Catherine kept her head down, eating quietly, yet something about the meal felt… off. The atmosphere was strange, unusual. Perhaps it was because, for the first time in her life, she was eating a meal prepared by a man's own hands. Of course, she had eaten what Channing cooked when she was little, but that didn't count. Back when she had been with Gerald, she had always been the one cooking for him.
She remembered those times vividly—every time she cooked, Gerald would often wrap his arms gently around her from behind, whispering softly that he wanted to eat her cooking for the rest of his life. But that was all gone now.
Catherine didn't know why, but tonight her thoughts kept drifting back to Gerald. Perhaps it was because there was another outstanding, extraordinary man beside her tonight, making her mind involuntarily revisit someone who had once meant so much to her.
The meal finished quickly. Catherine cleared the dishes and carried them into the kitchen. When she returned, he was already gathering his car keys, phone, and other things from the sofa, seemingly ready to leave.
She stood frozen, unsure what to say. She couldn't exactly tell him, "Go on, leave," nor could she say, "Stay a little longer."
He didn't speak either. Silently collecting his things, he walked to the door.
Out of courtesy, Catherine followed him to the entrance. As he put on his shoes and stepped outside, she hesitated, then muttered awkwardly,
"Goodbye…"
He glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment. Then, without a word, he turned and closed the door behind him, leaving with effortless grace.
Catherine leaned against the door, exhaling a long, shaky breath. What a chaotic night.
Just as she was about to head back to the kitchen to wash the dishes, a sudden knock at the door made her jump, pressing herself against it.
Before she could peek through the peephole, a familiar voice called weakly from outside:
"Cici… open the door. It's me."
Relief and joy washed over her at once. She hurriedly opened the door and saw Riley standing there, dusted with travel fatigue, dragging a large suitcase and wearing heavy makeup.
"Riley?"
Catherine rushed forward to help Riley with her suitcase, surprised.
"Aren't you still out of town shooting for a magazine?"
Riley had called immediately when she heard Renata was hospitalized, but at the time she was away on a shoot and couldn't return. She had comforted Catherine over the phone and even offered to cover the surgery expenses in advance, though Catherine had refused.
"I thought I should be here with you while Renata's in surgery," Riley explained. "So I talked to the photographer, rushed through the last few shots as quickly as possible, and caught the next flight home—didn't even have time to take off my makeup."
She kicked off her shoes and plopped down onto Catherine's small sofa.
"Ah… I'm so exhausted."
Catherine's heart swelled with gratitude, touched by Riley's presence.
Riley had to know how agonizing tomorrow would be, sitting through Renata's surgery. No matter what, she had to get back in time to be by Catherine's side.
Catherine felt a warm surge of gratitude. Riley, who usually seemed so carefree and careless, had shown no hesitation or slack in this matter. True friends were like that—whether or not you spoke every day, whether or not they checked in constantly, when you needed them, they would push aside all obstacles to be there. You didn't need words, actions, or explanations—just their presence was enough.
Catherine went to the bathroom and turned on the hot water to let Riley take a warm shower and wash away some of her exhaustion. Then she headed to the kitchen, poured a cup of warm water, and handed it to Riley. Sitting down beside her, Catherine was about to say something when Riley suddenly shouted:
"What happened to your face?! Who did this?!"
Catherine's swelling had gone down a bit, but it was still obvious that someone had struck her.
There was no point hiding anything from Riley, so she told her everything—what Channing had done to her tonight. Riley's temper flared instantly. She jumped up, ready to storm out and confront Channing.
Catherine grabbed her gently.
"It's already over. It doesn't matter anymore. I won't contact him again, and I won't hold on to this father-daughter connection."
No matter what Channing did in the future, at least in Catherine's heart, that bond was broken.
Riley paced the living room a few times, finally calming down, then flopped back onto the sofa. But soon her expression shifted to something mischievous.
"By the way, I saw a man leaving your place earlier, didn't I?"
