Chapter 36 Chapter 36: Hunter’s Lover
Catharine's P.O.V
Xavier and Caroline departed to speak to some foreign investors as soon as we entered the party. I watched them walk away together, Xavier's hand resting lightly on Caroline's lower back as he guided her through the crowd. They didn't even say goodbye to me. They just left me standing there alone in the middle of Hunter's grand foyer, surrounded by strangers in expensive clothes.
I looked around, trying to get my bearings in the massive space. The mansion was even more impressive on the inside than it had been from the outside. Crystal chandeliers hung from impossibly high ceilings, casting warm light over the marble floors. Waiters in black and white uniforms moved smoothly through the crowd, carrying trays of champagne and elaborate appetizers. Everyone looked perfect, polished, like they belonged in this world of wealth and luxury.
And then there was me, standing alone in my simple black dress, feeling completely out of place.
I recognized some familiar faces from the Christmas party at Lydia's house. The same people who had witnessed my humiliation were here tonight, and I could feel their eyes on me immediately. Some of them gave me pitying looks, their expressions a mixture of sympathy and something else, maybe satisfaction at seeing me struggle. Others whispered behind their hands, no doubt gossiping about the drama unfolding in my life.
Before I could find a corner to hide in, a woman in a red dress approached me. I recognized her as one of Lydia's friends, though I couldn't remember her name.
"Catharine, darling," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "How wonderful to see you again. How are you doing these days?"
"I'm fine, thank you," I replied, keeping my voice polite but distant.
"And how is life with the surrogate?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "It must be so difficult having another woman living in your home, especially one as young and pretty as Caroline."
Young? Caroline and I were only two years apart.
I felt my jaw tighten but I forced myself to smile. "It's an adjustment, but we're managing."
Another woman joined us, this one wearing an emerald green gown that probably cost more than my car. "I saw Xavier and Caroline arrive together," she said, her tone suggesting there was more meaning behind her words. "They look very close. How are you coping with all the attention he seems to be giving her?"
The question felt like a knife sliding between my ribs, but I kept my composure. "Xavier is just helping our surrogate feel comfortable during her pregnancy. There's nothing more to it."
"Of course," the first woman said, but her smile suggested she didn't believe me at all. "It's just that they seem so comfortable together. And she's wearing such a beautiful dress. Is that one of yours?"
I could feel heat rising to my cheeks. They knew. Of course they knew. Gossip traveled fast in circles like these, and the fact that Caroline was wearing my anniversary dress had probably already made the rounds.
"Yes, it's mine," I said shortly. "Caroline needed something to wear and I was happy to lend it to her."
The women exchanged glances, their expressions showing exactly what they thought of that story. Before they could ask more probing questions, I excused myself with a mumbled explanation about needing a drink.
I made my way through the crowd, trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone else who might want to corner me with invasive questions. I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and took a long sip, hoping the alcohol would calm my nerves.
But it didn't help. I felt suffocated, like the walls were closing in on me. It wasn't just the stares and the whispered conversations. It wasn't just watching Xavier parade Caroline around the room, showing off her language skills to every potential investor they encountered.
It was something else, something that sat heavy in my chest and made it hard to breathe.
I was waiting for the moment when Hunter would arrive with the supposed woman of the rumors. The woman he had supposedly been with for three years in secret. The woman he might actually love.
And I could feel my heart breaking already, even though this wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to care about Hunter or who he was dating. He was nothing to me, just Xavier's old rival, someone who had kissed me once in a moment of manipulation and lies.
But somehow, standing here in this crowded party, I realized that Xavier and Caroline parading around together didn't bother me as much as the thought of seeing Hunter with another woman.
The realization hit me like a slap across the face. When did this happen? When did Hunter become more important to my emotional state than my own husband?
Maybe I was thinking of him as a rebound, I told myself. Maybe it was just because he had been there for me when Xavier was constantly betraying my trust. Hunter had listened to me, had seen me, had made me feel like I mattered. Of course I would develop some kind of attachment to that feeling, even if it was all just an illusion.
But deep down, I knew it was more than that. And that terrified me.
A sudden commotion drew my attention away from my spiraling thoughts. People were moving toward the grand staircase that curved up to the second floor of the mansion. I heard excited whispers rippling through the crowd.
"He's coming down."
"I can't wait to see her."
"Do you think she's really as special as everyone says?"
I realized that everyone at the party had been dying to know about Hunter's secret lover, just as much as I had been. The whole room seemed to hold its breath as we all turned our attention to the staircase.
I saw Xavier and Caroline appear at the foot of the stairs as well, pushing their way through the crowd to get a better view. Caroline was practically bouncing with excitement and Xavier had his arm around her waist, holding her close so they wouldn't get separated in the crush of people.
The sight of them together should have hurt me, but I was too focused on the stairs to care.
And then Hunter appeared at the top of the staircase. He looked devastatingly handsome in a perfectly tailored black suit, his dark hair styled just right, his presence commanding the attention of every person in the room. He moved with easy confidence as he descended the stairs, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
But he was alone.
I scanned the stairs behind him, looking for the mystery woman who was supposed to be on his arm. But there was no one. Hunter was completely alone.
My heart did a strange flip in my chest, relief and confusion mixing together in a way that made me dizzy.
Hunter reached the bottom of the stairs and grabbed a glass of champagne from a nearby table. He raised it high above his head and the room fell silent immediately, everyone waiting to hear what he would say.
"Welcome, everyone," Hunter said, his voice carrying easily across the crowded space. "Thank you all for coming tonight to help me ring in the new year. I hope you're all having a wonderful time."
There was a round of applause and enthusiastic agreement from the crowd.
"I know everyone here has heard the rumors," Hunter continued, his smile widening. "And I know you're all dying to know about the woman who has my attention."
The room seemed to lean forward collectively, everyone hanging on his every word. I found myself holding my breath, my champagne glass frozen halfway to my lips.
"I'm afraid I can't present her to you today," Hunter said, and there was a collective sound of disappointment from the crowd. "She isn't ready yet. When the time is right, I'll announce it to the whole world who I have been in love with for the past three years."
Someone from the crowd called out, "Can you at least give us a hint?"
Hunter's eyes scanned the room slowly, deliberately, building the suspense. And then his gaze landed on me and stopped.
"I can’t say much. But all I can say is...she's at this party right now," he said, looking directly at me with an intensity that made my knees weak. The room erupted in excited chatter as people started looking around, trying to figure out who Hunter was talking about.
But Hunter's eyes never left mine. He held my gaze across the crowded room, his expression saying things that words couldn't capture.