Chapter 337 - A NICE DATE

"Oh! I was thinking I would go out with you tomorrow." Catherine's shoulders slumped.

Veronica shrugged. "I don't want to take a risk; especially if the enemy is the Imperial Family."

"Fine, I'll just go alone." Catherine pouted.

Veronica came up with an idea and whispered to her friend, "Just tell your boyfriend to tag along with you."

Catherine gave her a cheeky grin in return.

The next day, she indeed went out with Vincent. "I'm so sorry I dragged you here on short notice," she apologized the moment they met.

"No, no, it's fine. It's a workday. So, we hardly have any customers in the resort. My parents can handle that much." Vincent paused before adding, "They also like you very much."

"I'm glad to hear that." Catherine bashfully lowered her gaze. "Oh, goodness! Do they like me enough to make them my daughter-in-law? I hope they do. I don't want to fight over Vincent with them.'

Being ignorant of what she was thinking, Vincent asked her, "Where are we going today?"

"Spring is coming. So, I want to do some spring clothes shopping. I'll buy some for Ver too," Catherine answered without checking Vincent's expression.

'Her again?' Vincent, of course, became somber after hearing Veronica's name. 'I wish she could think only about me and no one else.'

"Why didn't she come with you?" he inquired.

"She couldn't. She is busier than I am," Catherine lied. 'I'm sorry, Vincent. Unless I know for sure that I can trust you with the tower information, I can't tell you anything.'

She held Vincent's hand and pulled him forward. "Since you came so far for me, let's enjoy our day together."

Vincent smiled. "Sure."

Unknown to them, two dark shadows were following them secretly.

Catherine ordered five sets of gowns. Two for regular uses, the other two for office uses, and another one for the party. After that, she bought some jewelry to match the gowns. Later, she bought chocolates which were Veronica's and her favorite.

Vincent's head spun when he noticed the prices of each product. He began to sweat. "Catherine, are you perhaps a noble?"

"Hahaha!" Catherine burst into laughter. "No, I'm not. I'm just spending money from what I earned at my work."

Vincent nervously stated, "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude but do you perhaps for the royal family? But even the royal family doesn't pay that much to a maid."

Catherine put her arms on her waist and retorted, "Who said I'm a maid? Do I look like someone who could work as a maid and still have the luxury to stay in a fancy resort?"

Vincent soon realized where the fault was with his imagination. "Oh! I'm sorry. It actually slipped my mind. You always wear fancy clothes, and you have a job, but you say that you aren't noble. You at least know where I work and how my daily life is, but I know nothing about you."

Catherine soon calmed down. "Yes, that's true. I apologize for my sudden outburst. I work as an accountant and a secretary. Since I took two jobs altogether, my payment is rather high. Also, I can stay and eat for free. That's why I don't have anywhere to spend my money on."

"Then you must work in the imperial palace," Vincent's heart was beating fast. He began to see her in a new light. "Your job must require extraordinary knowledge."

"Well, yes, I do have to do management on behalf of the superior sometimes. But my superior works more than I do. That's why it's hard to ask for a vacation. Please understand that my work is confidential. I cannot talk about it with people who are unrelated to this matter."

"I'm sorry that I doubted you and imagined something less of you without asking you anything."

Catherine patted his back. "No, it's fine. I was wrong not to tell you first. But I hardly speak about my job outside, so it slipped my mind. Shall we go for lunch?"

"Yes, of course," Vincent agreed.

On the way to the restaurant, someone bumped into Catherine. It was a crowded place during lunch. She didn't think anything of it at first. Suddenly, she felt that her belt felt lighter.

Her heart dropped. She touched the belt area where she kept her money pouch. When she realized that it was gone, she turned around and tried to locate the person who bumped into her.

"You thief! Come back here!" she shouted.

Would the pick-pocketer come back just because she said so? That person ran even faster.

"How dare you! I'll catch you before you can breathe!" Catherine was thoroughly pissed. She pushed the people around her and ran after that guy.

