The Billionaire's Hidden Wife

Episode 5

Play hard to get? Did he really think she was playing some game?

“Think what you want,” Catherine replied, closing her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. She was too tired to explain or even care.

“Come over here, have a drink with me,” Alex said, lounging lazily on the sofa, his sharp features softened by the dim lighting, yet the mysterious allure about him seemed magnified.

He swirled the glass in his hand, the amber liquid reflecting in his dark, deep-set eyes, which held no emotion, like ink too thick to see through.

Catherine froze for a second. Alex had always had stomach issues and would never touch alcohol unless absolutely necessary, especially during business meetings. But now, not only was he drinking, it looked like he’d had more than a few. She couldn’t understand what this meant.

While she stood there, lost in thought, he tipped his glass back and downed the drink in one go. The hint of alcohol clung to his lips, highlighting his sharp jawline, and in that moment, his usual elegance blended with a raw, reckless edge that sent an involuntary tremor through her.

Catherine quickly looked away, her voice cool and detached. “I don’t drink.”

“You can learn,” he cut her off with a harsh edge to his tone, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “You didn’t know how to do something disgraceful two years ago either, and yet you learned that, didn’t you?”

His words struck her like a slap across the face. Two years ago—that incident. She had been trying so hard to forget it, but he never let her. He kept bringing it up, reminding her, torturing her with guilt. The weight of his words pressed down on her, making her bite her lip so hard it almost bled.

“Come here! Don’t make me say it a third time.” His indifferent expression vanished, replaced by a commanding coldness that sent a shiver down her spine.

His eyes, sharp and predatory, pierced through her like daggers. There was no escape. His gaze was so intense, it left her nowhere to hide. She had never seen him like this before—was it the alcohol, or had her presence ruined his night? She didn’t know, but this version of Alex terrified her.

Not wanting to provoke him further, she walked over, though she deliberately sat as far from him as possible. Her small act of defiance earned her a mocking laugh.

“Weren’t you begging me to come home earlier? You wanted to see me so badly, and now that I’m here, you act all distant. Who’s this performance for?”

Her heart clenched, the weight of his words crushing her. It felt like something had grabbed hold of her chest and wouldn’t let go.

Yes, she had made a mistake. She had wronged him. He had every right to be angry, to hurt her, to punish her. But instead of harsh words or physical pain, he chose the cruelest form of revenge—using her love for him to slowly, methodically break her apart, humiliating her in the process. Each word from his mouth peeled back her emotional scars, forcing her to relive the agony.

Catherine blinked back tears, her vision blurring as she struggled to stay composed. Before the tears could fall, she grabbed the glass of wine in front of her and downed it in one go. She turned to him, her voice strained. “Is that enough?”

He didn’t respond, simply watching her with detached amusement, as if curious how far she’d go.

Seeing his silence, Catherine poured herself another glass. Then another. And another. If he wanted her to drink, she’d drink until he was satisfied.

“Enough!” Alex suddenly barked, his voice laced with fury as he knocked the glass from her hand. It shattered against the floor with a deafening crash. He grabbed her wrist, his grip so tight it felt like he might break it. “Stop playing the victim, Catherine. This pathetic act only makes me hate you more!”