A Replacement Bride

Chapter 388

Chapter 387 Heading to Kyoland

"Is that so…" Katherine murmured under her breath, then she asked, "Do you still remember the location?"

Joaquin smiled. "Of course, I remember. My memory is not that bad."

"In that case, that'll make things much easier." She, too, broke into a smile. "I was going to ask Carmine to investigate the location of the Olsen Family's ancestral hall, but having you here will save me considerable trouble instead."

The car drove smoothly along the road. The smile on Joaquin's face deepened. "Yeah. You can rely on me at any time. It makes me very happy."

His statement had come out of nowhere. She blinked in stunned silence for a moment, then she glanced sideways at him with a faint blush that dyed her cheeks red. "Cocky b*stard."

Her soft grumble did not escape his ears, but he was not bothered by her insult. On the contrary, listening to her made his mood lighten even more.

At this moment, her phone rang. It was a video call from Noah on WhatsApp.

"Mom!" As soon as the call connected, Noah's adorable and tender appearance appeared on the screen. She seemed to be in great spirits, and her smile was dazzling.

Katherine's heart seemed to subconsciously indulge in the gentle voice, and her delicate eyes involuntarily softened at the sight of her daughter.

"Noah, are you outside?" she asked. Her voice revealed great affection without her knowledge.

Beside her, Joaquin heard the tenderness in her voice and looked over at her. Just by looking at her beautiful side profile, he could see the maternal instinct in her eyes that she unconsciously radiated. His thin lips lifted into a smile.

"Yeah!" The little girl seemed to be very excited. She nodded vigorously, resembling a little chick pecking hungrily at the ground. "Xavier noticed that I was going crazy from the boredom of staying home all day, so he brought me to the theme park!"

At that, Katherine also smiled. Her smile was so wide that her eyes turned into little crescents. "In that case, you should thank Xavier properly later. Was the theme park fun?"

The little girl's eyes shone with excitement; it was so bright that they resembled the stars in the sky. Looking at her expression, one would almost believe that she had discovered a new continent in the world. "It was fun! It was super fun! Mom, it was my first time playing at the theme park. I discovered so many fun and interesting rides! Although some of the rides seem rather stupid, they are still quite fun to play. Xavier also bought a doll and hairpins for me! Oh! There were many delicious foods too! He even gave me a small ice cream!"

Katherine looked at the bunny-eared hairpiece that Noah dangled in front of the camera and couldn't help bursting into laughter. Her heart practically melted at the sight. Without really thinking about it, she blurted out the thought that suddenly popped up in her head. "Make sure to have loads of fun with Xavier today. When I get home, I will bring you to other theme parks and playgrounds. We will also visit the aquarium and the zoo…"

When she thought about how this little girl had never been to any of the places that children often visited, an indescribable sense of heartache flooded her heart. Although she had experienced similar thoughts in the past, she had never been able to express her thoughts properly due to the worry that constantly gnawed at her heart. In the end, she deliberately avoided her daughter and feigned indifference toward her daughter.

Now that they had gotten closer, she finally understood—she was bothered by all the things that Noah could never enjoy. In fact, she cared about these things more than Noah did.

As a mother, she was much too incompetent in her role.

With that thought in mind, a deep sense of love and pity welled up in her eyes. She stroked Noah's little face with her fingers through the screen. "As long as it's a place you've never been to, I will bring you there."

Beside Katherine, Joaquin wanted to add the words "Daddy will too" upon hearing her statement. Before he could say anything, he heard enthusiastic cheers coming from the little girl on the other side of the screen.

"Really? Really? Mom, you have to keep your word! And Daddy too! Our entire family will go together!" Then, she excitedly asked, "Where's Daddy? Why don't I see Daddy?"

Joaquin smiled with a sense of warmth that filled his heart. The little girl was his beloved daughter indeed.

Meanwhile, Katherine turned the phone screen in Joaquin's direction and explained, "He is driving right now, so he can't divert his attention to chat with you on the video call. You can tell him about all the fun things you did today when we get home, okay?"

Joaquin turned sideways to sneak a few peeks. When he saw the red-faced little girl playing on the screen, his smile showed in his eyes. "That's right. I am driving right now. Noah, I promise to play with you properly when I get home."

The eyes of the little girl on the screen brightened even more when she caught a glimpse of her father.

"Okay!" She nodded obediently. Then, she added in a soft voice, "Daddy, I miss you. Make sure you safely bring Mom home. I will be waiting for you!"

Her gentle and loving words immediately pierced the hearts of the two adults.

Joaquin pursed his lips. His deep voice was mixed with great warmth and adoration. "Okay. I will definitely bring your mother home safely, so you have to wait for us at home."

"Okay! I will!"

Afterward, Katherine asked Noah to pass the phone on to Xavier. It did not take long before Xavier's handsome face appeared on the screen.

"Xavier, I'm sorry for troubling you these past few days." Katherine took the initiative to speak. Although her tone was light, her gratitude was sincere.

Xavier sighed heavily. "What are you saying? Don't be so polite. Noah is my student. It's only natural for me to take care of my student. Don't worry. Noah will be fine with me. I didn't let her play dangerous stuff. Besides, she has undergone her regular checkup. The doctor mentioned that she is recovering very well, so her diet can be more diversified from now onward. As for junk food and the likes, she can eat a small amount of these snacks."

She nodded, not feeling the slightest worry about leaving her daughter in his capable hands. "We will probably return after two more days. I will leave Noah with you for a few more days."

He agreed without any hesitation. "No problem. Where are you now? Are you still in Zoscistan?"

She replied, "Yeah, but we'll be leaving soon."

"Are you flying back today?" He pondered for a moment. "Will you be arriving in Hovington tomorrow? I can pick you up from the airport."

Unexpectedly, she rejected his offer. "No need. I won't be back in Hovington tomorrow."

Her response stunned him. "Not Hovington? Then, where are you going?"

He was simply being curious, but she did not hide the truth either. A bright light flashed through her eyes, and she bluntly said, "We're heading to Kyoland."

…

At the same time, the mercenaries brought the box to Jayden.

Inside the living room of the villa, Jayden stared at the exquisite wooden box in front of him with a triumphant expression.

In the end, it did not matter how influential and well-prepared Katherine and Joaquin were. Their meticulous plans had failed due to the slightest negligence on their part. And, he had taken advantage of that tiny loophole.

Hah… It's just like I said. Everything that belongs to Katherine will eventually become mine. As for Katherine herself… I will have her dancing in the palm of my hand one day!

"You've done well. You will be rewarded for your efforts." Glancing at the mercenaries in front of him, he coldly issued an order. "Out."

They exchanged glances with each other but obediently followed his orders.

Afterward, Jayden was the only person left in the spacious living room. He picked up the wooden box and stroked the surface of the box with his fingertips. A smile curved the corner of his lips.

"Heh… The material and workmanship of this wooden box are exquisite. The objects hidden within must be extraordinary."

He did not know that the box contained the inheritance left behind by Katherine's grandfather. Mistakenly thinking that the box contained the inheritance left behind by Katherine's grandmother, he was absolutely overjoyed.