跳过内容
Novel Catalog
Chapter 67
Angela’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she took a step closer to Catherine. “I was just wondering, Catherine, how long you plan on keeping up this little act. Do you really think Shaun will settle for someone like you?”
Catherine stood her ground, feeling the weight of Angela’s words, but she refused to let them affect her. She gave Angela a calm smile, her voice unwavering. “I’m not acting, Angela. I’m exactly who I am. And as for Shaun, well, that’s none of your concern.”
Angela’s smile faltered for a brief moment, but then she straightened up, a sly grin returning to her face. “Oh, I know it’s none of my business. I’m just curious how long someone like you can keep up this charade.”
Catherine’s grip tightened on the gift she was holding, but she didn’t let her emotions show. “I’m not here to compete with you, Angela. I’m here for Shaun, and that’s all that matters.”
The tension between them hung thick in the air, but just as Angela was about to say something else, Catherine’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She quickly glanced at it, hoping for a distraction from the ongoing confrontation.
It was a message from Freya: “How’s it going? Don’t let her get to you!”
Catherine smiled, grateful for her friend’s support, and quickly typed back: “Thanks. I’ll be fine.”
Angela, noticing the shift in Catherine’s demeanor, scoffed. “Getting messages from friends now, are we? How sweet. Too bad they can’t help you here.”
Ignoring Angela’s taunts, Catherine turned her attention back to the task at hand. “I’m not here for a competition, Angela. I’m here because Shaun asked me to be. And that’s enough for me.”
With that, she walked past Angela, heading toward the lobby where Shaun had asked her to wait. Behind her, Angela stood still, watching Catherine’s retreating figure with a mixture of jealousy and frustration. Catherine knew that Angela’s barbs weren’t meant to make her doubt herself—they were meant to test her, to see if she would break.
But Catherine was resolute. She wasn’t going to let Angela—or anyone—make her feel inferior. Not when she had come this far, and not when she knew where her place was.
As she waited in the lobby, Catherine’s thoughts were focused on Shaun. Despite the tension and the little games people played, there was something that kept drawing her closer to him. Maybe it was his protection, his complexity, or maybe it was the small moments when she saw a different side of him. She wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t about to let this night—or Angela’s taunts—get in the way of what she was starting to feel.