Chapter 172
Chapter 172: Invite Your Boyfriend For Dinner
Catherine’s POV
I stayed in my room for the remainder of the previous day, the door locked and my mind spinning. I kept trying to understand it all… how Lisa has been planning to divorce Richard. I didn’t even come down for dinner, claiming a migraine, and surprisingly, no one had come to force me out.
But as the sun rose the next morning, I knew I couldn’t hide forever. When I finally headed downstairs, I walked into the dining room and found everyone already gathered.
The moment my foot hit the hardwood of the dining room, Richard raised his head and a spike of panic hit my stomach. I gripped the back of a chair, fully expecting the hammer to drop.
I expected to be met with his mean stare but I was wrong. In fact, he looked like he had some good news to share today.
“Ah, Catherine,” Richard called, his voice smooth and welcoming. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Hmmm. I don’t think he’s ever called my name with so much excitement before.
How come? Was he not supposed to be mad at me? I knew Lucy. There was no way she had kept quiet about the slap. I looked at her, and sure enough, she was watching me with a smug glint in her eyes. I took a breath and forced my voice to stay steady.
“Good morning, Richard,” I said, offering a stiff nod.
“Sit,” he commanded, gesturing to the empty chair near him. “Come sit close to me.”
I moved cautiously, taking the seat he chose. My eyes moved to the others on the table, Julian was staring at his plate, his jaw tight, while Gabriel watched me with a questioning look like he was trying to ask me what was going on.
Richard dropped his fork and turned his full attention toward me.
“I heard about the unpleasantness yesterday,” he began. His tone was strangely conversational. “The fight between you and Lucy. I was quite upset and disappointed.”
Lucy opened her mouth to speak, likely to demand my head on a platter, but Richard raised a hand to silence her without even looking her way. He kept his eyes on me.
“But I’m not here to assign blame,” Richard continued. “In fact, Catherine, I want to ask for your forgiveness.”
The table went dead silent. I saw Julian’s head snap up in shock, and even my mother looked up from her cup, her eyes wide with confusion. Lucy looked like she had been slapped all over again, her mouth hanging open.
“Forgive you?” I stammered. “For what?”
Richard sighed, looking like a man burdened by regret. “I’ve realized something lately. As much as you are not my daughter by blood, you are still my daughter. I took on the responsibility of being your father when I married your mom, but I’ve been partial. I’ve focused all my attention on my sons and their roles in the Foundation, and I’ve neglected you. I’ve left you to feel like an outsider in your own home.”
He reached out and patted my hand, which made me swallow hard in fear. My trust issues was telling me to withdraw my hand, or he would cut it right there.
“I am ready to become a present father in your life.”
My mouth opened to speak but no words could come out.
“And I want to start by making sure you are treated with the respect you deserve. To start, you will no longer have to rely on your brothers for transportation. I’ve arranged for you to have your own private car and a driver. It will be at your disposal for whatever you need.”
I sat there, stunned. For a split second, a sense of relief washed over me. No more begging for rides. No more being trapped in a car with Julian. It was a level of freedom I hadn’t expected. I felt a small smile tug at my lips, but then I caught my mother’s gaze. She was pale, her eyes screaming a warning that her face didn’t dare show.
“Thank you, Richard,” I said, trying to sound grateful. “That’s… that’s very generous.”
“However,” Richard added, his smile widening just a fraction. “There is a condition. I want this family to be united. I want the two of you to start getting along. So, as part of this new arrangement, you and Lucy will have to drive together to school every day. You’ll share the car. It’s time you two learned to be sisters.”
The gratitude vanished instantly, replaced by a cold realization. His gift now felt like a cage. I felt an immense wave of annoyance, but I remembered my mother’s plea from yesterday: Play the part. Stay invisible.
I forced the smile to stay on my face, even though it felt like my skin might crack. “I understand. I’ll do my best to make it work. Thank you, Richard.”
Lucy let out a small, satisfied hum. “Thank you, Richard. I think it’s a wonderful idea. I’m sure this will help us get closer.”
She was pretending, I knew for a fact but I said nothing.
We all turned back to our breakfast, thinking the ordeal was over, but just as I was about to take a bite of my food, Richard spoke again.
“One more thing,” he said, and the tone of his voice changed. It was sharper now. “I also heard about this new, handsome boyfriend of yours. The one who made such an impression at the school yesterday.”
I froze. My food was halfway to my mouth, and I felt like the breath had been knocked out of me. My mind raced.
Oh no! But Dante wasn’t my boyfriend; the whole thing is an act designed by Kiera to give me leverage. I couldn’t tell him that, I couldn’t let Julian and Lucy know.
“Father, it’s all noise,” Gabriel interrupted, I could hear the annoyance in his tone and it almost made me want to laugh out loud. What did Dante really do to Gabe to make him hate him so much?
Gabriel gripped his fork hard. “The guy isn’t nearly as handsome as people are making him out to be. He’s just some arrogant dude with a loud car. It’s nothing worth your time.”
Richard didn’t even glance at Gabriel. He kept his eyes locked on mine, waiting for me to respond.
“He’s… he’s a new student, Richard,” I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “His name is Dante.”
“Well,” Richard said, leaning back in his chair. “I can’t have my daughter dating a mystery man without proper introductions. It wouldn’t be right.”
He looked at Julian, who was sitting perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the tablecloth. Julian looked like he was vibrating with a repressed rage. He hadn’t said a word, but the aura of anger coming off him couldn’t be unnoticed. Lucy, on the other hand, had a malicious smirk on her lips, her eyes darting between me and the Julian.
“Invite him for dinner today,” Richard commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. “I want to meet the young man who is courting my daughter. If he’s going to be a part of your life, he needs to be vetted by the head of the family.”
I felt a cold sweat break out across my neck. Dante in this house? Seems this act will not be ending anytime soon.
“I… I’ll ask him,” I murmured.
“Don’t ask him, Catherine,” Richard said, his smile returning. “Tell him. We’ll expect him at seven and make sure he knows I do not take no for an answer.”
On the other side of the table, Gabriel let out a frustrated huff and stood up, pushing his chair back with a loud screech. Julian remained seated, but his hand moved to his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt as if he were trying to keep his heart from leaping out. He looked like he was drowning in the middle of an ocean.