novelxo Chapter 9
Clenching his fist, Wren turned around calmly to greet Carlisle and Shirley.
Only then did Carlisle feel better. While removing his coat, he glanced around the quiet villa. "Where's Katrina and Clara? Wasn't Clara discharged from the hospital this morning?" "I'm not sure," answered Wren.
Carlisle eyed Wren before turning to the housekeeper beside them. "Are they not back yet?"
The housekeeper responded carefully, "Before leaving this morning, Mrs. Zachman went to Ms. Salford's room to take a few things. She never came back after that." Wren furrowed his brows.
Carlisle stopped removing his tie, his expression filled with displeasure and anger. "The older Katrina gets, the more trouble she causes.
"She's still harping on such trivial matters, isn't she? And now, she's leaving the house with her niece as an act of protest to me?"
As someone who was involved in the matter, Shirley naturally knew what Carlisle meant. Pretending to be understanding, she said, "Carlisle, Katrina's just caught up in anger. "Maybe she'll come back with Clara in a few days. Don't be mad at her. I don't want your relationship with her to be affected because of me."
"You're so understanding." Carlisle flashed Shirley a smile, which quickly faded as soon as he spoke about Katrina. "She's only behaving like that because she's lived a good life for too long." Wren did not want to watch the duo's disgusting behavior anymore. Just as he was about to leave, Carlisle turned to him.
"Take Ivy to Havenbrook tomorrow for a business meeting. I've asked my secretary to book your flight. Enjoy a few days there with her and come back before the wedding."
Wren instinctively rejected, "There are still a lot of preparations to be done for the wedding-"
"You don't need to worry about that. I will get someone to take care of it," Carlisle interrupted, his tone firm and dominative.
Wren knew Carlisle would keep insisting on it, so the former had no choice but to obey his wishes.
...
After sending Clara off, Katrina drove to the office. She sat on the chair with a picture of four in her hand, her eyes full of nostalgia and affection.
Katrina's sister, Edith Caldwell, and her brother-in-law were still alive at that time while Katrina was not married to Carlisle yet. She was still young and beaming, her eyes glistening with happiness.
However, things were different now. Katrina turned around to look at her reflection in the window. She looked exhausted, and all that was left in her eyes was sadness and fatigue.
For a moment, she did not recognize herself.
Tears fell from her face, hitting against the glass of the frame. Katrina instantly snapped out of it and carefully wiped the frame clean.
Staring at Edith in the picture, Katrina stopped pretending to be strong and stroked the picture. "I'm sorry for not doing a good job at protecting Clara, Edith. Should I have given up on this company and not married Carlisle? "That way, Clara wouldn't have suffered so much while living with me in the Zachman residence. But I only wanted to protect what you left behind. Is that so wrong?"
There was only silence in the office. The person who could answer her was no longer in the world.
Suddenly, Katrina remembered the first time she met Edith.
Katrina was not sure about her past, but all she remembered was the strong wind and icy snow from that day. Edith brought the former home and welcomed her into the family.
It was the happiest moment of Katrina's life. At that moment, Katrina hoped the happiness would last forever. Unfortunately, her happiness was short-lived when her family died. Katrina cast her gaze on the gentle face in the picture, her eyes brimming with tears. "Edith, all of them bullied me while you were gone. And Clara... What should I do?" Katrina was torn between decisions, unsure if she should file for a divorce and give up on the company to be with Clara. Alas, her questions were only met with silence. Her gaze grew solemn, and she caressed the cool surface of the frame. Although her longing was silent, it was deafening.