A Billionaire In Disguise novel Chapter 85

The room was silent as Catherine laid on the bed, scrolling through her news feed. But then she raised her head and stared at the door.

“You are back,” Catherine mumbled, dropping her phone on the sheet as she stared at Rome.

Then her brows lowered when her gaze rested on his mouth and the deep cut on his lip.

“What happened?” Catherine whispered, stepping down from the bed.

Not knowing what to say, Rome watched her approach him. Then he smiled, but her expression remained cold.

“Why is your lip this bruised?” Catherine asked, sounding concerned.

It took Rome a moment for him to pick a random thought from his head and then said, “I got punched by a workmate.”

“What?”

“You know how us men are.”

“No, I don't know because I'm not a man, so why is your workmate hitting you?”

Silence fell between them, and when Rome didn't answer after a couple of seconds had gone by, Catherine took in a deep breath and mumbled, “Are you getting bullied at work?”

“No,” Rome said without looking at her.

“You are lying. You can't even stare me in the eyes and answer.”

“It's not like that. Plus, It is nothing that I can't handle.”

“Like the way you handle things my family does to you! It's not okay that you let people walk all over you!”

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Rome mumbled, “Catherine,”

“I'm sorry. I don't like seeing you get hurt, emotionally or physically!” Catherine lashed out, aggressively wiping her face while sniffing aggressively.

Smiling softly, Rome held her hand, pulled her against his chest, and embraced her.

Then he leaned towards her ear and whispered, “I know.”

After holding her in his arms for a while, he mumbled, “It's almost eight. Are we still going to the party?”

“If we don't, we will know no peace tomorrow,” Catherine said.

“True.”

“We should get ready.”

By eight o'clock, Rome came downstairs with Catherine holding onto his arm.

When both of them were walking past the dining room, Madam Rosey called out, “Are you two just gonna leave without telling anyone?”

Stopping in their tracks, Rome and Catherine stared at the living room entrance. Then they both took in a deep breath almost at the same time before entering the living room.

“Who messed your face up?” Jeff mockingly said the moment his eyes caught a glimpse of the cut on Rome's lip.

“It's none of your business.” Catherine angrily uttered as she glared at her cousin.

Then she gazed back at her grandmother, and Madam Rosey frowned, then said, “Is it also none of my business because I have the same question.”

“I got punched in the face by a colleague,” Rome said, cutting Catherine off as she was about to speak.

Anger spiked in Mr. Barlow's eyes when he looked at his granddaughter and asked, “And you love him because?”

“The party will soon start. Rome and I should get going.” Catherine calmly said.

Then she and Rome turned to leave, but he stopped, realizing that he almost bumped into Elijah.

For a moment, both men stared at each other for a while, and Rome was becoming unsure that Mr. Davis didn't double-cross him.

But then Elijah said nothing to him as he walked past him and headed for the couch.

‘I guess he is planning on keeping his word.’ Rome thought as he followed Catherine out of the living room.

At nine o'clock, they walked into the ballroom of the Grand hotel, and Catherine immediately became uncomfortable, realizing that everyone at the party was nothing but strangers to her.

“Should we get out of here?” Catherine asked as she looked up at Rome.

“But the party is just starting,” Zayn said as he approached her and Rome.

When he was just an inch away from her, he extended his hand towards Catherine.

But she blankly stared at him without making any movement.

“It's lovely that you grace me with your presence,” Zayn said with a half-smile as he drew his hand to his side.

Then he stared at Rome and rudely said, “I don't remember sending you an invitation!”

The raise in his voice made others to turned their heads in their direction and stared at them.

“I don't need one, especially since my wife got invited.” Rome calmly uttered even though he was enraged by the mere sight of Zayn.

“Well, that's because I wanted your wife here and not you!” Zayn firmly said.

“Do you know how stupid you sound!”

“What?”

“I'm not a fan of explaining myself to idiots.”

Swaying his attention off Zayn's angry expression, Rome stared at Catherine and said, “Do you want to get out of here?”

“Yes,” Catherine excitedly uttered.

Then she and Rome turned to leave, but Zayn grabbed onto her arm and said, “Your grandfather promised me that you were going to show up.”

Pressing her lips, Catherine deeply inhaled to calm herself down. Then she turned around, yanked her arm out of his grip as she frowned at him, and said, “I showed up, didn't I?”

“But…” Zayn mumbled in disbelief.

“Now, I'm leaving because I have done what my grandfather wanted, and that was for me to show up.”

“You can't leave now.”

For a moment, Rome's expression bored anger. Then he faintly smiled as he watched Albert walk up to them.

When their eyes locked, Albert cleared his throat as Rome's words crossed his mind, "Remember my name and identity the next time we meet. If you forget, I will have to remind you, and I won't be this calm then."

A feeling of panic coursed through Albert as he thought, ‘So this is what he meant. He wants me to act now or he will take action against me later.’

Then he gazed at his son and lashed out, “What do you think you are doing?”

“Father,” Zayn mumbled as he stared wide-eyed at Albert.

It shocked him to see anger in his father's eyes when he gazed at him since Albert seemed to have interest him and Catherine getting together.

“If Mrs. Miller wants to leave the party with her husband, I don't see anything wrong with that. He's her husband, after all.” Albert said as he avoided looking at Rome.

Feeling angry that his father was embarrassing him in front of all of his guests, Zayn scowled and coldly said, “Her husband? That loser is nowhere near worthy to represent Catherine as her husband!”

Without holding back, Albert viciously slapped his son before getting a grip of his anger.

“You hit me because I spoke the truth! What is wrong with you!” Zayn shouted, feeling more enraged, than embarrassed.

“You don't know how much garbage you are spitting out right now!” Albert said as his hand trembled from guilt because it was the first time he had hit his son.

“Garbage! What has come over you!”

“You better shut up before I make my lawyers rewrite my will without mentioning you in it!”

Even though his anger was off the charts, Zayn sealed his lips and walked away.

After gazing behind his son for a while, Albert faintly smiled at Rome, then at Catherine, and said, “I'm sorry about my son's behavior. I can promise you that tonight is going to be the last time he's going to talk to you.”

“That's good because my wife is not fond of your son, and I appreciate the fact that you are going to keep him away from her.” Rome calmly uttered, gazing directly at Albert's eyes.

Then he held Catherine by her waist and escorted her out of the hall.

When she and Rome arrived in the parking lot, Catherine stared at him and said, “I'm amazed at how Mr. Dank stood up to his son. He's a good man and father.”

“Sure, he is,” Rome mumbled as he opened the car door for her.