Chapter 717 What a Clown!
Catherine found Zobber at a corner of the top floor. Zobber always liked to stay in secluded places like this, so it was easy for Catherine to find her in less crowded areas.
When Zobber heard a noise and turned around to see Catherine approaching, her eyes instantly lit up. Her originally cold face was now adorned with a radiant smile.
âCatherine, youâre here!â Zobber exclaimed. Only in Catherineâs presence could Zobber show her more youthful side.
Catherine walked over to Zobber and sat down beside her. The hotel had over fifty floors, and they were on the top floor. In front of them was a vast floor- to-ceiling window offering a breathtaking view of the scenery below.
âCatherine, the view is really nice from up here,â Zobber remarked.
Catherine silently watched the scenery without responding. Zobber took a cigarette out of her pocket, about to put it in her mouth. Remembering Catherineâs habits, however, she flicked the cigarette into the trash can.
âCatherine, the bet has started! The first round is quite exciting. I didnât expect this dull research project to attract so much attention,â Zobber said.
Catherine smirked, showing no surprise at all. Where there was a competition, there was winning and losing, and where there was winning and losing, there was gambling.
âWhat are the odds?â Catherine inquired.
Upon hearing Catherineâs question, Zobber gave a mysterious smile. â
Catherine, the team youâre on has the highest odds in the first round, which is 1 to 16.â
âHumph.â Catherine chuckled coldly. â Everyoneâs betting on me to lose, huh?â
âThose people are ignorant. They donât know your strength. Donât be angry!â Zobber replied.
Catherine wasnât angry at all-not even a bit. A hint of cunning flashed in her eyes. The mischievous glint in Catherineâs eyes made Zobber feel a flutter in her heart. Whenever she saw Catherine with that smile, she knew someone was in for trouble.
Catherine motioned to Zobber with a crooked finger and flashed a charming smile.
âCatherine, whatever you command, Iâll do it. Just donât smile at me like that!â
Zobber leaned in, and Catherine whispered something in her ear. Zobberâs eyes lit up instantly, and she became excited.
âCatherine, can I get in on this?â Zobber asked.
Catherine patted her on the shoulder. â Go ahead.â
âThanks, Catherine. Iâll get right on it! âZobber said eagerly.
Thinking about the opportunity to make a fortune, Zobber paid no attention to the beautiful scenery before her and immediately got up to finish her task.
The next day, there were suddenly a lot of rumors about the Styre Team. Paddy was ecstatic, gossiping like crazy, using his imagination to fabricate stories. â
Have you all heard? Our Styre Universityâs reputation is going to be completely ruined this time!â
When people heard Paddyâs words, they curiously gathered around him. â Paddy, what gossip have you heard this time?â someone asked.
Paddy frowned at the person speaking. âThis is not just some gossip. Itâs the truth! They say that there is a freshman from Styre University who is just there for show, making our defeat certain. The odds were 1 to 16 last night, and today theyâve risen to 1 to 20. Can you believe it? It tarnished the reputation of Styre University!â Paddyâs serious tone left the surrounding students stunned, and it was only after he finished speaking that they began to discuss the matter.
Styre Universityâs EIE Team was already in a precarious situation. Many assumed that Styre University was bound to lose to the Johnville Team from Theisia. It made sense that they would not back down without a fight, but before the match even began, they were already criticized like this, which was truly embarrassing.
Hearing the murmurs around him, Paddy believed he could incite the crowd, aiming to teach Catherine a lesson. âEveryone, the match wonât start until tomorrow. Each team has a substitute member, and I think we should unite and advise the school to replace Catherine! At the very least, if we lose, we should lose with dignity without being laughed at. Do you all agree?â
âYes!â
Surprisingly, some people supported Paddy, thinking that he had a point.
Hearing this, Paddy became more determined. He felt he could use this opportunity to bring Catherine down.
He thought that without the chance to compete, Catherine would have nothing to show off. In that case, if the Biology Team achieved a good ranking, Marshallâs team would never be able to be arrogant again.
The more Paddy thought about it, the more excited he became. He was sure that this was a great opportunity.
Eamon watched as Paddy incited the crowd, feeling anxious and worried that something might happen. Taking advantage of their distraction, he stepped back to the side and then found Catherine, who was still playing games. âCatherine, why are you still playing games here?â Eamon urgently asked.
Facing Eamonâs urgency, Catherine set down her phone and looked up at him. â Whatâs the matter?â
Eamon immediately told her about Paddyâs words. Catherine coldly commented. âWhat a clown!â
Eamon wholeheartedly agreed with Catherine, as Paddy was nothing but a clown. âCatherine, even though that guy is a clown, we canât just watch him slander you and do nothing. What if he really incites a group of people to go to the school authorities to complain? Iâm afraid youâll be in big trouble!â
Catherine calmly thanked Eamon.â
Thanks for the reminder, Eamon. Donât worry.â
Hearing this, Eamon felt more worried for her, but there was nothing he could do, so he had to let her be. âCatherine, just be more careful, okay?â Unable to persuade Catherine, he had to leave. He planned to go to Marshall and explain the situation to him.
Feeling bored, Catherine got up, ready to return to the hotel. Just as she walked out of the elevator, she saw Branden approaching.
Catherine ran her tongue along her upper gum, a faint smile appearing on her face. âAre you waiting for me?â
âYes!â Branden admitted generously, taking a few steps forward and holding her hand.
Catherine, who had just stepped out of the elevator, followed Branden into the elevator and arrived at the top-floor presidential suite.
To access the top floor, a special room card was required because the elevator was connected to the room.
The entire top floor was a super luxurious flat, exclusively for some special customers to use.
As soon as Catherine entered, she saw the familiar armchair in the living room. She really liked it. There was one in the house in Casier and the apartment in Loxton. And now, here it was.
âHow did this armchair get moved here?â
âIt just arrived this morning,â Branden replied, not directly answering Catherineâs question. He didnât tell her that he had specially ordered ten of the same armchairs from Itasca, Italy. It took some time to ship them here. Otherwise, they should have arrived yesterday.
In her leisure time, Catherine liked to lie on the armchair and play games. Branden remembered every single detail of her habits.
Catherine comfortably leaned back on the armchair, and Branden snuggled up to her.
âYouâve been getting a lot of attention lately. Do you want to lay low for a bit?â He asked, worried that it would affect Catherineâs competition.
âNo need,â Catherine said, looking somewhat smug. âIf you have free time, you can just help me gain more attention!â
Hearing this, Branden immediately understood what Catherine meant. Her expression clearly indicated that she was up to something again. It was fine for her to do whatever she wanted as long as she was happy. He would support her no matter what.