Chapter 400
Tangled By Fate
Five minutes before the commotion â
Catherineâs stomach grumbled while they were choosing jewelry.
âOh! I guess Iâm starving already,â she bashfully stated, lowering her head.
Finding it adorable, Vincent smiled. âShall we go to the nearby restaurant and have something? You will have time to rest too.â
âUmm...â Catherine looked outside the window and spotted a van where the shopkeeper was selling delicious kebabs.
âI want to eat that kebab.â She pointed at the van.
âFine, Iâll go out and buy kebabs for you. You can choose your jewelry.â Patting her head, Vincent went out of the shop.
.....
The shop assistant came forward and asked Catherine, âMam, have you chosen any piece you like?â
Catherine replied, âIâll choose one with my fiancé. Please give us some time.â
âSure.â The shop assistant politely smiled and left her alone in the room.
âWe should eat outside. What if we ruin the couch or the floor while eating? We might need to pay for the damages. I better wait for Vincent outside.â
Pondering that Catherine went outside the shop. She delightfully watched Vincent buying kebabs for her.
The road was less crowded. Since it was a workday, only aristocratic ladies were walking on the street, shopping to their heartsâ content.
At that moment, two horses with a carriage were coming forward. All of a sudden, a street child ran in front of the horses.
The childâs sudden action spooked the horses. They raised their front legs and neighed loudly.
The coachman pulled the reins and tried to calm them down but it didnât work. The horses rushed forward.
In front of them, there was the jewelry shop where Catherine and Vincent were a few minutes ago. Catherine was standing right in front of the jewelry shop.
The horses were rushing toward her.
Catherine only noticed the horses when people screamed around her. The blissful smile disappeared from her lips. Her crescent curved eyes were filled with horror instantly.
The horses were so close and she realized it so late that there wasnât enough time for her to think about moving away.
Her legs froze on the spot. Fear crept into her heart.
She subconsciously closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands protectively.
Without having a second thought, she cried out inwardly. At a moment like that, Sebastianâs worried face came to her mind.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Just when she thought she was going to die, a gust of wind blew around her.
Her body was wrapped with something warm and firm.
She felt lighter.
She sensed something tightly wrapped around her body. It was almost painful.
She slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was dark. She couldnât see anything.
âIs this what death looks like?â she wondered.
âWhat were you thinking, you airheaded woman?â
The voice came from above.
Recognizing the voice, she slowly turned her head.
Sebastianâs face came to her view.
â!!!â Catherine was stunned when she saw him. Her heart beat fast.
âWait... how can that be...? Am I dreaming? Or is it the aftermath of my last wish? Maybe an alternative ending. The Goddess must be fulfilling my last wish after my death...â
âCatherine, are you okay?â
Since she was looking at him in a daze without showing any expression, Sebastian got worried.
âCatherine-â
âAm I dead...? Is this... heaven...?â Catherine mumbled.
Panicked, Sebastian shook her body. âWhat are you saying? You didnât die. Snap out of it!â
When her body was jerked several times, Catherine seemed to come back to her senses.
She properly looked at him and realized that she wasnât dead. Her eyes were full of surprise.
âSe...Sebastian?!â
âYes, itâs me. Whatâs 1+1?â
âTwo?â
âCorrect. Can you stand up?â
Confused about what to say, she replied, âI... yes... I think...â
Her head was still muddleheaded. With his assistance, she tried to stand up. While doing so, she noticed that her legs were shaking uncontrollably.
Sebastian pulled her up by her waist. His left hand was holding her left hand.
Catherine leaned against him as she breathed.
âCathy!â Veronica called her name. Her voice quivered.
She ran to her best friend and grabbed her arm.
âAre you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?â
She scanned Catherine from top to bottom, making sure she was left unscathed.
âIâm... fine... Sebastian...â Catherine looked at her rescuer.
Sebastian avoided meeting her gaze. He politely pushed her to Veronica.
âSince Mistress is here, Iâll leave her in your care,â saying that he walked away and mixed in the crowd.
â...Wait...!â Catherine called out to him. Her voice was weaker than she anticipated.
Sebastian heard her but he didnât look back.
Veronica could only look at Sebastianâs back disappearing in the crowd. Then, pull Catherine, âLetâs go somewhere and take some rest.â
The crowd was gathering in front of the jewelry shop where the horses with the carriage were crushed. The glasses broke. The horses were injured. It was a bloody massacre.
Veronica took her to the nearest bench. Catherine was still overwhelmed by the sudden accident and had yet to gather strength.
Arthur gave Veronica a pouch of water. She handed it to Catherine.
At that moment, Vincent ran toward them. âCatherine!â he called her name in panic.
âThey said a blonde woman was crushed and killed in the accident. Are you all right?â
âHe seriously thought that Cathy was hurt just cause some people said so?â Veronica pondered. âHis worry isnât unreasonable though. Not many women have blonde hair like her.â
Drinking a mouth full of water, Catherine replied, âIâm fine. Nothing happened to me.â
âOh, thank goodness!â Vincent sighed in relief. âThat accident was surely scary. Why did the child run like that?â
âItâs common for children to run randomly in the street. But causing accidents like that, itâs rare,â Zinnia stated.
She was standing close to the shop. She walked closer and checked Catherineâs temperature.
âYou seem fine. I hope you can recover soon or you might suffer from a fever due to trauma,â she said.
âMaybe we should rest for today,â Vincent suggested. Afterward, he expressed his displeasure, âHow can children be so reckless in the city?â
Unknown to them, the child who scared the horses went to a quiet alley and whistled. Some time later, a person came to meet him.