A Replacement Bride

Chapter 244

When Katherine heard this, she cheekily thought that this was a golden opportunity to tease him. So, she deliberately donned a grave expression as she raised her eyebrows imperiously and remained silent as she stared at him.

Joaquin felt his heart reach his throat when he saw her reaction. It was an utter torment to be in this position right now. He had never experienced such a thing for more than two decades. Suffice it to say, this was an occurrence that would only happen when he was around her.

A hint of joy flashed in her eyes when she saw him staring at her nervously. Therefore, she slowly let out a sigh after she figured that she had had fun.

"It's all in the past now. You've explained your part of the story, and I believe you. It's just a misunderstanding, and it was not like you were of sound mind. What else can I do? Should I torture you or beat you to a pulp? Or should I hate you for something that you were also a victim of? We should let bygones be bygones. I forgive you, and I'm happy to say goodbye to the festering anger that had bogged me down in the past. I want to embrace the future fully, and I'm no masochist, so I want my nightmares gone. You've given me the closure I've sought for all this time, and I would be a fool to dwell on nonexistent injuries."

Her voice turned into a low murmur when she said the last sentence, and a bleak light gleamed in her eyes. Although she had truly forgiven him, the pain she had endured couldn't just disappear magically. She needed time to heal from her torment.

Joaquin's heart ached when he heard Katherine's words. He tightened his hands slightly before reaching out, taking her hand, and carefully holding them in his hands.

His shoulders drooped slightly as he curled into himself in relief when he realized that she didn't avoid his touch. Nonetheless, he was wholly earnest and solemn as he intoned, "Kathy, I know it's not easy to let bygones be bygones, but that doesn't matter. From now on, I'll always be by your side, and I'll protect you from any harm as best as I can."

She knew that he was serious. So, she nodded slightly in response and said nothing more.

The room fell silent as both parties came to terms with the truth. After the confession, the atmosphere between the two became charged with something other than anxiety and guilt.

Joaquin fixed his gaze on his beloved Katherine. He couldn't bear to look away, and his heart felt like it was bursting at the seams with his affection for her.

Life had played a cruel prank on them. Who would have thought that the woman back then would be her, and their meet-cute was anything but?

He had been walking around in circles as he tried to uncover her identity for five years. But when he learned the truth, he had already become her legal husband. Their union was so baffling yet somehow just right. He felt so choked up by his emotions that he didn't know how to convey his feelings.

Still, Joaquin couldn't help but feel immensely grateful that he didn't miss out on this remarkable woman. Their relationship might not be the most conventional, and there were so many bumps in the road. Ultimately, none of that mattered as long as he had Katherine for better and for worse. He felt grateful that she had given him a chance to atone for his sins. So, now he had all the time in the world to make things up to her.

Her eyes flickered slightly as if she could sense his emotional journey. Finally, she raised her head to meet his eyes and looked at him. She suddenly let out an amused huff when their gaze met.

"So, you always thought that Beatrice was the woman you had hurt back then, so you protected her, right? Frankly, I don't even know whether fool is enough to describe your idiocy, Joaquin."

He actually thought that awful woman was her, and he protected and showered her with affection. Now that she thought about it, she felt highly displeased.

Joaquin twitched his lips with a resigned look on his face when he noticed her annoyed expression. "When I woke up, I went back to the bar to look for you, but I ran into Beatrice. She claimed to be you and was also the only Cechirusian there, so I didn't doubt her claims. But, over the years, I did feel something was off. The first thing that made me suspicious of her was that she never evoked the same emotions within me as you did. But the instant I thought of what I had done, I couldn't bear to ask her the truth. So many chances to discover the truth these five years slipped through my fingers due to my negligence and guilt. I wouldn't have imagined that she was not the woman back then if you hadn't exposed her for the fraud she was."

Katherine narrowed her eyes slightly, snatched her hands out of his, and stared at him with a mirthless smile. "You couldn't feel what you felt back then when you were with her?" She repeated his words expressionlessly and even raised her voice toward the end of it.

Alarms blared within the confines of Joaquin's mind as he hurriedly explained, "No! No, that's not what I meant! I just thought that she didn't look like you back then. I didn't do anything with her. You know that I never mess around."

There was a hint of flattery in his tone and actions. Although she was smiling, she felt anything but happy. She pouted and snarked, "How would I know? You spent five years thinking she was me, after all."

"It's true, Kathy. You have to believe me." Joaquin leaned toward her and held her hands desperately. He clasped her hands and squeezed them to prevent her from shying away from him.

She knew that he was telling the truth. Beatrice had told her that he had never touched her or slept with her all these years, but Katherine still couldn't help but feel upset.

He felt uneasy at first, but as he scrutinized her, his eyes lit up, and he curled his lips into a smirk. "Kathy, you're jealous, aren't you?" he asked out of the blue, and there was a hint of delight in his voice.

Jealous? Katherine frowned and rolled her eyes. "As if. Jealousy is beneath me." Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"Is that so?" Joaquin teased.

Katherine felt a little embarrassed. So, she shook him off and rose to her feet. "What? Are you questioning me now? Don't push your luck, got it?"

He was worried that she was genuinely annoyed, so he quickly scampered to his feet, embraced her tightly, and reassured her, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I should have known that she was the wrong person, and I shouldn't have mistaken her for you for so many years. I was blind and stupid. Please be a bigger person and forgive me for my idiocy, okay?"

He knew what was upsetting her, so he willingly coaxed her.

Katherine leaned on his shoulder, utterly comforted and relaxed by his gentle tone as his unique scent engulfed her. Suddenly, she felt a lump in her throat as her eyes turned teary when she thought of all the difficulties she had faced in the past.

Over the years, she had gotten used to hiding her true self behind a tough and strong façade, and she had never once cried in front of anyone. She had never shed a single tear because of this incident, even when alone at night. Yet, she had the urge to cry when she was in his embrace.

Fortunately, she had strong self-control. Thus, she quickly reigned in her emotions and forced her tears back.

"You're still recovering. Sit down," she pushed him gently and said sullenly.

Joaquin sat down and pulled her to sit beside him. He intertwined his hand with hers and refused to let go. After a brief moment of silence, he couldn't help but inquire curiously, "Why did you leave?"

"Why?" Katherine pursed her lips. "How could I stay there after what happened? Did you expect me to stay there and kill you? If I hadn't—" —been pregnant with Noah later, and Noah was afflicted with such a strange disease, there was a high chance I wouldn't have wanted to see you ever again. Honestly, I would just let Savannah handle it if I stumbled upon you one day.

"What about you?" She dismissed those what-ifs with a shake of her head and brought up the main topic. "You were poisoned. What happened next?"

Joaquin frowned when he recalled what had happened. His expression sank as he continued his side of the story, "I fell unconscious, and you probably left by the time my subordinates came to rescue me. They thought it would take some time for the drug to be flushed out of my system, but they never expected the poison to be completely out of my system once I woke up."