"I..." Catherine choked out, managing only a single word.
Hearing Catherine's voice, Kai, who had harbored reservations about her, immediately cast all his previous grievances aside.
"Linlin, don't cry. This is my fault. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hurt you."
His voice softened considerably, laced with a newfound tension. He even began to berate himself for speaking to Catherine in such a tone earlier.
"I'm sorry, truly sorry!" Catherine sobbed. "It's me who should apologize. I know I was wrong, truly."
Kai felt his heart melt at Catherine's demeanor. He couldn't bear to see her so upset. If she were here now, he'd want to pull her into his arms.
"Alright, alright, what happened before is in the past. Don't be like this."
"No, it can't be in the past," Catherine's tone turned a little stubborn. "If what happened before is in the past, doesn't that mean you've let me go? Doesn't that mean we're over?"
Kai was taken aback. Catherine had deceived him, yet now she spoke as if he were the heartless one.
But he couldn't voice his thoughts. Doing so now would only make Catherine more miserable.
However, this didn't mean he could fully accept Catherine again. But then again, what did it matter? He loved Catherine, her good and her bad, didn't he?
Catherine was putting all her effort into the call. Kai was the only person she could rely on now, and he wouldn't easily let go of the matter concerning her. Thus, she had to be proactive and dispel all of Kai's doubts.
Whether her plan could proceed hinged entirely on this crucial step.
"Actually, the reason I'm calling you today is to tell you that I broke up with that boyfriend a long time ago. I already like someone else. I can't stand him developing suspicions about me due to others' instigation and interference. I really can't take it anymore."
As Catherine spoke, her voice grew increasingly agitated, making it seem as if she were undergoing immense torment.
Hearing these words, Kai's heart stirred. He almost couldn't believe Catherine would call him about this. It only pointed to one thing, didn't it? The person she liked, could it be...
But he quickly patted his face. Although he desperately hoped it was himself, he knew his own limitations. Moreover, given what had happened, could he truly accept Catherine?
Catherine continued, "I know you might not believe me anymore, or you might think I'm a bad woman. But I still want to tell you, the person I like now is you. Think about it, if I didn't like you, why would I only be in contact with you? And I don't have any other male friends."
Kai took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He felt like he was about to explode. Who wouldn't be overwhelmed if the woman they'd long admired confessed to them?
"I... uh..." His voice trembled, and his hand holding the phone shook. He still felt as if he were dreaming.
What a beautiful dream this was. He wished it would never end.
"You're going to be the death of me," was all he managed to say after a long moment of tension.
On the other end of the line, Catherine let out a cold laugh. As expected, Kai couldn't resist her charm. This man would likely be her pawn for life.
Kai took another deep breath, but it did little to help. Only after several more deep breaths did he gradually calm down. He pinched his arm; the sting reminded him it wasn't a dream.
He even glanced at the time on his phone, determined to etch this moment into his memory.
"I'm sorry. Please allow me to sincerely apologize. I truly didn't intend to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you, but under those circumstances, I lost control." Kai's voice was filled with self-reproach. Catherine could even imagine him slapping himself.
Catherine said softly, "You can't be blamed for this either. We were both tricked. But perhaps I should thank him for helping me see my true feelings."
Hearing the words "true feelings," Kai's heart softened even further. He felt that Catherine was exclusively his. In that case, how could he stand by and watch her suffer any injustice?
"Linlin, can you tell me what exactly happened? If someone orchestrated this, I won't let them get away with it," Kai said, his teeth clenched.
A slight smile played on Catherine's lips. From this moment on, Kai had completely fallen into her trap. Her objective was nearing realization.
She suppressed her urge to cheer and continued in a pitiful tone, "Actually, what happened that day, I was set up by Zhan Mohan. When I got there, I realized what was happening. I didn't do those things; you have to believe me."
"Of course I believe you. If you say you didn't do it, then you didn't. I won't doubt you anymore," Kai declared, clenching his fist. "Since they dared to do this to you, I will naturally make them pay the price."
After all, the woman he loved had suffered such great injustice. How could he turn a blind eye? And this incident had also involved him, nearly causing a huge misunderstanding between him and Catherine. How could he let that go?
Wasn't this exactly what Catherine had been waiting for? If she wanted Kai to be her pawn, she had to be flawless. Otherwise, if Zhan Mohan investigated and discovered the mastermind, wouldn't she fall back into the same trap?
But now Kai had said it himself. This meant that even if there was retaliation, it would be Kai's own idea, and it would have nothing to do with Catherine.
"Don't be rash. We can't fight them. Zhan Mohan has a powerful family. We stand no chance."
Kai, however, was completely unfazed. "That's simple. If we can't touch Zhan Mohan, I can at least deal with Wei Yumeng, a woman, right?"
Catherine's smile widened. Everything was proceeding according to her plan.
"As for how exactly to do it, let me think about it," Kai said, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. He had just promised to avenge her, but in reality, he had no idea how.
"Do you know about 'killing the heart'?" Catherine's voice, soft and eerie, came from the other end of the phone.