A Replacement Bride

Chapter 158

"Me?" Xavier pointed to himself in bewilderment as he blinked at Katherine innocently. "I don't recall having any stuff to do."

She shoved a set of keys into his hand and urged, "I'm sure you have. Now, hurry up and go back home, as in your apartment upstairs. Come back down for dinner later. Bye!"

Just like that, Xavier was practically frog-marched out of the door, and he was still in a daze as he stood out in the hallway. He glanced at the keys in his hand, and it took him a while to register what had just happened. Did Katherine just give me an apartment? One that's worth a dozen million?

At the thought of this, he couldn't care less about the reason why Katherine had been so eager for him to leave. He hummed happily as he went upstairs to check out his new abode.

Meanwhile, there was an amused smirk playing on Joaquin's lips as he gave Katherine a knowing look.

She cleared her throat and turned to address him primly, "Don't you have work to do or something?"

"The only work I have today is to stay here and keep Grandma company," Joaquin answered matter-of-factly.

He looked and sounded so serious that Katherine paused in surprise. A second later, she said, "Fine, then. Stay here and take care of her for me while I head out for a bit."

She had to drop by Theodore's research institute and go through the results of the latest clinical trial. At the same time, she was going to assess the patients' conditions and how they were reacting to the drug.

"Where are you going?" Joaquin asked curiously.

"The research institute," Kathereie replied frankly.

"Be safe," he said.

on a change of clothes and left home

to the research institute. Upon her arrival, she made a beeline for the laboratory first to review all

Cornell," Dina said cheerily when she saw Katherine in the laboratory. "A few of the patients who have recovered have already been discharged, but Mr. Muller brought in several new patients for the clinical trial. Would you

Katherine asked as she flipped the documents she was holding. "Which patients have

"Mr. Rosenburg and Mr. Rhodes. They were both discharged yesterday after Professor Muller evaluated their vitals and recovery process. He

when she heard this and pulled out Alex's folder. Her face turned grim

in his office. He's been holed up at the research institute these days," Dina replied, not

another patient's medical record. She flipped through the folder, then took

the gray in his hair was becoming more conspicuous. He also looked like he was balding. It seemed as if recent times had

into his office, he set down the instant ramen he was eating and dabbed the corners of his mouth with a tissue. Then, he stood up and gave a self-effacing laugh as he asked, "What brings you here? You could have called me

a seat and cut to the chase. "Dina told me

be wrong when he caught the look on her face. He resumed his seat and

of her sullenly and asked, "But do you think you could get Alex to come back

to his throat. He demanded in a shaky voice, "W-What happened to Alex? Is

don't bring him back for further observation," she said solemnly. A grim look registered on her features as she elaborated, "The results might have been favorable in his case, but you failed to consider that he was comatose for nearly twenty years after he took a bullet to the head. We can't discharge him and guarantee that nothing will happen to him, nor that he has fully recovered. He must be kept here for at least three months of observation, and it's only after he does not display any complications that we can declare him as fully recovered and have him return

wasting another second, he

clinical trial because we trusted you. You promised us that the medication your research institute came up with could revive brain cell activity, so why is Alex's condition deteriorating? What did you do to him?" He faltered, and all the color drained from