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Novel Catalog
Chapter 52
Catherine couldn’t believe it. He was acting like a spoiled child. Here she was, trying to shake off the frustration from the awkward dinner with Joseph, and Shaun had the nerve to call her just because he was hungry. Of course, this wasn’t the first time.
Turning to face him, she crossed her arms, doing her best to hide the irritation that was bubbling up inside her. “I’m not your personal chef, Shaun. You can make your own food.”
Shaun’s eyes flashed with something that almost looked like amusement, but it was hard to tell beneath the cold, calculating gaze he usually wore. “I’ve been busy all day. You’ve had your fun out with your ‘friend,’ and I’ve been dealing with the cat, as well as work. At least feed me something decent, won’t you?”
Catherine clenched her fists, but took a deep breath to calm herself. “If you’re so busy, why don’t you order takeout like everyone else?”
He leaned back, clearly not ready to back down. “I don’t want takeout. I want something homemade. You owe me after all the trouble you’ve caused with Fudge.”
“Right, Fudge.” She threw up her hands. “So now, I’m supposed to be responsible for your cat’s well-being? Why don’t you try being responsible for your own actions for once?”
The look he gave her was piercing, but instead of being intimidated, she matched his stare. She wasn’t about to let him push her around tonight.
After a long moment of silence, Shaun sighed, a flicker of something—almost regret—crossing his face. “I didn’t mean to make you mad. I’m just…” He trailed off, not finishing his sentence.
Catherine blinked, not sure if she’d heard him correctly. Was he actually apologizing? Or at least trying to?
Instead of responding right away, she let the silence hang in the air. Part of her wanted to tell him that he couldn’t just boss her around whenever it suited him, but something about the way he looked now made her hesitate. Was he genuinely struggling with his feelings, or was it just another manipulation tactic?
Sighing inwardly, she softened her tone just a little. “Fine. I’ll make something simple. But you’re on your own next time, got it?”
Shaun didn’t say anything for a moment, then gave a brief nod. “Yeah, sure.”
Catherine turned toward the kitchen, trying to ignore the strange mixture of emotions that had just surged through her. She didn’t know whether she was more frustrated with him or with herself for still caring.
As she rummaged through the fridge, she felt his eyes on her. She wasn’t sure if it was the silence or the way he hadn’t stormed off in irritation, but the air between them had shifted slightly.
When she finally turned around with a plate of simple pasta and vegetables, she handed it to him without a word. He took it without complaining, and they both sat in uncomfortable quiet.
This had become their usual routine: moments of tension followed by brief periods of calm, only for the cycle to start all over again. She couldn’t decide whether it was exhausting or strangely familiar. Maybe it was both.
After a few minutes, Shaun broke the silence again, his voice quieter this time. “Are you really not going to tell me about your dinner?”
Catherine glanced at him, surprised by the softness in his voice. “What’s there to tell? It was just dinner with an old friend. Nothing happened.”
Shaun’s gaze flickered briefly with something unreadable before he nodded. “Right. I just didn’t want you to get hurt, you know?”
She froze for a second. The words sounded so… genuine, but also so out of place coming from him. She didn’t know how to respond. Was this an attempt at showing care? Or was he just trying to maintain control?
“I’m fine,” she finally said, trying to brush it off. “It was just a friendly dinner.”
Shaun didn’t say anything more after that, but for once, the air between them felt a little less tense. Catherine returned to her room, still unsure of what had just transpired.
Her phone buzzed as she entered the bedroom, a message from Joseph asking if she was still interested in joining his company.
For a moment, she just stared at the message, thinking about how things were slowly beginning to fall into place for her career-wise. Despite the tension and chaos surrounding her personal life, at least something was starting to look up.
Still, the lingering thought of Shaun’s unexpected words gnawed at her. What did he really mean by them?