Christopher’s gaze upon Kathleen was disquietingly intense.
Her heart pounded as she heard his words.
Despite being married, Kathleen had never been in a real relationship.
She was always the one running after Samuel, who treated her in much the same way as he always did.
Now that there’s a man who’d confessed his feelings in such a bold and romantic manner, how am I not feeling a thing?
Kathleen struggled to understand her inner turmoil.
Christopher was gentle about it. “I’m not forcing you into anything, Kathleen. I just needed to tell you what’s in my heart. I won’t be upset no matter what you choose in the end.”
Kathleen returned Christopher’s gaze. “You make me look like such a horrible person.”
Christopher grinned crookedly. “No, you don’t. Though you did reject me and have never been intimate with me, at least you’ve never toyed with my feelings. Do what you need to do to heal at your own pace, Kathleen. I’ll always be here waiting for you.”
“I’m not as perfect as you make me out to be,” Kathleen sighed. “I was married.”
Christopher was puzzled. “So what if you were married? Don’t you deserve to live a blissful life?”
Kathleen bit her lip, not knowing what to say.
Christopher smiled kindly. “Be kinder to yourself, Kathleen. Don’t shackle yourself to such an extent.”
Kathleen nodded. “Alright.”
Christopher smiled.
Charles arrived with a large bouquet of roses in his hands at that moment.
“You’re here, Charles!” Kathleen greeted her brother with a smile. “Where did the flowers come from?”
Charles stared at her by way of greeting. “I got this for you for switching wards.”
“Old Mrs. Macari made the arrangements,” Kathleen explained.
“Old Mrs. Macari sure is a good woman,” Charles said gratefully. “There aren’t many old people like her anymore. I’ll be sure to pay her a visit and thank her in person.”
Kathleen shook her head helplessly as she held the large bouquet in her hands. “You shouldn’t go to the Macari residence, Charles. You’re going to quarrel with Samuel when you meet him. That’ll make Grandma really sad.”
“Be good and stay away from him,” Charles coaxed. “Then we’ll have less of a chance to cross paths.”
Kathleen was left even more speechless.
“I’ve secured your refund from The Fantastic Restaurant,” Charles announced in explanation for his late arrival. “There wasn’t a problem as both parties have mutually terminated the contract.”
“That’s good.” Kathleen nodded.
“Why are you worried about something like that?” Charles sat down and crossed his legs. “We’ll see if they dare put you through any more indignities!”
Kathleen was at a loss for words.
Christopher smiled. “Mr. Johnson is right. With us by your side, nobody will dare wrong you again. Don’t worry about it.”
Kathleen sighed in resignation.
Christopher and Charles left soon after that.
Kathleen wasn’t the only artist Charles had on his roster.
As the entertainment company he was in charge of was one of the biggest in the country, he didn’t have much time to spend with Kathleen.
The same was true for Christopher. Since taking over Morris Group, he had been kept very busy.
Therefore, the task of caring for Kathleen fell to Valerie.
Kathleen was in the middle of reading a script when her phone vibrated with a notification.
As it turned out, Nancy and the others formed a chat group without Astrid.
Nancy was the first to text: Did you really quit, Kathleen?
Kathleen: I did. My body can’t take the strain anymore.
Nancy: Hah! No wonder the production team suddenly changed their minds and announced that they were going to have three new artists over for the next few episodes.
John: Doesn’t this count as lying to the viewers? Kate has been recovering at a steady pace. Why are they making arrangements for her replacements?
Kathleen was embarrassed.
Nancy: Well, the contract has been terminated anyway. Don’t worry about anything here, all right? Just focus on getting better. I hope to see you soon on the show, Kathleen.
Kathleen: I’ll be there.
John: I want to quit as well. I can’t stand Astrid.
Nancy: Not as uncomfortable as Steve is, I’m sure.
Steve conveyed his incredulity with a series of ellipses.
Kathleen: What happened?
John: Astrid pestered Steve today and forced him to tell them that you’d quit the show because you hated the sight of her, not because of an illness. Steve ignored her.
Kathleen frowned slightly.
I’m already out of the picture. What else does Astrid want?
Nancy: Here’s a juicy piece of gossip. Astrid had signed with a brokerage company half a year ago with plans for her debut.
Kathleen was surprised.
Did Astrid plan to debut as a reporter as early as half a year ago?
However, Christopher had clearly told her that Astrid was found by Samuel.
Half a year ago, she was still filming and had no plans to return. It would’ve been impossible for Samuel to know in advance.
Unless he had somehow foreseen that, which is also unlikely. What the hell’s going on?
John: I knew that everything was premeditated, given the hype around Kate. She must’ve capitalized on that.
Kathleen considered the implication of his words and sent a message to her brother: Charles, please check which agency Astrid had signed with.
Then, she searched through the chat records in the group.
Nancy: You have to be careful, Kathleen. She’s not going to let you go even after you quit. With nothing to lose now, she’ll drag you through the mud with her if it means getting back at you.
Kathleen: I won’t let her.
Nancy: I’m sure you know what’s best for yourself. You’ll be met with all sorts of trouble once this slug attaches herself to you.
John: They’re right, Kate. Have your fiancé deal with it if you can’t. He was the one to have provoked her. Why should you have to deal with it?
Nancy: Shut up, John.
Kathleen: It’s all right. I know John didn’t mean it. Christopher explained to me that he and Astrid have nothing to do with each other.
Steve: Have him make a statement that Astrid is a bigger troublemaker than Kylie. Don’t forget to emphasize the fact that she has thick skin.
Kathleen: Thanks for the reminder. I got it.
Steve: Although our partnership had prematurely ended, I think we all got along very well over the last ten days. We’ll keep in touch through this group if there’s ever anything you guys need help with.
John: Thank you. This is why I wanted to start the group.
Kathleen: Alright.
Nancy: That’s what I thought too.
Kathleen smiled slightly at the phone in her hand as her spirits lifted.
Watching quietly from her corner, Valerie wondered who Kathleen was chatting with to make her smile like that.
Could it be Christopher? He’s pretty good for her. Handsome and soft-spoken, his refinement sets him apart from other men at very first glance.
When Valerie arrived earlier, Christopher was in the middle of reminding her of several routines to keep throughout Kathleen’s recovery.
It was clear that Christopher really cared for Kathleen.
Samuel had started victorious by having Kathleen’s love to himself before he completely lost it all.
Feelings can’t be forced to be had.
Though Samuel had enlisted her help, Valerie strongly felt that Kathleen deserved to make her own choices.
Despite originally intending to tell Samuel, Valerie quickly dismissed the notion.
Kathleen and Nancy chatted a little longer before the headline of a startling piece of news grabbed her attention.
According to sources close to the Yoegers, Nicolette Yoeger had returned to her ancestral home at the time of reporting. How the Yoegers responded to the return of their illegitimate daughter remains to be seen.
Kathleen’s fingers clenched the phone tightly.
Nicolette is back at the Yoeger residence. Why? Could Samuel have arranged for her return?
