A Replacement Bride

Chapter 223

Meanwhile, the sight of Keith and Noah standing behind Katherine and Joaquin as they attentively watched the two of them play a game greeted Marcus when he entered the living room.

The man was startled, for it was the first time he saw Joaquin looking so relaxed. He stood there for quite a while, and it wasn't until the battle ended that he went over and said with a polite smile, "Miss Cornell, Colonel Levisay."

Hearing that, Joaquin shot him a glance and put on a faint smile.

In an instant, Marcus' heart skipped a beat as his hair stood on end. Both doubtful and shocked, he took a look at Joaquin with uncertainty, not knowing if he had offended him in any way. Regardless, it wasn't the right time to think about it. He suppressed the uneasiness he felt and turned to Katherine. "I'm here to seek your help, Miss Cornell."

"What's the matter?" Katherine put down her phone and raised her brows.

"Well, I have a friend who's been in hot water recently, so I'd like to ask you to lend him a hand." Marcus looked at her with a fawning smile.

"What kind of trouble is that? Why can't you just say it?" Katherine furrowed her brows. As she observed Marcus' expression, she formed a guess.

Marcus coughed and replied in a small voice, "Well… It's similar to what got me into trouble previously, but it's trickier this time."

"I don't have time for that." Katherine turned him down directly.

It never crossed Marcus' mind that she would reject him straight away.

Just as he was about to speak, Jennifer came over and glowered at him, for she remembered that this man had previously brought some subordinates with him and taken Katherine away.

"Dinner is ready, so stop playing the game. Look at what you've done to your sister, Keith! She has important work to do. Why did you get her hooked on a game?" Jennifer snapped while glaring at Keith.

With an aggrieved expression, Keith gazed at her and questioned, "Am I really part of this family, Grandma? Why do you treat me differently?"

"Are you and your sister even the same?" Jennifer refuted without hesitation. Seeing that none of them obeyed her order, she urged, "Cut the crap. Get ready for dinner now."

When she turned around and realized Marcus was still there, she roared, "Why are you still here? I did not prepare any food for you. Kathy said that she doesn't have time to give you a hand, so you can leave now. Why did you even come here when it's dinner time? Where are your manners?" With that, Jennifer headed to the dining hall directly.

Morcus looked ot Kotherine pitifully, but she ignored him, went to wosh her honds, ond hod her dinner.

Morcus oppeored slightly emborrossed, whereos Keith gove him o sympothetic look ond went to the dining holl with Nooh.

"Don't bother her oll the time, ond don't spreod onything obout her." Jooquin stuffed the phone in his pocket ond swept o dispossionote glonce over Morcus. After finishing his words, he left the ploce.

Morcus wos in o stote of despoir. He hod promised the other porty thot he would get Kotherine to help, so he couldn't go bock on his word. Seeing thot they were hoving dinner, he let out o helpless sigh ond sot down on the couch. He decided to tolk to her ofter they were done with dinner.

When the meol wos over, Jennifer returned to the living room. The instont she sow Morcus, she glowered ot him ond snopped, "Why hoven't you left?"

Morcus put on o sheepish smile. "I'm here to seek Miss Cornell's help, Mrs. Olsen." Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.

"Whot ore you tolking obout? Didn't she tell you she wos busy? You were the one who coptured ond detoined her for severol doys. How do you hove the nerve to osk for her help? Don't you think you've gone too for? She become thinner ofter returning from the detention center!" Jennifer hissed with o displeosed expression.

Morcus wos on the brink of breoking into teors os he goped ot Kotherine.

"Go home. There's nothing I con do to help him. Tell him thot he hos to poy for his wrongdoings." After finishing her words, Kotherine shot him on impossive glonce ond returned to her room.

A dumbfounded Morcus felt o crowling sensotion on his scolp. He hod never reveoled the person's nome, so how did Kotherine figure it out? Still reeling from the shock, he wiped the cold sweot off his foreheod ond looked ot Jooquin.

However, Jooquin didn't even spore him o glonce.

Just then, Nooh took Jooquin's hond ond looked up ot him before osking in o cleor voice, "I'd like to heor o bedtime story, Dod. Con you tell me o story so thot I'll foll osleep?"

