Whisper Destiny

Chapter 48

~ Catherine ~

When I arrived at the office this morning, Astrid greeted me with her usual bright smile. "Good morning, Cate."

"Morning, Astrid," I replied. I walked straight to my office, the echo of my footsteps filling the quiet corridor.

Once inside, I rummaged through my bag and pulled out two neatly packed containers. I handed one to Astrid. "Please have someone send this to Natasha," I said.

Astrid nodded at the request, she already knows the drill by now. "And this one is for you," I added, handing her the second container.

"Wow, thank you, Cate," she said, pleasantly surprised. I managed a small smile. I didn't have much of an appetite this morning—my stomach was a knot of unease—so I figured it was better to give the food to someone who might appreciate it.

As expected, Natasha had been avoiding me. She hadn't come home until late afternoon on Sunday, and for the past few days, she'd left for the office without having breakfast. It felt like we were back to square one, caught in an exhausting cycle of avoidance and unspoken words. I reminded myself that this was what our relationship was supposed to be. This was the agreement we made when we seal the deal, and I had promised to respect her wishes. But I couldn't deny that, deep down, I missed her presence, even if it was just the quiet comfort of her sitting across the kitchen table in the morning, sharing the silence with me.

"What's on my schedule today?" I asked, trying to shake off the weight of my thoughts. Usually, I would have glanced through my agenda during breakfast, but today, my mind was somewhere else.

Astrid, who had been momentarily distracted by the breakfast I'd given her, quickly regained her professional composure. She glanced at her tablet, her fingers dancing across the screen as she pulled up my itinerary.

"You're free until 10," she began. "Then you have a meeting with the Creative team and Louisa to finalize the proposal for the protégé program. In the afternoon, there's a one-hour meeting with the Finance team to finalize the budget for our upcoming fashion show. And lastly, at three, you have a meeting with Natasha and team about the grand opening plan for Franc D'Larc."

The mention of her name caught my attention, stirring a flicker of curiosity and anticipation within me. "Is it a physical or virtual meeting?" I asked, trying to sound casual, though the question carried an undercurrent of eagerness.

"It's a physical meeting at Grayson Industries," Astrid informed me. "Louisa mentioned that it's better for the meeting to be in person since there are a lot of items that require your approval before they can proceed with the next plan. It will be more productive that way. I've already informed the Finance team to ensure your meeting concludes on time." I nodded, agreed with the arrangement.

"Okay, thanks, Astrid," I replied, appreciating her diligence.

"Oh, Cate, could you please confirm whether you'll be attending the Cannes Film Festival next week alone or with Natasha?" Astrid's voice held a note of urgency that cut through the late afternoon calm. "The organizers keep hounding me for an answer. I'm certain they're eager to leverage both your and Natasha's popularity to ramp up their promotion."

I had almost forgotten about this invitation. Iris Knobloch, the director, had personally invited me to the event since I'm designing the dress for a few big names for the event. I had confirmed my attendance previously. But, I believe they just would like me to come with my wife. As mentioned by Astrid, it will boost the popularity.

"I'll confirm with Natasha today and let you know. Anything else?" I asked Astrid while starting to focus on the task at hand.

"Yes..." Astrid said, trailing off. I glanced up just to meet her teasing smile, my eyebrow raising in silent inquiry.