跳过内容
Novel Catalog
Chapter 92
Shaun’s grip on the cheesecake tightened as Catherine turned her back to him, her words echoing in his mind. She was playing it cool, wasn’t she? The casual dismissal, the way she walked away from him as if nothing had happened—did she really think she could just walk away from him without facing the consequences?
Frustration boiled inside him, but there was a strange, unfamiliar sensation creeping in as well. Was he upset because she wasn’t begging him to stop her? Or was it the fact that, for the first time, she wasn’t afraid of him?
He glanced at the cheesecake in his hand, then at her retreating figure. This wasn’t how he had imagined things would go. Not by a long shot. He had expected her to at least hesitate, to give him some kind of signal that she still cared. But here she was, seemingly unaffected.
“Catherine!” he called out, his voice firm.
She didn’t stop.
“Catherine!” His tone became more forceful this time.
Finally, she slowed down and turned to face him. Her expression was guarded, a cool detachment he hadn’t seen from her before. For a moment, she didn’t say anything, just met his gaze. And then, she spoke.
“Do you really think I want to be tied to someone like you?” Her voice was low, yet clear. “I’m not asking for your pity or your attention. I’m asking for my freedom.”
Shaun’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t reply. He wanted to say something, to tell her that this was just another game, that he was still in control. But for once, the words didn’t come easily. He had been expecting her to fold, expecting her to beg for him to stop this. But Catherine wasn’t that woman. She wasn’t going to let him have the upper hand anymore.
He stepped forward, his expression shifting, softening. “You really want this, don’t you?” he asked quietly.
Her eyes flickered with something—resentment, maybe, or just a deep weariness. “Yes,” she answered firmly. “I want out. I want to live my life without you controlling everything.”
A silence hung between them, thick with unspoken tension. Shaun didn’t know what to do with this version of Catherine. She wasn’t the woman who had once looked to him for approval. She wasn’t the one who had tried to win him over. This woman… this woman was standing her ground, and it both irritated and intrigued him.
“So that’s it?” he asked, his voice soft but edged with frustration. “You think you can just walk away?”
“Yes,” Catherine said without hesitation. “I think I can.”
Shaun exhaled sharply. For a moment, he stared at her, unsure of where to go from here. He had always been the one who made the rules, the one who decided how things would play out. But Catherine was different. She was making her own choices now, and that was something he hadn’t expected.
He glanced at the cheesecake again. The gesture had been meant to soften her, to show her that he was willing to make an effort. But she didn’t want the cake. She didn’t need his gestures. All she wanted was her freedom.
“Fine,” he said, a dark smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. “If that’s how it is, I’ll play along.”
Catherine’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to make this harder, are you?”
Shaun raised an eyebrow, then took a step closer. “I never said I would. But remember this, Catherine: you’re not the only one who’s been pushed to the limit.”
Her gaze faltered for a brief moment, but she quickly regained her composure. “I’ll be waiting for you to sign the papers, Shaun,” she said, her voice steady.
Shaun watched her turn and walk away, her silhouette fading into the distance. Something twisted in his chest, a gnawing feeling that he couldn’t shake off. Maybe he had underestimated her. Maybe he had been too focused on keeping control, on playing the game, that he hadn’t realized how far Catherine had come.
With a final glance at the registry office, he turned and walked away, the cheesecake still in his hand. Something had changed between them, and for the first time in a long while, Shaun wasn’t sure how things would unfold next.