Chapter 259
865words
Cathy released a visible sigh of relief after staring at me for a couple of seconds, ensuring that I was as fine as I said I was.
A smile formed on her lips. “That’s great. Actually, I wasn’t sure if I should tell you about this…”
Shrugging her shoulders, she continued to speak softly, “I struggled with it, but my wolf insisted you deserved to know about it, and I couldn’t be more glad I listened to her. You’re stronger than I thought. It didn’t even seem to faze you."
I kept my facial expression as though a thousand emotions were rushing within me, causing a storm in my heart.
Strong?
If only she knew… The truth was, this news hit harder than I expected. I’ve told myself countless times that I should move on, to let go of what Kylian and Flora did to me, but forgetting the past isn’t wasn’t as simple as pretending it didn’t hurt.
But no matter how painful it was, it’s something I should never let anyone see because being vulnerable wouldn’t do me any good right now.
Forcing a small and casual smile, I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, like I said, I was just curious.”
As I said that, I even held my breath as if that would lessen the pain I was feeling.
Clearing my throat, I swiveled the glass of wine with my hands and stared seriously at Cathy before stirring back the conversation to the main reason why we were here. “Anyway, I met you because I need someone I can trust at Wakeland Times, Cathy.”
Leaning closer, I emphasized, “Someone loyal to me."
Cathy’s eyes darted downward for a split second as she went silent before she spoke. "You don’t have to worry about that, Princess. You’ve always been my idol. I’d never betray you."
I nodded but couldn’t ignore how her eyes constantly shifted like she couldn’t meet mine.
Why was she being evasive?
"Be careful," Trisha’s warning voice echoed in my mind.
"I know," I replied. "But I need her. Wakeland is a hostile place right now, and I can’t fight its battles alone. Cathy could be useful.”
Something tells me that Cathy wasn’t entirely honest, but her aid was more critical now. In time, I’ll uncover her secrets and deal with it.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll have Sapphire contact you for further details,” I concluded before standing up and offering my hand toward her, which she gladly shook, closing our deal.
After thanking me, she grabbed her bag and finally left.
Meanwhile, I went out of the secret room and sat on the high chair in front of the bar with my legs crossed and a glass of wine in my hand while waiting for Sapphire to go back, hoping she got some news about Mason and Drake’s sister.
“What happened?” I asked, settling down the wine glass with furrowed brows after I saw Sapphire’s stormy expression upon entering the room.
Cautiously, she closed the door after her and heaved a sigh of frustration ass on the high chair beside me.
Her jaws clenched, and she grabbed a bottle of whisky, poured herself a drink, and tightened her hand on the crystal glass.
"I pretended to be a guest and joined Mason’s table to gather information," she began, her voice tight with fury. "Those people… they didn’t even bother hiding it. They bragged about everything they’ve done, Della. Everything."
Her chest was heaving violently with fury. Seeing that she was near her bottom line, I gestured to the drink in her hand. “Take a moment and breathe.”
Sapphire had always been able to handle her emotions well, so her being furious like this only showed how serious things became.
“Did you record them?” I asked.
Sapphire gave me a sharp nod. “I got it all.”
Instinctively, my eyes wandered around the room before I stood up. “Good. But this isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go back to the office and sort this out.”
After gulping down the entire contents of her glass, she calmed down and nodded before standing up as well.
Seeing as she was ready, I grabbed my mask and sunglasses and put both on to make sure no one would recognize me as soon as we left the room.
However, a chill ran down my spine when I opened the door.
Mason and his group stood at the end of the narrow hallway, their figures blocking the exit.
The bar's dim lighting cast long shadows on them, and the faint hum of music from the main area barely masked the tension they brought into the air. My eyes traveled around, but the entire corridor was deserted as it only led to the private rooms.
They totally had us surrounded.
Alerted, Sapphire immediately pushed me back and stood in front of me.
‘What are these people doing here?’ I wondered, surveying each of their faces.
"I was careful," Sapphire said tensely through our mind link. There’s no way they could’ve known what I was up to. So why are they here?"
"Stay calm," I replied steadily through mind link and continued, "Let’s see what they want."
