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.

The man inside the room was Matthew.

He was tall and long-limbed, and even stretched out across the king-sized bed, he somehow made it seem too small.

His features were striking, and even in sleep, there was still something imposing about him.

Cathleen couldn't quite figure out how anyone could still be sleeping after ten in the morning.

She lingered at the doorway, uncertain whether she should knock and wake him, when an icy, irritated voice suddenly rang out. "Get out!"

Cathleen lifted her eyes and met a pair of cold, dangerous-looking ones.

Attractive people really did have their advantages. Both he and Kevan were unpleasant when they first woke up, but Matthew was far easier to look at.

Too bad his temper was awful, and hers wasn't exactly gentle either.

Cathleen stepped back twice, then slammed the door so hard it felt as if the whole house rattled.

Matthew had just risen from bed when the explosive bang caught him off guard, making him lose his balance for a second.

He steadied himself and stood there in stunned silence.

He couldn't believe she actually had the nerve to slam the door on him.

If the door hadn't been built so solidly, she might have shattered it.

A short while later, Matthew came downstairs with a dark expression carved across his handsome face.

He had been forced into marrying Cathleen, so naturally he had no good opinion of her. In his eyes, Oqruron was filled with women who fantasized about changing their status through marriage, foolishly thinking that winning over his grandfather would somehow secure them a place beside him. The idea was ridiculous.

Dark shadows sat heavily beneath Matthew's eyes, making it obvious he hadn't slept well.

He dropped onto the couch, crossed one leg over the other, and carried himself with dominance.

He fixed Cathleen with a stare for two seconds, then looked away and spoke in a slow, measured tone. "I don't care what tricks you used to win my grandfather over, but hear me clearly: don't start imagining anything between us. I'm marrying you only because it's what he wanted. You'd better know your place. Don't ask for things you have no right to ask for, and don't interfere in matters that don't involve you."

Cathleen watched his attractive lips move while he spoke, then gave a nod. "So what you're saying is we each live our own lives and stay out of each other's business?"

"Exactly."

"And what about the physical side of marriage?"

Matthew's brows drew together at once, his eyes turning sharp.

She really wanted to sleep with him? The thought made him scoff inwardly.

He swept his eyes over her from head to toe before saying with a cold smirk, "I'm not interested in a kid."

Cathleen's expression didn't change as she answered evenly, "I'm not interested in an old man either."

Matthew's face darkened on the spot. He sprang to his feet, looking as though he couldn't tolerate sharing the same room with her for even another second.

Cathleen, however, remained unfazed. Once Matthew stormed out, she started unpacking her things.

She hadn't brought much with her, only a few sets of clothes and a wooden box. She carefully tucked the box into the far back corner of the closet, then draped some old clothes over it to keep it hidden.

Her ring suddenly vibrated. Lowering her eyes, she twisted it on her finger. Instantly, a holographic screen appeared before her, showing a message from Miaburgh.

"Hey, K. I've got some bad news. Darren's in trouble. An organization from South Arland just attacked our headquarters network using some kind of advanced technology. We've never encountered anything like this before. Every system is down, the command center can't send orders, and all communication channels are being jammed. We need your help."

Cathleen's brows knit faintly as she grasped how serious the matter was. Without hesitation, she took the ring apart and quickly reassembled it into another form.

Her fingers moved rapidly across the holographic keyboard, while streams of intricate code flooded the display.

Only after the sun had gone down did she slide the ring back onto her finger. She rolled her sore neck, and right then, her stomach let out a loud growl.

Starving, Cathleen headed downstairs to look for something to eat.

It was already six in the evening, and Matthew still hadn't come back. In the huge, silent house, the only sound was the echo of her footsteps.

Inside the top-floor office of Spencer Group, Matthew stood before the wide windows, his tall frame rigid.

Jayden Evans, Matthew's friend, spoke from the other end of the call. "We were seconds away from pulling it off, and then someone appeared out of nowhere and ruined everything. They stopped Rylie's team in the middle of the attack and broke through our network security. Now our systems are down too. And get this: it was only one person."

Matthew's expression sharpened. "You're saying one person took down Rylie's entire team alone?"

"It's worse than that. Do you know what's on my computer screen right now?"

"What?"

"I'll share you a photo."

A notification sounded on Matthew's phone. He opened his chat with Jayden, and his face immediately turned grim.

The large monitor was completely black, except for the bright red word displayed boldly in the center—loser.

Signed beneath it was the codename K.

Matthew scowled seeing that it was K again.

