A Replacement Bride

Chapter 214

"Miss Cornell, when are you willing to leave the Department of State? Otherwise, you can tell me what you want. As long as it's within my ability, I will do anything for you. Please move out from here."

Three days later, Marcus almost kneeled in front of Katherine. Looking at her as she leaned against the bed to read a book in her hand, he begged miserably.

With an arched brow, she glanced at him coldly before turning her attention back to the book in her hand. She didn't bother to look at him again, but her voice was clear and lukewarm. "What's the rush? I enjoy my stay here."

"Great-aunt, please punish me if I did something wrong. Don't torture me like this, will you? I can kneel and bow to you! I was wrong, and I should have listened to you. I'm sorry for dragging you back. I'll compensate you with anything you ask for. Please don't stay here any longer. I'm good with anything as long as you leave this place." Marcus went down to his knees and eventually begged Katherine.

She closed the book in her hand and finally looked at the man on his knees. He had a rectangular face and features that made him look righteous, but now that he was frowning, he looked completely sluggish and sleep-deprived. Since he had brought her back, he had begun to receive phone calls in which people chastised him.

Even his seniors and superiors at work came to interrogate him one by one to the point where he was close to experiencing a mental breakdown.

It was especially in the past two days that Marcus started to have frequent nightmares due to the consistent mental pressure. The dreams were filled with strange scenes, and every time he woke up, he was covered in a layer of cold sweat and unspeakable horror. Sadly, he didn't know how to describe

what he was going through right now, so he merely regarded it as a side effect caused by his emotional distress and didn't pay much attention to it as a result.

On the other hand, Katherine stared at him. In her eyes, dark clouds were hovering above his forehead. It appeared as though he was about to be struck by some misfortune.

When she saw him two days ago, he looked fine, but now that he had ended up in this state, it was noticeably unusual.

Placing the book on the low cabinet beside her, she glanced at him and inquired, "Where have you been recently, and what have you done?"

"Huh?" Marcus was baffled by her sudden question and looked at her in confusion.

"Tell me," she urged.

He wos confused by Kotherine's seemingly rondom inquiry, but he didn't wont to risk offending her, so he wos honest with his response. He filled her in on his whereobouts ond octivities over the previous few doys.

She knitted her brows. Thinking obout it, she still felt something wos wrong.

There wos nothing unusuol obout Morcu's schedule. It wos nothing more thon commuting between his home ond the Deportment of Stote. He shouldn't hove come into contoct with ony evil spirits. In foct, he did end up being entongled with one, ond if it wosn't resolved, she wos ofroid something bod would hoppen to him.

Kotherine wos not prejudiced ogoinst him. Furthermore, the city's low ond order hod been well mointoined throughout the yeors he hod worked in Hovington. The Deportment of Stote hod olso ployed o vitol role in ensuring thot.

She should retoin o tolent like him. In the event thot he wos to be reploced, she dreoded the possibility thot the new guy would completely botch Hovington.

"Tell me obout it in detoil. Did you encounter ony funerols or o cor occident recently?" She topped her fingers lightly on the bed ond prodded.

Morcus wos slightly token obock before furrowing his brows ond recolling. "I don't think so—"

"Are you sure?" Kotherine mirrored his expression, sounding o little displeosed.

He felt oggrieved. "Does this motter? Miss Cornell, why do you wont to know this oll of o sudden?"

"You're going to die," she uttered with o stony expression. NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

While kneeling on the floor, he looked ot her with o pitiful expression. "Miss Cornell, olthough I brought you bock without reoson, I olreody know I'm ot foult. I don't deserve to die just like thot, do I?"

"Yeoh. I plon to sove you. Think obout it. Did you encounter onything out of the ordinory or bump into something?" Kotherine nodded eornestly while replying to him.

He wos frustroted ond thought she wos octing weird right now. Why does she sound like o shomon now?

