Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN WHO REFUSED TO BE BOUGHT
Catherine woke to the sound of rain against her bedroom windows.
For one disorienting moment, she thought she was back in the penthouse.
Then she remembered.
The wedding dress.
The airport.
The door closing behind Christopher.
She sat up and reached for her phone.
Three missed calls from her mother.
Two messages from Vivian.
One email from the family office.
The email contained an update on the investigation into Thorne Capital.
Catherine read it carefully.
A payment of $1.2 million had been transferred to an entity called Northstar Strategic Holdings three weeks before her wedding.
The payment had been described as a consulting advance.
The company's registered address belonged to a commercial mail service in Delaware.
Its beneficial ownership had not yet been confirmed.
Catherine felt a chill.
“Vivian,” she said when the attorney answered, “is this connected to Brooke?”
“We don't know. The investigators are tracing the ownership and reviewing the underlying contract.”
“Could Christopher have authorized it without understanding the destination?”
“Possibly. We need to establish who prepared the documents, who approved them, and what services were expected.”
Catherine stared at the report.
She had imagined betrayal as a single cruel act.
Now she was discovering that it could also be a series of small compromises, each one explained away until the truth became difficult to recognize.
“What happens next?”
“We preserve the records, complete the review, and let the independent directors decide what action is appropriate.”
“Do that.”
After the call, Catherine dressed and went to the Sinclair Foundation's headquarters.
Her mother, Margaret, was waiting in the conference room.
Margaret Sinclair was elegant, sharp-minded, and far less sentimental than her daughter. She had spent years helping manage the family's philanthropic interests and had warned Catherine that Christopher was drawn to the Sinclair name as much as to Catherine herself.
Margaret placed a newspaper on the table.
“Your marriage is now entertainment.”
“I know.”
“Do you want to respond publicly?”
“Not yet.”
“Good. A public fight will only give people more material to distort.”
Catherine sat opposite her.
“Did you ever like him?”
Margaret considered the question.
“I liked the man he showed us. I was concerned about the man who appeared whenever he didn't get his way.”
Catherine gave a small, sad smile.
“I thought I could help him become the first man more often.”
“Darling, you can support someone's growth. You cannot perform it for them.”
For the rest of the morning, they worked through the foundation's annual budget.
It was the first time in months Catherine had spent several uninterrupted hours doing something unrelated to Christopher.
She felt lighter.
At noon, Brooke Lawson appeared at the reception desk.
She had not scheduled an appointment.
The receptionist called Catherine, who agreed to meet her in a conference room with Vivian present.
Brooke entered wearing a dark blue suit.
For the first time, she looked uncertain.
“I need to explain something,” she said.
Catherine remained seated.
“Then explain it.”
Brooke looked toward Vivian.
“Can we speak privately?”
“No,” Catherine replied.
Brooke's mouth tightened.
“Fine.”
She placed a folder on the table.
“The Northstar payment was part of a consulting arrangement. I introduced Christopher to a group of investors who were interested in the company.”
“Which investors?”
Brooke named two firms.
Vivian made a note.
“Did either firm pay Northstar?” the attorney asked.
Brooke hesitated.
“I don't know.”
“Who owns Northstar?”
“I was told it belonged to an independent consultant.”
“Who?”
“I don't remember.”
Vivian closed the folder.
“Then you should provide the information through your attorney.”
Brooke turned to Catherine.
“I'm not trying to hurt you.”
“You came to my office without an appointment and brought documents concerning a million-dollar payment. What exactly are you trying to do?”
Brooke's eyes filled with tears.
“Chris is falling apart.”
Catherine felt no satisfaction at hearing it.
“I'm sorry he's struggling.”
“You don't sound sorry.”
“Because his struggle doesn't erase what happened to me.”
Brooke swallowed.
“He said you would always forgive him.”
Catherine stared at her.
“Did he?”
“Yes.”
“And what did you say?”
Brooke looked down.
“Nothing.”
That answer told Catherine more than any accusation could have.
Brooke had known Christopher was married.
She had known the date of the wedding.
She had accepted his offer to come to the airport.
Perhaps she had not forced him to leave.
But she had welcomed the choice.
“Why are you here?” Catherine asked.
Brooke's composure finally broke.
“Because I think he lied to me, too.”
She opened the folder and removed a printed email.
It appeared to show Christopher discussing Northstar with a senior employee.
One line had been highlighted.
Once the Sinclair transaction closes, the consulting obligations can be settled privately.
Catherine read it twice.
“Did you receive money from Northstar?”
“No.”
“Were you promised money?”
Brooke pressed her lips together.
“Christopher told me I would receive a success fee if the investment went through.”
“How much?”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
Vivian intervened.
“Ms. Lawson, you should not answer further questions without independent legal advice.”
Brooke nodded shakily.
Catherine closed the folder.
“You need your own lawyer. If you have relevant documents, preserve them and provide them through the proper process.”
“Will you help me?”
Catherine looked at the woman who had stood between her and her husband without ever needing to enter the room.
“No.”
Brooke flinched.
“But I won't interfere with your right to defend yourself, either.”
It was the most kindness Catherine could offer without betraying herself.
After Brooke left, Vivian gathered the papers.
“This may become a serious corporate investigation.”
“Then let it.”
“Christopher could claim you are using the review to punish him.”
“He can claim whatever he wants. The records will speak for themselves.”
That evening, Christopher appeared outside Catherine's apartment.
Security informed her before allowing him into the building's private reception area.
She agreed to meet him in the lobby, where cameras recorded the interaction.
He looked exhausted.
His tie was crooked, and dark circles shadowed his eyes.
“Please,” he said. “Just give me ten minutes.”
“You have five.”
He swallowed.
“I made a mistake.”
“Yes.”
“I should have stayed.”
“Yes.”
“I never intended to hurt you.”
Catherine studied his face.
“You knew I was your bride. You knew what night it was. You heard me ask you to stay.”
He looked away.
“I thought you'd understand.”
“That's the problem, Christopher. You thought I would understand anything you did, provided you gave me a convincing explanation afterward.”
He stepped closer.
“I love you.”
For a moment, the words hurt.
Not because she believed them, but because some part of her still remembered wanting them to be enough.
“Then why did you treat me as if I didn't matter?”
He had no answer.
She continued.
“Do you know what I wanted that night? I wanted my husband to look at me and understand that our marriage mattered more than proving he could answer another woman's call.”
“Brooke was—”
“Don't.”
He fell silent.
Catherine took a breath.
“I am not asking you to choose between me and another woman anymore. I'm choosing myself.”
She turned toward the elevator.
“Catherine!”
She stopped but did not look back.
“Can we start over?”
“No.”
The elevator doors closed between them.
For the first time, Christopher understood that the money was not the greatest thing he stood to lose.
May you like
He was losing the woman who had once believed his promises.
And no financial guarantee could buy that belief back.
