WHISPERS OF FATE

Chapter Three: Unraveling Desires

The tension in Catherine’s life had become unbearable, pressing down on her chest like a vice. She had barely slept since her encounter with Roberts, and the stress of keeping everything from Jordan was eating away at her. Even Janet, usually a steady presence in her life, had become distant, her cryptic words replaying in Catherine’s mind on an endless loop.

Tonight, Catherine stood in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection, lost in thought. She touched her lips absently, thinking about how different things used to be before this nightmare began. Before Roberts. Before Fred’s betrayal.

Her phone buzzed again on the nightstand. This time, it wasn’t Jordan. It was Fred.

Without a second thought, she picked it up. “What do you want, Fred?” Her voice was sharp, cutting through the silence of the room.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Cath, listen to me. I know you’re angry, but you don’t understand the position I’m in. Roberts—”

“I don’t care about Roberts!” Catherine snapped, her patience snapping. “You sold me, Fred. Your own sister. Do you even hear yourself?”

Fred’s voice softened, a mix of guilt and desperation. “I didn’t have a choice. You don’t know the debts I owe. It’s either this, or we lose everything. I was trying to save us.”

“Save us?” Catherine let out a bitter laugh, pacing her room. “You weren’t thinking about saving me. You were thinking about yourself. You’ve tied me to a man who’s manipulating and controlling me—someone who sees me as nothing more than a pawn in his sick game.”

“Roberts can be reasonable,” Fred argued, though his voice lacked conviction.

Catherine’s anger boiled over. “Reasonable? You call what he’s doing reasonable? You have no idea what it’s like to be in this position. You’re not the one being used like a bargaining chip!”

There was a long silence, and when Fred finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry, Cath. I didn’t mean for it to be like this.”

“Well, it is like this.” Catherine took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “And I don’t know how to fix it.”

“You don’t have to fix anything. Just… just go through with the marriage. Things will settle down afterward. I promise.”

“Your promises mean nothing to me anymore, Fred,” she said coldly before hanging up the phone.

An hour later, Catherine stood outside the entrance to her apartment, gazing up at the moonlit sky. She needed to clear her head, to find a way to sort through the chaos that had overtaken her life. Her fingers itched to dial Jordan’s number, but she still couldn’t bring herself to do it.

As she wandered aimlessly down the quiet street, she found herself standing in front of Jordan’s apartment building. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. She hadn’t planned on coming here—hadn’t meant to, really—but here she was.

Without thinking, she buzzed his apartment.

Moments later, Jordan opened the door, his expression shifting from surprise to concern the moment he saw her. “Catherine? What are you doing here?” His voice was soft, gentle, just like always.

She couldn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked up at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

Jordan stepped aside, allowing her in. “Come inside.”

As she entered, the familiar scent of his apartment—his cologne mixed with the faint smell of freshly brewed coffee—wrapped around her like a warm embrace. She hadn’t realized how much she missed this, how much she missed him.

Jordan watched her carefully as she stood in the middle of his living room, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “Cath, what’s going on? You’ve been distant lately. I know something’s wrong.”

Catherine felt the weight of his words, the genuine concern in his voice cutting through her defenses. “I—” She faltered, the words sticking in her throat.

“Talk to me,” Jordan urged, stepping closer. “You can trust me.”

The sincerity in his eyes, the warmth of his presence, was too much. Catherine’s resolve crumbled. She couldn’t keep it from him anymore. “It’s… Fred. He made a deal with someone. A deal that affects me. And I’m trapped, Jordan. I don’t know how to get out of it.”

Jordan’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What kind of deal? What are you talking about?”

Tears welled in her eyes as she finally forced the words out. “Fred… arranged for me to marry someone. To pay off his debts. I didn’t have a choice, Jordan. I—”

The look of shock and disbelief on Jordan’s face made her heart sink. “What? Marry someone? Who?”

“Roberts,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Clark Roberts.”

Jordan took a step back, his expression darkening with anger. “You’re telling me your brother is marrying you off to your boss?”

Catherine nodded, the shame and guilt crashing over her. “I didn’t want to. I tried to fight it, but Fred… he put me in an impossible position. If I don’t go through with it, we’ll lose everything.”

Jordan stared at her for a long moment, his jaw clenched. “So you were just going to marry this guy without telling me?”

“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Catherine admitted, her voice trembling. “I was scared. I didn’t want to lose you.”

Jordan’s hands balled into fists, his body tense with frustration. “You should have come to me. We could have figured something out together.”

Tears spilled down Catherine’s cheeks. “I didn’t want to drag you into this mess.”

Jordan closed the distance between them in two quick strides, his hands gently cupping her face. “Catherine, you don’t have to protect me from this. I love you. We could have found a way out—together.”

Catherine’s heart skipped a beat at his words, the raw emotion in his voice making her chest ache. “I didn’t want to ruin your life, Jordan.”

Jordan shook his head, his thumb brushing away her tears. “You could never ruin my life. But marrying Roberts… that’ll ruin yours.”

Catherine closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. “I don’t know what to do. Everything is falling apart.”

Jordan’s lips pressed against her forehead, a soft, comforting gesture that made her feel safe, even if only for a moment. “We’ll figure it out. You don’t have to marry him. We can find another way.”

“I’m scared,” Catherine whispered, her voice barely audible.

Jordan’s hands slid down to her waist, pulling her closer until their bodies were pressed together. “I’m here. You’re not alone in this.”

The warmth of his body against hers, the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear, was intoxicating. For the first time in days, Catherine felt like she could breathe.

She tilted her head back, her eyes meeting his. “Jordan…” Her voice was a plea, a confession, and a promise all at once.

His lips hovered inches from hers, his breath warm against her skin. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice husky with emotion.

The words sent a jolt of electricity through her. Without thinking, she closed the distance between them, her lips capturing his in a desperate kiss.

Jordan responded instantly, his arms tightening around her as he kissed her back with a fervor that made her knees weak. The world around them faded away, leaving only the heat of their bodies and the intensity of their connection.

Catherine’s fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as their kiss deepened, their breaths becoming ragged. She had never felt so alive, so vulnerable, and yet so utterly certain of what she wanted.

Jordan’s hands slid down her back, his touch igniting a fire within her that she hadn’t realized had been burning all along. He broke the kiss for only a moment, his forehead resting against hers as he whispered, “I’ll fight for you, Cath. I’ll fight for us.”

Catherine’s heart swelled with emotion as she gazed into his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, Jordan. I can’t.”

“You won’t,” he promised, his lips brushing against hers once more. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”

Their lips met again, the kiss slow and tender this time, filled with unspoken promises and raw desire. As their bodies pressed closer, Catherine felt the weight of the world lift just a little. Here, in Jordan’s arms, she found a flicker of hope in the darkness that had consumed her life.

But as much as she wanted to lose herself in this moment, she knew it wouldn’t last. The reality of her situation loomed large, threatening to shatter the fragile peace they had found in each other’s embrace.