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Novel Catalog
Chapter 34
Catherine clutched the blanket, the weight of the situation sinking in. The Jones family already disliked her, and with everything that had happened, she knew she could never return to their house. She let out a bitter laugh, feeling a deep sense of frustration. “It’s okay. I’m not bothered,” she muttered to herself. After all, no one really cared about her.
Shaun, who had been silent for a moment, turned around and addressed Chase with a stern tone. “Go and pull some strings to get the police to publicly praise Catherine as an undercover agent. If it hadn’t been for her cooperation, the police wouldn’t have been able to seize the people responsible for the illegal live videos, like Zayn Larson.”
Catherine froze in place, staring at Shaun with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Was he trying to protect her reputation, or was he just trying to avoid any negative attention for himself? She couldn’t figure him out.
Chase, clearly impressed, raised his thumb. “Awesome. That way, I believe people won’t gossip about Sister-in-law, but they’ll praise her instead. I’ll take care of it now.” He quickly left the room, leaving Catherine alone with Shaun.
As the door closed, Catherine felt a sense of unease settle over her. She was left to face the man who had, in some ways, been both a savior and a source of frustration for her. “Thank you… for today,” she said quietly.
Shaun bent down to her level, his expression softening just a little. “You’re finally talking like a human being,” he remarked with a snort, his tone teasing.
Catherine didn’t know how to respond, feeling emotionally drained from everything that had happened in the past few days. She simply dropped her gaze, not having the strength to argue or engage.
“Do you want to eat something?” Shaun asked after a moment of silence.
Catherine realized that she hadn’t eaten all day, and she felt the sharp pang of hunger in her stomach. But she didn’t want to trouble Shaun any further. “I’ll just order takeaway using my phone…” she muttered.
Shaun’s irritation was palpable. “Fine. If you don’t know what to say, you’d better shut up,” he snapped. His frustration was clear; it was as if she was rejecting him at every turn. Did she think he was cruel, incapable of helping her?
He sighed, clearly exasperated. “Just lie down and rest. I’m going to get you something.”
Once he left, Catherine couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to rely on him, but rather, she didn’t have the courage to do so. After all, he was Ethan’s uncle, someone who could abandon her at any time, leaving her to fend for herself.
Twenty minutes later, Shaun returned with a food container. Catherine tried to sit up, but her body felt too weak to support her, and she slumped back onto the bed.
“Stop struggling,” Shaun said firmly. “The doctor said you need at least two days to recover.” He helped her sit up, his hands gentle as he supported her. His chest pressed against her back through his thin shirt, sending a wave of warmth through her. She blushed involuntarily, feeling embarrassed by the closeness.
Shaun quickly placed a pillow behind her back, pulling away after making sure she was comfortable. As he opened the food container, Catherine noticed there were three dishes and some soup.
She reached for the spoon, but her arms felt too weak to lift it. Before she could try again, Shaun’s voice interrupted her. “Sit still. Stop moving.”
He scooped a spoonful of soup and brought it to her lips, feeding her carefully. Catherine was surprised—Shaun, who usually kept a cold distance, was acting so attentive. But her stomach was upset, and she didn’t want to make him impatient, so she quietly took the soup. To her surprise, the food, which she had assumed would be terrible, was actually delicious.
Not wanting to take too long, she quickly ate half of the rice, then put the spoon down. “Okay. I’m done.”
“No. Eat a bit more,” Shaun insisted, his frown deepening as he continued to feed her.
Catherine, feeling a bit overwhelmed, didn’t have the energy to argue. She lowered her head and continued eating, glancing up at him occasionally.
Shaun’s gaze was fixed on her, his dark eyes soft and patient, his expression a mixture of concentration and something she couldn’t quite place. He didn’t seem impatient at all, despite feeding her so carefully.
As she ate, Catherine couldn’t help but notice that her face was still swollen, but her ears were flushed from the attention. Shaun, ever perceptive, noticed it too. His lips twitched as he watched her, a subtle amusement flickering in his eyes. Normally, Catherine had a thick skin, but here she was, blushing at something so simple as being fed.
For the first time in a long while, Catherine found herself feeling vulnerable in front of him—exposed in a way she didn’t quite know how to handle.