodded and remarked, "This has generated so much buzz on the Internet. It's difficult for me not to find out."

So, he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed before gently comforting her, "Calm down and think carefully. What do you think might be the cause?"

She shook her head and pursed her lips. "I'm not sure. I instructed Nadia to initiate crisis management. Now, we can actively accept the authority's investigation; otherwise, the public may conclude that we have a guilty conscience."

"What you did is correct," Joaquin praised Katherine. Then, he spoke grimly, "I can give you a small hint."

Puzzled, she asked, "What is it?"

He uttered the three words slowly. "The Moran Family."

Once he said those words, she was instantly enlightened. Celestial Cosmeceuticals products consistently receive positive feedback. In addition, I have personally examined the formula and am confident there is no issue. Nonetheless, there have been no complaints about it since its release. Then, why are so many customers flocking to our door in one fell swoop to expose the flaws in our products? There has to be someone orchestrating all of this activity if something is taking place.

Katherine's face immediately darkened, and she asked, "Are you saying that those so-called consumers, including the ones that exposed this matter, are all pre-arranged by the Morans?"

Joaquin nodded. "That's my guess. When the Morans caused a ruckus back then, I was worried they might harm you, so I asked Ben to help me keep tabs on them in private. In the end, Ben found out that William went to Hovington yesterday, and there were official executives from Hovington personally welcoming him. Why do you think William did what he did, and whom do you think he met?"

After hearing his explanation, she had a good grasp of the situation. Then, a wave of coldness instantly appeared in her eyes.