A Billionaire In Disguise novel Chapter 161

The instant Catherine saw Chloe walking into her office, she looked her dead in the eyes and raised her chin as her expression grew cold.

"Dear cousin, if a stranger was in this room with us, they might mistake us to be enemies because of the way you are looking at me right now," Chloe said, taking a seat on the chair with a soft smile on her lips.

"Why are you here?" Catherine coldly asked without losing her icy expression.

"So you are just going to make me go straight to the point?"

"Yes. Now, what's your reason for being here?"

Even though she tried to keep up the act, there was tension in Chloe's grin, and slowly her smile began to fade until her face became darker.

"Well, after finding out that your husband almost killed Earl and beat him into a coma, I felt the need to stop by and check up on you to see how you are doing." Chloe said, striving to continue playing the caring cousin card.

"Thank you for your concern, but you are not someone I feel comfortable discussing my feelings or talking about my husband with. So I will like you to kindly take your leave if that's all you came here for." Catherine casually uttered with a deadpan expression.

"Cousin, I jus…"

"Chloe, I'm a very busy woman, and gossiping with you about my life isn't something I have the tiniest bit of interest in or time to do!"

Staring directly at her cousin, Catherine kept her eyes cold, and her brows pulled together in a frown as her chest raised.

'What's with this new dominant presence she has? In the past, she didn't have the guts to dare look me in my eyes, but now, I feel like I'm the one in the submissive position.' Chloe thought in annoyance.

"Can you leave, like now?!" Catherine asked, losing her patience slowly.

Those words snapped Chloe out of her thoughts, and she raised her lashes, gazed at Catherine, and said, "Let's have dinner after you are done with work."

"Chloe, I'm serious about being busy, and I don't have the time for whatever you are up to this time." Catherine firmly uttered.

"And I'm genuine about having dinner with you. As a family, we shouldn't be holding grudges against each other for too long."

"No!! I don't want to play in your little games!"

"Except you are willing to call security on me and make them drag me out of here, I am not leaving and will wait until you get off work so we can eat dinner together."

Frowning, Catherine relaxed back against her seat, crossed her arms, and firmly intoned, "Do you really think that I'm not capable of doing that to you!"

The conference room grew silent the instant its door opened, and Rome walked in with his secretary.

No one spoke as they all watched him walk to the head of the table and take his seat, and even after that, nobody uttered a word.

"I got informed that I was meeting people who have grievances to share with me, so why does this room feel like a graveyard?" Rome calmly uttered, staring intensely at those around the oval table.

The conference room continued to be quiet for a while, and Rome was slowly losing the patience he was working so hard to keep.

"The last time we met, you turned down my compliment and said that it will make more sense and be meaningful after you have proven yourself worthy. Also, that I should save the praises for when such a day comes," Clarence finally said, holding back the rest of his statement.

For a moment, he watched Rome slowly tap his fingertips on the desk with his eyes fixed solely on him.

Then Clarence slightly clenched his fist before saying, "Permission to speak freely without any consequences."

"No," Rome firmly said.

"What!"

"You should know that's a stupid request to make. It's like saying 'No offense,' and then you proceed to say something offensive. I refuse to give up the right to set a person straight if I get disrespected by them. So you either speak or shut up."