CRASH! Papers were scattered all over the floor, and Arsila screamed angrily, her hands pulling at her messy hair. Her encounter with Catherine at the charity event a few hours ago had shattered her composure.
Catherine had entrapped Arsila by handing her a photo of the affair between herself and Keenan from a year ago.
Arsila laughed sardonically. "No, I can just tell everyone that the photo was doctored by someone untrustworthy!"
The woman grabbed her phone and called her assistant. "Sam, invite Catherine and her agency for dinner next week. Tell them that the company's stock is gradually rising thanks to Catherine's influence."
After that, Arsila tidied up and left her office. She picked up her car keys, but before she could go, Biana approached her.
"Catherine Chandra is the talk of the town," Biana said, stopping Arsila in her tracks. "You were very reckless in hiring that woman as the company's model."
Arsila took a deep breath, then turned to her mother-in-law. "I've calculated everything I'm going to do, and I assure you that woman will always be under my heel."
Biana clicked her tongue sarcastically. "Under your heel? Why are you so confident?" Biana threw a piece of paper at her daughter-in-law.
"Read it, and you'll understand why you're so reckless and arrogant!"
Arsila froze, reading every word on the paper. "Daughter of the Chandra family, owners of the largest fashion and jewelry business in New York," she muttered.
Arsila's body trembled. The truth about Catherine and her actual identity sent shivers down her spine.
"She's the daughter of a powerful family, her father just launched a new business and is preparing for a major acquisition in France and New York. You know, a hundred times your wealth wouldn't even come close to matching the Chandra family's influence," Biana said.
Arsila's head throbbed, and this revelation made her quite anxious. The photo of her past affair that Catherine had and the real identity of the woman had made Arsila lose her confidence.
"Mother, I don't care about her at all. I'm still Arsila Gistara; I'm also great and wealthy. I'm the wife of Keenan Hart, a highly respected man in this country. So, Catherine doesn't scare me!" Arsila said arrogantly.
Biana nodded, approaching her daughter-in-law and lightly tapping her shoulder. "Stay arrogant, maintain your business, and keep your marriage intact."
Arsila frowned. "What do you mean, Mother?"
"Just so you know, if I had known from the beginning that Catherine was a powerful and wealthy daughter... I would never have allowed my son to have sex with you a year ago," Biana said, striking at Arsila's pride.
"After thinking about it, you're just like a prostitute who sold herself for a man. So now you have to keep our family happy and don't disappoint us; please keep your wealth so we won't have to discard you."
Arsila growled, and she yanked Biana's hand roughly. "Who do you think you are, Mother? I was willing to be your son's mistress because I felt sorry for you! Wasn't it a year ago that your company was on the brink of bankruptcy?!"
Biana was about to yell at her daughter-in-law for her words.
"Isn't that true? You were nearly bankrupt, so you let Keenan have an affair with me. You asked for my money, and I saved your company."
Arsila whispered sarcastically, "You should be careful, Mother. I can leave you at any time, and Catherine may not even want to come back to Keenan. You can become destitute at any time because I'm the one holding the reins over you."
"ARSILA, WATCH YOUR TONE—"
"Oh, and by the way, I also know all your husband's dirty secrets; how he loves having affairs and sleeping with multiple women at once."
CRASH! Arsila pulled at the hem of Biana's nightgown until it tore. "Even this expensive nightgown you're wearing, I bought it with my money. So be careful because I won't stand idly by if you try to separate me from Keenan."
***
Catherine closed her eyes as Dhira gently massaged her shoulders and soaked her feet in a large bowl filled with hot water, aromatherapy, and rose petals.
"You look tired," a deep baritone voice startled both friends.
"Dad?!" exclaimed Catherine, while Dhira instinctively stepped back and bowed in greeting.
Noel Chandra, Catherine's father, patted his daughter's head and gave a quick kiss on top of her head.
"Surprised? It's like you haven't seen your father in ages, but we only haven't met for a few months," Noel said.
Catherine nearly cried but then moved to sit beside him. "Dad, why didn't you tell me you were coming home today?"
"To surprise you. I wanted to see my daughter, whose face is now being talked about all over the country." Noel smiled proudly. "I almost cried seeing you featured in various media outlets...."
"It felt like I was seeing my little girl whose name shined years ago. I'm proud of you, Catherine," Noel said.
Catherine, Dhira, and Keira, who were in the room, couldn't hide their emotions. Catherine had truly regained her former self.
"Dad, I just need your support because you always know I have a purpose in everything I do," Catherine replied.
Noel nodded. "Ah, after some thought, there's something I want to discuss with you. It's about the company—"
"Papa, Catherine just recovered, and she's only recently started meeting people. You're already talking about the company?" Keira interrupted.
"Mom, let Dad talk. It's been a while since I got involved with your business matters. I also want to learn," Catherine said.
Keira reluctantly let Noel continue.
"So, I recently built a business relationship with a jewelry entrepreneur in Les Halles. They're also planning to open a branch in New York, and I'm willing to provide capital for them, but with the condition of an acquisition," Noel said.
"An acquisition? Isn't the process quite lengthy, Dad?"
"Yes, and I want you to be the chairman. I want my beautiful daughter to be just as great as her parents. Your face is already recognized by many as bearing the Chandra name, but they don't know that your name isn't just any name," Noel said enthusiastically.
Catherine sighed, glancing briefly at Dhira. "Dad, I'm ready to do whatever it takes, but... can you trust me with everything? You always know that I can handle anything as long as I have control over it."
Noel and Keira both nodded. "Your mother has told me everything about your plans, and I think you need a lot of connections to take down your enemies."
Catherine wasn't sure if she was ready for all the consequences, but she couldn't pass up her parents' offer. She also had a friend like Dhira, who always supported her, and Svarga, who was ready to mediate all her activities.
"Dad, you forgot one thing...." Keira reminded him, then whispered something to her husband. Noel nodded, holding Catherine's hand and patting it gently.
"There's one crucial thing you need to know, and this could impact your future success," Noel said.
Catherine adjusted her posture, facing her father. "What is it?"
"You're working with Svarga, right?"
"Yes, I'm still a model in his company, and I'll be the brand ambassador for Gistara's skincare brand for the next three months."
"Good, just recently, Svarga and I discussed many things, and we agreed to create a significant collaboration by merging our company's branches into a new business division."
"Really? How's that going to work?"
Noel handed Catherine a red velvet box, and simultaneously, a text message from a man surprised her.