Chapter 28 Blake Has a Crush on Me
Nicholas and Blake instinctively stepped in front of me. Sabrina glared with jealousy at me, shielded behind them. Too bad they blocked me completely—she couldn't see my expression at all. But I could see her perfectly.
Every encounter meant another fight. I was genuinely exhausted.
"Let's just go."
Seeing I didn't want to engage, neither of them felt like wasting words on Sabrina and Michael either.
But Sabrina wasn't about to let us leave that easily. She called out to my retreating back, "Catherine, you can't let go of the Rosewood family brothers! Why do you keep running from us?"
Me? Can't let go of the Rosewood family?
Sabrina didn't have heart disease. She had brain disease.
I didn't want the Rosewood family getting the wrong idea. I turned around, only to meet Michael's face twisted with disgust and contempt.
He snorted coldly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Some people claim they want to cut ties. My brothers and I came to bring her home multiple times, but she refused. And now she's here doing... what, exactly? Putting on a show? For whose benefit? Absolutely pathetic."
He even spat in my direction.
I frowned, glaring coldly at them both. "Where exactly did you pull that conclusion from?"
Sabrina wore an expression that said she knew everything. Michael looked down his nose at me, unwilling to even meet my eyes.
I shifted my gaze back to Sabrina. "Heard your condition got worse. But look, you're still alive and kicking. What, wanted one last look at this beautiful world before you croak?"
If Sabrina could spew nonsense, so could I.
Blake burst out laughing. Nicholas coughed lightly.
Sabrina stomped her foot in fury. Michael glared at me venomously. "Catherine, you just can't stand seeing Sabby happy!"
"Yup. Can't stand it."
Sabrina's expression flickered through several emotions before settling on a fake smile, like she'd just remembered something.
"Catherine, stop being so stubborn. I saw you at the auction earlier. You came specifically for Michael's painting, didn't you? I could tell you desperately wanted to buy it. But unfortunately... you couldn't afford it."
Her gaze shifted from me to Nicholas. The implication was crystal clear—Nicholas didn't want to spend money on me, which was why I couldn't get Michael's painting.
All three of us understood exactly what Sabrina was insinuating.
"Huh?"
Blake and I spoke in unison, staring at Sabrina like she'd lost her mind.
Sabrina's confidence wavered for a split second. Then Michael, unable to help himself, jumped in.
"Sabby, she wants to act all high and mighty, let her. Without the Rosewood family, Catherine is nothing."
He turned to me. "Catherine, if I were you, I'd have some self-awareness. Do you really think you deserve to own my work? Did seeing that painting remind you of when we were kids? That day, if it weren't for you, Sabby and I wouldn't have missed the movie's opening."
"I deliberately left you out." Michael made a show of looking me up and down. "Take a good look in the mirror. Do you really think you belong in that painting? Even if you bought it, I still wouldn't acknowledge you as my sister."
The vicious words poured out like they cost him nothing.
Nicholas's brow furrowed deeply. From Michael's painting, he'd pieced together why I'd stood before it for so long that day. It was because of Michael's favoritism and discrimination?
The Rosewood family truly were despicable.
Before I could respond, Blake couldn't take it anymore.
"Michael, not to be rude, but did you buy that 'genius painter' title? Because someone with your talent? Yeah right. You're ugly on the outside, rotten on the inside, and your mouth is basically a sewer. Looking at you makes me lose my appetite for three days straight. I have no idea what's wrong with the people who actually bought your trash."
Blake's attack power? Impressive.
Case in point: Michael's face turned purple. He couldn't get a single word out. His whole body trembled, eyes filled with poisonous malice.
Nobody cared.
After finishing with Michael, Blake turned on Sabrina.
"And you. Your dad was a driver who died saving his employer. That was his job. He died doing what he was supposed to do. The Rosewood family was stupid enough to take you in. But instead of being grateful, you compete with their actual daughter for their affection. Are you even human? I heard you're chronically ill too. The Rosewood family's decline? Yeah, that's your bad luck rubbing off on them."
"Last time you slandered Catherine right in front of me. And now? What did you actually see that makes you run your mouth? Do you even know what really happened? People like you are a waste of resources. No wonder God doesn't want you around either."
Blake finished his tirade in one breath. Nicholas and I didn't even get a chance to jump in.
When did Blake become this savage?
I glanced at Nicholas questioningly. He seemed perfectly comfortable with this development.
He leaned down, lowering his voice. "Blake was my teacher for verbal combat."
Oh. That explained everything. No wonder Nicholas had such a sharp tongue—he'd learned from a master.
Sabrina and Michael had zero comeback. Especially Sabrina. She'd used her father's sacrifice to guilt-trip the Rosewood family for so long, and this was the first time anyone had said his death didn't require eternal gratitude.
Sabrina sneaked a glance at Michael. He'd already lost all rationality to rage. She quietly sighed, then turned back to us with stubborn defiance.
"Aren't you Catherine's boss?"
She'd only just remembered Blake's identity after hearing him mention slandering me at DI.
"So what if I am?"
Seeing his confirmation, Sabrina said coldly, "You have a crush on Catherine, don't you? Why else would you defend her?"
"Catherine, you're really something. Barely started at DI and you've already won over your boss's heart." Her tone dripped with fake praise.
Both Blake and I went stone-faced. Say whatever you want about me, but why drag my personal life into this with your lies?
Blake looked at her like she was beyond hope. A tumor on her neck would be smarter than her.
Nicholas couldn't stay silent anymore. "I was the one who wanted to buy the painting for Catherine. It was so ugly, I figured we could hang it at home to scare off burglars or something."
He'd admitted his real intention. I suddenly felt a twinge of regret. Actually, when he put it that way, maybe we should have bought it after all!
Across from us, Sabrina and Michael looked like they'd been mortally insulted. Michael's features twisted grotesquely. "Catherine!"
I shrugged helplessly. That was just how it was.
"Impossible!" Sabrina remained convinced of her own judgment. "Catherine, to cover up your true feelings, you actually hired actors?"
Michael chimed in. "Catherine, unless you get on your knees right now and apologize to me, then obediently go back and be Sabby's test subject... maybe when I'm in a good mood someday, I'll graciously gift you one of my paintings."
My patience with these two had reached its absolute limit.
"Michael, you think way too highly of yourself."
I sneered. "I wouldn't take it even if you gave it to me for free. Don't want to dirty my hands."
I turned to Sabrina. "And you—so desperate to survive that you'd use human test subjects without a shred of conscience. Pathetic."