"Huh? Catherine? Where are you going?" Vincent was confused. He tried to follow her in the crowd, but he was pushed back.

Catherine ran after that pick-pocketer for some time before heading to a quiet alley. 

The pick-pocketer reached a dead end and turned around to find another path when Catherine stood at the front.

"Are you done running?" She panted and wiped off her sweat. "Before I scream and gather more people, give me back my money. I'll give you one gold coin in return."

The pick-pocketer hesitated. One gold coin was a lot for a poor teenager like him. 

However, if he could take the whole pouch, all the money inside the pouch would be his. That's why he couldn't decide right away.

"Well, well, well, look at that. We were trying to find an opportunity to capture her, but she came to us instead. It made our job a lot easier."

An unfamiliar voice spoke from behind. Catherine turned around and flinched. She saw four bulky men. They looked like thugs.

One of them licked his lips. "That's a pretty face. I didn't think she would be this pretty when I saw her picture."

"Well, it's rare to have blonde women around here. It's a bit sad that we have to finish our task sooner."

Catherine hid her fear and frowned at their words. "Who are you? What do you want?"

She got a reply from the thugs' leader. "We are the generous people who work for money, and someone paid a good amount of money to make you disappear forever."

Catherine's heart beat faster. 'Who wants to ruin my life? What did I ever do to anyone to make me disappear? I don't have any influence in the powerful world. Oh wait, is it the Imperial Family?'

She did her best not to shake her voice when she asked, "Who sent you? Do you know what powerful backing I have? If something happens to me, you won't be spared."

The thugs exchanged glances. They hesitated before coming to a conclusion. The leader stated, "You can say whatever you want, pretty lady, but you are coming with us."

Catherine gritted her teeth. "In your dreams!"

However, the thugs didn't listen to her. They grabbed her arms and yanked her body abruptly.

"Ouch!" Catherine winced. She opened her mouth and bit a hand that was holding her wrist tightly.

"Ahh! This bitch!" The guy cried in pain. He cursed her and then raised his arm.

Slap!

The slap felt so hard on her cheek that her lower lip bled. Her head was dizzy. Everything around her became dark.

Her body collapsed on the floor. One of them picked her up and stated, "It's easier when the prey is unconscious. What should we do with the kid over there?"

Everyone looked at the pick-pocketer. The boy flinched at their murderous glare. "Please, please spare me. I won't tell anyone. I'll just take the lady's money and leave."

The leader of the thugs looked at the pouch and said, "That amount is too much for you, son. Give it to us or we will crush your bones."

The boy started trembling. "Please, I have a sick mother…"

The leader narrowed his eyes. "And my stomach is empty. Do you want to give us the pouch or die? Choose."

The boy fidgeted before asking in fear, "Then, can I take at least one coin?"

The leader replied, "Sure, why not?"

The boy took one gold coin and threw the pouch at the leader. The leader caught it and grinned. "Now that's a heavy pouch. This woman is rich."

The thug who was carrying Catherine remarked, "Must be a noble lady. Can we have some fun with her before we kill her?"

The leader rubbed his chin. "Although I was ordered to finish her quickly, I guess why not? Let's enjoy our time before finishing her off."

The teenager dashed out of the alley. As he was passing the leader, the leader grabbed his hair and yanked backward. "Did you really think I would let you go after you saw us abducting a noble lady?"

The teenager was terrified. His whole body shook. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. "Pl…please…"

The leader grinned at him. "In your dreams." 

He threw the boy at his two men. They punched and kicked him until he started bleeding. The coin rolled from his unconscious hand. 

The leader caught it with his leg and then picked it up. He said, "Such a waste to leave it with a dead body. I can get some beer with this."

"Yes!!" The thugs cheered.

A beautiful lady with money, nothing could be more fun to them.

The thugs took Catherine away, leaving a bloody body behind.

----------

"Nng!" Catherine shuddered in dull pain.. 'Why does my face hurt so much?' she wondered.