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Novel Catalog
Chapter 31
Shaun’s anger flared up, his voice low and seething. “Didn’t I ask you to ensure a fair bidding?”
Chase’s face grew serious. “Earlier, I told President Sawyer to give Imperial Design a chance and conduct the competition fairly. But perhaps he assumed I let the small company participate just to gain popularity. He didn’t realize I intended to take care of Catherine.”
Shaun rubbed his forehead in frustration, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. “No wonder Catherine was eliminated, despite her brilliant design. And she seemed so strange earlier tonight.”
After a moment of thought, Shaun quickly took out his phone and dialed Hadley. “Help me check what happened during the bidding today.”
Chase, sensing Shaun’s frustration, offered, “I can easily find out by asking around.”
Shaun shot him a sharp look. “I have no faith in you.”
Chase, slightly put off, knew the problem stemmed from his earlier missteps. His phone began vibrating relentlessly, a flood of group messages coming in. He glanced at the screen, sighed, and shook his head. “Melbourne’s entertainment industry is full of unsavory characters. But this woman… she’s stunning. Too bad, though—once this gets exposed, she won’t be able to stand in the industry anymore.”
Shaun noticed a photo on Chase’s phone of a woman lying on a bed, her slender waist and seductive pose unmistakable. A chill ran down his spine as he recognized the outfit. It was the same one Catherine had worn earlier that evening.
He snatched the phone from Chase. “Where is this?”
Chase, oblivious to the significance, shrugged. “Not sure. Probably some hotel. Why?”
Shaun’s gaze turned cold and furious as he shot back, “This is Catherine.”
Chase’s jaw dropped in shock. “Damn. The message says there’s going to be a live stream at 7:30 p.m. That’s in 15 minutes!”
“Call the police now,” Shaun commanded, his voice cutting through the air.
He quickly turned on the computer in the private room, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Within minutes, he had tracked the IP address where the live video would be posted. Fortunately, the location was close to the hotel.
Catherine groggily opened her eyes, only to be met with the dizzying blur of unfamiliar surroundings. The bed beneath her felt strange and too large for comfort. Her heart sank as she realized something was wrong. She tried to sit up but found herself too weak to move.
“Stop struggling.” A strong, bulky man came into view, only a towel wrapped around his body. His presence made her stomach churn.
Catherine barely managed to focus on his face. “You’re… Zayn Larson?”
He grinned, his eyes lecherous. “I didn’t expect you to recognize me. You always looked down on me back then, didn’t you? I’ve wanted to ruin you for a long time.”
Before Catherine could react, he grabbed her, his hands rough and unrelenting.
“Get away from me!” Catherine screamed, pushing against him with all the strength she could muster. But Zayn was too strong, easily overpowering her.
“Don’t rush it. Take your time,” he sneered. “Look, there’s an audience. Lots of people are watching us.”
It was only then that Catherine noticed the two cameras set up on the edge of the bed, her panic rising.
“Let go of me, you bastard! I might be in this humiliating situation, but that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want to me!” She struggled with every ounce of energy. “My parents won’t let you get away with this!”
Zayn’s laughter was cold and mocking. “Forget it. Your parents will be disgusted by the way you look now.” He pressed her shoulders down with force, then violently tore at her shirt.
Catherine’s eyes welled up with tears, her mind racing in despair. “Help…” she cried, her voice breaking.
Why was her life turning out like this? She had already lost everything—her family, her loved ones—and now her dignity was slipping away too. She felt utterly helpless, as if the world was conspiring against her.
But then something in her snapped. Her eyes widened in fury. “I won’t let you get away with this—even if I have to die,” she thought, before biting down hard on her tongue. Pain shot through her as she did so.
Zayn, enraged by her resistance, slapped her hard across the face, sending a wave of dizziness through her.
Catherine’s vision blurred, her body trembling as she fought to regain her bearings. Zayn’s taunting smile only deepened her sense of dread.
“You’d better listen to me obediently. No one’s coming to save you,” he growled.
But just as Zayn loomed over her, ready to continue, the door to the room was kicked open with a vicious force.