Jooquin looked down ot the little one, who took ofter Kotherine. She seemed to be pleoding with him, ond he did not hove the heort to reject her. Therefore, he nodded ond brought her to the bedroom.

"Why ore you still here?" Jennifer glored ot Morcus.

Marcus looked at Katherine pitifully, but she ignored him, went to wash her hands, and had her dinner.

Marcus appeared slightly embarrassed, whereas Keith gave him a sympathetic look and went to the dining hall with Noah.

"Don't bother her all the time, and don't spread anything about her." Joaquin stuffed the phone in his pocket and swept a dispassionate glance over Marcus. After finishing his words, he left the place.

Marcus was in a state of despair. He had promised the other party that he would get Katherine to help, so he couldn't go back on his word. Seeing that they were having dinner, he let out a helpless sigh and sat down on the couch. He decided to talk to her after they were done with dinner.

When the meal was over, Jennifer returned to the living room. The instant she saw Marcus, she glowered at him and snapped, "Why haven't you left?"

Marcus put on a sheepish smile. "I'm here to seek Miss Cornell's help, Mrs. Olsen."

"What are you talking about? Didn't she tell you she was busy? You were the one who captured and detained her for several days. How do you have the nerve to ask for her help? Don't you think you've gone too far? She became thinner after returning from the detention center!" Jennifer hissed with a displeased expression.

Marcus was on the brink of breaking into tears as he gaped at Katherine.

"Go home. There's nothing I can do to help him. Tell him that he has to pay for his wrongdoings." After finishing her words, Katherine shot him an impassive glance and returned to her room.

A dumbfounded Marcus felt a crawling sensation on his scalp. He had never revealed the person's name, so how did Katherine figure it out? Still reeling from the shock, he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and looked at Joaquin.

However, Joaquin didn't even spare him a glance.

Just then, Noah took Joaquin's hand and looked up at him before asking in a clear voice, "I'd like to hear a bedtime story, Dad. Can you tell me a story so that I'll fall asleep?"

Joaquin looked down at the little one, who took after Katherine. She seemed to be pleading with him, and he did not have the heart to reject her. Therefore, he nodded and brought her to the bedroom.

"Why are you still here?" Jennifer glared at Marcus.

Not having the courage to say anything else, Marcus wiped the sweat off his forehead and left the place with his head hung low. After leaving Soulin International, he fished out his phone with trembling hands and dialed a number. "She turned me down, Mr. Fraser."

"Hmm?" The person on the other end of the line had a hoarse and mature voice. His grunt suggested he was surprised by Marcus' reply.

Left with no choice, Marcus repeated his words with a bitter expression, saying, "Miss Cornell turned me down, and she refuses to help you."

The older man fell silent for quite a while before asking, "What else did she say?"

With cold sweat exuding from his forehead again, Marcus replied cautiously, "She also said that you have to pay the price for your wrongdoings."

"I got it." After hearing his reply, the older man hung up the call.

Mount Echo was surrounded by clouds and fog. The frail old man looked down at his phone and let out a sigh. "It's my fate, I guess. She's right to say that I have to pay the price for my wrongdoings. Hahaha…"

After making sure that Noah had fallen asleep, Joaquin returned to his room.

Katherine was looking at something on her laptop by the window. Hearing his footsteps, she asked calmly without raising her head, "Is Noah asleep now?"

"Yes," Joaquin replied. After giving it some thought, he asked, "Do you know the person who asked Marcus to seek your help?"

"His days are numbered, so no one can help him—not even me," Katherine replied and fell silent.

Joaquin fell into his thoughts for a moment. Initially, he wanted to ask who the other party was, but upon seeing the woman's expression, he decided against it.

Three days later, Marcus rushed into Katherine's home again with an anxious expression and fell to his knees. "Please lend Mr. Fraser a hand, Miss Cornell."

Katherine looked down at him, and her hand froze while holding a cup. A moment later, she tapped the edge of the cup and shook her head. "I can't."

"Miss Cornell…" Marcus was on the verge of tearing up.

"Leave. I don't have a way to save him." Katherine put down the cup.

"He might have done something wrong, but he's made immense contributions by defending the country. He shouldn't end up in such a horrible state. Even if you refuse to save him, can you help his offspring for the sake of his contributions to the country?"