The next morning, Catherine groggily opened her eyes, not remembering how much beer she had drunk to have such a pounding headache. But she quickly realized she was in a completely unfamiliar place. The royal grandeur of the decor made Catherine aware that this was not a place for ordinary people. She felt fuzzy about everything after being chased and assaulted by the villains. At this moment, the door to the room opened, and a middle-aged woman appeared.
"Dear, you're awake. Wait a moment, I'll prepare some cold remedy for you," she said in a gentle voice.
Catherine tried to speak but found her throat dry, unable to make a sound. Then, she approached, neatly arranging the blankets, gently helping Catherine sit up and handing her a glass of water.
"I'm Windy, the housekeeper of this mansion. Last night, the young master brought you here in a drunken state, clothes torn."
"The young master?" Although her throat was sore, Catherine still managed to speak a bit.
"Thank you, Windy," Catherine said with a slight smile. She took the glass of water and drank slowly. "I can't remember much about what happened last night."
Windy sat down beside Catherine and looked into her eyes with warmth and empathy. "Don't worry, just keep quiet for a while. You've just woken up, your body needs time to recover," she emphasized.
Catherine felt sincere support from Windy and felt more at ease. "I'm really lucky to have met him, but I don't remember him clearly," she said. "I also don't know if I could have survived last night's situation."
Windy smiled gently and nodded. "Everything will be fine, you can rest assured."
As the two were chatting, the door suddenly opened, and Lucius appeared in the dim light. He walked into the room and saw Catherine sitting with Windy. Lucius's gaze became calm as he looked at the girl in front of him.
Windy quickly left, leaving Catherine and Lucius alone, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy in her mind when this man appeared.
Catherine hurriedly set the glass of water down and stared at the man. "Are you the young master she mentioned?" She asked, her voice becoming stern.
Lucius stepped closer and spoke gently, "If you're okay, then I'm relieved. Do you like the gift I sent?"
Catherine was slightly startled, not knowing what gift this man had sent to her. She hesitated for a moment, stuttering, "Are you the one who sent the photos of Liam Claude to me?"
"You're quite smart, little girl!" Lucius smiled warmly, approaching to sit beside the bed, gazing at Catherine intently. But involuntarily, she pushed him away, her eyes filled with suspicion. "Why? Are you targeting me, or him? Sir, I appreciate you saving me, but you need to be clear with me about everything."
Catherine became somewhat agitated when talking about the events of yesterday. She angrily grabbed a pillow and threw it towards Lucius, her eyes flashing with anger. Lucius held her back, his body suddenly leaning towards her, their eyes locked in a stare.
"Shit! Please back off a bit." Catherine kicked hard towards Lucius's "dangerous" area, but he dodged it.
"In short. Your stepfather is in debt and owes me a considerable amount of money. And he sold you to me."
Lucius regained his haughty demeanor, saying those words to Catherine. Catherine's brain suddenly stopped working, unable to comprehend such shocking news.
"Stop, do you even know what you're saying?"
"Catherine, let me remind you once again. Your stepfather owes me, and he sold you to me. My family is pressuring me to get married, so you are the perfect choice. I arranged everything with him beforehand."