As if Catherine wouldn't know, Riley quickly described him:
"A handsome, cool guy! Long legs, a powerful, cold aura. He went downstairs as I was coming up, and just one glance from him almost knocked me out."
Riley made a fainting gesture.
"His gaze… irresistible. And that aura of his… only older, mature men can have that kind of presence."
Riley was using every word she could think of to describe the man she'd seen, and Catherine immediately knew who she was talking about. Judging by the timing, it had to be him—they must have crossed paths, because he had left just as Riley arrived.
Then Riley leaned closer, resting her head on Catherine's shoulder, a low, teasing smile on her face.
"By the way… his Adam's apple was super noticeable. Pretty sexy. And I hear… that part of him is impressive too."
Catherine froze, heat rushing to her face. She shot Riley a sharp look.
"Really, you're a girl—shouldn't you be talking about this?"
Riley didn't care.
"What's the big deal?"
She grabbed Catherine, refusing to let her dodge the question.
"Don't change the subject! Did he really leave your place? Tell me the truth—what's going on between you two?"
Catherine didn't deny that he had come from her home. Slowly, she recounted everything—how they met at the hospital, and everything that had happened tonight.
As she spoke, Catherine realized she didn't even know his name.
"But I didn't know him before tonight. I still don't know his name, and I have no idea why he helped me," she emphasized.
Riley, still caught up in the satisfaction of hearing how Catherine had handled that scoundrel Lucca, exclaimed:
"Exactly! That's perfect! Serves that little brat Lucca right!"
Riley was furious she hadn't been there herself to witness Lucca's panic firsthand.
As Catherine's closest friend, Riley's hatred for Lucca knew no bounds.
"Wait… do you think he's interested in you?"
Riley pondered everything Catherine had just told her, making a judgment with a sly grin.
Catherine shook her head and smiled softly.
"Do you really think I have that kind of charm… that makes someone fall in love at first sight?"
She knew herself well enough. Her looks and temperament were decent, yes, but not enough to make a mature, composed man like him fall head over heels instantly.
Riley, however, nodded firmly.
"Yes, you do!"
Catherine chuckled, teasing her best friend.
"So true—my dear Riley, always my number one fan."
Then she let a self-deprecating smile curl on her lips.
"With my reputation… which man would even dare to want me? Falling in love at first sight? That's impossible."
The incident two years ago had already ruined her reputation in Burg Eltz. Who in their right mind would want her now?
Riley, unconcerned, countered,
"Maybe he doesn't know about your past."
Catherine shook her head, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
"There's no wall that keeps secrets forever. Even if he doesn't know at first… sooner or later, he'll find out—"
She didn't finish the sentence. What she really wanted to say was that once he knew about her past, he would leave. Men were like that—Catherine understood it all too well.
So she didn't allow herself to expect too much from men or love. In fact, she even resisted it a little. Any romantic relationship now would inevitably bring up the events of two years ago. She didn't want to recall that pain.
Better to have no love at all. No men, no heartbreak, no memories dredging up that kind of suffering.
Not wanting to dwell on unpleasant memories, Catherine got up to check the hot water in the bathroom. When she returned, she said to Riley,
"The water's ready. Go take a shower and get some rest."
"Mm," Riley replied, rising.
"Rest up. Tomorrow's going to be a tough day—you'll need me by your side."
After Riley showered, Catherine tidied up the room as best she could, then both of them went to bed.
Riley fell asleep almost instantly, while Catherine looked at the dark circles under her friend's eyes and sighed softly. Riley must have been exhausted, rushing back like this just to be here. Seeing her in such a tired state, Catherine guessed she probably hadn't had a proper night's sleep in days.
The next morning, Catherine woke up early, around five o'clock. After freshening up, she headed to the hospital. Renata's surgery was scheduled first thing in the morning, so Catherine needed to be there early to stay by her side and handle the necessary procedures.
She didn't wake Riley—she wanted her friend to get a little more sleep.
For Catherine, Riley coming back was already more than enough. Even if Riley couldn't be by her side during the surgery, the very thought that she had gone to such lengths to be here was more than enough comfort.