Chapter 46
Catherine felt a wave of nausea rise in her throat. "I've received your apology, Mr. West. You can go now." She turned away coldly, preparing to leave.
"Wait, Cathy. Besides apologizing, I wanted to ask you something." James stepped forward.
Catherine frowned, finding James's presence increasingly irritating.
"What else do you want to ask?"
James gazed at Catherine with tender eyes. "Cathy, during all those days we were together, did you ever love me?"
Catherine found James's shameless behavior laughable.
How dare he ask if she had loved him?
Catherine stepped back, widening the distance between them, and replied dismissively. "I did love you! So for the sake of what we once had, please let me go."
James stared into Catherine's eyes and slowly shook his head. "No, you never loved me."
Catherine's brow furrowed slightly. When had James become so difficult to handle?
"James, we've been together for so long. Do you think not sleeping with you means I don't love you?" she demanded harshly.
James looked dejected. "That's not the issue!"
It wasn't just about sex.
When they were together, even if he just wanted to kiss her gently, she would find all sorts of excuses to push him away.
"Catherine, when you truly love someone, you naturally crave the most intimate contact. If you really loved me, how could you not even want to kiss me?"
Catherine didn't want to prolong this conversation. She dropped her pretense, her face showing obvious disgust.
"Since you already know the answer, why ask me?"
"If you didn't like me, why did you agree to date me in the first place?" James still didn't understand.
Catherine laughed lightly with a hint of mockery. "Who said I didn't like you when I first agreed to date you? My feelings for you disappeared the moment I discovered your complete lack of fidelity. Did you really think I knew nothing about you and Olivia?"
James froze, clearly surprised that Catherine had known all along about his relationship with Olivia.
"I got together with Olivia because you constantly refused to satisfy me. I'm a normal man with normal physical needs!"
Catherine shrugged disdainfully. "James, is this the excuse all you cheaters use?"
"You're disgusting. You just want me to admit it's all my fault, right?" Catherine said with a light laugh.
"I admit it. Everything is my problem. I couldn't satisfy your desires, which forced you to cheat. I was wrong. I'm sorry." Catherine apologized readily, raising an eyebrow at James.
"Can you leave now?"
James had come to apologize but ended up shifting all responsibility to her.
This wasn't the result he wanted at all.
"Cathy, that's not what I meant. I just—" James looked at Catherine's beautiful yet cold face, unable to finish his sentence. "Don't want to break up with you."
Catherine was completely stunned. After everything that had happened, James still didn't want to end this?
James cautiously added, "I won't disturb your rest now. I'll come find you again in a few days."
With that, James turned and left.
Catherine stood frozen for a moment before coming to her senses. James's behavior was making her increasingly uncomfortable.
She took out her phone and sent Philip a message: [Mr. Foster, although we no longer have any relationship, James is still your nephew. Could you please tell him to stop harassing me?]
As soon as the message was sent, a prominent red exclamation mark appeared on the screen. She'd been blocked?
Catherine couldn't help but laugh coldly.
Philip was really ruthless!
Saturday evening arrived quickly. As the city lights began to illuminate the night sky, they couldn't penetrate the gloom in Catherine's heart.
Sophia drove to her apartment building to pick her up.
When the car door opened and Catherine saw Sophia, she was shocked.
"Are you planning to attend the Wilson family dinner dressed like that?"
Sophia wore an impeccably tailored business suit with a black lace camisole peeking out underneath.
The combination of professional and sensual elements made her stunningly beautiful.
"Well, what do you think? Impressive enough?" Sophia's lips curled into a smile.
Catherine enthusiastically gave her a thumbs up.
"You look amazing! But aren't you Chris's date tonight? Dressed like that, is Chris planning to wear a dress to match you?"
Sophia forced a bitter smile. She wouldn't be Chris's date; he had invited her to the dinner specifically to humiliate her.
"I saw you didn't have anyone, so I thought I'd wear a suit and we could be each other's companions. Wouldn't that be interesting?"
Catherine felt a wave of warmth, but as the car approached the Wilson estate, that comfort was quickly replaced by fear and hatred.
The Wilson mansion's luxury and splendor far exceeded what Catherine had seen in her research.
The massive ornate iron gates slowly opened, revealing a majestic building that resembled a palace.
Every detail quietly proclaimed supreme wealth and power.
Catherine looked at everything through the car window, her nails digging deep into her palms.
This mansion was built with the blood and sweat of her family!
She maintained her composure, following the butler gracefully into the hall.
Sophia's eye-catching outfit immediately attracted numerous gazes.
Catherine, however, nervously scanned everything in the Wilson house.
She felt both terrified and unable to suppress a morbid excitement—this might be the perfect opportunity to glimpse the Wilson family's secrets!
Sophia clearly handled such occasions with ease. She pulled the distracted Catherine toward the bar and ordered two cocktails.
Catherine forced herself to pull back her prying gaze.
Sophia handed her a drink and consoled her. "Relax, darling. You look like a paparazzo ready to take secret photos."
Catherine shot her an annoyed look, then took the glass and downed it in one gulp!
She definitely needed some alcohol to numb her overly tense nerves.
Sophia nodded approvingly, then playfully swayed her hips as she slipped onto the dance floor with a handsome gentleman.
Catherine placed the empty glass steadily back on the bar, her voice slightly trembling. "Another, please."
"Not only beautiful, but you can hold your liquor too," a somewhat familiar male voice sounded from behind her.