A Replacement Bride

Chapter 168

Katherine was taken aback for a moment. "What nonsense are you talking about?" she asked, rolling her eyes at him.

However, Joaquin remained solemnly looking at her. Just when he was about to speak again, his phone rang and interrupted the conversation.

He furrowed his brows as he looked at who the caller was. Seeing that it was Jeremy who called, he gloomily answered, "Anything?"

"Mr. Levisay, a large number of outsiders entered Hovington today. They were all in the upper echelons of the Hunters' List. More than a hundred Hunters have entered Hovington for the past month and the top of them was Lagros, who is at twenty-first place. Mr. Levisay, what do you think draws them to Hovington? This time, there were so many of them that the FBI was alerted. They are currently sending someone to Cechirus," Jeremy grumbled while explaining the situation to Joaquin.

Hearing that, Joaquin looked thoughtfully at Katherine and did not say anything.

After receiving no response from Joaquin, Jeremy couldn't help but mutter, "What should we do? The new Colonel Carter is unconcerned about this and has even told us to stop watching them and let them roam freely in Hovington."

"Okay. I got it." Joaquin ended the call right away.

Then, he looked solemnly at Katherine and said, "A group of Hunters came to Hovington recently. I believe they came for your grandma."

"What?" Katherine frowned and looked at him.

"Your grandma's identity is highly confidential; it is classified as the highest-level of confidential information in Cechirus. I can't tell you who she is, but what I can say for sure is that she carries a vital set of information with her that is highly sought after by many people both inside and outside the country. As long as she carries it, even those in the top ten on the Hunters' List will kill her for it. She is in a dangerous situation." Joaquin assumed Katherine didn't realize how serious the situation was and explained it to her seriously.

"So? What are you trying to say?" She wasn't shocked by his words.

"I need to stay at your house to protect her all day, in case something happens," Joaquin replied righteously.

Katherine pursed her lips when she heard that. The man could really make up such a high-sounding excuse just to stay at her place.

"It's up to you. If you want to stay here, you can only take the couch." She shook her head with a smile while pointing at the couch.

Her room had a two-seater couch that wasn't big. It was suitable for a tiny-sized girl to sleep on, not a man of tall build like Joaquin.

He took a glance at the couch before fixing his gaze on the floor. "That's not necessary. I can sleep on the floor."

"As you wish." She casually waved her hands at what he said.

Then, she took a clean blanket from the cabinet and threw it at him.

Joaquin took it, paved it on the floor, and immediately lay down on it. She was taken aback to see him doing all of this with such ease, and she asked, "Do you sleep on the floor all the time? Why are you so

skilled at this?"

"I always have to sleep on the floor when I'm on a mission. Many times, I didn't even have a blanket and had to lie flat on the floor itself. You don't need to be concerned about me. Rest well," he smilingly answered.

Hearing that, Katherine went silent and did not say anything further.

Having another person in the same room made her feel uneasy.

They both stared at the ceiling. One was on the bed and the other on the floor, but neither spoke. It was all very peaceful and quiet.

After a long while, Joaquin said softly, "I wasn't kidding just now. I meant it."

"What?" Katherine asked reflexively because she couldn't understand his sudden words.

But she quickly regretted her question because, after some thought, she realized what he meant.

With that, she could only purse her lips and remain silent.

"Nothing." He, too, pursed his lips and did not continue further.

It was absolute silence for the entire night.

The next morning, Katherine woke up early. Joaquin immediately jumped up from the floor when he heard noises, and it startled her.

She looked at Joaquin, who had a vigilant expression, and she then took a step back and asked, "Did I wake you up?"

He regained his composure when he heard her voice and realized he was in her room, not out in the wilderness for a mission.

His stiffened body immediately relaxed. "It's not you. I sleep lightly as I'm used to being on missions outside," he replied.

She nodded in response and had no idea what to say next. "Clean up, then. I'm going to prepare breakfast."

After the pleasantries, she left the room.

As Katherine was in the midst of preparing breakfast, she suddenly recalled that she had not cleaned herself up when she left the room.

How can I make such a gaffe? She couldn't help but pat her forehead.

"Why are you up so early today, Kathy?" At Jennifer's age, the older woman couldn't sleep much and would wake up early every day. When she walked out, she saw Katherine getting busy in the kitchen and asked smilingly after taking a glance at her room door.

Katherine, however, did not answer Jennifer's question. "What do you want to have for your breakfast, Grandma? I'll prepare it for you," she commented as she searched for ingredients in the fridge.

"Anything's fine. I'm not fussy." Jennifer casually waved her hand.

At this moment, Joaquin walked out from Katherine's room. He did not realize that Jennifer was there, and he right away asked Katherine, "Are there any toiletries for me here? If not, I'll get them from the next door… Grandma?"

"You need toiletries, Johdy? I'll find some for you. We have some new sets." Jennifer looked at him as she beamed brightly.

She then went into her room, came out with a new set of toiletries and handed them to him.

Joaquin gladly took it before turning around and returning to Katherine's room. Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

Seeing how happy Jennifer was, Katherine knew it would be difficult to explain the situation to Jennifer this time.

Jennifer, on the other hand, smiled at Katherine after seeing Joaquin entering the room. "Kathy, Joaquin and you really have to put in some effort for me to have a great-grandchild before I leave this world," she said bluntly.

Katherine was speechless at that. "Grandma, we have just been married for a few days. Isn't it too early for you to rush us into that?"

"Of course I have to rush you! My days are numbered and I know it. I might not even be able to witness the birth of my great-grandchild if you don't hurry up," Jennifer replied agitatedly as she couldn't help but roll her eyes at Katherine.

Hearing that, Katherine went silent.

She could guarantee another twenty years for Zachary, but she could not say the same for Jennifer.

Jennifer's health was indeed deteriorating. She appeared to be in good health now thanks to the medications she was taking, but she might not live another year.