Chapter 183: The Hughes Family Opens a New Piano Store? It's Mine!
Juniper calmly looked away from the photo.
"Yes, very similar. You and I have quite a connection."
"What a coincidence, I feel very fond of Juniper too when I look at her!"
Owen watched them and said nothing more, his gaze falling on the flower bed, his thoughts wandering.
Catherine looked at Paloma and smiled. "Your hair clip is beautiful. May I take a look?"
"Of course. Last time Dominic mentioned you're studying jewelry design, right? This hair clip was also designed by a jewelry master. It has great design sense."
Catherine carefully removed the hair clip from Paloma's head, admired it for a moment, and returned it to her.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
After sitting for a while, Catherine and Juniper got up to leave.
Owen quickly spoke up. "Why the rush? You just got here. Stay a bit longer."
Catherine politely replied, "We were just passing by. We've disturbed you for quite a while. Juniper and I need to go home for dinner."
Owen knew he had no grounds to make them stay, yet he was reluctant to see them go.
"Juniper, can you give me your phone number? When you have time in the future, can you come keep me company?"
"Sure! I'll be working at a research institute in Imperia City from now on. If it's convenient for me to drop by for meals, you can't chase me away!"
The largest research institutes in Imperia City were nearby, and the lab that interfaced with Phoenix Lab was also in the area.
Owen's face lit up with joy, his wrinkles almost smoothing out from his smile.
"Come, come, you must come! If anyone tries to chase you away, I'll have words with them!"
Walking out of the estate, Juniper let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Catherine straddled her motorcycle and handed Juniper something from her hand.
"What's this?"
"Paloma's hair."
She had taken it when removing Paloma's hair clip—the clip had caught some strands with enough follicle tissue for DNA testing, so Catherine had collected it.
"Didn't you say you trust DNA more? Owen also secretly kept the spoon you used earlier."
Juniper hadn't noticed that detail. She slapped her forehead as if remembering something important.
"Is the oral cells on the spoon enough? Should I secretly drop a few strands of my hair in there?"
"I think that works."
Juniper quickly pulled a few strands of hair from her head and put them in a sealed bag. "Catherine, wait for me!"
She ran back quickly and crouched in front of Owen, breathing heavily.
"Here, take this. The spoon might not be enough!"
Owen was caught red-handed, his old face flushing.
"Well, that's not what I meant."
"It's okay. Call me when you get the results. Bye!"
Watching Juniper's rapidly departing figure, Owen looked at the hair in his hand and suddenly laughed.
"This kid, she's got quite a personality. I like her!"
Late at night, at The Windsor Mansion in Starry Residence.
On the video call, Sophia lay on her bed, looking lifeless.
"Boss! Oscar arrives in Imperia City tomorrow! He wants us to pick him up. I'm dying!"
"The gambling stone king that the Hughes family invited is here?"
Oscar, as the previous gambling stone king, had cut open countless high-value stones and had a great reputation.
What he couldn't accept most was someone using the title of gambling stone king to tarnish his reputation and swindle people!
Sophia said disdainfully, "The last gambling stone king is on a plane across the ocean, and the current gambling stone king is right in front of me. No one is better than me. What kind of nobody dares to call himself the gambling stone king?!"
"That Michael from the Hughes family really knows how to make trouble. After being taught a lesson by you and Mr. Howard last time, he still hasn't learned. Tomorrow he's holding a public gambling stone auction. The Hughes family didn't give him a hard time because of the gambling stone king's reputation."
Otherwise, what happened at Owen's birthday party would have been enough to get Michael kicked out of the Hughes family many times over.
"And that Esme—her father seems to be an adopted son of the Hughes family, basically a marginal figure. Does she really think she's an heir?"
Hearing this description, Catherine looked up. "What happened?"
"She's too good at causing trouble. That gallery of hers was bought by Alexander and given to you last time, and now she's opened a new piano store right across from yours!"
At this point, Sophia's mouth was twitching.
Catherine responded calmly.
"Is it big?"
"Not bad, about the same size as your piano store. It just doesn't have as many pianos yet, but the location is good."
Catherine nodded. "It's mine now!"
Sophia's brain froze for a moment. "What?"
"Any objections?"
"Wouldn't dare. I'll go acquire it back for your piano store right away."
Sophia was so excited—when Catherine was being a bandit, that Esme probably didn't even exist yet!
Catherine dared to claim even an organization like Galactic Aurora Collective. What was one piano store?
"Tomorrow you're picking up Oscar. Don't even think about running away."
Thinking about how her acting career was about to be belittled to worthlessness, Sophia said dejectedly, "Got it!"
Closing the video call, Catherine's gaze fell on the gently fluttering curtains.
Her voice was cold, with a hint of teasing.
"Since when does Mr. Howard need to use the balcony? Has the Howard Group become so poor it can't even afford doors?"
The balcony's glass door was opened from outside. Alexander, wearing a robe with the silk fabric slightly open at the chest, revealing his muscular chest and the outline of his abs, stepped in.
"I was worried you were asleep, so I didn't dare knock on the door."
"I'd wake up whether you came through the window or not."
As an assassin, her nerves were always on edge. Whether someone knocked on the door or climbed through the window, Catherine would wake up immediately and maintain high alert.
Alexander walked into Catherine's room, his hand resting on her bed as he looked down at Catherine sitting cross-legged on the bed.
Catherine must have just bathed—her body carried a faint fragrance, her hair spread across the bed, beautiful and alluring.
Alexander's voice held a hint of grievance as he said softly, "I just missed you. Since you came back from Ironclad Jail, you haven't talked to me. You didn't reply to my messages either."
Catherine looked at Alexander in front of her.
Since when had Alexander become so clingy?
Before, he would at most watch her from his room. Now he was climbing through windows to find her!
Meeting Alexander's burning, intense gaze, Catherine had to tell the truth.
"I didn't have time to look at my phone this afternoon. It was too late, so I didn't reply."
"You went to Owen's house?"
He had seen her and Juniper riding off on the motorcycle together and guessed she would definitely go find Paloma.
"Yes. Our earlier guess was pretty much right. Paloma doesn't remember anything—she doesn't remember Evander, and she doesn't remember Juniper either."
"Can I tell my grandfather? Is that okay?"
"Whatever. But this is Juniper's business. You should ask her."
Alexander nodded. "I will. But it's too late now. Tomorrow then."
He knew it was too late?
Then what was he doing appearing in her room!
Alexander saw Catherine's accusing expression and gently tapped her nose, his voice indulgent.
"Tomorrow is the Hughes family's gambling stone event. Will you attend with me?"
If Catherine hadn't kept ignoring his messages, and if he didn't miss her so much, he wouldn't have come over at this hour.
It seemed that when facing her, his usually proud self-control wasn't quite enough.
The gambling stone event was something Catherine would attend anyway.
"Okay. Now you can leave. I need to sleep!"
Alexander's lips curved slightly, his voice tempting.
"How about..."