A Replacement Bride

Chapter 411 Lady of the House
Katherine was amused by the response, and she flicked the girl's forehead. "And where did you learn that, girl? That's
nonsense."
Noah rubbed her forehead and puffed her cheeks. She defended herself, "That's not nonsense. It's a fact." She turned around
and went upstairs, shouting, "I'll be looking around the place, Mom."
Katherine looked at her, amused. "Slow down. You'll fall."
Noah went around the corner and answered, "Yeah, I know." Her voice was silvery like the trill of a bird.
Katherine stood on the first floor, thinking about what Noah had just said, and a smile twinkled in her eyes. She's not wrong.
While Noah was looking around, Katherine took some time to think about Joaquin and what he was doing. In the end, she called
him. "So, did your family do anything to you? What's the situation?" She cut to the chase right after the call went through.
Instead of answering, Joaquin teased, "Well, aren't you worried about me?" There was a hint of delight in his voice.
Katherine fell silent for a moment. For some reason, she felt sheepish. "Come on, stop messing around."
He stopped teasing her right away lest he made her blush. "Elizabeth called. She wants me home by afternoon."
"I see..." Katherine went to the balcony and narrowed her eyes, basking in the sun. "They've set up a trap, huh? Guess their
sources are fast."
Joaquin sneered. "Yeah. Right after I come back, they want to pick a fight with me."
"So, are you going?"
"Of course," replied Joaquin without any hesitation. "I need to find out what they're up to."
She knew he wasn't afraid at all, and she smiled. "Sure. You stand up against them while Noah and I will cheer you on. Don't let
them gobble you up."
He cocked his eyebrow. "So, how are you getting along with Noah?"
She smiled. "She just got here, and she's gone upstairs to check things out. Noah seems to like this villa and its decor."

"Is that so?" Joaquin fell silent for a while. Then, he said, "I see. I know how the decor has to go now."
Katherine wondered what he was talking about. "What decor? Are you going to refurbish the condo?"
Joaquin chuckled. For some reason, Katherine thought it was sexy. "No. It's for the new villa."
She blinked. "You got a new villa again?"
"Yes," he said. "But not for me. It's for us."
I see... Katherine opened her mouth and muttered, "Us? Wait, is it our marital home?"
Joaquin laughed. "Yes. Well, technically speaking, anyway. I've been preparing for a while now. I picked the land before we got
married, but our wedding went by a bit quickly, so I couldn't finish my preparations. But it's built now. Once you come back, we'll
move into our new home. As a family."
It was really heartwarming, and Katherine's ears turned red. She felt a surge of warmth traveling through her veins. "Why didn't
you tell me?"
He cocked his eyebrow again. "It was a surprise, so I wanted to keep it a secret."
She laughed. "Now, it's not a secret anymore."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I couldn't hold it in. It just happened." The apology didn't sound sincere; he was doing it on purpose.
Then, he asked, "So, are you going to move in and be the lady of the house?"
Katherine pretended to hesitate. "Not enough time to think. It hasn't even been a few minutes since you announced it."
Joaquin played along. "Sure. Tell me how long you need, then. I can wait as long as you say yes."
"Hmm..." She narrowed her eyes, then she laughed. It was a hearty, delightful laugh. "Sure." She wasn't one to drag things out.
She would say whatever was on her mind. Since Joaquin was making that offer, she wouldn't say no. Just like Noah had said,
they were a family. They were also married, so they needed their own place.
Everything around her brightened up, and she felt sweet. It wasn't every day she had this feeling, but she didn't dislike it. She
wouldn't lie to herself. By now, she had feelings for Joaquin. She had no idea how deep those feelings ran, but she knew she
would like to live her life out with him.

Joaquin looked down and smiled, his eyes filled with tenderness, and delight filled his heart. "No taking back. This house belongs
to our family now."
"Sure." She hung up and held her phone, her heart racing. Katherine touched her face, and it felt remarkably warm. A smile
curled her lips, but she thought, You're married and a mother of one. You can't act like a young maiden in love.
"Well, someone is beaming."
Someone behind her spoke, and she almost jumped. Quickly, she turned around, and she saw David holding Noah in his arms.
They were both staring at her. "Could you at least make some sound when you walk?" She knew he must have seen her grin,
and she quickly stopped smiling out of embarrassment.
A suspicious David narrowed his eyes. "I've known you for years, but you've never been startled like that before. Whom did you
call? You're practically grinning from ear to ear."