Jadaâs words made everyone look at Catherine with increasing disdain. Compared to the powerful and influential Jada Facer, Catherine, a woman of unknown origin, naturally became the target of criticism.
The crowd supported Jada and despised Catherine. However, Catherineâs gaze fell on Baron, and with just a glance, she recognized him.
âCode 021?â
Baron nodded. He had seen Catherine once on the battlefield when she was their teamâs highest commander, leading them in a borderless rescue mission.
Catherine was a woman with a petite figure. How could these brave and skilled mercenaries possibly take orders from her?
But in the end, Catherine proved herself with her formidable strength. She made everyone willingly obey her commands, establishing herself as the most powerful candidate for commander.
Not to mention just Baron alone, even if there were ten more, they would be no match for Catherine.
Offending Jada would, at most, result in financial compensation and some physical discomfort, but offending Catherine meant torture that was more unbearable than death.
Baron wasnât stupid, so naturally, he made a wise choice.
The commotion in the banquet hall alerted Karl and Branden. Branden rushed over as soon as he heard that something happened to Catherine, standing by her side.
Accompanying Karl was Conor. As soon as he appeared, without Jada saying anything, the people nearby immediately came forward to complain on her behalf.
âMr. Facer, this girl appeared out of nowhere and attacked Miss Facer. Even this bodyguard is on her side!â
Conor glanced at his granddaughter. When he saw her embarrassed appearance, his expression darkened. He then turned his gaze to Catherine.
Catherine calmly sat by the side, exuding a faint aura of dominance.
Conor couldnât discern any emotions from her face. It was quite rare for a young girl to possess such composure and calmness.
Standing beside Catherine was Branden. Although the Duncans didnât reside in Loxton, Conor had heard quite a bit about Karlâs grandson. He had seen Branden a few times. When had he ever seen Branden act so intimately with a woman?
Even the Duncans themselves might not receive much attention from Branden. Now, in public, he was being so close to a girl. Could it be thatâ¦
Conor furrowed his brows. He originally planned to take advantage of this opportunity, where his old friend personally attended his birthday celebration, to discuss the engagement between Jada and Branden.
However, something unexpected happened.
Considering Brandenâs attitude toward Catherine, Conor didnât directly confront her but instead first asked for clarification.
âMiss, is there some misunderstanding? Why did you attack my granddaughter?â
Catherine nonchalantly set down her phone and looked up at Conor, giving a nonchalant response.
âShe was too noisy!â
This comment was even more embarrassing than the last one of Catherineâs. Jada couldnât control her anger any longer and rushed in front of Branden. She was well aware that without Brandenâs support, this woman wouldnât dare to be so arrogant.
âMr. Duncan, have you seen how arrogant her attitude is? She completely disregards everyone. Are you going to let her tarnish your reputation?â
Upon hearing Jadaâs accusations, the people around couldnât help but come forward in support.
âWhat a shameless woman!â
âHow could she be so rude?â
âShe has no manners at all. How did such a person infiltrate our circle?â
Several women took turns criticizing Catherine, belittling her to the point of worthlessness.
After receiving support from the crowd, Jada became even more arrogant and once again questioned Branden, âMr. Duncan, this woman not only tarnished your reputation but also brought everyoneâs discontent. Shouldnât you say something to ensure justice?â
âHumphâ¦â Branden sneered coldly, his voice extremely gloomy. âEnsure justice?â
Seeing his expression, Jada couldnât help but feel a sense of unease. But she still refused to back down. She was sure that if Catherine admitted to her wrongdoing, Branden would stop protecting Catherine immediately.
âMr. Duncan, I implore you to ensure justice!â
Brandenâs face grew colder, and his eyes grew darker. He placed his hand on Catherineâs waist, pulling her closer to him, and said in an overbearing tone, âIâm here to support her, not to ensure justice!â
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the girls who had just slandered Catherine changed drastically, their eyes filled with panic.
As Brandenâs face grew darker, the atmosphere at the scene gradually became thick with tension.
All eyes were focused on Jada. The Facers were the most powerful family and the only one capable of resisting the Duncans.
Jada immediately realized that something was wrong. She turned to her grandfather for help.
âGrandpa, look at Branden. Heâs completely infatuated with this woman!
âDonât talk nonsense!â Conor reprimanded Jada.
Given their respective positions, Conor wouldnât compete with Branden. He turned around and began conversing with Karl, who was standing behind him.
âKarl, who is this young lady?â
Conor, in his younger days, was a prominent figure with exceptional skills and a keen mind.
Since Branden dared to defend Catherine so firmly in public, aside from Brandenâs own power, there might be a connection with Karl.
Karl had initially planned to be a bystander and watch his grandson play the hero. Unexpectedly, Conor suddenly questioned him, leaving him with no choice but to respond.
He smiled at Conor, pointed at Catherine, and had a somewhat proud expression on his face.
âConor, she looks amazing, huh? Sheâs my future granddaughter-in-law, Catherine!â
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked. They had originally thought that Karl didnât like Catherine. However, not only was Karlâs attitude towards her favorable, but he also openly acknowledged her identity.
Even Conor was momentarily stunned. However, he quickly regained his composure and calmly congratulated Karl.
âCongratulations, you are truly lucky, Karl. Branden gets engaged at such a young age, which is enviable!â
On the surface, he was congratulating Karl, but in fact, he was reminding Karl that Branden didnât require an early public engagement based on Brandenâs age and status.
After hearing this, Karl burst into laughter.
âItâs about time. Iâve been looking forward to it for over a decade. Once Cassie graduates from college, I will arrange for them to get married. And then, Iâll have fulfilled Vicenteâs wishes! Let me tell you something, Conor. Cassie is Vicenteâs granddaughter. She was betrothed to my grandson, Branden, at a young age!
Everyone had initially thought that Catherine was an insignificant girl with no status, but it turned out that she was the daughter of the Swanns and had been betrothed to Branden since childhood.
The people who had mocked Catherine earlier were now in a panic.
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