A Replacement Bride

Chapter 208

Jennifer became upset at once. She didn't even have a chance to speak when Katherine choked her, seemingly wanting to break her neck.

At that, she looked toward Joaquin for help.

Joaquin, too, realized things were going awry as he watched from aside the whole time. "Kathy, wait. She might really be Grandma." He hurriedly stopped Katherine.

Katherine took a dubious gander at Joaquin in response before shifting her eyes back onto Jennifer and finally letting her go after some thought. "I'll kill you right here and now if you don't explain everything to me."

"Katherine Cornell! How dare you lay your hands on me! I am your grandmother. Can you not tell?! Open your eyes and take a good look at me!" Now that she was released, Jennifer snapped at the young woman at once.

However, Katherine only frowned at her silently, leading the elder to bring out the big guns. "When you were five, you ate all the mulberries your grandfather bought to infuse his liquor and ended up with stomach flu when you got to kindergarten. Then, you pooped in your pants by accident and cried for a long time after returning home. Since then, you never ate a mulberry again."

Katherine regretted at once as soon as Jennifer spoke up, but before she could interject, Jennifer had already spilled her embarrassing past.

Jennifer, on the other hand, snorted at Katherine's mortification and continued, "Then, when you had your first period at thirteen, it was one of your male classmates who discovered it. He thought you were

dying when he saw how much you were bleeding. He even called 911 and took you to the hospital. In the end—"

"Alright, stop! I believe you now." Katherine's face was red as she hurriedly covered Jennifer's mouth, to which the elderly raised her chin with feigned arrogance and shoved the woman's hand away. "You have a lot of nerve, Katherine Cornell, to strangle and want to kill me! How can you not make out your grandmother?"

"And it's my fault you looked like that just now?!" With that, the young woman narrowed her eyes as she realized her grandmother had led her off-topic. "Wait, hold up. You haven't explained to me how you know transfiguration, and at an expert level at that! Explain to me, Grandma—just who the heck are you?"

Jennifer became conscience-stricken at once. "What do you mean who am I? I'm your grandmother, that's who. Goodness me, I'm exhausted. I'm going home now. Oh, my limbs… I swear, visiting your grandfather's grave is really going to be the death of me."

"Grandpa's grave isn't here." Katherine unmasked her lie peevishly.

However, Jennifer didn't feel owkword ot oll. "Oh, is thot so? No wonder I found it stronge when I couldn't find it. My memory must be cotching up to my oge. To think I'd forget thot old mon's grove. Sigh, I'm reolly getting on in yeors. I should just go home. Heck, I might even forget the woy home somedoy. Hurry up ond toke me home."

Alos, there wos nothing Kotherine could do obout her grondmother when the lotter deliberotely ployed dumb. She couldn't octuolly force Jennifer to speok up, could she?!

In the end, she hod no choice but to just send the elder home.

Feoring Kotherine would press for onswers, Jennifer dove into her room immediotely ofter orriving home, soying she wosn't feeling well ond needed to rest.

Kotherine, on the other hond, fell silent os she looked ot the closed door.

Jooquin wos once ogoin bomborded with colls, ond while checking the coller ID, he mossoged his foreheod before reminding Kotherine, "Don't you think you've forgotten something?"

"Huh? Whot hove I forgotten?" Kotherine turned oround ond looked ot Jooquin in bewilderment.

Thus, he could only remind her, "You're still infiltroting Hovington's security system. The people ot the Deportment of Stote ore freoking out, ond so ore my guys ot Areo Seven."

It wos only then it come to Kotherine; no wonder she thought she seemed to hove forgotten obout something. To think it'd be thot.

Meonwhile, everyone from the IT deportment gothered in the Deportment of Stote building looked beyond grim os if they were focing o formidoble enemy.

"Director, we're focing o super hocker. I suspect him to be the guy who infiltroted the notionol security system two yeors ogo, Night Owl. I suggest we issue on internotionol orrest worront now to toke him in."

'Whot's going on? Hos something mojor hoppened in Hovington todoy? I noticed fighter jets potrolling the sky the whole doy. Looks like they're deoling with something mojor.'

'I hove o relotive working in the public security deportment. Word is thot o hocker hos hocked into Hovington's security system, ond the entire system is down right now.'

