Chapter 12


    The evening at the Barlow mansion was calm, but there was so much tension around the table as the


    family sat down for dinner.


    “Grandpa,” Catherine said, barely able to contain her excitement.


    “What is so important that you can''t wait for dinner to be over? Can''t you see that father is eating?”


    Dana, Chloe''s mother said, ring at Catherine.


    Gazing at Dana and her daughter, Rome faintly smiled when he saw the rage in their expression.


    It was clear to him that Mr. Jeffrey had turned Chloe down and given the contract back to his wife.


    “I just wanted to tell grandfather that Mr. Jeffrey came to my office today, and we signed the contract for


    the five million dors projects,” Catherine mumbled, sighing softly.


    The fork fell from Mr. Barlow''s hand and he gazed at his granddaughter, smiling with his eyes.


    “But how? He sounded so mad yesterday when he called me.” Mr. Barlow mumbled.


    “I guess it''s because I have been calling him all morning and when he finally answered my call, he


    offered to bring the papers over to my office so we could sign it,” Catherine said, beaming at her


    grandfather.


    “Good for you! That''s amazing. My granddaughter is truly hardworking.”


    “Thanks, grandpa.”


    Suddenly, Madam Rosey stared away from her te, focused on Catherine, and said, “I''m proud of


    you.”


    Everyone other than Rome, Catherine, Mr. Balow, and Madam Rosey were deeply unhappy about the


    news, and even though they tried to hide the fact that they were, none of them could bring themselves


    to smile.


    “My wife is amazing,” Rome mumbled, smiling brightly at Catherine, and she couldn''t help but blush as


    she gazed into his eyes.


    Silence settled in the room for a moment, then Chloe banged her spoon on the table and said, “Cousin,


    are you sure that you didn''t use some dirty trick to change Mr. Jeffrey’s mind?”


    “What are you saying?” Catherine asked, giving her cousin a cold stare.


    “How can a man change his mind in a split second just because a woman called him countless times?”


    “What are you getting at?”


    It got quiet, and Chloe noticed everyone''s gaze on her. Then she saw her mother slightly shaking her


    head.


    “ndering your cousin''s name! Are you trying to bring shame to this family!” Mr. Barlow shouted,


    banging his hand on the table.


    “Father, please forgive her. She''s just a child.” Elijah said, eyeing his daughter from across the table.


    “She''s your child, so teach her some manners!”


    “I will, father!”


    The look of disappointment she got from her parents caused Chloe to burn with rage.


    Then she suddenly burst into tears and said, “When I called to schedule a meeting with Mr. Jeffrey, he


    said Catherine already asked him to a bar for them to discuss the contract. That''s why I assumed such


    a thing!”


    Hearing those words caused Rome''s heart to pump with rage as he watched Chloe cry her eyes out.


    Then he softly sighed to relieve himself of the tension he felt.


    “Catherine, is that true?” Madam Rosey asked, frowning at her granddaughter.


    “What? No! I didn''t meet Mr. Jeffrey at a bar. He came to my office, and all we did was sign the contract


    then he left.”


    “Your cousin won''t be this upset if it wasn''t true.”


    The words in Catherine''s head seemed to have deserted her as she stared at her uncles and their


    wife''s judgmental faces.


    Then she became speechless when she noticed her grandmother scowling at her and her grandfather


    didn''t utter a word.


    “My wife is not that kind of woman!” Rome said, unable to contain his anger any longer.


    “Then why did Mr. Jeffrey gave her the contract the next day after he denied her the project because of


    her negligence,” Chloe shouted, sobbing loudly.


    Suddenly, ke walked into the dining room, then his eyes focused on Rome for a second before his


    gaze rested on Chloe''s shocked expression, and she then suddenly stopped sobbing.


    “I visited Mr. Jeffrey this morning and told him the truth. That''s why he gave Lady Catherine the


    contract back.” ke said.


    “What are you talking about?” Catherine asked with a look of confusion on her face.


    “I gave you the wrong address on purpose. It was because Miss Chloe asked me to.”


    “What?”


    Noise arose around the table, and it took a while for everyone to settle down.


    “How dare you throw usations at my daughter!” Elijah yelled, standing from his chair in a fate of


    rage.