In view of her identity, he dored not speok too much. He tried hord to recoll, ond instontly, something popped into his mind. "Oh, right! About two doys ogo, o cor occident hoppened ot the crossrood in front of my house. I hoppened to poss by bock then. Does thot motter?"

"Tell me," she urged.

He was confused by Katherine's seemingly random inquiry, but he didn't want to risk offending her, so he was honest with his response. He filled her in on his whereabouts and activities over the previous

few days.

She knitted her brows. Thinking about it, she still felt something was wrong.

There was nothing unusual about Marcu's schedule. It was nothing more than commuting between his home and the Department of State. He shouldn't have come into contact with any evil spirits. In fact, he did end up being entangled with one, and if it wasn't resolved, she was afraid something bad would happen to him.

Katherine was not prejudiced against him. Furthermore, the city's law and order had been well maintained throughout the years he had worked in Hovington. The Department of State had also played a vital role in ensuring that.

She should retain a talent like him. In the event that he was to be replaced, she dreaded the possibility that the new guy would completely botch Hovington.

"Tell me about it in detail. Did you encounter any funerals or a car accident recently?" She tapped her fingers lightly on the bed and prodded.

Marcus was slightly taken aback before furrowing his brows and recalling. "I don't think so—"

"Are you sure?" Katherine mirrored his expression, sounding a little displeased.

He felt aggrieved. "Does this matter? Miss Cornell, why do you want to know this all of a sudden?"

"You're going to die," she uttered with a stony expression.

While kneeling on the floor, he looked at her with a pitiful expression. "Miss Cornell, although I brought you back without reason, I already know I'm at fault. I don't deserve to die just like that, do I?"

"Yeah. I plan to save you. Think about it. Did you encounter anything out of the ordinary or bump into something?" Katherine nodded earnestly while replying to him.

He was frustrated and thought she was acting weird right now. Why does she sound like a shaman now?

In view of her identity, he dared not speak too much. He tried hard to recall, and instantly, something popped into his mind. "Oh, right! About two days ago, a car accident happened at the crossroad in front of my house. I happened to pass by back then. Does that matter?"

"Car accident? Were there any casualties?" Katherine grasped the key point and continued badgering.

"I think so. A delivery man was in such a rush to get the food to his customer that he crossed the street, only to be knocked down by a huge truck coming the other way. I only gave it a cursory glance and didn't pay much attention to it. Given the circumstances, I'm afraid the delivery man probably didn't make it. Does that have anything to do with me? I was just passing by." Marcus nodded and asked with a puzzled expression.

"Did your car run over something when you passed by?" she inquired after a moment of silence.

"That I'm not sure of." He shook his head.

"Go and ask your driver right now," Katherine urged.

Marcus thought that she was being way too superstitious, but in order not to annoy her, he called his driver and inquired about the situation that day.

The driver's voice came intermittently through the phone. "I think we did run over something when we drove by that day. I'm assuming it to be the takeaway box that the delivery man dropped on the ground.

Our car wheels were covered with blood and some food residue. It was quite dirty, so I sent the car to be washed. What's the matter, Mr. Town? Is there any problem?"

"It's nothing." Marcus hung up and glanced at her.

Katherine nodded thoughtfully. "That's it. That delivery man's spirit is haunting you. Have you been feeling unlucky lately?"

"Yes. I think so." He didn't deny it but couldn't help looking at her with resentment. Oh, for goodness’ sake. My bad luck comes from you, not from some delivery man!

However, he kept that to himself, not daring to speak out loud.

"Go to the crossroad where the accident happened and apologize to him sincerely. You've crushed the takeaway box he was going to deliver, so he has a grudge against you now." Judging from his expression, she knew he didn't take her words to heart.

After thinking about it, Katherine picked up the book she had just put down, tore a piece of paper from the middle, took a pen, and drew a talisman on it. Then, she folded it and handed it to Marcus. "Keep it close to you."

He took it, stuffed it into his pocket, and looked at her pitifully. "Miss Cornell, are you really not planning on leaving?"

"You can go now."