Chapter 108: Chapter 106: He Loves Her More Than He Imagined (Part 2)
Catherine Callahan deliberately avoided looking at his face and said softly, "I hope this illusion is just that—an illusion. I never used to envy couples in love, but now, I’m suddenly realizing that it’s not easy to truly win someone’s heart."
"It’s getting late. Let’s go back."
He started down the steps without another word.
Catherine followed him and got into the passenger seat. She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong, but she felt a sense of unease.
Just as Quentin Grant was about to shift gears, she abruptly turned and tried to kiss him.
He recoiled instinctively.
He shoved her away.
Catherine’s head slammed against the window with a THUD. She looked at him, tears instantly streaming down her face.
"You can sleep with any random plaything, so why can’t you kiss me?"
He averted his gaze, his lips moving before he finally spoke. "From now on, stay at least a foot away from me."
It wasn’t a rejection, but it was crueler than one. It wasn’t an explanation, but it was a truth more painful than death.
She slumped forward, her body wracked with muffled sobs. He watched her trembling shoulders and let his hand fall from the ignition key.
Finally, he pulled her into his embrace.
"There’s no future for us. What’s so bad about being friends? At least we could stay in each other’s lives. We’d never have to break up... as long as you behave."
"But I don’t want to be your friend. I want you all to myself, Quentin. Let’s just pretend none of this ever happened. We can get back together. I won’t hold anything against you, as long as you’re with me."
He placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her gently back into her seat.
"If you keep insisting, then we can’t even be friends."
Staring straight ahead, he drove away.
After a moment of silence, Catherine finally spoke. "Why do you have to be so heartless?"
"If I’m not heartless, old feelings will resurface. It becomes a tangled mess that can’t be cut or sorted out. I don’t like getting entangled."
Catherine took a deep breath. "So you wouldn’t care if I married someone else?"
"I’ll wish you happiness."
"What if I sleep with someone else right in front of you?" Catherine pressed on.
"Then I’ll wish you a successful career in the adult film industry."
Catherine’s face went deathly pale. "And what if I kill Nora Ainsworth?"
Quentin Grant was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Suit yourself. She has nothing to do with me. But if the police arrest you, I won’t let my mother or myself help a murderer escape justice. At the very least, my conscience wouldn’t stand for it."
"Is that so?" she sneered. "You’re just afraid I’ll actually kill her, aren’t you? Quentin, do you really think I’m that stupid? You sent Nora Ainsworth away, you let her go. It wasn’t because you were tired of her. It was because you were afraid I’d try to harm her again when you weren’t looking. You’ve fallen in love with her, Quentin. We were so in love once. I know you. You protect the people you want to protect most, even when they aren’t by your side. But what makes you so sure I’ll let her go?"
Quentin’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, but he kept his eyes fixed on the road. "That’s your business."
Catherine seemed to lose her mind, letting out a dry, chilling laugh. "They say you’re heartless, and you really are. Not just to me, but you don’t show a shred of mercy to any woman who’s been with you. Since you don’t care, then I won’t hold back. At least if she’s dead, I’ll feel a whole lot better—"
He slammed on the brakes, and Catherine’s voice died in her throat.
"Do you really have to do this?"
"I want the real answer. What do you really feel for her? I want the truth. At least let me lose without any lingering doubts."
A chill entered Quentin’s voice. "I’ve answered this question several times. She’s just an innocent, foolish woman. Don’t drag her into this and make her a victim of your madness."
"Then why does it feel like you’re lying every time you speak?" Tears welled in her eyes. "Quentin, you love her, but you don’t dare admit it."
"What answer are you looking for? Whether I admit it or not, the outcome for you is the same. Is there any point to this? You’re always stuck on the past or trying to destroy the present. But Catherine Callahan"—this was the first time he had ever used her full name—"life isn’t a movie. You can’t do a retake. Every day is a live broadcast, and you don’t get a second chance."
He restarted the engine and drove to her place, pulling to a stop outside.
"Get out."
Catherine didn’t move. He rolled down his window and rested an arm on the edge.
"Are you sure you want to do this to me?" She held back her tears, her voice laced with grim resolve.
He raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to finish her sentence.
"Quentin, I will win you back from Nora Ainsworth. I’m going to make her disappear from this world, completely and without a trace. I’m telling you this to your face. And I will marry you, no matter what it takes!"
Quentin looked at her, suddenly thinking that time was a cruel blade. It had performed a heart transplant on a once-kind and understanding girl, taking the heart that had been so close to his and pushing it to the edge of a cliff, where it now teetered precariously.
"If you can really make her disappear from this world, completely and without a trace, I have no objection. Just don’t report back to me on whether she’s dead or alive."
He reached over and pushed her door open, gesturing for her to get out.
Catherine got out of the car in a fury.
The door slammed shut. Quentin floored the accelerator, and the car shot out of her sight.
Catherine’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. A sharp pain throbbed in her temples. Her mind was in chaos, her nerves frayed to the breaking point.
The car pulled up in front of Nora Ainsworth’s apartment building.
Leon Lynch got out, walked around the front of the car, and opened her door. Nora stepped out.
She was just about to thank him for dinner when Leon pointed upstairs. "Aren’t you going to invite me up?"
Nora nodded. "Alright. Come up for a cup of tea before you go."
They went upstairs side-by-side. She unlocked the door and flicked on the light, revealing a small but very cozy apartment.
Leon walked through the living room and slid open the balcony door.
"Nice view," he said, leaning against the railing.
Nora poured two cups of tea and handed one to him. "It is pretty nice, isn’t it? I like it a lot too."
"Nora, we’ve known each other for a while now. And we even came close to getting married. I want you to be honest with me—putting my mother aside, what do you really think of me?"
Nora answered honestly, "You’re a great guy. There was a time, I admit, when I impulsively thought that marrying you wouldn’t be bad at all. Aside from the issue with your mother, of course. Just living a simple, quiet life... it sounds really nice. Sometimes, the simplest life is a luxury you can’t easily have."
Obvious delight spread across his face. "Are you serious? You really had a thought about wanting to marry me?"
Nora smiled, pressing her lips together. "Would I lie to you? I really did have that thought before."
