Chapter 37 Chapter 37: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Catharine's P.O.V
I was completely taken aback by Hunter's sudden statement. My mind was spinning, trying to process what had just happened, what it could possibly mean. But before I could even begin to untangle my thoughts, Hunter broke eye contact with me and turned away. He moved smoothly into the crowd, immediately engaging in conversation with a group of men in expensive suits, discussing something business related like nothing earth-shattering had just occurred.
Just like that, the moment was over. Hunter had dropped a bomb into the middle of the party and then walked away, leaving me to deal with the fallout alone.
I couldn't stand there anymore. I couldn't handle the curious glances from the people around me, the whispered speculation about who Hunter's mystery woman might be. I needed to get away, needed something to calm the panic rising in my chest.
I turned around and headed straight for the drinks table on the far side of the room. My heels clicked urgently against the marble floor as I weaved through clusters of guests. When I finally reached the bar, I leaned against it heavily, trying to catch my breath.
The bartender, a young man in a crisp white shirt and black vest, looked at me with a professional smile. "What can I get for you, ma'am?"
"Something strong," I said, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. "Please."
The bartender's smile faltered slightly and he gave me a skeptical look, his eyes taking in my flushed cheeks and the slightly wild look I was sure I had in my eyes. But he was too professional to comment. He reached for a bottle of whiskey and poured a generous amount into a glass, sliding it across the polished wood surface toward me.
I grabbed the glass and brought it to my lips, downing almost all of it in one long gulp. The whiskey burned as it went down my throat, making my eyes water, but I welcomed the sensation. It was something real, something physical that I could focus on instead of the chaos in my head.
"Another one," I said, setting the empty glass back down on the bar with a sharp clink.
The bartender hesitated for a moment, clearly concerned, but he poured me another drink anyway. I was reaching for the glass when I felt someone touch my arm.
"Slow down," a voice whispered close to my ear.
I stilled immediately, my entire body going rigid. For a split second, my traitorous heart hoped it was Hunter, that he had come to find me, to explain what he had meant by that look, by those words.
But I knew it wasn't Hunter. I knew Hunter's voice, the deep timbre of it, the way it made my skin tingle. This man's voice was different, higher pitched and slightly slurred. And there was something about his touch on my arm that made me deeply uneasy, something possessive and unwelcome.
I spun around to face him, pulling my arm away from his grip.
Mr. Hawthorn stood behind me, one of Xavier's investors. I recognized him from several business dinners Xavier had dragged me to over the past year. He was an older man, probably in his late fifties, with graying hair and a round face that was currently flushed red from alcohol. He held a glass of whiskey in his free hand and he was swaying slightly on his feet, clearly drunk.
I tried to give him a polite smile, the kind of smile I had learned to wear at these events when dealing with Xavier's business associates. "Mr. Hawthorn, hello. I didn't see you there."
"Cathy," he said, my name coming out thick and heavy. "Beautiful Cathy. Why are you standing here all alone?"
"I'm just getting a drink," I replied, trying to keep my voice pleasant. "If you'll excuse me, I should get back to the party."
I tried to move aside, to step around him and escape back into the relative safety of the crowd. But Mr. Hawthorn shifted his position, blocking my path. He was standing too close now, close enough that I could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Don't be so cold toward me," he said, his lips curling into what he probably thought was a charming smile. "I saw a lonely woman standing by herself and I thought she might want some company. There's no harm in that, is there?"
"I'm not lonely," I said, my smile becoming strained. "I was just getting a drink, like I said. My husband is here somewhere."
Mr. Hawthorn's smile widened and he let out a low chuckle that made my skin crawl. He gestured to the bartender, who looked increasingly uncomfortable with the situation unfolding in front of him.
"Give the lady another drink," Mr. Hawthorn ordered.
The bartender poured another whiskey and slid it across the bar. Mr. Hawthorn picked it up and held it out to me, his eyes never leaving my face.
"Here you go, sweetheart," he said. "Drink it. Let's have some fun tonight."
I looked at the glass in his hand and then back at his flushed face. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to get away from this man, to find Xavier or even Hunter, anyone who could help me extract myself from this situation.
"Thank you, but I've already had two whiskeys," I said, placing the glass back on the counter without taking it from his hand. "I can't get drunk tonight. I might need to drive later."
