A Replacement Bride

Chapter 162

"By the way, Grandpa wants to know if you have the time to visit and have dinner with him." After Joaquin took care of the glass bottle, he recalled Zachary's invitation over the phone a few days ago and felt the pulsing in his temples.

"What?" Katherine shot him a confused glance as she didn't immediately catch his words.

"We don't have to go if you're busy. The elders are easily bored, so they need to find some way to entertain themselves." Pursing his lips, he suggested a second option as he was worried that she wasn't willing to socialize with the Fosters.

"I'm okay with it since I'm free lately. Just tell me once you have set up a time for it." She instantly remembered the kind old man who attended the wedding last time. Zachary had left a good impression on her as he wasn't an overbearing and unreasonable old man of some kind. Besides, she could tell Zachary adored Joaquin very much.

The mention of Zachary also reminded her that he gifted her something during the wedding. However, she was exhausted after that and forgot about its existence ever since. She made a mental note to bring along some presents when visiting the Fosters later. From NôvelDrama.Org.

After Katherine gave Joaquin a firm reply, she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water with something in her mind.

He raised his brows at her unexpected answer. Standing still for a moment to digest the thought, he called Zachary later and informed Zachary that she would be visiting.

The two set the date on the second day's night. After Joaquin told her the time, she agreed absent- mindedly at first before she pondered for a moment and asked, "What does your grandfather like?"

"Grandpa? He likes gardening and is interested in oil paintings." He answered in autopilot but soon added, "You don't have to bring anything. You're not a guest, you're a family."

"I understand," Katherine replied with a short answer and paid no more attention to him.

Before he could further remind Katherine about the dinner, Jennifer walked out of her room and waved at him to gesture for him to join her. "Joaquin, can you come over to my room?"

Joaquin hummed as a response and followed behind.

"Grandma, you wanted to see me?" He couldn't help but worry about her well-being after he walked into her room and found that she had a livid look.

She patted the empty seat beside her, gesturing for him to sit instead of answering. Then, she turned to the dressing table and picked up something before she handed it over to him. "Help me to keep this for the time being and pass it to Kathy later."

"Grandma, you should give it to her yourself." From what Joaquin could tell, she was giving off an odd vibe as if she was speaking her last words.

He thought of Emma making a sudden visit to Jennifer before she was in such a condition. It must have had something to do with the Rosenburgs.

"I know you're not an ordinary person, so I bet you know the Rosenburgs for sure. I won't talk much about them, but I'll tell you what is necessary. The Rosenburg Family is somewhat influential, and an old woman like me is unable to protect Kathy if they're trying to stir trouble. Johdy, I can see your feelings for her are sincere. Can I ask you for a favor and entrust you to take care of her?" Jennifer watched him and teared up as she began.

"Grandma, what exactly happened between you and them?" Joaquin was even more concerned to see her in such a state.

"The Rosenburgs won't back down that easily, especially when they don't have an heir. The old fool won't want anything other than Kathy being one of them. It's even better if you're willing to become a live-in son-in-law so that the survival of their bloodline is ensured. Hmph, he can dream on." Jennifer snorted at the Rosenburgs' motives and scolded.

Joaquin was confused as the information overwhelmed him, but he grasped the key to her story, which was that Katherine and the Rosenburgs were related.

He began with a surprised look, "Is Kathy and the Rosenburg Family—"

"Take a seat. I have a story to tell you." She could tell he was curious, so she cast a smile at him and urged him to sit.

Since she demanded, Joaquin did as told.

After Jennifer collected her thoughts, she began the story with a calm tone, "The Olsen Family was once influential in Kyoland. One day, my daughter, Elsie, met Joshua, the second son of the Rosenburg Family, and they fell in love. My husband and I supported the relationship too. However, something serious happened to the Rosenburgs at that time, and the old hag of the family was hoping for Joshua to marry the daughter of the Grant Family, so they could depend on the Grants to get back in their prime.

"Thus, she would do anything to sabotage Elsie and Joshua's relationship. She even used the dirty trick to set Elsie up by making her sleep with another man, so that the pair would break up. I remembered that Elsie was devastated when she went to see Joshua. I have no idea what they had talked about, but she kneeled before us and begged us to leave Kyoland and never return after she met Joshua."

"After that, the family left Kyoland according to her wish and eventually settled down in Hovington. Not long later, Elsie also chose to marry someone else to forget about Joshua. It's amazing how twenty years have gone in a flash." Mixed feelings emerged on Jennifer's face. "The old hag of the Rosenburgs must have thought Elsie was pregnant with her son's child, so she came to see Kathy in hope that Kathy can return to her birth family. Elsie wasn't pregnant with Joshua's child at all."

"Then, who's the father of the child?" Joaquin could finally see the full story after Jennifer's explanation.

Never would he think that Katherine wasn't related to the Cornell Family either.

Even so, he found it plausible though. After all, a man like Jorge doesn't deserve to have a daughter as excellent as her.

"Who knows? That old witch drugged Elsie, and she never knew the identity of the man she had slept with. She only realized that she was pregnant after we settled down in Hovington and married somebody else. If only I knew that Jorge was an immoral man, I would never have agreed to Elsie marrying him in the first place, and causing the death of my husband. As for me, I've spent years in a haze after that." She shook her head and sighed with a sad look.

"How can I help you with this matter?" Joaquin took some time to collect his thoughts and finally understood what happened back then.

Emma indeed left him an impression that she would stop at nothing to reach her goals.

"You have to protect Kathy for me. After all, she's still young. She has endured so much suffering for me all these years, so please don't blame her over Noah's matter. Can you promise me that you will take care of her?" Jennifer looked into his eyes with a serious expression and waited for his answers.

"Grandma, you don't have to worry. Since I'm her husband, you can count on me to be responsible for her well-being." He reached out and held her hands as he promised her earnestly.

"That's all I needed to hear. There's one more thing; you should only give the thing in the box to her after I pass away." Jennifer stared at him as she was glad of his promise, her eyes betraying a trace of relief.

Joaquin got a bad feeling from her expression that she planned to do something.

Before he could voice his doubts, the elder woman chimed in, "You can go now. I'm tired and want to rest."

"Grandma, don't worry. You can depend on me for everything. I won't allow anyone to harm you and Kathy," he reminded her one more time before he left her room.