Chapter 266 The Brake Pads
When the secretary delivered the vehicle appraisal report to Korbin, he couldnât remain calm any longer.
Korbin had some inkling of Lianaâs thoughts, so despite his doubts, he immediately instructed the secretary to inspect the car that Johnathan had been in when the incident occurred.
âMr. Swann, the brake pads on Mr. Johnathanâs car have been tampered with,â the secretary said. Upon hearing this, Rachael, who was standing nearby, couldnât sit still any longer.
She stood up. Her eyes were red and filled with hatred. She shouted, âThat jinx did this? Damn it. How dare she?
âIâm going to kill her. I must go and kill her!â
However, Liana, who was standing beside them, remained somewhat composed at that point. She reached out to hold her mother.
âMom, although we suspect that Johnathanâs incident wasnât an accident, we donât have evidence that Catherine did it. Shouldnât we investigate further?â she suggested. Rachael was furious, and her face was contorted with anger.
âWho else could it be but her? Sheâs an absolute disaster, a jinx. Sheâs back for revenge. She wants Johnny dead and the inheritance all to herself.â
Not satisfied with venting her anger, Rachael directed her fury at Korbin. âAre you just going to stand there while our child is in danger? Heâs your only son, your sole heir!â
Korbin knew how much Rachael cared about their son, so out of consideration for their son, he chose not to argue with her. He looked at Rachael seriously and said, âMind your image.â
Rachael was infuriated. At a time like this, her husband was reminding her to maintain her public image. Rachael realized Korbin couldnât be relied upon, but she still had her family to turn to.
âKorbin, you might be afraid of that jinx, but Iâm not. I will make her pay and do what I say.â
As he watched Rachael storm out, Korbin calmly glanced at the secretary standing nearby. âHave someone keep an eye on her, but donât let things get out of hand.â
This was a crucial time, especially after the recent incident with Leonel. Their cooperation with David had finally taken shape.
If any scandal emerged now, it would allow the other side to seize their weaknesses through Catherine, and the consequences would be too significant. Korbin wouldnât let his wifeâs actions jeopardize the bigger picture.
He was determined to eliminate Catherine. Korbin thought what his wife said was right. Johnathan was their only heir, and Korbin wouldnât let Catherine succeed.
After school, Catherine went straight to the hospital. Audrey was recovering fairly well, and she greeted Catherine with a smile.
âKathy, you came right after school, didnât you? Next time, donât rush like this. I have Kiri here. If you want to visit me, you should come after dinner.â
Audrey had also been a student and understood how tiring school could be at Catherineâs age. Audreyâs happiest moment after school had always been when she could eat something. Catherine shrugged nonchalantly. âIâm not hungry.â
After every class, Ronin would give her various snacks. She really wasnât hungry at that hour.
Kiri managed things efficiently. She assisted Audrey with hospital matters, organized Audreyâs work, and helped Kim with tasks. Watching this, Catherine couldnât help but nod in approval. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Audrey. âNot bad.â
Audrey noticed Catherineâs gaze and understood her meaning. Then she replied, âSheâs more than ânot badâ. Sheâs absolutely amazing!
âKathy, I appreciate you finding me such a great assistant. And I have some exciting news to share with you.â
Seeing Audreyâs excitement, Catherine leaned to the side, propped her chin up with one hand, and waited for her to speak.
Audrey said excitedly, âLet me tell you. The company has agreed to cover half of Kiriâs salary. Isnât the company just wonderful?â
The fact that the company would cover half of the assistantâs salary made Audrey so happy. It left Catherine unsure whether to praise her for being content or call her naive.
Nevertheless, Catherine couldnât help but think that the management company was being quite stingy. If it werenât for Kim, Audrey might have been taken advantage of.
âWhen you have time, let Kim send your contract to Ronin.â
Audrey didnât know why Catherine suddenly wanted her contract, but she obediently nodded. Kiri was on the side and continued with her tasks while discreetly keeping an eye on the sistersâ conversation.
She thought inwardly, âThe older sister doesnât seem much like an older sister. And the younger sister appears more like the responsible one. They are indeed an interesting pair of siblings.â
âYou two seem to be having a good time here, chatting and laughing away. An abrupt voice interrupted their conversation. Audrey and Catherine turned around simultaneously to see Liana standing at the door. She wore a stern expression and glared at them with cold eyes.
Knowing who had arrived, Catherine lost interest and withdrew her gaze. She sat indifferently to the side. Audrey, who was slightly more hospitable, greeted Liana with warmth.
âLiana, what brings you here? Come on in.â
Liana entered with determined steps. She emanated a cold aura, and her expression was dark, as if everyone owed her something.
Sensing the tension, Kiri exchanged a glance with Audrey and quietly left the room. After entering, Liana confronted Audrey and Catherine with anger in her eyes.
âDo you two have any conscience left? You live off the Swanns and benefit from the Swanns. But when Johnathan had an accident, you didnât even bother to visit him. Do you think thatâs justifiable?â
Audrey was shocked to hear this. She widened her eyes and looked at Liana in disbelief. âWhat are you saying? Johnathan had an accident? What happened to Johnathan? Is it serious?â
Liana sneered and gave Audrey a sideways glance. She said coldly, âNow youâre feigning concern?â
Audrey grew anxious and raised her voice. âLiana, tell me. What happened to Johnathan?â
Liana replied with an impatient tone, Car accident. Heâs undergoing surgery in the operating room downstairs.â
After Audrey heard about Johnathanâs car accident and his current critical condition, her face turned ashen. Despite Johnathanâs occasional rebelliousness and rude behavior, he was still Audreyâs brother, and Audrey couldnât remain indifferent.
While Audreyâs reaction seemed normal, Liana observed that Catherine hadnât even blinked her eyes and showed no reaction whatsoever.
Liana asked, âCatherine, what do you mean by this? Johnathan has had an accident, and youâre not concerned at all. Do you want him to die in that accident?â
At that moment, Liana discreetly activated her phoneâs recording device. Catherine had initially planned to ignore Liana, but since Liana insisted on calling her name, Catherine had no choice.
It was just a leg fracture, but Liana made it sound like it was a matter of life and death. Catherine wondered what her intentions were. Catherine raised her head and looked at Liana with her cold eyes.
Then Catherine said, âAudrey has been hospitalized for so many days, and you havenât visited her. Now that Johnathan has an accident, youâre here questioning why we didnât see him.
âLiana, what do you mean by this?
âAre you suggesting that Johnathanâs life is more important than Audreyâs?â