The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 980

She took a shaky breath, her voice thick with emotion. "Then what do you want?"

"I don't care. I'm just not accepting this breakup."

"You just want to keep dating like this? But I'm out of time..."

"Out of time?" Naylor was completely thrown. "What do you mean you're out of time? You're young. Are you sick?"

"No."

His mind quickly connected the dots, and his tone dropped, heavy with dread. "Did your mother's condition take a turn?"

Katrina remained silent.

"But what does her cancer have to do with us breaking up? Did she forbid you from seeing me? Is she forcing you to end this?" Naylor demanded, genuinely shocked.

He sounded utterly baffled. "But why? When I visited her at the hospital, she treated me like gold. She told me how lucky you were to find a guy like me. She knows my parents pulled strings to get her the best oncology specialists..."

Katrina cut him off gently. "Yes, she's incredibly grateful to you and your family. But she heard rumors... she found out about your reputation and your long list of exes. She thinks you're just... playing with me."

Katrina had tried explaining to her mother that they were just enjoying the moment and not worrying about the future.

Her mother had exploded, scolding her for being foolish, reckless, and throwing her life away.

*"He's rich and powerful. He can string women along until he's fifty, and the second he wants to settle down, twenty-year-old girls will still line up for him! But what about you? You're wasting the best years of your life on a man who will toss you aside the moment he's bored. When that happens, good luck finding a decent, reliable husband!"*

—That had been her mother's exact rant.

But Katrina couldn't bring herself to repeat those brutal words to him.

She hesitated, searching for a softer way to phrase it. "You know my family history. My dad's infidelity destroyed my mother. So when she heard about your past, it triggered a massive trauma response."

Her mother's ultimatum was clear: she would rather Katrina be branded ungrateful than watch her daughter walk into the same trap. The fling with Naylor had to end immediately so she could secure a respectable marriage.

Naylor understood perfectly. He cursed viciously under his breath.

Katrina was nearing her mother's room. She quietly said goodbye and hung up.

By the time she walked back into the room, she had composed herself, forcing a bright smile onto her face. "Mom, the doctor said you're looking a bit better today. Maybe the new meds are finally helping. Are you hungry? Tell me what you want, and I'll make it for you."

"I don't have an appetite," Katrina's mom rasped, weakly waving her hand.

Katrina immediately knew her mother wanted to talk. She pulled a chair up to the bed. "What's wrong, Mom?"

Katrina's mom reached out with a trembling hand to grasp her daughter's. "It's good you're here. Do you remember my old friend, Mrs. Sterling? She just flew back from Australia. She's coming to the hospital to see me today, and her son flew back with her. You should remember Julian Sterling. He's tall, incredibly handsome. You two used to play together all the time before they moved to Sydney."

Katrina instantly saw the trap snapping shut around her. "You want me to go on a blind date with Julian Sterling?"

"Yes." Her mother didn't even try to sugarcoat it. "I've known Mrs. Sterling for decades. Even with an ocean between us, we've stayed close. We know everything about each other's families. She's always adored you. We both think this is a wonderful idea. When you meet him today, just see if there's a spark. Just give him a chance."

Katrina remained silent. It all made horrifying sense now. No wonder her mother had been so fiercely adamant about forcing the breakup with Naylor—she had already lined up his replacement.

Before Katrina could utter a single word of protest, three sharp knocks echoed from the door.

Both women turned as the door swung open. An elegant, impeccably dressed woman glided into the room, a warm, calculating smile playing on her lips.