Whisper Destiny

Chapter 37

~ Natasha ~

Catherine still hadn't appeared by the time we needed to leave for the meeting, so Louisa offered to accompany me instead. When we arrived, Gabriel greeted me with his usual friendly smile. I knew he had a thing for me, but understanding that I was Catherine's wife, he never made any advances beyond friendship, which I appreciated. I had no intention of creating unnecessary drama. If I were to have a relationship, it would be outside our working circle.

Yesterday, when I sent a message to Catherine, it was partly to gauge her reaction. As expected, I received no emotional response from her. So far, she had remained true to her word, maintaining her promised to our arrangement.

"Mrs. Ortiz will be a little late today. Something urgent came up at Headquarters that she needs to attend to," Mr. Harrison announced, his voice carrying the news with practiced calm. Archer's absence confirmed they were together. A subtle ache stirred deep within me, though I couldn't quite identify its source.

"Mr. Antoine, we can proceed with the meeting while we wait for Catherine to join us, can't we?" I suggested to the boardroom, my voice steady. It was only then that I noticed, with Catherine absent, I was the only woman in the room.

"Oui, of course. Catherine once said Mrs. Grayson's word is as good as hers. Let's begin the meeting. I believe Mrs. Ortiz truly needs to handle something critical; everyone knows she's never late without good reason," Mr. Antoine responded, which make me surprised with his remarks, did Catherine ever said that?

We delved into the agenda, the conversation flowing smoothly despite the missing piece. Yet, the weight of Catherine's absence lingered. I found myself frequently glancing at the door, anticipating her arrival. Her presence was a grounding force in these high-stakes discussions, and maybe, just maybe, I still felt a little bad for slapping her last night.

Midway through the meeting, there was a knock on the door, and Archer slipped in, followed by Catherine. Our eyes met briefly before she went straight to her seat. Archer, ever the gentleman, pulled the chair out for her, and I heard her murmur a quiet "thank you." His smile widened in response, and I tried not to roll my eyes. I couldn't help but feel a pang of something as I watched the brief interaction between her and Archer.

"I apologize for my tardiness," Catherine said, addressing the room with her usual professional and calm demeanor. "There is an urgent matter required my attention. It's good that all of you started without me; I don't want to take up more of your precious time than necessary."

"Glad you could join us, Mrs. Ortiz" Mr. Antoine said with a nod, seamlessly resuming the discussion.

Catherine's focus remained solely on the discussion throughout the meeting, never once glancing in my direction. As I observed her cheek, there was no sign of swelling, possibly concealed by makeup.

The meeting went smoothly and concluded earlier than planned. We managed to sort out all the important items regarding the acquisition, it's a win-win solution for both of us, and Franc D'Larc was now officially ours. Satisfaction and contentment filled me as I looked around at the faces of our team members, each reflecting the same sense of accomplishment. Our hard work had paid off, and I felt a surge of pride and regained self-confidence after what felt like an eternity in a cocoon.

Catherine and I signed the agreement of transfer of ownership alongside Antoine. The official announcement and re-grand opening would come later, but for now, we basked in our success.

"It's been really great working with you two," Mr. Antoine said, shaking both Catherine's and my hand.

"The pleasure is ours, Mr. Antoine. Ne soyez pas un étranger," Catherine replied with a warm smile. With that, we wrapped up for the day.