Chapter 1569
She liked it when he called her that.
Lightly biting her lower lip, she nodded. “Yeah… I couldn’t sleep. I thought a short walk might help.”
Johnson gave a small nod, hands in his pockets. “Same here. Want some company?”
Catherine hesitated, clearly unsure.
The irony wasn’t lost on her—the very man responsible for her insomnia was now offering to walk with her. Wouldn’t that only make things worse?
Her silence made a flicker of disappointment flash across Johnson’s face, though he quickly masked it.
“No pressure,” he added gently. “Only if you want to.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to.” The words escaped her in a rush, almost surprising herself.
Then she glanced up at him and said more softly, “Let’s go.”
A faint smile curved his lips. “Alright.”
After closing the door, Catherine and Johnson walked side by side.
The silence lingered for a few minutes before Catherine finally spoke, her voice tentative. “Why did you break up with Ms. Wilde?”
But as soon as she said it, she paused, regretting the directness of her question.
Johnson looked at her, visibly surprised. He hadn’t expected her to ask that.
At the same time, he felt a quiet joy at her question.
Did this mean… she cared about him?
Instead of answering, he turned to her, his voice low and steady. “Do you really want to know?”
Catherine blinked, caught off guard by the question.
Her gaze dropped.
“Not really,” she mumbled after a pause. “I just… heard about it earlier today. I was curious.”
She kept her eyes fixed on the path, not daring to meet his.
“Is that so?” Johnson replied, his voice quiet and slightly hoarse, leaving it unclear whether he believed her or not.
He was just about to say more when a voice called out sharply, “Mr. Hoffman!”
Both Johnson and Catherine turned their heads.
A man in a suit hurried toward them, slightly out of breath.
He stopped a few steps away and gave a polite nod. “Apologies for the interruption, Mr. Hoffman,” he said. “I’m Ben Ramos, manager of the Mount Tuky scenic area. Our security team noticed that one of the ladies in your group went into the woods behind the mountain about ten minutes ago. That area is unlit, unmonitored, and quite dangerous at night. Normally, no one ventures there after dark. I thought it best to inform you immediately; perhaps you can reach out to her and check on her situation.”
When Ben’s urgent words reached their ears, Johnson and Catherine exchanged a glance, both revealing unmistakable flashes of shock that danced across their features.