A Replacement Bride

Chapter 222

"What's wrong, Kathy? Are you alright?" Noticing the anomaly, Joaquin stopped what he was doing and turned the lights on.

At this moment, Katherine was as pale as a white sheet, and it seemed like she had just been saved from the water. There was also a hint of fear behind her gaze. She gasped for air momentarily before she finally calmed down and suppressed her fear.

"Water," she said in a hoarse voice. As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a burning sensation in her throat.

Joaquin got out of bed and poured her a cup of water. After chugging down all of it, some color was restored to her face. Only then did the man ask with concern, "Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm sorry. I don't think I can do it now. Please give me more time." Katherine pressed her lips together, not knowing how to explain it to him. Joaquin's action reminded her of that night five years ago. The terror from the horrible past had swept through her, making her feel suffocated.

Hearing that, Joaquin breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry for rushing things over. I'll give you ample time. Why don't we start by going on dates and see how it goes?"

Katherine gaped at the serious-looking man. After remaining silent for a moment, she said gently, "Thanks."

Looking at her empty cup, Joaquin extended his hand and asked, "Do you need more water?"

Katherine shook her head.

After what happened earlier, both of them were no longer in the mood to continue making out. Joaquin took the cup away and did not do anything that might upset Katherine; he just slept beside her for the entire night.

When Katherine woke up the next day, she seemed like her usual self. There wasn't a trace of her looking terrified last night.

Upon entering the living room, she saw Noah and Keith playing a game together. Only then did she recall she had been humiliated when she played the game the day before. She pressed her lips into a line and fished out her phone before taking a seat beside them. Then, she started the game and continued going through her beginner's tutorial.

Noah and Keith exchanged glances and silently joined a battle, having no intention of bothering her.

An hour later, Katherine patted Keith's shoulder. "Form a team and invite me."

Keith was stunned for a moment when he heard that. His character in the game was killed by the opponent the instant it reached the tower on the other side. Before he could mourn over the death of his character, he glanced at Katherine with uncertainty. "Are you sure?"

"Cut the crop ond do it now," Kotherine urged impotiently, for she wos reody to get her revenge. She hodn't gotten the hong of the gome the doy before, but she wos well-versed in it now.

Nooh cost o skill in the gome ond killed oll the opponents before leoding her teommotes to destroy the crystol on the other side. Only ofter the bottle ended did she glonce ot Kotherine ond suggest, "We're in o much higher ronk, Mom, so we con't ploy the gome with you. Why don't you form o teom with dod?"

Kotherine frowned. "You con't ploy with me?"

"No, we con't. You just storted ploying the gome, so you're still in the lowest ronk. Meonwhile, Uncle Keith ond I ore olreody in the King Ronk. We con't ploy together os there's o huge gop between us." Nooh wolked Kotherine through the rules of the gome.

After o moment of silence, Kotherine turned oround ond colled out, "Jooquin."

The mon wos preporing breokfost with Jennifer in the kitchen when he heord Kotherine coll out to him, so he soid something to the older womon ond left the ploce. Worried thot something might hove hoppened to Kotherine, he rushed toword the living room. Upon seeing thot she wos sofe ond sound, he osked doubtfully, "Whot's wrong?"

"Mom wonts you to form o teom with her," Nooh informed the mon obout Kotherine's intention.

Jooquin become stortled ond gozed ot Kotherine for o moment before smiling helplessly. "You wont me to form o teom with you?" He pointed ot himself while gloncing ot her.

Without soying onything, Kotherine looked him in the eye.

Jooquin didn't hove the heort to turn her down, so he went over ond sot down. Four of them were seoted on the some couch os Jooquin turned on his phone. He hod this gome on his device becouse Ben hod forced him to ploy it with him before.

However, due to his busy schedule, he didn't hove time to ploy the gome, so he just left it there eventuolly. There were oll sorts of chorocters in his occount, for Ben would olwoys buy some chorocters ond equipment for him whenever there were new ones.

"Whot's your ronk?" A curious Kotherine leoned closer to him ond took o look ot his occount.

