A faint, ironic smile curved Cathleen's lips. Having a proper meal with her family?
The Stewarts were absorbed in celebrating Ashley's birthday, and no one had bothered to check whether she had even eaten.
Even so, she had no intention of mentioning any of it to Edmund, not wanting him to worry unnecessarily.
"Don't worry, Mr. Spencer. I'll stop by tomorrow," she said.
On the other end of the line, Edmund's voice immediately lifted with warmth. "That's great to hear! You really are the most thoughtful person, Cathy. If Matthew ever gives you a hard time, just tell me. I'll stand up for you."
"Thank you," Cathleen said softly, a trace of concern in her tone. "Have you been feeling any better recently? How are the herbs working for you?"
"They're helping a lot," Edmund answered. "My headaches have eased significantly. The hospital report from yesterday showed that the abnormal cells in my brain have stopped progressing. It's all thanks to your treatment."
Cathleen offered, "I'll give you another session in a few days."
"Alright, I'll be at home waiting for you then."
"Alright."
After ending the call, Cathleen lost the desire to continue meditating. She decided to lay down and rest instead.
She followed a disciplined routine, going to sleep every night at nine and waking at five each morning.
Back in the mountains, she used to rise at dawn with the sound of roosters crowing. The Stewart estate had no roosters, but years of conditioning still made her wake up at the same exact time.
She got dressed, went downstairs, and completed three laps around the lake. On her way back, she happened to meet Kevan at the gate.
His expression was cold and heavy with frustration. The servants all knew he was especially irritable in the morning, so they kept their distance, afraid of provoking him.
Kevan had spent half the night soothing Ashley after she was whipped, waiting until her emotions settled. After that, he returned to his room to handle a pile of documents and only managed to sleep for a few hours.
He was already in a terrible mood, and naturally, Cathleen happened to cross his path at exactly the wrong time.
Kevan gestured for her to come over as though she were some pet. "Come here."
Cathleen walked right past him without even sparing him a glance.
That instantly set Kevan off. He grabbed the back of her collar. "Are you deaf or what? Didn't you hear me calling you?"
Cathleen had always thought of herself as emotionally steady, but living with this family made her realize she might have been mistaken.
She turned smoothly, used the momentum to seize his arm, twisted it, and flipped him to the ground. Looking down at him, she said, "Sorry. Wild boars in the mountains tend to attack from behind. After years of dealing with that, I developed a reflex."
She paused briefly, then added, "It wasn't intentional."
Kevan couldn't believe she had just compared him to a wild boar and followed it up by pretending it wasn't deliberate.
His chest rose and fell sharply. As a grown man, being thrown to the ground by her was deeply humiliating. His face darkened as he glared at the surrounding servants who were watching. "Leave, all of you!"
The servants scattered quickly in fear.
Kevan got back on his feet and stared at Cathleen for a long moment before letting out a cold, derisive laugh. "Exactly what you'd expect from some country bumpkin. Besides brute strength, what else are you even good for?"
Cathleen said nothing, simply looking at him.
Kevan went on, "Don't think that just because Mom and Dad brought you back, you can claim you belong here. You're not worthy of this family!"
The memory of Ashley crying in his arms the night before still made his chest tighten painfully.
Honestly, part of him wished his parents had never found Cathleen.
Cathleen fixed him with a long, searching stare. "You were the one who switched the newborn name tags back then, weren't you?"
All the color drained from Kevan's face. His expression turned instantly cold and dangerously grim.
Cathleen chose not to pursue the topic any further. She simply turned and headed back upstairs.
When she came down again, she had the same backpack she had arrived with.
Breakfast was already underway in the dining room. No one had informed her, and no one had made any effort to wait.
A brief flicker of resentment crossed Ashley's eyes, but the moment she noticed Cathleen approaching, she quickly replaced it with a polite smile. "Cathleen, come join us for breakfast."
Ignoring the invitation, Cathleen placed her backpack to the side, chose the seat farthest from everyone else, and picked up a sandwich.
Bruce's expression darkened with displeasure. He didn't have any real attachment to Cathleen, but she was still his biological daughter. His tone turned cold as he spoke. "I've already arranged a school for you. After breakfast, you'll go with Ashley to complete your enrollment. If word gets out that my daughter is uneducated, it will ruin my reputation."
Ashley's grip tightened slightly as she chewed. The university she attended was the most prestigious private institution in Oqruron, and admission there was highly competitive. Even she had only secured her place through the family's influence.
How could a country bumpkin like Cathleen get into a school like that the moment she arrived?
In a soft, cautious tone, Ashley said, "Dad, my university's curriculum is extremely rigorous. I'm worried Cathleen might struggle to keep up. Maybe it would be better for her to start at the community college nearby. The courses there are less demanding. She could adapt gradually before transferring to my school later. That way, the pressure won't be too overwhelming for her."
With a pleased smile, Suzanne placed food onto Ashley's plate. "Ashley, you're always so considerate."
Bruce's only real concern was that Cathleen obtain a degree so she wouldn't embarrass him. The specific institution didn't matter much to him. After a brief pause, he agreed. "Alright, we'll go with Ashley's suggestion."
Cathleen focused on her breakfast and finished it soon. She raised her head and said, "Thank you. Whatever you decide is fine with me."
Kevan let out a silent, mocking scoff. In his mind, that kind of school suited Cathleen perfectly, barely functional and full of people with no real prospects.
Once she stepped outside and felt the open air, Cathleen sensed an immediate release of tension, as if something heavy had been lifted off her.
The night before, she had used the guest room computer to check the location of Ravine Estates. It wasn't far, just a bit over twenty-five miles away.
If she ran, it would take her roughly an hour to get there.
She lowered her center of gravity slightly, inhaled deeply, and then launched into a sprint. Her speed was so fast that to anyone watching, she would have looked like a fleeting blur.
By the time she arrived, Cathleen tilted her head up toward the sky, a faint, satisfied smile forming on her lips.
It took her exactly an hour.
The estate was a secured residential community, and all visitors were required to register before entering or leaving. Fortunately, Edmund had already informed them ahead of time, so she was allowed in without any issues.
Following the listed addresses, she moved from one villa to the next until she finally stopped in front of a uniquely designed, elegant residence.
House 16.
This was the place.
Wiping a trace of sweat from her forehead, Cathleen stepped forward and entered the access code. The gate unlocked immediately.
What greeted her first was a spacious yard, even larger than the clearing near the wooden cabin she once shared with Erin in the mountains. But unlike that familiar place, this yard was completely empty.
Inside, the home was quiet, nothing like the Stewart residence, which was always filled with servants and constant activity.
She set her luggage down and took a moment to look around. The interior was fully furnished, but the design leaned heavily on black and white tones, giving the entire space a stark, almost repetitive feel.
After finishing her inspection of the ground floor, she headed upstairs. The door to a room on the right was left open, and she looked inside.
A person was lying asleep on the bed.
