Chapter 28 Chapter 28: Victim or Mastermind?
Catherine’s P.O.V
I stared at Hunter, my brow furrowed, my pulse picking up slightly. “Wait… are you serious? Do you really believe that, or are you just saying it to get under my skin?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Because if this is just some game you’re playing…trying to stir drama in my marriage, I’m not going to tolerate it, Hunter. Not from you. I can’t have you take advantage of my vulnerabilities!”
Hunter let out a long, slow sigh, leaning back slightly as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not making it up, Catherine,” he said, his voice quieter now, but there was still a tension in it, a seriousness that made me pause.
“I’m still getting my proof. I don’t have it yet, but… I need to know your perspective. I need to know what you think about Xavier. What you really think he’s capable of.”
I blinked at him, trying to gather my thoughts. There was a moment where I just wanted to laugh, to shake my head at how easily he was trying to create misunderstanding while taking advantage of my own fears and vulnerabilities. But I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn’t yet give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he was getting under my skin.
“Hunter… Xavier and I,” I began slowly, “we’ve been together for a long time. Since my junior year in college, actually. Six whole years. I’ve known him even longer…since his sophomore year and I knew, from the start, that he was a good man. He’s been there for me, through everything. Even when things were… difficult, he didn’t leave. He stayed. He supported me. He never made me feel like I didn’t belong or that I wasn’t worth it.”
Hunter was quiet for a moment, studying me. I could see the tension in his jaw, the way he seemed to wrestle with something unspoken.
“I hear you,” he said finally, softer this time. “I do and I respect that you feel that way. I just… I need to make sure, you know? For my own sake, for your sake… for everyone’s.”
I nodded slowly, feeling a mix of frustration and relief. “I understand your point,” I said, my voice firm. “But I’ve known him for so long, Hunter. I know the kind of person he is.”
I swallowed hard, my voice trembling slightly as I looked Hunter in the eyes. “Xavier… he’s a good man. He really is. Always has been. He never cared that I only had partial scholarship, that I wasn’t part of the Elite group in college. He saw me for me, not for my background. Even back when I was struggling in college, working two part-time jobs just to pay tuition… he… he used to wait outside my coffee shop when it was late, just to drive me home safely and when I needed to take time off for exams… he helped me financially so I wouldn’t have to choose between paying rent or keeping up with school.”
Hunter’s brow furrowed. “He… helped you? That’s… I didn’t know.”
I nodded, looking down at my lap again. “Yes. He didn’t ask for anything in return. He was… just there. Always.”
Hunter shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he didn’t interrupt. I felt a bit of relief that he was actually listening. I took a breath and continued, letting the words spill out, because I needed him to understand.
“So when you ask me what I think he’s capable of… I think he’s capable of loyalty, of love and being a good partner. Not someone who would hurt me or play games with my life. That’s what I believe, Hunter. That’s what I’ve seen with my own eyes for years. So if you’re expecting me to doubt him, to suddenly question everything… you’re not going to get that from me. And don’t think for a second that you can push me into doubting Xavier without reason, I know him. I trust him and I won’t let anyone try to poison that…especially not you. Not without real proof.”
He tilted his head, waiting for me to continue.
“I know you’re a good man at heart,” I whispered, “I know you’re trying to help me. But Xavier… he has very strict parents. They’re controlling, and they want to make sure the Dalton Group’s future is secure. Everything he does… everything he is… is tied to their expectations. And that… that’s why I’m in this situation today.”
He stayed silent for a moment, letting my words sink in. Then he said softly, almost whispering, “Catherine… I get it. Even if I don’t like it, I understand why you feel that way. You’re…in love with Xavier. And you think he’s a wonderful man who saw you for who you are. And you want to go above and beyond not only for him, but for his family.”
I nodded, letting a tear slip down my cheek. “Thank you… for understanding, Hunter. Even if it’s hard to accept, even if it hurts. I just… wanted someone to vent to, someone who would listen to me without judgment. But I also wanted you to know why things are the way they are. Why all this really happening.”
Hunter frowned, confused. “Catherine… I don’t follow. What do you mean?”
I felt the sting of tears, and I looked down, hiding my face. “I’m saying… I know I could never make him or his parents…truly happy. Not in the way they expect. Not with what they want for the Dalton Group. I… I lack the ability to bring another life into this world. I know he loves me despite all my flaws, and I… I can’t ask you to understand it fully, because it’s not your life. But that’s why…” I paused, my throat tight. “…that’s why I can’t be the person who gives him and his family what they truly want. An heir.”
Hunter reached for my hand, but I shook my head gently. “Hunter, please… I just… I needed you to know the truth. Xavier is… a kind, good man but his life is tied to the future of the Dalton group. It’s the only think I could never give him. And I’m just…maybe I’m just overthinking this. Being paranoid because of my own insecurities.”
I felt Hunter’s hand brush against my cheek, warm and steady, as he gently wiped away the tears that I hadn’t even realized were falling. His eyes held mine with a kind of intensity that made me want to vanish, but at the same time, it kept me rooted; centered.
“Catherine,” he said softly, almost like a confession, “a woman’s worth isn’t in her womb. You have to realize that first, before you can start seeing the truth about your own husband. Because right now, it feels like you’re trying to convince yourself of what you just said. Not me.”
I shook my head, trying to muster a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “I… I still have to shop. And I need to get back home to catch up on some remote work.” My voice sounded small even to me, and I hoped he’d let it go at that.
Hunter didn’t move. He tilted his head slightly, studying me like he could see right through everything I tried to hide.
“Before you go,” he said, his tone sharper now, carrying that edge of curiosity he always had, “did you even know why Xavier had to transfer colleges in his sophomore year? Why you didn't meet him when you were a freshman?”
I blinked at him, caught off guard. My throat tightened, and I couldn’t think of an answer. “I… I don’t know,” I admitted finally, my voice barely more than a whisper.
He nodded slowly, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Thought so,” he said, and then he fell silent, letting the words hang in the air like a warning I couldn’t quite place.
I forced another small shake of my head, turning toward the door. “Well… I should really go,” I said, trying to inject some firmness into my voice even though my insides were a mess. “Thanks again…for listening.”
Hunter didn’t follow me to the door. He just watched, calm and deliberate, as if he knew that even if I left, his final words would haunt me for a while.
I walked out anyway, forcing my steps to be steady, even as my mind raced. I kept thinking about his question, about the way he had said it, about the way he always seemed to know more than anyone else, but I pushed it all aside.
Hunter was always up to his stupid games. Always. And I was done letting him get under my skin, no matter how kind he’s been to me.