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Novel Catalog
Chapter 30
“Who?” Janet asked eagerly on the phone.
“Catherine Jones! She’s drinking alone at the bar. Ah, she’s still as beautiful as ever,” came the response, followed by a chuckle.
Janet’s voice grew cold with fury. “That b*tch.” The memory of the humiliation she suffered when Catherine had thrown her out of the restaurant replayed in her mind. It had been a public disgrace, one that made her the laughingstock of Melbourne’s elite. Seeing Catherine fail in the bidding today brought some satisfaction, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to see her completely destroyed.
Little did she know that the opportunity to make Catherine suffer would come sooner than expected.
“Zayn Larson, are you still interested in her?” she asked.
Zayn’s voice was gruff as he replied, “Well, not really, but she always looked down on me back in school. I’m curious to see what it’s like for her to beg for my forgiveness now.”
A wicked grin spread across Janet’s face. “Sure, I’ll give you the chance.”
She laid out the plan, and Zayn’s enthusiasm grew as he listened. “Are you sure about this—”
“Don’t worry, I’ll back you up,” Janet assured him. “Catherine has no one left on her side. If something like this happens, the Jones family will be even more eager to cut ties with her.”
“Alright, then I’ll perform well tonight,” Zayn said, his smile turning malicious as he watched Catherine’s silhouette from a distance.
Catherine, now thoroughly drunk, vaguely remembered a server offering her another cocktail. She wasn’t sure if she’d ordered it, but her glass was empty, and without hesitation, she drank it down. Before long, she found herself collapsed on a couch, her eyes closed, completely unaware of the situation around her.
Meanwhile, at the clubhouse, Shaun sat at a table, watching as Fudge munched on some small fish. The cat turned away in disdain after a couple of bites.
“Your cat is so picky. This fish is the specialty of my clubhouse,” Chase commented, amused.
“It means your chefs are not up to standard,” Shaun replied indifferently, not interested in continuing the conversation.
He picked up a piece of chicken but quickly lost his appetite. He had grown so accustomed to Catherine’s home-cooked meals that the food in front of him tasted bland in comparison.
“Maybe you should go home for dinner then,” Chase suggested with a hint of sarcasm. “Your home-cooked meals are the best. Go get Catherine to prepare a feast for you.”
Shaun’s expression darkened, and he snapped, “Don’t mention that woman again.”
Chase raised an eyebrow. “How did she offend you this time? Today was the bidding, right?”
“I said, don’t bring her up,” Shaun warned, his voice sharp.
Chase fell silent, sensing the tension in the room. He briefly spoke on the phone, then returned to the table. “Wesley Lyons from Golden Corporation is in the private room next door. He wants to discuss the business project we talked about last time.”
“You go ahead. I’m not interested in cases that don’t require brainwork,” Shaun muttered, not lifting his gaze from his plate.
Chase rolled his eyes but left the room. When he returned 20 minutes later, Shaun had barely touched his food.
“Guess who was in the room earlier?” Chase asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “President Sawyer, the person in charge of the technology center, and Ethan Lowe from Lowe Corporation. I heard he used to go out with Catherine.”
“Will you stop?” Shaun growled, clearly agitated. The mention of Catherine’s name was like a spark to a flame.
Chase ignored his irritation and continued, “Listen. Ethan and Rebecca are getting engaged next month. Ethan’s Wesley’s nephew, and Summit Group secured the project from today’s bidding. When you connect the dots, don’t you think something’s off with all of this?”
Shaun’s mind raced as he processed the information. He wasn’t familiar with the political web of Melbourne, but he could begin to see the picture forming.
“Summit played dirty?” he asked, his tone grim.