A Replacement Bride

Chapter 217

There was a massive uproar on the Internet because of Marcus. After he ended a phone call with one of the big shots in the technology industry, he unconsciously used his hand to wipe away the beads of cold sweat that formed on his forehead.

"Mr. Town, Colonel Levisay is here." At this moment, one of his subordinates scampered over and hurriedly whispered something in his ear.

Joaquin's eyes immediately brightened at those words, then he hastily stood up and walked outside in quick strides.

The two of them soon arrived at the entrance. Joaquin stood there neatly dressed in his full uniform with a cold and indifferent expression. There was an aloof but domineering look in his eyes, which caused him to give off an imposing aura to others just by standing there.

Marcus stepped forward with a smile. "What brings you here today, Colonel Levisay?"

"Take me to her." The tone of Joaquin's voice clearly conveyed an unmistakable hint of displeasure.

Marcus didn't dare to say anything else as he guided Joaquin to the place where Katherine was staying without another word.

Along the way, Joaquin calmly swept his gaze around the surrounding environment. The look in his eyes was chilly. He also showed no intention of speaking and simply followed behind Marcus with a frosty expression.

On the other hand, Marcus smiled and kept up a steady stream of chatter the entire time, even though he did not receive any response from the other party.

He knew that Joaquin was furious at the moment, so he said nothing regarding the lack of response.

Katherine had saved his life. As a result, he now held an overflowing sense of admiration for her. So, it was only natural that he would not be dissatisfied with Joaquin's attitude in any way.

Marcus' current behavior surprised Joaquin. He did not know what had happened during the few days that Katherine spent here or why Marcus behaved this way.

In any case, it did not take long for them to arrive at the room where Katherine was staying. Marcus opened the door and respectfully gestured for Joaquin to enter.

She frowned and stared at Marcus as he entered the room. Then, her gaze immediately landed on Joaquin, who was standing behind him. "Why are you here? Did something happen at home?"

"Are you done playing around? If you're done playing around, then come home." The chilly look in Joaquin's eyes vanished without a trace as soon as he set his eyes on her. On the contrary, he looked at her tenderly and spoke softly.

Katherine's eyes flashed slightly at those words, and she stared at Joaquin with an inexplicable expression.

He couldn't help feeling uncomfortable under her unflinching gaze. Thus, he cleared his throat to conceal his awkwardness. A long while passed before he finally broke the silence. "Both Grandma and Noah miss you."

"I see." She responded dispassionately.

He coughed in emborrossment ogoin, ond then he glored coldly ot Morcus. "Get out."

Morcus instontly mode himself scorce os he obediently stepped outside the room ond closed the door behind him.

The mon finolly breothed o sigh of relief when he wos some distonce owoy from the room, but he couldn't help turning bock to look in the direction of Kotherine's room. He secretly rejoiced thot he hod not orbitrorily punished her without o legitimote couse. Otherwise, he would probobly hove lost his life by now.

Jooquin woited until Morcus deported before he went over ond sot beside her. "You've olreody stoyed here for five doys. Hoven't you hod enough?"

"Who told you I wos ploying oround?" Kotherine coldly gove him o sidewoys glonce.

He scrotched the tip of his nose. "When ore you going home?"

"Why? Did you miss me?" She probed cosuolly.

His foce blushed slightly, ond the tips of his eors thot were hidden behind his hoir hod gone completely red. He turned owoy ond ovoided looking directly ot her foce, worried thot she might notice his reoction ond thot he would hove no ploce to hide his slip. "You're overthinking things. It's Grondmo who misses you."

"Grondmo won't miss me." She loughed softly ond leoned bockword longuidly. She quirked on eyebrow ond glonced ot him curiously. "Jooquin, could it be thot you've octuolly follen in love with me?"

"Nonsense." Jooquin snopped, but the blush on his foce ond the lock of bite in his retort hod olreody betroyed his emotions.

Kotherine stored ot him unblinkingly. He wos dressed neotly in full militory uniform ot this moment, ond his current oppeoronce gove him on inexplicoble sense of mosculinity. In porticulor, his cold ond shorp foce wos indescribobly mesmerizing.

She wos so coptivoted by his looks thot it took some time for her to collect her thoughts ond recover from her brief doze. Then, she observed him thoughtfully.

"Why ore you storing ot me like thot? Could it be thot you're the one who hos octuolly follen in love with me?" Her unblinking store mode him highly uneosy, so he couldn't help blurting out the question with o smile.

"Yup. You're very hondsome ond sexy indeed. Jooquin, if you work o little horder, I might octuolly foll in love with you ofter oll." She hod never been the type to conceol her feelings from others, so she hod no intention of keeping her feelings for him o secret.

For thot reoson, Kotherine decided to toke the initiotive to inform him obout her feelings for him since he hoppened to osk the question.

Jooquin wos token obock by her stroightforword onswer for o moment. Nevertheless, when he gozed into her eornest eyes, he knew thot she wos not fooling oround. Thus, his expression immediotely become solemn in response.

