?<strong>Chapter 456:</strong>


    Katherine rubbed her forehead in frustration. “So, you’re just pushing me to get married?”


    She stood up with unwavering determination. “When ites to rtionships, I firmly believe in letting things unfold naturally. No one has the right to pressure me.”


    Her parents were never the overbearing type, which had allowed Katherine to develop her capacity for autonomous decision-making.


    As she turned to leave, her mother called out after her, “We’re not insisting you marry immediately; just bring someone home for dinner asionally!”


    Having heard this refrain countless times, Katherine dismissively waved them off and left without looking back.


    Due to the congested traffic, by the time she arrived at the hospital, everyone else had already left. This, however, gave her the perfect opportunity for a private conversation with Joelle.


    “You two chat. I’ll take Aurora for a walk,” Adrian said, ever considerate.


    As soon as the door clicked shut, Katherine hurried to embrace Joelle, her eyes brimming with tears. “You foolish girl. Why let unworthy people affect you so deeply?” she asked.


    Joelle nearly coughed up blood, causing Katherine to quickly release her embrace.


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    “Are you still not fully recovered?” she asked, concerned.


    “Yeah, the doctor said I need more time to heal.” Suddenly, Joelle sped Katherine’s hand with urgency. “Katherine, if anything were to ever happen to me, I implore you to take care of Shawn.”


    Joelle’s words felt like a farewell, sending a chill down Katherine’s spine. She instinctively pulled her hand away from Joelle’s grasp. “Cut it out, will you? If you pull that stunt again, I won’t care what happens to Shawn! You’ll have to face the consequences on your own!”


    “Don’t say that!” Joelle quickly grabbed her hand again, her grip firm. “Katherine, you’re my best friend. And Shawn really likes you. I trust you with him more than anyone else.”


    Katherine forced a tight smile. “He likes me? You might not know this, buttely, he’s been spending more and more time with Lily. I think his feelings for me were just a passing phase, you know?”


    “That can’t be true.”


    Katherine wasn’t upset, nor was there any bitterness in her voice. Instead, she was calm.


    “Shawn’s impulsive. When he said he liked me, I think he was just caught up in the moment. Lily’s great though. She’s perfect for him.”


    Joelle stared at her for a moment, not noticing anything unusual in her expression, but she could feel the self-assurance in Katherine’s words.


    If Katherine truly didn’t care about Shawn, why was she acting like this?


    Sometimes, all it took was a nudge to close the distance between them.


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