跳过内容
Novel Catalog
Chapter 8
The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the kitchen. Catherine stood by the counter, carefully layering the pancakes with golden syrup and melting butter, the scent of cinnamon and sweetness filling the air. She worked with precision, making sure each dish was perfect. It wasn’t just breakfast; it was a performance. A showcase of her talent in the kitchen, her little way of winning Shaun over, or at least showing him that she had more to offer than what he assumed.
“It’s a must to enjoy warm pancakes with high-quality butter. Then, a sip of hot chocolate to go down with it,” Catherine explained as she took a bite, savoring it with exaggerated enjoyment, as if in a culinary show.
Shaun, sitting across from her at the dining table, barely looked up from his phone. His usual indifference hung around him like a cloak. But Catherine knew better than to let his aloofness get to her. She could practically feel his silent judgment, but she wasn’t going to let it deter her. She continued with her eating show, offering him little glances to gauge his reaction. To her surprise, he didn’t seem completely unaffected by her antics.
Then, Fudge, Shaun’s cat, leaped onto the dining table, its small paws landing softly on the smooth surface. The cat’s tail wagged back and forth as it sniffed at the pancakes.
Thinking the cat must be hungry, Shaun pushed his phone aside and stood up to fetch a plate of cat food. He placed it in front of Fudge, but the feline turned its nose up at the food, its eyes instead fixed on Catherine’s plate.
Catherine stifled a laugh as she caught sight of Shaun’s embarrassed expression. “It seems your cat has better taste than you,” she teased, then cut a piece of her cinnamon roll and gently fed it to the cat.
Fudge devoured it instantly, looking satisfied.
“Good kitty,” Catherine cooed, brushing the cat’s fur affectionately.
Shaun was clearly flustered. His cool, calm demeanor cracked slightly as he glared at the cat, then at Catherine. “You’re spoiling it,” he muttered under his breath.
She gave him a teasing look. “You’d be surprised at what animals appreciate. Maybe you should take some notes.”
The cat, now happily munching on churros, ignored both of them, clearly too focused on its feast.
Shaun, clearly annoyed, picked up a piece of churros from her plate, but Catherine quickly shoved it into his mouth before he could protest.
Shaun froze for a moment, his gaze narrowing on her with the intensity of someone who had just been crossed. But before he could speak, the crispy texture of the churros hit his tongue, and he stopped mid-sentence. The flavor was addictively rich—warm, crisp, and sugary. The cinnamon sugar melted into the soft dough, a perfect balance that made him chew without thinking.
It wasn’t like anything he had tasted before. His eyes flickered with surprise as the taste lingered, an unexpected pleasure. But as soon as he noticed the smug grin on Catherine’s face, he quickly masked his surprise with a neutral expression.
“It’s just alright,” he said coolly, setting down the churros as though it hadn’t impressed him at all.
Catherine raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Sure it is. But I can tell you’re enjoying it.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Shaun shot back, but he was already reaching for another piece.
Catherine was about to reply when she caught the playful gleam in his eyes. It seemed like he couldn’t deny that the food was good, even if he wanted to keep up the tough facade.
“Don’t worry,” she teased, “I’ll make sure there’s enough for you. I know you can’t resist.”
Shaun let out an exaggerated sigh but didn’t stop eating. They both fell into an oddly comfortable silence, the tension between them momentarily forgotten as he indulged in the food she had prepared.
Finally, after finishing another bite, he leaned back in his chair. “I have a dinner appointment tonight,” he said abruptly, as though the sudden change of subject was a natural conclusion to their breakfast exchange.
“Oh,” Catherine replied, trying to mask the disappointment in her voice. “Well, I’m sure you have a lot on your plate.”
Shaun gave a curt nod and stood, pushing his chair back with a swift motion. “I’m going to change. Don’t expect me to entertain you any further.”
Catherine tried not to let his abruptness bother her. She didn’t expect anything else from him, anyway. It wasn’t as if they were close. They had a complex relationship—her being part of his family’s orbit now, but always on the edges, never quite in the inner circle.
She finished tidying the table, moving quickly to get ready for work as well.
Shaun had already changed into a sharp suit by the time she returned, and he was waiting near the door. Catherine grabbed her purse and gave him a polite but somewhat strained smile.
“Shaunny,” she said sweetly, “Could you give me a lift? I’m heading to work as well. If it’s not too much trouble, I don’t mind being dropped off at the subway station.”
Shaun, who had been preparing to leave, hesitated for a moment. Then, as if deciding it wasn’t worth arguing, he nodded curtly. “Fine. Get in.”
They headed down to the parking lot together. Catherine had expected, of course, that he’d drive one of the luxurious cars his family owned—the Bentley or maybe the Maybach—but when they reached a white Lexus parked in the corner of the lot, her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“This… is your car?” she asked, her voice laced with confusion.
Shaun, already in the driver’s seat, glanced up at her. “Yeah. What’s wrong with it?”
“Well, I just thought you might drive something… I don’t know, flashier?” she said, trying to mask her surprise. After all, Shaun was the heir to a vast fortune. This car, while nice, was far more modest than she expected.
Shaun started the engine with a low hum and shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s cheap and fuel-efficient.”
“Right. Of course,” Catherine muttered, more to herself than to him. She looked at the tissue packet on the dashboard with the words “Gas Station—cheapest and easiest.” She frowned slightly. Was this a man who lived so frugally, or was this just a calculated move to keep a low profile?
The car ride was brief, and Catherine found herself lost in thought. By the time they reached the subway station, Shaun was already turning off the engine.
“Well, here we are,” he said, as if they were just acquaintances.
“Thanks, Shaunny,” she forced out a smile, her voice more strained than before.
Without a second glance, Shaun sped off, leaving her standing there at the station, her emotions swirling.
When Catherine arrived at Summit Building Design Group later that day, she was met with an unsettling sight. James Lennon, the project manager, stood in the lobby, his eyes glinting with something unreadable.
“You don’t need to be here anymore,” he said without any greeting. His voice was cold and dismissive.
Catherine froze. “What do you mean?”
Before he could answer, she felt a presence behind her. She turned sharply to find Rebecca and Ethan entering the building, hand in hand, their matching outfits drawing attention as they strolled toward her. The sight hit Catherine like a ton of bricks.
Rebecca, with her perfect smile and poised demeanor, was wrapped around Ethan like a trophy, and Catherine could feel the knot tightening in her chest. This was it. The moment her world, or what little remained of it, had completely unraveled.
As the sunlight bathed the couple in an almost surreal glow, Catherine’s heart sank. She had once been the one at Ethan’s side. How could this be happening?
“Rebecca,” James greeted her with a smile, his tone entirely different from the one he had used with Catherine.
Catherine stood there, completely still, watching as Rebecca and Ethan shared a moment of pure bliss, completely unaware—or perhaps uncaring—that they were leaving her in the dust.