Chapter 56 Chapter 56: Height of Manipulations Part 1
Cathy's P.O.V
The morning light felt harsh against my tired eyes as I stood outside Hannah's house, waiting for the cab I had called. I hadn't slept much, maybe an hour or two at most, but I felt strangely alert. Like my body knew that today was going to be a battle and it needed to be ready.
Hannah had insisted on driving me back to the mansion. She had practically begged me to let her come along, to have someone by my side when I faced Xavier. But I had refused.
"This is something I need to face on my own," I had told her, and I meant it. Hannah had already done so much for me by taking me in, by listening to me, by reminding me that I wasn't completely alone in this world. I couldn't drag her any deeper into the mess that was my marriage.
Now, as the cab pulled up to the massive iron gates of the Dalton mansion, I felt my resolve waver. The gates opened slowly, automatically recognizing me from the security cameras, and I felt like I was watching the jaws of some great beast open wide to swallow me whole.
This place had never felt like home, but now it felt like a prison. Cold, suffocating, and impossible to escape from.
The cab drove up the long driveway, past the perfectly manicured lawns and the marble fountain that probably cost more than most people made in a year. Everything looked exactly the same as it had a few days ago, but somehow it all felt different now. Like I was seeing it for the first time with clear eyes.
My heart thundered in my chest as the cab came to a stop in front of the main entrance. For a moment, I just sat there, staring at the imposing front doors, trying to gather the courage to step out.
I could do this. I had to do this. I needed to find that prenup, needed to understand exactly what I had signed, what leverage I might have. And to do that, I needed to play along. I needed to act like I was considering forgiveness, like I might be willing to work things out.
The thought made my stomach turn, but I pushed the feeling down. I had to be smart about this. I had to think strategically.
I paid the cab driver and stepped out onto the marble driveway, my legs feeling shaky beneath me. The morning air was cool against my skin, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.
That's when the front doors burst open.
Xavier came running out like a man possessed, his dress shirt untucked and wrinkled like he had slept in it. His hair was a mess, sticking up in different directions, and there were dark circles under his eyes that suggested he hadn't slept any better than I had.
"Cathy!" he shouted, his voice cracking with what sounded like genuine relief. "Oh God, Cathy!"
Before I could react, before I could even take a step back, he had crossed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms. His embrace was tight, almost desperate, and I could feel him trembling against me.
"Where were you? I was so worried," he said, his words tumbling out in a frantic rush. "I've been calling and calling. I didn't know if you were safe, if you were hurt. I was going out of my mind."
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his hands moving to cup my face as his eyes scanned every inch of me. He looked me up and down like he was checking for injuries, like he was making sure I was really there and not some figment of his imagination.
"Are you okay? Did something happen? Where did you stay?" The questions kept coming, one after another, and he looked so genuinely concerned, so perfectly like a worried husband, that for just one instant, one brief moment, I felt my resolve crack.
Maybe I had misunderstood. Maybe what I saw wasn't what I thought it was. Maybe Xavier really did care about me and that incident with Caroline had been a terrible mistake that he truly regretted.
But then the morning sun shifted, catching the side of his neck, and reality came crashing back down on me like a ton of bricks.
Hickies. Dark purple marks that stood out starkly against his skin. And when I looked closer, I could see the thin red lines of nail scratches peeking out from under his collar, trailing down toward his chest.
The marks Caroline had left on him.
My heart, which had started to soften, immediately hardened again. I felt like slapping myself for being such a naïve fool. How could I have almost fallen for his act? How could I have almost believed him after everything I had seen?
I pushed Xavier away from me, harder than I meant to, and he stumbled back a step, surprise flashing across his face.
"I want to rest," I said, my voice cold and flat. I couldn't look at him anymore, couldn't stand to see those marks on his skin that proved exactly what he had done.
"Of course," Xavier said immediately, his concerned husband act not missing a beat. "Let me help you inside. You must be exhausted."
He reached for my arm, trying to guide me toward the house, and every instinct in my body screamed at me to pull away, to tell him not to touch me. But I forced myself to allow it. I needed to play along, and I needed to make him think I was considering forgiveness.
Xavier helped me up the front steps, his hand on my elbow like I was some fragile thing that might break. If I hadn't seen all those pictures on Hunter’s phone, if I hadn't witnessed their betrayal with my own eyes, I would have almost believed his act. He was that good at pretending to care.