But Mr. Hawthorn didn't seem to care about my refusal. He set his own glass down on the bar and suddenly stepped closer to me, so close that I had to take a step backward. My back hit the edge of the bar and I realized with a growing alarm that I was trapped between the wooden counter and Mr. Hawthorn's body.
"Why the rush?" he asked, his voice dropping lower. "We were just getting started. The night is young and you're far too beautiful to be standing here alone."
"I really should go find Xavier," I said, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. "He's probably looking for me."
I tried to sidestep him, to slip around his body and escape, but Mr. Hawthorn was faster than I expected. His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, his fingers wrapping around it tightly enough to hurt.
"Not so fast," he said, and the friendly pretense in his voice was completely gone now. His expression had changed, becoming harder, more predatory. "You and I need to have a little chat first."
"Let go of me," I said, trying to pull my wrist from his grasp. But his grip only tightened.
"Listen to me carefully, Catharine," Mr. Hawthorn said, leaning in so close that I could count the broken blood vessels in his nose. "My contribution is very important for your husband's business ventures. Very important. I'm one of his biggest investors and without my money, a lot of his deals would fall through."
My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I looked around desperately, hoping someone would notice what was happening, would come over and interrupt this nightmare. But everyone was too busy with their own conversations, their own drinks, their own lives.
"I understand that," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But that doesn't mean you can grab me like this. Please let go of my wrist."
Mr. Hawthorn ignored my request completely. Instead, he leaned even closer and I could feel his breath hot against my cheek.
"If you want your husband's business to keep running smoothly," he said, his voice low and threatening, "then you better do as I say. Be nice to me. Keep me happy. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"
I stared at him in horror, finally understanding what he was implying. This man, this investor that Xavier trusted and worked with, was trying to use his business relationship as leverage to force me into something I didn't want. The realization made me feel sick to my stomach.
"You can't be serious," I whispered. "Xavier would never allow this. If I told him what you're suggesting, he would drop you as an investor immediately."
Mr. Hawthorn threw his head back and laughed, the sound ugly and mocking. "Would he? Are you sure about that? Because from where I'm standing, Xavier seems pretty distracted these days. He's got that pretty little surrogate of his to keep him occupied."
The words hit me like a physical blow. He knew about Caroline. Of course he knew. Everyone at this party knew. Everyone could see what was happening between Xavier and Caroline except apparently me, who had been too trusting, too naive to see it until it was too late.
"That doesn't give you the right to touch me," I said, trying once more to pull my wrist free. But Mr. Hawthorn's grip was like iron.
"Doesn't it though?" he asked, and then his smile turned truly cruel. "Come on, Cathy. It's not like you have anything to lose at this point. Everyone knows the truth about you."
"What truth?" I asked, even though part of me didn't want to hear the answer.
Mr. Hawthorn leaned in so close that his lips were almost touching my ear. "That you can't even get pregnant," he whispered. "That's why Xavier got a surrogate, isn't it? Because you're defective. Broken. So what's the harm in having a little fun with me? It's not like you can give Xavier what he really wants anyway."
The words felt like a knife sliding between my ribs, finding the softest, most vulnerable part of me and twisting. Tears sprang to my eyes and I felt my entire body start to tremble.
How did he know about that? How did he know about my fertility issues, about the real reason Caroline was here? Had Xavier told him? Had Xavier been discussing our private medical struggles with his business associates?
"That's none of your business," I managed to say, but my voice came out weak and shaky.
"Everything about Xavier's life is my business," Mr. Hawthorn said, his thumb rubbing circles on the inside of my wrist in a way that made my skin crawl. "I've invested too much money in him to not know what's going on. And right now, what I know is that his wife is damaged goods and he's looking for a replacement."
"Stop it," I said, the tears starting to spill down my cheeks now. "Just stop talking. Let go of me."
"Make me," Mr. Hawthorn challenged, his grip on my wrist tightening even more. "Go ahead and scream. Make a scene. Let everyone at this party know that you're causing problems. I'm sure Xavier will love that, especially when he's trying to impress all these important investors."
I opened my mouth, ready to scream, ready to cause the biggest scene this party had ever seen if that's what it took to get away from this horrible man. But I couldn’t make a sound. Shock and rage had me frozen on the spot.