From Broken to Beloved-Chapter 180- truly suffer

Even now, with Lucca ruined—career gone, reputation destroyed, love lost—it still could not extinguish the hatred in Bert’s heart. Every time he thought of all the suffering Catherine had endured because of that mother and daughter, it felt as if a fire were burning in his chest.

Of course, since Bert had decided to hand Channing Group to Catherine, he was fully prepared to help her run it.

If in the end she still wasn’t suited for management, it would only mean a little more work for him—and he could handle that. But he believed Catherine was the kind of person who took everything seriously. If Channing Group were entrusted to her, she would do her very best.

And she was intelligent—running it should not be a problem.

When Catherine heard Bert say that he had taken Channing Group to make Lucca and Tracy suffer, she sighed softly. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into his embrace.

"I’ll accept Channing Group, and I promise I’ll run it well."

Then she added gently,

"But you must promise me, too—let this be the end of their punishment, okay?"

Catherine knew everything Bert had done was for her. But she felt the struggle could end here. Lucca and Tracy were already miserable enough—far worse off than she had once been.

Now Lucca had nothing at all, and even surviving in the future was uncertain. As the saying goes, forgive when you can. In her current state, Lucca would never dare to harm them again. After everything, she surely understood that Bert was not someone to provoke.

"Let’s stop caring about them from now on. Let’s put all our energy into ourselves—living well, loving well, okay?"

Catherine spoke softly, trying to soothe the darkness in Bert’s heart. After being with him for so long, she understood his temperament. With her, he was gentle; with others, he was cold and even ruthless. Toward someone like Lucca who had crossed him, he was merciless, even cruel.

But hatred only breeds more hatred.

They had not come together easily, and Catherine did not want him wasting his life and energy on people who no longer mattered.

Bert understood her feelings. Their happiness had been hard-won, and he treasured it deeply—he did not want anything to go wrong either.

So he held her close and answered softly,

"Okay."

"I won’t deal with them anymore."

With Lucca’s intelligence and ability, she could no longer cause any real trouble. And of course, he would never give her another chance to do so.

Catherine was right. They should focus on themselves—work well, love well, and live well.

In this world, only she could truly calm the fury in his heart.

That evening, Riley invited Catherine to dinner to celebrate her engagement and happiness. Bert, however, expressed his displeasure—if there was to be a celebration, shouldn’t he be invited too? After all, he was the one who had given her that happiness.

Bert, however, seemed unconcerned. He poured her a cup of warm water, handed it to her, and spoke softly in reassurance.

"You still have me, don’t you?"

"If we don’t take control of Channing Group, how could lucca and tracy ever truly suffer? They’ve schemed for half their lives just to claim Channing for themselves—eyeing your father’s company so that one day it would belong to them and your so-called brother. But now, all their efforts have come to nothing. They’re probably furious enough to be driven mad."

Everything Catherine worried about—Bert understood it all. Yet he was still determined to acquire Channing Group. Part of the reason was simple: he wanted to take brutal revenge on lucca and tracy. In truth, he had already struck lucca hard enough before this, but to him, it was still not enough.

Even now, with lucca ruined—her career gone, her reputation destroyed, her love lost—it still did not soothe the hatred burning inside Bert. Every time he thought of the pain Catherine had endured over the years because of that mother and daughter, it felt as though a fire was raging in his chest.

Of course, since Bert had decided to hand Channing Group over to Catherine, he had also prepared himself to help her run it.

If, in the end, she still proved unfit for management, it would only mean more work for him. He could handle it. But he believed Catherine was the kind of person who took responsibility seriously. If Channing was entrusted to her, she would do everything she could to succeed.

She was intelligent as well—he was confident she could manage.

As for Bert’s words about taking Channing to make lucca and tracy suffer, Catherine let out a soft sigh. She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested against his chest.

"I accept this gift of Channing," she said quietly. "And I promise you—I will run it well."

Then, in a gentler voice, she added,

"But you have to promise me too... that this is where we stop punishing them. All right?"

Catherine knew everything Bert had done was for her. But she felt the fighting could end here. lucca and tracy were already miserable enough—weren’t they? Even more wretched than Catherine herself had once been.

lucca had nothing left now. Whether she could even survive in the future was uncertain. To forgive when one can—lucca was already this desperate. She would not dare, nor be able, to harm them again. After everything, she surely understood that Bert was not someone to provoke.

"Let’s stop thinking about them," Catherine said softly, soothing the violence in his heart. "Let’s put all our energy into ourselves—into living well, working hard, and loving each other. Okay?"

After being with him for so long, Catherine understood his temperament. To her, he could be gentle. But to outsiders, he was cold and ruthless. To those who offended him—like lucca—he showed no mercy, resorting to cruel and vicious means.

Yet revenge only bred more revenge.

Their happiness had not come easily. Catherine did not want him wasting his life on people who were not worth it.

Bert understood her heart. Because he cherished what they had so deeply, he, too, feared any mistake.

So he held her and replied in a low voice,

"Okay."

"I won’t care about them anymore."

With lucca’s intelligence and ability, she could no longer stir up any trouble. And he would never give her the chance to do so.

Catherine was right. They should devote themselves to their own lives—to work well, love deeply, and live fully.

In this world, perhaps only she could soothe the darkness within him.

That evening, Riley invited Catherine to dinner to celebrate her engagement and happiness. Bert was displeased—if there was a celebration, shouldn’t he be invited too? After all, he was the one who had given her that happiness.

But Riley insisted on inviting Catherine alone.

Bert had already grown used to being with her these past few days. Suddenly left by himself, he felt terribly unbalanced and strangely abandoned.

Riley, of course, had her own private matters to discuss—especially her situation with Ford. She wanted Catherine’s advice. There was no way she would allow Bert to come along.

After much effort, Catherine finally soothed the sulking Bert. After work, she hurried to meet Riley. She felt utterly exhausted. Just meeting her best friend made him so possessive—how would he react in the future when she had to meet clients for business?

And wasn’t he planning to give her Channing? That would mean even more social engagements. Would he really accept that?

There was no point overthinking it. If he couldn’t accept it, there was nothing she could do—he was the one who had made this decision.

While Catherine was thinking these thoughts, Bert was thinking the same.

Because Catherine went out with Riley, Bert stayed late at the office alone. There was no reason to go home to an empty house—he might as well work overtime.

He realized how terrifying habits could be. In the past, he had lived alone like this without discomfort, even enjoying the solitude.

But now, after growing used to Catherine, being alone made him restless and uneasy.

He also imagined her future—how she would grow, attend more functions, and meet more people. What would he do then?

Just thinking about it was unbearable.

But what choice did he have? He had chosen to hand a company to her. No matter how painful, he would have to accept the consequences.

At worst, he would simply follow her wherever she went. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The moment that thought occurred, his spirits lifted. He grabbed his coat and car keys and left the office.

Bert drove straight to the restaurant where Catherine and Riley were dining. He had been there before and found it easily.

They were in a private room. He booked another one for himself—separate, yet in the same place. Only then did he feel at ease.

Sitting alone, Bert finally realized how terrifying his dependence on Catherine had become. He did not want to be apart from her at all. The mere thought of separation felt like a knife cutting into his heart.

For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted far into the future. He imagined them growing old together, facing death one day—and if she were to leave him first, he knew he would be unable to go on.

He could not endure a life without her.