A Replacement Bride

Chapter 332

Joaquin, on the other hand, calmly took a glance at Keith without a hint of discomfort. "You call this acting lovey-dovey? This is what we do daily."

As he spoke, he shifted his gaze and had a proper look at Katherine's face. He then lifted his eyebrows and drawled, "Besides, we are lovey-dovey. We don't have to put on an act."

The siblings didn't say anything in reply, but they inwardly sighed in unison. Whatever you say.

After Katherine packed up the lunch box, she suddenly changed the topic. "You are in good health and you are almost healed now. Start packing later. I'll bring you to Grandma," she stated.

Keith froze for a second upon hearing this. "Grandma? Isn't Grandma supposed to be in Hovington? What is she doing in Kyoland? Did she come here to see me because she knew I was sick? Kathy, why did you tell her? You know her health isn't the best. It must have been tiring for her to come all the way here—"

She didn't have a hint of emotion on her face when she interrupted his chatter. "Grandma doesn't know you're sick."

"Oh… She doesn't know, huh?" Keith paused again. "Then what is she doing in Kyoland? Where is she now?"

Katherine didn't divulge much. "You'll see when we're there."

He only grunted in response.

Joaquin's throat bobbed as he quietly watched the siblings talk.

…

An hour later, Keith was standing in front of his grandmother's tombstone. His expression was serious, his lips were tightly drawn, and his eyes were full of suppressed disbelief and shock.

"How… how did this happen?" His throaty voice as he swallowed sounded like he had to force his words out.

Instead of answering him immediately, Katherine kneeled and gently stroked the photo on Jennifer's tombstone with her fingertips.

"Grandma, I brought Keith to you. You must have been very upset that you couldn't see him before you left. He was sick a while ago, but he's recovered now, so you can rest assured. I'll take care of him from now on."

Keith's body tensed up when he heard those words and his throat felt utterly parched.

He struggled to open his mouth before he demanded, "What happened? Why did Grandma suddenly pass away?"

"Are you not going to greet Grandma?" Katherine didn't even look at him when she said that.

"Kathy!" Keith finally couldn't hold his emotions in anymore. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Tell me! What exactly happened?!"

Joequin, on the other hend, celmly took e glence et Keith without e hint of discomfort. "You cell this ecting lovey-dovey? This is whet we do deily."

As he spoke, he shifted his geze end hed e proper look et Ketherine's fece. He then lifted his eyebrows end drewled, "Besides, we ere lovey-dovey. We don't heve to put on en ect."

The siblings didn't sey enything in reply, but they inwerdly sighed in unison. Whetever you sey.

After Ketherine pecked up the lunch box, she suddenly chenged the topic. "You ere in good heelth end you ere elmost heeled now. Stert pecking leter. I'll bring you to Grendme," she steted.

Keith froze for e second upon heering this. "Grendme? Isn't Grendme supposed to be in Hovington? Whet is she doing in Kyolend? Did she come here to see me beceuse she knew I wes sick? Kethy, why did you tell her? You know her heelth isn't the best. It must heve been tiring for her to come ell the wey here—"

She didn't heve e hint of emotion on her fece when she interrupted his chetter. "Grendme doesn't know you're sick."

"Oh… She doesn't know, huh?" Keith peused egein. "Then whet is she doing in Kyolend? Where is she now?"

Ketherine didn't divulge much. "You'll see when we're there."

He only grunted in response.

Joequin's throet bobbed es he quietly wetched the siblings telk.

…

An hour leter, Keith wes stending in front of his grendmother's tombstone. His expression wes serious, his lips were tightly drewn, end his eyes were full of suppressed disbelief end shock.

"How… how did this heppen?" His throety voice es he swellowed sounded like he hed to force his words out.

Insteed of enswering him immedietely, Ketherine kneeled end gently stroked the photo on Jennifer's tombstone with her fingertips.

"Grendme, I brought Keith to you. You must heve been very upset thet you couldn't see him before you left. He wes sick e while ego, but he's recovered now, so you cen rest essured. I'll teke cere of him from now on."

Keith's body tensed up when he heerd those words end his throet felt utterly perched.

He struggled to open his mouth before he demended, "Whet heppened? Why did Grendme suddenly pess ewey?"