Jayden clicked his tongue in irritation. "If I'm not mistaken, this makes the second time we've been beaten by K. The first time, we managed to intercept one of their critical data packets, and in retaliation, they wiped out our entire company network for a whole week. Darren must've had insane luck to recruit someone that skilled. Honestly, it's such a waste of talent. K would have been far better off working with us instead."

Matthew let out a derisive snort. "And what makes you so sure you know who's actually in charge?"

"What?" Jayden's face turned solemn. "Are you saying K is the one in charge?"

"Who can say?"

At daybreak the following morning, the first light began to spread.

After getting dressed and ready, Cathleen came downstairs and was surprised to see Matthew seated on the couch.

She stopped in her tracks. When had he returned the night before? She hadn't heard him come in at all.

Matthew looked worn out. Because of his long-term insomnia, he depended on medication to get even an hour or two of sleep each night. That morning, just as he had finally drifted off, a call from his grandfather abruptly woke him.

His grandfather had phoned to tell him that Cathleen needed to go to the university to finalize her enrollment and insisted that he take her there.

When Matthew noticed Cathleen coming down the stairs, he rose to his feet. "Let's go."

Cathleen was confused. "Go where?"

Matthew's brow furrowed. "Don't pretend you don't know. Didn't you call my grandfather and get him to order me to take you to campus?"

Cathleen didn't know what to say. When had she ever asked his grandfather to intervene? Besides, she hadn't even had breakfast yet.

"It's still early," Cathleen replied, turning toward the kitchen. "I'll leave after I eat."

Matthew's expression hardened. "I don't have time to sit around waiting for you."

Cathleen tied on an apron, took out ingredients from the refrigerator, and paid no attention to Matthew, who remained standing in the living room.

A trace of frost flickered across Matthew's eyes. In the past, people either went out of their way to please him or tried to keep their distance. Everyone wanted his approval, yet at the same time, they feared him.

Cathleen was the exception. To her, he wasn't someone intimidating; he might as well not have existed.

Oblivious to Matthew's thoughts, Cathleen focused entirely on making her breakfast.

She prepared a simple plate of scrambled eggs with toast. Since Matthew hadn't asked for any, she only made enough for herself.

Then, despite the cold, piercing look Matthew directed at her, she ate at an even, unhurried pace.

By the time they finally got into the car, thirty minutes had gone by.

The back seat was roomy enough to accommodate three people, yet Matthew occupied most of it. He radiated an intense, stifling presence, his entire manner distant and unapproachable.

Cathleen sat close to the door, her back straight and posture composed.

Outside the window, the early morning haze was slowly clearing, revealing crowded streets packed with cars and people, a sharp contrast to the stillness and isolation of the mountain villa.

Cathleen had stayed up later than usual the night before and felt the lack of rest. Knowing the drive to the university would take some time, she closed her eyes, hoping to get a bit of sleep.

She had always been highly perceptive, so the moment she sensed someone leaning against her, her eyes flew open.

She wasn't sure when the car had come to a stop. Noticing she was awake, the driver quickly raised a finger to his lips and whispered, "Ma'am, please let him rest a little longer."

Unaccustomed to being addressed that way, Cathleen instinctively rubbed her ear, feeling awkward. Physical closeness, especially of that kind, had never sat well with her.

She hesitated briefly, but ultimately resisted the urge to pull away.

Matthew's head was only lightly resting on her shoulder. However, given his height and the way she was pressed against the door, it gave the impression that she was tucked into his arms.

They remained like that for roughly a minute before Matthew stirred. His arm moved on instinct, wrapping around her and drawing her completely against him. Still asleep, he moved so that his head settled naturally in the curve of her neck.

His warm breath brushed against her ear, bringing their faces just inches apart. From that distance, she could clearly make out the sharp lines of his profile.

Even while asleep, he carried an air of authority. The slight crease in his brow and the firm set of his jaw made it obvious he wasn't someone to take lightly.

The moment didn't last long, though. Not long after Cathleen woke, Matthew began to wake as well.

She quickly slipped out of his arms, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the car in one smooth motion.

Matthew's eyes turned icy, his eyes already sharp and alert, with no trace of grogginess.

The temperature inside the car seemed to plummet instantly.

The driver swallowed hard, then asked cautiously, "Sir, should I drive in?"

Matthew cast a brief look at Cathleen, who was standing near the university gate, and replied curtly, "No. Head back to the office."

When Cathleen turned around, the car was already pulling away at speed, leaving exhaust trailing behind it.

"Cathleen!" someone called out from a distance.

Cathleen immediately recognized the voice; it was Ashley.