To be honest, given the way Renata was right now, Catherine had absolutely no mood to pick up Magee Channing's call. She feared that if she answered, she'd end up unleashing all her pent-up emotions, accusing Magee Channing until she lost control.
From what Lucca had said that day, it was clear that Magee Channing had known about Renata's illness for quite some time. Yet, days had passed, and not a single word had come from him. Even though he and Renata were divorced, and maybe he was trying to keep his distance, they had been married for years. And still—nothing. Not even a single inquiry. It was cold, heartless, and downright cruel.
Sometimes, Catherine couldn't help but admire Lucca's mother, Tracy. She had no formal education, yet she could seduce men, please men, and manipulate them like it was second nature.
Compared to her mother, Renata—a teacher with refined manners—Tracy had nothing besides her stunning looks. Yet men like Magee Channing, who had risen to wealth later in life, were drawn to women like her even more. Suddenly rich, their egos swelled, and a striking woman at their side instantly earned admiration from others, feeding their inflated pride and self-esteem.
Renata, too, was beautiful. But her personality was disciplined and a bit old-fashioned. Being an elementary school teacher, she rarely fussed over her appearance. Naturally, she could never compete with a woman like Tracy, who lived almost entirely for makeup and fashion.
Renata noticed the call from Magee Channing and said softly,
"Go ahead and answer."
Since the divorce, no matter how much Renata despised Magee Channing, she had never allowed Catherine to behave rudely toward him. Meetings happened when necessary, contact was maintained when appropriate, and Catherine was even sent to greet him during holidays. Renata would never allow anyone to say her daughter lacked manners or was disrespectful to her own father. It was Magee Channing who, over the years, had slowly withdrawn from his daughter.
Catherine pressed the hang-up button without lifting her head, replying to Renata,
"I don't want to."
Renata sighed, understanding that Catherine was trying to shield her, not wanting her mother to get upset in this already difficult moment.
Catherine thought the matter was over, but Magee Channing called again. This time, she answered, and his voice came through surprisingly gentle and warm.
"Ah, Cici, I heard you're back in the country. Let's have dinner tonight."
Catherine couldn't help but scoff inwardly. She had been back for days. Lucca had come to see her the day she arrived—but Magee Channing waited until now to call.
Had he called earlier, even just to ask about Renata's condition, Catherine might not have hated him so much.
In recent years, Magee Channing rarely spoke to her in such a kind tone. Most of the time, he was indifferent. And now, suddenly warm and gentle? Catherine knew better than to believe he had a sudden change of heart.
Instinctively, she felt that Magee Channing had ulterior motives. And with Renata's surgery coming up, she used that as an excuse to reject his dinner invitation.
"Dad… Mom's going into surgery first thing tomorrow. Please forgive me—I'm really not in the mood for dinner right now."
Her tone was sharp, but at this point, she didn't care.
She truly wasn't in the mood. All she wanted was to stay close to Renata, because… maybe this would be the last peaceful moment they'd have together. The thought alone twisted her stomach with bitter anguish.
Renata glanced at her, silently signaling her not to act so impulsively.
On the other end, Magee Channing's anger was obvious.
"Your mother has surgery tomorrow. What's wrong with having dinner tonight? Raising your voice like that—this is how you treat your father?"
Tears welled up in Catherine's eyes, but she forced them back.
She had just told him that Renata would be in surgery first thing tomorrow, yet Magee Channing hadn't said a single word about it. Instead, he insisted on dinner and even scolded her. Catherine felt utterly disappointed in this so-called father, and her heart ached for her mother.
Perhaps realizing his tone had been too harsh, Magee Channing quickly softened his voice.
"Cici… it's just that you were in Australia for two years before coming back. Your father missed you and wanted to see you—just thought we could have dinner together."
After that surge of sadness and impulsiveness, Catherine had calmed down. Her voice went cold and even,
"Just tell me the time and place."
She was certain that Magee Channing had ulterior motives, but she didn't care anymore. She had no expectations from this father now. Agreeing to the dinner was simply to avoid making her mother uncomfortable. Renata had always hoped that her relationship with Magee Channing wouldn't get too strained—otherwise, the world would judge Catherine as an unfilial daughter.
Once Magee Channing told her the time and place, she acknowledged it lightly and hung up.
Catherine looked at her mother after the call.
"Mom… do you want me to go to this dinner?"
Renata glanced at her and reached out, squeezing her hand gently.
"Go."
Then she turned her gaze elsewhere, her voice heavy with sadness.
"Cici… he is, after all, your father. If something happens tomorrow and I don't wake up… he's the only family you'll have left in this world."
Her words nearly brought tears to Catherine's eyes again.
But she pressed her palms tightly together, holding herself back. She refused to let her mother cry as well, refusing to let even the slightest ripple of emotion touch her.
Actually… she wanted to say that a relative and father like Magee Channing was better off not having at all.
After holding back all her tears, she walked over and hugged Renata with a gentle smile.
"All right… I'll go to dinner tonight. Don't worry, I'll behave and get along with him," she said, trying to comfort her mother.
Catherine soothed Renata, making sure that, no matter what, she wouldn't upset her mother on the eve of surgery. She wouldn't let Renata go into the operating room carrying sadness or regret. She understood why her mother was concerned—Renata didn't want her to fall out with Magee Channing, thinking ahead that Catherine shouldn't end up alone in the world.
Magee Channing had arranged the dinner for seven o'clock. Catherine didn't arrive until half past seven. Her outfit was casual to the extreme—a loose oversized sweater, skinny jeans, and canvas sneakers. These past few days, she had been shuttling between the hospital and various real estate agencies, caring only about comfort.
She also deliberately left herself looking unkempt and deliberately arrived late, just to annoy Magee Channing.
Many might see her as meek and easy to push around, but her resistance was quiet, invisible. For her tardiness, she had a perfectly reasonable excuse ready: traffic. It was rush hour in Burg Eltz, and anyone could attest to the gridlock.
When she finally reached the restaurant Magee Channing had specified, he called her. His tone was sharp, tinged with irritation, asking why she hadn't arrived yet.
Catherine replied with apparent innocence,
"Sorry, Dad… the traffic was terrible. I took the bus—just a few more stops, I'll be there soon. Please be patient."
Magee Channing hung up in anger.
Catherine lingered in the lobby's waiting area for another ten minutes before finally getting up to head toward the private room Magee Channing had mentioned. By now, he was probably going crazy waiting for her.
Pushing the door open, she saw more than just Magee Channing inside. Two other men were there—a middle-aged man and a younger one. The middle-aged man immediately made her stomach turn. His exact age was hard to guess, but his corpulent, unpleasantly bulky frame was enough to make anyone frown.
Catherine froze at the doorway, having already guessed Magee Channing's intentions.
As soon as he saw her, Magee Channing waved her over eagerly.
"Cici, you're here! Come, come, come—sit down."
Then, he introduced her to the two men.
"Oh, my eldest daughter knows how to make do with things. She even took the bus, which is why she's so late."
"Cici, this is Bank Manager and his assistant."
Magee Channing stepped forward and pulled her into the room.