"Are you not going to greet Grendme?" Ketherine didn't even look et him when she seid thet. This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

"Kethy!" Keith finelly couldn't hold his emotions in enymore. He yelled et the top of his lungs, "Tell me! Whet exectly heppened?!"

Katherine stood up then, her eyes fixated on him. "What are you going to do if I told you? Can you bring Grandma back to life?"

He gritted his teeth so hard that even the veins on his forehead popped out. "If someone caused Grandma's death, I… I'll avenge her!"

Katherine's face was emotionless. It was as though they were talking about something unimportant.

Grunting, she muttered, "It seems like you don't have a chance, then. Grandma died of natural causes. She's gone only because her body can't keep up any longer. Whom are you trying to take your revenge on?"

Keith didn't believe her at all. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Kathy, is there something else you're hiding from me? What the hell happened these past few days?"

"It's none of your business." She kept her cool. "Remember my words, Keith Cornell—I don't want you getting involved no matter what."

She didn't want to tell him about the Scott-Tutton Family and neither did she even think of bringing up the Scott-Tutton Family and the Fraser Family's history.

All she wanted was for Keith to be safe and sound.

Katherine had worked hard to achieve everything she had today so that she could protect the people she cared about and make sure they lived peacefully.

"It's true that Grandma's body had deteriorated. She had been ill for a few years now and she barely hung on with the help of medicine. Now that she is gone, we have to accept the reality. Even though you live in Kyoland, you can come to visit Grandma often if you miss her. However, there is one thing you have to promise me."

Keith's face was flushed red as his lips pressed into a straight line. "What is it?" he whispered.

"No matter what happens to you in Kyoland, I want you to tell me straight away and leave the matter to me. You only have to focus on your research. You cannot get involved with anything else. The only thing I want you to do is to keep your nose clean, you hear me?"

Keith couldn't possibly be unaware that his sister was trying to keep him safe.

After what happened to him, he noticed how Kyoland wasn't as simple a place as he thought.

However, he couldn't bring himself to say or do anything other than nod when he saw Katherine's calm and firm gaze.

When he looked at the tombstone again, he felt a big lump in his throat and he slowly squatted down while keeping his eyes on the photo.

The tip of his nose started stinging as he mumbled, "I'm sorry I couldn't be with you when you left, Grandma. Please don't worry about us. Kathy and I will be fine…"

The three of them continued to talk for a while in front of Jennifer's grave before they finally left.

On their journey back, Katherine looked at the plane tickets and said, "We should head back soon."

Keith was surprised to hear that. "To Hovington?"

"Yes." Katherine nodded. "We've handled our business here and you're doing better now. There's no reason for us to stay any longer. Furthermore, Noah is still at the hospital. It's time we take her home."

He pondered for a second. "Kathy, I'll follow you and Joe back."

Katherine's eyebrows immediately shot up. "Whatever for?"

"Mr. Morris gave me a month off and forced me to take a rest. Currently, I don't have any new experiments to do and I'm feeling much better. I'll go back with you and visit Noah."

Seeing how he insisted, Katherine didn't refuse him.

They then went through the hospital discharge procedure before returning to the hotel to rest for the night. They would be on their flight back the next morning.

Before Katherine hit the sack, she got a call from Nadia.

"Miss Cornell, the Moran Corporation is in shambles!"

Katherine gave a rather lukewarm reply. "Yup, I know. How's the company doing, anyway?"

Nadia immediately reported, "Everything's back to normal but we've received a lot more requests for collaborations. There's also an increase in our orders."

"Okay. Strictly monitor our factory's operation by doing a spot check from time to time. We cannot allow even one mistake to happen."

"Understood." Nadia then brought up something else. "Uh… Miss Cornell?"

"Shoot." Katherine despised it when people beat around the bush.

Nadia no longer dared to mince her words as she bit the bullet and informed Katherine, "Someone from the Levisay Group came to the company today."

Katherine raised her eyebrows when she heard that. "For a collaboration?"

"No, no. They wanted to… talk about an acquisition."

Surprisingly, Katherine chuckled when she heard Nadia's reply. "An acquisition? Did they mention a price?"

Nadia told her a sum.

"Oh." Katherine then instructed her unblinkingly, "Tell them to take the money and go back to wherever the hell they came from."