His unwanted wife, the world’s coveted genius

Chapter 874:

Lucas understood what she meant, but he also couldn’t deny the reality of their situation. He shook his head and sighed as well.

“Johnson will have to up his game and keep trying.”

Meanwhile, Catherine walked across the parking lot to her car. She was about to unlock it when…

“Catherine,” a male voice called out to her.

Catherine’s brows immediately furrowed at the familiar voice. Sure enough, when she turned toward the voice, she saw Leland walking toward her.

Catherine’s gaze didn’t linger. She fumbled for her car key, but Leland suddenly rushed over and grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Catherine, wait!” After multiple failed attempts, Leland finally had the chance to speak to Catherine. He wasn’t about to let her go so easily.

Catherine looked at his hand wrapped around her arm and said in an icy voice, “Let go of me.”

Leland obediently withdrew his hand, but he didn’t step away.

“Catherine, can we talk? Please? Just for a bit…”

Catherine’s eyes were cold.

“There’s nothing for us to talk about.”

Leland seemed to grow a bit anxious.noveldrama

“Why didn’t you tell me who you really are?”

Catherine replied nonchalantly, her tone laced with a hint of defiance, “I’m not obligated to disclose everything about my life to you, right? What’s the issue here? Was there some unwritten guideline that dictates I must divulge every tiny aspect of my existence simply because we were in a relationship?”

Catherine had never perceived her status as the adopted daughter of the prestigious Hoffman family as something particularly remarkable that warranted public announcement. Moreover, Johnson’s mother, the matriarch of the Hoffman family, had issued a stern warning to her before. She had advised her against mentioning her affiliation with the Hoffman family to others.

Leland, however, found Catherine’s words grating. His frustration boiled beneath the surface as he inhaled deeply, trying to regain his composure.

“Why didn’t you inform me of your real identity sooner? Had I known, then I—”

Before he could finish his thought, a deep, gravelly male voice abruptly interjected, “Oh, let me guess. If you’d known about Cathy’s identity, you’d have treated her better and avoided getting tangled up with other women. Is that what you were going to say?”

Those words struck Leland at his most vulnerable spot, leaving him momentarily speechless.

The reality was painfully clear: had he known Catherine’s true identity before, he would have navigated their relationship with far more caution. After all, winning Catherine’s love would have opened doors to an enviable position within the Hoffman family—a dream too enticing to overlook.

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