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    “Why can''t he if it''s the truth! You and your daughter can nder my child''s name, but she can''t be


    used of something she did!” Catherine''s father shouted, tightening his fists.


    It grew noise again with arguments between Dana and Catherine''s mother and Elijah and Catherine''s


    father.


    However, Andrew and William keep their silence along with their family.


    Finally, Mr. Barlow banged his hands on the table and it grew quiet.


    “Young man, what proof do you have concerning your usation?” He asked, coldly staring at ke.


    “I record all my calls,” ke said, taking his phone out of his pocket.


    Fear took over Chloe''s expression as she stared at her grandfather and softly cried, “Grandpa.”


    But Mr. Barlow ignored her, stared at ke, and said, “y the recording, young man.”


    With trembling hands, ke hit y, and it grew awfully silent as everyone listened attentively.


    After a few minutes, the recording came to an end and the silence dragged on for a while.


    Then Mr. Barlow stared at ke and said, “Bring me the phone.”


    In hesitation, ke gazed at Rome, and when he slightly nodded, ke approached Mr. Barlow and


    handed the phone over to him. Then he watched as he dropped the phone in the wine ss.


    “The truth is out, so you don''t need this. Also, starting from tomorrow, you don''t work for thepany.


    You can stop by to get your sry and the money for Your phone. Now get out!” Mr. Barlow coldly said.


    A look of confusion crossed ke''s face as he stared at Rome, then at Catherine before he lefted the


    dining room.


    “Grandpa, I only did that because you gave the project to Catherine and not me! I am always the one


    cleaning up her mess and yet you give her such a good opportunity.” Chloe said, tearing up again.


    “Who knows if you are the reason that I keep on messing up,” Catherine mumbled beneath her breath.


    Those words caused anothermotion to stir up again.


    “Do not put your past failure on my daughter just because she made this one bad decision,” Dana said,


    scowling at Catherine.


    “If she''s capable of making this bad decision, then she is also capable ofmitting past ones.”


    Catherine''s mothershed out.


    Within a matter of second, another argument aroused, and the dining room became extremely noisy


    with everyone throwing their opinions across the table.


    The argumentsted for a while, then Mr. Barlow banged the table twice before it could be quiet


    again.


    Then he gazed at everyone''s faces and said, “Chloe, even if you were mad, sabotaging your cousin''s


    work is very wrong, and your behavior will not go unpunished.


    ‘Punish? I have never been punished by my grandfather before.’ Chloe thought, ring at Catherine.


    “You areid off from work for two months and doing that time, you wouldn''t get paid. Also, your ck


    card will be confiscated.”


    “What, grandfather? Please, no. I''m sorry!”


    “My word is final!”


    No one spoke at the table afterward, but the tension was still in the atmosphere.


    After dinner was over, Rome left the dining room and headed upstairs, leaving Catherine and her family


    downstairs.


    Once he was in their bedroom, he shut the door behind him and made a call.


    “Young master, ke''s mother''s hospital bill has been paid for and she will be prep for surgery


    tomorrow.” Mr. Ondo''s voice flowed out of the phone speakers.


    “Good,” Rome said.


    The moment he ended the call, Catherine walked into the room, and when her eyes met with his, she


    smiled.


    Without taking his sight of her, Rome reached into his pocket and pulled out a chain with a tiny heart


    locket.


    “What''s that?” Catherine mumbled, beaming at him.


    “I got my first payment today from my part-time job, and I thought to get you something,” Rome said,


    holding her hand and putting the ne onto her palm.


    Her eyes lit up as she stared at it and said, “I love it. How much did it cost you?”


    “Two hundred thousand dors,” Rome mumbled, knowing that she wasn''t going to believe him even


    though it was the truth and the little stones in the heart locket were actual diamonds.


    With a look of disbelief on Catherine''s face, she stared at him, he softly chuckled and said, “I am just


    kidding. It was twenty bucks. You don''t mind that it''s not expensive?”


    “Not at all. It''s the thought that counts.” Catherine said, giving Rome a peck kiss on his cheek.


    Then she turned around, and he helped her to put the ne around her neck.


    ‘Don’t worry. I will definitely make all of them pay for their sins.’ Rome thought when Catherine faced


    him, and he gazed at the locket resting on her chest.