Chapter 937 Crisis Little did Catherine know that she would encounter a group of skilled intruders on her way back from the laboratory that evening.
As she left the school gate, she sensed someone following her discreetly.
Intentionally taking a detour through a side path, Catherine wanted to ascertain the identity and motives of the people following her.
Reaching the corner, she paused and turned around to find no one behind her. âNo need to hide, guys. Come out!â she called out.
The next moment, four men dressed in black with masks emerged from the shadows. Though they hadnât engaged in combat yet, Catherine could tell they were formidable.
The leader of the group, with a sharp and piercing gaze, locked eyes with Catherine. âSince youâve spotted us, why not just come with us and save us the trouble?â he said.
With a cold laugh, Catherine replied in a nonchalant tone, âAre you sure you can take me with you?â
Her calm demeanor unsettled the leader, who had been aware of Catherineâs formidable abilities before their encounter. They wouldnât have taken this assignment if they werenât confident.
âCatherine, youâre impressive. But can you really take on all four of us at once? âthe leader challenged.
In a one-on-one scenario, they wouldnât stand a chance. With four against one, however, Catherine wasnât guaranteed a victory.
Catherine understood their confidence -they were all armed.
The four men were exceedingly arrogant. âMiss Swann, I advise you to come with us willingly, or else youâll regret it,â the leader warned.
Narrowing her eyes and giving them an intimidating look, Catherine had no intention of attacking them, especially with the presence of lethal weapons. Her current situation didnât allow for it.
âAre you guys not going to show yourselves?â Catherine exclaimed.
The four men in black looked around warily. In the next moment, Carlo and a few of his men emerged from the shadows.
âMiss Swann, rest assured, weâve got this, Boss is waiting for you at home for dinner. Iâll have someone escort you,â Carlo said.
Catherine didnât leave immediately; she wanted to assess the situation first.
Carlo glanced at the four men opposite them and remarked, âWeapons, huh? You think weâre defenseless? Show âem! âCarloâs men took out their weapons. These were all elites trained by the Duncans, specifically chosen by Branden to protect Catherine.
The four men in black had been tracking Catherine for two to three days, noticing her solitary movements without any protection except for occasional encounters with Branden. They took the bold move when Branden was absent, not expecting Catherine to have so many skilled individuals by her side.
Despite the increased risk, they were not planning to give up. Catherine was their target, and they had to complete the mission.
Carlo understood their motives, and both sides engaged in a fight. Despite the opponentsâ strength, Carloâs team, with their numbers, managed to hold their own in the scuffle.
âTake her!â the leader of the four men shouted and lunged towards Catherine. Just as his hand was about to touch her, a knife pierced his palm, causing him to let out a painful scream and withdraw his hand. Catherine turned around to see Branden and Paxton approaching them swiftly.
With the arrival of more help for Catherine, the four men realized that their plan was futile and decided to flee. Carlo immediately approached Branden, offering to send people to pursue the fleeing individuals.
Branden, fixating his gaze on Catherine, asked if she was okay.
Catherine shrugged. âIâm perfectly fine, â she said, noticing his cold aura and quickly explaining, âI didnât do anything. When I found them, I just called for Carlo!â
Branden had to hold back his words. He suppressed his anger and gently pinched Catherineâs cheek. âCome on, letâs go back for dinner!â
Catherine had known that he had someone following her, but she chose not to reveal it. She had avoided putting herself in danger directly, which was a significant improvement, and she felt she deserved praise.
Branden didnât dwell on it and led her back home. When they arrived, the table was already set with the meal he had prepared. If he hadnât needed to cook, he would have gone to pick her up himself.
Branden had thought it was just a short distance, but it turned out to be an opportunity for those attackers to take action. He silently vowed that he wouldnât let Catherine have any more chances to be alone in the future.
After dinner, there was a knock at the door. Carlo stood outside, looking dejected. It seemed he had lost track of those four men.
Catherine wasnât surprised; after all, they were quite strong.
If Branden hadnât arranged for Carlo and his men to secretly protect her today, the situation could have turned out differently.
These people clearly planned everything meticulously, daring to act so boldly. It was very likely that they had planned their escape route as well.
Catherine yawned. âYou guys chat. Iâm going in to sleep!â With that, she headed to her room. Little did she expect that as soon as she entered the room, she saw Branden standing behind her. Looking at him with a puzzled expression, she asked, âWhat are you doing here?â
Branden helped her sit down. âGo to sleep. Iâll leave once you fall asleep!â After closing the curtains, tucking her in, and waiting for her to close her eyes, Branden quietly left the room.
Catherine thought to herself, âIs he really treating me like a daughter?â However, she was too tired to dwell on it, and she soon fell asleep.