All Her Secrets

After Paxton was gone, Catherine looked at the time. It was only half an hour left. She estimated Branden must be exhausted, so
she got up and headed to the training ground.
Just as she reached the training ground entrance, Paxton stopped her. “Miss Swann, could I trouble you for one more thing?
Come with me, please.
“What do you want?” Catherine stared at him with doubt. Paxton kept his head down and avoided meeting Catherine’s eyes.
“Miss Swann, you only need to follow me.”
Catherine walked behind Paxton for some time and came to a halt. Paxton noticed and looked over his shoulder.
He saw Catherine fold her arms before her chest with a grim look. Her eyes seemed harsh and piercing, almost scared Paxton
out of his wits.
“Aren’t you gonna tell me the truth?” said Catherine with a commanding vibe. Paxton did not know what he had done wrong to
expose himself, but he knew he could hide it from Catherine no more. He could only come clean.
“It’s Branden’s order. He doesn’t want you to be at the training ground. He wants to complete the challenge by himself.”
Speaking of which, Paxton felt aggrieved. When he was back at the training ground, Branden had given him a strict order to stop
Catherine from returning.
Branden did not want Catherine to end the task in advance.
Catherine turned around to head back to the training ground, but Paxton strode in front of her and blocked her way.
Catherine glared at Paxton, and the latter subconsciously retreated a few steps. Watching her domineering back, Paxton
muttered, “Branden, this is not my fault. She’s too powerful. I dared not say no.”
Catherine was indeed, as Paxton said, powerful. When she returned to the training ground, the fight was not over.
There was still fifteen minutes left. Branden could pass the test after fifteen minutes. The onlookers who worried about Branden
all let out a sigh of relief.
In their eyes, as long as Branden kept that pace, it was not a big problem for him to make it to the end.

But when Catherine returned, the situation changed considerably. When they saw Catherine, the eighteen people low in spirits
under Branden’s attacks were suddenly full of strength again.
Catherine was their spiritual leader. Seeing her was equal to having more challenging tasks. The eighteen people made their
attacks more fiercely and violently like crazy.
If Branden kept his pace, he could have made it to the end even if he could not win. Yet, he seemed to want to give up after
catching sight of Catherine.
He gradually stopped resisting, letting the trainees punch him repeatedly. Their punches were heavy, and the onlookers were
feared. The eighteen people were well-trained, and their fists were much stronger than ordinary people.
Branden only covered his head with both hands, standing still like a mountain and letting the crowd beat him and kick him.
One of the trainees noticed Branden did not fight back, so he swept his leg and kicked Branden’s back.
Branden groaned, walking two steps ahead before he steadied his body. The next moment, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Catherine’s brows drew together tightly as she watched their fight.
She wondered if Branden wanted her to sympathize with him in that way. That was a nice trick. Catherine was indeed unwilling
to hurt him too severely. After all, who would cook for her if Branden was disabled in the fight?
Catherine walked forward and wanted to call off the fight, but Branden shook his head as if he had guessed what she intended to
do. Catherine paused and stood on the spot.
Branden continued to be beaten. The training continued, and Branden was more badly hurt as he received more punches.
Catherine scowled at what was happening before her. She tried to move forward, but Paxton blocked her way and did not let her
pass.
“Miss Swann, Branden has given me the order to stop you from going to the arena.”
Seconds ticked by. It was the first time Catherine felt the training time was too long. Jon blew the whistle when the one- minute
countdown ended.
Branden still stood in the arena. His eyes searched for Catherine stubbornly. When he saw her, the fierceness in his eyes turned
to tenderness. He smiled at Catherine, his teeth behind the lips stained with blood, shocking.

“Sir, the training is over. Can I join your camp?”
Catherine replied indifferently to Branden’s seemingly provoking question, “You passed the first test and can join my camp now.
But you are late for a week, so you must pass the survival challenge. Will you do it?”
“I will!” Branden answered without thinking twice.
Catherine sneered and left the decision to Branden.
“To keep things fair, how about you assign yourself a task? You can join our training after you accomplish it.”
“That’s great.” The light smile never left Branden’s face.
Paxton and the other three Duncans were secretly delighted, thinking that Branden’s affection for Catherine had worked and
softened Catherine. She stretched rules for Branden, and they could feel assured.
But as they felt relaxed, Branden’s decision startled and fazed them again.
“Sir, my survival challenge will be heading to Snake Island in the north alone and staying there for a day and a night. If I could
survive, please give me a chance to be at your camp.”
He had just fought eighteen skillful people and was wounded all over his body. Yet, he asked to go to Snake Island for the
survival challenge.
Was Branden out of his mind or asking for death?
Catherine did not expect Branden to bring up such a request. It reminded her of the scene that the members of Red Star had
thrown her into a hole full of snakes. Did Branden mean to experience all the torture she had ever had?
Before Catherine responded, Branden volunteered again.
“Sir, please let me do it.”
The people around all thought Branden was nuts. The task just now was sufficient for him to be Catherine’s trainee. It was
unnecessary to add one more task like that.
He was going to die!

Catherine was intrigued seeing his persistence. She was curious when Branden would stop hurting himself.
“Fine. As you wish.”
With that, Catherine whirled around and left, giving no time for Branden to regret.
Branden had no intention of regretting it. That was his decision, and it had nothing to do with Catherine, no matter whether he
died or was disabled. He would not blame Catherine.
If he could not survive, that was the punishment he deserved.
If he survived, it was his paying back to Catherine.
He owed Catherine, and he had to pay the debt.
Those two tasks were child’s play compared to what he had ordered to do to Catherine.
Branden kept thinking, what would things turn out to be if he had interrogated Catherine in person instead of commanding
remotely?
But he was glad that he was not there personally. They had different stances and did not know each other at that time.
Under such a circumstance, it was a sure bet that he would torture Catherine.
If they had known each other back then, everything romantic between them would never happen.