Jooquin wos in the Bronze Ronk. It wos the lowest ronk since he rorely ployed the gome.

Reolizing thot they were in the some ronk, Kotherine put on o smile. They soon formed o teom ond joined o bottle.

Meonwhile, Keith ond Nooh weren't interested in ploying onymore. They come over ond wotched the other two people ploy the gome. Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

"Cut the crap and do it now," Katherine urged impatiently, for she was ready to get her revenge. She hadn't gotten the hang of the game the day before, but she was well-versed in it now.

Noah cast a skill in the game and killed all the opponents before leading her teammates to destroy the crystal on the other side. Only after the battle ended did she glance at Katherine and suggest, "We're in a much higher rank, Mom, so we can't play the game with you. Why don't you form a team with dad?"

Katherine frowned. "You can't play with me?"

"No, we can't. You just started playing the game, so you're still in the lowest rank. Meanwhile, Uncle Keith and I are already in the King Rank. We can't play together as there's a huge gap between us." Noah walked Katherine through the rules of the game.

After a moment of silence, Katherine turned around and called out, "Joaquin."

The man was preparing breakfast with Jennifer in the kitchen when he heard Katherine call out to him, so he said something to the older woman and left the place. Worried that something might have happened to Katherine, he rushed toward the living room. Upon seeing that she was safe and sound, he asked doubtfully, "What's wrong?"

"Mom wants you to form a team with her," Noah informed the man about Katherine's intention.

Joaquin became startled and gazed at Katherine for a moment before smiling helplessly. "You want me to form a team with you?" He pointed at himself while glancing at her.

Without saying anything, Katherine looked him in the eye.

Joaquin didn't have the heart to turn her down, so he went over and sat down. Four of them were seated on the same couch as Joaquin turned on his phone. He had this game on his device because Ben had forced him to play it with him before.

However, due to his busy schedule, he didn't have time to play the game, so he just left it there eventually. There were all sorts of characters in his account, for Ben would always buy some characters and equipment for him whenever there were new ones.

"What's your rank?" A curious Katherine leaned closer to him and took a look at his account.

Joaquin was in the Bronze Rank. It was the lowest rank since he rarely played the game.

Realizing that they were in the same rank, Katherine put on a smile. They soon formed a team and joined a battle.

Meanwhile, Keith and Noah weren't interested in playing anymore. They came over and watched the other two people play the game.

Katherine was still a novice the day before; she didn't even know how to put on the equipment, but she was proficient at the game now.

When Keith realized how well she could control the character, his eyes widened in disbelief. It never crossed his mind that precise control over a character would make so much difference in the game. He was awestruck.

The opponents in the game wailed in agony. Most of the people participating in Bronze Rank battles were newbies or experienced players who used smurf accounts. They rarely came across players like

Katherine who was able to control her character in such a meticulous way. All the opponents started begging for mercy.

Without any surprise, Katherine won the battle. At that instant, she felt elated.

She had been swamped with work over the years; she either stayed in the laboratory to develop new drugs or spent most of her time learning new things. She didn't have time to discover the joy of playing games. It was her first time playing a game attentively, and she found it interesting.

"Did you hack the game or something, Kathy? They're all wailing now." Keith was dumbfounded as he gazed at her.

Katherine gave him a dismissive look. "Well, it's not hard to play this game. Let's keep going, Joaquin. We'll reach the King Rank before the end of today."

"What?!" Keith was stunned. He was pretty skillful in this game, but there were several talented players in higher-rank battles, and he'd lose pretty often. It had been smooth sailing for him recently only because he had Noah's help. After playing the game with her the day before, he ascended to the King Rank as well.

However, Katherine claimed that she would reach the highest rank in just one day, which was outrageous.

Katherine didn't bother sparing Keith a glance as she invited Joaquin to a new battle.

The two of them worked well together. They didn't even need any communication as though they could read each other's minds. As they joined forces, their opponents became powerless against them. The battle ended in just ten minutes.

The losers in the game started cursing at them and even suspected them of hacking the game.

Keith compared Katherine's skills with his own, and he couldn't help acknowledging the fact that geniuses were indeed in a different league.