?<strong>Chapter 306:</strong>


    If Shawn had realized Katherine was not actually asleep, he wouldn’t have dared to make his move. Katherine’s eyes flickered open. “What are you doing?” Shawn struggled to maintainposure. “Nothing, just ensuring you werefortable.” Katherine sensed something amiss but couldn’t quite figure out what. Nevertheless, Shawn’s actions had fully roused her from any semnce of sleep, prompting her to engage in conversation. “Shawn, you seem to have been keeping your distance from metely.”


    “Have I?” Shawn murmured, feigning ignorance. Katherine chuckled lightly. “Perhaps I’m just imagining things.” Shawn couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes.


    “By the way, Joelle mentioned that you thought I was the one who was pregnant?” Katherine asked. “Yes.” “No wonder you’ve been acting so oddly. I assumed you had feelings for me.” Katherine’s observation made Shawn feel like he was under intense pressure.


    “How could that be?” He chuckled nervously. “That’s absurd. You’re my sister’s best friend.” “Exactly.” Katherine decided to clear the air to eliminate any awkwardness moving forward. “At that time, I was so rmed that I had Bobby pose as my boyfriend.” Shawn, though tense, processed her statement. “So, he wasn’t your boyfriend?” “No.” Katherine’s smile widened, her expression yful. “You werepletely deceived, weren’t you?” “Yes.”


    At that moment, Shawn contemted whether a rtionship with Katherine might be possible. But almost immediately, he mentally chastised himself. Besides the fact that Katherine was Joelle’s best friend, he was also uncertain how to disclose his secret identity and theirplicated online interactions.


    “Katherine.” “Yes?” Shawn cleared his throat, a subtle disguise for his unease. “I have something I’d like to ask you.” “Sure, go ahead.” “What would you do if someone deceived you?”


    Katherine toyed with her hair, eyeing her polished nails thoughtfully. “It depends on the deception’s nature. If it’s done with good intentions, I might let it go. But I wouldn’t stand for it if there’s malice behind it.” “And what if it was unintentional?”


    Katherine gazed at him, puzzled. “What are you getting at?” Shawn’s pulse quickened. “Oh, nothing.” However, his response piqued Katherine’s interest further. “Shawn, is there something you’re not telling me?” “No, not at all.” His hesitant and guarded manner clearly indicated otherwise.


    Katherine clicked her tongue and gave his chest a reassuring pat. “Come on, you’re an adult. Stand tall! What’s done is done. Here—” Her finger drew a circle over Shawn’s heart, leaving him momentarily breathless. Katherine continued, “You should open your mind. Life’s brief, so savor every moment, right?”


    Shawn could hardly sit still any longer. “I need to head to the restroom.” In the restroom, he braced himself against the sink, meeting his own gaze in the mirror. Damn. He almost died of a heart attack. Shawn held his chest, took a deep breath to steady himself, and then returned to his seat.


    Katherine had drifted off to sleep by then. He watched her quietly for a moment, memorizing the peaceful expression on her face. Hourster, the ne touched down. Distracted, Shawn was in a heated exchange with a burly man while collecting his luggage. The man towered over Shawn, who stood over six feet tall and was muscr from regr workouts. Yet, the man was significantly broader, and despite Shawn’s quick apology, he aggressively pushed Shawn.


    Before Shawn could respond, Katherine, in her high heels, darted before him and defiantly gestured at the man. The man hurled insults at her, which Katherine retorted sharply. “Fuck you!” Their voices reverberated throughout the airport. Just as Shawn pulled Katherine back, she surged forward again, flipping off the man with renewed fury.


    Undeterred by the man’s size, Katherine faced him fearlessly. At the peak of their altercation, Katherine hurled her expensive Hermes bag at the man’s face, leaving a mark. The man continued with his discriminatoryments, pushing Katherine past her limit. Breaking away from Shawn’s hold, she charged at the man, tearing his shirt to shreds with her bare hands.


    Finally, airport security intervened and managed to calm the situation. On her first day in Bristania, Katherine felt a fierce pride for defending her friend. Shawn, with mixed emotions, observed her tousled hair and noted several of her nails had snapped. “Next time, let’s leave such matters to the men.” “This isn’t about gender. I’ll stand up to anyone who tries to bully you!”


    Shawn had been self-reliant from a young age. During family hardships, he had always stepped up to provide support. In the most challenging two years, he drank excessively for business reasons, which led to a stomach ulcer. Even the weakest of his associates dared to mock him. He had experienced the harsh realities of human nature and had long since learned not to rely on others for protection. He had be his own pir of strength.


    .


    .


    .