'No woy! Seriously?! Someone's octuolly copoble enough to hock into Hovington's security system? Whot's so precious in Hovington worth coveting thot someone would dispotch o hocker this level?!'

'Honestly, though, don't you think it's on exoggerotion to soy thot someone hocked into the security system? Who con do something like thot?! Unless on orgonizotion's behind this.'

However, Jennifer didn't feel awkward at all. "Oh, is that so? No wonder I found it strange when I couldn't find it. My memory must be catching up to my age. To think I'd forget that old man's grave. Sigh, I'm really getting on in years. I should just go home. Heck, I might even forget the way home someday. Hurry up and take me home."

Alas, there was nothing Katherine could do about her grandmother when the latter deliberately played dumb. She couldn't actually force Jennifer to speak up, could she?!

In the end, she had no choice but to just send the elder home.

Fearing Katherine would press for answers, Jennifer dove into her room immediately after arriving home, saying she wasn't feeling well and needed to rest.

Katherine, on the other hand, fell silent as she looked at the closed door.

Joaquin was once again bombarded with calls, and while checking the caller ID, he massaged his forehead before reminding Katherine, "Don't you think you've forgotten something?"

"Huh? What have I forgotten?" Katherine turned around and looked at Joaquin in bewilderment.

Thus, he could only remind her, "You're still infiltrating Hovington's security system. The people at the Department of State are freaking out, and so are my guys at Area Seven."

It was only then it came to Katherine; no wonder she thought she seemed to have forgotten about something. To think it'd be that.

Meanwhile, everyone from the IT department gathered in the Department of State building looked beyond grim as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"Director, we're facing a super hacker. I suspect him to be the guy who infiltrated the national security system two years ago, Night Owl. I suggest we issue an international arrest warrant now to take him in."

'What's going on? Has something major happened in Hovington today? I noticed fighter jets patrolling the sky the whole day. Looks like they're dealing with something major.'

'I have a relative working in the public security department. Word is that a hacker has hacked into Hovington's security system, and the entire system is down right now.'

'No way! Seriously?! Someone's actually capable enough to hack into Hovington's security system? What's so precious in Hovington worth coveting that someone would dispatch a hacker this level?!'

'Honestly, though, don't you think it's an exaggeration to say that someone hacked into the security system? Who can do something like that?! Unless an organization's behind this.'

'No, the Department of State just issued a statement. Guys, check it out!'

The city-wide security system failure attracted everyone's attention, and the whole of Hovington entered first-degree martial law. The armed forces were already on standby, ready to attack anytime. Not only that, the police, Area Seven's armed forces, and the Department of State's security forces were also all at the ready, waiting to shoot the hacker upon instruction.

At the same time, the Department of State also issued a notice on its Twitter page. 'A lawbreaker has disregarded national law today and maliciously infiltrated Hovington's security system, causing a city- wide security system failure. So far, we suspect it to be the work of Night Owl, the hacker who infiltrated Misvalco, Huwait, Yevera, and many other country's national security centers. We hereby now issue an international arrest warrant to arrest Night Owl. Please come forward if you have any information on his whereabouts. Once verified, you will be awarded half a million.'

Once the Department of State issued the notice to the public, the other national departments began retweeting the post.

Initially, the public was just guessing if something major had happened in Hovington, but now, everyone understood what was going down after reading the notice, and the entire Internet burst into a tumult.

'What the heck?! Night Owl's in Cechirus?! But why hack Hovington of all cities? Is there something special about it?'

'Night Owl's in Hovington? Hold up, I'm coming!'

'No way! To think something that only ever appears on TV is now happening in real life!'

'Is the international arrest warrant for real? That's the highest level wanted warrant! To be wanted by Cechirus, this Night Owl dude is a goner for good, isn't he?!'

'Am I the only one curious to know if the Department of State has fixed the security system? What if Night Owl's pissed off by the statement and does something even crazier? Wouldn't we all be in danger?!' All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

'So why the heck would Night Owl hack Hovington? What's happening there?'

While the Internet was buzzing about the news, Xavier looked dumbfoundedly at the webpage on his computer. F*cking hell, I've been doing nothing but surfing the net and watching shows online at home! Can someone tell me why I'm suddenly wanted in Cechirus?! Worst of all, it's an international arrest warrant! Can I still live to see tomorrow's sun?