Hunter was the best example.

Sean was very protective of Catherine. He could play tough when he wanted. Ethan might not be his match.

​​

Ethan smiled and said he didn't think of Catherine in that way. He was just curious about her.

Ethan learned that both her parents passed away and got disappointed. She wasn't the one he was looking for. It's been so many years. The one Ethan was looking for must have changed so much. Finding one was a long shot.

Catherine wasn't aware of Ethan's talk with Antonia. She didn't see Sean in the living room. Amanda told her he was in the garden. So she went there.

There were lights in the garden. She saw Sean under the grape trellis. And he wasn't alone. Pearl wasn't far. They were having a conversation. But Catherine couldn't tell his look since she could only see his back.

But Pearl frowned and looked sad like she was hurt.

Catherine turned around and left. Although she didn't know what they were talking about, she was confident in Sean. Pearl was the one that wouldn't quit.

"Sean, how could you be so cruel to me?" asked Pearl. She's been meaning to ask him, but he turned his back on her. She couldn't even come into his house. All she knew was Sean wouldn't leave Catherine and took great care of her.

Sean said, "Who are you to question me?"

"We're family friends and grew up together. It has to weigh more than Catherine."

"But it doesn't."

Pearl thought of the answer. But she was torn hearing it from him. It turned out she meant nothing to him. Perhaps he didn't think of her as a sister either.

Sean said coldly, "How could you compare yourself with her?"

"Why couldn't I?"

Pearl wouldn't give up. She thought Catherine was no better than a string of her hair. But Sean said she was no match to Catherine. In his mind, she was worse than the dirt.

"I thought I'm a thousand times better than her in the family background, looks, and personality."

"Well, that's how you think," Sean answered coldly.

"Sean, it's you, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Pearl turned pale, "I told myself it couldn't be you. But I know it has to be you. I just don't want to believe it."

Pearl couldn't believe that he brought Taylor Inwood to its knees for Catherine.

"I wouldn't help you if Catherine wasn't kind."

Sean was the one that destroyed and helped Taylor Inwood. Pearl had to ask for his help. That was ironic.

"Kind? Asking for her opinions is an insult."Whether her family business could be saved depended on Catherine. If so, why did she go against Catherine in the first place?

"You know what you did. It's karma."Sean said. If she didn't mess with Catherine and caused her allergy, he wouldn't be so mad that he sabotaged Taylor Inwood.

Pearl bent over and whispered, "Am I a joke to you?"

Pearl spared no effort to antagonize Catherine. She dragged Taylor Inwood into this. To save it, she went to his help. And Catherine had to say yes.

It was like slapping Pearl so hard in public. Then she had to say thank you to Catherine. How could she allow herself to be in this position? She had no way out.

"You're nothing," said Sean.

Sean was always so cruel and heartless to women except for Catherine. His tenderness was all Catherine's.

Sean sneered, "I thought of you as my sister like Iris. But now, you're just a scheming woman to me."

Pearl stumbled back and lost her balance.

"You must have the dress," Pearl said.

"What do you think?"

He wouldn't be so mad if he didn't see the dress.

"It's just a prank. If you want to defend her, go after me. Why do you involve Taylor Inwood?" It was Johnson's family business.

Sean sneered and refused to answer the question.

"You feel sorry that she had an allergy and broke out skin rashes. So you spared no effort to hurt me."

"You hurt her, and this is the price you pay."

Sean didn't care what happened to Pearl at all. He gave her a cold look and left.

It was a waste of time for Pearl. He had nothing to say to Perl.

"Wait, I have one question."

Pearl knew the answer would hurt her, but she had to know, "Brad and Leydon also refused to help out. It's you."

Sean smiled and didn't answer. His silence confirmed Pearl's answer. She was badly hit and got so mad.

"How could you do this? It's all for Catherine?" asked Pearl.

Pearl felt Sean was so strange. She knew he was indifferent to everybody. So she was okay. But things changed after Catherine. She has never seen him so gentle. Sean pampered Catherine, and she was the apple in his eye. If anyone harmed her, he would turn into a merciless executor and enforce punishments.

Sean said, "There is no next time." Or he didn't know what he would do.

When Dora came to Pearl, she was heart-broken, devastated and crying. Then she knew what Sean had said to her. Dora could see Sean wasn't interested in Pearl. All he cared about was Catherine. Falling in love with Sean would only hurt Pearl.

"Mom, let's go home."

"Okay. Let's go home."Dora said.

Ava asked Sean and Catherine to spend the night. So they did.

Iris came back from sending Pearl off. She glared at Catherine, assuming it was Catherine who upset Pearl.

Catherine felt innocent because it was Sean that broke Pearl's heart.

"Is Johnson in trouble?" asked Antonio. He was hardly associated with Johnson's family, so he didn't know.

Amanda got his pajamas from the closet, and Antonio held her from behind her back. She said, "Pearl and Dora are here asking for Sean's help."

"That's fine. Sean is capable of doing them a favor."

"Pearl likes Sean, but he is in love with Catherine. The relationship is a dead end."

"Sean is obsessed with Catherine. That's new. I thought he might be gay."

"Fate works in mysterious ways," said Amanda.