A Billionaire In Disguise

Chapter 99

For a long time Catherine laid wide awake with her eyes closed.

The event from yesterday night kept troubling her mind and each time she gazed at Rome, she was

amazed and baffled at how he could sleep so soundly.

After staring at him for a while, she sat up, rested her feet on the tiles, and buried her face in her palms.

“Can't sleep?” Rome asked as he raised his lashes and gazed at her.

Shocked by the sound of his voice, Catherine looked back. Then she tried to smile, but her lips rebelled

against her, and she was left with a stiff expression.

“I don't know…” Catherine muttered, pausing as she tried to figure out how she felt at that moment and

how to express it.

“Don't know what?” Rome calmly asked as he sat up.

Then he yawned, and at that exact moment, there was a knock on the door.

Seeing that Catherine was hesitant, Rome got off the bed, and headed to the door.

After opening it, he gazed at the maid and asked, “What is it?”

A minute went by in silence. Then she said, “Mr. Barlow is requesting you and Miss Catherine's

presence in the living room.”

“Tell him we will be down soon.”

“Okay,”

When the maid walked away from the door, Rome closed it and gazed at Catherine.

Then she suddenly stared back at him, softly smiled, and mumbled, “It's time to face the music.”

A few minutes later, Catherine and Rome came downstairs, and the instant they entered the living

room, a frown immediately crossed her face.

“What is she doing here!” Catherine coldly uttered as she glared at Estelle.

Trying not to lose his grip on his anger, Mr. Barlow took a deep breath, and said, “I was infuriated last

night, so I pleaded to Estelle for us to do this this morning because I want to be of sound mind to make

my judgment.”

Then he glared at Catherine and said, “So, I'm going to ask you this once. Did you slap lady Estelle?”

Without taking her icy gaze off Estelle, Catherine boldly replied, “I did.”

Even though she was trying to keep it together, the smirk on Estelle’s face was making it harder for her

to do so.

“Catherine, this is not like you!” Edward said, shocked by his daughter's response.

“Right. What has gotten into you?” Catherine's mother asked with a frown.

Swaying her attention away from Estelle, Catherine stared at her parents, and straightforwardly

inquired, “Did you ask her why I slapped her?”

The response she gave sent Madam Rosey’s anger off the charts and she shouted, “Whatever stupid

reason is there, you shouldn't have laid a hand on such an important guest!”

“Then she should have kept her hands off my husband, and maybe, I would have kept my hands to

myself.” Catherine blurted out in a fit of rage, and even though she didn't mean to say it out loud, she

wasn't planning on taking those words back.

“It's about your worthless husband again! Child, do you not know that some things are not worth

fighting for, especially a thing that is of no value!”

“Grandma,”

With a touch of hurt in her eyes, Catherine scowled at Madam Rosey.

Then she stared at Rome to see if he was affected by her grandmother’s remark, but his face bore no

expression, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking or how he felt.

Taking in another deep breath, Mr. Barlow frowned and firmly said, “Apologize to Estelle for your

assault on her.”

“What!” Catherine shouted in anger.

“You should be happy that Estelle is generous, and she's not going to keep last night's event at heart if Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

you apologize.”

“What?”

With his eyes fixed on Rome, Charles scowled and mockingly intoned, “And her husband can also

plead for my forgiveness, and I might reconsider not locking him up for what he did to me last night.”

“That's not going to happen.” Rome casually said.

Filled with hate, Charles was about to speak ill of Rome when Catherine interrupted him and said,

“Yeah, I'm not apologizing to her either. She got what she deserved, and I don't feel remorseful for what

I did.”

Both of their replies left Mr. Barlow, Estelle, Charles, Madam Rosey, Edward, and his wife stunned and

speechless.

It became quiet for a while since everyone in the room maintained their silence.

“I really didn't want to do this, but you have forced my hands!” Mr. Barlow uttered with anger burning in

his eyes.

Knowing that his daughter had pushed her luck too far, Edward sighed out his frustration, fearing the

words that his father was about to say next.

“Choose this family by apologizing to Estelle or rebel along with your husband and bear the

consequences.” Mr Barlow said with no patience in his tone.

“That's not fair.” Catherine calmly intoned, striving to suppress her anger.

“Catherine, this is the last time I'm going to say this! It's either Rome or this family, choose!”

“I did nothing wrong.”

Shutting his eyes for a moment, Mr. Barlow deeply inhaled. Then he stood to his feet and said,

“Catherine’s name has been removed from the inheritance list!”

“Grandfather!” Catherine harshly uttered, lowering her brows.

“Your name will be placed back after your divorce with Rome is legal. Till you can leave him, your name

stays off the list. My words are final!”

“What!”

Seeing that Mr. Barlow was serious, Rome was ready to blurt out his identity and forget about

everything else.

But then Catherine shouted, “Does my hard work not count anymore. Why does my position as the

family top inheritor have to be secure by a man! If that's the case, I don't want it!”

Not wanting to let them see her tears, Catherine turned around and ran out of the living room.

‘I can't believe that she gave it all up for a loser. What a fool!’ Charles thought with a slight smirk on his

lips.

Staring at her husband, Catherine’s mother sadly shook her head and said, “I knew her marrying Rome

was a mistake from the very beginning.”

“This can't be happening.” Edward mumbled, feeling a tightness in his chest.

With his gaze fixed on Rome, Mr. Barlow stood from his seat and walked over to him.

Then he stopped and said, “This is all your fault.”

“We both know that's not true.” Rome uttered, keeping his cold gaze on Mr. Barlow's eyes.

Then he turned away from him and headed out of the living room.

When Rome got to their bedroom door, he turned the knob and realized that the door was locked.

“I want to be alone, please.” Catherine said from under the comforter.

“Okay, I'm not going to force you to talk. But can you open the door so I can get my phone and

wallets?” Rome calmly intoned.

There was a long pause. Then he heard the knob turn, and the door opened a few seconds later.

Staring at Rome, Catherine pouted, took his hand and placed his phone and wallet on his palm before

saying, “Here you go.”

“Are you sure you don't want to cuddle and talk about this, or we can go out to ‘Sweets and pie’ and eat

what we want?” Rome softly asked without taking his eyes off her.

After staring at him for a while, Catherine sniffed before closing the door slowly in his face.

Then she leaned against its wooden surface, wept her tears, and said, “Babe,”

“Yes,” Rome mumbled, resting his palm flat on the door.

“You know I love you right.”

“Mm, I know.”

“That's not going to change. I just want to be alone right now.”

“I understand.”

For a while, Rome stood at the door, wondering about his next move.

Then a thought crossed his mind, and he turned away from the door and headed down the hallway.