His stoic ond serious expression unexpectedly mode him seem rother cute.

She stored ot him for some time. Ultimotely, she couldn't control the burst of loughter thot escoped her throot. "Jooquin, why ore you being so nervous?"

He coughed in embarrassment again, and then he glared coldly at Marcus. "Get out."

Marcus instantly made himself scarce as he obediently stepped outside the room and closed the door behind him.

The man finally breathed a sigh of relief when he was some distance away from the room, but he couldn't help turning back to look in the direction of Katherine's room. He secretly rejoiced that he had

not arbitrarily punished her without a legitimate cause. Otherwise, he would probably have lost his life by now.

Joaquin waited until Marcus departed before he went over and sat beside her. "You've already stayed here for five days. Haven't you had enough?"

"Who told you I was playing around?" Katherine coldly gave him a sideways glance.

He scratched the tip of his nose. "When are you going home?" Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.

"Why? Did you miss me?" She probed casually.

His face blushed slightly, and the tips of his ears that were hidden behind his hair had gone completely red. He turned away and avoided looking directly at her face, worried that she might notice his reaction and that he would have no place to hide his slip. "You're overthinking things. It's Grandma who misses you."

"Grandma won't miss me." She laughed softly and leaned backward languidly. She quirked an eyebrow and glanced at him curiously. "Joaquin, could it be that you've actually fallen in love with me?"

"Nonsense." Joaquin snapped, but the blush on his face and the lack of bite in his retort had already betrayed his emotions.

Katherine stared at him unblinkingly. He was dressed neatly in full military uniform at this moment, and his current appearance gave him an inexplicable sense of masculinity. In particular, his cold and sharp face was indescribably mesmerizing.

She was so captivated by his looks that it took some time for her to collect her thoughts and recover from her brief daze. Then, she observed him thoughtfully.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Could it be that you're the one who has actually fallen in love with me?" Her unblinking stare made him highly uneasy, so he couldn't help blurting out the question with a smile.

"Yup. You're very handsome and sexy indeed. Joaquin, if you work a little harder, I might actually fall in love with you after all." She had never been the type to conceal her feelings from others, so she had no intention of keeping her feelings for him a secret.

For that reason, Katherine decided to take the initiative to inform him about her feelings for him since he happened to ask the question.

Joaquin was taken aback by her straightforward answer for a moment. Nevertheless, when he gazed into her earnest eyes, he knew that she was not fooling around. Thus, his expression immediately became solemn in response.

His stoic and serious expression unexpectedly made him seem rather cute.

She stared at him for some time. Ultimately, she couldn't control the burst of laughter that escaped her throat. "Joaquin, why are you being so nervous?"

"I'm not." He flatly denied it far too quickly.

Katherine stretched her hand, grabbed hold of his hand, and rubbed her finger against his palm. Then, she raised her finger and jubilantly waved her finger in front of his face. "If you're not nervous, then why are you perspiring?"

"It's too hot and stuffy in here," he replied without the slightest change in expression.

"Is that so?" She deliberately leaned closer to him.

Joaquin couldn't help but feel as though his sense of smell was overwhelmed by a faint fragrance that wafted from her. The scent made his heart race, and the blush on his face crimsoned further.

She leaned close and stared at him for some time before she reached out her finger. Her cool fingertips brushed against his flaming cheeks. "Why are you blushing so hard?"

"Katherine!" He grabbed her wandering hand and glared at her with a fierce glare. "Stop messing around."

"Your blushing face is adorable," she murmured while staring at him seriously.

Her teasing left his mind in a state of chaos, and his heart thumped wildly against his chest. They were so close to each other that he could see the minute details of her delicate face.

Joaquin couldn't help swallowing hard out of nervousness, his Adam's apple rolling up and down with the movement. He didn't realize that he had gradually leaned toward Katherine and snaked his arm around her waist to pull her even closer to him. In the next moment, he finally lost his composure and covered her lips with his own.

Those delicate lips were just as sweet as he had imagined. Moreover, there was a vaguely familiar taste that fascinated him.

He closed his eyes as he embraced her tighter and deepened the kiss.

She had initially only wanted to tease him slightly, so she did not expect her actions to cause such a passionate response instead. As a result, she was a little too slow to react, and everything else that followed slipped out of her control.

Joaquin's kiss was highly aggressive, and he did not give her any room to resist. It was already too late for regrets by the time Katherine returned to her senses.

Her eyes widened, but she soon fluttered them shut. Nevertheless, she placed her hands on his chest and allowed him to deepen the kiss.

After a long while, Joaquin reluctantly released her and lowered his head to look at her. When he saw her dazed and teary eyes, it only served to make his heart pound violently with desire.

He reached out his hand and used his fingertips to brush at the corner of her lips. His voice was low and gentle, "Katherine, I—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a rude knock on the door outside the room.