CHAPTER 19: CHAPTER 19- DESIRE

Channing was the first to react. After a brief moment of shock, he quickly plastered a smile on his face.

"Lord Washington... Lord Washington, this is..."

Despite Bert being a bastard, Channing still felt a deep sense of awe. Even though that night at the restaurant Bert had mocked him mercilessly, the man behind him was Washington Co. And now, with Washington Co. having joined forces with MOS Corp., they had firmly secured control over Burg Eltz. Together, the two companies dominated nearly half of the city’s economic lifeblood—anyone dealing with Burg Eltz or the Mo family had to tread carefully.

Although Bert was a bastard, he had been given his own company by Daniel, and in the past two years, he had been quietly making waves in the United States. Recently, he had shifted his focus to Burg Eltz, appearing at key events in a low-profile yet commanding way. Even if he didn’t directly manage Washington Co., his personal wealth and the power behind him were enough to make people tremble.

On top of that, Bert’s very presence exuded a cold, arrogant aura that pressed down on anyone nearby.

Faced with Channing’s obsequiousness, Bert merely glanced at Riley and said,

"This is my friend. I heard there was a bit of a misunderstanding with Miss Channing, so I came to have a look."

Riley immediately recognized him as the handsome man she had met in the hallway that night at Catherine’s place. She knew he had helped Catherine before, so when he said he was her friend, she smiled warmly at him. She didn’t know him well, but she understood he was here to help her out, so she happily played along.

Channing quickly stammered, trying to cover the situation,

"Yes... yes, there was a little misunderstanding, but it’s all settled now, everything’s fine."

The moment Channing realized Riley was Bert’s friend, he immediately lost all interest in pursuing her responsibility. All he knew was that he could not afford to offend Bert.

Lucca was furious.

"Dad, weren’t we supposed to sue her?"

Tracy, standing nearby, was equally stubborn.

"Channing, what do you mean by this?"

"Everyone, shut up!"

Channing bellowed, trying to regain control.

Meanwhile, Bert seemed completely unfazed by the chaos. Calm and composed, he continued,

"If Channing says everything’s settled, then I’ll take my friend and leave."

Bert’s presence, calm yet commanding, exerted a subtle but undeniable pressure over Channing. All he could do was nod repeatedly, saying nothing else.

"Alright... alright."

With Channing’s reluctant approval, Bert turned to the girl beside him, his gaze steady and composed.

"Shall we go?"

Then he led the way, walking with effortless elegance.

Riley followed with a bright smile, obediently matching his pace. Duke, however, stepped forward to block her, frowning.

"Who is this? Do you know him? Why are you just going with him?"

Duke had never seen someone like Bert in Burg Eltz before, so his protective instincts kicked in.

Riley looked up, saw Gerald entering from outside, and then glanced at Channing’s family behind her. She laughed brightly, linking arms with Duke, and said loudly,

"He’s Catherine’s boyfriend! Of course I know him, and very well too!"

After saying that, Riley quickly followed the man’s retreating figure. She noticed Gerald, who had just entered, freeze for a moment, his face tightening, and she could almost feel the lingering resentment from Lucca and Tracy behind her.

But Riley’s attention was fixed on the man ahead. She had impulsively called him Catherine’s boyfriend just to rile up Gerald and Lucca’s family. In reality, Riley knew Catherine didn’t even know this man’s name—how could they possibly be a couple?

Riley had always been impulsive. After blurting out the words, she immediately began to worry. What if the man stopped and explained that they weren’t dating? That would be so embarrassing—and it would ruin her little plan to give Catherine some vindication. She cautiously glanced at his tall, broad back as he strode forward.

To her surprise, the man didn’t react at all to her comment. He walked calmly, shoulders straight, his posture perfect as he moved toward the exit. From a professional model’s perspective, Riley had to admit—the man’s physique was incredible.

But she still wondered... didn’t he hear her? Gerald had clearly heard it when she said it—this man hadn’t even reached the doorway yet.

It didn’t matter anymore. At least he hadn’t denied it outright. That was enough for Riley. At least now, Catherine could hold her head high in front of Channing and the others. Anyone with eyes could see it: in both temperament and appearance, this man easily outshone Gerald.

He carried the kind of mature charm that was calm yet restrained, profound yet subtle—an aura that completely eclipsed a slightly younger man like Gerald.

Riley was determined to make them realize that, without their precious Gerald, Catherine could find someone far better.

Once outside the police station, in the parking lot, Riley caught up to the man and flashed him a grateful smile.

"Hey, handsome, thanks a lot!"

The man stopped in front of his sleek black car and turned to look at her. His eyes were deep and composed, his brows steady, the slightly open collar of his shirt exuding a casual elegance. Riley just wanted to scream—he was ridiculously good-looking.

Yet, she couldn’t deny the sharpness in his gaze. He looked at her calmly, saying nothing, and Riley instantly felt the weight of his presence. She hurriedly muttered an apology.

"Sorry... I was just being impulsive back there when I said you were Cici’s boyfriend. If it caused you any trouble, please forgive me."

Bert looked at the girl before him, unsure whether to be annoyed or amused. She was completely different from Catherine—impulsive, reckless, full of energy. Catherine, in contrast, was gentle, composed, and carried a touch of caution. Bert couldn’t fathom how the two of them could even be friends. Perhaps, he mused, this was what they called complementary personalities.

Bert had heard the girl’s comment about being Catherine’s boyfriend, and he heard it loud and clear. In an instant, he already guessed her intention—it was just to give Catherine a bit of pride in front of Channing and the others.

As for why he hadn’t denied it on the spot, it was simple: he had already helped Catherine so many times, one more little fib from this girl wasn’t going to make a difference.

Everything he had done for Catherine was rooted in a desire to make amends for that one night.

And once Renata’s surgery was over successfully, that sense of obligation would be completely closed in his mind. After the surgery, any struggles Catherine faced—whether dealing with Channing’s family or life in general—would no longer concern him. He wouldn’t intervene again.

So when the girl apologized and explained herself, Bert said nothing. He only gave her a silent warning through his gaze, signaling that she’d better watch her words in the future. Then he opened the car door, ready to get in.

Riley, sticking out her tongue mischievously, stopped him.

"Excuse me, are you going to the hospital?"

Riley guessed that this man must have been at Catherine’s side earlier; otherwise, he wouldn’t know about the scuffle with Lucca. Now that things were settled, she wondered if he was heading back to the hospital.

The man turned to look at her. Riley, grinning, said,

"I’m going too. Mind giving me a ride?"

She boldly moved around to the passenger side, ready to hop in. She couldn’t help herself—she was curious about this man, and even more curious about his relationship with Catherine. If Catherine didn’t know him, why was he helping her again and again?

Duke followed behind. Seeing Riley about to get into the man’s car, he immediately shouted,

"What are you doing?"

Riley quickly explained,

"Brother, I forgot to tell you—Renata’s having surgery today. Want to come to the hospital with me?"

Duke nodded,

"Fine, then ride with me in my car."

"Nope. I want to ride with this handsome guy."

With that, Riley opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. Duke’s face went dark. His little sister had no sense of propriety when it came to men—but he was used to it by now.

He glanced at the man standing there, calm and collected, with a subtle aloofness that made Duke frown instinctively. His intuition told him this man was far too complex and worldly to be the kind of simple, kind-hearted match Catherine deserved.

But Duke said nothing more. He turned, got into his own car, and followed them, driving toward the hospital behind their sleek black vehicle.